AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Wendell, Jackson
After the Dolphins’ signing of Knowshon Moreno, at least one running back is set to lose his roster spot in Miami, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Moreno and second-year-pro Lamar Miller are guaranteed to make the squad, so that leaves a competition between Daniel Thomas, Mike Gillislee, and Marcus Thigpen for the final two RB roster spots (assuming the ‘Fins keep four backs). Thigpen offers special teams value, so the last slot will likely come down to Thomas or Gillislee. A training camp battle will determine the final outcome, but my guess would be that Thomas stays. He has the higher pedigree as a former second-round-pick, and Gillislee saw just nine snaps last season.
More from the AFC East, with notes from ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss:
- Center Ryan Wendell‘s underwhelming market was due to two factors. First, Wendell was viewed as nothing more than a fallback option for teams who couldn’t land their top option. Second, Wendell’s main backer in New England was offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who recently retired. Wendell, who eventually re-signed with the Patriots on a two-year deal, is expected to face competition for his starting spot on the offensive line.
- Reiss does not believe the Patriots can sign DeSean Jackson due to his reported gang ties, especially after the Aaron Hernandez situation unfolded last offseason.
- The Patriots simply don’t believe in financial commitments to running backs, as evidenced last season by the loss of Danny Woodhead to the Chargers, and this offseason when they allowed LeGarrette Blount to sign with the Steelers.
- Although Vince Wilfork is viewed as a prototypical run-stuffing nose tackle, he will be a part of some sub packages. Wilfork’s ability to stay on the field is personally crucial — breaking the 70% snap threshold is one of three requirements for him to earn all $8MM of his 2014 salary.
AFC Notes: Clowney, Broncos, Jets
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is not done beefing up his team’s floundering pass rush, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union. The Jags have already re-signed Jason Babin and have added Chris Clemons and Red Bryant to the fold, but Bradley wants four “Leo-types” on his roster. In other words, if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when Jacksonville makes the third overall selection, expect him to be standing next to Roger Goodell with a Jaguars jersey in his hands.
By the same token, if the Rams–or, much more likely, the Texans–take Clowney with one of the top two picks, expect the Jaguars to try and trade down. Jacksonville will also have a chance to manipulate the draft in the later rounds. The team holds 11 picks, including two in the fourth round, three in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. Expect the team to move around in the draft as it looks to become relevant again in the AFC South.
More notes from the AFC:
- Despite the departure of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Harris‘ knee surgery and the injury history of the newly-added Aqib Talib, don’t expect the Broncos to jump on a corner in the first round of the draft, writes Mike Kiszla of the Denver Post. Kiszla believes defensive linemen will offer the most value at the bottom of the first round, where collegiate standouts Ra’Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt may still be available.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, like his colleagues, does not believe the Jets will pursue DeSean Jackson, and he believes that staying away from Jackson is a “smart move.” Cimini is intrigued by newly-added cornerback Jeremy Reeves, whose signing our Luke Adams discussed on Friday.
- Christopher Price of WEEI.com looks at some of the Patriots‘ prime candidates for contract extensions.
Pats, Vince Wilfork Agree To New Contract
SATURDAY, 12:26pm: NFL Network reporter Albert Breer breaks down Wilfork’s “complicated” contract in a series of tweets. The stout defensive tackle can earn all $8MM next season if he plays at least 70% of snaps, all 16 games, and if the team ranks in the top-10 in scoring defense and advances to the divisional playoffs. Day one of the 2015 League Year will be pivotal for Wilfork, who is due a $4MM roster bonus and $3MM base salary. He has a $5MM base salary in 2016.
THURSDAY, 8:07pm: Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds two interesting notes in regard to Wilfork (both via Twitter). If Wilfork makes his full $8MM, that means that the Patriots would have ultimately saved about $3.6MM from the original contract. Additionally, there is no guaranteed money for the big man after 2014.
