Lions “Confident” About Matthew Stafford Talks
As he enters his contract year, the Lions badly want to get a new deal done with Matthew Stafford. Things are in the “early stages” still, but GM Bob Quinn says he’s “confident” about an extension. 
“Always have positive thinking,” Quinn told SiriusXM’s NASCAR radio (transcript via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “But I’ve said this a bunch of times. It takes two sides to do a deal and I feel confident that we’ll get something done.”
Quinn’s comments are not dissimilar to remarks he made in early May. Although it doesn’t sound like negotiations have progressed a ton in the last six weeks, the Lions GM is still optimistic about something coming together in the late summer.
A new deal for Stafford could call for making him the highest paid player in the NFL with an average annual salary $25MM+ per season. Stafford has indicated a desire to stay in Detroit, but his team is likely waiting on potential new deals for Kirk Cousins and Derek Carr before agreeing to a new contract.
Last year, Stafford was among the best QBs in the league as he threw for 4,327 yards and 24 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He had the tenth-best completion percentage in the league (65.3%) amongst qualified QBs and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 signal caller. Stafford may not be the best QB in the NFL, but contracts are all about timing, and he is poised to cash in as the league’s highest-paid player.
Anquan Boldin Willing To Wait For Deal
Last year, it took until late July for Anquan Boldin to find his NFL home. This year, the wide receiver says that he’s okay with things playing out in similar fashion. In an interview with Bertrand Berry and Mike Jurecki on Arizona Sports 98.7-FM (audio link), Boldin preached patience. 
[RELATED: Lions Wrap Up Draft Class]
“I look at the offseason as something that’s for younger guys,” Boldin said (transcript via PFT). “If you’re a younger guy, it’s necessary for you to get in there to learn a new system, to learn your coaches, learn a new environment. For veteran guys, I don’t think it’s as necessary, personally. I like to spend that time with my family. … For me, training camp is a necessary evil. I think that’s the only way you can get prepared for a season. So I prefer to sign right before training camp to make sure I get in, learn the new system, learn my teammates, get all the mistakes out of the way, get hit a couple times to make sure that when that first game comes I feel fully prepared.”
Last week, it was reported that Boldin’s preference might be to play near his home in Florida. However, as he explained to Berry and Jurecki, playing in or around the Sunshine State is not necessarily a must.
“For me, it’s just finding the right situation and that’s to make sure I’m comfortable and my family is comfortable wherever I am. So finding that right situation is the best way to put it,” Boldin said.
Boldin, 37 in October, is 14th all time in career receiving yards. Last year, he showed that he still has something left in the tank by notching 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s no longer a WR1 type, but a team in need of a savvy veteran could call on him later this summer. Ultimately, a door may not open for Boldin until a team loses an important wide receiver to injury in training camp.
Extra Points: Giants, Jackson, Kap, DHB
Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley has totaled just three starts in 39 games since going in the third round of the 2014 draft, but he’s pushing for a No. 1 role this year, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. When asked who will start next to elite nose tackle Damon Harrison, Bromley told Schwartz: “If I’m being honest, man, I see me. I see me.’’ The position opened when the Giants lost Johnathan Hankins to the Colts in free agency, though Big Blue subsequently invested a second-round pick in ex-Alabama D-tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and signed former Bills lineman Corbin Bryant. The fact that those two are in the mix will make it difficult for Bromley to achieve his goal of starting, but as a contract-year player, a breakthrough season would be a boon to his bank account. Regarding his lack of long-term security, the 25-year-old offered: “It’s there and obviously something you have in the back of your mind. I have a family now, so I have to keep that in mind. I know I have the talent, I know I have what it takes, it’s about being consistent each and every day, proving to the coaches I’m their guy.’’
Here’s more from around the league:
- In an effort to get back into the NFL, free agent running back Fred Jackson will participate in a Spring League showcase game next month. Unsurprisingly, then, the 36-year-old believes he’s still capable of contributing, telling SiriusXM NFL Radio: “All I need is an opportunity. I have no doubt if I got into a training camp I would prove I can still help a team win.” Jackson also acknowledged that general managers “get scared away” by his age, but he noted that he’s in “great shape” (Twitter links). A prominent part of Buffalo’s offense from 2007-14, Jackson played sparingly with Seattle in 2015 and was unable to find a job last season.
- Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has hurt his cause by staying silent throughout the free agency process, opines Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The polarizing 29-year-old hasn’t publicly revealed his financial demands, whether he’d jump at any NFL offer or whether he’d continue his career in Canada if necessary, which Florio regards as a mistake. Florio also criticizes Kaepernick’s agent for not calling all 32 NFL teams earlier this offseason in an attempt to drum up interest in his client.
- Although wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey hasn’t lived up to his draft stock since going seventh overall to the Raiders in 2009, he has emerged as a favorite of the Steelers’ coaches and players, according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. Now in his fourth year in Pittsburgh, Heyward-Bey has barely been a factor in the club’s receiving corps (30 catches in 42 regular-season games), yet he has been valuable both on special teams and as a mentor to the Steelers’ younger players, as Adamski details. However, despite his under-the-radar contributions, Heyward-Bey’s roster spot isn’t exactly guaranteed this year, per Adamski. “I’m just trying to keep my seat,” said the 30-year-old. “It’s comfortable, too.”
