Extra Points: Williams, Sheard, Quessenberry
While the free agent market has thinned out considerably over the last several months, there are still players capable of providing value to NFL teams, and one such free agent is veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams. Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Williams suggested talks have been “picking up” for him lately and that he anticipates signing somewhere in time for training camp. As the longtime Viking confirmed, he has visited the Patriots, Giants, and Seahawks, and has also spoken recently to Minnesota.
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the league….
- Browns outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard said today that he and the club have had some preliminary talks about a contract extension and that he hopes something can be worked out, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry has been placed on the NFL’s non-football illness list after being diagnosed with lymphoma, the club announced today in a press release. In a statement, GM Rick Smith expressed confidence in the care Quessenberry would receive. “We look forward to his full and complete recovery,” Smith said. “We will continue to support him and his family and look forward to his return to the team.” Our thoughts and well-wishes go out to Quessenberry and his family as he battles the disease.
- Asked about Colin Kaepernick‘s new contract extension, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said his biggest takeaway from the agreement was simply the fact that Kaepernick and the 49ers were able to get something done (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). Dalton, of course, will be looking for an extension of his own very soon.
- Taking an early look ahead to the 2015 NFL draft, Mel Kiper discusses the top senior and underclassmen defensive ends in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com. Texas’ Cedric Reed and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory top Kiper’s lists.
- The Dolphins‘ willingness to shift Jason Fox to left tackle behind Branden Albert in OTAs suggests the club has confidence in rookie Ju’Wuan James‘ ability to hang onto the right tackle job, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
Poll: Should Chiefs, Bengals Extend Their QBs?
With Colin Kaepernick now under 49ers control through 2020, only two notable starting quarterbacks on 2013 playoff teams lack long-term security — the contracts for Alex Smith of the Chiefs and Andy Dalton of the Bengals are set to expire after the 2014 season, if they don’t receive extensions before that point.
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network wrote yesterday, the Chiefs and Bengals are in tough spots, since neither Smith nor Dalton has had the regular season or postseason success to consider them among the league’s elite quarterbacks. However, with no real second-tier market for starting quarterbacks, Smith and Dalton figure to pursue contracts in the same range as those signed by Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and other signal-callers whose resumés don’t include a Super Bowl win. That means something in the neighborhood of $17-18MM per year.
On the surface, committing anything close to $18MM annually to Smith or Dalton seems like it’d be a mistake for their respective teams. Avoiding having to pay that sort of money to their quarterbacks is one reason the Chiefs and Bengals have been able to put together such talented rosters. Signing those QBs to lucrative extensions now would compromise the clubs’ ability to continue adding talent at other positions.
On the other hand, productive starting quarterbacks aren’t easy to find. There are fewer reliable options around the league than there are teams, and deciding to move on from Smith or Dalton could leave the Chiefs or Bengals with a glaring hole at the most important position on the field. Perhaps Chase Daniel or Aaron Murray could provide a close approximation to what Smith contributes to the Chiefs, and maybe A.J. McCarron could develop into a solid starting option in Cincinnati. However, there are certainly no guarantees in either case.
I expect we’ll see Smith and Dalton sign extensions at some point before the season gets underway, but there are a number of directions in which their team could go. Playing out the season and then perhaps using the franchise tag for 2015 – which figures to be around $17MM – is another option if the Chiefs or Bengals aren’t prepared to make a long-term commitment to their respective quarterbacks quite yet.
What do you think? What should Kansas City and Cincinnati do?
Should the Chiefs and Bengals sign their quarterbacks to long-term extensions?
