AFC East Notes: Jordan, Pats, Glenn
Dion Jordan has had a pretty disappointing beginning to his NFL career. After the Dolphins traded up to select Jordan with the third overall pick of the 2013 draft, he has been suspended on three separate occasions for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and the third suspension is a year-long ban that will force him to miss the entirety of the 2015 season. Even when he has seen the field, he has done little to live up to the potential that compelled Miami to jump up in the draft to nab him.
In fact, prior to the announcement of his year-long suspension, the Dolphins were nearing a trade that would send Jordan to Philadelphia. Combined with his on-field disappointment and off-field struggles, those trade discussions would seem to indicate that Miami has no plans to hold onto Jordan once the 2016 season rolls around. But as Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald and Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk write, that may not be the case. Per Jackson and Gantt, the Dolphins are not actively trying to collect the bonus money they are entitled to recoup as a result of Jordan’s suspension–roughly $3.35MM–which suggests that they may give him one more chance to prove himself on what promises to be a talented defensive front next year.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes from the AFC East:
- Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com says that if Roger Goodell does not wholly vacate Tom Brady‘s four-game suspension, Brady and his legal team will continue the fight in court. However, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes, “going to court carries risk of Brady exposing himself and the Patriots to the discovery process, which could put a famously secretive organization in the open, not to mention the potential that Brady loses in court and has to serve his suspension late in the 2015 season, when the Patriots are trying to clinch a playoff spot.”
- In the same piece cited above, Reiss writes that former Patriots guard Dan Connolly may have played his last snap. Reiss reports that the Buccaneers made a pretty strong pitch to Connolly, who would have had the chance to reunite with Logan Mankins in Tampa Bay, but Connolly did not want to move so far away from his family. So unless New England decides to extend an offer, which it is unlikely to do unless the team suffers an injury along the offensive line, Connolly appears prepared to hang up the spikes.
- Cordy Glenn, whose contract expires at the end of this season, does not even know if he will be lining up at right or left tackle for the Bills in 2015, writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Although Glenn has been the team’s regular left tackle since 2012, he spent much of the offseason practices this year alternating between left and right tackle with Seantrel Henderson. But Glenn is trying not to concern himself with his contract situation as he focuses on learning a new position. “I’m just going to come to work and see what happens,” Glenn said. “That’s all I can do.”
2015 Release Candidates: AFC East
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.
Buffalo Bills:
- Matt Cassel, QB: Just weeks after acquiring Cassel from the Vikings, a report indicated that Buffalo had interest in extending the veteran quarterback, if only for the purpose of making his 2015 cap charge more palatable. But Cassel’s performance during recent OTAs has some wondering if he’ll even survive final roster cuts. The Bills do have two younger QB options in EJ Manuel and Tyrod Taylor, but neither has ever had any sustained success in the NFL. Buffalo could clear nearly $5MM by releasing Cassel. Prediction: not released.
- Bryce Brown/Anthony Dixon/Fred Jackson, RB: With LeSean McCoy and rookie Karlos Williams virtual locks for Buffalo’s 53, one of the aforementioned running backs will probably be cut before the seasons starts. Bills GM Doug Whaley has been adamant that Jackson won’t be released, and Dixon is a key special teams contributor. Brown has the lowest cap charge (by far), but he’s probably the worst fit given the team’s current makeup. Prediction: Brown released.
- Manny Lawson, LB: Lawson had a poor season in 2015, grading as the second-worst defender on the Buffalo roster, accordin to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). But with the Bills switching back to a 3-4 defense, Lawson could have a better shot to stick on the roster, as he performed capably under former DC Mike Pettine‘s 34 look. Plus, the club would incur $750K in dead money in each of the next two seasons by releasing Lawson, as opposed to a 2015 cap hit of $3.1MM, so the savings wouldn’t be overly consequential. Prediction: not released.
