Extra Points: Dogra, Solder, Gregory
Agent Ben Dogra had a lengthy meeting with the NFLPA yesterday, multiple sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Dogra once boasted a star-studded stable of clients, but many of those Pro Bowlers parted ways with him after he was let go by CAA. Dogra, who has probably rubbed the Vikings the wrong way with his bold approach to the Adrian Peterson‘s situation, is being investigated for various potential violations. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Left tackle Nate Solder is in the final season of his rookie contract with the Patriots and he hopes to stay beyond that, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald writes. “I would love to stay,” Solder said. “God will provide other than that. Who knows what will happen? My approach with that, too, is just to do the best I can while I’m here.” Solder will earn $7.438MM in 2015, his fifth-year option bonus year. The two sides could work out an extension to lessen that cap hit and keep him from reaching the open market after the season. Howe notes that while the Pats drafted a couple offensive linemen last weekend, none will play tackle.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News if he believes that Randy Gregory will be ready to go from day one with the Cowboys. Despite talk of the Nebraska standout being undersized, Machota feels that defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will find a way to get him some snaps and make him effective. He might not be a starting caliber player in his first year, but Machota sees him being a menace as a pass rusher.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter) expected the Bears to claim right tackle Paul Cornick off waivers based on Adam Gase‘s relationship with him. Gase, the Bears’ offensive coordinator, previously served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator and got to know Cornick there.
Seahawks Re-Sign Jermaine Kearse
Jermaine Kearse signed his restricted free agent tender from the Seahawks today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Seattle put a second-round tender on him in March.
By extending the second-round tender, the Seahawks offered up a one-year deal worth $2.356MM, ensuring that if Kearse signed an offer sheet with another team and that sheet went unmatched, the Seahawks would receive a second-round pick as compensation.
Kearse, 25, caught just 38 balls for 537 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks during the regular season last year, but hauled in a pair of TDs in the postseason. Most notably, after Russell Wilson‘s threw four interceptions trying to get him the ball in the NFC Championship game, Kearse hauled in his first reception of the day in overtime, in the end zone, to send Seattle to the Super Bowl.
The deadline to find a new offer came and went on April 24th, so Kearse didn’t have a ton of options when it came to his contract. Having just turned 25 in February, Kearse will have the opportunity for big money down the line if he can build off of his playoff success.
Chargers GM On Gurley, Gordon, Collins
Some draft prognosticators had the Rams selecting Todd Gurley at No. 10, but Chargers GM Tom Telesco wasn’t expecting him to be the pick. Telesco told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (audio link) that he thought St. Louis was set at the position with incumbent Tre Mason in the backfield. It turns out that the Gurley selection altered the Bolts’ draft plans at the last minute and forced them to make a move. Here’s more from Telesco’s chat with Marvez…
- Telesco explained that after Gurley came off the board at No. 10, he started making calls to other teams. He didn’t expect the University of Georgia star to be available at No. 17, but he did feel compelled to move up in the draft to get a running back after he was taken. The Chargers, of course, moved from No. 17 to No. 15 in order to draft Melvin Gordon.
- The GM said that the Chargers have kept in touch with La’el Collins‘ agent and they continue to “compile information” on his off-field situation. A number of teams are getting background information on the LSU tackle and individual players are working hard to recruit him.
- Sixth-round pick Darius Philon could see action as an inside pass rusher in nickel packages, Telesco said. He also said that the team will find a role for inside linebacker Denzel Perryman, whom they drafted in the second round.
Bears Sign Three Draft Picks
The Bears have historically moved quickly to sign their draft picks, and this year is no different. The latest deals out of Chicago..
- The Bears agreed to terms on four-year contract with fourth-round pick Jeremy Langford, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter). The running back out of Michigan State rushed for a career-high 1,522 yards last season and tied the school record with 22 rushing touchdowns.
- The Bears have agreed to terms with fifth-round pick Adrian Amos on a four-year contract, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets. The safety out of Penn State will earn $2.512MM over the course of the deal with a $232K signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets.
- The Bears and tackle Tayo Fabuluje have agreed to terms on a deal, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Recently, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune caught up with TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who raved about the young talent. Patterson says that Fabuluje will be a steal for Chicago if he maintains a relatively low weight.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Raiders waived tight end Nick Kasa with a failed physical designation, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Oakland also bid farewell to cornerback Jansen Watson, defensive tackle Kona Scwhenke, linebacker Justin Jackson, and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
- The Chargers added tight end depth by claiming Kyle Miller off waivers from the Falcons, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Before landing in Atlanta, spent time with the Colts in 2012. To make room on the roster, the Bolts have waived defensive end Damik Scafe.
- The Seahawks waived five players today, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Seattle cut ties with Justin Renfrow, Mike Taylor, Julius Warmsley, Jared Wheeler, and Mike Zimmer. Taylor was waived with a failed physical designation.
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have waived defensive back T.J. Heath, kicker Zach Hocker, and defensive back Lowell Rose.
La’el Collins Rumors: Tuesday
2015’s most noteworthy undrafted free agent is generating plenty of headlines again today, as teams around the NFL consider making a play for him. Here’s the latest on former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins:
- The Giants continue to monitor Collins’ situation and remain “in the mix” for the LSU lineman, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Another former LSU teammate of Collins, Panthers guard Trai Turner, is doing his best to recruit the rookie to Carolina, as David Newton of ESPN.com details. We noted below that a number of Dolphins players who used to play at LSU are also making an effort to woo Collins.
- NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that NFL clubs are prohibited from visiting Collins at his campus or residence until final exams conclude at LSU. According to Florio, that will happen on May 9, which explains why Collins’ reps say no formal meetings are happening for now.
Earlier updates:
- According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, Collins’ agents are calling teams to let them know who’s in and who’s out in the race for their client. “This is a football decision and that is what we will focus on in helping La’el find the best team for him in the future,” a source in Collins’ camp tells Wilson.
- On the other hand, an Associated Press report (via The Denver Post) cites agent Deryk Gilmore as saying that his client isn’t meeting with NFL teams about his pro football future at this time. That doesn’t necessarily contradict Wilson’s report — Gilmore, Collins, and co. may simply be narrowing down their options before making formal visits. Of course, Collins also met with many teams during the pre-draft process, so he may not need to make repeat trips to some cities.
- While teams may not be officially meeting with Collins at this point, that hasn’t stopped individual players from recruiting him. According to Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link), current Dolphins – and Collins’ former LSU teammates – Jarvis Landry, Anthony Johnson, and Kelvin Sheppard are meeting with the lineman today.
- Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is “pushing hard” for Collins to come to Tampa Bay, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Getlin writes that the No. 1 overall pick has reached out to Collins “multiple times” over the last 24 hours to sell him on the idea of joining the Bucs.
- Earlier today, we heard that Washington isn’t expected to be a serious suitor for Collins.
NFC Notes: Cards, Washington, Bears
While John Carlson‘s retirement announcement today came as a surprise to many observers, the Cardinals‘ football people weren’t shocked by the news, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). However, Somers notes that the team wasn’t aware of Carlson’s plan prior to the draft, so it’s fair to wonder if Arizona might’ve taken a tight end a little earlier — the team selected Louisville’s Gerald Christian with the 256th and final pick in this year’s draft, making him 2015’s “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- After selecting running back Matt Jones in the draft last week, Washington is no longer in the market for veteran free agent Pierre Thomas, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim.
- Following the 2015 draft, the Bears’ front office is undergoing some major changes under new general manager Ryan Pace. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune details, college scouting director Marty Barrett won’t have his contract renewed after 18 years with the franchise. Meanwhile, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that Jay Muraco is out as Chicago’s East Coast scout, confirming a report from Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague (Twitter link). A source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that Barrett figures to land with the Jets, while Caplan tweets that Muraco may resurface with the Falcons.
- Speaking to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, Pace explained why the Bears decided not to use one of their six picks on a quarterback during the draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at the specific numbers in Jameis Winston‘s rookie contract with the Buccaneers, and how they reflect the changes in the overall rookie salary pool. So far, Winston is the only rookie reported to have officially signed his contract.
- Panthers special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven is taking a medical leave of absence to deal with a “serious health situation,” and will be replaced in the interim by Russ Purnell, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Chiefs Waive Terrelle Pryor, Three Others
3:39pm: In addition to confirming that Pryor has been waived, the Chiefs also announced that they’ve cut linebacker JoJo Dickson, long snapper Jorgen Hus, and wideout Corbin Louks.
3:13pm: The Chiefs have removed one of the five quarterbacks from their roster, and the player being waived is a notable one. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the team has cut former Raider Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor appeared in 11 games in 2013 for the Raiders, starting nine of them, but was underwhelming in those contests. Overall, he completed 156 of 272 pass attempts (57.4%) for 1,798 yards, seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He did add some value with his legs, racking up 576 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yard score.
Since then, however, Pryor has failed to stick with any one team. He was waived by the Seahawks during last August’s roster cutdowns, and was unable to catch on with another club during the 2014 season. The 25-year-old’s stint with the Chiefs only lasted a few months — he signed a futures contract with the team after the 2014 season.
With Pryor no longer in the mix, the Chiefs will head into the summer with Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, and Tyler Bray at quarterback.
Pats Cut Alfonzo Dennard, Two Others
3:21pm: The Patriots have confirmed they’ve waived Dennard, announcing in a press release that long snapper Tyler Ott and linebacker Deontae Skinner have been let go as well.
8:11am: Having lost a pair of key cornerbacks in free agency this offseason, when Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner signed elsewhere, the Patriots are continuing to overhaul the position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the team is parting ways with three-year veteran Alfonzo Dennard, who started 20 games in New England over the last three seasons.
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 Revis and 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. He’s a candidate to be claimed on waivers, or to quickly sign elsewhere, given his age and the experience he’s had early in his NFL career.
Vikings To Sign 10 Undrafted Free Agents
The Vikings are the latest team to announce their 2015 undrafted free agent class, having come to terms with 10 rookies. Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) has the full list, which we’ll pass along right here, accompanied by bonus info from Ben Goessling of ESPN.com:
- Justin Coleman, CB, Tennessee
- DaVaris Daniels, WR, Notre Dame ($10K bonus)
- Tom Farniok, C, Iowa State
- Anthony Harris, S, Virginia ($10K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary)
- Taylor Heinicke, QB, Old Dominion ($10K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary)
- Jordan Leslie, WR, BYU
- Gavin Lutman, WR, Pittsburg State ($7.5K bonus)
- Blake Renaud, FB, Boise State
- Jesse Somsel, G, Saginaw Valley State
- Bobby Vardaro, G, Boston College ($2K bonus)