2015 Release Candidates: NFC West
Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.
Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.
We’ve already looked at the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North, NFC North, AFC South, and NFC South, and AFC West, so let’s wrap up with the NFC West…
Arizona Cardinals:
- Lorenzo Alexander, LB: Alexander, 32, is basically a special-teams only player at this point in his career; he saw 336 special teams snaps in 2014, as opposed to just 51 on defense. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus didn’t rate him positively even on special teams duty, handing him a -4.0 grade (subscription required). But Alexander is regarded as a valuable veteran presence on Arizona’s roster, and given that the club would save less than $2MM by releasing him, he will probably make the final 53. Prediction: not released.
- Ted Larsen, G: Larsen had a forgettable 2014 season, during which ranked as the league’s No. 68 guard among 78 qualifiers, per PFF. He won’t be playing left guard again, as the Cardinals handed Mike Iupati $40MM to handle that spot on the offensive line, but Larsen is actually listed atop Arizona’s depth chart at center. But the Cardinals were apparently so displeased with Larsen’s (and A.Q Shipley’s) camp performance that they re-signed last year’s starting center Lyle Sendlein, whom PFF graded as the league’s second-worst center in 2014, in the hopes that he’d be an improvement. Getting replaced by a player of Sendlein’s caliber isn’t a great look for Larsen, and given that Arizona can save $2.2MM by releasing Larsen, I don’t think he’ll last the summer. Prediction: released.
San Francisco 49ers:
- Ahmad Brooks, LB: Any discussion of a San Francisco release candidate has to be couched with the knowledge that the club has lost a good amount of talent during the offseason. No position on the 49ers’ roster has been more affected by offseason losses than linebacker — Chris Borland and Patrick Willis both announced their retirement, while Aldon Smith was released yesterday following an arrest. So even though Brooks lost playing time last season (and wasn’t effective when he did play, grading as a bottom-five 3-4 outside linebacker per PFF), the team will rely on him as its top OLB in 2015. The Niners could save about $4.7MM by releasing the 31-year-old Brooks, but when their other option at outside ‘backer are rookies Eli Harold and Marcus Rush, the club will gladly by the price to keep Brooks. Prediction: not released.
- Vernon Davis, TE: The 49ers’ offense didn’t take quite the offseason hit that did the team’s defense, but San Francisco’s starting 11 is noticeably lacking in terms of playmakers. That descriptor might no longer fit Davis, who caught just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last year, his worst totals since his rookie season. Davis publicly complained about his contract status last summer, but never received a new deal, and now the club save $4.9MM in cap space by cutting him. Earlier this week, however, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said that he’s interested in working out an extension with Davis, so the 31-year-old tight end will definitely stick around for 2015. Prediction: not released.
Seattle Seahawks:
- Brandon Mebane, DT: The Seahawks don’t have much cap space to work with after extending both Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, and with that in mind, they released Mebane’s running mate at defensive tackle — Tony McDaniel — earlier this week. Clubs don’t need a ton of cap space to get through the season — Seattle should be fine with its ~$4.9MM — but Mebane’s roster spot still could be in jeopardy for several reasons. First, Mebane is coming off an injury-plagued 2014 season; he was placed on injure reserve in November after suffering a hamstring injury. Second, if the Seahawks did feel that they needed more cap room, Mebane would be the logical candidate to go, as the club could save $5.5MM by cutting him. But with McDaniel gone, Seattle probably wants some stability on the interior of its defensive line, and Mebane was a solid player as recently as 2013. Prediction: not released.
St. Louis Rams:
- Isaiah Pead, RB: It’s been a quick fall to irrelevance for Pead, whom the Rams selected out of the University of Cincinnati in the second round of the 2012 draft. After garnering just 17 rushing attempts through his first two seasons, Pead missed the entire 2014 season after tearing his ACL. He recently accepted a pay cut, lowering his base salary from about $940K all the way down to the minimum. But I wonder if St. Louis is even interested in paying Pead that much — he’s buried on the deptch chart behind Todd Gurley, Tre Mason, and Benny Cunningham, and he isn’t a real factor on special teams, having hovered around 15% ST participation during his first two years in the league. Prediction: waived.
Nick Foles, Rams Agree On Two-Year Extension
8:05pm: Details of Foles’ contract extension are becoming clearer, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that the two-year extension will be worth more than $24MM (via Twitter). Schefter puts the number at $24.5MM and a three-year total of $26MM (via Twitter).
Rapoport also writes that the final year of the deal is voidable if Foles makes the Pro Bowl or depending on overall team performance.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports added that the deal featured a lot of “creativity” by both sides, which he sees as fitting under the unusual circumstances (via Twitter).
