Extra Points: Murray, Cowboys, Roc Nation
Let’s look at some assorted notes from around the league…
- In his latest chat for the Dallas Morning News, Jon Machota argues that the Cowboys must make all attempts to re-sign running back DeMarco Murray, reckoning that Joseph Randle isn’t cut out for lead-back duties. If Murray does leave via free agency, writes Machota, Dallas would look to give Ryan Williams, a second-round pick by the Cardinals in 2011, a bigger role.
- Machota’s Morning News colleague, Rick Gosselin, also chatted with readers today, and opined that it’d be an upset if defensive tackle Henry Melton doesn’t return to the Cowboys roster in 2015. Melton has played well in 250 snaps this season as he continues to recover from a torn ACL. Per the terms of his contract signed earlier this year, Melton will be automatically trigger a three-year, $24MM extension ($9MM guaranteed) if he’s on Dallas’ roster through the first day of the 2015 league year.
- Roc Nation has hired a football lifer to its staff in the form of Ari Nissim, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Nissim was the Jets’ director of football administration from 2006-2013, and has recently been contributing articles to the National Football Post.
- University of Washington redshirt junior cornerback Marcus Peters has been dismissed from the team, reports Adam Jude in the Seattle Times. Peters, who was recognized on NFL.com’s Midseason All-America team, is considered a potential first-round pick.
Matt Feminis contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Hamilton, Jets, Browns
We learned earlier today that Raiders owner Mark Davis was meeting with a San Antonio contingent, including ex-mayor Henry Cisneros, to discuss the possibility of moving his franchise to south Texas. Davis confirmed the visit to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter), but predictably wasn’t forthcoming about the details of the meeting. “Henry Cisneros said their job was to present San Antonio’s assets in the strongest light,” Davis told McDonald (Twitter link). “And they did that.” Here’s more from the AFC.
- Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton will be the most sought-after head coaching candidate during the offseason, league sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Hamilton, who’s led an Indianapolis offense that ranks fifth in DVOA, could be an option for the 49ers if Jim Harbaugh leaves, or the Giants if Tom Coughlin is let go. One rival GM on Hamilton: “He is almost as good a head coaching prospect as [Andrew] Luck was a quarterback prospect coming out of Stanford.”
- The Jets are set to face the Steelers and breakout rookie receiver Martavis Bryant on Sunday, leading Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News to examine general manager John Idzik’s failure to draft a pass-catcher who was able to contribute in 2014. Gang Green did select Jalen Saunders, Shaq Evans, and Quincy Enuwa, but they’ve been waived, injured, and sent to the practice squad, respectively.
- While admitting than hindsight is 20/20, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie would have definitely opted to keep Carson Palmer in Oakland had he known how costly (and poor) future acquisitions Matt Flynn and Matt Schaub would be.
- Browns linebacker Craig Robertson is playing well in limited snaps this season, and he even picked off an Andy Dalton pass during last night’s game. But as Alex Marvez of Fox Sports details (Twitter links), Robertson almost didn’t make it to the NFL. The only team to call the North Texas product after he went undrafted in 2012 was the Jaguars, and they were only making sure they had the correct phone number. In fact, Robertson was set to head down under to play Australian rules football when he was contacted by Cleveland.
NFC West Notes: Palmer, Fitzgerald, Brooks
The biggest news story of today came out of the NFC West, as the Cardinals and quarterback Carson Palmer agreed to a three-year extension worth $50MM, with about $20.5MM in guarantees. Let’s look at some reaction the Palmer deal, as well as some other notes from the division:
- If the new money figure of $20.5MM is correct, Palmer will receive about $3MM less in new money that did Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith under his recent extension, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, who says the three-year value of Palmer’s pact will be similar to that of Bengals QB Andy Dalton‘s contract. Fitzgerald opines that the extension makes sense for both sides, and expects that the Cardinals’ next move will be to lower Larry Fitzgerald‘s exorbitant 2015 cap hit.
- Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com also lauds Palmer’s extension, writing that the 35-year-old is the perfect fit for Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians’ vertical offense. Palmer, Weinfuss argues, can handle quarterbacking duties for at least two more seasons, at which point the club can determine if Logan Thomas, a 2014 fourth-rounder, is ready to take over.
- Regarding Sunday’s report that the 49ers shopped Ahmad Brooks in advance of the trade deadline, San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh declined comment, only telling reporters, including those at CSNBayArea.com, that he didn’t have any “specific knowledge” of such trade discussions.
- Harbaugh did tell Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that in the event Dan Skuta can’t play Sunday due to his sprained ankle, the 49ers will likely promote second-year LB Chase Thomas from the practice squad. With Aldon Smith still on suspension, San Francisco has only Brooks, Aaron Lynch, and Corey Lemonier at OLB, so Thomas, who’s also spent time with the Saints, Raiders, Falcons, and Panthers during his short NFL career, could add some much-needed depth.
