QB Rumors: RGIII, Foles, Romo, Luck
At least 10 teams are giving Washington signal-caller Robert Griffin III “a hard look,” sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Griffin is a strong candidate to be either traded or released in the coming days, and there are teams around the league who feel like they can remake RGIII both on and off the field, according to Freeman.
While no team will want to trade for Griffin and pay his $16MM+ salary for 2016, that figure remains non-guaranteed until next Wednesday, so there could be resolution on the quarterback’s situation soon. As Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets, Washington wouldn’t want more than a conditional late-round pick in a trade, so if a team can negotiate a reworked contract as part of a deal, it could be worth parting with that pick to get a leg up on all the clubs waiting for RGIII to be released.
As we wait to see what happens with the former No. 2 overall pick, let’s round up a few more Friday items on quarterbacks around the NFL, including the guy who was selected before Griffin in 2012…
- With the Rams currently counting on Case Keenum to be their starting quarterback, Nick Foles could almost certainly be had in the right trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Dolphins, the Cowboys, and Washington would be among the teams with interest if Foles were available. It’s hard to imagine any of those teams giving up anything of value for Foles though.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who will go under the knife next week, intends to undergo a “Mumford procedure” on his collarbone, rather than having a plate inserted, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Mike Fisher of CBSDFW.com had reported that Romo would undergo the plate insertion, which involves a set of screws and a plate being inserted to protect the bone. However, Moore says that while the plate remains an option, the plan for Romo is the Mumford procedure, which would involve shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Andrew Luck‘s looming extension will change the Colts‘ cap outlook drastically going forward, but the team has been anticipating that jump in its quarterback salary for several years. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at how the Colts are approaching the deal, and how it will affect the rest of the team’s offseason plans.
Free Agent Rumors: M. Jones, C. Long, Crick
Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is expected to get a “huge” deal in free agency, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com, who tweets that Jones is the top wideout on most NFL free agent boards. While that may come as a surprise for those who haven’t been paying close attention to the available players at the position, it makes sense when considering the alternatives.
When Alshon Jeffery received the franchise tag this week from the Bears, the top free agent wide receiver was removed from the equation (unless a team is willing to part with two first-round picks to land him). That leaves Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Anquan Boldin, and Rueben Randle among the receivers in line for the biggest deals. And don’t forget Jones’ teammate, Mohamed Sanu — Russini tweets that he’s also in line for a nice payday.
As we wait to see how the wide receiver market plays out, let’s check in on a few other free agent notes and rumors from around the NFL….
- Although he was cut by the Rams after another injury-plagued season, veteran defensive end Chris Long is “100% healthy,” per Russini, who tweets that Long only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender.
- Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who technically remains a free agent until his franchise tender is signed, may come off the market very soon. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that Johnson is expected to accept his tender later today.
- The Texans are expected to try to re-sign defensive end Jared Crick, whose rookie contract is expiring, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Crick, who operates primarily as a run-stopper, will likely draw interest from other teams when the legal tampering period begins on Monday, but he has indicated he “would love to be back” in Houston.
- Cornerback Sterling Moore will almost certainly hit the open market next week, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who tweets that the Buccaneers could still re-sign Moore, but will let him gauge his value.
Latest On Peyton Manning
A weekend report from The Denver Post suggested that future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was expected to announce his retirement soon, but the Broncos and Manning’s camp quickly refuted the notion that the signal-caller had made that decision yet. Agent Tom Condon reiterated that stance during an appearance on 104.3 The Fan in Denver on Wednesday.
“To tell you the truth, I know that Peyton has not decided,” Condon said, per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Although Manning may not have announced – or made – his decision, the winning quarterback of Super Bowl 50 made a lengthy speech at a fundraising event in Florida on Wednesday, and Jeff Darlington of NFL Media suggests, during an interview on PFT Live, that Manning sounded like a player who doesn’t want to call it a career quite yet.
