Lions Rumors: Carter, Maclin, Golladay
The Lions are planning a position switch for a recent draft pick. Additions of D.J. Hayden, Teez Tabor and fifth-round pick Jamal Agnew at cornerback led the Lions to ask their 2015 third-rounder — Alex Carter — to relocate to safety, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports. This would stand to give Carter a better chance to make the roster and attempt to launch a career that hasn’t taken off yet. The former Stanford performer has only played in one NFL game in two years. A 2015 ankle injury put Carter on IR, and the team didn’t see enough from him in 2016 to activate him for more than one contest.
At safety, Detroit has starters Glover Quin — who is in a contract year — and Tavon Wilson, with backups Miles Killebrew and Don Carey behind them. It’s a thinner situation than cornerback looks, as Roster Resource details, but Meinke notes Carter is no lock to make the team. More is expected of Killebrew, a 2016 fourth-round selection, in Year 2, and Carey is a constant on special teams. Jim Caldwell identified Carter’s frame, at 6-foot and 205 pounds, as a reason for the move.
Here’s more out of the Motor City.
- The Chiefs made one of the more surprising moves of the offseason by making Jeremy Maclin an old-school, June 2 cut. Maclin immediately vaults to the top of the UFA wide receiver contingent, and the Lions could still be in need of a third reliable wideout after Anquan Boldin‘s contract expired. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com weighs the fit for Maclin in Detroit, noting the salary would have to be right. Maclin just saw the Chiefs move on from a five-year, $55MM contract. That said, Maclin, at 29, probably profiles as a player who will want a role more substantial than as a No. 3 behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. Tate earns $6.2MM per year, and Jones averages $8MM annually. A Maclin commitment may be untenable. Boldin fits that description better, but the sides haven’t talked a deal in a while.
- June 1 passing means the Lions do, however, gain $5.99MM in cap space after the funds from DeAndre Levy‘s release became available, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap notes. The Lions now possess $8.638MM in cap space. Levy’s deal will saddle the team with $4.8MM in 2017 dead money.
- Third-round wide receiver Kenny Golladay remains the only Lions draft choice unsigned. This is due to the CBA’s cloudier language regarding third-round picks, with Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noting third-rounders’ base salaries in Years 2-4 of their contracts can fluctuate compared to players chosen in every other round of the draft. Golladay, though, is working out with the team and expected to be signed by training camp.
- Jarrad Davis signed a fully guaranteed rookie deal worth $10.969MM, Birkett reports. Davis receives a $6.117MM signing bonus. Tabor, assigned to travel from Florida to the Motor City a round after Davis, saw the Lions fully guarantee the base salaries in his first two seasons. Tabor’s signing bonus came in at $1.647MM, per Birkett. Both ex-Gators will have $465K base salaries as rookies.
- Sixth-round quarterback Brad Kaaya signed for four years and $2.523MM after being a one-time Day 2 prospect, Birkett reports, with a $123K signing bonus. None of the Lions’ draft choices received any additional bonuses beyond their signing bonus.
Is The NFLPA Still Preparing For A Lockout?
We learned back in May that the NFLPA’s board of representatives had approved a plan that would set aside millions of dollars into a “work-stoppage fund,” allowing the players to make some money if an NFL season is cancelled or delayed. Now, it sounds like the Players Association wants the athletes to start saving up their own personal money as they prepare for a potential lockout in 2021.
“We wound up in a situation where unfortunately [savings] didn’t happen across the league as much as it could have happened,” spokesman George Atallah recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
“In 2009, we were faced with a major sort of signal that the owners were going to try and lock players out. We were trying to get as many players prepared as possible. . . We need players of every generation to really help the young guys understand what it takes to go through some labor strife. For the players who went through it in 2011, the union administration and player leadership did everything it could to prepare players across the league. I think it needs to happen again with the same sort of fervor.”
This game plan is easier said than done. Florio notes that a solid portion of the potentially impacted players are currently in college or high school. Therefore, it might be especially unrealistic to expect these kids to be financially conservative after they finally sign their first NFL contract.
Alternatively, Florio suggests that the NFLPA could find a clever way for players to make money during a potential lockout, thus providing them with some leverage as they’re negotiating with the league. There were talks in 2011 of unaffiliated exhibition games, and the writer believes the players should start the process of determining these specifics now (as opposed to down the road).