Eagles Notes: Sanchez, Herremans, Foles
The 6-2 Eagles sit in first place in the NFC East as they prepare to take on the Panthers on Monday Night Football. Let’s look at some notes out of Philadelphia…
- The free agent quarterback market might be intriguing in 2015, writes Albert Breer of NFL.com. As Breer notes, the FA QB crop is usually relatively weak, as teams simply don’t allow competent signal-callers to hit the open market. But with Mark Sanchez taking over for the Eagles, Ryan Mallett getting an opportunity with the Texans, and Brian Hoyer making the most of time in Cleveland, we could see several quarterbacks receive interest this offseason. Breer points to the Bills, Jets, Buccaneers, and Rams as clubs that could use an upgrade at QB.
- As I noted earlier this week when the Eagles placed him on injured reserve, Todd Herremans is no lock to return to Philadelphia next season. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, Herremans’ salary will rise from $3MM to $4MM in 2015, and he’ll count $5.2MM against the cap. McLane also looks at several Eagles’ veterans who don’t have guaranteed salaries for next year, including Trent Cole, Brent Celek, and James Casey, suggesting that all are candidates for release.
- After addressing a report that the Eagles were “souring” on Nick Foles even before his injury on, Chip Kelly refused to say the Foles would return as the starting quarterback when he’s healthy. “I have no idea,” Kelly told reporters, including Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), when asked if Foles would regain his job. “We could have no quarterbacks at that point in time.” It’s a typical response from Kelly, who as Mosher notes, refuses to answer hypothetical questions.
- Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looks at the battle between Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner, who are competing to start at left guard in Herreman’s absence.
Eagles Put Herremans On IR, Activate Mathis
WEDNESDAY, 8:05am: The Eagles have officially announced that they’ve activated Mathis and placed Herremans on IR (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 7:54pm: The Eagles saw a familiar face return to their offensive on Sunday, as center Jason Kelce saw game action for the first time since Week 3 following a groin injury. But just when Philadelphia seemed to be stabilizing its front five, which was one of the best in the league last season, health concerns struck again. Guard Todd Herremans, who had been attempting to play through a biceps injury, will have season-ending injury to correct the ailment, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. He’ll be placed on injured reserve shortly, and the club will activate offensive lineman Evan Mathis from injured reserve/designated to return to fill his roster spot.
Herremans, 32, has been with the Eagles for the entirety of his 10-year career. He’s been something of a jack-of-all-trades during his time in Philadelphia, as he’s seen time at every position along the offensive line save for center. He’s settled in at right guard over the past two seasons, though he did play some right tackle while Lane Johnson was suspended to start the year. Herremans, who’s started 124 games during his time in Philly, hasn’t played well this season, and given that he’ll count $5.2MM against the cap in 2015, it’s not a guarantee that he’ll return next year.
Though the loss of Herremans could sting, the return of Mathis, one of the best guards in the league, is an unquestioned boon to a struggling Eagles front five. The 33-year-old Mathis graded as the No.1 guard in football during each of his first three years in Philadelphia, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He’s a strong asset in the run game, and with backup quarterback Mark Sanchez leading the team following Nick Foles‘ injury, the Eagles could look to feature LeSean McCoy even more than usual.
Second-year offensive lineman Matt Tobin, who had been filling in for Mathis at left guard, will slide over to RG in place of Herremans. Herremans’ season-ending injury ensures the Eagles starting offensive line of Jason Peters, Mathis, Kelce, Herremans, and Johnson won’t play one full game together in 2014.
Workout Notes: Bengals, Saints, Lions, Bucs
As teams around the league assess themselves during the early part of the week, we’ll learn about the latest tryouts as clubs try to remake the back ends of their rosters. We’ll keep track of today’s audition notes here:
- The Bears worked out several players today: linebacker Jonathan Brown (link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post), running back Mikel Leshoure (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune), and safety Mistral Raymond (Biggs on Twitter). Leshoure, 22, is the biggest name here — the 2011 second-round pick rushed for almost 800 yards and nine touchdowns with the Lions in 2012.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals worked out tight end Michael Egnew, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Egnew, a third-round pick in 2012, has spent time with the Dolphins, Lions, and Jaguars. Cincinnati also brought in defensive back Josh Victorian, who was dropped from the Lions’ practice squad in early October, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- With fullback Austin Johnson nursing a knee injury, the Saints auditioned fellow FBs Michael Zordich and Ray Agnew, per Caplan (on Twitter). New Orleans also tried out ex-Washington safety Bacarri Rambo, who started three games last season, tweets Caplan. Wilson passes along a few more names (on Twitter), noting that the club brought in defensive backs Malcolm Bronson, Stan McKay, and Brandon Taylor, and running back Toben Opurum.
