NFC West Notes: Washington, Rams, Seahawks
The NFL’s four unsigned franchise-tag players are dominating headlines this week, but it’s fairly quiet elsewhere in the league, such as in the NFC West, where no teams or players are involved in that franchise-player drama. Still, there are a handful of updates trickling out of the West, so let’s round up the latest from the division….
- According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (Twitter link), Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington applied for reinstatement from his indefinite suspension way back on May 8. The NFL’s substance abuse policy dictates that the league must issue a decision on an application for reinstatement within 60 days, so it’s not clear what the holdup is in Washington’s case. Yesterday, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Jurecki (Twitter link) that “there is no change” in Washington’s status.
- In response to a report indicating that Rams games don’t create enough tax revenue for the city of St. Louis to cover the city’s annual debt and upkeep payment, regional leaders have suggested that various conventions booked at the Edward Jones Dome help cover those debt payments. David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the details on the tax issue, which could be a point of emphasis in talks involving a new St. Louis stadium.
- Gregg Bell of The News Tribune examines the Seahawks‘ crowded race for wide receiver jobs on the 53-man roster, noting that Jimmy Graham‘s ability to line up on the outside could be a factor as the team makes its decisions.
Extra Points: JPP, Luck, Bucs, Cardinals
At some point, the Giants and Jason Pierre-Paul are going to have to talk money, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes. The Giants want JPP in camp learning the new defense, so Graziano figures that the most likely outcome is that the two sides negotiate to a lower franchise figure and he signs it in exchange for a written promise from the team to pay him the entire amount. Under that scenario, the Giants could theoretically have Pierre-Paul in camp and help administer his rehab and Pierre-Paul would not have to worry about rushing back to the field in order to get paid. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com gave his thoughts on at how an extension might look for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck could be looking at a five-year, ~$125MM pact in exchange for tearing up his currently contracted 2016 season (~$16.15MM), but Seifert suggests he could instead push the Colts to give him a $100MM deal with $90MM fully guaranteed. Such a deal wouldn’t just benefit Luck, it would allow the Colts to spend more on the roster around their star quarterback.
- Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Wilson, who lost two fingers in a fireworks accident, was released from a hospital on Friday, and he is doing well and is “in very good spirits,” sources tell ESPN’s Adam Caplan. Wilson is in the final season of his two-year deal that carries a non-guaranteed base salary of $585K for the 2015 season. Wilson, not to be confused with the defensive tackle who goes by the same name, hadn’t been expected to play a major role for Tampa Bay in 2015, but he did appear in two games for the team at the end of last season, logging some snaps on both defense and special teams. Now, his chances of seeing the field at all this season are up in the air.
- Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson says that he has long planned to be a coach when his playing career is through, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. Somewhat surprisingly, Johnson doesn’t dream of being a head coach, but instead wants to be a defensive coordinator. “It’s something that makes me who I am,” Johnson said. “It makes me that special player that’s vital even if he’s not a Patrick Peterson-type of athlete. Vital because he can help the defense as a whole because he knows the plays. He can help everyone play faster.” Johnson, who is entering the final year of his deal, has been mentioned as an extension candidate this summer.
NFC Mailbags: Washington, Panthers, Packers
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off with some interesting notes out of the NFC…
- Washington isn’t necessarily looking to upgrade at any position, but John Keim writers that the team is hoping to add a tight end and outside linebacker.
- Jose Weinfuss says there could be a number of reasons why a decision hasn’t been made yet regarding Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington‘s reinstatement. No one is entirely sure when the player applied, and the NFL has up to 60 days to make a final decision.
- David Newton believes the Panthers final receiver spot will come down to Brenton Bersin, Jarrett Boykin and Stephen Hill. The writer picks Bersin as the favorite, considering the chemistry between him and quarterback Cam Newton.
