Ravens Interested In Austin Howard
Offensive tackle Austin Howard lost his job with the Raiders on Friday, but he might not be without a team for long. The Ravens are considering adding Howard, according to Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
The 30-year-old Howard would provide an experienced right tackle option to a Baltimore team that lost former No. 1 Ricky Wagner in free agency. After Wagner started 47 games for the Ravens from 2014-16, he inked a five-year deal worth more than $45MM with the Lions.
The Ravens didn’t pick up an established tackle or a spend a draft pick on a bookend in the wake of Wagner’s departure, leaving them with James Hurst as the starter opposite LT Ronnie Stanley. Hurst did appear in all 48 of the Ravens’ games over his first three years, but he only started 16 of those contests. Just three of Hurst’s starts came last year, and his performance drew an unenthusiastic review from Pro Football Focus.
Howard didn’t garner praise from PFF in 2016, either, as he ranked 52nd among its 77 qualified tackles. However, an ankle injury may have contributed to his less-than-stellar showing over 11 games, and he did rack up 10 starts for the fifth consecutive year. In all, Howard has started in 72 in 76 appearances across six years with the Eagles, Jets and Raiders. Howard signed a five-year, $30MM contract to head to Oakland in 2014, but his next deal certainly won’t come anywhere close to that – especially considering he’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/17
Friday’s minor moves…
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Bra’Lon Cherry, WR Reginald Davis III
- Waived: CB Taylor Reynolds
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: OL Drew Iddings
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: RB Brandon Wilds
- Waived: RB George Atkinson III
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Javontee Herndon
- Waived/Injured: RB Jahad Thomas
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Antwan Goodley
- Waived: WR Alonzo Moore
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: QB Eli Jenkins
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: LB Noor Davis
- Waived: QB Wes Lunt
New York Jets
- Signed: TE Chris Gragg
- Waived: WR KD Cannon
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LS Andrew East
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Marcel Reece
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: G Jake Simonich
- Waived: G Sebastian Tretola, LB Johnny Ragin IIIatl
Cowboys To Sign Luke McCown
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Luke McCown, according to his agent, Mike McCartney (Twitter link).
The season-ending surgery that Zac Dysert underwent earlier this week put the Cowboys in the market for another signal-caller, but it seemed they were searching for a developmental player. At 36, McCown certainly doesn’t qualify, but the Texas native will at least provide the club with an experienced option behind Dak Prescott and Kellen Moore. Before picking up McCown, Dallas was down to undrafted rookie Cooper Rush as its third option under center.
The brother of Jets starter Josh McCown, whom the Cowboys have courted in the past, Luke McCown entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Browns in 2004. Since then, he has also spent time with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Saints and Falcons. He has totaled 62 appearances and 10 starts, the most recent of which came with New Orleans in 2015. All told, McCown has completed 216 of 356 passes (60.7 percent), averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and thrown nine touchdowns against 15 interceptions.
Donald Penn Seeking Top 10 LT Money
Currently 21st among left tackles in yearly contract value, the Raiders’ Donald Penn is holding out in hopes of landing a raise. Now, thanks to retired linebacker and current NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, there’s some clarity on Penn’s demands.
Penn spoke to McGinest about his asking price, and McGinest relayed (via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter) that the lineman “wants to be paid in the top 10. He’s not looking to be the top paid.”
To break into the top 10 among left tackles in annual pay, Penn would need upward of the $11.25MM per season that the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is earning on the three-year pact he signed in free agency. Penn, 34, is a year younger than Whitworth, and there’s a strong case to be made that the former deserves similar money. Like Whitworth, who has appeared in 168 of a possible 176 regular-season games and been extremely effective in the process, Penn has been an eminently durable stalwart.
An injury kept Penn out of the Raiders’ wild-card round loss to the Texans last January, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a game since entering the league with the Buccaneers in 2007. That was also the only year Penn hasn’t started in all 16 contests, as he served as a reserve in four of them. Dating back to his second year, Penn has started 156 consecutive games. He has also consistently earned quality grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 12th among 76 qualified tackles in 2016.
“(Penn) just wants the respect for what he’s done on the field,” explained McGinest. “Stop looking at his age, look at his production”
Age isn’t on Penn’s side, as McGinest implied, but it’s hard to find a problem with his on-field output. With the Raiders and their high-octane offense aiming for a Super Bowl this year, general manager Reggie McKenzie may look to find common ground with Penn and appease one of the team’s premier linemen. Penn, guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson are among the best players in the league at their positions, and the Raiders surely want that alignment in place for all 16 games this season.
