Extra Points: Battle, Broncos, Saints, Jags
There is a strong chance that former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be taken in Thursday’s supplemental draft, which allows NFL clubs to select players who for some reason (academic trouble or disciplinary issues are a couple of examples) were unable to enter the standard draft. If a team does choose Battle, it should be the Eagles, Jets or Giants, opines Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger.
Battle – who is in need of further seasoning – could learn behind established tackles in the Eagles’ Jason Peters or the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson before eventually taking over for either, writes Eckel. Meanwhile the Giants have two recent first-round tackles in Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers, but Eckel believes they’d be wise to follow the example of NFC East rival Dallas and try to stock up even more along the O-line.
Landing Battle would likely cost any of the above teams a third-round pick, per Eckel, with the Falcons ahead of them in the draft order. Atlanta is the leading candidate to pick the 22-year-old, on whom it could use a fourth-rounder.
More from around the league:
- Broncos running back C.J. Anderson burst on the scene in 2014, his second season, with nearly 1,200 total yards (849 rushing, 324 receiving) and eight touchdowns in his first true taste of NFL playing time. Anderson enters this season as Denver’s starting back, but Mike Kils of 9News writes that the 24-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels. “I’m going to keep my head down, keep grinding every day and keep pushing. What happened last year, happened last year. That’s completely over and done with,” said Anderson, who will try to fend off Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman for reps.
- Saints rookie quarterback Garrett Grayson is glad he ended up in New Orleans to serve as Drew Brees‘ apprentice, though the third-round pick from Colorado State also would’ve been happy if the Cowboys or Broncos selected him. “There were three teams that I said I’d love to end up at, and that was the Saints, Cowboys and Broncos,” Grayson told NFL.com, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “They’ve all got older QBs. Two of them are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.”
- Speaking of Brees, the 14-year veteran’s arm hasn’t shown any real signs of decline, ESPN’s Mike Triplett writes. According to Triplett, Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards, Triplett notes.
- Although new Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson is tasked with helping turn around a unit that finished last in points and second last in yardage a year ago, he’s encouraged with the results so far. “Actually, it’s gone a little bit better than I hoped,” Olson said after minicamp, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “It’s a really intelligent football team from position to position and that’s made the transition much smoother for them and me.” For what it’s worth, the Olson-led Raiders were the only team to amass fewer yards than the Jaguars last season, and they managed a mere 15.8 points per game compared to the Jags’ 15.6.
Offseason In Review: Buffalo Bills
Fresh off their first winning campaign since 2004, the Bills’ offseason began with unexpected departures at head coach and quarterback. New owners Terry and Kim Pegula reacted to those exits by flexing their financial muscle in upgrading both the coaching staff and the roster. Thanks to the myriad changes the Bills have undergone from the top down, enthusiasm is in no short supply for their success-starved fans – who purchased a franchise-record 57,500 season tickets in hopes of witnessing the team end its 15-year playoff drought (an NFL worst) in 2015.
Notable signings:
- Charles Clay, TE: Five years, $38MM. $24.5MM guaranteed.
- Jerry Hughes, LB/DE: Five years, $45MM. $17.625MM guaranteed.
- Percy Harvin, WR: One year, $6MM. $5.9MM guaranteed.
- Jerome Felton, FB: Four years, $9.2MM. $3.6MM guaranteed.
- Marcus Easley, WR/ST: Four years, $7MM. $2.2MM guaranteed.
- Tyrod Taylor, QB: Three years, $3.35MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Jarius Wynn, DE: Two years, $2.2MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Richie Incognito, G: One, year, $1.45MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Alex Carrington, DL: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Michael Buchanan, LB/DE: Two years, $1.285MM.
- John Conner, FB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Andre Fluellen, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Wayne Hunter, T: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Matthew Mulligan, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit.
The Bills set out to improve their offense via free agency after finishing 26th in the league in yardage in 2014. Their first move was to to sign guard Richie Incognito in an attempt to repair a horrible offensive line. Incognito sat out the lion’s share of 2013 and all of ’14 because of unbecoming off-field conduct with the Dolphins. To his credit, the 31-year-old was a solid lineman prior to his short-term ouster from the sport, and he shouldn’t have much trouble serving as an upgrade over the dreadful guard play Buffalo received last season.
