AFC South Links: Jaguars, Titans, Colts
Our Offseason in Review series has moved on to the AFC South, with Zach Links looking last night at 2013’s division champs, and the roster shuffling done by the Colts this winter and spring. Keep an eye on PFR over the long weekend for the next few installments in the series, as we tackle the Titans, Jaguars, and Texans. In the meantime, here are a few odds and ends out of the South:
- Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida takes an in-depth look at new Jaguars wideout Marqise Lee, who is one of four 2014 draftees who remains unsigned. Considering Hornack’s piece doesn’t touch on Lee’s contract situation at all, it seems there’s little reason to be concerned about the two sides reaching an agreement this month.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union believes there should be some optimism for the Jaguars‘ pass rush this season, if only because it can’t be any worse than it has been over the last couple seasons. The club added Dekoda Watson and Chris Clemons in free agency, and expects continued growth from Andre Branch.
- Within his latest Titans mailbag, ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky says he expects there to be a wide receiver on the team in Week 1 or Week 2 that isn’t currently on the roster.
- Kevin Bowen of Colts.com also fields questions in a mailbag today, discussing the Colts‘ starting running back job, the team’s defensive line rotation, and its receiving corps.
Latest On Four Remaining Unsigned Draftees
As we’ve discussed before when covering draft pick signings – as well as those draftees who remain unsigned – the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement has taken most of the drama out of the contracts for rookies. With set amounts on signing bonuses and total values for most rookie deals, players will haggle over things like offset language, types of payment, and guaranteed money, but for the most part, there isn’t much wiggle room.
That means that we shouldn’t expect to see many – if any – holdouts when training camps get underway later this month. Still, four of 2014’s 256 draft picks have still yet to ink their contracts, so it’s worth checking in on them to see if we can discern any particular reason why that’s the case. Here are the four draftees who remain unsigned, along with the latest updates on each of them:
- Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8): As of last Tuesday, Gilbert didn’t sound like he was too involved in his own negotiations, deferring to his agent when asked about contract talks by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He echoed that stance later in the week, suggesting that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be in attendance when the Browns’ training camp begins. Still, even with potential disputes over offsets and roster bonuses in play at the No. 8 spot, I’d be pretty surprised if the rookie cornerback wasn’t present for the first day of camp.
- Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11): Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote this week that he thinks the delay on Lewan may be a result of the offensive tackle looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. Last year’s 11th overall pick (D.J. Fluker) didn’t receive these bonuses in his deal, but Lewan’s teammate, No. 10 pick Chance Warmack, did get them. Considering Lewan is viewed as the Titans’ left tackle of the future, making him a more essential piece on the offensive line than Warmack, he has a reasonable case for those roster bonuses. In Florio’s view, a brief training camp holdout is a possibility for Lewan.
- Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39): Lee was long viewed as a likely first-round pick, so the delay on his signing may be related to his trying to recoup some guaranteed money after slipping to No. 39. In his latest mailbag, John Oesher of Jaguars.com couldn’t offer any specific details on the holdup for Lee, but stated confidently that something should get done before training camp.
- Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67): There haven’t been many rumblings about the contract talks, who is the last third-rounder to sign. Most recently, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote last Monday that the unresolved issues for Turner “are not insurmountable.”
AFC Notes: Bills, Steelers, Garoppolo
The Bills were dealt a devastating blow tonight, as second-year linebacker Kiko Alonso tore his ACL and is expected to miss all of the upcoming season. Let’s look at some more notes from Buffalo and the rest of the AFC:
- New York governor Andrew Cuomo has argued that the Bills don’t need a new stadium in order to remain in Buffalo, and today he reiterated that view. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Cuomo, per Dave McKinley of WGRZ.com. “Everyone wants the Bills to stay in Western New York. And, if everyone agreed that the only way the Bills could stay was a new stadium, then we should talk about a new stadium. But I don’t know that that’s the case.” However, the state has tasked a consulting firm with surveying locations for a new Bills home, and it has delivered a preliminary report.
- Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley offered praise for new line coach Mike Munchak, who like Haley, has head coaching experience, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. “Not all great players are great coaches. But he’s definitely one of those great players that transitioned into being a great coach,” said Haley. “The head coaching experience is a benefit because he doesn’t just see it from his position group or his perspective. He sees the big picture…”
- kSpeaking of Haley, he conducted an interesting interview with Mary Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focusing on analytics, and how the burgeoning use of statistics in the NFL affects the Steelers’ offensive philosophy.
- Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that three non-first-round AFC rookies have caught his eye throughout minicamps and OTAs: Allen Robinson and Brandon Linder of the Jaguars, and Jimmy Garoppolo of the Patriots.
Sunday Roundup: Thomas, Davis, Momah
It’s been a surprisingly exciting morning in the NFL, with the false report from the Dallas Police Department that Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was arrested early this morning dominating the Twitterverse. Now that things have quieted down and Talib has been absolved–his brother, Yaqub, was the person taken into custody–let’s have a look at some links from around the league.
- Mike Kiszla of The Denver Post writes that the Broncos cannot afford to overpay star wideout Demaryius Thomas. He adds that, although Thomas is set to become a free agent after this season, the franchise tag is a legitimate option if an extension cannot be worked out (check out our Luke Adams’ piece on what a deal for Thomas might look like). Kiszla believes that giving Thomas more than $30MM in easily-obtained guarantees is too much for a receiver who greatly benefits from being in the same huddle as Peyton Manning.
- The Panthers exercised linebacker Thomas Davis‘ 2014 and 2015 options in February after his stellar 2013 campaign, but if they had not done so, Davis would have retired, according to Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer. Davis said, “If I’m going to play football and represent an organization, it’s going to be with the team that stuck beside me and never gave up on me.“
-
Free agent defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, who played for the Packers last season, has gained medical clearance after undergoing neck surgery in January, writes Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post. As we learned several weeks ago, the Packers remain open to Jolly’s return.
- The Titans‘ top three wide receivers–Nate Washington, Kendall Wright, and Justin Hunter–are set. But as Lauren Moore of The Tennessean writes, second-year man Michael Preston, who has been dubbed a “jack-of-all-trades” by wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, hopes to seize the fourth receiver role from the likes of veteran free agent acquisitions Brian Robiskie, Derek Hagan, and Dorin Dickerson, as well as a few 2013 and 2014 undrafted free agents.
- Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that, although the Browns would love to extend tight end Jordan Cameron, Cameron’s agent, Tom Condon, will drive a hard bargain. She adds that wide receiver Josh Gordon must have some “compelling arguments” given that there has yet to be an announcement regarding his suspension (although an appeal hearing has not been set).
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes that the Jaguars will need to grab a standout pass rusher in the 2015 draft, and he lists some potential candidates for Jags fans to keep an eye on this season.
- Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com writes that Ifeanyi Momah, the physically gifted wide receiver whom the Eagles released last season during final cutdowns, is back with Philadelphia this year and stands a real chance at making the roster.
Florida Notes: Jags, Dolphins, Colledge
In his first two drafts as the Jaguars‘ general manager, David Caldwell has used four of his five first- or second-round selections on offensive players, but Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union doesn’t expect that to be the case in 2015. In Carlyon’s view, it’s a safe bet that Jacksonville will target a pass-rusher to fill the Leo role on defense. Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Michigan State’s Shilique Calhoun, and Dante Fowler of Florida are among the players the Times-Union scribe suggests Jags fans keep an eye on when the 2014 NCAA season gets underway.
Here’s more on the Jags and another of the NFL’s Florida teams:
- Within the same piece, Carlyon notes that safety Sherrod Martin will be one of the more intriguing players to watch in training camp for the Jaguars this summer. Martin has about as much combined starting experience as fellow safeties Johnathan Cyprien, Josh Evans, Winston Guy and Chris Prosinski, but his spot on the regular season roster is far from guaranteed.
