Extra Points: A. Smith, Draft, Lions, Eagles
After being released by the Raiders on March 31, defensive lineman Antonio Smith received a phone call from the Broncos just hours later, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Smith, who agreed with Denver on a one-year deal worth $2MM, is pleased to be joining a contender. “I am excited. Every piece that you need is on this team, and I know what [the coaching staff] can do with a good quarterback and good offense,” said Smith. “It will be a dangerous combination. I believe wholeheartedly we have a chance of making the last dance.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…
- Utah defensive back Eric Rowe is flying up draft boards, and while he’s already worked out for the Eagles, he has another workout planned with the Lions, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. The Packers are also interested, per Pauline, but they haven’t scheduled a visit.
- We heard earlier tonight the Cowboys will visit with Arizona State safety Damarious Randall, and Pauline reports that the Lions and Falcons will do so, as well.
- Oklahoma cornerback Julian Wilson has worked out for the Eagles and Patriots and is scheduled to work out for the Falcons, league sources Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. At the NFL scouting combine, Wilson ran a 4.58 40-yard-dash and had a 36-inch vertical leap.
- Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson will is expected to visit the Cowboys, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who adds that Johnson has already worked out for Chargers, Falcons, and Eagles, and will work out for the Ravens, Patriots, and Cardinals. Per Wilson (link), Johnson also had a dinner meeting with the Steelers.
- Using his expected contract value metric, Bryce Johnston of Over the Cap examines the free agent contracts handed out to quarterbacks this offseason.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Staley, Draft, Cowboys, Lions
The 49ers converted Joe Staley‘s option bonus to a signing bonus, affecting his cap number for 2015, as CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (Twitter links) explains. Staley’s cap number has gone from $6.4MM to $7.6MM after his $6MM option bonus was converted. San Francisco, meanwhile, will get a salary cap credit of $1.2MM in 2016. The accounting move won’t result in a salary increase for the offensive tackle. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explicates the transaction.
Here’s more the NFC…
- The Buccaneers‘ private workout with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is set for tomorrow in Eugene, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
- The Cowboys have filled most their 30 allowed spots for draft visits, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who reports the following players have headed or will head to Valley Ranch in the coming days: running backs T.J. Yeldon, Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jay Ajayi, and Ameer Adbullah; defensive lineman Bud Dupree and Danielle Hunter; linebacker Benardrick McKinney; and defensive backs Josh Shaw and Damarious Randall.
- The Cowboys will also take a look at a defensive lineman tomorrow, as they’ll meet with UCLA DE Owa Odighizuma, per Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds that the former Bruin will also visit with the Saints. Odighizuma has already visited the Eagles.
- Dallas will be flush with prospects on Tuesday, as the Cowboys will also visit with both versatile Washington product Shaq Thompson and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, according to Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com takes an overview of the Lions’ roster, noting that while linebacker is a deep position group, Detroit could afford to spend draft resources on the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cowboys Re-Sign Rolando McClain
MONDAY, 8:11pm: McClain’s base salary will be just $750K, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), who adds that the linebacker can get another $1.5MM via gameday active roster bonuses.
WEDNESDAY, 8:34am: The signing is now official, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
7:42am: After visiting the Patriots earlier this week and receiving a contract offer from New England, linebacker Rolando McClain has instead agreed to re-sign with the Cowboys on a one-year deal, reports Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Werder, it’ll be worth $3MM, with another $1MM available in playing-time incentives.
McClain, 25, 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.
Despite his impressive on-field showing, McClain still has some off-field question marks. He came back from retirement less than a year ago, and has failed multiple drug tests, making him a potential suspension risk. When I examined his free agent stock last week, I speculated that he may have to settle for a one-year, prove-it deal like the ones signed by Nick Fairley and Terrance Knighton. I also noted that returning to Dallas might be the best fit for the veteran linebacker.
That third failed drug test means a four-game fine for McClain, so that penalty figures to come out of his game checks for the upcoming season. The ex-Raider has appealed the fine, but history suggests he doesn’t have a great chance of winning that appeal, barring extenuating circumstances.
The Cowboys’ linebacking corps will look much different in 2015 than it did a year ago, as regular contributors Justin Durant and Bruce Carter have signed elsewhere. McClain will be joined by incoming free agents Jasper Brinkley and Andrew Gachkar on the new-look unit. Sean Lee, who missed the 2014 campaign due to a torn ACL, will also be back in the mix.
McClain initially ranked 35th last month on my list of this year’s top 50 free agents. Only three players on that list – Michael Crabtree, Joe Barksdale, and Stefen Wisniewski – remain unsigned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Adrian Peterson
Adrian Peterson‘s dream scenario would be a trade to the Cowboys, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Sources close to the running back believe that he is going to be reinstated after April 15th, the date on which he could be considered for return.
