NFC Links: Suh, Seahawks, Giants, Packers
Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who identifies as an introvert, spoke with the Oregonian’s John Canzano for a piece about the All-Pro’s image “reconstruction.” Suh has taken criticism for spending his offseason in Portland instead of Detroit, but explained his reasoning: “I’m there when everyone reports. I like being in my own niche and by myself. I have my trainers here. I get 1-on-1 attention. I have every ounce of this campus to myself. My coaches have been here. I’ve probably talked with our head coach more than just about any player on the team. People here don’t care about celebrity. I can walk around and do whatever I want. I’m a normal Portland person.”
Here’s some additional NFC links:
- Several Seahawks veterans, prominent ones, could be entering their final season with the team because of impending salary-cap implications, particularly with Russell Wilson‘s inevitable contract extension soon to hit the books, writes ESPN’s Terry Blount.
- The NFC East position groups are being broken down by Jordan Raanan and Eliot Shorr-Parks on NJ.com. Their latest post examines the division’s tight ends. They agree the Giants have the worst tight end group in the division, and Shorr-Parks goes so far as to say, “They may just have the worst tight ends in the entire NFL, let alone the NFC East.”
- ESPN’s Rob Demovsky discussed the Packers’ secondary depth, including seemingly forgotten man Davon House, who has had an impressive offseason.
- Meanwhile, the Packers’ NFC North rival Bears are still trying to sort out their safety position. “Every spot on the safety depth chart registers as a battle to watch because right now every position — including the starting jobs — is up for grabs,” says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- There’s room on the 49ers roster for 2014 fourth-rounder Bruce Ellington and 2013 fourth-rounder Quinton Patton, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
- Falcons reserve receiver/core special teamer Drew Davis will be sidelined for six weeks after foot surgery, reports Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Davis was placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would miss about three weeks of training camp.
Extra Points: Cutler, Greer, Bills, Witherspoon
Donovan McNabb, who took plenty of criticism in his heyday, let his thoughts be known on Jay Cutler‘s contract earlier today on 87.7 The Game. “I think Jay might be the luckiest dude in Chicago, to be honest with you, with the contract that he received for what we haven’t seen thus far,” McNabb said, according to CSNChicago.com. “Don’t get me wrong, I think Jay’s got a strong arm, I think the sky’s the limit for him. But for what we’ve seen in Chicago, when you didn’t finish the NFC Championship — which it was due to injury. But even with that, you haven’t been able to get past that hump you needed. One game to get into the playoffs, you couldn’t get it done. Caleb Hanie comes in to play, Josh McCown comes in to play, and then contract comes up and you get paid like a top-three, top-four quarterback? I mean, are you serious? For what we’ve seen? If he doesn’t do it this year, it’s going to end up being a mistake.” More from around the NFL..
- Jabari Greer said his rehab from last year’s major knee injury is “going really well,” but the former Saints cornerback said he’s not actively pursuing any opportunities to return to the NFL right now and says it’s probably unlikely that he’ll be able to work out for any teams in time for training camp, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “I think my pride and my body have two different things to say about that,” said Greer, who was released by New Orleans in February. “But we’ll see. I mean, God can do anything, man.”
- The Bills‘ financial advisers, Morgan Stanley, began granting online access to the team’s detailed financial information, a major step in the sales process, writes Tim Graham of The Buffalo News. Terry Pegula and the man he bought the Buffalo Sabres from, Tom Golisano, each were believed to be among the possible buyers granted permission to review the numbers. Same goes for Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto-based group and Donald Trump.
- Veteran linebacker Will Witherspoon has had contract talks with both the Rams and the Falcons, reports Greg Brzozowski of WJHG-TV (hat tip: Pro Football Talk).
- Patriots seventh-round wide receiver Jeremy Gallon is hoping to be the club’s latest late-round steal, writes Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.
