HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Russell Wilson Rumors: Tuesday

June 30th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

In an interview with ESPN on Monday night, Russell Wilson handled questions about his contract situation with his usual tact, declining to reveal any details about the negotiations. The Seahawks quarterback said his relationship is “great and “not bad by any means,” adding that he’ll “trust the process” in getting a deal done (link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Still, Wilson did make one comment that raised some eyebrows. Here’s more on that, along with the rest of today’s Wilson notes and rumors:

  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson did mention a specific figure when asked about his value, albeit in a roundabout way. “No matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25MM or $1.5MM,” Wilson said. “I’ll be ready to go.” As Florio points out, the latter figure is the QB’s salary for 2015 — could the first figure be the salary he’s seeking on his new deal?
  • Of course, it’s entirely possible that Wilson just said the first large, round number that came into his head. But it’s worth noting that last year around this time, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com indicated that people around the league thought Wilson and Andrew Luck could eventually sign contracts worth $24-25MM annually.
  • For his part, agent Mark Rodgers joked about Wilson’s mention of $25MM by tweeting, “I wish he had said $40 million. Then this would really be interesting. #patience #relax #nodeadline.”
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes an interesting, in-depth look at what sort of guaranteed money Wilson might be looking at on his next contract.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Raiders, Titans

June 29th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Zachary Links

It appears that the league is getting a little more stringent on Adderall prescriptions, as Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Today, the NFLPA sent a reminder to agents today on players needing to have a certified psychiatrist evaluate them to get therapeutic use exemptions for ADHD. Players wanting to use the popular ADHD medication have to have TUEs for it renewed by August 10th, otherwise they will not be able to take the medication. Over the years, we have seen several players suspended for using Adderall and similar ADHD meds, including Bruce Irvin, Aqib Talib, and Haloti Ngata. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Despite some reports over the weekend to the contrary, the NFL is not considering delaying the Los Angeles relocation process by a year, a source tells Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter).
  • At some point, Oakland will probably have to choose between the Raiders and the Oakland Athletics, Phil Matier and Andy Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle write.
  • Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com wonders if Kenneth Adams IV is becoming the face of the Titans‘ ownership group. Rumors continue to fly of the team ultimately being sold, but Kuharsky gets the feeling that Adams wants to remain an NFL owner. Adams is the lone person in the five-member ownership group who works for the team and who is a Nashvillian.
  • The trial for Saints cornerback Brian Dixon has been pushed back again and is now scheduled for Aug. 3, according to online court records obtained by Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune. Dixon was arrested March 29 for resisting arrest without violence following a traffic stop in Miami Beach. The 25-year-old, who signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2014, played in all 16 games for New Orleans last season.

Cowboys Notes: Bryant, Murray, Knox

June 29th, 2015 at 8:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the a few items out of Dallas..

  • Todd Archer of ESPN.com polled the rest of ESPN’s NFC East correspondents to find out how the divisional rivals will stack up against the Cowboys’ offensive line. Dallas claimed ownership to the best O-Line in the NFC East in 2014 and this year they’ve added La’el Collins, who would have been a first round pick if not for his bizarre situation. Giants correspondent Dan Graziano feels that no one’s front seven should feel good about its chances against the Cowboys’ offensive line. Eagles writer Phil Sheridan notes that the Eagles are pretty happy with their front seven thanks to the addition of linebacker Kiko Alonso. John Keim, meanwhile, feels that Washington is better equipped than last year thanks to the speed of Stephen Paea and a healthy Jason Hatcher.
  • Babe Laufenberg of SportsDayDFW.com touched on a number of Cowboys topics, including the team’s decision to prioritize keeping Dez Bryant over running back DeMarco Murray. Murray was the league’s best back in 2014, but Laufenberg noted that wide receiver is the most important position in today’s NFL, outside of quarterback. Bryant’s 16 touchdowns were second in the NFL last year while Murray had 13.
  • Linebacker Kyle Knox, who was signed by the Cowboys on June 2nd and waived on June 5th, has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). There’s no word on what Knox’s suspension is for, but four game suspensions are often brought on by violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. Knox is currently a free agent and today’s news likely won’t help his chances of landing with a team.

AFC East Notes: Brady, Dareus, Dolphins

June 29th, 2015 at 8:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Following the Ted Wells report, the namesake lead investigator openly complained that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did not turn over the contents of his phone. Now that commissioner Roger Goodell is inviting Brady to provide “new information,” Mike Florio of PFT is wondering if he’ll comply. Ultimately, however, one source with knowledge of the situation feels that Brady likely did not surrender enough to prompt Goodell to conclude that Brady fully cooperated with the investigation on a belated basis. Here’s more from the AFC East..

