Should the Seattle Seahawks explore adding former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as a backup option for starter Russell Wilson?
The Seattle Seahawks look set at quarterback with Russell Wilson and Anthony Gordon, but reports swirl about their interest in former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
The Panthers released Newton after a season-ending foot injury in Week 2 of last season and his future is up in the air. Carolina proceeded to sign Teddy Bridgewater as their quarterback and Newton is left searching for a new city to call home.
Speculation that Newton could sign with the Seahawks rose this offseason because of his similarities in play and attributes to Russell Wilson.
NFL reporter Ian Rapoport said that Newton is open to being a backup signal-caller on a team and that his decision will depend on the situation.
From NFL Now: Free agent QB Cam Newton has not ruled out a backup QB job in the right situation, I'm told. He wants to be (and should be) a starter. But he's open to being a backup. pic.twitter.com/g89M6vAgyv
The primary question surrounding Newton is his durability, but having him as a backup could come in handy for the Seahawks. Newton’s future team, if there is one, is purely speculation at this point.
On the surface, this is a signing that takes care of the backup QB position, but there’s an uneasy feeling it could end up being more.
In a shocking move to some, but predicted in certain realms of the internet, the Dallas Cowboys have made a major move at the quarterback position. Unable to yet come to a long-term agreement with franchised quarterback Dak Prescott, the club has found a veteran presence to back him up and give them a starting quality option should an injury occur.
The Cowboys are set to sign recently released Andy Dalton to a deal.
#Cowboys are signing QB Andy Dalton, as @AdamSchefter said. Gets $3 million guaranteed and can earn up to $7 million. Mentioned the other day he’d sign quickly but this was extremely quick.
In a sport where the most popular player in town is the backup quarterback, the move is going to send shockwaves through Cowboys Nation. Prescott has a legion of supporters in the fan base, but also enough highly vocal detractors that things are going to be very loud at the earliest lack of success.
The Cowboys have had enough of the unproven backup quarterback scene, or it should be said new head coach Mike McCarthy won’t be having any of it. The Cowboys tendered restricted free agent Cooper Rush to an original round tender, showing they were more than comfortable letting him walk if another team had come calling.
That was the clearest signal they were going to look on the market for help, but it didn’t come in the early phase of free agency. The solution also didn’t come in the draft, where they waited until the seventh round to select James Madison’s Ben DiNucci, who is a third quarterback with intriguing upside but clearly not ready to be a backup for a team with playoff aspirations.
What Dalton brings, gets
Enter Dalton, a nine-year veteran of the Cincinnati Bengals who had success early in his career but fell on hard times after leading his club to the playoffs in his first four seasons. Dalton has a career 70-61-2 record, but that comes after a 50-26-1 start to things, falling on hard times in his last four under-.500 campaigns.
It’s ironic he was 40-23-1 in his first four seasons, a half a game better than Prescott’s start of 40-26. Dalton has just had horrible performances in playoff games, throwing six interceptions against just one score and passing for under 56% completions. His teams are 0-4 after Week 17. During the regular season, when given healthy weapons, he’s been a more-than-solid QB though, and he’s never had a supporting cast like what is assembled in Dallas.
Amari Cooper is AJ Green’s equal, but Michael Gallup is better than any No. 2 WR they’ve paired with Green, CeeDee Lamb is seen as a future alpha, Ezekiel Elliott is a two-time rushing champion and even without Travis Frederick the offensive line is a formidable unit.
The possibility Dalton is seen as a bridge quarterback to a Cowboys future without Prescott has to be considered.
What it means for the Dak situation
On multiple radio appearances I’ve mentioned not having Prescott signed by now is troubling for the long-term agreement, as there isn’t going to be much that changes either side’s opinion on his value.
Granted, Prescott just lost his brother and is in mourning so it’s no surprise nothing has happened on the contract front since the draft’s conclusion. An agreement could be right around the corner, but it hasn’t been to this point, and there’s been 17 months to make that happen.
Prescott ascended last season. The market is only going to grow with the pending new deals of other young quarterbacks and Dallas has already seen they missed the chance to sign him for cheap heading into 2019.
If Prescott falters in 2020 under the franchise tag, he’s still going to want to be paid at the top of the league because he’s been ridiculously underpaid for four seasons and earned his payday. His opinion on that, or knowledge of what he’d fetch on the open market isn’t likely to be altered.
The two sides are reportedly not far apart on price, but on years; but the two go hand in hand. Prescott likely wants a higher annual value if he’s going to sign for the number of years Dallas wants to lock him in, as he’s banking on the new television contracts to flood salary cap with ridiculous money in a couple seasons, similar to the impact seen in the NBA.
