Eagles Notes: Bradford, Mathis, Barwin
Eagles head coach Chip Kelly drew a big crowd at this morning’s NFC coaches’ breakfast in Arizona, and many of those reporters in attendance passed along noteworthy comments and quotes from the team’s de facto GM. Here are a few of the highlights from Kelly, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of various reporters in Phoenix:
- Since being offered a first-round pick shortly after he acquired Sam Bradford from the Rams, Kelly hasn’t received any other trade inquiries involving the quarterback. As for that original offer, Kelly declined to confirm which team offered the first-rounder pick for Bradford, but it was certainly the Browns, who also offered the Rams the 19th overall pick for the QB.
- Discussing the Bradford trade, Kelly said the Eagles had originally tried to get the deal done with just picks, in the hopes of keeping Nick Foles, but the Rams wanted Foles as part of the package.
- According to Kelly, the Eagles haven’t actively shopped guard Evan Mathis, but the club has given Mathis and his agent permission to seek a possible trade. At the end of the day, Kelly said, he’s willing to listen to offers for any player.
- Explaining the decision to spend big on cornerback Byron Maxwell and not wideout Jeremy Maclin, Kelly indicated that there had been an imbalance of money devoted to the offensive side of the ball, as opposed to the defensive side of the ball, and “it showed” on the field.
- Kelly confirmed that Connor Barwin‘s contract restructure didn’t help the Eagles’ cap at all — Kelly reworked the deal simply because he felt like Barwin had exceeded and outperformed his initial contract.
- It sounds as if wide receiver will be an area the club targets in the draft. Kelly said today that wide receiver may be the position with the most depth in this year’s draft class.
- The Eagles remain active in some discussions with free agents, but Kelly isn’t sure if the team will sign any more players.
- Although Kelly said today that LeSean McCoy wasn’t “moving off” his large cap number – prompting the team to part ways with him – Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears from sources that the team never approached the running back about restructuring his deal.
East Notes: Bills, Dez, Washington, Jets
When Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula were bidding for the Bills last year, one key factor that gave them an advantage of other potential suitors was the Pegulas’ desire to keep the franchise in Buffalo, rather than moving it somewhere like Toronto. However, Terry Pegula told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun at the owners’ meetings this week that he isn’t totally opposed to the idea of an NFL team in Ontario.
“I don’t think I would have a problem with it if they could support the team,” Pegula said. “It’s a big enough market. I don’t know how that works with the CFL, though.”
For now, the NFL is far more focused on getting franchises in Los Angeles and perhaps even London, so nothing is at all imminent for Toronto. But if the possibility arose down the line, it doesn’t sound as if Pegula would be opposed.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Pegula also discussed the Bills‘ offseason, including the recruitment of Percy Harvin, with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News.
- Speaking to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated he doesn’t believe Dez Bryant would hold out for a long-term deal this year. “There’s no doubt in my mind that – without being presumptuous, without doing anything – that Dez will be on the field and a Dallas Cowboy under either of the circumstances — long-term or franchise agreement,” Jones said. “I’m not worried about [a holdout] at all, and it’s because of how much he loves the game, how much he knows that preparation, practice, all of that improves him.”
- Washington general manager Scot McCloughan intends to continue adding pieces to the team’s offensive line, and left the door open to making additions via either free agency or the draft, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- Veteran DE/OLB Jason Trusnik was among the latest free agents to visit the Jets, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Trusnik has spent the last four seasons with the division-rival Dolphins.
- Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie made the right call in giving Chip Kelly complete decision-making power in Philadelphia, but Lurie’s decision to keep former GM Howie Roseman in the front office “lacked conviction,” says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Murray, 49ers
Speaking to reporters this morning in Phoenix at the AFC coaches’ breakfast, Chargers head coach Mike McCoy addressed the team’s backfield, including quarterback Philip Rivers. Asked about Rivers’ decision to play out his contract, McCoy responded that the team plans on Rivers “retiring as a Charger” (Twitter link via Ed Werder of ESPN.com).
