NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs
Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.
Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.
Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.
- Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
- A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
- The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
- Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
- Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.
Free Agent Rumors: Rams, V. Miller, Hayes
The deadline for NFL teams to assign the franchise or transition tag to one of their players will arrive today at 3:00pm central time, so there will be plenty of interesting situations to keep an eye on over the next several hours.
One of those situations will be in Los Angeles, where cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins are both candidates to be tagged. While recent reports have suggested the Rams are leaning toward using their tag on Johnson, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that he firmly believes it will be used on Jenkins instead.
As I noted yesterday, the Rams may be incentivized to lock up Jenkins with a tag, since long-term contract talks with him don’t seem to be going well. Signing Johnson to a multiyear deal may be a more realistic proposition, so tagging Jenkins might give the team its best shot at retaining both corners.
Here’s more on pending free agents around the NFL, including one more who is expected to be tagged:
- While Von Miller still appears on track for the franchise tag, he and the Broncos have shown a commitment to getting a longer-term deal done eventually, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport reports that any multiyear extension for Miller would eclipse Justin Houston‘s six-year, $101MM pact, and Mike Klis of 9NEWS agrees, writing that the Broncos are offering $17MM+ annually. However, Klis points out that the team views Ndamukong Suh‘s $19MM-per-year contract as an outlier, and probably won’t be willing to go quite that high.
- Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report are bullish on the free agent market for Rams defensive end William Hayes. Cole tweets that Hayes will be “in high demand,” while Garafolo tweets that the veteran pass rusher may nearly double his previous annual salary ($3.4MM).
- Appearing on PFT Live, Bengals cornerback Adam Jones said there have been “a lot of other teams” contacting his agent about signing him. Technically, of course, teams aren’t supposed to talk to an outside free agent’s representatives until the legal tampering period begins, but it’s widely acknowledged that clubs typically don’t wait that long.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post explains why the Giants won’t use their franchise tag this year on Jason Pierre-Paul, despite possessing a ton of cap room.
Giants Rumors: JPP, Ayers, Amukamara
The Giants would like to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and will continue to try to make it happen, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, according to Raanan, the club is currently only willing to do a one-year, prove-it deal. Unless that stance changes within the next week or so, there’s a good chance JPP will explore the market, and if he finds a more appealing offer elsewhere, there’s a good chance he’ll depart.
As Raanan details, it’s possible that another team in desperate need of a pass-rusher will be willing to offer Pierre-Paul a multiyear contract in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, but there are too many variables in play for the Giants to make such an offer themselves before letting JPP gauge his value. It will be an interesting situation to watch as free agency nears.
Here’s more from Raanan on the Giants:
- On the whole, the free agent market is expected to be player-friendly, and one player who will likely benefit is Giants defensive end Robert Ayers. According to Raanan, Ayers is expected to land a deal in the range of $6MM per year, and the Giants will be in the running.
- The Giants will allow Prince Amukamara to reach the open market to get a sense of his value. The team doesn’t appear poised to spend big money on the cornerback position, since the front seven is the priority, says Raanan. If that’s the case, Amukamara could land with another team.
- New York will likely explore signing a veteran free agent safety to pair with Landon Collins, says Raanan. Isa Abdul-Quddus is one player the team could target if it doesn’t spend on a top-tier safety.
- The Giants are willing to let kicker Josh Brown walk if he finds a lucrative multiyear contract on the open market, since they don’t want to invest too heavily in the position.
NFC Notes: Saints, JPP, 49ers, Lions
Some assorted notes from around the NFC…
- The Saints have interest in linebacker James Laurinaitis, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The team is hoping to have the 29-year-old in for a visit next week.
- The Giants have been working to get a deal done with Jason Pierre-Paul before free agency opens, tweets ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
- 49ers coach Chip Kelly is Colin Kaepernick‘s best chance to “re-establish himself as a reliable NFL starter,” writes Mark Maske of The Washington Post. Therefore, the writer says the quarterback is wrong for asking for a trade, and he believes the 49ers would be wrong to consider the request.
- Lions general manager Bob Quinn is optimistic that linebacker DeAndre Levy will be ready to go for the start of the 2016 season. “I’m fairly confident,” Quinn said (via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). “I have not seen DeAndre in the building as of yet. I’m really interested to see when he comes back for the offseason program what kind of shape he’s in and how he’s looking. But we’re confident he’s going to be ready for the season.”
