Browns Did Not Promise Starting Job To RG3
The Browns haven’t promised Robert Griffin III anything in terms of a starting job, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (video link). Although his two-year, $15MM deal certainly suggests that Griffin will be given a chance to win the starting role, Cleveland will continue with its draft preparations as if it hadn’t brought in an external option at quarterback.
[RELATED: Browns execs talk offseason departures and strategy]
As such, Breer reports that there’s a “good chance” that the Browns use the second overall pick on a quarterback, likely Carson Wentz of North Dakota State or Jared Goff of California. Griffin has said that it would not bother him if Cleveland selects a signal-caller at No. 2, and a Browns contingent — Hue Jackson, Pep Hamilton, and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry — was on hand to watch Wentz’s recent pro day.
The term “analytics” has been tossed around quite a bit since the Browns promoted Sashi Brown and hired Paul DePodesta, but one “Moneyball”-esque approach might be collecting quarterbacks and letting them compete. Instead of drafting Wentz or Goff at No. 2 and pinning the franchise’s hopes on one young player, Cleveland will “take as many shots as they possibly can” at quarterback, per Breer, hoping that its odds of finding a successful QB will improve as more options are added. It’s a method akin to that of Bill Belichick and the Patriots, who constantly trade down in the draft to acquire more capital with the idea that more bites at the apple leads to better odds of a hit.
Griffin, the 2012 offensive rookie of the year, hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in the playoffs that season. Although the former Pro Bowl quarterback completed a career-best 68.1% of his passes in 2014, he threw just four touchdown passes compared to six interceptions and fell out of favor with Jay Gruden. Subsequently, RGIII didn’t take a snap in 2015 as Kirk Cousins captured Washington’s starting job and ultimately received the franchise tag.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cowboys Want To Rework Brandon Carr’s Deal
The subject of Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr‘s cap charges has been a hot topic since the end of the 2014 season — at this time last year, reports were circulating that Dallas wanted Carr to take a paycut (a move that he rejected and ultimately never took place). But once again, as Carr enters the final season of a five-year deal, the Cowboys are hoping to reduce the corner’s compensation, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who reports that the club has had talks with Carr’s agent Ben Dogra.
[RELATED: Cowboys to sign RB Alfred Morris]
Carr, 30 in May, has started all 48 possible games since joining the Cowboys (and has actually never missed a start during his eight-year career), but he hasn’t registered an interception in the past two seasons and graded as the No. 73 cornerback among 111 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Carr is scheduled to earn a base salary of $9.1MM in 2016, and according to Archer, the largest sticking point in negotiations with the Cowboys is Carr’s potential worth on the open market. Dallas believes Carr would be signed quickly were he to be released, but it thinks he’s more of a $5-6MM per-year player.
“He, like everyone on our defense, we would like them to be more impactful, more productive,” head coach Jason Garrett said of Carr at the owner’s meetings. “Brandon has to improve but everybody across our defense has to improve. He has been a steady player for us. He has been a productive player for us at times. It’s a valuable position. And he has done a good job covering guys at very challenging spot throughout his time with the Cowboys.”
The Cowboys have certainly made no secret of their goal of improving their secondary this offseason, as, in addition to re-signing Morris Claiborne, they’ve also met with Nolan Carroll, Patrick Robinson, and Leon Hall, the latter of which is still available. Reports also indicated that the club would target Bengals free agent Adam Jones to replace Carr were he to be released, but those plans may have been scuttled when Jones re-signed with Cincinnati.
Dallas could still look to the free agent market in the hopes of adding more options to their defensive backfield, but the corner market is rapidly thinning. Hall, Brandon Boykin, Jerraud Powers, Antonio Cromartie, Sterling Moore, and Charles Tillman are the only cornerbacks remaining who were either ranked or earned an honorable mention on PFR’s list of the best 2016 defensive free agents. Elsewhere in the secondary, the Cowboys are said to be seeking upgrades at safety, having lost out to the Ravens in their pursuit of free agent Eric Weddle.
Week In Review: 3/20/16 – 3/27/16
Headlines:
- The Browns signed former No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III to a two-year deal worth $15MM.
- Justin Houston underwent ACL surgery in February, meaning the Chiefs’ star pass-rusher could miss part or all of the 106 season.
