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Brandon Weeden

NFC Notes: Weeden, Kaep, Cam, Bradford

September 27th, 2015 at 7:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Prior to the Cowboys’ Brandon Weeden making his first start of the season Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that some around the NFL think it’s only a matter of time before newly acquired Matt Cassel takes over as Dallas’ starter. Weeden, who’s subbing for the injured Tony Romo, then completed an efficient 22 of 26 passes for 232 yards as part of a conservative Cowboys game plan. However, he tossed a costly interception and the Cowboys dropped a 39-28 decision to the Falcons.

Afterward, Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News wrote that Weeden isn’t someone the Cowboys should feel good about continuing to start. That’s certainly not an unreasonable opinion when you consider the abysmal numbers Weeden has put up throughout his career in Cleveland and Dallas. While Cassel isn’t exactly an ideal option, he has had more success in his career than Weeden. If the Cowboys don’t show an ability to stay afloat with Weeden under center, a switch to Cassel would become inevitable.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Colin Kaepernick‘s performance in the 49ers’ 47-7 loss to Arizona on Sunday was the nadir of the fifth-year man’s career, as he went 9 of 19 for 67 yards and four interceptions. Head coach Jim Tomsula isn’t considering switching to backup Blaine Gabbert, however. “Colin’s our quarterback,” he said, per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter)
  • Panthers quarterback Cam Newton drew a hit that he felt could have warranted a flag in a 27-22 win over New Orleans on Sunday. Referee Ed Hochuli disagreed, though, and gave a bizarre reason for the non-call, per Newton. “Was it a late hit? I don’€™t know,” stated Newton. “But the response that I got was, ”Cam you’re not old enough to get that call.” For what it’s worth, Hochuli denied Newton’s story (link via Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer).
  • The Eagles broke into the win column Sunday with a 24-17 victory over the Jets, but it wasn’t because of struggling QB Sam Bradford. Although the sixth-year man went just 14 of 28 for a meager 118 yards, head coach Chip Kelly was encouraged that he didn’t turn the ball over after tossing four picks in the first two weeks of the season. He also pointed the finger at the Eagles’ offensive weapons for not hauling in more of Bradford’s passes. “I thought Sam did a nice job considering what [the Jets] brought,” Kelly said, according to Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com. “They can bring a rush unlike any team we play. They bring seven, they’re gonna play zero-man behind it. A few of those drops, I think all those guys want them back.”

First-Round Rumors: Titans, Mariota, Rams

April 30th, 2015 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans‘ No. 2 overall pick appears to be the hottest trade chip on the market today, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) hears that the club has spoken to the Rams and the Jets, in addition to the Browns and Eagles. According to ESPN’s Bob Holtzman, the Titans are “open for business” when it comes to trading the second overall pick, but the team is using the Robert Griffin III trade as a point of reference, which would mean getting three first-rounders for the No. 2 pick.

Multiple reporters, including Jay Glazer of Fox Sports and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), are suggesting that the Titans’ asking price is massive. Rapoport points out that Tennessee is seeking such a huge return that it’s making rival teams think the Titans just want to draft Marcus Mariota and be done with it.

As we wait to see what the Titans will do with their pick, let’s check in on a few more first-round rumors…

  • Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter) hears from multiple sources that UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks is in the mix for the Cardinals in round one.
  • The Rams‘ discussions with the Titans haven’t amounted to anything “meaningful” at this point, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Meanwhile, Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that the Rams may be looking at bailing out of the top 10 and picking up more picks. The Jets and Washington have also been cited as potential trade-down candidates in the top 10.
  • Browns coach Mike Pettine told NFL Network’s Andrea Kremer that “opinions on Marcus Mariota in this building are varied,” according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (via Twitter). Cabot notes (link) that opinions on Johnny Manziel inside the building were varied too, but that didn’t stop the Browns from drafting him in 2014. She also hears that the Browns do not want to surrender their first-rounder in 2016 to land the Oregon quarterback (link).
  • A big problem for the Browns in any potential trade involving Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is that he may not negotiate a long-term deal anytime soon with the Browns, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Bradford may prefer to be dealt to the Titans and, presumably, would be more open to a long-term deal there.
  • In the event that the Browns acquire Sam Bradford or another quarterback, the Cowboys will not be interested in trading for Johnny Manziel to replace Brandon Weeden, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets.
  • NFL.com’s Michael Silver says that the Jaguars are a team to keep an eye on as they could move their high second round choice to get back into the back third of the first round.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: Cowboys, Maclin, Forbath

