NFC Notes: Guion, Hardy, Panthers, 49ers
Letroy Guion was arrested in February when police found 357 grams of marijuana and an unloaded gun in his truck, and there’s a chance the incident will result in discipline from the NFL for the Packers defensive tackle. However, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com observes, despite the fact that Guion’s case was closed in March when he accepted a plea deal, the Packers have yet hear from the league one way or the other about a possible suspension.
As Guion and the Packers wait to hear whether he’ll be eligible to play all 16 games this season, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….
- Five weeks after Greg Hardy‘s appeal, arbitrator Harold Henderson has yet to announce a ruling, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The CBA calls for a decision “as soon as practicable,” which gives arbitrators plenty of wiggle room. If Hardy’s 10-game suspension is ultimately upheld, the delay will give the Cowboys defensive end less time to challenge the ruling in court.
- While Hardy awaits word on his appeal, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer examines how the Panthers plan to get after opposing quarterbacks now that Hardy is no longer on their roster.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at the salary cap situation for the 49ers, a team in transition. Meanwhile, on his own site, Fitzgerald identifies the three least team-friendly running back contracts in the NFL, writing that Jonathan Stewart‘s pact with the Panthers puts the other two to shame.
Rolando McClain Suspended Four Games
After announcing earlier today that Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson would be suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season, the NFL has announced another four-game ban. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
McClain, who re-signed with the Cowboys on a one-year deal in April, was facing a third failed drug test earlier in the year. That third failed test called for only a fine, but as we noted at the time, a fourth would result in a four-game suspension, so it appears McClain failed another test since then.
“I apologize to my family, the Cowboys organization, my teammates and Cowboys fans for my mistake,” McClain said in a statement released through the NFLPA. “I will not break the rules of my profession in the future, and I regret my error. I look forward to returning to the field on Week 5, when I hope to help my team beat the Patriots.”
McClain, who turns 26 later in July, recorded 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.
Still, as I noted when I examined his free agent stock in March, McClain has plenty of off-field question marks, as this suspension shows. Those red flags resulted in a fairly modest deal for the linebacker in free agency, and now he’ll forfeit some of his $750K base salary for 2015 and will likely have to return a portion of his $500K signing bonus. McClain will also miss out on some of his per-game roster bonuses while he sits out the first four weeks, and will be hard-pressed to earn any of his playing-time incentives.
NFC Notes: Ihenacho, Washington, Brinkley
Washington safety Duke Ihenacho has been watching NBA free agency going crazy, and took to Twitter to express his opinions about minimum contracts for NFL players. Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post captured his tweets, where Ihenacho writes that NFL players have the highest risk of injury and brain trauma, and that the NFL is the richest league, and therefore the minimum salary for players should be $1MM.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Washington D.C. wants their NFL franchise to return to the District, but they are unlikely to get support from the Obama administration as long as the team still bears a racial epitaph for their name and logo, writes Jonathan O’Connell of the Washington Post. The National Park Service owns the land beneath Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, and they are unlikely to accommodate the construction of a new stadium, according to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
- Former Vikings linebacker Jasper Brinkley decided to sign a two-year deal with the Cowboys this offseason, and the top reason for choosing Dallas is the opportunity to play for defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I played in Minnesota for five years and I remember when he was in Chicago, just thinking about those defenses and the guys with the takeaways, a lot of takeaways,” Brinkley said. “You think about Charles Tillman, you think about Brian Urlacher, you think about Lance Briggs, you think about Tim Jennings, all those guys.”
- Even though Deone Bucannon was a first round pick of the Cardinals in 2014, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) doesn’t see the Washington State product having a great career at safety. The draft expert feels that Bucannon should stay at linebacker, where he played the bulk of last season. In 16 games, the Washington State product racked up 86 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and three pass deflections.
- Former Buccaneers linebacker Brandon Magee has been swinging the bat for the Boston Red Sox Class A affiliate, but he told Pro Football Talk that if an NFL team called him, he would give up baseball to try out, reports Mike Florio. Magee was released from the Buccaneers in March, and had also spent time with the Browns.
- The Bears hired John Fox in the hope that he could quickly turn the organization around, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The turnaround starts with the attitude of every player on the roster, and the veterans are already buying in. “You go out and get John Fox and Vic Fangio and Adam Gase — you’re sending a message to every player in that locker room that we’re not messing around,” said Jared Allen. “We want to win. We want to win now. We certainly have the talent to win. So, get your heads right and let’s go play ball.”
C.J Spillman Charged With Sexual Assault
Free agent cornerback C.J. Spillman has been formally charged with sexual assault stemming from an incident at the Cowboys’ team hotel last September, according to Michael O’Keeffe of the New York Daily News. The police investigation was completed in February and a Tarrant County grand jury handed down an indictment charging Spillman with sexual assault on Monday.
The timing of the incident was notable it came to light on September 20th, just one day after commissioner Roger Goodell vowed at a press conference to get tough on players who commit violent crimes. Because Spillman was not charged, however, he was not disciplined by the Cowboys or the NFL. Spillman wound up playing the next day against the Rams and he did not miss a single regular season game for Dallas all year. The 29-year-old also appeared in both of the Cowboys’ postseason games last year. For his career, Spillman has appeared in 83 career regular season games with the Chargers, Niners, and Cowboys.
Spillman is currently looking for work and today’s news obviously will throw a wrench into things. The special teams ace worked out for the Patriots back in May but was not signed.
NFC East Links: Thurmond, RGIII, Mathews
After rounding up some AFC East notes this morning, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC East, where we have items on all four clubs…
- Heading into this year’s free agent period began, there was no chance of Walter Thurmond re-signing with the Giants, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com wonders if some recent comments Thurmond made about coach Tom Coughlin provide a clue for why the cornerback didn’t want to remain in New York.
- John Keim of ESPN.com liked the work Washington did this offseason, giving the team a grade of A-minus for its moves. However, he’s still taking a wait-and-see approach to the 2015 season, noting that its not clear yet if the club has a long-term answer at head coach or quarterback.
- Speaking of Washington‘s quarterback, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders how much Robert Griffin III will benefit this season from the club’s improved offensive line.
- While the Eagles‘ signing of DeMarco Murray earned most of the headlines in Philadelphia this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap thinks the team’s deal with Ryan Mathews is one of the best running back bargains in the NFL.
- After signing a new contract with the Cowboys this offseason, wide receiver Cole Beasley recognizes that the team has higher expectations for him, but tells Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com that he’s approaching the 2015 season with the same mentality he always has, since “no one expects more from me than I do” (transcript via the Dallas Morning News).
Cowboys Notes: Bryant, Murray, Knox
Here’s a look at the a few items out of Dallas..
- Todd Archer of ESPN.com polled the rest of ESPN’s NFC East correspondents to find out how the divisional rivals will stack up against the Cowboys’ offensive line. Dallas claimed ownership to the best O-Line in the NFC East in 2014 and this year they’ve added La’el Collins, who would have been a first round pick if not for his bizarre situation. Giants correspondent Dan Graziano feels that no one’s front seven should feel good about its chances against the Cowboys’ offensive line. Eagles writer Phil Sheridan notes that the Eagles are pretty happy with their front seven thanks to the addition of linebacker Kiko Alonso. John Keim, meanwhile, feels that Washington is better equipped than last year thanks to the speed of Stephen Paea and a healthy Jason Hatcher.
- Babe Laufenberg of SportsDayDFW.com touched on a number of Cowboys topics, including the team’s decision to prioritize keeping Dez Bryant over running back DeMarco Murray. Murray was the league’s best back in 2014, but Laufenberg noted that wide receiver is the most important position in today’s NFL, outside of quarterback. Bryant’s 16 touchdowns were second in the NFL last year while Murray had 13.
