NFC Mailbags: Saints, Giants, Eagles, Cards
Let’s have a look at some of the highlights from the mailbags of NFC writers:
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints are likely to draft a receiver in the first three rounds, given the combination of the team’s need for a dynamic young receiver and the depth of quality options available. However, if the Saints really like LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr., whom they just saw at the LSU pro day last week, they will probably need to trade up from their No. 27 overall selection.
- In the wake of Eli Manning‘s ankle surgery Thursday, Giants fans are wondering if the team’s reaching out to veteran free agents like Josh Freeman and Matt Flynn is cause to worry about Manning’s health. ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano says there is no reason to worry at this point, and that there is a real possibility that all the team is doing is seeing whether players like Freeman and Flynn represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Curtis Painter.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes TCU CB Jason Verrett is a perfect fit for the 49ers with the No. 30 overall pick
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com sees a great deal of talent among defensive linemen projected to go in the top half of the first round of the draft, but the Bears have also brought in top safety prospects Deone Bucannon and Calvin Pryor for visits. Wright believes the decision between a defensive back and a defensive lineman will ultimately come down to what player still available the Bears have ranked highest on their board at the time of the pick.
- Speaking of safeties, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles will definitely consider Bucannon or Northern Illinois product Jimmie Ward, they just won’t consider them in the first round.
- ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss believes the Cardinals would do well to draft LSU QB Zach Mettenberger and groom him behind incumbent starter Carson Palmer.
NFC Notes: Vikings, Bears, Panthers
Jon Bon Jovi is reportedly interested in buying the Bills, but we shouldn’t expect fellow 80’s icon Mike Ditka to follow suit and go after a team of his own. “I’ve had an interest, but I’m not in a position where I can do something like that. Jon Bon Jovi is,” the former Bears coach told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m satisfied having been a player and a coach. I don’t have to be an owner or an executive. That doesn’t do anything for me.” Tonight’s look at the NFC..
- With Toby Gerhart out of the picture in Minnesota, the Vikings would be wise to draft a running back, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. The Vikings are in obvious need of support at tailback behind Adrian Peterson, who is 29 and comes into 2014 with a very serious injury history. Since being drafted seventh overall in 2007, Gerhart has been the only tailback drafted by the Vikings. It seems likely that they’ll break that streak this year.
- It’ll be tough for the Bears to fill Devin Hester‘s shoes, but they’re hoping to hit on a modest investment in former CFL receiver Chris Williams, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Williams, who could be a factor in the return game, wants to show the world that he’s ready for the NFL grind after his pit stop north of the border. “Everyone’s situation is different and everyone ends up where they are for a reason. It doesn’t necessarily mean you were not good enough. I made the best of what I could and now that I am getting this opportunity, I want to show I can be helpful and successful on any team,” Williams said.
- There’s some panic surrounding the Panthers after their wide receiver fire sale, but tight end Greg Olsen is acting as the voice of reason, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “I know everyone at one point was kind of panicking. Would it have been nice to have those (receivers) back? Of course,” Olsen said. “But I think we’ve signed a lot of guys that can fill a lot of those roles. We’re putting it together. It’s hard to judge a team in March. When the season gets closer, that will be a better example of what our team is.”
Extra Points: Pettine, Mack, Weems, Manziel
New Browns coach Mike Pettine says he’s ready to “fight” his way out of two decades of losing, writes Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Pettine believes the difference between finishing 6-10 and 10-6 is often how a team handles two-minute drills, performs on third downs, and plays in the red zone. “We are going to over practice in these areas,” he said. More from around the NFL..
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida-Times Union discusses the Jaguars‘ pursuit of Browns center Alex Mack. O’Halloran notes that Jacksonville considers center the third-most important position on the offense after quarterback and left tackle and wanted to acquire an experienced player. With that kind of importance placed on the center position, one has to wonder why the Jags didn’t make their offer harder for the Browns to match.
- One motivating factor for Eric Weems remaining with the Bears is that he believes he will have good chance to make an impact in the return game, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Earlier tonight we learned that Weems took a $270K paycut to stay with Chicago.
