2014 June - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Sign Kevin Williams

June 18th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:00am: Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links) has the details on Williams’ contract, which includes a $250K signing bonus and a $1.5MM base salary ($250K guaranteed). The pact also includes $350K in per-game roster bonuses, making it worth up to $2.1MM.

MONDAY, 4:03pm: The Seahawks have formally announced the signing of Williams in a press release. In addition to Williams, the team also signed former Eastern Washington running back Demitrius Bronson, cutting quarterback Keith Price and defensive end Kenneth Boatright to clear room on the roster.

THURSDAY, 4:52pm: Williams’ one-year deal with the Seahawks will be worth in excess of $2MM, according to Werder (via Twitter).

4:44pm: The Seahawks have reached an agreement on a contract with free agent defensive tackle Kevin Williams, reports Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Adam Schefter). While terms of the deal weren’t immediately known, it’s a one-year pact for the longtime Viking.

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this week, Williams suggested talks had been “picking up” for him lately and that he anticipated signing somewhere in time for training camp. The veteran defensive lineman, who will turn 34 later this summer, also visited the Patriots and Giants before signing with the Seahawks, and had been in talks about a return to the Vikings as well.

Although Williams is no longer the force he was in his prime, his durability has been remarkable — over the course of his 11-year career, the former ninth overall pick has only missed five regular-season contests. In 2013, Williams ranked as the 27th-best defensive tackle in the NFL among 69 qualified players at the position, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He logged 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and even an interception.

For Seattle, it’s the latest move to help fortify a defensive line that lost multiple key contributors this offseason in Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, and Clinton McDonald, but retained free agents Michael Bennett and Tony McDaniel.

Colts Sign Mike Adams

June 18th, 2014 at 8:58am CST by Matt Feminis

WEDNESDAY, 8:58am: Adams’ minimum salary benefit contract includes a $65K signing bonus and an additional $100K in guaranteed money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

SATURDAY, 9:06am: A day after placing veteran safety and special-teams standout Corey Lynch on injured reserve, the Colts announced they have agreed to terms with another veteran safety: 33-year-old Mike Adams, who spent the last two years with the Broncos. With Antoine Bethea now in San Francisco, the Colts’ safety depth now consists of LaRon Landry. . .and the rest, including Adams, Colt Anderson, Sergio Brown and Delano Howell.

Adams, 33, started seven games last season and totaled 64 tackles, six passes defended and an interception. According to Pro Football Focus, Adams rated as a middle-of-the pack safety (-1.0 overall grade), though he had career highs in tackles (80) and passes defended (11) in 2012.

Before his two years in Denver, Adams played five in Cleveland and three in San Francisco. He entered the league in 2004 as an undrafted free agent out of Delaware.

Jaguars Sign Blake Bortles

June 18th, 2014 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

8:15am: There are no offsets in Bortles’ deal, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.

8:07am: The Jaguars have locked up the third overall pick from last month’s draft, announcing today that they’ve signed quarterback Blake Bortles. As a first-rounder, Bortles’ four-year rookie deal will also feature a fifth-year club option for the 2018 season.

“It’s awesome,” Bortles said of signing his contract. “It’s awesome to be able to kind of put this in the past. It’s a once in a lifetime thing, signing your first contract. It’s a cool feeling.”

The first quarterback selected in the draft, Bortles will receive a signing bonus worth in the neighborhood of $13.342MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at Over the Cap. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter) that the entire amount ($20.65MM+) of Bortles’ four-year deal is guaranteed, though it’s not clear whether offsets are included in the agreement.

By signing Bortles, who currently ranks behind Chad Henne on the team’s depth chart, the Jaguars move a step closer toward locking up their draft class. Two of Henne’s and Bortles’ targets, second-round receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, remain unsigned, as our tracker indicates.

Cowboys Sign Demarcus Lawrence

June 18th, 2014 at 8:11am CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 8:11am: Lawrence formally signed his rookie contract with the Cowboys this morning, according to agent David Canter (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Cowboys expect to ink their lone remaining unsigned draft pick this week. Demarcus Lawrence is the last of the Mohicans amongst the Cowboys’ nine draft picks, but both sides believe that they’re on the cusp of completing his deal, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Lawrence’s agent has been out of the country, delaying the process, but the Cowboys believe his deal should be completed by the end of the week. For his part, the second-round pick out of Boise State says he’s not worried about being the only one left unsigned. He also made it clear that he’s not holding out for anything special, so it sounds like the delay is purely procedural. Lawrence is one of a dozen 2014 NFL draftees who have yet to sign their deals.

