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AFC Rumors: Griffen, Soliai, Vick, Raiders

March 12th, 2014 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos were high on Everson Griffen and dangling a deal averaging $9MM per season, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1. That forced the Vikings to sweeten their offer to keep Griffen in house. Minnesota wound up giving the defensive end a five-year deal worth $42.5MM that includes $20MM guaranteed. More out of the AFC..

  • The Colts had interest in nose tackle Paul Soliai before he signed with the Falcons, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Soliai got $33MM over five years from Atlanta with $14MM guaranteed over the life of the contract.
  • Michael Vick will likely wait until after the draft to sign with a team, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Meanwhile, the Raiders are waiting to see what happens with Matt Schaub and are also interested in Josh Freeman.
  • The Texans will try and trade Schaub before releasing him, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the Raiders are after a veteran quarterback and someone like Mark Sanchez could be a fit, if he becomes available.

Contract Details: Verner, Griffen, Mitchell

March 12th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

As part of the 4-year, $26.5MM contract Alterraun Verner will sign with the Buccaneers, $1MM of the total value comes as a Pro Bowl incentive, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Here are the latest contract details from around the NFL..

  • Everson Griffen‘s $19.8MM of guaranteed money in his new deal with the Vikings comes from a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed $6.9MM base salaries in 2014 and 2015, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Griffen has a $8.2MM cap number in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and his cap number rises to $9.7MM in 2018, Corry tweets.If the Vikings cut Griffen after the 2015 season, they owe him nothing and take just a $3.6M cap hit, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
  • Michael Mitchell‘s five-year, $25MM deal with the Steelers calls for him to earn $6MM in the first year followed by a $2MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of 2015 league year, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
  • Toby Gerhart gets a $3MM roster bonus and $1MM base in the first year of his three-year, $10.5MM deal with the Jaguars, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He also has a $500K roster bonus guaranteed for skill/injury in ’15.
  • Tyson Jackson gets $9.5MM in first year of his five-year, $25MM pact from the Falcons, Pelissero tweets. He has another $1.5MM in 2015 guaranteed for injury only until next year. Jackson has $11MM guaranteed in total with an $8MM signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Wilson (on Twitter) has the goods on Darrell Stuckey‘s deal with the Chargers. It’s a four year, $7.6MM deal with $1.735MM guaranteed and salaries of $730K, $1MM, $1.235MM, and $2.9MM.
  • Earl Mitchell‘s deal with the Dolphins is as follows, according to Wilson (Twitter link): It’s a four-year, $19MM with $8MM guaranteed and a $2MM bonus. The salaries are $3MM, $4MM, $2.975MM, and $3.975MM .
  • In the Chiefs‘ two-year deal for Husain Abdullah, he’ll get $2.27MM in total with a $750K signing bonus, Wilson tweets. His salaries are $725K in 2014 and $745K in 2015.
  • Andre Roberts‘ four-year contract with the Redskins includes a $4MM signing bonus, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. He’ll count $2.25MM against the cap in 2014.

Lions Owner William Clay Ford, Sr. Dies

March 9th, 2014 at 12:03pm CST by Peter Sowards

A team employee has confirmed that Detroit Lions owner and chairman William Clay Ford, Sr. has died, reports Chris McCosky of Detroit News (via Twitter). He was 88 years old.

Jennifer Hammond of Fox 2 Detroit first reported the unfortunate news (via Twitter).

Team president Tom Lewand released the following statement:

“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Mr. Ford and extend our deepest sympathies to Mrs. Ford and to the entire Ford Family. No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions. Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit. His leadership, integrity, kindness, humility and good humor were matched only by his desire to bring a Super Bowl championship to the Lions and to our community. Each of us in the organization will continue to relentlessly pursue that goal in his honor.”

Ford purchased the team outright in November 1963 for $4.5MM and officially took over January 10, 1964, according to the team’s website.

He is survived by his wife, the former Martha Firestone, three daughters and his son, William Clay Ford Jr., who serves as the Lions vice chairman.

The staff at Pro Football Rumors sends its condolences to Mr. Ford’s friends and family.

