Jason Pierre-Paul Injured In Fireworks Accident
7:32pm: While initial reports did not specify the severity of the injuries, only that they were serious, Pierre-Paul’s hand injury is not considered to be career-threatening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN writes that it may not be game- or season-threatening either, which should give Giants’ fans a little relief (via Twitter).
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post gave the most specific details to the injury, writing that flesh from JPP’s palm and fingertips had been burned off, but his fingers remain completely intact.
This clears up some of the more imaginative thoughts about Pierre-Paul, but does not give much clarity to whether or not the Giants would consider pulling the franchise tag or if this injury would provoke Pierre-Paul and his agent to sign it quickly to avoid an uncertain free agent market should the injury be more serious that a burn on his hand.
3:51 PM: Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul reportedly seriously injured his hand in a fireworks accident in South Florida last night, according to Andy Slater of 940AM-WINZ (via Twitter).
Slater tips his cap to Marc Eisenberg, who was the first to report the injury, before confirming which player it was (via Twitter). It was his initial tweet that described the unnamed player’s hand as “seriously damaged” (via Twitter). The Giants have not confirmed the injury officially yet, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter), but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report does confirm that Pierre-Paul suffered some sort of injury (via Twitter).
The Giants placed the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul earlier this offseason, but the player has not signed the tag yet so no contract has been officially agreed to, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). He notes that is this rumor is true it would be extremely bad for him and his value.
Fitzgerald clears up the unusual procedure of the injured player who hadn’t signed his franchise tag. He writes that a team can pull that tender at any time, which would result in Pierre-Paul immediately becoming an unrestricted free agent (via Twitter). He notes that even if he had signed, the Giants would have had recourse due to the non-football injury aspect anyway (via Twitter). The team could have voided the contract or asked for better terms.
East Notes: Wilkerson, Washington, Battle
Let’s take a look at a few notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Other writers have opined the same thing, but Darryl Slater of NJ.com definitively asserts that Muhammad Wilkerson, despite some speculation to the contrary, will not be holding out of Jets training camp this month.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at five players who may begin the season on the Washington bench but who could crack the starting lineup before the end of the year. He tabs ILB Martrell Spaight and OLB Preston Smith as particularly intriguing players to watch in the Washington front seven.
- Similarly, John Keim of ESPN.com believes Smith will ultimately overtake Trent Murphy as a full-time starter at outside linebacker. Washington‘s coaching staff loves Smith’s length, his hands, and his versatility, and Smith appears to have a much higher ceiling as a pass rusher.
- In the same piece, Keim writes that Kirk Cousins still has fans on the Washington coaching staff and among certain players, but even though he showed flashes of strong play last year, the critical turnovers he made and his inability to respond well to those turnovers have compelled the team to hand Robert Griffin III the starting job.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com does not expect the Giants to be interested in any of the players available in the supplemental draft. We heard yesterday that Clemson OT Isaiah Battle may be a good fit for Big Blue, but Raanan thinks otherwise. Although New York may take a flier on Battle in the sixth or seventh round of the supplemental draft, there are likely a number of other teams who will put a much higher value on his talent.
- Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe offers her take on the 10 best moves made in the AFC East this offseason.
Extra Points: Battle, Broncos, Saints, Jags
There is a strong chance that former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be taken in Thursday’s supplemental draft, which allows NFL clubs to select players who for some reason (academic trouble or disciplinary issues are a couple of examples) were unable to enter the standard draft. If a team does choose Battle, it should be the Eagles, Jets or Giants, opines Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger.
Battle – who is in need of further seasoning – could learn behind established tackles in the Eagles’ Jason Peters or the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson before eventually taking over for either, writes Eckel. Meanwhile the Giants have two recent first-round tackles in Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers, but Eckel believes they’d be wise to follow the example of NFC East rival Dallas and try to stock up even more along the O-line.
