Latest On Sam Bradford, Trade Request
After a report surfaced on Monday suggesting that Sam Bradford – or his agent – had asked for a trade out of Philadelphia, agent Tom Condon appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio confirming as much. According to Condon, the Eagles haven’t given him permission to seek out possible trades for Bradford, and his client won’t be at voluntary workouts (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).
As Condon explained, Bradford was “very happy” with the contract he signed in March with the Eagles, but became less thrilled about his situation when the team also added Chase Daniel and traded for the No. 2 overall pick (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio).
“From our perspective… Sam wants the opportunity to try to go some place and not only be the starter, but be the starter there long-term,” Condon said, per Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com. “He doesn’t view himself as somebody that’s a stop-gap kind of quarterback and he wants to go some place and take a chance on being with a team for a long time and I can’t blame him for that.”
Here’s more on the Bradford situation, which we’ll be monitoring closely this week:
- As we heard yesterday, in spite of Bradford’s trade request, the Eagles aren’t seriously considering trading the former first overall pick, a source tells Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, in these situations, a team is generally always willing to trade the player if the price is right, but the Eagles appear just as willing to move forward with Bradford on the roster.
- The Bills and Browns were among the teams to express interest in Bradford last year, and could join the Broncos among the potential landing spots for the veteran signal-caller if the Eagles do decide to make a move, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole notes, the $11MM signing bonus that was part of Bradford’s new contract makes a potential trade very tricky for the Eagles, since it will be hard to extract fair value.
- Mike Klis of 9NEWS is extremely skeptical that the 49ers will become a viable suitor for Bradford, suggesting (via Twitter) that Howie Roseman would have no interest in helping Chip Kelly.
Bengals Release A.J. Hawk
The Bengals have created a little cap room and helped to clear a linebacker logjam by releasing veteran defender A.J. Hawk, the team announced today (via Twitter). Alex Marvez of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Hawk would be cut by Cincinnati.
[RELATED: Bengals sign Karlos Dansby]
Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lose season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.
Hawk’s contract called for a $1.1MM base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $100K workout bonus for 2016. Because none of that money has been paid yet, and the contract didn’t feature a signing bonus, the Bengals will clear Hawk’s entire $1.4MM cap hit from their books by releasing him. The former fifth overall pick won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll be immediately eligible to sign with a new team.
Even without Hawk in the mix, the Bengals have several options for their three starting linebacker spots. The club added Karlos Dansby in free agency, and also have Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, and Vincent Rey on the roster, though Burfict will serve a three-game suspension to open the regular season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Saints, Seahawks, Hayden
The 49ers were one of several teams who talked with the Panthers about a possible trade for Josh Norman before his franchise tag was rescinded, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. However, the talks didn’t get far. It’s worth noting that Norman would have had to either sign his franchise tag or agree to a long-term deal in order to make such a trade possible. The 49ers were one of many clubs to be connected to Norman when he became an unrestricted free agent last week but they ultimately did not land him.
Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC…
- Before the Titans sent the No. 1 overall pick to Los Angeles, the Saints had discussions about moving up to No. 1 for a quarterback, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s not clear whether New Orleans actually engaged in talks with the Titans, or simply discussed the idea internally, but Rapoport wonders if the team will target Paxton Lynch in the first round.
- Free agent defensive tackle Nick Hayden visited the Seahawks on Monday, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Hayden has started 60 career NFL games, including 47 over the last three seasons in Dallas, making him one of the more experienced interior defenders still available on the open market.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) adds the Saints to the list of clubs that have worked out Cal running back Daniel Lasco in the weeks leading up to the draft. Lasco, whose stock is believed to be on the rise, worked out for at least five other teams besides New Orleans.
