Cole’s Latest: Dez, Thomas, Houston, Collins
Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has been busy today, providing several updates on franchised players who are seeking new contracts, as well as publishing a Q&A with rookie Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins. Let’s dive right in and check out the highlights from Cole so far today….
- Cole gets the sense that, while Dez Bryant badly wants to get an extension done with the Cowboys, neither the team nor agent Tom Condon is eager to do a deal — presumably because the two sides don’t want to budge significantly from their current proposals (Twitter link).
- Echoing something that Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said earlier this week, Cole suggests that the Cowboys want to be able to escape a long-term contract for Bryant if the receiver gets into any off-field trouble (video link). As Florio writes in a new PFT piece, the Cowboys have included those sort of clauses in other recent deals, including cornerback Byron Jones‘ rookie contract. Jones’ deal features language that would void his guarantees if he’s arrested or even detained by police, or if he’s fined under the league’s substance abuse or personal conduct policies.
- Don’t expect the Broncos to budge much from their current offer to Demaryius Thomas, which is for about $13MM per year, says Cole (video link). While the star wideout is seeking Calvin Johnson money, Denver almost certainly won’t go that high.
- The Chiefs and Justin Houston are “still talking” about a multiyear extension, but Cole has no sense of where the two sides will land by the end of the day (Twitter link). Reports this week have suggested that Houston has the best chance of the four unsigned franchised players to come to terms on a long-term deal.
- Cole’s Q&A with Collins features plenty of details on the lineman’s draft experience — or lack thereof. The Cowboys rookie tells Cole he lost 10 pounds during the week of the draft due to stress and being unable to eat.
Dez Bryant Rumors: Tuesday
The Cowboys and Dez Bryant have less than 30 hours to reach a long-term contract agreement before Wednesday’s deadline, and the wideout has threatened to miss training camp and regular season games if the two sides don’t come to terms. Here’s the latest on Bryant’s contract situation, with the clock ticking:
- The Cowboys’ offer to Bryant is more than the $12.8MM/year tag number, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That marks a significant climb from their original offer of $10MM per year over six years. Bryant, meanwhile, still wants Calvin Johnson money and one source says there’s still a “long way to go” (link). Echoing earlier reports, Rapoport says the Cowboys aren’t buying Bryant’s threat to miss regular season games (link).
Earlier updates:
- If Bryant and the Cowboys can compromise on a total dollar value that both sides find acceptable, the language regarding the voiding of future guarantees figures to become a major factor, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, though Bryant has avoided off-field trouble for several years, the Cowboys will likely push for language that would allow the team to void guarantees if the star receiver is suspended, or if he even just misses a practice or meeting. Bryant’s camp, of course, will attempt to restrict that sort of language.
- While not many people are taking Bryant seriously when he talks about missing regular season action, Florio suggests in a separate PFT piece that it could make sense for the Cowboys wideout to threaten to sit out 10 weeks, rather than just one or two. That would still allow Bryant to earn more than $5MM in the season’s final few weeks, which is more than he has ever made in a season before.
- Of course, Florio’s argument hinges on the fact that he believes Bryant would still be in line for a 20% raise if he sits out most or all of the season and gets the franchise tag again in 2016, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s not how I read the CBA — it looks to me like the 20% raise only applies if Bryant earns his full $12.823MM salary in 2015. As Florio observes though, the language in convoluted enough that it could result in a grievance, if necessary.
- Having already informed the Cowboys and Broncos that they need to preserve emails, phone records, and other records of communication, the NFLPA intends to move forward with collusion charges against the two teams if Bryant and Demaryius Thomas don’t sign long-term contracts this week, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Based on Graziano’s report, it sounds like the NFLPA plans to go ahead with its complaint even if one of the two receivers lands a new deal this week.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Bryant, Cowboys
Jaguars executive Chris Polian, who was promoted to director of pro personnel in Jacksonville this offseason, was surprised when the Eagles approached him in January about interviewing for their general manager job, as he tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. According to Polian, his initial interview included Chip Kelly and various members of the Philadelphia front office, while his second meeting was a one-on-one with the Eagles head coach.
“It kind of came out of the blue. I wasn’t expecting it,” Polian said. “It was quick getting the information and then getting up there. But I enjoyed it very much, the chance to sit down, talk and present my ideas to Chip.”
