Cardinals Release Ernie Sims
The Cardinals have cut linebacker Ernie Sims, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link). Arizona added Sims a little over two months ago on a minimum salary benefit contract (with $10K guaranteed), but as Urban notes, he was unlikely the usurp the cadre of LB talent ahead of him on the depth chart.
Sims, 29, was selected ninth overall in 2006 by the Lions, and has since spent time with the Eagles, Colts, and Cowboys. In 12 games (six starts) for the Dallas last season, Sims contributed 42 tackles and a forced fumble. However, his Pro Football Focus grades were significantly below average, due in large part to subpar run defense (subscription required). Sims should be able to find a new home, as several teams have suffered devastating injuries at the linebacker position (with the Falcons, Bills, and Cowboys among them).
Veteran Larry Foote and second-year player Kevin Minter are the favorites to start at inside linebacker in Arizona, and with Lorenzo Alexander and Kenny Demens acting as backups, there simply wasn’t room for Sims. The Cardinals’ roster count now sits at 88, so they might make a few moves in the coming days to fill out their club.
Luke Adams contributed to the post.
NFC Notes: Falcons, Cardinals, Packers
Falcons fifth-round linebacker Marquis Spruill will miss the 2014 season after tearing his ACL, the team told reporters, including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 23-year-old Syracuse product could have conceivably contributed to a thin Atlanta linebacking corps that already suffered the loss of veteran Sean Weatherspoon, but now the Falcons will presumably place Spruill on injured reserve and look to fill his roster spot with another LB. McClure thinks (Twitter links) that Nick Barnett and/or Kion Wilson, who last played for the Redskins and Steelers, respectively, could be options for Atlanta. More from the NFC:
- Dan Connor, who worked out for the Falcons after Weatherspoon’s injury, might have intrigued Atlanta following the loss of Spruill, but as David Jones of the Patriot-News reports (h/t: McClure), Connor has taken an assistant coaching job at Division II West Chester University. Connor, 28, hasn’t officially retired, but after suffering a multitude of injuries throughout his career, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to find a new career path.
- Veteran linebacker John Abraham, who signed a two-year, $4.6MM deal prior to last season, has the most team-friendly contract on the Cardinals, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Larry Fitzgerald has the least tenable deal in Arizona, per Fitzgerald, as the receiver is in the midst of a seven-year, $113MM extension.
- Cardinals second-year safety Tyrann Mathieu, who tore his ACL in December, tells Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com that he hopes to return to the field soon. “I expect to be at practice the next two to three weeks,” said the 22-year-old. “Hopefully we can stick to that timetable.”
- Randall Cobb needs to stay healthy in order to receive an extension from the Packers, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Green Bay signed fellow receiver Jordy Nelson to a four-year, $39MM deal last month, and Cobb knows he has yet to show he is worth similar money. “I don’t believe I’ve done enough,” Cobb said. “I think my job is to come out here every day, do what I’m supposed to do, work hard and hopefully my time will come.”
Jake Ballard To Retire
Tight end Jake Ballard has opted to end his playing career, announcing his retirement today. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along Ballard’s statement, in which he says it was an honor to spend time with the Giants, Patriots, and Cardinals.
“I love this game and have put my heart and soul into it for as long as I can remember,” Ballard said. “After sustaining a serious knee injury while playing for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, my body never felt the same. Having a quality of life after football is very important to me and I have witnessed it taken away from others. I will miss the game tremendously, but I am ready for this next chapter in my life.”
Prior to sustaining that ACL injury, Ballard had his best season as a pro in 2011, compiling 604 receiving yards on 38 receptions and scoring four touchdowns. The 26-year-old had re-signed with the Cardinals this offseason, so Arizona will open up a roster spot now that Ballard is heading toward retirement.
Minor Moves: Saturday
Here are some minor transactions from around the NFL on Saturday:
- The Rams have waived wideout Jamaine Sherman from injured reserve with an injury settlement, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports.
- The Seahawks have waived defensive tackle Jesse Williams with the injured designation, tweets The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. The player has cleared waived and will be placed on the team’s injured reserve.
