AFC Notes: Broncos, Pats, Von, Steelers, Jets
Mike Klis of 9News obtained a report from a non-Broncos scout who observed linebacker Von Miller nine times last season and concluded that the 27-year-old is a “Hall of Fame-caliber performer.’’ Meanwhile, former Patriots general counsel/player personnel Jack Musa told Klis that the Pats – who are known for preemptively cutting bait on stars – would shop Miller if they were in a similar situation as Denver is now.
“I’m not saying not signing Von Miller is the wrong thing to do. I’m not saying that at all,” said Musa, who was with the Patriots for a decade. “But if you don’t and you’ve moved on from him, you certainly get something from him. You don’t have him sitting out a year and improving his own negotiating leverage – that’s not something we ever experienced in New England but that’s a very real possibility in Denver.’’
The Broncos and Miller are currently in a contract-related showdown, one which they’re running out of time to resolve. If the reigning Super Bowl champions and the franchise-tagged superstar don’t reach an agreement on a long-term deal by July 15 at 4 p.m. ET, they won’t be able to negotiate again until the offseason. That would leave Miller with two options: 1. Continue sitting out in lieu of signing the franchise tender. 2. Sign it and make in the $14MM neighborhood to play this year. If Miller opts for the first choice, the Broncos wouldn’t have the ability to slap the exclusive franchise tag on him next offseason, though they could give him the non-exclusive version. However, the compensation from a team that signs Miller to an offer sheet would decrease in value by a substantial amount, going from two first-round picks to a first- and third-round selection. The Broncos hit Miller with the exclusive designation this year to stop him from trying to hammer out an accord with another team.
Elsewhere around the AFC…
- The Browns picked up quarterback Robert Griffin III in free agency and ex-Baylor receiver Corey Coleman via the first round of the draft, but they’re nonetheless “going to be a run-oriented football team,” run game coordinator Kirby Wilson told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. As Roster Resource shows, the Browns’ top two rushers from last season – Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson – remain in the equation, and three former undrafted free agents trail behind them. Given that trio’s lack of pedigree and the fact that neither Crowell nor Johnson eclipsed 3.8 yards per carry last season, it’s not exactly the most promising group on paper. Johnson, to his credit, caught 61 passes as a rookie, leading Wilson to call the 2015 third-rounder from Miami “an ultimate weapon.”
- The five-year, $41.9MM deal – including $8.5MM guaranteed – all-world wide receiver Antonio Brown signed in 2012 is the most team-friendly contract the Steelers have, argues Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Brown was behind Mike Wallace on the Steelers’ wideout pecking order at the time, but the former has since combined for a stunning 375 receptions, 5,031 yards and 31 touchdowns going back to 2013. Although Pittsburgh took a risk at the time, it now has the biggest veteran bargain in the league, Fitzgerald opines. Conversely, linebacker Lawrence Timmons‘ contract (five years, $47.8MM, $11MM guaranteed) is the Steelers’ worst. While Fitzgerald doesn’t have a problem with the value, he’s critical of the way the Steelers have handled the pact. The club has restructured it three times in a four-year span, effectively guaranteeing four of its five seasons and leaving Timmons without an incentive to accept an extension and lower his cap number – which is the most among inside linebackers this season by over $5MM.
- Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey could have a harder time dividing touches between his top two running backs this year than he did in 2015, posits Brian Costello of the New York Post. Last season’s Jets prominently featured the duo of bruiser Chris Ivory and dual-threat option Bilal Powell, but the former is now in Jacksonville. The Jets replaced him with Matt Forte, who – like Powell – can do damage both as a rusher and pass catcher. Regardless, Costello argues that New York has a valuable player on its hands in the 27-year-old Powell, without whom it went 1-4 in 2015. As a result of his 11-game, 701-total yard, 47-catch season, the Jets re-signed Powell to a three-year, $11.25MM deal with $6MM in guarantees over the winter. Forte landed a somewhat similar contract at three years, $12MM and $8MM guaranteed.
