AFC Links: Incognito, Rice, Pats, Jackson
After signing Richie Incognito shortly after he proclaimed that he wanted to “build a bully” in Buffalo, Bills head coach Rex Ryan was in damage control mode yesterday, explaining in an appearance on WGR 550 why his team added the veteran guard despite his history of off-field run-ins.
“I’m about the biggest anti-bullying guy there is, especially off the field and in the community,” Ryan said, per Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “I want the toughest, physical football team on the field, and gentlemen off the field. He recognizes that he has made some mistakes. He wants to prove that he is not that person now.”
While we wait to see whether Incognito proves Ryan right, let’s round up several more items from across the AFC….
- Former Ravens running back Ray Rice issued a statement apologizing for his domestic violence incident and thanking the city of Baltimore, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details. Rice continues to work out in hopes of signing with another NFL team, but hasn’t visited or worked out for any clubs since his reinstatement, according to Wilson.
- With Darrelle Revis currently counting for $25MM against their 2015 cap, the Patriots are somewhat hamstrung until they can figure out a resolution for the cornerback, says Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. According to Curran, there’s nothing new to report on negotiations with potential free agents like Devin McCourty, due in part to the Revis situation, which I explored in depth earlier this week.
- Cornerback Kareem Jackson admits that it hasn’t really hit him yet that he could become a coveted free agent next month, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. According to Jackson, he’d love to return to the Texans after seeing the progress made by new head coach Bill O’Brien last season.
East Notes: Dolphins, Wallace, Maclin, Bills
A possible contract extension for starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill will be a top priority for the Dolphins this offseason, but the club will also need to secure a backup, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. In Salguero’s view, considering Tannehill has been sacked more than any other QB in the league over the last two seasons, Miami will target a veteran backup who could potentially salvage the season if he were forced into action. Given his history with the team, free-agent-to-be Matt Moore may be the Dolphins’ best bet, but there should be no shortage of veteran alternatives on the market.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Nothing is off limits this offseason for wide receiver Mike Wallace, including being retained, traded or released by the Dolphins. Mulling the idea of a Wallace trade, James Walker of ESPN.com names three potential suitors for the veteran wideout, identifying the Seahawks and Colts as the best fits.
- It doesn’t make much sense for Jeremy Maclin to sign a deal with the Eagles right now, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, pointing out that Maclin could end up being the best receiver on the market in a few weeks depending on how teams use their franchise tags. If Maclin were to sign an extension with Philadelphia now, he could short-change himself by millions – or tens of millions – during his best chance to “hit the jackpot.”
- Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo today, Bills head coach Rex Ryan indicated the team is keeping every option open in the search for an answer at quarterback. “We are in the evaluating stages. So, we’re looking,” Ryan said, per Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550. “We’ve got the draft coming up, free agency is coming up. You’re looking at all those type of things. Are there some scenarios out there, are there trade possibilities? You look at every possible scenario there is. From Doug Whaley all the way to our scouts, all our positional coaches… we’re looking at that. Believe me, we’ll be prepared for every scenario out there.“
- Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com makes 12 predictions for the coming offseason, forecasting that DeMarco Murray will return to the Cowboys on a team-friendly deal, Dallas will pay Dez Bryant a top-of-the-market multiyear contract, and Darrelle Revis will pass up a potentially bigger offer to return to the Patriots.
Extra Points: Rams, Bell, Incognito
Inglewood mayor James Butts told The Beast 980 that enough signatures have been acquired to support a stadium initiative. The next step in the process will be a public hearing regarding the stadium project on February 24th. Of course, there are many more hurdles to be cleared, but this is a potentially big step towards clearing a path toward the Rams heading west to L.A. More from around the NFL..
- Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to be suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season following his August arrest, sources told ESPN.com’s John Clayton. Since Bell is a first-time offender, that’s the maximum suspension allowed under the NFL’s new substance abuse policy.
- New Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito told Jeff Darlington of NFL Media that he discussed the Miami bullying scandal with his new team and told the club about what he learned from the situation. The 31-year-old says that he understands that this will be his last chance to play in the NFL given the hit that his reputation has taken.
- The Chargers regressed on special teams in 2014 and they’ll need some reinforcements for 2015, Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego writes. Depending on how things break, it’s possible that the Bolts could carry a kickoff specialist. Of course, doing that would take a bit away from other area on the roster.
- The somewhat surprising decision by the Buccaneers to release quarterback Josh McCown could signal that the team is gearing up to spend significant dollars in free agency, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, if the Bucs don’t use that money to sign another quarterback in free agency, that almost certainly means the club will select either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick.
