HEADLINES

Matt Moore

East Notes: Eagles, Maxwell, Moore, Cowboys

January 28th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Sources close to Byron Maxwell “recently threw out numbers” like $12-13MM when estimating what it might take – in terms of per-year salary – to land the Seahawks cornerback in free agency this offseason, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. I’d be shocked if Maxwell landed a deal that lucrative, but he’ll be one of the top available corners if he reaches the open market. While general manager John Schneider and the Seahawks have expressed a desire to re-sign Maxwell, he should have several suitors in March, including the Eagles — McLane takes a look at Maxwell’s potential fit in Philadelphia.

Here are a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • While an earlier report suggested that the Eagles rebuffed the 49ers‘ attempts to interview wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell for a possible offensive coordinator role in San Francisco, that’s not quite the case, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. Mosher tweets that new Niners head coach Jim Tomsula spoke to Bicknell about a job in San Francisco, but that Bicknell wasn’t interested in leaving the Eagles. That has since by confirmed by multiple reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).
  • Matt Moore hasn’t seen the field much during his tenure as the Dolphins‘ No. 2 quarterback, but he’s still considered one of the better backups in the league, and won’t necessarily come cheap this offseason. As such, James Walker of ESPN.com thinks there’s a good chance Miami targets a more affordable backup QB and lets Moore sign elsewhere.
  • Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News identifies the least favorable contracts on the Cowboys‘ books heading into the 2015 season, with Brandon Carr‘s pricey deal topping his list.

AFC East Links: Jets, Patriots, Moore

December 26th, 2014 at 4:36pm CST by Rob DiRe

For the second time in two years, the Jets are expected to be in the general manager market, so Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com ran down the potential candidates. At the top of the list are some familiar names: Chiefs’ exec Chris Ballard, Falcons’ assistant GM Scott Pioli, and Patriots’ director of player personnel Nick Cesario. Former Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo and Ravens’ assistant GM Eric DeCosta – who would likely turn down an opportunity to interview with the Jets yet again – are also on the list of names.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC East:

  • Brian Costello of the New York Post offers up many of the same names plus a few more in his list of 15 Jets GM candidates. Beyond a GM change, he feels that the team also requires an overhaul of the scouting department. GM John Idzik has had his last two drafts picked apart, but the Jets’ draft woes go back much further than that. Dating back to 2008, the Jets have gotten weak returns on their draft classes.
  • Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com looked at some key contract notes for Patriots players. Quarterback Tom Brady has a big one coming up. Tomorrow at 3pm CT, his base salaries of $7MM, $8MM, and $9MM become guaranteed over the next three years. Sebastian Vollmer, Julian Edelman, and Vince Wilfork also have big incentives on the line this weekend.
  • Dolphins‘ backup quarterback Matt Moore is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and his future with the team is uncertain, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “I’ve enjoyed everything about my time here,” Moore said. “I’m not sure if that’s going to end or if there’s a new chapter. I don’t know yet. When that time comes, I will figure it out then.” Walker writes that Moore is considered to be one of the top backups in the league, and the Dolphins’ salary cap issures and commitment to Ryan Tannehill could force Moore out. “If the situation is right, that will happen,” Moore said of coming back. “If there’s a situation elsewhere that is intriguing, it might also happen. … I’m going to kind of feel my way through it.”
  • The Bills had a successful season despite missing the playoffs, starting 8-7 behind EJ Manuel and Kyle Orton and a porous offensive line. Still, new owner Terry and Kim Pegula could make changes during their first offseason with the team, and although head coach Doug Marrone likely did enough this season to keep his job, general manager Doug Whaley could be fired at the end of the year, writes Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News.

Dolphins’ Internal Strife Continues

September 28th, 2014 at 8:38am CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin was at the source of some mild team controversy earlier this week, when he was asked about the job security of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill but gave an ambivalent response. Philbin later expressed regret that his noncommittal approach to the question created a distraction for the club, which has fallen to 1-2 after a promising opening week win against the Patriots.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, however, a deeper and more troubling internal struggle may be brewing in Miami. La Canfora writes that Dolphins players have expressed concerns with Philbin and his coordinators, and the relationship between Philbin and team executive Dawn Aponte has become frayed. Aponte hired former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum as a team consultant, but since Tannenbaum’s primary job is as an agent representing coaches–like Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who will likely be on the list of top head coaching candidates after the season–it is fair to wonder how much longer Philbin will be roaming the Dolphins’ sidelines.

