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Jason Kelce

NFC Notes: 49ers, Eagles, Vikings

January 26th, 2017 at 12:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In their drawn-out quest to find a general manager, the 49ers are down to two finalists – Vikings assistant GM George Paton and Cardinals Terry McDonough – but “it’s not a lock” either will end up with the job, a source close to the team told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. While there’s a “good chance” one of them will land the role, per the source, the previously reported Mark Dominik “could become involved” if the Niners go in another direction, writes Maiocco.

More from a couple other NFC cities:

  • The Eagles are poised to clear “significant” cap space, which could end center Jason Kelce‘s six-year tenure in Philadelphia. When asked about Kelce on Wednesday, executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman didn’t shoot down any rumors regarding the 29-year-old. “We’re talking about a guy who just made the Pro Bowl. Those are good situations for the Philadelphia Eagles to have Pro Bowl players,” Roseman told Zach Berman of Philly.com. “But it’s hard to go into each player, and I’m not saying as it relates to Kelce, but if I start answering the question to Jason Kelce, that opens the door to five or six other guys.” By cutting Kelce, the Eagles would open up $3.8MM in cap space for 2017.
  • Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer missed the team’s Week 13 loss to the Cowboys after undergoing emergency surgery on his right eye. Over a month later, Zimmer still can’t see out of that eye and will undergo another procedure in April, tweets Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “Hopefully that will fix it,” said Zimmer.
  • One of Zimmer’s players, wide receiver/kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson, is open to leaving the Vikings as a free agent if they don’t promise him an increased offensive role. “I need to know if I’m going to play or not. If not, I’ll take my talents elsewhere,” Patterson told Conor Orr of NFL.com. Patterson’s relevance in the Vikings’ offense increased significantly after coordinator Pat Shurmur took over for Norv Turner at the outset of November. Shurmur guaranteed Patterson more targets after grabbing the reins, and the 25-year-old then racked up 46 in the final nine games of the season. He had only 24 in Turner’s seven games atop the offense. All told, the first-team All-Pro return man amassed a career-high 52 catches, though he only averaged 8.7 yards per reception. On whether he’d return to Minnesota for a fifth season in 2017, Patterson said, “If they want me back, they’ll (make a deal) and get me back.”
  • The Eagles and player personnel executive Rick Mueller are parting ways, sources told Jeff McLane of Philly.com. Mueller was in his second stint with the Eagles, who fired him during the Chip Kelly era and brought him back when it ended.

Eagles Could Part With Jason Kelce

January 17th, 2017 at 1:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Center Jason Kelce‘s sixth season in Philadelphia might have been his last. Three years after the Eagles signed Kelce to a six-year, $37.5MM extension, they’re considering trading or releasing him, a source told Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com. Kelce has been with the Eagles since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft.

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Parting with Kelce this offseason wouldn’t open up a windfall of cap space in 2017 for Philadelphia, which would save $3.8MM against $2.4MM in dead money. The Eagles would also lose a one-time Pro Bowler who’s coming off his fourth 16-start season and second in a row. Durability aside, Kelce’s performance wasn’t great in 2016, as he finished 27th among Pro Football Focus’ 38 qualified centers and led the position in penalties (eight).

If Kelce were to hit free agency, he’d join a center market that’s also slated to include teammate Stefen Wisniewski, Joe Hawley, A.Q. Shipley and John Sullivan, among others. It seems doubtful the Eagles would turn to any of those names to replace Kelce, as they may have a successor on their roster in 2016 third-round pick Isaac Seumalo. With Kelce in the equation, Seumalo’s action as a rookie came at guard and right tackle. Seumalo previously garnered extensive center experience at Oregon State, however, and Eagles head coach Doug Pederson indicated during the season that he’s confident in the 23-year-old’s ability to handle the position.

“He’s been such a versatile offensive lineman for us, that I would have no issues if he had to play center,” Pederson said, per Kempski.

