AFC East Notes: Brady, Campbell, Wilkerson
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday he had no regrets about the way he acted throughout the Deflategate drama, as Christopher Price of WEEI.com writes. Goodell was complimentary of Brady but also made it clear that he was never interested in giving him special treatment.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Tom. I know him personally,” Goodell said. “As I say, I admire him tremendously. He is a future Hall of Fame player. But our rules apply to everybody. They apply to every single player. And every single player expects those rules to apply to everybody. Every coach does, every fan does, every partner, every team does.”
Here’s more from the AFC East..
- It sounds like the Dolphins are going to give interim coach Dan Campbell a chance to win the permanent job in Miami, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. “That’s why we did this with 12 games left, not two,” a source told Werder. Presumably, the Dolphins will consider outside options at season’s end, but a strong finish for Campbell would give him a leg up on his competition.
- New Bills kicker Billy Cundiff told reporters, including ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (on Twitter), “I’m here to kick off. Everything else is on a need-to-know basis.” Of course, after kicker Dan Carpenter missed a 30-yard try on Sunday, many are wondering if that plan might change.
- Muhammad Wilkerson has been an “absolute beast” so far this season for the Jets, and Brian Costello of the New York Post suggests that the team has to find a way to lock up one of its best defensive players to a long-term deal.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
2016 Cap Outlook: Buffalo Bills
Through the 2015 NFL season, Pro Football Rumors will be looking ahead to the 2016 offseason, gauging the salary cap situation for each of the league’s 32 teams. The cap for 2016 hasn’t been set yet, but we can still assess the salary commitments made by a club and determine whether or not that club will be in good financial shape going forward.
In addition to evaluating each team’s overall cap situation, we’ll focus in on a few key players who may be candidates to be extended, restructured, or released by their current teams. These lists aren’t comprehensive, and depending on a player’s 2015 performance and health, he could drop off one of these lists – or be added to one – as the season goes on. For now though, these are some players to watch.
Using data from Over The Cap, we’re making our way through the 32 NFL teams in order of total salary commitments for 2016. Today’s team is the Bills, who currently have the second-most money on their ’16 cap.
Let’s dive in….
Top 10 cap hits for 2016:
- Mario Williams, DE: $19,900,000
- Marcell Dareus, DT: $14,550,000
- Charles Clay, TE: $13,500,000
- Stephon Gilmore, CB: $11,082,000
- Kyle Williams, DT: $8,000,000
- LeSean McCoy, RB: $7,675,000
- Jerry Hughes, DE: $7,575,000
- Aaron Williams, S: $6,100,000
- Eric Wood, C: $6,075,000
- Sammy Watkins, WR: $5,436,983
Current 2016 cap number for top 51 players: $149,880,615
The Bills’ cap commitments are incredibly defense-heavy going forward, with all four of their defensive linemen ranking among their top seven cap hits for 2016. In addition to those four players, two defensive backs – Gilmore and Aaron Williams – are in the top eight.
Without a franchise quarterback to take up a huge chunk of cap space, the Bills can afford to invest significant money on the defensive side of the ball, as well as devoting cap room to traditionally less expensive offensive positions like tight end, running back, and center. But even without a pricey quarterback, Buffalo finds itself with nearly $150MM cap commitments for next season, meaning moves will need to be made for the team to function in free agency and in the draft.
Candidates for extension:
- Stephon Gilmore, CB
- Leodis McKelvin, CB
While left tackle Cordy Glenn is perhaps the most noteworthy extension candidate on the Bills’ roster, signing him to a new contract wouldn’t help the team’s cap situation, since he’s not currently under contract at all for 2016 — a new deal for Glenn would only add to the club’s cap commitments for next year, rather than reducing them.
That’s not the case for Gilmore, who is currently on the books next year for a fifth-year option that exceeds $11MM. Gilmore has been a solid player for the Bills, but it seems highly unlikely that the club will want to carry him at that price. The most logical solution would be a multiyear contract that gives the 25-year-old cornerback a little more long-term security while perhaps slicing his 2016 cap number in half.
As for McKelvin, his future in Buffalo relies on how he comes back from an ankle injury. McKelvin, who remains on the non-football injury list for now, is entering his early-30s, and his contract expires after the 2016 season. His $4.9MM cap charge for next year isn’t unwieldy, but if the Bills determine he won’t be the same player he was before the injury, he’s a candidate to be released — if he comes back strong, the Bills could reduce his ’16 cap number by adding a couple years to his contract.
Candidates for restructure:
- Charles Clay, TE
- LeSean McCoy, RB
- Mario Williams, DE
A pair of these players just signed new contracts with the Bills this offseason, and Clay’s looks like it was practically designed to be restructured — his cap hit spikes to $13.5MM next season, but doesn’t exceed $6.5MM in any of the subsequent three years.. Of course, the sizable second-year cap charge was initially designed to prevent Miami from matching Buffalo’s offer sheet, but reducing that figure and smoothing out Clay’s cap hits a little should help out the Bills in 2016.
