Extra Points: DeVito, L.A., Garcon, NFLPA
While hundreds of NFL writers will submit mock drafts within the next two months, few are more plugged in than Peter King of TheMMQB.com, whose first mock draft of the year lends credence to the idea that the Eagles have real interest in Marcus Mariota. King’s mock has the Eagles pulling off a trade with Washington to move up to the No. 5 spot and nab Mariota — Philadelphia gives up its first- and second-round picks this year, along with its first- and fourth-round picks for 2016, in the hypothetical swap.
Here’s more miscellany from around the NFL:
- The Chiefs are expected to ask defensive lineman Mike DeVito to take a pay cut, reports Conor Orr of NFL.com. DeVito, who is set to earn a base salary of $3.75MM with a 2015 cap number of $5.4MM, could be cut by Kansas City if he decides he doesn’t want to accept a reduced salary.
- As Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times reported late last night (via Twitter), Inglewood’s City Council unanimously approved Stan Kroenke‘s Hollywood Park stadium project. By approving the project, the Inglewood City Council can skip a couple steps, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk explains. City officials can now avoid putting the stadium proposal up for a public vote, and can avoid “potentially lengthy” environmental reviews. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) notes that Carson officials are expected to do the same thing with the Raiders/Chargers‘ stadium proposal.
- There have been “zero talks” about Pierre Garcon‘s contract between his camp and the Washington front office, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean discussions won’t happen at some point, but Keim notes there’s been nothing yet to indicate that any sort of move involving Garcon is coming.
- An already crowded field got even more crowded today, as former NFL player Sean Morey emerged as the latest candidate to become executive director of the NFLPA, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- The latest MMQB.com piece from ex-Packers executive Andrew Brandt touches on a handful of interesting topics, as Brandt explores the L.A. issue, notes the different between a contract restructure and a pay cut, and points out that salary cap flexibility can often be created fairly easily.
NFC West Notes: Bradford, Dockett, Long
Although initial reports have indicated that both the Browns and the Bills may have expressed varying degrees of interest in acquiring Sam Bradford, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that, as of Tuesday, no team has contacted the Rams to discuss trading for the quarterback. Per Rapoport, the Rams have asked Bradford to accept a pay cut — when he declined, St. Louis allowed Bradford’s agent to determine if there was a market for his client. But no team has stepped forward, so far, and Rapoport adds that the Rams expect hefty compensation for Bradford, noting that a team would have to “extraordinarily desperate” to meet St. Louis’ demands.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- The Cardinals recently restructured the contract of receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and now they might be looking to tweak the deal of another veteran. Arizona general manager Steve Keim told reporters, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link), that the club has had a dialogue with defensive lineman Darnell Dockett about working out a new deal. Dockett’s 2015 cap hit of $9.8MM is the fifth-highest figure on the Cardinals’ roster.
- Both Bradford and Rams tackle Jake Long are coming off their second ACL tear in as many seasons, and Long’s future in St. Louis is just as murky as Bradford’s. Greg Robinson is slated to be the Rams’ left tackle next season, but head coach Jeff Fisher said there have been discussions about retaining Long, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took a stab at guessing Stan Kroenke’s next move. When the Chargers and Raiders formed an alliance and announced plans to build a stadium together in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, it wasn’t the best news for the Rams owner. Now, those who are familiar with Kroenke expect him to operate on multiple tracks in order to guarantee himself a positive outcome.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Bills Not Pursuing Trade For Sam Bradford
2:06pm: A Bills source has told Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 that they are not pursuing Bradford.
1:48pm: The Rams tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter) that there is “no merit” to the report linking Bradford to the Bills.
1:06pm: The Bills are interested in acquiring quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Multiple team sources tell Getlin that Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman aren’t high on incumbent QB EJ Manuel, and believe that Bradford could help the club contend in 2015.
The Rams have said that they’d like to retain Bradford as their starting quarterback next season, but recent reports have indicated that St. Louis has allowed to Bradford to determine his trade market. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rams would deal the 27-year-old Bradford, but it certainly seems like the club is keeping its options open.
