Cowboys Expected To Cut Brandon Carr, Eyeing Adam Jones?
Unless Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr is willing to take a hefty pay cut, it appears that his tenure in Dallas is coming to an end. Yahoo! Sports Charles Robinson writes that the team is expected to release the highly-paid cornerback. The team is expected to pursue Bengals free agent Adam Jones to take Carr’s spot on the roster.
Carr is set to count for more than $13.8MM against the cap next season, with $9.1MM in base salary and another $4.7MM in bonus money. As Robinson notes, this would place Carr behind only four other cornerbacks (two of whom were franchised today): Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman, Josh Norman, and Trumaine Johnson. If the team cuts bait with Carr prior to June 1, they can free up $6.4MM worth o cap space. If they wait until after that date, they can open up $9.1MM in cap room.
A Chiefs fifth-round draft pick in 2008, Carr joined Dallas on a five-year, $50.1MM deal in 2012. The 29-year-old hasn’t missed a game during his four years with the Cowboys, although he hasn’t necessarily lived up to his contract. Carr hasn’t recorded an interception in two seasons, and his passes defended have dropped drastically over the past two years. He finished last season with 76 tackles and six passes defended.
If the team ultimately cuts bait with Carr, sources told Robinson that the team would eye former cornerback Adam Jones. The 32-year-old, who played with the Cowboys in 2008, has spent the past six seasons with the Bengals. The cornerback and his agent were reportedly at an Indianapolis steakhouse on Friday evening, the same night that Cowboys ownership and executives were at the restaurant. Jones and his agent were spotted “briefly exchanging pleasantries” with Cowboys director of player personnel Stephen Jones.
Jones appeared in 14 games last season, compiling 62 tackles, three interceptions, and 12 passes defended.
Extra Points: J. Smith, Strong, Packers, Cowboys
Typically, teams can get some deals done with their pending free agents between the franchise-tag deadline and the start of free agency, while they still have the right to exclusively negotiate with those players. Last year, for instance, players like Patriots safety Devin McCourty and Packers wideout Randall Cobb re-upped with their respective teams just before reaching the open market.
According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, however, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell doesn’t expect many players to fall into that category this year. Referring to free agents around the league, rather than just his own players, Caldwell suggested that if they’re not locked up by Tuesday’s franchise-tag deadline, they’ll likely hit the open market. While O’Halloran doesn’t go into detail on Caldwell’s thoughts on the issue, I imagine players will be eager to see what sort of offers are out there for them, now that so many clubs have so much cap space.
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Within his weekly MMQB column, Peter King provides a couple interesting draft-related notes, writing that at least one NFL GM remains bullish on injured Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith (“No chance he won’t play at some point, and play well”) and reporting that NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah received at least one offer from an NFL team within the last two months to head up that club’s personnel department.
- Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong was arrested late on Sunday night for possession of marijuana, tweets Jason Snavely of ABC15. The off-field incident will put Strong on the NFL’s radar for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, so discipline could be coming down the road.
- While Packers general manager Ted Thompson hasn’t publicly announced how long he plans to continue in his current role, team president/CEO Mark Murphy said at the combine in Indianapolis that he has an idea of how much longer Thompson will stick around, and Murphy has a succession plan in mind, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- As Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News tweets, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is more confident about how to fortify the team’s running back spot than he is for some of Dallas’ holes on defense. “I can actually see ways and options at the running back [position] to get us in good shape,” Jones said. “I don’t actually see ways and have the name in place for the spot relative to the defense.”
- In his latest piece for The Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec explores the Ravens‘ potential options for the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, and writes that offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, a release candidate, still appears unlikely to return to Baltimore in 2016.
Draft Rumors: QBs, Treadwell, Nkemdiche
If the Browns take the fast-rising Carson Wentz at No. 2, a longtime personnel executive informs Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com there’s a possibility three quarterbacks go off the board in the first seven picks.
This source believes Jared Goff falling to No. 4 would entice the Cowboys to select him and that the 49ers would be tempted to take Paxton Lynch at No. 7 to give a highly touted quarterback the chance to learn Chip Kelly‘s system from Day 1 as opposed to the veterans who were installed in Kelly’s offense in Philadelphia either after playing in Andy Reid‘s or another team’s attack.
Here’s the latest coming out of the prospect pool as the Combine winds down.
