Lions Favorites For Ndamukong Suh
11:57am: Lions president Tom Lewand said in an interview today, “I think there’s a very, very good chance that we can get something done with [Suh] in the next few weeks,” writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Lewand added that affording Suh and fitting his lucrative contract under the salary cap will not be an issue. According to Birkett, Lewand’s statements are the strongest indication yet that Suh will return to Detroit.
11:19am: The Lions are favored to re-sign Ndamukong Suh, writes ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The fate of the star defensive tackle, who is eligible for free agency this year, has dominated headlines for much of 2014 and will continue to be a prominent storyline until he signs his next contract.
Suh is regarded as perhaps the second-best defensive lineman in the league, taking a backseat to only Houston’s J.J. Watt, who received 13 MVP votes for his outstanding play in 2014. As such, Suh is expected to command a contract similar to the $100MM deal that Watt signed last year, and Mortensen’s sources believe Detroit will be the team to give him that money.
Of course, the salary cap ramifications of such a deal represent the biggest concern for Detroit, who would apparently be willing to go so far as to part with Calvin Johnson to create enough cap space to re-sign Suh. However, the Lions believe they can manage to keep both Suh and Johnson on the roster.
For his part, Johnson may have expressed a willingness to rework his own deal if it would allow his team to retain Suh, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “I’ll do whatever I got to do,” Johnson said. It is unclear if that statement means that Johnson is willing to restructure his contract or if he simply meant that he would be aggressive in trying to convince Suh to stay in Detroit.
According to Mortensen, though, Suh may not need much convincing. Although the Lions suffered a disappointing loss in the first round of this year’s playoffs, they showed the ability to contend for a championship, and a Suh return would allow them to return as many as 18 starters. All of that has led Suh to express his desire to continue his career where it started.
Seahawks Offer Marshawn Lynch Extension
11:25am: ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets that there have been no negotiations on the extension as of yet, but talks are scheduled for next week.
8:46am: The Seahawks have made a “huge” extension offer to Marshawn Lynch that would likely keep him with the club for the rest of his career, writes Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Lynch remains under contract for the 2015 season, but the extension, in addition to giving Lynch long-term security, would also double his 2015 pay. The 28-year-old running back is set to make $5MM next year, but Rapoport writes that the new deal would give Lynch over $10MM in 2015 alone.
Although the enigmatic Lynch has made the news for his bizarre press conferences and certain obscene gestures, and even though he has at least considered the possibility of retirement in each of the last two seasons, his on-field production for Seattle has largely overshadowed all of that. Lynch has rushed for at least 1,200 yards in four consecutive seasons, and his 2014 campaign was perhaps the best of his career. Lynch rushed for over 1,300 yards, maintained a 4.7 yards-per-carry average, and scored 13 touchdowns. He added 37 receptions for another 367 yards and four receiving touchdowns to his dominant season.
The former Bill was traded to Seattle during the 2010 season in exchange for two mid-round draft picks, and the deal immediately paid dividends for the Seahawks. Lynch, affectionately known as “Beast Mode,” was instrumental in Seattle’s surprise upset of the defending-champion Saints in the first round of that year’s playoffs, breaking off a memorable 67-yard touchdown run that was later dubbed “Beast Quake.”
Lynch was rewarded with a four-year, $31MM contract after the 2011 season, and after a brief holdout in 2014, he agreed to a new deal that provided him with a bit more financial certainty. Per Rapoport, the team feels that Lynch has outplayed that contract, and so they have offered him a lucrative extension just hours before he takes the field in Super Bowl XLIX. Rapoport does note, however, that if the Seahawks become repeat champions tonight, Lynch could follow through on his retirement plans.
Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that, in addition to paying Lynch $10MM in 2015, the extension would be second to only Adrian Peterson in average annual value (which is over $14MM per year). We heard nearly all year that Lynch would probably not return to Seattle after 2014, but his tremendous production this year has underscored his value to the club, and the team is prepared to reward him accordingly. It would be difficult for anyone to turn down such an offer, but Lynch is not your ordinary player or person, so unless and until the ink dries on this new contract, no one will really know where Lynch will be in 2015 and beyond.
East Notes: Kraft, Revis, Cowboys
As the Patriots prepare to represent the AFC East in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at some notes regarding the Pats, their division rivals, and a few items from the NFC East:
- Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that the league’s handling of “Deflategate” has thawed the relationship between Roger Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has been one of the commissioner’s biggest supporters and who publicly backed Goodell during the Ray Rice fiasco. Reiss notes that, if Goodell were to lose Kraft’s support, his hold on the commissioner’s job could become a bit more tenuous.
