NFC Rumors: Eagles, Panthers, Moore
With Chip Kelly now overseeing personnel decisions, the Eagles have probably had the NFL’s most interesting offseason. There is considerable risk and potentially some reckless methodology involved with the splashy maneuvers the franchise made, writes the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
McLane asserts the Eagles overbid in splurges for Byron Maxwell (six years, $63MM) and DeMarco Murray (4/$40MM) with other suitors not willing to come within $2MM AAV in Maxwell’s case or, with the exception of the Raiders, backing off well shy of the Eagles’ new commitment figure to Murray.
Also acquiring injury-riddled veterans Ryan Mathews, Sam Bradford, Walter Thurmond and Miles Austin, the Eagles went against conventional logic perhaps banking on their sports-science practices can benefit their new talents, adds McLane. But in the latter duo’s cases, the contracts didn’t seem to be commensurate with the recent production, thus negating some of the value typically associated with signing injured players, writes McLane.
Thurmond (one year, $3.25MM), who missed last season with a torn pectoral muscle, received almost the same amount he did from the Giants last March when he was coming off a healthier campaign and Austin bound for Philadelphia on a one-year deal worth $2.3MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) fresh off years headlined by injuries and borderline irrelevance compared to his previous work.
With 1,000-yard+ rushing seasons in both of his odd-year seasons (2011 and 2013) and season-defining maladies in his past two odd-year campaigns, Mathews received a bit of an injury-reduced salary, however, at three years and $11MM.
“Let’s let it play out,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said to McLane. “I think with any coach, you need patience, you need vision, you need to let them gamble and fail, and gamble and succeed, because the last thing you want to do is make a coach risk-averse.”
Elsewhere around the NFC …
- The Panthers‘ projected depth chart, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person, has an open slot at No. 2 receiver behind 2014 No. 1 draft choice Kelvin Benjamin. Person slotted newly signed wideouts Ted Ginn and Jarrett Boykin with holdover Jericho Cotchery at the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 slots, respectively, and also left the starting cornerback position across from Josh Norman vacant for a late-arriving free agent. Michael Oher is positioned at left tackle, a role he’s only played for one full (2010) despite the literary and cinematic depictions of his pre-NFL life there.
- Acquiring Ginn, Boykin and Oher, the latter two coming off disappointing seasons, represent the Panthers’ biggest gains this offseason, according to Person. The Panthers reporter listed defensive end, corner and running back as positions in need of upgrades heading into the draft, with Bene Benwikere‘s size (5-foot-11), Jonathan Stewart‘s durability and Kony Ealy‘s progression as charted concerns at those spots.
- Sterling Moore briefly considered returning to the Cowboys before signing with the Buccaneers, according to an interview with Alex Marvez and Zig Fracassi on Sirius XM Radio (audio link). But the Cowboys left the corner feeling “kind of disrespected” after not electing to tender him as a restricted free agent this offseason despite a productive 2014 season.
NFC Notes: Huff, Mosley, Saints, Glennon, Long
Eagles receiver Josh Huff gives his opinion on a number of the team’s offseason moves to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Huff, who played for Chip Kelly at Oregon before coming to Philadelphia, has an interesting perspective on Kelly’s thoughts about each move.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- After losing Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley this offseason, it was expected that the Lions would attempt to re-sign defensive tackle C.J. Mosley. The team has not pursued him yet, and Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes his suspension for marijuana possession the caused him to miss a game against the Falcons last season could be a reason why the team is hesitant to bring him back.
- The Saints are caught in between win-now and rebuilding mode after a disastrous 2014 season. They traded away their best receiving threat in Jimmy Graham, but still have franchise signal caller Drew Brees at the helm. They are the only team with five selections in the first three rounds, and have the ammo to rebuild quickly despite their cap troubles, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
- If the Buccaneers do select Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, quarterback Mike Glennon will become available for a trade, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. He writes if any team wants Glennon, he could be had as the team would just sign another veteran backup to replace him.
- The Rams have yet to pursue offensive tackle Jake Long in free agency, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com doesn’t see the Rams or any team actively trying sign Long at this point in the offseason. Wagoner cites his injury concerns as a reason teams would not be rushing to sign the former All-Pro tackle.
- The 49ers may have a pair of starting inside linebacker despite the retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, but NaVorro Bowman is coming off an injury and Michael Wilhoite is still relatively inexperienced. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com believes that Lance Briggs could be an interesting option to add to their depth, as he would not command big money but is looking to continuing his NFL career.
