HEADLINES

Month: August 2014

La Canfora On Chiefs, 2011 Draftees, Smith

August 4th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

In his latest edition of training camp notes, CBS’ Jason La Canfora provided an update on negotiations between the Chiefs and Alex Smith, saying talks “are ongoing, with the dialogue maintaining on a regular basis and the team looking for creative ways to secure him for the future, according to several sources. To this point, however, they haven’t been able to bridge a few gaps, but the Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to strike a deal, and there are no plans to stop exchanging proposals.”

La Canfora adds talks have “remained cordial” and there is mutual desire to find common ground. Common ground would seem to be a “middle-tier” deal that would place Smith’s contract somewhere between the elite passers and the lower-paid, “bridge starters” group. From the team perspective, the Chiefs don’t want to overpay for Smith in the event a younger QB is ready to vie for the job, especially given Andy Reid‘s ability to develop quarterbacks.

More tidbits from La Canfora:

  • The Chiefs have revived talks with Justin Houston, who is also a priority. La Canfora does not expect a deal to get hammered out before the season, however, since the sides are far apart financially playing out the season could make the most sense for Houston.
  • La Canfora publicized first-year tight end Demetrius Harris as a “deep sleeper” and potentially “the next college basketball player to make the jump to tight end.”
  • Do not expect many more 2011 first-rounders to be extended for a while. This group includes Cam Newton, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson, among others. La Canfora quoted an agent for one prominent pass rusher, who said, “The money is going to be so high, these teams don’t really have an incentive to do it now. I’m not sure any of these guys get new deals this year. If there’s any movement going on I’m not aware of it.”
  • Some agents are outraged over the Cowboys’ eight-year extension to Tyron Smith because “he essentially gave the Cowboys two contracts for the price of one, locked up until age 32.” Those agents believe Jerry Jones might have used his “father figure” relationship with the young Smith to take advantage of him in negotiations.

 

NFC North Notes: Wilson, Lyerla, Lions

August 4th, 2014 at 9:22pm CST by Matt Feminis

Bears second-year receiver Marquess Wilson will be sidelined indefinitely after he suffered a fractured clavicle on Monday. A second-year pro, Wilson had the inside track on the Bears’ No. 3 receiver job prior to going down. Josh Bellamy was listed behind Wilson on the Bears’ unofficial preseason depth chart, but the team is expected to sign another receiver in Wilson’s absence.

Here’s a few more NFC North news and notes:

  • There’s a legitimate chance 34-year-old safety Adrian Wilson doesn’t make the Bears if he’s not a starter, says Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam Jahns, who lists five Bears with something to prove.
  • Packers rookie tight end Colt Lyerla suffered a knee injury which will keep him out for ‘weeks,’ according to head coach Mike McCarthy (Twitter link). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat writer Tyler Dunne spoke with Lyerla’s agent, who said surgery doesn’t look necessary (Twitter link). While the injury throws cold water on one of the more interesting story lines in Packers camp, it could be a blessing in disguise if the team is able to stash the talented undrafted free agent on IR.
  • Adding Jonathan Baldwin to the mix is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Lions, opines ESPN’s Michael Rothstein: “The Lions are always on the search for tall wide receivers, hoping the work ethic and professionalism Calvin Johnson provides can potentially rub off on one of them.”
  • The Lions drafted Nate Freese with the thinking he would take over the team’s kicking duties, but he has not impressed, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, Italian-born Giorgio Tavecchio is pushing hard for the job, and Justin Rogers of Mlive.com says Freese’s status as a draft pick will not preclude the team does not guarantee anything.
  • “The Vikings are being built the right way, a model that could lead to sustained success if — and this should be written in bold capital letters because it looms over everything else — rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can develop into their franchise quarterback,” writes Chip Scroggins in the Star Tribune. Scroggins adds the team has 17 “core players,” excluding rookies.

