2016 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: July 2016

Latest On Rolando McClain

July 16th, 2016 at 5:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys are still contemplating whether to terminate the contract of linebacker Rolando McClain, sources tell Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. McClain will be suspended for the first 10 games of the 2016 season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and while members of the Dallas organization would like to see him released, salary cap ramifications have precluded the club from making such a move at this point.

McClain will forfeit 10/17 of his $4MM base salary, roughly $2.35MM, as a result of his NFL-imposed ban, and the Cowboys are also entitled to recoup 10/17 of McClain’s $750K signing bonus, which amounts to ~$441K. In total, if McClain makes it back for the season’s final seven weeks, Dallas will only be on the hook for about $1.209MM. Additionally, under the terms of the contractual bargaining agreement, the Cowboys would not be able to reclaim any of that total if they do choose to cut McClain, according to Williams. “The main thing is strategically, [financially], it’s not good for us and he doesn’t take up an active spot on the roster [during the season],” said owner Jerry Jones of releasing McClain.

And from a purely financial standpoint, Jones is correct — there is no fiscal downside to keeping Jones on the suspended list for the first few months of the season, and because he won’t be a part of the 53-man roster, the Cowboys aren’t playing a man short in order to keep him around. Jones, for his part, is McClain’s “biggest supporter within the organization,” per Williams, as the club’s owner/GM was the primary force in talking McClain out of retirement in 2014.

On the field, Dallas will need to find a replacement for McClain, and the club has reportedly been talking with veteran Justin Durant about a possible reunion. I recently examined a few internal and external options for the Cowboys as they seek to find someone to hold down middle linebacker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Von Miller’s Agent Sought Trade Permission

July 16th, 2016 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Broncos and Von Miller‘s camp headed into the final week of negotiations that eventually produced a record-breaking defensive contract, one of the linebacker’s agents brought up a potential trade, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

Joby Branion helped secure the six-year, $114.5MM pact — with $70MM guaranteed — for his client, but when talks weren’t progressing to the agent’s liking, Branion made a formal request to see if he could contact other teams about the prospect of trading for Miller. This came about last weekend after talks with the Broncos intensified.

John Elway submitted the proposal that ended up being the clincher over a two-day period on July 7-8, but Branion countered with an offer that would have included more guaranteed money, Klis reports. But Elway, as he’s shown he’ll do during negotiations in his five-plus years as the Broncos’ GM, held firm on his offer. Branion then told the GM if he wasn’t prepared to consider his counterproposal, then it was possibly within the team’s best interests to consider trading Miller.

The Broncos did not entertain the notion of trading the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports, with the sixth-year GM viewing the 27-year-old pass-rusher as a cornerstone player.

Elway’s closing pitch came to Miller much earlier in the process than it did last summer when the Broncos reached an extension agreement with Demaryius Thomas minutes before the deadline. That was partially due to a parallel negotiation not existing like it did when the Broncos were talking with Thomas in 2015 and waiting on the Cowboys to close on a deal with Dez Bryant. It also stemmed from the Broncos potentially drawing up trade plans just in case along with Elway having an out-of-the-country vacation trip booked.

It’s unclear if any contingency trade plans were hatched out much, though.

The Broncos would have, of course, held the option of tagging Miller again if he sat out the season but could only use the non-exclusive tag on him if he followed through with that persistent threat. That scenario would have induced a team to exchange a first- and third-round pick for Miller in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jags Notes: Skuta, Robinson, Davis, Jackson

July 16th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Skuta faced a misdemeanor battery charge after a June 19 arrest, but the Jaguars linebacker saw his case dismissed once the prosecution declined to pursue charges, according to an ESPN.com report. The 30-year-old Skuta was accused of pushing a woman’s face into a glass window, an allegation he denied. However, Assistant State Attorney Natalie Lord categorized the case as one “not suitable for prosecution.”

Skuta’s lawyers wrote the eighth-year defender didn’t receive special consideration in this matter.

Here’s more from north Florida’s NFL franchise.

