NFC Notes: Washington, Cowboys, Falcons, Rams
With Alfred Morris having agreed to a deal with NFC East rival Dallas earlier this week, Washington is prepared to go forward with Matt Jones as its starting running back.
“That’s what we envision, yes,” said head coach Jay Gruden (link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic). “We like Matt. We think he’s a smart football player and he runs very, very hard. Now we just have to make sure the ball security is there [because] he can catch the ball out the backfield. He’s a very good solid football player that we have high hopes for.”
In his rookie year last season, Jones – a third-round pick from Florida – averaged just 3.4 yards per carry on 144 attempts (compared to Morris’ 3.7 and 202, respectively) and totaled as many fumbles (four) as touchdowns. Washington is expected to add a complement to Jones in either free agency or the draft, according to Gruden, who said the team is interested in re-signing the still-available Pierre Thomas.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Even with Morris in the fold, the Cowboys have a less-than-ideal running back situation, opines Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com. The Cowboys will try a balanced attack to aid quarterback Tony Romo – who has gone 38-11 as a starter while throwing 30 times or fewer and 41-38 otherwise – but Taylor doesn’t expect a backfield trio of Morris, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar to fare particularly well. Thus, the team should use a second- or third-rounder on a running back and let the others compete for backup roles behind the rookie, Taylor believes.
- The Falcons and free agent linebacker O’Brien Schofield are at “an impasse,” tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schofield said earlier this month that he and the Falcons weren’t “seeing eye-to-eye on a contract,” and the club may have found a replacement for him Friday when it signed Courtney Upshaw. The Falcons have offered Schofield a deal, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, but the Upshaw signing could seal his fate in Atlanta. Schofield, 28, joined the Falcons last year and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts) during the season. Upshaw has the greater track record of the pair, having started 29 more games (51 to 22) in two fewer seasons.
- Remarkably, despite being shot in the head twice last November, the door hasn’t yet closed on Stedman Bailey‘s career. The Rams receiver “is currently in the evaluation process, seeking numerous opinions from neurologists and the like,” head coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “Just to see if he can not only play, but continue with a rigorous physical rehab program that will put him in position to play.” Bailey has continued to stay involved with the team, as Thomas writes, with Fisher adding, “He’s been in the building. We’ve seen him. He’s doing well. He seems like the same old Sted, and he’s very lucky as we’ve all noted to be alive.”
- Washington is undecided about the future of receiver Andre Roberts, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington stands to save a solid amount if it cuts Roberts ($3MM before June 1, $4MM if he’s given a post-June 1 designation), but the team isn’t allowed to release him right now because he’s recovering from a torn meniscus. Roberts might not be ready until training camp, per Gruden. Even without his health taken into account, Roberts is probably Washington’s No. 4 wideout – which doesn’t seem to bode well for his chances to stay on the roster. The 28-year-old was productive from 2010-14, when he caught a combined 218 passes and 13 touchdowns for Arizona and Washington; he’s coming off a career-worst season, however, having hauled in a mere 11 catches in nine games. He also failed to find the end zone for the first time in his six-year NFL tenure.
Draft Rumors: Prescott, Miller, Kearse
Here’s the latest from the next wave of prospects set to enter the league, starting with a dual-threat quarterback.
- Dak Prescott will work out for the Broncos and other teams in early April, according to Chase Goodbread of NFL.com. The former Mississippi State standout rushed for more than 800 yards in both his sophomore and junior campaigns. Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and Cardinals QBs boss Freddie Kitchens trekked to Starkville, Miss., to work out Prescott this week as well. Following his Broncos workout, Prescott will visit the Bills and Eagles, Goodbread reports.
- From one current dual-threat quarterback to a former standout hybrid signal-caller, Braxton Miller worked out for the Texans today, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller tweets. The former Ohio State standout and two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year at quarterback is working out as a slot receiver after being supplanted last season under center.
- The Browns, Buccaneeers, Lions and Saints are gracing Ohio State safety Vonn Bell‘s itinerary for workouts and/or meetings, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The early-entry Buckeyes safety already met with Tennessee.
- Clemson safety Jayron Kearse will has summits and/or workouts with the Panthers, Saints and Titans on his spring docket, Getlin tweets. The 6-foot-5 safety registered 6.5 tackles for loss as a junior last season.
