Malcom Floyd May Retire After Season
Chargers receiver Malcom Floyd is entering the final year of a four-year, $13MM pact, and he’s strongly considering calling it a career once that deal expires, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. According to Williams, Floyd won’t make a final decision until after the 2015 season, but he’s likely to retire after this year.
“My approach is to focus on now, and not trying to worry about what happens after this season,” Floyd said. “It can be a distraction. I’m just trying to throw all of my chips in this year, especially because it’s the last year of my contract and just go all out, and worry about the rest later. But I’ve got four kids and it’s taking time away from them. So I’m thinking about shutting it down at the end of this season.”
Floyd, 33, has been a Charger since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2004, but had one of the most productive seasons of his long career in 2014. Starting all 16 games for the first time, Floyd caught 52 balls and matched career highs with 856 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The performance increased Floyd’s career totals to 291 receptions, 4,989 yards, and 31 TDs.
The 2016 offseason may represent a major transition period for the Chargers, whose future as a franchise in San Diego is uncertain. Besides Floyd, longtime Chargers like Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and Eric Weddle are all entering the final year of their respective contracts, and negotiations (or a lack thereof) between the team and Weddle have been particularly contentious so far. In Floyd’s case, such extension talks won’t be required if he does indeed to decide to call it a career.
Raiders Sign Trindon Holliday
Wide receiver and return specialist Trindon Holliday, who first broke onto the scene returning kicks and punts for the Broncos, has joined another AFC West team, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Getlin reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders have signed Holliday to a contract.
Holliday, 29, was a dynamic return man for Denver in 2012 and 2013, bringing back a total of four kicks and punts for touchdowns over the course of those two regular seasons. As a member of the Broncos in the 2012 postseason, Holliday became the first player to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same playoff game.
However, the Broncos decided not to tender a contract to Holliday when he was eligible for restricted free agency a year ago, leading to a 2014 campaign in which the former sixth-round pick bounced around from team to team and battled injuries along the way. Holliday had stints with the Giants, Buccaneers, and 49ers in 2014, and was ultimately cut by San Francisco in April.
Terms of the agreement haven’t been reported, but I’d expect a one-year, minimum salary contract for the LSU alum.
How Will Newton Deal Affect Wilson, Luck?
With about three months remaining until the 2015 season gets underway, the market for quarterback contract extensions is starting to get interesting. Cam Newton signed a new deal with the Panthers this week, locking him up through the 2020 season, but several notable QBs remain unsign
ed beyond this year. Russell Wilson, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles will all see their contracts expire in the winter, and Andrew Luck is extension-eligible as well, though the Colts exercised their fifth-year option on him for 2016.
Manning and Rivers are veteran signal-callers coming off veteran contracts, and will be entering their mid-30s by the time their next deals begin. Foles, meanwhile, had one incredible season with the Eagles, but doesn’t have nearly the same track record as a player like Newton, Wilson, or Luck. So for now, we’ll just focus on those latter three players, since their situations are the most similar.
Newton, 2011’s No. 1 overall pick, has four NFL seasons under his belt, while Wilson and Luck just have three, but all three quarterbacks have been their respective team’s starter since entering the league — between the three of them, they’ve only missed two total games in their NFL careers (both Newton in 2014, due to a rib injury). With Newton securing a contract that places him among the game’s highest-paid QBs, it makes sense that Wilson and Luck would be paying close attention to the numbers on that deal.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines, the Seahawks will probably view Newton’s contract as a ceiling for Wilson, while Wilson – and agent Mark Rodgers – will consider it his floor. Having played his first three seasons on a third-rounder’s salary, Wilson may be more motivated than Newton (a former No. 1 pick) to maximize his earnings, which could inspire him to play out the 2015 season on his current contract, rather than accepting any sort of discount from Seattle.
As for Luck, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that there’s no question that 2012’s first overall pick should be paid more than Newton, and perhaps more than anyone else in the NFL. The question is how much more.
A look at the career stats for Newton, Wilson, and Luck shows why both unsigned QBs could make a strong case that they’re more deserving than Newton of a mega-deal that exceeds even Aaron Rodgers‘ $20MM for year. All numbers in this chart, with the exception of regular-season and playoff records, are averages per season:
You could make a case that Newton’s supporting cast hasn’t been as strong as Luck’s or Wilson’s during his first few NFL seasons, but it’s not as if Wilson has been surrounded by Pro Bowl wideouts, and the Colts’ inconsistent and unproductive running game hasn’t helped Luck. Newton’s value has also been buoyed by his ability to make things happen with his legs, but Wilson and Luck aren’t exactly statues in the pocket either. Plus, history has shown that a quarterback’s rushing ability typically declines as he gets older, so I doubt the Panthers are expecting Newton to run for 650 yards and eight touchdowns per season over the course of his next contract.