Earlier updates:
- To make room for new addition Samson Satele, the Dolphins have waived rookie lineman Samuel Longo, the team announced on Twitter.
- The Seahawks have indeed claimed Cory Brandon off of waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Field Yates. Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reported that the move was likely following the release of Michael Bowie.
- The Texans have released tight end Chris Coyle to make room for Irwin, tweets James Palmer of Comcast Sportsnets Houston. Houston added the rookie tight end in late July.
- Josh Hull‘s contract with the Jaguars will be a two-year deal, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Hull signed earlier today, along with Kenny Shaw and David Carter. The team waived three players to make room for the signings.
- The Patriots have released rookie wide receiver Cole Stanford, according to the team’s official website.
- The Texans have signed offensive guard Bronson Irwin, an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. He was recently released by the Seahawks.
- The Cardinals were awarded linebacker Trevardo Williams off waivers from the Texans, reports Josh Weinfuss of ESPN (via Twitter). The team released cornerback Todd Washington to make room for Williams.
Matt Feminis and Ben Levine contributed to this post.
NFC West Links: 49ers, Cooper, Bailey
The 49ers‘ running back depth took a hit this week when Kendall Hunter and LaMichael James both suffered injuries. As the team tries to keep starter Frank Gore fresh and healthy for the regular season, some other players have had a chance to shine. Rookie Carlos Hyde has particularly taken advantage of the opportunity and has drawn praise from the entire coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman remarked on the second-round pick’s ability to pick up instruction (via Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee)…
“I guess, you know, somebody that’s seven-years-old playing the piano and you kind of show them, they hear it, and then they start playing the piano,” Roman said. “It’s one of those things that if you can explain it to him, once it clicks with him – and that’s happened repeatedly on a lot of different things – he just makes that adjustment, and we keep moving.”
Coach Jim Harbaugh even went as far as to compare the rookie to the veteran he’s hoping to back up.
“Carlos gets football, understands football; it’s natural for him to understand the game, similar to Frank Gore,” Harbaugh said. “And we’re seeing those things, and both are very good signs and bode well for us.”
- 49ers defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey tore his bicep earlier today, and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson tweets that Isaac Sopoaga could be an option to replace him. The 32-year-old split 2013 between the Eagles and the Patriots.
- Cardinals guard Jonathan Cooper missed all of 2013 recovering from a broken fibula. The team was counting on their former first-rounder to contribute this season, but coach Bruce Arians doesn’t sound overly optimistic. “I’m a little disappointed with where Coop is at right now,” Arians told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “I’d hope he come a little faster.” To perhaps make a bit of a statement, the team played Earl Watford with the first team during practice (via a tweet from ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss).
- Even with his impending four-game suspension, Rams receiver Stedman Bailey has been impressive at camp, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. This is leaving many, including coach Jeff Fisher, confident that the second-year player will make a big impact once he returns. “He’s there,” Fisher said. “He knows how to get open, and knows how to make the plays. Yes, we’ll miss him, but he’s going to push right through camp and we’ll get through his ordeal and we’ll get him right back in the lineup.”
Extra Points: Abraham, Casey, Jags, Bucs
Some assorted to notes to close out this Friday evening:
- Cardinals linebacker John Abraham, who was arrested for DUI last month, has issued a statement through the team’s website. He says, in part, that he is “taking the necessary steps to handle [his] personal business.” A previous report indicated that Abraham was set to join Arizona’s training camp next week.
- Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey is coming off of a career season and is seeking a contract that reflects that, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. While he says that he doesn’t want to cause any headaches, Casey is earning just $1.43MM this season and knows that the top performers at his position are earning more than five times that number.
- The Jaguars are working out former Florida State wide receiver Kenny Shaw today, tweets Mark Long of the Associated Press. The Browns cut Shaw, a UDFA, last last month when they signed Rutgers product Jamaal Westerman.
- The Buccaneers will pair new tight end additions Brandon Myers and Austin Seferian-Jenkins with holdovers Tim Wright and Luke Stocker to form a solid position group, writes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, who notes that Jenkins and Wright have the capacity to line up wide.