Bradford is scheduled to count more than $16MM on the Rams’ cap in 2015, the final year of his contract; St. Louis would be on the hook for just $3.595MM in dead money if they dealt him. An acquiring team would be responsible for Bradford’s base salary of $12.985MM. Still, that figure seems incredibly high for a quarterback who hasn’t been able to stay on the field. Bradford has torn his ACL in each of the past two seasons, and has played in only seven games during that time.
As Getlin writes, it could be tough for the Bills to pony up enough compensation to satisfy the Rams. Buffalo only has six pick in this year’s draft, having already traded their first-round selection to move up in last year’s draft. Still, Bradford probably wouldn’t command a first-rounder anyway, so perhaps the Bills would be willing to part with some combination of mid-round picks.
Over the weekend, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Browns would also have interest in acquiring Bradford.
AFC North Notes: Bradford, Browns, Steelers
With buzz building around Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee, Baltimore has probably come to terms with the fact that they probably can’t re-sign him, Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com writes. A number of teams have their sights set on No. 90 after he graded out as Pro Football Focus‘ (sub. req’d) No. 2 outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they don’t have a ton of cap space to work with, as our own Rory Parks recently outlined in his offseason outlook for the club. Here’s more from the AFC North..
- Addressing rumors about the Browns‘ interest in Sam Bradford, Peter King of TheMMQB.com says that the Rams would at least listen if Cleveland was serious about making a trade. However, King doesn’t believe the Browns would seriously pursue a deal unless they received some assurances about the quarterback not leaving Cleveland after a single season.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com is thinking that it might be the right time for the Browns to bring Ted Ginn Jr. home. The Cleveland native once told Grossi that he’d love to finish his career with the Browns and while he never fulfilled the promise of his No. 9 selection in the 2007 draft, he is still a dangerous return specialist and would help the Browns’ 28th ranked unit.
- The Steelers will have lots of options if they want to draft a cornerback, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes. There aren’t a ton of marquee corners at the top of the draft, but there are many viable possibilities overall. “I think there are NFL-caliber players that are going to be available through the first five rounds,” GM Kevin Colbert said. “Not everybody is going to be 6-foot-1 and [run a] 4.3. If you’re looking in that area and have a couple spots you want to fill, you better be open to the fact guys are available that can help your team.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
L.A. Notes: Chargers, Raiders, San Antonio
The NFL is serious about bringing the league back to Los Angeles, even though it hasn’t happened in time to get games there in 2015. Still, the future of the NFL is moving toward a return to one of the nation’s largest markets, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II notes that this commitment is not in sentiment only, but in actual financial investment. Rooney is serving as chairman of the NFL committee looking into moving to L.A.
“People are actually investing dollars into getting something done,” said Rooney. “People can take that as maybe we’re more serious than we’ve been over the last decade or so.”
Here are some other notes surrounding the teams considering relocation to Los Angeles:
- Chargers owner Dean Spanos and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer met to discuss the team’s need to explore other options in case they cannot reach an agreement to stay at Qualcomm Stadium, according to Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter). The team released a statement regarding the meeting between Spanos and Faulconer. The comes on the heels of a joint proposal with the Raiders to finance a stadium in Los Angeles.
- While the Raiders and Chargers are currently working together on their journey towards relocation, the idea that the joint proposal will seal the deal is premature. The Raiders will need to see significant progress over the next 30 days in order to take this process to the next step, writes Matier and Ross of SFGate.com.
- The Raiders may still be trying to head back to Los Angeles, but the city of San Antonio has not given up its efforts to bring the team to the state of Texas, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. “The concerted efforts of San Antonio’s public and private sectors remain focused on a long-term vision to bring the Raiders to the Alamo City,” according to a statement released by the city.
- The Raiders may be the wild card in this whole relocation process, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Chargers and Rams are both looking to Los Angeles, but the Raiders could stay in Oakland, go to San Antonio, or even replace the Rams in St. Louis, in addition to the L.A. possibility.
NFC Mailbags: Cowboys, Panthers, Lions, Rams
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…
- Todd Archer took a look at the Cowboys free agents, with a focus on the big names. The writer believes Dez Bryant, Justin Durant, Doug Free and Sterling Moore will be back, but he isn’t optimistic about the return of Rolando McClain and Bruce Carter. The writer notes that he is doubtful about DeMarco Murray re-signing, but he adds that his opinion changes daily.
