Charges Against Bills’ Aaron Kromer Dropped
5:27pm: While they haven’t made a final decision yet, the Bills will likely keep Kromer on their staff, suspending him without pay to start the season, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (via Twitter).
4:57pm: The charges against Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer – and his son Zachary Kramer – have been dropped, assistant Florida state attorney Bobby Elmore tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Rodak, the two sides reached an agreement, with the charges dropped at the request of the accusers’ parents.
Kromer, who was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2014, was arrested earlier this month on a misdemeanor battery charge. According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, a juvenile, also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.
The Bills placed Kromer on paid administrative leave while they looked into the incident, so the team will likely make a call on his status soon. With the legal situation now resolved, Buffalo may decide to bring Kromer back into the fold, though the settlement doesn’t necessarily mean the veteran coach was innocent — it just means the accusers were willing to drop the charges.
Seahawks Notes: Wagner, Wilson, Chancellor
The Seahawks made the biggest news of the day this morning when they reached an agreement with Russell Wilson, extending the quarterback’s contract through the 2019 season. Now that Wilson is locked up, linebacker Bobby Wagner is next up for an extension of his own, and head coach Pete Caroll said today that the team is “on it,” hinting it could be done soon, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
For his part, Wagner sounds a little impatient to get a new deal finalized, admitting today that he considered not showing up for camp, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. When asked if he has a deadline for negotiations, Wagner replied, without elaborating, that his deadline is “now.” Following news of Wilson’s agreement this morning, Wagner also tweeted, somewhat ominously, “Can’t keep everyone.”
While we wait to see if the Seahawks work something out with Wagner, let’s round up several more notes on Wilson’s extension and a couple other Seattle players….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links) provide several details on Wilson’s new deal. The base salaries on the contract are $700K (2015), $12.34 (2016), $12.6MM (2017), $15.5MM (2018), and $17MM (2019). The $31MM signing bonus and Wilson’s $700K salary for this season are the only fully guaranteed figures in the pact. Nearly $30MM in future salaries are guaranteed for injury only, and those salaries will become fully guaranteed on the fifth day after the start of the waiver period each year.
- Agent Mark Rodgers had a flight scheduled out of Seattle this morning in the event that he and the Seahawks didn’t reach a compromise on Wilson, suggesting today’s deadline was very real, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rodgers acknowledged that there was a “fairly wide” gap that needed to be closed to get something done with the Seahawks, and said that getting the team to agree to a four-year extension instead of a five-year deal was one key (Twitter links via Pelissero and Condotta).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at Wilson’s extension, comparing it to some other top quarterback deals. According to Fitzgerald, you could make a strong case that Wilson’s contract is the best in the NFL for a player.
- Kam Chancellor, who didn’t report to camp today for the Seahawks, tweeted out a reference to a bible verse that includes the line, “the worker deserves his wages,” Condotta points out (via Twitter).
- Chancellor is one of two notable Seahawks defenders unhappy with his multiyear contract. The other is defensive end Michael Bennett, who thought until the last minute about holding out as well, tweets Condotta. Bennett is prepared to play this season and won’t let his contract situation become a distraction, but he wants to keep talking to the team about a new deal, per Condotta (Twitter link).
AFC East Notes: Richardson, Brady, Dareus
Tim Lohmar, the prosecuting attorney in Sheldon Richardson‘s case, didn’t feel he could get a conviction on a charge of child endangerment, and only charged the Jets defensive lineman with resisting arrest and traffic violations, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Lohmar also couldn’t bring any drug charges against Richardson, despite his car smelling freshly burned marijuana, as he explains to Costello.
“The odor, according to the officer, was such that it was a fresh odor. The weed had just burned,” Lohmar said. “I think you can reasonably assume that had been taking place while they were driving and somewhere between that and the time they were pulled over, whatever was in the car was thrown from the car. We don’t know that, obviously.”
Given the lack of drug charges, the incident may not technically be a violation of the league’s drug policy, though that’s not certain, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Despite the lack of serious charges against Richardson, the NFL will conduct its own investigation and could penalize the Jets defender harshly based on the violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.
