NFC Links: Giants, Bucs, Eagles, Mathieu
After rounding up a few odds and ends from out of the AFC earlier today, let’s shift our focus to the league’s other conference, and check out the latest from around the NFC….
- Former Super Bowl hero David Tyree has been hired by the Giants as the team’s director of player development, according to a press release.
- Running back Bobby Rainey, guard Carl Nicks, and defensive end Da’Quan Bowers are among the veteran Buccaneers who may find themselves fighting for roster spots in training camp this summer, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Although he thinks Brent Celek, Trent Cole, and Riley Cooper are a few Eagles with good contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap picks Jason Kelce’s as the team’s best deal. On the other end of the spectrum, James Casey’s contract qualifies as the least team-friendly one on Philadelphia’s books, says Fitzgerald.
- Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu has parted ways with agent Pat Lawlor, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Having just been drafted a year ago, Mathieu is still several seasons from free agency.
- Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times takes an extended look at Bears capologist Cliff Stein, who takes the lead in contract negotiations and helped the team determine how to sign Jared Allen and dozens of other free agents this offseason.
Poll: Who Will Win The NFC West?
It was only a few years ago – in 2010 – that the 7-9 Seahawks won the NFC West, earning a playoff spot by virtue of a tiebreaker with the 7-9 Rams. The division may have been a punchline at that point, but much has changed since then. In 2013, the NFC West’s four teams combined for an impressive 42-22 record, while no other division in the conference even had a .500 overall record.
The Seahawks took advantage of a division win and a first-round bye, en route to a Super Bowl victory, and they’ll head into 2014 as the favorites to repeat. Having re-signed a handful of key contributors, including defensive end Michael Bennett, the club looks poised for another great season. But there are plenty of notable departures to consider as well – wide receiver Golden Tate, defensive end Chris Clemons, tackle Breno Giacomini, and cornerback Walter Thurmond were among the free agents who signed elsewhere, which could open the door for another team to take the division crown away from Seattle.
The top contender is likely San Francisco, a team that won 12 games of its own in the 2013 season and gave the Seahawks everything they could handle in the NFC Championship Game. Like their division rivals, the 49ers didn’t undergo a major roster overhaul in the offseason, with Antoine Bethea representing the club’s only real significant free agent addition. But there’s so much talent on both sides of the ball that the Niners enter the season as a legit Super Bowl contender without having made any major changes.
One of last year’s most surprising teams, the 11-win Cardinals, were unlucky to miss out on the playoffs, but turned plenty of heads by nearly keeping pace with the Seahawks and Niners all year long. While Arizona may be a candidate for regression in 2014, another strong season from Carson Palmer should keep the team competitive, and newly-signed tackle Jared Veldheer should help ensure that Palmer has the time he needs to find Larry Fitzgerald and co.
The dark horse in the West is St. Louis, the division’s only sub-.500 team last season. Because they’d acquired Washington’s first-round pick for the 2014 draft, the Rams were able to add potential stars on both sides of the ball, selecting offensive tackle Greg Robinson and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. In the NFL’s toughest division, the Rams will have an uphill battle to leapfrog the three clubs above them. However, the amount of talent on the roster, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, will make St. Louis a tough team to play in 2014.
What do you think? Are the Seahawks headed for another division title, or can another NFC West club unseat them?
Previously:
Who will win the AFC North?
Who will win the AFC West?
Who will win the AFC South?
Who will win the AFC East?
Who will win the NFC North?
West Notes: Boone, Smith, Williams, Cardinals
49ers guard Alex Boone will not report to training camp unless he is given a new deal, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. It’s not clear how much of a raise Boone wants over his scheduled $2MM and $1.2MM base salaries for 2014 and 2015, respectively, but as Getlin tweets, the crux of this disagreement is “valuation.” While San Francisco believes Boone is worth top-20 guard money, the sixth-year player believes he is in an even higher stratum. Sources also tell Getlin that Joe Staley‘s extension was, in part, a signal to Boone that new contracts can be struck, but only for players who attend workouts. More from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Extension talks continue between Alex Smith and the Chiefs, but there are “significant differences” between the two parties, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Paylor lists the backup QB competition as the #1 training camp battle on the Chiefs roster; Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray, and Aaron Murray are all fighting for the job.
- The 49ers placed defensive lineman Ian Williams on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. The active/PUP list means a player is unable to perform during preseason workouts at the current time; as soon as the player is healthy, he can come off the list. Placement on the active/PUP list makes a player eligible for the more well-known reserve/PUP list, which mandates that a player miss the first weeks of the regular season.
- Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com takes a look at the more interesting position battles on the Cardinals, listing the right side of the offensive line and cornerback as two areas where competition and depth are abundant.
- Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com projects the Broncos’ 53-man roster, and veteran tight end Joel Dreessen doesn’t make the cut.
Extra Points: Brown, Cardinals, Bengals, Broncos
The NBA has seen tremendous growth in their developmental league and Ross Jones of FOX Sports argues that the NFL could benefit greatly from having one of their own. One of the questions the NFL would have to figure out, however, is exactly who would play in an NFL D-League. “You have 400 legitimate players entering the league each year, which means there are 400 legitimate players that have to leave the league each year,” agent Greg Linton said. “If a player is good, they get selected in the first through fourth rounds, so the only players that you’d be developing is seventh rounders and free agents. Is the NFL really concerned with developing that guy?” More from around the NFL..
- The lack of guaranteed contracts has had a painful ripple effect for players, writes Jack Bechta of the National Football Post. The longtime agent says that the NFLPA has to make guaranteed contracts a top priority in the next CBA since they will take pressure off players to put their bodies at extreme risk. Guaranteed deals would also give teams incentive to give their players the best medical care possible.
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus has officially re-signed Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown for representation, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Brown recently fired his reps at Roc Nation Sports.
- In the first part of a two part series, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com looks at the top questions facing the Cardinals heading into training camp. Among the questions is whether free agent pickup Jared Veldheer will be the club’s answer at left tackle. The Cardinals gave Veldheer a five-year, $35MM contract, so the front office is obviously confident. Now it’s a matter of seeing what Veldheer can do for their blindside protection.
- Bengals‘ seventh-round pick James Wright is one to watch, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. It’s been nearly two years since the former LSU athlete caught a pass in a game, but the Bengals are hoping his special teams skills will translate into success as a wideout. “That day I talked to him and said, ‘Look, I know what you can do on special teams, now you’ve got to play wide receiver,‘” Bengals receivers coach James Urban said. “He’s embraced it, he’s worked his tail off and he’s given us [a lot]. I mean, he’s a very intense young man. He wants to prove this organization and [team president] Mr. [Mike] Brown right in selecting him.”
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Mike Klis of The Denver Post if he gets the sense that GM John Elway & Co. could still have potentially one more high-profile signing up their sleeve. Klis could see the Broncos going for a veteran running back, but then again, he thought they would have added one by now.
- After his conviction on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats, it’s unclear what Greg Hardy‘s long-term future will be with the Panthers, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. Hardy, who is set to hit the open market after this season, is being monitored by the NFL.
Sunday Roundup: Bills Ownership, NFC West
In May, Former Sabres owner B. Thomas Golisano and Syracuse developer Scott Congel had preliminary talks to form a partnership and purchase the Bills. Now, however, those conversations are dead, writes Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. According to Graham, Golisano would still like to bid on the team by himself, and Congel may also be interested in purchasing the club on his own. If Golisano were to buy the club, he would not rule out selling a minority share in the team to Congel.
Now for some more links from around the league:
- Rich Campbell of The Chicago Tribune lays out a “superlative guide” to the Bears‘ training camp, naming Marquess Wilson the player “most likely to succeed”–Wilson emerged from spring workouts as the team’s clear No. 3 receiver–and declaring the team’s fiercest frontline position battle to be at the safety position.
- Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk continues PFT’s series of preseason power rankings by looking at the Rams. Crabtree notes that the team still lacks a true No. 1 receiver and depth along the secondary, and despite adding quality talent in the draft and boasting perhaps the best defensive line in the game, St. Louis plays in the league’s best division and so will probably remain on the outside looking in.
- Speaking of the talented NFC West, Kent Somers of AZCentral.com examines the Cardinals‘ outlook for the 2014 campaign. Somers notes that the Cards, who finished 10-6 under first-year head coach Bruce Arians in 2013, should see continued improvement as they continue to settle into Arians’ offensive system. There is talent up and down the roster, but the rebuilt offensive line and the linebacker group–which lost Karlos Dansby to free agency and Daryl Washington to suspension–could hold the team back.
- Seahawks‘ pass rusher Bruce Irvin, who underwent hip surgery this offseason, is progressing well, writes Todd Dybas of The News Tribune. Although Irvin tweeted last month that he would return by training camp, which opens July 25, Dybas notes that he will be sidelined quite a bit longer than that.
