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NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Saints, Bears, Vikings

January 17th, 2015 at 8:43am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off the morning by checking out some notes from the NFC…

David Newton says the Panthers rookie class this past season is arguably the best in team history. Four of the team’s six draft picks ultimately made it into the starting lineup, and Newton says the team’s only “miss” was sixth-rounder Tyler Gaffney.
While Newton believes Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman will pursue more than just value free agents, he can’t envision the team going after a top, offensive skill player. Instead, the writer suggests targeting a left tackle or a defensive lineman.
Mike Triplett gives a list of Saints player who may not return in 2015. Notably, the writer mentions linebackers David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton, lineman Jonathan Goodwin and Jahri Evans, wideout Marques Colston and running back Mark Ingram.
Michael C. Wright can envision the Bears pursuing free agent Ndamukong Suh, but the defensive lineman’s expected contract may be too pricey for the organization.
The Vikings free agent most likely to receive a new contract is defensive tackle Tom Johnson, opines Ben Goessling. The writer could also see the team bringing back linebacker Jasper Brinkley and guard Joe Berger.

Cap Notes: Steve Smith, Ravens, Barwin, ‘Boys

January 16th, 2015 at 9:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite being eliminated during the Divisional Round of the playoffs, several Ravens players can rest easy knowing they’ve earned more money based on their 2014 performance. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, receiver Steve Smith will earn an extra $1MM in incentives, which were based on playing time, individual, and team performance. Linebacker Daryl Smith will also have another $1MM tacked onto his 2014 earnings, and he also hit an escalator that will increase his 2015 salary by $500K. Tight end Owen Daniels earned $755K through incentives, and center Gino Gradkowski will see a pay raise thanks to the proven performance escalator (explained here). Here are more cap-related notes from around the NFL…

After an outstanding 2014 season that saw him record 14.5 sacks, Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin will earn a higher base salary in 2015 thanks to escalators in his contract. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), Barwin hit all of his escalators, meaning he’ll make $5.5MM next year, a bump of $900K.
Cowboys safety Barry Church will earn a $1MM raise on top of his scheduled 2015 salary, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who writes that Church met a playing time threshold by seeing action on 85% of defensive snaps last season.
Veteran Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton earned a $200K salary increase in each of the next two seasons thanks to an unknown escalator, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
As we head to the offseason, several teams are willing to offer high guarantees in order to sign highly-coveted players to reserve/futures deals. According to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter), the largest guarantees on reserve deals thus far belong to running back Ryan Williams (who signed a two-year contract with the Cowboys) and defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, who inked a pact with the 49ers.
The Cowboys will carry over $3.26MM in cap space into 2015, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

2015 Proven Performance Escalator Raises

January 16th, 2015 at 8:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time in said snaps for the duration of his first three years in the league. If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s restricted free agent qualifying offer — that figure was $1.431MM last year, and will inflate commensurate with the salary cap increase. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their 2015 salary rise due to the PPE, courtesy of Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.

Bengals: George Iloka, S; Mohamed Sanu, WR

Bills: Nigel Bradham, LB

Broncos: Malik Jackson, DL; Danny Trevathan, LB;

Browns: Billy Winn, DL

Cardinals: Bobby Massie, T

Chargers: Johnnie Troutman, G

Colts: Dwayne Allen, TE; T.Y. Hilton, WR

Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB; Olivier Vernon, DE

Eagles: Brandon Boykin, CB; Nick Foles; QB

Falcons: Lamar Holmes, T

Jets: Demario Davis, LB; Antonio Allen, DB

Packers: Mike Daniels, DL

Panthers: Josh Norman, CB

Patriots: Alfonzo Dennard, CB

Raiders: Miles Burris, LB

Rams: Chris Givens, WR; Trumaine Johnson, CB

Ravens: Gino Gradkowski, C

Saints: Akiem Hicks, DT; Corey White, CB

Seahawks: J.R. Sweezy, G; Russell Wilson, QB

Steelers: Kelvin Beachum, T

Texans: Brandon Brooks, G; Jared Crick, DL; Ben Jones, G

Titans: Coty Sensabaugh, CB

Vikings: Robert Blanton, S: Rhett Ellison, TE; Josh Robinson, CB; Jarius Wright, WR