- The Packers don’t want to give up on punter Tim Masthay, but Rob Demovsky says the team needs to see more consistency from the position. The Packers also have 2014 undrafted free agent Cody Mandell on their roster.
Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: NFC West
Before NFL training camps get underway later this month, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series in June by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, before looking at the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South last week. Earlier this week, we recapped the AFC South, and today we’ll head back to the NFC to examine the West division.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four NFC West franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Arizona Cardinals:
- Patrick Peterson, CB: $14,791,491
- Calais Campbell, DL: $14,750,000
- Larry Fitzgerald, WR: $10,850,000
- Jared Veldheer, LT: $8,500,000
- Carson Palmer, QB: $7,375,000
- Mike Iupati, G: $6,700,000
- Daryl Washington, LB: $6,500,000
- Jerraud Powers, CB: $5,350,000
- Jonathan Cooper, G: $3,967,909
- Drew Stanton, QB: $3,866,668
Total: $82,651,068
Nearly every team in the NFL has one quarterback amongst their top 10 cap hits, but not many have two. The fact that Stanton sneaks into the top 10 shows how much the Cardinals value Palmer’s backup, who held his own when forced into action last season. Of course, by season’s end, neither Palmer nor Stanton was healthy.
While Arizona hopes to get more bang from its buck from its top quarterback in 2015, the team is also waiting to see if it will get anything from Washington, who has yet to be reinstated after being suspended for the entire 2014 season. At $6.5MM, Washington’s cap number is substantial, but it’s not clear yet whether he remains in the club’s plans.
One longtime Cardinal had his contract restructured this season to stay with the team — had he not reworked his deal, Fitzgerald would’ve easily had the highest cap charge on this list, since he initially counted for more than $23MM against the cap. The new figure, less than half that, is much more manageable for Arizona.
San Francisco 49ers:
- Colin Kaepernick, QB: $15,265,753
- NaVorro Bowman, LB: $7,654,000
- Joe Staley, LT: $7,600,000
- Ahmad Brooks, OLB: $7,055,000
- Vernon Davis, TE: $6,967,920
- Anquan Boldin, WR: $6,909,000
- Aldon Smith, OLB: $4,854,875
- Antoine Bethea, S: $4,750,000
- Ray McDonald, DT: $4,609,971 (dead money)
- Phil Dawson, K: $4,134,000
Total: $69,800,519
The one silver lining of all the unexpected retirements that dominated the Niners’ offseason? Many of those players were very well-compensated, so the team’s books look a little cleaner without significant cap charges for veterans like Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Anthony Davis.
While those players were removed from San Francisco’s cap, Kaepernick shot up to the top of the list, with his cap hit jumping from $3.767MM in 2014 to $15.266MM this year. The 49ers quarterback has a contract that’s considered very team-friendly, but as long as he remains on the roster, those charges will continue to increase — he’ll be up over $19MM by 2017.
Meanwhile, most teams around the NFL didn’t touch the contracts for players with fifth-year options in 2015, but the Niners took advantage of the fact that those fifth-year salaries weren’t guaranteed by reworking Aldon Smith’s deal. Smith can still earn up to the $9.754MM he was initially set to make, but to maximize his payday he’ll have to stay on the field, earning roster bonuses and incentives.
Seattle Seahawks:
- Richard Sherman, CB: $12,200,000
- Marshawn Lynch, RB: $8,500,000
- Cliff Avril, DE: $8,000,000
- Michael Bennett, DE: $8,000,000
- Jimmy Graham, TE: $8,000,000
- Earl Thomas, S: $7,400,000
- Russell Okung, LT: $7,280,000
- Percy Harvin, WR: $7,200,000 (dead money)
- Brandon Mebane, DT: $5,700,000
- Kam Chancellor, S: $5,650,000
Total: $77,930,000
A look at the names on the Seahawks’ top-10 list shows why the franchise has been one of the league’s most successful in recent years. Many of the players here are Pro Bowlers, while virtually all of them are above-average contributors at their respective positions. And, with a cap hit under $1.7MM, the team’s two-time Pro Bowl quarterback – Russell Wilson – doesn’t even come close to making the cut here.
