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QB Notes: Tebow, Winston, McCown, Rivers

May 29th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Ben Levine

After being away from the game for the past two years, Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow is thrilled about his new opportunity. The former Heisman winner is behind Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley on the team’s depth chart, but the competition is far from Tebow’s mind.

“I think sometimes when things are taken away, then you don’t realize how much fun it is to come out here and play this game,” Tebow told Nate Davis of USA Today. “You can’t play it forever, so I’m going to enjoy it.”

Coach Chip Kelly had been thrilled with the 27-year-old’s performance in OTAs.

“I think he’s improved,” Kelly said. “He’s had a lot of time the last two years working at his game. (We) wanted to have a fourth quarterback here.”

Let’s check out some more notes regarding some of the league’s signal callers…

  • First-overall pick Jameis Winston is impressing the Buccaneers coaching staff during OTAs. “We have to kind of tell him when to leave,” head coach Lovie Smith told ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas. “For him, there’s been a lot of individual work, but having a chance this week to go against our best defense and things like that [has been good]. We have a long ways to go. But we like where he is right now.”
  • Browns quarterback Josh McCown has been “virtually anointed” the starting gig without a “hint” of competition, opines Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. While teammates and coaches have supported sophomore Johnny Manziel, Grossi says the former first-rounder is struggling after a rough offseason.
  • Meanwhile, McCown says he wouldn’t have even considered visiting other teams (including the Bills and the Bears) if he had been aware of the talent on the Browns offensive line. “After being with them, 5-6 weeks, it’s like, had I known it was this good I wouldn’t even needed to take a visit (to Buffalo and Chicago),” McCown told Grossi.
  • Considering Ben Roethlisberger‘s recent extension, Jason Fitzgerald (writing for the Sporting News) believes Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers‘ next contract could surpass the total of Aaron Rodgers‘ extension. Rivers has previously been paid more than Roethlisberger, who came close to topping Rodgers’ contract’s average annual value.

Extra Points: Winston, Bills, Rams

May 27th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

While there’s a lot of whispering about whether first overall pick Jameis Winston will live up to the hype, Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins feels like he’s up to the challenge, Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida writes. “He’s just himself,” Jenkins said of Winston. “Great quarterback and he wants to be great. He’s himself, he doesn’t need to pretend or anything like that. But I didn’t really get to see him personally out there. We were just running. I think it’s a better question to ask the coaches, they spent more one-on-one time with him.” Here’s more from

  • Bills head coach Rex Ryan says he’s trying Corey Graham at safety to make sure that he has the “best eleven on the field” after losing Da’Norris Searcy in free agency, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. For his part, Graham says he’s excited about the move and is eager to follow in the footsteps of Charles Woodson, who also made the transition from corner to safety. “Obviously, I’ve been watching him my whole career, so with the move to safety, now I have the opportunity to do some of the things he’s done,” Graham said. “I was in Chicago when he was in Green Bay, so I watched him a lot. He played nickel, I played nickel. I focused on him, studied his game, so it means a lot to me, seeing what he was able to accomplish.”
  • St. Louis residents will not vote this summer on the use of their tax dollars to build a new riverfront football stadium for the Rams, David Hunn of the Post Dispatch writes. At this point, it is unclear whether city voters will get the opportunity to weigh in on the use of city tax dollars to help finance a proposed $985MM downtown stadium.
  • According to team sources, the Chargers and San Diego city officials will sit down on Tuesday, June 2nd to talk about the stadium proposal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
  • West Georgia defensive end/outside linebacker Darrius Caldwell is applying to the Supplemental Draft this year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Illinois transfer registered 69 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, and 12 sacks in 2014.

AFC West Notes: Houston, Rivers, Berry

May 26th, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have a solid backup plan at quarterback thanks to the presence of Christian Ponder, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “This offense is a little different than what I ran in Minnesota, but some of the things carry over,” Ponder said. “It is nice to be out there getting reps. I didn’t get many last year (in Minnesota) with Matt Cassel and Teddy (Bridgewater). When you’re in a new situation, the added playing time certainly helps you get your feet wet.” So far, Bair says that Ponder’s transition has been a smooth one. More from the AFC West..

  • As expected, Justin Houston missed the Chiefs’ first OTA workout, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. In a poll on Monday, 41% of PFR readers said that Houston will probably wind up signing his one-year franchise tender.
  • Despite his contract issues with the team, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is going about his business just as he does every offseason, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Rivers said he was “certain” to play out the final year on his deal if something was not done before training camp began. There hasn’t been a whole lot of talk between the Bolts and Rivers’ agent in recent weeks.
  • Chiefs coach Andy Reid gave reporters an update on standout defensive back Eric Berry, who is currently battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “He’s been through all the treatments,” Reid explained, according to the team’s website. “Now the doctor’s going to sit down with him and go over exactly what the results of that are. We don’t have that. Eric doesn’t have it quite yet. Everything up to this point has been very positive from the doctor and from Eric, so I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

West Notes: Broncos, Bennett, Rivers

May 26th, 2015 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos will have to make a call this week on whether or not they want to keep Antonio Smith on their roster as their organized team activities get underway, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Smith is being investigated following a complaint of possible child abuse of a sexual nature, and while that’s a serious allegation, the defensive lineman has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, so Denver’s decision isn’t as clear-cut as the one the Bears faced with Ray McDonald.

