Peyton Manning Notes: Monday
Peyton Manning has an understandable exit path he could well take soon after claiming a second Super Bowl championship. But he did not want to rush to a decision Sunday night in order to not deflect any attention from his teammates and the Broncos’ third title, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
The 39-year-old quarterback told media he’s following the advice of former coach Tony Dungy in not making an emotional decision, which, as Florio writes, would be to retire. The PFT writer notes Manning became emotional in an interview with CBS Sports’ Bill Cowher taped earlier in the week when the former Steelers coach broached the subject of being a good teammate.
Manning has one more season on his five-year, $96MM Broncos contract and would, as of now, occupy $21.5MM of Denver’s 2016 salary cap.
Here is more on Manning’s potential decision after he became the first signal-caller to start and win Super Bowls with two different franchises.
- Manning’s mother, Olivia, concurs with the popular notion he should walk away after 18 seasons, via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “I would like for him to retire,” Olivia Manning told Farmer. “I would. Physically, I just don’t think it’s worth going on. He won a Super Bowl — it’s the best way to go out.” This season marked the first time Manning missed games due to a non-season-ending ailment, with his partially torn plantar fascia costing him six games.
- The Broncos’ needing to re-sign Brock Osweiler will represent a component of Manning’s decision to retire, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes. Osweiler, who went 4-2 for the Broncos in games he played throughout, is an unrestricted free agent, and Tandler doesn’t see the 25-year-old signing for anything less than $12MM per season. That figure would put him on par with the contract Nick Foles signed with the Rams last year and would be the lowest salary for a Broncos starter since 2011. Von Miller, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan are also free agents who will see significant pay increases, either from the Broncos or other teams, so Denver will have to make tough choices. Tandler expects Manning to announce his retirement in “one or two” weeks.
- Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune wonders what’s next for Manning after getting ring No. 2. Souhan writes that watching Manning win the Super Bowl while completing 13 passes was like “watching Jimi Hendrix play the tambourine.” After the game, Manning made sure mention Budweiser-brand beer twice, which Souhan takes to be a hint of his future plans. NFL players are not allowed to endorse alcoholic products so one can infer that Manning no longer considers himself to be an NFL player.
- After winning the Super Bowl, Manning has no choice but to retire, Christine Brennan of USA Today opines. Manning didn’t play particularly well on Sunday night and he even acknowledged that it was his defense that willed the team to victory. “I was just glad I was on the same team as our defense and didn’t have to play against them,” he said. Manning, soon to be 40, went 13-for-23 for just 141 passing yards with an interception and no touchdown passes. Of course, there are also lurking HGH accusations stemming from a late December documentary, though Manning vehemently denies any involvement in using PEDs.
Zach Links contributed to this report
Marshawn Lynch Intends To Retire
MONDAY, 2:43pm: Lynch’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, confirmed the running back’s plans to retire to Tim Booth of the Associated Press.
SUNDAY, 8:52pm: You had to know that Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch wouldn’t retire in a typical way. On Sunday night, the unique athlete posted an image of green cleats hung up over a wire, likely signifying that he is retiring this offseason. Lynch has also told people close to him that he intends to retire, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Lynch, of course, has contemplated retirement the past several seasons, but this year appears to be the year he finally hangs up the cleats. Seattle GM John Schneider indicated several weeks ago that Lynch was “leaning towards retirement,” and Lynch’s injury-plagued 2015 may have been enough for the enigmatic back to call it quits.
Due to a hamstring injury early in the season and abdominal surgery in late November, Lynch was limited to just seven games in 2015. So while the bevy of reports from recent years indicating that Lynch was mulling retirement will make fans skeptical that he really means it this time, there are some key differences between Lynch’s situation now and then. During his first four years in Seattle, all Pro Bowl seasons, Lynch never ran for less than 1,200 yards or 11 touchdowns. In 2015, he was limited to 417 yards and three TDs in his seven games, and was barely used in Seattle’s playoff loss to the eventual NFC champion Panthers, as the Seahawks quickly fell behind 31-0 and needed to revert to a primarily aerial attack.
