Vikings Pick Up Options On Harrison, Kalil
1:33pm: The Vikings have officially exercised their options on Smith and Kalil, the team announced in a press release.
9:43am: The Vikings intend to exercise their fifth-year options on safety Harrison Smith and offensive tackle Matt Kalil, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Smith’s option was viewed as a lock to be picked up, but Kalil’s outlook remained uncertain until today.
Since entering the league as the 29th overall pick in 2012, Smith has evolved into one of the NFL’s most effective free safeties — in 2014, he had his best year yet, compiling 92 tackles, five interceptions, and three sacks for the Vikes.
Kalil, on the other hand, has struggled. Although he earned a Pro Bowl berth in his rookie season, and has started all 48 regular season games at left tackle for Minnesota since being selected fourth overall, the 25-year-old has regressed over the last couple years, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF assigned Kalil a -21.1 grade as a pass blocker in 2014, which ranked 83rd out of 84 qualified tackles.
While Smith will earn a relatively modest $5.728MM for the 2016 season, Kalil’s option is significantly more expensive, at $11.096MM. Still, neither player’s salary is fully guaranteed until the first day of the 2016 league year, so as long as Kalil doesn’t sustain a significant injury, the Vikes will still be able to move on from him after this season if they so choose.
Colts Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents
The Colts have announced their undrafted free agent class of 2015, and Kevin Bowen of Colts.com has the details on the 15 players the team added to its roster following the draft. Here are the names of Indianapolis’ new UDFAs:
- Bryan Bennett, QB, Southeastern Louisiana
- Quan Bray, WR, Auburn ($5K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Donald Celiscar, CB, Western Michigan
- Cody Galea, LB, San Diego Stat
- Terrell Hartsfield, DE, Cincinnati
- Zach Hodges, LB, Harvard
- Joshua Mitchell, CB, Nebraska
- Ezell Ruffin, WR, San Diego State
- Al-Hajj Shabazz, CB, West Chester
- Jean Sifrin, TE, Massachusetts
- Justin Sinz, TE, Purdue
- Robert Smith, S, Clemson
- Junior Sylvestre, LB, Toledo
- Tyler Varga, RB, Yale
- Brandon Vitabile, C, Northwestern
Raiders To Cut Miles Burris
A year after starting all 16 games for the Raiders, linebacker Miles Burris will find himself looking for a new NFL home. Burris announced today on Instagram that the Raiders have informed him he’ll be waived.
“Nothing but respect and love for the Oakland Raiders,” Burris wrote in his statement. “Grateful for the opportunity they gave me. Grew up coming to Raider games as a kid and got to live my dream of playing in the same stadium for the team closest to my hometown. I’m thankful to everyone in the organization and all my teammates. This is goodbye to Oakland but I’m not done yet.”
Burris, who turns 27 next month, piled up 110 tackles in 1,096 defensive snaps for the Raiders last season, but didn’t record a single interception, sack, or forced fumble. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the least effective inside linebacker in the NFL by a wide margin — Burris’ -23.2 grade as a run defender alone was worse than any other linebacker’s overall grade, and PFF also ranked him as the NFL’s worst ILB in pass coverage.
Burris will be the second notable veteran cut by the Raiders following the draft, with James Jones also reportedly receiving his release from the club.
Cowboys Decline Morris Claiborne’s Option
The Cowboys have decided not to pick up their 2016 option for cornerback Morris Claiborne, according to David Helman of DallasCowboys.com. The decision comes on the heels of the team drafting defensive back Byron Jones with its first-round pick on Thursday.
Claiborne, 25, saw his 2014 campaign cut short by a torn patellar tendon, and was able to play only four games for the Cowboys, bringing his three-year total to just 29 contests. When he has been able to see the field, Claiborne has been shaky — according to Pro Football Focus’ data, opposing quarterbacks have accumulated passer ratings of 107.8 (2012), 94.3 (2013), and 121.5 (2014) when throwing into Claiborne’s coverage.
