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Eagles Acquire Kenjon Barner From Panthers

By | at August 20, 2014 8:30 am

WEDNESDAY, 8:30am: According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Barner will need to be on the Eagles’ active 46-man roster in at least four games this year in order for the Panthers to receive the seventh-round pick in the deal.

TUESDAY, 8:53pm: The Eagles have acquired running back Kenjon Barner from the Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2015 seventh-round draft choice, the Eagles announced in a press release. Barner played under Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly while at Oregon, who praised Barner in a statement:

“Kenjon will hopefully bring some depth to both our running back and return positions,” said Kelly. “He’s obviously a guy I know really well from Oregon, where he had a very productive career. He has a lot of speed, explosiveness and had a knack for making some really big plays. But our plan with him right now is get him in Philadelphia as soon as we can and plug him in at running back and returner and let him compete.”

Barner, 25, was a sixth-round choice by Carolina in last year’s draft. He didn’t play much, registering just 24 offensive snaps and 28 on special teams (per Football Outsiders). However, as Kelly notes, speed is the name of Barner’s game, as he ran multiple sub-4.4 40-yard-dashes leading up to the draft. Barner will probably feel comfortable after being reunited with his college coach, but as ESPN’s Adam Caplan notes (via Twitter), Kelly’s NFL playbook has a few tweaks, a lesson fellow ex-Duck Josh Huff learned early on in training camp.

With the Eagles, Barner will fight for a backup running back position behind LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles. Chris Polk, currently third on the depth chart, is battling an injury, and as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, the acquisition of Barner probably doesn’t bode well for Polk as he tries to make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster. However, Jeff McLlane of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds (Twitter link) that the Eagles likely added Barner to cover for the potential special teams loss of Huff (who is also injured), rather than to push Polk.

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South Notes: Watt, Colts, Baker, Newton

By | at August 19, 2014 10:13 pm

While J.J. Watt would like to hammer out an extension with the Texans, he hasn’t considered holding out in order to get a larger payday. Speaking to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (multiple Twitter links), Watt said he wouldn’t use his leverage against the team. “[T]hat would cause me to miss time with my teammates,” said Watt. “I want to practice. I want to be out here with these young guys. I want to teach them the things that I know. I want to better myself. It hasn’t really come to to that. I want to be a Houston Texan. I want to be the best I can be and I can’t do that by sitting on my couch.” More from the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • Free agent linebacker Trevardo Williams worked out for the Colts today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Williams was waived by the Cardinals on August 8, and has also spent time on the Texans’ roster this offseason.
  • Following his season-ending patellar tendon injury, Sam Baker‘s future with the Falcons looks a bit murky. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap looks at Baker’s unworkable (from Atlanta’s perspective) contract, and goes through the options the team might survey when looking to lower the tackle’s future cap hits.
  • After fellow 2011 draftees Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton received new deals, it’s only a matter of time until the Panthers sign Cam Newton to an extension, writes Ari Nissim of the National Football Post. Nissim notes that because Carolina gave defensive end Charles Johnson a $30MM signing bonus, it might be difficult for them offer Newton a bonus that’s less than $40MM.
  • The Saints have not been clear about the specifics of fullback Erik Lorig‘s injury, but it sounds like they’re getting set to be without the free agent addition when the regular season begins. “Our preparation’s got to be with the idea that, as Erik’s rehabbing, we’ve got to be ready to have a fullback Week 1, with the chance it’s not going to be Erik,” head coach Sean Payton told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. “And so both [Greg Jones and Austin Johnson] are competing.”
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Poll: Which Coach Will Be Fired First?

By | at August 16, 2014 10:00 pm

Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been on the hot seat for a while, with a myriad of 8-8 finishes on his coaching résumé. He has finished with eight wins in each of his three full seasons as the team’s coach, after going 5-3 taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. Garrett’s odds of being the first coach fired are set at 2/1, according to Bovada Sportsbook.

However, Garrett is far from the only coach who should be worried about his job. Raiders‘ coach Dennis Allen (4/1 odds) has been given the organizational mandate to win some football games, despite being saddled with below average talent on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie might have to fire Allen in order to buy himself some time to improve the depth chart.

Dolphins‘ coach Joe Philbin (7/1), Bills‘ coach Doug Marrone (8/1), and Jaguars‘ coach Gus Bradley (12/1) have yet to take their teams to the playoffs, and their owners will only accept that for so long.

