Luke Kuechly - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Crowder, Panthers, Seahawks

June 4th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie wide receiver Jamison Crowder, selected by Washington in the fourth round of this year’s draft, was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. As Marvez details, a since-deleted Instagram post appears to accuse Crowder of domestic violence (Twitter link).

“The Washington Redskins are aware of an off-field situation involving Jamison Crowder,” the team said in a statement to FOX. “We have been in touch with the NFL office and will continue to follow proper League protocol and assist them in any way we can to gather all of the facts. We will not be making any further comment at this time.”

As we wait to see what comes of the investigation into Crowder, here are a few other Thursday items from across the NFC:

“The biggest thing it does for us is it gives us a fixed cost,” Panthers GM Dave Gettleman said of Cam Newton‘s new extension, per Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “And we’ve been very intentional and thoughtful about how we’re spending our money, and we’ll continue to do that. We’ve been planning for this.” As Person notes, the team has also been planning for a new contract for linebacker Luke Kuechly, which should happen eventually, and the Panthers want to extend linebacker Thomas Davis as well.
Addressing Jermaine Gresham‘s visit to New Orleans, Saints head coach Sean Payton said the tight end’s meeting went well, and that he thinks Gresham could be a good fit (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).
The Seahawks announced a handful of promotions in their front office today, including elevating Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner to co-directors of player personnel. Both Fitterer and Kirchner drew interest from other teams this past winter, as Fitterer interviewed with the Eagles and Kirchner met with the Jets.
Speaking of those Seahawks, Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News takes a closer look at the salary cap situation in Seattle, where the team must make decisions on a number of players eligible for contract extensions and one notable contributor (Michael Bennett) who wants to rework his deal.
The Lions have moved Xavier Proctor from the defensive line to the other side of the ball, and will try him as an offensive tackle, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).

Panthers Pick Up Luke Kuechly’s Option

April 25th, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Luke Kuechly was one of the surefire candidates to have his fifth-year option picked up. That was confirmed today, as the Panthers announced that they have picked up the one-year, $11.1MM contract. Teams have until May 3rd to exercise the fifth-year options on 2012 first-rounders.

The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the best defenders in the game since entering the league in 2012. The Boston College product has started all 48 games during his three-year career, averaging season totals of 98 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and nine passes defended. The former ninth-overall pick has received his fair share of accolades, winning the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year and the 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s also been named to a pair of Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams.

Kuechly continued his dominance in 2014, setting career-highs in sacks (three) and passes defended (12). Pro Football Focus advanced metrics (subscription required) were fond of his performance, ranking him as the best inside linebacker in the NFL. Those same numbers reflected his importance to the Panthers, as his score nearly doubled that of the team’s second-highest rated defender (linebacker Thomas Davis).

Last month, general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed that the Panthers would be picking up the linebacker’s option, saying he’d “have to be brain-dead not to.”

Latest On Fifth-Year Option Decisions

March 24th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Before May 3, NFL teams will have to make decisions on 2012’s first-round draftees. Assuming those players are still on their rookie contracts and haven’t been waived since being drafted, they have fifth-year options on their deals for the 2016 season.

The salaries for those team options are determined by position, with the top 10 draftees being paid amounts equal to 2015’s transition tag figures. So quarterbacks like Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill will be in line for ’16 salaries of $16.155MM if and when their options are picked up.

Although the deadline to exercise those options is still weeks away, several decision-makers have weighed in at this week’s league meetings in Arizona, discussing what they intend to do. Here’s the latest:

