Jason Fitzgerald on Kaepernick, Free Agency, Rams
Jason Fitzgerald of OvertheCap.com answered a variety of questions on Twitter last night. The conversation focused on the upcoming offseason, and the writer did his best to make some early predictions. We’ve compiled the best of them, which you can find below…
- Fitzgerald is convinced that the 49ers will be able to trade quarterback Colin Kaepernick. With a maximum $14.3MM cap hit (due to the $1MM savings if the team decides to deactivate him), the writer believes the Eagles could be a good fit for the embattled star.
- Among the big-name players who could switch teams in free agency are (according to Fitzgerald) Alex Mack, Matt Forte, Russell Okung, Prince Amukamara, and Lamar Miller.
- On the flip, Fitzgerald could imagine several big names being cut loose by their current teams, including Jamaal Charles, Jimmy Graham and DeMarcus Ware.
- One of Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins will be back with the Rams next year, with Fitzgerald predicting an $8MM contract for Jenkins and $6MM for Johnson.
- Assuming Marshawn Lynch‘s tenure in Seattle is over, Fitzgerald could envision the Patriots pursuing the running back. However, the writer is uncertain whether New England would have much interest.
Extra Points: Jets, Saints, Pats, Bucs
The playoff-contending Jets (8-5) are one of the surprises of the NFL this year after finishing the 2014 campaign 4-12 and undergoing major offseason changes. As ESPN’s John Clayton writes, plenty of credit goes to first-year general manager Mike Maccagnan. The former Texans executive was at the helm of a makeover last winter and spring that saw the Jets bring in rookie head coach Todd Bowles, spend over $179MM on free agents (Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist and James Carpenter being the most expensive additions), and acquire two key offensive cogs – quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver Brandon Marshall – for a mere late-round pick apiece.
While Maccagnan’s methods have paid off this season, the organization is cognizant that it has plenty of long-term work to do, per Clayton. The Jets have 10 starters in their 30s, so they need to stockpile youth. In terms of finding a young, high-impact player, Maccagnan’s draft history with the Jets got off to an excellent start last spring with his inaugural selection, first-round defensive end Leonard Williams.
As far as the upcoming offseason goes, Clayton expects the Jets to give raises to Fitzpatrick and running back Chris Ivory, slap the franchise tag on D-line stalwart Muhammad Wilkerson, and free up cap space by releasing Cromartie.
Elsewhere around the league…
- As long as either Tom Benson or his wife is in charge of the Saints, Mickey Loomis is likely to remain the team’s general manager, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com. Head coach Sean Payton is under contract for two more years, but his status going forward is less clear than Loomis’. Payton could look for another job in the offseason, and Woodbery doesn’t expect Loomis to stand in Payton’s way if he wants to seek work someplace else. However, Woodbery does believe the Loomis-led Saints would require significant compensation from any hypothetical team that tries to hire Payton.
- The stellar play of Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler means he’ll cash in eventually, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald took a look at how much the 25-year-old could make in the coming seasons. Howe thinks the Pats will give Butler a first-round tender as a restricted free agent after next season, which would cost just under $4MM. Then, as Butler pushes closer to unrestricted free agency in 2018, he could end up with a four-year deal in the $36MM range. He might not get that money in New England, though, as the club has decisions to make on a slew of important players other than Butler in the coming offseasons and won’t be able to retain all of them.
- The Buccaneers have drafted a combined one defensive player over the last two years (fourth-round linebacker Kwon Alexander last spring), but that should change in 2016, opines Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Tribune. Stroud looks for the Bucs to upgrade at cornerback and add outside pass-rushing help to a defense that ranks 28th in quarterback rating against (100.5) and has forced just one turnover over Tampa’s last four games.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Breaux, Seahawks, Packers
Rookie 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula is at the helm of a 4-9 team and certainly not a lock to return for a second season, but two of the club’s respected veterans spoke out Friday in support of the 47-year-old, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.
