Minor NFL Transactions: 10/31/16
Today’s minor moves:
- The Packers have reached an injury settlement with safety Chris Banjo, who was on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, tweets Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Banjo, who had appeared in 37 games with Green Bay, becomes the second Packer to be released from IR in the past week, joining wide receiver Jared Abbrederis.
- The Browns waived tight end Connor Hamlett, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Hamlett appeared in three games after being promoted from the practice squad earlier this month.
- Tight end Ifeanyi Momah suffered a broken wrist on Sunday and will be waived by the Cardinals with an injury settlement, per Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (Twitter link). Momah, an undrafted free agent in 2012, was seeing the first NFL action of his career.
Jamie Collins Rejected $11MM/Year From Pats
Before he was traded to the Browns, linebacker Jamie Collins turned down a contract offer of $11MM per year from the Patriots, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). While no other details of the proposal, such as guaranteed money or contract structure, are known, $11MM is far less than the $15MM franchise tag that Collins would have required.
[RELATED: New England Patriots Depth Chart]
At one point, Collins was asking the Patriots for “Von Miller money” — six years, $114.5MM — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick were never likely to pay that total, nor assign Collins the franchise tag, says Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). As such, negotiations between the club and Collins were predictably going nowhere. Talks had “not progressed,” per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), while a source tells Volin that New England was “having a lot of trouble” in negotiations (Twitter link).
Both sides appeared ready to “move on,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), and today’s trade allows both parties to do just that. “The thinking is, if they don’t want me, go someplace that does,” Bus Cook, Collins’ agent, Rapoport after the deal was completed.
Buccaneers Re-Sign RB Mike James
The Buccaneers have engineered a reunion with running back Mike James, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports that Tampa has re-signed James after waiving him with an injury settlement earlier this year.
[RELATED: Buccaneers Waive Johnthan Banks]
Tampa is looking for backfield depth after Jacquizz Rodgers went down on Sunday against the Raiders — Rodgers has a sprained foot, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reported earlier today, and won’t be playing on Thursday night. The Bucs are already down to their third running back in Rodgers, as starter Doug Martin is still battling an injury and Charles Sims is on injured reserve.
James, 25, managed 79 carries with Tampa from 2013-14, but missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury. He didn’t make the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster this year, and was ultimately waived with a settlement. That settlement was for four weeks, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted earlier this year, meaning James only recently became eligible to re-sign with Tampa Bay.
Chargers Claim WR Jeremy Butler
The Chargers announced today that they’ve claimed wide receiver Jeremy Butler off waivers from the Jets. In order to create a roster spot, San Diego has waived fellow pass-catcher Isaiah Burse.
[RELATED: San Diego Chargers Depth Chart]
Reports last week indicated that the Chargers were open to adding a wide receiver to their roster, and while the club still may be willing to engage in trade talks, they’ve brought Butler aboard without sacrificing assets. Of course, Butler clearly isn’t a superb offensive weapon and will likely spend most of his time on special teams, but he gives San Diego some depth while it awaits the results of tests on Travis Benjamin‘s PCL injury (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Butler, 25, joined the Jets this offseason following two seasons with the Ravens. The former undrafted free agent has yet to see the field in 2016, but he was relatively productive in Baltimore last season. Butler appeared in eight games in 2015, collecting 31 catches for 363 yards.
Burse, who was just promoted from the practice squad over the weekend, has 13 games of NFL experience under his belt — he played in one contest with the Chargers last season, and spent 12 games on Denver’s roster the year prior. He’s never caught an NFL pass, and has mostly contributed as a special teams player. Burse was the Broncos’ primary punt returner in 2014, averaging 7.3 yards per return on 29 chances.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Alonso, Jets, Patriots
The Dolphins are hoping to keep linebacker Kiko Alonso for the 2017 season, but are wary that he may receive an “uncomfortably high offer” as a restricted free agent next March, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Because Alonso spent his entire sophomore season on the NFI list, he won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2018, and Miami could re-sign him via a RFA tender. A first-round tender will likely cost ~$4MM, but that could be a price the Dolphins are willing to pay. In his first season in Miami, Alonso has started all seven games while posting 34 tackles and two fumble recoveries.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Dion Jordan told Jackson that his second knee procedure was a result of “trying to too hard to come back too soon,” and also admitted that he isn’t sure when he’ll be back on the field (though Jordan does think he can return during the 2016 season). Jordan, who now sits at 275 pounds, is fully committed to playing defensive end for the Dolphins, and realizes that outside linebacker isn’t an option at his current weight. The 26-year-old is on the non-football injury list at the moment, and Miami hasn’t given any hint that Jordan is still in their plans for this season, or beyond.