- The Saints are expected to extend head coach Sean Payton through the 2020 season.
- The Panthers will exercise their 2017 fifth-year option for defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.
- The NFL tweaked the injured reserve/designated to return rule.
Signed/Re-Signed:
- Bills – Leonard Hankerson, WR (link)
- Buccaneers – Bryan Anger, P (link)
- Colts – Patrick Robinson, CB (link)
- Cowboys – Alfred Morris, RB (link)
- Dolphins – Kraig Urbik, G (link)
- Eagles – Rueben Randle, WR (link)
- Falcons – Courtney Upshaw, LB (link)
- Jets – Erin Henderson, LB (link)
- Lions – Jeremy Kerley, WR (link)
- Patriots – Nate Washington, WR (link)
- Saints – Craig Robertson, LB (link)
- Titans – Rashad Johnson, S (link)
Restricted Free Agency:
- Cowboys – signed Raiders DE Benson Mayowa (link)
- Saints – matched Bears‘ offer to TE Josh Hill (link)
Rumors:
- Von Miller aiming for $22MM annually (link)
- Jim Irsay says Colts hope to extend Andrew Luck by July 4 (link)
- Josh Norman seeking $16MM per year (link)
- Jets shopping Muhammad Wilkerson? (link)
- Dolphins exploring trade market for RBs (link)
- LB Karlos Dansby visiting Bengals (link)
- Steelers host C Stefen Wisniewski (link)
- Saints favorites for DT Nick Fairley; Patriots out (link)
Josh Norman Aiming For $16MM Per Year
Since the Panthers officially placed the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman on March 1, any signs of progression towards a long-term deal have been essentially non-existent. A report last week indicated that Norman and Carolina remained far apart in contract talks, and one reason could be Norman’s asking price, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Norman is seeking a salary “in the neighborhood of $16MM a year.”
[RELATED: Free agent CB Brandon Boykin to visit Panthers]
A $16MM annual salary would make Norman the highest-paid corner in the league by a wide margin — Darrelle Revis currently tops the list at just over $14MM per season. But as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (Twitter link), Norman’s ask isn’t all that surprising, as Revis’ frontloaded deal calls for him to earn $48MM over his first three seasons with the Jets.
Still, the $16MM figure is probably just a starting point in negotiations, and it’s unlikely that Norman will reach that target for several reasons. Norman doesn’t have the track record needed to redefine the market at a position, and he’ll be 29 years old in December, so his age is working against him. The franchise tag for corners is worth $13.95MM, so the Panthers have no reason to entertain a significantly higher figure. I examined Norman’s case for an extension back in November, pegging him for a $14MM annual salary.
General manager Dave Gettleman has downplayed the notion that Norman would cause any distraction in an effort to land a long-term contract, and Norman himself has previously said that while he won’t accept a hometown discount, he doesn’t anticipate missing any portion of training camp. But speaking to the NFL Network, Norman did seem to indicate that he could skip offseason workouts and/or OTAs. “I can’t report if I haven’t signed anything so I don’t feel as if I’m at the point where I’m ready to get back to working right now,” said Norman.
Norman isn’t the only franchise-tagged player who is gunning for a significant contract, as a report on Friday indicated the Bronco linebacker Von Miller is targeting $22MM per year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Notes: Morris, Shelby, Moore, Jordan
The Dolphins expressed interest in free agent running back Alfred Morris before he signed with the Cowboys, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Miami, of course, signed Broncos restricted free agent C.J. Anderson to a four-year, $18MM offer sheet, only to see Denver eventually match the deal. The club has also eyed free agent options such as James Starks and Chris Johnson, and is now said to be exploring the trade market as its search for a back continues.
Let’s take a look at a few more items out of South Beach…
- Morris wasn’t the only free agent whom the Dolphins initially targeted, per Jackson, who reports that Miami also showed interest in cornerback Patrick Robinson before he joined the Colts. Additionally, the Dolphins might have more strongly gone after fellow corner Josh Robinson had they known they’d have cap space available once Denver matched the offer to Anderson.
- Among their own free agents, Miami reportedly did not contact defensive end Derrick Shelby “for months,” according to Jackson, before calling him at the last minute to ask if he’d accept $3MM. Shelby ultimately signed a $21MM deal with the Falcons.
