Von Miller Rumors: Thursday
Star pass rusher Von Miller was prepared to accept the Broncos’ six-year, $114.5MM offer on Monday night, but the deal fell apart over guaranteed money, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. While the linebacker softened on his desire to land $22MM annually by showing he’d take $19MM per season, Denver was only willing to include $38.5MM in guarantees and the team would’ve been able to easily escape the contract after Year 2. Miller could’ve netted another $1.3MM in non-guaranteed money during each of the first two seasons, but that obviously wasn’t an enticing enough add-on for him to accept the offer. As noted by Robinson, at $38.5MM in guarantees, the Broncos’ offer falls well short of the $60MM the Dolphins gave Ndamukong Suh last year and the $52.5MM the Giants awarded Olivier Vernon earlier this offseason. Miller is a four-time All-Pro and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, whereas Vernon has never so much as made a Pro Bowl.
The reason the Broncos are playing hardball with Miller, according to Robinson, is because they still have control over him via the franchise tag. As an exclusive tag recipient, the 27-year-old Miller doesn’t even have the ability to negotiate a deal with another team. With that in mind, the Broncos have shut down negotiations with Miller, which Robinson notes is an unusual tactic for the club. In recent years, the Broncos showed a willingness to hammer out new contracts with receiver Demaryius Thomas and left tackle Ryan Clady, respectively, into the middle of July. As of now, that isn’t the case with Miller, which has led to an ugly situation that could see the two sides head for a divorce over the next year.
Here’s more of the latest on Miller:
- Either forgoing this year’s franchise sum of $14.1MM or the $38.5MM in guarantees the Broncos have offered Miller would carry notable risk for the defender, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Miller sits the season out, he’d be leaving significant money on the table with no hope of getting it back. Further, it’s not a sure thing that Miller would receive a better offer from Denver or anyone else in 2017. As reported earlier today, though, the Broncos won’t be able to use the exclusive tag again on Miller if he sits out this season. They could place the non-exclusive version on him next year, but a team that signs Miller to an offer sheet not matched by Denver would only have to surrender a first- and third-round pick (not the traditional two first-rounders) for his services.
- Despite the negative turn negotiations have taken, head coach Gary Kubiak is “still optimistic” that a long-term deal with Miller will get done this summer (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today). “Both sides are working hard,” Kubiak said.
- Ed Werder of ESPN has further details on Denver’s offer, reporting (on Twitter) that the $4.5MM extra the team is willing to give Miller would come via an annual workout bonus. Miller would have to partake in 95 percent of workouts in order to collect that money.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
North Notes: Ravens, Lions, Browns, Vikings
The Ravens are relishing the presence of three-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Weddle, whom they signed to a four-year, $26MM deal in March, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “If he has anything to tell me I’m always listening,” said fellow safety Lardarius Webb. “He’s going to be big for this defense – for this team.” Webb added that Weddle is “being himself and were loving it,” also referring to the acquisition of the longtime Charger as a “great move.” Head coach John Harbaugh agrees, stating, “He fits in with how we do things around here perfectly. I give (general manager) Ozzie (Newsome) all the credit in the world. That was a great signing.”
More from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Still-unsigned linebacker Mike Neal visited the Lions in March, but they no longer have interest in the 28-year-old, reports Justin Rogers of MLive.com. As Rogers points out, the Lions picked up Wallace Gilberry in free agency and addressed both defensive end and outside linebacker via the draft, thereby lessening the need for Neal. The Lions are of course quite familiar with Neal, who has so far spent his entire career (2010-15) with the division-rival Packers. PFR’s Dallas Robinson rates Neal as the sixth-best defensive free agent remaining on the market.
- Browns coach Hue Jackson says he’s not ready to name a starting quarterback coming out of OTAs, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets. Signs are pointing toward Robert Griffin III, though, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com. Whether veteran Josh McCown makes the team will depend on how Griffin and third-round rookie Cody Kessler fare in the coming months, Grossi opines.
