Extra Points: Bills, Knighton, Eagles, Ravens
After we heard yesterday that New York State had appointed several members to a committee tasked with exploring the possibility of a new stadium for the Bills, team president and CEO Russ Brandon released a statement indicating that the franchise’s primary focus is on upgrading Ralph Wilson Stadium (link via The Buffalo News). Mike Rodak of ESPN.com also passes along several comments made by Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz on WGR 550, explaining why a new stadium might not be viable in the short term.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton reportedly intends to seek a new contract this offseason, but the odds of him receiving one aren’t great, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- Wide receiver will be a position to keep an eye on in Philadelphia this offseason, as the Eagles decide whether they’ll bring back Jeremy Maclin and/or Riley Cooper. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes an in-depth look at the position.
- Given the presence of new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak and the high value the club places on special teams, free-agent-to-be Jacoby Jones has multiple reasons to consider a return to the Ravens, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com.
- While it won’t necessarily be anywhere near the top of the team’s to-do list this offseason, the Ravens should make an effort to upgrade their defensive line if they can, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expects it to be a buyer’s market for free agent receivers this offseason, and thinks that the Patriots, among other teams, could benefit.
- Don’t expect much excitement from this year’s restricted free agent market, writes ESPN.com’s John Clayton, who says that this year’s class of restricted free agents is among the least impressive in recent memory.
- Anthony Kuehn of the Detroit Free Press takes an in-depth look at the Lions’ 22 free-agents-to-be.
NFC East Notes: Sam, Vick, Cowboys, Austin
Could openly gay NFL draft prospect Michael Sam be a fit for the Eagles? Probably not, and it has nothing to do with his orientation, writes Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com. The Mizzou linebacker opened the season strong but his production slowed as the season went on. He racked up ten sacks in his first eight games but just 1.5 in his final six. Beyond that, his best fit is probably as a situational pass rusher in a 4-3, but Philly already has a 6’2, 260-ish pound 4-3 DE who can rush the passer, but struggles with everything else in Brandon Graham. More out of the NFC East..
- Zach Berman of Philly.com offers up an evaluation of the quarterback position for the Eagles. Michael Vick won’t return unless he can’t find a starting job elsewhere and no one should expect that to happen. With questions about Matt Barkley, the Eagles will be looking for a reliable No. 2 QB to slot behind Nick Foles. Berman suggests Josh Freeman, Chad Henne, and Tarvaris Jackson as some possible candidates.
- Despite talk that the Cowboys could be ready to move on from Miles Austin, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) notes that it doesn’t make sense to cut the wide receiver just yet. Cutting him now would save just $400K but releasing him after June 1st would bring them more cap relief.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (on Twitter) adds that releasing Austin after June 1st will give the Cowboys enough space to sign their rookie class.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post asks if the Redskins should move on from Brandon Meriweather.
- Wide receiver Joe Anderson got a $20K bonus on his futures deal from the Eagles while Josh Kaddu got $25K to sign, tweets Bryan McIntyre.
Extra Points: Roseman, Mack, Ponder
After the infamous failures of the Eagles’ “Dream Team” several seasons ago, GM Howie Roseman is trying to lead his team away from its big-spending traditions, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Even before the “Dream Team” was assembled, the Eagles handed sizable contracts to Terrell Owens, Stacy Andrews, Asante Samuel, and many others besides. This year, though, Roseman does not plan to attack the team’s weaknesses by throwing money at the current crop of top free agents.
For instance, safeties T.J. Ward and Jairus Byrd would certainly go a long way towards addressing Philadelphia’s deficiencies in the middle of its defense. However, those players will command hefty contracts, and Roseman believes it is becoming more and more difficult to justify those types of deals.
Roseman indicated he would be “open” to a lucrative, long-term deal for a free agent who was young enough, who filled a need, and who played at a very high level. However, he says:
“You see there are fewer and fewer of those players available in free agency, so what happens is good players get great player money, pretty good players get really good player money, and then it throws around the whole structure of your roster.”
As a result, Roseman is attempting to build through the draft and sign those free agents who fit the city’s blue-collar identity rather than assembling a fantasy collection of big names.
Other news from around the league:
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-TImes Union thinks the Jaguars should target free agent C Alex Mack given the lack of experience that their in-house options have. Although it has been well-established that Mack stands to become the highest-paid center in the league, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco says the Jags have enough room to make such a move. O’Halloran adds that, if Jacksonville were to land Mack, it could move one of those inexperienced internal candidates to left guard.
- DiRocco says Jacksonville could also settle for a cheaper option at center like Ryan Wendell, and interior offensive linemen the team could target in the draft include Marcus Martin, Russell Bodine, and Trai Turner.
