Latest On Sam Bradford, Eagles
11:30am: Mike Garafolo of FOXSports writes that the Eagles upped their offer to Bradford during the team’s meetings with Condon last week. Although the terms of the offer remain unknown, sources indicate that the offer is “at the top of [Bradford’s] expected range on the open market and…should help get him under contract before that market opens on March 9.”
10:00am: In keeping with other reports we have heard this month, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer and colleague Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirm that the Eagles’ “Plan A” for the quarterback position is to re-sign Sam Bradford. However, the team is not committed to Bradford to the extent that it would be willing to use the franchise tag on him, leading Ford to write that Bradford would be welcomed back with open arms, but not necessarily an open wallet.
[RELATED: Negotiations between Eagles and Bradford are ongoing]
If Bradford does choose to test the free agent waters, McLane believes that he may not have as many suitors as he and his agent, Tom Condon, once thought. Indeed, McLane’s informal poll of league executives, coaches, scouts, and agents strongly suggested that Bradford will test the market only to realize that his best option will be to remain in Philadelphia. Negotiations between Bradford and the Eagles are still ongoing, but it remains unclear how much of a gap the two parties will need to bridge.
Ford, for his part, looks at some of the options Bradford could have if he and the Eagles are unable to strike a deal. The teams with both an unsettled quarterback situation and a significant amount of cap space include the Rams, Browns, and 49ers. There is no way Bradford returns to the Rams, the team that originally drafted him, and while the 49ers make some sense as a potential landing spot–assuming San Francisco parts ways with Colin Kaepernick–Ford is skeptical that Bradford would voluntarily sign up for “another chance to get killed in a Chip Kelly offense.” At this point, it is even harder to imagine a quarterback with any alternatives choosing to play for Cleveland.
Ford describes the Texans as having a tighter cap situation than the three above-referenced clubs, but Houston does have over $31MM in cap room, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. The Texans are looking for a fresh start at the quarterback position, and a competent quarterback like Bradford, along with the team’s excellent defense, could allow them to make a deep playoff run. As of now, though, the fit between Bradford and Houston is merely a speculative one.
Outside of those possible destinations, teams like Washington, the Broncos, and the Jets are currently engaged in mating dances with their own signal-callers, and if one or more of those negotiations break down, Bradford could have that many more suitors, but that does not seem especially likely at the moment.
As such, Bradford could, as McLane’s poll suggests, end up needing the Eagles. But Condon, of course, will also say the Eagles need Bradford. There are no “can’t-miss” quarterback prospects in the draft, and the free agent crop of QBs is predictably underwhelming. New head coach Doug Pederson has been touting free agent Chase Daniel as a starting-caliber player, but that may be as much a negotiating ploy as a legitimately-held belief (although Pederson, who coached Daniel in Kansas City, does appear to truly believe in Daniel’s skill-set).
McLane writes that the Eagles do have a backup plan if Bradford walks, which would likely be to use the team’s No. 13 overall pick on one of the consensus top three quarterbacks in the draft: Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, or Paxton Lynch (assuming, of course, one of them falls to the Eagles). And even if Bradford returns, the team is likely to use a late-round selection on a developmental project. But at the moment, it appears that Bradford and the Eagles will end up back together. The question is when that will happen, and at what price.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Jets
We recently rounded up the latest reports concerning Sam Bradford‘s status with the Eagles, so let’s dive into some more notes from the league’s east divisions, starting with more out of Philadelphia:
- The Eagles were the only team to avoid drafting an offensive lineman in the 2014 and 2015 drafts, but Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer expects that to change in 2016. Head coach Doug Pederson has spoken highly of this draft’s class of offensive linemen, and although the team could address its deficiencies along the O-line in free agency, Philadelphia is likely to use at least one of its nine draft choices on a guard or a tackle who could begin his career on the interior of the line.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines the risks involved for Washington if the team were to offer a long-term deal to Kirk Cousins. Fitzgerald does not believe Washington should go higher than $15MM per year for Cousins, and he says that if the two sides cannot come to an agreement on a multi-year deal, the team should place the transition tag on its quarterback.
- Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is now the Dolphins‘ executive vice president of football operations, and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan is now the Bills‘ head coach. As Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, that situation may be creating some additional leverage for impending Jets free agents like Damon Harrison who have ties to Ryan and Tannenbaum and who might have a landing spot in Buffalo or Miami if they do not get paid by New York.
- The Jets‘ plan remains to continue negotiating with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the team is not interested in trading for Colin Kaepernick, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Patriots are looking hard at running backs, both in the draft and in free agency, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. New England is typically loathe to spend more than $1MM on a running back, but Volin believes the team may splurge a bit on a veteran this year, considering how badly the Pats were handicapped by the lack of a running game in their loss to Denver in the AFC Championship Game.
- However, the Patriots will not dramatically alter their usual low-key approach to the offseason just because they do not have a first-round pick, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
La Canfora’s Latest: Hali, Bengals, Rams, Colts
After renegotiating his contract last May, and adding four void years to the end of his deal, Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9, and he although the expectation is that he’ll return to Kansas City for an 11th season, he would walk into a strong market were he to reach free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a league devoid of pass rush talent, Hali, who posted 6.5 sacks last year at the age of 32, could land a surprisingly large contract, per La Canfora.
Let’s dive into the latest from the CBS Sports scribe:
- The Bengals consider receiver Marvin Jones, cornerback Adam Jones, and safety Reggie Nelson their three most important free agents, sources tell La Canfora. For his part, Jones is expected to test free agency, while Nelson has expressed a strong desire to return to Cincinnati.
- A report earlier today indicated that the Rams plan to place the franchise or transition tag on either Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson, and La Canfora reports that the odds of Los Angeles completing a long-term deal with either corner before the March 1 tag deadline is “bleak.” Therefore, it’s possible the Rams are forced to simply use the tag on one player, and let the either leave via free agency.
- Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford might not have many suitors on the open market, per La Canfora, so Philadelphia could be smart to let him gauge his value in free agency rather than striking a deal now or using the franchise tag. La Canfora does point to Chip Kelly and the 49ers as one possible landing spot for Bradford (if San Francisco trades Colin Kaepernick).
- La Canfora believes Dwayne Allen is the more likely tight end to remain with the Colts, arguing that he’s a more complete player than Coby Fleener. Whichever tight end does leave Indianapolis, adds La Canfora, could be candidate to fill the void left by Heath Miller on the Steelers‘ roster.
- In a separate piece, La Canfora examines whether the “franchise tag-and-trade” concept — which the Dolphins are reportedly mulling using with defensive end Olivier Vernon — could become a leaguewide trend.
Latest On DeMarco Murray, Eagles
Although DeMarco Murray has publicly stated that he’s committed to the Eagles, the message teams are receiving this week at the combine is that Murray is still not happy in Philadelphia, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Rapoport, it will be difficult for the Eagles to accommodate a trade, but rival teams know his situation is “unsettled” and Philadelphia is willing to listen.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Eagles’ offseason]
Murray, 28, rushed for just 702 yards and six touchdowns in 2015 after establishing career-highs of 1,845 yards and 13 TDs in his final season in Dallas. The former third-round pick, who never seemed to get comfortable in Chip Kelly‘s offense during his first year in Philadelphia, averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry.
A report earlier this month, also from Rapoport, indicated that the Eagles and Murray were headed for a “stare-down” regarding his future with the team. At the time, Rapoport noted that the former Cowboys running back would likely welcome the opportunity to return to Dallas, a point that the NFL.com scribe repeats today. However, in the wake of that initial report, Murray stressed that he would be content to play the 2016 season in Philadelphia.
“I’m signed there for the next four years. I don’t know where that story is coming from,” Murray said during a PFT Live appearance. “It’s a little crazy. Every week I feel like there’s something new. It’s a little weird. I can’t worry about what people are saying. I’ll just continue to work hard. I’m signed for four years and I’m committed.”
