Extra Points: Jones, Lions, Bengals
The Chargers acquired quarterback Cardale Jones from the Bills earlier this week, giving them another signal-caller to backup Philip Rivers. However, if the organization had had their way, they would have had Jones on their squad last season.
General manager Tom Telesco admitted this week that the Chargers had been eyeing Jones since the 2016 draft, when they had the prospect in for a private workout. The organization was seemingly infatuated with the quarterback, but he was ultimately selected by the Bills in the fourth round.
“Obviously we’re looking for competition at that spot,” Telesco told ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams. “And with Cardale, he’s a quarterback with some developmental traits that are hard to find.
“Our scouts had really high grades on him when he came out in the draft. And then the fact that Anthony had him in Buffalo for a year — that way he knew him — so it was a good blend for us and a good combination for that. Since Brad Sorensen, we haven’t had a young quarterback in our system that we could work with, so he’s going to be one of those guys.”
Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFL…
- About a month ago, the Lions had free agent Zach Orr in for a workout, but the linebacker ultimately left the audition without a contract. Today, coach Jim Caldwell told reporters to “never say never” when asked if Orr could still join the team, but Justin Rogers of the Detroit News notes (via Twitter) that the sentiment “isn’t the most optimistic take.” Orr met with the Texans earlier this week, and he’s also worked out with the Jets and Colts.
- The Bengals worked out safety DeJuan Rogers today, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell (via Twitter). The undrafted rookie out of Toledo finished his senior season with 87 tackles, one interception, and six passes defended. Behind their starters, the Bengals are currently only rostering a pair of safeties in Clayton Fejedelem and Derron Smith.
- Alabama defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, a projected top prospect in next year’s draft, was charged with DUI earlier this morning, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. In 24 games over three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Hand has compiled six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. “This type of behavior is not acceptable and we are disappointed in Da’Shawn’s actions,” said coach Nick Saban. “We are still gathering information and will evaluate what we need to do in terms of appropriate discipline as we move forward, so better choices and decisions can be made in the future.”
NFC Notes: OBJ, Elliott, Seahawks, Bears
We learned earlier this week that the Giants weren’t prioritizing a contract extension with star wideout Odell Beckham Jr., and that could be because the Pro Bowler is seeking a record-breaking deal. The 24-year-old said on Thursday that he was aiming to become the league’s highest-paid receiver, and he elaborated on those remarks on Friday.
“That’s what you want to do, you want to change the game,’’ Beckham told Paul Schwartz of The New York Post. “This is not just for Odell Beckham, this is for everybody in the league, people who deserve it.
“You sit there and you watch the NBA, it’s crazy. Being realistic, it’s crazy what they’re getting. And there’s people in the NFL who deserve that, I want to do, if I can, be on the forefront for it and help push the league, the game that way, because I feel like the fans deserve it, I feel like we go through a lot, we put ourselves through a lot. They just deserve it. It’s not for me.’’
As our own Connor Byrne noted earlier this week, the top-paid honor usually belongs to quarterbacks, with Raiders signal-caller Derek Carr currently holding the distinction. Steelers wideout Antonio Brown‘s $17MM annual salary is the highest value at his position. Beckham is set to play the upcoming season on a $1.8MM salary, although the organization did pick up his $8.5MM fifth-year option for 2018.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…
- Although Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said an NFL decision on running back Ezekiel Elliott could be handed down “imminently,” no announcement is expected today nor this weekend, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The league is reportedly wrapping up its investigation into domestic violence allegations against Elliott, and while Jones claimed his own review of the evidence indicated Elliott had done nothing wrong, a short suspension is still expected. If Elliott is banned, Dallas will turn to a cadre of Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris, and the newly-signed Ronnie Hillman in the backfield.
- Former offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre will be joining the Seahawks coaching staff as an offensive assistant, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. The 2011 undrafted free agent out of South Carolina spent six seasons in Seattle, appearing in 63 games (11 starts). The 30-year-old also appeared in nine postseason games, and he earned a ring after the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII.
- The Bears have promoted former Pro Scouting Direction Champ Kelly to Assistant Director of Player Personnel, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). According to the reporter, the Dolphins tried to “lure away” Kelly this past offseason, but Chicago clearly had bigger plans for the executive. The former United Indoor Football general manager has been with the Bears organization since 2015, and he previously spent time as the Broncos’ Assistant Director of Pro Personnel.
