Extra Points: Rams, Bell, Incognito
Inglewood mayor James Butts told The Beast 980 that enough signatures have been acquired to support a stadium initiative. The next step in the process will be a public hearing regarding the stadium project on February 24th. Of course, there are many more hurdles to be cleared, but this is a potentially big step towards clearing a path toward the Rams heading west to L.A. More from around the NFL..
- Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is expected to be suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season following his August arrest, sources told ESPN.com’s John Clayton. Since Bell is a first-time offender, that’s the maximum suspension allowed under the NFL’s new substance abuse policy.
- New Bills offensive guard Richie Incognito told Jeff Darlington of NFL Media that he discussed the Miami bullying scandal with his new team and told the club about what he learned from the situation. The 31-year-old says that he understands that this will be his last chance to play in the NFL given the hit that his reputation has taken.
- The Chargers regressed on special teams in 2014 and they’ll need some reinforcements for 2015, Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego writes. Depending on how things break, it’s possible that the Bolts could carry a kickoff specialist. Of course, doing that would take a bit away from other area on the roster.
- The somewhat surprising decision by the Buccaneers to release quarterback Josh McCown could signal that the team is gearing up to spend significant dollars in free agency, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Meanwhile, if the Bucs don’t use that money to sign another quarterback in free agency, that almost certainly means the club will select either Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick.
- Former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik‘s experience with Josh Freeman is why he prefers Mariota to Winston, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Both have serious talent, but Mariota is regarded as someone with very high character.
- The Saints should retain Mark Ingram, but only at the right price, according to Sean Fazende of WVUE. Ingram stands as the fourth-best free agent tailback in Fazende’s view and he feels a four-year, $16MM offer with $6MM guaranteed would make sense for both sides.
- Michael Felger of CSNNE.com wonders if the Broncos might use Tom Brady‘s contract as leverage in contract talks.
Reactions To Bucs Releasing Josh McCown
Earlier today, the Buccaneers bid farewell to Josh McCown after a rough year in Tampa Bay. McCown elevated his stock in 2013 when he filled in admirably for Jay Cutler in Chicago, but he was unable to carry that momentum over to 2014, winning just one of eleven starts. Even though McCown stumbled badly, he should wind up having multiple teams interested in him, especially given what else is out there at the position. More on McCown..
- At one point, McCown was quasi-retired, but at this point his plan is to continue playing, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- McCown has already heard from a few interested teams wanting him to visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) speculates that the Bills would be all over McCown. He adds that the Browns, Texans, Jets, and Titans could also be in on the veteran.
- Some of the money the Buccaneers saved by releasing McCown could go towards signing linebacker Lavonte David to a long-term deal, Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune tweets. David is eligible to be a free agent in 2016.
- McCown to the Ravens sounds good on the surface, but it’s not all that likely to happen given the dearth of quarterbacks available, writes Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. McCown is flawed, of course, but the demand for signal-callers far outweighs the free agent supply. McCown will probably look for an opportunity to start or, at the very least, sit behind an iffy or injury-prone starter elsewhere. Still, McCown flourished under new Ravens’ offensive coordinator Marc Trestman with the Bears in 2013 and Joe Flacco‘s backup, Tyrod Taylor, is a pending free agent. If everything came together, one has to imagine that Baltimore would have serious interest in the veteran.
- The Buccaneers cutting McCown bodes well for Jameis Winston, Steven Ruiz of USA Today Sports writes. Ruiz figures that the Bucs won’t have the patience to develop Marcus Mariota and will instead go with the FSU star who spent the last two years operating a pro-style offense.
Bucs Release Josh McCown
The Buccaneers’ quarterback situation for 2015 remains uncertain for now, but the team has decided to remove at least one veteran from the equation. According to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter), the Bucs are releasing quarterback Josh McCown from their roster. The team has since confirmed the move, via a press release.