- The Texans should make Johnny Manziel their No. 1 pick, opines Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union Tribune. Roger Staubach has compared Manziel to Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and Canepa notes that Johnny Football is even more athletic than the Super Bowl champion.
- Towson running back Terrance West took to Twitter to announce that he’ll have a workout with the Ravens on Monday. We heard earlier today that the tailback was impressive during his Pro Day and appeared to solidify himself as a fourth-round pick.
- Losing nickel corner Corey Graham to the Bills in free agency could hurt the Ravens, so they may not wait long to draft a replacement, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. It’s hard to see Baltimore drafting a corner in the first round over their needs at right tackle and safety, but there are some cornerbacks that could interest them in the second round, including Stanley Jean-Baptiste of Nebraska, Larmarcus Joyner of Florida State, and Keith McGill of Utah.
Eric Weems Takes Pay Cut
Last month, Bears wide receiver Eric Weems declined the Bears’ request to take a pay cut and was expected to be released soon after. A few weeks later, it seems as though Weems has had a change of heart. The 28-year-old has agreed to restructure his deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago’s WSCR-670 AM first reported the pay cut.
According to NFLPA records, the special teamer agreed to reduce his base salary from $1MM to the minimum for a veteran with six years of experience – $730K. Meanwhile, Weems will keep his $100K workout bonus in the contract, so he can earn up to $830K this season and will have a cap number of $1.33MM, down from the $1.6MM he was originally scheduled to count against the cap.
Weems was on the field for only 24 offensive snaps in 2013 and but was third on the roster with 309 snaps on special teams. However, with Devin Hester out of the picture, it is possible he could be considered as a potential kickoff returner.
NFC North Rumors: Flynn, Pryor, Lee, Brown
The Packers have long been interested in a reunion with quarterback Matt Flynn, but things remain at a standstill, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media. While a signing could still take place, General Manager Ted Thompson doesn’t like eating up cap room on backup quarterbacks and he’s also not swayed by Green Bay being one of only four NFL teams with fewer than three quarterbacks on their offseason roster. Here’s more out of the NFC North..
- Louisville safety Calvin Pryor made a recent pre-draft visit to the Bears, a source with direct knowledge of the situation tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Pryor and Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are widely considered the two best safeties in this year’s draft.
- USC standout wide receiver Marqise Lee has visited with the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year has also visited with the Ravens and Jets and will meet with the Panthers and Saints in the future.
- Louisville’s Preston Brown will attend the Vikings‘ top 30 event next week, a league source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The linebacker met with the Bills yesterday.
Contract Details: Avant, Wilson, Lowery, Jean
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and the National Football Post has passed along this several contract details on deals signed within the last few days. While most contracts being signed these days are minimum salary pacts, that’s not the case for all of them, and even some of those minimum deals include bonuses of varying amounts. Let’s turn to Wilson for a few of the latest updates (all links go to Twitter)….
- Jason Avant‘s one-year deal with the Panthers includes a minimum base salary of $855K, but doesn’t qualify as a minimum salary benefit contract because his bonuses exceed $65K — Avant got $150K for signing, and will also be eligible for a $45K workout bonus, bringing the total value to $1.05MM.
- The Falcons signed a pair of defensive backs yesterday, and both players received minimum salary benefit deals. Cornerback Josh Wilson got a $65K signing bonus on his minimum contract, while safety Dwight Lowery received a $30K bonus on his one-year pact, meaning their respective cap hits are $635K and $600K.
- Lestar Jean‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Vikings has the usual minimum salary benefit cap number of $635K, but took a different route to get there. In addition to his $570K base salary, Jean receives a $10K signing bonus and is eligible for a $55K roster bonus, meaning his contract doesn’t technically qualify as a minimum salary benefit deal, even though the cap hit is identical.
- Finally, one last contract update comes courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who notes that Brian De La Puente is actually receiving one dollar more than a minimum salary deal would be worth. Because he’s not technically a minimum salary player, De La Puente is eligible to re-up with the Bears before free agency begins next season for a salary worth more than the minimum.
Bears To Sign Matthew Mulligan
The Bears announced on Twitter that they have agreed to terms with tight end Matthew Mulligan on a one-year contract. Chicago worked out Mulligan yesterday and wasted little time in reaching a deal with him.
