Extra Points: Cowboys, Schwartz, Peterson
Given what a pass-happy league the NFL has become, many linebackers are seeing the field less frequently, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from loading up at the position this offseason, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. As executive vice president Stephen Jones explains, the focus on the position should give the Cowboys some depth in case some players with histories of injuries or off-field problems are forced out of action.
“We have some players there that have had issues in the past,” Jones said. “You want to make sure if something does happen that you have quality players there.”
Here’s more from around the NFL on this holiday Monday:
- Former Lions head coach and Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will serve as a consultant to the league’s officiating department during the 2015 season, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Marvez, Schwartz will help provide a coach’s perspective with some decisions made by the NFL’s officiating office. While Schwartz drew interest after being replaced in Buffalo, he decided to be judicious about choosing his next job, and may returning to coaching in 2016.
- While agent Ben Dogra didn’t offer any specifics on Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and his apparent plan to skip OTAs, he told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) in a text message that his client “is very strong… he’s like [Darrelle] Revis.” As Cole notes, that may point toward an extended holdout for Peterson.
- A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNBayArea.com that new Eagles scout Marty Barrett will patrol the West Coast as the club’s senior scout. Barrett’s move to Philadelphia, after 18 seasons with the Bears, was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Adrian Peterson Still Pushing For Trade?
A report last night indicated that Adrian Peterson won’t report to the start of the Vikings’ organized team activities, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicates that the running back isn’t expected to show up to any part of the club’s spring program. A “longtime Peterson confidant” tells Robinson that Peterson hasn’t yet made a decision about sitting out of Minnesota’s mandatory minicamp in June or training camp in late July.
Robinson’s source suggests that Peterson is sending a message to the team with his absence, conveying to the Vikings that he still wants to be traded. According to Robinson, the former MVP hasn’t wavered privately about his desire to play for a team besides the Vikings, and has made the front office aware of that stance.
If Peterson remains that insistent on being traded, it comes as a bit of a surprise, since recent reports indicated that agent Ben Dogra had given up on the idea of a deal, and had instead shifted his focus to reworking his client’s contract with the Vikes to secure more guaranteed money. Robinson’s source, however, says that it has “never been about the money” for Peterson, and that it has evolved into a personal issue between him and the team.
Speaking of money, missing the Vikings’ OTAs would cost Peterson his $250K workout bonus, and if he decides to skip the team’s mandatory June minicamp as well, the team could fine him another $73K. While $323K certainly isn’t pocket change, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what the 30-year-old will earn if he plays out the 2015 season, since he’s in line for a $12.75MM base salary. If his holdout extended into the preseason and the regular season, Peterson could forfeit more than $15MM, between his salary and recoupable bonuses.
Since most teams now have a pretty good idea of what their rosters will look like for the 2015 season, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings finding a suitable offer for Peterson this late in the offseason, particularly if they didn’t receive any proposals they liked prior to the draft. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter) that the Vikings have been adamant all along that they don’t want to trade Peterson, and it’s hard to imagine them changing their minds now.
As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Peterson doesn’t have a ton of leverage, and if his camp attempts to paint him as the victim, it’s hard to see them garnering much sympathy. After all, Peterson’s primary gripe with the Vikings seems to be that the team didn’t sufficiently support him publicly when he faced child abuse charges — yet the club has still been vocal about wanting to bring him back, and continues to pay him the highest salary of any NFL running back.
Adrian Peterson Won’t Report To Start Of OTAs
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson won’t report to the start of organized team activities on Tuesday, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The decision could be costly for Peterson, who must partake in 90% of OTAs and minicamp in order to receive a $250,000 workout bonus from the Vikings. Despite that, a source expressed doubt to Tomasson when asked if Peterson would report to OTAs at all.