Signing Dalton doesn’t mean the door closes on the possibility, but Prescott made the decision to skip the club’s voluntary virtual offseason and learn McCarthy’s system. That’s an impediment to a successful season and the club is completely in their right to protect themselves in this regard.
The team will almost certainly come out and vocalize their support of Prescott as the long-term answer in Dallas and speak to this simply being a move to improve the chances for a Super Bowl in 2020. Yet still…
ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 04: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs is shown on the video screen during play against the Oregon State Beavers at Cowboys Stadium on September 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Career, Part Deux
Dalton also opens up the possibility to be a reclamation project like the quarterback he succeeded in Cincinnati, Carson Palmer.
Palmer remained a projected starter after leaving, but the two had extremely similar stats over their first nine seasons.
When Palmer got with QB guru Bruce Arians in Arizona, had a resurgence that saw the best years of his career.
Even without a starting gig guaranteed, one has to imagine Dalton likes his chances given the environment. One can see the innovative offense Kellen Moore ran last season for Dallas, at least at the beginning of the year, and combined with McCarthy’s West Coast Offense which Dalton is familiar with, it would seem one of the better landing spots. With Cincinnati waiting so long to release him, his likelihood of finding a starting job for 2020 were very low, and Dallas provides the most vast array of weaponry of any of the other backup landing spots with an inkling of long-term opportunity.
The quarterback position is the most important one in all of sports. On the surface, the Cowboys have just locked in a player with starting experience, regular-season winning pedigree and a hometown feel, as Dalton is from Katy, Texas and attended TCU. Underneath, they’ve given themselves a look at what life could be like if they aren’t able to agree with Prescott.
That’s worth the price tag of admission on what is about to be a roller coaster season to be remembered.
The Saints didn’t select Michigan prospect Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft for him to be a backup, says Sean Payton.
When the New Orleans Saints chose to stay put at No. 24 and select Michigan Wolverines center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of this year’s NFL draft, they didn’t do so with a vision in mind of him sitting on the bench. He’s here to compete for a starting job.
Saints coach Sean Payton made that clear in a conference call with local media after the first round concluded, saying of his team’s top picks in the last two draft classes: “We have some flexibility and I think the obvious question would be, ‘hey, he’s a center, you had a center last year.’
“Obviously we think one of them is going to be a guard because we weren’t drafting someone that high to come in and be a backup.”
Last year, the Saints traded up in the second round to land Texas A&M prospect Erik McCoy. Like Ruiz, center is his natural position — they’ve each played it since high school, starting multiple seasons at the college level before entering the NFL. Both McCoy and Ruiz have also started games at guard, too. Now it’s up to the Saints to decide who fits where.
That might leave Larry Warford out in the cold. The three-time Pro Bowl right guard fell off a bit last season, and his contract status might make him an attractive trade option for the Saints now that Ruiz is in the fold, as opposed to left guard Andrus Peat, who is tied to the team through at least 2022.
When asked what Ruiz’s arrival means for Warford, Payton didn’t mince any words: the 29-year-old will have to earn his right to get on the field just like anyone else, no matter how many all-star games he’s been named to before.
“Every one of these guys is going to come in and compete,” Payton said, “and so Larry’s going to have to compete, and we feel like we will go into training camp and that’s how you improve your team.”
If Warford can’t prove he’s a better option to run with the starting lineup than Ruiz or McCoy, he’d be quite an expensive backup. His salary cap hit is the second-highest on the team behind Drew Brees, approaching nearly $13 million. If the Saints cut or trade him, they would free up more than $7 million in space beneath the salary cap. It’s something to monitor as the offseason marches on.
The New Orleans Saints may not be able to re-sign David Onyemata, a pending free agent. Shy Tuttle should be seen as an in-house replacement
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The New Orleans Saints are facing a tough decision with David Onyemata, a co-starter at defensive tackle the last few years. Onyemata is a pending free agent who will entertain offers from other teams beginning March 16 (though he can’t sign anything until March 18), and it’s unclear whether the Saints will bring him back.
That’s troubling because Onyemata led his position in snaps played per game last season. Here’s how that hierarchy shook out, per Pro Football Reference:
David Onyemata, 37.7 snaps per game (15 games)
Sheldon Rankins, 32.2 snaps per game (10 games)
Malcom Brown, 30.4 snaps per game (16 games)
Taylor Stallworth, 23.3 snaps per game (4 games)
Shy Tuttle, 21.3 snaps per game (16 games)
Mario Edwards Jr., 20.9 snaps per game (14 games)
The Saints have already paid out veteran contracts to teammates like Brown ($6 million salary cap hit in 2020) and Edwards ($3.24 million), with Rankins set to play out his fifth year with the team on a team option valued at $7.69 million. That’s a combined $16.93 million in cap commitments to the defensive tackle position. Even if Onyemata signs a deal comparable to what Brown earned (three years, $15 million), it’ll be tough to fit in another contract for Onyemata.
