NFL Player News

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford received a $27.5 million signing bonus when he agreed to a contract extension last July but agreed to defer $17.5 million of the payment. That balance is due Friday, reports the Detroit Free Press.

The bonus already has been accounted for in the Lions' salary cap.

Stafford ranked third with 4,650 yards last season but his completion percentage (58.5) declined and his interceptions (19) rose for the second straight year, the paper noted.

Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill said he spoke to new coordinator Bill Lazor and found out the offense "definitely will be different," according to the Miami Herald. "It’s a completely different system. Bill runs a numbers system. Coach [Mike] Sherman was a West Coast-style system.

"Everything is going to have a different name," Tannehill added. "It’s going to be re-programmed in my brain to work in a different way. It’s a big task.”

Tannehill said he's excited to work with Lazor. “He’s a fun guy to work with. Just his personality coming in seems like it’s going to be a lot of fun," the quarterback said. "I’m looking forward to when we can get into learning the offense. I’m just waiting on that date. ... I’m really looking forward to taking a big step this year.”

For Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, 2014 is a make-or-break year, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Bradford showed improvement last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, posting a career-high 90.9 passer rating, but still has a lot to prove, the report said.

"This will be Bradford's 3rd season with [Brian] Schottenheimer as the OC. If things aren't clicking in Year III  ... then when?" the paper said.

Bradford is signed through 2015. He's owed $17.6 million this year and $16.5 million next year.

The Redskins aren't shopping backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, but will listen to offers, reports the Washington Post. The team would be willing to trade Cousins for a second-round draft pick, the report said.

“It’s not a case of looking to trade him,” a source told the paper. “That’s not the situation. But it’s not a case of there being absolutely no interest in a trade under any circumstances, either. It would all depend on what someone might offer.”

Cousins was a fourth-round pick in 2012, and it's unlikely any team would give up a second-rounder for him. Washington would be content to go into 2014 with Cousins again backing up Robert Griffin III.

Asked an open-ended question about his quarterbacks, new Browns coach Mike Pettine's first words were "Brian Hoyer," reports the Boston Globe.

“We’re looking forward to getting him back to where at least he’ll do some limited work in the spring," Pettine continued, referring to Hoyer's comeback from ACL surgery. "I’ve always admired Brian from afar. He’s proven he can be successful in the NFL, but at the same time, you’re always looking to make the team better and that’s the most important position.”

The Browns still are expected to draft a quarterback at No. 4 overall.

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins wants a chance to compete for the starting job, or to be traded. But he's vowing not to be a distraction. “I’m gonna communicate my desire to play in a classy way,” Cousins said, per the Washington Post.

“I don’t want to do it in a way that’s gonna hurt our organization or reflect poorly on me or the team. But yeah, I absolutely want to play, and that’s not a complicated fact. But we’ll see what happens. We’ll see what’s in the cards. And if I’m not good enough, I’ve got to accept that, but all I’m looking for is that chance.”

The Packers couldn't win without Aaron Rodgers last season, so now they're determined to find a promising quarterback in the draft, reports the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Green Bay has drafted only one quarterback, 2012 seventh-rounder B.J. Coleman, in the past five years.

The paper noted Matt Flynn is an impending free agent and Scott Tolzien may or may not be the answer as Green Bay's backup quarterback.

"I think we definitely need four, so I'm hopeful that we can get a young guy in the draft," coach Mike McCarthy told the paper. "That's something we're looking at and maybe taking even a harder look this year — well, that's not true, we've always taken a hard look.

"That's something that we're focused on."

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said the team might sign quarterback Andy Dalton to a long-term extension, reports ProFootballTalk.com. Dalton is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

“As a football team we would like to continue to keep our good, young players,” Lewis said. “The representatives from his side and our team will get together and try to discuss something. We feel good about what Andy has done the past three seasons and we have to continue to help him to continue to play better.”

Lewis remains staunchy behind Dalton despite the quarterback's playoff failures.

In the unlikely event the Jets want to keep quarterback Mark Sanchez, there are two scenarios that could unfold, reports ESPN.com. Both involve the Jets asking Sanchez to take a big pay cut.

If they try to cut his base salary from $9 million to $1 million, "it would be insulting, a strong indication he'd have no chance to unseat [Geno Smith]," the report said. If the Jets offer $3 million to $5 million with incentives, "it would show they consider him a viable starting option."

New Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson gave an emphatic vote of confidence to quarterback Andy Dalton.

"I like what Andy brings to the table for us," Jackson told the team's website. "Andy can do it all. I haven’t seen anything he can’t do. He ran with the ball last year. Obviously he threw it all over the yard, and obviously he ran our football team.

"At the end of the day, those are the characteristics we’re looking for in a quarterback for our football team as well as our organization."

Dalton capped his finest regular season by throwing six interceptions in Week 17 and the playoff loss combined.