Cards Re-Sign Darren Fells, Add Shaun Prater
The Cardinals announced a pair of roster moves today, confirming in a press release that they’ve re-signed tight end Darren Fells and added safety Shaun Prater to their roster. Fells had been an exclusive rights free agent, while Prater had been available on the open market.
Fells, 29, took on a more substantial role in the Cardinals’ offense in 2015, establishing new career highs in receptions (21), receiving yards (311), and touchdowns (three). In the wake of John Carlson‘s retirement, the Cardinals signed Jermaine Gresham as a free agent, and expected continued development from 2014 second-rounder Troy Niklas, but it was Fells who led all Arizona tight ends in catches.
Because Fells only has two accrued NFL seasons under his belt, he was an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that if the Cardinals tendered him a contract offer, he’d have to sign it if he wanted to play in the NFL in 2016. Assuming Fells accrues a third season in ’16, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next winter.
As for Prater, the veteran safety spent time with multiple teams in 2015, and was eventually cut by the Broncos near the end of the regular season. The 26-year-old has appeared in 21 NFL games, but only saw any real action on defense during the 2013 campaign for the Vikings. Prater’s new deal with the Cardinals is likely a reserve/futures contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Von Miller, Cardinals, 49ers
If Von Miller were to reach the open market, he would likely be looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who points to Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114MM deal with the Dolphins as the one Miller would like to match or exceed. As Cole notes, there would be plenty of teams with interest in the outside linebacker if he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
However, the odds of Miller hitting the open market look pretty slim. Even though the Broncos have other key free agents that could be candidates for the franchise tag, including Brock Osweiler and Malik Jackson, Denver is expected to use that tag on its star pass rusher, says Cole. That doesn’t mean Miller won’t sign a long-term deal this offseason, but it would have to be either with the Broncos or with a team willing to give up two first-round picks to land him, so his leverage will be limited.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- The Cardinals‘ top priority this offseason will be improving their pass rush, and GM Bruce Arians said on Arizona Sports 98.7 that he doesn’t expect to make an impact addition in free agency, says Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. That means that the team will likely target a pass rusher early on in the draft.
- Within his article, Urban notes that if a player like Miller were to avoid the franchise tag and reach free agency, it could change the Cardinals‘ stance. While that’s unlikely to happen, I wonder if Arizona might be willing to consider an offer sheet for the Broncos pass rusher even if he gets franchised — parting with two first-round selections wouldn’t be as significant a blow for a team like the Cardinals, whose first-rounders won’t be particularly high picks. Teams are typically hesitant to pursue other teams’ franchised players, not wanting to part with those picks, and I doubt the Cardinals would seriously go after Miller if he’s franchised. For a pass rusher of his caliber though, it’s at least worth considering.
- While the 49ers have the cap space and low payroll necessary to be very aggressive in free agency, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap doesn’t expect the team to splurge in March. Within his preview of San Francisco’s offseason, Fitzgerald suggests it would make sense for the Niners to lock up defensive lineman Ian Williams to a three-year contract and cut linebacker Ahmad Brooks.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/27/16
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Cariel Brooks (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Miami Dolphins
- WR Tyler Murphy (Twitter link via Dov Kleiman of RantSports)
New England Patriots
- DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald)
NFC West Notes: Rams, Boldin, Cardinals
Before he threw a single regular-season pass for the Rams, Nick Foles signed a two-year extension that ensured he wouldn’t be eligible for free agency this winter. Although Foles is sticking around, he won’t be handed the starting quarterback job in 2016, according to Rams general manager Les Snead.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio from the Senior Bowl, Snead told Mark Dominik and Alex Marvez that he expects Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, and any other offseason QB additions to battle for the No. 1 job this summer (link via Marvez at FOX Sports). “If I learned one thing last year, we should have let the quarterbacks have a competition from the start and the best man win instead of just passing the torch to Nick,” Snead said.
The Rams are paying Foles like the starter, as the former Eagles will count for $8.75MM against the cap in ’16. By comparison, Mannion will have a cap hit under $1MM, while Keenum – a restricted free agent – likely won’t make more than $2-3MM. Still, it sounds like Foles’ higher price tag won’t guarantee him anything.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC West…
- 49ers wideout Anquan Boldin, who is eligible for free agency this winter, spoke briefly to Chip Kelly after the new head coach joined the team, but said today that he has yet to engage in negotiations with anyone from the Niners’ front office about a new contract. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle has the details, along with Boldin’s quotes.
