NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cruz, RGIII, Cards
With Tony Romo turning 36 this April, the Cowboys may not get a better chance to draft his eventual successor, but their No. 4 overall pick could also be used to address a more immediate need elsewhere on the roster. Speaking to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones acknowledges that the idea of selecting a quarterback is one the team must seriously consider.
“I mean you have to look at it,” Jones said. “You’re not naive to it but if you have the opportunity in this league, in our situation, to get a potential franchise quarterback, then you have to make the investment. You have to have the patience. You sacrifice maybe that opportunity that maybe is impactful right now.”
Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….
- Speaking to Nina Mandell of of USA Today’s For The Win, wide receiver Victor Cruz speculated that there’s an 80 percent chance he’ll return to the Giants for the 2016 season. While that’s an optimistic estimate, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that it doesn’t sound like Cruz has been told anything definitive yet by the team.
- In the wake of Washington president Bruce Allen suggesting Robert Griffin III won’t be back with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, and Cowboys as possible suitors for RGIII.
- Speaking today to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that he loves Andre Ellington‘s skills, but the running back must show he can consistently stay healthy before Arizona seriously considers locking him up long-term (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). As a 2013 draftee, Ellington is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
- Former CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who signed with the Cardinals this week, got a $30K signing bonus on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
East Rumors: McCoy, Cruz, Culliver, Jets
Bills running back LeSean McCoy had been scheduled to meet with Philadelphia district attorney Seth Williams at his office this afternoon at 4:00pm eastern time, per multiple reports. But when word of that meeting got out, it was canceled, according to John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links), who says McCoy’s lawyers wanted to avoid a media circus and were upset that the news was leaked.
According to a report from ABC 6 Action News in Philadelphia, however, the meeting hasn’t been canceled — it has just changed venues. Action News indicates that the meeting between McCoy (or perhaps just his lawyers) and the district attorney is happening now. Williams is reportedly still weighing whether to press charges against McCoy and his companions for a nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month.
Here’s more from across the NFL’s East divisions:
- Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, coming off a lost season, is set to make $8MM in 2016, but the club seems unlikely to bring him back at that price. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com polled several league sources and found that the general consensus was that the Giants should try to slice Cruz’s salary in half, perhaps giving him some incentives on a one-year deal in the $3-4MM range.
- The secondary will be an area of concern for Washington this offseason, according to John Keim of ESPN.com, who says that there’s no doubt cornerback Chris Culliver will return to the team for 2016. Culliver’s one-game suspension in 2015 gave Washington the opportunity to void his guaranteed money for 2016, but the club doesn’t plan to remove the guaranteed portion of his deal, says Keim.
- Antonio Cromartie was the first Jets veteran to become a cap casualty this offseason, but he’s unlikely to be the last, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Cimini identifies tight end Jeff Cumberland, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, and kicker Nick Folk as possible release candidates.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post explores whether the Giants could afford to roll the dice on defensive end Noah Spence if the Eastern Kentucky pass rusher is on the board at No. 10 in the draft.
NFC Notes: C. Long, Randle, Lions, 49ers
Of the three veteran players the Rams parted ways with last week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com thinks defensive end Chris Long could be the one the team regrets releasing. According to King, Long – who turns 31 next month – is already being pursued by contending teams. However, it’s not clear yet whether the veteran pass rusher will sign quickly, since he and his wife are expecting their first child in the near future, says King.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, two Giants sources recently questioned wide receiver Rueben Randle‘s “work ethic and desire to be great.” Raanan estimates there’s only about a 15% chance of Randle re-signing with New York this winter.
- “The salary cap is not our enemy. It can be our friend,” Lions president Rod Wood said last week in an appearance on WMGC-FM in Detroit. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press passes along some other Wood quotes from that interview, and examines the state of the Lions’ salary cap as the new league year approaches.
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones expressed disappointment in defensive end Randy Gregory over his four-game suspension for a substance-abuse violation, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. However, the Cowboys should also shoulder some of the blame, since they knew what they were getting into when they drafted him and were responsible for helping to avoid repeating his failed combine drug test, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at three key positions of need for the 49ers heading into this week’s draft combine, and considers potential targets for the club’s No. 7 overall pick.
East Rumors: McCoy, R. Matthews, Bradford
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office released a statement today that essentially says there’s no update on the LeSean McCoy investigation (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).