Landing Battle would likely cost any of the above teams a third-round pick, per Eckel, with the Falcons ahead of them in the draft order. Atlanta is the leading candidate to pick the 22-year-old, on whom it could use a fourth-rounder.
More from around the league:
- Broncos running back C.J. Anderson burst on the scene in 2014, his second season, with nearly 1,200 total yards (849 rushing, 324 receiving) and eight touchdowns in his first true taste of NFL playing time. Anderson enters this season as Denver’s starting back, but Mike Kils of 9News writes that the 24-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels. “I’m going to keep my head down, keep grinding every day and keep pushing. What happened last year, happened last year. That’s completely over and done with,” said Anderson, who will try to fend off Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman for reps.
- Saints rookie quarterback Garrett Grayson is glad he ended up in New Orleans to serve as Drew Brees‘ apprentice, though the third-round pick from Colorado State also would’ve been happy if the Cowboys or Broncos selected him. “There were three teams that I said I’d love to end up at, and that was the Saints, Cowboys and Broncos,” Grayson told NFL.com, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “They’ve all got older QBs. Two of them are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.”
- Speaking of Brees, the 14-year veteran’s arm hasn’t shown any real signs of decline, ESPN’s Mike Triplett writes. According to Triplett, Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards, Triplett notes.
- Although new Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson is tasked with helping turn around a unit that finished last in points and second last in yardage a year ago, he’s encouraged with the results so far. “Actually, it’s gone a little bit better than I hoped,” Olson said after minicamp, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “It’s a really intelligent football team from position to position and that’s made the transition much smoother for them and me.” For what it’s worth, the Olson-led Raiders were the only team to amass fewer yards than the Jaguars last season, and they managed a mere 15.8 points per game compared to the Jags’ 15.6.
NFC Mailbags: Packers, Giants, Cowboys
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with notes from the NFC, with a cameo from the Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm…
- Quarterback Brett Hundley is a lock to make the Packers roster, says Rob Demovsky. At wideout, the writer believes Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis will make the team.
- The Packers could opt to keep a pair of fullbacks (John Kuhn and Aaron Ripkowski) on their opening day roster, writes Demovsky. This would probably require the team to keep only two running backs, and the writer can’t imagine the Packers going into the year with only Eddie Lacy and James Starks. If there were to be a third running back, Demovsky believes the competition is between Rajion Neal and John Crockett, with Neal being the favorite.
- If Giants rookie Ereck Flowers shows promise at left tackle, Dan Graziano says the team could move on from veteran Will Beatty following the season. Beatty, who is scheduled to make $6.675MM next season, is expected to be out until at least November.
- The Cowboys must be careful when Terrance Williams becomes a free agent in an effort to not overpay what Sturm calls an “adequate” wideout in a mailbag.
- Sturm also predicts the Cowboys will regress in the running game but won’t be set for a freefall without DeMarco Murray, with Tony Romo ready to assume more control of the offense. Sturm expects Joseph Randle to be the starter in what is expected to be a coalition approach to replacing the league’s rushing leader.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
East Rumors: Richardson, Dolphins, Giants
The Jets‘ selection of Leonard Williams at No. 6 overall initially looked to put Muhammad Wilkerson in a corner regarding his pursuit of a contract extension. But after Sheldon Richardson‘s substance-abuse suspension Thursday that will keep him out four games, the Jets look like the ones at a disadvantage in the event of a Wilkerson holdout, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.
In reporting to minicamp, Wilkerson lobbied for a new contract. The fifth-year defensive end who’s curiously without a Pro Bowl invite, despite dominant seasons in 2012 and 2014 that ranked in the top 3 among 3-4 ends on Pro Football Focus (subscription required), will make $7MM this season after the Jets triggered Wilkerson’s fifth-year option.
Richardson’s reported marijuana-related offense could help his running mate, with Gang Green likely not wanting to go into the season with just Williams available for work among their first-round contingent of defensive linemen. Gantt also points out Williams’ arrival now may work against Richardson, with the team less likely to entertain the notion of extending the 2013 defensive rookie of the year’s contract when the time comes.
