NFC East Notes: Redskins, Eagles
Redskins‘ new head coach Jay Gruden utilized multiple tight end sets with the Bengals, with both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert providing big receiving threats for the offense. Last season, the Redskins found a potential star in Jordan Reed, and could benefit from another receiving threat to pair with him at the position, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Unfortunately, both Tandler and his colleague Tarik El-Bashir agree that it is unlikely that the Redskins can afford to invest either a high draft pick or a significant amount of their cap dollars to find a second tight end. Here are some other notes from the NFC East:
- Safety will also be a big area of need for the Redskins, with Brandon Meriweather and Reed Doughty hitting free agency, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Without a backup in place that the team can be confident in, the Redskins may have to look to free agency to fill out the secondary. Chris Clemons (Dolphins) or Michael Mitchell (Panthers) could be cost effective solutions. Otherwise, Washington will have to look to the draft. Without a first round pick due to the Robert Griffin III trade, Keim believes they could target Jimmy Ward of Northern Illinois in the second or third round.
- The Eagles are estimated to have approximately $20MM in cap space this offseason, leaving them in position to make a splash in free agency. Two intriguing options could be Jason Worilds (Steelers) and T.J. Ward (Browns), writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. He writes that if the Steelers keep LaMarr Woodley, then Worilds would most likely be available and could be a great fit for the Eagles across from Connor Barwin. According to Mosher, even with the cap space, Ward will probably be too expensive to bring in.
- The Eagles are moving forward with a defensive line built around Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, and Bennie Logan, and while Mosher doubts they would add a big name to their line, he would not rule it out completely. He does not think the Eagles would bring in a veteran player as a starter, but if the team thought a young lineman such as B.J. Raji could be a game-changer, they might be willing to spend some money to acquire him.
Draft Needs For Lions, Bears
The Lions can go in a number of directions in the draft this year, writes Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The two major questions that need to be addressed are receiver and cornerback. With the tenth pick, Sammy Wakins of Clemson and Mike Evans of Texas A&M would be ideal fits to line up across from Calvin Johnson, but trading down or taking a defensive back are also likely scenarios according to Rothstein.
If they do look to take a defensive back at their current pick, Rothstein writes that Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State and Darqueze Dennard of Michigan State could be the Lions’ top choices. That is unless either Anthony Barr of UCLA or Khalil Mack of Buffalo drops to them, which could make them consider taking one of the two standout linebackers, and address the secondary later in the draft.
While the Lions are looking at a number of options in the first round, there is a consensus with the Bears’ first round pick. Both of ESPN’s draft experts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock drafts have the team selecting Timmy Jernigan of FSU to bolster the defensive line. Mock drafts from Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com both agree as well.
While the Bears could look to add to their defensive line early, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com does not see the draft as a way for the team to improve its skill players. He doesn’t see the team investing many draft picks if any at all in receivers, runningbacks, or tight ends.
Vikings Rumors: Cassel, Cousins, Cook
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman spoke about the Vikings’ offseason goals on Saturday during the 19th annual Arctic Blast snowmobile rally to benefit the Vikings Children’s Fund, reports Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune. Spielman stated his intention to acquire two more draft picks, and find a young quarterback in the draft, though not necessarily with their current first round pick. Here are some other rumors surrounding the team:
- Tesfastsion also notes that Spielman spoke about Matt Cassel‘s free agency, saying the team will be in contact with the quarterback’s agents, leaving open the possibility of his return in 2014.
- In their search for a young quarterback, Kirk Cousins could make sense, writes Ben Goessing of ESPN.com. However, with the Vikings looking to acquire draft picks rather than spend them, this could be a risky move. Goessing warns not to fall in love with the Redskins’ backup, as he sees similarities between his career and Matt Flynn.
- For a secondary that struggled in 2013, a deep pool of free agent cornerbacks could provide a quick fix. Goessing sees Alterraun Verner and Sam Shields as great fits, even if they may prove to be expensive commodities. He also sees the Vikings re-signing Chris Cook, taking a chance on their own player on a cheap contract with some potential upside.
- The Vikings also will have to replace Jared Allen at defensive end, which will be tough with other holes on the defense. Goessing sees the Vikings trying to re-sign Everson Griffin on a short term deal to give him a chance to prove himself. He also writes that if they do not spend money elsewhere, they may be able to make a run at Michael Johnson of the Bengals in free agency.
AFC North Notes: Dix, Ravens, Little
The Steelers have a lot of questions when it comes to the depth of their runningback situation, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. While Le’Veon Bell stood out as the clear number one choice, Jonathan Dwyer, Felix Jones, and LaRod Stephens-Howling are all hitting free agency. Brown believes the Steelers will try to retain Dwyer and Stephens-Howling due to their unique skill sets, but if one of those two leaves for another situation, they will address their depth further in the draft. Here are some other notes from the AFC North:
- The Steelers may need a free safety if Ryan Clark does not return, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could be a strong choice in round one, adds Scott Brown. Brown also writes that he expects the Steelers to add depth at corner later in the draft.
