Chris Baker Expects Redskins Offer Soon
Chris Baker‘s representatives met with Redskins brass at the Combine. The veteran defensive lineman expects to receive an offer from the team on Tuesday, Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Jones describes the talks as “encouraging,” but JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports that as many as six teams have expressed interest in Baker.
As free agency’s legal tampering period begins Tuesday, Baker can see what the market will look like for his services. The Redskins are now beginning to ramp up talks with the defensive end, potentially along with other free agents the team prioritizes, as that date nears. This comes after a February Jones report indicated the team and the 29-year-old interior defender weren’t on the same page.
Baker registered 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons and profiles as one of the top interior defenders available in free agency. He ranked 18th among interior defenders (4-3 defensive tackles, 3-4 nose tackles and 3-4 ends) in the opinion of Pro Football Focus last season. Among 3-4 ends, Baker may rank behind only Calais Campbell. Both are set to cash in on contracts that could take them into their mid-30s.
The Redskins have Baker and wideouts DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon looming as their top free agents after choosing to apply the franchise tag to Kirk Cousins for a second straight year. They stand to possess just more than $34MM in cap space.
Redskins Extend HC Jay Gruden
The Redskins and head coach Jay Gruden have agreed to an extension that will keep Gruden under contract through the 2020 season, which John Keim of ESPN.com was the first to report. Gruden had two years left on his original five-year pact, all of which was guaranteed, and this new extension tacks an additional two years onto the end of that deal.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter observes, this marks the first time club owner Dan Snyder has extended a head coach since he bought the team in 1999. No head coach has lasted more than four years under Snyder, who has had seven head coaches and one interim coach during his tenure.
Interestingly, this move comes just as fans and analysts are beginning to wonder if Snyder is up to his usual tricks with respect to GM Scot McCloughan. As PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote last night, McCloughan is absent from this weekend’s Combine, which has caused agents of free agents to question the stability of the organization. Indeed, agents and other league insiders wondered if there was more to the story than the team is letting on — McCloughan’s absence has been officially attributed to the death of his grandmother — and some agents are taking this as a sign to steer their clients away from Washington.
Gruden, 50, has guided the Redskins to a 21-26-1 record during his first three years at the helm, but he has gone 17-14-1 the past two years, and he captured an NFC East title in 2015. It is the first time Washington has posted consecutive winning seasons since 1996-97.
The Redskins, though, remain at an organizational crossroads given the uncertainty that surrounds their GM and their quarterback situation, and given the fact that Gruden will be working with two new coordinators in 2017, Greg Manusky (DC) and Matt Cavanaugh (OC).
AFC Notes: Marshall, Bennett, Jags, Woods
The Patriots have been linked to multiple impact receivers during Combine week. In addition to including their No. 32 overall pick in a package for Brandin Cooks, mutual interest between the Pats and Brandon Marshall exists, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). The Jets cut Marshall earlier this week, a move Marshall sought after declining an extension to stay on a rebuilding team. Entering his 12th year and age-33 season, Marshall should generate interest, and the Patriots’ penchant for street free agents that don’t affect the compensatory pick formula makes this a potential situation to monitor. Marshall going 11 seasons without a playoff appearance does as well.
New England has its top four wideouts under contract for 2017, although Danny Amendola‘s $7.7MM cap hit is probably untenable at this point. The Patriots want the veteran back at a reduced rate. Marshall also has a connection to the Patriots, who employ former Broncos HC Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator. However, McDaniels traded Marshall to the Dolphins in 2010 after one season with the then-mercurial wideout. During that ’09 slate, Marshall drew an insubordination suspension during the preseason and saw McDanniels bench him for a game later that year.
Here’s more from the AFC.
- Martellus Bennett wants to test the market, but the Patriots would like him to return. Their top competition could come from fellow AFCers, with the Raiders and Jaguars interested in the veteran tight end, Volin tweets. Jacksonville just unloaded underwhelming UFA signing Julius Thomas, and the Raiders haven’t seen much from Clive Walford yet. Former starter Mychal Rivera is a free agent. Bennett and Jared Cook reside as the top tight ends on the market.
