Cowboys Sign Chris Jones To Extension
Shortly after signing his restricted free agent tender from the Cowboys last week, punter Chris Jones agreed to tack on a couple more years to that one-year contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Yates reports (via Twitter) that Jones signed a two-year extension with the Cowboys, giving him a three-year total of $4.2MM, with $750K guaranteed.
The Cowboys re-signed Tom Hornsey earlier in the offseason as potential competition for Jones, but after extending the incumbent punter and giving him some guaranteed money, the Cowboys seem unlikely to make a change in 2015. Previously, Jones had been set to earn a non-guaranteed $1.542MM salary for the coming year.
Jones, 25, has now been the Cowboys’ full-time punter for the last two seasons, after first joining the squad in 2011. According to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required), Jones has been an above-average contributor during that stretch — the site ranked him ninth among 41 qualified players at the position in 2013, and 15th out of 37 in 2014.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Perry, Hardy, 49ers, Rams
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said last week that teams had contacted him to gauge the availability of the first overall pick, suggesting at the time that those calls would probably continue over the next few days. Speaking to Steve Wyche of NFL.com, Licht confirmed as much, indicating that more than one team called him on Sunday to inquire about the No. 1 pick.
According to Licht, the calls were more about “feeling out what it would take” to trade up to No. 1, so it doesn’t sound like any serious discussions took place. It would presumably take a significant offer for the Bucs to consider moving down, since the club has decided which player it will select with that pick. While Licht, of course, declined to name the player, he said that he and head coach Lovie Smith “are in complete alignment” on the choice. Jameis Winston is considered the strong favorite.
As we wait to see if the Bucs have any last-minute surprises up their sleeves, let’s check in on a few other items from across the NFC….
- The Packers are expected to decline their fifth-year option on linebacker Nick Perry, but nothing is official yet and the team has a few more days to make its decision, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It would cost $7.751MM for the 2016 season to exercise the option on Perry, who has yet to make a real impact on Green Bay’s defense since being selected 28th overall in 2012.
- As expected, the NFLPA has officially appealed Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end. According to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the union filed the appeal on Friday night.
- As Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, 49ers GM Trent Baalke won’t be pressured into drafting a receiver early this week, but the team is certainly considering wideouts. Georgia Tech’s Darren Waller said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he had a pre-draft visit with the Niners, who spoke to him exclusively about playing wide receiver — Waller is considered a potential tight end in the NFL by some other teams, including the Cardinals (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports).
- Given the advancing ages and rising cap numbers for James Laurinaitis and Chris Long, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com thinks it’s possible that the Rams will eye potential replacements for their veteran defensive leaders in this year’s draft. In Wagoner’s view, a defensive end is more likely than a linebacker, given the strengths and weaknesses of 2015’s class, but ideally both players would have nice 2015 seasons and adjust their contracts to stick around St. Louis even longer.
Draft Rumors: Falcons, Gurley, Cowboys
The Falcons have long coveted a standout pass rusher, and the club could get the opportunity to draft one this year. The team currently has the No. 8 pick, but according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, GM Thomas Dimitroff will consider the possibility of moving up a few spots to land Florida edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. It would cost Atlanta an extra pick or two to trade up for Fowler, who is widely considered the top pass rusher in the draft, but the club hasn’t hesitated to make that sort of move in the past, most notably moving up to snag Julio Jones in 2011.
Here are a few more notes and rumors from around the NFL, as draft night approaches:
- With his ACL healing well, Todd Gurley now appears likely to be a top-20 pick, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. According to Breer, when he called around this weekend, the Browns (Nos. 12, 19), Dolphins (No. 14), and Chargers (No. 17) were all linked to the Georgia running back.
- The Browns may be considering Gurley with one of their two first-round picks, but the team figures to take a long look at receivers as well. Per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), UCF wideout Breshad Perriman dined last night with Cleveland GM Ray Farmer and other team executives.
- While a consensus is forming for a few picks near the top of the draft, it’s not clear where USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams – viewed by many as 2015’s best prospect – will land, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. As badly as the Raiders may need a wide receiver, I’d be surprised if Oakland passed on Williams at No. 4, assuming he’s available there.
