Browns Not Likely To Cut Josh Gordon
As he faces a potential year-long suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, Josh Gordon is likely to remain a remember of the Browns, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, it remains possible that the Browns will decide to cut Gordon in advance of training camp, but it’s an unlikely scenario.
Gordon’s suspension, which could take into account his recent DUI arrest, has yet to be announced, so I’d be surprised if Cleveland made any final decisions on what to do with the wideout before that point. Still, if his year-long suspension is upheld, it will be an uphill battle for Gordon to return to the field for the Browns or another team. As we saw with Tanard Jackson this week, just because a player returns from one suspension, it doesn’t mean another won’t follow shortly thereafter, particularly if the player hasn’t taken steps to get help and stay out of trouble.
In the unlikely event that the Browns part ways with Gordon this summer, he’d be subject to the waiver system, meaning last year’s worst team, the Texans, would have first dibs at claiming him and taking on his contract. Of course, if a Cleveland team that saw Gordon rack up 1,646 receiving yards in just 14 games last season decides to cut the former supplemental draft pick, other teams may be equally reluctant to add him to their roster.
Prior to Gordon’s arrest last weekend, we heard that his appeal hearing was scheduled for late July. Although it’s unclear if that timetable has been altered at all due to his latest off-field incident, it appears as if we’ll get official word on the wideout’s suspension within the next few weeks.
Jermichael Finley Hopes To Return To Packers
According to multiple reports, tight end Jermichael Finley has been medically cleared by his personal doctor, but has yet to be cleared by the Packers’ team doctor, who is more cautious when it comes to spinal injuries. Still, Finley is working out, feels good, and would very much like to return to Green Bay, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. “Tell everybody I’m working as hard as I can to get back to Packer Nation,” Finley said today to Wilde.
Finley, 27, has accumulated 223 receptions for 2,785 yards and 20 touchdowns in 70 career contests for the Packers. However, as a free agent, he has drawn plenty of interest from other clubs. According to Wilde, Finley has visited the Patriots and Giants, and a handful of other teams have been linked to the tight end as well, including the Steelers, Raiders, and Dolphins.
Agent Blake Baratz confirmed in May that his client could file for the collection of a $10MM insurance policy if he opts not continue his playing career. However, Finley seems positive about his workouts and his health, and at this point, it would be a surprise if he didn’t sign another NFL contract at some point.
Earlier today, Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examined the Packers’ group of tight ends, which includes Andrew Quarless, Richard Rodgers, Brandon Bostick, and Ryan Taylor. While the team appears ready to enter training camp without Finley, tight ends coach Jerry Fontenot acknowledged that the position is perhaps the most unsettled on the roster, so it sounds as if he’d be open to bringing back Finley, assuming he’s given the medical green light.
East Notes: Kerrigan, Bills, Dolphins, Cowboys
The Redskins exercised their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan this offseason, ensuring that he remains under contract with the club through the 2015 season. As he tells Ben Breiner of the Muncie Star Press, Kerrigan is cautiously optimistic about an even longer stay in Washington: “I’m going to be a part of [the team] for at least an additional year and hopefully after that, even longer.”
The Redskins also have Brian Orakpo playing under the franchise tag in 2014, and selected Trent Murphy with the No. 47 pick in the ’14 draft, so it remains to be seen whether the club plans on keeping all three OLBs for the long term, or whether one will move on in the next year or two.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News surveyed a handful of local developers on where the Bills‘ next stadium should be built, assuming the team remains in Western New York. As Zremski writes, he wasn’t surprised when his investigation produced “plenty of ideas and little consensus.”
- It was just two years ago that Cortland Finnegan inked a five-year, $50MM deal with the Rams, but after being released this offseason, he’s on a much more modest two-year contract with the Dolphins. According to James Walker of ESPN.com, early reports from the Miami coaching staff suggest the veteran cornerback could be in line for a bounceback performance in 2014.
- Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon, who racked up 11.5 sacks last season, has left Rosenhaus Sports and is said to be meeting with other agents, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
- Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the Cowboys’ left defensive end spot, where Anthony Spencer was re-signed by the team but isn’t being relied upon nearly as heavily as he has been in the past.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Browns, Gordon
The Steelers have been a perennial playoff contender in the AFC for the better part of the last 15 years, finishing below .500 just once during the 2000s, and winning two Super Bowls during that period. However, they’re one of a few AFC clubs, along with the Patriots and Broncos, whose title windows could conceivably close within the next three years or so, writes Field Yates of ESPN.com. In his Insider-only piece, Yates digs deeper on the three AFC teams, specifically focusing on Ben Roethlisberger‘s role in determining whether or not Pittsburgh remains in the Super Bowl hunt going forward.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- The Browns would like to extend the contracts of quarterback Brian Hoyer and tight end Jordan Cameron, but given the complicated nature of the negotiations, there’s a good chance talks will continue into training camp and beyond, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.
- Sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that Josh Gordon may ultimate receive a singular punishment from the NFL for his alleged failed drug tests and DUI, though it’s not clear yet whether that suspension will be for a full season. In any case, while some of Gordon’s Browns teammates feel betrayed after the wideout promised last year that he wouldn’t be in trouble again, every league official that spoke to Freeman believes Gordon will play in the NFL again, either in Cleveland or elsewhere.
- ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley examines some former Ravens who are still counting against the team’s cap in 2014, including Titans safety Bernard Pollard and Giants linebacker Jameel McClain.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Jason Babin
It’s been an unusual offseason for edge defender Jason Babin, who was the only player in the NFL to void his contract, re-sign with the same team, then get cut by that club a few months later. The sequence of moves leaves him on the free agent market, but there’s been no indication that Babin is considering retirement. As training camps approach, it’s worth considering which teams may have interest in the former first-round pick, who will likely try to catch on with a new club in time for the regular season.
Babin, who turned 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season for the Jaguars, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. Those are solid numbers, albeit a far cry from the ones he was posting just three years ago — in 2011 for the Eagles, Babin set a career high with 18 sacks, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth. The veteran’s days of ranking among the NFL’s league leaders in sacks may be over, but he’s still very capable of getting to the quarterback, finishing with 59 total QB pressures for the Jags in ’13.
Of course, as Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report observed last month, teams have some concern that Babin has become increasingly one-dimensional, a strong pass rusher but not a player who can contribute on non-passing downs. That sort of player has some value, but many clubs may be seeking backups with more versatility, who could be of greater use in the event of an injury to a starter.
Still, Babin’s one-dimensional style of play isn’t exactly a new development. During his two Pro Bowl seasons in 2010 and 2011, the Western Michigan recorded an incredible total pass rush grade of +52.1, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). However, his overall grade was significantly lower due to below-average marks as a run stopper (-4.9) and an inability to avoid penalties (-17.3). His PFF grades maintained a similar pattern last year for the Jags, with a +8.6 pass rush mark to go along with -7.9 as a run defender and -8.0 for penalties.
The difference between Babin circa 2010-11 and last season’s version is that he’s no longer so exceptional at getting to the quarterback that it outweighs his deficiencies elsewhere. In his Pro Bowl seasons, Babin’s PFF grades had him ranked among the league’s top 10 defensive ends. In 2013, he placed just 35th of 52 qualified players at the position.
With his pass-rushing skills seemingly on the decline as he enters his mid-30s, Babin certainly won’t be in line for a lucrative deal this summer. However, his willingness to accept a fairly modest offer from the Jags in March suggests that the well-traveled defender could be had for a reasonable price. That three-year deal with Jacksonville had a base value of just $7.275MM and only included $500K in guaranteed money. Perhaps something in the range of $1.5-2MM per year would be enough for a club to bring Babin into the fold, and that wouldn’t be an exorbitant price tag for a part-time player with a knack for getting after the quarterback on passing downs.
Which team might be a fit for Babin? His apparent desire to return to the Jags suggests that it wouldn’t necessarily have to be a contender, though there are a few contending teams that could potentially use him. The Falcons, Bengals, Seahawks, and Giants are among the clubs that might be a fit, and several others could become suitors as well, depending on how their training camps play out.