- The Vikings haven’t ruled out adding another punter to compete with incumbent Jeff Locke, special teams coach Mike Priefer said Wednesday (link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune). Minnesota tried out a pair of rookie punters last month, and neither signed with the Vikings or any other team. That could change, however, according to Priefer. “We had two good, young rookie punters at minicamp who performed very, very well so we know those guys are out there if we need to go that route,” commented Priefer. As for Locke, 26, he’s entering a contract year after ranking dead last in yards per punt (41.6) and third from the bottom in net yardage (37.8) in 2015.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
WR Notes: Boldin, Bryant, Austin, Patterson
Anquan Boldin piled up 69 receptions and nearly 800 yards in San Francisco’s anemic passing attack last season and could ostensibly help someone in 2016. The soon-to-be 36-year-old remains a free agent, though, and teams seemingly aren’t beating down the door for his services. When Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com asked a pro scouting director why the potential future Hall of Famer is still without a contract, the personnel man told Breer, “He’s old and can’t run” (Twitter link). Boldin has never been a burner, but he has still managed to rack up over 1,000 catches and 74 touchdowns in 13 seasons. As of earlier this month, the 49ers hadn’t yet ruled out re-signing Boldin – whom PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranks as the second-best offensive free agent on the market. If San Francisco opts against bringing him back, it could have another option in the still-unsigned James Jones. The longtime Packer expressed interest in signing with the Niners earlier today.
The latest on a few other wideouts:
- An X-ray on Cowboys star Dez Bryant‘s surgically repaired right foot revealed positive news Wednesday, and he’s now “in the clear” when it comes to being able to participate in football drills, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Foot and ankle issues derailed last season for Bryant, who recorded career worsts across the board and will join quarterback Tony Romo as they look to bounce back this year.
- The Rams’ Tavon Austin has just 123 receptions in his three-year career, but head coach Jeff Fisher believes the 5-foot-8, 176-pounder could eclipse the 100-catch mark this season as the go-to option in the club’s Jared Goff-led offense. “We’re going to be able to, if need be, hand it off to Todd (Gurley) and if someone says ‘we’re not going to let you do that,’ then we’re going to spread it around,” Fisher told the Rams’ website, per TurfShowTimes.com (hat tip to Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “And so when it’s all said and done, I think we’ll be able to look back and I think see Tavon maybe double in catches over what he had last year.” After Austin logged 52 grabs in 2015, the Rams elected in May to pick up his fifth-year option for 2017, meaning the 2013 first-rounder could be under their control for at least two more seasons.
- Earlier this spring, the Vikings unsurprisingly declined Cordarrelle Patterson‘s fifth-year option for 2017, though his goal is to remain in Minnesota for the long haul. “I’d love to be here. If I don’t, I’ll take my talents somewhere else,” Patterson said Wednesday (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Patterson, a first-rounder in 2013, was a disappointment on offense in his first two seasons (78 total catches, five touchdowns). His production fell off a cliff last year, though, as he was barely part of the Vikings’ passing attack and picked up just two targets (both of which ended in receptions) while dressing for all 16 of their regular-season games.
NFC Notes: Bears, Rams, Saints
Bears edge rusher Willie Young acknowledged Wednesday that there have been contract extension talks between him and the team, saying (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com), “Yeah, there has been some stuff mentioned here and there, but that’s something that will be left up to my agent so I don’t get caught in the middle of it.” As of earlier this month, Young was reportedly “50/50” on whether to accept a two-year offer from the Bears. Chicago is trying to keep the soon-to-be 31-year-old after he amassed a combined 16.5 sacks during his first two seasons in the Windy City, and he’s open to spending the rest of his career there. “I would like to finish my career up here in Chicago, but you know that’s not up to me; that’s up to my agent and management,” said Young, who will hit the open market next offseason if a deal isn’t reached by then.
More from the NFC:
- Free agent safeties Dashon Goldson and Donte Whitner remain “in play” for the Rams, tweets Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News. If the Rams sign either, it won’t occur until after OTAs because the team wants to evaluate its in-house options, Bonsignore adds (Twitter link). Los Angeles hosted Whitner, a three-time Pro Bowler, in early April. Goldson, who has two Pro Bowl selections under his belt, met with the club earlier this month. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranks Whitner as the best defensive free agent on the market.
