Poll: Chris Johnson’s Future Home
The Titans gave running back Chris Johnson his unconditional release today, giving the three-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL rushing leader the freedom to choose his next team. There was speculation that Tennessee would try to trade Johnson, but a prohibitive salary and the decreased value of running backs led to a lack of substantive interest league-wide.
Now comes the streaming of rumors as to who’s in and who’s out on the Chris Johnson market, much like we saw when former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson became a free agent a week ago today. In this rumors roundup post by PFR’s Luke Adams, we see that four teams — the Jets, Bills, Dolphins and Falcons — all discussed a possible trade for Johnson, but nothing came to fruition.
In this writeup by SI.com’s Chris Burke, the writer outlines eight teams as potential landing spots for the one-time 2,000-yard back: Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Bears, Cardinals, Broncos, Rams, and Jaguars.
Will CJ2K end up with one of these eight teams? Or is there a sleeper team Burke failed to mention that could wind up utilizing Johnson’s services for the foreseeable future? Let us know in this PFR poll.
Cardinals Cut LaRon Byrd, Dan Giordano
The Cardinals have parted ways with wide receiver LaRon Byrd and linebacker Dan Giordano, announcing today that they’ve cut both players, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details. Neither Byrd nor Giordano saw any action in 2013 due to injuries.
Of the two players, only Byrd has appeared in an NFL regular season game, recording a single reception for the Cards in 2012. He spent last season on injured reserve after suffering a concussion during the preseason. Giordano had been signed as an undrafted free agent out of Cincinnati, was on the Physically Unable to Perform list in 2013 due to a toe injury.
Draft Notes: Savage, Lions, Bills, Falcons
With the 2014 NFL draft now just five weeks away, you can expect at least one round of draft updates per day from us, and often it’ll be more. Here’s Thursday’s afternoon updates on a few prospects and the NFL teams that are eyeing them:
- The stock of Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage is on the rise, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, who says Savage has had workouts with nine NFL teams so far and has another seven scheduled for this month (Twitter links).
- Martavis Bryant certainly isn’t the biggest name among the Clemson receivers in this year’s draft class, but he seems to be drawing some interest from the Lions, who hosted him for a pre-draft visit today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
- The Bills announced two more pre-draft visits today, revealing that Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland and Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell were in town on Thursday.
- Speaking of Breeland, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Falcons are high on the Clemson DB. Pauline adds that the team is at Liberty University today, working out cornerbacks Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg.
- Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman recently met with Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Danna, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten will visit the Chargers next week, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The cousin of Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Cards, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
Draft Notes: 49ers, Patriots, Verrett
At the beginning of the offseason, it was thought the 49ers might target a receiver in the first round, but with the draft a month away, cornerback has become the team’s top draft need, writes Doug Williams of NBC Bay Area.
In other draft prospect news…
- TCU cornerback Jason Verrett has visits lined up with the Steelers, Jets and Cardinals, according to Fox’s Alex Marvez (via Twitter). All three teams value speed, athleticism and man-coverage skills. Verrett boasts sub-4.4 speed and outstanding leaping ability.
- Drafting Aaron Dobson in the second round last year won’t preclude the Patriots from taking a receiver in the first round this year, writes NESN’s Doug Kyed, who lists five prospects who would be good fits.
- When asked about the likelihood of a quarterback run in the draft’s top ten picks (consequently pushing down highly regarded prospects at positions of need), Lions GM Martin Mayhew acknowledged momentum might be slowing on that scenario. “I think (if) you said that a month ago, everybody would have signed off on that,” Mayhew told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “But if you say that now, you don’t know how it’s going to go with the quarterbacks.”
- Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker worked out for the Ravens and will also work out for the Saints and Colts, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A potential late-round pick, Walker was not invited to the Combine.
