Jaguars Want To Trade QB Nick Foles
If the Jaguars have their way, it’ll be Minshew Mania again in 2020. ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler report that the Jaguars “want to go with Gardner Minshew as their starting QB” next season. As a result, the organization would like to find a taker for Nick Foles.
However, as the two reporters point out, it might not be easy to trade the veteran quarterback, and the Jaguars will have to “sweeten the deal, either with a pick or by paying part of the salary.” Last offseason, Jacksonville signed the former Super Bowl MVP to a whopping four-year deal worth $50.1MM guaranteed. The veteran will count for more than $22MM against the cap next season, although teams could have an out (with a $12.5MM cap hit) following the 2020 campaign.
It’s not too surprising that the Jaguars are opting for the younger option. While Foles didn’t play horribly in his four starts, the team still went 0-4 with him under center. The Jaguars improved to 6-6 with Minshew at quarterback, and the rookie finished the season with a top-10 interception rate.
Foles could theoretically be a fallback option for a squad that misses out on their free agent or trade targets. However, considering the 2020 salary and modest future investment, rival teams may choose to use their money elsewhere.
OL Jeremiah Sirles Announces Retirement
Jeremiah Sirles is calling it a career. The veteran offensive lineman announced his retirement today (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com).
After appearing in 28 games with the Vikings between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Sirles inked a one-year deal with the Panthers prior to the 2018 campaign. However, he landed on injured reserve at the end of the preseason, and he was subsequently released by Carolina. He ended up catching on with the Bills, and he proceeded to appear in 12 games (five starts) during the 2018 season.
He inked a one-year extension with Buffalo last offseason, but a foot injury led to his release. Sirles spent the entire 2019 campaign without a gig.
The 28-year-old cited a pair of knee injures when explaining his retirement decision.
“The decision doesn’t come easy, but after two major ankle surgeries last year, my wife and I have made the decision to see what the future holds for our family,” Sirles said (via Williams). “Part of me will always be a kid who was able to play a game he loved for 20 years. Here is to the next steps and some exciting things lined up.”
Raiders Interested In CB Byron Jones
Tom Brady isn’t the only big name on the Raiders’ list of targets. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the team is expected to show “legitimate interest” in cornerback Byron Jones.
[RELATED: James Bradberry Seeking $15MM/Season]
The Raiders are sitting on more than $50MM in cap space, and they could naturally use some reinforcement on defense. While 2019 second-rounder Trayvon Mullen showed that he can be a dependable starter, pairing him with someone of Jones’ caliber could create one of the top tandems in the league.
Jones has spent his entire career with the Cowboys, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro recognition during the 2018 season. This past year, he finished with 46 tackles, six passes defended, and one forced fumble. Bonsignore notes that he only allowed 106 yards after the catch last season.
With the Cowboys focused on retaining Dak Prescott and wideout Amari Cooper, it’s been expected that Jones will end up switching squads this offseason (although Dallas “will at least do their due diligence” on the defensive back). Jones will be joined at the top of the cornerback market by James Bradberry and Chris Harris.
Chiefs To Decline Cameron Erving’s Option
Cameron Erving is set to hit free agency. Yahoo’s Terez A. Paylor reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs won’t be exercising their 2020 option on the offensive lineman. The move will create $3.2MM in space for Kansas City.
The Chiefs traded a fifth-rounder to the Browns for Erving back in 2017, and the lineman proceeded to appear in 13 games (four starts) for his new squad. After starting 13 of his 14 appearances in 2018, Erving inked a two-year deal with the Chiefs.
The 27-year-old saw a reduced role towards the end of the 2019 season, but he still managed to make an appearance in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.
Erving’s versatility proved to be useful during his tenure with the Chiefs, but the front office clearly valued the extra wiggle room over the rotational lineman. With less than $20MM in cap room, the team will use some of their newfound space to accommodate defensive tackle Chris Jones‘ franchise tag.
CB James Bradberry Seeking $15MM/Season, Redskins To Have Interest
James Bradberry is focused on resetting the cornerback market. Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is seeking a contract that would pay him more than $15MM per season. The reporter notes that the Redskins are among the teams expected to be involved in the bidding.
The 2016 second-round pick has evolved into one of the top players at his position. While the advanced metrics haven’t necessarily been kind to Bradberry, he’s still put him some gaudy numbers. During his four seasons with the Panthers, the defensive back has compiled at least 10 passes defended each year. That includes a 2019 campaign where he finished with 65 tackles, one sack, 12 passes defended, and a career-high three interceptions.