Jets‘ coach Rex Ryan (10/1), Bengals‘ coach Marvin Lewis (20/1), and Falcon’s coach Mike Smith (20/1) are all in danger of being fired if they miss the playoffs in 2014, following various levels of disappointment over the past few seasons. Panthers‘ coach Ron Rivera (20/1), who is coming off a 12-4 season, but is set to take a step back, is also a possibility if the season goes south early.

Who Will Be The First Coach Fired?

  • Jason Garrett (Cowboys) 34% (230)
  • Dennis Allen (Raiders) 25% (165)
  • Rex Ryan (Jets) 16% (104)
  • Joe Philbin (Dolphins) 13% (90)
  • Other 8% (51)
  • Doug Marrone (Bills) 4% (27)

Total votes: 667

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NFC Notes: Bryant, Underwood, Lattimore

By | at August 15, 2014 9:13 pm

Even after signing a deal that pays him an average of $4.75MM per season with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Red Bryant still isn’t happy about the way his tenure with the Seahawks ended. “It’s football,’’ Bryant told Terry Blount of ESPN.com. “What have you did for me lately? I guess what [Chris Clemons and I] did for them lately wasn’t good enough anymore.” Seattle, in part, let Bryant go in order to retain a far superior talent in Michael Bennett, but it’s not surprising to see a player a bit miffed at his former team. Let’s look at some more notes from the NFC:

  • Though Tiquan Underwood has struggled to distinguish himself during his time with the Panthers, the team is not yet giving up on him, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Head coach Ron Rivera said the 27-year-old has “a skill set [Carolina would] like to have,” but if Underwood can’t crack the Panthers depleted receiving corps, his NFL future could be in doubt.
  • 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore is almost a year removed from a suffering a gruesome knee injury while at South Carolina, but San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh says the young ball-carrier still isn’t ready for practice. “He’s been doing well,” Harbaugh told Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “There’s been gains, but that’s where we’re at – not quite there yet.”
  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes it’s possible that Rolando McClain “shakes things up” at linebacker, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Reports yesterday indicated that Bruce Carter could be losing his handle on Dallas’ weakside linebacker job, so perhaps McClain summon some of the talent that made him the No. 8 overall pick in 2010.
  • Chris Brown of Grantland pens an interesting look at Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, detailing not only the former Oregon head man’s offensive philosophies, but his unique approaches to sport science, nutrition, and practice regimens.
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Quintin Mikell Mulling Retirement

By | at August 13, 2014 10:01 pm

Free agent Quintin Mikell may have played his final game. The longtime Eagles safety told Michael Barkann of CSNPhilly.com that he’s looking into retirement.

“I just had surgery a couple months ago on my foot and just kind of got back healthy there,” he said. “It’s not official but I think it’s done.”

When asked if it was possible that he might return to the league, and possibly the Eagles, Mikell said it would have to be the right situation for him to come back. The 33-year-old, who spent eight years in Philly, played 14 games with the Panthers last season after being picked up on a one-year contract. However, the veteran suffered a right foot injury in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the 49ers that required offseason surgery.

In eleven total seasons with the Eagles, Rams, and Panthers, Mikell played in 169 games, made 103 starts, and notches 545 tackles with 12 interceptions.

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Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Marciano, Chiefs

By | at August 10, 2014 12:54 pm

As teams try to improve upon their performances from the first week of preseason games, let’s take a look at some links from around the league:

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NFC South Links: Bell, Griffin, Robinson

By | at August 9, 2014 9:48 pm

The Panthers‘ offensive line had a poor showing in their first preseason game, getting dominated by the Bills’ defensive line, writes Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer. Granted, the team was without their top two running backs, the unit was unable to open holes for their running game. The offensive line was one of the biggest questions heading into 2014, especially without finding a legitimate replacement for Jordan Gross, who retired unexpectedly this offseason.