Washington: Alfred Morris, RB

Audition Notes: Friday

January 16th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Duron Carter is among the busier men in the NFL right now, as the CFL receiver has worked out for a litany of teams over recent weeks in an effort to secure a contract for 2015. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Carter has is likely finished with the audition circuit after visiting with the Browns earlier today. And despite earlier reports that the Vikings, home to Duron’s father Cris Carter for much of his career, were the favorites to land the young receiver, Goessling reports that Minnesota is the not high bidder for Carter at the moment. Here’s more workout news from around the league…

Carter isn’t the only CFL player making the NFL rounds, as defensive back Delvin Breaux met with both the Steelers (Twitter link via Howard Balzer) and the Jaguars (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN). Per Caplan (on Twitter), Breaux has several more visits lined up, and is scheduled to meet with the Browns, Dolphins, Falcons, and Saints, while the Eagles and Jets also maintain interest.
The Panthers brought in quarterback Dominique Davis for a workout, tweets Caplan. Davis, 25, was a reserve for the Falcons from 2012-13, and spent time with the Titans and Colts last season.
The Titans, like all teams, are aiming to fill out their offseason roster, and worked out the following players today in that vein, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link): LaVon Brazill, David Fluellen, Jacoby Ford, Clyde Gates, Phillip Hunt, Shawn Lemon, Joe Morgan, Keith Price, and Chase Rettig. Brazill is probably the most notable name among the list, as he was set to play a meaningful role in the Colts’ offense before being suspended and migrating to the CFL.
Before signing Mitchell Van Dyk yesterday, the Steelers also worked out fellow punters Tom Hornsey and Richie Leone, in addition to defensive tackle Kheeston Randall, per Wilson (via Twitter).
The Bills auditioned offensive lineman Matt Armstrong today, tweets Wilson.

NFC Mailbags: Brees, Cutler, Suh, Giants

January 10th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now switch focus to the NFC…

With so many veterans on the offensive line, Mike Triplett writes that the Saints need to address that area in their upcoming drafts. Meanwhile, the writer hasn’t seen any real regression out of Drew Brees, leading him to believe the team doesn’t need to draft a quarterback unless there’s a player they really like.
Michael C. Wright believes if the Bears want to move on from quarterback Jay Cutler, then they need to have a plan in place. However, there doesn’t seem to be any strategy in handling the embattled veteran, and Wright believes this in an indication that Cutler will return next season.
The Lions handling of Ndamukong Suh will have an impact on practically all of the team’s free agency decisions, opines Michael Rothstein. Most notably, defensive tackle Nick Fairley would likely be playing elsewhere in 2015 if the team retains Suh.
Alabama safety Landon Collins is as “good a guess as any” to be selected by the Giants in the first round, according to Dan Graziano. Looking for an improvement at safety will be an even bigger priority if the team can solidify it’s pass-rush and offensive line depth via free agency.
It wouldn’t surprise David Newton if Panthers veteran running back DeAngelo Williams is cut by the squad in June. The team could pursue a replacement in the draft, but Newton notes that the team likes Fozzy Whittaker.

Bears Hire Ryan Pace As General Manager

January 8th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have hired Saints executive Ryan Pace to be their new general manager, the team announced today (via Twitter). New Orleans’ director of player personnel will replace Phil Emery, who was let go along with head coach Marc Trestman following Chicago’s regular season finale.

The Bears’ hiring of Pace is a bit of a surprise, after the team also spoke to Brian Gaine of the Texans, Lake Dawson of the Titans, and Chris Ballard of the Chiefs. Ballard was viewed by many observers as the favorite for the job, while at least one report indicated that Gaine would likely be the favorite of Ernie Accorsi, who is serving as an advisor for the Bears during their hunt for a new GM and head coach.

