HEADLINES

Combine Pressers: Rams, Jags, Seahawks

February 20th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Most head coaches and general managers who were scheduled to speak to the media in a press conference setting at the combine this week did so on Wednesday or Thursday, but there were still a few names left on the docket today. Three head coaches or GMs spoke to reporters at the podium in Indianapolis this morning and afternoon, and we’ve got a recap of their notable comments below, with all links going to Twitter unless otherwise indicated….

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher:

  • According to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Fisher said today that a report suggesting Sam Bradford was allowed to seek a trade was “inaccurate.” However, he stressed that the Rams will definitely be keeping an eye out for a quarterback this offseason. “It could be a veteran, could be a draft pick,” Fisher said. “But it’s extremely important to have that option, yes.”
  • Fisher once again reiterated that the Rams want Bradford back, noting that the former first overall pick had dinner with new quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke last week before Weinke was hired.
  • In addition to interviewing Jeff Garcia, the Rams also spoke to Steve Walsh about their QB coach job before hiring Weinke, according to Fisher.
  • Jake Long‘s rehab is progressing and the team is working on figuring out where he could fit besides left tackle, with many options in play, said Fisher. Greg Robinson is poised to take over as the Rams’ permanent left tackle, meaning Long will either switch positions or be cut.

Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell:

  • The Jaguars will have a top-three pick once again this season, and while the club has held onto its top pick in recent years, Cadlwell is more willing to discuss the possibility of moving down this time around, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “I feel more open to it this year because we don’t need to have a guy come in and start,” Caldwell said. “We had no margin for error the last two years. We had to draft them and start them.”
  • If the Jags do decide to trade their pick, Caldwell expects it to be a last-minute move, since some teams wait until draft day to make a real offer.
  • The Jaguars head into March armed with a ton of cap space, and the team plans to be aggressive in free agency, but won’t “spend just to spend,” said Caldwell.
  • Caldwell has received second-hand reports telling him that wide receiver Justin Blackmon is making solid progress, trying to make positive strides in his life. Blackmon is slowly working his way toward reinstatement, as we heard a couple weeks ago.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll:

  • The Seahawks have made “big offers” to running back Marshawn Lynch, and engaged in “earnest” talks with him, per Carroll. The club is still waiting on Lynch to make a decision about the coming season, and if he decides to continue playing, it sounds like he’ll be rewarded with an extension.
  • Having lost coaches like Dan Quinn and Ken Norton to larger roles with other clubs, the Seahawks are still looking to fill a couple spots on their defensive staff, according to Carroll, who said the team is conducting interviews in Indianapolis.

Packers Release Brad Jones

February 20th, 2015 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have cleared some cap space for the coming league year, announcing today in a press release that they’ve released inside linebacker Brad Jones. In a statement, GM Ted Thompson thanked Jones for his contributions to the team for the last six seasons, and wished him the best.

Jones, 28, has been a Packer since the club drafted him in the seventh round in 2009. Although he was a starter for Green Bay in 2012 and 2013, his role was significantly reduced in 2014, as he played just 218 defensive snaps. After averaging 80+ tackles per season the previous two years, Jones recorded just 23 last year, to go along with a forced fumble.

Given Jones’ diminished playing time, it made sense for the Packers to move on, since he was set to earn a base salary of $3.25MM in 2015. Although he’ll still count for $1MM in dead money on Green Bay’s cap, the team will clear about $3.7MM in cap room by cutting the Colorado product.

As a vested veteran, Jones is immediately eligible to sign with another team, without having to pass through waivers.

Lovie: Bucs Won’t Sit Out Free Agency

February 20th, 2015 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, the Buccaneers were perhaps the most active team in the NFL when free agency opened, signing Michael Johnson, Anthony Collins, Alterraun Verner, and Evan Dietrich-Smith to long-term deals, and adding a new starting quarterback in Josh McCown. Of course, that spending spree didn’t exactly work out for the Bucs, as Lovie Smith‘s club stumbled to a league-worst 2-14 record and the first overall pick in 2015. While Tampa Bay may not be quite as aggressive in free agency this time around, last year’s failures won’t discourage the team from being involved next month, according to Smith.

“We’d like to build [the roster] through the draft, but I think you use every avenue possible to improve your squad,” Smith said at the combine, per Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “Free agency is coming up. It’s not like we’re out of the free agency business. Hopefully, we can make some better decisions. Just because something didn’t turn out, we’re not going to stop playing football. We’re going to get back up on it and start doing things better. We’re going to do a better job in free agency and everything else this year.”

Heading into his second year as the Bucs’ head coach, Smith added that he’s much more familiar with the team’s roster now, which should help the team make better decisions in free agency. And in spite of last year’s investments, Tampa Bay still has plenty of room to maneuver this winter. According to Over The Cap’s data, the Bucs are currently about $32.6MM under the projected 2015 cap.

Bengals Release Mike Pollak

February 20th, 2015 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have parted ways with veteran offensive lineman Mike Pollak, the team announced today (via Twitter). After spending two seasons in Cincinnati, Pollak will become a free agent immediately, having been cut by the Bengals.

