NFC Notes: Rams, Sam, Packers, Washington
It has been a little over a month since Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced his plan to build a new NFL stadium in Los Angeles, and it’s inching a little closer to becoming a reality, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to Hunn, developers have begun to clear land and lay water lines at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, and the stadium still looks like a go, regardless of whether an NFL team like the Rams is lined up to play in it.
“If you have the most modern, the most beautiful NFL stadium in the world, you’re not going to have any problem populating it,” Inglewood mayor James T. Butts said. “If the NFL wants to migrate here, we would welcome it. But that’s not what this is about. This is ‘Field of Dreams’ stuff. Build it and they will come.”
Here are a few more Monday notes from around the NFC:
- Former Rams seventh-rounder Michael Sam has applied for one of approximately 100 spots in the NFL’s inaugural veteran combine later this month, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. While the former Missouri standout is hoping that leads to an NFL contract offer, Pelissero says Sam has a one-year contract offer from the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes on the table as a fallback option. The 25-year-old spent some time on the Cowboys‘ practice squad last season, but wasn’t active for any regular season games.
- Veteran 49ers offensive line coach Mike Solari will be leaving San Francisco to join the Packers, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. While it’s not immediately clear what Solari’s role will be in Green Bay, his hiring appears to be part of a larger shake-up to the team’s offensive staff, as we heard yesterday.
- The Packers will have to make a decision at quarterback this offseason, with backup signal-callers Scott Tolzien and Matt Flynn both eligible for free agency. As Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com writes, the team’s coaching staff likes Tolzien’s potential, but Flynn gives the club a “security-blanket feel.” For his part, Aaron Rodgers would like to see both backups re-signed.
- Free agency may offer more problems than solutions for Washington, but the team may still need to dip into the open market to find stopgap options for certain positions, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
- Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look at some key issues facing the Panthers this winter, including a possible long-term deal for Cam Newton, finding a solution at left tackle, and adding immediate contributors in the draft.
Packers, Broncos Face Offseason Dilemmas
The Cowboys’ and Broncos‘ respective approaches with their All-Pro wide receivers following statement contract years will draw the most headlines this offseason, but not far off that radar will be the Packers‘ decision on slot target Randall Cobb.
Not possessing the traditional build of a No. 1 target Demaryius Thomas or Dez Bryant have, Cobb put together a consistent campaign — 106 catches, 1,465 yards, 13 touchdown receptions in 18 games — but the Packers have a history of allowing their receivers to walk and restocking the position with home-grown talent: see Greg Jennings in 2013 or James Jones last March. But Cobb’s case may be unique, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Packers hall of fame receiver James Lofton weighed in on this issue, via Dunne.
“Which free-agent wide receiver has left a team and gone on to become a Pro Bowler on a new team?” Lofton said. “Vincent Jackson did in his first year at Tampa. … Emmanuel Sanders was (an alternate), when he went to Denver, but that’s an extenuating circumstance when you have Peyton Manning throwing the ball. So where can these guys find a home that was better than where they were? We saw Greg Jennings leave Green Bay — who was a good player — and now he’s an average player at best.”
Jennings exceeded 1,100 yards for three straight seasons in Green Bay — 2008-10 — but hasn’t topped 805 in two years with the Vikings. Jones scored 14 touchdowns in Green Bay in 2012 and set a career high in receptions with 73 in Oakland last year, but the 30-year-old averaged just 9.1 yards per catch as primarily a wide receiver. Almost exclusively a slot man when not stationed in the backfield, Cobb, only 24, averaged 14.1 per grab last season in a position not known for over-the-top proficiency, a statistic which increases his case to be paid like a top wide receiver. The franchise tag for wideouts is expected to be around $12.7MM, and the Packers have just more than $23MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
Meanwhile, the Broncos made a rather controversial shift from their three-wide receiver, no-huddle-based attack to a power-running approach midway through last season, and while free agents-to-be Orlando Franklin and Will Montgomery posted top-15 finishes at guard and center, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), new coach Gary Kubiak is likely to reshape the front based on his zone-blocking past, writes ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.