Accompanying Incognito are a couple more familiar faces from the AFC East: ex-Dolphins tight end Charles Clay (Incognito’s former and current teammate) and erstwhile Jets receiver Percy Harvin. The latter’s production hasn’t been much to write home about since his reign as a feared playmaker with the Vikings from 2009-12 ended. Still, the more options the better, and Harvin gives the Bills a field-stretching complement to go with young star Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods – not to mention a potentially dangerous gadget for new offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
As for Clay, the Bills succeeded in stealing him from Miami, which placed the transition tag on the 26-year-old before concluding that a five-year, $38MM offer sheet was too rich for its blood. Clay broke out in 2013 with career highs in receptions (69), yards (759) and touchdowns (six). He followed that with 58 catches last season and ranked as the 14th-best tight end in the league out of 67 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Elsewhere on offense, the Bills are hoping two less-heralded additions (fullback Jerome Felton and quarterback Tyrod Taylor) pay major dividends. The Bills’ questions along the offensive line don’t bode well for their desire to build a dominant running attack, but having another capable blocker in Felton – who contributed somewhat to Adrian Peterson‘s past success – should help. And while the chances of Taylor turning into a viable starting QB after signing for a relative pittance are quite low, his odds of winning the job aren’t bad. In terms of playing style, the 25-year-old is the closest thing the Bills have to the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick – whom Roman coached in San Francisco. Moreover, the former Raven and Joe Flacco backup has a fan in new Bills coach Rex Ryan.
“I actually tried to trade for [Taylor] when I was with the Jets,” Ryan told Toronto’s SportsNet 590, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak. “I’m not gonna say he’s Russell Wilson, but he’s got a little of that in him, where he’s able to run zone reads and pull the ball down and be effective.”
The Bills don’t know what they’ll get from Taylor, but they’re confident Jerry Hughes will continue as a menacing pass rusher. Otherwise they wouldn’t have re-signed him for $45MM. Hughes, who struggled with the Colts from 2010-12, has flourished in Buffalo since joining the team in a 2013 trade. Hughes tallied 19.5 sacks the last two years while playing both defensive end and linebacker. He’ll work as a linebacker this season and should once again be a double-digit-sack threat in Ryan’s quarterback-attacking scheme.
Notable losses:
- Scott Chandler, TE: Released
- Chris Hairston, T
- Larry Dean, LB
- Kyle Orton, QB: Retired
- Erik Pears, T
- Keith Rivers, LB: Released
- Da’Norris Searcy, S
- Lee Smith, TE
- Brandon Spikes, LB
- C.J. Spiller, RB
- Stevenson Sylvester, LB
Even though he’s not the most talented player they lost during the offseason, the Bills could end up hit hardest by the departure of Kyle Orton, who retired after 10 seasons. The 32-year-old wasn’t exactly stellar last season, his only one with the Bills, but he did eclipse the 3,000-yard mark and toss 18 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. It’s not unreasonable to think those numbers will be superior to the ones the Bills’ QBs put up this year. It’s also not unreasonable to think the team would be in better hands right now with Orton entrenched as the starter entering training camp, as opposed to the oncoming three-man battle among Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel and Taylor. That’s less a statement of praise for Orton than an indictment of Cassel, Manuel and Taylor.
The Bills’ biggest loss as far as name recognition goes is running back C.J. Spiller, whom they let walk in free agency after he totaled just 425 yards (300 rushing, 125 receiving) and one touchdown in nine games last season. Spiller, Buffalo’s top pick in 2010, had moments of brilliance as a Bill but fell short of expectations overall. With LeSean McCoy in the fold, the Bills are unlikely to miss Spiller going forward.
