Uncategorized - Pro Football Rumors

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Jackson, McCoy

April 6th, 2014 at 7:01pm CST by David Kipke

Last week, we learned that the Giants have shown interest in recent free agent Chris Johnson. You voted that the Giants are the third-most likely destination for the former Titan Pro Bowler. Let’s look at a few other stories from around the NFC East this weekend:

Rich Tandler of Real Redskins thinks that there is no reason to worry about the Redskins‘ remaining cap space being just $2.5MM. Tandler explains that the NFL’s Summer roster contract policies will allow the Redskins to sign 19 more players to meet the 90-man roster limit while counting only $500K total against their cap.
LeSean McCoy ‘loves’ the Darren Sproles signing, according to Jason Butt of the National Football Post. McCoy thinks that the Eagles will use Sproles more that his previous backup, Bryce Brown, was used in McCoy’s franchise record-breaking 2013 rushing campaign. The University of Pittsburgh product thinks that a more balanced workload in 2014 will help him conserve more energy for later in games.
John Clayton of ESPN writes that the flurry of recent signings in the NFC East could signify that the division is ready to reclaim its spotlight as the NFL’s prime time division. The Redskins and Giants have both spent almost $80MM, and Clayton believes that DeSean Jackson will be the most impactful NFC East signing from this past offseason.

Brandt: Changes Needed For Cowboys To Return To Glory

April 2nd, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

Gil Brandt is a revered football man thanks to his role as the only VP of player personnel the Cowboys knew for the first 30 years of the franchise’s existence. The team won a pair of Super Bowls in the 1970s and three more in the 1990s, but has just one postseason victory since 1996. Accordingly, Brandt endorsed a “five-point, four-year plan to help the Cowboys return to glory” on NFL.com:

Hire a director of football operations
Brandt credits Jerry Jones for his willingness to spend and spend big in an effort to win, but politely and eloquently echoes what many have said for years: Jones is in over his head as a football decision maker. Says Brandt: “This is why Jones would do well to hire an NFL insider — a veteran front office figure with a background in personnel and preferably general-manager experience — to direct the football side of the business, specifically with regard to scouting players.”
Refocus the draft strategy
Brandt says the team has hurt itself by too often prioritizing need over value in the draft: “The Cowboys would likely improve their draft yield by first looking for the most talented player and then considering need. In the past, they’ve hampered themselves by focusing on filling roster holes rather than taking the best prospect available, leading them to sometimes reach for players. Picking a prospect ahead of where his rating suggests he should be picked often leads to trouble.”
Turn up the heat on the quarterback hunt
Brandt says the team is “set for now” with 34-year-old Tony Romo, but the time is now to look for his successor, calling this “an ideal year to grab a quarterback.”
Spend more carefully
Brandt insists the team must improve its contract valuation in order to avoid overpaying veterans (a consequence of poor drafting), entering into endless contract restructures, incurring dead money and hamstringing itself financially. Brandt warns, “Dallas should focus on getting the situation under control…. The team’s approach to staying under the cap has been driven largely by the tactic of re-working contracts and pushing the pain off to future years, likely with the expectation that the cap will continue to rise. But it would be better not to borrow so much against the future.”
Cement a franchise identity
Brandt asserts, “Great organizations have a solid identity and don’t change with the wind. They don’t shift their schemes suddenly or make erratic changes in strategy, because they have a carefully considered plan to begin with. This comes from taking a consistent approach to the draft, contracts and what you do on the football field — and that’s where the director of football operations would come in.”

In closing, Brandt advocates “taking a proactive approach” to analytics — he credits the Jaguars, in particular, in this department — and believes, “Statistical analysis has the potential to change the league in the same way that the advent of computer technology did 25 years ago, and keeping up with that can ensure that the Cowboys continue growing and getting better in a grounded, smart way.”

Bills’ Future In Buffalo Unlikely

March 29th, 2014 at 5:56pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the passing of Bills’ founder and owner Ralph Wilson earlier this week, the somber news has been followed by the idea that the Bills are a candidate for relocation. Wilson, of course, was a huge proponent for keeping the Bills in Buffalo.

