AFC Notes: Raiders, Patriots, Mathews
Although the Raiders recently signed CFL Grey Cup MVP Kory Sheets, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com sees that as only part of the running back picture in 2014. While he writes that Sheets will be hungry to prove he belongs, Gutierrez believes the competition will be a three horse race. He sees the team re-signing Rashad Jennings to be the frontrunner, but that the organization is very high on second year player Latavius Murray. Darren McFadden is not expected to return. Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Gutierrez outlines his ideal offseason for the Raiders, a franchise with over $60.7MM in cap space according to OverTheCap.com. His wish list includes Alex Mack at center, Mark Sanchez at quarterback, and receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson with the team’s first round pick. He also wants the team to retain Lamarr Houston to be their left end and sign Jared Allen to rush the passer from the other side.
- The Patriots‘ pass rush wasn’t great in 2013, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald has a plan to improve that this offseason. It will take a few cuts and a restructuring of Vince Wilfork‘s contract that will pay him $11.6MM next season, but with free agents such as Allen and Shaun Phillips, and a draft deep with passrushing talent, Howe can see the Patriots being better in 2014.
- Ryan Mathews is coming off a career year for the Chargers, but the team’s former superstar runningback has advice for Mathews. In an interview with Michael Gehlken of UT San Diego, LaDanian Tomlinson, “My advice to Ryan would be just to ball out like he did this past season, and everything will take care of itself. You go to everything in the offseason. You prove your worth to the team by being there, not by being absent.” Chargers fans would be happy if Mathews is able to adhere to the advice of his predecessor. “Do your business on the field, and everything takes care of itself.”
NFC Notes: Saints, Packers, Delmas
One of the top priorities for the Saints this offseason (other than re-signing their superstar wide receiver tight end pass catcher) is retooling their secondary, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The team needs a legitimate number two cornerback to pair with Keenan Lewis, with Triplett suggesting the Panthers’ Captain Munnerlyn as a possibility, despite his desire to remain with Carolina.
- Sources are saying that Packers general manager Ted Thompson will be active in free agency, looking to sign up to five players away from other teams, but Mike Vandermause of PackersNews.com isn’t buying it. The Packers have signed five unrestricted free agents in the last seven years and didn’t sign any three of the past four years. Only Jeff Saturday in 2012 became an every down starter, until he was benched towards the end of the season.
- With Jermichael Finley‘s return unlikely, and Andrew Quarless hitting free agency, the Packers will have to explore other options at tight end, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwalkee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. If they are serious about free agency, Scott Chandler or Brandon Pettigrew could be fits, but a more likely scenario is that they would address the position in the draft, where tight end is thought to be a deep class.
- The Falcons are looking to improve the safety position, and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com believes the team could be interested in Louis Delmas who was recently released by the Lions. Delmas would be an improvement over the inconsistent Thomas DeCoud, and could make a nice pair with William Moore at the back of the secondary.
- The Cardinals have a very good duo of wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, but last year they weren’t able to install their third receiver, Andre Roberts, into a big role in the offense. This could mean they will struggle to keep him in 2014, writes Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. He believes Roberts would have to take less money and a smaller role in order to stay.
- Cardinals‘ cornerback Bryan McCann said that he wants to start in 2014. Although that is unlikely to happen in Arizona, he still would like to return to the Cardinals, writes Weinfuss. McCann has never started a game in his four year career, but could bring extra value due to his return skills.
Vikings Notes: Ponder, Mallett, Spielman
The Vikings have 54 players under contract for a total or $103MM for 2014. According to OverTheCap.com, the team is estimated to have just north of $25MM in cap space to spend this offseason. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman plans to spend that money on re-signing their own free agents, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune. One free agent Spielman has already expressed interest in is quarterback Matt Cassel, who finished last season as the starter. The Vikings are not expected to retain embattled passer Josh Freeman. The team will also be looking carefully at cap casualties from other teams that they could bring in to help improve their roster. Here are some more notes from the Vikings offseason:
- Spielman made it very clear that he wants Christian Ponder to be back in the mix for their starting quarterback in 2014, although the team is not expected to stand pat at the position, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune. “Christian will be here; I don’t anticipate anything — him not being here,” Spielman said. “Right now we’re looking at quarterbacks, so we would say we don’t have that position solidified. I know Christian does have the physical abilities to do it, but for whatever reason things haven’t come together for him.”