Pollak, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday, started his career with the Colts before joining the Panthers briefly and then landing in Cincinnati. In two years with the Bengals, he appeared in 22 games, starting 11 of them. The former second-round pick spent time at both left guard and right guard for the team in 2014, but the Bengals ultimately finished the season with Kevin Zeitler on the right side and Clint Boling on the left.

With Boling headed for unrestricted free agency next month, the Bengals could have kept Pollak on the roster as a potential starter for next season, but it appears the club either is confident Boling will re-sign or is comfortable moving in a different direction. As Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com tweets, Cincinnati is expected to target depth at guard in free agency and in the draft.

By releasing Pollak, the Bengals remove his $1.2MM base salary and $75K workout bonus for 2015 from their books. However, the veteran lineman still had two years left on his contract, so the team will have to deal with a little dead money. Overall, the move reduces Pollak’s cap number from $1.44MM to about $333K.

Extra Points: Colts, Rams, Lowery, Lions

February 20th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

While Colts GM Ryan Grigson didn’t reveal anything too significant during his conversation with reporters this week at the combine in Indianapolis, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star came away with the sense that the team would make “consequential moves” in free agency next month. With possible at holes at safety, running back, and perhaps wide receiver, as well as a need for pass rushers, the Colts are armed with plenty of cap room and have the ability to make impact additions.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), word from the combine has the Rams preparing to target linebackers early in the draft. All three of St. Louis’ regular linebackers in 2014 received negative grades, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
  • There have been no contract discussions between the Falcons and safety Dwight Lowery yet, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Lowery is eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.
  • Speaking to Tori Petry of DetroitLions.com (video link), Lions GM Martin Mayhew singled out quarterback Dan Orlovsky and long snapper Don Muhlbach as two under-the-radar potential free agents that the team is optimistic about re-signing.
  • Former Browns and Eagles executive Joe Banner cautions fans not to think that every team is having the same Marcus Mariota vs. Jameis Winston debate that the media is having. According to Banner (via Twitter), many clubs already have Mariota “clearly” at the top of their quarterback rankings.
  • Former first-round quarterback Brady Quinn, who was in camp with the Dolphins in 2014, is planning to give it one last shot in the NFL this year in the hopes of landing a regular season roster spot, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

Eagles Frontrunners For Byron Maxwell?

February 20th, 2015 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on comments made by Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who said this this week at the combine that his team won’t be using its franchise tag, it sounds as if cornerback Byron Maxwell will be allowed to reach the open market next month. And according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), “present word” in Indianapolis suggests the Eagles are the frontrunners to land Maxwell.

Plenty can – and likely will – change between now and the beginning of the free agent period on March 10, and it’s possible that the Seahawks and Maxwell will find common ground during the next two and a half weeks. However, if the former sixth-round pick is available next month, it makes sense that the Eagles would be among his top suitors. As PFR’s Rob DiRe noted when he previewed the Eagles’ offseason last week, addressing the cornerback position will be a priority for the club this winter, and Maxwell may be the best corner on the market.

If the Eagles do want to sign Maxwell, he won’t come cheaply. Despite having been a full-time starter for just one season, Maxwell’s per-year asking price figures to be in the $10MM+ range, as Pauline reported earlier today. It remains to be seen whether he’ll land that sort of deal, given his limited track record. However, plenty of teams figure to be targeting corners, and multiple free agents last year – including Sam Shields, Aqib Talib, and Vontae Davis – signed contracts worth $9MM+ annually; the cap also looks poised to rise by about 8% for 2015.

Elsewhere on the Eagles’ front, Martin Frank of The News Journal hears from a source that cornerback Cary Williams has about a “50/50” chance of returning to Philadelphia for 2015. Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com has a similar assessment, tweeting that the Eagles and Williams haven’t discussed his future yet, but adding that that doesn’t mean he’s definitely gone. Williams is entering the final season of a three-year contract, and currently counts for $8.167MM against the team’s cap in ’15.

Falcons Interested In Justin Forsett

February 20th, 2015 at 11:45am CST by Luke Adams

Assuming Justin Forsett doesn’t sign a new contract with the Ravens before he becomes eligible to talk to other potential suitors in March, the free agent running back will draw “strong interest” from the Falcons, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Atlanta would be able to talk to Forsett’s agent as of March 7, and could sign him starting on March 10.

Forsett, 29, had a breakout season in 2014, setting new career-best marks across the board, including rushing yards (1,266), receptions (44), and touchdowns (eight). While a veteran putting up those kind of numbers for the first time during his seventh season in the league – a contract year – might raise some red flags, Forsett is expected to generate plenty of interest this winter as part of a running back class that doesn’t feature any real top-tier options besides DeMarco Murray.

As McClure points out, Forsett does have a connection to the Falcons’ coaching staff, having played in Seattle while new Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn was working for the Seahawks. However, it may be Forsett’s success in Gary Kubiak‘s zone-blocking scheme that truly piques the Falcons’ interest — Kyle Shanahan is expected to employ a similar scheme in Atlanta in 2015.

