London Fletcher Still 99% Sure Of Retirement
When London Fletcher announced in December that he expected to retire at season’s end, he left the door slightly open for a potential return, suggesting that he was “99% sure” he’d call it quits. Nearly two months later, Fletcher continues to stick by that assertion. Speaking to Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com, Fletcher said of his retirement odds: “It’s still 99%. You have to leave that one percent out there.”
Fletcher, who will turn 39 this May, told ESPN.com’s John Keim toward the end of the 2013 regular season that the only scenario in which he’d return in 2014 would be on a playoff contender that had a few games left on its schedule. For now, as he tells Klemko, the longtime Redskin appears to be focused on transitioning into a television role.
“I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis,” Fletcher said. “I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes. Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do.”
While Fletcher still started all 16 games for Washington this season and recorded 110 overall tackles, advanced metrics suggest that he’s slowed down significantly over the last couple years. Pro Football Focus ranked his performance 55th among inside linebackers in 2013 (subscription required).
East Notes: Nicks, Cowboys, Patriots, Jets
Here are a few of the latest links of note from out of the NFC’s and AFC’s East divisions:
- Victor Cruz has lobbied for fellow Giants receiver and pending free agent Hakeem Nicks to re-sign with New York, according to Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger. “Selfishly, I would love for him to stay,” Cruz said, confirming that he’s talked to Nicks about it.
- As if the Cowboys didn’t already have enough 2014 cap commitments, running back DeMarco Murray will have a slightly higher cap number than expected, as Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com details. Murray triggered performance escalators that will bump his base salary from about $755K to nearly $1.4MM.
- In a photo gallery, the Dallas Morning News suggests 10 free agent quarterbacks the Cowboys might consider as a No. 3 option behind Tony Romo or Kyle Orton.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com attempts to gauge the free agent value of Aqib Talib around the NFL by compiling a few links to see where Talib ranks on various lists of top free agents. As Reiss writes, the veteran cornerback will be among the Patriots‘ top priorities this offseason.
- In a separate blog entry, Reiss weighs in on a few other Patriots stories, indicating that he doesn’t think Josh McDaniels was as interested in the Browns’ head coaching job as an earlier report suggests, and that he believe the Pats will again have interest in free agent receiver Emmanuel Sanders this offseason.
- With the right side of the Jets‘ offensive line poised to hit free agency, it would behoove the team to re-sign both guard Willie Colon and tackle Austin Howard, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Cimini expects the club to make a “strong push” to re-sign Howard, while perhaps taking a wait-and-see approach with Colon and the right guard position.
Latest On Browns’ Front Office
After parting ways with the Browns, former Cleveland general manager Michael Lombardi doesn’t seem likely to rejoin the NFL Network or another media outlet. Instead, it appears Lombardi could reach an agreement with the Patriots to join New England’s front office. Chris Fedor of 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland first reported (via Twitter) that Lombardi seemed to be on track to join the Patriots, though he cautioned that nothing was finalized yet. Several other similar reports followed, most recently from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who tweets this morning that Lombardi has had discussions about joining the Pats, though “nothing is firm or official yet.”
While Lombardi talks to the Patriots, Ray Farmer is settling into his role as the Browns’ new GM, and CEO Joe Banner is in the process of transitioning out of the organization. We have a few more details on them and some leftovers from the Browns’ coaching search, so let’s round up the highlights….
- League sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Banner and Lombardi ended on bad terms with one another in Cleveland, with their discord prompting owner Jimmy Haslam to let go of both execs.
- According to Cabot, Banner wanted to fire Lombardi by the end of the team’s lengthy coaching search. At the same time, Haslam had grown weary of Banner, feeling that some of the Browns’ head coaching targets weren’t willing to accept, or even interview for, the club’s coaching job because of Banner’s position in the front office.
- Ken Whisenhunt and Bill O’Brien were among the candidates who had concerns about the Browns’ management team, according to Cabot.
- In addition to there being internal discord over Greg Schiano‘s candidacy, as we heard yesterday, Haslam and Banner were also at odds over Josh McDaniels, says Cabot. Haslam was more enthusiastic about McDaniels, and while reports indicated McDaniels pulled out of the mix, the Patriots offensive coordinator actually contacted the Browns to get his name back into consideration. He remained in the running right up until the Browns decided on Mike Pettine, according to Cabot.
- Cabot writes that Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase was the only candidate on the Browns’ list to actually decline an interview, which seems to contradict an earlier suggestion that O’Brien wasn’t interested in interviewing with the team. Perhaps O’Brien wasn’t formally on the Browns’ list of targets this time around, after interviewing with the club a year ago.