Even the Seahawks make mistakes though, as the presence of Harvin on this list suggests. The extension he got from the club after being acquired from Minnesota was one of GM John Schneider‘s few missteps, and even after sending the injury-plagued wideout to the Jets, the Seahawks still have to stomach his leftover cap charges for one more year.
As well as the Seahawks have managed their cap, it’s also easy to see why a huge deal for Wilson would upset the balance. With so many players in the $7-8MM range, adding a cap number in the neighborhood of $20MM would make the club’s cap very top-heavy and compromise its flexibility, which makes those extension negotiations even more fascinating.
St. Louis Rams:
- Robert Quinn, DE: $16,744,110
- Chris Long, DE: $12,500,000
- Jared Cook, TE: $8,300,441
- Rodger Saffold, G: $8,250,000
- Lance Kendricks, TE: $5,600,000
- Greg Robinson, LT: $4,837,295
- Nick Fairley, DT: $4,750,000
- William Hayes, DE: $4,480,000
- Kenny Britt, WR: $4,300,000
- James Laurinaitis, LB: $4,275,000
Total: $74,036,846
When discussing the Cardinals above, I noted that Arizona is the rare team with two quarterbacks amongst its top 10 cap hits. The Rams achieve a feat that may be even more unusual, with a pair of tight ends in their top five cap charges. Kendricks’ deal is frontloaded, but it’s still an odd usage of cap room — the guaranteed money on Cook’s deal runs out this year, so I wonder if 2015 will be his last season in St. Louis.
Elsewhere, the Rams’ dedication to their defensive line is obvious here. Besides Quinn and Long at the top, Fairley and Hayes also earn spots on this list, and it’s only a matter of time until Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald earns a massive deal of his own — of course, by that point, Long, Fairley, and Hayes may no longer be in the picture.
The other name here that jumps out at me is Saffold. When the Rams signed him to a lucrative five-year contract last year, I expected him to be used at tackle, but he’s settled in at left guard instead. An $8.25MM cap charge is extravagant for a guard, especially one like Saffold, who probably won’t be earning a Pro Bowl spot anytime soon. But since St. Louis has opted not to spend heavily elsewhere on the line, turning to young, inexpensive players instead, it’s a hit the team can afford.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Extra Points: Gates, McClain, Supplemental Draft
A look at the latest from around the NFL, including notes relating to this afternoon’s rash of surprise suspensions..
- The four suspensions handed down this afternoons are likely the final ones today before the holiday weekend, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Of course, there could always be more suspensions lurking around the corner on Monday.
- The cases of Antonio Gates, Datone Jones, Sheldon Richardson, and Rolando McClain have all gone past the appeals phase, so those penalties are final, Breer tweets.
- Fifteen NFL teams were on hand for the Pro Day workout at West Georgia for Dalvon Stuckey and Darrius Caldwell, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Among the teams in attendance are the Cardinals, 49ers, Packers, Raiders, Titans, Jets, Dolphins, Lions, Seattle, Chargers, Falcons, Rams, Bucs, and Washington (link). Stuckey, a defensive tackle, signed with FSU but never played a snap for them. He wound up at West Georgia where he had 4.5 sacks, nine tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles in 2014. Caldwell, who is entering the supplemental draft due to academic issues, was initially an Illinois recruit. He had an eye-popping 12 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss last season.