Both Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff mentioned during their meetings with the media yesterday in Indianapolis that they could envision Devonta Freeman excelling in Shanahan’s system, so it makes sense that the Falcons would like Forsett too — Freeman is listed at 5’8″ and 206 pounds, while Forsett checks in at 5’8″ and 197.

North Notes: Skrine, Lions, Hoyer, Guion

February 20th, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Yesterday, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reported that he’s hearing the cornerback market could be very player-friendly this offseason, with multiple teams potentially looking to sign more than one free agent corner. Today, Pauline provides some predictions for specific players, tweeting that he’s hearing numbers in the $10MM-per-year range for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell. I expressed skepticism last month when a report suggested that sources close to Maxwell had thrown out figures in the $12-13MM range, but even a $10MM annual salary would indicate a robust market.

Pauline adds (via Twitter) that he’s also heard a $6.5MM annual figure being “thrown around” for Browns cornerback Buster Skrine. Skrine received the worst Pro Football Focus grade of any of Cleveland’s top four CBs (subscription required), but also played the most defensive snaps of the group, and held his own as a starter when Justin Gilbert wasn’t quite ready to play across from Joe Haden.

As we wait to see whether Skrine actually does that well on his new deal, let’s check in on a few more updates from across the NFL’s North divisions….

  • In his preview of the Lions‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap suggests that the team would be best off letting Ndamukong Suh walk, since Detroit has very little spending flexibility with its current “Big Three” structure, and it’s hard to picture the team having long-term success with that approach. Fitzgerald views Nick Fairley as a more prudent investment at defensive tackle.
  • Based on his comments to reporters at the combine on Thursday, it appears that Browns GM Ray Farmer is continuing to give free agent quarterback Brian Hoyer the cold shoulder, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. While it may be a negotiating ploy, it doesn’t look like the Browns will be re-signing the veteran signal-caller.
  • The legal issues for Packers free agent defensive lineman Letroy Guion are expected to resolved very soon, perhaps within the next few days, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Getting closure on that situation prior to the free agent period would be a win for Guion and for teams with interest in him.
  • Bears GM Ryan Pace was fairly noncommittal when discussing potential contract extensions for players like Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery, but admitted “it’s a slow process,” according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Cowboys, Ogletree

February 20th, 2015 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles shook up the structure of their front office after the regular season ended, parting ways with Tom Gamble, promoting Ed Marynowitz, and assigning new roles to Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman. These changes were initially causing some confusion around the NFL among team executives and agents, who weren’t sure who to talk to about contracts and personnel decisions in Philadelphia. So far though, agents who deal with the Eagles say nothing has changed in terms of negotiations, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who adds that everything on that front still goes through Roseman, with no involvement from Kelly.

Here are a few more notes from out of the NFC East:

  • While it’s certainly true that the Eagles could target a cornerback in the first round of this spring’s draft, Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com says the team should use the free agent period to try to upgrade its secondary, and use the draft as a Plan B. As Sheridan points out, recent history shows that a rookie defensive back – even one selected in the first round – may not be ready to contribute immediately.
  • If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones allows DeMarco Murray go elsewhere this offseason, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News sees pending free agent Mark Ingram as the next-best option. Of course, in light of Adrian Peterson‘s dissatisfaction with the Vikings, one can’t help but wonder if the long-rumored Peterson-to-Dallas connection could become a reality.
  • Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has the details on wideout Kevin Ogletree‘s new deal with the Giants, which is worth $825K and includes $25K in guaranteed money. That’s slightly more than the minimum salary for a player with Ogletree’s experience.
  • Earlier this morning, we learned that Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants have yet to engage in discussions about a long-term contract.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

2015 Salary Cap Projection Up To $140MM+

February 20th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:59am: NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith told agents today that the union expects the 2015 cap to be “no less than $143MM,” a source tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 3:27pm: Three sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the NFLPA is expected to unveil its 2015 salary cap projection on Friday, and that the union’s prediction could be as high as $143.5MM.

WEDNESDAY, 1:12pm: Back in December, the NFL projected a salary cap of $138.6MM for the 2015 season, but that figure is on the rise as the new league year approaches, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the league informed teams today that it expects the cap to ultimately land between $140MM and $143MM.

When the league issued its original projection, a number of reports indicated that the figure would likely be a little low. The NFL Players Association quickly sent out a memo to agents and contract advisors, suggesting that the estimate was underestimating the likely growth of the cap from 2014’s $133MM. Most outlets have been anticipating a cap in the neighborhood of $140MM or $142MM for the last several weeks.

The NFLPA has said that it intends to issue its own projection for the 2015 cap, but if that’s going to happen, it will have to be soon — last year, the actual figure was announced by the league at the end of February, so we should find out within the next couple weeks where the cap will land for ’15. Once the cap is set, teams will also be able to determine the one-year salaries for franchise tags.

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