NFC East Links: Avant, Cowboys, Redskins
Earlier today, we rounded up a few items out of the NFC West. Now, let’s head to the other coast and check in on the NFC’s East division….
- DeSean Jackson certainly drew more headlines this offseason, but Jason Avant was another wideout who only lasted one season in Philadelphia under Chip Kelly, and as he tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, he didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye with the Eagles‘ head coach. “When it came to certain things, we butted heads sometimes – route running and route technique. So I knew I didn’t fit his system,” Avant said, adding that he knew “maybe four games into last season” that he’d eventually be released.
- One former Cowboy great believes Dez Bryant has earned a long-term extension from the team, as Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith tells Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News that he believes the wideout has matured and is “very passionate about football.”
- Cowboys linebacker Justin Durant isn’t satisfied with what he has accomplished in Dallas or in his NFL career so far, but he could have a great opportunity to produce in 2014, with Sean Lee sidelined for the year, writes Machota. Durant will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season, so it’d be a nice boost to his stock if he earned the team’s starting job at middle linebacker.
- Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com takes a closer look at the Redskins‘ nose tackle position, evaluating which players are likely to make the roster behind probable starter Barry Cofield.
East Notes: Cowboys, Reynolds, Bills, Giants
The Cowboys appear to be on the verge of formally announcing their agreement with free agent guard Uche Nwaneri, though when the move becomes official, the team will need to cut a player, since Dallas isn’t one of seven NFL clubs with an open roster spot at the moment. Nwaneri wasn’t the only offensive lineman drawing interest from the Cowboys though, so let’s check in on that report, as well as the rest of the latest updates from around the NFL’s two East divisions….
- The Cowboys have some interest in free agent offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds, but have no plans to sign him for now, a source tells Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). We heard over the weekend that Reynolds, who has spent the last several seasons with the Falcons, had paid a visit to Dallas.
- As Tom Precious of the Buffalo News notes, Donald Trump said today on Twitter that he’s the only prospective buyer for the Bills who will keep the franchise in Buffalo. However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is among those skeptical of Trump’s claim, suggesting that he believes there are “a number of bidders who are seriously considering going forward are committed to keeping the team in Western New York.”
- In a slideshow at NJ.com, Jordan Raanan identifies five veteran players whose roster spots with the Giants may be in danger this year.
Cowboys To Sign Uche Nwaneri
2:16pm: Nwaneri confirmed on his Instagram account that he has reached an agreement to join the Cowboys.
10:56am: After more than three and a half months on the free agent market, offensive lineman Uche Nwaneri is expected to sign a contract with the Cowboys, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known.
Nwaneri, 30, had been a longtime starter on the interior of the Jaguars’ offensive line, appearing in 104 contests (92 starts) for the team since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2007. However, the Purdue alum became a cap casualty this March, and was cut by Jacksonville a week before free agency began. Although he visited the Bengals and Titans this spring, Nwaneri had yet to find a new NFL home until now.
While Nwaneri isn’t one of the league’s elite guards, he ranked a respectable 34th among 81 qualified players in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and recorded an overall PFF grade of +18.0 over the last five seasons. For the Cowboys, the Dallas native will compete for a roster spot and playing time on an offensive line that already looks very strong heading into the 2014 season, led by young standouts Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick, as well as ’14 first-rounder Zack Martin.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Bryant, Giants
After surprising many with a 10-6 record in 2012, the Redskins stumbled to disappointing 3-13 record in 2013 while regressing on both sides of the ball. While Washington fans are surely hoping a rebound season is in the cards, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com stifles that hope with a dose of pessimism, listing several reasons that the Redskins could flounder once again this year. Pointing to a rookie head coach in Jay Gruden, injuries along the defensive front, and a offensive line in flux, Tandler cautions that this year’s ‘Skins might more closely resemble 2013’s team than the squad of two years ago.
- In an assessment of the Redskins’ 2013 draft class, John Keim of ESPN.com points to the team’s top two selections, cornerback David Amerson and tight end Jordan Reed, as successes, but notes that Washington hopes to get more production out of a few later-round picks, such as safeties Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo, and linebacker Brandon Jenkins.
- Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus takes a in-depth look at both quarterbacks who started games for the Redskins last season (Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins), and writes that although Griffin was among the league’s best on short passes, he struggled with deep balls and utilizing play-action. Cousins (whose small sample size should be taken into account) performed well against the blitz, but was below-average when using deep dropbacks.
