East Notes: Hardy, Fins, D. Lewis
Greg Hardy is set to make his Cowboys debut today, though it will not come without some extra controversy. On Tuesday, in his first media session since he signed a one-year deal with Dallas this offseason, Hardy made some bizarre and ill-timed comments regarding Tom Brady‘s wife and returning to the field with “guns blazin,'” and a rap video heavy on strippers and guns–which Hardy made during his suspension–surfaced just yesterday. The NFL’s first vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson, recently issued the following statement:
“I couldn’t disagree more with Greg Hardy’s comments, and they do not reflect the values of the league. We are working hard to bring attention to the positive role models many other players represent and also to continue our education with all members of the NFL family.”
As the early Week 5 games approach, let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions, including more notes on Hardy:
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett reportedly admonished Hardy for his comments, but on Friday, owner Jerry Jones took to the airwaves to defend his player. In so doing, says Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News, Jones undermined his head coach and further enabled the apparently oblivious Hardy.
- In a bit of Twitter repartee this morning, ESPN’s Ed Werder and former Packers executive Andrew Brandt discussed the Hardy signing. Brandt points out that, in normal circumstances, Hardy would have generated interest from 12-15 clubs, but given his impending suspension, only one or two teams were interested. Werder says that, had teams known Hardy would have agreed to the team-friendly terms that the Cowboys offered him, there would have been at least 15 clubs in the running. The lack of interest, Werder says, was not based upon morality.
- The Dolphins might have just fired Joe Philbin, but it was not that long ago that owner Stephen Ross was determined that Philbin would lead his club for the foreseeable future. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Miami vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum pushed Ross to at least pursue Dan Quinn, who was ultimately hired by the Falcons, but Ross would have none of it, and the Dolphins never even made an effort to contact Quinn.
- Whether or not the Dolphins are able to land Sean Payton in the offseason–and all indications are that Payton will remain in New Orleans—James Walker of ESPN.com says the interest in Payton makes it clear that Miami will be seeking an experienced head coach at season’s end.
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe explores why the Patriots, who rarely invest in running backs, recently signed Dion Lewis to a contract extension through 2017 after just three games. As Volin points out, the Pats got tremendous value out of the deal, as Lewis has no guaranteed money for 2016 or 2017, and his cap number for 2017 will be the second-lowest among all starting running backs. New England is privately shocked that Lewis accepted a deal so far below market value.
Extra Points: Cousins, Jets, Hilton, Watkins
If Dan Quinn was hired by the Jets instead of Todd Bowles, the team likely would have dumped Geno Smith in favor of Kirk Cousins, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears. Quinn’s plan for Gang Green included adding offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and his vision didn’t include Smith. Sources say the Washington play-caller wanted to instead trade for Cousins, who showed promise in two years under Shanahan While you ponder that what-if, here’s more from around the NFL..
- After the Colts signed T.Y. Hilton to a $65MM deal, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star wonders if the team will still have enough room to get deals done with its other young stars. The Colts will have to cut a massive check to Pro Bowl quarterback Andrew Luck, who will command far more than $20MM annually. Also, the team is negotiating with left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who is essential as one of Luck’s protectors. By the time the Colts get to the likes of tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener, it’s fair to wonder if they’ll have enough cash to get deals done.
- Jets guard Oday Aboushi has been suspended without pay for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. In a statement issued by Aboushi’s reps (via Rand Getlin of NFL.com on Twitter), they explained that the lineman was stopped in his car back in January when cops found a small amount of pot in his car.
- With the Bills and Browns facing off on Monday night, Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer revisited last year’s Sammy Watkins deal. Cornerback Justin Gilbert, who the Browns took with the No. 8 pick, has been off to a rough start and some are question whether he’ll ever meet his rookie year expectations. Cleveland’s side of the deal will also hinge heavily on the future of offensive lineman Cameron Erving, who the Browns selected with the Bills’ pick this year.