As for the interest from the Redskins, this isn’t overly surprising. After all, Bradberry was fond of former Panthers head coach (and current Redskins head coach) Ron Rivera, and he said earlier this month that he’d love a reunion.
“I would love to play for Coach Rivera again,” Bradberry said. “He’s a great man and a great coach. He coached me for four years. I didn’t realize how much he meant to us until that day [he got fired]…Just how he spoke to us as men. He wasn’t overly aggressive unless he needed to be. He put his foot down when he needed to be.”
Bradberry will sit atop the cornerback market alongside Byron Jones and Chris Harris. Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard currently leads the position with an average annual value that’s barely north of $15MM.
Cowboys To Use Exclusive Franchise Tag On Dak Prescott?
We’ve been hearing for months that if the Cowboys couldn’t agree to a long-term extension with Dak Prescott, then they’d slap the quarterback with the franchise tag. We now have more clarity on their plan, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization would opt for the exclusive franchise tag (via NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman).
This path would provide benefits and negatives for Prescott. For negatives, the quarterback wouldn’t have the ability to negotiate with other teams (whereas under the traditional, non-exclusive tag, he could leave town if another team was willing to pony up a pair of first-rounders). The benefit? While the non-exclusive tag accounts for the top-five salaries at a respective position over the past five years, the exclusive tag accounts for the top-five salaries at a respective position for the upcoming season.
As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, that current exclusive-tag quarterback value would be around $31.62MM. However, the number isn’t set in stone until the end of April, so it could easily fluctuate between now and then. For comparison’s sake, the non-exclusive quarterback tag is estimated to be around $27MM for the upcoming season.
This also provides some leverage in Prescott’s talks with the organization. The quarterback could sit on his ~$32MM salary for 2020, and then if he’s slapped with the tag again, he’d be in line to make close to $38MM in 2021.
We learned earlier this week that Cowboys officials met with Prescott’s agent, Todd France. It was the first time the two sides had met since the start of the 2019 season.
49ers To Shop WR Marquise Goodwin?
Marquise Goodwin has struggled to replicate his 2017 numbers, and that could lead to a ticket out of San Francisco. When asked if the team could trade the wideout, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t play coy.
“We could, yeah,” Shanahan told Matt Barrows of The Athletic.
“You also don’t get rid of valuable people just for nothing. So we’ll have him come back and compete and if that doesn’t work out we could always possibly trade him. There are lots of things that are open. But I don’t know that exact answer yet.”
After falling out of favor in Buffalo, the former third-rounder had a breakout campaign in 2017. During his first season in San Francisco, Goodwin set career-highs across the board with 56 receptions for 962 receiving yards in 16 starts. He inked a three-year extension prior to the 2018 season, and the wideout hasn’t been able to hold up his side of the bargain. Goodwin was limited to 395 receiving yards in 2018 before getting phased out of the offense in 2019. He finished last season with 12 receptions for 186 yards and one score in nine games before landing on the injured reserve.
As Barrows notes, Goodwin is set to count for $4.9MM against the cap next season, a big ask for such limited production. Plus, the team will look to re-sign Emmanuel Sanders, and they’re hoping for big things from both Deebo Samuel and Dante Pettis. Despite the significant cap hit, the team won’t simply cut Goodwin.
“We wouldn’t release Marquise. He’s too valuable,” Shanahan said. “I know he fell out of the rotation last year, then he had an injury (and) wanted to go on IR so he could get it cleaned up. I think it is right now. I haven’t seen him for a while. Marquise is a guy who can play in this league. If he’s on this team, he’s going to be competing with that group and, if not, I feel pretty confident another team would want him.”
49ers, Jerick McKinnon To Discuss Restructured Deal
49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters that the front office will meet with Jerick McKinnon’s agent this week to discuss the running back’s contract (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows).
The two sides will be working towards some type of restructuring, but it sounds like McKinnon may have a bit of leverage. While the veteran is set to count $8.55MM against the cap next season, the team would be left with $4MM in dead money if they chose to cut him. In that case, it makes sense for the 49ers to retain the running back, although the organization will surely be seeking some monetary savings. For what it’s worth, the former third-rounder previously said he wants to stick with the 49ers.
