Browns Refused Final Chance To Sign Pryor
Prior to signing his one-year contract with the Redskins, wideout Terrelle Pryor gave the Browns one last chance to sign him, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Last week, Cabot reported that Pryor never went back to the organization to see if they’d match, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The reporter notes that the Browns had reduced their offer the second time around, prompting Pryor to take Washington’s $6MM offer (plus a $3MM signing bonus and $2MM in incentives). The receiver ultimately wanted to stay in Cleveland, and he was holding out in hopes that the Browns would increase their four-year offer.
While the Browns wanted to keep Pryor, they weren’t willing to meet his demands. The team was willing to hand out a long-term deal worth around $8.5MM annually, but that compromised the wideout’s flexibility. Considering his desire to stay in Cleveland, we can assume that he would have given the team a hometown discount. However, the annual salary clearly didn’t meet Pryor’s requirements for a long-term deal.
The receiver had also received offers of $10MM and $11MM, according to Cabot, but the 27-year-old had no interest in locking himself into a long-term contract. Rather, Pryor preferred to hit free agency next offseason and fetch a contract that approaches $15MM a season. Pryor also didn’t accept those early offers because he intended to stay with Cleveland, but the Browns’ unwillingness to budge led to him signing with the Redskins.
Consistent play at quarterback would presumably boost Pryor’s value in 2018. Despite playing with five different quarterbacks last season, the former signal-caller had a breakout campaign. He finished the year with 77 receptions for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns.
NFC Notes: D-Jax, Eagles, Patterson, Saints
It hasn’t been an overly positive week for the Redskins, who became the first team in NFL history to lose two 1,000-yard receivers from the previous year in the same offseason. They lost Chris Baker and fired GM Scot McCloughan as well. Washington, though, did add Terrelle Pryor on a one-year deal, and before DeSean Jackson‘s Buccaneers agreement became finalized made a late push to keep him, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Reports continued to push Jackson out of Washington due to salary escalation, and the Bucs’ three-year, $33.5MM deal (with $20MM in guarantees) proved to be what the 30-year-old deep threat preferred.
Here’s more from the NFC.
- The Eagles attempted to trade Mychal Kendricks in yet another offseason but saw most of his 2017 salary become guaranteed on Friday. A Kendricks trade would create just $1.8MM in cap space, but a source tells Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com there’s still a chance he’s dealt. The 26-year-old played just 27 percent of Philly’s defensive snaps last season.
- Cordarrelle Patterson has visited three teams — the Redskins, Raiders and Bears — but may want to stay with the Vikings. The fifth-year wideout/return man said on Snapchat (via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press), “All I am hearing is stay with the Vikings!! Trust me I want to… But we all know business is business … So what you (going to) do, Rick.” It’s safe assume “Rick” is Vikings GM Rick Spielman. The Vikings did not pick up Patterson’s fifth-year option in 2016, but given his productivity as a return man (five career kick-return touchdowns, two first-team All-Pro distinctions), it’s reasonable to suggest the Vikes would want him back at a price cheaper than the $7.915MM it would have cost them to pick up that option.
- Rex Burkhead visited the Falcons today, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This marks the first update on Burkhead since he became a free agent. He rated as PFR’s No. 7 UFA running back this year. Given a bigger role with the Bengals after Giovani Bernard went down, Burkhead averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season and gained 489 yards from scrimmage on 91 touches. The Falcons, of course, have one of the best backfields in football, so Burkhead wouldn’t stand to leapfrog Devonta Freeman or Tevin Coleman.
- Prior to Marcus Cooper signing with the Bears, the Saints expressed interest in the fifth-year cornerback, Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports.
- The NFL will strip the Patriots of the fourth-round pick they acquired from the Saints (No. 118) in the Brandin Cooks deal. (This represents the last Deflategate penalty.) But Mike Florio of Pro Football talk argued the Saints should have worked the phones to attempt to trade down from that spot. However, the trade became official on Saturday afternoon. The pick will now essentially disappear, unless New England acquires a higher fourth-round pick. The Patriots must forfeit their highest fourth-round pick, which was No. 132 prior to the Cooks trade, as part of the Deflategate penalty. Florio argues the Saints should have called teams that picked in between Nos. 119-131 to trade down — thus sending that selection to the Patriots — while picking up a minor return from another team in doing so.
DT Bennie Logan Planning Other Visits
After taking a visit with the Redskins on Friday, free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan plans to take meetings with other clubs, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. No contract is imminent between the two parties, adds Keim.
The Redskins’ interest in Logan, 27, dates back until at least January, though he has obviously been on their radar for longer as a division rival. Washington finished last year 25th in DVOA against the run and has since lost lineman Chris Baker to Tampa Bay, so the fact that it’s pursuing Logan isn’t surprising. The 309-pound Logan is a well-regarded run defender, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him poor grades last season, his most recent work came in a 4-3 defense. The Redskins run a 3-4, for which Logan is better suited.