- Fellow free agent safety Roman Harper could rejoin the Saints, per FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter). Harper, whom the Saints took in the second round of the 2006 draft, spent his first eight seasons in New Orleans before signing with the division-rival Panthers in 2014. The 33-year-old proved to have a fair amount left in the tank last season for the NFC champions, starting all 19 of their games (playoffs included) while grading 53rd out of 89 qualifying safeties at Pro Football Focus.
- Ex-Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who coached Harper in 2013, spoke negatively last week of his time on New Orleans’ staff. One of Ryan’s former pupils, now-Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, backed Ryan’s claim that the coordinator wasn’t running his own scheme during his final two years with the Saints. “Not to talk about New Orleans for the rest of this interview, but as a player in that system, you can see when power is taken away from a guy,” Hicks said Wednesday, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “It was evident in that situation and you saw what the turnout was because of it.” Hicks also praised Ryan as a person, stating, “I didn’t see the interview, but I do know this, I’ll forever and always have a lot of love for Rob Ryan, just because there’s nobody that’s going to shoot you straighter.”
AFC East Notes: Brady, Jets, Watkins, Jordan
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has added a couple of powerful allies – the AFL-CIO and high-profile attorney Kenneth Feinberg – as he seeks to overturn his four-game suspension for his role in the Deflategate scandal, details The Associated Press. In a friend of the court brief filed Monday, the AFL-CIO asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a three-judge panel’s April decision to reinstate Brady’s suspension. According to the labor federation, the panel made a mistake in regarding NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as a neutral arbitrator. Meanwhile, Feinberg claims that Goodell “impermissibly exceeded the scope of his authority” and “used the vehicle of arbitration as a mechanism to rewrite the underlying bargain between the parties, to the sole advantage of his organization.”
As for the rest of the AFC East…
- There was a report last week that the Jets’ Eric Decker was skipping OTAs because of the team’s lack of progress in re-signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the receiver issued a denial Wednesday. “That’s not the reason I wasn’t there,” he said (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News). Decker also expressed confidence that Fitzpatrick will eventually re-up with Gang Green, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. On the other hand, fellow wideout Brandon Marshall wouldn’t say whether his absence was on account of the Fitzpatrick situation (Twitter link via Costello). However, Marshall did acknowledge Wednesday that the Fitzpatrick-less Jets must “move forward and try to figure out how we can win some games.”
- When news of a minor foot fracture surfaced earlier this month, the expectation was that Bills receiver Sammy Watkins would be ready for training camp. Based on the words of Watkins and head coach Rex Ryan, that’s now up in the air, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes. “The goal is the regular season,” said Watkins, whose walking boot will come off Thursday. “All I know is that Sammy won’t miss time in the regular season,” Ryan commented.
- When asked about defensive end Dion Jordan applying for reinstatement, Dolphins coach Adam Gase said, “I’ll worry about that when it comes around” (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports). Jordan, the third pick in the 2013 draft, had to sit out last season after the league suspended him for violating its substance abuse policy. Jordan has missed 22 games because of suspensions during his short career and has totaled just three sacks in 26 contests.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Pats, Saints, Jets, Browns
There was a report Sunday stating that Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler‘s absence from voluntary OTAs pertained to his desire to land a new contract. That isn’t the case, according to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, who tweets that Butler will report to Gillette Stadium for OTAs this week. His arrival will come as welcome news to the Patriots, whose defense Butler became an integral part of last season. On the heels of serving as an unlikely Super Bowl XLIX hero in the Pats’ dramatic win over the Seahawks in February 2015, the 26-year-old Butler broke out in earnest during a 16-start campaign, totaling 67 tackles and two interceptions. Butler is now scheduled to rake in $600K in 2016 before becoming a restricted free agent.
More from around the NFL:
- The Seahawks’ Brandon Browner spent 2015 as a member of the Saints, with whom he rated as Pro Football Focus’ worst qualifying corner (113th overall) and set the league’s single-season penalty record. Browner’s on-field troubles led the Saints to release him earlier this offseason, and now the 31-year-old has offered some choice words regarding the organization. Browner called the team “weak” on Instagram, and the defender said he took New Orleans’ $5MM and “ran with it” (per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com). Browner, by the way, will return to the Big Easy this fall for an Oct. 30 matchup between the Seahawks and Saints.
