West Rumors: Wilson, Manning, Berry
With talks between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson on the fourth-year quarterback’s second contract at a standstill, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times looks at why that’s the case.
One factor, Condotta points out, for the offseason impasse is how Seattle operates offensively. In Wilson, who rated as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best quarterback last season, leading a run-heavy attack with a perennially menacing defense acting as a safety net, the team may view a player whose potential for growth beyond the lofty heights to which he’s already ascended is limited based on what he’s asked to do.
“That could be a consideration from Seattle, at least currently, as to why they have not offered a top-of-the-market contract just yet,’’ OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald told Condotta. “When you look at some of the contracts they have offered — whether it was Marshawn Lynch, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Percy Harvin and so on — cost was never an issue.
“ … The fact that they are not doing the same for Wilson could indicate that they feel what you see now is his ceiling and there is no more upside.”
As Condotta points out, Wilson’s 96.8 career passer rating ranks behind only Aaron Rodgers among active quarterbacks, so the Seahawks’ reported four-year, $87MM offer won’t cut it when the Super Bowl-winning signal-caller, due to make the 44th-most money ($1.5MM) among quarterbacks this season, has outperformed his rookie deal to this degree. And the lack of urgency for the 2016 free agent, a label that’s pretty insignificant at this point since Wilson is highly unlikely to have that option any time soon, could work in his favor.
“Whenever you have a good-to-great player, the longer you wait, the more it’s going to cost you,” CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry told Condotta.
Let’s look at some other Sunday news items from the Western NFL locales.
- Mired in a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphomy, Chiefs Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry “looks really good,” Travis Kelce noted after helping out with one of Berry’s youth camps recently, reports Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star. The sixth-year safety who remains without a return timetable was reportedly fully engaged in the camp’s operation.
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post looks at Peyton Manning‘s status entering his age-39 season a tanner, fitter player. The Broncos future Hall of Famer’s legendary work ethic’s seeped into his latest challenge, with Cody Latimer noting how in tune Manning already was with new coach Gary Kubiak‘s playbook when the 2014 second-round pick participated at Manning’s Duke camp. Kubiak’s system, while new to Manning, doesn’t quite have the nuances of his previous setup, possibly accelerating this learning curve.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Flacco, Thomas, Houston
The Ravens are dealing with the loss of an all-time great defensive tackle in Haloti Ngata, and have a number of options to try to replace him. They have penciled in Timmy Jernigan in his spot, and re-signed both Chris Canty and Lawrence Guy to keep depth along the defensive line.
Additionally, the team hopes to be able to count on getting contributions from two linemen with injury histories, with both Brent Urban and Kapron Lewis-Moore making their return to the field, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
“He has practiced really well, Brent has, and so has Kapron,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “They both look like they’re 100 percent as far as the way they’re moving around, and they look like they’re going to be able to contribute for us.”
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- Entering his age-30 season, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco doesn’t see his career as being in decline, writes Wilson. “I don’t feel any worse because of my age yet,” Flacco said. “I think you learn more. I’m not going to be 50 and playing. I hope I’m 40, but 50, no.“
- Demaryius Thomas has not signed his franchise tender with the Broncos, and has been absent from team facilities this offseason. They key to his deal will be who goes first between him, Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, and Julio Jones, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The first one to sign a contract will in turn set the bar for the rest of the group. He is hoping to get a long-term deal with Calvin Johnson level money, but that is unlikely.
- The Chiefs have the pieces in place to have a very good pass rush in 2015, even without star Justin Houston who has not yet signed his franchise tender, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. With Tamba Hali and 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford on the outside, and Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey inside, the team has other options in a worst-case scenario without Houston.
AFC Notes: Freeman, Steelers, McCourty, Anderson
Josh Freeman is trying to make the most of his opportunity with the Dolphins, but the quarterback understands that he could be on the outside looking in:
“We’ve got four quarterbacks on the roster and a limited amount of time,” Freeman told Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel. “Some days, I might not get the reps in practice.
“I don’t think anybody can see the future. You don’t really think of those scenarios that haven’t really come up in your mind at times. I’m just taking it in stride. Whatever it becomes, I’m trying to make the most of it.”
When asked about this chances to make the team, Freeman had an honest outlook:
“I couldn’t tell you either way. The coaches are the decision-makers. All I know is I’m going to keep giving it my best, continue to improve and let the people whose call it is to make make the call.”
Let’s see what else is happening around the AFC…
- Keith Butler waited patiently a dozen years for his opportunity, but he’s finally the man in charge of the Steelers‘ defense. This offseason, the team did not renew the contract of Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau, giving Butler the opportunity to ascend to defensive coordinator. Prior to that, Butler had opportunities to be someone else’s defensive coordinator, as Dan Scifo of The Associated Press writes. “To me, if you’re going to coach in this game, you want to win a Super Bowl,” said Butler. “I always thought the best chance for me to win a Super Bowl as a coordinator would be (in Pittsburgh).”
