NFC East Notes: Redskins, Jackson, McCoy
Last week, we learned that the Giants have shown interest in recent free agent Chris Johnson. You voted that the Giants are the third-most likely destination for the former Titan Pro Bowler. Let’s look at a few other stories from around the NFC East this weekend:
- Rich Tandler of Real Redskins thinks that there is no reason to worry about the Redskins‘ remaining cap space being just $2.5MM. Tandler explains that the NFL’s Summer roster contract policies will allow the Redskins to sign 19 more players to meet the 90-man roster limit while counting only $500K total against their cap.
- LeSean McCoy ‘loves’ the Darren Sproles signing, according to Jason Butt of the National Football Post. McCoy thinks that the Eagles will use Sproles more that his previous backup, Bryce Brown, was used in McCoy’s franchise record-breaking 2013 rushing campaign. The University of Pittsburgh product thinks that a more balanced workload in 2014 will help him conserve more energy for later in games.
- John Clayton of ESPN writes that the flurry of recent signings in the NFC East could signify that the division is ready to reclaim its spotlight as the NFL’s prime time division. The Redskins and Giants have both spent almost $80MM, and Clayton believes that DeSean Jackson will be the most impactful NFC East signing from this past offseason.
Jets, Cumberland Agree To Three-Year Deal
SATURDAY, 1:58pm: According to Ian Rapaport of NFL.com, the Cumberland contract will be for three years and $3.7MM with $1MM guaranteed (via Twitter).
FRIDY, 7:41pm: The New York Jets and tight end Jeff Cumberland have agreed to a three-year contract, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta had reported earlier today that the Jets were engaged in “serious negotiations” with Cumberland.
The organization has expressed significant confidence in Cumberland heading into the 2014 season. After signing with the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Illinois, Cumberland finally began to show flashes of prominence in the tail end of the 2013 campaign. Although he had played largely in a secondary role to Kellen Winslow this past year, Cumberland still hauled in 26 receptions for 398 yards and four touchdowns.
Mehta also reports (via Twitter) that the Jets re-signing of Cumberland doesn’t mean the Jets won’t still explore other free agent tight end options, such as Brandon Pettigrew, Ed Dickson, and Scott Chandler. The Jets also figure to target high-value receiving talent in free agency next week, having been linked to Emmanuel Sanders and Jeremy Maclin, before he re-signed with the Eagles
Extra Points: Saints, Bears, Gore, Eagles
Earlier tonight, franchise player Jimmy Graham tweeted that he’s “shocked and disappointed” about everything that’s happened in New Orleans this offseason. Graham is likely referencing the Saints’ decisions to cut offensive weapons Lance Moore and Darren Sproles. According to John Breech of CBSSports.com, there’s a chance the team could release running back Pierre Thomas as well. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeted that the decision to cut Moore and Sproles likely stemmed from the large cap numbers of Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs, Marques Colston, and Brodrick Bunkley.
Let’s look at some other news tidbits from this Friday evening…
- Lance Briggs expressed similar frustrations to Graham with the Bears‘ front office on Friday, saying that if he ran the team, he would “trade all the draft picks and bring my brothers back.” Briggs was presumably referencing players like Charles Tillman, Devin Hester, and Brian Urlacher. While Urlacher retired after last season, the team seems ready to cut ties with Hester and Tillman. It is widely expected that the Bears will also part ways with Julius Peppers due to the eight-time Pro Bowler’s huge cap figure.
- 49ers GM Trent Baalke has said that, considering Frank Gore “had a A++ season” in 2013, the team doesn’t feel it needs to restructure the five-time Pro Bowl running back’s contract this offseason, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer thinks that the Eagles should pursue safety Malcolm Jenkins in free agency. McLane argues that the new free agent would be a better schematic fit for the Eagles than more prominent free agent safeties such as Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward. He thinks the Eagles could also pursue the Panthers’ Michael Mitchell and the Dolphins’ Chris Clemons, among others.
- Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (via Twitter) thinks that because of the departures of Sproles and Moore, the Saints will be looking for a return specialist this offseason. Duncan speculates that the team could address this void by targeting Devin Hester, New Orleans native Jacoby Jones, or perhaps even a prospect like LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham.
