Mailbags & More: Cowboys, Lions, Rams, Jets
Let’s have a look at some mailbags and related links to kick off this Sunday morning:
- The Cowboys will have some contractual decisions to make regarding a few of their top offensive weapons, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer in his latest mailbag. Although they have picked up the fifth-year option on Tyron Smith, thereby locking him up through 2015, they still would like to get a long-term deal done. Extension talks could take place this summer.
- As for Dez Bryant, who is entering the final year of his contract, the Cowboys want him to stay and Bryant does not want to leave, so Archer predicts that something will get done. However, he does think that a lot of the money in any potential deal will be in the base salaries, which would give Dallas some protection. And although DeMarco Murray has been terrific, the market for running backs has stagnated and the Cowboys would be wise to approach him with a modest deal now to see if he would bite.
- Finally, Archer believes that if the Cowboys are unable to land Zack Martin or another top tackle in the draft, they will try to extend Doug Free. If they do manage to snag a highly-rated tackle, they will be willing to set Free free.
- ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein investigates the possibilities of the Lions‘ trading back from their No. 10 overall pick and the possibility of an Ndamukong Suh trade.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press is going all out in his pre-draft coverage of the Lions this week, taking a look at Detroit’s options at defensive back, the most likely candidates for the team’s first round pick, and he puts up another mock draft.
- Chris McCosky of The Detroit News makes a case for the Lions to draft Zack Martin with their first-round choice.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com had a two-hour chat with fans on Friday regarding the most important draft-related topics facing the Rams.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains why Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be an intriguing fit for the Rams.
- Seth Walder of the New York Daily News looks at three players the Jets could target in the first-round: Odell Beckham, Jr., Brandin Cooks, and Darqueze Dennard.
- Kimberly A. Smith of Newsday examines the importance of this draft for Jets GM John Idzik, who has 12 picks to work with and a healthy salary cap situation.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at Rex Ryan’s influence in the Jets‘ draft room, the possibility they may trade up in the draft, and several other draft-related issues.
Mayock Talks Manziel, Bridgewater, Clowney
NFL Network’s resident draft guru Mike Mayock shined some light on the upcoming NFL player selection meeting with Steve Serby of the New York Post. We’ve parsed the best quotes for your reading pleasure below…
On the difficulty of evaluating Johnny Manziel:
“I think he’s the most different quarterback evaluation I’ve ever had to do. No. 1 is his style on the field, and No. 2, is off the field. And you have to buy into both to say that he’s a franchise quarterback. I love watching this kid play, and I think whatever “it” is, he has “it.” I think he’s got a little bit of that edge with a Lawrence Taylor, a Warren Sapp where Sundays, he’s gonna show up and want to be the best player on the field every Sunday. However, you’re gonna have to deal with some of his off-the-field stuff, and you’re gonna have to try to get him to develop into a pocket passer also. Put a gun to my head, and say I can take only one quarterback and I have to take one in the top 10, he would be my guy.”
On the lack of an “it factor” with Teddy Bridgewater:
“Yeah, that’s one of the harder ones for me just because basically, you go to a kid’s Pro Day at the quarterback position to confirm what you’ve seen on tape. And he’s the only top-level quarterback I’ve seen in 10 years, where I haven’t been able to confirm in person what I saw on tape. I think ultimately he’s gonna be a good quarterback in the league, but I think he’s a year or two away from being able to accept the challenge.”
On Jadeveon Clowney’s pro prospects:
“He’s easy on tape to evaluate. I keep saying that when he woke up this morning, he was the most talented defensive lineman in the world. That doesn’t necessarily translate into the best defensive lineman, unless he has the work ethic and the edge to want to prove that. And when you hand him $20 million guaranteed, will he? So, I think the jury is still out on the kid, but it certainly isn’t out on the talent.”
On potential trade activity in the first round of the draft:
“I think that the first three or four teams would love to trade down. The perception is this draft is so good and so talented, let’s go get some more picks. The reality of this draft is that certain positions are very thin — defensive tackle, edge rusher … offensive tackle, it drops off after about 8 or 9. So I think we’re gonna see some different places in the draft where there’s a run on a particular position. And I think early in the draft in that top 10, it’ll be interesting to see if Atlanta or somebody comes up to try and get Clowney.”