- Former Missouri edge defender Michael Sam plans to take “one more shot” at making an NFL roster this year, he tweeted on Tuesday. Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted when he was selected by the Rams in 2014.
- After bringing him in for a workout last month, the Cardinals have tried out defensive back Joel Wilkinson again, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Earlier today, veteran Cardinals long snapper Mike Leach announced his retirement. Our full story can be found right here.
Cardinals LS Mike Leach Announces Retirement
After spending 16 seasons in the NFL, veteran long snapper Mike Leach has decided to end his playing career. Leach announced his retirement in a Twitter post this morning, thanking the Titans, Broncos, and Cardinals for the time he spent with each franchise.
“Every journey, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end,” Leach wrote. “Today, I’ve reached the end of my journal as a player in the National Football League. It is rare in our profession that a player gets to choose when it’s over and to go out on his terms. I am making that choice before waning abilities – or worse, an injury – make it for me.”
Leach, an undrafted free agent back in 2000, spent his first two seasons with the Titans before joining the Broncos for the 2002 campaign. Since 2003, he has not missed a single game. In total, he played 235 regular-season contests, including 112 for the Cardinals over the last seven seasons.
Leach, 39, had been on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with Arizona in 2015, so his deal was set to expire this winter. As such, the Cards won’t carry any dead money on their 2016 cap now that Leach has decided to call it a career, though the team will have to find a new long snapper for the first time since 2009.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL, including the Cardinals signing their entire practice squad to new deals for 2016:
Arizona Cardinals
- Carrington Byndom, CB (press release via team)
- Rob Crisp, T
- Durell Eskridge, S
- Marion Grice, RB
- Robert Hughes, RB
- Antoine McClain, G
- Quayshawn Nealy, LB
- Olsen Pierre, DT
- Jaxon Shipley, WR
- John Wetzel, T
- Kevin White, CB
Carolina Panthers
- Donald Hawkins, T (press release via team)
New England Patriots
- James Vaughters, LB (press release via team)
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, 49ers, Graham
The Cardinals will have a handful of key contributors eligible for free agency this offseason, and if you ask the players on the roster which of those free-agents-to-be is the most important to re-sign, you won’t necessarily get the same answer. While one Cardinals player suggested to Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic that locking up safety Rashad Johnson should be the team’s top priority, another gave his vote to an offensive tackle.
“Bobby [Massie],” the player said. “I thought he had a great year. Whether he stays here or whether he doesn’t, he’s going to get paid a lot of money.”
As we wait to see how the Cardinals approach their offseason, let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFC West….
- The Cardinals may have a few notable players eligible for free agency, but head coach Bruce Arians remains excited about how the roster looks for 2016, writes Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com. “Looking at the team that’s coming back versus where we were this time last year, very few holes to fill,” Arians said. “[GM] Steve [Keim]’s already off starting to do it and this offseason already has begun.”
- While Chip Kelly should have the final say on who the 49ers‘ starting quarterback will be in 2016, team management would like to see Colin Kaepernick get another opportunity, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole indicates that the 49ers front office views Kaepernick’s $11.9MM base salary as reasonable for a starting quarterback, and believes he has the potential to bounce back under Kelly.
- Kelly didn’t use a fullback during his three seasons as the head coach in Philadelphia. What does that mean for 49ers fullback Bruce Miller? Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com examines the issue, suggesting it’s not a lock that Miller will be looking for a new home this offseason.
- Following up on John Schneider‘s comments about the Seahawks planning to bring back tight end Jimmy Graham next season, Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com breaks down why it makes sense to take the GM at his word.
West Notes: Mathieu, LA, Raiders
We learned Sunday that the Cardinals will try to lock up jack-of-all-trades defender Tyrann Mathieu this offseason. Now Mathieu, who has one year left on his rookie contract, says he hopes to stay in Arizona long term.
“Obviously, I love this team, I love this locker room, I love the coaching staff, upper management. I think this is the perfect place for me. I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of my life here,” the All-Pro safety stated Monday, per Darren Urban of the team’s website.
More from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Negotiations between the Rams and Chargers are “ongoing,” tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, as the Bolts continue in their efforts to partner with the Rams in Los Angeles. The two sides have been talking “for nearly a week straight” and are “making progress,” adds Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
- If the Chargers do end up in LA and the Raiders are unable to work something out with Oakland, they could view San Diego’s stadium situation as an upgrade – at least for the short term – according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. In San Diego, the Raiders would have Qualcomm Stadium to themselves, which isn’t the case in Oakland. The Raiders and A’s both play at O.co Coliseum, and the Raiders “hate” sharing the stadium, Krasovic writes.