- Chris Williams, G: After signing a four-year deal last March, the 29-year-old Williams made just three starts for Buffalo before being placed on injured reserve with a back injury. He’s still recovering from said injury, and didn’t participate in OTAs. The former first-round pick has never lived up to his draft status, and now that the Bills have added Richie Incognito (via free agency) and John Miller (via the draft), the club could save nearly $2.5MM by cutting him. Prediction: released.
Miami Dolphins:
- Dion Jordan, DE: There’s no financial reason for the Dolphins to release Jordan — given that he’s suspended for the entire 2015 season, he won’t count against Miami’s books. But given the former third overall pick’s repeated off-the-field troubles, Miami might just want to rid themselves of Jordan altogether. They wouldn’t incur any dead money by doing so, as Jordan’s suspension voided his remaining guarantees. Prediction: released.
- Kelvin Sheppard, LB: Sheppard wasn’t a big part of Miami’s defense last season, seeing time on just 121 snaps. He’s currently set to act as Koa Misi‘s backup at middle linebacker, but his cap hit is $2MM; the club could save $1.5MM of that by releasing him. Perhaps if undrafted free agents Mike Hull and Zach Vigil impress during training camp, Sheppard’s role could be in jeopardy, but for now, he’s probably safe. Prediction: not released.
New England Patriots:
- Had both receiver Danny Amendola (link) and linebacker Jerod Mayo (link) not restructured their respective contracts in March, they would have likely been released. As such, the Patriots don’t have any other high-profile release candidates.
New York Jets:
- Calvin Pace, LB: Pace played the fourth-most snaps among Jets defenders in 2015, but he wasn’t overly effective, grading as the eighth-worst 3-4 OLB among 46 qualifiers, per PFF. New York would only keep $125K in dead money on their books by releasing the 34-year-old, as opposed to a $2.25MM cap hit by keeping him. Perhaps if the Jets like what they see from third-round rookie Lorenzo Mauldin, Pace’s role could be in jeopardy, but he’s probably safe. Prediction: not released.
East Notes: Bradford, JPP, Gachkar, Jets
After years of being proactive with their quarterbacks in the post-Donovan McNabb era, the Eagles are still at a crossroads with their projected starter.
Philadelphia extended Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick in the late Andy Reid years before re-signing Mark Sanchez this offseason. But Sam Bradford still sits in a walk year despite changing teams, and Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com analyzes the risks both sides take by standing pat and the benefits possible for each party.
Brandt estimates Bradford, with the huge caveat of whether the 27-year-old signal-caller makes it through the season unscathed, could be somewhat of a prize next offseason for a quarterback-needy franchise considering a market that as of now houses Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning could be left with only Bradford with the cost of inking QBs on a perpetual rise. But despite Bradford having already earned a preposterous $65.1MM as the last No. 1 overall pick of the old CBA, the sixth-year veteran could be worth next to nothing with another season-ending malady, increasing the urgency to negotiate a deal with the Eagles before the season begins.
Although traded for 2013-14 starter Nick Foles, who has won almost as many games (14) in three seasons than Bradford has in five (18), Brandt notes there remains a remote trade possibility, and Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes a Week 1 starting lineup featuring Sanchez is not beyond the realm of possibility. On the books for $12.99MM cap number, Bradford’s still in a solid position, with what could be a scant quarterback derby next March and the possibility of the position’s franchise tag skyrocketing to around $20MM next season, per Kulp.
Let’s look at some additional Eastern items this afternoon.
- Jason Pierre-Paul intends to play this season at around 265 pounds, notes the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Weight’s served as a bit of an issue for Pierre-Paul since his dominant 2011 showing. The 2010 first-round pick hasn’t signed his franchise tender worth $14.8MM yet and hasn’t showed at the Giants‘ facilities for OTAs or minicamp, instead opting to train in his native Florida. Schwartz adds only a “remote” chance exists JPP and the Giants agree on a long-term deal by July 15.
- Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia and linebackers boss Matt Eberflus influenced Andrew Gachkar to sign with the Cowboys, along with Texas’ absence of a state tax, reports Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Gachkar said his primary position will likely be strongside linebacker while playing under his former instructors at Missouri and with the Chargers, respectively.
- At the moment, the Jets‘ starting tight end is sixth-year veteran Jeff Cumberland, as Jace Amaro is listed as the H-back under Todd Bowles. But the Jets won’t wait around for the inconsistent Cumberland, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Although the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly had proficient quarterbacks throwing to him, Cumberland rated as the worst tight end last season among players who garnered at least 25% of their team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
- The Dolphins are likely to deploy Jeff Linkenbach as their starting right guard, offers James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker predicts the former Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts cog will beat out Billy Turner for the position. Possibly the most reported Evan Mathis suitor, Miami would be giving snaps to a sub-par guard in Linkenbach in this scenario. The sixth-year veteran’s last full season as a starter — 2011 in Indianapolis — produced some ghastly results, according to PFF (subscription required). Linkenbach hasn’t started more than eight games since.
Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: AFC East
Between now and the start of NFL training camps, we’ll be taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series yesterday by focusing on the NFC East, and we’ll tackle the other East division today, as we move over to the AFC.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four AFC East franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Buffalo Bills:
- Mario Williams, DE/OLB: $19,400,000
- Marcell Dareus, DT: $8,060,000
- Kyle Williams, DL: $6,950,000
- Eric Wood, C: $6,650,000
- Jerry Hughes, DE/OLB: $6,175,000
- LeSean McCoy, RB: $5,500,000
- Charles Clay, TE: $5,000,000
- Leodis McKelvin, CB: $4,900,000
- Matt Cassel, QB: $4,750,000
- Sammy Watkins, WR: $4,530,819
Total: $71,915,819
Mario Williams’ massive 2015 cap number is one of the highest in the entire NFL, and it won’t get any easier to stomach next year, when it jumps to $19.9MM. The figures make Williams a candidate to be released or to have his deal restructured if his production falls off, but he’s coming off an All-Pro season, so the Bills are likely content to carry that cap number for now, particularly with only one other player above $7MM.
While Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Dareus, and Hughes may see their roles change this year in a new defensive scheme, the four players were all defensive linemen in 2014, so it’s interesting that they all rank in Buffalo’s top five cap hits this year. Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman will certainly enjoy working with the talented, albeit costly, group of front-seven players.
The Bills’ top-10 list also features a number of new additions, with McCoy, Clay, and Cassel all having joined the club this offseason, while Hughes signed a brand-new contract. The cap charges for McCoy, Clay, and Hughes will all rise significantly in future seasons — after totaling a combined $16.675MM cap charge in 2015, the trio will count for a combined $28.75MM against the Bills’ cap next year.
Miami Dolphins:
- Branden Albert, LT: $10,725,000
- Cameron Wake, DE: $10,450,000
- Brent Grimes, CB: $10,000,000
- Reshad Jones, S: $7,712,942
- Mike Pouncey, C: $7,000,000
- Mike Wallace, WR: $6,600,000 (dead money)
- Dannell Ellerbe, LB: $6,400,000 (dead money)
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: $6,100,000
- Ryan Tannehill, QB: $4,873,364
- Dion Jordan, DE/OLB: $4,682,276
Total: $74,543,582
Many of the largest contracts on the Dolphins’ books have relatively modest cap numbers this year — Pouncey and Tannehill earn spots on this list, but they’ll almost certainly place higher in 2016, when their cap charges jump to $10MM+. As for Suh, his cap hit will soar to a staggering $28.6MM next season. With $157MM+ already committed to their top 51 players for 2016, the Dolphins will have some decisions to make next year.
In 2016, the team will also have to try to avoid the sort of dead money charges they’re carrying this year. Wallace and Ellerbe both earn top-seven spots here, and Brian Hartline‘s $4.2MM dead money hit nearly cracked the top 10 as well. Jordan’s cap charge might as well be dead money too, since the former third overall pick has been suspended for the season.
