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Author: Luke Adams

Extra Points: Cowboys, Schwartz, Peterson

By | at May 25, 2015 1:48 pm

Given what a pass-happy league the NFL has become, many linebackers are seeing the field less frequently, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from loading up at the position this offseason, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. As executive vice president Stephen Jones explains, the focus on the position should give the Cowboys some depth in case some players with histories of injuries or off-field problems are forced out of action.

“We have some players there that have had issues in the past,” Jones said. “You want to make sure if something does happen that you have quality players there.”

Here’s more from around the NFL on this holiday Monday:

  • Former Lions head coach and Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will serve as a consultant to the league’s officiating department during the 2015 season, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, Schwartz will help provide a coach’s perspective with some decisions made by the NFL’s officiating office. While Schwartz drew interest after being replaced in Buffalo, he decided to be judicious about choosing his next job, and may returning to coaching in 2016.
  • While agent Ben Dogra didn’t offer any specifics on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and his apparent plan to skip OTAs, he told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) in a text message that his client “is very strong… he’s like [Darrelle] Revis.” As Cole notes, that may point toward an extended holdout for Peterson.
  • A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNBayArea.com that new Eagles scout Marty Barrett will patrol the West Coast as the club’s senior scout. Barrett’s move to Philadelphia, after 18 seasons with the Bears, was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
0 comments Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings Philadelphia Eagles

Poll: Will Justin Houston Sign Long-Term Deal?

By | at May 25, 2015 10:37 am

Four players who received the franchise tag from their respective teams earlier this offseason have yet to sign their one-year contracts, which means they’re technically still free agents, as I explained a couple weeks ago. Nonetheless, the most likely outcome for these players involves them returning to their current clubs, either on a one-year deal or on a long-term extension.

One of these four players is Justin Houston, the NFL’s reigning sack leader, who earned an All-Pro nod after racking up 22 sacks and forcing four fumbles in 2014. While Houston’s 22 sacks doubled his previous career high, he took down quarterbacks 21 times in 27 combined games in 2012 and 2013, so his ascent to the top of the league’s leaderboard certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

On the heels of his third consecutive Pro Bowl season, Houston is in line for a massive raise, and he’ll earn $13.195MM in 2015 if he simply signs his one-year tender. However, the standout pass rusher is seeking a long-term deal worth even more than $13MM per year. Top defenders like J.J. Watt and Mario Williams are earning $16MM+ annually, and it makes sense that Houston would aim for something in that neighborhood, while the Chiefs may prefer a Robert Quinn-type pact (four years, $57MM).

Of course, Ndamukong Suh might have altered the entire market for front-seven defenders earlier this year when he landed a six-year contract with the Dolphins averaging over $19MM. However, Suh reached the open market and attracted multiple bidders, while Houston remains under the Chiefs’ control this year and next (if they decide to franchise him again). Joel Corry of CBSSports.com recently suggested that Suh’s deal could prompt agent Joel Segal to raise his salary demands for his client, but the Chiefs are extremely unlikely to commit a larger per-year amount to Houston than they’re paying to quarterback Alex Smith ($17MM annually).

What do you think? Will the Chiefs and Houston be able to reach a compromise and strike a deal on a multiyear extension before the July 15 deadline? Will the 26-year-old simply play out a one-year contract and try his luck again in 2016? Or do you see Houston’s contract situation heading in a more unexpected direction?

What will Justin Houston do?
Sign his one-year franchise tender 38.85% (101 votes)
Sign a long-term contract with the Chiefs 33.46% (87 votes)
Sign an offer sheet with another team 13.85% (36 votes)
Hold out into the regular season 13.85% (36 votes)
Total Votes: 260
0 comments Kansas City Chiefs PFR Polls

Adrian Peterson Still Pushing For Trade?

By | at May 25, 2015 9:02 am

A report last night indicated that Adrian Peterson won’t report to the start of the Vikings’ organized team activities, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicates that the running back isn’t expected to show up to any part of the club’s spring program. A “longtime Peterson confidant” tells Robinson that Peterson hasn’t yet made a decision about sitting out of Minnesota’s mandatory minicamp in June or training camp in late July.

