Extra Points: Colts, Houston, Chiefs, Ryans
In his latest mailbag, John Clayton of ESPN.com writes that sub defensive packages are now the new normal in the NFL, as teams continue to add more versatile defenders on passing downs in an effort to stop high-powered offenses. Clayton labels the Seahawks as the “gold standard” in the sub department, pointing out that defensive linemen Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, paid $6.5MM and $4.8MM respectively in 2013, only “started” a combined five games, yet were key cogs on the league’s most dominant defense. He lists the Buccaneers, who added Michael Johnson in free agency, and the Texans, who drafted Jadeveon Clowney, as teams who could vastly improve in nickel and dime situations in 2014.
- Safety Jordan Pugh tried out for the Colts today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 26-year-old was a 2010 sixth-round pick by the Panthers, and spent the past two seasons with the Redskins.
- Justin Houston is looking for a contract extension with the Chiefs, and as such, head coach Andy Reid isn’t sure if the pass rusher will be attending minicamp, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know that,” said Reid. “I expect them all to be here and then whoever is here, we’re going to coach them. If they don’t show up, I understand the profession. I’ve been around it a long time and I just move on. That’s how it works. You coach who you have, and you coach them like crazy.”
- Speaking of the Chiefs, Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com examines the team’s defense in the wake of Brandon Flowers‘ release, and writes that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton might be part of the reason for Kansas City defensive woes. Sutton, whose scheme might have expedited Flowers’ departure, seemed unwilling to make adjustments in 2013 even when it was apparent his defense was flailing.
- Eagles middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans played 96% of the team’s defensive snaps last season, and defensive coordinator Billy Davis intends to reduce that number, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “We want DeMeco for the long haul this season, and so many times when you overwork a veteran — and he takes great care of his body — but it’s a lot of games,” said Davis. “I think we have more depth than we had and more experience and more people who can play versatile roles in the defense. I think it’ll help.”
- We learned earlier today that the Cowboys don’t expect Kyle Orton to show up for the team’s minicamp this week, and ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins says a team source has confirmed that view (via Twitter).
AFC North Notes: Rice, Steelers, Hoyer
Ravens running back Ray Rice and his wife met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell today regarding Rice’s February domestic dispute, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). Rice has tried to explain the incident, but it seems inevitable that the 27-year-old will face a suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy. Hubbuch tweets that he hears Rice’s punishment will be “significant,” and guesses the RB could be suspended for a period of four to six games.
- Despite losing two of his top three receivers from last season, Ben Roethlisberger is excited about 2014, and thinks training camp will be an opportunity to grow with one the Steelers’ new additions. “Lance [Moore], who is a pro, he’s a great professional — he’s going to be really good and I think we’re going to have a good connection — there were a few things that were just like a foot off [at OTAs],” Roethlisberger told Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “A pass I threw a little bit outside, I thought he was going in[side]. Those little things we can work on and that’s what these camps are going to be about, getting on that same page these guys.”
- The Ravens have experienced incredible stability at the holder and long snapper positions, with Sam Koch and Morgan Cox manning those roles for the past four seasons, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and that reliability has been crucial for kicker Justin Tucker‘s development.
- The opinion of a linebacker probably won’t factor in to Browns coach Mike Pettine’s decision on who to name as his starting quarterback, but Paul Kruger told 1320 KFAN he thinks Brian Hoyer should get the opportunity instead of Johnny Manziel (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Me personally, I mean obviously that’s up to the staff and coaches so they’ll make that decision,” said Kruger. “But in my mind, [Brian] Hoyer’s the guy. Hoyer came in, won us four games, unfortunately got hurt. But the guy was on fire when he was healthy. He’s proven himself at different levels and has worked extremely hard.” (As Florio notes, Hoyer actually won only three games).
- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is pleased with the depth available on his defense, and the physicality the unit has been displaying in practice, and singled out three players for whom he has high hopes, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “They’re rounding into the vision we have for them,” said Lewis. “The guys have been here – a lot of them – and I think Darqueze [Dennard] has fit in well. I think [Marquis] Flowers is going to do a great job. We’ve got some guys we’ve brought in here as young guys who are really going to help us. Danieal Manning is getting some good snaps now. We’ve got some guys that are going to help us that way.”
East Notes: Freeman, Eagles, Easley, Bills
Josh Freeman was on the Giants’ roster for just over a month before being released at the end of May, but now it appears he is trying to get his career back on track. In an instance of two former Buccaneers employees reuniting, Freeman will work with Jon Gruden next week, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old will then spend the following week with noted quarterback tutor Terry Shea.
