HEADLINES

Month: August 2014

Lions Sign Drayton Florence

August 7th, 2014 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions didn’t do much to address their secondary this offseason, but with the preseason about to get underway, the team has added a veteran cornerback to the mix. According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Lions announced today that they’ve signed Drayton Florence.

Florence, a second-round pick back in 2003, had a previous stint in Detroit in 2012, and has also played for the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, and – most recently – the Panthers. In Carolina last season, the 33-year-old made 26 tackles, defended nine passes, and grabbed a pair of interceptions, ranking an impressive 19th among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Rothstein had pointed to Florence, who visited the Titans and Ravens this offseason, as a possibility for the Lions two months ago.

Although he has 104 career starts, Florence seems more likely to assume a role as the third or fourth cornerback for the Lions, assuming he earns a spot on the club. Corner currently looks like one of the thinnest positions on the roster, with Rashean Mathis and Darius Slay projected to start for the team. The Lions parted ways with Chris Houston in June due to health concerns.

After waiving Jonathan Baldwin yesterday, Detroit had an open spot on the 90-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for Florence.

North Notes: Steelers, Dalton, Vikings, Packers

August 7th, 2014 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers missed the playoffs for a second straight season in 2013, the first time that has happened since 2000, but president Art Rooney II tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he’s happy with the moves the club made in the offseason.

“I like where we are,” Rooney said. “Obviously, the proof is in the pudding, but I think we addressed a lot of concerns, and now it’s a matter of developing this group into a winning team.”

Here are a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • The $5MM roster bonus included in Andy Dalton‘s new extension with the Bengals will be paid out today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.
  • Dalton’s deal is the second quarterback extension in a row with a modest signing bonus, notes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, adding that it will be interesting to see if that trend continues for the next wave of QBs to sign new deals. Veterans like Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning could push for sizable signing bonuses, which may help young signal-callers like Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, and Robert Griffin III get similar deals.
  • New Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has been running through extensive hypothetical in-game scenarios with GM Rick Spielman in an effort to prepare himself for key decisions he’ll face in each game, as Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com details in an interesting piece.
  • For the first time in Aaron Rodgers‘ career with the Packers, offensive coordinator Tom Clements will be working from the coaches’ booth rather than the sideline this season, allowing him to get a better look at everything happening on the field, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Cardinals Release Ernie Sims

August 7th, 2014 at 11:09am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have cut linebacker Ernie Sims, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Arizona added Sims a little over two months ago on a minimum salary benefit contract (with $10K guaranteed), but as Urban notes, he was unlikely the usurp the cadre of LB talent ahead of him on the depth chart.

Sims, 29, was selected ninth overall in 2006 by the Lions, and has since spent time with the Eagles, Colts, and Cowboys. In 12 games (six starts) for the Dallas last season, Sims contributed 42 tackles and a forced fumble. However, his Pro Football Focus grades were significantly below average, due in large part to subpar run defense (subscription required). Sims should be able to find a new home, as several teams have suffered devastating injuries at the linebacker position (with the Falcons, Bills, and Cowboys among them).

Veteran Larry Foote and second-year player Kevin Minter are the favorites to start at inside linebacker in Arizona, and with Lorenzo Alexander and Kenny Demens acting as backups, there simply wasn’t room for Sims. The Cardinals’ roster count now sits at 88, so they might make a few moves in the coming days to fill out their club.

Luke Adams contributed to the post.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Cardinals, Packers

August 7th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons fifth-round linebacker Marquis Spruill will miss the 2014 season after tearing his ACL, the team told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Syracuse product could have conceivably contributed to a thin Atlanta linebacking corps that already suffered the loss of veteran Sean Weatherspoon, but now the Falcons will presumably place Spruill on injured reserve and look to fill his roster spot with another LB. McClure thinks (Twitter links) that Nick Barnett and/or Kion Wilson, who last played for the Redskins and Steelers, respectively, could be options for Atlanta. More from the NFC:

  • Dan Connor, who worked out for the Falcons after Weatherspoon’s injury, might have intrigued Atlanta following the loss of Spruill, but as David Jones of the Patriot-News reports (h/t: McClure), Connor has taken an assistant coaching job at Division II West Chester University. Connor, 28, hasn’t officially retired, but after suffering a multitude of injuries throughout his career, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to find a new career path.
  • Veteran linebacker John Abraham, who signed a two-year, $4.6MM deal prior to last season, has the most team-friendly contract on the Cardinals, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Larry Fitzgerald has the least tenable deal in Arizona, per Fitzgerald, as the receiver is in the midst of a seven-year, $113MM extension.
  • Cardinals second-year safety Tyrann Mathieu, who tore his ACL in December, tells Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com that he hopes to return to the field soon. “I expect to be at practice the next two to three weeks,” said the 22-year-old. “Hopefully we can stick to that timetable.”
  • Randall Cobb needs to stay healthy in order to receive an extension from the Packers, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Green Bay signed fellow receiver Jordy Nelson to a four-year, $39MM deal last month, and Cobb knows he has yet to show he is worth similar money. “I don’t believe I’ve done enough,” Cobb said. “I think my job is to come out here every day, do what I’m supposed to do, work hard and hopefully my time will come.”