While the Cowboys are unwilling to commit to an $11.082MM 2016 salary for Clairborne, he’ll be on the team’s cap for a hit of $5.175MM in 2015. Taking into account Brandon Carr‘s $12.717MM cap number, that’s a lot of cap room committed to two players at a position where Jones and Orlando Scandrick may be the long-term answers.
Panthers, 10 UDFAs Reach Deals
MONDAY, 11:11am: The Panthers have officially agred to terms with 10 undrafted free agents, the team announced today in a press release. Of the eight names reported yesterday, seven are included in the team release — Blitch’s name isn’t in there, so it appears he’ll just be a rookie minicamp invitee for now. Here are the other three players signed by Carolina:
- Steve Miller, DE, Ohio State
- Brandon Wegher, RB, Morningside
- Matt Wile, P, Michigan
SUNDAY, 9:14am: The Panthers have agreed to sign eight undrafted free agents thus far. Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer provides the list:
- Brian Blechen, OLB, Utah
- Daniel Blitch, OT, Charlotte
- Damiere Byrd, WR, South Carolina
- Darious Cummings, DT, Florida
- Dean Marlowe, S, James Madison
- Arthur Miley, DT, Southern ($15K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Garry Peters, CB, Clemson
- Terry Redden, DT, Memphis
Some Colts Not Happy With Dorsett Pick
Multiple Colts players aren’t thrilled that the team used its first-round pick on wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, the preference among those players was for the club to take a safety like Landon Collins, or a tackle on either side of the ball.
By selecting Dorsett, general manager Ryan Grigson and the Colts were presumably drafting the best player available on their board. However, the former Miami Hurricane will join a crowded receiving corps in Indianapolis — T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief are still ascending, and Andre Johnson, who should still have plenty left in the tank, was also added to the mix earlier in the offseason.
As Florio observes, the Colts could’ve opted instead to select a wide receiver later in the draft, in which case there’d be less of a presumption that that rookie wideout would see plenty of playing time and plenty of targets. In Dorsett’s case, his pedigree suggests that he’ll see the field early and often.
Of course, Dorsett should contribute in the return game as well, as the Colts signaled when they released veteran return specialist Josh Cribbs less than 24 hours after making their first-round pick. But there are several other holes on the roster the team could have addressed with that No. 29 overall pick, and based on Florio’s report, it sounds like at least a few Colts players would’ve preferred to address those holes.
Bucs Decline Doug Martin’s 2016 Option
The Buccaneers have decided not to exercise their fifth-year option on running back Doug Martin, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The move ensures that, barring a new agreement with the team, the former first-round pick will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2015 season.
Martin, 26, burst into the league in 2012, racking up 1,454 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, en route to a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, injuries and underwhelming production have limited him during the last couple seasons, as he has been repeatedly usurped on the Bucs’ running back depth chart. While Martin should have a chance to earn the No. 1 job this summer, he figures to receive competition from Bobby Rainey, Mike James, and Charles Sims.
As the 31st overall pick, Martin would have been in line for a $5.621MM salary in 2016 had the Bucs elected to pick up his option. Last year, the Saints were in a similar position with running back Mark Ingram and also declined to exercise their option — Ingram responded with a career year, so presumably Tampa Bay wouldn’t mind a similar outcome with Martin.
Raiders To Release James Jones
The Raiders welcomed a new receiver to the mix last Thursday when they made Amari Cooper their top draft choice of 2015. For another wideout, that means the end of his brief stay in Oakland. According to Scott Bair and Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com, James Jones has confirmed that the club is releasing him from his contract.
The addition of the Cooper was the latest change to a Raiders’ receiving corps that has undergone a bit of a facelift this offseason. While some restricted free agents, such as Rod Streater and Andre Holmes, were retained, the team also added a notable outside free agent in Michael Crabtree.
