East Notes: Pats, Cowboys, Bills, Giants
The hearing for Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag positional designation took place in June and a decision is expected from arbitrator Stephen Burbank this week, but another key arbitration hearing – for Aaron Hernandez and the Patriots – has no set date yet, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (Twitter link).
As Breer details in a pair of tweets, the two sides are at odds over the tight end’s $12.5MM signing bonus. The Pats have already made $9.25MM in bonus payments, but didn’t pay the remaining $3.25MM this March. Hernandez’s camp figures to try to recover that last $3.25MM, which could end up going to the victims’ families, while the Pats may look to recoup a portion of the bonus that they already paid.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- After signing free agent guard Uche Nwaneri and acquiring linebacker Rolando McClain, the Cowboys may also look to add a veteran at tight end, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, who suggests the team could use a blocker behind Jason Witten.
- Since Kiko Alonso‘s ACL injury will technically be considered a non-football injury, the Bills could elect not to pay him for the 2014 season. However, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, because Alonso’s injury was sustained while he was working out, not paying him his ’14 salary could send a bad message, suggesting players are better off not working out when camp isn’t in session. As ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak notes (via Twitter), Alonso wouldn’t earn an accrued season if the Bills placed him on the non-football-injury list, meaning he’d become a restricted free agent after 2016 rather than an unrestricted free agent.
- After signing John Jerry as a free agent this offseason, the Giants would look to see the veteran guard make a run at a starting spot, writes Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger.
- Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com takes a look at the Eagles‘ depth chart on the defensive side of the ball.
Poll: Will Eagles Regret Releasing DeSean Jackson?
Yesterday, Redskins wideout Andre Roberts told SiriusXM NFL Radio that his decision to sign with Washington may have been different had he known DeSean Jackson was going to be on the team. Roberts, who has been eclipsed by Larry Fitzgerald and, at times, Michael Floyd, in Arizona, signed on with the Redskins in free agency in hopes that he could show his stuff as a more primary receiver. When Jackson came aboard to join forces with Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss, it bumped Roberts down a peg on the depth chart.
Obviously, the Redskins are happy that Jackson fell to them, even if it left Roberts a little bit perturbed. As the season approaches, however, one can’t help but wonder if the Eagles will regret having let their stud wide receiver go. Philly released Jackson over the offseason and also watched Jason Avant hook on with the Panthers. What’s left for Chip Kelly & Co. is Jeremy Maclin, who is back from a torn ACL, last year’s breakout star Riley Cooper. and a supporting cast of Arrelious Benn, second-round pick Jordan Matthews, and third-round pick Josh Huff. Cooper’s play in 2013 provided an unexpected boost for the club and Huff is a former Kelly pupil from Oregon, but the receiver corps as a whole is undeniably not as strong without Jackson in the mix.
Will Philly come to regret releasing Jackson?
Will The Eagles Regret Releasing DeSean Jackson?
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Yes 53% (151)
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No 47% (132)
Total votes: 283
Extra Points: Winston, Buccaneers, Eagles
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has taken out an insurance policy that would pay $8-10MM in the event of disability or loss of value, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. The policy is predicated on the expectation that Winston will be picked in the top-10 of the 2015 draft; if he is not selected in the first round due to injury or illness, the policy will presumably pay out. Though Winston has designs on spending two more years at FSU, Getlin writes that this policy makes that scenario unlikely. Premiums on coverage plans such as Winston’s are often in excess of $50K annually, meaning the Heisman winner will probably need to earn an NFL salary to pay off the fee.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap zeroes in on the Buccaneers’ secondary while dissecting the team’s best and worst contract, labeling Alterraun Verner‘s deal as the most team-friendly, and Dashon Goldson‘s pact as the most perilous to Tampa Bay’s cap situation.
- The Eagles have several intriguing candidates for the return jobs on special teams, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. During minicamp, Darren Sproles was used as the main punt returner, while rookie Josh Huff was the primary option on kick returns.
- Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell top Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com’s list of assistants who are likely to get a head job soon.
