NFC Notes: Washington, Peterson, McCoy
Cardinals inside linebacker Daryl Washington, who plead guilty to aggravated assault in March 2014, had his probation reduced, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Now, it remains to be seen whether Washington will face suspension for this incident. Washington has been suspended since May 30, 2014, for violating the substance abuse policy, a second substance abuse violation that caused him to miss the entire 2014 season. Here’s more from the NFC..
- The NFL has said it will handle Washington’s domestic violence case separately from (and after) his substance abuse suspension, Weinfuss tweets. Recently, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said that he hasn’t given much thought to the idea of Washington returning to the team.
- Don’t tell Adrian Peterson that running backs typically decline once they enter their 30s. Of course, Peterson is no ordinary running back, but the former MVP sounds awfully optimistic about his NFL future, telling Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that he wants to play for seven or eight more years. “I really feel that I can be 38 out here and still be the best running back in the NFL,” Peterson said. For now, the Vikings back will be looking to rebound from a lost 2014 season and show that he’s still one of the league’s best backs at age 30.
- Michael Vick, who continues to look for an NFL home, wishes that former teammate LeSean McCoy wouldn’t take shots at former Eagles coach Chip Kelly. “I try to give my little piece of advice that I can offer him. He’s his own man. He has his own feelings and emotions. So I can’t interfere with that,” Vick said, according to Jordan Raanan of The Star-Ledger. “The only thing I try to tell him is stay positive, don’t expose yourself so much. You’re still blessed to be playing in the NFL, a great league, and don’t take things so personal. Your life is great on and off the field. Keep it that way.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Hardy, Manning, Bills, Dolphins
It’s been a busy day of news around the NFL, as most teams around the league prepare to begin their mandatory June minicamps. However, we don’t want to let any odds and ends slip through the cracks, so let’s turn our attention to the two East divisions and round up the latest items….
- As of this morning, arbitrator Harold Henderson had yet to officially make a decision on Greg Hardy‘s appeal of his 10-game suspension, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The hearing for the Cowboys defensive end took place way back on May 28, so an announcement should come any day now.
- Eli Manning has yet to sign a contract extension with the Giants, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com believes that a significant injury is the only thing that would creating a parting of ways between the two-time Super Bowl MVP and the team after the 2015 season.
- With the Bills having been mentioned as a potential suitor for free agent guard Evan Mathis, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com takes a look at how much cap room the team could clear by parting ways with guard Chris Williams.
- Stepping in this week for Peter King, Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com examines Mike Tannenbaum‘s first offseason with the Dolphins, writing that the team’s new executive VP of football operations hasn’t been afraid to keep his foot down on the gas pedal.
Extra Points: Bills, Mathis, Hilton, Gregory
After adding a pair of potential starters in free agent Richie Incognito and third-round pick John Miller earlier this offseason, Bills head coach Rex Ryan is content with his offensive guards. However, that won’t necessarily stop the team from trying to improve at the position. That improvement could come in the form of 10-year veteran Evan Mathis, whom the Eagles cut earlier this week.
“I think he’s a good football player; there’s no doubt,” Ryan said of Mathis, according to ESPN’s Mike Rodak. “We’ll do our due diligence, so to speak, but I’m pretty happy with our guards.”
If the Bills do pursue Mathis, their cap situation ($6.1MM in space, not including practice-squad signings and in-season injury replacements) could serve as a hindrance, Rodak notes.
More from around the NFL…
- Colts star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is entering the final year of his contract, but he isn’t concerned about his long-term future. “If they want to pay me, they’ll pay me,” said Hilton, per Blake Schuster of the Indianapolis Star. “It takes both sides to come to an agreement. I leave that up to my agent and just go out there and have fun.” The 25-year-old Hilton, who has back-to-back seasons of 80-plus catches and 1,000-plus yards, will cash in soon with either the Colts or another club.
- Don’t expect the Cowboys to use second-round pick Randy Gregory as more than a pass-rushing defensive end, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys don’t want Gregory dropping into coverage, per Machota, who also notes that Gregory will have to continue adding bulk in order to hold up against the run.
- Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns went from undrafted free agent to solid contributor last year partly because he was able to capitalize on injuries to his fellow Jags wideouts. With Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, Bryan Walters and Damien Copeland slowed by injuries during organized team activities, Hurns once again took advantage of his situation as a healthy member of the Jags’ offense, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com. The fact that Hurns has been on the field learning new coordinator Greg Olson’s system could give him a leg up as he competes with his teammates for playing time. “I just feel really good in this system,” said Hurns. “[Greg Olson] has done a great job of opening things up to letting us run different routes. It’s a fun offense to play in.”
Extra Points: Incognito, Davis, Wright
The Bills‘ offseason signing of Richie Incognito raised some eyebrows, but coach Rex Ryan says that the guard has been nothing but “outstanding” so far this spring, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Incognito has long been regarded as one of the better interior lineman in the NFL. However, the bullying scandal of 2013 put his career on halt and his future in jeopardy. After missing half of 2013 and all of 2014, Incognito signed with Buffalo on a one-year deal with a base salary of $900K.
- Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis anticipates landing a contract extension before the start of training camp, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Davis, 32, is entering the final year of a contract that will pay him $7.25MM this year, with a salary cap number of $9.9MM. Davis has averaged 77 tackles a year since returning from the third ACL reconstruction on his right knee in 2012. The Panthers drafted his likely successor when they took former Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson with the 25th overall pick this year, but he’s still confident that Carolina will present him with a fair deal.
- With the Patriots having waived tight end Tim Wright, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com revisits the trade that brought Wright to New England last summer for Logan Mankins. As Reiss observes, the Pats also received cap relief and a draft pick in that trade, so Wright may not have been the key piece in the deal, but it’s still a bit surprising that the club parted ways with him.
- Head coach Gus Bradley and the Jaguars expect to see veteran pass rusher Chris Clemons at next week’s mandatory minicamp, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. Clemons hasn’t been present for Jacksonville’s voluntary OTAs this year, but would forfeit his workout bonus if he doesn’t show up next week.
- Frustrated with injuries, Eagles outside linebacker Travis Long nearly walked away from the game before ever seeing live action, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Latest On Evan Mathis
One of the league’s very best guards is now on the open market and teams are already circling the wagons. Which teams are in Evan Mathis and which clubs look like potential fits? Let’s find out..
- It’s not clear if Mathis has interest in the Bills, but the Bills are curious to find out, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). That union could make a lot of sense since Mathis blocked for running back LeSean McCoy for the last four years.
- Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter) hears the Cardinals aren’t interested in Mathis.
- The Dolphins, Patriots, and Seahawks all make sense for the 33-year-old, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). However, he cautions that Mathis’ price point will start to scare teams off if it gets to be too high.
- The Vikings might be a good fit for Mathis, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. Two of the coaches who would work with Mathis the most — offensive line coach Jeff Davidson and head coach Mike Zimmer — are already familiar with him from previous stops. Meanwhile, the Vikings have $10MM+ in cap space for 2015.
- The Saints, who have a vacancy at guard after trading starter Ben Grubbs, have only ~$3.5MM of salary cap space available to pursue Mathis, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune notes. Tight end Tim Wright, however, could be more in the Saints’ price range.
AFC Notes: Bortles, Pats, Bills, Titans
Leon Washington is out of the picture in Tennessee, but Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt feels that he can find his next return man in-house between wide receiver Jacoby Ford, running back Antonio Andrews and running back Dexter McCluster. “We’ll look at a lot of different guys,” Whisenhunt said, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean. “We’ll see where Jacoby fits in that mix. Antonio did a nice job for us last year. Dexter has done it before, and we’ll see what other guys (might be in the mix).” Washington, meanwhile, remains a free agent. Here’s more from the AFC..
AFC Rumors: McCourty, Browns, Jaguars
The free agency defections of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, coupled with the release of Kyle Arrington, have the Patriots with a thin cornerback crop. One solution thrown around is moving Devin McCourty back to corner from the safety spot where he’s become an impact talent, but the recently re-signed McCourty has little interest in moving back outside, per the Boston Globe’s Steve Silva.
“I want to play safety, but it’s out of my control so whatever the coaches decide is what it will have to be,” McCourty said to reporters after an OTA session Friday.
Relocating McCourty would leave New England thin on its back line as well, although Tavon Wilson and Nate Ebner are entering their fourth seasons with the team — profiles that generally depict starting-capable players in the era of four-year rookie deals. The 2012 draft picks have combined for just four starts, however. Doubting the Patriots’ ability to make a patchwork secondary productive would be foolhardy at this point, though, given their track record.
Let’s look at some additional points from around the AFC.
- The Browns‘ special teams makeover now includes punter, kicker and long snapper, after acquiring Andy Lee, cutting Billy Cundiff and Garrett Hartley and releasing snapper Christian Yount, notes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 2014 rookies Travis Coons and Carey Spear are vying to take over at kicker in Cleveland, and rookie Duke Johnson is expected to become the team’s new kick returner, though Justin Gilbert will likely be given a chance to do so as well, Cabot reports.
- Fourth-round free safety James Sample will miss at least part of training camp after fracturing his arm in a Jaguars OTA session Thursday, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Sample underwent surgery on Friday. Expected to battle Sergio Brown for a starting position, Sample joins Dante Fowler Jr. as Jags rookies who’ve sustained serious injuries before shoulder pads enter the equation.
- Steelers veteran nose tackle Steve McLendon said he played through a significant shoulder injury last season and after an offseason surgery is in better position to help out and push for a third contract with the team, reports Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The third-year starter is one of three Steelers starting defenders, along with Cameron Heyward and William Gay, entering a contract season. The 29-year-old who has missed six games the past two years is in the final year of a three-year, $7.25MM deal that represents the eighth-highest pact among nose tackles.
