Extra Points: Revis, Falcons, Eagles, Cap
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that rival teams are calling the Buccaneers to inquire on the availability of Darrelle Revis, with a number of execs believing a trade is possible. However, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Times is skeptical. Speaking to Cummings, new head coach Lovie Smith said the Bucs will rely heavily on man coverage: “Whether we win or lose is going to be based on how we play man coverage” (Twitter links). That approach suggests that the team is likely to keep the league’s best cover corner on the roster, though we’ll have to wait to see if new GM Jason Licht is in agreement.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- In an article examining the likelihood of the Falcons releasing safety Thomas DeCoud, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests that if the team can’t secure a free agent safety by DeCoud’s guarantee date (March 15), hanging on to him remains possible.
- While multiple reports have suggested the Eagles will likely prioritize re-signing Jeremy Maclin over Riley Cooper, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that it’s the other way around, and based on what he’s hearing, “it’s not even close.”
- Not many agents and teams were close to reaching free agent or extension agreements at this year’s combine, according to Jack Bechta at the National Football Post. Bechta, who represents multiple free agents himself, speculates that the increased gap in between the combine and the free agent period this year may be contributing to slower-than-usual negotiations.
- With 2014’s projected cap number up to $132MM, or perhaps even higher, ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert has updated his look at the salary cap space each team is expected to have heading into the new league year. As Seifert’s chart shows, the new cap projections mean that the Raiders now have $66MM+ of space.
- Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt explains a few aspects of the NFL’s salary cap in a piece for TheMMQB.com.
NFC Rumors: Bucs, Saints, Finley, Cowboys
The Buccaneers are making a push to re-sign fullback Erik Lorig, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The strong blocker has opened up holes for Doug Martin and the club’s other running backs and can also pitch in at tight end (link). La Canfora still expects the unrestricted free agent to test the open market, but he could still wind up back in Tampa Bay even if he does (link). More from around the NFL..
- The Saints have had discussions with tackle Zach Strief, wide receivers Joe Morgan and Robert Meachem, and linebacker Parys Haralson, and now we can add another name to the list. Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune reports that New Orleans has also engaged in early discussions on a new deal with safety Rafael Bush.
- There’s a healthy market forming for Packers free agent tight end Jermichael Finley, who is coming off of injury, La Canfora tweets. A longterm deal doesn’t seem all that likely but he could do well on a one or two year pact.
- Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter) senses that the Cowboys will not restructure Brandon Carr‘s contract because they don’t want to push money into future caps.
- Reuben Frank and Jeff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com look at 28-year-old safety Chris Clemons as a possibility for the Eagles. Mosher writes that he wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Clemons winds up in green.
- The Giants and safety Stevie Brown have talked about a new deal, agent Blake Baratz tells Ed Valentine of Big Blue View.
QB Rumors: Vick, Cassel, McCown
As Andrew Cohen writes at OverTheCap.com, at least two former starting quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez and Matt Schaub, will likely be cap casualties in the coming days or weeks. Both players are expected to be released, as their respective teams move on to alternative options and take advantage of the cap savings.
While Sanchez and Schaub haven’t reached free agency yet, several other signal-callers appear poised to hit the open market in a couple weeks, assuming they don’t re-up with their current teams before March 11. Here are the latest rumors on a few of the top options on the QB market, mostly courtesy of Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com:
- A strong market is forming for Michael Vick, and while the Jets have been mentioned as a potential suitor, league sources believe the team may refrain from spending in the range that Vick would require, says La Canfora.
- The Raiders are considering multiple free agent quarterbacks, and Oakland may represent the best spot for Vick to start immediately. However, it’s still possible that Vick re-signs with the Eagles.
- The Vikings, 49ers, Buccaneers, and Texans are exploring free agent options as well, according to La Canfora.
- Matt Cassel is viewed as a decent bet to return to Minnesota, but if he doesn’t, the Texans are a likely suitor for him.
- Josh McCown is drawing interest from several teams, including, as we’ve already heard, the Bears and Jets. However, New York’s interest will again be dependent on how much the club is willing to spend on a veteran QB.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com makes a case for why the Jets should re-sign Vick.
Teams Inquiring On Darrelle Revis
While a number of solid cornerbacks appear poised to hit the free agent market next month, a few NFL clubs also appear to be eyeing a corner whose contract extends well beyond March. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, teams are calling the Buccaneers to inquire about Darrelle Revis, with many rival executives believing that Revis is “ripe to be dealt” at the start of the 2014 league year.
Despite some apparent interest, no firm offers have been extended yet, and the Bucs certainly aren’t shopping their standout cornerback, according to La Canfora. The CBS Sports scribe also cautions that Revis’ age and sizable salary figure to limit the potential return for Tampa Bay. Still, inquiries and negotiations could ramp up as March 11 approaches, particularly since the team has hired a new general manager and head coach.
