Combine Updates: Bucs, Titans, Bears, Lions
The 2014 scouting combine is underway in Indianapolis, and NFL head coaches and general managers have begun speaking to reporters both in scheduled press conferences and in smaller side interviews. There have been several tidbits worth passing along from those sessions, so let’s dive right in and round up a few highlights….
- While Lovie Smith said he likes Mike Glennon, the Buccaneers head coach also expressed a belief that there could be a potential franchise quarterback available with the No. 7 pick in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details. If that’s the case, it sounds like the Bucs will strongly consider drafting a signal-caller in the first round.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert didn’t reveal much about his team’s offseason plans, but was enthusiastic in discussing 2014’s draft class. While he cautioned that it’s an immature group due to all the underclassmen in the mix, Colbert said it’s the best class he has even seen, according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter), that’s very high praise coming from Colbert, who has been preparing for drafts for the last 30 years.
- Colbert’s comments on wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suggested to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that the Steelers intend to let Sanders hit the open market.
- Asked about running back Chris Johnson, a potential cap casualty, Titans GM Ruston Webster said that the club can be as patient as it wants to be in making a decision on Johnson, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Webster also confirmed that the Titans have spoken to cornerback Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new contract, adding that “we’ll continue to talk” (Twitter link via Wyatt).
- The Bears would like to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton, GM Phil Emery indicated to reporters, including Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). However, it’s clear that it will come down to Melton’s price tag. Emery also echoed coach Marc Trestman‘s views on Chris Conte, suggesting that he hopes the safety comes in and wins a starting job (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). “I’d like to be talking to him about an extension,” Emery said of Conte.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said “never say never” when it comes to re-signing recently released safety Louis Delmas, but didn’t sound optimistic about the possibility, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Caldwell added that acquiring a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson will be one of the club’s top priorities this offseason, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).
- The Cardinals would like to re-sign linebacker Karlos Dansby but have always been prepared to move on, GM Steve Keim said today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
Vontae Davis, Colts In Early Stages Of Talks
The Colts and free agent cornerback Vontae Davis have begun negotiating a new agreement, but the two sides remain in the early stages of discussions, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. According to Holder, a deal is “far from imminent,” as the Colts and Davis wait for the free agent market to develop.
As Holder writes, teams with free agent cornerbacks figure to talk to those players’ camps at this week’s combine, and some clubs could decide to place the franchise tag on their free agent DBs. Those developments will help establish what sort of offers could be out there for Davis on the open market in March, which will help the two sides determine what might be fair value for the standout cornerback.
While Davis only grabbed one interception in 2013, the former 25th overall pick ranked among the best cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Only Darrelle Revis and fellow free agent Brent Grimes had higher overall grades than Davis, according to PFF.
Davis, who will turn 26 in May, is still very much in his prime, so he’ll likely draw significant interest in March if he and the Colts can’t reach an agreement before free agency. However, as Holder wrote earlier this month, there’s mutual interest in working something out.
Hakeem Nicks Joins CAA, Roc Nation
Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports has added another noteworthy NFL client to its roster. Pending free agent Hakeem Nicks announced today via Twitter that he is “proud to become a part of the Roc Nation Sports family!” A league source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that while Roc Nation will be representing Nicks for marketing purposes, CAA will negotiate his next contract.
Although Nicks’ new partnership with CAA and Roc Nation doesn’t necessarily make the Giants any more likely to retain the free agent receiver, it’s worth noting that longtime teammate Victor Cruz has a similar arrangement with CAA and Roc Nation. Cruz has publicly admitted that he’s been lobbying for Nicks to remain in New York.
While Nicks is coming off a down year in 2013, having failed to score a single TD on 56 catches, while accumulating 896 yards, he has plenty of upside and is still just 26 years old. As our Rob DiRe wrote in a recent look at Nicks’ free agent stock, the former first-round pick could turn out to be a No. 1 caliber receiver available for the price of a No. 2. However, with new representation on board, Nicks is unlikely to be a bargain buy.
Bears Notes: Garza, McCown, Williams, Conte
While he didn’t draw quite the crowd of reporters that Dolphins coach Joe Philbin did before him, Bears head coach Marc Trestman shared a handful of interesting tidbits this morning in his conversation with reporters. Here are some highlights:
- Trestman indicated that the team’s focus this offseason will be on improving its defense, and that it will be a “defensive-orientated draft” for Chicago in May (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago).
- Trestman said that the Bears want to bring back center Roberto Garza, who should finish his career in Chicago, in the head coach’s opinion (Twitter links via Brad Biggs and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). The team will also do everything it can to retain free agent quarterback Josh McCown and would like to re-sign linebacker D.J. Williams, according to Trestman (Twitter links via Adam Johns of the Chicago Sun-Times and Biggs).
- Asked if safety Chris Conte will be a Bear in 2014 after a subpar season in 2013, Trestman said yes, according to Campbell (Twitter link). Conte ranked 82nd among 86 safeties using Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
AFC East Notes: Wendell, Mankins, Dolphins
As Thursday’s slate of head coach and general manager press conferences gets underway at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, let’s check in on a few updates out of the AFC East, including a certain Dolphins head coach finally breaking his silence on the Ted Wells report….
- The Patriots have yet to enter negotiations with free agent center Ryan Wendell about a new deal or talk to Logan Mankins about an extension to reduce his cap number, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Volin adds in a second tweet that both players would likely be receptive to those talks.