NFC Notes: Roddy, Falcons, Cowboys, Bucs
After Roddy White amassed just 43 catches for 506 yards and a touchdown last season, the Falcons released their all-time leading receiver in March. The 34-year-old White, who remains a free agent, opened up about his 11th and final season in Atlanta to Dukes & Bell of WZGC-FM on Wednesday (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Regarding the Falcons’ coaching staff, White commented, “I just feel like coming into the season they had a role for me and it wasn’t told [to] me before the season started,” adding that he didn’t complain “because it wasn’t going to change anything.”
White is now content to be out of of a Falcons uniform, saying, “I would have went crazy if I had to go through that another year. When I got released, it wasn’t like I wasn’t feeling like terrible because I was like, ‘I can’t play football like that,’ because I was just miserable. I knew that a lot of times that we had opportunities to win games and I wasn’t put in that position to make that play and I felt we lost those games because I wasn’t put in that position to make that plays.”
Had coordinator Kyle Shanahan involved White in the offense more, the wideout believes the Falcons would have made the playoffs. They instead turned a 6-1 start into an 8-8 overall mark en route to a third straight year without a postseason berth.
More from the NFC:
- The Cowboys are worse from a talent standpoint without defensive end Greg Hardy, opine Dan Graziano, Phil Sheridan and John Keim of ESPN.com, though each writer notes that they might be a better team without his toxic presence in the fold. While Hardy was an off-field distraction and public relations nightmare for the Cowboys last season, the current free agent did total six of their paltry 31 sacks. With Hardy unlikely to return and fellow ends Randy Gregory and Demarcus Lawrence facing four-game suspensions, the Cowboys’ pass rush (or lack thereof) could continue weighing them down this year, Graziano contends.
- Whether Dirk Koetter can successfully transition from offensive coordinator to head coach as he takes over for the fired Lovie Smith is one of a handful of pertinent questions facing this year’s Buccaneers, writes Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin. While Koetter has been a successful coordinator in the pros – including his time atop Tampa Bay’s fifth-ranked offense last season – he hasn’t held a head coaching position since his tenure with Arizona State ended in 2006, notes Cummings. And while Koetter’s teams at ASU went a respectable 66-44, none finished higher than third in the conference formerly known as the Pac-10.
- In case you missed it, retired wideout Calvin Johnson revealed Wednesday that he would have had a harder time walking away if the Lions were more competitive.
No Progress Between Bills, Stephon Gilmore
1:59pm: Gilmore would lose one regular-season game check (worth $652K) for every preseason contest missed, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. If he were to hold out all of August, it would cost him over $3MM – roughly $750K in daily camp fines and $2.6MM in preseason game fines (Twitter links).
9:02am: Bills general manager Doug Whaley indicated in February that the team was prioritizing an extension for cornerback Stephon Gilmore, but nearly five months have passed and the two sides aren’t progressing toward a new deal. As a result, Gilmore is a threat to hold out this summer and perhaps into the regular season, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Gilmore already sat out voluntary OTAs in May, and the 25-year-old said at mandatory minicamp in June that he’d report to training camp “whenever I get there.”
Gilmore would like a contract similar to the five-year, $75MM pact Josh Norman inked with the Redskins in April, per Carucci, who writes that the Bills aren’t ready to approach that type of compensation for their 2012 first-round pick. Norman is currently among the league’s top two cornerbacks in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second), but with the cap rising and prices for corners increasing, those rankings might not last long.
Whether it’s from the Bills or someone else, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman, by the way, finished 11th).
If the Bills and Gilmore are unable to reach a deal this summer, he’ll play out this season on his $11.082MM fifth-year option. But holding out of camp would put a dent in the bank account of Gilmore, who would lose $40K per day.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC West Notes: Bolts, Raiders, Broncos, Von
Even if the Chargers only need 50 percent – not 66.6 percent – of voters to approve public funding for a new stadium, they still could have a difficult time garnering enough support, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Chargers stadium advisor Fred Maas claims that San Diego residents who don’t live in a hotel “won’t pay a dime” to keep the team there, but Florio is skeptical, pointing out that money coming from a hotel tax could have other public uses instead. Further, those who vote no would be doing so because they don’t want any part of helping subsidize the NFL – a $13 billion-per-year industry – Florio adds.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- The city of Oakland is taking bids for a new stadium, reports Zennie Abraham (Twitter link via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report). The Raiders – who are angling for Las Vegas relocation – find Oakland’s action odd because the city’s taking bids without having discussed anything with the team, per Abraham.
- Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning expressed optimism Wednesday about the contract standoff between the club and franchise-tagged linebacker Von Miller, telling TMZ, “I think Von will re-sign, and I do not see that being a problem at all” (link via Joe Nguyen of the Denver Post). With next Friday serving as the deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals, time is running out on the Broncos and Miller. General manager John Elway and the reigning Super Bowl MVP restarted talks over the weekend, though, so it appears they’re moving in the right direction.
- If the impasse between the Broncos and Miller continues, ESPN’s Ed Werder wonders (via Twitter) if Elway would trade the 27-year-old.
- Speaking of Denver stars who lack long-term security, we found out earlier Thursday that contract negotiations between the Elway-led franchise and wideout Emmanuel Sanders are on hold.
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AFC Notes: Bills, Jets, Texans
On the heels of finishing with the second-fewest sacks (21) in the NFL last season, the Bills spent the 19th overall pick on ex-Clemson edge rusher Shaq Lawson. Unfortunately, Lawson underwent right shoulder surgery after the draft and will be out until October, leaving the Bills without any real pass-rushing upgrades entering the season (plus, Mario Williams is gone). To fill Lawson’s void, the Bills could turn to IK Enemkpali, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Although the former Jet is known more for breaking quarterback Geno Smith‘s jaw with a punch last summer than anything he has accomplished on the field, Enemkpali impressed head coach Rex Ryan during spring workouts and garnered some first-team reps, per Buscaglia. As a result, the rush-needy Bills could platoon Enempkali and Manny Lawson at linebacker – using the latter on rushing downs – Buscaglia writes.
Notes on a couple other AFC linebackers:
- The Jets are counting on second-year man Lorenzo Mauldin to evolve into a more complete linebacker this season, writes Brian Costello of the New York. The 2015 third-round pick emerged as a pass-rushing threat in racking up four sacks while playing just 24 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps as a rookie. On the negative side, the team has concerns about Mauldin’s abilities in coverage and against the run, according to Costello, who nonetheless adds that the 23-year-old is the favorite to start on the weak side for Gang Green.
- Similarly, the Texans “expect a lot from” sophomore inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney, LBs coach Mike Vrabel told the Houston Chronicle. McKinney, whom the Texans want to use more in pass-rushing and coverage situations, has drawn praise from head coach Bill O’Brien this offseason. “I would say one guy on defense that I haven’t been asked a lot about that I think has really improved during the offseason and was improving at the end of last year is Benardrick McKinney,” said O’Brien. The 43rd pick in last year’s draft, McKinney started in 11 of 14 appearances as a rookie, picked up 63 tackles and a sack, and ranked an outstanding 17th among 97 qualifying linebackers at Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- In case you missed it, the chances of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady avoiding a four-game suspension this year don’t look good.
Talks On Hold Between Broncos, E. Sanders
The Broncos and contract-year wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders had been negotiating a new accord since at least early June – with the two sides exchanging figures on a deal under three weeks ago – but talks are now on hold, reports Mike Klis of 9News.
As of last month, Sanders expressed a desire to retire a Bronco. The 29-year-old has so far only spent two seasons in Denver, where he has hauled in 177 receptions, 2,500-plus yards and 15 touchdowns in 31 games. In addition to his regular-season prowess, Sanders piled up 16 catches for 230 yards in three games during the Broncos’ run to the Super Bowl last winter.
Sanders originally joined the Broncos on a three-year, $15MM deal after four seasons with the Steelers. It’s fair to say his next contract will be much more valuable. Three of Sanders’ fellow wideouts – the Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns – signed four-year extensions worth upward of $40MM, including $20MM-plus in guarantees, last month. While Sanders is at least two years older than each of them, he has outproduced the trio and topped them in approximate value since 2014.
