East Notes: Graham, Maxwell, Revis, McClain
Defensive end Brandon Graham will officially become a free agent next month, and while it’s likely he’ll leave Philadelphia, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Eagles will fail to re-sign him, according to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly. Per a team source, the Eagles “haven’t ruled out” Graham returning to the club next season. Mosher reported several weeks ago that Graham would look to secure $20MM in guarantees, and today noted that Everson Griffen‘s five-year pact with the Vikings could act as a starting point in negotiations.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the East divisions…
- The Jets are expected to be one of the “primary suitors” for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post. Last week, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net indicated that the Eagles could be the favorites to land Maxwell, and Costello adds that the two clubs may duke it out in free agency to land the 27-year-old. Per Costello, agents know the Jets are desperate to add secondary help, and may force New York to overpay to bring in corners.
- Continuing the subject of standout corners, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com takes a stab at assessing the value of Patriots CB Darrelle Revis, who isn’t technically a free agent yet but likely will be when New England declines his 2015 option. Patriots president Jonathan Kraft admitted earlier this month that Revis’ option was acting as a “placeholder” until the two sides can agree to an extension, and Reiss pegs Revis’ worth at five years, $80MM. PFR’s Luke Adams recently took a look at the Pats’ options regarding Revis.
- Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News profiles Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, and projects that the 25-year-old will be retained on a short-term deal.
AFC East Notes: Harvin, Jets, Spiller
Tonight’s look at the AFC East..
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) would be shocked if Percy Harvin agreed to any sort of a reduced deal with the Jets. Harvin is set to earn $10.5MM next season, but that money is non-guaranteed. Recently, GM Mike Maccagnan hinted that the team may ask the wideout to rework his deal.
- La Canfora also tweets that he expects the rival Patriots to be in on Harvin when and if he reaches the open market. New England has been known to rehabilitate careers and images and that could be a logical destination for Harvin if he’s open to a one-year pillow contract.
- The CBSSports.com scribe also continues to hear that C.J. Spiller is headed to the Jets. Nothing has been agreed upon yet, it seems, but new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was the head coach in Buffalo when Spiller was drafted. The running back experienced some of his best success in limited snaps early on there.
- ESPN analyst Todd McShay told reporters, including Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post, that the Jets should have a lot of patience with Marcus Mariota if they end up drafting him. In fact, McShay said that the Oregon product shouldn’t play right away. Mariota, as many NFL people have pointed out, did not operate much out of the pocket in college.
AFC Notes: McPhee, Revis, Johnson
Teams have scoured the Ravens‘ depth chart in recent years to bolster their own defenses, and Pernell McPhee is probably the latest Baltimore-created free agent that will morph from part-time Ravens cog to full-time starter elsewhere, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Paul Kruger, Arthur Jones and Dannell Ellerbe cashed in their mostly situational success with the Ravens for lucrative deals with the Browns, Colts and Dolphins, respectively. A fifth-round pick in 2011, McPhee grew immensely this season behind Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs, collecting 7 1/2 sacks for a fearsome Ravens pass pursuit that nearly lifted the team to its third AFC title game in four years. But with Dumervil and Suggs still on the books for next year as Baltimore’s seventh- and ninth-highest cap figures, respectively, McPhee probably finds a much better fortune elsewhere. The Ravens possess just $5.7MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap.
In the mold of Broncos part-time defensive end Malik Jackson, McPhee earned rave reviews from the analytics crowd even if the take-notice all-22 tape didn’t produce a starting job. While Jackson was Pro Football Focus’ third-best 4-3 defensive end last season in just 578 snaps, McPhee was even better, garnering the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker grade (subscription required) — ahead of Suggs (fourth) and Dumervil (sixth) — while playing only 540. McPhee charted 64 quarterback pressures and at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, will give a team the option of playing him at multiple positions as the Ravens did.
CBSSports’ Pete Prisco ranks the 26-year-old backup 10th overall on his top-50 free agent board, behind only Justin Houston among linebackers.
- Fellow Ravens free agent Torrey Smith will have options next month, and CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown examines where the might go if he leaves the mid-Atlantic region for the first time. Brown lists the Browns, Panthers and Seahawks as potential destinations. A Virginia native who emerged as one of the NFL’s best deep threats out of Maryland, Smith just turned 26. But he’s coming off his worst season as a pro with just 49 catches for 767 yards. Those numbers are nearly 500 yards off his career-best 2013 total, but his value could increase if/when Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Randall Cobb are franchise-tagged.
