HEADLINES

Month: August 2015

PFR Originals: 8/2/15 – 8/9/15

August 9th, 2015 at 2:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

  • We continued our Offseason in Review series, looking back at each club’s additions, losses, draft classes, trades, and more. This week, Zach Links covered the Titans, Buccaneers, Falcons; Ben Levine looked at the Panthers; and Luke Adams touched on the Saints.
  • I finished up our 2015 Release Candidate series by examining the NFC West, where players such as Brandon Mebane, Isaiah Pead, and Ted Larsen might be fighting for their respective roster spots.
  • In our Community Tailgate series, we post topics for discussion and encourage readers to chime in with their thoughts in the comments section. The issues covered by Zach and Luke last week:

Week In Review: 8/2/15 – 8/9/15

August 9th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

Extended:

Signed/Re-Signed:

Released/Waived:

Suspended:

Retired:

Other:

Arthur Blank: J. Jones To Be A Falcon For Life

August 9th, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned at the end of last month that Julio Jones and his agent had begun working towards a long-term extension that would keep the star wideout in a Falcons uniform for the foreseeable future. Although there is not yet a timeline for such an extension, owner Arthur Blank expects Jones to be a Falcon not only for the next few years, but for the remainder of his career.

Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blank said, “We’re moving as quickly as we can. The player has been fabulous. He came into camp in great shape. He’s working all-out. There is no hesitation or question on his part.…We expect Julio to be lifer for the Falcons. We are moving forward and have every reason to be positive and be enthusiastic about it.”

The market for top-flight receivers was, of course, set just a few weeks ago, when Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant inked five-year, $70MM deals with their respective clubs. As our Luke Adams pointed out in his recent examination of Jones as an extension candidate, Jones is in line to land an even more lucrative contract, with an average annual value of over $15MM.

Jones’ numbers would certainly support such a deal. As Adams wrote, “in 15 games, Jones racked up 1,593 yards and six touchdowns on 104 receptions, setting a new Falcons team record for most receiving yards in a season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also ranked him right behind Bryant and Thomas, despite the fact that he played fewer snaps than either player.” However, a fractured foot limited Jones to just five games in 2013, he missed a game last season due to a hip pointer, and he has dealt with multiple hamstring issues in his professional career.

Blank, though, seems unconcerned with Jones’ injury history. He said, “We’ve gotten the best medical advice, really in the world. [Jones] followed their program last year to a tee. This year, he’s been able to do more in the offseason and it reflects in how he looks at camp.”

Blank also went out of his way to compliment Jones’ agent, Jimmy Sexton, calling him a “very professional agent who actually understands the business.” We have seen negotiations between clubs and their best players turn ugly, so it makes sense that both sides are working quickly towards a deal while positive feelings prevail. Blank certainly wants to avoid any unnecessary drama next year, when Jones is eligible for unrestricted for free agency and would be a prime candidate for the franchise tag. And if Blank’s recent comments are any indication, he may be close to achieving that goal.

 

Bills Sign Nickell Robey To Extension

August 9th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Rory Parks

11:37am: Rand Getlin of The NFL Network tweets that it is a two-year extension for Robey, though no financial details are available at this time. Getlin writes that the team wanted to reward Robey for his contributions.

10:14am: The Bills and cornerback Nickell Robey have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com (via Twitter). Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Robey was signed as an undrafted free agent out of USC in 2013 and was therefore eligible to receive an extension after just two years in the league (draftees must wait at least three years). As his name suggests, Robey has served as the team’s primary nickel cornerback over the course of the past two years, and he has appeared in each of the Bills’ 32 games during that time. He has recorded 86 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception (which he returned for a touchdown) in his brief but promising career.

He was particularly good in his rookie campaign, when he graded out as the 27th-best corner out of 110 eligible players per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Although he fell to the 89th-best corner out of 108 eligible players in 2014, he still led the team with 10 passes defensed, and the defensive scheme the Bills plan to implement under new head coach Rex Ryan this year is more similar to the one in which Robey excelled in 2013. As Robey said, “Last year I was more just coverage basically and softer coverage too. I didn’t get to do everything that I wanted to do as far as being aggressive and being able to play like I really wanted to play. This year Rex is allowing me to do that. I’m playing a lot more aggressive coverages, but most of all doing a lot more blitzing. I love it” (via Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com).