More notes from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Eagles running back LeSean McCoy says the release of DeSean Jackson was a wakeup call for the rest of the team, per NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “The whole DeSean Jackson thing, that helped out, to be honest, in making all the other guys aware,” said McCoy. “It’s all possible. They’ll cut one of your best guys if (he’s) not buying in. On any team — any team — you look at that, and as a player, you can look at it from so many different sides, but no matter how good you are, you gotta follow these guidelines. And if you don’t, you could be gone. You gotta buy in.”
- Dominique Easley is one of only five first-round picks who has yet to sign a contract, but injury protection language isn’t the reason the Florida product hasn’t signed with the Patriots, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Rookie contracts are standardized under the new CBA, so it’s unclear what the two sides could be haggling over.
- Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News believes it would be a risky proposition if Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula purchased the Bills, as Pegula sometimes failed to listen to his advisors early on in his NHL tenure. Pegula would keep the team in Buffalo, however, which would obviously sit well with local fans.
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley is trying to dispel the notion that his recent moves, including trading up to select Sammy Watkins, are indicative of a new, must-win strategy, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “Everybody’s like, ‘Whoa, you’re in a win-now mode.’ The NFL is a win-now mode,” said Whaley. “I disagree when people have been saying it’s a win-now mode because of the ownership. It’s always a win-now mode in this. So that’s something I’d like to dispel as quickly as possible. It’s a results-based business.”
- The Giants had a workout with former Air Force linebacker Alex Means, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
Extension Candidate: Kyle Rudolph
New Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner is known as something of a “tight end whisperer” — his ability to induce production out of the position, with players like Antonio Gates and Jordan Cameron, is virtually unparallelled in the NFL. His newest protégé is Kyle Rudolph, who is entering not only his fourth season in the league but the final year of his rookie contract, which is set to pay him a base salary of nearly $1MM. The Vikings, then, in something of a buy-low opportunity, may look to extend the 24-year-old before 2014, when his talents, combined with Turner’s instruction, could lead to a monster season, allowing Rudolph to price himself out of Minnesota’s range.
Rudolph, a 2011 second-round pick, has accrued decidedly mediocre statistics over the course of his career — he averaged 39 receptions for 371 yards and six to
uchdowns over his first two seasons; he nearly matched those numbers in 2013, however, despite starting only eight games due to a fractured foot. Advanced metrics paint a more favorable picture of Rudolph, as he graded as a top-15 tight end in both 2011 and 2012, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). DYAR, a Football Outsiders statistic that measures only receiving ability (omitting blocking) wasn’t quite as impressed — over the past three seasons, Rudolph ranked 43rd, 28th, and 27th. Of course, the Vikings haven’t had the most capable quarterbacks delivering the ball over that span, as Rudolph caught passes from the likes of Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel, and a near-retirement Donovan McNabb.
For his part, Rudolph has expressed his desire to remain with the Vikings. “…[M]y financial situation is completely in their hands right now,” Rudolph told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I’ve got one year left on my deal here and I’m extremely excited for the changes that have been made around here (under first-year coach Mike Zimmer)…All I can worry about is going out and being successful. The contract will take care of itself. … I’d be more than happy to stay here for a long time.” However, as of mid-April, the Vikings had not approached him about an extension, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Tight end contracts can be more difficult to evaluate than other positions because of the vast differences between players’ usage and roles. Having said that, it’s probably safe to disregard any potential deal regarding Jimmy Graham, as well as the 2012 extension signed by Rob Gronkowski, as the two are considered to be in completely different stratosphere. Also complicating matters is Rudolph’s youth — at 24, he is far younger than were most tight ends who received extensions.
Martellus Bennett of the Bears and Dennis Pitta of the Ravens offer the two best options when looking for comparable players and a potential contract. Bennett, who was 25 when he signed as a free agent with Chicago, had put up analogous numbers to Rudolph, but was a free agent — he received $20.4MM over five years, with $5.215MM in guarantees. Pitta has better statistics to Rudolph, but, like the Viking, was coming off an injury. He re-signed with Baltimore in late February, so while the deal was nominally an extension, he was effectively a free agent, as free agency began less than two weeks later. Pitta’s contract, signed when he was four years older than Rudolph, was worth $32MM over five years, $16MM of which was guaranteed.
I would set Bennett’s contract as the floor, and Pitta’s deal the ceiling, when discussing a Rudolph extension. A deal worth four to five years, with an AAV of $5.5MM, and guarantees in the $10-12MM range wouldn’t be out of the question. However, the Vikings need to factor in the risk of a huge 2014 season by Rudolph into their valuation; if he succeeds on the level of other Turner-coached tight ends, Rudolph could angle for an even larger contract. So perhaps the team, in the interest of getting a deal done now, offers a tad more in either AAV or guarantees in order to stave off a potential free agent negotiation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Brent, 49ers, Foles, Bucs, Redskins
Josh Brent, who has been out of the NFL following his drunken-driving crash that resulted in the death of teammate Jerry Brown, was released from jail today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. We learned several weeks ago that the Cowboys have not ruled out re-signing Brent, who announced his retirement last summer. Dallas would need to answer several questions about Brent, ranging from the public perception of adding him to the roster, to his fit within the team’s new defensive scheme, before bringing him aboard.
