Extra Points: Connolly, Foster, Titans
Within a span of a week earlier this month, four prominent NFL players walked away from lucrative salaries. There are split opinions on whether this is the start of a trend, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. “It’s the flavor of the month. It is a hot topic,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Patrick Willis, Jake Locker, Jason Worilds, and Chris Borland retiring. “I imagine it’s been going on since the beginning of time, guys choosing to walk away from the game seemingly at an inopportune time when they had youth and health.”
- The Bucs are bringing former Patriots guard Dan Connolly for a visit tomorrow, Ross Jones of FOX Sports tweets. On Sunday, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com reported that Connolly wasn’t receiving a ton of interest from other clubs, leaving him in a holding pattern with New England. At one point, the 32-year-old was receiving interest from the Seahawks and Bears as a center and from the Dolphins as a guard. The Bucs reportedly saw Connolly as a guard as well.
- The Bears‘ contract for linebacker Mason Foster is a one-year, minimum salary deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The pact carries a $745K base with an $80K signing bonus, good for a total value of $825K.
- Titans offensive lineman Chance Warmack told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he believes in both quarterback Zach Mettenberger and the direction that the Titans’ front office is going in.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com broke down the specifics on Kenny Britt‘s two-year deal with the Rams. While the reported total value was $14MM, it’s really more like a $9.15MM pact when considering that he’d have to accomplish feats in the NFL that he never has before in order to achieve the total value.
- Washington‘s pursuit of Marcus Mariota doesn’t make a great deal of sense given the team’s recent decisions, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times writes.
Rams To Re-Sign Tim Barnes
The Rams have re-signed free agent Tim Barnes, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). The guard/center took a trip to Kansas City on Monday, but he quickly decided to stay put in St. Louis.
Barnes, 27 in May, has spent his entire four-year career with the Rams. His new deal will carry a maximum value of $1MM, according to Thomas (via Twitter), and he could wind up competing for a starting job this year on the offensive line. Even though the Rams did not extend a tender to Barnes when he was a restricted free agent earlier this month, they apparently wanted to retain him, just at a lower salary.
The Chiefs already fortified their interior offensive line by acquiring Ben Grubbs from the Saints, but they were looking for additional pieces, having lost a big one in center Rodney Hudson. Now that Barnes is going back to the Rams, they’ll have to look elsewhere for reinforcements.
NFC Mailbags: Peterson, Rams, Gurley, Newton
We already took a look at some of the AFC mailbags, now let us turn our attention to what ESPN.com’s writes are saying about the NFC:
- The biggest question left for the Cowboys in terms of building their team outside the draft is whether or not they will trade for Adrian Peterson. Todd Archer writes that while you can never rule anything out with the Cowboys, he doesn’t see it as a real possibility.
- The Rams are in an odd spot drafting at No. 10, with no obvious players or needs going in that range. Nick Wagoner opened his mailbag to questions about what the team will do if one of the better prospects falls to them, despite not being an immediate fit. He believes the team would have to consider players like Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Vic Beasley, and Randy Gregory should they be available.
- The Cardinals have a lot of questions at running back, and Josh Weinfuss explores two options, with the likeliness of either Todd Gurley or Peterson starting at halfback for the team in 2015. Weinfuss writes that while every player is different, Gurley should be ready for the beginning of the season. In the case of Peterson, he notes that the chances of a deal materializing lessen as time goes on.
- Cam Newton is coming closer to a contract extension with the Panthers, and David Newton answers questions about his progress this offseason and the team’s opinions of him. He also touches on whether the team would be willing to trade up in the draft, which he hasn’t seen precedent of under general manager Dave Gettleman.
NFC Notes: Guion, Seahawks, Rams, Falcons
With Letroy Guion‘s legal case now resolved, the Packers continue to explore a potential reunion with the free agent defensive lineman, but it sounds like he’s drawing interest from the team that knocked Green Bay out of the postseason earlier this year. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Guion visited the Seahawks today.
More than other most other teams in the NFL, Seattle has shown a willingness to bring in players for visits without necessarily pushing hard to sign him, so there’s certainly no guarantee Guion will become a Seahawk, but it appears the Packers aren’t his only suitor.
Let’s check in on a few more Friday items from across the NFC….
- Despite acquiring Nick Foles from the Eagles, the Rams still intend to draft a quarterback, according to head coach Jeff Fisher (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Foles is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so St. Louis figures to use the 2015 season to determine whether or not the ex-Eagle can be the Rams’ QB of the future.
- For now, T.J. Yates appears to be the favorite to back up starting quarterback Matt Ryan in Atlanta, but Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing a veteran like Matt Schaub, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “Schaub is certainly somebody that we could [add],” Quinn said. “As we get through it, we’ll let you know if we go down that road.”
- The Giants‘ five-year, $17.5MM contract for Dwayne Harris, which includes $7.1MM in guaranteed money, has taken its share of criticism over the last couple weeks. However, agent Chad Speck tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that 14 teams reached out to him about Harris, and the Giants “weren’t the only team involved in the numbers that Dwayne ultimately signed for.”