- Former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik‘s experience with Josh Freeman is why he prefers Mariota to Winston, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Both have serious talent, but Mariota is regarded as someone with very high character.
- The Saints should retain Mark Ingram, but only at the right price, according to Sean Fazende of WVUE. Ingram stands as the fourth-best free agent tailback in Fazende’s view and he feels a four-year, $16MM offer with $6MM guaranteed would make sense for both sides.
- Michael Felger of CSNNE.com wonders if the Broncos might use Tom Brady‘s contract as leverage in contract talks.
Reactions To Bucs Releasing Josh McCown
Earlier today, the Buccaneers bid farewell to Josh McCown after a rough year in Tampa Bay. McCown elevated his stock in 2013 when he filled in admirably for Jay Cutler in Chicago, but he was unable to carry that momentum over to 2014, winning just one of eleven starts. Even though McCown stumbled badly, he should wind up having multiple teams interested in him, especially given what else is out there at the position. More on McCown..
- At one point, McCown was quasi-retired, but at this point his plan is to continue playing, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- McCown has already heard from a few interested teams wanting him to visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) speculates that the Bills would be all over McCown. He adds that the Browns, Texans, Jets, and Titans could also be in on the veteran.
- Some of the money the Buccaneers saved by releasing McCown could go towards signing linebacker Lavonte David to a long-term deal, Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune tweets. David is eligible to be a free agent in 2016.
- McCown to the Ravens sounds good on the surface, but it’s not all that likely to happen given the dearth of quarterbacks available, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. McCown is flawed, of course, but the demand for signal-callers far outweighs the free agent supply. McCown will probably look for an opportunity to start or, at the very least, sit behind an iffy or injury-prone starter elsewhere. Still, McCown flourished under new Ravens’ offensive coordinator Marc Trestman with the Bears in 2013 and Joe Flacco‘s backup, Tyrod Taylor, is a pending free agent. If everything came together, one has to imagine that Baltimore would have serious interest in the veteran.
- The Buccaneers cutting McCown bodes well for Jameis Winston, Steven Ruiz of USA Today Sports writes. Ruiz figures that the Bucs won’t have the patience to develop Marcus Mariota and will instead go with the FSU star who spent the last two years operating a pro-style offense.
AFC East Links: Harvin, Hughes, Patriots
In examining New York’s wide receiving corps, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes that Percy Harvin “clearly” isn’t a $10MM-per-year player, but concedes that the Jets could probably afford to pay him like one, given their excess of cap room. Still, he doesn’t expect the club to overpay out of desperation, suggesting that Harvin will likely be cut by March 19 — that’s the deadline for the Jets to release the wideout without losing their fourth-round pick to Seattle. The Seahawks would receive a sixth-rounder if New York drops Harvin by March 19.
Here’s more from out of the AFC East:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter links), Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes addressed his upcoming free agency, suggesting that returning to Buffalo is his first choice and that he wouldn’t necessarily be disappointed with the franchise tag, since it would provide a substantial financial reward for at least one year.
- In the view of Tom Curran of CSNNE.com, it’s “absolutely imperative” that the Patriots find a way to keep safety Devin McCourty, though Curran acknowledges that the safety market has “gone through the roof” in recent years. The Pats will have to strongly consider using the franchise tag on McCourty, says Curran.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe also touches on McCourty’s situation in a more in-depth look at some of the key offseason decisions facing the Patriots, writing that the club should franchise McCourty, then try to work out a longer-team deal. Volin also suggests extending Darrelle Revis, re-signing Stephen Gostkowski, and restructuring the contracts of Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, and Danny Amendola. As for the running backs, the Boston Globe scribe thinks New England should try to bring back Stevan Ridley on a one-year, make-good deal, and should walk away from Shane Vereen unless he’s willing to sign a team-friendly pact.
Bills Sign Richie Incognito
TUESDAY, 11:08am: As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets, Incognito will have a base salary of $900K, a signing bonus of $100K, and a workout bonus of $100K. The veteran guard can also earn up to $350K in per-game roster bonuses, and $800K in playing-time incentives. So it looks like the deal can only be worth $2.25MM if it maxes out, with a more modest base value.
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk notes that the playing-time incentives begin if Incognito plays at least 60% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps, and max out if he plays more than 75%.
MONDAY, 11:03am: The Bills have officially signed Incognito, the team announced today. The press release confirming the move includes a statement from co-owner Terry Pegula, which reads as follows:
“I personally met with Richie, along with Doug Whaley, Rex Ryan and Kim [Pegula] regarding an opportunity to earn a spot on the Buffalo Bills roster. Obviously, we all discussed Richie’s past experience in the NCAA and NFL. We are convinced that Richie is prepared to move forward and has and will continue to take the necessary steps to improve himself as a person and a teammate. Following discussion with the rest of the coaching staff, we as an organization will provide him with the opportunity to do so.”
