East Notes: Hughes, Mariota, Murray
Bills coach Rex Ryan says that he “absolutely” envisions impending free agent Jerry Hughes returning to the team next season, writes Ross Jones of FOX Sports. However, the defensive end has said that he’s not interested in taking a hometown discount to stay. While we wait to see how that plays out, here’s more from the East divisions..
- A person familiar with the Eagles‘ offseason plans says the team “is going to try” to move up in the NFL Draft to select Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, Mark Eckel of The Times Of Trenton writes. It won’t be easy, of course, but the Eagles will at least explore going from No. 20 to No. 1 to get the Ducks star.
- Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter) is skeptical that anyone is privy to Chip Kelly‘s draft plans. He also feels it’s a no-brainer that the Eagles will at least look into Mariota, but it’s far too early for them to start making calls.
- One team contract negotiator who spoke to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com today indicated that he expects Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to “open his checkbook” and put a 2012 running back market price on DeMarco Murray (Twitter link). The running back position, of course, was valued more highly three years ago than it is now.
- Michigan State safety Kurtis Drummond has already met with the Eagles and made plans to chat more on Tuesday night, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com (on Twitter).
- Utah defensive back Eric Rowe apparently has the interest of the Eagles as he has a meeting scheduled with Kelly and Bill Davis, according to Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com (on Twitter).
- Ryan told reporters, including John Kryk of the Toronto Sun (on Twitter) that he expects to have the Bills‘ coaching staff complete by the end of the week.
- The Jets spent a significant amount of time with Miami wide receiver Phillip Dorsett after his weigh ins, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter).
- University of Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman told James Walker of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he met with the Dolphins at the Senior Bowl.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Cowboys Plan To Exercise Claiborne’s Option
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that cornerback Morris Claiborne has done enough to justify the team picking up his fifth-year option, according to Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The option, of course, would be for the 2016 campaign.
Jones’ endorsement comes as something of a surprise since Claiborne hasn’t lived up to expectations since being selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2012 draft. As a top ten pick, the option for 2016 would be equal to the transition tag for cornerbacks in their fourth year, which should be somewhere around $11MM.
The Cowboys have some time before they have to decide on Claiborne’s fifth-year option and the option is guaranteed against injury only until the start of the 2016 league year, so they could pull the plug in the event of a lackluster 2015. By the same token, it’d be a gamble to trigger his option year given his injury history. Claiborne missed the bulk of the 2014 season with a torn patellar tendon.
All in all, it was a rough year for the once-heralded rookie. Claiborne was torched in Week 3 victory and was subsequently bumped down on the depth chart in favor of veteran Orlando Scandrick. On the following Tuesday, Claiborne lashed back at the Cowboys by skipping practice and leaving the team facility. The following week, Claiborne suffered his season-ending injury.
NFC Notes: Lucas, Bears, Eagles, Cowboys
The Bears have hired Josh Lucas as the team’s new director of player personnel, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The team has already hired former Saints executive Ryan Pace to be their general manager, and he dipped into the Saints front office to bring Lucas with him.
Lucas was one of the Saints’ top scouts, and was serving as one of the two regional college scouts, working closely with the director of scouting in New Orleans.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC this Championship Weekend:
- The Bears have hired former Broncos and Panthers coach John Fox to be their new head coach, but the team still needs to find an offensive coordinator. John Mullin of CSNChicago.com believes that job will put whoever takes it in a win-win situation. The reasoning for this is because Mullin believes that a coaching staff has been fired because of Jay Cutler for the last time, and that the next offensive coordinator will either be given credit for turning around Cutler’s career or will be given the opportunity to move on from Cutler with whatever quarterback Pace picks to replace him.
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie needs to look long and hard at the teams that have had playoff success in recent years in order to turn the team into a consistent winner, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While the Eagles are in the top five in the NFL in winning seasons and playoff berths since he took over the team 21 years ago, they are the only member of that prestigious club never to win the Super Bowl. Brookover wants Lurie to study these final four teams’ strengths and weaknesses, including high level quarterback play and great defense.
