HEADLINES

Dashon Goldson

Buccaneers Likely To Make Offseason Trades

November 16th, 2014 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers were one of the most oft-mentioned teams preceding the trade deadline last month, and although they did end up making two deals – shipping Mark Barron to the Rams and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots – Tampa retained many of the players who were rumored to be on the trading block. The club isn’t finished reworking its roster, however, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports that the Bucs will shop Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson during the offseason.

Jackson seemed to be the likeliest candidate to be traded before the deadline; while his production has waned this season, an acquiring team could have easily released him after the season if he didn’t improve. The Eagles were reportedly interested in trading for the veteran receiver, but wouldn’t meet Tampa Bay’s asking price of a second-round pick. With pass-catcher Mike Evans showing that he can be the focal point of a passing attack, it makes sense that the Bucs would want to get out from under Jackson’s contract while at the same time recouping some value.

Martin has been injured and/or ineffective since his excellent rookie season, but because he still offers potential, and is playing on a cheap rookie contract, teams like the Patriots were interested in acquiring him before the deadline. The Buccaneers drafted fellow running back Charles Sims in the third round of this year’s draft, and with Bobby Rainey also proving himself as a competent ball-carrier, the club could view Martin as expendable.

Goldson will be almost impossible to move; given his subpar level of play and his enormous contract, the Bucs would be likely to receive a conditional seventh-round pick in exchange for the veteran safety. He’s due a $7.5MM base salary in 2015 ($3MM of which is guaranteed), and he’s graded as the third-worst safety in the league among 85 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com recently concluded that it was unlikely that Goldson would return to Tampa next season, and while I agree, it’s far more likely that he’s released than traded.

In the same piece, La Canfora reports that the Buccaneers are likely to bring in a new offensive coordinator next season. Jeff Tedford, who had never before called plays at the NFL level, was slated to act as Tampa Bay’s OC, but health concerns have caused him to sit out the entire season. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo has taken over play-calling duties, but La Canfora says the offensive staff has been “undermanned and scrambling,” and they’re unsurprisingly 31st in offensive DVOA.

Extra Points: Goldson, Cowboys, Draft, Titans

November 14th, 2014 at 9:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

As free agency and cap management is becoming more notable in teambuilding, Kevin Seifert of ESPN takes a closer look at six of the league’s most inflated contracts and the effects they are having on their team’s roster. He dissects the contracts of Jay Cutler, Ndamukong Suh, Joe Flacco, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tony Romo, and how each team will likely deal with the large cap numbers going forward.

Here are some other notes from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers put together one of the most high profile secondaries out of nowhere before the 2013 season, signing Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson and drafting Mark Barron at the top of the first round. Not long after, Revis was released and Barron was traded, leaving only Goldson on the roster, and he may be the next to go, writes Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. Goldson has played less as the season goes on, and with large money attached to his contract, the team may choose to go younger and cheaper at the safety position.
  • Much has been made of the Cowboys as they approach their decision on what to do with offensive stars Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, with many pundits and fans expecting long-term extensions for both. Murray also seems like an obvious franchise tag candidate, but Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News could see the Cowboys surprising us and rewarding Murray with the long-term deal while franchising Bryant at the higher tag price.
  • Although the 2015 NFL draft order has not even been set, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN are already working hard to evaluate both the prospects available as well as the needs of NFL teams. They look at the possibility teams like the Raiders, Jets, Buccaneers, and Titans would take a quarterback such as Marcus Mariota of Oregon or Jameis Winston of Florida State at the top of the draft, and look at other questions surrounding the draft.
  • The Titans may be in position to draft high at the top of the first round, but in no way will that be on purpose, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “It is ludicrous to me. Fans don’t understand the situation we go through as players,” said tight end Delanie Walker. “No one wants to lose games for better picks. It just doesn’t happen. It would never happen. Just the thought is ludicrous.”

