NFL Pro Bowlers In Contract Years
The NFL announced its Pro Bowlers for the 2015 season on Tuesday night, and while those rosters will certainly undergo some changes in the coming weeks – as players with injuries or on Super Bowl teams bow out and are replaced by alternates – it’s worth noting that several players in this initial crop are in contract years, and will be eligible for free agency this winter.
Currently, there are eight players in contract years among the Pro Bowlers, and not all of them are players you might expect. When we ranked the top free agents of 2016 earlier this month, we placed Bears wideout Alshon Jeffery second overall, but Jeffery didn’t get a Pro Bowl nod, partly due to the injuries that have slowed him down this season, and partly due to the star-studded group of receivers he was up against.
Similarly, our list of this offseason’s top 10 potential free agents included a pair of left tackles, Russell Okung of the Seahawks and Cordy Glenn of the Bills. However, given the strong group of left tackles that are locked up to long-term deals – including Tyron Smith (Cowboys), Jason Peters (Eagles), Joe Thomas (Browns), and others – neither Okung nor Glenn could crack the initial Pro Bowl roster.
Here are the eight potential free agents who earned Pro Bowl berths:
- Eric Berry, S (Chiefs)
- Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers)
- Von Miller, OLB (Broncos)
- Reggie Nelson, S (Bengals)
- Josh Norman, CB (Panthers)
- Mike Tolbert, FB (Panthers)
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DL (Jets)
- Charles Woodson, S (Raiders)
Berry, Miller, Norman, and Wilkerson earned spots on our top-10 list, and each of those four standout players should be in line for either the franchise tag or a lucrative long-term contract. However, the extension cases for the other four players on this list aren’t quite to cut-and-dried.
Woodson, of course, has an expiring contract, but isn’t expected to sign another one, having announced earlier this week that he’ll retire after the season. That takes him out of the extension equation entirely.
Martin is having an excellent bounce-back season in Tampa Bay, and is the most logical candidate to receive the biggest free agent deal for a running back this offseason. As we saw last winter though, not many running backs sign massive free agent contracts, and 2015’s biggest deal – DeMarco Murray‘s – won’t exactly encourage teams to invest heavily at the position. So there’s a ceiling on how much Martin will earn this winter, despite his Pro Bowl berth.
Nelson and Tolbert are interesting cases. Nelson’s counting stats (an NFL-best eight interceptions) and Pro Football Focus grades (10th among safeties) suggest he’s had a very strong year, but he’ll also be entering his age-33 season, so it’s fair to question whether he’s deserving of a contract in the range of the ones that Berry and perhaps Eric Weddle will sign.
As for Tolbert, his Pro Bowl nod comes at one of the league’s least-valued positions, and he’s also now on the wrong side of 30, which is generally bad news for running backs. I expect he’ll draw interest from plenty of teams if the Panthers don’t lock him up, but as a 30-year-old fullback, his earning potential is limited.
One more player worth mentioning is Browns center Alex Mack. Technically, Mack still has three years remaining on his contract, but he’ll have the opportunity to opt out this winter, and coming off a Pro Bowl season, there’s a good chance he’ll take advantage of that option.
Ultimately, these eight players – plus Mack – aren’t likely to get a huge boost to their annual salaries on their next contracts simply because they made the Pro Bowl. In fact, Tuesday’s Pro Bowl announcement may very well have a more tangible impact on players with Pro Bowl bonuses in their current contracts.
Still, you can bet that the representatives for these potential free agents will be sure to point to this year’s Pro Bowl roster to help make their case that their clients are among the best players in the NFL at their respective positions.
Extra Points: Draft, Rams, Chargers, LA
After recently taking a tumble from a hotel window, Mississippi defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche has been suspended for his team’s upcoming bowl game, Daniel Paulling and Hugh Kellenberger of The Clarion-Ledger report. It’s not all bad news for Ndemkiche, however, as the junior announced that he’s forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Once a projected first-round pick, it’s unclear how recent off-field issues will affect his stock.