Salary Cap Could Exceed $150MM By 2016

March 7th, 2014 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 7: A source with knowledge of the process tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Schefter’s projection of a $150MM cap by 2016 might be a little modest. According to Florio’s source, leaps to $145MM in 2015 and $160MM in 2016 aren’t out of the question.

FEBRUARY 28: Over the last week, we’ve heard multiple reports suggesting the NFL’s salary cap for 2014 should be higher than previously expected, perhaps in the neighborhood of $133MM. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter confirms as much this morning, and adds that the cap is expect to continue to grow significantly over the next couple years. According to Schefter (via Twitter), the cap could exceed $140MM in 2015 and $150MM in 2016.

While these numbers are subject to change, as we’ve seen with this year’s cap, the projections represent excellent news for the league as a whole, and particularly for teams that find themselves with little long-term flexibility. The Panthers, for instance, have restructured several contracts, pushing higher cap numbers and dead money into future seasons in order to create room in 2014. If the cap is at $150MM+ in two years, those dead money totals and increasing cap numbers will be much easier for the club to swallow.

As I noted last week, substantial growth for the cap is also good news for the players, whose agents will likely point to the league’s increasing revenue when they negotiate contracts. Of course, with only a few extra million for clubs to spend, and dozens of players vying for bigger salaries, only a handful of players per team figure to benefit.

The figure for the 2014 salary cap is expected to be made official very soon, perhaps as early as today.

NFC Notes: Packers, Hester, Mitchell, Smith

March 5th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Nate Davis of USA Today ran down the Packers‘ offseason needs and rightfully noted that the D-Line will need to be addressed. Tyson Jackson, Arthur Jones, and Paul Soliai could be candidates for Green Bay, especially since B.J. Raji seems to have played his way off the roster. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • In an interview with NFL Network. Bears return specialist Devin Hester indicated that he’ll likely be elsewhere in 2014, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “From my knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different route with me,” Hester said, pretty much confirming a similar report from earlier in the week. “All I can say is thanks to the fans (for) the support. Always been great to me, always been loyal. I couldn’t want to play for a better city than those guys.” Hester averaged 27.6 yards per kickoff return and 14.2 yards per punt return last season, tying Sanders’ touchdown record with an 81-yard punt return against the Redskins in October.
  • Panthers safety Michael Mitchell is a shining example of how one-year deals can actually benefit veterans, writes USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. The 26-year-old didn’t get much opportunity in Oakland but after totaling four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks in 15 games (14 starts) in 2013 with Carolina, he figures to see a bigger pay day this year.
  • Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer says Panthers GM Dave Gettleman holds the cards in his standoff with wide receiver Steve Smith. The inventive columnist even goes so far as to come up with dialogue for an imagined meeting between the two men.
  • The Vikings want to re-sign veteran wide receiver Jerome Simpson, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. A source tells Tomasson that Minnesota is interested in a third year with Simpson even though he was arrested in November on suspicion of a DUI.
  • It’s no secret that the 49ers are trying to get deals done with Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown before they hit free agency, but it may be difficult to get both men to bypass the open market, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
  • Bears guard Kyle Long has already begun lobbying for the team to sign free agent defensive tackle Nate Collins, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Earlier tonight, the Bears came to terms with fellow DT Jeremiah Ratliff.

NFC Links: Sanchez, McFadden, Jackson

March 1st, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Rob DiRe

The extra cap space the Lions will have will allow them extra flexibility in free agency, but Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com doesn’t see the team making a big splash. Free agent Willie Young still isn’t a lock to be retained, and Rothstein thinks the team will look to get younger at many positions this offseason.

Here are some other notes from the NFC:

Official Franchise/Transition Tag Numbers

February 28th, 2014 at 5:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

In a series of Tweets, Albert Breer of the NFL Network released what he reports to be the official monetary values associated with the franchise and transition tags. The numbers he reported are as follows:

Franchise Tag

  • Quarterback- $16.912MM
  • Runningback- $9.54MM
  • Wide Receiver- $12.312MM
  • Tight End- $7.035MM
  • Offensive Line- $11.654MM
  • Defensive End- $13.116MM
  • Defensive Tackle- $9.654MM
  • Linebacker- $11.455MM
  • Cornerback- $11.834MM
  • Safety- $8.433MM
  • Kicker/Punter- $3.556MM

