2015 August - Pro Football Rumors

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Golson, Boykin

August 3rd, 2015 at 7:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC North..

Steelers rookie cornerback Senquez Golson may require season-ending shoulder surgery, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. Golson’s injury might explain the Steelers’ pursuit and acquisition of cornerback Brandon Boykin over the weekend. The second-round pick out of Ole Miss opened up camp on the PUP list and now it appears that his NFL debut may have to wait until 2016.
Boykin should give the Steelers additional options in the secondary, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Boykin not only is a viable candidate to contribute at corner, he also might be a Week 1 starter. Boykin played in all 48 games since being drafted by the Eagles in 2012, but he became expendable when they signed Byron Maxwell to a lucrative deal in the offseason, signed veteran Walter Thurmond, and drafted three cornerbacks.
Browns receivers coach Joker Phillips says Terrelle Pryor, who is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver, has made a good first impression on coaches. “It’s hard to say right now,” Phillips said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. “I’m not going to put that kind of pressure on him or myself. I can tell you this, he’s very, very — and I’ll say it two times — very, very talented. There’s no question about that. The guy’s talented, and talent wins ball games. Now, we’ve got to challenge that talent with the techniques that we have and give him a chance to be successful out wide.”

AFC East Notes: Brady, Jets, Richardson

August 3rd, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Albert Breer of NFL Media (on Twitter) hears that the parties in the August 12th Tom Brady settlement conference may be able to participate by phone, but that they’ll have to present a good reason for doing so. Mike Florio of PFT, a former lawyer, advises that Brady get himself to Manhattan as a sign of respect to the federal judge. Florio writes that not flying to Manhattan alone won’t mean a loss in court for Brady, but it could affect the proceedings in other ways. Here’s more from the AFC East..

The Jets obviously can’t get much for him now, but Sheldon Richardson could be a valuable trade piece after the 2015 season, Darryl Slater of the Star-Ledger writes. The final year of Richardson’s rookie deal is in 2016, but he can be kept under control through 2017 with a fifth-year option at a relatively cheap rate. For now, the Jets will have to wait and see if Richardon’s four-game suspension for marijuana is about to balloon into something bigger after last week’s bizarre incident.
Veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick has virtually no chance of overtaking Geno Smith for the Jets‘ starting QB job this summer, Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post writes. Of course, if Smith falters for the first few weeks of the season, the door will be open for the Harvard product.
Calvin Pryor didn’t impress in his rookie season with the Jets, but a position change could be the key to unlocking his potential, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. The Louisville product is now playing strong safety instead of free safety, which means that he can concentrate on laying down the big hits.
In the battle of Patriots QB vs. Roger Goodell, Gary Tanguay of CSNNE.com feels that the law is on the side of the commissioner, which is why Brady should take a settlement on his suspension, if possible.

Chargers, Rivers Set Deadline For Extension

August 3rd, 2015 at 5:42pm CST by Zachary Links

One way or another, we’re about to get some clarity on Philip Rivers‘ contract situation. If the quarterback and the Chargers have not agreed to an extension by August 13th, the team’s first preseason game, then they aren’t expected to this year, sources tell Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.

Despite the deadline, Gehlken writes that talks between the two sides are considered amicable and is thought to be a general understanding that talks will be revisited in 2016 if no deal is completed soon. Recently, it was reported that Rivers is hopeful that a new deal can get hammered out.

Rivers, 33, is coming off a 2014 season in which he threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and a league-high 18 interceptions. The five-time Pro Bowler led San Diego to a 9-7 record, narrowly missing the postseason, despite the fact that the team was missing several key players due to injuries, and Rivers himself was banged up for much of the year. Rivers is due a $15.8MM base salary in 2015 and his contract expires next March.

Ace Sanders Suspended For 10 Games

August 3rd, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

5:23pm: Sanders is being suspended for a violation of the substance abuse policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

4:43pm: Free agent wide receiver Ace Sanders has been suspended for ten games by the NFL, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). Sanders was released by Jacksonville last month and has yet to be picked up by another club.

A recent report indicated that teams including the Seahawks, Dolphins, and Lions had interest in Sanders, but today’s development probably means that he won’t be signed anytime soon. There’s no word yet on what Sanders was suspended for, though the former fourth-round pick served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy during his time in Jacksonville.

Sanders, 23, had a decent rookie season in 2013, hauling in 51 balls, though he only averaged 9.5 yards per catch and reached the end zone just once. The South Carolina product wasn’t a major part of the Jaguars’ offense last season, after the team used multiple 2014 draft picks to add receiving help. He saw just seven targets in 2014, earning most of his playing time on special teams, where he returned 32 punts, averaging 7.1 yards per return.

Colts, Anthony Castonzo Talking Extension

August 3rd, 2015 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Left tackle Anthony Castonzo confirmed that he’s discussing a new deal with the Colts, as Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. Recently, team owner Jim Irsay expressed optimism about getting a new deal done with the tackle, so it’s not a big surprise to hear that the two sides have started on contract talks.

“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”

As a former first-round pick with a fifth-year option, Castonzo will earn a $7.438MM salary this season if he doesn’t agree to a new deal. Castonzo, who turns 27 on Sunday, took over the Colts’ left tackle job on a full-time basis shortly after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2011 draft. In 2013, he ranked 27th out of 76 qualified offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2014, he placed 12th out of 84 qualified tackles, likely increasing his value even further. For his part, Castonzo isn’t sweating a new deal.

“If you play well, you get taken care of, that’s sort of the way I see it,” Castonzo said Monday morning.