- The Texans’ newly-implemented 3-4 defense, lead by coordinator Romeo Crennel, is starting to round into form, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFC West Notes: Witherspoon, Starks, Abraham
Though he has yet to officially retire, linebacker Will Witherspoon is taking steps in that direction, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (on Twitter) that Witherspoon has taken a job as the Rams‘ radio sideline reporter. Witherspoon, 33, is a veteran of 12 NFL seasons, having spent time with the Panthers, Rams, Eagles, and Titans. He reportedly engaged in contract talks with both the Rams and the Falcons earlier in the offseason, but it looks as if he’ll get started on his media career rather than continue as a player.
More from the NFC West:
- After the 49ers drafted Marcus Martin in the third round, some figured he might get a chance to challenge Daniel Kilgore for the right to replace Jonathan Goodwin as San Francisco’s center. But, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes, Martin’s sprained ankle has disallowed him from even practicing, let alone acting as a serious threat to Kilgore.
- Newly-signed Cardinals tackle Max Starks is excited to be reunited with head Bruce Arians’ familiar playbook, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “All the terminology seems to be the old terminology, so it’s starting to click again,” said Stark, who played under Arians’ coordination with the Steelers. “Obviously it’s been two years since I was with [Arians] so just getting used to that lingo and getting that going.”
- Per Weinfuss on Twitter, Starks has already begun working with the second-team offense at Cardinals camp, supplanting Bradley Sowell.
- The Cardinals expect veteran linebacker John Abraham, who is sorting through legal issues, to report to camp “within five or six days,” Arians told reporters, including Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic.
- Undrafted linebacker Shayne Skov, who played under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, is impressing at 49ers camp, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com.
Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..
- The Seahawks removed Taylor Price from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets. The Seahawks put the wide receiver on the IR earlier this week.
- The Chiefs cut linebacker Ben Johnson and the Giants waived-injured defensive back Travis Howard, Wilson tweets.
- The Dolphins announced that they have signed linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. To make room for Rau on the 90-man roster, Miami waived/injured Tariq Edwards, tweets Bryan McIntyre.
- Former Buccaneers running back Michael Smith is signing with the Jets today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals signed linebacker Derrell Johnson, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter). Johnson, a UDFA out of East Carolina, was cut by the Dolphins just days ago.
- The Giants signed cornerback Chandler Fenner, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Fenner was waived by the Seahawks when they signed ex-Giants corner Terrell Thomas.
- The Cowboys signed defensive end Kenneth Boatright to a two-year contract this afternoon, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter). Boatright was previously a member of the Seahawks.
- The Falcons signed defensive tackle Theo Agnew, tweets Wilson.
- After practice today, Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell announced that the team has released Trevardo Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Tania Gangull. Williams, a fourth-round outside linebacker from last season, never saw a regular season snap.
- The Chargers have signed cornerback Lowell Rose, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Jets cut Rose late last month when they signed free agent Jason Babin.
- The Giants signed rookie free agent Adam Gress after placing tackle Troy Kropog on injured reserve, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Seahawks announced that they have released wide receiver Randall Carroll and signed linebacker Marcus Dowtin, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter). Dowtin saw three games of action with the Giants in 2013 before being released in March.
- The Cardinals announced that they have signed offensive tackle Max Starks, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 6’8″, 345 lineman spent time with the Rams and Chargers in 2013 after playing for Pittsburgh from 2004-2012. To make room for Starks, the Cardinals cut tackle Cory Brandon and kicker Danny Hrapmann, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
- The Texans signed wide receiver Joe Adams and offensive tackle Brice Schwab, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Adams, 24, played at Arkansas and was drafted in the fourth round by Carolina in 2012. Schwab, 24, played at Arizona State. He signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent last year. The Texans waived-injured Bryan Witzmann to make room for Adams, Wilson tweets.
Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals
Notable signings:
- Jared Veldheer (OT): Five years, $35MM. $10.5MM guaranteed.
- Ted Ginn Jr. (WR/KR): Three years, $9.75MM. $3.25MM guaranteed.
- Antonio Cromartie (CB): One year, $4MM. $3.25MM guaranteed.
- Matt Shaughnessy (DE): Two years, $4.4MM. $2.2MM guaranteed.
