NFC Quotes: Galette, Kalil, Forte, Foles
As training camps have started around the league, we’ve compiled some assorted quotes from the NFC:
Recently-signed linebacker Junior Galette on the opportunity to play with Washington (via Mike Jones of The Washington Post):
“First of all, I’m thankful to be here. Just thankful to have the opportunity. Just blessed and grateful to be a [member of the organization], and now just want to move forward, not worry about the past, but just what’s ahead of me.
“I could’ve waited a little longer, but I love football and I didn’t want to be sitting around anymore. On the porch for five, six days is a little uncomfortable.”
Vikings lineman Matt Kalil on having his fifth-year option picked up (via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune):
“If I had a Pro Bowl season last year, I’m sure I would have already restructured, but I didn’t. I think it’s fair. You have to work to earn that money. For me, just playing well takes care of everything. I either get the fifth-year option money or they restructure my contract.”
Bears running back Matt Forte‘s reaction to not receiving an extension (via the Associated Press):
“I’m under contract anyway. When I was talking about the deal and that type of stuff, it really made sense. From my aspect I was trying to lower the cap number and then I’d be able to continue my career here as well. But you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Like I’ve said plenty of times both sides have to want to do it.”
Rams GM Les Snead on potentially signing quarterback Nick Foles longterm (via the Associated Press):
“I always go to this: “Hey, if a quarterback is playing well and you’re winning, having team success, you have no problem asking your owner to write the check.”
North Notes: Browns, H. Smith, Steelers
The 2015 season will likely be a redshirt year for rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At one point, Ekpre-Olomu, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury, was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but Cleveland snagged him in the seventh round in May following his torn ACL and disclocated knee. The Browns will have to wait until the end of training camp to move the Oregon alum to injured reserve if they want to avoid the risk of losing him on waivers.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- “Nothing is going on” between Harrison Smith and the Vikings on the contract front, according to the safety himself, who tells Mark Craig of the Star Tribune that he and the club will likely discuss an extension after the 2015 season. Smith says he’s “not a fan” of the fifth-year option, which allowed Minnesota to lock him up through 2016. However, the 26-year-old tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he fully expects to remain with the Vikings in the long term.
- The Steelers should add Michael Vick to their training camp roster, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s backups have been “dreadful” in the spring and the early days of camp.
- Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt takes a look at the annual opening of Green Bay’s books, explaining in a piece for TheMMQB.com what the numbers mean for the team and for the NFL.
- Lions defensive ends Corey Wootton, Phillip Hunt, and Kerry Hyder are on the roster bubble as training camp gets underway, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
NFC Notes: Peterson, Panthers, Levy, Dez
A couple reports this offseason suggested that Adrian Peterson was at least briefly contemplating retirement, but it doesn’t sound like the Vikings running back is leaning toward leaving the game anytime soon. Speaking to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Peterson said he feels like he can continue playing until he’s “36 or 37 years old — and at a high level.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The Panthers have finalized contract extensions for a number of key players this offseason, including quarterback Cam Newton, linebacker Thomas Davis, and tight end Greg Olsen. Linebacker Luke Kuechly appears to be next in line for a new deal, but if the two sides don’t reach an agreement within the next few weeks, it’ll have to wait until 2016. Panthers GM Dave Gettleman tells Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review that he won’t negotiate extensions during the season: “Once the regular season begins, that’s it.”
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) believes there’s a good chance the Lions lock up linebacker DeAndre Levy to a new contract at some point before the season begins. According to Rapoport, Detroit views Levy as an “essential” piece.
- One source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that the way the Cowboys structured Dez Bryant‘s new contract to protect themselves is “brilliant.” However, Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News argues that Cole’s report overstates the concerns the Cowboys have about the star receiver’s off-field conduct.
- Byron Maxwell‘s name usually doesn’t come up when NFL fans and observers debate the top cornerbacks in the league. But after the Eagles signed him to a deal that pays him like a top-five corner, Maxwell is confident that he can be in that mix, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Following New Orleans’ release of pass rusher Junior Galette, Bill Barnwell of Grantland examines the Saints‘ cap situation, openly wondering about Drew Brees‘ future with the franchise.
Extra Points: Rule Changes, Vikings, Galette
There will be new procedures during the 2015 season for monitoring and preparing footballs prior to games, reports Mike Pereira of FoxSports.com. As the writer notes, there will be revisions to “the number of footballs prepared, random testing and changes in the oversight of the footballs once they’ve been checked by officials.”
The “properties” of a football will remain the same, meaning the infamous ball pressure will still be required to fall between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI.
Some assorted notes from the around the league as we wrap up the weekend…
- The Vikings are likely waiting a year until they try to extend safety Harrison Smith, tweets Chris Tomasson of St. Paul Pioneer Press. The writer notes that the organization prefers to hand out extensions during the final year of a player’s contract.
