Eagles, Mychal Kendricks Agree To Extension
The Eagles and linebacker Mychal Kendricks agreed to a four-year, $29MM contract extension, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). His deal includes a healthy $16.4MM guaranteed, a league source tells Caplan. 
There was a great deal of speculation throughout the offseason that the Eagles could move Kendricks. However, coach/chief decision maker Chip Kelly was adamant that Kendricks wouldn’t be going anywhere. Kelly changed up his roster quite a bit this spring, but he stayed true to his word when it came to the 24-year-old (25 in September).
Given that the Eagles made several additions at inside linebacker during the offseason, it was fair to speculate if Kendricks was a candidate to be dealt to another club. Philadelphia not only renegotiated veteran DeMeco Ryans‘ contract, ensuring that he’ll stay with the team in 2015, but traded for former Bill Kiko Alonso, signed ex-Packer Brad Jones, and drafted Jordan Hicks in the third round.
Reports earlier this year indicated that the Eagles did shop Kendricks during the draft, and were asking for as much as a second-round pick. Teams reportedly balked at the request, but Kendricks was also rumored to be part of a proposed package to acquire the No. 1 or No. 2 pick, in the hopes of selecting quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Kendricks has been a starting inside linebacker for the Eagles since entering the league as the 46th overall pick in 2012. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the former second-round pick was one of the league’s best ILBs last season, despite only playing 12 games — his grades as a pass rusher and in pass coverage were among the best at his position. He said during OTAs that he had not been approached about an extension, but it appears that things have changed over the last few weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
- The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
- The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
- The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
- The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
- The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
- The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
- The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
FA Rumors: Packers, Wayne, Mathis, Deering
The Packers are still waiting on the official results of Jordy Nelson‘s MRI, but if the star wideout has a torn ACL, as is feared, the team is expected to inquire on Reggie Wayne, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Green Bay still has a good deal of wide receiver depth without Nelson, and the club typically doesn’t sign outside free agents very often, so it seems unlikely that Wayne would land with the Packers. It’s fair to wonder if Wayne’s camp is using Green Bay as a leverage play, as the veteran free agent attempts to negotiate a deal with the Patriots or perhaps another team.
As we wait to see where Wayne lands, let’s round up a few more notes on free agents….
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus expects free agent guard Evan Mathis to have a new team by the end of the week, he said during an appearance on South Florida’s WSVN-7 (link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). According to Rosenhaus, his client has received interest from the Seahawks and “other teams,” and Salguero suggests the Dolphins should be in the mix if Mathis’ asking price is coming down at all.
- It’s a busy week for former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that Deering tried out for the Eagles, is working out for the Colts today, and has an audition with the Jets later in the week.
- Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin examines the Packers‘ wide receiver situation, speculating that ex-Packer James Jones could be an option for the team. For now though, Jones is a Giant, so he’d probably have to be cut for Green Bay to consider him. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports made a similar point yesterday.
Bennett Jackson Suffers Knee Injury
2:50pm: Jackson tore his ACL, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, meaning that Jackson is likely to miss the 2015 season.
8:51am: The Giants‘ secondary, already ravaged by injury, suffered another major blow in last night’s preseason victory over Jacksonville. In addition to losing rookie safety Justin Currie for the season, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes that second-year safety Bennett Jackson sustained a knee injury on a defensive play in the fourth quarter. Raanan reports that Jackson, who enjoyed an excellent training camp and who appeared poised to land a starting role, left the team locker room limping badly and with his right knee in a brace. The extent of Jackson’s injury is unclear at this time, and he will get an MRI today, but as Raanan tweeted last night, there are concerns that it could be serious.
Of course, given the state of the Giants’ secondary–by the time the game ended, six of the nine safeties on the roster were unavailable due to injury–it is fair to wonder why Jackson was even on the field in the fourth quarter, having played 56 snaps already. At the moment, Brandon Meriweather, Jeromy Miles, and Justin Halley, all of whom have been signed in the past five weeks, are the only safeties left standing. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets that Nat Berhe is expected to return to practice this week, but that will do little to assuage the team’s concerns at safety.
Unfortunately for the Giants, there are just not a ton of outside options to fortify the position, which is well-illustrated by a tweet from Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle this morning. Wilson notes that former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, who signed with New England as an undrafted free agent last year and who will be auditioning with the Eagles today, will next visit the Colts and Jets if he is not signed by Philadelphia. As PFR’s Ben Levine wrote yesterday, at least six teams are currently interested in Deering, which bespeaks the lack of quality safety options available at this point in the year. Graziano tweeted that Big Blue will likely “poke around” the free agent market again this week–it is unknown whether the Giants have interest in Deering–but it’s not as if the the team expects to find the answer to its prayers in the process. As head coach Tom Coughlin said of the mounting injuries, “It’s amazing with the way that’s going. It’s just hard to even comment on.”
