Joique Bell Hopes To Continue Playing
Joique Bell isn’t finished with football. At least, he hopes he’s not. The veteran running back says he’s still looking to find work for the 2017 season (Twitter links via SiriusXM). 
“There are ton of guys in the league that know what I can do, coaches and GMs, but I have no timetable to sign with a new team,” Bell said. “I’ve never been an injury prone player. I feel better than I have in a long time, physically. Just waiting on the call.”
It could be a while before Bell gets the call he’s waiting for. Bell will turn 31 in August and he didn’t get to show teams a whole lot on the field last season.
Bell spent the majority of his career with the Lions before hooking on with the Bears last fall. His stint in Chicago lasted just four games and he totaled only three carries. When a December workout with the Packers did not result in a deal, he circled back to Detroit to serve as the team’s No. 4 RB behind Theo Riddick, Dwayne Washington, and Zach Zenner. He did not attempt any carries in his second Lions stint and had just one catch for negative two yards.
Bell’s most productive season as a runner came in 2014 when he ran for 860 yards and seven touchdowns. He also thrived as a pass-catching specialist for Detroit in 2012 and 2013, recording upwards of 50 receptions in each season.
Extra Points: Frantz, Guarantees, Deion
Kansas State tackle and NFL Draft prospect Scott Frantz has come out as gay, as detailed on ESPN.com. Frantz first came out of the closet to his teammates in 2015 during an exercise where Wildcats players told everyone a personal secret, but he did not truly go public with the news until this week.
“So the very first time I said those words were in front of, you know, 110, 120 football guys,” Frantz said. “So you can imagine how scared I was, how nervous I was. … This could go either really bad or could go really good. And thankfully my teammates embraced me with open arms, and it was great.”
Frantz started 13 games for Kansas State last season and it is believed that he has the ability to play at the next level. He’ll become draft eligible in 2019 and NFLDraftScout.com has him listed as a top ten tackle in the 2020 class, so he has a chance to become the first openly gay player to take the field in an NFL game. Former Rams linebacker Michael Sam was the first openly gay player to be drafted, but he never played in a regular season game.
Here’s a look around the NFL:
- More and more people are calling for fully guaranteed salaries in the NFL, but that won’t fly in football, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap argues. The way it works now is that teams are paying a large premium on the frontend of a contract with the hope that they will have something of a bargain in the latter years of the deal as the cap increases and the market for players at the position grows. If the league were to shift to full guarantees, then teams would adjust accordingly and they would instead offer deals that are shorter without frontloading. The real solution, Fitzgerald says, is for players to reduce the length of rookie contracts and tear down the franchise tag mechanism, allowing players to reach free agency at a younger age. If the NFLPA can manage that, players will be getting better compensation on the open market. On the flipside, that sort of change could take free agent dollars away from mid-level players in their late 20s.
- Will we ever see another two-sport star at the professional level like Deion Sanders? Robert Klemko of The MMQB explains why it is unlikely. UNC commit Jordyn Adams earned All American honors in both football and baseball and he would like to pursue both sports professionally. Still, even he admits that it’s an unrealistic goal in today’s climate.
- If you’re not already, follow @ProFootballRumors on Twitter for the latest NFL news.
Latest On Panthers, Michael Oher
Michael Oher‘s future with the Panthers is up in the air. What we do know, however, is that he will be in camp with the team when it’s time to report at the end of July, ESPN.com’s David Newton hears. 
Panthers training camp gets underway on July 25 and Oher will be there, despite previous uncertainty from coach Ron Rivera.
“We’re going to go into training camp with the guys that we have,” Rivera said recently. “We’ll have 90 on our roster, and we’ll be ready to go with those guys.”
Oher was displaced from the starting left tackle spot when Matt Kalil was inked to a five-year, $55.5MM deal this offseason. The hope was that Oher could take over on the right side, but the Panthers could instead opt to cut ties with him, given all of his issues.