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Patriots star corner Darrelle Revis will be courted not only by his current team this offseason–after New England inevitably declines his 2015 option–but he expects the Bills and Jets to be in on Revis as well. Joel Corry tweets that Revis will have a great deal of leverage, as the Patriots cannot put the franchise tag on him if they decline the 2015 option.
- Jets owner Woody Johnson received the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Award on Saturday, and before receiving the award, he provided a few clues to his team’s offseason plans. In response to criticism he received earlier this week, when he announced that the Jets would be aggressive in free agency, Johnson stated that although he was not afraid to spend money on free agents, he would not waste money. He specifically mentioned cornerback and strong safety as positions that could be addressed in the free agent market, and he also touched on a possible extension for Muhammad Wilkerson and the team’s quarterback situation (article via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
- If Washington is to become competitive again in the NFC East, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com says new GM Scot McCloughan must move away from the team’s historic reliance on big-ticket free agents.
- After hearing that the Seahawks have offered Marshawn Lynch a lucrative extension, Joel Corry tweets that the Cowboys will have to substantially increase their offer to DeMarco Murray if they are serious about keeping him.
- Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looked at the Cowboys linebacker situation in 2015, both with and without impending free agent Rolando McClain. Fortunately for Dallas, Anthony Hitchens showed that he can play any of the linebacker spots in his rookie season. If McClain comes back, he’ll play in the middle and Sean Lee will be on the weakside. If McClain doesn’t come back, Machota thinks it will be Lee in the middle with Justin Durant/Hitchens on the weakside.
- More from Machota, who writes that he’d be surprised if Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley, a restricted free agent, gets plucked away by another team. Linebacker Bruce Carter, however, is a different story. Carter has freakish athleticism and he was a projected first round choice in 2011. There could be teams out there that believe they can better utilize his abilities than Dallas has, perhaps by making him an inside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
Zach Links contributed to this post
Falcons Investigated For Artificial Crowd Noise
The Falcons are being investigated for piping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome the past two seasons, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. According to Schefter, Atlanta is accused of piping in the noise while the opposing team was huddling and trying to call its play. If the Falcons are found to have employed that tactic, they could face a hefty fine and even be stripped of a draft choice.
A team spokesperson issued the following statement:
“We were informed during the season that the league office is looking into crowd noise during our games. We have cooperated fully with them, and we’re awaiting the outcome.”
Ann Mara Passes Away At 85
Giants co-owner and matriarch Ann Mara passed away today at the age of 85, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Mara slipped in front of her home in Rye, New York during an ice storm several weeks ago, and she injured her head in the fall. Although her family was hopeful for her recovery, complications from the fall ultimately led to her passing.
Mara’s father-in-law, Tim Mara, founded the Giants in 1925. After Ann’s husband, Wellington, passed away in 2005, Ann and her 11 children assumed control of 50% of the club. The other 50% was sold to the Tisch family in 1991.
Of those 11 children, three currently work in Giants’ front office: John Mara serves as president and CEO, Chris Mara is the senior vice president of player evaluation, and Frank Mara is the vice president of community relations.
Commissioner Roger Goodell released the following statement:
“Mrs. Mara was a tower of strength, dignity and inspiration for her family and all of us in the NFL. Her family and the Giants organization have always reflected Mrs. Mara’s competitive spirit, integrity, and wonderful sense of humor. Our thoughts and prayers are with John Mara and the entire Mara family.”
Our thoughts and condolences are with Mrs. Mara’s friends and family.
49ers Notes: Brown, York, Wideouts
As the 49ers prepare to watch their division rivals in the Super Bowl tonight, let’s take a look at a few notes on the team’s outlook for next season:
- We learned yesterday that the 49ers were set to add Clancy Pendergast (inside linebackers coach) and Tim Lewis (defensive backs coach) to its defensive coaching staff, and Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News adds that the team has also tabbed Scott Brown as its next defensive line coach. Brown served as the 49ers’ Midwest-region scout in each of the past three seasons after working for over 30 years as a college assistant. He most recently worked in the college ranks with Arizona State in 2011.
