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Browns, Colts Did Not Match Cardinals’ J.J. Watt Offer

March 2nd, 2021 at 3:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals came out of the J.J. Watt sweepstakes a surprise winner. It took a two-year, $31MM deal, with $23MM guaranteed, for Watt to head to the desert. This was not the only offer the former Texans great received.

A report indicated the three-time Defensive Player of the Year turned down more money from the Browns and Colts. However, that may not be the case. Both 2020 playoff teams did not top the Cardinals’ offer, according to cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot and The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter).

The Browns were viewed as an early Watt finalist, and while the team may well have been in it until the end, Cabot notes Cleveland’s offer did not reach the $15MM-AAV place. The Browns’ proposal likely landed in the $12MM-per-year range, per Cabot. Under Chris Ballard, the Colts are known for their patience with free agency and trades — as was the case with the team’s Matthew Stafford talks — and Holder wonders if the team was even a high bidder for Watt.

Watt targeted a team with a sound quarterback situation. The Cardinals have that box checked in Kyler Murray, with Watt indicating Tuesday that his belief in the young dual-threat star helped lead him to Arizona (Twitter links via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss). Cardinals DC Vance Joseph, who was with the Texans during Watt’s early years in Houston, is believed to have led the Cards’ recruitment effort, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Watt confirmed Joseph was a key factor in his decision to head west.

Cleveland still intends on adding a major piece to team with Myles Garrett, while Indianapolis currently resides in the top five in cap space. The Browns and Colts, respectively, have Olivier Vernon and Justin Houston on track for free agency. The Colts have not ruled out re-signing Houston — whom they gave a two-year, $24MM contract in 2019 — but he will turn 32 this year.

Colts Had Doubts On Matthew Stafford

February 19th, 2021 at 8:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Browns Lead NFL In Salary Cap Carryover

February 18th, 2021 at 10:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, the NFL Players Association announced (via Twitter) the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2021 season. Effectively, teams are able to rollover their unused cap from the previous season. So, when the 2021 salary cap numbers become official, they can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that individual club’s official cap for 2021.

This follows news from earlier today that the NFL has raised its salary cap floor to $180MM for 2021. This total could clue us in to the salary cap maximum, which could end up landing north of $190MM. The salary cap was $198.2MM for the 2020 campaign.

As the NFLPA detailed, the league will rollover $315.1MM from the 2020 season, an average of $9.8MM per team. The Browns lead the league with a whopping $30.4MM, and they’re the only team in the top-five to make the playoffs. The NFC East ($68.8MM) and AFC East ($65.3MM) are the two divisions will the largest carryover amounts.

The full list is below:

  • Cleveland Browns: $30.4MM
  • New York Jets: $26.7MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $25.4MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $23.5MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $22.8MM
  • New England Patriots: $19.6MM
  • Denver Broncos: $17.8MM
  • Washington Football Team: $15.8MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $15.2MM
  • Detroit Lions: $12.8MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $10.8MM
  • Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $8.3MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $8.1MM
  • Chicago Bears: $7MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $5.7MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $5.1MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $5MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $5MM
  • New York Giants: $4.8MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.6MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $4.5MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $4.3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $4.1MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $3.8MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $3.7MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $3.6MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $2.3MM
  • San Francisco 49ers: $1.9MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $1.8MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $956K
  • Baltimore Ravens: $587K

Carson Wentz Fallout: Hurts, Patriots, Pederson

February 18th, 2021 at 9:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia came to an end today, as the former second-overall pick was dealt to the Colts. However, just because Wentz was sent packing, that doesn’t necessarily mean Jalen Hurts will slide into the starting spot. Sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen that the Eagles intend to bring in “competition” at quarterback, and the “starting job is not expected to automatically go to Hurts.”

The Eagles made a significant commitment to Hurts when they selected him in the second round of last year’s draft, and the former Alabama/Oklahoma standout showed flashes of potential during the 2020 season. Hurts ultimately started four of his 15 appearances this past season, completing 52 percent of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He added another 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries.