Cornerback Chris Johnson To Retire

August 7th, 2014 at 9:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

Former NFL cornerback Chris Johnson has decided to retire, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Johnson, 35 next month, last played in 2012, when he won a Super Bowl as a member of the Ravens secondary.

Johnson, a Louisville product, was 2003 seventh-round pick by the Packers. He bounced around the league for four seasons, spending time with the Rams and Chiefs, before landing with the Raiders in 2007. He experienced his most success while in Oakland, beginning as a reserve and special-teamer before starting 15 games in 2009. Johnson ultimately signed an $11.3MM extension with the Raiders, and remained with the team through the 2011 season.

After joining the Ravens in 2012, Johnson was pressed into duty following injuries to Baltimore’s top corners, Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith. He started one game that season, and played in the Ravens’ AFC Championship victory over the Patriots. He was released in August 2013.

Pats Showcasing Ryan Mallett For Trade?

August 7th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Multiple pundits, including NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, have praised Ryan Mallett‘s play in training camp within the last week or two, prompting others to wonder if the Patriots are trying to pump up the quarterback’s trade value as he enters a contract year. That campaign appears set to continue tonight, as Mallett will start the team’s first preseason game in place of Tom Brady, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

Mallett, who has been Brady’s backup in New England for multiple seasons, has drawn trade interest during the past couple years, and became more expendable after the club drafted Jimmy Garoppolo this past May. The Pats won’t just give him away, of course, but Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Mallett “might as well be wearing a For Sale sign around his neck” this summer.

One AFC executive who spoke to Breer wasn’t overly bullish on the signal-caller’s value, suggesting that it wouldn’t be ideal to trade for a quarterback entering the final year of his contract unless an injury made it necessary (Twitter link). In the exec’s view, a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick seems about right for Mallett. For his part, the Pats backup has said he feels as if he’s a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, but he isn’t unhappy with his situation in New England, as Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe details.

Mallett, 26, has only thrown four passes in NFL regular season games, during a brief stint in relief of Brady in 2012. As such, any teams with interest in him will likely be keeping a close eye on his performance tonight and in the rest of the preseason. I wouldn’t expect the Pats to move him quite yet, but Mallett’s situation will be worth watching over the next few weeks, and even all the way to the trade deadline.

Extra Points: Graham, Seahawks, Packers

August 6th, 2014 at 9:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Some have criticized Jimmy Graham for his contract wrangling with the Saints this offseason, but those people should consider his history before judging him in any fashion, writes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Duncan outlines Graham’s childhood history which included being abandoned by his mother and stepfather before landing in a less-than-desirable foster care situation. “Obviously I know where I came from, and I know how hard it was to get here and so I’m going to cherish every moment of it and do everything in my power to never go back,” Graham said. More from around the NFL..

  • As the Seahawks prepared for the 2014 draft, their execs considered game tape, player statistics, and all the typical barometers of future success. But they also studied players’ backgrounds, looking deep into the DNA of each young man’s character, writes Dan Pompei of Sports On Earth. True to their word, each of the first six players the team chose in the draft overcame adversity in some manner, though some was of their own doing. “If people have had a lot of adversity and have proven they can overcome that adversity, the chances for them to have success at the next level are going to be better,” General Manager John Schneider said. “It’s important to us to find guys who have a chip on their shoulder and feel they have something to prove.” Second-round choice Paul Richardson was arrested for stealing a backpack as a UCLA freshman, and was subsequently dismissed from the school. He later transferred to Colorado to start over, but he missed his junior year after tearing his ACL before coming back to have a very productive senior season. Like Richardson, fellow second-round pick Justin Britt tore his ACL in 2012 but also bounced back strong.
  • The Packers have had the fortune of employing some legendary GMs, writes Martin Hendricks for the Journal Sentinel. Current GM Ted Thompson ranks No. 4 on the list while the great Vince Lombardi occupies the top spot.
  • While Browns rookie cornerback Justin Gilbert is finding his niche at his position, it’s been a bit of a rougher road for fellow rookie Pierre Desir, the team’s fourth-round selection this year, writes George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. Desir finds himself listed third at one corner spot behind Joe Haden and Isaiah Trufant on the recently released depth chart.