- The Ravens also have a need at free safety, but may have to look to free agency to fill their need, writes Jamison Henley of ESPN.com. He highlights possible cap casualties Michael Griffin (Titans), Louis Delmas (Lions), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons) as interesting fits, in addition to the free agent class.
- Greg Little was thought to be a candidate for release, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, as the Browns‘ receiver has underachieved since being drafted. While Little has struggled with consistency, McManamon feels like he might be a fit for new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s scheme.
- McManamon also adds that if the Browns retain Little, Eric Decker would become far too expensive an option to join Little and Josh Gordon in the receiving corps.
Chiefs Sign Thomas Gafford
THURSDAY, 7:53am: Gafford’s new one-year deal for 2014 is worth $755K, including a $730K base salary, a $10K roster bonus, and a $15K work out bonus, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). From the Chiefs’ perspective, the cap hit will be $595K.
WEDNESDAY, 6:05pm: The Chiefs have signed long snapper Thomas Gafford to an extension, according to OverTheCap.com. Gafford will be with the Chiefs in 2014 at the minimum salary benefit.
The 31-year-old from the University of Houston has played six seasons in the NFL, all with the Chiefs.
NFC Notes: Shields, Ware, Bennett, 49ers
Among the Packers’ top priorities this offseason must be cornerback Sam Shields, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Shields won’t be easy to retain — he’ll be among the best cornerbacks on the market this offseason, and Dougherty believes he could fetch a contract that pays him $8.5MM per season. With new deals coming for Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson, it may be difficult for Ted Thompson to navigate a deal for Shields and keep room open to fill out the roster. Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- DeMarcus Ware had said he would have a scope on his right elbow this offseason, but as of right now has no surgery scheduled, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Ware was already viewed as a potential cap casualty, as Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated notes, and this ongoing injury only adds incentive for the Cowboys to release him and save about $7MM on the cap in 2014.
- Michael Bennett reiterated that he is fully committed to trying to return to the defending champion Seahawks in 2014, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “We can go back and win a Super Bowl again with all these guys,” Bennett said. “It’s a business but I definitely want to be back.”
- The 49ers‘ priorities are holding strong this offseason, write Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. The team is trying to lock up quarterback Colin Kaepernick and head coach Jim Harbaugh to long-term deals, and still keep free agents Anquan Boldin, Donte Whitner, and Phil Dawson.
Asante Samuel Rumors: Wednesday
The Falcons released Asante Samuel earlier today, and while getting cut is rarely good news for a veteran player, the Falcons did Samuel a favor by releasing him this early in the offseason, as noted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Because Samuel is a veteran with more than four years of service, being released over a month in advance of free agency will allow him to get a head start on finding a new home for 2014. Players with less than four years of service would have to clear waivers before being eligible for free agency.
Because Samuel is able to sign with a team at any time, rumors are already flying about his possible suitors. One school of thought suggests the 33-year-old cornerback would sign on a relatively cheap deal with a playoff-caliber team looking to add a veteran to its secondary. A few clubs that would seem to make sense are the Broncos, Packers, Bears, and Patriots, according to Brett Sobileski of USAToday.com. He also notes that the Panthers could be an intriguing option, considering their struggles in the secondary and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott‘s familiarity with Samuel from their time with the Eagles.
Of course, as fast as these rumors start, they get shot down. The more likely scenario for the Panthers would be to re-sign Captain Munnerlyn, and look to replace Drayton Florence with a younger, cheaper free agent option, writes Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. He adds that the team was impressed with undrafted rookie Melvin White‘s improvement in 2013, and would only consider Samuel as an “emergency fall-back option.”
The Patriots would also be better off trying to re-sign their own free agent cornerback, writes Will Gellman of RantSports.com. He believes that the aging Samuel is not worth taking up cap space that could go to Aqib Talib or other free agents. Gellman also adds that Patriot fans might not be excited to see him back after he dropped an errant Eli Manning pass in Super Bowl XLII that could have sealed a perfect season for New England.
The Bears and Broncos both are already dealing with the potential loss of older, high-profile cornerbacks, as Charles Tillman is hitting free agency and Champ Bailey has a $10MM salary that will surely not be on the books in 2014, either via restructure or release. The Broncos are also expected to try to sign Samuel’s former teammate Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to a long-term deal. The Packers will most likely focus their efforts first on trying to re-sign Sam Shields.
AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Incognito, Colts
Muhammad Wilkerson was arguably the best player on the Jets last season, and even that may not truly be very “arguable.” In his third year, the defensive end led the team in sacks, and positioned himself for a big contract extension. However, extension talks may have stalled, meaning it could begin to resemble the Darrelle Revis situation from a few years ago, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
The Jets hold all the leverage in negotiations, because they hold Wilkerson’s rights over the next two seasons for a bargain price of $7.2MM, and if they franchise tag him after next season, they’ll still have him for the cheap price of about $19MM depending on the tag number. At the same time, Costello notes that the Jets’ goal is to get a long-term contract in place. Here are some other free agency notes from the AFC:
- While the Richie Incognito controversy last season will most likely preclude him from signing with the Dolphins, the free agent guard should still have suitors this offseason. One team that could use his services is the Raiders, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The Raiders’ interior offensive line was unimpressive last season, struggling to find consistency at the guard positions. Raider offensive coordinator Greg Olsen coached Incognito in St. Louis in 2006-07, and stood up for the troubled lineman during the season when the allegations of bullying first came out.
- The Colts‘ number one priority this offseason should be re-signing their own free agents, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. He writes that Vontae Davis, Pat McAfee, and Antoine Bethea should be the first three players taken care of, before the team starts thinking about bringing in new pieces.
- Dane Fletcher is not one of the most notable free agents the Patriots have to worry about, and if the linebacker is looking for a bigger role, then he is better off leaving New England, writes Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. While the Patriots don’t necessarily need him (he only played 209 snaps on defense in 2013), even with the assumed departure of Brandon Spikes, Curran believes the Patriots would welcome him back.
The New TV Deal And The Salary Cap
Earlier today, the NFL announced an agreement with CBS that will see the network produce 2014’s Thursday Night Football games, with half of those broadcasts moving over to CBS from the NFL Network. Most fans will only notice the immediate impact of the agreement based on what channel they tune into each Thursday, but in the longer term, the additional revenue created by the deal will significantly affect the salary cap, creating a bump in spending power for NFL teams, write Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While the exact numbers have not yet been released, Florio estimates that the deal could be in the area of $300MM, and after factoring the loss of advertisement revenue (since the NFL will no longer be the sole provider carrying these games), he believes that the NFL may see a net gain of approximately $250MM. Because the salary cap is calculated based on the previous year’s revenue, the new arrangement will not affect the 2014 cap number. That being said, NFL franchises may have an extra $4MM to work with in 2015.
Having an extra $4MM to work with down the road could be a huge advantage for general managers in tight cap situations this offseason. The Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who are thinking about an extension for Earl Thomas, and eventually Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson, may be able to push some more money for their stars into the future during negotiations this offseason. That way, they could leave room under the cap this year to re-sign key players such as Michael Bennett or Golden Tate, as the team looks to make another run at a championship.
The 49ers are in a similar situation, as they believe their window to win a championship is now. While they talk with Colin Kaepernick about an extension that will certainly pay him like a franchise quarterback, they may be able to keep short-term cap space available for their own free agents.
Another option available to a team looking to improve its roster is the restructuring of veteran contracts. While restructuring is often viewed as a great short-term tool, it can be crippling to a team’s cap situation down the road, as is the case now in Carolina, where the Panthers are trying to find a way to re-sign Greg Hardy despite the dead money already on the cap in 2014. Additional future cap space could alleviate these concerns to a certain extent. One huge restructure has already occurred this offseason, as Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals have agreed on a new deal that will benefit both parties. Fitzgerald’s restructured contract will open up $9.4MM of spending money for the Cardinals during this offseason, while it will add an additional $2.35MM each of the next four years. An extra $4MM of cap space from the Thursday Night Football deal should help absorb that blow.
Ultimately, since every NFL club will be playing with the same amount of money, the new TV deal isn’t going to cure any one team’s cap situation, but a good general manager might be able to find a way to use that idea of an extra bit of wiggle room down the road to put the most competitive product on the field in 2014.
AFC Notes: Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Pats
Texans‘ head coach Bill O’Brien has been very quiet since getting the top job in Houston, but has finally announced the 16 assistant coaches he has hired to fill out the coaching staff, according to HoustonTexans.com. The new hires are highlighted by his new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who held that same post with the Patriots during their three Super Bowls from 2001-2004, and new director of football research Jim Bernhardt, who was O’Brien’s special assistant to the head coach and director of player development at Penn State. The hires that were not made may have been just as important, as the team retained special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky, and notably O’Brien decided not to hire an offensive coordinator. Here are some other news items from across the AFC:
- The Chargers have decided not to opt out of their lease with Qualcomm Stadium, reports Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. The team will play its home games there in 2014, while the organization continues to explore stadium solutions in San Diego.
- It is no secret that the Dolphins plan to move on from the Richie Incognito–Jonathan Martin controversy, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. However, while Incognito is a free agent, Martin will not be as simple to let go. The Dolphins would like to trade him, but they know if they cannot find a deal that they will have to release him for nothing. Unfortunately, the rest of the league knows that as well, and other franchises might be content to wait until Martin is released.
- The Patriots have exercised the franchise tag eight times since the 2002 offseason, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. The two impending free agents that would be most likely to receive the tag are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman. However, placing the tag on either player would result in a one-year-deal worth over $11MM. The Patriots are more likely to either use it to keep the player from hitting free agency while they negotiate a long-term contract, or possibly not use it at all for the second consecutive year.