NFC Notes: Saunders, Donnell, Ingram, Packers
Wide receiver and return man Jalen Saunders, who is on the Bears‘ practice squad IR list, just finished serving a four-game suspension, but before he could even become eligible to return to Chicago’s active practice squad, he was hit with another penalty. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Saunders has now been suspended 10 games by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
The 10-game ban will mean that Saunders will miss the final four games of the 2015 season, as well as the first six games of next year. By that point, it’s hard to imagine that he’ll still be in the Bears’ plans at all, and it may be hard for the Oklahoma product, a Jets fourth-round pick in 2014, to find another team willing to take a shot on him.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Giants tight end Larry Donnell won’t play again this season, having been placed on injured reserve by the team. But at this point, there’s optimism that Donnell’s neck injury won’t be a long-term issue that impacts his career in future years, head coach Tom Coughlin said today (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).
- Having been placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, Saints running back Mark Ingram will undergo surgery to repair his torn left rotator cuff, writes Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Ingram is the second Saints running back to land on IR this season, joining Khiry Robinson on the list.
- Packers offensive lineman Matt Rotheram is the latest practice squad player to get a raise, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Yates tweets that Rotheram is now earning $25,588 per week, equivalent to what he’d earn as a minimum-salary player on the active roster. Green Bay likely bumped up the lineman’s salary after he received some interest from rival teams.
- British rugby player Tom Burgess will continue his NFL tour today with a workout for the Seahawks, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Burgess has already auditioned for the Steelers, Giants, Jets, and Bills, and could be in line for a reserve/futures contract at season’s end.
Cary Williams Visiting Titans
Veteran cornerback Cary Williams is paying a visit to the Titans today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. It’s the first free agent visit Williams has made since he was released by the Seahawks earlier this week, though we heard he had received interest from several teams, including the Rams.
After spending several seasons as a starting cornerback for the Ravens and Eagles, Williams signed a three-year, $18MM deal in March with the Seahawks, looking to step in as a replacement for departed free agent Byron Maxwell. However, the 30-year-old struggled this season, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 102nd out of 118 qualified cornerbacks. Williams was inactive for his final two games with Seattle before he was cut.
As for the Titans, their secondary has been affected by injuries, with Jason McCourty having landed on IR. The team could use a cornerback to add depth and to complement Perrish Cox and Coty Sensabaugh.
Browns Rumors: Benjamin, Barnidge, Roper
The Browns signed tight end Gary Barnidge to a contract extension today, and while the salary numbers on the deal aren’t yet known, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he believes Barnidge’s camp was targeting $4MM per year.
That would be a team-friendly price for a player who ranks among the NFL’s best tight ends in terms of catches, yards, and touchdowns this season. As I noted in our story on Barnidge’s extension, Lance Kendricks signed a four-year deal worth $4.625MM annually with the Rams in March, and he has never had a season nearly as productive as Barnidge’s 2015. On the other hand, the Browns tight end is 30 years old, and had only caught 44 balls in 92 career games coming into the season.
As we wait on the figures for Barnidge’s new contract, let’s round up a few more news items and notes from out of Cleveland….
- Another Browns pass catcher, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, indicated earlier in the season that he’d like to remain in Cleveland beyond this year, and the team has since engaged him in extension discussions. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links), Benjamin said today that he thinks he’s about 75% or 80% of the way to reaching a new deal with the Browns.
- Discussing his extension, Barnidge explained today that he decided not to test the open market because he wanted to repay the Browns for giving him a shot (Twitter link via Cabot). “I want to be part of the turnaround,” Barnidge said.
- According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has conducted at least one meeting to discuss “how to pick up the broken shards left from the 2015 season.” Team president Alec Scheiner and general manager Ray Farmer were present at that meeting, says Grossi, within a piece examining Farmer’s track record as Browns GM.
- Browns senior offensive assistant Kurt Roper will finish the season with the team, but he’s on track to become South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today (Twitter link via Ulrich).
- With the 49ers on the schedule for Cleveland this week, ex-Niners punter Andy Lee reflected on his time in San Francisco, praising the franchise for how it handled his traded to the Browns. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the story, along with Lee’s quotes.
Eagles Notes: McCoy, Bradford, Murray
It was one of the most fascinating trades of the NFL offseason, and now it’s the story that just won’t go away: with the Eagles preparing to face the Bills this weekend, Philadelphia’s decision to send LeSean McCoy to Buffalo back in March is a hot topic once again, with McCoy and Chip Kelly among those that have discussed the deal this week.