It’s pretty clear that Hurts is the heir apparent at the quarterback spot, so this report is probably mostly lip service … teams don’t want their young players to rest on their laurels. Rather, the team is likely looking toward a veteran free agent who will provide some extra motivation to the young signal caller.

Let’s check out some more Wentz-centric notes:

  • The Colts ended up sending Philly a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Indy’s offer “hadn’t changed all that much across 10 days of negotiations.” The Colts front office ultimately believed the compensation was “fair,” and they never intended to “meet the Eagles’ initial demands of multiple first-round picks.” Per Keefer, the Colts understood that Wentz wasn’t their only option to replace Philip Rivers, and the front office was weighing other options while negotiating with Philadelphia.
  • We learned earlier today that the Bears had inquired on Wentz but never made a definitive offer. The same goes for the Patriots. According to Jeff Howe of the The Athletic, New England called the Eagles about the quarterback but lost interest when they heard the asking price. As the reporter notes, the Patriots are unlikely to “overpay for a veteran if it’s not a perfect fit,” especially at this point in the offseason.
  • How did it get to this point between Wentz and the Eagles? ESPN’s Tim McManus writes that the drafting of Hurts may have marked the “beginning of the end,” but there were plenty of additional factors that came into play during the 2020 season. As the Eagles losses and injuries continued to mount, (former) head coach Doug Pederson stripped Wentz of “much of his control over the offense.” As a result, Wentz vicariously lost faith in his head coach and the system.
  • Wentz didn’t just lose faith in Pederson. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Wentz “lost faith in [general manager Howie Roseman‘s] decision making. Wentz held a similar sentiment toward owner Jeffrey Lurie, who supported his GM and the front office’s decision to select Hurts in the second round.

Eagles Trade Carson Wentz To Colts

February 18th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Colts, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will send a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick to Philadelphia. That conditional choice could turn into a first-round selection if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps or 70% with a playoff appearance (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). 

Not long ago, Wentz was a legitimate MVP candidate. Things took a sharp turn in the Eagles’ Super Bowl season when Wentz’s injury gave way to the rise of Nick Foles. When Wentz, he wasn’t the same. Neither was the relationship between him and Doug Pederson. Now, they’re both out of Philadelphia.

Wentz will now try to fill the void left by Philip Rivers‘ retirement. Meanwhile, the Eagles are now poised to turn things over to Jalen Hurts, Wentz’s younger and more athletic counterpart.

There were other suitors for Wentz, but the Colts have long been linked to the former No. 2 overall pick. Three former Eagles coaches — Frank Reich, Mike Groh, and Press Taylor — are on the Colts’ staff, giving Wentz instant familiarity with the offense. The Bears, who have one-time Wentz QB coach John DeFilippo on the staff, were also said to be in the mix. Ditto for the Broncos, though they were lukewarm on him. The Broncos will now try to piece together an even bigger package for someone like Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson. If they can’t land a top-tier QB, they’ll reportedly stay the course with Drew Lock.

Wentz’s injuries and apparent decline hurt his stock, but his contract was also a limiting factor. On the plus side, his cap number will be tamped down to ~$25MM for Indy, due to guarantees that will remain on the Birds’ books.

The Colts will now have Wentz under contract through 2024. His deal calls for a $25.4MM cap hit this year, with $15.4MM guaranteed and a $10MM roster bonus. In 2022, they’ll have him at a $22MM salary/cap hit, with $15MM locked in. After that, the guarantees dissipate, giving the Colts an escape hatch should things go awry.

With the Wentz deal, there are now zero first-round QBs from the 2009-2016 drafts with their original teams, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The deal also marks the trades of the 2016 draft’s No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, inside of three weeks. Jared Goff — once a rising star in Los Angeles — was shipped to the Lions for Matthew Stafford just days ago.

Eagles, Colts Still Discussing Carson Wentz

February 17th, 2021 at 9:16am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears may have a slight lead in the Carson Wentz pursuit, which could be a two-horse race. But the Colts are not bowing out of this process. They continue to engage in dialogue with the Eagles on a trade for the disgruntled quarterback, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets.

