HEADLINES

Month: April 2015

Minor Moves: Wednesday

April 1st, 2015 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NFL have been busy today, making minor roster additions and subtractions as they continue to survey the remaining free agent landscape and prepare for this month’s draft. Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the league:

  • According to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have signed defensive end Efe Obada, who played last year with the London Warriors in England.
  • Meanwhile, a former Cowboys defender, Caesar Rayford, announced today on Facebook that he has signed a new contract with the Vikings.
  • The Jets have re-signed backup tackle Ben Ijalana, the team announced today in a press release. During his two seasons in New York, Ijalana has been inactive on game days more often than not.

Earlier updates:

  • Seahawks fullback and defensive lineman Will Tukuafu posted an Instagram photo today that showed him signing a new contract with the Seahawks, and the NFL’s official transactions wire confirms the deal, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Per Condotta (via Twitter), Seattle’s new deal with defensive lineman Jesse Williams, who was cut earlier in the offseason for procedural reasons, also showed up on the transactions wire.
  • Cornerback and special-teamer Sherrick McManis has returned to the Bears on a one-year deal, according to the club (Twitter link). Although he played just 46 defensive snaps for Chicago in 2014, McManis was a key contributor on kick and punt coverage, recording 11 special teams tackles.
  • The Steelers have re-signed defensive lineman Clifton Geathers to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Geathers, 27, joined the Steelers in December of last year after the club placed Brett Keisel on injured reserve, but didn’t see any game action.
  • Agent Mike McCartney published a tweet this afternoon congratulating his client Mike Kafka on the quarterback’s new deal with the Vikings. A participant in last month’s veterans combine, Kafka spent time in 2014 on the Buccaneers’ practice squad and active roster.
  • Running back Dan “Boom” Herron has officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Colts, ensuring that he’ll be back with the team in 2015. The move was a formality, since Herron couldn’t negotiate with other clubs.
  • The Panthers have waived guard Derek Dennis and linebacker Horace Miller, two players who signed futures contracts with the team at season’s end, the club announced today (via Twitter).

Jets Sign Jamari Lattimore

April 1st, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jets have signed free agent linebacker Jamari Lattimore, agent Tony Agnone tells Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). We heard two weeks ago that Lattimore was paying a visit to New York to meet with the Jets.

Lattimore spent the last four seasons with the Packers, playing in 49 regular season contests for the team. Playing on a one-year RFA tender in 2014, the 26-year-old earned 285 defensive snaps and played on special teams before landing on injured reserve, prematurely ending his season. Lattimore had 37 tackles and an interception for the year.

The Jets have signed plenty of defenders in free agency over the last few weeks, though most of those new additions are either defensive backs – such as Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine – or defensive lineman, like Stephen Bowen and Kevin Vickerson.

NFC Notes: Rams, Kaepernick, Draft, Boykin

April 1st, 2015 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on a few Wednesday items from around the NFC….

  • Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, and Louisville offensive tackle Jamon Brown are among the prospects paying pre-draft visits to the Rams today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (all Twitter links).
  • Colin Kaepernick‘s long-term outlook in San Francisco isn’t entirely clear yet, but for the foreseeable future, he’s the 49ers‘ starting quarterback, and that became even more certain today — as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, Kaepernick’s $10.4MM salary for 2015 became fully guaranteed when the calendar turned to April.
  • The son of former Detroit wide receiver Brett Perriman visited his father’s old team today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who writes that the Lions hosted Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman for a pre-draft visit. The younger Perriman is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class.
  • Another speedy receiving prospect, Miami’s Phillip Dorsett, said today that he has visits lined up with the Falcons and Panthers, per James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Prior to his Pro Day today, Towson cornerback Tye Smith had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Smith is expected to be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides the details on wide receiver Jarrett Boykin‘s one-year deal with the Panthers, tweeting that it’s a minimum salary pact with a $20K bonus.

Texans Sign Nate Washington

April 1st, 2015 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

3:13pm: The Texans have signed Washington to a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract which includes a $30K signing bonus, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

3:03pm: The Texans have added another free agent wide receiver to their roster, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that veteran Nate Washington is signing with the team.

In the wake of releasing longtime Texan Andre Johnson, Houston has added a pair of free agent wideouts, signing Washington to go along with Cecil Shorts. Both players are familiar to the Texans, having come from AFC South rivals — Washington last played for the Titans, while Shorts came to Houston from Jacksonville.