In addition to the Cowboys, the Colts and Cardinals are viewed as the likely teams to be heavily interested in Peterson. Even though Peterson is confident that he’ll be reinstated in a matter of days, Cole adds that the NFL could throw a wrench in the works by delaying his process. However, if the league office stalls, things could get litigious between the two sides and the NFL would have to justify dragging things along.
Peterson is set to visit with commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, but it remains unlikely that he will be given the greenlight before April 15th, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter links). When the league does meet with Peterson tomorrow, there will probably be NFL behavioral experts involved in the discussion. The league wants to see Peterson receive treatment and counseling if he is to return to football.
Cowboys Notes: Hardy, McFadden, Peterson
Not sure who to root for in Monday’s NCAA basketball championship game between Duke and Wisconsin? Well, the Dallas Morning News decided to pit Wisconsin fan Aaron Rodgers against Duke fan Tony Romo to better handicap the odds. While we wait to see whether the Cowboys quarterback will be celebrating tonight, here’s a look at the latest out of Dallas..
- The NFL has viewed the seven photos it wanted to see from the Greg Hardy domestic violence case and as agreed upon dropped its complaint, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, the league’s investigation will continue, as a league spokesman told Newton (link). The NFLPA will reportedly fight hard for the Cowboys star if he is given a penalty stiffer than a two game suspension.
- Newly acquired Cowboys running back Darren McFadden joined the NFL Network to talk about his new team and he explained that the rumors about Adrian Peterson have not bothered him. “Coming into it, that wasn’t a question I asked,” McFadden said, via The Dallas Morning News. “Once DeMarco Murray was released, I felt like it was an opportunity for me step in there and try to go in and get whatever carries I could. Whether they decide to sign Adrian Peterson wasn’t going to make my decision change.”
- The Cowboys are confident that they can get the most out of McFadden, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. In 2008, the year that the Cowboys selected Felix Jones, Dallas spent a great deal of time studying McFadden and also met with him, as head coach Jason Garrett explained. While injuries have set him back, Garrett is optimistic that he can stay healthy since his problems have been related to soft tissue-type injuries.
Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Broncos, Cowboys
Some notes from around the NFL:
- This offseason has been one to forget for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has spent time in rehab and seen his future in Cleveland come into question since his rookie year ended. The latest blow comes from one of the Browns’ most respected players, offensive tackle Joe Thomas. The eight-time Pro Bowler said that Manziel “lost a lot of trust last year by the way he handled himself,” according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
- With the hiring of Gary Kubiak as their head coach, the Broncos’ offense will feature a fullback for the first time since 2012, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “My thing is that to be really effective in the running game, you have to run the fullback,” said general manager John Elway, per Renck. “We will have people in the fullback position.” As of now, the leading candidates for the job are Juwan Thompson and Joe Don Duncan.
- The Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm profiled Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Sturm sees Rowe a potential fit for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft, possibly as early as the first round. The Cowboys hold the 27th overall pick.
- The Colts, Buccaneers, Packers and 49ers are the only four teams in the league with fewer than three quarterbacks, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. The Bucs are the sole member of the group without an established starter, which is likely to change in the draft. Tampa has the No. 1 overall pick, with which it could select either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. The other three squads are also candidates to draft QBs, albeit not in the first round.
East Notes: Crabtree, Dolphins, Draft, Pats
Refuting an earlier report, Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post writes that a Dolphins team source has “emphatically” denied that the club ever offered free agent receiver Michael Crabtree a contract that neared $3MM in value. In fact, the source tells Abramson, financial specifics never even came up during Crabtree’s visit to South Beach. Given the disparity between the two reports, it seems there’s a bit of confusion about Crabtree’s meeting with Dolphins brass — but either way, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be joining Miami.
More notes from the East divisions:
- The Dolphins hosted Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet for a visit last week, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Marpet, who is a projected mid-round pick, has also met with the Browns as part of the predraft process.
- Another Division II prospect, Henderson State receiver Darius Davis, has a visit scheduled with the Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who notes that Davis will meet with Dallas later this week. Per Wilson, Davis already met with the Raiders last week.
- In response to a reader’s question, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes that he doesn’t believe either Pierre Garcon or Kirk Cousins is likely to be traded by Washington. Garcon, especially, could be hard to deal given his large base salaries, but any trade would likely occur after the draft after other teams assess their remaining needs, adds Tandler.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com rounds up a few Patriots notes, examining the contributions of rookies on last year’s roster and wondering if New England might draft a receiver later this month.
