Bengals Rumors: Dalton, Green, Burfict
Marvin Lewis‘ 2013 offensive and defensive coordinators are both now running teams of their own, with Jay Gruden having departed for Washington and Mike Zimmer coaching the Vikings. But Lewis and the Bengals have plenty of confidence that installing a pair of new coordinators this season won’t have an adverse effect on the club, as the head coach tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
“The timing of when Jay and Mike were offered head coaching positions and they accepted, it couldn’t have played any better for me and made it a much easier transition without much angst, which was good,” Lewis said. “And it was good for our players as well knowing they could continue on with people who knew them. … We are able to come in and pick up where we left off.”
In addition to exploring the integration of Hue Jackson and Paul Guenther into their new roles on the Bengals’ coaching staff, La Canfora also explores a number of other topics of note after his visit to Cincinnati’s training camp. Let’s round up the highlights….
- La Canfora doesn’t expect a contract agreement between Andy Dalton and the Bengals before the season gets underway, and it’s unlikely that the two sides would continue negotiations during the season. According to La Canfora, there hasn’t been any progress or movement lately, and it doesn’t seem as if Dalton’s camp is interested in a short-term bridge deal or a long-term deal without much money up front (a la Colin Kaepernick‘s extension).
- The door has been opened for 2011 first-rounders to sign contract extensions after Patrick Peterson and Tyron Smith inked new deals this week, and La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if A.J. Green ultimately landed an extension before Dalton. For now, the Bengals have the star wideout locked up through 2015 after exercising his fifth-year option, but the team will want to keep him around long-term.
- The Bengals also continue to work on a new deal for linebacker Vontaze Burfict, with the goal of getting something done before the season gets underway, says La Canfora.
- Mohamed Sanu could be a beneficiary of Andrew Hawkins‘ free agent departure to Cleveland, according to La Canfora, who says Sanu is “generating a strong buzz” in camp.
NFC Notes: Falcons, Bryant, Finley, Nelson
In the wake of Sean Weatherspoon‘s season-ending Achilles injury, the Falcons added a pair of veteran free agent linebackers, signing Pat Angerer and Tim Dobbins to minimum salary contracts. However, the team hasn’t ruled the possibility of making further changes, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who reports that former Packer Nick Barnett remains on Atlanta’s radar.
Per McClure, the Falcons were impressed with Barnett’s workout earlier in the offseason, but opted to sign Angerer and Dobbins instead. After Angerer left Tuesday’s practice complaining of headaches though, there was concern he may have sustained a concussion, which may prompt the Falcons to turn to Barnett.
As we wait to see whether the Falcons make any roster moves, let’s check in on a few other NFC teams….
- Having extended Tyron Smith, the Cowboys will now have the franchise tag available next year for Dez Bryant, but team executive vice president Stephen Jones said today that Dallas is “totally committed” to locking up the star receiver for the long term (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Ed Werder).
- After Anthony McCoy suffered an apparent torn Achilles tendon in practice earlier this week, the Seahawks may be looking for some tight end depth, but the team won’t be revisiting the possibility of signing Jermichael Finley, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (link via PFT’s Curtis Crabtree).
- Florio also has the full breakdown of Jordy Nelson’s new extension with the Packers, suggesting that the deal should secure the wideout’s place on the roster through at least 2016.
- Insider linebacker will be a position to watch for the Eagles this year, after the club didn’t really address the position in free agency or the draft, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- A federal court hearing will take place in California this Monday to determine whether Redskins wideout DeSean Jackson will have to repay agent Drew Rosenhaus $516K+, as an NFLPA arbitrator previously ruled, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
Goodell To Meet With Josh Gordon, Aldon Smith
Yesterday, we heard that former Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent will meet with commissioner Roger Goodell within the next week or so in an effort to be reinstated into the NFL. However, that’s not the only meeting with a player on Goodell’s schedule for the next week and a half. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, the commish will also meet with 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith on August 8, and will sit down with Browns wideout Josh Gordon sometime before then.
Both Smith and Gordon are facing suspensions for off-field actions. In Smith’s case, three felony gun charges, a DUI, and an alleged fake bomb threat loom large, and are expected to result in a multi-game ban. As for Gordon, who is facing a possible one-year suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, his appeal hearing remains scheduled for tomorrow, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). Gordon’s reps will argue that his failed test was a result of second-hand smoke, and that if his two urine samples had arbitrarily flipped labels, he would have passed the test.
Goodell, who previously had established a reputation as a strict disciplinarian, has been under scrutiny for the lenient punishment he handed down to Ravens running back Ray Rice, who only received a two-game ban following an ugly domestic abuse case involving his then-fiancée.
Browns Sign Jim Leonhard
6:18pm: The Browns announced the signing, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.
4:53pm: Well-traveled safety Jim Leonhard has signed with the Browns, the veteran free agent announced today, tweeting, “It’s official, I just signed my 8th NFL contract to become a part of the Cleveland Browns. #dawgpound.” The move reunites the 31-year-old with Browns head coach Mike Pettine, who was the Bills’ defensive coordinator when Leonhard played in Buffalo last season.