- To add to the quarterback options, the Vikings could be interested in trading for Patriots’ backup Ryan Mallett, writes Christopher Gates of DailyNorseman.com. Gates writes that the strong-armed quarterback has the skill set that could succeed in a Norv Turner offense.
- Spielman might have more influence on the 2014 Vikings than he has ever had in his 17 years as an NFL executive, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, and if Spielman cannot parlay the eight overall pick, the $25MM in cap space, and the Ponder/Cassel duo into a quarterback that can carry the offense at times, then he could be on the hot seat next offseason.
- Tight end John Carlson announced that he would continue his career despite his concussion issues, writes Tesfatsion. He was put on IR after suffering a concussion in Week 14, but was evaluated and has decided that he can continue playing in 2014.
AFC North Notes: Suggs, Bengals, Browns
The Raven’s top priority this offseason must be coming to an agreement of a contract extension with Pro Bowl pass rusher Terrell Suggs, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. Suggs has one year left on his deal, for $12.4MM. Preston writes that the Ravens could save more than $5MM if they agree to an extension, which would give them about $17 to $18 million in cap space to work with in free agency. That would help them re-sign tight end Dennis Pitta, who they are considering using the franchise tag on if a long-term deal cannot be reached, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Citing an NFL source, Preston indicates that Suggs and the Ravens are making progress towards a reworked contract. Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:
- The Ravens are expected to sign another quarterback sometime during free agency, according to Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. The quarterback would compete with Tyrod Taylor to be Joe Flacco‘s backup in 2014. Smolka is confident that Taylor will be able to beat out whoever the team brings in once again, and does not think the Ravens will carry three quarterbacks during the season.
- The two top free agents the Bengals will look to re-sign are defensive end Michael Johnson and left tackle Anthony Collins, according to Hobson. If they cannot bring back Collins, that will most likely mean they will move Andrew Whitworth back to left tackle in 2014.
- The Browns are widely thought to be looking for a quarterback with their first pick, but Pat McManamon of ESPN.com would rather see the team target receiver Sammy Watkins of Clemson. Pairing the young receiver with Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron would set the basis for an offense to succeed.
- McManamon believes that the Browns will be unable to retain center Alex Mack in free agency. Hobson agrees that Mack will move on if not franchised. Hobson also writes that the team will move on from two free agent guards, starter Shawn Lauvao and backup Oniel Cousins.
Ted Wells Report: Future With Dolphins
Since the Ted Wells Report was released, the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin controversy has returned to the forefront of sports talk radio and hundreds of sports blogs and columns. In addition to those two, Dolphins guard John Jerry and their Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey seem to be equally implicated as part of the bullying that allegedly went on. It seems that everybody has to weigh in on what this means to the modern NFL locker room, and has somehow been paired with the other big NFL story, the acceptance of Michael Sam into the NFL.
These stories are plenty important, but what they are replacing is the normal NFL offseason chatter about who is going where and what team is looking at which player. Until some semblance of a contract materializes for Incognito or Jerry, or a trade happens for Martin, these players are only important as it pertains to the Wells Report. However, all four have been seriously hurt in terms of their football stock.
Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross has been open in that he believes it is unlikely that either Incognito or Martin will return to the team in 2014, though the club does own Martin’s rights. The second-round pick out of Stanford still may have some value, writes Darrin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, since he is still a cheap option at right tackle. James Walker of ESPN.com writes of Martin: “He’s young, cheap and can play left and right tackle. Those players do not grow on trees.” Walker also notes that because other teams know that the Dolphins will release him Martin they cannot trade him, that does significantly lower his trade value.
Former coach Jim Harbaugh was an avid defender of Martin, which may prompt speculation that San Francisco could be a destination. However, the 49ers are set at tackle, with Joe Staley and Anthony Davis on each side. The Colts also have that connection, with Pep Hamilton and a number of former Stanford players there. Of course, they also have a lot of money already invested in tackle play, with Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus.
