AFC East Notes: Jets, Whitehead, Dolphins
Here’s a quick look at the AFC East:
- Before he was claimed by the Jets, other teams that expressed interest in Lucky Whitehead were the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) hears from one source. The Bears showed a little interest as well. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints may have placed waiver claims on Whitehead while the Bears were on the fence about it as Wednesday approached. Of course, after finishing with a 5-11 record last year, the Jets had higher waiver priority than most.
- The Dolphins worked out free agent offensive lineman Kitt O’Brien on Wednesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien, 27, spent the 2013-14 campaigns in the Arena Football League after going undrafted out of Ball State. Subsequently, he latched on with the Colts, and had spent parts of the past two seasons on Indianapolis’ practice squad. O’Brien has yet to appear in an NFL game.
- The Bills are leaving no stone unturned in their search for signal-callers, as the club worked out former Fresno State quarterback Marcus McDade on Monday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). McDade, who backed up Derek Carr with the Bulldogs, ultimately transferred to the other side of the planet, joining Samsung Frankfurt University in Germany. His most recent stop was the Indoor Football League, where McDade played for the Spokane Empire.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Jets Claim WR Lucky Whitehead
Lucky Whitehead has been claimed by the Jets, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After a bizarre week, he’ll do his best to try and forget about everything in a new city. 
Whitehead, a return specialist, had a warrant issued for his arrest earlier this week in connection with a shoplifting charge and a missed arraignment. Trouble is, the cops had the wrong man. The alleged robber apparently gave the police Whitehead’s date of birth and social security number, allowing him to skip town. Whitehead swore to the Cowboys that he had nothing to do with what he was being charged for, but the team waived him before allowing things to shake out.
On Wednesday morning, Whitehead’s agent said that his client did not want to play for the Cowboys anymore after they effectively called him “a liar.” He got his wish and he’ll now go from one of the league’s most talented squads to one of it’s least talented teams.
“I can’t speak for Lucky, we’d have to have a conversation about it because he loved being a Cowboy so much. I can’t put into words — this dude loved it, loved it as much as I’ve ever had a player love an organization. Loved it,” agent David Rich said. “This guy was arguably the most popular player on the team, which is interesting to have this happen to him, but I don’t think so. . . . [Whitehead and coach Jason Garrett] basically sat across the table, eye to eye, man to man, and he said, ‘I need you to believe me, coach.’ And they said, ‘We think you’re a liar.’”
Between 2015 and 2016, Whitehead averaged 25.6 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return. Jets fans shouldn’t expect to see him do much on offense, however. He had just nine receptions for 64 yards.
Whitehead’s place on the Jets’ 53-man roster is not a certainty, but he has a better chance of making the final cut than he did in Dallas.
Falcons Rumors: Freeman, Ryan, Poe
The latest from Atlanta:
- Devonta Freeman‘s agent left town after meeting with Falcons brass over the past couple days, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com hears (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the team isn’t putting a deadline on a deal. The Falcons had hoped to hammer something out by the time training camp started, but it sounds like completing an extension will take longer than anticipated. Recently, Le’Veon Bell rejected the Steelers’ offer of a five-year deal with a $12MM average annual value, $30MM in the first two years of the deal, and $42MM over the first three seasons. Freeman’s camp may be using the framework of that proposal as a baseline for talks.
- There have yet to be substantive talks between the Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan, Pelissero tweets. The Falcons will likely wait until after the season to talk contract with Matty Ice, Pelissero adds. Ryan is signed through 2018 and is slated to carry cap charges in excess of $21MM in each of the next two seasons. The league’s reigning MVP is probably willing to wait for Matthew Stafford to sign a big money extension of his own with the Lions before getting serious about next deal.
- Falcons nose tackle Dontari Poe weighed in below 330 pounds today, giving the free agent addition his $125K make-weight bonus, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Many expected Poe to sign a lucrative multi-year deal, but he wound up settling for a one-year deal as teams felt unsure about his conditioning.
Eagles Release Marcus Smith
The Eagles have released former first-round defensive end Marcus Smith, according to a team announcement. Meanwhile, linebacker Steven Daniels has been inked to a three-year deal. 
[RELATED: Eagles Cut LG Allen Barbre]
The Eagles declined Smith‘s fifth-year option for 2018 earlier this offseason, fueling speculation that he might not make the roster this year. By cutting Smith now, the Eagles have ostensibly given him a better chance to hook on elsewhere. The team also avoided paying out a $594K roster bonus on the third day of camp. By waiving Smith, the Eagles will clear roughly $1.5MM in cap space.