NFC South Notes: Falcons, Quinn, Newton, Hill
The Falcons were told at this week’s owners meetings that they will face “severe” discipline for violating an NFL policy, according to ESPN. The Falcons were investigated for piping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome over the last two seasons, which team owner Arthur Blank acknowledged in February, and the severity of their punishment will be announced next week. Per ESPN, the Falcons could face “a hefty fine, a loss of a draft pick or picks, or other penalties,” though Blank and the team have been fully cooperative in the league’s investigation.
“We have great respect for the shield and the integrity of the game, the integrity of competition,” said Blank.
Here’s more on the Falcons and one of their NFC South rivals:
- The Falcons are done free agency shopping after adding linebackers Brooks Reed and Justin Durant, defensive end Adrian Clayborn, and tight ends Jacob Tamme and Tony Moeaki, among others, this offseason. They will now turn their attention toward the upcoming draft, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re always looking,” new head coach Dan Quinn said in regards to adding more free agents, but he also stated that “the focus has kind of shifted to the draft.”
- Quinn shot down the notion that the Falcons recently discussed a trade with the Seahawks for defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Ledbetter. “I don’t know where that story came from,” said Quinn. “It was just one of those random things that should have been mark down as ‘nothing.’ He’s a great player, but there have been no talks at all.” Quinn coordinated Seattle’s defense from 2013-14, during which time Bennett combined for 15.5 sacks.
- Panthers head coach Ron Rivera told reporters he’s confident that the team and Cam Newton will work toward a new contract, adding that he’d like to see it get done prior to the season (Twitter links via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com’s David Newton). Newton is entering the final year of his deal.
- Rivera also said Wednesday that having Stephen Hill in the mix takes some pressure off the Panthers when it comes to drafting a wide receiver, per David Newton (via Twitter). Despite Rivera’s endorsement, Hill hasn’t shown himself to be much of a threat since entering the league in 2012. He caught a combined 45 passes between 2012-13 for the Jets and spent last season on the Panthers’ practice squad. It’s tough to imagine his presence will heavily influence the Panthers come draft time.
Extra Points: Robinson, Manning, Romo, House
Former Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson will visit the Steelers on Sunday, Dale Lolley of the Washington (Pa.) Observer Reporter notes on Twitter. The sixth-year corner’s drawn interest from several teams thus far into his initial free agency opportunity.
Some other notes from Saturday …
- The New York Post’s Paul Schwartz points out that Ben Roethlisberger‘s latest extension sets the bar for 2004 first-round peer Eli Manning, with $20MM per year being the possible floor for the 12th-year Giants quarterback. Set to count $19.75MM against the Giants’ cap this year, Manning’s entering the last year of the $97.5MM megadeal he signed in 2009. The Giants may have to do another extension with Manning as major deals come to pass for younger signal-callers, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports.”You are going to see the market escalate if reports are correct that Seattle’s prepared to make Russell Wilson the highest-paid player,” Corry told Schwartz. “And there are reports about Indy doing something uncharacteristically early with Andrew Luck, which would make him the highest-paid player. The market’s gonna go up, and usually people benefit from a trickle-down effect. That’s not even taking Cam Newton into consideration.”
- More on the subject of market-steering QB accords: Tony Romo‘s 2014-inked contract that features a staggering $27.77MM cap number has restrained the Cowboys thus far in free agency, the Dallas Morning News’ Rainer Sabin writes. Beyond the departure of reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray to the Eagles, the Cowboys have lost Henry Melton, Jeremy Parnell, Bruce Carter and three others in the opening week of player movement. The Cowboys’ brass remain hesitant to reduce Romo’s figure to prevent ramifications down the road, scenarios they’ve dealt with in the recent past.
- New Falcons coach Dan Quinn identified team speed as his top priority upon watching film of his new team, Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes as part of a lengthy Q&A session with Quinn and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff.
- The Jaguars are betting free agent acquisition Davon House has “another level of upside” despite coming in with scant starting experience with the Packers, the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran writes. Their primary reason behind this faith that led to House receiving $10MM in guaranteed money was his film against top receivers like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones, which O’Halloran analyzes.
