Eagles Willing To Trade Ryan Mathews
The Eagles seem eager to do away with many of the team’s “Chip Kelly guys” this offseason. In addition to DeMarco Murray, the Eagles are also willing to move running back Ryan Mathews for the right price, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Eagles signed Mathews roughly one year ago in an effort to bulk up their backfield after trading LeSean McCoy. At the time of signing, it was believed that Mathews would be the team’s lead back. Soon after, however, the Eagles also signed Murray to a mammoth deal. A significant portion of Mathews’ three-year deal was tied into performance incentives, so the two sides had to come back to the negotiating table afterwards to rework some of the deal’s language.
In total, Mathews ran the ball for 539 yards off of 107 carries and six TDs to go along with 20 catches for 146 yards. Mathews appeared in 13 games and battled a groin injury for much of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs
Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.
Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.
Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.
- Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
- A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
- The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
- Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
- Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.
FA Rumors: Osweiler, Okung, M. Williams
The big news of the day, of course, was the report that Peyton Manning will officially announce his retirement tomorrow. However, offseason business in the NFL waits for no man, and to that end, here are some notes regarding some of this year’s biggest free agents:
- After Manning’s decision, and with free agency set to officially open on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Broncos‘ negotiations with Brock Osweiler will really begin to ramp up.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Osweiler may indeed re-sign with the Broncos, but that is far from a certainty at this point. As Schefter observes, other quarterback-needy clubs could make it difficult for Denver to retain the fifth-year signal-caller.
- Even though the Seahawks are interested in retaining him, LT Russell Okung is intent on hitting the free agent market, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
- Rapoport tweets that Mario Williams stayed the night in Miami after visiting the Dolphins, and while Williams has other visits lined up, Rapoport says that Miami could keep him from taking those visits.
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman does not spend big in free agency, but if he makes an exception this offseason, Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer identifies Eric Weddle and Bruce Irvin as two players that would make a great deal of sense for Carolina.
- Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans will be active in exploring the top of the free agent running back market after parting ways with Arian Foster. Wilson names Chris Ivory, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte as possibilities for Houston.
- The Eagles will certainly invest free agent dollars and draft picks in their offensive line this offseason, and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer names Jeff Allen and Brandon Brooks as realistic targets for the club.
- Free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin, unsurprisingly, wants to continue his career with a title contender, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Extra Points: Eagles, Jeff Allen, Keenan Allen
Here’s the latest from around the NFL as we draw closer to free agency:
- The Eagles, who desperately need help at guard, are targeting Chiefs pending free agent Jeff Allen, reports Les Bowen of Philly.com. Given Allen’s connection to new Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, who was previously Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, this news comes as no surprise.
- The Packers’ James Jones, set to be part of the upcoming class of free agent receivers, is confused that he isn’t generating much buzz after totaling 50 catches, averaging a tremendous 17.8 yards per reception, and amassing eight touchdowns last season. “I’m hearing a lot of these receivers names being called and people are trying to brush over my name, and I had one of the best seasons out of all these guys that are free agents,” the 31-year-old said. On re-signing with Green Bay, he added, “I was hoping it would go be back to Green Bay, but I don’t know what’s going to happen” (link via Conor Orr of NFL.com).
- Once free agency and the draft are out of the way, the Chargers will initiate extension talks with contract-year wideout Keenan Allen, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Even if the the Chargers drag their feet on giving Allen a new deal, he has no intention of holding out, per Gehlken. The soon-to-be 24-year-old racked up a whopping 67 catches in just eight games last season. That followed back-to-back 70-reception seasons in his first two years.
- First-year Titans general manager Jon Robinson said Friday that his offseason focus lies with improving the team’s offensive line, acquiring offensive playmakers, and adding “players who can help us get off the field on third down on defense,’’ per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com.
- The chances of pending free agent defensive backs Josh Robinson and Robert Blanton returning to the Vikings are “not good,” according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Robinson played in five games last season and wasn’t a factor. Blanton suited up for all 16 games, but appeared in just 21.5% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps.
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/16
When teams assign first- or second-round tenders to their restricted free agents, like the Raiders did today with quarterback Matt McGloin, we’ll devote full news stories to those moves. But for the most part, RFAs around the league can expect to be either non-tendered or given a low-end tender worth $1.671MM. We’ll round up the players that fall into that group on Friday in the space below, with the latest updates added to the top of the list throughout the day….
- The 49ers have offered linebacker Michael Wilhoite the low-end tender, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The 29-year-old has started in all 28 of his appearances over the last two seasons. Despite missing four games in 2015, Wilhoite was second on the Niners in tackles (85), though he graded dead last in overall performance out of Pro Football Focus’ 97 qualifying linebackers (subscription required).
