HEADLINES

Month: June 2014

NFC South Notes: Weatherspoon, Newton, Bucs

June 10th, 2014 at 8:31pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the NFC South..

  • Poor Sean Weatherspoon. The Falcons linebacker has missed 12 games over the past two years and today he learned that he’ll miss 16 more in 2014. The team announced today that Weatherspoon ruptured his Achilles tendon and will have to miss all of the 2014 season. “During Sean’s run today with our medical staff, he suffered an injury,” head coach Mike Smith said. “We sent Sean to the doctor for some additional testing and evaluation and unfortunately the results showed that he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Sean had been working extremely hard to get back on the field, but regrettably he will miss the entire 2014 season. He will have a procedure done in the near future and we expect him to make a full recovery.”
  • Talks between Cam Newton and the Panthers on a deal still have yet to get underway, but there’s a fear that teams will look to impose the Colin Kaepernick structure moving forward, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. However, a deal for Newton may be for a higher average annual value and, as one source told Rapoport (link), guaranteed money is what really matters.
  • Buccaneers rookie Kadeem Edwards is looking to make an immediate impact, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The guard was taken in the fifth round out of I-AA Tennessee State.

Packers Notes: Shields, Starks, Burnett

June 10th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Potential free agents tend to play down their loyalty in order to preserve their value but over the weekend, Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson made no secret of his love for Green Bay. “My wife and I have enjoyed it,” Nelson said Sunday of his time with the Packers. “Let’s see, it’s six years, going on seven years now. We don’t want to go anywhere else. We love it here. We want to be here, and hopefully we can get to that point.” More on the Packers..

  • The Packers are lucky they didn’t lose Sam Shields this offseason, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Shields explained that before he signed a four-year, $39MM to stay in Green Bay, the Browns and other clubs were hot on his tail. “Most of the time I was scared because, like I said, I wanted to be a Packer,” Shields said. “You know how that business goes. It’s kind of scary at first, but they came with it. I’m happy to be back.”
  • James Starks re-signed with the Packers this offseason on a two-year, $3.25MM deal. Some might see that as a little light, but Starks isn’t complaining, writes Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette. “(Running backs) have got a high risk of injuries, it’s a more dangerous position,” Starks said. “When you can keep yourself healthy and do what you’re supposed to do, you get paid well. We’re making enough money I think. We make a lot of money, I don’t see how anybody can’t be happy with this contract. I’m happy. I like playing football, so being paid for that in itself is good.”
  • Safety Morgan Burnett says he’s not feeling any extra pressure after inking a four-year, $24.75MM contract extension with the Packers, writes Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel. The arrival of first-round pick Ha Ha Clinton-Dix should also help Burnett peform to the fullest of his abilities this year.

Pigskin Links: McCoy, Cowboys, Packers

June 10th, 2014 at 5:57pm CST by Zachary Links

As USC’s sanctions for violations of NCAA rules come to a close, former Trojans coach and current Seahawks coach Pete Carroll can’t help but come to the program’s defense. He also stuck up for himself in a recent interview with Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, reminding everyone that he didn’t run to the NFL to get away from the brewing storm.

“The truth was, an opportunity came up and it was one I couldn’t turn away from,” he said. “The NCAA came back at the university… ‘Now we’re going to revisit after five years.’ I had no knowledge that was coming. We thought maybe it wasn’t coming because they didn’t have anything to get us with. It wasn’t five days, it wasn’t five weeks. It was five years…Had we known that that was imminent … I would never have been able to leave under those circumstances. When I look back now, I would have stayed there to do what we needed to do to resolve the problem.”

Do you have a great football blog post – written by yourself or someone else – that you want to see featured on Pro Football Rumors? Email me a link at PigskinLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the football blogosphere..

Got a great football blog post that you want to see featured in next week’s Pigskin Links? Send it to Zach.

Minor Moves: Vikings, Colts, Packers, Bengals

June 10th, 2014 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • Third-round running back Jerick McKinnon has signed his rookie contract with the Vikings, the team announced today in a press release. All 10 Minnesota draftees are now under contract, meaning half of the NFL’s 32 teams have finished signings their draft picks.
  • The Colts announced two corresponding roster moves today in a press release, signing wide receiver Greg Moore and cutting center Thomas Austin to clear room on the roster. Moore was initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of Lane College last month, but was waived a few days later.
  • The Packers have signed former Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis, tweets Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The OSU alum, who went undrafted in May, fills out Green Bay’s roster at 90 players.
  • A pair of Angelo Wright clients have found new NFL homes, according to the agent himself, who tweeted word of the contract agreements today. Former Texas Tech defensive end Dartwan Bush has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, while ex-South Carolina cornerback Victor Hampton has struck a deal with the Bengals. Hampton had been scheduled to pay a visit to the Giants later this week.