Monday Roundup: Graham, Taylor, Dolphins
Let’s take a look at some links from around the league on this Monday evening:
- Arbitrator Stephen Burbank will issue his decision on Saints tight end Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag grievance on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter and Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Steelers‘ cornerback Ike Taylor, who agreed to reduce his 2014 salary from $7MM to $2.5MM in March, and who seemed at peace when speaking with reporters about his decision just a month ago–he simply said “my [new] salary is a lot of money”–has apparently had a change of heart. As Mark Kaboly of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, Taylor recently appeared on The Jim Rome Show and stated, “Did it hurt me? Hell yeah. Does it still hurt? Yeah, it hurts, but hopefully I can go in and bounce back this year, do what I need to do on the field and we will see what happens after.” Of course, there is nothing Taylor can do about it now, and both he and the Steelers are hoping for a bounce-back year in 2014.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets a couple of options for the Eagles as they make to shuffle their offensive line in the wake of the Lane Johnson suspension.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his Best Contract/Worst Contract series with the Falcons. He explains why the team’s best contract is with wideout Roddy White, and the worst is with LT Sam Baker.
- Dr. David Chao, whose piece for the National Football Post we referenced earlier today with regards to the dangers associated with playing football on dirt–as they do in the Oakland Coliseum–also passed along a couple of Dolphins injury notes. Chao confirms that running back Knowshon Moreno has had his knee scoped and should return in time for the majority of training camp, but he expects center Mike Pouncey to wind up on the PUP list, requiring him to miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
East Notes: Dolphins, Revis, Eagles, Redskins
We’ve already brought you one batch of AFC East notes today, but there’s more news from that division and its intra-conference counterpart, the NFC East.
- In the aforementioned AFC East notes, we learned the Dolphins were bringing in Samson Satele, along with two unknown offensive lineman, for a workout following an injury to center Mike Pouncey. The identity of one of the other lineman has been revealed to be Steve Vallos (per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). Vallos, 30, is something of an NFL journeyman, having spent time with five franchises, including the Broncos last season. I covered the possible options at center for Miami last week.
- Darrelle Revis was often an enemy of the Patriots when he played for the Jets, but now that he’s in New England, he offers his praise for the team, according to Ira Kaufman of the Tampa Tribune. “They work their butts off in New England,’’ said Revis. “As soon as you get into the offseason program, it’s non-stop. They want to be winners. They know what I can bring to the table and at the same time, we want to win.”
- Former Patriot Steve Gregory is staying in shape and waiting to hear from teams, but as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, it will probably take a training camp injury for a team to show interest in the 31-year-old.
- Th Eagles’ defense could show vast improvement next season, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer, simply due to the maturation of the team’s 2012 draft class, which includes Brandon Boykin and Mychal Kendricks.
- The Eagles face a quandary at the kicker position, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Incumbent Alex Henery can hit field goals, but his distance on kickoffs leaves much to be desired, while undrafted free agent Carey Spear can cause touchbacks with ease, but has trouble on routine field goals. Mosher posits that both specialists could be unseated by a free agent signing, and specifally names former Titan Rob Bironas as a player whom Philadelphia could bring in.
- In other kicker news, the Redskins could opt to keep two kickers in Kai Forbath and seventh-rounder Zach Hocker, according to Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.
David Kipke contributed to this post.
Sunday Roundup: Thomas, Davis, Momah
It’s been a surprisingly exciting morning in the NFL, with the false report from the Dallas Police Department that Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was arrested early this morning dominating the Twitterverse. Now that things have quieted down and Talib has been absolved–his brother, Yaqub, was the person taken into custody–let’s have a look at some links from around the league.
- Mike Kiszla of The Denver Post writes that the Broncos cannot afford to overpay star wideout Demaryius Thomas. He adds that, although Thomas is set to become a free agent after this season, the franchise tag is a legitimate option if an extension cannot be worked out (check out our Luke Adams’ piece on what a deal for Thomas might look like). Kiszla believes that giving Thomas more than $30MM in easily-obtained guarantees is too much for a receiver who greatly benefits from being in the same huddle as Peyton Manning.
- The Panthers exercised linebacker Thomas Davis‘ 2014 and 2015 options in February after his stellar 2013 campaign, but if they had not done so, Davis would have retired, according to Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer. Davis said, “If I’m going to play football and represent an organization, it’s going to be with the team that stuck beside me and never gave up on me.“
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Free agent defensive tackle Johnny Jolly, who played for the Packers last season, has gained medical clearance after undergoing neck surgery in January, writes Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post. As we learned several weeks ago, the Packers remain open to Jolly’s return.
- The Titans‘ top three wide receivers–Nate Washington, Kendall Wright, and Justin Hunter–are set. But as Lauren Moore of The Tennessean writes, second-year man Michael Preston, who has been dubbed a “jack-of-all-trades” by wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, hopes to seize the fourth receiver role from the likes of veteran free agent acquisitions Brian Robiskie, Derek Hagan, and Dorin Dickerson, as well as a few 2013 and 2014 undrafted free agents.
- Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that, although the Browns would love to extend tight end Jordan Cameron, Cameron’s agent, Tom Condon, will drive a hard bargain. She adds that wide receiver Josh Gordon must have some “compelling arguments” given that there has yet to be an announcement regarding his suspension (although an appeal hearing has not been set).
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes that the Jaguars will need to grab a standout pass rusher in the 2015 draft, and he lists some potential candidates for Jags fans to keep an eye on this season.
- Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com writes that Ifeanyi Momah, the physically gifted wide receiver whom the Eagles released last season during final cutdowns, is back with Philadelphia this year and stands a real chance at making the roster.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Redskins
The Eagles have experience with tight ends Brent Celek, Zach Ertz, and James Casey, and they could employ their skill sets in multiple tight end formations early in the season, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. As the season goes on, and rookie receivers Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff become more comfortable in the offense, their roles could increase as well.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Eagles‘ punter Donnie Jones and gunner Brandon Boykin were keys to the team’s special teams in 2013, and could anchor a unit that will help win games this season, writes Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com. The punting game particularly is set to be a strong point in 2014.
- The Redskins were not particularly strong in the kicking game last season, but are poised to improve under a new coaching staff this season, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Tandler sets a goal of averaging 25 yard per kickoff return, which would start to turn their fortunes in a positive direction.
- Redskins‘ offensive coordinator Sean McVay was impressed by Robert Griffin III during OTAs, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Griffin, who was unable to call audibles under former head coach Mike Shanahan, will not have some flexibility at the line of scrimmage.
East Notes: Kiwanuka, Johnson, Redskins, ‘Fins
In his annual exercise naming the most overrated and underrated player on each team, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com highlighted Mathias Kiwanuka as the Giant who isn’t living up to expectations. The advanced metrics bear that out — the 31-year-old Kiwanuka, who might be living off his first-round pedigree at this point, graded as the third-worst 4-3 defensive end in the NFL last season per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Giants apparently also noticed a degradation of eight-year veteran’s skills — they required him to take a pay cut in March.
More from New York and the league’s two East divisions:
- With Jon Beason likely to miss some regular season action with a foot injury, Jameel McClain is poised to take over at middle linebacker for the Giants, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com in his latest mailbag. In that scenario, 2011 sixth-rounder Jacquian Williams would become the starter at weakside linebacker.
- For a rookie playing in a complicated offense, Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson didn’t perform all that poorly in 2013. But, as he tells Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com, Johnson wants to show marked improvement next season. “I’m trying to be a dominant player. I know I have the ability,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s just a matter of being consistent with it because there’s times where I showed flashes of being a really good player, and then there’s other times where I didn’t. So I’m just trying to be more consistent this year.”
- In a discussion examining potential 2014 breakout Redskins, Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com spotlighted running back Roy Helu and tight end Niles Paul, deducing that a pass-happy, Jay Gruden-led offense will lead to plenty of offensive production to go around.
- Center Ted Larsen is hoping to break camp with the Dolphins following Mike Pouncey‘s injury, and is just one of several Miami undrafted rookies to watch for in 2014, according to James Walker of ESPN.com.
- The Dolphins have officially begun renovations on Sun Life Stadium, the team announced on Twitter. The refurbishment is expected to include (via Fox Sports Florida) all new seating, concourse and concession upgrades, and new video screens, and will conclude before the 2016 season.
Extra Points: Davis, Hankins, Vernon, Brown
“Vernon Davis sounds resigned as if he’ll report to 49ers training camp in 26 days without a new contract,” writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and the tight end does not sound stressed about it.
Here’s more lunchtime links:
- Giants 2013 second-round pick Johnathan Hankins came on strong down the stretch last season and is poised to inherit the nose tackle position vacated by Linval Joseph, who signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan.
- Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton was terrific against the run last season, but he’s making a concerted effort to improve his hand use and pass-rushing ability. In a story by CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher, Thornton says part of his motivation came from his wife telling him, “You only had one sack.”
- Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s stock is on the rise, says ESPN’s James Walker: “The former third-round pick exploded on the scene and led the Dolphins with 11.5 sacks…Vernon had another strong offseason, capped by his 2 1/2 sacks in Miami’s team scrimmage last week. Not only that, Vernon beat Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert for two of his sacks…Vernon looks poised to hold onto his starting job and keep former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan on the bench.”
- Tarell Brown‘s one-year, $3.5MM deal is the Raiders’ best contract, while Sebastian Janikowski‘s four-year, $15.1MM deal — which “ranks in the top 10 of the Raiders annual salary structure, top 3 in total value for the team among veterans, and first overall among kickers in the NFL” — is the worst, in the opinion of OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald.
- Chiefs injury plagued tight end Tony Moeaki is on the bubble, explains ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
- Same goes for Jaguars safety Josh Evans, thinks ESPN’s Michael DiRocco: “Evans will have to prove early in camp that he’s completely healthy and is more consistent than he was as a rookie. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose reps and could end up being the first David Caldwell draft pick who gets cut.”
NFC East Links: Frederick, Romo, Murray, Foles, Boykin, Wilson
The Cowboys were criticized when they drafted center Travis Frederick 31st overall last year. In the immediate aftermath of the 2013 draft, Mel Kiper Jr. said (subscription required) Frederick was his 87th rated player and the team “drafted a player I thought they could have taken at least 30 spots later.” Mike Mayock had a third-round grade on Frederick, and called the selection “a little bit of a reach.” However, Frederick rewarded the Cowboys confidence by making the NFL All-Rookie Team, and he’s poised to anchor the offensive line for the remainder of the decade, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
Here’s a few more NFC East links:
- Tony Romo‘s 2013 season was put under the microscope by Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo, who concluded Romo excelled with a clean pocket, but was among the league’s worst when pressured.
- Cowboys writers weighed in on the future of DeMarco Murray, and all of them mentioned the running back’s need to disprove durability concerns. However, Bryan Broaddus stated, “regardless of what [Murray] does in 2014, it will most likely not get this front office to pay him what he believes he is worth.” Broaddus also cited Marion Barber as a cautionary tale and one that might dissuade Dallas from investing heavily into Murray’s future.
- Eagles quarterback Nick Foles got the same treatment from PFF. Interestingly, 92.5 percent of his dropbacks came from the shotgun or pistol formation, and he rated as one of the league’s best deep-ball throwers. Foles also threw the league’s highest percentage of crossing routes and screens.
- Tim McManus of Phillymag.com explains why the Eagles desire big, long cornerbacks to play outside, while Brandon Boykin (six interceptions and league-leading 13.3 coverage rating from PFF) will likely remain a slot defender extraordinaire.
- Giants running back David Wilson, recovering from neck surgery, is hoping to be cleared for contact on July 21 when he undergoes a crucial medical examination, writes ESPN’s Dan Graziano.