2014 April - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Sign Chris Johnson

April 16th, 2014 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

6:22pm: Johnson’s two-year deal has a team option on year two, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The Jets can trigger the option or decline it in February 2015 at $4MM.

4:28pm: Johnson gets $3MM to sign with a $1MM escalator between the two seasons, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

3:36pm: Johnson’s two-year deal has a base value of $8MM with another $1MM available in incentives based on yardage, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

3:22pm: The Jets tweeted a picture of Johnson signing his contract, signaling that the agreement is now official.

2:22pm: The Jets and Chris Johnson have reached agreement on a two-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran tailback will put pen to paper later today, Schefter adds (on Twitter). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

The acquisition of Johnson gives the Jets a major splash in what has been a relatively quiet offseason since the signings of Michael Vick and Eric Decker back in March. Of course, the 28-year-old has lost a bit of his luster in recent years, but a change of scenery and system could potentially rejuvenate his career. The once dominant back registered just 1,077 yards off of 279 attempts with six touchdowns in 2013, leading to his release in early April.

Johnson’s so-so stat lines in recent years only tell half of the story. Even though he cracked 1,000 yards in 2013, he graded out as the league’s 42nd-best running back out of 55 qualified players last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The addition of Johnson will have reverb effects on the rest of the Jets roster. For starters, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) points out, Johnson’s arrival will likely spell the end of Mike Goodson‘s strange and short-lived time in green. Meanwhile, the Jets may choose to change their draft strategy next month. They’ve been (rightfully) pegged as a team in desperate need of an offensive playmaker, but the Johnson signing could allow them to go in a different direction.

As our own Luke Adams explained earlier this month, Johnson had a number of factors working against him in free agency. The Titans cut him loose late in the offseason at a point when many teams had already filled their running back vacancies. On top of that, it appeared to be a depressed market at the position overall. This offseason, no free agent back received more than the $3.5MM the Jaguars and Chargers committed to Toby Gerhart and Donald Brown, respectively. Other notable running backs on the market included Ben Tate ($3.1MM guaranteed with the Browns), Knowshon Moreno ($3MM, Dolphins), Rashad Jennings ($2.5MM, Giants), and Maurice Jones-Drew ($1.2MM, Raiders).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

North Notes: Bears, Vikings, Steelers, Browns

April 16th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, who has already visited Chicago in advance of next month’s draft, believes that he’d be a good fit with the Bears, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

“I bring a certain type of physicalness to the defense,” Pryor said. “The Bears are already known to be physical. That playmaker ability, that’s what I can bring to the team…. If I get added to the team.”

Here’s more from the NFC and AFC North divisions:

The Vikings have already had a private workout with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer, offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and quarterbacks coach Scott Turner watched Manziel go through a workout on March 27th at College Station that was attended by 30 NFL teams, but Minnesota has also gotten an exclusive look. The Vikings have the No. 8 pick in the draft.
Linebacker Lamin Barrow is visiting the Vikings today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Ravens met with the LSU product back in February.
With the NFL draft three weeks away, much of the pre-draft speculation surrounding the Steelers is whether they’ll take a cornerback or a wide receiver at No. 15. However, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review argues that their greatest need is at defensive end. Ziggy Hood left the team to sign with the Jaguars this offseason and at last check, the club hasn’t shown any interest in re-signing unrestricted free agent Brett Keisel. Pittsburgh’s only defensive line addition has been former Charger Cam Thomas, who seems better suited to play nose tackle than end.
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray is set to meet with the Browns next week, a league source confirmed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Murray, who has also drawn interest from the Titans and Cowboys, will work out for Cleveland the following weeks, says Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Due to the philosophy of new head coach Mike Pettine, the Browns are less likely to follow a quarterback-centric model as they build their roster, writes Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Sidney Rice Visiting Jets

April 16th, 2014 at 5:41pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of agreeing to terms with an offensive playmaker whose best season came in 2009 (Chris Johnson), the Jets are eyeing another player who fits that bill. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), free agent receiver Sidney Rice is in New York today to visit the Jets.