Unsurprisingly, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed that he’ll exercise the $11.058MM option for 2016 on linebacker Luke Kuechly, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “I’d have to be brain-dead not to,” Gettleman said.
The Bills will be picking up their fifth-year option on cornerback Stephon Gilmore, general manager Doug Whaley tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Since Gilmore was the 10th overall pick in 2012, his option for the 2016 season will be worth $11.082MM.
Like Luck and Tannehill, Robert Griffin III‘s option for 2016 would be worth $16.155MM. Washington GM Scot McCloughan said today that the team hasn’t yet made a decision on that option, according to Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). The option salaries are only guaranteed for injury, so Washington could theoretically pick up RGIII’s option, then cut him before the 2016 league year if he doesn’t play well this season.
The Lions remain undecided on whether or not they’ll pick up Riley Reiff‘s fifth-year option for 2016, GM Martin Mayhew told reporters on Monday, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Reiff has been very good at left tackle for Detroit over the last couple seasons, so it seems extremely unlikely that the team would turn down his option. Still, the Lions unexpectedly declined to pick up Nick Fairley‘s fifth-year option a year ago, so it’s not a lock yet.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Packers

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

Nick Wagoner says the Rams would like to re-sign tight end Lance Kendricks, but the writer wonders if the rumored $4MM annual salary the player is seeking is too pricey.
The Panthers need a speedy wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin, and David Newton suggests free agents Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree, although he warns that the former 49ers receiver may not be a “Dave Gettleman guy.”
With Cam Newton‘s contract situation being a priority in Carolina, Newton says the Panthers likely won’t make any progress on an extension for Luke Kuechly until next season.
The Lions releasing Reggie Bush is not an indication that they’ll draft a running back early, says Michael Rothstein. The team still has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick, so there doesn’t need to be any panic from the organization to replace the former second-overall pick. With the said, Rothstein still believes the team will select a running back, albeit much later in the draft.
Dan Graziano believes Bush would be the type of running back the Giants would be looking to acquire. However, the writer says that the team wasn’t among the organizations that displayed initial interest in the veteran.
Rob Demovsky says the Packers could keep both Tramon Williams and Davon House, but he notes that it’s unlikely for both players to remain on the roster. After all, the team is looking to expand Casey Hayward‘s role, meaning one of the two defensive backs would be on the outside looking in.
John Keim opines that Washington needs to improve their tight end depth. The writer says the team can’t rely on Jordan Reed, and he adds that Logan Paulsen is most productive as a blocker. Keim points to former Eagles tight end James Casey, noting that Washington has already shown interest in the 30-year-old.

NFC Notes: Bears, Bucs, Lions, Kuechly

October 19th, 2014 at 5:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’re witnessing a good afternoon game in the NFC, as the Giants and Cowboys are tied 14-14 early in the third quarter. Let’s take a look at some notes from around the NFC:

Unhappy with his team’s effort today against the Dolphins, Brandon Marshall called out several of his Bears teammates in the locker room following the contest, a source tells Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Quarterback Jay Cutler and kicker Robbie Gould were reportedly the targets of Marshall’s criticism. “We lost, there should be a lot of frustration,” Marshall told reporters. “You should hear frustration. We’re 3-4. Yeah, this means everything to a lot of guys in this locker room. This means a lot.”
The Buccaneers were among the most active teams during free agency, but as of yet, the team hasn’t gotten much production from its investments, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa brought in Michael Johnson, Josh McCown, and Anthony Collins, among others, and the poor performance of those acquisitions have contributed to the team’s 1-5 record.
Second-year linebacker Jonathan Bostic might be auditioning to take over the weak side for the Bears in 2015, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Bostic has mostly played in the middle and on the strong side, but with Lance Briggs‘ contract expiring after this season, Bostic might be a better fit at the “Will” spot. For his part, Briggs is still out of action with a rib injury.
Sunday’s win over Saints was a personal victory for Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, opines Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News (Twitter link). Mayhew’s top two free agent acquisitions over the past two offseasons, Glover Quin and Golden Tate, each had a big impact against New Orleans. Quin registered five tackles and an interception, while Tate caught 10 balls for 154 yards and one touchdown.
Luke Kuechly was ejected from the Panthers‘ game against the Packers for making contact with an official, and although he’s likely to be fined, he won’t be suspended, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Sunday Roundup: Smith, Broyles, Johnson

July 6th, 2014 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith entered the league out of the University of Maryland with high upside and explosive play-making ability, but he was still very raw. He struggled with drops in training camp prior to his rookie season in 2011, but he was given a chance to start against the Rams in Week 3 of that year when Lee Evans went down with an injury. In the first quarter in St. Louis, Smith recorded the first three receptions of his pro career; they all went for touchdowns.

