Winston Plans To Play Two More Years At FSU
Coming off a season in which he led the Florida State Seminoles to a BCS National Championship victory and became the youngest player to win the Heisman, quarterback Jameis Winston is one of the top young prospects in college football. However, backing up comments made by FSU coach Jimbo Fisher this week, Winston says he intends to play college ball for two more years rather than entering the NFL draft when he’s eligible in 2015, according to Kareem Copeland of The Associated Press.
“Everybody says, well he’s going to stay one (more) year and leave,” Fisher said this week. “I think it’ll be two.”
Asked about his his coach’s declaration, Winston confirmed that “whatever he says most likely is true,” adding: “Obviously I’m a big baseball person, so that’s an accurate statement because I plan on playing baseball [at FSU] next season anyway.”
Plenty could change between now and next year’s draft, so there’s no guarantee that Winston sticks to his plan and waits until 2016 to head to the NFL. Still, even if he doesn’t declare his intent for the 2015 draft, it shouldn’t have a significant effect on NFL teams’ approaches for the coming offseason. Perhaps clubs in need of a young quarterback will be slightly more inclined to draft one this year, but considering how quickly Winston figures to come off the board when he’s draft-eligible, it would have been misguided for any one team to bank on landing him anyway.
Jets Eyeing Jeremy Maclin, Emmanuel Sanders
The Jets will be looking this offseason to upgrade a passing offense that was one of the league’s worst in 2013, and have particular interest in two free agent receivers, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, the Jets “covet” Jeremy Maclin of the Eagles and Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. Both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.
While we haven’t heard much on the likelihood of Sanders returning to Pittsburgh, Eagles GM Howie Roseman hinted this week that there’s a chance Philadelphia may not retain both Maclin and Riley Cooper this offseason. After missing the 2013 season due to a torn ACL, Maclin figures to come cheaper and may be available on a one-year, make-good deal, which makes him a strong candidate to return to the Eagles, but also could make it easier for the Jets to outbid Philadelphia and other rival suitors.
As Mehta notes, the Jets’ top four receivers this past season – Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson, and Stephen Hill – combined for just 126 catches and 1,744 yards, barely outpacing the individual stats of the league’s top receivers. Holmes, the highest-paid of that group, won’t be back in New York next season, at least not at his current price. The Jets can free up $8MM+ by cutting Holmes, and Mehta hears from sources that the club has already factored that amount into its pool of available free agent money.
While adding playmaking receivers will be a priority for the Jets this spring, the team is unlikely to be heavily in the mix for Eric Decker, says Mehta. New York may reach out to Decker and his reps to gauge the Denver receiver’s value, but there are those within the Jets organization who question his ability to be a true No. 1, according to Mehta.
Given the influx of talent required at the position, wide receiver figures to be an area of focus for the Jets in May’s draft as well as in free agency.
AFC Links: Texans, Browns, Pats, Raiders
Asked today on the Dan Patrick Show (video link) if he believes he should be picked first overall in May’s draft, Jadeveon Clowney said yes, but former Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips would go a different direction if he were making the call for Houston. Appearing on 610 SportsRadio in Houston (hat tip to Pro Football Talk), Phillips said he told Texans ownership that he believes quarterback Johnny Manziel is the best choice for the franchise.
“Those kinds of guys who can make first downs when you’re not supposed to, I think they give you something.” Phillips said. “I just think he makes plays that nobody else can make.”
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who has maintained that the Texans intend to take a QB with the No. 1 pick, tweets that, with so much of the process still remaining, the team doesn’t yet favor one of the top three (Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, or Blake Bortles). The club still has three months to decide what it’ll do with that top pick so in the meantime, let’s round up a few more updates from across the AFC….
- After the trade of Trent Richardson, running back devolved into the weakest position on the Browns‘ roster, and will need to be addressed this offseason, says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
- Noting that the Patriots typically spend as little as possible on a backup quarterback, Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston writes that it would make sense if the club selects a QB in the draft’s middle rounds, with Ryan Mallett a good bet to depart via free agency in a year.
- The Raiders announced four additions to their coaching staff today, including defensive backs coach Joe Woods, according to a team release.
- Mike Wells of ESPN.com discussed the Colts with former Browns scout Matt Williamson, who suggested that Indianapolis could use some help on the interior of the offensive line, as well as just about everywhere on defense.
Seahawks Sign Nine To Reserve Contracts
THURSDAY, 4:10pm: The Seahawks officially signed Daniels to a reserve/futures contract today, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
WEDNESDAY, 4:01pm: The Seahawks have officially signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts for 2014, as Brian McIntyre notes (via Twitter). Tight end Cooper Helfet, defensive back Akeem Auguste, offensive lineman Jared Smith, wide receivers Phil Bates and Arceto Clark, defensive linemen Michael Brooks, D’Anthony Smith, and Dewayne Cherrington all inked deals with the club.
All eight of those players finished the 2013 season on the Seahawks’ practice squad. Since Smith was on the practice squad’s injured list, that leaves one more player who didn’t receive a new deal from Seattle: QB B.J. Daniels. However, McIntyre expects him to ink a contract of his own with the team later this week (Twitter link).