Wentz is believed to prefer the Colts as a destination, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). But the Bears have Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace on hot seats going into their fourth year together. That may bring out a better offer compared to what the Colts are proposing.

The Colts, however, are not budging on their offer, with Keefer adding the Indy-Philly talks have not included a major compensation upgrade. It is not believed a first-round pick has yet emerged in a Wentz proposal.

Three ex-Eagles coaches on their offensive staff — Frank Reich, Mike Groh, Press Taylor — reside on the Colts’ staff, while the Bears have former Wentz position coach John DeFilippo in place as their quarterbacks coach. Chicago also recently promoted DeFilippo to passing-game coordinator.

Wentz has $47MM guaranteed going to him over the next two seasons, but the Eagles extending him at $32MM per year through the 2024 season, the quarterback would not carry a cap figure north of $27MM after he’s traded.

The Eagles were seeking a Matthew Stafford-type trade haul for Wentz, who has shown immense promise but is coming off his worst season. With these talks dragging on, it is clear Philly has not received such an offer for the former No. 2 overall pick. The Broncos and Patriots are not believed to be interested in Wentz, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting the Stafford-type haul request prompted multiple teams to withdraw from this pursuit from the start. But the Colts and Bears appear to still be in it. One of them could have a new starting quarterback soon.

Latest On Carson Wentz, Bears Front Runners?

February 16th, 2021 at 4:21pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

What we heard right before the Super Bowl made it sound like a Carson Wentz trade was imminent, but here on February 16th Wentz is still a member of the Eagles. In a recent piece, Albert Breer of SI.com broke down a few of the reasons why things are lagging. 

For starters, Breer writes that Philly’s steep asking price caused several potentially interested teams to “drop out of the running altogether.” In addition to his poor play last year, Breer also notes that a “less-talked-about problem is the growing reputation Wentz has of not reacting well to hard coaching.” Stuff like that has been hinted at the past couple years, but it sounds like it’s a full-blown issue at this point.

In an interview with Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, Breer added that he believes the Bears are the “front runner” as of the beginning of this week. “It’s pretty clear at this point the Bears have pushed harder than the Colts to get Carson Wentz. The Eagles are probably going to get their best return for Carson Wentz from Chicago,” Breer said.

Breer writes that he doesn’t think the Eagles will get a first-round pick, unless there are compounding factors like salary dumps or other picks going back to the trade partner. Both Indy and Chicago’s staffs have ties to Wentz, and the Bears just recently promoted his former quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo.

In recent days we’ve heard that both the Broncos and Patriots aren’t interested in Wentz, and there aren’t really any known suitors other than the Colts or Bears.

No First-Round Picks Offered For Carson Wentz

February 13th, 2021 at 6:39pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s unlikely that the Eagles have been offered a first-round pick for Carson Wentz, according league sources who spoke with to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That goes for “this year” or any year “in the future,” Bowen says, which means that the Birds may have to settle for far less than they wanted. 

[RELATED: Broncos Eyeing Carson Wentz?]

The Lions fetched two future first-rounders and a third-rounder for Matthew Stafford, but it’s hardly an apples-to-apples comparison. To get that package, the Lions agreed to take on Jared Goff‘s whopper of a contract. Meanwhile, Wentz has an outsized deal of his own. Wentz, 28, is signed through 2024 with $47.2MM guaranteed through the 2022 season.

The Colts and the Bears have been linked to Wentz. In theory, teams that missed out on Stafford like the Broncos, Panthers, and 49ers could get in the mix. The Patriots were also one-time Stafford suitors, but they’re not interested in the former No. 2 overall pick.

The Eagles claim that they want to move forward with Wentz, but, by all accounts, he still wants out. It may behoove Howie Roseman to make a deal sooner rather than later. If Wentz is on the roster by the third day of the league year in March, the Eagles will owe him a $10MM signing bonus. They can escape that obligation by dealing him beforehand, though they’ll still be on the hook for $33.8MM in dead cap charges.

