Orlando Scandrick, Cowboys Reach Deal
9:08am: Per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link), Scandrick will get $4MM fully guaranteed this year, and his 2016 salary will be bumped from $3MM to $5MM.
9:02am: It’s a one-year, $9.5MM extension for Scandrick, keeping him locked up through 2019, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). It sounds like the cornerback’s salaries for the next four years will be unchanged, though his cap numbers still figure to increase a little, depending on the size of the signing bonus in the deal.
8:44am: The Cowboys and cornerback Orlando Scandrick have reached an agreement on a new contract extension, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport (Twitter link), Scandrick will sign the new deal later today.
Scandrick still had four years remaining on his previous contract, but wasn’t happy with the terms of that deal, which called for him to make just $1.5MM in base salary in 2015. After initially not reporting to the Cowboys’ voluntary offseason workouts, the 28-year-old showed up in Dallas earlier this month as a sign of good faith as the two sides negotiated a new contract.
Scandrick ranked as the 10th-best cornerback in the NFL in 2014 out of 108 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). According to PFF’s data, quarterbacks completed 74.3% of their passes into Scandrick’s coverage, but those completions averaged just 9.9 yards, and the Cowboys’ corner didn’t allow a touchdown in his 14 games. For the year, he recorded 63 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions.
While Scandrick was the Cowboys’ top corner in 2014, his salary for 2015 wasn’t worth nearly as much as Brandon Carr‘s $8MM figure, and wasn’t fully guaranteed like Morris Claiborne‘s salary, so it makes sense that he was seeking a new deal.
On his old contract, Scandrick’s cap numbers for the next few seasons were just $4.351MM (2015), $5.251MM (2016), $3.75MM (2017), and $3.75MM (2018). Those numbers – particularly the last couple – figure to rise now that the two sides have worked out a new arrangement, and it’s worth keeping an eye on whether the Cowboys will ask Carr to take a pay cut to help accommodate Scandrick’s raise.
The Cowboys’ cornerback depth chart may be on the verge of undergoing some changes within the next year or so. Carr’s future with Dallas could hinge on his willingness to reduce his salary, while Claiborne’s fifth-year option for 2016 wasn’t picked up by the team earlier this month. The club also used its first-round pick this year on a cornerback, selecting Byron Jones with the 27th overall pick. No matter how the rest of the depth chart shakes out though, Scandrick’s new contract should ensure that he’s locked into one of the Cowboys’ starting spots for the foreseeable future.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Brees, Cowboys, Rice
Drew Brees has said that he wants to play football until he is 45, but he admits that goal is a little bit unrealistic. “45 is a long way away,” the Saints quarterback said on ESPN’s SVP and Russillo, according to Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. “I’m 36 right now, and I know I got maybe a little overzealous last year when I threw out the number 45.” Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, and Steve Deberg hung in there until they were 44, but those final years were mostly spent playing in reserve roles. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Along with free agent running backs Daniel Thomas, Ben Tate, and Felix Jones, Ronnie Wingo also worked out for the Cowboys today, as Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. Wingo was released by the Falcons earlier this month to help make room on the roster for incoming rookies.
- A judge dismissed domestic violence charges against former Ravens running back Ray Rice, as The Associated Press writes. Rice completed the terms of his pretrial intervention, which included $125 in fines and anger management counseling.
- Joe Barksdale, who signed a minimum-salary deal with the Chargers, was offered more from the Rams earlier in the offseason, Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch tweets. Back in March, Barksdale looked like a decent bet to land a deal similar to the $6MM-per-year pacts signed by Austin Howard and Anthony Collins in 2014. However, that kind of market never materialized for the veteran. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former Ram just 48th out of 84 qualified tackles last season.
- Falcons linebacker Joplo Bartu was fined $50,000 for an alcohol-related offense, but only after his two-game suspension was rescinded, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Bartu, who had 83 tackles in 2014, was handed a two-game suspension in March for his DUI arrest. Earlier this month, the linebacker brought new information to the league and his punishment was altered. However, future violations of the law will carry more significant discipline for him.
