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Raiders Franchise Kamerion Wimbley; Re-sign Stanford Routt, John Henderson

February 24, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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The Raiders continue securing major elements of their rising defense.

On Thursday, the team used its franchise tag to retain linebacker Kamerion Wimbley. He led the Raiders last season with nine sacks in his first year with the club after joining the team in a trade with Cleveland.

In addition, ESPN.com reported that the Raiders reached multi-year deals with Stanford Routt, who beat out Chris Johnson for the starting right cornerback job last season, and defensive lineman John Henderson, a key run-stopper.

The Raiders initially hoped to use a $3.5 million buyback provision to retain Wimbley but that move was rescinded by the NFL, citing the league’s contract rules barring annual increases in base salaries beyond 30 percent.

Under the franchise tag, which pays the designee the average of the five highest paid players at his position, Wimbley could receive about $10 million. His agent, Joe Linta, told The Associated Press that he and the Raiders hoped to work out a long-term deal.

The sides can negotiate until March 3, when the collective bargaining agreement between players and owners is set to expire. There is the threat of a lockout of the players by owners if no agreement is reached by then.

Wimbley can also negotiate with other teams, though the franchise tag mandates that if he goes elsewhere the Raiders would receive two first round picks as compensation.

The contract for Routt, reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter to be worth $31.5 million over three years, ensures the return of half of the Raiders’ dynamic cornerback tandem. It remains to be seen whether the Raiders can keep Nnamdi Asomugha, the Pro Bowl pass defender who is heading toward free agency.

The Raiders also re-signed Henderson to a two-year deal worth $8 million, according to Schefter. Owner Al Davis is clearly doing his utmost to try to keep the defense intact and give new coach Hue Jackson the best chance to deliver on his vow to win the division next season.

 

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Kyle Orton Tabbed Broncos Starting Quarterback Over Tim Tebow, For Now

February 24, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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If the Broncos lined up today, Kyle Orton would be the team’s starting quarterback.

But the Broncos are not lining up for a game today and coach John Fox‘s endorsement Thursday of Orton as Denver’s starter over Tim Tebow doesn’t mean all that much at this point. Because in reality, neither Orton, nor Tebow nor Brady Quinn has been anointed as the Broncos’ starter.

Fox, speaking at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, himself noted that he chose his words carefully in discussing Orton’s place in the Broncos’ quarterback hierarchy.

“I can’t predict (who starts) Week 1. That’s why I say, ‘today,’ ” Fox said. “I don’t think we’ll really figure it out until we start competing.”

Fox downplayed the possibility that Orton, who publicly raised the possibility of going elsewhere if he did not retain the starting job he has held for the last two seasons, would be traded away.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s under contract and he’s our starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos,” Fox said.

At the same time, Fox suggested there will be renewed competition for the job heading into next season and that Quinn, the team’s third stringer last season, also figures in that equation.

Tebow started the final three games of the season after Orton injured his ribs and had a couple of bad outings in the midst of a very productive season last year.

Orton later voiced his displeasure at being supplanted by Tebow, suggesting he had been healthy enough to return for the last two games of the year and had done nothing in his play to merit losing his job.

In a way, Broncos vice president John Elway and Fox essentially agree with Orton, though they want him to prove it all over again in what shapes up as another training camp competition for the job, though summer workouts and even the season could be in limbo if labor uncertainty leads to a lockout.

Fox said he’s very pleased with the quality of the Broncos’ quarterback group as a whole.

“It’s a group of three that I think is very capable,” Fox said. “Right now, I think Kyle Orton is our starter. We have got a very young guy, a high draft pick in Tim Tebow that got his feet wet last year towards the end of the season and did an outstanding job.

 

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Champ Bailey Will Return to Broncos With History-Making Contract

February 22, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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Champ BaileyChamp Bailey has re-signed with the Denver Broncos and the 10-time Pro Bowl cornerback wasn’t thinking twice about passing up the chance for more money by forgoing his pending free agency.

“One thing I’ve learned is that the grass is not always greener,” Bailey told reporters in a conference call Tuesday.

