West Notes: Okung, Wilson, Broncos
Las Vegas has the Chargers as a longshot to win the Super Bowl and one popular gambling site has the Bolts at 50-1. Nick Canepa of The San Diego Union-Tribune says he isn’t a gambling man, but if he were, that’s a wager he would take. Canepa doesn’t expect the possibility of a relocation to affect the locker room and he also notes that the Chargers have won without the services of Antonio Gates, who will be suspended for the first month of the season. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC West..
- Seahawks fans are intensely focused on Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, but the future of tackle Russell Okung is also uncertain at this time, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes in his latest mailbag. Okung, a first-round choice in 2010, is entering the final season of his original six-year, $48.5MM pact. So far, there has been no indication that the Seahawks are working on a new deal, meaning that it will probably wait until after the 2015 season. Okung, 28 in October, has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career, missing 21 games in total. Last year, Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) was less than enamored with Okung’s play, giving him a slightly below average grade of -1.5.
- Earlier today, Wilson conducted a Q&A at The Rock Church in California (YouTube link) and fielded a wide range of questions, including one pertaining to the possibility of playing baseball. When asked which sport he prefers, the Seahawks quarterback simply replied, “Both.” When asked if he will ever play both, Wilson responded: “I have no idea..I believe if anybody could do it, I could. And I believe God’s put me…gave me the ability to do it. I’ve done it my whole life.”
- Six Broncos players who have started games for the team are poised for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com notes. That list includes Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller, who was John Elway’s first selection on the job when he was taken No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft. 2013 was a struggle for Miller, beginning with a six-game suspension for attempting to cheat a drug test and ending with a torn ACL that ended his year early. However, advanced metrics suggested that Miller was far and away the best 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, even in that down year. In 2014, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Miller as the No. 2 4-3 OLB in the league, right behind Oakland standout Khalil Mack. Back in November, PFR’s Luke Adams evaluated Miller as an extension candidate.
Russell Wilson Notes: Thursday
Even during these few weeks of relative inaction in the NFL calendar, the Russell Wilson contract situation continues to dominate headlines. Here are Thursday’s updates and links on a possible extension for the Seahawks quarterback:
- Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, typically negotiates baseball contracts, and as he tells Jon Santucci of TCPalm.com, there aren’t as many stats and metrics to measure a player’s true value in the NFL. “It’s so different in football,” Rodgers said. “In baseball, you can dive into analytics. In baseball, there are so many numbers that really define the player to the minutest detail. In football, it’s a little simpler. I don’t have to argue statistics with the Seattle Seahawks on the value of Russell Wilson. In football, the most important stat to me has always been ‘Does he win?’ It’s hard to argue that Russell Wilson doesn’t win.”
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, no one can argue that Wilson has been a winner so far in his NFL career, but it’s unclear whether he’ll continue to pile up victories if and when he accounts for a much larger chunk of the Seahawks’ salary cap. In that scenario, the team will have less cap room to use on the other players who have contributed to making Seattle a winning franchise in recent years, according to Florio, who suggests that Wilson will probably have to leave the Seahawks if he wants to truly maximize his earning potential.
- After informally polling NFL contract negotiators and agents this week, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes that Wilson could probably earn annual salaries of around $30MM if there was no salary cap in the NFL.
West Notes: Wilson, 49ers, Raiders, Thomas
As the NFL world awaits the outcome of the Seahawks/Russell Wilson extension negotiations, the quarterback sat down with ESPN.com’s Marty Smith to discuss the offseason.
Among the topics of discussion, of course, was Wilson’s contract situation. As he previously stated, the former Super Bowl champion isn’t concerned about money:
“Ultimately, it comes down to the play. Let my play speak for itself and let the rest take care of itself. Continue to love the game for what it is and continue to fight no matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25 million or $1.5 million. I’ll be ready to go.”
Wilson also seemed to squash any doubt about his relationship with the Seahawks, saying the two sides don’t have “a bad relationship by any means.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s western divisions…
- ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner compares the 49ers signing of head coach Jim Tomsula to the Rams 2006 signing of Scott Linehan. The Rams had opted for a completely different personality following the firing of Mike Martz, and Wagoner believes the 49ers are doing the same thing following the firing of Jim Harbaugh. Linehan ended up coaching two-plus seasons in St.Louis, compiling an 11-25 record.
- Hope for a Raiders stadium in Oakland is “dim,” according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the writer says the proposal for a stadium in Carson “continues to have steam.”
