Bryan Stork “Stepping Away” From NFL
Free agent offensive lineman Bryan Stork has decided to “step away” from the NFL, as Stork himself tweeted today. Stork, 26, cautions that he isn’t officially retiring, which leaves open the possibility that he may return to the league at some point.
Stork, a former fourth-round pick, played two seasons with the Patriots (and managed 17 starts) before being involved in a curious set of transactions last summer. After reports indicated New England would waive Stork, he was then dealt to the Redskins for minimal compensation. Stork reportedly contemplated retirement, and the trade was subsequently after Stork failed his physical with Washington.
Stork was officially cut loose by the Patriots following those machinations, but he kept working out for clubs in the hopes of landing a job. Over the next several months, Stork met with the Jets, Browns, Giants, and Bears, but wasn’t able to come to terms with any of those clubs.
If this is the end of Stork’s NFL tenure, he’ll have hung up his cleats with a Super Bowl title under his belt, as he was a member of the 2014 Patriots club that defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The year prior, Stork won a NCAA Championship as part of the Florida State team the took down Auburn in 2014.
Draft Rumors: Peterman, Melifonwu, Bolles
Quarterback Nathan Peterman will conduct a private workout for the Eagles next week, and will also meet with the Steelers in April, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Earlier this year, one scout told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report Peterman has a chance to be the 2017 version of Dak Prescott, a mid-round talent who emerges into a viable starter. Peterman, who transferred from Tennessee to Pitt before the 2015 season, has averaged 2,571 yards and 23 touchdowns over the past two years.
Here’s more on the 2017 draft:
- UConn safety Obi Melifonwu has meetings lined up with the Steelers, Seahawks, and Saints, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, Melifonwu met “extensively” with the Lions yesterday, and will also visit with the Panthers, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, who reports roughly 40% of NFL clubs view Melifonwu as a cornerback. Melifonwu, a four-year starter for the Huskies, posted four interceptions during the 2016 campaign.
- The Giants will meet with Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles in April, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com (Twitter link). New York isn’t sold on keeping 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers at left tackle, and Bolles could give the club another option along its front five. Bolles is expected to be selected on Day 1 of the draft, and has a chance to be the first offensive lineman off the board.
- Prior to possibly injuring his pectoral while bench pressing on Tuesday, UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau spent time with the Lions, Dolphins, Saints, and Bengals, reports Pauline. Additionally, Moreau met with Cowboys defensive backs Joe Baker, per Pauline. Rob Rang of CBSSports.com projected Moreau as a back-end first round pick (and the third-best cornerback on the board) before news of his injury broke.
- Moreau’s UCLA teammate, edge rusher Takkarist McKinley, will visit with the Browns in early April, per Courtney Fallon of NFL.com (Twitter link). After that, McKinley plans to meet with the Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, and Lions, per Fallon. McKinley put up 10 sacks in 11 games for the Bruins in 2016.
Packers Interested In Adrian Peterson?
Although the Packers have “some” interest in free agent running back Adrian Peterson, a meeting between the two parties likely wouldn’t take place until the draft has concluded and Green Bay has assessed its options, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
To this point, most of the news surrounding Peterson has involved clubs reporting that they are not interested in signing the 32-year-old back. Several rumored suitors – the Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants – have shown little to no interest in Peterson, while the Seahawks visited with him but then opted to sign Eddie Lacy. Meanwhile, Peterson won’t be re-signing with the Vikings after Minnesota inked Latavius Murray, leaving the future Hall of Famer’s prospects even more limited.
The Packers have not yet ruled themselves out as a potential Peterson landing spot, and they do have a need in their relatively barren backfield. After losing Lacy to Seattle, Green Bay boasts only Ty Montgomery, Don Jackson, and the recently re-signed Christine Michael in its running back corps. By joining a new club within the NFC North, then, Peterson would give the Packers a legitimate starting option to play alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Peterson is one of only four of PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents that has yet to sign with a new club, and we also ranked him as the best running back still on the board.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/17
Today’s minor moves:
- The Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Avery Young and waived cornerback Daniel Davie with a non-football injury, the club announced today. Young, 24, went undrafted out of Auburn in 2016, and ended up spending the entirety of his rookie campaign on the non-football injury list. He was waived by the Saints last month. Davie, too, was a 2016 UDFA (Colts), and had agreed to a futures deal with Miami earlier this year.
- The Seahawks announced that they’ve signed kicker John Lunsford, who was waived by the Buccaneers earlier this week. Lunsford, originally a 49ers UDFA in 2016, doesn’t figure to make Seattle’s final roster given that the club has already inked Blair Walsh this offseason.
Latest On Dolphins’ Free Agent Targets
The Dolphins still want to sign free agent linebacker Zach Brown, but Brown is likely looking for a multi-year pact in the range of $6MM annually, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miami, meanwhile, would be more comfortable paying $3-4MM per year. Brown, who’s been linked to the Bills, Raiders, and Colts in addition to the Dolphins, is “exploring all options” at the moment, as his agents tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
Miami has also inquired on defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and have in fact called on him “a half dozen times,” reports Salguero, but Hankins is still looking for more money than the Dolphins are willing to expend. Hankins, 25, is hoping to reel in $10MM annually on a multi-year contract, an asking price that appears unlikely to be met at this juncture. The Giants want to re-sign Hankins, but are reportedly hoping for a quick response on their outstanding offer.
