Extra Points: Giants, Revis, Bears, Browns
As this Sunday comes to an end, here is a roundup of some stories from around the NFL:
- As the window to use the franchise tag opens up, the Giants will have to make a decision on whether to place that on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The tag number is estimated to be $14.6MM, a large number for a player who has been inconsistent over his career.
- The Patriots and star cornerback Darrelle Revis are in a “staring contest” over a long-term contract, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. The Patriots need to work out a contract as soon as possible to open up cap space to re-sign their other free agents.
- Most teams have a number one position of need as the NFL draft approaches, but the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace have a different goal: to improve the draft class in general, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. The team has drafted poorly in recent years, and the top priority for the new administration is to reverse that trend.
- The Browns were very high on Marcus Mariota, and the team could consider moving up in the draft to take the Heisman-winning quarterback, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. With the 12th and 19th picks in this draft, they could have the ammunition to move up and draft their third quarterback in the first round since 2012.
- The NFL combine will give the Titans a chance to interview both Jameis Winston and Mariota and begin to decide their future at quarterback, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. With the second overall pick, they could have a chance at either player, or they could elect to take one of the top pass rushers and move forward with Zach Mettenberger under center.
- Rookie Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon played well before being shut down due to injury last season, but is recovering well and should be back in time for offseason workouts, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com.
- Michigan attorney Jim Acho has received two written endorsements from player reps nominating him to become the next NFLPA executive director, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Acho only needs one more in order to officially be included on the ballot.
NFC Notes: AP, Bynes, McCown, 49ers, Eagles
The Vikings announced today that they’ve promoted Kevin Warren to chiefs operating officer of the franchise, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wondered this morning if that could mean the end of Adrian Peterson‘s time in Minnesota. After all, when Peterson said during the 2014 season that someone in the organization was working against him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the running back was referring to Warren.
However, on a conference call this afternoon, Warren told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (all Twitter links), that he’d welcome back Peterson with open arms. Although Warren didn’t deny Schefter’s report, he did say, “I can tell you my feelings about Adrian are very positive. I hope he finishes his career here in Minnesota.”
As Goessling observes in his latest ESPN.com article on Peterson, the tone from the Vikings’ front office when discussing the running back seems to have shifted. Whether that signals an increased willingness from the Vikings to bring back the former MVP, or perhaps a desire to improve their trade leverage, things should get interesting as his reinstatement nears, writes Goessling.
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- Linebacker Josh Bynes, who had been eligible for restricted free agency, won’t receive a contract tender from the Lions, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Nonetheless, the Lions have informed Bynes that they’d still like to re-sign him, presumably at a rate closer to the minimum salary. The 25-year-old will have a chance to speak to other suitors next month.
- There’s no truth to rumors that Josh McCown could’ve remained with the Buccaneers if he had been willing to accept a pay cut, according to the quarterback (link via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune). McCown also indicated that at least a half-dozen teams have already expressed interest in signing him (Twitter link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
- The 49ers have key free agents in Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati, but the franchise tag isn’t a viable option to keep any of those three players, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. I reached the same conclusion last weekend when I looked at the NFC West’s franchise tag candidates.
- Examining the inside linebacker position for the Eagles, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com says he thinks the team should try to extend Mychal Kendricks this offseason. Kapadia also admits he has “no clue” which direction the Eagles will go with DeMeco Ryans, who is generally productive when healthy, but has a pricey cap hit ($6.9MM) that includes no guaranteed money.
NFC North Notes: Marshall, Peterson, Favre
Brandon Marshall wants to return to the Bears but he hasn’t received any assurances he will next season, Patrick Finley of Chicago Sun-Times writes. “I definitely love Chicago, but I definitely understand it’s a business on both ends,” Marshall said. “For me, I wanna win. The organization wants to win. (Owner Virginia) McCaskey wants to win. So we’re definitely aligned there. But there’s a business side on both ends, and I get that.” The wide receiver is coming off of an injury-plagued season and is scheduled to make $7.5MM in 2015, leading some to believe that the new regime might look to cut ties with him. More from the NFC North..
- Vikings president Mark Wilf expressed support for the idea of embattled running back Adrian Peterson returning to the team, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. “Adrian’s done a lot of good in this community,” Wilf said. “He’s done a lot for us on the football field, as well. Of course, he’s a Minnesota Viking, and we’d love to have him back. And of course, a lot depends on the NFL and steps he’s making in his own personal journey. That’s where we’re at with it.“
- The Vikings have decisions to make on the fifth-year options of left tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith and Brian Hall of FOX Sports North looked at the pros and cons.