More from the NFC:
- In his latest mailbag, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com posits that 49ers rookie Carlos Hyde will likely receive more work behind starting running back Frank Gore than will second-year player Marcus Lattimore, who is recovering from a major knee injury.
- While OTAs may not be the most game-like environment in which to practice, Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is using the sessions to work on small improvements to his game, writes Martin Frank of USA Today. “My goals are to continue to move better. When I say that, I mean in the pocket, be more efficient, stay tight,” said Foles. “I like throwing the ball down field, so continuing to grow with my teammates on that, but being smart, find the check-downs early, not staying on a read too long.”
- In an extensive piece, Sports Illustrated’s Doug Farrar explains that Buccaneers hope to get rookie receiver Mike Evans in single coverage while the defense focuses on Vincent Jackson, and compares the duo’s potential usage to that of the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall.
- Despite his lackluster 2013 season, safety Bacarri Rambo is still in the Redskins’ plans, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. “He’s got great ball skills,” said Washington head coach Jay Gruden. “He’s not afraid to tackle. He’s got to do a better job tackling. Obviously, we missed too many tackles as a group last year, not just him but everybody, so we think he’s progressing nicely.”
AFC Notes: Worilds, Gilbert, Bray, Pats
Linebacker Jason Worilds turned down an extension offer from the Steelers, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The proposal, which was made to Worilds “a while ago,” is apparently the Steelers’ final offer. Worilds has no plans to accept the deal, however, and will likely play out the 2014 season under the franchise tag, which will pay him $9.754MM.
- Within the same piece, Bouchette writes that Steelers didn’t fret over losing cornerback Keenan Lewis after 2012 because they believed Cortez Allen was the better player. Now that Allen has yet to be offered an extension, Bouchette wonders if their evaluation of the 25-year-old defensive back has changed.
- Browns rookie Justin Gilbert, the ninth overall pick in last month’s draft, is optimistic that he will flourish in Cleveland’s new defensive scheme (per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “If you don’t have confidence playing press man in the NFL, I’m sure you’re going to get beat a lot,” said Gilbert. “So you’ve got to have a lot of confidence. … Confidence is where it’s at, and I have all the confidence in the world.”
- Second-year quarterback Tyler Bray feels much more comfortable in the Chiefs’ West Coast offense, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Bray’s development could be instrumental in Kansas City, as Alex Smith‘s contract expires after 2014.
- Brandon Gilman, who played along the defensive line in college, made the transition to outside linebacker with the Ravens last season, and is now moving inside with the Titans, according to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times.
- Young players often make the biggest leap in productivity between their first and second seasons in the league, and with that in mind, Chistopher Price of WEEI lists Jamie Collins and Aaron Dobson among several Patriots who could improve in 2014.
PFR Originals: 6/8/14 – 6/15/14
The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- David Kipke examined the wisdom of the NFL adding a developmental league.
- Luke Adams delved into contract incentives, explaining the differences between “likely to be earned” and “not likely to be earned” incentives, and the resulting cap charges.
- Luke asked whether the Bengals and Chiefs should offer extensions to Andy Dalton and Alex Smith, respectively, with a slight plurality believing that neither franchise should sign their signal-callers.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest installment of Pigskin Links
- Luke looked at the Falcons’ options at linebacker in the wake of Sean Weatherspoon‘s season-ending injury.
- In our latest Extension Candidate post, Luke wrote up Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith, and argued that Smith approaching the contract of Joe Thomas wouldn’t be out of the question.
- A summary of all the features found here at PFR.
Week In Review: 6/8/14 – 6/15/14
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Major Move:
- The Steelers signed center Maurkice Pouncey to a five-year, ~$44MM extension, with a $13MM signing bonus.