Bailey, 32, agreed to a four-year contract worth about $43 million that is the richest deal ever for a cornerback above 30 years old, according to the Denver Post. It includes $11 million guaranteed in 2011.

Still, that’s $2 million less than he made last season and well off the premium paid to other elite players at the position, including Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis‘ league-leading annual salary of $15 million.

Bailey said the NFL‘s labor uncertainty had an impact on his decision. If the sides fail to reach a new collective bargaining agreement by March 3, there is a strong likelihood the players could be locked out by owners who are seeking a more favorable split of the league revenues with the players. There are concerns the dispute could put the 2011 season in the jeopardy.

“A lot of players really don’t get a chance to test the market when you know that people are going to want you somewhere,” Bailey said. “But, there is no certainty once March 4 rolls around. That played a role in my decision — to make sure something got done.

 

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John Fox Shifts Broncos Back to 3-4 Defensive Formation

February 18, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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The overhaul of the Denver Broncos‘ defense will include a change in scheme.

Coach John Fox told the Denver Post this week that the Broncos would revert to a 4-3 alignment as opposed to the 3-4 scheme used the previous two seasons under fired coach Josh McDaniels.

Though Fox has run defenses using both schemes, he favored the 4-3 and used it as his base defense during his nine years as Carolina’s coach.

“We’re going to be a multiple-front defense, but I think we’ll make the commitment to the 4-3,” Fox told the Post. “The transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 is much easier than going from the 4-3 to 3-4. I will say that. So we feel pretty confident about the switch.”

The shift in scheme is the first of many changes expected for a defense that ranked last in the league last season in points allowed and total defense.

Vice president of football operations John Elway has made it clear strengthening Denver’s besieged defense is a priority and the Broncos could focus on that side of the ball in the draft.

In addition, Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, who missed all of last season with a chest injury after leading the NFL in sacks in 2009, would be expected to return to their natural defensive end positions after being moved to outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment.

 

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Chargers Promote Secondary Coach Steve Wilks to Assistant Coach

February 17, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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The Chargers on Thursday added to Chargers secondary coach Steve Wilks’ title and responsibilities by naming him assistant head coach under Norv Turner.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Wilks said in a statement released by the team. “It’s a chance for me to grow and expand my abilities and gain valuable experience.”

Turner said Wilks deserved the promotion.

“Steve has done an outstanding job with our secondary since he’s been here and now we’re going to ask even more of him,” Turner said.

In his two years in San Diego, Wilks has overseen sharp improvement in the effectiveness of the Chargers’ secondary.

 

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Champ Bailey, Broncos Renew Talks

February 17, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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The Broncos have resumed contract talks with Champ Bailey and his agent in hopes of retaining the Pro Bowl cornerback, a pending free agent.

Vice president of football operations John Elway confirmed the renewed negotiations in a series of Tweets and in a statement released on the team’s website on Thursday. He said in part that keeping Bailey is one of the team’s priorities.

“We’ve been working with Champ Bailey’s representative this week on a new contract, which is an important priority for us,” Elway said. “Our conversations have been constructive, and we’ll continue those talks in the hopes that we can reach an agreement. Champ’s an elite player who means a great deal to our entire organization and our fans. We want Champ to finish his Hall of Fame career as a Denver Bronco.”

This is the first concrete indication that the organization wanted Bailey back since the sides broke off talks in October after the team pulled a proposed contract extension for Bailey off the table. At the time, former coach Josh McDaniels held sway over the team’s personnel decisions. The Denver Post said the aborted deal was worth $40 million.

McDaniels was fired Dec. 6 and John Fox last month as the Broncos new head coach following a search led by Elway, the Hall of Fame quarterback who was brought on board as Denver’s top football executive soon after the team concluded a 4-12 season.

 

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Richard Seymour’s Signing Gives Raiders Flexibility in Keeping Core Together

February 17, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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By signing Pro Bowl defensive tackle Richard Seymour to a hefty new deal, the Raiders locked up a centerpiece of their improving defense.

The two-year, $30 million contract made Seymour one of the league’s highest paid players and keeps him around for the next two seasons after the Raiders sent the New England Patriots a first-round pick two years ago in the trade that landed the defensive anchor.

