NFC East Notes: Bryant, JPP, Eagles, Locker
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com views the Cowboys as one of the four teams likely to use their franchise tag this offseason, identifying Dez Bryant – rather than DeMarco Murray – as the probable recipient. According to La Canfora, there is “trepidation” within the Cowboys’ front office about putting a ton of guaranteed money on the table for the star wideout, given his off-field history.
While La Canfora doesn’t include the Giants among the four clubs likely to use the franchise or transition tag this winter, he thinks the club will at least consider tagging Jason Pierre-Paul. However, he doesn’t see it happening since JPP has been streaky, and hasn’t always been able to stay on the field. The Giants don’t make use of their franchise tag too often, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com believes it might be the best course of action for their standout defensive end.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- An agent tells Mark Eckel of NJ.com that he expects Chip Kelly and the Eagles to have interest in Jake Locker this winter in free agency. Philadelphia will be in the market for a signal-caller if the team decides not to bring back Mark Sanchez.
- Pierre Garcon‘s numbers took a hit in 2014 as DeSean Jackson cut into his targets and Washington’s quarterback situation deteriorated. Now, with Garcon on the books for the team’s second-largest 2015 cap hit, Mike Jones of the Washington Post examines how the wideout factors into Washington’s plans going forward.
- ESPN.com’s John Keim takes a look at a few other contract situations in Washington, as salary guarantee dates inch closer for wideout Andre Roberts, linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, and cornerback DeAngelo Hall.
Raiders Hire Ken Norton Jr. As DC
The Raiders’ search for a defensive coordinator has finally come to an end, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, who reports (via Twitter) that Seahawks linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. will be the team’s new DC. The club has confirmed the hiring in a press release.
Although a number of notable coaches, including Mike Smith, Wade Phillips, Mel Tucker, and Todd Grantham, were linked to the defensive coordinator opening in Oakland, the job didn’t appear to generate a ton of enthusiasm. Smith, the Falcons’ former head coach, was considered Jack Del Rio’s top choice throughout the process, but decided he wanted to take a year off, and didn’t budge from that stance. Tucker and Phillips accepted jobs with other teams – Alabama and the Broncos respectively – while Grantham decided to remain at Louisville.
Money and play-calling control were reportedly factors in the apparent lukewarm interest in the Raiders’ defensive coordinator job — the team wasn’t interested in paying big money to an assistant, and Del Rio is expected to have a hand in calling plays. On the other hand, multiple recent reports have downplayed the fact that the Raiders had taken so long to make a hire, suggesting that the new head coach simply prioritized filling out his offensive staff before addressing the defensive side of the ball. According to Norton, Del Rio will play a significant role in preparing the defense, but the DC will call plays on game days (Twitter link via Tafur).
The Seahawks have had the league’s best defense in each of the past two seasons, and now are paying the price for that success. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn headed to Atlanta to coach the Falcons, and now Norton has departed for a promotion of his own. While both Quinn and Richard could bring assistants with them to their new teams, Seattle secondary coach Kris Richard likely won’t be going anywhere — he is expected to become the new defensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Still, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that “more change” could be coming to the club’s defensive staff.
Tafur first noted last Wednesday – after Grantham turned down Oakland’s offer – that Norton might be next up on the team’s list of targets. The Raiders had to wait until after the Super Bowl, but managed to interview Norton yesterday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Patriots To Start Work On Revis Extension
While there’s been a little buzz lately suggesting that the Patriots could pick up their second-year option on cornerback Darrelle Revis, that has always been a long shot, given its size ($20MM salary, $25MM cap hit). Today, team president Jonathan Kraft essentially acknowledged as much, suggesting during an appearance on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan that the Pats’ priority is to work out a longer-term deal with the star corner.
“People understand that [the option]’s a placeholder and we’ll get to work on trying to make [an extension] happen,” Kraft said in the interview, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. For his part, the Pats president has nothing but praise for Revis.
“He’s been everything and more since he’s been here,” Kraft told WEEI. “Patriots fans knew what he was like on the field, but didn’t know what he was like off it. Having worn green all those years and the blind emotion we all have toward the Jets, you have one perception of the man. And the man is very different than that. He’s a great guy and he works hard. There is no over-ego to him and he’s a great teammate. He’s been a real pleasure to have him as part of the organization.”