- The Patriots lost several notable defenders this offseason, including veterans Darrelle Revis and Vince Wilfork, and that makes safety Devin McCourty the de facto “face” of the defense. Of course, the All-Pro defensive back would never admit that. “We have a lot of really good players on defense,” McCourty said to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “Last year, a lot of guys stepped up and made plays, and I think that is going to continue to happen. I don’t really think we have a face. We have guys that have been here a longer time than other guys…There’s so much that goes into being a good team and a good defense that you can’t put it on one guy to be the so-called face of the defense.”
- Broncos running back C.J. Anderson signed a new contract yesterday, but it had nothing to do with his football career. The 24-year-old inked a sponsorship with Storm – The Bowler’s Company, essentially making the running back a professional bowler. “This could also be something after football,” he told Rod Mackey of Colorado’s 9News. “A lot of people pickup golf, I might be picking up bowling.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.
WR Rumors: Welker, D. Thomas, J. Jones
Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and James Jones spent the 2014 season playing in the AFC West, but now all three receivers are free agents. Thomas, of course, isn’t on the unrestricted market like Welker and Jones, but he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, meaning he’s not yet officially under contract with the Broncos.
Here’s the latest on the trio of wideouts:
- A general manager tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report that his team strongly considered signing Welker, but “there was great concern” about his history of concussions. As Freeman writes, teams familiar with Welker’s medical history say they think the ex-Bronco has sustained at least six concussions during his NFL career.
- Despite the concern about Welker’s head injuries, which will keep many suitors away, there are still teams interested in adding him. According to Freeman, the Patriots and Broncos aren’t interested in a reunion with Welker, but the Ravens and Dolphins could be good fits.
- Thomas, Welker’s old Denver teammate, has until July 15 to sign a long-term contract with the Broncos, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Thomas may not report to training camp if the two sides don’t strike a deal.
- While the Broncos consider Thomas’ asking price too high, some league executives have suggested to Rapoport that Thomas deserves a Calvin Johnson-esque deal, based on Thomas’ recent production and the salary cap increases over the last couple years. When Johnson inked his eight-year, $130MM extension in 2012, the cap was $120.6MM. Three years later, it’s up to $143.28MM.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) today, Jones identified the Jaguars as a potential fit for him. He also mentioned the Chiefs, Giants, and Seahawks, three teams that reportedly inquired on him when he became a free agent last month.
West Notes: Cardinals, Liuget, D. Thomas
The Cardinals are deep enough at certain positions that GM Steve Keim says he could look to make trades later this summer, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.
“It’s a good concern, (but) for the first time we have a certain amount of depth here where we’re either going to have the ability to trade a player, or two, or four or five at certain positions that can not only make other NFL rosters, but could potentially start for some teams,” Keim told the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7. “So I have to be active and make sure that I address that situation so we’re not just releasing players and allowing teams to pick them up.”
More from the West divisions..
- Corey Liuget‘s extension with the Chargers calls for him to earn nearly $20MM fully guaranteed at the time of signing, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Liuget, who turned 25 in March, notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is upset that Denver hasn’t hammered out a new deal with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. No. 18 wants his favorite target back on the practice field, but that might not happen anytime soon if the two sides can’t bridge their gap.
- Rodney Hudson got a fat five-year, $44.5MM deal (with $20MM guaranteed) from the Raiders and his teammates say he’s worth every penny, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is inclined to agree. “Rodney’s done a terrific job. He’s been more than what we anticipated,” Musgrave said. “He has better movement than I think we expected from our film study and from watching from the other sideline. He’s done a great job of pulling. Guards and tackles pull a bunch in our system, but the center needs to at times, and he’s able to do that.”
West Notes: Seahawks, Boldin, L.A., Cards
After the team traded away four-year starter Max Unger, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable says that he expects “quite a battle” at the center position, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes.
Lemuel Jeanpierre, who has been with Seattle since 2010 – but has made only eleven starts – appears to be the frontrunner. However, Patrick Lewis started four games last year and is a definite contender. Also in the mix are Drew Nowak and rookie Kristjan Sokoli.
While the center position may be up in the air, the Seahawks fortified tight end in a big way when they acquired Jimmy Graham from the Saints in the Unger deal. Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two West divisions:
- The 49ers saw multiple players retire this offseason but Anquan Boldin said that he didn’t give any thought to joining that list, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. “If I felt we didn’t have a chance, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Boldin said Wednesday at minicamp. “There’s a lot of talent in this locker room. If we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll be right in the mix.”
- Longtime NFL executive Carmen Policy is helping the Raiders and Chargers with their Carson stadium project, and in Q&A with Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, Policy lays out his case for why Carson is the ideal location for the NFL to return to L.A.
- Demaryius Thomas, who received the franchise tag from the Broncos this offseason, has until July 15 to work out a long-term contract with the club, and his teammates are keeping a close eye on the situation, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com details.
