Dez Bryant Updates: Tuesday
We’re eight days away from this year’s deadline for franchised players to reach multiyear contract agreements with their current teams, and if there’s one player who seems most likely to work something out with his club, it may be Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant. Although some reports have suggested there hasn’t been much progress made between the two sides, Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan indicated last week that the Cowboys and Bryant were “comfortable” with the state of the negotiations, suggesting there’s a good chance of a deal before the July 15 deadline.
Here’s the latest on the Bryant situation:
- Echoing Fisher’s report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) continues to hear that a new deal for Bryant isn’t out of the question this week. La Canfora expects things to continue evolving between the wide receiver and the Cowboys star, with a possible conclusion by mid-week. On Sunday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report noted that owner Jerry Jones and son Stephen Jones will be out of the country until July 10 or 11, which could theoretically hold up the deal.
- Bryant’s situation has become the most fluid of the franchise-player negotiations, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. While Florio doesn’t rule out the possibility of the Cowboys locking up their Pro Bowl receiver soon, he notes that – for now at least – there are no tangible signs that a deal is imminent.
- Pointing to Calvin Johnson as an example, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com explains why Bryant may want to cash in on a long-term extension now rather than going year to year. The Lions paid their star receiver $16.2MM annually coming off a season in which he posted nearly 1,700 yards, and while he topped that number in the first year of his new deal, Johnson’s production has declined over the last two seasons. As Seifert observes, some decline is to be expected for receivers at that stage of their careers, so signing a multiyear pact now may represent Bryant’s best opportunity to maximize his earnings.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Bradford, Dez, Hunter, Moffitt
Nearly four months after the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford from the Rams, some executives are still shaking their heads about the move, according to Mark Eckel of NJ.com. Eckel spoke to one top personnel exec who acknowledged that perhaps the former first overall pick would have more success under Chip Kelly, but isn’t totally sold.
“I understand they gave up on [Nick] Foles,” the executive said. “But I don’t know why they’re building up Bradford so much. I’m still confused about that whole deal. You can only talk about him being the first pick of the draft for so long. What has he done since then?”
As we wait to see how Bradford looks on a new team under a new head coach, let’s check in on a few more Monday morning items from around the league’s two East divisions….
- In a Q&A with Mike Ramczyk of MyRacineCounty.com, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was asked about Dez Bryant‘s contract situation and replied, “I think it will work out with Dez.” The star wideout and the Cowboys have until next Wednesday to strike a long-term deal — if that doesn’t happen, Bryant can only play the 2015 season on his one-year franchise-tag tender.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along the details on a pair of contracts signed recently by offensive linemen, reporting that Wayne Hunter‘s deal with the Bills and John Moffitt‘s pact with the Eagles are both for one year at the minimum salary, with no guaranteed money.
- Earlier this morning, our Rob DiRe provided a recap and analysis of the Dolphins‘ 2015 offseason, which included the league’s biggest free agent signing.
Dez Bryant Rumors: Sunday
D-Day, the July 15 deadline for the Cowboys and Dez Bryant to work out a multiyear extension, is rapidly approaching. There are a few notes to pass along on those negotiations this morning, and we will update this post throughout the course of the day should there be any further developments.
- We learned yesterday that the Cowboys and Bryant have a good chance of finalizing a long-term agreement sometime this week, with Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan reporting that while the two sides agreed to break off contract talks over the holiday weekend, the announcement of a new deal could come as early as Monday. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that owner Jerry Jones and son Stephen Jones will be out of the country until July 10 or 11, which could hold up the deal until next week.
- Fisher also wrote that Dallas has “maybe” offered a seven-year, $100MM deal, though he doesn’t specify what the guaranteed money in such a deal would be. As Cole tweets, that would be a pretty favorable structure for the Cowboys, given that Calvin Johnson landed a seven-year, $113MM contract from Detroit in 2012. Of course, Cole points out (via Twitter) that Johnson’s $48MM worth of guarantees is the watermark that Bryant’s camp may be more interested in.
- Demaryius Thomas is doubtlessly keeping a close eye on the Bryant negotiations, and Troy Renck of The Denver Post wonders (Twitter link) if Bryant can get $36-40MM in guaranteed money from the Cowboys. If so, Thomas will have a clear target in his own contract talks.
