49ers Sign Blake Costanzo
2:09pm: The 49ers have officially confirmed the signing of Costanzo, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived guard Al Netter to make room on the roster for the new addition.
9:49am: Free agent linebacker Blake Costanzo has agreed to terms with the 49ers, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Costanzo, who spent the last two seasons with the Bears, previously played in San Francisco during the 2011 season.
A seven-year veteran, Costanzo has primarily contributed on kick and punt coverage throughout his career. In 2013, he logged 11 special teams tackles for Chicago and recorded a +6.0 grade for the unit, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). The 30-year-old played a similar role during his last run with the Niners, racking up 16 special teams tackles while not playing a single snap on defense.
While salary details haven’t yet been reported, I’d expect a minimum salary contract for the special teams ace. It’ll be a one-year contract, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
AFC South Notes: Blackmon, Jackson, Texans
Let’s round up the latest items out of the AFC South….
- The Jaguars don’t know when – or even if – wide receiver Justin Blackmon will be reinstated from his indefinite suspension for multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but the club doesn’t intend to cut him, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Although Jacksonville doesn’t anticipate having Blackmon at all during the 2014 season, it sounds like there’s still a chance he could play for the team down the road.
- Speaking to reporters today, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson said his reps haven’t had any contact with the team about a new contract, tweets James Palmer of CSNHouston.com. Jackson, a 2010 first-round pick, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March if he doesn’t have a new deal in place.
- Running back Andre Brown, who signed with the Texans this offseason, has struggled with injury problems so far in his career, but is determined to stay healthy and prove his worth to his new team this season, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- After weeks of engaging in mock negotiations on a contract extension for J.J. Watt and the Texans, former agent Joel Corry and former Jets executive Ari Nissim provide their concluding thoughts on the series at the National Football Post.
Saints Sign Brandon Deaderick
After working out for the team yesterday, as reported by Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, veteran defensive tackle Brandon Deaderick has signed a one-year contract with the Saints, the club announced today in a press release. The team release also confirmed the signing of veteran center Jonathan Goodwin, as well as the cuts of offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr. and linebacker Spencer Hadley. Those three roster moves were reported yesterday.
Deaderick, a former seventh-round pick who spent three seasons with the Pats before joining the Jaguars last season, also auditioned for the Chiefs last week. In his four years in the NFL, Deaderick has appeared in 47 total contests, including 15 starts, recording 56 overall tackles and 5.5 sacks. He has also forced three fumbles and recovered one. If he makes the Saints’ regular-season roster, Deaderick figures to give the team so depth on the defensive line.
While New Orleans’ signing of Deaderick removes one name from the list of defensive tackles remaining on the market, there are plenty of notable players still available for teams targeting veterans, including Kevin Williams, Johnny Jolly, and Ryan Pickett.
Saints Sign Jonathan Goodwin
TUESDAY, 12:15pm: The Saints have officially signed Goodwin, the club announced today in a press release
MONDAY, 2:23pm: It’s expected to be a one-year deal for Goodwin, according to Triplett (via Twitter). Salary details aren’t yet known, but I’d be surprised if it’s worth a whole lot more than the minimum.
1:24pm: The Saints and Goodwin have agreed to terms on a deal, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Triplett, the center will likely put pen to paper on Tuesday.
12:49pm: After spending three years in San Francisco, veteran center Jonathan Goodwin appears to be headed back to the team with whom he earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2009. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Goodwin is expected to sign with the Saints at some point this week. Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune adds that nothing’s set in stone yet, but that the two sides are discussing a deal today.
Goodwin will turn 36 in December, which prompted the Niners to hand the starting center reins to the younger Daniel Kilgore going forward, but the 12-year veteran has remained effective into his mid-30s. Goodwin hasn’t missed a game over the last five seasons, and produced at an above-average level in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), buoyed by solid grades as a run blocker.
The Saints saw last year’s starting center, Brian De La Puente, depart in free agency, and didn’t address the position during the draft, so it wasn’t clear which player would get the nod heading into the regular season. Assuming Goodwin is healthy and productive in training camp, he would seem to be the odds-on favorite for the starting role. He figures to compete with Tim Lelito, who has been taking snaps with the first team during New Orleans’ OTAs.
East Notes: Eagles, Finley, Cowboys, Dolphins
Veteran center Jason Kelce was one of the first Eagles to tweet out a message in support of the organization when the club released DeSean Jackson earlier in the offseason, but as he explained on Monday (link via Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com), his comments weren’t intended as a shot at the former Philadelphia wideout.
