Patriots Shopping Danny Amendola?
The Patriots have “floated” Danny Amendola in trade talks, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei. After contract negotiations with Wes Welker turned sour last year, the Pats jumped at the chance to replace the veteran slot receiver with Amendola, ostensibly a younger, quieter replica. Amendola was handed a five-year, $28.5MM contract, but managed just 54 catches for 633 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. In two playoff games, he totaled 3-77-0 and was kept off the stat sheet in a season-ending loss to the Broncos.
When healthy, Amendola has been productive, but he’s missed 24 games the last three seasons and his cap hit ($4.575MM in 2014) escalates by $1MM each of the remaining four years. Pompei says Amendola could be cut if a deal is not found.
NFC Notes: Foles, Pettigrew, Young, Gerhart
Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is the team’s unquestioned No. 1 entering 2014, but the team has yet to publicly declare its belief in the third-year passer as the team’s long-term solution, points out Philly.com’s Jeff McLane. Some believe the team still has doubts and is leaving itself some wiggle room, acknowledging the possibility (likelihood?) Foles regresses this season. There is a business element at play, too. Because Foles’ rookie contract cannot be renegotiated until after 2014, it’s prudent for the club to hold off on making any long-term declarations.
- In light of recent transactions, Eagles GM Howie Roseman demonstrated he paid attention to the successful and unsuccessful aspects of the Joe Banner/Andy Reid era, says Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski, who believes the previous regime undervalued the importance of veteran leadership. “[Roseman] recommitted the Eagles to rewarding homegrown talents such as Kelce and Cooper, and he’s acknowledged that certain older players are special cases.”
- With Jimmy Graham franchise tagged and Dennis Pitta re-signed, the Lions‘ Brandon Pettigrew is potentially the most attractive free agent tight end, says ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
- Meanwhile, the Lions have another free agent worth prioritizing, according to mlive.com’s Kyle Meinke, who says defensive end Willie Young‘s pending free agency “has hardly been discussed.” Plagued by inconsistency in the past, Young took a step forward in 2013, collecting 47 tackles and three sacks and ranking 16th in the league amongst 4-3 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus.
- It is expected that Vikings backup running back Toby Gerhart will leave in free agency, according to ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling.
AFC Notes: Pouncey, Chiefs, Satele, McGlynn
- “The Ted Wells report most likely saved the Dolphins a lot of money when it comes to Mike Pouncey,” says ESPN.com’s James Walker. Pouncey is a 24-year-old Pro Bowler, but his part in the bullying of Jonathan Martin “is reason enough to deny Pouncey a long-term extension,” according to Walker, who believes rewarding Pouncey would send a bad message.
- The Chiefs will not have to release any players for cap purposes, believes ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, who also says the team must retain two of the three starting offensive linemen scheduled to hit free agency: Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. Says Teicher: “[The Chiefs] might be able to get Schwartz and Asamoah for what they could pay Albert. That’s what makes the most sense. But I know Schwartz wants to be a starter (and get paid like one). I don’t blame him. He won’t come back for a backup job or backup money unless he can’t get better somewhere else. That’s true for Asamoah, too. So the Chiefs may be forced to choose between Schwartz and Asamoah and look elsewhere for their backups.”
- Colts center Samson Satele did not get a ringing endorsement from GM Ryan Grigson, says ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Satele’s roster spot could be in jeopardy, as he struggled last season and counts $5.1MM against the 2014 salary cap. Additionally, Wells mentions some scouts think Mike McGlynn, a free agent-to-be, is a better option. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Khaled Holmes, a developmental center out of USC.
Rams Not Tipping Hand On Finnegan
Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan‘s second season in St. Louis was a disaster, as he struggled to play through a fractured orbital bone before hitting Injured Reserve. Because of his scheduled $10MM cap hit, speculation suggests he’s on the chopping block, but ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner explains a more optimistic scenario in which Finnegan restructures his five-year, $50MM deal and stays in St. Louis.
