Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth Pushing For Extension
In late April, tackle Andrew Whitworth made it known that he didn’t want the Bengals to draft his successor. Days later, Cincy drafted tackles in both round one and in round two. Now, with his future more uncertain that ever, Whitworth is being vocal about his desire for an extension and is frustrated with the lack of dialogue on that front so far, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes.
“At the end of the day, I am the captain and leader and I want to go above and beyond and do more than the average guy in this locker room and have always,” he said. “It’s hard to do that when that feeling is not reciprocated and is just a one way street. We’d like you to prepare two guys to be really good football players, we’d like you to be the leader of football team, but we’d also like to have the best situation possible for us. We’ll talk to you when we want to.”
With Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and Oregon tackle Jake Fisher now in the fold, Whitworth is entering his walk year and wants a new pact to reflect his contributions, both on the field and in the locker room. Last year, Whitworth was rated as the second-best tackle in the NFL by the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 33-year-old is also regarded as the Bengals’ locker room leader, but he’s now using his booming voice to let the world know that he’s unhappy with his contract situation.
Texans, Whitney Mercilus Agree To Extension
5:48pm: The deal includes $10.8MM in guaranteed money with a $5.25MM signing bonus, McClain tweets.
5;36pm: The Texans and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus have agreed to a four-year extension, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Mercilus was eligible for a fifth-year option this year and it’s now apparent that Houston declined the option in order to work out a longer pact.
It’s a four-year, $26MM deal, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal will keep the linebacker in a Texans jersey through the 2019 season. Mercilus, 25 in July, has played in all but one of the Texans’ regular season games across the last three seasons. Playing primarily as a starter for the last two, Mercilus has racked up a combined 12 sacks, 97 tackles, and two forced fumbles.
The Texans obviously are happy with Mercilus, but the advanced metrics aren’t so wild about him. In 2014, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as just the 35th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 set out of 46 qualified players. In 2013, his overall rating of -18.1 put him dead last (42nd out of 42) amongst 3-4 OLBs.
As Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) notes, the Texans have also locked up former draft picks Kareem Jackson and Derek Newton this offseason.
Buccaneers Sign 13 UDFAs
The Buccaneers have announced the signing of 13 undrafted free agents to go along with their seven-man draft class.
“If I were a guy that doesn’t get drafted that can rush the passer, I would certainly want to come here,” said GM Jason Licht in the release. “We could certainly use depth at linebacker and we could sure probably use some depth, some competition back there in the secondary. [In] all areas we could use depth and guys who want to push and compete.”
Here’s a rundown of the UDFAs who will be fighting to make the Bucs’ final roster this fall..
- Quinton Alston, LB, Iowa
- Dominique Brown, RB, Louisville
- Quayshawne Buckley, DT Idaho
- Courtland Clavette, LS, Brown
- Ryan Delaire, DE, Towson ($15K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun on Twitter).
- Deshazor Everett, CB, Texas A&M
- Chris Hackett, S, TCU
- Rannell Hall, WR, UCF ($9.5K bonus, per Wilson)
- Josh Keyes, LB, Boston College
- Caushaud Lyons, DT, Tusculum
- Josh Reese, WR, UCF
- Michael Reynolds, LB, Kansas
- Jamal Young, DE, Jones County Junior College
Raiders To Release Kevin Boothe
The Raiders appear to be in the process of removing a handful of veteran players from their roster, having already reportedly informed wideout James Jones and linebacker Miles Burris they’ll be cut. Now, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the team is also parting ways with a veteran offensive lineman, releasing former Giant Kevin Boothe.
Boothe, 31, was a regular at guard – and occasionally center – for the Giants, starting every one of the team’s games in 2012 and 2013. However, his playing time took a hit when he headed to Oakland for the 2014 season — while he appeared in nine games, he wasn’t a starter for the Raiders, and played just 19 overall offensive snaps.
Boothe would have earned a base salary of $1.175MM to go along with a workout bonus of $125K if he’d remained on the roster for the 2015 season, but he didn’t have any bonus money or guaranteed salary left on his deal, so the Raiders won’t be on the hook for any dead money.
Joe Barksdale Worked Out For Falcons
After not addressing their offensive line in the draft until the seventh round, the Falcons appear to still be on the lookout for veteran help along the line. According to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter), Atlanta brought in free agent offensive tackle Joe Barksdale today for a tryout.
At the start of the free agency period in March, it appeared that Barksdale would be one of the more attractive tackles available, but he hasn’t generated much interest. While the Rams and Titans have shown some interest, other teams opted for free agents with less experience than Barksdale, who has been a starter in St. Louis in recent years.
As our Dallas Robinson observed when he examined Barksdale’s free agent stock, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked the former Ram just 48th out of 84 qualified tackles. However, his +5.6 run-blocking grade placed him just outside the top 10 in that category.
Minor Moves: Monday
With the draft now in the books, we can expect plenty of roster shuffling in the coming days and weeks, as teams ready their 90-man rosters for training camp. Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league:
4:20pm:
- The Broncos have waived offensive tackles Paul Cornick and Jeremy Kelley, according to the Denver Post (Twitter link). Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) expects the Bears to have interest in Cornick, who started six games in Dener last season. Of course, new Bears head coach John Fox and OC Adam Gase were previously with the Broncos.