McCoy also indicated he’s confident the Chargers can win with the three running backs they have on the roster at the moment (Twitter link via Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune). Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, and Danny Woodhead are currently slated to share the load for San Diego, with Ryan Mathews having departed in free agency. The club could also address the position in the draft.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Within a piece on Jeremy Maclin, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports, citing a league source, that the Raiders offered running back DeMarco Murray “significant more guaranteed money” than the Eagles did.
- Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio identified defensive end and pass rusher as two spots he expects his team to focus on early in the 2015 draft, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Del Rio added that receiving help could also come via free agency, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
- 49ers general manager Trent Baalke confirmed that his club has interest in several free agent inside linebackers, including Brandon Spikes. However, according to Baalke, there’s no official visit lined up for Erin Henderson at this point (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com).
- Casey Pearce of the Rams clarified today (via Twitter) that the Rams will have their own seventh-round pick this year — it was the Patriots‘ pick that St. Louis sent to the Falcons in a subsequent trade. With 2015’s compensatory picks now announced, the league should officially confirm the complete draft order soon.
- UCLA’s Brett Hundley, considered perhaps the best 2015 quarterback prospect not named Jameis or Marcus, has a private workout scheduled with the Cardinals, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
AFC East Notes: McCoy, Bills, Milliner, Jets
All 16 AFC coaches spoke to reporters today in Arizona, including the four head coaches for AFC East clubs. Asked repeatedly about the departure of Darrelle Revis, Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer much insight, repeatedly answering, “It’s NFL free agency” (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network). Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin also didn’t share too many interesting tidbits.
However, new head coaches Rex Ryan (Bills) and Todd Bowles (Jets) were at least a little more forthcoming. Here are a few highlights from their conversations with the media, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of reporters in attendance:
Rex Ryan:
- It was the Eagles who initiated the LeSean McCoy trade talks, calling the Bills about a potential deal — 30 minutes later, it was essentially done, according to Ryan, who says he and other Buffalo decision-makers were “stunned” that the star running back was available.
- Since joining the Bills, McCoy has been a “chief recruiter” for bringing in free agents, playing a notable role in the signing of fullback Jerome Felton.
- Ryan praised his team’s backfield depth, mentioning Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon multiple times without referring to Bryce Brown. Asked about Brown, Ryan joked, “I’m not going to learn his name until he holds onto the football.”
- Recognizing that this could be his last shot at a head coaching job, Ryan said he wanted to land in the right spot, and he feels like Buffalo is that spot because of the team’s ownership. Ryan isn’t sure whether he would’ve taken another head coaching position if Doug Marrone hadn’t opted out of his deal with the Bills. According to Ryan, he was expecting to hear from the Bears after the Jets fired him, but he never did.
Todd Bowles:
- The Jets had eight cornerbacks on their list of free agent targets and were hoping to sign two of them. In the end, the team landed three: Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine.
- While the secondary has been fortified, Bowles says the Jets’ defense still isn’t complete, mentioning the draft as a spot to address it. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com interprets that to mean the team will be targeting a pass rusher early.
- The Jets will do their “due diligence” on both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, working out both players. The club figures to take the best player available with the sixth overall pick though — Bowles also jokingly suggested that he’d be open to trading the pick for multiple first-rounders.
- With newly-acquired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick not expected to be healthy, Geno Smith will head into the spring as the Jets’ No. 1 guy and will get the starter reps.
- Bowles “definitely” expects Dee Milliner to be a Jet in 2015, suggesting the team doesn’t intend to trade the young cornerback.
Extra Points: Peterson, Rivers, Murray, Hardy
Some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Monday evening…
- Adrian Peterson‘s agent, Ben Dogra, reiterated that his client shouldn’t be playing for the Vikings in 2015. “I don’t think it’s in the best interests of [Adrian Peterson] to play for the Minnesota Vikings,” Dogra said (via Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole on Twitter).
