Extra Points: Newton, Foles, Romo, Bills
Good news for Los Angeles, Chicago, and Madison Square Garden landlord James Dolan: they’re all finalists to host the 2015 NFL Draft, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Radio City Music Hall has informed the NFL that it will not be available to host the NFL draft in April or May, because the Rockettes are more important, apparently. Here’s more from around the league…
- Cam Newton‘s next contract with the Panthers is unlikely to mirror Colin Kaepernick‘s new deal with the 49ers, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. “I’m sure the Carolina Panthers will go, ‘Hey, we’ll give you Kaepernick’s structure,’” said Joel Corry, a former NFL agent. “But (Newton’s agent) Bus Cook is not going to be too receptive to that.” Newton, selected No. 1 overall in the 2011 draft in which Kaepernick was picked in the second round, is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal. In April, the Panthers picked up the club option on Newton for 2015 at $14.67MM.
- Eagles quarterback Nick Foles will set his own market, not Kaepernick, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. For now, Foles stands as the biggest QB bargain in the NFL, save for the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson, but the Eagles will have to give him big bucks after this season to wrap him up long term. For his career, Foles has thrown 33 touchdown passes and seven interceptions (27 TDs and two interceptions last year), completing 364 of 582 passes (62.5%) for 4,590 yards.
- The relationship between Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo could wind up saving Garrett’s job, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys have bent over backwards to accommodate Romo and keeping Garrett would continue that trend.
- Former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano confirmed today that he has interest in bidding on the Bills when they are put up for sale, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “Everybody has a degree of reasonableness,” Golisano said. “If it costs way more than I’m willing to pay, then I won’t feel bad if I don’t get them. I’ll only feel bad if they move out of Western New York. If they get moved out of Western New York, I’m not going to feel very good about it. I might even feel partially responsible. Not totally, but partially responsible.”
- While the deal seems hefty on the surface, Kaepernick’s new deal with the 49ers is actually quite team-friendly, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Branch, like Person, checked in with Corry for his take on the deal and he says that while the contract works in SF’s favor, the QB’s agents at XAM Sports didn’t necessarily get taken advantage of. It’s very possible that Kaepernick, as others have suggested, specifically wanted an under-value deal in order to make new deals possible for others on the roster.
West Notes: 49ers, Davis, Bradford
Everyone seems to be weighing in on Colin Kaepernick‘s deal, except for Andrew Luck. “I think it’s odd to comment on anybody’s contract in any industry,” the Colts QB said, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. When it comes time for Luck’s new deal, you can expect him to earn even more than the possible $21MM per season that Kaepernick will earn under his new deal.
- Vernon Davis told ESPN’s NFL Live earlier today that he approached the 49ers last season about restructuring his deal, long before the current OTAs that he’s skipping, writes Cam Inman of the Mercury News. While the tight end, under contract through 2015, has taken some criticism for staying home, he doesn’t seem to stressed about it. “It’s not mandatory and that’s what I have to keep reminding people,” Davis said.
- Through all the rumors and speculation, Rams QB Sam Bradford never doubted his place with the team, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “I didn’t [worry about my job security]” Bradford said. “Throughout the end of last year I was in communication with [general manager] Les [Snead] and (coach) Jeff [Fisher], and they made it very clear what their plan was. Throughout the offseason they continued to make that clear. I knew what my position on this team was.”
- Broncos prized free agent addition Emmanuel Sanders believes that he DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward are bringing a new energy to Denver’s locker room, writes Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today Sports. “We are guys that are bringing a different hunger. More hunger to this team,” Sanders. “I feel like that’s what it needs, because these guys have been playing football since February, the offseason was so short, and you’ve got us coming in here being like, ‘Let’s go.’ It’s time to get back there and win it all this time.“
NFC Notes: Goodwin, Saints, 49ers, Giants
The Saints may have landed their new starting center in free agency this week, and it’s a familiar face — Jonathan Goodwin, who is back for his second stint with the club, recognizes that it’s rare to return to a team later down the line, but had always hoped to retire as a Saint, tweets Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. According to Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link), head coach Sean Payton confirmed that the Saints waited until June to sign Goodwin in order to avoid him being linked to future draft pick compensation.