NFC West Notes: Peterson, Seahawks, Rams
A report from Pro Football Talk this week indicated that Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson hadn’t ruled out the possibility of a holdout, but Peterson’s comments themselves were more innocuous than the headline suggested. Asked about the possibility of holding out, Peterson said that he and his agent have yet to discuss his contract situation and added, “I can’t speak on that right now.”
The NFL’s new rookie pay scale reduced the leverage of players like Peterson when they become extension-eligible, making a new deal less likely during the coming offseason. But even without a long-term extension, Peterson isn’t likely to hold out, opines ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss. Noting that Peterson dislikes bye weeks because they mean a few days away from football, Weinfuss expresses skepticism that the young All-Pro would willingly sit out OTAs and minicamps, let alone any actual games.
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- Coming off a Super Bowl win, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll doesn’t think his roster requires any significant additions, as Tim Booth of The Associated Press writes. “I don’t see anything that we need to add,” Carroll said. “We just have to get better.”
- There’s a good chance the Seahawks cut players like Sidney Rice, Zach Miller, and Chris Clemons this offseason to create cap space to retain more important roster pieces, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. However, as Corry outlines, given all the players who will require new deals within the next couple years, Seattle could lose plenty of veteran talent during that period, especially since teams have a tendency to overpay players on Super Bowl teams.
- While there’s nothing wrong with adding reinforcements in free agency, the Rams should be building through the draft rather than spending big on free agents, says Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
Free Agent Market For Quarterbacks
Matt Cassel‘s decision to void the remaining year of his contract may not have been earth-shattering news by NFL standards, but it could have a sizable impact on 2014’s class of free agent quarterbacks. Since teams rarely let reliable starting quarterbacks reach free agency, the options on the open market will be limited, but there still could be a few players capable of competing for starting jobs, and several more who would make solid backups.
The Jaguars, Texans, Browns, Vikings, Buccaneers, and Raiders are among the teams expected to seek a starter this offseason, and many more clubs could have interest in a solid backup. Here are the quarterbacks eligible for free agency who will receive consideration from those franchises in the market for a QB:
First tier:
Michael Vick is the most notable name in this year’s quarterback class, and will be looking to land a starting job somewhere. In fact, he recently expressed confidence that, wherever he ends up, he’ll be the starter in Week 1. That’s certainly possible — Vick didn’t play poorly before his injury, but Nick Foles‘ performance was so impressive that Vick didn’t get another crack at the starter’s job in Philadelphia. He figures to at least get a chance to compete for a No. 1 role in 2014, and is the early favorite to sign for the largest salary of 2014’s FA QBs.
While Vick began 2013 as a starter and finished it on the bench, a few other free-agents-to-be worked in reverse. After other signal-callers were injured or underperformed, Chad Henne and Matt Cassel ultimately took over the No. 1 jobs in Jacksonville and Minnesota respectively, and while they didn’t set the league on fire, both veterans performed well, given their relative dearth of weapons. The Jags and Vikings both figure to be in the market for younger QBs with higher upsides, but each team could bring back its respective incumbent to act as the short-term starter or at least to provide an insurance policy.
Although Josh McCown didn’t finish the season as the Bears’ starter, he filled in admirably when Jay Cutler missed a few games due to injury. He’ll be 35 in July, so no team will pencil in McCown as any sort of long-term answer, but his 13-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio last season pushes him above most of the rest of the backup alternatives.
Second tier:
The shine has come off Matt Flynn and Josh Freeman significantly over the last couple years, with Flynn seemingly unable to produce with any team besides the Packers and Freeman drastically regressing since his breakout season in 2010. Still, both players are still in their 20s and have bounce-back potential in the right system. Neither player should begin 2014 as a starter, but you could find worse No. 2 options.
Speaking of No. 2 options, there are several of those set to hit the open market next month. Shaun Hill, Kellen Clemens, Charlie Whitehurst, Tarvaris Jackson, Colt McCoy, Curtis Painter, and Luke McCown are among the backups eligible for unrestricted free agency. We could see many of those players return to their current teams, given their familiarity with those clubs’ offensive systems. Either way, they’ll sign very modest deals, and none of them should be counted on for significant playing time — even Clemens, who ended up starting more than half of the Rams’ 2013 contests after Sam Bradford went down.
The rest:
Perhaps there’s a diamond in the rough among the rest of the group, which includes familiar names like Brady Quinn, Seneca Wallace, Rex Grossman, and Jimmy Clausen. More likely though, these guys will be looking to catch on as a team’s third quarterback.
Overall, there are some interesting names among the prospective free agent quarterbacks. But unless a team unexpectedly strikes gold with a reclamation project like Freeman, there won’t be any cornerstone players in the group. Clubs looking for a solid veteran who could keep a team afloat if its starter goes down should have several options to consider among this free agent class, but teams in search of a longer-term answer will be better off addressing that need in the draft, or perhaps via trade.
NFC East Rumors: Finley, Eagles, Redskins
Yesterday, we passed along word that Antrel Rolle has been recruiting Jermichael Finley in an effort to get the free-agent-to-be to join the Giants. However, Finley remains a Packer for at least a few more weeks, and agent Blake Baratz tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that working out a new deal to stay in Green Bay would be his client’s first priority.