Earlier updates:
- The Saints aren’t expected to submit an RFA tender to running back Khiry Robinson, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com confirms as much (via Twitter). Robinson, 26, saw his 2015 campaign come to an early end when he suffered a broken leg in November, but he has been a steady contributor in New Orleans’ backfield since 2013, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 186 total attempts. He’s now on track to reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
- The Eagles have given RFA offensive lineman Matt Tobin the low-end tender, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Philadelphia now holds the right of first refusal on the 25-year-old lineman, who made 13 starts for the Eagles in 2015. Depending on the moves the team makes in free agency and the draft, Tobin could return to a reserve role in 2016.
- One restricted free agent who won’t get a tender offer from the Eagles is offensive lineman David Molk, who has decided to retire rather than continuing his career, according to the team (Twitter link). Molk, who started four games at center for Philadelphia in 2014, is widely believed to be the anonymous author of a book called NFL Confidential: True Confessions from the Gutter of Football, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at life in the NFL.
- The Packers have a pair of players eligible for restricted free agency, and according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter), the team won’t be tendering one of them, linebacker Andy Mulumba. Silverstein adds that guard Lane Taylor probably won’t get a tender offer either, which would make both players unrestricted free agents next week.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Morris, Coughlin
Having signed Sam Bradford to a two-year contract extension, the Eagles don’t necessarily plan to put the quarterback position on the back-burner for the rest of the offseason. Head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged today that he and the Eagles will look into drafting a signal-caller, though he added it would probably be later in the draft, rather than with the No. 13 overall pick (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on whether the offensive line will be a priority for the club this offseason: “It’s a priority today. It’s a priority tomorrow. It’s a priority next week. It’s a priority in April” (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It sounds like that’s a yes.
- Admitting that he doesn’t know what to expect as his first opportunity at free agency approaches, running back Alfred Morris says he’d be open to returning to Washington, but will have “no hard feelings” if the team doesn’t bring him back. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from Morris.
- Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is sending an odd message by hanging around the team’s facility and using the gym twice a week, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. Myers hear that Coughlin’s “hard feelings for the Giants came through loud and clear” during his head coaching interview with the Eagles in January, and adds that it’s time for the veteran coach to move on.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo surgery on his collarbone next week, sources tell David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Romo is believed to have made his decision on what kind of procedure he’ll have, but it’s yet known which direction he’s going.
Eagles, Sam Bradford Agree To Two-Year Deal
6:10pm: ESPN’s Andrew Brandt has several details on Bradford’s new deal (all via Twitter). $22MM of that $26MM in guaranteed money is fully guaranteed. The quarterback will make $18MM ($11MM bonus, $7MM salary) of that money in 2016, but that number could be increased to $20MM with playoff wins. With $7MM in salary and $5.5MM in pro-rated bonus, that means the quarterback’s cap hit will be worth $12.5MM for this upcoming season.
$4MM of Bradford’s 2017 salary is fully guaranteed, with another $4MM guaranteed for injury. His base salary for 2017 is worth $13MM, tweets USA Today’s Tom Pelissero.
As Brandt notes, the $22MM in fully guaranteed money is $2MM more than Bradford could have received via the franchise tag (not including the playoff incentives). Meanwhile, the Eagles essentially get a second-year option worth only $4MM.
3:24pm: The Eagles didn’t use their franchise tag on Sam Bradford today, but it seems the team did get a new deal done with the quarterback right around the same tag as the franchise-tag deadline. The club announced (via Twitter) that it has agreed to terms on a two-year contract for Bradford.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Eagles’ offseason]
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Bradford’s new two-year contract is worth $36MM overall, including $26MM in guaranteed money. It’ll be interesting to see the full breakdown of the deal, since on the surface, it looks very solid for Bradford, particularly if that $26MM is fully guaranteed.
If he had been franchised, the former No. 1 overall pick would have been in line for a salary just under $20MM. By the looks of it, he’ll average $18MM for the next two seasons instead, though Rand Getlin of the NFL Network suggests (via Twitter) that the new contract could max out at $40MM, via incentives. That would mean matching this year’s franchise-tag salary in terms of average annual value, so it’s clear that figure was a point of reference in negotiations.
Bradford, acquired a year ago by Chip Kelly‘s Eagles in a trade with the Rams, had his ups and downs in 14 starts for Philadelphia in 2015, but his overall numbers were solid. The Oklahoma product set new career-highs with a 65.0% completion percentage, and 3,725 yards passing. He also tossed 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, leading the club to a 7-7 record in his starts.