March 1st, 2015 at 11:23am CST by Rory Parks

Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray have understandably dominated the discussion surrounding the Cowboys‘ offseason, but there are still other decisions for Dallas to make once the Bryant and Murray situations are resolved. For instance, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News recently predicted that the team would opt not to exercise Morris Claiborne‘s fifth-year option, which is surprising in that it directly contradicts what owner Jerry Jones said last month. And, on the topic of underperforming defensive backs, Machota thinks the Cowboys will retain Brandon Carr but that Carr will probably end up taking a pay cut, which reaffirms what our Ben Levine wrote last night.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at how the Cowboys will address their backup quarterback situation in 2015. Although Brandon Weeden is still under contract, Jones did not give Weeden a ringing endorsement at the NFL combine a few weeks ago, and the team is high on third-stringer Dustin Vaughan. George does not believe Dallas will ultimately sign a free agent to replace Weeden, but he does note that the Cowboys would not hesitate to do so if the right deal came along.
  • The Cowboys’ decision to put the franchise tag on Bryant is good news for the Eagles, as it prevents Bryant from setting a market price for wide receivers like Jeremy Maclin that Philadelphia would be unable to meet. But Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets that, if the Eagles cannot agree to a long-term deal with Maclin by tomorrow afternoon, then Maclin will also get the franchise tag.
  • Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com passes along Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman‘s thoughts on trading up in the draft. Roseman is generally against such a move, which is interesting given the rumors surrounding the team’s alleged desire to move up to select Marcus Mariota. But Roseman, of course, will not have a say in the Eagles’ ultimate decision to trade up or stay put as a result of his redefined role in the team’s front office.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines whether Washington should part ways with kicker Kai Forbath, a restricted fee agent. Washington has not been particularly eager to extend an offer to Forbath, who would be the most accurate kicker in team history if he had enough attempts to qualify, and Tandler says the reason for that is Forbath’s leg strength. Forbath was near the bottom of the league in net kickoff average, and the team may choose to trade a little accuracy in field goal attempts below 50 yards for improved field position and the chance to make a long-range field goal every once in a while.
  • After the Bills missed out on Josh McCown, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News took a look at other signal-callers that the team could pursue. The free agent class is, of course, underwhelming, with the possible exception of Brian Hoyer, though Nick Foles or even Jay Cutler could be intriguing trade targets.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at the free agent case of right guard Willie Colon. Colon could make sense for another team looking for a one-year stopgap, but the Jets are likely to seek an upgrade in free agency.

East Notes: Bills, Cowboys, Eagles, Dolphins

February 19th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on comments made by Bills general manager Doug Whaley today, Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter link) believes free-agents-to-be C.J. Spiller, Brandon Spikes, and Da’Norris Searcy will be allowed to explore their options on the open market next month. Conversely, it sounds like the team badly wants to re-sign Marcus Easley prior to March 10 (Twitter link).

Let’s round up several more items relating to the league’s East teams….

  • While Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray are receiving most of the attention in Dallas this offseason, linebacker Rolando McClain is also someone the team is “very interested” in re-signing, according to Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
  • The Cowboys were pleased with Brandon Weeden‘s work as Tony Romo‘s backup in 2014, but won’t rule out the possibility of upgrading at that spot if the opportunity presents itself, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “Everybody is always competing in this league,” Jones said. “There is nobody guaranteed anything. That includes Weeden and everybody.”
  • Prior to their release of tight end James Casey today, the Eagles didn’t have any discussions about reducing Casey’s salary and keeping him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. According to Bowen, the veteran is looking for a bigger role than he had in Philadelphia, so he may get that opportunity with a new team.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles may find a logical trade partner in the Buccaneers, since GM Jason Licht hasn’t been shy about making deals since taking over the job. In Mosher’s view, Bucs safety Dashon Goldson makes sense as a trade target for Philadelphia.
  • The issue for the Dolphins when it comes to Mike Wallace isn’t as simple as cutting or keeping the veteran wideout, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the team is almost certainly trying to restructure Wallace’s deal, or get him to take a pay cut.

NFC East Notes: Beckham Jr., Bryant, Mathis

June 7th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Peter Sowards

After receiving a $5MM cap credit on June 1 for cutting offensive lineman David Baas in March, the Giants have just over $7MM to spend on fine-tuning the roster, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com. 91 players are currently under contract for the G-Men, with a team cap of $124.98MM.

As Ranaan points out, $7MM might sound like a lot of money, but 20 teams have more room to spend. All seven 2014 draftees except for third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley have signed their rookie deals, and it’s only a matter of time before the former Syracuse Orange joins the fold.