- The Cowboys had a fantastic ground game in 2014, and with running back DeMarco Murray reaching free agency, the team may have to look to replace their star tail back. Jon Machota of DallasNews.com rounds up a few mock drafts to see who the Cowboys could be interested in, and while most chose to select a defensive player, Machota seems to prefer Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, who pushes the team to select the nation’s leading rusher and Heisman Trophy Finalist Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin.
NFC Notes: Bucs, Bears, Fangio, Washington
The Buccaneers have been willing spenders in free agency in recent years, but those dollars have not equated to wins. General manager Jason Licht has vowed that this experience only confirms that the best way to build a team is through the draft, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
“We went out and got a lot of pieces and even though there was a lot of money going out the door and equal to the money coming in,’’ Licht said. “Nonetheless, we spent a lot of money on free agents and some didn’t work out and it was very disappointing. It’s further proof that free agency is not the safest way to build your team. We’re not hiding from the mistakes.’’
This year, the Bucs will have the opportunity to start drafting for the future, armed with the number one overall selection. Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Bears asked the Titans for permission to interview Mike Mularkey for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but were turned down, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Tennessee previously rebuffed the Buccaneers when they wanted to talk to Mularkey about the OC job in Tampa.
- Vic Fangio‘s interview with Washington is taking place tonight, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, adding that the club has “very serious intent.” The former 49ers defensive coordinator looks like Washington’s top choice for the same position in D.C.
- The Vikings want to get younger as the 2015 season nears, but that approach to roster-building shouldn’t cost linebacker Chad Greenway his spot on the team, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
- While running backs have been devalued in modern NFL offenses, DeMarco Murray is the exception, according to Tim Cowlishaw of DallasNews.com, who thinks the Cowboys need to re-sign him.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Cap Notes: Steve Smith, Ravens, Barwin, ‘Boys
Despite being eliminated during the Divisional Round of the playoffs, several Ravens players can rest easy knowing they’ve earned more money based on their 2014 performance. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, receiver Steve Smith will earn an extra $1MM in incentives, which were based on playing time, individual, and team performance. Linebacker Daryl Smith will also have another $1MM tacked onto his 2014 earnings, and he also hit an escalator that will increase his 2015 salary by $500K. Tight end Owen Daniels earned $755K through incentives, and center Gino Gradkowski will see a pay raise thanks to the proven performance escalator (explained here). Here are more cap-related notes from around the NFL…
- After an outstanding 2014 season that saw him record 14.5 sacks, Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin will earn a higher base salary in 2015 thanks to escalators in his contract. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), Barwin hit all of his escalators, meaning he’ll make $5.5MM next year, a bump of $900K.
- Cowboys safety Barry Church will earn a $1MM raise on top of his scheduled 2015 salary, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who writes that Church met a playing time threshold by seeing action on 85% of defensive snaps last season.
- Veteran Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton earned a $200K salary increase in each of the next two seasons thanks to an unknown escalator, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- As we head to the offseason, several teams are willing to offer high guarantees in order to sign highly-coveted players to reserve/futures deals. According to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter), the largest guarantees on reserve deals thus far belong to running back Ryan Williams (who signed a two-year contract with the Cowboys) and defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, who inked a pact with the 49ers.
- The Cowboys will carry over $3.26MM in cap space into 2015, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
FA Notes: Cowboys, Houston, Suh, Rams
Tony Romo and the Cowboys had two of the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons at their disposal in 2014, with Dez Bryant leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns and DeMarco Murray running away with the rushing title. However, both players are eligible for free agency this offseason, and owner Jerry Jones acknowledged yesterday that it’s unlikely both of them return to the team.
“Is it possible [to re-sign both players]? Yes,” Jones said, per DallasCowboys.com. “But if you just look at it from the standpoint of dollars and cents, it probably doesn’t look reasonable.”
Considering Jones has stated in the past that the Cowboys intend to keep Bryant around by any means necessary, including the franchise tag, that doesn’t bode particularly well for Murray’s future with in Dallas. We heard earlier this week that the league’s leading rusher appeared likely to reach the open market.