Ben Roethlisberger Could Retire After 2017
The Steelers and their fans should savor the 2017 season because it could prove to be the end of the line for Ben Roethlisberger. The future Hall of Fame quarterback told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette that he may retire after the season. Roethlisberger also revealed that his wife wants him to call it a career sooner than later.
“I feel if I commit to anything past right now, I’m cheating now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this season, and I’m going to give it everything I have and afterwards we’ll sit down and do some [thinking] again.”
The 35-year-old Roethlisberger mulled retirement after last season, so it’s not surprising that it’s on the table for 2018. Interestingly, though, it seems a recent study heavily linking football players to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is influencing the 14th-year man’s thinking.
Roethlisberger noted that “being healthy” and “being able to play catch with my kids,” are important, adding, “I feel good mentally, I know this new study that came out that 90 percent [of NFL] players’ brains who were studied had CTE.”
The study actually found CTE in 99 percent of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research, which played a part in former Ravens center John Urschel‘s decision to hang up his cleats Thursday at the age of 26.
If Roethlisberger joins Urschel in retirement next year, it would mark the end of a fruitful era of Steelers football. Since using a first-round pick on Roethlisberger in 2004, the Steelers have made nine trips to the playoffs and racked up three Super Bowl appearances, two of which ended with them raising the Lombardi Trophy. Roethlisberger has been the driving force behind that success, and he’s now coming off a season in which he earned his fifth Pro Bowl nod. Overall, he appeared in 14 games for the 11-win club last year and threw 29 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. The Steelers made it to their fifth AFC title game of Roethlisberger’s tenure, but the Patriots vanquished them, 36-17.
Broncos’ Shane Ray Out 6-8 Weeks
The Broncos have lost pass rusher Shane Ray for six to eight weeks on account of a torn ligament in his left wrist, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post was among those to report (on Twitter). Ray will undergo surgery Saturday.
The 24-year-old Ray is the second notable Broncos linebacker to land on the shelf, joining Shaquil Barrett, who has been dealing with a hip injury since the spring. Having to go without Ray will be a bigger blow to the Broncos’ defense than Barrett’s absence, though, as the former emerged as one of the team’s top rushing threats last season.
As a second-year pro, Ray broke out with 48 tackles and eight sacks across 16 games (eight starts) and 664 snaps. Only two Broncos linebackers – Von Miller and Todd Davis – saw more action than Ray, who ranked an above-average 45th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.
Now that they’re facing the prospect of going without both Ray and Barrett to begin the regular season, Broncos general manager John Elway and head coach Vance Joseph will consider adding outside help at linebacker, tweets Jhabvala. The best edge-rushing options remaining in free agency include Dwight Freeney, Mario Williams, Paul Kruger and Trent Cole, as PFR’s Dallas Robinson wrote last month. It’s possible the Broncos would have had interest in Erik Walden, who posted 11 sacks last year with the Colts, but they missed out on him when he signed with the Titans on Thursday.
Thanks to both the injuries to Ray and Barrett and the retirement of DeMarcus Ware, the Broncos are down to the untested Vontarrius Dora opposite Miller, as Roster Resource shows. Dora went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech last year and only played in one of Denver’s games.
Raiders, Gareon Conley Agree To Deal
The Raiders and first-round cornerback Gareon Conley have agreed to a deal, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
Conley took longer than you’d expect the 24th overall pick to sign, largely because of his troubling off-field situation. The ex-Ohio State star was accused of sexual assault prior to the draft. Conley has maintained his innocence throughout the process, but a grand jury hasn’t yet weighed in on the matter. The Raiders, for their part, cleared Conley of any wrongdoing months ago as part of their own investigation, though they still took a sizable risk in drafting him.
Ironically, before the accusation cropped up, Conley was regarded as one of the safest prospects in this year’s class. The 6-foot, 195-pounder had a terrific career as a member of the Buckeyes, with whom he played extensively over the previous three years. Conley, who racked up a personal-best four interceptions last season, compares favorably to excellent Broncos corner Aqib Talib, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com,
Now that Conley’s under contract, the Raiders are left to hope he’ll be exonerated and contribute to a defense that also added second-round safety Obi Melifonwu in the draft. Those two are the newcomers in a secondary that also boasts Sean Smith, David Amerson, Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph.