The lack of a prorated signing bonus in Revis’ deal makes a trade more palatable for the Buccaneers. The 28-year-old has five years and $80MM remaining on his contract, but there’s no signing bonus money included in that amount. If the pact featured, for instance, $2MM per year in prorated bonus money, all that money would accelerate onto the Bucs’ current cap in a trade, just as it does when a player is released. In a hypothetical Revis swap, the Bucs could clear his entire cap number.
Still, as La Canfora suggests, Revis’ age and base salary ($13MM per year, plus $3MM annually in roster and workout bonuses) figure to act as a deterrent in any talks. After missing most of the 2012 season, the veteran reclaimed his spot as Pro Football Focus’ top cornerback in 2013 (subscription required), so the Bucs would likely be seeking a sizable return, and teams may not be willing to give up high draft picks to take on such a massive contract.
Extra Points: Titans, Roos, Harbaugh, Browns
Although the Titans are currently prioritizing this year’s pending free agents and potential cap casualties, the team shouldn’t forget about players like left tackle Michael Roos and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, whose contracts are up after the 2014 season, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. In Wyatt’s view, Tennessee can afford to wait to see how Casey fits in a changing defense, but the team would be wise to try to lock up Roos to an extension as soon as possible.
Here are a few more miscellaneous Monday links from around the NFL:
- Former Octagon agents Doug Hendrickson and C.J. LaBoy have joined Relativity Sports, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). Mullen adds in a second tweet that the duo will work with and report to Relativity’s football CEO, Eugene Parker.
- If Jim Harbaugh doesn’t receive a contract extension this offseason and the 49ers don’t win the Super Bowl next season, expect the Dolphins to be among the teams pursing the head coach next year, tweets Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.
- Before he was removed from his role as CEO of the team, Joe Banner had the Browns‘ offensive and defensive coordinators reporting directly to him, reports Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com. As agent Mike McCartney observes (via Twitter), if Kirwan’s report is accurate, it’s not hard to understand why head coaching candidates would’ve been reluctant to accept the Cleveland job.
- Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had a stellar performance at the combine, met with nine teams, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link): The Cowboys, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Vikings, Texans, Lions, Buccaneers, and Rams.
- The Packers, Patriots, and Seahawks met with Rutgers receiver Brandon Coleman, who also had an informal meeting with the Redskins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Buccaneers To Seek Veteran QB
Earlier today, we learned that the Jets may be in the market for a veteran QB–specifically Josh McCown–to push young signal-caller Geno Smith. Now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Buccaneers are “absolutely” looking to bring in an experienced quarterback to compete with and possibly replace second-year QB Mike Glennon.
With just five picks in the 2014 draft but a great deal of cap space to work with, Tampa Bay plans to be active in free agency, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. New GM Jason Licht said that, with a new coach and a new regime, he cannot simply “hand the keys over” to the incumbent QB and declare him the starter without at least bringing in some competition. New head coach Lovie Smith agreed, stating, “This roster wasn’t set up with our system in mind. Not that it’s going to be that much different, but we’ll probably change more players than you think.”
Regarding his quarterback situation, Smith added, “In an ideal world, you would like to have some kind of a veteran in the mix instead of three young guys that haven’t played a lot. I think you can maybe get away with it at some of the other positions, but it’s not ideal (at quarterback).”
Of course, as Florio observes, the veterans available on the free agent market are more placeholders than long-term answers. Those options include McCown, Michael Vick, Matt Cassel, and (most likely) Matt Schaub.
Mike Williams’ Future With Bucs Uncertain
In July 2013, the Buccaneers rewarded receiver Mike Williams with a six-year contract extension worth $40.5MM. Now, less than a year later, his future with the team could be in jeopardy, due to an off-the-field life filled with partying, arrests, and other missteps, as detailed by Greg Auman and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The article paints a picture of a life filled with chaos, with Williams causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of property damage, angering his neighbors with noise violations, and throwing raucous parties, sometimes on nights before Tampa Bay was to play a game the next afternoon.
The Bucs have spent much of the past two seasons ridding themselves of players who caused such concerns. Cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Eric Wright, as well as running back LeGarrette Blount, have either been traded or released. And while those moves came under a regime headed by now-departed general manager Mark Dominik and coach Greg Schiano, new head coach Lovie Smith doesn’t take kindly to the type of behavior exemplified by Williams, either. “There’s a pattern here and it’s disturbing,” said Smith. “No one is bigger than the football team. He has to understand that.”
Smith continued: “Have I been disappointed in Mike Williams? Of course. There’s a standard. We’re just not going to put up with it, no matter who it is. You have to be good on the field and off the field. Simple as that. And if you’re not doing what you need to do one or the other, you have problems and that’s where Mike has to take care of a few things.”
If Williams can correct his errors off-the-field, Smith would surely love to reap the benefits of having a player of his caliber. Williams, before tearing his hamstring and missing most of the 2013 season, flourished between 2010-2012, averaging 64 receptions for 910 yards and eight touchdowns. Though his rapport with new quarterback Mike Glennon remains to be seen, adding Williams to an offensive core that includes receiver Vincent Jackson, running back Doug Martin (also returning from injury), tight end Tim Wright, and an elite offensive line would be a start to turning Tampa’s fortunes around.
