HEADLINES

Month: February 2014

Cowboys Win Coin Flip For No. 16 Pick

February 19th, 2014 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL flipped a coin today to determine whether the Cowboys or Ravens would pick 16th overall in the 2014 draft, and Dallas won the flip, according to director of NFC communications Randall Liu (via Twitter). As Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun notes (via Twitter), the coin flip had been necessary because both teams finished the season with the same record (8-8) and opponents’ winning percentage (.484).

With the Cowboys locked in at No. 16 and the Ravens at No. 17, the first round order has now been set. Here’s the complete list:

  1. Houston Texans
  2. St. Louis Rams (from Washington)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars
  4. Cleveland Browns
  5. Oakland Raiders
  6. Atlanta Falcons
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  8. Minnesota Vikings
  9. Buffalo Bills
  10. Detroit Lions
  11. Tennessee Titans
  12. New York Giants
  13. St. Louis Rams
  14. Chicago Bears
  15. Pittsburgh Steelers
  16. Dallas Cowboys
  17. Baltimore Ravens
  18. New York Jets
  19. Miami Dolphins
  20. Arizona Cardinals
  21. Green Bay Packers
  22. Philadelphia Eagles
  23. Kansas City Chiefs
  24. Cincinnati Bengals
  25. San Diego Chargers
  26. Cleveland Browns (from Indianapolis)
  27. New Orleans Saints
  28. Carolina Panthers
  29. New England Patriots
  30. San Francisco 49ers
  31. Denver Broncos
  32. Seattle Seahawks

Melton “All For” Staying In Chicago

February 18th, 2014 at 10:38pm CST by Matt Feminis

Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton‘s contract year did not go as planned. He suffered a season-ending torn left ACL injury in Week Three, then was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and public intoxication after a bar fight in December. However, while Melton might not be in line for the mega deal many anticipated prior to the season, he remains an athletic, disruptive, pass-rushing three-technique in his age-27 season, making him a coveted asset. Melton talked about his uncertain future with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.

The Bears will not franchise Melton and have yet to make a contract offer, but the injured tackle continues his rehab at the Bears facility, remains in contact with the coaching staff and says he’s “all for” staying in Chicago. It sounds as though GM Phil Emery would like to make that happen, but he was not shy about sending a public message to Melton last month:

“He has to fully dedicate his mind and his focus to football, which is extremely important,” Emery said. “And as I have sat down and talked to him, there was a reason we franchise-tagged him [for 2013]. There was a reason for that [$8.45 million] investment. The under-tackle position in the scheme that we’re in is the engine that drives the defense. And when he was in the game, even though from a statistical standpoint he wasn’t off to a fast start, it was very evident on tape that he was a very important part of the defense.”

Melton says he’s “80 to 90” percent and believes he’s on track to participate in OTAs in late May, or be ready to go for training camp at the latest. Whether he’s in training camp with the Bears or another team remains to be seen. While it was the previous regime which drafted Melton, a college running back-turned-defensive lineman, Emery has been exposed to Melton for two years and knows better than anyone the risk and reward involved with an extension. He must weigh Melton’s injury risk, on-field inconsistency and overall accountability against his upside, market value and sheer importance to the Bears defense.

Accordingly, Emery faces a difficult decision, especially in the aftermath of most of the team’s off-season salary cap space being allotted to quarterback Jay Cutler. The team’s pressing needs, however, are on the defense, which bottomed out last season and is devoid of established building blocks with the exception of 30-year-old cornerback Tim Jennings and aging linebacker Lance Briggs. Retaining Melton would perhaps allow the Bears to focus on an edge rusher or secondary defender early in the draft.

Panthers Tops In “Dead Money”

February 18th, 2014 at 8:36pm CST by Matt Feminis

Thanks in large part to last season’s trade of Jon Beason, the Panthers have $17.8MM in “dead money,” more than any team in the league, according to ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert (full chart here). “Dead money” is defined as cap space consumed by players no longer on the roster, whether they retired, were released or traded. The numbers will fluctuate as rosters continue to evolve, but listed below are the five teams with at least $10MM worth of “dead money” at present time, including the players accounting for most of the sunk costs:

At the other end of the spectrum, six teams have less than $1MM in “dead money”: Jets, Rams, Buccaneers, Colts, Seahawks and Bengals.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Boldin, Pettigrew, Bears

February 18th, 2014 at 7:52pm CST by Matt Feminis

Yesterday morning, there was news of the 49ers and free agent receiver Anquan Boldin working on a long-term deal, but tonight, Pro Football Talk says not so fast. A source tells PFT no negotiations have taken place, though both sides are expected to talk at the Combine. Additionally, Boldin is the team’s top priority by virtue of him being on the verge of hitting the open market, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick and head coach Jim Harbaugh could also receive extensions this year.