Here are some other links from around the NFC South:

  • Byron Bell filled in at left tackle for the Panthers and did not allow any sacks, but has not locked himself into the starting job just yet, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. Nate Chandler, who took the position on the second team, did give up a sack fumble, and the depth for the unit is not good.
  • The Saints might have found a long-term backup to Drew Brees in second year man Ryan Griffin out of Tulane, writes Chris Wessling of NFL’s Around the League (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints agree with Wessling’s assesment (via Twitter).
  • Patrick Robinson is holding on to the Saints‘ second starting cornerback job, after a strong showing against the Rams, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Corey White is entrenched as the nickel corner, and with Champ Bailey struggling with injury and second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste struggling with performance, it has become Robinson’s job to lose.
  • The Falcons are getting safety Dwight Lowery and linebacker Pat Angerer back from concussion, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, as part of his training camp report.
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Extra Points: Burnett, Long, Adams

By | at August 8, 2014 6:59 pm

ESPN’s staff put together a list of each team’s starter whose job is in jeopardy. Among the most notable are 49ers running back Frank Gore, Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus and Packers safety Morgan Burnett. On Burnett, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky says, “When the Packers drafted Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the first round, the thinking was that he would start alongside Burnett. Now, there’s a chance he could start instead of Burnett. Coach Mike McCarthy likes what Micah Hyde has done at free safety, and when Burnett strained his oblique muscle this week, he put Clinton-Dix in Burnett’s strong safety spot. The Packers made a major investment in Burnett last summer with an $8.25 million signing bonus as part of a four-year extension, but he followed it with an unproductive season.”

Here’s a few miscellaneous links from around the league:

  • Panthers veteran linebacker Chase Blackburn is on that list, as second-year man A.J. Klein is pushing for the starting job, but Blackburn is embracing his role as mentor, writes Scott Fowler in the Charlotte Observer.
  • With the Eagles in Chicago to play the Bears tonight, Zach Berman of Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the relationship between Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who helped Long get his career back on track during their time together at Oregon.
  • The Steelers were hoping 2012 second-rounder Mike Adams would challenge for a starting tackle job, but that’s not happening, writes ESPN’s Scott Brown. Adams has been inconsistent, and “It would be charitable to put Adams among the Steelers’ best seven offensive linemen through the first 11 practices,” according to Brown. Adams started 10-of-15 games played last season, but struggled and “earned” a -4.9 overall rating from Pro Football Focus.
  • Cowboys rookie safety Ahmad Dixon’s ‘Welcome to the NFL’ hit left him with a concussion, reports Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.
  • The Seahawks’ secondary has established itself as the “Legion of Boom.” The Buccaneers are trying to establish the offensive equivalent, with the trio of Vincent Jackson, first-rounder Mike Evans and second-rounder Austin Seferian-Jenkins going by the “Three Dunkateers,” writes USA Today’s Jim Corbett.
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Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

By | at August 6, 2014 7:34 pm

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a fifth-round pick (No. 148) from the Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 168) and a seventh-round pick (No. 225).

Draft picks:

  • Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State (1.28): Signed
  • Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri (2.60): Signed
  • Trai Turner, G, LSU (3.92): Signed
  • Tre Boston, S, North Carolina (4.128): Signed
  • Bene’ Benwikere, CB, San Jose State (5.148): Signed
  • Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford (6.204): Signed, then waived

Other:

Without a question, more attention was paid to what the Panthers lost this offseason than the additions that they made. That’ll happen when you part ways with your all-time leading receiver and face of the franchise.

There were rumblings in March that the Panthers would look to get out from under Steve Smith‘s contract either via trade or release. On March 13th, after they were unable to find a suitable deal, they dropped Smith and designated him as a post-June 1st cut, which will stretch some of the dead money out to 2015. While fans were upset to see Smith, who amassed 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving during his time in Carolina, get the ax, it was a move that made sense considering that the 35-year-old is no longer a No. 1 receiver. Longtime teammate Brandon LaFell will also be plying his craft elsewhere and Ted Ginn Jr. wasn’t retained even though he became a bigger part of the passing game in 2013.

Carolina’s all-new receiving corps has potential but inarguably has less star power without Smith. Jerricho Cotchery, who was once viewed as a top option with the Jets, came to Carolina after spending the last three seasons with the Steelers. The 31-year-old is coming off of his best season in years as he recorded 46 receptions and 602 receiving yards with a career-high 10 touchdowns. It’s a five-year, $8.0155MM deal, but it has just $2.25MM guaranteed and the final three years of the pact are voidable. Cotchery alone won’t replace the production of Smith but he comes at a considerably lower cost and little risk.