- Ravens rookie lineman Leon Brown hopes to land a roster spot with his hometown team, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. The 6-foot-5, 332-pound former junior college All-American also had an invite to try out for the Jaguars, but he chose the Ravens instead. Brown, an Alabama product, went undrafted this year.
Cowboys Notes: Thomas, Rice, Randle
The latest on the Cowboys..
- Besides Felix Jones and Ben Tate, the Cowboys also worked out running back Daniel Thomas today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, was a prominent part of the Dolphins’ backfield from 2011 through 2013. In 2014, he was squeezed out of the picture after the signing of Knowshon Moreno but he was re-signed by the club a couple of weeks into the season.
- Even with many factors working against him, there’s still a good chance that a team will bring Ray Rice in at the start of training camp and give him an opportunity to make the roster, John Clayton of ESPN.com writes. Clayton figures that there are five teams that make sense for the troubled tailback, including the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones appears to be content with starting the season with Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden in the backfield, but Clayton figures that Rice could be an option if something happens to either player.
- Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News ran down the reasons why the Cowboys would and wouldn’t be interested in signing Rice. Aside from the obvious, Rice is also rusty – he hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2013.
East Notes: Tannehill, Spikes, Cowboys, Pats
While Ryan Tannehill‘s new contract with the Dolphins includes $45MM in guaranteed money, only $21.5MM of that amount is fully guaranteed, and $11.5MM of that amount comes in the form of a signing bonus, says Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). As Corry notes, the deal allows the team to pick up more than $4.5MM of much-needed cap relief for the 2016 season. However, even after taking into account Tanehill’s extension, Miami still has more money committed to ’16 contracts than any other team in the NFL.
Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) passes along a few details on Tannehill’s contract as well, reporting that the quarterback’s cap hits for 2015 and 2016 are just $4.873MM and $11.64MM respectively. The cap numbers for the last four years of the deal are in the neighborhood of $20MM.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Corry and Pelissero (Twitter links) also have the specifics on Brandon Spikes‘ one-year contract with the Patriots. The pact includes an $800K base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, a $50K workout bonus, a $25K signing bonus, and a $25K Week 1 bonus, along with up to $900K in playing-time incentives. In total, the contract can be worth a max of $2MM.
- We heard earlier this morning that Ben Tate is working out for the Cowboys, but he’s not the only player auditioning for the team today. Rob Phillips of DallasCowboys.com tweets that the Cowboys are working out a group of running backs and wideouts, while Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link) hears that Felix Jones is also a part of that group.
- Several sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that, while the league will deny that any sort of agreement is in place, Robert Kraft‘s decision not to appeal the Patriots‘ DeflateGate penalties was a calculated business move, and those sources think it will have an impact on Tom Brady‘s appeal. One owner also tells Freeman that Roger Goodell had “strong support from many owners” regarding the discipline levied on the Pats, and Kraft almost certainly wouldn’t have won an appeal anyway.
- The Giants confirmed today in a press release that tackle Will Beatty underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, and will be sidelined for five or six months. Here are more details on that story.
Ben Tate Working Out For Cowboys
The Cowboys continue to eye the free agent market for possible options at running back, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Ben Tate is working out for Dallas today.
Tate, 26, was viewed as a potential breakout candidate heading into the 2014 season, as he finally stepped out from Arian Foster‘s shadow after spending four years as the backup in Houston. However, after signing with the Browns, Tate underwhelmed, and was eclipsed on Cleveland’s depth charts by rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West.
The Browns opted to part ways with Tate in November, at which point three teams put in claims for the running back, with the Vikings landing him. Tate wasn’t any more impressive for Minnesota though, and was cut by the club before Week 17.
The former Auburn standout received one more opportunity in the postseason, signing with the Steelers and seeing five carries in Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss to the Ravens. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, and – unsurprisingly – he’s generating much less interest this offseason than he did a year ago.
Still, a team like the Cowboys might be a fit for the former Texan. The club figures to have a few backfield players vying for touches, but none are necessarily viewed as clear-cut No. 1 backs. Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar, Ryan Williams, and free agent signee Darren McFadden are currently expected to be in the mix for carries in Dallas.