Mulligan, 29, blocked a punt and caught a touchdown pass for the Rams in their victory over the Redskins in 2012. Last season, Mulligan was with the Patriots and made four starts. In 12 total games, the tight end recorded two receptions for 16 yards and one touchdown.
Bears Claim Josh Bellamy On Waivers
The Bears have been awarded wide receiver Josh Bellamy off waivers, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Bellamy had been cut by the Redskins.
Bellamy, who turns 25 next month, spent five games on Washington’s active roster last season. He didn’t play any offensive snaps, and has yet to record a reception in parts of two NFL seasons, but he played a little on special teams for the club, recording a pair of tackles.
NFC North Notes: Watkins, Lions, Bears, Vikes
The Lions, who already have the NFL’s top receiver in Calvin Johnson, have been frequently linked to the draft’s No. 1 wideout over the last several weeks and months, and today the team finally hosted Clemson’s Sammy Watkins on an official pre-draft visit, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Watkins is expected to be off the board by the time the Lions’ No. 10 pick arrives, so if the club really wants to land him, a trade will probably be required. Today’s visit could go a long way toward the Lions deciding whether or not to pursue such a move.
Here are several more items on the Lions and a couple of their NFC North rivals:
- Birkett adds (via Twitter) that the Lions are also setting up a visit for Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, who has several other meetings on his schedule, as we heard earlier in the afternoon.
- New Detroit backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky is hoping to alleviate the concerns of Lions fans who aren’t happy to see him back on the roster after his last stint with the team included an 0-16 season. “I get the fears maybe with obviously fans and whatnot,” Orlovsky said, according to Birkett. “But the organization knows what they’re doing, and I know I’m a good player, and I certainly hope to just be part of changing some of that past, whether it’s directly or indirectly.”
- Veteran defensive back Aaron Ross had a tryout with the Lions today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Bears‘ workout with Josh Freeman was reported yesterday, as were the auditions for running backs Nate Eachus, Javon Ringer, and Phillip Tanner but those weren’t the only players to work out for the team. As Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post details, the club also auditioned quarterback Adam Weber and tight end Matthew Mulligan.
- If veteran long snapper Patrick Mannelly doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, he’ll likely retire, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
- The Vikings will meet privately with quarterback Zach Mettenberger following his Pro Day, a source tells Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). The club was said last week to have real interest in the LSU signal-caller.
- Cassius Vaughn‘s one-year pact with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit contract with no signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson.
AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Draft Visits
Titans edge defender Kamerion Wimbley agreed earlier this week to restructure his contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown of what Wimbley’s new deal looks like. However, as Fitzgerald details, Wimbley wasn’t the only Titan to rework his contract this week. Tight end Craig Stevens also has a new 2014 cap figure, reducing his overall base salary by $1.7MM in exchange for a $500K guarantee. While Stevens’ 2015 salary remains unchanged, his ’14 cap number is now only about $2.69MM.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Ravens haven’t had an above-average, long-term solution at right tackle for a number of years, and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the team would be wise to address the position with its first-round pick this year. That’s one of a handful of topics Preston addresses in his Ravens notebook, which also touches on the club’s recent tight end and running back signings.
- The Bills are eyeing a pair of offensive line prospects today, hosting Mississippi State’s Charles Siddoway for a pre-draft visit (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) and having dinner tonight with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM).
- Having already met with the Steelers, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard now has visits lined up with the Jets, Bengals, and Rams, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
- Another cornerback, Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller, also has a handful of visits scheduled with AFC teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Fuller will meet with the Colts, Bengals, Raiders, Jets, Broncos, and Bears, says Wilson.
- The Chargers will work out Troy quarterback Deon Anthony on April 22, reports Wilson at the National Football Post.
- More from Wilson (via Twitter): The Patriots are working out Boise State’s Geraldo Boldewijn, Matt Paradis, and Charles Leno on Wednesday, while Virginia-Lynchburg cornerback Keith Lewis visited the Raiders and has a private workout lined up next week with the Chiefs (Twitter link).