Extra Points: Battle, Broncos, Saints, Jags
There is a strong chance that former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be taken in Thursday’s supplemental draft, which allows NFL clubs to select players who for some reason (academic trouble or disciplinary issues are a couple of examples) were unable to enter the standard draft. If a team does choose Battle, it should be the Eagles, Jets or Giants, opines Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger.
Battle – who is in need of further seasoning – could learn behind established tackles in the Eagles’ Jason Peters or the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson before eventually taking over for either, writes Eckel. Meanwhile the Giants have two recent first-round tackles in Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers, but Eckel believes they’d be wise to follow the example of NFC East rival Dallas and try to stock up even more along the O-line.
Landing Battle would likely cost any of the above teams a third-round pick, per Eckel, with the Falcons ahead of them in the draft order. Atlanta is the leading candidate to pick the 22-year-old, on whom it could use a fourth-rounder.
More from around the league:
- Broncos running back C.J. Anderson burst on the scene in 2014, his second season, with nearly 1,200 total yards (849 rushing, 324 receiving) and eight touchdowns in his first true taste of NFL playing time. Anderson enters this season as Denver’s starting back, but Mike Kils of 9News writes that the 24-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels. “I’m going to keep my head down, keep grinding every day and keep pushing. What happened last year, happened last year. That’s completely over and done with,” said Anderson, who will try to fend off Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman for reps.
- Saints rookie quarterback Garrett Grayson is glad he ended up in New Orleans to serve as Drew Brees‘ apprentice, though the third-round pick from Colorado State also would’ve been happy if the Cowboys or Broncos selected him. “There were three teams that I said I’d love to end up at, and that was the Saints, Cowboys and Broncos,” Grayson told NFL.com, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “They’ve all got older QBs. Two of them are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.”
- Speaking of Brees, the 14-year veteran’s arm hasn’t shown any real signs of decline, ESPN’s Mike Triplett writes. According to Triplett, Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards, Triplett notes.
- Although new Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson is tasked with helping turn around a unit that finished last in points and second last in yardage a year ago, he’s encouraged with the results so far. “Actually, it’s gone a little bit better than I hoped,” Olson said after minicamp, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “It’s a really intelligent football team from position to position and that’s made the transition much smoother for them and me.” For what it’s worth, the Olson-led Raiders were the only team to amass fewer yards than the Jaguars last season, and they managed a mere 15.8 points per game compared to the Jags’ 15.6.
NFC Mailbags: Packers, Giants, Cowboys
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with notes from the NFC, with a cameo from the Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm…
- Quarterback Brett Hundley is a lock to make the Packers roster, says Rob Demovsky. At wideout, the writer believes Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis will make the team.
- The Packers could opt to keep a pair of fullbacks (John Kuhn and Aaron Ripkowski) on their opening day roster, writes Demovsky. This would probably require the team to keep only two running backs, and the writer can’t imagine the Packers going into the year with only Eddie Lacy and James Starks. If there were to be a third running back, Demovsky believes the competition is between Rajion Neal and John Crockett, with Neal being the favorite.
- If Giants rookie Ereck Flowers shows promise at left tackle, Dan Graziano says the team could move on from veteran Will Beatty following the season. Beatty, who is scheduled to make $6.675MM next season, is expected to be out until at least November.
- The Cowboys must be careful when Terrance Williams becomes a free agent in an effort to not overpay what Sturm calls an “adequate” wideout in a mailbag.
- Sturm also predicts the Cowboys will regress in the running game but won’t be set for a freefall without DeMarco Murray, with Tony Romo ready to assume more control of the offense. Sturm expects Joseph Randle to be the starter in what is expected to be a coalition approach to replacing the league’s rushing leader.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Community Tailgate: Will McClain Rebound?
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll be discussing Rolando McClain and his most recent unfortunate development. On Thursday, the NFL decided to conduct a pre-holiday bad news dump when they announced the suspensions of four players, including McClain and Chargers star tight end Antonio Gates.
McClain, who turns 26 later this month, registered 87 tackles and a sack to go along with two interceptions in 13 games for the Cowboys in 2014. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former first-round pick eighth out of 60 qualified inside linebackers, and he excelled in every aspect of the game — PFF’s grades placed him eighth as a pass rusher, seventh as a cover man, and 11th as a run defender, among inside linebackers.