Here’s a little more on Goodwin, as well as several other updates from around the NFC:
- Goodwin’s one-year deal with the Saints is a minimum salary benefit contract, but it includes $125K in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Goodwin received a $65K signing bonus in addition to $60K in guaranteed money on his base salary.
- Before he signed a contract extension to remain in New Orleans, Pierre Thomas thought his days with the Saints were coming to an end, as he admits to Christopher Dabe of the Times-Picayune.
- Investing heavily in Colin Kaepernick would’ve reduced the 49ers‘ leverage in contract negotiations with coach Jim Harbaugh, since the head coach played such a significant role in picking and developing Kaepernick, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, since San Francisco has some flexibility to get out of Kaepernick’s deal if need be, that should give the club some flexibility in regard to Harbaugh too.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at Kaepernick’s extension and wonders if Robert Griffin III could eventually ink a similar contract, since the two signal-callers play a somewhat similar style of quarterback.
- The latest Read Option column from Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report includes several interesting tidbits, including items on Greg Robinson‘s current and future position with the Rams and the Packers‘ reasoning for selecting Davante Adams in the second round over other available wideouts.
- Addressing the team’s decision to cut safety Will Hill following his latest suspension, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin told reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), “When you run a business you have to be able to rely on people to be there when you need them.”
Details On Colin Kaepernick’s Extension
When word first broke yesterday that the 49ers had extended Colin Kaepernick‘s contract, huge numbers were being cited for his future earnings. The deal was said to be worth up to $126MM, with $61MM in guaranteed money, which would be a new record. However, as I cautioned at the time, those initial figures are generally coming from the player’s side, often from a source like his agent. So it was fair to wonder if they were artificially inflated.
As it turns out, that was indeed the case. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has passed along several details on the contract, which is much more team-friendly than initially believed. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap has attempted to distill the reported figures into chart form, but we’ll break down a few pertinent details below:
- At the time of signing, only $13.073MM is fully guaranteed — a $12.328MM signing bonus, a 2014 base salary of $645K, and a ’14 workout bonus of $100K. Additionally, the ’14 base salary and workout bonus were already on Kaepernick’s previous deal, so the signing bonus is really the only part of the new contract that’s fully guaranteed.
- For now, Kaepernick’s base salaries in 2015, 2016, 2017, and part of 2018 are guaranteed for injury only. They become fully guaranteed if the quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond April 1 of each year. Those base salaries are as follows:
- 2015: $12.4MM
- 2016: $13.9MM
- 2017: $16.9MM
- 2018: $17MM ($5.2MM currently guaranteed for injury only)
- Kaepernick’s 2019 and 2020 base salaries are fully non-guaranteed. They amount to $18.8MM and $21MM, respectively.
- In each year from 2015 to 2020, the overall value of the contract is set to de-escalate by $2MM, up to a total of $12MM. Kaepernick can halt this de-escalation at any time by taking 80% of the team’s snaps and either appearing in the Super Bowl or being named the first- or second-team All-Pro quarterback. If Kaepernick were to meet these criteria in 2014, that entire $12MM would remain. However, if, for instance, he doesn’t meet the criteria and stop the de-escalator until the 2017 season, he’d lose $6MM in overall value – $2MM for each of the three previous seasons.
- Beginning in 2015, the contract includes a massive $2MM per year in per-game roster bonuses, meaning Kaepernick would miss out on $125K for each regular season game he didn’t play.
- Starting in 2015, the deal also includes $400K in annual workout bonuses.
- The contract required Kaepernick to buy a disability policy that pays the Niners $20MM if he suffers a career-ending injury.
