NFC Notes: RGIII, Wilson, Hardy
Washington head coach Jay Gruden says he expects quarterback Robert Griffin III to make “significant strides” in 2015, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes. Gruden named Griffin the No. 1 quarterback entering the offseason back in February and earlier this month, he had his fifth-year option exercised for 2016. Tonight’s glance at the NFC..
- When asked how likely it is to get a deal done with Russell Wilson before camp, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said: “I don’t know that. Not talking about that right now,” Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. However, the coach did say that the two sides have been “very close” in how they have communicated (link).
- The NFLPA hired an outside firm to help represent Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy in his appeal on Wednesday, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
- David Moore of The Dallas Morning News doesn’t see Adrian Peterson winding up with the Cowboys. Moore always felt that Peterson coming to Dallas was possible, but that was tied into the draft. Now that the draft is in the rear view mirror, he doesn’t see it happening.
West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker
Last week, Rams fans in St. Louis received a bit of good news when league commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the efforts to keep the Rams in the Gateway City by building a new stadium on the riverfront had made “tremendous progress.” Although financing plans still need to be worked out, a number of football scribes, like Ben Volin of The Boston Globe and Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wonder how Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the league itself could justify moving the Rams to Los Angeles if St. Louis comes through with funding for a new stadium before the team’s current lease with the Edward Jones Dome expires.
That question becomes particularly relevant if the Carson plan, in which the Raiders and Chargers would share a stadium in LA, continues to gain momentum. As Miklasz points out, the Carson proposal would allow the league to solve its “California problem” inside California without having to move a franchise from another region. Furthermore, the Chargers and Raiders have been waiting for a new stadium for years, while the Edward Jones Dome is comparatively new.
But Miklasz is keeping his optimism in check, because the NFL has refused to confirm that a new stadium will assure St. Louis of a place in the league. The city has gone to great lengths to keep the Rams in St Louis, as they have committed to constructing a new, $985MM stadium while still paying off the cost of building the Edward Jones Dome, and the league has repeatedly stated that it strongly prefers to keep each team in its current market. And yet, without the NFL’s public commitment that the riverfront project, if successful, would keep the Rams in place, Miklasz writes that the whole ordeal becomes a question of honor. And honor is one department in which the league sometimes falls short.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s West divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that there will not be three teams in Southern California until the Chargers‘ stadium situation is resolved in some way. As Breer notes (via Twitter), it is possible that, if the Chargers reach a deal to stay in San Diego, the Raiders and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium, which is designed to house two teams.
- On a less serious note, Chargers superfan Dan Juaregui, otherwise known as the costumed “Boltman,” has contacted an attorney about the possibility of filing an antitrust suit against the NFL on behalf of Chargers fans if the Chargers should relocate to Los Angeles. While the attorney himself noted that such a suit would be feasible, Kristina Davis of The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, says the city gave up its right to sue the league over relocation in its stadium lease.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times summarizes former agent Joel Corry’s analysis of Russell Wilson‘s contract negotiations with the Seahawks. Our Luke Adams wrote a piece on Corry’s original article several days ago.
- Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times describes the difficulty opposing defenses will have to face when confronted with the Seahawks‘ triple threat of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and one of the biggest prizes of the offseason, Jimmy Graham.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post looks at the value and versatility that newly-acquired defensive tackle Vance Walker, who was used sparingly with division rival Kansas City, brings to the Broncos.
Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle
After taking a closer look at the wide receiver market earlier this week, former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com focuses today on seven key contract situations involving players eligible for extensions. Corry’s piece includes several items of interest, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights….
- Corry hears from league sources that the Seahawks have offered Russell Wilson a deal worth approximately $80MM over four years, which aligns with other recent reports. As Corry writes, Wilson could make a case that he should be the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, though contract structure could be a bigger issue on his next deal than total compensation.