FA Notes: Weatherspoon, Thomas, Houston, Forsett
As we heard yesterday, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is hoping the organization can keep linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, citing the player’s athleticism and attitude.
“With him, it’s that toughness and the speed that he can play with so, yes, definitely someone that we’re talking to,” Quinn said (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). “I know he’s got that kind of attitude. And you know me, just from watching our style of defense, it’s fast and physical. And that’s what Sean is. So, we’re certainly hoping that he can be a big part of it moving forward.”
However, the coach acknowledged that he is worried about the veteran’s past injuries, including an Achilles tear last season.
“I think you always are,” he said. “But at the same time, what’s the rehab like? You can tell when a guy is going for it in that way, too. All that factors in.
“By the same token, he hit a string of bad luck. Can he come back and play at a level that he’s capable of? That’s what we’re excited to find out.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s free agent class…
- As expected, the Broncos will likely slap receiver Demaryius Thomas with the franchise tag. Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that it’s a “safe bet” the team will place the tag as they try to work on a longterm deal. Meanwhile, Florio wonders if Peyton Manning‘s rumored restructuring could mean a return for tight end Julius Thomas.
- Following news that the Chiefs and Justin Houston were working on a multi-year deal, Florio says such a deal is unlikely at this point. Instead, the All-Pro linebacker seems destined for the franchise tag, and Florio notes that the 26-year-old’s leverage will rise when similar free agents start receiving lucrative deals.
- For the time being, Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believe the Eagles shouldn’t invest money in a linebacker like Brandon Spikes. However, if the team decides to move on from DeMeco Ryans, the team would be in the market for a starting linebacker, in which case Spikes could be a viable option.
- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome made it clear that he’d like to keep running back Justin Forsett in Baltimore. “We would like to retain Justin,” Newsome said (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “I’ve learned something since the end of the season about Justin that I didn’t really know. He has mentored some very good, young backs, starting with Arian Foster,Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew when he was in Jacksonville. Having Justin here — and with the opportunity [of] also bringing in hopefully another young running back — to have Justin be around that guy would be an asset also. So, we will work to try to retain Justin.” If the team loses out on Forsett, Hensley suggests free agents Frank Gore, C.J. Spiller, and Mark Ingram as potential replacements.
Combine Pressers: Broncos, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs
As we’ve done several times over the last couple days, we’re rounding up noteworthy comments from head coaches and general managers from their sessions with the media at the combine in Indianapolis. Here are a few of this afternoon’s highlights, with all links going to Twitter:
Broncos general manager John Elway (via Lindsay Jones of USA Today):
- Elway sidestepped a question about whether or not Peyton Manning‘s contract situation will play a role in the QB’s decision for 2015, but said that he believes the future Hall-of-Famer will return. “We’re hopeful Peyton comes back. We want him back. He has not given me a definitive answer,” Elway said.
- There’s no deadline for Manning to make his decision, according to Elway. That includes March 9, when his 2015 salary becomes guaranteed.
- Elway confirmed that the Broncos intend to use their franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas if the two sides don’t work out a longer-term agreement by March 2.
- Terrance Knighton has recently voiced frustration with the slow process of contract negotiations, and Elway said today that he “can’t calm” that frustration. Per Elway, most deals for free-agents-to-be will be consummated right before the free agent period begins on March 10.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com):
- The Falcons are excited about the No. 8 overall pick, and while they could go in any number of directions, adding a pass rusher figures to be their preference.
- According to Dimitroff, the team has yet to make any decisions on its current players, including free-agents-to-be or potential cap casualties.
- Dimitroff said today that his first order of business after the club hired Dan Quinn was to discuss the team’s new scheme and how players will fit into that scheme. Presumably, that discussion covered players currently on the roster as well as potential outside targets.
- The general manager stressed that he’s “very excited” about working with Quinn, who will have control over the 53-man roster. The two men will work together, and if there’s a disagreement, the head coach will make the final call, per Dimitroff.
