Uncategorized News & Rumors

La Canfora On Pats, McCourty, Redskins

August 6th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

In today’s column, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes that the Redskins’ offensive line is looking solid for the first time in a while. Left tackle Trent Williams is in excellent shape and it appears that offensive line coach Chris Foerster has done a nice job of molding the unit as it adapts to a team that will incorporate elements of power running under head coach Jay Gruden. Here’s more from La Canfora..

Devin McCourty is looking good at safety and it has solved what was a lingering issue for the Patriots. They’ll want him around a long time but there’s nothing brewing as he enters the final year of his deal. The sides exchanged some initial proposals this offseason, sources told La Canfora, but weren’t particularly close, and there hasn’t been any movement since. The safety franchise tag is quite team friendly, so that could be lessening New England’s urgency in working on a new deal. Still, La Canfora feels the sides could talk again before the start of the season.
It’d be tough for the Redskins to pull off a trade well past the draft, but La Canfora wonders if Washington could get more calls at some point in 2014 on backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has two years on his rookie deal and the Browns offered a mid-round pick for him this offseason, though La Canfora hears that Skins GM Bruce Allen wanted a second-rounder. Cousins has plenty of fans in some other front offices and coaching rooms, but the Redskins might want to hang on to him since Robert Griffin III remains an injury risk.
The Patriots are quietly pleased with what they have seen from receiver Brandon LaFell, who they signed as a free agent this offseason. He has shown a grasp of their system and with injury troubles plauging Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, and Rob Gronkowski, there is an opportunity for LaFell to get lots of looks.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Nicks, Jaguars, Texans

August 3rd, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Aside from Andrew Luck, the Colts might have the worst roster in the NFL, opines Rivers McCown of Football Outsiders (in a piece for ESPN Insider: subscription required). Since 2010, Indianapolis draft picks have borne little fruit, as Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and Dwayne Allen are the only above-average players selected during the span. Because of the lack of draft success, general manager Ryan Grigson has been forced to add talent via trade and free agency — a strategy that hasn’t worked well, as the Trent Richardson, Erik Walden, and LaRon Landry acquisitions have yielded substandard results. Finally, effective veterans like Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis are nearing the end of their careers, meaning the Colts’ lack of roster depth could be a long-term issue.

More from Indianapolis and the rest of the AFC South:

Despite his struggles last season, Richardson is now feeling more comfortable in the Colts’ offense, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
New Colts receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t yet impressed at training camp, Indianapolis offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton tells Tom James of the Tribune-Star (Twitter link). …”I don’t know if I can say that I’ve seen enough. I think he is still working to get himself in game shape…” said Hamilton. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets, the Colts are only paying Nicks as a mid-to-low-tier receiver (~$4MM), so it wouldn’t be a major problem if his performance is lackluster.
After adding to their defensive line over the offseason, the Jaguars are intent on raising their sack totals in 2014, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Union-Times. Jacksonville got to the quarterback just 31 times last year, tied for last in the league.
Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked to be at his best during Sunday’s scrimmage, and head coach Bill O’Brien tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he’s pleased with the veteran’s performance. “I think he is getting better every day. He’s more and more comfortable,” said O’Brien. “…[T]here is a lot to this offense. It’s good to have a guy that has been in a few offenses…He loves this offense, as do all the quarterbacks, because it is a quarterback-friendly offense.”

NFC Notes: Eagles, Lions, McCarthy, Wilson

August 1st, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie sees head coach Chip Kelly being with the team for a long time, writes NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “I got the feeling he was capable of that,” Lurie said. “People will learn about themselves. Coaches will learn. Do they want to stay in the same place? Do they want to move around? You can’t control that. But he has the ability to develop a program that was already successful, and make it even better. They were successful (at Oregon). We had all that success (with Andy Reid). But we want to be better than we were, not stay the same.” More from the NFC..

