NFC South Notes: Winston, Underwood, Wilson
No one from the Buccaneers, the NFL, or any other NFL team has reached out to Jameis Winston‘s rape accuser for background information, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Given the climate of the NFL in the wake of the scandals surrounding Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy, Cole expected teams to reach out to the alleged victim. Winston, meanwhile, could still face civil action from that accuser and a second accuser could come forward with a civil suit and/or testify for the first alleged victim in her case.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC South:
- Former Buccaneers receiver Tiquan Underwood signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The speedy wide receiver also previously spent time with the Patriots and Jaguars.
- In today’s mailbag, Katherine Terrell of the The Times-Picayune writes that she isn’t so sure that the Saints‘ locker room leadership situation has really improved this offseason. The Saints didn’t necessarily ship out “problem children” and they also lost the likes of Pierre Thomas and Curtis Lofton.
- The Saints signed former Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson to a one-year deal earlier this week, and it will pay him $825,000, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The contract includes an $80,000 signing bonus.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Barnes, Cardinals
The Seahawks are still working on a long-term deal with franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, and Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN Seattle looks at a number of scenarios that could play out during negotiations. He notes that while a fully guaranteed deal is unlikely, and Wilson will not be able to keep open the option of playing baseball, there is a comparison to be made with the deal Tom Brady signed in 2005.
- The Seahawks are without a first-round pick, but have ten selections between No. 63 and No. 248, and they need to add to their receiving corps, and both of their lines, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- Among the possible draft prospects the Seahawks are looking into are the players from the nearby University of Washington, writes Terry Blount of ESPN. The school is expected to have four players taken in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, including Hau’Oli Kikaha, who could be available for the Seahawks at the end of the second round.
- Tim Barnes‘ new one-year deal with the Rams, worth a maximum of $1MM, has a modest $660K base, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). Barnes, 27 in May, has spent his entire four-year career with St. Louis.
- Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic ran down the Cardinals‘ biggest offseason developments. Among the team’s top storylines, of course, was the new deal for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and the departure of Todd Bowles. Unlike Fitzgerald, however, long time Cardinals veterans Darnell Dockett and center Lyle Sendlein were shown the door with one year remaining on their deals.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Colts To Sign Dwight Lowery
The Colts have agreed to terms of a contract with safety Dwight Lowery, reports Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter).
Lowery had visited with the Colts earlier this week. He played in 2014 with the Falcons, recording a career high 85 tackles and intercepting two passes in 15 starts, writes Mike Chappell of RTV6 (via Twitter).
Lowery also spent time with the Jaguars and Jets, playing both safety and corner during his career. He had been effective more often than not in both of his first two stops, although experienced limited playing time, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He still graded out slightly positive in his first full year as a starter in 2014.
NFC Mailbags: Peterson, Rams, Gurley, Newton
We already took a look at some of the AFC mailbags, now let us turn our attention to what ESPN.com’s writes are saying about the NFC:
- The biggest question left for the Cowboys in terms of building their team outside the draft is whether or not they will trade for Adrian Peterson. Todd Archer writes that while you can never rule anything out with the Cowboys, he doesn’t see it as a real possibility.
- The Rams are in an odd spot drafting at No. 10, with no obvious players or needs going in that range. Nick Wagoner opened his mailbag to questions about what the team will do if one of the better prospects falls to them, despite not being an immediate fit. He believes the team would have to consider players like Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Vic Beasley, and Randy Gregory should they be available.
- The Cardinals have a lot of questions at running back, and Josh Weinfuss explores two options, with the likeliness of either Todd Gurley or Peterson starting at halfback for the team in 2015. Weinfuss writes that while every player is different, Gurley should be ready for the beginning of the season. In the case of Peterson, he notes that the chances of a deal materializing lessen as time goes on.
- Cam Newton is coming closer to a contract extension with the Panthers, and David Newton answers questions about his progress this offseason and the team’s opinions of him. He also touches on whether the team would be willing to trade up in the draft, which he hasn’t seen precedent of under general manager Dave Gettleman.