Continuing to get questions about the trade, Kelly told reporters today that the move was designed to free up cap space, and allowed the team to go after Sam Bradford, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details.
“We traded an outstanding running back for a linebacker, but we also traded $700K for $11.9MM,” Kelly said. “In this league, sometimes a guy signs a four-year, $45 million contract, but it’s two years at $16 million guaranteed, the rest of it isn’t, and the back end is really high. So you have to make decisions when guys aren’t in guaranteed years about what you’re going to do.
“So however you look at it, whether it gave us an opportunity to get somebody defensively with that extra money, or it gave us an opportunity because we had to free up money to get Sam,” Kelly continued. “It was a tough decision, but with all those guys we let go this year who were integral to my first two years here, those decisions were made by money. Those decisions weren’t made because we don’t think they’re good football players or we don’t think they’re good people.”
Here’s more on the Eagles:
- Per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), McCoy and the Eagles have a difference of opinion on whether it would’ve been possible to restructure his contract before the trade — according to Kelly, McCoy’s agent suggested reworking the contract wasn’t an option, but the running back says that possibility was never brought up.
- As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, it’s a case of he-said, he-said at this point, but McLane’s sources dispute Kelly’s claim that agent Drew Rosenhaus was unwilling to restructure McCoy’s deal.
- While the Eagles’ old running back is one subject of conversation leading up to this week’s game, their current running back is in the news as well. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there are some NFL executives who believe DeMarco Murray has recognized he’s not a great fit for Kelly’s offense, and would like to return to Dallas. A trade is extremely unlikely though, so Murray would have to be cut for that scenario to be in play.
- For his part, Murray confirmed today to reporters that he spoke to owner Jeffrey Lurie about his role in Philadelphia, but he said he doesn’t regret signing with the Eagles, and definitely wants to be back next season (all Twitter links via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
76ers Owners Interested In London NFL Franchise
The NFL has repeatedly maintained that having a franchise in London, England is something that remains in the league’s long-term plans. For now, the NFL appears content to increase the number of individual contests played per season in the U.K., but as that schedule expands, the league will get a better idea of whether it’s feasible to play games on consecutive weeks in London stadiums, and how it’ll work to have a team play back-to-back games overseas.
With that in mind, Philadelphia 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer are hoping to become the owners of the first NFL franchise in London, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. According to Lawrence, the owners of the NBA’s last-place team have become major investors in the Crystal Palace Football Club in London to get to know the market and to get a footing in London. Eventually, the duo wants to make a bid to own an NFL expansion team in London.
The idea of getting an expansion team in London is easier said than done. In addition to all the roadblocks the NFL has to work through to determine whether it’s feasible to have one of its franchises play eight home games overseas, it’s not clear if the league is actually interested in expanding. The Jaguars have begun playing one home game per year in London in an attempt to create an overseas fanbase, and if the NFL decides to put a team in London, it may make more sense for Shad Khan‘s franchise – or another club – to relocate, to avoid expanding the league beyond 32 teams.
In any case, Harris and Blitzer seem to be devoting plenty of time, money, and effort to assessing the London market with an eye toward eventually owning an NFL team there. As they shift their focus overseas, their ownership in the NBA’s 76ers may become less of a priority, as Lawrence writes.
“They’re more interested in getting the NFL in London than they are in the NBA,” a source tells Lawrence. “Their No. 1 goal is to get the NFL team in London. They want to flip the Sixers anyway.”
The NFL, of course, is focusing on Los Angeles relocation in the short-term future, so there’s unlikely to be any progress on this situation anytime soon. But it looks like one worth monitoring in the coming years.
AFC East Notes: Schwartz, Workouts, Dolphins
While Rex Ryan has a reputation as a defensive-minded coach, the Bills have slipped to 26th in the NFL this year in defensive DVOA, during Ryan’s first year with the team. The disappointing performance from Buffalo’s defense reflects well on Jim Schwartz, who was the unit’s coordinator in 2014, when the Bills ranked second in the league in defensive DVOA, behind only Seattle. Schwartz decided to take a year off after he was replaced in Buffalo last winter, but veteran Rams coach Jeff Fisher thinks the former Lions coach deserves another shot at a head coaching job.
“Jim is deserving of another opportunity, you really just have to wait and see what happens,” Fisher said, per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “That year in Buffalo with that defense, that was a pretty impressive job that he did and so I’ve stayed in touch with Jim, we’re good friends. … I can speak from experience as far as how important it is after coaching so long that if you get an opportunity to take a year off, take it. He’s done that, recharged and is ready to go. We’ll just wait and see what happens.”