- Although many have expressed skepticism over the 49ers’ recent coaching decisions, beginning with their decision to part ways with Jim Harbaugh, CEO Jed York believes that the staff he has assembled will allow Colin Kaepernick to fulfill his vast potential. York said, “But with [Kaepernick] you got a guy in (new offensive coordinator) Geep Chryst who knows him better than anybody else. You have a great guy in (new quarterbacks coach) Steve Logan that’s coming in that’s going to work with him on fundamentals and to put a system that’s going to put Kap in the best position to make plays…We can throw the ball in ways that allows him to be successful and let him be the absolute stud that he can be on the field, and that’s what you’re going to see from us next year.” (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
- In a separate piece, Inman looks at 10 ways the 49ers could get back to the Super Bowl in 2015 and become the first true home team in a Super Bowl. Inman notes that the coaches must mesh quickly and become the staff that York apparently believes they can be, but he also says San Francisco would do well to add a tall, speedy wide receiver to give Kaepernick the type of weapon he has never really enjoyed. With Anquan Boldin entering his 13th year, Michael Crabtree likely to depart in free agency, and the question marks surrounding Vernon Davis, the team’s receiving corps is a major area of concern.
Sunday Roundup: Morris, Harman, Graham
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league as the Seahawks and Patriots prepare to head off to Arizona:
- We learned earlier today that the Falcons, who will name Dan Quinn as their next head coach on February 2, will also hire Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for an assistant-defensive coordinator hybrid position. NBC4’s Dianna Marie Russini tweets that Morris will not be the team’s defensive coordinator and that he will serve as an assistant of some kind.
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com adds that Wade Harman, the Falcons’ assistant offensive line coach in 2014, will be named as the team’s next tight ends coach. Harman served as the Ravens‘ tight ends coach for 15 years before coming to Atlanta in 2014.
- Washington has 12 players eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com offers his thoughts as to which of those players the team should re-sign.
- LeGarrette Blount has fallen out of favor with both collegiate and professional organizations in his football career, but Adam Kurkjian of the Boston Herald writes that Blount’s second stint with the Patriots has proven that his true home is in New England.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe wonders if the Buccaneers’ hiring of Mike Bajakian as their quarterbacks coach signals that they have already decided to draft Marcus Mariota with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Volin points out that Bajakian’s spread-option attack is much better suited to Mariota’s skillset than Jameis Winston‘s.
- Marc Sessler of NFL.com writes that Saints tight end Jimmy Graham will use tonight’s Pro Bowl as a gauge to determine whether he should undergo offseason shoulder surgery.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post says the Broncos have reached a crossroads, and he believes the team will have more questions with Peyton Manning than without.
- Surprise Pro Bowler Justin Forsett reaffirmed this week that he wants to remain with the Ravens, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The journeyman veteran is tired of bouncing around the league and would like to establish a long-term relationship with the team that gave him the best chance to finally enjoy a breakout season.
Eagles’ Front Office Creating Confusion
When the Eagles announced new roles for head coach Chip Kelly and GM Howie Roseman earlier this month, with Roseman elevated to the role of executive vice president of football operations and Kelly appointed to oversee the player personnel department, there were bound to be some growing pains as Philadelphia’s front office adapted to its new structure and other teams figured out how to interact with that structure.
However, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says there may be more to this situation than the expected transitional hurdles. Roseman was conspicuous only by his absence at the Senior Bowl, which has led some league insiders to wonder about Roseman’s true role with the club. After Kelly was granted complete control over personnel, Roseman was expected to be in charge of the salary cap and contracts. But a number of agents who represent Eagles with possible contract situations have said they were unsure who would be handling negotiations, while others said they still expected to work with Roseman.
Meanwhile, director of football administration Jake Rosenberg met with agents representing players both on and off of the Eagles roster last week, and he is currently conducting contract talks with impending free agent Jeremy Maclin. At the same time, Kelly gave his phone number to two agents with Eagles players, which represents “another indicator of his increasing say over all facets of football operations.”
The fact that Roseman was vacationing with his family while Kelly was scouting college all-star practices has created the perception that the front office restructure was not as peaceful as initially thought, and that Philadelphia is currently a hostile, divided organization.
Citing ESPN’s Adam Caplan, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com writes that at least two people turned down the chance to interview for the Eagles’ vacant GM post, with one of the candidates saying he wanted to work for an organization in which the coach, GM, and owner were on the same page. This is not to say, of course, that the team will be unable to hire a quality GM, or that the key players in Philadelphia’s front office cannot overcome whatever turmoil there might be. But it does make one wonder if the organization’s internal dynamics will detract from its ability to navigate through the offseason as smoothly as it would like.