Defensively, the Bills are hoping the losses of linebacker Brandon Spikes and safety Da’Norris Searcy aren’t felt. Spikes played in just 46 percent of snaps last season because of his unreliability in pass coverage, but he’s a fantastic run defender who helped the Bills go from 28th against opposing ground games in 2013 to 11th in his lone season with them. Searcy turned a breakout 2014 (65 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles) into a $24MM deal with the Titans. Without Searcy, the Bills are betting they’ll be fine at safety with a duo of Aaron Williams and Corey Graham.
Extensions and restructures:
- Kyle Williams, DT: Extended through 2017. One year, $10.5MM.
The Bills’ lone offseason extension went to longtime defensive stalwart Kyle Williams. The four-time Pro Bowler has been a member of the Bills since they drafted him in 2006 and, if he sees his extension through, will be with them for at least three more seasons. Williams is entering his age-33 season but hasn’t shown signs of decline, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated him seventh out of 81 qualifying D-tackles in 2014. He’ll continue to be an integral part of a line that features fellow linchpins Marcell Dareus and Mario Williams.
Trades:
- Acquired RB LeSean McCoy from the Eagles in exchange for LB Kiko Alonso.
- Acquired QB Matt Cassel and a 2015 sixth-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for a 2015 fifth-round pick and a 2016 seventh-round pick.
The Bills addressed their anemic ground game in a big way when they acquired McCoy, a three-time Pro Bowler who surpassed the 1,300-yard plateau three times in six years as an Eagle and proved to be one of the league’s premier workhorses during that time span. However, adding McCoy cost the Bills an outstanding linebacker in Kiko Alonso, who burst on the scene as a rookie in 2013 before missing all of last season with a torn ACL.
Obviously, given that Buffalo had an excellent defense last year without Alonso and has terrific, similarly aged LBs in Nigel Bradham and Preston Brown, the team felt losing Alonso permanently was worth what should be a marked upgrade to its offense. One has to wonder, though, if McCoy will be as effective as he was in Philadelphia. The soon-to-be 27-year-old has plenty of tread on his tires, having accrued 300-plus carries in back-to-back seasons and nearly 1,500 during his career, and won’t have the benefit of running behind a top-level offensive line (the Eagles had the best run-blocking O-line in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus – which ranked the Bills last in the same category).
Distributing the ball to McCoy could be Cassel, an 11th-year man whose play has been woeful since 2010. As a member of the Chiefs that year, Cassel threw 27 touchdowns against a meager seven interceptions, helped lead Kansas City to the playoffs, and made the Pro Bowl. Aside from that season and 2008, when he played well for the Patriots in place of an injured Tom Brady, Cassel has fared poorly as a starter. He was the Vikings’ No. 1 quarterback going into 2014 and had a lousy three-game stretch before suffering a season-ending foot injury. But Buffalo’s hope – if Cassel wins the job – is that surrounding the 33-year-old with a talented cast of playmakers and a fearsome defense will help mask his deficiencies. That better prove true for Cassel’s sake, as Rodak reported last month that he’s not a lock to make the Bills’ roster. An uninspiring summer showing could send him looking for work elsewhere.
Draft picks:
- 2-50: Ronald Darby, CB (Florida State): Signed
- 3-81: John Miller, G (Louisville): Signed
- 5-155: Karlos Williams, RB (Florida State): Signed
- 6-188: Tony Steward, OLB (Clemson): Signed
- 6-194: Nick O’Leary, TE (Florida State): Signed
- 7-234: Dezmin Lewis, WR (Central Arkansas): Signed
Although the Bills had the third-ranked pass defense and sixth-most interceptions in the league last year, that didn’t stop them from using their top pick on Ronald Darby. The ex-Florida State Seminole will join Stephon Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin at the cornerback position and allow the Bills to move Graham to safety. Darby should reach his potential under Ryan, who is an advocate of fast, physical corners capable of handling one-on-one situations. Regarding Darby, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said (per Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle), “He’s physical, not only with the ball carriers, but as a press guy and Rex is a big press guy.”
Unlike Darby, third-rounder John Miller isn’t entering into an overly promising group of players at his position. Outside of signing Incognito, the Bills didn’t do anything prior to the draft to upgrade at guard. That’s good news for Miller, the leading candidate to start at whichever guard spot Incognito doesn’t occupy. Miller started 47 games at left guard during his career at Louisville and quickly won the favor of his new coach during offseason workouts. “He might be the opening guy there. He’s been very impressive,” Ryan said, according to WGR 550 (audio link).
