Extra Points: Newton, Watt, Charles, Eagles
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
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
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
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
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
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.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Finnegan, Kouandjio
Most people aren’t expecting big things from the Jets this offseason but coach Rex Ryan sees things differently. “I believe we’re better than that. I believe we’re a lot better than that,” Ryan told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “Eight and eight would be a hell of a disappointment for us. I’m just telling you that I believe this team is on the cusp of doing some special things. . . . I’m confident we will be a playoff team.” For a detailed look at what the Jets have done this offseason to try and improve, check out their Offseason In Review. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- There are several camp sleepers that could help make Ryan’s vision come true for the Jets, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News explains. Center Dalton Freeman, former Patriots cornerback and No. 33 overall pick Ras-I Dowling, and defensive end Kerry Hyder are among the sleepers who could make a big impact in 2014 if they’re on the roster.
- Outside of top cornerback Brent Grimes, there are lots of question marks in the Dolphins‘ secondary, including new CB Cortland Finnegan, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel. Finnegan, whose 2013 season was cut short by a fractured orbital bone, was one of the league’s worst corners even before the injury, according to Pro Football Focus advanced metrics (subscription required). PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games.
- Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News is keeping his eye on Bills second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio. The 6’7″, 325 pound lineman could potentially beat out Erik Pears for the job at right tackle and his readiness will largely dictate the club’s strength at tackle.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Sheard, Austin
It has been previously reported that Jabaal Sheard and the Browns have had preliminary talks on a new deal but agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated to reporters last night that the two sides have talked quite a bit. “What I can say is we’ve done some back and forth, so we’ve had some extensive negotiations,” said Rosenhaus, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “But I wouldn’t say anything is close at this time.” When asked if a new deal could be struck before the start of the season, Rosenhaus declined to give an answer. More out of the AFC North..
- Browns newcomer Miles Austin is ready to go, writes John Kampf of The Morning Journal. New receivers Andrew Hawkins and Nate Burleson are expected to play large roles this year, but Cleveland could also use a healthy and productive Austin.
- Veteran running back Justin Forsett, who was signed to a one-year, $730K contract in March, could play a key role for the Ravens if Ray Rice is suspended at the beginning of the season, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Forsett is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Jaguars where he played in just nine games and rushed for 31 yards on six carries before being placed on injured reserve thanks to a stress fracture and a turf toe injury.
- Former Rams safety Darian Stewart, who signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens this offseason, is looking like the clear leader in a competition with Jeromy Miles and rookie Terrence Brooks, Wilson writes.
Pro Football Rumors On Facebook/Twitter
The NFL’s 2014 season is only seven weeks away, with training camps around the corner and roster cuts to follow. With a significant amount of roster shuffling expected over the next month and a half, there will be plenty of notable stories to track on Pro Football Rumors, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
You can like us on Facebook, and receive headlines and links for all our posts via your Facebook account. You can also follow us on Twitter to have all our posts and updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. Meanwhile, our Google+ page is located here, and if you’d like to follow us using your RSS reader of choice, you can find our RSS feed right here.
If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.
Extra Points: Brown, Cardinals, Bengals, Broncos
The NBA has seen tremendous growth in their developmental league and Ross Jones of FOX Sports argues that the NFL could benefit greatly from having one of their own. One of the questions the NFL would have to figure out, however, is exactly who would play in an NFL D-League. “You have 400 legitimate players entering the league each year, which means there are 400 legitimate players that have to leave the league each year,” agent Greg Linton said. “If a player is good, they get selected in the first through fourth rounds, so the only players that you’d be developing is seventh rounders and free agents. Is the NFL really concerned with developing that guy?” More from around the NFL..
- The lack of guaranteed contracts has had a painful ripple effect for players, writes Jack Bechta of the National Football Post. The longtime agent says that the NFLPA has to make guaranteed contracts a top priority in the next CBA since they will take pressure off players to put their bodies at extreme risk. Guaranteed deals would also give teams incentive to give their players the best medical care possible.
- Agent Drew Rosenhaus has officially re-signed Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown for representation, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Brown recently fired his reps at Roc Nation Sports.
- In the first part of a two part series, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com looks at the top questions facing the Cardinals heading into training camp. Among the questions is whether free agent pickup Jared Veldheer will be the club’s answer at left tackle. The Cardinals gave Veldheer a five-year, $35MM contract, so the front office is obviously confident. Now it’s a matter of seeing what Veldheer can do for their blindside protection.
- Bengals‘ seventh-round pick James Wright is one to watch, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. It’s been nearly two years since the former LSU athlete caught a pass in a game, but the Bengals are hoping his special teams skills will translate into success as a wideout. “That day I talked to him and said, ‘Look, I know what you can do on special teams, now you’ve got to play wide receiver,‘” Bengals receivers coach James Urban said. “He’s embraced it, he’s worked his tail off and he’s given us [a lot]. I mean, he’s a very intense young man. He wants to prove this organization and [team president] Mr. [Mike] Brown right in selecting him.”
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Mike Klis of The Denver Post if he gets the sense that GM John Elway & Co. could still have potentially one more high-profile signing up their sleeve. Klis could see the Broncos going for a veteran running back, but then again, he thought they would have added one by now.
- After his conviction on charges of assault on a female and communicating threats, it’s unclear what Greg Hardy‘s long-term future will be with the Panthers, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. Hardy, who is set to hit the open market after this season, is being monitored by the NFL.