NFC Mailbag Roundup: Cowboys, Packers
Thanks to ESPN dedicating a seasoned reporter to each NFL team, there’s never a shortage for content. Today is mailbag day, where the reporters answer Twitter questions from fans in posts on the ESPN NFL Nation site. We’ve perused the mailbags and are bringing you the most relevant information from the NFC:
- Todd Archer thinks $11MM a year for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant might be a little high, in part because of the money tied up in quarterback Tony Romo. However, if the contract is structured in such a way to encourage Bryant to prove it every year — with yearly roster bonuses, for example — it would make more sense.
- Rob Demovsky takes on the Packers center situation, saying the team can’t pay everyone big money on the offensive line. Guards T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton are each on their second contracts, while tackles Bryan Bulaga and Derek Sherrod earn first-round pick salaries. Demovsky pegs center candidate J.C. Tretter as “smart, athletic, extremely versatile and a tough guy,” and says Don Barclay and possibly a draft pick with challenge Tretter for the job.
- In an interesting bit of news, Demovsky reports that the Packers will gain $350K in salary-cap space for this season and every season through 2017 thanks to an insurance policy that kicked in when quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with a fractured left clavicle.
- Cornerback Charles Godfrey currently carries a $7.1MM salary cap figure, and David Newton says the Panthers want Godfrey on the roster, but not at that number. Godfrey suffered an Achilles injury in Week 2 that prematurely ended his 2013 season, and his recovery from the injury will go a long way to figuring out his status on the team.
- Mike Triplett says there’s probably a “good chance” the Saints will add another veteran receiver.
- Michael Rothstein does not agree with the Lions‘ choice to not exercise the defensive tackle’s $5.5MM option for 2015.
- Dan Graziano says North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron “remains a strong possibility” for the Giants with the No. 12 overall pick.
- Ryan Clark remains an option at free safety for the Redskins, John Keim writes, adding that he thinks the team will draft someone at the position.
- Ben Goessling doesn’t think the Vikings were willing to spend what the Giants ended up spending for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
More DeSean Jackson Rumors: Saturday
SATURDAY, 11:27am: Add the Redskins and Bills to the teams with interest in Jackson, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
10:30am: Schefter tweets that nine teams have now inquired on Jackson.
10:27am: At least seven teams expressed interest in Jackson’s services on Friday, Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that Jets GM John Idzik did not. The Raiders have been researching Jackson for weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and the team isn’t in a hurry to make a rash decision.
FRIDAY, 7:23pm: The Eagles officially informed DeSean Jackson of his release on Friday, and we’ve already rounded up one set of links dealing with the aftermath of that decision. Of course, with one of the league’s most explosive wide receivers now on the open market, plenty more rumors have followed, so let’s dive and check out the latest….
- Unsurprisingly, the Bears won’t be among the teams pursuing Jackson, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune confirms.
- As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted earlier this afternoon, six teams called to inquire on Jackson shortly after news broke that the Eagles were cutting him, and that number could increase.
- Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Chiefs were one of those teams that reached out to Jackson’s reps.
- There are definitely people within the Jets‘ organization that have interest in Jackson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. However, Mehta adds that it’s not clear how interested owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik are.
- In addition to the Chiefs and Jets, the Raiders are in the mix, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source connected to a team with interest in Jackson tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that “the gang stuff [reported by NJ.com] is totally overblown,” but that there are legitimate concerns about potential attitude issues.
- The Cardinals have zero interest in Jackson, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), and the same can be said about the Buccaneers, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Despite Ron Rivera‘s comments to USA Today earlier in the day, the Panthers also aren’t interested in signing Jackson, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Person, who says the team made the decision before the receiver was even released, tweets that Rivera wasn’t trying to “play games” — he just made what he believed were innocuous comments, not realizing the impact.
- The entire ESPN.com team of beat writers has assessed the likelihood of Jackson landing with their respective clubs.
Fallout From DeSean Jackson’s Release
After weeks of trade rumors, the Eagles officially parted ways with DeSean Jackson today, releasing him after they couldn’t find a satisfactory deal. In the wake of the move and a report from NJ.com that suggested the team was concerned about the receiver’s possible gang ties, Jackson has issued a statement, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter details. It reads, in part:
“I would like to make it very clear that I am not and never have been part of any gang. I am not a gang member and to speculate and assume that I am involved in such activity off the field is reckless and irresponsible.”
