Extra Points: Rice, Manning, Rams, Vick
Rex Ryan learned a lot in his time with the Jets, including the important of partnering with a franchise that shares his vision, Albert Breer of NFL.com writes. “I’ve had six years of experience,” the Bills coach said. “So am I gonna be better now? Of course. You’re not gonna be worse by having experience. The other thing is understanding what’s important, because the second time, I was lucky — I got to choose where to go. The thing about that was, go to an organization where you see the direction, and it’s the same direction (you believe in).” Here’s more from around the NFL..
- NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith told Sal Paolantonio of ESPN that he believes that former Ravens running back Ray Rice is being blackballed from the game. “This, unfortunately, is a league that has a history of blackballing players. I find it hard to believe that a player of Mr. Rice’s caliber hasn’t at least gotten one offer from a team to come work out,” Smith said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). While Smith is suggesting some kind of collusion against the troubled Rutgers product, it seems very possible that all 32 teams have independently decided that Rice is simply not worth the trouble.
- Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders doesn’t think that this will be Peyton Manning‘s last year in the NFL, Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “I think he’s got a lot left in the tank,” Sanders said Wednesday. “He’s wearing a glove and his spiral is back. He’s throwing a good ball. You can tell that the glove is helping him. He didn’t wear it this early last year. His arm is not a problem. His ball is accurate. I don’t see anything that says this is his last year.”
- Missouri lawmakers are challenging the authority of Gov. Jay Nixon and other officials to build a new stadium for the Rams, as Marie French of The Associated Press writes. “I want nothing more than for the Rams to stay,” said Rep. Rob Vescovo. “But I don’t think the governor has the authority to bury us under the additional debt without proper vetting.” The lawsuit filed by Vescovo and his associates asks the court to stop any further action by the governor and the authority immediately.
- Even after a forgettable season with the Jets, Michael Vick believes that he has more left in the tank, Ed Miller of The Virginian-Pilot writes. “I still feel like I can help a football team win a couple of games,” the soon-to-be 35-year-old said Wednesday. Vick reiterated his desire to play for three more years and pointed to last year’s performances against the Chiefs and Steelers as evidence that he’s still got it.
- Eleven teams are showing interest in West Georgia pass rusher Darrius Caldwell, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. We learned on Wednesday that Caldwell is entering his name in the supplemental draft.
AFC Notes: Broncos, Idzik, Jags, S. Smith
In a Wednesday mailbag, a reader asked Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post why the Broncos didn’t make more of a push to sign La’el Collins. According to Renck, the lack of a resolution for Collins’ potential criminal case gave Denver pause during the draft — the team shied away from him in the seventh round more because of that uncertainty, not because of the lineman’s vow that he wouldn’t report if he was drafted on Day 3.
Once Collins became a free agent, he narrowed his choices rather quickly to teams with proven quarterbacks, coaches and line coaches. Denver offered all of those things, but Collins didn’t want to play in cold weather and wanted a team close to home, leading him to the Cowboys.
Of course, given today’s news on Ryan Clady‘s torn ACL, the Broncos may be regretting not rolling the dice on Collins with one of their seventh-round picks.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Former Jets general manager John Idzik, hired back in February as a consultant by the Jaguars, has been named to a full-time position of special assistant to the general manager, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “He’ll do a little bit of everything,” GM Dave Caldwell said of Idzik. “He’s a great cultural fit for us. He has a great understanding of the salary cap and the different ways to do a contract.” As O’Halloran writes, the Jags also promoted Chris Polian to director of player personnel and Chris Driggers to director of pro personnel.
- Ravens wideout Steve Smith said he didn’t really contemplate retiring after last season, but he knows he won’t play forever, or even until he’s 40, like Jerry Rice (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith turned 36 earlier this month.
- Browns third-round running back Duke Johnson wasn’t in attendance when the team’s OTAs got underway this week. However, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it’s because of a personal matter rather than anything contract-related. Johnson is the only one of Cleveland’s 12 draftees who remains unsigned.
- Titans running back Bishop Sankey was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie season, but the Titans are betting he’ll be better following some offseason strength training, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
OTA Rumors: Peterson, Forte, A. Smith, Dez
With organized team activities getting underway this week, we’re keeping our eye on plenty of contract and roster situations around the NFL. Here are the latest updates on a few of those situations:
- Addressing Adrian Peterson‘s absence from OTAs, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer issued another strong statement today, telling reporters – including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) – that the running back has two choices: “He can play for us or not play.” A report yesterday suggested that Peterson is actually considering that second option (retirement), though I noted at the time that it sounded like the 30-year-old’s camp trying to regain some leverage.
