Cardinals Add 14 UDFAs, Cut Two Players
John Carlson‘s retirement announcement was the big news out of Arizona today, but the roster is undergoing plenty of other changes as well. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets, the team has let go of running back Zach Bauman and cornerback Roc Carmichael, and has agreed to terms with 14 undrafted free agents.
Here are the 14 newest Cardinals, per Urban, along with bonus info via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic:
- Cariel Brooks, CB, Adams State ($4K bonus)
- Rob Crisp, T, North Carolina State ($15K bonus)
- Alani Fua, LB, BYU ($17K bonus)
- Trevor Harman, WR, Shippensburg
- Edwin Jackson, LB, Georgia Southern ($1.5K bonus)
- Andrae Kirk, LB, Florida Atlantic ($3K bonus)
- Paul Lasike, RB, BYU ($500 bonus)
- Gabe Martin, LB, Bowling Green ($4.5K bonus)
- Damond Powell, WR, Iowa ($500 bonus)
- C.J. Roberts, CB, Colorado State-Pueblo ($8K bonus)
- Jaxon Shipley, WR, Texas ($9K bonus)
- Gannon Sinclair, TE, Missouri State ($5K bonus)
- Zack Wagenmann, LB, Montana ($8K bonus)
- Xavier Williams, NT, Northern Iowa ($8K bonus)
49ers Sign Nine Undrafted Free Agents
The 49ers have announced their undrafted free agent class for 2015, and the group is very heavy on wideouts. Five of the nine UDFAs whose signings were confirmed today in a press release are receivers, per the team. Here’s the full list:
- Dres Anderson, WR, Utah ($50K guaranteed, per Brian McIntyre)
- Issac Blakeney, WR, Duke
- DiAndre Campbell, WR, Washington
- Darius Davis, WR, Henderson State
- Patrick Miller, OL, Auburn
- Marcus Rush, DL, Michigan State
- Dylan Thompson, QB, South Carolina ($5K bonus, plus $15K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
- DeAndrew White, WR, Alabama ($32K guaranteed, per McIntyre)
- Jermaine Whitehead, S, Auburn
John Carlson Announces Retirement
Veteran Cardinals tight end John Carlson has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. As Urban notes, the decision comes as a surprise, since Carlson has been working out with the team during Arizona’s offseason program.
Carlson, a former second-round pick, will turn 31 next Tuesday, and was coming off a solid first season with the Cardinals. In 16 games (12 starts) for the club, the former Seahawk and Vikings totaled 33 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers brought his career marks to 210 catches, 2,256 yards, and 15 TDs in 90 overall regular season contests.
While Carlson dealt with concussion issues earlier in his career, he didn’t miss a game during the 2014 season, and told Tom Pelissero of USA Today last year, “I don’t have a concussion problem.” Carlson’s retirement comes somewhat early in his career, but his statement announcing the decision didn’t make reference to health concerns.
“After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us,” Carlson said in a statement, per Urban. “I was blessed to play seven seasons in the NFL for three tremendous organizations – the Cardinals, Vikings and Seahawks. I will always treasure the experiences and relationships made during that time but I’m also very excited about the next phase of my life and what’s ahead.”
With Carlson no longer in the mix, 2014 second-rounder Troy Niklas and veteran Darren Fells figure to head up the Cardinals’ depth chart at the tight end spot. If the team isn’t satisfied with its options, it could turn to the free agent market, where players like Jermaine Gresham and Zach Miller are still available. A trade is also an option, with Martellus Bennett reportedly on the trade block, though I wouldn’t expect Arizona to make a big splash.
Poll: Best Value Among Draft-Day Fallers?
With NFL rookie contracts coming in at a far more affordable rate than they used to, the most effective way a team can build a cap-friendly roster involves nailing a few draft picks every year, and carrying those players on cheap deals for the first four years of their NFL careers. And given how important it is to get those picks right, teams are increasingly shying away from players with off-field, character, or injury concerns, which might derail their NFL careers or result in suspensions down the road.
A team like the Browns provides a case study for how drafting high-risk, high-reward players can backfire — heading into the 2015 campaign, Cleveland’s best receiver, Josh Gordon, is facing a season-long suspension for repeated drug violations. Meanwhile, the team’s first-round quarterback from a year ago, Johnny Manziel, is coming off a stint in rehab, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to bounce back from a forgettable rookie year and contribute to an NFL franchise.
In 2015’s draft, a handful of players who would have been first-round talents, or even top-10 picks, had a number of question marks swirling around them as the draft approached. In some cases, those players still went about where we expected — cornerback Marcus Peters didn’t fall far, going 18th overall to the Chiefs, and defensive end Frank Clark was a second-round pick despite an alleged domestic violence incident that got him kicked off the team in Michigan.
