Vikings’ George Paton Turns Down Chiefs
The Chiefs’ GM search is underway and the team was hoping to pencil in Vikings assistant GM George Paton for an interview. However, “for a variety of reasons,” he has declined the opportunity, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Paton was a GM candidate for the Colts and 49ers openings before those jobs went to Chris Ballard and John Lynch, respectively. He has long been viewed as a rising front office name, so he likely feels that he can be selective about GM offers. One has to wonder if Paton has turned down the Chiefs because of the dysfunction going on in Kansas City. The Chiefs made the unusual decision of firing John Dorsey in June, long after the conclusion of the draft and the most important stages of free agency. Dorsey’s dismissal likely came after some in-fighting and poor communication and that’s not particularly appealing for a young front office man like Paton.
Paton completed his tenth season with the Vikings in 2016. Prior to that, he had experience elsewhere in the NFL including stops with the Bears and Dolphins.
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Bethel, Seahawks
Here’s a glance at the NFC West:
- The cornerback position tops the Cardinals‘ list of concerns heading into camp, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. The Cardinals still don’t have a clear-cut starter to go alongside Patrick Peterson, he writes, adding that Justin Bethel and Brandon Williams haven’t done much to separate themselves from one another. If that keeps up, one has to wonder if Arizona will turn to outside solutions at CB. On the other hand, as Weinfuss notes, players cannot engage in contact until the third day of training camp, so we haven’t gotten to see the man-press skills of either player. Once that comes into focus, Arizona might have a better idea of what they have in the two in-house candidates. On Sunday, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the best available cornerbacks on the open market, including Darrelle Revis and Brandon Flowers.
- Gregg Bell of The News Tribune wonders if Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham will have a big year for himself as he enters the final season of his $40MM contract. For what it’s worth, coach Pete Carroll is talking him up after watching him in practice this summer. “He’s so much more of a complete player than maybe we thought he would even become, really,” Carroll said. “So, he surprised us. He and Russell are really tuned in. They spend a lot of time together.” Graham is earning $10MM in 2017, making him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. If he hopes for another big deal, he’ll have to reprise or best his numbers from last season. In 2016, his second season with the Seahawks, Graham had 65 catches for 923 yards and six scores. In his best seasons with New Orleans, Graham twice topped 1,200 yards.
- Will 49ers rookie Solomon Thomas wind up as the best top ten pick from this year’s draft? Click here to cast your vote.
East Notes: Patriots, Garoppolo, Cowboys
Phil Perry of CSNNE.com wonders aloud about how Derek Carr‘s new deal may impact Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In short, Perry comes to right conclusion – not much. Both players were taken in the second round of the 2014 draft, but the similarities between the two players start to dwindle after that. Carr, of course, has proved himself as a starter. Garoppolo, on the other hand, has only impressed in a limited sample size. Unless Garoppolo winds up seeing significant time in 2016, Perry concludes, the Carr deal won’t really have an immediate impact on him. Earlier this month, Jimmy G indicated that he would be open to discussing an extension with New England.
Here’s more from the East divisions:
- The Cowboys‘ 2016 draft saw them land a franchise quarterback and an elite running back, but as with any draft, there were still potential misses. With that in mind, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News looked at the five players that the Cowboys likely regret passing on. The list starts with Eastern Kentucky defensive end, Noah Spence. Spence went No. 39 to the Bucs, five picks after Jaylon Smith, and made up for a slow start by finishing out with 5.5 sacks and three fumbles. Moore also lists defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (No. 69 overall, Jaguars), cornerback Tavon Young (No. 104 overall, Ravens), wide receiver/return specialist Tyreek Hill (No. 165 overall, Chiefs), and linebacker Corey James (No. 194 overall, Raiders) as missed opportunities.
- Over the weekend, one beat writer ran down seven players who could still be released by the Jets this summer.
- It sounds like wide receiver Brian Quick could be on the Redskins‘ roster bubble.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Rodgers, Lions
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has signed with CAA Sports to represent him in off-the-field work, Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal tweets. That in and of itself is not necessarily headline news, but CAA represents some of the league’s highest-paid players and one can’t help but wonder if Rodgers may mull an agency change for his on-the-field work as he eyes a new deal.
On the other hand, as PFT points out, Rodgers was very complimentary of agent David Dunn recently.