Despite missing three games due to a hamstring injury, Seymour was a force in the middle for the Raiders defense. He helped to invigorate the pass rush and made those around him better by getting push up the middle. It was no coincidence that fellow defensive lineman Tommy Kelly had a bang-up season playing next to Seymour. His smash-mouth style also put some backbone in what had been a leaky Raiders run defense.

Here’s what owner Al Davis said a month ago of the Raiders’ defensive prospects.

“We have a defense, that if we can keep them together, that’s coming of age. A tough group. They beat people up, and I don’t mean that negatively, but they’re tough. Seymour leads the pack with Kelly,” Davis said.

That’s why heading off Seymour’s free agency was critical for the Raiders, who are trying keep their core group together in a bid to return to the playoffs next season for the first time in eight years. With an 8-8 finish, the Raiders snapped a string of seven consecutive losing seasons but fell short of their first postseason trip since 2002, one of the reasons Hue Jackson is now the head coach in place of the ousted Tom Cable.

 

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Vincent Jackson Receives Franchise Tag From Chargers

February 15, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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The San Diego Chargers applied the franchise tag on Tuesday to Vincent Jackson in a bid to retain the star wide receiver, who could have been bound for the free-agent market.

The team’s tag on Jackson was “non-exclusive,” meaning he can still negotiate with other clubs but the Chargers could either match the offer and keep him, or let him go and receive two first-round picks as compensation. In addition, the Chargers and Jackson and his representatives could opt to negotiate a long-term deal, though the sides have had a rocky relationship at times.

“Vincent has been a valuable contributor to our team,” general manager A.J. Smith said in a statement. “We want him to be a Charger.”

Jackson, who went to the Pro Bowl following the 2009 season, has had run-ins with the law, resulting in a league-imposed three-game suspension at the start of last season.

In addition, Jackson last year refused to sign a $3.2 million restricted free agent tender extended by the Chargers. Instead, he staged a prolonged holdout through the summer and deep into the season in a failed attempt to force San Diego to give him a long-term deal or trade him to a team that would.

Jackson eventually reported to the Chargers but by then the team had reduced and pro-rated his tender. He also had to serve a three-game, team-imposed suspension on the roster exempt list before becoming eligible for the final six games of the season.

 

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Tim Tebow Autobiography ‘Through My Eyes’ About to Hit Bookshelves

February 15, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow could be on the verge of another bestseller.

Tebow, who had the NFL‘s top selling jersey as a rookie this past season, has finished co-authoring his autobiography, which is scheduled to be released in bookstores and online in April.

The book, published by Harper Collins, is 256 pages and was written with Nathan Whitaker, who previously co-authored books with former Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy and NFL broadcaster James Brown.

The Denver Business Journal reported that Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy winner who led Florida to two national titles before being drafted in the first round a year ago by the Broncos, would kick off a national promotional tour in Denver upon the book’s release.

 

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Legedu Naanee Reportedly Charged With Public Intoxication, Resisting Arrest

February 14, 2011   Dennis J. Georgatos   No comments

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Chargers wide receiver Legedu Naanee is facing allegations of public intoxication and resisting police following his arrest over the weekend in Indianapolis.

According to the police report obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Naanee allegedly scuffled with arresting officers and even threatened to sue them.

Naanee crossed paths with police early Saturday when he approached an active crime scene investigation. Officers reportedly smelled alcohol on Naanee and told him to move on but he allegedly began disputing the police instructions, at one point reportedly asking one officer why he was such an (expletive).

The encounter escalated when police moved to arrest him. When Naanee allegedly resisted, police used pepper spray to subdue him. After being placed in handcuffs, Naanee was quoted in the police report as saying, “Do you know who I am? I am an NFL player and I’m going to sue your (expletive), “according to The Union-Tribune.

Naanee is likely to be free agent this offseason, though that could depend on the outcome of labor negotiations between the NFL and the players’ union.

In a statement, the Chargers said, “We’re disappointed to hear about the issue involving Legedu. We’ll monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course.”

 

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