- Although he has relented on his demand for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, agent Ben Dogra is now attempting to get the team to rework his client’s contract. Corry suggests that Dogra is probably looking for Minnesota to guarantee Peterson’s 2015 and 2016 base salaries, but the team doesn’t appear to be interested in adjusting the running back’s deal.
- The Chiefs will likely be “adamant” about keeping Justin Houston‘s per-year salary under the $17MM that Alex Smith is getting from the team, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if agent Joel Segal raises his demands for the linebacker’s next contract after Ndamukong Suh signed for $19MM+ annually, writes Corry.
- There has been “sporadic dialogue” between the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s camp on a contract extension. Corry observes that the Jets would probably be fine with something in the range of Calais Campbell‘s five-year, $55MM pact, while Wilkerson probably has his sights set on contracts like J.J. Watt‘s, Robert Quinn‘s, and Gerald McCoy‘s — all those deals are worth at least $13.6MM per year. If the Jets opt to explore the trade market for Wilkerson, the Browns are a potential suitor.
- Eric Weddle has been absent from the Chargers‘ voluntary workouts because he feels “highly disrespected” by the lack of contract discussions with the team, says Corry. While former GM A.J. Smith would’ve played hardball with the safety, it’s not clear yet which path Tom Telesco will take, writes Corry.
- Contract disputes with restricted free agents are rare, but Tashaun Gipson and the Browns could be headed toward one. Corry suggests keeping an eye on June 15, the day on which Cleveland could lower its restricted tender offer for Gipson from $2.356MM to $660K. If the Browns take a hard-line approach with the safety, he could decide to sit out training camp and even the regular season, says Corry.
Wilson Sees Cutler’s Deal As Starting Point
Russell Wilson is eyeing a contract with significant guarantees and views Jay Cutler‘s pact as a starting point, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Seahawks quarterback wants to avoid taking on a higher-risk deal like the ones signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton.
Wilson’s former agent, Bus Cook, is the agent for Cutler. Even though Wilson and Cook parted ways – he is now with his former baseball agent Mark Rodgers – Cook convinced the Seahawks quarterback to push for a deal similar to Cutler’s. The Bears quarterback is in the midst of a seven-year, $126.7MM deal with $54MM guaranteed. The deal comes with a healthy $18.1MM average salary and, of course, gives him a great deal of security in the event of a performance drop-off or injury. Ideally, Wilson would like to top that dollar amount while keeping a similar structure.
Cole adds that Rodgers is under extra pressure when it comes to this deal thanks to the NFLPA. The union was so upset by the year-to-year guarantees of Kaepernick’s deal that they considered de-certifying his agent. As Rodgers looks to break into the football world, this will be a pivotal deal for him, his reputation, and his standing with the NFLPA.
Latest On Seahawks, Russell Wilson
Reports that the Seahawks and Russell Wilson are extremely far apart on terms are inaccurate, according to “a league source who knows exactly what’s going on” with the quarterback’s contract talks, Greg Bell of The News Tribune writes. In fact, the source went so far as to say that the report from Friday afternoon is almost entirely fictitious. Of course, when it comes to sensitive matters and reports backed up by anonymous sources, it’s sometimes hard to parcel out the truth and the smoke screens.
The source explained to Bell that the talks, which began in earnest following the Super Bowl, are a work in progress. Because it’s a process that will take time, the source says that talk of an insurmountable gulf is not accurate. Head coach Pete Carroll called the talks “slow” earlier this month, and that seems to be supported by the claims of the source close to the negotiations.
Earlier today, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report said that Wilson would likely have to wait until after the 2015 season to land a new deal. According to Cole, Wilson is seeking a contract worth at least $20MM annually, while the Seahawks aren’t willing to go that high.
The Seahawks and Wilson still have more than two months before training camp begins and it’s hard to say where the two sides stand given today’s conflicting reports. Whether there’s a large gulf between the two sides or simply slow moving talks, it sounds like a lot has to come together for an agreement to be reached prior to the 2015 season.