- While the Jets have received trade interest in defensive end Sheldon Richardson, as least one source tells Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday that Richardson is unlikely to moved. “He is a two-strike guy, so [the Jets] won’t get what they want,” the source told Martin (referencing Richardson’s suspensions), but did confirm the pass-rusher’s name “is out there.” Richardson himself also commented on the rumors, and didn’t seemed surprised his name was being bandied about. “It’s big business. That’s what it is,” he told Martin. “We’ve got a surplus of defensive linemen that are capable of being starters. And they drafted [Leonard Williams], paid [Muhammad Wilkerson]…So we’ll see.”
- The Patriots had discussed an A.J. Derby trade with the Broncos before the regular season began, so the two side had a basis on which to build when they ultimately struck a deal to send the tight end to Denver last week, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. The Broncos had been interested in Derby as far back as the 2015 draft, but New England wasn’t ready to move him earlier this year. The Patriots were able to recoup a fifth-round pick for Derby, which Reiss reports was viewed as a strong return around the league.
Andre Johnson To Retire
Andre Johnson told his Titans teammates this morning that he plans to retire, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Johnson, 35, won’t finish out his 14th season in the NFL and will instead hang up his cleats, and the Titans have confirmed his decision.
Johnson, of course, spent the entirety of his career in the AFC South, and will be most remembered for his 12 years with the Texans, during which he was consistently overlooked as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. With more than 13,000 yards receiving for Houston, he’s the club’s leader in yards by nearly 9,000, and his 64 touchdowns are more than double that of any other Texans receiver. But because Houston was on the fringes of playoff contention for most of Johnson’s career, he isn’t typically mentioned on the short list of the era’s best pass-catchers.
Johnson, however, will have a strong case for Hall of Fame enshrinement as soon as he’s eligible. His 1,062 career receptions places him eighth all-time (just behind Reggie Wayne), while he currently ranks ninth in receiving yards with 14,185. And Johnson was just as exceptional on a rate basis, as his 73.5 yards per game places him ninth in league history.
While Johnson put up tremendous seasons with the Texans, and twice lead the league in yardage, the last two seasons were not kind to him, as he sputtered with two other AFC South clubs. After signing a three-year deal with the Colts prior to 2015, Johnson had the worst year of his career, and was released after only a single campaign in Indianapolis. Johnson then accepted the veteran’s minimum to latch on with Tennessee for 2016, but had received only 22 targets on the year.
Johnson is the second Texans legend to announce his retirement in as many weeks, as running back Arian Foster also called it a career last Monday.
Brandon Marshall Doesn’t Want To Be Traded
Brandon Marshall has no interest in being traded away by the Jets, the veteran receiver told reporters, including Connor Hughes of NJ.com, after New York’s victory over the Browns yesterday. “No…it’s not even a question,” said Marshall when asked if the club has discussed a potential trade with him. “I would be disappointed if that were to happen and that came up.”
[RELATED: Sheldon Richardson Receiving Trade Interest]
“I love the ownership,” Marshall said. “I’m about to say the opposite of what Ryan Fitzpatrick said. I love my coaches. I love my teammates. To be honest, I like [the media], which is tough. I really do. I want to finish what we started here. We’re not out of it. We’re going to continue to fight, rally the troops, and get this team on the right track.”
