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Vincent Jackson

NFC South Notes: Saints, Ingram, V-Jax

February 18th, 2015 at 5:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are still interested in reaching a deal with upcoming free agent running back Mark Ingram, but GM Mickey Loomis tells Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune that their ability to keep him will be “intertwined” with the team’s salary cap situation and Ingram’s market value. “In free agency, everyone wants to see what the market is,” Loomis said. “The question is, can that get done prior to March 10? Can both sides get a good feel for that beforehand and do a deal, or do we need to wait and see where all the offers are and respond accordingly?” Here’s more from the NFC South..

  • Buccaneers GM Jason Licht will meet with the agent for Vincent Jackson in Indianapolis, presumably to ask for a restructuring of his $9.77MM salary, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Jackson finished the year with 70 catches for 1,002 receiving yards and two touchdowns. That yardage total was the lowest he’s had in a full season since 2007. When asked if Jackson will be back in 2015, Licht said (link), “Absolutely. We really like Vincent Jackson.”
  • Loomis also told Woodbery that the Saints have a plan to get under the NFL salary cap by March 10th. Getting that done won’t be a walk in the park and all things considered, Loomis says he has a checklist of about 20 things to accomplish in the coming months. On the other hand, things should be a bit more straightforward than last year, when Jimmy Graham‘s status dominated the offseason.
  • The Saints won’t hire a new player personnel director following Ryan Pace‘s departure, Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune writes. Loomis said filling Pace’s role just to fill a title isn’t really necessary, as titles have never meant much to him anyway.

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Jags, Bengals, Ravens

February 7th, 2015 at 10:54am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s check out some interesting notes from the AFC…

Buccaneers Likely To Make Offseason Trades

November 16th, 2014 at 6:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers were one of the most oft-mentioned teams preceding the trade deadline last month, and although they did end up making two deals – shipping Mark Barron to the Rams and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots – Tampa retained many of the players who were rumored to be on the trading block. The club isn’t finished reworking its roster, however, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports that the Bucs will shop Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson during the offseason.

Jackson seemed to be the likeliest candidate to be traded before the deadline; while his production has waned this season, an acquiring team could have easily released him after the season if he didn’t improve. The Eagles were reportedly interested in trading for the veteran receiver, but wouldn’t meet Tampa Bay’s asking price of a second-round pick. With pass-catcher Mike Evans showing that he can be the focal point of a passing attack, it makes sense that the Bucs would want to get out from under Jackson’s contract while at the same time recouping some value.

Martin has been injured and/or ineffective since his excellent rookie season, but because he still offers potential, and is playing on a cheap rookie contract, teams like the Patriots were interested in acquiring him before the deadline. The Buccaneers drafted fellow running back Charles Sims in the third round of this year’s draft, and with Bobby Rainey also proving himself as a competent ball-carrier, the club could view Martin as expendable.

Goldson will be almost impossible to move; given his subpar level of play and his enormous contract, the Bucs would be likely to receive a conditional seventh-round pick in exchange for the veteran safety. He’s due a $7.5MM base salary in 2015 ($3MM of which is guaranteed), and he’s graded as the third-worst safety in the league among 85 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com recently concluded that it was unlikely that Goldson would return to Tampa next season, and while I agree, it’s far more likely that he’s released than traded.

In the same piece, La Canfora reports that the Buccaneers are likely to bring in a new offensive coordinator next season. Jeff Tedford, who had never before called plays at the NFL level, was slated to act as Tampa Bay’s OC, but health concerns have caused him to sit out the entire season. Quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo has taken over play-calling duties, but La Canfora says the offensive staff has been “undermanned and scrambling,” and they’re unsurprisingly 31st in offensive DVOA.

Eagles Tried To Trade For Vincent Jackson

November 2nd, 2014 at 12:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said last Monday that his club wasn’t looking to make any deals in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadine, but it appears he wasn’t being entirely truthful. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports (Twitter link), Philadelphia tried to acquire Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, but Tampa Bay wasn’t interested in making a deal. There’s no word on what type of compensation was offered to the Buccaneers.

We heard rumors all last week that the Bucs were looking to dump players, and that Jackson was one of those who was available. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Tampa Bay was looking for “real value” in exchange for Jackson, and might have been hoping for at least a second-round pick in exchange for the 31-year-old. Presumably, the Eagles were unwilling to part with such a valuable pick for Jackson. The Patriots, Seahawks, and Chiefs were also mentioned as suitors for Jackson, but it sounds like Philadelphia was closest to acquiring him.

