Dolphins Updates: Incognito, Martin
The bullying allegations outlined in the Wells Report have greatly changed the free agent stocks of Dolphins’ offensive linemen John Jerry and Richie Incognito. Here at Pro Football Rumors, we’ve looked at how the report has changed the way teams view these players. Between the character questions and looming suspensions, the amount of money Jerry and Incognito stand to lose could be significant.
While Jerry’s prospects are still as slim as they were, things have changed slightly for Incognito. Pundits have been speculating the severity of the embattled guard’s suspension, with many floating the idea that he might be forced to sit out another year. Now there is a possibility he will not be suspended at all, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
According to the CBA, Article 46, Section 4 a player cannot be disciplined by both the Commissioner and the team for the same act. Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins for eight games in 2013, as allegations were first becoming public. This could preclude the NFL from adding an additional suspension. Florio adds that the NFLPA planned on fighting any suspension on these terms.
Florio continues to write that the league could argue the original suspension was for his behavior towards Jonathan Martin, but could still suspend him for other offenses.
While avoiding suspension would certainly help Incognito’s chance of landing with another team, he may have already further hurt his case via his own Twitter rants in the aftermath of the report becoming public. He returned to Twitter today, with an apology. Still, the few defenders who thought his “edge” or “mean streak” was an asset could have trouble reconciling his social media accounts with the idea that he still had some redeemable character qualities.
The victim, Martin, was also thought to have suffered from the report. His release from the club was considered a certainty. It seemed best for both parties to allow him to move on if the team could not trade him.
Cutting Martin seems unlikely, writes Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. Abramson spoke to employment attorney William Amlong of Fort Lauderdale.
“Cutting him would be idiocy because then you do have a lot of great potential for litigation,” Amlong said. “If I were representing him, my argument is going to be that maybe this guy is not the greatest tackle in the world yet, but he’s a second-year guy and he has enough potential. If they didn’t have any plans to cut him before he started complaining and now they do, that’s not good.”
Martin’s agent is set to meet with the Dolphins at the Scouting Combine this week. Abramson notes that the best solution Amlong provided was for the team to pay Martin the $1.87MM he’s owed for the final two years of his contract, and then they would be free to release him.
NFC South Links: Franchise Tag, Combine
Panthers‘ Greg Hardy‘s impending free agency has been at the forefront of conversation in the NFL world these past few weeks, and Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer added to the chatter today, writing that while they want the star pass rusher back, applying the franchise tag on him would eat up all of the team’s remaining cap room. David Newton of ESPN.com agrees that it isn’t about whether the Panthers would like to, but instead whether they could afford to. Unless they can come to a long term agreement quickly, it seems more and more likely that Hardy would be able to reach unrestricted free agency. Here are some other links from around the NFC South:
- While Hardy, Captain Munnerlyn, and Cam Newton have been the big names of the Panthers‘ offseason, David Newton wrote that the team cannot forget to focus on improving their offensive line, even with their current cap woes.
- The Falcons do not have any logical candidates for the franchise tag this offseason, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The tag could come into play in the 2015 offseason if the team is unable to sign wide receiver Julio Jones to an extension.
- With the scouting combine fast approaching, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights five prospects the Falcons should keep an eye on. Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today picks out five position of need for the team to address in the draft.
- Reyes also wrote about five positions of need for the Saints to address in the draft, and suggested a few prospects who could fill those needs.
- The Buccaneers do not have a player who is a logical franchise tag candidate, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. Before the season, quarterback Josh Freeman was considered a likely use for the tag. Freeman was benched and then released early in the season.
Cam Newton Seeking Extension
Our own Dallas Robinson let it be known that Cam Newton will not hold out while looking for a long-term contract, but that doesn’t mean the Panthers quarterback is content to let his current deal play out. Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer writes that Newton would like the team to come to terms with him on a long term extension.
“My agreement with the Panthers, it’s not something that you can just say off the top of your head,” Newton said. “Hopefully I will be able to get that long-term deal because Charlotte is a place that I can call home.”
The fear for players drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft is that not only will the teams exercise the fifth year option, but then will still have the option to apply the franchise tag to them. That gives the team six years of control of a player’s career. The individual player would have very little leverage in this situation, and the thought is that it could cause a player to hold out until he is given a new deal.
