AFC Notes: Bortles, Ravens, Chiefs, Colts
We checked in on the NFC earlier this afternoon, so let’s head over to the AFC now and round up a few of the latest updates….
- Blake Bortles had formal interviews with eight franchises at the combine in Indianapolis, according to Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel. Of those eight teams, three – the Texans, Jaguars, and Titans – were AFC South squads. The Jets and Raiders also met with the UCF quarterback.
- With James Ihedigbo expected to leave in free agency, the Ravens would like to add a free safety this offseason, shifting Matt Elam to strong safety, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Still, the team feels good about its secondary overall, and safety won’t be the top priority in May’s draft.
- The Chiefs had formal interviews in Indianapolis with Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy and Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links).
- Cornerback Vontae Davis and safety Antoine Bethea are potential candidates to receive the Colts‘ franchise designation, but the free agent most likely to be tagged might be kicker Adam Vinatieri, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.
Cohen Predicts Where Top Free Agents Land
Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com has been following free agency very closely, giving updates on the cap situations of every NFL team and details on current player contracts. Earlier today, he took a break from crunching numbers to examine the possible destinations on some of the league’s top free agents. After outlining the effective cap space of each NFL team, which takes into account the amount of money they would have to pay their draft selections, he shows a picture of where some of the biggest names could land.
Of his top ten free agents, he sees more than half of them returning to their teams in 2014, either via long-term contract or because of the franchise tag. Some of those players we already thought would end up with extensions or playing next year under the tag,
However, he does see a few key players changing uniforms this offseason, finding some big money with a new franchise:
- Cohen predicts Panthers‘ star Greg Hardy finding a team that run a 4-3 defense and has some cap room, such as the Raiders or Jaguars.
- The top receiver this offseason, Eric Decker has already been linked to Cleveland by Cohen earlier this offseason, and the Browns are still thought to be a front runner for his services, along with the Jets.
- Bengals‘ pass rusher Michael Johnson played under the franchise tag in 2013, and is unlikely to be tagged again. Cohen could see the Falcons cutting Osi Umenyiora and plugging Johnson into his role.
- Because of the Steelers‘ cap woes, Cohen does not think they will have the opportunity to offer Jason Worilds a contract comparative to what he would get on the open market. For that reason, he sees the pass rusher leaving for greener pastures. According to Cohen he might not have to leave the state, as he sees the Eagles 3-4 defense as a perfect landing spot for the outside linebacker.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Richardson, Draft
Colts GM Ryan Grigson wants the team’s offensive line play to improve, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Although the unit did give up nine fewer sacks than in 2012, injuries abounded and the interior line play was inconsistent. Grigson, who recently sounded lukewarm on the status of center Samson Satele, may have to look to the draft for improvements, as the center/guard free agent market is not all that strong save for Alex Mack. Advanced metrics differ on the play of the Colts’ offensive line — Pro Football Focus rated them as the 24th best unit, while Football Outsiders marked them as middle of the pack in run-blocking, but excellent in pass protection.
- Improved offensive line play could be the first step in getting more from running back Trent Richardson, and the Colts expect progress from him in 2014, writes Craig Kelly of Colts.com.
- Within the same piece, Grigson says “don’t rule anything out” when it comes to trading back into the first round of the draft. The Colts traded their 2014 first-round-pick for Richardson.
- Texans GM Rick Smith is a believer in the “best player available” strategy it terms of drafting players, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. “I think the risk is if you take a player that is not reflective of the value,” said Smith. “Because what you ultimately do is you miss on another player you should have been taking that has that value. That’s why we don’t rank our board with any type of consideration for need because when you do that, you make mistakes.” However, Smith did allow that quarterback is by far the most important position on the field, followed by pass-rusher.
- The Jaguars would likely want a first-rounder and either a second- or third-round-pick in exchange for moving out of the third overall draft position, writes ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco as part of a mailbag segment. He also notes the Jags will use free agency to bolster their offensive and defensive lines, but will not spend big on marquee names.