Here’s more from around the league…
- Another underclassmen, Rutgers linebacker Steve Longa, is also throwing his hat in the draft ring, as he tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com. Longa, who has posted three consecutive 100-tackle seasons, says he did receive information on his draft stock from the league’s advisory board, but declined to share those specifics.
- Ground has been broken at Hollywood Park in California, and now the only question is whether the Rams will move west, as Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times write. Rams owner Stan Kroenke, who is building the arena, plans to move ahead with its construction regardless of his club’s status. NFL owners are expected to meet in mid-January, and could vote to approve the project.
- League sources tell Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that neither LA plan – the Rams in Inglewood or the Raiders/Chargers in Carson – has enough owner support to pass, but each could get enough anti-votes to ensure that it does not get approved. An extra year in San Diego, write Acee, could be exactly what the Chargers need in order to make their case to stay in the area long-term.
West Rumors: Chargers, Raiders, Manning, Tomsula
With the Cardinals and Seahawks having traded places in the standings from last season’s playoff bracket, the NFC West has been settled. The AFC West, suddenly, hasn’t, as the Chiefs are now one game back of the reeling Broncos and hold the tiebreaker.
Here’s what’s developing out of the Western teams’ locales as Week 15 concludes.
- Between six and 14 owners have yet to decide which way they’ll vote on the relocation issue in January, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The majority of the six owners who comprise the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities, however, are behind the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson-based project, and their opinion will have the most sway among the 32 voters, Acee offers. San Diego, in the NFL’s opinion, being unlikely to approve public funding to be allocated toward a new Chargers stadium provides a significant stumbling block in the city’s efforts to retain the team.
- Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wonders if the Raiders, who have expressed no desire to replace the Rams in St. Louis, would consider a San Diego relocation if the city became serious about financing a new stadium. With the Chargers, in Florio’s view, not being inclined to wait on the city to decide on a stadium solution in order to find a more-lucrative landing spot in Los Angeles, the city won’t merely shut down football operations. Like Baltimore and St. Louis after the cities lost their teams in 1984 and 1988, respectively, Florio expects San Diego to keep pushing to land a team if the Chargers depart.
- Gary Kubiak is open to Peyton Manning returning next week at less than 100%, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. “Absolutely. We are trying to work him back to where he feels like he can go play, and go be himself,” Kubiak said. “That’s been the plan all along but we are not there yet.” The first-year Broncos coach’s view of Manning’s health led him to maintain the status quo of Brock Osweiler atop the depth chart going into this week’s practices. Osweiler failed to lead the Broncos to any second-half points in their past three games.
- 49ers first-year coach Jim Tomsula appears to be safe, with the team in full-on rebuilding mode, after a rocky debut, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. Although owner Jed York told media, “We’ll talk about everything at the end of the season,” CBS sideline reporter Jay Feely‘s conversation with 49ers COO Al Guido can be interpreted as the 49ers showing faith in Tomsula’s process. “They knew what they were getting into when they had all the defections,” Feely said, describing Guido’s view of the offseason chaos that consumed the team. “(Guido) said they underestimated a little bit the impact that it had in the locker room, specifically the lack of leadership. . . But I think they’re confident with Jim Tomsula going forward.”
Charles Woodson To Retire After Season
Charles Woodson held a press conference tonight and announced the Raiders’ final two games in 2015 will be his last, via Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com (on Twitter).
One of the league’s best defensive backs throughout his 18-year tenure with the Raiders and Packers, Woodson will almost certainly be a Hall of Famer after making eight Pro Bowls thus far and earning first-team All-Pro recognition three times.
Woodson signed an extension with the Raiders in January, but the 39-year-old safety’s contract expires after this season. He’s playing on a $4.2MM cap number after signing a one-year, $3.2MM pact to stay with the Raiders.
He announced the decision to conclude his career tonight so Raiders fans can enter Thursday night’s home finale against the Chargers 
knowing it will be Woodson’s final game in Oakland.