“Yeah, I love Tomsula,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “I’ve been with him for a long time. He knows me. I know him. It’s always been a good relationship.”
Tomsula has been with the 49ers since taking over as their defensive line coach in 2007, so he and Bowman – drafted in 2010 – are well-acquainted.
Receiver Torrey Smith, on the other hand, signed with the 49ers last offseason and obviously hasn’t spent nearly the amount of time with Tomsula that Bowman has. That didn’t stop Smith from endorsing Tomsula.
“He’s been one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had,” Smith said. “I think he’s a great man. It sucks that we haven’t had the results that we need, but I think he’s a great guy. So I want the best for him.”
More on the Niners and a few of their NFC counterparts:
- The Lions missed a golden opportunity last offseason to sign standout cornerback Delvin Breaux, who was unable to pass a team physical, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Breaux, formerly of the CFL, went on to sign with the Saints and has been a bright spot on a porous defense. The 26-year-old has 38 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games, and currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best corner (subscription required).
- Running back Christine Michael‘s recently signed deal with the Seahawks expires at the end of the season, but he’ll be still be under team control as a restricted free agent, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With fellow RBs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson potentially out of Seahawks uniforms in 2016, Michael could stick around as Thomas Rawls‘ backup. He’ll have a chance to impress the organization in the coming weeks with both Lynch and Rawls injured.
- 49ers rookie Jarryd Hayne is encouraged by his progress and plans to return to the NFL next season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. “To come this far in seven months, give me 12, 14 (and) it’s going to be completely different. And I think anyone who’s seen my growth will tell you how much I’ve changed and developed,” the 27-year-old said. The native of Australia and former professional rugby player signed with the Niners as a running back/return specialist last offseason. He appeared in six games for the team this year before it cut him and brought him back as a member of its practice squad last month.
- The Packers spent Friday looking at free agent special teamers, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports. The Pack worked out two punters – Will Johnson and Kasey Redfern – a pair of long snappers in Rick Lovato and Sam Rodgers, and kicker Andy Wilder.
Latest On Potential St. Louis Stadium
The Board of Aldermen in St. Louis granted approval Friday for the city to fund up to $150MM on the construction of a new stadium worth $1.1 billion, Nicholas J.C. Pistor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
In response, the Gov. Jay Nixon-led St. Louis stadium task force issued a statement, saying, “We recognize that our proposal will require extensive review before it is considered for approval by the NFL. We are confident that it will be well received.”
The task force also called Friday’s vote a “significant milestone,” but Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL will have more say than the city in whether the proposed stadium is built. As was reported Thursday, the financing package for the new facility counts on $300MM from the league, whose policy is to spend a maximum of $200MM on stadiums. Commissioner Roger Goodell referred to funding a St. Louis stadium to the tune of $300MM as “fundamentally inconsistent with the NFL’s program of stadium financing.”
If the league isn’t a big enough hurdle for St. Louis to keep its team, the city also has to contend with Kroenke’s desire to relocate to Los Angeles. As Pistor notes, Kroenke hasn’t shown interest in staying in St. Louis and would have to agree to the proposed financing package to keep the franchise there.
Regarding Kroenke, Alderman Sharon Tyus quipped, “We’re like at the strip club…and the stripper is throwing the money back at us.”
One of Tyus’ colleagues, Alderman Antonio French, hopes the result of Friday’s vote shows a “good faith effort to hopefully sway a few votes to prevent Koenke” from moving the team. That might happen, according to Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith, who writes that St. Louis’ proposal could be acceptable enough in the eyes of some owners to vote against a potential Kroenke plan to relocate the Rams. Kroenke needs 23 approval votes from his fellow owners to allow him to take his team elsewhere. That vote will take place in January.