- In his mailbag, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com argues that the Titans will likely draft a running back in the fourth round or later, ostensibly to pair with Shonn Greene. Fellow ball-carrier Chris Johnson is expected to be released.
Ravens Rumors: Pitta, Monroe, Jones, Draft
We’ve passed along a couple Ravens updates from the combine already today, but Aaron Wilson’s latest piece for the Baltimore Sun includes so many notable nuggets on the team that we’ll need a new post to round them all up. Let’s dive in….
- The Ravens are in discussions with tight end Dennis Pitta and offensive tackle Eugene Monroe about new contracts, and coach John Harbaugh is optimistic about locking up both players. “To my knowledge, both of those guys really want to be here and we really want them here,” Harbaugh said. “That’s a good formula for working things out.”
- If the Ravens tag Pitta as their franchise player, he’s expected to file a grievance to try to get the wide receiver tag, a source tells Wilson.
- Harbaugh didn’t close the door on the possibility of bringing back both Monroe and Michael Oher, though a previous report suggested Oher is unlikely to return if Monroe re-signs.
- Defensive tackle Arthur Jones is expected to receive heavy interest on the open market, and may be too expensive for the Ravens, as Harbaugh acknowledges: “It’s probably the one contract that he’ll have a chance to sign, a real big one. Guys that sign two big contracts, that’s very unusual. Three almost never happens, so you never feel bad about a guy getting an opportunity. You never want to lose a good player. But from a personal standpoint, you have to feel good about that. Whether we can match that or not, that’s all in the math.”
- The Ravens will meet with Boston College running back Andre Williams, who also has meetings scheduled with the Jaguars, Bills, and Bengals, tweets Wilson.
- Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey also met with the Ravens, as well as the Steelers, at the combine, tweets Wilson.
South Notes: Caldwell, Griffin, Washington
Despite owning 10 selections in the 2014 NFL Draft — including No. 3 overall — Jaguars second-year GM David Caldwell cites a robust class of eligible draftees as a reason to trade down and stockpile picks.
“We have 10 picks already and when we did the Eugene Monroe trade, we felt it would be a deep draft,” Caldwell said at his NFL Scouting Combine interview, according to John Oehser of Gaguars.com. “We feel really good about having an extra four and an extra five.”
In addition to its regularly allotted picks in Rounds 1-7, Jacksonville acquired a fifth-round pick with the trade of receiver Mike Thomas to the Lions, along with the aforementioned fourth- and fifth-round picks from the Ravens in the Monroe trade.
With NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock calling this draft class the deepest in the last 10 years, and Steelers GM Kevin Colbert saying it’s the deepest he’s ever seen, one would be hard-pressed to argue with Caldwell’s philosophy, especially with a lineup devoid of blue-chip talent.
More notes from the AFC and NFC South….
- Titans safety Michael Griffin and receiver Nate Washington are due to make $6.2MM and $4.8MM in 2014, respectively, but it “sounds like they’re going to be OK,” according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (Twitter link).
- However, Wyatt doesn’t feel so optimistic about right tackle David Stewart, who is scheduled to earn $6.4MM next season. The Titans would not endure a cap hit of any kind if they release Stewart, who is in the final year of a six-year deal and has missed four games in each of the past two seasons due to injury.
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis said he plans on filling as many needs as possible in free agency, then finding the best players available in the draft, writes John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com. The New Orleans staff has all the reports written on the 2014 NFL draft class, said Loomis, and that it is now in the “fine-tuning” stage of the evaluation process.
- DeShazier notes that the BPA strategy has paid dividends with Loomis at GM, unearthing gems like Jahri Evans and Marques Colston in the fourth and seventh rounds of 2006, along with Pierre Thomas and Junior Galette as undrafted free agents in 2007 and 2010.
