Bradford To Play Out Final Year Of Deal
Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford plans to play out the final year of his deal rather than signing an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. The two sides began discussing an extension last month but there apparently won’t be a deal struck before the start of the season, or during it for that matter.
Bradford, 27, came to the Eagles in an offseason deal that saw Nick Foles shipped out to St. Louis. Bradford has battled injuries over the past two seasons, including an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his last full season, the former first-overall pick threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. During that 2012 campaign, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Bradford 21st among 38 quarterback candidates.
Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson looked at Bradford as a possible extension candidate. Within the piece, he reasoned that a short-term extension would have made the most sense for both sides. At 27, another three years on Bradford’s current deal would have resulted in him hitting the open market at 31, when he could net another big deal.
The Eagles likely had reservations about a long-term pact with Bradford due to his injury history, but with quarterbacks at a premium, it made sense for them to at least explore an extension. Bradford’s medical file includes two torn ACLs in his five-year career and he’s played in only 49 out of a possible 80 games since entering the league. By the same token, rumors of the Eagles offering him up in trade talks shortly after acquiring him could have given Bradford pause about joining up with them for the long run.
Meanwhile, the Rams are still working on an extension with Nick Foles, whom they acquired in exchange for Bradford earlier this offseason. On Sunday, PFR’s Connor Byrne looked at Foles as an extension candidate.
NFC East Notes: Bradford, Cox, Harris, Giants
For all of the Eagles’ fans who are getting excited about the team’s outlook heading into the season with Sam Bradford at the helm, Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com is here to sober that optimism. He more or less tells the Philadelphia faithful to pump the breaks, pointing to the former first-overall pick’s poor record as a starter as well as his low completion percentage through this stage of his career. He doesn’t bury the fans for believing he will be good in Eagles green, but notes that they should be aware that they are rooting for him to dramatically turn his career around in a new city.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- With Corey Liuget, Cameron Jordan, and Cameron Heyward all signing new and lucrative extensions this offseason, Eagles‘ 3-4 defensive end Fletcher Cox is becoming an overlooked commodity in Philadelphia, writes Joe Soriano of FanSided. Although Cox has been one of the best at his position according to Pro Football Focus since entering the league in 2012 (subscription required), he was dangled as trade bait in potential Marcus Mariota deals during the draft while his contemporaries are getting long-term commitments.
- The Giants broke the bank in a move to sign return specialist Dwayne Harris away from the Cowboys offseason, and while the move was met with curiosity, Ryan Disdier writes that the team should see a great deal of value despite the high price tag, considering the inconsistency in their special teams recently.
- The Giants also have a number of questions along their offensive line, including who should start at right tackle and center. Chris Schisler projects Justin Pugh at right tackle, although he believes Pugh would move to guard if they had a viable alternative, and picks Weston Richburg to start at center.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Bryant, Cowboys
Jaguars executive Chris Polian, who was promoted to director of pro personnel in Jacksonville this offseason, was surprised when the Eagles approached him in January about interviewing for their general manager job, as he tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. According to Polian, his initial interview included Chip Kelly and various members of the Philadelphia front office, while his second meeting was a one-on-one with the Eagles head coach.
“It kind of came out of the blue. I wasn’t expecting it,” Polian said. “It was quick getting the information and then getting up there. But I enjoyed it very much, the chance to sit down, talk and present my ideas to Chip.”
Here’s more from the NFC East..
- Dez Bryant needs to be more specific when he says “I will not be there,” if not publicly then at least privately in his communications with the Cowboys, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. That threat could mean he won’t show up at all in this season if he doesn’t get a long-term contract before the July 15 deadline. However, that would only prolong the matter with Bryant still eligible for a one-year, $12.8MM contract in 2016 and the Cowboys still owning his rights.
- The time for Bryant to have held out from the Cowboys was last season, where there was much less at stake financially for him, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap opines. Last season, Bryant played for about $2MM in salary and the fortunes that could have awaited in free agency or an extension would have made it worth sitting out for an extended period of time. Now, Bryant would be giving up ~$754K for each week that he misses in the regular season.
- A handful of players around the league tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that Bryant has a lot of support. Of course, it’s not surprising to hear that other players are standing shoulder to shoulder with the Cowboys star.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t think there’s any chance of Bryant holding out of Cowboys regular season games.
