NFC Notes: Raji, Iupati, Fitz, Weatherspoon
Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji is scheduled to become a free agent next month, but it appears that the 28-year-old will remain in Green Bay for at least another season. Bill Huber of PackerReport.com writes that, according to a league source, Green Bay is expected to re-sign the six-year veteran.
Raji missed all of 2014 after tearing his right bicep during the preseason, but he stayed with the team through the season to rehab and should be at full strength by training camp. Raji has played in 76 games for the Packers since they drafted him ninth overall out of Boston College in 2009. The one-time All-Pro made $4MM last season and, per Huber, is likely to re-up in Green Bay on a one-year deal.
Here’s the latest on some of Raji’s fellow NFC players:
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweeted Friday that 49ers guard Mike Iupati is expected to hit the open negotiating market March 7. Even if that happens, the three-time Pro Bowler could still end up re-signing with the 49ers, according to Maiocco.
- Earlier this month, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald agreed to a two-year contract to stay with the Cardinals, for whom he has caught over 900 passes in 11 seasons. Albert Breer of NFL Network reports that Fitzgerald’s deal is rare in that it contains a no-trade clause.
- New Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hopes the team can retain linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Weatherspoon, who’s currently without a contract, sat out all of last season because of an Achilles’ tear and missed nine games in 2013 on account of a Lisfranc injury. The five-year veteran’s only 16-game season came in 2011, when he totaled 115 tackles and four sacks
Falcons Cut Justin Blalock
Longtime Falcons offensive lineman Justin Blalock won’t be back with the team for the 2015 season — at least not on his current contract. The club has parted ways with Blalock, releasing him with two years left on his deal, Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com confirmed today (via Twitter).
The decision to cut Blalock is a little surprising, since the 31-year-old has been a mainstay at the left guard spot in Atlanta since entering the league in 2007, having started all 125 games he has played during his career with the Falcons. Additionally, the former second-round pick continues to be an above-average guard, according to Pro Football Focus — Blalock has received positive grades from the site for each of the last five seasons (subscription required).
Still, Blalock was on track to have the third-highest cap number on the Falcons’ roster, and that $7.91MM figure would also have placed him among the highest-paid guards in the NFL. The veteran will turn 32 later this year, and may not have been an ideal fit for the new coaches in Atlanta, who have decided to go in a different direction — likely a younger, cheaper direction.
Blalock will continue to count against the Falcons’ cap for $4.12MM in dead money for 2015, creating $3.79MM in cap savings. As a vested veteran, he also becomes a free agent immediately, without clearing waivers, and I expect he’ll draw some interest on the open market from teams looking for a short-term or stopgap solution on the interior offensive line.
The Falcons also cut wide receiver Harry Douglas today and running back Steven Jackson yesterday.
Falcons Release Harry Douglas
A day after parting ways with veteran running back Steven Jackson, the Falcons have released another key offensive player, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Citing a league source, Getlin reports that Atlanta has cut wide receiver Harry Douglas, who had a year remaining on his contract.
Douglas, 30, enjoyed his best season in 2013, when injuries to Julio Jones and Roddy White increased his role in the Falcons’ offense, allowing him to set new career highs in catches (85) and receiving yards (1,067). Jones and White returned to health for the 2014 season, and Douglas returned to his role as Matt Ryan‘s No. 3 target, but he still managed to rack up 51 receptions in just 12 games.
Although he was a solid third receiver in the Falcons’ offense, Douglas’ base salary was set to increase to $3.5MM for the 2015 season, and three of the Falcons’ top eight cap hits belonged to receivers, so something had to give. By releasing Douglas, Atlanta will reduce his cap number from $4.396MM to about $896K, removing that $3.5MM base salary from the books.
Douglas, who should draw some interest as a second- or third-tier wideout for teams that don’t want to pony up for a top free agent, will be eligible to sign with another club immediately, since he won’t have to pass through waivers.
Falcons Sign Matt Bryant To Extension
FRIDAY, 7:47am: Bryant’s new deal is a three-year contract, with a total value of $8.5MM, according to Vaughn McClure and Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). It will count for about $2.483MM against 2015’s cap.
WEDNESDAY, 4:32pm: Veteran kicker Matt Bryant had been eligible for unrestricted free agency in less than two weeks, but the Falcons have ensured that he doesn’t reach the open market. The club announced today in a press release that Bryant has inked a contract extension that will keep him in Atlanta.
Bryant, who has been with the Falcons since the 2009 season, has been very consistent during his time in Atlanta. He made 29 of 32 field goal attempts in 2014, with his only three misses coming from 50+ yards out. In 2013, two of his three misses were from 50+ yards.