Ravens’ Matt Elam Done For Season

August 3rd, 2015 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Ravens safety Matt Elam suffered a complete biceps tear and will require surgery, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Elam will be placed on season-ending IR. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, head coach John Harbaugh didn’t sound too optimistic about Elam’s status.

“I’m sure it’s very disappointing for him,” he said. “He’s very serious in great shape and then has a freak injury.”

Last season, Elam was bumped from the Ravens’ lineup in favor of Will Hill and he was looking to redeem himself in 2015. The former Florida safety was selected the No. 32 overall pick in the 2013 draft and hasn’t lived up to his billing so far. Elam was moved to strong safety in 2014, a position that should have been more in line with his skill set, but he led the team in missed tackles and struggled mightily in coverage.

Elam was not projected to start at safety this year, but he was slated to be a key backup to Hill and Kendrick Lewis. Now, the Ravens could be in the market for some secondary help.

NFC West Notes: Wagner, Rams, Wilson

August 3rd, 2015 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Over the weekend, the Seahawks agreed to a lucrative new deal with their star linebacker and today we learned a little bit more about the deal. The Seahawks didn’t use the preferred contract structure on Bobby Wagner by giving him an $8MM signing bonus and a $4MM option bonus, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. He also hears that Seattle must exercise its option on Wagner’s 2019 contract year between the first and fifth day of the 2016 league year (link). Wagner, Corry adds, has big per game roster bonuses in his deal that aren’t in the contracts of Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman (link). Here’s more out of the NFC West..

With new deals for Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have made it clear that they are committed to building a star laden roster while sacrificing elsewhere, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Seattle has shown a willingness to spend on certain positions while filling in the second tier with rookies and lower payscale “value” players.
The Rams have made it clear that they would like to get a contract extension done with quarterback Nick Foles, but he isn’t the only pending free agent they’re talking to, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes. “There is some discussion, yeah that makes sense,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He is not the only one we are talking with. We are talking with a number of our players right now and their representatives. Yeah, we’re heading down that path. I’m really not involved with it other than that I would like to see us get something worked out at some point with him.” The Rams 17 players on their roster that are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency, including key starters such as Foles, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, safety Rodney McLeod, receiver Brian Quick, and tight end/fullback Cory Harkey. Key depth players such as ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, safety Mark Barron, kicker Greg Zuerlein and quarterback Austin Davis are also due to hit the market. There’s also starting defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who is under control for the 2016 season because of a fifth-year option but has already been in discussions about an extension that would keep the Rams from having to pay him the fifth-year option salary.
Wilson’s new contract provides stability in Seattle, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (video link) says.

Broncos, Britton Colquitt Rework Deal

August 3rd, 2015 at 12:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos and Britton Colquitt have agreed to rework their deal for the upcoming season, according to Jeff Legwold and Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Colquitt had a 3.75MM cap figure and his salary will now be closer to $1.6MM, Legwold tweets.

Until the pay cut was agreed to, Colquitt had the ninth-highest salary cap figure on the Broncos for this season. The reworked contract, Yates tweets, will give Denver an additional $1.4MM in cap space. Colquitt, 30, has appeared in every regular season game for the Broncos over the last five seasons.

Hardy, NFLPA Could Still Challenge Suspension

August 3rd, 2015 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

Greg Hardy is still in discussions with the NFLPA to determine whether they’ll challenge his four-game suspension, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. We heard in mid-July that decision would be coming “any time now,” but more than two weeks later, things are still up in the air.

On July 10th, arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld Hardy’s suspension but slashed it from 10 games to four games. Early on in the process, we heard that Hardy and the NFLPA would fight a suspension of anything beyond two games, so it’s not a shock to hear that they’re considering further action. Hardy, they would likely reason, has already sat out a significant amount of time. The defensive end missed all but one game of the 2014 season with the Panthers.

For now, assuming Hardy accepts the four-game suspension, he’ll have the potential to earn up to about $10.628MM this season. The 26-year-old’s contract has a modest base salary, but features up to $9.25MM in per-game roster bonuses and about $1.8MM in incentives. By getting his penalty reduced from 10 games to four games, Hardy will have the opportunity to earn nearly $3.5MM in extra per-game roster bonuses.

As a refresher, Hardy allegedly assaulted and threatened to kill ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder in May of 2014. After being found guilty by a judge, Hardy was scheduled to get a jury trial, but due to a lack of cooperation by Holder, the charges against the defensive end were ultimately dismissed, as he reached a civil settlement with his accuser. While the case played out, Hardy spent the 2014 season on the commissioner’s exempt list for the Panthers, missing all but one game. The Cowboys signed Hardy earlier this offseason before word of his suspension broke, and a four-game ban is about what the team had initially expected.

Bills Suspend Aaron Kromer Six Games

August 3rd, 2015 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that offensive line coach Aaron Kromer has been suspended six games for his offseason incident. Charges were dropped against the coach in late July and that probably saved his job with Buffalo.

“Over the past several weeks the Bills organization has gathered information regarding the incident involving Offensive Line Coach Aaron Kromer. Today we have concluded our investigation and the Buffalo Bills will suspend Coach Kromer without pay for the first six games of the 2015 NFL regular season,” Bills managing partner and president Russ Brandon said in the statement. “The suspension will begin on Monday, September 7, 2015 and end with the conclusion of the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game on October 18, 2015. We worked in conjunction with the NFL on this matter and we are highly supportive of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy that holds all NFL and club employees to a higher standard. We look forward to Coach Kromer rejoining the Bills organization at Training Camp.”

Kromer, who was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2014, was arrested in July on a misdemeanor battery charge. According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, a juvenile, also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.

The Bills placed Kromer on paid administrative leave prior to their judgement on Sunday night.