New ownership, however, would most likely be less enthused about keeping the Bills in the city they originated in over 50 years ago when they sprung up as a part of the American Football League. Donn Esmonde of The Buffalo News writes that it would be unexpected if the team remained there past the current lease, which is set to expire in 2022 and can be bought out in 2019.

Esmonde spoke to two authorities on the business of sports, Ted Fay who teaches sports management at SUNY Cortland, and David Carter who teaches sports business at USC. Neither of them are optimistic that the Buffalo would be able to retain their beloved Bills.

“Long term, it’s fair to say the team is at risk of being moved,” said Fay. “Buffalo doesn’t make common sense as a business model.”

Carter, who also serves as a consultant for several NFL-seeking cities and a prospective NFL owner in Southern California, agrees that the Bills are a candidate for relocation.

“Ultimately, I think the money does talk,” said Carter. “You have such a small corporate presence in the region. If you are not in a market that generates added revenue (for an owner), you’re really hamstrung. So I think greener pastures will be explored.”

Esmonde notes that the region of upstate New York does not have a single Fortune-500 company, and Fay adds that while in Los Angeles private citizens can afford luxury suites, the consumer base in Buffalo is one that has not yet been solicited for personal seat licenses, and idea that has become common across the NFL.

Carter believes that on the open market the Bills would not be valued based on their location in Buffalo, but instead on how its worth would be in a larger market.

The scenario in which Buffalo keeps their team longer is specific, and would involve a local ownership group as well as cooperation from the NFL.

“The NFL, as a brand and image, likes those iconic, cold-weather, visceral places like Buffalo,” Fay said. “The league has to weigh the benefits and the costs – not just monetary – of extracting Buffalo from its equation.”

Thanks to Wilson, the organization will have time to decide rather than be yanked out from Buffalo abruptly, but while Wilson has bought the city some time, their long term prospects are still unlikely.

NFC Mailbag Roundup: Cowboys, Packers

March 29th, 2014 at 12:59pm CST by Peter Sowards

Thanks to ESPN dedicating a seasoned reporter to each NFL team, there’s never a shortage for content. Today is mailbag day, where the reporters answer Twitter questions from fans in posts on the ESPN NFL Nation site. We’ve perused the mailbags and are bringing you the most relevant information from the NFC:

Todd Archer thinks $11MM a year for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant might be a little high, in part because of the money tied up in quarterback Tony Romo. However, if the contract is structured in such a way to encourage Bryant to prove it every year — with yearly roster bonuses, for example — it would make more sense.
Rob Demovsky takes on the Packers center situation, saying the team can’t pay everyone big money on the offensive line. Guards T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton are each on their second contracts, while tackles Bryan Bulaga and Derek Sherrod earn first-round pick salaries. Demovsky pegs center candidate J.C. Tretter as “smart, athletic, extremely versatile and a tough guy,” and says Don Barclay and possibly a draft pick with challenge Tretter for the job.
In an interesting bit of news, Demovsky reports that the Packers will gain $350K in salary-cap space for this season and every season through 2017 thanks to an insurance policy that kicked in when quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with a fractured left clavicle.
Cornerback Charles Godfrey currently carries a $7.1MM salary cap figure, and David Newton says the Panthers want Godfrey on the roster, but not at that number. Godfrey suffered an Achilles injury in Week 2 that prematurely ended his 2013 season, and his recovery from the injury will go a long way to figuring out his status on the team.
Mike Triplett says there’s probably a “good chance” the Saints will add another veteran receiver.
Michael Rothstein does not agree with the Lions‘ choice to not exercise the defensive tackle’s $5.5MM option for 2015.
Dan Graziano says North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron “remains a strong possibility” for the Giants with the No. 12 overall pick.
Ryan Clark remains an option at free safety for the Redskins, John Keim writes, adding that he thinks the team will draft someone at the position.
Ben Goessling doesn’t think the Vikings were willing to spend what the Giants ended up spending for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Pro Football Rumors iPhone/iPad App

March 28th, 2014 at 9:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pro Football Rumors iPhone/iPad app is now for sale in the iTunes store, and it’s free! If you’re an iPhone/iPad user, you can download our app today at no charge, and get the following features:

Custom push notifications: Pick your favorite players and teams and receive alerts when they’re involved in rumors, trades, or signings.
Read Pro Football Rumors posts in an iPhone/iPad-friendly format.
Filter headlines to show rumors for a specific team.
Read and create comments through Disqus.

