Draft Visits: Latimer, Tripp, Croyle, Gilbert
A few updates on draft visits (all links are courtesy of NFL.com’s Gil Brandt on Twitter):
- Indiana receiver Cody Latimer will visit seven teams over the next three weeks: the Bills, Eagles, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks, Chargers, and Panthers.
- Additionally, Lattimer will have a private dinner with Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl and director of college scouting Don Gregory on April 8, and undergo a class-room exercise on April 9.
- Two Montana linebackers have scheduled visits — Jordan Tripp will meet with the Eagles on Monday and the Falcons later in the week, and Brock Croyle will visit with the Chargers and the Seahawks.
- Southern Methodist University quarterback Garrett Gilbert will work out for the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers.
Bears Sign Brian De La Puente
The Bears have signed center Brian De La Puente, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Biggs adds that the contract is a one-year deal for the minimum salary benefit, with a $65K signing bonus and $100K in base salary guaranteed. The team has officially announced the transaction (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old De La Puente is a veteran of six NFL seasons, and spent the last four years as a member of the Saints, becoming a starter during the 2011 season. He will reunite with former Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who is now the offensive coordinator in Chicago.
De La Puente graded out well in 2013 per Pro Football Focus, earning a +4.0 grade, which ranked him 16th among centers; he especially excelled in pass-blocking. However, despite taking a visit with the Redskins and mulling a potential return to the Saints, he appears to be settling for a backup job, as the Bears already have Roberto Garza entrenched at the center position.
De La Puente adds quality depth to a Bears offensive line that mostly succeeded last season. Pro Football Focus ranked the unit 18th (up from 30th last season), while Football Outsiders graded the Bears O-line as excellent in pass protection.
Week In Review: 3/31/14 – 4/6/14
The headline from the past week at PFR:
Key Signings:
- The Rams signed receiver Kenny Britt to a one-year contract.
- The Giants re-signed defensive tackle Mike Patterson to a one-year deal.
- The Jets signed cornerback Dimitri Patterson to a one-year pact.
- The Raiders signed cornerback Carlos Rogers to a one-year deal.
- The Redskins signed receiver DeSean Jackson to a four-year contract.
- The Giants signed defensive lineman Robert Ayers to a two-year pact.
- The Redskins signed safety Ryan Clark to a one-year deal.
- The Jets signed receiver Jacoby Ford to a one-year contract.
- The Broncos signed center Will Montgomery to a one-year pact.
- The Steelers signed receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to a one-year contract.
- The Ravens signed tight end Owen Daniels to a one-year deal.
- The Lions signed quarterback Dan Orlovsky to a one-year contract.
- The Bengals signed safety Danieal Manning to a one-year pact.
- The Saints signed cornerback Champ Bailey to a two-year deal.
Trades:
- Bills – acquired receiver Mike Williams from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2014 sixth-round-pick.
Extensions:
- Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll – three years (link)
- Broncos head coach John Fox – three years (link)
Contract Tenders:
- Broncos cornerback Chris Harris signed his restricted free agent tender.
- Browns center Alex Mack, who was extended a transition tag tender, met with the Jaguars, who are reportedly mulling signing the veteran to an offer sheet.
- Saints restricted free agent safety Rafael Bush signed an offer sheet with the Falcons.
Released:
- Raiders offensive lineman Mike Brisiel (link)
- Titans running back Chris Johnson (link)
- Patriots safety Adrian Wilson (link)
Retired:
- Linebacker Tim Shaw (link)
- Defensive lineman Marcus Spears (link)
NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Thomas
The latest out of the NFC West:
- Despite his listing right tackle as the Cardinals’ biggest need, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss doesn’t see the team re-signing Eric Winston. The veteran offensive lineman, who was recently elected president of the NFLPA, lacks the durability that the Cardinals need. The team will either look to the draft for an RT, or use Bobby Massie or Bradley Sowell, both of whom played left tackle last season.
- The Cardinals signed two cornerbacks last week, but that doesn’t mean they won’t add to the position in the first round of the draft, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Neither of the two cornerbacks (LeQuan Lewis and Eddie Whitley) were given a signing bonus, and neither is guaranteed a roster spot. The signings point to the Cardinals’ preference for, in Urban’s words, “a fluid roster.” In terms of the draft, Arizona has been linked to TCU cornerback Jason Verrett.
- Though the upcoming draft is considered one of the deepest in recent memory, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wonders how far the Rams can trade down from No. 2 and still land an impact player. Wagoner also notes that simply finding a trade partner could prove difficult if the quarterback-needy teams remain lukewarm on this year’s class of signal-callers.
- Earl Thomas is still considered first-in-line to get an extension from the Seahawks, and a deal could be struck between now and the draft, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- Condotta thinks the Seahawks will draft at least one defensive lineman to replenish the depth they lost during free agency, but also believes that several young players such as Greg Scruggs and Benson Mayowa could be contributors in 2014.
- Pete Carroll’s extension probably won’t have much of an impact on contract discussions between Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers, notes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Carroll had only a lone season remaining on his deal and now has a Super Bowl championship on his résumé , while Harbaugh has two seasons left on his contract, and has not won a title (despite reaching the NFC Championship game in each of his three seasons at the helm).
