Lance Moore

Lance Moore Retires From Football

Just days after signing with the Falcons, wide receiver Lance Moore has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to a press release from the team. 

Moore, who entered the league as a UDFA in 2005, played for three different teams during his ten year career, spending eight seasons with the Saints. During his time with the Saints, he recorded 346 receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns. Moore tallied 389 career receptions for 4,816 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career.

Moore, who turns 33 later this month, auditioned for the Chargers recently before the team ultimately chose to sign James Jones instead. On Friday, the veteran reached agreement on a deal with the Falcons. Apparently, Moore had a change of heart over the weekend and opted to hang ’em up instead.

Moore was a favored target of Drew Brees‘ for years before he was released by the team in March 2014. In 2013, Moore’s receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (two) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. Unfortunately, things didn’t pick up when he joined the Steelers. In 2014, he caught just 14 balls with Pittsburgh, matching his lowest total since his rookie year. Following that disappointing season, he asked for his release and then hooked on with the Lions. His performance was roughly the same there as he caught 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.

We here at PFR wish Moore all the best in retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Sign WR Lance Moore

The Falcons have announced the signing of veteran Lance Moore, who was one of the more notable wide receivers remaining on the open market. Lance Moore

[RELATED: Check Out The Falcons’ Depth Chart On Roster Resource]

Moore, who turns 33 later this month, auditioned for the Chargers recently before the team ultimately went with James Jones to fill the gap while Stevie Johnson is sidelined. Now, he’ll try his luck in Atlanta.

The Falcons are familiar with Moore, who had been one of the longest-tenured Saints, acting as a target for Drew Brees‘ for years before he was released by the team in March 2014. In 2013, Moore’s receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (two) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. Unfortunately, things didn’t pick up when he joined the Steelers. In 2014, he caught just 14 balls with Pittsburgh, matching his lowest total since his rookie year. Following that disappointing season, he asked for his release and then hooked on with the Lions. Things didn’t get much better as he caught 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported the signing. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Sign James Jones

5:04pm: The signing is now official, and the Chargers have waived/injured wide receiver Jamaal Jones to create a roster spot, tweets Eric Williams of ESPN.com

2:58pm: The Chargers have agreed to sign James Jones, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jones met with the Chargers on Tuesday morning and San Diego apparently liked what they saw from him. "<strong

[RELATED: Impact Rookies — San Diego Chargers]

Jones led the Packers in 2015 with 890 receiving yards off of 50 receptions. He also led Green Bay’s wide receivers with eight touchdowns. That was a different stat line than 2014, a year in which he corralled a career-high 73 receptions for just 666 yards and six touchdowns for the Raiders.

As Stevie Johnson deals with a knee injury, the Chargers are looking for an experienced fill-in to help round out their group of receivers and Jones could be that guy. As shown on Roster Resource, Johnson is slated to work behind Keenan Allen and offseason pickup Travis Benjamin in the club’s wideout pecking order, but an ACL issue has put his season in jeopardy. The Bolts – who also have Tyrell Williams, Dontrelle Inman, Javontee Herndon, Torrence Allen, and Isaiah Burse on the depth chart – are waiting on a second opinion to see if Johnson will be able to suit up this year. In his first year with the Bolts, Johnson battled injuries and posted respectable production in 10 games, racking up 45 catches on 65 targets for 497 yards and three touchdowns.

The Chargers also worked out Brian Hartline and Lance Moore on Tuesday, but it sounds like they might not have a need for either player now that Jones is in the fold.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Moore, Kerrigan, Chiefs

We heard near the start of the offseason that veteran wide receiver Lance Moore asked the Steelers to release him, and the team eventually obliged. Having landed with the Lions, Moore opened up to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his desire to move on from Pittsburgh.

“I knew the day after the playoff loss that we had, I knew that I didn’t want to be there anymore,” Moore said. “They made me inactive. And I knew at that point that the writing is on the wall. I could see what their future plans were for me; it was the first time in my career that I was a healthy inactive.

“People always ask me what happened or what didn’t go right, or why did it go so wrong?” Moore continued. “I really don’t know, other than I was hurt early in the year, it never quite clicked for Ben and I, and young guys played well. I guess that’s (it).”

As Moore looks to earn a roster spot in Detroit, let’s round up a few more odds and ends from across the NFL…

  • Speaking to reporters today, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (Twitter link), Washington pass rusher Ryan Kerrigan said there’s no update on his contract negotiations. However, Kerrigan also acknowledged that his agent is handling all those talks, so he may not be up to date on the latest developments.
  • Discussing the team’s stadium situation, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Chargers have an obligation to try everything they can to make it work in San Diego before deciding to move to Los Angeles.
  • The Chiefs announced five front office promotions today, with the most notable being Chris Ballard‘s elevation from director of player personnel to director of football operations. Ballard spoke to the Bears about their general manager job this past winter, and also drew interest from the Jets and Eagles.
  • The man who beat out Ballard for the GM job in Chicago, Ryan Pace, discussed his latest additions to the Bears organization, as Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com outlines.
  • In an effort to identify the most player-friendly contracts among veteran quarterbacks, Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) ranks Joe Flacco‘s deal atop the list, with Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers close behind.