Here’s more on this year’s free-agents-to-be:
- There have been “zero talks” between the Chiefs and outside linebacker Justin Houston on a new contract since the regular season ended, a source tells Herbie Teope of ChiefsDigest.com. If Houston and the Chiefs don’t work out a long-term deal within the next few weeks, the franchise tag looks like a very realistic possibility for the NFL’s sack leader.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates examines Ndamukong Suh’s potential free agency, identifying the Raiders, Browns, and Bengals as the best non-Lions fits for the star defensive tackle.
- In his preview of the Rams‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com identifies tackle Joe Barksdale, quarterback Shaun Hill, and wide receiver Kenny Britt as a few potential free agents the team should consider re-signing.
- Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor sees his rookie contract expire this winter, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency. He spoke to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun about the next step in his career, suggesting that returning to the Ravens or signing with another club could both be “good options.”
- The NFL will introduce a veteran free agent combine this March, scheduled for a couple weeks after free agency opens, writes Conor Orr of NFL.com, passing along a report from colleague Ian Rapoport. According to a memo sent out by the league, the combine will “serve to isolate and consolidate veteran free-agent talent for more focused evaluation on a comparative basis.”
Coach Notes: Broncos, Gase, Tarver, 49ers
While not all teams are overly transparent during the process of searching for a new head coach, the Broncos were willing to announce their first formal interview before it was even finished today, tweeting that offensive coordinator Adam Gase was interviewing for the position. Word of Gase’s afternoon meeting with the Broncos was first reported by Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who adds that the club will talk to Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Friday and still hopes to hear back from Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
Here’s the rest of our latest round-up of coaching-related updates:
- The Broncos will interview Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph for their head coach opening, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. While most head coaching candidates make the step from the coordinator position, it is not unprecedented for position coaches to be hired as head coaches, as Klis notes. Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Andy Reid, and, most recently, Jim Tomsula, all got their first head coaching gigs directly from position coach.
- There’s still a very good probability that Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell end up with Washington, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- Former Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, whose contract expired this week, is expected to join Jim Tomsula‘s staff, though his role with the 49ers hasn’t been determined and nothing’s official yet, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- After losing Bill Callahan to Washington, the Cowboys named Frank Pollack their new offensive line coach, per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link).
- Meanwhile, the offensive line coach Callahan replaced in Washington, Chris Foerster, is headed to the 49ers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Quinn, Austin, Falcons, Vikings
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has a lot of great things he can point to on his resumé, but he readily admits that he missed on Packers linebacker Clay Matthews when he was hit coach at USC. “Maybe because of the way he came up, it took him a long time to develop,” Carroll said, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “and didn’t recognize the great heart that he had, and unbelievable competitiveness and the great savvy that he demonstrates now. It’s really one of my big misses. I should have figured that out a lot sooner than I did. He made the rest of it history and been an extraordinary player ever since.” Matthews was a walk-on at USC and didn’t start at linebacker until his senior year. More from around the NFL..
- The Falcons haven’t scheduled a second interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn just yet, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). An interview could happen Monday after Seattle’s game, however.
- It’s a similar situation for the Falcons and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Austin, as our Head Coaching Tracker shows, has been a popular guy in recent weeks.
- The Vikings have big fifth-year decisions to make on left tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith, as Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune writes. Smith would be a no-brainer to exercise and possibly even incorporate the option into a long-term extension during the offseason. He’s a top five player at his position and will be one of the key pieces for this Vikings defense under head coach Mike Zimmer. Kalil, on the other hand, represents a tougher choice.
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t believe that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is really the team’s General Manager. Jones has final say over football matters, of course, but he doesn’t handle the day-to-day responsibilities that a GM would.
- In a telephone interview with Lorenzo Reyes of USA TODAY Sports, ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay gave his thoughts on Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. “There’s no question he has the physical ability to play in the league. He’s big, prototypical size. He’s bigger than what you look for. He has an NFL arm and can make all the throws and can do it with ease,” McShay said. “He’s deceptively mobile and strong as a runner. To me he’s an extremely raw version of a Ben Roethlisberger.” Jones likely agrees that he’s a little too green for the NFL, as he announced today that he’s staying in school.