Logan, a third-round pick in 2013, has missed five games since entering the league – all in the past two seasons – and totaled 51 starts and 5.5 sacks. He’s coming off the third straight year in which he started in each of his appearances, and he notched personal bests in sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (two).
Logan earned an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, and ranked as our No. 6 free agent interior defender.
Browns Wanted To Keep Terrelle Pryor
Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor signed with the Redskins on Friday, which came after he insisted throughout last season that he wanted to remain with the Browns. However, after Washington offered Pryor a one-year deal worth up to $8MM, he never went back to the Browns to see if they’d match it, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The Browns likely would have done so had he given them the opportunity, per Cabot.
Fresh off a breakout 2016, his first full season as a receiver after converting from the quarterback position, the expectation was that Pryor would sign a far richer deal. He had designs on a pact worth up to $15MM per annum, according to Cabot, who adds that Cleveland’s original proposal was worth $8MM to $9MM annually. While Cabot doesn’t specify the length of the offer, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes that the Browns were willing to give Pryor $17MM in guarantees. One could surmise, then, that the Browns had a four-year offer on the table. After all, they handed fellow free agent wideout Kenny Britt $17MM in guarantees Thursday on a four-year, $32.5MM accord.
Going forward, a quality showing for Pryor in 2017 – his age-28 season – should lead to a much better payday by next March. Despite having to catch passes from five less-than-ideal quarterback options last year, Pryor hauled in 77 receptions for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns. The Redskins, meanwhile, have an established signal-caller, Kirk Cousins, who’s coming off a near-5,000-yard season. Cousins is among the NFL’s most prolific gunslingers, and if the Redskins don’t trade the franchise-tagged passer by next season, Pryor shouldn’t have difficulty producing in Washington’s offense and making his case for a multiyear deal in the process.
Bennie Logan Visiting Redskins
After spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan is drawing serious interest from NFC East rival Washington. Logan is visiting with the Redskins tonight and tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports that he’s in the market for a one-year deal (Twitter link).
The Redskins’ interest in Logan, 27, dates back until at least January, though he has obviously been on their radar for longer as a division rival. Washington finished last year 25th in DVOA against the run and has since lost lineman Chris Baker to Tampa Bay, so the fact that it’s pursuing Logan isn’t surprising. The 309-pound Logan is a well-regarded run defender, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him poor grades last season, his most recent work came in a 4-3 defense. The Redskins run a 3-4, for which Logan is better suited.
Logan, a third-round pick in 2013, has missed five games since entering the league – all in the past two seasons – and totaled 51 starts and 5.5 sacks. He’s coming off the third straight year in which he started in each of his appearances, and he notched personal bests in sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (two).
Redskins Could Consider Williams For GM
As they search for their next general manager in the wake of Scot McCloughan‘s firing on Thursday, the Redskins could consider one of their former quarterbacks, Doug Williams, for the role, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Mike Jones of the Washington Post first mentioned Williams as a potential candidate Wednesday.
The 61-year-old Williams’ only work as a GM came back in 2011 with the Virginia Destroyers of the now-defunct United Football League, but he has garnered front office experience at the highest level with the Buccaneers (with whom he played from 1978-82) and Redskins.
Williams has been a personnel executive with Washington since 2014, but he’s best known for his tenure as the franchise’s signal-caller from 1986-89. Even though Williams only started 14 games during that four-year span, he was at the helm for the Redskins’ 42-10 rout of the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, which capped off the 1987 season. Williams tossed four touchdowns in that game and completed 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards.
If Williams ends up as the Redskins’ GM, his most important decision in the early going will likely center on their current starting quarterback, the franchise-tagged Kirk Cousins, who could be entering his last season with the franchise. Before he helps map out Cousins’ future, though, Williams will have to beat out other general manager candidates like NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock and ex-Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik, among other possibilities.
Patterson Meeting With Redskins, Raiders
Wideout Cordarrelle Patterson met with the Redskins today and is set to meet with the Raiders, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The Bears were previously said to be interested in the receiver, but nothing indicates that the free agent will be visiting Chicago.
The former first-rounder never defined his place on the Vikings roster during his four seasons with the team, but he did prove his worth as a returner. The two-time Pro Bowler has returned 134 career kickoffs for 4,075 yards (30.4 average) and five touchdowns. On offense, Patterson has 132 career receptions for 1,316 yards and seven touchdowns, and he has another 31 carries for 333 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
This past season, Patterson caught a career-high 52 passes for 453 yards and two scores.
In Washington, Patterson would be joining a receivers corps that includes recently-signing Terrelle Pryor, Jamison Crowder, and Josh Doctson. In Oakland, he’d presumably compete with Seth Roberts to play behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
Patterson was listed 12th in our positional free agent rankings.
