East Notes: Dolphins, Suh, Dez, Maclin, McCoy
The Giants are right to consider making a run at Ndamukong Suh, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The Giants aren’t well-positioned to outbid anyone, but if they were able to pull it off, the team could have a pass rush to rival what they had in 2007 with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions, including one more item on Suh:
- We heard the Dolphins mentioned as a possible suitor for Suh earlier this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the reasons why Miami actually may emerge as the favorites to land the star defensive tackle, with teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Buccaneers being floated for potential leverage rather than as legit bidders.
- Last week, former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins indicated that he had “no knowledge” of any 2011 Wal-Mart incident involving Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, but a report of the incident did, in fact, make its way to his office about a year after the fact, as Florio explains at PFT.
- It looked for a little while as if the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin were getting close to a new deal, but the two sides are farther apart now, and the wideout is starting to get “nibbles,” tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports backs up this assessment, tweeting that there’s “work to be done” on the Maclin front for the Eagles.
- While running back LeSean McCoy initially wasn’t thrilled about the trade that will send him to the Bills, a source tells McLane (Twitter link) that the veteran back is “ready to move on.” We rounded up several more updates on the reported swap between the Eagles and Bills earlier this morning.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Patriots‘ offseason, suggesting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team lets both of its free agent running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – sign elsewhere.
- Veteran safety Jordan Pugh, who last appeared in a regular season game for Washington in 2013, recently worked out for the Jets, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Spiller, Bryant, Maxwell
Not long after acquiring LeSean McCoy, the Bills called C.J. Spiller to let him know that they would be parting ways this offseason. At this time, suitors with interest in Spiller include the Cardinals, Jets, Dolphins, and the 49ers, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that franchise tagging Dez Bryant doesn’t mean that the team will allow him to play the year out as they will continue to work on a long-term deal. Jones went on to say that the team really wants DeMarco Murray back and he can’t fault a player for seeing what his options are (link). Of course, there’s a significant gulf between what Murray is asking for and what Dallas has been willing to offer so far.
- Seahawks free agent corner Byron Maxwell is signing with agent Alvin Keels, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Keels also represents Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.
- NFLPA attorney Arthur McAfee is trying to get the three nominations from player representatives to make a run the position of executive director, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
- Sean Gilbert is officially on the ballot in the NFLPA executive director election, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). John Stufflebeem is also on the ballot, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Right now, there are four candidates officially on the ballot: Stufflebeem, Gilbert, Andrew Smith, and DeMaurice Smith.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com explored the Los Angeles situation in depth this week, ultimately concluding that it’s far too early to know whether the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders – or some combination of the three – will ultimately move to L.A. However, there’s more momentum for a move than there has been in the last two decades, and NFL executive Eric Gruber expects to see at least one franchise in the country’s second-largest market within the next five years.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Raiders Release Tyvon Branch
MARCH 3: The Raiders have officially announced the release of Branch (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 26: The Raiders will release safety Tyvon Branch, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
At 28, Branch has been with the Raiders for seven seasons, although the strong safety missed all but five games in the past two years with injuries after starting all 62 of a possible 64 games in the previous four years. Branch, however, carried by far the highest cap number on the Raiders’ roster at $9.7MM this season, likely leading to his venture onto the free agent market.
The Raiders, who already possessed more than $54MM worth of salary cap space, will only save $2.9MM by making this move as Branch’s deal carried nearly $7MM in dead money, per OverTheCap. The league’s 11th-highest-paid safety had three more seasons left on his second contract with the team. Behind only the Jaguars, the Raiders have the second-most cap space in the league.
Branch will enter a modest safety market that houses Devin McCourty, assuming the Patriots don’t franchise him, along with Rahim Moore and Da’Norris Searcy.