- David Newton believes the Panthers will mostly pursue the second-tier of free agents this offseason. He mentions general manager Dave Gettleman‘s assertion that the team wouldn’t be shopping at either the “Dollar Store” or “Tiffany’s.”
- Michael Rothstein isn’t under the impression that the Lions negotiations with Ndamukong Suh will hold up talks with free agent kicker Matt Prater. The writer notes that Prater is a priority for the organization, so the timing of the Suh talks are irrelevant.
- If the Rams choose to spend some money in free agency, Nick Wagoner says Chiefs offensive lineman Rodney Hudson could be a realistic target. In regards to the team’s own free agents, Wagoner says tight end Lance Kendricks could prove to be too pricy for the organization.
Browns Eyeing Sam Bradford
The Browns quarterback situation was a bit tumultuous in 2014, but it was expected to clear up in 2015. That may no longer be the case, as Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole says the organization will “take a real run” at Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (via Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com):
“Bradford, whether they trade for him or whether he gets cut, that’s a guy at the top of their list,” Cole said (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). “Bradford is the guy that most people are saying if the Browns have a chance to get him, especially with a relatively cheap trade, say a second-round pick, maybe a third-round, that they’ll take a real run at him.”
The interest in Bradford is curious, especially considering the team’s investment in first-round pick Johnny Manziel only last year. Of course, Johnny Football’s rookie campaign didn’t go as well as many had hoped, but despite the 22-year-old entering a rehab program, it sounded like the organization was still committed to their young quarterback. Manziel finished his rookie season with 175 and two interceptions. He also ran for 29 yards and a touchdown on nine attempts.
Of course, the team’s pursuit of Bradford would be fruitless if the Rams refuse to give up the 27-year-old. Head coach Jeff Fisher stressed yesterday that the organization plans to keep Bradford, and general manager Les Snead indicated that they’d rather add quarterbacks than subtract them.
“I don’t think that’s the answer,” he told Cabot. “I think the answer is providing insurance in case we do go through more bad luck. Let’s rehab (Bradford). And then when he’s healthy, let’s let him go compete. And I think the guy’s got a chance to be a heck of a starting quarterback. Let’s insure the position. And that just gives us options in case we do have bad luck.”
Following an injury-ravaged 2013 season, Bradford tore his ACL in the Rams third preseason game this past season. In his last full season in 2012, he passed for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Latest On Los Angeles Talks
The Raiders and Chargers created an uproar Thursday when they announced joint plans to build and share a $1.7 billion, privately financed stadium 15 miles south of Los Angeles in Carson, Calif.
With the Raiders, Chargers and Rams as possible relocation candidates, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote Friday that commissioner Roger Goodell has a complicated situation on his hands. Florio opines that two of the three franchises will ultimately end up in L.A., while the odd club out could be pursued by the likes of St. Louis and San Antonio.
Here’s more on the league’s possible return to Los Angeles:
- Carson politicians and community leaders held a rally Friday in support of landing the Raiders and Chargers, according to ESPN’s Arash Markazi. Carson Mayor Jim Dear called the acquisition of multiple NFL teams “an enormous opportunity.”
- The Raiders’ departure from Oakland is far from a sure thing, writes Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News. Purdy takes a skeptical approach toward possible Raiders relocation and wonders if team owner Mark Davis is using Carson as leverage to get a new stadium in Oakland.
- Conversely, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the relocation of the Raiders and Chargers to Carson “could really happen.” In another tweet, LaCanfora speculates that Rams owner Stan Kroenke would get a new stadium deal in St. Louis (plus other pot sweeteners) if his team isn’t one of the two that goes to L.A.
- Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune spoke to Davis, who said Oakland is “absolutely” a possibility for the Raiders going forward. McDonald went on to tweet that the Raiders and Chargers are frustrated by a lack of progress toward new stadiums in their respective cities.
- “That’s our No. 1 priority, to stay in Oakland, always has been and will continue to be,” Davis told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic Tafur. One league official informed Tafur that three teams are racing for two spots in L.A. Further, the three front-runners (San Diego, Oakland and St. Louis) can all terminate their current leases and move after next season.