However the case plays out, Richardson embarrassed himself and the Jets by trying to hide his arrest, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Here’s more from around the AFC East:
- The NFLPA and NFL have requested an expedited schedule in the Tom Brady case, which would avoid the need for preliminary injunction and would give both sides more certainty, per Gabe Feldman (Twitter links). As Feldman explains (via Twitter), the league and the union agree that “no discovery is needed to adjudicate the motions” and proposed a schedule that would involve filing their motions by August 7, replying by August 14, then making their oral arguments and getting a decision before the start of the NFL regular season. The proposal could set the stage for a settlement between the two sides, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- General manager Doug Whaley said today that his Bills have “exchanged proposals” with Marcell Dareus regarding a new contract, cautioning that “these things take time” (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).
- While the Dolphins have been the team most frequently linked to free agent guard Evan Mathis, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that he has it “on good authority” that the club hasn’t even begun speaking to Drew Rosenhaus about a contract for his client. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports noted yesterday (via Twitter) that the Dolphins’ interest in Mathis had been overstated.
- Although he showed up for the Jets‘ training camp, Muhammad Wilkerson admits that it’s “a little frustrating” not to have a new contract in place yet, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. Wilkerson remains hopeful that the two sides can get something done before the season begins.
Washington Signs Junior Galette
1:38pm: Having made Galette’s signing official, Washington waived linebacker Ja’Gared Davis from its roster in a corresponding move, the team announced (via Twitter).
11:19am: According to Galette’s agent, Alvin Keels (Twitter link), the one-year deal is for the league minimum. Considering Galette got a significant chunk of money from the Saints earlier this year, he’ll still be well-compensated in 2015, but it could be a bargain deal for Washington if he stays out of off-field trouble.
Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Washington will also have the right of first refusal on Galette for 2016, meaning the team will have the chance to match any offer he receives from another club.
11:08am: Four days after being officially released by the Saints, outside linebacker Junior Galette has found a new home. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Galette is signing a one-year deal with Washington for the 2015 season.
Galette, 27, was the Saints’ best pass rusher over the last two seasons, recording 12 sacks in 2013 and picking up another 10 – along with three forced fumbles – in 2014. His production earned him a lucrative contract extension in September, but his offseason was dominated by negative headlines. In January, Galette was arrested on a domestic violence charge that was later dropped. More recently a video from 2013 surfaced showing a man that appears to be Galette involved in a beach brawl, striking a woman with a belt.
The off-field concerns resulted in the Saints releasing Galette on Monday, despite having to eat a huge chunk of dead money. Following the move, reports surfaced indicating that Galette had a negative influence on the New Orleans locker room, and his former teammates didn’t seem too broken up about his departure.
Despite all the negatives – including the fact that Galette is coming back from a pectoral injury – the Washington front office apparently liked what it saw when the veteran free agent visited the team and took a physical this week. Galette will look to join Trent Murphy, Preston Smith, and the just-extended Ryan Kerrigan to create a formidable pass rush in D.C.
There’s still a possibility that the league decides to hand down a suspension for Galette’s off-field behavior, though there’s been no indication that it will happen, and the ex-Saint recently said he thought he was “in the clear” after meeting with league officials.
Cowboys Notes: S. Jackson, Tryouts, Dez
Notable free agent running backs like Ray Rice and Chris Johnson have been linked to the Cowboys in recent weeks, but it appears those rumors are coming from the players’ side rather than from the team, as executive VP Stephen Jones said yesterday that the club has no plans to add a veteran back.
That didn’t stop another veteran free agent, Steven Jackson, from publicly lobbying the team for an opportunity though. As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, Jackson made use of Photoshop and Twitter in trying to get the Cowboys’ attention.
It’s no surprise that Dallas looks like a desirable destination for free agent running backs, considering the team has one of the league’s best offensive lines and no clear-cut candidate to carry the workload now that DeMarco Murray is an Eagle. But for now at least, it appears the Cowboys want to get a good look at the backs on their roster in training camp before they make any changes at the position.
Here’s more out of Dallas:
- With Keith Rivers having retired and Rolando McClain not available for the start of the season, the Cowboys are perusing the free agent market for linebackers. According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter), the club is bringing in Keith Smith, Lawrence Wilson, and Ashlee Palmer for workouts. Tight end Gator Hoskins is also auditioning for Dallas, notes Archer.
- Dez Bryant‘s new $70MM contract isn’t going to change the way he plays, as Archer writes in a piece for ESPN.com. “It’s no pressure. That deal don’t make me,” Bryant said. “I play this game because I love this game. I don’t give a damn about none of that. It’s not going to change the way I play. It’s not going to change the way I act.”