Lynch may stand to lose a great deal of money if he retires. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com observes (Twitter links), if Lynch does not have a retirement forfeiture clause in his contract, the Seahawks could recover $5MM of the $7.5MM bonus they paid to Lynch last year as part of his new contract (of course, Seattle may not pursue that money, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported when that contract was signed that he did not believe the Seahawks would do so).
Financial considerations aside, Lynch has nothing left to prove on the field. The former California Golden Bear is a five-time Pro Bowler, he was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2012, and he has a Super Bowl ring (had he received one more carry in last year’s Super Bowl, he may well have two rings). If this is it for Lynch, he will end his career averaging 4.3 yards per carry with 83 total touchdowns. Seattle, meanwhile, has 2015 revelation Thomas Rawls ready to step into the starting role if Lynch retires, and the team would suddenly have considerably more cap flexibility, as Lynch is scheduled to count $11.5MM against the cap in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Release Justin Durant, William Moore
The Falcons announced that they have cut linebacker Justin Durant and William Moore. Today is the first day that teams are allowed to release players and the Falcons wasted little time in dropping two of their veterans.
“We want to thank both of these guys for their commitment and work ethic,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “They battled through injuries to give everything they had for their teammates this season and I will always be appreciative of that.”
Durant, 31 in September, inked a three-year deal with a base value of $10.8MM less than one year ago. Durant got big bucks from Atlanta but he did not deliver the kind of production they were hoping for. In 13 games (12 starts), Durant tallied 81 tackles and three pass deflections. Durant has not played a 16 game season since 2013 and he was not able to snap that streak in 2015. Now, he’ll be spending 2016 elsewhere.
Moore, a former Pro Bowler, was a starting safety for Atlanta, racking up 51 tackles and two interceptions in 11 games last season. Unfortunately, injuries held him back and his season formally ended on December 15th when he was placed on IR. In total, Moore spent seven seasons in Atlanta, playing in 76 games with 72 starts and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012. Moore amassed 481 tackles (319 solo) with 16 interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 38 passes defensed during his time with the Falcons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Hire Joel Collier
The Falcons announced that they have hired Joel Collier as their new Director of Pro Personnel. Collier previously served as the assistant general manager for the Chiefs from 2009-13. 
[RELATED: Falcons to retain general manager Thomas Dimitroff]
Collier brings more than 20 years of NFL experience to Atlanta and will rejoin a revamped front office. While GM Thomas Dimitroff remains in charge, the team has also hired a pair of ex-GMs in former Bears general manager Phil Emery and ex-Titans GM Ruston Webster as national scouts.
As detailed in the club’s press release, Collier helped the Chiefs complete one of the best turnarounds in NFL history as the club won the AFC West with a 10-6 record in 2010 after going 4-12 in 2009. One has to imagine that Collier’s history with Falcons Assistant General Manager Scott Pioli, formerly the top decision maker in KC, helped bring him to the Falcons. Collier and Pioli were largely responsible for drafting Pro Bowlers such as Eric Berry (3), Justin Houston (2), Dontari Poe, and Dexter McCluster for the Chiefs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Release Riley Cooper
The Eagles announced that they have released Riley Cooper. Today (Monday, February 8th) is the first day that teams can release players per the NFL’s calendar and Cooper has become the league’s first such roster casualty. More moves are sure to follow from teams all around the NFL. 
Cooper, 29 in September, was a favorite of former head coach Chip Kelly. The new regime, apparently, didn’t hold him in the same esteem. Cooper’s deal had no remaining guaranteed cash on it from 2016 onward, so there will be no fiscal penalty for Philly.
Roughly two years ago, the Eagles and Cooper reached agreement on a five-year deal worth $25MM overall and $10MM in guaranteed cash. Cooper closed out his rookie deal in style with a breakout season in 2013. After being at the center of a preseason controversy when he used a racial slur, Cooper got positive attention by setting career-highs in receptions (47), receiving yards (835), and receiving touchdowns (8). The $5MM annual average of the deal was not chump change, but that was roughly what he was expected to command had he reached the open market.
