Rams To Exercise Brockers’ 2016 Option
The Rams will exercise their 2016 option on defensive tackle Michael Brockers, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The team has until May 3 to make the move official.
Brokers, 24, has played well for St. Louis since being drafted 14th overall by the team in 2012, though his sack total slipped in 2014. After recording 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2013, Brockers totaled just 32 tackles and 2.0 sacks last year.
The presence of 2014 first-round pick Aaron Donald may have limited Brockers’ impact last season, and he may see his playing time reduced a little this coming season after the Rams signed former Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley in free agency. I imagine Brockers will still see plenty of action on running downs, but the idea of having Donald, Fairley, Robert Quinn, and Chris Long getting after the quarterback on passing downs must be tantalizing for the Rams.
As the 14th overall pick in 2012, Brockers is in line for a salary of $6.146MM on his fifth-year option. That figure will initially be guaranteed for injury only — if he’s still under contract when the 2016 league year begins, his fifth-year salary becomes fully guaranteed.
For a full breakdown on the status of fifth-year options around the league, be sure to check out our tracker.
Washington GM On Draft, Cousins, Extensions
After announcing earlier today that his team had exercised its 2016 option on Robert Griffin III, Washington general manager Scot McCloughan weighed in on a few more topics. Let’s dive right in and round up the highlights from McCloughan’s presser….
- Picking up Griffin’s option won’t change how the team approaches the draft, tweets Tom Schad of the Washington Times. In other words, if the best player available is a quarterback, Washington will select that QB. However, I’d be very surprised if the club used its fifth overall pick on a signal-caller, even if Marcus Mariota is still on the board.
- According to McCloughan, Washington’s draft board is just about set, but the team is open to trading pick and acquiring more picks. In fact, McCloughan says he’d “love” to pick up as many as 10 picks — Washington currently has seven (Twitter links via Mike Jones of the Washington Post and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com).
- If Leonard Williams is still available by the time Washington’s No. 5 overall pick rolls around, “it might bring a trade more into play,” according to McCloughan (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). The club feels good about the its defensive front, and there may be other teams interested in moving up for the USC defensive lineman.
- Per Jones (via Twitter), McCloughan said the team hasn’t received trade offers for Kirk Cousins yet. The GM would be open to listening, but would like to keep Cousins, whom he feels is a good, young quarterback.
- Washington is having ongoing extension discussions with offensive tackle Trent Williams and outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, but there’s nothing imminent, according to El-Bashir (Twitter link).
- McCloughan is targeting players with size and strength in the draft, particularly on the offensive line, tweets Jones.
Washington Exercises RGIII’s 2016 Option
11:06am: Speaking today to reporters, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link), Washington GM Scot McCloughan confirmed that the team is exercising Griffin’s 2016 option. The club made it official in a press release.
8:32am: Since his Pro Bowl rookie season, Robert Griffin III has been plagued by injuries and has struggled to make an impact when he’s been healthy. Still, Washington will likely exercise the fifth-year option for the former No. 2 overall pick, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) hears that Griffin has yet to be notified of the decision, but Keim’s source agrees that it appears likely to happen.
Griffin, who threw 20 touchdowns to just five interceptions and averaged a league-high 8.1 yards per passing attempt in his rookie year, has seen his production slip since then, and ceded playing time to Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy last season. He’s expected to head into the 2015 season as the starter, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Washington make a change if he doesn’t look good in camp or early in the season.
Because he was a top-10 pick in 2012, Griffin’s 2016 option is worth $16.155MM, the same amount that the Colts and Dolphins would have to pay Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill, respectively. That’s a significant investment for a player who doesn’t even have the starting quarterback job locked up, but the salary doesn’t become fully guaranteed until the first day of the 2016 league year.
Of course, that ’16 salary is guaranteed for injury if it’s exercised, and given RGIII’s injury history, there’s certainly some risk there. But as Breer points out (via Twitter), if Griffin doesn’t meet expectations this coming season, he may not even see the field for a good chunk of the year, and he wouldn’t be a real injury risk if he’s sitting on the bench.
Washington will have until May 3 to make a decision on the option.
Antonio Brown Seeking New Contract
APRIL 27, 10:41am: A week after it was reported that Brown wouldn’t attend the Steelers’ offseason program, he is in attendance today, according to photos posted by the team’s official Twitter account. As Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com note (Twitter links), the wideout is still seeking a new contract, but has decided to take a different approach to the negotiations by reporting to workouts.
