Fallout From Doug Baldwin’s Extension
With Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin‘s four-year, $46MM extension in the books, the Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders is now at the front of the line of wideouts set to land new deals prior to the season, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN. Baldwin, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns have all signed extensions worth upward of $40MM – including $20MM-plus in guarantees – this month, but each is younger than Sanders. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, having combined for 177 catches and 15 touchdowns during that span, and figures to net a sizable raise over the $5.6MM he’s scheduled to make in 2016. The Broncos and Sanders are already in negotiations, as 9NEWS’ Mike Klis reported earlier this month.
More out of Seattle:
- The Seahawks will now turn their attention to locking up the Super Bowl-winning duo of general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Caroll, whose deals expire after this season, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Extensions for the pair could come during training camp, per Condotta. Defensive end Michael Bennett, meanwhile, is the next member of the Seahawks’ roster likely to rake in a big payday, writes Condotta. Bennett won’t be a free agent until after the 2017 campaign, however, so he might have to wait another year.
- Baldwin went undrafted in 2011 out of Stanford, where he was teammates with superstar Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. After all 32 NFL teams snubbed Baldwin for seven rounds, Sherman – a fifth-rounder that year – contacted the wideout and encouraged him to sign with the Seahawks. “They’re going to call you. I want you to be here,” Sherman said (via Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times). Baldwin has since morphed into one of the pros’ best and richest wideouts because of his football-first mindset, which has come at a cost to his personal life, details Jenks. “I’m not the fastest, the strongest, the most athletic, the tallest,” Baldwin told Jenks. “But in order for me to be good at what I do, I have to focus on my craft so much that it alleviates those other things. I can’t have personal relationships like other people do. I can’t spend time on that.”
- Baldwin’s extension means the Seahawks will enter camp with one fewer distraction, observes ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia, who adds that Baldwin’s 1,000-yard season in 2015 was just the fourth by a slot receiver over the past five years. Baldwin is also the only receiver since 1992 – when targets were first tracked – to rack up 1,000-plus yards while hauling in at least 80 percent of the passes intended for him, per Kapadia.
Seahawks Extend Doug Baldwin Through 2020
The Seahawks have announced the signing of wide receiver Doug Baldwin to a four-year contract extension worth $46MM, including $24.25MM in guarantees. Baldwin – who’s set to rake in $4MM this year before his extension kicks in next season – has become the sixth-highest-paid wideout in the NFL and is now under Seahawks control through 2020.
The 27-year-old Baldwin is the third high-profile receiver to ink a new deal this month, joining the Chargers’ Keenan Allen and the Jaguars’ Allen Hurns. Allen and Hurns also landed four-year pacts worth more than $40MM. Their extensions include between $20MM and $24MM in guarantees, so Baldwin will leapfrog both in contract value.
Baldwin, whom the Seahawks signed as an undrafted free agent from Stanford in 2011, has emerged as one of the NFL’s best, most durable wideouts. After combining for 130 receptions on 14.9 yards per catch and 12 touchdowns in 46 regular-season games during his first three years, Baldwin totaled 144 grabs on 13.2 YPC and 17 scores in 32 straight appearances over the previous two campaigns. The 5-foot-10, 189-pounder set career marks in 2015 in catches (78), yards (1,069) and TDs (14, which also tied for the league lead) for the playoff-bound Seahawks, with whom he has appeared in the postseason in four consecutive years. As a result of his work last season, Baldwin finished in a second-place tie with A.J. Green in Football Outsiders’ wideout rankings.
Baldwin is now the 10th member of Seattle’s veteran core who’s locked up through at least the 2018 campaign, as Field Yates of ESPN tweets. The team also has quarterback Russell Wilson, fellow receiver Jermaine Kearse, defensive end Cliff Avril, defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin, linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, cornerback Richard Sherman, safety Earl Thomas and punter Jon Ryan slated to play the next three or more seasons in the Pacific Northwest.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the extension. ESPN’s Ed Werder was first to report the guaranteed amount. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: PEDs, Manziel, Seahawks, Rams
The NFL Players’ Association doesn’t believe the league is right to investigate the players named in a 2015 Al Jazeera documentary on performance-enhancing drugs, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
“The NFL has chosen to initiate an investigation of these players based upon now-recanted statements that appeared in an Al Jazeera report,” stated the NFLPA, which added that the league “has decided to publicly pressure the players into submission. We will continue to advise our players about their rights and hold the NFL accountable.”