Coming off an excellent run in Chicago in which he threw 13 touchdowns and just one interception in relief of Jay Cutler in 2013, McCown inked a two-year, $10MM deal with the Bucs last offseason. Many observers viewed the contract warily, since McCown has been a backup for most of his NFL career, posting a 71.2 QB rating in 54 total games (33 starts) prior to ’13. McCown’s age-35 season, his lone year as Tampa Bay’s primary starter, didn’t go well — he won just one of 11 starts, throwing more INTs (14) than TDs (11), and completing just 56.3% of his passes.
McCown’s deal didn’t include a signing bonus, so the Buccaneers won’t be on the hook for any dead money in 2015 — the club creates $5.25MM in cap savings by clearing the veteran’s entire base salary from its books. It’s also possible that McCown won’t be the last QB the Bucs part ways with this offseason. Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato remain on the roster, and Glennon has been cited frequently as a potential trade candidate. Given how weak this year’s market is for signal-callers – both in free agency and in the draft – Glennon could potentially net Tampa Bay a mid-round draft pick.
While there aren’t many long-term quarterback solutions expected to be available in the draft, there are two solid options at the top of the class, and the Bucs, armed with the No. 1 overall pick, will have their choice of either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. A report earlier today suggested that head coach Lovie Smith prefers Winston, though with the combine, pro days, and individual interviews still on tap, plenty could change between now and April 30.
As for McCown, he re-enters the quarterback market a year after signing the largest deal at his position. The free agent market for quarterbacks, which I examined on Monday, looks just as weak this winter as it did in 2014. Teams may prefer players like Brian Hoyer and Mark Sanchez to McCown, but the former third-round pick should be among the top options on the board.
One potentially intriguing destination for McCown could be Baltimore. He wouldn’t have the opportunity to compete for a starting job with Joe Flacco locked in as the starter, but the Ravens could be in the market for a backup with Tyrod Taylor facing free agency, and Baltimore’s new offensive coordinator is Marc Trestman, who got the most out of McCown in Chicago. Of course, given the number of teams that figure to seek a veteran to compete for a No. 1 role, and the lack of top-notch options available, McCown may prefer an opportunity that could lead to more playing time.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC South Notes: Bucs, Saints, Panthers
Former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik may prefer Marcus Mariota to Jameis Winston with the first overall pick in this year’s draft, but Dominik won’t be involved in that decision. On the other hand, head coach Lovie Smith will have significant input in making that call, and according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, early indications are that Smith likes Winston more than Mariota.
Yasinskas writes that, from what he has gathered, Tampa Bay chose Dirk Koetter over Marc Trestman as the team’s new offensive coordinator in part because Trestman preferred Mariota to Winston. Of course, there’s still plenty of time for Smith to change his mind on the draft’s top two quarterbacks, with the combine, pro days, and individual interviews still on tap, and he won’t be the only person making the decision on that No. 1 pick. But for now, it looks like Winston could be the early favorite.
Here’s more on the Bucs and a couple of their division rivals:
- Mel Kiper of ESPN.com agrees with Yasinskas’ assessment, and has Winston going first overall to the Buccaneers in his latest mock draft (Insider link). As Kiper explains, he expects the Bucs to take a close look at Mariota, but he believes Tampa Bay will ultimately opt for Winston if their questions about his past off-field behavior are answered to the team’s satisfaction.
- The Saints have officially announced their complete 2015 coaching staff, including new additions like senior defensive assistant Dennis Allen and wide receivers coach John Morton. Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune takes a closer look at the new additions, and at Allen in particular — he expects the former Raiders head coach will “undoubtedly place his mark” on Rob Ryan’s defense.
- The Panthers confirmed a previously-reported hiring today, announcing in a press release that Cameron Turner has joined the club’s staff, and will assist Ricky Proehl in working with Carolina’s receivers.
NFC South Notes: Hardy, Saints, Bucs, Mariota
The upcoming jury trial for Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy will play a key role in his NFL future, writes the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person.