- After saying last week that he thought he had an idea of when Peterson would report to the Vikings, Zimmer admitted today that he has no idea when that’ll happen, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- Matt Forte, who reportedly wants a new contract, is present at the Bears‘ OTAs, but said today that “nobody likes playing on a one-year deal” (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). As Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets, Forte added, “They said we’re not talking about that type of [contract] stuff right now, so all I can do is play football.”
- Antonio Smith won’t participate in the Broncos‘ OTAs, as he continues to be investigated following a complaint of sexual child abuse, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Although Smith has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, the Broncos decided it would be “best for all involved” if the defensive lineman focuses on resolving his legal situation before reporting to the team.
- As expected, Dez Bryant isn’t in attendance for the Cowboys‘ OTAs. However, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that the club has been in communication with the wideout. Earlier today, I asked whether Bryant will sign a long-term extension with Dallas before the July 15 deadline, and so far more than half of you have indicated that won’t happen.
West Notes: Broncos, Bennett, Rivers
The Broncos will have to make a call this week on whether or not they want to keep Antonio Smith on their roster as their organized team activities get underway, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Smith is being investigated following a complaint of possible child abuse of a sexual nature, and while that’s a serious allegation, the defensive lineman has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, so Denver’s decision isn’t as clear-cut as the one the Bears faced with Ray McDonald.
As we wait to see whether or not the Broncos decide to cut ties with Smith, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, and Cliff Avril won’t report immediately to the Seahawks‘ OTAs as they deal with various personal and family matters, according to Danny Neil of 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle (Twitter links). The more notable absence for Seattle is defensive end Michael Bennett, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, citing ESPN Radio. The standout pass rusher suggested earlier this offseason that he wouldn’t mind reworking his contract, which he just signed a year ago.
- Philip Rivers is in action for the Chargers as they begin their OTAs, but there hasn’t been much contract-related discussion between the two sides this month, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf recently reiterated that she opposes the idea of spending any public funds on a new football stadium in the city, as Rachel Swan of SFGate.com details. For a new stadium to work for the Raiders in Oakland, a gap of about $400MM in financing would have to be closed somehow.
West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker
Last week, Rams fans in St. Louis received a bit of good news when league commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the efforts to keep the Rams in the Gateway City by building a new stadium on the riverfront had made “tremendous progress.” Although financing plans still need to be worked out, a number of football scribes, like Ben Volin of The Boston Globe and Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wonder how Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the league itself could justify moving the Rams to Los Angeles if St. Louis comes through with funding for a new stadium before the team’s current lease with the Edward Jones Dome expires.
That question becomes particularly relevant if the Carson plan, in which the Raiders and Chargers would share a stadium in LA, continues to gain momentum. As Miklasz points out, the Carson proposal would allow the league to solve its “California problem” inside California without having to move a franchise from another region. Furthermore, the Chargers and Raiders have been waiting for a new stadium for years, while the Edward Jones Dome is comparatively new.
But Miklasz is keeping his optimism in check, because the NFL has refused to confirm that a new stadium will assure St. Louis of a place in the league. The city has gone to great lengths to keep the Rams in St Louis, as they have committed to constructing a new, $985MM stadium while still paying off the cost of building the Edward Jones Dome, and the league has repeatedly stated that it strongly prefers to keep each team in its current market. And yet, without the NFL’s public commitment that the riverfront project, if successful, would keep the Rams in place, Miklasz writes that the whole ordeal becomes a question of honor. And honor is one department in which the league sometimes falls short.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s West divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that there will not be three teams in Southern California until the Chargers‘ stadium situation is resolved in some way. As Breer notes (via Twitter), it is possible that, if the Chargers reach a deal to stay in San Diego, the Raiders and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium, which is designed to house two teams.
- On a less serious note, Chargers superfan Dan Juaregui, otherwise known as the costumed “Boltman,” has contacted an attorney about the possibility of filing an antitrust suit against the NFL on behalf of Chargers fans if the Chargers should relocate to Los Angeles. While the attorney himself noted that such a suit would be feasible, Kristina Davis of The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, says the city gave up its right to sue the league over relocation in its stadium lease.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times summarizes former agent Joel Corry’s analysis of Russell Wilson‘s contract negotiations with the Seahawks. Our Luke Adams wrote a piece on Corry’s original article several days ago.
- Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times describes the difficulty opposing defenses will have to face when confronted with the Seahawks‘ triple threat of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and one of the biggest prizes of the offseason, Jimmy Graham.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post looks at the value and versatility that newly-acquired defensive tackle Vance Walker, who was used sparingly with division rival Kansas City, brings to the Broncos.
AFC Notes: Brady, Smith, Thomas, Heyward
Here are some items from around the AFC on Saturday with teams set to begin OTA sessions.
- The Broncos added two defensive linemen to push Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson in training camp and to likely spell the incumbents off the bench this season. But that depth could be in jeopardy after word surfaced of an investigation into Antonio Smith‘s alleged child abuse, writes longtime Broncos reporter Mike Klis of 9News. With the NFL showing it does not need the justice system to dole out significant punishment, Klis points out Smith now faces a battle to wear a Broncos uniform. Of the one-year, $2MM contract Smith signed in April, only his $500K signing bonus is guaranteed. Smith, 33, and Vance Walker are the only Broncos with NFL experience as 3-4 defensive ends.
- Facebook-frequenting Patriots fans have organized a “Free Tom Brady” rally set for Sunday at Gillette Stadium, according to CSNNE.com. The quarterback’s quest to not miss all of September due to his Deflategate-induced suspension endured a blow Friday when Roger Goodell refused to recuse himself from the future hall of famer’s appeal.
- After right quadricep tears forced season-ending surgeries for Colts guard Donald Thomas the past two years, his status is murky going into a third year of a four-year, $14MM contract. The soon-to-be-30-year-old cog’s inability to resume football activities yet, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, do not help his push to regain the starting left guard spot. Missing 30 of a possible 32 games since signing with the Colts in 2013, Thomas re-tore his quad last July and counts $3.75MM against the team’s cap this year. 2014 second-rounder Jack Mewhort manned the position last season.
- New Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler doesn’t figure to tinker too much with a successful blueprint, according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “I don’t think there are going to be too many changes,” Cameron Heyward told Varley. “It’s going to be the same details. We will have a couple of new wrinkles, but we won’t share them now.”
- The 2011 first-round defensive end also iterated a desire to play his entire career in Pittsburgh to Varley. A soon-to-be third-year starter, Heyward is set to be a free agent after the season, which will be played under the fifth-year option the team picked up in April. “The Steelers greats don’t go anywhere else. James (Harrison) did for a little bit, but he is already back. That is what I want to be, a Steelers great, and that means being here the rest of my life, football included and after,” Heyward said.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Smith, Raiders
Chargers kicker Nick Novak, for the most part, likes the new point after attempt rules, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
“I think it makes my job that much more exciting,” Novak said. “There could be games where I may not get any work, just lighting up the scoreboard and scoring touchdowns, which is a good thing. Now, I have the privilege of kicking 33-yard field goals, maybe four of five a game — I call them field goals because they’re from 33 yards. And I may kick four or five (actual) field goals. My workload is going to go up. It’s exciting to showcase what I can do. I think it increases the value of a kicker, too. Accuracy is going to be a (more valued commodity).”
However, now that the two-point scoring incentive is there, Novak is concerned that rushers may make a more concerted effort to block, which could lead to greater injury risk for players. Here’s more out of the AFC West..
- Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith is being investigated in Texas for possible child abuse of a sexual nature, Mike Klis of 9News writes. The alleged incident took place in November, two months before Denver signed him to a one-year, $2MM pact. Only Smith’s $500K signing bonus is fully guaranteed from that amount, though a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy could put that in jeopardy.
- The Raiders are set up perfectly for a 2016 spending splurge, Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News writes. If QB Derek Carr and LB Khalil Mack lead the Raiders to a respectable season in 2015, McKenzie will likely see the time being right to spend on high-quality players. At that point, the Raiders will have up to 16 unrestricted free agents and it’s unlikely any of them would be inked to an extension over the summer.
- There’s a lot of talk about where the Raiders will wind up playing but that’s not a concern to head coach Jack Del Rio, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “We’re not naïve to know that there are things going on but, really, our focus is just on trying to be as good a football team as we can be,” Del Rio said. “Inside these walls, it’s all about football, about competing, about learning the system and challenging each other and building a brotherhood, beginning to get that chemistry and that bond and all of that.”
Corry On Market For Bryant, Green, Jones
Wide receivers Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas all have uncertain contract situations going forward. With Green and Jones in contract years and Bryant and Thomas having been franchise tagged, former agent Joel Corry (of CBSSports.com) looked at the market for all four players. The entire piece is worth a read, but here’s a glance at the highlights..