- As part of a series breaking down the Cowboys position-by-position, Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News analyzes the team’s receiving corps. Because new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan likes to feature his best playmaker, Sabin expects Dez Bryant to receive even more chances to catch the ball. Of course, more impressive statistics for Bryant, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal, will lead to extremely hefty contract demands.
- The Giants ranked near the bottom of the league in both kick and punt return average, but New York special teams coach Tom Quinn is excited about the team’s options in 2014, and he singled out three players who could add explosiveness to both units, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. “You’ve got three different types of returners when you talk about [Odell] Beckham [Jr.], [Trindon] Holliday, and [Quintin] Demps,” Quinn said. “Obviously, with the speed of Holliday and the shiftiness, the undersized guy. And then you’ve got Demps, who’s got a little more size and does that the straight-line speed. And then you’ve got Beckham, who’s probably a combination of the two. We’re real happy with all three of those guys.”
NFC Notes: Lynch, Saints, Redskins, Giants
It wasn’t clear right up until the day the Seahawks‘ minicamp got underway last week whether or not Marshawn Lynch would be in attendance, and it sounds like that may be the case for training camp as well. Even though he’s seeking a new contract, I’d expect the running back to be present when Seattle’s training camp begins next month, but he gave a very Lynchian response when asked by Omar Ruiz of the NFL Network (Twitter link) if he’s looking forward to camp: “We’ll talk about that when that time come, boss.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Saints are expected to sign second-year linebacker Todd Davis to a contract today, reports Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Davis went undrafted out of Sacramento State in 2013.
- While you could argue that Darrel Young‘s presence as the only fullback on the Redskins‘ roster is a good sign for Young, since he won’t have competition in training camp, Rich Tandler of RealRedskins.com wonders if Washington may simply elect not to carry a fullback on its regular-season roster.
- As David Moore of the Dallas Morning News details, Dez Bryant has shown the Cowboys that he’s worthy of a long-term investment — now it’s not a question of if he’ll sign an extension, but how much it’ll be worth. Our Rob DiRe profiled the standout receiver as an extension candidate over the weekend.
- The Giants are deeper at offensive line and loaded at cornerback, but their offseason workouts showed that tight end and linebacker are areas of potential concern, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who adds that it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team head into the regular season without a fullback.
Extension Candidate: Dez Bryant
Dez Bryant
entered the NFL amidst an air of controversy. As a sophomore at Oklahoma State, Bryant caught 87 passes and 19 touchdowns, piling up close to 1,500 yards in the process. He was set to return for his junior year as not only the top receiver in the nation, but as a dark horse Heisman candidate. However, his season was cut short when he was ruled ineligible for failure to disclose his relationship with Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.
After sitting out, Bryant entered the 2010 NFL Draft, where he was expected to be the first receiver selected. During the pre-draft process, controversy arose again, surrounding an inappropriate question he was asked by then Dolphins’ general manager Jeff Ireland. Bryant ended up dropping in the draft, before being selected 24th overall by the Cowboys. He was the second receiver taken, after Demaryius Thomas, who is also a part of our Extension Candidate Series this offseason.
Bryant struggled at times on and off the field during his first two NFL campaigns, but showed flashes and managed to catch 15 touchdown passes through his second year, despite missing five games. He also added two punt return touchdowns as a rookie.
Although Bryant found more trouble his first few seasons in the NFL, he has truly come into his own as an elite receiver the past two seasons. Bryant caught 92 passes in 2012, eclipsing 1,300 yards and hauling in 12 touchdowns. Last season, he grabbed 93 footballs for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Bryant is about to enter the final year of his rookie deal, and is scheduled to earn $1.78MM in 2014. He remains positive that a deal will get taken care of, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
“That’s going to take care of itself. I’m very confident in the work I put in. Whatever happens, happens,” said Bryant. “All I know is I’m going to continue to keep doing my job. That alone shows my dedication and love I have for the game. I’m going to let it work out.’’
The Cowboys are not in a great place in terms of the salary cap, especially after the monster extension that they gave Tony Romo, but upcoming extensions are expected for both Bryant and left tackle Tyron Smith. However, the amount of money Bryant will demand is still up in the air. Brandon Marshall‘s three year, $30MM extension could be seen as the floor for Bryant in terms of annual salary. At the same time, expecting him to reach a number north of $15MM per year is also unlikely, even if he produces on par with Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald did in their contract years. Especially with the Fitzgerald contract, teams could be unwilling to devote that much money to one receiver.
