Here's a look at some of the top rumors for Wednesday, Jan. 27:
New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo ended his third straight season on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in New England's divisional round win over the Kansas City Chiefs. We now know, courtesy of Dan Roche of WBZ, that Mayo had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Roche is also reporting that Mayo will be ready for training camp, but, as Kevin Duffy of MassLive pointed out, he will only be at Patriots camp if he re-works his contract. The Patriots can save $7 million against the cap by declining the option in the aging linebacker's current contract. Although Mayo had to go under the knife, running back LeGarrette Blount was reportedly able to avoid a similar fate. The Boston Herald's Jeff Howe tweeted that Blount's season-ending hip injury did not require surgery. The bruising running back was listed by ESPN's Mike Reiss as one of New England's most valuable free agents this offseason, so his recovery will likely have a major impact on any upcoming contract negotiations.
Michael Sam apparently isn't ready to let his NFL dreams go just yet. Sam tweeted, in response to a fan's question, that he is "going to give [a return] one more shot." As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk noted, it's not clear whether this is a legitimate plan to return to the league or just a wish from the former Missouri star. In September, Sam told Dan Patrick he had left the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL because he "wasn't getting better as a football player," and was losing the technique he had worked on while with the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys. Despite his season-long availability, no one came calling for the defensive end. Sam doesn't currently have any reported suitors for his services in his continued attempt to become the first openly gay active player in the NFL.
Vinny Curry was reportedly mulling a contract offer Tuesday from the Philadelphia Eagles. Geoff Mosher of 97.5 shed some light Wednesday on what that offer might look like. Mosher pointed to the five-year, $42.5 million contract the Minnesota Vikings signed Everson Griffen to as a benchmark for what Curry's potential new contract might be. Curry is just one sack short of Griffen's total over the first four seasons of his career, so the comparison for the contract seems like a solid one. Since signing his deal, however, Griffen has gone on to record 22.5 sacks in the last two seasons, recording double-digit sacks in both campaigns. If Curry lands a contract in the $40 million range, expectations for his production will certainly rise in Philadelphia.
The Buffalo Bills have already publicly declared signing left tackle Cordy Glenn as one of their top priorities this offseason. Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News has heard from a source that Glenn could be seeking $10 million per year at a minimum. Seeing as Glenn plays at a premium position that tends to command a large salary, the number should not come as a surprise. But Dunne also notes that other factors such as his age (26), the franchise tag and the struggles of college linemen transitioning to the NFL all stand to help Glenn in negotiations. There haven't been any substantial negotiations yet, but his impressive performance as a pass blocker and in the run game make the dependable lineman a prime candidate for the franchise tag if a long-term contract can't be worked out.
