Eagles Facing ‘Complicated’ WR Situation
The Eagles’ wide receiving corps played a large role in Nick Foles posting a ridiculous ratio of 27 touchdown passes to just two interceptions during the 2013 season, but multiple key pieces of that unit will be facing free agency this offseason. With both Riley Cooper and Jeremy Maclin poised to hit the open market next month, GM Howie Roseman tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com that the Eagles’ wide receiver situation is “complicated.”
“You have guys that you want to have back,” Roseman said, “And also, what resources are you going to devote to that position with the guys who are already on the roster? And then you look at it in the draft, obviously a very strong position, so I think … it’s a complicated situation but we’ve never ruled out bringing both of those guys back.”
As Mosher writes, the Eagles have the cap flexibility to re-sign both players, particularly since a knee injury wiped out Maclin’s season and likely derailed his chances of earning a lucrative long-term deal. Still, the club has other positions to address, as well as a few players who will need to be extended within the next year or two. Throw in the fact that Roseman’s comments suggest the team is eyeing receiving options in the draft, and it stands to reason that perhaps Philadelphia will let Cooper or Maclin walk.
A source tells Mosher that the Eagles and Cooper have yet to engage in extension talks of any substance, though that will likely happen later this month, perhaps at the league’s scouting combine. It’s not clear how far talks with Maclin have progressed, if they have at all. But for what it’s worth, Mosher wrote last month that he had a “hunch” the club would re-sign Maclin to a one-year pact and let Cooper walk.
NFC Notes: Lions, Bucs, Falcons, Eagles
With Super Bowl XLVIII now comfortably in our rear-view mirrors, let’s round up a few Monday updates from around the NFC….
- The Lions will have to clear significant money from their books over the next few weeks in order to get under the cap for 2014 and make room for draft picks, says Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In examining the team’s possible options, Rogers notes that Detroit could save about $5.5MM by releasing receiver Nate Burleson and another $5.5MM or so by cutting safety Louis Delmas.
- A weekend report suggested that the Buccaneers are among the teams that will have interest in Michael Vick in free agency this offseason, but Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com isn’t convinced that signing Vick would be the right move for Tampa Bay.
- In a pair of pieces for ESPN.com, Vaughn McClure examines the role that new assistant GM Scott Pioli will have in Atlanta this offseason, and looks into how the Falcons may try to replace Tony Gonzalez at tight end.
- Tim McManus and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ defensive line situation, disagreeing slightly on how strong a priority it should be this offseason.
- Wide receiver, cornerback, and center figure to be areas of focus in the draft for the 49ers, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com, who names a few potential targets at each of those positions.
Extra Points: Hoyer, Harbaugh, Foles, Miller
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer speculates that the Texans might be interested in Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer. New Texans coach Bill O’Brien and Hoyer worked together with the Patriots, where O’Brien was the offensive coordinator. If the Browns select a quarterback with the fourth overall pick, Hoyer could become expendable. If the Texans opt to not to draft a quarterback with the first overall pick, they could use a player like Hoyer to stabilize the quarterback position, presuming they release Matt Schaub.
A few more pre-Super Bowl notes:
- The 49ers and coach Jim Harbaugh may have different ideas regarding Harbaugh’s value, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The 49ers might want Harbaugh, who is entering the fourth year of five-year contract, to take slightly less guaranteed money and more incentive-based pay.
- While the Eagles cannot extend quarterback Nick Foles until after the 2014 season (as per the CBA), they need to take a page from the Seahawks’ playbook and try to contend while their signal-caller is under a low-paying contract, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
- Broncos linebacker Von Miller will get to keep the more than $1MM that the Broncos were attempting to recoup as part of his six-game suspension, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk further explains that “partial bonus forfeiture is automatic,” so the Broncos were not actively trying to reclaim money.
- Manish Mehta notes that an impressive Super Bowl performance can often lead to a big payday for impending free agents, and cites Eric Decker, Knowshon Moreno, and Golden Tate as players with a lot of money at stake in tonight’s game.