“Well, that stuff usually takes care of itself, and I have a fantastic agent, he does a great job. He worries about that stuff,” Rodgers said (via ESPN.com). “When it comes to setting the market values, I let that stuff take care of itself. I know my value in this league, and I know the team appreciates me. I’m going to continue to make myself an indispensable part of this roster. When you do that, when your time comes up to get a contract, you usually get a contract extension.”
Rodgers is under contract with Green Bay through 2019 thanks to the $110MM contract extension he inked in 2013. At the time, the deal gave him the richest contract in the league. Since then, however, he has slipped to No. 6 amongst QBs based on annual average value.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wonders how invested the Lions truly are in tackles Greg Robinson and Cyrus Kouandjio. The Lions added both veterans after learning that Taylor Decker would be missing significant time this season. Birkett indicates that the Lions are somewhat locked in with Robinson since the final year of his rookie contract is fully guaranteed for $3.322MM and has no offset language. On the other hand, the team isn’t nearly as tethered to Kouandjio. The former Bill got a $35K signing bonus from Detroit, but the rest of his deal is pretty lean. He’s due for a $690K base salary plus a $75K roster bonus.
- Lions coach Jim Caldwell says that he hasn’t lost any faith in running back Dwayne Washington, despite some struggles in 2016. “Nobody really knows how good he can be, but he has talent,” Caldwell said (via Birkett). “He has ability. We like what we see in that particular area and he’s developing.” Washington likely profiles as Detroit’s No. 4 running back, behind Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner. Free agent addition Matt Asiata is also in the mix, but Caldwell’s words could be a sign that the former seventh-round pick is not in danger of losing his roster spot.
- Meanwhile, Bears running back Ka’Deem Carey may be in danger of missing the cut.
- On Saturday, the Vikings offered support for wide receiver Michael Floyd.
Community Tailgate: Derek Carr’s Deal
Derek Carr is now the highest-paid player in the NFL…depending on how you look at it. The “new money” average annual value of Carr’s deal gives him $25MM per year, beginning in 2018 when the contract kicks in. That tops Andrew Luck‘s new money yearly average of $24.769MM, giving Carr the mantle by a slim margin of $271K per season. There’s also the matter of cashflow. Luck’s three-year value ($75MM to $67.6MM) and four-year value ($96.125MM to $87.7MM) tops Carr’s. Any way you slice it, Carr probably won’t be at the top for long anyway since Matthew Stafford is on deck for a new deal and the Lions are not hesitant about making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. 
[RELATED: Derek Carr Discusses Extension]
When asked about his new contract at a press conference earlier this week, Carr explained that he structured the deal with his teammates in mind. The Raiders will soon begin extension talks with right guard Gabe Jackson, linebacker Khalil Mack, and (perhaps a little further down the line) wide receiver Amari Cooper. The way the deal is designed, Carr said, should help the Raiders keep all of those key pillars for years to come.
When looking at the fine print, Carr’s deal isn’t exactly the market-pushing deal that the initial reports would have led us to believe. There was speculation that Carr would push the Raiders for larger-than-usual guarantees or perhaps even a set percentage of the yearly salary cap to account for the team’s ever-increasing revenue. Neither one of those things happened and Carr didn’t exactly shatter the glass ceiling for top quarterbacks.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap estimates that the quarterback market should really be around $27-$30MM by now rather than $25MM. Because a few QBs like Tom Brady accepted team-friendly deals, the going rate for elite signal callers has not increased at the same rate as the salary cap. Carr’s deal will help out the Raiders and his teammates, but it doesn’t necessarily blaze a trail for his fellow quarterbacks.
Do you like Carr’s decision to structure his deal in a way that suits Oakland? Or do you think the youngster should have pushed for more? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
Vikings Support Michael Floyd’s Claim
Michael Floyd is blaming his positive alcohol tests on kombucha tea and, somewhat surprisingly, the Vikings seem to be backing up his story. Vikings CEO Kevin Warren has passed along a letter to be used in Floyd’s upcoming court appearance which may help to explain Floyd’s situation. 
“I am writing to request Mr. Floyd not have his court mandated requirements negatively impacted since he did not know the kombucha he ingested contained alcohol,” Warren wrote in the letter.