Other:
- Hired Rex Ryan as head coach to replace Doug Marrone, who opted out of his contract.
- Hired Greg Roman as offensive coordinator to replace Nathaniel Hackett.
- Hired Dennis Thurman to replace Jim Schwartz.
- Hired former Bears OC Aaron Kromer as offensive line coach.
- Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for CB Stephon Gilmore ($11.082MM).
- Claimed QB Matt Simms off waivers from the Jets.
- Claimed WR Justin Brown off waivers from the Steelers.
- Signed 10 players to reserve/futures contracts.
- Signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
Buffalo’s offseason got off to a peculiar start when Doug Marrone opted out of his contract after just two years as its head coach. Marrone went 15-17 during his tenure, including a 9-7 mark in 2014, and hoped to parlay that into another head coaching job elsewhere. His gambit backfired, though, as he ultimately had to settle for an assistant’s role in Jacksonville. The Bills interviewed at least a dozen candidates to succeed Marrone before giving $27.5MM to Ryan, who coached the division-rival Jets from 2009-14 and helped lead two smash-mouth squads to AFC championship games. Ryan is no stranger to less-than-ideal QB situations and he’s inheriting another in Buffalo, where he hopes to mimic his early success with the Jets and win with a team built on a prolific running game and a suffocating defense.
Ryan will attempt to execute his plan with an accomplished offensive coordinator in Roman. The former Niners O-coordinator should acquit himself better than Marrone’s protege, the in-over-his-head Nathaniel Hackett. On the other hand, defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman has a harder act to follow in replacing Jim Schwartz. The Bills finished last season fourth in both yards and points allowed and third in takeaways. They’ll try to match or better that while transitioning from Schwartz’s 4-3 scheme to the 3-4 of Ryan and Thurman. Bear in mind that the Bills operated under a scheme similar to Ryan’s when one of his disciples, Mike Pettine, ran their defense in 2013. That year, they were 10th in yardage surrendered and third in takeaways. So, given that and the talent the defense possesses, Schwartz’s exit shouldn’t prove deleterious.
One of the defenders at the disposal of Ryan and Thurman will be Gilmore. The Bills exercised his fifth-year option, ensuring he’ll be a pillar of their defensive backfield for at least two more seasons. The 2012 first-round pick intercepted a career-best three passes last season and finished an impressive 26th out of 108 qualifying corners in Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). That was a vast improvement from the previous two years, when he ranked in the 70s.
Top 10 cap hits for 2015:
- Mario Williams, DE/OLB: $19,400,000
- Marcell Dareus, DT: $8,060,000
- Kyle Williams, DL: $6,950,000
- Eric Wood, C: $6,650,000
- Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB: $6,175,000
- LeSean McCoy, RB: $5,500,000
- Charles Clay, TE: $5,000,000
- Leodis McKelvin, CB: $4,900,000
- Matt Cassel, QB: $4,750,000
- Sammy Watkins, WR: $4,530,819
On paper, this year’s Bills team is the most talent-rich squad the franchise has had in a long time. The problem is that the game’s foremost position, quarterback, looks primed to weigh them down yet again. They’ve missed the playoffs for the entire 21st century because they’ve gotten nothing from a slew of failed passers. Whether it’s Cassel, Manuel or Taylor, someone has to grab the reins and perform respectably in a game manager role. That would allow the Bills to finally break their playoff drought on the strength of a better coaching staff, a big-name running back and a loaded defense.
Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
Bills Sign Wayne Hunter
WEDNESDAY, 1:12pm: The Bills officially announced that they have signed tackle Wayne Hunter, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets.
TUESDAY, 4:49pm: The Bills have signed free agent offensive tackle Wayne Hunter to a one-year deal, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.Net (Twitter link).
The 33-year-old Hunter last appeared in the NFL as a member of the Rams in 2012, but he played under current Bills coach Rex Ryan from 2009-11 with the Jets. Hunter tried out for the Bills earlier this month and Ryan said at the time that he expected Buffalo to sign Hunter before training camp, ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweeted.