Here’s more from the NFC East..
- Dez Bryant needs to be more specific when he says “I will not be there,” if not publicly then at least privately in his communications with the Cowboys, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. That threat could mean he won’t show up at all in this season if he doesn’t get a long-term contract before the July 15 deadline. However, that would only prolong the matter with Bryant still eligible for a one-year, $12.8MM contract in 2016 and the Cowboys still owning his rights.
- The time for Bryant to have held out from the Cowboys was last season, where there was much less at stake financially for him, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap opines. Last season, Bryant played for about $2MM in salary and the fortunes that could have awaited in free agency or an extension would have made it worth sitting out for an extended period of time. Now, Bryant would be giving up ~$754K for each week that he misses in the regular season.
- A handful of players around the league tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that Bryant has a lot of support. Of course, it’s not surprising to hear that other players are standing shoulder to shoulder with the Cowboys star.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t think there’s any chance of Bryant holding out of Cowboys regular season games.
Latest On Cowboys/Broncos Collusion Allegations
6:55pm: The NFLPA letter to the Broncos and Cowboys doesn’t spell out specific transgressions but it does ask clubs to preserve certain documents and communications, Breer tweets.
6:04pm: Evidence of possible collusion between the Cowboys and Broncos stems from a conversation that took place between Dez Bryant and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT.
Jones explained to Bryant that the Calvin Johnson contract, which is the most lucrative deal for a wide receiver in the NFL, has no relevance to other receivers because of the unique circumstances surrounding those negotiations. Then, according to Bryant’s account (per the source), Jones told the receiver that he talked to Broncos GM John Elway about the situation. Because the Broncos also have a franchise-tagged receiver in Demaryius Thomas, the admission that Jones and Elway communicated about the situation constitutes evidence of collusion.
There could be significant penalties for the Cowboys and Broncos as the league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. However, it could also be hard to find the smoking gun. Bryant could give testimony to support his claims, but if there is no tangible evidence of a conversation between Elway and Jones, the investigation might not get far.
July 15th is the deadline for franchised players to sign long-term extensions with their teams — if no agreement is reached by that date, a player who received the franchise tag will have to play on a one-year deal in 2015, if he intends to play at all. Given the relatively similar statistical production posted by Bryant and Thomas – as well as Bengals wideout A.J. Green and Falcons receiverJulio Jones, who are playing on fifth-year options this year – there’s been a sense that everyone is waiting for one team to extend its star receiver to establish the market.
The NFLPA letter containing the collusion claims against the Broncos and Cowboys went to the clubs today, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
Franchise Tag Updates: Houston, WRs, JPP
Of the five recipients of franchise tags around the NFL this year, only Stephen Gostkowski immediately signed his one-year tender. He’ll have until Wednesday to negotiate a longer-term deal with the Patriots, but the focus this week is on the other four franchised players, who are still technically free agents, albeit not unrestricted ones. With the July 15 deadline for a multiyear contract looming, let’s check in on those four stars….
- Negotiations between Justin Houston and the Chiefs are expected to resume on Tuesday, one day before the deadline, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that guaranteed money will be the major factor in those talks, with Houston likely seeking a sizable signing bonus.
- Houston may have the best chance of the four unsigned franchise players to actually land a long-term extension this week, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, the two sides have made “significant progress” since they first started negotiating, and Kansas City would like to avoid having to franchise the star pass rusher two years in a row. La Canfora expects it to cost at least $15MM per year for the Chiefs to get something done.
- Within the same piece, La Canfora addresses Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, noting that the two wideouts are stuck in similar situations. Although a deal for either player could be reached if one decides to settle for something in the range of $13-14MM annually, the Cowboys and Broncos are both in a good position to wait until after the season to get something done, if need be. We passed along more extensive updates on both Bryant and Thomas earlier today.
- The fourth unsigned franchise player, Jason Pierre-Paul, has virtually no chance of getting a multiyear contract this week, as we’ve heard repeatedly since his July 4th fireworks accident. However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com suggests that if JPP is able to contribute to the Giants this season and land a decent contract elsewhere in 2016, he could eventually net New York a draft pick.