- Dimitroff said there’s no doubt in his mind that Josh McDaniels, who interviewed with the Falcons, will be an NFL head coach again.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera (via David Newton of ESPN.com):
- The Panthers were pretty quiet last year when it came to adding free agent receivers, but Rivera said today that GM Dave Gettleman will pull the trigger on a wideout in the right situation. The head coach also noted that the team needs to find a way to make plays over the top and to stop those plays on defense, which suggests Carolina will be targeting speedy wideouts and/or cornerbacks.
- The Panthers aren’t in the market for a quarterback, per Rivera. While that’s not particularly surprising, given the presence of Cam Newton, it’s a little notable since the former first overall pick is entering the final year of his contract.
- Left tackle Byron Bell, who is eligible for free agency, did some nice things for the Panthers in 2014, according to Rivera. However, the coach didn’t say whether or not the team would look to retain Bell for 2015 and beyond.
Chiefs general manager John Dorsey (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star):
- Asked about free-agent-to-be Justin Houston, Dorsey said discussions with the pass rusher’s agent are “ongoing.” The GM didn’t explicitly say that the Chiefs will franchise Houston if a long-term deal can’t be reached, but he did say he plans on having the NFL’s sack leader back in 2015, which strongly suggests that the tag is in play.
- Kansas City can afford to keep backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who has a cap hit of $4.8MM in 2015, according to Dorsey. However, he didn’t go so far as to say Daniel will return.
- Third-string quarterback Tyler Bray also remains in the Chiefs’ plans for now, per Dorsey.
South Notes: Falcons, Colts, Saints, Texans
In addition to announcing Dan Quinn as their new head coach today, the Falcons confirmed several other members of their coaching staff, via a team release. As previously reported, Kyle Shanahan will serve as the offensive coordinator in Atlanta, while Richard Smith will be the defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris will hold the title of assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
Other members of Quinn’s staff include Bobby Turner (RBs coach), Mike LaFleur (offensive assistant), Keith Armstrong (ST coordinator), Bryan Cox (DL coach), Wade Harman (TEs coach), Terry Robiskie (WRs coach), and Eric Sutulovich (assistant ST coach).
Here’s more on the Falcons and a few other teams from the NFC South and AFC South:
- Perhaps more interesting than any of the Falcons‘ assistant coach announcements was the revelation that Quinn will indeed have control of the 53-man roster, as had been speculated (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, GM Thomas Dimitroff still has final say over the draft and free agency, so it’s a setup similar to the one in Seattle.
- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will get paid, but Stephen Holder of the Indy Star doesn’t necessarily see it happening this offseason. When Luck does get that fat contract, likely worth $20-$25MM annually, it won’t leave the Colts completely thin across the board as the team has been anticipating this for quite some time. The Colts currently rank in the bottom half of the league in current spending, giving them significant flexibility both this year and in years to come.
- Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes that the Saints will still have to do some serious financial maneuvering this offseason beyond turning roster bonuses into signing bonuses. That maneuvering, while keeping the Saints “legal” for the start of the new league year on March 10, would leave no room for signing new players or improving the roster. Many have said that the Saints will be impeded by their big spending, but Woodbery notes that they have found themselves in this spot before. Last offseason, they didn’t find themselves with a lot of breathing room, but they still found a way to sign safety Jairus Byrd to a large multi-year deal.
- The Texans have hired Mike Devlin (OL coach), Pat O’Hara (offensive assistant), and Paul Pasqualoni (DL coach), and promoted Anthony Pleasant to a defensive assistant role, the team announced today in a press release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Coaching Notes: Seahawks, Cardinals, Washington, Falcons
Following the Falcons hiring of former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a former league executive wondered what could have been. Former Buccaneers general manager Mark Dominik said that he twice tried to hire Quinn to become Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, according to Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com (via Twitter). Instead, Dominik settled for Bill Sheridan and Raheem Morris.