- The Lions worked out cornerbacks Trevin Wade and Robert Steeples, says Wilson (Twitter link). The duo worked out for the Panthers a few weeks ago.
- The Buccaneers auditioned linebacker Jeremy Grable, per Wilson (via Twitter). Grable was on Tampa Bay’s roster over the summer.
- Offensive lineman Maurice Hurt is one of 15 players whom Washington is trying out today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We should learn the names of the other participants shortly.
NFC West Notes: Brooks, Smith, Seahawks
49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t put much stock into a recent report that San Francisco almost dealt linebacker Ahmad Brooks to the Browns before last week’s trade deadline, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. “It was never mentioned to me before the trade deadline ended and I would think that if there was any seriousness going on along those ways that [general manager] Trent [Baalke] would have mentioned it to me,” Fangio told KNBR in San Francisco. “And he never did. So I think those reports are way out of line.” Fangio’s reasoning is valid, but I outlined in the link above why the idea of the Niners shopping Brooks wouldn’t be too far-fetched. Here’s more from the NFC West.
- 49ers pass-rusher Aldon Smith‘s suspension won’t be reduced (as was rumored), according to Ed Werder of ESPN, meaning Smith will be allowed to return to the field on November 16 against the Giants. The linebacker, who was banned for the first nine games of the season, should provide a nice boost to a 4-4 San Francisco team.
- The Seahawks worked out several players today, report Adam Caplan of ESPN (several Twitter links) and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who identify receivers Austin Pettis, Arrelious Benn, Tim Benford, and Michael Preston, and quarterback Brad Sorensen as the players who auditioned for Seattle. Pettis is a former Rams third-round pick who was waived two weeks ago, while Benn, a second-round pick in 2010, has played for the Buccaneers and Eagles.
- Missouri governor Jay Nixon will hold a media conference call tomorrow to discuss the Rams’ stadium situation and how to keep the team in St. Louis, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Amid rumors of the franchise moving to Los Angeles, Nixon’s comments should shed some light on the state’s commitment to retaining the team.
East Notes: Pryor, Jets, Patriots, Pierre-Paul
Earlier today, Washington became the latest team to have free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor in for a workout, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. The club now has a fully healthy group of signal-callers in Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins, so it appears to be an unlikely landing spot for Pryor. Running backs Tim Hightower and Jeff Demps were also among the free agents whom Washington auditioned today, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The club worked out nine more players, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a full list: tight end Chase Dixon, tight end D.C. Jefferson, safety Ahmad Black, defensive tackle Lanier Coleman, tackle Chris Faulk, tight end Tyler George, defensive end Donte Paige-Moss, defensive tackle Justin Renfrow, and safety Nickoe Whitley. Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions.
- The Jets’ plan to rely on second-year player Dee Milliner, rookie Dexter McDougle, and mediocre free agent Dimitri Patterson as their primary corners was flawed from the beginning, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Milliner and McDougle both suffered serious injuries, while Patterson went AWOL during the preseason and was released.
- The Jets worked out linebacker Shayne Skov today, tweets Costello. Skov, a 2014 undrafted free agent, has worked out for the Chargers and Texans in recent days after spending time with the 49ers and Buccaneers earlier this year.
- The Patriots also brought in several players for tryouts today, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who identifies kickers Dave Teggart and Zach Hocker, long snappers Charley Hughlett and Patrick Scales, punter Cody Mandell, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert as having auditioned for New England.
- Responding to a reader’s Twitter question, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger gave defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul a 55% chance of returning to the Giants next season. Pierre-Paul is having a solid season as he approaches free agency — though he has only 3.5 sacks, he’s graded as the league’s third-best 4-3 defensive end among 54 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s metrics rate the 25-year-old as the best run defender at his position by far; his +17.1 grade against the run is nearly double that of Derek Wolfe, the No. 2 finisher.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Nick Foles’ Future With Eagles In Jeopardy?
Nick Foles won’t be quarterbacking the Eagles for the next six-to-eight weeks after suffering a broken collarbone in Sunday’s game against the Texans, but there’s word that his reign in Philadelphia could have been in peril even if he hadn’t been injured. Sources tell Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger that Eagles brass, including general manager Howie Roseman, had doubts about Foles’ ability to maintain his outstanding 2013 level of play, and might’ve been considering options at quarterback.
Roseman wasn’t in favor of selecting Foles in the third round of the 2012 draft; instead, he was intent on picking Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins, who ultimately went to Washington in the fourth round. Ex-Eagles head coach Andy Reid (now with Kansas City) and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinwheg (now with the Jets) were proponents of drafting Foles. No member of Philaelphia’s current regime, from Roseman, to head coach Chip Kelly, to personnel man Tom Gamble, had a hand in bringing Foles on board. So it’s not out of the realm of possibility, as a league source tells Eckel, that Roseman might have been looking to make a quarterback change before Foles’ injury. “I think Howie is looking at quarterbacks,” said the source. “He’s kind of soured on Foles, and I don’t think he’s alone. The organization isn’t sold that he’s the guy going forward.”