Floyd says that he unknowingly ingested alcohol when he was drinking the tea with teammate Kyle Rudolph. The Vikings are helping to back up Floyd’s claim in part because they recommend their players drink it as part of a health regimen. The Vikings even have the drink on tap at their practice facility in Winter Park.
There has been speculation that the Vikings could cut ties with Floyd because of his non-guaranteed contract, but all in all it sounds like the Vikings want to stay in business with the talented wide receiver.
“In closing, since Michael has joined our team, he has displayed a strong work ethic, a compliant attitude and professionalism,” Warren wrote.
Poll: Who Will Be The Best Top Ten Pick?
This year’s draft took a number of unexpected twists and turns. The surprises started early and the top part of the draft shook out in a way that few expected. Now, we want to know who you think the best player to come out of the top 10 will be. Here’s a refresher on each pick, followed by a poll. We also encourage you to back up your selection in the comments.
- Browns – Myles Garrett, DE (Texas A&M, No. 1 overall): Heading into the draft, Garrett seemed to be everyone’s consensus No. 1 talent. Despite some rumblings that the Browns could take a certain quarterback at the top of the draft, Cleveland went with convention and took the Texas A&M star. In three seasons in College Station, Garrett recorded 31 sacks and 47 tackles for loss. He also graded as a top-three edge defender during all three of his collegiate campaigns, per the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus. Unfortunately, Garrett sprained his left foot during practice and that’s a bit worrisome since he had left ankle trouble last season. The good news is that he has been able to play through the pain before and doctors say he should be ready to go in time for training camp.
- Bears – Mitch Trubisky, QB (North Carolina, No. 2 overall): Few people saw this one coming. Not only did the Bears take Trubisky without warning, but they moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 in order to secure him. The pick also took free agent addition Mike Glennon by surprise since his $45MM deal led him to believe that he would be the man in Chicago for at least a couple of years. Some say that Trubisky has the potential to blossom into a star. Others say that Trubisky was merely the best signal caller in a class full of unimpressive QBs.
- 49ers – Solomon Thomas, DT (Stanford, No. 3 overall): Thomas was among the top-ranked players on the 49ers’ board and they received extra draft compensation for taking him. You can’t argue with the value that San Francisco got in the draft night swap, but you’ll have to overlook the size concerns in order to vote for him as the best player to be drafted in the top 10. “Tweener” talk aside, Thomas had 61 total tackles last season – including 14 tackles for a loss – and 8.5 sacks. He now joins an up-and-coming defensive line in SF and the potential is there for him to do great things.
- Jaguars – Leonard Fournette, RB (LSU, No. 4 overall): Fournette was widely regarded as the best running back in this year’s class and he silenced doubters at the combine with his faster-than-expected 40-yard-dash time. The 6’1″, 230-pound running back averaged an eye-popping 6.5 yards per carry in his final two seasons on campus, making evaluators around the league salivate at his potential.
- Titans – Corey Davis, WR (Western Michigan, No. 5 overall): The buzz around Davis grew in the weeks leading up to the draft, but this pick still caught some by surprise. The Titans went with the Western Michigan standout with their top selection, even though he had ankle surgery in February. They believe that the 6’3″, 213-pounder will produce at the next level and it’s not hard to see why they have faith in him. Last year, he finished with personal highs in receptions (97), yards (1,500), and scores (19).
- Jets – Jamal Adams, S (LSU, No. 6 overall): Early on in draft season, it seemed like a coin flip between Adams and Ohio State’s Malik Hooker for the mantle of best safety in the draft. As late April approaches, more and more people in the football world went into Adams’ camp. The Jets had tons of needs on both sides of the ball, but they used the draft as an opportunity to revamp the safety position. Some say that it doesn’t make sense to take a safety early in the draft, but it seems like analysts everywhere are on board with the Jets’ pick.
- Chargers – Mike Williams, WR (Clemson, No. 7 overall): The NFL now has another wide receiver named Mike Williams. The Bolts could have gone with a defensive upgrade with guys like Hooker and cornerback Marshon Lattimore still on the board, but they chose instead to get Philip Rivers a big target to throw to on the outside. Williams has all the physical tools to succeed, but there are some concerns about his tendency to drop the occasional ball.