Rashean Mathis says that the Lions don’t need an upgrade to their secondary, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Detroit didn’t make any significant upgrades at cornerback this offseason, despite ranking 23rd against the pass last year. In 2013, Mathis was the only Lions corner to rank among the top 90 by Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
There has been a lot of talk that after extending GM Ted Thompson, coach Mike McCarthy is next up on the Packers‘ agenda. However, the coach says that he’s not thinking about a new deal, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel. “To me,” McCarthy said, “everybody that works here has a business part of their place here. That’s just part of it. I’m focused on training camp; there’s a process in place that will take its course. I’ve never sweated it. I love it here. I’m not worried about it.”
In an interview on ESPN Radio, Giants owner John Mara explained that while the team is disappointed to see David Wilson suffer a neck burner in his first week back, the club was prepared for a season without him, writes Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger. “I think given what he went through, the surgery he went through, it would have been foolish not to be (prepared),” Mara said. “We signed Rashad Jennings, we drafted Andre Williams, we signed Peyton Hillis again, so we do have some depth there. We have Michael Cox there, so someone is going to have to step up and do it now.”
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy is feeding the hype behind rookie receiver Jordan Matthews, writes Zach Berman of The Inquirer. The Eagles sure hope that McCoy is right about Matthews after an offseason in which they released DeSean Jackson.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Bailey, Panthers

July 29th, 2014 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Not many football players can say they played every regular-season snap of their career — pee wee league, junior high, high school, college and NFL — within two hours of his home, but longtime Panthers offensive lineman Travelle Wharton can, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. Wharton’s 115 games played and 111 starts rank second among Carolina offensive linemen and he’ll be remembered fondly for the versatility that allowed him to start at left guard and left tackle. “It was an awesome experience playing in the NFL,” Wharton said earlier today as his retirement was officially announced. “But to do it at home was amazing.” More out of the NFC South..

It wouldn’t be a shock to Greg. A Bedard of MMQB if cornerback Champ Bailey doesn’t make the Saints‘ roster. Bailey, he argues, is extremely average at this point as he has lost a step, is much stiffer in the hips, and is relying even more on his mind to make plays. Bailey has just $500K guaranteed on his contract and New Orleans has some promising young defensive backs like undrafted free agent Pierre Warren, who might have to be kept.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman had a very matter-of-fact response when the Patriots plucked injured sixth-round pick Tyler Gaffney off waivers, but coach Ron Rivera admits that the loss of the rookie running back hurts. “Wow, that was a tough one,” Rivera said, according to the Charlotte Observer’s Joseph Person. “It was surprising because we had him slated to have surgery and all that. New England, I knew they liked him coming out of the draft. So they made a move. I’m disappointed. You’d love to be able to keep him, but you had to make a move and that’s where we are.”
New Saints safety Jairus Byrd claims he’s not feeling any pressure to live up to his six-year, $54MM deal, but Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune isn’t buying it. Byrd is now the second highest-paid man at his position behind Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and is coming off of a back surgery that caught many fans by surprise. Byrd, Holder writes, has to meet the expectations set by his previous five seasons on the field.

Extra Points: Newton, Watt, Charles, Eagles

July 22nd, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Many theorized that the rookie wage scale of the 2011 draft would results in holdouts down the line, but so far that theory has busted, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. No members of the 2011 draft class are poised to hold out, even though none of the first-round picks has received a second contract. First-rounders like Cam Newton, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, Tyron Smith, and J.J. Watt are waiting patiently on new deals rather than resorting to holdouts. Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston is the only 2011 draft pick to take a stand this offseason. He boycotted the offseason program and a mandatory minicamp but still expected to report this week for Chiefs’ training camp. More from around the NFL..