Leonhard, a Wisconsin product, has played for four teams since entering the league in 2005, spending time with the Jets, Ravens, and Broncos, as well as enjoying two separate stints with the Bills. After playing primarily in a reserve role in Denver in 2012, Leonhard earned seven starts last season in Buffalo. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked him as just the 67th-best safety out of 86 qualified players, but he contributed 41 tackles and four interceptions to a much-improved Bills defense.
For the Browns, Leonhard will look to earn a spot and playing time in a secondary where Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson project as the starting safeties. Cleveland won’t have to cut a player to finalize the signing of Leonhard, since the team had a couple open spots on its 90-man roster.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Quarterback Kory Faulkner, waived Tuesday by the 49ers, cleared waivers and is now free to sign with any team, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Guard Fou Fonoti cleared waivers as well and now reverts to SF’s injured reserve.
- The Browns have signed offensive lineman Ryan Lee, the team announced today (via Twitter). By our count, Cleveland had three openings on its roster, so the club won’t need to waive anyone.
- Wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard, who spent most of last season the Ravens’ practice squad, was claimed off waivers by the Packers today after being cut by Baltimore, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Green Bay had an open spot on its 90-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.
- In order to make room for McDonough, whose signing is noted below, the Redskins have waived-injured former Hampton cornerback Courtney Bridget, Jay Gruden confirmed today (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times).
Earlier updates:
- Defensive linemen Cody Larsen and Will Pericak have signed with the Broncos, the team announced today (link via the Denver Post). Both players’ NFL experience is limited to preseason action and time spent on practice squads. The moves increase Denver’s roster count to 89, leaving one additional opening.
- With a couple defensive backs banged up in camp, the Buccaneers have added some depth by signing cornerback Kip Edwards, who went undrafted in 2013 and has spent time with the Browns, Bills, and Vikings (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com). The club used the spot vacated by recently released guard Carl Nicks to fit Edwards onto the 90-man roster.
- The Redskins have signed defensive tackle Jake McDonough, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. So far, the move has been confirmed by McDonough’s agent, but not the team — when it becomes official, Washington should have to cut a player to make room.
AFC Notes: Alex Smith, Gordon, Raiders
Alex Smith and the Chiefs have both expressed optimism about reaching a long-term contract agreement before the 2014 season gets underway, but the quarterback indicated today there will come a time when a resolution must be reached one way or the other, so that it’s not a distraction during the season (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
“You’re finally gonna cross a line where it’s like, it’s just football from here on out and I’m done not only talking about it with you guys, but even behind the scenes as well,” Smith said. “We talk about eliminating distractions and that’s a part of it. The focus needs to be on ball.”
Smith didn’t give an indication of when this deadline would arrive, but it’s probably safe to assume that he doesn’t want talks dragging past opening day, which would give the two sides a few more weeks to work something out. Here’s more from across the AFC:
- After reports surfaced suggesting Josh Gordon‘s reps would argue that his failed drug test was a result of second-hand smoke, the NFL has countered by pointing out that the agreement in place between the league and NFLPA dictates that players are responsible for what is in their bodies. ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon has the details.
- Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Gordon’s potential suspension will be an all-or-nothing scenario, since the appeal hearing officer can’t arbitrarily land on a penalty between zero games and a full season. A compromise could still be negotiated, but once the process reaches the point where the hearing officer makes a decision, that ruling will stick.
- The owners of nearby franchises weighed in on the Raiders‘ possible interest in San Antonio, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones not making much of the story (link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), while Texans owner Bob McNair suggested that Texans fans would make up half the crowd at a San Antonio game (link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
- Perhaps responding to Mark Davis‘ visit to San Antonio, Oakland mayor Jean Quan took to Twitter last night to announce that the city is “seeing progress” on a new stadium for the Raiders as well as MLB’s Athletics.
- After signing an extension through 2015 today, Bills running back Fred Jackson suggested he’d like to play for three or four more seasons, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap is a fan of the Colts’ offseason signing of Hakeem Nicks, identifying the wideout’s contract as the best one on the team’s books. Linebacker Erik Walden gets the dubious honor of least team-friendly deal for Indianapolis, according to Fitzgerald.
Bills Sign Fred Jackson To Extension
The oldest running back in the NFL has received a contract extension, according to the Bills, who announced today in a press release that they’ve locked up Fred Jackson beyond this season. Per Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter), the new deal will keep Jackson under contract through 2015, extending his current deal by a year.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds further salary details, reporting that Jackson’s one-year extension is worth $2.6MM, with up to $1MM in additional incentives. The longtime Bill is slated to earn a base salary of $2.45MM this season, plus a few modest bonuses, so the extra year comes in at about the same rate, with the opportunity for a raise if he continues to perform at a high level.
Despite turning 33 this past winter, Jackson had one of his best seasons in 2013, compiling 1,277 total yards from scrimmage and setting a career high with 10 total touchdowns. The veteran running back, who has spent seven years with the Bills, carried the ball 206 times and caught a career-high 47 passes.