McCoy’s new extension doesn’t include a similar year-two spike, and at $7.675MM, his 2016 cap number is manageable. But he got off to a slow start in Buffalo, and is now sidelined with a hamstring injury. At age 27, McCoy should still have plenty of gas in the tank, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Bills move forward at the running back position if Karlos Williams continues to impress. Through four weeks, the rookie has averaged 5.4 yards per carry, compared to 3.4 for McCoy.
Elsewhere, Mario Williams remains a key contributor to the team’s pass rush and shouldn’t be in danger of losing his roster spot, despite the rising cost of the defensive line. But at $19.9MM, his cap number is one of the largest in the NFL, so the Bills may try to find a way to cut it down a little.
Candidates for pay cut or release:
- Dan Carpenter, K
- E.J. Manuel, QB
- Kyle Williams, DT
- Eric Wood, C
Manuel has already lost his starting job in Buffalo, and Carpenter could lose his soon. If Billy Cundiff assumes the team’s kicking duties within the next few weeks, Carpenter is unlikely to remain on the roster into the offseason, and even if he holds onto his job, the Bills could explore a cheaper alternative in 2016. Manuel, on the other hand, should still be with the team at season’s end, as he nears the final year of his rookie contract.
At this point, it’s a virtual certainty that the Bills won’t exercise their 2017 fifth-year option on Manuel, but would they keep him for 2016? At about $2.827MM, Manuel doesn’t cost a ton for a backup. Still, it’s not clear if Rex Ryan and the team’s new coaching staff has much confidence in the former first-rounder, even as the club’s No. 2 option, so he’s no lock to make the 2016 roster.
As for Williams and Wood, both players have been productive veterans over the years in Buffalo — particularly Williams, who has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last three seasons. It’s possible that the team will simply keep both players on its roster without adjusting their contracts, but at $8MM and $6MM respectively, neither player will be cheap. If they struggle at all down the stretch and the Bills have the opportunity to bring in inexpensive young talent at their positions next year, the veterans may be asked to rework their deals in order to stick around.
Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Bills Sign Billy Cundiff, Denarius Moore
The Bills have signed a pair of noteworthy players to their 53-man roster, the team announced today in a press release, confirming deals for kicker Billy Cundiff and wide receiver Denarius Moore. To make room for the incoming players, Buffalo has cut kicker Jordan Gay and wide receiver and return man Marcus Thigpen.
Swapping Gay for Cundiff is an interesting move for the Bills, who have seen their regular kicker, Dan Carpenter, struggle a little with his accuracy in the early going — Carpenter has missed an extra point and two field goals in four games. However, the fact that he remains on the roster, while the team cuts Gay, the kickoff specialist, suggests that Cundiff will only be taking over kickoff duties for the time being.
Of course, if Carpenter continues to struggle, I imagine his job will be in danger, especially since having Cundiff handle all the team’s kicking duties would free up a roster spot to add depth to another part of the roster. Cundiff has seen regular season action for five different teams in his NFL career, most recently converting 22 of 29 field goal attempts (75.9%) last season for the Browns.
As for Moore, the 26-year-old had a couple promising seasons with the Raiders early in his NFL career, notably racking up 741 yards and seven touchdowns on 51 receptions in 2012. He has been inconsistent since then, however, catching just 12 balls in 2014, and being released by the Bengals in August.
Thigpen had been handling the Bills’ punt return duties, so it’ll be interesting to see whether Moore gets a shot at that role, with 42 career punt returns on his résumé. Percy Harvin and Robert Woods would also be candidates for the job.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/6/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Walter Powell (press release)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: C Barrett Jones, DL Brandon Dunn (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
- Cut: NT Terry Williams
- PS-IR: WR Jalen Saunders (link)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DL Ray Drew, S Ty Zimmerman (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal)
- Cut: OL Garth Gerhart, DL Dylan Wynn
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DE Jordan Williams (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: G Mike Liedtke (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DE Bruce Gaston (Twitter link via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com)
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G/T Michael Ola (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Cut: G/C Michael Huey
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: T Reid Fragel, DE Josh Shirley (press release)
- Cut: T Martin Wallace
Bills Sign Boom Herron
After working out a handful of running backs today, the Bills have signed veteran free agent Boom Herron, the team announced in a press release. Trent Richardson and Alfonso Smith were among the other backs that auditioned for Buffalo.
Herron, who suffered a sprained AC joint in the Colts’ final preseason game, was waived by the team in September. The 26-year-old had been competing for a role as one of Frank Gore‘s backups after spending the last two years with Indianapolis. Herron played in all 16 of the Colts’ regular-season contests in 2014 and rushed for 351 yards and a touchdown, adding 21 catches.