Here are some more notes from around the Eastern divisions.
- Dolphins players are growing concerned about the team’s situation at guard, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. With the tackle and center spots sewn up with talented cogs, Miami hasn’t had a guard take command of a spot (although how much command could one take during padless minicamp/OTA sessions?). There have been positive reports of fourth-round rookie Jamil Douglas‘ progression, but the Fins will still head into training camp with guard as their biggest offensive uncertainty.
- In the same report, Jackson notes the team’s wide receiver depth that once posed concern after the departures of Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline now appears solid. Players reportedly view Rishard Matthews — who could sit behind Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings and DeVante Parker — as a talent who could thrive if given a larger role. A former 2012 seventh-rounder, Matthews sought a trade or a release as recently as May due to dissatisfaction in playing as the No. 5 wideout. Matthews has 64 career catches for 734 yards and four scores.
- A recent analysis conducted by Football Outsiders revealed the Eagles as the league’s healthiest team over the past two seasons, while the Giants are by far the most injury-stricken. Big Blue ranked last in the league for both the 2013 and 2014 campaigns but have slowly started to accept the sports science trends most notably thrust into the spotlight by the rival Eagles, writes the New York Post’s Jordan Ranaan. Despite Walter Thurmond‘s recent comments of Tom Coughlin being old school and resistant to these methods, Ranaan notes the Giants are now charting sleep schedules and placing chips onto players’ jerseys to measure explosiveness.
NFC East Links: Thurmond, RGIII, Mathews
After rounding up some AFC East notes this morning, we’re shifting our focus to the NFC East, where we have items on all four clubs…
- Heading into this year’s free agent period began, there was no chance of Walter Thurmond re-signing with the Giants, and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com wonders if some recent comments Thurmond made about coach Tom Coughlin provide a clue for why the cornerback didn’t want to remain in New York.
- John Keim of ESPN.com liked the work Washington did this offseason, giving the team a grade of A-minus for its moves. However, he’s still taking a wait-and-see approach to the 2015 season, noting that its not clear yet if the club has a long-term answer at head coach or quarterback.
- Speaking of Washington‘s quarterback, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com wonders how much Robert Griffin III will benefit this season from the club’s improved offensive line.
- While the Eagles‘ signing of DeMarco Murray earned most of the headlines in Philadelphia this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap thinks the team’s deal with Ryan Mathews is one of the best running back bargains in the NFL.
- After signing a new contract with the Cowboys this offseason, wide receiver Cole Beasley recognizes that the team has higher expectations for him, but tells Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com that he’s approaching the 2015 season with the same mentality he always has, since “no one expects more from me than I do” (transcript via the Dallas Morning News).
Community Tailgate: Eli Manning’s Contract
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this month, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
As I outlined this morning, agent Tom Condon told Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News over the weekend that he’s confident the Giants will eventually sign his client, quarterback Eli Manning, to a new contract. Vacchiano rightly points out that very few top signal-callers ultimately reach free agency, suggesting that he thinks the Giants and Manning will reach an accord at “the appropriate time.” With Manning preparing to enter a contract year, it’s not clear yet when that “appropriate time” will arrive, and what an appropriate deal for the 34-year-old would look like.
Manning had the worst season of his career in 2013, leading the NFL with a career-high 27 interceptions and suffering his first losing season since his rookie year. He got off to another shaky start in 2014 under offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, but quickly righted the ship and finished the year with 4,410 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and a career-best 63.1% completion percentage.
While the Giants have to be encouraged by Manning’s play last year, the team may want to wait until after the 2015 season to negotiate his next contract, in order to assess how the QB’s second year with McAdoo plays out. It’s also possible the club wants to wait for Philip Rivers to re-up with the Chargers to help set the market for Manning.