Despite some questionable entries within their top 10 cap hits, the Dolphins are optimistic about their chances in 2015, and that can be partially attributed to their talented and inexpensive offensive skill players — Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and Lamar Miller count for just over $3MM in total against the 2015 cap.
New England Patriots:
- Tom Brady, QB: $14,000,000
- Rob Gronkowski, TE: $8,650,000
- Nate Solder, LT: $7,438,000
- Sebastian Vollmer, RT: $7,020,833
- Jerod Mayo, LB: $6,100,000
- Devin McCourty, S: $6,000,000
- Darrelle Revis, CB: $5,000,000 (dead money)
- Rob Ninkovich, DE: $4,750,000
- Julian Edelman, WR: $4,656,250
- Stephen Gostkowski, K: $4,590,000
Total: $68,205,083
Brady didn’t rank among the NFL’s top 2015 cap hits for quarterbacks, but he’s still atop the Patriots’ own list by a comfortable margin. For a team coming off a Super Bowl victory though, there aren’t many highly-priced players on New England’s roster, a reflection of the way the team manages its cap — the $68MM total for the Pats’ top 10 cap hits of ’15 is the lowest figure in the AFC East.
Of course, while the Patriots manage their cap well, that doesn’t mean that this is simply a list of their 10 best players. Revis shows up here after New England declined his option, the price the team had to pay for his one year of service. Additionally, the Pats are the only team we’ve seen so far with a kicker in their top 10, and even ones at talented at Gostkowski rarely have cap numbers this high.
New York Jets:
- Darrelle Revis, CB: $16,000,000
- D’Brickashaw Ferguson, LT: $11,698,670
- Nick Mangold, C: $10,407,100
- Brandon Marshall, WR: $9,000,000
- David Harris, LB: $7,500,000
- Antonio Cromartie, CB: $7,000,000
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DL: $6,969,000
- Eric Decker, WR: $6,500,000
- Breno Giacomini, RT: $5,125,000
- Dee Milliner, CB: $3,453,028
Total: $83,652,798
John Idzik may not have been the general manager the Jets needed to lead the franchise back to the playoffs, but he did a good job managing the cap — New York has less than $3.5MM in dead money on its 2015 cap, which allowed the team to spend big in free agency this offseason. By comparison, the Bills have $7MM+ in dead money on their 2015 cap, the Pats have nearly $14MM, and the Dolphins are carrying over $22MM.
All the Jets’ cap room allowed the team to frontload contracts for its big free agent additions like Revis, who shows up on two separate top-10 lists in this division. Marshall and Cromartie also arrived within the last few months, while Harris signed a new contract with the team.
One name to watch from this list going forward is Wilkerson, who could be a fixture among the Jets’ top cap charges for the next few years if he signs an extension with the team. After drafting Leonard Williams sixth overall, however, the Jets are certainly under less pressure to pay Wilkerson a massive salary.
Committing nearly $84MM in cap room to the players on this list, the Jets’ total top-10 cap hit is the highest we’ve seen yet, but that can be attributed in large part to the fact that the team simply had space to burn, having carried over plenty of room from 2014. Most of those deals shouldn’t come back to haunt the franchise down the road.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
AFC Notes: Gipson, Jennings, Titans
Tashaun Gipson, the last of this year’s restricted free agents to sign his contract for the 2015 season, wasn’t pleased about receiving a second-round tender instead of a first-round tender, but he’s happy to play on the one-year deal if he and the Browns don’t reach a longer-term arrangement, writes Matthew Florjancic of WKYC. However, while he says he’s “perfectly fine” with his current contract, he’s also looking ahead to the possibility of a larger payday in free agency, as he suggests to Florjancic.