The Jets weren’t among the four teams identified as suitors for Rice earlier this week, though New York was mentioned as having interest in the veteran receiver nearly a month ago. I speculated on Monday that, with the Seahawks, Saints, Giants, and Panthers reportedly in the mix for Rice, perhaps the Jets had bowed out, but it seems as if the club still has interest in the ex-Seahawk after all.

Rice, 27, has missed time with injuries in many of his NFL seasons, including 2013. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. Although he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), the former second-round pick still looks capable of providing a positive impact for an NFL team if he can stay healthy.

AFC East Rumors: Pats, Revis, Jets, Wilkerson

April 16th, 2014 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Things have been quiet out of Florham Park, New Jersey as of late but today, the Jets brought some serious sizzle to their offseason when they agreed to sign Chris Johnson to a two-year deal. Here’s the latest on Gang Green and more from the AFC East…

Because the Patriots have a need at tight end, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com sizes up Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz as a possibility for New England. While the 6’7″, 265-pound athlete isn’t as fast or athletic as Rob Gronkowski, he appears to be a replica of him in other ways. Gronk is one of the best at his position when he’s on the field, but he has proven to be brittle as of late.
Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter) hears nothing but great things about Darrelle Revis‘ intensity in practice this offseason. The Patriots landed the shutdown corner on a relatively low-risk deal this offseason.
LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry will take a pre-draft visit with the Jets on Monday, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). The Panthers auditioned Landry and Tigers teammate Odell Beckham yesterday. The Jets are in obvious need of a playmaker on offense.
The fifth-year option salary for Muhammad Wilkerson is projected at about $6.97MM, which is higher than expected but still team-friendly for the Jets, tweets Cimini. It was previously believed that the Temple product’s 2015 salary would be closer to $6MM.
The Jets are keeping tabs on Missouri defensive end/outside linebacker Michael Sam, Cimini tweets. New York has spoken to him several times in recent months and while he’s on the club’s radar, Cimini characterizes the talks as “due diligence.”

Redskins Rumors: Orakpo, Jackson, Williams

April 16th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins’ deal with safety Akeem Davis was on and off before being on again this week. Washington agreed to sign the Memphis product on Thursday but the deal was nixed by the league office on Monday. Later in the afternoon, the Redskins and the NFL cleared up whatever the issue was and the contract became official. The latest out of D.C..

Brian Orakpo told reporters, including Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter), that he’d be disappointed if the Redskins didn’t sign him to a long-term extension. Washington has a few months before the July 15th deadline for franchised players. The defensive end’s one-year tender for 2014, signed in late March, grants him a $11.455MM salary. Orakpo started 15 games for Washington last season, recording 60 tackles, 10 sacks, and returning an interception for a touchdown.
The NFLPA has decided that Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson owes agent Drew Rosenhaus $516K+ in unpaid loans and agent fees, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports. Rosenhaus had been seeking nearly $778K for loans, interest, credit card charges, and insurance premiums from Jackson (link). Part of what the wide receiver owes to Rosenhaus came in the form of a $375K interest-free loan he received from the agent when he signed and of that $375K, the agent said he’d forgive $175K if DeSean allowed him to negotiate his then-upcoming contract with the Eagles (Twitter links).
John Keim of ESPN.com stacked up the salaries of the Redskins‘ offense versus the rest of the NFL. For the most part, the Redskins have more bargains offensively in part because they’ve found younger contributors through the draft or they landed players such as Jackson after they’d been cut, thereby lowering their price. The Redskins have only one player who will count among the top five at their position in 2014 – left tackle Trent Williams.

Raiders Want To Trade Terrelle Pryor

April 16th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders hope to trade quarterback Terrelle Pryor before the start of the offseason program on Monday, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Raiders are intent on moving on from him one way or another which leaves the possibility of an outright release on the table.

Pryor, the last player drafted by the late Al Davis, has been on the trading block since the beginning of the calendar year. The Raiders amped up their efforts to move the signal caller in March and it sounds like they’re getting ready for one final push over the next several days. The speedy Pryor played sparingly in his first two years before appearing in 11 games with nine starts in 2013.