Within that interview, Murray admitted it was “hard to get comfortable” in Kelly’s scheme, but claimed that the perception of problems with the coach were “blown out of proportion” over the course of the season. Murray said at the time that he had spoken to new Eagles coach Doug Pederson and was expecting a “more conventional” offensive scheme in 2016.
Whether or not Murray is happy with the Eagles, it may not make much of a difference in the short term, since his contract makes it so hard to do anything with him. Murray’s $7MM base salary for 2016 is fully guaranteed, as is $2MM of his $7.5MM salary for 2017. The Oklahoma product also has $4MM in additional dead money on his deal that would accelerate onto the current year if he’s traded or released.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Notes: Bradford, Ryans, Washington, Donnell
The latest from the NFC East:
- Having spoken this week at the combine about how they’d like to re-sign Sam Bradford, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and GM Howie Roseman met with the quarterback’s agent, Tom Condon, on Wednesday in Indianapolis, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.
- Agent Ben Dogra says the Eagles did not offer to keep DeMeco Ryans at a lower figure, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Dogra added that his client wants to continue his playing career after being cut by Philadelphia.
- Washington team officials and agents for some of the club’s players will meet Friday to discuss contract restructurings, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Jones lists receiver Pierre Garcon ($10.2MM), defensive end Jason Hatcher ($8.7MM) and safety Dashon Goldson ($8MM) as players whose deals Washington could look to rework.
- Giants general manager Jerry Reese updated the status of tight end Larry Donnell, whose season ended in December because of a neck injury. “We’re expecting him to be back, but necks can be tricky, so we’ll have to wait and see where that goes,” Reese said Thursday. “Hopefully he can get healthy and come back and continue his career.” Despite Reese’s guarded statement, Donnell’s neck injury isn’t a “career concern,” a source tells the New York Daily News’ Ebenezer Samuel.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts
The NFL Players Association issued a press release today announcing the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2016 season. The official salary cap amount for 2016 has yet to be announced by the league, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $155MM+. When that figures becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official cap for 2016.
According to the press release, the Broncos, Rams, and the Saints are the only teams that opted not to carry over the full amount available to them, though none of those clubs are believed to have left significant amounts on the table.
Here are the salary cap carryover amounts for 2016, per the NFLPA, from highest to lowest:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $32,774,928
- Tennessee Titans: $20,783,801
- Cleveland Browns: $20,734,144
- Oakland Raiders: $13,373,617
- San Francisco 49ers: $12,206,686
- New York Giants: $11,193,231
- Miami Dolphins: $9,137,544
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,987,748
- Cincinnati Bengals: $7,587,902
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7,255,362
- Green Bay Packers: $6,953,847
- Washington: $5,837,734
- Indianapolis Colts: $4,950,629
- Buffalo Bills: $4,467,331
- Atlanta Falcons: $3,905,771
- Carolina Panthers: $3,731,200
- Dallas Cowboys: $3,571,239
- Denver Broncos: $3,300,000
- Arizona Cardinals: $3,031,663
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,000,327
- Kansas City Chiefs: $2,622,838
- New York Jets: $2,484,216
- San Diego Chargers: $2,287,176
- Minnesota Vikings: $2,090,409
- Houston Texans: $1,637,055
- Baltimore Ravens: $1,633,944
- New Orleans Saints: $1,400,000
- New England Patriots: $1,347,882
- Los Angeles Rams: $933,521
- Chicago Bears: $867,589
- Detroit Lions: $862,191
- Seattle Seahawks: $11,587
NFC East Rumors: Cox, Brinkley, Romo, JPP
Having already extended the contracts of Vinny Curry, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Malcolm Jenkins, and Brent Celek since their season ended, the Eagles would still like to get something done with Fletcher Cox, whose next deal may very well make him the team’s highest-paid player. Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, de-facto general manager Howie Roseman called it a “huge priority” to lock up Cox, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
“He’s a great player and he’s going to get great player money,” Roseman said. “And we’re not shy about saying that.”