While financial terms of Bryant’s new extension aren’t yet known, he is coming off a four-year deal that paid him $2.675MM per year. That annual salary put him just outside of the NFL’s top 10 kickers, and given how good he has been since signing it, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bumped up to the $3MM per year range. Of course, the Baylor product will turn 40 in May, so this deal almost certainly won’t be another four-year pact.
With Bryant off the market, Stephen Gostkowski and Matt Prater are the notable kickers without contracts yet for 2015. Jay Feely, Mike Nugent, and Ryan Succop are also eligible to become UFAs in March.
Falcons Release Steven Jackson
6:37pm: The Falcons confirmed the news via press release.
6:29pm: The Falcons have released running back Steven Jackson, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Zach Klein of ABC 2 (via Twitter) first reported that Jackson would be one of the players let go on Friday.
Jackson, 32 in July, appeared in 15 games for the Falcons last season, running for 707 yards off of 190 carries with 6 TDs. In two seasons with the Falcons, Jackson rushed for 1,250 yards on 347 carries with 12 touchdowns. He also added 53 catches for 339 yards and one receiving touchdown.
S-Jax first joined the Falcons as a free agent in March of 2013 after spending his entire career with the Rams up until that point. At the peak of his career, Jackson was regarded as one of the best running backs in the NFL and had three Pro Bowl selections to his credit. In his breakthrough season in 2006, Jackson ran for 1,528 yards off of 346 carries, good for 4.4 yards per attempt. In 2009, Jackson would approach those numbers with 1,416 yards off of 324 carries. Jackson left St. Louis as a 1,000+ yard rusher but he was not able to match that kind of production over the last two seasons in Atlanta.
Cutting Jackson will save Atlanta ~$3.75MM against the cap, though they’ll be left with $1.66MM in dead money. Jackson joins a list of notable veteran tailbacks who have been released this offseason as Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams, Chris Johnson, and Peyton Hillis are also seeking employment.
The release of Jackson could put the Falcons into the market for a running back in free agency or the draft, or they might simply opt to promote from within and give more touches to the likes of Devonta Freeman.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Extend DiMarco, Matthews
THURSDAY, 7:40am: Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com passes along contract details for Matthews and DiMarco, noting that both players signed two-year deals with minimum salaries in each season. DiMarco’s new pact includes a $75K signing bonus.
TUESDAY, 1:45pm: The Falcons have gotten a jump on free agency by agreeing to contract extensions with two role players, fullback Patrick DiMarco and defensive end Cliff Matthews, the club announced in a press release. Both players signed multi-year deals, adds D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta also announced that it has signed free agent receiver Nick Williams.
DiMarco, 25, has been with the Falcons since 2013, having previously spent time with the Chiefs and Chargers. During his two years in Atlanta, he’s started 14 games, catching 17 passes for 111 yards and one score. DiMarco saw 214 snaps last season, but graded out negatively according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He’s currently the only fullback on the Falcons’ roster.
Matthews saw even fewer snaps than DiMarco in 2014 (116), but he was an important factor on special teams, where he added three tackles. Like DiMarco, Matthews is a South Carolina alum — the latter was originally selected by Atlanta in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. Earlier today, we heard the Falcons were still evaluating which players fit their new scheme before making any transactions, so it seems like they’ve determined Matthews could mesh with new head coach Dan Quinn’s unit.
Williams, meanwhile, went undrafted in 2013 out of UConn, and went on to sign with Washington. He played in five games during his rookie season, acting as both a receiver and return man. His value in Atlanta will likely come on special teams duty.
Minor Moves: Cardinals, Falcons
Tonight’s minor moves..
- Former Chiefs defensive back Damond Smith has signed with the Cardinals, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Smith was with KC before being removed from the Chiefs’ injured reserve with an injury settlement in September. The 23-year-old previously played for the British Columbia Lions of the CFL.
- Former UConn wide receiver Nick Williams has signed with the Falcons, according to Zac Boyer of The Washington Times (on Twitter). Williams first joined Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
FA Rumors: Pascoe, Jean-Francois, McCourty
The agent for tight end Bear Pascoe tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client will be moving on from the Falcons next month.
“We had a great conversation with the Falcons and it looks like at this point Bear is going to explore some other options for next year and the Falcons are going to do the same,” said Noel LaMontagne, Pascoe’s agent. “The front office and Bear both were really appreciative of everything over the last year, but with coaching changes, there will always be other changes, so Bear is going to see what else is out there for the future.”
Let’s round up a few more Wednesday updates on 2015’s prospective free agents:
- After been released by the Colts earlier this week, defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois is seeking a new home for the 2015 season, and a pair of potential suitors has already surfaced. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jean-Francois has visits lined up with Washington and the 49ers this week. Jean-Francois has a history with the Niners, having spent the first four years of his NFL career in San Francisco.