The versatile and durable defender said his body could have probably held up at 40 had he opted for a 19th season, but Woodson decided he’s ready to move on to something else.
“Honestly, I think physically I could do it — my body has responded. But mentally, it’s not there. It’s not gonna happen,” Woodson said.
The Raiders drafted Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy recipient, with the No. 4 overall pick in the 1998 draft. The former two-way Michigan standout won defensive rookie of the year honors in 1998 and, as a Packers cornerback earned defensive player of the year acclaim in 2009.
A member of the 2000s’ All-Decade team, Woodson has 65 career interceptions, a total that leads all active players and ties him for fifth in NFL history. To illustrate how prodigious Woodson’s ball-hawking acumen became, DeAngelo Hall‘s 32 interceptions are the second-most among active defenders.
The four players who have more INTs than Woodson, a list topped by Paul Krause with 81, are all enshrined in Canton.
Woodson’s snared five picks this season and 10 since coming back to Oakland in 2013 after seven seasons in Green Bay. He notched four seasons (2006, 2008, 2009 and 2011) with at least seven INTs — all of which coming after his age-30 campaign.
The Fremont, Ohio, native switched to safety before the 2012 season and quickly became one of the NFL’s best despite not moving to the back line until his age-36 slate.
Since re-signing in Oakland, Woodson’s started all 46 games for the Raiders. Oakland’s been thin at safety this season, with Nate Allen spending half the season on IR-DTR, but Woodson’s been solid. Recovering three fumbles in addition to his five INTs, Woodson rates as Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best safety. Oakland’s had to slot less-than-ideal cogs alongside Woodson in Allen’s absences, including journeyman Taylor Mays and ex-cornerback Travis Carrie.
Woodson’s eight takeaways this season rank second in the NFL.
Allen remains under contract after signing a hefty deal this offseason, and Woodson’s age made acquiring a safety a priority prior to the impending free agent’s abrupt announcement.
The Raiders possess an NFL-most $61.64MM in salary cap space after this season to help procure Woodson’s replacement.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Raiders Place Austin Howard On IR
The Raiders sent their second starting left tackle this season to injured reserve, putting regular-season starter Austin Howard on the season-ending list with a knee injury, Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com reports (on Twitter).
In a corresponding move, the team brought safety Tevin McDonald back onto the active roster.
Howard was in the middle of a strong comeback season for a resurgent Raiders front despite not being the starter for most of the preseason. Menelik Watson‘s season-ending Achilles tear in August opened the door for Howard to take over at right tackle in Oakland.
The Raiders signed Howard to a five-year, $30MM contract in March of 2014 after the former undrafted free agent established value in three years with the Jets from 2011-13. Jack Del Rio categorized Howard as day-to-day earlier this week, but that designation means less with three games to play.
Although Howard struggled at guard last season, he returned to play tackle after Watson went down and gave the Raiders one of the top edge pairings in the league. Teaming with impending free agent Donald Penn, Howard rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 tackle. Penn slots 10th on PFF’s hierarchy. Only the Browns, who start Joe Thomas and Mitchell Schwartz, have two tackles rated in the PFF top 20.
Howard has just $4.2MM in dead money left on the remaining three years of his contract, and the Raiders do possess a league-high $61MM worth of cap space if they wanted to upgrade in the offseason. But considering the holes Oakland has on defense and the 28-year-old Howard’s bounce-back campaign, standing pat here makes the most sense.
The Raiders house Khalif Barnes and Matt McCants as second-string tackles. The 33-year-old Barnes has far more experience, starting 117 games with the Jaguars and Raiders.
One of the longest-tenured Raiders, Barnes has been with Oakland since the 2010 season.
Oscillating between the 53-man roster and the practice squad all season, McDonald represents safety depth. Nate Allen won’t play in Sunday’s Week 15 contest.
Breer’s Latest: Fitzpatrick, Cowboys, L.A.