- In total then, the value of the new money in the extension is $126.328MM. However, given the modest signing bonus and the absence of a lot of fully guaranteed money, the 49ers essentially have the ability to go year to year on the deal without risking too much dead money acceleration.
NFC Notes: Zimmer, Newton, Kaepernick
A report yesterday quoted Vikings coach Mike Zimmer as saying that he almost didn’t show up for his second interview for the job. Today he clarified that story for reporters, including Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. The coach didn’t consider bailing on the Vikings interview because he wasn’t enthused for the position; he says he was just disappointed about not getting the Titans’ gig and didn’t think he had a great chance anywhere else. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- A lot of people are surprised by Colin Kaepernick‘s hefty new contract, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues that salary cap spikes could drive the quarterback market even higher. Because of that, he says that the Panthers need to move quickly on a new deal for QB Cam Newton. Soon, he says, the high-water mark for an elite QB will be $25MM per year and, eventually, $30MM per season. With another strong year or two, Newton could push the ceiling sky-high.
- The 49ers spent 15 hours straight negotiating with Kaepernick’s representatives, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The 49ers knew that the QB would play out his rookie deal rather than accepting anything with an average annual value under $20MM.
- The Falcons are counting on free agent pickup Dwight Lowery to fill their free safety hole, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After starting eight of 27 games for the Jets in 2009 and 2010, Lowery was a full-time starter for the Jaguars over the past three seasons. However, his season ended after just three games in 2013 after he suffered a bad concussion and went on injured reserve.
- There might not be an opportunity at present, but after signing a three-year extension with the Eagles yesterday, guard Allen Barbre says he would like to start, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, the Eagles value his versatility off the bench as he has filled in admirably at both guard and tackle.
- Brian McNally of The Washington Times wonders if Redskins linebacker Keenan Robinson can fill the void left by the retirement of London Fletcher.
- The Cardinals signed undrafted rookie free agent running back Damien Thigpen, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. To make room, the Cards dropped wide receiver Kevin Smith. Thigpen was in rookie minicamp a couple of weeks ago with Arizona and apparently made quite an ipression. The 5’8″, 180 pound tailback tore his ACL late in his junior year and also missed part of his senior season.
Reactions To Colin Kaepernick’s Deal
Earlier today, the 49ers took care of Colin Kaepernick‘s contract weeks earlier than anyone thought they would. The price tag was also a shock to some. The mobile quarterback can earn up to $21MM per season in the deal thanks to incentives that are said to be rather obtainable. The deal includes $61MM in guaranteed money, making it the largest guarantee in NFL history. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to No. 7’s new deal..
- John Clayton of ESPN.com (Twitter link) is unsure if Kaepernick’s lucrative new deal with the 49ers will help or hurt talks for lesser quarterbacks like Alex Smith and Andy Dalton. He adds that the six-year, $126MM deal probably means a $22MM per year deal for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap was surprised to hear that Kaepernick got a deal worth a maximum of $21MM per year. Based on the contract history of limited sample size players, like Kaepernick, Fitzgerald believed that the 49ers quarterback was in line for an $18MM per year deal. With the lucrative new deal, the 49ers now find themselves with a tight cap situation, even though the deal reportedly gives the team flexibility to work on a new deal for wide receiver Michael Crabtree and others.
- “I’m going to work to try to make sure I’m worth every penny of this, try to win as many games as possible. That’s something I feel I can do,” said Kaepernick of his new deal, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
- Kaepernick also told reporters that he won’t let the big bucks affect his motivation, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- It’d be easy for Dalton to pay attention to Kaepernick’s deal, but he’d be better off ignoring it, writes ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey. He’s undoubtedly dreaming of dollar signs, but the Bengals dont’ have any compelling reasons to award him in similar fashion. Dalton wants to get paid like an elite quarterback, meaning $19MM or more per season, but there are legitimate questions as to whether he’d even be worth ~$15MM annually.