- The Ravens’ decisions aren’t as high-profile as what the Patriots are staring at, however, and the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian writes the duo of Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty are irreplaceable in this market or in the draft. Regaining his first-team All-Pro status after two essentially lost years, Revis, should the Patriots pick up his team option, would carry a $25MM cap number team option for this season. New England presumably won’t pay that, as Pro Football Rumors examined this month. The franchise tag for McCourty will be around $9.6MM, but the Super Bowl champions are more than $2MM over the cap, making the notion of retaining both of these standouts less likely.
- Coming off his worst season in which he played at least 15 games, Andre Johnson is slated to earn $10.5MM in base salary next season with a cap figure ($16.1MM) that’s not commensurate with his performance: 936 yards, three TDs. The Texans wideout will be 34 in July and stuck again in a murky quarterback situation, prompting the Houston Chronicle’s Randy Harvey to suggest the Texans should liberate Johnson from this scenario.
Free Agency Links: Giants, Poe, Clay
Despite landing one of the marquee receivers with 2014 first-rounder Odell Beckham, Giants GM Jerry Reese intends to invest further in that spot this offseason.
“We’ll upgrade receiver,” Reese told Connor Orr of NFL.com on a decision that has more to do with slot bastion Victor Cruz, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon midway through last season. Cruz is signed through 2018 and carries an $8.2MM cap number — the second-highest figure on the team behind Eli Manning, according to OverTheCap — as by far the Giants’ highest-paid receiver but regaining his top form after a gruesome ailment isn’t a lock. Beckham and Rueben Randle remain on their rookie deals.
Cruz hasn’t come close to replicating his 1,500-yard 2011 season, but the Giants have yet to see him team up much with Beckham, as the two played just one full game together last season. Although this is the team that took Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011 with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck on their roster at the time, seeing the Giants go receiver at No. 8 overall or allocate significant funds to the spot via free agency would surprise, considering their other needs.
- Occupying one of the tightest salary cap situations with less than $5MM of room (OverTheCap), the Chiefs have a slew of decisions to make to become active in this season’s free agent market. But one they must exercise by May 3 is whether to pick up their fifth-year option on nose tackle Dontari Poe, their Pro Bowl nose tackle, and GM John Dorsey is putting that decision on the back burner, writes the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor. If Kansas City picks up this option, Poe’s salary in 2016 will be an average of the league’s DTs paid between third- and 25th-most at the position. Poe’s been a regular who’s played high snap counts in the middle of the Chiefs’ defense since being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, but their decision isn’t open and shut considering the statuses of high-priced players Tamba Hali, Dwayne Bowe and Eric Berry, who saw his fifth-year option picked up last spring. Poe graded out as the 11th-best defensive tackle in a breakout 2013 season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but didn’t crack the site’s top 40 in his other two seasons.
- The Bills were probably going to take current Lions tight end Eric Ebron before trading up for Sammy Watkins last May and may not deviate from a tight end-based plan this time around, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Carucci picks out Charles Clay, one of the top free agents at the position this offseason after being a steady performer with the Dolphins the past two years, as a possible upgrade on the Scott Chandler-led corps. Clay’s ability to work as a fullback in Rex Ryan‘s offense would be key here, Carucci said. The Bills haven’t had much of note, receiving-wise, at this spot in the modern era after deploying the likes of Chandler, Robert Royal and Jay Riemersma over the past 15 years.
- Clay, who caught 58 and 69 passes the past two years, respectively, may not be a fit for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, tweets the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, however. Clay’s price may be out of the range of a team that employs the second-highest-paid player, by seasonal value, in Rob Gronkowski.
AFC Mailbags: Bowe, Jags, Revis, Ravens
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags to answer questions from readers. Let’s start with some whispers from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher doesn’t believe the Chiefs want to cut wideout Dwayne Bowe. Despite the wideout’s $14MM salary in 2015, the Chiefs would be thin at the position if they were to cut the veteran. Without Bowe, the team would only have De’Anthony Thomas and Albert Wilson as established receiving threats.
- Michael DiRocco isn’t a fan of trading the Jaguars first-round pick. The writer is seeking an elite pass-rusher with the selection, and he isn’t optimistic the team will be able to draft that kind of player if they move down the draft board.
