Bills Notes: QBs, Johnson, Dareus, Williams
Although it is unusual for a team’s general manager to make definitive statements at this time of year, Bills GM Doug Whaley made it clear that his club will not take a quarterback with its first-round pick, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Starting quarterback E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback selected in the first round of last year’s draft, which boasted a weak class of QBs. Given the more talented group of quarterbacks in the 2014 class, and given that Manuel suffered his third knee injury in December, there has been speculation that the Bills would take a QB in the first round for the second consecutive year. Whaley, however, indicated that the Bills would not go in that direction.
More notes out of Buffalo:
- Wide receiver Stevie Johnson‘s future with the team is uncertain, given that he is due a sizable roster bonus in March. However, head coach Doug Marrone has reached out to Johnson to assure him that the team still wants him. As Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported, there was some disconnect between Johnson and the Bills’ coaching staff last season, and his “act” was wearing thin among his teammates.
- Whaley says that a contract extension for defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is “on the radar,” but it does not sound as though it is a priority right now. Since Dareus was a first-round pick under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Bills hold a team option on him for the 2015 season.
- Although defensive end Mario Williams will cost the Bills a hefty $18.8MM cap hit in 2014, Whaley indicated that he has no intention of restructuring Williams’ deal at this time.
- In a separate piece for the Buffalo News, Graham indicates that the Bills met with Jairus Byrd‘s agent on Saturday and that the team still hopes to sign Byrd to a long-term deal.
Bills Plan To Keep Jairus Byrd
The Bills still intend on signing Jairus Byrd to a long-term deal, according to Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network (via Twitter). However, if a contract cannot be reached, Rapaport reports that the team plans to franchise their star safety.
Byrd played under the franchise tag this past season, after a tumultuous offseason where he expressed his unhappiness at failing to secure the long-term deal.
It shouldn’t be thought of as a given that Byrd will be franchised, as the Bills are still trying to come to terms with the leader of their defense. His cap number if franchised would be close to $8.3MM, which raises the question of whether the team could afford to use the tag on him again. It has been reported from early on this offseason that the team would rather sign him without having to designate him with the franchise tag.
The only reason to use the franchise tag is to guarantee that he does not reach the open market, where he would certainly draw interest as one of the biggest free agents available. He could garner attention from quite a few teams with cap space, and here at Pro Football Rumors we have already examined the possibility of him as a target for teams such as the Eagles and Falcons, or reuniting with his defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, now head coach of the Browns.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Bengals, Ravens
After checking in on the AFC West, let’s head North and round up the latest on the Browns, Bengals, and Ravens….
- The possibility of a reunion between Browns head coach Mike Pettine and safety Jairus Byrd is real, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. However, the Bills could complicate things by hitting Byrd with the franchise tag.
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Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says he’s hoping to get a deal done with free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter links). In reference to quarterback Andy Dalton, Lewis said, “I’m sure we’ll sit down about contract at some point.”
- The Giants worked out an extension with coach Tom Coughlin to avoid lame duck status in 2014, but the Bengals have yet to take that measure with Marvin Lewis. The coach says he has no problem with that, Hobson writes.
- With Ray Rice facing charges and a potential suspension following his arrest in a domestic incident, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was asked if there were scenarios in which the running back wouldn’t return to the team next season. “Not that I’m aware of,” Harbaugh replied, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “I haven’t seen anything that would remotely make me think that.”
- Running back prospect Terrence West told reporters that he has about eight meetings scheduled with teams tonight. The Ravens are one of those clubs, tweets Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Franchise Tag, Pitta, Eagles
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com compiled a list of players who could possibly be franchise-tagged, including three he labeled as “no-brainers” in Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, and Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes. The most intriguing note, however, is that the Browns might not franchise safety T.J. Ward because head coach Mike Pettine, formerly the defensive coordinator in Buffalo, may want Bills safety Jairus Byrd in Cleveland quarterbacking his defense. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com chimed in on Twitter with the same idea.
Other news from around the NFL:
- The Ravens face a Jimmy Graham-like dilemma with pass-catcher Dennis Pitta (whom Rosenthal thinks will get the tag), as far as whether he will receive the receiver or the tight end designation, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Cap expert Joel Corry noted within the article that a potential grievance would be messy, and that a long-term deal is the best option for all parties.
- Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com lists several free agents for the Eagles to consider, and among them is veteran linebacker Marcus Benard, who graded positively as a pass rusher, but came in just below average against the run, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- The Steelers need to draft a tall wide receiver to play opposite Antonio Brown, argues Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
- Chargers GM Tom Telesco is looking for defensive players with the attitude and style of the Seahawks, or what he deems a “run-and-hit mentality,” according to Derek Togerson of NBC San Diego. The Chargers defense improved down the stretch, but the team will need to look to the draft and/or free agency to strengthen the unit even further.
South Notes: Falcons, Byrd, Bucs, Luck
Let’s round up a few Thursday morning items from around the NFC and AFC South divisions….
- In a piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, D. Orlando Ledbetter breaks down the Falcons‘ cap situation, and lists his top five free agent targets for the team, including safety Jairus Byrd, defensive end Michael Johnson, and center Alex Mack.
- ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure also identifies Byrd as an ideal fit for the Falcons, though he acknowledges that signing the Bills’ free-agent-to-be to a lucrative deal would mean investing a lot of money into the safety position.
- The Buccaneers have a significant need for a pass-rusher on the edge, according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, who says the club needs to land a defensive end who can be “much more than rotation player” in either free agency or the draft.
- Jeff Fedotin of the National Football Post makes the case for why Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is the most untradeable player in the NFL.
Cap Notes: Bills, Giants, Browns, Texans
Bills safety Jairus Byrd will need to be tendered at $8.3MM if the team wants to keep him under the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Back-to-back franchise tags call for the affected player’s salary to be increased by 120%. Byrd, widely considered one of the best safeties in the NFL, was displeased with being franchise tagged last year, having hoped to work out a long-term extension. Recent extensions by comparable safeties include those of Eric Weddle, who was guaranteed $19MM by the Chargers, and Dashon Goldson, to whom the Buccaneers guaranteed $18MM (numbers courtesy of OverTheCap.com).
Some other cap notes from around the league:
- The Giants have about $13.7MM in cap space, estimates Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. However, they can clear approximately $14 million more by cutting players like Chris Snee, Mathias Kiwanuka, David Baas, Brandon Myers, and Corey Webster. Still, even with $27 million to work with, the Giants will might be strapped as the need to bolster a porous offensive line, add offensive play-makers to potentially replace Hakeem Nicks and David Wilson, and improve a defense that was among the league’s worst.
- Within the same article, Graziano suggests the Giants designate Baas as a post-June 1 cut, spreading the hit over two seasons, and enabling the team to sign someone like Alex Mack. Graziano also thinks the team should sign defensive tackle Linval Joseph to an extension before free agency starts.
- Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com does not believe the Browns will place the franchise tag on safety T.J. Ward, instead attempting to sign him to an extension, or waiting to match an offer from another team. This is contrast to the opinion of ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi, who noted he does think the Browns will tag Ward.
- The Texans will likely part ways with quarterback Matt Schaub and his $14.5MM 2014 cap number, reports Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. Meanwhile, Johnathan Joseph, Owen Daniels, and Danieal Manning, all of whom have significant cap figures, appear to be safe.
Bills Hope To Re-Sign Jairus Byrd
When Jairus Byrd and the Bills entered contract negotiations last offseason, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement, and Byrd eventually played the 2013 season under the franchise tag. A year later, Bills president Russ Brandon doesn’t see any reason why the previous stalemate should prevent the team from striking a deal with Byrd this time around, as he tells John Wawrow of The Associated Press.
“It’s a process and there’s no carryover. You start over again and you try to get something done,” Brandon said on Monday. “We just weren’t able to come up with a solution that worked for both parties, so you reset it and start again.”
Byrd missed the first few games of the 2013 season with plantar fasciitis, but was a key part of an improved Bills defense upon his return, grabbing four interceptions in 11 games and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. The 28-year-old safety will be an unrestricted free agent this season, though the Bills could use the franchise tag on him one more time. In that case, Byrd’s one-year price tag would increase to about $8.3MM.
Still, it sounds as if the Bills would prefer to work something longer-term out with their free agent safety. Brandon tells Wawrow that Buffalo has maintained “great communication” with Byrd and his agent, and that the team intends to work hard to reach an agreement. For his part, Byrd said earlier this month that he’d be open to a long-term extension from the Bills.