Cardinals Will Not Cut Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald‘s contract will take up an enormous amount of cap space in 2015, eating up $23.6MM of valuable cap dollars that could go to making improvements elsewhere on the roster. Because of that number, Fitzgerald has long been thought of as a candidate to be cut this offseason. Ideally, the team would be able to trade the former All-Pro receiver, although it would be difficult to find a team willing to accept Fitzgerald’s cap number.
Although his contract looms large, the team will not cut the face of their franchise, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team may explore trading him, restructuring his deal, or signing him to an extension. Florio’s sources made it clear that the Cardinals would not cut him.
General manager Steve Keim noted that there have been ongoing talks with Fitzgerald’s agent about his future with the team, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “We have to make good business decisions,” said Keim. “I don’t think it’s any secret that we said all along that it is our intent to have Larry Fitzgerald retire a Cardinal. I don’t want to get into it too deep, but with planning purposes and financially, from a cap standpoint and all those sort of things, we have Larry’s (cap) number already baked into our numbers.”
“Now, any kind of business decisions moving forward, renegotiations with Larry and that sort of thing, we’ve had ongoing talks with (agent) Eugene Parker and we will continue to have ongoing talks,” added Keim. “But again, the best I can tell you is that it is our intent to keep Larry and make sure he stays a Cardinal the rest of his career.”
Urban also writes that if the Cardinals are serious about not releasing the veteran wideout, Fitzgerald will have no reason to accept a paycut to stay with the team.
Buccaneers, Titans Will Draft In Top Two
With one week left in the regular season, the first half of the 2015 NFL Draft order is close to being set. The Buccaneers and Titans both lost in Week 16, clinching their place as the first two teams to reach the podium when the draft opens on April 30.
Last week, the top six teams in terms of potential draft position were the Buccaneers, Titans, Jaguars, Raiders, Washington, and Jets. Of those teams, Jacksonville, Washington, and Oakland all notched wins this past weekend. Those wins knocked all three teams out of the running for a top two pick, and the Jets were already out of that race due to strength of schedule.
Rivers McCown of Advanced Football Analytics put together odds of where each team will likely fall within the top five selections of the NFL Draft. According to their calculations, the Buccaneers have a 75% chance of landing the first overall pick, and could clinch that spot with a loss. The Titans would need to lose to the Colts and have the Buccaneers to beat the Saints in order to jump into the top spot.
Washington’s schedule would not allow them to gain the third overall pick after beating the Eagles, even if the Jets, Raiders, and Jaguars all win and end the season with four wins. The Jaguars and Raiders will play the Texans and Broncos respectively, and both teams will still need those wins in Week 17. The Jets might have an easier game, with the Dolphins already eliminated from playoff contention.
Minor Moves: Saturday
We will keep track of all of Saturday’s minor transactions here. As usual, newest moves will be added to the top as they come in:
- The Seahawks have made a change to their 53-man roster, placing tight end Rashaun Allen on waivers and promoting offensive lineman Keavon Milton from their taxi squad, tweets Brian McIntyre. Milton will provide some depth on Seattle’s offensive line as the team prepares to be without Russell Okung and Max Unger this weekend in Arizona.
Earlier updates:
- Earlier today, the Raiders placed Tarell Brown on injured reserve. The team has signed linebacker Spencer Hadley off of its practice squad to fill Brown’s roster spot, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have placed rookie inside linebacker Chris Borland on the injured reserve, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The team has promoted outside linebacker Chase Thomas from its practice squad.
- The Buccaneers have placed safety Major Wright on injured reserve, reports Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). The team has promoted cornerback C.J. Wilson from the practice squad to the active roster to fill his spot.
- The Dolphins have signed wide receiver Matt Hazel off of the practice squad to the active roster, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). The team has released linebacker Jake Knott to make room for Hazel.
NFC Links: Gore, Cutler, Griffin, Sanchez
49ers‘ running back Frank Gore has seen a decline in his play this season, and his future in San Francisco is in question. Aside from his rookie season and injury-shortened 2010, Gore is on pace to post career lows in yards, attempts, touchdowns, yards per carry, and longest run. He has also been phased out of the passing game, with career lows in targets, catches, and receiving yards.
Gore will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, and spoke to Eric Branch of SFGate.com regarding his future with the team. “If they want to bring me back, they will,” Gore said. “They’ll come to me in a respectful way. We’ll sit down, see what they want me to do. See what my role is and if I like it, I’ll sign. If I don’t, I’ll try to see what other teams think of me.”
