Russell Wilson Notes: Thursday
Even during these few weeks of relative inaction in the NFL calendar, the Russell Wilson contract situation continues to dominate headlines. Here are Thursday’s updates and links on a possible extension for the Seahawks quarterback:
- Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, typically negotiates baseball contracts, and as he tells Jon Santucci of TCPalm.com, there aren’t as many stats and metrics to measure a player’s true value in the NFL. “It’s so different in football,” Rodgers said. “In baseball, you can dive into analytics. In baseball, there are so many numbers that really define the player to the minutest detail. In football, it’s a little simpler. I don’t have to argue statistics with the Seattle Seahawks on the value of Russell Wilson. In football, the most important stat to me has always been ‘Does he win?’ It’s hard to argue that Russell Wilson doesn’t win.”
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, no one can argue that Wilson has been a winner so far in his NFL career, but it’s unclear whether he’ll continue to pile up victories if and when he accounts for a much larger chunk of the Seahawks’ salary cap. In that scenario, the team will have less cap room to use on the other players who have contributed to making Seattle a winning franchise in recent years, according to Florio, who suggests that Wilson will probably have to leave the Seahawks if he wants to truly maximize his earning potential.
- After informally polling NFL contract negotiators and agents this week, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes that Wilson could probably earn annual salaries of around $30MM if there was no salary cap in the NFL.
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Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: AFC North
Before NFL training camps get underway next month, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series last week by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, and looked at the NFC North yesterday. Today, we’ll head back to the AFC to examine the AFC North.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four AFC North franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Baltimore Ravens:
- Joe Flacco, QB: $14,550,000
- Ray Rice, RB: $9,500,000 (dead money)
- Lardarius Webb, CB: $9,250,000
- Marshal Yanda, G: $8,450,000
- Eugene Monroe, LT: $7,700,000
- Haloti Ngata, DT: $7,500,000 (dead money)
- Elvis Dumervil, OLB: $7,375,000
- Dennis Pitta, TE: $6,200,000
- Steve Smith, WR: $4,166,666
- Terrell Suggs, OLB: $3,950,000
Total: $78,641,666
The Ravens have a good chunk of money tied up in players no longer on the roster or coming off injury-plagued seasons. Health issues slowed Webb and Monroe in 2014, while Pitta’s career could be in jeopardy following the latest procedure on his hip.
Still, most of the players who have top-10 cap hits – at least those still on the roster – are among Baltimore’s top contributors. The club may have to address a number of the contracts near the top of the list after the season, if not before then, as Yanda is entering a contract year while Flacco’s cap charge soars to $28MM+ in 2015.
One contract the team already addressed in recent months was Webb’s, though it remains to be seen if the team will want to commit $9.5MM in cap room to him in 2016, with fellow cornerback Jimmy Smith set to count for $9.6MM. Another restructure may be necessary for Webb to stick around.
Cincinnati Bengals:
- A.J. Green, WR: $10,176,000
- Andy Dalton, QB: $9,600,000
- Leon Hall, CB: $9,600,000
- Geno Atkins, DT: $9,000,000
- Rey Maualuga, LB: $7,137,500
- Andre Smith, RT: $6,362,500
- Andrew Whitworth, LT: $6,200,000
- Vontaze Burfict, LB: $5,175,000
- Clint Boling, G: $5,100,000
- Carlos Dunlap, DE: $4,900,000
Total: $73,251,000
Few teams have managed their cap better than the Bengals in recent years, and their combined cap charge for their top highest-paid players is relatively modest compared to their division rivals. Not only does Cincinnati not have any dead-money players in its top 10, but the entire sum of the dead money on the team’s cap for 2015 works out to a minuscule $800K.
Despite their impressive cap management, the Bengals haven’t been able to make a deep playoff run, and typically Dalton is assigned the blame for the club’s postseason shortcomings. For now, his cap number is fairly modest, but his new contract is structured in such a way that the Bengals will be able to move on from him if they want to in future years, as his cap charge increases to the $15-17MM per year range.
