Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/17
Tuesday’s minor moves from around the league:
- The Bills announced that they have released tight end Blake Annen. The 26-year-old joined the team’s practice squad back in 2015, but he failed to play for the big-league club in either of his two years with the organization. Annen hasn’t recorded a reception in five career games.
- The Cowboys have signed undrafted wideout Lance Lenoir, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The Western Illinois product set several school records during his four-year collegiate career, including receptions, yards and touchdown catches. To make room on the roster, the team has released tight end M.J. McFarland. The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Texas-El Paso in 2016.
- The Titans announced that they have signed linebacker Victor Ochi and cornerback Manny Abad. Ochi, a former Stony Brook standout, appeared in a pair of games with the Jets in 2016, and he’s also spent time with the Chiefs and Ravens. Abad, a Florida Tech product, previously participated in the team’s rookie minicamp. To make room on the roster, the team released defensive back Trevon Hartfield and defensive end Caushaud Lyons. Hartfield appeared in two games with the Cardinals in 2016, while Lyons had brief stints with the Buccaneers and Steelers.
- The Falcons announced (via Twitter) that they have waived linebacker/defensive end Darius English. The former South Carolina standout finished his college career with 134 tackles and 15 sacks in 41 games. English previously played at McEachern High School, where he won AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year honors from the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of AJC).
- The Falcons have added Martin Ifedi, according to Ledbetter (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). The former seventh-round pick was waived by the Rams prior to the 2015 season, and he also had a brief stint with the Buccaneers. The Memphis product initially joined the Falcons’ practice squad late last season.
- To make room for wideout Jeremy Maclin, the Ravens are waiving tight end Barrett Burns, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Appalachian State product joined the organization less than a week ago. Over the past two season, the tight end hauled in 11 touchdowns.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, OBJ, Redskins
Earlier this week, Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant attempted to recruit free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis via Twitter. Subsequent reports indicated that the organization wasn’t pursuing the veteran, but head coach Jason Garrett was rather vague when addressing the rumors today.
“Yeah, I really don’t know the nature of that,” Garrett said (via Jon Machota of The Dallas News). “Obviously we have a lot of respect for Revis. He’s been a great player in this league for a long time.”
Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli deferred to the front office.
“I wouldn’t even speculate on anything like that,” he said. “That’s in the front office. They are the ones that decide those things.”
Predictably, Marinelli acknowledged that there could be a role for the seven-time Pro Bowler.
“Any great player you can,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where he’s at, what position.”
As we wait to see how this plays out, let’s take a look at other notes from the NFC East…
- Odell Beckham Jr. grabbed headlines this month by staying away from the Giants during OTAs, but he says that he’s not fretting his contract situation. “I leave that in the hands of the man above,” Beckham said (according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Twitter). “When that time comes, that time comes. Right now is really not the time to discuss it. When it comes, it’ll come.”
- Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa is handling “personal issues” and isn’t expected to be present at mandatory minicamp, reports ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter). The former third-round pick, who also wasn’t present for OTAs, has played in 18 games over the past two seasons, compiling six tackles.
- Redskins running back Matt Jones was absent during OTAs, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the veteran was present for mandatory minicamp. Recent reports indicated that Jones wasn’t “a part of the team’s plans for 2017,” which echoed previous rumors that the team was shopping the 24-year-old. Jones appeared in seven games last season, running for 460 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries.
Zach Links contributed to this report.
Broncos Not Interested In Eric Decker Reunion
A Broncos/Eric Decker reunion doesn’t sound like it’s in the cards. Earlier today, head coach Vance Joseph rejected the notion that the team would have interest in the veteran wideout, who was released by the Jets yesterday.
“We drafted two young guys that we’re excited about,” Joseph told reporters (including Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post). “It’s a full room of guys. It’s going to be tough to find space on our roster. We can’t add anyone now. We’re satisfied with who we got now. It’s a competitive room, it’s a young room. We’re satisfied.”
Joseph is referring to third-rounder Carlos Henderson and fifth-rounder Isaiah McKenzie, who figure to be in the mix for reps behind starters Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Besides those four, the team is also rostering wideouts Jordan Taylor, Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, Kalif Raymond, and Marlon Brown.