- Jones could be the first to get a new deal since signing him to an extension is a top priority for the Falcons now that the draft is over. Jones is a virtual lock to receive the franchise tag in 2016 (~$14MM) and a second one in 2017 would cost nearly $17MM. The average of those two years, Corry writes, could be used as justification for a long-term deal in the $15MM per year range with over $40MM in guarantees.
- Ryan Clady‘s negotiations could shed some light on Thomas’ situation with the Broncos. Clady secured salary escalators in his deal, and a similar approach could give Thomas the ability to earn more than $15MM per year.
- Jones or Thomas getting deals in advance of the July 15 franchise player deadline for long-term deals could benefit Bryant because of the way the Cowboys have been lowballing him. Bryant became the first player in Dallas history to have three straight seasons with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown receptions, so he should have a good amount of leverage. However, from a negotiation standpoint, Corry feels that Bryant has done himself a disservice by showing up frequently at the team’s facilities this offseason.
- Signing Green long-term may be easier said than done because of the Bengals‘ preferred structure with lucrative veteran contracts. Historically, the team’s contracts are light on guaranteed money due to the absence of base salary guarantees. Andy Dalton‘s recent deal, which Russell Wilson apparently wants to avoid for himself, is a prime example.
Sunday Roundup: Ray, Eagles, Chargers
Let’s take a look a a few notes from around the league:
- Shane Ray‘s draft stock took a hit because of a citation for marijuana possession and a toe injury, but the Missouri product was still selected in the first round, as the Broncos traded up to nab the high-ceiling pass rusher. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Denver hopes that Ray, who missed rookie minicamp as a result of the toe injury, will be able to participate in some capacity when the team resumes work tomorrow. As Alper points out, though, Ray’s work is likely to be limited, especially since the Broncos just lost third-round tight end Jeff Heuerman to a torn ACL at minicamp.
- Of all the eyebrow-raising moves that Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has made during his brief tenure with the club, his decisions relating to Philadelphia’s wide receiving corps may be the most curious. But as David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News writes, with the addition of Nelson Agholor–a physical clone of Jeremy Maclin–the expected improvement from Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews, and the team’s ability to shift Darren Sproles to more of a pass-catching role now that DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews are in the fold, the Eagles may actually have a more dynamic set of receivers than they had in 2014.
- Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano says rookie Denzel Perryman will compete for time at inside linebacker with projected starters Manti Te’o and Donald Butler, but that ultimately everybody will see time on the field, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams writes. Pagano complimented his talent not only at the linebacker position, but also on special teams.
- The Chargers don’t have a true fullback on their roster, but San Diego State product Chad Young hopes to change that, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. Young has experience on his side, having been in training camp last year with the Jets. But like other fullbacks, he has seen his position fade across the NFL over the past several years.
- Former Maryland standout Andre Monroe tried out for the Chargers during the team’s rookie minicamp, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Monroe set Maryland’s school record with 25 career sacks, 20 of which came in his last 26 games. But at 5’10” and 294 pounds, Monroe is a bit undersized for an NFL defensive lineman, and he was not immediately offered a contract by San Diego.
- Longtime Ravens scout Joe Douglas has accepted a job with the Bears, according to a press release from the Ravens. Douglas will be Chicago’s new director of college scouting.
- The Steelers have hired veteran NFL personnel man Rick Reiprish to join their player personnel department, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Reiprish, who has over 30 years of experience in player personnel, was the Saints’ director of college scouting for 11 years until he was released in a front-office shakeup earlier this year.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eagles Said No To Broncos’ Draft Day Offer
After weeks of rumors and rumblings about teams that could potentially swing draft day deals, Day 1 of the 2015 draft wound up being rather uneventful. One of the would-be trades would have seen the Broncos move up from No. 23 to the Eagles’ No. 20 pick, but Denver was rebuffed, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Instead of adding draft picks, the Eagles opted to stay put and grab USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor. Of course, adding a wide receiver was a top priority for Chip Kelly & Co. after losing Jeremy Maclin, who signed with the Chiefs in March. Agholor joins Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Miles Austin, as a part of the Eagles receiving corps. Agholor figures to get a good amount of burn in 2015, provided that he is as NFL-ready as the Eagles think he is.
It’s not immediately clear who the Broncos might have been targeting at No. 20. The Broncos wound up taking Shane Ray at No. 23 and it’s conceivable that he was their target in trying to move up. Ray was projected by some to be a fringe top ten pick before a flunked drug test hurt his stock.