East Notes: Curry, Eagles, Jets, Giants, Fins
Edge rusher Vinny Curry became the latest Eagle to sign a long-term extension with the club this week, inking a five-year deal that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2020. And while the initial guarantee of Curry’s $47MM deal was reported as $23MM, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that the full guarantee is actually only $18MM — the remaining $5MM is for injury only. Corry also passes along Curry’s cap charges from 2016-2020 (Twitter link): $3MM, $9MM, $11MM, $11.25MM, and finally, $12MM in 2020.
There’s more news from the East divisions, so let’s dive in:
- The Jets have hired Jeff Hammerschmidt as assistant special teams coordinator, the club announced via press release. Hammerschmidt spent the past four years as Colorado State’s special teams coach, and also worked with the team’s running backs and tight ends. He’ll serve under Brant Boyer, whom New York hired away from the Colts earlier this week.
- In his latest offseason preview, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a look at the Giants, noting that the club’s main goal in the next few months should be working out contract solutions with receiver Victor Cruz and tackle Will Beatty. A strong effort during the free agent period, opines Fitzgerald, will be key if Big Blue wants to compete in 2016.
- Ryan Tannehill was essentially banned from calling audibles last season, so much so that receiver Greg Jennings isn’t sure anyone knows what the young Dolphins quarterback is really capable of, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “[H]e hasn’t been given the reins to where he has the liberty and freedom to call his shots sometimes,” said Jennings. “It’s almost like taking a baby who’s six years old and he still has a bottle in his mouth. Gotta take it out and see if he can drink out of a cup.”
West Notes: Lynch, Irvin, Nolan, Cardinals
Appearing on Dave Mahler’s radio show on 950 KJR, former Seahawks fullback (and current NFL Network commentator) Michael Robinson said “it’s fair to assume” that Seattle will part ways with running back Marshawn Lynch prior to next season, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. Seahawks general manager John Schneider said last month that Lynch may retire, but the smart play for Beast Mode is probably to force the team to release him, as he wouldn’t have to return signing bonus money if he’s cut. If Seattle does release Lynch, they’d save $6.5MM against their 2016 salary cap.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes from the West divisions:
- Vinny Curry‘s recent extension with the Eagles is a good sign for Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, opines Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Curry’s contract — five years, $47MM, $18MM guaranteed — could set a target for Irvin, who is heading for unrestricted free agency, and as Kapadia notes, is probably a more versatile player than Curry. Irvin did suggest last month that he’d accept less money to stay in Seattle.
- Longtime NFL coach Mike Nolan expressed interest in the 49ers defensive coordinator position earlier this year, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Nolan, of course, served as San Francisco’s head coach 2005-08, but spent last season as the Chargers’ linebackers coach. He’s been linked to the Cowboys’ defensive backs position this offseason.
- Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill believes that with a “couple more pieces,” his club will be a Super Bowl contender in 2016, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Bidwill voiced his faith in Arizona’s “core players,” which makes it sound as though the club will target upgrades on the margins. Indeed, head coach Bruce Arians said last month that while the Cardinals will look for pass rush help this offseason, they don’t expect to make a big splash in free agency.
- In their efforts to complete a deal for a new stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and Chargers owner Dean Spanos have spoken by phone this week, but have yet to meet face-to-face, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The two sides are expected to begin more formal talks soon, per Acee.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/5/16
The NFL offseason hasn’t yet officially begun, but clubs are still making small moves as they wait for the beginning of the new league year. Let’s dive into the latest:
- The Buccaneers have signed four players to reserve/futures deals, inking defensive tackle Davon Coleman, defensive tackle Cliff Matthews, defensive end Jermauria Rasco, and receiver Bernard Reedy, the club announced. Matthews, 26, has the most experience of the bunch, having played in 32 games over the past three seasons with the Falcons (former Atlanta head coach Mike Smith, notably, is Tampa Bay’s new defensive coordinator).
- Former Lions running back Mikel Leshoure is back in professional football, but it’s with the CFL as opposed to the NFL. The 25-year-old Leshoure has signed with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (link). A former second-round pick, Leshoure’s best season came in 2012, when he ran for nearly 800 yards and nine touchdowns with Detroit.
Latest On Peyton Manning
As he prepares to make his fourth Super Bowl appearance this Sunday, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning‘s NFL future seems to be garnering more headlines than does the upcoming title game. Manning’s father — and former NFL quarterback — Archie Manning recently spoke on Peyton’s possible retirement, as did Peyton’s brother — and Giants signal-caller — Eli Manning.