Despite the depth, a Decker signing would surely be embraced by the fans. The 30-year-old spent the first four years of his career in Denver, and he averaged 86 receptions for 1,176 yards and 12 touchdowns between 2012 and 2013. Decker ended up inking a five-year deal worth more than $36MM with the Jets during the 2014 offseason, and he proceeded to appear in 33 games with New York over the next three years (including an 80-reception, 1,027-yard, 12-touchdown season in 2015).
The veteran missed the majority of the 2016 campaign as he struggled through a shoulder injury. The Jets were rumored to be shopping Decker before they ultimately released the wideout.
On the flip side, the Broncos seemingly have some level of interest in free agent tight end Gary Barnidge. The veteran was released by the Browns in late April, and subsequent reports indicated that Denver had reached out to the 31-year-old. While he was more dismissive of Decker, Joseph didn’t necessarily shoot down the idea that the team could add the tight end down the road.
“It’s early,” he said. “It could be later on. But right now, no.”
Barnidge disappointed following his 2015 breakout campaign. In 16 games last season, the tight end hauled in 55 receptions for 612 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, that was still significantly better than the Broncos tight ends, as Virgil Green led the unit with only 22 catches for 237 yards and one score.
Besides Green, the Broncos are also rostering tight ends Jeff Heuerman, A.J. Derby, Henry Krieger-Coble, and fifth-rounder Jake Butt.
Michael Oher Reports To Panthers
As Panthers’ mandatory minicamp gets underway, Michael Oher has reported to the team, as Jonathan Jones of Sports Illustrated tweets. However, the offensive tackle is not out on the field practicing. 
There has been a great deal of speculation about Oher’s future in Carolina and his future in football in general. Oher hasn’t been near the team this offseason for a litany of reasons, including potential brain trauma, an alleged assault of an Uber driver, and “personal reasons.” The tackle met with GM Dave Gettleman in early May, but Gettleman hasn’t offered much in the way of details since then.
Last week, Oher was back in the news when he posted a picture to social media with what appeared to be bottles of prescription medication to deal with brain injuries. He has since deleted the picture which was captioned, “All for the brain smh.”
Oher is under contract with the Panthers through 2019 after signing a three-year, $21.6MM extension with the Panthers last summer. Right now the odds of Oher being in uniform for 2017 seem slim, but the Panthers also aren’t banking on him. Left tackle Matt Kalil, signed to a five-year, $55.5MM deal in March, is slated to start.
Ravens TE Benjamin Watson Takes Pay Cut
Ravens tight end Ben Watson has agreed to take a pay cut, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Watson is healthy, the deal could improve his chances of making the final 53-man cut. 
Watson was previously slated to make $3MM in the coming season. Instead, he’ll now take in a base salary of $1.25MM with more than half of that sum ($750K) fully guaranteed. The deal also has incentive opportunities that can bring him back up to the original $3MM mark.
Watson could be key for the Ravens in the coming year now that Dennis Pitta is out of the picture. Last year, Pitta battled back from multiple hip injuries to turn in one of the best seasons of his career. Watson might not be able to match his production – Pitta caught 86 passes for 729 yards and two scores – but he could help to fill the void.
Watson, 36, signed a two-year, $7MM contract with Baltimore last spring, but never made it on the field after going down in August. In 2015, he had 74 receptions for 825 yards and six touchdowns for the Saints.
Colts Work Out TE Larry Donnell
The Colts have invited a number of tryout players to minicamp, including cornerback Phillip Adams and former Giants tight end Larry Donnell (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of CBS4). 
At this stage of the offseason, Donnell stands as one of the most notable tight ends remaining on the open market. The Grambling State product first made a name for himself in 2014 when he had a breakout season with the Giants, catching 63 passes for 623 yards and six scores. Since then, however, he has been hampered by injuries and has been unable to reprise that performance. He missed half of the 2015 season and found himself with a lesser role in the offense in 2016. Donnell is coming off of a season with just 15 catches (22 targets) for 92 yards and one score.
Adams, 29 in July, has played for six different teams across six NFL seasons. In 2016, he was out of a job, but he’s hoping to hook on with someone for the upcoming year.