- The Titans, Seahawks, Raiders and Falcons appear on Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard‘s schedule, Getlin reports (on Twitter). Bullard’s 6.5 sacks as a senior last season tied for a Gators-best mark, and his 18 tackles for loss were easily the best on the team.
- Minnesota linebacker De’Vondre Campbell will meet with the Cardinals, Falcons, Chiefs and Vikings soon, Goodbread tweets.
- The Texans and Patriots ventured to Minneapolis recently to look at some of the Gophers’ NFL prospects, Ryan Burns of scout.com tweets. The Texans’ contingent looked at the Gophers’ prospects last week, with the Patriots’ bevy of personnel making the trip earlier this week, per Burns. Cornerbacks Eric Murray and Briean Boddy-Calhoun are also among Minnesota’s top draft-eligible players. According to Darren Wolfson of KTSP (on Twitter), the teams were scouting Murry, Boddy-Calhoun and Campbell.
- Arizona safety William Parks will visit the Seahawks and Browns after showing well in his workout, Tony Pauline of Draftinsider.net reports. Wildcats offensive lineman Lene Maiava has visits scheduled with the Chargers and Seahawks, Pauline reports.
- Tennessee wide receiver Marquez North worked out for the Cowboys, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle/National Football Post reports. North tore his labrum in 2014 and saw injuries limit him to six catches last season but decided to enter the draft as a junior anyway.
Saints Sign Jamarca Sanford
MARCH 25, 6:02pm: The Sanford signing became official today, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
MARCH 17, 10:53am: The Saints have struck a deal with veteran safety Jamarca Sanford, and will re-sign him to a one-year contract, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Sanford had been an unrestricted free agent.
Sanford, 30, was a full-time starter for the Vikings from 2011 to 2013, but has mostly settled into a special teams role since joining the Saints in 2014. Last season, he was New Orleans’ third safety behind Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro for the majority of the year, earning just over 100 defensive snaps and making one interception.
With Byrd and Vaccaro set to return for the 2016 season, Sanford doesn’t have a clear path to a starting job, but his spot on the depth chart may be a little more secure with Rafael Bush – who missed nearly the entire 2015 season with a torn pectoral muscle – having left New Orleans to sign with the Lions.
Falcons Sign Courtney Upshaw
A day after visiting with Courtney Upshaw, the Falcons signed him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Falcons announced the move on their website
.
Upshaw started for the bulk of his time with the Ravens, logging at least nine starts in each of his four seasons and lining up with Baltimore’s first-string unit for at least 13 contests from 2013-15.
The former second-round pick could be a replacement for UFA O’Brien Schofield, with the Falcons and the outside linebacker not in harmony during negotiations. Philip Wheeler is also a free agent.
Upshaw previously visited with the Jets, and had other suitors, with the Patriots and 49ers vying with the Ravens among potential suitors.
Upshaw (five career sacks) didn’t serve as a key pass-rusher for the Ravens like Terrell Suggs or Elvis Dumervil, which could be at the root of why he wasn’t snatched up earlier like former sought-after Ravens Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee. An ex-Alabama talent, Upshaw rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 84 edge defender last season. Upshaw, however, was a top-20 performer against the run and may be well-suited to play in Dan Quinn‘s 4-3 defense that isn’t as dependent on linebackers to serve as pass-rushers.
The newest Falcon recorded 51 tackles and three fumble recoveries last season for the No. 8-ranked Ravens’ defense.
The Ravens have now lost both of their 2012 second-round selections after Kelechi Osemele bolted on Day 1 of free agency.
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Von Miller Gunning For High-End QB Money?
The Broncos and Von Miller haven’t begun substantive talks on a long-term extension, but when the sides do resume discussions, the outside linebacker’s asking price will be in line with what elite quarterbacks earn annually.
Miller will ask for close to $22MM per year, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As of now, the only players 
who earn that per year are Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers.
The outside linebacker’s reported price stems from what he could earn on the open market, especially considering Olivier Vernon‘s $17MM-AAV deal with the Giants. Miller’s camp views Vernon as a far inferior talent, Cole said. Multiple GMs told Cole that Miller’s demand isn’t unrealistic, with the star pass-rusher potentially being able to command $24-$25MM per year as a free agent.
Miller, who turns 27 on Saturday, posted 25 sacks the past two regular seasons compared to Vernon’s 14 and has four double-figure sack slates on his resume compared to Vernon’s one. So, his side will probably point out the chasm between these performers’ production.