The Broncos entered the season with two first-team All-Pros on their front in left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez, but both regressed — Clady graded negatively on Pro Football Focus’ overall rating for the second time in four years after returning from the foot injury that ended his 2013 campaign after two games; Vasquez was marginalized when moved to right tackle to compensate for others’ struggles at that spot — and weakened the line. While Clady, the only lineman who played for the Broncos when they deployed Mike Shanahan‘s zone-blocking scheme, and Vasquez are expected back, Franklin and Montgomery are free agents, Manuel Ramirez slipped after a solid 2013, and the team is still without a viable right tackle option.
“Yes, that’s absolutely, 100 percent correct, three new starters minimum,” said ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth, a former Broncos zone-blocking bastion, via Legwold. “… Athletically speaking, they’re not good enough at left guard, center, and they need to find a right tackle.”
Solutions for both Cobb and Denver‘s offensive line don’t have to come from free agency, however, and may not require a No. 1 draft choice. From 2012-14, 37% of the Pro Bowlers came into the league in the third round or later, including 21 undrafted talents, ClevelandBrowns.com’s Kevin Jones measured. Cornerbacks from Denver (Chris Harris Jr.) and Green Bay (Sam Shields) contributed to that total as 2014 Pro Bowlers.
Packers To Make OC Change
7:20pm: The Packers have decided to shake up their offensive staff, elevating Clements to associate head coach and moving Bennett to replace him at offensive coordinator, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports.
The most notable change from this reshuffling: Clements will accept the play-calling reins from McCarthy. These increased roles could make it easier for Packers assistants to receive head-coaching interviews, Rapoport tweeted Sunday after McCarthy questioned why his top staffers were never the “hot candidates,” in a January Rapoport account.
A former running back in Green Bay, Bennett coached the receivers the past four years after presiding over the running backs in the previous six seasons. The Packers have continued to produce top-flight receiving corps despite losses of key homegrown cogs Donald Driver (retirement), Greg Jennings (signed with the Vikings in 2013) and James Jones (UFA-Vikings in 2014).
Homegrown talents Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 25 receiving scores this season, and both landed on Pro Bowl rosters.
4:36 pm: The Packers 2014 season was a successful one by most standards, as the club won 12 games and finished first in the NFC North. A devastating loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game looms over Green Bay, however, and the team is now reportedly considering changes to its coaching staff. Sources tell Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that head coach Mike McCarthy is “looking at different possibilities” with regards to altering his staff’s responsibilities, with once such scenario entailing him relinquishing play-calling duties.
Radio station 104.5 The Fan in Green Bay reported (Twitter link) that offensive coordinator Tom Clements is set to be promoted to associate head coach and will be handed the job of calling plays, while current receivers coach Edgar Bennett would shift to OC. Demovsky couldn’t confirm that exact structural change, and added that nothing has been finalized yet. Still, sources tell the ESPN scribe that McCarthy has privately noted the difficulty of managing the day-to-day operations of the team while also tending to play-calling, so the staff changes shouldn’t come as a surprise.
McCarthy, the Packers’ HC since 2006, has called the offensive plays for the duration of his reign in Green Bay. The offensive unit has been consistently above-average, finishing no lower than 11th in DVOA since 2007, including two No. 1 finishes (2011 and 2014). Clements has been on the Packers’ coaching staff since 2006, as well, acting as the QB coach from ’06-’12, then taking over as OC in 2013 following the departure of Joe Philbin. He was the play-caller for the Bills from 2004-05.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
NFC North Links: Packers, Briggs, Bell, Smith
The Packers kept three quarterbacks on the active roster last season for the first time in five years, but it is unclear whether the team will elect to do so again in 2015, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. Matt Flynn served as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup but the team was worried that putting Scott Tolzien on the practice squad would leave him vulnerable to being signed away from the roster.
If the Packers need the extra roster spot next season, they will have to make a choice between the two players. However, Rodgers hopes that he will once again get a chance to have both of them in the room with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “Both different personalities, but great teammates,” Rodgers said. “Those guys are a lot of fun. It would be great to have them back.”
Here are some other links from around the NFC North:
- Longtime Bears stalwart Lance Briggs could be looking for a new team for the first time in his career. However, there is one team that he has already crossed off his list, in the division rival Packers, writes David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. Briggs said so very succinctly when asked yesterday about the possibility (via Twitter).