Not determined to be impaired after driving a car into a retention pond earlier this month, Denard Robinson received a citation for careless driving, Joe Daraskevich of the Florida Times-Union reports. The officer issuing the citation was the same one who determined the Jaguars running back was not impaired, writes Daraskevich, who notes Robinson accepted the citation. An investigation into the police officers’ conduct on the morning of July 3, when Robinson and a female companion were found asleep in a car that was drifting into a pond, remains ongoing, however.
Ryan Davis joins Skuta, Myles Jack, Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny as linebackers who are essentially locks to make the 53-man roster, Ryan O’Halloran of the Times-Union writes. The fifth-year performer signed the second-round tender ($2.55MM) the Jaguars placed on him this offseason as an RFA. Jacksonville moved him to linebacker this offseason after he previously functioned as a defensive end. Davis, who has registered 11 career sacks, is expected to back up Skuta on the strong side. It’s an interesting move for Davis, who has dropped weight this offseason, since the 27-year-old ex-UDFA has experience lining up as a defensive tackle in sub packages for the Jags. Although Davis is still expected to play some defensive end, the team is expected to deploy a healthy Dante Fowler Jr., adding to a deeper defensive front.
The Jags paid Malik Jackson a lot of money to serve as their primary interior pass-rushing threat, and both Tania Ganguli and Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com rate the former Broncos versatile lineman is the AFC South’s top newcomer. Jackson’s experience as a 4-3 defensive tackle in 2013 will serve him well in his expected role in Jacksonville. He moved to the 4-3 defensive end spot in 2014 with the Broncos and saw his stock rise exponentially as a 3-4 end in Wade Phillips‘ scheme last season.
How far have the Jaguars come this offseason? Have they done enough to challenge the Texans or Colts for a division title? Check out PFR’s Jaguars Offseason in Review.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Titans, Brady

July 16th, 2016 at 12:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Following news of Von Miller‘s record-breaking extension with the Broncos, we’ve started hearing reactions from several of the player’s teammates.

Cornerback Chris Harris appeared on NFL Network earlier this week, and the veteran said he believed Miller’s threats of holding out.

“I believe him,” he said (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “You’ve got to take his word for it. It would be hard for me to sit out, missing out on $14 million, but I think Von is serious in what he’s saying. I think he truly, this whole time just talking to him, he hates the franchise tag. I definitely think he won’t sign it.”

Meanwhile, offseason addition Mark Sanchez stated his excitement for Miller’s return

“Happy the deal was done in time for camp,” the quarterback said. “I knew both sides had the same goal and now we can start camp with the whole squad.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com says safety Mike Adams‘ two-year, $4.3MM contract (with $1.2MM guaranteed) is the best on the Colts. Meanwhile, tight end Dwayne Allen was said to have the team’s worst contract at four years and $29.4MM (with $11.5MM guaranteed).
After Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens, and Anthony Fasano, the Titans could keep up to two additional tight ends, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Phillip Supernaw is currently slotted as the team’s fourth tight end, but Wyatt notes that the team will be eyeing the waiver wire for reinforcement.
Meanwhile, Wyatt doesn’t envision undrafted kicker Aldrick Rosas unseating starter Ryan Succop.
When it comes to the ‘Deflategate’ fiasco, Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe writes that “the Patriots dug their own grave by behaving like a guilty party from the jump.” The writer notes the hypocrisy of owner Robert Kraft, who initially touted Roger Goodell as commissioner. Quarterback Tom Brady announced yesterday that he wouldn’t be appealing his four-game suspension.

Ray Rice’s ‘Window For Playing Is Closing’

July 16th, 2016 at 10:30am CST by Ben Levine

The last time Ray Rice appeared in a regular season NFL game, it was December of 2013. Close to three years later, the 29-year-old is still attempting a comeback.

Despite a general lack of interest from around the league, the three-time Pro Bowler recently said that he’s not giving up hope on a return to the NFL. However, Rice did admit that “the window for playing is closing.”

“I’m training, but I’m more training for life,” Rice told James Kratch of NJ.com. “I think it’s safe to say that football … I don’t want to ever say I’m giving up, because that’s never going to be me … I’m happy. I’m in the best shape of my life, and I know if it doesn’t happen this year, it’s probably something I have to deal with. But you know what? It’s not the end of my life.

“I know that the window for playing is closing. But if my window closes, I’m going to make sure I open up a thousand more opportunities for kids, to give them an opportunity to pick up where I left off. That’s where I’m at. I’ve got three Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl. There’s a lot of people that can’t go out there and do what I did. But I don’t want it to end that way, it’s safe to say.”