While Tate is one of the more notable running backs still available, he’s far from the only recognizable player on the free agent market. Steven Jackson, and Chris Johnson, Pierre Thomas, and Ahmad Bradshaw are among the other veterans still looking for new homes.
Corry On Market For Bryant, Green, Jones
Wide receivers Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas all have uncertain contract situations going forward. With Green and Jones in contract years and Bryant and Thomas having been franchise tagged, former agent Joel Corry (of CBSSports.com) looked at the market for all four players. The entire piece is worth a read, but here’s a glance at the highlights..
- Jones could be the first to get a new deal since signing him to an extension is a top priority for the Falcons now that the draft is over. Jones is a virtual lock to receive the franchise tag in 2016 (~$14MM) and a second one in 2017 would cost nearly $17MM. The average of those two years, Corry writes, could be used as justification for a long-term deal in the $15MM per year range with over $40MM in guarantees.
- Ryan Clady‘s negotiations could shed some light on Thomas’ situation with the Broncos. Clady secured salary escalators in his deal, and a similar approach could give Thomas the ability to earn more than $15MM per year.
- Jones or Thomas getting deals in advance of the July 15 franchise player deadline for long-term deals could benefit Bryant because of the way the Cowboys have been lowballing him. Bryant became the first player in Dallas history to have three straight seasons with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown receptions, so he should have a good amount of leverage. However, from a negotiation standpoint, Corry feels that Bryant has done himself a disservice by showing up frequently at the team’s facilities this offseason.
- Signing Green long-term may be easier said than done because of the Bengals‘ preferred structure with lucrative veteran contracts. Historically, the team’s contracts are light on guaranteed money due to the absence of base salary guarantees. Andy Dalton‘s recent deal, which Russell Wilson apparently wants to avoid for himself, is a prime example.
Cowboys Sign Randy Gregory
12:51pm: The Cowboys have officially signed Gregory, the team confirmed today (Twitter link).
12:45pm: The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a rookie contract for second-round pass rusher Randy Gregory, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The agreement leaves Dallas with three unsigned picks, including first-round cornerback Byron Jones.
Gregory, the 60th overall pick out of Nebraska, was viewed as a probable top-10 pick based on talent alone, but a failed drug test at the combine and potential mental health concerns caused him to drop into the second round. Despite those off-field concerns, PFR readers were surprised not to see Gregory come off the board in round one — heading into the second round, he edged Landon Collins as the most surprising non-first-round pick in our poll.
Had Gregory been a top-10 selection, he would’ve been assured of a four-year contract worth upwards of $14MM fully guaranteed, with a signing bonus exceeding $8MM. After falling to No. 60, he’ll be in line instead for a four-year pact worth $3.815MM, with a signing bonus worth about $1.035MM, according to Over The Cap’s data.
While Gregory’s fall in the draft was an unfortunate turn of events for the young edge defender, it could turn out to be a boon for the Cowboys. After drafting Jones with their first-round pick, the Cowboys landed two more first-round talents, in Gregory and undrafted free agent La’el Collins.
NFC Notes: Rams, Garcia, Lions, Walsh
Former NFL signal-caller Jeff Garcia interviewed for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job earlier in the offseason, but the position ultimately went to Chris Weinke. Still, the club apparently liked what it saw from Garcia. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have added Garcia to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the coming season.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Lance Moore received a $40K signing bonus from the Lions and will get another $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s roster in Week 1, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett observes, the modest guaranteed money on the minimum salary deal hardly assures the veteran wideout of a regular season roster spot. Birkett also provides contract details for defensive lineman Corey Wootton ($150K guaranteed) and second-round running back Ameer Abdullah ($2.29MM guaranteed).
- Asked about a possible contract extension to keep him in Minnesota beyond the 2015 season, kicker Blair Walsh expressed optimism, but cautioned that he and the Vikings haven’t had serious talks yet. “We have to make sure we’re on the same page and the numbers match up,” Walsh told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio (TwitLonger link). “That’s for management and my agent to discuss. I’ll be ready to talk about it when they are.”