- Lions running back Joique Bell is coming back from offseason surgery, and looking forward to another chance at getting into the playoffs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The biggest thing for Bell is bringing back star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, suggesting that Calvin Johnson will have to restructure his contract to make sure they can re-sign him. “We’ll have to talk to Calvin, see if he can do something,” Bell said. “We just need him back. Come back, Suh.”
- Vikings safety Harrison Smith is also coming back from surgery and focused on his future. As he is coming closer to free agency, he has made sure the team knows he is interested in staying in Minnesota for a while, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com. “That’s all I’ve thought of doing,” Smith said. “I have no intentions of going anywhere else. I’ll just let [my agency] handle it. I’m just here to play football and we’ll see what happens.”
Free Agent Stock Watch: Bryan Bulaga
After missing all of 2013 due to an ACL tear, Bryan Bulaga turned in a fine performance in 2014, the final year of his rookie contract. The former first-round pick out of the University of Iowa, a veritable factory of quality offensive linemen, graded out as the 16th best tackle, and 4th best right tackle, in the league per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He received especially high marks for his pass blocking performance in support of league MVP Aaron Rodgers, yielding just four sacks–two of which came in one game–and two other quarterback hits over the course of the season.
In addition to his strong 2014 campaign, which culminated in a heartbreaking defeat to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, Bulaga brings a few other noteworthy accomplishments to the table. He was named to the league’s all-rookie team in 2010, and he was the youngest player to ever start in a Super Bowl when the Packers bested the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. PFF also ranked him as the 7th best tackle in football in 2011, just his second year in the league (subscription required).
However, he does come with an injury history. Even before the ACL tear that he suffered in August 2013, Bulaga suffered a hip injury nine games into the 2012 season that kept him sidelined for the rest of the year. As a result, he spent nearly two years on injured reserve, meaning that he needed a year like 2014 to not only prove that he was a top-flight tackle, but that he could stay healthy for a full season.
Despite missing Green Bay’s Week 2 matchup against the Jets this year, Bulaga largely managed to stay injury-free, which, combined with his strong play, puts him in excellent position for a big payday. Although there are a few other solid tackles eligible for free agency this year, most notably Doug Free, Michael Roos, and King Dunlap, Bulaga has one significant advantage over all of them: his age. At 26, Bulaga should still have a few prime years remaining, while those other free agent tackles will be at least 30 at some point in 2015.
Last year, Austin Howard scored the top deal among free agent right tackles, landing a five-year, $30MM contract with the Raiders, including $15MM in guaranteed money. Even Michael Oher, who was just released today, managed to snag a four-year, $20MM deal with Tennessee last season. Bulaga is more talented than both, and he will likely be paid accordingly. Although he has never played left tackle in his pro career–the Packers had planned to utilize him in that role before his ACL tear in 2013–he did play on the blind side while with Iowa, and he could at least represent an emergency solution at left tackle should the need arise. And, as the best overall tackle in free agency, he may end up getting paid like a second-tier left tackle, perhaps netting a deal in the five-year, $35MM range, which is what Jared Veldheer received from Arizona last year.
Green Bay would surely love to have Bulaga back. In late December, offensive line coach James Campen said of his right tackle, “He’s heavier than he’s ever been; he’s stronger…Remember, he was a young guy coming out of college, so he’s grown into his body and he has a clear understanding of the scheme, so he’s playing with total confidence. He knows exactly what’s going to happen, where it’s going to happen” (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). There is no reason to think that Bulaga himself would not like to continue his career where it began, though he was understandably in no state to discuss his future after Green Bay fell to the Seahawks several weeks ago.
But, if he does not re-sign with the Packers before free agency opens on March 10, he will likely be one of the first players to come off the board, and his presence should be a great comfort to whatever quarterback lines up behind him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
North Notes: Ravens, Farmer, Suh
Haloti Ngata‘s future is the most pressing question facing the Ravens this offseason, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Ngata, 31, is set to count $16MM against Baltimore’s cap in 2015. While he did rate as the ninth-best 3-4 defensive end among 47 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Ngata was suspended for four games after violating the league’s PED policy. Hensley also expects the Ravens to target players who get cut in free agency. He lists some names to watch, including Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, and Jets running back Chris Johnson. Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC North..