Let’s check out some more coaching notes from around the league…
- The Seahawks plan is to promote defensive backs coach Kris Richard to fill their defensive coordinator vacancy, but they may conduct a wider search first, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- The Falcons will hire Seahawks assistant offensive line coach Chris Morgan as their new offensive line coach, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Morgan, of course, is following friend Dan Quinn to Atlanta.
- The Cardinals are scheduled to hire Bob Sanders as one of their linebacker coaches, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 AM (on Twitter). Sanders 61, served as the defensive coordinator of the Packers from 2006-08. He spent last year on the Raiders‘ staff.
- Washington (on Twitter) announced the hiring of Robb Akey as their defensive line coach. Akey, who has 26 years of coaching experience, served as the assistant defensive line coach for the Vikings in 2014.
- Furthermore, Washington is likely finished adding defensive assistants, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Falcons, Dan Quinn Agree To Five-Year Deal
4:19pm: The Falcons have officially hired Quinn, according to a press release from the team.
“I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons,” Quinn said in a statement. “This felt like the right fit from the beginning, and I want to thank Mr. Blank for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process. My goal is to build upon the foundation that has been laid here and to play a physical brand of football as we build a championship caliber team.”
8:26am: With the Super Bowl over, the Falcons and Dan Quinn have officially come to terms on their long-anticipated agreement that will make Quinn the team’s new head coach, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Quinn and the Falcons have agreed to a five-year contract.
It was reported over a week ago that Quinn and the Falcons had a handshake agreement in place, which could only be formally finalized after the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, the 44-year-old is viewed as a strong head coaching candidate, having interviewed with several teams since the regular season ended.
With an official press conference to announce Quinn’s hiring expected to happen on Tuesday, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator can shift his focus to completing his staff in Atlanta. Kyle Shanahan is already lined up as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Raheem Morris is joining the club on the defensive side, though not in the coordinator role.
Since Quinn is expected to have plenty of input on the defensive play-calling, it’s not clear if the Falcons will bring in an official DC to work with Quinn and Morris. If they do, Seahawks defensive backs coach Kris Richard is a candidate to make the move from the Seahawks to the Falcons as well.
Sunday Roundup: Wilson, Manning, AFC North
Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Super Bowl Sunday:
- According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, negotiations on a long-term extension for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will begin “as soon as the Super Bowl ends.” As we have been hearing, Wilson is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, with Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM average annual salary serving as the starting point for negotiations with Wilson. Rapoport adds that everything Seattle has done this year, including its dealings with Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, and K.J. Wright, was done with a Wilson deal in mind (Twitter link to NFL Media PR).
- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to play in 2015, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen writes that official confirmation could come from Manning this week.
- Falcons star receiver Julio Jones is under contract through 2015, but an extension for Jones will be put on hold until incoming head coach Dan Quinn has had time to fully assess the roster, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Those sentiments come from team owner Arthur Blank, which suggests that Quinn will have a great deal of input into roster decisions and creates more questions about the role of GM Thomas Dimitroff.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the state of the Steelers‘ secondary, which looks to be a major area of concern heading into the offseason.
- Ravens running back Justin Forsett spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk about a number of topics, including his impending free agency. The tailback made it known once again that he’d like to stay in purple and black. “I would like to stay in Baltimore, but it is a business and I’m looking for a commitment. However that comes, I just want to be able to take care of my family,” the veteran said. Florio also asked Forsett about the possibility of following former Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to Denver. Forsett was complimentary of Kubiak but downplayed the likelihood of a reunion, noting that the Broncos have multiple tailbacks under contract, including C.J. Anderson. However, as Florio rightly noted, none of the Denver backs amassed 1,266 yards on the ground in 2014 like Forsett did.
- There is a mechanism in the collective bargaining agreement by which the Browns could seek to recover a pro-rated portion of Gordon’s signing bonus because of games missed due to suspensions, as Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes. That pro-rated portion for 2015 is just over $564K, however, so it’s not clear if Cleveland will pursue that process.
Zach Links contributed to this post