Smith, a Louisville product, hasn’t started in any of his 37 professional appearances and he has just four career sacks to his name. The 25-year-old is coming off his first 16-game season, but he mustered only 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his 268 defensive snaps. He was contributor on special teams, playing over 40% of the unit’s snaps, but that wasn’t enough to justify his salary.
The Eagles claimed Daniels off waivers from the rival Redskins in May only to waive him in early June. Nearly two months later, he has circled back to the Eagles. Nigel Bradham, Jordan Hicks, and Mychal Kendricks project as the starting linebackers for Philly with Kamu Grugier-Hill, Najee Goode, Joe Walker, Alex McCalister, fifth-round pick Nate Gerry, and Daniels among those pushing for reserve jobs.
Eagles Cut LG Allen Barbre
As training camp gets underway, Allen Barbre will have to find work elsewhere. The Eagles announced that they have released the left guard.
[RELATED: Eagles Eyeing Veteran Cornerbacks]
“Allen Barbre is a pro’s pro,” said top executive Howie Roseman in a statement. “Not only did he help the team with his solid play as a starter at left guard, but his ability to step up and play multiple positions helped us battle through some difficult situations. We had a conversation yesterday and agreed it made sense to allow him to pursue some other opportunities, but the door is open for him to return here as well.”
By releasing Barbre, the Eagles will free up $2.1MM in cap space while leaving $500K on the books in dead money. Roseman’s statement seems to imply that Barbre could potentially return to the team at a lesser rate, so it’s a situation to keep an eye on as we head into August.
Barbre has been talked about as a potential cap casualty for much of the offseason, so the move doesn’t come as a big surprise. Still, the move will leave the Eagles with a lot less experience on the starting offensive line. Now, 23-year-old Isaac Seumalo will practice with the first team at left guard, per offensive coordinator Frank Reich.
The Eagles are also losing some of their versatility on the offensive line by cutting Barbre. The 33-year-old filled in at right tackle for Lane Johnson during his suspension in 2016. The good news in that regard is that the Eagles still have a handful of linemen that can play at different spots along the line. Seumalo and Stefen Wisniewski can fill in at any of the three interior spots while Matt Tobin offers experience at both tackle and guard.
Talks Ongoing For Panthers, Thomas Davis
Before his surprise firing, Dave Gettleman engaged in extension talks with Thomas Davis‘ camp. The new Panthers regime led by Marty Hurney has been in place just over a week, but negotiations have apparently picked up again. The linebacker told reporters on Wednesday morning that talks are “ongoing,” (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). 
[RELATED: Tight End Greg Olsen Changes Course]
Tight end Greg Olsen backed off from his contract demands on Tuesday, citing a desire to avoid further distractions for Carolina. Davis’ situation is a bit different, however, since he has only one year to go versus the two years left on Olsen’s pact. Davis’ relationship with Hurney may help his cause, though the interim GM has promised to focus on analytics over emotion going forward.
Davis, 34, started in all 16 games last season and led all Panthers defenders in snaps. He proved that he has plenty of good football left as he tallied 106 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown.
Davis’ current deal calls for an $8.25MM cap hit in 2017.
Vikings Sign Everson Griffen To Extension
The Vikings and defensive end Everson Griffen are finalizing a massive four-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Griffen confirmed the deal in a Wednesday morning scrum with beat reporters. Griffen’s previous deal had him signed through 2018. The new pact should keep him in Minnesota for the remainder of his career. 
The extension is worth a whopping $58MM with $34MM in guarantees, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The “new money average” on the deal comes out to $14.5MM. We should have a better handle on the value of the deal when information comes out about the cash flow and the amount of money guaranteed at signing.
Griffen, 29, is coming off of his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance after posting 48 tackles, 8.0 sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Since becoming a full-time starter for the Vikings in 2014, he has notched 30.5 sacks in total. The former fourth-round pick has gone from a rotational piece to an indispensable part of the team’s defensive line and he’ll now have a contract to reflect his importance to the team.
Pro Football Focus has graded Griffen as a top-30 defensive end in each of the last three seasons. He has also been remarkably durable, missing only one game in the past six seasons.