“I really have no personal problems with DeSean. Never did when he was here,” Kelce said. “All I was trying to say is, ‘Listen, this team has been going in a great direction this whole offseason, let’s not lose focus on what we’ve been trying to do the entire offseason. This one instance gets blown out of proportion when really the entire offseason we’ve had great direction, we’ve had great focus by our coaching staff and our organization, let’s have trust in that.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Jermichael Finley’s free agent visit to the Patriots, which was reported yesterday, was “exclusively for medical evaluation of his spinal fusion surgery,” tweets ESPN.com’s Ed Werder. The tight end has been medically cleared by his personal doctor, but team doctors will want to perform their own evaluations.
- The NFLPA has been convinced that Sean Lee‘s ACL injury was not the result of contact with Zack Martin and that the Cowboys didn’t break any OTA rules, a source tells Werder (Twitter link).
- Middle linebacker is an area of concern for the Dolphins, and while Miami missed out on adding a free agent like D’Qwell Jackson in March, the team is hoping that Koa Misi can make the transition to the inside, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald outlines.
- In the view of Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, the Giants did Will Hill a favor by cutting him, since the troubled safety could use a change of scenery. We’ll find out soon whether Hill, who is facing a six-game suspension, will be claimed off waivers or become an unrestricted free agent.
49ers, Kaepernick Reopen Extension Talks
The 49ers gained a chunk of cap space this week when Carlos Rogers‘ 2014 cap hit was officially reduced by $6.6MM, and the team appears set to use that room to help facilitate a new deal for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the Niners and Kaepernick’s reps will have a face-to-face meeting in Santa Clara this week to rekindle extension discussions.
A lack of cap flexibility was just one factor in the Niners postponing extension negotiations with Kaepernick until now. San Francisco tabled talks in April when the Miami Police Department began investigating an incident involving the signal-caller, with the club opting to wait for more clarity on the situation. The fact that the Niners feel comfortable moving forward with discussions now – meeting in person for the first time since the draft combine in February – suggests the team feels nothing will come of that investigation, writes Barrows.
Back in March, San Francisco GM Trent Baalke expressed confidence that the two sides would be able to work out an agreement before training camp opens this summer. If a deal is agreed upon, it figures to put Kaepernick among the highest-paid signal-callers in the NFL — he’s reportedly seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $20MM+ on his next contract.
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Extra Points: Zimmer, 49ers, Texans, Bengals
A few assorted items to close out this Monday evening:
- The union between the Vikings and new head coach Mike Zimmer almost didn’t happen, writes Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com. Having missed out on the Titans job, Zimmer felt as though his opportunity for a head coaching job might never come. “I almost didn’t go (on the second interview with Minnesota), yeah. I was so disappointed,” said Zimmer. “It was like, ‘Why even do this?’ It was to that point. I figured I was getting too old. I thought, ‘Forget this.'” Zimmer had been a successful defensive coordinator for the past 14 seasons.
- The 49ers are creating more cap space to make room for a Colin Kaepernick extension, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco got $6.6MM in relief when Carlos Rogers‘ contract (a post-June 1 designation) was cleared off the books, and received another $2.6MM after NaVorro Bowman converted some of his base salary into a signing bonus.
- Keshawn Martin will face competition for the Texans’ returner job, per David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. “There are many candidates for those jobs,” said head coach Bill O’Brien. “Preseason is when we really have to get a true evaluation of the guys who are back there and who is going to return punts, who are going to be the kickoff return guys, and who will be the emergency guys if something happens to the starters.”
- New Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson thinks that right tackle Andre Smith is entering the upcoming season with a new fire, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “In my opinion, this Andre Smith is a different Andre Smith than the one I’ve ever seen,” said Jackson. “He’s a more focused, agile, hungry guy after something.” Pro Football Focus rated Smith as the 20th-best offensive tackle in the NFL last season (subscription required).
- It might just be the usual preseason platitudes, but Raiders coach Dennis Allen claims there is no official depth chart as of yet, and states he is especially looking forward to the running back competition between Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew. “We’re going to put the best players on the field, and the guys that give us the best opportunity to win, whoever that may be,” said Allen. “I do know this: I do know throughout the course of a 16-game season, you’re going to need everybody. I think it’s great when you have multiple players that you feel confident that they can come in and do the job. We’ll let the competition dictate who plays and how much they play. It’s a good feeling to know that you’ve got some qualified people in the running back room that can carry the loads for you.”
Trade Candidate: Brandon Flowers
Days before last month’s draft, reports surfaced indicating that Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers was a trade possibility as Kansas City looked to acquire more picks. Such a deal never occurred, but rumors persist that Flowers is a poor fit for Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme. Flowers wasn’t present for last week’s OTAs, leading many to wonder if he was angling for clarification regarding his role and future with the team.
