NFC Links: Mathieu, Washington, Rams
Tyrann Mathieu claims he feels better than ever, and NFL.com’s Conor Orr notes that the Cardinals defensive back is no longer wearing a knee brace or thumb cast. Despite Mathieu being healthy for the first time in his career, the former third-rounder is still tentative about his recovery:
“It just feels good to be free…You try to stay as optimistic as possible, but there is a reality to it, too. It’s kind of hard to keep telling yourself it’s going to be all right, especially when we got into the thick of everything last year, thinking that if I was 100 percent, I’d probably be able to help my team a whole lot more than I’m doing right now.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…
- With OTAs starting next Tuesday, Tarik El-Bashir and Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com discussed Washington‘s situation at quarterback. El-Bashir opines that Colt McCoy has the slight edge over Kirk Cousins for the backup gig, and Tandler believes undrafted rookie Hutson Mason could also put up a fight.
- ESPN.com’s John Keim hypothesizes that Washington could cut cornerback Tracy Porter and save $2.33MM, but the writer doesn’t believe the team has the necessary depth to make that move.
- ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner says the Rams had interest in bringing back offensive lineman Joe Barksdale, and their offer to him early in the season was in the range of $2.5MM to $3MM. Barksdale ultimately bet on himself, and he ended up with a one-year, minimum salary deal from the Chargers.
West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker
Last week, Rams fans in St. Louis received a bit of good news when league commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the efforts to keep the Rams in the Gateway City by building a new stadium on the riverfront had made “tremendous progress.” Although financing plans still need to be worked out, a number of football scribes, like Ben Volin of The Boston Globe and Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wonder how Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the league itself could justify moving the Rams to Los Angeles if St. Louis comes through with funding for a new stadium before the team’s current lease with the Edward Jones Dome expires.
That question becomes particularly relevant if the Carson plan, in which the Raiders and Chargers would share a stadium in LA, continues to gain momentum. As Miklasz points out, the Carson proposal would allow the league to solve its “California problem” inside California without having to move a franchise from another region. Furthermore, the Chargers and Raiders have been waiting for a new stadium for years, while the Edward Jones Dome is comparatively new.
But Miklasz is keeping his optimism in check, because the NFL has refused to confirm that a new stadium will assure St. Louis of a place in the league. The city has gone to great lengths to keep the Rams in St Louis, as they have committed to constructing a new, $985MM stadium while still paying off the cost of building the Edward Jones Dome, and the league has repeatedly stated that it strongly prefers to keep each team in its current market. And yet, without the NFL’s public commitment that the riverfront project, if successful, would keep the Rams in place, Miklasz writes that the whole ordeal becomes a question of honor. And honor is one department in which the league sometimes falls short.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s West divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that there will not be three teams in Southern California until the Chargers‘ stadium situation is resolved in some way. As Breer notes (via Twitter), it is possible that, if the Chargers reach a deal to stay in San Diego, the Raiders and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium, which is designed to house two teams.
- On a less serious note, Chargers superfan Dan Juaregui, otherwise known as the costumed “Boltman,” has contacted an attorney about the possibility of filing an antitrust suit against the NFL on behalf of Chargers fans if the Chargers should relocate to Los Angeles. While the attorney himself noted that such a suit would be feasible, Kristina Davis of The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, says the city gave up its right to sue the league over relocation in its stadium lease.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times summarizes former agent Joel Corry’s analysis of Russell Wilson‘s contract negotiations with the Seahawks. Our Luke Adams wrote a piece on Corry’s original article several days ago.
- Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times describes the difficulty opposing defenses will have to face when confronted with the Seahawks‘ triple threat of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and one of the biggest prizes of the offseason, Jimmy Graham.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post looks at the value and versatility that newly-acquired defensive tackle Vance Walker, who was used sparingly with division rival Kansas City, brings to the Broncos.