- If the Raiders and/or Chargers do relocate, there hasn’t been any talk of either switching from the AFC to the NFC, Tafur tweets.
Combine Pressers: Rams, Jags, Seahawks
Most head coaches and general managers who were scheduled to speak to the media in a press conference setting at the combine this week did so on Wednesday or Thursday, but there were still a few names left on the docket today. Three head coaches or GMs spoke to reporters at the podium in Indianapolis this morning and afternoon, and we’ve got a recap of their notable comments below, with all links going to Twitter unless otherwise indicated….
Rams head coach Jeff Fisher:
- According to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Fisher said today that a report suggesting Sam Bradford was allowed to seek a trade was “inaccurate.” However, he stressed that the Rams will definitely be keeping an eye out for a quarterback this offseason. “It could be a veteran, could be a draft pick,” Fisher said. “But it’s extremely important to have that option, yes.”
- Fisher once again reiterated that the Rams want Bradford back, noting that the former first overall pick had dinner with new quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke last week before Weinke was hired.
- In addition to interviewing Jeff Garcia, the Rams also spoke to Steve Walsh about their QB coach job before hiring Weinke, according to Fisher.
- Jake Long‘s rehab is progressing and the team is working on figuring out where he could fit besides left tackle, with many options in play, said Fisher. Greg Robinson is poised to take over as the Rams’ permanent left tackle, meaning Long will either switch positions or be cut.
Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell:
- The Jaguars will have a top-three pick once again this season, and while the club has held onto its top pick in recent years, Cadlwell is more willing to discuss the possibility of moving down this time around, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “I feel more open to it this year because we don’t need to have a guy come in and start,” Caldwell said. “We had no margin for error the last two years. We had to draft them and start them.”
- If the Jags do decide to trade their pick, Caldwell expects it to be a last-minute move, since some teams wait until draft day to make a real offer.
- The Jaguars head into March armed with a ton of cap space, and the team plans to be aggressive in free agency, but won’t “spend just to spend,” said Caldwell.
- Caldwell has received second-hand reports telling him that wide receiver Justin Blackmon is making solid progress, trying to make positive strides in his life. Blackmon is slowly working his way toward reinstatement, as we heard a couple weeks ago.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll:
- The Seahawks have made “big offers” to running back Marshawn Lynch, and engaged in “earnest” talks with him, per Carroll. The club is still waiting on Lynch to make a decision about the coming season, and if he decides to continue playing, it sounds like he’ll be rewarded with an extension.
- Having lost coaches like Dan Quinn and Ken Norton to larger roles with other clubs, the Seahawks are still looking to fill a couple spots on their defensive staff, according to Carroll, who said the team is conducting interviews in Indianapolis.
Extra Points: Colts, Rams, Lowery, Lions
While Colts GM Ryan Grigson didn’t reveal anything too significant during his conversation with reporters this week at the combine in Indianapolis, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star came away with the sense that the team would make “consequential moves” in free agency next month. With possible at holes at safety, running back, and perhaps wide receiver, as well as a need for pass rushers, the Colts are armed with plenty of cap room and have the ability to make impact additions.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), word from the combine has the Rams preparing to target linebackers early in the draft. All three of St. Louis’ regular linebackers in 2014 received negative grades, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- There have been no contract discussions between the Falcons and safety Dwight Lowery yet, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Lowery is eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.
- Speaking to Tori Petry of DetroitLions.com (video link), Lions GM Martin Mayhew singled out quarterback Dan Orlovsky and long snapper Don Muhlbach as two under-the-radar potential free agents that the team is optimistic about re-signing.
- Former Browns and Eagles executive Joe Banner cautions fans not to think that every team is having the same Marcus Mariota vs. Jameis Winston debate that the media is having. According to Banner (via Twitter), many clubs already have Mariota “clearly” at the top of their quarterback rankings.
- Former first-round quarterback Brady Quinn, who was in camp with the Dolphins in 2014, is planning to give it one last shot in the NFL this year in the hopes of landing a regular season roster spot, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.