In 2014, Cooper recorded a career-high 55 receptions for 577 yards and three scores. This past season, he played a much smaller role in the offense, catching only 21 passes for 327 yards and two scores.
Cooper would have carried a $5.3MM cap hit in 2016 and the Eagles saved $2.9MM against the cap by releasing him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Super Bowl Players In Contract Years
On Sunday, we learned the potential fates of two upcoming free agents who appeared in the Super Bowl, as both the Broncos and Panthers intend to use the franchise tag on linebacker Von Miller and cornerback Josh Norman, respectively. While Miller and Norman were the most high-profile pending FAs playing in last night’s contest — they ranked first and fifth, respectively, in our most recent 2016 free agent power rankings — they aren’t the only players headed for the open market. 
Denver has a whopping 25 players set to hit free agency (nearly half its roster), while Carolina figures to have a bit less turnover, as it has only 16 pending free agents. The entire list for both clubs is below, with restricted free agents (RFA) and exclusive rights agents (ERFA) included (those labels are explained here).
Carolina Panthers
- Frank Alexander, DE
- Chris Scott, G
- Cortland Finnegan, CB
- Tyronne Green, G
- Stephen Hill, WR (RFA)
- Ben Jacobs, LB (ERFA)
- J.J. Jansen, LS
- Kyle Love, DT
- Josh Norman, CB
- Brad Nortman, P
- Mike Remmers, T (RFA)
- Amini Silatolu, G
- Charles Tillman, CB
- Mike Tolbert, RB
- Fernando Velasco, OL
- Joe Webb, QB
Denver Broncos
- C.J. Anderson, RB (RFA)
- Omar Bolden, CB
- Sam Brenner, C (ERFA)
- David Bruton, S
- Josh Bush, S
- Andre Caldwell, WR
- Todd Davis, LB (ERFA)
- Vernon Davis, TE
- Bennie Fowler, WR (ERFA)
- Ryan Harris, T
- Ronnie Hillman, RB
- Malik Jackson, DE
- Shiloh Keo, S
- Brandon Marshall, LB (RFA)
- Evan Mathis, G
- Lerentee McCray, LB (RFA)
- Brandon McManus, L (ERFA)
- Von Miller, LB
- Jordan Norwood, WR
- Brock Osweiler, QB
- Matt Paradis, C (ERFA)
- Tyler Polumbus, T
- Antonio Smith, DE
- Danny Trevathan, LB
- Kyle Williams, WR
Eagles Haven’t Discussed Nick Foles Return?
On Sunday afternoon, it was reported that the Eagles were discussing a possible reunion with quarterback Nick Foles. However, according to one Eagles beat writer, that is simply not the case. The Eagles have not had internal talks about pursuing Foles, who is now a member of the Rams, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The buzz about a Foles return began less than 24 hours ago when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that new head coach Doug Pederson was interested in making that a reality. Schefter also heard that the Eagles will not use the franchise tag on Sam Bradford if the two sides cannot reach an agreement on a new contract. Berman hears that no decision has been made with regards to using the tag on Bradford. If the Eagles do use the tag on him, they’ll be on the hook for roughly $20MM in 2016.
Bradford, who came to the Eagles in the trade that sent Foles to the Rams, struggled out of the gate in his first season in Philly, though he did play much better in the second half of the year as he grew more comfortable in Chip Kelly‘s offense. Kelly, in his capacity as head coach/personnel executive, was responsible for bringing Bradford to the Eagles, but Kelly was fired before the end of the season. Pederson has taken his place on the sidelines and displaced VP of football operations Howie Roseman regained his authority over personnel matters and it would make sense that both men would want to hand-pick their own QB. However, things still appear to be fluid with regards to Bradford.