- Looking at some skill positions on offense, DiRocco doesn’t think the Jaguars will prioritize the running game in either the draft or free agency. Reversely, DiRocco could envision the team signing and drafting a tight end.
- Rich Cimini is under the impression that Darrelle Revis will stay with the Patriots. If the cornerback were to become available, the writer favors the Jets as a destination over the Bills. While Revis has a great relationship with Rex Ryan, Cimini ultimately believes the All-Pro defensive back wants to play in a big market.
- The Ravens offseason focus on receivers will depend heavily on whether Torrey Smith returns to Baltimore. If the wideout (or organization) decides to move on, Jamison Hensley could see the team pursuing a wideout in either the draft, free agency, or trade. One name the writer suggests is Saints receiver Marques Colston.
AFC Links: Raiders, Thomas, Patriots, McPhee
Following news that the Raiders and Chargers proposed a shared Los Angeles stadium, there were rumors that Raiders owner Mark Davis was using the move as leverage for a new stadium in Oakland. The owner didn’t necessarily confirm that rumor, but he did acknowledge that he’d like to keep the organization in it’s current location (via Vic Tafur of SFChronicle.com):
“That’s our No. 1 priority, to stay in Oakland, always has been and will continue to be,” Davis said. “We’re really trying to stay, and now there’s a great opportunity in Los Angeles. We need to get something done.”
Davis also touched on his relationship with Alex Spanos, the Chargers owner:
“My dad helped Alex (Spanos) get in the league, and while we have been fierce rivals on the field, we have common philosophies and goals,” Davis said. “And we have the same need. We are the two California teams that need a stadium.
“Together, we may be able to get it done.”
Let’s take a look at more rumors from the AFC…
- As each day goes by, it sounds increasingly unlikely that Julius Thomas will return to the Broncos. Similar to many free agent departures, fingers are already being pointed, and the tight end’s agent believes the organization is to blame. “The Broncos came to me, we tried to get it done, it didn’t work,” said Frank Bauer (via Mike Klis of The Denver Post). “Does Julius love Denver? Yes. Does Julius love the fans there? No question. Does he love the organization and the community? Look at what he does for kids in that town…But for some reason people are trying to tear him down. In my opinion what they’re doing by tearing him down is pushing him away.”
- While Patriots running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are set to hit the open market, the team has plenty of depth to compensate for their potential departure. Among that group would be Tyler Gaffney, who missed last season while recovering from an ACL injury. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe believes the team stashed Gaffney for a reason, and he’ll be given every chance to make the team’s roster in 2015 (Twitter links).
- Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower underwent shoulder surgery this past week and is expected to miss anywhere from six to seven months. Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes that the injury could have an impact on negotiations with veteran Jerod Mayo and his $10MM cap hit for 2015.
- It was anticipated that Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee would be a commodity in free agency, and ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure tweets that the 26-year-old is going to be more expensive than anticipated.
AFC East Notes: Bills, Hughes, Pats, Dolphins
The Bills are trying to work out a new agreement with pass rusher Jerry Hughes to keep him in Buffalo in 2015 and beyond, but the club would prefer not to resort to the franchise tag, as GM Doug Whaley explained this week, per John Kryk of the Toronto Sun.
“We’re trying to avoid that.” Whaley said. “Because we’re trying to get him long-term for sure … so they (can say), hey, we got a good deal, and we say as the Buffalo Bills we got a good deal.”
As Kryk points out, the franchise tag for Hughes would likely work out to close to $15MM for one year, which would mean the Bills would be paying their four defensive lineman nearly $50MM in 2015, which seems somewhat unpalatable. Restructuring Mario Williams‘ deal could provide a little cap relief, but Whaley said that’s not something the team is consider right now, though “it’s something in our back pocket.”
Let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC East….
- Although the Bills are trying to re-sign C.J. Spiller, the team is also eyeing running backs, preparing for the possibility that Spiller departs in free agency, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. Whaley expressed enthusiasm about the depth at running back in this year’s draft, but also didn’t rule out adding a back in free agency.
- Unsurprisingly, Darrelle Revis continues to be the Patriots‘ No. 1 priority, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. According to Howe, while New England explores the possibility of reaching a new agreement with the cornerback, the team is being deliberate with its other offseason objectives.