What this chart does show is that Luck is a more productive passer than Newton, averaging about 700 more passing yards and eight more touchdowns per year, despite an up-and-down rookie campaign. As for Wilson, he’s certainly more efficient than Newton, throwing for a higher completion percentage, fewer interceptions, and a much better rating.
Most importantly, both Luck and Wilson have had significantly more postseason success than Newton, whose lone playoff victory came after his team earned a home game in the Wild Card round despite a 7-8-1 record, and defeated a third-string quarterback. Wilson has a Super Bowl win on his résumé, and came one play away from another, while Luck has reached an AFC championship game, and has three career postseason wins. Considering there are many other factors in play, it may not be fair to judge an NFL quarterback so heavily on his playoff success as opposed to his regular season performance, but it happens. Just ask Andy Dalton.
There should be no question then that, unless they decide to take a discount, Luck and Wilson will do even better on their extensions than Newton did on his. With the cap on the rise, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both players exceed Rodgers’ $22MM annual salary, and I could easily imagine Luck setting a new high watermark for guaranteed money. With the Seahawks apparently playing hardball though, and with the Colts postponing Luck’s extensions talks until 2016, it may take some time before those deals are actually consummated.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Details On Cam Newton, Cam Jordan Contracts
More details are trickling in on Cam Newton‘s massive $103.8MM extension with the Panthers, as well as Cameron Jordan‘s new five-year extension with the Saints. We’ll round up the latest on the two NFC South mega-deals right here:
Newton:
- According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), the cap numbers on Newton’s new deal are as follows: $13MM (2015), $19.5MM (2016), $20.166MM (2017), $21.5MM (2018), $23.2MM (2019), and $21.1MM (2020). Corry notes (via Twitter) that the deal includes a $10MM option bonus in 2016, with a $10MM non-exercise fee. The non-exercise fee is the amount that must be paid out if a player is kept on the roster without his option being picked up.
- There have been varying reports on the amount of the full guarantee in the contract. Albert Breer of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that only $31MM is fully guaranteed. That would be the $22.5MM signing bonus, the $7.5MM roster bonus due later this week, and the $1MM base salary for 2015.
- As we passed along earlier today, however, Corry says the full guarantee works out to $41MM, which also seems to include his $10MM option bonus for 2016. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that $54MM is fully guaranteed, which would be the aforementioned amounts, plus Newton’s $13MM base salary for ’16.
- While we may have to wait for further clarification, my guess is that – while it’s possible only $31MM is fully guaranteed at the time of the signing – Corry’s $41MM figure is probably accurate. That $10MM second-year option may not be fully guaranteed at this point, but as Corry wrote in a piece last year, sometimes teams will guarantee future base salary, with that guarantee voiding or reducing after an option has been picked up — that approach minimizes or eliminates the risk of a player being cut before the option exercise period ends.
- One detail that everyone agrees on, which was reported at the time of the initial agreement yesterday, is that the total amount of guaranteed money – including injury-only guarantees – is $60MM.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap breaks down what Newton’s extension looks like in chart form, and also compares the deal to other notable quarterback extensions signed recently.
Jordan:
- While Jordan’s five-year, $55MM extension includes $33MM guaranteed for injury, just $23.96MM is fully guaranteed, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Facebook link). Jordan’s previous $6.969MM salary for 2015 had already been fully guaranteed, so that’s $17MM in new fully guaranteed money.
- When the agreement was first reported yesterday, it was noted that $5MM was available for Jordan in incentives — those are sack-related, according to La Canfora, though he doesn’t have details on the specific requirements.
- If Jordan’s play slips, the Saints could comfortably move on from this contract after two seasons, says La Canfora. In his view, the deal won’t be a point of reference when star lineman like Marcell Dareus and Muhammad Wilkerson are negotiating new contracts, though it may make a good comparable for a player like Cameron Heyward of the Steelers.
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Panthers Sign Cam Newton To Five-Year Extension
WEDNESDAY, 7:53am: According to former agent Joel Corry (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio), $41MM of Newton’s new contract is fully guaranteed at the time of the signing, with a total of $54MM becoming fully guaranteed within the first 12 months of the deal.
TUESDAY, 4:07pm: Newton’s contract calls for a $22.5MM signing bonus, a $7.5MM roster bonus due on June 6th, and a $1MM salary for 2015, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The quarterback, in total, will earn $31MM in 2015.
3:46pm: Newton has officially signed his extension, the Panthers announced today in a press release.
3:35pm: As expected, the Panthers have reached an agreement on a new contract for quarterback Cam Newton, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, it’ll be a five-year extension for Newton worth $103MM. ESPN 730 in Charlotte first reported yesterday that the two sides were nearing a deal.