Although the Bills’ right tackle situation is unsettled, it seems unlikely Hunter will latch on with the team in any significant way – especially after being out of the league for three seasons and having struggled mightily throughout his career. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Hunter 71st out of 76 qualified tackles during his final year in New York, for which he started all 16 games in 2011.
Extra Points: Favre, Lynch, Raiders
Brett Favre is 45 years old and has been out of the NFL since retiring in 2011, but he told Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop he’s still capable of playing.
“I could make all the throws I made before, I just couldn’t throw it near as far, but that never matters anyway,” said Favre.
Despite the confidence he has in his abilities, Favre stated that he’s “not trying to start some he’s-coming-out-of-retirement deal.”
The former Falcon, Packer, Jet and Viking last played in 2010, when he appeared in 13 games and threw 11 touchdowns against 19 interceptions for Minnesota. The Rams tried to coax Favre out of retirement in 2013, ESPN reported, but the 11-time Pro Bowler declined their offer.
Here’s more from around the league:
- In an interview with Ashley Fox of ESPN.com, NFL executive Troy Vincent criticized the NFL Players Association’s recent propensity to drag appeals of league punishments through the court system. Pointing to the drawn-out cases of players like Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady, Vincent said, “Look at the amount of money being spent on legal fees for a handful of people. It’s millions and millions of dollars, and we’ve got players that are hurting. We’ve got young men who don’t know how to identify a good financial adviser. Men are in transition who aren’t doing well, and yet $8-10MM a year is spent in court fees about who should make a decision on someone, who in some cases has committed a crime.”
- Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch confirmed to Conan O’Brien on Monday night that he was contemplating retirement before the team gave him a new deal earlier this year, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I mean, you know, in this game, you know, at this running back position, you don’t go that long,” Lynch said. “But, I mean, they put 12 (million dollars) in front of you for a year you start to think like ‘Yeah, maybe I can do this again.'”
- Second-year Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is impressed with his two newest targets, rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper and veteran Michael Crabtree. Regarding Cooper: “He is ridiculous in and out of his breaks,” Carr told 95.7-FM in San Francisco on Tuesday, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “His style of play is perfect for this league.” On Crabtree, Carr said, “He is a football junkie. He’s been a nice guy, a nice addition to our team.”
- Michael Johnson returned to the Bengals this offseason and will team with Geno Atkins to create an intimidating force along Cincinnati’s defensive line. While that reunion has fans in the Queen City excited, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com says the team’s coaching staff is also singing the praises of the man they expect to spell Johnson from time to time, particularly on running downs: Will Clarke. Clarke was on the field for just 64 snaps in last season, his rookie year, but he put on good weight this offseason and is clearly more comfortable in the Bengals’ scheme. He is expected to be an important part of the D-line rotation.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
In the latest development that could eventually lead to the NFL’s return to Los Angeles, Raiders owner Mark Davis and Chargers owner Dean Spanos spent Tuesday in LA meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti and other officials regarding their joint plan to build a stadium in Carson, Calif., according to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.
The respective outlooks in Oakland and San Diego, the cities for the Raiders and Chargers, currently appear bleak. Businessman Floyd Kephart’s stadium proposal to keep the Raiders in Oakland has not been looked on positively, per Farmer, who notes that the Chargers don’t believe they can legally get a stadium initiative on the ballot in San Diego until the tail end of 2016 at the earliest. Moreover, the Chargers don’t have confidence that a stadium initiative would be well received by the San Diego community.
Further complicating matters is that the Chargers and Raiders aren’t the only teams eying California-based relocation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has his sights set on Inglewood and is competing with the the other two teams’ Carson plans. The league would like a pair of franchises in LA as early as 2016, which would make at least one of the Chargers, Raiders or Rams the odd club out.
In Missouri, Rep. Jay Barnes asked a judge Tuesday to block Gov. Jay Nixon from working on plans for a new stadium in St. Louis, the Associated Press reported. Barnes and other lawmakers claim that the plans for a new stadium are illegal because the hypothetical facility wouldn’t be located next to St. Louis’ convention center, which state law requires.