AFC Notes: Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars
Having officially made the decision today to use their non-exclusive franchise tag on Justin Houston, the Chiefs will be back over the projected cap for 2015 until they make some more cuts or restructure some contracts. Still, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be able to eke out some cap room to potentially make some moves in free agency, as chairman Clark Hunt said this weekend (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
“We always want to be a smart player in free agency,” Hunt said. “We want to sign guys that can be here and make a contribution, not necessarily (sign) somebody just because he makes a splash. … We also pay a lot of attention to the salary cap because you … can spend whatever you want and circumvent the cap, but every one of those dollars eventually comes back and hits you on the cap. So when we look at the salary cap, I’m not just looking at 2015, I’m thinking about 2016, 2017. So those decisions are made in that context.”
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC….
- Teams like the Raiders and Jaguars will have to spend over the next two years to reach the NFL’s minimum requirement of 89% of the cap over a four-year period, and both clubs have the cap space to make a splash in free agency this month. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) points out that both teams have starting quarterbacks eligible for extensions after the 2016 season, so if Blake Bortles and Derek Carr develop as expected, the Raiders and Jags could extend them prior to the 2017 league year as a means of reaching that 89% threshold. In other words, there’s no urgency to reach that minimum threshold immediately.
- In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole weighs in on Percy Harvin, reiterating what we’ve heard as of late: the Jets receiver appears open to restructuring his deal, but not to taking a pay cut. Harvin is confident that he’ll do fairly well on the open market, and it looks like that’s where he’ll end up, since the Jets are very unlikely to keep him at his current price.
- The Jaguars have yet to decide whether or not to tender contract offers to any of their players eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. The club has been in touch with UFAs Tyson Alualu and J.T. Thomas though.
Extra Points: Jackson, Raiders, NFL Rosters
Earlier today, we learned that the Buccaneers would keep receiver Vincent Jackson on their 2015 roster without asking him to accept a pay cut or a contract restructure. After speaking to an executive with another NFL team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that those around the league believe Tampa’s decision could lead to a “market reset” for receivers. In essence, players like Mike Wallace, Dwayne Bowe, or Percy Harvin, all of whom could be asked to accept a pay reduction in the near future, could refuse, citing Jackson as an example. The 32-year-old Jackson had a down season in 2014, but he’ll still earn $9.7MM in base salary next year.
Elsewhere around the league …
- The league is considering expanding roster sizes from 53 to 55 players, a source informed Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Fifty-three-man rosters (45 active players on game days) have been the standard in the NFL since 1993, when rosters ballooned from 47 to 53 in the first year of modern free agency. Although this will mean a bit more money to allocate to players, 10 NFL teams are below the salary floor of 89 percent that must be used from the 2013-16 seasons and haven’t had to spend as much on rookies in recent years. Practice squads went in this direction last year, expanding from eight to 10 players.
- Speaking of that salary floor, some of this decade’s doormats will use that initiative to splurge on top free agents, ESPN’s John Clayton writes in his mailbag. The Jaguars and Raiders have over $120MM of salary cap space between them, and some of that cash needs to be spent this season to fall in line with the CBA’s four-year floor, which both teams are well under at 80 percent spending (Jaguars) and 82 percent (Raiders). Dallas and Washington also appear on the list of off-the-pace spenders. That comes not via the thriftiness of Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder, but from those owners’ free spending — and subsequent cap penalties — in the uncapped 2010.
- The Jets are also in that insufficient-spending bracket and are in strong cap position ($51MM+ over) with only free agent starter, David Harris. Explaining why the Jets should retain the longtime starting linebacker while allowing exits of Michael Vick, Dawan Landry and their other top free agents, the New York Daily News’ Seth Walder takes a look at Gang Green’s offseason approach.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report
AFC Notes: Fins, Broncos, FA Targets, Ravens
Always among the biggest players in free agency, the Dolphins will look to fill several holes when the new league year begins next week. Corner, defensive tackle, and linebacker are among the positions that could use upgrades in South Beach, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers several names that could be of interest to the Fins. Per Jackson, the Dolphins have internally discussed both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers at corner, and the club also wants to re-sign Jimmy Wilson.