49ers Extend Colin Kaepernick Through 2020
6:04pm: The deal has a $12MM signing bonus where has most big deals for quarterbacks have bonuses of $24-$40MM, notes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He adds (link) that Kaepernick specifically requested that his extension allow the club enough flexibility to negotiate extensions with players such as Crabtree. The contract includes obtainable incentives – including some linked to the postseason – that could boost the average annual value to $21MM per year, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
3:22pm: The 49ers have officially confirmed Kaepernick’s extension, making it official (via Twitter).
3:12pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) clarifies that the $61MM figure includes “rolling guarantees.” That means some of the money is likely guaranteed for injury only for now, and will become fully guaranteed if Kaepernick remains on the roster past certain dates.
3:09pm: Kaepernick’s new contract includes $61MM in guaranteed money, making it the largest guarantee in NFL history, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. At this point, that salary information is typically coming from the player’s agent, meaning the number could be a little artificially inflated. As I noted below, we’ll have to wait to see if that $61MM is all fully guaranteed money, or if a portion of it is guaranteed for injury only. Either way, Kaepernick seems to have made out very well for himself in the deal.
2:57pm: The 49ers and Colin Kaepernick have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep the quarterback under team control through the 2020 season, a club source tells Steve Berman of BayAreaSportsGuy.com. The new deal may ultimately eclipse $20MM per year, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it can be worth up to $126MM, with $60MM in guaranteed money (Twitter links).
We heard yesterday that the Niners and Kaepernick’s representatives resumed contract talks for the quarterback this week, as Kaepernick prepared to enter the final year of his rookie deal. The club had expressed optimism about getting a new agreement in place by the time training camp opened, and after a face-to-face meeting yesterday, it seems the two sides didn’t waste any time hammering out a deal.
Jay Cutler‘s $126MM+ contract, which averages more than $18MM per year, had been the most recent huge-money deal for a starting quarterback, and likely provided a baseline for Kaepernick’s negotiations. Although Cutler has more NFL experience than the Niners signal-caller, and has certainly racked up more impressive yardage and touchdown totals, Kaepernick is several years younger, and already has several postseason victories, including an appearance in the Super Bowl.
A report in March indicated that Kaepernick would be looking to exceed the long-term pacts signed by Cutler and Tony Romo (also $18MM per year), and that he’d be seeking a salary in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually. We’ll have to wait for the exact figures on the extension’s base value, which figures to be a little smaller than its reported $126MM max value. But even if that $60MM isn’t all fully guaranteed, it seems Kaepernick’s new contract will put him right there with the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks.
In his first full season as the starter in San Francisco, Kaepernick completed 58.4% of his passes in 2013, racking up 3,197 passing yards and 21 passing touchdowns against just eight interceptions. He also scored four TDs on the ground. Although the 26-year-old only has 23 career regular-season starts to his name, he has compiled a 4-2 record in playoff contests, falling just short of beating the Ravens to win the Super Bowl following the 2012 season.
With Kaepernick locked up, the 49ers can shift their focus to several other potential extension candidates on the roster. Offensive lineman Alex Boone and tight end Vernon Davis weren’t in attendance at the club’s OTAs, in the hopes of negotiating new deals. The contracts of wide receiver Michael Crabtree and offensive lineman Mike Iupati will also need to be addressed soon.
Meanwhile, several quarterbacks will be keeping a close eye on the details of Kaepernick’s detail as they emerge. Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, and Nick Foles are among the other QBs around the league who could ink extensions of their own within the next year or so.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Orakpo, Hosley, Packers, Ponder
Although he refuses to hold out, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo still hopes to get a multiyear contract worked out with the team this summer, as Jason Reid of the Washington Post writes. The two sides have discussed the parameters of a deal, but Orakpo deferred to GM Bruce Allen when asked if there had been progress toward an agreement.