More news and notes from the AFC East below…

  • Giants first-round wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is being rested for precautionary reasons while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him at OTAs, reports National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson. Beckham told reporters he’s also suffering from a tight back.
  • Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden waxed poetic about his former college and current pro teammate, Dez Bryant, per The Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota. “He’s unbelievable at what he does,” Weeden said. “It’s the same stuff he did when he was 18 when he came in. I have said it when we came in the same year, he’s just a freak. The guy is probably the most passionate football player. He loves the game more than anyone I’ve ever been around.” Both players arrived at Oklahoma State in 2007. 
  • At a function honoring former Arkansas head football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said nothing has made him prouder than to know the Arkansas Razorbacks — Jones’ Alma mater — will play at AT&T Stadium next season, tweets Robbie Neiswanger of the Arkansas News Bureau.
  • Eagles guard Evan Mathis said the team is light years ahead of where it was compared to this time last year, reports CSNPhilly.com’s Michael Barkann. “This year, you can just see so much more confidence on the field. Everybody’s executing, it’s much more crisp, and that’s what you get with a year under this system.” 
  • Michael Bamiro has been working mainly at right guard on the Eagles‘ second-team offensive line, writes CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher.
  • According to a tweet by last year’s No. 4 overall pick Lane Johnson, the Eagles‘ rookie dinner totaled nearly $18k, including a $3,495 bottle of wine.
  • Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith, who will be outside linebacker in Philadelphia’s base 3-4, was tabbed by National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel as one of five players to keep an eye on during the 2014 NFL Season.
  • Niles Paul, the Redskins wide receiver and core special teams player, is optimistic about a potential turnout for the ST unit under Ben Kotwica, the first-year coordinator, writes CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir.
  • Training camp practices under new Redskins head coach Jay Gruden will likely start earlier, end later and feature a longer break in between sessions, reports CSNWashington.com’s Rich Tandler.
  • Learning his fifth offensive system in five years, Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy likes the fit in Washington and is eager to learn behind Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III, writes ESPN.com’s John Keim.

Poll: Which Embattled QB Will Have Most Success?

April 28th, 2014 at 9:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Vince Young is set to work out for the Browns, and if he catches on he’d join a list of quarterbacks looking for a restart.

A number of embattled quarterbacks found new homes this offseason, each hoping to resurrect their once-promising careers. The majority of them will likely be serving as backups, but that also means an injury could suddenly thrust them into a starting role.

Mark Sanchez inked a one-year, $2.25MM deal to sit on the bench with the Eagles. He could be Nick Foles‘ backup, but the team could also select a quarterback in the draft. If that’s the case, Sanchez’s opportunity diminishes even more.

Brandon Weeden will have another opportunity to showcase the talent that (debatably) justified his first-round selection in 2012. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, minimum deal with the Cowboys where he will serve as a backup to Tony Romo. Considering Romo’s injury history, Weeden may have a chance to start next season (assuming Kyle Orton is not on the team).

It seemed inevitable that Matt Schaub‘s tenure in Houston would come to a close, and he was traded by the Texans to the Raiders last month. Following the trade of Terrelle Pryor, the starting gig seems to be Schaub’s. Barring the team drafting a top quarterback, he’ll likely be atop the depth chart heading into next season.

Josh Freeman was the starter for the Buccaneers from 2009 to 2012, but he completely unraveled prior to his release. After finishing the season with the Vikings, he signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Giants this offseason. Eli Manning is one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL, but Freeman is certainly a competent backup.

Which embattled quarterback do you expect to have the best season in 2014?

Jason Garrett On Cowboys’ Offseason

March 29th, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Rob DiRe

Cowboys’ head coach Jason Garrett spoke about his team’s offseason, an unusual one considering the Cowboys are used to being the team that spends big money to acquire high profile free agents. Of course, their dire cap situation made it impossible to spend that money, in fact causing the opposite, as the team was forced to part ways with a few notable contributors, most significantly DeMarcus Ware and Miles Austin.

The team was able to add a few new pieces, with a focus on retooling a defensive line and pass rush that will be without not only Ware, but Jay Ratliff and Jason Hatcher as well. The Cowboys’ response was to add Terrell McClain, Jeremy Mincey, and Henry Melton. David Moore of DallasNews.com was able to transcribe some of Garrett’s thoughts on the new signings, among other things.

Garrett referred to McClain as “an interior player who can have an impact on our team”, and calls Mincey “a really solid football player.” The head coach believes that McClain brings versatility that can be utilized at nose tackle or at a three-technique, and that Mincey could potentially fill a void at defensive end. Garrett lauded Melton’s physical ability, referencing his past as a high school running back.

“You see some of those running back traits in terms of quickness, explosiveness, change of direction,’’ says Garrett. “He was hurt last year and only played in three games. He’s coming off an ACL, but he played very well for Rod Marinelli a couple of years ago and I feel like we can get him to that place.’’

Garrett, the former quarterback, also spoke about picking up Brandon Weeden as a backup to Tony Romo. “We want to develop a guy, and we feel like Brandon Weeden is a guy we can develop,’’ Garrett said of the 30-year-old quarterback. “We feel like he’s got a lot of upside, and we want to get him in an environment where we can help him grow and develop.’’