Along the defensive line, Miami is interested in Tom Johnson, Corey Peters, and Terrance Knighton, the latter of whom, as Jackson adds, will be the most expensive. Kenrick Ellis is viewed as a “backup option,” while Haloti Ngata will be on the Dolphins’ radar if he’s released by the Ravens. At linebacker, Jackson has previously reported that Miami is intrigued by David Harris, Mason Foster, and Dan Skuta.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Like the Dolphins, the Broncos are expected to be heavily involved in free agency, as they have been for the duration of GM John Elway’s reign. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will target a variety of positions next week, with offensive line, safety, tight end, and defensive end among them. Center Rodney Hudson, edge defender Pernell McPhee, and and tight end Charles Clay all figure to spark Denver’s interest, per Klis, who adds that center is the one position where the Broncos will surely add a high-profile free agent.
- Ravens cornerback Victor Hampton was arrested for DWI last night, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Hampton was signed to a futures deal in January, and given Baltimore’s low-tolerance for off-the-field incidents at the moment, Aaron Wilson of the Sun (via Twitter) doesn’t see Hampton ever setting foot on a field for the Ravens.
- The Raiders haven’t officially released safety Tyvon Branch, leading Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap to believe (Twitter link) that Branch will be designated a post-June 1 cut. Such releases can’t be formalized until the new league year begins next week.
- In a full-length piece, Fitzgerald takes a look at the Colts’ cap situation as they head into free agency. Check out PFR’s Connor Byrne’s Indianapolis outlook here.
AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Ravens, Jags, Raiders
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 some notes from the AFC…
- With Robert Geathers now out of the picture, Coley Harvey believes there’s little chance that the Bengals move on from defensive tackle Domata Peko. While the 30-year-old didn’t have a great 2014 season, the writer opines that he played well at times, and Harvey notes that Peko is viewed as a leader in the locker room.
- Considering the Bengals only have A.J. Green‘s future contract to worry about, Harvey could envision the team making a splash in free agency. The writer suggests Greg Hardy and Jerry Hughes as options, but he warns that the duo may prove to be too pricey.
- If the Ravens lose out on Justin Forsett in free agency, Jamison Hensley says the team will pursue a running back in both the draft and free agency. The team still hopes to keep the veteran back, though, especially considering his impact on younger players.
- Hensley isn’t worried if Torrey Smith ultimately decides to leave Baltimore. When taking a look at potential cap casualties in the wideout market, the writer points to Saints wideout Marques Colston as being an option for the Ravens.
- Michael DiRocco says the Jaguars focus heading into free agency is acquiring a wideout, a right tackle and a “pass-catching” tight end. The writer suggest Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga and Julius Thomas for each of the three, respective positions.
- Bill Williamson believes the Raiders could trade their first-round pick as they look to compile as many selections as possible.
AFC Notes: Browns, Raiders, Jags
The Browns made the NFL’s most significant Friday move when they signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to a three-year contract. Aside from a short, red-hot stretch with the Bears in 2013, McCown has never performed like more than a backup during his 12-year career. Combining that with Johnny Manziel‘s on- and off-field issues, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto expects the Browns to make more additions at quarterback this offseason. That said, Pluto would be “stunned” if Brian Hoyer, last year’s starting signal-caller and a pending free agent, returns to Cleveland. Moreover, he doesn’t think the Browns will use a first-round pick on a QB in the upcoming draft.
Here are some other newsworthy items from the AFC, including more on the Browns:
- Tom Reed, also of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, opines that the Browns should be interested in Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes if he becomes a free agent in March. Hughes and current Browns head coach Mike Pettine both joined the Bills prior to the 2013 season. Hughes, formerly of the Colts, looked like a first-round bust at the time. With the help of Pettine’s work as the Bills’ defensive coordinator, Hughes racked up 10 sacks to resurrect his career. Pettine subsequently left for Cleveland, but Hughes was still productive without him last year (9.5 sacks). Reed believes that reuniting Hughes with Pettine would improve a Browns defense that finished 27th in the league in sacks in 2014. When Reed asked Hughes about Pettine last summer, the 26-year-old had nothing but praise for his ex-coordinator. “He’s a players’ coach,” said Hughes. “He knows how to have fun when it’s time and he knows when it’s time to get serious and work.”