Another accomplished veteran signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger, inked a four-year extension worth $87.4MM with the Steelers earlier this offseason. Of course, while Big Ben’s deal may be a point of reference for the Manning talks, Roethlisberger is a year younger than the Giants’ starter and is coming off the best season of his career, so Manning may not match or surpass those contract figures.
What do you think? Will Manning sign a new contract with the Giants before the season, after the season, or not at all? Assuming he re-ups with New York, will Manning match Roethlisberger’s $21.85MM annual salary? Jump into the comment section below to voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Agent Optimistic About New Deal For Eli
Eli Manning is one of a few notable quarterbacks heading into the final year of his current contract, but a team source tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News that the Giants are confident a new deal will eventually get done, and agent Tom Condon echoes that sentiment, suggesting he doesn’t expect his client to reach free agency.
“The interesting part about it is, since 1993, the inception of free agency, has there ever been an elite quarterback hit the open market?” Condon said. “Peyton [Manning did in 2012], but he had four neck surgeries and no idea if he would ever be well enough to play. Drew Brees, when he went to New Orleans, he had 15 studs in his shoulder, in his throwing arm. … There’s nobody else that’s ever come up. They just re-do you.”
While quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Sam Bradford, and Nick Foles are also discussing extensions with their respective teams, the most similar case to Manning’s is Philip Rivers in San Diego. Rivers has had a little more regular season success than his fellow 2004 first-rounder, while Manning has excelled in the postseason, winning a pair of Super Bowls. Both veteran signal-callers are expected to re-up with their current teams at some point, perhaps using Ben Roethlisberger‘s recent extension with the Steelers as a point of reference.
It’s not clear if the the Giants and Manning anticipate reaching an agreement before the 2015 season begins, but even if no new deal is in place by then and talks are shelved until 2016, there would still be plenty of time to work something out. The Giants could also use the franchise tag to prevent the two-time Super Bowl MVP from hitting the open market. No matter how the situation plays out, Condon is optimistic that Manning will remain in New York.
“The quarterbacks always get done,” Condon said. “And the Giants are not a skittish team. So it’s not one of those things where they get nervous or they jump around or anything like that. You know you’re going to go in and it’s going to get done. I’m sure at the appropriate time it’ll happen.”
2015 Release Candidates: NFC East
Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.
Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.
After looking at the AFC East yesterday, let’s dive into the NFC East…
Dallas Cowboys:
- Mackenzy Bernadeau, G: The 29-year-old Bernadeau renegotiated his contract last spring, accepting a $2.9MM pay cut in the process. After Dallas selected Zack Martin in last year’s draft, Bernadeau went on to act in a reserve role, and saw only 75 snaps. Now that undrafted free agent La’El Collins is penciled in as the starting left guard, incumbent Ronald Leary will be demoted to act as the top reserve interior lineman, further limiting Bernadeau’s role. The Cowboys could save $1.5MM by releasing him, but I think they’ll keep him around for depth purposes. Prediction: not released.
- Brandon Carr, CB: It’s been a strange offseason for the Cowboys and Carr, as he indicated in March that he would not accept a pay cut, a stance that Dallas has seemingly accepted. However, owner Jerry Jones has continued to say that the club wants to lower Carr’s cap number (presumably through an extension), but given Carr’s subpar play, I’m not sure tacking on extra years to his deal would be wise. The Cowboys have decent cornerback depth after drafting Byron Jones in the first round, but Jerry Jones has been adamant that the team won’t release Carr. Prediction: not released.
New York Giants:
- Jameel McClain, LB: Entering the final season of a two-year deal, McClain could be on the chopping block due to both his salary and his performance. The 29-year-old actually played the second-most snaps among Giants defenders, but graded in the bottom 10 among inside linebackers league-wide, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Additionally, he’s scheduled to count for $3.4MM on New York’s cap in 2015; the club could clear all but $300K of that total by releasing him. The Giants are near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, and they might want a little extra room to make moves throughout the season, so creating a little space here and there through moves like cutting McClain could be in the making. Prediction: released.