Combine Updates: Boldin, Jags, Dolphins
“It’s not just me who wants Anquan Boldin back,” 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said today of the team’s No. 1 receiver in 2013, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Suggesting that the San Francisco decision-makers are unanimous in wanting to re-sign Boldin, Harbaugh added that negotiations are heading in a “positive direction.” The Niners coach wasn’t the only one providing noteworthy quotes this afternoon at the combine. Here are several more notable updates from Indianapolis:
- The Jaguars intend to meet with the top three quarterback prospects – Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles – this weekend, according to GM Dave Caldwell (Twitter link via Ryan O’Hallaran of the Florida Times-Union). However, Caldwell also suggested it would be beneficial for the team to trade down from No. 3 overall, since the draft is so deep (Twitter link via Hays Carlyon of the Times-Union).
- Asked if he expected prospective free agent Chad Henne to hit the open market, Caldwell replied, “I don’t think so,” suggesting that the Jaguars could reach an agreement with their incumbent starter prior to March 11 (Twitter link via O’Hallaran).
- Broncos head coach John Fox is comfortable with the idea of moving forward with running Montee Ball if Knowshon Moreno leaves Denver in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
- Responding to a report that suggested the Dolphins might bench Ryan Tannehill for Matt Moore at some point in 2014, new Miami GM Dennis Hickey expressed confidence in Tannehill. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has that quote and several more from Hickey, who insisted that free agents will be attracted to the organization despite the recent controversy surrounding the team.
- The Bears head into the 2014 season carrying three punters on their roster, meaning veteran Adam Podlesh will have to fight for the job, according to GM Phil Emery. Drew Butler and Tress Way will also be in the mix, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago details.
- Projected first-round tight end Eric Ebron confirmed to reporters, including Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter link), that the Ravens and Packers are among the teams with whom he’ll interview today. Tight end Jace Amaro will also meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), while ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky writes that Wisconsin offensive lineman Ryan Groy met with the Packers.
AFC Notes: Monroe, Texans, Jaguars, Talib
As we heard earlier this week, re-signing offensive tackle Eugene Monroe will be a priority for the Ravens this offseason. However, the team shouldn’t expect to bring back Monroe at a discount. As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com details, Monroe recently told WNST-AM in Baltimore that he intends to maximize his value — either on the open market in March, or before that, if he and the Ravens can reach an agreement.
“Everyone in the business should understand – even coaches when they’re going through their deals negotiating contracts – you have to get the absolute best because you put forth your best effort all the time, every single day in this league,” Monroe said. “So there are definitely no discounts, and you have to have you and your family’s best interests at heart in terms of negotiating these deals.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- League sources “increasingly believe” that the Texans are leaning toward Johnny Manziel with the first overall pick, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, who hears that the team has been “quietly falling in lust” with the Texas A&M signal-caller. With over two and a half months still to go until the draft though, nothing is close to being set in stone yet.
- Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com spoke extensively to Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell about his team’s future, and the piece produced several noteworthy quotes from the Jacksonville GM. Among them: Caldwell suggested he’d rather deal with the backlash for not drafting a quarterback third overall in May than pick the wrong guy.
- While it’s still possible that the Redskins will make a play for free-agent-to-be Aqib Talib, their new contract agreement with DeAngelo Hall reduces their need for a cornerback, which could be good news for the Patriots, as Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes.
- Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune explores whether Eric Decker might be for a fit for the Chargers, but concludes that the free agent receiver figures to be too expensive for San Diego.
- In an open letter to Joe Philbin, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald questions why the Dolphins’ head coach has been silent throughout the offseason, even since the publication of the Ted Wells report.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Verner, Babin
One of the biggest question marks for the Colts this offseason is how the team will better develop Trent Richardson after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Since the team traded a first-round pick to acquire him, Richardson seems locked in to the top of the depth chart at least at the beginning of this season. Because of this, and the return of Vick Ballard from injury, Donald Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw will probably be searching for new teams in free agency, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. While they were arguably the Colts best running backs last season, they would most likely look for opportunities to start or split time elsewhere. Here are some other rumors from around the AFC South:
- While the Colts will have more than $30MM to spend, Wells does not see the team bringing a bunch of big name free agents this offseason. With new contracts for T.Y. Hilton and most importantly Andrew Luck on the horizon, much of that cap space will be saved for re-signing current players or cheaper free agents.
