AFC Rumors: Bolts, Reid, Miller, Jets, Titans
A Chargers-led citizen’s initiative could help solve stadium cost issues at the Mission Valley, Calif., site that hovered at the center of discussions prior to the Bolts’ Carson overtures, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
This process involves the sale of 75 acres of the 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site, a transaction that could net $225MM that would go toward funding the proposed $1.1 billion Chargers stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s task force’s estimates. That would help significantly, considering the new stadium still requires $350MM in taxpayer funds to go along with $300MM from the NFL and additional money generated by personal seat licenses, among other streams of revenue.
“They did it in Carson and another group of lawyers did it in Inglewood, so it certainly could be done in San Diego in pretty much the same way,” city attorney Jerry Goldsmith told Garrick. “It would involve re-zoning; it would involve voter approval of not only a stadium but ancillary development, and it would include bypassing the California Environmental Quality Act if it’s done right.”
Garrick, however, makes it clear the Chargers haven’t committed to pursue this route, as the sides still have a long way to go before anything substantial emerges in this long-running saga.
Let’s take a look at the latest transpiring in the AFC.
- Andy Reid won’t join the Chiefs‘ contingent at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine due to knee replacement surgery, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. The 57-year-old coach had this surgery last year and attended the Combine, but he missed this year’s Senior Bowl and won’t trek to Indianapolis as well.
- The Jets have engaged in contract talks with Chris Ivory‘s camp, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the seventh-year running back will test the market. Ivory would join Lamar Miller, Doug Martin and Matt Forte as free agency’s top ball-carriers, should Gang Green fail to keep him off the market.
- Lamar Miller‘s roots in Miami could induce the Dolphins to give him a low-ball offer in free agency and incite the fifth-year running back to bolt, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Miller attended the University of Miami and was born in the city in which he played his first four NFL seasons. Florio also speculates DeMarco Murray‘s first-year flop with the Eagles will make it harder for this year’s crop of fifth-year runners, Miller and Martin, to receive a Murray-like deal.
- The Titans will address the wide receiver position in the draft, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. Coming off his worst season, Kendall Wright currently is set to enter his fifth-year option campaign, and Justin Hunter is also entering a contract year. Wyatt notes the team’s investment in the position will not come at No. 1 overall, given that there isn’t a wide receiver that’s projected to possess that kind of value.
Titans Re-Sign TE Craig Stevens
FRIDAY, 1:27pm: Stevens’ new deal with the Titans is a one-year pact worth $2MM, with incentives that could take it up to $2.6MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
THURSDAY, 8:14pm: The Titans announced that they have re-signed tight end Craig Stevens. “We’re glad to have him back,” GM Jon Robinson said in a statement.
Stevens, 32 in September, appeared in all 16 games for the Titans last season. He caught 12 passes for 121 and 2 touchdowns. The pair of scores matched a previous career high set in 2010. Stevens, a blocking specialist, has been a member of the Titans since being selected in the third round of the 2008 draft. With eight straight years in Tennessee, he is one of the longest tenured members of the Titans.
Stevens has 60 receptions for 724 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Bennett, Titans, Okpalaugo
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has left Rosenhaus Sports and doesn’t currently have representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). Without a new agent in place, and without a clear indication of what Bennett’s plan for the offseason is, it’s hard to know for sure what his motivation for the change was.
However, it’s worth considering that Bennett was vocal last offseason about wanting the Seahawks to address his contract, suggesting in the summer that he was contemplating a holdout. Bennett ultimately didn’t hold out and didn’t get a new deal, so perhaps he’s looking for an agent that will help him take a different approach to the situation this time around.
Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Speaking on Thursday about his team’s approach to free agency, GM Jon Robinson said that just because the Titans are prioritizing value pickups, that doesn’t mean they’ll be bargain-basement shopping all offseason. Robinson said he’s not afraid to spend money in free agency, adding that the team will go after an impact player if the fit is right and there’s a chance to get him (three Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com and Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com)
- CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who has recorded double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons for the Toronto Argonauts, is drawing interest from multiple NFL teams. Okpalaugo has received an offer from the Jets, and had a “great visit” with the Seahawks, according to agent Brett Tessler, who says his client is visiting the Cardinals next (Twitter links).
- In a conversation with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, Saints head coach Sean Payton said that he can’t see himself coaching another team besides New Orleans for the rest of his career, praising the franchise’s structure and its absence of dysfunction. Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune has the details and the quotes from Payton.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lays out a case for why the representatives for free agents ought to be seeking 20% more than the current market prices for their clients. Meanwhile, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com also explores the probable increase in the value of free agent contracts, writing that NFL teams will have somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion in total cap space this offseason.
