Roddy White Extension Expected By Camp
Roddy White and the Falcons had been hoping to hammer out a new contract for the veteran receiver following the draft, but a life situation has put those talks on hold, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. White’s half-brother Tyron Moore Jr. was fatally shot on May 17, and neither the player nor the team feel comfortable negotiating a deal so soon after Moore’s passing.
Still, with White entering the final year of his contract, the two sides are expected to revisit the subject a little later in the offseason. Rapoport writes that an extension is expected to be finalized in time for training camp, and points to Brandon Marshall‘s new three-year, $30MM deal as a potential point of comparison.
After citing Marshall’s deal, Rapoport concedes that the Bears star is a couple years younger than White, which figures to be reflected in their respective contracts. Marshall is also coming off two of his best seasons, while White was slowed by injuries last season and caught just 63 balls for 711 yards, his lowest marks since the 2006 season. As ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure detailed earlier in May, a better comparable for White may be Reggie Wayne, who signed a three-year, $17.5MM extension with the Colts at age 33 — White turns 33 this fall.
Last week, Falcons owner Arthur Blank expressed optimism that White and fellow wideout Julio Jones spend their entire careers in Atlanta, so the team figures to eventually shift its attention to an extension for Jones. The former sixth overall pick is currently under contract through 2015, after the Falcons exercised his fifth-year option for that season.
Extra Points: Matthews, Gordon, Rams, Pats
It’s a new day when it comes to rookie contracts in the NFL, writes former exec Andrew Brandt for The MMQB. Of course, salaries and contract length are now predetermined for every pick, taking the negotiating out of the process. Because of that, many players are questioning why they need to have an agent to handle rookie contracts at all. Here’s more from around the league..
- Falcons first round pick Jake Matthews will receive a $10.269MM signing bonus on his four-year, $16.435MM guaranteed deal, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. As is the case for the rest of his fellow first-rounders, the deal for the No. 6 overall pick also includes a fifth-year option.
- Browns General Manager Ray Farmer said that he doesn’t think a superstar receiver is crucial to a team’s success, which may not bode well for Josh Gordon‘s long-term future with the club, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. “I would say ‘how important are those guys?”’ Farmer told 92.3 The Fan. “Name the last big-time receiver to win a Super Bowl. Name the last mega-guy. (Gordon) matters to me because I like the guy and I think he’s a really good player, but at the end of the day, when you look at the teams that have these mega-receivers, name the last guy that won a Super Bowl?… There are none. The last guy that really helped his team get there was T.O. (Terrell Owens).”
- The Rams signed undrafted free agent wide receiver Jordan Harris, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. The Baylor product racked up over 2,200 yards over the last two years.
- The Patriots announced that they have signed first-year defensive back Daxton Swanson out of Sam Houston State and undrafted free agent defensive lineman L.T. Tuipulotu from Utah. To make room, the Pats released rookie free agent safety Jeremy Deering (Rutgers) and first-year wide receiver Greg Orton (Purdue).
- Packers free agent Jermichael Finley tweeted out that he has received “Awesome News!” with the hashtag “#IWillRiseAgain” which could be an indictation that he has been cleared to play. Finley, once regarded as one of the best tight ends in the NFL, missed the bulk of last season.
Draft Signings: Falcons, Dolphins, Bengals
We’ve been tracking all of this year’s draft pick signings by team right here, and we have a few new deals to add to that list. Here are the latest draftees to officially ink their deals, or at least agree to terms, with their new NFL clubs:
- The Falcons have agreed to terms with fourth-round running back Devonta Freeman, the team announced today (via Twitter). Third-round safety Dezmen Southward is the only Atlanta draftee that has yet to reach a deal with the club.
- Fifth-round tight end Arthur Lynch has signed his rookie contract with the Dolphins, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Having been picked 16 spots ahead of fellow Miami fifth-rounder Jordan Tripp, whose signing is noted below, Lynch will receive a signing bonus worth $28K+ more (about $191K).