- The Cowboys are happy to have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back at their offseason workouts, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Scandrick and the team continue to discuss the possibility of a new contract that would increase his salary for 2015.
- Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer and will undergo kidney surgery, the team announced this week.
NFLPA Files Motion Against Goodell In Peterson Case
The NFLPA is gearing up to fight two massive battles against the league. The union announced on Tuesday that it has filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter to hold the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in contempt of court. The strongly worded statement from NFLPA president Eric Winston is below, in its entirety:
“Today, the players filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter because the Commissioner and NFL have deliberately ignored both the Court’s decision from eleven weeks ago and our repeated requests to comply with that order.
On February 26th, the NFL was ordered to change their decision in the Peterson matter and reissue a ruling consistent with our collective bargaining agreement. The Union made multiple requests to the League office asking the arbitrator, who serves at the direction of the Commissioner, to comply with the law and avoid further litigation. Despite our attempts, they have done nothing and leave us no choice but to seek this motion.
The delay tactics, inconsistencies and arbitrary decision making of the League has continued to hurt the rights of players, the credibility of the League office and the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the absence of any action by the NFL’s governing board of owners, the players have acted to hold the NFL accountable to our players, the CBA and to the law.”
According to the NFLPA’s court filing, attorney Jeffrey Kessler contacted Harold Henderson and NFL counsel and warned them of a possible contempt motion, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. League counsel Dan Nash, according to the NFLPA, insisted that Henderson delay any ruling until the 8th Circuit court rules on the appeal, which will take months (link).
The union also goes after the NFL for acting in defiance of court orders by retroactively applying the new personal conduct policy to Greg Hardy (link). If the NFLPA can win this battle regarding Peterson, it could go a long way towards potentially reducing Hardy’s suspension.
Minor Moves: Monday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Buccaneers have signed safety Derrick Wells, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). The Lehigh, Florida native was one of the players in attendance for the team’s rookie mini-camp.
- The Cowboys welcomed back fullback Tyler Clutts on a one-year deal and cut Jed Collins, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Clutts joined the Cowboys late in 2013 and played in every game last season, helping DeMarco Murray to an NFL-high 1,845 yards.
- The Giants removed Thomas Gordon from their injured reserve with an injury settlement, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- The Patriots have said goodbye to Cameron Gordon and Devin Gardner, Wilson tweets. Gardner was a former quarterback at Michigan and was looking to transition to wide receiver in the NFL.
- Washington signed linebacker Alonzo Highsmith while waiving Brey Cook, James Gayle, LaKendrick Ross, wide receiver Tyler Rutenbeck, and quarterback Connor Halliday, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Halliday’s release was just formality after he abruptly announced his retirement from football.
- The Saints announced the signings of linebacker Henry Coley, kicker Zach Hocker, offensive lineman Antonio Johnson, wide receiver Josh Morgan, and wide receiver Kyle Prater, as Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune tweets. To make room, offensive lineman Doniel Gambrell, guard Andrew Miller, and linebacker Stephon Sanders were shown the door while New Orleans waived/injured receiver Malcolme Kennedy (link).
- The Titans announced (on Twitter) that they have agreed to terms with tight end Tevin Westbrook and outside linebacker Dezmond Johnson. Running back Lache Seastrunk and outside linebacker Dontay Moch were waived.
- The Toronto Argonauts signed former NFL linebacker Brian Rolle, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Rolle, 27 in November, was drafted by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. His last NFL gig was with the Steelers, who signed him on a futures/reserve contract in 2013. Meanwhile, the Argos said goodbye to wide receiver Mike Thomas and safety David Sims, who both have had multiple stops in the NFL (link).
- Wide receiver/kick returner DeShon Foxx has agreed to terms with the Seahawks, accoridng to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The 49ers signed Mylan Hicks and Justin Renfrow, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks signed Earnest Pettway and Charles Tuauu, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Chiefs cut Curtis Feigt with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.