Bills Notes: Watkins, Barnes, Free Agents
News hasn’t been very positive in Buffalo this offseason, as the injury bug has hit hard. Bills first-round pick Shaq Lawson could miss a third of the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery, while receiver Sammy Watkins will be out until training camp with a foot fracture. The Bills had been counting on both players for contributions, so the club will need both to approach full health at some point during the season if they have any hope of toppling the Patriots in the AFC East.
Here’s the latest out of Buffalo…
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley doesn’t anticipate Watkins missing any time in the regular season, Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. Earlier this month, Watkins suffered a broken small bone in his foot and had a screw inserted to hold things in place. Last season, Watkins was sidelined for three games but hauled in 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. Of course, Whaley also insisted that first round Lawson would not have to undergo shoulder surgery, and the Clemson product went under the knife soon after the draft.
- Buffalo could conceivably target any number of veteran free agents to replace the production that might be lost due to Lawson and Watkins’ absences, but Whaley said the club hasn’t yet made contact with any street free agents left on the board. “We want to see what we have and the development of the guys on the roster in the OTAs,” said Whaley, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “[Veterans] we look at as consummate professionals. They’re always going to be in shape and if the time comes where we think the guys aren’t progressing like we need them to that’s when you look at a guy like Anquan Boldin or a Dwight Freeney, but right now we want to develop some young guys with an eye on the future saying those guys are out there if for needs sake we need to pick them up.” Whaley added that the Bills would “keep [their] options open” and would “never say never.”
- Nose tackle T.J. Barnes is worked at left tackle today for the Bills, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link). Buffalo plucked Barnes — who has no offensive line experience either in the NFL or at Georgia Tech — off of the Jets’ taxi squad in December of 2015.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On Knowshon Moreno
MAY 24: Moreno himself took to Twitter today to say that he does plan to return to an NFL field in 2016. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Klis’ report below was incorrect, as the 9NEWS scribe specifically noted that Moreno might change his mind. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that any club will have interest in Moreno even if he does follow through with a comeback.
MAY 14: Running back Knowshon Moreno hasn’t handled an NFL carry since Week 5 of the 2014 season, and it doesn’t sound like he’ll be returning to game action anytime soon. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, Moreno is “80 percent” committed to retirement, but the veteran back is staying in shape in case he changes his mind.
After a solid 2013 campaign during which Moreno topped 1,000 yards rushing and scored 10 touchdowns for the Broncos, he garnered surprisingly little interest on the free agent market, ultimately signing a one-year, ~$3MM contract with the Dolphins. Moreno managed only 31 carries Miami before tearing his ACL, and was placed on injured reserve in October of 2014. Per Klis, Moreno took the 2015 season off in order to let his knees heal.
Moreno will be 29 years old when the 2016 season begins, so it’s hard to imagine that he’d generate much interest even if he were open to playing. There haven’t been any rumblings about Moreno in the past year, as he hasn’t been mentioned on PFR since March 2015. Regardless, if Moreno does decide to officially retire, the former first-round pick will have posted a largely successful career, rushing for more than 3,500 yards and scoring 36 times.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Mathieu, Bears, Steelers, 49ers
A report last Monday indicated that the Cardinals were nearing an extension with defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, and today Mathieu himself told Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com that the negotiations have been “smooth.” However, neither Mathieu nor general manager Steve Keim offered any sort of timeline for when a deal might finally be hammered out. Regardless, Mathieu isn’t concerning himself with positional designation as he awaits his payday.
“I just want to get paid as a top defender,” said Mathieu. “I don’t want to be slotted as a corner or a safety, because I’m not Patrick Peterson and I’m not Earl Thomas. I’m kind of different than both of those guys, but I still have the same type of impact on the game as those guys do. I just want to be paid as a top defender, and however that looks on paper, that’s what I want.”
Let’s take a look at a few more items from around the NFL…
- Given that the Bears have signed Pernell McPhee and drafted Leonard Floyd and Jonathan Bullard over the past two seasons, it was fair to wonder if Willie Young and Lamarr Houston were going to survive for the 2016 season. Young, of course, looks to be a roster lock at this point, as he’s reportedly been offered an extension by Chicago. But Houston now seems likely to make the final 53 as well, as John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes.
