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NFC North Notes: Ngata, Copeland, Rodgers

April 3rd, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Zachary Links

We had a fairly exciting Friday, with a number of players finding new homes for the 2015 NFL season.

Before calling it a night, here are some notes from around the NFC North:

  • If you were waiting for fireworks between the Ravens and Lions regarding Haloti Ngata, prepare to be disappointed. The Lions released a statement on Thursday, saying that they were not concerned about comments made by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti regarding Ngata on a Wednesday conference call. “The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata,” the Lions’ statement read, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. “We appreciate both the Ravens’ professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti’s comments were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue.”
  • Linebacker Brandon Copeland visited five teams and had a dozen teams interested in signing him before he agreed to join the Lions, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • Jacquizz Rodgers‘ one-year deal with the Bears is for the minimum salary, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The deal has a $745K base salary with a $40K signing bonus.

NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Eagles, Cowboys

March 28th, 2015 at 3:08pm CST by Rob DiRe

Washington has been insistent that they are committed to Robert Griffin III as their franchise quarterback, but that does not mean they aren’t doing diligence on the top passers in the draft. The team plans to host Marcus Mariota for a pre-draft visit, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

“If we think it’s worth the risk to hit the ‘reset button,’ if he’s that good of a football player, if we decide in the building that he’s that good of a football player and that we should do that, then we should do that, you know?,” said head coach Jay Gruden said. “But we’ll see. It has not been determined yet, obviously. We still have some time to determine whether or not we want to go in that direction.”

It is uncertain if Mariota would even be available for the team at the fifth selection.

Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:

  • Building off reports that Washington will have Mariota for a visit, John Keim of ESPN offers some thoughts on the connection between player and team. He writes that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the team is at least having him in for a visit, as he is projected to go in the range of their selection, and the teams are allotted 30 visits. He also notes that there are real concerns over Griffin’s standing within the organization, as well as concerns about Mariota’s NFL projection.
  • While Washington has expressed some interest in Mariota, Ross Jones of Fox Sports highlights three players who make more sense for the team. He picks pass rushers Randy Gregory and Shane Ray as options, as well as offensive tackle Brandon Scherff.
  • The Giants have a need at safety after losing Antrel Rolle to the Bears, but may be able to fill that hole on the second day of the draft, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Citing Mel Kiper of ESPN, Raanan picks out a few safeties who could be available when the Giants come to the podium in rounds two and three, including Byron Jones of Connecticut and Eric Rowe of Utah.
  • The Eagles have been engaged in trade talks with the Dolphins, who are reportedly interested in a member of their defensive backfield, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. While the specific player is not known, Shorr-Parks surmises it is either Brandon Boykin, Earl Wolff, or Jerome Couplin.
  • The Cowboys are known for having one of the top offensive lines in the league, but that wouldn’t preclude them to adding to a strength in the draft, and Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News has profiled a number of offensive linemen that could be of interest to the team.

Lance Briggs To Visit 49ers

March 28th, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

Linebacker Lance Briggs is scheduled to meet with the 49ers on Monday, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

Briggs played his whole career with the Chicago Bears, playing in 173 games and earning seven Pro Bowl appearances while making a case for the Hall of Fame.

However, it has already been made clear that he would be not returning to Chicago for the 2015 season. The team is ready to move on from Briggs, who struggled with injuries the past two seasons, as they try to rebuild their defense under new head coach John Fox.

The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of linebackers since the surprise retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland. Aside from Briggs, the team has also been linked to Erin Henderson and Mason Foster.

Briggs has also drawn interest from the Cowboys and Buccaneers, where he is familiar with head coach Lovie Smith.

NFC Links: Ball, McClain, Panthers, Cardinals

March 28th, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Ben Levine

Veteran cornerback Alan Ball rejected the Panthers offer in free agency, eventually opting to sign with the Bears. The former seventh-round pick discussed his decision to join Chicago with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:

“I just see opportunity in a new defense that is coming in. I’ve watched Vic [Fangio]’s defense in the past and what he does for his players and the situations he puts them in. You have to be excited about that. [Ed] Donatell does a good job with players as well and John Fox, no matter who you ask, they say the same thing about him as a head coach.