Community Tailgate: Who Will Win The NFC East?
We’re still more than two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll be looking at the NFC East. In that division, the Eagles may or may not have won the offseason, but they clearly won the battle for newspaper ink. All eyes were on coach Chip Kelly this offseason as he embarked on his first season with total control over his roster. Kelly shook things up in a major way when he shipped star running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso, who is coming off of a lost 2014 season. To fill the void left by Shady, Kelly signed both DeMarco Murray and former Bolts back Ryan Mathews. Kelly downplayed his affinity for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, but several reports indicated that he tried like hell to move up to get him. Ultimately, that plan didn’t work out and the Eagles will now pit Mark Sanchez against newcomer Sam Bradford for the No. 1 QB spot. Whoever is under center won’t have the luxury of throwing to Jeremy Maclin, however, as he left in free agency without much of a fight from Philly.
The Giants‘ defense was pretty atrocious in 2014 and they’re hoping that a reunion with Steve Spagnuolo will turn it all around. Perry Fewell appeared to lose his grip on things last season but Spags’ aggressive playcalling could help to fix what ails Big Blue. On offense, the Giants souped on their running game with the addition of former Patriots back Shane Vereen, a back that can make the most out of a run play and also catch the ball well out of the backfield. The biggest question mark for the Giants right now is probably the status of Jason Pierre-Paul, who injured himself in a fireworks mishap over the weekend. His future beyond 2015 is in jeopardy and now it sounds as though he might not be ready for the start of the season.
The Cowboys made a big offseason splash when they signed star defensive end Greg Hardy, but it’s currently unclear when he’ll be able to take the field. If the embattled ex-Panther can get his suspension slashed down to, say, four games, then Dallas will open the season with one of the more fearsome defenses in the NFL. Without him, 2014 second round selection DeMarcus Lawrence will be charged to lead the way for the team’s bookends. The impending return of linebacker Sean Lee should also go a long way for Dallas’ front seven. On the flipside, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten should continue to raise havoc against opposing defenses, though Dallas’ stable of running backs is chock full of question marks.
Can Washington turn things around in 2015 to capture the NFC East crown? Most pundits would say no, but a full season of Robert Griffin III under center with a capable offensive line could be a difference maker. On defense, Washington gave Chris Culliver a four-year, $32MM deal to help turn around one of the league’s most atrocious secondaries. The defensive line also got a makeover with the free agent additions of Stephen Paea, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Terrance Knighton.
All in all, who do you think will win the NFC East in 2015 and why? Let us know in the comments!
Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles
We’ve seen some teams shake things up in the offseason, but few teams have undergone the kind of overhaul that the Eagles have. Coach Chip Kelly secured complete control in the front office and we’re all waiting to see whether he’s crazy, a genius, or some mixture of both.
Notable signings:
- Byron Maxwell, CB: Six years, $63MM. $22MM guaranteed.
- DeMarco Murray, RB: Five years, $40MM. $18MM guaranteed.
- Brandon Graham, LB: Four years, $26MM. $13MM guaranteed.
- Mark Sanchez, QB: Two years, $9MM. $5.5MM guaranteed.
- Ryan Mathews, RB: Three years, $11MM. $5MM guaranteed.
- Walter Thurmond, DB: One year, $3.25MM. $2MM guaranteed.
- Miles Austin, WR: One year, $2.3MM. $1MM guaranteed.
- Brad Jones, LB: Two years, $2.85MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Seyi Ajirotutu, WR: One year, minimum salary benefit. $380K guaranteed.
- Cedric Thornton, DE: One year, $2.356MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- E.J. Biggers, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- John Moffitt, G: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Tim Tebow, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Byron Maxwell was widely viewed as the best FA corner available and ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list. The 27-year-old enjoyed his first season as full-time starter for the Seahawks in 2014, starting 12 games as Seattle made it second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles were long seen as the favorites to land Maxwell and they were able to go wire-to-wire to land him as the Jets, another possible suitor, were zeroed in on a reunion with Darrelle Revis. At $63MM over six years with $25MM fully guaranteed, it’s very possible that Maxwell was an overpay. However, the Eagles believe that he will be a significant upgrade over Cary Williams, who was cut loose. Interesting note on that front, however: Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t see a big difference between Maxwell and Williams in 2014. Maxwell finished the year with a -0.2 overall grade, good for 45th amongst corners. Williams, meanwhile, finished with a -1.0 score, putting him 49th amongst all corners. In short, both players were painted as average corners by the advanced metrics. He’ll be joined in the secondary by Walter Thurmond, who apparently was not thrilled with the Giants’ medical care. Thurmond will be making the switch to safety, a transition he says he can make comfortably.