“I understand that people are interested in the outcome of our investigation, but we’re not going to rush because some people are impatient,” said Philadelphia DA R. Seth Williams in the statement, adding that his “only goal is to get it right, not fast.”
Williams said he has not yet decided whether to press charges against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least next week for any sort of decision.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been considered likely to leave the Dolphins this offseason, but the club has reached out to Mathews about discussing a new deal, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily means that the Fins will re-sign Mathews, but there’s some level of interest in bringing him back.
- The Eagles continue to say they want to re-sign quarterback Sam Bradford, with de-facto GM Howie Roseman the latest to weigh in on the topic, as Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com details. Still, Roseman cautioned that any deal has “got to work for the other side and the player” in addition to working for the team. At this point, I’d be surprised if the two sides got something done prior to free agency, unless the Eagles are willing to use the franchise tag, since there’s no incentive for Bradford to accept a below-market offer.
- While it’s premature to say Jets linebacker Demario Davis is a goner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the team to let Davis test the open market, where he’s likely to get a better deal than the Jets will be willing to offer.
- According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie will make $1.1MM on his new one-year contract with the team, which features $275K in guaranteed money.
Bengals Unlikely To Re-Sign Mohamed Sanu
3:28pm: The Browns, mentioned below as a potential suitor for Sanu, are indeed expected to pursue him in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The source added that former Bengals OC Hue Jackson “loved Sanu’s versatility.”
8:38am: The Bengals have multiple wide receivers eligible to hit the open market in March, and at least one of them is unlikely to return to Cincinnati. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, there’s “virtually no chance” that the Bengals re-sign Mohamed Sanu, who is expected to explore other opportunities in free agency.
Sanu, 26, established new career highs in 2014 with 56 receptions, 790 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. However, with fellow free-agent-to-be Marvin Jones back in the mix for Cincinnati in 2015, Sanu took on a decreased role in the Bengals’ offense. Receiving half the targets that he did the year before, the former third-round pick saw his numbers dip to 33 catches and 394 yards, and he didn’t record a single touchdown. Sanu admits that he’d like a bigger role going forward, wherever he lands.
“I think about that all the time,” Sanu told Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “When you’ve got so much talent on one team, it’s hard to get the ball. It definitely crossed my mind going elsewhere. We’ve just got to see how everything unfolds.”
While Sanu’s contract year wasn’t overly impressive, he’s expected to draw interest from multiple teams in free agency, including perhaps the Browns, Falcons, and Giants, writes Marvez. This year’s wide receiver market isn’t strong, so once the top two or three options come off the board, the Bengals wideout could become a more attractive target for teams that need to upgrade the position, particularly since so many clubs will have cap space on hand. One report earlier this week estimated a deal worth $5MM annually for Sanu.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/18/16
Here’s a rundown of today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Dolphins have signed arena standout A.J. Cruz, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today first tweeted. The receiver/return man was with the Bears in camp last year.
- The Giants have signed France’s Anthony Dablé, as reported by the American Football International Review. Dablé, widely considered one of the most dangerous receivers and returners in Europe, is coming off of a strong season in which he won his second straight German Bowl. Dablé initially signed to play with France’s Aix en Provence Argonautes for the 2016 season, but he was permitted to break free from that deal if an NFL opportunity came up.
- Edmonton Eskimos cornerback Aaron Grymes is signing with the Eagles today, his representatives tell Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Grymes, 24, joined the CFL after playing three seasons at the University of Idaho. In 2015, Grymes earned an All-Star nod. Prior to signing with Philly, Grymes auditioned for the Cardinals and Titans in January.
- The Eagles will also sign quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson (pending physical), per Caplan (on Twitter). The QB spent part of last season with the 49ers’ taxi squad.
- The Eagles signed former Saints wide receiver Seantavius Jones, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. Philadelphia also signed wide receiver Xavier Rush, as Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/17/16
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:
- The Patriots have released defensive back Leonard Johnson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Johnson signed with the Patriots on December 9th and went on to appear in four regular season games (three starts). Johnson made 17 starts for the Bucs from 2012-14.
- The Giants re-signed long snapper Zak DeOssie, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). DeOssie is one of the Giants’ longest-tenured players, having served as the team’s long snapper since being drafted in the fourth round in 2007. A two-time Pro Bowler, and one of the club’s captains, the 31-year-old never missed a game due to injury until he was placed on IR in December.