Prior to the signing of Herron, Boobie Dixon and Cierre Wood, who was recently promoted from the team’s practice squad, were the only healthy backs on the Bills’ 53-man roster. Starter LeSean McCoy is dealing with a hamstring injury and is expected to be sidelined for at least one more week, while rookie Karlos Williams suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Giants.
In order to make room on the roster for Herron, the Bills placed tight end MarQueis Gray on injured reserve. Gray sustained a fractured forearm on Sunday, which will end his season.
Bills Working Out Trent Richardson, Other RBs
Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo this morning, Bills general manager Doug Whaley confirmed that running back Karlos Williams sustained a concussion this weekend, raising uncertainty about his status in Week 5 (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). With LeSean McCoy also sidelined by a hamstring injury, Whaley acknowledged that the team will bring in some free agents for a workout, and will consider adding outside help.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has now identified a couple participants in that audition, reporting that former third overall pick Trent Richardson will work out for the Bills. Ex-Colt Boom Herron, who tried out for the Patriots this week, will also be among the backs in attendance at the Buffalo workout, according to Rapoport, while John Wawrow of The Associated Press tweets that Alfonso Smith will be there as well.
As Rodak notes, recently released running back Bryce Brown could also be an option for the Bills, who will be significantly short-handed at running back if McCoy and Williams are both ruled out for this weekend’s game. Currently, Boobie Dixon and Cierre Wood, who was recently promoted from the team’s practice squad, are the only healthy backs on the 53-man roster.
Bills Notes: Enemkpali, Taylor, Gray, McCoy
Earlier today, we identified several notable players returning from four-game suspensions who could be active for their respective teams in Week 5. One player we didn’t mention? Bills edge defender IK Enemkpali, who may qualify more as “notorious” than “notable.”
Enemkpali, who was picked up by the Bills after the Jets cut him for punching Geno Smith, was briefly moved to Buffalo’s 53-man roster so that the team could store him on its reserve/suspended list while he served his four-game ban. Now that he’s eligible to return, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Bills put him on the 53-man roster or cut him and try to get him back on their practice squad, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details.
For now, the Bills will have a roster exemption for Enemkpali, and won’t have to make an immediate decision. As the team decides what to do with the young defensive end, let’s check in on some other Bills-related items….
- While Tyrod Taylor‘s base salary for this season is just $750K, he could earn up to another $3MM in playing-time and performance incentives if the Bills make the postseason, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Taylor chose the Bills’ offer over one from the Broncos during the offseason, and was hoping he’d get one from the Eagles, but Philadelphia chose not to pursue him.
- Bills head coach Rex Ryan said today that tight end MarQueis Gray may have a broken bone in his forearm, which would sideline him for a while, tweets Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. We’ll see what Buffalo decides to do with Gray, if anything, after the club gets an official diagnosis.
- Speaking of injuries, a weekend report indicated that running back LeSean McCoy would miss three to four weeks due to his hamstring issue. However, a source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) that McCoy’s recovery timetable isn’t set in stone: “[Hamstrings] are tricky. Could be less, could be more.”
Extra Points: Browns, Bears, Rex, Eagles
Browns wideout Dwayne Bowe signed for $9MM guaranteed during the offseason and was expected to upgrade a receiving corps in desperate need of help. That didn’t happen through the first three weeks of the season, though, as the former Pro Bowler went without a catch in the opener and then missed the next two games because of a strained hamstring. Nevertheless, the ninth-year man entered Sunday’s game against San Diego brimming with confidence.
“I can’t wait to go out there and showcase my talent and be a ringleader for the guys and go out there and bring home a win,” Bowe said, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
Bowe got back on the field in Week 4, but he once again failed to catch a pass. Quarterback Josh McCown, who completed passes to eight different teammates, targeted Bowe just once. The Browns lost, 30-27.
Here’s more on the Browns and a few of their counterparts from around the NFL:
- After the Bears dealt linebacker Jared Allen to Carolina earlier this week, fellow LB Willie Young asked Chicago for a trade, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Young played defensive end in the Bears’ 4-3 scheme last year and had 10 sacks. They switched to a 3-4 this season, forcing him to shift to linebacker, and he’s currently without a sack. Young doesn’t believe he’s a fit for the Bears’ defense anymore, and if the team agrees, Florio writes that it should grant his request and send him elsewhere.
- The Bills turned in a horrendous performance in their 24-10 loss to the Giants on Sunday, especially with respect to discipline. Their 17 penalties gives them 57 for the year, the most any team has had through the first four weeks of the season since 2005, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak. Head coach Rex Ryan wasn’t upset with his team, however. Contrarily, he said he was “proud” of how the Bills played. “Can you play a lot smarter? Absolutely,” Ryan continued. “But I’ll take a team that can fight over a team that won’t — that will sit back and take it — any day of the week. And bring on the next team.”
