Cowboys Release Kyle Orton
WEDNESDAY, 10:21am: The Cowboys have officially announced Orton’s release, per Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 4:22pm: The standoff between Kyle Orton and the Cowboys has come to an end, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports that the team is releasing the quarterback.
Orton, 31, had strongly indicated throughout the offseason that his preference was to end his playing career, but the Cowboys hoped he’d return for the 2014 season as Tony Romo‘s backup. The situation led to an impasse, with Orton refusing to report to spring workouts and practices, while the Cowboys kept him on the roster in the hopes of pushing him to either report or to officially retire, at which point the team could attempt to recoup some of his bonus money.
Now that Dallas has opted to release the veteran signal-caller, the club will no longer be able to recover any of Orton’s signing bonus — however, the team is at least off the hook for his 2014 base salary of $3.25MM. Of the $3.383MM in dead money remaining on Orton’s deal, which ran through 2016, $1.128MM will apply to this year’s cap, with the remainder hitting the 2015 books. As such, the team creates a little additional cap flexibility this year, which could come in handy for additional signings or extensions for players like Dez Bryant or Tyron Smith.
Orton, who has spent time with the Bears, Broncos, Chiefs, and Cowboys, is now free to formally retire, and presumably won’t attempt to catch on with another club in time for the 2014 season. If he doesn’t play another snap in the NFL, the Purdue alum will finish his career having compiled more than 15,000 passing yards to go along with 83 touchdowns in 75 total contests (70 starts).
As for the Cowboys, they’ll turn to Brandon Weeden and Caleb Hanie as potential backup options behind Romo. The club will also have an open spot on its 90-man roster, which could be used on another QB or any other free agent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Revis, 49ers, Graham, Cowboys
Cutting Darrelle Revis wasn’t easy for Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith, as Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com writes. “It was not an easy decision because Darrelle’s a great player. But he’s not the only great player in the league. We just felt like we needed, instead of having one great player we thought we could get three. Instead of having one real good player, we felt like we could get three real good players,” Smith said. More out of the NFC..
- A source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) that former UNC linebacker Darius Lipford had a good workout for the 49ers today but he was not signed. Lipford was one of four players in this year’s supplemental draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap gives his thoughts on the impact of Jimmy Graham‘s contract with the Saints. While the four-year, $40MM is the largest ever given to a tight end, the three-year cash flows indicate that this deal won’t necessarily be a game changer. With a backloaded deal, Graham’s contract isn’t as far ahead of the contracts given to Rob Gronkowski or Vernon Davis.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com wonders if Graham’s new deal will set the baseline for Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant. Even though Bryant and Graham (officially, now) play different positions, their numbers have been rather similar over the last three years, so a comp would make some sense. There are currently seven wide receivers earning an average annual value of at least $10MM: Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Percy Harvin, Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, and Vincent Jackson.
NFC Links: White, Packers, Cowboys, Giants
After watching the division-rival Saints lock up one of their longtime pass catchers earlier today, the Falcons would be wise to do the same with one of their own veterans, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who suggests the time is right for a Roddy White extension. White is coming off a down year in which he battled injuries for much of the season, but he hopes to play three or four more years and wants to retire as a Falcon, so signing him to a new deal with $8-10MM in guaranteed money seems reasonable, says McClure.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Johnathan Franklin‘s unexpected retirement due to injury could open up a spot in the Packers‘ backfield for a handful of roster hopefuls, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- Former Cowboys second-round pick Bruce Carter isn’t necessarily viewed as the core piece he once was, but he could regain value with a big contract year, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
- In a separate ESPN.com piece, Archer examines the Cowboys‘ depth chart at safety, suggesting that adding a veteran to what appears to be a thin group is a possibility for the team.
- Several jobs should be up for grabs for the Giants in training camp over the next few weeks, says Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, identifying tight end, left tackle, fullback, and second receiver as some spots where competitions could play out.
Monday Roundup: Finley, Young, Big Ben
Free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who has been medically cleared to play by his own doctor, said he will undergo another series of medical tests on Wednesday and will send the results of those tests to all 32 clubs in an effort to convince them that he is fully healthy, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Finley has stated that he would like to return to the Packers, and that he certainly wants to continue playing rather than collect the $10MM insurance policy he would receive if he retired from the game.