- The Steelers have begun to resist the urge to restructure contracts in order to create cap space, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune details. After redoing 24 deals over the past five seasons, Pittsburgh hasn’t reworked a single contract this offseason, as GM Kevin Colbert & Co. have decided to stop kicking the can down the road.
- With Martavis Bryant suspended for entire 2016 campaign, the Steelers are going to have to turn to other weapons to make up for his production. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com examines which pass-catchers might be asked to step up, including Ladarius Green, Sammie Coates, Markus Wheaton, and others.
- In something of an upset, Colin Kaepernick is still on the 49ers‘ roster, and if he wants to earn the starting quarterback job, he’ll have to defeat favorite Blaine Gabbert to do so. As Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com writes, that level of competition could end up being a positive for Kaepernick.
- Though the Raiders‘ efforts to relocate to Las Vegas appear to be growing more earnest, the proposed move won’t be on the docket at the next owner’s meetings, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com.
East Notes: Eagles, DRC, Giants, Bills, Norman
Only the Vikings and the Raiders will devote more cap space to their respective offensive lines than the Eagles, as Paul Domovitch of Philly.com details. Philadelphia has clearly made the decision to reinvest in its front five after a 2015 season that saw the club rank 20th in pass protection and 30th in adjusted line yards, both of which are Football Outsiders metrics. Guard, specifically, has been addressed, as former Texan Brandon Brooks scored a $40MM deal with the Eagles, while Stefen Wisniewski will compete to start on the interior, and will at worst act as a top reserve.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions…
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie missed the Giants‘ voluntary workouts today while attending to a personal matter, but he’s expected to return to OTAs on Tuesday, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. On its face, the item isn’t all that newsworthy, but DRC’s absence did give first-round cornerback Eli Apple the opportunity to take reps with the first-team defense.
- The Bills could be a suitor for the recently-released Brian Hartline, opines Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link). Hartline was cut loose by Cleveland on Monday in an effort to save roughly $3MM against the 2016 cap. Buffalo is in need of wide receiver depth, and recently met with free agent pass-catcher Andre Roberts. Hartline might come with an even more affordable price tag than Roberts, and would presumably act as the Bills’ No. 3 behind Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods.
- The Redskins have a history of free agent flops, and Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com fears that high-priced newcomer Josh Norman will be the next in that long line. Norman isn’t a true shutdown corner who can take the opposing team’s receiver out of the game, says Tandler, adding that Norman hasn’t posted a ton of interceptions in the past. Even though Norman can contribute, Tandler doesn’t see him putting up the kind of production that some fans are expecting.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
South Notes: Woodard, Collins, Colts, Brees
The injury bug continues to bite the Jaguars, as 2016 seventh-round defensive end Jonathan Woodard will now miss the entirety of the season after tearing his Achilles, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Woodard probably wasn’t going to play a significant role in a Jacksonville edge rotation that includes Malik Jackson and Dante Fowler Jr., but the injury will obviously set him back in his development. The Jaguars, of course, are waiting for a status update on fifth overall pick Jalen Ramsey‘s knee, while last year, the club missed out on Fowler’s rookie season after he tore his ACL in camp.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions…
- Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins told reporters that he “made a mistake” which led to his four-game suspension for PEDs (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). However, he did not indicate whether he will file an appeal. Atlanta had hoped the Collins would be able to become a starter on the outside, allowing fellow corner Robert Alford to move into the slot full-time. That transition can still happen, of course, but now the club will have to make do without Collins for a quarter of the season — a realization which may have precipitated today’s workout of nickel corner Brandon Boykin.
- Given that the Colts are on the lookout for veteran depth at wide receiver, the recently-released Brian Hartline could hold some intrigue for the club, as Mike Chappell of CBS4 tweets. Indianapolis currently projects to start T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief at wideout, with the second-year Phillip Dorsett behind them. The Colts’ depth chart behind that trio is perilously thin, however, so Hartline could make some sense for the team.