- The Dolphins have met with the representatives for their own pending free agents this week, but there’s nothing major to report yet on that front, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
Shane Vereen Aiming For $5MM Per Year
Patriots running back Shane Vereen is poised to hit the open market next month, and a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald that Vereen is hopeful of landing a contract worth at least $5MM per year. Howe cautions that while Vereen may be aiming high as a starting point for negotiations, he’s far from a lock to land a deal worth that much annually.
Vereen, who turns 26 next month, had his best season in 2014, setting career-highs in rushing yards (391), receptions (52), receiving yards (447), and overall touchdowns (five). He was also a reliable target in the passing game for Tom Brady during the playoffs, recording 18 postseason receptions, including 11 in the Super Bowl.
Those numbers are fairly modest for a running back seeking $5MM annually, especially when taking into account that no free agent running back landed a salary that high a year ago. However, the Patriots’ running back usage is unconventional, and another team may envision a larger role for Vereen. Additionally, if DeMarco Murray‘s huge amount of touches in 2014 count against him, then Vereen’s relatively light workload should be a plus.
Still, an annual salary of more than about $3.5MM for Vereen would be a surprise. That was the going rate a year ago for players like Donald Brown, Toby Gerhart, and Darren Sproles. Danny Woodhead could also provide a point of comparison for Vereen, since he posted similar numbers to Vereen – and played a similar role – during his final year in New England. He received a two-year, $3.5MM contract from the Chargers, then eventually landed a two-year, $5.5MM extension. With the cap on the rise for the 2015 season, Vereen should do a little better in free agency than Woodhead, but a $5MM annual salary may be out of reach for the former second-round pick.
According to Howe, the Patriots and Vereen exchanged proposals last summer, but weren’t close enough to work out a deal. The team will have some decisions to make at the position this winter, with Stevan Ridley also eligible for free agency.
East Links: Romo, Cowboys, Pats, Giants
Before the action really ramps up at this week’s combine in Indianapolis, let’s round up a few links from out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones doesn’t think that quarterback Tony Romo is at the end of the line, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes. “I still think Tony has a lot of time left, personally,” Jones said.“I heard him say anywhere from four to five years, so that’s a long time.”
- The Cowboys will approach the free agent market intent on maximizing the return on their investments, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll target top-of-the-class players, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com runs down five things to look for in the NFL combine from the Patriots‘ perspective. New England is unlikely to take a skill player high in the draft and they’ll probably target offensive and defensive linemen. On the o-line, he identifies Andrus Peat (Stanford), Cedric Ogbuhei (Texas A&M), and T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh) as some of the names to watch. For defensive linemen, meanwhile, he highlights Malcom Brown (Texas), Jordan Phillips (Oklahoma), Michael Bennett (Ohio State), and others.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post looks at some of the players the Giants will have their eye on at the combine. The Giants could be in the hunt for a safety and Shaq Thompson of Washington is one intriguing option. The 6’2″, 231-pound force profiles as a safety but wouldn’t look out of place at linebacker either.
- The Eagles have hired former Jets assistant Brian Smith as their assistant linebackers coach, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC East Notes: Pouncey, Wilkerson, Pats
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, due $7.4MM in the final season of his contract, said Monday he was left with the impression that the Dolphins want to work out a multi-year deal this offseason, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. “I think I’ll be a Dolphin for a long time,” Pouncey said. Pouncey wants to move back to center and he’s advocating Miami to sign a “really good veteran guard.” Specifically, he wants the Dolphins to go after impending free agent Mike Iupati. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- New Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan has a meeting with Muhammad Wilkerson‘s agent on his schedule for this week in Indianapolis, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN New York. Wilkerson is heading into the final year of his contract and is extension-eligible, so while the two sides probably won’t reach an agreement this week – and may not even exchange figures – they’ll touch base with an eye toward getting something done eventually.
- If Danny Amendola is cut by the Patriots, Chris Gasper of CSNNE.com doesn’t think they should turn to Wes Welker to replace him. Getting Welker back now, he says, would be adding him a year or two late at this point. The wide receiver has suffered multiple concussions over the course of his career and it appears that they have taken a toll.
- Legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has returned to work for the Patriots on a temporary basis through the end of the 2015 draft, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Scarnecchia also helped the Patriots last year around this time.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.