On the chances the Cowboys take Manziel at No. 16 if he’s there:
“I don’t know. That to me is really interesting. They got a 34-year-old quarterback coming off his second back surgery, and they’ve got a hometown hero and an owner that’s not afraid of making a splash. So, you add all that up, and if they got on the clock and Manziel is available. … I think there’d be a greater than 50/50 chance they pull the trigger on him.”
East Notes: Vick, Smith, Jets, Bills, Cowboys
It appears that the much-anticipated battle between Michael Vick and Geno Smith for the Jets starting quarterback job is over before it even started.
“Geno’s the starting quarterback for that football team,” Vick told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com at a family fitness event Saturday.
“Ultimately our goal is to try to help Geno become the best quarterback that he can be. Myself and [third-stringer Matt Simms] are all trying to put him in a position where he can get better from year one or year two.”
Vick, who signed a one-year deal worth $5MM with the Jets in March, was expected to push Smith for the job in training camp.
More notes from the AFC and NFC East divisions…
- Despite a brew of veteran (Vick), potential (Smith) and developmental (Simms) quarterbacks on the roster, the Jets are not ruling out the possibility of adding another signal-caller in the draft, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post.
- Three months could be all that stands in between the Bills and a new owner, the Associated Press’ John Wawrow reports. It’s possible that a sale could come by July, and approval of the sale by October.
- In more Bills ownership talk, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News says the former owner of the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado businessman George Gillett, is not expected to attempt to purchase the team.
- The Cowboys are unlikely to throw max money at running back DeMarco Murray, ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer writes in his Twitter mailbag. Murray’s in the final season of a four-year rookie deal, having entered the league in 2011 as a third-round draft pick from Oklahoma.
- Look for second-year player J.J. Wilcox to be Dallas’ starting safety opposite Barry Church in 2014, says Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. Drafted No. 80 overall in 2013, Wilcox totaled 38 tackles in 13 games played as a rookie, but lost his job to undrafted rookie Jeff Heath midway through the season.
- Alex Smith of PhiladelphiaEagles.com previews the team’s offensive line situation, dishing out insight on depth behind the starters and what year No. 2 will be like for 2013 first-round pick Lane Johnson.
- With not much of a track record to go off, Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey has Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel stumped as to how the team’s No. 1 personnel man will work the upcoming draft.
NFC Notes: Giants, Ealy, Hatcher, Panthers
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com lists a few of the primary takeaways from Giants GM Jerry Reese’s Thursday press conference, noting that Reese hopes to land two starters in the draft, and that the club will target “clean” players early. In other words, the Giants don’t want a guy with injury concerns or off-field question marks, which helps explain why the team reportedly prefers Zack Martin to Taylor Lewan. Raanan also points out that the New York GM didn’t shoot down the idea that the team could trade backup quarterback Ryan Nassib.
- Some NFL teams may want Missouri defensive lineman Kony Ealy to put on a few pounds and convert to defensive tackle, which could result in him being drafted earlier than expected, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport identifies the Giants, Rams, Cowboys, and Bears as a few clubs that could have interest in Ealy (Twitter link).
- He has only been a Redskin for a few weeks, but former Cowboy Jason Hatcher is already enjoying some aspects of the experience more than he did in Dallas, as he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News). “They really take care of the veteran guys,” Hatcher said of the Redskins. “They give us more say-so over the team. This is our team. The head coach don’t want to be policing the team.”
- ESPN.com’s David Newton reads between the lines of some recent comments by Panthers GM Dave Gettleman to make a case for why Carolina is very unlikely to trade up from No. 28 in next week’s draft.
- Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets that Jonathan Baldwin‘s fifth-year option was removed from his contract when the 49ers restructured his deal earlier in the offseason. Baldwin’s option wouldn’t have been exercised anyway, but Inman’s tweet confirms that it can’t be.
- This year’s draft could be a pivotal one for Lions GM Martin Mayhew, as Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News explains.
Minor Moves: Cowboys, Browns, Chiefs
We’ll keep track of Thursday’s minor transactions right here. Those include signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much (or any) NFL action lately, as well as players signing exclusive rights FA tenders, among other moves. Here are today’s minor moves, with any new transactions added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
- The Cowboys have signed wide receiver LaRon Byrd, the team announced today in a press release. The 24-year-old, who spent time in 2012 and 2013 with the Cardinals, worked out for both the Giants and Cowboys last month. Byrd’s new deal is a two-year pact, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas (via Twitter).