Incognito and Jerry are both free agents, making them easy decisions for the Dolphins — both will most likely be let go. Incognito was probably set for a pretty large contract extension with the Dolphins, due to his high level of play and status as a “leader” in the team’s locker room. Now, his value is minimal. He didn’t make many friends with the Rams before he joined the Dolphins, so he does not have a lot of coaching staffs to fall back on. The Raiders’ offensive coordinator Greg Olsen could put a good word in for him, as the Raiders are in need of offensive line help.
Vinnie Iyer of SportingNews.com does note that in the landscape of the modern NFL, Incognito has a better chance of being accepted into another locker room than Martin. “Incognito doesn’t come out of the investigation looking like Mr. Nice Guy, but he hasn’t tried to. There’s a reason his mean streak is one of his biggest assets as a player,” Iyer writes. “For teams needy of interior line help, such as the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts or San Diego Chargers, he’s Mr. Nice Price.”
Jerry was also a candidate to be retained by the Dolphins before being implicated in the Wells Report, but his return is now unlikely, writes Charlie McCarthy of Fox Sports Florida. Jerry doesn’t have the history of performance that Incognito did. What he does have in his favor is a far less noticeable role in the bullying of Martin, but still he will find it difficult to sign a deal similar to one he could have had with the Dolphins had he not been implicated. Both Incognito and Jerry’s free agency could be further hurt if the league decides to suspend them for a few games during the 2014 season.
Finally, there is Pouncey, who despite his age, might be the most accomplished of the four, and definitely has the brightest future. Much like Jerry, he is able to downplay his role in the bullying, but unlike Jerry he is under contract for 2014. Also unlike Jerry, he has performed on the field as one of top lineman at his position over his short career thus far, reaching the Pro Bowl this past year. Still, a week ago James Walker of ESPN.com listed Pouncey as one of the players on the Dolphins who has outperformed his contract and is deserving of a raise. After his name became involved in the Wells Report, and with a looming suspension possible, that raise seems highly unlikely.
NFC East Notes: Joseph, Austin, Maclin
Giants’ defensive tackle Linval Joseph took to Twitter on Friday to express his feelings on his impending free agency, writes Dan Benton of SportsMedia101.com. “I want to be back with the Giants next year,” said Joseph. “This where it all started; just want to take care of my family and put on that blue every Sunday.” This announcement was in response to the Redskins saying they would pursue him one free agency begins on March 11. While he is looking to command a very large contract, he would like to get that deal agreed upon with the Giants before he hits free agency. Here are some other rumors from across the NFC East:
- The Giants‘ biggest need in free agency needs to be the offensive line, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The team is likely to cut Chris Snee and David Bass, and could let Kevin Boothe walk in free agency. They will also need to replace David Diehl, who retired this offseason, and despite not being the stalwart left tackle he once was, still provided value in his versatility. Graziano believes with all of these changes, the team will not be able to wait until the draft to retool, and therefore must be active in free agency to replace these players.
- Miles Austin and Kyle Orton are likely cap casualties for the Cowboys, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com. While the team may be able to restructure Orton’s deal if he still wants to remain with the team, Archer believes the writing has been on the wall for a while regarding Austin’s departure.
- While earlier today our own Matt Feminis wrote about Jeremy Maclin‘s intentions to return to the Eagles in 2014, Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com was less than convinced. He writes that Riley Cooper is much more likely to return to the team as a cheaper option, and that the team will look to draft a receiver as well. Sheridan sees Maclin securing a long-term deal elsewhere, possibly with Chiefs or Jets, where he has more familiarity with the coaching staff.
- With the likely retirement of London Fletcher and Perry Riley‘s free agency, the Redskins need to look outside the organization to replace their inside linebackers, writes Tarik El Bashir of CSNWashington.com. Bashir lists Karlos Dansby as the best available at the position, but believes the younger Donald Butler would be the best fit. Other notable options could be Brandon Spikes and Jon Beason, among others.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Hakeem Nicks
When looking at the landscape of free agent receivers, Eric Decker has separated himself in the eyes of general managers as the top pass catcher on the market. Our own Luke Adams wrote about Decker’s spot as the top free agent receiver earlier this month, noting that the only receivers on the market who can even come close to his production are Anquan Boldin and Julian Edelman. However, Decker was not always the clear cut big name receiver teams were looking. Last summer, Hakeem Nicks was thought to be the guy who would command the most free agent dollars this offseason.