- Linebacker Kyle Knox, who was signed by the Cowboys on June 2nd and waived on June 5th, has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). There’s no word on what Knox’s suspension is for, but four game suspensions are often brought on by violations of the league’s substance abuse policy. Knox is currently a free agent and today’s news likely won’t help his chances of landing with a team.
Minor Moves: Monday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Cowboys released Chris Boyd from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Boyd, 23, was waived with an injured designation back in late May when Dallas picked up former first-round draft choice A.J. Jenkins. He was dismissed from the Vanderbilt football team due to his involvement in a 2014 rape case, when he was accused of helping four teammates cover up the crime. Once considered a possible early round draft pick, Boyd told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com last year that he was grateful for the chance to hook on with the Cowboys. “I really appreciate it,” Boyd said. “It’s a blessing to play the game I love again. I’m just really thankful for the coaching staff here and the personnel department to reach out to me and give me the opportunity.”
2015 Release Candidates: NFC East
Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.
Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.
After looking at the AFC East yesterday, let’s dive into the NFC East…
Dallas Cowboys:
- Mackenzy Bernadeau, G: The 29-year-old Bernadeau renegotiated his contract last spring, accepting a $2.9MM pay cut in the process. After Dallas selected Zack Martin in last year’s draft, Bernadeau went on to act in a reserve role, and saw only 75 snaps. Now that undrafted free agent La’El Collins is penciled in as the starting left guard, incumbent Ronald Leary will be demoted to act as the top reserve interior lineman, further limiting Bernadeau’s role. The Cowboys could save $1.5MM by releasing him, but I think they’ll keep him around for depth purposes. Prediction: not released.
- Brandon Carr, CB: It’s been a strange offseason for the Cowboys and Carr, as he indicated in March that he would not accept a pay cut, a stance that Dallas has seemingly accepted. However, owner Jerry Jones has continued to say that the club wants to lower Carr’s cap number (presumably through an extension), but given Carr’s subpar play, I’m not sure tacking on extra years to his deal would be wise. The Cowboys have decent cornerback depth after drafting Byron Jones in the first round, but Jerry Jones has been adamant that the team won’t release Carr. Prediction: not released.
New York Giants:
- Jameel McClain, LB: Entering the final season of a two-year deal, McClain could be on the chopping block due to both his salary and his performance. The 29-year-old actually played the second-most snaps among Giants defenders, but graded in the bottom 10 among inside linebackers league-wide, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Additionally, he’s scheduled to count for $3.4MM on New York’s cap in 2015; the club could clear all but $300K of that total by releasing him. The Giants are near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, and they might want a little extra room to make moves throughout the season, so creating a little space here and there through moves like cutting McClain could be in the making. Prediction: released.
- Linebacker Jon Beason and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins each agreed to contract restructures both involved straight pay cuts) earlier this year, or else they likely would have been released.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Riley Cooper, WR: The Eagles don’t have a ton of obvious cut candidates, and Cooper is the only veteran whose roster spot might come into question. (I thought about adding fellow pass-catcher Miles Austin here, but the club handed him $1MM in guarantees, so he’s probably a good bet to make the final 53.) Cooper took a big step back from his excellent 2014 season, as his yards per reception dropped from 17.8 to 10.5. He doesn’t figure to be a big part of Philadelphia’s offense, but given that the team would incur $3.8MM in dead money (as opposed to just $1MM in savings) by releasing him, Cooper will probably stick around for one more season. Prediction: not released.
Washington:
- DeAngelo Hall: Hall agreed to tweak his contact earlier this year, eliminating the $1MM in salary guarantees he was originally due. He can still earn the same $4MM base salary that he was originally due, but Washington is now off the hook if they decide Hall isn’t not fully recovered from two Achilles tears. Washington has decent corner depth following the signing of Chris Cullier, so Hall isn’t necessarily needed. But the club would save only $2.375MM while incurring $2.438MM in dead money by cutting Hall. Prediction: not released.