- Dion Lewis once thought he might have an opportunity to be the Browns’ feature back in 2014, but following Cleveland’s additions of Ben Tate and Terrance West, the 23-year-old Lewis’ role looks much more uncertain, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Monday Roundup: Graham, Taylor, Dolphins
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league on this Monday evening:
- Arbitrator Stephen Burbank will issue his decision on Saints tight end Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag grievance on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter and Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Steelers‘ cornerback Ike Taylor, who agreed to reduce his 2014 salary from $7MM to $2.5MM in March, and who seemed at peace when speaking with reporters about his decision just a month ago–he simply said “my [new] salary is a lot of money”–has apparently had a change of heart. As Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, Taylor recently appeared on The Jim Rome Show and stated, “Did it hurt me? Hell yeah. Does it still hurt? Yeah, it hurts, but hopefully I can go in and bounce back this year, do what I need to do on the field and we will see what happens after.” Of course, there is nothing Taylor can do about it now, and both he and the Steelers are hoping for a bounce-back year in 2014.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets a couple of options for the Eagles as they make to shuffle their offensive line in the wake of the Lane Johnson suspension.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his Best Contract/Worst Contract series with the Falcons. He explains why the team’s best contract is with wideout Roddy White, and the worst is with LT Sam Baker.
- Dr. David Chao, whose piece for the National Football Post we referenced earlier today with regards to the dangers associated with playing football on dirt–as they do in the Oakland Coliseum–also passed along a couple of Dolphins injury notes. Chao confirms that running back Knowshon Moreno has had his knee scoped and should return in time for the majority of training camp, but he expects center Mike Pouncey to wind up on the PUP list, requiring him to miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
NFC Notes: Falcons, Orakpo, Bears, Panthers
We’re still waiting for resolution on one of the biggest NFC stories this month, with a decision from arbitrator Stephen Burbank on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise position designation expected this week. While we await Burbank’s call on whether the Saints star is a tight end or wide receiver, let’s check out a few more items from around the conference….
- Wide receiver Roddy White appears poised to play out his entire current contract with the Falcons, a rarity in an era where players are often cut or forced to renegotiate with time still remaining on their deals. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap observes, that makes White’s contract one of the best on Atlanta’s books. Sam Baker‘s is the worst contract currently being carried by the club, in Fitzgerald’s view.
- Playing on a one-year franchise tag, linebacker Brian Orakpo has a big year ahead of him, says ESPN.com’s John Keim. While the Redskins selected Trent Murphy with their first pick in last month’s draft, neither the team nor Orakpo himself views Murphy as Orakpo’s future replacement, meaning a productive season from the veteran linebacker could result in a longer-term deal with Washington.
- It’s not clear how many tight ends the Bears will keep on their regular season roster, but Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com thinks Martellus Bennett, Matthew Mulligan, and Dante Rosario will make the cut.
- In a mailbag at ESPN.com, David Newton fields questions on Greg Hardy, Edmund Kugbila, and other Panthers-related topics.
- Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News previews the Cowboys‘ special teams unit for the 2014 season.
NFC South Notes: Underwood, McCown, Cooks
After losing several key contributors from their 2013 receiving corps, the Panthers made Kelvin Benjamin their first-round pick and signed veterans Jason Avant and Jerricho Cotchery. But, as ESPN.com’s David Newton writes (within a preview of the NFC South), there’s one promising Carolina pass-catcher who isn’t garnering much attention: 27-year-old Tiquan Underwood. A seventh-round pick of the Jaguars, Underwood spent last year with the Buccaneers, catching 24 passes for 440 yards and four touchdowns, but ranked as just the 87th-best receiver in the league according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Newton believes that Underwood will act as the Panthers’ deep threat, a role that Ted Ginn Jr. played last season.
- The Buccaneers signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown this offseason, and at least one Tampa Bay player is pleased with McCown’s play so far. “…Don’t take anything from Glennon; he’s just only in his second year,” linebacker Jonathan Casillas told WEPN-FM in New York (link via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). “But McCown looks like he’s played a couple of years in this game. It’s a strong comparison, but he reminds me of Drew (Brees), not just the way he throws the ball, but his approach to the game. The first one in, last one out. You know, he’s always around. He’s very (communicative), very personable. And you can tell he’s a born leader.”
- Presuming that Carl Nicks fails to get healthy, the Buccaneers will be looking for two starting offensive guards, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times in a piece examining Tampa Bay’s position battles. Jamon Meredith and rookie Kadeem Edwards have the early edge, but experienced veteran Oniel Cousins is also an option.
