East Rumors: McCoy, R. Matthews, Bradford
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office released a statement today that essentially says there’s no update on the LeSean McCoy investigation (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).
“I understand that people are interested in the outcome of our investigation, but we’re not going to rush because some people are impatient,” said Philadelphia DA R. Seth Williams in the statement, adding that his “only goal is to get it right, not fast.”
Williams said he has not yet decided whether to press charges against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least next week for any sort of decision.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been considered likely to leave the Dolphins this offseason, but the club has reached out to Mathews about discussing a new deal, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily means that the Fins will re-sign Mathews, but there’s some level of interest in bringing him back.
- The Eagles continue to say they want to re-sign quarterback Sam Bradford, with de-facto GM Howie Roseman the latest to weigh in on the topic, as Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com details. Still, Roseman cautioned that any deal has “got to work for the other side and the player” in addition to working for the team. At this point, I’d be surprised if the two sides got something done prior to free agency, unless the Eagles are willing to use the franchise tag, since there’s no incentive for Bradford to accept a below-market offer.
- While it’s premature to say Jets linebacker Demario Davis is a goner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the team to let Davis test the open market, where he’s likely to get a better deal than the Jets will be willing to offer.
- According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie will make $1.1MM on his new one-year contract with the team, which features $275K in guaranteed money.
Bengals Unlikely To Re-Sign Mohamed Sanu
3:28pm: The Browns, mentioned below as a potential suitor for Sanu, are indeed expected to pursue him in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The source added that former Bengals OC Hue Jackson “loved Sanu’s versatility.”
8:38am: The Bengals have multiple wide receivers eligible to hit the open market in March, and at least one of them is unlikely to return to Cincinnati. According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, there’s “virtually no chance” that the Bengals re-sign Mohamed Sanu, who is expected to explore other opportunities in free agency.
Sanu, 26, established new career highs in 2014 with 56 receptions, 790 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. However, with fellow free-agent-to-be Marvin Jones back in the mix for Cincinnati in 2015, Sanu took on a decreased role in the Bengals’ offense. Receiving half the targets that he did the year before, the former third-round pick saw his numbers dip to 33 catches and 394 yards, and he didn’t record a single touchdown. Sanu admits that he’d like a bigger role going forward, wherever he lands.
“I think about that all the time,” Sanu told Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “When you’ve got so much talent on one team, it’s hard to get the ball. It definitely crossed my mind going elsewhere. We’ve just got to see how everything unfolds.”
While Sanu’s contract year wasn’t overly impressive, he’s expected to draw interest from multiple teams in free agency, including perhaps the Browns, Falcons, and Giants, writes Marvez. This year’s wide receiver market isn’t strong, so once the top two or three options come off the board, the Bengals wideout could become a more attractive target for teams that need to upgrade the position, particularly since so many clubs will have cap space on hand. One report earlier this week estimated a deal worth $5MM annually for Sanu.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Randy Gregory Suspended Four Games
Cowboys edge defender Randy Gregory has been suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Gregory will be eligible to return for Dallas’ fifth regular-season game.
Gregory, 23, didn’t see a ton of action during his first NFL season — he was slowed by an early-season ankle sprain and ended up recording 11 tackles over the course of 250 defensive snaps. Viewed as a surefire first-round pick – and a potential top-10 selection – based on talent, Gregory slipped in last year’s draft to 60th overall, where he was snatched up by the Cowboys. Off-field concerns, including a failed drug test at the combine, contributed to his slide.
While Gregory didn’t make any off-field headlines during his first year in Dallas, he has apparently failed several drug tests, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport points out that the NFL’s drug policy calls for a two-game fine and then a four-game fine before a player is suspended.
With Gregory set to miss the first quarter of the season and Greg Hardy potentially departing in free agency, the Cowboys figure to be in the market for pass-rushing help this offseason, in free agency and/or the draft.
In addition to Gregory, another defender, Packers defensive tackle Mike Pennel, also received a four-game ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, tweets Jason Wilde of ESPN.com.
Pennel, 24, started five games for the Packers last season, recording 24 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery on the year. Like Gregory, he won’t be eligible to return to action until the fifth game of his club’s regular-season schedule.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens TE Nick Boyle Suspended 10 Games
Ravens tight end Nick Boyle is facing another suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, the team announced today (via Twitter). Boyle has been suspended without pay for the first 10 games of the 2016 season.
[RELATED: Dennis Pitta “definitely” wants to play again]
Boyle, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, caught 18 balls for 153 yards in his rookie season. However, his first year in the NFL was cut short in December when he was suspended four games for a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Having finished serving that penalty, Boyle will begin serving his 10-game ban when the 2016 season gets underway.
At the time of Boyle’s initial suspension in December, John Harbaugh said the rookie’s ban wasn’t for steroids. The Ravens head coach declined to name the substance that resulted in the failed test, but suggested it was a common violation, adding that Boyle admitted it was a stupid mistake (Twitter links via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).