- A pair of prospects who were dismissed from their respective college teams will visit the Vikings, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is scheduled to host cornerback Marcus Peters and wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
Contract Details: Britt, Dent, Fasano, Jets
Here are a few specific details on some of the contracts signed recently by 2015’s free agents:
- Kenny Britt‘s two-year contract with the Rams can be worth up to $13.95MM with incentives. However, the deal voids after one year if Britt has 901+ receiving yards or at least nine touchdowns during the 2015 season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Akeem Dent‘s two year deal with the Texans is worth $4.5MM, and includes $2MM in guaranteed money, including a $750K signing bonus.
- Wilson also has the details on Anthony Fasano‘s new two-year contract with the Titans, tweeting that it’s worth $5.25MM, with a $1.125MM signing bonus and $500K annually in per-game roster bonuses.
- New Jets defensive lineman Stephen Bowen will make $950K on his one-year deal with the team, with $60K of that amount fully guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson also signed for $950K and a $60K signing bonus, so it appears the two players have the same contract.
Eagles Notes: Bradford, Mathis, Barwin
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly drew a big crowd at this morning’s NFC coaches’ breakfast in Arizona, and many of those reporters in attendance passed along noteworthy comments and quotes from the team’s de facto GM. Here are a few of the highlights from Kelly, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of various reporters in Phoenix:
- Since being offered a first-round pick shortly after he acquired Sam Bradford from the Rams, Kelly hasn’t received any other trade inquiries involving the quarterback. As for that original offer, Kelly declined to confirm which team offered the first-rounder pick for Bradford, but it was certainly the Browns, who also offered the Rams the 19th overall pick for the QB.
- Discussing the Bradford trade, Kelly said the Eagles had originally tried to get the deal done with just picks, in the hopes of keeping Nick Foles, but the Rams wanted Foles as part of the package.
- According to Kelly, the Eagles haven’t actively shopped guard Evan Mathis, but the club has given Mathis and his agent permission to seek a possible trade. At the end of the day, Kelly said, he’s willing to listen to offers for any player.
- Explaining the decision to spend big on cornerback Byron Maxwell and not wideout Jeremy Maclin, Kelly indicated that there had been an imbalance of money devoted to the offensive side of the ball, as opposed to the defensive side of the ball, and “it showed” on the field.
- Kelly confirmed that Connor Barwin‘s contract restructure didn’t help the Eagles’ cap at all — Kelly reworked the deal simply because he felt like Barwin had exceeded and outperformed his initial contract.
- It sounds as if wide receiver will be an area the club targets in the draft. Kelly said today that wide receiver may be the position with the most depth in this year’s draft class.
- The Eagles remain active in some discussions with free agents, but Kelly isn’t sure if the team will sign any more players.
- Although Kelly said today that LeSean McCoy wasn’t “moving off” his large cap number – prompting the team to part ways with him – Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears from sources that the team never approached the running back about restructuring his deal.
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Rams, Cards
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Rams coach Jeff Fisher, and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians all offered up a few notable comments today during their morning session with reporters in Phoenix at the owners’ meetings. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from the breakfast discussions, starting with the reigning NFC champs….
Pete Carroll
(Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times and ESPN.com’s Terry Blount)
- Carroll reiterated what GM John Schneider said earlier this week, indicating that defensive end Michael Bennett has never said anything to him about wanting to be traded or wanting a new contract.
- Carroll is optimistic about a number of the team’s free agents returning to the fold, indicating the club plans to re-sign center Stephen Schilling and defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs. The head coach is also confident that the Seahawks will work something out with backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who remains on the market. Jackson visited the Dolphins, but Miami ultimately brought back QB Matt Moore.
- Caroll suggested that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson‘s camp have had “great talks” about a new contract for the young signal-caller. “It’s a long process with extraordinary ramifications,” according to Caroll, but he’s hopeful that the two sides can work something out.
Jeff Fisher
(Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
- According to Fisher, trade discussions with the Browns involving quarterback Sam Bradford happened on the weekend of March 7, before free agency opened. The Rams eventually announced their deal with the Eagles on Tuesday, March 10.
- The Browns’ offer for Bradford featured the No. 19 overall pick and never the No. 12 pick. However, Fisher said today that it wouldn’t have made a difference if Cleveland offered the higher first-rounder, since St. Louis still wouldn’t have gotten a QB back in the deal — the Eagles’ willingness to part with Nick Foles gave the Rams a Bradford replacement.
- The Rams remain active in their search for offensive linemen, with talks expected to pick up again following this week’s league meetings. Joe Barksdale, who played right tackle for the team last year, is still an option, and the Rams are in talks with him. According to Fisher, Barksdale’s initial asking price was a little surprising, but it’s in a more reasonable range now, and “it makes sense to get Joe back.”
- The Rams have added Jeff Imamura to their staff as a defensive assistant, according to Fisher. Imamura previously worked for the Vikings.
Bruce Arians
(Twitter links via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
- The Cardinals cut center Lyle Sendlein earlier in the offseason, but would like to get him back on the roster at a reduced cap number.
- Running back figures to be a spot the Cards will address in the draft, perhaps in the fourth or fifth round. The team is looking for a player with both size and speed.
