Class of ‘04 About to Cash In

Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger will forever be connected after entering the league together as first-round draft picks in 2004. Now, all three have one more thing in common: they are all in line for new contracts this offseason.

The extensions for these three players will not look like the extensions signed by quarterbacks last offseason, when Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick inked nearly nine-figure “earn as you go” contracts that featured limited guarantees. The headliners from the 2004 draft class have proven themselves time and time again and are about to become some of the highest paid players in league history.

Manning is the only one of the three coming off a losing season (6-10). However, he showed incredible progress as the season progressed, growing more and more comfortable in first-year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s offense. The Giants, who topped 500 yards of offense in each of their final two games, appear to be a team on the rise.

“If the Giants want to discuss [an extension], we’ll discuss it, but it’s not a focus of mine,” Manning said.

Rivers is coming off a season that started hot — he was leading the MVP conversation after six games — but ended with the first losing December of his career. Part of that was the result of a brutal closing schedule, while part can be blamed on back and rib injuries that severely limited him down the stretch. Impressively, the tough-as-nails Rivers did not miss a start and the Chargers have expressed no concerns about his long-term health.

“I still think he has a number of years left,” said Chargers GM Tom Telesco of Rivers. “I really do. He keeps himself in great condition. He’s always prepared. And he’s still playing at a high level.”

Roethlisberger is coming off the best statistical season of his career, as he tied for the league lead in passing yards (4,952). He helped the Steelers snap a two-year playoff drought by leading the team to the AFC North title, but was bounced in the opening round of the playoffs by the rival Ravens. Nonetheless, he proved he can stay healthy and still perform at an elite level.

“I felt great all year [on the contract situation],” Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. “Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later.”

Tolbert: Some Panthers Wanted Seattle

The Panthers finally got back to .500 this weekend, improving to 8-8-1 overall after a playoff win over an injury-decimated Cardinals team. But Carolina is not thinking about its middle-of-the-pack record; instead; these Panthers have their sights set on the top of the mountain.

“There’s some guys in here that actually wanted to play Seattle,” said RB Mike Tolbert, who caught a touchdown pass against Arizona. “As a competitor, you want to beat the best. They’re the king of the hill. And we want to knock them off, so that’s where we wanted to go.”

This appears to be a classic example of “be careful what you wish for.” Seattle is riding a six-game winning streak into the playoffs. Over that span, the Seahawks have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 134-39.

Carolina is peaking at the right time, as well, having won five straight following an ugly stretch where the Panthers went more than two months between victories. One of the losses in that two-month span came at the hands of the Seahawks, a 13-9 victory at Bank of America Stadium. It marked the second straight season the Seahawks beat the Panthers, with both wins coming by five points or less.

Carolina’s defense is confident is can keep Seattle’s offense in check for a third straight meeting. Just don’t expect a repeat of last week’s performance, when the Panthers limited the Cardinals to a playoff-record low 78 yards of total offense. Comparing Russell Wilson to Ryan Lindley is like comparing an S-Class Mercedes to a Kia.

When asked if he is confident the Panthers can keep Wilson & Co. in check again, Panthers CB Josh Norman said: “Yes, why would I not be?”

Coaching Searches Heating Up

The Falcons met with Rex Ryan for more than five hours on Wednesday as Atlanta continues to search for its next head coach. Up next: Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who is scheduled to interview for the Falcons job on Thursday.

From the moment the Falcons announced head coach Mike Smith would not return, Ryan and Bowles seemed like the most sensible replacements. Both men are superb defensive minds with aggressive schemes and charismatic personalities. The Falcons, who ranked dead last in total defense this season, would be fortunate to land either man.

Ryan left town without a deal and reports are the Bills would like to speak to him next. That could set up an extremely interesting scenario, as Ryan’s former team — the Jets — is considered the most likely landing spot for former Bills coach Doug Marrone. This could result in the Jets and Bills essentially swapping coaches, which would add a whole new level of intensity to their AFC East rivalry.

Marrone is also a candidate for the Falcons job, making the situation feel almost incestuous.

In other coaching news, Mike Shanahan has already interviewed with the Bills, Raiders and 49ers; he will likely be brought in for an interview with the Bears, too. And from the look of things, he is already up to his old tricks. Just as interest in his coaching services is picking up, “sources” let it be known that his son, Kyle, is unhappy with his role as the offensive coordinator in Cleveland. This reeks of a ploy to get Kyle out of his contract with the Browns so he can join his father at his next destination.

The Shanahans, of course, were notorious for leaking negative information about their quarterback and front office during their last stint together in Washington.

Kyle is interviewing for some head coaching positions, too. After all, he just directed an offense that ranked in the league’s bottom 10, and he made virtually no progress with the rookie quarterback his team traded up to acquire in the first round.

Why shouldn’t that lead to a promotion?

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