NFC Notes: Romo, Murray, Ryan
When DeMarco Murray was hoping that the Cowboys would sign him to a long-term deal earlier this month, the Pro Bowl running back made a bold request to his quarterback, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News writes. “DeMarco ended up asking me, ‘Why don’t you take a pay cut?’ I said, ‘I will. I would take a pay cut to go do this,'” Tony Romo told 105.3 The Fan. “I was like, ‘They’re going to restructure me.’ That’s the same thing in some ways, just for the salary cap purposes. He was like, ‘OK, now we’re back to being friends, again.’ I would take $5MM less if meant getting him back.” More from the NFC..
- As part of his contract with the Falcons, quarterback Matt Ryan is scheduled to receive a $12MM deferred payment today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The payment won’t have an impact on Ryan’s 2015 cap number, which remains at $19.5MM.
- Now in charge of the team’s personnel decisions, Eagles coach Chip Kelly has shown a predilection for going after injured players. Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looked at the injured veterans that Kelly has picked up and their current status heading into April.
- As the weeks tick down, the Vikings‘ draft possibilities remain wide open, Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press writes. Currently, the consensus appears to be that Minnesota will select Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes with the No. 11 pick, but of course, nothing is certain and much will depend on how the first 10 picks unfold.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Eagles Sign Miles Austin
TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The Eagles have officially signed Austin, the team announced today (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 4:23pm: The Eagles and Austin have agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.3MM, with another $700K available in incentives, tweets Rapoport. Presumably, the agreement is still pending a physical, which isn’t necessarily a given, considering Austin’s history of health issues.
10:40am: Assuming all goes well with his visit and his physical this week, Austin is expected to sign a contract to join the Eagles, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
9:40am: One former Cowboys offensive playmaker has notably joined the Eagles this offseason, as DeMarco Murray made the jump from Dallas to Philadelphia. Now, the Eagles are eyeing another free agent who used to play for their division rivals. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), veteran wideout Miles Austin is set to visit Philadelphia this week.
Austin, of course, isn’t the same sort of impact player Murray is at this stage of his career. However, he had a decent bounce-back season in Cleveland last year, catching 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.
The Eagles are in the market for receiving help after seeing Jeremy Maclin leave for Kansas City earlier this month. Jordan Matthews appears poised to take on a more significant role for the club in 2015, and Chip Kelly has praised the wide receiver depth in this year’s draft class. Still, besides Matthews, Riley Cooper is the only wideout currently under contract who has more than 10 career receptions, so Philadelphia could use another veteran.
Poll: Best Major Free Agent Signing Of 2015?
A year ago, no free agent received more fully guaranteed money than the $20MM offensive tackle Branden Albert got from the Dolphins. However, this time around, several big-name players blew by that threshold, with eight players in total matching or surpassing $20MM in fully guaranteed money, per Over The Cap. Here’s the full list of those signees, along with the terms of their new deals:
- Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins): Six years, $114.375MM. $59.955MM guaranteed.
- Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): Five years, $70MM. $39MM guaranteed.
- Charles Clay, TE (Bills): Five years, $38MM. $24.5MM guaranteed.
- Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): Five years, $55MM. $22.5MM guaranteed.
- Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): Six years, $63MM. $22MM guaranteed.
- Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): Five years, $47.5MM. $22MM guaranteed.
- Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): Five years, $46MM. $21MM guaranteed.
- Kareem Jackson, CB (Texans): Four years, $34MM. $20MM guaranteed.
We’ll take a closer look in the coming weeks at how exactly these contracts stack up against one another, and which players made out the best, but for now, we’re just concerned with evaluating which teams made the best and worst decisions among this group.
What do you think? Is the $60MM in guaranteed salary for Suh a mistake for the Dolphins, or does his talent ensure that he’ll be well worth the money? Perhaps one of the other players on the list represents a more worthwhile investment for his team? Which of these players was the best major free agent signing of the offseason? Cast your vote below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Which major free agent signing was the best?