Babin has experience in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, and as a veteran player wouldn’t necessarily need a full camp in order to be ready for the regular season, it may be in his best interests to wait until mid-to-late August to see if injuries or disappointing performances prompt any teams to become a little more desperate for a free agent pass rusher.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On 2014 Supplemental Draft
The NFL’s supplemental draft will take place tomorrow at noon central time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who lists the four players eligible to be selected: New Mexico wideout Chase Clayton, Virginia-Lynchburg defensive lineman LaKendrick Ross, SMU running back Traylon Shead, and UNC linebacker Darius Lipford. While we’d previously heard about the first three prospects, Lipford’s inclusion is new.
A year ago, none of the six players eligible for the supplemental draft were picked, and that may be the case again this year. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported yesterday that no teams he’d spoken to had a draftable grade on any players eligible to be selected this year.
Still, many teams are at least doing their due diligence on this year’s supplemental draft class. The Bears, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Eagles, Falcons, 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, and Texans reportedly attended the workout for Ross, while the Cowboys, Texans, Packers, Colts, Lions, Giants, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Bears were in attendance to watch Shead work out.
The supplemental draft is intended to accommodate players who missed the deadline for May’s NFL draft or were declared ineligible for another reason. If a team wants to select a player in the supplemental draft, it must let the league know the round in which it’s willing to select that player. The club which submits the highest round will receive the player and forfeit a 2015 draft pick in that same round. For instance, when the Browns used a second-round supplemental choice on Josh Gordon in 2012, it meant that the team lost its second-round pick for the 2013 draft.
Raiders Developer Opposes A’s Stadium Lease
Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics reached an agreement with the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority last week on a 10-year lease extension, but that deal has yet to be approved by Oakland City Council. As Matthew Artz of the Oakland Tribune details, the development team working to build a new stadium for the Raiders has opposed the agreement, and is urging city council members to reject the new lease.
“The current proposal … simply allows the A’s to buy more time to find a site outside of Oakland … and disrupt the ability to deliver a stadium for the Raiders and the ancillary developments adjacent to that stadium,” said development team attorney Zach Wasserman in a letter to Oakland mayor Jean Quan and council members.
As Artz writes, the Raiders hope to eventually build a new stadium by partnering with developers on the Coliseum City project, which is aiming to transform the Coliseum complex into a sports and entertainment center. However, Athletics owner Lew Wolff has said that if his team wants to build a new ballpark at the site, it would want to be in charge of the development. As such, while council members say they want to keep both the MLB and NFL franchises in Oakland, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious solution for both sides to come together on a stadium agreement.
In his letter to Oakland’s civic leaders, Wasserman wrote that it’s crucial for O.co Coliseum to be demolished in 2015 in order to construct a multiuse Raiders facility in the same spot, which would aim to open by 2018. However, the Athletics’ lease agreement – which Oakland City Council will be tasked with approving or rejecting – includes a clause stating that the A’s wouldn’t be forced to vacate the Coliseum for a Raiders stadium development until after the 2016 MLB season.
With a number of balls up in the air for both the Athletics and the Raiders, it will be interesting how the upcoming vote plays out. According to Artz, several council members said this week they have been frustrated by the lack of progress on a Raiders stadium and don’t expect Wasserman’s team’s concerns to impact their decision, which may suggest they’re leaning toward approving the lease for the MLB club. In that case, Raiders owner Mark Davis would have a tough decision for the next step for his club.
“There’s all kinds of options.” Davis told Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News last month when asked about his next move if the A’s deal gets done. “But I want to make the best one.”
Poll: Who Will Win The AFC East?
Over the past decade, as teams across the NFL have risen and fallen in the standings from year to year, few – if any – teams were more consistent than the New England Patriots. In the last 11 years, New England has claimed 10 division titles. The only year the team didn’t finish atop the AFC East was 2008, a campaign in which Tom Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 and the Pats still finished with an 11-5 record, losing a division tiebreaker to the Dolphins.
After an offseason that saw the Pats bring back most of their key contributors and add one of the best cornerbacks in football (Darrelle Revis), New England seems to be the safe bet to win the AFC East once again. But the rest of the division appears ready to compete in the short term, and won’t go down quietly.