South Rumors: Hasselbeck, Spiller, Panthers
Veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck turned 40 last fall, and has been playing in the NFL since 1998, but it sounds like he wants to play at least one more season, as Kevin Bowen of Colts.com details.
“I know I want to play (in 2016),” Hasselbeck said. “I know how much fun I had in the huddle last year. I remember getting in the huddle for one game and it was just so much fun to be in there with my guys, with my teammates, with my friends.”
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano told Hasselbeck earlier this month that the club “would love” to have him back, but the veteran signal-caller doesn’t currently have a contract for 2016, so the two sides would have to agree to a new deal. As March 9th approaches, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on whether the Colts work out a new contract with Hasselbeck, or if the team wants to turn to younger options to back up Andrew Luck. Currently, Josh Freeman and Stephen Morris are under contract in Indianapolis.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s South divisions:
- Saints running back C.J. Spiller hadn’t been considered a lock to return to the team in 2016, but it sounds like GM Mickey Loomis is planning on having him in the mix. In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Loomis said that he thinks the Saints “will see the real C.J. Spiller” next season, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune details.
- Another NFC South running back, Jonathan Stewart, is also a good bet to return to his current team. Team and league sources tell Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer that the Panthers are expected to retain Stewart, despite the cap savings his release would create.
- The Titans‘ signings during March’s free agent period might not reveal which player the team plans to take with the No. 1 overall pick, but Tennessee’s March moves could strongly suggest which direction the club won’t go with that selection, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com explains.
- The Colts have had a consistent problem drafting offensive linemen, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com, who examines the team’s various swings and misses at the position over the last few years. The offensive line is an area where the team could use an upgrade or two this offseason, so it’ll be interesting to see if GM Ryan Grigson can start to turn his draft record around at the position.
Brice McCain To Visit Buccaneers
Free agent cornerback Brice McCain is scheduled to a pay a visit to the Buccaneers today, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Because McCain was cut last week by the Dolphins, he’s eligible to sign with another team right away, rather than having to wait for the 2016 league year to begin.
[RELATED: Buccaneers wary of spending big in free agency]
Although it appears the Buccaneers will get the first look at McCain, Tampa Bay isn’t the only team with interest in the veteran corner. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Steelers also want to bring in McCain for a visit, though it may not happen until March. Rand Getlin of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that the Titans would also like to host McCain sometime after next week’s draft combine.
McCain, 29, signed with the Dolphins last March after spending five seasons in Houston and one in Pittsburgh. However, he lasted just one season with the team, as Miami opted to part ways with him last week in order to create $2.5MM in cap savings. McCain started 10 games and played 735 defensive snaps for the Dolphins in 2015, picking up an interception to go along with 39 tackles.
Since the Steelers previously employed McCain, their interest makes some sense, as does the Titans’ interest, since former Steelers DC Dick LeBeau is currently running Tennessee’s defense. There’s no obvious coaching connection for the veteran cornerback in Tampa Bay – though new linebackers coach Mark Duffner was on the Dolphins’ staff last year – but the club could use some help in the secondary, as we detailed in our Bucs offseason preview earlier this week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Flacco, A. Mack, Bills, Titans
The Raiders need to find a running back to complement Latavius Murray, opines Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Bair lists Chris Johnson, Tim Hightower, Matt Forte, James Starks and Ronnie Hillman as potential fits through free agency.
Earlier tonight, PFR’s Rory Parks previewed the Raiders’ offseason in depth and, like Bair, named RB as a position the club could address. Click here for the rest.
More from the AFC:
- Reworking quarterback Joe Flacco‘s deal and cutting $9MM off his $28MM-plus cap hit for this year would go a long way toward helping the Ravens make improvements, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. As of Wednesday morning, the Ravens and Flacco haven’t discussed a restructuring.
- The notion that Browns center Alex Mack has a clause in his contract preventing the team from placing the franchise or transition tag on him is untrue, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports. Corry notes (via Twitter) that Mack does have a no-trade clause, though. The 30-year-old is expected to opt out of his current deal in the coming weeks and become a free agent.
- A pair of escalators affecting the Bills‘ salary cap have been triggered, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets (Twitter links). Tyrod Taylor‘s cap number this season has increased from $1.3MM to $3.3MM based on an escalator and how his ’16 playtime incentive is treated. Bills center Eric Wood also hit an escalator that increases his 2016 cap number by $650K.
- Out of their pending free agents, the Titans are prioritizing nose tackle Al Woods and tight end Craig Stevens, Terry McCormick of Cover32.com reports. Woods made a career-high nine starts last season. Stevens has been a Titan since 2008 and is discussing a new deal with the team, per McCormick.
- Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel is scheduled for free agency, but the club has too many other needs to worry about investing a decent chunk of money in a reserve signal caller, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Teicher believes it’s time for either Aaron Murray or Tyler Bray to step up and take over for Daniel as Alex Smith‘s top understudy. Although the two have been Chiefs for a combined seven years, neither has appeared in a regular-season game.
- In a Monday roundup of Ravens news and notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun discusses the possibility of the team trading down from the No. 6 pick, and reexamines the likelihood of cornerback Kyle Arrington being released.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Teams Have Called Titans About No. 1 Pick
Titans GM Jon Robinson has fans coming up to him constantly to ask about the team’s No. 1 overall pick, as TitansOnline.com’s Jim Wyatt writes. It’s not just the fans that are asking, however. Opposing GMs have called Robinson to ask about acquiring the top pick as well.
[RELATED: Tennessee Titans Offseason Outlook 2016]
“I’ve had a couple of conversations here and there. I think it is really more kind of exploratory at this point,’’ he said. “As we get a little bit closer, a little bit more through the process with the combine and interviews and pro days, I expect there will be a few more exploratory calls, and there may not be. We’ll see.”
With several weeks to go between now and the draft, we expect there to be many more calls on the Titans’ No. 1 selection. One has to imagine that it will take a lot to pry that top pick away from Robinson & Co., but it’s not necessarily impossible given the number of holes the Titans have to fill.
As of this writing, most draft pundits are predicting that the Titans will select Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil with the No.1 pick. In theory, however, the Titans could be enticed by the opportunity to trade down and land a tackle like Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley if given the right package of picks and NFL-ready talent. Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa could also be in the mix for the No. 1 selection.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Browns, Osweiler, Titans
The latest from the AFC:
- Given quarterback Brock Osweiler‘s lack of a track record, the Broncos have to take a cautious approach in re-signing the pending free agent, opines Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post. Osweiler was statistically superior to Peyton Manning last season – considering Manning’s struggles, that isn’t saying much – and Kiszla thinks the Broncos should offer him a three-year, $28.5MM deal. That probably wouldn’t be enough to prevent the 25-year-old from testing the free agent market, however.
- Browns perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said in January he wanted to see who would take over the team’s vacant general manager and head coaching positions before deciding whether to ask for a trade. The Browns’ front office is now in the hands of executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown, and Hue Jackson is their new head coach. Both have earned Thomas’ approval, which means he’s excited to continue his career in Cleveland. “He was the No. 1 guy that I was hoping that we would hire,” Thomas said of Jackson, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “We got the biggest fish to be had in this offseason and now he was able to put together an impressive staff, so the ship’s headed in the right direction.” On Brown, Thomas stated, “I’m really happy for him. He’s a guy that I’ve gotten to know over the last couple years in Cleveland, even before he took over as the head man, even before the conversation we had after the season, I developed a relationship with him.”
- Taylor Lewan‘s presence may make it difficult for the Titans to draft Laremy Tunsil at No. 1 overall, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. A second-year left tackle, Lewan rated as the No. 12 overall tackle, per Pro Football Focus, last season.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
2016 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB
Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR
Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT
Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB
Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR
Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G
Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR
Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR
Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT
Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE
Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB
Jets: Brian Winters, G
Lions: Larry Warford, G
Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S
Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB
Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE
Rams: T.J. McDonald, S
Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT
Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT
Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE
Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR
Titans: Brian Schwenke, C
Washington: Jordan Reed, TE
AFC South Notes: Titans, Martin, Jaguars
Adam Vinatieri turned 43 in December, but he continued to perform well for the Colts in the final season of his most recent contract, and the team would reportedly like to bring him back on a new deal. Luckily for the Colts, Vinatieri has decided to continue playing in 2016 rather than retire.
In 2015, Vinatieri connected on 25 of 27 field goal tries, for a 92.6% conversion rate. However, he did occasionally struggle with the longer extra point, missing three of 35 attempts. Still, there were few NFL kickers more reliable than Vinatieri, who is now third on the league’s list of all-time leading scorers. With 2,253 points, Vinatieri could make a run at Morten Andersen (2,544) and Gary Anderson (2,434) if he decides to play for longer than just one more season.
Here’s more from the AFC South:
- The Buccaneers and running back Doug Martin have mutual interest in getting a deal done before March 9th, but if Martin does become an unrestricted free agent, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) expects him to be high on the Titans‘ wish list. Tennessee’s new GM Jon Robinson, of course, previously worked in Tampa Bay’s front office.
- The Jaguars can’t afford to miss on their free agency decisions, Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union writes. For more on what lies ahead for Jacksonville this offseason, check out PFR’s Offseason Outlook for the Jaguars.
- Free agent long snapper Zach Triner worked out this week for the Jaguars and Jets, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).