There will be significant pressure on Lawrence to perform in his freshman campaign. Lawrence was drafted to help fill the void left by the release of DeMarcus Ware and there will be added heat for everyone in the front seven thanks to the absence of Sean Lee.

Extra Points: Vikings, Ravens, Rams, Polamalu

June 17th, 2014 at 10:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Vikings defensive end is very open to helping guide rookie Scott Crichton, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “He’s got a good burst and he’s obviously got great size,” Robison said. “Obviously, we’re going to help him in every way we can and try to make him the best ballplayer we can. … I definitely want to help him in every way possible.” More from around the league..

The Ravens worked out former Arizona State wide receiver Mike Willie today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Willie has previously played for the Chargers.
With their signings this year, the Rams and Buccaneers have created a new model for contracts for draft picks, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. Both teams negotiated contracts with notable picks that have no offsets which will protect them in the event of an outright release.
The Steelers have made some major changes on defense and Troy Polamalu has taken notice, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Polamalu will have to get accustomed to the switch from Ryan Clark to Mike Mitchell, but that’s not the only difference for Pittsburgh in 2014.
Decision day is looming for the Bears‘ group of quarterbacks, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Jimmy Clausen, Jerrod Johnson, and Jordan Palmer are jostling to back up Jay Cutler, and one of the three could be gone as early as this week. Sixth round pick David Fales is likely safe.

Minor Moves: Patriots, Ravens, Bucs

June 17th, 2014 at 10:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

The Buccaneers signed former Panthers receiver David Gettis, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The 26-year-old turned heads as a tryout player at the team’s minicamp last week. As a rookie with Carolina in 2010, Gettis hauled in 37 passes and 508 yards with three touchdowns.
The Ravens have released former seventh-round wide receiver Aaron Mellette and outside linebacker Adrian Hamilton, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Both young players spent last year on injured reserve and were attempting comebacks this season but were waived after failing physicals. Mink says the Ravens could re-sign one or both of the players. If Mellette hadn’t failed a physical and was just a routine cut, he could have been a popular waiver claim, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
The Patriots announced on their website today that they have signed rookie free agent defensive lineman Seali’i Epenesa. Epenesa, 22, played in 41 games and finished with 46 total tackles and one sack during his four year college career. The 6’1″, 310-pounder played in 12 games with seven starts as a senior in 2013 and was credited with 16 tackles and one sack.
The Buccaneers cut tackle Emmett Cleary and linebacker Steven Jenkins, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Cleary, an undrafted free agent out of Boston College, and was signed in October 2013 but did not appear in any games. Jenkins was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M this year.
The Bears cut safety Sean Cattouse, Wilson tweets. Cattouse spent most of 2013 on Chicago’s practice squad.

East Notes: Garoppolo, Flowers, Cowboys

June 17th, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Patriots rookie quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo continues to hear people talk about him as the heir apparent to Tom Brady, but he’s only focused on improving day-to-day, writes Howard Ulman of the Associated Press. “Each day is different and you have to be consistently good, not occasionally great,” he said today. “You have to come out here and do your best every single day and let the coaches see what you can do.”

Jets coach Rex Ryan didn’t rule out former Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers, but as of this afternoon, the Jets haven’t reached out, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
David Moore of the Dallas News explains why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is taking a wait-and-see approach to Kyle Orton and Josh Brent. The Cowboys want Orton to be with the team this year but the veteran has said that he wants to retire. As for Brent, there has been widespread speculation that he could rejoin the team now that he is out of prison, but Jones says that rehabilitation has to be his top focus.
Jets rookie Shaq Evans is worried that his development could be stunted by a “silly” NFL rule, writes Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. The UCLA product is limited to just one mini-camp until his class graduates, even though he is no longer enrolled. “I really don’t understand it,” Evans said. “If I’m not in school, it shouldn’t matter. It’s ridiculous. I hope the league changes it, because it definitely sets players back. It’s a silly, silly, stupid rule.“

Cowboys Unlikely To Sign Lee Replacement

June 17th, 2014 at 7:21pm CST by Zachary Links

There has been tons of speculation about who the Cowboys might sign to try and replace the injured Sean Lee, but it sounds like they’re prepared to stand pat and work with what they have for the time being. While he’s “not confident” in the in-house solutions the club already has, owner Jerry Jones told reporters that he’s not champing at the bit to make an impact signing at linebacker, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.