Check out the Pro Football Rumors iPhone/iPad app today!

Draft Notes: Texans, Bills, Rams, Watkins

March 28th, 2014 at 5:53pm CST by Peter Sowards

Buried deep below speculation on how Michael Vick will be utilized by the Jets, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei reports that the Texans are working hard to trade the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. According to Pompei’s sources, the Bills, who own the No. 9 selection, might be a possible trade partner, and that the team could potentially select a quarterback. That would be two first-round quarterbacks in two drafts after selecting former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel with the 16th overall pick a year ago. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle refuted the report, saying (via Twitter) there’s “no way” the Texans trade back to No. 9.

More draft notes from a busy Friday around the league…

After selecting a wide receiver with a top-10 selection in last year’s draft (West Virginia’s Tavon Austin No. 8 overall), it sounds as if the Rams will forgo making it two years straight, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Despite the gamebreaking ability of Clemson standout Sammy Watkins, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he’s expecting improvements from Austin and Stedman Bailey, and added that he is pleased with Austin Pettis‘ performance in a backup role. St. Louis has the No. 2 overall pick.
Lions general manager Martin Mayhew, slated to pick No. 10 overall in the upcoming draft, said there aren’t 10 elite players in the draft pool, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit currently has eight selections, including two compensatory picks in the fourth round.
University of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who was unblockable at the Senior Bowl, told ESPN reporter Michael Rothstein that he has visits set up with the Rams and Cowboys, and that he has already visited the Steelers (via Twitter).
Georgia State wide receiver Albert Wilson has an official visit scheduled with the 49ers, reports DraftInsider.net’s Tony Pauline (via Twitter).
A quarterback’s stock whose rising is Southern Methodist University’s Garrett Gilbert, who completed 88 of 89 passes at his pro day, according to NFL.com draft analyst Gil Brandt. Gilbert, who was not invited to the scouting combine, could wind up being drafted as high as the third round now after the performance (Twitter links).

Bills Cannot Move Until 2020

March 26th, 2014 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

It has long been speculated that the Bills would wind up moving across the border to Toronto, but that won’t be happening in this decade, writes John Kryk of the Toronto Sun. It’s late owner Ralph Wilson’s last “enormous gift” to the people of Western New York, says sports-franchise consultant Marc Ganis: a clause that bars anyone that buys the Bills from relocating the team from the Buffalo area at any time over the remaining nine years of their lease agreement. The agreement expires after the 2022 season and no owner can move the Bills sooner than the team’s out clause after the 2019 season.

It was previously believed that there was a $400MM buyout option on the club’s lease agreement, but Ganis says that’s not the case. The buyout only comes in to play in the extremely unlikely event that the new owner wins a court judgment allowing them to pick up the team and move. Even if the courts say they can move the Bills, they’ll still have to pay out a $400MM penalty.

“In this new 10-year lease that he signed, for the first seven years there is no opportunity to buy that lease out, or terminate it. None. That team is required to stay in that stadium for at least for the first seven years, and one year already has passed in that lease, so for the next six years,” Ganis explained.

The Bills have played a handful of preseason and regular season games in Toronto since 2008.

NFC Notes: Ware, Jordan, Eagles, Packers

March 25th, 2014 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys had to let veteran DeMarcus Ware go this offseason, but head coach Jason Garrett says it was far from an easy decision to make.