Even if the Bucs wished to release Williams, two factors would impede that transaction: money and depth. Cutting Williams would result in a costly $6.4MM cap hit, likely too expensive for the team to bear. And besides Jackson, the Tampa wide receiver depth chart has few inspiring options, with players like Chris Owusu and Eric Page next in line.
But the man who would make such a decision doesn’t sound pleased. New general manager Jason Licht, when asked what Williams needs to learn from these incidents, had a terse response: “He has to learn not to make headlines off the field. Start there.”
Combine Updates: Bucs, Titans, Bears, Lions
The 2014 scouting combine is underway in Indianapolis, and NFL head coaches and general managers have begun speaking to reporters both in scheduled press conferences and in smaller side interviews. There have been several tidbits worth passing along from those sessions, so let’s dive right in and round up a few highlights….
- While Lovie Smith said he likes Mike Glennon, the Buccaneers head coach also expressed a belief that there could be a potential franchise quarterback available with the No. 7 pick in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details. If that’s the case, it sounds like the Bucs will strongly consider drafting a signal-caller in the first round.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert didn’t reveal much about his team’s offseason plans, but was enthusiastic in discussing 2014’s draft class. While he cautioned that it’s an immature group due to all the underclassmen in the mix, Colbert said it’s the best class he has even seen, according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter), that’s very high praise coming from Colbert, who has been preparing for drafts for the last 30 years.
- Colbert’s comments on wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suggested to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that the Steelers intend to let Sanders hit the open market.
- Asked about running back Chris Johnson, a potential cap casualty, Titans GM Ruston Webster said that the club can be as patient as it wants to be in making a decision on Johnson, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Webster also confirmed that the Titans have spoken to cornerback Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new contract, adding that “we’ll continue to talk” (Twitter link via Wyatt).
- The Bears would like to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton, GM Phil Emery indicated to reporters, including Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). However, it’s clear that it will come down to Melton’s price tag. Emery also echoed coach Marc Trestman‘s views on Chris Conte, suggesting that he hopes the safety comes in and wins a starting job (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). “I’d like to be talking to him about an extension,” Emery said of Conte.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said “never say never” when it comes to re-signing recently released safety Louis Delmas, but didn’t sound optimistic about the possibility, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Caldwell added that acquiring a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson will be one of the club’s top priorities this offseason, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).
- The Cardinals would like to re-sign linebacker Karlos Dansby but have always been prepared to move on, GM Steve Keim said today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
Panthers Tops In “Dead Money”
Thanks in large part to last season’s trade of Jon Beason, the Panthers have $17.8MM in “dead money,” more than any team in the league, according to ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert (full chart here). “Dead money” is defined as cap space consumed by players no longer on the roster, whether they retired, were released or traded. The numbers will fluctuate as rosters continue to evolve, but listed below are the five teams with at least $10MM worth of “dead money” at present time, including the players accounting for most of the sunk costs:
- Panthers ($17.8MM): Beason ($8MM), Jordan Gross ($5.6MM), James Anderson ($2.8MM)
- Bills ($12.1MM): Ryan Fitzpatrick ($8MM), Mark Anderson ($3MM), Rian Lindell ($1.38MM)
- Cowboys ($11.8MM): Jay Ratliff ($6.9MM), Nate Livings ($2.1MM), Marcus Spears ($1.4mM), Sean Lissemore ($1.2MM)
- Saints ($10.5MM): Roman Harper ($3.7MM), Jabari Greer ($2.7MM), Will Smith ($2.4MM), Garrett Hartley ($1MM)
- Cardinals ($10.1MM): Levi Brown ($6.5MM), Adam Snyder ($3MM)
At the other end of the spectrum, six teams have less than $1MM in “dead money”: Jets, Rams, Buccaneers, Colts, Seahawks and Bengals.
Tuesday Signings: Seahawks, Bucs, Bears
A handful of NFL teams signed players to contracts today, according to the league’s transactions log. Because these are modest reserve/futures contracts and not significant deals like DeAngelo Hall‘s, we’ll round them up in a single post, right here:
- The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Chris Matthews, tweets Brian McIntyre. Matthews, who was said to be deciding between two NFL teams, had a standout 2012 season for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, racking up nearly 1200 yards on 81 catches, but was sidelined for most of the 2013 season due to various injuries.
- Linebacker Damaso Munoz has signed with the Buccaneers, according to McIntyre (via Twitter). Like Matthews, Munoz has spent multiple seasons playing in the CFL, having played for the Edmonton Eskimos in each of the last three years. Munoz’s 2012 and 2013 campaigns were virtually identical from a statistical perspective — in both seasons, he notched 88 tackles and three sacks.
- The Bears have signed cornerback Derricus Purdy, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The former Texas Southern DB went undrafted in 2013 before reportedly drawing some interest from the Packers and Bills.