NFC Notes: Graham, Lynch, 49ers, Vikings
Both Jimmy Graham and the Saints have plenty to lose depending on what an arbitrator rules this week on Graham’s franchise tag positional designation. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes it’d be in the best interest of both sides to reach a long-term agreement before that ruling is made. In Triplett’s view, a multiyear deal with a value of $10-11MM seems about right.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett told NFL AM today (link via NFL.com) that he hopes the standoff between Marshawn Lynch and the club is short-lived, though he threw some support behind his teammate: “Obviously he’s one of the best running backs in the game, and he feels like he should be paid like one of the best backs in the game. And, of course, I agree with him.” Of course, even without a new contract, Lynch already ranks among the league’s top five RBs when it comes to average annual salary.
- In addition to discussing his contract situation, Vernon Davis also shed some light on his long-term plans at TheMMQB.com today, writing that in 10 years his goal is to “host my own show, start acting, and continue to build a business empire.”
- Although it’s not 100% clear whether or not Davis will show up at the Niners‘ minicamp this week, offensive lineman Alex Boone will only be in attendance if he has a new deal in place, which appears unlikely, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com.
- While the Vikings expect a big season from Kyle Rudolph, the team also needs a second tight end to step up and fill the void left by John Carlson’s departure, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- Rather than choosing a team in free agency that lacked talent on the defensive line so he’d have a better chance at playing time, Alex Carrington elected to sign with the Rams this offseason in order to surround himself with talent, as he explains to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- The Packers have a decent chunk of cap space still available, but will need to decide how to use it, writes Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com, adding that extensions for Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb or a new deal for Jermichael Finley are all possibilities.
NFC Notes: Cards, Lions, 49ers, Rams
The Cardinals have plenty of time to evaluate the players on their roster before they have to cut it down to 53 men, but Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com has predicted which 53 will be suiting up for the team Week 1. Weinfuss writes that the first 45 were easy, but narrowing down the final eight was a difficult decision. Paul Fanaika, Brittan Golden and Jaron Brown were some of the toughest cuts on this list.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- Since the Lions released veteran cornerback Chris Houston, they are left with a thin secondary, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Rashean Mathis should be slotted to be the team’s top corner, but the 33-year old veteran is not what he once was. After Mathis, the team has last year’s second-round pick Darius Slay, who struggled mightily in 2013. Aside from those two, there is a long list of question marks rounding out the depth chart.
- The 49ers acquired Jonathan Martin earlier this offseason, and are now trying to move him inside from tackle to guard, writes Tyson Langland of Bleacher Report. However, Langland is far from optimistic about Martin’s ability to change positions with his new team. Although he has struggled at both left and right tackle, his inexperience at the position as well as his alleged lack of arm strength and aggressiveness make Langland believe he will be a bad fit at guard.
- With Radio City Music Hall unavailable for the 2015 NFL Draft, other cities aside from New York are getting excited at the prospect of hosting the draft either next year or down the road. With Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York (at Madison Square Garden) fighting to host the draft, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Rams are getting into the mix as well. Rams executive vice president Kevin Demoff and President of the St. Louis Sports Committee Frank Viverito have discussed a willingness to bring the Draft to St. Louis. “We’ve had conversation about what it would take, and would be interested if the NFL winds up doing this on a long-term basis,” Demoff said. While the 2015 NFL Draft might not be a possibility, the city is open to the possibility of obtaining a future NFL Draft.
- Eagles‘ kicker Alex Henery struggled in 2013, including a missed field goal and short kickoffs in a playoff loss to the Saints. Even still, he is not worried about his job security, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Competition can always make you better, but it’s not like I’m worried about it,” Henery said recently. “I’m here to do my thing and do it the best I can. . . . I’m a perfectionist. That’s what drives me.”
Extra Points: Clowney, Mathieu, Slay, Carrington, Kalil, Turner
- Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who was bothered by a groin injury, underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia, relays Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney is expected to be ready for training camp.