- Eric Dellaratta of PewterReport.com examines the running back rotation in Tampa Bay, noting that he believes the Buccaneers will end up keeping Doug Martin, rookie Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey, and Jeff Demps (who offers value in the return game).
- Earlier today, we passed along Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated’s positive assessment of Brandin Cooks; Knox Bardeen of Bleacher Report concurs, noting that the Saints rookie will help New Orleans overcome the loss of Darren Sproles.
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com thinks the Falcons need to rely on Matt Ryan and the passing game in order to rebound from last year’s abysmal season. However, the Falcons ranked a decent 11th in terms of passing DVOA (per Football Outsiders), but ranked 21st in rushing DVOA, so perhaps an improvement in the running game would be the better way to ameliorate Atlanta’s woes.
Free Agent Notes: Roby, Nwaneri, Colledge
Here are a handful of free agent notes from around the NFL. We’ll continue to update this post throughout the night as more news rolls in…
- The Falcons have signed veteran wide receiver Courtney Roby, reports Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The 31-year-old’s best season came as a rookie in 2005, when he caught 21 passes for 289 yards with the Titans. Roby appeared in 57 games with Saints from 2009-2012, where he returned 75 kicks for 1,939 yards and served as the team’s special team’s captain.
- The Cowboys have officially announced the signing of veteran guard Uche Nwaneri, who was reported to be heading to Dallas earlier this week. To make room on the roster, the team placed guard Tyronne Green on the reserved/injured list.
- Offensive lineman Daryn Colledge is planning on visiting the Dolphins, reports Jason Cole of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The team is seeking a center after losing starter Mike Pouncey, who underwent hip surgery earlier this week. Colledge, a former second-round pick, spent five years with the Packers prior to joining the Cardinals.
NFC Notes: Falcons, Bears, Schilling, Riddick
The Falcons’ training-camp position battle at running back will have the attention of ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, who says soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran Steven Jackson probably has one good season left in him, but fourth-rounder Devonta Freeman was drafted with “thoughts of grooming him as the three-down back of the future.” Meanwhile, the battle for the third-down role will be between Antone Smith and Jacquizz Rodgers, whose special-teams impact might be reduced by the presence of Devin Hester.
Here’s a few more NFC Notes for your late-night or early-morning perusal:
- The Bears want second-year man Marquess Wilson to win the No. 3 receiver job, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright: “unless Wilson falters significantly in camp and in the preseason, the job appears to be his to lose.
- The Bears project to bring back nine of the 10 offensive linemen who finished last season with the team, in addition to free-agent acquisition Brian De La Puente. Consequently, someone like James Brown or Taylor Boggs could be cut in training camp, asserts ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- After Stephen Schilling was let go by the Chargers, the Seahawks were the first team to express interest and offer a contract, writes Bob Condotta in the Seattle Times. Schilling, a Washington state native, jumped on the opportunity, and he thinks he could latch on with the Seahawks because their zone-blocking scheme better suits his skill set.
- Lions running back Theo Riddick has had a strong offseason, even catching the eye of head coach Jim Caldwell, and the second-year pro out of Notre Dame should benefit from coaching staff and new scheme, says Tim Twentyman on the team website.
- Giants cornerbacks coach Peter Giunta tells NJ.com’s Conor Orr he has the deepest position group of his career thanks to “10 quality corners.”
Minor Moves: Falcons, Seahawks, Saints
Earlier today, our own Luke Adams ran down the teams around the league with open roster spots. Already, there are some updates to be made. Here’s are the latest moves from around the NFL..
- The Falcons announced that they have waived wide receiver Dominique Croom, who spent part of last season on the practice squad. Croom, 6’0″, 190 pounds, was originally signed by the Browns as a college free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft and was signed to Atlanta’s practice squad on November 27, 2013. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) says he was released with a non-football illness designation. The Falcons now have three open roster spots.
- Seahawks waived defensive tackle Andru Pulu, per the NFL transaction notice, tweets Brian McIntyre. Pulu received a $15k signing bonus as an undrafted free agent earlier this offseason. Seattle now has one vacant spot on the roster.