Robinson’s source suggests that Peterson is sending a message to the team with his absence, conveying to the Vikings that he still wants to be traded. According to Robinson, the former MVP hasn’t wavered privately about his desire to play for a team besides the Vikings, and has made the front office aware of that stance.

If Peterson remains that insistent on being traded, it comes as a bit of a surprise, since recent reports indicated that agent Ben Dogra had given up on the idea of a deal, and had instead shifted his focus to reworking his client’s contract with the Vikes to secure more guaranteed money. Robinson’s source, however, says that it has “never been about the money” for Peterson, and that it has evolved into a personal issue between him and the team.

Speaking of money, missing the Vikings’ OTAs would cost Peterson his $250K workout bonus, and if he decides to skip the team’s mandatory June minicamp as well, the team could fine him another $73K. While $323K certainly isn’t pocket change, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what the 30-year-old will earn if he plays out the 2015 season, since he’s in line for a $12.75MM base salary. If his holdout extended into the preseason and the regular season, Peterson could forfeit more than $15MM, between his salary and recoupable bonuses.

Since most teams now have a pretty good idea of what their rosters will look like for the 2015 season, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings finding a suitable offer for Peterson this late in the offseason, particularly if they didn’t receive any proposals they liked prior to the draft. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter) that the Vikings have been adamant all along that they don’t want to trade Peterson, and it’s hard to imagine them changing their minds now.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Peterson doesn’t have a ton of leverage, and if his camp attempts to paint him as the victim, it’s hard to see them garnering much sympathy. After all, Peterson’s primary gripe with the Vikings seems to be that the team didn’t sufficiently support him publicly when he faced child abuse charges — yet the club has still been vocal about wanting to bring him back, and continues to pay him the highest salary of any NFL running back.

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Facebook/Twitter/RSS Feeds By Team

By | at May 22, 2015 6:02 pm

We’ve detailed how you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or using an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

AFC East

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NFC East

NFC North

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Extra Points: Yanda, McGlynn, Peterson, Jets

By | at May 22, 2015 4:53 pm

With the week winding down and Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • With Marshal Yanda heading into the final year of his five-year contract with the Ravens, the team is exploring what a contract extension for the veteran guard would look like, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. As Zrebiec points out, it may not be feasible for Baltimore to keep both Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, who are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.
  • Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has the details on Mike McGlynn‘s contract with the Saints, tweeting that the offensive lineman will get a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with a $30K signing bonus.
  • It’s not clear when Adrian Peterson will report to the Vikings, but head coach Mike Zimmer told 1500 ESPN Twin Cities this week that he thinks he has “an indication” of when his running back will show up, as Andrew Krammer details.
  • Former Rams scout Brian Shields has accepted a scouting job with the Jets under GM Mike Maccagnan, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Maccagnan has made several changes to his club’s scouting department since this year’s draft.
  • The Saints are retooling their own scouting department under the influence of Jeff Ireland, and will likely part ways with some employees soon, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
0 comments Baltimore Ravens Los Angeles Rams Minnesota Vikings New Orleans Saints New York Jets

Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle

By | at May 22, 2015 2:30 pm

After taking a closer look at the wide receiver market earlier this week, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com focuses today on seven key contract situations involving players eligible for extensions. Corry’s piece includes several items of interest, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….