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) that tight end Julius Thomas “has no talks scheduled with the Broncos” and will have a “very active market” if he hits free agency next month. According to Rapoport, two teams to watch are the AFC West rival Raiders and the Jaguars. New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio knows Thomas well from their time in Denver, where Del Rio was the defensive coordinator the last three years. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have plenty of money to spend – OverTheCap.com lists their available space at a league-leading $68.20MM – and are seeking skill-position help. Thomas, who has caught a combined 24 touchdowns the last two seasons, would seemingly provide it.
- In a move that will be made official next week, the Raiders informed safety Tyvon Branch of his release Thursday. Branch spent seven years with the Raiders and, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, he might be the first of many vets on the team’s chopping block. Per Bair, defensive end LaMarr Woodley, quarterback Matt Schaub, running back Maurice Jones-Drew and offensive lineman Kevin Boothe could all be out of Oakland by next season.
North Notes: Felton, Peterson, Canty, Suh
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, former Vikings fullback Jerome Felton, who opted out of his contract at season’s end, said he has talked to his old team about the possibility of a reunion (Twitter link). Felton went on to say he wouldn’t close the door on re-signing with the Vikings, though it sounds as if a possible return for the veteran fullback may hinge on whether or not Adrian Peterson stays with the team. Felton has, of course, been Peterson’s lead blocker since 2012, earning a Pro Bowl nod during the season in which the MVP ran for nearly 2,100 yards.
Here’s more on Peterson, along with a few more items from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:
- Barring something unexpected, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) expects Peterson to ultimately end up with the Vikings, Cowboys, Colts, or Cardinals for the 2015 season.
- Although the Ravens released veteran defensive lineman Chris Canty today, he expects to continue playing in 2015, and Baltimore hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing him back at a lesser salary, according to GM Ozzie Newsome. “We certainly would not close the door to Chris coming back to us,” Newsome said (Twitter link via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com).
- If the Lions shell out the money necessary to keep Ndamukong Suh locked up for multiple seasons, it may be a big gamble for the franchise, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett outlines, teams in similar situations in the past have had mixed results when making a big investment in a star player.
- Birkett has a second piece on Suh today for the Free Press, identifying the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Jets as the likeliest suitors for the star defensive linemen if he doesn’t return to the Lions.
West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, V. Davis
As the West Coast wakes up on this Thursday morning, let’s take a look at a few items out of the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Free agent running back Reggie Bush likely doesn’t make sense for the Chargers, according to Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego. At running back the Chargers already employ a pass-catching specialist in Danny Woodhead, who caught 76 passes from Philip Rivers in 2013. San Diego’s focus instead will probably be on finding a back with power, rather than one that has a similar skill set to Woodhead.
- Don’t tell that to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who feels that Bush could reinvent himself with the Chargers. Williams doesn’t see Bush as an every-down back at this point in his career, but he could see him thriving in a role where he gets 10 touches a game on jet sweeps, reverses, bubble screens, and slants from the slot.
- The Chargers‘ signing of King Dunlap to a four-year contract last week wasn’t without significant risk, but it would have been a greater risk for both sides if they parted ways, Krasovic writes for the Union-Tribune. The Bolts had no other left tackle that they could have trusted to protect Rivers and losing Dunlap would have meant duking it out on a seller’s free-agent market.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wonders if LeSean McCoy and a package of picks would be worth the Raiders‘ No. 4 pick. At 26 years old, McCoy is still effective and had a combined 2,926 rushing yards over the past two years. On top of that, new Oakland offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia last season and he wants to run a fast-paced, no-huddle offense as a base.
- After both Bush and A.J. Hawk were cut yesterday, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is one of just two top-10 picks from the 2006 draft class to remain on his original team, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is entering the final year of a contract that is scheduled to pay him $4.95MM — that would normally make him a prime extension candidate, but Davis is also coming off the worst season of his NFL career, so his contract situation will be interesting to monitor.