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Neither team should extend its QB 30% (93)
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Both teams should extend their QBs 29% (88)
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The Chiefs should extend Alex Smith; the Bengals shouldn't extend Dalton 27% (84)
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The Bengals should extend Andy Dalton; the Chiefs shouldn't extend Smith 14% (43)
Total votes: 308
Extra Points: 49ers, Browns, Panthers, Rams
When Colin Kaepernick‘s new contract extension was announced, the 49ers signal-caller suggested that he inked a team-friendly contract in part because he hoped it would help San Francisco lock up some of its other key players. But the fact that Kaepernick accepted such a modest guarantee could complicate matters for the Niners when it comes to extending players like Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
As Maiocco writes, the Niners aren’t in the business of handing out huge guarantees to outside free agents or their own players, so Crabtree and Iupati may have to make some concessions if they want to remain in San Francisco. Both players could potentially earn a larger guarantee on the open market than the Niners will be willing to pay.
Let’s round up several more Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Veteran edge defender Edgar Jones worked out for the Browns today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Jones, who has played for the Ravens, Chiefs, and Cowboys, has appeared in 64 regular season contests, but has never started a game or played a significant defensive role.
- The new Browns’ decision-makers, led by GM Ray Farmer, have made about 40 player transactions since taking control of roster decisions in February, so Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com decides to take stock of the additions and subtractions made by the club.
- There hasn’t really been a market set for second-tier quarterbacks, so the Bengals and Chiefs will have tough decisions ahead of them as they decide what to do with Andy Dalton and Alex Smith, respectively. Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a look at the limited options for the two clubs, proposing one “radical” alternative to signing their QBs to lucrative extensions.
- Given the lack of reliable veteran options on the Panthers’ wide receiving corps, there could be an opening or two for an unheralded player to earn a roster spot. One such player may be Wofford’s Brenton Bersin, who has earned some praise from head coach Ron Rivera, as David Newton of ESPN.com details.
- After signing with the Rams as a free agent this offseason, wide receiver Kenny Britt is enjoying his fresh start in St. Louis, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Following DeSean Jackson‘s latest allegations against agent Drew Rosenhaus, the NFLPA issued a memo to all agents vowing to double the penalties for any infractions, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
Seven Teams Holding Mandatory Minicamps This Week
According to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk, the Cardinals, Bengals, Browns, Broncos, Lions, Saints, and Buccaneers will hold their mandatory minicamps this week.
These mandatory minicamps are heavily regulated by the NFL’s CBA. Per the CBA, players undergo physical exams on Monday. The teams may then hold a mandatory veteran minicamp with three days of practice on Tuesday through Thursday. Although pads and contact drills are prohibited for these mini camps, players can wear helmets. Players may be on the field for a total of no more than 3.5 hours per day. No organized team activities, which include medical treatment and taping, may begin prior to 7:00am local time or end after 8:30pm local times, with one hour provided for both lunch and dinner.
Mandatory minicamps are not to be confused with voluntary minicamps, which are allowed to occur prior to the draft only in the event that a team has hired a new head coach that offseason.
Bengals Notes: Dalton, Burfict, Green, Bernard
In the wake of Colin Kaepernick‘s extension, it’s going to be tough for the Bengals to offer Andy Dalton anything less than $18MM annually, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Dalton (whom I recently profiled as an extension candidate) would probably need to indicate that he is amendable to a team-friendly structure that would not overwhelmingly restrict Cincinnati’s salary cap space. Former agent Joel Corry believes that Dalton could accept a contract similar to Kaepernick’s, provided that the AAV is similar. “There’s got to be some sort of interplay,” says Corry. “The better the structure, the more flexibility I had on dollars because you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, particularly when you are under contract for years.”
More notes from Cincinnati:
- Within the same piece, Dehner Jr. observes that Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict would have to accept a heavy discount in order to sign an extension now, as Cincinnati controls his rights in 2014 for a mere $570K, and can slap a first-round tender on him in 2015, holding him as a restricted free agent for about $3.3MM.
- Dehner Jr. also believes the Bengals are closely watching for negotiations between the Dez Bryant and the Cowboys, as a deal between the two sides could serve as a baseline for talks with receiver A.J. Green, whom the Bengals control for two more seasons.