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

More Trade Rumors: Bucs, Eagles, Pats

October 26th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a couple more trade-related items to add to this morning’s rumors:

Sunday Roundup: Nelson, Robinson, Browns

July 27th, 2014 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s look at some links from around the league as training camp rolls along and ruminations over hot-button issues like the color of Johnny Manziel‘s cleats consume far too much of everyone’s time:

  • Jets‘ rookie safety Calvin Pryor does have a concussion, tweets Brian Costello of The New York Post. We learned earlier this morning that Pryor, who suffered the injury Saturday, was absent from practice today.
  • Jordy Nelson‘s new deal might be a bargain for the Packers, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • Saints‘ cornerback Patrick Robinson, who missed most of 2013 with an injury and who has seen Champ Bailey take most of the reps as the team’s No. 2 corner thus far, is flashing the ability that made him a first-round pick in 2010, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
  • Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com does not expect the Jaguars to make a play for a veteran receiver, adding that the team’s focus is in developing rookies Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee.
  • Newly-signed TE Ed Dickson has shown flashes of his impressive athletic ability in Panthers camp, writes Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. Dickson, who struggled with drops during his tenure with the Ravens, is looking for a fresh start in Carolina.
  • Safety Dashon Goldson, who underwent ankle surgery following the 2013 season, is being brought along slowly by the Buccaneers, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
  • The Texans worked out former Raiders’ outside linebacker Eric Harper at the same time they auditioned Quentin Groves and Lawrence Sidbury, writes Aaron Wilson of The National Football Post. Houston ultimately signed Sidbury and Groves.
  • Texans‘ guard Cody White suffered a torn Achilles tendon during yesterday’s practice, tweets John McClain of The Houston Chronicle.
  • Although it seems unlikely that Johnny Manziel will beat out Brian Hoyer as the Browns‘ starting quarterback to open the season, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe believes that Cleveland’s schedule “sets up well” for Manziel to assume the starting role early in the season. The Browns have a bye in Week 4 and then a series of “easy” games against teams like the Titans, Jaguars, and Raiders.
  • Speaking of the Browns‘ quarterback dilemma, Lindsay Jones of USA Today Sports tweets that Hoyer will continue to take reps with the first-team offense through Tuesday’s practice, and then Cleveland’s coaching staff will reevaluate the team’s situation under center. Wednesday’s practice, then, may be a telling one.

NFC Links: Giants, Lions, Packers

June 30th, 2014 at 2:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Eli Manning was the most overpaid NFL player during the 2013 season, at least according to Nathan Jahnke of Pro Football Focus (ESPN Insider subscription required). The Giants’ 57.5 accuracy percentage was the second-worst in the league (behind the Raiders‘ Matt McGloin), and his 27 interceptions were the most by a quarterback in nearly ten years. The writer utilized the “Jahnke Valuation Model” – a formula that measures a player’s potential salary based on production – and came to the conclusion that Manning deserved about $5.4MM. That’s a far cry from his 2013 cap hit of $20.8MM.

Second on the list also came from the NFC, albeit on the defensive side of the ball. Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis earned this honor, even though he compiled 116 tackles last season. Jahnke points to the player’s 13 missed tackles and estimates he should have earned about $1.3MM – a more than $11MM difference from his $12.4MM cap hit.

Three other NFC players – Falcons wideout Roddy White, Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson and Vikings running back Adrian Peterson – made this list. For the AFC, Jets linebacker David Harris led the way, followed by Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub, Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor and Bills defensive end Mario Williams.

Let’s see what else is going on around the NFC…

  • Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson were previously represented by the Morgan Advisory Group’s Ryan Morgan & Zeke Sandhu. However, as Sports Business Journal’s Liz Mullen points out (via Twitter), the two players are now unaffiliated with MAG and are only represented by Sandhu.
  • History suggests that Lions head coach Jim Caldwell will only carry two quarterbacks, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. In his ten seasons with the Colts, Caldwell carried a trio of quarterbacks four times, including the 2011 season when he held on to an injured Peyton Manning. The competition is likely between veterans Dan Orlovsky and Kellen Moore, as well as rookie James Franklin. As Rogers notes, Franklin could stick around on the practice squad.
  • 12 linebackers were taken ahead of Packers rookie Carl Bradford, and Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel writes that the player won’t forget about those taken in front of him. “I keep track of it, man,” Bradford said. “And I use that as motivation…We’ll see where I land at the end of all this.”