When Robinson wrote that Newton would not hold out, he mentioned that Cardinal cornerback Patrick Peterson might hold out to ensure a long-term contract. Star defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson also has had to deal with questions about a potential holdout.
Newton is right about the reasons his situation is different when talking about holding out. He is the face of that franchise, and as a quarterback, a leader on that team.
Of course, no matter what he says publicly, no player wants to play on a one-year contract in that fifth year, with no long-term security. This is especially true when a team can place a franchise tag on a player rather than committing to them and providing the financial security that comes with a contract extension. The longer the Panthers push negotiation talks into the future, the more likely a potential holdout from the face of the franchise becomes.
Cap Space Used By Top Players
On Saturday, we looked at the ongoing contract talks between the Lions and Ndamukong Suh, particularly at how Suh, Matthew Stafford, and Calvin Johnson are all in line to be among the highest paid players at their positions. Today, Justin Rogers of MLive.com took a closer look at how NFL teams spread their money out among their top three, top five, and top ten players, putting together a table of how all 32 NFL teams’ cap space is spread out.
A few notes from his table (can be found at MLive.com):
- Eight franchises are devoting less than $30MM to their top three contracts, including three playoff teams in 2013. Bengals, Colts, and 49ers)
- Nine teams are slotted to devote more than $40MM to their top three contracts. None of those teams made the playoffs in 2013. (Ravens, Bears, Cowboys, Lions, Texans, Giants, Steelers, Rams, and Buccaneers)
- The Jets are on the hook for the 10th-most money to their top three contracts, at $39.779, also missing the playoffs last year.
- The Seahawks will use the highest percentage of their cap dollars for their top ten contracts, at 69.59%. Out of ten teams to commit 63% or more of their cap space to the top ten contracts, the Seahawks were the only team to make the playoffs.
- While the chart shows spending money doesn’t guarantee success, being cheap doesn’t equal winning either. The Raiders spent the lowest amount along all three categories and wound up with the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft.
NFC North Notes: Combine, Franchise Tags
As teams get ready for the scouting combine next week, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com previews the top priority the Vikings‘ scouts will have going into Indianapolis. He believes the team will draft to improve their defensive line, and sees the team targeting Louis Nix of Notre Dame, Ra’Shede Hageman of Minnesota, and Kony Ealy of Missouri. Here are some other notes from around the NFC North:
- While Goessling has the team using the draft to bolster their defensive line, he has not forgotten about the Vikings‘ free agents. He wrote about the possibility of using the franchise tag on Jared Allen or the transition tag on Everson Griffen, although notes that it is more likely the team pursues a long term deal with Griffen.
- The Packers have enough cap room to use their franchise tag sometime in the next two weeks, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. Silverstein sees the team using either the franchise or transition tag to help retain one of two players: cornerback Sam Shields or defensive linemen B.J. Raji.
- The Bears are unlikely to utilize their franchise tag, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Jay Cutler would have been the only logical candidate for the designation, and the team agreed to a contract extension with him earlier this offseason.
Details On Terrell Suggs Contract Extension
Details of the Terrell Suggs contract extension are beginning to be made public. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter), the deal will run through 2018, and will reduce Suggs’ 2014 cap number from $12.4MM to $7.8MM. Albert Breer of the NFL Network reports that the extension would be worth roughly $28MM over the course of five years (via Twitter).
The deal includes $16MM in guaranteed money, which La Canfora notes is more than Dwight Freeney or John Abraham received on their new contracts last offseason (via Twitter).
La Canfora calls the deal a “win-win,” with the Ravens gaining short term cap flexibility and the 31-year-old pass rusher securing a long term deal with guaranteed money.
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Chiefs
The play of the Seahawks’ secondary during their Super Bowl run has the NFL trending toward bigger defensive backs, and the Chargers are one team targeting tall corners in the draft, writes ESPN Insider Kevin Weidl (subscription required). He mentions that there are quite a few corners standing at six feet or taller, and picks out Clemson’s Bashaud Breeland as a possible target. Here are some other notes from around the AFC West:
- The Chargers will make re-signing Donald Butler a priority this offseason, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The team would like to come to an agreement on a long term contract before the start of free agency. Williams writes that the Chargers could consider using the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which although it carries more than $10MM in salary, it will give them a chance to continue to work on a multi-year contract.