- Pierre Garcon, WR: Garcon’s rate stats stayed similar from 2013 to 2014, but his counting stats took a nosedive following the addition of DeSean Jackson. Still, he’s probably not in any real danger of being released — head coach Jay Gruden has been adamant that Garcon is in the club’s plans, and as of February the team hadn’t reached out to his representatives about restructuring his contract. Washington could save $7.5MM by releasing Garcon, however, so I’m guessing it’s a move that has at least been discussed internally. Prediction: not released.
- Kedric Golston, DE: The 32-year-old Golston didn’t play much last season (182 snaps), but still managed to rack up poor -14.3 grade from PFF. The addition of Ricky Jean-Francois means that Golston will see even less time in 2015, and there’s really no reason for the club to pay his $1MM base salary; Washington can save $1.075MM by cutting him. Prediction: released.
NFC Notes: Gurley, Eli, Lions, Cowboys
Though most first-round picks sign deals containing full guarantees, we learned last week that Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley will only see the first two years of his contract fully guaranteed due to his knee injury, which is considered a non-football injury because it didn’t occur in the NFL. But an NFLPA source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that despite the optics, this scenario is actually a win for Gurley, not the club.
“No player in the league, from [Peyton] Manning to Jadeveon Clowney] to Jameis Winston, has protection against getting cut [and not paid/and guarantees not honored] due to this type of situation,” the source told Volin. “The fact that Gurley’s agent got him two years protected for a non-football injury is better than every other player in the first round, and the league in general.”
More from the NFC:
- Opining at a truly elite quarterback has never actually hit the open market since the inception of free agency, agent Tom Condon tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News that he’s confident his client Eli Manning will eventually work out an extension with the Giants. Manning will earn $17MM in base salary in 2015, the final year of his deal, and while New York could opt to use the franchise tag on him (at a cost of more than $20MM), but Condon seems sure that an agreement can be reached.
- Responding to reader’s question in this week’s mailbag, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes that the Lions could be on the lookout for a blocking tight end as the regular season approaches. As the questioner points out, most starter Eric Ebron‘s backups are also pass-catching types, so the club want a replacement for Kellen Davis, who played the inline role in 2015. There will be free agent options as roster cutdowns occur (as Rothstein notes), but the Lions could take a look at ex-Bengal Jermaine Gresham, who I recently ranked as the third-best FA left on the market.
- News of the weird: the Cowboys, Giants, and Patriots will be contacted by the FAA in relation to their use of drones at practices, according to Bloomberg Business. The FAA does allow for the private use of such technology, but the user must agree to certain safety stipulations. None of the clubs had requested such clearance, per the report.
Cowboys, Dez Bryant’s Camp Discussing Deal?
For the first time in almost four months, Dez Bryant‘s agent, Tom Condon, had a face-to-face summit with the Cowboys, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
This is a positive development for Bryant’s hopes at a contract extension, since Bryant, unlike fellow 2010 first-rounder Demaryius Thomas, showed some goodwill by making scant appearances during Cowboys workouts this summer after being franchise-tagged. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told media he’d push for a Bryant extension, but noted that a lot of work remains.
Bryant hasn’t signed his franchise tender that would pay him $12.82MM this year, a figure that doubles as Dallas’ second-highest financial commitment behind Tony Romo‘s renegotiated $14.97MM number.
The former Oklahoma State target’s threatened to miss regular-season games despite the threat of losing nearly $800K per missed contest. Archer speculates the only benefit Bryant could possibly have in skipping games would be if the team caved on its previous stance that it could re-franchise him next year. This stipulation exists in Greg Hardy‘s contract, but Jerry Jones‘ only public comments on this matter have been another Bryant tag is in play if the sides can’t come to an agreement by July 15.