Needless to say, that performance had Jerry Jones doing cartwheels in Texas. The Cowboys more or less took a flier on McClain as he was viewed as damaged goods by many NFL clubs. What follows is a quick recap of McClain’s career for the uninitiated.
McClain, a standout at Alabama, was selected No. 8 overall by the Raiders in 2010. From there, McClain had flashes of brilliance mixed with aloofness and fluctuating effort. In December of 2011, he was arrested for an incident in which he discharged a firearm. In the spring of 2013, his tenure in black and silver came to an end when even the Raiders felt they had enough of his off-the-field shenanigans. He hooked on with the Ravens but shortly thereafter announced his retirement from football. The following year, the Cowboys acquired McClain’s rights on the cheap from Baltimore and no one knew exactly what he was capable of with so much rust on him.
Of course, McClain went on to help stabilize the Cowboys’ defense and linebacking corps, no small feat considering the absence of Sean Lee. Despite his solid play and flirtations with other teams in free agency, McClain circled back to Dallas on a modest one-year deal with a base value of $3MM, including $1.5MM via gameday active roster bonuses. Of course, it was McClain’s off-the-field history that kept him from cashing in big after his big comeback campaign.
Now, McClain will be absent for the first month of the season thanks to his violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. From here, McClain appears to be at a fork in the road where he can regroup and get back to his 2014 form or drift back towards where he was prior to last season. All in all, do you expect McClain to continue as a productive linebacker in 2015, or will this latest setback cause a harmful regression? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Latest On Dez Bryant Contract Talks
2:56pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that “nothing would be happening soon” in regard to Bryant’s contract. That suggests no deal is imminent, though it doesn’t necessarily mean that the two sides won’t work it out prior to the July 15 deadline.
12:04pm: Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan (link via CBSDFW.com) paints a more positive picture of Bryant’s negotiations with the Cowboys, suggesting that the two sides have a good chance of finalizing a long-term agreement sometime after the holiday weekend and before the July 15 deadline. Sources tell Fisher that the Dallas front office, led by owner Jerry Jones, wants to avoid any negativity or potential unhappiness for Bryant, and hopes to make a “positive mark” heading into the 2015 season.
The two sides essentially agreed to take a break from contract talks during the long weekend, but are optimistic that an agreement can be reached soon, according to Fisher, who adds that one sticking point is the guaranteed money involved — when it will be paid and how much of it will be fully guaranteed.
8:55am: Last weekend, we heard that the Cowboys had a face-to-face meeting with Dez Bryant‘s agent Tom Condon for the first time in months, which was considered a positive sign for the possibility of the two sides working out a contract extension for the star receiver. However, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), the sitdown didn’t necessarily result in any forward momentum toward a deal. Here’s the latest on the Bryant negotiations:
- A source tells Cole that “no progress” was made between the Cowboys and Bryant’s camp at last week’s meeting. Per Cole, the Cowboys are – at least for now – unwilling to budge off their standing long-term offer, which features about $20MM in guaranteed money. That proposal also includes additional money becoming guaranteed in later years.
- According to Cole, the Cowboys believe they have the leverage in negotiations, since they don’t think Bryant would actually sit out a regular season game. Not only is Dallas skeptical that the wideout would miss regular season action after he couldn’t entirely stay away from the team’s offseason activities, but the club also believes Bryant can’t afford to miss out on pay checks. Based on his $12.823MM franchise tender, the 26-year-old would forfeit about $754K per week if he holds out during the regular season.
- July 15 is the deadline for the Cowboys and Bryant to work out a multiyear extension, so the two sides have just under two weeks to reach an agreement. Otherwise, Bryant will have to play on his one-year tender in 2015, if he wants to play at all.
NFC Notes: Guion, 49ers, Panthers, Cowboys
Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion is already at risk of being suspended for an arrest earlier this year, and now he’s facing a civil suit over a 2013 altercation in which no criminal charges were filed, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Seth Katz tells Demovsky that the suit is of “suspect nature” and that there’s “no basis for it.” While the suit is unlikely to lead to any discipline from the NFL, it’s the latest issue Guion has had to face in what has been a tumultuous offseason for the veteran defensive lineman.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The 49ers, who selected 10 players in this year’s draft, have placed an emphasis on developing young players, which means some veterans may be in danger of losing their roster spots this fall. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com identifies three Niners – tight end Vance McDonald, safety Craig Dahl, and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks – whose places on the 53-man roster may not be completely secure.