Still, most players who had off-field questions or injury concerns slipped precipitously on draft day. Potential drug concerns for Shane Ray and Randy Gregory resulted in them going 23rd and 60th respectively, rather than in the top 10. Dorial Green-Beckham, Ronald Darby, and P.J. Williams had very strong cases to come off the board on day one if not for off-field question marks. And health concerns caused players like Jaelen Strong, T.J. Clemmings, and Jay Ajayi to fall further than expected.
In some cases, teams’ wariness may be warranted. But given the talent these players possess, I expect at least a couple of them to have long, successful NFL careers, and to make the teams that passed on them regret it. It’s just a matter of identifying which of these players is most likely to overcome the roadblocks currently facing them.
What do you think? Which of the following picks will provide the best value?
NFC East Notes: Collins, Kendricks, McClain
As teams finalize their undrafted free agent signings and create room on their rosters for their new players, let’s round up a few items from around the NFC East….
- While virtually every team in the NFL has expressed at least some level of interest in undrafted LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, many of those clubs are more realistic potential suitors than others. According to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Washington is not among Collins’ likely destinations — Keim was told the club isn’t expected to pursue the lineman.
- After initially not reporting to the Eagles‘ offseason workouts, linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in attendance for the second phase of the team’s program, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. I imagine Kendricks would still like some more long-term security, but the fact that Chip Kelly denied shopping him and other players during the draft seems to be enough for the time being.
- Alabama prosecutors are dismissing charges against Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, stemming from an incident that took place over two years ago (Associated Press report via ESPN.com). McClain was convicted on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in city court in 2014, and appealed to state court for another trial, which now won’t take place.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com outlines how the Giants made a number of their decisions during last week’s draft.
Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2016
While the deadline for exercising fifth-year options typically falls on May 3, teams around the league had an extra day to make those decisions this year, since May 3 didn’t land on a business day. For 2012’s first-round picks, if their fifth-year options for 2016 weren’t picked up by midnight on Monday, they’re now on track to become unrestricted free agents after the 2015 season — assuming they’re still even playing on their rookie contracts, that is.
In total, 20 of 2012’s 32 first-rounders had their fifth-year options exercised by their respective teams. However, that leaves 12 players whose options weren’t picked up, including four of the top seven picks from the ’12 draft.
Of those 12 players, five didn’t have an option to exercise for various reasons, including release, suspension, or retirement. One of the remaining seven, Whitney Mercilus, inked an extension with the Texans to avoid the need for the option. That leaves just six players who had their option years outright declined.
The numbers suggest that if a first-round player plays out the first three years of his rookie contract, there’s a very good chance his team will exercise his fifth-year option. Even players who were considered potential question marks, such as Robert Griffin III, Matt Kalil or Dre Kirkpatrick, had their options exercised, and it’s hard to question their clubs’ decisions. After all, these fifth-year salaries are only guaranteed for injury at the moment, so those teams have until the start of the 2016 league year to rethink their decisions.
Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2016:
Exercised:
- Andrew Luck (QB, Colts), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Robert Griffin III (QB, Washington), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Matt Kalil (T, Vikings), $11.096MM: Exercised
- Ryan Tannehill (QB, Dolphins), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Luke Kuechly (LB, Panthers), $11.058MM: Exercised
- Stephon Gilmore (CB, Bills), $11.082MM: Exercised
- Dontari Poe (DT, Chiefs), $6.146MM: Exercised
- Fletcher Cox (DE, Eagles), $7.799MM: Exercised
- Michael Floyd (WR, Cardinals), $7.32MM: Exercised
- Michael Brockers (DT, Rams), $6.146MM: Exercised
- Quinton Coples (OLB, Jets), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Bengals), $7.507MM: Exercised
- Melvin Ingram (OLB, Chargers), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Kendall Wright (WR, Titans), $7.32MM: Exercised
- Chandler Jones (DE, Patriots), $7.799MM: Exercised
- Riley Reiff (T, Lions), $8.07MM: Exercised
- David DeCastro (G, Steelers), $8.07MM: Exercised
- Dont’a Hightower (LB, Patriots), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Kevin Zeitler (G, Bengals), $8.07MM: Exercised
- Harrison Smith (S, Vikings), $5.278MM: Exercised
Not exercised:
- Trent Richardson (RB, Raiders): Not applicable due to release
- Justin Blackmon (WR, Jaguars): Not applicable due to suspension
- Morris Claiborne (CB, Cowboys), $11.082MM: Declined
- Mark Barron (S, Rams), $8.263MM: Declined
- Bruce Irvin (OLB, Seahawks), $7.751MM: Declined
- Shea McClellin (OLB, Bears), $7.751MM: Declined
- Brandon Weeden (QB, Cowboys): Not applicable due to release
- Whitney Mercilus (OLB, Texans), $7.751MM: Signed extension
- Nick Perry (OLB, Packers), $7.751MM: Declined
- A.J. Jenkins (WR): Not applicable due to release
- Doug Martin (RB, Buccaneers), $5.621MM: Declined
- David Wilson (RB): Not applicable due to retirement
Extra Points: Manziel, Collins, Jets
Coach Mike Pettine indicated to 92.3 The Fan that quarterback Josh McCown is the Browns‘ likely starter heading into training camp rather than Johnny Manziel, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. It’s not a guarantee that McCown opens the season as the starter, of course, but prior to the draft Pettine was reluctant to say much of anything regarding the battle. More from around the NFL..