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Darrelle Revis, Jets ($39MM guaranteed) 24% (299)
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Devin McCourty, Patriots ($22MM guaranteed) 23% (279)
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Ndamukong Suh, Dolphins ($59.955MM guaranteed) 16% (195)
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Jeremy Maclin, Chiefs ($22.5MM guaranteed) 12% (148)
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Byron Maxwell, Eagles ($22MM guaranteed) 10% (119)
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Julius Thomas, Jaguars ($21MM guaranteed) 7% (85)
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Charles Clay, Bills ($24.5MM guaranteed) 5% (67)
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Kareem Jackson, Texans ($20MM guaranteed) 3% (39)
Total votes: 1,231
East Notes: Dareus, Bills, Eagles
The Bills‘ top priority at this point would probably be hammering out an extension with defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, but the timetable on that isn’t 100% clear, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “In the near future,” GM Doug Whaley said when asked about when Dareus could get his new deal. “He will be priority No. 1 once the dust settles post-draft, maybe even before then, just to get the ball rolling.” The defensive tackle is one of the game’s best players at his position and after Ndamukong Suh‘s massive deal with the Dolphins, Buffalo will have to bring some serious bucks to the table. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..
- The Bills could find that space to accommodate a deal for Dareus by restructuring their deal with defensive end Mario Williams. Williams is due to earn $19.4MM this year, $19.9 million next year, and $16.5 million in 2017. “He could free up the most and make it the most logical, because what we would do is not only restructure, but extend him similar to [what we did recently with defensive end] Kyle Williams, so these guys retire as Buffalo Bills,” Whaley said. “We want to set a precedent that we retain our own and we have them retire as Buffalo Bills. I think that’s a sentiment we’re trying to show the players on our roster now.”
- While some have said that Miles Austin will be taking the spot of Brad Smith on the Eagles, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter) doesn’t feel that’s really the case. The versatile Smith was a key special teams contributor while Austin is likely being signed to be more of a pure wide receiver.
- Sam Bradford‘s former coach Josh Heupel helped talk him out of quitting football, as Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Meanwhile, Heupel is confident that Bradford will shine with the Eagles. “If he’s 100 percent healthy,” Heupel said, “he’ll be able to perform at an elite level.”
Eagles Extend DeMeco Ryans Through 2016
2:21pm: Ryans’ two-year deal can be worth up to $10.5MM, with a base value of $7.5MM, including $6.25MM in guaranteed money, tweets McLane. McLane adds (via Twitter) that Ryans got a $2.5MM signing bonus to go along with a $2MM base salary for 2015.
1:52pm: The Eagles have agreed to terms on a one-year extension for veteran linebacker DeMeco Ryans, the team announced today in a press release. Ryans previously had one year remaining on his contract, so the new deal keeps him locked up through the 2016 season.
With Mychal Kendricks emerging as a reliable inside linebacker for the Eagles, and Kiko Alonso coming aboard in the LeSean McCoy swap, there was some uncertainty surrounding Ryans heading into the 2015 season, particularly since his cap hit for the coming year was $6.9MM.
The specific terms of the new agreement have yet to be reported, but the extension reduces Ryans’ salary for the coming year, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). The move should lower the longtime Eagle’s cap number and create some additional flexibility for the team.
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.
NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys
Washington has been insistent that they are committed to Robert Griffin III as their franchise quarterback, but that does not mean they aren’t doing diligence on the top passers in the draft. The team plans to host Marcus Mariota for a pre-draft visit, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
“If we think it’s worth the risk to hit the ‘reset button,’ if he’s that good of a football player, if we decide in the building that he’s that good of a football player and that we should do that, then we should do that, you know?,” said head coach Jay Gruden said. “But we’ll see. It has not been determined yet, obviously. We still have some time to determine whether or not we want to go in that direction.”
It is uncertain if Mariota would even be available for the team at the fifth selection.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Building off reports that Washington will have Mariota for a visit, John Keim of ESPN offers some thoughts on the connection between player and team. He writes that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the team is at least having him in for a visit, as he is projected to go in the range of their selection, and the teams are allotted 30 visits. He also notes that there are real concerns over Griffin’s standing within the organization, as well as concerns about Mariota’s NFL projection.
