2014 August - Pro Football Rumors

Rob Bironas Works Out For Buccaneers

August 6th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Titans kicker Rob Bironas was released by the Titans in a cost-cutting move earlier this offseason, but the veteran free agent appears to be on the lookout for a new job for the 2014 season. According to JoeBucsFan.com, Bironas worked out for the Buccaneers this morning. The club also took a look at former Texas punter and kicker Anthony Fera.

Connor Barth, who is coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the 2013 season, is currently lined up to be the team’s regular kicker for 2014. While Barth was effective before his injury and seems to have fully recovered, he’s owed a $2MM base salary, along with up to $1.15MM in per-game roster bonuses for the coming season, so perhaps Tampa Bay views Bironas as a less expensive option who will post similar numbers. For his part, Bironas has remained accurate in recent years, converting field goals at an 87.3% rate over the last four seasons, including 86.2% last year.

Like Barth, incumbent Bucs punter Michael Koenen also isn’t on a cheap contract, as he’s set to earn a $3.25MM base salary in 2014 after ranking as the 23rd-best and 24th-best punter in the NFL over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

For now, it doesn’t appear as if the Bucs are interested in making significant alterations to their special teams unit, but the fact that the team is looking at other options could signal potential changes down the road.

Browns Notes: Holmes, Gordon, Manziel

August 6th, 2014 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

While the Browns addressed most of their positions of need this offseason, wide receiver remains an area of concern, with Josh Gordon potentially facing a lengthy suspension. A Gordon decision is expected within the next couple weeks, but in the meantime, the club continues to explore its options at the position. Last night, we heard that former Richmond wideout Ben Edwards auditioned for the Browns, though he didn’t sign with the team. Here’s more on Gordon, Cleveland’s receiving corps, and anything else Browns-related:

A Tuesday report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that veteran wideout Santonio Holmes had drawn interest from the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link) hears that the team is not currently interested in the former Jet.
The longer the league’s decision on Gordon’s suspension is delayed, the more hope the Browns and their fans will have that his penalty will be reduced, and the crueler it would be if the NFL upheld the original year-long ban, writes Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report polled six NFL general managers on which rebuilding team they were most optimistic about, and five of the six picked the Browns. Per Freeman, the sixth GM chose the Bills.
Within Freeman’s piece, he also notes that Browns players have been impressed by Johnny Manziel‘s work ethic and his ability to quickly pick up the offense and the playbook, though many players on the roster still prefer to head into the 2014 season with Brian Hoyer as the starter. For now, Hoyer tops the depth chart at quarterback, as Pat McManamon of ESPN.com details.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

August 5th, 2014 at 10:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are the NFL’s minor transactions for Tuesday, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

The Bears waived linebacker Conor O’Neill to make room for the addition of Greg Herd, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
The Browns reached an injury settlement with James Oboh, Wilson tweets.
The Broncos waived defensive end Hall Davis with a left squad designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver signed Davis to a reserve/futures contract in February.
The Vikings waived Lestar Jean from injured reserve, tweets Wilson. The wideout has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
Running back Kendall Hunter will spend the season on the 49ers’ injured reserve list after he cleared waivers on Tuesday, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
The Dolphins announced that they have signed kicker Danny Hrapmann and waived linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Hrapmann was one of at least three kickers Miami auditioned recently.
The Bears added wide receiver Greg Herd today, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Chicago must make a corresponding roster move for Herd, who had short stints with the Cowboys and Seahawks after entering the NFL in 2013.

Earlier updates:

The Colts agreed to sign former Eagles outside linebacker Phillip Hunt, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Hunt, the Colts dropped wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who signed with the club just two days ago.
The Browns announced that they have signed tight end Martell Webb, linebacker Keith Pough, and wide receiver Tim Smith, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Originally signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Webb has spent time on the practice squads of the Jets (2011), Bucs (2011), Colts (2012), Titans (2012), and Lions (2013).
The Browns waived defensive back Darwin Cook, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
The Titans will sign Lanier Coleman, a defensive lineman who has spent time with the Jets and Packers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Tennessee has a full 90-man roster, so the team will need to cut someone to make it official.
The Saints have signed former second-round tight end Richard Quinn, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com adds a few more Saints moves courtesy of Yates: New Orleans also signed wideout Tobais Palmer, waiving receiver Steve Hull (injured designation), defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell, and linebacker Marcus Thompson.
As first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds, the Browns have reached a deal to sign tight end Kyle Auffray, writes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Cleveland entered the day with four open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Auffray, who spent some time with the Patriots in the spring.
The Buccaneers completed a series of roster moves today, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive ends Ryne Giddins and James Ruffin, and waived-injured linebacker Jeremy Grable and safety Mycal Swaim.
The Steelers are set to sign wide receiver James Shaw, who previously played for the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Pittsburgh has a full 90-man roster, so the club will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the latest signee.
Jermaine Cunningham, who tore his Achilles tendon during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Jets, who signed offensive lineman Bruce Campbell to fill Cunningham’s roster spot, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link). Campbell attended the team’s minicamp back in June on a tryout basis.
Armed with an open spot on their 90-man roster, the Broncos have signed former Browns defensive end Brian Sanford, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post details. Sanford, who turns 27 next month, has been active for 13 career regular-season contests for Cleveland and Oakland.
The Seahawks have waived-injured safety Dion Bailey and signed defensive back Trey Wolfe to replace him, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