Of course, with the salary cap climbing this year, and expected to continue to increase in the near future, a contract in the area of what Johnson and Fitzgerald may not an impossible benchmark. For Thomas, the receiver that was drafted just ahead of him, our own Luke Adams projected the Broncos would offer something in the area of five years and $65MM, with over $20MM in guaranteed. Bryant should be in line for something similar.
These two players’ negotiations will be linked very closely this offseason. If Luke is correct in his assessment that Thomas will sign his extension before the season, I figure Bryant will be on a similar timetable, and would not be surprised if after one signs, the other ends up with a slightly larger extension shortly after. Of course, with Bryant’s history of injury and off the field trouble, the Cowboys could play hardball and wait to see how he makes it through one more season. If that’s the case, Bryant could be anywhere in 2015, from preparing for a Megatron-type extension to being the second coming of Hakeem Nicks, depending on how he handles the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Notes: Watkins, Linehan, Orton
The Eagles have concluded their OTA period, and Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com has highlighted five players who impressed during spring practices. Among those who left a good impression were Arrelious Benn and Darren Sproles. Benn has an uphill battle for one of the roster spots at receiver, and his injury history hurts has chances, but he looks to have recovered from the ACL injury that caused him to miss all of 2013. Sproles however looks custom fit for the Chip Kelly offense, and could be dangerous in the passing game.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins has wowed the Eagles‘ coaching staff with his football IQ, especially defensive backs coach John Lovett, reports Jake Kaplan of Philly.com. Watkins, who played corner and safety at Florida, has been tasked with learning both cornerback and nickelback in the new defense, even though he is only a rookie. “When you talk to him about his defense at Florida, he knew what everybody did,” Lovett said. “I talked to the defensive coordinator [D.J. Durkin] down there. They put him in at positions that he hadn’t even practiced that week because he knew what everybody was doing. He’s really got a great football IQ.”
- Scott Linehan will be running the show for the Cowboys‘ offense in 2013, and that should mean a lot of throwing the football, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. In three years with the Lions, Matthew Stafford averaged 42 pass attempts per game under Linehan. Tony Romo averaged only 36 last year.
- Although Cowboys backup Kyle Orton has already accrued over $150,000 in fines and de-escalators for the time he has missed, but Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com still believes the veteran quarterback will return to the team and play out the season. Archer predicts Orton could skip the first week of training camp, before reporting around July 27th of 28th.
- Redskins‘ outside linebacker coach Brian Baker has been working hard to teach fundamentals to his position group, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. He also worked on tackling drills during special teams, and the teams has put a special emphasis on that phase of the game, using all their coaches’ skills to benefit their special teams.
- The Giants have also concluded their OTAs, so Jordan Raanan and Connor Orr of NJ.com have put together their best guess at the depth chart. A lot can happen during training camp and the preseason, but they have penciled in a presumed lineup for the upcoming season.
Extra Points: Fitzpatrick, Hughes, Thomas, Robinson, Carr, Kennard
- With the Texans hitching their wagon to veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (known more for his intelligence than his physical ability) in 2014, Houston Chronicle beat writer Brian Smith released a few sobering tweets about Fitzpatrick’s prospects as a starter. Says Smith: “Recurring criticism of Fitzpatrick by analysts: Too much of a gunslinger with not enough of an arm.”
- The Bills have a new defensive scheme this year under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, but Jerry Hughes‘ deployment won’t change. “He’s brought in his 4-3 scheme, but as far as what I’m doing it’s pretty much the same thing I did last year,” Hughes told Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News. “My hand is in the ground and I’m coming off the edge trying to create pressure to get to the quarterback.” Drafted by the Colts in the first round in 2010, Hughes disappointed in Indianapolis. However, a trade to Buffalo last year gave Hughes new life as a pass-rush specialist, and he capitalized on the opportunity. Hughes registered 10 sacks, nine more quarterback hits and 39 quarterback hurries. In fact, he ranked first in the league in Pro Football Focus’ Pass Rush Productivity metric. Hughes will make just under $4MM this season before hitting free agency.
- ESPN’s James Walker came up with two notable names when asked about potential surprise veteran cuts by the Dolphins: “Some veterans I think who are on the bubble include former Jeff Ireland draft picks who didn’t live up to their potential. Running back Daniel Thomas and tight end Michael Egnew come to mind. The Dolphins are no longer waiting on their potential. Both former highly-touted picks must bring it this summer or they could lose their roster spot.”
- Julius Thomas, who emerged as a Pro Bowl tight end for the Broncos last season, could be a franchise tag candidate next year. Accordingly, he’s monitoring the Jimmy Graham situation with interest, writes the AP’s Arnie Stapleton.