- While Washington has expressed some interest in Mariota, Ross Jones of Fox Sports highlights three players who make more sense for the team. He picks pass rushers Randy Gregory and Shane Ray as options, as well as offensive tackle Brandon Scherff.
- The Giants have a need at safety after losing Antrel Rolle to the Bears, but may be able to fill that hole on the second day of the draft, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Citing Mel Kiper of ESPN, Raanan picks out a few safeties who could be available when the Giants come to the podium in rounds two and three, including Byron Jones of Connecticut and Eric Rowe of Utah.
- The Eagles have been engaged in trade talks with the Dolphins, who are reportedly interested in a member of their defensive backfield, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. While the specific player is not known, Shorr-Parks surmises it is either Brandon Boykin, Earl Wolff, or Jerome Couplin.
- The Cowboys are known for having one of the top offensive lines in the league, but that wouldn’t preclude them to adding to a strength in the draft, and Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News has profiled a number of offensive linemen that could be of interest to the team.
FA Notes: Moss, Copeland, Lloyd, Bishop
As we heard yesterday, Washington coach Jay Gruden wouldn’t hesitate in bringing back veteran wideout Santana Moss. The 35-year-old has played in Washington for the past ten seasons, and he finished last season with ten catches for 116 yards. If he returns, Moss can expect to continue to contribute at a reduced role, considering the presence of fellow receivers DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Andre Roberts. Still, Gruden appreciates the veteran’s role on the field and in the locker room:
“You know what? I could always play with Santana,” Gruden told Mike Jones of the Washington Post. “Santana’s a great person. He’s great in the locker room for us. He knows all the positions. I know he’s going to be in great shape, and I would not hesitate one bit to call him.”
“We’ve talked about everybody. It’s just about when, how. We don’t want — we’ll wait until the draft to see what we have as far as numbers at every position and go from there. You know, that’s something that we know where Santana is, and he knows where we are, and something may work out down the road.”
Some more assorted notes from around the NFL…
- As we previously heard, linebacker Brandon Copeland has received interest from multiple teams following his performance at the Veteran Combine. “My phone’s been ringing,” he told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. “It’s been pretty good so far. I’m not going to say what teams, but four teams have offered me contracts so far. It was definitely successful for me to go to the veteran combine.” Among the teams showing interest in Copeland are the Lions, Eagles, Bengals, Chiefs, Colts, Giants and Titans.
- Meanwhile, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the 49ers are not among the estimated 13 teams to have shown some level of interest in Copeland.
- ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez says the 49ers haven’t had any conversations with wideout Brandon Lloyd. He notes that the team previously has little interest in bringing back linebacker Desmond Bishop, but he acknowledges that the mindset may have changed following the roster overhaul.
- Some have drawn comparisons between the Texans signing of Ed Reed last offseason and their addition of free agent Vince Wilfork this year. Texans owner Bob McNair recognizes the difference, however. “I think the difference is when you have someone at a position where they have to be able to run, then age is more of a consideration,” McNair told ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli. “We thought Ed was in good shape and was going to be able to come down and play and he was a big disappointment. At nose tackle, you don’t have to run that much. He’s got to be strong. So there’s some positions you can play for more years and you aren’t taking as much risk.
AFC Links: Maclin, Dareus, Colts, Revis
Part of Jeremy Maclin‘s decision to join the Chiefs was surely based on the five year, $55MM contract (including $22.5MM guaranteed) he received. However, the wideout insists the move had nothing to do with the value of the contract (via Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com):
“It wasn’t really about money. Obviously you want to get paid because of all the stuff that you do. But it wasn’t necessarily about who could pay me the most money.”
