NFC North Notes: Peterson, Patterson, Bears
Here’s a quick look at the NFC North..
- On Wednesday afternoon, a reader asked Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) to handicap the odds that the Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson. Schefter replied that the Vikings have been very clear in their stance and they’ve insisted that they won’t budge. Earlier today, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report spoke with a league source who felt that Peterson was likely to show up at some point during OTAs. Peterson, meanwhile, issued a statement explaining that he does not want to be traded.
- The Lions are set to meet with defensive lineman Mike Patterson, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Detroit is looking to beef up the line and they could do it by reuniting Patterson with coach Jim Washburn.
- The Bears have hired former Saints cap guru Joey Laine as their new director of football administration, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Laine will handle the salary cap and player negotiations, according to a source. Cliff Stein will remain with Chicago as general counsel.
NFC North Notes: Ihedigbo, Kalil, Bears
Earlier today, we passed along updates on Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte, two star NFC North running backs who aren’t satisfied with their current contract situations. We’ve got a few more items this afternoon from out of the division, including one note related to another player who is seeking a new deal. Here’s the latest:
- Asked if he felt like he outperformed his contract in 2014, Lions safety James Ihedigbo replied, “I was a Pro Bowl alternate, so that answers that question,” writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Ihedigbo reported to the team’s OTAs, but still wants more money, more years, or both added onto his current contract, which calls for a $1.1MM base salary in 2015.
- Vikings offensive tackle Matt Kalil said today that he’d like to play for “another five, six years,” according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Kalil, whose fifth-year option for 2016 was exercised by Minnesota earlier this offseason, turns 26 in July, so playing just five or six more seasons would mean retiring in his early-30s.
- After releasing Ray McDonald earlier this week following his latest domestic violence arrest, Bears chairman George McCaskey spoke to reporters today, including Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, taking responsibility for having brought the defensive lineman to the team. Even though the McDonald signing went south, the club still has “complete confidence” in new GM Ryan Pace, per McCaskey.
OTA Rumors: Peterson, Forte, A. Smith, Dez
With organized team activities getting underway this week, we’re keeping our eye on plenty of contract and roster situations around the NFL. Here are the latest updates on a few of those situations:
- Addressing Adrian Peterson‘s absence from OTAs, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer issued another strong statement today, telling reporters – including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) – that the running back has two choices: “He can play for us or not play.” A report yesterday suggested that Peterson is actually considering that second option (retirement), though I noted at the time that it sounded like the 30-year-old’s camp trying to regain some leverage.
- After saying last week that he thought he had an idea of when Peterson would report to the Vikings, Zimmer admitted today that he has no idea when that’ll happen, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- Matt Forte, who reportedly wants a new contract, is present at the Bears‘ OTAs, but said today that “nobody likes playing on a one-year deal” (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). As Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets, Forte added, “They said we’re not talking about that type of [contract] stuff right now, so all I can do is play football.”
- Antonio Smith won’t participate in the Broncos‘ OTAs, as he continues to be investigated following a complaint of sexual child abuse, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Although Smith has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, the Broncos decided it would be “best for all involved” if the defensive lineman focuses on resolving his legal situation before reporting to the team.
- As expected, Dez Bryant isn’t in attendance for the Cowboys‘ OTAs. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the club has been in communication with the wideout. Earlier today, I asked whether Bryant will sign a long-term extension with Dallas before the July 15 deadline, and so far more than half of you have indicated that won’t happen.
NFC North Notes: Ihedigbo, Peterson, Bears
Here’s the latest out of the NFC North, as a handful of teams’ OTAs around the league get underway….
- Safety James Ihedigbo, who is seeking a new contract, will report to the Lions‘ offseason workouts today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Birkett adds that Ihedigbo will be at the team’s OTAs and minicamp, presumably as a show of good faith as he attempts to work out a new deal.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) clears up some misinformation about Adrian Peterson‘s contract with the Vikings, pointing out that the running back has to participate in the team’s entire OTA and minicamp programs to earn his $250K bonus — not just 90% of those activities, as has been reported elsewhere. Either way, it appears Peterson will forfeit that bonus money, as he did back in 2012 (Twitter link).
- One reason the Bears were willing to roll the dice on Ray McDonald this offseason was the fact that he was a tremendous on-field fit for Vic Fangio‘s scheme, having played under the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. Now that McDonald is no longer in the mix in Chicago, the club will have to turn to Plan B. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com and John Mullin of CSNChicago.com examine what that backup plan might look like.
Extra Points: Roethlisberger, McDonald, Lions
A quick look around the NFL..
- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has to succeed in a few areas of his game in order to justify his hefty $99MM deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. For starters, he’ll have to improve his turnover numbers in the playoffs as he has a career 21-to-19 TD to INT ratio. He’ll also have to build on his continuity with Todd Haley and help to make the team’s younger players better. Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates are all believed to possess serious upside and it’s up to Big Ben to ensure that they reach their potential.
