Eagles Sign Rookie Eric Rowe
The Eagles announced that they have signed three picks, including second-round defensive back Eric Rowe, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Philly has also signed sixth-round defensive back Randall Evans and defensive end Brian Mihalik.
As they did with Jordan Matthews in 2014, the Eagles set their sights on Rowe in the second round and moved up several spots to grab him. The Utah product started three years at safety before moving over to cornerback in his senior year, so he has the versatility to play multiple positions within the secondary. For his part, Comcast SportsNet’s Derrick Gunn recently said that Rowe will probably translate better to safety, but coach Chip Kelly feels that he’ll probably start out at corner.
Several teams were in on Rowe before the Eagles moved up to nab him. The Steelers were interested in drafting Rowe in the second round and the Packers considered taking the Utah product in the first round.
49ers’ Ahmad Brooks Accused Of Assault
The alleged victim in the Ray McDonald case has also accused linebacker Ahmad Brooks of wrongdoing, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. Brooks is being accused of assault and battery, false imprisonment and, infliction of emotional distress. The news was first reported by TMZ.
The accusation against Brooks came about following a defamation lawsuit McDonald filed against his accuser in March. At the time, McDonald was a free agent and claimed the woman defamed him and interfered with his livelihood as he struggled to find his next team. In a cross complaint filed Tuesday, she alleges that Brooks “groped her person in a sexual manner” when she was passed out from hitting her head.
For his part, McDonald, now with the Bears, has maintained the sexual encounter with the woman was consensual. The 49ers dismissed McDonald after police searched his home on Dec. 16th and his agent has claimed that he will not be implicated in the criminal case, though a spokesman with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office says it’s still open. It’s not immediately clear if Brooks is now the focal point of an investigation that was once centered around McDonald.
The alleged victim is represented in the civil lawsuit by prominent attorney Gloria Allred, who has been critical of the NFL’s handling of sexual assault and domestic violence cases.
Back in March, there were whispers that Brooks could be a cap casualty, but GM Trent Baalke made it clear that the player would be back in 2015.
“There has never been an indication from me otherwise,” Baalke said. “While all that was being written, I just sat back and looked at it because it was speculation based on our cap number and the cash flow that we had leading into free agency. A lot of assumptions were made, but wrongly.”
Now, Brooks’ job security with the 49ers is potentially in jeopardy once again.
Cardinals Claim Alfonzo Dennard
The Cardinals have claimed Alfonzo Dennard off waivers from the Patriots, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The cornerback was let go by New England on Tuesday.
Dennard, 25, was limited to just six games in 2014, having been plagued by shoulder and hamstring issues. He also saw his role reduced with the arrivals of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, and played in just 241 regular season snaps before landing on injured reserve. While the sample size was small, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also graded him as the Pats’ least effective coverage corner — he allowed QBs to complete 68.2% of their passes and accumulate a 111.2 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
Due to an escalator in his rookie contract, Dennard had been set to earn a base salary of $1.542MM this season after making the minimum for his first three years, so his release doesn’t come as a total surprise. Given his age and experience, it wasn’t a surprise to see a team scoop him up quickly either. The Cards have now added to their depth in the secondary while the Pats have totally overhauled the cornerback position with Dennard, Revis, and Browner playing elsewhere.
La Canfora’s Latest: Bennett, Eagles, Titans
Michael Bennett and his agent have “made it clear” he’d rather not return to the Seahawks, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Of course, as La Canfora points out, the Seahawks typically don’t budge when it comes to trades or contract situation, so while the two sides may be able to work something out that makes sense for all parties, Bennett may not go anywhere or sign a new contract in the next few months.
Bennett and various members of the Seahawks organization have repeatedly denied a rumor that he wants to be traded. However, that initial report came from another reporter, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, so the fact that La Canfora has heard similar rumblings suggests there may be something to it. It wouldn’t be surprising if, at the very least, Bennett wants to rework his deal, considering he’s one of the league’s best pass rushers and is earning a relatively modest $7MM per year.
Here are a few more tidbits from La Canfora’s piece on potential trade candidates:
- Whether it’s this week or the week before the season begins, the Eagles will trade Evan Mathis at some point, in La Canfora’s opinion. The CBSSports.com scribe adds that Chip Kelly was trying to move Mychal Kendricks for a second-round pick in the week leading up to the draft. La Canfora predicts that Philadelphia will eventually get a late-round pick for Mathis and a fourth-rounder for Kendricks.
- While the Titans say they don’t plan to move Zach Mettenberger after drafting Marcus Mariota, the second-year QB would “relish a change of scenery,” per La Canfora.
- La Canfora views the Browns as the most logical potential suitor for Muhammad Wilkerson, suggesting that while the Jets won’t shop the standout defensive lineman, they should at least be willing to listen. The Bears, Saints, and Raiders would all be reasonable fits as well, according to La Canfora, who thinks a team should offer a first- and third-round pick for Wilkerson.