SATURDAY, 8:02pm: Incognito’s one-year deal is worth $2.25MM, tweets ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
5:14pm: The Bills have officially reached an agreement with Incognito, according to a team press release. It’s a one-year deal, tweets ESPN’s James Walker. Financial terms have not yet been disclosed.
2:27pm: We heard last night that Richie Incognito was visiting the Bills, and now the team has signed the controversial free agent guard, according to Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Before the season, Dallas Robinson assessed Incognito’s stock, noting that in the absence of guaranteed money or a large financial commitment, the Pro Bowl guard’s talent should be enough to warrant at least one team taking a chance on him.
Incognito was able to work out for teams, but was unable to sign on for the 2014 NFL season despite being cleared to play. He will get another chance with Rex Ryan and the Bills, as well as a chance to face his former team – the Dolphins – twice in 2015.
East Notes: Cowboys, Washington, Bills, Dolphins
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that the lengthy collusion case between the NFL and NFLPA is nearing an end. The league and its Players Association agreed three years ago to hit the Cowboys and Washington with $46 million in cap penalties for spending wildly during the uncapped season in 2010. The union agreed to the deal in return for an increase in the NFL’s salary cap in 2012, but it still accused the league of collusion. According to Judge Michael Davis, who is presiding over the case, “The NFLPA has not demonstrated a colorable claim that the NFL improperly forced it to settle, or misled it as to the legal effect of the settlement. Furthermore, the NFLPA’s proffered evidence highlights the real concern that the NFLPA may use the opportunity for . . . discovery as an improper ‘fishing expedition’ to investigate the merits of its alleged collusion claim.”
The NFLPA will still have a chance to prove that the league acted in bad faith in 2011, but Florio believes that will be very difficult to do, which should soon lead to the end of the lawsuit.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com writes that Dallas will face a difficult decision on whether to retain running back DeMarco Murray, who joins wide receiver Dez Bryant as one of two Cowboys stars scheduled to hit free agency.
- ESPN’s Mike Rodak took a look at the Bills’ safeties, writing that the position will be a “low” need for the team if it re-signs strong safety Da’Norris Searcy and keeps him alongside free safety Aaron Williams. If Searcy departs, Buffalo could add an outsider to the mix, according to Rodak, but he notes that the Bills have a potential in-house replacement in Duke Williams.
- ESPN’s James Walker profiled Dolphins free agent-to-be Jason Trusnik, a role-playing linebacker and special teams captain who has appeared in 64 straight games for Miami. Walker believes the Dolphins will try to keep Trusnik, and gives them a 70% chance of re-signing him.
AFC Links: Manning, Ngata, Hughes, Incognito
Even with a coaching change and big decisions to make on Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, the Broncos’ offseason will more or less be about whether or not Peyton Manning returns in 2015.
If Tony Dungy is correct, Manning will be back next year, according to the Associated Press on IndyStar.com.
“I was with him last week and he didn’t give me any indication one way or another, but he certainly didn’t say anything to me that led me to believe he wouldn’t be playing,” said Dungy. “My gut feeling is that he’ll be back unless he really has a health-related problem. He enjoys the team. He enjoys his teammates. I think he really wants to come back and play well and not let that be the last game of his career.”
Here are some more links from around the AFC:
- The Ravens have asked star defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to restructure his contract in the past, but for the first time they have leverage to make such a request this offseason, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. Ngata is owed $8.5MM in base salary and will count for $16MM against the cap. Considering the Ravens need to free up money for free agency, the declining Ngata could have to look for a new team if he refuses to restructure his deal, and coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, the team holds all the cards.
- The top priority for the Bills this winter should be figuring out a way to bring back Jerry Hughes, who has developed into one of the league’s most productive pass rushers, writes Jason Fitzgerald in his preview of Buffalo’s offseason at OverTheCap.com.