John Elway has signed the three players he authorized a franchise tag for with the Broncos, giving long-term deals to Matt Prater, Ryan Clady and Demaryius Thomas in July of 2012, 2013 and 2015, respectively. But with Miller — the first player since Drew Brees in 2012 to receive the exclusive franchise tag — aiming to establish a new realm of defenders’ contracts, these negotiations figure to be more complex.
Justin Houston established the benchmark for outside rushers last season by signing for $16.8MM per year. Ndamukong Suh makes $19.1MM on average. Despite his two first-team All-Pro honors and his five-sack postseason, Miller will probably have trouble securing over $3MM more than Suh earns annually due to his franchise tag.
Miller’s tag will pay him just more than $14MM, and should he opt to play on that this season, the Broncos could apply the tag again in 2017 on a 20% raise ($16.95MM). With that figure coming in well shy of what Miller’s seeking, the Broncos aren’t necessarily inclined to measure what Miller could earn on an open market like the Giants were with a UFA like Vernon.
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Stefen Wisniewski Visits Steelers
The Steelers continued their inquiries on veteran interior linemen recently by visiting with Stefen Wisniewski, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter).
This news comes after Geoff Schwartz visited Pittsburgh on Thursday.
These summits may stem from Maurkice Pouncey‘s availability after the All-Pro center missed all of 2015 with a broken fibula. Pouncey may not participate in Steelers OTAs this year, which would leave Cody Wallace again as the team’s top snapper for the time being.
Although, Schwartz has played guard and tackle in his career, so the Steelers may just be in the market for interior-line assistance. They already re-upped Ramon Foster, however, and have All-Pro guard David DeCastro entrenched opposite him.
Wisniewski has started every game in which he’s played since entering the league in 2011. He opened all 16 Jaguars games as their starting center last season after signing a one-year contract. The former Raiders second-round pick graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19-ranked center in 2015.
Wisniewski visited five teams last spring before eventually signing in Jacksonville, but his search for another employer hasn’t been as widespread this season. The Browns had some interest in the 27-year-old center, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, after Alex Mack departed. But nothing much emerged from it.
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Latest On Jets’ Quarterback Situation
The Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick remain far apart in talks to bring the veteran back for a second season.
Fitzpatrick is still eyeing a contract commensurate with the league’s established starters at $16MM per season or clo
se to that, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who reports the Jets’ best offer toward the 33-year-old currently sits at $7MM AAV.
Cole also reports the Jets’ offer could be approaching $9MM per year when factoring in incentives, which goes along with a New York Post report from earlier today. Fitzpatrick’s camp has resisted this idea.
Gang Green’s offer to retain Fitzpatrick is now coinciding with top-end backup money after Chase Daniel and Robert Griffin III signed accords worth upwards of $7MM per season. Both will obviously compete for their respective team’s starting job, but their salaries have created a range that previously didn’t exist for veteran QBs.
That appears to be Fitzpatrick’s floor after he set a career high with a Jets single-season record 31 touchdown passes last season. Fitz, though, completed just 59.6% of his passes, which represented a considerable drop from his previous seasons.
Although the Jets do not view Geno Smith as a viable option to reclaim his starting job as his contract year approaches, Gang Green isn’t concerned at this juncture about its quarterback situation, per Cole. He expects the Jets to pursue a trade for another team’s backup, with Mike Glennon‘s name emerging soon after.
Glennon’s name has surfaced lately as a player that seems to be making its way onto the trade block as the Buccaneers backup’s contract year nears. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports the Jets have indeed researched Glennon as a possible solution and are scanning reserves around the league in case they cannot re-sign Fitzpatrick, whom they want to retain.
It won’t take a first-round pick to pry Glennon from Tampa Bay, Mehta reports, and a second-rounder would exceed any compensatory value the career 58% passer would produce. The Jets may not be willing to go that far, however.
Muhammad Wilkerson would probably be a way for the Jets to escape giving up a second-rounder in this potential deal, Mehta writes, but the Bucs already have Gerald McCoy signed to a top-end defensive tackle contract (seven years, $95.2MM). The Bucs’ willingness to fork over $40MM+ guaranteed for the Jets’ franchise-tagged stalwart may be a stumbling block here.
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NFC Draft Updates: Giants, Cowboys, Saints
Earlier this week, when Mississippi wideout Laquon Treadwell cited five teams who had shown interest in him, one of the five he mentioned was “New York,” creating some uncertainty about which New York team he meant. As expected, it seems he was referring to the Giants and not the Jets — Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that the first-round prospect will pay a pre-draft visit to the Giants.