- Defensive lineman Vance Walker, who signed a three-year, $13MM free agent contract with the Chiefs this offseason, is feeling right at home with his new club, writes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star.
- Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com examines the battle for the Ravens‘ No. 3 running back spot. Smolka notes that if Ray Rice is suspended as expected, both Justin Forsett and rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro will make the club and Baltimore can reexamine its options when Rice returns. However, if Rice somehow escapes suspension, Smolka predicts that Rice, Bernard Pierce, and Taliaferro will make up the team’s running back corps.
NFC Links: Cowboys, Cardinals, Redskins
Newly appointed Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will certainly have his hands full trying to fix a defense that was historically bad in 2013. As Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes, the 73-year-old coach will be looking to improve a squad that allowed four 400-yard passing games and ranked dead last in yards allowed.
The last time Marinelli was this high on the coaching hierarchy, he was the head coach of the 0-16 2008 Lions. That isn’t important to his players, who have embraced their coach’s passion for the game.
“Football is like a religion to him,” Anthony Spencer said. “You can tell in the way he talks about it. He is like a preacher. He believes in it so much. He believes that if you do the right things on the football field you also become a good person off it.”
Meanwhile, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford respected his coach’s experience.
“He’s Master Splinter,” Crawford said. “Definitely.”
Marinelli elaborated on his love for football…
“I believe in everything about it,” he said. “I believe it really helps men. You help people this way. To come out and see men compete for jobs and try to help them be what they want to be, it’s something that is so important. That ability to compete every second of every day — I don’t know if you can ever live without that.”
Let’s see what else is going on in the NFC…
- The Cardinals will likely hold on to four tight ends, opines ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, but there’s no guarantee that the final spot will go to Rob Housler. The 26-year-old’s play during training camp will determine whether he makes the roster.
- In regards to the bottom of the Cardinals‘ depth chart at wide receiver, Weinfuss believes that Ted Ginn and John Brown will be the third and fourth receivers, respectively. Walter Powell seems like the favorite for the fifth spot, but Dan Buckner and Brittan Golden are also in the mix.
- Redskins coach Jay Gruden is preaching discipline, cornerback DeAngelo Hall said (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com). “Jay really preaches penalties,” Hall said. “Whether it’s false starts, whether it’s holding on the backend, anything. We have to play mistake-free football. Anytime you can do that in this league, you have a chance to win games.”
West Links: Veldheer, Campbell, Boone
Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer entered the league with a reputation as a tireless worker in the weight room. The 6-8, 321-pounder put on approximately 70 pounds during his time at Hillsdale College (where the weight room is now named after him), and his passion for strength training continues to this day. In fact, his massive physique has drawn “Hulk” comparisons, writes Darren Urban of azcardinals.com. Veldheer signed a five-year, $35MM deal with Arizona in March.
Here’s some more NFC and AFC West reading:
- Calais Campbell, 27, is in his prime and desires to be respected as an elite player, writes ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. The 6-8, 300-pound five-technique stated his case last year, tallying 58 tackles, nine sacks and six batted passes. Additionally, his 34.1 grade from Pro Football Focus was the best rating by a 3-4 defensive end not named J.J. Watt.
- There’s “no way” 49ers guard Alex Boone reports to training camp without a new contract, reports CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (via Twitter).
- The 49ers “redshirt” running back Marcus Lattimore was the subject of a feature story by ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who detailed the remarkable adversity Lattimore has persevered through to reach this point. Now, Lattimore says, “I’m ready to get hit again. . .and then move on.”
- Meanwhile, Lattimore’s 49ers and South Carolina teammate Bruce Ellington, a multisport star, was featured in USA Today.
- Keeping with the injury recovery/South Carolina theme, Chargers.com managing editor Ricky Henne spotlighted Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, who made an exceptionally quick return from an ACL tear suffered last May.
- The Rams were given an “Offseason Report Card” by SI.com’s Chris Burke. The results? B-plus.
NFC Links: Saints, Cowboys, Cardinals, Rams
Saints tight end Ben Watson was keeping tabs on the franchise tag situation regarding his team and the player he backs up, Jimmy Graham. However, the 33-year-old is confident that both sides will be able to move on and told ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett that heated moments accompany any contract negotiation…
“I’m very confident that it’ll be resolved the right way and guys can move forward. Obviously it’s always tough when you go through litigation with somebody, and it can probably get heated. And I’m sure there are emotions on both sides. But that is the business side of the game.