As the union alluded to, ex-Guyer Institute pharmacist Charlie Sly went back on claims that the institute supplied PEDs and-or painkillers to now-retired quarterback Peyton Manning, Packers linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and former Packer and current free agent linebacker Mike Neal, but the league still plans to interview each of those individuals in the coming weeks. Harrison, for his part, isn’t exactly thrilled about it.
The league is likely to have difficulty finding “credible evidence” to punish anyone implicated in the documentary, as Florio details.
More from around the league:
- Attorney Bob Hinton has been removed from Johnny Manziel‘s legal defense team, according to publicist Denise C. Michaels (via Twitter). Last week, Hinton accidentally texted The Associated Press when he intended to communicate with a fellow member of Manziel’s counsel. “Heaven help us if one of the conditions [of a plea bargain] is to pee in a bottle,” Hinton wrote as part of a lengthy conversation in which he expressed major concerns about his client.In theory, Manziel could sue his now-former attorney for malpractice, according to Michael McCann of Sports Illustrated (on Twitter). In related news, Manziel’s father recently told one reporter that his son is a “druggie” and he hopes the free agent quarterback winds up in jail before he kills himself through substance abuse.
- Manziel, meanwhile, took a public jab at his father Tuesday in posting an Instagram photo of himself in Cabo with the hashtag #hiDad. The 23-year-old was wearing the jersey of friend and ex-teammate Josh Gordon – the troubled Browns receiver who is currently suspended – and made sure to clarify that Gordon wasn’t with him by using the hashtag #JoshAintHere. Gordon, who missed most of the 2014 campaign and all of last season because of multiple suspensions, is eligible to apply for reinstatement to the league Aug. 1.
- As of earlier Tuesday evening, Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin was reportedly facing up to a year in jail on one count of misdemeanor assault stemming from a December fight in San Antonio. However, Boykin’s agent, Drew Pittman, told the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta that the rookie has agreed to terms on a lesser charge and will be available for the start of training camp on July 30. The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that a plea deal is in the works (Twitter links here).
- Mike Singletary said Tuesday that he’ll serve in an advisory role with the Rams this year, but nothing has been finalized, reports Ed Werder of ESPN (Twitter link). As of now, Singletary and head coach Jeff Fisher are in the discussion phase, per Werder.
- Tuesday was one to forget for the league, which lost legendary defensive mind Buddy Ryan at age 85 and former Colts running back Zurlon Tipton at 26.
- In lighter news, Seattle inked star receiver Doug Baldwin to a four-year extension on Tuesday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Bills Stadium, Jets, Texans
The idea of the Bills building a new facility to replace 43-year-old Ralph Wilson Stadium came to the fore last week, but team officials indicated then that they weren’t in any hurry to start the process. Club president Russ Brandon elaborated further on Monday, telling the Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci that the Bills “have not met and discussed anything relative to all the noise.”
In fact, the New Stadium Working Group – which consists of state and local political leaders – hasn’t gathered since April 2014, per Brandon. That was shortly after franchise founder and previous owner Ralph Wilson passed away and before Terry and Kim Pegula took control of the Bills in October 2014. One reason the Bills aren’t rushing to build a new stadium is because it would likely have far fewer seats than their current 71,850-seat venue, notes Carucci. Another, as Brandon mentioned last week and brought up again Monday, is that Buffalo isn’t a booming business town.
“People say, ‘Oh, we’re very similar to Minneapolis.’ They have 28 Fortune 500 companies in that community. We have zero,” he said, referencing the Vikings and their new stadium. “We have to be a regional operation. We know that. That’s proven.”
More from the AFC:
- The Jets are in position to get great bang for their buck on the three-year, $10.5MM free agent deal they signed defensive tackle Steve McLendon to, argues Brian Costello of the New York Post. McClendon has an enormous task ahead of him in taking over for now-Giant Damon Harrison at the center of the Jets’ defensive line, but Costello points to head coach Todd Bowles’ scheme as a reason to expect impressive production. In Pittsburgh, where he played from 2010-15, McLendon’s role was to occupy blockers so the linebackers could make plays. In New York, though, the 280-pounder will have more freedom to get upfield and attack.