  • Corry hears from league sources that the Seahawks have offered Russell Wilson a deal worth approximately $80MM over four years, which aligns with other recent reports. As Corry writes, Wilson could make a case that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, though contract structure could be a bigger issue on his next deal than total compensation.
  • Although he has relented on his demand for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, agent Ben Dogra is now attempting to get the team to rework his client’s contract. Corry suggests that Dogra is probably looking for Minnesota to guarantee Peterson’s 2015 and 2016 base salaries, but the team doesn’t appear to be interested in adjusting the running back’s deal.
  • The Chiefs will likely be “adamant” about keeping Justin Houston‘s per-year salary under the $17MM that Alex Smith is getting from the team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if agent Joel Segal raises his demands for the linebacker’s next contract after Ndamukong Suh signed for $19MM+ annually, writes Corry.
  • There has been “sporadic dialogue” between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s camp on a contract extension. Corry observes that the Jets would probably be fine with something in the range of Calais Campbell‘s five-year, $55MM pact, while Wilkerson probably has his sights set on contracts like J.J. Watt‘s, Robert Quinn‘s, and Gerald McCoy‘s — all those deals are worth at least $13.6MM per year. If the Jets opt to explore the trade market for Wilkerson, the Browns are a potential suitor.
  • Eric Weddle has been absent from the Chargers‘ voluntary workouts because he feels “highly disrespected” by the lack of contract discussions with the team, says Corry. While former GM A.J. Smith would’ve played hardball with the safety, it’s not clear yet which path Tom Telesco will take, writes Corry.
  • Contract disputes with restricted free agents are rare, but Tashaun Gipson and the Browns could be headed toward one. Corry suggests keeping an eye on June 15, the day on which Cleveland could lower its restricted tender offer for Gipson from $2.356MM to $660K. If the Browns take a hard-line approach with the safety, he could decide to sit out training camp and even the regular season, says Corry.
0 comments Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Minnesota Vikings New York Jets Seattle Seahawks

East Notes: Richardson, Dareus, Cowboys

By | at May 22, 2015 12:42 pm

When PFR’s Zach Links passed along word earlier this week that Sheldon Richardson was absent from the Jets‘ practices, he noted that the defensive lineman probably wasn’t seeking a new contract, since he’s not even eligible to negotiate a new deal until after the season. That still appears to the case, and Richardson took to Twitter today to respond to critics, writing that he has “a life outside of football” and simply wanted to spend a little more time with his family.

Here’s more from across the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • While Richardson isn’t eligible for a new contract with the Jets, his fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is, and the addition of Leonard Williams in the draft has made that situation murky. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at Wilkerson’s contract, concluding that the standout defender would probably be able to earn a bigger contract outside of New York, and may end up being the odd man out with the Jets.
  • Marcell Dareus of the Bills is another AFC East defensive lineman seeking a contract extension, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Buffalo still wants to lock up Dareus to a long-term deal, preferably before training camp gets underway. Rapoport echoes something I wrote yesterday, suggesting that Dareus’ one-game suspension won’t have an adverse effect on extension talks.
  • We heard yesterday that the Cowboys worked out a number of free agent running backs, including Ben Tate, Felix Jones, and Daniel Thomas. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the club also auditioned wide receivers B.J. Cunningham, Kris Durham, and Tommy Streeter.
0 comments Buffalo Bills Dallas Cowboys New York Jets

Poll: Most Improved Revamped Contender?

By | at May 22, 2015 11:14 am

Every team in the NFL has undergone changes to some extent this offseason, but some clubs have managed to maintain more continuity than others. Among the teams that have overhauled their rosters most significantly are three teams that just missed out on playoff spots by a game or two in 2014. The Eagles, Saints, and Dolphins have all seen major turnover at key spots on their rosters over the past few months.

In Philadelphia, Chip Kelly continues to allow standout offensive players to leave town, trading LeSean McCoy to the Bills and allowing Jeremy Maclin to walk in free agency. The Eagles also have a new starting quarterback (Sam Bradford) and landed the top running back (DeMarco Murray) and cornerback (Byron Maxwell) available in free agency.

While the Eagles’ biggest changes came in free agency, the Saints went the trade route, shipping out Jimmy Graham, Kenny Stills, and Ben Grubbs in separate deals. The team did add a few free agents, including running back C.J. Spiller and cornerback Brandon Browner, but New Orleans will be relying heavily on its rookie class, after having added extra picks in the first and third rounds.

As for the Dolphins, it’s no secret what their biggest offseason move was: Ndamukong Suh was the most noteworthy free agent to change teams in years, and he’s headed to Miami for the 2015 season. However, that was far from the only splash made by the Dolphins. The club also overhauled its wide receiving corps, acquiring Kenny Stills, signing Greg Jennings, and jettisoning veterans Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Brian Hartline. Ryan Tannehill will also have a new weapon at tight end, in former Brown Jordan Cameron.

