NFC Links: Suh, Seahawks, Giants, Packers
Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who identifies as an introvert, spoke with the Oregonian’s John Canzano for a piece about the All-Pro’s image “reconstruction.” Suh has taken criticism for spending his offseason in Portland instead of Detroit, but explained his reasoning: “I’m there when everyone reports. I like being in my own niche and by myself. I have my trainers here. I get 1-on-1 attention. I have every ounce of this campus to myself. My coaches have been here. I’ve probably talked with our head coach more than just about any player on the team. People here don’t care about celebrity. I can walk around and do whatever I want. I’m a normal Portland person.”
Here’s some additional NFC links:
- Several Seahawks veterans, prominent ones, could be entering their final season with the team because of impending salary-cap implications, particularly with Russell Wilson‘s inevitable contract extension soon to hit the books, writes ESPN’s Terry Blount.
- The NFC East position groups are being broken down by Jordan Raanan and Eliot Shorr-Parks on NJ.com. Their latest post examines the division’s tight ends. They agree the Giants have the worst tight end group in the division, and Shorr-Parks goes so far as to say, “They may just have the worst tight ends in the entire NFL, let alone the NFC East.”
- ESPN’s Rob Demovsky discussed the Packers’ secondary depth, including seemingly forgotten man Davon House, who has had an impressive offseason.
- Meanwhile, the Packers’ NFC North rival Bears are still trying to sort out their safety position. “Every spot on the safety depth chart registers as a battle to watch because right now every position — including the starting jobs — is up for grabs,” says ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- There’s room on the 49ers roster for 2014 fourth-rounder Bruce Ellington and 2013 fourth-rounder Quinton Patton, says ESPN’s Bill Williamson.
- Falcons reserve receiver/core special teamer Drew Davis will be sidelined for six weeks after foot surgery, reports Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Davis was placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would miss about three weeks of training camp.
Fallout From Jimmy Graham Ruling
Arbitrator Stephen Burbank’s ruling on the Jimmy Graham case will obviously cost the star tight end a significant amount of money, but it would still be best if he is able to work out a long-term deal with the Saints, writes Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com. While Graham will be franchised at the bargain rate of $7.035MM, going forward the franchise tag will cease to be an option.
The team was prepared to make Graham the highest paid tight end in the league, and while a second franchise tag is not completely out of the question, to franchise him for a third time would cost upwards of $20MM, the average of the top five highest paid players in the NFL, regardless of position. While Graham can hold out or try to force a trade, he has lost a good amount of leverage. His price tag might have gone down, but there is still plenty of money to make.
The ruling will effect more than just Graham and the Saints, but the ripples of this decision spread out throughout the league.
Here are some other notes from the fallout of Burbank’s ruling:
- The Burbank decision should immediately lead to two things in the NFL, writes Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. His first point is the obvious, that the team needs to sign Graham to a long-term deal. The second is perhaps more interesting. Duncan calls for “an amendment to the Collective Bargaining Agreement defining each NFL position to avoid future disputes in free agency.” When other tight ends encounter the same problems in the future, they should be able to point to something definitive, rather than their designation on their own social media page and Burbank’s belief that a four-yard split still enables them to sit back in pass protection.
- Speaking of Twitter pages, Browns‘ star Jordan Cameron made a significant edit to his after the ruling cited Graham’s social media accounts. Cameron’s bio now reads “Pro Bowl pass catcher for the Browns.” Before today, “pass catcher” instead read “tight end,” reports John Breech of CBSSports.com. We’ll have to wait and see if Cameron’s splits start at five yards instead of four this season, as per the advice of Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
- Vernon Davis is another tight end looking for a new contract, although the Burbank ruling does not effect him tremendously, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Davis is under contract with the 49ers, not a free agent, and he does not dispute his status as a tight end. However, if he is dissatisfied with being the third-highest paid tight end, Williamson assumes being dropped to fourth on that list will only add to the fire.