- The Cowboys will have a hard time passing up Washington’s Marcus Peters or Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson in the first round if either cornerback is still on the board at No. 27, says Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Colts owner Jim Irsay isn’t ruling out any possibility for his team on Thursday, suggesting that the Colts could easily trade up or down from No. 29, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Kelly, Cruz
Eli Manning is hopeful that Victor Cruz will be able to return, Tom Rock of Newsday writes. “You just hope he’ll be able to come back,” Manning said. “You see some of the plays, the catches and the stops real quick, making that first guy miss, some of the cuts, and you hope he’ll be able to do those things again. I think you hope for the best and he can make a full recovery. But we’re going to be smart with him, make sure he comes back on his own time, and when he’s ready get in there and be right back in the mix.” The good news is that the Giants aren’t desperate for a No. 1 wide receiver heading into the draft thanks to the emergence of Odell Beckham Jr. Here’s more news out of the NFC East..
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) hears that Washington cornerback Marcus Peters or Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson may be too good to pass up if either are available for the Cowboys in the first round.
- Some teams are going for the best available player, but in the Eagles‘ draft strategy, players must fit their system, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “What Seattle is looking for is different than what San Francisco is looking for,” coach Chip Kelly said in March. “I think the teams that do it the best are getting players that fit their system.” This year, Alabama’s Landon Collins is viewed by many draft analysts as the top safety in the draft but he might not be an ideal fit because he’s more of an in-the-box safety and the Eagles require their safeties to cover like a cornerback.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Todd Archer of ESPN.com whether the Cowboys will go defensive back or defensive lineman in the first round. Archer believes that Dallas’ preference is to go with a cornerback at No. 27 because there likely won’t be a pass rusher worth the pick at that spot. Randy Gregory is a name to watch, he says, if he falls that far. Personally, I don’t see the embattled Nebraska star staying on the board that long.
- The Eagles could choose from several offensive lineman at No. 20, Berman writes. Of course, that group includes Oregon standout Jake Fisher, and not just because Kelly recruited him to the Ducks.
- One league executive told Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel that this year’s draft class doesn’t feature any quality kickers. “There’s no draftable kickers. The combine was probably the worst display of kicking talent I’ve ever seen. It was, like, ‘Are you kidding me? You can’t develop a kicker?,‘” the unnamed exec told McGinn.
Latest On Adrian Peterson
As of tonight, the Cowboys have still yet to speak with the Vikings about Adrian Peterson, sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. Peterson would love to play in Dallas, but the Cowboys simply are not willing to pay the price to acquire him. Apparently, not even Jerry Jones himself is willing to part with the significant draft compensation and money it would take to pry AD loose.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals are still refusing to part with a first-round pick in a Peterson deal and the Vikings don’t want to take a second-round choice for him, especially one as late as the Cards’ at No. 55. The Cardinals’ front office and coaching staff feels like they already have a really good team, particularly if quarterback Carson Palmer is healthy. While Peterson would represent a significant upgrade for their offense, they like the price of the No. 24 pick and three years of guaranteed money for a 30-year-old running back is too steep. However, Robinson cautions that things could theoretically change on draft day. Georgia running back Todd Gurley seems likely to go in the top ten, meaning that Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon probably won’t be there for Arizona at No. 24.
Ultimately, Vikings GM Rick Spielman is making the call and Robinson hears that he badly wants Peterson in purple next season. Sources say that Spielman has the support of everyone around him on this point, so it’ll be his call as to whether No. 28 is traded or not. And, if Peterson isn’t traded by Saturday morning, Robinson posits that he’ll stay a Viking in 2015. Draft picks would be in play in any trade, and because the Vikings are looking for high compensation, any deal would have to happen before the end of the second round.
East Notes: E. Manning, Cowboys, Dolphins
Eli Manning is entering the final year of his contract with the Giants, and there have been no discussions about an extension, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, the lack of negotiations has not phased the two-time Super Bowl MVP.
“I haven’t made a big deal about it,” Manning said. “[It] is not something I’m going to argue about or make a fuss about.”
Of course, Manning did receive a six-year, $97.5MM deal from the Giants back in 2010, a contract he is going to play out, so he has reason to be patient as his next contract negotiations approach. One would think that he is in line for one more big payday, even though he will be 35 when he hits unrestricted free agency next winter. New York could put the franchise tag on him if it comes down to it, though it is difficult to imagine Manning finishing his career on anything other than a multi-year deal with Big Blue.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News believes there is only one direction for the Giants to go with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft: offensive line. Even if an elite wide receiver prospect like Amari Cooper or Kevin White falls to New York, Vacchiano believes the team should resist temptation and grab one of the top offensive linemen like Brandon Scherff or Ereck Flowers.
- Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News looks at the top priorities for the Cowboys heading into the draft. He lists cornerback and defensive line as the two positions the team absolutely must address.
- For a number of reasons, the Cowboys have been pretty successful in the draft under head coach Jason Garrett. Garrett and assistant director of player personnel Will McClay have a good eye for talent, executive VP Stephen Jones has wielded a “firm and disciplined hand,” and owner Jerry Jones is meddling a little less. As David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes, the one drawback to success in the draft is that other teams want to poach the successful team’s players, which has happened with the Cowboys this offseason. Running back DeMarco Murray, linebacker Bruce Carter, and special teams ace Dwayne Harris were all part of Garrett’s first draft class and all left in free agency, so the team must now deal with the unique challenge that drafting well presents: not only adding talent to the nucleus of the roster, but replacing lost talent in the most cost-effective manner possible, which includes mining hidden gems in the lower rounds. Dallas must show they are up to that task if they are to repeat as NFC East champions.
- John Keim of ESPN.com takes a look at a number of Robert Griffin III-related questions in his latest mailbag, including the ramifications of Washington‘s decision to either exercise or not exercise RGIII’s fifth-year option.
- In a couple of Dolphins-related items, James Walker of ESPN.com examines whether Miami would really be willing to roll the dice on Georgia RB Todd Gurley and what the holdup is in exercising Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option.
- In Bill Belichick‘s 15 drafts with the Patriots, the team has traded up 17 times and traded down 17 times. As Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes, New England is one of two teams holding five of the top 101 picks in this year’s draft, so you can expect more wheeling and dealing from the Pats this week.
- Despite the buzz surrounding Marcus Mariota and the disappointment surrounding Geno Smith, Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News believes the Jets should go with the “strategically smart” decision and trade down from their No. 6 overall pick to select Stanford OT Andrus Peat.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Hardy, Bradford, Polk
The Giants‘ top three most-played safeties from 2014 – Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps, and Stevie Brown – are no longer under contract with the team, and the club missed out on Devin McCourty in free agency. However, GM Jerry Reese doesn’t view the position as an area of need, as Conor Orr of NFL.com details. While Reese may not consider safety to be as important a position as some other spots on the field, it would still be a surprise if the Giants don’t grab one or two at some point in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- There are some “smart people” around the NFL who believe Greg Hardy‘s suspension will ultimately be reduced from 10 games to something in the neighborhood of two to six games, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Even if Hardy’s appeal isn’t successful, the NFLPA may file a lawsuit on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Hardy’s stint in Dallas is off to an ominous start, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports that the defensive end was involved in an altercation with Cowboys teammate Davon Coleman today. A source tells Garafolo that Hardy questioned Colemans’s effort during conditioning drills, and a verbal altercation nearly turned into a physical one. Meanwhile, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links) hears that Coleman incited Hardy by calling him a “woman beater.” According to Getlin, there’s some concern among the Cowboys that Hardy is already at odds with another member of the club’s defensive line.
- Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, Sam Bradford isn’t willing to settle for a “substandard” contract extension, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Instead, the former first overall pick is hoping to submit a strong 2015 campaign and reassess his market value at that point. There’s also not 100% certainty that the Eagles will hang on to Bradford through the draft, so the QB wants to make sure he knows where he’ll be playing before he locks himself into a long-term extension.
- Earlier this afternoon, the Eagles rescinded Chris Polk‘s RFA contract tender, making him an unrestricted free agent. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Philadelphia was open to re-signing the running back at a lower salary, but the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
Draft Rumors: Clemmings, Mariota, Gregory
Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings is the latest prospect to discover an injury during a team visit. A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Clemmings was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot, despite not feeling any pain. It remains to be seen how the injury will affect the draft position of Clemmings, who is viewed as one of the best offensive lineman in the draft.
More on next week’s draft:
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report spoke to five NFL personnel men, and all five believe that Marcus Mariota will be drafted by the Titans, either at No. 2 or at No. 5 (following a trade with Washington). Some of those execs points to the Jets as another strong contender for Mariota, but they don’t believe New York will move up, a belief supported by GM Mike Maccagnan‘s comments today.
- Of course, even if the Titans select Mariota, it doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of Tennessee trading him to another team. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com takes a look at how a Mariota trade could potentially happen after the draft.