- However, Vikings owner Mark Wilf whistled a different tune to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. “He’s an important part of the Minnesota Vikings and we look forward to him being part of our team in 2015,” the owner said (Twitter link).
- Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said the the team isn’t considering trading quarterback Philip Rivers, according to ESPN.com’s Eric Williams (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson says (via Twitter) the Raiders are not currently pursuing Eagles offensive guard Evan Mathis.
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said the Eagles offer to DeMarco Murray exceeded his team’s offer by a “large amount,” tweets Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com.
- Cowboys coach Jason Garrett touched on his team’s addition of defensive end Greg Hardy (via David Moore of SportsDayDFW.com on Twitter): “If we didn’t believe that Greg Hardy could become the right kind of guy we would not have signed him.”
- Moore also tweets that the Cowboys have interest in bringing back linebacker Rolando McClain, but Garrett said the sides haven’t made any recent progress on a contract.
AFC Links: Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Browns
The Texans current batch of quarterbacks would never be confused with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage don’t evoke fear, but that doesn’t mean their team can’t be successful. Owner Bob McNair is a supporter of that sentiment, as he told Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that he believes his team could contend for a Super Bowl:
“Teams have done that. Look at Baltimore back in 2000. They had an outstanding defense. They could run the ball and they had a quarterback that didn’t turn it over that much. I think that is a plan that can bring you great success. Look what we did last year playing four quarterbacks. We didn’t have that consistent play at quarterback and yet look how close we came. We’ve improved our defense this year.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that his team has interest in free agent wideout Greg Jennings, but he warns that they haven’t scheduled a visit (Twitter link).
- While appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said his team also hasn’t scheduled a visit with Jennings (via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports on Twitter). However, Tannenbaum noted that Miami could pursue the veteran wideout later in free agency.
- Following news earlier today that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could be a candidate to purchase the Titans, a Browns spokesman told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the Tennessee native is devoted to Cleveland. “It’s 100% false,” the spokesman said. “There is no truth to the careless speculation from the reporter.”
- Browns general manager Ray Farmer said the organization would continue to monitor potential quarterback additions, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
- Farmer would not reveal whether the Browns offered a first-round pick to the Rams for Sam Bradford, but he did comment that the current Eagles signal-caller likely isn’t available (via Ulrich on Twitter).
NFC Links: McCourty, Bridgewater, Packers
Devin McCourty ultimately stayed with the Patriots, but not before being lured by the NFL’s largest market. The Giants‘ offer was comparable to what McCourty ended up signing to stay in New England — five years, $47.5MM — co-owner John Mara told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
The best safety on the market’s refusal to take the Giants’ money began a failed venture that leaves the team with one of the most barren depth charts at any position in the league with the draft less than six weeks away. As of now, the Giants have only Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor, fifth-round picks in 2013 and 2014, respectively, on their roster. Neither has started a game. Former Giants starters Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps still reside in free agency.
Other news from the NFC …
- Like the Steelers, the Packers are a staunch build-from-within franchise, and this year furthered that philosophy. As a result, corners Tramon Williams and Davon House departed, and coach Mike McCarthy expects Casey Hayward and former Gonzaga basketball talent Demetri Goodson to challenge for those spots, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Unless Carl Bradford or another player enables Clay Matthews to relocate to his former spot outside, the Pro Bowl linebacker may stay an inside linebacker going into the season.
- Packers president Mark Murphy doesn’t expect the Bears’ proposal of both teams receiving a guaranteed overtime possession to pass, reports ESPN’s Jason Wilde. Murphy probably won’t support any of the rules changes, reports Silverstein on Twitter.
- Vikings coach Mike Zimmer wants Teddy Bridgewater to gain weight and develop additional strength before he begins his first full season as the Vikings’ quarterback, writes Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Zimmer said the 2014 first-rounder played at around 210 pounds last season, and the second-year coach prefers the 6-foot-2 signal-caller to be closer to 220.