McKinnon inked a four-year, $30MM deal with the 49ers back in 2018, but he’s yet to see the field for a regular season game with San Francisco. The 27-year-old tore his ACL prior to the 2018 campaign, and a setback shelved him for the 2019 season.
“We’d like nothing more than to see him actually on the field,” Lynch said. “It’s no fault of Jerick’s. It’s just the way it’s been. And I can tell you we admire the way he’s worked through the various issues that he’s had.”
If McKinnon does return next season, he’ll be joining a crowded depth chart. Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are both under contract, while Matt Breida (restricted free agent) and Jeff Wilson (exclusive rights free agent) could be retained.
AFC East Notes: Anderson, Dolphins, Patriots
With the Dolphins holding the fifth-overall pick, the team may have to make a trade if they want to select quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. General manager Chris Grier acknowledged that a deal is possible, but he cautioned that trade talks have yet to take place.
“No, not yet, because we’re so early,” Grier told reporters (including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). “No team has really met many of these guys yet. So I think until everyone goes through the process, as we’ve talked about, that’s when we’ll make determinations on what’s best for our franchise.”
As Salguero observes, Miami is armed with assets. The team owns three first-rounders and a pair of second-rounders in the upcoming draft, and they also have two first-rounders in 2021.
“We feel good,” Grier said. “History shows with the things we’ve done and the picks we’ve acquired and the money that we feel good about our standing and the flexibility to move up and down or stand pat.
“It’s a conversation that sometimes it happens before you talk and sometimes it might happen when you’re on the clock on draft day. Again, it’s weighing. You look at what’s available, how many players are at that position and available as you’re looking at your board. And then in terms of when you’re doing it in free agency it’s just working with the team and seeing what’s best for your organization.
“It’s a lot of conversations. It’s nothing that’s ever done quickly. And in terms of when [it includes] veteran parts you’re looking at salary cap money, how it’s going to affect the years and length left on contracts.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…
- If the Patriots end up seeking a replacement for Tom Brady, Jeff Howe of The Athletic doesn’t believe a move will come via the draft. The reporter opines that the organization doesn’t have/isn’t willing to give up the ammo it’d take to acquire any of the top quarterback prospects, and he’s uncertain the team will take a chance on Jordan Love should he fall in the draft. After that, Howe isn’t convinced that any of the available prospects have a higher-ceiling than Jarrett Stidham, who the team selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft.
- The Jets are going to make an effort to re-sign wideout Robby Anderson, reports Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork. However, the 26-year-old could end up commanding big money, especially if Amari Cooper is retained via franchise tag and A.J. Green and/or Emmanuel Sanders are retained by their current teams. In that scenario, Anderson would arguably be the top free agent receiver, and there will be plenty of teams lining up for his services.
- In case you missed it, we learned earlier today that the Bills have expressed interest in free agent cornerback Josh Norman.
Latest On Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Cowboys officials met today with agent Todd France to discuss Dak Prescott‘s future contract, reports Calvin Watkins of The Dallas News. It was the first time the two sides have met since the start of the 2019 season.
We previously heard that the Cowboys were willing to offer their franchise quarterback a contract that would pay him around $33MM per season, while Prescott was seeking a contract that was closer to Russell Wilson‘s $35MM/year. However, Watkins notes that the two sides seem to also be debating guaranteed money, and the reporter notes that the organization offered the 26-year-old a deal that included more than $100MM in guaranteed money (on the flip side, sources close to Prescott disputed that the organization “offered guarantees reaching $105 million.”)
Watkins also notes that team officials are hoping Prescott will take note of the contract negotiations with DeMarcus Lawrence, Sean Lee, Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware; those players personally reached out to Jerry Jones or Stephen Jones before inking a new deal. While the officials cautioned that they wouldn’t want Dak to go behind his agent’s back, a source believes that “if Prescott would call one of the Joneses, a deal could be completed.”
While Prescott is set to become a free agent, the Cowboys won’t let him explore the open market. If the two sides can’t agree to a new deal, the organization will surely slap the quarterback with the ~$27MM franchise tag. In that scenario, they could negotiate a long-term deal into the summer, and they can always revisit talks following the 2020 campaign.
The two-time Pro Bowler threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns last season. For his career, he’s gone 40-24 in 64 starts with a 65.8% completion rate and 97 touchdowns vs. 36 interceptions.