“At the end of the day, my rookie contract was less than this tender. So on the bright side about it, I’m going to make more money than I’ve ever made, so I can’t complain about that,” Gipson said. “But, yeah, absolutely, I would say, ‘Hey, man. You see the way that guys are getting paid. The safety position, it’s changing drastically. The top five guys are all getting paid $9MM+.’ That type of stuff, it entices you and it says, ‘Hey, man. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.'”
Florjancic passes along a handful of comments from Gipson, who continues to say that he’d like to stay in Cleveland, if possible. But it sounds as if the young safety won’t necessarily be accepting a hometown discount to remain with the Browns. Gipson, 24, pointed to former Browns defensive backs like T.J. Ward and Buster Skrine, suggesting that he recognizes the business side of the game can often result in players changing teams.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Greg Jennings made several visits and took his time deciding where to sign when he became a free agent earlier this offseason, but a phone conversation with Dolphins GM Mike Tannenbaum eventually convinced the veteran wideout to head to Miami, says Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
- Tight end Taylor Thompson was cut last week by the Titans without any sort of injury designation, but Thompson claims that he requires knee surgery due to a lingering issue from last season. As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com writes, the NFLPA is looking into Thompson’s release, and the difference of opinions between player and team.
- Josh McCown is already displaying the attributes that drew the Browns to him this offseason, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Klemko On Heyward, Brady, Mathis, Wilson
With Peter King taking his summer vacation, Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com stepped in this week to publish the latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, and his piece includes a number of interesting tidbits, including an explanation for why teams ought to attempt two-point conversions more often now that the extra-point kick has been moved back. Here are a handful of other notable items from Klemko’s piece:
- Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of his contract, and is negotiating an extension with the Steelers, though he says he’d rather not think about his contract situation. The defensive lineman tells Klemko that he thinks he can play better than he did in 2014, when he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best 3-4 defensive end. “I hope last year wasn’t a breakout season because I think I can achieve way more,” Heyward said. “I still have a mentality where I think of myself as a bust. I’ve got to prove everybody wrong including myself. I want to get better, and I want to shut people up.”
- Tom Brady‘s camp will call many of the witnesses central to the AEI report – which criticized the Ted Wells report – to testify during the Patriots‘ signal-caller’s appeal, a source tells Klemko. As Klemko points out, Brady and the NFLPA could file a lawsuit in federal court after the appeal process is complete, challenging Roger Goodell for violating due process by declining to recuse himself as arbitrator. However, Klemko thinks that Brady’s four-game ban will be reduced to a one-game suspension, and the QB will forgo legal action to put the issue to rest.
- Klemko hears that 10 teams are interested in Evan Mathis, which echoes what agent Drew Rosenhaus said last week. The MMQB.com scribe views the Dolphins as the favorite for the Pro Bowl guard, who may have drawn interest from even more teams if he had reached the open market sooner.
- Based on the numbers Klemko is hearing out of the Russell Wilson extension talks, he believes the team and the player are divided on the QB’s value. Klemko predicts that the Seahawks will ultimately franchise Wilson after the 2015 season, then perhaps let him walk a year later.
- Klemko disagrees with Titans GM Ruston Webster, who said last week that he wouldn’t be concerned if Marcus Mariota misses the first few days of training camp while the two sides finalize his rookie contract. As Klemko writes, that may be fine for a defensive tackle or safety, but a rookie quarterback – who is expected to start – needs all the training camp reps he can get. I’m inclined to agree that Webster’s comments are “a bad attempt to gain leverage” — there’s really no reason the Titans shouldn’t be able to agree to terms within the next few weeks.
AFC Notes: Tarell Brown, Gipson, Fins
The Ravens‘ secondary was their weakest unit last season, and it may have cost them a chance at the AFC Championship game. To that end, the team has added Kyle Arrington and Cassius Vaughn in free agency this offseason, and Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun believes Baltimore may not be done bolstering its cornerback corps. Wilson writes that the Ravens have shown interest in 30-year-old free agent corner Tarell Brown, who played for the Raiders last season after spending the first seven years of his career with the 49ers.