Out of all 16 East and North teams we’ve examined so far, no club has a smaller No. 1 cap hit than the Bengals, with Green barely cracking eight digits. That figure could end up going even lower, since the star wideout is entering a contract year and is considered a strong candidate for an extension — a new deal might reduce his 2015 cap number, depending on how Cincinnati structures it.
Cleveland Browns:
- Joe Haden, CB: $11,700,000
- Joe Thomas, LT: $10,200,000
- Paul Kruger, OLB: $8,200,000
- Alex Mack, C: $8,000,000
- Desmond Bryant, DL: $7,000,000
- Donte Whitner, S: $6,750,000
- Tramon Williams, CB: $6,500,000
- Karlos Dansby, LB: $5,500,000
- Phil Taylor, DT: $5,477,000
- Andrew Hawkins, WR: $5,000,000
Total: $74,327,000
Like the Bengals, the Browns have avoided taking on significant dead-money charges, but Cleveland’s top-10 list is still rather unusual. Dominated by defensive players, the list features only three offensive players, and two of them are linemen.
The only offensive skill-position player on Cleveland’s list isn’t a quarterback — it’s Hawkins, whose contract is heavily front-loaded, since he was signed as a restricted free agent and the Browns didn’t want the Bengals to match his offer sheet. After sneaking into the club’s top 10 cap hits this year, Hawkins will see his cap number dip to $1MM in 2016.
Had we extended the list to a top 15, two other offensive veterans would’ve made the cut: wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and quarterback Josh McCown, who will likely be the team’s starter this fall.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- Ben Roethlisberger, QB: $17,245,000
- Lawrence Timmons, LB: $12,566,250
- Antonio Brown, WR: $9,787,500
- LaMarr Woodley, OLB: $8,580,000 (dead money)
- Cortez Allen, CB: $6,981,000
- Cameron Heyward, DL: $6,969,000
- Heath Miller, TE: $5,666,666
- Troy Polamalu, S: $4,500,000 (dead money)
- Maurkice Pouncey, C: $4,296,000
- Shaun Suisham, K: $3,665,000
Total: $80,256,416
After a pair of 8-8 seasons, the Steelers bounced back in 2014 to win the division, but you wouldn’t know it to look at this list. Pittsburgh has committed more than $80MM in cap room to its top 10 players, more than any other club in the division, and there are some questionable names amongst those top 10.
Timmons is the league’s highest-paid inside linebacker, with a cap number way above the typical figures for the position; Woodley and Polamalu are no longer on the roster; Allen is coming off a disappointing season; and Suisham is the only kicker to rank among his team’s top 10 cap numbers in the division.
Despite all that, the presence of Pro Bowlers like Roethlisberger, Brown, and Pouncey salvages the Steelers’ list. Those players, along with Suisham, are among the league’s best at their respective positions, which makes it a little easier for the club to stomach some misuses of cap room elsewhere on the roster.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
2015 Supplemental Draft Set For July 9
The 2015 NFL supplemental draft will take place on July 9, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport notes, with some intriguing prospects eligible to be selected in this year’s supplemental draft, we could have our first player selected since the Browns picked Josh Gordon in 2012.
The supplemental draft allows clubs to select players who for some reason were unable to enter the standard draft; academic trouble or disciplinary issues are often – but not always – key factors. If a team selects a player in the supplementary draft, it will lose its corresponding pick in the following year’s standard draft. For example, if a club were to select a player in the fourth round of the supplemental, it will lose its 2016 fourth-rounder as a result.
Most players who enter the supplemental draft ultimately go undrafted, allowing them to become free agents and sign with any team. That has been the case over the last two years, as supplemental draft day came and went without any selections. The last two players to be picked were Terrelle Pryor (third round, 2011) by the Raiders and Gordon (second round, 2012).
So far, four players are known to have declared for the 2015 supplemental draft: Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle, West Georgia defensive tackle Dalvon Stuckey, West Georgia defensive end Darrius Caldwell, and North Carolina Central receiver Adrian Wilkins. Battle, in particular, is viewed as a strong candidate to come off the board, as we heard last week.
