2014 June - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Offer Demaryius Thomas Five-Year Deal

June 13th, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As we heard earlier this week, the Broncos have begun extension talks in earnest with two of their top pass-catchers, and according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, discussions have progressed to the point of an offer for Demaryius Thomas. Per Renck, the club has offered the wide receiver a five-year extension. While Denver has also initiated negotiations with Julius Thomas, no offer has been made yet to the tight end.

“We’ve already talked to them to see if we can do something before the beginning of the year,” GM John Elway said earlier this week, referring to the pair of Thomases. “We’d like to get something done before the beginning of camp. We don’t want to do anything once training camp starts. They’re both in their last years and we’d like for them to stay and be Broncos for a long time.”

Demaryius Thomas, 26, has posted back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons since the arrival of Peyton Manning in Denver in 2012, averaging 93 catches, 1,432 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns per year. As Mike Sando wrote today in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, the former first-round pick is one of the best receivers headed into a contract year in 2014, ranking alongside Dez Bryant at the top of a star-studded list that also includes Michael Crabtree, Randall Cobb, and Jordy Nelson, among others.

While it’s not clear what sort of money the Broncos have offered Thomas over the course of five years, it certainly should exceed the $36.25MM that former teammate Eric Decker received from the Jets this offseason. Assuming Thomas aims to be paid like an elite NFL receiver, he’ll likely be looking to match or exceed the five-year, $60MM+ deals signed by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin in recent years.

East Notes: Beason, Bills, Easley, Orton

June 13th, 2014 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

With linebackers like Sean Weatherspoon and Sean Lee already suffering season-ending injuries this spring, the Giants may have gotten off the hook relatively lightly on Jon Beason‘s diagnosis. As Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network first reported (via Twitter), Beason suffered a sesamoid fracture in his right foot, as well as a ligament tear, the team confirmed today in a press release. Jones hears that the recovery timetable will be about 12 weeks, which would get Beason back on the field just in time for the Giants’ opener, and the linebacker sounded today like he had a similar thought.

“The prognosis is X amount of time and it (the Sept. 8 opener) is within that timeframe,” Beason said. “I expect to be back (for that game). If not, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Here are a few more items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

The family of Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is proposing to build a stadium to help secure the Bills‘ long-term future in western New York, multiple sources tell John Wawrow of The Associated Press. According to Wawrow, executives of Jacobs’ company are scheduled to meet with at least one prospective ownership group to evaluate potential sites for a new stadium in Erie and Niagara counties.
First-round defensive tackle Dominique Easley is one of just 17 draft picks who remains unsigned, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that Easley and the Patriots are “squabbling” over injury protection. However, any sort of holdout seems very unlikely.
Kyle Orton counts for too much against the cap, considering his role, opines Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. In Sherrington’s view, that’s why the quarterback doesn’t have much leverage in his ongoing staredown with the Cowboys — the team expects and wants Orton to report to camp, and will push for him to repay some of his bonus money if he decides to retire instead.
Sheldon Richardson hopes to see the Jets reward fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson with a lucrative long-term contract soon, telling Brian Costello of the New York Post that Wilkerson is “due for a paycheck.”

Chiefs Cut Brandon Flowers

June 13th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Chris Houston‘s release in Detroit, another veteran cornerback has been cut. The Chiefs have parted ways with Brandon Flowers, according to Rachel Santschi of KCChiefs.com (Twitter link). Flowers himself hinted at the news earlier this afternoon on his Twitter account. NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles

“Just want to say thanks to the Hunt family for the six years in Kansas City,” Flowers tweeted. “Thanks to the fans and my teammates for some great years.”

While Flowers, who accrued one interception and 65 tackles in 13 games last season, was selected as a Pro Bowler, advanced metrics suggested he was anything but — his -5.9 Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) ranked him as just the 87th-best CB in the league last year, among 110 qualified players. However, PFF rated Flowers as a top-seven corner in both 2011 and 2012, so perhaps he was a poor fit in new Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, as had been speculated.

Whether or not Flowers fit the team’s new defensive scheme, his release comes as a bit of a surprise. The Chiefs had reportedly been considering a trade of the veteran cornerback, as our Dallas Robinson outlined earlier this month. Given his down season and the fact that most teams have finished making major offseason moves, Kansas City would have been hard-pressed to extract a ton of value, but Flowers’ relatively modest base salary ($5.25MM in 2014) still appeared movable.

Instead, the 28-year-old will hit the unrestricted free agent market, where he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any team, and I expect he’ll draw plenty of interest. As for the Chiefs, they reduce Flowers’ $10.5MM 2014 cap hit to just $3MM. The remaining $4MM in dead money on the corner’s deal will apply to Kansas City’s 2015 cap.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Release Chris Houston

June 13th, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have released cornerback Chris Houston, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. The move is the one we’d been waiting for, as it helps create the cap room for the club to have signed first-round pick Eric Ebron. Houston battled a toe problem last season and underwent surgery in May.