“There is a good chance we will be able to stay within the personnel we’ve got, but I don’t want to preclude anything because a lot of the evaluation of where we are there is going on right now as well as when we get to training camp,” Jones said. “It also has to do with any circumstances that may come up away from the team. All of that is a given. If we had to play with the players we’ve got, I feel good that we could line up against San Francisco.”

There’s also the possibility – even if its a slim one – that Lee can be a quick healer and get back on the field late in the season. The veteran still hasn’t been ruled out for the season for that reason and because they don’t need a roster spot at this time. Right now, the Cowboys are using Justin Durant and Anthony Hitchens as possible replacements for Lee. They might have second thoughts about that plan down the line, but that appears to be the plan for the time being.

Marshawn Lynch Considering Retirement?

June 17th, 2014 at 7:06pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 7:06pm: The Seahawks are saying that Lynch has a healing ankle, which is why he hasn’t practiced yet this offseason and won’t practice this week, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

JUNE 13th, 11:05am: After speaking to Lynch on Thursday, NFL Media’s Jordan Babineaux says he doesn’t see the Seahawks running back retiring this year.

“He’s working on his training. He’s doing the normal things that he always does,” Babineaux said. “We actually went out last week when I was in Seattle and he and I had conversation and had a drink. The bottom line is, it is about the money. When a guy starts producing the way Marshawn has been producing, he wants to be paid.”

Babineaux’s account doesn’t come as a real surprise — I suspect the rumblings about a potential Lynch retirement are more about leverage in contract talks than anything else.

JUNE 12th, 7:09pm: Marshawn Lynch opted to skip the Seahawks’ OTAs and he’ll reportedly stay home instead of attending the club’s mandatory minicamp next week. While we’ve all assumed that he would report at some point, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears he might not. Lynch, he says, told two teammates last year that he might retire if Seattle won the Super Bowl. Rapoport checked in with a source this week to see if he might walk away and was told “he could.”

Lynch hasn’t told the Seahawks that he’s skipping the team’s minicamp but he does reportedly want a new contract. The veteran is already the fifth-highest paid player at his position, however, and he’s only halfway through a lucrative extension. Beast Mode is set to earn a base salary of $5MM this year and $5.5MM in 2015. It’s hard to gauge how serious Lynch could be about walking away from the sport without hearing from him directly, but the threat of retiring could give him some degree of leverage with the Seahawks.

The 28-year-old is far from finished after a season in which he ran for 1,257 yards and scored a career-high 14 total touchdowns. With Lynch eating Skittles from the comfort of his couch, Seattle’s running back core will be anchored by former Texas A&M notable Christine Michael and veteran Robert Turbin during practices. Because they had one of the league’s best backs and two talented reserves, the Seahawks did not select a running back in the 2014 draft.

If Lynch does walk away from the NFL and the $10.5MM he’s owed over the next two years, he won’t be hurting for cash. Rapoport hears (on Twitter) that the veteran back has saved a good portion of his career earnings.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Jets Sign Dexter McDougle

June 17th, 2014 at 6:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets announced that they have signed former Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle to a four-year deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). McDougle was the club’s third-round pick. With the cornerback in the fold, the Jets have now inked all 12 of their draft picks from this year’s class, as shown in PFR’s running list.

The Jets, who cut Antonio Cromartie this offseason, must think highly of McDougle. The Jets passed on top CBs like Darqueze Dennard, Jason Verrett, and Bradley Roby in order to take Louisville safety Calvin Pryor in the first round. Rather than try and hit on the next tier of corners in the second round, they tabbed Texas A&M tight end Jace Amaro. After taking McDougle, the Jets didn’t select another corner until the sixth round.

As ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini recently wrote, Jets coach Rex Ryan wasn’t entirely sold on McDougle prior to the draft. However, his concerns were assuaged by defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman and others.