Meanwhile, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the two West Georgia prospects are scheduled to work out for NFL scouts this Thursday afternoon. Per Wilson, 20 NFL teams have indicated that they plan to attend the session.
NFC East Links: Thurmond, RGIII, Mathews
After rounding up some AFC East notes this morning, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC East, where we have items on all four clubs…
- Heading into this year’s free agent period began, there was no chance of Walter Thurmond re-signing with the Giants, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com wonders if some recent comments Thurmond made about coach Tom Coughlin provide a clue for why the cornerback didn’t want to remain in New York.
- John Keim of ESPN.com liked the work Washington did this offseason, giving the team a grade of A-minus for its moves. However, he’s still taking a wait-and-see approach to the 2015 season, noting that its not clear yet if the club has a long-term answer at head coach or quarterback.
- Speaking of Washington‘s quarterback, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders how much Robert Griffin III will benefit this season from the club’s improved offensive line.
- While the Eagles‘ signing of DeMarco Murray earned most of the headlines in Philadelphia this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap thinks the team’s deal with Ryan Mathews is one of the best running back bargains in the NFL.
- After signing a new contract with the Cowboys this offseason, wide receiver Cole Beasley recognizes that the team has higher expectations for him, but tells Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com that he’s approaching the 2015 season with the same mentality he always has, since “no one expects more from me than I do” (transcript via the Dallas Morning News).
AFC East Notes: Brady, Dareus, Bills
If Tom Brady is exonerated in the DeflateGate case by the NFL or the outside legal system, could the Patriots quarterback could get some payback against the league in the form of a defamation suit? Christopher Price of WEEI.com explores the issue, noting that legal analyst Michael McCann recently indicated it would be a tough suit to win.
“Brady would need to show that not only were public statements made about him false and damaging to his reputation, but he’d have to show those statements were made with actual malice, which means knowingly or intentionally,” McCann said. “In other words, if the Wells Report contained reputationally-damaging inaccuracies or lies about Brady, that would not be enough for Brady to prevail in a defamation lawsuit.”
Here’s more from around the AFC East:
- The Bills have said one of their top priorities this year is to lock up Marcell Dareus to a long-term extension, and the defensive tackle sounds like he’d like to stay in Buffalo. Speaking to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, Dareus praised the work done in recent years by GM Doug Whaley and president Russ Brandon: “We’ve got a better locker room, a better team atmosphere, and the organization is slowly but surely changing altogether. … We’re just enjoying it all.”
- It would be easy to assume the Bills‘ starting quarterback battle is a two-man race between Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel, the two signal-callers with starting experience. But Rex Ryan‘s fondness for Tyrod Taylor, along with the fact that no one separate himself from the pack during offseason practices, means the former Raven could challenge for the job, writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. The club’s quarterback competition was the subject of one of our Community Tailgate discussions earlier this month.
- The Jets, Dolphins, and Bills were among the NFL’s most active teams this offseason as they tried to load up to topple the Patriots in the AFC East. However, according to ESPN’s future power rankings, New England is still the team in the best shape for the next three seasons, by a comfortable margin. In the Insider-only feature, the Pats placed third among NFL teams, while the Jets, Dolphins, and Bills rank 21st, 23rd, and 26th, respectively.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Russell Wilson Rumors: Tuesday
In an interview with ESPN on Monday night, Russell Wilson handled questions about his contract situation with his usual tact, declining to reveal any details about the negotiations. The Seahawks quarterback said his relationship is “great and “not bad by any means,” adding that he’ll “trust the process” in getting a deal done (link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Still, Wilson did make one comment that raised some eyebrows. Here’s more on that, along with the rest of today’s Wilson notes and rumors:
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson did mention a specific figure when asked about his value, albeit in a roundabout way. “No matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25MM or $1.5MM,” Wilson said. “I’ll be ready to go.” As Florio points out, the latter figure is the QB’s salary for 2015 — could the first figure be the salary he’s seeking on his new deal?
- Of course, it’s entirely possible that Wilson just said the first large, round number that came into his head. But it’s worth noting that last year around this time, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com indicated that people around the league thought Wilson and Andrew Luck could eventually sign contracts worth $24-25MM annually.