Giants Rumors: Wilkerson, Sanu, JPP, Ayers
The Giants will enter free agency hoping to land two New Jersey natives – Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson and Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu – CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Giants’ offseason]
The Jets will place the franchise tag on Wilkerson, a two-time second-team All-Pro, but La Canfora writes that they could trade the 26-year-old because they already have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams under control along their defensive line and need help elsewhere. If the Jets do deal Wilkerson, the Giants are potential candidates to trade a first-round pick (and maybe more) for the Pro Bowler, per La Canfora, who opines that he’d be worth Big Blue’s 10th overall selection.
The Giants would also have to give Wilkerson a new contract, one that La Canfora estimates could be in Marcell Dareus territory. Dareus signed a six-year, $95MM deal with the Bills last year and is currently second among D-tackles (behind only Ndamukong Suh) in total value, yearly average ($15.85MM) and guarantees ($42.9MM).
Sanu, on the other hand, is coming off a less-than-stellar season in terms of productivity (33 catches, zero touchowns). Nevertheless, La Canfora argues that the 26-year-old would make a good complement to Odell Beckham and could merit $5MM per year.
Here’s more on the Giants:
- The Giants will try to re-sign pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul, but they will not place the franchise tag on the defensive end or bring him back on a huge contract, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that there’s a debate within the organization in regards to Pierre-Paul’s value.
- As we touched on earlier tonight, a USA Today report states that JPP’s time with the Giants is likely up.
- Like Pierre-Paul, fellow Giants defensive end Robert Ayers is also on the verge of becoming a free agent. There’s a good chance Ayers will re-sign with the team, however, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan asked five league sources what kind of deal Ayers, 30, will get off a career-best 9.5-sack season, then averaged out their projections. The end result: three years, $18MM – including $9MM in guarantees.
JPP Unlikely To Return To Giants
Pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul is unlikely to return to the Giants for a seventh season, a league source tells Kristian R. Dyer of USA Today.
“[A]ll signs point toward the Giants letting Pierre-Paul test free agency,” the source stated, adding, “as of right now he isn’t going to be returning.”
[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: New York Giants]
Pierre-Paul has been one of Big Blue’s fiercest defenders since they drafted him 15th overall in 2010. The 27-year-old end totaled 42 sacks from 2010-14, including a career-high 16.5 during the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011. However, his career took a terrible turn last summer when he lost his right index finger thanks to a July 4 fireworks accident. The Giants withdrew a $60MM contract offer for Pierre-Paul afterward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and he refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while recovering.
The two sides ultimately patched up their differences enough for Pierre-Paul to come back and play the 2015-16 season for $7.35MM, a steep drop-off from the $14.8MM he would have made as their franchise player.
Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. The site remained impressed with his pass-rushing ability, though it gave him a poor grade against the run. He clearly disagrees in regards to the latter, having stated in December that, “I think I play the run better than I play the pass.”
Pierre-Paul also expressed a desire before the season ended to finish his career with the Giants, but the chances of that happening now appear low. While JPP should garner plenty of interest as a free agent from teams in need of an edge rusher, it remains to be seen if he’ll end up with a deal anywhere near the one the Giants were willing to give him prior to his accident.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
David Bruton Wants To Return To Broncos
Safety David Bruton will be eligible to sign anywhere in a few weeks, but he says his preference is to stay with the defending World Champions, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post tweets. However, there figures to be a pretty healthy market for Bruton this spring. The Broncos safety tells Wolfe that he’s heard the Bears, Dolphins, and Giants are interested in him. 
[RELATED: Malik Jackson Talks Free Agency, Broncos’ QBs]
Bruton could also be pricing himself out of Denver. The safety told Wolfe (link) that he is eyeing a three-year, $15MM deal like the one that Justin Bethel received from the Cardinals. With more pressing needs to address, it would be surprising to see the Broncos give him that sort of deal prior to the start of free agency or even early on that week. The Broncos project to have T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart at safety, so they can afford to let Bruton go if he does not fit into the budget.
Bruton was placed on IR in December after breaking his leg and, therefore, did not play in the Super Bowl. Remarkably, Bruton played through three quarters of a late-season tilt against the Steelers with a broken fibula and, by his own estimation, he could have played in SB50 had he been eligible (link). At this point, Bruton says he’s 100% and is already riding bikes and doing squats in preparation for next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.