Oher entered into the NFL’s concussion protocol last September and, at last check, he has yet to be cleared. The tackle is also dealing with and personal issues and fallout from the alleged assault of an Uber driver in the spring.
No player in NFL history has ever spent this much time in concussion protocol and returned to the field. Soon, we should have some clarity on whether Oher will be the first.
Cardinals’ Bruce Arians On Coaching Future
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians recently revealed that he had surgery to remove a cancerous piece of his kidney. Five months later, he says that he is feeling “great” and retirement is not at the forefront of his mind. 
“I hope not,” said Arians when asked if 2017 could be his last season (via ESPN.com). “That’s going to mean I’m not healthy.”
Arians’ contract runs through the 2018 season and he hopes to fulfill that deal, at minimum. The contract also includes a team option for the 2019 season. The 64-year-old indicated that he will walk away if and when he does “feel like doing it,” but that’s a far cry from where is currently.
The kidney scare was just the latest medical setback for Arians. In August of last year, Arians was hospitalized with symptoms of diverticulitis. In November, he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. The good news is that Arians says he is all healed up from the kidney surgery and his only current ailment is a troublesome rotator cuff.
The Cardinals made the playoffs in both 2014 and 2015 under Arians with an NFC Championship Game appearance in ’15. This year, the Cardinals will look to improve upon 2016’s 7-8-1 finish and return to the postseason.
Poll: Which Players Will Sign By Deadline?
With five days to go until the deadline for teams to sign franchise tagged players to extensions, there apparently hasn’t been a ton of progress for any of the three players in question. Still, we’ve had some mid-July surprises in the past, like last year’s last minute extension for Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. Here’s a quick refresher on where things stand for Kirk Cousins, Le’Veon Bell, and Trumaine Johnson:
Kirk Cousins
There has been no movement towards a deal for the Redskins and Cousins, and both sides are apparently alright with that. You know the deal by now: Cousins is looking at a $24MM salary in 2017 and the Redskins will have to give him a tender worth at least $28MM to keep him away from unrestricted free agency next season. Cousins is confident in his abilities and eager to push the market for quarterbacks, so he is not all that inclined to sign a multi-year deal. 
Cousins’ agent probably won’t consider any offer with less than $52MM guaranteed. If his camp really wants to drive a hard bargain, it will insist on a minimum $58MM in the bag since that factors in the value a third franchise tag in 2018 ($34MM) rather than the $28MM transition tag, which would only give Washington the first right of refusal.
Cousins, like any player in extension talks, must weigh the benefit of cost certainty versus the upside of the open market. But, with the way quarterbacks get paid in the NFL, he is looking at a high floor. Cousins is not considered to be a top five QB, but if he were to put pen to paper today, he would be the highest-paid player in the NFL – at least for a couple of weeks. Even if Cousins has a mild regression in 2017, he’ll still be looking at either a one-year, ~$30MM deal in Washington or a $100MM+ deal in free agency. In order for the soon-to-be 29-year-old to sign, he’ll either have to be wowed by an offer or he’ll have to catch a case of cold feet in the coming days.
Le’Veon Bell
Bell, by any measure, is one of the very best running backs in the NFL. In a suspension-shortened 2016 season, Bell earned his second career trip to the Pro Bowl as he ran for 1,268 yrds off of 261 carries, mirroring a career-high of 4.9 yards per attempt. He also added 75 receptions for 616 yards. When averaged out on a per-game basis, his 2016 numbers actually bested his 2014 campaign, a season in which he was a First-Team All-Pro selection. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus had Bell ranked as the third best RB in the league last season, behind only Ezekiel Elliott and David Johnson.
While there has been talk about Cousins being less-than-thrilled with Redskins management, Bell has been open about wanting to stay in Pittsburgh. The feeling is mutual as the Steelers want to keep in him in the fold for the long term. So, what’s the holdup?
