HEADLINES

Month: June 2014

49ers Notes: Davis, Boone, Hunter

June 17th, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As anticipated, Vernon Davis and Alex Boone can now officially be classified as holdouts, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Neither player showed up to the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp today, and both men will be subject to fines of nearly $70K if they miss all three days of the camp. Both Davis and Boone are unhappy with their contracts and are looking to negotiate new deals, so it figures to be a busy summer for the Niners, who already locked up Colin Kaepernick and will likely explore extensions for Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati.

Here’s more out of San Francisco:

  • Kaepernick expressed his support for Davis and Boone, suggesting that he won’t harbor any ill will toward either player for missing the team’s practices this week. “I would love to see all of our players there, but at the same time, they have to do what’s best for them and make their own decisions,” Kaepernick said, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
  • Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee views Boone’s case for a new contract as stronger than Davis’, but suggests that both players could be hard-pressed to reach agreements this year, given the Niners’ current cap situation. San Francisco probably can’t afford to pay ever player who deserves a raise, so the team will have to identify its top priorities.
  • While his teammates eye new deals, running back Kendall Hunter is trying to avoid thinking about his situation as he enters a contract year, writes Inman. “You can’t think about that,” Hunter said of his impending free agency. “I just want to play football and help the team.”

Johnny Manziel, Browns Agree To Terms

June 17th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

12:18pm: About 94% of Manziel’s rookie contract is fully guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that the deal includes a $250K roster bonus in March of the fourth year.

11:30am: The Browns have locked up one of their two first-round picks, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve agreed to terms with quarterback Johnny Manziel. With Manziel under contract, the team just needs to sign first-round cornerback Justin Gilbert and second-round tackle Joel Bitonio.

The 22nd overall pick in May, Manziel enters the NFL after two standout seasons as Texas A&M’s starter. In 2012, he compiled 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards, throwing for 26 TDs and running for another 21, en route to a Heisman Trophy. Manziel’s rushing totals were more modest in 2013, but his passing stats improved, as he racked up over 4,100 yards and 37 touchdowns through the air.

After passing on Manziel with the eighth overall pick, the Browns sent the 26th and 83rd overall selections to Philadelphia in order to move up to No. 22 and snag the young signal-caller. Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the 21-year-old will be in line for a signing bonus worth about $4.319MM, while the overall value of his four-year contract will be around $8.249MM. Cleveland will also hold a fifth-year team option for the 2018 season.

Vernon Davis Not Attending 49ers’ Minicamp

June 17th, 2014 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

As had been expected, tight end Vernon Davis is not in attendance at the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Subbing in for Peter King at the MMQB.com earlier this week, Davis had strongly suggested that he wouldn’t be present at the Niners’ camp, explaining that he hopes to renegotiate his contract with the club.

“It’s all about getting paid what you deserve,” Davis wrote on Monday. “It’s not that complicated. I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, and I want to be on the field this summer working towards that goal, but I have to worry about my future first.”

By failing to attend this week’s minicamp, Davis will be subject to about $70K in fines, after having already forfeited $200K in workout bonuses for missing the team’s OTAs. It remains to be seen whether the tight end will be in attendance when San Francisco begins training camp next month, but if he’s not, he’d have to pay further fines.

Although Davis may feel as if he’s not being paid what he deserves, he’s still among the league’s highest-paid tight ends by annual average value and has two years remaining on his current deal, so his leverage in contract talks will be limited. I expect the 30-year-old to relent before the Niners do, particularly since the team also has to address a potential new contract for Alex Boone and extensions for Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, all of which are arguably more pressing than a new deal for Davis.

Minicamp Updates: Jets, Jags, Dolphins, Orton

June 17th, 2014 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

The minicamps being held around the NFL this week are mandatory for players on rosters, but those aren’t the only guys in attendance. Many clubs are also auditioning non-roster players who are hoping to earn contracts and the opportunity to compete in training camp for a regular-season roster spot. Here are the latest updates from minicamps around the league:

Titans To Sign Derek Hagan

June 17th, 2014 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have agreed to terms with veteran wideout Derek Hagan, the team announced today (via Twitter). Another receiver, Lamont Bryant, was cut to clear room on the roster for Hagan.

Hagan, 29, has bounced around the league, playing for several teams since being drafted by Miami in the third round in 2006. In 83 career regular-season contests for the Dolphins, Giants, Bills, and Raiders, the Arizona State product has grabbed 129 balls for 1,480 yards and six touchdowns.

Hagan sat out the 2013 season after being released by Tampa Bay in training camp, but indicated back in April (Twitter link) that he hoped to return to the NFL for the ’14 campaign. He figures to compete for a spot on Tennessee’s 53-man roster this summer.

East Notes: Pats, Beckham, Beatty

June 16th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Rory Parks

There were a great deal of notes from the league’s east divisions today. Our Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson rounded up some of those notes earlier this evening, and we will close out the night by emptying out our east notebook.