- La’el Collins met with police this morning, cooperated fully, and is still not considered a suspect, the Baton Rouge Police Department tells Jerit Roser of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Earlier tonight, we learned that Collins is meeting with Bills coach Rex Ryan in Louisiana.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t expect the Bills to land Collins.
- Meanwhile, one team personnel man told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the entire NFL is monitoring the situation with Collins. “We are all watching this (La’el Collins) situation closely. Every team. If he’s cleared, every team wants him.”
- The Jets have fired director of pro personnel Brendan Prophett, sources tell Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Prophett was with Gang Green for 14 years.
- James Jones and Kevin Boothe are just the latest players to be purged from the Raiders‘ disappointing 2014 free agent class, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes.
Bills, Dolphins Meeting With La’el Collins
9:34pm: The Dolphins also have a meeting scheduled with Collins, according to Ben Wallace of The Advocate. Collins is represented by Priority Sports, which is the firm that current Dolphins football operations czar Mike Tannenbaum previously worked for.
8:59pm: Bills coach Rex Ryan met with former LSU tackle La’el Collins Monday night in Baton Rouge, Chad Sabadie of WVUE-Fox 8 tweets. The meeting was not cleared through Collins’ reps, as Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com write.
Collins, of course, is facing a very uncertain future after his situation caused him to slide out of the first round and the draft altogether. Just days ago, Bills GM Doug Whaley said his club wouldn’t consider Collins as a UDFA, calling the entire situation “too cloudy” right now. Now, it appears that there has been a change in thinking in the Bills’ front office. Or, it’s possible that Ryan is thinking about signing Collins and hoping to convince the rest of Buffalo’s braintrust.
Prior to his murky predicament coming to light, Collins was widely viewed as a player who would come off the board within the top 15 picks. The fact that Collins proceeded to go undrafted on day two is an indicator that teams are wary of taking on character or potential legal risks in the new NFL. Collins might have been taken as a flier on day three, but Collins’ agent threatened a holdout if a team were to do that.
Collins’ camp was hoping to either enter the tackle in this year’ supplemental draft or next year’s NFL draft, but the former request was denied and the latter will not be permitted either.
NFC Notes: Jones, Peterson, Eagles
There have been no contract talks between Julio Jones‘ agent and the Falcons, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Still, GM Thomas Dimitroff says that the star wide receiver is a priority. “There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are,” Dimitroff told ESPN.com. “I don’t want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team.” Dimitroff also claimed that Jones’ foot problems were not an issue for him. Here’s more from the NFC..
- Recently, the agent for Adrian Peterson hinted that the Vikings running back wanted extra financial incentive to continue playing with Minnesota. When asked about whether he’d meet those demands, GM Rick Spielman declined to comment, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Peterson is under contract for the next three seasons but none of his money is guaranteed.
- After the Eagles fired three members of their scouting department, there has been speculation that former GM Howie Roseman will be the next to go, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- When asked if the Rams may be trying to copy the Seahawks’ with strengths in defense, the running game, and the passing game, GM Les Snead acknowledged that wouldn’t be a bad strategy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
Justin Smith To Decide On Future Soon
Justin Smith plans to sit down with 49ers officials some time this month and decide whether he will return for a 15th season, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee writes. “You’ll know in about three weeks or so,” the veteran defensive lineman said.
Smith, 35, would not say which way he was leaning, however. The veteran is under contract for one more season and although he has not been taking part in the 49ers’ offseason program, he is working out regularly on his own. His workout routine does not hint at his decision though – he says he’d work out even if he was out of football for health reasons.
If Smith does come back, he says it would probably be for only one more season anyway. Some speculated that the 49ers picking Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead was a sign that Smith was set to call it quits. However, since Smith doesn’t intend on being around beyond 2015 anyway, that draft choice meant very little in terms of the veteran’s future. Smith has been the 49ers’ top defensive lineman since he arrived in free agency in 2008, but he has battled injuries in recent years, including a triceps injury in 2012 and a shoulder injury in 2013.
In 2014, his age-35 season, Smith totaled five sacks (giving him 87 for his career) and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the NFL’s 11th-best 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualifiers.