News

Texans want Matt Schaub to prove he’s healthy before extending him

stevenlourie News, Texans

As he heads into a contract year, the Texans reportedly want to see Matt Schaub, who is coming off a season ending foot injury, prove he can stay healthy before they give him a long term deal. Schaub is a very talented quarterback who has thrown 98 touchdowns to 58 interceptions, completed 64.3% of his passes and averaged 7.9 YPA in his career. However, for a variety of reasons, he’s never played in a playoff game as he heads into his age 31 season and he’s had issues with durability in the past, missing at least 5 games in 3 of the last 5 seasons.

The Texans have high expectations heading into this season, after making the playoffs even after Schaub got hurt last year. With a strong supporting cast, he has the potential to take this team deep into the playoffs, but he’ll have to stay healthy. If he can do that, the Texans will have no problem slapping him with the franchise tag next offseason and paying him among the league’s elite quarterbacks. He’ll have to prove he’s capable of that first.

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Cliff Avril is “very optimistic” about getting an extension with Lions

stevenlourie Lions, News

With 6 days to go until the deadline for franchise players to sign long term deals, Cliff Avril is one of several players who could get a long term contract this offseason. Talks between Avril and the Lions have been ongoing through the offseason and have been hot and cold, but Avril says he’s “very optimistic” about getting a deal done ahead of the deadline. This was on the same day that Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press said that he “wouldn’t hold his breath” on the two sides coming to an agreement.

Set to make 10.6 million under the franchise tag this year, Avril is one of the best pass rushers in the league with 12 sacks, 9 quarterback hits, and 41 quarterback pressures last year (including playoffs). That’s good for a sack/pressure/hit on 11.5% of all pass rush snaps. He struggles against the run and was penalized 12 times, but this is a passing league and he’s one of the best at getting to the quarterback. He’ll be paid among the best defensive ends in the league, upwards of 10 million per, somewhere. That just might not be in Detroit and he may have to wait a year. In the mean time, he’ll make good money this year.

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Progress between Tyvon Branch and Raiders

stevenlourie News, Raiders

According to CSN Bay Area and the Contra County Times, talks are ongoing between the Raiders and franchise player Tyvon Branch and there has been recent progress between the two sides. The Raiders and Branch have no shortage of comparable deals to look at. Players of similar quality such as Eric Weedle, Michael Griffin, and even teammate Michael Huff have all signed in the last calendar year. All got 4-5 year deals worth 7-8 million per year with 15-19 million guaranteed.

That will be the ball park for Branch and the safety across the bay, 49ers’ franchise player Dashon Goldson. Branch has already signed his tender for this year so worst case scenario, Branch will play for the Raiders and make 6.2 million this season. For a defense that has already lost so much over the past 2 offseasons, Branch will have to play very well and take on a leadership role this season. He was ProFootballFocus’ 2nd ranked safety against the run behind Troy Polamalu last season and has improved in coverage.

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No deal imminent between Ravens, Ray Rice

stevenlourie News, Ravens

According to the Carroll County Times, there is currently no deal “imminent” between the Ravens and franchise player Ray Rice just 6 days before the deadline for franchise players to sign long term deals. This report comes a week after ESPN’s John Clayton predicted that the two sides would come to an agreement ahead of the deadline citing that Rice is one of the few running backs worth what he is asking.

Rice is looking for a deal that would make him the 2nd highest paid running back in the league behind Adrian Peterson and wants to surpass deals that Arian Foster (5 years, 43.5 million, 20.8 million guaranteed) and LeSean McCoy (5 years, 45 million, 20.8 million guaranteed) have received this offseason. It’s looking like it could go either way right now. If the two sides cannot come to agreement, Rice may skip some of Training Camp in protest, but only symbolically as he’ll no longer be able to sign a long term deal with the team after next Monday’s deadline.

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Patriots, Wes Welker “philosophically” apart in contract talks

stevenlourie News, Patriots

Wes Welker has already signed his franchise tender, assuring him of 9.515 million dollars this season. However, he and the Patriots are not close on a long term contract. According to Welker, after he signed his tender, things got worse as the Patriots offered him a contract worse than the 2 year, 16 million dollar deal he was offered during last season. The Patriots are playing hardball with Welker as he heads into his age 31 season, knowing that Welker’s best days could be behind him and that a lot of his production is the product of the system and his quarterback.

Pro Football Talk describes negotiations as “literally and philosophically” far apart with just 6 days left before the deadline for franchise players to sign a long term deal. The two sides are currently working on a 3 year deal, but they are at least 6 million dollars apart and disagree on how to structure the 3rd year of the deal. Welker knows how much better his career is with Brady throwing to him in New England so he may cave before the deadline.

If Welker does not agree to a long term deal, don’t be shocked by the Patriots trade him. They have decent receiver depth and have done shocking things like that before. They’d be selling high and he’d become a free agent after next season. The Patriots wouldn’t want to receive nothing in return for him. They’ve run that risk as the franchise tag value for Welker for 2013 would be around 11.5 million, far too rich for a 32 year old receiver.

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Tannehill unlikely to start for Dolphins

stevenlourie Dolphins, News

The Dolphins used the 8th overall pick on Ryan Tannehill in the 2012 NFL Draft, but don’t expect him to be out there week 1. According to the Palm Beach Post, Tannehill is not in the running to be the week 1 starter, while the Miami Herald reports that the speed of the game has been trouble early for Tannehill in practice.