  • The Patriots appear to be playing musical chairs with Kyle Auffray and Derrick Johnson. The team cut Auffray earlier today after signing him last week, and Johnson was the player the Pats released to make room for Auffray. Now, however, Johnson may be back in the fold. Mike Lowe of the Portland Press Herald reports that Johnson was told by the club that he would be re-signed once he recovered from a sprained left knee that caused him to miss a week of practices. The former University of Maine receiver hopes to be ready for New England’s three-day minicamp that opens tomorrow (or at least by training camp in July).
  • Brian Costello of the New York Post outlines the Jets‘ search for a No. 2 receiver to play opposite major free agent acquisition Eric Decker. Stephen Hill and David Nelson took the most reps at that spot during the portion of the team’s OTAs that were open to the media, and though Nelson is probably the favorite, wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal seems to believe Hill may finally begin to live up to his still-significant potential.
  • In the same piece, Costello looks at other major storylines surrounding the Jets this summer, including the injury status of Dee Milliner and Willie Colon and the progress of rookie tight end Jace Amaro.
  • Paul Schwartz of the New York Post examines the injury status of Giants left tackle Will Beatty. Although Beatty stills hopes to be ready for the start of training camp on July 21, there is no guarantee he will even be given clearance to play in the season opener on September 8. Even if he is ready, his poor play in 2013 and the fact that the team did not make any meaningful moves to address the left tackle position in the offseason leaves plenty of room for concern.
  • In the same piece, Schwartz writes that the Giants may hold first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. out of minicamp as a result of his hamstring injury. Although Beckham insists the injury is minor, the team will undoubtedly want to play it safe with him.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com shares some of his notes on what he has seen from the Eagles thus far this offseason. He writes that the struggles of Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley have been overblown, as have the Jordan Matthews–Terrell Owens comparisons. He adds that, outside of kicker, there are no real position battles to watch out for at this point.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com gives a list of top storylines to look out for during the Dolphins‘ three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Tuesday, including the development of Bill Lazor‘s offense and the position battles at left guard, running back, slot receiver, and cornerback.

Extension Candidate: Marcus Gilbert

June 16th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday that Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Steelers’ right tackle Marcus Gilbert, had approached the club about a possible long-term deal for Gilbert. Although those talks are in the preliminary stages at this point, it may behoove the Steelers, who have struggled to get consistent production from their offensive line in recent years, to act before Gilbert hits the open market at the end of this season.

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay PackersTo be certain, Gilbert is not an elite talent. Although we caution that Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics are not the be-all and end-all of player evaluation, those metrics combined with the “eye test” make for a fairly valuable analytical tool, and in this instance, the PFF grades (subscription required) accurately suggest that Gilbert is a solid pass blocker but struggles with run blocking. As compared to other offensive tackles, Gilbert is decidedly average, ranking 36th out of 76 qualified tackles in 2011, his rookie season, and 50th out of 76 in 2013 (he played only five games in 2012 after suffering an ankle injury in Week 6 of that season).

Nonetheless, even average lineman fared pretty well in free agency this year. As we noted yesterday, right tackles Austin Howard, Breno Giacomini, and Michael Oher all received four- or five-year deals worth between $4MM and $6MM per season. Only one of those players–Giacomini–performed better than Gilbert in 2013, according to PFF, and none of them were better in 2011. As such, Gilbert could reasonably demand at least as much, and will certainly get it should he hit free agency.

Gilbert, taken in the second round of the 2011 draft, is part of Pittsburgh’s recent movement to provide better protection to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and to revive their once-dominant running game. He is one of four offensive linemen taken in the first or second round in the past five years, along with tackle Mike Adams, guard David DeCastro, and recently-extended center Maurkice Pouncey. Although DeCastro and Pouncey have played well, Adams has struggled in his two seasons in the league, and the Steelers would like to be confident in at least one of their bookends in the long term.

Although he has stated that he loves playing in Pittsburgh and would not want to go elsewhere, the contracts that his peers received this offseason–along with the fact that he is represented by Rosenhaus–suggest that Gilbert will not be taking a hometown discount. However, solid tackles are hard to find, and the Steelers have gone through enough turmoil on their line in recent seasons to let a chance at real stability walk away (indeed, the chance to a keep core group of players in a given unit intact is an oft-overlooked but critical component of these discussions). It may be difficult to keep Gilbert on board, given that Roethlisberger, Jason Worilds, and Cortez Allen are also extension candidates, but Pittsburgh may have no other choice.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Extra Points: Colts, Houston, Chiefs, Ryans

June 16th, 2014 at 7:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In his latest mailbag, John Clayton of ESPN.com writes that sub defensive packages are now the new normal in the NFL, as teams continue to add more versatile defenders on passing downs in an effort to stop high-powered offenses. Clayton labels the Seahawks as the “gold standard” in the sub department, pointing out that defensive linemen Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, paid $6.5MM and $4.8MM respectively in 2013, only “started” a combined five games, yet were key cogs on the league’s most dominant defense. He lists the Buccaneers, who added Michael Johnson in free agency, and the Texans, who drafted Jadeveon Clowney, as teams who could vastly improve in nickel and dime situations in 2014.

