Cowboys Decline Morris Claiborne’s Option
The Cowboys have decided not to pick up their 2016 option for cornerback Morris Claiborne, according to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com. The decision comes on the heels of the team drafting defensive back Byron Jones with its first-round pick on Thursday.
Claiborne, 25, saw his 2014 campaign cut short by a torn patellar tendon, and was able to play only four games for the Cowboys, bringing his three-year total to just 29 contests. When he has been able to see the field, Claiborne has been shaky — according to Pro Football Focus’ data, opposing quarterbacks have accumulated passer ratings of 107.8 (2012), 94.3 (2013), and 121.5 (2014) when throwing into Claiborne’s coverage.
While the Cowboys are unwilling to commit to an $11.082MM 2016 salary for Clairborne, he’ll be on the team’s cap for a hit of $5.175MM in 2015. Taking into account Brandon Carr‘s $12.717MM cap number, that’s a lot of cap room committed to two players at a position where Jones and Orlando Scandrick may be the long-term answers.
Cowboys Yet To Talk Paycut With Carr
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr told Todd Archer of ESPN.com the team hasn’t approached him about taking a paycut yet (Twitter link). The highly paid defender declined to comment on whether he’d play for the Cowboys for less money, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter.
Carr, who is amid a five-year, $50MM contract iterated desire to remain with the team, but doing so at that price may be a non-starter. Due a massive 2015 salary that’s not commensurate with what he’s shown on the field lately, Carr has previously refused to accept a salary slash. His cap figure is $12.7MM, a number third on the team behind Tony Romo and Dez Bryant and fourth among all corners.
The seventh-year player didn’t record an interception last year and rated 90th among the 108 corners Pro Football Focus graded last season. PFF had him as a middle-of-the-pack player in 2013.
The Cowboys’ cornerback spot remains in flux after the team selected Byron Jones in the first round. Dallas has also not yet officially announced whether it will pick up Morris Claiborne‘s fifth-year option. Although Jerry Jones has stated previously the former No. 6 overall pick’s done enough to warrant it despite the $11.1MM price tag, Moore reported earlier this week the team doesn’t intend to give Claiborne a fifth season.
NFC East Notes: McFadden, Gregory, Eagles
To the surprise of many, the Cowboys did not address their DeMarco Murray-less running back corps this weekend, but they may be in the market for veteran help.
“Just because this is our current group of running backs doesn’t mean it will stay that way,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We are always looking to improve our football team.”
But going into the season with Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle doesn’t quite resemble an understaffed corps, considering the Dallas offensive front that lifted Murray to what could amount to an outlier campaign last year remains elite. Although Jerry Jones did note the team wanted to draft a tailback, indicating the corps could well see a notable addition before the season.
“We would have liked to have drafted a running back,” the Cowboys owner and general manager told Machota. “But at the same token, we didn’t think at any given time that we should pass at the player that was there, even with the running backs [available].”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. noted to Machota the spot for the Cowboys to add to their backfield came in the third round in ex-Michigan State runner Jeremy Langford, when the team instead selected former Florida tackle Chaz Green, who the ESPN prospects guru viewed as a reach.
Here are some additional news items from the NFC East.
- The Cowboys landing Randy Gregory at No. 60 is “worth the risk,” according to ESPN’s Todd McShay, via Machota. With Greg Hardy out for 10 games, Dallas had a need for a pass-rusher despite its depleted backfield.
- With Dwayne Harris gone, the Cowboys have a need at returner. Jason Garrett mentioned to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News that McFadden could be an unlikely candidate to do so. The former No. 4 overall pick has three career kick returns.
- For the first time in the draft’s 80-year history, the Eagles went two years without selecting an offensive lineman. After letting veteran Todd Herremans go and openly putting All-Pro Evan Mathis on the trade market, the Eagles face questions on their front, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank. “We hadn’t drafted DBs in recent years, so it’s just kind of you can’t take them all,” Chip Kelly told Frank. “You only have a certain amount of picks.” The Eagles invested significantly at cornerback this offseason, signing Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond and now drafting Eric Rowe in Round 2, and they have a solid line that saw four players — Mathis, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson — receive top-13 grades at their positions last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Philadelphia did add four undrafted offensive linemen, and Kelly’s blueprint for adding to an aging offensive front isn’t that different from how the league’s four championship-qualifying teams have done so, reports Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Enquirer. The Eagles now house 16 offensive fronters, with 50% of them undrafted. That similar to the Patriots, Colts, Seahawks and Packers, whose rosters collectively have 49% of their blockers coming into the league undrafted, according to Sielski.
Cowboys Acquire No. 246 Pick From 49ers
The 49ers have sent the 246th overall pick in the NFL draft to the Cowboys in exchange for Dallas’ 2016 sixth-round selection, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link), the Cowboys used the pick to draft Texas tight end Geoff Swaim.
Prior to completing the deal, San Francisco had made nine picks in the draft and still had two more to go, so it makes sense that the team would be willing to move one of those selections for a 2016 pick. Without taking into account compensatory picks, the Niners already have nine selections lined up for next year, with an extra fifth-rounder and sixth-rounder in hand.
NFC Quotes: Payton, Thompson, Kelly, Jones
It’s been a busy past few days in NFL front offices, and some of the draft selections by the league’s front offices have left pundits befuddled. The league’s reporters made sure to follow through with those curious selections, and we have some of the more notable responses below…
Saints coach Sean Payton, who opined yesterday that La’el Collins would be drafted in the second or third round, on why his team passed on the embattled lineman (via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett):
“I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we had more clarity. And it seems like there’s a rush for everyone. And one of the things I said this morning was, ‘Man, we’re right down the road. Are we able to get some information the other teams don’t have yet?’ And so I haven’t had that or gotten that information yet to answer that as a yes.”
