NFC West Notes: Kaepernick, Irvin, Fitzgerald
A New York Daily News report on Tuesday suggested that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick would prefer to leave San Francisco this offseason, with the Jets named as his potential destination of choice. Kaepernick is still recovering from surgeries on his thumb and knee, and the 49ers don’t have to make a decision on his future until April 1st, so there likely won’t be any resolution to the QB’s situation anytime soon.
There’s little doubt that Kaepernick would prefer a fresh start, but even if he prefers to join a team like the Jets, he doesn’t control his own fate, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. As Maiocco points out, new head coach Chip Kelly will be the one deciding whether or not Kaepernick remains a Niner — if Kelly wants Kaepernick on the roster, he’ll stay on the roster. While it’s possible that Kaepernick will ultimately be traded or released, a new coaching staff in San Francisco could help give him the fresh start he seeks.
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- Even if the Jets don’t want Kaepernick, they could use his reported interest in them as leverage in negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) opines. If the 49ers still haven’t made a decision on their quarterback by the time free agency opens on March 9th, it’ll be interesting to see how that situation affects the Jets — if at all.
- Vinny Curry‘s new deal with the Eagles should provide a good “data point” for Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin and his contract talks, tweets Corry. Seattle turned down its fifth-year option on Irvin, so he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this winter.
- Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald is entering the final season of his contract, and it’s possible it will also be the final season of his NFL career, though he has yet to directly address the issue. Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic discusses that possibility.
- The 49ers have added J.P. Crowley Hanlon, who worked under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, as an assistant to the coaching staff, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Broncos Notes: Murphy, Manning, HGH
Well, this isn’t how you want to make the news on Super Bowl week. Broncos practice squad safety Ryan Murphy was involved by San Jose police in a prostitution sting, according to CBS Bay Area. Sources say that police detained a suspected prostitute in Santa Clara County and she told law enforcement that she had to go to a car to retrieve some property. Murphy was inside of that car with his brother. The safety was ultimately released by police but his brother was cited for his involvement.
The Broncos have responded by sending Murphy home to Denver, as Lindsay Jones of USA Today tweets.
Here’s more on the Broncos as they get ready for Sunday:
- A report earlier this week indicated that Peyton Manning told close friends that he is going to retire after Super Bowl 50. However, the quarterback denies that’s the case, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. “I mean, close friends that I’m supposedly telling, I’d like to meet them,” Manning said. “The close friends that I have — and I do have close friends, but I don’t think any of them are close to anybody who works for the NFL Network.”
- After the AFC Championship game, boom mics picked up Manning telling coach Bill Belichick that SB50 could be his “last rodeo.” Manning says that comment isn’t as telling as the media is making it out to be. “I may play against these guys 10 more times. Brady’s going to play till he’s 70, Belichick is going to coach till he’s 90. Maybe I hit the fountain of youth in the next couple of months and play another 10 years. Who knows? But in case it was the last time I played against them in the championship,’’ Manning said, (emphasis ours, via Klis).
- Manning sat down with CBS’ Bill Cowher (Twitter link) to address the allegations of HGH use made against him late last year. In the clip, Manning says that he “welcomes” the NFL’s investigation and termed the allegations as being “complete junk.”
- Defensive end Malik Jackson sounds like a player who knows that Sunday is his last game with the team (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “I can make myself a lot more money if I go out there and do what I know how to do and do what I’ve been doing,“
Saints Retain Dennis Allen As DC
FEBRUARY 2nd: The Saints have formally announced that Allen will stay on as the team’s defensive coordinator. They have also confirmed their other moves on the staff, including the appointment of Dan Campbell as tight ends coach/assistant head coach.
JANUARY 13th: If the Saints haven’t already officially agreed to a deal with Dennis Allen to remain the team’s defensive coordinator, they’ll do so soon, says Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Allen, who replaced Rob Ryan during the 2015 season as the interim defensive coordinator in New Orleans, will be retained as the Saints’ permanent DC.
[RELATED: Sean Payton to remain Saints’ head coach]
A week ago, Saints head coach Sean Payton was asked during his end-of-year press conference if Allen would be brought back as the team’s defensive coordinator, and declined to say one way or the other. However, Payton indicated at the time that Allen did a good job stepping in for Ryan, and would likely return for the 2016 season.
Allen, who was on the Saints’ coaching staff from 2006 to 2010, working with the defensive line and the secondary, earned his first defensive coordinator job with the Broncos in 2011 before becoming the head coach of the Raiders. After leaving Oakland, Allen returned to New Orleans in 2015 as a defensive assistant.
The Saints’ defense was one of the NFL’s worst in 2015, ranking 31st in the league in yards allowed per game (413.8) and dead last in points allowed per game (29.8) for the season. Still, those numbers improved slightly under Allen. In the team’s six games following the change at defensive coordinator, New Orleans gave up 395.3 yards and 26.8 points per contest.