- Much of the dialogue regarding the Browns this year has centered on the quarterback position – whether they should start McCown or Johnny Manziel. That shouldn’t be the case after Week 4, writes Bud Shaw of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Shaw believes McCown’s sensational Sunday output (32 of 41 for 356 yards and two touchdowns) should be enough for him to keep the No. 1 job going forward. A better performance from Cleveland’s defense, which allowed 438 total yards (358 passing), could’ve helped earn the team a win and improve to 2-2 instead of drop to 1-3.
- The Eagles’ Chip Kelly was a successful coach during his first two NFL seasons, leading the team to back-to-back double-digit-win seasons and a playoff berth. Now, after the Eagles gave him full control over their roster, Kelly looks like both a coach unable to adjust to how other clubs are game planning against Philly and a football czar who built a highly flawed team, opines Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
- Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson suffered a left knee injury during their 23-20 loss to Washington on Sunday and will have an MRI on Monday. Johnson said he re-injured his MCL, and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer speculates that it’s a sprain (Twitter link).
LeSean McCoy To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Rookie running back Karlos Williams will shoulder the load in Buffalo for an extended period of time, as LeSean McCoy will miss an additional three-to-four weeks while dealing with his hamstring injury, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Per Garafolo, an MRI showed a new tear in McCoy’s hamstring, meaning he’ll be shelved for awhile longer.
McCoy originally suffered the injury during training camp in August, but he had been playing through the pain — albeit with mixed results — through the first three weeks of the season. As Garafolo notes, the recovery timeline is based on McCoy being fully healthy; presumably, if he’s willing to return at less than 100%, he could be back on the field a bit sooner. But for now, Williams, along with Anthony Dixon and Cierre Wood, will garner most of the carries for the Bills.
If McCoy does miss four weeks, he’d be absent for Buffalo’s games against the Giants, Titans, Bengals, and Jaguars. The Bills have a bye week following the Jacksonville contest, so a Week 9 return could make some sense for McCoy.
Bills GM on Strategy, Trades, Ryan
Bills general manager Doug Whaley had a busy offseason. He added offensive weapons LeSean McCoy, Tyrod Taylor, Percy Harvin, Richie Incognito and Charles Clay, and he re-signed defensive end Jerry Hughes. Perhaps the most significant move of them all was hiring Rex Ryan as his head coach.
The executive sat down with Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com to discuss the moves, his team’s strategy, and the team’s outlook. We’ve compiled some of the notable quotes, which you can find below…
On the team’s front office strategy, and how the Bills are constantly looking to build for the future:
“Every day we sit and think about how we can make this roster better. Outside the perception of some is we’re reckless, we’re rogue. No, everything is calculated and that is driven a lot by information and what makes the best sense for our team going forward. If you look at any move that most management teams make, it’s not that move, but how that move sets you up for your next move.”
“It’s a delicate balance because we have to win now and we have to produce this season, but it helps you when you have depth and you have some pieces to play with. So it’s a delicate balance and each situation is different, but again if you can get guys with a high upside and a long shelf life you have a chance to stay competitive for a long time.”
On the team trading veteran quarterback Matt Cassel:
“When the opportunity presented itself where we could get a valuable draft pick for Matt Cassel, and you already felt comfortable enough with EJ (Manuel) because we moved Cassel off the roster previously. So if you look at it analytically if everything is equal or close, go with the guy with higher upside and the longer shelf life.
“Then you add in the fact that we’re going to get a pick and another young guy that we’ll have another four years, so you have two guys with longer shelf lives and possibly better upside. Analytically and informationally that makes the decision.”
On the relationship between him and head coach Rex Ryan:
“It’s easier because we’re looking for the same type of players. So what I deem as a good player or a player that can fit what we’re trying to build he seems the same way. Obviously there is always going to be some difference of opinion, but generally he wants the best player at every position and we do too.
“The scouts were wondering how things were going to change. He comes in and says, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing. Get good football players. We’ll make it work.’ So we don’t want to be scheme or system specific when we scout. You can see it in the offense as well. If they shut down Sammy (Watkins) then you’ve got Percy (Harvin). If they shut down Percy then you’ve got Charles (Clay). It’s not a difficult situation or problem to solve. Just get as many good football players as possible.”
On owners Terry and Kim Pegula’s willingness to spend on the team:
“They have made a concerted effort to say, ‘If they’re ours and we believe in them, let’s exhaust every resource we have to try to keep them.’ It starts with them and that to me goes along with drafting being the backbone of your organization. If you draft well and you can keep your own then you don’t have to go and get as many free agent targets. You’ve already got those guys on your roster.”