NFC East Rumors: Cox, Brinkley, Romo, JPP
Having already extended the contracts of Vinny Curry, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Malcolm Jenkins, and Brent Celek since their season ended, the Eagles would still like to get something done with Fletcher Cox, whose next deal may very well make him the team’s highest-paid player. Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, de-facto general manager Howie Roseman called it a “huge priority” to lock up Cox, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
“He’s a great player and he’s going to get great player money,” Roseman said. “And we’re not shy about saying that.”
Cox remains under contract with the Eagles for one more season, so the team isn’t under any immediate pressure to get something done with the standout lineman. As the two sides attempt to work on a deal, let’s round up a few other items from out of the NFC East….
- Giants linebacker Jasper Brinkley is expected to hit the open market next month, according to James Kratch of NJ.com. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll sign elsewhere. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Kratch that the Giants have expressed interest in signing Brinkley and have had discussions with his representatives.
- While there’s still no final decision on what type of collarbone surgery Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo, he’s expected to go under the knife within the next two weeks, a source tells Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A Tuesday report indicated Romo is leaning toward a Mumford procedure, which involves shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is likely focused on his next contract as he nears free agency, but he’ll have another issue on his plate in the near future. According to Julia Marsh of the New York Post, Pierre-Paul filed a lawsuit against ESPN and reporter Adam Schefter on Wednesday for publishing his medical records last year. The lawsuit contends that Schefter “improperly obtained” JPP’s medical chart, violating his medical privacy.
Giants Want To Re-Sign JPP, Ayers
The Giants are interested in signing both of their significant defensive ends this offseason, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. The team is looking to retain both Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers and they have plans to speak with their reps this week. 
The Giants were expected to try and retain Ayers, but the news regarding JPP is somewhat surprising. Earlier this month, it was reported that the Giants were very ready to let the defensive end test free agency and go elsewhere this offseason.
Pierre-Paul has been one of Big Blue’s fiercest defenders since they drafted him 15th overall in 2010. The 27-year-old end totaled 42 sacks from 2010-14, including a career-high 16.5 during the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011. However, his career took a terrible turn last summer when he lost his right index finger thanks to a July 4 fireworks accident.
Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. The site remained impressed with his pass-rushing ability, though it gave him a poor grade against the run. He clearly disagrees in regards to the latter, having stated in December that, “I think I play the run better than I play the pass.”
Ayers has played in exactly 12 games in each of the last two seasons for the Giants, but he has proven to be a disruptive force each time. This past season, Ayers notched a career-high 9.0 sacks to go along with 41 total tackles, and the Giants’ pass-rush unit would be lacking if he signs elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Rumors: Washington, Cowboys, Cruz
Washington executives Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen aren’t scheduled to speak to the media in formal press conferences this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but head coach Jay Gruden did so today, touching on a handful of topics surrounding the team. Most notably, Gruden expressed confidence that Washington will work something out with quarterback Kirk Cousins, suggesting that the two sides continue to talk in the hopes of hammering out an agreement (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
Cousins isn’t the only quarterback that Gruden is bullish about bringing back. According to Jones (via Twitter), the head coach also wants to re-sign Colt McCoy. However, it sounds as if linebacker Keenan Robinson will depart via free agency. John Keim of ESPN.com adds that Gruden spoke to defensive lineman Jason Hatcher recently and thinks that Hatcher is leaning toward playing in 2016, rather than retiring.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones spoke about his team’s approach to free agency, suggesting that the Cowboys don’t want to “pay a good player like he’s a great player” if they can avoid it. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com has the details and the quotes from Jones.
- Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said today that he “absolutely” expects Victor Cruz to return to the club next season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Cruz, who has a $9.9MM cap hit, recently estimated that he has an 80% chance of being retained by the Giants.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that McAdoo’s comments today made it sound as if he really wants the Giants to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul.
- McAdoo also confirmed today that “there was a potential for a second interview” for the Eagles‘ head coaching job before he was promoted by the Giants. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, McAdoo said he wasn’t formally offered the Eagles’ job.