- Tyler Thigpen and Vince Young got the headlines today in Cleveland, but the Browns added a third player, signing linebacker Zac Diles, according to the team (Twitter link). A former starter for the Texans, Diles didn’t see much playing time in his last two season with the Titans, and figures to be depth piece and perhaps a special teams contributor if he earns a spot on Cleveland’s roster.
- Former Bengals offensive lineman Otis Hudson has signed with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. A 2010 fifth-round draft pick, Hudson has bounced back and forth between Cincinnati’s roster and practice squad over the last four years, never logging regular-season snaps with the club.
NFC East Notes: RGIII, Orton, Eagles
The latest out of the NFC East..
- During an interview with SportsTalk 570’s Andy Pollin, new head coach Jay Gruden said the Redskins can expect to see the read option, but that he didn’t intend to have Robert Griffin III using it all that frequently. “We’ll have sprinkles here and there,” Gruden said (link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post). “It’s not going to be a major part. I want to make sure that we have other things that we can do besides the read option, because it takes a toll. You have to practice it a lot to be very good at it. It kind of takes away from the defense’s ability a little bit, it takes away from other plays that you need to work on, your protection schemes, your running game, all that stuff. It just takes away from that. So we want to make sure that we work on the core running game that we have, the core drop-back passes we have. And then once we get going, we get those implemented, maybe sprinkle in some read option.”
- Although Kyle Orton didn’t attend the Cowboys’ voluntary workouts, costing himself $75K in the process, executive vice president Stephen Jones fully expects the veteran quarterback to rejoin the team eventually. “We expect Kyle, when mandatory practice starts and mandatory things begin, we fully expect Kyle to be there,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (link via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer).
- Former Howard cornerback Ademola Olatunji had a good workout for the Eagles yesterday and picked up interest from another unnamed team, according to agent Howard Shatsky (via Twitter).
Cowboys Re-Sign Anthony Spencer
TUESDAY, 4:05pm: Spencer’s one-year deal has a base value of just $1.5MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). $250K of a $1.25MM base salary is guaranteed, while Spencer can earn another $250K in per-game roster bonuses. Presumably, if Archer’s initial report on the contract’s max value is accurate, there are significant incentives available on top of that $1.5MM.
SATURDAY, 6:25pm: Spencer’s contract is worth up to $3.5MM, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). However the deal includes no signing bonus up front.
12:50pm: Free agent pass rusher Anthony Spencer has re-signed with the Cowboys, according to his agent Jordan Woy (via Twitter). Spencer, 30, is the longest-tenured Cowboys defender. He played in one game last season before undergoing season-ending microfracture surgery on his knee. In 2012, Spencer produced 95 tackles and 11 sacks in 14 games.
In addition to losing his 2013 season, the injury cost Spencer a lucrative free-agent contract. Instead, he was forced to take a one-year, “prove it” deal, as his health and utility remain question marks heading into training camp. This is the third year in a row Spencer will be on a one-year deal, as ESPN’s Todd Archer points out, though Spencer will make a fraction of what he did the last two seasons when he played as Dallas’ franchise tagged player, earning nearly $20MM.
Draft Updates: Bucs, Bills, McCarron, Savage
A handful of teams picking at the top of next week’s draft have expressed an openness to move down in the first round, and we can add the Buccaneers to this list. Speaking to reporters today, including Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht didn’t rule out the possibility of trading down.
“That’s definitely something we’d look into,” Licht said. “We’ve already reached out to teams. If our player isn’t there, we’d be open to conversations about moving back.”
Here are several more draft-related items for Tuesday afternoon:
- Within his latest mock draft at ESPN.com, Todd McShay cites three league sources who have told him in the past week that the Bills are trying to trade up from No. 9. According to McShay, if Buffalo does make a move, it will likely be to land Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, or Greg Robinson.
- Appearing on The Paul Finebaum Show, Alabama signal-caller A.J. McCarron suggested he’s been told he could be drafted as high as 16th in the draft, which is the spot the Cowboys currently hold (link via Andrew Gribble of AL.com).
- Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage quietly made a pre-draft visit to the Jets last week, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- After previously identifying a few teams who hosted Northern Illinois safety Jimmie Ward, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com names a few more, tweeting that Ward also visited the Colts, Saints, Texans, and Vikings.