- Asked about the possibility of being franchised by the Patriots, safety Devin McCourty wasn’t sure if that’s the team’s plan, but said being tagged wouldn’t be the worst thing (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald). “The franchise tag is player-friendly now,” McCourty said (Twitter link via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com). “It’s a good number.”
- After some confusion about his contract status, Lions defensive end George Johnson is being considered a restricted free agent by both the NFL and NFLPA, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). As such, there’s a very good chance Johnson returns to Detroit.
- Appearing on PFT Live today, veteran safety Mike Adams said he’d like to retire as a Colt (Twitter link). Adams, who is eligible for free agency, turns 34 next month, so there’s a chance his next contract will be his last.
- As we heard this morning, the Dolphins are working to get a deal done with tight end Charles Clay. If he remains unsigned when the free agent period arrives though, Clay’s market will be “very strong,” tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few clubs to watch in free agency, identifying the Falcons, Buccaneers, Raiders, Jaguars, and Bills as the teams poised to spend big.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Webb, Browns
Earlier this morning, we passed along word that the Steelers have restructured Marcus Gilbert‘s contract, converting base salary and roster bonus money into a signing bonus to create nearly $4MM in cap savings for 2015. Now, let’s check in on what else is going on around the AFC North division. Here’s the latest:
- In addition to trying to restructure the contract of Haloti Ngata, the Ravens are also working on figuring something out for cornerback Lardarius Webb, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Webb has a cap number of $12MM for 2015, which would only be reduced to $10MM if he were released.
- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has been running the team’s personnel department since its inaugural season, but he isn’t considering leaving Baltimore for retirement or another job, as Wilson writes. “Every time I walk in this office, it’s a good day,” Newsome said. “I enjoy coming to work every day, and the first time I walk in here and it doesn’t feel good, then that’s when I’ll call the boss and let him know.”
- The NFL will likely wrap up its investigation into the Browns‘ “Textgate” scandal this week, and announce disciplinary measures for the team, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the Falcons‘ fake crowd noise case is close to resolution as well.
- Pat McManamon of ESPN.com lays out a few reasons why he believes the idea of the Browns acquiring Sam Bradford is unrealistic.
- Belatedly responding to a report from three weeks ago, Browns president Alec Scheiner disputed the notion that he has attempted to become too involved in the football side of the team’s operations. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has the details and the quotes from Scheiner.
Tuesday Roundup: Cassel, Winston, Peterson
Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that nothing definitive has been decided about bringing Matt Cassel back to the team, but Spielman was complimentary of his veteran signal-caller when discussing him earlier this week. “We went through our process, we evaluated all of our players,” Spielman said, according to Brian Hall of FOXSportsNorth.com. “We looked at everything from what they bring to our football team, in the locker room, off the field, what they bring to us on the field. But we also have to look at where they’re at from a standpoint of their contract, where we’re at from a cap standpoint…Matt’s done a great job. Came in and has won some games when he had to play. He’s a great locker-room guy. Matt has a lot of value to us.” Cassel is signed for the 2015 season at a salary of $4.15MM, and he’ll count $4.75MM against the cap.
Now for some more links from around the league on this Tuesday evening:
- Tahir Whitehead filled in capably for Stephen Tulloch when Tulloch went out last season, and that leaves the Lions with an interesting choice this offseason, as Kyle Meinke of MLive.com writes. Detroit could continue to roll with Whitehead at middle linebacker and carve out some space by parting ways with Tulloch. The 30-year-old is slated to count $5.8MM against the cap next season. Whitehead, meanwhile, costs just $713K.
- The consensus around the league is that the Buccaneers will draft Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick, according to a tweet from the NFL Network (citing its own Ian Rapoport).
- The Colts are in dire need of a running back, and Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that the team will be closely monitoring the Adrian Peterson situation. If Peterson and the Vikings part ways, Indianapolis GM Ryan Grigson, a noted risk-taker, may pull the trigger.
- Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora has no plans to retire, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Umenyiora, 33, will become a free agent on March 10, and he said he would like to play at least one more season. If he could choose, Umenyiora stated that he would like to finish his career where it started: with the Giants.
- Packers fullback John Kuhn is one of the last members of a dying breed, but the impending free agent reaffirmed his importance to the Green Bay offense in 2014, earning first team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. As Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com writes, there is mutual interest in Kuhn’s return to the Packers.
- Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne, who has garnered interest from at least a dozen teams, is expected to sign with a club this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (writing for the National Football Post).
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes middle linebacker Nate Irving could be a fit with the Raiders if the impending free agent is not re-signed by the Broncos.
- Parys Haralson, who signed a one-year deal with the Saints in February, hopes to end his career in New Orleans, writes Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune.
- Jason Fitzerald of OverTheCap.com provides the Panthers‘ salary cap outlook for the 2015 season.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.