Giants Rumors: Wilkerson, Sanu, JPP, Ayers
The Giants will enter free agency hoping to land two New Jersey natives – Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson and Bengals receiver Mohamed Sanu – CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Giants’ offseason]
The Jets will place the franchise tag on Wilkerson, a two-time second-team All-Pro, but La Canfora writes that they could trade the 26-year-old because they already have Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams under control along their defensive line and need help elsewhere. If the Jets do deal Wilkerson, the Giants are potential candidates to trade a first-round pick (and maybe more) for the Pro Bowler, per La Canfora, who opines that he’d be worth Big Blue’s 10th overall selection.
The Giants would also have to give Wilkerson a new contract, one that La Canfora estimates could be in Marcell Dareus territory. Dareus signed a six-year, $95MM deal with the Bills last year and is currently second among D-tackles (behind only Ndamukong Suh) in total value, yearly average ($15.85MM) and guarantees ($42.9MM).
Sanu, on the other hand, is coming off a less-than-stellar season in terms of productivity (33 catches, zero touchowns). Nevertheless, La Canfora argues that the 26-year-old would make a good complement to Odell Beckham and could merit $5MM per year.
Here’s more on the Giants:
- The Giants will try to re-sign pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul, but they will not place the franchise tag on the defensive end or bring him back on a huge contract, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that there’s a debate within the organization in regards to Pierre-Paul’s value.
- As we touched on earlier tonight, a USA Today report states that JPP’s time with the Giants is likely up.
- Like Pierre-Paul, fellow Giants defensive end Robert Ayers is also on the verge of becoming a free agent. There’s a good chance Ayers will re-sign with the team, however, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan asked five league sources what kind of deal Ayers, 30, will get off a career-best 9.5-sack season, then averaged out their projections. The end result: three years, $18MM – including $9MM in guarantees.
JPP Unlikely To Return To Giants
Pending free agent Jason Pierre-Paul is unlikely to return to the Giants for a seventh season, a league source tells Kristian R. Dyer of USA Today.
“[A]ll signs point toward the Giants letting Pierre-Paul test free agency,” the source stated, adding, “as of right now he isn’t going to be returning.”
[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: New York Giants]
Pierre-Paul has been one of Big Blue’s fiercest defenders since they drafted him 15th overall in 2010. The 27-year-old end totaled 42 sacks from 2010-14, including a career-high 16.5 during the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011. However, his career took a terrible turn last summer when he lost his right index finger thanks to a July 4 fireworks accident. The Giants withdrew a $60MM contract offer for Pierre-Paul afterward, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, and he refused to report to the team and its doctors for several weeks while recovering.
The two sides ultimately patched up their differences enough for Pierre-Paul to come back and play the 2015-16 season for $7.35MM, a steep drop-off from the $14.8MM he would have made as their franchise player.
Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. The site remained impressed with his pass-rushing ability, though it gave him a poor grade against the run. He clearly disagrees in regards to the latter, having stated in December that, “I think I play the run better than I play the pass.”
Pierre-Paul also expressed a desire before the season ended to finish his career with the Giants, but the chances of that happening now appear low. While JPP should garner plenty of interest as a free agent from teams in need of an edge rusher, it remains to be seen if he’ll end up with a deal anywhere near the one the Giants were willing to give him prior to his accident.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Injury Updates: J. Allen, O. Bolden, JPP
Our newest round of injury updates has an impact on two teams still alive in the postseason, along with one notable player eligible for free agency this winter. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- Per David Newton of ESPN.com, Panthers defensive end Jared Allen met with Dr. Robert Anderson – one of the country’s top foot doctors – during Sunday’s game and was scheduled to meet with him again today. Initially diagnoses with a fractured foot, Allen aimed to get a more definitive diagnosis today, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that nothing has changed since Sunday — it’s still believed to be a small broken bone, and Allen hopes to play through it. The veteran pass rusher’s status will be worth keeping a close eye on this week.
- Broncos defensive back and return man Omar Bolden will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his PCL, per Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Bolden was used somewhat sparingly as a returner this season, but made the most of his opportunities, with one of his five regular-season punt returns going for an 83-yard touchdown, and his lone playoff return going for 42 yards. He’ll be placed on IR and the Broncos will decide within the next couple days how to place him, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- Giants defensive end and free-agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul posted a photo on his Instagram revealing that he’s undergoing more surgery on his injured hand today. New York is unlikely to use its franchise tag on JPP again, so he figures to hit the open market in March if he and the Giants can’t work out an extension. You can bet teams will be closely monitoring the state of his that right hand.