However, he has also demonstrated that he will be patient as he waits for the right deal. The Steelers‘ team neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Maroon, performed Finley’s vertebrae fusion in November and declared him fit to play a few months later. Pittsburgh subsequently made several contract offers, according to Finley, but none of those offers were financially appealing enough for him. Pelissero believes that Finley ultimately will re-sign with Green Bay (Twitter link).
Now for some links from around the league to wind up this Monday evening:
- In an increasingly sad and troubling narrative, former Lions receiver Titus Young was arrested in Los Angeles on July 9 for battery with serious bodily injury–a felony–and associated charges, writes David Leon Moore of The Detroit Free Press. The arrest took place one day before Young was to appear for a pre-trial conference in Newport Beach, California, where he faces 11 charges, four of which are felonies.
- Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News writes that, on the heels of his strong finish to the 2013 campaign, Cowboys linebacker Kyle Wilber should find himself in a starting role and could be on the verge of a breakout season.
- In a video clip, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News looks at a few under-the-radar players on the Cowboys roster to keep an eye on, including undrafted finds Ben Malena and L’Damian Washington.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes that the Seahawks‘ backup quarterback competition is wide open, and Terrelle Pryor and Tarvaris Jackson will each get an extended opportunity to prove themselves in the preseason. However, both players could end up making the club, as Seattle carried three quarterbacks on its roster for a few weeks last season.
- Time is running out for the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to reach an agreement on a contract extension, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Roethlisberger has two years left on his current deal, but Florio believes he is underpaid by current standards. However, no progress has been reported on a possible extension–though that does not mean that progress has not been made–and the Steelers do not negotiate new contracts once the regular season begins.
- Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson has limited leverage in trying to force a trade, as Adam Schefter, Louis Riddick, and Mark Brunell of ESPN explain (video link).
- Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Scherff, a 280-pound quarterback in high school, has blossomed into a strong 6’4″, 320-pound force with Ndamukong Suh-type strength.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Lipford, Nwaneri, Tate, Packers
Former UNC linebacker Darius Lipford, who went undrafted in last week’s supplemental draft, will work out for the 49ers this week, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. So far, four teams have expressed interest in bringing Lipford in for a visit since he has the most upside of the four players not selected in the supplemental draft, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
Let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….
- Caplan also passes along contract details for new Cowboys offensive lineman Uche Nwaneri, who signed a minimum salary benefit contract which includes a $65K signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today examines the players who may hold out when training camps begin and discusses what teams may have to do to ensure those players are in the fold. The list of potential holdouts includes a handful of NFC West players — Vernon Davis and Alex Boone of the 49ers and Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks.
- In an interview with ESPN’s First Take today, Lions wide receiver Golden Tate softened earlier comments and explained that his decision to leave the Seahawks was driven by more than money. “If you have an opportunity to earn way more money in another city, you’ll leave in a second. Every single person in the world would have done what I did,” Tate said, according to MLive.com’s Gillian Van Stratt.
- Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com looks at the Packers‘ backup quarterback battle. The incumbent Scott Tolzien is going up against the once-heralded Matt Flynn for the No. 2 role and some have wondered what might happen if both perform well during training camp. The Packers could, in theory, roll with three QBs, but they haven’t done that since 2008 and doing so would come at the expense of depth elsewhere on the field.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Cowboys, Bills, Orton, Melton
Last week, as a part of our ongoing Offseason In Review series, Pro Football Rumors looked at the Jets and the moves they made to improve heading into 2014. The Jets made major changes this offseason and said goodbye to mainstays like Mark Sanchez, Antonio Cromartie, and Santonio Holmes. Plenty of star power has been infused back into the roster thanks to the additions of Eric Decker, Michael Vick, and Chris Johnson, but there’s really no telling how things will play out for coach Rex Ryan and Gang Green this year. Here’s this afternoon’s look at the AFC and NFC East..