Matthew Stafford Addresses Lions Exit, Trade Options, Injuries

February 11th, 2021 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

A week after Matthew Stafford‘s January trade request surfaced, the Rams made a deal to acquire him for Jared Goff and three draft picks. But a Detroit departure was on the 12-year veteran’s mind ahead of the 2020 season as well.

Rumors circulated about a Stafford trade last year, when he was coming off an injury-abbreviated 2019 season, but those quickly fizzled. Stafford played 16 Lions games last season, but the team’s 5-11 record led to a regime change and the official trade request. Now set for a rebuild, the Lions hired ex-Rams exec Brad Holmes as GM and Dan Campbell as head coach.

“To be honest, Kelly and I probably started talking about it before last season,” Stafford said of he and his wife’s discussions about a possible Detroit exit (via Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press). “It was one of those things where, you know, we were hoping that, golly, let’s go, I hope this thing takes off and we play great. But if it doesn’t, you just knew what was going to happen. They were going to tear it down and rebuild.

“And anytime you switch GMs and a head coach, you know that they’re going to want to bring their own people in, and that’s going to take time. And I, frankly, didn’t feel like I was the appropriate person to oversee that time.”

Stafford, who turned 33 last week, generated trade inquiries or offers from nearly half the league. The Panthers offered their first-round pick (No. 8 overall) and Teddy Bridgewater for him; Washington offered its No. 19 overall choice and more as well. The Broncos’ offer did not come in on that level, but they joined the Colts, 49ers, Bears and Patriots as other suitors. Stafford was believed to be against a New England trade.

“I thought all the places that everybody else thought. Indianapolis. San Francisco — although you didn’t know what was gonna happen with Jimmy (Garoppolo),” Stafford said. “Washington, but we obviously didn’t know what was gonna happen there. I just didn’t know how (the Rams) would ever be able to (execute a trade). I’m not a salary cap guru. It kind of got to a point where I’m like, OK, I can’t sit there and go crazy. I just tried to let it happen, and L.A. aggressively jumped into it.”

Between 2013-18, the Lions won between six and nine games in five seasons. Stafford will head to a Rams team that has made three of the past four playoff brackets, after missing the previous 12.

“I’ve always wanted to play in those big games; I feel like I will excel in those situations. I wanted to shoot my shot,” Stafford said, via Albom. “… In my mind, I felt like I was going to be able to help us go win six, seven, eight games, because I wasn’t gonna let us lose more than that, you know? But I probably wasn’t good enough (by myself) to help us win more than that. And maybe we don’t ever get those top picks that we needed.

Although the Rams are set to upgrade at quarterback, they will acquire a player coming off some recent injuries. Back trouble caused Stafford to miss eight games in 2019, and he said he suffered a torn UCL in his left elbow during Detroit’s Thanksgiving game. Stafford also told Albom he suffered a partial UCL tear in his right thumb and a broken rib and encountered multiple leg issues this past season. The former No. 1 overall pick, however, has only missed eight games in the past 10 years.

This Date In Transactions History: Colts Hire Frank Reich

February 11th, 2021 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago today, the Colts wrapped up one of the strangest sagas in league history. Earlier in the offseason, the Colts agreed to hire Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. Then, soon after they announced McDaniels’ arrival, he left them at the altar. 

[RELATED: Colts Pursuing Carson Wentz]

The Colts were forced to restart their head coaching search in a hurry. Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier were among those considered in the second act, but general manager Chris Ballard ultimately chose Frank Reich, the Eagles offensive coordinator who helped guide the franchise to its first ever Super Bowl championship. Reich had previously interviewed for the Bills’ and Jets’ head coaching vacancies in 2015, but went a few years without HC buzz.

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but the Colts felt that Reich could help them salvage things. In addition to the SB ring on his resume, Reich’s offense had just placed third in scoring, seventh in total yards, and eighth in DVOA. Not bad for a last minute scramble.

Under Reich’s watch, the Colts have reached the playoffs twice in three years. His 11-5 record in 2020 was his best to date, though they were stopped by the Bills in the opening round. Reich will now look to build on that with yet another quarterback running his offense — and it just might be old pal Carson Wentz.

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