If and when the Saints officially name Allen as their permanent defensive coordinator heading into the 2016 season, the club will become the third club this month to announce a DC hire. The Colts hired Ted Monachino and the Dolphins hired Vance Joseph within the last week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles, Vinny Curry Agree To Extension
The extensions just keep on comin’. The latest one has been inked by Vinny Curry, who now has a new deal worth $47.25MM with the Eagles, as Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. In total, the deal includes $23MM in guaranteed cash. Curry also gets $10MM immediately upon signing, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal means that Curry will be under contract through 2020.
The defensive end’s overall numbers took a hit in 2015 — after recording nine sacks and four forced fumbles in 2014, he had 3.5 and zero, respectively, this past season. Still, Pro Football Focus graded him 10th among interior defensive linemen as a pass-rusher, so he was putting pressure on quarterbacks even if he wasn’t bringing them down.
Having been selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, Curry’s old rookie contract was set to expire this winter without a fifth-year option. Now, instead of hitting the the open market in March, Curry is slated to remain in Eagles green for a long time. The rival Giants were among the clubs believed to be eyeing him, but they’ll now have to shift their focus elsewhere.
Curry came to the Eagles in a rather notable draft-day trade in 2012 The Eagles selected defensive lineman Jerel Worthy at No. 51 overall for the Packers and, in return, they got Curry (No. 59) and cornerback Brandon Boykin. Former coach Chip Kelly jettisoned Boykin from Philadelphia prior to the 2015 season, but the Eagles refused to let Curry go anywhere else.
Curry’s deal is not unlike the one given to Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen. Griffen, a former third-round pick out of USC, got a five-year deal worth $42.5MM with $20MM guaranteed roughly eleven months ago. After getting this monster deal, Curry is now cemented as a starter and a key fixture in the Eagles’ front seven. Curry is expected to serve as an edge rusher in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 scheme which should be a much better fit for him that the club’s previous 3-4 set.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Bromley
Earlier today, we heard that the Cowboys were set to talk to former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan about their defensive backs coach position, but Nolan isn’t the only candidate for the opening. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter), the Cowboys will also interview Tim Lewis, lost his job as the Niners’ defensive backs coach last month.
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports adds a few more names to the Cowboys’ list of possible targets, tweeting that the team has already interviewed Titans assistant secondary coach Steve Brown, former Colts assistant Mike Gillhamer, and former Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden, who has since been hired by the Lions. Even with Golden off the table, it certainly seems that Dallas has no shortage of candidates to replace Jerome Henderson.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- It’s only been a few hours since word broke that the Browns are expected to cut Johnny Manziel when the 2016 league year officially begins, but that’s plenty of time for the speculation about Manziel landing with the Cowboys to rev up. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News observe, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to select Manziel during the 2014 draft, but was talked out of it by other members of the team’s front office, and the quarterback has shown little since then – on or off the field – to make the club regret that decision. Still, Jones may still harbor some optimism for Manziel’s potential, and as Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) writes, the team hasn’t shied away from signing players with character red flags.
- The linebacker position “will be of particular interest” for the Dolphins throughout this offseason, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the club will be looking for two starting-caliber linebackers. Salguero suggests Miami will likely try to replace middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and outside linebacker Koa Misi this winter, if possible.
- A police source tells Ryan Sit and Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News that investigators have uncovered “significant discrepancies” in the story told by the woman who accused Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley of assaulting and attempting to rape her. Bromley has steadfastly denied his accuser’s allegations.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/2/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Bengals have signed former Eastern Michigan running back Bronson Hill to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). After being cut by the Bills prior to the 2015 regular season, Hill spent some time on the Bears’, Dolphins’, and Saints’ practice squads.
- Wide receiver Kyle Prater, who went undrafted last year out of Northwestern, has signed a reserve/futures deal with the Saints, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. (via Twitter). It’s Prater’s second stint in New Orleans — the Saints also signed him last spring, but waived him in August.
Colts Confident They’ll Sign Andrew Luck To Extension
TUESDAY, 4:02pm: Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed today that he hopes to get Luck locked up to a new deal before the 2016 season begins, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
“Obviously being this early, there’s no reason to think that we would have had major negotiations yet, but that’s going to be happening as this month gets later and March comes in and all that sort of thing,” Irsay said Tuesday. “I think there’s a good chance we’ll get something done.”
Although Irsay acknowledged that an extension for Luck will likely be worth “nine figures,” he cautioned that he’d like to make the contract as cap-friendly as he can.
“To me it’s not a matter of what the number is going to be, but again, making sure that we have room to surround him with a championship football team and that it’s as cap friendly as it can be as we go through the end of this decade from 2016 to 2020,” Irsay said. “You want to make it cap-friendly and you want to have the ability to possibly alter it as time goes on to help the cap in different things like that.”
MONDAY, 6:50pm: The Colts are more confident than ever in the abilities of quarterback Andrew Luck and they believe that they can sign him to an extension this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Luck is under contract through 2016 with a base salary of $16.155MM. 