Earlier updates:
- The Bengals have now locked up half of their eight draft picks, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed fifth-round quarterback A.J. McCarron and seventh-round defensive back Lavelle Westbrooks. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, McCarron’s signing bonus will be nearly $182K, while Westbrooks will receive a more modest bonus worth about $46K.
- Third-round center Travis Swanson announced today that he has officially signed his rookie contract with the Lions, posting a photo on Instagram that shows him putting pen to paper. First-rounder Eric Ebron and second-rounder Kyle Van Noy are the only Detroit draftees who remain unsigned.
- The Dolphins have agreed to terms with their first of eight draft picks, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who hears from a source that fifth-round linebacker Jordan Tripp has reached a deal with the club. The 171st overall pick should be in line for a signing bonus worth about $163K on his four-year contract, per Fitzgerald.
South Notes: Andre Johnson, Texans, Saints
In a series that has been running for several weeks, former agent Joel Corry and former Jets executive Ari Nissim have been conducting mock negotiations between J.J. Watt‘s reps and the Texans, giving National Football Post readers an idea of what real extension discussions might look like. In the fifth installment of the series, the two sides ultimately decide to table negotiations, having failed to reach a middle ground that works for both sides. It should be interesting to look back at these hypothetical talks if and when Watt and the Texans actually do agree on a new deal to see how the numbers compare.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two South divisions:
- The Texans don’t have interest in trading Andre Johnson, and it would be difficult financially anyway, so head coach Bill O’Brien and GM Rick Smith are working with and talking to the standout receiver in an effort to alleviate his concerns about the club’s direction, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Johnson voiced some frustration with his role and his future last week.
- Drew Brees, who missed the Saints‘ summer practice sessions and workouts two years ago before signing a long-term deal in July, is familiar with Jimmy Graham‘s current position, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com details. “It’s a leverage game and it’s back and forth. And the team has a job to do and the player has a job to do in regards to their contract,” Brees said. “And so you just understand that that’s the way it is, and you live with it. And when he’s here, I know he’ll be ready to play. I know he’ll be staying in good shape and all those things. I’m not worried about Jimmy Graham. When he comes back, he’ll be ready.”
- In pieces for ESPN.com, Triplett, David Newton, Vaughn McClure, and Pat Yasinskas wrap up the offseason moves for the Saints, Panthers, Falcons, and Buccaneers, respectively.
Falcons Reach Deals With Matthews, Hageman
The Falcons have agreed to terms on contracts with their top two draft picks, the team announced today (via Twitter). Sixth overall pick Jake Matthews and 37th overall selection Ra’Shede Hageman have reached agreements with Atlanta, leaving just two unsigned rookies out of the club’s nine-player draft class.
Matthews becomes the seventh first-rounder to agree to a deal with his new NFL club, and the second-highest pick to do so, after Oakland’s Khalil Mack, who went fifth overall. As Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com show, the offensive tackle’s four-year contract features a signing bonus of about $10.269MM and an overall base value of around $16.43MM, and also includes a fifth-year option for the 2018 season. As for Hageman, the defensive lineman’s signing bonus should be a more modest $2.2MM, with his four-year deal checking in at about $5.336MM.
With Matthews and Hageman now locked up, only third-round safety Dezmen Southward and fourth-round running back Devonta Freeman still need to ink their deals with the Falcons. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings, check out our tracker right here.
NFC Notes: Suh, Witten, Falcons, 49ers
Speaking to reporters after practicing with his Lions teammates today, Ndamukong Suh attempted to reinforce the idea that he likes playing in Detroit and wants to remain with the team long-term, but his comments resulted in more questions than answers. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press outlines, Suh alluded to having an opportunity on draft day in 2010 to be selected by a team besides the Lions, in the same way that Eli Manning pushed to land on the Giants rather than the Chargers.
“It is my choice. It is, for sure, my choice,” Suh said, when asked if he really had any say in which team selected him. “But like I said, that’s water under the bridge. I’m here in Detroit, I’m happy to be here in Detroit, I’m going to continue to play my heart out as I’ve always done and continue to do.”