4:59pm: Schefter clarifies (via Twitter) that Wilfork’s new deal is really more like a one-year, $8MM contract, with an option for two additional seasons. It sounds like the contract may include playing-time incentives for 2014, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who tweets that Wilfork can earn the full $8MM if he’s healthy.
4:34pm: Vince Wilfork will remain a Patriot after all. Despite having reportedly asked for his release earlier in the offseason, Wilfork has reached an agreement with the Pats to extend his contract through the 2016 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter reports that the two sides extended and restructured Wilfork’s deal, resulting in a three-year pact worth $22.5MM. Wilfork himself had published a tweet a few minutes earlier that suggested he’d be remaining in New England.
Word broke two weeks ago that Wilfork had requested his release after the Patriots approached him about accepting a restructured deal. Although the 32-year-old reportedly cleared out his locker, team owner Robert Kraft expressed optimism this week that some sort of compromise could be reached, and he and coach Bill Belichick worked to mend fences and repair the situation.
Entering the final year of his previous contract, Wilfork had been on the books for a cap hit of $11.6MM in 2014. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the new deal still gives the veteran defensive lineman the right to earn the $8MM he was previously in line for, but presumably the extension reduces his ’14 cap number. Rapoport adds in another tweet that only $3MM of Wilfork’s new contract is guaranteed.
Wilfork, who will be returning from a torn Achilles in 2014, appeared in just four games for the Pats in 2013, but has consistently posted positive grades at defensive tackle for the club in his healthy seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2012, the five-time Pro Bowler recorded three sacks, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries, to go along with 49 tackles.
In his Twitter statement linked above, Wilfork indicated that his goal has always been to retire a Patriot and that this new agreement brings him one step closer to achieving that goal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mark Dominik Talks Darrelle Revis
The general manager who traded first- and fourth-round picks a year ago for Darrelle Revis, as well as signing him to a six-year, $96MM contract, is no longer a general manager. Mark Dominik lost his job with the Buccaneers after a tumultuous 4-12 season and is now an NFL insider for ESPN, but he has first-hand knowledge of Revis, who signed with the Patriots after his release from Tampa Bay. Field Yates of ESPN.com spoke with Dominik to glean insight on the All-Pro cornerback, as well as fellow Patriots defensive backs Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan.
On Revis’ greatness:
“Revis to me, in spending time around him, has unique anticipation. Elite anticipation is probably the right way to use it. He has a way of feeling it, understanding routes, reading the hops of players, reading the eyes, [the] general feel and he’s exceptional with ball skills. He knows how to break on the ball, where to use his hands to avoid penalties, and he obviously has soft hands for interceptions. His ball awareness and ball skills, and then again anticipation, are what make him an elite corner.”
On Revis the person:
“Darrelle is very low maintenance, very down to earth. Not full of himself, a really good dude, soft spoken, but will speak when he feels like he needs to. He’s a great teammate that way. And really, he’s a good man. He comes from a good family, his mother is a wonderful lady, and Darrelle’s a unique person, and I think he doesn’t usually talk much unless he’s provoked. And Darrelle just lets his play talk.”
On Revis’ surgically repaired knee:
“Coming off an ACL as a cornerback, a lot of guys have made that transition, and sometimes it takes more than a year. I think Darrelle still played at a very high level, we put him in some tough spots in terms of coverage, but at the end of the day he still was what I thought was the elite corner that we traded for. That’s why I think it’s a great acquisition for the New England Patriots.”
On Browner:
“Browner is a huge corner. Just really long from his ankle to knee and then his knee to his arms. I mean that’s what his advantage is. He’s going to be a little bit tighter in space, short-area quickness, [those are] the things he’s going to struggle with. He’s going to come up and maul you at the line of scrimmage, beat you up, and he’ll tackle you. They have big corners, thick corners, and that’s obviously what coach Belichick is looking for.”
On Ryan:
“Very smart football player, extremely smart. Understands angle, good positioning. Again, good with his hands, and he has enough speed. His big thing that everybody talks about is the top-end speed, but again, if you get a pass rush and you get a guy who understands early stuff and uses his hands well, you can eliminate some of that speed deficiency, and I think Logan can do that.”