NFC South Notes: Winston, Underwood, Wilson
No one from the Buccaneers, the NFL, or any other NFL team has reached out to Jameis Winston‘s rape accuser for background information, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Given the climate of the NFL in the wake of the scandals surrounding Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy, Cole expected teams to reach out to the alleged victim. Winston, meanwhile, could still face civil action from that accuser and a second accuser could come forward with a civil suit and/or testify for the first alleged victim in her case.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC South:
- Former Buccaneers receiver Tiquan Underwood signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The speedy wide receiver also previously spent time with the Patriots and Jaguars.
- In today’s mailbag, Katherine Terrell of the The Times-Picayune writes that she isn’t so sure that the Saints‘ locker room leadership situation has really improved this offseason. The Saints didn’t necessarily ship out “problem children” and they also lost the likes of Pierre Thomas and Curtis Lofton.
- The Saints signed former Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson to a one-year deal earlier this week, and it will pay him $825,000, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The contract includes an $80,000 signing bonus.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have re-signed fullback Jorvorskie Lane. Lane had a tough year in 2014. He was hit with a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances in October and his season ended in November after he underwent surgery on his injured right leg. The Bucs did not tender an offer to Lane earlier this year but they have brought him back, presumably at a lower salary.
- The Vikings are signing long snapper Kevin McDermott, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The deal reunites him with his college punter, Jeff Locke. McDermott’s deal is a two-year, minimum salary pact, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter), who adds that he’ll have every opportunity to push Cullen Loeffler aside. McDermott’s deal has no guaranteed money while Loeffler’s has $300K guaranteed (link).
Washington Acquires Dashon Goldson
2:55pm: The Bucs announced that the deal is now official, according to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).
9:14am: A source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that the Bucs will pay the $4MM portion of Goldson’s 2015 salary which is fully guaranteed, which makes the deal a very minimal risk and investment for Washington.
9:06am: According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who notes that $4MM of Goldson’s salary for 2015 is guaranteed, the safety’s contract was adjusted as part of the trade, though the specific details aren’t immediately clear (Twitter link).
8:50am: After contemplating releasing him, the Buccaneers have found a taker for veteran safety Dashon Goldson, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). According to Stroud, the Bucs have agreed to send Goldson to Washington for a 2016 draft pick. Albert Breer of the NFL Network clarifies (via Twitter) that Washington is giving up a 2016 sixth-rounder in the deal, while Tampa Bay is including a ’16 seventh-rounder along with the safety.
Goldson, 30, signed a massive five-year contract worth $47.5MM with the Bucs prior to the 2013 season, so he still has three years left on that deal. Because there was no signing bonus on that deal, Tampa Bay will avoid carrying any dead money on its cap by trading him. Washington, meanwhile, will take on the safety’s $7.5MM base salary for 2015, along with a $500K workout bonus, for a cap hit totaling $8MM. Goldson has cap numbers of $8MM for 2016 and $7.25MM in 2017.
When Goldson signed that lucrative five-year contract with the Bucs, he was coming off an All-Pro season in San Francisco. However, his production has slipped a little over the last two seasons, as he has battled injuries. In 2014, among 87 qualified safeties, only Ryan Clark performed worse than Goldson, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Goldson’s -14.5 pass coverage grade was dead last among safeties — per PFF, he allowed a 69.7% completion percentage and a 127.2 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
Of course, Clark is the player that Goldson is replacing in Washington, so even if the former Buc doesn’t bounce back in 2015, it could technically be an upgrade for the team. Assuming Goldson looks good in camp, he and free agent signee Jeron Johnson figure to be Washington’s new starting safety duo — if not, the club could release Goldson and turn to an in-house option such as Trent Robinson, or perhaps a draftee. Still, since $4MM of Goldson’s base salary is guaranteed, Washington has some financial incentive to make things work with him.
Current Washington general manager Scot McCloughan was a member of the 49ers’ front office when the team drafted Goldson back in 2007.
South Notes: Brees, Fowler, Jags, Bucs
In an interview with WWL radio in New Orleans on Thursday, quarterback Drew Brees said he intends to retire with the Saints, and dismissed any speculation about potential trade talks involving him.
“I have a close enough relationship with everybody within the Saints organization that if something was going on, I would have heard about it from them,” Brees said. “If there was any seriousness, you know, reality (to the rumors), that would be discussed. Anything that I hear or get wind of is typically false. False reports.”