Hardy’s trial for misdemeanor domestic violence charges starts Monday, a month before the former Pro Bowler is scheduled to become a free agent. A District Court judge found Hardy guilty in July of assaulting and threatening to kill his girlfriend last May. If he is found guilty again, Hardy is likely to face at least a six-game suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, which would be a significant blow to his value.
The 26-year-old appealed for the upcoming jury trial and the outcome could decide whether he cashes in during free agency or meets a weak response from the market. Hardy played just one game in 2014 as a result of being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list in September. That amounted to a paid suspension for Hardy, who collected $13.1MM on the strength of 11- and 15-sack seasons the two prior years.
Despite his past success, the Panthers are not expected to retain the five-year veteran, according to Person. Domestic violence issues are especially sensitive in today’s NFL, given the controversies Hardy, Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson caused in 2014, and Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is cognizant of that. “I stand firmly against domestic violence, plain and simple,” said Richardson.
- The Saints have hired a new running backs coach in Joel Thomas, tweets Sports Illustrated’s Thayer Evans. Thomas held the same position for the University of Arkansas since 2013.
- With the hiring of Thomas, the Saints have two RBs coaches – the other being Dan Roushar. There is no official word on Roushar’s fate, though the Times-Picayune’s Katherine Terrell speculates that he could shift to tight ends coach, a position he held at Michigan State from 2011-12. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted in January that the Saints were parting ways with tight ends coach Terry Malone and wide receivers coach Henry Ellard. However, the team still hasn’t officially confirmed their respective statuses.
- Former Buccaneers general manager and current ESPN analyst Mark Dominik believes Tampa Bay should use the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota. Dominik, who was with the Bucs from 2009-13, told ESPN Radio’s Scott Van Pelt and Ryan Rusillo on Thursday that he favors Mariota over Florida State QB Jameis Winston, according to the Tampa Tribune’s Roy Cummings. “He’s super smart, he’s competitive, he’s got a good release, he processes quickly, he gets the ball out of his hand fast,” Dominik said of Mariota. “He does all these other things that are fine. Whereas with Winston, you sit there and you say you like everything about the player. And you do. But there’s that what-if concern that’s laying over him, and that’s hard to manage because that’s something you can’t control and that’s something that you have to hope or find out if you can trust him.”
2015 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates: NFC South
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than a month away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. Last week, we examined all four AFC divisions, covering the East, North, South, and West. This week, we’ve shifted our focus to the NFC — we kicked things off on Tuesday with the East and tackled the North on Wednesday. Today, we’ll turn to the South. While there are fewer candidates to be tagged in this division than perhaps any other division in the league, here’s a breakdown of the possible franchise and transition tag candidates for the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Candidates: Matt Bryant
- Odds of being used: Possible
- There are many Falcons regulars eligible for free agency, but the list isn’t particularly inspiring. Among a group that includes Dwight Lowery, Kroy Biermann, Osi Umenyiora, Corey Peters, Josh Wilson, Robert McClain, Antone Smith, and Jacquizz Rodgers, there are no real candidates for the franchise tag, but Bryant could qualify. He currently falls just outside of the league’s top 10 highest-paid kickers, but he has been a model of consistency for Atlanta in recent years. In his past two seasons with the team, he has missed six total field goals, and five of those came from 50+ yards. The Falcons will want him back, so tagging him could be an option if the two sides don’t work anything out before March 3.
Carolina Panthers:
- Candidates: None
- Odds of being used: Extremely unlikely
- When examining other divisions and other teams, I’ve generally listed players as candidates to be tagged if their teams used a tag on them a year ago. But it’s hard to argue the case for Greg Hardy to get the franchise tag again. A domestic violence charge relegated Hardy to the exempt list all season, and the defensive end may be facing an additional suspension for the 2015 season. There’s no question he’s talented, and if he makes it to the open market, Hardy should draw interest from teams willing to look past his off-field troubles. But Carolina certainly shouldn’t need to commit to another eight-digit salary to bring him back. The club’s only other conceivable candidate is Byron Bell, but that’s only because he played an important position in 2014. Bell’s trial run at left tackle wasn’t a real success story — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him 83rd out of 84 qualified tackles.
