AFC Notes: Jets, Broncos, Lewis, Jackson, Pats
Here is the latest from around the AFC, starting with the conference’s latest trade partners.
- Following D’Brickashaw Ferguson‘s retirement and the acquisition of Ryan Clady, the Jets have a little more cap space to work with as they try to re-sign quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. But according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the talks between New York and Fitzpatrick aren’t being hampered by cap room — instead, the two sides merely have a difference of opinion on what Fitzpatrick is worth. Per Cimini, the Jets are actually offering more than the commonly reported $7-8MM average annual value.
- Earlier today, Paxton Lynch‘s planned trip to the Jets’ facilities surfaced. The Memphis quarterback who’s regarded as the No. 3 passing prospect in this year’s draft is also expected to visit the Broncos this week, according to a Denver Post report. The Super Bowl champions hold pick No. 31 and would likely have to move up to acquire Lynch. Denver did pick up an additional fifth-round pick, giving the team two third-rounders and two fifths in addition to its usual allotment.
- We first heard back in January that Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had approached former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson with a plan to succeed him — and thus, retain him as play-caller, and Mike Silver of NFL.com (video link) provides a bit more detail on the proposal. Lewis and Jackson discussed a scenario where Lewis would agree to step down as head coach after two more seasons, allowing Jackson to take over. The duo presented the plan to Bengals owner Mike Brown, who wasn’t comfortable locking up such a proposition in writing. Jackson, of course, went on to accept the Browns’ head-coaching job, while Lewis was recently extended through 2017.
- Former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds‘ visit with the Patriots has already been reported, but Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald dives deep into New England’s interest in the former Midshipman. The Patriots have apparently met with Reynolds several times, and worked him out multiple times in Annapolis. As Howe explores, New England has shown an affinity for Navy alums in the past.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report
PFR Originals: 4/3/16 – 4/10/16
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With less than three weeks remaining until the draft begins, Rob DiRe published the first edition of PFR’s 2016 Mock Draft. As Rob writes, this mock draft is a little different than the industry consensus, especially at the top of the first round, where the Titans and Browns are projected to select Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack, respectively.
- Zach Links rounded up the best of the football blogs in the latest edition of Pigskin Links.
Week In Review: 4/3/16 – 4/10/16
Headlines:
- The Jets acquired offensive tackle Ryan Clady and a seventh-round pick from the Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
- The Jets’ acquisition of Clady was necessitated by the departure of left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, who has decided to retire.
- The Bengals extended the contract of head coach Marvin Lewis through the 2017 season.
- Former Saints defensive end Will Smith was tragically murdered in New Orleans.
- Bills running back LeSean McCoy was not charged in relation to a February altercation involving off-duty police officers.
Signed/Re-Signed:
- 49ers – Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL (link)
- Bills – Zach Brown, LB (link); Sterling Moore, CB (link); Fernando Velasco, OL (link)
- Broncos – Jared Crick, DE (link)
- Chargers – Jeff Cumberland, TE (link)
- Eagles – Stefen Wisniewski, OL (link)
- Giants – Kelvin Sheppard, LB (link)
- Jets – Jeremy Ross, WR (link)
- Panthers – Kyle Love, DT (link)
- Raiders – Reggie Nelson, S (link) and Aldon Smith, LB (link)
- Saints – Tim Hightower, RB (link)
- Texans – Quintin Demps, S (link)
Waived:
- Packers – Nate Palmer, LB (link)
Suspended:
- Falcons – Jalen Collins, CB (four games)
- Jaguars – Aaron Colvin, CB (four games)
Retired:
- Tyler Polumbus, T (link)
Jets Acquire Ryan Clady
SUNDAY, 3:13pm: The trade is now official, as both the Jets and Broncos have announced the swap. New York will acquire pick No. 235 in addition to Clady, while Denver will receive pick No. 157.