Returning Impact Players For Contenders

October 31st, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s second half is getting underway this week, and it’s not too early to point to specific games as crucial for playoff positioning, as teams jockey for divisions and Wild Card openings. Last night’s contest between the Saints and Panthers, for instance, could ultimately have a real impact on which team wins the NFC South.

As we near the home stretch of the 2014 season, several teams could get a boost from returning players who have been sidelined for most or all of the year. These players won’t necessarily swing playoff races, but their teams will certainly welcome them back with open arms as a way of fortifying rosters that may be plagued by various injuries and ailments.

Listed below are a handful of players worth keeping an eye on during the season’s second half. These players are on track to return from longer-term injuries or suspensions, and could have an impact down the stretch, perhaps helping to buoy their respective teams into postseason berths. While the returns of other players, like Cincinnati’s A.J. Green, will also obviously be massive for their respective teams, shorter-term absences like Green’s aren’t noted here.

Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE)
Green’s return may have a more significant impact on the Bengals’ offense, but Eifert shouldn’t be overlooked. The young tight end was expected to take on a larger role this season, and had already caught three balls in the team’s Week 1 contest before he suffered a dislocated elbow. Since he received the designation to return when he was placed on IR, Eifert is eligible to practice now and is expected to be activated for the club’s Week 11 game against the Saints.

Cleveland Browns: Josh Gordon (WR)
The Browns currently sit in last place in the competitive AFC North, so it’s fair to question whether they’re a legit contender. Still, at 4-3, they’re right on the heels of the division-leading 4-2-1 Bengals, and with a soft schedule and the 2013’s leading receiver due back soon, there’s reason for optimism in Cleveland. Taking into account the Browns’ bye, Gordon’s 10-game ban means he’s eligible to return for Week 12, and it’ll be interesting to see what Brian Hoyer – or, perhaps, Johnny Manziel – can do during the season’s final six weeks with a weapon like Gordon at his disposal.

Dallas Cowboys: Demarcus Lawrence (DE/OLB)
We’ve yet to see what Lawrence is capable of at the NFL level, since the first half of his rookie season has been wiped out by a broken foot. But this is a player for whom the Cowboys traded up to No. 34 in May’s draft, and the team is looking forward to getting him back this weekend. Dallas’ defense has been surprisingly effective so far, but it certainly hasn’t been infallible, and a player like Lawrence will help fortify the team’s pass rush. It’s also worth monitoring defensive tackle Josh Brent, whose 10-game ban will soon expire — Brent may not see a ton of snaps right away, but the fact that the Cowboys have stuck with him indicates he remains very much in the team’s plans.

Detroit Lions: Kyle Van Noy (LB)
Like Lawrence, Van Noy is an early second-round pick who we’ve yet to see play in a regular season game. Of course, the Lions’ defense has been so effective that the team can afford to ease Van Noy in slowly if it so chooses, but this is a player who was initially penciled in as a three-down starter during the preseason. While he may not receive that kind of workload when he returns this weekend, I expect he’ll become a bigger part of Detroit’s D by December.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jason Kelce (C), Evan Mathis (G)
Eagles fans and LeSean McCoy‘s fantasy owners alike will welcome the return of this standout duo of interior offensive linemen. Kelce appears ready to return to action this weekend, while Mathis is expected to be activated for the following week, which is great news for an offensive line that has been shorthanded virtually all season. Assuming Kelce and Mathis are both healthy and remain as effective as ever, McCoy should start finding a few more holes and Nick Foles may be a little more comfortable in the pocket.

San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram (LB), Ryan Mathews (RB), Manti Te’o (LB)
Few – if any – teams have been hit harder this season by injuries than the Chargers, but reinforcements are on the way. In addition to players like Brandon Flowers and Jeremiah Attaochu being on the mend, the trio noted here is recovering well from longer-term injuries. Ingram, Mathews, and Te’o have each been sidelined since at least Week 3, but if all goes well, all three players could be back in action again following the club’s Week 10 bye.