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the latest on the TextGate controversy, reporting that Browns GM Ray Farmer actually sent messages to a non-coaching employee on the sidelines who then relayed those messages to the coaching staff. Florio also surmises that Farmer could be something of a “fall guy” for the scandal, adding that owner Jimmy Haslam could have been the one directing Farmer.
- The Lions are expressing confidence that they’ll retain Ndamukong Suh, but that doesn’t mean much to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com since they’ve been saying the same thing for a year now. Until something is signed or announced, Rothstein cautions fans not to fully believe that Suh will be back. In theory, the Lions could also use the franchise tag to keep Suh, but that would cost them upwards of $26MM.
- More from Rothstein, who looked at impending Lions free agent Dan Orlovsky. The 10-year veteran was signed to back up starter Matthew Stafford and, fortunately for Detroit, Stafford did not miss a snap all year. Rothstein says it wouldn’t be surprising to see Orlovsky back with Detroit when considering his experience and low cost.
- Packers linebacker Sam Barrington broke a bit of news on Twitter today when he congratulated Ron Zook on becoming the team’s new special teams coordinator. Zook, of course, previously served as head coach at the University of Florida and the University of Illinois.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Extra Points: CFL, Draft, Jackson, Packers
The CFL has been making major waves in the NFL in recent days, as Over The Cap’s Zack Moore writes. Chris Matthews looked like an absolute stud for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl while receiver Duron Carter and lineman Ben Heenan landed deals with the Colts. This isn’t the first time either of those two teams have gone to Canada to find talent and it’s a part of a broader trend in the NFL. The NFL is looking more and more like the CFL with its no huddle offenses, no-back sets, and shorter time between plays, making the CFL the perfect minor league. More from around the NFL..
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down some of the key offseason dates between now and the NFL’s Annual Meeting in late March. Some of the dates have league-wide significance while others affect specific player contracts. As Corry notes, February 6th will be a key date for notable names such as Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, and Rob Gronkowski.
- West Virginia’s Kevin White has leapfrogged Alabama’s Amari Cooper as the consensus top wide receiver in the 2015 draft, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Ultimately, though, it’s a talented class and several teams in the top ten could go for receivers. Cooper, White, and Louisville’s DeVante Parker could all go inside of the top ten picks, according to Miller. Still, he doesn’t think that this year’s top trio is quite as talented as last year’s. Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, and Odell Beckham Jr. were the first three receivers taken in 2014, so they have a tough act to follow.
- Colts inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was arrested Tuesday on a charge of simple assault after an altercation over a parking spot, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Jackson, considered one of the Colts’ veteran leaders, signed with the Colts last spring after his release from the Browns on a five-year, ~$22MM deal. Jackson is the third Colts player to be arrested in the past month.
- The Packers have some big decisions to make when it comes to their defensive line, Rob Reischel of the Journal-Sentinel writes. Of course, the arrest of Letroy Guion on Tuesday night only complicates matters for Green Bay.
NFC Notes: Randle, Guion, Lions, Peterson
As first reported by KAKE.com, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita early this morning on a drug charge after officers responsded to a call and found marijuana in his hotel room. Randle’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, contended (via Twitter) that his client was simply cited with a ticket rather than being arrested, but Wichita police says it’s still considered an arrest even though Randle wasn’t taken into custody, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), Randle’s latest off-field incident may have the side effect of giving DeMarco Murray some leverage in contract negotiations with the Cowboys this winter.
Another arrest that could have an effect on free agency leads off this afternoon’s NFC notes — let’s dive in….
- Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion, a prospective free agent, was arrested for possession of marijuana in Starke, Florida late Tuesday night, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The timing of the incident was unfortunate for Guion, who had been engaged in talks with the Packers about a long-term deal, and had just been the subject of a glowing article from Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links) has more details on what police found on Guion, including a firearm, $190K+ in U.S. currency, and 357 grams of marijuana.