While there was some skepticism when Kelly was fired that the Eagles would make a significant effort to lock up their incumbent quarterback, reports in recent days have suggested the team was pushing hard to make it happen. It’s been a productive offseason so far in Philadelphia, with the club finalizing extensions with safety Malcolm Jenkins, offensive tackle Lane Johnson, defensive lineman Vinny Curry, and tight ends Zach Ertz and Brent Celek, in addition to Bradford.
Meanwhile, with Bradford locked up and Kirk Cousins getting the franchise tag earlier today, the quarterback market looks less appealing than it did 24 hours ago for QB-needy teams. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler, and Chase Daniel are among the signal-callers still on track for potential unrestricted free agency next week, while Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick are candidates to be released or traded.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Interviewed Daniel Jeremiah For Personnel Job
As the Eagles and owner Jeffrey Lurie search for a new “player personnel head,” the organization is thinking a bit outside the box. Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com reports that the organization interviewed NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah for the open position. There was no formal offer extended to the draft expert, and the 38-year-old ultimately signed an extension with NFL Network.
Peter King of the Monday Morning Quarterback reported that the analyst had received a “firm” offer to head an NFL personnel department, as well as a “the-job-is-yours-if-you-want-it feeler” from another organization. Instead, Jeremiah decided to stay in California with his wife and four children.
“The competitive side of me was really excited about it,” he told King. “The scoreboard is an awesome thing, and you can’t replace that in this job. It was really a tough call for me, and for my family. When I was at the Senior Bowl, I had a Friday off-day, and I never left my hotel room. I was just thinking and talking and pacing. I’ve got one of those tracking devices on my phone, and I literally paced 7 miles that day.
“It came down to this: If you’re happy, and we are, then why look so hard for happier? Our kids are 8, 10, 12 and 14. They are thriving. We love our church. We love their schools; my daughter is getting ready to start high school. Let her dig in, and let all the kids dig in to their schools and their lives. So it’s good. I have no regrets about it.”
Jeremiah has previously worked in NFL front offices, having served as a scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles.
There were rumbling in early February that the team had halted their pursuit of a new head of player personnel, with the organization expected to make a hire following the draft. The team had previously interviewed Brandon Hunt, Morocco Brown, Dwayne Joseph, and Mark Dominik, but the team is set to rely on Howie Roseman to make all moves until a hiring is made official.
Eagles Likely To Retain Sam Bradford
If quarterback Sam Bradford isn’t under Eagles control by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag or transition tag, the pending free agent will hold off on signing a deal until he gauges his interest on the market, reports Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon, and Eagles vice president Howie Roseman met at the combine last week and will talk again Tuesday, according to Bowen (Twitter link).
Free agency begins March 9, but the “legal tampering” period – which starts March 7 – will enable Bradford and Condon to negotiate with other teams beforehand. There’s a question, though, as to how many other clubs will have interest in Bradford if it gets to that point. Neither the Texans nor Browns are expected to pursue the 28-year-old, per Bowen, while the market for his services will shrink by two more if the Broncos and Jets take the predicted paths of re-signing Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick, respectively.
In the end, the Eagles and Bradford might be the best match for one another, notes Bowen, who adds that the likelihood is the two sides will renew their relationship. For the Eagles’ part, it appears they’ll have a hard time finding a signal-caller who’s clearly an upgrade over Bradford through free agency or the draft, in which they hold the 13th overall pick. The expectation is that the two best QBs in this year’s rookie class, North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz and California’s Jared Goff, will be long gone by then.
Bradford, whom the Rams took No. 1 overall in 2010 draft, has battled various injuries – including two torn ACLs – during his career and hasn’t been great when healthy. The former Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Oklahoma has appeared in 63 of a possible 96 regular-season games, totaling 78 touchdowns and 52 interceptions while putting up an 81.0 passer rating.
Former Eagles head coach and football czar Chip Kelly, whom the team fired in December, acquired Bradford from the Rams last offseason in exchange for QB Nick Foles and a second-round pick. Bradford then started 14 games (his most since 2012) and established new career highs in completion percentage (65.0), yards (3,725) and yards per attempt (7.00). He also tossed 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Bradford was particularly effective from November onward, connecting on better than 68 percent of attempts while amassing 10 TDs and four picks. The Eagles went 7-7 in Bradford’s starts, 0-2 with backup Mark Sanchez under center, and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
Bradford made just under $13MM last season to conclude his six-year, $78MM rookie contract. It appears highly doubtful his next deal will approach either the length or total value of his expiring pact.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman
An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.
“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.
As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….
- Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
- Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
- Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.