As Jackson works to clear his name and assuage the concerns of potential suitors, here’s a round-up of several links related to his release:
- At least four teams reached out to agent Joel Segal within a half-hour of Jackson being released, according to Schefter (via Twitter), who says talks are ongoing. Schefter added in a later tweet that the number of clubs inquiring on Jackson is now up to six and counting.
- It’s not entirely clear yet which teams are in the mix for Jackson, but several writers expressed a belief that the Seahawks will be in the mix (all Twitter links).
- Based on a conversation he had recently with a Redskins source, John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) would be “shocked” if Washington pursued Jackson.
- Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer says not to expect the Panthers to pursue Jackson, but head coach Ron Rivera tells Jim Corbett of USA Today that his team might have some interest. “He’s an intriguing player and we’ll take a look at him,” Rivera said.
- The Chiefs don’t appear to be a serious contender for Jackson, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Given their track record of giving players second chances, the Bills could emerge as a candidate for Jackson, suggests Tim Graham of the Buffalo News.
- According to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the Eagles didn’t previously know about the contents of NJ.com’s report until this week. Albert Breer of the NFL Network and Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News both suggest (Twitter links) the NJ.com story didn’t make the Eagles decide to release Jackson, but it certainly accelerated the process.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the move from a financial perspective, estimating what sort of salary Jackson might be looking at on a new deal.
- A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the Eagles didn’t designate Jackson as a post-June 1 cut, so it’ll be a $6MM cap hit for the team this year.
- Florio also notes that wide receiver Mike Evans said today that he’ll be visiting the Eagles soon. Evans isn’t likely to be on the board at No. 22 for Philadelphia, but the Eagles’ apparent interest shows they’ll consider drafting a receiver.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Barr, Bucannon, Webster
As mentioned earlier today, the Browns were one of only two teams that weren’t in attendance for Texas A&M’s (or, realistically, Johnny Manziel‘s) Pro Day. This is interesting, considering the team has the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft and has been seeking a franchise quarterback for a very long time. Among those that believe the team will snag a quarterback in the first round is Brown’s wide receiver Josh Gordon. The All-Pro talent said that he was “pretty sure” that his team would select a quarterback, but Gordon did not initially mention Johnny Football. According to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, the receiver instead brought up former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles or Louisville junior Teddy Bridgewater. Of course, Gordon eventually added Manziel to his list, saying the former Heisman winner would “seem to be the top guy on (his) list right now.”
A couple of other notes regarding some NFL prospects…
- Former UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr will meet with the Cowboys, Falcons, Titans and Vikings, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. The meeting with the Falcons is scheduled for this Saturday.
- All-American safety Deone Bucannon will visit the Ravens today and tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The former Washington State Cougar would fit in nicely with a secondary that just lost veteran James Ihedigbo to the Lions.
- Bloomsburg defender Larry Webster has a busy week ahead of him, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). Webster has a visit and workout scheduled with the Lions, a workout scheduled with the Panthers, and visits set up with the Cardinals and Buccaneers.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Fiedorowicz, Lee, Latimer
While plenty of schools have held their Pro Days within the last few weeks, none have included more media members or notable guests than Texas A&M’s, which was attended by former president George H.W. Bush, among others. Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, and the Aggies also attracted interest from most NFL teams, with representatives from 30 clubs showing up to check out the A&M prospects — only the Bears and Browns weren’t in attendance, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
According to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links), GMs for the Jets, Texans, Vikings, Rams, Steelers, Jaguars, Bills, and Lions, along with head coaches for the Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Steelers, Lions, Buccaneers, Eagles, and Raiders were in attendance today.
Meanwhile, Manziel will meet privately with the Texans, Jaguars, Bucs, and Raiders today, as well as the Vikings tomorrow, says Breer (Twitter links). And although the Browns didn’t show up today, they have a private workout lined up with the young quarterback, according to Williams (via Twitter).
Here’s more on the 2014 draft class:
- Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz is scheduled to work out privately for the Cowboys and Texans on Friday, and also has plans to visit the Bucs, Lions, Falcons, and Patriots in the next few weeks, writes Jeff Arnold at ChicagoFootball.com. The Packers and Panthers have also expressed interest in Fiedorowicz, according to the tight end.