- Linebacker Jon Beason and defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins each agreed to contract restructures both involved straight pay cuts) earlier this year, or else they likely would have been released.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Riley Cooper, WR: The Eagles don’t have a ton of obvious cut candidates, and Cooper is the only veteran whose roster spot might come into question. (I thought about adding fellow pass-catcher Miles Austin here, but the club handed him $1MM in guarantees, so he’s probably a good bet to make the final 53.) Cooper took a big step back from his excellent 2014 season, as his yards per reception dropped from 17.8 to 10.5. He doesn’t figure to be a big part of Philadelphia’s offense, but given that the team would incur $3.8MM in dead money (as opposed to just $1MM in savings) by releasing him, Cooper will probably stick around for one more season. Prediction: not released.
Washington:
- DeAngelo Hall: Hall agreed to tweak his contact earlier this year, eliminating the $1MM in salary guarantees he was originally due. He can still earn the same $4MM base salary that he was originally due, but Washington is now off the hook if they decide Hall isn’t not fully recovered from two Achilles tears. Washington has decent corner depth following the signing of Chris Cullier, so Hall isn’t necessarily needed. But the club would save only $2.375MM while incurring $2.438MM in dead money by cutting Hall. Prediction: not released.
- Pierre Garcon, WR: Garcon’s rate stats stayed similar from 2013 to 2014, but his counting stats took a nosedive following the addition of DeSean Jackson. Still, he’s probably not in any real danger of being released — head coach Jay Gruden has been adamant that Garcon is in the club’s plans, and as of February the team hadn’t reached out to his representatives about restructuring his contract. Washington could save $7.5MM by releasing Garcon, however, so I’m guessing it’s a move that has at least been discussed internally. Prediction: not released.
- Kedric Golston, DE: The 32-year-old Golston didn’t play much last season (182 snaps), but still managed to rack up poor -14.3 grade from PFF. The addition of Ricky Jean-Francois means that Golston will see even less time in 2015, and there’s really no reason for the club to pay his $1MM base salary; Washington can save $1.075MM by cutting him. Prediction: released.
NFC Notes: Gurley, Eli, Lions, Cowboys
Though most first-round picks sign deals containing full guarantees, we learned last week that Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley will only see the first two years of his contract fully guaranteed due to his knee injury, which is considered a non-football injury because it didn’t occur in the NFL. But an NFLPA source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe that despite the optics, this scenario is actually a win for Gurley, not the club.
“No player in the league, from [Peyton] Manning to Jadeveon Clowney] to Jameis Winston, has protection against getting cut [and not paid/and guarantees not honored] due to this type of situation,” the source told Volin. “The fact that Gurley’s agent got him two years protected for a non-football injury is better than every other player in the first round, and the league in general.”
More from the NFC:
- Opining at a truly elite quarterback has never actually hit the open market since the inception of free agency, agent Tom Condon tells Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News that he’s confident his client Eli Manning will eventually work out an extension with the Giants. Manning will earn $17MM in base salary in 2015, the final year of his deal, and while New York could opt to use the franchise tag on him (at a cost of more than $20MM), but Condon seems sure that an agreement can be reached.
- Responding to reader’s question in this week’s mailbag, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes that the Lions could be on the lookout for a blocking tight end as the regular season approaches. As the questioner points out, most starter Eric Ebron‘s backups are also pass-catching types, so the club want a replacement for Kellen Davis, who played the inline role in 2015. There will be free agent options as roster cutdowns occur (as Rothstein notes), but the Lions could take a look at ex-Bengal Jermaine Gresham, who I recently ranked as the third-best FA left on the market.
- News of the weird: the Cowboys, Giants, and Patriots will be contacted by the FAA in relation to their use of drones at practices, according to Bloomberg Business. The FAA does allow for the private use of such technology, but the user must agree to certain safety stipulations. None of the clubs had requested such clearance, per the report.