With Boyle now facing a lengthier suspension for a similar violation, apparently having repeated last year’s “stupid mistake,” it’ll be interesting to see whether Harbaugh continues to publicly stand by his player.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Cut Chris Long, Jared Cook, James Laurinaitis
The Rams have confirmed the release of three veteran players, announcing in a press release that defensive end Chris Long, tight end Jared Cook, and linebacker James Laurinaitis have been cut. As vested veterans, all three players will become free agents without having to pass through waivers.
[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Rams]
“This is the time of year when all NFL teams are faced with difficult decisions regarding their veteran players,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement. “Chris and James are the epitome of what it means to be a pro in this league and it’s been an honor to coach them both. They’ve been the pillars of our defense for many years and not enough can be said of their love for the game and for their teammates.
“Jared made an immediate impact when he joined the team in 2013. It’s been a pleasure watching him grow from the time I drafted him in Tennessee to seeing him set franchise records in St. Louis. Like Chris and James, he’s been a mainstay in the community and his contributions are commendable.”
Long, Cook, and Laurinaitis all had top-five cap hits for the Rams heading into 2016, making them logical release candidates — when PFR’s Zach Links previewed the club’s offseason earlier this week, he mentioned all three players as potential cap casualties.
Assuming none of the three veterans are designated as post-June 1 cuts, the Rams should create nearly $23MM in cap savings for 2016 with today’s moves, according to Over the Cap’s data. The trio will count toward the Rams’ ’16 cap for about $6MM in dead money.
Los Angeles had entered the day with upwards of $36MM in projected cap room already, per OTC, so the club should have a huge amount of flexibility in the coming weeks to re-sign its own free agents, including cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, safety Rodney McLeod, and quarterback Case Keenum, among others.
As for the three players who hit the market today, it shouldn’t take too long for Long, Cook, and Laurinaitis to find new homes. Cook and Laurinaitis have been regular contributors for the last several seasons in St. Louis, but perhaps weren’t producing enough to justify their increasing cap figures — on more modest deals, they’ll draw interest.
Long, meanwhile, has seen his last two seasons derailed by injuries, but he’s still only 30 years old. If he can get healthy, the former second overall pick should still have something left in the tank. From 2010 to 2013 – his last four healthy seasons – Long totaled 41.5 sacks, an average of more than 10 per year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Re-Sign TE Craig Stevens
FRIDAY, 1:27pm: Stevens’ new deal with the Titans is a one-year pact worth $2MM, with incentives that could take it up to $2.6MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
THURSDAY, 8:14pm: The Titans announced that they have re-signed tight end Craig Stevens. “We’re glad to have him back,” GM Jon Robinson said in a statement.
Stevens, 32 in September, appeared in all 16 games for the Titans last season. He caught 12 passes for 121 and 2 touchdowns. The pair of scores matched a previous career high set in 2010. Stevens, a blocking specialist, has been a member of the Titans since being selected in the third round of the 2008 draft. With eight straight years in Tennessee, he is one of the longest tenured members of the Titans.
Stevens has 60 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Steelers TE Heath Miller Retires
Veteran tight end Heath Miller has decided to retire, the Steelers announced today in a press release. Miller, a two-time Pro Bowler, will call it a career after spending 11 seasons in the NFL, all in Pittsburgh.
[RELATED: James Harrison to return to Steelers in 2016?]
Miller, 33, begain his career back in 2005, when the Steelers selected him with the 30th overall pick in the draft. The Virginia product immediately became a starter, and appeared in 168 regular-season games (167 starts), plus another 15 playoff contests, for the franchise over the next 11 years.
Miller’s best years came in 2009, when he caught a career-high 76 passes, and in 2012, when he racked up 816 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. However, he remained productive for the Steelers until his final season, totaling 60 receptions, 535 yards, and two touchdowns in 2015. No tight end in franchise history accumulated more total catches (592), receiving yards (6,569), or receiving touchdowns (45) than Miller.
With Miller set to move to the Steelers’ reserve/retired list, the team will no longer be on the hook for his $4MM base salary for 2016, which would have been the final year of his current contract. That frees up some cap space for Pittsburgh, but the club will have to find a way to replace the veteran’s production.
Matt Spaeth and Jesse James also saw playing time at tight end for the Steelers in 2015, and both players remain under contract going forward, but they combined for just 10 receptions between them. While the duo will likely get a chance to compete for increased snaps in 2016, the Steelers figure to address the tight end position in the draft and/or free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Bennett, Titans, Okpalaugo
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has left Rosenhaus Sports and doesn’t currently have representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). Without a new agent in place, and without a clear indication of what Bennett’s plan for the offseason is, it’s hard to know for sure what his motivation for the change was.