Transition Tag

  • Quarterback- $14.666MM
  • Runningback- $8.033MM
  • Wide Receiver- $10.176MM
  • Tight End- $6.106MM
  • Offensive Line- $10.039MM
  • Defensive End- $10.633MM
  • Defensive Tackle- $8.060MM
  • Linebacker- $9.754MM
  • Cornerback- $10.081MM
  • Safety- $7.253MM
  • Kicker/Punter- $3.205MM

Breer also added that while the transition tag is not usually exercised by NFL franchises, it is especially important because the numbers associated with that tag are the numbers that will be used for the fifth-year options for top ten picks in the 2011 draft (via Twitter).

2014 NFL Salary Cap Set At $133MM

February 28th, 2014 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The league has officially informed teams that the 2014 NFL salary cap will be set at exactly $133MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The projection is about $7MM higher than had initially been expected, and is an increase of more than 9% on last year’s $123MM figure.

The added flexibility for the coming season should have an effect on teams’ roster moves, as clubs may be less inclined to release players or renegotiate contracts with oversized 2014 cap hits. However, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today, the cap is continued to take large steps forward over the next couple years, and could reach $150MM by 2016. In that case, teams may end up being more willing to push player salaries or dead money into future seasons.

The new NFL salary cap figure is good news for teams like the Panthers, Saints, and Cowboys, who were facing a cap crunch in both the short- and long-term. It also bodes well for teams hoping to retain their own star free agents, since they’ll have a little extra cap flexibility with which to work.

NFC Rumors: Raiola, Vikings, Beason, Hardy

February 27th, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Dominic Raiola has been the Lions‘ center since the days when they wore leather helmets, but eventually he’ll be moving on from football. He wants to play for another two seasons, but Detroit would like to start grooming someone to take over for Raiola once he retires, writes Dave Bickett of the Detroit Free Press. It’s not a top priority, but if they get a chance in the middle of the draft, don’t be surprised if you see the Lions go for a center. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • Simoni Lawrence turned down three clubs to sign with the Vikings, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
  • Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects it to take a deal paying $3-4MM annually for the Giants to sign linebacker Jon Beason to a new deal.
  • The Panthers met recently with Drew Rosenhaus, defensive end Greg Hardy‘s agent, and the two sides have had ongoing negotiations, two league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. After totaling 26 sacks over the past two seasons, Hardy is looking for a deal that will be commensurate with his performance.
  • Beyond Beason, Carolina will be looking to re-sign wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and free safety Michael Mitchell, both of whom played on one-year deals last season, Person notes. Backup quarterback Derek Anderson and No. 2 tight end Ben Hartsock are viewed as priorities as well, but will likely have to take one-year contracts. The Panthers are expected to let free agent receiver Brandon LaFell and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn test the market, but could ultimately re-sign them to shorter, team-friendly deals.

Projected 2014 Cap Increases To $132MM+

February 27th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 4:44pm: The 2014 cap could be set as soon as tomorrow, and barring an unexpected development, it figures to be in the $132-133MM range, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 12:56pm: The projected 2014 cap continues to rise, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hearing from a source that the final number will likely exceed $132MM. According to the source, the cap could end up being a “few million” higher than $132MM.

SATURDAY, 12:43pm: ESPN’s John Clayton says the 2014 cap projection is now up to $132MM (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 20, 7:57am: Heading into the NFL offseason, we’ve been assuming that the salary cap for the 2014 league year will fall somewhere between the $126.3MM figure initially projected by the league and $128MM, the amount multiple reporters have suggested is more likely. However, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, teams may have even more cap flexibility in 2014. Schefter hears from league sources that the cap is now projected to be in the neighborhood of $130MM, up more than 5% from last season’s $123MM figure.

That higher projection is a win-win for teams, who will have a little more wiggle room than they anticipated, and players, some of whom should reap the benefits of that added flexibility. It’s particularly good news for clubs whose salary commitments for 2014 had already approached or surpassed the initial cap projections, such as the Cowboys, Steelers, Seahawks, and Saints.

The official cap figure, which is determined based on the NFL’s revenues, will be established in March when the new league year begins.

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