Unlike the Giants, the Jets have a clear No. 2 option on their depth chart at wide receiver, with Eric Decker complementing Brandon Marshall. The Giants, having lost Rueben Randle this week, will be looking for someone to step up and take that No. 2 role behind Odell Beckham, but it remains to be seen whether that player would be Treadwell — the Giants have been considered more likely to use their first-rounder on an offensive lineman or a defender.
Let’s round up a few more draft updates from around the NFC…
- The entire Cowboys coaching staff was in attendance to work out Ohio State prospects today, according to the Buckeyes’ director of player personnel, Mark Pantoni (Twitter link). Ezekiel Elliott and Joey Bosa are among the high-end Ohio State players the Cowboys could consider in next month’s draft.
- Speaking of the Cowboys, they worked out Florida safety Keanu Neal this week, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). Neal would likely be a second-round target if Dallas is interested in him.
- Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed will visit the Saints in April, a league source tells Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link). Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate also provides an update on the Saints’ draft prospects, tweeting that San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin will privately work out for the team.
- We heard on Thursday that the 49ers recently put Shaq Lawson through a workout, but he wasn’t the only Clemson defensive end to get a look from the team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, GM Trent Baalke also worked out Kevin Dodd. Both players are expected to visit the Niners in the coming weeks.
Saints Sign Craig Robertson
FRIDAY, 3:14pm: The Saints have officially announced their three-year deal with Robertson (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 8:54am: The Saints and Robertson are in agreement on a three-year contract, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal isn’t official yet, but word of the agreement comes as no surprise after Payton talked this morning as if Robertson would be on the team.
TUESDAY, 6:43pm: The Saints and free agent linebacker Craig Robertson are “working on” a deal, and head coach Sean Payton expects it to get done, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com corroborated Triplett’s report (on Twitter).
If the Saints sign Robertson, he’ll be the second notable addition to their linebacking corps since last week. New Orleans 
previously picked up James Laurinaitis, who is clearly the more established of the two. Nevertheless, Robertson has had a productive four-year career, all of which has been spent in Cleveland, and easily outdid Laurinaitis by Pro Football Focus’ standards last season. The site ranked Robertson 37th and Laurinaitis 83rd in overall performance among 97 qualifying linebackers.
For his career, Robertson – a former undrafted free agent from North Texas – has appeared in 58 of a possible 64 games and made 37 starts. Nine of those starts came in 2015, when Robertson amassed 59 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception in 12 appearances. Prior to that, Robertson racked up 85 or more tackles in three straight campaigns, including a personal-best 99 in 2014. He also has six career INTs.
Robertson was an inside linebacker in Cleveland, but the Saints already have both Laurinaitis and Stephone Anthony as middle men. It’ll be interesting, then, to see how the club deploys those three (if it signs Robertson) – not to mention OLBs Hau’oli Kikaha and Dannell Ellerbe.
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FA Rumors: Bolden, Bears, Morris, Larsen
The free agent contracts for players like Brock Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, and Malik Jackson dominated NFL discussions when the new league year opened earlier this month, but Field Yates of ESPN.com wants to make sure that some of this year’s less heralded deals don’t fly entirely under the radar.
In an Insider-only piece, Yates identifies the Panthers‘ one-year deal with defensive end Charles Johnson, the Seahawks‘ three-year agreement with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, and three other signings as moves that perhaps didn’t get the attention they deserved.
Here’s more on 2016 free agency:
- Omar Bolden‘s previously-reported visit to the Bears is set to happen next Wednesday, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who tweets that Chicago is the favorite to land the versatile defensive back, special-teamer, and return man.
- Sean Stellato, the agent for Alfred Morris, appeared on 105.3 FM-KRLD The Fan in Dallas to discuss why his client was ready to move on from Washington, and why he wanted to sign with the Cowboys. The Dallas Morning News has the key quotes from Stellato, who said Morris was seeking “a fresh start.”
- Free agent guard Ted Larsen continues to consider his options and isn’t expected to sign a contract today, but his visit with the Falcons went “great,” a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, new Jets running back Matt Forte wasn’t thrilled with the Bears‘ willingness to pursue C.J. Anderson in free agency after announcing they were moving on from Forte. Despite comments from head coach John Fox suggesting the team was happy with its young, in-house backs, the Bears reportedly made Anderson an offer higher than the one he signed with Miami.