New Orleans Saints:
- Candidates: Shayne Graham
- Odds of being used: Unlikely
- Like the Falcons, the Saints’ top candidate for a tag is their kicker. In New Orleans’ case, however, it’s more of a long shot. Graham performed passably for the team in 2014, but it certainly wasn’t the sort of season that warrants paying the 37-year-old like one of the league’s best kickers. Mark Ingram is another intriguing name among the Saints’ list of free-agents-to-be, but given the cost of the franchise tag for running backs compared to what most backs are actually being paid these days, it wouldn’t make much sense to tag him.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
- Candidates: None
- Odds of being used: Extremely unlikely
- Safety Major Wright and linebacker Mason Foster are perhaps the Buccaneers’ most notable prospective free agents, and neither player was a core player — both guys only played about half the team’s defensive snaps. There’s no viable franchise tag candidate in Tampa Bay.
Extra Points: Winston, Mariota, Keisel, Schaub
Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league to finish out the night:
- Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets that he has not heard anyone from a team’s personnel department say that they would draft Jameis Winston over Marcus Mariota.
- ESPN’s draft guru Todd McShay offers a contrasting viewpoint in his second mock draft, as he projects Winston will be taken first overall by the Buccaneers (Insider subscription required).
- After Brett Keisel’s season ended with a torn triceps in November, many expected his 13th season with the Steelers to be his last. However, the defensive end wasn’t talking retirement at a charity event on Wednesday. “I’ve been preparing for when that day comes, and by ‘that day’ I mean the end,” Keisel told reporters, including Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. “But right now I’m under contract and I’m going to rehab and see (how) things turn out.”
- Brown (via Twitter) wonders if FSU cornerback P.J. Williams might be of interest to the Ravens. Williams was the Defensive MVP of the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, and would be a solid addition to a secondary in need of an upgrade.
- Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton says, as players are wont to do, that the team does not need to be active in free agency to improve its defense (even if New Orleans had the cap room to be especially active players). Per Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, Lofton says what the defense really needs is to improve its situational football: “When it comes to situational football, I think of third-and-one, third down, red zone, two-minute — all those things are super-important and lead to wins and losses. If we get better in all those areas, we’ll be pretty good next year.” Lofton said the Saints had not yet approached him about a contract restructure, but New Orleans is expected to convert his $4.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus in order to drop his cap number from $9.25MM to $6.25MM.
- Michael Wagaman of ESPN.com reports that Matt Schaub will either have to restructure his current deal with the Raiders or otherwise be released. Schaub has stated that he does not intend to retire, but if he wants one last crack at being a starting quarterback, he may prefer to get out of Oakland, where Derek Carr is seen as the future of the franchise.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at the major changes that could be coming for the 49ers, including the likely retirement of stalwart Justin Smith.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Coaching Notes: LeBeau, Rams, Dolphins
The Titans announced that new coach Dick LeBeau will be “in charge of the defense” while defensive coordinator Ray Horton will “work with him to implement it,” according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (on Twitter). LeBeau, 77, was originally said to be seeking a defensive coordinator position when he parted ways with the Steelers. He doesn’t exactly have that in Tennessee, but he’ll have plenty of authority with his new club. More coaching news from around the National Football League..
- Meanwhile, the Titans are promoting Mike Mularkey to assistant head coach on offense, where he’ll be in charge of the team’s run game, according to Wyatt (on Twitter). The Bears requested permission to interview Mularkey for their OC vacancy last month but were denied. The Titans also plan to hire Jason Tucker as assistant receivers coach (link). He was formerly with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.
- Tight ends coach Rob Boras, who lost out to quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti for the Rams‘ offensive coordinator opening, will be elevated to the assistant head coach of the offensive side, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The formal announcement on both promotions is expected to come next week.
- Terrell Williams has been named as the Dolphins‘ new defensive line coach, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Williams served as the Raiders’ defensive line coach from 2012 through 2014.