- Drew Brees is capable of becoming the league’s highest-paid player even at age 37, writes Jason Fitzgerald of the Sporting News. Entering the final year of his deal, and playing under a $30MM cap hit in 2016, Brees holds all the leverage in talks with the Saints. Fitzgerald details exactly how Brees can use New Orleans’ poor salary management against them as he seeks one more mega-deal.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Johnny Manziel Being Investigated By NFL
Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is the subject of an NFL investigation, as TMZ reports. The owner of a rental car agency contacted the league after Manziel failed to pay for $90K in damages to a rental vehicle, and was ultimately sought out by NFL investigators. League sources tell TMZ that the car crash inquiry is part of a “larger Manziel investigation which is ongoing.”
Although the TMZ article hints that Manziel is not subject to league discipline given that he’s not currently on an NFL roster, that is actually not the case. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the NFL has time and again suspended players who were at the time unemployed. With Manziel’s litany of incidents — both before and after he was released by Cleveland — it stands to figure that he’ll be served with a ban at some point, especially if he begins to seriously consider an NFL comeback.
Manziel, 23, was indicted in April after a domestic violence involving his girlfriend — the NFL was said to be ramping up its own investigation of Manziel during that time, but the league hasn’t announced any sort of punishment and/or resolution. Meanwhile, Manziel himself has reportedly expressed a desire to play in the NFL during the 2016 season, but given his seemingly endless streak of poor decisions, it’s hard to believe that any club would take such a chance.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FSU’s Jimbo Fisher Has Received NFL Offers
Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher has received interest from NFL clubs in the past few offseasons, and though he’s considered the offers, he plans to stay in the college ranks for the time being, as he tells Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post.
“I love college and I had opportunities to go to pro football as an assistant coach and as a coordinator and I’ve had inquiries as a head coach,” said Fisher. “It’s got to be the right organization at the right time and the right situation if you’re ever interested. We have a great situation where I’m at. It’s not something that drives me.”
This isn’t the first time that Fisher’s name has been tossed out in reference to NFL positions — at this time last year, Fisher allowed that he “would never say never” to an opportunity in the league if the right fit came along. This offseason, the approaches from NFL clubs were “decently serious,” says Fisher, who adds that he considered the offers for about “half an hour” before deciding to stick with Florida State.
Fisher, 50, has been highly successful as head coach of the Seminoles, posting a 68-14 record while winning three ACC titles and one National Championship. An offensive mind, Fisher has been adept at molding quarterbacks that eventually turn into first-round picks, but those signal-callers haven’t had much NFL success outside of Jameis Winston — E.J. Manuel, Christian Ponder, and JaMarcus Russell are a few of the high-profile NFL busts that once played under Fisher.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Cards, Seahawks, Saints, Colts
Although Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has shown a willingess to bring in veterans late in the summer, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com doesn’t expect to Arizona to agree to deals with either Leon Hall or Dwight Freeney. Hall, for his part, took a visit with the Cards earlier this spring, but it looks like the club is looking for a more “durable” option opposite Patrick Peterson. The 30-year-old Hall is still an excellent slot corner, but he’s neither resistant to injury or particularly capable of playing on the outside at this point in his career.
Freeney, of course, spent the final 11 games of the 2015 season with Arizona, posting eight sacks over that span. But as Weinfuss notes, the Cardinals have added Chandler Jones and Robert Nkemdiche to an edge-rushing rotation that also includes Alex Okafor, Kareem Martin, and Shaq Riddick, so the need for a veteran like Freeney has been reduced. Last week, I ranked Freeney as the fourth-best defensive free agent left on the board.
Here’s more on the Cardinals plus a few more notes from around the league…
- After not playing a single snap as a rookie, 2015 first-round pick D.J. Humphries is projected to start the season as the Cardinals‘ right tackle, as Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic details, noting that the club’s offensive line will have a different combination than in did last season. While Jared Veldheer and Mike Iupati will continue to man the left side, veteran Evan Mathis will take over at right guard, while either A.Q. Shipley or rookie Evan Boehm will play center.