- The Cardinals are taking a patient approach with defensive back Tyran Mathieu and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu, both of whom are recovering from torn ACL injuries, writes NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus. “I had Oct. 1, or after the (bye week) as the target date for me personally,” says head coach Bruce Arians. “If they do something better than that, God bless ’em.” The Cardinals’ bye comes in Week 4 before a road game at Denver.
- Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp says the Lions were wise not to “cave to public pressure” and reach for a cornerback in the first round because he expects 2013 second-rounder Darius Slay to make strides in year two. That said, in light of Chris Houston‘s release, Sharp says Slay must be the Lions’ most improved defensive player in 2014. Meanwhile, in a rundown of the team’s cornerbacks, Sharp’s colleague Dave Birkett calls Slay a work in progress, “But he’s long and athletic and after struggling with zone concepts will be a better fit in Teryl Austin’s new defense.”
- Could Alex Carrington be an under-the-radar steal for the Rams? St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Joe Lyons says, the 26-year-old, 6-5, 300-pound defensive lineman “seemed to be on the verge of a breakout season with the Buffalo Bills last year when a torn quadriceps tendon ended his campaign after just three games.” In fact, entering last season, Carrington was viewed by Pro Football Focus as a “secret superstar,” calling him “one of the league’s most promising young pass-rushing DTs.”
- A right knee injury was to blame for Vikings tackle Matt Kalil‘s sophomore dropoff, writes Chris Tomasson in the Pioneer Press.
- “Other than being 20, there’s not much negative you can say” about Panthers third-round guard Trai Turner, says ESPN’s David Newton.
- The contracts of the NFL’s highest-paid centers – Maurkice Pouncey, Alex Mack and Ryan Kalil – were examined by OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald, who says annual value can be misleading.
Rams Sign Robinson, Donald, Eight Others
5:12pm: Donald doesn’t have offsets in his deal either, Breer adds (on Twitter).
5:01pm: The Rams’ deal with Robinson does not have offsets, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network. He’s the first player to get that concession this year and that could factor into the Jaguars’ talks with Blake Bortles, Breer adds.
4:34pm: The Rams may have waited the longest of any NFL team to get a draft pick under contract, but it didn’t take the team long to complete the process once it was started. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have signed all 11 of their 2014 draftees. In addition to the previously reported Lamarcus Joyner, that group includes first-rounders Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald and 249th overall pick Michael Sam.
A year ago, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take the team’s rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before those players received their signing bonuses. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams did the same thing this year, delaying the signing process to ensure that their players know how to manage their money when they receive it.
Among those signing bonuses, Robinson’s will be the largest — according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the signing bonus for the No. 2 pick should fall just short of $14MM. As the 13th overall pick, Donald will be in line for a bonus of $5.692MM. The remaining eight bonuses range from about $46K to $638K.
Besides Robinson, Donald, Joyner, and Sam, the Rams now have the following draftees under contract:
- Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75)
- Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110)
- E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188)
- Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214)
- Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226)
- Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241)
- Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250)
Rams Sign Lamarcus Joyner
At last count, only 31 members of 2014’s draft class remained unsigned, and 11 of those belonged to the Rams. Head coach Jeff Fisher and his team have gotten into the habit of walking their rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before handing them big signing bonuses, but it seems St. Louis has finally begun to start locking up its draftees. According to agent Sunny Shah of 320 Sports (Twitter link), second-round cornerback Lamarcus Joyner inked his rookie contract today.
Joyner, a member of the Florida State squad that won last season’s BCS National Championship, earned First Team All-ACC and consensus All-American honors in his final year as a Seminole. For the season, the 23-year-old had 69 tackles, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 5.5 sacks.
Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Joyner’s signing bonus as the 41st overall pick should come in at about $1.978MM
NFC West Notes: Peterson, Joseph, Rams
Earlier today we learned that the Cardinals were one of the teams that talked to the Buccaneers before this year’s draft about the possibility of a Mike Glennon trade. Glennon would have been groomed to be the club’s next quarterback while backing up starter Carson Palmer, but the talks ultimately didn’t go anywhere. The latest out of the NFC West..
- Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that extension talks between cornerback Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals are active and some progress has been made. While there has been more movement on a new deal between the two sides than most teams have had with standouts from the 2011 class, nothing is iminnent at this time, however. Recently, our own Luke Adams looked at Peterson’s case for an extension. The cornerback is probably pushing to exceed the $14MM annual salary that Richard Sherman got on his four-year deal and the $22MM guaranteed that Joe Haden received on his five-year deal. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him match one or both of those marks when all is said and done.
- It was a long road that led guard Davin Joseph to the Rams, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. The Rams wound up re-signing Rodger Saffold after his deal with the Raiders fell through and some assumed that would have 86’d any hope of a deal between Joseph and St. Louis. However, the Rams maintained their interest and signed Joseph after watching the market play out. The former first-round pick had interest from the Cowboys and Patriots but ultimately chose the Rams this offseason.
- The Rams‘ home stadium, the Edward Jones Dome, is running out of money, writes David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In six years, the authority that oversees the stadium will have burned through its $16MM savings and they project to be ~$62MM in the hole in 15 years. With increased talk of a team picking up and moving to Los Angeles, that’s not great news for the city of St. Louis.
Extra Points: Cardinals, Rams, Orton, Adams
The Cardinals are looking to possibly add some established veterans, but it’ll be a waiting game for those seeking employment, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. The Cards worked out veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo recently but the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement. Urban is reminded of the dance that the Cards did with tackle Eric Winston last season before ultimately signing him to a below asking price deal right before training camp.
- The Rams will not receive their $3MM offset on cornerback Cortland Finnegan‘s signing with the Dolphins until the 2015 cap year, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, that bit of news had no bearing on the team’s decision to restructure the contract of center Scott Wells, which created some immediate salary relief. Finnegan signed a two-year deal with Miami in March.
- The Kyle Orton watch will be on when the Cowboys hold their mandatory minicamp June 17-19, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Coach Jason Garrett reiterated that he anticipates Orton to take part in the minicamp, but he has not had any recent conversations with the Cowboys backup and he says he’s not sure Orton has a copy of the playbook to understand the changes implemented by new playcaller Scott Linehan.
- Unrestricted free agent safety Mike Adams tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1 (on Twitter) that the 49ers, Browns, Jets, and Patriots are potential landing spots for him. However, he says the door for re-signing with the Broncos is likely closed.
- Even though there is no long-term deal imminent, Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds is hoping that will change before the start of the season. “I hope so, but it is one day at a time,” said Worilds, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “If I continue with that approach, everything will fall in line.”
- By the time training camp starts in late July, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) expects Texans GM Rick Smith to sign a veteran offensive tackle to compete for the swing tackle job.
- Browns coach Mike Pettine is already making a strong impression in Cleveland, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports. The 47-year-old has instilled a strong work ethic in his new team and showed wisdom when he said no to HBO’s “Hard Knocks” for this offseason.
NFC Notes: Jones, Rams, Cowboys, Nicks
In a video interview with SI.com, Falcons receiver Julio Jones said he expects to sign a long-term contract extension before his rookie deal runs out. “I will not get to free agency,” said Jones. “They gave up a lot for me and they know how hard I work. They’re not going to let me go. And I love Atlanta, I love being here.” Jones also says teammate Roddy White, a free agent next year, wants to be in Atlanta three more years.
Here’s a few more NFC notes:
- The Rams boast the league’s best front seven, while the Cowboys’ is the worst, according to Mike Tanier of Sports On Earth. On the Rams’ burgeoning front four (excluding first-round pick Aaron Donald), in particular, Tanier says, “Think of the Rams defensive line as starting each game with four three-and-outs that leave the opponent punting from about the 22-yard line, and you get a sense of their impact.”
- Meanwhile, “The Cowboys lost DeMarcus Ware, Jason Hatcher and (in the saddest, most ridiculous minicamp story of the year) Sean Lee from a defense that allowed 2,056 rushing yards and recorded just 36 sacks last year,” writes Tanier. “Henry Melton arrives as a younger, more system-suited replacement for Hatcher, but everything else is a shambles. Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and DeVonte Holloman form the most anonymous linebacker corps in the league…And of course, the Cowboys are so cap-stressed that they wouldn’t be able to sign a veteran reinforcement, even if one becomes available this late in the offseason.”