- In his discussion of Daryn Colledge‘s impending meeting with the Dolphins, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald points out that, under new general manager Dennis Hickey, the team has attempted to sign every free agent it has brought in for a visit. That bodes well for Colledge’s chancing of earning a contract offer in the wake of Mike Pouncey‘s hip injury.
- Dolphins safety Reshad Jones is intent on bouncing back in 2014 after a down 2013, vowing to practice harder this year, as Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel details. Jones has a guaranteed salary for the next two seasons, so even if he struggles again in ’14, Miami is unlikely to give up on him.
AFC Links: Watkins, Shorts, Keisel, Raiders
Last night we not only passed along some Browns notes, but also asked whether Johnny Manziel’s off-the-field conduct was among the NFL’s most intriguing storylines. Let’s take a look at some more news from Cleveland, as well as the rest of the AFC:
- Sammy Watkins revealed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal that Browns general manager Ray Farmer met with him in Clemson just a few days before the start of last month’s draft. Watkins, of course, was thought to be an option for the Browns at pick No. 4, but Cleveland ultimately traded the pick to the Bills, who selected the 21-year-old receiver.
- Negotiations between the Jaguars and Cecil Shorts could take awhile, but Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com thinks an extension could be signed sometime during the first half of the season. DiRocco agrees with a recent assessment that Doug Baldwin‘s contract with the Seahawks could be a template for a new Shorts deal, but cautions that if Shorts demands No. 1 receiver money, an agreement could stall.
- In his latest mailbag, Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that he still expects the Steelers to re-sign veteran Brett Keisel, though a reunion may not come until just before the start of training camp. Keisel would serve as a mentor to second-round pick Stephon Tuitt, and act as part of a rotation with the rookie and Cam Thomas.
- 2011 Steelers fifth-round linebacker Chris Carter might be facing his last chance in Pittsburgh, according to R.J. Schaffer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Following the release of LaMarr Woodley, there is room for another pass-rusher to step up for the Steelers, but rumors persist that the team might add veteran James Harrison.
- The Raiders still have more than $10MM left in cap space, and ESPN.com’s Paul Guiterrez wonders if the team should look to spend that money, while questioning why Oakland did not look into signing Brandon Flowers. Personally, I think it makes more sense for the Raiders to roll over that cap space into 2015, as there aren’t any high-impact free agents left on the market.
Extra Points: Davis, Hankins, Vernon, Brown
“Vernon Davis sounds resigned as if he’ll report to 49ers training camp in 26 days without a new contract,” writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and the tight end does not sound stressed about it.
Here’s more lunchtime links:
- Giants 2013 second-round pick Johnathan Hankins came on strong down the stretch last season and is poised to inherit the nose tackle position vacated by Linval Joseph, who signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan.
- Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton was terrific against the run last season, but he’s making a concerted effort to improve his hand use and pass-rushing ability. In a story by CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher, Thornton says part of his motivation came from his wife telling him, “You only had one sack.”
- Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s stock is on the rise, says ESPN’s James Walker: “The former third-round pick exploded on the scene and led the Dolphins with 11.5 sacks…Vernon had another strong offseason, capped by his 2 1/2 sacks in Miami’s team scrimmage last week. Not only that, Vernon beat Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert for two of his sacks…Vernon looks poised to hold onto his starting job and keep former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan on the bench.”
- Tarell Brown‘s one-year, $3.5MM deal is the Raiders’ best contract, while Sebastian Janikowski‘s four-year, $15.1MM deal — which “ranks in the top 10 of the Raiders annual salary structure, top 3 in total value for the team among veterans, and first overall among kickers in the NFL” — is the worst, in the opinion of OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald.