- Saints cornerback A.J. Davis has been reverted to the injured reserve after going unclaimed after being waived-injured, Wilson tweets.
NFL Teams With Open Roster Spots
For many teams around the NFL, the 90 players on the roster when last week’s minicamps ended are the same 90 players the club hopes to carry into training camp next month. We should expect to see some minor roster shuffling over the next few weeks, but for the most part, teams have a pretty good idea of which players will be participating in camp and battling for spots on the regular-season roster a few weeks from now.
Still, not all 32 teams around the league have full 90-man rosters at this point. In a couple instances, recent unanticipated retirements have created roster openings, whereas other clubs may simply be keeping their options open and weighing multiple possibilities as training camp nears. In any case, by our count, there are seven NFL teams that currently have open slots on their 90-man rosters. Here’s the breakdown:
- Atlanta Falcons (2): Since maxing out the 90-man roster with draft picks and rookie free agents, the Falcons have made three cuts and moved Sean Weatherspoon to injured reserve following his season-ending Achilles injury. During that same span, they’ve only signed two players, so there should be two open spots on the roster at the moment.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2): The Bucs signed a pair of tryout players to contracts last week, adding David Gettis and Ronald Talley, but also cut four players. Over the weekend, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com explored how the team might fill the two openings on its roster.
- Cincinnati Bengals (1): Running back Jeff Scott was waived by the Bengals last week, and the club has yet to sign a replacement.
- Cleveland Browns (1): Like the Bengals, the Browns made a cut a week ago (Earl Bennett) and haven’t yet filled his spot on the roster.
- Denver Broncos (1): Denver hasn’t made a roster addition since waiving Ramon Harewood last month, so the team should have one spot available.
- Green Bay Packers (1): A neck injury forced Johnathan Franklin into early retirement and forced the Packers to waive him with an injured player designation, creating an empty spot on the 90-man roster.
- San Francisco 49ers (1): Eric Wright‘s retirement announcement created an opening on the Niners’ roster last Tuesday.
NFC Notes: Davis, Graham, 49ers, Redskins
Vernon Davis seems to be keeping a close eye on the outcome of Jimmy Graham’s positional designation hearing, but the Graham decision shouldn’t have a real impact on the 49ers’ contract talks with their tight end, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. As Maiocco points out, Graham has a much stronger case to be considered a wide receiver, since he lined up in the slot or split out wide on two-thirds of his snaps, while Davis did so on only about 30% of his snaps.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- With no decision on Graham yet from arbitrator Stephen Burbank, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if the process may extend beyond July 15, the deadline for Graham and the Saints to reach a multiyear agreement. Even if Burbank’s ruling comes this week, it won’t be final until the losing side has the chance to appeal the decision. If New Orleans doesn’t sign Graham to a long-term deal by July 15, the star pass-catcher can only ink a one-year contract for 2014.
- The 49ers‘ draft was almost universally lauded, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com looks at what San Francisco hopes each pick will contribute in 2014. Second-rounder Carlos Hyde was thought to be a “steal” at pick No. 57, and is expected to receive opportunities at running back right away. Third-round center Marcus Martin has a chance to win the starting job, and fourth-round linebacker Chris Borland could earn playing time in the absence of the injured NaVorro Bowman.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap provides his take on the Redskins‘ best and worst contracts, identifying one of this year’s free agent signees – Jason Hatcher – as the player with the least team-friendly deal.
- Jason Avant is expected to provide a veteran presence among the Panthers’ young receiving corps, but leadership alone wasn’t enough to keep him with the Eagles, where the 31-year-old quickly realized he wasn’t a fit in Chip Kelly’s scheme. “When they stop calling your number and guys start running some of the routes that you run,” Avant told Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, “I knew from the beginning that I didn’t fit his style of offense, in that I’m a crafty guy that gets open in an atypical way.”
- In the view of Falcons head coach Mike Smith, a player’s salary should be “nobody’s business,” but quarterback Matt Ryan says he isn’t feeling increased pressure now that he’s on a $100MM+ deal, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.