However, the Saints may already have replacement waiting in the wings. While Rankins would be the logical choice, he’s recovering from another lower-leg injury and isn’t a sure thing to be ready for the season-opener (at least until we get an update from the Saints). That puts Tuttle, the second-year pro, squarely in the driver’s seat to start next to Brown.
But is Tuttle ready for that? He played well for the Saints on a limited basis in 2019, registering two sacks, a knockdown, and two hurries per Pro Football Reference. Tuttle was active at the line of scrimmage, creating four tackles for loss and deflecting six passes (including the playoffs). He was also credited with just one missed tackle on 19 attempts, a rate of 5.3%. And we’d be remiss to not mention his interception of Matt Ryan on Thanksgiving, followed by the most iconic stiff arm in recent Saints history. Tuttle’s a playmaker.
That all projects well to an increased role in 2020, but what may be more encouraging are Tuttle’s grades from the analysts at Pro Football Focus. He was the team’s highest-graded interior lineman in both run defense (73.2) and pass rush (70.5), finishing second in coverage (54.9, not bad for a 300-pounder). His overall grade (75.9) was also the highest on the team. In fact, Tuttle received the 20th-best overall grade among all NFL defensive tackles.
Does this mean that he’s ready to double his workload and play 40-plus snaps per game? Maybe, maybe not. That’s up for the coaches to decide. But Tuttle was a real success story as an undrafted signing out of Tennessee, and he’s been someone Saints coach Sean Payton has been quick to recognize when discussing last year’s rookie class. It’s a safe bet that we’ll see more of Tuttle in 2020, but it’s too soon to guess the extent of his upgraded playing-time.
Here’s a look at the quarterbacks the Seattle Seahawks could watch at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this month.
The Seattle Seahawks have had a revolving door open at the backup quarterback back position over the last couple of seasons.
Often relying on veteran backups acquired via free agency, could general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll be looking to this year’s NFL draft to find someone to play behind starter Russell Wilson?
If so, here’s the complete list of quarterbacks planning to attend the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, which will be held from Feb. 23 to March 2 in Indianapolis.
QUARTERBACKS
Kelly Bryant, QB, Missouri
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Kevin Davidson, QB, Princeton
Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
Anthony Gordon, QB, Washington State
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
Brian Lewerke, QB, Michigan State
Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
Jake Luton, QB, Oregon State
Cole McDonald, QB, Hawaii
Steven Montez, QB, Colorado
James Morgan, QB, Florida International
Shea Patterson, QB, Michigan
Nate Stanley, QB, Iowa
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson proved classy after the win over the Eagles when he inquired about Carson Wentz’s status.
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a stunning blow during the wild-card matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz for the remainder of the game after he suffered a head injury during a collision with defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. No penalty was called on the play.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson knows just how devastating the loss can be, empathizing with Philadelphia’s signal-caller and offense as a whole.
“It was tough to see Carson go down,” Wilson said after the win. “He’s such a tremendous football player and had a great year. I don’t really know what his status was fully. To be honest with you, I thought Josh [McCown] came in and did a great job, too . . . It shows you how important the position is and he did a great job of that.”
Immediately following the game, Wilson and Eagles coach Doug Pederson shared a hug and handshake on the field. Wilson promptly inquired about Wentz’s status. The moment was caught on video.
Although no flag was thrown at the time, Clowney’s hit on Wentz remains controversial – depending on who you ask.
“I didn’t see the play so I can’t really answer on that in particular,” Wilson explained. “I know they are trying to protect the players and stuff like that, but I didn’t get to see the play, unfortunately.”
New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk talked up the impact of backup left guard Nick Easton, and the importance of consistency.
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The New Orleans Saints bounced back in a big way against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, rebounding from its worst performance in recent years a week earlier to move the Buccaneers defensive line at will. And much of that success came up front, off of the efforts of blockers like right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.
A surprise boost came from backup left guard Nick Easton, who filled in for injured starter Andrus Peat and ended up earning New Orleans’ highest grade on offense from Pro Football Focus. When asked whether he could sense Easton’s eagerness to get back on the field, Ramczyk confirmed it.
“Yes, definitely,” Ramczyk said during a conference call with New Orleans media. “When we’re out there he’s encouraging and you could tell he was excited and ready to go. He definitely had a good mentality about getting the start and I think he did a great job. Whenever you can have a guy like that who is vocal and trying to get the team going, it amps us up too. Definitely a positive.”