NFC Mailbags: Washington, Packers, Panthers, Cowboys, Rams
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus over to the NFC…
- Scot McCloughan made no changes to the Washington front office following his hiring, but John Keim believes there could be a simple explanation for the lack of turnover. McCloughan seemed to have a good “rhythm” with those remaining in the front office, and Keim hypothesizes that if the GM wanted to make moves, his targets may have been unavailable.
- Despite Mike Neal‘s $4.25MM cap hit for 2015, Rob Demovsky says the Packers‘ linebacker is likely staying put. The 27-year-old was paid $1MM back in March, so if the team wanted to part ways with Neal, they likely would have done it earlier in the offseason.
- The Panthers and outside linebacker Thomas Davis have been having ongoing discussions regarding an extension, according to David Newton. The writer adds that he’d be “shocked beyond belief” if the two sides didn’t come to an agreement prior to training camp, and he notes that Davis could be in line for a two or three-year extension.
- Todd Archer was surprised that Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay‘s wasn’t mentioned more during the offseason GM searches. The writer wonders if other team’s want to see a larger body of work from McClay, who has only been running the Cowboys’ scouting department for a year.
- The Rams could easily turn to undrafted rookie Zach Laskey for their fullback spot, writes Nick Wagoner. However, it could be difficult to bump Cory Harkey from the role, and Wagoner believes the tight end will see the bulk of the fullback snaps in 2015.
Extra Points: Yanda, McGlynn, Peterson, Jets
With the week winding down and Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the NFL….
- With Marshal Yanda heading into the final year of his five-year contract with the Ravens, the team is exploring what a contract extension for the veteran guard would look like, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. As Zrebiec points out, it may not be feasible for Baltimore to keep both Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, who are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.
- Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has the details on Mike McGlynn‘s contract with the Saints, tweeting that the offensive lineman will get a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with a $30K signing bonus.
- It’s not clear when Adrian Peterson will report to the Vikings, but head coach Mike Zimmer told 1500 ESPN Twin Cities this week that he thinks he has “an indication” of when his running back will show up, as Andrew Krammer details.
- Former Rams scout Brian Shields has accepted a scouting job with the Jets under GM Mike Maccagnan, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Maccagnan has made several changes to his club’s scouting department since this year’s draft.
- The Saints are retooling their own scouting department under the influence of Jeff Ireland, and will likely part ways with some employees soon, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
Extra Points: Brees, Cowboys, Rice
Drew Brees has said that he wants to play football until he is 45, but he admits that goal is a little bit unrealistic. “45 is a long way away,” the Saints quarterback said on ESPN’s SVP and Russillo, according to Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. “I’m 36 right now, and I know I got maybe a little overzealous last year when I threw out the number 45.” Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, and Steve Deberg hung in there until they were 44, but those final years were mostly spent playing in reserve roles. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Along with free agent running backs Daniel Thomas, Ben Tate, and Felix Jones, Ronnie Wingo also worked out for the Cowboys today, as Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. Wingo was released by the Falcons earlier this month to help make room on the roster for incoming rookies.
- A judge dismissed domestic violence charges against former Ravens running back Ray Rice, as The Associated Press writes. Rice completed the terms of his pretrial intervention, which included $125 in fines and anger management counseling.
- Joe Barksdale, who signed a minimum-salary deal with the Chargers, was offered more from the Rams earlier in the offseason, Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch tweets. Back in March, Barksdale looked like a decent bet to land a deal similar to the $6MM-per-year pacts signed by Austin Howard and Anthony Collins in 2014. However, that kind of market never materialized for the veteran. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former Ram just 48th out of 84 qualified tackles last season.
- Falcons linebacker Joplo Bartu was fined $50,000 for an alcohol-related offense, but only after his two-game suspension was rescinded, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Bartu, who had 83 tackles in 2014, was handed a two-game suspension in March for his DUI arrest. Earlier this month, the linebacker brought new information to the league and his punishment was altered. However, future violations of the law will carry more significant discipline for him.
- Ravens rookie lineman Leon Brown hopes to land a roster spot with his hometown team, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. The 6-foot-5, 332-pound former junior college All-American also had an invite to try out for the Jaguars, but he chose the Ravens instead. Brown, an Alabama product, went undrafted this year.