This makes sense as Tannehill was widely considered a project in this past draft, but the desperate Dolphins took a chance on his immense upside at #8 overall anyway. Tannehill started just 19 games at the collegiate level so it makes sense that the transition to the NFL and the speed of the NFL game is going to take some time for Tannehill.

Meanwhile, the Miami Herald says it’s neck and neck between Matt Moore and David Garrard for the week 1 job. Neither of those guys are elite quarterbacks or anything, but Moore went 6-6 with the Dolphins last year, while Garrard is an experienced veteran who had decent numbers and winning percentages with minimal supporting cast in Jacksonville.

The Dolphins have a strong defense and a decent overall supporting cast. They won 6 games last year, went 6-3 in their final 9 with Moore, and actually had a positive points differential that suggested that should have won 8 or 9 games last year. They might not be a playoff contender, but they could surprise some people who expect them to be cellar dwellers this year. Moore or Garrard will start until they struggle so we might not see Tannehill very much this year, similar to the situation in Tennessee last year with Matt Hasselbeck and another raw 8th overall pick Jake Locker.

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Peyton Manning turned down 25 million dollar per year offer from Titans

stevenlourie News, Titans

Before he signed with the Broncos, the Tennessee Titans were the other major suitor for Peyton Manning. The Titans were able to offer Manning the opportunity to return to the state where he played his college ball, a lifetime contract, and a substantial salary. Up until now, however, it had not been known how substantial that salary was.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, the Titans’ offer to Peyton Manning was worth 25 million dollars yearly. This illustrates just how desperate “win-now” owner Bud Adams was to get Manning and also that Manning didn’t make his decision in Denver for financial reasons. Manning, who took 19.2 million per year from the Broncos, still the biggest yearly salary in the NFL, felt Denver was the place that gave him the best chance to win. The lure of playing for John Elway also probably had something to do with it as well.

This revelation could also have implications for Drew Brees and the Saints. The Saints and Brees are currently in heated negotiations 6 days before the deadline for franchise players to sign. The Saints are offering 19.25 million, while Brees wants 20.5 million. While both would make him the highest paid player in the league over Manning, Brees might be would likely to hold out for the money he wants knowing that a team out there offered Manning, 3 years older than Brees, 25 million. Manning also missed all of last year and has had 4 neck surgeries. If Brees were to hit the open market next offseason, I can’t imagine how big some of the offers might be.

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Vikings’ Adrian Peterson unlikely to face league discipline

stevenlourie News, Vikings

In the middle of an arrest laden offseason for the NFL, one of its biggest stars, Adrian Peterson, was arrested for resisting arrest this weekend. Details on the situation remain murky and it’s unclear if Peterson is actually guilty of any wrongdoing. Reports range from Peterson shoving an officer to Peterson being the victim of police brutality and receiving a black eye after he went to get water as police were closing the club he was in.

Peterson is due in court this Friday and details should be clearer after that, but either way, Peterson, who has no past offenses, will not face league discipline. The major concern with Peterson going forward is his health after tearing his ACL in September. He’s now expected to be able to go week 1 and may even be able to participate in Training Camp, but the Vikings are going to be very cautious with him and may even use Toby Gerhart as the starter early in the year.

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Eagles’ Dion Lewis arrested

stevenlourie Eagles, News

Adrian Peterson’s arrest this weekend featured a bigger name, but the arrest of Eagles’ running back Dion Lewis appears to be more serious. Lewis and his brother reportedly were intoxicated and locked out of their hotel room and Lewis played the fire alarm even though there was no fire, a felony in the state of New York. Lewis was also charged with misdemeanor reckless endangerment. Lewis is a 1st time offender so he probably won’t face league discipline, but these are serious charges. Lewis, a 2011 5th round pick, is expected to be LeSean McCoy’s primary backup this year.

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Saints’ Drew Brees has no plans to attend Training Camp without new deal

stevenlourie News, Saints

With 6 days until next Monday’s deadline for franchise players to sign long term deals, Drew Brees said today that he has no plans to attend Training Camp without a new deal and while he earlier said he would never miss any games, he did say that he would leave the Saints wondering if he would return for week 1 if he doesn’t get a new deal. This is even more bad news for the Saints in the Brees negotiations after it was recently ruled that Brees had been franchised before and thus the franchise tag value for the 2013 season would be 23.57 million.

If the Saints can’t get a deal with Brees done in the next 6 days, their entire front office deserves to be fired. Not having Brees in Training Camp would be a terrible blow for team morale and chemistry, two things that have already taken blows this offseason after BountyGate. It would also mean that Brees would be a free agent after next season and the Saints would have to pay him 23.57 million to keep him in 2013. And if it got to that, it would be an even bigger blow to team morale and chemistry.

The two sides are roughly 1 million dollar apart right now. All of those things I mentioned are simply not worth that small amount of money and it’s not like Brees hasn’t earned the money he’s asking for. The Saints have offered Brees 19.25 million per year, barely more than the 19.2 million that an older and more injury prone Peyton Manning got from the Broncos this offseason. Brees is asking for 20.5 million. Given how much Manning got, and that Manning was reportedly offered 25 million per year by the Titans, Brees would undoubtedly be able to exceed 20.5 million on the open market. The Saints need to get this deal done.

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