- Desmond Bryant, defensive end for the Browns, says he’s been medically cleared to play after a health scare, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com and Bryant’s personal Twitter account.
- Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group identifies six free agent offensive lineman that could interest the Browns, including San Diego’s Chad Rinehart and Kansas City’s Geoff Schwartz.
- Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody, whose contract situation is currently up in the air, has signed with Authentic Athletix NFL agent Peter Schaffer, according to a tweet by Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journalism. Cody had been previously represented by Athletes First.
- Ben Tate told Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston that he can become an “elite” running back next season. Tate has not been shy about his plans to test free agency and finally step into a starting role on another team.
- Darnell Dockett called free agent tackle Branden Albert his teammate in a tweet earlier today, according to Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride. While Albert’s response to the tweet, which was quickly deleted, deflected Dockett’s comments, it did not directly dispute the teammate comment.
Eagles Show Interest In Michael Johnson
The Eagles are showing interest in one of 2014’s top free agents, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com, who reports that Chip Kelly‘s team is eyeing edge defender Michael Johnson. A 4-3 defensive end in Cincinnati, Bennett could draw interest from teams like the Eagles, who may view him as a fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker, writes McManus.
Johnson, a Georgia Tech product, was franchise-tagged by the Bengals for the 2013 season after an incredibly successful 2012 campaign in which he tallied 52 tackles (35 solo) and 11.5 sacks. Considered a high-ceiling prospect coming into the 2009 NFL Draft, Johnson fell all the way to the third round, when the Bengals selected him with the 70th overall pick. The prospective free agent has been linked to several teams this offseason, including the Vikings.
While providing excellent run defense has become Johnson’s calling card, he demonstrated some versatility in zone coverage schemes last season, as McManus exhibits with visual evidence in his piece. In fact, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) found that Johnson dropped into coverage 31 times last season.
The Eagles currently have over $24MM in estimated cap room, so the team could likely afford to make Johnson a lucrative offer. However, a move for the Bengals free agent would raise one intriguing question: What would happen to current starters Trent Cole and Connor Barwin? The two starters are firmly entrenched in their roles within the team and were both effective in 2013.
Within his piece, McManus suggests that Mike Neal and Rob Jackson could be alternative outside linebacker targets for the Eagles this offseason.
Matt Cassel To Re-Sign With Vikings
7:31pm: Cassel’s two-year pact will be worth $10MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
7:14pm: The deal is for two years, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
6:57pm: Quarterback Matt Cassel is re-signing with the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cassel had been set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
In six starts this season for the Vikings, Cassel enjoyed a relatively successful, albeit mistake-prone resurgence, amassing 1,807 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Cassel replaced Christian Ponder this past December when the Vikings starter exhibited concussion symptoms after a Week 13 game against the Bears, and Cassel’s new deal further signals that Ponder’s time in Minnesota is coming to an end. Ponder is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and almost certainly won’t be with the Vikings beyond 2014.
Cassel, 31, opted out of the final year of his contract with Minnesota last month. He had been set to earn a little over $3MM on that deal, so the new pact with the Vikings will surely represent a more lucrative payday. Even with Cassel now locked up, Minnesota figures to add at least one more quarterback this offseason, either in free agency or the draft.
Cassel was believed to be drawing interest from Bill O’Brien and the Texans, as recently as yesterday. The Vikings signed Cassel in March of 2013 immediately after the Chiefs decided to cut the 2010 Pro Bowler.
Steelers, Antonio Brown Restructure Contract
The Steelers and wide receiver Antonio Brown have restructured Brown’s contract in order to free up about $4MM worth of cap space for Pittsburgh, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter) that the move will convert $5.2MM of Brown’s $6MM base salary into a signing bonus, which will be spread over the contract’s remaining years.
Brown, who also reworked his deal last year, was in line to have a $8.47MM cap number for 2014. If his salary has indeed been converted to $800K, that means $1.3MM in bonus money would be added to each of the remaining four years on his deal, reducing his ’14 cap number to $4.57MM.