Although Ballard and Gaine were strong candidates, Pace is a highly-respected veteran executive is his own right, spending 14 years working with the Saints, including six as the team’s director of pro scouting before he became the club’s director of player personnel. The Jets were also interested in interviewing Pace for their GM opening, but he declined the opportunity to speak to the team about the position.

With Pace now installed as their general manager, the Bears can move forward with their search for a head coach, which had been delayed slightly because the team wanted a GM in place first. As our head coaching search tracker shows, Chicago spoke to Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase during last week’s bye, and also talked to Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles today. The Bears had originally been scheduled to interview Bowles on Saturday, but perhaps were willing to move it up since Pace’s hiring was imminent — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the new GM sat in on the team’s interview with Bowles today.

In addition to those candidates, former head coaches Doug Marrone and Mike Shanahan have been mentioned as possible candidates, and the Bears have requested an interview with Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, who won’t speak with any teams until Baltimore is eliminated from the postseason. It’s possible that Chicago will add some new names to its list of targets, now that the club has found its GM.

Saints To Retain DC Rob Ryan

January 7th, 2015 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following a disappointing 2014 season in which they finished below .500 and missed the playoffs in the NFL’s weakest division, the Saints were expected to think long and hard about Rob Ryan‘s future as defensive coordinator. It appears now that the team has made its decision — Ryan will return to New Orleans in the DC role for the 2015 season, according to Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.

While Ryan’s job is safe, there are expected to be a number of changes on the defensive side of the ball for next season, to both the coaching staff and the player personnel, a source tells Holder. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), head coach Sean Payton will attempt to provide Ryan with “better pieces for success” to support him for the 2015 season.

The Saints’ defense ranked fourth overall in Ryan’s first season with the team in 2013, but plummeted to 31st in 2014, both in terms of yards allowed and DVOA (per Football Outsiders). Nonetheless, many Saints defenders voiced their support for Ryan in recent days and took the blame for the unit’s poor performance, with veteran linebacker Curtis Lofton suggesting he didn’t want to play for any other defensive coordinator.

Heading into the 2015 season, the Saints should get notable free agent signee Jairus Byrd back to full health — Byrd’s first year in New Orleans after signing a huge six-year, $54MM deal started slow, then ended fast, when the safety tore his lateral meniscus about a month into the regular season.

Additionally, Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints made enough personnel changes to revert back to a 3-4 scheme, which the club got away from in 2014. Still, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap points out (via Twitter), the Saints are already among the league’s leaders in cap space invested on defense for 2015, so the team’s flexibility may be limited when it comes to roster additions.

Extra Points: Shanahan, Trestman, Ryan

January 6th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will consider leaving the Browns, even for a lateral move, because of friction within the organization, writes Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Shanahan is aiming to become a head coach somewhere (perhaps in Buffalo) but he’d also like to reunite with his father, Mike Shanahan. The 49ers, Raiders, and Bills are have interest in hiring Mike as a head coach with Kyle as the offensive coordinator. More from around the NFL..

Washington interviewed Rod Graves on Monday for their GM position, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). By interviewing Graves, Washington has satisfied the Rooney Rule, so that is not a roadblock in their talks with Scot McCloughan.
Former Bears head coach Marc Trestman will interview for the Jaguars‘ offensive coordinator position, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Trestman has already interviewed with the Buccaneers.
Rex Ryan will be meeting with CBS executives tomorrow to discuss a possible TV role if he doesn’t land a head coaching job, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
The Eagles have requested permission to interview recently promoted Packers exec Eliot Wolf for their personnel opening, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Wolf was recently promoted by Green Bay, ostensibly to keep him in-house as the heir apparent to their own GM job.
The Eagles requested GM interviews with Chris Grier (Dolphins), Chris Polian (Jaguars), and Brian Gaine (Texans), sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Texans might have interest in former Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, according to Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth (on Twitter).
Vikings running backs coach Kirby Wilson is scheduled to interview with the Jaguars for their offensive coordinator position on Thursday, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Gaine and Lake Dawson, the Titans‘ vice president of player personnel, completed their interviews with the Bears for their GM opening, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis says that the team will take linebacker Junior Galette‘s arrest “very seriously,” as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. “If at some point we deem it necessary for the club to take some action, we’ll do that,” Loomis said.
Loomis feels that the Saints are in better shape financially, Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune (on Twitter). “I would say we’re in a better situation than we were a year ago — on pure salary cap.” He also scoffed at a recent report indicating that he will move into a new role with the team (link).