- In the first installment of a two-part piece for ESPNCleveland.com, Tony Grossi spoke to Farmer about taking over as the Browns’ general manager.
Chiefs To Let Branden Albert Walk
The Chiefs have made the decision to let left tackle Branden Albert walk in free agency, according to Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link). Parkins adds that Donald Stephenson and Eric Fisher will be the starting tackles for the Chiefs in 2014.
Albert, 29, has been in Kansas City since the team drafted him 15th overall in 2008, starting 83 of 85 games over the course of his seasons with the club. However, after using their first overall pick on Fisher in 2013, the Chiefs will likely have the 23-year-old protect Alex Smith‘s blind side in 2014, with Stephenson manning right tackle.
As for Albert, he finished the season as the 28th-best tackle in the NFL in Pro Football Focus’ estimation (subscription required), including 18th among left tackles. While that ranking doesn’t place him among the league’s very best, he’s still just 28 years old, so he’ll likely receive some lucrative offers in free agency from teams looking to improve their offensive lines. Previous reports have suggested that the Cardinals and Dolphins figure to be squarely in the mix for Albert’s services.
Saints Waive Smith, Harper, Greer; Won’t Re-Sign Vilma
4:51pm: The Saints have officially issued a press release announcing that Smith, Harper, and Greer have been cut. The team also won’t re-sign Vilma, according to the release.
“These were not easy decisions to make,” said Saints GM Mickey Loomis in a statement. “Since we acquired them, Jabari, Roman, Will and Jonathan have all been excellent players on the field for us. Each of them were integral parts in turning this program around and winning a Super Bowl…. However, a new NFL year is about to begin and, with the start of free agency in March, these difficult moves allow us to position our team under the salary cap to move forward for 2014.”
4:48pm: The Saints will also release cornerback Jabari Greer, according to Florio (via Twitter). The Saints could create about $3.18MM in cap savings by cutting Greer, but it’s not possible the amount will be lower than that, since he could be eligible for $1MM+ in injury protection, as Rapoport explains in a pair of tweets.
4:34pm: NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms (via Twitter) that Harper has been informed the Saints have released him.
4:18pm: Today’s list of NFL transactions didn’t include any from the Saints, so it looks like potential cap casualties have at least earned another day on the roster. Still, cuts are expected to come this week. According to Triplett (via Twitter), the Saints have informed Smith that he’ll be waived. Meanwhile, Harper sent out a thank-you tweet to Saints fans, suggesting that he has also been told he’ll be released.
9:11am: The Saints are expected to release a handful of veteran players to increase cap flexibility, and those cuts could begin as soon as today, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link) echoes that report, with both reports identifying safety Roman Harper and defensive end Will Smith as two potential cap casualties for the team.
As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details in his latest 2014 salary cap update, only one team (the Cowboys) has more money committed to ’14 salaries than the Saints, who are currently $13MM+ over the projected cap for next year. Waiving Smith represents the best way to immediately clear nearly that entire deficit — in the last year of his contract, Smith has a cap number of $13.9MM, which could be reduced to just $2.35MM in dead money by releasing him.
As for Harper, after starting nearly every game for the Saints in the previous six seasons, he was limited by injuries in 2013, and was ineffective in his limited playing time. The cap savings won’t be as significant for the Saints if and when they waive Harper, since the veteran still has $3.69MM in bonus money on the final two years of his deal, but the club could still clear $2.18MM in space by cutting him.
Florio notes in his report that a return to New Orleans for free agent linebacker Jonathan Vilma appears highly unlikely. The 31-year-old has been plagued by injuries, which limited him to just one game in 2013, and Vilma’s recent comments about having to share a locker room with a gay teammate aren’t likely to help his free agent stock much either.
Browns Sign Royce Adams
The Browns have signed Royce Adams to a contract, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The deal will be a reserve/futures contract, though it’s not clear if it will included any guaranteed money.
As McIntyre notes in a second tweet, Adams played wide receiver during his senior year at Purdue, but spent most of his time at cornerback, which is where he played during an NFL stint with the Jets. While Adams was listed as a receiver in the NFL’s transaction notice, he was referred to as a defensive back in the Browns’ official release, so it’s not 100% clear how he’ll be used. Either way though, he figures to compete for a roster spot in camp.
The signing of Adams will go down as the first official move made by the Browns under the overhauled front office, led by new GM Ray Farmer.
Vikings Sign Simoni Lawrence
WEDNESDAY, 4:09pm: Lawrence’s deal with the Vikings includes a $10K signing bonus and is for three years, tweets Brian McIntyre.