The Jets, who finished 8-8 in 2013, had trouble scoring points last season, but revamped their offense this spring, adding Eric Decker, Chris Johnson, and Michael Vick in free agency. Johnson’s best years may be behind him, and Vick won’t necessarily get the chance to start immediately, but even so, the veteran additions could give a boost to a unit that lacked the ability to make big plays a year ago.
As for the Dolphins, the East’s other .500 team, their success may hinge on a revamped offensive line, which now features free agent signees Branden Albert and Shelley Smith, as well as rookies Ja’Wuan James and Billy Turner. Miami’s coaching staff, led by head coach Joe Philbin, may be entering a make-or-break year, so they’ll certainly be motivated to find a way to get the Dolphins a couple extra wins and playoff spot.
Finally, last year’s East cellar-dweller – the Bills – swung for the fences on draft day two months ago, trading 2015’s first-round pick to the Browns in order to move up to snag wide receiver Sammy Watkins fourth overall. Watkins should have an immediate impact and will make E.J. Manuel‘s life much easier, but it’s not clear yet if Manuel is ready to take that next step and become an above-average NFL quarterback. Additionally, the loss of Kiko Alonso to a season-ending injury will have a significant impact on a defense that saw its 2013 coordinator (Mike Pettine) depart in the offseason for a head coaching job in Cleveland. Although the Bills still have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, a lot would have to break right for the club to compete for a division crown.
What do you think? Will the Pats take the AFC East for the 11th time in 12 years, or will one of the three upstarts steal it away from New England in 2014?
Previously:
Who will win the AFC North?
Who will win the AFC West?
Who will win the AFC South?
NFC North Notes: Bell, Raji, Rudolph
After rounding up several items out of the NFC East this morning, we’ll turn our attention to the North this afternoon. Here’s the latest:
- Running back Joique Bell, who received a three-year contract extension from the Lions this offseason, is coming off a knee injury and will report to training camp a few days before the rest of his teammates in order to test out his body, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
- After reportedly turning down a longer and larger contract extension a year ago, B.J. Raji settled for a one-year, $4MM deal with the Packers this offseason. However, if his return to his old nose tackle position is successful, he could parlay that into a significant raise when he hits free agency again in 2015. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com has the details.
- Kyle Rudolph, an extension candidate for the Vikings, has been studying tape of tight ends Norv Turner has worked with in the past, and is looking for a big year under the team’s new offensive coordinator, as he tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel catches up with former Packers second-rounder Brian Brohm, who is now a backup quarterback for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
AFC Notes: Titans, Bortles, Bills, Raiders
Chris Johnson has never rushed for fewer than 1,047 yards in an NFL season, but with his cap number on the rise and the price of running backs around the league on the decline, the Titans decided to release him this offseason. As the new Jets running back tells Brian Costello of the New York Post, Tennessee’s decision will provide plenty of incentive for him to succeed in 2014 and beyond.
“Of course I have a chip on my shoulder,” Johnson said. “It gives me more motivation to continue to work hard and come here and be that guy I’ve been my whole career. I want to prove [the Titans] wrong. They released me and I want to let them know they made a mistake.”
Here’s more from around the AFC, including a couple items related to Johnson’s old team:
- In a piece for the Tennessean, Jim Wyatt surveys the Titans‘ landscape at wide receiver, and looks specifically at the odds of journeyman Derek Hagan cracking the regular season roster. Like fellow Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, Wyatt suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tennessee add another receiver to the roster in August or even September.
- No. 3 overall pick Blake Bortles is on board with the decision to sit in his rookie season, with Chad Henne starting at quarterback for the Jaguars. However, as he tells NFL Media’s Bryan Fischer, Bortles will be ready if he’s called upon earlier than expected.
- The Bills will have some decisions to make soon on their running backs, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, who says he thinks Buffalo wants Bryce Brown to develop into one of the team’s lead backs. If that’s the case, the futures of C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson, who are both eligible for free agency in 2015, figure to be up in the air.
- After an offseason which saw the Raiders add several veteran free agents, including some with championship experience, cornerback Taiwan Jones believes there’s a different feeling in Oakland heading into this season, according to Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com.