The union already has more than $314 million in net assets, and that doesn’t account for the $90MM they’re expecting from that previously-mentioned “work-stoppage fund.” 2016 royalty money will still be handed out to players this fall, with the “equal share” starting to see an impact for the 2017 campaign
The NFL has reportedly approached the NFLPA regarding a renegotiation multiple times, but to no avail. “Stadium credits” will surely be atop the list of sticking points, along with how money is allocated via the lucrative television deal. Offseason practice rules and Roger Goodell‘s “authority over discipline” will also presumably be discussed.
Extra Points: Seahawks, Lynch, Browns, Rice
While it doesn’t sound like the Seahawks are going to add quarterback Colin Kaepernick, starter Russell Wilson indicated that he’d welcome the former division rival.
“I haven’t had the chance to be around Colin too much, but the times I have he’s been great,” Wilson said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “Obviously, I think first of all he’s a really, really good football player. He’s made a lot of good plays in a lot of big games and done a lot of good things. I have tons of respect for him in that way. And then in terms of everything else he stood for, I think he was trying to stand for the right things, he was trying to stand for equality. And so I respect that too, as well. . . . I wouldn’t have any issue at all. As many good players as we could have, the better.”
Reports indicated that the Seahawks weren’t going to sign Kaepernick because they believe he deserves a starting role, and there were whispers that the two sides also couldn’t agree on a monetary value for the quarterback. However, Florio wonders if Pete Carroll and the organization may be trying to avoid a controversy.
There have been murmurs that Wilson hasn’t received the full support of his teammates. If the Seahawks faced any adversity next year, Florio wonders if some members of the Seahawks would push for Kaepernick to take over the starting role.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- According to ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia, Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch has several performance-based incentives in his contract that could add $5.5MM to his salary in 2017 and $2MM in 2018. As the writer explains, the running back could earn this extra money via incentives for “rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, the Raiders making the playoffs, Lynch making the Pro Bowl, Lynch earning regular-season MVP honors and Lynch earning Super Bowl MVP honors.”
- The Browns acquistion of Calvin Pryor does provide some much-needed depth at safety, but ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon notes that the team is still “one player short of a starting unit at linebacker.” There have been whispers that the Browns could utilize Pryor and rookie Jabrill Peppers in a 4-2-5 alignment, with Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey serving as the linebackers. However, before the team commits to this strategy, McManamon believes they have to determine whether Pryor is even capable of starting.
- After having served as an unofficial coach for New Rochelle High School’s football team over the past three years, former Pro Bowler Ray Rice is now the squad’s official running backs coach, according to Josh Thomson of Lohud.com. The 30-year-old will also assist with the secondary, his defensive position during his time with the Huguenots. “Ray has been around so much that there’s more buzz when visiting teams see him and when visiting parents see him or when we’re out in public,” said coach Lou DiRienzo. “These kids are around him all the time. He’s Ray to them. A celebrity is not in their midst.”
NFC Notes: Saints, Cowboys, Falcons
The Saints signed linebacker Alex Okafor to a one-year, $3MM deal earlier this offseason. While the money and opportunity were obviously alluring, the former fourth-rounder acknowledged that he was really entice by the opportunity to play with former college teammate, Kenny Vaccaro.
“He definitely stuck his neck out for me,” Okafor told the Associated Press. “It’s surreal. Not many guys get to go back and play with some of their college teammates that, I mean, are as close as we are.”
Having started 25 games between 2014 and 2015, Okafor played more of a reserve role for the Cardinals last season. However, the 26-year-old was working with the starters during OTAs, and he’s confident that he can still play a major role on the Saints’ defense.
“It’s just a fresh start and a great opportunity,” Okafor said. “I’ve been that guy before and I know I can be that here.”
That’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…
- It’s sounding like the NFL’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is winding down, and Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says there are three possible scenarios that could play out next. For starters, the NFL could simply continue their investigation. They could alternatively determine that the running back “violated the Personal Conduct Policy,” and they’d presumably slap him with some type of punishment. The ideal route (at least in this impartial writer’s eyes) is the third option, which sees the NFL clearing Elliott and ending their investigation.