- Texans receiver Jaelen Strong tells Mike Florio of PFT that he is not threatened by the team’s addition of rookies Will Fuller and Braxton Miller. “I felt like it was a great addition,” Strong said. “I feel like we’re going have some fun out there this year and I’m very excited for Braxton and Will. Two young guys ready to come to work every day. Every day they’re excited, they ask questions and that’s the stuff we need.”
- Earlier this week, in an exclusive for PFR, NFL scouting analyst Dave-Te Thomas discussed the immediate impact that both Fuller and Miller could have on the Texans’ offense in 2016. He also weighed in on the draft class of the AFC South rival Titans.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On Eugene Monroe
Free agent offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, whom the Ravens released June 15, told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday that he remains in no hurry to sign anywhere, though he added that his camp has “been in discussions with a few teams.”
“I don’t feel like I have to jump on one of the first opportunities that come up. I’m just trying to be patient, wait on the right opportunity, and also just decide what’s going to be the best move for my family,” he said (via Clifton Brown of CSN Mid-Atlantic). “I have a wife and three children. There’s a lot more at stake than simply just jumping on a deal.”
Monroe, who has 90 starts and 93 appearances under his belt during his seven-year career, was somewhat evasive when asked if he’d be willing to switch from left to right tackle for his new employer. The Giants, among the teams interested in adding Monroe, prefer him on the right side.
“I’m waiting on the best situation for me. What that looks like, time will tell,” the 29-year-old stated.
One issue that might have contributed to Monroe’s release from Baltimore and could ostensibly scare away other teams from the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder is his unabashed marijuana advocacy, on which he also spoke Tuesday.
In regards to the Ravens using it as an excuse to move on from Monroe, he said, “My hope is that it does not play a role. I’m not naive to think that it can’t. However, I was told that (the Ravens) made a football decision, so that’s what they did and now I’m a free agent.”
Monroe opined that the NFL should not test players for marijuana and called doing so “archaic,” referring to pot as “medically viable” and “safer than most substances that people consume, whether it’s a pharmaceutical drug that’s synthetic and compounded or if it’s anything else that people are looking (for) for relief.”
It’s unclear whether that viewpoint will damage Monroe’s earning power in a league that does test for marijuana. So far, in addition to the aforementioned Giants, teams linked to Monroe include the Seahawks, 49ers and Panthers, though the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta doesn’t regard the Hawks as a likely fit. After the Ravens gave Monroe the ax, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down a handful of other clubs that could vie for the former eighth overall pick’s services.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors’ Instagram account. Give PFR a follow!
West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Raiders, Bolts
Seahawks rookie quarterback Trevone Boykin is facing a year in jail on one count of misdemeanor assault stemming from a New Year’s Eve fight in San Antonio, writes Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk (via TMZ). The ex-TCU standout – who signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent and is a candidate to back up Russell Wilson (depth chart) – was initially charged with a felony count of assaulting a public servant, public intoxication and resisting arrest. Boykin is alleged to have struck an officer who was trying to take him into custody after staff members removed him from a bar. As a result, TCU suspended him for its victory over Oregon in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2.
As we learned Saturday, longtime Seahawks backup and current free agent Tarvaris Jackson is facing a charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly pulled a gun on his wife Saturday. The Seahawks were interested in re-signing Jackson as of April, though that was obviously before his legal issues and prior to the team signing Boykin and Jake Heaps. Given their lack of an established option behind Wilson, PFR’s Dallas Robinson listed the Seahawks as a possible fit via trade for soon-to-be ex-Ram Nick Foles on Sunday.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary is returning to coaching this year in an advisory role for the Rams, he told WSCR-AM in Chicago on Tuesday (link via Marc Sessler of NFL.com). Singletary previously served as a linebackers assistant for the Vikings from 2011-13. He was the 49ers’ head coach before that, of course, with the team compiling an 18-22 record under him from 2008-10. The 57-year-old stated in January that he was aiming to at least become a coordinator, but that obviously wasn’t in the cards this season.
