Cowboys Increased Offer For Earl Thomas
It was reported recently that the Cowboys were offering only a third round pick for All-Pro safety Earl Thomas and weren’t budging. Now the Cowboys have apparently upped their offer a second round pick, but the Seahawks still want more according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
Thomas, one of the last remaining pieces of the Seahawks’ once legendary defense, has held out all offseason in search of a new contract. Seattle has made it clear they have no intentions of giving him one, leading to the current stalemate with no end in sight.
A second round pick is a hefty offer for a player heading into the final year of his deal, so it’s somewhat surprising the Seahawks turned it down, especially considering a second round pick had previously been said to be their asking price. It’s not clear what Seattle’s endgame is here, since Thomas has no plans of reporting to the team anytime soon and appears certain to miss regular season games.
The Cowboys have the potential to have the best defense the team has fielded in years, but could use some help in the secondary. Acquiring Thomas would go a long way toward solidifying their defense as a top unit, so it makes sense why they’re being aggressive here. With the season just days away, this situation could develop further at any moment. Stay tuned.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Staley, Panthers, Samuel, Cowboys, Price
The few years preceding the dawn of the Kyle Shanahan era in San Francisco were dark times. The 49ers had three coaches in a three year span and experienced a lot of losing. The stress took a toll on many of the team’s veteran players, including longtime left tackle Joe Staley.
Staley, who’s been with the 49ers ever since he was taken in the first round back in 2007, revealed in a recent interview with Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle that he considered retirement amidst all the losing and coaching changes. It’s all behind him now, and he says he feels rejuvenated by the energy Shanahan has injected into the team, but it sounds like Staley very nearly walked away from the game.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Curtis Samuel, the Panthers‘ second round pick in 2017, underwent a procedure to fix an irregular heartbeat according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It will likely keep him out for at least the first week of the season and possibly longer.
- The Raiders threw a wrench into the plans of the Cowboys when they claimed defensive tackle Brian Price off waivers, according to Todd Archer of ESPN (Twitter link). Archer writes that the team planned on re-signing Price when they placed Dante Jones on injured reserve, but that they never got the chance, and that they will now be searching for a new defensive tackle.
- In case you missed it, despite not having much experience behind Dak Prescott, the Cowboys won’t be in the market for a backup quarterback.
AFC Notes: Colts, Luck, Ravens, Jackson, Jets, Webb
During Andrew Luck’s extended time away from the game, both he and the Colts organization always publicly projected confidence that he would return to the field at 100 percent sooner rather than later. But privately, Luck doubted himself and feared he would never play football again he revealed in a recent interview with Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star.
It’s a great piece that is well worth a read, with plenty of previously untold insights into Luck’s time away from football, his recovery, and his mental state. The Colts signal caller is healthy for now, ready to lead his team against the Bengals in Week 1. It’s been a long road, but Luck is finally back. It’ll be a treat for all fans of the NFL to get to start seeing Luck on Sundays again.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Lamar Jackson showed the potential to be a dynamic playmaker during the preseason, but he’s a long way from starting. Robert Griffin III will open the season as Joe Flacco’s backup, with Jackson starting the year as the number three according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Ravens coach John Harbaugh had previously said he planned on using Jackson and Flacco on the field together, so it’s unclear if the Ravens will keep three quarterbacks active on game days.
- Speaking of the Colts, offensive linemen “Mark Glowinski and Denzelle Good both took paycuts over cutdown weekend” reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Netowrk (Twitter link). The moves created $1.7MM in cap space for the Colts, and the players can make up the money they lost through incentives Pelissero notes.
- After Davis Webb was stunningly released by the Giants at final cuts, he signed with the Jets‘ practice squad. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com detailed Webb’s reaction to his release, he was shocked and hurt, and the moments after. A number of teams made offers to Webb, and there’s a strong possibility Webb will be promoted to the Jets’ 53-man roster in the coming weeks if he does what’s asked of him a source told Dunleavy. It’s a good situation for both sides, and the Jets may have just found their long-term backup for Sam Darnold.