- The Bills will host Richie Incognito for an official visit and physical on Saturday, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). Incognito has not played since being suspended as part of the bulling investigation with the Dolphins. The team needs help at guard, with Erik Pears and Kraig Urbik unlikely to return to the team, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). The meeting may be merely a formality, as the team is expected to sign Incognito should he pass his physical, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Curtis Brown, a former Steelers third-round pick, will have a workout with the Jets on Tuesday, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Malcolm Butler may be a Super Bowl hero, but the undrafted Patriots cornerback isn’t going to get hung up on one play. He is already concerned with continuing to improve and become a fixture in the NFL, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. “I’m going to probably enjoy this moment, I’ll never forget it,” said Butler. “Probably for a couple more days or whatever, however it dies down. Have a little time to relax and then get back to work and just try to prove my point that this one play doesn’t [define] me. I don’t want to be known as a great player for one play, so I’ve got more to prove. So, I’ll have a little relax time and get back to work.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Contracts Void For Suh, Pierre-Paul, Spiller
The contracts for several notable players will void today, formally paving the way for them to hit free agency next month, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com details. Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, and Bills running back C.J. Spiller are among the players who will see the 2015 seasons on their deals void, since the language in their respective contracts called for that to happen on the fifth day after this year’s Super Bowl.
In each case, the fact that the player’s contract is voiding today doesn’t mean he’ll immediately become a free agent. The Lions, for instance, will still be the only team that can negotiate a new agreement with Suh for the next few weeks. If the star defender still hasn’t worked anything out with the team by March 3, Detroit could use its franchise tag on him. If the Lions pass on using a tag, Suh would be able to talk to other teams as of March 7, and could sign elsewhere on March 10.
While these players won’t necessarily be returning to their current clubs, those teams will each carry a cap hit for 2015 due to the contracts. In some cases, that cap number is modest — for JPP and the Giants, it’s just $1.35MM. However, the Lions’ hit for Suh is approximately $9.74MM. In other words, if Detroit has to use the franchise tag – worth $26.895MM – on Suh, the team will be using over $36MM in cap room to a single player.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained in greater detail why a number of players from 2010’s draft class have a voided year at the end of their rookie contracts, and adds a few more names to the list of players whose deals void today: Jaguars defensive end Tyson Alualu, Eagles edge defender Brandon Graham, Chargers running back Ryan Mathews, and Titans edge defender Derrick Morgan will also be eligible for free agency next month after their 2015 years void.
Jaguars Notes: Blackmon, Marrone, Olson
The Jaguars overhauled the coaching staff underneath head coach Gus Bradley this offseason. Jacksonville added years of high-level NFL experience to the offensive side but, as we know, sometimes too many cooks can spoil the broth. At a press conference earlier today, the Jaguars discussed the breakdown of responsibilities for their coaches heading into 2015 and much more. Here’s a look at the highlights and other news out of Jacksonville..
- Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon has made some progress towards his reinstatement but still has a ways to go, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links). Blackmon still has to satisfy criteria within the drug program and then apply for reinstatement.
- New Jags offensive line coach Doug Marrone told reporters, including Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, that he left the Bills without any guarantees of landing a head coaching gig elsewhere.
- Marrone has taken heat for his departure from Buffalo but he defended himself from that criticism while emphasizing that he wants to move forward. “At the end of the day, I had two outstanding years in Buffalo,” Marrone said, according to DiRocco. “I think that Terry and Kim Pegula, they’re going to be outstanding. I really can’t say enough for the people within the organization, from the trainers, from the PR department, from the equipment people. They were outstanding. At the end of the day, I had a three-day window on my contract, which was obviously difficult because of the time aspect of it. My family and I made a decision to leave.”
- The challenge, Bradley says will be ensuring that offensive coordinator Greg Olson, Marrone, and quarterbacks coach Nathaniel Hackett all work together cohesively, DiRocco tweets. All three men are former offensive coordinators. Bradley added that he doesn’t want to run the Raiders offense or the Bills offense – he wants to put together what’s best for his players (via Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union on Twitter).
- Bradley said he didn’t know much about Marrone before he started talking to him, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter). The head coach did talk extensively before hiring him, however.
- Bradley said he didn’t talk much to Marrone about how things ended in Buffalo, Stellino tweets. Marrone originally came by just to discuss football philosophy and not to interview, which is why they didn’t get in depth on that (via DiRocco on Twitter).
- New offensive coordinator Greg Olson said that he had a good experience in Jacksonville in 2012 and is appreciative of the chance to return, according to DiRocco (on Twitter). He was also surprised by the number of different faces that he saw since he was with the Jags in 2012 under Mike Mularkey (link).
- Adam Gase, Olson, and Marrone all interviewed with the team at the same time, DiRocco tweets.
- Olson said he talked to the Bears and Rams about offensive coordinator openings, but he didn’t officially interview, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union tweets.
- The Jaguars have made a few tweaks to their coaching staff, moving quarterbacks coach Frank Scelfo to senior offensive assistant and adding the title of run-game coordinator to defensive line coach Todd Wash’s job, according to O’Halloran (Twitter links).