SATURDAY, 8:01pm: Clady has agreed to a one-year, $6MM deal ($3MM guaranteed) for 2016, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who adds that Clady can max out at $7.5MM through incentives. Per Rapoport, the Jets will then hold a $10MM option — which can max out at $13MM — for 2017. A portion of that $10MM in 2017 comes from a $2.5MM bonus due in February of 2017, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
6:17pm: The Jets have found a replacement for the recently retired D’Brickashaw Ferguson, as they’ve acquired offensive tackle Ryan Clady and a seventh-round pick from the Broncos in exchange for a fifth-round pick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Clady has agreed to rework his deal in order to facilitate the trade, reports Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: D’Brickashaw Ferguson to retire]
The deal has been in the works for some time, according to Breer, who tweets that New York began talking to Denver about Clady as soon it anticipated Ferguson’s retirement — Ferguson’s decision to hang up his cleats only became public yesterday, but it sounds as though the team had some advance notice. Per Breer (Twitter link), the Jets had previously offered fellow left tackle Kelvin Beachum a contract similar to what he eventually signed with the Jaguars (one-year deal with a multi-year option), and it’s likely that Clady’s new deal in New York will be of a similar nature.
While Ferguson famously missed only a single offensive snap during his time with the Jets, Clady doesn’t have that same track record of durability. Injuries have marred the former first-round pick’s career, as Clady played in only two games during the 2013 season before suffering a Lisfranc injury, and missed all of the 2015 campaign after tearing his ACL during OTAs.
But aside from those two lost campaigns, the 29-year-old Clady has been a 16-game starter during every season of his career. He’ll join a Jets offensive line that was somewhat inconsistent in 2015, as they ranked No. 3 in pass protection per Football Outsiders’ metrics, but No. 26 in adjusted line yards. More specifically, Clady figures to be an improvement on Ferguson’s 2015 production, as Ferguson ranked as just the 60th-best offensive tackle in the league among 77 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Clady has two years and $19.5MM remaining on his current contract, but if Breer is correct in reporting that Clady will take a paycut as part of the trade, the Jets could see an increase in cap space. New York will gain about $9MM in space when Ferguson’s retirement becomes official, and if Clady slashes his 2016 base salary from $9.5MM to, say, $5MM, the Jets would have some extra cash to put towards a reunion with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Broncos, of course, are also searching for a quarterback, and as such, the additional cap space with which to pay one. The trade of Clady will clear $8.9MM off Denver’s 2016 books, which will give the club nearly $10MM in total cap space for the year. That additional room could be enough to bring in someone like Colin Kaepernick via trade, and more than enough if they target someone more affordable such as Josh McCown.
Clady had been in Denver since being selected 12th overall in 2008, but his departure had been an almost foregone conclusion this offseason, despite the fact that he’d expressed his willingness to renegotiate his contact. The Broncos signed his replacement — former Seahawk Russell Okung — last month, and also brought in additional depth in the form of free agent Donald Stephenson. With Ty Sambrailo and Michael Schofield also on the roster, there simply wasn’t a place for Clady in the Mile High City.
The Jets are obviously betting on Clady’s health by acquiring him to be their starting left tackle, and it sounds like that optimism is well-warranted. According to Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today (Twitter link), Clady should be ready for the start of training camp, if not earlier. Clady suffered his torn ACL in May of last year, so he’ll be more than year removed from the injury when camp gets underway.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Rumors: Clady, Flowers, Beatty, Powers
Though the Giants did express some interest in left tackle Ryan Clady before he was shipped from the Broncos to the Jets, talks never became serious because of the draft pick compensation required, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The Jets ultimately swapped a fifth-round pick for Clady and a seventh-rounder, a price that was apparently too steep for the Giants. Big Blue may have had more definitive interest in Clady had he been released by Denver, per Raanan.
Let’s take a look at a few more Giants note, all courtesy of Raanan…
- Another barrier to Clady joining the Giants was the presence of Ereck Flowers, whom New York wants to keep at left tackle, writes Raanan. However, the club still wants to add depth along the offensive line, so they could spend a mid-round pick on a tackle to compete with Marshall Newhouse and Bobby Hart on the right side.