“He did talk in present tense when he’s talking about his career,” Darlington said, per Smith. “He sounds like a guy who still wants to play. He does not sound like a guy who is a week away from retirement.”
As Darlington and others try to read between the lines to determine Manning’s outlook, the quarterback himself is “angry” about recent reports on his retirement and on an incident with trainer Jamie Naughright that occurred at the University of Tennessee two decades ago, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Manning has yet to publicly address the re-emergence of that story, but Cole hears from a source close to the QB that Manning feels as if he’s being pushed into retirement.
If Manning does want to keep playing, or if he postpones his retirement decision beyond next Tuesday, it appears extremely likely that the Broncos will cut him before his $19MM salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed on March 9th. In that case, the former first overall pick would have the freedom to sign elsewhere now or later, though it remains to be seen how aggressively other teams would pursue him.
According to Cole, the Rams, Texans, and Jets are among the clubs that might have interest in Manning if he opts not to retire and becomes available, but Cole classifies that interest as “tepid at best.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Rams, Manning, Kaepernick
The Rams placed the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson earlier today, and general manager Les Snead was certainly enthused that the NFC’s interception leader would be staying with the organization.
“Since we drafted Trumaine in 2012, he has developed into an integral part of our defense,” Snead told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter). “We look forward to having him with us this season and more to come.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC’s Western divisions…
- Recycling a theory he proposed in relation to the Calvin Johnson situation in Detroit, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders if Peyton Manning might want the Broncos to release him before he makes a retirement decision, since that would allow him greater freedom down the road in the event that he decides to continue his career.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com explains why the Rams look like the most logical trade partner for the 49ers if San Francisco decides to grant Colin Kaepernick‘s agents request to seek out a deal for their client.
- Fresno State assistant – and former NFL defensive back – Ricky Manning Jr. is set to join the Seahawks as an assistant defensive backs coach, according to Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee (Twitter link).
- The Rams are also making a change to their coaching staff, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, who tweets that assistant linebackers coach Joe Bowden has been moved to an assistant special teams role.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Rams Place Franchise Tag On Trumaine Johnson
The Rams have made their decision at the eleventh hour, using their non-exclusive franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). The team had been mulling whether to tag Johnson or fellow free agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
[RELATED: Latest on Janoris Jenkins, Rams]
Coming into the 2015 season, Johnson had started just 20 career games, compared to Jenkins’ 43 total starts. Although conventional thinking suggested that Jenkins was the more valuable defensive back, Johnson arguably looked like the better player in 2015, as PFR’s Zach Links wrote in his preview of the Rams’ offseason. Johnson racked up seven interceptions and 17 passes defended, earning a higher Pro Football Focus grade than his teammate.
As the Rams debated which cornerback to tag, Jenkins fired his representation, putting negotiations with him on hold for the time being. Although Jenkins looks set to hire Neil Schwartz as his new agent on March 3rd, it would be a surprise if he re-signed with the Rams before reaching the open market next week.
Earlier this week, Jenkins tweeted, “Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks,” suggesting that negotiations with the Rams weren’t progressing well before he changed agents. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report suggested that Jenkins had turned down an offer in the range of five years and $45MM, and considering what Byron Maxwell got on the open market last year (six years, $63MM), it’s fair to believe Jenkins could exceed $9MM annually.
Given the problems the Rams appeared to be having getting an extension done with Jenkins, I wondered on Monday if the team might use its franchise tag on him, with the aim of locking up Johnson to a multiyear deal. Johnson could still sign a long-term contract anytime before July 15th, but it’s increasingly starting to look like Jenkins won’t be back with the franchise as it prepares for its move to Los Angeles.
As for Johnson, his franchise tender, which he can sign at any time, will be worth $13.952MM. Only three cornerbacks in the NFL – Darrelle Revis, Patrick Peterson, and Richard Sherman – are on contracts with higher per-year salaries than that, but the Rams can afford the cap hit — the team entered this week with nearly $60MM in projected cap room.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Rumors: Vinatieri, Gates, Hayes, Moses
The Colts are working on a new contract for future Hall-of-Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that this was an “open secret” at the combine in Indianapolis. A report last month indicated that the team wanted to bring back Vinatieri, who expressed a desire to continue playing — perhaps for multiple years.