Did DeMarco Murray put too many miles on his odometer during his brilliant 2014 campaign? Kelly certainly doesn’t think so. There were many teams who were linked to the former Cowboys star throughout the year, but no one expected the Eagles to get heavily into the mix and come away signing him. Murray, who has struggled with injuries in years past, put it all together in 2014 for his best campaign yet. The 27-year-old ran for 1,845 yards and 13 scores with 2,261 all-purpose yards. After a season in which he showed that he can stay healthy, produce (4.7 YPC), and work at a nearly unprecedented rate, Murray hit the open market as the top RB available. The advanced numbers also showed that Murray was also at the top of the heap last season. Pro Football Focus‘ numbers (subscription required) resulted in an overall score of 15.2, placing him fifth amongst all tailbacks in 2014. His lack of meaningful production in the passing game, fumbles, and below average blocking were his only real demerits. Can Murray repeat his ’14 performance? Or, at the very least, can he do better than the guy he’s replacing? (More on that later.)
Before the Murray signing, the Eagles added Ryan Mathews and, at the time, it appeared that he would be the new No. 1 back in Philadelphia. Once Murray was inked, many wonders if Mathews would wind up elsewhere or, at the very least, reworking the performance-based incentives in his contract. At the end of the day, Mathews stayed and he’s now slated to work in tandem with Murray and Darren Sproles. Considered an injury-prone player for the first three seasons of his career, Mathews finally stayed healthy and put it all together for the Chargers in 2013, rushing for a career-high 1,255 yards. He was unable to keep that run of good health going in 2014 though, playing just eight games for San Diego due to injuries. The former 12th overall pick can be one of the league’s best backs when he’s at 100% and he could help form a lethal three-headed backfield if he stays healthy.
Now, the question is, who will be handing the ball off to those backs? Well, one possibility is Mark Sanchez, who was re-signed to a two-year contract worth $9MM with $5.5MM guaranteed. Sanchez played nine games for the Eagles in 2014, with mixed results. He completed over 64% of his passes, averaging 268 yards per game with a 14 to 11 touchdown to interception ratio. Sanchez, a former No. 5 overall pick, will duke it out with a former No. 1 overall pick to be the team’s starting signal caller. Tim Tebow is also on the depth chart, though he is considered to be the fourth quarterback at this time.
If Murray ever finds himself homesick, he turn to Miles Austin for some familiarity. Austin, of course, isn’t the same sort of impact player Murray is at this stage of his career, but he had a decent bounce-back season in Cleveland last year. In 2014, Austin caught 47 balls for 568 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. The 30-year-old has racked up 348 catches for more than 5,000 yards during his nine-year NFL career, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods during his time with the Cowboys. Of course, he has also missed a ton of time due to injuries in recent years.
After some offseason deliberations between offers from the Eagles and Giants, linebacker Brandon Graham ultimately opted to remain in Philly. In February, Graham was said to be seeking a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $30MM, with $20MM in guaranteed money. Ultimately, he settled for less, but still got $14MM guaranteed on a $26MM pact. The 21-year-old recorded 5.5 sacks and 46 total tackles in 2014. The former first-round choice has moved around a bit in the front seven over the years, having seen time at defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker. Last season, he played the bulk of his snaps at outside linebacker and enjoyed his best season to date. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed him as the third best OLB in a 3-4 set last season. PFF was also high on Graham in 2013, ranking him as the 15th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
Notable losses:
- Nate Allen, S
- James Casey, TE: Released
- Trent Cole, LB: Released
- Bradley Fletcher, CB
- Todd Herremans, OL: Released
- Jeremy Maclin, WR
- Evan Mathis, G: Released
- Casey Matthews, LB
- Brad Smith, WR
- Wade Smith, OL: Retired
- Cary Williams, CB: Released
The Eagles and Evan Mathis were wrestling over a contract dispute all offseason long until the situation reached a rather surprising conclusion. Many expected that Mathis and the Eagles would eventually reach a compromise or that the guard would find a suitable trade after he was given permission to seek one out. Instead, the Eagles simply decided to cut Mathis loose in June. Mathis, of course, is considered one of the league’s best guards. In 2014, despite playing just 608 offensive snaps, the former third-round pick ranked as the league’s best left guard, performing particularly well as a run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF had previously graded Mathis as the NFL’s No. 1 guard in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The veteran continues to look for his next NFL home.