Although Brown finished with a -4.6 overall rating last year per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), placing him 75th out of 108 eligible corners, he did play through a broken foot, and he finished with strong ratings in each of the previous three seasons, even ranking as the 13th-best corner in the league in 2012. He also brings significant starting experience, having started 114 games in his career while amassing 295 tackles and 11 interceptions. Brown may not be a top-flight corner, but he would offer solid production and invaluable depth for a relatively modest price.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the AFC:
- Unless the Browns make Tashaun Gipson a blockbuster offer, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes Gipson will play out the 2015 campaign on his second-round tender and take his chances on the open market next offseason.
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer saw Johnny Manziel practice recently, and Pluto writes that Manziel did make “a few good medium throws” and is reportedly limiting his pre-snap issues, but he did struggle with red-zone drills and appears to have difficulty seeing the whole field. Pluto writes that Manziel is currently “not even close to the caliber of play that Josh McCown has shown at quarterback.”
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post examines the five biggest issues the Broncos face heading into training camp next month, including their left tackle and inside linebacker positions.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe examines the Patriots‘ salary cap situation, noting that despite carrying over $14MM in dead money, New England is sitting pretty with just under $10MM in cap space. Of course, considering the number of departures the team has had to deal with this offseason, it is not surprising that the Pats have some spending flexibility.
- The Dolphins have a good problem in that it will be more difficult for the team to pare the roster to 53 players than it has been in recent seasons, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Jackson writes that there is a glut of high-ceiling, if unproven, talent in Miami’s secondary, and the team will have to make sacrifices in other areas to retain that talent.
- In the same piece, Jackson writes that the Dolphins may have interest in Evan Mathis, but they are not currently interested in “consolation prize” guards like Dan Connolly and John Moffitt.
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union offers his projections on the Jaguars‘ 53-man roster.
East Notes: Eli, Washington, Dolphins
After a year in Ben McAdoo‘s offense, Eli Manning ditched the indecisiveness that plagued him at last June’s minicamp, writes the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz.
The 34-year-old Manning worked with baseball-based mechanics this offseason and has a more confident aura after a 2014 offseason — and some of the regular season — mired by inconsistency.
“It is lively, very lively,’’ Giants coach Tom Coughlin noted to reporters on Manning’s throwing arm. “He has worked hard at that. You know Eli is feeling good about himself when he says ‘I feel like I got good juice on it.'”
Here are some other notes from the Eastern divisions on Saturday morning.
- Planning on an extended absence from Will Beatty after the left tackle’s recent pectoral injury, the Giants may be in better shape on their interior. According to Schwartz, Big Blue has prized 2014 acquisition Geoff Schwartz back healthy after an injury-marred season and Weston Richburg at his natural center spot following a rookie slate playing guard alongside the woeful J.D. Walton. The Giants now have former first-round right tackle Justin Pugh at guard despite Beatty’s setback. At tackle, however, the team remains thin. With newly signed Ereck Flowers now on the left side with little room for a learning curve, sub-optimal swing man Marshall Newhouse is slotting at right tackle for the time being.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com expects Jeron Johnson to supplant Duke Ihenacho as Washington‘s starting strong safety despite Ihenacho’s frequent work with the first team during minicamp. While anticipating the fifth-year ex-Seahawks reserve to garner his first significant role after signing a two-year, $4MM deal in March, Tandler expects Washington’s incumbent at the position, Ihenacho, to safely make the team after previously envisioning the former undrafted Ssan Jose State cog on the roster bubble.
- The Dolphins remain interested in Evan Mathis, but they haven’t made a push for the now-unretired John Moffitt, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. With solid performers at tackle and center but issues at guard, the Fins have yet to make an offer for Mathis. Although they figure to be on the front line in this rare June pursuit of an All-Pro talent.