- With the Jets and free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick still at loggerheads over a contract, Brian Costello of the New York Post offers a potential solution – a one-year, $12MM deal that’s fully guaranteed. The Jets are already willing to give Fitzpatrick that total in 2016, but they also want to lock him up for 2017 and ’18 at a combined $12MM more. A single-year pact wouldn’t be ideal for the Jets, concedes Costello, but it would hand them another season to evaluate Fitzpatrick and develop Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty behind him. Meanwhile, it would give Fitzpatrick an opportunity to build on the success he had in 2015 and try to garner a better multiyear offer than the one the Jets are currently presenting him.
- The Browns announced several changes within their player personnel department Tuesday, awarding promotions to six members of their staff and hiring a new assistant director of scouting. Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal has a full rundown of the moves.
- The Saints have hired Steve Malin and C.J. Leak as area scouts, tweets Mike Stratton of Inside The League. Malin was previously with the Giants for 15 seasons, while Leak worked for the Bills for eight years (via Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com).
NFC Notes: 49ers, Falcons, Eagles
After enduring months of trade rumors that ultimately didn’t lead anywhere, quarterback Colin Kaepernick has attended every 49ers workout since their program began April 4 and is poised to collect a $400K bonus, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Kaepernick must partake in 90 percent of the team’s workouts to earn that money, which he’s on his way to accomplishing despite not yet having been cleared for football activity since undergoing surgery on a torn left labrum in November. In lieu of actually participating on the field, Kaepernick has lined up 10 yards behind the quarterback during drills and gone through the footwork and “mental reps,” writes Maiocco, who adds that the 28-year-old should be ready to go by training camp. Kaepernick is expected to compete with Blaine Gabbert this summer for the 49ers’ starting job.
Here’s more from San Francisco and two other NFC cities:
- Former NFL head coach and current analyst Mike Nolan says the Falcons should sign Dwight Freeney to improve their pass rush, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. “Look, they are in dire need in Atlanta. If they screw up again this year, there will probably be huge change. They’ve got to do whatever they’ve got to do. In my opinion, they shouldn’t care who they bring on, because they’ve got to save their asses. If that’s the case, then bring Freeney on,” Nolan said. “If this was the New England Patriots, they’re not going to bring (Freeney) in. This would be a desperation move for Atlanta, but they’re in a desperate situation.” The 36-year-old Freeney visited Atlanta last week. This offseason, the Falcons added veteran Derrick Shelby and they’re expecting a big season from second-year linebacker Vic Beasley Jr., but they didn’t do much to improve their pass rush overall.
- 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis still hasn’t filed for reinstatement from the NFL’s reserve/retired list, according to Maiocco. Davis sat out last season and then tweeted in January that his return to San Francisco was “guaranteed.” The 26-year-old backed that up in April, but he took a shot at 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in the process. That continued a few weeks later when Davis wrote, “I do not want to work with a front office or anyone else who seemingly doesn’t want to win as bad as I do.” If he does come back, Davis will be under 49ers control through the 2019 season. After the Niners used a first-round pick on him in 2010, Davis started in all 71 of his pre-retirement appearances.
- With Chase Daniel having familiarized himself with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson‘s offense during their time together in Kansas City from 2013-15, it’s no surprise that they signed the quarterback at the outset of free agency. However, having also re-signed prospective starter Sam Bradford and moved up in the draft to select Carson Wentz second overall, Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer wonders why the Eagles are dedicating significant financial resources to Daniel. Despite the fact that Daniel has thrown just 77 passes in six NFL seasons, the Eagles will pay him $12MM in guarantees on his three-year deal. That might’ve made sense had the Eagles let Bradford go and used Daniel as a bridge to Wentz, Sielski argues. Bradford will instead fill that role, though, making Daniel’s presence seem somewhat superfluous.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Broncos Notes: Siemian, Marshall, Latimer
Although Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch are generating the vast majority of attention at quarterback for the Broncos, the door is also open for second-year man Trevor Siemian to start. “I think Trevor has a maturity to him. He’s kind of the sleeper, I would say. Trevor knows the offense. He’s very comfortable and can throw the ball too,” head coach Gary Kubiak said (via Troy Renck of the Denver Post). Kubiak added that he “wouldn’t sleep on Trevor to win the job.” A seventh-round pick from Northwestern in 2015, the strong-armed Siemian appeared in one game as a rookie, but he didn’t attempt a pass.