As Kratch recalls, Rice was arrested for assaulting his then-fiancee (and current wife) in 2014. A video was released showing the star striking his significant other, and the running back was subsequently released from the Ravens.

The 2008 second-round pick had an impressive run from 2009 through 2012, when he averaged 1,267 rushing yards, 610 receiving yards, and close to 10 touchdowns a season. His 2013 campaign was a bit underwhelming, as the then-26-year-old rushed for 660 yards on 214 carries, resulting in a career-low 3.1 average per attempt.

This 2013 performance could explain why Rice has yet to catch on with an NFL squad. Kratch also mentions the belief that the running back has been “blackballed” by the NFL after commissioner Roger Goodell‘s mishandling of the player’s suspension. Over the past few years, Rice has been connected to a handful of teams, including the Bills and Browns.

In the meantime, Rice is trying to reach as many young athletes as possible. He was recently asked to speak to the Rutgers football team, and he also shared his lessons with the Ravens crop of rookies. While Rice appreciates the opportunity to mentor these athletes, he still hopes to participate in the actual sport.

“I have to let the chips fall,” Rice said. “Everyone wants to know why (he has not gotten a second chance), and I want to know the same [answer]. I feel like if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. It’s not going to be on my terms. It’s going to be by the grace of God and my faith, for an owner to just say, ‘This guy deserves a second chance.’

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I’m not naive of anything that happened in my life. I’m definitely going to continue to take full responsibility for it. We do know it was a national controversy. I’m not hiding from it. I owned everything.

“But I know for a fact I can make a team better, I can make a locker room better. And I know 100 percent that I can make a community better.”

More Reactions To Von Miller’s Extension

July 16th, 2016 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos and Von Miller finally agreed to an extension yesterday, with the new contract being worth $114.5MM over six seasons. We’ve already taken a look at some reactions to the contract, but let’s see what the Broncos organization had to say about the extension…

Executive VP of Football Operations/GM John Elway said Miller was rewarded for his past performance and his anticipated future production. “Von’s earned this contract not only for what he’s done in the past but for what we believe he’ll do in the future,” Elway told Aric DiLalla of DenverBroncos.com. “This was a long process that ended the way we all wanted—with Von being part of the Denver Broncos for many more years. Our team had a tremendous year last season, and the way Von performed the final few weeks was such a big part of our Super Bowl run. Going forward, we expect great things from Von not only on the field but with the responsibility he has as a leader on the team. I’m proud of how we’ve handled this situation and give credit to everyone on our staff who helped get this done.”
Head coach Gary Kubiak indicated that he was happy that the negotiations were now behind them. “I know this took a lot of hard work from John and Von to get this done, and we’re thrilled that Von is going to be a Bronco for a long time,” Kubiak told DiLalla. “I’ve known him since he was a kid in college. Most of all, I’m proud of how far Von’s come as both a person and a player. It’s a great day for him and the organization. We’re all excited to get back to work with Von as a leader of our team.”
Finally, Miller was thrilled with finally inking that extension. “I’m super happy and excited to be back with my teammates for the next six years,” he told DiLalla. “This is something I really wanted—to stay with the Denver Broncos. I am so appreciative and grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank Mr. Bowlen, Joe Ellis, John Elway and Coach Kubiak for making this possible. I’m also thankful for the way my teammates and our fans have supported me. I’m excited for the future and ready to get back to work.”
After looking through Miller’s new six-year contract, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com says (via Twitter) Olivier Vernon‘s five-year contract was the way to go. Fitzgerald understands the desire to get paid, but he believes these players are limiting themselves by playing for $18MM during the sixth year of the contract.

Reactions To Muhammad Wilkerson’s Deal

July 16th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets surprised the NFL yesterday by inking Muhammad Wilkerson to an extension. The five-year deal is worth $86MM, including $37MM in guaranteed money.