- The fault lies with Ray McDonald, not the people in the Bears organization who gave him one more chance, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. In fact, Mullin credits owner George McCaskey for sending out a strong accountability message to his players by dropping McDonald after his most recent arrest.
- Undrafted linebacker Kevin Snyder could be an intriguing prospect for the Lions, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Snyder showed promise while he was at Rutgers, but he didn’t shine in 2014 as he played through a painful turf toe injury. Rutgers position coach Bob Fraser convinced Lions linebackers coach Bill Sheridan to take a chance on the youngster. “I said, ‘Bill, look, I really think if the guy is going to make your squad, he’s going to be a good special teams guy because he can run, he’s big and people don’t understand he had this turf toe which slowed him down,’” Fraser said. “He couldn’t push off. So sometimes he couldn’t hit people. He couldn’t plant off it and push, and that’s hard to do out there. That’s not the easiest thing for a linebacker, you know.”
Reactions To Ray McDonald’s Release
Earlier today, defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested after another apparent domestic violence incident. Hours later, the Bears made a rare Memorial Day move and released McDonald from his contract. Here’s a look at the latest reactions to the biggest story of the day..
- McDonald’s attorney, Steve Defilippis, told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the accuser in the case stemming from McDonald’s arrest Monday morning is McDonald’s former fiance, who was the alleged victim when McDonald was arrested last August. Defilippis told Anderson that he is still gathering information on what transpired and he strongly indicated that his client might be innocent of the charges.
- Former Bears teammate Kyle Long didn’t mince words on Twitter. “Good riddance,” the offensive guard tweeted.
- The Bears need to be punished for their lackadaisical fact-finding efforts prior to signing McDonald, Nancy Armour of USA Today Sports opines. Armour feels that the Bears should lose a draft pick or two and that GM Ryan Pace and owner George McCaskey should both face suspensions for their decision not to sit down with McDonald’s alleged victim. “An alleged victim, I think – much like anybody else who has a bias in this situation – there’s a certain amount of discounting in what they have to say,” McCaskey said at the time.
- The risk versus reward ratio was not worth it for the Bears to sign McDonald, Dan Pompei of WSCR-AM tweets. McDonald is no Lawrence Taylor, so he was simply not worth the gamble in Pompei’s estimation. Given where it has been, Pompei (link) feels the Bears locker room needed leaders and men who do things the right way.
- The San Jose address at which McDonald was arrested is that of a house that belongs to ex-49ers teammate Justin Smith, according to property records viewed by Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Smith has not been implicated in the incident in any way, however.
- Bail has been set at $15K for McDonald at Santa Clara County Jail on misdemeanor domestic violence and child endangerment charges, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
Bears Release Ray McDonald
The Bears announced that they have released Ray McDonald, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
“We believe in second chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear. He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him,” GM Ryan Pace said, according to the Bears (on Twitter). 
On Monday, McDonald was arrested on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment. This is the third time in about a year that McDonald has found himself in legal trouble. McDonald was arrested and accused of domestic violence last August, and faced a sexual assault allegation in December, resulting in his release from the 49ers.
McDonald inked a one-year deal with the Bears earlier this offseason despite his checkered past. Chicago brass went to bat for McDonald against public criticism and concerns, but that vote of confidence has apparently backfired. While the Bears aren’t in the office for Memorial Day, they clearly didn’t want to let this situation fester any longer than they had to. The defensive end’s season was already in a bit of jeopardy since the league had yet to make a decision on his December incident. Given the latest events, the 30-year-old might not see the gridiron at all in 2015.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McDonald was the league’s 12th-best 3-4 defensive end in 2014, grading well both against the run and as a pass rusher. Over the last four regular seasons as the 49ers’ starting left defensive end, McDonald racked up 14.5 sacks, 153 tackles, five forced fumbles, and a safety.
Chicago’s agreement with McDonald was a one-year, $1.05MM deal without guaranteed money, so the Bears won’t have to carry on dead money on their cap due to today’s move.
Ray McDonald Arrested Again
2:24pm: In a news release, Lt. Kurt Clarke said that McDonald was arrested after officers said he “physically assaulted the victim while she was holding a baby,” according to the NBC Bay Area report.
12:01pm: Ray McDonald is in legal trouble for the third time since last summer, according to Damian Trujillo of NBC Bay Area, who reports that Santa Clara police arrested McDonald on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment. McDonald was arrested and accused of domestic violence last August, and faced a sexual assault allegation in December, resulting in his release from the 49ers.
The exact date and nature of McDonald’s latest incident isn’t immediately known, but Trujillo writes that two San Jose police sources confirmed on Monday that they assisted the arresting agency (Santa Clara police) with McDonald’s detention. While the investigation into December’s allegation didn’t immediately result in a charge and was said to be ongoing, it doesn’t appear that this arrest is related to that case.