- Like Shelby, quarterback Matt Moore received the cold shoulder from the Dolphins as the club met with Brandon Weeden and, per Jackson, showed interest in Luke McCown before he re-signed with the Saints. Moore eventually re-signed with Miami after being endorsed by head coach Adam Gase, reports Jackson.
- The Dolphins weren’t fans of this year’s class of free agent corners, which explains why they didn’t target any of the top-rated players on the board at that position.
- Miami does still need secondary help, however, and as Jackson explains in a separate article, the Dolphins are studying the top cornerbacks available in the draft.
- Jackson believes that former third overall pick Dion Jordan would make the Dolphins’ roster if he’s reinstated from his yearlong suspension.
Extra Points: Texans, Seahawks, Killebrew
Some assorted notes from around the NFL on this Easter Sunday…
- Texans coach Bill O’Brien had Brock Osweiler atop his free agent list since January, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien and general manager Rick Smith agreed that they’d pursue the quarterback in free agency, and owner Bob McNair made it clear that he’d pay whatever it took to sign the former Broncos signal-caller.
- Besides Russell Wilson, Phillip Sims is the Seahawks’ only other quarterback. As a result, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times guesses that the team will add at least another quarterback for training camp, and he believes last year’s backup, Tarvaris Jackson, is a strong candidate to return.
- For what it’s worth, Condotta notes that Pete Carroll prefers to have a veteran backup quarterback, and the Seahawks coach previously commended Jackson for his leadership. “We really liked his contributions and he’s been a big factor for us and we would like to have him back if we could,’’ Carroll said.
- Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew is generating plenty of interest around the league, tweets Bleacher Report’s Luke Easterling. The defensive back is set to meet with the Buccaneers, Panthers, Titans, Cardinals, Patriots, and Falcons.
Jets Notes: Fitzpatrick, Wilkerson, Front Office
The Jets seem to be in the news every offseason, and this year is certainly no exception. The team’s attempting to bring back quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and they’re also trying to figure out what they should do with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who was slapped with the franchise tag.
ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini compiled several Jets-related notes yesterday, and we’ve gathered some of the more interesting tidbits below…
- Count Bills coach (and former Jets coach) Rex Ryan among those who hope Fitzpatrick doesn’t ultimately resign with New York. “I hope he goes somewhere else, I do,” Ryan said. “He’s tougher than hell. What’s lost in it is, he might have played poorly against us — it might have been a bad day (in Week 17) — but I think they won five straight with him and he was lighting it up, probably the most yards in the history of that franchise. We’ll see. Like I said, I hope they lose him.”
- There’s little chance that the Jets will “tag-and-trade” Wilkerson. Acquiring teams wouldn’t only have to give up assets to acquire the defensive end, but they’d presumably have to re-sign him to a pricey contract.
- While Wilkerson and the Jets attempt to negotiate a long-term deal, some officials wouldn’t be shocked if the Pro Bowler ends up holding out. In fact, some sources guessed Wilkerson could sit out the first several games of next season.
- The Jets will certainly be eyeing the quarterback situation in San Francisco, as 49ers signal-caller Colin Kaepernick will see his $11.9MM salary become guaranteed later this week. If the quarterback ends up with the Broncos, the Jets may find themselves with leverage while negotiating with Fitzpatrick.
- Coach Todd Bowles claimed that he and general manager Mike Maccagnan have mostly been on the same page this offseason. “We like certain players better than others, but we’re talking eggs and bacon or bacon and sausage,” he said. “We’re not talking big disagreements.”
Saints Expected To Extend Sean Payton Through 2020
SUNDAY, 9:30am: John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com is passing along news of the extension, as well as several quotes from Payton.
“We kind of knew that it was going to happen. Honestly, we’re in the middle of free agency and working on a few of these defensive players and at some point, (Saints General Manager) Mickey (Loomis) said, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get this to you.’
“I wasn’t, like, waiting every day like, ‘Where’s the paperwork?’ because there’s a protocol with the attorneys. I think, for us, it was a formality after that last week at the end of the season. It would get done.
“That stability, I don’t take for granted. I very much appreciate the opportunities we have to coach, and to work with players and to work within the framework of a good group, a good organization. We’re all fortunate to be doing something we love.”