As we wait to see whether the ex-Bills DC returns to the NFL’s coaching ranks in 2016, let’s round up a few notes out of the AFC East….
- Former UCF wide receiver J.J. Worton is getting plenty of looks from NFL teams now that he has fully recovered from the ACL injury that ended his college career. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Patriots are the latest team to work out Worton, who also auditioned for the Packers and Bears.
- Wilson also passes along word of another free agent meeting, tweeting that former North Carolina Central guard Jovan Olafioye visited the Dolphins. Olafioye has played for the CFL’s B.C. Lions for the last several years, earning All-Star game nods in each of the last five seasons.
- Despite the fact that he signed a record-setting contract with the team as a free agent last offseason, Ndamukong Suh hasn’t become a “defining player” for the Dolphins, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero argues that the defensive tackle has been solid during his first season in Miami, but he hasn’t been the difference-making player the team expected. With Suh’s cap number set to jump to $28.6MM, the club will be banking on him making more of an impact going forward.
- It’s critical that the Dolphins get their next head coaching hire right, as Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explains.
Jared Allen: “I’m Not Going To Play For Another Team”
After coming over from the Bears in an early-season trade, veteran defensive end Jared Allen has been enjoying the ride with the undefeated Panthers, so much so that he apparently wants to finish his career with the team. Retirement is one option this offseason for Allen, who may have to undergo back surgery, but if he continues to play, he wants that to happen in Carolina, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes.
“I’m not going to play for another team,” Allen said. “I take every year for what it is. I make assessments after the year on how my body feels. It’s going to be a tough offseason. I’ve got things I’ve got to get fixed. I go through the same process year in and year out. We’ll see what happens at the end of the year.”
Allen, 33, has managed to stay on the field for nearly every game over the last two seasons, even as he battles health issues, but his production has been on the decline. After recording no fewer than 11 sacks in every season from 2007 to 2013, Allen had 5.5 last year for the Bears, and has just two for the Bears and Panthers this year. Pro Football Focus ranks him 85th out of 107 edge defenders in 2015.
The Panthers can live with a part-time role and limited production from Allen this year, since the team is paying him less than $1MM, with the bulk of his 2015 earnings having been paid by Chicago. However, the veteran’s salary jumps to $8.5MM in 2016, the final year of his contract, and Carolina could clear that entire amount from its cap by releasing him. So if Allen is going to return to the Panthers, he’d have to take a pay cut to do so.
Extra Points: Comp Picks, Salary Cap, Titans
NFL agents aren’t happy with the league’s decision to allow teams to trade compensatory draft picks beginning in 2017, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). As Cole outlines, the move makes compensatory picks more valuable, meaning teams may be more inclined to try to collect those picks by not investing heavily on free agents, particularly their own. It’s not hard to see why agents wouldn’t be thrilled with that development.
Here are a few more Wednesday odds and ends from around the NFL:
- The NFL’s salary cap figures to exceed $150MM in 2016, with one source telling Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that it could get up to $155MM+. As Florio notes, once you factor in player benefit costs, 2016 could be the first year when teams are spending more than $200MM each on players.
- Nick Korte of Over the Cap previews the 2016 free agent market for offensive linemen, suggesting that there are several players that are candidates for five-year investments, including Seahawks tackle Russell Okung, Steelers tackle Kelvin Beachum, and Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele.
- Ruston Webster‘s tenure as Titans general manager has been much-maligned, but as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com writes, Webster has started to turn things around in Tennessee, as evidenced by his offseason moves. Webster lead the charge to draft quarterback Marcus Mariota, brought in solid defensive free agents Brian Orakpo and Perrish Cox, and increased the club’s depth.
- While cautioning that nearly $9MM per season is a bit extravagant for a No. 2 receiver, Frank Schwab of Yahoo! Sports lauds the Raiders‘ extension of Michael Crabtree, pointing to soft factors in his reasoning. It wasn’t long ago, writes Schwab, that Oakland’s team culture had become so toxic that players like Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston refused to even consider re-signing with the club.