Clearly, the Dolphins are searching for a defensive tackle to play alongside Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips, but former Miami defender Jared Odrick won’t be returning to town. While Odrick would like to reunite the Dolphins, the club won’t be placing a call to Odrick for “multiple reasons,” per Salguero, who doesn’t specify what those reasons may be. The Patriots worked out Odrick last month, but Odrick isn’t interested in playing for New England, says Salguero.
Finally, free agent defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois won’t be on the Dolphins’ radar as the team doesn’t view him as a scheme fit, according to Salguero. Jean-Francois has visited the Packers, Seahawks, and Bears since being released by the Redskins.
NFC South Notes: Njoku, Bucs, Saints, Te’o
The Buccaneers met with Miami tight end David Njoku earlier this week, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Njoku, who registered 43 receptions and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to be one of two first-round picks at tight end, joining Alabama’s O.J. Howard. The Giants, who sit at pick No. 23 (four spots behind Tampa Bay) are also said to be “very high” on Njoku.
Here’s more from the NFC South:
- Prior to re-signing with the Saints, defensive back Sterling Moore came close to joining another — as yet unidentified — club, as he detailed to SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). A career journeyman prior to 2016, Moore started 12 games for New Orleans last season. As Moore explains, the Saints circled back to him with an offer after he’d been negotiating with another team, allowing him the return he’d always preferred. Moore, 27, earned $760K last year.
- Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara is expected to meet with the Saints on Wednesday, tweets Sean Fazende of WVUE FOX 8. Kamara, who recently fired his agent, could sneak into Round 1 despite being viewed as a Day 2 prospect for most of last year. A committee back with the Volunteers, Kamara managed less than 1,300 yards rushing during two years in Tennessee, but also averaged more than six yards per carry during that time.
- The second year of Buccaneers center Joe Hawley‘s two-year deal is an option year, Caplan tweets. As previously reported, the full two-year pact is worth $5.5MM with $1MM fully guaranteed. If Tampa Bay opts to pick up his 2018 option, Hawley will receive a $250K option bonus, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Manti Te’o‘s two-year deal with the Saints is worth $5MM with $600K guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Te’o can earn $500K annually in per-game roster bonuses, according to Rapoport, and can rake in another $1MM per year in incentives, tweets Wilson.
Davis Webb A Potential First-Round Pick?
California quarterback Davis Webb is a candidate to be selected in the first round of next month’s draft, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who cites a “growing sense” Webb may be chosen on Day 1.
The Jets, Chiefs, and Chargers have all set up interviews with Webb, per Cole, while the Ravens and Buccaneers have also expressed interest in the 6’5″ signal-caller. A club could trade back into the first round with an eye towards drafting Webb, reports Cole, and such a move would enable a team to hold a fifth-year option on Webb. That option — for the 2021 campaign — would allow a club to retain Webb for a fifth season at a cheap rate.
While Webb has generally been considered a Day 2 pick to this point, the overall demand for quarterbacks could conceivably force him into the back end of Round 1. At present, Todd McShay of ESPN.com ranks Webb as the draft’s No. 7 QB, behind Deshaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes, Nathan Peterman, and Joshua Dobbs.
Webb, 22, transferred to Cal from Texas Tech after losing out on the Red Raiders’ starting job to Mahomes. In his only season with the Bears, Webb completed 61.6% of his passes for 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Packers Re-Sign Christine Michael
The Packers have re-signed running back Christine Michael, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Green Bay claimed Michael off waivers from the Seahawks last fall, and the former-second round pick proceeded to handle 31 carries for the Packers down the stretch. Michael, 26, spent seven weeks as Seattle’s clear-cut No. 1 running back, and posted two multi-score games during that run.
Michael’s role soon dwindled, however, and while he also didn’t manage much of a role with the Packers, Michael ranks as PFR’s No. 8 free agent back. He’ll give Green Bay another option in a backfield that currently only includes Ty Montgomery and Don Jackson. The Packers lost Eddie Lacy earlier this month when he signed a one-year deal with Seattle.
Michael visited the Packers earlier today along with free agent offensive lineman Byron Bell.
Chiefs Re-Sign Jarvis Jenkins
The Chiefs have re-signed defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins, according to his agents at SportsTrust (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
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Jenkins, 28, signed a two-year, $6MM deal that contained $3MM guaranteed with the Jets last spring, but he was waived in early November after appearing in only nine games with the club. Because he was cut before Week 10, Jenkins didn’t factor into the compensatory pick formula, and therefore allowed Gang Green to land a third-round comp pick to account for the loss of defensive tackle Damon Harrison.
After working out for the Patriots, Jenkins quickly landed a deal with the Chiefs, with whom he spent the rest of the 2016 campaign. On 132 defensive snaps, Jenkins posted five tackles and put up a half-sack in Kansas City’s postseason game against the Steelers. On the season, Jenkins graded as the league’s No. 67 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus, which handed better marks for his run defense than his play against the pass.
Now back with the Chiefs for another season, Jenkins will continue to serve as a reserve on a defensive line that also includes Jaye Howard, Chris Jones, Bennie Logan, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and Allen Bailey.
Contract Details: Folk, Hawley, Sensabaugh
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Nick Folk, K (Buccaneers): One year, $1.75MM. $750K guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Dwayne Harris, WR (Giants): Restructure. Salary reduced to $2.475MM. $1.1MM guaranteed. $600KK available via incentives by averaging 10+ yards per punt return (link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
- Joe Hawley, C (Buccaneers): Two years, $5.5MM. $1MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times).
- Keenan Robinson, LB (Giants): One year, max value of $4MM (Twitter link via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News).
- Coty Sensabaugh, CB (Steelers): Two years, $2.6MM. $425K guaranteed (Twitter link via Caplan).