Head coach Jeff Fisher said he expects Finnegan in the team’s off-season program and GM Les Snead did not sound intent of severing ties with the veteran corner, who is considered a positive locker-room presence and secondary leader. “What we want to do is get the cap where we don’t have to make a non-football decision,” said Snead, who acknowledged that Finnegan’s injury caused headaches and vision issues. “First of all, get him healthy and then with [defensive coordinator] Gregg [Williams] coming in figure out where we all fit. In this league, like pass-rushers, corners that can go inside and play nickel, you can’t have enough of those people.”
Giants Notes: Nicks, Tuck, Wilson, Beason
Giants Senior Vice President & General Manager Jerry Reese spoke to the media Saturday morning and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post tweeted some of the topics addressed:
- Hakeem Nicks and Justin Tuck will hit the free agent market (via Twitter).
- The team is optimistic about David Wilson‘s neck injury, but will likely select a running back in the draft (Twitter).
- Uncertainty about the health of Chris Snee (wrist) and David Baas (knee) is making offensive line decisions difficult (Twitter).
- Jon Beason, who was acquired in trade last season and recorded 93 tackles and an interception in 11 starts, will become an unrestricted free agent, but the Giants want him back (Twitter).
Arians: Bethel As Talented As Peterson
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said the team is “very solid” at cornerback when he spoke with azcardinals.com’s Darren Urban, citing Pro Bowler Patrick Peterson, Jerraud Powers and Tyrann Mathieu, who showed playmaking ability before suffering torn knee ligaments. However, Arians raised eyebrows by identifying third-year man Justin Bethel, who made the Pro Bowl as a special teams player, as a potential breakout candidate.
“I think the guy who really should make the big move is Justin Bethel,” said Arians. “He’s as talented probably as Patrick. He just has to start believing it and play corner the way he plays special teams and we’ll really be set back there.”
A 2012 sixth-round pick out of Presbyterian, Bethel put himself on the NFL radar by earning Big South Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011. He blocked nine kicks during his college career and showed well in the pre-draft process, recording a 39.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump.
Combine Notes: Lions, Kaepernick, Ravens, Osemele, Pierce, Ebron
- The Lions are “casting a wide net” in their search for receivers, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The team has a “major deficiency” at receiver and is looking in the draft and free agency for a legitimate complement to Calvin Johnson. Said GM Martin Mayhew: “We want guys that, if, for whatever reason Calvin is getting doubled or he’s not playing in a particular game, that he can go out and make plays by himself. That was one of our things last year, when Calvin was injured, we struggled offensively a lot of times to get off or other players to get off. We’re going to be looking for receivers who can win one-on-one battles, win one-on-one matchups and make plays down the field.”
- The 49ers and Colin Kaepernick are talking extension, tweets the Boston Globe’s Jeff Howe.
- North Carolina junior TE prospect Eric Ebron has piqued the interest of the Giants and Jets, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini.
- The Ravens met with offensive tackle prospects Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama) and Morgan Moses (Virginia), according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
- Kelechi Osemele (herniated disk) will be ready to participate in the team’s conditioning program in April, while Bernard Pierce (rotator cuff surgery) will be ready for training camp, adds Wilson.
Melton “All For” Staying In Chicago
Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton‘s contract year did not go as planned. He suffered a season-ending torn left ACL injury in Week Three, then was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and public intoxication after a bar fight in December. However, while Melton might not be in line for the mega deal many anticipated prior to the season, he remains an athletic, disruptive, pass-rushing three-technique in his age-27 season, making him a coveted asset. Melton talked about his uncertain future with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
The Bears will not franchise Melton and have yet to make a contract offer, but the injured tackle continues his rehab at the Bears facility, remains in contact with the coaching staff and says he’s “all for” staying in Chicago. It sounds as though GM Phil Emery would like to make that happen, but he was not shy about sending a public message to Melton last month:
“He has to fully dedicate his mind and his focus to football, which is extremely important,” Emery said. “And as I have sat down and talked to him, there was a reason we franchise-tagged him [for 2013]. There was a reason for that [$8.45 million] investment. The under-tackle position in the scheme that we’re in is the engine that drives the defense. And when he was in the game, even though from a statistical standpoint he wasn’t off to a fast start, it was very evident on tape that he was a very important part of the defense.”
