Extra Points: Bradshaw, Brown, Cameron, Smith
Colts‘ running back Ahmad Bradshaw is in his second season with the team, but still feels the pain after being released from the Giants after the 2012 season, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “It didn’t take me long to get over it,” said Bradshaw. “But it hurt me because I felt that was my family, that I was a big part of that time and I still felt I had a lot of football left.” Bradshaw, along with Hakeem Nicks, will return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since leaving the team.
- The NFL has lifted the suspension of another former Giant, free agent running back Andre Brown, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Brown received an eight-game ban prior to the season, so even though he hasn’t been on a roster since then, he has been reinstated after eight weeks.
- The Browns are planning to be without star tight end Jordan Cameron for a while, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. With three concussions in a two-year span, the team expects him to miss at least two games.
- Jets‘ quarterback Geno Smith might have lost his starting job, but he will not be content being regulated to the bench permanently, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “I don’t think this is the last of me playing,” Smith said. Cimini writes that the best way to salvage the season would be to salvage Smith.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com wrote that while Jeremy Maclin has already proven to teams he is worth a big contract in free agency, there are a number of players who need a strong second half to justify a high level deal. Among the players at the top of that list are Ravens‘ receiver Torrey Smith, 49ers‘ receiver Michael Crabtree, and Giants‘ defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Buccaneers Notes: McCoy, Smith, Barron
The Buccaneers signed defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to a big money extension earlier this week, with initial numbers reported to be $98MM over seven years, with $51MM guaranteed. While more information trickled out about the details of the contract, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has more information on the specifics, which he released in a series of tweets. He reports that $20.3MM of that total will be earned in 2014, and the rest of the money is paid out on a pay-as-you-go system. It only becomes guaranteed in the event of injury.
La Canfora gives out how much money will be owed going forward. “McCoy will make $11.5M in 2015 ($5m base/$6.5 roster bons). $12.5M in 2016 ($6M/$6.5M). $13.75M in 2017 (all base salaries), $12.75M 2018, $13M in 2019.” He also notes that McCoy will have base salaries of $10MM in 2020 and 2021, with an additional $2.5MM in roster bonuses.
Overall, after the contract guarantees kick in on the third day of the 2015 league year, the contract becomes a three year, $44.3MM deal at its minimum.
Here are some other notes from around the Buccaneers:
- Head coach Lovie Smith does not believe the team is bereft of talent after deadline deals saw a few key players move to new teams, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “The move we made gave us the best chance to win right now. … Yeah, we picked up draft picks on both of those players — moved up on one and picked up (picks) on the other,” said Smith. “But no, it’s not about the future. Yeah, it’s always about the future, but it’s about our current roster. As I said, you don’t trade players unless you feel pretty good about the other players you have.” Smith also noted that moving on from former first-round pick Mark Barron will give Major Wright and Bradley McDougald a chance to shine. Smith said Wright has been playing as well as any safety on the roster, and praised McDougald’s future as a star on the defense. He also mentioned his desire not to have any player who was one-dimensional, saying he wanted his safeties to be able to play both the pass and the run.
- Speaking of Barron, the Rams should be very happy with the player they acquired, writes Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He considers the trade the first move of the 2015 offseason, and believes that the Rams will correctly use him as an in-the-box safety to strengthen the run defense. He writes that in 2012 Barron was the ninth ranked safety against the run in the box by Pro Football Focus.
- With the exit of Barron, the Buccaneers are left with only three first round picks on the roster, the others being McCoy, this year’s pick Mike Evans, and Adrian Clayborn (who is on the IR), according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. (However, Doug Martin was also drafted in the first round, with the team trading back into the first round to grab him in 2012.) Guard Logan Mankins, defensive end Larry English, and cornerback Mike Jenkins are also first-rounders, although they were acquired via trade and free agency. Altogether, the first rounders have played 1,699 snaps, third worst in the NFL after the Jaguars and Raiders. Those three teams are a combined 2-20 this season.
- The Buccaneers also made a big splash in free agency this offseason, but those investments have not paid dividends, writes Yasinskas. Anthony Collins, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Josh McCown, and Michael Johnson have all disappointed, while Alterraun Verner and Clinton McDonald have merely been solid.
AFC East Notes: Smith, Branch, Marino, Bills
The Jets have moved on from Geno Smith as the undisputed starter, but they need to close the book on the struggling quarterback altogether, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He writes that putting Smith back in the game this season will only cloud the quarterback situation further, and that the team needs to draft a new signal-caller in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
- Defensive tackle Alan Branch is – finally – a member of the Patriots. Christopher Price of WEEI.com looked at what the former Seahawks notable can bring to New England.