- Biggs passes along (on Twitter) that the Bears have also promoted several other members of their scouting team. Chris White is now one of the team’s pro scouts, while Scott Hamel and Brendan Rehor have been promoted to area scout and combine scout, respectively.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Broncos Sign LB Danny Mason
Danny Mason is returning to Denver. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), the linebacker has signed with the Broncos. To make room on the roster, the team has released tight end Henry Krieger-Coble (via The Denver Post’s Nicki Jhabvala on Twitter).
Mason, a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M–Commerce, spent his first professional season playing for the Indoor Football League. The linebacker eventually caught on with the Broncos during the 2015 offseason, and he had a brief stint on the team’s practice squad. Mason has also spent time in the Bears organization. The Broncos seemingly have plenty of depth at linebacker, although they could be looking for insurance in case Shaquil Barrett is forced to sit Week 1.
Krieger-Coble joined the Broncos organization last offseason as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa. He ultimately appeared in two games with the team, hauling in a single 13-yard catch. The 25-year-old already had an uphill battle to make the squad, especially after the Broncos selected Jake Butt in the fifth round of this past year’s draft. Besides the rookie, the Broncos are also rostering tight ends Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, and A.J. Derby.
Texans To Work Out Marcus Gilchrist
Almost three months after he was released by the Jets, Marcus Gilchrist has finally secured his first free agent visit. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), the safety is set to visit the Texans on Monday.
Of course, the delay wasn’t because of a lack of talent. Rather, Gilchrist tore his patellar tendon last season and needed clearance before he could return to the field. We heard earlier this month that the safety’s recovery was coming along nicely, and reports from earlier this week indicated that he was beginning to line up visits with teams. There were even whispers that the Jets could consider a reunion once the player’s knee was fully recovered, but it sounds like Houston will have the first opportunity to sign the 28-year-old.
The 2011 second-round pick spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chargers before joinining the Jets on a four-year, $22MM contract prior to the 2015 campaign. The Clemson product had a breakout season during his first year in New York, collecting career-highs in tackles (82), interceptions (three), and passes defended (seven) in 16 starts. Gilchrist started another 13 games for the Jets in 2016, but he eventually succumbed to the knee injury in December.
The Texans are currently rostering a number of safeties, but seemingly none of them have the upside of Gilchrist. If the former Jets defensive back ultimately signs with Houston, he’ll be competing with Andre Hal, Corey Moore, Eddie Pleasant, K.J. Dillon, Treston Decoud, Kurtis Drummond, and Lonnie Ballentine for a roster spot.
Falcons’ Devin Fuller Tears ACL
Falcons wide receiver/return man Devin Fuller suffered a torn ACL on Friday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Fuller has now succumbed to season-ending injuries in back-to-back summers.
Atlanta’s seventh-round pick in 2016, the speedy Fuller won’t have an opportunity to make his NFL debut until 2018 – if he plays in the league at all. The former UCLA Bruin cracked the eventual NFC champions’ roster a year ago, but they placed him on injured reserve before Week 1 with a shoulder issue.
While Fuller’s latest injury is an awful development for the 23-year-old, it doesn’t necessarily change the calculus for the high-flying Falcons. Fuller was on the low end of a depth chart that includes the inimitable Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel, free agent pickup Andre Roberts and Justin Hardy.
Alec Ogletree Extension “In The Works”
The Rams’ best player, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, is holding out as he seeks a new contract, but the news isn’t all bad: The team is working to lock up one of its other top defenders, linebacker Alec Ogletree.
“I still don’t have a deal yet but it’s in the works,” Ogletree told Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link). “When it happens, it happens. It will get done eventually.”
The Rams have had interest in awarding a new deal to Ogletree since at least February 2016, and their extensive team control over him is likely a key reason why it hasn’t happened. That control is running out, though, as Ogletree is now in his fifth-year option season (at an $8.37MM salary). As such, the Rams are in danger of losing the 2013 first-round pick to free agency next winter.
Ogletree’s exit would cost Los Angeles one of its go-to guys, someone who started in all 16 games in 2016 and was the only one of its defenders to play all 1,090 of the unit’s snaps. In the process, the ex-Georgia Bulldog piled up impressive counting stats (136 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble), though Pro Football Focus ranked his performance a lackluster 56th among 86 qualified linebackers.
With the exception of his rookie season, PFF has typically assigned unfavorable marks to Ogletree. Nevertheless, aside from missing 12 games with a broken fibula in 2015, Ogletree is someone on whom the Rams have been able to rely. The 25-year-old has three 16-start, 100-tackle campaigns, 11 forced fumbles and five INTs under his belt, and the team apparently doesn’t want to let that type of production get away.