- Over two weeks ago, we heard that Greg Hardy would make a decision “any time now” on whether or not to take the NFL to court over his suspension. Based on how quiet it’s been on the Hardy front, it seems increasingly likely that the defensive end will simply accept his four-game ban, and Cowboys radio analyst Babe Laufenberg thinks the team would be in favor of that decision (link via Dallas Morning News).
Seahawks Sign Russell Wilson To Extension
12:13pm: Wilson has signed his new contract, and the Seahawks have officially confirmed the contract, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
8:47am: The Seahawks have agreed to a contract extension with Russell Wilson, beating the quarterback’s self-imposed deadline, reports Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). According to King, it’s a four-year, $87.6MM deal for Wilson, including a $31MM signing bonus and $60MM in guarantees (Twitter link).
With the Seahawks set to have their first training camp practice today, Wilson was prepared to shut down contract talks and focus on football if the two sides hadn’t worked out an agreement within the next few hours. Instead, he’s poised to sign an extension that will keep him under contract with Seattle through the 2019 season.
The new contract doesn’t make Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the league, but he comes very close to matching Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM per-year salary, with an average annual value of $21.9MM. We’ll have to wait to hear how the deal is structured, and how many of that $60MM in guaranteed money is actually fully guaranteed, but it appears Wilson’s new contract strongly resembles Ben Roethlisberger‘s pact with the Steelers – Big Ben also got a $31MM signing bonus on his four-year, $87.4MM deal.
Earlier in the process, we heard that Wilson was aiming to top Rodgers’ salary, perhaps seeking an annual salary approaching $25MM, so it appears he made some concessions to get something done this week. The Seahawks may have made some concessions of their own, as most quarterback extensions are for longer than four years. The relatively short term, which is in line with extensions Seattle has done for other key players, will allow Wilson to enter the final year of the contract when he’s just 30 years old.
The negotiations between Wilson and the Seahawks have been one of the NFL’s top stories all offseason, as the Super Bowl-winning quarterback had been set to earn a very modest $1.542MM salary in 2015. He and agent Mark Rodgers were reportedly comfortable with playing out the season on that deal, potentially forcing Seattle to use its exclusive franchise tag on Wilson next winter. However, that drama will be avoided now that the two sides have agreed to terms on a long-term contract.
Because Wilson’s 2015 salary was just $1.542MM, his overall five-year contract won’t look quite as impressive as the new-money figures suggest. Again, we’ll have to wait for the full breakdown of the deal to be sure, but it appears as if the extension is worth $87.6MM in new money for four new seasons, and those new-money amounts are typically how the industry evaluates contracts. Still, once we take into account the ’15 season, Wilson’s overall deal will likely be worth $89.142MM over five years, an average of about $17.8MM annually.
Wilson, 26, has led the Seahawks to three straight playoff appearances and consecutive division titles since joining the franchise as a third-round pick in the 2012 draft. With a career 36-12 regular-season record and a Super Bowl victory under his belt, the Wisconsin product has put himself among the top tier of quarterbacks in the NFL. In 2014, he completed 63.1% of his passes, throwing for 3,475 yards, 20 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He also adds value with his legs, running for a career-high 849 yards and six touchdowns last season.
While there had been some questions about whether Wilson deserved a contract in line with the league’s top quarterbacks, given how much the Seahawks lean on their running game and defense to win games, the new deal clearly shows how much the club values its quarterback.
With Wilson now locked up, the Seahawks will be free to focus on a handful of other contract situations. Linebacker Bobby Wagner looks to be next in line for an extension, and left tackle Russell Okung is another candidate for a new deal. However, general manager John Schneider and the Seattle front office may also have to figure out what to do with a couple other players — safety Kam Chancellor is reportedly set to hold out from camp in search of a new deal, and defensive end Michael Bennett is unhappy with his contract as well.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Philip Rivers’ Extension Talks
After being the subject of several trade rumors earlier in the offseason, quarterback Philip Rivers reported to Chargers camp this week, and looks poised to continue his career with the team in 2015 and beyond. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Rivers is “hopeful” of signing an extension with San Diego within the next couple weeks.
While Rivers declined to discuss specific details of his contract talks with the Chargers, Cole hears from sources that the veteran quarterback’s next contract figures to exceed $20MM per year. That would be a significant bump for Rivers, whose current deal paid him $15.3MM annually, but it wouldn’t be a surprise. Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, and now Russell Wilson have all signed contracts this offseason that exceed $20.75MM per year, and I’d expect Rivers’ next deal to be in the same ballpark.