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Joel Corry of the National Football Post takes a look at the financial implications that would take place if the Bears decided to trade Jay Cutler. Because of his contract, he writes the Bears would be unlikely to get much in return for the embattled quarterback, but writes that the Titans, Jets, Buccaneers, Rams and Texans could all have at least some interest in acquiring Cutler at the right price.
- Despite some rumors that Washington would fire head coach Jay Gruden after only one season, the former Bengals’ offensive coordinator is confident that he will get a second season with the team, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. “I feel good about my chances of coming back next year,” Gruden said. “I feel good about some of the core group of guys we have here and building a football team, and I think we can get this thing turned around a lot sooner than later if given the opportunity.”
- Gruden returning is not a given, but after that the biggest question of Washington’s offseason is at the quarterback position. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com would not be surprised to see Robert Griffin III back in Washington next season, noting that his salary is fully guaranteed for 2015 (via Twitter). He writes that Gruden wants to win, and Griffin could be his best option at quarterback (via Twitter).
- With Nick Foles closer to being healthy each week and the Eagles still in the thick of the playoff race, Mark Sanchez needs to be better, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While he writes that Sanchez is not concerned about his own stock, the team’s playoff chances are directly related to how well Sanchez plays. Whether Sanchez’s top priority is making the playoffs or getting a starting job in 2015, he needs to be better over these next two games.
- The Panthers will not activate defensive end Frank Alexander for this weekend’s game against the Browns, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox sports 1 (via Twitter). Alexander came off of his suspension this week, after violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Garafolo writes that the team is expected to activate him on Monday.
Ian Rapoport On Jim Harbaugh’s Future
Earlier today, our own Ben Levine put together a few notes on Jim Harbaugh’s future, whether it be in the NFL or going back to coach in college. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com takes an interesting look at the timeline involved with Harbaugh’s decision in a series of tweets.
Although the University of Michigan would like an answer sooner rather than later, Harbaugh will wait until his season is over before entertaining future options. He will meet with key members of the organization after he meets with the players once the season is over, which will likely be next Monday or Tuesday (via Twitter).
We already know from a number of reports that Harbaugh is conflicted about whether he should pursue another NFL job or go to Michigan. The reports are that his heart is in NFL, but Rapoport writes that he is surprised by how hard his alma mater is pursuing him (via Twitter).
Although the reports are out there on Michigan’s interest in their former quarterback, Rapoport also notes that Harbaugh has yet to speak directly with the university. He has not had any face-to-face meetings with Michigan officials, and all contact so far has come through intermediaries (via Twitter).
When he does meet with the 49ers’ officials on next Monday or Tuesday, as Rapoport predicts, he will likely tell the team what he has decided. At that time, he will let them know whether he has decided to leave for Michigan, or whether they should explore a trade with another NFL team (via Twitter). He believes Harbaugh already has a good idea of which NFL teams would be interested in acquiring his services (via Twitter).
Assuming Harbaugh leaves, Rapoport believes that the 49ers’ top in-house candidate would be defensive line coach Jim Tomsula (via Twitter). He also notes that head coaching candidates outside the organization would include top offensive assistants Adam Gase of the Broncos and Josh McDaniels of the Patriots.
Raiders To Place Tarell Brown On IR
The Raiders have decided that Tarell Brown‘s foot injury will force him on the injured reserve list, ending his season, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. He credits his colleague Fallon Smith for first reporting the news.
The team has not made a corresponding roster move to replace Brown on the roster, but Bair believes they could add depth at linebacker, or activate Vincent Brown with Denarius Moore set to miss Sunday’s game with an injury.
Brown has struggled with the injury for three weeks, but has tried to play through the pain. With only two weeks left in the season, however, the team believes it is best for Brown and organization if he sits out the final two games. He hasn’t missed a game all season, the only Raiders’ cornerback who can boast that.
Brown was one of the bright spots on the Raiders’ defense after signing a one-year deal to be with the team, after playing seven seasons in San Francisco. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Extra Points: L.A., 49ers, Draft, Daniels
The Chargers recently confirmed that they’ll continue to play in San Diego for the 2015 season, and it sounds as if the Rams could be the next team to make a similar announcement. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) and Albert Breer of the NFL Network both indicate that officials in Missouri are expected to present the franchise with a plan containing “substantial public funding” soon, which will make it difficult for the club to justify leaving for Los Angeles in the short term. While there have been plenty of whispers about the possibility of one or two teams making the move to L.A., the smart money says it probably won’t happen in 2015, according to Breer.
Let’s round up a handful of other items from around the NFL….
- The 49ers have already begun the process of researching potential head coaching candidates from other organizations, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole writes that this is further proof that the organization will move on from Jim Harbaugh this offseason.