Appearing on Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio, Archie Manning hedged a bit when asked if Peyton was fully committed to calling it a career after the Super Bowl. “Maybe not totally,” he said, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. “He probably envisions himself getting good and healthy. If he is good and healthy, can he play? I think he pretty much knows that it wouldn’t be with the Broncos and that would be another thing, to change teams.
“Now, he had some offers last year from teams, some teams talked to him,” Archie continued. “But I think that was going to be a lot of drama, again, to change teams, that he didn’t want to go through. He did do that once, so I don’t know that he would want to do that.”
The Broncos obviously haven’t said that they’d like to move on from Manning after this season, but given his declining level of play, his $19MM base salary for 2016, and the fact the club will likely attempt to retain backup quarterback Brock Osweiler, it’s not surprising that Manning doesn’t believe he’ll back in Denver next season. But Archie Manning did tell Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network that he expects Peyton to “leave a little avenue open” to playing next year, especially if he can regain his 2014 level of health.
[RELATED: Peyton Manning has told friends he expects to retire]
The fact that Manning “had some offers” from other clubs probably amounts to tampering, as Manning was still under contract with Denver throughout last offseason. He was asked — and agreed to — accept a $4MM pay cut, but given that he wasn’t released, other teams shouldn’t have been allowed to speak with Manning. But given that any such talks likely happened over a year ago (and had yet to be reported), no consequences will likely arise.
Eli Manning agreed with his father on the idea of Peyton playing in another city in 2016, telling Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that while he can’t speak for his brother, it “would be tough” to imagine Peyton joining another club (Twitter link). One team that has reportedly kicked the tires on the idea of acquiring Manning is the Rams, as the veteran quarterback would add a level of intrigue to a team set to relocate to Los Angeles in 2016.
Meanwhile, moving to a separate Peyton Manning story, Will Hobson and Justin Moyer of the Washington Post report that Manning hired private investigators to locate and interrogate the source of the HGH allegations levied against the Broncos quarterback. Manning apparently paid for a duo of investigators to speak with Charlie Sly, the pharmacist source in an Al-Jazeera documentary, five days before the documentary aired, and also sent a lawyer to the Guyer Insitute in Indianapolis to review he and his wife’s medical records.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tony Romo Mulling Collarbone Surgery
FEBRUARY 5: Add another wrinkle to the story, as Romo tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he hasn’t decided whether or not to have the operation. Like Archer reported below, Romo will wait three or four weeks before making a final determination, using that time to “find the bone density and see how strong it is.”
11:02am: Romo still intends to have surgery on his left clavicle, but will wait to determine what kind of procedure he needs, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
Source tells Moore that two options are in play — Romo may have a plate surgically attached over the collarbone to limit the potential for recurring injury, or doctors could opt for a “Mumford procedure,” which involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
As Archer notes below, the Cowboys and Romo intend to reassess their options in about four weeks.
FEBRUARY 3, 8:35am: The Cowboys and Romo have decided to postpone the decision on whether or not the quarterback will undergo surgery on his collarbone, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Romo’s collarbone will be re-evaluated in four weeks before a final determination on surgery is made, sources tell Archer.
As noted below, if Romo does eventually go under the knife, the recovery period is expected to be about six to eight weeks, which would still put him on track to participate in offseason workouts in May.
JANUARY 24: Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo offseason collarbone surgery, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, who reports that Romo will have a plate inserted in his left collarbone in order to prevent future injuries. Romo has fractured his left clavicle three times in the past five seasons, most recently in November 2015.
A report yesterday indicated that Romo would undergo a CT scan this week, and Werder says that scan will help determine if Romo’s clavicle has healed enough to support that hardware that doctors will insert into his collarbone. “I think we know which way we’re siding and some of the things,” Romo said Saturday, in regards to the possibility of surgery. “We’ve had exhaustive discussions about it.“
Cowboy management expects a six-to-eight week recovery period from the date of the surgery, adds Werder (Twitter link). So depending on when the actual operation occurs, Romo should clearly be available for the beginning of the 2016 regular season. It’s unclear how much of Dallas’ offseason program Romo will be able to participate in, but it’s likely that the club will take a cautious approach.