- Second-year running back Giovani Bernard is expected to open the 2014 season as the Bengals starter, and he hopes to produce more big plays on offense, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. “If you’re a running back, you always want to be able to have explosive runs,” said the 2013 second-rounder. “Maybe not so much just the 10-yard runs or 15-yard runs or the 20. I want to be able to break the 50s, 60s and 70s. And who knows? Maybe the 80s and 90s. Things like that take hard work and dedication. That’s really where your skills come into play is on those explosive runs.”
- In his latest mailbag, Harvey notes that linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, will be relied on in 2014, and will especially aid in coverage, an area where the Bengals struggled in 2013. Lamur is expected to serve as the starting strong-side linebacker next season.
AFC Links: Williams, Chiefs, Bengals, Jags
Veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams is visiting with the Patriots today, reports CSNNE.com’s Tom Curran (via Twitter). The six-time Pro Bowler previously met with the Giants and Seahawks, but warned that he may retire if he didn’t receive an offer he liked. Yesterday, Williams jokingly asked for USA Today’s Tom Pelissero’s assistance in connecting him with New England.
Let’s take a look at some more notes and minor moves from the AFC…
- The Chiefs are working out former Troy University quarterback Deon Anthony, reports Aaron Wilson of NationalFootballPost.com. Last season, the versatile senior rushed for 432 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw five scores and caught ten passes. The Chargers worked out Anthony in April.
- The Bengals have claimed former Steelers wideout Jasper Collins, tweets Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Collins was let go by Pittsburgh yesterday.
- The Jaguars claimed wide receiver Kevin Smith and subsequently waived long snapper Trevor Gillette, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. Smith was waived by the Cardinals yesterday while Gillette was signed as an undrafted free agent about a month ago.
Reactions To Colin Kaepernick’s Deal
Earlier today, the 49ers took care of Colin Kaepernick‘s contract weeks earlier than anyone thought they would. The price tag was also a shock to some. The mobile quarterback can earn up to $21MM per season in the deal thanks to incentives that are said to be rather obtainable. The deal includes $61MM in guaranteed money, making it the largest guarantee in NFL history. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to No. 7’s new deal..
- John Clayton of ESPN.com (Twitter link) is unsure if Kaepernick’s lucrative new deal with the 49ers will help or hurt talks for lesser quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Andy Dalton. He adds that the six-year, $126MM deal probably means a $22MM per year deal for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap was surprised to hear that Kaepernick got a deal worth a maximum of $21MM per year. Based on the contract history of limited sample size players, like Kaepernick, Fitzgerald believed that the 49ers quarterback was in line for an $18MM per year deal. With the lucrative new deal, the 49ers now find themselves with a tight cap situation, even though the deal reportedly gives the team flexibility to work on a new deal for wide receiver Michael Crabtree and others.
- “I’m going to work to try to make sure I’m worth every penny of this, try to win as many games as possible. That’s something I feel I can do,” said Kaepernick of his new deal, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
- Kaepernick also told reporters that he won’t let the big bucks affect his motivation, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- It’d be easy for Dalton to pay attention to Kaepernick’s deal, but he’d be better off ignoring it, writes ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey. He’s undoubtedly dreaming of dollar signs, but the Bengals dont’ have any compelling reasons to award him in similar fashion. Dalton wants to get paid like an elite quarterback, meaning $19MM or more per season, but there are legitimate questions as to whether he’d even be worth ~$15MM annually.
Minor Moves: Broncos, Colts, Bengals, Chiefs
Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much NFL action recently (or at all), and the retirement of a former 49ers draft pick:
- The Broncos announced a pair of draft pick signings today, meaning they’ve locked up five of their six draftees within the last two days. Third-round offensive lineman Michael Schofield and fifth-round linebacker Lamin Barrow are the latest players to ink their rookie deals with Denver, as the club confirmed in a pair of press releases. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweets that the Broncos also waived offensive tackle Ramon Harewood.