- Randy Gregory may take a fall in the first round, but one exec tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Gregory won’t fall out of the first round. Personally, I’d be surprised if the Nebraska pass rusher is still on the board after the first 15 picks of the draft.
- One football executive tells Bob McGinn of the Journal-Sentinel that he sees a lot of former Raiders bust JaMarcus Russell in presumptive No. 1 pick Jameis Winston. “Lack of focus by JaMarcus is what I see in Winston,” the personnel man said. “They’re physically talented, but during the course of a game they kind of lose their focus and just put the ball up for grabs. I see the body. I see the lack of focus. I see the same coach and system. Only Winston’s not as good an athlete and his arm isn’t as strong as JaMarcus‘.”
- In addition to his previously-reported visits, Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper also paid visits to the Buccaneers, Bears, Falcons, Giants, and Washington, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Wilson also provided an update on Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, writing that the Cowboys, Saints, and Panthers were among the teams to meet with intriguing deep threat.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Jennings, Eagles, Cowboys
When Greg Jennings reached a contract agreement with the Dolphins earlier this week, we learned almost immediately that it was a two-year, $8MM pact. Now, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports has a breakdown of the specifics. Per Marvez (Twitter link), the wideout’s deal features a $3MM signing bonus, base salaries of $900K (2015) and $3.9MM (2016), and annual workout bonuses of $100K. That means Jennings’ cap hit for this season should be $2.5MM before jumping to $5.5MM in ’15.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), before the Vikings released Jennings, they offered him a pay cut to $4MM, plus $3MM in incentives. However, that offer didn’t include any guarantees, so it makes sense that the veteran would elect to hit the open market instead.
Here are a few more Friday morning items out of the NFL’s East divisions:
- UConn cornerback Byron Jones, who has already visited the Eagles and has been cited as a potential target for the club, is working out for Philadelphia’s brain trust this morning, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. According to Pauline, Huskies wideout Geremy Davis and defensive tackle B.J. McBryde are also participating in the Eagles’ workout.
- The Cowboys are working out Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney today, per Pauline, who notes (via Twitter) that the club is sending a defensive line coach to attend the workout.
- Even if they expect Greg Hardy to have to serve his full 10-game suspension, the Cowboys aren’t likely to elevate pass rusher above running back or cornerback when it comes to their draft needs, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
- Washington is sending its defensive staff to Macon, Georgia to meet with University of Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that the Giants called him Thursday night to chat as a part of their pre-draft process. The Giants pick at No. 9, but Fowler could very well be gone by that point.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates identifies five general managers who need a strong draft in 2015, lest they find themselves in hot water after the season. Bills GM Doug Whaley tops Yates’ list.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
North Notes: Manziel, Peterson, Browns
Browns GM Ray Farmer told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter), that he did not try to trade Johnny Manziel to the Eagles, despite rumors to the contrary. Recently, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported that the Browns tossed out the idea in a conversation with Philadelphia, but it didn’t gain any traction. As for the Eagles, they apparently didn’t have any real interest in making that happen. Here’s more on the Browns and the rest of the AFC North..
- Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the Cowboys are not in the running for Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson. “Whoever says otherwise is 1,000 percent wrong,” he said. “The Cowboys have not spoken to the Minnesota Vikings about Adrian Peterson. It has not happened. They haven’t offered a draft pick, they have not picked up the telephone to talk to the Minnesota Vikings about Adrian Peterson. It simply has not happened.” Robinson says the Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Jaguars are the teams in the mix for No. 28 at present and he wouldn’t rule out the Falcons joining that group. Robinson is 100% confident that the Vikings would trade Peterson to the Cardinals if they were to offer up their first-round pick, but it remains to be seen if they’re willing to do that.
- Farmer said that he’ll add to the competition at quarterback if he finds a viable option, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. He’s not, however, desperate for a signal caller. “It’s constantly reported we’re [quarterback] starved and we’ll do whatever it takes to get one person. I don’t know why that is,” the GM said (link). The Browns’ collection of quarterbacks currently includes Manziel and veteran Josh McCown.
- When asked if he’d take a running back in the first round, Farmer responded, “Sure. Why not?” (via Ulirch on Twitter). The Browns own the No. 12 and No. 19 picks in the draft.
- The team has yet to decide on an interim GM that will be in charge while Farmer is suspended, Cabot tweets.