Extra Points: London, Cromartie, FA Tryouts
During his State of the NFL presser this morning, commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed speculation about the possibility of the Rams moving to Los Angeles, but sounded more bullish about the city of London getting an NFL team. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Goodell said that selling out three games for the 2014 season helped push London “further down the road” toward a franchise. Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that, in his opinion, the question isn’t whether or not London will eventually get a team, but rather whether it will be via expansion or relocation.
- Jets head coach Rex Ryan indicated today that he hopes cornerback Antonio Cromartie regains his form in 2014, but didn’t commit to him being on New York’s roster for next season, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News details. Cromartie is owed a $5MM roster bonus in March and carries a cap number of nearly $15MM for ’14.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of several free agent tryouts, reporting via Twitter that defensive tackle Torrey Davis auditioned for the Packers, linebacker Alex Hall tried out for the Cardinals, and wide receiver C.J. Akins worked out for the Panthers.
- Unsurprisingly, Patriots owner Robert Kraft told reporters today, including Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter links), that he’d like to bring back both of the team’s top two free agents, receiver Julian Edelman and cornerback Aqib Talib.
- As Russell Wilson prepares to play in his first Super Bowl, a handful of teams around the league are undoubtedly thinking about the opportunity they had to draft the third round pick in 2012. The Eagles are one team that came close to snatching Wilson off the board in the second round, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- In a pair of Dallas Morning News chats, Rainer Sabin explains why he believes the Dan Bailey contract extension was the right move for the Cowboys, while Kevin Sherrington argues that what the Cowboys call being “aggressive” with the cap is actually mismanagement.
Fitzgerald Open To Restructuring Contract
3:44pm: Cardinals president Michael Bidwill confirmed to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link) that the team has spoken to Fitzgerald’s agent and is “excited” about the possibility of working something out.
1:31pm: The Cardinals are expected to approach Larry Fitzgerald this offseason about the possibility of restructuring his contract, and the star receiver is open to the idea, he tells Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link). According to Fitzgerald, he’ll “absolutely” be willing to restructure his deal if “that’s what needs to be done.”
Fitzgerald, 30, signed an eight-year, $120MM extension with the Cardinals in 2011, keeping him under contract through the 2018 season. According to an Arizona Republic report earlier in the month, Fitzgerald isn’t interested in accepting a pay cut, so reworking his deal would likely just involve converting a portion of his base salary into a bonus that could be prorated over the course of the contract. While that would reduce Fitzgerald’s massive $18MM cap number for 2014, the Cardinals would increase the cap hits down the road in that scenario, so we’ll have to see if the two sides can reach a compromise.
On Tuesday, word broke that the Patriots mulled the idea of acquiring Fitzgerald last offseason. Like the Cards, the Pats don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, but it’s still possible that they could consider pursuing him again, especially if he’s willing to reduce his 2014 cap number.
Fitzgerald appeared in all 16 games for a sixth straight season in 2013, racking up 82 catches, 954 yards, and 10 touchdowns with Carson Palmer throwing him the ball.
NFC West Rumors: Kaepernick, 49ers, Peterson
Colin Kaepernick is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but it doesn’t sound like he intends to pry every last penny out of the 49ers if and when the two sides negotiate a long-term deal. Appearing on KNBR’s Murph & Mac, today, Kaepernick said that a “balance” was necessary for the sake of the team, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details.
“You want to be paid fairly for what you feel like you’re doing in comparison to your peers,” Kaepernick said. “But at the same time, you have to realize, if we want to get Anquan Boldin back, if we want Donte Whitner to come back, we’re going to have to make moves to get them back. And there has to be room for everyone. And that’s something I’m going to let my agent and the organization try to figure out.”
Here’s more on Kaepernick and the Niners, along with notes on a couple other NFC West clubs:
- Following up on Kaepernick’s comments about a possible extension, Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group writes that the 49ers quarterback is taking a smart approach to negotiations.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com takes a look at the 49ers‘ cap situation, including which players may not return in 2014 at their current salary.
- Appearing at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am, Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson addressed his contract situation, saying that he’d like a deal that would keep him in Arizona “for a while,” according to Craig Grialou of ArizonaSports.com. Peterson is extension-eligible for the first time offseason, though the Cardinals could also simply exercise his fifth-year option for 2015 and put off negotiations for another year.
- At least three coordinators involved in this weekend’s Super Bowl could be future head coaches, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe in a piece that discusses Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell and DC Dan Quinn.
- Earlier today, we heard that Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald will be open to restructuring his contract this offseason.
Extra Points: Kuhn, Walker, Chiefs
The agent for fullback John Kuhn is optimistic that his client will be rejoining the Packers for the 2014 season, writes Pete Dougherty of the Gannett Company. “I assume there’s interest on both sides, and (us) having him come back and hopefully they want him back,” Kevin Gold said. “It’s a good fit and he likes it (in Green Bay), he lives there. That’s definitely his priority, and I assume it’s their’s, too.” Considering Kuhn’s age and the reduced emphasis on the fullback position in the NFL, Dougherty writes that he’ll probably be in line for something between the minimum salary and the $2.35MM he made in salary and bonuses last season. More from around the NFL:
- Without naming names, Titans tight end Delanie Walker said the team’s locker room chemistry was affected by several “cancers” that need to be removed from the roster. “When we started losing more games, we got to see it more and more, it was just like it was falling apart,” Walker told The Midday 180 in Nashville, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “And the players that were the cancer were dragging other players into that box with them, and the box was getting bigger and bigger. At first, it was just a small box. The box just got bigger and bigger.“
- The Chiefs signed defensive tackle Risean Broussard to a reserve/futures contract, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Kansas City had the undrafted JUCO prospect in camp with them last year.