- Marshawn Lynch has not officially filed for retirement (despite Seattle placing him on the reserved/retired list), and Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman isn’t completely convinced that the mercurial running back won’t play another down. “I don’t put anything past him,” Sherman told Michael Robinson of NFL Media. “He’s about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don’t try to call his plays.”
- The Saints are often maligned for their salary cap management, but Mike Triplett of ESPN.com takes a slightly different tack, arguing that New Orleans would be praised for its financial tactics had they spent their cash more wisely. As Triplett opines, the NFL salary cap continues to increase every year, and despite the Saints perpetually being in “salary cap hell,” the club always finds a way to clear space.
- Though the Colts do need to find a suitable backup behind starting running back Frank Gore, Mike Wells of ESPN.com doesn’t think Arian Foster is the answer, given that the free agent back can’t seem to stay healthy. Darren Sproles, on the other hand, could be a fit, says Wells, but it doesn’t sound like the Eagles are in any rush to give him up.
AFC East Notes: Gilmore, Butler, Ajayi, Bills
Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore will not attend the club’s OTA sessions as he angles for a new contract, sources tell Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. General manager Doug Whaley said in February that a Gilmore extension was a “priority,” and he reiterated earlier this month that the Bills’ long-term discussions with Gilmore (and several other players) would become more important now that the draft has passed. As Dunne details, Gilmore — who could use Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis as comparables in talks — shouldn’t be considered a “holdout” unless he sits out mandatory camp activities in mid-June.
Here’s more from Buffalo and the rest of the AFC East…
- “I’m not going to discuss that right now,” Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler said of his contract status while appearing on WEEI yesterday. “Whenever the time comes, it comes. I’m a football player. I’m not a GM.” Butler, 26, will play out his rookie deal in 2016 before becoming a restricted free agent following the 2017 campaign, so New England has some time before it truly needs to make a decision on its defensive back. Still, the Chandler Jones trade was thought to be made with an eye towards freeing up future cap space in order to retain Butler, Dont’a Hightower, and Jamie Collins, so it would be an upset if the Patriots and Butler didn’t come to an agreement at some point.
- Speaking on WQAM in Miami, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said that second-year running back Jay Ajayi is the man to beat in the club’s backfield rotation. “He’s been one of those guys he’s been here every day,” Gase said of Ajayi, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. “The rest of that group has done a good job to try and keep up with him, but obviously he’s kind of separated himself from that group as far as the consistency of what he does day in and day out.” Ajayi is part of a contingent, including Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas, rookie Kenyan Drake, and others, that will try to replace Lamar Miller, who left for the Texans in free agency.
- One major area of weakness for the Bills is the right side of their offensive line, where John Miller is projected to play at guard while a cavalcade of players — including Cyrus Kouandjio, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Mills — is expected to compete for time. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News analyzes the club’s offensive line as a whole, opining that Kouandjio, in particular, could be looking at his final opportunity to hold his roster spot. Louis Vasquez, Will Beatty, and Ryan Wendell are a few of the best offensive lineman remaining on the open market where the Bills to look for an outside addition. Free agent guard Jahri Evans is another option (and has already taken a visit with Buffalo), but a March report indicated that the club would not be signing him.
PFR Originals: 5/15/16 – 5/22/16
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- We’re more than two months removed from the first week of NFL free agency, but there are still quite a few productive free agents left on the board. I examined the remaining players available on the offensive side of the ball, a list that includes quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, wide receiver, Anquan Boldin, and running back Arian Foster.
- I also took a look at the best players remaining on defense, where safety Donte Whitner, cornerback Leon Hall, and defensive lineman Greg Hardy round out the top three.
- After being released by the Redskins last week, receiver Andre Roberts has already drawn interest from the Bills and several other unknown clubs. I tried to find a landing spot for the 28-year-pass catcher, tossing out the Broncos, Bengals, and Raiders among several potential destinations.
- Von Miller is the most high-profile linebacker currently negotiating a long-term deal with the Broncos, but Sam Robinson looked at another Denver linebacker — Brandon Marshall — who could be up for an extension in the near future. Using DeAndre Levy, Mychal Kendricks, former Bronco Danny Trevathan, and others as comparables, Sam posited a $7MM+ yearly salary for Marshall.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.