Junior Galette Arrested

January 5th, 2015 at 6:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints linebacker Junior Galette was arrested and booked on one count of misdemeanor simple battery related to domestic violence today in Kenner, Louisiana, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. The incident, which reportedly involved Galette and a former college teammate “jumping” a female acquaintance who asked for taxi money, led to Galette being detained at roughly 9am this morning; he was released from jail around 4pm.

In the wake of the Ray Rice scandal earlier this year, the NFL is obviously particularly sensitive to domestic violence issues; as such, it’s fair to wonder if the league could opt to use Galette as something of a poster boy, and use its new policy to come down hard on the star pass-rusher. Under the new standard, Galette is subject to a six-game suspension, although the policy does allow for longer suspension if “mitigating factors” are present. Rice and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy were both involved in similar episodes earlier in 2014, but as the league had not yet implemented its code when those players came under scrutiny, this could be the NFL’s first chance to show its opposition to domestic violence.

Even if Galette is not found guilty of any crime, he is still subject to league discipline, as Larry Holder of NOLA.com explains. The NFL will not interfere with cases that are being investigated by law enforcement, instead waiting until authorities decide whether to move forward and press formal charges. In such cases, the player will be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list (as in the Adrian Peterson incident), and continue to earn a salary while on leave.

The incident could have an impact of Galette’s future with the Saints, an issue he reportedly referenced while he was being arrested. Per Michelle Hunter of NOLA.com, Galette told officers that he couldn’t “afford to take a domestic violence charge because of his contract.” However, given the parameters of his four-year, $41.5MM deal, this episode probably won’t affect his status with New Orleans. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained in September, Galette is due a $12.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year — that bonus is fully guaranteed, so even if the Saints part ways with Galette, he’ll still be owed that money. However, it’s possible that Galette’s contract included a clause that nullifies the guarantees in the event of a suspension, as Holder suggests in a separate piece — although such clauses usually refer to PED bans.

According to his representative Lionel Burns, Galette is “concerned about … working to clear his good name, which he has established on and off the football field.” Burns also downplayed the seriousness of the incident, although that’s to be expected from a personal lawyer. “I want to make it clear this is not a Ray Rice-type situation,” said Burns, via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter links). “So anyone looking for that type of sensationalism in this unfortunate situation … you’re not going to find it here.”

Jets Notes: Ballard, Pace, Grier, Bowles

January 5th, 2015 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Chiefs executive Chris Ballard will interview for the Bears’ general manager opening later this week, but he won’t meet with the Jets about their GM position. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Ballard has declined New York’s request for an interview. While there are a number of reasons why Ballard may be open to exploring the Chicago job and not the Jets’ opening, it’s not a great look for Woody Johnson and company, who were also officially turned down by Saints director of player personnel Ryan Pace, per Breer (via Twitter).

As the Jets shift their focus to GM candidates who will speak to them, let’s round up the latest out of New York….

Dolphins scouting director Chris Grier will interview with the Jets for the general manager position on Tuesday, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
The Jets will also continue to speak to head coaching candidates this week, with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles lined up for an interview on Wednesday, tweets Costello. Per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), the Jets will be the first team to meet with Bowles, followed by the Falcons on Thursday, and likely the 49ers and Bears after that.
Former Jets head coaches are also busy these days interviewing for head coaching jobs — Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Twitter) that the 49ers’ interview with Rex Ryan took place on Sunday, while Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington tweets that Eric Mangini‘s meeting with the Raiders is happening today.

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