- Former Packers GM Ron Wolf spoke with SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter) on the 23rd anniversary of Green Bay trading their first-round choice to the Falcons for Brett Favre. “If it came to it, I would have given a number one up to get Favre to Green Bay. I was ready to pull the trigger no matter what,” Wolf said.
NFC North Links: Packers, Briggs, Bell, Smith
The Packers kept three quarterbacks on the active roster last season for the first time in five years, but it is unclear whether the team will elect to do so again in 2015, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com. Matt Flynn served as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup but the team was worried that putting Scott Tolzien on the practice squad would leave him vulnerable to being signed away from the roster.
If the Packers need the extra roster spot next season, they will have to make a choice between the two players. However, Rodgers hopes that he will once again get a chance to have both of them in the room with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. “Both different personalities, but great teammates,” Rodgers said. “Those guys are a lot of fun. It would be great to have them back.”
Here are some other links from around the NFC North:
- Longtime Bears stalwart Lance Briggs could be looking for a new team for the first time in his career. However, there is one team that he has already crossed off his list, in the division rival Packers, writes David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. Briggs said so very succinctly when asked yesterday about the possibility (via Twitter).
- Lions running back Joique Bell is coming back from offseason surgery, and looking forward to another chance at getting into the playoffs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The biggest thing for Bell is bringing back star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, suggesting that Calvin Johnson will have to restructure his contract to make sure they can re-sign him. “We’ll have to talk to Calvin, see if he can do something,” Bell said. “We just need him back. Come back, Suh.”
- Vikings safety Harrison Smith is also coming back from surgery and focused on his future. As he is coming closer to free agency, he has made sure the team knows he is interested in staying in Minnesota for a while, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com. “That’s all I’ve thought of doing,” Smith said. “I have no intentions of going anywhere else. I’ll just let [my agency] handle it. I’m just here to play football and we’ll see what happens.”
Latest On Adrian Peterson Hearing
Adrian Peterson’s hearing began today, with NFL and NFLPA attorneys arguing to U.S. District Jude David Doty over whether the ruling to suspend Peterson – and to extend that suspension through to April – was just.
Union representative Jeffrey Kessler argued that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell acted outside of his power in suspending Peterson under the personal conduct policy put in place in late August. The NFLPA also believes that arbitrator Harold Henderson was biased in his decision to uphold the suspension, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
NFL attorney Daniel Nash was present to counter the NFLPA’s testimony, and reiterated that the NFL believes that the suspension was warranted.
Peterson was upbeat after the first day of the hearing. “Felt good. Felt like I got a fair hearing,” said Peterson, according to Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
The 30-year old running back was asked if he would like to return to the Vikings in 2015, replying simply, “Of course,” writes Murphy (via Twitter). However, Peterson did not address whether he would consider taking a pay cut to remain with the team.
In a video on Bleacher Report, lead NFL writer Jason Cole explains that while Peterson is looking to resolve this matter quickly, the NFL would prefer to drag this along. With free agency beginning on March 10, Peterson would like to be reinstated by that date in order for him to return to the Vikings, be traded, or be released and allowed to sign freely with another franchise.
The NFL wants to have this last past that date, to ensure Peterson does not get the full advantages of free agency, and in part helping the Vikings retain leverage over their face-of-the-franchise running back.
NFC Notes: Randle, Guion, Lions, Peterson
As first reported by KAKE.com, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle was arrested in Wichita early this morning on a drug charge after officers responsded to a call and found marijuana in his hotel room. Randle’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, contended (via Twitter) that his client was simply cited with a ticket rather than being arrested, but Wichita police says it’s still considered an arrest even though Randle wasn’t taken into custody, tweets David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), Randle’s latest off-field incident may have the side effect of giving DeMarco Murray some leverage in contract negotiations with the Cowboys this winter.
Another arrest that could have an effect on free agency leads off this afternoon’s NFC notes — let’s dive in….
- Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion, a prospective free agent, was arrested for possession of marijuana in Starke, Florida late Tuesday night, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The timing of the incident was unfortunate for Guion, who had been engaged in talks with the Packers about a long-term deal, and had just been the subject of a glowing article from Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links) has more details on what police found on Guion, including a firearm, $190K+ in U.S. currency, and 357 grams of marijuana.