Foles’ 2014 production certainly hasn’t matched his 2013 performance, but most didn’t expect the 25-year-old to maintain his impeccable touchdown-to-interception ratio from last season. Last year, Foles completed 64% of his passes for more than 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. This season, however, he was completing just 59.9% of his passes, with a 13:10 TD:INT ratio. Advanced metrics have noticed the Arizona product’s regression as well. After grading as the 17th-best quarterback in the league in 2013 per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he fell to 29th in 2014. Even more stark, Foles had fallen to 21st among QBs in terms of DVOA after finishing second last season.
As Eckel notes, Kelly has never been critical of Foles, and even lauded his play at Arizona while Kelly was at Oregon. But Kelly did re-sign Michael Vick prior to last season, and installed him as the starting quarterback before injuries forced Foles to take over. Additionally, Kelly played a part in drafting Matt Barkley in the fourth round last year, so it’s not as if the Eagles head coach has shown any allegiance to Foles. Granted, both of the moves noted took place before Foles’ outstanding 2013 season, but it speaks to the fact that Kelly isn’t afraid of having multiple options at QB.
If Philadelphia management is truly concerned about Foles’ talent, it could have a material impact on contract negotiations this offseason. Foles is making $615K in the third season of his four-year rookie deal, and he’s eligible to be extended after this year, though that may have been unlikely anyway. “Let’s just say the way things were going, he wasn’t going to get a contract extension that’s for sure,” a second source told Eckel before Foles’ injury. “Now, if he has a big second half, that could change.” Now, obviously, Foles won’t have the chance to change Roseman & Co.’s minds.
The Eagles could go in any number of directions quarterback-wise in 2015. Despite this news, it’s likely that Foles will remain on the roster and at least be an option to start. If Mark Sanchez plays well in Foles’ absence, it’s conceivable he could be given an opportunity to stick around. Barkley might still be Philadelphia’s plans, while this report will only fuel speculation that Kelly could make a move to draft his old college QB, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. With the Eagles sitting at 6-2, they’ll probably be picking too late in next year’s draft to acquire Mariota, but a trade-up will surely be discussed.
Adrian Peterson Accepts No-Contest Plea
12:24pm: As expected, Peterson has accepted a no-contest plea on misdemeanor assault charges, and will sign it before the judge this afternoon, tweets Florio.
TUESDAY, 9:59am: A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Peterson will plead no contest to one count of misdemeanor reckless assault. If accepted, the agreement will call for Peterson to be placed on probation, pay a $4K fine, and serve 80 hours of community service.
MONDAY, 7:53pm: Even if Peterson works out a plea agreement tomorrow, don’t expect him to be immediately reinstated and return to game action, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. While we could see Peterson rejoin the Vikings at some point, notes Rapoport, it won’t be right off the bat.
SUNDAY, 11:18am: Adrian Peterson hasn’t played for the Vikings since Week 1 after being indicted in a child abuse case, and he’s been on the commissioner’s exempt list since September 17. Because the league likely wouldn’t opt to remove him from said list until his case was adjudicated (his trial is set for December 1), the expectation had been that the 29-year-old wouldn’t return to the field in 2014. However, we could be closer to seeing some sort of resolution in the matter, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Peterson’s representatives have been discussing a plea agreement, and the talks could be completed as soon as Tuesday.
With Peterson currently in legal limbo, the NFL can easily claim that it will not address Peterson’s status on the exempt list until the courtroom process has run its course. But as Schefter writes, if Peterson is able to reach a plea deal, the league will be forced to consider taking action on Peterson. For his part, Peterson will surely argue that his case has been resolved, and that he should be able to return to the field, or at least be handed a suspension that would clarify when he could return to action.
Additionally, the Vikings will have to choose how to respond if/when Peterson is able to work out a plea agreement. The club originally supported its star player after the allegations first arose, and were going to allow him to play in Week 3. After fan, media, and sponsorship outcry, however, Minnesota opted to deactivate Peterson once more, and supported the league’s decision to place him on the exempt list. If Peterson secures a plea deal, the Vikings will have to decide how to address the issue once again, and opt whether to stand behind Peterson, enact their own suspension, or wait for the league to take action.
The case could act as a guide for Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, who is also on the exempt list while facing domestic violence charges. We learned Friday that Hardy will remain on the exempt list until his case goes to court in January, meaning his season is over. But if Peterson is able to work out a plea agreement, accept a light suspension, and return to game action, could Hardy try to work a similar deal?