A new contract for Luck could cost the Colts more than $22MM annually, exceeding Aaron Rodgers‘ average annual value with the Packers. In fact, Luck’s deal could even set a new watermark for guaranteed money in a deal. If they can’t hammer out a long-term contract, the Colts would have to use the franchise tag to keep him around beyond ’16. The former No. 1 overall pick ostensibly wants to get paid big bucks, but he also has said that he is tired of the constant “rebuilding” talk in Indianapolis. Ultimately, he open to the idea of signing an extension.
“Yeah, that would be great,” he said of a multi-year pact. “I haven’t thought about it too much. I wanted to make sure this season gets done. “But if there’s an opportunity for it, yeah, absolutely.”
Prior to the 2015 season, Luck led the Colts to three consecutive 11-5 seasons and established new career highs in 2014 with 4,761 passing yards and 40 touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC South Notes: Saints, Norman, Shula
Saints offensive tackle Terron Armstead and defensive tackle John Jenkins will see their salaries increase by nearly $1MM apiece for 2016, based on the proven performance escalator clause in their rookie contracts, writes Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Both players had been slated to earn a base salary of about $700K, but will now make $1.696MM each.
Let’s round up a few more of today’s items from out of the NFC South:
- The Panthers may end up using the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman this winter, which could postpone a lucrative, long-term extension for at least a few months. However, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) outlines, it’s just a matter of time until Norman lands that big, multiyear deal.
- In a separate video for Bleacher Report, Cole wonders if Mike Shula‘s lack of an agent could hinder his chances of landing a head coaching job. The Panthers offensive coordinator didn’t draw much interest last month from the seven teams conducting head coaching searches, despite Carolina’s success this season.
- Drew Brees turned 37 years old last month, and is entering the final year of his contract, but the Saints don’t need to find his replacement quite yet, says Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Improving team speed, particularly at linebacker, will be a main focus for Falcons head coach Dan Quinn this winter, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Within his piece, McClure takes a look at some fast, athletic linebacker prospects who may catch Atlanta’s eye as the draft approaches.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Golden, Loadholt
If the Lions want to keep their 2013 draft class, it’ll cost them a pretty penny, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The Lions are slated to have $20MM in salary cap space right now and they could tack on another $11MM if Calvin Johnson retires. Still, the team has five starting-caliber players from the 2013 class that are slated to hit the open market in 2017 if they don’t sign new deals.
Here’s more on the Lions and some of their division rivals:
- Speaking of Johnson’s potential retirement, in a separate piece for the Free Press, Birkett writes that some observers believe Megatron would be more likely to continue playing for the Lions if the team had won more during his time in Detroit.
- The Lions have hired former Miami and Temple head coach Al Golden as their tight ends coach, the team announced in a press release. It’s the first NFL job for the longtime college coach, who was with the Hurricanes from 2011 to 2015.
- Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt, who is working his way back from a torn Achilles, is optimistic that he’ll be ready to go for offseason workouts this spring. However, it remains to be seen whether he’ll still be on Minnesota’s roster at that point, since the club could create $6MM in cap savings by releasing him. Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune spoke to Loadholt about his recovery and his uncertain contract status.
- Earlier this afternoon, we learned that Bears tight end Zach Miller is seeking $5MM per year on his next contract. That story is right here.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Bears’ Zach Miller Seeking $5MM Per Year
After enjoying a breakout season in 2015 for the Bears, veteran tight end Zach Miller is eligible for free agency, and according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, he’s aiming high on his next contract. Biggs reports that Miller is asking for $5MM per year on a new deal.
Not to be confused for former Pro Bowler Zach Miller, who spent time with the Raiders and Seahawks, this Zach Miller had an improbable comeback to the NFL in 2015 after not having appeared in a game since the 2011 season due to various injuries. The former sixth-round pick, who came into the season having recorded 45 career receptions, set new career highs by grabbing 34 balls for 439 yards and five touchdowns in 2015.
While the timing of the lucrative new extensions signed by Zach Ertz of the Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Chiefs may appear to help Miller’s case for a big raise, those players are significantly younger than the Bears tight end, and have more impressive résumés.
At age 31, Miller is more comparable to Gary Barnidge, who came out of nowhere at age 30 to rack up 79 catches, 1,043 yards, and nine touchdowns for the Browns. However, even Barnidge, whose numbers were much more impressive than Miller’s, didn’t get a $5MM annual salary on his new extension, so it seems unlikely that Miller will be able to get that high.
Although Miller’s asking price is reportedly at $5MM annually now, that figure could decrease in the coming weeks. If it doesn’t, the tight end may get an opportunity to gauge his value on the open market in March — if he finds that the Bears aren’t the only team unwilling to meet his asking price, it could pave the way for a reunion with Chicago at a lesser rate.
Considering he’s coming off a productive year and is already 31 years old, it’s hard to blame Miller for doing his best to cash in on what will likely be the biggest contract of his NFL career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.