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com believes that the Cowboys will carry three quarterbacks for the first time since 2011 and believes that Kyle Orton will ultimately report to training camp. Brandon Weeden is a virtual lock for the third spot and if Orton ultimately doesn’t come back to the Cowboys, Caleb Hanie and Dustin Vaughan will vie for the final slot.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at the best and worst contracts on the Cowboys roster. The Cowboys’ best deal, in Fitzgerald’s view, is the one they have with defensive tackle Henry Melton. Melton is signed to a reasonable one-year deal with a team option after 2014 that would keep him for another three years. Meanwhile, cornerback Brandon Carr and his contract with $25.5MM guaranteed doesn’t look so great for Jerry Jones & Co. right now.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com looks at the Bills‘ defensive ends and their contracts. It’s no surprise that Rodak sees Mario Williams, the league’s highest paid DE, as the most overpaid bookend on the roster. Williams has turned in dominant performances like his 4.5 sack game against the Panthers last season, but he’s yet to really deliver the kind of play overall that would justify his cap hit. When it comes to the most underpaid DE in Buffalo, Rodak doesn’t have a pick, even though he considered giving that title to Jerry Hughes, who had 10 sacks in 2013.
Clayton On Falcons, Gordon, Thanksgiving
ESPN’s John Clayton has been covering the NFL since his high school days in 1972, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more knowledgable man or woman on pro football. His Sunday mailbags are a treat, full of wit and wisdom, and we’re passing along some of Clayton’s best responses to readers’ questions to you.
Clayton also touches on the Giants and Bills, the two teams meeting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and thus the first two teams to open training camp.
On the Falcons’ defensive line:
“The Falcons‘ pass rush has to be better. Their nickel defense gave up 6.48 yards per play and 7.75 yards per attempt and had only 23 sacks this past year. The return of a healthy Kroy Biermann will help. Former Dolphin Paul Soliai is a big, physical addition to the defensive line, but it’s unclear how the Falcons will use him. He’s a run-stopper who could draw an extra blocker, but he has only 4½ sacks in his seven NFL seasons. I’ll be intrigued to see if Ra’Shede Hageman can get into a pass-rushing role in the nickel. He might be a pretty special athlete.”
On the ramifications of Josh Gordon‘s impending suspension:
“If Gordon is suspended for the year, his contract would be tolled, meaning his deal would be put on pause and he would still have two years remaining when his suspension is lifted. His salary would not count against this year’s cap. Plus, the team would have the ability to try to get him to pay back the prorated amount for one year of his signing bonus, a total of $518,209. Gordon would count only the $518,209 on this year’s cap if he is suspended. If the Browns get the signing bonus back, they would get a rebate on the amount in next year’s cap. The bigger problem, though, is that the Browns would lose one of the best young receivers in the game.”
On the possibility of a team that plays on Thanksgiving this year — Bears, Lions, Eagles, Cowboys, Seahawks and 49ers — winning the Super Bowl, which hasn’t happened in 18 years:
“I did not realize that. Part of it is because Dallas and Detroit are the two traditional Thanksgiving hosts. The Cowboys have been an 8-8 team for the past three years and most recently won the Super Bowl in the 1995 season. The Lions have made only one trip to the playoffs since 1999 and never have reached the Super Bowl. The addition of a third game in 2006 hasn’t ended the trend, but it might this year. San Francisco and Seattle are two of the best teams in football. The Bears are contenders, and the Eagles might have the best team in the NFC East. Interesting thought.”
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Redskins
The latest from the NFC East…
- Todd Archer of ESPN.com answered several Cowboys questions, and a few are noteworthy (all links go to Twitter). Archer believes that Tyron Smith is more likely to receive a contract extension than Dez Bryant by the time training cam opens on July 24.
- Archer added that the Cowboys definitely expect Kyle Orton to report at some point, and that running back DeMarco Murray will eventually be re-signed.
- The Eagles have a long list of veterans who might not make the 53-man squad, but as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes, defensive end Brandon Graham and cornerback Bradley Fletcher are the two players who are most likely to be cut during training camp.