As we wait to see whether or not the Broncos decide to cut ties with Smith, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, and Cliff Avril won’t report immediately to the Seahawks‘ OTAs as they deal with various personal and family matters, according to Danny Neil of 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle (Twitter links). The more notable absence for Seattle is defensive end Michael Bennett, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, citing ESPN Radio. The standout pass rusher suggested earlier this offseason that he wouldn’t mind reworking his contract, which he just signed a year ago.
  • Philip Rivers is in action for the Chargers as they begin their OTAs, but there hasn’t been much contract-related discussion between the two sides this month, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf recently reiterated that she opposes the idea of spending any public funds on a new football stadium in the city, as Rachel Swan of SFGate.com details. For a new stadium to work for the Raiders in Oakland, a gap of about $400MM in financing would have to be closed somehow.

Eric Weddle Won’t Attend OTAs

May 25th, 2015 at 5:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers safety Eric Weddle won’t be in attendance for OTAs on Tuesday as he pushes for an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Pro Bowl safety aired his frustrations with the team earlier this month and it sounds like there hasn’t been much progress made, if any.

“I’m not coming in anytime soon until something on their side is said,” Weddle told 1090 AM a few weeks ago. “They know where we’re at, and they obviously know their stance, so we’ll see what happens from there.”

Weddle is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that he wanted to work out a new deal with the veteran, though his full attention was turned towards the draft at the time.

Weddle, 30, has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he has not missed a regular season start since the 2009 season. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles with eight pass deflections and one interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Weddle as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a 18.9 overall score.

On Sunday night we learned that another NFL notable, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, will not be in attendance for the start of his team’s OTAs.

NFC Links: Mathieu, Washington, Rams

May 24th, 2015 at 4:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Tyrann Mathieu claims he feels better than ever, and NFL.com’s Conor Orr notes that the Cardinals defensive back is no longer wearing a knee brace or thumb cast. Despite Mathieu being healthy for the first time in his career, the former third-rounder is still tentative about his recovery:

“It just feels good to be free…You try to stay as optimistic as possible, but there is a reality to it, too. It’s kind of hard to keep telling yourself it’s going to be all right, especially when we got into the thick of everything last year, thinking that if I was 100 percent, I’d probably be able to help my team a whole lot more than I’m doing right now.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker

May 24th, 2015 at 9:53am CST by Rory Parks

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.

 

West Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals

May 22nd, 2015 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though Raiders owner Mark Davis said on Tuesday that he wants to keep his club in Oakland, a different scenario involving the team’s location has been floated in league circles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Per Rapoport, it’s possible that the Raiders could sign a one-year lease to remain in Oakland for the 2016 season, allow the Chargers and Rams situations time to play themselves out, and then be the only team left standing for a possible move to a different city the following year.

Such a delay tactic would allow the Raiders to discuss transitioning to a city like San Antonio or even St. Louis (in the event the Rams relocate), says Rapoport. Davis did indicate that there was no chance he’d move his team to Missouri, but the NFL.com scribe cautions (via Twitter) to not rule out such a move.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions…

  • The Raiders aren’t the only AFC West club in a state of flux, as the Chargers have also been heavily linked to the Los Angeles area. But the team hasn’t been straight about its plans with the city of San Diego or Chargers fans, argues Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Suspended Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington still isn’t sure of his status with the NFL, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910. Washington, who hasn’t seen the field since 2013, still hasn’t been disciplined for a domestic violence incident, and all told, is expected to be handed a two- to six-game ban, per Jurecki.
  • More from Oakland, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap analyzes the Raiders in his latest piece for Sporting News, writing that the club is set up to spend heavily in free agency next offseason. Of course, cap space hasn’t been a problem for Oakland during the past few offseasons, but they’ve still had difficulty landing marquee free agents.

Corry’s Latest: Wilson, AP, Houston, Weddle

May 22nd, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Extra Points: Brees, Cowboys, Rice

May 21st, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Drew Brees has said that he wants to play football until he is 45, but he admits that goal is a little bit unrealistic. “45 is a long way away,” the Saints quarterback said on ESPN’s SVP and Russillo, according to Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate. “I’m 36 right now, and I know I got maybe a little overzealous last year when I threw out the number 45.” Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, and Steve Deberg hung in there until they were 44, but those final years were mostly spent playing in reserve roles. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Along with free agent running backs Daniel Thomas, Ben Tate, and Felix Jones, Ronnie Wingo also worked out for the Cowboys today, as Clarence Hill of the Star Telegram tweets. Wingo was released by the Falcons earlier this month to help make room on the roster for incoming rookies.
  • A judge dismissed domestic violence charges against former Ravens running back Ray Rice, as The Associated Press writes. Rice completed the terms of his pretrial intervention, which included $125 in fines and anger management counseling.
  • Joe Barksdale, who signed a minimum-salary deal with the Chargers, was offered more from the Rams earlier in the offseason, Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch tweets. Back in March, Barksdale looked like a decent bet to land a deal similar to the $6MM-per-year pacts signed by Austin Howard and Anthony Collins in 2014. However, that kind of market never materialized for the veteran. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former Ram just 48th out of 84 qualified tackles last season.
  • Falcons linebacker Joplo Bartu was fined $50,000 for an alcohol-related offense, but only after his two-game suspension was rescinded, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Bartu, who had 83 tackles in 2014, was handed a two-game suspension in March for his DUI arrest. Earlier this month, the linebacker brought new information to the league and his punishment was altered. However, future violations of the law will carry more significant discipline for him.
  • Ravens rookie lineman Leon Brown hopes to land a roster spot with his hometown team, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. The 6-foot-5, 332-pound former junior college All-American also had an invite to try out for the Jaguars, but he chose the Ravens instead. Brown, an Alabama product, went undrafted this year.
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