- After reports surfaced of Adrian Peterson‘s agent declining a Vikings meeting, the All-Pro runner didn’t solicit much of a response from Zimmer. “Well, Adrian is under contract with us, and we’re excited to get him back here with his teammates and get him back playing,” Zimmer told Hartman.
- The NFL held its first Veterans Combine on Sunday night in Arizona with numerous former NFLers participating. The Eagles were among the few teams to talk with offensive linemen after their drills concluded, NFL.com’s Mark Sessler reports on Twitter.
NFC Notes: D. Washington, Eagles, Cowboys
Let’s take a look at the latest from the NFC…
- Speaking to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910, suspended Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington said he’s completed anger management and domestic violence classes, and has passed every drug test (link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). Washington was suspended last May for at least one year, and also was involved in a assault incident, for which he received probation. Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said last month that he doesn’t even consider the 28-year-old Washington a part of the team.
- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has let DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin go in consecutive offseasons, and part of the reason for their departure may be that Kelly finds “hidden value” in receivers, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Route-running (even on plays where the player is not the primary receiver) and blocking are among the attributes that Kelly looks for, and he believes that Riley Cooper and Jordan Matthews are more than capable in those areas.
- Veteran defender Anthony Spencer probably won’t return to the Cowboys, opines Todd Archer of ESPN.com. After adding Greg Hardy last week, Dallas appears set at defensive end, so there’s not an obvious need for Spencer on the roster.
- Washington‘s offseason additions have been praised this year, writes John Keim of ESPN.com, and that wasn’t the case a year ago. Keim takes a look back at the club’s signings from 2014, most of which didn’t pan out.
Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland
As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
- Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
- The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
- The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.
AFC East Links: McCoy, Patriots, Dolphins
One of the more surprising offseason moves has been the LeSean McCoy trade. The running back was traded to the Bills earlier in the month, and the two sides soon came to an agreement on an extension. Meanwhile, the Eagles replaced McCoy with a pair of big names, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.
McCoy did not mince words when he was asked about the Eagles‘ offseason strategy. In fact, while appearing on the The Rich Eisen Show, the 26-year-old touched on Chip Kelly‘s willingness to pay new running backs, but not one of their stars (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):
“I thought about that a little bit,” he said. “I didn’t understand it. I should say that. And Chip I think is a really good coach. I think this is something different for him kind of managing both, from being a coach to now kind of managing the team as far as the players that they get and they pay.
“I saw that they originally were trying to get Frank Gore, and he backed out. So then when they got DeMarco and they got Ryan Mathews, I thought it was like a panic move. With that media in Philadelphia, they can get tough on you. So I guess that was just the way to make it right. I don’t know. I can’t really answer it. They took two backs to replace one. I think DeMarco’s a hell of a back. I think he’ll do a good job there. I’m not sure how that went.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC East…
- Defensive end Jabaal Sheard has plenty of reasons to be excited. Not only did he sign a two-year, $11MM contract with the Patriots, but he also went from a non-playoff team to a Super Bowl contender. “Coming from a not-so-good program to a great program that has been winning and doing well, I’ve just been excited,” Sheard told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I want to win in the league, and I want to be part of a great organization. That was a big part of me signing.”
- Another new member of the Patriots, tight end Scott Chandler, is thrilled about the opportunity to compete for a championship. “I’ve been playing for a while, and I wanted to be a part of an organization that has a pretty good chance to win,” said Chandler (via Howe). “Mr. (Robert) Kraft and coach Belichick have done an amazing job of not only creating that but sustaining it for a long period of time. I’m looking forward to going into this year and doing whatever I can to be a part of that.”
- Dolphins safety Louis Delmas re-signed with the organization yesterday, and the 27-year-old revealed that he’s quickly recovering from his season-ending ACL tear. “The knee is great,” Delmas said (via ESPN.com’s James Walker). “My doctors and my training staff have been doing a great job of managing me and making sure I’m doing everything protocol-wise to be able to play the first game of the season…I definitely know that I will be ready for the first game of the season.”