CB James Bradberry Seeking $15MM/Season, Redskins To Have Interest
James Bradberry is focused on resetting the cornerback market. Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is seeking a contract that would pay him more than $15MM per season. The reporter notes that the Redskins are among the teams expected to be involved in the bidding.
The 2016 second-round pick has evolved into one of the top players at his position. While the advanced metrics haven’t necessarily been kind to Bradberry, he’s still put him some gaudy numbers. During his four seasons with the Panthers, the defensive back has compiled at least 10 passes defended each year. That includes a 2019 campaign where he finished with 65 tackles, one sack, 12 passes defended, and a career-high three interceptions.
As for the interest from the Redskins, this isn’t overly surprising. After all, Bradberry was fond of former Panthers head coach (and current Redskins head coach) Ron Rivera, and he said earlier this month that he’d love a reunion.
“I would love to play for Coach Rivera again,” Bradberry said. “He’s a great man and a great coach. He coached me for four years. I didn’t realize how much he meant to us until that day [he got fired]…Just how he spoke to us as men. He wasn’t overly aggressive unless he needed to be. He put his foot down when he needed to be.”
Bradberry will sit atop the cornerback market alongside Byron Jones and Chris Harris. Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard currently leads the position with an average annual value that’s barely north of $15MM.
Panthers Pick Up Chris Reed’s Option
The Panthers have exercised Chris Reed‘s option for the 2020 season, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Reed figures to provide depth along the interior line, addressing a lower priority item on the Panthers’ offseason checklist.
Reed, 28 in July, was with the Dolphins up until his late-season release. The Panthers claimed him in December and put him on the field for three games down the stretch.
His play got them curious enough to see what he can do in camp. By exercising the option, the Panthers will have Reed under contract for one more season at $1.425MM. The sum is non-guaranteed, however, so the Panthers aren’t necessarily bound to him. Reed will occupy a spot on the 90-man roster and aim for making the 53-man cut in September.
Earlier this week, the Panthers declined the option for wide receiver Jarius Wright, which will free up a few extra dollars in mid-March. Meanwhile, they seem intent on keeping former MVP Cam Newton as their starting quarterback.
Panthers To Decline Jarius Wright’s Option
The Panthers will decline Jarius Wright‘s option for 2020, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move will save the club $3MM against the cap. 
Had Wright’s option been exercised, he would have been in line for $1MM in guaranteed pay. Instead, he’ll look for work elsewhere after a so-so year. Wright, 31 in November, had just 28 grabs for 296 yards with no touchdowns in 2019. It was a drop-off from his 2018 season – his first with Carolina – when he had 43 catches for 447 yards and one score.
Wright spent his first six seasons with the Vikings and put together a solid stretch from 2013-15, recording at least 430 receiving yards in each of those seasons. But, once Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen emerged, he slipped in the pecking order.
In other Panthers news, the club is reportedly planning to keep Cam Newton as its starting quarterback in 2020. They’ll also evaluate their options when it comes to cornerback James Bradberry, but the pending free agent will be chased by a number of clubs and a reunion with Ron Rivera could be in the cards.
Panthers Plan To Keep Cam Newton
The Panthers plan to move forward with Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Things can change in the coming months, RapSheet cautions, but that’s the Panthers’ mindset at this time. 
There’s been lots of talk about a potential trade of the one-time MVP, but it’ll be months before Newton’s surgically-repaired foot is game-ready, and that hurts his potential trade value. The expectation is that the QB will be able to pass his physical by March, however.
The Panthers are in the midst of a rebuild after dismissing longtime head coach Ron Rivera and parting ways with tight end Greg Olsen. The new regime likes Newton though – Rapoport hears that Rhule & Co. have been encouraged by Newton’s approach to rehab and his decision to stay in the Charlotte area throughout the process. With so much changing on both sides of the ball, Rhule likes the idea of keeping his signal caller in place.
Newton missed all but two games last season, but he’d represent a solid value if he’s healthy. He’s set to earn just $18.6MM in base salary this season, which would make him a manageable bridge option for a younger QB in 2021. This year, the Panthers hold the No. 7 pick, where they’d likely see at least two QBs taken ahead of them. Moving up is an option, of course, but it’d be costly, and the Panthers will have many more needs to address in the lower reaches of the draft.
If the Panthers wind up with a top pick in 2021, they could be in range for prospects like Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/21/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers:
- Waived: TE Marcus Baugh
A 2018 UDFA out of Ohio State, Baugh is still waiting to make his NFL debut. He originally signed with the Raiders as a rookie.
Teams Can Give Newton A Physical
- Teams will be allowed to do their research on Panthers quarterback Cam Newton before committing to a trade. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that a team can give a physical to a potential trade acquisition (with the permission of the incumbent team). Considering the former MVP has suffered a long list of injuries throughout his career, this will be an important hurdle to overcome during negotiations (especially, as Florio notes, if Newton is looking for a brand-new contract).
Latest On Panthers, Cam Newton
The Panthers hold one of the top assets in this offseason’s layered quarterback market, but Cam Newton‘s place as a trade chip cannot be fully known until a clearer picture of his recovery from Lisfranc surgery emerges. But the Panthers believe that recovery is going well.
The team expects Newton to pass his physical and be cleared for some football activity by March, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports (subscription required). This jibes with what has come out of the organization so far; the Panthers are planning to give the former MVP a chance to display his current form when he returns to football work in the spring.
While the Panthers are optimistic Newton will be ready to throw fairly soon, Newton’s status is murky. None of the David Tepper–Marty Hurney–Matt Rhule trio has confirmed the 30-year-old passer will be a Panther in 2020. Newton believes he will, but the contract-year quarterback would obviously intrigue other teams — ones who are not on a rebuild track the Panthers may well be. Newton has, however, been at the Panthers’ facilities this offseason during his recovery process — one that has thus far pleased team brass, per Rodrigue.