GM Doug Whaley apparently agrees. Whaley said of his young corner: “Under the tutelage of Rex Ryan and his coaching staff, we believe Nickell will continue to develop and make significant contributions within this defense. Our philosophy is to continue to reward our players. Signing Nickell to an extension is an example of of this organization making a commitment to that plan” (Twitter link to Buscaglia).

Most pundits agree that Robey is primed for a breakout season, and by signing him to an extension now, one year before he is eligible for free agency, the Bills may have gotten themselves a bargain.

 

East Notes: Rice, Cassel, Giants

August 9th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills signed Nickell Robey to an extension this morning and may now direct their attention to a long-term deal with Marcell Dareus, but one transaction that the team is not contemplating is a reunion between head coach Rex Ryan and embattled running back Ray Rice. Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, Ryan reiterated, “We don’t have any interest [in Rice] and we never went into great detail about it because of the type of depth that we have at running back.” Those comments were made despite a recent hamstring injury to Fred Jackson and Bryce Brown‘s continued fumbling woes.

Now let’s have a look at some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Although the Bills‘ quarterback competition is far from over, The Associated Press reports that Matt Cassel will “probably” start the team’s first preseason game against Carolina this week. All three competitors–Cassel, E.J. Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor–have had mixed results in camp, and no one has separated themselves from the pack as of yet. We heard just last month that Cassel was in danger of being released, and while that may still be the case, he will at least have the first chance to lead Buffalo’s offense in game action in 2015.
  • The top of the Jets‘ depth chart at wide receiver has remained intact, but as Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, recent injuries to players like Chris Owusu, DeVier Posey, and Devin Smith have really tested the team’s depth. Of course, there is not much by way of free agent talent available at this point, though Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker are both ostensibly looking for jobs.
  • In his latest mailbag, ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that Bennett Jackson, the Giants‘ sixth-round pick in the 2014 draft, has enjoyed a terrific camp thus far, and he has put himself in position to not only make the 53-man roster, but to earn one of the starting safety spots.
  • In the same piece, Graziano writes that Marshall Newhouse, whom the Giants originally signed to be a backup, is New York’s undisputed starting right tackle at the moment.
  • Hank Kurz, Jr. of The Associated Press writes that Jamison Crowder, Washington‘s diminutive rookie receiver, is making a splash in training camp, but John Keim of ESPN.com says Crowder has not yet passed Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant on the team’s depth chart. Keim does concede, though, that Crowder has been outperforming Roberts and Grant and it could be a matter of time before he seizes hold of Washington’s No. 3 receiver job.

Baalke Counseled Aldon Smith After Release

August 9th, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Rory Parks

It may have come as small consolation for Aldon Smith, but according to Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News, 49ers GM Trent Baalke reportedly spent hours with the troubled linebacker after he was released from the club to offer counsel, comfort, and assistance. As Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, the decision to release Smith was made not long after his arrest, and prior to any meeting between the player and front office. However, even though the 49ers may have parted ways with Smith the player, they remain invested in Smith the person.

While head coach Jim Tomsula was addressing the media at a press conference to discuss Smith’s release, Baalke was having a conversation with Smith elsewhere (it is unclear whether that conversation took place at the team’s facility or at Smith’s nearby apartment). According to Baalke, there was nothing Smith could have said that would have changed the team’s decision, but Baalke wanted to offer his support moving forward. As Baalke said:

“What we fail to realize a lot of times in this business is the human side of it. There are a lot of emotions, not only with the player, but with everyone in the organization. He was very well-liked. Obviously, we placed a lot of time and energy into helping him and we’ll continue to do that. He’s not going to walk this thing alone. This isn’t about football. Everybody wants to make this about football. It has nothing to do with football right now. It has everything to do with a human being and a quality, quality person. Everyone who’s met him understands that. But he’s made some mistakes.”