Poll: Titans’ Playoff Chances
Little has gone right in recent seasons for the Titans, who are mired in an eight-year playoff drought. But after hitting the nine-win mark for the first time since 2011, scoring more points than they allowed (381 to 378) and narrowly missing out on an AFC South title in 2016, the Titans appear to be trending upward and may enter this season with the best roster in the division.
General manager Jon Robinson has added several notable contributors to the equation since he took the reins in January 2016, with the latest being former Broncos and Jets wide receiver Eric Decker. The Titans signed the veteran red zone threat Sunday, further bolstering an offense that previously nabbed a few pass catchers early in this year’s draft – receiver Corey Davis at No. 5 overall and two third-rounders, wideout Taywan Taylor and tight end Jonnu Smith.
Decker, Davis, Taylor and Smith are part of a unit loaded with skill, as the Marcus Mariota-led attack came into the offseason with prolific tight end Delanie Walker, receivers Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe, and the enviable running back duo of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry already in the fold. Add that to a line which Pro Football Focus ranked as the league’s best last season, and it appears the Titans’ offense is poised to take another step forward after finishing 2016 ninth in DVOA, 11th in total yards and 14th in scoring.
Defensively, Tennessee wasn’t as well off a year ago, placing 24th in DVOA, 20th in yardage and 16th in points. The Titans were particularly woeful against the pass (26th in DVOA, compared to 10th versus the run), so Robinson used the action-packed portions of the offseason to beef up that area of the ‘D’ and give highly regarded coordinator Dick LeBeau more with which to work.
On the first day of free agency in March, the Titans handed lucrative contracts to two of the premier defenders available – former Jaguars safety Jonathan Cyprien and ex-Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan – and then used their other first-rounder (No. 18) on erstwhile USC corner Adoree’ Jackson in April. Although the Titans lost a noteworthy CB in Jason McCourty, whom they released before the draft, it’s inarguable that their secondary looks better than it did last season. Their defensive front could also improve with the signing of ex-Broncos nose tackle Sylvester Williams, a four-year veteran who’s coming off his first 16-start season and will replace the released Al Woods.
It’s clear that the Titans have brought in an array of enticing talent on both sides of the ball this offseason. At the same time, they haven’t lost any indispensable cogs – only role players such as McCourty, Woods, Anthony Fasano, Kendall Wright, and Valentino Blake, among a few others. There’s a case to be made, then, that Titans are the favorites to take the AFC South, which has been a weak division lately and doesn’t include any surefire playoff teams like the Patriots in the AFC East and the Steelers in the AFC North.
While Tennessee’s division rivals – the Colts, Jaguars and the two-time defending champion Texans – may have also gotten better since the end of last season, the additions the Titans made to an already decent foundation could push them over the top in 2017. Alternatively, a wild-card spot might end up in play for the Mike Mularkey-coached Titans, though earning one of those required more victories than winning the AFC South in each of the previous two years.
Will the Titans end their playoff drought in 2017?
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Yes 77% (1,051)
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No 23% (307)
Total votes: 1,358
Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/17
The latest minor NFL transactions:
- The Titans have waived receiver Bra’Lon Cherry, thus creating roster room for newly signed wideout Eric Decker. Cherry joined the Titans last month as an undrafted free agent from North Carolina State, where he combined for 87 catches and six touchdowns over the previous four years.
Saints Sign Chris Watt
The Saints have signed center Chris Watt, Larry Holder of NOLA.com was among those to report (on Twitter).
Watt, whom the Saints auditioned last week, didn’t play anywhere last season after the Chargers placed him on the physically unable to perform list in late August. The then-San Diego franchise ended up waiving Watt with a failed physical designation in November.
Prior to last season, Watt played in 17 games and started eight for the Chargers between 2014-15. Most of those appearances (12) and starts (five) came during Watt’s rookie year, after the Chargers selected the ex-Notre Dame standout in the third round of the draft.
There’s an outside chance Saints center Max Unger will miss the start of the season, so the 26-year-old Watt could crack their Week 1 lineup if he impresses over the summer. For now, Watt joins Senio Kelemete and Jack Allen as the Saints’ center-capable options behind Unger.
NFL Pushes Back Deadline To Sign Franchise Players
The NFL has pushed back the deadline to sign franchise players to multiyear contracts, relays ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Teams that haven’t yet extended their tag recipients will have until July 17 to do so. The deadline was previously set for July 15.
The change could affect the Redskins, Rams and Steelers – the only teams that have players currently slated to play the season under the tag. The Redskins have the most expensive member of the trio, quarterback Kirk Cousins ($24MM), who could go through his second straight year as their franchise player. The same holds true for Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who’s in line to make $16.42MM. The cheapest of the three, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, comes in at $12.1MM.