General manager John Elway said a month ago that extending Sanders by mid-July would be “ideal,” but it now appears the Broncos could fall short of that goal. Of course, Elway has a higher priority – linebacker Von Miller – whom he must sign by July 15. The team’s franchise player will otherwise be unable to ink an extension until the offseason (and could sit out the season), so there should be more urgency to get a deal done with Miller than Sanders.
For now, Sanders remains on track to play out this season on a $5.6MM salary and hit free agency. However, given the seventh-year man’s stated desire to remain in Denver and the organization’s goal to retain him, odds are the two will work something out. It just might not happen as quickly as planned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Panthers, Giants, Eagles
The Seahawks are in the market for a No. 2 quarterback, meaning Russell Wilson‘s 2016 backup might not be on their roster right now, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Considering Seattle attempted to claim Connor Shaw off waivers earlier this week, its desire to land a signal-caller is no surprise. As Roster Resource shows, the only QBs under Seahawks control behind Wilson are undrafted rookie Trevone Boykin and second-year man Jake Heaps, who went unpicked in the 2015 draft and then spent time on the Jets’ practice squad and with the Brooklyn Bolts of the Fall Experimental Football League.
Free agent Tarvaris Jackson backed up Wilson from 2013-15, but he’s currently mired in serious legal issues. Fellow ex-Seahawks Charlie Whitehurst and Matt Flynn are also among those on the market. The biggest name without a contract is Michael Vick, who Phil Savage of ESPN believes is a logical fit for the Seahawks. Nick Foles could be an option if the Rams are willing to trade the 27-year-old to a division rival or if they ultimately release him, as PFR’s Dallas Robinson wrote last month.
More from the NFC:
- In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy likened quarterback Cam Newton to two of the greatest athletes ever, NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, in the way he challenges teammates in practice and brings out their best. Regarding how the Panthers have weathered the departures of standouts performers like Steve Smith, Jordan Gross, Greg Hardy and Josh Norman in recent years, Ealy told hosts Zig Fracassi and Phil Savage, “People change. The environment doesn’t,” before crediting the examples owner Jerry Richardson, head coach Ron Rivera and his staff, and the core leadership group of Newton, Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, Charles Johnson and Greg Olsen have set.
- While the Giants have shown interest in veteran free agent offensive tackles during the offseason – most recently Eugene Monroe – they haven’t added any, leaving Paul Schwartz of the New York Post perplexed. The Giants don’t want to shift 2015 ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers from the left to the right, which has turned off potential veteran acquisitions, per Schwartz. For now, Marshall Newhouse is in the incumbent starter on the right and will work this summer to retain the job. Newhouse started there in all 14 of his appearances last season and failed to impress Pro Football Focus’ evaluators, who ranked him 68th among 77 qualifying tackles.
- With the July 14 supplemental draft 10 days away, Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com took a look at the six-player class and concluded that the Eagles should steer clear of surrendering a 2017 draft choice for any of them.
AFC Notes: Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs, Broncos
On the heels of his six-interception 2015 campaign, third-year cornerback Marcus Williams could be the Jets’ most underrated player, opines Brian Costello of the New York Post. The former undrafted free agent from North Dakota State and ex-Texans practice squad member showed off impressive ball-hawking prowess last season despite serving as a fourth corner and playing just 27 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps, and he’ll spend the next couple months battling Buster Skrine for a starting job opposite Darrelle Revis. As a contract-year player, Williams stands to earn a significant raise over his $600K salary by next offseason if he proves capable of filling a bigger role – whether as a starter or slot corner – in 2016.
Elsewhere in the AFC…
- There’s a chance Dallas Thomas will beat out first-round pick Laremy Tunsil as the Dolphins’ starting left guard, which would be a nightmare for the team’s fans, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Thomas – whom Pro Football Focus ranked as the league’s second-worst guard among 81 qualifiers last season – seems to be ahead of Tunsil in the pecking order after the rookie struggled in minicamp, per Jackson. Tunsil, the 13th overall pick, was a dominant left tackle at Ole Miss and acknowledged that it’s not easy to learn a new position and playbook.