Offseason Extension Unlikely For Wilson
The Seahawks and Russell Wilson appear unlikely to reach an agreement on a long-term extension during the offseason, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says that the Seattle quarterback will likely have to wait until after the 2015 season to secure a new deal.
Cole’s report echoes what we heard from other writers last week, suggesting that the Seahawks and Wilson are far apart when it comes to the signal-caller’s per-year value over the long term. According to Cole, Wilson is seeking a contract worth at least $20MM annually, while the Seahawks aren’t willing to go that high.
As Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN Seattle and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com previously noted, Wilson’s relatively minuscule 2015 salary is a significant factor in contract talks. The fact that they’re paying him such a small amount this year makes the Seahawks comfortable going year to year with the franchise tag for 2016 and 2017, if it comes to that. Even if those franchise salaries exceed $20MM, which they would, Seattle would still likely pay Wilson less than $50MM for the next three seasons, an average below $17MM.
According to Cole, talks between the two sides have left Wilson feeling somewhat frustrated and underappreciated, which could help explain why the 26-year-old has been publishing semi-cryptic tweets as of late. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk detailed yesterday, one recent Wilson tweet advised not letting a “lack of gratefulness and respect bring you down.”
The Seahawks and Wilson still have more than two months before training camp begins, so there’s plenty of time to bridge the gap in negotiations and strike a deal. However, at this point that looks unlikely, and it may just be a matter of time until the two sides decide to shelve those contract discussions until after the season and focus on making it back to the Super Bowl.
Latest On Russell Wilson Extension Talks
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks still don’t appear to be anywhere close to reaching an agreement on a long-term extension that will keep the quarterback in Seattle for the next several years, according to multiple reports. Both Danny O’Neil of 710 ESPN Seattle and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicate that there’s a significant gap between what sort of deal Wilson is seeking and what the Seahawks have offered.
According to O’Neil, while it may take a six-year offer in the $120MM range, with half of that money fully guaranteed, to get Wilson to sign, the Seahawks haven’t put anything like that on the table. In fact, O’Neil hears that the team’s offer is believed to be worth closer to $80MM for four years. While the per-year average sounds about right on that sort of deal, the guarantee presumably wouldn’t be nearly as significant as Wilson is seeking.
O’Neil also points out that since Wilson is still in his rookie contract, his 2015 salary of $1.542MM should be taken into account — if Seattle simply wants to tack a four-year extension onto that deal, it lowers Wilson’s overall average annual salary significantly, as he’d be making about $81.5MM over five years. That modest 2015 salary is one factor that makes these negotiations so unique, and tricky, according to La Canfora.
While La Canfora doesn’t offer specific figures like O’Neil does, the CBSSports.com scribe also hears that the two sides are far apart in contract talks. Per La Canfora, the Seahawks’ initial offer looked more like the pay-as-you-go deals that players like Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick signed, rather than a contract in line with the game’s top quarterbacks have received.
O’Neil is somewhat optimistic that the Seahawks and Wilson will bridge the gap and strike a deal before the 2015 season gets underway, while La Canfora is becoming increasingly convinced that the two sides won’t work anything out until 2016, unless owner Paul Allen steps in. La Canfora also notes that, if the two sides aren’t making much progress this summer, Wilson may decide to shut down talks until after the season to avoid off-field distractions come September.
Andrew Luck, the other top quarterback from 2012’s draft class, will also be in line for an extension at some point, but there’s less urgency for Luck and the Colts since the team has picked up his fifth-year option for 2016. A third-round pick, Wilson doesn’t have a fifth-year option on his deal, meaning he can be eligible for unrestricted free agency – or the franchise tag – after the 2015 season, so this situation is one worth monitoring closely over the next few weeks and months.