Los Angeles Relocation Notes: Thursday
With the league’s spring’s meetings having taken place in San Francisco this week, the possibility of moving one or two NFL franchises to Los Angeles was a point of discussion for owners and the commissioner. While no significant steps forward were made, we have a few more updates on the L.A. situation. Let’s round up the highlights….
- There was “strong positive buzz” about the Carson stadium plan coming out of the owner’s meetings, several high-ranking ownership sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora’s sources had plenty of praise for Chargers owner Dean Spanos, who has “moved expertly” through the process while Rams owner Stan Kroenke has rubbed the league office the wrong way.
- As La Canfora details, the Chargers and Raiders appear more willing to cooperate with what the league wants, whereas Kroenke has “shown willingness to go rogue,” which could mean that the Carson plan has taken the lead as the favorite over Kroenke’s Inglewood project. With the Rams‘ lease in St. Louis up at season’s end, and Kroenke financing the Inglewood plan on his own, he could decide to go to court if the NFL objects to his moving to L.A., writes La Canfora.
- If the Chargers and Raiders were to move to Los Angeles for 2016, the Rose Bowl could potentially support both teams in the short term, and possible realignment (with the Chargers moving to the NFC) would be “no hindrance,” per La Canfora.
- While the Chargers‘ odds of moving to L.A. may be increasing, Spanos continues to insist that he’d like to see the franchise stay in San Diego, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune details.
- 49ers owner Jed York suggests that the Los Angeles stadium proposals are much further along than any stadium plans in St. Louis, San Diego, or Oakland, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “The most progress that has taken place has been in Los Angeles,” York said. “Does that mean you’re going to have a team there in 2016? The chances you’re going to, they’re higher than not — based on all the work that has gone into it and the momentum behind it. And a lot of that is pushed by home markets not having viable solutions for teams.”
NFC Notes: Rams, Garcia, Lions, Walsh
Former NFL signal-caller Jeff Garcia interviewed for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job earlier in the offseason, but the position ultimately went to Chris Weinke. Still, the club apparently liked what it saw from Garcia. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have added Garcia to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the coming season.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Lance Moore received a $40K signing bonus from the Lions and will get another $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s roster in Week 1, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett observes, the modest guaranteed money on the minimum salary deal hardly assures the veteran wideout of a regular season roster spot. Birkett also provides contract details for defensive lineman Corey Wootton ($150K guaranteed) and second-round running back Ameer Abdullah ($2.29MM guaranteed).
- Asked about a possible contract extension to keep him in Minnesota beyond the 2015 season, kicker Blair Walsh expressed optimism, but cautioned that he and the Vikings haven’t had serious talks yet. “We have to make sure we’re on the same page and the numbers match up,” Walsh told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio (TwitLonger link). “That’s for management and my agent to discuss. I’ll be ready to talk about it when they are.”
- The Cowboys are happy to have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back at their offseason workouts, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Scandrick and the team continue to discuss the possibility of a new contract that would increase his salary for 2015.
- Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer and will undergo kidney surgery, the team announced this week.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
Momentum continues to built toward the NFL returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, multiple sources tell Albert Breer of the NFL Network. One of those sources tells Breer that the league is “confident” there will be multiple viable options on the table before year’s end to make relocation to L.A. a realistic possibility.
While no significant movements forward are expected to be announced this week, Los Angeles will be a topic of discussion at the NFL’s spring meetings in San Francisco. Here’s more on what to expect at those meetings, and going forward:
- The cities of St. Louis and San Diego have made progress toward new stadiums, but Oakland has moved backward since March, “losing time without making any progress,” writes Breer.
- Breer also notes that Rams owner Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood project continues to maintain an “incremental lead” over the Carson project spearheaded by the Raiders and Chargers. An outcome is “unlikely to crystallize” until late 2015, perhaps in advance of the NFL’s December meetings.