AFC Mailbags: Jets, Steelers, Bengals, Colts, Jags
It’s Saturday mailbag time, and as free agency is coming to crawl, ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Here are some notes from the AFC:
- While the Jets have been linked to Marcus Mariota at six, Rich Cimini would be stunned if the team tried to trade up to get him.
- The Steelers released Hines Ward ago despite his legendary status in Pittsburgh, but are willing to wait for Troy Polamalu to decide for himself whether it is time to retire. The difference being this time around the team does not have any pressing salary cap issues that are being held up by the decision, according to Scott Brown.
- The Bengals signed Pat Sims, and fans want to know if the team will still add to their defensive line. Coley Harvey doesn’t think they will go that route early in the draft, writing that the signing likely indicates they will look to fill holes elsewhere in rounds one through three.
- The Colts have had one of the more miserable running back situations in the league over the past few seasons, due to injury, poor performance, and Trent Richardson. They will have a chance to put more assets toward the position in the draft, although Mike Wells hesitates to say which round the team will find a back deserving a draft pick.
- The Jaguars need to have an impactful draft class, and Michael DiRocco answers a number of questions in his mailbag regarding draft prospects. He writes that the he thinks the team would take Leonard Williams over Dante Fowler Jr. if both were available, that he would be surprised of Todd Gurley was available for them in round two, and that Randy Gregory’s positive marijuana test should scare them.
- The Texans were plagued for most of their existence with the inability to find a second receiver to complement Andre Johnson. In 2015, Johnson won’t be there anymore, and the team will now try to find a player to complement DeAndre Hopkins. The coaching staff values versatility, writes Tania Ganguli, and that could leave an “outside receiver” like DeVier Posey the odd man out.
- The Raiders made a choice to sign Dan Williams over Terrance Knighton, and Bill Williamson answers the simple question, why? Williamson writes the team saw Williams as a more reliable long-term option, with Knighton’s weight issues.
- The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin to add some firepower to a position group that failed to register a single touchdown catch in 2014. Still, the situation was desolate enough that Chiefs’ fans are still wondering if the team will target a wideout high in the draft. Adam Teicher writes that they could be interested in Davante Parker if he is available at No. 18, but the chances of taking Dorial Green-Beckham are diminished with Maclin in the fold.
NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys
Washington has been insistent that they are committed to Robert Griffin III as their franchise quarterback, but that does not mean they aren’t doing diligence on the top passers in the draft. The team plans to host Marcus Mariota for a pre-draft visit, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
“If we think it’s worth the risk to hit the ‘reset button,’ if he’s that good of a football player, if we decide in the building that he’s that good of a football player and that we should do that, then we should do that, you know?,” said head coach Jay Gruden said. “But we’ll see. It has not been determined yet, obviously. We still have some time to determine whether or not we want to go in that direction.”
It is uncertain if Mariota would even be available for the team at the fifth selection.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Building off reports that Washington will have Mariota for a visit, John Keim of ESPN offers some thoughts on the connection between player and team. He writes that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the team is at least having him in for a visit, as he is projected to go in the range of their selection, and the teams are allotted 30 visits. He also notes that there are real concerns over Griffin’s standing within the organization, as well as concerns about Mariota’s NFL projection.
- While Washington has expressed some interest in Mariota, Ross Jones of Fox Sports highlights three players who make more sense for the team. He picks pass rushers Randy Gregory and Shane Ray as options, as well as offensive tackle Brandon Scherff.
- The Giants have a need at safety after losing Antrel Rolle to the Bears, but may be able to fill that hole on the second day of the draft, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Citing Mel Kiper of ESPN, Raanan picks out a few safeties who could be available when the Giants come to the podium in rounds two and three, including Byron Jones of Connecticut and Eric Rowe of Utah.
- The Eagles have been engaged in trade talks with the Dolphins, who are reportedly interested in a member of their defensive backfield, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. While the specific player is not known, Shorr-Parks surmises it is either Brandon Boykin, Earl Wolff, or Jerome Couplin.