“I like the whole situation with those guys after being around them and (general manager) Ryan Pace. It’s good energy and it is something to be excited about. I don’t want to talk numbers. The Bears were competitive. The reason I made the decision overall was because of fit.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

Pro Football Rumors Features

March 27th, 2015 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NFL player movement 365 days a year, but those aren’t the only updates you’ll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you’ll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:

  • Using your iOs and Android devices, you can use our app to follow the latest stories on PFR, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable, allowing you to add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives.
  • While many of the top players have already come off the board, you can keep tabs on the remaining 2015 veteran free agents by position using our list, which will be updated throughout the spring.
  • Our top 50 free agents list has been updated to reflect the contracts signed by the players featured on the list. Only four of our 50 remain unsigned.
  • Before free agency got underway, we examined the offseason plans for all 32 teams. Our team-by-team Offseason Outlook pieces can be found right here. I also surveyed the free agent market by position.
  • Since the 2014 season ended, seven teams have hired new head coaches, and 27 overall changes have been made to offensive and defensive coordinator roles. For a complete breakdown of this year’s notable coaching changes, check out our recap.
  • The draft order for 2015 is officially set, and we’ve got the full list of picks sorted both by round and by team.
  • The NFL isn’t known as a trade-happy league, but a number of big-name players have already been involved in deals this year. You can revisit all of this year’s moves by using our recap of 2015 NFL trades.
  • The Pro Football Rumors glossary highlights a number of aspects of the NFL’s salary cap, free agency, and Collective Bargaining Agreement. Feel free to let us know if there’s a specific concept that you’d like us to discuss in a future Glossary piece.
  • We value your input at PFR, which is why we regularly publish polls and have a regular feature called Pigskin Links, in which we highlight a few interesting recent articles from football blogs. You can find our poll archives here and our Pigskin Links pieces right here.
  • While a handful of our notable articles can be found under the “Featured Posts” section on the right sidebar, the PFR Originals archive rounds up all the original posts from our staff. Recently, we made note of some of the top remaining free agents and took a specific look at free agent wideout Michael Crabtree.

Contract Details: Clay, Cromartie, Webb, Britt

March 24th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some specific details on a number of contracts agreed to and/or signed recently. One-year minimum salary benefit deals aren’t included.

AFC deals:

  • Charles Clay, TE (Bills): Five years, $38MM base value. $24.5MM fully guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $10MM roster bonus in 2016. No-trade clause for first three years (three Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. $7MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus. No signing bonus (link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
  • Lardarius Webb, CB (Ravens): Restructured contract. Three years, $18MM base value. $5.25MM guaranteed. $3MM roster bonus in 2015 (link via Wilson).
  • Nate Irving, LB (Colts): Three years, $7.25MM base value. $1.5MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. Escalators in 2016, 2017 (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Karl Klug, DL (Titans): Two years, $3.75MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. $200K roster bonus in 2016. Up to $625K in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • James Harrison, OLB (Steelers): Two years, $2.75MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Byron Stingily, T (Titans): Two years, $2.5MM base value. $250K signing bonus. $800K playing-time escalator (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Louis Delmas, S (Dolphins): One year, $2.25MM base value. Up to $1.25MM in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Mitch Unrein, DT (Chargers): Two years, $1.9MM base value. $250K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).

NFC deals:

  • Kenny Britt, WR (Rams): Two years, $9.15MM base value. $4.05MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Potential void in 2016 based on 2015 escalator (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
  • Jacob Tamme, TE (Falcons): Two years, $3.2MM base value. $400K signing bonus. $250K roster bonus in 2016. $1MM escalator based on performance, playing time (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • Clint Gresham, LS (Seahawks): Three years, $2.705MM base value. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ahtyba Rubin, DL (Seahawks): One year, $2.5MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Kenrick Ellis, DT (Giants): One year, $1.475MM base value. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
  • George Selvie, DE (Giants): One year, $1.2MM base value. $200K signing bonus. Up to $200K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).