- The Cardinals lost what little experience they had at the tight end position when John Carlson suddenly retired in May, leaving them to work with a much younger group, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
West Notes: Manning, Los Angeles, Bush
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has spoken with other players who walked away from the game because they grew bored with the tediousness of studying film and the monotony of practice. That’s not the case for him, however.
“I think everybody likes continuity and some consistency in what you’re doing. But I will say at age 36 when I got here and now 39 that I have been stimulated by the changes, which I do think keeps you engaged and energetic and focused in meetings,” Manning said, according to Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press.
Here’s more from the West divisions..
Extra Points: Gordon, D. Thomas, Vick
Agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he believes Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, suspended for the 2015 season, “still has a very bright future in the NFL.” Pointing to another one of his clients that signed with the Patriots this offseason after a lengthy suspension, Rosenhaus said that Gordon is “just as determined to make it back as Fred [Davis] was.” Here’s more from around the NFL..
- The Broncos have been in “win-now” mode for the last couple years, but they need to be conscious about their long-term future when making contract decisions, says Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, writing for The Sporting News. Fitzgerald’s breakdown of Denver’s cap outlook includes a discussion of Demaryius Thomas, whose contract situation we examined earlier today.
- Michael Vick is still looking for work, and has said that he wants to play in the NFL for another three years or so, but he believes he’ll have to wait for a quarterback to suffer an injury in order to get an opportunity, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, there may be some skepticism around the league that Vick is ready to accept a backup role and to put in the work necessary even when he doesn’t expect to play.
- The Chargers have been aware of Malcom Floyd‘s intentions for some time, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. The wide receiver said last year he planned to play out his contract and retire, and that remains the plan today. Floyd indicated last week that this could be his final season in the NFL.
- Representatives from the Chargers, Rams, and Raiders are in New York to update owners on developments on their respective projects, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego tweets. The reps from the three teams will meet with owners on Wednesday.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Latest On Demaryius Thomas
The Broncos were one of six NFL teams to open their June minicamp today, and despite the fact that these sessions are mandatory, the team wasn’t expecting Demaryius Thomas to be in attendance, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. As anticipated, the standout receiver, who was franchise-tagged by the Broncos earlier this offseason, didn’t report to the camp.
Because he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, Thomas isn’t subject to fines for missing the mandatory sessions, as Breer observes. If he were officially under contract with the team, the 27-year-old could be fined up to about $70K for missing the June minicamp.
The Broncos have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with Thomas. If the two sides don’t strike a deal, the wideout’s only real option is playing the 2015 season on his one-year, $12.823MM offer, unless he wants to extend his holdout into training camp and perhaps into the regular season as well.
As Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes, it’s important that the team does everything it can to lock up Thomas this year, since Von Miller is eligible for free agency in 2016 — if both stars are unsigned next winter, the Broncos would face a very difficult decision when using its franchise tag, which can only be assigned to one player.
Head coach Gary Kubiak said today that he’s “confident” Denver will get an extension done with Thomas before training camp, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. While that confidence may be warranted, I expect negotiations between the two sides to go right down to the wire, with resolution coming near – or on – July 15, if it comes at all.
AFC Notes: Jags, Broncos, Chargers, Jets
Jaguars coach Gus Bradley was quick to praise receiver Allen Robinson on Friday. The 21-year-old wideout broke his foot in November, but he’s already proven why the organization used a second-round pick on him.
“He had a really good day today,” Bradley said (via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com). “Sometimes you come back from an injury like that and you wonder about the confidence level. He’s playing with a lot of confidence – he jumped right to the front of the line [during drills]. He has some ownership and he’s going to take advantage of his opportunities. I think he missed being out and he’s not going to miss out on [his chances].”
In ten games as a rookie, Robinson compiled 48 catches for 548 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…
- Demaryius Thomas has not reported for voluntary workouts with the Broncos this offseason, and Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today writes that this is one of the negative effects of the franchise tag. While fellow franchise-tagged players Stephen Gostkowski and Dez Bryant have both been spotted amongst the team, the tag has been license to not workout with the team in most other cases.
- The Chargers have not been extremely cooperative with the efforts to get a new stadium built in San Diego, and one might even accuse them of trying to sabotage those plans in order to have a clear path to Los Angeles, writes Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego. Acee presents a timeline along with a compelling case that the Charger’s were never interested in staying in San Diego.
- The NFL wants two teams in Los Angeles (the Chargers and Raiders) to share the new stadium, according to Carmen Policy, advisor on the possibility of building a stadium, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). He adds that this does not bode well for the Inglewood proposal.
- Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation is definitely the biggest question mark left on the table for the Jets this offseason, and Field Yates of ESPN highlights one player or contract that most desperately needs to be addressed in the near future for each NFL team, from extensions and restructuring to front office and cap management issues (subscription required).
Ben Levine contributed to this post.