Heading into his age-32 season, Washington won’t be expected to post big numbers for the Texans. However, he should bring veteran experience to the team’s receiving corps, and figures to play the role of a reliable possession target, while Shorts could see a few more deep balls.

Having spent six years with the Titans, Washington averaged over 50 catches per season in Tennessee. During the 2014 campaign, he saw just 72 targets, his lowest mark since joining the club, as Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter took on larger roles. Washington caught 40 balls for 647 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his final year in Tennessee.

Washington and Shorts will complement up-and-coming No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins in Houston in 2015, providing plenty of receiving options for whichever quarterback wins the team’s starting job. Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are expected to compete for the role, with Tom Savage also in the mix.

Cowboys, Tony Romo Restructure Contract

April 1st, 2015 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

1:53pm: Joel Corry of CBSSports.com clarifies (via Twitter) that it appears the Cowboys converted exactly $16MM of Romo’s salary into a bonus, rather than the maximum allowable $16.03MM. That slightly affects our calculations below, but the general cap implications are essentially identical.

12:51pm: According to reports by the Dallas Morning News and Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the Cowboys have now converted about $16MM of Romo’s 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, as explained below.

12:17pm: According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter), Romo’s restructure isn’t official yet, but it will be within in the next day or so.

12:02pm: In order to accommodate the re-signing of Rolando McClain and additional forthcoming moves, the Cowboys have created some extra cap space by restructuring Tony Romo‘s contract, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Getlin reports that the move saves the team nearly $13MM in cap space.

Romo, who turns 35 later this month, had been slated to count for $27.773MM against the cap in 2015, including a $17MM base salary. Assuming it’s a simple restructure for Romo, the team likely reduced his base salary to the minimum $970K, turning $16.03MM into a signing bonus. That bonus would then be prorated over the final five years of his contract at a rate of $3.206MM per year, lowering his ’15 cap number to $14.949MM. That would work out to $12.824MM in cap savings, which is the most room the Cowboys could create without their starting quarterback taking a pay cut.

The Cowboys had been down to about $2MM or less in cap space, so such a move was probably necessary, and will give the team room to sign its draft picks, as well as McClain and possibly other free agents. Still, it makes Romo’s contract more unwieldy in its later years. From 2016 to 2019, the QB’s cap hits will increase by more than $3MM annually. The move will also increase the post-2015 dead money on Romo’s deal from $19.135MM to $31.959MM.

While Romo’s restructure figures to increase speculation that the Cowboys will make a run at Adrian Peterson, the club would still need to make at least one more move to accommodate such an addition, unless the Vikings running back were to rework his contract or accept a pay cut as part of a trade.

Bears Sign Sam Acho

April 1st, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears continued to add to a defense-heavy free agent class today, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve signed linebacker Sam Acho. It’s a one-year contract for Acho, according to the team.

Acho, who spent his first four NFL seasons in Arizona, originally joined the Cardinals as a fourth-round draft pick in 2011. After starting 16 games during his first two seasons, the Texas product missed most of the 2013 campaign with a broken ankle, then played a part-time role for the Cards in 2014.

The 26-year-old Acho hasn’t been an overly effective pass rusher since entering the league, recording just one sack last season. However, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) credited him with 26 overall quarterback pressures, and gave him a positive grade for his run defense.

Acho is the latest free agent defender to sign with the Bears, following Pernell McPhee, Antrel Rolle, Alan Ball, Ray McDonald, Jarvis Jenkins, and Mason Foster to Chicago. With new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio planning to make the transition from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 system in 2015, the team has been active in finding and adding players who have experience in the 3-4.

Bengals Re-Sign Brandon Tate

April 1st, 2015 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have re-signed wide receiver and return man Brandon Tate, the team announced today (via Twitter). Terms of the agreement weren’t immediately disclosed.

Tate, 27, was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 draft, but only lasted two seasons in New England. The North Carolina product has spent the last four years in Cincinnati, returning kicks and punts for the club and occasionally contributing on offense as well.

Tate didn’t have much of an impact in the return game in 2014, averaging 9.7 yards per punt return and a career-low 22.1 yards per kick return; he hasn’t had a return touchdown since 2011. With the Bengals dealing with multiple injuries to pass-catchers, Tate played more on offense than he had in the previous two seasons, grabbing 17 balls for 193 yards and a TD.

