Extra Points: Campbell, Mathis, Falcons
Back in June, we heard that quarterback Jason Campbell was planning to retire from the NFL. However, Campbell hasn’t yet made the decision official, and according to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), at least three teams have inquired on the veteran free agent. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com points out (via Twitter), pseudo-retirement ended up benefiting Kyle Orton a year ago, so it’s possible a desperate team will make it worth Campbell’s while to continue his playing career.
Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Field Yates of ESPN.com has the breakdown of Evan Mathis‘ one-year deal with the Broncos, tweeting that the pact features $750K in per-game roster bonuses and up to $750K in playing-time incentives. Mathis can start earning those incentives if he plays 55% of Denver’s offensive snaps, and would max out if he plays at least 85%.
- Falcons president Rich McKay, who was disciplined by the NFL as part of the team’s penalty for pumping in fake crowd noise to their stadium, has been reinstated to the league’s competition committee, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The decision becomes effective immediately.
- Colts coaches seem to be doing their best to create competition at the nose tackle spot, which defensive coordinator Greg Manusky acknowledges is one of the most important positions on the team’s defense. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star has the details.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Notes: Galette, Chancellor, Falcons
The hits keep coming for Junior Galette, as the Saints are claiming that the veteran outside linebacker voided the guarantee on his base salary of $1.25MM for this season and don’t intend to pay any of that money, according to two sources who spoke with Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
It’s not clear exactly how the team believes Galette voided that guarantee, and there’s no indication the Saints are trying to get back any of the $12.5MM they paid him in the spring, but that $1.25MM figures to be a point of contention. Galette, who signed with Washington in the offseason, suffered a torn Achilles and has been ruled out for the season.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- While it hasn’t received the sort of attention that a quarterback’s holdout would, the Kam Chancellor situation is drawing plenty of interest around the NFL, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who writes that teams – and even some agents – don’t want to see the Seahawks cave to their star safety. In La Canfora’s view, the club has to be willing to see if Chancellor will give up game checks.
- According to former agent Joel Corry (via Twitter), Chancellor’s holdout has cost him his salary guarantee for this season, unless his contract language is different from other Seattle deals. Meanwhile, former team executive Andrew Brandt suggests (via Twitter) that he thinks the Seahawks will waive Chancellor’s fines if and when he reports, but the team can’t say that now, since there’d be no incentive for Chancellor to end his holdout.
- Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports has some details on the Eagles‘ new deal with Mychal Kendricks, tweeting that the linebacker got a signing bonus worth $8MM and will get $16.9MM over the next three years.
- The Falcons considered signing offensive guard Evan Mathis, but elected not to pull the trigger on a deal, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “We certainly did evaluate him,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “Thomas [Dimitroff] and I both did.” Mathis, of course, signed with the Broncos on Tuesday. A deal with the Falcons would have marked a homecoming of sorts for the Birmingham native.
- In an effort to cut back on his day-to-day involvement, 72-year-old Falcons owner Arthur Blank will hire a CEO to oversee all of his for-profit businsess, including the Falcons, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Falcons Sign Rex Grossman
8:48am: The Falcons have waived/injured running back Evan Royster to make room for Grossman, per McClure (via Twitter). That means the team will carry four quarterbacks on its roster for now.
8:12am: After taking a physical and working out for the team yesterday, free agent quarterback Rex Grossman has agreed to terms with the Falcons, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Grossman will be signing a one-year deal with Atlanta, reuniting with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Throughout the preseason, T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree have been vying for the Falcons’ backup quarterback role behind Matt Ryan, but neither signal-caller has seized the job. Yates entered camp as the presumed favorite, but he has completed just 52.8% of his passes in the preseason so far, and has thrown the team’s only two interceptions.
Grossman, who turned 35 on Sunday, hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2011 in Washington, and we heard earlier this month that he was still recovering from an injury he sustained while training. However, the veteran QB has a history with Shanahan, so the new Falcons offensive coordinator may feel more comfortable with Grossman than he currently does with Yates or Renfree. It remains to be seen whether Yates or Renfree will be cut to accommodate Grossman’s signing, or if the team will temporarily carry four quarterbacks.
In addition to being the last season in which he saw regular-season playing time, 2011 was a year that saw Grossman get an extended opportunity as a starter for Washington — he went 5-8 as the club’s starter, throwing 20 interceptions and just 16 touchdowns. In Atlanta this time around, Grossman shouldn’t see any real game action unless something goes horribly wrong.