- Georgia outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins announced (via Twitter) that he’ll return to school for another season. Meanwhile, Alabama safety Landon Collins is viewed as a lock to enter the draft, sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- As NFL executive Troy Vincent points out (via Twitter), the requests for early evaluation from NCAA underclassmen dipped from 214 last year to just 147 this year. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that perhaps this means the number of early entrants will decline by a similar rate this year, but as Rand Getlin and Dan Wentzel of Yahoo! Sports write, the NFL instituted new limits this year on the information the league will provide potential early entrants. Only five underclassmen per college program can receive info, and the league will only tell those players if they’re first- or second-round picks.
- Seahawks backup quarterback B.J. Daniels had his salary increased from the practice squad rate up to an active roster rate, reports Brian McIntyre of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- The Patriots had three defenders – defensive end Cam Henderson, defensive lineman Antonio Johnson, and edge defender Rufus Johnson – in for tryouts this week, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
- Washington is staring at the possibility of a second consecutive three-win season, and the team hasn’t even shown signs of trending upward, according to John Keim in his mailbag for ESPN. With issues between the coach and quarterback, Washington is having a season to forget.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Latest on Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Jim Harbaugh has been in the news recently, as the 49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention and tensions between him and the organization have culminated in a disappointing season. Harbaugh’s alma mater, the University of Michigan, has reportedly offered him a mammoth $48MM contract to be their head coach.
Here are a few notes regarding Harbaugh’s purported next coaching stop:
- Harbaugh’s family and friends have encouraged him to take the job coaching the University of Michigan, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN. However, Harbaugh still wants to coach in the NFL, even if it is with a team besides the 49ers. He will likely wait for NFL jobs to come open in order to see what is available before getting back to Michigan regarding their opening. Schefter also writes that NFL teams may not be willing to open up the checkbooks as wide as Michigan is, as the Wolverines are starved to return to their winning ways.
- One job that has not become available yet that Harbaugh might be interested is with the Dolphins, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN. If the Dolphins decide to move on from Joe Philbin, he may be a top candidate as his replacement. The organization pursued him very adamantly the last time he was available, and could be interested again.
- Despite reports that Harbaugh is set on staying in the NFL, Marcellus Wiley of ESPN reports that he has two sources that confirm Harbaugh will be the next head coach at the University of Michigan (via Twitter). According to Wiley, the announcement will come after the NFL season.
- Not everyone is sold on Harbaugh leaving for college however, and one adamant doubter is Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. He writes that the move for Harbaugh to return to college, after the NFL success he has experienced, would be unprecedented. He writes that while it is not impossible, that it would be surprising to see him make that move.
Washington To Put Brandon Meriweather On IR
Washington hasn’t had great safety play this season, but it will likely suffer another hit now that the team has placed Brandon Meriweather on injured reserve, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
The team has signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais off the practice squad and added him to the 53-man roster, according to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter).
Meriweather will miss the last two games of the season with a sprained toe, although he has been trying to push through the injury for the past three weeks. Even still, he has tried to participate in drills but could barely jog due to the injury, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Revis, Clay, Rubin, King, Mallett
Darrelle Revis will count for $25MM against the cap in 2015, and many fans and pundits expect him to move on to free agency after his lone season with the Patriots. Even Revis himself has not committed to staying a Patriot, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. In advance of the matchup against his former teammates for the Jets, Revis was asked about his chances of playing with the Patriots or returning to the Jets this offseason. “I don’t know what my future holds, like I said,” Revis said. “We’ll see. The future will take care of itself.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Chargers‘ left tackle King Dunlap has been phenomenal in the final year of his contract, and that could lead to a big raise this offseason, writes Michael Gelhken of the U-T San Diego. “I’m just trying to focus on the now,” Dunlap said. “I know it’s coming. … Time’s not going to move any faster or any slower. Just focus on the now and let the rest take care of itself. … I’m still a work in progress. I’m not even close to being finished yet. I’m still working. “
- Dolphins‘ tight end Charles Clay has been a reliable weapon for Ryan Tannehill this season, and as he approaches free agency is focused on staying with the team, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “Just being here and knowing the guys, knowing the coaches, the city, this is definitely somewhere I want to spend the rest of my career,” Clay said. “I was saying that the second I got drafted. Yeah, I definitely want to [re-sign].”
- Browns‘ nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin is set to hit unrestricted free agency this March, but doesn’t plan to explore free agency. He wants to be a Brown for life, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Ryan Mallett of the Texans doesn’t have the long history with his franchise that Dunlap, Clay, and Rubin do, but he would also like to remain with his team, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He did note that the season is still in progress and that it is early to discuss his future with the team.