Since then, even if Smith has not been the team’s No. 1 wideout by name, he has been the receiving threat that has garnered the most attention from opposing defenses. He has quietly become one of the premier deep threats in the game, but, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, he enters his contract season with very little fanfare. The Ravens would like to extend his contract, but no progress has been made on that front as of yet. Although new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak does not run a pure West Coast offense–which means that Joe Flacco will still have a chance to take a few deep shots per game to burners like Smith and Jacoby Jones–Smith must become a more reliable short and intermediate route runner in order to thrive and earn a contract on par with some of the better receivers in the league. As Florio notes, Smith has every reason to emerge as one of the better wideouts in the game in 2014, and, given his work ethic and the strides he has made thus far, it would be foolish to bet against him.

Now for some more notes from around the league:

Speaking of Smith and the Ravens‘ receiving corps, Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com writes that, although the top four receivers are set–Torrey Smith, Steve Smith Sr., Marlon Brown, and Jones–the battle among the remaining wideouts will be an intense one. Seventh-round pick Michael Campanaro could emerge as a reliable slot receiver, the team has been impressed with undrafted find Jeremy Butler, and veterans like Deonte Thompson and LaQuan Williams will also have a shot.
Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer writes that, despite losing Smith Sr. and Jordan Gross, the Panthers‘ leadership void can be adequately filled by franchise cornerstones like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, who have slowly developed into locker room leaders.
Free agent offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie is not only looking for a job, but he probably needs one, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. Despite having made tens of millions of dollars in the league, McKinnie has not managed his money wisely and recently had his car repossessed.
Ryan Broyles, who is attempting to secure a spot as the Lions‘ primary slot receiver, has made good progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, writes Carlos Monarrez of The Detroit Free Press.
Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News takes a crack at the Lions‘ starting lineups for 2014, and he also notes that the competitions at right tackle, strongside linebacker, and kicker will be ones to watch.
In a column for CBSSports.com, and in the wake of an arbitrator’s ruling in Jimmy Graham‘s grievance case, recently-retired tight end Tony Gonzalez argues that players should be paid based on their production rather than their position.
The NFL announced the suspensions of Dion Jordan and Rokevious Watkins on Friday, which has left some to wonder why there has not been an official announcement regarding Eagles‘ right tackle Lane Johnson‘s suspension. Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com explains the league’s process when a player tests positive for a banned substance and posits that Johnson is still going through that process.

Panthers Could Let Hardy Walk

February 8th, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Matt Feminis

In a year’s time, Panthers second-year GM Dave Gettleman has taken the team from $16MM over the salary cap to approximately $16MM under the cap. Ostensibly, that’s enough to bring free agent defensive end Greg Hardy back into the fold, be it on a long-term deal or one-year franchise tender, but it’s not that simple, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person.

Hardy’s bookend, veteran sack artist Charles Johnson, carries a team-high $16.24MM cap hit in 2014. So while retaining a budding pass rusher seems like an obvious move, sacrificing Hardy to maintain financial flexibility is a realistic scenario. Person also floats the idea of a “tag-and-trade” scenario, which would garner better compensation than the Panthers would receive if they just let Hardy sign elsewhere.

Also factoring in the decision is the uncertainty of left tackle Jordan Gross‘ future, looming big-money extensions for young stars Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly and other current free-agent priorities, including cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and receiver/returner Ted Ginn Jr. Person points out that Gettleman got creative last year by cutting veterans and restructuring others. If he goes that route again, safety Charles Godfrey, recovering from an Achilles injury, could be on the chopping block. Releasing Godfrey before June 1 would recoup $2.1MM in cap space, or $5.1MM post June 1.