- Shad Khan bringing Tom Coughlin back to Jacksonville in a front office role will affect GM Dave Caldwell, but the Jaguars’ former top decision-maker will still have input. Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com compares the rearranged Jags front office to the ones in Miami and Atlanta, with three men dividing up power. “Surprisingly enough, through the whole process and having an idea that this was going to happen, you kind of think, ‘How’s this going to work?’ But Tom has been great,” said Caldwell, who’s entering his fifth season as Jags GM. “It’s been great to be able to walk down the hallway and bounce some things off of him: ‘Hey we’re going to do this; we’re going to do that. What do you think about this? What do you think about that?’ And then we sit together with he, I and Doug [Marrone] and we come together on a collective decision.”
- Myles Jack is expected to move to middle linebacker next season, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports. If that comes to fruition, Paul Posluszny would slide to strong-side ‘backer. This season represents the final year on Posluszny’s contract. He loomed as a cut candidate, but nothing’s surfaced about a potential release thus far this offseason. The 32-year-old has started for six seasons in Jacksonville. He’s due a $3.95MM base salary and will collected a $500K roster bonus if he remains with the Jags by the fifth day of the 2017 league year.
- Mentioning DeSean Jackson and Kenny Stills being set to see “huge” contract offers, DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline included Robert Woods in this category. Woods hasn’t produced on the level of Stills or Jackson, with season-best receiving totals of 699 yards and five touchdowns (in 2014). But the former USC talent is still just 24 and hasn’t played with the kind of quarterbacks, from a passing standpoint, with the Bills that most of his UFA receiving peers have. His market could be difficult to determine as a result.
- The Chiefs added another assistant coach, bringing first-timer Terry Brandon into the fold. He will work as a defensive assistant, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports. Brandon will make quite the jump, moving from graduate assistant at Bethune-Cookman to a job as an NFL staffer.
Scot McCloughan’s Status Affecting Redskins’ Free Agency?
The Redskins are operating in Indianapolis without their general manager, with Scot McCloughan‘s absence from the Combine being attributed to the death of his grandmother. However, agents of free agents — ones representing Redskins UFAs and some who represent other teams’ recently expired contracts — are questioning the stability of the organization, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports.
Said agents and other league insiders wondered if there was more to McCloughan’s absence than the team is letting on, and some are taking this as a sign to steer their clients away from Washington. One agent likened the Redskins to being in “disarray” and was wondering who was calling the shots for the franchise presently. “I’m not exactly sure who’s in charge over there now,” an agent told Jones.
The uncertainty surrounding McCloughan’s standing within the organization will prompt two agents who represent big-name UFAs from other teams to advise those respective clients to avoid signing with the Redskins, Jones reports. However, multiple agents told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter they’ve been in contact with McCloughan recently.
Prior to this absence, McCloughan was not permitted to talk to the media at the Senior Bowl. And Jones reported in February team president Bruce Allen was applying pressure to the third-year Washington GM to focus on repairing the team this offseason. Missing the Combine raises the degree of difficulty regarding that task. Allen, though, said this week that McCloughan could resume draft preparation next week.
Jones notes the Redskins are likely to focus on second-tier free agents who won’t be as selective as the marquee names, possibly minimizing this distraction. Regarding their own UFAs, multiple people familiar with the Redskins’ free agency plan indicated to Jones that both Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson will price themselves out of D.C. Garcon could earn between $7-$10MM per year, Jones notes, while Jackson’s annual value may head toward $12MM. A Garcon return has league insiders split, with some saying he will test the market and others indicating the Redskins will swoop in early next week with an attempt to retain him. The team hasn’t met with Garcon yet, though.
Latest On Cowboys’ Tony Romo Decision
Jerry Jones fielded 33 Tony Romo-related questions today in an expansive interview today, and while nothing has been decided about a possible trade or release just yet, the owner will not be watching his longtime franchise quarterback play for the Redskins.
A Romo-to-Washington scenario is a non-starter for Jones, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. There is also an unspoken understanding, per Hill, that Romo will not sign with the Redskins if he becomes a free agent. A report circulated on Friday that had a three-team blockbuster trade — one sending Romo to the Redskins, Kirk Cousins to the 49ers and draft picks to the Cowboys — hovering as a possible scenario.
Jones emphasized the team will treat Romo respectfully here and not trade him to a destination where he wouldn’t want to land. The owner met with the 36-year-old quarterback before the Super Bowl at Cowboys headquarters. Romo did not ask to be released, Hill reports, but the two Cowboys cornerstones did discuss the possible outcomes of this process. No other meetings between the two are scheduled, although the sides will communicate, Hill reports.
Jones added the team will make a decision sooner rather than later but won’t be held hostage by the start of free agency on March 9.
“It is implied that we will work in the best way we can for the mutual interest of Tony and the Cowboys,” Jones said, via Hill. “That’s important here. Now we’ve got to abide by every league rule. We can’t have agreements without it being within the boundaries of the NFL. But when you’ve got a situation like we got, we’ll do the do-right rule. That’s it. That is it. Very important. We do the do-right rule. We have that kind of relationship.”
Romo has been rumored to be seeking a starting role with a contender. The Broncos and Texans appear to be the qualifiers here, with the Chiefs having every notable franchise decision-maker publicly commit to Alex Smith. Helping Dallas facilitate a trade isn’t out of the question for the 15th-year veteran, but he expects to be released. Jones would want Romo to stay in Dallas if possible but understands that might not be what the quarterback wants.
“He’s considering options,” Jones said. “Obviously, we all know that he’s going to have the opportunity to look at whatever situation, if there are situations, he’s going to have an opportunity to look at it. He gets to say and control this situation every bit as much as we do.”
Patriots Offer 32nd Pick For Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks has drawn a host of offers, but the Saints are aiming high if they’re to part with the 23-year-old wide receiver. Most notably, the Patriots have entered the equation. The defending Super Bowl champions offered their first-round pick (No. 32 overall) as part of a package for Cooks, NOLA.com’s Josh Katzenstein reports. But the reporter adds the Saints are targeting a mid-first-round selection for Cooks if they are to deal him.
Several other teams have made overtures to the Saints for Cooks, offering second-round picks for the fourth-year receiver, but the team is holding out. The Titans and Eagles are among the interested teams. Katzenstein notes at least five teams have contacted the Saints about Cooks. One of the unnamed franchises is hoping to give the Saints some defensive help to acquire the elusive wideout.
New Orleans is not operating as if it has to deal the wideout, though. He’s signed through 2017 and will be available on his rookie contract through ’18, provided the Saints or the team to which he’s traded predictably picks up his fifth-year option. Katzenstein notes Cooks’ agents could come into play in this deal. Ryan and Bruce Tollner represent the wideout. They are also the agents for Carson Wentz and Marcus Mariota, helping to explain the two initial suitors becoming known this week.
Bill Belichick offered praise for the then-second-year wideout in 2015, expressing relief his team doesn’t have to face Cooks annually.
The Eagles have had their eye on Cooks dating back to the 2014 draft, and Philly attempted to trade for him before the 2016 trade deadline. The Eagles hold the No. 14 pick in the first round after winning a Friday coin flip vs. the Colts, while the second of the Titans’ two first-rounders is the No. 18 pick. Those would fall within the realm of a mid-first-round selection. The Titans and Saints have already exchanged proposals regarding a potential deal, one that would have to be “real significant” if New Orleans is to part with its current top receiver.
The Saints now have both Willie Snead and Michael Thomas as emerging playmakers, with Thomas breaking out down the stretch of his rookie slate. But Cooks has compiled two 1,100-yard seasons and has scored 17 touchdowns in those campaigns. And he’s under contract in 2017 for just $1.56MM. A 2018 fifth-year option would stand to be worth around $8.5MM.
Obviously not averse to trading skill-position threats, the Saints have shipped out Darren Sproles, Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills in the past three years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/4/17
Here are today’s minor moves:
- Former Utah quarterback Travis Wilson signed with the Rams, Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com reports (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Wilson, though, will switch positions upon going to Los Angeles. The Rams added the four-year Utes contributor as a tight end.
- The Bears have re-signed quarterback Connor Shaw as well as long snapper Patrick Scales, as Patrick Finley and Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times write. Shaw was doing quite well in preseason last year before suffering a broken left leg in the team’s third exhibition contest. Recently, GM Ryan Pace said Shaw is doing “very well” in his rehab.
- The Eagles announced they’ve agreed to terms on a one-year deal with safety Jaylen Watkins.
Jones Trying To Aid Raiders’ Vegas Move?
The long-building momentum driving a prospective Raiders push to Las Vegas stalled earlier this year when Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs bailed on the venture, leaving many questions for the Silver and Black. Jerry Jones may now be trying to answer some of them himself. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets the Cowboys owner is trying to gather investors to fill Adelson’s role in this project.