- The Ravens are hosting USC wide receiver Marqise Lee for a visit this week, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Albany offensive tackle Kadeem Williams worked out for the Bucs and Chargers, and moved well in positional drills, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link).
- Indiana receiver Cody Latimer has visits lined up with the Panthers, Raiders, Eagles, Bills, and Lions, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter links).
- Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig will work out for the Falcons tomorrow, tweets Pauline.
- The Dolphins are scheduled to work out a pair of Monmouth players, tight end Mike McLafferty and cornerback Tevrin Brandon, according to Pauline (Twitter link).
- Syracuse cornerback Keon Lyn has visits scheduled with the Dolphins, Lions, and Raiders, says Pauline (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Allen, Jackson, Clowney, Spencer
The Jets kept an eye on the Jared Allen situation but never made a firm offer before the defensive end signed with the Bears, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Meanwhile, Rapoport adds (link) that the Raiders actually offered more money than the Bears. Oakland was willing to give Allen a deal worth $9MM per year, but he believed Chicago was the best fit for him. What made Chicago such a good fit for the Pro Bowler? Rapoport says he chose the Bears in part because he has a great deal of faith in Jay Cutler‘s ability to win championships (link). Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
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In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates explores the trade market for Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, identifying the Jets, Raiders, Browns, and Panthers as trade partners that could make sense.
- Texans ownership, coach Bill O’Brien, and General Manager Rick Smith will be meeting and dining with Jadeveon Clowney the night before his South Carolina pro day next week, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- Anthony Spencer remains on the Cowboys radar, but there’s no rush on the part of Dallas or any other club to sign him as the defensive end fights his way back from microfracture surgery on his knee, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Spencer’s representative Jordan Woy says his client, who underwent the surgery last fall and missed the final 13 games of the Cowboys season, is “structurally” sound and now working on his strength and conditioning.
- Bernie Miklasz of the Post-Dispatch likes the Rams‘ signing of Shaun Hill as their veteran backup quarterback for 2014. Hill, he writes, has been one of the better backup QBs in the NFL since getting his first opportunity to start in a relief role for the 49ers in 2007 and now he’ll be reunited in St. Louis with Frank Cignetti, who was the QB coach with SF during Hill’s time there.
- San Jose State cornerback Bené Benwikere, who had 14 interceptions over four seasons, penned a journal entry for USA Today Sports and disclosed that he’s set to work out for the Panthers on April 1st.
- Scouts Walter Juliff and Chris Hall and quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson are expected to be the Cowboys‘ representatives at Johnny Manziel‘s pro day, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Allen, Rams, Bucs, Lions
Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s David Newton, head coach Ron Rivera attempted to clear the air when it came to the Panthers‘ decision to release Steve Smith. While there had been a belief that Smith was viewed as a locker-room distraction, that wasn’t the case, according to Rivera, who said the decision was purely a football one.
“This is not a fly-by-night decision,” Rivera said. “This was not a personal decision…. There was nothing personal about it. I’m a little disappointed that so many people reacted the way they did without truly understanding there was a lot of things that go into this. This was not a willy-nilly, fly-by-night vengeful thing. This was a very calculated [decision].”
Here’s more from around the NFC, with a focus on head coaches’ comments from Orlando….
- Rivera also made it clear this morning that the Panthers will be drafting at least one receiver, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who originally reported that Jared Allen was expected to sign with the Seahawks, hears from the defensive end that the Bears entered the mix for him at the last minute.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters today, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), that his team hasn’t had trade talks involving the No. 2 pick at this point. Of course, that’s not to say discussions won’t occur at some point.
- The Rams will host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a private workout, according to Fisher (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
- Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links) passes along a couple highlights from Lovie Smith‘s conversation with the media today. According to the Buccaneers head coach, the team feels good about Josh McCown and Mike Glennon but could add another quarterback in the draft. Smith also said that extending Gerald McCoy‘s contract is a priority: “We want him around for a long time.”
- Before tight end Jim Dray signed with the Browns, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was very interested in bringing Dray back to the Cardinals, tweets Nate Ulrich.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the club would like to add a pass-rushing outside linebacker, and are looking for “a little bit different flavor” rusher to pair with Ezekiel Ansah, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- Caldwell and Lions GM Martin Mayhew will both attend Texas A&M’s Pro Day tomorrow to check out wide receiver Mike Evans, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
Rams Favorites To Sign Kenny Britt?