Unlike Decker, Nicks is coming off his worst season as a pro in his contract year. He caught only 56 passes, totaling 896 yards, and very notably finished the season without a touchdown. He spent the season alternating between looking disinterested and expressing his discontent. The New York media started raking him over the coals due to his effort level about halfway through the Giants’ 0-6 start, declared him a malcontent and seemed to close the door on his tenure with the team by midseason. Trade rumors began to swirl, first with the Giants looking for a second-round pick in return. By the trade deadline, the media was wondering if the Giants could even expect a fourth-round pick in return. All in all, 2013 fell short of expectations for Nicks to say the least.
While Nicks cost himself a ton of money with a down 2013, teams interested in acquiring a number one caliber receiver for a cheap price could be enamored with the 26-year-old. Coming into last season the only knock on Nicks was his durability, as he had trouble staying on the field for Big Blue and often when he was on the field, he was playing at less than 100%. Shoulder, ankle, and knee injuries nagged him throughout the 2011 and 2012 seasons. When teammate Victor Cruz signed his extension last offseason, the sentiment was for Nicks to prove he can stay healthy and his deal would follow. Nicks was mostly healthy last year, but to no avail.
For teams interested in finding a talented receiver in free agency, long-term memory may have them leaning toward Nicks. It feels like forever ago, but in 2010, Nicks caught 79 balls, for 1,052 yards and a whopping 11 touchdowns in 12 starts. He followed that up with 76 catches for 1,192 yards and seven more touchdowns in 15 games in 2011. His most impressive stretch came during the Giants’ Super Bowl run, where he was the team’s most dominant offensive player, putting impressive numbers as he propelled the Giants to victory:
- Wild Card Round vs. Falcons – six catches, 115 yards, two touchdowns
- Divisional Round at Packers – seven catches, 165 yards, two touchdowns
- NFC Championship at 49ers – five catches, 55 yards (left with shoulder injury)
- Super Bowl vs. Patriots – ten catches, 109 yards
Had he reached free agency that offseason, his value would be much different. An injury-plagued 2012 season leading into this past year has dimmed the light shining on a player who was recently thought of as one of the top young playmakers in the NFL. Nicks is unlikely to re-sign with the Giants, even at a reduced rate, although Cruz has pushed for him to return. He may find himself on a one-year “prove it” deal with some team. Brad Wells of StampedeBlue.com believes the Colts could be able to lure him in on a one-year, $2.2MM deal.
Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com broke down the wide receiver market earlier this month, he saw Nicks as still deserving of a bigger contract. Cohen predicted Nicks to the Lions on a three-year, $30MM deal with about $13MM in guaranteed money. The thinking behind this was that the Lions are ready to win now, and positioning a star like Nick across from Calvin Johnson could take the offense to new heights. If Nicks was willing to take a smaller deal, Cam Newton and the Panthers are in desperate need of a bigger receiver, and the North Carolina product might consider his hometown if the market didn’t present a more lucrative option.
While his durability and effort level have provided serious red flags to his pending free agency, there should be some team out there with money to spend on potential. The draft will provide teams with a number of options at receiver, as it is supposed to be a deep class highlighted by Sammy Watkins of Clemson, Mike Evans of Texas A&M, and Marquise Lee of USC, all three of which are expected to be drafted in the first round.
Nicks is a 6’1″, 208-pound wideout, with impressive speed and playmaking ability. At 26 years old, and with the numbers he put up only a few years ago, he could command more money than most expect in a year where the other top free agent options are Decker and Boldin. While some may think Decker is a number two wideout about to be paid like a number one, Nicks is the buy-low option, where a team can pay him like a number two and hold out hope that he produces like the number one option he was in 2010 and 2011.