Garrett also addressed new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who has been given play-calling duties despite Bill Callahan calling the plays last season and still being on staff.

“He and I have very similar philosophies about offensive football and how we do things. There are some terminology things that are common to both of our offensive systems and certainly they are philosophically similarly in foundation,” said the head coach. “You always want to evolve your offense from year to year and continue to grow with your system. There is a foundation that we have in place, a philosophy that’s very similar, and we’re excited about the different things that he’s going to bring.’’

While it is unusual for play-calling responsibilities to change hands without letting go of the coach, an equally peculiar move happened on the other side of the ball, where Monte Kiffin relinquished his role as defensive coordinator, a role now filled by Rod Marinelli. Kiffin will still remain on staff as a defensive assistant.

Backup QB Notes: Browns, Eagles, Raiders, Ravens

March 22nd, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Matt Feminis

Browns veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, rehabbing his torn ACL injury suffered in October, says his goal is to be the starter, writes Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal. Hoyer’s role remains to be seen, as the team is expected to draft its quarterback of the future, but who that is and when he’s drafted could dictate Hoyer’s place on the depth chart. If the Browns spend the fourth overall pick on a passer, Hoyer is likely relegated to a backup role, but if the team drafts a quarterback not quite pro-ready, Hoyer could have an opportunity as a bridge starter. Meanwhile, Ulrich speculates the Browns could sign 33-year-old Rex Grossman to serve as a No. 3 and mentor.

In other backup signal caller news:

  • With trade acquisition Matt Schaub in the fold, the Raiders are content with backup Matt McGloin, tweeted Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Writing about the Eagles’ quarterback depth, CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher says the team is “thinner at the position than they’ve been in more than a decade.” Second-year man Matt Barkley, whom the Eagles traded up to draft in the fourth round, is in line to be the backup, and Mosher notes, “Chip Kelly touted Barkley’s progress throughout the season and seemed very enthused about the former USC star’s future.” Should the team decide to add a veteran competitor for the No. 2 job, Terrelle Pryor, expected to be squeezed out of Oakland, could be the best system fit.
  • The Ravens should be in the market for another quarterback, believes CSN Baltimore’s Ray Frager. The Ravens spoke with Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys, indicating the team is looking for a backup capable of running new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s play-action passing game for an extended stretch of games in the event starter Joe Flacco goes down. Current backup Tyrod Taylor‘s inexpensive contract is up next season, and his style of play and inaccuracy make him more suited for a No. 3 job.

Weeden, Cowboys Agree To Two-Year Deal

March 17th, 2014 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

2:59pm: Weeden’s two-year deal with the Cowboys will be worth the minimum salary, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). That would mean a base salary of $570K in 2014 and $660K in 2015. Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Weeden also spoke to the Ravens and Bengals before landing with the Cowboys.

2:50pm: The Cowboys have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with former Browns signal-caller Brandon Weeden, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Weeden and fellow Browns QB Jason Campbell were both released last week, making them unrestricted free agents.

A report earlier this offseason suggested that Weeden, no longer in the franchise’s plans in Cleveland, was seeking a trade, and with a new regime in place it seemed extremely unlikely that the former first-round pick would still be with the team in 2014. Since being selected 22nd overall in 2012, Weeden has lost 15 of his 20 NFL starts, completing 55.9% of his passes and throwing more interceptions (26) than touchdowns (23).

For the Cowboys, Weeden appears to be third on the depth chart behind Tony Romo and Kyle Orton. There were rumblings within the last few weeks that Orton was considering retiring, but last we heard, the club still expects him to return for the final year of his contract. If Orton were to decide to end his playing career, Weeden would presumably become Romo’s primary backup.

Brandon Weeden, Jared Allen Visiting Cowboys

March 17th, 2014 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys will host multiple notable free agents early this week, with quarterback Brandon Weeden and defensive end Jared Allen set to visit the team. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com reports Weeden’s meeting, along with Henry Melton‘s visit, will happen Monday, while Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says Allen’s visit will happen on Tuesday.

The Cowboys have been fairly quiet since free agency opened, signing just a pair of defensive lineman, Jeremy Mincey and Terrell McClain. With limited cap flexibility even after cutting DeMarcus Ware and Miles Austin, the club doesn’t have the ability to spend big on free agents this year, but Allen and Melton are arguably among the top players who don’t have contracts at this point. Concerns about Allen’s age or Melton’s health could open the door for Dallas to make a bargain buy or two, but we’ll have to wait to see how their visits go.

As for Weeden, we heard on Friday that the Cowboys would have interest in the former Browns signal-caller, who was released last week. So far, Dallas has been the only team linked to the 30-year-old.

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