When asked when the extension would be officially signed, Payton said, “I think soon. I just got it. I don’t walk around and carry it.”
WEDNESDAY, 7:42am: Payton’s new five-year deal will be worth a little more than $45MM, exceeding $9MM per year, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
7:34am: Although he arrived nearly a half-hour late at Wednesday morning’s NFC coaches breakfast in Boca Raton, Florida, Saints head coach Sean Payton found time to break some news. As Bob Glauber of Newsday tweets, Payton said he has agreed to a five-year contract through the 2020 season with the Saints. While he has yet to actually put pen to paper to make the extension official, he plans to do so soon.
News of an extension for Payton doesn’t come as a huge surprise. The veteran head coach indicated last month that he and the Saints were getting close to a new deal. At the time, I observed that Payton’s current deal is set to expire after the 2017 season, meaning he still has two years left on it. That contract is believed to be worth $8MM+ per year, which makes him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. It’s unlikely that the new extension would pay him any less than that.
During Payton’s nine seasons with the Saints, the team has an 87-57 record during the regular season. Payton has also led the club to a 6-4 record in five playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. New Orleans has now gone 7-9 in consecutive years after averaging 12 victories per season in Payton’s previous four years.
Rumors about Payton’s potential departure from New Orleans have swirled repeatedly in recent years, but even this winter, when it seemed as if the two sides may be set to part ways, they ultimately agreed to continue the relationship. Payton’s new extension doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be with the Saints through the 2020 season (or beyond), but at this point it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Seahawks GM Discusses Offseason, Re-Signings, Keys to Success
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Seahawks. The organization has added lineman on both sides of the ball, and they also signed Jermaine Kearse to a new contract. Of course, it hasn’t solely been positive in Seattle, as former first-rounder Bruce Irvin left for the Raiders.
General manager John Schneider touched on several of these topics while talking with reporters (including John Boyle of Seahawks.com) at the NFL Annual Meetings earlier this week. We’ve compiled some of the notable quotes below…
On the team’s strategy for the rest of the offseason:
“All throughout free agency, every position, we’re going to keep tinkering and working our way through certain deals and see if we can be involved or if we can’t. Where we’re at right now, we just have to be very responsible.”
On Frank Clark being forced to replace some of Irvin’s production:
“When we drafted Frank—you have to prepare for the possibility of not having some players. Obviously we wanted to have Bruce back and if the two of them were on the same team again, that would have been great, but to a certain extent you have to look towards the future.”
On switching focus to re-signing current players:
“We have several guys who have one year left on their contracts, so that’s always something we look at. For planning purposes moving forward we have to know what’s down the road. We have several key players who have one year left on their deals, so we’ll try to address that at the appropriate time.”
On the key to the Seahawks success:
“There’s no ego. Ego is the enemy, really. Being able to communicate in clear, concise fashion and make decisions as quickly as you possibly can. Knowing that first and foremost, we’re looking out for what’s best in the organization.
“We talk about no walls at our place. We include our coaches in the draft and in free agency, and they have buy-in.”
Brandon Boykin To Visit Panthers
8:26pm: The Panthers will have competition for Boykin’s services, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Three other teams hope to visit with the corner, Rapoport tweets.
5:04pm: Former Eagles and Steelers cornerback Brandon Boykin will take a visit outside of Pennsylvania on Monday, with the Panthers set to host the fifth-year man, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
A former fourth-round pick of the Eagles’ in 2012, Boykin played in Philadelphia for three seasons before being shipped to Pittsburgh in 2015. Boykin played in each of the Steelers’ 18 games last season but started just two.
The Panthers, however, had a patchwork secondary functioning opposite breakout sensation Josh Norman. After injuries to Bene Benwikere and Charles Tillman, Carolina had to deploy street free agents Robert McClain and Cortland Finnegan during its NFC title run.
Boykin was a key slot presence for the Eagles, notching a career-best six interceptions primarily from that position in 2013. The 25-year-old Boykin graded as the Steelers’ second-best corner, behind Ross Cockrell — according to Pro Football Focus, which rated the former Georgia corner as its No. 38 player at the position in 2015 –in his 407 snaps during the 2015 regular season and would be an upgrade outside for the Panthers.
Norman received the franchise tag but has not signed his tender and Tillman looms as a UFA and potential retirement candidate.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images