West Notes: Singletary, Poe, Flowers, McGloin
Mike Singletary wants to return to the NFL in a head coaching capacity, and has signed with agent Gil Scott in the hopes of pursuing that goal, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). The Hall of Fame linebacker has been coaching in the league for 11 years, most notably as the head coach of the 49ers from 2009-10. The 55-year-old spent the past three seasons as the assistant head coach of the Vikings, but will not return to Minnesota after Leslie Frazier’s firing. Singletary is certainly respected around the league, but I’d be surprised if he got another chance at a head job; San Francisco’s immediate turnaround following his departure probably won’t help his case.
- Dontari Poe rarely came off the field last season, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid doesn’t think things will change in 2014. “To get him off the field you have to pull him off,” Reid told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “He’s not one to tap out. That’s not how he goes. You monitor that the best way you can. We didn’t see a decline in his play as the season wore on. There are a handful of teams that do what we do where you play certain guys a high percent of the plays.’’ Poe played on 1004 snaps last season, the most among all defensive tackles.
- Many Chargers veterans were hoping the team would sign Brandon Flowers following his release from the Chiefs, none more so than Flowers’ college teammate, and current Charger, Eddie Royal. “I shot him a text,” said Royal, per Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I called him shortly after. Even before I knew our team was interested, I wanted to put it out there that I would love to play with him again.”
- Matt McGloin, who started six games as an undrafted rookie for the Raiders last season, now sits third on Oakland’s quarterback depth chart, but he is still optimistic about his career, writes Scott Walsh of Citizens’ Voice.
- The coaching staffs of the 49ers and the Seahawks claimed the top two spots in Alessandro Miglio of Bleacher Report’s ranking of all 32 coaching cadres.
Aldon Smith Won’t Face Charges For Bomb Threat
The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office with not charge 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith in connection to the LAX bomb threat incident in April, reports ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that the player has a July 30 hearing to discuss the incident, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that the Attorney’s Office has the right to file charges up to a year after the arrest.
Smith was arrested by Los Angeles International Airport police on April 13 after making an alleged bomb threat to a TSA agent. The player has maintained his innocence, telling Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that “a lot of these things are being painted in a picture that’s not true.”
While the news must certainly be a relief to Smith, the player still faces another legal matter. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25 after he pleaded “no contest” to three felony weapons charges, two misdemeanor DUI counts and a count for a license plate switch. If Smith comes away clean handed, he’ll still need to face the NFL, which could fine or suspend the player based on the league’s personal conduct policy.
Nonetheless, the 49ers still exercised Smith’s fifth-year option in early May, locking him in for $9.754MM in 2015.
Rookie Notes: 49ers, Bills, Steelers
While it could just be pure coincidence, former Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland had a handful of successful seventh-round draft selections. As ESPN.com’s James Walker explores on Twitter, linebacker Austin Spitler, wide receiver Rishard Matthews and defensive backs Don Jones and Jimmy Wilson were all solid finds.
For all the criticism that Ireland has received, as least he can claim that he has a keen eye for under-the-radar talent.
Here are some more notes regarding some of the league’s youngest players…
- The 49ers have filled their open roster spot by adding guard Al Netter, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. The team waived Netter about a month ago to clear room for Blake Costanzo. The team had an extra roster spot following Eric Wright‘s retirement.
- Bills rookie linebacker Randell Johnson has signed with agents Drew Rosenhaus and Michael Katz of Rosenhaus Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review focuses on the young Steelers who could be “training camp phenoms” (via Twitter): Justin Brown, Dri Archer, Mike Mitchell, Brian Arnfelt, Tauren Poole.
NFC Links: Graham, Davis, Giants
It’s been more than a week since the beginning of Jimmy Graham‘s hearing over his franchise tag designation. Those who are antsy for a solution may have to wait a bit longer – sources tell ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio that a ruling isn’t expected until next week. Even then, the losing party will likely appeal the decision. The entire process could stretch beyond July 15, the deadline for inking a long-term deal.