We may never know the real inner workings of the negotiations between Jeremy Maclin and the Eagles, but it didn’t seem like Philly put up much of a fight to retain him in March. Maclin, coming off a breakout season in which he caught 85 passes for more than 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns, was quickly scooped up by the Chiefs, who gave him a five-year, $55MM deal with $22.5MM fully guaranteed.
Despite initially engaging in discussions to keep him around on a reworked contract, the Eagles opted to part ways with Trent Cole in early March. Cole, 32, was a fixture on the Eagles’ defense since being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. During his 10 years in Philadelphia, Cole played 155 games (145 starts), racking up 85.5 sacks, 569 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles. However, after posting six consecutive seasons with eight or more sacks from 2006 to 2011, Cole’s production fell off — he has recorded just 17.5 sacks since 2012. Cole eventually wound up hooking on with the Colts on a two-year, $16MM deal with $8MM guaranteed. Graham will now be counted on to supply the production in Cole’s absence.
Byron Maxwell came east to join the Eagles and Cary Williams switched places with him, joining the Legion of Boom in Seattle. The 30-year-old Williams started all 16 games in each of the past three seasons but he was probably miscast as a No. 1 corner with the Eagles. Williams can earn $18MM over three seasons on his new deal with the Seahawks and he won’t have to pay state income tax either.
Nate Allen started 15 games for the Eagles last season at safety, racking up 62 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass deflections, and a sack. Allen had a pretty solid year in 2014, finishing out with a 3.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), good for 28th out of 87 qualified safeties. Still, as expected, the Eagles let him go in free agency.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Bradley Fletcher as the 92nd best cornerback last season out of 108 qualified players at the position. That doesn’t make Fletcher sound like much of a corner, but was much better in 2013 when he ranked 44th out of 110 players at the position. The Eagles didn’t have the patience to find out of he could get back to his old form, but the Pats decided to roll the dice.
Long before Mathis was shown the door, the Eagles did the same with fellow offensive lineman Todd Herremans. Over the course of the last decade, the 10-year veteran has appeared in 127 games for the Eagles, starting 124 of them at every spot besides center on the offensive line. In recent years, Herremans had served as Philadelphia’s right guard or right tackle, though his 2014 campaign came to an early end due to a biceps injury.
Extensions and restructures:
- DeMeco Ryans, LB: Extended through 2016. Two years, $7.5MM. $4MM guaranteed.
DeMeco Ryans’ 2014 season came to an early end when he suffered a torn Achilles and landed on the injured reserve list. In the eight games he played for the Eagles, he logged 45 tackles, recovered a fumble, and grabbed an interception. Ryans saw his deal extended by one season, even though the Eagles didn’t seem to necessarily need him in the wake of one of their biggest offseason moves. Ryans’ 2014 season came to an early end when he suffered a torn Achilles and landed on the injured reserve list. In the eight games he played for the Eagles, he logged 45 tackles, recovered a fumble, and grabbed an interception.
Trades:
- Acquired LB Kiko Alonso from the Bills in exchange for RB LeSean McCoy.
- Acquired QB Sam Bradford and a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Rams in exchange for QB Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Eagles will acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick if Bradford plays less than 50% of Philadelphia’s snaps in 2015, or a 2016 third-round pick if Bradford doesn’t play at all in 2015 due to injury.
- Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 47; DB Eric Rowe) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 191; CB JaCorey Shepherd) from the Dolphins in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 52; DT Jordan Phillips), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 145; CB Bobby McCain), and a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 156; CB Tony Lippett).
- Acquired a 2016 third-round pick from the Lions in exchange for a 2015 fourth-round pick (No. 113; DT Gabe Wright).