Signed:
- Bengals – OT Will Svitek (link)
- Bengals – TE Alex Smith (link)
- Seahawks – DT Kevin Williams (link)
- Buccaneers – DE Ronald Talley (link)
- Vikings – WR Josh Cooper (link)
- Colts – S Mike Adams (link)
First-Round Pick Signings:
- Eagles – LB Marcus Smith (link)
- Broncos – CB Bradley Roby (link)
- Buccaneers – WR Mike Evans (link)
- Bengals – CB Darqueze Dennard (link)
- Rams – OT Greg Robinson (link)
- Rams – DT Aaron Donald (link)
- Lions – TE Eric Ebron (link)
Released:
- Lions – CB Chris Houston (link)
- Chiefs – CB Brandon Flowers (link)
Retired:
- TE Tony Scheffler (link)
- QB Vince Young (link)
Other:
- Buccaneers discussed Mike Glennon trade with Cardinals (link)
- Marshawn Lynch wants a new contract, contemplates retirement
- Broncos reportedly offered Demaryius Thomas a five-year extension (link)
AFC Notes: Fitzpatrick, Jernigan, Pats, Titans
The Texans waited until the fourth round of last month’s draft to add a quarterback (Pittsburgh’s Tom Savage), so it appears that they will head into the 2014 season with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting signal-caller. As Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle writes, many members of the Texans coaching staff have previously worked with Fitzpatrick, whom the Texans signed to a two-year, $7.25MM deal. Houston’s defensive unit is expected to be the team’s strength, but new head coach Bill O’Brien is confident in Fitzpatrick to lead the offensive side of the ball. “It’s about decision-making,” said O’Brien. “Not forcing the ball and understanding that you have a really good back out of the backfield in [Arian] Foster that you can always check it down to. … We believe in our system. But at the end of the day, Ryan, he needs to go out there and make good decisions and make sure he is doing what is best for the team.”
More from around the AFC:
- Ravens rookie Timmy Jernigan, who is competing for the left defensive end spot in Baltimore’s defense, is off to a good start, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “…[H]e’s flashing a lot,” said offensive guard Kelechi Osemele. “He’s playing fast, especially for being a young guy, and being thrown in there with the [first-teamers] every now and then and it being a new system and everything. He’s coming along really well.”
- The Ravens might be set at right tackle with Ricky Wagner and Ryan Jensen, per Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Osemele is probably going to stay at left guard, so barring a veteran addition, the two second-year players will battle it out for the starting position.
- Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis will be playing more man coverage after failing to get comfortable in the Buccaneers’ zone scheme last season, and his presence will allow safety Devin McCourty (who is engaged in extension talks) to roam the defensive backfield, according to ESPN.com’s Jeffri Chadiha.
- Following Alterraun Verner‘s departure, the Titans will hold a competition between 2013 third-rounder Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Coty Sensabaugh, a 2012 fourth-round pick, for the starting cornerback position opposite Jason McCourty, reports the staff of the Daily News Journal.
- Browns head coach Mike Pettine didn’t list a particular reason for releasing linebacker Quentin Groves, writes Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “…[W]hen you have situations like that with a veteran player you are better off doing it sooner rather than later to give them an opportunity to catch on somewhere else,” said Pettine. My guess is the Browns, who are stacked at outside linebacker with the likes of Paul Kruger, Jabaal Sheard, and Barkevious Mingo, simply weren’t keen on paying Groves’ $1MM base salary.
Bengals Notes: Dalton, Burfict, Green, Bernard
In the wake of Colin Kaepernick‘s extension, it’s going to be tough for the Bengals to offer Andy Dalton anything less than $18MM annually, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Dalton (whom I recently profiled as an extension candidate) would probably need to indicate that he is amendable to a team-friendly structure that would not overwhelmingly restrict Cincinnati’s salary cap space. Former agent Joel Corry believes that Dalton could accept a contract similar to Kaepernick’s, provided that the AAV is similar. “There’s got to be some sort of interplay,” says Corry. “The better the structure, the more flexibility I had on dollars because you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, particularly when you are under contract for years.”
More notes from Cincinnati:
- Within the same piece, Dehner Jr. observes that Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict would have to accept a heavy discount in order to sign an extension now, as Cincinnati controls his rights in 2014 for a mere $570K, and can slap a first-round tender on him in 2015, holding him as a restricted free agent for about $3.3MM.
- Dehner Jr. also believes the Bengals are closely watching for negotiations between the Dez Bryant and the Cowboys, as a deal between the two sides could serve as a baseline for talks with receiver A.J. Green, whom the Bengals control for two more seasons.
- Second-year running back Giovani Bernard is expected to open the 2014 season as the Bengals starter, and he hopes to produce more big plays on offense, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “If you’re a running back, you always want to be able to have explosive runs,” said the 2013 second-rounder. “Maybe not so much just the 10-yard runs or 15-yard runs or the 20. I want to be able to break the 50s, 60s and 70s. And who knows? Maybe the 80s and 90s. Things like that take hard work and dedication. That’s really where your skills come into play is on those explosive runs.”
- In his latest mailbag, Harvey notes that linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, will be relied on in 2014, and will especially aid in coverage, an area where the Bengals struggled in 2013. Lamur is expected to serve as the starting strong-side linebacker next season.