Watt has a big payday in his future but it’s up to the Texans when it comes to how much and when, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. In the view of former agent Joel Corry, Watt will have to hold out if he wants Houston to pay him market value when the club still has years of control on him. The back-to-back first-team All Pro ranks ninth on the team in salary at $3.5MM, behind 2014 No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, cornerback Kareem Jackson, center Chris Myers, and others.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at Jamaal Charles‘ contract, his case for a new deal, and the Chiefs‘ salary cap. He finds that the difference in pay between Charles and his peers is startling. Four of the highest paid RBs earned $29MM or more in the first three years of their contract and all earned over $22MM. Charles earned just $18.1MM.
More from Fitzgerald who looks at the best and worst contracts on the Eagles. Jason Kelce, one of the bright young centers in the league, is on a six-year extension that will pay him $6.25MM per season. The worst deal, meanwhile, is tight end/running back James Casey, who is earning $4MM per season on a three-year deal.
The NFLPA has increased the annual fee for agents by $300 per year and agents are less-than-pleased, writes Florio. The union says that the increase, the first since 2000, arises from the cost of maintaining the agent regulation system and upgrades to the NFLPA website that will make it easier for agents to conduct salary research.
The new deal between Danny Woodhead and the Chargers came together rather quickly, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Woodhead’s agent approached the Bolts earlier this year but negotiations didn’t get underway until last week. Woodhead’s new deal is slated to keep him in San Diego through the 2016 campaign.

NFC North Notes: Cutler, Bears, Packers

July 21st, 2014 at 10:41am CST by Luke Adams

After inking a massive contract extension in January, Jay Cutler heads into the 2014 season having never been in a better position to succeed, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. Cutler’s deal has been described as one where the team is paying for what they expect from him in the future rather than what he’s accomplished in the past, so 2014 will be the signal-caller’s first opportunity to prove that the Bears were right to commit to him.

Let’s round up a few other Monday morning links from around the NFC North….

While the loss of Johnathan Franklin to a career-ending injury is an immense disappointment for both the player and team, running back is still an area of strength for the Packers, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, noting that DuJuan Harris and the re-signed James Starks provide “uncommon depth” behind Eddie Lacy.
Jordy Nelson is an extension candidate, but for now, his contract remains the most team-friendly on the Packers‘ books, in the estimation of Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. Fitzgerald identifies Sam Shields‘ new four-year deal as the least team-friendly contract for Green Bay, arguing that nearly every aspect of the agreement favors the cornerback rather than the club.
ESPN.com’s team of beat writers has projected the 53-man rosters for each NFL squad, including the Vikings, Lions, and Bears, courtesy of Ben Goessling, Michael Rothstein, and Michael C. Wright, respectively.

AFC East Links: Bills, Patriots, Jets

July 21st, 2014 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

After a summer hiatus, Peter King is back for the first of 48 straight weeks of his Monday Morning Quarterback column, and this week’s installment focuses on the Bills, the first NFL team to open training camp this summer. In addition to describing the scene in Pittsford, New York, King also speaks to quarterback E.J. Manuel, who says he “jumped out of [his] chair” when the club drafted Sammy Watkins in May and is looking forward to working with the rookie wideout and the rest of the offense this season.

Here’s more from around the AFC East:

A league source tells ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that the Bills franchise is expected to sell for at least $1.1 billion, well above the Forbes valuation of $870MM (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
After struggling a little on the defensive side of the ball last season, the Patriots restocked their defense this offseason, adding Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, and rookie Dominique Easley, among others. Howard Ulman of The Associated Press takes a look at the changes.
As Dennis Waszak Jr. details in a piece for The Associated Press, the Jets haven’t really had a franchise quarterback on their roster since the days of Joe Namath. While Geno Smith may not be the likeliest candidate to fill that role, he’s excited about training camp and about trying to hold off free agent signee Michael Vick for the starting job, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday.

East Notes: Bills, Coughlin, Ryan, Eagles

July 20th, 2014 at 3:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Toronto-based group bidding on the Bills, which involves rocker Jon Bon Jovi, Larry Tanenbaum of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and the Rogers family, would keep the team in Buffalo, sources tell John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. While neither of the parties mentioned has even publicly confirmed interest in purchasing the team, it sounds like the group is not planning on relocating the franchise to Canada. However, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes, any talk of moving the team would be pointless as of right now, since the Bills can’t be relocated until at least 2020; anything potential buyers say in 2014 could just be lip service to placate Buffalo fans. More from the NFL’s two Eastern divisions:

