HEADLINES

Month: July 2016

Redskins Release LB Adam Hayward

July 22nd, 2016 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins announced that they have released linebacker Adam Hayward. Prior to being cut loose, Hayward was slated to enter his third season in D.C. Adam Hayward (vertical)

Hayward, 32, spent his entire career with the Buccaneers before signing with the Redskins in March of 2014. Upon joining his new team, Hayward was named special teams captain. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending leg injury against the 49ers midway through the season. In 2014, the former sixth-round pick played almost exclusively on special teams, appearing in just 14 defensive snaps.

Hayward was then sidelined for the entire 2015 season when he tore his ACL during the preseason. As shown on Roster Resource, Washington still has Will Compton, Steven Daniels, Carlos Fields, Mason Foster, Terence Garvin, Perry Riley Jr., and Martrell Spaight in its inside linebacker group. With Hayward out of the picture, the Redskins 90-man roster is down to 89 players.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/16

July 21st, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Steelers have waived linebacker Tyriq McCord from the Reserved/Injured list, tweets Mike Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The undrafted defender out of Miami originally hit his leg at rookie minicamp, and he suffered another injury during OTAs.
  • The Patriots have released rookie linebacker C.J. Johnson and long-snapper Christian Yount, tweets NESN.com’s Doug Kyed. ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss says the Yount move is an indication that Joe Cardona (Navy) will be available next season.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Steelers have released veteran tight end Matt Spaeth, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). In March, Pittsburgh signed Spaeth to a two-year deal. The 31-year-old appeared in 15 regular-season games in 2014 (eight starts) and caught three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown, and also started the Steelers’ playoff game against Baltimore. Spaeth was cut with a failed physical designation, as James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. GM Kevin Colbert says that Spaeth was never able to recover from offseason knee surgery.
  • The Lions announced that they have signed free agent tackle Luke Marquardt. Contract terms were not disclosed. A native of Sammamish, Wash., the 6’6″ lineman joins Detroit after signing with the Jets earlier this season. He began his NFL career with the 49ers in 2013 as an UDFA out of Azusa Pacific.

Greg Hardy Worked Out For Jaguars

July 21st, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Ben Levine

7:50pm: Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole tweets that the Jaguars did not offer Hardy a contract, and he notes that a signing does not appear to be “imminent.” Cole says the organization was simply doing their “homework” on the former Pro Bowler. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the Jaguars have been talking to players and staff regarding a potential Hardy signing.

Finally (and for what it’s worth), Florio tweets a prediction: the Jaguars will keep their distance from Hardy as they gauge the public’s reaction to the work out.

6:41pm: Defensive end Greg Hardy remains a free agent, although the former Pro Bowler is finally starting to generate some interest from teams. Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets that the 27-year-old recently “visited and worked out” with the Jaguars. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says the free agent spent the past two days with the team. Meanwhile, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that there’s “nothing cooking” besides the visit.

Greg HardyFollowing a well-publicized domestic violence incident (and a subsequent suspension) back in 2014, Hardy played 12 games for the Cowboys last season. The lineman compiled 35 tackles, six sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble in 2015. These are certainly impressive numbers, but they were still a far cry from Hardy’s production with the Panthers. Between 2011 and 2013, the former sixth-round pick averaged 56 tackles and 10 sacks a season.

Whether it was due to his off-field issues or his drop in production, Hardy wasn’t generating much interest this offseason. Jerry Jones made it clear that Hardy wouldn’t be back with the Cowboys, and there was a “prevailing opinion” around the league that no organization wanted the defensive end. PFR’s Dallas Robinson looked at potential landing spots for the veteran back in May.

According to Roster Resource, Dante Fowler Jr. and Jared Odrick figure to be the Jaguars starters at defensive end. However, Hardy would certainly help improve a depth chart that includes a pair of late-round rookies.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Miller, Elway, Chiefs

July 21st, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Von Miller‘s agent Joby Branion has been particularly busy recently. Today, he appeared on PFT Live to discuss his client’s extension negotiations with the Broncos. In particular, the agent talked about John Elway‘s tactics during these contract talks.