While Pryor has shown some serious playmaking ability, it’s unclear if he has the poise or overall makeup to succeed as a full-time option. Pryor saw undrafted Penn State quarterback Matt “Moxie” McGloin steal the No. 1 job last season.

Bengals Sign T.J. Conley

April 16th, 2014 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have signed T.J. Conley, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter). The second year punter didn’t see the field in 2013.

Conley was tapped to be the Jets’ punter heading into the 2011 season but didn’t last very long on the roster. He also had camp stints with the Vikings and Browns last offseason but wasn’t able to make the cut with either club. It’s a safe bet that Conley’s deal is non-guaranteed.

Lions To Re-Sign Rashean Mathis

April 16th, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 1:57pm: It’s a veteran’s minimum contract for Mathis, but along with his $65K signing bonus, $500K of his base salary is guaranteed, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

MONDAY, 10:23am: Free agent cornerback Rashean Mathis is returning to Detroit, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran is signing a new one-year contract with the Lions.

Mathis, 33, joined the Lions last season after spending the first 10 years in Jacksonville, where he racked up 30 interceptions and earned an All-Pro spot in 2006. While the former second-round pick didn’t grab an interception last season, he logged 47 tackles and defended 16 passes. Mathis also ranked as Detroit’s top cornerback, the only one to record a positive grade according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

While terms of Mathis’ one-year agreement haven’t been reported yet, it figures to be a minimum salary contract. Mathis’ minimum deal in 2013 didn’t include a signing bonus, but perhaps this year’s will, after his strong first year for the Lions.

49ers Sign Brandon Lloyd

April 16th, 2014 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 1:22pm: Lloyd’s deal includes no guaranteed money, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. However, the wide receiver can earn $1.005MM on the deal. He’ll get a $955K base with $50K available through a workout bonus. The deal doesn’t have a signing bonus or incentives.

TUESDAY, 12:17pm: The 49ers have signed free agent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

Lloyd, who is just two years removed from a 74-catch season, reportedly received inquiries from at least six teams last fall, including the 49ers, but rejected all overtures. A Pro Football Talk report at the time suggested Lloyd was “neither physically nor mentally ready” to continue his playing career at that point, but it seems the 32-year-old has changed his stance since then.

The 49ers pursued receivers like Julian Edelman and Emmanuel Sanders earlier in the offseason, but were only able to lock up their own free agent wideout, Anquan Boldin. That left San Francisco with a solid 1-2 punch of Boldin and Michael Crabtree, but the club was clearly looking for alternatives at the No. 3 spot. Lloyd, who was originally drafted by San Francisco in 2003, will presumably have the upper hand for that third receiver role over players like Quinton Patton and Jonathan Baldwin.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com first reported last week that the Niners were in talks with Lloyd about a possible comeback.

Draft Notes: Swoope, Clowney, Bucannon, Long

April 16th, 2014 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As if NFL teams didn’t have enough players to consider when they’re on the clock in next month’s draft, one player who recently declared his eligibility didn’t even play college ball. Instead, Erik Swoope of the University of Miami played for the Hurricanes’ basketball team, but nonetheless hopes to catch on with an NFL team this summer, as ESPN.com details. Swoope, who aims to play tight end, had a private workout with the Broncos earlier in April, according to the report.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league, with a focus on the draft:

A Hurricane who actually played football for Miami this past season, quarterback Stephen Morris, is drawing some interest from the Dolphins, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Dismissing the idea that Jadeveon Clowney is “lazy” and “spoiled,” as one anonymous scout suggested, agent Bus Cook also told Jarrett Bell of USA Today that his client may conduct one more pre-draft workout for an NFL team. A previous report indicated Clowney was done with workouts, and Cook concedes that if the defensive end does work out again, he won’t do anything “that will risk injury.”
Washington State safety Deone Bucannon visited the Colts earlier this week and is currently visiting with the Patriots, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Bucannon will visit the Vikings tomorrow, then the Eagles, Jets, and Giants next week.
Nebraska guard Spencer Long will have pre-draft visits with the Eagles, Dolphins, Falcons, and Chargers, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Having previously met with the Chargers and Patriots, MTSU defensive end Jimmy Staten is scheduled to work out for the Packers and Chiefs this week, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).