7:27pm: Rams have signed their new starting quarterback to an extension that will keep him in St. Louis through 2017, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
The extension itself adds two years to Nick Foles‘ current contract, and the team announced the signing through their official Twitter page.
The full details have been made known from the extension just yet, but Howard Belzer of Fox Sports writes that it could have significant roster bonuses (via Twitter). His colleague Mike Garafolo reports that the final year of the deal can be voided based on performance, and that the total value of the deal exceeds $12MM per year (via Twitter). Garafolo responded to Jeff McLane’s question of guaranteed money by noting the deal will include just under $14MM guaranteed (via Twitter).
Foles joined the Rams via trade this offseason after spending the first three years of his career with the Eagles, where he played in 28 out of 48 possible games. His 2013 season was particularly notable, when he completed 64% of his passes, throwing 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions.
However, in the 15 games other than his sophomore season he managed a much more mortal 19 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. His injury history also left little to be desired, which could be a reason the Eagles felt comfortable swapping him for the oft-injured Sam Bradford.
Despite all the concerns, the Rams have been trying to lock Foles up past this year since he arrived in St. Louis.
With the final numbers still yet to come out, it is worth checking out what our own Connor Byrne expected in terms of a possible extension a few weeks back, when he outlined the extension candidacy of Foles with the Rams.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
We rounded up several minor transactions from around the league earlier today, but teams have been busy since then, so we’ve got many more moves to recap. Here’s the latest:
- The Cowboys have signed offensive tackle Cody Clay after a workout, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team waive/injured linebacker Will Smith, who was unavailable due to a groin injury.
- Isaiah Pead and the Rams have agreed a new deal for the final year of his contract on July 30th, reports Howard Balzer of FoxSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). His base salary was reduced from $940,650 to $585,000 for 2015 (via Twitter).
- Veteran tight end Alex Smith – not to be confused with the quarterback of the same name – has signed with the Saints, who waived rookie tight end Jack Tabb with an injury designation, tweets Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- The Steelers have placed defensive end Clifton Geathers on their injured reserve list, signing free agent defensive tackle Joe Okafor to take his place, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Geathers didn’t have to pass through waivers before landing on IR.
- In addition to confirming the previously-reported signing of running back Michael Ford, the Falcons also made a few more moves. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter), the club signed tight end D.J. Tialavea, waived wide receiver Freddie Martino, and waived/injured tight Beau Gardner, who injured his knee.
- Safety Robert Smith, waived yesterday by the Colts, has been claimed by the Seahawks, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Seattle cut safety Ty Zimmerman to clear room on the roster.
- The Titans have made a change at the fullback position, signing Zach Boren and waiving undrafted rookie Connor Neighbors with an injury designation, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans Online (Twitter link).
- The Giants have signed rookie safety Justin Halley, waiving receiver Chris Harper with an injured designation to create an opening on the roster, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have reached an injury settlement with defensive lineman Vince Taylor, removing him from their injured reserve list, tweets Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.
Community Tailgate: Who Will Win NFC West?
We’re still a few weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Since we began our Community Tailgate series, we’ve been examining each division in football, slowly but surely making our way through all eight and asking you which team you think will win each division in 2015. Having already looked at the first seven, we finally arrive today at the NFC West.
On paper, the Seahawks appear to be strong favorites in the West. The team didn’t lose any of its most important players in the offseason, and has appeared in consecutive Super Bowls. Still, there are some potential red flags in Seattle. Reports have indicated that Kam Chancellor‘s holdout could extend into the regular season if the two sides don’t reach a compromise. And while the addition of Jimmy Graham should help the Seahawks’ passing game, center Max Unger headed to New Orleans in that trade, leaving the club to work in another new starter on the offensive line, which is arguably the weakest position group on the roster.
In recent years, the 49ers have been Seattle’s primary competition in the West, but an offseason exodus has left plenty of question marks in San Francisco. Among the 2014 Niners who were released, retired, or signed elsewhere? Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Patrick Willis, Chris Borland, Justin Smith, Chris Culliver, Perrish Cox, head coach Jim Harbaugh, and, most recently, Aldon Smith.
The new-look Niners may exceed expectations and challenge for the division crown, but the Cardinals look like the stronger team. Arizona was in first place in the West last year before its top two quarterbacks went down with injuries. With Carson Palmer ready to return in 2015, head coach Bruce Arians will look to lead the Cards back to the postseason.