- The Cowboys are known for having one of the top offensive lines in the league, but that wouldn’t preclude them to adding to a strength in the draft, and Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News has profiled a number of offensive linemen that could be of interest to the team.
Lance Briggs To Visit 49ers
Linebacker Lance Briggs is scheduled to meet with the 49ers on Monday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Briggs played his whole career with the Chicago Bears, playing in 173 games and earning seven Pro Bowl appearances while making a case for the Hall of Fame.
However, it has already been made clear that he would be not returning to Chicago for the 2015 season. The team is ready to move on from Briggs, who struggled with injuries the past two seasons, as they try to rebuild their defense under new head coach John Fox.
The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of linebackers since the surprise retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland. Aside from Briggs, the team has also been linked to Erin Henderson and Mason Foster.
Briggs has also drawn interest from the Cowboys and Buccaneers, where he is familiar with head coach Lovie Smith.
James Harrison To Decide Between Steelers, Titans
Former Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison has narrowed his list of potential teams in 2015 to only two, the Steelers and the Titans, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.
Harrison made this announcement through his Instagram account, with a video in which his two sons each take turns pushing for one of the two teams.
Harrison is a five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, achieving all of those accolades during his time in Pittsburgh. His lone season away from the Steel City was a disappointing 2013 campaign with the Bengals, in which he struggled to get on the field and impact games.
However, he was coaxed out of retirement by his former Steeler teammates after a rash of injuries took out a significant portion of the linebacking corps. Although he was reportedly considering retirement again this offseason, he announced he was committed to playing again in 2015.
His preference, of course, was to return to the Steelers. However, the team’s linebackers will start the season healthy once again, and that will mean no room for Harrison or at best a diminished role for the former All-Pro linebacker.
The Titans emerged as an option due to Harrison’s strong connection to Dick LeBeau, who resigned from the Steelers in favor of a job in Tennessee. Harrison has not announced a timetable for his decision.
L.A. Stadium Notes: Carson, Oakland, Coliseum City
The Rams, Raiders, and Chargers are still the three teams being thrown around in rumors surrounding a relocation to the Los Angeles market. Last we checked in, Raiders owner Mark Davis mentioned that other cities would be involved as possible relocation destinations, including St. Louis should the Rams move to California.
Here are some recent updates surrounding the cities attempting to find a new team:
- A proposal to build a new stadium in Carson that would be home to both the Chargers and Raiders took the next step today as a petition with 14,000 signatures was submitted in support of the initiative, reports Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. That is more than twice the signatures needed to move forward, but less than the 22,000 a rival stadium proposal in Inglewood was able to gather earlier this year.
- The City of Oakland and Alameda County will work together to keep the Raiders in Oakland, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. San Diego-based developer Floyd Kephart is trying to finance a project to redevelop the Coliseum complex, and with cooperation from the city, county, and ultimately the Raiders, the grounds could eventually include a new football stadium.
- For more information about Kephart’s plan for “Coliseum City” including his personal credentials and his vision for keeping the Raiders in town, Matthew Arts of InsideBayArea.com profiles the project and the man who has become the driving force behind it.
Percy Harvin Contract Details Released
Percy Harvin and the Bills have agreed to a deal that will bring the electrifying playmaker to Buffalo in 2015.
What was thought to be a one-year contract is actually three years, with the second and third years voidable. His base salaries will be $2.9MM, $9MM, and $9MM over the three years, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). His cap numbers in those three years will be $4MM, $10MM, and $10MM (via Twitter).
The structure of the contract helps the Bills fit him in the cap in 2015, but it also means he will likely end the season as a free agent once again (via Twitter). The team can move on from Harvin anytime after this season with no deadline to make that decision and no money owed to the receiver.
Rodak adds that the team currently has just shy of $12MM in cap room left this offseason according to the NFLPA, but that number does not yet included the money they will have to pay to Charles Clay (via Twitter).