“Chris Houston underwent a significant medical procedure this spring,” the Lions said in a statement. “Both parties felt that the best course of action at this time is to release Chris and allow him to rehabilitate his injury away from the Club. The Lions appreciate Chris’ contributions over the years and wish him the best in his recovery.”

Houston, 29, has started at cornerback in Detroit for the last four seasons, and signed a five-year, $25MM contract with the team just last spring. The deal included a $6.5MM signing bonus, so the Lions will assume a sizable chunk of dead money by cutting the veteran this year. Because the move happened after June 1, $1.3MM of the prorated bonus money will apply to 2014’s cap, with the other $3.9MM applying to 2015’s.

Depending on the timetable for Houston’s recovery from surgery, he could become an appealing veteran pickup for another club this summer or fall. The former second-round pick won’t be subjected to waivers, so he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team.

NFC North Notes: Suh, Vikings, Packers

June 13th, 2014 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

So far today, the Lions have officially signed first-round pick Eric Ebron to his rookie contract, and the Vikings have brought aboard former Browns wideout Josh Cooper. A few more Friday updates out of the NFC North have trickled in over the course of the day, so let’s round up the latest on the Lions, Vikings, and one of their division rivals….

A restructure of Ndamukong Suh‘s contract is a good bet to happen at some point this summer, but a trade remains unlikely. A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that no discussions or negotiations about a potential deal involving the Lions star have occurred.
While Harrison Smith will be one of the Vikings‘ starting safeties this fall, the team continues to audition players for the other starting job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. According to Goessling, Kurt Coleman, Robert Blanton, Brandan Bishop, and rookie Antone Exum have all received plenty of looks during OTAs.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy continues to insist that the club hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of bringing back free agents Jermichael Finley, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly. “I would love to work with all three of those guys again,” McCarthy said during an appearance on the Bill Michaels Show on SportsRadio 1250 (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). We’ve heard for months that the Packers have been monitoring those free agents, with health an ongoing concern for Finley and Jolly.

Lions Sign First-Rounder Eric Ebron

June 13th, 2014 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

First-round pick Eric Ebron has officially signed his contract with the Lions, according to a tweet from the tight end himself. Ebron posted a photo of him putting pen to paper, announcing that it’s a “done deal.” The move ensures that Detroit now has its entire 2014 draft class under contract.

Ebron, 21, was viewed as far and away the best tight end prospect in this year’s draft class after racking up 973 receiving yards on 62 receptions during his junior year at North Carolina in 2013. Still, it was a bit of a surprise when the Lions selected him with the 10th overall pick last month — the team already committed a significant portion of its offseason spending to pass-catchers to complement Calvin Johnson, having signed Golden Tate and Brandon Pettigrew to long-term deals. The Ravens were reportedly very interested if the UNC product had lasted a little longer in the first round.

The eight and final Lions draftee to ink his deal, Ebron will be in line for a signing bonus of more than $7.228MM, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The four-year value of the contract, which includes a fifth-year team option, will be about $12.249MM. We’ll have to wait to hear details about possible offsets, but the pact will likely be fully guaranteed.

It was believed that the Lions would have to rework another player’s deal to create cap space to formally sign Ebron, so we’ll see if any corresponding moves are reported today. Ndamukong Suh is the most notable restructure candidate on the roster, but the club wouldn’t necessarily have had to do something with his contract in particular in order to sign Ebron.

Extra Points: Agents, Owners, Raiders, Bills

June 13th, 2014 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns are excited about rookie tailback Terrance West but free agent pickup Ben Tate isn’t concerned about the competition, write Nate Ulrich and George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

“I’m not worried about that because I know when I’m on my game – I respect every running back here – but there’s no one that can really touch me or that’s close to what I do,” Tate said. “So honestly, I mean I’m not worried really about that. I battled in and out every day with what some people consider the best running back in the league — Arian Foster. I’ve seen the best. I went against him every day. I battled it. So this around here to me is really not anything.”