- Some of Junior Galette‘s former teammates are standing by the linebacker. Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis is hopeful that another organization will give the embattled player a second chance. “You know, that’s a guy who I think is a good guy. Probably made a couple of bad decisions lately, but I don’t want people to judge him,” Lewis told Joel A. Erickson of the Black and Gold blog. “Give him a chance, give him an opportunity. Wish the best for him. Don’t talk down on him and say this guy’s that. Like they say, don’t ever judge a book from the first two pages. Always read the middle.”
- Safety Kenny Vaccaro echoed that sentiment. “I really didn’t follow all the stuff closely,” Vaccaro said. “Junior’s a great player, he played his heart out every game. It’s unfortunate that we can’t have him, because he’s a great pass rusher.”
Vikings, Blair Walsh Agree To Extension
5:55pm: There are indeed $1MM worth of incentives in Walsh’s new deal, reports ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling (via Twitter).
The reporter also caught up with Walsh, who was thrilled about signing the extension.
“It’s nice to have security and get an extension,” he said. “But it makes you even more hungry to prove everyone right, to continue to perform like you’ve been performing. That’s the way I approach things: I’m never satisfied with anything. I want to continue to get better and do better.
12:30pm: The Vikings have signed kicker Blair Walsh to a contract extension, the team announced in a press release. The deal is for four years and worth up to $14MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), meaning that Walsh, who was entering his contract year, is now locked up through 2018. The pact contains $5.25MM in guaranteed money, per La Canfora.
“Blair has been a vital part of our special teams success since we drafted him and we felt it was very important to secure his future with our organization,” said Vikings general manager Rick Spielman in a statement. “His consistency on kickoffs and on long range field goals can help change the game for our team and we’re excited for his future here in Minnesota. This extension stays true to our philosophy of drafting young talent, developing them in our system and rewarding their success.”
Walsh, 25, has been in Minnesota since being selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Georgia. After an impressive rookie debut during which he made 92.1% of his field goals and was named to both the Pro Bowl and the All Pro team, Walsh’s production has declined in recent years, as he’s converted only 86.7% and 74.3% of his field goal attempts during the past two seasons, respectively.
Given that Walsh’s deal is worth “up to” $14MM, we can assume there are some incentives tied to the deal, and while we can’t calculate the average annual value just yet, a source does tell La Canfora that Walsh is now among the five highest paid kickers in the league. Dan Bailey is currently No. 5 among kickers in annual salary, earning about $3.214MM per annum, so Walsh will presumably pull in more than that figure.
PFR’s Luke Adams examined Walsh’s case for an extension a little over two months ago, specifically addressing whether Walsh’s problems from inside 40 yards would affect the Vikings’ interest in an long-term deal, given that extra points will be attempted from 32 or 33 yards beginning in 2015.
Vikings Place Casey Matthews On IR
The Vikings have placed linebacker Casey Matthews on injured reserve, the club announced. Matthews is dealing with a hip injury, one that head coach Mike Zimmer said occurred during the team’s offseason program, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Matthews, 26, agreed to a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with the Vikings earlier this offseason. After starting 11 games for the Eagles in 2014, Matthews looked like a legitimate option to compete with Audie Cole for Minnesota’s starting middle linebacker position. Once the Vikings selected UCLA’s Eric Kendricks in the second round of this year’s draft, however, Matthews’ route to playing time dissipated, and I listed him among the NFC North release candidates.
Depending on the nature of Matthews’ injury, it’s conceivable that he could still see the field this season. As Luke Adams explained in a PFR Glossary entry last year, players who are put on IR in the preseason — but who haven’t suffered season-ending injuries — are often released with a settlement. The club and the player come to an agreement on how long the injury will put the player out of commission, and the player is compensated for that length of time. It’s unlikely that Matthews will return to Minnesota however, as any club that releases a player off IR must wait six weeks on top of the initial diagnosis to re-sign him.
This the second Vikings headline of the day, as the club announced earlier this afternoon that it had agreed to a four-year extension with kicker Blair Walsh.
Extra Points: Rice, Peterson, Bell, Miller
Ray Rice is exhausting his NFL contacts in an effort to secure a chance at reviving his career, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports.
The embattled running back and his former coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano, among others, are making contact with teams in hopes of the 28-year-old runner resuming his once-promising tenure in the league. Werder reported one team was seriously interested in offering a deal to Rice but balked due to the potential backlash after video of his domestic assault on his then-fiancee/now-wife emerged last September.
Money is not motivating the former Pro Bowler here, according to Werder, with Rice having earned in excess of $20MM in his career.
Rice seeks the same second chance his 2014 suspended compatriots Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy have. Of course, those two players have more recent track records of success than Rice, whose position is arguably the easiest non-specialty role to replace. Per Werder, NFL GMs view Rice as a declining player at a young man’s position. His yards per carry, which had hovered above four per tote in each of his first four seasons, dipped to 3.1 in 2013.
Here are some other news items from the league on the final Saturday without eventful NFL action for nearly seven months.