  • Now entering his contract year, Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus says that he has gotten his life together both personally and professionally, as John Kryk of the Toronto Sun writes. Dareus is facing a one-game suspension for his drug arrest, meaning he’ll miss the Bills’ regular season opener in 2015. Recently, Luke Adams of Pro Football Rumors looked at Dareus as an extension candidate.
  • Bills‘ final draft pick Dez Lewis is on the roster bubble, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes. The wide receiver, who tallied 64 receptions, 945 yards, and 9 touchdowns last year at Central Arkansas, has a 60% chance of making the cut, in Rodak’s estimation. There’s uncertainty about Lewis’ small school production, but his size (6’4″, 214 pounds) gives him promise as an NFL talent and the Bills might be afraid to expose him to waivers. On the other hand, Buffalo is deep at receiver.
  • In Miami, NFL notable LaMichael James find himself on the Dolphins‘ roster bubble. James Walker of ESPN.com isn’t exactly sure which way Miami is leaning on the former Niners back and gives him a 50/50 shot of making it. James played in only two games last season and rushed for 9 yards on three carries, but he was a hot name coming out of Oregon years ago and could still have some upside. The fourth-year back has also had a full offseason with the Dolphins to learn the offense. James will compete for reps with a crowded group of running backs that includes Miller, rookie Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, and Mike Gillislee.

Michael Bennett: Holdout “Definitely Possible”

June 29th, 2015 at 6:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett is unhappy with his current contract and he may take drastic measures to get his message across to team management. In a phone conversation with Steve Wyche of NFL.com, Bennett indicated that it’s “definitely possible” that he’ll hold out from training camp.

Bennett, of course, would incur hefty fines if he were to skip out on Seattle’s training camp. At present, the 29-year-old is slated to continue on the four-year, $28.5MM contract ($16MM guaranteed) he signed in 2014. Frankly, it’s hard to argue that Bennett isn’t underpaid. He stands as one of the very best 4-3 defensive ends in the league, but his $7.125MM annual salary places him just 13th at his position. Over the weekend, PFR’s Dallas Robinson opined that Bennett shouldn’t have re-signed with the Seahawks if he was dissatisfied with the deal being offered to him.

As the No. 1 free agent of 2014, PFR’s Luke Adams estimated that Bennett could net as much as $9-10MM annually. That might have been near the upper limit of what Bennett could have earned, but we’ll never know the real answer to that since the defensive end never hit the open market. On March 10th, Bennett re-upped with the Seahawks on the very deal that he is frustrated with today.

After the 2013 season, Bennett graded out as the league’s fifth-best 4-3 defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This past year, he moved even further up the list to No. 2 (link, subscription required), behind Miami’s Cameron Wake, while registering 26 tackles and seven sacks.

Do you think Bennett deserves a new deal, or should he play out the contract he already has? Let us know in the comment section below.

Minor Moves: Monday

June 29th, 2015 at 5:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Cowboys released Chris Boyd from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Boyd, 23, was waived with an injured designation back in late May when Dallas picked up former first-round draft choice A.J. Jenkins. He was dismissed from the Vanderbilt football team due to his involvement in a 2014 rape case, when he was accused of helping four teammates cover up the crime. Once considered a possible early round draft pick, Boyd told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com last year that he was grateful for the chance to hook on with the Cowboys. “I really appreciate it,” Boyd said. “It’s a blessing to play the game I love again. I’m just really thankful for the coaching staff here and the personnel department to reach out to me and give me the opportunity.”

Community Tailgate: Eli Manning’s Contract

June 29th, 2015 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this month, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

As I outlined this morning, agent Tom Condon told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News over the weekend that he’s confident the Giants will eventually sign his client, quarterback Eli Manning, to a new contract. Vacchiano rightly points out that very few top signal-callers ultimately reach free agency, suggesting that he thinks the Giants and Manning will reach an accord at “the appropriate time.” With Manning preparing to enter a contract year, it’s not clear yet when that “appropriate time” will arrive, and what an appropriate deal for the 34-year-old would look like.

Manning had the worst season of his career in 2013, leading the NFL with a career-high 27 interceptions and suffering his first losing season since his rookie year. He got off to another shaky start in 2014 under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, but quickly righted the ship and finished the year with 4,410 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and a career-best 63.1% completion percentage.

While the Giants have to be encouraged by Manning’s play last year, the team may want to wait until after the 2015 season to negotiate his next contract, in order to assess how the QB’s second year with McAdoo plays out. It’s also possible the club wants to wait for Philip Rivers to re-up with the Chargers to help set the market for Manning.