“The governor does not have the authority to spend taxpayer dollars for an illegal purpose,” said Barnes.
If the Rams do ultimately gain league approval to relocate, Farmer writes that the deep-pocketed Kroenke wouldn’t have any difficulty financing his $2 billion planned stadium.
It’s currently unknown when there will be a resolution for the three teams, according to Farmer, who lists the end of the regular season, Super Bowl week and March’s owners meetings as potential times for owners to vote on proposals by Davis, Spanos and Kroenke. For its part, the league is hoping only two of the Raiders, Chargers and Rams apply for relocation, although it appears likely that all three will.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Amaro, Suh, Bortles
Let’s take a look at some notes from around the AFC:
- The Raiders are looking to build up their offensive line for the future, meaning they could be a candidate to select former Clemson tackle Isaiah Battle during the supplemental draft on July 9, but ESPN’s Bill Williamson isn’t sure he’ll be worth it. Oakland already has a developmental tackle in seventh-round pick Anthony Morris, Williamson notes, as well as third-year man Menelik Watson vying for a starting role.
- ESPN’s AFC East staff – James Walker, Mike Rodak, Mike Reiss and Rich Cemini – examined how the offenses of the Bills, Patriots and Jets will combat Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. They concluded that all three teams have questions along their offensive lines and could have serious issues against the four-time Pro Bowler in 2015.
- The Jets’ Jace Amaro had a difficult rookie season as a tight end and is shifting to H-back under new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. Brian Costello of the New York Post looked at what that could mean for Amaro this year.
- Like Amaro, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had a rough rookie year and the jury is certainly out on whether he’ll be a viable starter going forward. Conor Orr of NFL.com watched tape on Bortles and wrote about what 2015 could hold for the former third overall pick, noting that he’ll have a difficult time progressing if his offensive teammates don’t improve.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with any additional transactions added to the top of the list throughout the evening:
- The Colts signed free agent defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton, according to their official website. The 31-year-old has been a member of the Colts organization since 2013, when he last appeared in a game. He missed all of last season because of a knee injury.
- Offensive guard Cole Manhart – whom the Eagles waived Monday – passed through waivers unclaimed, reports Adam Caplan (Twitter link). The Eagles signed Manhart as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska-Kearney earlier this year.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Cards, Cowboys, Bucs
Although the 49ers had a hectic offseason highlighted by the departure of head coach Jim Harbaugh and surprise retirements of Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, Chris Borland and Anthony Davis, newcomer Darnell Dockett is unfazed by the team’s troubles. The longtime Cardinals defensive tackle signed with the 49ers before Willis, Smith, Borland and Davis retired, but he’s confident the club will overcome an adverse offseason and find itself in the thick of what should be a highly competitive NFC West race in 2015.
“I’ve been in the division for so long, everybody’s aiming for the top teams, so I was getting a lot of criticism and people saying, `Oh, man, why’d you go to San Fran?’ and `Why’d you do this, everybody’s jumping ship? You should have went to Seattle,’ Dockett, 34, told the Associated Press.
“I’ve been playing in this league for so long, it don’t matter the players that depart the team. It’s all about the chemistry and things you build in July and August. Everybody’s got to play the game on Sunday.”
Dockett, who missed the 2014 season with a knee injury, expects to be ready for training camp next month. The three-time Pro Bowler is also excited to play for new coach Jim Tomsula.
“I’ve had the utmost respect for Jim throughout my career. After every game we met on the 50-yard line and always talked football,” Dockett said.
In other NFC news. . .
- Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington – whom the NFL suspended for four games in 2013 and all of 2014 because of multiple substance-abuse violations – is expected to miss time this year because of domestic-violence issues, but he told Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 that he’s “confident that something will work out.” Washington added that he’ll be ready for training camp in August.