La Canfora adds that owner Stephen Ross has not, as he promised after the Richie Incognito/Jonathan Martin debacle, taken a more active role in the guidance of his team, but he is said to be covertly trying to lay the foundation to trade for current 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh. Between those rumors and Philbin’s apparent wish to play backup signal-caller Matt Moore–which has displeased the front office, who have committed to Tannehill–the Dolphins may soon be in for a second front office overhaul in as many years.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Bills, Dolphins

August 12th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets look awfully thin at cornerback after three of their top four players at the position went down with injuries, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In Mehta’s view, that lack of cornerback depth could eventually lead to Rex Ryan‘s ouster in New York if it becomes a significant and ongoing problem during the regular season. Mehta doesn’t think John Idzik should be on the hot seat, but says the GM’s inactivity in addressing the position during the offseason shouldn’t be swept under the rug either.

Here’s more on the Jets’ cornerback woes, along with a couple other items from out of the AFC East:

  • Discussing Ryan’s and Idzik’s comments to the media yesterday, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com describes the duo as in “damage control” mode, “covering their butts” after not doing more in the offseason to strengthen the Jets‘ cornerback depth. As Cimini points out, the club failed to re-sign Antonio Cromartie after indicating he’d be welcome back, didn’t pursue Darrelle Revis despite Revis saying he wanted to return to the Jets, and couldn’t lock up Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in spite of having him in for a visit. The Jets also opted for safety Calvin Pryor over cornerback Darqueze Dennard in the first round of the draft, and have now resorted to playing safety Antonio Allen at corner during practice.
  • Led by Jon Bon Jovi, the Toronto group bidding on the Bills has been approved as a finalist in the sale process for the franchise, reports John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. The only surprising thing about that development is how long it took to happen — the group’s initial bid was viewed as uncompetitively low, and the group was also asked to provide greater assurances that it would keep the club in Western New York. The Toronto group, Donald Trump, and any other finalists are still considered underdogs in a process where Sabres owner Terry Pegula appears to be the frontrunner.
  • Despite the fact that the Dolphins have shown interest in other quarterbacks – and signed Brady Quinn yesterday – Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) expects the team to retain Matt Moore as its backup this season. Moore, who has a $4MM base salary and a $5.5MM cap hit, is one of the league’s most highly-paid backups, but he’s also one of the more reliable No. 2 options out there.

Dolphins Rumors: Grimes, Patterson, Tannehill

February 7th, 2014 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

Rookie general manager Dennis Hickey will have his work cut out for him in Miami, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who takes a detailed look at the offseason decisions facing the Dolphins. La Canfora’s piece is filled with notable tidbits, so let’s dive and round up some of the highlights….

  • Several team and league sources tell La Canfora that bringing back cornerback Brent Grimes is a top priority for the Dolphins. Grimes will be eligible for free agency next month, and could earn the franchise tag if he and the team can’t work out a long-term deal.
  • It’s “virtually certain” that Dimitri Patterson won’t be back at his current salary ($5.4MM), though he could return to the Dolphins at a lesser figure.
  • Defensive tackles Randy Starks and Paul Soliai are both free-agents-to-be, and the Dolphins will likely only keep one of the two, sources tell La Canfora.
  • Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey “might not be inclined” to play for his current 2014 salary of $1.7MM, and figures to seek an extension that will put him among the highest-paid players at his position, says La Canfora.
  • Said one person who interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM job: “It’s a total rebuild on the offensive line. They seemed to understand that there. Total rebuild. I’m not sure exactly how much of their budget they were planning to put into the line, but it had better be substantial.”
  • Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin “definitely wants to push [Ryan] Tannehill more,” according to one source, who adds that the club could turn to highly-paid backup Matt Moore if Tannehill doesn’t show noticeable improvement.
  • According to La Canfora, Hickey’s contract with the Dolphins is for two years, with a team option for year three, as I speculated earlier in the week.
  • If 2014 doesn’t go well for the Dolphins, there’s a possibility that the team could jettison Philbin and renew its pursuit of an A-list coach, such as Jim Harbaugh, Bill Cowher, or Jon Gruden, writes La Canfora.