Poll: Will Demaryius Thomas Sign Long-Term Deal?
Four franchise-tagged players remain unsigned, and last week I asked Pro Football Rumors readers whether Justin Houston, Dez Bryant, and Jason Pierre-Paul would sign long-term contracts with their respective teams this summer. In all three instances, most respondents believed that those stars are more likely to play out the 2015 season on a one-year franchise tender rather than signing a multiyear extension.
We’ll see if we buck that trend today, as we examine the fourth and final franchised player who is still technically a free agent. Demaryius Thomas received a $12.823MM tender from the Broncos, but has yet to sign, as the two sides mull a longer-term agreement.
Thomas has been a candidate for a contract extension for quite some time, and I explored his case for a lucrative multiyear pact last June. At the time, I noted that Peyton Manning‘s uncertain future in Denver muddies the waters on a deal for Thomas. After all, if he were to tack on four or five new seasons to his current franchise tag, Thomas would likely play out the majority of that contract with a quarterback besides Manning at the helm. Considering the bump Thomas’ numbers have received from Manning in recent years, that makes it tricky to ascertain the wideout’s value.
Still, even if the Broncos and Thomas may have a hard time pinpointing an annual salary (and an amount of guaranteed money) that makes sense for both sides, it would surprise me if they didn’t reach an accord at some point, likely before this year’s July 15 deadline. After all, the Broncos have let standout pass catchers like Eric Decker and Julius Thomas leave via free agency during the past two offseasons. Demaryius Thomas is a better all-around receiver than either of those players, and it makes sense that Denver would set aside some money and some cap space to eventually lock him up, rather than giving massive deals to lesser pass-catchers.
The last real update we heard on Thomas came back in April, when GM John Elway expressed some mild annoyance that the wideout wasn’t at Denver’s voluntary offseason workouts. However, Elway also reiterated at that point that extending Thomas is a top priority for the Broncos. I think it’ll happen within the next few weeks. What do you think?
NFC Notes: A. Smith, Hardy, R. Mathis
As we turn the calendar to June, let’s check out a few Monday morning items from across the NFC, starting with a contract update out of San Francisco….
- After restructuring his contract earlier this offseason, 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith is in line for a $200K roster bonus today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
- Greg Hardy had a run-in with fellow defensive lineman Davon Coleman during a Cowboys’ practice in April, but the reviews on the former Panther have all been positive since then, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. With players, coaches, and executives alike all praising Hardy, it doesn’t appear the Cowboys will have the same sort of buyers’ remorse the Bears did with Ray McDonald.
- Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis has been telling people that his current two-year contract will likely be his last NFL deal, but that isn’t a sure thing — coaches have told him he could extend his career at safety, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
- With June 1 having arrived, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com takes a look at whether the time has come for the Cowboys to address Brandon Carr‘s contract.
- In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com addresses the Adrian Peterson/Vikings standoff, the challenge that new Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is facing, and several other topics from around the league.
- Panthers wideout and return man Philly Brown will go by his given name, Corey Brown, during his second year in Carolina, as Pat James of the Charlotte Observer writes.
Cam Newton, Panthers Nearing Long-Term Deal
10:31am: Newton’s deal won’t be structured like Dalton’s or Kaepernick’s, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, who says (via Twitter) to expect significant guaranteed money.
9:31am: According to Rapoport (Twitter link), the five new years on Newton’s deal are expected to be worth more than $100MM.
8:53am: The Panthers and Cam Newton are closing in a long-term extension that would keep the quarterback locked up through the 2020 season, league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). ESPN 730 in Charlotte was the first to tweet that the two sides are nearing an agreement, with both reports suggesting that a deal could be finalized as soon as today.
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 Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport and Person (Twitter link) both indicate that things happened quickly over the last few days, with talks between the team and agents Bus Cook 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.
It’s not clear yet what the numbers on Newton’s new contract will look like. I’d expect his deal to be more player-friendly extensions signed by Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick, and Ryan Tannehill, but not as lucrative as contracts like Jay Cutler‘s and Joe Flacco‘s. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, Newton’s pact should feature much more guaranteed money than Tannehill got last month ($21.5MM fully guaranteed, $45MM in overall guarantees). An annual average salary in the neighborhood of $20MM also seems likely.