On a macro level, the Cowboys are widely expected to add a quarterback via the draft this year, as the club has been devastated by a lack of options behind Romo (Dallas posted a 1-11 record in the absence of Romo in 2015). Romo, 36 in April, said yesterday that he expects to remain in the NFL “for awhile,” but the team plans to acquire more depth, especially given that Matt Cassel, last year’s No. 2 quarterback, is an unrestricted free agent.
North Notes: Megatron, Lions, Forte, Browns
Much has been made of the fact that new Lions general manager Bob Quinn has yet to reach out to Calvin Johnson as the star wide receiver considers retirement, with some observers speculating that perhaps the GM prefers the extra cap room the team would pick up if Megatron retires. It hasn’t been complete radio silence between the Lions and Johnson though. Team president Rod Wood said today that he has been in touch with the 30-year-old wideout.
“While it’s out there that Bob Quinn has not talked to him, I have talked to him a couple times,” Wood said, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “And so we are staying in touch. I’ve talked to Bus (Cook, Johnson’s agent) a couple times. Nothing has changed in what we announced before. We’re still giving him time. I’m hoping to introduce him to Bob within the next week or so, at least hand that off to him to start talking to Calvin.
“The nice thing about private conversations is they’re private, so I won’t tell you exactly what we talked about,” Wood added. “But I have been in touch with him. I was texting with him on Wednesday.”
Here’s more on the Lions and a couple other North teams:
- The Lions still need to add a quarterbacks coach to their staff, and one of Jim Bob Cooter‘s former office-mates, Broncos offensive assistant Brian Callahan, could be a candidate for the job, Birkett writes for the Free Press.
- Bears running back Matt Forte says he has “no idea” whether or not he has a future in Chicago, telling Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he hasn’t heard from the team in recent weeks. The longtime Bear is eligible for free agency this winter.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that he has heard “on the Super Bowl grapevine” that the Browns intend to make another hire for their player personnel staff at some point, though it’s not clear yet what position that new addition would hold.
Donald Penn Wants To Talk Contract With Raiders
Raiders left tackle Donald Penn will see his two-year deal with the team expire next month, making him a free agent if he doesn’t have a new extension in place by then. Rather than reaching the open market, Penn would prefer to get something done with Oakland, but he has yet to hear from the team regarding contract negotiations, according to Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m a little disappointed in the Oakland Raiders right now,” Penn said. “That’s just me being honest. I don’t talk to my agent about deals during the season because I like to focus on my play. But, going into the offseason we talked and my agent said he talked to the team and they said they want me back. That’s what they told me before I left, but I haven’t heard from them since the season ended.”
The Raiders and Penn still have a few more weeks to open negotiations and try to finalize a new contract for the veteran tackle, and general manager Reggie McKenzie said this week that there’s still plenty of time for that to happen. Nonetheless, Penn is getting anxious, and is starting to consider the possibility that he may have other suitors in March.
“I’m really disappointed, and I’m starting to look at other opportunities,” Penn said. “As man and a player, we have to start looking at other things. Me and my agent are starting to put together a group of teams that need a left tackle and things like that.”
Despite the fact that he has been one of the most reliable left tackles in the NFL over the last two seasons, Penn hasn’t been paid like it, since his two-year pact with the Raiders earned him just over $10MM in total. The Utah State product isn’t getting any younger – he’ll turn 33 in April – but he should still be in line for a nice raise, whether he re-signs with the Raiders or joins a new team. So while he’d like to be back in Oakland, Penn isn’t losing sight of that fact.
“We’ll see what happens next,” Penn said. “I did everything I could. I had two great seasons, two of the best of my career. You know, it’s a great time to be a free agent for me.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Goodell, Raiders, Jags, London
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conducted his usual pre-Super Bowl press conference today, and even though he took questions from reporters for nearly 45 minutes, he didn’t provide many noteworthy updates. Goodell did drop the occasional interesting nugget, announcing that the Raiders and Texans will play in Mexico City on November 21, and revealing that he has recommended to the competition committee that a player who commits two person fouls in a game is automatically ejected.
When it came to questions about the NFL’s PSI study, stadium plans for San Diego and Oakland, potential changes to the league’s drug policy, and the NFL’s investigation into Al Jazeera’s HGH allegations, Goodell declined to get into specifics, offering only general answers. According to Goodell, the PSI checks didn’t turn up any violations, the NFL wants to keep the Chargers and Raiders where they are, the league doesn’t expect any marijuana-related policy changes, and the HGH-allegation investigation (in conjunction with WADA and other leagues) is ongoing.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:
- NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith says he’s “cautiously optimistic” that the union will reach a resolution with the NFL over a change in Goodell’s role in player discipline, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The commissioner was characteristically evasive today when asked about that issue.