Bell is probably seeking to overtake Bills star LeSean McCoy as the highest-paid running back in the NFL. The Steelers are probably willing to oblige, but, as we all know, there’s a difference between becoming the market-setter in terms of years/dollars and the true value of a deal. If Bell wants to sign a five-year deal worth more than $40MM, odds are that he could do that right now. What he’s really after, however, are substantial guarantees with significant cash flow in the first two years of the deal.
Running backs are always at a high risk of injury and teams are typically adversed to paying out real dollars for them on multi-year deals, even if the cases of exceptional players like Bell. The Steelers are hoping to find a happy medium with Bell in the coming days since his $12MM price tag for this year is high and a potential $14MM tag for 2018 is spit take worthy.
Trumaine Johnson
Like Cousins, this is the second year in a row that Johnson has been hit with the franchise tag. Where the situations differ is that there is zero chance the Rams will apply the tag to Johnson for a third year in a row. If Johnson plays out the year on his one-year, $17MM tender, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency at the age of 28 because there’s virtually no chance that the Rams would tag him at upwards of $24MM in 2018. 
Johnson has yet to establish himself as an elite cornerback, but this would be the time to do it as he enters a contract year. The Rams’ strong front seven should keep opposing quarterbacks under duress, allowing Johnson to swarm receivers on immature routes. It appears that Johnson has little incentive to sign a long-term deal here, unless the Rams are willing to make a cap-crippling commitment.
On Tuesday, it was reported that nothing is currently in the works for Johnson and the Rams. Things will have to change dramatically in order for Johnson to be committed to L.A. beyond 2017.
Take your pick
Which of these three players, if any, will sign extensions before the deadline on Monday? Cast your vote below and back up your choice in the comment section.
Offseason In Review: New York Giants
Last offseason, the Giants made some serious noise by adding defensive tackle Damon Harrison, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, and defensive end Olivier Vernon in free agency. Thanks in large part to those upgrades, the Giants reached the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season. Unfortunately, this postseason trip didn’t go quite the same way as they were blown out by the Packers in the opening round.
This year, as a result of last year’s expenditures, they had decidedly less cap room to work with. Will the Giants’ spring and summer moves allow them to get back into contention?
Notable signings:
- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE: Four years, $62MM. $29MM guaranteed. Had been assigned franchise tag.
- Rhett Ellison, TE: Four years, $18MM. $8MM guaranteed.
- Brandon Marshall, WR: Two years, $11MM. $5MM guaranteed.
- John Jerry, G: Three years, $10MM. $4.25MM guaranteed.
- D.J. Fluker, G: One year, $3MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
- Keenan Robinson, LB: One year, $2.6MM. $1MM guaranteed. $800K available via incentives.
- Zak DeOssie, LS: Two years, $2.315MM. $400K guaranteed.
- Geno Smith, QB: One year, $1.2MM. $300K guaranteed. $800K available via incentives.
- Orleans Darkwa, RB: One year, $1.1MM. $200K guaranteed.
- Josh Johnson, QB: Two years, $1.95MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Shaun Draughn, RB: One year, $1MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Mark Herzlich, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Devin Taylor, DE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K guaranteed.
- Valentino Blake, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $20K guaranteed.
- Kerry Wynn, DE: One year, $1.797MM. Signed original round RFA tender.
- Corbin Bryant, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Duke Ihenacho, S: Contract terms unknown.
It’s hard not to be happy for Jason Pierre-Paul. Two years ago, it seemed like Pierre-Paul had thrown his career away in an unfortunate fireworks accident. However, JPP has proved many NFL analysts and armchair doctors wrong by performing at a high level even with one-and-a-half digits missing on his right hand. Finally, Pierre-Paul got the fat multi-year deal he was seeking this offseason with a four-year, $62MM commitment from the G-men. The deal gave JPP solid cashflow through the first two seasons (roughly $35MM, according to reports) and allowed the Giants to avoid having to pay him an exorbitant 2017 salary under the one-year franchise tag. 