- German wide receiver Moritz Boehringer expects to be selected in the draft this week, but if he isn’t picked, the Vikings would be a leading candidate to sign him as an undrafted free agent, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers will bring in offensive lineman Nate Chandler and Brandon Mosley as tryout players for their three-day minicamp this week, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Chandler can play both tackle and guard.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Panthers Pick Up Star Lotulelei’s 2017 Option
APRIL 26, 9:24am: The Panthers have formally exercised Lotulelei’s fifth-year option for 2017, the team announced today via Panthers.com.
MARCH 23, 11:25am: Lotulelei’s fifth-year option will be worth $6.757MM, according to former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
MARCH 22, 2:18pm: The Panthers will exercise the fifth-year option on defensive tackle Star Lotulelei‘s contract, general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed today (Twitter link via David Newton of ESPN.com). The move will keep Lotulelei under contract with the Panthers through the 2017 season.
Lotulelei, the 14th overall pick in 2013, has been a full-time starter for the Panthers since joining the team three years ago. In 14 games in 2015, the 26-year-old recorded 22 tackles to go along with a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
While Lotulelei has been a solid addition to Carolina’s defensive line, he struggled last season, and PFR’s Dallas Robinson speculated in his Panthers offseason preview that the lingering effects of a foot injury may have hampered the Utah product to a certain extent. Although Dallas fully expected the team to pick up Lotulelei’s option, he noted that a potential extension may be put on the back-burner as Carolina prioritizes a new deal for another defensive lineman, Kawann Short.
The exact value of Lotulelei’s fifth-year option isn’t yet known. A year ago, the fifth-year option figure for defensive tackles was set at $6.146MM, but it will increase a little this time around.
In other Panthers news, Gettleman confirmed that the team still has interest in re-signing free agent defensive tackle Kyle Love, and remain in talks with him, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys Rumors: Elliott, Bosa, Backup QB
The Cowboys are on record as saying that they are comfortable heading into 2016 with their current group of running backs, but team COO Stephen Jones said on Monday that he views Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott as a player “worthy of being in the top 10” (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News)
“Where we ultimately end up with him is still a work in progress,” Jones said. “He’s obviously a very quality-type player and seems like he’s pretty much universally looked at as a guy who deserves to be in that category.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is said to be a big fan of Elliott, but it remains to be seen whether the club views him as a difference-maker worthy of the fourth overall pick.
Here’s more on the Cowboys:
- According to Jerry Jones, the most likely draft-day scenario right now is that the Cowboys will stay at No. 4 in the draft, rather than moving up or down, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Jones also said that the Cowboys will select the best player available when they are up at No. 4 (Twitter link via Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram).
- Ohio State pass rusher Joey Bosa is one player potentially in the mix for the Cowboys at No. 4, and Jerry Jones insists that the club has no potential off-field concerns for Bosa. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out, Bosa missed the 2015 season opener due to a violation of team rules that was rumored to be related to marijuana use, and the Cowboys have two pass rushers currently facing suspensions, so it would be a factor worth strongly considering.
- The Cowboys still aren’t sure how they’ll address their backup quarterback situation, and haven’t ruled out signing or trading for a veteran, or addressing the position in the draft, Williams writes in a separate Star-Telegram piece. “For whatever the reason, we weren’t able to secure a guy we were comfortable with,” Stephen Jones said. “I do think there are other options out there that we can add depth to where we are, as to where we sit today.”
- While drafting a developmental quarterback is a possibility for the Cowboys, Jerry Jones doesn’t view landing Tony Romo‘s eventual replacement as something the team has to do in this year’s draft (Associated Press report via ESPN.com).
- Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr accepted a pay cut on Monday. You can read about that story right here.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Chiefs Sign Mike Williams
4:45pm: The Chiefs announced that the deal is now official.
3:24pm: The Chiefs are adding a free agent to their wide receiving corps today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that former Buccaneers and Bills wideout Mike Williams is signing a one-year deal in Kansas City.