- Another recently extended Raider, fullback/running back Jamize Olawale, is highly valued by the Oakland staff due to his versatility, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Olawale, who would have been a restricted free agent after this season, signed a three-year extension yesterday. As head coach Jack Del Rio notes in the piece, the new Raiders regime tried to e open-minded when taking over earlier this year, which allowed unheralded players like Olawale to emerge.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Seahawks Notes: Bevell, Lynch, Coyle, Hill
Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell won’t be a candidate for the BYU head coaching position, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (in several Twitter links). Carroll relayed that he had spoken with BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, but told the AD that the timing isn’t right for Bevell to leave his current post. Bevell himself also confirmed to Condotta that he is not interested in the job.
Let’s dive into some more notes on the Seahawks, with all links courtesy of Condotta…
- Running back Marshawn Lynch has returned to the Seahawks’ practice facility, two weeks to the day after he underwent abdominal surgery, writes Condotta, but the club still isn’t certain as to when he’ll return. “He’s rehabbing,” said Carroll. “And when he’s ready to start working with us we’ll get him going. Not quite yet.” Undrafted rookie free agent Thomas Rawls has usurped the starting running back gig during Lynch’s three-game absence, rushing for almost 400 yards in that span.
- The Seahawks placed second-year linebacker Brock Coyle on injured reserve/designated to return in late October, meaning he’s eligible to return to game action in Week 15. And according to Carroll, Coyle will do just that, as he’s apparently fully healthy and ready to contribute (Twitter link).
- In other injury news, it’s possible that defensive tackle Jordan Hill will return this week, tweets Condotta. Hill suffered a ankle injury in Week 12 and didn’t play against the Vikings on Sunday. The 24-year-old dealt with a similar injury earlier this season, so it’s possible Seattle will be cautious.
- Condotta also rounds up the rest of Carroll’s media comments today, including notes on why Seattle released receiver Chris Matthews, and the difficulty of sustaining a Super Bowl-caliber roster.
Raiders Extend Michael Crabtree
The Raiders have signed Michael Crabtree to extension that will keep the receiver in Oakland through the 2019 season, the club announced. Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link) was the first to break news of the deal, while Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) had the specifics: four years, $35MM, with nearly $19MM guaranteed.
The $8.75MM average annual value would rank 13th among receivers, while that $19MM in guarantees would place 10th, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes (Twitter link). Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if that’s a full guarantee, and whether the reported total value contains any inflating incentives.
The 28-year-old Crabtree has been a revelation for Oakland since joining the club on a one-year deal this offeason, posting 760 yards on 66 receptions to go along with seven touchdowns. He’s actually out-targeted first-round rookie Amari Cooper (115-105), and he’s helped the Raiders offense make the leap from 30th in offensive DVOA in 2014 to ninth this season, per Football Outsiders. On a personal level, Crabtree is in the midst of his best season to date, as he’s on pace to set career bests for both receptions and touchdowns.
Signing a one-year pillow contract, as he did last offseason, would have seemed implausible for Crabtree just a few seasons ago, as the former first-round pick started his career with four solid years with the 49ers. But a lost 2013 season, and a 2014 which saw him fail to surpass 700 yards receiving, forced his market to plummet, a fall only ended by his one-year, $3.2MM agreement with Oakland. For what’s it worth, Crabtree will likely reach his lowest level of incentive-based pay this week, and has an outside chance to reach his maximum incentive level of $1.4MM.
According to Caplan (Twitter links), the Raiders had been having internal discussions about extending Crabtree for some time, noting that team officials were impressed with the veteran receiver’s attitude and leadership abilities from the get-go. Crabtree’s teammates also seemed to enjoy his presence, as quarterback Derek Carr indicated in November that he’d love to see Crabtree extended.
Oakland has now locked up one its most important offensive pieces, and the club now has a solid core — Carr, Cooper, running back Latavius Murray, and tight end Clive Walford — around which to build, along with an offensive line that’s played much better than expected. A key piece of that offensive line — left tackle Donald Penn — is (like Crabtree was) a pending free agent, so perhaps he’ll be the next item on the docket as general manager Reggie McKenzie continues his rebuild in the Bay Area. The Raiders can certainly afford to spend, as Over the Cap lists the club as No. 1 in 2016 cap space, with more than $72MM available (not counting the Crabtree extension, obviously).
For Crabtree’s part, he could be passing up a nice sum of money on the open market, as he wouldn’t have faced much in the way of positional competition next spring. Bears pass-catcher Alshon Jeffery is only pass-catcher who surely would have secured a larger contract, and Jeffery is a candidate for the franchise tag. For as good a season as he’s having, Crabtree still wouldn’t have been worth a franchise tag, meaning he could have entered the open market unfettered, and with Jeffery out of the way, as potentially the top receiver option available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.