“You’ve got to ask Bruce about that,” Orakpo said. “You’ve got to ask them boys (senior Redskins management) about that. Money talks.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- The suspensions just keep on coming for the Giants, who announced today that cornerback Jayron Hosley will miss the first four games of the season due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. News of Hosley’s suspension comes on the heels of a six-game ban for safety Will Hill, who was subsequently waived by the club. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets, assuming he doesn’t meet the same fate as Hill and find himself looking for a new team, Hosley’s four-game suspension will cost him about $134K of his $570K salary.
- Lori Nickel and Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel explore whether Packers receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are both in line for new contract extensions.
- Addressing for the first time the Vikings‘ decision not to exercise his fifth-year option, Christian Ponder said he wasn’t surprised at all by the decision, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press details. “It gives me an opportunity,” Ponder said of not having a contract beyond 2014. “It has my options open after the season whether I have leverage to stay here or go somewhere else, whether there’s a better place for me to play.”
- Vernon Davis, who is reportedly seeking a new contract, tells Maggie Gray on SI Now that he’s keeping a close eye on Jimmy Graham‘s positional grievance, even though Davis considers himself a tight end and not a receiver. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has the quotes from the 49ers tight end.
- New Buccaneers offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford isn’t saying much about what his plan will be for this upcoming season, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. One thing Tedford did tip, however, is that he’s a fan of a running back by committee approach.
- Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post passes along Reed Doughty‘s Instagram farewell message to the Redskins and their fans, suggesting the unrestricted free agent won’t be re-signing with the team.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Nelson, Packers, Willis, Gordon
The NFLPA is considering a plan that would pay players year round rather than just during the season in an effort to help them manage their money better, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. For that proposal to go through, a simply majority of the 32 team reps will have to approve and the deal will also have to be negotiated with the league. Here’s more from around the league..
- Jordy Nelson‘s last deal with the Packers, which pays an average of $4.2MM per season, cost him a whole lot of money, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. In the last three seasons, only three other NFL receivers — Dallas’ Dez Bryant, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Denver’s Eric Decker — have more touchdown catches than Nelson (30). He’s 12th in yards (3,322) and sixth in yards per catch (16.45) among all receivers during that same stretch.
- The 49ers may find their replacement for injured inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman from within, writes Steve Corkran of Bay Area News Group. San Francisco has asked All-Pro Patrick Willis to think about shifting over to Mike linebacker this season and he sounds open to the idea.
- Josh Gordon‘s teammates might feel betrayed by his behavior and the Browns front office surely isn’t pleased, but he’s far too special for Cleveland to cut him loose at this point, opines Maria Ridenour of the Beacon Journal. Of course, it’d be hard to imagine the Browns doing such a thing, but they do sound frustrated. “There has to be a willingness [to improve] on the other side. Sometimes guys get the message too late,” said Pettine. “In all my time in the league, there’s always going to be a handful of guys that just don’t get it.”
- New Lions offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi could have big things planned for rising sophomore Theo Riddick, writes Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News. Riddick had nine carries for 25 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 26 yards last year. He was effectively Bush’s backup, and 2011 second-round pick Mikel Leshoure was Joique Bell’s backup.
49ers Sign Blake Costanzo
2:09pm: The 49ers have officially confirmed the signing of Costanzo, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived guard Al Netter to make room on the roster for the new addition.
9:49am: Free agent linebacker Blake Costanzo has agreed to terms with the 49ers, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Costanzo, who spent the last two seasons with the Bears, previously played in San Francisco during the 2011 season.
A seven-year veteran, Costanzo has primarily contributed on kick and punt coverage throughout his career. In 2013, he logged 11 special teams tackles for Chicago and recorded a +6.0 grade for the unit, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). The 30-year-old played a similar role during his last run with the Niners, racking up 16 special teams tackles while not playing a single snap on defense.
While salary details haven’t yet been reported, I’d expect a minimum salary contract for the special teams ace. It’ll be a one-year contract, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).