Meanwhile, Eagles coach Chip Kelly acknowledged that he wanted Maclin to return to Philadelphia:
“We didn’t think there was another receiver in that price range in free agency. We were trying to get Mac back. Felt we gave him a real competitive offer. Kansas City offered him a lot more than we did. We just weren’t going to go that high.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…
- Marcell Dareus is in line for a big payday, and despite his previous issues off the field, Bills general manager Doug Whaley told ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak that the organization is comfortable with the defensive tackle’s maturation. “I think the maturity we saw this (past) year has us feeling that unless he has a relapse soon, that we’re pretty comfortable that he’s taking that step for him, as a professional, to be more professional,” Whaley said (via John Kryk of Canoe.ca). “He has taken those steps now.”
- The Colts have made some notable moves this offseason, bringing in Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Trent Cole. Still, as Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star points out, the team has plenty of holes, including safety, defensive line and center. “It can’t be Christmas every day,” general manager Ryan Grigson said. “There’s not a forever, endless river of cash flowing. We have a plan. We followed it.”
- Rodney Harrison knows a thing or two about elite defensive backs, and the two-time Super Bowl champion said the Patriots made the right move by not over-extending to keep Darrelle Revis. “Bill (Belichick), he’s not gonna sell the farm for Darrelle Revis,” Harrison said while appearing on NBC Sports Radio’s “Under Center with McNabb and Malone” (via Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com). “Darrelle, as good as he is, maybe in a year or two he won’t be quite the same player he was this past season for the New England Patriots. I believe that was the right move to make.”
Extra Points: Pagano, Bradford, Broncos
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is entering the final year of his contract and, despite news this week that the team isn’t planning to extend him prior to the 2015 campaign, the 54-year-old isn’t concerned about his long-term status. Pagano issued a statement Friday that expressed his excitement about “coaching the Colts this season and for many years to come,” tweeted Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
More on Pagano and the rest of the NFL:
- Pagano shouldn’t be coaching for his job in 2015, barring a disastrous season, writes Mike Chappell of RTV6. Chappell cites the Colts’ progress under Pagano, who took over a team that went 2-14 in 2011 and has since coached it to three straight playoff appearances, as a reason to retain him long term. The Pagano-led Colts have gone 33-13 in the regular season during his tenure, giving them the NFL’s fourth-best record in that time span.
- Newly acquired Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is working hard with center Jason Kelce to learn the team’s offense, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. McLane notes that Bradford had accuracy issues during his time with the Rams, but that aspect of his game could improve in Eagles coach Chip Kelly’s system. Both Nick Foles, whom Philly traded for Bradford, and Mark Sanchez posted career-best completion percentages under Kelly.
- Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak acknowledged that the team needs to improve its offensive line, per Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “Right tackle, we’ve got some issues,” said Kubiak. “We have to get better up front.” The Broncos will presumably attempt to upgrade right tackle via the draft, in which they have the 28th overall pick. Renck cautions that it’s no sure thing a rookie will step in and succeed as a starter, however.
- The Panthers signed free agent offensive tackle Michael Oher earlier this month and added fellow tackle Jonathan Martin on Friday. Given those acquisitions, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweeted doubt that Carolina will use its first-round pick in this year’s draft on an O-lineman. The Panthers could instead target a receiver, running back or edge rusher with the 25th overall selection, according to Person.
NFC East Notes: Murray, Cowboys, Eagles
Despite the speculation of some, Eagles coach Chip Kelly insists that he didn’t sign DeMarco Murray as a ploy to weaken the Cowboys, as David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. “We never look at it that way,” Kelly said. “We’re just trying to acquire players. We don’t say let’s take this player over that player because it’s going to make that team weaker. I know Dallas is going to be a tough opponent when we play them this year.” Here’s more from the NFC East..
- It sounds like in either this draft or the next, the Cowboys are likely to select a quarterback, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes. Tony Romo turns 35 next month and owner Jerry Jones says he’s thinking about the future of the position.
- Eagles center Jason Kelce told reporters, including Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine (on Twitter), that he’s not expecting the team to trade up for Marcus Mariota, though a “lot of things” have surprised him this offseason.
- New Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has no hard feelings about Kelly, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “I still believe in Chip,” Maclin said of the Eagles coach.
- Todd Gurley may have more upside, but Melvin Gordon could be a better fit for the Cowboys, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News writes.