- Speaking to reporters at the combine today, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin indicated that no decisions have been made yet on whether the team will bring back players like Richie Incognito, John Jerry, and Mike Pouncey (Twitter link via Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe). While that may be true, it seems pretty clear that Incognito and Jerry, who are eligible for free agency, won’t be back.
- Philbin also told reporters, including Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has reached out to Jonathan Martin and will meet with him. Philbin was noncommittal on Martin’s future with the club.
49ers, Jonathan Baldwin Rework Contract
49ers receiver Jonathan Baldwin has restructured his contract for the 2014 season, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Having initially been slated to earn a base salary of about $1.275MM along with a workout bonus of $130K, Baldwin will now receive a minimum base salary of $645K, with $755K available in incentives. The transaction creates a little extra cap flexibility for the Niners, reducing Baldwin’s cap number.
According to Yates (via Twitter), Baldwin will need to play 80% of the team’s snaps, catch 65 passes, and surpass 800 receiving yards to receive his full salary. Considering the former Chief has 44 receptions and 607 yards in his three-year career so far, that may be a long shot.
Still, Baldwin is only 24 years old, and is a former first-round pick. While he didn’t have a real role in the 49ers’ offense in 2013, catching just three passes in seven games, perhaps he’ll take on more responsibility in 2014 if the team loses Anquan Boldin in free agency.
Raiders To Meet With McFadden’s Agent
Darren McFadden‘s agent will meet with the Raiders this Saturday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis to discuss his client’s free agency, reports Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Raiders aren’t viewed as likely to re-sign McFadden for 2014, but it sounds like the team is at least open to discussing the possibility.
McFadden flashed superstar potential in the 2010 season, when he racked up 1157 rushing yards and 10 overall TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. However, he has been plagued by injuries in recent years, playing in just 29 of Oakland’s 48 games over the last three seasons. After missing time in 2013 due to a hamstring issue, the former fourth overall pick lost his starting job to Rashad Jennings, who will also be eligible for free agency next month.
While injuries have prevented McFadden from achieving stardom, he’s still only 26 years old, and ranks alongside Maurice Jones-Drew as one of most intriguing running backs set to hit the open market. Since he’s unlikely to re-up with the Raiders prior to March 11, it will be interesting to see what sort of offers McFadden receives next month. The Bengals are among the teams expected to have interest.
Cowboys Links: Bryant, Smith, Austin, Ware
With a deadline of March 11 for getting under the 2014 cap, the Cowboys don’t sound like they’re in any hurry to make roster moves quite yet, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Still, there are a number of interesting decisions to be made over the next several weeks by the team which has the most 2014 cap commitments in the NFL. Let’s check in on some of them….
- While the Cowboys intend to spend “efficiently” in free agency, that doesn’t necessarily preclude contract extensions for wide receiver Dez Bryant or offensive tackle Tyron Smith, Archer notes in a separate ESPN.com blog post. Both players are eligible for long-term deals this summer, and executive vice president Stephen Jones suggests the team will “make decisions individually” on Bryant and Smith, meaning it’s possible that just one of the two will be extended this offseason.
- Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News contextualizes some comments made by Jones in examining the team’s options with Miles Austin and DeMarcus Ware.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes an in-depth look at how Terrell Suggs’ new extension with the Ravens could influence Ware’s contract negotiations with the Cowboys. Dallas may not have as much leverage as Baltimore did, but the club could create significant cap savings by cutting Ware, so he figures to be open to restructuring his deal.
Broncos Links: Delmas, Dreessen, Draft
While not every NFL team’s head coach and/or general manager will speak to the media at this week’s scouting combine, the Broncos’ decision-makers will be available to reporters. Coach John Fox is scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday, with newly-extended general manager John Elway set to round out the schedule on Friday. As we wait to see what Fox and Elway have to say, less than three weeks after the team’s Super Bowl loss, let’s check in on the latest out of Denver:
- The Broncos have spoken to agent Drew Rosenhaus about recently released safety Louis Delmas, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. However, while Delmas met with the Steelers earlier this week, he doesn’t currently appear to have any visit scheduled with the Broncos.
- Tight end Joel Dreessen has one year left on the three-year pact he signed with the Broncos in 2012, and he intends to play out the final season of that deal if possible, writes Klis. According to the Denver Post scribe, Dreesen will undergo surgery on a troublesome left knee next week in the hopes of getting healthy for the 2014 season.
- In a third piece for the Post, Klis takes a look at a number of positions of need for the Broncos, along with input from NFL Network’s Mike Mayock on players that could be possible fits for Denver. The Broncos’ figure to be focusing on their defense in the draft, potentially targeting players at defensive end, middle linebacker, safety, and cornerback.
Falcons Release Garrett Reynolds
WEDNESDAY, 4:02pm: The Falcons finalized the move today, officially releasing Reynolds, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 4:30pm: The Falcons have informed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds of his release, according to agent Chad Speck of Allegiant Athletic Agency (Twitter link). Reynolds is the latest veteran to be cut by the Falcons, who also released Asante Samuel and Stephen Nicholas earlier this month.
Reynolds, who started 10 games for the Falcons in 2013, signed a two-year, $2.7MM extension with the club last offseason. However, the 26-year-old lost his starting job at right guard late in the 2013 season, and his released had been expected. The move reduces his $1.63MM cap hit to $250K in dead money, creating modest cap savings in the $1MM range for the Falcons.
Reynolds, who graded as Pro Football Focus’ 31st overall guard (subscription required), won’t have to pass through waivers, since he has at least four years of experience. He’ll likely be in line for a minimum-salary contract with another team.