- In an interview on Broncos.com, 9 News’ Mike Klis says Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas will play for the team in week one, but how he gets there remains a mystery. Klis believes that a contract will be finalized prior to the July 15th deadline, but he also notes that the franchise tag isn’t necessarily a bad deal for Thomas.
Russell Wilson Rumors: Tuesday
In an interview with ESPN on Monday night, Russell Wilson handled questions about his contract situation with his usual tact, declining to reveal any details about the negotiations. The Seahawks quarterback said his relationship is “great and “not bad by any means,” adding that he’ll “trust the process” in getting a deal done (link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Still, Wilson did make one comment that raised some eyebrows. Here’s more on that, along with the rest of today’s Wilson notes and rumors:
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Wilson did mention a specific figure when asked about his value, albeit in a roundabout way. “No matter how much I’m getting paid, whether it’s $25MM or $1.5MM,” Wilson said. “I’ll be ready to go.” As Florio points out, the latter figure is the QB’s salary for 2015 — could the first figure be the salary he’s seeking on his new deal?
- Of course, it’s entirely possible that Wilson just said the first large, round number that came into his head. But it’s worth noting that last year around this time, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com indicated that people around the league thought Wilson and Andrew Luck could eventually sign contracts worth $24-25MM annually.
- For his part, agent Mark Rodgers joked about Wilson’s mention of $25MM by tweeting, “I wish he had said $40 million. Then this would really be interesting. #patience #relax #nodeadline.”
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes an interesting, in-depth look at what sort of guaranteed money Wilson might be looking at on his next contract.
NFC West Notes: Wilson, Foles, Bennett
During a return to the Wisconsin campus over the weekend, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was asked about his contract situation, but was fairly noncommittal on the subject, simply reiterating his desire to remain in Seatle for years to come, as Dennis Punzel of Madison.com details.
“It’s not where my focus is,” Wilson said of his contract. “The contract will work itself out. I’m excited about it and excited to hopefully be a Seattle Seahawk for a really, really long time. So, that’s the goal.”
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates of ESPN.com lays out the pros and cons for the Rams as they consider signing new quarterback Nick Foles to an extension. While Foles’ stock isn’t at its highest point, coming off an up-and-down, injury-shortened season, Yates suggests it still may be prudent for the team to wait on a new deal.
- Former agent Joel Corry weighs in on the Michael Bennett situation, tweeting that a holdout would likely be “an expensive waste of time” for the Seahawks defensive end. As Corry observes, Seattle is unlikely to budge just one year into Bennett’s four-year contract. Our Dallas Robinson wrote last night about Bennett’s confusing stance.
- Stepping in for Peter King at TheMMQB.com, Seahawks long snapper Nate Boyer tells the story of how he ended up in the NFL, trying to make the Seattle roster as a 34-year-old rookie.
- While some teams may shy away from drafting small-school players due to their lesser college competition, Cardinals GM Steve Keim tells Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com that he likes adding those players, since they’re often motivated by feeling like they have something to prove.
Funding Rule Holding Up Russell Wilson Deal?
We’ve heard plenty this week on the status of a long-term extension between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson, but today introduced another element into this process.
Multiple sources informed Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio of Wilson seeking a larger-than-usual portion of his next contract to be fully guaranteed, and the NFL’s funding rule could be impeding these proceedings. For teams to provide guarantees to players for skill, cap and injury purposes, all of that guarantee is not due upon signing, but must be placed into an escrow account immediately. The issue, according to Florio, is Seahawks owner Paul Allen being reluctant to agree to this stipulation.
Designed to protect players from owners who don’t have the cash to make the future payments, the funding rule wouldn’t seem to play a key component in Wilson’s pursuit of a lofty second deal. Allen is the league’s richest owner by a massive margin, checking in at No. 51 on Forbes’ world billionaires list with a net worth of $17.5 billion. He is the only NFL owner in the top 200; Dolphins boss Stephen Ross‘ $6.5 billion warchest sits at 216th, which is in the neighborhood of several of his contemporaries.
Florio adds that it’s unclear why Allen is reluctant in this case due to his fortune, but that one reason could be a collusion attempt on the owners’ part to avoid widespread fully guaranteed contracts across the league like the ones doled out in the NBA and Major League Baseball. It’s one of the NFL’s shortcomings fully guaranteed deals don’t exist like they do in the aforementioned, and far safer, disciplines, creating a sharper wedge between labor and management.
Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes the stakes in Wilson’s deal are rising and now are beginning to represent more than what is best for merely the Seahawks or Wilson. It could be a seminal negotiation that shapes how the players formulate their plan for when the next CBA talks emerge at the dawn of the 2020s. Mark Rodgers, Wilson’s agent, has primarily baseball ties after once negotiated former Rockies pitcher Mike Hampton’s then-record deal worth eight years and $121MM in 2000, and Condotta views this background as to why Wilson’s camp is taking this stance on guaranteed money.
As of now, Wilson will play this season as the league’s 44th-highest-paid signal-caller at a $1.67MM cap number, behind the likes of Johnny Manziel, Drew Stanton and Shaun Hill. This will almost certainly be the last year Wilson’s in this minuscule NFL tax bracket, and the fourth-year quarterback’s chances of staying in Seattle remain high. But this saga continues to unearth nuances that suggest the Seahawks view Wilson’s accomplishments perhaps much differently than his camp does.
Russell Wilson Rumors: Friday
On Thursday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reported that Russell Wilson is aiming to become the NFL’s highest-paid player, seeking a new contract that surpasses the five-year, $110MM extension signed by Aaron Rodgers in 2013. According to Cole, agent Mark Rodgers didn’t dispute that idea when asked about it; as I noted in Thursday’s Community Tailgate post, such a demand isn’t outlandish, given the rate at which the salary cap is rising.
Cole and a couple other NFL scribes have weighed in again on the Wilson situation today, so let’s round up the latest….
- Wilson’s demands aren’t so much about his worth as they are about his leverage and how difficult it would be to replace him, tweets Cole. While the quarterback has some leverage, I’d argue that the team still has plenty as well, since Seattle could keep Wilson under team control through the 2017 season by using the franchise tag twice.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, one of the first reporters to suggest that Wilson might play out the 2015 season without a new contract in place, says that possibility has become “more generally recognized as a likelihood, if not an inevitability.” Per La Canfora, Wilson will likely remain steadfast in his desire for a significant chunk of guaranteed money, while the Seahawks will continue to offer a deal with a more team-friendly structure.
- There’s no hard deadline for Wilson’s extension talks, but if the two sides don’t reach an accord by the time training camp begins, there’s a good chance the Pro Bowl QB will decide to shelve the issue until after the season, writes La Canfora.
- La Canfora speculates that if the Seahawks use a franchise tag on Wilson in 2016, it will be the exclusive tag, which wouldn’t allow him to negotiate with other teams. However, if Wilson and his agent get the opportunity to talk to other suitors, there could be about 10 teams with real interest, says La Canfora. The entire CBSSports.com piece is worth checking out, as La Canfora takes a comprehensive look at the situation.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also engages in some speculation after speaking to several sources, tweeting that he believes Wilson will be playing for a new team in 2016. In a follow-up tweet, Florio explains that he thinks the Seahawks will use the non-exclusive franchise tag on Wilson and another team will sign the QB to an offer sheet Seattle won’t match. If that were to happen, Wilson’s new club would have to give up two first-round picks to land him.
Community Tailgate: Russell Wilson’s Contract
We’re still a few months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This week, we’ve launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’re taking a look at what has been one of the biggest ongoing stories of the offseason: Russell Wilson‘s future in Seattle. Wilson and the Seahawks have discussed a contract extension as the Pro Bowler enters the final year of his rookie deal, but no agreement is imminent, and there’s a growing sense that Wilson is willing to play out the 2015 season without a new contract in place.
Earlier today, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) indicated that agent Mark Rodgers is looking to make his client the NFL’s highest-paid player, attempting to surpass the five-year, $110MM deal signed by Aaron Rogers in 2013. According to Cole, Wilson’s agent believes that quarterback contracts will “explode” in the near future, with Andrew Luck, Eli Manning, and Rodgers (again) exceeding $22MM per year on their next contracts as well.
It would be a challenge to make a case that Wilson is a better NFL quarterback than Rodgers, but he doesn’t necessarily have to be better to land a contract that exceeds Rodgers’ deal with Green Bay. After all, the salary cap has risen by nearly $20MM since Rodgers signed his extension, and it’s poised to continue growing next year. When Rodgers landed a $22MM annual salary, that amount represented nearly 18% of the 2013 cap. That same percentage of 2015’s salary cap would work out to a per-year salary of about $25.63MM.