NFC Notes: Graham, Forte, Giants, Peterson

June 10th, 2014 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The grievance hearing on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag positional designation is scheduled for next week, and a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com that the NFL Management Council is preparing a “strong counterargument” against the NFLPA’s claim that Graham should be considered a receiver.

“The union’s position is a naked cash grab,” the source said. “It ignores Mr. Graham’s use as a traditional tight end on roughly 60% of the snaps where he lined up within four yards of the tackle. It also ignores the historical use of the tight end position.”

It’s fair to assume that Triplett’s source isn’t exactly an impartial observer, considering his comments sound like ones the NFL will make during the hearing. Taking into account that the Saints star lined up in the slot or split out wide for roughly two-thirds of his snaps in 2013, the decision certainly isn’t cut-and-dried, and the outcome could have significant ramifications not just on Graham’s next deal, but on the tight end position going forward.

Here’s more from out of the NFC:

  • “I think I can play 12 years,” Bears running back Matt Forte tells John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Forte, who has two years left on his current contract, would have to play through the 2019 season to achieve that goal.
  • The Giants have multiple free agents lined up for workouts this week, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who writes in two separate pieces that the club will audition 6’5″ wide receiver Denzell Jones and former South Carolina cornerback Victor Hampton on Wednesday.
  • Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals have yet to reach an agreement on a new long-term contract, but that didn’t stop the cornerback from reporting to the club’s mandatory minicamp today, says Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Agent Joel Segal and the Cards continue to discuss an extension for Peterson.
  • Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com believes Justin Durant will be the Cowboys‘ starting middle linebacker when the regular season gets underway, but suggests that if Durant doesn’t play well in camp, the 28-year-old is a candidate to be cut or traded.
  • Wide receiver Kain Colter received the biggest bonus ($8K) among the Vikings‘ undrafted free agent signings, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

Broncos Sign First-Rounder Bradley Roby

June 10th, 2014 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have signed first-round cornerback Bradley Roby to his rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. The move ensures that Denver has now locked up its entire 2014 draft class, as Roby was the last of the club’s six selections to put pen to paper.

“When we looked at the board, No. 1, he was the top guy on our board,” GM John Elway said of Roby during the draft. “When we talked about immediate help and a talented guy like that, he’s the guy that would have the biggest impact on us. So that even made it more of a thrill for us that he was still there.”

The 31st overall pick last month, Roby is in line for a signing bonus worth about $3.376MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com. The overall four-year value of the contract for the Ohio State product will be in the neighborhood of $6.953MM, and the deal will include a fifth-year club option for 2018.

As our draft pick signing tracker shows, with Roby now under contract, only 12 first-round picks remain unsigned.

Extra Points: Williams, Sheard, Quessenberry

June 10th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

While the free agent market has thinned out considerably over the last several months, there are still players capable of providing value to NFL teams, and one such free agent is veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams. Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Williams suggested talks have been “picking up” for him lately and that he anticipates signing somewhere in time for training camp. As the longtime Viking confirmed, he has visited the Patriots, Giants, and Seahawks, and has also spoken recently to Minnesota.

Let’s check in on a few more items from around the league….

  • Browns outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard said today that he and the club have had some preliminary talks about a contract extension and that he hopes something can be worked out, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Texans offensive lineman David Quessenberry has been placed on the NFL’s non-football illness list after being diagnosed with lymphoma, the club announced today in a press release. In a statement, GM Rick Smith expressed confidence in the care Quessenberry would receive. “We look forward to his full and complete recovery,” Smith said. “We will continue to support him and his family and look forward to his return to the team.” Our thoughts and well-wishes go out to Quessenberry and his family as he battles the disease.
  • Asked about Colin Kaepernick‘s new contract extension, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton said his biggest takeaway from the agreement was simply the fact that Kaepernick and the 49ers were able to get something done (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com). Dalton, of course, will be looking for an extension of his own very soon.
  • Taking an early look ahead to the 2015 NFL draft, Mel Kiper discusses the top senior and underclassmen defensive ends in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com. Texas’ Cedric Reed and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory top Kiper’s lists.
  • The Dolphins‘ willingness to shift Jason Fox to left tackle behind Branden Albert in OTAs suggests the club has confidence in rookie Ju’Wuan James‘ ability to hang onto the right tackle job, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Poll: Should Chiefs, Bengals Extend Their QBs?