- The notion Laquon Treadwell‘s more of a possession receiver has emerged at the Combine, Robinson reports. Some league personnel are wondering if the Ole Miss first-round prospect’s future is more of a No. 2 wideout and red zone-type threat than a high-ceiling No. 1 that teams take in the top half of the first round, where the early-entry receiver’s expected to be drafted.
- Robert Nkemdiche‘s character concerns have caused the one-time No. 1 recruit in the country to be taken off of multiple teams’ draft boards. But Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports (on Twitter) the Ole Miss defensive lineman already has 15 visits arranged.
- Teams will be concerned of potential nerve damage lingering for former potential No. 1 overall pick Jaylon Smith, Sal Maiorana of USA Today notes. But the Bills could be in play for the Notre Dame prospect if he falls to No. 19, with the team lacking a game-changing linebacker. Although Buffalo’s past taking a player not expected to contribute that season — Willis McGahee in 2003 — doesn’t apply too much here, Todd Gurley proved such a gamble can pay off.
- Although Joey Bosa‘s Combine numbers were eerily similar to J.J. Watt‘s, the 20-year-old prospect underwhelmed with a 4.86 40-yard dash time. But the Browns are considering Bosa with their No. 2 pick, along with Wentz and Goff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Bosa, who met with the Browns, was expected to run faster considering he’ll likely have to play linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
East Rumors: Vernon, Wilkerson, Cowboys
The Dolphins and Olivier Vernon‘s representatives haven’t spoken much about the possibility of a long-term deal in Miami, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.
Recognizing the interest the 25-year-old defensive end will draw in free agency if he reaches the market, the Dolphins will entertain the possibility of tagging Vernon with the intent to then trade him, sources inform La Canfora.
The franchise tag for defensive ends is $15.7MM, and the Dolphins already employ the league’s highest-paid defender in Ndamukong Suh, who makes $19.06MM per year. Suh and Cameron Wake‘s cap numbers add up to $38.4MM in 2016 if those contracts are not restructured, making a potential Vernon extension tricky.
PFR’s Dallas Robinson rated Vernon as a top-15 free agent in this year’s class.
Here’s some more news coming out of the Eastern divisions on Combine Saturday.
- Publicly seeking a long-term deal for some time, Muhammad Wilkerson could also be a tag-and-trade candidate, La Canfora reports. The Jets and Wilkerson’s reps aren’t close on a long-term deal and haven’t discussed it much since talks broke off last year. The 25-year-old’s been the game’s second-best 3-4 defensive end over the past few seasons, and the $15.7MM Wilkerson would draw as a tagged player would make Gang Green’s auxiliary moves — like keeping Ryan Fitzpatrick — more difficult. The Jets possess $21.9MM worth of cap space. League executives told La Canfora Wilkerson is “plenty worth” the deal Marcell Dareus signed to stay in Buffalo last year (six years, $95.1MM, with a $25MM signing bonus) and would be incredibly sought-after on the open market. La Canfora lists the Giants, Raiders and Jaguars as teams who would listen in a tag-and-trade scenario.
- Jerry Jones expects Tony Romo to be the Cowboys‘ quarterback for another four or five years, he tells media, including Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Although this isn’t the first year Dallas’ owner tossed out that timetable for the soon-to-be-36-year-old quarterback, it wouldn’t mesh with Dallas drafting Romo’s successor at No. 4 overall, but either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz probably reaches the Cowboys at that spot barring a trade-up scenario.
- Romo’s leaning toward having a plate surgically inserted to stabilize his collarbone, which he injured twice last year, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports. Such a procedure would allow the 11th-year Cowboys starter to participate in offseason workouts despite suffering his latest setback on Thanksgiving Day.
- Romo’s backup could be a higher-profile player than Wentz or Goff, at least according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The veteran reporter expects Robert Griffin III to be in play for the Cowboys next month despite previous reports indicating tepid interest on Dallas’ behalf, Schefter said on a radio appearance with Cowlishaw and Mosley (via JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com).
- The lengthy legal battle between DeSean Jackson and former agent Drew Rosenhaus ended with a judge ruling the Washington wideout doesn’t have to pay back the $516K he was previously ruled to have owed Rosenhaus, Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal reports (on Twitter). Jackson and Rosenhaus had been mired in a legal tussle since 2013, when Jackson fired Rosenhaus in favor of Joel Segal. In April 2014, an NFLPA arbitrator ruled in Rosenhaus’ favor after the agent filed a grievance to recoup unpaid loans and agent fees.
NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts
The NFL Players Association issued a press release today announcing the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2016 season. The official salary cap amount for 2016 has yet to be announced by the league, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $155MM+. When that figures becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official cap for 2016.
According to the press release, the Broncos, Rams, and the Saints are the only teams that opted not to carry over the full amount available to them, though none of those clubs are believed to have left significant amounts on the table.
Here are the salary cap carryover amounts for 2016, per the NFLPA, from highest to lowest:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $32,774,928
- Tennessee Titans: $20,783,801
- Cleveland Browns: $20,734,144
- Oakland Raiders: $13,373,617
- San Francisco 49ers: $12,206,686
- New York Giants: $11,193,231
- Miami Dolphins: $9,137,544
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,987,748
- Cincinnati Bengals: $7,587,902
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7,255,362
- Green Bay Packers: $6,953,847
- Washington: $5,837,734
- Indianapolis Colts: $4,950,629
- Buffalo Bills: $4,467,331
- Atlanta Falcons: $3,905,771
- Carolina Panthers: $3,731,200
- Dallas Cowboys: $3,571,239
- Denver Broncos: $3,300,000
- Arizona Cardinals: $3,031,663
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,000,327
- Kansas City Chiefs: $2,622,838
- New York Jets: $2,484,216
- San Diego Chargers: $2,287,176
- Minnesota Vikings: $2,090,409
- Houston Texans: $1,637,055
- Baltimore Ravens: $1,633,944
- New Orleans Saints: $1,400,000
- New England Patriots: $1,347,882
- Los Angeles Rams: $933,521
- Chicago Bears: $867,589
- Detroit Lions: $862,191
- Seattle Seahawks: $11,587
NFC East Rumors: Cox, Brinkley, Romo, JPP
Having already extended the contracts of Vinny Curry, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Malcolm Jenkins, and Brent Celek since their season ended, the Eagles would still like to get something done with Fletcher Cox, whose next deal may very well make him the team’s highest-paid player. Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, de-facto general manager Howie Roseman called it a “huge priority” to lock up Cox, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
“He’s a great player and he’s going to get great player money,” Roseman said. “And we’re not shy about saying that.”
Cox remains under contract with the Eagles for one more season, so the team isn’t under any immediate pressure to get something done with the standout lineman. As the two sides attempt to work on a deal, let’s round up a few other items from out of the NFC East….
- Giants linebacker Jasper Brinkley is expected to hit the open market next month, according to James Kratch of NJ.com. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll sign elsewhere. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Kratch that the Giants have expressed interest in signing Brinkley and have had discussions with his representatives.
- While there’s still no final decision on what type of collarbone surgery Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo, he’s expected to go under the knife within the next two weeks, a source tells Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A Tuesday report indicated Romo is leaning toward a Mumford procedure, which involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is likely focused on his next contract as he nears free agency, but he’ll have another issue on his plate in the near future. According to Julia Marsh of the New York Post, Pierre-Paul filed a lawsuit against ESPN and reporter Adam Schefter on Wednesday for publishing his medical records last year. The lawsuit contends that Schefter “improperly obtained” JPP’s medical chart, violating his medical privacy.
NFC East Rumors: Washington, Cowboys, Cruz
Washington executives Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen aren’t scheduled to speak to the media in formal press conferences this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but head coach Jay Gruden did so today, touching on a handful of topics surrounding the team. Most notably, Gruden expressed confidence that Washington will work something out with quarterback Kirk Cousins, suggesting that the two sides continue to talk in the hopes of hammering out an agreement (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
Cousins isn’t the only quarterback that Gruden is bullish about bringing back. According to Jones (via Twitter), the head coach also wants to re-sign Colt McCoy. However, it sounds as if linebacker Keenan Robinson will depart via free agency. John Keim of ESPN.com adds that Gruden spoke to defensive lineman Jason Hatcher recently and thinks that Hatcher is leaning toward playing in 2016, rather than retiring.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones spoke about his team’s approach to free agency, suggesting that the Cowboys don’t want to “pay a good player like he’s a great player” if they can avoid it. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com has the details and the quotes from Jones.
- Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said today that he “absolutely” expects Victor Cruz to return to the club next season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Cruz, who has a $9.9MM cap hit, recently estimated that he has an 80% chance of being retained by the Giants.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that McAdoo’s comments today made it sound as if he really wants the Giants to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul.
- McAdoo also confirmed today that “there was a potential for a second interview” for the Eagles‘ head coaching job before he was promoted by the Giants. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, McAdoo said he wasn’t formally offered the Eagles’ job.
Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Schwartz, CJ2K
Earlier today, we rounded up the latest updates on several current and pending free agents. With the combine underway in Indianapolis, there’s no shortage of news and rumors on free agency, so we’ve got another set of items to pass along already. Let’s dive in….
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter), word from the combine suggests that the Chargers and Falcons will be in the hunt for wide receiver Travis Benjamin, if and when he reaches free agency. Current Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan used to hold that same position with the Browns, who have reportedly broken off talks with Benjamin for now.
- The Browns are making an effort to extend the contract of tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but he appears headed for the open market, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. According to Cabot, Schwartz is believed to be seeking left tackle money, and while the Browns have made an offer, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement.
- The Dolphins would like to hang onto wide receiver Rishard Matthews, but if his price tag reaches $5MM+, Miami is unlikely to be seriously in the mix, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Cardinals GM Steve Keim said today that the team will talk to Chris Johnson‘s representatives this week at the combine, per James Palmer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Johnson said on Tuesday that he would like to re-sign with Arizona.
- The odds of the Eagles getting something done with safety Walter Thurmond prior to the start of free agency next month don’t look great, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who tweets that the team has not yet made an offer.
- The Cowboys will meet with the agent for linebacker Rolando McClain at the combine this week, per executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). McClain is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cruz, RGIII, Cards
With Tony Romo turning 36 this April, the Cowboys may not get a better chance to draft his eventual successor, but their No. 4 overall pick could also be used to address a more immediate need elsewhere on the roster. Speaking to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones acknowledges that the idea of selecting a quarterback is one the team must seriously consider.
“I mean you have to look at it,” Jones said. “You’re not naive to it but if you have the opportunity in this league, in our situation, to get a potential franchise quarterback, then you have to make the investment. You have to have the patience. You sacrifice maybe that opportunity that maybe is impactful right now.”
Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….
- Speaking to Nina Mandell of of USA Today’s For The Win, wide receiver Victor Cruz speculated that there’s an 80 percent chance he’ll return to the Giants for the 2016 season. While that’s an optimistic estimate, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that it doesn’t sound like Cruz has been told anything definitive yet by the team.
- In the wake of Washington president Bruce Allen suggesting Robert Griffin III won’t be back with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, and Cowboys as possible suitors for RGIII.
- Speaking today to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that he loves Andre Ellington‘s skills, but the running back must show he can consistently stay healthy before Arizona seriously considers locking him up long-term (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). As a 2013 draftee, Ellington is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
- Former CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who signed with the Cardinals this week, got a $30K signing bonus on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
NFC Notes: Romo, Lawrence, Bucs, Lions
Let’s take a look at some of the latest news coming out of NFC cities, starting with Tony Romo‘s immediate future.
- Romo has yet to make a final decision on what type of surgery he’ll undergo in March, but the 14th-year Cowboys quarterback leaning toward a Mumford procedure, a source tells Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. The Mumford procedure involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Demarcus Lawrence probably won’t be 100% until at least training camp after he underwent January back surgery to repair an injury that Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said was “a little more serious” than anticipated, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Lawrence played in all 16 games last season and led Dallas with eight sacks, but Jones conceded the third-year defensive end may miss time this summer due to the procedure.
- The Buccaneers are leaning toward assigning RFA tenders to wide receiver Russell Shepard and safety Bradley McDougald, but have yet to make a decision on linebacker Danny Lansanah, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter links). Shepard and McDougald figure to be in line for low-end tenders, while Lansanah would become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t get an offer from the Bucs by March 9.
- Tampa Bay wants Sterling Moore to return, per Cummings (on Twitter), but will allow him to test free agency. Moore experienced a down year after Pro Football Focus ranked the journeyman corner as a top-25 player at his position in 2014. The site ranked him 64th among cornerbacks last season. He started nine games for the Bucs after being nontendered by the Cowboys last March.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has a few suggestions for Bob Quinn as the Lions general manager prepares for his first NFL combine as a GM. Calvin Johnson and Darius Slay are among the players on Quinn’s list of issues to address.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report