A trade of Flowers would have to clear several hurdles, first of which would be his play in 2013. Though Flowers, who accrued one interception and 65 tackles in 13 games last season, was selected as a Pro Bowler, advanced metrics show 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. However, PFF rated Flowers as a top-10 corner in both 2011 and 2012, so perhaps the scheme concerns are valid (2013 was Sutton’s first year in Kansas City).
The Chiefs, having gone 11-5 in 2013, are a team in win-now mode, so ridding themselves of a talented player like Flowers might not be the most ideal route. Sans Flowers, Kansas City would be left with Sean Smith and Marcus Cooper as starters, with rookie Phillip Gaines manning the slot — not exactly the most exciting trifecta. Another season learning Sutton’s defense could only help, and with more experience in the system, Flowers might flourish and begin to exhibit his prowess once again.
The final, and most pressing, issue regarding a trade of Flowers is his contract, which is set to pay him base salaries totaling $18MM over the next three seasons. He is also due $4MM in roster bonuses and $500K in workout bonuses during that span. It could be tough to find a team willing to assume that responsibility, especially given Flowers’ lackluster play last year. Additionally, Flowers hasn’t been the most durable player over his career (having played the entire 16-game slate only once, in 2011), so a team probably wouldn’t feel comfortable paying for a player who can’t stay on the field.
For the Chiefs, a trade of Flowers could help alleviate their salary cap situation. Currently sitting at about $3.5MM under the cap, Kansas City could use the money saved by trading Flowers on extensions for quarterback Alex Smith or linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. While Flowers has a pretty good track record, and is still young at 28, the value of freeing up cap room cannot be overstated. While cornerback is certainly a premier position in today’s passing league, the ability to retain Smith is probably more enticing in Kansas City.
Most teams could use another talented corner on their roster, but Flowers’ salary limits his potential destinations. The Jets have the cap room to bring in Flowers, but he probably wouldn’t fit in Rex Ryan’s scheme. Two teams that pop out as fits are the Buccaneers and the Titans, each of whom lost an excellent corner during the offseason (Darrelle Revis and Alterraun Verner, respectively). Both franchises have the financial wherewithal to make such a move, and Flowers would be a welcome addition to either team’s defensive backfield.
Having said that, I still think a trade is unlikely. The salary obligations and Flowers’ subpar 2013 season make him a risky investment. If a trade were to occur, I wouldn’t expect Kansas City to receive more than a fifth-round pick, at the very best.
Data from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Notes: Maclin, Henery, Cowboys
Onlookers held their breath today during the Eagles’ OTAs after receiver Jeremy Maclin fell to the ground holding his knee, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While Maclin tore the ACL in his right knee last year, causing him to miss the entire season, today’s incident left him clutching his left knee. Still, any injury to Maclin, who is expected to be leaned on heavily following the release of DeSean Jackson, would have terrified the Eagles’ coaching staff. Luckily, Maclin quickly got to his feet, and later noted that he felt fine.
More from around the NFC East:
- While Eagles kicker Alex Henery‘s accuracy has decreased each season during his time in the NFL, he remains confident he can win a competition with undrafted free agent Carey Spear (nickamed “Murderleg”), according to Kevin Rossi of CSNPhilly.com.
- Justin Durant has some experience at middle linebacker, and is also is well-versed in the 4-3 defense after playing under Rod Marinelli with the Lions, so he’s the most natural replacement for the Cowboys at the MIKE position following the loss of Sean Lee, per Calvin Watikins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Fourth-round rookie linebacker Anthony Hitchens, who signed with the Cowboys yesterday, is also trying to help offset the loss of Lee by adjusting to middle linebacker after playing on the outside while at Iowa, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Mackenzy Bernadeau isn’t complaining after losing the Cowboys right guard job to rookie Zack Martin, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Bernadeau started all 16 games at RG for Dallas last season, but is taking reps at all three interior line positions during OTAs in an attempt to become more versatile. “It’s like learning to write with your left hand instead of your right hand,” Bernadeau said about playing left guard. “The only difference is that I was able to play the left side before, so I have some experience there, and it’s just getting used to the technique and the guys end up playing next to you. It’s more important to get used to the guys next to you and what their steps are than the techniques because I’ve played both sides before.”
- As of yet, Jermichael Finley has no plans to work out for the Giants, but that could change, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. New York’s tight end depth chart is currently headlined by Adrien Robinson and Kellen Davis.