Outside of Newton and 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.
Falcons To Sign Chris Chester
SATURDAY, 11:50am: The Falcons have officially announced the signing.
FRIDAY, 9:33pm: Chester will get a one-year, $2.8MM deal from the Falcons, tweets McClure.
8:29pm: Released two days ago by Washington, veteran guard Chris Chester didn’t last long on the free agent market. According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Chester is signing with the Falcons after paying a visit to the team today.
Chester, 32, started at right guard for Washington last season, but with 2014 third-rounder Spencer Long ready to take over that role and Chester’s cap number approaching $5MM, the veteran became expendable. Still, while Spencer, a former second-round pick, may not have been in Washington’s long-term plans, he can still be a positive contributor.
In 2014, Chester played the eighth-most offensive snaps among guards (1,091), and ranked 33rd among 78 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). With a +6.4 grade as a pass blocker, Chester was better in that aspect of the game than he was as a run blocker, though that’s not necessarily consistent with his career performance.
Earlier today, we heard that Chester was set to visit Atlanta and Philadelphia, but it appears head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons didn’t let him leave to meet with the Eagles. As I noted this afternoon, the Falcons have Harland Gunn, who has made one career start, penciled in as a potential starter at one of their guard spots following the departure of Justin Blalock, so bringing in a veteran like Chester makes sense.
When he officially joins the Falcons, Chester will reunite with Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons’ new offensive coordinator who previously held the same position in Washington.
Extra Points: Moore, Kerrigan, Chiefs
We heard near the start of the offseason that veteran wide receiver Lance Moore asked the Steelers to release him, and the team eventually obliged. Having landed with the Lions, Moore opened up to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his desire to move on from Pittsburgh.
“I knew the day after the playoff loss that we had, I knew that I didn’t want to be there anymore,” Moore said. “They made me inactive. And I knew at that point that the writing is on the wall. I could see what their future plans were for me; it was the first time in my career that I was a healthy inactive.
“People always ask me what happened or what didn’t go right, or why did it go so wrong?” Moore continued. “I really don’t know, other than I was hurt early in the year, it never quite clicked for Ben and I, and young guys played well. I guess that’s (it).”
As Moore looks to earn a roster spot in Detroit, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the NFL…
- Speaking to reporters today, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link), Washington pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan said there’s no update on his contract negotiations. However, Kerrigan also acknowledged that his agent is handling all those talks, so he may not be up to date on the latest developments.
- Discussing the team’s stadium situation, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Chargers have an obligation to try everything they can to make it work in San Diego before deciding to move to Los Angeles.
- The Chiefs announced five front office promotions today, with the most notable being Chris Ballard‘s elevation from director of player personnel to director of football operations. Ballard spoke to the Bears about their general manager job this past winter, and also drew interest from the Jets and Eagles.
- The man who beat out Ballard for the GM job in Chicago, Ryan Pace, discussed his latest additions to the Bears organization, as Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com outlines.
- In an effort to identify the most player-friendly contracts among veteran quarterbacks, Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) ranks Joe Flacco‘s deal atop the list, with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers close behind.
Minor Moves: Friday
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Browns have cut long snapper Christian Yount, the team confirmed today in a press release. Yount has acted as Cleveland’s regular long snapper since 2011, and his release leaves the team with just one LS, inexperienced Charley Hughlett, on its roster. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com first reported (via Twitter) that the Browns were expected to part ways with Yount.
- The Colts have waived linebacker Shawn Loiseau, the team announced today in a press release. Loiseau, who has yet to appear in an NFL regular season game, spent the entire 2014 campaign on the injured reserve list due to a torn ACL.
- After being waived with an injury designation by the Ravens on Thursday, cornerback Julian Wilson cleared waivers today and was placed on Baltimore’s IR, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Wilson also passes along an update on the Falcons, tweeting that the team waived linebacker Derrick Malone. Malone, who joined the club as an undrafted rookie earlier this month, wasn’t the only Atlanta linebacker to be waived today — the team also cut ties with Prince Shembo.