Although Suh brought up the 2010 draft in order to illustrate his satisfaction with being a member of the Lions, it may have had the opposite effect, since it hadn’t been public knowledge that the defensive tackle even entertained the possibility of a Manning-esque move back in ’10.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- At age 32, Jason Witten is one of the oldest players on the Cowboys, but he said earlier this week that he hasn’t considered retirement at all, and doesn’t necessarily believe he’s in the final stages of his career. Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News has the details and quotes.
- Asked about Atlanta’s receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said that he’d like to see both players remain with the club for their entire careers, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Jones had his fifth-year option picked up for 2015, while White is entering the final year of his deal, so both players figure to discuss contract extensions soon. “We love Roddy, and Julio as well, so we’ll continue to work with them and their agents closely,” Blank said.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com passes along an interesting story from Tom Elliott of the St. Cloud Times about Bemidji State’s Zach Noreen, a basketball player who received a minicamp invite from 49ers GM Trent Baalke despite not having played a football game since 2009 in high school.
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com have provided signing bonus info for the Bears‘ and Buccaneers‘ UDFA signings, respectively. We’ve updated our posts on those signings with those bonus amounts.
Extra Points: Marshall, Raiders, Falcons, Bills
After the Bears signed Brandon Marshall to a new three-year, $30MM deal, James Walker of ESPN.com looks back on the return that the Dolphins got by dealing him. Miami received a pair of third round picks that turned into cornerback Will Davis, tight end Michael Egnew, and receiver B.J. Cunningham. Davis received little playing time last year as a rookie, Egnew is a third-round bust after two seasons and may not make the roster in 2014, and Cunningham is no longer with the Dolphins. Needless to say, ex-GM Jeff Ireland could have positioned Miami better had he used those draft choices differently. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- Raiders owner Mark Davis says the team can come up with the necessary $400MM to build a stadium but he’ll need help, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He says if the project doesn’t happen, they’ll then evaluate other options, which presumably means moving. If the Raiders move, Los Angeles seems like a likely destination. Late tonight, Davis admitted talks are in the “eleventh hour,” writes Mike Coppinger of NFL.com.
- The Falcons want rookie Prince Shembo to do it all on defense, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The fourth round pick out of Notre Dame is muscular at 253 pounds and still boasts a decent 4.68 second 40-yard-dash.
- Whether or not there’s an opportunity to relocate the Bills from western New York, multiple NFL owners expect a Jon Bon Jovi-led group to bid on the team, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Bon Jovi has a working relationship with Larry Tanenbaum, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
- Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel examines Demetri Goodson‘s attempt to transition from point guard to cornerback. The Packers sixth round pick didn’t play football for six years between his sophomore year of high school and first year at Baylor but excelled once he got there.
NFC Notes: Glennon, Crabtree, Jeffery, Eagles
Although a few trade rumors were swirling around Buccaneers signal-caller Mike Glennon prior to the draft, head coach Lovie Smith made it clear in speaking to reporters earlier this month that he views Glennon as the team’s quarterback of the future. In addition to making that view public, Smith has also been assuring Glennon of the same thing privately, according to the quarterback himself, who said today that the coach called him twice during the draft to assure him there was no truth to trade rumors involving him (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Jay Cutler’s extension last year with the Bears was viewed as the potential floor for Colin Kaepernick’s next contract with the 49ers, and as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains, Chicago’s new agreement with Brandon Marshall could also provide a blueprint for talks between Michael Crabtree and the Niners.
- Meanwhile, with Marshall locked up, the Bears figure to turn their attention to their other top wideout, Alshon Jeffery. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders what sort of deal the 24-year-old Jeffery may be in line for if the 30-year-old Marshall is worth $10MM per year.
- With the Eagles‘ 90-man roster now full, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com takes a look at the club’s offensive depth chart, breaking down positional battles and the odds of several recent signees making the team. Over at ESPN.com, Josh Weinfuss takes a similar look at the Cardinals‘ depth chart.
- New Giants tight end Xavier Grimble tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) that the 49ers, Falcons, Redskins, and Raiders were among the clubs who reached out to him after he went undrafted.