Dez Bryant Threatens To Miss Camp, Games
2:00pm: Bryant himself has taken to Twitter to make his stance clear, tweeting that he “will not be there” if he doesn’t get a new deal from the Cowboys. Bryant’s tweet doesn’t specify whether he means he’ll miss training camp or some of the regular season, but based on what we’ve already heard today, I’d guess he’s referring to both. Whether or not he’ll actually follow through with the threat remains to be seen.
11:29am: Contradicting his own report, Werder tweets that Jones has denied that Bryant threatened to miss camp and regular season games. Considering we’ve been hearing for weeks that this was part of Bryant’s plan, Jones must be disputing the fact that the wideout made those comments specifically in a call to him.
10:36am: While reports this summer have suggested that Dez Bryant is considering sitting out regular season games if his contract situation remains unsettled, it didn’t appear that the Cowboys were seriously anticipating that outcome. Now, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, Bryant has personally called Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones to tell him that if the two sides don’t reach a long-term agreement by Wednesday, he won’t attend training camp and he’ll miss real games.
Of course, it remains possible that Bryant and his camp are bluffing, particularly with the July 15 deadline for franchised players to sign multiyear contracts looming. However, now that the threat is coming directly from the star wideout, rather than from sourced reports or second-hand quotes, the Cowboys will likely have to take it a little more seriously — even if the team still suspects it’s a play for leverage.
There have been mixed reports in recent weeks on how close Bryant and the Cowboys are to working out a long-term extension, with some outlets suggesting both sides are optimistic about a deal, while others say there’s no indication that progress has been made. Generally, deadlines spur action, so I’d expect talks between Bryant’s camp and the Cowboys to heat up this week, even if those negotiations don’t ultimately result in an extension.
Details on the specific figures being negotiated by the Cowboys and Bryant have been scarce, though Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan has cited seven years and $100MM as a point of reference. Those numbers would make some sense for both sides, though the guaranteed money involved in the deal could be a sticking point.
As the Cowboys negotiate with Bryant, they’re also being eyed by the NFL Players Association, which suspects that the Cowboys and Broncos have colluded in contract talks for Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, respectively. So far, the NFLPA hasn’t formally filed a complaint, but it sounds as if the union believes the two teams have spoken to one another about the receivers’ contract situations, perhaps in an effort to limit their overall earnings.
Speaking of earnings, while players are usually subject to fines if they skip training camp, Bryant has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, so if he doesn’t ink a long-term contract, the 26-year-old figures to leave that offer unsigned for now. As long as he’s not technically under contract, Bryant can’t be fined for missing training camp, though he’d begin to forfeit his 2015 salary at a rate of about $754K per week if he misses regular season action.
While I could see him showing up late to training camp, I’d be surprised if Bryant followed through on his threat to miss regular season games. Once Wednesday’s deadline passes, he and the Cowboys can’t finalize a multiyear contract until after the season, so sitting out Week 1 wouldn’t spur the team to meet his long-term demands. Still, perhaps the threat of a holdout could result in the Cowboys modifying the Pro Bowler’s one-year deal to include some player-friendly terms, such as a guarantee that the club won’t franchise him again in 2016.
Sunday Roundup: Bills, L.A., Dalton, McClain
Among all the chaos surrounding Aaron Kromer in Buffalo, the Bills are more than likely going to be looking for a new offensive line coach for the upcoming season. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is asked if the organization could convince former Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally out of retirement.
McNally spent 28 seasons as an NFL offensive line coach, retiring in 2007 after a four-year tenure in Buffalo. He semi-unretired in 2010 to serve as a consultant to the Jets under Rex Ryan for two years, before taking on a similar role with the Bengals, where he began and spent most of his NFL career.
Cole notes that at 71 years old, McNally isn’t a prime candidate for the job, but that he does have the background to make him an interesting option (via Twitter).
Here are some more notes from around the NFL:
- With all the excitement surrounding the possibility of a team coming to Los Angeles, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times makes several predictions about what to expect in the coming months from the NFL regarding the potential move. Among them, he opines that San Diego and St. Louis will present their cases at the owners’ meeting in New York but Oakland will not, that the league will sign leases with one or two temporary stadiums by the end of the year, and that the NFL will begin counting potential season ticket holders this fall.
- Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took some swings during the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game as part of All-Star Weekend in Cincinnati, but he arrived to a mix of boos and cheers among the hometown fans, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com. Dalton was not worried about the reaction, and went on to hit two mammoth home runs during the game, to which brought the cheers in the stadium, and plenty of snark from the Twitter faithful, many of which Dehner compiled in his piece.
- With linebacker Sean Lee set to return for the Cowboys and Rolando McClain suspended for the season’s first four games, Bob Strum of the Dallas Morning News says he wouldn’t assume McClain will stick with Dallas all year, suggesting the club may decide at some point that the off-field issues aren’t worth it.
- The Broncos have until Wednesday to reach a long-term deal with franchise player Demaryius Thomas, leading Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post to debate as to the receiver’s value. Noting that Denver has a limited Super Bowl window given Peyton Manning‘s age, the scribes agree that the club will want to work out an extension, ultimately landing on a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $65-70MM. PFR’s Luke Adams projected the exact same figures last June.
- Staying in Denver, Broncos general manager John Elway is still positive that the disappointing 2014 draft class will have a bigger impact, even with a brand new coaching staff, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Only Bradley Roby saw significant snaps, with a number of the players selected not seeing any action at all. Second-round pick Cody Latimer saw only 37 snaps at receiver for the season, but the group should see significantly increased roles in 2015.
Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Jags, London, Hardy, Kaep, WRs
The Jaguars signed a four-year agreement in 2012 to play one home game per year in the city of London from 2013-16. That deal is half over, but the Jags’ foothold in England is unlikely to slip anytime soon. When the team travels to London to play in October, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union expects Jags owner Shad Khan to announce a new four-year agreement. If it’s the same as their current accord and begins in 2017, it would mean one Jags home game in the U.K. through 2020.
The venue could eventually change from Wembley Stadium to Tottenham’s new stadium when it opens in London in 2018, notes O’Halloran, though the latter is expected to hold at least 22,000 fewer fans. That would mean less revenue for the Jags, but Tottenham’s stadium will have an artificial playing surface – which holds up better for American football than the natural grass at Wembley.
Here’s what else is happening around the NFL:
- Arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision to reduce Cowboys pass rusher Greg Hardy‘s suspension for domestic violence from 10 games to four games is getting panned nationally, notes the Dallas Morning News. One sampling, courtesy of National Organization for Women president Terry O’Neill: “What’s very very sad is that nothing has come out of the NFL that indicates a real commitment to ending the violence-against-women problem that they have in the NFL.”
- The 49ers had a hectic offseason highlighted by several key departures and some noteworthy additions, and quarterback Colin Kaepernick thinks the changes will ultimately serve the team well. “A lot of new faces in the locker room and a lot of new coaches. I think the changes are for the good,” Kaepernick told the Nevada Appeal, according to CSNBayArea.com. “I feel people are writing us off, but for us, that’s all right.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap took a look at three wide receivers who, in his opinion, have the worst contracts at their position. The list consists of a trio of big names, with two being potential Hall of Famers.
NFC Notes: Hardy, JPP, Lee, Lions
Following Friday’s reduction of Greg Hardy‘s suspension, the Cowboys‘ highest-profile offseason addition has several legal options before he begins his season in Dallas, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While the most obvious one is the defensive end accepting the six-game slashing of his ban and suiting up for a Week 5 tilt against the Patriots, Hardy has three different legal avenues, according to Florio. The potential solutions all concede Hardy should miss two games, just as Ray Rice was supposed to when the then-Ravens running back was slapped on the wrist for domestic violence under the league’s former, less-strict policy.
One involves a lawsuit and preliminary injunction, which would push for a two-game ban and go after judge Harold Henderson’s reasoning for assigning four games. Hardy and the NFL Players Association would have to get this matter resolved before the end of Week 2 or run the risk of the ex-Panthers Pro Bowler missing two more contests of greater consequence should the ruling not go down in his favor. Florio adds that should this strategy backfire, this situation could drag on further and potentially force Hardy to miss two games this season and two next season, which would affect the former sixth-round pick’s pursuit of his first noteworthy long-term contract.