Smith, of course, was cut after his arrest several days ago, his fifth brush with the law since the 49ers made him the 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Although this latest off-field incident proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, Baalke said that the team plans to give Smith as much help as he is willing to accept, and as much as the team can give under the terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Baalke added that it is too soon to say whether the 49ers would be interested in bringing Smith back into the fold in the future. At this point, Smith is free to sign with any team, and although it may take a little time for another club to pull the trigger, his age (25) and track record as a pass rusher with elite ability will surely land him another chance to continue his still-promising career.

Extra Points: Bears, Cowboys, Scherff, Browns

August 8th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio doesn’t regret vouching for Ray McDonald to the Bears staff but admits bringing him to Chicago was his fault, report Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t regret trying to vouch for him. At the time, I believed it was the right thing to do,” Fangio said. “The only thing I regret is because it didn’t work out and the club put their faith in my recommendation, (team chairman) George (McCaskey), (GM) Ryan (Pace) and John (Fox) took some hits from it from you guys (the media). You really should have been hitting me, not them.” McCaskey initially vetoed a McDonald-Fangio reunion but changed his mind when he met with the embattled defensive end face to face.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Injuries to Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar have made it increasingly likely that the Cowboys will bring in another running back, writes Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News. McFadden might be able to hit the field tomorrow, but the club is probably on the lookout for several RBs who could audition for a spot in the near future.
  • Washington drafted Iowa lineman Brandon Scherff as a tackle, but the No. 5 overall pick might slide in at guard instead, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The club’s coaching staff likes what they see from former third-rounder Morgan Moses at right tackle, and while fifth overall might seem high for an eventual guard, OL coach Bill Callahan thinks Scherff could have a similar impact to Zack Martin, who earned an All-Pro nod as a rookie with the Cowboys.
  • Free agent addition Shaun Draughn is impressing at Browns camp, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, and the 27-year-old looks like a good bet to earn a roster spot behind fellow running backs Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, and Terrence West. Draughn, a five-year veteran, saw time with both the Bears and Chargers last year before finishing the season with Cleveland.
  • In his latest mailbag at Titans.com, Jim Wyatt tackles several subjects such as the roster fate of Charlie Whitehurst, a possible reunion with Chris Johnson, and more.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15

August 8th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
  • In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.

Earlier updates:

  • The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
  • Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
  • The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
  • The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.

2015 Release Candidates: NFC West

August 8th, 2015 at 8:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.

Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.

We’ve already looked at the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North, NFC North, AFC South, and NFC South, and AFC West, so let’s wrap up with the NFC West…

Arizona Cardinals:

  • Lorenzo Alexander, LB: Alexander, 32, is basically a special-teams only player at this point in his career; he saw 336 special teams snaps in 2014, as opposed to just 51 on defense. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus didn’t rate him positively even on special teams duty, handing him a -4.0 grade (subscription required). But Alexander is regarded as a valuable veteran presence on Arizona’s roster, and given that the club would save less than $2MM by releasing him, he will probably make the final 53. Prediction: not released.
  • Ted Larsen, G: Larsen had a forgettable 2014 season, during which ranked as the league’s No. 68 guard among 78 qualifiers, per PFF. He won’t be playing left guard again, as the Cardinals handed Mike Iupati $40MM to handle that spot on the offensive line, but Larsen is actually listed atop Arizona’s depth chart at center. But the Cardinals were apparently so displeased with Larsen’s (and A.Q Shipley’s) camp performance that they re-signed last year’s starting center Lyle Sendlein, whom PFF graded as the league’s second-worst center in 2014, in the hopes that he’d be an improvement. Getting replaced by a player of Sendlein’s caliber isn’t a great look for Larsen, and given that Arizona can save $2.2MM by releasing Larsen, I don’t think he’ll last the summer. Prediction: released.

San Francisco 49ers:

  • Ahmad Brooks, LB: Any discussion of a San Francisco release candidate has to be couched with the knowledge that the club has lost a good amount of talent during the offseason. No position on the 49ers’ roster has been more affected by offseason losses than linebacker — Chris Borland and Patrick Willis both announced their retirement, while Aldon Smith was released yesterday following an arrest. So even though Brooks lost playing time last season (and wasn’t effective when he did play, grading as a bottom-five 3-4 outside linebacker per PFF), the team will rely on him as its top OLB in 2015. The Niners could save about $4.7MM by releasing the 31-year-old Brooks, but when their other option at outside ‘backer are rookies Eli Harold and Marcus Rush, the club will gladly by the price to keep Brooks. Prediction: not released.
  • Vernon Davis, TE: The 49ers’ offense didn’t take quite the offseason hit that did the team’s defense, but San Francisco’s starting 11 is noticeably lacking in terms of playmakers. That descriptor might no longer fit Davis, who caught just 26 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns last year, his worst totals since his rookie season. Davis publicly complained about his contract status last summer, but never received a new deal, and now the club save $4.9MM in cap space by cutting him. Earlier this week, however, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said that he’s interested in working out an extension with Davis, so the 31-year-old tight end will definitely stick around for 2015. Prediction: not released.

Seattle Seahawks:

  • Brandon Mebane, DT: The Seahawks don’t have much cap space to work with after extending both Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, and with that in mind, they released Mebane’s running mate at defensive tackle — Tony McDaniel — earlier this week. Clubs don’t need a ton of cap space to get through the season — Seattle should be fine with its ~$4.9MM — but Mebane’s roster spot still could be in jeopardy for several reasons. First, Mebane is coming off an injury-plagued 2014 season; he was placed on injure reserve in November after suffering a hamstring injury. Second, if the Seahawks did feel that they needed more cap room, Mebane would be the logical candidate to go, as the club could save $5.5MM by cutting him. But with McDaniel gone, Seattle probably wants some stability on the interior of its defensive line, and Mebane was a solid player as recently as 2013. Prediction: not released.

St. Louis Rams:

  • Isaiah Pead, RB: It’s been a quick fall to irrelevance for Pead, whom the Rams selected out of the University of Cincinnati in the second round of the 2012 draft. After garnering just 17 rushing attempts through his first two seasons, Pead missed the entire 2014 season after tearing his ACL. He recently accepted a pay cut, lowering his base salary from about $940K all the way down to the minimum. But I wonder if St. Louis is even interested in paying Pead that much — he’s buried on the deptch chart behind Todd Gurley, Tre Mason, and Benny Cunningham, and he isn’t a real factor on special teams, having hovered around 15% ST participation during his first two years in the league. Prediction: waived.

NFC Rumors: Smith, Kaepernick, Wilson, Floyd

August 8th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

PFR’s Ben Levine assessed some of the Aldon Smith fallout this morning, and now the conversation shifts to which team will take a chance on him.

Whichever franchise takes this PR plunge, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes said team should insist the deal for the former All-Pro pass-rusher is for at least two years, with at least part or all of the fifth-year veteran’s 2015 set to be erased via suspension. That way, Florio notes, the team that acquires Smith’s rights would be able to play him in 2016 and ’17.

While general managers will be careful, with Smith being a repeat offender who shows no signs of slowing down, there will be considerable interest in a refocused Smith’s services, Florio writes.

Among the teams referenced as potential landing spots are the Seahawks, Cowboys, Cardinals, and Giants in the NFC, with the Patriots, Steelers and Colts serving as theoretical destinations in the AFC. Some of these teams would place Smith at defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, but with

With Junior Galette signing so quickly after video of him striking a woman surfaced, a Smith signing soon isn’t out of the question.

Here are some more items from around the league as we continue in the last Saturday before game action commences.

  • A TMZ report alleging Smith and Colin Kaepernick and another naming the car that Smith is being charged with vandalizing as Kaepernick’s are being debunked by the fourth-year quarterback, via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. With TMZ reporting a fight between the two took place Tuesday, Inman reports no fights have taken place in the 49ers‘ five practices. “I don’t drive a Mercedes. Let’s put it that way,” Kaepernick told media in his denial of the report.
  • Russell Wilson‘s new Seahawks contract does not include a no-baseball clause like Jameis Winston‘s does with the Buccaneers, Florio reports. Johnny Manziel has a similar clause.
  • Bruce Arians doesn’t know when Michael Floyd will be able to return due to having never witnessed a sequence like the one that ended with the wideout dislocating three of his fingers this week in 40 years in football, according to Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. “There really is no timetable because it really is such a different type of injury,” Arians told McManaman. Arians said the Cardinals will now break camp with six receivers, since Floyd is not viewed as a short-term IR candidate, after saying there was a chance they would have anyway.
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