Another accomplished veteran signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger, inked a four-year extension worth $87.4MM with the Steelers earlier this offseason. Of course, while Big Ben’s deal may be a point of reference for the Manning talks, Roethlisberger is a year younger than the Giants’ starter and is coming off the best season of his career, so Manning may not match or surpass those contract figures.

What do you think? Will Manning sign a new contract with the Giants before the season, after the season, or not at all? Assuming he re-ups with New York, will Manning match Roethlisberger’s $21.85MM annual salary? Jump into the comment section below to voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Eagles Sign John Moffitt

June 29th, 2015 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

MONDAY, 3:05pm: The Eagles have officially announced the signing of Moffitt, in a team release. To make room for the unretired guard on the roster, the club has parted ways with another lineman, Cole Manhart, who will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.

THURSDAY, 6:03pm: The Eagles will sign recently unretired guard John Moffitt to a one-year deal, according to Ross Jones of Fox Sports (on Twitter).

A 28-year-old guard who announced his intention to return to the league June 17, Moffitt started 15 games in 2011-12 with the Seahawks before serving as a depth piece briefly with the Broncos in 2013 and ultimately retiring in November 2013.

After the releases of Todd Herremans and All-Pro Evan Mathis this offseason, the Eagles had potentially glaring guard issues that Moffitt would have the chance to help cover up. Although in Moffitt’s last two seasons of active duty, 2011 and 2012, he rated as a below-average guard, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

Guard’s the only place on the Eagles’ line with performance questions, with Jason Peters, Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce residing at the tackle spots and center, respectively. Journeymen Allen Barbre and Andrew Gardner were the Eagles’ frontrunners at guard going into training camp. Moffitt will have the chance to compete with Dennis Kelly and Kevin Graf to take Mathis’ left guard spot, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

The Broncos, who waived Moffitt before he went unclaimed, traded for the former third-round pick from Wisconsin in 2013 after a deal with the Browns fell through. Midway through the Broncos’ AFC championship campaign, Moffitt walked away due to a lack of passion for the sport, he said at the time. But lingering drug issues came to light as well. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Moffitt’s recovered from the drug problems that plagued him previously.

 

 

Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: NFC North

June 29th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Between now and the start of NFL training camps, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series last week by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, and today we’ll head up to the NFC North.

Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four NFC North franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….

Chicago Bears:

  1. Jay Cutler, QB: $16,500,000
  2. Jared Allen, DE/OLB: $12,500,000
  3. Matt Forte, RB: $9,200,000
  4. Jermon Bushrod, LT: $8,050,000
  5. Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB: $6,990,000
  6. Pernell McPhee, OLB: $6,675,000
  7. Martellus Bennett, TE: $6,125,000
  8. Brandon Marshall, WR: $5,625,000 (dead money)
  9. Eddie Royal, WR: $5,500,000
  10. Tim Jennings, CB: $5,250,000
    Total: $77,690,000

There are a couple missteps among the Bears’ top cap hits, but most of the players on this list are expected to be key contributors in the 2015 season, which is more than can be said for some teams. Still, it’s fair to wonder if the Bears would’ve made such big commitments to Allen and Houston if they knew they’d be bringing in a 3-4 defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio) this year — I’m guessing not.

The placement of two wideouts near the bottom of the Chicago top 10 is also worth noting. Marshall’s dead money charge couldn’t be avoided once the club decided to move on from him, but how effective will Royal be replacing Marshall’s production? His contract raised a few eyebrows around the league this offseason, as the Bears seem to be counting heavily on the veteran receiver recreating the rapport he had with Cutler back in Denver.

While offseason signees McPhee and Royal earn spots on this list, two players in the top 10 are seeking new contracts, as both Forte and Bennett skipped OTAs this spring. Bennett still has a couple years left on his deal, while Forte is entering a contract year.

Detroit Lions:

  1. Calvin Johnson, WR: $20,558,000
  2. Matthew Stafford, QB: $17,721,250
  3. Ndamukong Suh, DT: $9,737,500 (dead money)
  4. Haloti Ngata, DT: $8,500,000
  5. Stephen Tulloch, LB: $5,800,000
  6. Golden Tate, WR: $5,350,000
  7. Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $5,071,228
  8. DeAndre Levy, LB: $4,500,000
  9. Jason Jones, DE: $3,983,334
  10. Chris Houston, CB: $3,900,000 (dead money)
    Total: $85,121,312

No team we’ve examined so far has a combined top-10 cap number higher than the Lions’ $85MM+ figure. That amount is heavily impacted by the team’s “big three” of Johnson, Stafford, and Suh. Considering Suh counts for nearly $10MM against Detroit’s cap even now that he’s not on the team, it’s scary to think what his cap hit might have looked like in 2015 and future years if he had been re-signed.