- Regardless of the disdain they have for their current stadium, the Raiders are likely to remain in Oakland next season, reports Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports (Twitter link). The club has until March 31 to make a decision for 2016, but it might have to make a determination sooner, per Williamson. That could mean staying in Oakland for at least another year.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Eagles, Cards, Falcons
Bellevue, Wash., police arrested Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman in October on investigation of vehicular assault and hit-and-run, but they released the 26-year-old without charges the next day. They’re now recommending the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charge Coleman with felonies for both offenses, Jennifer Sullivan and Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times report. The prosecutor’s office will take the next several weeks to determine whether to file charges against Coleman, who was driving a Dodge pickup at a “high rate of speed,” according to police, and struck a Honda Civic traveling the same direction.
The police report, which was released Monday (per Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com), says Coleman’s truck was going 60 in a 35-mph zone, and his foot was on the accelerator at 100 percent for several seconds. That pushed the other vehicle 260 feet off the roadway up a hill. It then flipped over. The driver went to the hospital with a head injury and a fractured left clavicle, while police found a barefoot Coleman two blocks from the scene. Stephen W. Hayne, Coleman’s lawyer, said the accident dislodged Coleman’s hearing aids, which may have left him disoriented and caused him to leave the scene. The report reveals Coleman admitted to smoking “Spice,” synthetic cannabinoids, and showed signs of impairment. Police found multiple bags of synthetic cannabinoids and various drug paraphernalia in Coleman’s truck. However, there were no signs of drug consumption in the blood tests Coleman underwent several hours after the accident. Despite that, Coleman – whom police accused of driving in a manner that was “rash and heedless” and “indifferent to the consequences” – could now be in serious trouble.
The four-year veteran is set to become a restricted free agent.
Some notes on the NFC’s other bird-themed teams:
- It’s currently unclear who will quarterback the Eagles next season. If newly extended tight end Zach Ertz has his way, the club will re-sign pending free agent Sam Bradford. “I’ve played for five quarterbacks now in three years, which seems like a lot, and I want to play with Sam,” Ertz said, per Bob Ford of Philly.com. Ertz added that Bradford hopes to remain with the Eagles. “He wants to be in Philadelphia. Whether he’s back here or not, that’s none of my business, honestly. He’s going to do what’s best for him and the Eagles are going to do what’s best for us. But at the end of the day, I think he wants to be here.”
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The Cardinals finished a below-average 20th in the NFL in sacks during the regular season and took down Panthers quarterback Cam Newton just once in their 49-15 NFC title game loss on Sunday. As a result, the Cards’ top offseason priority will be strengthening their pass rush, general manager Steve Keim said Monday (per Darren Urban of the team’s website).
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Despite playing his entire rookie year with a torn right labrum, Falcons pass rusher Vic Beasley will not have offseason surgery, according to head coach Dan Quinn (link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). As Ledbetter writes, some labrum tears can be treated without surgery. Beasley led the 2015-16 Falcons with four sacks, a franchise record for rookies, and will look to build on that next season without having to deal with a shoulder injury.
NFC Notes: Cardinals, Cowboys, Buccaneers
Cardinals running back Chris Johnson hasn’t played since late November because of a fractured tibia, but the team will activate him for Super Bowl 50 if it defeats Carolina in the NFC title game, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports (Twitter link via Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo). Johnson, 30, rushed for 814 yards and three touchdowns in 11 regular-season games before landing on IR-DTR. He returned to practice earlier this month.
More on the potentially Super Bowl-bound Cards and a couple of their fellow NFC teams:
- The Cowboys are making adjustments to their offensive coaching staff, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Steve Loney, who was the Cowboys’ assistant offensive line coach this season, will become the tight ends coach. That leaves the future of incumbent TEs coach Mike Pope unclear. Marc Colombo, who played for Dallas from 2005-10, will take over Loney’s old post as the club’s assistant O-line coach.
- Carson Palmer‘s $6.35MM base salary for 2016 is on track to increase by $800,000 because of playing time escalators, tweets CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. If that happens, Palmer’s $8.15MM base salary for 2017 will decrease by the same total, however, per Corry (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers are hiring Brett Maxie as a defensive backs coach, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Tribune (Twitter link). Maxie, who coached Vanderbilt defensive backs the last two years, will join Jon Hoke as the Bucs’ second DBs coach.