Extra Points: RFAs, Goodell, Bush, Taylor, Colts

March 23rd, 2015 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

As Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk observes, while most of 2015’s top unrestricted free agents are off the board, there are still plenty of intriguing restricted free agents available. 20 of this year’s RFAs remain unsigned and received the low-end tender from their respective clubs, meaning a rival suitor wouldn’t have to give up a draft pick to sign them away.

Often, restricted free agents won’t draw a ton of interest and will simply return to their previous teams, but that’s not always the case. A year ago, RFAs like Andrew Hawkins and Rafael Bush signed offer sheets with other teams — Bush’s sheet was matched by the Saints, but the Bengals didn’t match Hawkins’ offer from the Browns.

This year, low-end RFAs like Ravens safety Will Hill, Eagles running back Chris Polk, Raiders wideout Andre Holmes, and Washington kicker Kai Forbath remain on the market. A handful of players – such as Browns safety Tashaun Gipson and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker – also received second-round tenders, but rival teams aren’t likely to give those players big contracts and surrender a second-round pick for them.

As we wait to see whether any restricted free agents change teams, let’s check in on a few more notes from around the NFL….

  • Roger Goodell didn’t reveal much to Peter King of TheMMQB.com during his sitdown with him, but the commissioner did strongly suggest the extra point will undergo some changes before next season, and added that the DeflateGate investigation is nearing an end.
  • As King hinted at in his column, Goodell informed owners at this week’s league meetings in Phoenix that Todd Jones, former Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, is joining the NFL as as special counsel for conduct, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Jones will pair with Lisa Friel as the league’s new personal conduct czars.
  • After running the 40-yard dash in 4.91 seconds at this weekend’s veteran combine in Arizona, Michael Bush admitted that his NFL career is probably over, as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details.
  • Free agent cornerback Ike Taylor isn’t seeking out offers from teams to continue his playing career, and while he hasn’t made the decision to retire quite yet, the longtime Steeler is exploring potential television opportunities, writes Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Michael Silver of NFL.com takes a look at the roster-building approach employed by Colts GM Ryan Grigson, as Indianapolis enters win-now mode by signing several veteran free agents like Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans.

AFC East Links: McCoy, Patriots, Dolphins

March 21st, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

One of the more surprising offseason moves has been the LeSean McCoy trade. The running back was traded to the Bills earlier in the month, and the two sides soon came to an agreement on an extension. Meanwhile, the Eagles replaced McCoy with a pair of big names, DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.

McCoy did not mince words when he was asked about the Eagles‘ offseason strategy. In fact, while appearing on the The Rich Eisen Show, the 26-year-old touched on Chip Kelly‘s willingness to pay new running backs, but not one of their stars (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):

“I thought about that a little bit,” he said. “I didn’t understand it. I should say that. And Chip I think is a really good coach. I think this is something different for him kind of managing both, from being a coach to now kind of managing the team as far as the players that they get and they pay.

“I saw that they originally were trying to get Frank Gore, and he backed out. So then when they got DeMarco and they got Ryan Mathews, I thought it was like a panic move. With that media in Philadelphia, they can get tough on you. So I guess that was just the way to make it right. I don’t know. I can’t really answer it. They took two backs to replace one. I think DeMarco’s a hell of a back. I think he’ll do a good job there. I’m not sure how that went.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC East…