According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Grossman’s deal will be for the minimum salary, which is $970K for a player with his experience.
Latest On Julio Jones Extension Talks
With Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and T.Y. Hilton all receiving new mega-deals this offseason, the focus on the wide receiver market has now turned to Julio Jones and A.J. Green, the next star wideouts in line for lucrative new extensions. While we haven’t heard many concrete updates on Green’s situation with the Bengals, recent reports have suggested Jones and the Falcons are making progress.
Despite the fact that the two sides have yet to reach an agreement, there’s still optimism in Atlanta that a deal is on the way. On Monday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that there’s no cause for concern when it comes to Jones’ contract.
“There’s no hold up at all,” Blank said. “It’s just the process that you have to go through. It’s a bit of a dance. He’s got a very good agent with experience. We have a great relationship with [agent Jimmy Sexton]. That [agency] has signed the last two big receiver contracts done in the league. We’re committed to Julio, who is committed to us. We’re getting close to where we need to be.”
Blank’s suggestion that the Falcons are “getting close” to where they need to be in contract talks indicates that an extension for Jones could be right around the corner. However, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link) throws some cold water on that notion, citing sources who say that negotiations between the two sides “stalled significantly” last week.
When the Broncos and Thomas were negotiating their new agreement earlier this summer, we heard similar reports about stalled talks and a large gap between proposals, but the team and player ultimately reached a deal at the last minute. The Falcons would probably like to get some resolution one way or another on Jones’ contract before the season begins, so there’s still plenty of time between now and Week 1 for discussions to reignite and for Atlanta to reach a compromise with its top playmaker.
Rex Grossman Visiting Falcons
Free agent quarterback Rex Grossman is currently in Atlanta, where he’s geting a physical with the Falcons, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to McClure, Grossman is also expected to work out with the team this afternoon, following his physical.
It’s not clear yet which quarterback will back up Matt Ryan in Atlanta this season, with T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree vying for the No. 2 job. Yates entered camp as the presumed favorite, but he has completed just 52.8% of his passes in the preseason so far, and has thrown the team’s only two interceptions.
Grossman, who turned 35 on Sunday, hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass since 2011 in Washington, and we heard earlier this month that he was still recovering from an injury he sustained while training. However, the veteran signal-caller has a history with new Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, so Shanahan may feel more comfortable with Grossman than he currently does with Yates or Renfree.
The Falcons figure to make a decision on whether or not to sign Grossman following today’s physical and workout.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15
Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
- The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
- The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
- The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
- The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
- The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
- The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
- The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
Injury Update: 8/23/15
Here’s the latest on the injuries suffered during this weekend’s preseason games…
- Falcons wideout Roddy White is scheduled to have a “minor procedure” on his elbow, but Andrew Hirsh of AtlantaFalcons.com reports (via Twitter) that the veteran should be ready for the start of the season. Vaughn McClure of the ESPN.com notes (on Twitter) that White isn’t a fan of surgeries, so there must not have been any other options.
- Bills coach Rex Ryan doesn’t expect cornerback Leodis McKelvin to end up on the physically unable to perform list, tweets Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News. This would be an indication that the former first-rounder would be ready sometime in the first six weeks.
- Saints wideout Nick Toon is expected to miss two to three weeks with a high-ankle sprain, according to Ross Jones of FoxSports.com. The suggested recovery time would mean Toon could miss the team’s opener.
- Jaguars receiver Arrelious Benn fractured his collarbone, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union says the 26-year-old is set to have surgery on Tuesday (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Barkley, Mays, Seahawks, Falcons
A look at the latest from the NFC:
- Eagles quarterback Matt Barkley is available “for the right deal,” a source told ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini (Twitter link). Barkley, a fourth-round pick out of USC in 2013, could be the odd man out in Philly with Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow also on the team’s QB depth chart.
- The Seahawks may have a hole at safety with Kam Chancellor holding out, but don’t expect them to sign free agent Taylor Mays, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweeted. Mays, whom Detroit officially released earlier today, played for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll while the two were at USC. Mays’ successful college career hasn’t translated to the pros, though, as he’s already been a member of four organizations since San Francisco chose him in the second round of the 2010 draft.
- Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has started 87 straight games, the fifth-longest streak among NFL passers, and that’s especially fortunate for Atlanta, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Falcons might have the worst No. 2 QB in the league in T.J. Yates, per Cunningham, who bolsters his opinion with some help from PredictionMachine.com. According to the website, the Falcons’ playoff chances would decrease by a league-high 85.3 percent if they played with Yates instead of Ryan for a full 16-game season.