Here’s more on the defending Super Bowl champions:
- Linebacker Brandon Marshall told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday that negotiations on a long-term contract “are going well,” though he’s prepared to sign his one-year, $2.533MM restricted free agent tender if a deal isn’t struck. “I have no problem playing the deal out, I have no problem with doing that. But I do want to be here long-term, so that’s what I’m working towards, but I have no problem playing it out,” he stated. Earlier this month, PFR’s Sam Robinson examined what a new contract might look like for Marshall.
- Third-year receiver Cody Latimer was arrested Monday in Colorado for failing to pay a year-old traffic ticket, according to KUSA. Latimer called the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office to report a domestic dispute, accusing his girlfriend, Jaimee Rando, of putting “her hands on” him. A background check revealed that Latimer didn’t show up for an April 2015 court date regarding a ticket, which led police to arrest him. He settled the matter by paying $311.50. Rando, meanwhile, was arrested for assault and disturbing the peace, and Latimer bailed her out of jail Tuesday.
- In case you missed it, Sanchez spoke Monday about how he’s fitting in with the Broncos thus far.
Latest On Chargers’ Stadium Pursuit
In April, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell endorsed the idea of keeping the Chargers in San Diego and said the Super Bowl will return to the city if an initiative for a downtown stadium goes through. However, the prospect of hosting a Super Bowl isn’t nearly as enticing as it sounds and might not be much of an incentive to the city of San Diego, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
It costs a community anywhere from $50MM to $60MM in public and private funds to land a Super Bowl, a source told Cole, who adds that San Diego doesn’t have that type of money to bid on the game once – let alone on a regular basis. Thus, dangling the carrot of hosting the Super Bowl in front of the city won’t necessarily galvanize it to build a stadium, which would put the Chargers in further jeopardy of relocating after the upcoming season.
The Chargers, of course, could have bolted (no pun intended) with the Rams for Los Angeles during the winter, but they chose to give San Diego one more shot at a stadium agreement. The clock on a deal is ticking, though, as the Chargers’ chance to head to LA will expire on Jan. 15, 2017.
The Goodell-led NFL is willing to chip in $300MM ($100MM more than its usual policy) to help San Diego construct a stadium, and the Chargers’ plan calls for a combined $650MM to come from the team and the league, with an additional $350MM stemming from a 4 percent hike in the local hotel tax. That would add up to $1 billion, the amount necessary to build the stadium, though it remains to be seen if the city is receptive to the idea.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Content To Wait Out Jets
Free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is content to wait until training camp, if necessary, before signing his next deal, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Jets, whom Fitzpatrick spent last season with and are hoping to re-sign him, unsurprisingly want to lock up the signal-caller well before camp.
While the Jets’ goal is to have Fitzpatrick back in their uniform as soon as possible, there remains a wide chasm between the 
two sides with respect to the 33-year-old’s value. The Jets reportedly offered Fitzpatrick a three-year, $24MM deal that could be worth up to $36MM with incentives. In terms of annual value, $8MM would place Fitzpatrick in company with offseason free agent signings Robert Griffin III ($7.5MM) and Chase Daniel ($7MM) – neither of whom has been nearly as successful as Fitzpatrick in the NFL. While the Jets’ reported offer features upward of $15MM in guarantees, Cole notes that amount isn’t fully guaranteed.
Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, is looking for a mean yearly value in the range of $12MM to $16MM, according to Cole, and would like a contract with the upside of $16MM to $20MM per annum with incentives factored into it. At his current asking price, Fitzpatrick would reside in similar territory to Nick Foles ($12.25MM) and Andy Dalton ($16MM).
After the Jets acquired Fitzpatrick from the Texans last year for a mere late-round pick, he went on to have his best season for a 10-6 club that narrowly missed the playoffs. The career journeyman unexpectedly totaled personal highs in touchdowns (31) and yards (3,905), and is now angling to parlay that showing into a contract reflective of it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.