NFC Notes: Peppers, Vick, Strief
The Bears had perhaps the worst defensive season in team history in 2013. One of the main contributing factors was the subpar season of high-priced defensive end Julius Peppers, who too often was a non-factor. At a cost of over $14MM against the salary cap, Peppers recorded just 7.5 sacks and failed to impact games on a week-to-week basis. Now 34, Peppers has two years remaining and is scheduled to count approximately $18.2MM against the cap in 2014 and approximately $20.7MM against the cap in 2015. Those figures are obviously unreasonable given his deterioration and the Bears’ laundry list of needs. In his most recent mailbag for ESPN Chicago, Michael C. Wright says Peppers would “absolutely” restructure his deal, but also details a scenario in which Peppers is cut post-June 1 with the thinking that swallowing a moderate dead-money cap hit is more palatable in order to save money.
More news and notes from around the NFC:
- Wright does not envision the Bears re-signing any of their key free agents-to-be before the start of free agency, saying “most” of the Bears 25 players with expiring contracts will be elsewhere next season.
- Michael Vick knows he won’t be back in Philadelphia, but does not see himself as a backup. Vick “very badly” wants a chance to start, according to the Philadelphia Daily News’ Les Bowen (per Twitter).
- In an analysis of the Saints‘ needs, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett said there’s a “strong chance” stalwart right tackle Zach Strief could depart via free agency, saying the 30-year-old could start for anyone. That observation might not be that far off, as Pro Football Focus rated Strief as the best right tackle in the game in 2013 (subscription required).
- The Giants and safety Stevie Brown, who missed 2013 because of a torn ACL, are discussing a contract, according to Pro Football Talk.
Extra Points: London, Cromartie, FA Tryouts
During his State of the NFL presser this morning, commissioner Roger Goodell downplayed speculation about the possibility of the Rams moving to Los Angeles, but sounded more bullish about the city of London getting an NFL team. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Goodell said that selling out three games for the 2014 season helped push London “further down the road” toward a franchise. Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that, in his opinion, the question isn’t whether or not London will eventually get a team, but rather whether it will be via expansion or relocation.
- Jets head coach Rex Ryan indicated today that he hopes cornerback Antonio Cromartie regains his form in 2014, but didn’t commit to him being on New York’s roster for next season, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News details. Cromartie is owed a $5MM roster bonus in March and carries a cap number of nearly $15MM for ’14.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of several free agent tryouts, reporting via Twitter that defensive tackle Torrey Davis auditioned for the Packers, linebacker Alex Hall tried out for the Cardinals, and wide receiver C.J. Akins worked out for the Panthers.
- Unsurprisingly, Patriots owner Robert Kraft told reporters today, including Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter links), that he’d like to bring back both of the team’s top two free agents, receiver Julian Edelman and cornerback Aqib Talib.
- As Russell Wilson prepares to play in his first Super Bowl, a handful of teams around the league are undoubtedly thinking about the opportunity they had to draft the third round pick in 2012. The Eagles are one team that came close to snatching Wilson off the board in the second round, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- In a pair of Dallas Morning News chats, Rainer Sabin explains why he believes the Dan Bailey contract extension was the right move for the Cowboys, while Kevin Sherrington argues that what the Cowboys call being “aggressive” with the cap is actually mismanagement.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Gross, Freeman, Vick
The Eagles could do worse than to follow the Seahawks’ model for building a successful franchise, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider work exceptionally well together, with Carroll getting final say over personnel decisions. It’s a little different in Philly, however, as its not totally clear if it’s coach Chip Kelly or GM Howie Roseman who gets to make the last determination on roster matters.
- Panthers tackle Jordan Gross says that coach Ron Rivera “wants [him] back for sure” in 2014, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton. Gross plans to retire if he doesn’t return to the only team he’s been with since entering the NFL in 2003.
- The Players’ Association is close to revealing the results of its investigation into the Buccaneers‘ alleged leaking of Josh Freeman‘s medical records, DeMaurice Smith told reporters, including Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). The club’s apparent sandbagging of Freeman made for a tumultuous season in Tampa Bay that ended with the firing of former coach Greg Schiano.
- Even if the Eagles make a contract offer to Michael Vick before March 11, he still plans on hitting the open market. “I want to see what’s out there for me. It’s only right,” Vick said today at radio row, according to McLane. “This is the first time and probably the only time I’ll ever have to do it in my career. So I just want to take advantage of it. I’m excited about it. It’s new and it’s kind of refreshing”. Any way you slice it, a return to the Eagles doesn’t seem likely for Vick.