Here’s more from around the league:

There needs to be more oversight when it comes to player-agent money dealings, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. There was some light shed on this issue earlier this week when DeSean Jackson and his former agent Drew Rosenhaus clashed and La Canfora urges the NFLPA to prevent more instances of this in the future.
La Canfora also looks at ownership succession plans for 13 NFL teams. We’ve seen multiple owners pass away in recent years and the CBSSports.com scribe looks at what will happen to teams including the Panthers, Saints, and Bengals when their owners pass or cede control.
Even after an active offseason, the Raiders still have plenty of cap space, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Oakland entered the offseason with $60MM+ in cap space and in June the club still has a healthy $10MM in breathing room.
Former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano has been heavily connected to the Bills and today, Jeff Russo of WKBW (on Twitter) hears that current owner Terry Pegula wants to make a bid. Not only that, Pegula is determined to come out on top.
The 2015 class of free agent receivers could be loaded, even if some players sign extensions before next winter. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Mike Sando examines several of the top free-agents-to-be, with Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, and a pair of Packers making up the top five.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Steelers Sign Maurkice Pouncey To Extension

June 13th, 2014 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 11:40am: Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the year-by-year breakdown of Pouncey’s new deal, which creates a cap hit of about $5MM for 2014.

THURSDAY, 8:28am: The Steelers have agreed to terms with standout center Maurkice Pouncey on a five-year contract extension, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, the five-year pact is worth a little over $44MM, with $13MM in the form of a signing bonus and $26.5MM coming in the first three years. Since Pouncey had one year remaining on his current deal, the new agreement will ensure that he remains under team control through the 2019 season.

Pouncey, who turns 25 next month, missed the majority of the 2013 campaign after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week One. Prior to that lost season, the former Gator had been the Steelers’ starter in the middle of the line since entering the league as the 18th overall pick in 2010. During his three full seasons, Pouncey earned three Pro Bowl berths and an All-Pro nod in 2011, and he has seen his Pro Football Focus grades (subscription required) steadily improve. According to PFF, the Florida product was the 21st-best player at his position in 2010, 19th in 2011, and 12th in 2012, all before he turned 24.

It’s likely no coincidence that the $44MM figure on Pouncey’s five new seasons just barely eclipses the $42MM Alex Mack earned on his five-year contract this past offseason. The most recent contracts for Carolina’s Ryan Kalil and Nick Mangold of the Jets had higher overall values than Pouncey’s new deal, but the Pittsburgh center has established a new high water mark for annual salary for a center, at $8.8MM. His previous deal had called for a base salary worth around $1.288MM in 2014.

When I evaluated Pouncey’s case for an extension last week, I predicted a deal in the neighborhood of five years and $40MM, with $15MM+ in guaranteed money. Although we’ll have to wait for the full breakdown of salaries and guarantees on the new agreement, it looks like I slightly underestimated the overall value of the deal, and perhaps overshot the amount of the guarantee a little. That structure makes sense though, considering the Steelers may have been reluctant to award Pouncey a huge guarantee when he’s still recovering from last season’s knee injury.

With Pouncey locked up, the Steelers can turn their attention to other potential extension candidates on the roster. Outside linebacker Jason Worilds may be one of the club’s top priorities — Worilds is currently in position to play the 2014 season under the one-year transition tag, but remains hopeful for a multiyear contract that will keep him in Pittsburgh beyond this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vikings Sign Josh Cooper

June 13th, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

The Vikings have signed free agent wide receiver Josh Cooper, according to agent Matt Striegel (via Twitter). Minnesota offensive coordinator Norv Turner was Cleveland’s OC last season when Cooper was a Brown, so Turner must have seen something he liked in the former Oklahoma State standout.

Cooper, who was friends with former Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, caught 17 passes for 166 yards in parts of two seasons in Cleveland. He finished the 2013 campaign playing as the team’s No. 2 wideout behind Josh Gordon, hauling in five passes in the club’s last game of the season. The 25-year-old will compete for a spot on Minnesota’s roster this summer.

The signing of Cooper coincides with the waiving of wideout Lestar Jean, who appears likely to land on the Vikings’ IR.

Buccaneers Sign Ronald Talley

June 13th, 2014 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers auditioned six players at their minicamp earlier this week, and at least one of those players has earned a contract with the club. According to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, the Bucs have signed free agent defensive end Ronald Talley. In related roster moves, the team also cut wide receiver Aaron Burks and defensive tackle Everett Dawkins.

Talley, 28, spent his first three NFL seasons with the Cardinals as a reserve defensive lineman. In those three years, the Detroit native was never more than a very occasional contributor, logging between 44 and 75 snaps on defense in each of his seasons with the club. Arizona elected not to submit an RFA tender to Talley in March, so the 28-year-old became an unrestricted free agent, paying a visit to the Titans in April before reaching an agreement with Tampa Bay.

As for the players who were cut, Dawkins finished last season with the Bucs, while Burks received a $5K signing bonus as an undrafted free agent last month. The moves leave Tampa Bay with one open roster spot on its 90-man roster, so the club could still add one more player from the group that auditioned this week, or bring in someone else.