Adelson was set to contribute $650MM to a Vegas stadium, one slated to cost approximately $1.9 billion. After the team lost the backing of Adelson and Goldman Sachs, the prognosis for a Raiders relocation to Vegas plummeted to “all but dead” status. Conflicting reports have surfaced on Jones potentially getting involved here. A Cowboys source said the longtime owner is not trying to help finance a Raiders Vegas venue, but others told Cole (Twitter link) that he has attempted to do so.
Jones trying to fill in here has raised issues around the league, Cole tweets. A positive viewpoint stems from Jones’ influence among the other owners. He’s been intrigued about a team opening up the Vegas market and has considerable power within the group of owners. However, Jones reaching out like this would help lead some to conclude, per Cole (via Twitter), the Raiders are unable to gather sufficient financing after receiving previous commitments themselves. Mark Davis helped secure a record $750MM commitment in public funds last year, but the momentum here has stalled after the financial giants left. Another concern to come out of a Jones-Raiders relationship, per Cole (on Twitter): the possibility it could provide the Cowboys owner with undue control over another team and how it’s run.
While doubts have understandably surfaced about the viability of the Raiders moving to Nevada, team president Mark Badain said recently the club has two banks willing to loan money to make up for Adelson’s withdrawal. He remains in high spirit about a move but wouldn’t exactly be expected to indicate otherwise publicly so soon after Adelson abandoned the project. Nothing much has come out of the Oakland front, with the latest development in the Ronnie Lott-led proposal not moving the needle much.
Takkarist McKinley Out 4-6 Months
First-round pass-rushing prospect Takkarist McKinley will undergo shoulder surgery after the Combine. The UCLA-developed talent has been battling a right shoulder issue for over a year, and as a result of this impending operation, McKinley will be out for 4-6 months, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.
Unlike some other soon-to-be rookies who opted to skip workouts at the Combine, McKinley will perform drills for teams before going under the knife. The bulk of his position group’s tests occur on Sunday, with only the bench press taking place today. McKinley said he has a torn right labrum and a fracture in that shoulder socket. Although he said he sustained the injury during the Bruins’ 2015 season, he’s played through it since.
“Why get surgery before the combine? This is a dream come true to me. I’m here to knock it out,” McKinley said. “I had an MRI and the doctor was pretty much amazed I had played with it. Me, I just told my trainers at UCLA, ‘Just tape me up I’m ready to go.”
This loomed as a possibility back in February but now could affect McKinley’s draft status. The above timetable would stand to shelve McKinley until at least training camp, with the possibility he will miss part of his team’s preseason as well.
McKinley rates as one of the top pass-rushers in this draft and is a projected first-round pick. He projects as a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker. In 2016, McKinley evidently played through this malady and collected 18.5 tackles for loss.
Bears Notes: Jeffery, Glennon, Garoppolo
Expected to be the top wide receiver on the free agent market, Alshon Jeffery has not crossed off a Bears return. The Bears are also interested in bringing back their No. 1 target, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) the team and Jeffery’s agent had a positive meeting today in Indianapolis. Both sides are “more than open” for a Jeffery return to Chicago, Rapoport reports, despite the team not placing a franchise tag that would have cost $17MM-plus on the sixth-year player. Just about every wide receiver-needy team, save for the Rams, figures to put in time on Jeffery. The former second-round pick was reportedly eyeing a contender, but so far the noted suitors are the Bears, 49ers, Titans and Eagles.
Here’s more from the Windy City.
- The Bears and Jets look to have emerged as favorites for Mike Glennon. Both teams are expected to make pushes to sign the Buccaneers backup, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reports. However, both Pauline and the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud (Twitter link) note the Bears figure to be more interested in the young passer right now. Stroud’s discussions at the Combine lead him to conclude the Bears will make the hardest push to add Glennon as a UFA. Pauline echoes this, noting that the “vast majority” of personnel surveyed believe Glennon will suit up for Chicago next season. The former third-round pick
- Jimmy Garoppolo resided toward the top of the Bears’ wish list prior to the Patriots cooling talks of a trade, but even though Tom Brady‘s backup could still be available, CSNChicago.com’s John Mullin does not expect the Bears to make a “Godfather” offer for the intriguing passer (video link). The offer the Patriots in this scenario wouldn’t be able to refuse would be the Bears’ No. 3 overall pick, but Mullin does not expect the team to deal that for a player with 94 career pass attempts. Mullin goes on to say he doesn’t expect the Bears to make an outlandish bid for any quarterback this offseason.
- Chicago plans to meet with Brian Hoyer‘s representatives to gauge the journeyman as a potential fallback option.