Rhett Ellison might not sell a ton of jerseys in the New York area, but the Giants are hoping he’ll provide quality blocking when needed. Ellison, 29 in October, certainly wasn’t signed for his offensive skills as he averaged just 10 receptions per season during his five-year run in Minnesota. The $4.5MM average annual value of his deal took many by surprise, but the Giants had to compete with the Jaguars for his services and they felt that he was the right fit for their system. Fortunately, they have Will Tye returning this year plus a promising first-round tight end (more on him later) to provide Eli Manning with large targets across the middle of the field.
Is Brandon Marshall in decline, or was he just bogged down with the rest of the Jets’ offensive quagmire in 2016? The Giants are about to find out. Last year, Marshall had just 59 grabs for 788 yards and three scores. Those aren’t awful numbers, per se, but they pale in comparison to his previous stat lines. In 2015, Marshall’s first year with Gang Green, he had 109 catches for 1,502 yards and a career-high 14 TDs. If all goes well, Marshall’s first year with the other tenant of the swamp should yield results somewhere in the middle. Marshall could do a lot of damage as defenses focus in on Odell Beckham Jr. and speedster Sterling Shepard, but he also won’t be getting as many looks as he has been accustomed to. The good news is that the veteran has probably prepared himself for that mentally. Marshall signed with the Giants in large part because of his desire to win a Super Bowl and he is effectively choosing to do his damage in ODB’s shadow rather than being the No. 1 receiver for a non-playoff team. In his eleven career NFL seasons with the Broncos, Dolphins, Bears, and Jets, Marshall has yet to see the postseason.
In order for Marshall to thrive, the offensive line will have to do its part and protect Eli Manning in the pocket. To help accomplish that, the Giants added a bit of depth on the interior of the line. The Giants signed former Chargers first-round pick D.J. Fluker early on in free agency, a move that some thought would squeeze right guard John Jerry out of New York. Instead, the Giants moved to re-sign Jerry just two days later. The early word out of camp is that Jerry will start at right guard and the team may be too gung-ho about Bobby Hart at right tackle to give Fluker an opportunity there. Right now, it seems like Fluker actually projects as a swingman off of the bench. Alternatively, the Giants could drop Fluker before the start of the season and save $1.5MM against the cap.
Marshall isn’t the only player changing jerseys while staying in the same building. Geno Smith, who has spent his NFL career on the back page of the New York tabloids for all the wrong reasons, will attempt to reboot his career as Manning’s clipboard holder. Unfortunately for him, things are not going well so far in camp. Veteran Josh Johnson is currently the favorite to win the QB2 job while third-round pick Davis Webb pretty much has a guaranteed roster spot. That could leave Smith without a job this summer. The G-Men will only have to carry $325K in dead money if they part ways with the ex-Jet.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bell, Bengals
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Given the market for the running back position, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has reason to get a deal done rather than play the year out, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. In the case of quarterback Kirk Cousins, he knows that a better offer will be coming his way next year. For Bell, however, the risk of an injury is so big that he probably has to consider any deal that gives him more than $9MM per year on average, Fitzgerald feels. There hasn’t been a ton of progress between the Steelers and Bell lately, but the Steelers have a track record for treating their players properly. If the two sides can’t come to terms, then Bell will play out the year on a one-year deal worth just over $12MM.
- In the event of an injury, the Steelers might regret not doing more at the running back position behind Bell, Ray Fittpaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. The Steelers are 11-5 (playoffs included) without Bell over the last two seasons. This time around, however, they are without the safety net of DeAngelo Williams. Williams remains on the open market and hopes that a return might be in the cards. For now, however, the Steelers have Fitzgerald Toussaint, third-round pick James Conner, and former Chiefs tailback Knile Davis behind Bell.
- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is on the hottest seat of any coach in the AFC North, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com opines. In all of his years at the helm, the Bengals have not managed to win a single playoff game, and that’s a bigger headline than the team’s five consecutive playoff berths from 2011-2015. With a shaky offensive line, there’s no guarantee that the Bengals will be able to snap the streak this year. If the Bengals cannot take a step forward in 2017, this could be Lewis’ last year in Cincinnati.