- Dolphins‘ Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino has been privately tutoring the team’s current quarterbacks, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Ryan Tannehill and backup Matt Moore are both getting personal attention from the all-time great passer.
- The Bills have been great on the road in 2014, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Even receiver Mike Williams, who has had his troubles with the organization, has bought in. “It’s more of the family atmosphere with us. On the road, we’ve all got to stay together. All the trips, you’ve got to be with your team,” said Williams. “I think that got us a lot closer. On the road, we hang with each other more, we in the hotel with each other, we go out to new places and chill with each other. I think us just being together more on the road is showing up.”
Zach Links contrributed to this post.
More Minor Moves: Saturday
Our first post featuring the minor moves of the day filled up pretty quickly, so here is a second place to see some of Saturday’s later day transactions. As always, if there are any more moves, this post will be updated at the top.
- The Saints have promoted running back Edwin Baker from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. The team released Tom Crabtree to make room.
- The Raiders have signed defensive end Denico Autry, and also activated former first-round pick D.J. Hayden, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs have re-signed defensive lineman Jerel Worthy to the practice squad, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
AFC North Notes: Pettine, Stewart, Steelers
Browns‘ head coach Mike Pettine’s history as a high school coach might be the reason he likes the success of undrafted free agents, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi notes that Pettine has often felt looked down upon because of his unheralded past, and sees a kinship with the underappreciated talents.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:
- The Browns have taken criticism for a lack of depth on the offensive line, but Grossi believes the injury to Alex Mack was an unforseen setback. He notes that the team’s linemen have rarely missed practice or game time, and that the timing of the injury was unfortunate with Nick McDonald getting back into game shape.
- Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com doesn’t necessarily see Darian Stewart sticking around after this season. The safety signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens in the offseason and if he wants to come back, it’ll probably be in a bench role. Baltimore will go with either Terrence Brooks or Will Hill at free safety next year. Stewart might balk at that idea or he may be okay with it given his history with secondary coach Steve Spangnuolo.
- Two key contributors for the Steelers have struggled with consistency this season in cornerback Cortez Allen and linebacker Sean Spence. Allen was benched in favor of Brice McCain, but Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that the move was more to send a message to allen and reward McCain for positive performance in practice. Spence has not lost his starting spot, but that might only be because Vince Williams cannot cover anyone at linebacker.
Daniel Kilgore Breaks Leg, Out For Year
SATURDAY, 12:42pm: Kilgore has officially been placed on the injured reserve, effectively ending his season.
MONDAY, 8:07am: Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed last night that Kilgore suffered a broken leg, which will likely end his season, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
SUNDAY, 10:17pm: 49ers center Daniel Kilgore suffered a lower left leg injury during the Sunday Night Football matchup against the Broncos, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
An air cast was placed on Kilgore, an indication that the injury could be a serious fracture, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Backup Dillon Farrell has taken over for Kilgore in the game.
A number of centers will be available in free agnecy if the 49ers feel they need to bring in outside help to replace Kilgore. Some options will be David Baas, Dan Koppen, Steve Vallos, Andre Gurode, Rob Turner, Lemuel JeanPierre, and Dylan Gandy, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
The player on the top of that list, Baas, could be a fit in a return to the team. However, he is dealing with injury issues himself. Caplan writes that Bass may never play again (via Twitter).
The team recently got rookie third-round pick Marcus Martin back with the team, and he completed his first full week of practice with the team. Martin is an option to be quickly acclimated to the offense, so he can be inserted into the lineup very soon, writes Maiocco (via Twitter).
49ers Notes: Manning, Harbaugh, Smith, Baalke
As the Broncos and 49ers are battling on Sunday Night Football, it is a time to think about what could have been for both franchises. After being cut from the Colts, Peyton Manning considered the 49ers as a potential suitor, at least for a brief amount of time. Manning eventually decided not to include the team on his list of finalists, and one major reason for that was a concern about his inability to coexist with head coach Jim Harbaugh, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Harbaugh, who is known to be a control freak on offense, likely would not have given Manning the freedom he desired and ultimately received with head coach John Fox in Denver.
Here are some other notes from around the 49ers:
- Florio also said that outside linebacker Aldon Smith could return from his nine-game suspension one or two weeks early, reports Kevin Lynch of SFGate.com (via Twitter).
- There are a few possible reasons that Smith could return early, including the fact that he waived his right to appeal the suspension, and possible side deals he could have made with the league, reports Florio.
- General manager Trent Baalke says he has no knowledge of any reduction in suspension for Smith, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco also notes that the NFL has maintained that there is no update on his status going forward.
- Former NFL receiver and NFL broadcaster Cris Collinsworth addressed the ongoing drama between Harbaugh and the 49ers, noting that the team should just pay him like a top quality coach, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
Poll: Will Rex Ryan Coach In The NFL Next Year?
