AFC East Notes: Mallett, Byrd, Howard, Trades
Tom Brady is signed through the 2017 season, and the Patriots will be facing the same series of questions until that contract is up: should we draft his eventual replacement? Is the replacement already on the roster? Should we sign a veteran backup? Within the framework of those questions, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald examines the status of current backup Ryan Mallett, who will be a free agent after the 2014 season.
There have been rumors that the Texans may be interested in Mallett, given his familiarity with the offense that Houston’s new head coach Bill O’Brien plans to install, and the Vikings might also have some interest. But despite Mallett’s potential and the fact that he has been mentored by Brady and Bill Belichick, his impending free agency might reduce the the return the Patriots could expect in a trade.
Further complicating the situation is the fact that, if New England were to take a QB in this year’s draft, that player’s rookie deal would expire at the same time as Brady’s. But with Mallett unlikely willing to wait until Brady plays out his contract before finally getting a shot, the Patriots probably have no choice but to trade him now or let him walk after this season. As such, the Pats will keep their eyes peeled for the next young quarterback to impress them the way Mallett did in 2011.
Some more notes from the AFC East:
- The Bills have nearly $25MM in cap space, and Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News examines how the team might utilize that flexibility. Most notably, Gaughan writes that Buffalo has enough space to retain Jairus Byrd, whether they bring him back on a long-term deal or put the franchise tag on him. GM Doug Whaley said the team will “go after” all of its own free agents, and Gaughan observes that the most significant of those free agents beyond Byrd are Scott Chandler and Dan Carpenter. The team could create even more cap space–about $3.1MM– with the expected release of backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. Right tackle Erik Pears is also in danger of being cut, and his release would save about $2.9MM.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com expects the Jets to re-sign tackle Austin Howard before free agency opens on March 11. He also notes that, with all their cap space–which will increase following the expected release of Santonio Holmes–the Jets will also attack the free agent market for quarterbacks and wide receivers. Cimini expects the team to pursue quarterbacks Michael Vick and Josh McCown and wideouts Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, and Hakeem Nicks.
- James Walker of ESPN.com says it is “difficult to believe” that the Dolphins are seeking to trade Dion Jordan, Cameron Wake, and Mike Wallace, particularly since the team is in “win now” mode. We heard several days ago that Miami was shopping those players, rumors that the team quickly denied. Walker thinks the most “tradeable” of that group is Jordan, who had a difficult time finding a good fit on the Dolphins defense last year. However, Walker adds that Miami is not likely to give up on such a special talent after just one season.
Jets, Bucs, Bears Have Interest In McCown
March 2: McCown reiterated to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that he would prefer to remain with Chicago “so long as an agreeable deal materializes.” Such a deal would of course include a raise over the $865K salary he received last season, but McCown is also seeking an opportunity to showcase his experience and leadership. McCown insisted, however, that he could accomplish those goals without being a starter. That could come as welcome news to teams like the Jets and Bucs, who are looking for a capable insurance plan and legitimate camp competition for their young QBs.
February 24: While McCown may be on the Jets’ wish list, the signal-caller will also draw strong interest from the Bears and Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
February 23: The Jets are eyeing free agent QB Josh McCown, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. After his strong performance in relief of the injured Jay Cutler last year, McCown figures to have a number of suitors for his services when free agency opens March 11, and the Jets appear ready to throw their hat into the ring.
Although McCown has expressed his desire to stay in Chicago, and although the Bears have said they would do everything they could to fulfill that desire, teams in need of a backup QB or teams that have a questionable starter at the position could look at McCown as a solid veteran option. The Raiders, who have no clear long-term solution at quarterback, and the 49ers, who may have a need for a backup QB with Colt McCoy an impending free agent, have been named as potential landing spots.
The Jets, meanwhile, have high hopes for second-year QB Geno Smith but hope to have a more settled situation behind him in case he falters. Last year, David Garrard was never viewed as a realistic option when Smith struggled, and Matt Simms–who was the “official” backup–had even less experience than Smith. McCown would give the Jets a viable alternative if Smith consistently underperforms in 2014, and he at least would provide legitimate competition in camp.
QB Rumors: Vick, Cassel, McCown
As Andrew Cohen writes at OverTheCap.com, at least two former starting quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez and Matt Schaub, will likely be cap casualties in the coming days or weeks. Both players are expected to be released, as their respective teams move on to alternative options and take advantage of the cap savings.
While Sanchez and Schaub haven’t reached free agency yet, several other signal-callers appear poised to hit the open market in a couple weeks, assuming they don’t re-up with their current teams before March 11. Here are the latest rumors on a few of the top options on the QB market, mostly courtesy of Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com:
- A strong market is forming for Michael Vick, and while the Jets have been mentioned as a potential suitor, league sources believe the team may refrain from spending in the range that Vick would require, says La Canfora.