Redskins Sign Terrelle Pryor
The Redskins have signed Terrelle Pryor, He’ll get a one-year deal worth up to $8MM in 2017, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The full breakdown is less a little less favorable: he gets a $3MM signing bonus and a $3MM base salary ($6MM in effective guarantees), plus $2MM in bonuses, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears those are “easily attainable” bonuses while Jason La Canfora of CBSSports (on Twitter) hears they are not likely to be earned.
Washington lost both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, with their pair of 1,000-yard receivers agreeing to join the Buccaneers and 49ers, respectively. Washington became the first team in NFL history to lose two 1,000-yard wide receivers in the same offseason. Today, they softened the blow by adding another 1,000+ yard receiver.
Pryor emerged as one of 2016’s top breakout players, going for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns on a team with arguably the worst quarterback situation in football.
Heading into free agency, the expectation was that Pryor would cash in on a multi-year deal. Instead, he has settled for a one-year prove-it contract. Agent Drew Rosenhaus tried to push the Browns to pay Pryor like a star, but the Browns held their ground. They instead signed Kenny Britt to a multi-year free agent deal and left Pryor with a softer market.
This week, we’ve seen wide receivers largely fall flat on what was hyped up to be a booming market at the top. Alshon Jeffery signed a one-year, $14MM deal with the Eagles and Kenny Stills re-upped with the Dolphins on a four-year, $32MM pact. Heading into this week, there was buzz of Stills getting $12MM annually and Pryor not being far behind. Instead, this year’s best WRs had to settle for less. The only top receiver that met or perhaps exceeded expectations was Britt.
The agreement was first reported by JP Finlay of CSNWashington (on Twitter).
Redskins Considering Mike Mayock For GM
Yes, you read that right. NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock is a candidate to become the next general manager of the Redskins, according to Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As previously reported, the Redskins are also considering ex-Bucs GM Mark Dominik.
For what it’s worth, Mayock denies having “official contact” with Washington. To us, that sounds like a technical denial rather than an outright one.
“There has been no official contact between myself and the team and no interviews about the job,” Mayock said in a statement (Twitter link). “My focus and energy – as it typically is this time of year – is squarely focused on the NFL Draft and NFL Network’s coverage of that event…this year in my hometown of Philly!”
Mayock, a former NFL safety, is one of the game’s most colorful personalities. Considered to be a leading expert in talent evaluation (at least, in the field of broadcasting), Mayock could bring a lot to the table as the Redskins approach the draft during this turbulent time.
What Mayock doesn’t offer, however, is front office leadership experience. He has been working in sports broadcasting since the mid-90s and has been with the NFL Network for about 12 years, but he has never overseen a draft room, managed a salary cap, or otherwise been responsible for the roster of any football team at any level. Scouting acumen counts, but – as the Jets are finding out with GM Mike Maccagnan – it doesn’t guarantee success.
Interestingly, Washington is not likely to hire a GM until after the draft, Schefter writes. He adds that Mayock has been considered for other front office jobs at various points in his career, but has passed on those opportunities to remain on TV. It’s not clear whether he has been in the mix for top front office jobs or just scouting positions. It’s also not clear how serious any of those offers were. For what it’s worth, the 49ers hired a GM with zero front office experience this winter and they seem confident about it working out.
This week, the Redskins relieved Scot McCloughan of his duties as GM. Depending on who you ask, the move was made either because McCloughan has an ongoing issue with alcohol or because of in-fighting and jealousy.
If Mayock gets the job, you can expect the Redskins to target players with bubble butts, sand in the pants, and oily hips. Perhaps even a few guys who are natural benders and downhill thumpers.
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins Signs Tender Contract
It’s official: Kirk Cousins has signed his one-year franchise tender. We heard on Thursday that Cousins would sign on the dotted line, even though he is ostensibly frustrated with the chaos going down in Washington right now.
Cousins personally appealed to Dan Snyder for a trade this week, but he was rebuffed by the polarizing owner. Cousins stopped short of a trade demand, however, and has accepted the fact that he probably isn’t going anywhere. The signing of the one-year tender does not hinder the Redskins from trading Cousins, but Washington has so far shown no willingness to move the QB. Meanwhile, top potential suitors like the Niners and the Browns seem to have other plans for the quarterback position.
The Redskins and Cousins now have until July 15 to hammer out a long-term extension. If a deal is not completed, he’ll earn nearly $24MM for the 2017 season before – again – being scheduled for free agency.
2016 was another solid campaign for Cousins, who completed 67-percent of his passes for 4,917 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. This performance led to the 28-year-old making his first Pro Bowl.
For team’s seeking a starting quarterback, Cousins would surely be a more attractive option than the best remaining free agents. Based on our rankings, Nick Foles is currently the best available quarterbacks.