Giants owner John Mara on whether head coach Tom Coughlin has earned the right to leave on his own terms: “Does anybody ever earn that right? That’s just not the way this business is in this day and age. Let’s hope that it goes that way, but we haven’t even had that discussion yet,” Mara told Steve Serby of the New York Post. “We’re just looking forward to the next couple of seasons.”
Jets head man Rex Ryan is never lacking confidence, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. “Do I think that I’m a great coach? I absolutely know I’m a great coach,” said Ryan. “But it’s not just about me. What makes a great coach is the people that surround you, the people that are with you every day.”
Chip Kelly is more of a strict disciplinarian than previous Eagles coach Andy Reid, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the new team attitude is showing itself during year two of Kelly’s reign.
As Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland tells Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer, center Jason Kelce might be the most under-appreciated player in Philadelphia.
Zuri Berry of the Boston Globe looks at some key questions for the Patriots as they head to training camp, including Rob Gronkowski‘s health and depth at receiver.
The New England previews continue, as Tom Curran of CSSNE.com examines the Patriots’ offensive identity.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Suh, Eagles, Packers

July 18th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Commissioner Roger Goodell raised the idea of the 49ers and the Raiders possibly sharing Levi’s Stadium but one reader reminded Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News that such a plan would probably be unrealistic. The personal seat licenses that 49ers fans had to pay into entitles them to first dibs on events at the stadium, which certainly wouldn’t fly with the Raiders or their fans. Here’s more out of the NFC..

Now that agent Jimmy Sexton has finished negotiating Jimmy Graham’s deal with the Saints, he can concentrate fully on a new deal for his other high-profile client, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press writes. Of course, that’s assuming the two sides want to hammer out a new contract. Earlier this week, Justin Rogers of MLive.com wrote that Detroit still wants to work out an extension with Suh this offseason and suggested that a five-year, $63MM deal could make sense.
John Clayton of ESPN.com looks at ten under-the-radar camp battles going on, including the Eagles‘ logjam at outside linebacker. Brandon Graham, a former first-round pick from the Andy Reid era, could be on the outside looking in when all is said and done.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com takes a crack at predicting the Packers‘ 53-man roster. Demovsky projects tight ends Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, and Ryan Taylor to make the roster, but undrafted rookie Colt Lyeria is a wild card that could shake things up. McCarthy has also carried five TEs in the past.
Some people have questioned whether Falcons rookie Jake Matthews has the physical strength to succeed at the next level, but his father Bruce Matthews isn’t concerned in the least, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “Floyd Reese, he was our GM when I was with the Tennessee Titans,” the elder Matthews explained, “and we drafted a guy — it might have been my last year — and Floyd goes, ‘This kid bench-presses like 700 pounds.’ And I go, ‘Damn, it’s a shame you can’t play with a bench on your back.'”‘

East Notes: Brady, DeSean, Eagles

July 18th, 2014 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Many have been critical of the NFL’s Thursday night games, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn’t among them. Pats owner Robert Kraft says Belichick “likes the Thursday night games and would be happy to have more than one in a season,” writes Sam Galanis of NESN.com. Perhaps if Belichick was playing in the games rather than coaching them, he’d feel differently. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com writes that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is at a crossroads. While Curran says that Brady is far from finished, Belichick has openly acknowledged that rookie Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted with an eye on the future of the club’s QB position.
Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com finished their top-to-bottom rankings of every player on the Redskins and high-profile newcomer DeSean Jackson lands at the No. 2 spot, second only to Robert Griffin III. If the 27-year-old speedster stays healthy and focused, they write, he’ll add another dimension to an already talented offense. That speed was enough for Jackson to zoom past last year’s No. 1 target, Pierre Garcon (ranked No. 5).
Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine looks at Eagles‘ inside linebacker roster crunch. Najee Goode has the inside track on one of the backup spots while the other will likely come down to Jason Phillips, Jake Knott, and Emmanuel Acho and special teams will probably be the determining factor. Knott was an undrafted free agent last year and will miss the first four weeks of the season for violating the league’s PED policy. Phillips was signed last offseason to provide a special-teams boost, but tore his ACL during training camp. If he’s healthy, he could have the edge. If not, Acho could steal the spot.

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