- The Raiders are considering multiple free agent quarterbacks, and Oakland may represent the best spot for Vick to start immediately. However, it’s still possible that Vick re-signs with the Eagles.
- The Vikings, 49ers, Buccaneers, and Texans are exploring free agent options as well, according to La Canfora.
- Matt Cassel is viewed as a decent bet to return to Minnesota, but if he doesn’t, the Texans are a likely suitor for him.
- Josh McCown is drawing interest from several teams, including, as we’ve already heard, the Bears and Jets. However, New York’s interest will again be dependent on how much the club is willing to spend on a veteran QB.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com makes a case for why the Jets should re-sign Vick.
Bears Notes: Garza, McCown, Williams, Conte
While he didn’t draw quite the crowd of reporters that Dolphins coach Joe Philbin did before him, Bears head coach Marc Trestman shared a handful of interesting tidbits this morning in his conversation with reporters. Here are some highlights:
- Trestman indicated that the team’s focus this offseason will be on improving its defense, and that it will be a “defensive-orientated draft” for Chicago in May (Twitter link via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago).
- Trestman said that the Bears want to bring back center Roberto Garza, who should finish his career in Chicago, in the head coach’s opinion (Twitter links via Brad Biggs and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). The team will also do everything it can to retain free agent quarterback Josh McCown and would like to re-sign linebacker D.J. Williams, according to Trestman (Twitter links via Adam Johns of the Chicago Sun-Times and Biggs).
- Asked if safety Chris Conte will be a Bear in 2014 after a subpar season in 2013, Trestman said yes, according to Campbell (Twitter link). Conte ranked 82nd among 86 safeties using Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
NFC North Notes: McCown, Tillman, Turner
Without an extension or a new contract from the Bears, Charles Tillman will be the most accomplished of all the free agent cornerbacks this offseason. Despite that, his age might take him out of the running for a large contract, according to Joel Corry of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Corry sees that Tampa Bay would be a logical fit, where Tillman could reunite with Lovie Smith. Here are some other notes from the NFC North:
- Josh McCown has been a prominent name after filling in for Jay Cutler for five games this season, and there was thought to be an opportunity to compete for a starting job next season, but Scott Krinch of CSNChicago.com believes that McCown is sincere in saying he wants to return. “It’s going to have to look really good for me to go someplace else,” McCown stated. “Because my heart is in Chicago and that is where I want to be.”
- Norv Turner will join Mike Zimmer’s staff in Minnesota to be the Vikings offensive coordinator, reports Derek Wetmore of ESPN (via Twitter). Turner was the offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2013.
- The Lions have been looking for a second receiver to supplement Calvin Johnson‘s production for years, but Hall of Fame receiver and ESPN analyst Cris Carter does not believe that should be the team’s top priority, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While Carter states that the team already passes for 5,000 yards as it is, he believes that a healthy Nate Burleson will be enough of an upgrade as to allow the organization to focus on its other shortcomings. Birkett does note that the Lions had the highest drop percentage in the NFL last year, and that general manager Martin Mayhew has taken a receiver in every draft he has been in that position.
Josh McCown Wants To Stay With Bears
This season, the Bears found themselves with an unlikely hero in 34-year-old quarterback Josh McCown. The veteran signal caller won’t be the No.1 guy on the depth chart following their sizable commitment to Jay Cutler, but the door is still very much open to him coming back to Chicago. It now seems that the interest is mutual with McCown telling Waddle and Silvy of ESPN1000 (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago on Twitter) that “his heart is in Chicago” and it would take a special opportunity for him to leave via free agency.
McCown, who was thrust into the starting role after Cutler was lost to injury, ended the 2013 season completing 66.8 of his passes for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns, one interception and a 109.0 passer rating, the third highest behind Peyton Manning and Nick Foles. As Dickerson wrote earlier this month, Bears GM Phil Emery would very much like to have McCown back in Chicago for 2014.
“[I would] love to have Josh back,” Emery said. “I’ve expressed that to him. Josh, through his play, has earned the right to have choices. And he’ll have a lot of them. He does know that he has a home here and we’ll do everything that we can to make it work, if he decides he still wants to play here.”
For his part, McCown was reportedly considering retirement at one point, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com heard from a source close to the veteran earlier this month that he had no intention of calling it quits. Over the course of his career, McCown has spent time with the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Panthers, and Bears, making a total of 38 starts under center. In his five games starting for Chicago this year, McCown filled in admirably with the Bears going 3-2.