Other NFC notes:

  • Brandon Pettigrew is the only reasonable candidate for the Lions franchise tag, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, but he says the team is unlikely to use the tag, probably for reasons explained by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Both writers seem to agree that Pettigrew is not worth the money given his inconsistency, injuries and inability to stretch the field. Furthermore, the team is sitting with just about $3MM in cap space.
  • There’s a good chance Bears running back Michael Bush will be a cap casualty, according to Dan Pompei. Bush is signed for two more years with cap hits of $3.85MM in 2014 and $4.6MM in 2015, but has been very average as Matt Forte‘s backup.
  • Former Ravens safety Christian Thompson worked out for the Bears, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A good-sized, athletic prospect who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Thompson was released by the Ravens last season after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
  • The 49ers need a speedy receiver to compliment Michael Crabtree (and maybe Boldin) if they are to have more success against the big, physical Seahawks secondary, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Demovsky On The Packers

February 18th, 2014 at 6:47pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Packers and agent Drew Rosenhaus have engaged in open dialogue about free agent cornerback Sam Shields, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who participated in a chat with fans. Other tidbits:

  • Inside linebacker A.J. Hawk‘s 2013 season was his best yet, and Packers coaches value the veteran’s dependability, reliability and accountability despite his physical limitations. Brad Jones, however, must “play much better or they need to find a replacement,” says Demovsky.
  • Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy, the team’s first two 2012 draft picks, have both disappointed and it’s unknown if either fit the defensive scheme.
  • Demovsky spoke to a scout who believes Johnny Jolly could slide inside to nose tackle if he’s re-signed.
  • When asked about the team potentially locking up receivers Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson long-term, Demovsky described Cobb as a “no-brainer,” but wondered if Nelson would “drive a harder bargain” because he took a below-market deal (four years, $12.6MM) in 2011 and his next deal will likely be his last big contract.
  • Demovsky does not envision the team splurging for a blockbuster free agent (i.e. a player requiring an $8MM-$10MM signing bonus), but sees a few “mid-level” signings as realistic.
  • “Chances are good” the team will draft a developmental quarterback in the mid to late rounds.

Free Agent Rhodes Does Not Believe He Was Blacklisted By NFL

February 18th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Matt Feminis

Free agent safety Kerry Rhodes, who most recently played with the Cardinals in 2012, does not believe speculation about his sexuality was the reason he did not get an NFL opportunity last season. “I don’t think I was blacklisted,” Rhodes told ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus. “Especially with the NFL I don’t think they would do that…to me it was a product of me wanting to do other things and not finding the right opportunity.”

Instead, Rhodes sees money as the main issue blocking his return to the league. He’s simply unwilling to sign and play for less than his self worth. “I still love football and it’s still a part of me,” said Rhodes. “That’s not closed. But I’m not going to go into a situation where it’s not beneficial to myself. Because with the things I’m doing now I feel pretty comfortable and confident.”

Rhodes comfort in “things” outside of football could also explain why suitors aren’t knocking on his door. In a league where teams demand players be passionate about and obsessed with the game, Rhodes is not. Not exclusively, anyway. After reportedly turning down a one-year, $3MM offer from the Cardinals, Rhodes, who was called “Hollywood” during his time with the Jets, turned to outside interests, including a production company and acting.

Rhodes says he’s staying in shape and hopes to play again, but seems content if his career is over. As for speculation that he’s gay, he did not equivocate. “I emphatically said no once and that’s all I need to say and people who know me know that’s definitely not the case,” Rhodes said. “To me I’m definitely not [gay] and I can’t control what people think, so I move on.”