We will pass along an update on Jackson’s injury as soon as it becomes available.
NFC Notes: Barkley, Mays, Seahawks, Falcons
A look at the latest from the NFC:
- Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley is available “for the right deal,” a source told ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini (Twitter link). Barkley, a fourth-round pick out of USC in 2013, could be the odd man out in Philly with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow also on the team’s QB depth chart.
- The Seahawks may have a hole at safety with Kam Chancellor holding out, but don’t expect them to sign free agent Taylor Mays, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweeted. Mays, whom Detroit officially released earlier today, played for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll while the two were at USC. Mays’ successful college career hasn’t translated to the pros, though, as he’s already been a member of four organizations since San Francisco chose him in the second round of the 2010 draft.
- Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has started 87 straight games, the fifth-longest streak among NFL passers, and that’s especially fortunate for Atlanta, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Falcons might have the worst No. 2 QB in the league in T.J. Yates, per Cunningham, who bolsters his opinion with some help from PredictionMachine.com. According to the website, the Falcons’ playoff chances would decrease by a league-high 85.3 percent if they played with Yates instead of Ryan for a full 16-game season.
- Vikings receivers coach George Stewart offered effusive praise for veteran wideout Mike Wallace, whom the team acquired from Miami during the offseason. Wallace is the fastest receiver Stewart has coached during his 27-year career, he told Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Stewart also expressed excitement over the impact Wallace will make as a blocker. “Excellent toughness,” Stewart said. “He’s not afraid of contact. He’s going to block (cornerbacks) corners, he’s going to block safeties. You have some receivers who are kind of shy when it comes down to that moment of truth hitting the defensive back. He’s not shy.
NFC Links: Saints, Washington, 49ers, Eagles, Lions
Here are some notes from the NFC just before Week 2 of the preseason continues.
- Before Washington agreed to a trade for 49ers tight end Derek Carrier, the Saints and Bears were interested in doing the same, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Saints, in particular, now have a need at tight end, with 34-year-old Ben Watson possibly serving as their starter while the player previously thought to be ready to replace Jimmy Graham, Josh Hill, having an uneventful camp, per Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Despite Nick Toon‘s struggles in training camp, the fourth-year receiver with just 21 career catches should make the 53-man roster, Terrell opines. She views R.J. Harris as a developmental player New Orleans hopes to have on its practice squad.
- The Saints scribe, however, doesn’t view Anthony Spencer as a lock to make the roster with his health again serving as a deterrent. The veteran edge presence carries a $230K dead-money charge.
- Carrier’s arrival represents one of the reasons Chris Cooley‘s last-ditch attempt to return to Washington is over, writes JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Aside from the fact Washington GM Scot McCloughan said Cooley would not be re-signed, the veteran’s inability to play special teams would get in the way of a potential return.
- In what’s become a rebuilding look in San Francisco, the 49ers are building toward the future with their two summer trades, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. A source told Maiocco they insisted on acquiring 2017 draft choices in trades of Andy Lee to Cleveland and Carrier to Washington and now have nine picks in that draft. Maiocco also posits the team could trade a defensive lineman for a pick before roster cutdown day. With three compensatory picks projected, the 49ers have 12 selections in next year’s draft, along with two fifth- and seventh-round selections in 2017.
- Safety Earl Wolff‘s waived/injured distinction will likely play out with the third-year performer receiving an injury settlement rather than going through to the Eagles‘ injured reserve, offers Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter).
- Zach Zenner is pushing George Winn for the Lions‘ fourth tailback job behind Joique Bell, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Winn’s special teams value could still win out after Pro Football Focus ranked him as Detroit’s third-best special-teamer last year, but Zenner has shown more upside as a runner, per Meinke.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Barkley, Eagles
A year ago, Newberry College standout Corey Washington was a standout during Giants training camp. The undrafted wideout went from having practically no chance at making the roster to suddenly being a reserve receiver.
However, the player hasn’t been turning heads during this summer’s camp, and the 23-year-old understands he has to contribute in other areas to make the team.
“I’m still considered a special-teams player,” Washington told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “So I have to perform on offense and special teams, and hopefully be able to make the team again.