Additionally, we learned some more interesting information about the hearing. Florio reports that Saints head coach Sean Payton testified against Graham, but the specifics weren’t known. We can likely assume one thing, however – if Graham loses his case, Payton’s going to have some difficulty convincing his tight end to participate in “wide receiver drills” during training camp.
Let’s see what else is happening around the NFC…
- Graham’s quarterback, Drew Brees, weighed in on the subject on a SportsCenter conversation with reporter Ed Werder (about 1:15 into the video): “Of course as the quarterback, this is my guy. Jimmy’s my guy and I want what’s best for him. I want what’s best for the team. Certainly, there’s a way that everybody can be happy coming out of this deal.”
- 49ers tight end Vernon Davis signed a five-year, $37MM extension in 2010 and he’s now playing at a higher level. Davis ultimately decided to hold out because it’s “all about getting paid what you deserve,” he writes in SI.com’s Monday Morning Quarterback.
- NJ.com’ s Conor Orr ranked the Giants cornerback depth based on playing time, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano revealed some interesting notes in his analysis. Graziano opines that Orr’s top-five (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Prince Amukamara, Walter Thurmond, Zackary Bowman and Trumaine McBride, respectively) are safe while Charles James and Bennett Jackson will likely fight for the final spot. Graziano adds that it will get even more interesting once Jayron Hosley returns from suspension.
Extra Points: Davis, Hankins, Vernon, Brown
“Vernon Davis sounds resigned as if he’ll report to 49ers training camp in 26 days without a new contract,” writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and the tight end does not sound stressed about it.
Here’s more lunchtime links:
- Giants 2013 second-round pick Johnathan Hankins came on strong down the stretch last season and is poised to inherit the nose tackle position vacated by Linval Joseph, who signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan.
- Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton was terrific against the run last season, but he’s making a concerted effort to improve his hand use and pass-rushing ability. In a story by CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher, Thornton says part of his motivation came from his wife telling him, “You only had one sack.”
- Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s stock is on the rise, says ESPN’s James Walker: “The former third-round pick exploded on the scene and led the Dolphins with 11.5 sacks…Vernon had another strong offseason, capped by his 2 1/2 sacks in Miami’s team scrimmage last week. Not only that, Vernon beat Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert for two of his sacks…Vernon looks poised to hold onto his starting job and keep former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan on the bench.”
- Tarell Brown‘s one-year, $3.5MM deal is the Raiders’ best contract, while Sebastian Janikowski‘s four-year, $15.1MM deal — which “ranks in the top 10 of the Raiders annual salary structure, top 3 in total value for the team among veterans, and first overall among kickers in the NFL” — is the worst, in the opinion of OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald.
- Chiefs injury plagued tight end Tony Moeaki is on the bubble, explains ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
- Same goes for Jaguars safety Josh Evans, thinks ESPN’s Michael DiRocco: “Evans will have to prove early in camp that he’s completely healthy and is more consistent than he was as a rookie. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose reps and could end up being the first David Caldwell draft pick who gets cut.”
Bay Area Notes: Davis, 49ers, Raiders
Let’s round up today’s items from out of the Bay Area on the 49ers and Raiders….
- 49ers tight end Vernon Davis says he’s “not stressing” over his holdout, and hopes to see the arbitrator rule in Jimmy Graham‘s favor on his positional designation hearing, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Of course, as we noted earlier this week, the Graham decision may not have any real bearing on Davis’ situation, since the Niners tight end didn’t line up as a receiver nearly as often.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com takes an in-depth look at which 53 players he expects to enter the regular season on the 49ers‘ roster, running through the squad position by position.
- A deal that will keep baseball’s Athletics playing at the Coliseum in Oakland is not yet official, but has been agreed upon, and is now subject to the approval by the Coliseum Joint Powers Authority, which is scheduled to vote on the pending extension Friday, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, that’s not great news for the Raiders, who want their own stadium, and won’t be able to build a new one in the current location if the A’s have the inside track on that spot. Florio suggests that we shouldn’t be shocked if owner Mark Davis “finally commences the launch sequence” to potentially move the Raiders to another city.