NFC Notes: Delmas, Falcons, Panthers

February 18th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles will be targeting safeties this offseason in an effort to upgrade their secondary, but veteran free agent Louis Delmas doesn’t appear to be on their wish list, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. A source tells Frank that the Eagles have “little interest” in the former Lion, who was released by Detroit last week, and that disinterest is likely related to Delmas’ health. While the 26-year-old free safety started all 16 games in 2013, he has had surgeries on both knees in recent years, and missed 13 of 32 regular season contests in 2011 and 2012.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • In a Tuesday news release, CBS Sports confirmed that Tony Gonzalez will be joining the network’s pregame studio show, replacing the departing Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe. The new job for Gonzalez essentially rules out a return to the field in 2014, meaning the Falcons will get $7MM in cap savings, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan outlines (via Twitter).
  • Noting that the Panthers haven’t really begun negotiating with any of their prospective free agents yet, ESPN.com’s David Newton says there’s no reason to get worked up about Cam Newton‘s contract situation, since he’ll get paid eventually, whether it happens this offseason or down the line.
  • The Cowboys will have to lock up wide receiver Dez Bryant and left tackle Tyron Smith at some point, and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com believes a new deal for Smith should take precedence.
  • Following up on the latest Sam Bradford rumors, Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com breaks down the four scenarios for the Rams: Releasing Bradford, extending him with a pay cut, extending him without a pay cut, and standing pat.

Titans Rumors: Free Agency, Locker, Johnson

February 18th, 2014 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Before speaking to Titans season ticket holders at an event in Nashville today, team president/CEO Tommy Smith appeared on 104.5 The Zone to discuss the coming offseason. Insisting that maintaining the status quo isn’t a real option for the Titans, Smith reiterated a point he’s made before, indicating that the club won’t hesitate to get involved in free agency.

“I’ve said before, we’re going to be active,” Smith said. “We were active last year, and where [GM] Ruston [Webster] and [head coach] Ken [Whisenhunt] see the need and find the talent, we’re going to go after it. So within our confines within the salary cap and so forth, we’re going to be active.”

Later, at the Music City Center, Smith addressed a few more Titans-related topics, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweeted out a few highlights. Let’s round them up (all links go to Twitter)….

  • Jake Locker is the Titans’ quarterback, says Smith, adding that he “absolutely” supports Locker despite somewhat middling results for the 25-year-old so far.
  • According to Smith, it took about seven minutes for the club to negotiate a contract for Whisenhunt, who signed a five-year deal as Tennessee’s new head coach. “We made a very good offer,” Smith said.
  • Chris Johnson‘s future with the Titans will be determined by Webster and Whisenhunt, according to Smith, who praised Johnson’s productivity but made it clear that the decision was in the hands of his GM and head coach. It’s widely believed that the Titans will cut their starting running back this season, creating $6MM in cap savings.

Tuesday Signings: Seahawks, Bucs, Bears

February 18th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of NFL teams signed players to contracts today, according to the league’s transactions log. Because these are modest reserve/futures contracts and not significant deals like DeAngelo Hall‘s, we’ll round them up in a single post, right here:

  • The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Chris Matthews, tweets Brian McIntyre. Matthews, who was said to be deciding between two NFL teams, had a standout 2012 season for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, racking up nearly 1200 yards on 81 catches, but was sidelined for most of the 2013 season due to various injuries.
  • Linebacker Damaso Munoz has signed with the Buccaneers, according to McIntyre (via Twitter). Like Matthews, Munoz has spent multiple seasons playing in the CFL, having played for the Edmonton Eskimos in each of the last three years. Munoz’s 2012 and 2013 campaigns were virtually identical from a statistical perspective — in both seasons, he notched 88 tackles and three sacks.
  • The Bears have signed cornerback Derricus Purdy, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The former Texas Southern DB went undrafted in 2013 before reportedly drawing some interest from the Packers and Bills.

Colts Cut Tashard Choice, Jake McDonough

February 18th, 2014 at 3:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have cut two players, waiving defensive lineman Jake McDonough and releasing running back Tashard Choice, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). McDonough must past through waivers before becoming a free agent, while Choice is immediately eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Choice, 29, joined the Colts after spending most of the 2013 season with the Bills. The ex-Cowboy had 46 combined carries for the two teams last season, totaling 170 yards on the ground. He figures to catch on with an NFL team searching for backfield depth.

As for McDonough, he signed in 2013 with the Jets and then the Colts as an undrafted free agent, but never saw action in an NFL game. If another team takes a flier on the defensive end for 2014, he’ll likely be hard-pressed to earn a roster spot.

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