- The Cowboys elected early in the offseason to place the franchise tag on star receiver Dez Bryant and let reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray become a free agent. Those decisions led to acrimony between the team and Bryant, who still hasn’t signed his one-year franchise tender and only has until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with Dallas, and Murray’s departure to NFC East rival Phildelphia. However, if given the chance to reverse course, tag Murray and let Bryant hit free agency, the Cowboys wouldn’t do it, according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Buccaneers will try to make first overall pick Jameis Winston’s transition from Florida State to the pros as smooth as possible. One method they’re exploring includes using “virtual reality” technology to help the quarterback, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
AFC Notes: Chiefs, Browns, Raiders, Steelers
The Chiefs went through both voluntary and mandatory minicamp sans holdout Justin Houston, but head coach Andy Reid isn’t concerned about the star linebacker’s status going forward.
“There’s a lot of rules and regulations but I don’t get caught up in that — that’s what Dorse (general manager John Dorsey) does. I have trust in both sides, actually, that they’ll get something done,” Reid told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Houston after he led the NFL in sacks last year with 22, but he hasn’t signed his one-year, $13.1MM tender and the two sides have until July 15 to strike a long-term deal. Otherwise, the Chiefs’ best hope is that Houston eventually signs his tender and reports in time for the 2015 season. As a nonexclusive franchise player, another team could sign Houston to a deal, which would give the Chiefs the right to match it or let him go in exchange for two first-round picks from the other club.
Here’s the latest on some of the Chiefs’ AFC brethren:
- Given his size (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) and speed, Terrelle Pryor‘s conversion from quarterback to wide receiver could pique some teams’ interest. The Browns won’t be one of them, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweeted.
- Real estate developer Floyd Kephart faces a Monday deadline in his bid to provide proof to the city of Oakland, the Raiders and Oakland-Alameda County that his proposed new stadium plan is making progress, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Scott McKibben, the executive director of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, is optimistic. “We are hopeful we will see what we need to see,” McKibben sid. “This is an important benchmark deadline.”
- The Steelers’ second-ranked passing offense picked apart opposing defenses last year, and it could be more of the same this season – especially if wide receiver Markus Wheaton‘s transition from the outside to the slot goes well. “He is super fast and quick, and that’s what you need because you are facing that third corner or linebacker a lot,” Steelers wideout Antonio Brown told Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. “On third downs, nine times out of 10 that’s where the ball is going to go. It’s just about being on the same page with Ben (Roethlisberger).”
Extra Points: Moffitt, Irvin, Wilson, Bills
Free agent offensive guard John Moffitt could have suitors in the Eagles, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Jets and Texans, tweets Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. Moffitt announced earlier this week that he was coming out of a two-year retirement. The Broncos subsequently cut the 28-year-old and he cleared waivers on Thursday, per Jones (Twitter link), making him available to sign anywhere.
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Talking to the media on Thursday, Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin insisted that he wants to remain in Seattle and that his comments about wanting to go to Atlanta were “misinterpreted,” tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. According to Condotta (Twitter links), Irvin added that he’ll be extra motivated in 2015 after the team chose not to exercise his 2016 option, and that his contract situation will take care of itself.
- Speaking of Seahawks players entering contract years, the team’s most notable extension candidate, Russell Wilson, was fairly noncommittal when addressing his situation on Thursday, indicating that he remains optimistic about getting something done. Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune has the details and the quotes.
- The Bills formally announced a number of changes within their player personnel department, most notably promoting Rob Hanrahan to director of pro peronnel and Kevin Meganck to director of football operations.
- Browns rookie Cameron Erving will likely begin his career at right guard and compete with John Greco for the starting job, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo told Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Erving, the 19th pick in this year’s draft, played offensive tackle and center during his career at Florida State. He’s expected to be a long-term option at center for Cleveland, which could lose starter Alex Mack to free agency next offseason.
- Second-year Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson is looking to build on a rookie campaign that saw him total an impressive 48 receptions in 10 games. So far, so good, says Jags quarterback Blake Bortles. “He’s been unbelievable,” Bortles said of Robinson’s showing at minicamp, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press. “He’s definitely a threat now in the red zone. … He’s physical. He can run and do everything out in the open field, so he’s been fun to throw to.“
Luke Adams contributed to this post.