Colts Favorites To Land Duron Carter
The Colts “appear to have the edge” in landing highly-coveted CFL star Duron Carter, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. PFR”s Luke Adams pointed out on Friday that Carter was down to two finalists and posited that the Browns had fallen out of contention. Holder confirms that speculation, writing that the Vikings are the “other team to watch” in the Carter sweepstakes but making no mention of Cleveland whatsoever.
Carter’s story has been well-documented, and Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report published a detailed piece several days ago describing Carter’s fall from burgeoning star at Ohio State to a player that no NFL club wanted even as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Since then, however, Carter has resurrected his career after excelling with the Montreal Alouettes in back-to-back seasons, displaying the type of athleticism and natural ability that can make an NFL executive’s mouth water.
Since the end of the CFL season, Carter has been auditioning for a number of NFL clubs, finally concluding his workouts last week. It was not long ago that the Vikings were considered the favorite to sign Carter, but it was later revealed that Minnesota was not the top bidder for Carter’s services, and now Indianapolis appears to have taken the lead. The Colts, of course, have been in the mix all along, and we learned back in November that the imminent departure of Reggie Wayne, combined with GM Ryan Grigson‘s willingness to take chances, Grigson’s connections with the CFL, and Indianapolis’ history of gambling on players with “baggage” suggested that Carter may soon be playing his home games in Lucas Oil Stadium.
One thing that has rarely been discussed in the myriad articles discussing where Carter might land and what he might bring to the table is the type of deal he might command. As Holder points out, financial details will of course play a role in Carter’s decision, but it is unclear what those details might be. Holder does note that Carter, who amassed 1,939 receiving yards during his two years in Montreal, does have personal relationships with current Colts Jonathan Newsome and Trent Richardson, but Minnesota also holds the attraction of being the place where Carter’s father, Cris, resurrected his own career and became a Hall-0f-Famer.
Per a CFL-NFL agreement, Carter cannot sign with an NFL club until February 10, but when he is eligible to sign, the smart money appears to be on the Colts.
Falcons To Hire Dan Quinn As HC
It may be little more than a formality at this point, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that current Seahawks DC Dan Quinn will be named the new head coach of the Falcons on Monday, February 2 in Atlanta.
We learned last week that Atlanta planned to hire Quinn whenever Seattle’s season ends, and, one way or another, the Seahawks’ season will be over at the end of Super Bowl XLIX on February 1. It has been clear for several weeks that Quinn was the Falcons’ top choice to replace Mike Smith, and they have demonstrated all along they were willing to wait for their man. In the meantime, Atlanta named Kyle Shanahan as the team’s new offensive coordinator, and it was also reported that Seahawks defensive backs coach Kris Richard could follow Quinn to Atlanta to become the Falcons’ new defensive coordinator.
However, Ledbetter also reports that the Falcons plan to hire Washington defensive backs coach Raheem Morris for a hybrid assistant-defensive coordinator position. Quinn himself is expected to call the defensive plays, so it remains unclear if Morris’ hiring will affect Richard in any way.
As for Quinn himself, he has engineered two excellent defenses in his two seasons as Seattle’s defensive coordinator, defenses that have played a starring role in at least one, and perhaps two, Super Bowl victories. As our Dallas Robinson recently wrote, “Both of [Quinn’s] Seahawks defenses have finished first in DVOA per Football Outsiders, and in 2014, Seattle allowed just 268 yards per game and 15.9 points per game, both first in the league.” The 44-year-old also brings a decade of NFL experience with him, much of which came as a defensive line coach for the 49ers, Dolphins, and Jets.
Quinn also worked as defensive line coach for Seattle from 2009-2010 before moving to the college ranks as Florida’s defensive coordinator during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. But after returning to the NFL as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator in 2013, Quinn has met with nothing but success, and he immediately established himself as one of the top assistants in the league.
The Falcons, of course, were once considered the favorite to land Rex Ryan, who ultimately became head coach of the Bills, and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was also frequently linked to Atlanta’s top job. The Falcons also interviewed Adam Gase, Josh McDaniels, Doug Marrone, and Keith Armstrong, but Quinn boasted the strongest defensive background of any head coaching candidate this year, with the possible exception of Ryan. For a team that has talent on the offensive side of the ball but a porous defense, Quinn seems to be an almost perfect fit. And, as of February 2, he can begin going to work for his new club.
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