Pederson was on Philadelphia’s staff when the team drafted Foles in the third round of the 2012 season, and he served as Foles’ quarterbacks coach that year. Roseman, of course, was in charge of the front office during that period. Foles, for his part, was an abject failure in his first season with the Rams, completing just 56.4% of his passes and throwing seven touchdowns against ten interceptions in 11 games. He did, however, sign a two-year extension with the club prior to the beginning of the 2015 campaign, so he remains under contract through the 2017 season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Win Super Bowl 50
If this was Peyton Manning‘s final game, he went out on top. The Broncos beat the Panthers 24-10 thanks in large part to their stifling defense —they allowed 315 offensive yards, but they sacked Cam Newton seven times and forced four turnovers. Von Miller posted 2.5 sacks (and was named Super Bowl MVP), DeMarcus Ware added two of his own, while Malik Jackson added a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Manning wasn’t great, completing just 13 passes for 141 yards and one interception, but the running game lead the way, as C.J. Anderson busted loose for 90 yards and one score.
Carolina certainly didn’t play poorly, especially on defense — they allowed just 194 Denver offensive yards, and sacked Manning five times. But Newton wasn’t at his best, completing less than 55% of his passes for 259 yards and one interception. Defensive end Kony Ealy was the star on the Panthers’ side, posting three sacks and one interception.
Both clubs have quite a bit on their plate as the offseason begins. The Broncos will wait to hear Manning’s decision on retirement, and then make their own decision on retaining him. Additionally, they’ll try to re-sign (or franchise) Miller, as well as find a way to keep Jackson. The Panthers, meanwhile, need to retain cornerback Josh Norman, and perhaps add more depth in the secondary and along the offensive line.
The offseason has begun! Who’s ready?
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Clarification On Nick Foles’ 2016 Cap Charge
Earlier today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has interest in bringing Rams quarterback Nick Foles back to Philadelphia. That report was met with some skepticism, based not only Philadelphia’s apparent interest, but on Los Angeles’ cap situation were they to trade Foles, so it’s worth clearing up Foles’ contract status.
After acquiring Foles from the Eagles last offseason, the Rams in August signed him to an extension, locking him up through 2017 (that final season could void based on personal and team performance, but for this discussion, that note is largely irrelevant). As part of the multi-year deal, Foles received a guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, to be paid on the third day of the 2016 league year (which falls on March 11).
[RELATED: Rams have discussed pursuit of Peyton Manning]
Whether or not the Rams will be responsible for that roster bonus on their 2016 cap is based entirely on when they would potentially trade Foles. If they dealt him to the Eagles before March 11, Philadelphia would take on the bonus, and thus add $6MM (plus 2016 Foles’ base salary of $1.75MM) to its cap. If Los Angeles waited until after March 11 to trade Foles, it would take on the $6MM charge in the form of dead money.
Obviously, we can’t speak to the veracity of the report indicating the Eagles’ interest in Foles. But if the Rams do hope to trade Foles to Philadelphia (or any club), they need to do so before March 11, and incur only $2MM in dead money (the result of Foles’ signing bonus accelerating onto their cap). Otherwise, a trade would result in $8MM in dead money for Los Angeles, a charge that wouldn’t be palatable given that Foles’ 2016 cap number if he’s on the roster is $8.75MM, just $750K more.
Thanks to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap both for providing this article clarifying Foles’ contract, and for answering further questions via email. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Peyton Manning’s $2MM Super Bowl Incentive
The No. 1 storyline revolving around Super Bowl is undoubtedly the future of Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, and whether he’ll choose to retire following tonight’s contest. Nearing age 40, Manning surely knows this is his last and best opportunity to win a second Super Bowl ring, and he’s obviously motivated to do so. But Manning also has a financial stake in the game, in the form of a $2MM incentive negotiated into his contract nearly a year ago.
In March of 2015, Manning agreed to a $4MM paycut, lowering his base salary from $19MM down to $15MM. However, Denver inserted clauses that allowed Manning to earn that money back: he’d get $2MM for winning the AFC Championship Game, and another $2MM for winning the Super Bowl. Obviously, he’s already secured that AFC title game incentive, and now the Super Bowl payday is on the line.
Needless to say, an extra $2MM probably isn’t needed to motivate Manning for tonight’s game (especially given that he’s earned nearly $250MM during the course of his career). Regardless, we’ll all be waiting to see if Manning announces his retirement after the Super Bowl, as he’s reportedly told friends that he plans to do. If not, however, he probably won’t be retained by the Broncos, and the Rams are one club that has discussed the possibility of pursuing Manning.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.