- Despite staunch holdout threats this offseason before finally agreeing to rejoin the Vikings, Peterson said would have played out the season on his previously nonguaranteed contract, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m definitely happy,’’ Peterson told media at Vikings training camp in Mankato, Minn. “If (this week’s restructuring didn’t occur), I’d would have just been like, you know what, I’ll just play this year out and not redo the contract. I’m happy to be a Viking.” It’s doubtful the 30-year-old running back iterated that stance to Vikings management, but the team will have its star running back in a more content state this season after he missed almost all of the last. Peterson’s new deal guarantees him $13MM this season and $7MM against injury in 2016.
- Le’Veon Bell is still awaiting an appeal date for his marijuana-induced suspension, reports Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. The Steelers‘ breakout backfield star is set to miss three games.
- Ohio State standout Braxton Miller‘s switch to H-back may help his NFL draft status. The top-10 Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012 and 2013 has been playing at his new spot for three months after missing the 2014 season, reports Pete Thamel of SI.com. According to one NFL scout interviewed by CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler, this will enhance the senior’s earning potential come 2016. “We currently have two grades on him, one as an ‘athlete’ and one as a quarterback,” an NFC scout told Brugler. “The grade of him as an athlete is much…better. Because that’s when he’s at his best – with the ball in his hand.
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones isn’t exactly pleased with the progress made by the league this offseason in terms of rectifying the catch process, according to Dallasnews.com. In a lengthy analysis, Jones said there is still “some work to do” on avoiding controversial ruling like the one involving Dez Bryant that essentially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs in January.
- Jameis Winston‘s trial in a sexual battery lawsuit won’t occur until May 2017, according to a Tampa Bay Times report. The alleged incident occurred in December 2012. The Buccaneers‘ No. 1 overall pick was not charged or arrested for this reported incident.
Vikings’ Jabari Price Suspended Two Games
SATURDAY, 12:30pm: Price told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, that he appealed the suspension and was denied (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 12:21pm: Yet another NFL player is facing a suspension, as the Vikings announced in a press release that Jabari Price has been banned by the league for the first two games of the 2015 regular season for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse. Price is the third player to have a suspension announced today, following Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith and Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe.
Price’s suspension stems from a December incident, when he was charged for suspicion of drunken driving. That charge was ultimately reduced to careless driving, but the 22-year-old was still subject to discipline from the league. In a statement released on Price’s behalf through the NFLPA, the young defensive back apologized to his family, his teammates, the Vikings organization, and fans, vowing that he’ll never make the same mistake again.
After being selected in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, Price stuck with the Vikings last year, contributing sparingly on defense and special teams for the club. For the season, Price logged 47 defensive snaps and made five tackles in kick and punt coverage. He’ll provide depth in the Minnesota secondary once he returns from his two-game ban.
Mike Zimmer On Vikings Offseason, Peterson, Offense
The Vikings didn’t make many notable moves via free agency this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t active. The team got rid of quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, and they also brought in wideout Mike Wallace. They welcomed ten draft picks to the organization, agreed to an extension with center John Sullivan, and restructured Adrian Peterson‘s three-year deal.
Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune sat down with head coach Mike Zimmer to discuss the team’s offseason moves and his outlook for next season. We’ve collected some of the notable quotes below…
On the team seemingly ignoring free agency and prioritizing the draft:
“When you get involved in free agency, you’re paying players an awful lot of money, No. 1. And you don’t really know. It could be the system that helped them. You don’t know their personality, their work ethic, how they are in the locker room with chemistry. You try to find these things out, but you don’t really know. At least with young players, if you do make a mistake, it’s a lot cheaper. And all the work that the scouts and everybody does, getting a chance to interview the players at the combine and see them in person moving around, I just think it’s the more proven way to go.”
On the Adrian Peterson extension:
“We just thought it was beneficial for both sides that we got this done. He’s proved that he’s an integral part of this organization and in the state of Minnesota. He also went through some hard times, as did we. It was a good gesture on both sides to get it done.”
On the “additions” of Peterson (suspension), Kyle Rudolph (injury) and Mike Wallace (trade), and how the trio will help the offense:
“The possibilities are there and those are the things that excite you, that you have some players with some talent and ability. But then we have to go out there and do it and prove it. If I was trying to defend us, there would be a number of weapons that you would have to take care of, and I think that’s always good. The more weapons that people have a hard time taking away from you, it opens up more things for you. It’s almost pick your poison.”
Vikings Sign Josh Thomas
The Vikings have signed free agent cornerback Josh Thomas, according to their official website. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.
Thomas, 26, is a four-year veteran who played for the Panthers from 2011-13 before spending time with the Jets, Seahawks and Lions last season. He appeared in four games and amassed two tackles, and has tallied 66 tackles and an interception in 42 career contests. He’ll provide depth to a Minnesota secondary that will be without Jabari Price because of a two-game suspension and Josh Robinson, who will miss an undisclosed amount of time because of a torn pectoral muscle.