Jones, 31, signed a three-year contract with the Raiders last winter, but that $10MM deal didn’t include any guaranteed money beyond the 2014 season, so the club can get out of it without taking on any dead money. Jones had been set to earn a $2.95MM base salary in 2015, with various other cap charges taking his total hit up to $3.433MM. While Oakland didn’t need the extra cap room, cutting Jones will allow him to catch on with another team before training camp gets underway in July.
After spending seven seasons in Green Bay, Jones established a new career high in 2014 with 73 receptions in Oakland. However, he averaged just 9.1 yards per catch, significantly below his career mark, for a total of only 666 yards.
Cowboys Yet To Talk Paycut With Carr
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr told Todd Archer of ESPN.com the team hasn’t approached him about taking a paycut yet (Twitter link). The highly paid defender declined to comment on whether he’d play for the Cowboys for less money, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter.
Carr, who is amid a five-year, $50MM contract iterated desire to remain with the team, but doing so at that price may be a non-starter. Due a massive 2015 salary that’s not commensurate with what he’s shown on the field lately, Carr has previously refused to accept a salary slash. His cap figure is $12.7MM, a number third on the team behind Tony Romo and Dez Bryant and fourth among all corners.
The seventh-year player didn’t record an interception last year and rated 90th among the 108 corners Pro Football Focus graded last season. PFF had him as a middle-of-the-pack player in 2013.
The Cowboys’ cornerback spot remains in flux after the team selected Byron Jones in the first round. Dallas has also not yet officially announced whether it will pick up Morris Claiborne‘s fifth-year option. Although Jerry Jones has stated previously the former No. 6 overall pick’s done enough to warrant it despite the $11.1MM price tag, Moore reported earlier this week the team doesn’t intend to give Claiborne a fifth season.
AFC Links: Collins, Dorsett, Timmons
One of the highest-regarded undrafted free agents in history, La’el Collins figures to be a premier topic in May as he attempts to begin a now-unorthodox career.
The Titans, however, won’t be among the teams pursuing the ex-LSU lineman that was a surefire first-round pick as recently as earlier this week, according to The Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt on Twitter. The team remains in need of a right tackle but did add two interior linemen in the draft — guard Jeremiah Poutasi and center Andy Gallik in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.
Here is some additional news from around the AFC.
- The Colts‘ draft puzzled Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel, with the team adding players in key spots that may not be able to contribute much this season — one with immense expectations. Doyel argues the team did not address needs of defensive tackle and safety early enough, with one of each added on Day 3. Indianapolis ranked 18th in run defense last season. Part-time players last year, Josh Chapman and Montori Hughes, are the Colts’ top two nose tackle options.
- The crux of Doyel’s argument, first-round pick Phillip Dorsett, could also find himself a key player in the Colts’ offense from the start, writes the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder. Dorsett, CFL import Duron Carter and former All-Pro Andre Johnson add to a loaded wideout corps that was at times slowed by descending veterans Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks last year. Holder wonders if the 34-year-old Johnson will give way to Dorsett in some three-wide sets or when the Colts deploy the two-tight end look they often do.
- One of now four linebackers with first-round pedigrees in Pittsburgh, Lawrence Timmons is in line for a contract extension come 2016, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Steelers’ second-highest-paid player and NFL’s best-compensated inside linebacker’s current deal that pays him $12.6MM this season and $11.8MM next year runs through ’16.
- With just two starters locked in for this season up front, the Broncos are positioning their offensive line youngsters less than three days after acquiring them. Second-round choice Ty Sambrailo will open his career at right tackle, where the Broncos have a glaring need after using three players there last year, while versatile fourth-rounder Max Garcia will begin work behind Louis Vasquez at right guard, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Last year’s third-rounder, Michael Schofield, didn’t suit up for a game as a rookie despite the Broncos’ right tackle issues and is now playing behind Ryan Clady at left tackle.
- Mel Kiper Jr. envisions Ravens second-round pick Maxx Williams as an offensive rookie of the year candidate, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The ESPN draft veteran also opined Breshad Perriman will be a better player than Torrey Smith.