- One offensive line option who likely won’t be considered is tackle Will Beatty, whom the Giants released in early March. Though Raanan reports that Beatty, who tore his pectoral muscle and missed the entire 2015 season, is expected to be near full strength before the summer, both the Giants and Beatty have decided to move in different directions.
- Former Cardinals cornerback Jerraud Powers visited the Giants at the tail end of March, and the club is thought to have made an offer worth roughly $2MM, according to Raanan. Powers is said to be looking for more money, so while he remains an option for the New York, no signing appears to be imminent.
- Free agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard announced this morning that he would be signing with the Giants, and Raanan confirms that Sheppard is expected to be with the team on Monday. Sheppard wasn’t the only linebacker on New York’s radar, per Rannan, who says the club also had interest in Nate Stupar before he joined the Saints.
Donte Whitner Visiting Rams
Eight days after being released by the Browns, free agent safety Donte Whitner will take his first reported visit, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Whitner has landed in Los Angeles for a meeting with the Rams.
Following the Raiders signing of Reggie Nelson last week, Whitner represents the clear best option on the safety market, so it makes sense that the Rams are showing interest as they seek to replace Rodney McLeod, who signed with the Eagles on the first day of free agency. Whitner wouldn’t be a perfect proxy for McLeod, as the two are very different players — Whitner is more of an “in-the-box” safety who plays close to the line of scrimmage, while McLeod was a rangy free safety who manned center field.
Still, talent is talent, and Whitner is still a productive player as he enters his age-31 season. In 2015, he started 14 games in Cleveland, defensing four passes, forcing one fumble, and posting 1.5 sacks. Whitner also graded out well via the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, which rated him as the league’s No. 24 safety among 89 qualifiers.
Even after re-signing many of their own free agents, the Rams still have roughly $12.3MM in cap space remaining, so it shouldn’t be a problem to fit Whitner onto the books. Whitner averaged cap hits of $5.5MM over his first two years with the Browns, and he should be able to earn a similar figure — or perhaps a tad less — if he signs with Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Jefferson, Cards, Seahawks, Bears
Let’s take a quick spin around the NFC…
- Restricted free agent safety Tony Jefferson expects to sign his tender and return to the Cardinals, as he tells Arizona Sports 98.5 FM (link via Vince Marotta of ArizonaSports.com). “I wouldn’t think so,” said Jefferson when asked if he might be leave for another club. “You don’t want to get yourself locked into long-term deals where you don’t even like your salary, and you’re unrestricted next year, so you have a chance to make more money.” Jefferson reportedly drew interest from the Texans and the Raiders over the past month or so, but ultimately never saw an official offer, so he’ll likely head back to the desert on a one-year, $1.671MM deal. Restricted free agents have until April 22 to sign offer sheets.
- The Seahawks had been mentioned as a possible suitor for left tackle Ryan Clady, but that union obviously won’t happen now that the Jets have acquired Clady from the Broncos. Seattle is likely “all-in” on starting either Bradley Sowell or Garry Gilliam at left tackle, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Neither player was very productive in 2015, as Gilliam was ineffective while Sowell played only 33 offensive snaps. But Sowell said last month that the main reason he signed with the Seahawks was that they expressed interest in him playing on the blind side.
- “They will have to literally fight me to move me from right guard,” Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long tells Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, reiterating his desire to not move to tackle. After playing right tackle in 2015, some had speculated that Long might move to the left side next season, but it doesn’t sound like Long is interested. Chicago did sign Ted Larsen and Manny Ramirez this offseason, but it looks like they will add depth on the interior rather than facilitate a Long move.
Latest On Josh Gordon
Browns receiver Josh Gordon applied for reinstatement from his yearlong suspension on January 20, and though the NFL policy states that the league is to issue a decision within 60 days, no such announcement has been made. A source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that “it’s status quo” when it comes to Gordon, and a league spokesman said there’s no update on Gordon’s status.