“Right now he is a Packer and I know he would love to play his entire career there,” Baratz said. “For the next five weeks or so they have his exclusive negotiation rights. If it doesn’t work out in Green Bay for whatever reason then I believe there are a number of teams that could use a talent like Jermichael.”
While the Giants and other teams keep an eye on Finley’s recovery and wait to see if they’ll have a chance to sign him, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC East:
- Roosevelt Barnes, the agent for prospective free agent OLB Mike Neal, tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com that he could see the Eagles having interest in his client if Neal doesn’t re-up with the Packers in the next month. “Philly would be a good spot for him,” Barnes said. “But we still have a little while to go before free agency.”
- The Redskins, who have opened contract negotiations with defensive lineman Chris Baker, will likely to seek to lock him up to a deal to the three-year, $3.3MM pact Kedric Golston signed a year ago, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- While the Redskins have plenty of projected cap space for 2014 at this point, Keith McMillan of the Washington Post breaks down the numbers and estimates that the club will have to use a good chunk of that room to retain its own free agents.
Coaching Notes: Browns, Vikings, Bills
A handful of teams announced new coaches today, and while many of them had been previously reported, there were some new names in the bunch. Let’s dive in and check out the latest on three teams still looking for their first Super Bowl win….
- Mike Pettine and the Browns officially announced 11 assistants who will part of the overhauled coaching staff in Cleveland for 2014, according to a team release. The Browns’ staff includes running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery and wide receivers coach Mike McDaniel, who came over from the Ravens and Redskins respectively.
- The Vikings finalized their coaching staff for 2014, formally announcing the list of names on their website. While there are bigger names on the staff, including offensive coordinator Norv Turner, the presence of Mike Priefer is noteworthy. Priefer, who returns as the club’s special teams coordinator, was at the center of allegations made by Chris Kluwe, stemming from Kluwe’s release by the club.
- Rob Moore has joined the Bills‘ coaching staff as the team’s wide receivers coach, the club announced in a press release. Moore will be entering the NFL coaching ranks for the first time after spending the last four years as the receivers coach at Syracuse.
Chiefs Sign Weston Dressler
THURSDAY, 10:47am: Dressler’s deal with the Chiefs is for three years, at the minimum salary, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com.
TUESDAY, 3:29pm: The Chiefs have officially signed Dressler to a reserve/futures contract, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
FRIDAY, 1:30pm: After winning a Grey Cup in 2013 with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, receiver Weston Dressler appears poised to sign with the Chiefs, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani (via Twitter). While the deal has yet to be made official, Dave Naylor of TSN Radio 1050 confirms that Dressler has reached an agreement with Kansas City.
Dressler, 28, was scheduled to become a free agent this offseason and had been exploring his NFL options. The two-time CFL All-Star has surpassed the 1,000-yard mark north of the border in each of the last four years, averaging 81 catches per season over that four-year span.
As Adam Teicher of ESPN.com notes, the addition of Dressler may not bode well for Dexter McCluster‘s future in Kansas City, since the two players fill similar roles — like McCluster, Dressler is an undersized receiver who returns kicks. Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets that the signing isn’t necessarily linked to McCluster’s free agency, adding that the Chiefs would like to bring him back, though cap space may be tight.
Kiper On Manziel, Clowney, Watkins, Jets
Draft day is still more than three months away, but with the offseason underway and the scouting combine around the corner, it’s not too early to start looking ahead. Before he revealed his newest mock (Insider link), ESPN.com draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. appeared on a teleconference today to discuss the 2014 NFL draft, and plenty of reporters passed along the highlights. Here’s a recap of several of Kiper’s notable comments (all links go to Twitter):
- After talking to people around the league, Kiper believes that Johnny Manziel is the consensus top QB in the draft, at least for now. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s atop every team’s board.
- Wide receivers and offensive tackles are likely to dominate the first round, according to Kiper. However, in addition to being top-heavy, the WR class is also expected to be deep, so a team like the Steelers could land a good player there later in the draft.
- There should also be plenty of cornerback depth in the draft, so clubs like the Steelers and Bears can afford to wait on that position, though Chicago will likely have to address its defensive line in the early rounds, says Kiper.
- Kiper believes Jadeveon Clowney will be picked either first overall by the Texans or third overall by the Jaguars, with both teams in need of a pass rusher to get after Andrew Luck twice a season.
- Whichever of those clubs doesn’t take Clowney will probably draft Manziel, according to Kiper, who foresees the Texas A&M signal-caller going first or third, with Teddy Bridgewater coming off the board at No. 4, to the Browns.
- Wide receiver Sammy Watkins is unlikely to be picked outside of the top five, in Kiper’s view.
- Kiper doesn’t expect any running backs to be selected in the first round this year.
- The Chiefs figure to target receivers, safeties, or defensive linemen in the first round, says Kiper.
- Kiper has the Jets using the No. 18 pick on receiver Marqise Lee, and suggests the club should draft a QB in the middle rounds as an insurance policy for Geno Smith.