NFC Notes: Ihenacho, Washington, Brinkley
Washington safety Duke Ihenacho has been watching NBA free agency going crazy, and took to Twitter to express his opinions about minimum contracts for NFL players. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post captured his tweets, where Ihenacho writes that NFL players have the highest risk of injury and brain trauma, and that the NFL is the richest league, and therefore the minimum salary for players should be $1MM.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Washington D.C. wants their NFL franchise to return to the District, but they are unlikely to get support from the Obama administration as long as the team still bears a racial epitaph for their name and logo, writes Jonathan O’Connell of the Washington Post. The National Park Service owns the land beneath Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and they are unlikely to accommodate the construction of a new stadium, according to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
- Former Vikings linebacker Jasper Brinkley decided to sign a two-year deal with the Cowboys this offseason, and the top reason for choosing Dallas is the opportunity to play for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I played in Minnesota for five years and I remember when he was in Chicago, just thinking about those defenses and the guys with the takeaways, a lot of takeaways,” Brinkley said. “You think about Charles Tillman, you think about Brian Urlacher, you think about Lance Briggs, you think about Tim Jennings, all those guys.”
- Even though Deone Bucannon was a first round pick of the Cardinals in 2014, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) doesn’t see the Washington State product having a great career at safety. The draft expert feels that Bucannon should stay at linebacker, where he played the bulk of last season. In 16 games, the Washington State product racked up 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three pass deflections.
- Former Buccaneers linebacker Brandon Magee has been swinging the bat for the Boston Red Sox Class A affiliate, but he told Pro Football Talk that if an NFL team called him, he would give up baseball to try out, reports Mike Florio. Magee was released from the Buccaneers in March, and had also spent time with the Browns.
- The Bears hired John Fox in the hope that he could quickly turn the organization around, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The turnaround starts with the attitude of every player on the roster, and the veterans are already buying in. “You go out and get John Fox and Vic Fangio and Adam Gase — you’re sending a message to every player in that locker room that we’re not messing around,” said Jared Allen. “We want to win. We want to win now. We certainly have the talent to win. So, get your heads right and let’s go play ball.”
NFC West Notes: Wilson, Foles, Bennett
During a return to the Wisconsin campus over the weekend, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was asked about his contract situation, but was fairly noncommittal on the subject, simply reiterating his desire to remain in Seatle for years to come, as Dennis Punzel of Madison.com details.
“It’s not where my focus is,” Wilson said of his contract. “The contract will work itself out. I’m excited about it and excited to hopefully be a Seattle Seahawk for a really, really long time. So, that’s the goal.”
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates of ESPN.com lays out the pros and cons for the Rams as they consider signing new quarterback Nick Foles to an extension. While Foles’ stock isn’t at its highest point, coming off an up-and-down, injury-shortened season, Yates suggests it still may be prudent for the team to wait on a new deal.
- Former agent Joel Corry weighs in on the Michael Bennett situation, tweeting that a holdout would likely be “an expensive waste of time” for the Seahawks defensive end. As Corry observes, Seattle is unlikely to budge just one year into Bennett’s four-year contract. Our Dallas Robinson wrote last night about Bennett’s confusing stance.
- Stepping in for Peter King at TheMMQB.com, Seahawks long snapper Nate Boyer tells the story of how he ended up in the NFL, trying to make the Seattle roster as a 34-year-old rookie.
- While some teams may shy away from drafting small-school players due to their lesser college competition, Cardinals GM Steve Keim tells Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com that he likes adding those players, since they’re often motivated by feeling like they have something to prove.
NFC Mailbags: Cardinals, Bucs, Vikings, Saints
We checked out ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…
- Josh Weinfuss believes Cardinals offensive lineman Ted Larsen, Earl Watford, Bradley Sowell and Bobby Massie could be moved because of the depth at their positions.
- The Buccaneers have been active in their spot atop the waiver wire, claiming Tim Wright and D.J. Swearinger. Pat Yasinskas says the team could make five or six more claims before the start of the season.
- If running back Doug Martin has a big season, Yasinskas thinks there’s a good chance he’d re-sign with the Buccaneers.