  • Safety Jordan Pugh tried out for the Colts today, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 26-year-old was a 2010 sixth-round pick by the Panthers, and spent the past two seasons with the Redskins.
  • Justin Houston is looking for a contract extension with the Chiefs, and as such, head coach Andy Reid isn’t sure if the pass rusher will be attending minicamp, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I don’t know that,” said Reid. “I expect them all to be here and then whoever is here, we’re going to coach them. If they don’t show up, I understand the profession. I’ve been around it a long time and I just move on. That’s how it works. You coach who you have, and you coach them like crazy.”
  • Speaking of the Chiefs, Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com examines the team’s defense in the wake of Brandon Flowers‘ release, and writes that defensive coordinator Bob Sutton might be part of the reason for Kansas City defensive woes. Sutton, whose scheme might have expedited Flowers’ departure, seemed unwilling to make adjustments in 2013 even when it was apparent his defense was flailing.
  • Eagles middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans played 96% of the team’s defensive snaps last season, and defensive coordinator Billy Davis intends to reduce that number, writes Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “We want DeMeco for the long haul this season, and so many times when you overwork a veteran — and he takes great care of his body — but it’s a lot of games,” said Davis. “I think we have more depth than we had and more experience and more people who can play versatile roles in the defense. I think it’ll help.”
  • We learned earlier today that the Cowboys don’t expect Kyle Orton to show up for the team’s minicamp this week, and ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins says a team source has confirmed that view (via Twitter).

AFC North Notes: Rice, Steelers, Hoyer

June 16th, 2014 at 6:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ravens running back Ray Rice and his wife met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell today regarding Rice’s February domestic dispute, according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (via Twitter). Rice has tried to explain the incident, but it seems inevitable that the 27-year-old will face a suspension under the league’s personal conduct policy. Hubbuch tweets that he hears Rice’s punishment will be “significant,” and guesses the RB could be suspended for a period of four to six games.

  • Despite losing two of his top three receivers from last season, Ben Roethlisberger is excited about 2014, and thinks training camp will be an opportunity to grow with one the Steelers’ new additions. “Lance [Moore], who is a pro, he’s a great professional — he’s going to be really good and I think we’re going to have a good connection — there were a few things that were just like a foot off [at OTAs],” Roethlisberger told Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “A pass I threw a little bit outside, I thought he was going in[side]. Those little things we can work on and that’s what these camps are going to be about, getting on that same page these guys.”
  • The Ravens have experienced incredible stability at the holder and long snapper positions, with Sam Koch and Morgan Cox manning those roles for the past four seasons, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and that reliability has been crucial for kicker Justin Tucker‘s development.
  • The opinion of a linebacker probably won’t factor in to Browns coach Mike Pettine’s decision on who to name as his starting quarterback, but Paul Kruger told 1320 KFAN he thinks Brian Hoyer should get the opportunity instead of Johnny Manziel (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Me personally, I mean obviously that’s up to the staff and coaches so they’ll make that decision,” said Kruger. “But in my mind, [Brian] Hoyer’s the guy. Hoyer came in, won us four games, unfortunately got hurt. But the guy was on fire when he was healthy. He’s proven himself at different levels and has worked extremely hard.” (As Florio notes, Hoyer actually won only three games).
  • Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is pleased with the depth available on his defense, and the physicality the unit has been displaying in practice, and singled out three players for whom he has high hopes, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “They’re rounding into the vision we have for them,” said Lewis. “The guys have been here – a lot of them – and I think Darqueze [Dennard] has fit in well. I think [Marquis] Flowers is going to do a great job. We’ve got some guys we’ve brought in here as young guys who are really going to help us. Danieal Manning is getting some good snaps now. We’ve got some guys that are going to help us that way.”

Minor Moves: Texans, Chargers, Pats, Titans, Falcons

June 16th, 2014 at 6:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any new moves added to the top of the page throughout the evening:

  • The Texans have signed offensive tackle Will Yeatman to a two-year deal, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Yeatman is a converted tight end who has spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins; he’ll compete for a backup position in Houston.
  • The Chargers added a little camp depth to their secondary today by signing former Texas safety Adrian Phillips to a contract, the team announced in a press release. Running back D.J. Adams was waived by San Diego to create an opening on the team’s roster.
  • The Patriots have cut tight end Kyle Auffray, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). The New Hampshire alum, who also has experience at quarterback and punter, only lasted a week on New England’s roster after signing with the club last Monday.
  • Linebacker James Gayle, who was cut by the Titans on Friday, has been added to the team’s injured reserve list after clearing waivers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Gayle is recovering from shoulder surgery.
  • Another more notable name also hit injured reserve today: The Falcons placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on their IR list, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
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