- For his part, agent Mark Rodgers joked about Wilson’s mention of $25MM by tweeting, “I wish he had said $40 million. Then this would really be interesting. #patience #relax #nodeadline.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes an interesting, in-depth look at what sort of guaranteed money Wilson might be looking at on his next contract.
Community Tailgate: Eli Manning’s Contract
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this month, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
As I outlined this morning, agent Tom Condon told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News over the weekend that he’s confident the Giants will eventually sign his client, quarterback Eli Manning, to a new contract. Vacchiano rightly points out that very few top signal-callers ultimately reach free agency, suggesting that he thinks the Giants and Manning will reach an accord at “the appropriate time.” With Manning preparing to enter a contract year, it’s not clear yet when that “appropriate time” will arrive, and what an appropriate deal for the 34-year-old would look like.
Manning had the worst season of his career in 2013, leading the NFL with a career-high 27 interceptions and suffering his first losing season since his rookie year. He got off to another shaky start in 2014 under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, but quickly righted the ship and finished the year with 4,410 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and a career-best 63.1% completion percentage.
While the Giants have to be encouraged by Manning’s play last year, the team may want to wait until after the 2015 season to negotiate his next contract, in order to assess how the QB’s second year with McAdoo plays out. It’s also possible the club wants to wait for Philip Rivers to re-up with the Chargers to help set the market for Manning.
Another accomplished veteran signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger, inked a four-year extension worth $87.4MM with the Steelers earlier this offseason. Of course, while Big Ben’s deal may be a point of reference for the Manning talks, Roethlisberger is a year younger than the Giants’ starter and is coming off the best season of his career, so Manning may not match or surpass those contract figures.
What do you think? Will Manning sign a new contract with the Giants before the season, after the season, or not at all? Assuming he re-ups with New York, will Manning match Roethlisberger’s $21.85MM annual salary? Jump into the comment section below to voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: NFC North
Between now and the start of NFL training camps, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series last week by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, and today we’ll head up to the NFC North.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four NFC North franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Chicago Bears:
- Jay Cutler, QB: $16,500,000
- Jared Allen, DE/OLB: $12,500,000
- Matt Forte, RB: $9,200,000
- Jermon Bushrod, LT: $8,050,000
- Lamarr Houston, DE/OLB: $6,990,000
- Pernell McPhee, OLB: $6,675,000
- Martellus Bennett, TE: $6,125,000
- Brandon Marshall, WR: $5,625,000 (dead money)
- Eddie Royal, WR: $5,500,000
- Tim Jennings, CB: $5,250,000
Total: $77,690,000
There are a couple missteps among the Bears’ top cap hits, but most of the players on this list are expected to be key contributors in the 2015 season, which is more than can be said for some teams. Still, it’s fair to wonder if the Bears would’ve made such big commitments to Allen and Houston if they knew they’d be bringing in a 3-4 defensive coordinator (Vic Fangio) this year — I’m guessing not.
The placement of two wideouts near the bottom of the Chicago top 10 is also worth noting. Marshall’s dead money charge couldn’t be avoided once the club decided to move on from him, but how effective will Royal be replacing Marshall’s production? His contract raised a few eyebrows around the league this offseason, as the Bears seem to be counting heavily on the veteran receiver recreating the rapport he had with Cutler back in Denver.
While offseason signees McPhee and Royal earn spots on this list, two players in the top 10 are seeking new contracts, as both Forte and Bennett skipped OTAs this spring. Bennett still has a couple years left on his deal, while Forte is entering a contract year.
Detroit Lions:
- Calvin Johnson, WR: $20,558,000
- Matthew Stafford, QB: $17,721,250
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: $9,737,500 (dead money)
- Haloti Ngata, DT: $8,500,000
- Stephen Tulloch, LB: $5,800,000
- Golden Tate, WR: $5,350,000
- Ezekiel Ansah, DE: $5,071,228
- DeAndre Levy, LB: $4,500,000
- Jason Jones, DE: $3,983,334
- Chris Houston, CB: $3,900,000 (dead money)
Total: $85,121,312
No team we’ve examined so far has a combined top-10 cap number higher than the Lions’ $85MM+ figure. That amount is heavily impacted by the team’s “big three” of Johnson, Stafford, and Suh. Considering Suh counts for nearly $10MM against Detroit’s cap even now that he’s not on the team, it’s scary to think what his cap hit might have looked like in 2015 and future years if he had been re-signed.