Williams, a fourth-round pick out of Syracuse in 2010, got off to a great start in Tampa Bay, racking up 964 yards and 11 touchdowns on 65 receptions in his rookie season for the Buccaneers. Although he was productive for the next two seasons, earning a lucrative, long-term extension in July 2013, Williams’ time in Tampa Bay came to an abrupt end shortly after he signed that contract, in large part due to a multitude of off-the-field issues.
Williams signed with the Bills for the 2014 season, but was cut by Buffalo after catching just eight balls for 142 yards and a touchdown in nine games. The 28-year-old (29 next month) was unable to catch on with an NFL team for the 2015 campaign, serving a three-game suspension to open the season. So he may face an uphill battle as he attempts to secure a spot on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster in 2016.
Terms of Williams’ new contract aren’t yet known, but a minimum salary deal seems very likely. The veteran receiver worked out for the Bengals and Patriots this offseason before agreeing to sign with the Chiefs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Draft Rumors: Dolphins, Steelers, Ravens
After trading down a few weeks ago, could the Dolphins trade back up? Miami will consider moving up from No. 13 in order to grab either Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott or UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, multiple sources tell Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Moving up from No. 13 to the top ten can be pricey, but top exec Mike Tannenbaum has said that he would be open to such a move for the right player.
Here’s are the latest NFL Draft rumors out of the AFC:
- The Steelers, currently slated to pick 25th overall in this year’s draft, are unlikely to trade up, but moving down remains on the table, general manager Kevin Colbert said today (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
- In the wake of the two major trades at the top of the draft, there’s a chance that Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil will still be on the board at No. 6 for the Ravens. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun explores that scenario, examining whether it would make sense for the club to pass up a top defensive prospect to fortify the left tackle spot.
- The Chargers are expected to select a tight end at some point during this week’s draft — it’s just a matter of when. We heard last week that the team is considering Ohio State’s Nick Vannett, and Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune takes a closer look at the young tight end as a potential target for the Bolts.
- Clemson linebacker B.J. Goodson met with 15 teams in total, via either a pre-draft visit or private workout, and the Texans were one of those teams, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- The Dolphins and Jets are among the teams that have shown interest in University of Minnesota cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), who suggests that Boddy-Calhoun will likely either be a day three pick or an undrafted free agent.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Broncos To Sign Garrett Graham
The Broncos are signing free agent tight end Garrett Graham to a one-year contract, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). After signing Owen Daniels in 2015, Gary Kubiak‘s team is adding a former Texans tight end to its roster for the second consecutive year.
Graham, 29, joined the Texans as a fourth-round pick in 2010, and after playing sparingly in his first two seasons, he emerged as a weapon in the passing game in 2012. His best season in Houston came in 2013, when he caught 49 balls for 545 yards and five touchdowns.
Graham’s 2013 performance earned him a three-year, $11MM+ extension in 2014, but that new deal coincided with the departure of Kubiak in Houston and the arrival of new head coach Bill O’Brien. The Wisconsin alum was never an ideal fit in O’Brien’s offense, and saw his role reduced over the course of the last two seasons. In 2015, he fell behind C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin on the Texans’ depth chart, leading to his eventual release.
With Daniels no longer in the tight end mix in Denver, Graham will join a group that includes Jeff Heuerman, Virgil Green, and Richard Gordon. The former Texan should have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot and perhaps regular playing time as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tom Brady’s Suspension Reinstated By Appeals Court
3:27pm: Brady is “far from” ready to simply accept today’s court ruling, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who tweets that the former MVP is mulling over his options with his legal team.
10:42am: Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension related to the Patriots’ Deflategate incident, which was initially overturned in court by Judge Richard Berman last year, has been reinstated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, according to Reuters (Twitter link via CNBC Now). The court’s full decision can be found right here.
“We hold that the Commissioner properly exercised his broad discretion under the collective bargaining agreement and that his procedural rulings were properly grounded in that agreement and did not deprive Brady of fundamental fairness,” reads the ruling from the Court of Appeals. “Accordingly, we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and REMAND with instructions to confirm the award.”