- Rams No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson admits the mental part of the game is giving him trouble early in his NFL career (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner): “It’s frustrating that I’m not up to pace right now because the playbook is more intense and things are changing but once I get back to where I’m comfortable, things will calm down and I can be myself out there…Right now it’s a lot of thinking going on, it causes me to move a little slower. Once I get up to speed, I can move with the snap count and stuff like that.”
- Raiders second-round rookie Derek Carr has already ascended to No. 2 on the depth chart behind Matt Schaub, relays CSN Bay Area’s Scott Bair.
- Giants rookie fifth-rounder Devon Kennard “impressed coaches in the spring program and could be in the mix to start on the strong side,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. A 6-3, 250-pounder out of USC, Kennard, whose father was a Super Bowl winning center for the Cowboys, was viewed as a tweener prospect, albeit one with outstanding intangibles and make-it traits.
- Free agent offensive guard Garrett Reynolds visited the Cowboys, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Reynolds started 23 games over the last three years for the Falcons, but struggled last season and was released in February.
Cowboys Rumors: Orton, Bryant, Smith
Following his absence from the team’s minicamp, Kyle Orton‘s ongoing standoff with the Cowboys will be one storyline out of Dallas to watch as training camp nears, but it won’t be the only notable subplot. Here’s the latest on Orton and a few other Cowboys-related items:
- Although Orton wasn’t in attendance at this week’s practices, his agent, David Dunn, did make an appearance, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. Still, Dunn declined comment on his client, and there appears to have been no progress made between the two sides, per Watkins. The Cowboys want to continue having Orton back up starting quarterback Tony Romo this season, while Orton is leaning toward retirement.
- Talks on new contracts for wide receiver Dez Bryant and offensive tackle Tyron Smith remain in the preliminary stages, tweets Watkins. Bryant is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, so his situation is a little more pressing than Smith’s, since the team exercised its 2015 option to keep its left tackle under contract for another season.
- There’s no guarantee that the Cowboys’ roster when training camp gets underway will have the same 90 players that it does today, as head coach Jason Garrett suggests to Watkins that the club remains open to roster moves. “We’ll continue to make evaluations of individual guys, where they stack up, if they belong on the roster, who else is on the landscape and you’re always trying to do that,” Garrett said of his current squad.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Sherrod, Cowboys, Vikings
After being cut eight times in five years, Rutgers product Tiquan Underwood is fighting to beat the odds, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I wouldn’t say anything changes because you want to take a serious approach, but I would just say I’m more mindful of the fact that it’s not just me anymore,” Underwood said today at Panthers practice. “I have a fiancée and a daughter that also rely on what I do.” Underwood has an opportunity in Carolina to replace Ted Ginn Jr., the speedy wide receiver who filled the No. 3 role for the team in 2013, but he hasn’t separated himself from the pack yet this offseason. Here’s more from around the NFL…
- Oft-injured offensive lineman Derek Sherrod wasn’t surprised when the Packers turned down his fifth-year option for the 2015 season, and is hoping to stay healthy and have a productive contract year in 2014, as he tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- The Cowboys may be content to let the Kyle Orton situation play out, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks it’s just a matter of time until the team has to cut its losses. In Hill’s view, the Cowboys aren’t likely to collect any money for fines from Orton, let alone bonus money.
- The Cowboys would like to sign Dez Bryant to an extension, but the wide receiver isn’t sweating it, writes David Moore of the Dallas News. “That’s going to take care of itself,’’ Bryant said. “I’m very confident in the work I put in. Whatever happens, happens,” Bryant said. “All I know is I’m going to continue to keep doing my job. That alone shows my dedication and love I have for the game. I’m going to let it work out.’’
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Former guard Steve Hutchinson, who made four straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Vikings, hopes to return to the organization in a scouting role, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I got to get settled in down there first and see what the lay of the land is,” Hutchinson said. “If they need a presence down South or something, depending on what they might need my skill set for. But it’s nothing that’s set in stone right now. It’s kind of just talk right now.”
- Giants running back Peyton Hillis has signed with Drew Rosenhaus’ agency, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal. Rosenhaus is the fifth agency to represent the former Madden cover athlete. Hillis will be repped by Jason Katz and Michael Katz (link).
- Bears offensive lineman Michael Ola has spent the last two days working with the first team at right tackle and left guard, tweets the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. As a result, the writer believes Ola will be among the players competing for a roster spot come training camp (via Twitter). The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons playing in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes.
Ben Levine and Luke Adams contributed to this post.