The trade of star running back LeSean McCoy to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso will go down as one of the most surprising moves of the 2015 offseason and also as the trade that nearly broke PFR. There were rumblings of discord between Kelly and McCoy, but few saw a deal like this coming.
McCoy was not the electrifying playmaker in 2014 that he was in 2013 but he still had a very productive season in terms of traditional stats, with 1,319 rushing yards and a 4.2 YPC average. The advanced metrics, meanwhile, show a much sharper contrast between the two campaigns. In 2013, McCoy was rated as the very best tailback in football according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), racking up a 27.3 overall rating which was more than 8 points higher than the runner-up, Jamaal Charles. In 2014, however, McCoy was near the bottom of all qualified tailbacks with a fairly terrible -9.3 grade thanks in large part to his poor showing in the passing game.
Alonso, 25 in August, didn’t see the field in 2014 after tearing his ACL in July of 2014. After being selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, Alonso finished second in voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 87 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks. PFF (subscription required) rated Alonso as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the NFL in his rookie season. Because Alonso spent the year on the NFI (non-football injury) list, he’ll only be a restricted free agent after 2016. He’s also significantly cheaper than McCoy, which gave Kelly some additional breathing room this spring.
Right around the start of free agency, the Eagles shipped Nick Foles to the Rams in exchange for former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford. Surprisingly, it was the Eagles who gave up more in draft compensation to make the swap happen. Foles had his 2014 season ended prematurely by a collar bone injury, but he’s not that far removed from his impressive 2013 run. Bradford, of course, has battled injuries over the past two seasons, including an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2014 season. In his last full season, the former first-overall pick threw for 3,702 yards, 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. During that 2012 campaign, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Bradford 21st among 38 quarterback candidates. Soon after, it was rumored that the Eagles were dangling Bradford in an effort trade up to the No. 2 pick to grab Oregon star Marcus Mariota. Ultimately, the Titans stood pat and the Eagles are now set to roll with either Sanchez or Bradford as their No. 1 QB. The Eagles are reportedly considering an extension with Bradford as well.
Draft picks:
- 1-20: Nelson Agholor, WR (USC): Signed
- 2-47: Eric Rowe, CB (Utah): Signed
- 3-84: Jordan Hicks, ILB (Texas): Signed
- 6-191: JaCorey Shepherd, CB (Kansas): Signed
- 6-196: Randall Evans, CB (Kansas State): Signed
- 7-237: Brian Mihalik, DE (Boston College): Signed
Nelson Agholor was a fast riser in the draft and he found his way up to No. 20 where the Eagles were selecting. The 6’0″ USC product has drawn comparisons to Jeremy Maclin for his sharp route running and also has pretty advanced hands. Agholor could prove to be a major weapon for whomever is under center for the Eagles in 2015 and also figures to make an impact in the return game.
Other:
- Announced new front office roles for Chip Kelly and Howie Roseman, with Kelly taking over the club’s personnel department.
- Promoted Ed Marynowitz to vice president of player personnel.
- Exercised 2016 fifth-year option for DE Fletcher Cox ($7.799MM).
- Rescinded RFA tender to RB Chris Polk.
- Signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts.
- Signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
In January it was announced that Howie Roseman would be elevated to the role of executive vice president of football operations with Kelly now officially overseeing the player personnel department. Of course, the term “elevated” isn’t 100% accurate with Kelly having final say over everything regarding the roster. Ed Marynowitz was promoted from assistant director of player personnel to the team’s vice president of player personnel. For what it’s worth, he says that everyone’s roles are well defined.
Top 10 cap hits for 2015:
- Sam Bradford, QB: $12,985,000
- Jason Peters, LT: $9,050,000
- Byron Maxwell, CB: $8,700,000
- Connor Barwin, OLB: $7,000,000
- Brandon Graham, OLB: $6,000,000
- Malcolm Jenkins, S: $5,666,666
- Lane Johnson, RT: $5,225,974
- DeMarco Murray, RB: $5,000,000
- Brent Celek, TE: $4,800,000
- Riley Cooper, WR: $4,800,000
Crazy? Genius? Both? We can’t wait to find out.
Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
East Notes: Bradford, Dez, Hunter, Moffitt
Nearly four months after the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford from the Rams, some executives are still shaking their heads about the move, according to Mark Eckel of NJ.com. Eckel spoke to one top personnel exec who acknowledged that perhaps the former first overall pick would have more success under Chip Kelly, but isn’t totally sold.