- Smith also projected another $10MM boost for the league’s salary cap in 2016 (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of Indianapolis Star), and and singled out the Raiders and Jaguars as two teams that are well below the 89% cash spending floor. According to Smith (link via Barry Wilner of The Associated Press), Oakland is $41MM below the threshold and Jacksonville is $28MM below. Those teams could be active in free agency this offseason to get to the necessary level, but they don’t have to be in compliance until March 2017, so extensions next winter for 2014 draftees like Derek Carr and Khalil Mack (Raiders) or Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson (Jaguars) could do the trick.
- Sheldon Adelson, the new owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, has installed Craig Moon as the paper’s publisher, and Moon’s early editorial decisions have had an impact on stories about Las Vegas’ proposed stadium, according to Politco’s Ken Doctor. With Adelson hoping to lure the Raiders or another NFL team to the proposed stadium, the Review-Journal has been forced to edit or kill stories about what could turn out to be a $600MM public investment.
- The NFL came close, in recent weeks, to adding a fourth London game to its 2016 schedule, a source tells Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). However, scheduling conflicts – not to mention the challenge of finding a fourth team willing to give up a home team – forced the league to put that plan on hold.
Jets Sign Kyle Brindza, Freddie Bishop
The Jets have signed a pair of players to reserve/futures contracts, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter reports that linebacker Freddie Bishop has reached an agreement on a two-year deal with the Jets, who have also added kicker Kyle Brindza to their roster.
Bishop, who played his college ball at Western Michigan, has spent the last two seasons with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders. He was one of the league’s more effective edge rushers in 2015, tying for fourth with 11 sacks. Bishop worked out for the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, Eagles, Patriots, Bears, and the Jets in December and January before agreeing to terms with New York.
As for Brindza, the 23-year-old began the 2015 season as the Buccaneers’ kicker, beating out veteran Connor Barth for the job. However, he struggled mightily in the role, and was waived after just four games. After missing just one of nine total kicks in his first two games, Brindza missed two extra points and converted only two of seven field goal attempts in Weeks 3 and 4.
Randy Bullock, who finished the season as the Jets’ kicker, is eligible for free agency and likely won’t return. For Brindza to earn a roster spot though, he’ll have to beat out Nick Folk, who ended the year on injured reserve and still has two years left on his contract. Folk’s cap number jumps to $3.34MM in 2016, which could give the inexpensive Brindza an opening to earn the job with a strong training camp.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marvin Jones Plans To Test Free Agency
Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, and he doesn’t sound like someone who is interested in signing an extension without first seeing what’s out there on the open market. With free agency approaching, Jones told NFL Media’s Scott Hanson (story via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com) that he plans to “look at all angles” on the market, suggesting he’s not interested in taking a hometown discount to re-sign with Cincinnati.
“I love Cincinnati,” Jones said. “…But at the same time, I am a free agent. It wouldn’t be good for me not to test the waters a little bit. It’s just an exciting process.”
With very few top wideouts expected to be available this offseason, Jones could be one of the top targets for teams looking to add pass catchers. The former fifth-round pick had arguably his best year in 2015 after missing the entire 2014 campaign with a foot injury, setting new career highs with 65 receptions and 816 yards. While he didn’t come close to matching the 10 touchdowns he posted in 2013, Jones reached the end zone four times and was among the league’s more productive No. 2 receivers.
Wesseling suggests that Jones ought to be targeting the same sort of five-year, $31MM deal that Golden Tate signed with the Lions a couple offseasons ago, adding that perhaps the Browns – whose new head coach Hue Jackson worked with Jones as Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator – would be a logical suitor.
However, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer hears from sources that Jones will seek about $7MM per year, slightly more than Tate. That could make Eric Decker‘s deal with the Jets (five years, $36.25MM) a potential point of comparison for Jones, though he might not get quite that high. Still, while the Bengals may be unwilling to match that number, the wide receiver will be the team’s top priority among free-agents-to-be, says Owczarski.
Although the Bengals will prioritize a deal for Jones, he’s not likely to be a candidate for the franchise tag, which is expected to exceed $14MM for receivers in 2016. So Cincinnati will have to get something done within the next few weeks to keep him from getting offers from other teams.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.