San Francisco 49ers: NaVorro Bowman (LB), Aldon Smith (LB)
Heading into the season, many pundits viewed the Niners as a candidate to fall out of the postseason this year in large part due to the extended absences of Bowman and Smith. The team has hung in there so far though, and should finally be getting their standout linebackers back in November. Even if Smith’s nine-game ban isn’t reduced by a game or two, a rumor which appears increasingly unlikely, he’ll be eligible to return for the Niners’ Week 11 contest against the Giants, and I’d expect Bowman to be back a week or two after that. With December showdowns against the Seahawks, Chargers, and Cardinals on tap, San Francisco could be getting two of its best defenders back just in time to affect the playoff picture.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Giants, Redskins

October 20th, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFC East looks to be a competitive division, at least near the top, where the Cowboys and Eagles have a combined record of 11-2. Let’s take a look at some injury updates from Philadelphia, New York, and Washington:

  • Making his weekly appearance on CSNPhilly, Eagles guard Evan Mathis said he has been cleared to resume practicing (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN). Mathis, who sprained his MCL in Week 1, is on injured reserve/designated to return and isn’t eligible to return to game action until Week 10.
  • Mathis also told CSNPhilly that center Jason Kelce, who has been sidelined since Week 3, is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a sports hernia, and could play for the Eagles again as soon as Week 9 (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
  • Though Giants linebacker Jon Beason is expected to travel to North Carolina to meet with an ankle specialist, New York has no intention of shutting down the veteran as of yet, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger.
  • Meanwhile, guard Geoff Schwartz is expected to begin practicing next week, but he likely won’t make his regular season debut for the Giants until Week 9, per Raanan.
  • The Redskins will be without linebacker Brian Orakpo for the rest of the season, leading John Keim of ESPN.com to examine how Washington will aim to replace a key cog in its defense. Rookie Trent Murphy will see more snaps, and a team source tells Keim that the Redskins will consider re-signing Rob Jackson, who played for the team until 2013.

Injury Updates: Monday

September 22nd, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the league today are assessing the damage from Week 3’s games, and in some cases the news is sobering. At Pro Football Rumors, we don’t cover every injury, but we’ll keep tabs on the major ones that could result in a player heading to injured reserve or in his team adding a replacement via free agency or trade. Here are the latest Monday updates on those major injuries from this week:

  • According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Panthers running back Mike Tolbert has sustained a hairline fracture in his leg, while Jonathan Stewart has a sprained knee. Tolbert, who also has a bone bruise, won’t require surgery but may miss more than a month, a source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). With DeAngelo Williams also banged up, expect the Panthers to add some help for the backfield this week.

Earlier updates:

  • Like Jason Kelce, whose injury is noted below, Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph will undergo surgery for a sports hernia, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). Rudolph is expected to miss about six weeks, which might make him a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return.
  • Saints center Jonathan Goodwin has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While an MRI today will determine the severity of the injury, the team anticipates that Goodwin will miss time.
  • As first reported by Howard Eskin of 94WIP Radio in Philadelphia (Twitter link), Eagles center Jason Kelce has a sports hernia injury and is expected to require surgery, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It’s the latest blow for an increasingly depleted Eagles line, which is already missing Evan Mathis and Allen Barbre and may require an outside addition, as both Eskin and McLane point out. McLane reports that Kelce could end up missing about two months.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell confirmed today that linebacker Stephen Tulloch will be placed on injured reserve after sustaining a torn ACL (Twitter link). As if the season-ending injury wasn’t bad enough, it happened while Tulloch was celebrating a sack of Aaron Rodgers by performing his version of the “Discount Double Check” act.
  • Bills wideout and special-teams ace Marcus Easley has suffered a sprained MCL, and will likely be sidelined for four to six weeks, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Buffalo has yet to use its IR-DTR spot, but Easley may not be a candidate for that designation, since he could return within a month.
  • We rounded up some news on Steelers injuries earlier this morning.