Free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt appears to be narrowing down his options, and Rams GM Les Snead believes Britt will ultimately decide on St. Louis. In an interview with Pro Football Talk, Snead pegged his team’s chances of signing Britt at “better than 50%.”
Although a number of Titans players have been linked to St. Louis, where former Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher is now working, the Rams aren’t the only team in the mix for Britt. The wide receiver has also visited the Redskins, Bills, and Patriots, and has drawn interest from the Seahawks and Panthers, as we heard earlier this week.
Pats owner Robert Kraft said New England won’t be signing Britt, and Titans GM Ruston Webster confirmed to PFT’s Mike Florio that the 25-year-old won’t be back in Tennessee. However, that still leaves the Redskins and Bills as potential threats to the Rams. It’s not clear whether there’s serious mutual interest between Britt and the Seahawks or Panthers.
Britt, a former first-round pick, has seen his first few NFL seasons frequently derailed by injuries and off-field issues, but still has plenty of upside. In 2010, arguably his best season, he racked up 775 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in just 12 contests.
NFC Notes: Newton, Cowboys, Suh, Rams
Although the Panthers would like to eventually reach an agreement with quarterback Cam Newton that keeps him in Carolina for several years, for now the club expects to take advantage of its fifth-year option for 2015, GM Dave Gettleman confirmed today. As a top-10 pick in 2011, Newton will be in line for a fifth-year salary worth the amount of the quarterback transition tag. Here are a few more updates from across the NFC:
- Like the Panthers, the Cowboys hope to lock up their own 2011 first-rounder, Tyron Smith, for the long-term, but in the meantime, “all signs point to” the club exercising its fifth-year option for 2015 on Smith, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dismissed the idea that his team is in rebuilding mode, as Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com details.
- Lions president Tom Lewand confirmed today that he has been in contact with Jimmy Sexton, the agent for Ndamukong Suh. However, the two sides won’t meet in Orlando to discuss an extension for Suh, since Lewand doesn’t believe it’s an ideal setting to do business (Twitter links via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
- Jimmy Graham of the Saints and Greg Hardy of the Panthers are still on the franchise tag for now, but Saints owner Tom Benson is very confident New Orleans will work out a multiyear deal with Graham sooner or later, writes Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune. As for Hardy, Gettleman says the Panthers are letting the smoke clear before revisiting a potential long-term contract for the star defensive end, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com.
- Although the Rams may have some interest in Mark Sanchez, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes that interest is tepid at best.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that both players the Rams signed on Monday received minimum-salary deals, with Greg Reid inking a three-year contract and Etienne Sabino signing for one year. Neither pact included a bonus.
Contract Details: Vick, Campbell, Jenkins
The one-year deal Michael Vick inked with the Jets is worth a guaranteed $4MM, including a $2MM signing bonus and $2MM guaranteed base salary, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract was originally reported as a $5MM pact, so perhaps there are incentives related to playing time or performance.
Here are several more contract details from around the NFL:
- Jason Campbell‘s one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Bengals features a $400K signing bonus, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Mike Jenkins also received $1.5MM on a one-year contract from the Buccaneers, but Jenkins’ salary is fully guaranteed, as Fitzgerald details.
- Darian Stewart signed a one-year, $1.3MM contract with the Ravens, with a $300K signing bonus, tweets Pelissero.
- Pelissero and Fitzgerald have also provided details on a number of other contracts, including Devin Hester‘s three-year, $9MM contract with the Falcons (Twitter/OTC chart), Tiquan Underwood‘s two-year, $2.1MM contract with the Panthers (Twitter/OTC chart), and Charles Woodson‘s one-year, $3.5MM pact with the Raiders (Twitter/OTC chart).
- Bruce Miller’s three-year contract extension with the 49ers created $300K+ in 2014 cap savings for the club, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Maiocco also has the details on Miller’s contract, which is worth $6.831MM over the next four years.
- Lance Moore‘s two-year deal with the Steelers includes non-guaranteed base salaries of $855K (2014) and $1.5MM (2015), tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- John Jerry‘s contract with the Giants is a minimum salary benefit deal, according to OverTheCap.com.