Placing the franchise tag on Cousins again next year would cost the Redskins upward of $34MM, an unpalatable amount, and finding quality quarterbacks isn’t exactly easy. As such, Washington has been working to extend the 28-year-old Cousins prior to the deadline. Unlike last year, when the two sides made little to no headway toward an agreement, there has been progress this spring.
Meanwhile, there’s no indication that the Rams and Johnson have engaged in discussions, in part because they wanted to see how he’d fit in new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ scheme. Los Angeles’ coaching staff got a look at Johnson, 27, in Phillips’ defense during the club’s offseason program, and head coach Sean McVay subsequently praised the corner. It’s possible, then, that a deal will come together in the next month.
While Cousins and Johnson each signed their franchise tenders awhile back, Bell still hasn’t put pen to paper on his. He and the Steelers have been discussing an extension throughout the offseason, though, and despite his past suspensions and injury issues, the 25-year-old wants to become the league’s highest-paid back on his next deal. There’s a good chance that will happen, writes ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who notes that the per-year value of Bell’s contract won’t match the tag.
“Even if he gets $10 million a year, that’s 25 percent more than any other running back is making right now,” one front office executive told Fowler. “You’d have to call that a market-moving deal.”
In the end, Fowler expects the Steelers to offer Bell a four-year accord in the $40MM to $45MM range, including $20MM in guarantees.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Church, Giants
The Cowboys‘ biggest miss this offseason was losing safety Barry Church to free agency, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer opines. Jeff Heath has shown some promise in a limited window, but Church had four straight seasons with at least 100 tackles and his production will be hard to replace. In retrospect, Archer writes that the Cowboys should have gone to him before the start of the 2016 season with an offer or made a stronger pitch to keep him before the market opened in March. While the Cowboys made some other smart moves on defense, Archer seems to think that Dallas will regret letting Church get away.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- There were some mixed views on the Giants re-signing Jason Pierre-Paul, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan was a fan of the move. The G-Men gave JPP $40MM guaranteed, but Raanan argues that good pass rushers are hard to find and that scarcity makes the deal a savvy one. The Giants’ need for JPP, he argued, was only underscored by the team’s awful pass rush against the Packers in the postseason when they were without him.
- It sounds like third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld has a good chance of making the Redskins‘ final cut. When asked about the 2016 sixth-round pick, senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams was effusive in his praise. “Sudfeld’s one of my favorites,” Williams said (via Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post). “You know, he was one of the guys, when we drafted him, when we sat in the room [and] we talked about drafting a quarterback, I was a Sudfeld guy. You know, none of [the prospects] took snaps up under the center; they all stood back in the shotgun. He was at Indiana, but when you watched him and the guys at a couple more schools, there was something about him that you liked. And I think he’s learned how to take the snap from under center; he gets the ball out of his hands.” Sudfeld did not see the field last season.
- The Eagles recently announced some changes to the scouting department.
Eric Decker Had Interest From 5-6 Teams
Over the weekend, the Titans signed Eric Decker to a one-year deal. Before the wide receiver inked his contract in Nashville, he says that he drew interest from five or six teams and had other visits initially scheduled for this week (link via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online). 
[RELATED: Titans Sign Eric Decker]
“Mulling over some of my options, I just felt like this was the right fit,’’ Decker said. “Just looking at the roster, and the progress they’ve made over the last few years, and meeting with Jon (Robinson) and Mike (Mularkey), I have a lot of respect for where they came from, their philosophy, how they do things, and that’s something I want to be a part of. “And I am excited about Marcus Mariota and the young talent he is.”
Decker has owned a home in Tennessee since 2012 and says that he used to joke with his wife about how perfect it would be to play for the Titans. When the Jets made the surprising decision to cut Decker, that opened up the door for him to turn the running joke into a reality. He’ll now get to be closer to his family while wife Jessie James Decker, a country singer, continues to pursue her career in Music City.
The Ravens and Browns were connected to Decker, but it’s not clear how serious their level of interest was. The Broncos and Eagles, despite some speculation about their interest in the receiver, were not in pursuit. It’s not clear what other clubs had interest in Decker, but based on what the 30-year-old has said, it sounds like there were at least two more in the mix.
No CBA Talks Yet Between NFL, Union
The NFL and the NFLPA are more than halfway through the latest rendition of the collective bargaining agreement which was signed in 2013. It’s probably still early to sweat things, but union president Eric Winston tells PFT that there have been no talks yet between the two sides on an extension of the deal.
“We’re still trying to figure out how and when that’s going to happen,” Winston said.
So far, Winston says the two sides are “talking about talks” with “nothing substantive,” and that verbiage may indicate some frustration on the part of the NFLPA. Part of the holdup can be explained by the open-ended future of the league’s broadcasting agreements. The NFL’s current TV deals go through the 2022 season, after the CBA expires in 2021. Neither side knows how much money will be coming in on the next deal, making it hard to come to an agreement beforehand.
Recently, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah indicated that the union will talk directly to the TV networks about things may change for the 2023 season and beyond. That conversation could give the union some much-needed insight on what’s ahead and may even help to spur talks.