Eagles Notes: Kelly, Matthews, Carroll, Long, Barkley, Villanueva

June 21st, 2014 at 11:56am CST by Matt Feminis

Eagles second-rounder Jordan Matthews “caught everything thrown his way and lined up both inside and outside,” according to Phillymag.com’s Sheil Kapadia, who took stock of the team’s draft picks now that spring work has concluded. Kapadia expects Matthews to emerge as the team’s No. 1 slot receiver.

Other Eagles tidbits:

  • Head coach Chip Kelly held a press this week and was again asked about the unceremonious divorce from DeSean Jackson, but Kelly made it clear that he’s not in the message sending business. Bob Grotz of the Delaware County Daily Times relayed that bit of information as well as a related quote from center Jason Kelce which indicates that, while the Jackson release resonated, it has not affected the team’s stability: “As opposed to the way a lot of the media portrays it I don’t think that the release was solely on character things and a lot of other things, I think that might be something that’s been played out way too far. I think there are a lot of different factors. His release has not changed in my mind anything about the way this organization runs, the culture of it or anything.”
  • Free agent acquisition Nolan Carroll and 2013 undrafted free agent Travis Long were among a handful of under-the-radar players highlighted by Matt Lombardo of NJ.com. Now two years removed from a reconstructed ACL, Long is pushing for a roster spot and has drawn praise from Kelly.
  • Long would help his chances of making the roster by proving himself valuable on special teams, an area the Eagles have made a concerted effort to improve, notes ESPN’s Phil Sheridan: “The Eagles added Bryan Braman, a linebacker who excelled on special teams in Houston, and cornerback Nolan Carroll, an excellent gunner on coverage teams. Safety Chris Maragos was a special teams regular for Seattle last year. Darren Sproles, who will see plenty of time on offense, is a first-rate return man.”
  • Is Matt Barkley‘s arm strength a major concern? Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com thinks so.
  • Army product Alejandro Villanueva, an undrafted free agent, is a long shot, but his work ethic is noteworthy and worth reading about. Kelly told team website writer Bo Wulf he’s “amazed at everything that Alejandro does.”

Bears’ Mills Tops Performance-Based Pay List

March 24th, 2014 at 6:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

Bears rookie right tackle Jordan Mills, whose base salary was $495k last season, will receive approximately $318k from the performance-based pay pool, more than any other player in the league. Created in order to reward players who make the least and play the most, the performance-based league pool is $3.46MM per team. Each team’s performance-based pay leader can be found here, courtesy of USA Today.

Mills, a fifth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, started all 16 games for the Bears. However, his starts were more a reflection of the team’s lack of options, as Mills rated as one of the league’s worst starters, ranking last in pass protection (-32.5 rating) and hurries allowed (62). Other notables (dollar figures rounded):

Eagles Cap Details: Peters, Cooper, Kelce

February 27th, 2014 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Offensive tackle Jason Peters, center Jason Kelce, and wide receiver Riley Cooper have all reached long-term contract agreements with the Eagles this week, and the details of those deals have slowly become public over the last couple days. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the three contracts look:

  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the specifics on Peters’ new contract, including a new chart that clearly exhibits how the annual figures. The deal includes a $5MM signing bonus and a $5MM roster bonus for 2014, so Peters will receive $10MM of his guarantee before the 2014 season even begins. Additionally, his full ’14 base salary (down to $1.75MM) is now guaranteed, as is a portion of his 2015 salary ($4MM of $6.8MM). The contract also includes $3MM in escalators based on Pro Bowl and All Pro selections.
  • Fitzgerald also has the year-by-year breakdown of Cooper’s new five-year contract, which included a $4MM signing bonus. According to Fitzgerald, Cooper’s $1MM base salary for 2014 is fully guaranteed, as is $3MM of his 2015 base salary ($4MM). The receiver can ensure that an extra $1MM in base salary is guaranteed in both 2015 and 2016 if he remains on the roster beyond the fifth day of those league years. Fitzgerald’s piece on Cooper’s deal also takes a look at how it might affect the rest of the secondary receiver market.
  • Cooper’s contract includes annual escalators worth $625K from 2015 to 2018, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. As Fitzgerald’s chart details, that means the deal only amounts to a total of $22.5MM over five years, with the possibility of Cooper earning an extra $2.5MM via those escalators.
  • According to Pelissero (Twitter links), Kelce’s base salary for 2014 remains the same, before jumping to $3MM in 2015. Both of those amounts, plus $2.602MM of his $4MM base salary for 2015, are fully guaranteed. The center also received a $6MM signing bonus, and his deal includes $200K per year in Pro Bowl escalators.
  • Overall, the three new contracts resulted in an extra $1.409MM being added to the Eagles’ 2014 cap total, tweets Pelissero.

Eagles To Extend Jason Kelce

February 27th, 2014 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:05am: The Eagles and Kelce are in agreement on an extension, which will be a six-year deal worth $37.5MM, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Caplan, $13MM of that money will be guaranteed.

Since Kelce hadn’t been slated to hit free agency until next winter, he’s now under contract for seven years, through the 2020 season. His deal can max out at over $40MM, and makes him one of the top five highest-paid centers in the NFL.

WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: It’s been a busy day for the Eagles, who have announced a long-term contract extension for left tackle Jason Peters and are reportedly closing in on a new deal for Riley Cooper. However, it seems the club isn’t done making moves. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles are expected to announce a new multiyear extension for center Jason Kelce in the near future, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.

Kelce is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2014, and has developed into one of the league’s top centers since being selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. The 26-year-old started all 16 games for the Eagles in 2013, and his performance ranked first among 35 qualified centers, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).

Contracts for centers aren’t as lucrative as those inked by left tackles, and Kelce’s new salary may also be limited by a lack of public recognition for his play — unlike Peters, he has yet to earn a spot in a Pro Bowl. Still, an annual salary of $4MM+ would make Kelce one of the top 10 highest-paid centers in the NFL, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him receive more than that from the Eagles.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and McLane (Twitter links) both reported earlier today that Kelce would likely be the next Eagles lineman to receive a contract extension.

NFC East Rumors: Kelce, Giants, Redskins

February 26th, 2014 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Standout offensive tackle Jason Peters re-upped with the Eagles today, agreeing to a contract extension that adds four more years to his current deal, keeping him under contract through 2018. While Peters was the first Philadelphia offensive lineman to reach a new agreement this offseason, he likely won’t be the last, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links). Both reporters believe it’s just a matter of time until the Eagles also announce an extension for center Jason Kelce, whose rookie contract is set to expire a year from now.

Here are a few more Wednesday updates on the Eagles’ three division rivals:

  • As the Giants look to upgrade their offensive line, the club is eyeing potential free agent guards, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. While New York does think veteran Chris Snee will return in 2014, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the team could target players like Jon Asamoah, Geoff Schwartz, Chad Rinehart, Zane Beadles, and Shawn Lauvao in free agency, says Raanan.
  • A few former teammates thought Corey Webster would retire after his contract with the Giants voided this month, but Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 says (via Twitter) the veteran cornerback plans to play in 2014. Due to injuries and poor play in 2013, Webster is unlikely to land much more than a minimum contract in free agency.
  • Redskins linebacker Bryan Kehl, who is eligible for free agency next month, has yet to discuss a new deal with the team, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link). Meanwhile, the club continues to talk to free agent linebacker Brian Orakpo, but no agreement is imminent, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
  • Although safety is an area of need for the Cowboys this offseason, Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News explains why the team shouldn’t consider addressing the position in the first round of the draft.
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