Of course, the reports Brees calls “false” never really existed. Some columnists wrote speculative articles about the possibility of quarterback-needy teams checking in on Brees while the Saints were seemingly making everyone available, but at least one report suggested the quarterback was one of the only players the team was not shopping. Nonetheless, GM Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, and Brees himself have all felt the need to shoot down that speculation.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Asked about upcoming pre-draft meetings, Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. says he has visits lined up with the Jaguars and Titans, writes Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com. Fowler is considered one of the top pass rushers in the draft, and projects as a potential top-five pick — Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN recently expressed confidence that Fowler will go third overall to Jacksonville.
- Center Stefen Wisniewski left his visit with the Jaguars without a deal in place, but head coach Gus Bradley said the team will “have more conversations about him,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Bradley also said that, while the team is keeping its options open in regard to adding a fullback, it’s conceivable that Jacksonville starts the season with four tight ends and no fullbacks on its roster.
- We can add linebacker Larry Dean to the list of free agents to visit the Buccaneers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Guard Dan Connolly, wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan, and defensive end George Johnson are among the other players who recently paid a visit to Tampa Bay.
Draft Notes: Packers, Pats, Dolphins
Here’s the latest draft news..
- Maryland nose tackle Darius Kilgo told Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter) that he has visited the Packers, Patriots, and Dolphins. He’ll also visit the Bengals and attend the Panthers‘ local prospect day.
- Maryland wide receiver Deon Long told Wilson (Twitter links) he’ll attend the Ravens‘ local prospect day on April 21st. He added that he has drawn interest from the Bears and Panthers. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote about the intriguing prospect earlier today and noted that he has drawn the interest of the Patriots.
- The Patriots met with Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Rutgers fullback Michael Burton worked out for the Buccaneers this morning at RU, according to Dan Duggan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Next up is a visit with the Browns on Friday.
Minor Moves: Thursday
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with any additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:
- Raiders defensive back Neiko Thorpe has signed his exclusive right free agent tender, placing him back under contract, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals have brought back former backup signal-caller Josh Johnson, signing him to a new contract today, according to the team (Twitter link). Johnson, who visited Cincinnati today, spent time with the 49ers in 2014 after serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup for the Bengals in 2013.
- Zeke Motta, a 2013 seventh-rounder who played sparingly for the Falcons in his rookie year, was cut by Atlanta today, according to a team release. Matta missed the entire 2014 campaign due to a neck injury, and will have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.
- Safety Anthony Walters, who played in 37 regular season contests during four seasons with the Bears, has been cut, the team announced today (via Twitter). Walters had primarily contributed on special teams for Chicago. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) wonders if Walters’ release opens up the door for the team to re-sign Danny McCray, which had been previously considered.
- After adding Mike Kafka to their roster, the Vikings have parted ways with another quarterback, formally announcing that they’ve waived Pat Devlin. The ex-Dolphin had signed a futures contract with Minnesota after spending some time on the team’s practice squad in 2014.
- Having visited Minnesota and Tampa Bay this week, tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi will be signing with the Buccaneers, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Ogbuehi, who spent time on the practice squads for the Ravens and Browns during the 2014 season, is getting a two-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Former Miami Hurricanes linebacker Shayon Green has signed with the Steelers, according to PR rep Burt Lauten (via Twitter).
Draft Visits: Jets, M. Davis, Orchard, Raiders
It would be a little surprising to see the Jets take a receiver with the sixth overall pick after signing Eric Decker and trading for Brandon Marshall during the last two offseasons, but the team is bringing in wideout Amari Cooper today for a pre-draft visit, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Cooper viewed as a near lock to be selected in the top 10, it’s more likely the Jets are doing due diligence and keeping their options open rather than making the Alabama product a priority.
Here are some details on several more pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- We heard yesterday that South Carolina running back Mike Davis has a visit lined up with the Patriots, but New England is far from the only team eyeing him. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Davis also has workouts or visits scheduled with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Browns, and Falcons.
- Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, a projected second-round pick, confirmed that he met with the Browns, dining with defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and outside linebackers coach Brian Fleury, per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com.
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (all Twitter links), the Raiders are taking a look at a handful of prospects today, working out South Dakota offensive lineman Matt Huffer, and hosting New Hampshire center Mike Coccia and Texas Southern defensive back Tray Walker.
- Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell, a potential second-day pick, has worked out for the Buccaneers, Browns, and Texans, and has workouts on deck with the Bears and Eagles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Delaware State defensive end Rodney Gunter, who had 57 tackles and seven sacks in his senior season, visited the Chiefs, a league source tells Wilson.
- The Broncos are hosting New Hampshire tight end Harold Spears for a pre-draft visit, according to Wilson.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft
Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.
In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
- Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
- Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.