Still, Ramczyk had to double back to his unit’s poor performance against the Atlanta Falcons. Painful as that game was — the Saints ran for a season-low 52 yards, and allowed a season-high six sacks — it provided plenty of teaching moments for the Saints offensive line. And it also gave them some added motivation to carry into practice down the stretch.
“That Atlanta game was not what we’re about and something we weren’t proud of at all,” Ramczyk said. “There’s a lot of bad stuff that happened in that game and we looked at that film and corrected it. As an offensive line, like I said, we want to be able to run the ball. We want to be able to pass the ball.”
And the Saints accomplished both of those goals against Tampa Bay, despite the Buccaneers’ ranking as one of the NFL’s best run defenses (just 81 yards allowed per game). New Orleans racked up 109 rushing yards as a team and controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for 37 minutes. While the Saints passing attack didn’t put up eye-popping numbers, that efficiency was what they wanted to see.
Ramczyk continued: “Two of the most important things is keeping Drew [Brees] protected, keeping him clean, and then being able to open up the run game. Week to week, that’s something we take a lot of pride in and we try to hold ourselves to a really high standard in those two aspects. Like you said, it was uncharacteristic against Atlanta, but we’re going to get on this roll and keep going and playing our game, playing our football.”
The New Orleans Saints lost starting guard Andrus Peat for six weeks, putting Will Clapp and Nick Easton in the driver’s seat to replace him
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The New Orleans Saints offensive line took a hit on Wednesday when starting left guard Andrus Peat underwent surgery to repair a broken arm, putting him on the sidelines for about six weeks. So where do they go from here?
Peat’s immediate replacement is backup guard Will Clapp, who filled in for him during Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Clapp is a second-year player out of LSU with experience at both guard and center, though the Saints prefer him at guard. He allowed a few sacks to the swarming Falcons defense after being rushed into action.
Another name to watch out for is Patrick Omameh, who has been the final active lineman on most game days despite slotting in as a reserve after Clapp. He has started full seasons before at both left and right guard, though he didn’t play at a particularly high level. The experience he does have at starting often in the NFL can’t be undersold.
Additionally, the Saints can try and get some return on the investment they made in free agent blocker Nick Easton. New Orleans inked him to a four-year, $20 million contract earlier this year, though only the first year was guaranteed at the time of signing. However, Easton has been active for just three games this season, limiting his appearances to the special teams units. He obviously didn’t make a great impression on the coaching staff during the offseason.
Other candidates the Saints could look to on their roster include three rookies: Ethan Greenidge (a former left tackle for Villanova who started 43 games), Derrick Kelly (a Florida State product who played 34 games at both tackle and guard), and John Leglue (a local from Tulane who has played all five positions, plus long snapper).
To recap, here is how snap counts have shaken out for each of New Orleans’ offensive linemen through nine games, suggesting something similar to the in-house depth chart:
The New Orleans Saints lost starting left guard Andrus Peat to a broken arm against the Atlanta Falcons, and he’s expected to miss six weeks
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Bad news hit the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that left guard Andrus Peat suffered a broken arm in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Peat went through surgery Wednesday and the team expects him to be sidelined for six weeks, per Schefter’s report. That would put him on the shelf until their Dec. 22 game with the Tennessee Titans.
It’s a big loss for the Saints. Despite his inconsistent level of play, Peat was their best option to start at left guard as well as the immediate backup for left tackle Terron Armstead. He’ll likely be replaced by his own backup, second-year pro Will Clapp, though free-agent signee Nick Easton should also be a candidate to get playing time. Easton has been a healthy scratch in six of nine games after signing a four-year, $20 million contract with New Orleans earlier this year.
It couldn’t come at a worse time for Peat, who is scheduled to test free agency in the spring. The 25-year-old is playing out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, guaranteeing him $9.625 million in 2019. The sad state of offensive line play around the league means he’ll have plenty of bidders looking to pay him to start at either left tackle or left guard, and probably put him out of New Orleans’ price range even with this injury.
And injury concerns are something that has dogged Peat throughout his career: he’s never played a 16-game season, despite coming close in both 2016 and 2017 with 15 games played in each outing, though his 2017 season ended with a broken leg. He missed three games in 2018 due to a sprained ankle, concussion, and broken hand, but made the Pro Bowl as an alternate. A growing list of injuries, poor positional fits (the Saints tried him out at both tackle and guard on each side of the line before settling at left guard), and a probably-high price tag mean his days in New Orleans may be numbered.