“Not only a season, but Lord willing, a couple of years,” Vinatieri said at the time. “There will come a time when it’s over for me. I don’t think that time is yet. I enjoy playing. I enjoy doing my thing.”
As we wait to see if the Colts and Vinatieri can hammer something out within the next few days, let’s round up several more notes and rumors on free-agents-to-be….
- The meeting at the combine between Antonio Gates and the Chargers went well, reaffirming the mutual interest between the two sides for a new deal, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Gehlken, it’s likely just a matter of time until the veteran tight end finalizes a new contract with the Chargers.
- If another team signs Olivier Vernon to an offer sheet that the Dolphins decide not to match, expect the team to pursue a lower-priced defensive end like William Hayes, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Per Salguero, Hayes is a player Miami likes “very much.”
- The Chiefs have expressed interest in bringing back free agent linebacker Dezman Moses, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Moses is one of several Kansas City defensive players eligible for free agency, though he’ll probably come cheaper than most, since he’s primarily a special teams contributor.
- The Saints would like to re-sign UFA kicker Kai Forbath, a source tells Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. If Forbath does sign a new deal with New Orleans, I imagine it would be a modest one that wouldn’t preclude the team from bringing in competition.
- Rams safety Rodney McLeod is one free agent who will be “in demand” next week, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that plenty of NFL people like McLeod.
Jeff Fisher, Rams Discussing Extension
TUESDAY, 8:52am: The Rams are also exploring an extension for general manager Les Snead, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
MONDAY, 6:43pm: Jeff Fisher is entering the final season of the five-year contract he signed with the Rams when he became their head coach in 2012, but it doesn’t look as if he’ll be a lame duck for long. Fisher and the Rams are currently engaged in talks to extend the contracts of him and his coaching staff, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on possible length or financial compensation for Fisher, who is currently among the NFL’s highest-paid coaches at $7MM annually.
[RELATED: The latest on Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins]
Fisher is the latest NFC coach who is reportedly discussing an extension with his club, joining division rival Pete Carroll (Seahawks), the Saints’ Sean Payton and the Panthers’ Ron Rivera. There’s one obvious difference between Fisher and that trio, however: They’ve done plenty of winning during their respective tenures, while he hasn’t.
In his four years at the helm of the Rams, Fisher’s teams have compiled a 27-36-1 record and have never gone .500 or better during an individual campaign. The Rams finished 7-9 last season during their St. Louis swan song, which was the third time they’ve won seven games under Fisher.
Prior to joining the Rams, Fisher experienced success atop the Titans organization, going 142-120 in 17 years and helping lead the club to six playoff appearances and a Super Bowl XXXIV berth to conclude the 1999-2000 season. Of course, the Titans lost that game, 23-16, to Fisher’s present-day employer, the Rams.
In the event Fisher and the Rams do agree to an extension, it wouldn’t necessarily guarantee his job status beyond next season. If the team doesn’t show improvement in the first season of its return to Los Angeles, owner Stan Kroenke could go in another direction and eat whatever money Fisher has remaining on his deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Rams, V. Miller, Hayes
The deadline for NFL teams to assign the franchise or transition tag to one of their players will arrive today at 3:00pm central time, so there will be plenty of interesting situations to keep an eye on over the next several hours.
One of those situations will be in Los Angeles, where cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins are both candidates to be tagged. While recent reports have suggested the Rams are leaning toward using their tag on Johnson, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that he firmly believes it will be used on Jenkins instead.
As I noted yesterday, the Rams may be incentivized to lock up Jenkins with a tag, since long-term contract talks with him don’t seem to be going well. Signing Johnson to a multiyear deal may be a more realistic proposition, so tagging Jenkins might give the team its best shot at retaining both corners.