- Chiefs injury plagued tight end Tony Moeaki is on the bubble, explains ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
- Same goes for Jaguars safety Josh Evans, thinks ESPN’s Michael DiRocco: “Evans will have to prove early in camp that he’s completely healthy and is more consistent than he was as a rookie. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose reps and could end up being the first David Caldwell draft pick who gets cut.”
Rookie Notes: Clowney, Bortles, Manziel, Beckham Jr., Cooks
This week, Texans top overall pick Jedeveon Clowney opened up about the sports hernia injury he had surgically repaired two weeks ago, admitting the injury bothered him as far back as last football season. The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain has the story of Clowney revealing the information to Gil Brandt, while Pro Football Talk wonders if the Texans should have known.
In other rookie news and notes…
- Jaguars third-overall pick Blake Bortles will receive first-team reps in training camp, writes NFL.com’s Mike Coppinger.
- Meanwhile, Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel continues to be a lightning rod even during the slowest of news periods, as he told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, “I’m not going to change for anybody.” A couple of Hall of Famers advise Manziel to stay out of the non-football headlines, though. Joe Montana weighed in on NFL Network, while Warren Moon talked to Alex Marvez and Pat Kirwan SiriusXM NFL Radio.
- “[Draft picks] better all contribute right away, whether it be on special teams, defense, offense, whatever it is they’re going to be,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “There’s no waiting around in this game today.” With that in mind, Raanan examined realistic expectations for rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
- The ingenuity of the Saints’ offensive system should enable first-rounder Brandin Cooks to thrive given the rookie’s explosiveness, playmaking and versatility, asserts SI.com’s Doug Farrar.
- Bleacher Report’s Dan Hope highlights ten rookies already making favorable impressions and earning early reps, including the Raiders’ Gabe Jackson, the Cardinals’ John Brown.
Jaguars Links: Roster, Harris, Marks, Lewis
The Jaguars saw a former offensive line mainstay find a new team yesterday, when Uche Nwaneri confirmed that he had reached an agreement to join the Cowboys. Jacksonville also finalized a signing of its own, however, announcing that second-round wideout Allen Robinson had inked his rookie deal. Eight of nine Jags draftees are now under contract, with only fellow second-round receiver Marqise Lee still unsigned. As we wait for Lee to make it official with his new NFL club, let’s check in on a few links from out of Jacksonville….
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union projects what the Jaguars‘ 53-man roster will look like. Jacksonville has some interesting battles brewing, including at tight end, wide receiver, and in the secondary, and O’Halloran places his bets for all of them.
- Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com looks at cornerback Mike Harris as he tries to make the Jaguars‘ roster. After Alan Ball (86 games) and Will Blackmon (58 games), no Jaguars cornerback has appeared in more career games than Harris (31). Still, the Florida State product isn’t the kind of long and physical corner that coach Gus Bradley prefers.
- Sen’Derrick Marks‘ contract with the Jaguars currently ranks as the most team-friendly deal on the roster, in the estimation of Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. On the other end of the spectrum, tight end Marcedes Lewis repeats as Fitzgerald’s pick for the worst contract on Jacksonville’s roster.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jaguars Sign Second-Rounder Allen Robinson
The Jaguars have locked up one of their two unsigned second-round wideouts, announcing today (via Twitter) that Allen Robinson has inked his rookie deal with the club. The signing leaves Marqise Lee as the only Jacksonville draftee who has yet to put pen to paper.
Robinson, 20, was selected 61st overall by the Jaguars last month, as the team went heavy on offensive picks in the first few rounds. The former Penn State standout, who will be catching balls from either Chad Henne or fellow rookie Blake Bortles in 2014, is in line for a signing bonus worth about $873K, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The full four-year value of Robinson’s deal should be in the neighborhood of $3.51MM.
With Robinson now under contract, only four 2014 draft picks still have to sign their deals. Besides Lee, Cleveland’s Justin Gilbert, Tennessee’s Taylor Lewan, and Miami’s Billy Turner remain unsigned.