Per reports from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), the total value of Newton’s extension is actually $103.8MM, while Schefter tweets that the pact includes $60MM in guaranteed money. According to Rapoport, Garafolo, and Schefter (Twitter links), the contract features a payout of $67.6MM in the first three years, a mammoth figure that may represent the highest total ever for the first three years of an NFL contract.
If the entirety of Newton’s $60MM guarantee is fully guaranteed, it would be the highest figure in NFL history, narrowly edging the amount Ndamukong Suh received this offseason. However, we’ll have to wait for the specifics of the contract to be reported and confirmed before we know for sure how it will be structured, and whether or not some of the guarantees are for injury only. For now, Newton’s deal appears to be very similar to the five year, $103.75MM pact Matt Ryan received from the Falcons, which would make the Panthers’ signal-caller one of the NFL’s top-five highest-paid quarterbacks.
The Panthers and Newton had been expected to make every effort to work out a long-term arrangement at some point this offseason, but as of last week, negotiations had “barely gotten off the ground,” tweets Rapoport. Rapoport and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) both indicate that things happened quickly over the last few days, with talks between the team and agents Bus Cook, Chitta Mallik, and Tony Paige intensifying over the weekend.
While Russell Wilson‘s contract talks have dominated the rumor mill in recent weeks, Newton is the other notable young quarterback who would be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season without a new contract. The former No. 1 overall pick was drafted a year earlier than Wilson – in 2011 rather than 2012 – but the Panthers were able to secure him for an extra season beyond his rookie deal by exercising his fifth-year option for ’15. Newton had been on track to earn a salary of $14.666MM for the coming season.
Newton, 26, has earned a pair of Pro Bowl berths during his first four seasons with the Panthers and is coming off a 2014 campaign in which he threw for 3,127 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 14 regular season contests. Despite finishing the season with a 7-8-1 record, Carolina won the NFC South and defeated the Cardinals on Wild Card weekend, the first postseason victory of Newton’s career.
Although Newton’s career passing numbers are somewhat modest, he has provided plenty of value with his legs as well, rushing for 2,571 yards and 33 touchdowns in his four seasons. Additionally, his passing totals were likely stunted somewhat last year due to his mediocre receiving corps — Greg Olsen stepped up and had a career year at tight end, but the wideouts were headed by rookie Kelvin Benjamin and journeyman Jerricho Cotchery. With Benjamin expected to take a step forward in his second year and 2015 second-rounder Devin Funchess added to the mix, Newton should have a little more help going forward.
Outside of Wilson, other big-name quarterbacks whose contracts are set to expire after the 2015 season include Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Nick Foles. Of that group, Manning and Rivers are coming off veteran deals, so their negotiations will look a little different than Newton’s or Wilson’s. As for Foles, he’s finishing up his rookie contract, but his next deal will hinge significantly on how he adjusts with his new team in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Welker, Eagles, Boykin, JPP
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, free agent wideout Wes Welker told Toucher and Rich of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he wants to continue his playing career, and wouldn’t be opposed to rejoining the Patriots.
Examining potential fits for Welker, Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) agrees that perhaps New England could be a match, though he gets the sense that it’s unlikely to happen. Yates also identifies the Ravens and Texans as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Two Eagles players who were the subject of trade rumors in Philadelphia this offseason addressed those rumors recently. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the quotes from defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, while Mark Eckel of NJ.com passes along linebacker Mychal Kendricks‘ thoughts on the matter. Kendricks said he expects to still be on Philadelphia’s roster by the time the season gets underway, but admitted there haven’t been any extension talks with the team.
- Eagles cornerback Brandon Boykin is expecting to continue to play in the slot this season rather than getting a chance to start on the outside, and says that story is “getting real old,” writes McLane in a separate Inquirer piece. As Zach Berman of the Inquirer tweets, Boykin says if he plays well in his contract year, he expects he’ll get the chance to play a bigger role when free agency hits.
- Cameron Jordan and Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t entirely comparable, but Jordan’s new five-year, $55MM contract (worth up to $60MM) could have an impact on JPP’s negotiations with the Giants, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Latest On Adrian Peterson
3:07pm: Speaking to reporters today in Minnesota, Zimmer said that the Vikings had no conversations about trading Peterson this offseason (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). The former MVP himself also addressed the media. Here are a few highlights from his comments:
- Asked about his reported desire for a trade or to retire, and comments made by agent Ben Dogra, Peterson said Dogra was “doing his job” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). For his part, Peterson insists he didn’t know what he wanted, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- While he may not have known where he wanted to be earlier in the offseason, Peterson says he’s happy now being in Minnesota and being a Vikings, per Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
- “I’m definitely not the victim, and I haven’t tried to play the victim in this role,” Peterson said (Twitter link via Goessling). Some of his comments and actions earlier in the offseason make that a dubious statement.