- The Falcons have signed former Titans fullback Collin Mooney, the team announced today (Twitter link). It’s a multiyear pact for Mooney, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Syracuse linebacker Cameron Lynch is the latest rookie free agent to join the Rams, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have waived linebacker Chase Thomas with a non-football injury designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Thomas tore his ACL in the offseason.
- The Buccaneers have claimed offensive lineman Reid Fragel off waivers from the Falcons, per Wilson (via Twitter). The move reunites the ex-Falcon with his old offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter.
- The Packers have cut offensive lineman Joe Madsen, tweets Wilson. Madsen finished the year on the team’s practice squad before signing a futures contract.
10:46am:
- The Colts have cut several players from their roster today, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who tweets that the team waived wide receiver Kadron Boone, defensive end Gannon Conway, offensive lineman Matt Hall, and former Olympic medalist Jeff Demps.
- Washington has parted ways with veteran edge defender Gabe Miller, according to his agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The former fifth-round pick saw his first regular-season NFL action last season.
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) adds Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil to the list of UDFAs signed by the Titans.
Saints Sign 13 UDFAs, Cut Three Players
The Saints have announced a slew of post-draft roster moves, confirming in a press release that they’ve added 13 undrafted free agents to their roster and cut three players who were on last year’s squad.
According to the team, safety Marcus Ball and inside linebacker Kyle Knox have been waived. Both players were contributors on special teams in 2014, and Ball also saw a little action on defense. Safety Ty Zimmerman was also cut by the club.
The Saints’ full list of undrafted free agent signees is as follows:
- Tavaris Barnes, DL, Clemson
- Kaleb Eulls, DL, Mississippi State
- Doniel Gambrell, G, Notre Dame College
- R.J. Harris, WR, New Hampshire
- Sean Hickey, T, Syracuse ($10K bonus, plus $12.5K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
- Malcolme Kennedy, WR, Texas A&M
- Cyril Lemon, G, North Texas ($6K bonus, per Wilson)
- Ashaad Mabry, DL, Texas-San Antonio
- Markus Pierce-Brewster, LB, West Texas A&M
- Bobby Richardson, DL, Indiana
- Stephon Sanders, LB, SMU
- Harold Spears, TE, New Hampshire
- Jack Tabb, TE, North Carolina ($3.5K bonus, per Wilson)
Washington Cuts 13 Players
Following the conclusion of this weekend’s draft, Washington has made significant changes to its roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that the club has waived or released 13 players. The players who were waived by Washington will have to go unclaimed before becoming free agents, while the veterans who were released will be able to seek new jobs immediately.
Here’s the full list of players cut by GM Scot McCloughan and his team:
Waived:
- Isaako Aaitui, NT
- Steve Beauharnais, LB
- Braylon Bell, WR
- Edawn Coughman, T
- Kenny Horsley, DL
- Rishaw Johnson, G
- Gabe Miller, LB (previously reported)
- Ty Nsekhe, T
- Kenny Okoro, CB
- Jerry Rice Jr., WR
- Trey Wolfe, CB
Released:
- Ricky Sapp, LB
- Austin Spitler, LB
Bills Sign Alex Carrington
2:29pm: The Bills have officially signed Carrington, the club confirmed today in a press release.
11:19am: After not addressing the defensive line in the draft, the Bills will add some depth to the unit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport reports that veteran defensive lineman Alex Carrington is signing with Buffalo, having visited the club today.
For Carrington, it’s a reunion of sorts, as he spent the first several years of his career with the Bills, playing there from 2010 to 2013. After spending time in St. Louis in 2014, the former third-round pick will return to a Bills team that has a new coaching staff in place, led by head coach Rex Ryan.
Carrington will sign a one-year deal with the Bills, per Rapoport. I expect Carrington will be given an opportunity to earn a roster spot this summer, though he’s unlikely to see significant playing time unless the team sustains multiple injuries on its defensive front.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Barksdale, Winston
Although 49ers fullback Bruce Miller won’t face a more serious assault charge, he has been charged with misdemeanor vandalism for a domestic incident in which he allegedly threw his girlfriend’s phone against a wall, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. If he’s convicted, Miller faces up to a year in jail.
Miller wasn’t participating in the 49ers’ offseason program while Santa Clara police were investigating the incident, and it appears he’ll continue to stay away from the team. Sources tell Maiocco that the 49ers and Miller have agreed to remain apart as the legal process moves toward a conclusion.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), Joe Barksdale remains interested in re-signing with the Rams, who were said over the weekend to maintain interest in the free agent offensive tackle. However, there have been no talks today between the two sides.
- The Buccaneers‘ agreement with first overall pick Jameis Winston includes a clause prohibiting the QB from playing professional baseball during the life of his rookie contract, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com.
- There were three quarterbacks that piqued the Cowboys‘ interest in this year’s draft class, but once the draft got underway, the team never considered trading up to grab a signal-caller, according to owner Jerry Jones (link via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News).
- As the Rams‘ 41st overall pick neared on Friday, the team received trade inquiries from the Chiefs, Eagles, Texans, Steelers, Panthers, and Cowboys, writes Michael Silver of NFL.com. After fielding offers from every team except Dallas, the Rams elected to strike a deal with the Panthers, who used the pick to grab wide receiver Devin Funchess.
- Anthony Patch has been let go as the Eagles‘ director of college scouting, sources tell Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Changes to scouting departments typically happen following the draft, particularly for teams like the Eagles, who underwent front office changes earlier in the offseason.