With the Jets’ season on the brink, a future that includes Rex Ryan as part of the organization seems more and more unlikely. General manager John Idzik will make a Ryan a scapegoat for the season, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Percy Harvin trade will help Ryan incidentally, but Mehta believes that the true motivation for the trade will be to properly evaluate Geno Smith.
From Mehta’s article:
Rex Ryan will be the scapegoat after the season.
Idzik was never fully committed to helping Ryan make the playoffs in 2014, but he has plenty at stake with Smith, who is near or at the bottom of nearly every meaningful statistical category this season. The organization will make a definitive call on Smith in 10 weeks…
His decision to give up a conditional 2015 sixth-round pick (that could turn into a fourth rounder), according to a source, for a wildcard like Harvin was purely driven by his desire to find out what Smith can do with more offensive firepower in the huddle. If Smith thrives with Harvin, the Jets will steer clear of drafting a quarterback in the first round next spring. If Smith continues to fight inconsistency, Idzik will jump ship and go after a signal caller early in next year’s draft.
While the Jets have struggle this year, the schedule has been brutally tough aside for the week one matchup with the Raiders. The schedule also gets far easier from here on out, with the Steelers, Chiefs, Vikings, and Titans in the back nine to go with two games against the Bills and two against the Dolphins. This team may not be drafting so high as to find a no-brainer selection at quarterback.
I do not like assuming that Ryan or any other coach will be fired with so much season left to play, but since Gary Myers of the New York Daily News already did so, it opens up the idea. He sees the Falcons, Dolphins, and 49ers as good fits if those teams are in the market for a coach. Of course, if Ryan so chooses, or if he can’t get a job right away, he will be more than welcome on television as an on-air personality.
AFC East Links: Ryan, Marrone, Gilmore
Jets‘ head coach Rex Ryan is on the hot seat following a 1-6 record start to the season. In some minds, he is already as good as fired with his team facing another year missing the postseason. While his future with the Jets is bleak, Gary Myers of the New York Daily News writes that he expects Ryan to be a top candidate for teams looking for a head coach this January.
Myers lists a few teams where Ryan could fit in well, including the Falcons, Dolphins, and 49ers. He also warns that Ryan should avoid the Raiders, Bills, and Giants if those jobs open up. Myers also lists the Cowboys as a fit, but it would be hard to imagine them making a change at head coach without an epic collapse in the last ten games of the season.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:
- One big distraction the Bills have had to deal with is the unhappiness amongst its players over recent weeks. Head coach Doug Marrone has addressed many of these issues, but Vic Carucci of BuffaloNews.com believes the coach needs to squash these trade talks. He writes that it doesn’t matter whether C.J. Spiller or Mike Williams are unhappy with playing time, both players need to join the rest of the team in preparing for a winnable game against the Vikings on Sunday.
- The Bills have had a lot of faith in former first-round pick Stephon Gilmore, but the cornerback has also taken a lot of heat for mistakes he has made early in this season, writes Joe Buscaglia of WGR550.com. Defensive backs coach Donnie Henderson preaches that Gilmore needs to improve his consistency in order to reach his potential. “If you want to be a shutdown corner in this league, you’ve got to play technique and you gotta play your guy,” said Henderson. “That’s how we talk about it in my room. I don’t beat around the bush. I tell them straight that if you want to be a shutdown corner, you take your man out of it by working technique and making sure you get yours covered.”
- Dolphins‘ star offensive lineman Mike Pouncey was a top flight center before making the transition to guard this season. The move went smoothly, but he might be back to center sooner rather than later with Samson Satele dealing with a hamstring injury, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Percy Harvin Notes: Buccaneers, Bengals, Browns
The Jets were not the only team reached out to by the Seahawks about Percy Harvin‘s availability leading up to this weekend’s trade. The Buccaneers, Browns, and Bengals were all contacted about the possibility of a deal, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). All three of those teams have various levels of need at the position, but what they do have in common is a chunk of cap space that Harvin could have fit into.
Here are some other notes concerning the Harvin trade:
- Jets’ head coach Rex Ryan might be a player’s coach, but Harvin’s reputation will be tough to shake in a new city. He has had problems at every stop in his career, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk questions whether his tenure with the Jets will be any different. He surmises that the thinking in league circles is that the team will not bring him back at $10MM in 2015.
- As record of Harvin’s many transgressions keeps growing, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has compiled a list of some of his most egregious missteps.
- Although Harvin may have been a problem in the locker room, there are still a section of players who are not happy to see him go. Marshawn Lynch is one of those players, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, and his unhappiness might cause more problems in the locker room. Lynch reportedly almost did not get on the team bus after learning about the trade, reports Mehta (via Twitter).