AFC Notes: Jones-Drew, Blount, Collie
As new Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew restarts his career in Oakland, he won’t be handed the starting job. Jones-Drew told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle that it’s a “wide-open” competition at running back (Twitter link), presumably between himself and incumbent Darren McFadden, who was re-signed to a one-year deal earlier this month.
Neither runner did much of anything in 2013, with McFadden rushing for 379 yards in 10 games, while Jones-Drew totaled 803 yards rushing in 15 games, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, just 0.1 yards better than McFadden. Behind McFadden and MJD are Latavius Murray, Kory Sheets and Jeremy Stewart, none of whom have starting experience.
Jones-Drew said on his conference call today that he’s looking forward to playing for an organization that he has loved since he was a little kid, and that he feels he was done wrong by the Jaguars (Twitter links).
Catch more AFC notes in the links below:
- The Patriots were interested in re-signing running back LeGarrette Blount, but only for one year, reports Boston Globe writer Ben Volin (via Twitter). Blount ended up signing a two-year deal with the Steelers worth $3.85MM.
- Looking to add weapons to a somewhat depleted receiving corps, Boston Herald beat reporter Jeff Howe tweets that the Patriots could re-sign Austin Collie and add a “Miles Austin-type” in the future.
- The Texans are still almost $9MM under the salary cap after signing safety Chris Clemons to a two-year deal worth $2.7MM, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Steelers Sign LeGarrette Blount
4:05pm: Blount’s new two-year deal is worth $3.85MM, with a $950K signing bonus, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
3:49pm: The Steelers have officially signed Blount, according to a press release.
2:25pm: The Steelers have reached an agreement on a two-year contract with LeGarrette Blount, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to Wilson (via Twitter), the Ravens maintained interest in Blount up until the end. The Patriots were also be interested in bringing back the free agent running back, though not at the price as the Steelers were willing to offer, tweets Wilson.
Blount, 27, emerged as the Patriots’ primary ball-carrier last season, racking up 772 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry during the regular season. He also ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the second round of the postseason against the Colts, but was bottled up for just six yards on five carries in Denver.
By signing with the Steelers, Blount will give the team a complementary runner in a backfield that already includes youngster Le’Veon Bell. I’d imagine Bell will receive more carries than Blount, but the veteran could handle short-yardage and goal-line duties in addition to spelling the 2013 second-rounder.
It’ll be interesting to see what sort of salary Blount receives from the Steelers, considering the team was nearly capped out. Barring some creative bookkeeping on Blount’s deal, the Steelers may have to restructure or release another player’s contract to create the space necessary to finalize the signing.
With Blount off the board and Knowshon Moreno and Maurice Jones-Drew also finding new homes this week, the running back market is starting to look pretty thin. Teams still in need of a rusher can peruse a group that includes Andre Brown, Willis McGahee, and Justin Forsett, among others.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Contract Notes: Staley, Wilfork, Brad Smith
A source tells Rand Gatlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that the 49ers are mulling the possibility of reworking Joe Staley‘s current contract, which he has outplayed. Staley, who will earn a total of $3.4MM in 2014, has a deal that runs through 2017, so he doesn’t have a whole lot of leverage at this point, but Gatlin’s source suggest the Niners recognize they’d be wise to address the situation to avoid having the offensive lineman become disenchanted (Twitter link).
Here’s more on a few other contracts around the league:
- Ben Volin and Christopher Gasper of the Boston Globe pass along the details of the first year of Vince Wilfork‘s new contract with the Patriots in a pair of Twitter links. According to the Globe duo, the contract includes $2.5MM in signing bonus and base salary money, a $300K weight bonus, a $200K workout bonus, a $500K bonus for spending one game on the 53-man roster, up to $1.4MM in per-game roster bonuses, and additional incentives of about $3MM. In total, by my calculations, the team should create at least $3MM in 2014 cap savings with the move.