McDonald signed a one-year contract with the Bears earlier this offseason, with team ownership expressing confidence in the defensive lineman’s character after some initial apprehension. The NFL cleared McDonald of any violation of the league’s personal conduct policy relating to last August’s arrest, but had yet to make a decision on December’s accusation, and the 30-year-old’s latest arrest figures to put him in the league’s crosshairs again.
Whether or not the Santa Clara district attorney’s offices decides to pursue a case against McDonald this time around, the Bears may decide to part ways with the embattled defender. Chicago’s agreement with McDonald is a modest $1.05MM deal that doesn’t include any guaranteed money, so it wouldn’t hurt the team’s cap to cut him, if necessary.
Sunday Roundup: Ray, Eagles, Chargers
Let’s take a look a a few notes from around the league:
- Shane Ray‘s draft stock took a hit because of a citation for marijuana possession and a toe injury, but the Missouri product was still selected in the first round, as the Broncos traded up to nab the high-ceiling pass rusher. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Denver hopes that Ray, who missed rookie minicamp as a result of the toe injury, will be able to participate in some capacity when the team resumes work tomorrow. As Alper points out, though, Ray’s work is likely to be limited, especially since the Broncos just lost third-round tight end Jeff Heuerman to a torn ACL at minicamp.
- Of all the eyebrow-raising moves that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has made during his brief tenure with the club, his decisions relating to Philadelphia’s wide receiving corps may be the most curious. But as David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News writes, with the addition of Nelson Agholor–a physical clone of Jeremy Maclin–the expected improvement from Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews, and the team’s ability to shift Darren Sproles to more of a pass-catching role now that DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews are in the fold, the Eagles may actually have a more dynamic set of receivers than they had in 2014.
- Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano says rookie Denzel Perryman will compete for time at inside linebacker with projected starters Manti Te’o and Donald Butler, but that ultimately everybody will see time on the field, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams writes. Pagano complimented his talent not only at the linebacker position, but also on special teams.
- The Chargers don’t have a true fullback on their roster, but San Diego State product Chad Young hopes to change that, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. Young has experience on his side, having been in training camp last year with the Jets. But like other fullbacks, he has seen his position fade across the NFL over the past several years.
- Former Maryland standout Andre Monroe tried out for the Chargers during the team’s rookie minicamp, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Monroe set Maryland’s school record with 25 career sacks, 20 of which came in his last 26 games. But at 5’10” and 294 pounds, Monroe is a bit undersized for an NFL defensive lineman, and he was not immediately offered a contract by San Diego.
- Longtime Ravens scout Joe Douglas has accepted a job with the Bears, according to a press release from the Ravens. Douglas will be Chicago’s new director of college scouting.
- The Steelers have hired veteran NFL personnel man Rick Reiprish to join their player personnel department, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Reiprish, who has over 30 years of experience in player personnel, was the Saints’ director of college scouting for 11 years until he was released in a front-office shakeup earlier this year.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Bowers, Cowboys, Eagles
A second-round pick just four years ago, Da’Quan Bowers hasn’t generated much interest on the free agent market this offseason — or at least not much that has been reported. However, with veteran free agents no longer tied to draft pick compensation after May 12, the former Buccaneers defensive end may soon find a home.
According to Jayson Braddock of ESPN 97.5 Houston (Twitter link), Bowers is paying a visit to New Orleans to meet with the Saints this week. Previously, Braddock reported (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old had narrowed his options down to the Lions and Dolphins, so it’s not clear whether those teams remain in the mix, or if they’ve moved on.
As we wait for an update on Bowers, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL….
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed today that restructuring Brandon Carr‘s contract is a priority for the team this offseason, but no work has been completed yet on that front (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). Meanwhile, Jerry’s son Stephen Jones said that the Cowboys’ meeting with Orlando Scandrick and agent Ron Slavin was productive, but he wouldn’t say whether the two sides will reach a new contract agreement (link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com).
- The Eagles have announced in a press release that former Bears executive Dwayne Joseph has been hired as the team’s director of pro scouting, while Louis Clark has been promoted to senior director of pro personnel. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who reported Joseph’s hiring earlier today, notes that the Bears tried hard to keep their associate director of pro personnel, but he chose to seek a better opportunity in Philadelphia.
- Offensive lineman Austin Wentworth, who joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and was cut earlier this month, must end his playing career because of blood clots in his leg, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. While the 25-year-old is currently walking with a limp, and will have to wear a brace for the rest of his life, he’s expected to walk normally eventually, according to Tomasson. Wentworth is currently on Minnesota’s reserve/non-football illness list.
- Former Iowa State defensive end Cory Morrissey had agreed to terms on a three-year rookie contract with the Ravens as a UDFA, but ultimately decided to walk away from football instead, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details.
- Elsewhere at the Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec takes a closer look at what this week’s roster moves and decisions mean for the Ravens.