Here’s more on pending free agents around the NFL, including one more who is expected to be tagged:
- While Von Miller still appears on track for the franchise tag, he and the Broncos have shown a commitment to getting a longer-term deal done eventually, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport reports that any multiyear extension for Miller would eclipse Justin Houston‘s six-year, $101MM pact, and Mike Klis of 9NEWS agrees, writing that the Broncos are offering $17MM+ annually. However, Klis points out that the team views Ndamukong Suh‘s $19MM-per-year contract as an outlier, and probably won’t be willing to go quite that high.
- Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report are bullish on the free agent market for Rams defensive end William Hayes. Cole tweets that Hayes will be “in high demand,” while Garafolo tweets that the veteran pass rusher may nearly double his previous annual salary ($3.4MM).
- Appearing on PFT Live, Bengals cornerback Adam Jones said there have been “a lot of other teams” contacting his agent about signing him. Technically, of course, teams aren’t supposed to talk to an outside free agent’s representatives until the legal tampering period begins, but it’s widely acknowledged that clubs typically don’t wait that long.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post explains why the Giants won’t use their franchise tag this year on Jason Pierre-Paul, despite possessing a ton of cap room.
Latest On Janoris Jenkins, Rams
As we heard on Sunday, after firing his previous agent, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins is expected to hire Neil Schwartz for representation, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who says the move will become official after the five-day waiting period ends on March 3rd.
[RELATED: Rams prepared to tag Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson]
Meanwhile, Jenkins took to Twitter last night with a message presumably inspired by contract talks with the Rams, which are now on hold: “Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks”
Sunday’s report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated that Jenkins had balked at an offer from the Rams worth $45MM over five years, though it’s not clear how much of that money would have been guaranteed. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that he has heard Jenkins is seeking upwards of $12MM annually.
The Rams are considered very likely to use their franchise or transition tag on either Jenkins or fellow free agent cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Although Johnson is currently viewed as the stronger candidate of the two corners to be franchised, perhaps the lack of progress made in negotiations with Jenkins will prompt Los Angeles to tag him and focus on reaching a long-term agreement with Johnson.
The Rams will have until Tuesday at 3:00pm central time to make their decision. If the club opts to use the franchise tag, it will cost $13.952MM, while the transition tag will be worth $11.913MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cole’s Latest: Kaepernick, Jenkins, Wallace
A report earlier today indicated that the Texans are not expected to trade for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and Jason Cole of Bleaher Report (Twitter link) confirms that information, relaying that he was “told strongly” that Houston will not be dealing for Kaepernick. However, the Texans could have interest in Kaepernick if he is released by San Francisco.
Here’s more from Cole:
- Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins has fired his agent, according to Cole (video link), after Jenkins found Los Angeles’ latest offer of five years and $45MM unacceptable. Jenkins must now wait five days to hire a new agent, during which point the Rams cannot negotiate with him. As Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News writes, Los Angeles can still the place the franchise/transition tag on Jenkins in advance of Tuesday’s deadline (though the latest reports have the Rams leaning towards using the tag on fellow corner Trumaine Johnson). Jenkins, per Cole, is expected to hire the Schwartz and Feinsod agency for representation.
- Vikings GM Rick Spielman is set to meet with the agent for receiver Mike Wallace at the combine in the hopes of convincing Wallace to accept a paycut, Cole reports (video link). Wallace is scheduled to count $11.5MM against the cap in 2016, and Minnesota can clear out all that money by releasing him.
- There is mutual interest between the Dolphins and free agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz “down the line,” tweets Cole. The Giants released Schwartz earlier this month, so he’s free to sign with any club immediately.
- North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz drew rave reviews at the combine, according to Cole (video link), and while he looks like the favorite to be the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft, Cal’s Jared Goff is still in the running, as well.
- Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had offseason surgery on his lower back, per Cole (video link), but the operation was considered minor by both club and player. Jordan should be ready for New Orleans’ offseason program.