Sam Farmer of the LA Times wrote Thursday that, of the three teams vying for LA relocation (the Raiders and Chargers being the others), St. Louis has done the most to keep its franchise. As Farmer points out, St. Louis has put a significant amount of public money on the table, and the league isn’t in the habit of turning down sizable funding from the public. Further, Kroenke isn’t particularly popular among the league’s owners, per Farmer, which could make it that much more difficult for his California dream to end up a reality.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/18/15
Here are today’s practice squad signings, cuts, and other notes from around the NFL:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DT Kelcy Quarles (press release via team)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Increased salary: DL Caushaud Lyons (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com)
- Earning $25,588 per week
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: QB Brad Sorensen (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Increased salary: RB Mike James (Twitter link via Yates)
- Earning $34,412 per week
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/18/15
Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, as teams get their rosters set for this weekend:
- Defensive tackle C.J. Mosley will become a free agent if and when he clears waivers — per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Dolphins have cut Mosley from injured reserve. Since there’s no word of an injury settlement, the former Lion should be healthy, so another team may decide to sign him for the stretch run.
- The Buccaneers have waived linebacker Orie Lemon, tweets Wilson. The move leaves Tampa Bay with an open roster spot, which the club will have more than a week to fill, having played on Thursday night.
Earlier updates:
- The Jets have placed rookie wide receiver Devin Smith on injured reserve due to the torn ACL he suffered in last week’s win over the Titans, the team announced today in a press release. Smith, the 37th overall pick in this year’s draft, was one of many receivers selected in the top 50 whose rookie season was unspectacular — he caught just nine of 28 targets, for 115 yards and a TD. To replace Smith on their roster, the Jets have promoted linebacker Taiwan Jones from their practice squad.
- The Falcons have also elevated a linebacker from their practice squad, announcing today in a press release that outside linebacker Tyler Starr has received a promotion. In a corresponding move, the club placed center James Stone on the injured reserve list. Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), Stone – who started nine games last season but just one this year – has a torn ACL.
Breer’s Latest: Fitzpatrick, Cowboys, L.A.
Within his latest Inside the NFL Notebook piece, Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a deep dive into Washington‘s season, examining the type of player the team has targeted under head coach Jay Gruden and new GM Scot McCloughan. Washington’s first major draft pick (No. 5 overall selection Brandon Scherff) and long-term signee (Ryan Kerrigan) in 2015 checked all the boxes the club was looking for in terms of intangibles.
“If you’re gonna spend some money, you want talent, but you also want strong leadership, guys you don’t have to worry about Friday night or Thursday night,” Gruden said. “Guys that are gonna be here, and be in the weight room and lead the way for younger guys. Sometimes, to have these guys in here for a number of years, they pave the way for younger players, and that’s just as important as production.”
Here are a few other topics covered by Breer in his latest column:
- There’s no rush for the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick to finalize a deal that keeps the quarterback in New York beyond 2015, since the team has other players it may need to focus on first. But Breer suggests that each side knows where the other stands, and there’s a good chance they can work something out between the end of the season and the start of the 2016 league year.
- With DeMarco Murray leaving in the offseason, the Cowboys targeted T.J. Yeldon as a potential second-round pick, and would’ve had a hard time deciding between him and Randy Gregory in the second round, says Breer. However, it turned out to be a moot point, since Yeldon came off the board early in the second round to the Jaguars. Dallas also liked Todd Gurley in the first round, but as his stock increased leading up to the draft, it became clear there would be no chance for the club to land him with the 27th overall pick.
- According to Breer, despite the turnover at the running back position in Dallas this season, the Cowboys aren’t expressing any regrets about letting Murray go. One team source offered the following comment on the Eagles running back: “The guy is a pro in his preparation and toughness and competitiveness. But he’s also entitled, selfish and condescending. He’s a great ‘team’ guy when he’s the guy.”
- Citing team sources, Breer says that Rams owner Stan Kroenke views St. Louis’s stadium proposal as falling short of what he’d want to keep the franchise in the city, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts if his Inglewood plan doesn’t get approved. As Breer observes, all parties involved in potential Los Angeles relocation had hoped that the league would have found “an elegant solution” and would be nearing some sort of agreement with the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders at this point. Instead, the January owners’ meeting is drawing closer without a clear sense of what will happen regarding L.A.