“He’s just extremely competitive,” Branion said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “I can say that the negotiation approach that he and his team uses is a bit unorthodox and unconventional but you can’t argue with the effectiveness and we don’t know unless we’re in their room what their ultimate goals are. So it’s always after the fact you sort of look and say, ‘Well that didn’t look like that worked out well,’ or ‘Geez, that worked out great.’ Only they really know but, yeah, they’re a little different but, hey, there are a lot of people that use a lot of different approaches to negotiate.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes out of the AFC West…

  • Branion also told Florio that Miller would have been willing to sit out the 2016 season and leave the Broncos the following offseason. “Absolutely, no question,” Branion said. “You know, a lot of people think it’s bluster and all that and sometimes it is, in this case no. It wouldn’t have made any sense. I told him, ‘Look, I treat you like you’re my own son,’ and if in fact this were my son I’d have to tell him you can’t afford to play for the franchise tag, not given your overall value. I mean, he’s a guy that deserves to be in the 19, 20, 21 million dollars a year range and his tag number is only 14. So it would make no sense at all for him to play for one year for [$14 million], risk potentially getting hurt and then be in a position where the team would be able to exclusive tag him yet again next year. Which I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t do because then the number would still be so far below his value whereas if he had restricted free agency even, as he likely would have in March, he would have made up the difference.”
  • ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano explored what kind of contract Miller would have received if the franchise tag didn’t exist. If the linebacker had inked the contract during the 2015 season, the writer estimated that the contract would have come in around $17MM annually (somewhere between Justin Houston and Ndamukong Suh). If Miller had waited until after the season, he may have approached Suh’s money, and if the 27-year-old had reached the open market, he could have expected a contract that paid at least $22MM a season.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the Chiefs negotiations with safety Eric Berry. The writer believes the veteran’s $10.8MM franchise tag is right around fair value, although Berry is certainly taking a risk by not inking a long-term contract.

Charles Tillman Will Retire With Bears

July 21st, 2016 at 5:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 5:05pm: ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes that Tillman is expected to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with Chicago, allowing him to retire as a member of the Bears.

Dickerson notes that the team wants to give Tillman a “proper send-off,” although the organization still hasn’t determined how they’ll honor the cornerback.

MONDAY, 5:55pm: Veteran cornerback Charles Tillman has announced his retirement from the NFL, posting a colorful video via his Twitter account that depicts him literally hanging up his cleats. Tillman, 35, will leave the league after a 13-year career that included 12 seasons with the Bears and one campaign with the Panthers.Charles Tillman (Vertical)

Tillman’s most notable time, of course, came in Chicago, where he started 152 games after being selected in the second round of the 2003 draft. “Peanut” posted 36 interceptions with the Bears, returning eight of them for touchdowns, and will finish among the top 100 defenders in the history of the NFL in terms of picks. But he was perhaps even more known for his ability to force fumbles, as he caused opponents to cough up the ball 44 times during his career, including 10 times in single season (2012).

However, injuries sapped Tillman’s effectiveness in the past few years, as he missed most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with triceps injuries. After becoming a free agent in 2015, Tillman followed his former defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to Carolina, inking a one-year deal with the Panthers. After rebounding from past health concerns to start 12 games, Tillman suffered another devastating injury late in the year, tearing his ACL.

Even as recently as June, Tillman had expressed an interest to play in 2016, but only if he could reunite with Carolina. It’s unclear if the Panthers weren’t sold on re-signing him, or if Tillman simply decided to retire on his own, but either way, he’ll end his career after 13 spectacular seasons as a top-notch cover corner. We at PFR wish him the best in his retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Murray, Titans, Luck

July 21st, 2016 at 4:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars seemingly have five wide receivers locked into roster spots, according to Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Rashad Greene, Marqise Lee, and Bryan Walters.

That means there could be seven wideouts competing for a single roster spot. The group includes Arrelious Benn, Tony Washington, Rasheed Bailey, Rashad Lawrence, Jamal Robinson, Shaq Evans and Shane Wynn.

If one of those players was going to emerge, O’Halloran points to Benn. The former second-round pick was set to earn a roster spot last season before breaking his collarbone.

“He’s a big, strong, physical guy,” receivers coach Jerry Sullivan told O’Halloran. “He should be a top-notch special teams guy and be a dependable guy who can come in and be a relief pitcher.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from the AFC South…

Josh Gordon Meets With Roger Goodell

July 21st, 2016 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

3:12pm: A decision on Gordon’s status is not likely before the start of the season, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes.

12:02pm: Commissioner Roger Goodell met with suspended Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon on Wednesday regarding his potential return to football, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Gordon can reapply for reinstatement on August 1. Rapoport (Twitter link) gets the sense that nothing is imminent on Gordon’s return and he adds that meeting with Goodell is a normal step in the process.