- The Raiders have sent out an 83-question survey through the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to 10,000-plus addresses in the chamber’s database, reports Richard N. Velotta of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Subjects center on such matters as interest in the team and stadium seating preferences, writes Velotta, who adds that stadium financing questions aren’t included. The proposed 65,000-seat, $1.45 billion domed stadium in Las Vegas calls for $750MM in taxpayer money, a record amount.
- The Chargers are likely to run fewer three-receiver sets under offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt this year than they did last season when Frank Reich was at the helm, but they won’t phase veteran Stevie Johnson out of their attack, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. In his first year with the Bolts, Johnson battled injuries and posted respectable production in 10 games, racking up 45 catches on 65 targets for 497 yards and three touchdowns. As San Diego’s depth chart shows, the 30-year-old is behind Keenan Allen and offseason pickup Travis Benjamin in the club’s wideout pecking order. He’ll also have to compete with tight end Antonio Gates for targets.
AFC Notes: Vegas, Bengals, Browns, Broncos
The National Hockey League officially announced its expansion into Las Vegas on Wednesday, which could affect the NFL – and the Raiders, to be more specific. The Raiders have been working to relocate to Vegas if they fail to come up with a stadium solution in Oakland, though there has been concern historically about placing a pro sports franchise in a city built on gambling. However, as evidenced by the NHL’s decision, sports commissioners are less and less worried about gambling as a factor, per Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Now, with the NHL having taken the plunge into Vegas, the door has opened that much more for the Raiders to do the same.
For more on the NHL’s 31 franchises, bookmark the newly launched Pro Hockey Rumors and follow PHR on Twitter.
Elsewhere around the NFL…
- Bengals linebacker Karlos Dansby has tried to recruit free agent safety Donte Whitner to Cincinnati, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday (Twitter link via Alex Marvez). The rebuilding Browns released Dansby in March and Whitner in April after the two played together in Cleveland from 2014-15. Given the Bengals’ situation at safety, odds are seemingly against the 31-year-old Whitner joining them as anything but a backup – for which he’s overqualified. As Roster Resource shows, the team has expensive, in-their-prime starters in George Iloka and Shawn Williams.
- In his interview with SiriusXM, Dansby also opened up about his experience with the 3-13 Browns last season (via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com). “The coaches and the front office, there was just a lot of mess going on, a lot of things going on, a lot of distractions.” Dansby said, referring to the coaching staff Mike Pettine was at the helm of and the Ray Farmer-led front office. The 13th-year man added that his teammates “had just shut down” after a certain point, which would help to explain Cleveland’s 1-10 finish. The Browns moved on from both Pettine and Farmer at the end of the season, of course, and have begun a new era with ex-Bengals assistant Hue Jackson atop the coaching staff and Sashi Brown leading the front office.
- Three of Broncos owner Pat Bowlen’s seven children – John Michael Bowlen, Brittany Bowlen and Jane Elizabeth Bowlen Wallace – are no longer employees of the organization, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. That doesn’t mean a sale of the franchise is in the works, though. “No plans for the sale of the team. The hope remains to keep the Broncos in the Bowlen family,” Broncos vice president of communications Patrick Smyth tweeted in response to a Pro Football Talk report on Wednesday. PFT’s Mike Florio is skeptical, however, noting that “hope” isn’t a guarantee and one of Bowlen’s children will eventually have to show why he or she is worthy of taking control of the Broncos. In the meantime, with Pat Bowlen having resigned as the Broncos’ CEO in 2014 because of his battle with Alzheimer’s, the team will remain in a trust and president Joe Ellis will continue running the operation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/22/16
Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- Offensive tackle Dominick Jackson, whom the Lions waived Tuesday, cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The undrafted rookie from the University of Alabama signed with the Lions on June 1 after the Redskins jettisoned him May 16.
- The Chargers have signed rookie punter Drew Kaser and rookie guard Donavon Clark, per the team’s website.
NFC Notes: 49ers QBs, Bears, Falcons
The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick has plenty of work to do this summer if he’s going to beat out Blaine Gabbert for the team’s starting quarterback job, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
The fact that Kaepernick – who’s returning from left shoulder, left knee and right thumb surgeries – is likely to receive medical clearance for full participation at training camp will obviously help his cause. But the 49ers’ coaching staff is enthusiastic about Gabbert’s physical tools, intelligence and leadership, with quarterbacks coach Ryan Day stating, “I didn’t know he’s as athletic as he is. He can make all the throws you need. He has a really good skillset and we’re excited about that moving forward.”