Le’Veon Bell Absent Again Wednesday
Another day has came and went and Le’Veon Bell still hasn’t reported to the Steelers facility. Although many had speculated that Wednesday would be the day Bell showed up, that wasn’t the case according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
There were rumors that Bell would report on Labor Day, but Wednesday always seemed the most likely. Wednesday is the most important practice day of the week, when preparation for Sunday’s game really ramps up. As of now, it would seem difficult to imagine Bell playing against the Browns on Sunday without being there for today’s meetings and practice.
Ross Tucker of The Athletic tweeted that “from a strictly business perspective” it would make sense for Bell to avoid reporting until Friday or Saturday, ensuring that the Steelers would be forced to make him inactive for the game but avoid missing out on the $855K game check.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette followed up with a tweet pointing out if the Steelers “get a roster exemption, they don’t have to pay him. Up to them.” While it seems unlikely the Steelers would do that and risk alienating the star even further, it’s a definite possibility and one Bell’s camp must be considering, especially in the wake of Steelers GM Kevin Colbert‘s unusual statement released Monday.
We should know more on the situation soon, but as of right now it doesn’t look like Bell will be playing Week 1. Rapoport did tweet that “players have until 4 pm Saturday to show up to be able to play on Sunday. For what it’s worth”, but it would be nearly unprecedented for Bell to report the day before a game and be able to play.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Chiefs, Raiders, Broncos
Undrafted rookie kicker Kaare Vedvik wasn’t going to make the Ravens due to the presence of Justin Tucker, but his leg proved so impressive this offseason that it was reported multiple teams were interested in trading for him. Those hopes appeared to be dashed, at least temporarily, when Vedvik was rushed to the hospital with very serious injuries just before roster cuts.
Vedvik can’t really remember what happened to him, but it appears police are suspecting some sort of foul play as he suffered serious head trauma. Ravens coach John Harbaugh thinks it “cost him a chance to kick in this league” and added “there were plenty of trade talks” involving Vedvik according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. It’s an unfortunate situation all around for the Norway native who was shaping up to be a very good story. Here’s to hoping he makes a full recovery.
More from around the AFC:
- It’s been a long road back to the field for Chiefs All-Pro safety Eric Berry. Berry, who suffered an Achilles tear that cost him the entire 2017 season, is now suffering from a heel injury that may cause him to miss Week 1 according to Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star. Heel and Achilles injuries can be closely related so it makes sense why the team would want to be cautious, but being without Berry for any period of time would be a huge blow to an already weak Kansas City secondary.
- The Raiders’ trade for Martavis Bryant ended in disaster. The team surrendered a third round pick for the oft-troubled receiver, and he ended up never playing a down for them. Facing yet another suspension, the team cut him this past weekend. Despite all that, Raiders coach Jon Gruden is somehow still open to bringing Bryant back, saying “perhaps we’ll get Martavis again next year and get the best out of him” adding that he’s a “great talent” and that the move “was a risk I think well worth taking” per ProFootballTalk.com.
- Rookie running back Royce Freeman has been named the Broncos’ starter over incumbent Devontae Booker, according to Mike Klis of 9News. Freeman, a third round pick from Oregon, started the summer as the number two but leapfrogged Booker due to a strong preseason.
Dolphins Sign RB Brandon Bolden
The Dolphins are signing longtime New England Patriots running back Brandon Bolden, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
To make room on the roster for Bolden, the team cut center Travis Swanson, who was just signed yesterday. Bolden will get to continue his career in the AFC East, as he spent his first six seasons in New England before being released at final cuts on Saturday.
The Ole Miss product improbably made the Patriots as an undrafted free agent back in 2012, and stuck up until now, a remarkable feat for an undrafted player. He became a core special teams player during his time in New England, as well as handling a significant amount of carries his first few seasons.
In total, he rushed 216 times for 912 yards, good for 4.2 yards per carry, with six touchdowns with the Patriots. He also caught 47 passes for 373 yards and two more touchdowns. He’ll join a Dolphins running backs room that includes Kenyan Drake, Frank Gore, and rookie Kalen Ballage.
Davis Webb Signs To Jets Practice Squad
Davis Webb is staying in New York, as he will be signing to the Jets’ practice squad the team announced via Twitter.