Peterson, 30, missed all but one game last season because of domestic violence issues. The NFL reinstated the onetime MVP last month. Tomasson notes that Peterson’s attitude toward the Vikings has been bitter since last fall because he doesn’t believe the team did enough to help him get back on the field. The Vikings don’t plan on trading Peterson, though, and he’s still under their control for three more years at $44.25MM.
Given that the Vikings’ upcoming OTAs aren’t mandatory, it’s unlikely they’ll fine Peterson. However, the Vikings can fine him $72,920 if he misses mandatory minicamp from June 16-18, reports Tomasson.
Extra Points: Yanda, McGlynn, Peterson, Jets
With the week winding down and Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the NFL….
- With Marshal Yanda heading into the final year of his five-year contract with the Ravens, the team is exploring what a contract extension for the veteran guard would look like, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. As Zrebiec points out, it may not be feasible for Baltimore to keep both Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, who are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.
- Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has the details on Mike McGlynn‘s contract with the Saints, tweeting that the offensive lineman will get a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with a $30K signing bonus.
- It’s not clear when Adrian Peterson will report to the Vikings, but head coach Mike Zimmer told 1500 ESPN Twin Cities this week that he thinks he has “an indication” of when his running back will show up, as Andrew Krammer details.
- Former Rams scout Brian Shields has accepted a scouting job with the Jets under GM Mike Maccagnan, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Maccagnan has made several changes to his club’s scouting department since this year’s draft.
- The Saints are retooling their own scouting department under the influence of Jeff Ireland, and will likely part ways with some employees soon, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle
After taking a closer look at the wide receiver market earlier this week, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com focuses today on seven key contract situations involving players eligible for extensions. Corry’s piece includes several items of interest, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….
- Corry hears from league sources that the Seahawks have offered Russell Wilson a deal worth approximately $80MM over four years, which aligns with other recent reports. As Corry writes, Wilson could make a case that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, though contract structure could be a bigger issue on his next deal than total compensation.
- Although he has relented on his demand for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, agent Ben Dogra is now attempting to get the team to rework his client’s contract. Corry suggests that Dogra is probably looking for Minnesota to guarantee Peterson’s 2015 and 2016 base salaries, but the team doesn’t appear to be interested in adjusting the running back’s deal.
- The Chiefs will likely be “adamant” about keeping Justin Houston‘s per-year salary under the $17MM that Alex Smith is getting from the team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if agent Joel Segal raises his demands for the linebacker’s next contract after Ndamukong Suh signed for $19MM+ annually, writes Corry.
- There has been “sporadic dialogue” between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s camp on a contract extension. Corry observes that the Jets would probably be fine with something in the range of Calais Campbell‘s five-year, $55MM pact, while Wilkerson probably has his sights set on contracts like J.J. Watt‘s, Robert Quinn‘s, and Gerald McCoy‘s — all those deals are worth at least $13.6MM per year. If the Jets opt to explore the trade market for Wilkerson, the Browns are a potential suitor.
- Eric Weddle has been absent from the Chargers‘ voluntary workouts because he feels “highly disrespected” by the lack of contract discussions with the team, says Corry. While former GM A.J. Smith would’ve played hardball with the safety, it’s not clear yet which path Tom Telesco will take, writes Corry.
- Contract disputes with restricted free agents are rare, but Tashaun Gipson and the Browns could be headed toward one. Corry suggests keeping an eye on June 15, the day on which Cleveland could lower its restricted tender offer for Gipson from $2.356MM to $660K. If the Browns take a hard-line approach with the safety, he could decide to sit out training camp and even the regular season, says Corry.
Extension Candidate: Blair Walsh
As we noted on Wednesday, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh recently expressed optimism that he’ll be able to work out a long-term extension with the team that keeps him in Minnesota beyond 2015, the last year of his rookie contract. While Walsh’s comments suggested that contract talks hadn’t gotten serious between the two sides yet – he says there’s been “a little bit of communication” – it’s possible that the kicker will reach a deal with the club before the season gets underway.