On Gabbert’s smarts, Day said, “When he comes into a meeting room, you better buckle up, because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s really sharp.”
The 10th pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert flamed out in Jacksonville after three disappointing seasons. Last season was the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder’s first extensive action since 2012, and he fared respectably in completing a career-high 63.1 percent of throws and averaging a personal-best 7.20 yards per completion in eight games. He also added 11 touchdowns (10 passing, one rushing) against seven interceptions, and now appears to have the inside track on the 49ers’ starting job in Year 1 of the Chip Kelly era. If he rides the bench in favor of Gabbert, it’s fair to say it won’t sit well with Kaepernick, who requested a trade during the winter but stayed put after talks with the Broncos fell through.
More from the NFC:
- Bears QB Jay Cutler is coming off a season in which he threw just 11 picks in 15 games and posted a career-high 92.3 passer rating, but the offensive coordinator he worked with in 2015 – Adam Gase – left to become Miami’s head coach. That’s cause for concern, opine Rob Demovsky, Michael Rothstein and Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. All three expect Cutler to take a step backward this year with previous quarterback coach Dowell Loggains now in charge of the offense, and Rothstein and Goessling write that the loss of longtime Bears dual-threat running back Matt Forte to free agency could also hamper the 33-year-old signal-caller.
- While Matt Ryan is excited to have Matt Schaub in the fold as the Falcons’ backup quarterback, the 34-year-old isn’t a lock to make the roster, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution details. Schaub, who’s in his second stint with the Falcons after signing a one-year deal in the offseason, will have to knock off both Sean Renfree and Matt Simms for the No. 2 job. Having already played under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in Houston might give Schaub an edge, as could his experience. It’s possible the Falcons will keep Schaub around to essentially serve as a player-coach, per Ledbetter.
- Earlier Wednesday, we checked in on the latest from the NFC East – including the story of how $103MM Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox almost ended up elsewhere in the 2012 draft.
Extra Points: Colts, LA, Von, Falcons, J. Long
The Colts might be in Los Angeles right now if not for Peyton Manning, former general manager Bill Polian told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday. Polian informed Zig Fracassi (Twitter link) that Colts owner Jim Irsay waited until the last minute around 2000 to prevent a move to LA, ultimately getting Lucas Oil Stadium built because of the presence of Manning, then the face of the franchise. Manning, who was only a three-year veteran at the end of the 2000 season, stayed with the Colts through the conclusion of the 2011 campaign – which he missed because of a neck injury – and helped to secure their only Super Bowl title and, apparently, their presence in Indianapolis.
Now, as we ponder an alternate reality in which the LA Colts exist, let’s check in on more from the league:
- The Broncos and superstar linebacker Von Miller are embroiled in a well-publicized contract battle and haven’t engaged in much dialogue over the last week and a half, but Troy Renck of the Denver Post expects the two to get a deal done before the July 15 deadline. It’s going to take more than $63MM in guarantees for that to happen, Renck acknowledges.
- Ninth-year Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff doesn’t expect to last much longer in Atlanta if the team doesn’t turn around its on-field performance, he told Talk of Fame Sports Network. “Of course I’m on the hot seat. Every year I’m on the hot seat. I believe that 100 percent,” he said. “I believe anyone who doesn’t think they are maybe just won a Super Bowl. But I think most of us know that it’s a very urgent league now.” After going a wildly successful 56-24 with four playoff berths and at least nine wins in each of Dimitroff’s first five years with the Falcons, the club has combined for an 18-30 mark and no postseason appearances since 2013. The suddenly inept Falcons also turned a 6-1 start last season into an 8-8 overall finish.
- Despite a belief from some league insiders that Jake Long‘s legs are “shot,” the free agent offensive tackle told SiriusXM on Tuesday that he’s “100 percent confident” he’ll play in 2016, also stating that his agent has been in contact with teams (Twitter links). Long, who claims to be fully healthy, missed all but four games as a member of Dimitroff’s Falcons in 2015 and didn’t log any starts. Since last season ended, the 2008 No. 1 overall pick has garnered just one workout – with the Bears, who signed fellow offensive lineman Nate Chandler instead.