- The Eagles recently restructured the contract for wide receiver Brad Smith, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. According to Caplan, the agreement reduced Smith’s cap number by $350K, but assured him $450K in guaranteed money.
- E.J. Biggers‘ new one-year contract with the Redskins is a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The pact includes a base salary of $730K, a signing bonus of $65K, and a cap hit of $635K.
NFC Links: Marshall, 49ers, Winston
A couple of notes from around the NFC…
- Brandon Marshall is not worried about this future with the Bears, and he said as much on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000 (via ESPNChicago.com). “One way or another, they’re going to get the deal done,” Marshall said.
- The 49ers have been seeking a veteran inside linebacker and Brandon Spikes was one of the players on their list, says ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). The player ultimately proved to be too expensive and signed with the Bills.
- In a separate article, Williamson gives a list of potential veteran linebackers that the 49ers could be interested in. Among them are Desmond Bishop, Dan Connor and Jonathan Vilma.
- Offensive tackle Eric Winston still hopes to return to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from SiriusXM NFL Radio. The tweet quotes Winston: “I’ve maintained I hope I’m going back to (the Cardinals). I still think there’s a possibility for that, but have to keep looking.”
- Prior to signing with the Saints, Ramon Humber considered signing with the Vikings and the Patriots, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Advocate.
Patriots Notes: Wilfork, Solder, Britt
The Patriots made news today when they agreed to a new contract with defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. There were rumors that the former Pro Bowler may have been facilitating his exit from New England, but it appears that the 325-pound veteran will be sticking around for at least another season.
A few more notes from New England…
- Wilfork could have made more money on the open market but did not want to relocate his family, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- The Pats have until May 3 to make a decision on tackle Nate Solder and his fifth-year option, and Field Yates of ESPN.com estimates that the option would be worth an estimated $8.6MM. Yates acknowledges that this is a high number, but states that the 25-year-old’s production at such a value position would make the option worth it.
- After bringing in receiver Kenny Britt for a visit – and then after owner Robert Kraft‘s subsequent statement that the team would not be signing the player – Steve Buckley of CSNNE.com wonders if there’s a disconnect in the organization. The Patriot’s philosophy of finding value may clash with their desire to add “character guys,” an attribute that has certainly been emphasized after the embarrassment of Alfonzo Dennard and Aaron Hernandez.
- After adding Darrelle Revis and holding onto Wilfork, the Pats biggest weakness on their defense is “pass rush, pass rush, pass rush,” says Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Titans, Dolphins, Browns, Steelers
Reports of free agents visiting teams have slowed down considerably over the last couple weeks, but the Titans are on of the clubs staying busy as they weigh options at several positions. The team brought offensive lineman Mike McGlynn in this week, and is also hosting former Charger and Bronco Shaun Phillips today, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Phillips will turn 33 in May, so his best years are probably behind him, but he’s coming off a 10-sack season, and could still be an asset for a defense, particularly if the price isn’t prohibitive.
As Phillips visits the Titans, let’s check out a few more items from around the AFC….
- The Dolphins still haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing Bryant McKinnie to play right tackle, though a signing likely wouldn’t happen until after the draft, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- New GM Ray Farmer and the Browns haven’t tipped their hand when it comes to the fourth overall pick, but wide receiver Josh Gordon thinks the club will use the selection on a quarterback, as he said on SportsCenter today (link via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com). Gordon also suggested that Johnny Manziel would probably be the top signal-caller on his personal draft board.
- The Steelers will probably need to create some cap space if they hope to sign Maurice Jones-Drew or LeGarrette Blount, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who suggests that restructuring Lawrence Timmons‘ contract could do the trick.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explores whether the Broncos have mortgaged their future by going all-in on free agency this offseason. Corry concludes that most of Denver’s big contracts are flexible enough that the team may not be in bad shape long-term.
- The Bills have officially named their seven representatives for a committee that will explore the possibility of building a new stadium in the area, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Erie County previously appointed seven members to the group, and New York State added five.
- Indiana running back Stephen Houston worked out for nearly an hour with Patriots running back Ivan Fears today, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.