The Eagles would have taken on the remainder of Jackson’ $10MM salary for 2014, but otherwise wouldn’t have been responsible for any guarantees. His 2015-16 base salaries of about $9.77MM aren’t guaranteed, and his signing bonus would’ve stay on Tampa’s books. Jackson is in the midst of a down season, as he’s caught just 26 passes for 357 yards and two touchdowns. Still, it would have been interesting to see how he would’ve been used in Kelly’s dynamic offense, especially being paired with Jeremy Maclin.

Tampa Bay will keep Jackson for at least the remainder of this season, and he will count roughly $2.43MM against the cap through 2016 in the form of a prorated signing bonus. PFR’s Luke Adams examined Jackson as one of several rumored trade candidates who stayed put, and noted that the veteran is a candidate to be released or restructured during the offseason. The Bucs, of course, did end up making two deals on Tuesday, trading Mark Barron to the Rams, and Jonathan Casillas to the Patriots.

AFC East Links: Patriots, Idzik, Orton

October 30th, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas was acquired by the Patriots earlier this week, and the 27-year-old is doing everything in his power to play this weekend. It isn’t easy switching teams midseason, and the six-year veteran realizes that he has a lot of catching up to do (via Lee Schechter of ESPNBoston.com):

“I feel like I’m cramming for a final in college,” Casillas said. “I’m happy to be here and blessed to have this opportunity to play for a great organization.

“This is my fourth [defensive] coordinator in four years since Gregg [Williams], so five [defensive] coordinators in five years, and that’s the tough part — learning all of these different defensive schemes — not really transitioning city to city because a city is a city. I can get acclimated to my surrounding place. My job learning the Xs and Os about what I’m going to do every day and the verbiage and the communication, that’s the difficult part.”

Casillas was also asked how he felt being traded from the last-place Buccaneers to the place-first Patriots:

“Do I really have to answer that question?”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC East…

  • Recently released linebacker Deontae Skinner has cleared waivers and is expected to re-sign with the Patriots, tweets the Boston Globe’s Shalise Manza Young. The rookie was released by New England yesterday following the signing of Alan Branch.
  • ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss reacts to the Patriots handling of the trade deadline, writing that Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck could have helped, but the price was likely too high. Reiss notes that he never bought into the Vincent Jackson/Doug Martin rumors.
  • Jets supporters seemingly haven’t been too thrilled with the work of general manager John Idzik, and some fans have created a website called firejohnidzik.com (via John Healy of the New York Daily News).
  • Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills options for handling Kyle Orton‘s contract should the quarterback lead the team to the playoffs. The veteran currently has $5.4MM base salary for next season (with a $7MM cap hit), but he has the opportunity to void his contract immediately following the Super Bowl. If Orton decides to stick around, Rodak believes the team’s two options are to either extend him to a long-term contract or offer him a more lucrative, one-year deal.

Bucs Open To Offers For Martin, Barron

October 28th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

While Vincent Jackson has been the Buccaneers player most frequently cited as a trade candidate in recent weeks, the team is also open to offers on other players, including two former first-round picks. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter), the Bucs will consider offers for running back Doug Martin and safety Mark Barron.

Given the cap implications of trading for veteran players, and the tendency NFL teams have to hang onto their high draft picks, it’s possible that the Buccaneers won’t find an offer they like by this afternoon’s deadline. Additionally, just because Tampa Bay is willing to listen to proposals for some of its players doesn’t mean the team is aggressively trying to move any of them. Still, at 1-6, the Bucs are as one of the clubs most likely to be sellers today.

According to Stroud (via Twitter), the Bucs have received interest from other teams for Martin, Barron, and Jackson, but are least likely to move the veteran wideout, since his age may prevent Tampa Bay from getting fair value for him. It makes sense that Martin could be viewed as expendable, considering he was already splitting carries with Bobby Rainey, and Charles Sims is set to return and take away even more of Martin’s touches. Martin and Barron both remain under contract through the 2015 season, but neither player appears to be firmly in the Bucs’ long-term plans at the moment.