“With the three receivers we’ve got in front of me — Odell and Rueben and Vic — I’m pretty sure the fourth receiver has to be a special teamer. That’s what I’m aiming for, to be the fourth receiver. So, we’ll see.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the NFC East…
- Although cornerback Byron Jones, defensive end Randy Gregory and guard La’el Collins will steal most of the headlines among Cowboys rookies, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram believes a number of other first-year players are primed to make an impact for Dallas. In particular, the writer points to linebacker Damien Wilson (fourth round) and wideout Lucky Whitehead (undrafted).
- With Tim Tebow‘s apparent emergence on the Eagles, Garry Cobb of GCobb.com believes Matt Barkley could be on the outside looking in. Still, the former USC standout has impressed during camp, leading the writer to believe that the team could get a draft pick for the quarterback.
- Former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering will audition for the Eagles on Sunday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The writer notes that six teams are interested in the 2014 undrafted free agent.
NFC Notes: Manning, Smith, Lions, Spadola
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been making headlines recently, as he has allegedly demanded and then refuted reports that he demanded to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com writes that all this could be the “storm before the calm” as was the case with Philip Rivers’ contract, noting that there is a reason all the top quarterbacks have received long-term extensions.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- With a need at safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com was asked if the Giants might be interested in the recently released Taylor Mays (via Twitter). Raanan opines that the team would not be interested, noting that perception around Mays isn’t positive.
- Eagles’ 2014 first-round pick Marcus Smith will miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It was not as bad as I thought it was,” said Smith. “Three weeks is probably the most. I’ll definitely be ready for the Falcons game. Try to be ready for the last preseason game.”
- The Lions have a pair of key starters dealing with high ankle sprains, in offensive guard Larry Warford and defensive tackle Caraun Reid, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It is uncertain when they will be able to return to the field, and head coach Jim Caldwell would not put a timetable on their recovery.
- Cardinals receiver Ryan Spadola is considering a career as a ref after his football career comes to an end, writes Bob McManamoan of AZCentral.com. Spadola has been a practice squad player bouncing around the league for two seasons, and is competing for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/21/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Eagles have waived/injured safety Earl Wolff, who has been bothered by knee injuries since 2013, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, started six games for Philadelphia in his rookie year, but has been plagued by injuries since that season. He confirmed today (via Twitter) that he underwent surgery on his troublesome right knee.
- Rookie receiver Isiah Ferguson suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus, and will be sidelined for the year, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports (via Twitter) that the Rams have waived/injured the young wideout.
- The Colts announced today that they’ve made a change at the back of their roster, waiving wide receiver L.T. Smith and replacing him with free agent guard Harland Gunn. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the team also reached an injury settlement with linebacker Cody Galea, removing him from the roster.
- As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets, UDFA wideout Jarred Haggins announced today that he has been cut by the Lions. Neither this transaction nor the reported release of safety Taylor Mays showed up on today’s transactions log, so the team will probably officially confirm the moves tomorrow.
- After working him out earlier today, the Cowboys have signed free agent defensive tackle Carlif Taylor, waiving offensive lineman Cody Clay with an injury designation to clear roster space, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Eagles have waived linebacker Brandon Hepburn off their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, while the Saints have removed wide receiver Andy Tanner from their IR.
QB Rumors: Eagles, Bills, RGIII, Browns
Assuming he doesn’t make any significant errors during the team’s remaining preseason games, quarterback Tim Tebow is on track to earn a spot on the Eagles‘ regular season roster, a source tells ESPN’s Dianna Russini. According to Russini, head coach Chip Kelly has been getting increasingly excited about using Tebow in two-point and short-yardage scenarios.
With Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, and Tebow likely to make the Eagles’ roster, it would seem to leave Matt Barkley on the outside looking in. According to Russini’s source, Barkley remains available in a potential trade.
Here’s more on a handful of unsettled quarterback situations around the NFL:
- Bills head coach Rex Ryan sees potential big-play ability in quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and would prefer to start him over the team’s other QB options, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). However, Cole adds that other members of the Buffalo coaching staff believe Matt Cassel would make fewer mistakes than Taylor, and is the more consistent, reliable option.
- In a separate video at Bleacher Report, Cole also tackles the Washington quarterback situation, indicating that the decision on Robert Griffin III‘s long-term future – or lack thereof – with the team will ultimately be made by owner Daniel Snyder. Head coach Jay Gruden and his staff want RGIII in the starting lineup as much as possible this year, so that the club can get a thorough evaluation of the former second overall pick before that decision is made.
- On the heels of Josh McCown‘s underwhelming, two-interception performance against the Bills, Browns head coach Mike Pettine stressed that he’s not looking to create a QB competition, and that McCown remains his No. 1 guy over Johnny Manziel. Still, Pettine wasn’t ready to guarantee that McCown would be the team’s starting QB in Week 1 (Twitter links via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).