- While NFL executive Eric Grubman appreciates the city of San Diego expediting the process by submitting a proposal to build a new stadium, he tells Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com that it still needs some work. “I don’t think they made a specific proposal that includes all the key elements of how they get entitled and so forth and so on,” Grubman said. “So first of all, I haven’t dug into it. And second of all, I don’t know what the timing of that proposal could be.”
- As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, Grubman also indicated that the league will look into compressing the window for teams to formally apply for relocation, which currently runs annually from January 1 to February 15.
Extra Points: Rams, Washington, Lions
As Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com tweeted Friday morning, Washington confirmed that quarterback Connor Halliday isn’t in attendance at the club’s rookie minicamp. Halliday, who signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent last week, decided to retire before his NFL career had even begun, writes Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.
For now, the unexpected retirement leaves Washington with three quarterbacks on its roster — Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, and Colt McCoy. However, the team may still bring in one more arm to replace Halliday and to get through the offseason. More from around the NFL..
- Dave Peacock, the co-leader of the St. Louis stadium task force, can see a scenario in which Stan Kroenke moves to Los Angeles but St. Louis retains the Rams, as Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. “It’s possible we have different ownership of the (Rams) because I think (Kroenke) is really committed to Los Angeles,” Peacock said. “I’m not against Stan going to Los Angeles, I just don’t want our team there. This is why we’re spending most of our time with the league — we think this is an NFL issue.”
- With Brian Orakpo gone and with Ryan Kerrigan being the most accomplished outside linebacker left in Washington, John Keim of ESPN.com wonders how much Kerrigan will be moved around. Kerrigan was effective rushing from other areas besides the left outside linebacker spot two years ago, particularly against guards, so there’s reason to believe that he can succeed in different positions. Still, he’s comfortable coming from the left side, particularly because he’s deaf in his left ear.
- The Lions brought a fourth quarterback to training camp last year, James Franklin, and he didn’t take a snap in an exhibition game. This year, UDFA Anthony Boone is joining a team that already features Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, and Kellen Moore, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wonders if he’ll suffer a similar fate.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Collins, J. Smith, Giants, Davis
In a piece for TheMMQB.com, Robert Klemko details La’el Collins‘ unusual draft journey, from the death of his former romantic partner Brittany Mills to his decision to sign with the Cowboys. Klemko’s story is full of interesting details, including a reveal that, despite telling teams their client would refuse to sign and would re-enter the 2016 draft if he was selected on Day 3, Collins’ agents were probably bluffing.
“We can put it on the record now: We were never going back in the draft,” Rick Smith of Priority Sports said of waiting for the 2016 draft. “If someone had drafted him, we would’ve had a long, long discussion about it, but at the end of the day you can’t go back in the draft. He could get injured, gain weight, or 10 great tackles could come out. Too many risks.”
Smith also revealed that a team – one that had already drafted four offensive lineman – told Collins’ camp it planned to select him in the seventh round, but ultimately decided against it after being informed again by Smith that it would be a waste of a pick. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk notes, the only team that drafted four offensive linemen was the Rams.
Here’s more on Collins, along with a few more items from around the NFC:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) has the specific details on Collins’ three-year, $1.599MM contract with the Cowboys, which includes a $21K signing bonus.
- Speaking on Thursday to Pro Football Talk, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said he should have “more of a feel” for defensive end Justin Smith‘s future today, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith has been mulling either returning for another season or retiring, and is expected to make his decision soon.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com passes along signing bonus and salary info for the Giants‘ undrafted free agent class. The team’s biggest UDFA investment was Tulane offensive lineman Sean Donnelly, who received $15K in guaranteed salary, along with a $15K signing bonus.
- Asked again about his contract negotiations with the Panthers, linebacker Thomas Davis referred to those talks as “a work in progress,” though he expressed optimism that “it’ll eventually get done.” Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has the full quotes and details.
- Defensive tackle Josh Brent has decided to end his playing career, but that doesn’t mean his ties to the Cowboys will be severed, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, who writes that owner Jerry Jones plans to continue to support Brent in different ways.