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

Kelly: Eagles Not Looking To Trade

October 27th, 2014 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

The trade deadline is a little over 24 hours away and speculation has been swirling around the 5-2 Eagles. However, an interview on WIP, Eagles coach Chip Kelly made it known that the Eagles aren’t thinking about making a deal between now and tomorrow afternoon, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News.

“The trade deadline is overblown,” Kelly said. “I don’t anticipate doing anything. I’m very happy with the team we have right now. I love the way they can compete.”

Yesterday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Eagles are looking for help at strong safety with Nate Allen struggling so far this season. Florio was unsure of who the Eagles might target, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was quick to point out that the Buccaneers’ Dashon Goldson and the Titans‘ Michael Griffin could be had at the right price. Later that day, Allen didn’t do much to help his case as he let Cardinals wideout John Brown get behind him to catch the go-ahead 75-yard touchdown with less than two minutes to play. The Eagles are also reportedly calling on Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who would look pretty great lined up opposite of Jeremy Maclin, who is in the midst of a career year.

However, if Kelly is to be believed, the Eagles are more than content to roll with the team that they have in place for the second half of the year.

AFC East Notes: Jackson, Chandler Jones, Jets

October 26th, 2014 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots are rumored to be on the lookout for help at running back and wide receiver in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald believes such an addition would be ideal. Although the team recently acquired Akeem Ayers via trade, Guregian says “Band-Aids” like Ayers and Isaac Sopoaga, who came to New England at the 2013 trade deadline, are not enough to make the Patriots realistic contenders for the AFC Crown.

Instead, she believes the team needs to make a deal similar to the one it swung for Aqib Talib back in 2012. Guregian mentions a series of pipe dreams, like the Texans‘ Andre Johnson and the Redskins‘ Pierre Garcon, but while she does not mention Vincent Jackson, it appears as if he could be a realistic option. Jackson would give Tom Brady a dynamic target whose size and physicality complements the speed and shiftiness of Julian Edelman, and, as James Walker of ESPN.com tweets, his presence would give New England a real chance of upsetting the Broncos if the two teams should meet again in the playoffs.

Now for some more notes from the AFC East:

  • CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that Patriots defensive lineman Chandler Jones will not need surgery on his injured hip. He will be out, however, for at least four weeks, though he does hope to be ready for the stretch run.
  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News opines that the Jets are better off tanking in 2014 to assure themselves of the chance to draft a true difference maker in 2015.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins have a deep roster without glaring weaknesses–unlike their division rivals–and rather than make a big addition, Miami simply needs more consistency to make a legitimate run at the AFC East.

Trade Buzz: V-Jax, Rams, Vikings

October 26th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

There seems to be more buzz surrounding this year’s NFL trade deadline than in years past, and Michael Fensom of the National Desk points out that Week 8 will be the final “audition” for those players who have generated the most interest, including the Buccaneers‘ Vincent Jackson and the Bengals‘ Jermaine Gresham. Fensom also observes that, since January 2012, the teams that have made the most trades are also among the most successful clubs on the field.

Of course, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, the odds that a major trade comes to fruition are pretty slim, especially since so few teams are clearly out of the hunt at this point in the season. That does not mean, however, that it is not worth your while to take a look at some of the latest trade buzz. The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 28:

  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks are among the teams calling about Jackson. He adds (via Twitter) that the Chiefs are also involved. He points out, however, that the Buccaneers are looking for real value in any trade involving Jackson, and Rapoport defines “real value” as a second-round pick (Twitter link).
  • Rapoport tweets that another player that could be on the move is Rams DT Kendall Langford, who has generated some interest. La Canfora believes that St. Louis may have also fielded some calls on RB Zac Stacy.
  • La Canfora writes that the Raiders are willing to deal Matt Schaub, but there is unsurprisingly not much of a market for him.
  • La Canfora adds that players who had previously been discussed as trade possibilities, like the Eagles‘ Brandon Graham, have since been taken off the table.
  • Fensom reasons that, given the Seahawks‘ reported interest in tight ends, Seattle is a potential landing spot for Gresham.
  • Our Zach Links recently wrote that Titans WR Nate Washington has been made available via trade, but Fensom writes that other Tennessee players like Wesley Woodyard and Michael Griffin are also rumored to be available.
  • There is also speculation that the Vikings are looking to sell, and Fensom lists Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings as potential trade chips.
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