[RELATED: Browns release Donte Whitner]
The NFL’s substance abuse policy is a little vague on the 60-day parameter, leading a league spokesman to tell Cabot “there is no requirement that a reinstatement decision be made in 60 days. We endeavor to develop the necessary information to make a decision in that time frame, but the actual decisions are made when appropriate.”
For the record, Appendix B of the policy (available here) states “all individuals involved in the process will take steps to enable the Commissioner to render a decision within 60 days of the receipt of the application” — the language certainly doesn’t seem to require an ironclad deadline, but it’s clear that 60 days is the recommended guideline.
One league source speculated to Cabot that it’s possible that Gordon hasn’t done enough to prove his sobriety to the NFL — that, it seems, is just speculation, as there’s been no indication or report that Gordon has failed any further tests. Roger Goodell said last month that he expected to discuss Gordon’s case with his team in the near future, while Browns head coach Hue Jackson has maintained that there is a roster spot for Gordon in Cleveland.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Draft Notes: S. Davis, J. Smith, K. Joseph
Maryland corner Sean Davis is attracting a ton of interest around the league, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Davis has met or will meet with 16 clubs, including the Texans, Cowboys, Saints, Cardinals, Dolphins, Lions, Browns, Colts, Seahawks, Ravens, Washington, Raiders, 49ers, Steelers, Bengals, Bills, and Titans. Wilson also confirms previous reports that Davis has met with the Patriots and Ravens.
Let’s dive into the latest draft news…
- Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith has started running again, which is a good sign as he recovers from his ACL injury, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com. Smith, once a surefire top-15 pick, but with some clubs now reportedly worried about possible nerve damage, Smith could be in danger of tumbling down the board.
- Like Smith, West Virginia safety Karl Joseph is also recovering from a torn ACL, and he won’t be able to run before the draft, per Brandt (Twitter link). But Joseph, who suffered his injury in early October, should be ready to go by training camp.
- In a piece for the Houston Chronicle, Wilson reports that Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah was the highest-rated prospect to participate in the Texans‘ local prospect workout on Saturday morning. University of Houston linebacker Elandon Roberts was also in attendance, and has also met with the Steelers, per Wilson. The lengthy list of attendees is available via the link.
- Georgia Southern safety Antonio Glover met with the Lions and Titans after his Wednesday pro day, and was scheduled to fly to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- The Browns and Bears have spent a “significant amount of time” with Utah State linebacker Nick Vigil, who will also take a meeting with the Falcons, per Pauline. Vigil’s teammate, defensive tackle David Moala, met with the Browns and Chiefs.
NFC Notes: Powers, A. Davis, V. Davis, Giants
After visiting with the Giants last Thursday and Friday, free agent cornerback Jerraud Powers left New York without a deal and will continue to explore other options, according to Jordan Rannan of NJ.com. The club will continue to search for secondary depth, per Ranna, because even after signing Janoris Jenkins to pair with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the Giants are pretty thin beyond those top two corners. Trevin Wade, Leon McFadden, and Tramian Jacobs make up the rest of Big Blue’s corner options.
Let’s dive into a few more notes out of the NFC…
- If Anthony Davis applies for reinstatement as is expected, the situation between the right tackle and the 49ers could become complicated, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Davis was forced to repay a portion of his signing bonus when he retired prior to last season, and if he returns, its unclear exactly how the situation will be handled. The CBA is murky on the issue, per Fitzgerald, but San Francisco could threaten to release Davis and recoup another $3MM.
- Washington inked tight end Vernon Davis to a one-year, $2.38MM deal last week that contains $1.1MM in guarantees, leading Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com to observe that Davis figures to play a significant role in the club’s offensive plans. Davis is Washington’s highest-paid tight end, but that’s only because Jordan Reed — who no doubt will still be the No. 1 tight end — is still playing on his rookie contract.
- Kam Chancellor held out for all of training camp last season, and ultimately missed two regular season games, but the Seahawks safety figures to be a full participant in this year’s offseason activities. Tricia Romano of the Seattle Times caught up with Chancellor over the weekend, and discussed the holdout, Seattle’s chances in 2016, and Russell Okung‘s agent-less negotiations.