NFC Rumors: Eagles, Panthers, Moore
With Chip Kelly now overseeing personnel decisions, the Eagles have probably had the NFL’s most interesting offseason. There is considerable risk and potentially some reckless methodology involved with the splashy maneuvers the franchise made, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
McLane asserts the Eagles overbid in splurges for Byron Maxwell (six years, $63MM) and DeMarco Murray (4/$40MM) with other suitors not willing to come within $2MM AAV in Maxwell’s case or, with the exception of the Raiders, backing off well shy of the Eagles’ new commitment figure to Murray.
Also acquiring injury-riddled veterans Ryan Mathews, Sam Bradford, Walter Thurmond and Miles Austin, the Eagles went against conventional logic perhaps banking on their sports-science practices can benefit their new talents, adds McLane. But in the latter duo’s cases, the contracts didn’t seem to be commensurate with the recent production, thus negating some of the value typically associated with signing injured players, writes McLane.
Thurmond (one year, $3.25MM), who missed last season with a torn pectoral muscle, received almost the same amount he did from the Giants last March when he was coming off a healthier campaign and Austin bound for Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth $2.3MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) fresh off years headlined by injuries and borderline irrelevance compared to his previous work.
With 1,000-yard+ rushing seasons in both of his odd-year seasons (2011 and 2013) and season-defining maladies in his past two odd-year campaigns, Mathews received a bit of an injury-reduced salary, however, at three years and $11MM.
“Let’s let it play out,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said to McLane. “I think with any coach, you need patience, you need vision, you need to let them gamble and fail, and gamble and succeed, because the last thing you want to do is make a coach risk-averse.”
Elsewhere around the NFC …
- The Panthers‘ projected depth chart, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person, has an open slot at No. 2 receiver behind 2014 No. 1 draft choice Kelvin Benjamin. Person slotted newly signed wideouts Ted Ginn and Jarrett Boykin with holdover Jericho Cotchery at the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 slots, respectively, and also left the starting cornerback position across from Josh Norman vacant for a late-arriving free agent. Michael Oher is positioned at left tackle, a role he’s only played for one full (2010) despite the literary and cinematic depictions of his pre-NFL life there.
- Acquiring Ginn, Boykin and Oher, the latter two coming off disappointing seasons, represent the Panthers’ biggest gains this offseason, according to Person. The Panthers reporter listed defensive end, corner and running back as positions in need of upgrades heading into the draft, with Bene Benwikere‘s size (5-foot-11), Jonathan Stewart‘s durability and Kony Ealy‘s progression as charted concerns at those spots.
- Sterling Moore briefly considered returning to the Cowboys before signing with the Buccaneers, according to an interview with Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi on Sirius XM Radio (audio link). But the Cowboys left the corner feeling “kind of disrespected” after not electing to tender him as a restricted free agent this offseason despite a productive 2014 season.
Draft Notes: Crowder, Gurley, Thompson
A look at the latest draft news..
- Duke wide receiver Jamison Crowder worked out for the Texans today, a source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- A number of teams think former University of Georgia running back Todd Gurley will be selected before Melvin Gordon if his knee checks out, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. While some teams believe Gordon is likely to have a more significant immediate impact, they believe Gurley may be better in the long-term (link).
- A respected evaluator told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) that he sees Gurley as the best tailback in the draft since Adrian Peterson.
- Nine clubs have scheduled workouts or visits with University of Washington outside linebacker/safety Shaq Thompson, Rob Rang of CBSSports.com tweets. The Chargers, Falcons, Browns, Cowboys, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Eagles, and Panthers will all meet with the UW standout.
- Possible first-round pick P.J. Williams is set up for a pre-draft visit with the Ravens despite recent legal troubles, write Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Florida State cornerback was arrested early this morning for driving under the influence.
East Notes: Washington, Hardy, Cowboys
Washington GM Scot McCloughan followed through with his plan when he landed safety Dashon Goldson on Friday, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Goldson is not a big risk with his $4MM salary and, more importantly, McCloughan knows the type of player Washington received. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC East..
- If the NFL suspends Greg Hardy for more than two games, you can expect an automatic appeal on his behalf from the NFLPA, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Hardy has offered a one-game suspension with the thinking that a two-game suspension would be a fair compromise. As for the photos that will come forward, there is one damning photo which shows a bruise on his victim’s face. The rest, according to Cole, do not show evidence of damage inflicted by the Cowboys star.
- There has been talk of the Cowboys drafting a quarterback, but Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News thinks they already have their developmental arm in Dustin Vaughn. After grabbing Vaughn last year, Sturm isn’t expecting Dallas to address the quarterback position in this year’s draft.
- Former Patriots running back Stevan Ridley has visits lined up next week but the feeling is that he’ll land with either the Jets or Dolphins, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).