Josh Gordon

[RELATED: Latest On Johnny Manziel]

Since his entry into the league in 2012, Gordon’s NFL career has been tumultuous to say the least. He missed the first two games of the 2013 season following a drug suspension, but then went on to lead the NFL in receiving yards, finishing with 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns. Gordon celebrated his 25th birthday this offseason.

Hopes were high for the 2014 season, but Gordon’s off-the-field issues resurfaced, as he was first arrested for DUI, and then suspended for one year after again violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was eventually reinstated after only 10 games as part of the NFL and the players’ union agreeing to a new drug policy, which reduced the sentences for some players-in-limbo. He missed all of the 2015 season thanks to a positive alcohol test and could also be forced to sit out the 2016 campaign after the NFL denied his petition for reinstatement on the heels of another failed substance test.

Gordon, 25, will have another crack at reinstatement, but the league will keep the ban in he cannot demonstrate that he has improved his off-field behavior.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Michael Bennett Still Unhappy With Contract

July 21st, 2016 at 2:47pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett has been seeking a new contract for some time now and the events of this offseason have only underscored exactly how underpaid he is. In recent months, Olivier Vernon, Fletcher Cox, Muhammad Wilkerson, and Von Miller have all signed monster contracts while Bennett is entering the third season of a four-year, $28.5MM deal. Michael Bennett

“I just want to be fairly compensated with the top guys in the league,” the 30-year-old told Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post. “I’m definitely one of the top five defensive ends.”

According to Over The Cap, Bennett ranks 10th in average annual salary amongst 4-3 defensive ends. In terms of annual salary for all defensive linemen, Bennett is No. 27 in the NFL, according to Schultz. Any way you slice it, the numbers don’t quite add up as Bennett was ranked the fifth-best edge defender in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d).

Bennett threatened to hold out last summer, but that didn’t compel Seattle to redo any part of his contract. However, Bennett has switched agents and is now represented by Doug Hendrickson of Relativity Sports. Hendrickson also represented former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and he was successful in getting that deal reworked.

If Bennett were to hold out from camp this year, he would face fines of $40K per missed day.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Ray Rice

July 21st, 2016 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Ray Rice is desperate for another chance in football and he’s taking a drastic step to get the attention of NFL teams. The embattled running back says that if a team is willing to take a chance on him, he will donate every game check to charities working to combat domestic violence, Tom Pelissero of USA Today writes. Ray Rice

“All the scrutiny that I’ve got, it was deserved, because domestic violence is a horrible thing,” said the three-time Pro Bowl running back. “Me donating my salary is something that’ll be from the heart for me. I only want to play football so I can end it the right way for my kids and for the people that really believed in me. But I know there’s a lot of people affected by domestic violence, and every dollar helps. It’s raising awareness. People need homes. People need shelter when they’re in a crucial situation. I’ve donated a lot of money to charities, but I had a situation where it was a national crisis. I’m not saying I’d be (donating the salary) to get on the field, but it’s something that will show where my heart is. My heart is about finishing the right way and helping people along the way.”

In February 2014, Rice assaulted his now wife Janay Palmer at an Atlantic City casino. Initially, Rice was suspended for the first two games of the 2014 season. However, when security cam footage was released, Rice’s ugly incident made national headlines and that attention pushed the NFL to suspend the tailback indefinitely. Rice eventually had the indefinite suspension overturned on appeal, but no NFL teams showed interest in signing him after the ban was lifted.

As Rice looks for NFL employment, he faces the unfortunate double whammy of being a social pariah and a 29-year-old running back. In 2013, which currently stands as his final season, the Rutgers product averaged a paltry 3.1 yards per carry. In January, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan acknowledged that Rice’s name had come up internally, though he deemed a signing to be unlikely.

As a seventh-year veteran, the minimum salary for Rice in 2016 would be $885K. Rice’s last NFL contract paid $25MM over the first two years and Pelissero hears that Rice is financially secure.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram

July 21st, 2016 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Pro Football Rumors recently launched an official Instagram account (@ProFootballRumors) and it’s a must-follow for NFL fans. Each day, we share conversation-inspiring images about the hottest topics in football. From there, we invite you to give us a like, weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section, and even share the link with a friend.

Wondering what Joey Bosa will look like in his new Chargers jersey? We offered fans a sneak peek at the No. 3 overall pick in blue and gold just hours after the draft. Ditto for Rams No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. This week, when the Dolphins signed Arian Foster to a one-year deal, we were the first to bring you an eerily realistic jersey swap of Foster in his new threads.

So, what are you waiting for? If you’re not already, follow Pro Football Rumors on Instagram today!

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