  • Defensive end Jabaal Sheard has plenty of reasons to be excited. Not only did he sign a two-year, $11MM contract with the Patriots, but he also went from a non-playoff team to a Super Bowl contender. “Coming from a not-so-good program to a great program that has been winning and doing well, I’ve just been excited,” Sheard told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “I want to win in the league, and I want to be part of a great organization. That was a big part of me signing.”
  • Another new member of the Patriots, tight end Scott Chandler, is thrilled about the opportunity to compete for a championship. “I’ve been playing for a while, and I wanted to be a part of an organization that has a pretty good chance to win,” said Chandler (via Howe). “Mr. (Robert) Kraft and coach Belichick have done an amazing job of not only creating that but sustaining it for a long period of time. I’m looking forward to going into this year and doing whatever I can to be a part of that.”
  • Dolphins safety Louis Delmas re-signed with the organization yesterday, and the 27-year-old revealed that he’s quickly recovering from his season-ending ACL tear. “The knee is great,” Delmas said (via ESPN.com’s James Walker). “My doctors and my training staff have been doing a great job of managing me and making sure I’m doing everything protocol-wise to be able to play the first game of the season…I definitely know that I will be ready for the first game of the season.”

AFC Mailbags: Jets, Ravens, Bengals, Jags

March 21st, 2015 at 11:20am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now switch our focus over to the AFC…

  • When asked about the opportunity for the Jets to add a veteran quarterback, Rich Cimini said he’d eagerly swap the sixth pick for Chargers‘ star Philip Rivers.
  • Meanwhile, Cimini believes there’s a good chance the Jets will select a running back in the draft. With Bilal Powell, Chris Ivory and Daryl Richardson under contract, the writer says the team could use a versatile, pass-catching back.
  • Jamison Hensley predicts the Ravens will either select a wide receiver, tight end, cornerback or pass rusher with their first-round pick.
  • Hensley says the Ravens could look to bring in a veteran tight end. When asked about former Seahawks weapon Zach Miller, the writer says the organization should be wary of the injury risk. For an “under-the-radar” pick, Hensley points to Cardinals tight end Rob Housler.
  • Quarterback Jason Campbell and running back Cedric Peerman are “the most likely” of the Bengals free agents to return, according to Coley Harvey.
  • If the Jaguars don’t select a pass rusher with their first-round pick, Michael DiRocco could envision the team selecting a wide receiver. Looking towards veteran help at the position, DiRocco suggests Greg Jennings as an option.

Extra Points: 49ers, Hardy, Peterson, Rivers

March 18th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

49ers CEO Jed York appeared on Bloomberg Television on Tuesday to discuss a number of different topics, including the surprise retirement of Chris Borland (via SFGate.com):

“We respect it, and I love Chris. He’s a great kid. And it’s certainly a surprise to us and I think to some of his teammates. But you have to respect the decision. If he fears for his health and safety going forward, I don’t ever want somebody to go out there and do something that they’re not comfortable doing. And I would never try to talk somebody out of retirement. I know it wasn’t an easy decision for him, but we respect him and we wish him the best.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

  • Greg Hardy spurned the Buccaneers for the Cowboys earlier today, but as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes, it may have been the organization that rejected the player. “At the end of the day, we didn’t feel good about it,” said general manager Jason Licht.
  • Count Larry Fitzgerald among those who’d like to see Adrian Peterson wearing a Cardinals jersey next season. The veteran wideout told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that adding the All-Pro running back would be a “game-changer” for the organization. “Obviously, he’s an MVP-caliber player,” Fitzgerald said. “Everybody knows that. Any team he ends up with — or if he stays with the Vikings — is going to have a great back. If he was to come play here, it would obviously mean a tremendous amount for our ballclub.”
  • Following news that Philip Rivers wouldn’t consider a new deal with the Chargers until the end of the 2015 season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says the organization has no intention of letting the quarterback depart (via Around The NFL on Twitter). Rapoport notes (on Twitter) that both sides have plenty of leverage during negotiations.
  • CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Bills actually signed wideout Percy Harvin to a three-year, $24MM deal, but the contract voids to a one-year, $6MM pact. As WGR550’s Joe Buscaglia points out on Twitter, this saves the organization $2MM in 2015 cap through “signing bonus proration,” meaning the player’s cap hit for this season will be $4MM as opposed to $6MM. Furthermore, if the Bills decide to void the contract following 2015 (which they’re expected to do), they’ll get hit with $2MM in dead money.
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