Joining Cotchery in the new receiver stable will be former Rutgers speedster Tiquan Underwood and ex-Eagles mainstay Jason Avant. The most important WR addition, however, came in the draft when the Panthers tabbed Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin with the 28th overall pick. Benjamin doesn’t have a long history of dominance, but the Florida State product has looked sharp so far in training camp and boasts tremendous size. He could very well be the Panthers’ No. 1 passing option when all is said and done this season.

The Panthers lost another longtime mainstay in offensive tackle Jordan Gross. The 33-year-old spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers and consistently graded out as one of the league’s best tackles. One might have expected Carolina to replace Gross with a similarly experienced and talented tackle, but they didn’t quite do that. Right tackle Byron Bell, who was retained with a restricted free agent tender, or the newly-extended Nate Chandler will be expected to step up and fill his shoes, but it would be surprising if they could protect Cam Newton‘s blindside better than Gross did. Longtime Panthers lineman Travelle Wharton also decided to hang ’em up this offseason.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers used the franchise tag on defensive end Greg Hardy and did not reach a long-term deal with him prior to the March 11th deadline. The 25-year-old has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, and ranked as the third-best and sixth-best 4-3 defensive end in those two years, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Still, given his off-the-field troubles, the Panthers are surely having second thoughts about making a long-term commitment to him. Speaking of the defensive end position, the Panthers used their second round choice on Missouri DE Kony Ealy. Ealy might be a couple of years away from producing, but it’s believed that he has tremendous upside. To fulfill his potential, he’ll have to start eating and lifting a whole lot more than he has been.

Mike Mitchell left Carolina to team up with Troy Polamalu in Pittsburgh and the Panthers used this as an opportunity to make changes at both safety spots. Longtime Saints notable Roman Harper will man the strong safety position while Thomas DeCoud is slotted in as either the No. 1 or No. 2 free safety. The 31-year-old Harper only started five games for the Saints in 2013 and became the odd man out when the team signed Jairus Byrd to pair with Kenny Vaccaro at safety, but he’s out to prove he has plenty of quality football left. DeCoud’s role, whether it will be as a starter or as a swing defensive back, will depend on what Carolina does with Charles Godfrey. Godfrey is coming off of Achilles surgery and could either start at FS or move around in the secondary in a reserve role. While DeCoud started for the Falcons for the last five years and is a former Pro Bowler, he had by far the worst season of his career in 2013. The 29-year-old racked up just 44 tackles and failed to intercept a pass for the first time since becoming a starter. 

While the Panthers will have to think things over when it comes to Hardy and his future in Carolina, they’ll also have to give some thought to what kind of offer they’ll want to make to star quarterback Cam Newton. The price for quarterbacks has soared this offseason thanks to lucrative deals for the likes of Jay Cutler and Alex Smith. This week, however, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton appears to have set the watermark for the “middle class” quarterback with his six-year, $96MM extension. While many would argue that Newton is a greater talent than Dalton, the deal didn’t continue the trend of truly mammoth contracts and doesn’t help Cam’s case. For now, the Panthers exercised Newton’s $14.666MM option for the 2015 season so they’ll have time to work something out before he can hit the open market.

The Panthers’ offseason wasn’t pretty thanks to a less-than-desirable cap situation and one has to wonder if their new receiving corps and the offensive line sans Jordan Gross can put them where they want to be in 2014.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

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Extension Candidate: Cam Newton

By | at August 5, 2014 12:10 pm

After nearly a full offseason without a 2011 first-round draft pick signing a contract extension, a pair of players kicked things off once training camp got underway, as cornerback Patrick Peterson inked a long-term deal with the Cardinals, followed by offensive tackle Tyron Smith doing the same with the Cowboys. Still, the introduction of the fifth-year option for first-round picks has slowed – or at least delayed – negotiations for most of the first-rounders from 2011, the best of whom are now locked up through 2015 thanks to those options.Cam Newton

It has created something of a paradox, as the star players perhaps most deserving of new deals still don’t have them, while 2011 draftees selected in later rounds have more leverage to get something done. In recent weeks, two noteworthy quarterbacks drafted in 2011 have signed new contracts, as Colin Kaepernick reached a long-term agreement with the 49ers, and Andy Dalton put pen to paper to remain with the Bengals. Both Kaepernick and Dalton were second-round picks, meaning they were entering contract years. On the other hand, 2011’s first overall pick, Cam Newton, is currently under contract through 2015 after Carolina exercised his fifth-year option, which gives the team an extra year to work something out.