APRIL 20, 10:07am: Antonio Brown was arguably the league’s best wide receiver in 2014, leading the NFL in both receptions (129) and receiving yards (1,698). Now, it appears the Steelers wideout is looking for a new contract that better reflects that production.
According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, Brown won’t attend Pittsburgh’s offseason workout, and is mulling possibly holding out for minicamp and training camp as well, as he seeks a new deal. Garafolo adds that the receiver and his camp have approached the team about redoing his contract.
Brown, a former sixth-round pick, signed his first big, long-term contract in 2012, agreeing to a five-year, $41.7MM pact. That deal pays him over $8MM per year, but that annual average value is outside the top 10 at his position, and places him behind players like Victor Cruz and Pierre Garcon.
Presumably, Brown would want a bump in salary to at least the $11MM per year range, which is what this year’s top free agent wideout, Jeremy Maclin, received. Of course, Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas were kept off the free agent market with franchise tags that will pay them salaries worth $12.823MM in 2015, so perhaps Brown will be seeking an annual salary closer to that neighborhood.
Although 2014 was the first time Brown led the league in either catches or receptions, his first All-Pro season certainly didn’t come out of nowhere. In 2013, the 26-year-old racked up 110 catches and 1,499 yards, placing him second in the NFL in both categories.
While the Steelers don’t have a ton of cap space available this year, a new deal for Brown could reduce his $9.788MM cap number, so that shouldn’t be an issue. However, the team should be wary of adding too significantly to the later years of Brown’s deal — he’s already slated for cap hits of $12MM+ in 2016 and nearly $11MM in 2017, and a new signing bonus would increase those figures if his future salaries aren’t reduced.
Draft Rumors: Falcons, Gurley, Cowboys
The Falcons have long coveted a standout pass rusher, and the club could get the opportunity to draft one this year. The team currently has the No. 8 pick, but according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, GM Thomas Dimitroff will consider the possibility of moving up a few spots to land Florida edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. It would cost Atlanta an extra pick or two to trade up for Fowler, who is widely considered the top pass rusher in the draft, but the club hasn’t hesitated to make that sort of move in the past, most notably moving up to snag Julio Jones in 2011.
Here are a few more notes and rumors from around the NFL, as draft night approaches:
- With his ACL healing well, Todd Gurley now appears likely to be a top-20 pick, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. According to Breer, when he called around this weekend, the Browns (Nos. 12, 19), Dolphins (No. 14), and Chargers (No. 17) were all linked to the Georgia running back.
- The Browns may be considering Gurley with one of their two first-round picks, but the team figures to take a long look at receivers as well. Per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), UCF wideout Breshad Perriman dined last night with Cleveland GM Ray Farmer and other team executives.
- While a consensus is forming for a few picks near the top of the draft, it’s not clear where USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams – viewed by many as 2015’s best prospect – will land, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. As badly as the Raiders may need a wide receiver, I’d be surprised if Oakland passed on Williams at No. 4, assuming he’s available there.
- The Cowboys will have a hard time passing up Washington’s Marcus Peters or Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson in the first round if either cornerback is still on the board at No. 27, says Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Colts owner Jim Irsay isn’t ruling out any possibility for his team on Thursday, suggesting that the Colts could easily trade up or down from No. 29, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
Colts Re-Sign Jerrell Freeman
Restricted free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman has signed his one-year tender and will return to the Colts for the 2015 season, the team announced today in a press release. Because Indianapolis assigned him a second-round RFA tender, Freeman will be in line for a salary of $2.356MM.
Freeman, who turns 29 later this week, was one of a number of players around the league to skip his team’s voluntary workouts last week, apparently due to his contract situation. However, even if the linebacker would have liked to sign a more favorable, longer-term deal, his leverage was limited — Friday was the last day for RFAs to sign offer sheets with rival teams, so unless the Colts withdrew their tender, Freeman didn’t have any other viable options besides signing.
During the 2014 season, Freeman and D’Qwell Jackson saw the majority of the snaps for the Colts at the inside linebacker spots on the team’s 3-4 defense. After playing 781 defensive snaps in 2014, Freeman may have to fight to earn that many opportunities in 2015, since Indianapolis added free agent linebacker Nate Irving to the mix last month.