- 2018 is the earliest the Vikings would have to invest a longterm contract into a quarterback, writes Ben Goessling. That means that team shouldn’t have an issue signing their younger core players, including Harrison Smith, Matt Kalil and Xavier Rhodes. The one player that the writer could see the organization move on from is wideout Cordarrelle Patterson.
- Mike Triplett says it’s “safe to assume” that Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can’t survive another bad season. If the defense continues to struggle, defensive assistant Dennis Allen could also receive part of the blame.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Cards, Cowboys, Bucs
Although the 49ers had a hectic offseason highlighted by the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh and surprise retirements of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis, newcomer Darnell Dockett is unfazed by the team’s troubles. The longtime Cardinals defensive tackle signed with the 49ers before Willis, Smith, Borland and Davis retired, but he’s confident the club will overcome an adverse offseason and find itself in the thick of what should be a highly competitive NFC West race in 2015.
“I’ve been in the division for so long, everybody’s aiming for the top teams, so I was getting a lot of criticism and people saying, `Oh, man, why’d you go to San Fran?’ and `Why’d you do this, everybody’s jumping ship? You should have went to Seattle,’ Dockett, 34, told the Associated Press.
“I’ve been playing in this league for so long, it don’t matter the players that depart the team. It’s all about the chemistry and things you build in July and August. Everybody’s got to play the game on Sunday.”
Dockett, who missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, expects to be ready for training camp next month. The three-time Pro Bowler is also excited to play for new coach Jim Tomsula.
“I’ve had the utmost respect for Jim throughout my career. After every game we met on the 50-yard line and always talked football,” Dockett said.
In other NFC news. . .
- Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington – whom the NFL suspended for four games in 2013 and all of 2014 because of multiple substance-abuse violations – is expected to miss time this year because of domestic-violence issues, but he told Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 that he’s “confident that something will work out.” Washington added that he’ll be ready for training camp in August.
- The Cowboys elected early in the offseason to place the franchise tag on star receiver Dez Bryant and let reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray become a free agent. Those decisions led to acrimony between the team and Bryant, who still hasn’t signed his one-year franchise tender and only has until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Dallas, and Murray’s departure to NFC East rival Phildelphia. However, if given the chance to reverse course, tag Murray and let Bryant hit free agency, the Cowboys wouldn’t do it, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Buccaneers will try to make first overall pick Jameis Winston’s transition from Florida State to the pros as smooth as possible. One method they’re exploring includes using “virtual reality” technology to help the quarterback, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
NFC Notes: Washington, Peterson, McCoy
Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington, who plead guilty to aggravated assault in March 2014, had his probation reduced, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Now, it remains to be seen whether Washington will face suspension for this incident. Washington has been suspended since May 30, 2014, for violating the substance abuse policy, a second substance abuse violation that caused him to miss the entire 2014 season. Here’s more from the NFC..
- The NFL has said it will handle Washington’s domestic violence case separately from (and after) his substance abuse suspension, Weinfuss tweets. Recently, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said that he hasn’t given much thought to the idea of Washington returning to the team.
- Don’t tell Adrian Peterson that running backs typically decline once they enter their 30s. Of course, Peterson is no ordinary running back, but the former MVP sounds awfully optimistic about his NFL future, telling Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he wants to play for seven or eight more years. “I really feel that I can be 38 out here and still be the best running back in the NFL,” Peterson said. For now, the Vikings back will be looking to rebound from a lost 2014 season and show that he’s still one of the league’s best backs at age 30.
- Michael Vick, who continues to look for an NFL home, wishes that former teammate LeSean McCoy wouldn’t take shots at former Eagles coach Chip Kelly. “I try to give my little piece of advice that I can offer him. He’s his own man. He has his own feelings and emotions. So I can’t interfere with that,” Vick said, according to Jordan Raanan of The Star-Ledger. “The only thing I try to tell him is stay positive, don’t expose yourself so much. You’re still blessed to be playing in the NFL, a great league, and don’t take things so personal. Your life is great on and off the field. Keep it that way.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.