The Pats will have a little more than four weeks to exclusively negotiate with Revis, and it appears that the team will do everything it can to extend his contract before free agency begins. If New England chooses not to pick up that second-year option on the 29-year-old, the franchise tag won’t be in play, due to the way the contract is structured. The club will have to make its decision on Revis by March 9, so if no deal is reached by that point, the corner could hit free agency on March 10 along with the rest of this year’s class.
Recent reports have indicated that the division-rival Bills and Jets will be among Revis’ top suitors if he makes it to the open market.
AFC Notes: Wilfork, Manning, Colts, Texans
At least one recent report has suggested that Vince Wilfork may decide to go out on top and call it a career after the Patriots‘ latest Super Bowl win. However, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, retirement isn’t in Wilfork’s plans, at least for now.
“There’s no way in the world this is my last season,” Wilfork said. “I doubt if this is my last one. I still have a lot of football in me.”
Wilfork certainly seemed to have plenty left in the tank in 2014, as he logged 818 defensive snaps, which was 300+ more than the next-closest Patriots defensive lineman Chris Jones (511). But whether or not Wilfork’s career will continue in New England remains to be seen. The defensive lineman’s cap number jumps to nearly $9MM for 2015, and there’s plenty of non-guaranteed money left on the deal, so the Pats will likely attempt to restructure the contract. If the two sides can’t work something out, Wilfork might be a candidate to be released this winter.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Peyton Manning has yet to announce whether or not he’ll return to the Broncos for another season, but recent reports have suggested he’ll likely be back, and teammate Von Miller is confident the veteran signal-caller will stick around, as Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post details.
- Although wide receiver Duron Carter was the subject of plenty of fan interest and speculation as he visited potential suitors last month, the deal he signed with the Colts is a modest one. Per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), $25K of Carter’s first-year salary is guaranteed, but he didn’t receive a signing bonus. Indianapolis’ other CFL signee, offensive lineman Ben Heenan, actually received more guaranteed money ($35K) than Carter, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Colts announced several changes to their coaching staff today, hiring Jim Hostler as their wide receivers coach for 2015 and moving a handful of assistants into new roles. According to the club, former running backs coach David Walker will be the only assistant not returning.
- Addressing his team’s quarterback situation, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien suggested that “it will probably be a competition” for the starting job next season, writes Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com. While Ryan Fitzpatrick remains under contract with the club, Case Keenum and Ryan Mallett are both eligible for free agency, so Houston could be in the market for a QB next month, or during the draft.
2015 Salaries Guaranteed For Gronk, Others
In a week that has already featured a Super Bowl win and several days of celebrating that win, Rob Gronkowski gets some more good news today. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com outlines, by remaining on the Patriots’ roster, the star tight end has his 2015 base salary ($4.75MM), along with his ’15 workout bonus ($250K), become fully guaranteed. When combined with the prorated portion of his signing bonus, the newly-guaranteed salary puts Gronk on the books for an $8.65MM cap hit for the coming season.
Gronkowski isn’t the only player whose 2015 salary becomes guaranteed today, as Corry writes. A pair of Cardinals have also locked in a 2015 pay day, as cornerback Patrick Peterson will have his $11.62MM base salary become fully guaranteed, while quarterback Carson Palmer will have his $1MM base salary and $9.5MM roster bonus (due March 12) become guaranteed. The duo will count for over $29MM on Arizona’s cap in 2015, assuming the team doesn’t rework either contract in the offseason.
Gronkowski, Peterson, and Palmer are the latest noteworthy players to have their salaries fully guaranteed for the 2015 season. Earlier this week, Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Joe Haden, and Gerald McCoy had their ’15 salaries guaranteed as well.
Contracts Void For Suh, Pierre-Paul, Spiller
The contracts for several notable players will void today, formally paving the way for them to hit free agency next month, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com details. Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, and Bills running back C.J. Spiller are among the players who will see the 2015 seasons on their deals void, since the language in their respective contracts called for that to happen on the fifth day after this year’s Super Bowl.
In each case, the fact that the player’s contract is voiding today doesn’t mean he’ll immediately become a free agent. The Lions, for instance, will still be the only team that can negotiate a new agreement with Suh for the next few weeks. If the star defender still hasn’t worked anything out with the team by March 3, Detroit could use its franchise tag on him. If the Lions pass on using a tag, Suh would be able to talk to other teams as of March 7, and could sign elsewhere on March 10.