Redskins, Cousins OK With One-Year Deal
Barring something unforeseen, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will play out the 2017 season on his one-year tender. That’s just fine with both Cousins and the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
The Redskins, of course, have put themselves in a tough position by not signing Cousins to a more reasonable deal when they had the chance. In 2018, Cousins could become the best quarterback to reach the open market in recent memory and the only way the Redskins can stop him is by applying the $28MM transition tag on him or a third consecutive franchise tag at $34MM. The Redskins are facing a very delicate public relations situation here and the best way to save face, at the moment, is for them to act as though they are comfortable with the year-to-year-arrangement.
“Yes,” said Redskins president Bruce Allen back in May asked if his club could use the franchise tag on Cousins again in 2018. “In the collective bargaining agreement, we really have one year and an option that we can do at the end of next season if we don’t get a contract.”
The deadline for the two sides to reach agreement is on Monday July 17. If they cannot shake hands on a multi-year extension, then they will not be able to sign such a deal until after the season has concluded.
Latest On Redskins, Kirk Cousins
There has been no movement on an extension between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. A deal is not close and there will not be an agreement until someone budges between now and Monday, Robinson adds. 
[RELATED: Former Agent Suggests $130MM Contract For Cousins]
This latest report is consistent with what we’ve been hearing about talks between Cousins and the Redskins in recent weeks. As of this writing, it sounds like there won’t be extensions ironed out for Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, or Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson. But, we have to throw in the obvious caveat – things can always change and deadlines tend to spur action.
Cousins has indicated that he is looking to reset the market on a new multi-year deal and he will not be giving the Redskins any form of a hometown discount. In fact, there are rumors that Cousins is extremely unhappy in the nation’s capital and that might mean that there is no amount of money the Redskins can offer him to get him to stay.
Redskins has been hit with the one-year, $24MM franchise tag, representing a 20% increase over the franchise tender he earned in 2016. The Redskins can conceivably retain Cousins again in 2018 with a third straight franchise tag, but that would call for a salary of $34MM. Alternatively, they could control him with the transition tag, but that would still set the Redskins back $28MM and would not entitle them to any form of compensation if he is signed away by a rival club. When considering the combined values of this year’s franchise tag ($24MM) plus the value of a transition tag next year ($28MM), Cousins’ camp must be seeking no less than $52MM in guarantees on a fresh contract.
Redskins Notes: Cousins, Brees, Callahan
Could Drew Brees‘ pending free agency impact Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins? JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com rightly notes that the two quarterbacks would fill two very different needs for teams if they were to reach the open market next offseason. Brees will be 39 in March and he might be willing to sign a one-year deal with a contender. Meanwhile, Cousins will be 30 and looking for a record-setting deal.
I believe there would be some teams in the middle of the Cousins-Brees Venn Diagram, so the possibility of the two QBs affecting each other’s market is real. However, the possibility of Brees being on the open market at the same time will not and should not affect Cousins’ stance on negotiations with five days to go between now and the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions.
Here’s more on Cousins and the Redskins:
- We already know that Cousins won’t be giving the Redskins any form of a hometown discount, but Finlay plays devil’s advocate and makes the case that he should give it some thought. Finlay points out that coach Jay Gruden showed confidence in Cousins gave him his first real opportunity to shine and that Cousins has been given lots of offensive weapons to work with in Washington. Cousins may also want to consider that he is extremely familiar with the Redskins’ system and he may prefer to go that route instead of starting fresh somewhere else.
- Redskins offensive line coach Bill Callahan could be due for another shot as an NFL head coach, the ESPN.com staff opines. The offensive line whisperer led the Raiders to the AFC Championship and is still well-regarded around the NFL. Callahan turns 61 later this month and it remains to be seen whether he wants to be a head coach again. Back in January, Callahan’s agent acknowledged that he might be open to an opportunity to serve as an offensive coordinator somewhere.
- What might a Cousins extension look like? Former NFL agent Joel Corry suggested an interesting five-year contract for the QB this week.