As Walsh prepares to discuss his future with the Vikings, the roles of kickers around the NFL are evolving. The ball will be placed at the 15-yard line for extra-point attempts in 2015, meaning kickers will have to make 32- or 33-yard PATs rather than 19-yard kicks. That change will go into effect on a trial basis, but it’s extremely unlikely that the NFL will decide to return to the old format in 2016. In fact, as Newsday’s Bob Glauber (Twitter link) and TheMMQB.com’s Peter King observe, it’s more probable that the league will continue to push those extra-point tries back even further in future seasons, perhaps by another eight or 10 yards.
With the requirements for the extra point changing, it’s fair to wonder how exactly that will affect the value of kickers going forward. It’s possible that some teams will rely less on their kickers, opting to go for two points more frequently. But NFL kickers don’t miss 33-yard attempts very often, and most head coaches are fairly conservative, so I expect the majority of the league’s teams will still opt for the single point most of the time.
What does that mean for kickers? It’s not as if they’re an afterthought now, since games are frequently won or lost on field goal attempts. However, if a handful of a team’s games each season are now decided on extra-point tries, clubs figures to give the kicker position a little extra attention. Teams may be more willing to offer more money to a reliable kicker, particularly if the spot for the PAT keeps moving back in future seasons. As Josh Brown of the Giants suggests, players capable of regularly making kicks in tough weather conditions should see their value increase as well.
It raised some eyebrows around the league when the Patriots used their franchise tag this offseason on kicker Stephen Gostkowski. After all, once Gostkowski signed that one-year tender, he assured himself of a $4.54MM salary for 2015, which is significantly more than the per-year salary of any other player at his position, as Over The Cap’s data shows. The Patriots are a smart team, and likely suspected this extra point change was coming (theirs was one of the three proposals considered by the NFL). It’s not unreasonable to assume that New England was willing to go a little higher than expected to retain Gostkowski, one of the league’s most consistent and reliable kickers, having anticipated that his role would be slightly more crucial in 2015.
All of this brings us back to Walsh, whose next contract will depend at least in part on how confident the Vikings are that he can continue to make all of his extra points. Through his first two NFL seasons, Walsh was virtually automatic from inside 40 years, converting 37 of 38 attempts (97.4%). However, 2015 was a shakier season for the 25-year-old. He missed nine field goals in total, and three of those misses came from less than 40 yards away.
With extra points becoming more difficult, the Vikings may want to wait to see how Walsh performs in 2015 before committing to him on a long-term deal. If he’s the player who made 89.7% of his field goals in his first two seasons, he’s worth that multiyear investment; if he’s the guy who converted just 74.3% of his tries last year, the team may want to explore other options. Walsh’s big leg makes him valuable – he has made 17 attempts of 50+ yards in his three NFL seasons – but accuracy will be more important than ever for kickers going forward.
I expect a nice bounce-back year from Walsh, and perhaps the Vikings will have a window to buy low over the next few months, while the former sixth-round pick is coming off the worst season of his career. If Minnesota can get Walsh locked up for a deal in the neighborhood of $3MM per year, I think it makes sense for the team to try to get something done. That’s the price that kickers like Graham Gano, Matt Prater, and Nick Folk have signed for within the last couple years, and if the position’s value is truly on the rise, getting Walsh for a similar rate could be a nice coup, assuming he bounces back in 2015.
Speaking to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune this week, Walsh said that he’s embracing the challenge that the new extra point rules will bring: “You’ve got to be confident in what you do. If somebody was telling you, ‘Hey, we’re going to make your job just a little bit more important,’ why wouldn’t you take it? It’s a new challenge.”