Notes On Visits: Reynolds, Verrett, Smallwood
Free agent guard Garrett Reynolds is scheduled to meet with the Titans on Wednesday, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
Reynolds, selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, appeared in 15 games for Atlanta last season and started 10 of them. He only played in seven games in 2012 (starting six of them), so he has accumulated about a full season’s worth of snaps over the course of the past two years. Over that time, however, he has earned positive grades for his play, so this would mark a quality, low-cost signing should Tennessee pull the trigger.
Our Luke Adams put Reynolds in the third tier of free agent guards last month but specifically mentioned him as a potentially valuable asset for a team not looking to pay big money at the position.
Now for some quick notes on other visits:
- Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 has compiled a list that will continue to be updated of the prospects the Bills are bringing in to team facilities for official visits. This list might be particularly relevant for Bills fans; Buscaglia tweets that Buffalo’s first round pick in each of the last four years visited Orchard Park prior to the draft.
- One of the top corners in this year’s draft, TCU’s Jason Verrett, will be visiting the Steelers, Jets, and Cardinals in the coming weeks, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
- Although he did not play at a big-time football program, UConn linebacker Yawin Smallwood was a bit-time playmaker for the Huskies. Despite tweaking his hamstring at the combine, Smallwood has a number of visits lined up, according to Ross Jones of FOX Sports. He will meet with the Falcons later this week.
Cards Sign LeQuan Lewis, Eddie Whitley
TUESDAY, 3:06pm: Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com confirms (via Twitter) that the Cards have signed Lewis, and adds that the team has also inked cornerback Eddie Whitley to a two-year contract. Whitley, a Virginia Tech alum, has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
MONDAY, 10:55pm: The Cardinals will sign cornerback LeQuan Lewis to a two-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Lewis, 25, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has logged time with seven NFL teams, but last took a snap as a member of the Buccaneers in 2012. The contract likely contains a minimum salary, and serves as a chance for Lewis to make the Cardinals this summer, probably as a special-teamer.
More DeSean Jackson Rumors: Saturday
SATURDAY, 11:27am: Add the Redskins and Bills to the teams with interest in Jackson, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
10:30am: Schefter tweets that nine teams have now inquired on Jackson.
10:27am: At least seven teams expressed interest in Jackson’s services on Friday, Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that Jets GM John Idzik did not. The Raiders have been researching Jackson for weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and the team isn’t in a hurry to make a rash decision.
FRIDAY, 7:23pm: The Eagles officially informed DeSean Jackson of his release on Friday, and we’ve already rounded up one set of links dealing with the aftermath of that decision. Of course, with one of the league’s most explosive wide receivers now on the open market, plenty more rumors have followed, so let’s dive and check out the latest….
- Unsurprisingly, the Bears won’t be among the teams pursuing Jackson, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune confirms.
- As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted earlier this afternoon, six teams called to inquire on Jackson shortly after news broke that the Eagles were cutting him, and that number could increase.
- Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Chiefs were one of those teams that reached out to Jackson’s reps.
- There are definitely people within the Jets‘ organization that have interest in Jackson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. However, Mehta adds that it’s not clear how interested owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik are.
- In addition to the Chiefs and Jets, the Raiders are in the mix, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source connected to a team with interest in Jackson tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that “the gang stuff [reported by NJ.com] is totally overblown,” but that there are legitimate concerns about potential attitude issues.
- The Cardinals have zero interest in Jackson, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), and the same can be said about the Buccaneers, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Despite Ron Rivera‘s comments to USA Today earlier in the day, the Panthers also aren’t interested in signing Jackson, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Person, who says the team made the decision before the receiver was even released, tweets that Rivera wasn’t trying to “play games” — he just made what he believed were innocuous comments, not realizing the impact.
- The entire ESPN.com team of beat writers has assessed the likelihood of Jackson landing with their respective clubs.
NFC Links: Marshall, 49ers, Winston
A couple of notes from around the NFC…
- Brandon Marshall is not worried about this future with the Bears, and he said as much on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000 (via ESPNChicago.com). “One way or another, they’re going to get the deal done,” Marshall said.