Predictably, the league’s pundits have plenty of reactions to the extension. Let’s take a look at the opinions and rumblings from around the NFL…

ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes that this is the biggest “upset victory” for the Jets since their win over the Patriots during the 2010 playoffs. The writer notes that it never made any sense to trade the 26-year-old star, and he commends general manager Mike Maccagnan for understanding the player’s value.
Cimini also points out that fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson is now a “valuable bargaining chip.” If the team is pessimistic about signing him to a long-term extension, Cimini believes we could see Richardson on the trading block by next offseason.
Maccagnan’s “last order of business” is signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. With newfound cap space, the team could easily offer the signal-caller a one-year deal worth $12MM, which would allow Fitzpatrick to hit free agency again next offseason.
The Wilkerson extension was a “major victory” for Maccagnan, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com was “stunned” by the extension, as he thought Wilkerson was the least likely of the extension candidates to sign a new deal. Of course, he also notes that the Jets still weren’t going to emerge as total winners, as the team could have saved about $3MM annually by signing Wilkerson a few years ago.

Jets, Muhammad Wilkerson Agree To Extension

July 15th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Zachary Links

In an absolute shocker, the Jets announced that they have agreed to a buzzer-beating extension with Muhammad Wilkerson. The extension will pay him $86MM across five years, Of that sum, $37MM is fully guaranteed with $54MM coming to him over the next three years. In total, he has $53.5MM guaranteed for injury.

For weeks, we have been hearing that the Jets and Wilkerson were oceans apart on a new deal. In fact, Wilkerson lashed out at the team for what he perceived as general apathy from the front office:

“Do I feel that they want me back? As of right now, no. I don’t feel like they want me,” the 26-year-old said. “I’m a talented guy. Everybody knows that. I feel like they’re going to get the best they can out of me and just let me go. That’s how I feel. Do I like that feeling? No. I’m a New Jersey guy, born and raised and would love to raise my family here.”

With this deal, Wilkerson is now the third-highest paid defender in terms of average annual value ($17.2MM). Only Von Miller ($19.08MM) and Ndamukong Suh ($19.06MM) will earn more on a yearly basis. The Temple product slides ahead of Fletcher Cox ($17.1MM), Olivier Vernon ($17.0MM), Justin Houston ($16.8MM), and J.J. Watt ($16.7MM).

The $16.75MM in guarantees remaining after the first two years will kick in March 2018, which will give the Jets an interesting decision to make on Wilkerson’s future when the time comes. For now, the pact saves the Jets $5.701MM on this season’s cap, which could pave the way for a one-year deal with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Had the Jets not re-signed Wilkerson, they would have been carrying him at a $15.7MM cap number in 2016 under the franchise tender.

According to reports, Wilkerson was looking to match — or top — the six-year, $103MM extension inked by Cox in June. The Jets, meanwhile, were reportedly not willing to approach those terms, choosing instead to bank on their excellent crop of defensive lineman including Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams, and free agent addition Steve McLendon. The Jets even shopped Wilkerson, but were unable to find a suitable trade partner.

Wilkerson, 26, enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2015, racking up a career-high 12 sacks and forcing three fumbles, to go along with 64 tackles. Arguably the best defensive player for the Jets last season, Wilkerson also earned his first Pro Bowl berth.

The Jets reportedly restarted negotiations with Wilkerson by way of an intriguing offer Wednesday night . New York then sent a revised offer via email to Wilkerson’s camp Friday at 3:15 a.m. After that, the two sides spent the entire day negotiating and came to an agreement just before the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

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Impact Rookies: New York Jets

Details provided by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos, Von Miller Agree To Extension

July 15th, 2016 at 8:34pm CST by Zachary Links

After months of haggling, a deal has finally been reached between the Broncos and star Von Miller, the team confirmed via press release. On Friday afternoon, the two sides shook hands on a six-year agreement which will reportedly pay $114.5MM overall. Most importantly, the deal is said to effectively include $70MM in guarantees to be paid out by March of 2018.

Here are the details on Miller’s six-year, $114.5MM contract, via Mike Klis of KUSA:

The deal will include $23MM in upfront cash (through signing or roster bonus).
In total, the deal includes $70MM in guarantees.
In 2016, he’ll see a $23MM signing bonus plus $2MM in salary and other bonuses, including his workout bonus. Total $25MM (fully guaranteed).
2017: $17MM in salary, bonuses (fully guaranteed). Total is $42MM after two years.
2018: $19MM in salary, bonuses. (Injury-only guarantee, converts to full guarantee in eight months, or March 17). Total is $61MM after three years.
2019: $17.5MM in salary, bonuses. (Injury-only guarantee but $9MM converts to full guarantee a year earlier, or in March 2018). Total is $78.5MM after four years with $70MM guaranteed.
2020 – 2021: Average of $18MM per year in salary and bonuses. (No guarantees). Total is $114.5MM after six years.

Miller is now the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in terms of both average annual value and total guaranteed dollars. His contract is also the highest in the league for any non-quarterback. Miller beat out Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox in just about every metric, except for his year one payout. Cox secured $27.3MM upfront while Miller received $25MM. After two years, Miller will receive $42MM guaranteed while Cox received $36.3MM. After three years, Miller sees $61MM versus Cox’s $55.55MM.

Weeks ago, Miller and Denver reportedly agreed to the overarching framework of an extension and had informally worked out six-year, $114.5MM contract that would make Miller the league’s highest-paid defensive player on an annual basis. However, those numbers only tell a fraction of the story. Miller’s camp has been pushing for a better guarantee structure with more advantageous triggers (ie. when the guarantees would kick in) with an eye on topping the roughly ~$60MM guaranteed given to Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The $70MM guaranteed figure refers to “essential guarantees” and we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out exactly what that means. Part of that figure will come via fully guaranteed cash, such as Miller’s signing bonus. The rest of that money will come to Miller in the form of injury guarantees or “effective” guarantees, the latter being money that it would be nearly impossible for Miller not to earn. At some point soon, we’ll know how it’s portioned out. Either way, the majority of Miller’s guarantee will be paid out in the first two years of the contract.

Over the summer, Miller announced that he would sit out the 2016 season if he was not given a satisfactory deal by today’s deadline. Some questioned whether the reigning Super Bowl MVP would make good on that threat, but teammates believed him to be serious. Would Miller really have opted to stay on the couch rather than chase another ring and earn upwards of $14MM? Only No. 58 knows the answer.

Had Miller opted to sit out the 2016 season, the Broncos only would have been able to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on him and would not have had the exclusive franchise tag at their disposal. Typically, a team that is able to pry a player away on the non-exclusive tag would have to forfeit two first-round picks to the former team. However, per the terms of the CBA, the compensation price would have dropped from two first-round picks to a first and a third if Miller were to sit out.

Additional details provided by Adam Schefter and Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tom Brady To Drop Deflategate Appeal

July 15th, 2016 at 8:32pm CST by Zachary Links

12:22pm: Brady is done fighting the suspension, but the NFLPA might not be ready to throw in the towel:

“After careful consideration and discussion with Tom Brady, the NFLPA will not be seeking a stay of the four game suspension with the 2nd Circuit. This decision was made in the interest of certainty and planning for Tom prior to the New England Patriots season. We will continue to review all of our options and we reserve our rights to petition for cert to the Supreme Court,” the union said in a statement.

11:57am: Tom Brady announced that he will no longer pursue an appeal of his suspension via the court system (Facebook link):

“I’m very grateful for the overwhelming support I’ve received from Mr. Kraft, the Kraft family, coach Belichick, my coaches and teammates, the NFLPA, my agents, my loving family and most of all, our fans. It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the difficult decision to no longer proceed with the legal process. I’m going to work hard to be the best player I can be for the New England Patriots and I look forward to having the opportunity to return to the field this fall.”

Brady‘s chances at again avoiding the four-game suspension for his role in the Patriots’ Deflategate controversy dwindled again on Wednesday, with the Second United States Circuit Court of Appeals denying the quarterback’s request for a rehearing. After that happened, Brady was left with one final legal option: petitioning to have his case heard before the Supreme Court. Given that the SCOTUS handles some of the most important legal matters in the country, Brady’s chances of getting a new trial seemed slim. While Brady still could have filed for that hearing with the hopes of effectively deferring his four-game ban, he has elected to put the circus behind him.

Now that Brady has reluctantly accepted his four-game suspension, he won’t be eligible to return to regular-season action until Sunday, October 9th in Cleveland. The Patriots will be without their franchise quarterback for games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills, leaving understudy Jimmy Garoppolo in the starting role for the first month.

Brady will be docked four games worth of pay, which equals out to just $235K. During the ban, he will be prohibited from having contact with the team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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