- The Raiders also have to consider whether or not to use the franchise tag this offseason, according to Chris McClain of Silver and Black Report. The most likely candidate would be left tackle Jared Veldheer, but top passrusher Lamarr Houston is a possibility as well.
- The Chiefs would like to clear some extra cap space in order to further improve their roster, but there aren’t many veterans who would be logical cap casualties, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. He writes that the biggest savings would come from Tamba Hali, Brandon Flowers, and Eric Berry, but notes that those players are too productive to let go. Dwayne Bowe and Sean Smith would make more sense on the field, but financially are not options for release.
NFC West Notes: Boldin, 49ers, Combine
Anquan Boldin and the 49ers are working on a long-term contract, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson’s sources give the impression that an extension is likely, and the team would like to put the deal together prior to the start of free agency. Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:
- With Colt McCoy entering free agency, the 49ers have a question mark at backup quarterback, writes Bryan Knowles of Bleacher Report. While the easiest option would be to re-sign McCoy, Knowles lays out a few other players who could fill the void, including Josh McCown and Josh Freeman.
- The Rams are set up to have another huge draft haul thanks to the Robert Griffin III trade. Steven Gerwel of Bleacher Report put together a list of prospects the team will be looking at closely during the scouting combine next week.
- The Seahawks have three offensive lineman reaching free agency this offseason, but Brian Nemhauser of SeattlePI.com does not expect them to make a splash at the position this offseason. Instead, he sees the team looking to add some depth to the core they have in place.
NFC East Notes: Hall, Orakpo, Eagles
DeAngelo Hall and the Redskins are working on an extension, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While Hall is often maligned for the flaws in his all around game, he still has supporters in Washington. “After an inconsistent 2012, Hall took a massive pay cut and became the Redskins’ best defensive back in 2013, recording four interceptions, scoring three defensive touchdowns and covering the opposing team’s best receiver,” Tarik El Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes. “He also took fewer penalties and seemed to embrace a leadership role in the locker room.” Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- While the team negotiates with Hall, the Redskins have a decision looming regarding what to do with the franchise tag. Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com believes the team will apply the non-exclusive tag on Brian Orakpo. The tag comes with a projected salary of $10.9MM, but will allow other teams to negotiate with Orakpo. The Redskins would still have the opportunity to match.
- The Eagles may not be going after big names in free agency, but Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com has found three potential bargains the team could pursue. Marcus Benard, Graham Gano, and Ted Ginn Jr. could be options for the Eagles in 2014.
- DallasNews.com put together a photo gallery highlighting ten offensive linemen the Cowboys could target in this year’s draft.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jerry, Jones
On Saturday we took a look at how the Wells Report would hurt the four Dolphins‘ players involved, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald believes the NFL will come in with fines and suspensions at some point this offseason. While Richie Incognito could get off easy because he was already suspended last season. Mike Pouncey could still be suspended a few games, and Salguero guesses that offensive line coach Jim Turner could be sidelined for the season due to his involvement.
- While Salguero doesn’t mention whether or not Dolphins‘ guard John Jerry will be suspended, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald writes that he may not have a job in 2014 either way. Jerry has struggled with weight issues and poor play in his NFL career, and being implicated in the report could be enough to keep him off an NFL roster this season.
- We already passed along ideas of how the Patriots could bolster their pass rush, and Paul Kenyon of the Providence Journal gives some other options along the defensive line. Kenyon sees Chandler Jones‘ older brother Arthur Jones as being at the top of the Patriots’ wish list.
- The Patriots were never a lock to use the franchise tag this offseason, even though Julian Edelman and Aqib Talib were the two most likely candidates. Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald still believes there is a better chance that the team does not use the tag at all.
- The Jets are also unlikely to use the franchise tag this offseason, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The only players who would make sense are right tackle Austin Howard and kicker Nick Folk. In either case, the price would be too significant for the positions, although Folk is much more likely.