Even if Newton is ready to throw by March, the Panthers may be cautious with him and delay some of his work until April or May, per Rodrigue. However, it is certainly possible Newton will not be a Panther by then. In a complex quarterback landscape, teams may need to determine a course of action on Newton soon or risk losing another potential target on the free agent or trade market. The Panthers may also consider one of this year’s first-round quarterback prospects, adding more intrigue to this situation. Newton could serve as a mid-offseason trade chip, while it’s also possible Carolina unloads him earlier before he’s fully healthy if the right offer is made.
Newton is set to make just $18.6MM this season, which would make him a manageable bridge option for Rhule’s team and drive trade interest. It should be expected Newton’s status as a Panther will be determined by the draft, but considering the former Super Bowl starter’s recent injury history, the nine-year veteran may be one of the last quarterback dominoes to fall this offseason.
Latest On Panthers, Cam Newton
Cam Newton “absolutely” expects to return to the Panthers next season. However, team sources that spoke with The Athletic’s Joe Person are less-than-certain about his odds.
Earlier this year, owner David Tepper was non-committal when asked about the longtime franchise star. Given his health situation and the team’s move to part ways with beloved head coach Ron Rivera and tight end Greg Olsen, no one would be shocked to see Newton in a different uniform next year.
“Every player that buys into this, the more they buy into this, the more things can work,” Tepper said in January. “And that’s what we’re going to need here, is buy-in from people, OK? If we can get that kind of buy in sooner rather than later, no matter what the personnel is. We will try to use our personnel to the best possible [advantage], whoever that personnel is.”
Newton is still recovering from foot surgery and waiting for the green light to resume football activities. Thanks to the lingering Lisfranc injury, the former No. 1 overall pick was limited to just two games in 2019. We’ve heard that the Panthers want to see Newton on the practice field before making a determination on his future, but there’s no telling when he’ll be ready. If he can’t prove that he’s healthy within a reasonable timeframe, the Panthers could cut him to save $19.1MM.
Newton, 31 in May, captured the MVP trophy in the 2015 season. And, in 2018, he managed to complete a career-best 67.9% of his throws. Still, it’s been a rocky couple of years for the Panthers and the team seems intent on a rebuild under new head coach Matt Rhule. The Panthers could be in range for some of this year’s top quarterbacks with the No. 7 overall pick, but they’re reportedly higher on the 2021 crop which includes Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. It’s also worth nothing that LSU’s Joe Burrow will be long gone by the time they take the podium, and many expect Tua Tagovailoa to go No. 5 overall to the Dolphins.
If released, Newton would join an unusually high-profile crop of available free agent quarterbacks, a group that will include some mix of Tom Brady, Philip Rivers, and Ryan Tannehill.
James Bradberry Eyeing Redskins?
On the cusp of his first turn through free agency, Panthers cornerback James Bradberry says he wouldn’t mind reuniting with former head coach Ron Rivera.
[RELATED: Redskins Meet With Greg Olsen]
“I would love to play for Coach Rivera again,” Bradberry told NBC Sports. “He’s a great man and a great coach. He coached me for four years. I didn’t realize how much he meant to us until that day [he got fired]…Just how he spoke to us as men. He wasn’t overly aggressive unless he needed to be. He put his foot down when he needed to be.”
Of course, Bradberry added that he’s looking to be paid what he’s worth. For any team that signs him, that’ll require a significant commitment – the former second-round pick has stifled some of the league’s best receivers in Carolina, setting him up for a huge payday on the open market. In other words, if there’s any “discount” to be had for Rivera & Co., it won’t be a substantial one.
Meanwhile, Bradberry says that, ideally, he’d like to re-up with the only team he’s ever known.
“Dream scenario, I would love to continue my career with the Carolina Panthers,” he said. “I’ve been there for four years. One of my closest friends on the team, Shaq Thompson, he’s still there. I would love to get to finish the rest of my career alongside him.”
Thompson, a tenacious linebacker, inked a four-year, $54MM extension with the Panthers in December. That deal put him in the top five for all linebackers in the NFL, and Bradberry is also aiming for top placement at his position.
In 2019, Bradberry snagged three interceptions and registered 65 total tackles. The advanced metrics have never been too fond of his work, but Rivera is a fan, and a number of clubs will be interested in the 26-year-old (27 in August). He’s also be a logical fit from a football perspective, especially if Rivera drops another old colleague in Josh Norman.
Redskins To Hire GM After Draft
The Redskins are expected to go into the NFL Draft without a GM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Without a replacement lined up for Bruce Allen, Redskins VP of Player Personnel Kyle Smith will be in charge of draft operations in April.
The Redskins canned Allen on Dec. 30, after ten years at the helm. In that span, the Redskins went 62-97-1 and made the playoffs only twice.
The Redskins’ next GM likely won’t have complete control over the 53-man roster. New head coach Ron Rivera is expected to have significant sway when it comes to personnel, which could dissuade some of the league’s more experienced candidates.
Allen wasn’t the only significant front office figure to exit D.C. this offseason. In the wake of Allen’s dismissal, senior VP Eric Schaffer was expected to see an increased role. Instead, they parted ways with the cap guru after nearly two decades together.
Rapoport hears similar news for the Panthers – their assistant GM job will also be filled sometime after the draft. The Panthers made a run at hiring Andrew Berry, but the Eagles blocked them because the position did not include roster control. Ultimately, Berry became the Browns’ new GM, where he’ll have say over the 53-man roster.