NFC West Notes: Wilson, Irvin, Lee, Gunter
Contract talks between the Seahawks and Russell Wilson are going “a little slow,” according to head coach Pete Carroll, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). They are talking, but are not progressing as fast as the two sides would like. Condotta writes that Adam Schefter of ESPN followed that news up by reporting that Wilson is looking for guaranteed money of a quarterback while the Seahawks are trying to sign him for less (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the NFC West:
- Condotta also points out that while Carroll says nothing is final about a possible extension for former first-round pick Bruce Irvin, but also says nothing to a report that the Seahawks would like to trade the young linebacker (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have not asked punter Andy Lee to take a pay cut, but drafting Clemson punter Bradley Pinion in the fifth-round certainly puts his future with the team in question, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Cole notes that Lee is scheduled to make $2.05MM in base salary in 2015, suggesting the team could look to save some money at that position on the roster.
- The Cardinals felt forced to trade up in the fourth round to select Delaware State’s Rodney Gunter, as they were convinced that another team drafting in that area was going to take their coveted defensive line prospect, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (via Twitter).
- After drafting Missouri receiver Bud Sasser in the sixth round, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes Rams have now gone with an offensive player in all six of their selections in the 2015 NFL Draft (via Twitter). They have taken three offensive linemen, a quarterback, and a running back to go along with Sasser so far, in hopes of building up an offense that has been far behind their stout defense the past few seasons. The last defensive player they have chosen was Michael Sam in the seventh round last year.
NFC West Notes: Wilson, Rams, Cardinals
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson still loves baseball but isn’t planning on leaving football, Terry Blount of ESPN.com writes. “I didn’t say I was going to leave the NFL,” Wilson told ESPN Radio. “I love playing the game of football, to be one of 32 men [starting NFL quarterbacks] in the world who get to do what I do. It’s a special thing and I’ve been able to play in two Super Bowls and I’m only 26 years old. That’s been a blessing…It was my dad’s dream for me to play two sports, so I’ve never killed the dream and probably never will. It’s something that I think about all the time.”
Wilson recently raised the notion of pursuing a career in MLB in an interview with HBO’s Bryant Gumbel. Seattle reportedly has viewed his flirtation with baseball as nothing more than a negotiating ploy. Here’s more from the NFC West..
- The Rams already have six running backs on the roster, including presumptive starter Tre Mason, but it’s probably a good bet that they take a running back before the draft is through, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes. Some within the Rams organization believe Todd Gurley is the best running back prospect to come out in years, and though No. 10 is probably too high for him given his injury history, he might be in play in a possible trade-down scenario.
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians termed this year’s quarterback class after Winston and Mariota “average at best,” Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets. Arians went on to say that the Cardinals probably won’t draft a quarterback to push Logan Thomas, though he won’t rule it out, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets.
- When asked about his team’s needs, Arians said, “We could go play with this team right now,” Urban tweets.
NFC Notes: Saints, Wilson, Winston
Heading into the draft, Don Banks of Sports Illustrated (video link) says the Saints will probably continue their pattern of making surprising moves this offseason. New Orleans will hope that a top talent like Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory will fall to the No. 13 pick after his positive drug test, but they could instead trade up for him or settle for Kentucky linebacker Bud Dupree. More from the NFC..
- The Seahawks feel that Russell Wilson‘s stated interest in transitioning to baseball is nothing more than a bargaining ploy for a new contract, sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Wilson hasn’t played minor league ball in four years, never got beyond Single-A, and didn’t demonstrate a whole lot of power. Cole hears that Wilson would be looking at a three- or four-year path before he could even approach the majors, which would be around age 29 or 30. Wilson’s MLB rights are owned by the Texas Rangers.
- On a conference call, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. told reporters, including Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter), that it’s “not etched in stone” that Jameis Winston will go No. 1 to the Buccaneers with Marcus Mariota going No. 2 in the draft.
- The Cowboys have to use their first pick on a defensive lineman, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News opines. Even beyond Ndamukong Suh, defensive linemen Jared Odrick, Pernell McPhee, Dan Williams, and Stephen Paea all signed contracts this offseason that placed them among the top 25 deals in free agency. Dallas, he argues, will find it much cheaper to find an impact defensive lineman in the draft rather than on the open market.