East Notes: Cowboys, Rodgers, Bills
The Cowboys will retain coordinators Rod Marinelli and Scott Linehan and that’s huge for them in the opinion of former quarterback Troy Aikman. “To maintain the continuity with those two coordinators, two outstanding coordinators, is very, very important for this team moving forward,” Aikman told KTCK-AM (via The Dallas Morning News) “Rod Marinelli, if he had left, I thought that would be a really big blow to that defense. Scott Linehan … he was outstanding all season long. To be able to maintain the running game at difficult points in games throughout the season. To still remain committed to it. We’ve seen, for a number of years, this team get away from the run game. This year’s edition never did. I think it’s a real credit to Scott Linehan.” More from both East divisions..
- The Dolphins will not block Kacy Rodgers from taking the Jets‘ defensive coordinator job, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). However, as of tonight, the deal has not been finalized.
- A lot of people are skeptical about the Bills‘ quarterback situation with EJ Manuel currently at the helm, but new coach Rex Ryan told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s not concerned. “This is not just about one man or about one position,” Ryan said. “It’s about your team and more importantly the direction of your team, I think from ownership, to president [Russ Brandon], to Doug [Whaley], our General Manager. To me, it seems like everybody wants the same thing and they all feel like there is a certain way to get there. That’s where we are tied in and we are behind each other 100 percent. I think that’s something really important to me and obviously, I think, with the players we have as well, it is a great mesh.”
- With the Cowboys in need of salary cap space, cornerback Brandon Carr could be released or forced to take a pay cut. Owner Jerry Jones sounds intent on trimming his income, which is set to count against the cap for $12.7MM in 2015. “Carr played well this year and I’m not as critical of Carr as others,” Jones said. “But that’s a lot of money. One thing that we just got to do is we’ve got to make sure that every way we can, we get the value for the money,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News.
- Eagles outside linebacker Connor Barwin hit his full escalator worth $900K, so his base salary for 2015 will rise from $5.5MM to $6.4MM, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have 16 free agents this offseason and a dozen of them are unrestricted. James Walker of ESPN.com looked at one of those UFAs earlier today when he examined defensive tackle Jared Odrick. Odrick will probably get the most interest from teams with 3-4 schemes and Miami isn’t expected to make much of a push for him. The Dolphins need the cap space and Odrick’s spat with coach Joe Philbin doesn’t help his cause.
Cowboys Sign Jason Garrett To Five-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 2:48pm: The Cowboys have officially locked up Garrett to a five-year extension, the team announced today (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 5:13pm: It’s a done deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Garrett’s deal is worth $30MM over five years.
4:37pm: The Cowboys and Garrett have officially agreed upon a new contract, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
4:13pm: According to the Cowboys’ official website, Garrett and the Cowboys are “very close” to finalizing a five-year deal in the $30MM range.
2:25pm: The Cowboys and Jason Garrett are on the brink of reaching an agreement on a five-year contract for the head coach, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (via Twitter). A new five-year deal for Garrett would keep him locked up through the 2019 season.
Garrett, who took over as the Cowboys’ head coach midway through the 2010 campaign, finished with an 8-8 record in each of his full three seasons with the team. With no playoff appearances or winning seasons on his resumé coming into the 2014 season, Garrett was allowed to coach the club in a final year of his contract, a rarity in the NFL — teams will usually extend a head coach prior to his contract year, rather than letting him play out a “lame duck” season.
In Garrett’s case, perhaps the implied win-or-else nature of the season paid off. Projected by many experts as a sub-.500 team, the Cowboys went 12-4 in 2014, winning the NFC East and a postseason game before falling in a tight divisional playoff contest to the Packers. The 12-win season improved Garrett’s overall record to 41-31 in regular season games, and he’s now 1-1 in the playoffs.
Once the Cowboys officially finalize the details on a new contract for Garrett, the team will presumably move on to locking up its assistants. We heard earlier today that defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli would like to remain with the club, and I imagine Dallas would like to bring back offensive assistants Scott Linehan and Bill Callahan as well. Those coaches figure to draw interest from other suitors around the league, so it remains to be seen whether or not they’ll stick with the Cowboys, but a new deal for Garrett is a good start.