Of course, just because Wilson and his agent believe his value exceeds $22MM annually, that doesn’t mean the Seahawks agree, or that the team has to meet those salary demands. Seattle could hold off on an extension, with the option of using the franchise tag in each of the next two years to keep Wilson off the free agent market.
We want to hear your thoughts on these contract negotiations. Should the Seahawks make Wilson the NFL’s highest-paid player? Or should the team balk at his reported asking price, going year-to-year and perhaps eventually letting him walk instead? Jump into the comment section below to voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
NFC Notes: Wilson, Cowboys, Galette
In an interview with North Carolina’s 99.9 The Fan (audio link), quarterback Russell Wilson may have given an indication that he’s comfortable with moving on to a new team if necessary.
“At the end of the day I trust the process,” Wilson said. “I know God’s going to take me and put me where he wants to have me. I hope that’s Seattle. I love it there, it’s a great place. But I’ve also gone through the ups and downs and been moved around before. I loved N.C. State and loved playing there and then having to go somewhere else [Wisconsin] and start new.”
Later on, Wilson said that he hopes that things will work out with the Seahawks. As the two sides continue to wrestle with what appears to be a sizable gap, however, that’s far from a certainty. Here’s more from the NFC..
- The Cowboys‘ stable of running backs has the unenviable job of trying to replace the production of DeMarco Murray this season. Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News has run down all of the candidates to step up and replace last year’s rushing leader in a five part series, ending today with a glance at Joseph randle. Randle was arrested twice in a four-month period, dating back to last October. Despite his questionable judgement off the field, he’s arguably Dallas’ best option on the field now that Murray is suiting up for a divisional rival.
- The Saints have a tough decision to make. On one hand, they’re probably eager to rid themselves of Junior Galette in the wake of the most recent allegations against him. On the other hand, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes, they’d face a big cap hit if they cut him. If the Saints drop Galette, they’d keep his cap number at $5.45MM for 2015 while dealing with $12.1MM in dead money against next year’s cap.
- Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams believes that the Rams D has a chance to be special thanks in part to some new faces, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
Klemko On Heyward, Brady, Mathis, Wilson
With Peter King taking his summer vacation, Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com stepped in this week to publish the latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, and his piece includes a number of interesting tidbits, including an explanation for why teams ought to attempt two-point conversions more often now that the extra-point kick has been moved back. Here are a handful of other notable items from Klemko’s piece:
- Cameron Heyward is entering the final year of his contract, and is negotiating an extension with the Steelers, though he says he’d rather not think about his contract situation. The defensive lineman tells Klemko that he thinks he can play better than he did in 2014, when he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best 3-4 defensive end. “I hope last year wasn’t a breakout season because I think I can achieve way more,” Heyward said. “I still have a mentality where I think of myself as a bust. I’ve got to prove everybody wrong including myself. I want to get better, and I want to shut people up.”
- Tom Brady‘s camp will call many of the witnesses central to the AEI report – which criticized the Ted Wells report – to testify during the Patriots‘ signal-caller’s appeal, a source tells Klemko. As Klemko points out, Brady and the NFLPA could file a lawsuit in federal court after the appeal process is complete, challenging Roger Goodell for violating due process by declining to recuse himself as arbitrator. However, Klemko thinks that Brady’s four-game ban will be reduced to a one-game suspension, and the QB will forgo legal action to put the issue to rest.
- Klemko hears that 10 teams are interested in Evan Mathis, which echoes what agent Drew Rosenhaus said last week. The MMQB.com scribe views the Dolphins as the favorite for the Pro Bowl guard, who may have drawn interest from even more teams if he had reached the open market sooner.
- Based on the numbers Klemko is hearing out of the Russell Wilson extension talks, he believes the team and the player are divided on the QB’s value. Klemko predicts that the Seahawks will ultimately franchise Wilson after the 2015 season, then perhaps let him walk a year later.
- Klemko disagrees with Titans GM Ruston Webster, who said last week that he wouldn’t be concerned if Marcus Mariota misses the first few days of training camp while the two sides finalize his rookie contract. As Klemko writes, that may be fine for a defensive tackle or safety, but a rookie quarterback – who is expected to start – needs all the training camp reps he can get. I’m inclined to agree that Webster’s comments are “a bad attempt to gain leverage” — there’s really no reason the Titans shouldn’t be able to agree to terms within the next few weeks.