“I understand they gave up on [Nick] Foles,” the executive said. “But I don’t know why they’re building up Bradford so much. I’m still confused about that whole deal. You can only talk about him being the first pick of the draft for so long. What has he done since then?”
As we wait to see how Bradford looks on a new team under a new head coach, let’s check in on a few more Monday morning items from around the league’s two East divisions….
- In a Q&A with Mike Ramczyk of MyRacineCounty.com, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was asked about Dez Bryant‘s contract situation and replied, “I think it will work out with Dez.” The star wideout and the Cowboys have until next Wednesday to strike a long-term deal — if that doesn’t happen, Bryant can only play the 2015 season on his one-year franchise-tag tender.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along the details on a pair of contracts signed recently by offensive linemen, reporting that Wayne Hunter‘s deal with the Bills and John Moffitt‘s pact with the Eagles are both for one year at the minimum salary, with no guaranteed money.
- Earlier this morning, our Rob DiRe provided a recap and analysis of the Dolphins‘ 2015 offseason, which included the league’s biggest free agent signing.
Extra Points: Battle, Broncos, Saints, Jags
There is a strong chance that former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be taken in Thursday’s supplemental draft, which allows NFL clubs to select players who for some reason (academic trouble or disciplinary issues are a couple of examples) were unable to enter the standard draft. If a team does choose Battle, it should be the Eagles, Jets or Giants, opines Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger.
Battle – who is in need of further seasoning – could learn behind established tackles in the Eagles’ Jason Peters or the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson before eventually taking over for either, writes Eckel. Meanwhile the Giants have two recent first-round tackles in Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers, but Eckel believes they’d be wise to follow the example of NFC East rival Dallas and try to stock up even more along the O-line.
Landing Battle would likely cost any of the above teams a third-round pick, per Eckel, with the Falcons ahead of them in the draft order. Atlanta is the leading candidate to pick the 22-year-old, on whom it could use a fourth-rounder.
More from around the league:
- Broncos running back C.J. Anderson burst on the scene in 2014, his second season, with nearly 1,200 total yards (849 rushing, 324 receiving) and eight touchdowns in his first true taste of NFL playing time. Anderson enters this season as Denver’s starting back, but Mike Kils of 9News writes that the 24-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels. “I’m going to keep my head down, keep grinding every day and keep pushing. What happened last year, happened last year. That’s completely over and done with,” said Anderson, who will try to fend off Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman for reps.
- Saints rookie quarterback Garrett Grayson is glad he ended up in New Orleans to serve as Drew Brees‘ apprentice, though the third-round pick from Colorado State also would’ve been happy if the Cowboys or Broncos selected him. “There were three teams that I said I’d love to end up at, and that was the Saints, Cowboys and Broncos,” Grayson told NFL.com, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “They’ve all got older QBs. Two of them are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.”
- Speaking of Brees, the 14-year veteran’s arm hasn’t shown any real signs of decline, ESPN’s Mike Triplett writes. According to Triplett, Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards, Triplett notes.
- Although new Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson is tasked with helping turn around a unit that finished last in points and second last in yardage a year ago, he’s encouraged with the results so far. “Actually, it’s gone a little bit better than I hoped,” Olson said after minicamp, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “It’s a really intelligent football team from position to position and that’s made the transition much smoother for them and me.” For what it’s worth, the Olson-led Raiders were the only team to amass fewer yards than the Jaguars last season, and they managed a mere 15.8 points per game compared to the Jags’ 15.6.
East Rumors: Richardson, Dolphins, Giants
The Jets‘ selection of Leonard Williams at No. 6 overall initially looked to put Muhammad Wilkerson in a corner regarding his pursuit of a contract extension. But after Sheldon Richardson‘s substance-abuse suspension Thursday that will keep him out four games, the Jets look like the ones at a disadvantage in the event of a Wilkerson holdout, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.
In reporting to minicamp, Wilkerson lobbied for a new contract. The fifth-year defensive end who’s curiously without a Pro Bowl invite, despite dominant seasons in 2012 and 2014 that ranked in the top 3 among 3-4 ends on Pro Football Focus (subscription required), will make $7MM this season after the Jets triggered Wilkerson’s fifth-year option.