Finally, the Rams may not have won a division title since 2003, but St. Louis’ defense looks increasingly fearsome, having added Nick Fairley to what was already one of the NFL’s best defensive lines. If Nick Foles can provide consistent, steady production at quarterback, the Rams could be a dark horse in the West.
Who do you think will win the NFC West in 2015? Let us know in the comment section below!
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Chancellor, L.A.
Tonight’s look at the NFC West..
- Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Facebook) hears that Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor could end his holdout if he is better cash flow over the first two years of the remaining three on his current deal. A team tight against the cap but somewhat cash-rich like the Seahawks could get that done by converting the majority of his base salary over the next two years ($9.65MM) to a signing bonus, she posits. As Anderson reported earlier today, Chancellor is prepared to take his holdout into the regular season if necessary.
- Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that the Seahawks will not do any kind of new deal with the safety unless that deal is highly favorable for the club and ties him up for the rest of his career. Despite Seattle’s stance, GM John Schneider is keeping negotiations peaceful. The solution, Cole says, could be a “band-aid” deal, like they did with Marshawn Lynch. To satisfy Lynch last year, the Seahawks moved money from the back-end of the contract to the current year.
- Sources have told Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports that, at next Tuesday’s special meeting in Illinois, NFL owners will discuss implementing a program to allow fans to make deposits to get on a waiting list for tickets at a temporary stadium in Los Angeles before the end of the calendar year. The goal would be to start building a season-ticket base for the 2016 season now, rather than waiting until it’s clear which, and how many, teams will be making the move. The Rams are one of the teams in the mix to make the move, of course, but the Chargers and Raiders could also wind up in L.A.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/15
Today’s minor NFL moves and signings..
- The Eagles signed rookie free agent linebacker Diaheem Watkins, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
- The Seahawks announced that they have signed linebacker Dakorey Johnson, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Johnson takes the place of linebacker Alex Singleton, who was cut loose earlier today.
- The Bears have waived/injured tight end Brian Vogler with a foot injury, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- The 49ers agreed to terms with wide receiver Nigel King, as Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Rams waived wide receiver Devon Wylie, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Falcons waived cornerback Michael Lee and signed nose tackle Derrick Hopkins, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have waived long snapper Courtland Clavette.
- The Panthers signed cornerback T.J. Heath and defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, Carolina released punter Matt Wile.
- Washington announced the signings of cornerbacks Bryan McCann and DreQuan Hoskey. McCann, who first entered the league as UDFA with the Cowboys in 2010, has made multiple stops around the NFL. Hoskey, a Virginia product, was in rookie minicamp this summer and made a strong impression on coaches. Washington also cut Phillip Thomas and waived/injured Tevin Mitchel, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Steelers signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Kenzel Doe of Wisconsin and waived-injured undrafted rookie receiver Eli Rogers, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.
- The Ravens signed defensive tackle Micajah Reynolds and waived defensive tackle Casey Walker, who just came off the PUP list on Monday, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears are signing USC tight end Kevin Greene, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
Stadium Updates: L.A., St. Louis, San Antonio
The fate of the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers beyond the 2015 season remains up in the air, and NFL owners are scheduled to meet next week to touch base on where St. Louis, San Diego, Oakland, and Los Angeles stand on new stadiums. Here are a few of the latest updates on stadium projects and potential relocation:
- The NFL recently approached several Los Angeles stadiums about the possibility of temporarily housing an NFL franchise while a new stadium was built in the L.A. area. However, as Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, the league’s proposal hasn’t generated a whole lot of interest. Last month, we heard that the Rose Bowl wouldn’t serve as an interim home for an NFL team, and Farmer indicates that the StubHub Center is also out of the running.
- According to Farmer, the Coliseum is the only Los Angeles venue to publicly express interest in working with the NFL on the matter. The Dodgers’ and Angels’ stadiums may also still be possibilities, but there would be plenty of scheduling issues to sort out in both cases, since the MLB and NFL seasons overlap. The NFL wanted proposal requests submitted by today, but neither baseball stadium is formally participating in that process, writes Farmer.
- Earlier in the week, St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley voided a city ordinance requiring a public vote to approve the use of tax dollars for funding a new football stadium in St. Louis. As Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlines, that was a huge victory for the city’s stadium task force, and next week’s meeting with the NFL looms as an “important checkpoint” for St. Louis. So far, the city has made much more progress than either San Diego or Oakland on a new stadium.
- San Antonio city manager Sheryl Sculley tells W. Scott Bailey of the San Antonio Business Journal that the city has “certainly raised the attention of the NFL” by continuing to pursue the Raiders. San Antonio is another city that will be keeping a close eye on the owners’ meetings next week, according to Sculley: “We expect to hear what (the Raiders’) plans are for the 2016 season after that meeting.”