“And it’s unfortunate that it came to that and that it was so public. But I really think – I know, I don’t think – I know that Jimmy loves New Orleans and I know that he loves our team and the organization and he loves playing here. And we love him, everybody wants him here, coaches included. So when it comes down to contract situations, that’s just a necessary evil…not even evil, but just a necessary progression of getting a player here.”
Let’s check some more NFC notes…
- Nick Hayden had a great comeback last season with the Cowboys, but Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes that free agent addition Terrell McClain will push him for the starting defensive tackle gig.
- Cardinals linebacker Ernie Sims is hoping to play ten seasons in the NFL, the veteran told Jim Henry of the Tallahassee Democrat. The 29-year-old has played for four teams during his eight-year career.
- Count Will Witherspoon as a Kenny Britt fan. The former Rams linebacker thinks his former Titans teammates will flourish in St.Louis, the free agent said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). “I think the addition of Kenny Britt will be a huge boost for the Rams offense,” Witherspoon said. “I expect him to blossom into a star.”
Latest On NFL Supplemental Draft
A pair of prospects eligible for this month’s NFL supplemental draft recently held Pro Days, which were attended by a handful of teams, according to various reports. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from agent Louis Bing that the Cowboys, Texans, Packers, Colts, Lions, Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bears were in attendance to watch SMU running back Traylon Shead work out. Meanwhile, according to NFLDraftDiamonds.com (via PFT), the Bears, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, and Texans attended the workout for former Virginia-Lynchburg defensive lineman LaKendrick Ross.
As Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report wrote last month when he previewed 2014’s supplemental draft, it doesn’t project to be too exciting an affair, with Shead, Ross, and New Mexico wideout Chase Clayton among the players eligible. A year ago, none of the six players eligible for the 2013 supplemental draft were selected, and it looks like this year’s crop of players won’t warrant more than late-round picks, if they’re taken at all.
The supplemental draft is intended to accommodate players who missed the deadline for May’s NFL draft or were declared ineligible for another reason. In some cases, players eligible for the supplemental draft land there as a result of being declared academically ineligible in the NCAA, or being kicked off of a team — this helps to explain why some of the more notable players selected in recent supplemental drafts – such as Josh Brent and Josh Gordon – have had off-field concerns.
If a team wants to select a player in the supplemental draft, it must let the league know the round in which it’s willing to select that player. The club which submits the highest round will receive the player and forfeit a 2015 draft pick in that same round. For instance, when the Browns used a second-round supplemental choice on Gordon in 2012, it meant that the team lost its second-round pick for the 2013 draft.
Friday Roundup: Bears, Raiders, Dolphins
To put it mildly, the Bears’ defense struggled last season — they allowed the second-most points and the third-most total yardage in the NFL on the way to finishing 25th in defensive DVOA. But rather than choosing between rebuilding or entering “win-now” mode, Chicago has melded the two approaches as it seeks to revamp its defensive unit, according to John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. During general manager Phil Emery’s tenure, the Bears have focused on defense during the first four rounds of the draft, selecting three linebackers, two defensive tackles, a cornerback, and two safeties in the three-year span. But the team also made several additions this offseason, including Jared Allen, Lamarr Houston, and the recently-signed Adrian Wilson. Emery’s fusing of two divergent strategies may ensure that the Bears will remain competitive while they continue to stockpile young talent that can contribute in the future.
More assorted notes from around the league:
- The vote regarding the 10-year lease deal between MLB’s Athletics and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority (which operates O.co Coliseum) was cancelled today after four members of the Authority boycotted the meeting, reports Carolyn Jones of the San Francisco Chronicle. As we noted yesterday, any complication of the deal is good news for the Raiders, who want to build a new stadium where the current Coliseum is located.
- Some Dolphins’ decision-makers would like to make Marcus Thigpen expendable by having rookie Jarvis Landry take over punt-return duties, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. But offensive coordinator Bill Lazor likes Thigpen, so he’s likely to stick on the 53-man roster.
- Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com takes an early guess as to the Cardinals’ starting offense, and there are several positions up for grabs, including tight end, right guard, and right tackle.
- If Josh Gordon‘s suspension stands, the Browns will have to rely even more on Jordan Cameron and the rest of their tight end group; with that in mind, ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon takes a overview of the unit.
- The Cowboys’ offensive line is shaping up to be one of the better front fives in the league, and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News zeroes in on the right guard position. First-rounder Zack Martin will start, and Dallas enjoys enviable depth with veteran Mackenzy Bernadeau backing up the rookie.