- The Cardinals inked kicker Danny Hrapmann to a reserve/futures contract, McIntyre tweets. Arizona went with the Southern Mississippi product over YouTube sensation Havard “Kickalicious” Rugland. With Jay Feely set to hit the open market, Hrapmann is the only placekicker the Cardinals have under contract for 2014.
AFC East Rumors: Pats, Fitzgerald, Dolphins
While Larry Fitzgerald has long been considered a logical trade target for the Patriots, there haven’t been many substantial reports over the years linking the Pats to the Cardinals receiver. However, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com hears from a “very well-placed” source that New England had legitimate interest in acquiring Fitzgerald last offseason, sending out feelers to gauge the feasibility of such a move. As Curran writes, things likely didn’t progress too far, and it’s not clear if the Pats would still have interest in Fitzgerald, who is due a significant pay bump for 2014.
Here’s more from out of the AFC East:
- In his latest mailbag at ESPNBoston.com, Mike Reiss predicts that free agent receiver Julian Edelman will draw offers in the neighborhood of the deal Danny Amendola signed last year (five years, $28.5MM), with the Texans and Browns among the teams that could make it hard for the Patriots to re-sign Edelman.
- The Dolphins introduced new general manager Dennis Hickey at a press conference this afternoon, with Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald among the reporters passing along highlights. Some notable items from the presser: Owner Stephen Ross stressed that Hickey will have full control of the 53-man roster and that Hickey doesn’t “have to listen” if Ross tells him to draft, pursue, or play a specific player. Hickey added that the structure of the front office is “completely clear” to him and that he’s already spoken to the team’s medical and personnel staff about the team’s free agents (all four Twitter links).
- The Bills announced today that they’ve granted the Browns permission to interview defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. If Weaver is eventually hired by the Browns, he’d be the latest in an increasingly lengthy line of Bills coaches following Mike Pettine to Cleveland.
NFC Notes: Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Goodwin
2014’s Super Bowl Media Day has been fairly uneventful so far, so with little news of interest coming out of the Prudential Center in Newark, let’s take a look at what else is going on around the league, with a focus on a few NFC teams…
- In examining the Saints’ running back situation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the backfield looks fairly stable, though he wonders if the team could look to save a little money by trading or releasing Pierre Thomas this offseason.
- With Michael Vick headed for free agency, Sheil Kapadia and Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ options at backup quarterback for 2014.
- Jonathan Goodwin, who has been the 49ers‘ starting center for the last three seasons, is facing free agency this season, and it may be an opportunity for the team to get younger on the offensive line, says Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. As Williamson points out, the Niners don’t have too many pressing needs and top college centers usually aren’t drafted high, so the club could target one with a second- or third-round pick.
- Williamson adds within the same piece that some observers think Goodwin will have interest in signing with the Cardinals in Arizona, where his brother Harold is the offensive coordinator.
- The Redskins are projected to have $28MM+ in cap space this winter, and could gain another $2MM if the player’s union takes advantage of its option to increase the spending limit this offseason, notes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
Extra Points: Bailey, Titans, Saints, Cards
They say that kickers don’t get any respect, but the Cowboys know how important a reliable leg can be. Kicker Dan Bailey got a six-year deal from Dallas earlier this week and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter) has the goods. The deal, starting in 2015, can be worth $22.5MM in total including a $4MM signing bonus and $7.5MM in guaranteed money. More from around the NFL..
- The Titans are likely to target the tackle position in the 2014 draft, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. The Titans could part ways with veteran right tackle David Stewart, a nine-year veteran who has missed a combined eight games over the past two years and is due a $6.4MM salary. Even if they keep him, they could still fortify the position.
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis has some tough decisions to make in the offseason, writes Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune. For starters, he’ll have to decide the fates of longtime Saints such as safety Roman Harper ($5.9MM cap hit in 2014) and linebackers Will Smith ($13.9MM) and Jonathan Vilma (free agent in 2014).
- The Cardinals announced that they have promoted Terry McDonough to vice president of player personnel. He replaces Jason Licht, the new Buccaneers GM.
- Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (video link) analyzed Terrell Suggs‘ contract situation with the Ravens.
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NFC Rumors: 49ers, Bucs, Burleson, Falcons
A day after being eliminated from the postseason by the Seahawks, the 49ers are already looking ahead to the offseason. Kicker Phil Dawson and center Jonathan Goodwin both expressed interest in re-signing with San Francisco, according to Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter links). The team is also in talks with McLeod Bethel-Thompson about a return for the backup QB, and has signed defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye and wide receiver Devon Wylie to futures deals, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- All indications right now suggest that the Buccaneers are deciding between Jason Licht of the Cardinals and Marc Ross of the Giants as their next general manager, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 (via Twitter). Falcons vice president of player personnel Lionel Vital, who had been in the running for the Bucs job, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today that he’ll remain in Atlanta.
- Nate Burleson acknowledges he’ll likely have to restructure his contract in order to return to the Lions next season, but he hopes to play out his deal and eventually retire in Detroit, as Eric Lacy of MLive.com details.
- The Falcons have interest in bringing back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but only at the right price, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- The Seahawks and 49ers are among the early favorites to come out of the NFC a year from now, but both teams will have multiple players in line for raises before then. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few offseason issues for the NFC’s top two teams.