Although he’s back on the roster, Tate isn’t necessarily guaranteed a role as the team’s primary returner, or even a spot on the roster. Coley Harvey of ESPN.com and Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer both tweet that they still expect the Bengals to draft a return-type receiver in a few weeks, with Tate providing insurance and competition.

Tate previously paid a visit to the Chiefs.

Stevan Ridley Visiting Jets

April 1st, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after paying a visit to the Dolphins, free agent running back Stevan Ridley will continue his AFC East tour by heading to New York today to meet with the Jets, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Ridley, 26, is returning from a season-ending knee injury and appears unlikely to sign with the Patriots, with whom he has spent his first four NFL seasons. His best season in New England came in 2012, when he rushed for 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns as the team’€™s feature back. Fumbling problems, injuries, and Bill Belichick‘s habit of rotating running backs limited Ridley’€™s production over the last two seasons.

The Jets re-signed Bilal Powell earlier this offseason, and also have Chris Ivory atop their running back depth chart, but could still use some help at the position. Ivory, who had a career-high 198 carries in 2014, probably isn’t the type of player who will carry a DeMarco Murray-esque load, so a healthy Ridley might be a nice complement for the Jets’ starter.

Ridley has also been linked to the Cowboys and Vikings at various times in free agency, but based on his visits this week, it appears very possible that he’ll remain in the AFC East.

East Rumors: Pats, Dolphins, Boykin, Eagles

April 1st, 2015 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

While linebacker Rolando McClain opted to return to Dallas, re-signing with the Cowboys today, the Patriots made a competitive offer to the former eighth overall pick. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter), New England offered McClain a $4MM contract that was structured similarly to the Dallas deal, which has a $3MM base and $1MM in incentives. If the money was equal, McClain likely made his decision based on the familiarity of the Cowboys’ system, as well as the opportunity for more playing time.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • There’s a chance the Dolphins make a trade to acquire either a veteran guard or cornerback right before or during the draft, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. According to Salguero, one potential cornerback target is Brandon Boykin, whom the Eagles are said to be willing to trade. Evan Mathis is another possible trade option for Miami, with Philadelphia reportedly open to considering a deal for just about anyone if the price is right.
  • Speaking of Eagles trades, safety Malcolm Jenkins says he and his teammates weren’t too shocked by the team’s decision to send LeSean McCoy to the Bills last month. “You look at the style of runner that Chip [Kelly] wants in his offense and even though Shady is one of the best backs in the league, he’s not necessarily what Chip is looking for all the time,” Jenkins said, per NFL.com. “Chip thinks he’s a great running back, he knows his talent is there, but our (system) is really predicated on downhill, somebody who is going to hit the hole every time.”
  • The Eagles hosted UCLA edge defender Owamagbe Odighizuwa for a pre-draft visit yesterday, a source tells Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (Twitter link).

Saints Sign Kyle Wilson

April 1st, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

10:39am: The Saints have officially signed Wilson, the team announced (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the cornerback (Twitter link).

10:34am: Having reworked Keenan Lewis‘ deal and signed Brandon Browner as a free agent last month, the Saints are making another move at cornerback, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta reports (via Twitter) that that ex-Jet Kyle Wilson will be signing with New Orleans.

Wilson, who turns 28 next month, was a first-round pick back in 2010, but only started 28 of the 80 regular season contests he played for the Jets since entering the league. In 2014, Wilson didn’t start a single game for the club, and only saw 320 defensive snaps. In his limited playing time, Wilson allowed a 73.3% completion rate and a 111.9 passer rating on passes thrown into his coverage, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The Jets no longer had room for Wilson in a crowded secondary that has received an influx of talent at the cornerback spot within the last few weeks. Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine all signed with New York as free agents, and 2013 first-rounder Dee Milliner will also rejoin the team after missing most of the 2014 season with an Achilles tear. Of course, even before adding all those new corners, the Jets didn’t appear interested in re-signing Wilson.

In New Orleans, Wilson will compete for playing time on a defense led by Rob Ryan, the brother of the cornerback’s old head coach. Lewis and Browner are penciled in as the starters, but Patrick Robinson and Corey White, two of the Saints’ top corners last season, are now playing elsewhere, so Wilson, Brian Dixon, Terrence Frederick, and others should get an opportunity to earn snaps.

Load More Posts