- The Cards also figure to look at cornerbacks in the draft. Arians said today that he wants to add a young, speedy corner, but doesn’t see a need to add a veteran to the roster.
- Veteran linebacker Larry Foote is currently a member of the Cardinals’ coaching staff, but may still decide to play for the team in 2015. Arians is hopeful that Foote, who is recovering from knee surgery, will make that decision in time for training camp.
Contract Details: Clay, Cromartie, Webb, Britt
Here are some specific details on a number of contracts agreed to and/or signed recently. One-year minimum salary benefit deals aren’t included.
AFC deals:
- Charles Clay, TE (Bills): Five years, $38MM base value. $24.5MM fully guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $10MM roster bonus in 2016. No-trade clause for first three years (three Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. $7MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus. No signing bonus (link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
- Lardarius Webb, CB (Ravens): Restructured contract. Three years, $18MM base value. $5.25MM guaranteed. $3MM roster bonus in 2015 (link via Wilson).
- Nate Irving, LB (Colts): Three years, $7.25MM base value. $1.5MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. Escalators in 2016, 2017 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Karl Klug, DL (Titans): Two years, $3.75MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. $200K roster bonus in 2016. Up to $625K in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- James Harrison, OLB (Steelers): Two years, $2.75MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Byron Stingily, T (Titans): Two years, $2.5MM base value. $250K signing bonus. $800K playing-time escalator (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Louis Delmas, S (Dolphins): One year, $2.25MM base value. Up to $1.25MM in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Mitch Unrein, DT (Chargers): Two years, $1.9MM base value. $250K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
NFC deals:
- Kenny Britt, WR (Rams): Two years, $9.15MM base value. $4.05MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Potential void in 2016 based on 2015 escalator (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
- Jacob Tamme, TE (Falcons): Two years, $3.2MM base value. $400K signing bonus. $250K roster bonus in 2016. $1MM escalator based on performance, playing time (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Clint Gresham, LS (Seahawks): Three years, $2.705MM base value. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ahtyba Rubin, DL (Seahawks): One year, $2.5MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Kenrick Ellis, DT (Giants): One year, $1.475MM base value. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
- George Selvie, DE (Giants): One year, $1.2MM base value. $200K signing bonus. Up to $200K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Murray, 49ers
Speaking to reporters this morning in Phoenix at the AFC coaches’ breakfast, Chargers head coach Mike McCoy addressed the team’s backfield, including quarterback Philip Rivers. Asked about Rivers’ decision to play out his contract, McCoy responded that the team plans on Rivers “retiring as a Charger” (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com).
McCoy also indicated he’s confident the Chargers can win with the three running backs they have on the roster at the moment (Twitter link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, and Danny Woodhead are currently slated to share the load for San Diego, with Ryan Mathews having departed in free agency. The club could also address the position in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Within a piece on Jeremy Maclin, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, citing a league source, that the Raiders offered running back DeMarco Murray “significant more guaranteed money” than the Eagles did.
- Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio identified defensive end and pass rusher as two spots he expects his team to focus on early in the 2015 draft, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Del Rio added that receiving help could also come via free agency, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
- 49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed that his club has interest in several free agent inside linebackers, including Brandon Spikes. However, according to Baalke, there’s no official visit lined up for Erin Henderson at this point (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).
- Casey Pearce of the Rams clarified today (via Twitter) that the Rams will have their own seventh-round pick this year — it was the Patriots‘ pick that St. Louis sent to the Falcons in a subsequent trade. With 2015’s compensatory picks now announced, the league should officially confirm the complete draft order soon.
- UCLA’s Brett Hundley, considered perhaps the best 2015 quarterback prospect not named Jameis or Marcus, has a private workout scheduled with the Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
AFC Links: Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Browns
The Texans current batch of quarterbacks would never be confused with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage don’t evoke fear, but that doesn’t mean their team can’t be successful. Owner Bob McNair is a supporter of that sentiment, as he told Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that he believes his team could contend for a Super Bowl:
“Teams have done that. Look at Baltimore back in 2000. They had an outstanding defense. They could run the ball and they had a quarterback that didn’t turn it over that much. I think that is a plan that can bring you great success. Look what we did last year playing four quarterbacks. We didn’t have that consistent play at quarterback and yet look how close we came. We’ve improved our defense this year.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that his team has interest in free agent wideout Greg Jennings, but he warns that they haven’t scheduled a visit (Twitter link).
- While appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said his team also hasn’t scheduled a visit with Jennings (via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports on Twitter). However, Tannenbaum noted that Miami could pursue the veteran wideout later in free agency.
- Following news earlier today that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could be a candidate to purchase the Titans, a Browns spokesman told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the Tennessee native is devoted to Cleveland. “It’s 100% false,” the spokesman said. “There is no truth to the careless speculation from the reporter.”
- Browns general manager Ray Farmer said the organization would continue to monitor potential quarterback additions, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
- Farmer would not reveal whether the Browns offered a first-round pick to the Rams for Sam Bradford, but he did comment that the current Eagles signal-caller likely isn’t available (via Ulrich on Twitter).