- Frostee Rucker (DL): Two years, $2MM. $600K guaranteed.
- Larry Foote (LB): One year, minimum salary benefit. $513K guaranteed.
- Ted Larsen (C): Two years, $2.6MM. $470K guaranteed.
- John Carlson (TE): Two years, $3.2MM. $100K guaranteed.
- Jake Ballard (TE): One year, minimum salary benefit. $65K guaranteed.
- Jonathan Dwyer (RB): One year, minimum salary benefit. $65K guaranteed.
- Anthony Walters (S): One year, $645K.
- Marcus Benard (OLB): One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Jay Feely (K): One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Bryan McCann (CB): One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Ernie Sims (LB): One year, minimum salary benefit.
Notable losses:
- Javier Arenas (DB)
- Yeremiah Bell (S)
- Jasper Brinkley (LB): Released
- Antoine Cason (DB)
- Daryn Colledge (G): Released
- Karlos Dansby (LB)
- Jim Dray (TE)
- Mike Gibson (OL)
- Jeff King (TE)
- Rashard Mendenhall (RB): Retired
- Dontay Moch (DL): Waived
- Andre Roberts (WR)
- Alfonso Smith (RB)
- Kory Sperry (TE)
- Ronald Talley (DE)
- Ryan Williams (RB): Waived
- Eric Winston (OT)
Extensions and restructures:
- Patrick Peterson (CB): Extended through 2020. Five years, $70.05MM. $16.25MM guaranteed.
- Larry Fitzgerald (WR): Restructured contract. Converted $11.75MM of his 2014 base salary into a signing bonus. Reduced 2014 cap hit by $9.4MM.
Trades:
- Acquired a first-round pick (No. 27) and a third-round pick (No. 91) from the Saints in exchange for a first-round pick (No. 20).
Draft picks:
- Deone Bucannon, S, Washington State (1.27): Signed
- Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame (2.52): Signed
- Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina (3.84): Signed
- John Brown, WR, Pittsburg State (3.91): Signed
- Logan Thomas, QB, Virginia Tech (4.120): Signed
- Ed Stinson, DE, Alabama (5.160): Signed
- Walter Powell, WR, Murray State (6.196): Signed
Other:
- Exercised Patrick Peterson‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($10.081MM), before extending him.
- Learned that Daryl Washington has been suspended for the season.
- Signed 15 rookie free agents after the draft.
There was a time when the NFC West wasn’t all that menacing. That’s not quite the case anymore. The Cardinals’ 10-6 mark earned them nothing more than a bronze medal thanks to being in the same group as the 49ers and the Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Arizona made a handful of moves this offseason that could give them a better chance in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.
The Cardinals’ offensive line left something to be desired in 2013 and it was no surprise that Jared Veldheer turned out to be their biggest offseason expenditure. Former first-round pick Levi Brown was the club’s starting left tackle to kick off the season but the club couldn’t withstand him poor play any longer and shipped him to the Steelers in October. Bradley Sowell stepped into the role in his place, but didn’t do much better. Enter Veldheer. The Raiders didn’t see the 26-year-old as a top shelf left tackle but Arizona certainly did and they were delighted to land him with a five-year, $35MM deal. Veldheer missed eleven games last season thanks to a triceps injury but he looked just fine in his partial season and could prove to be quite the value for the Cards. At the very least, he’ll be a noticeable upgrade over the matador that was Brown.
Wide receiver Andre Roberts left to sign with the Redskins where he expected to see more targets before the club added DeSean Jackson, but they added wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. to a three-year deal. The 28-year-old was back for 26 punt returns and 25 kickoff returns for Carolina last season but he also enjoyed his best season as a WR, hauling in 36 catches and 556 receiving yards with five TDs, showing that he’s more than a strong return man. The Giants, Bucs, and others had interest in adding Ginn and it’s not hard to see why. The Cards also added a pair of tight ends in former Viking John Carlson and rookie Troy Niklas. Carlson, who was also drawing interest from the Jets and Packers, recorded a total of 40 receptions for 387 yards in his two seasons with the Vikings as the team’s second tight end behind Kyle Rudolph.
One of the Cardinals’ most notable offseason moves came just days ago when they signed cornerback Patrick Peterson to a brand-new five-year, $70.05MM extension. Typically, we’d round that number down, but the extra $50K elevates Peterson above Seahawks star Richard Sherman as the league’s highest-paid cornerback in terms of average annual value. While Sherman and Joe Haden (and scores of fans) might have a bone to pick with Peterson holding that mantle, there’s no denying that Peterson is a true shutdown cornerback and his age (24) is no small factor in his value. Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to ink a contract extension and after setting the table for Cowboys lineman Tyron Smith, he’ll probably open up the flood gates for others in the coming weeks.
When opposing quarterbacks find their top receiver smothered by Peterson, they won’t have an easy time completing a pass elsewhere thanks to rookie safety Deone Bucannon and free agent pickup Antonio Cromartie. Last year was the fifth straight season in which the 29-year-old recorded at least three interceptions, though he wasn’t as strong in coverage as usual, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). After ranking 16th among cornerbacks in 2012, he placed in the bottom 10 in 2013, with receivers averaging 19.1 YPC on their 49 receptions against him. If Cromartie gets back to his old self, however, the one-year, $4MM make-good contract will be a major bargain. The Cardinals traded back from No. 20 to the No. 27 pick and some were surprised when they used that selection to grab Bucannon. However, Arizona knew they needed a heavy hitter in the secondary and the Washington State product certainly fits the bill. Bucannon should serve as a nice compliment to speedy safety Tyrann Mathieu.
While the secondary improved, one has to wonder about the state of the front seven and the linebacking corps in particular. Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, who career year with 112 tackles, 6.0 sacks and four interceptions, left to sign with the Browns. Daryl Washington, who could have capably stepped into his shoes, was suspended for the 2014 season thanks to his latest substance-abuse policy violation. Free agent pickup Larry Foote will be expected to help fill the void, but it’s hard to say what kind of impact he can have coming off of a season in which he missed all but one game. Also, while he started 16 games at ILB in 2012, he ranked just 46th of 53 qualified inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Rising sophomore Larry Minter will also see some more playing time, but it’s hard to see that duo replicating the kind of production that Dansby and/or Washington would have brought.
Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Jets, Peterson, Lynch, Gruden
Rex Ryan‘s Jets take a lot of heat but they have every right to be loud and express themselves, opines Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Ryan’s Jets were at their best with the volume turned up to ear-splitting levels from 2009-2011 with trash talk coming from Bart Scott and Antonio Cromartie. While those two are gone, it’s clear that the swagger is back in East Rutherford, New Jersey. More out of the AFC and NFC East..
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the full details of Patrick Peterson‘s extension with the Cardinals. Last night, Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to ink a contract extension, two years away from reaching free agency. Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith became the second member of the 2011 class to ink an extension earlier today.
- Peterson told Alex Flanagan of the NFL Network (Twitter links) that becoming the league’s highest-paid cornerback was a point of emphasis during negotiations and went so far as to say it was “very important” to have that title. The total new money in the five-year extension works out to $70.05MM, which is no coincidence. The extra $50K allows the Cardinals CB to edge out Seahawks star Richard Sherman as the highest paid corner in terms of average annual value.
- In a piece for the National Football Post, former NFL agent Joel Corry offers up some solutions to Marshawn Lynch‘s holdout with the Seahawks. One of Corry’s ideas would be for Seattle to convert this year’s $500K rushing yards incentive into 2014 base salary, if not the entire $1MM in incentives for both years. The conversion would use $1 million of Seattle’s $7.55MM of existing salary cap room and if they wanted to spread out the cap hit over two years, the $1MM could be a signing bonus instead.
- New Redskins coach Jay Gruden says the zone read option will remain a part of the playbook but how often it’ll be utilized remains to be seen, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.
- Chiefs defensive back Ron Parker has overcome some long odds to reach the top spot on the team’s depth chart at his position, writes Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star. The 26-year-old has been cut by three different NFL teams but has finally found a home in KC.
- Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the big reason why the Titans didn’t pick up Jake Locker‘s option was the injury risk involved. Tennessee didn’t want to make a significant guarantee to the quarterback based on the last two years.