- Although there has been plenty of speculation as to how the Vikings will address their quarterback situation this offseason–thereby implying that Christian Ponder is not seen as the long-term answer–new OC Norv Turner will give Ponder a real chance to win the starting job, says ESPN.com’s Tom Carpenter.
- Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper thinks the Vikings will take QB Blake Bortles with their first selection in the draft, adding a young and legitimate competitor for Ponder and possibly Matt Cassel.
NFC East Notes: Redskins, Eagles
Redskins‘ new head coach Jay Gruden utilized multiple tight end sets with the Bengals, with both Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert providing big receiving threats for the offense. Last season, the Redskins found a potential star in Jordan Reed, and could benefit from another receiving threat to pair with him at the position, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Unfortunately, both Tandler and his colleague Tarik El-Bashir agree that it is unlikely that the Redskins can afford to invest either a high draft pick or a significant amount of their cap dollars to find a second tight end. Here are some other notes from the NFC East:
- Safety will also be a big area of need for the Redskins, with Brandon Meriweather and Reed Doughty hitting free agency, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. Without a backup in place that the team can be confident in, the Redskins may have to look to free agency to fill out the secondary. Chris Clemons (Dolphins) or Michael Mitchell (Panthers) could be cost effective solutions. Otherwise, Washington will have to look to the draft. Without a first round pick due to the Robert Griffin III trade, Keim believes they could target Jimmy Ward of Northern Illinois in the second or third round.
- The Eagles are estimated to have approximately $20MM in cap space this offseason, leaving them in position to make a splash in free agency. Two intriguing options could be Jason Worilds (Steelers) and T.J. Ward (Browns), writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. He writes that if the Steelers keep LaMarr Woodley, then Worilds would most likely be available and could be a great fit for the Eagles across from Connor Barwin. According to Mosher, even with the cap space, Ward will probably be too expensive to bring in.
- The Eagles are moving forward with a defensive line built around Fletcher Cox, Cedric Thornton, and Bennie Logan, and while Mosher doubts they would add a big name to their line, he would not rule it out completely. He does not think the Eagles would bring in a veteran player as a starter, but if the team thought a young lineman such as B.J. Raji could be a game-changer, they might be willing to spend some money to acquire him.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Kelce, Cowboys
Tonight’s glance at the NFC East..
- The Eagles want to keep Jason Kelce for the long-term, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. A league source tells Frank the Eagles and the center’s agent, Jason Bernstein, haven’t started contract talks but plan to fairly soon. It would be surprising if by the start of training camp, Kelce doesn’t have a long-term multi-year deal worth about $4.5-$5MM per year.
- The Cowboys‘ top priority this offseason should be fixing their disappointing defense, opines Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com. Their switch from the 3-4 defense to the 4-3 Tampa 2 scheme after the 2012 season wasn’t well thought out in Taylor’s view and the club doesn’t have the proper personnel for it. The Tampa 2 scheme requires a disruptive defensive tackle who plays on the outside shoulder of the right guard, a weakside linebacker who can make plays sideline to sideline, and a hard-hitting safety that can make receivers pay. Dallas, unfortunately, doesn’t have any of those by Taylor’s count.
- The Eagles signing of wide receiver Joe Anderson will have no bearing on what they do with free agents Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper, writes ESPN.com’s Phil Sheridan. Anderson was added for his special teams experience and his signing probably will have more of an impact on Brad Smith and Jeff Maehl than on Maclin and Cooper.
Eagles Sign Joe Anderson
The Eagles have officially signed wide receiver Joe Anderson, the team announced today (Twitter link). While the specifics of the deal weren’t revealed, it figures to be a reserve/futures contract worth the minimum.
Anderson, 25, played six games for the Bears last season before being placed on injured reserve in November. While he has yet to record an NFL reception, he returned five kicks for Chicago in 2013, for a total of 82 yards. The 6’1″ receiver was eligible to sign a reserve deal with the Eagles since he didn’t finish the year on an NFL team’s active roster, and will likely compete for a roster spot in Philadelphia this summer.
NFC Notes: Zastudil, Moss, Cowboys, 49ers
Cardinals punter Dave Zastudil signed a two-year extension with the team last month, and today Brian McIntyre provides the financial details for that contract (via Twitter). According to McIntyre, the deal will be worth $2.95MM over two years, with a $545K bonus, a 2014 cap hit of $1,252,500, and $450K in possible incentives.
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFC….
- Most recent Redskins rumors have revolved around the team’s negotiations with its defensive free-agents-to-be, but the club has also had talks with wide receiver Santana Moss about a new deal, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Moss has indicated that he’d like to remain in Washington.