While these players won’t necessarily be returning to their current clubs, those teams will each carry a cap hit for 2015 due to the contracts. In some cases, that cap number is modest — for JPP and the Giants, it’s just $1.35MM. However, the Lions’ hit for Suh is approximately $9.74MM. In other words, if Detroit has to use the franchise tag – worth $26.895MM – on Suh, the team will be using over $36MM in cap room to a single player.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained in greater detail why a number of players from 2010’s draft class have a voided year at the end of their rookie contracts, and adds a few more names to the list of players whose deals void today: Jaguars defensive end Tyson Alualu, Eagles edge defender Brandon Graham, Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, and Titans edge defender Derrick Morgan will also be eligible for free agency next month after their 2015 years void.
NFC Notes: Randle, Guion, Lions, Peterson
As first reported by KAKE.com, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita early this morning on a drug charge after officers responsded to a call and found marijuana in his hotel room. Randle’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, contended (via Twitter) that his client was simply cited with a ticket rather than being arrested, but Wichita police says it’s still considered an arrest even though Randle wasn’t taken into custody, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), Randle’s latest off-field incident may have the side effect of giving DeMarco Murray some leverage in contract negotiations with the Cowboys this winter.
Another arrest that could have an effect on free agency leads off this afternoon’s NFC notes — let’s dive in….
- Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion, a prospective free agent, was arrested for possession of marijuana in Starke, Florida late Tuesday night, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The timing of the incident was unfortunate for Guion, who had been engaged in talks with the Packers about a long-term deal, and had just been the subject of a glowing article from Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links) has more details on what police found on Guion, including a firearm, $190K+ in U.S. currency, and 357 grams of marijuana.
- Ron Zook, who worked as the Packers‘ assistant special teams coach this past season, is the favorite to become the club’s new special teams coordinator, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- The Lions may have a need at cornerback if they don’t re-sign Rashean Mathis, and veteran Charles Tillman of the division-rival Bears wouldn’t rule out the possibility of heading to Detroit, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press previews Friday’s federal court hearing, which will pit suspended Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the NFLPA against the NFL.
Seahawks Sign 11 To Futures Contracts
With their season now in the books, the Seahawks have become the latest team to announce their initial wave of reserve/futures signings for 2015. Bob Condotta of the Seattle has the details, tweeting that the club announced 11 signings, with all of those players coming from the end-of-year practice squad. Here’s the complete list of signees, via Condotta (Twitter links):
- Rashaun Allen, TE
- Dion Bailey, S
- Demitrius Bronson, RB
- Nate Isles, T
- Douglas McNeil, WR (previously reported)
- Drew Nowak, G
- Justin Renfrow, G
- Ryan Robinson, DE
- Jimmy Staten, DT
- Julius Warmsley, DE
- Mike Zimmer, LB
Nine of those signees finished the 2014 season on Seattle’s active practice squad, while Bronson and Warmsley had landed on the taxi squad’s IR list. Of the players who finished the year on the unit, only linebacker Allen Bradford remains unsigned.
Steelers Re-Sign Greg Warren
The Steelers have re-signed veteran long snapper Greg Warren, the team announced today in a press release. Warren, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a one-year contract.
While terms of the deal aren’t immediately available, Warren is coming off a minimum salary benefit deal, which saw him earn a minimum base salary and the maximum allowable $65K signing bonus. There’s a good chance his new agreement with Pittsburgh looks the same as that contract.
Warren, 33, has served as the Steelers’ regular long snapper since the 2005 season, appearing in 149 regular season games during his time with the club. He had been one of 14 long snappers around the NFL eligible to hit the open market this offseason.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Cornerback Al Louis-Jean has re-signed with the Bears on a two-year deal, the team announced today (via Twitter). An undrafted free agent, Louis-Jean remained under team control, but didn’t have a contract for 2015, as an exclusive rights free agent. The 21-year-old recorded nine tackles and one pass defended as a rookie in 2014.
- The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Douglas McNeil to a three-year reserve/futures contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). McNeil, who spent some time on the Broncos’ practice squad earlier in the season, finished the season on Seattle’s taxi squad. With Seattle’s season now over, I expect we’ll see the club lock up several more of its PS players very soon.
- In addition to naming a defensive coordinator today, the Cardinals also made a small roster move, signing free agent safety D.J. Campbell, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Cut before the 2014 season by the 49ers, Campbell last player a regular season game in 2013 for the Dolphins.