- The 49ers have been seeking a veteran inside linebacker and Brandon Spikes was one of the players on their list, says ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). The player ultimately proved to be too expensive and signed with the Bills.
- In a separate article, Williamson gives a list of potential veteran linebackers that the 49ers could be interested in. Among them are Desmond Bishop, Dan Connor and Jonathan Vilma.
- Offensive tackle Eric Winston still hopes to return to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from SiriusXM NFL Radio. The tweet quotes Winston: “I’ve maintained I hope I’m going back to (the Cardinals). I still think there’s a possibility for that, but have to keep looking.”
- Prior to signing with the Saints, Ramon Humber considered signing with the Vikings and the Patriots, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Advocate.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Barr, Bucannon, Webster
As mentioned earlier today, the Browns were one of only two teams that weren’t in attendance for Texas A&M’s (or, realistically, Johnny Manziel‘s) Pro Day. This is interesting, considering the team has the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft and has been seeking a franchise quarterback for a very long time. Among those that believe the team will snag a quarterback in the first round is Brown’s wide receiver Josh Gordon. The All-Pro talent said that he was “pretty sure” that his team would select a quarterback, but Gordon did not initially mention Johnny Football. According to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, the receiver instead brought up former UCF quarterback Blake Bortles or Louisville junior Teddy Bridgewater. Of course, Gordon eventually added Manziel to his list, saying the former Heisman winner would “seem to be the top guy on (his) list right now.”
A couple of other notes regarding some NFL prospects…
- Former UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr will meet with the Cowboys, Falcons, Titans and Vikings, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. The meeting with the Falcons is scheduled for this Saturday.
- All-American safety Deone Bucannon will visit the Ravens today and tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The former Washington State Cougar would fit in nicely with a secondary that just lost veteran James Ihedigbo to the Lions.
- Bloomsburg defender Larry Webster has a busy week ahead of him, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). Webster has a visit and workout scheduled with the Lions, a workout scheduled with the Panthers, and visits set up with the Cardinals and Buccaneers.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Allen, Rams, Bucs, Lions
Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s David Newton, head coach Ron Rivera attempted to clear the air when it came to the Panthers‘ decision to release Steve Smith. While there had been a belief that Smith was viewed as a locker-room distraction, that wasn’t the case, according to Rivera, who said the decision was purely a football one.
“This is not a fly-by-night decision,” Rivera said. “This was not a personal decision…. There was nothing personal about it. I’m a little disappointed that so many people reacted the way they did without truly understanding there was a lot of things that go into this. This was not a willy-nilly, fly-by-night vengeful thing. This was a very calculated [decision].”
Here’s more from around the NFC, with a focus on head coaches’ comments from Orlando….
- Rivera also made it clear this morning that the Panthers will be drafting at least one receiver, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who originally reported that Jared Allen was expected to sign with the Seahawks, hears from the defensive end that the Bears entered the mix for him at the last minute.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher told reporters today, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), that his team hasn’t had trade talks involving the No. 2 pick at this point. Of course, that’s not to say discussions won’t occur at some point.
- The Rams will host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a private workout, according to Fisher (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
- Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links) passes along a couple highlights from Lovie Smith‘s conversation with the media today. According to the Buccaneers head coach, the team feels good about Josh McCown and Mike Glennon but could add another quarterback in the draft. Smith also said that extending Gerald McCoy‘s contract is a priority: “We want him around for a long time.”
- Before tight end Jim Dray signed with the Browns, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians was very interested in bringing Dray back to the Cardinals, tweets Nate Ulrich.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the club would like to add a pass-rushing outside linebacker, and are looking for “a little bit different flavor” rusher to pair with Ezekiel Ansah, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- Caldwell and Lions GM Martin Mayhew will both attend Texas A&M’s Pro Day tomorrow to check out wide receiver Mike Evans, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).