As his job becomes more difficult, Walsh’s confident approach should serve him well, and it could help him land a lucrative new contract. His case will be an interesting one to watch, since it could provide a hint at how these PAT changes will affect teams’ valuations of their kickers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Rams, Garcia, Lions, Walsh
Former NFL signal-caller Jeff Garcia interviewed for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job earlier in the offseason, but the position ultimately went to Chris Weinke. Still, the club apparently liked what it saw from Garcia. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have added Garcia to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the coming season.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Lance Moore received a $40K signing bonus from the Lions and will get another $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s roster in Week 1, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett observes, the modest guaranteed money on the minimum salary deal hardly assures the veteran wideout of a regular season roster spot. Birkett also provides contract details for defensive lineman Corey Wootton ($150K guaranteed) and second-round running back Ameer Abdullah ($2.29MM guaranteed).
- Asked about a possible contract extension to keep him in Minnesota beyond the 2015 season, kicker Blair Walsh expressed optimism, but cautioned that he and the Vikings haven’t had serious talks yet. “We have to make sure we’re on the same page and the numbers match up,” Walsh told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio (TwitLonger link). “That’s for management and my agent to discuss. I’ll be ready to talk about it when they are.”
- The Cowboys are happy to have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back at their offseason workouts, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Scandrick and the team continue to discuss the possibility of a new contract that would increase his salary for 2015.
- Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer and will undergo kidney surgery, the team announced this week.
NFLPA Files Motion Against Goodell In Peterson Case
The NFLPA is gearing up to fight two massive battles against the league. The union announced on Tuesday that it has filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter to hold the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in contempt of court. The strongly worded statement from NFLPA president Eric Winston is below, in its entirety:
“Today, the players filed a motion in Federal Court in the Adrian Peterson matter because the Commissioner and NFL have deliberately ignored both the Court’s decision from eleven weeks ago and our repeated requests to comply with that order.
On February 26th, the NFL was ordered to change their decision in the Peterson matter and reissue a ruling consistent with our collective bargaining agreement. The Union made multiple requests to the League office asking the arbitrator, who serves at the direction of the Commissioner, to comply with the law and avoid further litigation. Despite our attempts, they have done nothing and leave us no choice but to seek this motion.
The delay tactics, inconsistencies and arbitrary decision making of the League has continued to hurt the rights of players, the credibility of the League office and the integrity of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In the absence of any action by the NFL’s governing board of owners, the players have acted to hold the NFL accountable to our players, the CBA and to the law.”
According to the NFLPA’s court filing, attorney Jeffrey Kessler contacted Harold Henderson and NFL counsel and warned them of a possible contempt motion, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports tweets. League counsel Dan Nash, according to the NFLPA, insisted that Henderson delay any ruling until the 8th Circuit court rules on the appeal, which will take months (link).
The union also goes after the NFL for acting in defiance of court orders by retroactively applying the new personal conduct policy to Greg Hardy (link). If the NFLPA can win this battle regarding Peterson, it could go a long way towards potentially reducing Hardy’s suspension.
Extra Points: Deflategate, CBA, Tebow
We heard earlier that Tom Brady‘s suspension may not in fact be reduced, but the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin cites some inconsistencies that need justification from Ted Wells as the Deflategate saga continues to gain depth.
The main issue Volin takes with Wells is why he charged the Patriots with not cooperating with his investigation fully. Specifically, the Boston reporter points out Wells had the “deflator” text from Jim McNally in his possession before meeting with him, but his team did not find it until after McNally’s deposition because the text was from May 2014.
The Patriots refused to make McNally available again due to the apparent lack of due diligence from Wells’ team, citing a February email from team attorney Daniel Goldberg to Wells that stated barring “unanticipated circumstances” there would be no second interviews with subjects.
“You refused to give me the information I requested except to say that the topic was ‘new,’ ” Goldberg wrote in an email to Wells on March 9 that the Patriots released Sunday regarding Wells’ request for a second summit with McNally. “It turned out, however, that the topic involved asking about texts that you had before his prior interview — so it was not something that arose from extraordinary or unanticipated circumstances, but was apparently just something you neglected to pursue in his earlier interview.”
Volin requested Wells’ end of the email chain from the NFL but did not receive those before publishing this story.