Richardson’s reported marijuana-related offense could help his running mate, with Gang Green likely not wanting to go into the season with just Williams available for work among their first-round contingent of defensive linemen. Gantt also points out Williams’ arrival now may work against Richardson, with the team less likely to entertain the notion of extending the 2013 defensive rookie of the year’s contract when the time comes.
Here are some more notes from around the Eastern divisions.
- Dolphins players are growing concerned about the team’s situation at guard, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. With the tackle and center spots sewn up with talented cogs, Miami hasn’t had a guard take command of a spot (although how much command could one take during padless minicamp/OTA sessions?). There have been positive reports of fourth-round rookie Jamil Douglas‘ progression, but the Fins will still head into training camp with guard as their biggest offensive uncertainty.
- In the same report, Jackson notes the team’s wide receiver depth that once posed concern after the departures of Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline now appears solid. Players reportedly view Rishard Matthews — who could sit behind Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry, Greg Jennings and DeVante Parker — as a talent who could thrive if given a larger role. A former 2012 seventh-rounder, Matthews sought a trade or a release as recently as May due to dissatisfaction in playing as the No. 5 wideout. Matthews has 64 career catches for 734 yards and four scores.
- A recent analysis conducted by Football Outsiders revealed the Eagles as the league’s healthiest team over the past two seasons, while the Giants are by far the most injury-stricken. Big Blue ranked last in the league for both the 2013 and 2014 campaigns but have slowly started to accept the sports science trends most notably thrust into the spotlight by the rival Eagles, writes the New York Post’s Jordan Ranaan. Despite Walter Thurmond‘s recent comments of Tom Coughlin being old school and resistant to these methods, Ranaan notes the Giants are now charting sleep schedules and placing chips onto players’ jerseys to measure explosiveness.
Washington Notes: Jackson, RGIII, Pot Roast
Washington tight end Jordan Reed has dealt with a litany of health issues since breaking into the league in 2013. Given his knee injuries, concussions, and hamstring troubles, a reader asks CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler if he feels that Reed will be a focal point of the offense in 2015, if healthy. Tandler can see Reed starting out the year playing about 50% of the snaps with his workload increasing to 70% if things go well. At that point, Reed could theoretically cement himself as a key member of the offense, though Tandler notes that his workload has never been especially high. Here’s today’s look at Washington D.C…
- Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson said the Eagles “tried to blow me up” with a “smear campaign” after his release in 2014, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. “When I was released by the Eagles, I feel they tried to paint a picture that definitely wasn’t true. It was a slap in the face, coming off one of my best seasons in the NFL,” Jackson said on his new TV show. Jackson went on to boast about how he has made the most of his “second chance to play in the NFL” after a strong season with Washington. In 2014, Jackson caught 56 passes for 1,169 yards and six touchdowns.
- Former Washington quarterback Mark Brunell has defended Robert Griffin III against critics before, but it appears that he is no longer in his corner, as Scott Allen of the Washington Post writes. “I do not [think he can play in the NFL],” Brunell said on ESPN. “From what I’ve seen the last couple of years — listen, he burst onto the scene and that was impressive — but like I said, he has gone backwards. It’s not just his decision-making, it’s his fundamentals. He’s taking too many hits, he’s quick to get out of the pocket. Last year was difficult to watch. Does he have the skill set? Yes, but we haven’t seen it in some time.” Washington exercised Griffin’s 2016 option back in late April.
- Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com looked at the nose tackle position behind prized offseason acquisition Terrance Knighton. With the ability to play both defensive end and nose tackle, Kedric Golston might have a leg up on the competition. That leaves Jerrell Powe and Robert Thomas on the roster bubble. Powe was signed on June 1st after appearing in 16 games last season for the Texans with three starts. Thomas, meanwhile, spent most of last season on the taxi squad after signing on as a UDFA.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with any additional transactions added to the top of the list throughout the evening:
- The Colts signed free agent defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton, according to their official website. The 31-year-old has been a member of the Colts organization since 2013, when he last appeared in a game. He missed all of last season because of a knee injury.
- Offensive guard Cole Manhart – whom the Eagles waived Monday – passed through waivers unclaimed, reports Adam Caplan (Twitter link). The Eagles signed Manhart as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska-Kearney earlier this year.