- Alterraun Verner has been thought of as a possible franchise tag candidate for the Titans, but Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean does not see that as a likely scenario, as the team is already paying Jason McCourty a little over $8.6MM per year. Verner’s franchise price is expected to be around $11.2MM, and together it would be too much to invest in one position. The team will continue to work on a long-term deal with Verner.
- Jason Babin is unlikely to be on the Jaguars roster next season at his current price tag of $4.225MM, but he is willing to renegotiate that figure to stay with the team, writes Michael Dirocco of ESPN.com. Babin was the Jaguars’ best pass rusher last season, totaling a team-high 7.5 sacks on the season.
Manziel Says Texans Would Regret Passing On Him
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has maintained for several weeks that the Texans will use the first overall pick in the 2014 draft to select a quarterback, and for his latest Chronicle piece, he got a chance to speak extensively with one of the top candidates for that No. 1 pick: Johnny Manziel. The former Heisman winner expressed in strong terms that he hoped and expected to be picked No. 1 by the Texans in May. Here are a few notable quotes from Manziel, as detailed by McClain:
On how he wants the Texans to feel about drafting him:
“I want them to say absolutely, without a doubt, with 100% certainty, that I’m who they want. I want everybody from the janitor at Reliant Stadium to the front office executive assistant all the way up to (owner) Bob McNair to say, ‘This kid is 100%, can’t miss. This is who we want being the face of our program. We want the Texas kid staying in Texas and leading the Texans.'”
On how the Texans should feel if they pass on him and he’s drafted by the Jaguars (No. 3):
“It would be the worst decision they’ve ever made. I’d be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito.”
On his expectations for his NFL career:
“People can call me crazy, and it’s not cockiness — I’m going to put myself in (position) to win the Super Bowl every single year. A 5’10” guy (Russell Wilson) just won the Super Bowl in his second year in the NFL. That’s unreal. I want to be the first rookie to win the Super Bowl.”
On the possibility of being drafted by the Browns:
“If something happens, and it’s the Cleveland Browns, I’m going to pour my heart out for the Dawg Pound and try to win a Super Bowl for Cleveland. I don’t care if they’ve had 20 starting quarterbacks since 1999. I’m going to be the 21st and the guy that brought them the Super Bowl.”
On leaving the ‘Johnny Football’ moniker behind and simply becoming Johnny Manziel:
“Johnny Football is the stuff you see on TMZ. There’s part of that folktale that goes along with it and tries to twist me into somebody I’m not all the time. I feel like now there’s kind of like this frozen food package — a prewrapped, precooked package of who I am. Johnny Manziel is the guy that – whether it’s Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland or Oakland – you’ll have to drag off that field before I stop playing for those guys. Those are my teammates. Those are my brothers from now on. I’m going to fight until there’s no time left on the clock. That’s Johnny Manziel.”
Florida Notes: Jaguars, Dolphins, Kafka
After rounding up the latest updates on a handful of AFC and NFC North teams earlier this afternoon, we’ll head down south and check in on today’s items on the league’s three franchise in Florida:
- Last offseason, the Jaguars didn’t sign any free agents to contracts exceeding two years, but GM Dave Caldwell has expressed a willingness to go to three or four years this time around, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. Still, Caldwell cautioned that the club won’t be looking to set the market with big deals.
- Selecting an offensive tackle with the No. 19 pick in May’s draft isn’t the Dolphins‘ only option, but it’s the best option, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Perkins also identifies running back and free safety as positions the Dolphins may target in the first round, with linebacker as a “dark horse.”
- Agent Mike McCartney tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune that Mike Kafka signed with the Buccaneers instead of the Cowboys because Tampa Bay is more likely to carry three quarterbacks in 2014.
- Given Kafka’s and Mike Glennon‘s lack of NFL experience, Cummings expects the Buccaneers to add a third quarterback to the roster in free agency rather than in the draft (Twitter link).