- A veteran backup like Jason Campbell or Tarvaris Jackson would be a better match for Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers than Mike Glennon, who continues to be a trade candidate, writes La Canfora.
Brandon Spikes Visiting Patriots
Free agent linebacker Brandon Spikes is in Foxboro today paying a visit to the Patriots, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). On a typical Wednesday in May, news of Spikes’ visit to New England might be the biggest Patriots story of the day. However, today it will be dwarfed by Ted Wells’ report on the DeflateGate scandal.
Spikes, 27, started his career with the Pats, spending four seasons with the team before joining the division-rival Bills a year ago. While he’s typically taken off the field in passing downs, Spikes is an effective part-time player, specializing as a run defender. He has received interest from – or at least been linked to – the 49ers, Vikings, Dolphins, and Bills this offseason.
If the Patriots decide to bring back Spikes, the team likely wouldn’t make anything official for another week or so. Veteran free agents signed after May 12 won’t be counted toward the compensatory draft pick formula for 2016, so it wouldn’t make sense for New England to rush into a contract agreement.
PFR’s Dallas Robinson took a closer look at Spikes’ free agent stock last month.
Bears Reach Deals With White, Goldman
After reaching contract agreements with a few of their late-round picks yesterday, the Bears continue to move toward locking up their entire rookie class within days of the draft. According to the team (Twitter link), first-rounder Kevin White and second-rounder Eddie Goldman have now agreed to terms on their rookie deals.
According to Over the Cap’s rookie pool estimates, White, the No. 7 overall pick and the second receiver to come off the board, will have an overall four-year value of about $16.5MM on his contract, including an eight-figure signing. Since he’s a first-rounder, White will also have a fifth-year option in his contract, allowing the Bears to lock him up through the 2019 season.
As for Goldman, the former Florida State defensive tackle should be in line for a four-year contract in the $5.7MM range, including a signing bonus worth about $2.4MM. Goldman was the 39th overall pick last week.
Having locked up their top two picks, the Bears have now agreed to terms with five of their six picks. Only third-round offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu remains unsigned.
Ted Wells Releases DeflateGate Report
After a 103-day investigation, Ted Wells has submitted his report on the “DeflateGate” controversy to commissioner Roger Goodell and the Patriots. The report, which spans 243 pages, is available in full right here. Wells and his team conclude that it’s “more probable than not” that Patriots personnel knowingly altered the inflation level of the game balls.
“In particular, we conclude that it is more probable than not that [locker room attendant] Jim McNally and [equipment assistant] John Jastremski participated in a deliberate plan to circumvent the rules by releasing air from Patriots game balls after the examination of the footballs by NFL game officials at the AFC Championship Game,” the report reads. “We believe that McNally and Jastremski were aware that the inflation level of the Patriots game balls following pre-game inspection by the game officials would be approximately 12.5 psi and planned for McNally to deflate the balls below that level following the pre-game inspection using a needle provided by Jastremski.
“Based on the evidence, we also have concluded that it is more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities of McNally and Jastremski involving the release of air from Patriots game balls.”
While the report implicates Brady, it adds that there’s no indication that Patriots ownership or the front office, including head coach Bill Belichick, was involved or had any knowledge of the affected balls. Team owner Robert Kraft has already released a statement in which he and his club will accept the findings of the report. However, he continues to stick behind members of his organization, and expressed disappointment with the investigation.
“To say we are disappointed in its findings, which do not include any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs at the AFC Championship game, would be a gross understatement,” Kraft said.
Although there is not hard evidence proving that Brady was aware of the game balls being altered, text messages exchanged by McNally and Jastremski strongly suggest that the quarterback knew what was going on, making him a candidate for discipline from the NFL. Goodell released a statement today saying that a determination on “what steps to take” would be made by the league’s executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent and his team (Facebook link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
East Notes: McCoy, C. Johnson, Cowboys
Bills running back LeSean McCoy has poured some fuel on what appeared to be a dormant controversy, not-to-subtly suggesting to Mike Rodak of ESPN that Chip Kelly‘s roster decisions for the Eagles have some racial motivation to them.
“He wants the full control,” McCoy said of Kelly’s managerial style. “You see how fast he got rid of all the good players. Especially all the good black players. He got rid of them the fastest. That’s the truth. There’s a reason. … It’s hard to explain with him. But there’s a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that.”
While McCoy raises a few eyebrows, let’s check in on a few other items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions…
- Approached by TMZ and asked about the possibility of signing with the Cowboys, free agent running back Chris Johnson admitted that “that’s what we’re trying to do,” adding that he’d be a good fit in Dallas (link via the Dallas Morning News). The Cowboys haven’t been too aggressive in trying to replace DeMarco Murray this offseason, unexpectedly passing on running backs in last week’s draft. However, executive VP of football operations Stephen Jones did tell DMN’s Jon Machota that the team is open to adding another veteran, so perhaps Johnson will receive consideration at some point.