“DeMarcus Ware is one of the best players the franchise has ever had,” Garrett told Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. “He played his position over the past eight or nine years as well as anybody has in the National Football League. Those are very difficult and challenging decisions. There’s a lot of different factors that go into making a decision like that and we just felt like at this time, the best thing for us to do was to not compete to the extent that we would have had to to keep him in a Cowboys uniform. A great player, a great human being, one of the cornerstones of our franchise. But you have to make some of these hard decisions and you have to be disciplined to do that.”

Here are a few more NFC links:

Coach Andy Reid says Akeem Jordan’s versatility and reliability will help the Redskins, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Reid coached Jordan for six seasons in Philadelphia, and then brought him with him to Kansas City last season. Now, Jordan has traveled east to join him in Washington D.C.
The Eagles are going to have to make several difficult and most likely unpopular decisions in the next year to get under the 2015 salary cap, explains Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. 13 players have a combined 2015 cap hit of $68,025,140, or 47 percent of the Eagles’ current 2015 total cap figure. Aside from LeSean McCoy and Jason Peters, any of those players could wind up as cap casualties after the 2014 season.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, that they shouldn’t put a label on newly-acquired veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers will play a combination of outside linebacker and defensive lineman that Green Bay will refer to as an “elephant.” This means means Peppers will not work directly under defensive line coach Mike Trgovac, who was Peppers’ defensive line coach and defensive coordinator with the Panthers from 2002-08.
McCarthy wants to have unrestricted free agent Matt Flynn back in the fold, but he’s realistic and knows it might not be in the cards. “I’d like to have Matt back,” the Packers coach said, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. “I thought Matt was a good addition to our football team. I have great respect and admiration for him, just being around him a lot on a positional basis. Yeah, I’m hoping financially it works out.”

49ers Notes: Harbaugh, Cox, Jackson

March 25th, 2014 at 7:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the 49ers hope to lock Colin Kaepernick up to a brand new deal before he throws his next pass in an NFL game. “We’re going to work extremely hard, very diligently in trying to get something done prior to training camp,” GM Trent Baalke said. “That’s the objective right now, as it stands.” However, with Kaepernick reportedly seeking in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually on his next deal, the Niners may have to get creative as they consider how to keep the Nevada-Reno alum around long-term. More out of SF..

49ers owner Jed York doesn’t deny that there can be tension between coach Jim Harbaugh and GM Trent Baalke, but he says it’s not necessarily a bad thing, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We’ve been competing for the Super Bowl – realistically competing for the Super Bowl – for the last three years,” York said. “They get along. They’re just grinding. They want a ring. And they’re trying to battle and fight to get a ring. And sometimes it wears on people. But I like that tension,” he continued. “I think they like that tension. And I think both of them compete better when there’s something to compete against.”
Re-signing Perrish Cox will help to build the 49ers’ depth at cornerback, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Two weeks ago, San Francisco also brought back Eric Wright on a new contract. Cox beat out Wright for playing time in the postseason, but the fact that Wright signed first probably indicates that he’s the bigger priority.
It would be quite a challenge given their salary cap constraints, but Williamson looks at how the 49ers could possibly find room for DeSean Jackson. ESPN analyst Louis Riddick tells Williamson that it could work from an Xs and Os standpoint, but it doesn’t sound all that feasible from a financial standpoint.

Bills Owner Ralph Wilson Passes Away

March 25th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Bills founder and owner Ralph Wilson has passed away, team president and CEO Russ Brandon announced today (Twitter link via Tim Graham of the Buffalo News). The longest-tenured team owner in the NFL, Wilson was 95 years old.

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009, Wilson was instrumental in keeping the Bills in Buffalo, resisting offers to move or sell the team. With his passing, there will be many suitors, including several in Western New York and Ontario, seeking to purchase the franchise, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, the current lease will make it very difficult to move the team for the next few years.

Wilson, who saw the Bills transition from the AFL to the NFL, was acting as the club’s president as recently as 2012, but surrendered all team control to Brandon on January 1, 2013.

Our condolences go out to Wilson’s friends and family.

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