- Panthers – Christian McCaffrey, RB (Stanford, No. 8 overall): Many saw the Panthers taking Fournette with this pick, but once he was off the board, they went to McCaffrey. McCaffrey battled through injury in his final year and still finished out with 1,639 rushing yards. The running back has the ability to make defenders miss and the field vision to break off big runs, but there are some concerns about whether he’ll be able to be an every-down back given his lack of size.
- Bengals – John Ross, WR (Washington, No. 9 overall): Speed kills and it also pushes you up draft boards. Many expected Ross to be a first round pick, but his selection within the top 10 caught some by surprise. He can torch just about any defender you put in front of him, but it remains to be seen whether he can stay healthy. Ross has suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus in the past. He also underwent labrum surgery after the combine. If those kinds of ailments are behind him, however, Ross could be a star as he lines up opposite of A.J. Green.
- Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes, QB (Texas Tech, No. 10 overall): The Chiefs gave up quite a bit to get the No. 10 pick, so they obviously believe Mahomes can blossom into a top-tier quarterback. The former baseball pitcher has a naturally strong arm and also has the wheels to gain yards on the ground when needed.
When all is said and done, who do you think will be the best player out of this year’s top 10? Vote below and defend your pick in the comment section.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Extra Points: CBA, CFL, Falcons, Jones
The cap floor, rather than rookie deals, should be the focus of the next collective bargaining agreement for the players, Mike Florio of PFT opines. Some, like Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, wants to eliminate the restrictions on rookie deals. However, more money for rookies doesn’t do any good for the players already in the league.
The cap floor is currently at 89%, which allows teams to pocket 11% of the allowed salary cap limit on a four-year average rather than spent it on players. Using the 2017 cap of $167MM, that theoretically means that each team can bank as much as $18.37MM. In any given year, roughly one-third of teams will view themselves as non-contenders, so the possibility for mass frugality is there.
It’s rare that unions will look out for rookies over veterans, so it’s pretty likely that the NFLPA’s focus will be on the salary floor and revenue sharing rather than an overhaul of rookie slotting.
Here’s more from the world of football:
- CFL standout quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is not ready to give up on his NFL dreams, despite the fact that he turned 27 earlier this year, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes. The Texas native had only one invite to tryout for an NFL team and that was in 2012 when the Texans came calling. Since then, he has captured the CFL’sMost Outstanding Player Award, a Grey Cup trophy, and Grey Cup MVP award. Last year, he threw for 5,385 yards.
- Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is the focus of a lawsuit between agents Pat Dye Jr. and Jimmy Sexton, as Greg Stephenson of AL.com details. Sexton is accused of stealing away key clients when he left SportsTrust Advisors for CAA in 2011. One of those clients is Jones. If the civil suit continues into the fall, Jones may be asked to give his testimony during the season.
- Want up-to-the-second updates on the day’s biggest NFL news? Follow Pro Football Rumors on Twitter for wall-to-wall coverage and analysis that you can’t find anywhere else.
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Eager to see some of this year’s top acquisitions in their new uniforms? Our Instagram recently churned out jersey swaps for new Patriots linebacker David Harris as well as new Titans receiver Eric Decker. We also gave everyone a sneak peek at Jeremy Maclin in his Ravens gear.
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Derek Carr: Deal Structured To Help Team
Derek Carr‘s new contract is, in some ways, a record-setter. In other ways, it fell a bit short of what the football world figured he would get in an extension. At a Friday morning press conference, Carr explained that his contract is structured specifically so that the Raiders can also work out long-term deals with his best teammates. 
“This affords us to do that. We’ll start on that ASAP,” GM Reggie McKenzie said (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Next up could be an extension for right guard Gabe Jackson. Back in March, McKenzie hinted that a new deal could be on the way for the 25-year-old. In 2016, Jackson graded out as the league’s 20th best offensive guard out of 72 qualifiers, per the numbers at Pro Football Focus. The Raiders’ offensive line also ranked first in pass protection in 2016, allowing an adjusted sack rate of just 3.4%, according to Football Outsiders. While interior offensive linemen don’t get as much love as tackles, Jackson is clearly a key cog in Oakland’s O-Line.
The Raiders will also have to address the contracts of wide receivers Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack down the line. The structure of Carr’s deal coupled with the Raiders’ cap flexibility should allow the team to hammer out deals for all of its stars and continue to build on one of the best cores in the league.