Minor Moves: Monday

August 4th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll track the day’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Dolphins have waived receiver Stephen Williams, replacing him on the roster with tight end Brett Brackett (Twitter link).
  • The 49ers have officially waived-injured running back Kendall Hunter, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Other teams will have the opportunity to claim Hunter, but the back is in the final year of his contract and will be sidelined for the season, so he figures to go on San Francisco’s IR. The Niners are expected to add a running back to replace him, notes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
  • Safety Brandon Hardin has been removed from the Jets‘ injured reserve list with a settlement, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link).
  • The Browns have re-signed defensive back Royce Adams, who was waived by the club last month, tweets Brian McIntyre. Since the Browns cut four players today, Adams’ signing leaves the roster at 87 players.
  • Wide receiver Reese Wiggins was the roster casualty for the Lions as the club made room for new waiver claim Jonathan Baldwin, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Buccaneers have swapped an offensive player for a defender, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed safety Mark Joyce, having waived-injured wideout David Gettis to make room on the roster.
  • The Colts have signed linebacker Shawn Loiseau, the team announced today in a press release. Loiseau, who has previously spent time on the Colts’ practice squad and offseason roster, last played for the Arena Football League’s L.A. Kiss. Because Indianapolis had an opening on its 90-man roster, no corresponding move is necessary to clear room for the new addition.
  • The Cowboys have signed guard Wayne Tribue and waived-injured guard Brian Clarke, a source tells Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Tribue has never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, though he has spent time with the Broncos, 49ers, and Saints. As for Clarke, he was one of the two dozen UDFAs signed by the Cowboys following the draft, receiving a $1.5K signing bonus from the team.

AFC South Notes: Richardson, Moncrief, Foster

August 4th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Trent Richardson is coming off a miserable season after the Colts traded a first-round pick to acquire him early last season, but he is committed to making more of an impact in 2013, writes Stephen Holder of the Indy Star. He wants to contribute as a three-down back, improve his pass protection, and has a goal in his mind in terms of rushing yards. He would not give out the number but admitted that it was higher than 1,000 yards,

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

  • A surprise from the Colts‘ depth chart was rookie receiver Donte Moncrief being listed as the teams starting kick returner, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
    “We want to win,” said head coach Chuck Pagano. “If he gives us the best opportunity to win as a kick returner as well as the receiver, then we are going to put him out there.”
  • The Titans had a joint practice with the Falcons today, and rookie offensive tackle Taylor Lewan got his first taste against defensive lineman from an opponent. Lewan held his own, writes John Glennon of the Tennesseean, but drew one flag for holding. He is currently battling with Michael Oher to be the team’s starting right tackle.
  • Texans‘ running back Arian Foster struggled with injuries in 2013, that caused him to consider leaving the game of football. He admitted so in an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm. Tania Ganguli, who covers the Texans for the Worldwide Leader, transcribed this part of the interview.

Seahawks Notes: Wilson, Daniels, Bowie

August 4th, 2014 at 7:30pm CST by Rob DiRe

Andy Dalton‘s contract extension with the Bengals shook up the day across the NFL landscape, but one player who could benefit most from those numbers is Russell Wilson, writes Sarah Kirkpatrick of SeattlePi.com.

Kirkpatrick notes that Wilson’s raw numbers are comparable to Dalton’s, and his success in the playoffs where Dalton has consistently failed make him a candidate to surpass that deal considerably. Wilson will likely begin extension talks next offseason.

Here are some other notes from around Seahawks camp:

Jermichael Finley Insurance Policy

August 4th, 2014 at 6:47pm CST by Rob DiRe

Jermichael Finley is still a free agent, and the common thought is that he was searching for an NFL team for the 2014 season.

However, most fans and pundits were led to believe that if he was not able to sign a deal, or if he chose not to, he could at least fall back on an insurance policy that would pay him his permanent disability after suffering a career-threatening neck injury early last season.

Finley even said as much last month, telling Tom Pelissero of USA Today, “If I quit the game right now, I can take tax-free money, and that’s a difficult thing that I’m going through with myself.”

Unfortunately, this might not be true. The fact that he has been cleared to play and has had negotiations with NFL teams could disqualify him from claiming that his injury ended his career, and cost him some or all of the $10MM insurance policy, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports.