TUESDAY, 2:25pm: The Vikings have signed linebacker Simoni Lawrence to a contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). TSN.ca’s Matthew Scianitti had reported yesterday (via Twitter) that the CFLer would ink a deal with Minnesota.
Lawrence, who played his college ball at Minnesota, went undrafted in 2010. While he has signed with several NFL teams since then, including the Rams, Bears, and Buccaneers, he has yet to appear in an NFL game. Most recently, the 25-year-old linebacker played for the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, recording 52 tackles, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles during the 2013 season.
Terms of Lawrence’s deal weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a reserve/futures contract, a type of deal that we explained in greater detail yesterday.
Raiders Sign Kory Sheets
Two and a half months after being named the MVP of the CFL’s 2013 Grey Cup, running back Kory Sheets is heading south. The former Saskatchewan Rough Riders back has signed with the Raiders, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Sheets had worked out for the Raiders last month.
In two seasons with Saskatchewan, Sheets racked up 2,875 rushing yards in a pass-heavy league, averaging 5.6 yards per rush and rushing for 23 touchdowns. The 28-year-old Purdue alum figures to have signed a reserve/futures contract, perhaps with a small guarantee included. He’ll compete for a roster spot in Oakland this summer.
Sheets has previously signed contracts with the 49ers, Dolphins, and Panthers, seeing his only NFL action in 2009 with Miami.
Michael Bennett Won’t Give Seahawks Discount
Golden Tate recently expressed a willingness to accept a hometown discount to return to the Seahawks for 2014 and beyond, but fellow free agent Michael Bennett doesn’t sound as enthused about that idea. Noting on the NFL Network on Tuesday night that “this isn’t Costco,” Bennett suggested that, in his opinion, there’s “no such thing” as a discount in the NFL (link via ESPN.com’s Terry Blount).
“There is no discount really because you go out there and you don’t give a discount on effort,” Bennett said. “You go out there and you give the best effort every day and you fight for your teammates, and you want to be compensated for the way that you perform and the kind of teammate you are.”
While Tate’s stance may endear him more to Seahawks fans, it’s hard to argue that Bennett should give up his own potential payday, particularly coming off a Super Bowl season in which he recorded 8.5 sacks to go along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The 28-year-old was a key piece of the Seahawks’ defensive line, spending time both in the middle and on the end, while playing on a one-year, $4.8MM deal.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier this month that the Seahawks were expected to re-sign Bennett, and ESPN.com’s John Clayton (video link) said today that the odds of the two sides reaching an agreement are still “pretty good.” But the Bears, who have Michael’s younger brother Martellus Bennett on their roster, are lurking as a potential bidder for the free-agent-to-be, and Clayton figures it’ll take at least a $6-7MM annual salary to lock up the elder Bennett.
In addition to attempting to re-sign 2014 free agents like Bennett and Tate, the Seahawks figure to explore long-term extensions for Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman this offseason. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there have been no talks yet between Sherman and the team about a new contract. Florio points out that Sherman and his agent likely plan to let the club sort out this year’s free agents before pushing for a long-term deal.
Extra Points: Bills, Knighton, Eagles, Ravens
After we heard yesterday that New York State had appointed several members to a committee tasked with exploring the possibility of a new stadium for the Bills, team president and CEO Russ Brandon released a statement indicating that the franchise’s primary focus is on upgrading Ralph Wilson Stadium (link via The Buffalo News). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com also passes along several comments made by Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz on WGR 550, explaining why a new stadium might not be viable in the short term.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton reportedly intends to seek a new contract this offseason, but the odds of him receiving one aren’t great, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Wide receiver will be a position to keep an eye on in Philadelphia this offseason, as the Eagles decide whether they’ll bring back Jeremy Maclin and/or Riley Cooper. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes an in-depth look at the position.
- Given the presence of new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and the high value the club places on special teams, free-agent-to-be Jacoby Jones has multiple reasons to consider a return to the Ravens, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com.
- While it won’t necessarily be anywhere near the top of the team’s to-do list this offseason, the Ravens should make an effort to upgrade their defensive line if they can, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expects it to be a buyer’s market for free agent receivers this offseason, and thinks that the Patriots, among other teams, could benefit.
- Don’t expect much excitement from this year’s restricted free agent market, writes ESPN.com’s John Clayton, who says that this year’s class of restricted free agents is among the least impressive in recent memory.
- Anthony Kuehn of the Detroit Free Press takes an in-depth look at the Lions’ 22 free-agents-to-be.