NFC Rookie Minicamp Notes: Jones, Lucas, Starr, Moses, Norwood
Bears undrafted free agent Christian Jones worked at strong-side linebacker during the team’s rookie minicamp, according to Adam Hoge of 670 AM/CBSChicago.com. Jones, a physically gifted linebacker, played a prominent role for national champion Florida State, seeing snaps at all three linebacker spots as well as rushing the passer. He was projected as a third-round pick based on talent evaluation, but a failed drug test caused him to tumble out of the draft entirely. Thin at linebacker, the Bears pounced on Jones, who says he stands to benefit from focusing on one position. He also revealed what gave the Bears the edge when it came time to choose a team: Jones’ father played with Bears linebackers coach Reggie Herring at FSU.
In other news from various NFC minicamps. . .
- The Lions see big upside in 6-9, 328-pound undrafted free agent offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas, writes Carlos Monarrrez in the Detroit Free Press. Lucas, a two-year starter at Kansas State, suffered a stress fracture in his left foot two weeks before the combine, but his rare size and eye-popping 88-inch wing span piqued the interest of the Lions, who “did show the most interest in him and began contacting him when the fourth round of the draft began as they attempted to land a steal in the priority free-agent market.” As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein points out, Lucas’ developmental value is noteworthy considering defensive line coach Jim Washburn was able to turn undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle into an eight-game starter.
- Falcons seventh-rounder Tyler Starr is a longshot worth keeping an eye on, writes ESPN’s Vaughn McClure, who says Starr “has a quick first step and plays with some power. He even beat first-round pick Jake Matthews around the edge on Sunday while showing a burst not typical of a late-round pick.” Starr lacks ideal speed and power, but the Missouri Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year is a high-motor defender whose 6.64-second three-cone drill bested all pass rushers at the combine.
- Cowboys assistant director of player personnel Will McClay spoke with Dallas Morning News’ Jon Machota and said the team had a third/fourth-round grade on seventh-rounder Terrance Mitchell, a cornerback out of Oregon.
- ESPN’s John Keim took in Redskins minicamp and gave brief thoughts on the team’s draft picks, including third-round tackle Morgan Moses, who could require some patience.
NFC South Notes: Falcons, Jones, Saints
The Saints have been busy today — New Orleans not only became the third team to sign its first-round pick (receiver Brandin Cooks), but added two undrafted free agents, upping its total UDFA haul to 20. Let’s look at some more notes from New Orleans and the rest of the NFC South:
- Falcons seventh-round linebacker Tyler Starr (who signed a contract today) impressed during Atlanta’s rookie minicamp, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, and did so while utilizing a four-point stance (both hands on the ground). “In college…I just kind of started thinking [about] the four-point, and it gave me a little more weight in the back of my hips so I could get a little more torque out of my stance,” Starr said. “And it also helped me come out at more of a horizontal level so I could play with my hands out in front of me.” The Falcons are transitioning to a 3-4 base defense in 2014, so Starr’s versatility could come in handy.
- Running back Devonta Freeman (like Starr, a Day 3 pick of the Falcons) could also prove useful in 2014, and Orlando Ledbetter of the Orlando Journal-Constitution labels the fourth-rounder “a keeper.” “Devonta is a fast and quick guy,” said head coach Mike Smith. “He has very good vision and he’s able to stick his foot in the ground and transition into a different direction.”
- In a separate piece, Ledbetter passes along some Falcons injury news, noting that receiver Julio Jones and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will both be held out of team activities until the start of training camp.
- Several notable players with NFL experience were included in the Saints’ rookie minicamp over the weekend on a tryout basis, with defensive end Jamaal Anderson (the No. 8 pick in 2007), receiver Armanti Edwards, and center Samson Satele among them, according to Andrew Lopez of the Times-Picayune.
- Rookie Kelvin Benjamin is the closest thing the Panthers have to a No. 1 receiver, writes David Newton of ESPN.com in his latest mailbag. I would expect Carolina to run quite a bit of “11” personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs), with Benjamin and Jerricho Cotchery on the outside, and Jason Avant in the slot.