- Ron Zook, who worked as the Packers‘ assistant special teams coach this past season, is the favorite to become the club’s new special teams coordinator, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- The Lions may have a need at cornerback if they don’t re-sign Rashean Mathis, and veteran Charles Tillman of the division-rival Bears wouldn’t rule out the possibility of heading to Detroit, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press previews Friday’s federal court hearing, which will pit suspended Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the NFLPA against the NFL.
2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: NFC North
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. Last week, we examined all four AFC divisions, covering the East, North, South, and West. This week, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC — we kicked things off on Tuesday with the East and we’ll tackle the North today. Here’s a breakdown of the franchise and transition tag candidates for the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings:
Chicago Bears:
- Candidates: Stephen Paea
- Odds of being used: Unlikely
- The Bears have a ton of pending free agents, but most of them are either non-core players, or longtime contributors who are no longer realistic candidates to be tagged, such as Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs. I don’t expect Chicago to use either of its tags, but if there’s one option out there, it’s probably Paea, whose impressive 2014 campaign may have been overlooked by many due to the defense’s poor overall performance. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Paea as the league’s 11th-best defensive tackle, marking him down for 47 overall quarterback pressures, a lofty total for an interior lineman — among DTs, only Ndamukong Suh (57) and Kyle Williams (49) had more. It probably won’t take a franchise tag to retain Paea, but he should be a priority for the Bears if they have a spot for him in Vic Fangio‘s new defensive scheme.
Detroit Lions:
- Candidates: Ndamukong Suh, Matt Prater
- Odds of being used: Possible
- You could make a case for Suh as the league’s top free-agent-to-be this offseason, which would normally mean the franchise tag makes a ton of sense. In Suh’s case though, his 2014 salary was so high that the cost of a franchise tag would be astronomical — nearly $27MM. As such, a long-term extension will be the Lions’ preference, but tagging Suh could be a last resort. If the star defender isn’t tagged, Prater may be considered, since he made 87% of his field goals for the club after a shaky debut. Still, considering they picked him up off the scrap heap just a few months ago, the Lions likely won’t have to tag the kicker to bring him back. Nick Fairley and Rashean Mathis are other regulars who may be briefly considered, but neither appears to be a viable option.
Green Bay Packers:
- Candidates: Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga
- Odds of being used: Possible
- Cobb and Bulaga are players Green Bay would almost certainly like to have around for the 2015 season, and the wideout is the stronger candidate for a franchise tag than the offensive lineman. Although Bulaga has developed into a reliable right tackle for the Packers, the position just isn’t one that gets big money — as Over the Cap’s data shows, the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL (Gosder Cherilus) averages just $7MM per year, and a franchise salary would be significantly higher than that. Cobb, on the other hand, is coming off a season in which he recorded 91 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards, and 12 TDs. Those are No. 1 WR numbers, and Cobb is just 24 years old, so the Packers may be willing to pay him like one of the league’s best wideouts for a year while they try to work out a longer-term deal that’s worth a little less annually. Cornerback Tramon Williams is another solid contributor who might warrant fleeting consideration for a tag.
Minnesota Vikings:
- Candidates: None
- Odds of being used: Very unlikely
- Defensive regulars Jasper Brinkley and Tom Johnson are among the club’s contributors eligible for free agency this offseason, but Minnesota doesn’t have a key free agent worth an eight-digit salary for 2015.
Aaron Rodgers Wins MVP
For the second time, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has won the NFL’s MVP award, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk writes.
Rodgers, who won the MVP trophy in 2011, completed 341 of 520 passes for 4,381 yards in 2014. The 31-year-old threw for 38 touchdowns on the year while getting picked off just five times. Rodgers’ stellar touchdown-to-interception ratio was the fifth-best in NFL history and good for second among quarterbacks with at least 30 touchdown passes. No. 12 led Green Bay to a 12-4 mark this past season, though the Packers fell short in the postseason when they blew a big lead to the Seahawks in the NFC championship game. Rodgers is just the ninth player in history to win multiple MVP trophies.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes that J.J. Watt – this year’s DPOY – came in second place with 13 votes. Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray each got two votes. Tom Brady received one vote and, surprisingly, Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner also received an MVP vote.