East Notes: Vick, Pats, Giants, Murray

August 6th, 2014 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Not every Jets fan will agree, but coach Rex Ryan made the right call to keep rising sophomore Geno Smith as his starter over veteran free agent addition Michael Vick, opines Bob Glauber of Newsday. It doesn’t guarantee that Smith will take a significant step forward after last year’s inconsistent campaign but it also doesn’t mean that Ryan and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg can’t change their minds mid-season. More out of the AFC and NFC East..

  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at the best and worst contracts on the Patriots‘ payroll. The best deal, he writes is the one they gave to offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer as it’s a prime example of how how to handle a good, but injury prone, player. The worst, meanwhile, belongs to Logan Mankins, who edged out the oft-injured Danny Amendola for the dubious distinction. Mankins is the better player of the two, but he ended up being paid as the top interior lineman in the league at a time when he was not the best at his position. Mankins carries a $10.5MM cap charge this year, second highest among guards in the NFL.
  • The Jets are thrilled with the play of new right tackle Breno Giacomini, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “He’s great, and he’s been going like this,’’ Ryan said while making the motion of a jet taking off. “I think getting used to the offense, there are new plays, new terminology, all that kind of stuff, playing with new teammates.“
  • Giants special teams coordinator Tom Quinn says the battle between kickers Josh Brown and Brandon McManus is still extremely close, writes Tom Rock of Newsday. “The thing about Josh is that he does have a strong leg,” Quinn said. “A lot of times, you have an older kicker and a young kicker and the young kicker has such a strong leg. But Brandon will really have to beat him out in all areas to win the job. And he knows that.”
  • Rick Gosselin and Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News looked at several issues concerning the Cowboys, including whether running back DeMarco Murray could price the club out of re-signing him. Goesselin feels that in today’s pass-happy NFL, it’d be impossible for the 27-year-old to get too pricey for Dallas. Horn, meanwhile, isn’t so sure since owner Jerry Jones likes to dole out big deals.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

August 6th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Raiders announced that they have signed journeyman safety Larry Asante and waived/injured fellow safety Shelton Johnson. Asante joins the Raiders following stops with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Colts. For his career, the 6’0″, 210-pounder has played in 17 games and totaled 12 tackles (nine solo), one interception, one pass defensed, and one forced fumble. He played in five games last season for the Colts, seeing time primarily on special teams.
  • Saints defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell and linebacker Marcus Thompson have cleared waivers, tweets Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
  • Former BYU linebacker Spencer Hadley has signed with the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, who tweets that the club has waived-injured linebacker Marshall McFadden to make room on the roster.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) passes along a couple new roster updates, reporting that the Cowboys have waived undrafted rookies Dashaun Phillips and Joe Windsor to make room for their defensive back signings (noted below). According to Wilson, the Lions also cut Cody Wilson from their IR with an injury settlement.

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have cut undrafted tight end A.C. Leonard, who left practice last week with a headache, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • Just a day after signing him, the Seahawks have waived defensive back Trey Wolfe, replacing him with DB Michael Dobson, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Dobson participated in the club’s rookie minicamp in the spring.
  • In order to make room for new signee James Shaw, whose deal was reported yesterday, the Steelers have waived-injured wide receiver Danny Coale, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
  • Another signing reported yesterday, the Titans‘ addition of defensive lineman Lanier Coleman, was finalized today, with Tennessee also agreeing to terms with tight end Chase Coffman, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. To clear two spots on the roster for the new players, the Titans waived-injured tight end Dorin Dickerson and cut quarterback Tyler Wilson (Twitter links). Wilson was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the Raiders, and was signed by the Titans off Oakland’s practice squad last season.
  • The Cowboys have added a pair of defensive backs to their roster to bolster a secondary that has been hit hard by injuries in training camp, signing Korey Lindsey and Johnny Thomas, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram had indicated yesterday that Dallas was eyeing those two free agents. The club will need to cut two players to make room for Lindsey and Thomas.

Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

August 6th, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a fifth-round pick (No. 148) from the Falcons in exchange for a fifth-round pick (No. 168) and a seventh-round pick (No. 225).

Draft picks:

  • Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State (1.28): Signed
  • Kony Ealy, DE, Missouri (2.60): Signed
  • Trai Turner, G, LSU (3.92): Signed
  • Tre Boston, S, North Carolina (4.128): Signed
  • Bene’ Benwikere, CB, San Jose State (5.148): Signed
  • Tyler Gaffney, RB, Stanford (6.204): Signed, then waived

Other:

Without a question, more attention was paid to what the Panthers lost this offseason than the additions that they made. That’ll happen when you part ways with your all-time leading receiver and face of the franchise.