For the Steelers, it’s the latest in a string of cap-clearing moves for the team, as the 2014 league year nears. In addition to reworking Brown’s deal, the club also restructured Troy Polamalu‘s and Heath Miller‘s contracts, and released veterans Levi Brown and Larry Foote.
Draft Notes: Farmer, Cowboys, Packers
As we continue to approach the 2014 NFL Draft, various teams have begun to discuss information regarding their draft preferences. According to FanNation, new Browns GM Ray Farmer has stated that he knows which quarterback he wants to draft in May — but he’s not willing to share. Farmer has final say over the 53-man roster, and it remains to be seen whether or not he would be open to changing his mind should coach Mike Pettine or offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan prefer a different quarterback.
Here are a few more tidbits surrounding teams and their draft preferences…
- Assistant director of player personnel for the Cowboys, Will McClay, spoke with KRLD-FM 105.3 sports radio and disclosed his thoughts that having “good football character” is an important quality in a draft prospect.
- The Dallas Morning News’ SportsDayDFW took a look at players that the team might be interested in drafting in the first round. The outlet also covers what 10 offensive lineman, wide receivers, quarterbacks, and linebackers that it thinks that the Cowboys will be most interested in drafting this May.
- Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media writes that after a series of whiffs by the front office on high draft picks in recent years, the Packers‘ 2014 first round pick will be the team’s most important draft pick in recent history. Hodkiewicz highlighted Alabama junior safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama linebacker C. J. Mosley, and North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron as potential Packer first-round targets.
Ravens, Terrell Suggs Agree To Extension
The Ravens have agreed to a contract extension with All-Pro linebacker Terrell Suggs, according to Ravens Insider Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that Suggs will formally sign his restructured contract tomorrow. ProFootballTalk describes the negotiations as being sufficiently close that Suggs is currently in the air from Arizona to Baltimore.
Suggs, the 2011 NFL defensive player of the year, was set to cost the Ravens $12.4MM in 2014 in the final year of a six-year contract that he signed in 2009. Suggs’ deal will almost undoubtedly feature a reduced 2014 cap figure. An emerging number of front offices have been restructuring large contracts in order to shore up short-term cap space. This tactic was evident with Tom Brady‘s contract restructuring in March, 2012.
Details are still emerging regarding the length and value of the contract.
Poll: Where Will Hakeem Nicks Sign?
Earlier this weekend, our own Rob DiRe discussed the free agency of wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. In his piece, DiRe identifies three potential suitors for Nicks, all of which are likely interested in one-year deals. DiRe’s piece outlined how Nicks would provide the Detroit Lions with a weapon across from Calvin Johnson; that Nicks would be interested in returning to his hometown and play with Cam Newton for the Carolina Panthers; and that the Indianapolis Colts had also shown interest in the former Super Bowl champion.
Where do you think Nicks will sign? If you think it would make better sense for another team not discussed in the article to sign Nicks, please discuss your thoughts in the comments section below.
Extra Points: Packers, Muamba, Polian
Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette thinks that the Packers will be forced to lean heavily on a cadre of young defensive lineman that will step into starting roles next season. Defensive linemen Mike Daniels, Datone Jones, and Jerel Worthy will likely replace departing free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly on the defensive front of the Packers’ base 3-4 defense. Defensive line coach Mike Trgovac expects Jones and Worthy to mimic Daniels’ 2013 campaign with breakout performances next year.
A few more Monday night notes:
- Adrian Wilson is ready and excited for his 2014 comeback season with the Patriots after spending the entire 2013 season on the IR with a hamstring injury, writes Tom E. Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England.
- The Ravens tried out Canadian Football League middle linebacker Henoc Muamba earlier today, according to a report from Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Bill Polian sat down with Tom E. Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England and discussed the Patriots needs in the impending offseason. Polian thinks that the Patriots will target a receiving tight end. He also imagines Bill Belichick will pursue a more balanced offensive game plan to take pressure off of Tom Brady. In the piece, Polian also weighs in on the ongoing debate of whether Peyton Manning or Brady is a better quarterback.