While the ruling is significant, it likely won’t put the issue to rest — as Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, Brady’s next recourse would be to seek an injunction and request a re-hearing before the full Second Circuit, or even to appeal to the Supreme Court. Given how Brady and the NFLPA fought the original four-game suspension in 2015, there’s little reason to think they wouldn’t attempt to get it overturned again for the 2016 season.
However, if today’s ruling is ultimately upheld and Brady serves the four-game suspension, he won’t be eligible to return to regular-season action until Sunday, October 9th in Cleveland. The Patriots would be without their starting quarterback for games against the Cardinals, Dolphins, Texans, and Bills in that scenario.
Jimmy Garoppolo would likely step into the starting role in New England if Brady is forced to miss the first month of the coming season, but the team would have to address the quarterback position further — Brady and Garoppollo are currently the only two QBs on the roster, so another backup would be necessary.
Additionally, assuming the suspension is upheld, it will be interesting to see whether or not the NFL attempts to take away Brady’s pay for four games based on 2015’s salary, or settles for docking that pay from his 2016 salary. Brady reworked his contract earlier this offseason, and will earn a base salary of just $1MM this year, as opposed to $8MM in 2015. Losing four games of 2016 pay would cost him just $235K, whereas it would have cost him $1.88MM a year ago.
The Wells report commissioned by the NFL more than a year ago determined that Brady was “more likely than not” to have been aware of footballs being deflated below their usual levels during the AFC Championship Game against the Colts in January 2015. The league issued a four-game suspension for Brady as a result of those findings, and that penalty was overturned by Judge Berman last summer, prior to the start of the 2015 campaign, allowing Brady to play the full season. The NFL appealed Berman’s decision.
Today’s ruling by the Second Circuit isn’t concerned with whether or not Brady or the Patriots actually deflated footballs intentionally, but rather with the authority of the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell to uphold their disciplinary rulings based on the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Sam Bradford Wants Out Of Philadelphia?
1:22pm: While a trade request has been issued, the Eagles have not given Bradford permission to speak to other teams, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Howie Roseman reiterated to John Clark of CSN Philly today that Bradford is the Eagles’ starting quarterback and there’s no plan to move him.
11:18am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) backs up Schefter’s report, writing that Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, asked for a trade. According to Rapoport, the Eagles were “blindsided” by the trade request, but haven’t changed their view that Bradford is their starter, so it will be interesting to see how this stand-off plays out.
10:24am: Contrary to Robinson’s report (noted below), Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Eagles have been informed Bradford wants to be traded and won’t be showing up for any more of the club’s offseason program.
8:55am: In the wake of the Eagles’ trade for the No. 2 overall pick, at least one report suggested that Sam Bradford may ask for a trade upon recognizing that his odds of a long-term future with the team had dwindled significantly. However, two sources close to Bradford tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that the quarterback has not asked to be traded and has no plans to do so.
According to Robinson, it’s still within the realm of possibility that the Eagles could move Bradford during or after the draft, but the more probable scenario involves the former No. 1 overall pick heading into the 2016 season as the team’s starter. And Bradford intends to embrace that challenge if he remains in Philadelphia, despite being upset about the lost draft assets that could have fortified the roster around him, sources tell Robinson.
Although the Eagles intend to use their No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback – likely Carson Wentz – the plan is to essentially redshirt that QB for his rookie season, so Bradford figures to remain atop the depth chart, with Chase Daniel as his backup.
As Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News observes, Bradford may not have a long-term commitment from the Eagles, but he didn’t have that anyway, even before the trade up to No. 2. Bowen suggests that de facto GM Howie Roseman has no intention of trading Bradford, so the best-case scenario for both sides would be to smooth things over and focus on the incumbent starter having a good season in 2016. In that scenario, the Eagles would have multiple options for 2017, and Bradford could potentially parlay a strong performance into a longer-term deal elsewhere.
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