NFC Notes: Rams, Garcia, Lions, Walsh

Former NFL signal-caller Jeff Garcia interviewed for the Rams‘ quarterbacks coach job earlier in the offseason, but the position ultimately went to Chris Weinke. Still, the club apparently liked what it saw from Garcia. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have added Garcia to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant for the coming season.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Lance Moore received a $40K signing bonus from the Lions and will get another $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s roster in Week 1, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett observes, the modest guaranteed money on the minimum salary deal hardly assures the veteran wideout of a regular season roster spot. Birkett also provides contract details for defensive lineman Corey Wootton ($150K guaranteed) and second-round running back Ameer Abdullah ($2.29MM guaranteed).
  • Asked about a possible contract extension to keep him in Minnesota beyond the 2015 season, kicker Blair Walsh expressed optimism, but cautioned that he and the Vikings haven’t had serious talks yet. “We have to make sure we’re on the same page and the numbers match up,” Walsh told Alex Marvez and Bill Polian on SiriusXM NFL Radio (TwitLonger link). “That’s for management and my agent to discuss. I’ll be ready to talk about it when they are.”
  • The Cowboys are happy to have cornerback Orlando Scandrick back at their offseason workouts, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. Scandrick and the team continue to discuss the possibility of a new contract that would increase his salary for 2015.
  • Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams was diagnosed with papillary type 2 cancer and will undergo kidney surgery, the team announced this week.

Lions To Sign Lance Moore

The Lions have added a veteran wide receiver to their roster, agreeing to terms on with former Saint and Steeler Lance Moore, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Moore’s deal with the Lions will be for one year, and while financial terms weren’t disclosed, I’d be surprised if it’s worth much more than the minimum after the wideout’s down year in 2014.

Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers last year, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014.

The veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time, and a report suggested he was seeking his release from the Steelers, despite having signed a two-year deal with the team last spring. Pittsburgh granted that request in early March.

Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate are firmly cemented at the top of the wide receiver depth chart in Detroit, but Moore should have an opportunity to compete for snaps and targets with players like Corey Fuller, Jeremy Ross, and Ryan Broyles.

Steelers Cut Lance Moore

A month after Lance Moore reportedly requested his release from the Steelers, the team has granted his request. The club announced today (via Twitter) that it has parted ways with the veteran wideout, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers in 2014, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014. The veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time.

After releasing Moore, the Steelers will carry about $323K in dead money on their 2015 cap from his contract, wiping his $1.5MM base salary off the books. As a vested veteran, Moore will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers.

Lance Moore Seeks Release From Steelers

For the first time in his NFL career, Lance Moore played for a team besides the Saints in 2014, joining the Steelers as a free agent. After a single season in black and gold, however, Moore has asked the club to release him from his contract, according to Adam Schefter and Scott Brown of ESPN.com.

Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers this past season, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014. As the ESPN.com report notes, the veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time.

“I just want to play … whether that’s here or somewhere else,” Moore said after Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss. “I’d love to be here, I’d love to be a part of this offense, but I think those are decisions that have to be made down the line.”

If the Steelers were to release Moore, he would count for about $323K on their 2015 cap, with the club wiping his $1.5MM base salary off the books.

Contract Details: Vick, Campbell, Jenkins

The one-year deal Michael Vick inked with the Jets is worth a guaranteed $4MM, including a $2MM signing bonus and $2MM guaranteed base salary, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract was originally reported as a $5MM pact, so perhaps there are incentives related to playing time or performance.

Here are several more contract details from around the NFL:

Steelers Sign Lance Moore To Two-Year Deal

TUESDAY, 9:05am: Moore has officially signed his two-year deal with the Steelers, Lauten confirms (via Twitter). According to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter), the contract is worth $3MM, while Tom Pelissero of USA Today adds (via Twitter) that a $645K signing bonus is the only guaranteed money included.

FRIDAY, 2:48pm: The Steelers have agreed to terms with ex-Saint Lance Moore, according to PR man Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The free agent wide receiver will ink a two-year contract with Pittsburgh.Lance Moore

Moore, 30, had been one of the longest-tenured Saints, acting as a target for Drew Brees‘ for the last several seasons before he was released by the team two weeks ago. Moore’s 2013 receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (2) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. The decreased production, combined with the presence of 2013 fifth-rounder Kenny Stills and the team’s need to pay star tight end Jimmy Graham, contributed to Moore’s exit from New Orleans. The Steelers will be hoping the veteran receiver still has something left in the tank and has a bounceback year in 2014.

Prior to agreeing to sign Moore, Pittsburgh had lost a pair of key receivers, as the team watched Emmanuel Sanders sign with the AFC champions in Denver, while Jerricho Cotchery headed south to join the Panthers. With Antonio Brown still firmly in place as the No. 1 receiver in Pittsburgh, Moore figures to see plenty of action opposite Brown or in the slot. As Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets, Moore makes sense as a Cotchery replacement, particularly since the Steelers like 2013 third-round pick Markus Wheaton a lot.

While it’s not clear if Moore drew interest from other suitors during his two-week stint as a free agent, the Steelers appear to be the only team he visited.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.