Falcons Waive Prince Shembo
The Falcons have parted ways with linebacker Prince Shembo, just hours after he was charged with a felony (aggravated cruelty to animals), the team announced today in a press release. The club’s statement on the situation was short and to the point:
“We are aware of the charges that have been filed against Prince Shembo. We are extremely disappointed that one of our players is involved in something like this. Accordingly, we have decided to waive Prince Shembo.”
As Tony Thomas of WSB-TV reported earlier today (via Instagram), Shembo is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s dog. According to Denica Williams, Shembo’s former girlfriend, she left Shembo and her Yorkie unattended at the linebacker’s home, and the dog was unresponsive when she returned (link via Alexis Stevens of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Per a necropsy, the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the animal also had a fractured rib, a fractured liver, and several other injuries.
It’s not the first time that Shembo has run into off-field trouble. The former Notre Dame linebacker was investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting a Saint Mary’s College freshman in 2010, though he was never charged in that case. Lizzy Seeberg, Shembo’s accuser, killed herself 10 days after the alleged incident.
On the field, Shembo had a solid rookie season for the Falcons, recording 50 tackles in 347 defensive snaps. However, it would be a surprise if another team took a flier on the 23-year-old anytime soon, as least until his legal case plays out.
Tom Brady’s Appeal Set For June 23
Those hoping for closure on the DeflateGate saga will have to wait at least a few more weeks. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Tom Brady‘s appeal hearing won’t be held until Tuesday, June 23, and may continue on Thursday, June 25, if more than one day is required.
The appeal, which is still expected to be arbitrated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, will give Brady and the NFL Players Association a chance to argue that the quarterback’s four-game suspension should be eliminated, or at least reduced.
Goodell has indicated that he’d be open to hearing “new information” on the case from Brady, hinting that he still wants the Patriots quarterback to hand over the emails and text messages that he didn’t surrender to Ted Wells during the DeflateGate investigation.
If Goodell decides not to reduce Brady’s suspension – and perhaps even if he does – the NFLPA is likely to file a lawsuit to take the case to court. With previous recent suspensions, such as Ray Rice‘s and Adrian Peterson‘s, a judge has overruled the NFL’s ruling.
Pats owner Robert Kraft has stated that he won’t fight the Patriots’ DeflateGate penalties, including a $1MM fine and two lost draft picks, including a first-rounder. There has been plenty of chatter suggesting that Kraft’s decision might help result in a better outcome for Brady, but reports so far have indicated that no handshake deal is in place regarding the quarterback’s appeal.
Bills Claim Matt Simms Off Waivers
The Bills have been awarded quarterback Matt Simms after placing a waiver claim on the former Jet, per Howard Balzer of TheSportsXchange (Twitter link). According to Balzer, Buffalo cut signal-caller Jeff Tuel to create room on the roster for Simms.
Simms, 26, spent the last two seasons with the Jets, appearing in four games and completing 19 of 39 passes during his limited playing time, with a touchdown and an interception. However, New York’s roster this spring featured a more crowded quarterback depth chart, which included Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, and Bryce Petty. Simms reportedly asked the Jets for his release, and the team obliged yesterday.
By joining the Bills, Simms reunites with former head coach Rex Ryan, though he joins another deep group of quarterbacks. While Buffalo certainly doesn’t have a star QB, or even a clear-cut starter, Matt Cassel, Tyrod Taylor, and E.J. Manuel are all considered likely to make the club’s regular season roster.
Trey Watts Suspended Four Games
Rams running back Trey Watts has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, the NFL announced today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Watts’ ban stems from a violation of the league’s policy on substances of abuse.
Watts, who joined the Rams just over a year ago as an undrafted free agent out of Tulsa, earned a spot on the club’s regular season roster for 2014. He didn’t see the field much, but the 24-year-old received a handful of offensive snaps, rushing seven times for 30 yards and catching three passes for 18 yards. Watts also contributed on special teams, recording seven tackles in kick and punt coverage.
Watts’ suspension may ultimately lead to his release, since his hold on a roster spot for 2015 already appeared to be precarious. In addition to first-round pick Todd Gurley, the Rams are also carrying Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, Isaiah Pead, and multiple undrafted rookies.