- Assessing the Redskins’ right tackle situation, both Tarik El-Bashir and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com believe they Tyler Polumbus will remain the starter. However, 2014 third-rounder Morgan Moses will probably take over the position in 2015.
- In a piece for RealRedskins.com, Tandler writes that he has some doubt as to whether Colt McCoy will be able to stick as the Redskins’ third quarterback.
- Eli Manning regressed last season, but according to Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News, the 33-year-old is excited about new Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s scheme. “It’s re-energized me,” said Manning. “I’m trying to speed up the process of getting comfortable in the new system. I don’t have 10 years. I have a few months.”
- Connor Orr of the Star-Ledger profiles Brandon Mosley, a fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2012 who is pushing Chris Snee for the starting right guard job.
NFC Links: Cowboys, Cardinals, Redskins
Newly appointed Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will certainly have his hands full trying to fix a defense that was historically bad in 2013. As Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News writes, the 73-year-old coach will be looking to improve a squad that allowed four 400-yard passing games and ranked dead last in yards allowed.
The last time Marinelli was this high on the coaching hierarchy, he was the head coach of the 0-16 2008 Lions. That isn’t important to his players, who have embraced their coach’s passion for the game.
“Football is like a religion to him,” Anthony Spencer said. “You can tell in the way he talks about it. He is like a preacher. He believes in it so much. He believes that if you do the right things on the football field you also become a good person off it.”
Meanwhile, defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford respected his coach’s experience.
“He’s Master Splinter,” Crawford said. “Definitely.”
Marinelli elaborated on his love for football…
“I believe in everything about it,” he said. “I believe it really helps men. You help people this way. To come out and see men compete for jobs and try to help them be what they want to be, it’s something that is so important. That ability to compete every second of every day — I don’t know if you can ever live without that.”
Let’s see what else is going on in the NFC…
- The Cardinals will likely hold on to four tight ends, opines ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, but there’s no guarantee that the final spot will go to Rob Housler. The 26-year-old’s play during training camp will determine whether he makes the roster.
- In regards to the bottom of the Cardinals‘ depth chart at wide receiver, Weinfuss believes that Ted Ginn and John Brown will be the third and fourth receivers, respectively. Walter Powell seems like the favorite for the fifth spot, but Dan Buckner and Brittan Golden are also in the mix.
- Redskins coach Jay Gruden is preaching discipline, cornerback DeAngelo Hall said (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com). “Jay really preaches penalties,” Hall said. “Whether it’s false starts, whether it’s holding on the backend, anything. We have to play mistake-free football. Anytime you can do that in this league, you have a chance to win games.”
NFC East Notes: Escobar, Hankerson, Logan
Cowboys‘ tight end Gavin Escobar is poised to have a big year in 2014, but not at the expense of long time star Jason Witten, writes Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Unless Witten is injured or removed from a blowout, Archer expects him to be on the field for almost every snap. Where Escobar could fit in is in a pass catching role, standing up in the slot where he can take advantage of his physical skills and is not asked to block as much in the running game.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- While Redskins‘ receiver Leonard Hankerson is recovering from knee surgery, the team is unlikely to cut him unless his injury is worse than originally thought, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. The team lacks receiver depth, and Hankerson’s size makes him a desirable asset. He replaced Josh Morgan as a starter in 2013, and was playing at a high level before his injury cost him the last six games of the season.
- Fellow Redskins‘ wideout DeSean Jackson might be happy to get out of the Philadelphia cold, as some say he failed to perform when the temperature dropped. While Keim has seen Jackson fail to perform in the playoffs, he notes that the team’s new number one receiver has only seen a slight dip in production from month to month as the season wears on.
- Eagles‘ defensive tackle Bennie Logan has come into his second season focused on getting bigger and stronger, writes Andy Jasner of ESPN.com. “It was important to add some weight and strength because of the snaps and making sure I keep my weight up and don’t wear down,” said Logan. “Our scheme requires that I get to the football and move. I can’t just dig in and stand there not go sideline to sideline. It’s been a good offseason for me. I feel like I’ve made a lot of improvement and I’m far ahead of where I was last year. Let’s get it going.”