Jets Auditioning WR Kenbrell Thompkins
He’s not quite Eric Decker, but he could help fill a roster spot at wide receiver. The Jets are auditioning Kenbrell Thompkins this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Thompkins, like former Jaguars running back Denard Robinson, will participate in the Jets’ three-day mandatory minicamp. If Thompkins performs well, he could get a shot at joining the team’s preseason roster.
Thompkins is perhaps best known for his time with the Patriots, but he has also spent time with the Jets and Raiders in the past. Gang Green met with Thompkins in late May and they apparently liked him enough to loop him back in for practice this week.
In 2013 with New England, he caught 32 passes for 466 yards and four scores. In the next season, he split time with the Patriots and Raiders and didn’t have quite the same level of success (21 catches, 262 yards). After a forgettable 2015 effort with the Jets, we did not see Thompkins in live NFL action in 2016.
Jason Peters Wants Restructured Contract
On Tuesday morning, left tackle Jason Peters strongly hinted to reporters that he wants the Eagles to restructure his contract (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Peters explained that he doesn’t want to have to worry about getting cut as he enters each year of his contract and also expressed a desire to retire as a member of the Eagles.
Earlier this offseason, the Eagles approached Peters about taking a pay cut. Those talks were not fruitful, but the Eagles opted to keep him at a base salary of $10.45MM (per Over The Cap) rather than replace him.
The 35-year-old has solid comp over the next two seasons, but he has little in the way of certainty. In 2017, he’s slated to carry a $11.7MM cap number. Next year, he’ll have an $11.25MM cap figure, but the Eagles would be left with just $1MM in dead money if they choose to release him.
Peters doesn’t have leverage, per se, but the two sides could come to terms on a reworked contract that benefits everyone. A revised deal could see Peters take a cut in base salary in the next two years in exchange for a bump in guaranteed money or even years.
Last season, Pro Football Focus placed Peters as the eighth-best tackle in the entire league. His 88.3 overall score on PFF ranks as the third-highest showing of his career. For his career, he has made nine Pro Bowls and is a three-time first-team All-Pro.
Jets Looking At Denard Robinson
The Jets want to see what running back Denard Robinson has to offer. The former Michigan standout is working out for Gang Green this week, according to his agents (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jets Release WR Eric Decker]
Robinson, 27 in September, will participate in the Jets’ three-day mandatory minicamp and try to make a solid impression on coaches. After making a name for himself as a quarterback at Michigan, Robinson converted to running back for the Jaguars.
The fifth-round pick appeared in 55 of the Jaguars’ 64 games in that span and made 13 starts, with the bulk of his career 263 carries coming in 2014. That season, Robinson piled up 135 rushes for 582 yards – good for a quality YPC of 4.3 – scored four touchdowns and totaled a personal-high 23 catches. Unfortunately, Robinson’s production has dipped since then, as he posted the second-worst YPC (3.5) of his career in 2016 off of 41 attempts.
The Jets have a pretty crowded group in the backfield, particularly after adding Jordan Todman on Monday. Still, Robinson is hoping to find his way on to the 90-man roster in New York.
Redskins Announce Front Office Changes
The Redskins are reshuffling things in the front office. On Tuesday morning, the team announced a number of moves, including the promotion of Doug Williams to the title of senior vice president of player personnel. 
In related news, Eric Schaffer has been named vice president of football operations and Scott Campbell will become senior personnel executive. The most notable element here, however, is perhaps the move that wasn’t made by Washington. The team did not announce a new general manager, giving the impression that team president Bruce Allen will once again call the shots and have final say over the roster.
Williams, of course, is a Redskins legend for his Super Bowl XXII MVP performance following the 1987 season. In that game, the former first round pick helped the Redskins put up 42 points as they downed John Elway and the Broncos. Williams, who has spent eleven years in various scouting and personnel roles with the Buccaneers and Redskins, says that he is excited for the new challenge.
“You want this day to come. You hope it comes. It’s here today,” Williams said at a presser on Tuesday morning. “I’m blessed and I’m going to embrace it.”
At least for this year, the expectation is that Williams & Co. will report to Allen, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. More tweaks could be on the way, however. Redskins’ Director of Pro Personnel director Alex Santos is one of the execs that could be primed for a bigger role, per Pelissero.