Ndamukong Suh Extension Talks
Ndamukong Suh‘s presence on the Lions’ roster comes with a hefty price tag of $22.4MM, which gives the team almost no flexibility to do anything else in free agency, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. In fact, he notes that even with the extra $11.5MM the team saved by releasing Louis Delmas and Nate Burleson, the Lions do not have enough cap space to sign all of the team’s prospective draft picks this May.
This is a huge problem for the Lions, but it is not unprecedented for the team. This current roster was built with cornerstone draft picks from the old CBA. With the team holding high draft choices, their top picks were able to negotiate big money contracts that could cripple an organization’s cap flexibility. The Lions were able to proceed smoothly in negotiating Calvin Johnson‘s contract extension, which made him the highest paid receiver in football, deservingly so. Then when Matthew Stafford approached the end of his rookie deal, his extension was negotiated in a similar manner.
Suh is the third piece to the puzzle, and McCosky writes that Lions president Tom Lewand would like to come to an agreement on another long-term contract to keep a top player in the mix for the long haul. Of course, Suh has just recently fired his agent, instead electing to join Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports. Publicly, it is still unknown who will be negotiating his contract. Roc Nation has only one agent certified to negotiate a contract, and that agent’s only client is the Jets’ quarterback Geno Smith. Victor Cruz‘ brand is represented by Roc Nation, but his contract is handled by veteran agent Tom Condon.
McCoskey notes that Suh holds all the cards in this negotiation, because his mammoth extension is inevitable at this point. He will be the most highly paid defensive tackle in football. It is up to him whether or not he will work with the Lions and get the deal hammered out in the coming weeks, allowing the team to use the extra cap space cleared up this season to fill holes elsewhere on the roster and put together a team that can return to the playoffs in 2014.
Munnerlyn Wants To Stay With Panthers
Captain Munnerlyn is coming off his best season, and is looking to cash in with a long-term deal. He stated in a phone interview on Friday that he would like to remain with the Panthers, after the team finished 13-3 behind a greatly improved defense, writes Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
“I think I had one of my best years. And I think my market value will be a little bit better than last year,” Munnerlyn said. “I want to stay with the Carolina Panthers because that’s the team that drafted me. I love the organization, and I feel that’s the best team that fits me personality-wise. I love the coaching staff. I want to stay there.”
However, the Panthers have not begun talks with the free agent cornerback. The team is in a very tight cap situation going forward, and have many free agents at key spots, including star defensive end Greg Hardy and the rest of the team’s secondary.
“It’s been real quiet, which is shocking. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m just waiting,” said Munnerlyn. “I guess they’re going to let everyone hit free agency.”
Munnerlyn is expected to be a priority for the team, with the Panthers scheduled to speak with his agent during the scouting combine next week. Despite the club’s cap situation, Munnerlyn is looking at a good raise compared to the $1.1MM deal he signed last offseason.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Verner, Babin
One of the biggest question marks for the Colts this offseason is how the team will better develop Trent Richardson after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Since the team traded a first-round pick to acquire him, Richardson seems locked in to the top of the depth chart at least at the beginning of this season. Because of this, and the return of Vick Ballard from injury, Donald Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw will probably be searching for new teams in free agency, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. While they were arguably the Colts best running backs last season, they would most likely look for opportunities to start or split time elsewhere. Here are some other rumors from around the AFC South:
- While the Colts will have more than $30MM to spend, Wells does not see the team bringing a bunch of big name free agents this offseason. With new contracts for T.Y. Hilton and most importantly Andrew Luck on the horizon, much of that cap space will be saved for re-signing current players or cheaper free agents.
- Alterraun Verner has been thought of as a possible franchise tag candidate for the Titans, but Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean does not see that as a likely scenario, as the team is already paying Jason McCourty a little over $8.6MM per year. Verner’s franchise price is expected to be around $11.2MM, and together it would be too much to invest in one position. The team will continue to work on a long-term deal with Verner.
- Jason Babin is unlikely to be on the Jaguars roster next season at his current price tag of $4.225MM, but he is willing to renegotiate that figure to stay with the team, writes Michael Dirocco of ESPN.com. Babin was the Jaguars’ best pass rusher last season, totaling a team-high 7.5 sacks on the season.