Ravens Interested In Austin Howard
Offensive tackle Austin Howard lost his job with the Raiders on Friday, but he might not be without a team for long. The Ravens are considering adding Howard, according to Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
The 30-year-old Howard would provide an experienced right tackle option to a Baltimore team that lost former No. 1 Ricky Wagner in free agency. After Wagner started 47 games for the Ravens from 2014-16, he inked a five-year deal worth more than $45MM with the Lions.
The Ravens didn’t pick up an established tackle or a spend a draft pick on a bookend in the wake of Wagner’s departure, leaving them with James Hurst as the starter opposite LT Ronnie Stanley. Hurst did appear in all 48 of the Ravens’ games over his first three years, but he only started 16 of those contests. Just three of Hurst’s starts came last year, and his performance drew an unenthusiastic review from Pro Football Focus.
Howard didn’t garner praise from PFF in 2016, either, as he ranked 52nd among its 77 qualified tackles. However, an ankle injury may have contributed to his less-than-stellar showing over 11 games, and he did rack up 10 starts for the fifth consecutive year. In all, Howard has started in 72 in 76 appearances across six years with the Eagles, Jets and Raiders. Howard signed a five-year, $30MM contract to head to Oakland in 2014, but his next deal certainly won’t come anywhere close to that – especially considering he’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/17
Friday’s minor moves…
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Bra’Lon Cherry, WR Reginald Davis III
- Waived: CB Taylor Reynolds
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Drew Iddings
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Brandon Wilds
- Waived: RB George Atkinson III
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Javontee Herndon
- Waived/Injured: RB Jahad Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Antwan Goodley
- Waived: WR Alonzo Moore
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: QB Eli Jenkins
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Noor Davis
- Waived: QB Wes Lunt
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Chris Gragg
- Waived: WR KD Cannon
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LS Andrew East
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Marcel Reece
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: G Jake Simonich
- Waived: G Sebastian Tretola, LB Johnny Ragin IIIatl
Cowboys To Sign Luke McCown
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Luke McCown, according to his agent, Mike McCartney (Twitter link).
The season-ending surgery that Zac Dysert underwent earlier this week put the Cowboys in the market for another signal-caller, but it seemed they were searching for a developmental player. At 36, McCown certainly doesn’t qualify, but the Texas native will at least provide the club with an experienced option behind Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Before picking up McCown, Dallas was down to undrafted rookie Cooper Rush as its third option under center.
The brother of Jets starter Josh McCown, whom the Cowboys have courted in the past, Luke McCown entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2004. Since then, he has also spent time with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Saints and Falcons. He has totaled 62 appearances and 10 starts, the most recent of which came with New Orleans in 2015. All told, McCown has completed 216 of 356 passes (60.7 percent), averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and thrown nine touchdowns against 15 interceptions.
Donald Penn Seeking Top 10 LT Money
Currently 21st among left tackles in yearly contract value, the Raiders’ Donald Penn is holding out in hopes of landing a raise. Now, thanks to retired linebacker and current NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, there’s some clarity on Penn’s demands.
Penn spoke to McGinest about his asking price, and McGinest relayed (via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter) that the lineman “wants to be paid in the top 10. He’s not looking to be the top paid.”
To break into the top 10 among left tackles in annual pay, Penn would need upward of the $11.25MM per season that the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is earning on the three-year pact he signed in free agency. Penn, 34, is a year younger than Whitworth, and there’s a strong case to be made that the former deserves similar money. Like Whitworth, who has appeared in 168 of a possible 176 regular-season games and been extremely effective in the process, Penn has been an eminently durable stalwart.
An injury kept Penn out of the Raiders’ wild-card round loss to the Texans last January, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a game since entering the league with the Buccaneers in 2007. That was also the only year Penn hasn’t started in all 16 contests, as he served as a reserve in four of them. Dating back to his second year, Penn has started 156 consecutive games. He has also consistently earned quality grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 12th among 76 qualified tackles in 2016.
“(Penn) just wants the respect for what he’s done on the field,” explained McGinest. “Stop looking at his age, look at his production”
Age isn’t on Penn’s side, as McGinest implied, but it’s hard to find a problem with his on-field output. With the Raiders and their high-octane offense aiming for a Super Bowl this year, general manager Reggie McKenzie may look to find common ground with Penn and appease one of the team’s premier linemen. Penn, guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson are among the best players in the league at their positions, and the Raiders surely want that alignment in place for all 16 games this season.