Within his latest Inside the NFL Notebook piece, Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a deep dive into Washington‘s season, examining the type of player the team has targeted under head coach Jay Gruden and new GM Scot McCloughan. Washington’s first major draft pick (No. 5 overall selection Brandon Scherff) and long-term signee (Ryan Kerrigan) in 2015 checked all the boxes the club was looking for in terms of intangibles.
“If you’re gonna spend some money, you want talent, but you also want strong leadership, guys you don’t have to worry about Friday night or Thursday night,” Gruden said. “Guys that are gonna be here, and be in the weight room and lead the way for younger guys. Sometimes, to have these guys in here for a number of years, they pave the way for younger players, and that’s just as important as production.”
Here are a few other topics covered by Breer in his latest column:
- There’s no rush for the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick to finalize a deal that keeps the quarterback in New York beyond 2015, since the team has other players it may need to focus on first. But Breer suggests that each side knows where the other stands, and there’s a good chance they can work something out between the end of the season and the start of the 2016 league year.
- With DeMarco Murray leaving in the offseason, the Cowboys targeted T.J. Yeldon as a potential second-round pick, and would’ve had a hard time deciding between him and Randy Gregory in the second round, says Breer. However, it turned out to be a moot point, since Yeldon came off the board early in the second round to the Jaguars. Dallas also liked Todd Gurley in the first round, but as his stock increased leading up to the draft, it became clear there would be no chance for the club to land him with the 27th overall pick.
- According to Breer, despite the turnover at the running back position in Dallas this season, the Cowboys aren’t expressing any regrets about letting Murray go. One team source offered the following comment on the Eagles running back: “The guy is a pro in his preparation and toughness and competitiveness. But he’s also entitled, selfish and condescending. He’s a great ‘team’ guy when he’s the guy.”
- Citing team sources, Breer says that Rams owner Stan Kroenke views St. Louis’s stadium proposal as falling short of what he’d want to keep the franchise in the city, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts if his Inglewood plan doesn’t get approved. As Breer observes, all parties involved in potential Los Angeles relocation had hoped that the league would have found “an elegant solution” and would be nearing some sort of agreement with the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders at this point. Instead, the January owners’ meeting is drawing closer without a clear sense of what will happen regarding L.A.
Extra Points: Bucs, Bills, LA, Cowboys, Pryor
The latest from around the NFL as Thursday wraps up:
- Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is enamored with rookie quarterback Jameis Winston. “I wouldn’t trade him for another quarterback in the league,” Licht said, per Jeff Darlington of NFL.com. Licht stated he expected more growing pains and perhaps as many as 30 interceptions this year from Winston, but the ex-Florida State star and No. 1 pick in this year’s draft entered Thursday with only 11 in 13 games.
- The Bills are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to the long-term status of signal caller Tyrod Taylor, but if they give him a new contract, it could end up being their most important transaction over the next several years, opines Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Taylor, who has been one of the top statistical QBs in the league this year, will be a free agent after next season. If he acquits himself well again in 2016 and the Bills wait until the season’s over try to lock him up, he could either sign a sizable deal elsewhere or stay in Buffalo and take up a large portion of its cap. For his part, Taylor says he isn’t focused on anything other than this season. “I have three important games. I don’t have time to talk about contract situations.”
- With as many as two of the Rams, Raiders and Chargers potentially relocating to Los Angeles at season’s end, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined where exactly the teams could call home starting next year. Multiple league sources believe the Chargers are the likeliest of the three teams to end up in LA, per Florio.
- Cowboys quarterback Kellen Moore took “a couple” first-team practice reps this week, head coach Jason Garrett said. That’s a sign his first NFL action could be approaching, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. With the Cowboys out of contention and Matt Cassel having performed poorly in place of the injured Tony Romo, giving Moore a shot before the year’s out would seem to make sense. Dallas signed Moore, 26, to its practice squad in November and added him to its active roster earlier this month. The fourth-year man has never taken a regular-season snap since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2012.
- Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor, formerly a quarterback, made his regular-season debut at wideout last week and played 16 snaps. Quarterback Johnny Manziel didn’t target Pryor, but that could change this week because Pryor will get more playing time, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.