- Third-round rookie John Miller is the frontrunner to start at left guard for the Bills this season, offers Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Chris Williams, who started three games last year for the Bills, hasn’t shown up to minicamp yet, and Rex Ryan told Maiorana he hasn’t spoken to the absent veteran. The Bills scribe doesn’t expect the former Bears flameout to be on the team much longer, especially if he doesn’t appear at mandatory minicamp next month.
- Titans rookie Dorial Green-Beckham is seeking to trim down to 225 pounds by the time training camp begins. The mercurial specimen who hasn’t played in a game since 2013 is hovering in the high 230s now, notes The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt.
- Speaking of weight fluctuations, Melvin Ingram has slashed 20 pounds off his frame and sits at 245 this summer as he makes an attempt at a healthy campaign entering his fourth season with the Chargers, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken. Ingram hasn’t played in more than nine games since his rookie campaign in 2012.
AFC East Notes: Parker, Brady, Simms
As we ready for the weekend, let’s round up a few Friday items from out of the AFC East, starting with an update on a top rookie receiver….
- First-round Dolphins wideout DeVante Parker underwent surgery on his left foot today, but he’s expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, a team source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The procedure is a precautionary one, as Parker complained of some soreness in the same foot he broke in 2014 at Louisville — this week’s surgery replaced the screw that was originally put in his foot following that injury.
- A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that it’s still possible the NFLPA will take legal action to try to force Roger Goodell to assign Tom Brady‘s appeal to a neutral arbitrator. However, with each passing day, it’s becoming less likely that the union will challenge Goodell’s position as arbitrator, since that would risk delaying the hearing even more. It’s more likely that the NFLPA would pursue legal action after Goodell’s decision on the appeal is announced, particularly if the four-game ban for the Patriots signal-caller isn’t reduced.
- Matt Simms went from No. 4 on the depth chart with the Jets to a similar situation with the Bills, but he feels better about his spot on the roster in Buffalo, as he tells Sal Maiorana of the Democrat and Chronicle. “I feel like here I’ll have more opportunity to get more experience and get more reps on the field and to give myself a fair shot to succeed,” Simms said. “Whereas I didn’t feel I got that same respect there from the Jets the past couple months.”
Contract Details: Jordan, Chester, Harris
A handful of salary and bonus details for recently-signed contracts have been reported so far today, so let’s round up the highlights. Deals whose details have been reported but aren’t noted here, such as Jerrell Powe‘s with Washington or Trindon Holliday‘s with the Raiders, are one-year, minimum salary pacts with no guaranteed money.
- Cameron Jordan, DE (Saints): Six years, $61.969MM (five years, $55MM in new money). $16MM signing bonus. $6MM roster bonus on fifth day of 2016 league year. Salary cap figures of $4.169MM (2015), $12.8MM (2016), $10.3MM (2017), $12.5MM (2018), $12.3MM (2019), and $9.9MM (2020) (link via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post).
- Chris Chester, G/C (Falcons): One year, $2.8MM. $550K signing bonus. $1.55MM base salary. $700K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Ryan Harris, T (Broncos): One year, $920K base value. $50K signing bonus. $870K base salary. Up to $500K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Michael Buchanan, DE/OLB (Bills): Two years, $1.285MM. $25K roster bonus in 2016. No guaranteed money (Twitter link via Wilson).
East Notes: Bradford, Wilkerson, Giants
Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur held the same position in St. Louis during Sam Bradford‘s rookie season with the Rams, when the No. 1 pick won Offensive Rookie of the Year and nearly led the team to the playoffs. So, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, head coach Chip Kelly turned to Shurmur for input and information on Bradford before Philadelphia acquired him in March. While Shurmur’s endorsement didn’t directly lead to the trade, the Eagles OC is optimistic about what Bradford can do with the club.
“I certainly have a very strong, good opinion of what he can accomplish,” Shurmur said. “Had he been able to stay healthy, he wouldn’t have been available for us. When the deal was getting made, I had my fingers crossed in the background that it was going to get done.”
As we wait to see how the Shurmur/Bradford reunion plays out, let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Jets head coach Todd Bowles said yesterday that he wasn’t sure whether or not Muhammad Wilkerson would report to the Jets’ mandatory minicamp this month, but a person familiar with the defensive lineman’s thinking tells Steve Serby and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that Wilkerson will be in attendance. Wilkerson has been absent from the club’s offseason activities so far, as he seeks a new contract.
- The Giants continue to keep an eye out for potential offensive line help, general manager Jerry Reese tells Dom Cosentino of NJ Advance Media. With Will Beatty out for the season, the team could use some veteran depth. “Obviously, everybody has around 90 men on their roster right now, so there’ll be some cuts,” Reese said. “There will be some chances to add some offensive linemen.”
- Bills coach Rex Ryan sounds impressed with third-round guard John Miller so far, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “When we took him, we thought he’d be our starter and we’ll see,” Ryan said. “But I feel pretty confident that he’s going to be a major contributor for us.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.