Despite Rivers’ optimism about the chances of a deal getting done within the next couple weeks, the Chargers signal-caller also isn’t averse to playing out the 2015 season on his current deal, says Cole. According to the Bleacher Report scribe, Rivers will likely shut down extension discussions in a few weeks if the two sides still haven’t reached an agreement, since he wants to focus exclusively on football during the season.
Rivers, 33, is coming off a 2014 season in which he threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and a league-high 18 interceptions. The five-time Pro Bowler led San Diego to a 9-7 record, narrowly missing the postseason, despite the fact that the team was missing several key players due to injuries, and Rivers himself was banged up for much of the year.
Bashaud Breeland Suspended One Game
Washington cornerback Bashaud Breeland will serve a one-game suspension to open the 2015 season, stemming from a citation for marijuana possession from last summer, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). The penalty will sideline Breeland for the club’s Week 1 contest at home against the Dolphins.
Breeland, 23, was cited for marijuana possession on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University last August, before he had played in a regular-season NFL game. However, the incident didn’t stop him from earning a starting job for Washington and playing nearly 900 defensive snaps for the team in 2014.
The fourth-round pick was a below-average defender in his rookie year, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), with his 13 penalties negatively impacting his grade. However, even after Washington went out and added Chris Culliver in free agency, Breeland still projects as a starter in the team’s secondary in 2015. In Week 1, either DeAngelo Hall or David Amerson figures to get the opportunity to start across from Culliver.
No Deal Close For Russell Wilson, Seahawks
With Russell Wilson‘s self-imposed deadline for a contract extension right around the corner, the Seahawks and Wilson are talking and trying to work out a deal, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). However, according to Rapoport, there’s pessimism that a deal will get done before Seattle opens training camp tomorrow.
As Rapoport and others have reported, the two sides still aren’t close to agreeing on the amount of cash up front and the guaranteed money in the deal. While the structures discussed by Wilson and the Seahawks have included significant guarantees, the team hasn’t been willing to fully guarantee that money — much of it is guaranteed for injury only.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also reported earlier this week that the $21MM-per-year offer the Seahawks are believed to have made to Wilson refers only to “new money.” In other words, if the Seahawks offered a four-year extension at a rate of $21MM annually, the quarterback would only make about $17.1MM per year over the next five seasons when taking into account his $1.5MM salary for 2015.
As we wait to see whether or not Wilson and the Seahawks can reach a compromise before camp gets underway, here are a few more notes on the situation:
- Per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks’ offer to Wilson is very strong by the team’s standards, but it would be viewed as a weak deal by quarterback standards, in terms of guaranteed money.
- In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry explains why Wilson won’t hold out, and takes an in-depth look at how high the Seahawks should be willing to go to get something done with their star quarterback.
- Former NFL quarterback Warren Moon, a friend of Wilson’s, spoke to Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com about what the Seahawks quarterback is looking for, explaining that he “doesn’t want to sign a deal that becomes obsolete.”
Free Agent Rumors: Bengals, Cherilus, Long
The Bengals are considering adding a veteran receiver to compete in training camp for a roster spot and playing time, and they worked out a couple interesting names today, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Getlin reports that, in addition to Greg Little, Santonio Holmes and David Nelson also auditioned for Cincinnati. Holmes, a longtime Jet, played for the Bears in 2014, while Nelson has accumulated 138 receptions in five seasons with the Bills and Jets. So far, none of the three wideouts have signed with the Bengals.
Here are a few other notes, rumors, and updates on free agency around the NFL:
- Having visited the Bills and Lions, offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus headed home today without a deal in place, and will assess his options, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. If Cherilus is deciding between Buffalo and Detroit and doesn’t plan on making any more visits, I’d expect him to sign soon.
- Another veteran offensive lineman who made some visits this week also remains on the market, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who writes that Jake Long‘s meeting with the Broncos ended without the club signing the former No. 1 pick. Long is also said to be drawing interest from the Falcons and Giants.
- The Cowboys have been linked to free agent running backs most of the offseason, but executive VP Stephen Jones says the team doesn’t have any plans to bring in another one at this point. The team will, however, add a couple linebackers, according to Jones (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
- Free agent cornerback Josh Victorian, who last played a regular season game for Houston in 2013, tried out for the Titans, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).