- Chiefs offensive tackle Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2013 draft, sees himself “on a steady incline” after transitioning back to the left side midway through last season, he told BJ Kissel of the team’s website. Fisher, whose pro career hasn’t lived up to his draft status, added that his impressive performance against the J.J. Watt-led Texans in the Chiefs’ 30-0 wild-card round victory “almost seemed like a little bit of a turning point in my career.” Having picked up Fisher’s $11.902 fifth-year option for 2017 in early May, the Chiefs are also clearly encouraged by the progress he made last season. That option is guaranteed for injury only, though, so if Fisher stays healthy and fares poorly this year, Kansas City will have the opportunity to reverse course.
- Broncos general manager John Elway‘s competitiveness could be a roadblock in the way of a Von Miller deal, according to Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. Kiszla wonders if the Hall of Fame quarterback can put aside his hatred of losing to reach a compromise with Miller, the franchise-tagged linebacker who’s fighting with the Broncos over the lack of guaranteed money in their six-year, $114.5MM offer. The two sides have until July 15 to reach an agreement; if that doesn’t happen, the reigning Super Bowl MVP’s only choices would be to sign the $14MM-plus franchise tender or continue sitting out.
North Notes: Cutler, Bell, Lions, Ravens
The Bears spent the offseason making notable upgrades to their defense – adding edge rusher Leonard Floyd in the first round of the draft and, before that, free agents Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman and Akiem Hicks – but it’s quarterback Jay Cutler who will determine how far the club goes this season, opines Eric Prisbell of USA Today.
With Adam Gase having left Chicago over the winter to become Miami’s head coach, Cutler will now work with his sixth different offensive coordinator since 2009. There’s familiarity in place, though, as successor Dowell Loggains was the Bears’ quarterbacks coach last season. Under Gase and Loggains, Cutler posted a career-best passer rating (92.2) in 2015 and threw seven fewer interceptions (11) than he did in 2014. He’s in position to succeed again with the healthy receiver duo of Alshon Jeffery and last year’s first-round pick, seventh overall selection Kevin White. Jeffrey sat out seven games with various ailments in 2015, and White lost the entire season because of a stress fracture in his left ankle. On the other hand, it remains to be seen how well second-year running back Jeremy Langford will replace dual-threat Matt Forte, who will no longer serve as Cutler’s security blanket after signing with the Jets in free agency.
Notes on three other clubs from the North divisions:
- Interestingly, contract-year Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell revealed in his new rap song, “Focus,” that he wants $15MM per annum on his next deal, relays FOX Sports’ Rob Perez. The 24-year-old superstar is highly unlikely to receive that much, however, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Steelers will have a chance to quash Bell’s $15MM dream next offseason by giving him the franchise tag, which is worth $11.789MM for running backs this year. Bell could otherwise sign a contract that averages $15MM annually – but only artificially, notes Florio, who points out that the front end of the pact wouldn’t reach that total. For now, Bell is on track to play out 2016 on a sub-$1MM salary.
- Given that second-year man Ameer Abdullah isn’t a traditional workhorse running back, the Lions will need someone to separate himself from the pack this summer and ultimately serve as a complement to Abdullah in 2016, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. Free agent pickup Stevan Ridley – a 1,200-yard rusher in 2012 – and NFL sophomore Zach Zenner are strong candidates, but Michigan native George Winn also has a chance to win the role, Rogers contends. The 210-pounder has spent time with six organizations since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2013, logging 19 appearances and 23 carries – all with the Lions. Detroit also has Theo Riddick as a backfield option, of course, but he’s a far bigger threat as a pass catcher than as a rusher.
- Newly acquired Ravens safety Eric Weddle wore the headset in his helmet as a Charger and relayed each defensive play call to his teammates, but that won’t be the case in Baltimore, according to Garrett Downing of the club’s website. For the third straight year, the Ravens will stick with middle linebacker C.J. Mosley in that role. Weddle, for his part, is content deferring to Mosley. “It’s best to have it as the [middle linebacker], because they are in the front seven most of the time,” he told Downing.