- Vikings receivers coach George Stewart offered effusive praise for veteran wideout Mike Wallace, whom the team acquired from Miami during the offseason. Wallace is the fastest receiver Stewart has coached during his 27-year career, he told Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Stewart also expressed excitement over the impact Wallace will make as a blocker. “Excellent toughness,” Stewart said. “He’s not afraid of contact. He’s going to block (cornerbacks) corners, he’s going to block safeties. You have some receivers who are kind of shy when it comes down to that moment of truth hitting the defensive back. He’s not shy.
Community Tailgate: Who Will Win DROY?
We’re still a few weeks away from the start of regular-season battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This summer, we launched a new series here at PFR known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Yesterday, we asked you to take your pick on who will be this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year. Today, in the interest of equal time, we want to know who you think will be this year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Any list of DROY contenders has to have Jets rookie Leonard Williams near the top. The USC defensive lineman was touted by some as the top talent in this year’s class but thanks in part to the team needs at the top of the draft, the Jets managed to snag him with the No. 6 overall pick. At 6’5″ and 300+ pounds, Williams offers tremendous athleticism for his size and is a proven run stopper. Many wondered exactly where Leonard would fit on the Jets defensive line, which already featured stars like Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, but Richardson’s suspension and subsequent run-in with the law have opened up a major opportunity for Williams to be an impact player in his rookie year.
Linebacker Vic Beasley, taken at No. 8 by the Falcons, is another strong contender for the award. Beasley has been roundly praised for his agility at the linebacker position and many feel that he’s going to be a menace for opposing quarterbacks right out of the gate. It also helps Beasley’s case that he’ll be under the tutelage of Dan Quinn, who is known for developing tough players in the front seven. For what it’s worth, the Clemson product also looked impressive in his preseason debut.
Outside of those top ten picks, other viable candidates for the trophy include a pair of “red flag” guys in Cowboys linebacker Randy Gregory and Broncos defensive end/linebacker Shane Ray. Without their respective off-the-field issues, both players would have been strong candidates to go inside of the top ten on talent alone. Staying in the front seven, there was great buzz surrounding Kentucky’s Bud Dupree in the months leading up to the draft and he now finds himself with a franchise that is historically known for it’s hard-nosed defense.
A defensive back has not won DROY since Charles Woodson did it in 1998, but early cornerbacks like Marcus Peters (Chiefs) and Trae Waynes (Vikings) could get in the mix if they get opportunities to make big plays.
Who do you think will win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2015? Let us know in the comments below!
NFC Notes: Benjamin, Falcons, AP, RGIII
The Panthers are holding their collective breath as they await the results of an MRI on Kelvin Benjamin‘s left knee. The Panthers wideout went down with an apparent non-contact injury during today’s joint practice with the Dolphins, and while head coach Ron Rivera indicated that it’s a sprained knee, there’s a chance the injury is more serious than that. If Benjamin has to miss regular-season action, it’ll be bad news for a Carolina receiving corps that’s lacking legit playmakers outside of Benjamin. Jonathan Jones and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer have the details.
As the Panthers and their fans wait on the results of that MRI, let’s round up a few more items from across the NFC….
- A report yesterday suggested that free agent quarterback Rex Grossman was drawing interest from the Falcons, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says it’s the other way around, tweeting that Grossman is interested in the Falcons. According to Ledbetter, the team is happy with T.J. Yates and Sean Renfree behind Matt Ryan.
- Within an extensive look at Adrian Peterson‘s unusual offseason, Eli Saslow of ESPN The Magazine says that the Vikings running back wants to play another eight season in the NFL, in the hopes of breaking Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record.
- Washington would like to stick with Robert Griffin III as the team’s starting quarterback for the entire 2015 season in order to make a fully informed decision about his future, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The club has already picked up RGIII’s fifth-year option for 2016, but that salary doesn’t become guaranteed until the first day of the ’16 league year, so Washington could still decide to move on from the young QB if this season doesn’t go well.
- The Cardinals‘ signing of running back Chris Johnson is a potential coup, and a move straight from the Steve Keim playbook, writes Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic.
- Lions safety James Ihedigbo, who had been seeking a new contract earlier this year, still feels like he’s in his prime as he prepares to turn 32 years old, he tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.