Agent: 10 Teams Interested In Evan Mathis
JUNE 19, 5:04pm: Five days after saying that a half dozen clubs had expressed interest in Mathis, Rosenhaus tells Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the number is up to 10. While Mathis’ agent didn’t identify any specific suitors, a team source tells Kelly that the Dolphins are one of the 10, though they haven’t made an offer and don’t intend to invest significantly in the veteran lineman.
JUNE 14, 3:47pm: At least “half a dozen” clubs have expressed interest in newly-minted free agent guard Evan Mathis, his agent Drew Rosenhaus said during an appearance on WQAM (link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Mathis, 33, was released by the Eagles on Thursday.
“It’s wide open and there’s a lot of interest in Evan,” said Rosenhaus. “Between now and the start of training camp, I definitely expect him to have a new home. I think we’ll be methodical. We won’t necessarily rush into signing immediately… As far as ranking Evan’s priorities, I definitely think winning is critical to him…The contract has been an issue, so that’s a factor. Fortunately, he’s going to have some options.”
No team has been directly linked to Mathis, as Rosenhaus notes that “until a player visits with a team, clubs like to keep their interest on the down low.” But a number of teams have been tossed out as potential suitors, with the Bills, Patriots, Seahawks, Vikings, and Dolphins all being mentioned. As Rosenhaus says, Mathis’ contract was a determining factor in his release by Philadelphia, so it seems like his destination will be greatly influenced by monetary offers.
Mathis was scheduled to earn a base salary of $5.5MM under his Eagles deal, and it remains to be seen if he and Rosenhaus can secure that type of commitment from another club. Given his age and that teams mostly have their rosters set, it’s probably unlikely that Mathis will be able to get that level of AAV. Setting up a bidding war among interested parties, however, is surely the best avenue for Rosenhaus to explore.
Miami, specifically, would prefer to roll over some of its $10MM in cap space to 2016, and like most clubs, wants to keep a few million in reserve to aid in the case of in-season injuries, according to Jackson. Given those parameters, it might be tough for the Dolphins to fit Mathis into their plans.
Extra Points: Moffitt, Irvin, Wilson, Bills
Free agent offensive guard John Moffitt could have suitors in the Eagles, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Jets and Texans, tweets Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. Moffitt announced earlier this week that he was coming out of a two-year retirement. The Broncos subsequently cut the 28-year-old and he cleared waivers on Thursday, per Jones (Twitter link), making him available to sign anywhere.
Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Talking to the media on Thursday, Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin insisted that he wants to remain in Seattle and that his comments about wanting to go to Atlanta were “misinterpreted,” tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. According to Condotta (Twitter links), Irvin added that he’ll be extra motivated in 2015 after the team chose not to exercise his 2016 option, and that his contract situation will take care of itself.
- Speaking of Seahawks players entering contract years, the team’s most notable extension candidate, Russell Wilson, was fairly noncommittal when addressing his situation on Thursday, indicating that he remains optimistic about getting something done. Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune has the details and the quotes.
- The Bills formally announced a number of changes within their player personnel department, most notably promoting Rob Hanrahan to director of pro peronnel and Kevin Meganck to director of football operations.
- Browns rookie Cameron Erving will likely begin his career at right guard and compete with John Greco for the starting job, offensive coordinator John DeFilippo told Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Erving, the 19th pick in this year’s draft, played offensive tackle and center during his career at Florida State. He’s expected to be a long-term option at center for Cleveland, which could lose starter Alex Mack to free agency next offseason.
- Second-year Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson is looking to build on a rookie campaign that saw him total an impressive 48 receptions in 10 games. So far, so good, says Jags quarterback Blake Bortles. “He’s been unbelievable,” Bortles said of Robinson’s showing at minicamp, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press. “He’s definitely a threat now in the red zone. … He’s physical. He can run and do everything out in the open field, so he’s been fun to throw to.“
Luke Adams contributed to this post.