There were rumblings in March that the Panthers would look to get out from under Steve Smith‘s contract either via trade or release. On March 13th, after they were unable to find a suitable deal, they dropped Smith and designated him as a post-June 1st cut, which will stretch some of the dead money out to 2015. While fans were upset to see Smith, who amassed 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving during his time in Carolina, get the ax, it was a move that made sense considering that the 35-year-old is no longer a No. 1 receiver. Longtime teammate Brandon LaFell will also be plying his craft elsewhere and Ted Ginn Jr. wasn’t retained even though he became a bigger part of the passing game in 2013.

Carolina’s all-new receiving corps has potential but inarguably has less star power without Smith. Jerricho Cotchery, who was once viewed as a top option with the Jets, came to Carolina after spending the last three seasons with the Steelers. The 31-year-old is coming off of his best season in years as he recorded 46 receptions and 602 receiving yards with a career-high 10 touchdowns. It’s a five-year, $8.0155MM deal, but it has just $2.25MM guaranteed and the final three years of the pact are voidable. Cotchery alone won’t replace the production of Smith but he comes at a considerably lower cost and little risk.

Joining Cotchery in the new receiver stable will be former Rutgers speedster Tiquan Underwood and ex-Eagles mainstay Jason Avant. The most important WR addition, however, came in the draft when the Panthers tabbed Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin with the 28th overall pick. Benjamin doesn’t have a long history of dominance, but the Florida State product has looked sharp so far in training camp and boasts tremendous size. He could very well be the Panthers’ No. 1 passing option when all is said and done this season.

The Panthers lost another longtime mainstay in offensive tackle Jordan Gross. The 33-year-old spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers and consistently graded out as one of the league’s best tackles. One might have expected Carolina to replace Gross with a similarly experienced and talented tackle, but they didn’t quite do that. Right tackle Byron Bell, who was retained with a restricted free agent tender, or the newly-extended Nate Chandler will be expected to step up and fill his shoes, but it would be surprising if they could protect Cam Newton‘s blindside better than Gross did. Longtime Panthers lineman Travelle Wharton also decided to hang ’em up this offseason.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers used the franchise tag on defensive end Greg Hardy and did not reach a long-term deal with him prior to the March 11th deadline. The 25-year-old has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, and ranked as the third-best and sixth-best 4-3 defensive end in those two years, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Still, given his off-the-field troubles, the Panthers are surely having second thoughts about making a long-term commitment to him. Speaking of the defensive end position, the Panthers used their second round choice on Missouri DE Kony Ealy. Ealy might be a couple of years away from producing, but it’s believed that he has tremendous upside. To fulfill his potential, he’ll have to start eating and lifting a whole lot more than he has been.

Mike Mitchell left Carolina to team up with Troy Polamalu in Pittsburgh and the Panthers used this as an opportunity to make changes at both safety spots. Longtime Saints notable Roman Harper will man the strong safety position while Thomas DeCoud is slotted in as either the No. 1 or No. 2 free safety. The 31-year-old Harper only started five games for the Saints in 2013 and became the odd man out when the team signed Jairus Byrd to pair with Kenny Vaccaro at safety, but he’s out to prove he has plenty of quality football left. DeCoud’s role, whether it will be as a starter or as a swing defensive back, will depend on what Carolina does with Charles Godfrey. Godfrey is coming off of Achilles surgery and could either start at FS or move around in the secondary in a reserve role. While DeCoud started for the Falcons for the last five years and is a former Pro Bowler, he had by far the worst season of his career in 2013. The 29-year-old racked up just 44 tackles and failed to intercept a pass for the first time since becoming a starter. 

While the Panthers will have to think things over when it comes to Hardy and his future in Carolina, they’ll also have to give some thought to what kind of offer they’ll want to make to star quarterback Cam Newton. The price for quarterbacks has soared this offseason thanks to lucrative deals for the likes of Jay Cutler and Alex Smith. This week, however, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton appears to have set the watermark for the “middle class” quarterback with his six-year, $96MM extension. While many would argue that Newton is a greater talent than Dalton, the deal didn’t continue the trend of truly mammoth contracts and doesn’t help Cam’s case. For now, the Panthers exercised Newton’s $14.666MM option for the 2015 season so they’ll have time to work something out before he can hit the open market.

The Panthers’ offseason wasn’t pretty thanks to a less-than-desirable cap situation and one has to wonder if their new receiving corps and the offensive line sans Jordan Gross can put them where they want to be in 2014.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

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