Despite Suh’s departure, the Lions are still investing a significant chunk of cap space into their defensive line, with Ngata, Ansah, and Jones also in the top 10. With the Pro Bowler gone, it remains to be seen how productive that line can be going forward.

Given the two dead-money charges in Detroit’s top 10, along with the presence of multiple players coming back from injury-plagued 2014 campaigns, you could make the case that the Lions’ top 10 cap numbers are the worst of any in the NFC North — we’ll see if that catches up to the club this year on the heels of a successful 2014 season.

Green Bay Packers:

  1. Aaron Rodgers, QB: $18,250,000
  2. Clay Matthews, OLB: $12,700,000
  3. Julius Peppers, DE/OLB: $12,000,000
  4. Sam Shields, CB: $9,062,500
  5. Josh Sitton, G: $7,000,000
  6. T.J. Lang, G: $5,800,000
  7. Randall Cobb, WR: $5,350,000
  8. Morgan Burnett, S: $5,131,250
  9. Jordy Nelson, WR: $4,600,000
  10. Mike Neal, DL: $4,250,000
    Total: $84,143,750

The total cap cost of the Packers’ top 10 charges nearly equals that of the Lions, but Green Bay’s list is devoid of any dead money, and half of these players earned Pro Bowl spots last season. Two of those Pro Bowlers were Cobb and Nelson, whose cap hits will be on the rise after the 2015 season, with Cobb’s increasing to $12.75MM by 2017, while Nelson’s will be $11.55MM that same year.

Rodgers’ $18.25MM cap number represents the second-largest charge in the division for 2015, and bumps up Green Bay’s combined top-10 total, but the perennial MVP candidate is still a bargain at that price. There’s no doubt that any NFL team would rather carry Rodgers at $18.25MM than Stafford at $17.72MM or Cutler at $16.5MM.

A $12MM cap hit for a defensive player entering his age-35 season typically isn’t a great use of space, but Peppers was impressive in his first year in Green Bay, forcing six fumbles and returning two interceptions for touchdowns, in addition to recording seven sacks — he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best 3-4 outside linebacker in 2014 (subscription required), so that cap number is manageable.

Minnesota Vikings:

  1. Adrian Peterson, RB: $15,400,000
  2. Mike Wallace, WR: $9,900,000
  3. Everson Griffen, DE: $8,200,000
  4. John Sullivan, C: $7,333,333
  5. Phil Loadholt, RT: $6,750,000
  6. Kyle Rudolph, TE: $6,440,625
  7. Matt Kalil, LT: $6,290,644
  8. Greg Jennings, WR: $6,000,000 (dead money)
  9. Brian Robison, DE: $5,650,000
  10. Chad Greenway, LB: $5,575,000
    Total: $77,539,602

The fact that Teddy Bridgewater is so inexpensive for the Vikings means they can allocate their cap room to other positions, and the team’s top-10 list is heavy on offensive skill players and offensive and defensive linemen. The list also features a mix of good and bad investments.

Among those bad investments: Jennings, who will count for $6MM in dead money against the club’s cap after being released earlier in the offseason. He and Wallace will combine for a cap number of nearly $16MM, which is way too much to pay for two veteran receivers whose best years may be behind them, particularly when one’s not even on the roster anymore. The Vikes will hope a change of scenery rejuvenates Wallace, but the former Steeler didn’t put up No. 1 receiver numbers in Miami.

Peterson is the most interesting case, sitting atop the Vikings’ top-10 list by a comfortable margin. The former MVP was still one of the league’s best running backs, if not the best, the last time we saw him on the field. But $15.4MM is a huge cap hit for any running back, and Peterson is 30 years old and coming off a lost season. It’s no wonder he wants to get a portion of his 2016 salary guaranteed — a down year could spell the end of Peterson’s time in Minnesota, given his pricey cap charge.

Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Pro Football Rumors On Social Media, RSS

June 29th, 2015 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Training camps for the 2015 NFL season are still about a month from getting underway, but there are plenty of storylines to follow on Pro Football Rumors in the coming weeks, as I detailed last Friday, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.

You can like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Meanwhile, our Google+ page is located here, and if you’d like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice, you can find our RSS feed right here.

If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter. And don’t forget to check out our app for iOS and Android, which is available right here.

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