Despite Suh’s departure, the Lions are still investing a significant chunk of cap space into their defensive line, with Ngata, Ansah, and Jones also in the top 10. With the Pro Bowler gone, it remains to be seen how productive that line can be going forward.
Given the two dead-money charges in Detroit’s top 10, along with the presence of multiple players coming back from injury-plagued 2014 campaigns, you could make the case that the Lions’ top 10 cap numbers are the worst of any in the NFC North — we’ll see if that catches up to the club this year on the heels of a successful 2014 season.
Green Bay Packers:
- Aaron Rodgers, QB: $18,250,000
- Clay Matthews, OLB: $12,700,000
- Julius Peppers, DE/OLB: $12,000,000
- Sam Shields, CB: $9,062,500
- Josh Sitton, G: $7,000,000
- T.J. Lang, G: $5,800,000
- Randall Cobb, WR: $5,350,000
- Morgan Burnett, S: $5,131,250
- Jordy Nelson, WR: $4,600,000
- Mike Neal, DL: $4,250,000
Total: $84,143,750
The total cap cost of the Packers’ top 10 charges nearly equals that of the Lions, but Green Bay’s list is devoid of any dead money, and half of these players earned Pro Bowl spots last season. Two of those Pro Bowlers were Cobb and Nelson, whose cap hits will be on the rise after the 2015 season, with Cobb’s increasing to $12.75MM by 2017, while Nelson’s will be $11.55MM that same year.
Rodgers’ $18.25MM cap number represents the second-largest charge in the division for 2015, and bumps up Green Bay’s combined top-10 total, but the perennial MVP candidate is still a bargain at that price. There’s no doubt that any NFL team would rather carry Rodgers at $18.25MM than Stafford at $17.72MM or Cutler at $16.5MM.
A $12MM cap hit for a defensive player entering his age-35 season typically isn’t a great use of space, but Peppers was impressive in his first year in Green Bay, forcing six fumbles and returning two interceptions for touchdowns, in addition to recording seven sacks — he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best 3-4 outside linebacker in 2014 (subscription required), so that cap number is manageable.
Minnesota Vikings:
- Adrian Peterson, RB: $15,400,000
- Mike Wallace, WR: $9,900,000
- Everson Griffen, DE: $8,200,000
- John Sullivan, C: $7,333,333
- Phil Loadholt, RT: $6,750,000
- Kyle Rudolph, TE: $6,440,625
- Matt Kalil, LT: $6,290,644
- Greg Jennings, WR: $6,000,000 (dead money)
- Brian Robison, DE: $5,650,000
- Chad Greenway, LB: $5,575,000
Total: $77,539,602
The fact that Teddy Bridgewater is so inexpensive for the Vikings means they can allocate their cap room to other positions, and the team’s top-10 list is heavy on offensive skill players and offensive and defensive linemen. The list also features a mix of good and bad investments.
Among those bad investments: Jennings, who will count for $6MM in dead money against the club’s cap after being released earlier in the offseason. He and Wallace will combine for a cap number of nearly $16MM, which is way too much to pay for two veteran receivers whose best years may be behind them, particularly when one’s not even on the roster anymore. The Vikes will hope a change of scenery rejuvenates Wallace, but the former Steeler didn’t put up No. 1 receiver numbers in Miami.
Peterson is the most interesting case, sitting atop the Vikings’ top-10 list by a comfortable margin. The former MVP was still one of the league’s best running backs, if not the best, the last time we saw him on the field. But $15.4MM is a huge cap hit for any running back, and Peterson is 30 years old and coming off a lost season. It’s no wonder he wants to get a portion of his 2016 salary guaranteed — a down year could spell the end of Peterson’s time in Minnesota, given his pricey cap charge.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
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