- Thanks to Claire Z. Cardona of The Dallas News, details have emerged on Nolan Carroll‘s arrest last week for driving while intoxicated. Police pulled the Cowboys cornerback over at 2:20am after seeing him driving on the wrong side of the road. The 30-year-old told police that he hadn’t been drinking, and he noted that he “had not taken prescription medications or illegal drugs in the last 24 hours.” After getting arrested, Carroll “refused to voluntarily give a blood specimen.”
- Now that he’s done playing, Michael Vick is turning his attention to a new pursuit in the NFL. “I would love to coach in the National Football League one day,” Vick told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “… At some point, I’d definitely love to help work with young quarterbacks and develop them and still compete, you know, with the team and with the coaches. It’s another way to chase a championship. You know I’m not done. I’m not done by any means. You know I didn’t get the championship when I was playing, so, hey, maybe I’d get lucky one year, maybe fortunate enough to join the staff that may be good enough.” The former quarterback is hoping to sign a one-day deal to retire with the Falcons, an indication that his career is officially over. He also confirmed to Schefter that he is done playing.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Reaction To Jeremy Maclin’s Release
The Chiefs surprised the NFL when they released veteran wideout Jeremy Maclin last night. Coach Andy Reid, who worked with the receiver in both Kansas City and Philadelphia, acknowledged that it wasn’t an easy move to make.
“These decisions are never easy, especially with a player like Jeremy who I’ve grown close with on and off the football field over the years,” Reid said (via Terez A. Paylor of KansasCity.com). “I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business and how he handles himself as a professional. I wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
Maclin finished his Kansas City tenure with 27 games played between two NFL seasons. The wideout hauled in 131 total catches for 1,624 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Let’s check out some more reactions from around the league…
- We took a look at the cap implications for 2017, but Paylor explores how the release impacts the Chiefs in the future. The team will be stuck with $4.8MM in dead money in 2018, although the release still results in $8.6MM in total savings.
- Paylor notes that with the move, the organization should now have more than enough money to sign all of their draft picks. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and running back Kareem Hunt all remain unsigned.
- The Chiefs took a considerable risk by waiting until yesterday to release Maclin, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Thanks to the post-June 1st designation, there was financial incentive to waiting. However, the team allowed Maclin to participate in five OTA sessions, and they would have been on the hook for $10MM had Maclin suffered a season-ending injury during that time.
- Should the Eagles pursue a reunion with Maclin? Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com is under the impression that they should. The organization did add Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith this offseason, but the writer believes the offense could still use some reinforcement. The Eagles don’t have a whole lot of cap room at the moment, so Shorr-Parks wonders whether Maclin would be willing to take a discount to return to Philadelphia.
- The Ravens are a “perfect landing spot” for Maclin, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. Joe Flacco could certainly use another target, especially following the injury to pass-catching tight end Dennis Pitta. Similar to the Eagles, Baltimore doesn’t have much cap space, so they wouldn’t be able to engage in a bidding war for the receiver. However, if Maclin is looking to slot atop the depth chart for a potential contender, then the Ravens should be considered.
Seahawks, Colin Kaepernick Were Apart On Money
While the Seahawks did have interest in free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the two parties’ inability to come to an agreement was based on money, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Reports earlier this offseason indicated Kaepernick might be searching for a salary “befitting a high-end backup quarterback or a low-end starter,” and that type of pay might not be palatable for the Seahawks, who are already paying Russell Wilson nearly $22MM per year. But Seattle clearly had sincere interest in Kaepernick, who remains the top quarterback available on the free agent market.
“Colin has been a fantastic football player and he’s going to continue to be,” said head coach Pete Carroll, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “At this time we didn’t do anything with it but we know where he is and who he is and we had a chance to understand him much moreso. He’s a starter in this league and I can’t imagine — we have a starter. But he’s a starter in this league and I can’t imagine somebody won’t give him a chance to play.’’
For now, the Seahawks will forge on with only Trevone Boykin and Jake Heaps behind Wilson. Of the pair, only Boykin boasts any NFL experience (18 passing attempts), but the second-year pro has already been in legal hot water this offseason.