Chargers Sign Brandon Flowers
WEDNESDAY, 3:30pm: The Chargers have waived cornerback Brandon Jones in order to clear a spot on the roster for Flowers, the team announced today (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 6:24pm: Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has the exact breakdown of Flowers’ deal. The veteran gets $1.5MM to sign, $1.5MM in base salary, and up to $2MM in incentives. In order to earn that full $2MM in incentives, Flowers needs to play in 92.5% of the Chargers defensive snaps and the team must advance to the AFC Championship (link).
5:53pm: Flowers’ deal can earn him up to $5MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The cornerback will now have the opportunity to prove himself this season and cash in next offseason at the age of 29.
4:01pm: The Chargers have reached an agreement on a contract with free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link), it’ll be a one-year pact for Flowers in San Diego.
After being cut by the Chiefs earlier in the month, Flowers paid a free agent visit to the Chargers last week, and later met with the 49ers as well, according to Garafolo (Twitter link). By joining the Chargers, Flowers will remain in the AFC West and face his old team twice in the 2014 season, and will also be signing with the team that topped last week’s PFR poll asking where the cornerback would land.
Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) suggest 2013 was a down year for Flowers as he struggled to fit in new Kansas City defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, ranking as just the 87th-best CB in the league among 110 qualified players. However, PFF rated Flowers as a top-seven corner in both 2011 and 2012, and the former Chief is still only 28 years old. That makes him an intriguing option for a Chargers team whose corners all had even worse PFF grades than Flowers in ’13.
By signing a one-year contract with San Diego, Flowers will have the opportunity to show that 2013 was an aberration, and will be eligible to hit the open market again at age 29. Considering the kind of deals we saw this year’s group of top cornerbacks sign in free agency, a bounce-back year from the former Virginia Tech standout could result in another nice payday next March. It would also go a long way toward solidifying a Chargers secondary that also added first-round cornerback Jason Verrett.
The Vikings, Ravens, Falcons, and Lions were among the other clubs who reportedly had some level of interest in Flowers, who received inquiries from about 10 teams when he first became available. However, if those teams – and others – are still on the lookout for veteran cornerback help, they’ll have to turn to a group of free agents that looks significantly less appealing without Flowers heading it up. Chris Houston, Terrell Thomas, and Drayton Florence are among the players still available, as our list of FAs shows.
The Chargers filled the 90th and final spot on their roster last week by claiming Chas Alecxih off waivers, so they’ll have to make a corresponding move in order to officially add Flowers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC West Notes: Peterson, Seahawks, 49ers
The league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which features fifth-year options for first-round picks, is ensuring that 2011 first-rounders will have a hard time securing contract extensions this year, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. As Somers notes, agent Joel Segal has discussed a new deal for Patrick Peterson with the Cardinals, but the two sides haven’t made significant progress. With two years still remaining on their rookie contracts thanks to those 2015 options, Peterson and his fellow 2011 first-rounders have little leverage at the moment, as teams aren’t feeling the pressure to offer anything but discounted deals.
Here’s more from around the NFC West:
- The Seahawks have signed former University of Washington receiver Kevin Smith to fill the last spot on their 90-man roster, reports Adam Jude of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Smith has bounced around among several teams over the last few weeks, having spent time with the Cardinals and Jaguars as well. He was cut by Jacksonville last week.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wasn’t surprised to hear the 49ers had Brandon Flowers in for a visit but he also wasn’t surprised that they couldn’t do enough to drag him away from the Chargers. Williamson thinks San Francisco will be fine going into the season with its current group of cornerbacks, but if another established CB becomes available, the team will investigate.
- Former 49ers coach Mike Singletary wants Vernon Davis to talk it out with San Francisco brass, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. “I think one of the most important things for Vernon is to make sure that right now with all of the things that are out there – the negative media, however it is – the most important thing in any holdout is the communication,” Singletary said Tuesday on NFL Network’s Total Access.
Zach Links contributed to this post.