More from around the league on Sunday night …
- Roger Goodell‘s ability to hear Brady’s appeal is not a power he’s unearthed from nowhere. The provision of safeguarding the game’s integrity has been present since the first CBA in 1968, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. This provided then-commissioner Pete Rozelle power to impose discipline and designate the hearing officer for any appeals regarding issues of conduct detrimental to the “integrity of the game.”
- Russell Wilson and the Seahawks are not discussing a fully guaranteed contract, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Condotta adds that, while the amount of guaranteed money will play a key role in this extension, teams must provide the full amount of the fully guaranteed deal up front. The player doesn’t receive it all then, but the amount must be accounted for — similar to Ndamukong Suh‘s deal with the Dolphins this year, with some of the money being placed in an escrow account for future payment — to prevent teams from not following through on financial promises.
- Tim Tebow‘s odds of making an impact with the Eagles appear slim as of now, but Zach Berman of Philly.com writes the 6-foot-3, 236-pound quarterback could be of use should the Eagles’ extra point proposal, which would place two-point conversions at the 1-yard line, pass this week at the NFL owners’ meetings. Although the Eagles didn’t attempt a two-point play last year, they went 3-for-8 in 2013. Tebow’s scored from the 1-yard line in each of his three attempts and converted first downs on six of eight 1-yard-to-go scenarios in his last starting role in 2011. Berman also adds the Eagles’ preference for DeMarco Murray‘s north-south running style will help here, with Murray’s six 1-yard scores leading the league last season. So a lot could be riding on this week’s proposal in Philadelphia.
- Vikings right tackle Phil Loadholt is “pretty much up to full speed” after sustaining a torn pectoral muscle last season, writes Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Sid Hartman. Brandon Fusco is not quite as far along after tearing a pectoral muscle, according to Mike Zimmer. With Charlie Johnson, a four-year starter on Minnesota’s front at either left tackle or left guard, still an unrestricted free agent, the Vikings are contemplating a reshuffle to fill the gaps. A starting right guard for two full seasons and three games into last year before suffering the chest injury, Fusco could potentially move to left guard, and rookie tackle T.J. Clemmings could begin his career by lining up at right guard.
- The Chargers will not keep any of the 15 tryout players they brought in, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter).
- Adrian Robinson, a former NFL linebacker and recent CFL cog, died Saturday night at the age of 25, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. The cause of death was unknown. Robinson played for the Steelers, Broncos, Chargers and Washington from 2012-13 and was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Robison, Lions
Ryan Williams had chances last season to join another team’s 53-player roster, but he chose to stay on the Cowboys‘ taxi squad instead, Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram writes. Williams wanted to stay in Dallas so that he could get a shot to run behind the league’s best offensive line. This year, he’ll be competing with three other veteran tailbacks for roster spots, playing time, and carries. Williams has only 58 carries for 164 yards and no touchdowns over the course of his career, playing only five games since the Cardinals made him a second-round pick in 2011. Williams has a serious injury history, but he claims that he’s been healthy for the last three years.
- Vikings defensive end Brian Robison suffered a pectoral injury while working out on Thursday, according to Peter Schrager and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The extent of the injury is not yet known, but the 32-year-old believes that he’ll be OK. The extent of the injury will not be known until medical tests are completed, but the injury is not believed to be serious, sources tell Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Robison started every game in 2014, but he had just 4.5 sacks and 24 tackles, his lowest totals since becoming a starter in 2011.
- The Lions announced promotions for execs Scott McEwen, Lance Newmark, and Cedric Saunders, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes. The three men have a combined 55 years of experience with the team.
- After losing two straight years of football due to injury, Vick Ballard is worried that people have forgotten about him. Now, he’s preparing for Colts training camp, which could be his last shot in the NFL, Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. The Colts signed Frank Gore in March, used a sixth-round pick on a running back earlier this month, and signed two more tailbacks, so there’s lots of competition for the veteran this summer.