Melton says he’s “80 to 90” percent and believes he’s on track to participate in OTAs in late May, or be ready to go for training camp at the latest. Whether he’s in training camp with the Bears or another team remains to be seen. While it was the previous regime which drafted Melton, a college running back-turned-defensive lineman, Emery has been exposed to Melton for two years and knows better than anyone the risk and reward involved with an extension. He must weigh Melton’s injury risk, on-field inconsistency and overall accountability against his upside, market value and sheer importance to the Bears defense.
Accordingly, Emery faces a difficult decision, especially in the aftermath of most of the team’s off-season salary cap space being allotted to quarterback Jay Cutler. The team’s pressing needs, however, are on the defense, which bottomed out last season and is devoid of established building blocks with the exception of 30-year-old cornerback Tim Jennings and aging linebacker Lance Briggs. Retaining Melton would perhaps allow the Bears to focus on an edge rusher or secondary defender early in the draft.
Panthers Tops In “Dead Money”
Thanks in large part to last season’s trade of Jon Beason, the Panthers have $17.8MM in “dead money,” more than any team in the league, according to ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert (full chart here). “Dead money” is defined as cap space consumed by players no longer on the roster, whether they retired, were released or traded. The numbers will fluctuate as rosters continue to evolve, but listed below are the five teams with at least $10MM worth of “dead money” at present time, including the players accounting for most of the sunk costs:
- Panthers ($17.8MM): Beason ($8MM), Jordan Gross ($5.6MM), James Anderson ($2.8MM)
- Bills ($12.1MM): Ryan Fitzpatrick ($8MM), Mark Anderson ($3MM), Rian Lindell ($1.38MM)
- Cowboys ($11.8MM): Jay Ratliff ($6.9MM), Nate Livings ($2.1MM), Marcus Spears ($1.4mM), Sean Lissemore ($1.2MM)
- Saints ($10.5MM): Roman Harper ($3.7MM), Jabari Greer ($2.7MM), Will Smith ($2.4MM), Garrett Hartley ($1MM)
- Cardinals ($10.1MM): Levi Brown ($6.5MM), Adam Snyder ($3MM)
At the other end of the spectrum, six teams have less than $1MM in “dead money”: Jets, Rams, Buccaneers, Colts, Seahawks and Bengals.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Boldin, Pettigrew, Bears
Yesterday morning, there was news of the 49ers and free agent receiver Anquan Boldin working on a long-term deal, but tonight, Pro Football Talk says not so fast. A source tells PFT no negotiations have taken place, though both sides are expected to talk at the Combine. Additionally, Boldin is the team’s top priority by virtue of him being on the verge of hitting the open market, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick and head coach Jim Harbaugh could also receive extensions this year.
Other NFC notes:
- Brandon Pettigrew is the only reasonable candidate for the Lions franchise tag, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, but he says the team is unlikely to use the tag, probably for reasons explained by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Both writers seem to agree that Pettigrew is not worth the money given his inconsistency, injuries and inability to stretch the field. Furthermore, the team is sitting with just about $3MM in cap space.
- There’s a good chance Bears running back Michael Bush will be a cap casualty, according to Dan Pompei. Bush is signed for two more years with cap hits of $3.85MM in 2014 and $4.6MM in 2015, but has been very average as Matt Forte‘s backup.
- Former Ravens safety Christian Thompson worked out for the Bears, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A good-sized, athletic prospect who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Thompson was released by the Ravens last season after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
- The 49ers need a speedy receiver to compliment Michael Crabtree (and maybe Boldin) if they are to have more success against the big, physical Seahawks secondary, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.