Webb, a 2017 third round pick of the Giants, was surprisingly let go during roster cuts on Saturday. While he’ll only be on the Jets’ practice squad, he’ll make the full salary that he would’ve on the active 53-man roster according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). That type of arrangement is an increasingly popular one in the NFL, used to lure top free agents to teams’ practice squads.
Webb was a high draft pick, but had no ties to the current Giants front office or coaching staff, so the decision was made to let him go. The Jets are a good landing spot for Webb, and the signing makes sense for both sides. After the Teddy Bridgewater trade, the Jets were left with only 39-year-old Josh McCown behind new starter Sam Darnold.
McCown won’t be with the team longterm, and Webb could definitely develop into the backup of the future to Darnold. It’s a low-risk move for the Jets, and Webb surely had a host of practice squad opportunities to choose from. Once hailed as a possible successor to Eli Manning, the 87th pick of last year’s draft ended his Giants career without ever attempting a regular season pass.
To make room on the practice squad, the Jets released former Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford.
Steelers Restructure Cameron Heyward’s Deal
The Steelers are creating some cap flexibility today, restructuring the contract of defensive end Cameron Heyward, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Yates the Steelers are converting $8.o5MM of Heywards $9MM base salary for this season into a signing bonus, freeing up $5.39MM in 2018 cap space. When converting salary into a signing bonus, it spreads the cap hit out over multiple seasons.
This strategy of kicking the can down the road can backfire and lead to even worse cap problems down the line if not executed properly. The Steelers and GM Kevin Colbert do it all the time, and in fact restructured Heyward’s deal at this same time last season. According to Overthecap.com, the Steelers had just $12.19MM in cap space for 2019 before this move, fourth least in the league, a number that will decrease when the restructure is factored in.
It’s unclear what the Steelers are planning to do with the extra space, but it wouldn’t make much sense to worsen their future cap situation and then not do anything with the freed up money. Perhaps there’s a big name veteran that the Steelers are looking to sign. Although Overthecap did project the Steelers to be very slightly over the salary cap before this move, so maybe they made it just to get comfortably under the cap and nothing else.
Heyward is signed through the 2020 season on a $52.81MM deal. He had 12 sacks in 2017, by far a career best.
Eagles Re-Sign Markus Wheaton, Place Richard Rodgers on IR
Markus Wheaton, who was released on Saturday, is back in Philadelphia according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
Wheaton, who was among the casualties of Saturday’s roster cut-down, now rejoins a receiving corp that’s expected to be with out number one threat Alshon Jeffery for at least the first couple of games. It looks like the Eagles were planning on bringing Wheaton back the entire time, and were just waiting to clear up a spot.
To make room on the roster, the team placed tight end Richard Rodgers on injured reserve. Rodgers, who suffered a knee injury in the Eagles’ second preseason game, will be eligible to return after eight games. At the time of his injury, Rodgers was labeled week-to-week, but clearly the Eagles felt he wasn’t valuable enough to hold a roster spot for.
Wheaton has always been a player who’s production has never equaled his potential. After a breakout 2015 season where he caught 44 passes for 749 yards and five touchdowns with the Steelers, he’s played in just 14 games over the past two seasons, catching just seven passes total for 102 yards. Last offseason he signed a two-year $11MM contract with $5MM guaranteed with the Bears, and was an epic bust, catching just four balls during his time in Chicago. He signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Eagles this past May, and will be facing an uphill battle to revive his career in a crowded skill players group.
NFC Minor Moves: 9/3/18
There have been plenty of transactions across the league today. While the big names all garnered headlines of their own, there were tons of more under-the-radar signings and cuts as well. Here are all the additional moves from the NFC so far today:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Trevor Bates
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
- Waived: CB Herb Waters
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Josh LeRibeus
- Released: LB Nathan Stupar
- Waived: RB Trey Edmunds
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Antone Exum, OL Matt Tobin
- Placed on IR: S Marcell Harris, RB Jerick McKinnon
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LS Garrison Sanborn
- Placed on IR: DT Mitch Unrein
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL Caleb Brantley
- Waived: DE Anthony Lanier