- In a chat with readers, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News said on Thursday that the Cowboys won’t be major players in free agency, but that the team will be active in reworking contracts over the next several weeks, with Tony Romo among the restructure candidates.
- Safety is a major area of concern for the Eagles this offseason, as Sheil Kapadia and Tim McManus outline at PhillyMag.com.
- Based on their recent free agent history, the 49ers are unlikely to be aggressive and make a big splash when the free agent period begins next month, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who says the team is more likely to target players who fall through the cracks.
- Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com speaks to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com about the cap situations for the three contenders in the NFC West, the Seahawks, 49ers, and Cardinals.
Jets Eyeing Jeremy Maclin, Emmanuel Sanders
The Jets will be looking this offseason to upgrade a passing offense that was one of the league’s worst in 2013, and have particular interest in two free agent receivers, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, the Jets “covet” Jeremy Maclin of the Eagles and Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. Both players are eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.
While we haven’t heard much on the likelihood of Sanders returning to Pittsburgh, Eagles GM Howie Roseman hinted this week that there’s a chance Philadelphia may not retain both Maclin and Riley Cooper this offseason. After missing the 2013 season due to a torn ACL, Maclin figures to come cheaper and may be available on a one-year, make-good deal, which makes him a strong candidate to return to the Eagles, but also could make it easier for the Jets to outbid Philadelphia and other rival suitors.
As Mehta notes, the Jets’ top four receivers this past season – Santonio Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson, and Stephen Hill – combined for just 126 catches and 1,744 yards, barely outpacing the individual stats of the league’s top receivers. Holmes, the highest-paid of that group, won’t be back in New York next season, at least not at his current price. The Jets can free up $8MM+ by cutting Holmes, and Mehta hears from sources that the club has already factored that amount into its pool of available free agent money.
While adding playmaking receivers will be a priority for the Jets this spring, the team is unlikely to be heavily in the mix for Eric Decker, says Mehta. New York may reach out to Decker and his reps to gauge the Denver receiver’s value, but there are those within the Jets organization who question his ability to be a true No. 1, according to Mehta.
Given the influx of talent required at the position, wide receiver figures to be an area of focus for the Jets in May’s draft as well as in free agency.
Extra Points: Decker, Peppers, Graham
The very best wide receivers usually don’t reach the open market, but there are still plenty of gems to be found. Yesterday, Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com previewed the 2014 free agent class at the wide receiver position. The class is highlighted by Broncos wideout Eric Decker, athletic Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and more. Cohen sees Maclin, who missed all of 2013 with an ACL tear, staying with the Eagles on a one-year, $5MM pact. Meanwhile, he predicts that Decker will wind up with the Browns on a five-year, $62MM deal with about $25-30MM guaranteed. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Chris Burke of SI.com breaks down the possible cap casualties of the offseason. The once dominant Julius Peppers probably won’t be with the Bears if he doesn’t take a pay cut and Chris Clemons and Sidney Rice are probably on the block with the Seahawks.
- Who will be slapped with the franchise tag this offseason? Cohen writes that five to eight players will likely be hit with one of the most unique clauses in professional sports. Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, Browns safety T.J. Ward, and Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta are among the candidates for the tag.
- NFL.com has released the list of players invited to participate in the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. Of course, an invitation doesn’t ensure that the player will participate and every year there are notable players who opt out of the mass audition. The combine runs from February 22-25.
NFC East Rumors: Finley, Eagles, Redskins
Yesterday, we passed along word that Antrel Rolle has been recruiting Jermichael Finley in an effort to get the free-agent-to-be to join the Giants. However, Finley remains a Packer for at least a few more weeks, and agent Blake Baratz tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post that working out a new deal to stay in Green Bay would be his client’s first priority.
“Right now he is a Packer and I know he would love to play his entire career there,” Baratz said. “For the next five weeks or so they have his exclusive negotiation rights. If it doesn’t work out in Green Bay for whatever reason then I believe there are a number of teams that could use a talent like Jermichael.”
While the Giants and other teams keep an eye on Finley’s recovery and wait to see if they’ll have a chance to sign him, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC East:
- Roosevelt Barnes, the agent for prospective free agent OLB Mike Neal, tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com that he could see the Eagles having interest in his client if Neal doesn’t re-up with the Packers in the next month. “Philly would be a good spot for him,” Barnes said. “But we still have a little while to go before free agency.”
- The Redskins, who have opened contract negotiations with defensive lineman Chris Baker, will likely to seek to lock him up to a deal to the three-year, $3.3MM pact Kedric Golston signed a year ago, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- While the Redskins have plenty of projected cap space for 2014 at this point, Keith McMillan of the Washington Post breaks down the numbers and estimates that the club will have to use a good chunk of that room to retain its own free agents.