Packers general manager Ted Thompson on his team not selecting an inside linebacker (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com):
“It’s a simple plan, but we wanted to make sure we got football players. And we think we got a couple more tonight…We’re going to address [inside linebacker] just like we address all other positions and try to make it as strong as we can.”
Eagles coach Chip Kelly on the team’s decision to select linebacker Jordan Hicks despite having greater needs (via Les Bowen of Philly.com):
“He was our highest-rated guy by far. We had him rated in the second round. We had great exposure to Jordan; he was the individual we saw the most this offseason.”
Kelly on how the Hicks selection could impact Mychal Kendricks‘ role on the Eagles (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):
“We’re excited to get him back here. I know he spent the draft with his brother, which we understand. He said he should be back here next week, but I think you’re always gonna draft players, and when you bring ‘em in here, the one thing you want is you want competition at positions. We knew going in at the end of last year that with just Mychal and DeMeco that we really had to shore up the inside linebacker spot. “
Jerry Jones on the Cowboys selecting Randy Gregory with the No. 60 pick (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler):
“I think it gives us enough confidence that we can work through some of the issues that have basically caused him to drop and maybe improve on that. That’s certainly the plan and have us a heck of a contribution to winning.”
NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone
The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:
- Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
- In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
- Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
- Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
- Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
- General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
- Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
- Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.
NFC Draft Notes: 49ers, Thompson, Bucs, Gregory
NFL.com’s Marc Sessler explores which teams could move up during Friday’s portion of the draft. The Cowboys and Cardinals top the list, as the writer believes the teams could make a move for a targeted running back. The Lions are a candidate to move up and grab a defensive lineman, while the Saints could target a young quarterback.
Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from the NFC…
- 49ers GM Trent Baalke told reporters (video link on 49ers’ website) that he didn’t draft defensive end Arik Armstead as insurance against Justin Smith‘s possible retirement. Smith’s status for 2015 and beyond is still up in the air but Baalke has said all along that his uncertain status wouldn’t affect the team’s draft plans.
- If linebacker Shaq Thompson hadn’t been selected by the Panthers at pick No. 25, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times says (via Twitter) the Cowboys were ready to “pounce” at No. 27.
- Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says (via Twitter) the Buccaneers are “thrilled” that offensive tackles Jake Fisher (Oregon) and T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh) are still one the board. The writer notes that the team will target one of the lineman with pick No. 34.
- Meanwhile, ESPN’s Ed Werder says Randy Gregory is on the Buccaneers draft board, which indicates that the embattled linebacker is also being considered at pick No. 34 (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Rumors: Jets, Flowers, Giants
The Jets had cursory talks with the Titans about moving up for the No. 2 , but they weren’t exploring the move to try and land Marcus Mariota, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..
- Brandon Scherff was higher on the Giants‘ board than Ereck Flowers, but they did not expect Scherff to get to No. 9, Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets. Many speculated that the Giants were left scrambling at No. 9 with Scherff off the board, but it sounds like they were never banking on the Iowa standout.
- The Giants did not make any effort to trade up to the Jets‘ No. 6 pick when USC defensive end Leonard Williams fell to the Jets at that spot, Vacchiano tweets.
- Despite a report to the contrary, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) says the Dolphins have never expressed interest in Evan Mathis of the Eagles.
- More from Salguero (link), who notes that the Dolphins wanted Todd Gurley. According to a team source, they were prepared to move up for him, but didn’t expect him to go as high as he did. “It’s not like we sat on our hands while he went No. 13. He went No. 10,” the source said.
- The Cowboys taking Byron Jones in the first round should create some leverage for a Brandon Carr pay cut and give the Cowboys the upper hand in Orlando Scandrick‘s contract dispute, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets.
NFC Notes: Lions, Saints, 49ers, Cowboys
Earlier tonight, we rounded up a few leftover draft-related items out of the AFC. Now let’s shift our focus to the other conference and pass along some NFC notes….
- The Lions had three offers to trade back, GM Martin Mayhew tells Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (Twitter link), but the Broncos’ decision to offer Manny Ramirez helped Detroit make its decision.
- Had Andrus Peat not been available to the Saints, they would have been fine with choosing Danny Shelton, says head coach Sean Payton (Twitter link via Sean Fazende of FOX 8).
- The 49ers had several options in the first round, as GM Trent Baalke tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter) that there were still five or six prospects the team “coveted” when the No. 15 pick rolled around. As such, it made sense for the Niners to move back a little.
- The Cowboys would’ve thought hard about trading down had Byron Jones not been available, says Dallas exec Stephen Jones (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). Jones says the club had a couple other players who were in play at the back end of the first round.
- Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown was still on the board when the Patriots grabbed him with the last pick of the first round, and it sounds like Brown himself thought he’d be picked sooner — according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), the newest Pat was told he could have gone as high as No. 7 to the Bears.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Draft Rumors: K. Johnson, Hundley, Peters
The latest draft notes…
- The ceiling for Wake Forest corner Kevin Johnson is the Dolphins at pick No. 14, while his floor is the Steelers with the 22nd pick, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- With the Browns considered likely to select a quarterback at some point in the draft, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com tweets that the club showed “absolutely zero interest” in UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.
- The Saints have been trying to trade up for a pass rusher, and might have Vic Beasley in mind, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Marcus Peters is not on the Cowboys’ draft board, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).