- While La’el Collins would be a great addition to the Dolphins‘ roster on the field, the team should exercise caution and slow its pursuit of the former LSU offensive lineman until he’s completely cleared by police, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus reviews the draft and the undrafted free agent class for the Patriots and for the Jets.
Falcons To Sign 19 Undrafted FAs
The Falcons announced today in a press release that they’ve agreed to terms with 19 undrafted free agents, the largest UDFA class yet among those that have been officially confirmed.
The full list of the newest additions to the Atlanta roster is below. Players whose signing bonuses have been reported are noted:
- Derek Akunne, LB, North Texas ($2K bonus, per Vaughn McClure)
- Chris Brown, DT, Tarleton State
- Marquez Clark, WR, Central Oklahoma ($3.5K bonus, per McClure)
- Cody Clay, OL, Azusa Pacific University
- Terell Floyd, S, Louisville
- Beau Gardner, TE, Northern Arizona
- Warren Herring, DT, Wisconsin
- Mike Lee, CB, Fort Valley State ($1K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Eric Lefeld, T, Cincinnati
- Derrick Malone, LB, Oregon
- Joey Mbu, DT, Houston ($5K bonus, per McClure)
- Jordan Ozerities, CB, Central Florida ($1K bonus, per McClure)
- Damian Parms, S, Florida Atlantic ($3K bonus, per Wilson)
- Joshua Stangby, WR, Ottawa University ($1K, per McClure)
- Robenson Therezie, S, Auburn
- Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C, New Mexico State ($3K bonus, per Wilson)
- Terron Ward, RB, Oregon State
- Kevin White, CB, Texas Christian
- Shane Wynn, WR, Indiana ($2K, per McClure)
Update On Restricted Free Agents
Most of the league’s notable unrestricted free agents come off the board in mid-March, within days – or hours – of officially hitting the open market. However, the process for restricted free agents can often drag out a little longer.
Over the last several weeks, players who received restricted free agent tenders from their respective teams have, for the most part, simply signed them. Players like Ravens safety Will Hill, Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison, Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, and – most recently – Seahawks wideout Jermaine Kearse will return to their clubs for at least one more season, earning either $1.542MM (the low-end tender) or $2.356MM (the second-round tender). Then, if they don’t work out a longer-term deal, they’ll be unrestricted free agents in 2016.
Not every restricted free agent has simply signed his tender. Lions defensive end George Johnson signed an offer sheet with the Buccaneers, and Packers safety Sean Richardson inked one with the Raiders. After disputing the terms of his offer sheet with the Bucs, the Lions eventually let Johnson go to Tampa Bay, getting a draft pick in the deal for their troubles. Green Bay, meanwhile, matched Oakland’s offer for Richardson, bringing him back to the team.
One restricted free agent, Eagles running back Chris Polk, had his RFA tender rescinded by the team, allowing him the freedom to sign with another team — Polk and his new club then wouldn’t have to worry about Philadelphia matching an offer sheet. The running back quickly found a new home with the Texans, just a couple days after the Eagles withdrew their one-year offer.
The deadline for restricted free agents to sign an offer sheet with another team came and went last month (April 24), but two players appear to still be unsigned, and both of them are Browns — safety Tashaun Gipson, who received a second-round tender, and defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who got a low-end tender, have yet to sign their contracts for 2015.
There’s no indication that Kitchen is unhappy with his situation. In fact, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported two weeks ago (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman intended to sign his tender. No confirmation has come from the team or Kitchen’s camp since then, but it’s possible he signed his tender and it has yet to be announced — it’s also possible he’ll make it official any day now.
Gipson’s case isn’t quite so simple. The 24-year-old has started 26 games for the Browns in the last two seasons, racking up 146 tackles during that stretch and showing a knack for coming up with big plays — he has grabbed 11 interceptions during the last two seasons, returning two of them for touchdowns. Despite playing just 11 games in 2014, Gipson earned a Pro Bowl nod.
After an impressive first three seasons, Gipson was reportedly less than thrilled to receive a second-round tender from the Browns, and didn’t report to the club’s voluntary offseason program last month. Head coach Mike Pettine indicated that the club is “very optimistic” about working something out with Gipson, but the team has most of the leverage here, at least for the 2015 season.
Since the deadline has passed for Gipson to negotiate with other teams, if he wants to play in ’15 and earn his $2.356MM, he’ll have to sign his tender with the Browns at some point. In Philadelphia, Polk was expendable after the Eagles signed a pair of running backs in free agency; for the Browns, Gipson is a key contributor, so they’re not about to withdraw his RFA tender.
A longer-term deal is also a possibility for Gipson and the Browns, but the team isn’t under any pressure to work something out with the safety. According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, Browns sources don’t expect Gipson to be on the roster is 2016, believing that he has priced himself out of the team’s range. That asking price could eventually come down, but for now it appears Cleveland is simply satisfied to welcome Gipson back to the roster for 2015 if and when he signs his RFA tender, with no guarantees beyond this season.