NFC West Notes: Wagner, Rams, Wilson
Over the weekend, the Seahawks agreed to a lucrative new deal with their star linebacker and today we learned a little bit more about the deal. The Seahawks didn’t use the preferred contract structure on Bobby Wagner by giving him an $8MM signing bonus and a $4MM option bonus, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. He also hears that Seattle must exercise its option on Wagner’s 2019 contract year between the first and fifth day of the 2016 league year (link). Wagner, Corry adds, has big per game roster bonuses in his deal that aren’t in the contracts of Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman (link). Here’s more out of the NFC West..
- With new deals for Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks have made it clear that they are committed to building a star laden roster while sacrificing elsewhere, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Seattle has shown a willingness to spend on certain positions while filling in the second tier with rookies and lower payscale “value” players.
- The Rams have made it clear that they would like to get a contract extension done with quarterback Nick Foles, but he isn’t the only pending free agent they’re talking to, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes. “There is some discussion, yeah that makes sense,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He is not the only one we are talking with. We are talking with a number of our players right now and their representatives. Yeah, we’re heading down that path. I’m really not involved with it other than that I would like to see us get something worked out at some point with him.” The Rams 17 players on their roster that are scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency, including key starters such as Foles, cornerback Janoris Jenkins, safety Rodney McLeod, receiver Brian Quick, and tight end/fullback Cory Harkey. Key depth players such as ends William Hayes and Eugene Sims, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, safety Mark Barron, kicker Greg Zuerlein and quarterback Austin Davis are also due to hit the market. There’s also starting defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who is under control for the 2016 season because of a fifth-year option but has already been in discussions about an extension that would keep the Rams from having to pay him the fifth-year option salary.
- Wilson’s new contract provides stability in Seattle, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (video link) says.
NFC Quotes: Galette, Kalil, Forte, Foles
As training camps have started around the league, we’ve compiled some assorted quotes from the NFC:
Recently-signed linebacker Junior Galette on the opportunity to play with Washington (via Mike Jones of The Washington Post):
“First of all, I’m thankful to be here. Just thankful to have the opportunity. Just blessed and grateful to be a [member of the organization], and now just want to move forward, not worry about the past, but just what’s ahead of me.
“I could’ve waited a little longer, but I love football and I didn’t want to be sitting around anymore. On the porch for five, six days is a little uncomfortable.”
Vikings lineman Matt Kalil on having his fifth-year option picked up (via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune):
“If I had a Pro Bowl season last year, I’m sure I would have already restructured, but I didn’t. I think it’s fair. You have to work to earn that money. For me, just playing well takes care of everything. I either get the fifth-year option money or they restructure my contract.”
Bears running back Matt Forte‘s reaction to not receiving an extension (via the Associated Press):
“I’m under contract anyway. When I was talking about the deal and that type of stuff, it really made sense. From my aspect I was trying to lower the cap number and then I’d be able to continue my career here as well. But you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Like I’ve said plenty of times both sides have to want to do it.”
Rams GM Les Snead on potentially signing quarterback Nick Foles longterm (via the Associated Press):
“I always go to this: “Hey, if a quarterback is playing well and you’re winning, having team success, you have no problem asking your owner to write the check.”
NFC Notes: Bennett, Foles, Panthers
Martellus Bennett sat out the voluntary portion of the Bears’ offseason program to help force a new contract, but he now accepts that a new deal isn’t coming his way anytime soon, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.
“It’s just business,” Bennett said. “I have no hard feelings against anybody. Some business deals go the way you want. I have several business deals this offseason that worked and didn’t work out. “For me, [the pursuit of new contract was] just another business deal, and then that’s just the way it is. Some deals get done, some don’t. Still got to come work and do my job.”
Here’s more from the NFC..
- Rams GM Les Snead says that it is “definitely realistic” that the team and Nick Foles will agree to an extension before the quarterback becomes a free agent after the season, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes. The two sides have been discussing a new deal for more than a month now and, recently, PFR’s Connor Byrne evaluated Foles as an extension candidate.
- Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman says Stephen Hill‘s arrest won’t affect his chances to make the team, David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Hill, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2012, spent last season on Carolina’s practice squad after being released by the Jets at the end of training camp.
- The Panthers GM was surprised to learn that backup left tackle Jonathan Martin is retiring, as Newton writes. However, the team has good depth at the position with Nate Chandler, Amini Silatolu, and rookie Daryl Williams competing to back up Michael Oher.