- Ron Zook, who worked as the Packers‘ assistant special teams coach this past season, is the favorite to become the club’s new special teams coordinator, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- The Lions may have a need at cornerback if they don’t re-sign Rashean Mathis, and veteran Charles Tillman of the division-rival Bears wouldn’t rule out the possibility of heading to Detroit, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press previews Friday’s federal court hearing, which will pit suspended Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the NFLPA against the NFL.
2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: NFC North
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. Last week, we examined all four AFC divisions, covering the East, North, South, and West. This week, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC — we kicked things off on Tuesday with the East and we’ll tackle the North today. Here’s a breakdown of the franchise and transition tag candidates for the Bears, Lions, Packers, and Vikings:
Chicago Bears:
- Candidates: Stephen Paea
- Odds of being used: Unlikely
- The Bears have a ton of pending free agents, but most of them are either non-core players, or longtime contributors who are no longer realistic candidates to be tagged, such as Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs. I don’t expect Chicago to use either of its tags, but if there’s one option out there, it’s probably Paea, whose impressive 2014 campaign may have been overlooked by many due to the defense’s poor overall performance. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Paea as the league’s 11th-best defensive tackle, marking him down for 47 overall quarterback pressures, a lofty total for an interior lineman — among DTs, only Ndamukong Suh (57) and Kyle Williams (49) had more. It probably won’t take a franchise tag to retain Paea, but he should be a priority for the Bears if they have a spot for him in Vic Fangio‘s new defensive scheme.
Detroit Lions:
- Candidates: Ndamukong Suh, Matt Prater
- Odds of being used: Possible
- You could make a case for Suh as the league’s top free-agent-to-be this offseason, which would normally mean the franchise tag makes a ton of sense. In Suh’s case though, his 2014 salary was so high that the cost of a franchise tag would be astronomical — nearly $27MM. As such, a long-term extension will be the Lions’ preference, but tagging Suh could be a last resort. If the star defender isn’t tagged, Prater may be considered, since he made 87% of his field goals for the club after a shaky debut. Still, considering they picked him up off the scrap heap just a few months ago, the Lions likely won’t have to tag the kicker to bring him back. Nick Fairley and Rashean Mathis are other regulars who may be briefly considered, but neither appears to be a viable option.
Green Bay Packers:
- Candidates: Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga
- Odds of being used: Possible
- Cobb and Bulaga are players Green Bay would almost certainly like to have around for the 2015 season, and the wideout is the stronger candidate for a franchise tag than the offensive lineman. Although Bulaga has developed into a reliable right tackle for the Packers, the position just isn’t one that gets big money — as Over the Cap’s data shows, the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL (Gosder Cherilus) averages just $7MM per year, and a franchise salary would be significantly higher than that. Cobb, on the other hand, is coming off a season in which he recorded 91 receptions, 1,287 receiving yards, and 12 TDs. Those are No. 1 WR numbers, and Cobb is just 24 years old, so the Packers may be willing to pay him like one of the league’s best wideouts for a year while they try to work out a longer-term deal that’s worth a little less annually. Cornerback Tramon Williams is another solid contributor who might warrant fleeting consideration for a tag.
Minnesota Vikings:
- Candidates: None
- Odds of being used: Very unlikely
- Defensive regulars Jasper Brinkley and Tom Johnson are among the club’s contributors eligible for free agency this offseason, but Minnesota doesn’t have a key free agent worth an eight-digit salary for 2015.
North Notes: Felton, Webb, Branch
Mike Zimmer led the Vikings to a 7-9 record in his first season despite a long list of personnel issues, including the loss of Adrian Peterson. Some folks might have been surprised, but not Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. “I thought he did an outstanding job, a fine job,” Lewis said of his longtime defensive coordinator, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “I know they’re excited for next year (in Minnesota).” More from the North divisions..
- Fullback Jerome Felton, who has decided to opt out of the final year of his deal with the Vikings, told Ben Goessling of ESPN.com that he was frustrated by the absence of Peterson in 2014. “Once Adrian went down, it changed things,” Felton said. “For a while there, my numbers went back up and I started playing well. But when you have the best running back in the world, that changes the offense. (Offensive coordinator) Norv (Turner) and (running backs coach) Kirby (Wilson) were always great communicating with me. The team supported me in what I was doing. It was a tough year from the standpoint of wanting to do more, but I felt like I grew as a leader this year. I didn’t let those things turn me into a negative influence in the locker room. I tried to keep supporting my guys.”