East Notes: Incognito, Edelman, Rolle
Neither Jonathan Martin nor Richie Incognito figures to play for the Dolphins in 2014, but Martin said earlier this week that he wants to continue his playing career, and Incognito conveyed the same sentiment today, tweeting, “I need a job.” Unlike Martin, whose agent will likely work with the Dolphins to find a trade partner, Incognito is a free agent this offseason, so he’ll be able to sign with any team willing to bet that his role in last year’s bullying scandal won’t be a locker-room distraction.
Let’s check in on a few more items from out of the AFC and NFC East…
- Asked by Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald if he wants to re-sign with the Patriots, Julian Edelman didn’t exactly vow to return at all costs, but his response (“Who doesn’t? It’s a great franchise”) did suggest a desire to remain in New England.
- With one year left on his contract with the Giants, Antrel Rolle doesn’t plan on going anywhere and would be open to discussing an extension, says Zach Braziller of the New York Post.
- Because of the schemes run by Chip Kelly, the Eagles may find it easier to recruit free agents on offense, writes Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com, who adds that Philadelphia could be a tougher sell for free agent defensive linemen.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Cowboys
While the Eagles have made significant splashes in free agency a handful of times during the last several years, GM Howie Roseman says the team isn’t necessarily looking at big-name free agents this winter, as Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com details. According to Roseman, the club doesn’t want to compromise its flexibility in the long-term by committing heavily to one or two pieces that may not work out.
“If you only sign two guys in free agency and you put a lot of resources in them, and for one reason or another a guy doesn’t work out, you’re hamstrung,” Roseman said. “But if you go after a bunch of guys that you think may fit and a couple don’t work out as much as you want every one of them to work out, you feel like, you know what, as long as I have a good batting average on these guys, I’m improving the quality of our football team.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- A busy offseason awaits the Packers‘ front office, according to Wayne Larrivee of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who previews the team’s winter and lays out the best-case scenario in his view.
- Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com takes a look at a few of the decisions the Bears will face this winter related to their linebacking corps.
- Naming Rod Marinelli as their new defensive coordinator is fine, but the Cowboys can’t expect their defense to improve unless they bring in more talent on that side of the ball, says Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke to Darrell Bevell about how close the Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator came to becoming the new head coach of the Bears earlier this month.
NFC Notes: Saints, Eagles, 49ers, Goodwin
2014’s Super Bowl Media Day has been fairly uneventful so far, so with little news of interest coming out of the Prudential Center in Newark, let’s take a look at what else is going on around the league, with a focus on a few NFC teams…
- In examining the Saints’ running back situation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the backfield looks fairly stable, though he wonders if the team could look to save a little money by trading or releasing Pierre Thomas this offseason.
- With Michael Vick headed for free agency, Sheil Kapadia and Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com discuss the Eagles‘ options at backup quarterback for 2014.
- Jonathan Goodwin, who has been the 49ers‘ starting center for the last three seasons, is facing free agency this season, and it may be an opportunity for the team to get younger on the offensive line, says Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. As Williamson points out, the Niners don’t have too many pressing needs and top college centers usually aren’t drafted high, so the club could target one with a second- or third-round pick.
- Williamson adds within the same piece that some observers think Goodwin will have interest in signing with the Cardinals in Arizona, where his brother Harold is the offensive coordinator.
- The Redskins are projected to have $28MM+ in cap space this winter, and could gain another $2MM if the player’s union takes advantage of its option to increase the spending limit this offseason, notes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com.
Coaching Notes: Cowboys, Browns, Eagles
There were a handful of coaching moves today. Here are the highlights from around the league…
- The Cowboys will hire former Lions‘ offensive coordinator Scott Linehan as their passing game coordinator, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Linehan had been Detroit’s offensive coach since 2009, but was fired at the end of the December. Rapoport also mentions that Linehan will be hired to call plays on offense, the Cowboys’ third playcaller in three seasons.
- The Browns have continued to poach the Bills coaching staff, announcing today that linebackers coach Jim O’Neil will be joining Mike Pettine in Cleveland as the team’s defensive coordinator. Pettine will also take Buffalo coaches Brian Fleury and Jeff Hafley along with him. The Bills defense set a franchise record in 2013 with 57 sacks.
- The Eagles filled some roles on their coaching staff, signing Bill Musgrave as their quarterbacks coach and promoting Mike Dawson from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, according to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Additionally, 22-year-old Michael Clay, will take over Dawson’s former role. Clay played for Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly at Oregon for four seasons.