NFC Notes: Romo, Falcons, Packers, Patton

August 5th, 2014 at 10:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for the Cowboys: quarterback Tony Romo‘s recent back surgery is affecting his deep ball, writes Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “It’s been OK. I think the deeper the ball goes down the field, it’s a little bit more inconsistent,” quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson said. “He’s thrown all the intermediates — the fours and the seven routes and the deep outs – have been fine. It’s just the nine routes and the deep posts. Those things have been a little inconsistent. I think that’s all due to his back.” More from the NFC East..

Tyrell Johnson‘s deal with the Falcons is a one-year, $730K deal with a cap hit of just $570K, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Johnson, 29, was a second-round draft choice by the Vikings in 2008, and started 27 games with the team. The concussion suffered by Dwight Lowery on Friday created a need in the secondary for Atlanta.
There was some speculation about former NFL tight end Randy McMichael and the Falcons since he was at their facility today, but he confirmed via Twitter that he was just visiting there with his little league team. McMichael, 35, last appeared with the Chargers in 2012 where he made ten starts but hauled in just nine receptions.
Packers swing tackle Don Barclay could be out for the season after suffering a torn ACL during this afternoon’s practice, a league source tells Weston Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media. Barclay was carted off the practice field after falling awkwardly on his right knee. After starting all 14 games at right tackle for the Packers last season in place of an injured Bryan Bulaga, he was positioned to be the primary backup at both guard spots and right tackle.
Quinton Patton is working to fight through the 49ers‘ logjam at wide receiver, writes Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle. Patton had some bad luck in his rookie season, suffering a broken finger in training camp and a broken foot during the season that sidelined him for ten games. He’ll be duking it out with Brandon Lloyd, rookie Bruce Ellington, and others for his place.
LeSean McCoy‘s praise of Eagles rookie wide receiver Jordan Matthews continues, as Tim McManus of Philadelphia Magazine writes. “That rookie we got, Matthews, is looking real good. There’s been a lot of talk about this draft class being deep at wide receivers, but I’m real confident in this one being the best of the class,” McCoy said. “It’s still early, you got to go through the season and see how he does, but he looks amazing.”

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Edwards, Dalton

August 5th, 2014 at 9:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are bracing for at least an eight-game suspension for receiver Josh Gordon, league sources told Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. Gordon’s lawyers are going to the mat with the NFL, arguing in part that Gordon wasn’t very far over the threshold for a positive test and they will also note the discrepancies between the “A” sample and the “B” sample. The source added that the decision on his indefinite ban could take anywhere from one to three weeks. More out of the AFC North..

Former Richmond wide receiver Ben Edwards tried out for the Browns today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Edwards, who caught more than 200 passes during his college career, had his Pro Day attended by 20 NFL teams. The Giants were among the clubs that hosted Edwards for a visit in April.
Andy Dalton‘s new contract with the Bengals sets the middle class market for quarterbacks, writes Jason Fitzgerald in a piece for the Sporting News. Prior to this deal there were eight recent veteran contracts that were valued between $17.67MM and $20.75MM a season. The next tier of relevant veteran contracts were valued under $9.5MM a season. The pact could be bad news for the Chiefs’ Alex Smith, the Eagles’ Nick Foles, and others.
Browns free agent addition Karlos Dansby has no doubt in his mind that he can be an impact player this season, writes George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m the best. I’m the best. I’m the best. I’m the best right now, by far,” Dansby said. “Until I leave the game, I’m the best. That’s how I look at it, that’s how I approach it, and my numbers say the same.” Dansby produced 122 tackles in 2013 and 23 passes defended.

Giants Notes: Wilson, Cunningham, Hillis

August 5th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants linebacker Jameel McClain, signed as a free agent from Baltimore in the offseason, suffered a similar injury to the one that ended David Wilson‘s career when McClain was with the Ravens in 2012, writes Jim Hague of The Associated Press. McClain suffered a bruised spinal cord and aggravated a long-standing case of spinal stenosis and was told he’d never play football again before hooking on with Big Blue. “I can understand to a certain extent,” McClain said. “I can relate because of the circumstances and having the same options. I really didn’t know much about my injury. The situation is a little different, but I had the same numbness and tingling my neck, hands and feet. After I first came here and we met each other, I talked to David and told him about my situation.” More out of East Rutherford, New Jersey..