- According to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter), the Colts have cut quarterback Seth Lobato and cornerback Keon Lyn, both of whom signed with the club last month as undrafted free agents.
- The Bengals have just one open spot left on their 90-man roster after signing offensive tackle Chandler Burden today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. A Cincinnati-area native who played his college ball at Kentucky, Burden has previously spent time with the Dolphins and Chiefs.
- Offensive lineman Jason Slowey, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2012 by the Niners, has announced his retirement, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Slowey had been playing for the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League.
- The Chiefs waived offensive lineman Colin Kelly today, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Zimmer, 49ers, Texans, Bengals
A few assorted items to close out this Monday evening:
- The union between the Vikings and new head coach Mike Zimmer almost didn’t happen, writes Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com. Having missed out on the Titans job, Zimmer felt as though his opportunity for a head coaching job might never come. “I almost didn’t go (on the second interview with Minnesota), yeah. I was so disappointed,” said Zimmer. “It was like, ‘Why even do this?’ It was to that point. I figured I was getting too old. I thought, ‘Forget this.'” Zimmer had been a successful defensive coordinator for the past 14 seasons.
- The 49ers are creating more cap space to make room for a Colin Kaepernick extension, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco got $6.6MM in relief when Carlos Rogers‘ contract (a post-June 1 designation) was cleared off the books, and received another $2.6MM after NaVorro Bowman converted some of his base salary into a signing bonus.
- Keshawn Martin will face competition for the Texans’ returner job, per David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. “There are many candidates for those jobs,” said head coach Bill O’Brien. “Preseason is when we really have to get a true evaluation of the guys who are back there and who is going to return punts, who are going to be the kickoff return guys, and who will be the emergency guys if something happens to the starters.”
- New Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson thinks that right tackle Andre Smith is entering the upcoming season with a new fire, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “In my opinion, this Andre Smith is a different Andre Smith than the one I’ve ever seen,” said Jackson. “He’s a more focused, agile, hungry guy after something.” Pro Football Focus rated Smith as the 20th-best offensive tackle in the NFL last season (subscription required).
- It might just be the usual preseason platitudes, but Raiders coach Dennis Allen claims there is no official depth chart as of yet, and states he is especially looking forward to the running back competition between Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. “We’re going to put the best players on the field, and the guys that give us the best opportunity to win, whoever that may be,” said Allen. “I do know this: I do know throughout the course of a 16-game season, you’re going to need everybody. I think it’s great when you have multiple players that you feel confident that they can come in and do the job. We’ll let the competition dictate who plays and how much they play. It’s a good feeling to know that you’ve got some qualified people in the running back room that can carry the loads for you.”
AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Jags
ESPN’s NFL writers answered questions from their readers this weekend. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…
- Jay Cutler‘s deal with the Bears and Alex Smith‘s likely extension with the Chiefs will have an impact on the Bengals negotiations with Andy Dalton, writes Coley Harvey.
- Even though the team selected Jeremy Hill in the second round this year (and Giovani Bernard in the second round last season), Harvey would be surprised if the Bengals let go of veteran running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
- In spite of the above opinion, Harvey says the team will likely part ways with one of Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman or Rex Burkhead. The writer believes that Burkhead is at the most risk of being cut.
- Scott Brown says “it would make all the sense in the world” for the Steelers to bring back Brett Keisel. In an another article, Brown writes that Heath Miller‘s recent quote (the tight end stated that the linebacker was not with the team “right now”) is an indication that the veteran will return.
- LaVon Brazill, Da’Rick Rogers and Griff Whalen will likely be competing for the Colts‘ final wideout spot, writes Mike Wells. The writer believes that Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks and Donte Moncrief are locks to make the roster.
- If the Jaguars weren’t in such good shape cap-wise, Michael DiRocco thinks the team would have cut or tried to restructure the contract of tight end Marcedes Lewis.