Nonetheless, even if Newton and the Panthers aren’t likely to announce a new deal before the calendar turns over to 2015, the 25-year-old is a strong candidate to receive a contract extension at some point. So it’s worth exploring what sort of deal he may eventually sign.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Newton took over his club’s starting job from day one, having started all 48 games for the Panthers over the course of his three NFL seasons. The Auburn product was also effective immediately, racking up over 4,000 passing yards and running for an incredible 14 touchdowns in his rookie season — he has yet to match or surpass either total. Still, while Newton’s first season may have been his most impressive statistically, he has helped the Panthers steadily improve in the years since, going from six wins in 2011 to seven in 2012 before leading the team to an NFC South crown with a 12-4 record in 2013.

Newton is the Panthers’ quarterback of the future — the team is confident of that much. And that simple fact means the floor on his next contract should be fairly high. It’s hard to argue, for instance, that Newton should receive any less than Dalton, who agreed to a six-year, $96MM pact that can be worth up to $115MM depending on whether the Bengals have postseason success with Dalton at the controls. Still, the structure of Dalton’s contract makes it fairly team-friendly, allowing Cincinnati to part ways with him cheaply after two or three seasons if the club isn’t happy with his progress. Newton seems more likely to push for the kind of deals signed by the likes of Jay Cutler and Tony Romo — not only is the annual base value on those extensions a little higher (around $18MM per year), but the up-front guarantees ($38-40MM) are significantly more sizable than the ones earned by Dalton and Kaepernick.

Cutler and Romo signed those contracts despite not having extensive postseason success, so Newton’s lack of playoff experience shouldn’t necessarily hurt his leverage significantly. But Newton also hasn’t posted the kind of huge regular season passing numbers that Romo has — over the last three years, the Cowboys’ quarterback has averaged 4,305 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and just 13 interceptions, compared to 3,766, 21, and 14 for Newton.

A key issue in negotiations between Newton and the Panthers will be the question of how much value his running ability adds to his overall worth. With 28 rushing touchdowns in three years, Newton essentially makes up the difference between his and Romo’s passing TD totals with his legs. However, a quarterback’s ability to run the ball usually takes a hit as he ages, and if the Panthers want to commit to Newton for five or six additional seasons, they’ll need to consider how long his rushing ability will help compensate for his middling passing production, or whether they expect those passing skills to improve.

As is, Newton has ranked among Pro Football Focus’ top 15 quarterbacks in each of his first three seasons (subscription required), but he has also posted the lowest passing grade among the top 15 in all three seasons — overall, PFF has assigned Newton a +39.0 career grade for his running, compared to a -2.4 career mark for his passing. By comparison, Ryan Fitzpatrick (0.0), Eli Manning (-0.3), and Kellen Clemens (-0.6) were among the quarterbacks with better passing grades than Newton in 2013.

With negotiations between Newton and the Panthers unlikely to significantly ramp up until after the 2014 season, one also has to wonder if Newton’s value could dip between now and then. So far, the 25-year-old has avoided big hits and has stayed very healthy, but running quarterbacks are generally more likely to be injured than pocket passers. Additionally, even if Newton plays another 16 games this season, his offensive weapons are a little lacking, after the club saw receivers Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, Ted Ginn, and Domenik Hixon depart via free agency. First-round pick Kelvin Benjamin should help, and free agent signees Jerricho Cotchery and Jason Avant are reliable enough, but the group probably won’t strike fear into many cornerbacks’ hearts. Although Newton should still post solid numbers, his overhauled receiving corps limits his chances at a breakout year.

Ultimately, despite the fact that he was a No. 1 pick, Newton looks more likely to be rewarded with a contract extension in the Kapernick/Dalton mold rather than signing a Cutler/Romo-esque deal. I expect Newton to land a little more guaranteed money than Kaepernick or Dalton did, in part because the Panthers’ lack of cap flexibility may encourage the team to include a larger signing bonus with smaller first- and second-year salaries. To this point though, Newton hasn’t shown quite enough to be considered among the league’s elite signal-callers, particularly when so much of his value hinges on his running ability. Of course, one could argue that Cutler and Romo shouldn’t be grouped with the NFL’s elite QBs either, which is a fair point. But based on the way the tide seems to have shifted following Kaepernick’s and Dalton’s signings, it could be an uphill battle for Newton to avoid agreeing to a contract with similar parameters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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