Griffen’s old deal called for him to earn $6.9MM in 2017 and $8.4MM in 2018. Those years may be revised in the new deal that takes him through the 2022 campaign.
Lucky Whitehead Won’t Return To Cowboys
After a bizarre mixup led to his release from the Cowboys, Lucky Whitehead‘s agent says he is not interested in a return to Dallas. David Rich told Mike Florio of PFT that his client is hurt by the events that transpired earlier this week. 
“I can’t speak for Lucky, we’d have to have a conversation about it because he loved being a Cowboy so much. I can’t put into words — this dude loved it, loved it as much as I’ve ever had a player love an organization. Loved it,” Rich said. “This guy was arguably the most popular player on the team, which is interesting to have this happen to him, but I don’t think so. . . . [Whitehead and coach Jason Garrett] basically sat across the table, eye to eye, man to man, and he said, ‘I need you to believe me, coach.’ And they said, ‘We think you’re a liar.’”
Whitehead is now on waivers and the league’s 31 other teams will have an opportunity to claim him this afternoon. Even if everyone passes on him, it doesn’t sound like we should expect a reunion for Whitehead and the Cowboys.
It sounds like the Cowboys probably aren’t looking to re-sign Whitehead anyway, choosing instead to move on from the situation as quickly as possible. Coaches reportedly have had issues with Whitehead in the past and fourth-round pick Ryan Switzer figures to handle a lot of Whitehead’s responsibilities this season.
NFC Notes: Saints, Cards, Bears, Packers
With left tackle Terron Armstead is set to miss a portion of the 2017 season after undergoing labrum surgery, the Saints would prefer to place Ryan Ramczyk or Khalif Barnes on the blindside instead of shifting Andrus Peat from left guard, according to Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Barnes is the far more experienced option, as the 35-year-old has appeared in 151 games (117) starts during 11-year NFL career. Ramczyk, on the other hand, was just selected with the final pick of the first round in the 2017 draft. Peat, meanwhile, played left tackle at Stanford and has split time between tackle and guard with New Orleans.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Although cornerback Brandon Flowers is scheduled to meet with the Cardinals on Wednesday, head coach Bruce Arians says the club isn’t necessarily looking at the veteran defender as a starting-caliber player, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. As such, Arizona’s interest in Flowers shouldn’t be viewed as a comment on Justin Bethel, who is currently projected to start opposite Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals recently lost two backup defensive backs — Jumal Rolle and Elie Bouka — to minor injuries, so a Flowers addition would be a solid depth addition as the team heads to training camp.
- Bears defensive lineman Jaye Howard has hired David Canter as his new representation, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Howard signed a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum earlier this offseason, but the pact could be worth as much as $4MM through incentives. Given that he’s still relatively young (28) and has been productive in the past, Howard could be in line for a lengthier contract next spring if he plays well in 2017.
- Entering his third season as the Bears‘ general manager, Ryan Pace is building the Chicago roster in the mold of the Saints, the club with which Pace spent most of his career prior to heading to the Windy City, as Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Pace and the rest of the Chicago front office is clearly hoping No. 2 overall selection Mitch Trubisky turns into the next Drew Brees, but other points of comparison are apt, as well. Second-round tight end Adam Shaheen could have the game-breaking ability of a Jimmy Graham, while fourth-round running back Tarik Cohen may prove to be a passing game weapon like Darren Sproles.
- The Packers announced a series of personnel changes on Tuesday, with the most notable being college scout John Wojciechowski‘s promotion to director of pro personnel. Wojciechowski, who has also worked for the Cowboys, Jaguars, and Steelers, has been with Green Bay since 2012. The rest of the Packers’ front office changes, all of which include promotions or hirings in the scouting department, can be found at the link.
Saints Working Out LB Bryan Braman
Special-teams maven Bryan Braman recently worked out for the Saints, as his agent Sean Stellato tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
Braman, 30, has appeared in 94 career games since entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of West Texas A&M in 2011, but has never started a contest. His core responsibilities have come on special teams with both the Texans (2011-14) and the Eagles (2014-16). Last year, for example, Braman played only three defensive snaps for Philadelphia, but saw action on 82.3% of the club’s special teams plays.
The Saints were extremely poor on special teams in 2016 (27th in DVOA), and have since replaced their special teams coordinator, hiring Brad Banta to replace Greg McMahon. Per Football Outsiders, New Orleans’ was particularly lacking on kick returns, as the club lost eight points of field position on such plays (30th in the NFL).