- Peterson confirmed that Zimmer played a major role in getting him back to Minnesota. “Maybe even moreso than he knows,” the running back said (Twitter link via Vensel).
2:25pm: As we learned this morning that he would, Adrian Peterson returned to Minnesota and reported to the Vikings’ OTAs today for the first time this spring. At the time, reports indicated that, even though the running back was willing to get back on the field for the Vikes, his contract hadn’t been modified at all, and the two sides hadn’t even recently discussed a restructured deal.
Here are the latest updates on that contract situation, along with a note on Peterson’s participation in the club’s offseason program:
- A league source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Peterson hasn’t been given any assurances about his contract. However, Goessling expects something to eventually get done.
- Peterson’s attendance today won’t be a one-time thing — the 30-year-old will be at the rest of the club’s OTAs and the June minicamp, tweets Goessling. I expect Peterson to report to training camp as well, though perhaps that could hinge on whether or not the two sides have worked out a contract agreement by that point.
- Everything the Vikings have done with Peterson this offseason suggests they plan on keeping him around beyond the 2015 season, writes Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. As such, it makes sense for the team to address the running back’s contract soon to avoid having this same situation play out next year.
Goodell Won’t Recuse Himself From Brady Appeal
JUNE 2, 1:33pm: Goodell has now made it official, informing the NFLPA that he’ll hear Brady’s appeal, and won’t recuse himself, per Garafolo (Twitter links). The commissioner insists that his “mind is open” on the case, and he hasn’t pre-judged Brady.
MAY 22, 4:01pm: Despite several other writers confirming La Canfora’s report, NFLPA spokesman Greg Aiello says no final decision has been made on the union’s request for Goodell to recuse himself, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. La Canfora tweets that while technically Goodell himself didn’t reject the NFLPA’s request, NFL lawyers filed papers saying their position is that the commissioner will hear Brady’s appeal.
3:15pm: The NFL has denied the NFL Players Association’s request for commissioner Roger Goodell to recuse himself from the union’s appeal of Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Following the NFLPA’s announcements that it had officially filed an appeal on behalf of Brady, Goodell appointed himself as the arbitrator in the case. The union felt this was a conflict of interest, particularly since the NFLPA’s counsel intended to call the commissioner as a witness during the appeal process. However, it never appeared likely that Goodell would assent to the union’s request to remove himself from the process, since the league’s CBA allows him to serve as the arbitrator.
As La Canfora observes (via Twitter), Goodell staying on as arbitrator in Brady’s appeal makes it more likely that the case will eventually go to court, unless of course the commissioner overturns the suspension. Goodell strongly hinted at the conclusion of this week’s owner’s meetings in San Francisco that the only thing that would make him reconsider the four-game ban handed down by Troy Vincent would be if Brady brings forth new information on the case — in other words, if he surrenders his emails and text messages.
No date has been set yet for Brady’s appeal hearing.
West Notes: Weddle, Rucker, Cards, Dawson
Longtime Chargers safety Eric Weddle “seems destined to depart San Diego as a free agent” when his contract expires after the 2015 season, says Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Acee, who reported on Monday that the team has told Weddle and agent David Canter that they won’t negotiate a new contract this year, says the bridge between the two sides may not be irreparable. However, head coach Mike McCoy is believed to be siding with management in Weddle’s contract dispute – reportedly rubbing some veteran players the wrong way in the process – and Canter describes the Chargers’ current stance as “disgusting.”
“It’s blatantly obvious after me asking the team time and again to extend us that Eric isn’t wanted,” Canter said. “So it’s time for Eric to move on [to] where he can win and is wanted.”
Weddle is still expected to play out the 2015 season in San Diego, and anything could happen between now and March, when he’s slated to hit the open market. But at this point, the two-time All-Pro appears to be preparing to play his last 16 games with the Chargers.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Field Yates of ESPN.com has the details on Frostee Rucker‘s new deal with the Cardinals, tweeting that the extension includes $500K guaranteed, a $1MM base salary for 2016, and $2MM in total new money. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post provides a few more specifics on Rucker’s contract, which includes bonuses and incentives as well.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians thinks his team is set at the quarterback position, but Bob McManamon of AZCentral.com makes a case for why the club should consider bringing in another veteran signal-caller.
- $500K of Phil Dawson‘s $3.134MM base salary for 2015 became fully guaranteed this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The veteran 49ers kicker is eligible for free agency after the coming season.
- While Floyd Kephart is expected to propose a financing plan for a stadium in Oakland, the executive director of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, Scott McKibben, says his group is prepared to move on to “other options” quickly if a deal with Kephart doesn’t happen, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. “We need to get something done sooner than later,” McKibben said, addressing the possibility of the Raiders remaining in Oakland.