- LSU guard Trai Turner has worked out privately for the Lions, Buccaneers, Panthers, Falcons, and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson adds that Turner also visited the Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts, and Dolphins.
- Kansas wide receiver and special teams ace Josh Ford has drawn interest from the Packers, Panthers, Texans, Jets, and Chiefs, tweets Wilson.
- The Giants, Jets, and Lions were among the teams to host Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle for a pre-draft visit, writes Wilson.
- Finally, Wilson reports that Wisconsin defensive tackle Beau Allen had a total of eight visits and three private workouts, and tweets that Albany tackle Kadeem Williams has been informed he’s on an AFC South team’s draft board.
Draft Notes: Bortles, Askew, Mauro, Ward
As we saw last month, a handful of the more successful and shrewder NFL franchises approach free agency with the draft in mind, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. As La Canfora writes, many clubs are more inclined to pursue free agents like Darrelle Revis, DeMarcus Ware, Steve Smith, and Julius Peppers, who were released by their previous teams, since those players aren’t linked to compensatory draft picks.
This approach also explains why the Ravens, who signed Smith after he was cut by the Panthers, were willing to give up a fifth-round pick to acquire Jeremy Zuttah — given how many compensatory picks Baltimore typically lands (a league-high 41 since 1996), the team should easily replace that fifth-rounder after letting notable free agents like Arthur Jones and Michael Oher depart.
Here’s a little more from La Canfora’s piece, as well as a few other draft notes from around the league:
- La Canfora makes a couple draft-related predictions, forecasting a cornerback run in the first round (sometime in the 20s), and suggesting that drafted players may sign contracts more quickly this year than usual, since teams will be eager to address that business after waiting an extra two weeks for the draft.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn’t expect Blake Bortles to still be available when the Vikings pick at No. 8 next week, but he sees Bortles as an ideal fit for Minnesota and offensive coordinator Norv Turner. King identifies the Texans and Browns as a couple teams that could snatch up the UCF signal-caller before the Vikings are on the clock.
- Speedy Texas A&M linebacker Nate Askew, a converted receiver, has drawn “steady interest from NFL teams,” according to Aaron Wilson of the National Post, who reports that Askew visited the Panthers and Buccaneers. Wilson adds that the linebacker, who recorded a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash, also worked out privately for the Falcons, Eagles, and the Texans.
- Wilson also provides an update on Stanford defensive lineman Josh Mauro, who visited the Giants and worked out privately for the Cowboys, Raiders, and Falcons.
- We heard earlier in the month that Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward paid a pre-draft visit to the Ravens, but according to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link), Baltimore was just one of 12 teams to host the safety. The Falcons, Panthers, and Cowboys were among the other teams Ward visited.
- Arizona State defensive back Alden Darby has worked out for the Patriots, Falcons, and Chargers, and still has a workout with the Raiders on the docket, tweets Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.
Poll: Which Embattled QB Will Have Most Success?
Vince Young is set to work out for the Browns, and if he catches on he’d join a list of quarterbacks looking for a restart.
A number of embattled quarterbacks found new homes this offseason, each hoping to resurrect their once-promising careers. The majority of them will likely be serving as backups, but that also means an injury could suddenly thrust them into a starting role.
Mark Sanchez inked a one-year, $2.25MM deal to sit on the bench with the Eagles. He could be Nick Foles‘ backup, but the team could also select a quarterback in the draft. If that’s the case, Sanchez’s opportunity diminishes even more.
Brandon Weeden will have another opportunity to showcase the talent that (debatably) justified his first-round selection in 2012. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, minimum deal with the Cowboys where he will serve as a backup to Tony Romo. Considering Romo’s injury history, Weeden may have a chance to start next season (assuming Kyle Orton is not on the team).
It seemed inevitable that Matt Schaub‘s tenure in Houston would come to a close, and he was traded by the Texans to the Raiders last month. Following the trade of Terrelle Pryor, the starting gig seems to be Schaub’s. Barring the team drafting a top quarterback, he’ll likely be atop the depth chart heading into next season.
Josh Freeman was the starter for the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2012, but he completely unraveled prior to his release. After finishing the season with the Vikings, he signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Giants this offseason. Eli Manning is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, but Freeman is certainly a competent backup.
Which embattled quarterback do you expect to have the best season in 2014?