However, it’s worth considering that Bennett was vocal last offseason about wanting the Seahawks to address his contract, suggesting in the summer that he was contemplating a holdout. Bennett ultimately didn’t hold out and didn’t get a new deal, so perhaps he’s looking for an agent that will help him take a different approach to the situation this time around.
Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Speaking on Thursday about his team’s approach to free agency, GM Jon Robinson said that just because the Titans are prioritizing value pickups, that doesn’t mean they’ll be bargain-basement shopping all offseason. Robinson said he’s not afraid to spend money in free agency, adding that the team will go after an impact player if the fit is right and there’s a chance to get him (three Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
- CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who has recorded double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons for the Toronto Argonauts, is drawing interest from multiple NFL teams. Okpalaugo has received an offer from the Jets, and had a “great visit” with the Seahawks, according to agent Brett Tessler, who says his client is visiting the Cardinals next (Twitter links).
- In a conversation with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he can’t see himself coaching another team besides New Orleans for the rest of his career, praising the franchise’s structure and its absence of dysfunction. Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune has the details and the quotes from Payton.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lays out a case for why the representatives for free agents ought to be seeking 20% more than the current market prices for their clients. Meanwhile, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com also explores the probable increase in the value of free agent contracts, writing that NFL teams will have somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion in total cap space this offseason.
Bears Undecided On Tagging Alshon Jeffery
With several big-name wide receivers signing new contract extensions in 2015, the free agent market for 2016 has been left somewhat depleted. However, at least one player capable of being a No. 1 receiver remains on track to become a free agent, for now. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), there’s a chance that the Bears could let Alshon Jeffery hit the open market.
[RELATED: 2016 NFL franchise tag candidates]
While the general consensus has been that Chicago will use its franchise tag to lock up Jeffery, the team has yet to make a decision on whether or not to tag the former second-round pick, says Rapoport. Presumably, the Bears would prefer to sign Jeffery to a multiyear deal, rather than committing $14MM+ in 2016 cap room to him on the franchise tag, but Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that agent Eugene Parker is unlikely to budge much in contract negotiations until Chicago uses its tag.
If that is indeed Parker’s position, it makes sense. Should the Bears franchise Jeffery, it would increase his floor for a long-term deal, putting the 26-year-old into the salary range of wideouts like Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas.
Jeffery’s case for a high-end contract may not be quite as strong as those players’ cases were, but if he’s tagged, his position in the marketplace virtually assures that any long-term extension he signs would place him among the league’s highest-paid receivers. If Chicago decides not to use its franchise tag, Jeffery would have a chance to reach the open market in a year when he’s the clear-cut top receiver available, which isn’t a bad alternative for Parker and his client.
After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. Ultimately, I’d expect the Bears to use the franchise tag on him to avoid letting him get away for nothing, but it will be an interesting situation to monitor over the next week and a half.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cameron Wake, Dolphins Discussing Extension
FRIDAY, 10:17am: According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wake and the Dolphins are hoping for resolution on his contract situation next week, which would give the team time to turn its attention to Vernon before the franchise-tag deadline.
THURSDAY, 8:23am: The Dolphins have engaged in contract talks with veteran defensive end Cameron Wake about a possible extension, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Miami is exploring the possibility of getting something done with Wake before the new league year begins, which could give the team increased flexibility to retain defensive end Olivier Vernon.
Wake, who turned 34 last month, was his usual productive self during the first half of the 2015 season, racking up seven sacks in seven games for the Dolphins, and forcing four fumbles. However, a torn Achilles, sustained in late October, sidelined him for the rest of the year, and has him on the mend as the ’16 league year approaches.
Wake is currently due a base salary of $8.275MM, plus a workout bonus of $125K, in 2016, the final year of his contract. If the Dolphins were to cut him, they could clear that $8.4MM from their books, leaving just $1.4MM in dead money on the cap. Since Miami seems to want to keep Wake on its roster, and a new deal would give him some guaranteed money up front, there’s motivation for both sides to work something out.
If the Dolphins do agree to an extension with Wake, it likely wouldn’t add more than a couple new years to his deal, given his age. It would also almost certainly reduce his $9.8MM cap number for 2016, which would free up some space for the club as it tackles other offseason business. Frankly though, if the Dolphins hope to use their franchise tag on Vernon or spend big on another player, releasing Wake and restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract would make the most sense — those two moves would create upwards of $25MM in cap savings for the club.
If the Dolphins do extend Wake, it may signal the end of Derrick Shelby‘s time in Miami. Re-signing both Vernon and Shelby would be most plausible for the Dolphins if they move on from Wake, but as long as the veteran still in the mix, it might make sense for the club to focus on re-signing one of its two free agent defensive ends. Miami will have until March 1st to use its franchise tag, and until March 9th to work out extensions to avoid having its free agents reach the open market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.