- The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have hired Stan Drayton as their running backs coach. Drayton spent the last four years at Ohio State and helped them win the national title in 2014.
- The Buccaneers announced (on Twitter) that they have named former Central Michigan offensive line coach Butch Barry as their new assistant offensive line coach.
- Rams assistant line coach Clyde Simmons is interviewing for the head defensive line coach job with the Raiders, according to Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch (on Twitter).
2015 Salaries Become Guaranteed For Brees, Graham, Others
Saints quarterback Drew Brees and tight end Jimmy Graham are among the players whose 2015 base salaries become fully guaranteed today, according to former player agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. The contracts for Brees, Graham, Browns cornerback Joe Haden, and Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy all call for guarantees on the third day of the 2015 waiver period, which is today.
For Brees, that means that his $18.75MM base salary for 2015 is now fully guaranteed (Twitter link). Combined with a $7.4MM prorated signing bonus charge and a $250K workout bonus, Brees now counts for $26.4MM against the Saints’ cap, though that number could be reduced if the veteran signal-caller restructures or extends his deal. As for Graham, his $2.9MM base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed along with his $5MM roster bonus for this year (Twitter link). After counting for just $4MM against New Orleans’ cap in 2014, the tight end’s cap number jumps to $11MM for the coming year.
Like Brees, Haden will simply see his 2015 base salary ($8.3MM) guaranteed today, without any additional bonuses (Twitter link). That locks him in for an $11.7MM cap hit on the Browns’ books, which is actually a step down from 2014’s $12.13MM figure.
Finally, McCoy’s contract sees the most activity — not only will his $5MM base salary and $6.5MM roster bonus for 2015 become guaranteed, but he’ll also have his 2016 base salary ($6MM) guaranteed, ensuring that he secures $17.5MM in total guarantees today (Twitter links). The standout defensive lineman is on the books for a $14.595MM cap number for the coming season.
Schefter, Caplan On Suh, Bucs, Peterson, QBs
While most reporters continue to focus on the Super Bowl, which is now just three days away, NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan turn their attention to the offseason in a pair of stories for ESPN.com today, providing a handful of interesting tidbits about coaches, free agency, and the draft. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights from Schefter and Caplan….
- Many of Schefter’s sources around the league don’t expect the Lions to assign the franchise tag to Ndamukong Suh, since the price ($26.87MM) would simply be too high for one player. Per Schefter, those who know Suh think that the idea of playing in a big market like New York, Chicago, or Dallas has always appealed to him. The Jets, Giants, Bears, and Cowboys could all certainly use a player like Suh, though you could say that about nearly every team in the NFL.
- There’s a “real sense” that the Buccaneers have their sights set on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as the No. 1 pick in April, says Schefter, though he cautions that many NFL execs and scouts consider Jameis Winston the best QB prospect in the draft. We still have three months until draft night, so plenty can – and will – change in between now and then.
- While the Vikings seem comfortable with the idea of bringing back Adrian Peterson, the veteran running back may not want to return to Minnesota. According to Schefter, at least six teams have already done background work on Peterson to prepare for the possibility that he becomes available.
- Multiple executives told Caplan at the Senior Bowl that Washington‘s Kirk Cousins and Mike Glennon of the Buccaneers are viable trade candidates, especially for teams looking for stopgap starters for the 2015 season. One NFC team exec said he thought both Cousins and Glennon would be worth a fourth- or fifth-round pick in a trade.
- Although former Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is coming off a successful season in Buffalo, he’s no lock to coach anywhere in 2015, says Caplan. We’ve heard all along that Schwartz will be patient when it comes to picking his next job, and Caplan notes that there’s still $6MM left on his deal with the Bills, which gives him the flexibility to take his time.
- Caplan identifies six free-agents-to-be who may fly under the radar this offseason but could really help a team, including running back Roy Helu, linebacker Dan Skuta, and safety Jeron Johnson.