Tight end Jerome Cunningham‘s deal with the Giants is a three-year pact, agent Howard Shatsky tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Cunningham was picked up today along with veteran defensive lineman Israel Idonije. To help make room for the duo, Big Blue waived defensive end Kendrick Adams.
The Giants got a bit of a scare today when Peyton Hillis had to exit from today’s practice with an ankle injury. Hopefully, they won’t lose another RB for an extended period as the early prognosis is a sprained ankle, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. There’s no word on the severity of the sprain just yet.
The Giants’ new defensive backs, led by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, could be as good as advertised, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. With fellow cornerback Walter Thurmond and Quintin Demps in the fold for depth, coach David Merritt says this is the deepest secondary he’s ever seen in New York.

AFC East Notes: Revis, Jets, Dolphins

August 5th, 2014 at 8:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, it was reported that the Patriots are interested in extending cornerback Darrelle Revis, even though he has yet to appear in a preseason game for New England. Given the big money thrown around for CBs so far this offseason, Revis may be inclined to hit the open market in March instead. Still, it’s conceivable that Revis could opt for financial security over the potential of a larger payday. More on Revis and other notes out of the AFC East..

It would be interesting if the Patriots actually do pick up Darrelle Revis‘ $12MM option in April, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Such a move would work like a franchise tag and keep the elite corner off the open market. Revis has a $12MM option bonus in April and $7.5MM base salary in 2015. His cap number would be $25MM, but the Pats could renegotiate that after April.
Rookie wide receiver Shaq Evans, one of three fourth-round picks by the Jets, could be lost for the season after suffering a shoulder injury Thursday in practice, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Coach Rex Ryan called it a significant injury, indicating Evans might end up on season-ending injured reserve. “That shoulder looks pretty bad,” Ryan said. “We’ll see how that goes, but it doesn’t look good right now. We talked to him about it, too. He had the other shoulder [injury] before. But this one seems to be bothering him a lot more. This looks like a severe injury.”
After trying out for the Ravens on Saturday, tight end/tackle Steve Maneri tried out for the Dolphins today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The 6’6″, 275 pound tight end saw four games of action last season for the Bears. He was in camp with the Bucs this offseason before getting cut on May 13th.

Bears Work Out Holmes, Obomanu

August 5th, 2014 at 6:32pm CST by Zachary Links

6:32pm: The Browns have also shown interest in Holmes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

5:03pm: The Bears have worked out veteran wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Ben Obomanu, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Neither player will be signing with Chicago just yet, however.

Holmes, 30, is probably the biggest name left on the free agent market. However, teams haven’t been beating down his door to sign him since he was released by the Jets earlier this offseason. Holmes signed a monster contract with the Jets four years ago but never really lived up to expectations, amassing just 2,128 total yards in green and white. Injuries have also gotten the better of him as of late and he has suited up for just 15 games across the last two seasons. The real reason for Holmes’ unemployment probably stems from character concerns, however. Last month, when asked whether he’d sign the veteran, one unnamed front office exec said, “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room.” Our own Luke Adams recently looked at the market for Holmes.

Obamanu, also 30, spent last season alongside Holmes with the Jets. Obamanu saw the field in three games and caught just one pass for eight yards. He spent the previous five sesaons with Seattle, where he hauled in a grand total of 87 catches for 1,209 yards. The bulk of those yards and receptions came in 2011 and 2012.

Giants Sign Israel Idonije

August 5th, 2014 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have made a handful of roster moves, with the most notable of the bunch being the signing of veteran defensive lineman Israel Idonije, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. According to Graziano, the team also signed tight end Jerome Cunningham and waived defensive end Kendrick Adams (Twitter links). Only one cut was necessary, since David Wilson‘s roster spot had been opened up yesterday.

Idonije, a 6’7″ defensive tackle, has spent nine of his ten career seasons playing for the Bears, save for a one-year tour with the Lions in 2013. Idonije has 149 games of NFL experience to his credit, including 50 starts for Chicago. His best season came in 2010 when he lined up at left defensive end for the Bears and racked up eight sacks and 33 tackles. The 33-year-old signed with the Bears earlier in the offseason but was released by the team in June. He figures to compete for a roster spot in New York.

AFC West Notes: Smith, Houston, Gates

August 5th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:

With Alex Smith and Justin Houston both facing potential free agency next March, the Chiefs may have a dilemma on their hands if they have to decide which player to use the franchise tag on, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Kansas City may not be inclined to franchise either player, since the tags would be very pricey — about $18MM for a quarterback and $14MM for an outside linebacker.
Florio follows up that piece on Smith and Houston by providing an update on Houston’s contract negotiations with the Chiefs. According to PFT’s source, there’s a “huge” gap between Houston’s asking price and Kansas City’s current offer, which was made by the team when the linebacker reported to training camp. The Chiefs may not be eager to break the bank on Houston, since their other starting outside linebacker – Tamba Hali – has an $11MM+ annual cap hit, and the club also invested a 2014 first-round pick on pass rusher Dee Ford.
Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com believes this will be Antonio Gates’ last year with the Chargers. The longtime San Diego tight end will carry an $8.2MM cap number in 2015, and is being pushed for playing time and targets by 24-year-old Ladarius Green.