Another route Florio offers but doesn’t recommend comes via the NFLPA suing and not seeking a preliminary injunction, meaning Hardy would miss the Cowboys’ first four games and sue to reclaim the two checks he would’ve missed. This method basically serves just Hardy while depriving Dallas of an extra two tilts with its best pass-rusher.
Here’s some other Saturday content from around the NFC.
- The Cowboys will not move Sean Lee back to the middle linebacker position where he played in 2013, notes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Machota expects newly acquired Jasper Brinkley to play inside until Rolando McClain returns from his suspension, with the coaching staff preferring to keep Lee on the weak side.
- Machota also believes La’el Collins would win a tiebreaker of sorts if he and incumbent Ronald Leary play at around the same level during the preaseason. While grading as the team’s worst offensive line starter last year, Leary still managed a positive assessment from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Machota notes the 27-year-old Leary will have to play much better than Collins to keep his job.
- Also mired in a complex saga going into his sixth NFL season, Jason Pierre-Paul has several courses of action going into the season, offers Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. JPP’s already informed the Giants he won’t sign his franchise tender until healthy, which will keep him off the unpaid Non-Football Injury list, but Vacchiano provides two interesting scenarios. One features the Giants’ best pass-pursuer not signing his tender and sitting out the season. While no money would come Pierre-Paul’s way, he’d have the chance to either sign a long-term contract with the Giants (or another team), or sign a franchise tender that figures to be higher than 2015’s $14.813MM defensive end tag. The Giants may be hard-pressed to re-apply a tag if Eli Manning is still unsigned by next March, notes Vacchiano. Of course, it also puts JPP’s ability in question, which would limit the kind of contract the 26-year-old could draw. The other path, and the one Vacchiano expects, is the Giants and JPP renegotiating his tender, lowering his 2015 salary — which is allowable under the CBA — in exchange for a promise not to place him on the NFI list.
- Pierre-Paul not meeting with the Giants and notifying him of his decisions regarding his badly injured hand aren’t a sign of immaturity, but rather a bit of panic at what was unfolding in his life, Dr. David Chao tells Nick Powell of NJ.com. “If you’re going through this kind of mental anguish, are you going to talk to anyone? Even your friends?” Chao said. “I wasn’t in the room, but I know what players go through. I don’t think he was dissing the Giants; he was just in his own world, and understandably so.”
- The Lions suddenly have plenty of depth at defensive end, which will create a high-quality competition for the rotation jobs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. Corey Wootton and CFL sack champ Phillip Hunt will push backups Darryl Tapp and Devin Taylor for the top roles behind starters Ezekiel Ansah and Jason Jones. 2014 fourth-rounder Larry Webster also factors into this talented group that lost George Johnson, writes Rogers. A former starter, the 28-year-old Wootton has ability to play inside as well and figures to be a key cog here.
Reactions to Greg Hardy Ruling
Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy has his suspension reduced from 10 games to four yesterday, prompting owner Jerry Jones to release a very brief statement:
“We are looking forward to the start of the season and having Greg be a part of the team.”
The story may not be over, however. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the 26-year-old is still considering appealing the ruling, with a decision expected early next week.
As Schefter notes in a second tweet, the next move for Hardy would be filing suit against the league in federal court. Adrian Peterson took this route and had his suspension completely erased.
Let’s check out some more notes and reactions stemming from yesterday’s decision:
- Hardy was present for the entire appeal hearing, but he did not testify, according to documents obtained by ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The writer believes the decision to keep Hardy quiet was a “concession that a violation occurred.”
- The reduced suspension “was a win for the Cowboys but a loss for humanity,” opines Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Dallas Star-Telegram. Yes, Dallas will now get the former Pro Bowler for twice as many games. On the flip side, as Hill notes, the NFL continues to look clueless as they hand out punishments for domestic abuse.
- Hill adds that it would be best for all parties if Hardy took his suspension and moved on. What Hardy did was wrong, says the writer, and there’s no reason for the player to “be defiant now.”
- ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert hopes Friday will the final time “we’re confused, distrustful or otherwise outraged” by the discipline in domestic abuse cases. As Seifert notes, the NFL can now refer to their revamped domestic violence policy, which calls for at least a six-game suspension for a first-time offense.