Irving and Freeman complement each other well, with Irving excelling as a run defender while Freeman’s is stronger in pass coverage. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the two players trade snaps depending on the situation, while Jackson continues to be a full-time contributor, or close to it.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Hardy, Bradford, Polk
The Giants‘ top three most-played safeties from 2014 – Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps, and Stevie Brown – are no longer under contract with the team, and the club missed out on Devin McCourty in free agency. However, GM Jerry Reese doesn’t view the position as an area of need, as Conor Orr of NFL.com details. While Reese may not consider safety to be as important a position as some other spots on the field, it would still be a surprise if the Giants don’t grab one or two at some point in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- There are some “smart people” around the NFL who believe Greg Hardy‘s suspension will ultimately be reduced from 10 games to something in the neighborhood of two to six games, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Even if Hardy’s appeal isn’t successful, the NFLPA may file a lawsuit on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Hardy’s stint in Dallas is off to an ominous start, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports that the defensive end was involved in an altercation with Cowboys teammate Davon Coleman today. A source tells Garafolo that Hardy questioned Colemans’s effort during conditioning drills, and a verbal altercation nearly turned into a physical one. Meanwhile, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) hears that Coleman incited Hardy by calling him a “woman beater.” According to Getlin, there’s some concern among the Cowboys that Hardy is already at odds with another member of the club’s defensive line.
- Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Sam Bradford isn’t willing to settle for a “substandard” contract extension, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Instead, the former first overall pick is hoping to submit a strong 2015 campaign and reassess his market value at that point. There’s also not 100% certainty that the Eagles will hang on to Bradford through the draft, so the QB wants to make sure he knows where he’ll be playing before he locks himself into a long-term extension.
- Earlier this afternoon, the Eagles rescinded Chris Polk‘s RFA contract tender, making him an unrestricted free agent. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Philadelphia was open to re-signing the running back at a lower salary, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
Buccaneers Re-Sign Bobby Rainey
It’s the last day for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets with rival suitors, and barring some unexpected late drama, it looks like most of those players will simply return to their current teams. The latest RFA to sign his tender from his club is running back Bobby Rainey, according to a press release from the Buccaneers.
Rainey, 27, assumed the role of lead running back in Tampa Bay for several games during the 2013 season, accumulating a total of 566 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on the season for the Browns and Buccaneers. He received fewer carries for the Bucs in 2014, but improved his yards per carry average (from 3.8 to 4.3), and increased his receptions from 15 to 33. Rainey received an original-round tender from Tampa Bay, so he’ll earn a $1.542MM salary for 2015.
With Rainey now under contract for the coming season, seven restricted free agents remain unsigned. Here are the players who have yet to ink their respective RFA tenders:
- Tony Carter, CB (Broncos): Original-round tender
- Jerrell Freeman, LB (Colts): Second-round tender
- Tashaun Gipson, S (Browns): Second-round tender
- Robert Golden, S (Steelers): Original-round tender
- Damon Harrison, DT (Jets): Second-round tender
- Jermaine Kearse, WR (Seahawks): Second-round tender
- Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, DT (Browns): Original-round tender
Eagles Rescind RFA Tender For Chris Polk
After a March shopping spree that included two major running back signings, the Eagles appear to have decided they no longer require a back to whom they tendered an offer earlier in the offseason. According to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter), the Eagles have rescinded their RFA tender for Chris Polk.
Polk, 25, took on a slightly larger role in Philadelphia’s offense last season behind LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, totaling 172 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 46 carries. After agreeing to a trade that sent McCoy to the Bills, the Eagles – presumably expecting Polk to play an even more significant part on the offense in 2015 – assigned him a $1.542MM RFA tender.
Later in March, however, the Eagles landed DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews to go along with Sproles, creating a back log on the running back depth chart. If the team hadn’t rescinded Polk’s RFA offer, he would have had to sign an offer sheet with another club by today. Philadelphia’s decision to withdraw the offer allows Polk to hit the unrestricted FA market without potential suitors having to worry that the Eagles might match their offers.
Jets Re-Sign Jaiquawn Jarrett
Safety Jaiquawn Jarrett has signed his restricted free agent tender and will return to the Jets for the 2015 season, the team announced today in a press release. New York had tendered Jarrett at his original-round level, meaning he’ll receive a salary of $1.542MM if he plays out the full season with the club.
Jarrett, 25, had played 29 regular season games in his NFL career prior to the 2014 season, but he saw his most significant playing time on defense last season, setting career highs in virtually every category. In 14 games (five starts), the former second-round pick tallied 41 tackles, two interceptions, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery.
While restricted free agents who receive original-round tenders typically have more freedom to sign with other teams, that’s because many of them were undrafted free agents, meaning teams wouldn’t have to surrender a draft pick to sign them. In Jarrett’s case though, it would’ve cost a rival suitor a third-round pick to sign him, given his original draft spot.
The Jets’ other RFA, Damon Harrison, hasn’t officially signed his second-round tender, but is expected to do so soon.