Conley’s deal leaves Titans first-round wide receiver Corey Davis, the fifth selection, as the only unsigned player in the 2017 rookie class.
Daimion Stafford Mulling Retirement
Steelers safety Daimion Stafford is considering retirement, head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Friday (Twitter link via Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com).
The 26-year-old Stafford is the same age as former Ravens center John Urschel, who surprisingly elected to hang up his cleats Thursday. Urschel’s decision came thanks in part to an alarming medical study showing that chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was found in 99 percent of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. It’s unknown, however, if the study is affecting Stafford’s thought process.
If he does walk away from football, Stafford will do so without ever having played a down for the Steelers. He signed with Pittsburgh in May after spending the first four years of his career in Tennessee, where he only started in eight of 62 appearances. Stafford saw an uptick in playing time last year, though, as he logged a career-best six starts and combined for 855 snaps (614 on defense, 221 on special teams). He accumulated 51 tackles, an interception and a sack along the way.
Stafford will function as a reserve with the Steelers if he continues his career, accompanying Robert Golden and Jordan Dangerfield as depth behind starting safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis.
Pernell McPhee Undergoes Knee Surgery
Bears outside linebacker Pernell McPhee underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Friday, head coach John Fox told reporters, including Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Fox called the surgery a “cleanup” and didn’t offer a timeline for a return for McPhee, who began training camp on the physically unable to perform list with an “irregularity” in his left knee (Twitter links).
While it’s unclear if McPhee will miss any regular-season time, it’s obviously alarming that both knees are troubling the 28-year-old – especially considering his history. McPhee underwent two right knee procedures while with the Ravens in 2012, and he missed the Bears’ first six games last year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. To his credit, McPhee returned to rack up four sacks in nine games as a part-time player and earn respectable marks from Pro Football Focus.
Even though he sat out nearly half of last season, only three Bears – Willie Young, Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks – finished with more sacks than McPhee. Having to go without him for an extended period in 2017 would be a blow, then, though Chicago still has a more-than-capable starting linebacking corps with Young and Floyd flanking Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. The Bears’ reserves looks good, too, as they added the experienced Dan Skuta in free agency, re-signed Sam Acho and, unless they make him a cap casualty by Week 1, are getting Lamarr Houston back from the torn ACL he suffered last season.
McPhee’s place on the Bears’ roster seems more secure than Houston’s, though the team’s cap would also benefit from the former’s release. Ridding itself of McPhee would save Chicago $6.325MM (against $1.5MM in dead money) this season. Ideally, though, this latest knee issue will be a minor one and McPhee – whom the Bears signed to a five-year, $38.75MM deal in free agency two years ago – will be a key contributor to their pass rush in 2017.
Titans Extend Jurrell Casey
The Titans and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey have agreed to a whopper of an extension – a four-year, $60.4MM deal – according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). The contract includes $40MM in guarantees and, per Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter), will run through the 2022 season.
This is the second large contract Casey has signed with the Titans, who used a third-round pick on him in 2011. The ex-USC standout previously inked a four-year, $36MM extension with $13MM guaranteed back in 2014. There were still two years left on that pact, but given that Casey has continued to serve as a stalwart since then, the Titans elected to lock up the two-time Pro Bowler for the foreseeable future.
The 27-year-old Casey has started in 92 of 94 appearances during his six NFL seasons, and is coming off his fourth straight campaign with at least five sacks. He also tallied 44 tackles last year and finished 10th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 125 qualified interior defensive linemen. He ranked in a similar vicinity to several defensive stars who have recently inked big deals, including Calais Campbell, Kawann Short, Fletcher Cox, Damon Harrison and Mike Daniels. Among those players, Casey’s deal is closest to the four-year, $60MM pact ($30MM guaranteed) that the Jaguars gave Campbell in free agency this year.
Casey led all Titans defensive linemen in snaps last season (724) and will continue to act as the unit’s centerpiece in 2017 and beyond. He joins cornerbacks Logan Ryan and Adoree Jackson, safety Jonathan Cyprien, linebacker Wesley Woodyard and nose tackle Sylvester Williams as Titans defensive starters who are under team control for at least the next three years.