Cox remains under contract with the Eagles for one more season, so the team isn’t under any immediate pressure to get something done with the standout lineman. As the two sides attempt to work on a deal, let’s round up a few other items from out of the NFC East….
- Giants linebacker Jasper Brinkley is expected to hit the open market next month, according to James Kratch of NJ.com. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll sign elsewhere. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Kratch that the Giants have expressed interest in signing Brinkley and have had discussions with his representatives.
- While there’s still no final decision on what type of collarbone surgery Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo, he’s expected to go under the knife within the next two weeks, a source tells Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A Tuesday report indicated Romo is leaning toward a Mumford procedure, which involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is likely focused on his next contract as he nears free agency, but he’ll have another issue on his plate in the near future. According to Julia Marsh of the New York Post, Pierre-Paul filed a lawsuit against ESPN and reporter Adam Schefter on Wednesday for publishing his medical records last year. The lawsuit contends that Schefter “improperly obtained” JPP’s medical chart, violating his medical privacy.
Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson
The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).
Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:
- Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
- When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
- Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
- Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
- Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.
NFC East Rumors: Washington, Cowboys, Cruz
Washington executives Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen aren’t scheduled to speak to the media in formal press conferences this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but head coach Jay Gruden did so today, touching on a handful of topics surrounding the team. Most notably, Gruden expressed confidence that Washington will work something out with quarterback Kirk Cousins, suggesting that the two sides continue to talk in the hopes of hammering out an agreement (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
Cousins isn’t the only quarterback that Gruden is bullish about bringing back. According to Jones (via Twitter), the head coach also wants to re-sign Colt McCoy. However, it sounds as if linebacker Keenan Robinson will depart via free agency. John Keim of ESPN.com adds that Gruden spoke to defensive lineman Jason Hatcher recently and thinks that Hatcher is leaning toward playing in 2016, rather than retiring.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones spoke about his team’s approach to free agency, suggesting that the Cowboys don’t want to “pay a good player like he’s a great player” if they can avoid it. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com has the details and the quotes from Jones.
- Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said today that he “absolutely” expects Victor Cruz to return to the club next season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Cruz, who has a $9.9MM cap hit, recently estimated that he has an 80% chance of being retained by the Giants.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that McAdoo’s comments today made it sound as if he really wants the Giants to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul.
- McAdoo also confirmed today that “there was a potential for a second interview” for the Eagles‘ head coaching job before he was promoted by the Giants. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, McAdoo said he wasn’t formally offered the Eagles’ job.
Eagles Release DeMeco Ryans
The Eagles have released veteran linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a vested veteran, Ryans will immediately be eligible to sign with a new club, rather than having to wait to pass through waivers.
[RELATED: Pro Football Rumors previews the Eagles’ offseason]
Ryans, 31, spent the last four seasons in Philadelphia after playing for the Texans for his first six years in the NFL. A two-time Pro Bowler in Houston, Ryans had two strong seasons with the Eagles before an Achilles injury and a reduced role slowed him down a little over the past two years. In 2015, he recorded 49 tackles to go along with an interception, a forced fumble, and five passes defended.
With Mychal Kendricks, Jordan Hicks, and Kiko Alonso all in the mix at linebacker for the Eagles, Ryans had become more expendable as he entered the final year of his contract. By cutting him instead of allowing him to play out his deal, the Eagles create $3.5MM in cap savings, reducing his cap number from $4.5MM to $1MM.
Ryans’ base salary for 2016 would have become guaranteed on March 11th if he had remained on the roster. Instead, he’ll get a head-start on free agency, with an extra two weeks to talk to potential suitors and perhaps make a visit or two to interested clubs.
When PFR’s Connor Byrne previewed the Eagles’ offseason earlier this month, he identified Ryans as perhaps the team’s most likely cap casualty.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.