- The Panthers didn’t make a huge splash in free agency or on the trade market in recent months, as the 2015 offseason was all about keeping the team’s core intact, writes Max Henson of Panthers.com. Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, and Thomas Davis have each inked new contracts with Carolina since the start of March.
- Considering how tight NFL playoff races can be, suspensions to key defensive players like Greg Hardy and Rolando McClain may have a noticeable effect on the Cowboys‘ postseason chances, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Earlier today, we asked whether McClain’s four-game ban would negatively impact the Cowboys more than Sheldon Richardson‘s and Antonio Gates‘ suspensions would impact the Jets and Chargers, respectively.
Poll: Which Thursday Suspension Will Have Biggest Impact?
Black Monday is an annual NFL tradition, when coaches and general managers around the league are dismissed on the Monday following Week 17’s games. So why not a Black Thursday? Yesterday, on the Thursday before a holiday weekend, the league announced four suspensions over the course of the afternoon, including three four-game bans for standout players. Those penalties could end up having a real impact on a handful of teams as they pursue postseason berths this season.
Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain were suspended four games each for violating the league’s substance abuse policy; Packers pass rusher Datone Jones got one game for violating the same policy; and Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was banned four games for a violation of the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Because Jones’ suspension is just for one game, and he hasn’t been a top performer so far in Green Bay, we won’t feature him in this discussion, but the other three players are all extremely important to their respective teams.
Richardson is coming off a Pro Bowl season, and was expected to once again contribute to one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, alongside Damon Harrison and Muhammad Wilkerson. Now, sixth overall pick Leonard Williams will presumably be pressed into starting action immediately, while Richardson sits out the season’s first month.
In Dallas, the Cowboys’ new-look linebacker corps includes offseason signees Andrew Gachkar and Jasper Brinkley, along with Sean Lee, who is returning from a torn ACL. But the team will certainly miss McClain, who ranked as the league’s eighth-best inside linebacker out of 60 qualified players in 2014, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), despite only playing 13 games.
Of course, the most recognizable name among the suspended players is Gates. The future Hall-of-Famer hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl nod since the 2011 season, but he remains a focal point for the Chargers’ passing attack, having racked up 146 receptions and 16 touchdowns over the last two years. Young tight end Ladarius Green, who many observers pegged as a breakout candidate last year, will be tasked with filling Gates’ shoes for the first month of the 2015 campaign.
While all three suspended players are key contributors, their teams have viable replacements, and should be able to get by for a few weeks while they wait for their veterans to return. Still, those players will be missed. Which suspension do you expect to have the biggest impact on that player’s team? Cast your vote in the poll and feel free to weigh in below in the comments section to explain your reasoning.
East Notes: Mathis, Cowboys, McClain
Here’s a look at the latest from the AFC and NFC East..
- Former Eagles guard Evan Mathis may need to agree to a performance-based contract, FOX Sports’ Alex Marvez told 560 WQAM in Miami (audio link). Marvez hesitates to say that agent Drew Rosenhaus overplayed in hand, but he believes that the guard might have to be open to an incentive-laden contract if he wants to get above the $5.5MM threshold he wanted with the Eagles. Mathis, 33, has graded out as one of the very best guards in the NFL for several years running.
- Babe Laufenberg of The Dallas Morning News says it’s time for the Cowboys to seriously considering cutting linebacker Rolando McClain. McClain, of course, was handed a four-game suspension earlier today for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. For a long time it seemed as though McClain had turned his life around and also his NFL career after having a resurgence in 2014. While he still stands as a very effective linebacker, Laufenberg fears that the cons now outweigh the pros.
- The Dolphins, on paper, have their most talented squad since Joe Philbin took over as coach four years ago. That means that they’ll have some especially hard decisions to make when it comes to cutdowns. James Walker of ESPN.com looked at one such tough call in tight end Arthur Lynch. The 2014 fifth-round pick didn’t make an impact in his rookie year due to injury and the tight end position is strong with Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims on the depth chart. All in all, Walker gives Lynch a 33% chance of making the team.