Community Tailgate: NFL Division Winners
As the NFL regular season nears its home stretch, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. 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.
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Two NFL division winners for the 2015 season have already been decided, and another race is all but over — the Patriots have clinched the AFC East, the Panthers have secured the NFC South, and the Cardinals would have to utterly collapse down the stretch to lose their stranglehold on the NFC West.
While there may not be much drama within those three divisions though, there should be plenty to watch elsewhere in the league. Currently, two divisions feature a tie for first place and another has its top two teams separate by a single game. Even in the AFC North and AFC West, where the leaders have a two-game cushion, the first-place teams have backup quarterbacks starting for them, while the second-place teams are on on hot streaks.
Let’s break down each of the five divisions that remain up for grabs…
NFC East:
Washington (6-7) may be in the best position here — if Jay Gruden‘s club can win at home this weekend against the Bills, two division games await in Weeks 16 and 17, with Washington likely needing wins against the Eagles and Cowboys.
Those Eagles (6-7) also have two division games on tap, with Washington on the schedule in Week 16 and the Giants in Week 17. Philadelphia will also be in tough against a talented Cardinals squad this weekend.
The Giants (6-7), meanwhile, have the most challenging remaining schedule, with games against the Panthers and Vikings up next, in advance of a Week 17 showdown against the Eagles.
AFC South:
Like the NFC East, the AFC South features four teams below .500, with only the last-place Titans out of the picture. The Colts (6-7) and Texans (6-7) are currently tied for the lead, and whichever team wins their matchup this weekend will take over first place for the time being.
The Jaguars (5-8) shouldn’t be overlooked either, given the way their offense has been firing on all cylinders lately. They have the Falcons, Saints, and Texans left on their schedule, and all three contests are winnable, but Blake Bortles and company won’t have much margin for error. Particularly since the Colts and Texans each still have a game to play against the 3-10 Titans.
NFC North:
The Packers (9-4) have a one-game lead over the Vikings (8-5), but they could be in tough the next two weeks, with games in Oakland and Arizona. If Minnesota hangs around, a Week 17 matchup between these two NFC North teams could decide the division.
AFC North / AFC West:
In each of these divisions, the first-place team should hang on, but their two-game leads don’t quite look safe yet. The Bengals (10-3) will likely be relying on A.J. McCarron for the rest of the regular season, which means contests against the 49ers and Ravens shouldn’t be considered automatic victories — to say nothing of a Week 16 game in Denver.
Those Broncos (10-3) are in a similar boat, with Brock Osweiler struggling to get the offense into the end zone and Peyton Manning still sidelined. Games against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati during the next two weeks won’t be easy for Denver.
If either of those first-place teams falters, it could open the door for the surging Steelers (8-5) or the red-hot Chiefs (8-5) to grab a division title.
What do you think? How do you the see the last three weeks of the regular season playing out in these five divisions? Who are your picks for the division winners? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts!
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NFC Notes: JPP, Panthers, Maxwell, Washington
Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has been reasonably effective since returning from his hand injury, but the bulky club on his right hand has prevented him from being as sure a tackler as he once was. As Tom Rock of Newsday details, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is confident that JPP will make the necessary adjustments. Teams around the league will likely be keeping a close eye on the veteran pass rusher down the stretch to see how he adapts, since he’s eligible for free agency this winter.
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- With the Panthers three wins away from a 16-0 season, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer takes a look back at GM Dave Gettleman‘s time with the franchise, examining both his good and bad moves since taking over the job.
- Byron Maxwell‘s deal with the Eagles may have looked like a $63MM mistake earlier in the season, but the cornerback has played well in recent weeks, and is beginning to justify the club’s investment in him, says Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- With multiple players trying new positions this season, Washington has gone mad scientist on its roster, and so far many of the team’s experiments have worked out, writes Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post.