The NFL offseason has slowed, with player movement becoming increasingly rare, and injuries, contracts and depth charts becoming the bulk of the chatter. In Detroit, that means signing Matt Stafford to a new contract, while Mark Sanchez may end up the Jets' starting quarterback again by default. But there was some movement as the Bucs added some offensive line depth just to keep us on our toes.
NFL news roundup: Lions want a Stafford extension, Sanchez looking like Jets’ starter
Two young starting quarterbacks are in the news as Matthew Stafford works on a contract extension with the Lions while Mark Sanchez inches closer to the starting job in New York.
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If the Detroit Lions cannot sign Matthew Stafford to a contract extension before the season starts, they will not cease negotiations with their quarterback until after the season. Team president Tom Lewand said "either get a deal done or we'll focus on football."
Stafford has two years left on his contract, but the Lions would like to keep him from becoming a free agent in 2015 and maybe even renegotiate the last two years of the contract, which pays him $20.8 million in 2013 and $19.3 million in 2014. Whether Stafford really wants to sign a contract now or wait to see if he can demand more money if he has a big season is yet to be determined.
Mark Sanchez seemed like a prime candidate to lose his starting role this offseason, but it appears as if he will keep his spot as the New York Jets starting signal-caller, with his competitors continuing to struggle in minicamp. Rookie Geno Smith was tabbed as the most likely quarterback to unseat Sanchez, but he has struggled and neither Greg McElroy nor Matt Simms has wowed anyone in practice either.
Trent Richardson looks set to begin running in two weeks, which will keep him on pace to return to training camp, as expected. Richardson has a leg injury, which has been called "not serious," but is still a concern after a rookie year marred be a series of minor injuries. He still played in 15 games and ran for 950 yards, but the Cleveland Browns would like to see him at full strength more often.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added some offensive line depth by trading a sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Gabe Carimi. The Bucs were desperate for offensive line help and got a player who was well-regarded after being selected in the first round of 2011 NFL Draft. He never lived up to the hype in Chicago, but the Bucs are betting that a change of scenery and new coaches can turn him around.
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