Chiefs Tried To Trade Jeremy Maclin
The Chiefs “dabbled” in trade negotiations to evaluate interest in wide receiver Jeremy Maclin before releasing him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
That Kansas City wasn’t able to find any takers is rather unsurprising, as any club that acquired Maclin would have been responsible for his 2017 base salary of $9.75MM. While that figure isn’t guaranteed, it wouldn’t have made sense for another team to give up assets for Maclin unless it was prepared to pay his salary. With Maclin now a free agent, any club with interest can now add Maclin without sacrificing draft capital (and perhaps at a cheaper salary).
The Chiefs didn’t ask Maclin to accept a paycut before cutting him, reports Garafolo. Additionally, it’s unclear why Kansas City didn’t release Maclin near the start of the new league year in March. Given that the Chiefs could have designated him as a post-June 1 cut, the financial ramifications would have been the same. Such a move would have allowed Maclin to hit the free agent market much earlier, however.
Maclin will receive a prorated portion of the $250K workout bonus he was due, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
Texans Working Out WR Javontee Herndon
The Texans worked out free agent wide receiver Javontee Herndon today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
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Herndon, 23, had spent most of his career on the Chargers’ practice squad, but saw action in eight games on the club’s active roster in 2015, during which time posted 195 yards on 24 receptions. Additionally, Herndon was a factor on special teams, averaging 7.4 yards per punt return and 22.4 yards per kick return. After suffering a knee injury last August, however, Herndon was placed on injured reserve and spent the entire season on the sidelines.
While Herndon would likely have trouble seeing regular offensive snaps given that Houston’s depth chart is led by DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Braxton Miller, he could help out as a returner. The Texans ranked dead last in special teams DVOA a season ago, and lost 8.3 points on kick returns. If signed, Herndon would likely compete with Tyler Ervin — a 2016 fourth-round pick who was Houston’s primary return man last year — for playing time.
The Texans signed wide receiver Dres Anderson earlier today, so it’s unclear if the club is still interested in adding another pass-catcher such as Herndon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Cowboys have signed center Ross Burbank and waived wide receiver Quincy McDuffie, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Per Archer, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said earlier this week the Cowboys were in need of offensive line depth, and they’ve now added another front five player in Burbank, who was originally an undrafted free agent in 2016. He’s spent the past year with the Raiders and Seahawks, but doesn’t have any NFL experience. McDuffie, meanwhile, had signed a reserve/futures deal with the Cowboys in January.
- The Giants announced that they’ve waived/injured wide receiver Jalen Williams, who has since cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve. Williams, a UMass product, signed with New York as an undrafted free agent just over a month ago. During his senior collegiate season, Williams posted 27 receptions, 520 yards, and six touchdowns. Now that he’s cleared waivers, Williams could conceivably be let go with an injury settlement, a transaction that would allow him to become a free agent.
- The Falcons have signed wide receiver Marvin Hall and waived offensive lineman Robert Leff, the club announced today. Hall, a 2016 undrafted free agent, has spent time with Oakland and Arizona during his NFL tenure, but was waived by the Cardinals last month. He’s now part of a deep Atlanta wideout unit that includes Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Taylor Gabriel, and others. Leff, meanwhile, was a UDFA in this year’s draft.
- The Chargers announced that they’ve waived cornerback Michael Lee in order to create a roster spot for newly-signed draft pick Dan Feeney. Lee, 25, spent the majority of the 2016 campaign on Los Angeles’ practice squad, and had signed a reserve/futures contract in January.
Cardinals Waive QB Zac Dysert
The Cardinals have waived quarterback Zac Dysert and safeties Drico Johnson and Cyril Noland-Lewis, the club announced today.
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Dysert, 26, has bounced around the league since entering the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice in 2013, and the Cardinals were the sixth club he’s been with during his four-year career. Arizona promoted him to the active roster last December in order to prevent losing him to Miami, but Dysert still has yet to take a snap in a regular season contest. Given that the Cardinals tendered him as an exclusive rights free agent earlier this year, Dysert had been scheduled to earn a minimum salary in 2017.
Arizona’s recent signing of free agent quarterback Blaine Gabbert signified that at least Cardinals signal-caller was likely to lose his roster spot, and Arizona seemingly Trevor Knight, a Texas A&M product who signed with the Cards as an UDFA, over Dysert. Gabbert and Knight will compete for snaps behind starter Carson Palmer and backup Drew Stanton.