- Veteran safety Brandon Meriweather, whom the Giants cut Wednesday, went through waivers unclaimed and is now a free agent, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
West Notes: Rams, Chargers, Raiders, Broncos, Chiefs
The Rams won’t fire Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead after this season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (Twitter link).
Despite a 25-35-1 record in more than four seasons, Fisher and Snead won’t be discarded even as the franchise potentially relocates to Los Angeles. Fisher’s job would have been one of the key positions out there post-Black Monday, with the speculation the Rams will be moving back to the west coast.
Schefter did mention that Fisher could step away on his own accord (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk), although the 57-year-old coach who has just six playoff appearances in 21 seasons with the Oilers/Titans and Rams probably wouldn’t receive a third head-coaching opportunity if he did so.
Fisher is a Los Angeles native who played at USC before being drafted by the Bears in 1981.
Here’s some more from the Los Angeles situation and additional notes from the Western divisions.
- The Rams and Chargers remain in the lead in the LA pursuit, Schefter reports, with the Raiders still in the race but lagging behind. Schefter notes the NFL shutting down the San Diego market would be hard to believe; it’s housed an NFL team since the Chargers moved from Los Angeles in 1961. Both note the NFL apparently planned ahead for a scenario in which these fanbases say goodbye to their teams prior to the end of the season, with the Rams playing their season’s final home game tonight and the Chargers doing so Sunday.
- Some coaches and executives have taken issue with John Elway‘s decision to hire Gary Kubiak, knowing what it meant for Peyton Manning‘s role with the Broncos, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports. Elway initially proposed a $10MM paycut for Manning, who eventually took a $4MM reduction, but Mortensen notes that was a message to leave town, with Kubiak’s style ill-suited for the 39-year-old quarterback’s skill set. A defensive coach mentioned Denver’s once-prodigious offense is much easier to game-plan for now that Kubiak’s in charge compared to Adam Gase and his more-nuanced attack. “Kubiak is a good offensive mind, a well-respected guy, but it’s about as elementary as it gets,” this coach said. “He did a good job in Baltimore but he also had a veteran offensive line, maybe one of the three best in the NFL. I think he has to take a serious look that it’s 2015 going on 2016.” This coach also pointed out Manning supplanting Brock Osweiler might not make that much of a difference considering how many hits the Broncos’ offensive line, which houses two of Pro Football Focus’ worst tackles in Ryan Harris and Michael Schofield, are allowing Osweiler to take.
- Justin Houston received a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews today that revealed a hyperextended knee, per Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, on Twitter). “I don’t want anyone to be alarmed that he saw Dr. Andrews. We knew it; we’re good with it, Burkholder told Paylor (Twitter link). Houston remains without a return timetable, with reports circulating he will miss the regular season’s remainder. Andrews also told the Chiefs’ top active player the swelling in his knee has decreased.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/15
Here are Thursday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Josh Shirley (Twitter links via Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
- Signed: QB B.J. Daniels (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: RB DuJuan Harris (Twitter link via team)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB Tyler Patmon, DE Julius Warmsley, RB Trey Williams (Twitter links via Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Workout Notes: 12/16/15
It’s been a busy last couple of days around the NFL, with teams still looking to fill up their squads for the rest of the season. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweeted a whole bunch of workout notes this afternoon, which we’ve compiled for you below…
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Mitchell White (link)
Atlanta Falcons
- OT Cody Booth (link)
- DE Xzavier Dickson (link)
- OG Cole Manhart (link)
Buffalo Bills
- TE Andrew Gleichert (link)
- LB James-Michael Johnson (link)
- TE Jacob Maxwell (link)
Carolina Panthers
- OG Al Bond (link)
- DT Eric Crume (link)
- CB Travell Dixon (link)
- QB Zac Dysert (link)
- TE Joseph Fauria (link)
- NT Ishmaa’ily Kitchen (link)
- C Tyler Larsen (link)
- OG Matthew Masifilo (link)
- OG Shelley Smith (link)
- S Usama Young (link)