- Buccaneers veteran guard Carl Nicks‘ health status remains a question mark, writes ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas: “Nicks, who missed almost all of last season with a toe injury and a MRSA infection, previously has said he expects to be ready for training camp. But it remains to be seen if he still is on target. The team has been quiet about Nicks’ status.”
- Seahawks pass rusher Bruce Irvin (hip) and running back Robert Turbin (knee) had off-season surgery, reports Bob Condotta in the Seattle Times.
- The 49ers have approximately $6.4MM in cap space, probably enough to “extend a vet and have an emergency stash for the season,” according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
Scott Wells Reworks Contract With Rams
4:22pm: Wells’ 2015 bonuses actually amount to a $1MM payout on the third day of the league year and $1MM in per-game roster bonuses, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (Twitter link), who adds that Wells also has up to $2MM in not likely to be earned incentives in each of the next two seasons.
11:55am: Offensive lineman Scott Wells has restructured his contract with the Rams to reduce his 2014 cap hit, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com. The veteran center had been slated to earn annual base salaries of $5.5MM this year and next, but will instead have a 2014 salary of $1MM and a 2015 salary of $2MM.
In exchange for accepting a cut on his base salary, Wells received an immediate payment of $1.65MM in the form of a roster bonus. The 33-year-old can also earn up to $850K in per-game roster bonuses depending on how many games he appears in during the 2014 regular season. For 2015, Wells will receive a $1.75MM roster bonus if he remains on the roster. The end result is $2.2MM+ in cap savings for St. Louis this year, and $1.75MM in cap savings for 2015.
The restructured deal provides a nice real-life example of the difference between incentives which are likely or not likely to be earned, which I explained earlier today. Wells appeared in 12 of 16 games last season, so only 75% of his 2014 per-game roster bonuses are considered LTBE, with the remainder viewed as NLTBE — that means only $637.5K of that $850K total applies to the Rams’ cap for now.
Wells, who finished last season on injured reserve, is slated to be the Rams’ starting center in 2014 on a talented offensive line that includes All-Pro tackle Jake Long and No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson.
Extra Points: 49ers, Browns, Panthers, Rams
When Colin Kaepernick‘s new contract extension was announced, the 49ers signal-caller suggested that he inked a team-friendly contract in part because he hoped it would help San Francisco lock up some of its other key players. But the fact that Kaepernick accepted such a modest guarantee could complicate matters for the Niners when it comes to extending players like Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
As Maiocco writes, the Niners aren’t in the business of handing out huge guarantees to outside free agents or their own players, so Crabtree and Iupati may have to make some concessions if they want to remain in San Francisco. Both players could potentially earn a larger guarantee on the open market than the Niners will be willing to pay.
Let’s round up several more Monday odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Veteran edge defender Edgar Jones worked out for the Browns today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Jones, who has played for the Ravens, Chiefs, and Cowboys, has appeared in 64 regular season contests, but has never started a game or played a significant defensive role.
- The new Browns’ decision-makers, led by GM Ray Farmer, have made about 40 player transactions since taking control of roster decisions in February, so Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com decides to take stock of the additions and subtractions made by the club.
- There hasn’t really been a market set for second-tier quarterbacks, so the Bengals and Chiefs will have tough decisions ahead of them as they decide what to do with Andy Dalton and Alex Smith, respectively. Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a look at the limited options for the two clubs, proposing one “radical” alternative to signing their QBs to lucrative extensions.
- Given the lack of reliable veteran options on the Panthers’ wide receiving corps, there could be an opening or two for an unheralded player to earn a roster spot. One such player may be Wofford’s Brenton Bersin, who has earned some praise from head coach Ron Rivera, as David Newton of ESPN.com details.
- After signing with the Rams as a free agent this offseason, wide receiver Kenny Britt is enjoying his fresh start in St. Louis, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Following DeSean Jackson‘s latest allegations against agent Drew Rosenhaus, the NFLPA issued a memo to all agents vowing to double the penalties for any infractions, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.