Heading into 2014, Jackson figures to split time with C.J. Spiller and the newly-acquired Bryce Brown, with Anthony Dixon providing depth. While that may seem like a crowded backfield, no NFL club gave its running backs more total carries last season than Buffalo, so there should be plenty of touches to go around.
With an extension in hand, Jackson joins Brown and Dixon as backs under contract beyond 2014, so it’s not clear whether Spiller, who is on an expiring deal, will have a long-term future in Buffalo.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Bryant, Lawrence, Fins, Bradham
The big news out of the NFL’s two East divisions today relates to Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith, who reached an agreement with the club on a $98MM extension that will keep him under contract through 2023. We have a few other East notes to round up though, including an item on how Smith’s new deal could affect one of his teammates. Let’s dive in….
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) believes that, after extending Smith, it would be “nearly impossible” for the Cowboys make a big long-term commitment to Dez Bryant now. The signing bonus on Smith’s contract isn’t massive, so I think the Cowboys would still have the flexibility to get something done this year if they really wanted to. Still, Rapoport adds that there hasn’t been much progress between the two sides, and that Bryant may benefit from playing out the season without a new deal.
- 34th overall pick Demarcus Lawrence suffered a fractured foot in practice this week and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. That’s a significant blow for the Cowboys, who liked Lawrence enough that they traded their third-round selection in May’s draft to move up and snag the young edge defender.
- Free agent center Samson Satele remains on the Dolphins’ radar, and the team still may return to him at some point, but the team continues to hope its internal options can handle the position in Mike Pouncey’s absence, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham has been suspended for the first game of the regular season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Considering it’s just a one-game suspension, it’s likely for Bradham’s 2013 arrest for marijuana possession, rather than a failed test, Garafolo notes.
Cowboys Sign Tyron Smith To Extension
1:18pm: According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer (Twitter link), Smith’s new contract includes a $10MM signing bonus and $40MM in overall guaranteed money. As is the case with any newly-reported deal, we’ll have to wait to see how much of that $40MM is fully guaranteed, or guaranteed for injury only.
1:02pm: The Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Tyron Smith to a contract extension, the team announced today, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) refers to the agreement as an eight-year “mega-extension,” adding that it’s worth $98MM. Taking into account the two years remaining on Smith’s current deal, the new pact will keep the standout left tackle under contract for the next 10 years, easily making him the only player in the league under contract through 2023.
Smith, 2011′s ninth overall pick, had his work on the outside of the Cowboys’ line recognized with a Pro Bowl nod last season for the first time, and his Pro Football Focus grades suggest he was worthy of that spot, with his performance placing him among the top five tackles in the NFL (subscription required).
It was the second time in three NFL seasons that PFF graded Smith as a top-five player at the position, though in his rookie season that ranking came at right tackle, rather than left. During his first year on the left side in 2012, Smith’s grades slipped a little, particularly as a pass-blocker, but his play in 2013, combined with his age (23) suggest we should expect to see the USC product continue to develop into one of the league’s elite offensive linemen.
The new mega-deal for Smith comes on the heels of Patrick Peterson‘s agreement with the Cardinals, and it’s hard not to connect the dots between the two, since Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to sign a contract extension with his club. Most 2011 first-rounders have struggled to gain traction in extension negotiations this year, since teams have already exercised 2015 options on the players they want to retain, reducing the players’ leverage so far from free agency. However, Peterson’s extension seems to have opened the door for other clubs to work out new contracts with their top 2011 draftees.
Taking into account his $2MM+ salary for 2014 and his $10MM+ salary for 2015, Smith should be eligible to earn a total of about $110MM over the next 10 years, assuming he plays out this contract. That works out to an average value of $11MM annually, with the eight new seasons averaging over $12MM per year. When I examined Smith as an extension candidate last month, I suggested that an annual value of $12MM+ seemed within range, adding that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cowboys star surpassed Joe Thomas to become the NFL’s highest-paid tackle. Thomas’ $80.5MM contract averages $11.5MM annually.
With Smith locked up, the Cowboys figure to turn their attention to their other major extension candidate: Dez Bryant.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Packers Extend GM Ted Thompson
General manager Ted Thompson has signed a new multiyear contract extension with the Packers, the team announced today in a press release. While the release didn’t include details on how long Thompson’s new deal runs, it appears the GM will remain in Green Bay for the foreseeable future, considering he already had two years left on his previous contract.
“I’m pleased that we were able to enter into this contract extension with Ted,” said Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy. “His outstanding work has been the key factor in the success that we’ve enjoyed in recent years. I have tremendous respect for Ted, and am confident that we will continue to contend for championships under his leadership.”
The seventh-longest-tenured general manager in the NFL, Thompson is entering his 10th season at the helm of the franchise. During his stint in Green Bay, the team has earned six playoff berths and only had a losing record twice. Of course, the club also won the Super Bowl following the 2010 season.
While there had been some speculation that Thompson could opt to retire soon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier this week that he didn’t envision the GM leaving the Packers anytime soon.