- Lardarius Webb’s contract is an offseason issue the Ravens will likely have to address, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com writes. Webb still has three years remaining on a contract due to pay him $8MM in base salary next season. The Ravens could use a more cap-friendly deal, because even if they cut him, they would only save $2MM in cap room. Webb should be open to some sort of adjustment because he probably wouldn’t get more than $8MM on the open market.
- Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch told Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that the Browns expressed interest in signing him in October. However, he liked the defense in New England and wanted to play alongside Vince Wilfork.
Jerome Felton Opts Out Of Contract
FEBRUARY 3: Felton confirmed to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he has officially opted out of his contract with the Vikings, which will make him a free agent.
DECEMBER 26: Vikings fullback Jerome Felton said he has decided to opt out of his contract at season’s end and become a free agent this offseason, reports Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
“The economics of my thing is they’re not going to pay me $2.5 million,’’ said Felton. “You wouldn’t just stay in a contract knowing your salary is that high. There’s no guarantee in the contract, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to opt in. So I’m a free agent after this season. If they wanted, they could re-sign me (at a lesser amount).’’
Felton has been considering opting out for a while now, despite having his base salary reduced this past offseason. A number of factors have contributed to his decision, including a heavy snap reduction under offensive coordinator Norv Turner.
Part of that could be the presence of Zach Line on the roster, and also the lack of commitment to the running game without Adrian Peterson in 2014.
Felton has not ruled out the possibility of returning to the Vikings despite opting out. “You never say never,’’ Felton said. “I like the coaching staff and I appreciate the organization. We’ll see what the future holds.’’
NFC North Notes: Packers, Tillman, Peterson
Ron Wolf‘s biggest transaction during his tenure as Packers general manager was his acquisition of Brett Favre. Wolf sent a first-round pick to the Falcons to acquire the young quarterback, but that move may have never happened had former Jets GM Dick Steinberg had his way.
ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini spoke to Wolf following his nomination for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 76-year-old reflected on his first employment with the Jets, when he was a member of the front office. The organization fell in love with Favre, and when the Southern Mississippi quarterback fell to the second round, the team made a deal with the Cardinals to move up two spots.
“Dick thought he had a deal with Arizona,” Wolf said. “Fortunately for me and unfortunately for the Jets, when he called Arizona to finish the deal, they backed out because a player they wanted was still there.”
Of course, the rest is history. The Falcons selected Favre as the 33rd pick in the draft (the Jets selected Louisville quarterback Browning Nagle with the next pick), and the young player was traded to Green Bay a season later.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC North…
- The Packers announced the firing of special teams coach Shawn Slocum yesterday, and Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com says that the move wasn’t a surprise. Had the team overcome their two key special teams mistakes (the fake fake field goal and the botched onside kick) and made it to the Super Bowl, Wilde surmises that Slocum would have kept his job. However, the loss cemented the coach’s fate.
- Bears cornerback Charles Tillman made an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “SVP & Russillo” on Thursday, and the impending free agent told the hosts that he’d like to stay in Chicago. “Oh yeah, most definitely,” Tillman said (via ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright). “I would love to be back in Chicago. But that’s not up to me. That’s up to the new GM. His name is Ryan Pace. So that’s up to him and coach [John] Fox.”
- Bears tight end Martellus Bennett believes his former coach, Marc Trestman, is better suited to be an offensive coordinator. “Trestman, I think the issue that he had probably was managing us all, all the different personalities,” Bennett said (via Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun). “There’s a lot of big personalities. And I think, for a first-time head coach in the NFL, dealing with all the personalities that you have, I think that’s hard when you got guys like me, you know, [Brandon] Marshall, Lance Briggs on defense, Tillman.”
- Count Greg Jennings among those in the Vikings locker room who hope running back Adrian Peterson will stick around in 2015. The wideout discussed the subject on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com): “I don’t know if he’ll be back. I can’t answer that question. But what I do know is that if he does come back, he’d be accepted with open arms. As an organization from the Wilfs on down, we all want him back. So, I mean, it’s a touchy subject and he’s been the franchise player – face of that team – for eight years. So it will be a loss, a huge loss, if we can’t get him back, and that’s the nature of this business.”