As noted above, there are plenty of other teams – both playoff clubs and non-contenders – who underwent major roster changes in the offseason, but few overhauled their rosters as significantly as the Eagles, Saints, and Dolphins. Will that pay off for those teams in 2015? Which of these three teams do you think improved the most this offseason?

Which postseason contender improved the most by revamping its roster this offseason?
Miami Dolphins 60.23% (524 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 30.23% (263 votes)
New Orleans Saints 9.54% (83 votes)
Total Votes: 870
0 comments Miami Dolphins New Orleans Saints PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Sam Signs With Montreal Alouettes

By | at May 22, 2015 10:12 am

10:12am: Sam will earn $100K in 2015 and $150K in 2016, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who notes that this is above the usual rate for CFL rookies ($51K).

9:45am: After failing to catch on with any NFL teams, Michael Sam will head north to the Canadian Football League, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the edge defender is signing with the Montreal Alouettes. The club has since confirmed the move.

“With the signing of Michael Sam, we have become a better organization today,” said Alouettes general manager Jim Popp. “Not only have we added an outstanding football player, we have added even a better person that brings dignity, character, and heart to our team.”

The first openly gay player to be selected in the NFL draft (in 2014), Sam spent time with the Rams but didn’t make the team’s regular season roster, despite recording three sacks during the preseason. While he later joined the Cowboys’ practice squad, Sam didn’t earn a call-up to Dallas’ 53-man roster either, and had been on the free agent market for several months.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links), the Alouettes – who held the CFL rights to Sam – have had an offer on the table to the Missouri product for a few months. With training camp around the corner, Sam has opted to sign the deal, which is a one-year pact with a team option for 2016.

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Orlando Scandrick, Cowboys Reach Deal

By | at May 22, 2015 9:08 am

9:08am: Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), Scandrick will get $4MM fully guaranteed this year, and his 2016 salary will be bumped from $3MM to $5MM.

9:02am: It’s a one-year, $9.5MM extension for Scandrick, keeping him locked up through 2019, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). It sounds like the cornerback’s salaries for the next four years will be unchanged, though his cap numbers still figure to increase a little, depending on the size of the signing bonus in the deal.

8:44am: The Cowboys and cornerback Orlando Scandrick have reached an agreement on a new contract extension, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport (Twitter link), Scandrick will sign the new deal later today.Orlando Scandrick

Scandrick still had four years remaining on his previous contract, but wasn’t happy with the terms of that deal, which called for him to make just $1.5MM in base salary in 2015. After initially not reporting to the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workouts, the 28-year-old showed up in Dallas earlier this month as a sign of good faith as the two sides negotiated a new contract.

Scandrick ranked as the 10th-best cornerback in the NFL in 2014 out of 108 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). According to PFF’s data, quarterbacks completed 74.3% of their passes into Scandrick’s coverage, but those completions averaged just 9.9 yards, and the Cowboys’ corner didn’t allow a touchdown in his 14 games. For the year, he recorded 63 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions.

While Scandrick was the Cowboys’ top corner in 2014, his salary for 2015 wasn’t worth nearly as much as Brandon Carr‘s $8MM figure, and wasn’t fully guaranteed like Morris Claiborne‘s salary, so it makes sense that he was seeking a new deal.

On his old contract, Scandrick’s cap numbers for the next few seasons were just $4.351MM (2015), $5.251MM (2016), $3.75MM (2017), and $3.75MM (2018). Those numbers – particularly the last couple – figure to rise now that the two sides have worked out a new arrangement, and it’s worth keeping an eye on whether the Cowboys will ask Carr to take a pay cut to help accommodate Scandrick’s raise.

The Cowboys’ cornerback depth chart may be on the verge of undergoing some changes within the next year or so. Carr’s future with Dallas could hinge on his willingness to reduce his salary, while Claiborne’s fifth-year option for 2016 wasn’t picked up by the team earlier this month. The club also used its first-round pick this year on a cornerback, selecting Byron Jones with the 27th overall pick. No matter how the rest of the depth chart shakes out though, Scandrick’s new contract should ensure that he’s locked into one of the Cowboys’ starting spots for the foreseeable future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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