No reports have indicated that the Jets are in fact discussing Marshall in trade talks, but given that the club has received calls on other players — such as defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson — it would make sense that the veteran receiver could be moved. Marshall is correct in saying that New York isn’t completely out of the playoff picture, but the Jets would have to rebound just to have a shot at a wild card berth. As such, an expensive, aging pass-catcher might not fit on a roster that could be on the cusp of a rebuild.
Marshall, 32, has continued to post excellent production in his 11th NFL season, as he’s put up 34 receptions for 540 yards, though he’s not scoring at the same rate that he has in past seasons (just two touchdowns thus far). Any team that acquired Marshall would be responsible for the remaining portion of his 2016 $9.5MM base salary, and then would essentially have an option for the 2017 campaign. Marshall is under contract for $7.5MM next season, but a club wouldn’t incur any dead money by releasing him.
Jamaal Charles To Get Knee Checked Again
Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles will meet with Dr. James Andrews tomorrow for another status check on his injured knee, head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Charles is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered a little over a year ago.
[RELATED: Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart]
Charles, 29, has played in only three games this season, including Weeks 6 and 7, but the Chiefs had already ruled him out for today’s game. It’s unclear if Charles suffered a setback in his recovery, but the club said it was simply being cautious with the veteran back. Kansas City had been rolling along with Spencer Ware, who’d been averaging more than five yards per carry, but the third-year pro suffered a concussion against the Colts today.
With Ware and Charles sidelined, the Chiefs turned to the only other back on their roster, Charcandrick West, who received 14 carries on the day. If Charles gets bad new during his visit with Dr. Andrews, and Ware can’t escape from the league’s concussion protocol, Kansas City might be forced to sign one — or even two — free agent backs. The club currently has two RBs on its practice squad, Darrin Reaves and Zac Brooks.
No Extension Talks Between Packers, T.J. Lang
The Packers have not engaged guard T.J. Lang in extension negotiations, Lang tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Lang reiterated that his preference is to stay in Green Bay for the long term.
[RELATED: Green Bay Packers Depth Chart]
The Packers have addressed a potential Lang extension in a similar fashion to how they handled the situation with Josh Sitton before he was released, according to McGinn. In other words, Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson informed Lang — as he did Sitton — that the club would target long-term deals with younger players before moving on to Lang. As McGinn notes, the Packers could likely save money by extending Lang now rather than waiting until he officially hits the market, but no deal appears to be in sight.
“Ted doesn’t give a rat’s (expletive) about PR,” said an NFL executive about the reaction to Sitton’s release. “You take a PR hit like that, you would try to (extend Lang). But Ted is not motivated to do stuff like that.”
Green Bay has experienced a drop-off from Sitton to current left guard Lane Taylor, several scouts told McGinn, so it could be difficult for the club to absorb the loss of Lang, as well. But with other players such as Nick Perry, J.C. Tretter, and Datone Jones also heading for free agency, and left tackle David Bakhtiari already having scored an extension, the money might not be there for Lang. One executive told McGinn that he would expect Lang to command $8-10MM on the open market.
“When they get to market, man, it is the wild, wild west,” said the exec. “Most of these guys, if they’re top three or top five in the free-agent class, they are going to get paid, and a lot more than they should. Most agents, when it gets halfway through the season, they say, ‘Hey, let’s go to market.’ It usually blows your mind what these guys get.”
NFL Likely To Suspend Josh Brown
The NFL is still investigating former Giants Josh Brown for domestic assault and are expected to hand him a “lengthy suspension,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
[RELATED: Giants Sign Robbie Gould]
Despite being released by the Giants last week, Brown will still earn the remainder of his 2016 salary, per La Canfora, who reports that Brown is eligible for termination pay. Vested veterans are able to collect termination pay once during their careers, and the mechanism allows the player to collect his full base salary if he was on the Week 1 roster. Brown hasn’t filed for termination pay in the past, so he’s now exercising the right. If New York attempts to withhold his paycheck, the NFLPA will file a grievance on behalf of Brown, says La Canfora.
Brown, 37, is unlikely to play in the NFL ever again, according to La Canfora, who adds that several general managers say “they could not foresee a scenario in which [Brown] kicked again.”