June 10th, 2014 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

With Colin Kaepernick now under 49ers control through 2020, only two notable starting quarterbacks on 2013 playoff teams lack long-term security — the contracts for Alex Smith of the Chiefs and Andy Dalton of the Bengals are set to expire after the 2014 season, if they don’t receive extensions before that point.

As Albert Breer of the NFL Network wrote yesterday, the Chiefs and Bengals are in tough spots, since neither Smith nor Dalton has had the regular season or postseason success to consider them among the league’s elite quarterbacks. However, with no real second-tier market for starting quarterbacks, Smith and Dalton figure to pursue contracts in the same range as those signed by Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and other signal-callers whose resumés don’t include a Super Bowl win. That means something in the neighborhood of $17-18MM per year.

On the surface, committing anything close to $18MM annually to Smith or Dalton seems like it’d be a mistake for their respective teams. Avoiding having to pay that sort of money to their quarterbacks is one reason the Chiefs and Bengals have been able to put together such talented rosters. Signing those QBs to lucrative extensions now would compromise the clubs’ ability to continue adding talent at other positions.

On the other hand, productive starting quarterbacks aren’t easy to find. There are fewer reliable options around the league than there are teams, and deciding to move on from Smith or Dalton could leave the Chiefs or Bengals with a glaring hole at the most important position on the field. Perhaps Chase Daniel or Aaron Murray could provide a close approximation to what Smith contributes to the Chiefs, and maybe A.J. McCarron could develop into a solid starting option in Cincinnati. However, there are certainly no guarantees in either case.

I expect we’ll see Smith and Dalton sign extensions at some point before the season gets underway, but there are a number of directions in which their team could go. Playing out the season and then perhaps using the franchise tag for 2015 – which figures to be around $17MM – is another option if the Chiefs or Bengals aren’t prepared to make a long-term commitment to their respective quarterbacks quite yet.

What do you think? What should Kansas City and Cincinnati do?

Bucs Auditioning David Gettis, Five Others

June 10th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Six non-roster players are auditioning for the Buccaneers this week at the team’s minicamp, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Wide receiver David Gettis and defensive tackle Ronald Talley are perhaps the most notable names among a group of players that also includes safety Tony Dye, cornerback Kip Edwards, linebacker T.J. Fatinikun, and punter Kirby Van Der Kamp.

Gettis, 26, had a productive rookie season for the Panthers in 2010, hauling in 37 passes for 508 receiving yards and three touchdowns. However, injuries have derailed his career in recent years. The Baylor product had a solid preseason in 2013, but a hamstring injury prompted Carolina to waive him before the regular season began. If he’s healthy, Gettis would seem to be the most likely player among the six to sign a contract with Tampa Bay.

Among the other recognizable names is Talley, who spent the last three seasons with the Cardinals as a reserve defensive lineman. Arizona elected not to submit an RFA tender to Talley in March, so the 28-year-old became an unrestricted free agent and paid a visit to the Titans in April.

AFC Links: Titans, Ravens, Texans, Browns

June 10th, 2014 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

A former first-round pick, longtime defensive end Derrick Morgan will be shifting to outside linebacker in the Titans‘ new defensive system this year. As he tells Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, Morgan is hoping to make a smooth transition and have a productive season in what will be the final year of his rookie contract.

“I definitely think about it,” Morgan said of his expiring contract. “But at the same time, you can’t put too much energy into something like that. It is football and I am going to approach things the same way as I always have. I am going to play hard, and at the end of the year I hope everything works out the way it is supposed to.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • As the 49ers’ tight ends coach, Eric Mangini will be working closely this season with Vernon Davis, a player that drew his interest during the 2006 draft. “When I was with the Jets I really loved Vernon in the draft,” Mangini said, per Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant. “We were pretty close to drafting him in New York.”
  • Longtime NFL receiver Donte Stallworth, who last played for the Patriots in 2012, has joined the Ravens‘ coaching staff as a summer intern, the club announced today in a press release.
  • The Texans will be looking to find a fullback during training camp, with rookie Jay Prosch among those competing for the job, head coach Bill O’Brien said yesterday (link via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com poses 25 questions for the Browns to consider as the team prepares to begin its mandatory minicamp.
  • After an uninspiring rookie campaign, 2013 third-round pick Dallas Thomas will have a second chance to earn playing time on the Dolphins‘ offensive line this season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  • While Kyle Auffray’s primary position is tight end, the newly-signed Patriot also has experience at quarterback and punter, notes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Auffray is still a long shot to make New England’s regular season roster, but that versatility could be a plus.
Load More Posts