Getlin writes that an insurance executive and an insurance recovery attorney both agree that it is highly unlikely that Finley would still be able to collect on that policy. He notes that the insurance company would take Finley to court and argue that he was cleared to play by his doctor, and that he announced to the NFL that he was healthy and ready to be signed.

If Finley and his agent were trying to leverage the insurance policy into a larger NFL contract, and teams call his bluff, there is a chance he will walk away with neither or have to crawl back into the NFL at the veteran’s minimum.

Getlin also notes that while Finley had disability coverage, he did not purchase loss of value insurance. Disability only pays if the player cannot pay, while loss of value insurance would have paid out if he was able to sign a contract for a fraction of what he was worth before his injury.

Josh Gordon Decision Expected In 1-3 Weeks

August 4th, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon‘s appeal of his marijuana suspension concluded earlier today, but Gordon is not expecting to hear a resolution for between one and three weeks, reports Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter).

Gordon is hoping that his full-year suspension will be cut down to avoid missing the entire 2014 season. While the substance-abuse policy requires a decision within reasonable time, Gordon has a large window in which a decision could be reached.

Despite missing the first two games of the 2013 season with a suspension, he still posted one of the most prolific receiving seasons in NFL history, accumulating a league-leading 1,646 yards. That number was also the tenth most yards in a single season, even though he only played 14 games.

Even if a settlement is reached in which Gordon avoids missing the entire season, it is unlikely he will see the field enough to replicate the impact he had last season.

Vikings Sign Chris Crocker

August 4th, 2014 at 6:15pm CST by Luke Adams

6:15 pm: Crocker’s deal will be a one-year contract for $955,000, reports Mark Craig of the Minnesota Star Tribune (via Twitter). That represents the minimum salary for a veteran with ten or more years of NFL experience.

2:49 pm: The Vikings have made a pair of transactions, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed veteran safety Chris Crocker, waiving defensive end Rakim Cox to make room on the 90-man roster.

Crocker, 34, has spent the last several seasons playing in Cincinnati under Mike Zimmer, the Bengals’ former defensive coordinator and Vikings’ new head coach. The former third-round pick has only seen part-time action over the last two seasons after having started for multiple years with the Bengals, but still managed to make an impact in 2013, logging 37 tackles, recording 1.5 sacks, and grabbing a pair of interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown.

Jamarca Sanford, Harrison Smith, Robert Blanton, and Kurt Coleman are among the Vikings safeties competing for starting spots and playing time at the moment, but it doesn’t appear as if either safety spot is set in stone yet, so Crocker should have an opportunity to earn a roster spot and playing time with a strong preseason.

49ers To Sign Glenn Winston

August 4th, 2014 at 6:04pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers are expected to sign former Michigan State tailback Glenn Winston, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Winston will replace Kendall Hunter, who was placed on waive/reserve earlier today. Because Hunter is a free agent this offseason, it is highly unlikely that he will be claimed off of waivers, and will spend the season on the team’s injured reserve list.

Winston worked out with the team earlier today, and will provide depth during the preseason and the rest of camp. Head coach Jim Harbaugh announced earlier that the team would be adding to their running back depth chart, according to Maiocco (via Twitter).

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Broncos, Ball

August 4th, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Raiders have released an early version of their depth chart, and one of the big surprises is the absence of new addition James Jones from the first string, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Jones is expected to lead the group in production, but was listed as a part of the second string.

Here are some other notes from around the western divisions:

  • While he did analyze the Raiders‘ depth chart, Bair did say not to put too much stock in such an early version, even though he believes it will give some insight into the team’s plans at kick returner and punt returner (via Twitter).
  • Rahim Moore and Derek Wolfe are back on the field and impressing the Broncos‘ coaches, as they have taken starting jobs, at least for now, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Both players finished last season missing games due to injury.
  • Broncos‘ running back Montee Ball had his appendectomy today, but the team expects him to be ready for the first game of the season against the Colts, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
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