AFC Notes: Manziel, Patriots, Manuel, Draft
Johnny Manziel will be spending the next two days visiting with the Raiders, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The former Texas A&M quarterback, who met privately with the Patriots last week, is expected to be a top-15 pick in next month’s draft. Though the Raiders acquired veteran signal-caller Matt Schaub last month via trade, the team could still look to add youth at the quarterback position with the No. 5 overall selection. Oakland’s QB depth chart also contains Matt McGloin, who is expected to be the primary backup, and Terrelle Pryor, who will likely be traded or released.
Other news items from the AFC:
- If the Patriots trade up from pick No. 29, it could be to select a receiver like USC’s Marqise Lee or LSU’s Odell Beckham, Jr., writes Doug Kyed of NESN.com.
- Kyed notes within the same piece that running back Chris Johnson, released last week by the Titans, could interest the Patriots, but not at the price that he will likely command.
- Middle Tennessee State offensive guard Josh Walker will have a private workout with the Colts’ offensive line coach, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Walker will also meet with the Saints on April 9.
- The Bills are “all in” on second-year quarterback E.J. Manuel, meaning they will not select one of the “big three” QBs expected to go in the first round of the draft, opines Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.
- Trading down in the draft makes sense for the Chiefs, says ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher. The Chiefs do not have a second-round pick this year, having sent it to the 49ers in exchange for quarterback Alex Smith.
Raiders Sign Carlos Rogers
WEDNESDAY, 10:07am: The base value of Rogers’ one-year deal with the Raiders is $2.5MM, including a $1MM signing bonus, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who says the cornerback can earn up to $3.5MM via incentives.
MONDAY, 7:41pm: The Raiders have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with cornerback Carlos Rogers, according to Colleen Dominguez of Fox Sports (via Twitter). The team has officially announced the transaction on their Twitter account.
Rogers, 32, is a veteran of nine NFL seasons, and played the past three years with the 49ers, before being cut on March 10. He was originally a first-round draft pick of the Redskins, and spent 2005-2010 in Washington. Though his durability has not decreased with age (he started all 16 games in each of his seasons with the Niners), his play, on the other hand, has suffered. Last season, while notching 49 tackles and two interceptions, he ranked as just the 71st out of 110 cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.
For the Raiders, the signing of Rogers further adds to their veteran-dominated offseason, following the acquisitions of experienced players like Matt Schaub, Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, and Maurice Jones-Drew. Rogers, along with fellow former 49er/new Raider Tarell Brown, will attempt to strengthen a Raiders defensive backfield that ranked 28th in 2013 in terms of passing yards allowed. The current plan is for Brown and second-year player D.J. Hayden to start on the outside, with Rogers manning the slot, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Sulia).
Cards Sign LeQuan Lewis, Eddie Whitley
TUESDAY, 3:06pm: Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com confirms (via Twitter) that the Cards have signed Lewis, and adds that the team has also inked cornerback Eddie Whitley to a two-year contract. Whitley, a Virginia Tech alum, has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
MONDAY, 10:55pm: The Cardinals will sign cornerback LeQuan Lewis to a two-year deal, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Lewis, 25, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has logged time with seven NFL teams, but last took a snap as a member of the Buccaneers in 2012. The contract likely contains a minimum salary, and serves as a chance for Lewis to make the Cardinals this summer, probably as a special-teamer.
Extra Points: Manning, Draft, Bush, Carr
Some assorted notes to close out the evening:
- The Bengals will meet with safety Danieal Manning on Tuesday and Wednesday, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Manning was released by the Texans earlier today.
- NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has updated his position rankings for draft prospects, and the most notable change is his moving Johnny Manziel up to the No. 1 quarterback slot, followed by Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater. One wonders if this might be an overreaction to a good Pro Day (Manziel) versus a poor one (Bridgewater).
- Running back Michael Bush will visit with the Patriots, who recently lost LeGarrette Blount to the Steelers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- On a related note, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots let Blount get away too easily, citing both his low cost and the fact that Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are in the last year of their respective contracts.
- Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr says his private workout with the Browns “went exactly how [he] wanted it to,” writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi also tweets that Carr dined with the Browns general manager Ray Farmer and the Cleveland offensive staff on Sunday night. Carr could be an option for the Browns at pick No. 26.
- Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby told Sirius XM NFL that he has visits set up with the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, Bills, and Jets, as well as three additional teams (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Moore, Panthers, Bailey, Rams
We’ve taken a turn around the NFC North and the NFC East, so let’s cover the news items in the rest of the NFC:
- Receiver Marlon Moore, formerly of the Dolphins and 49ers, will have a tryout with the Buccaneers, tweets Howard Balzer. Moore is more of a special teams contributor than an offensive weapon.
- Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders will visit with the Saints, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- The Panthers, who could still use help at receiver and on the offensive line, will “keep their eye out for free agent bargains,” but are mostly preparing for the draft, says Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have several cornerbacks who have had run-ins with the law, including the recently-arrested Chris Culliver, and veteran Champ Bailey could be a valuable addition to replace some of the leadership lost with the departures of Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, writes Matt Barrows the Sacramento Bee.
- Another NFC West team looking to add to its secondary is the Rams, opines ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “It would have been nice [to add a veteran], but honestly that market got priced out of what we were looking for,” said head coach Jeff Fisher. Wagoner expects the team to add a cornerback at some point in the draft.
NFC East Notes: Manning, Eagles, Doughty
The latest from the NFC East:
- Recently-released safety Danieal Manning grew up in the Dallas area, and has always fantasized about playing for the Cowboys, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com lists safety, defensive end, interior offensive line, and receiver as areas where the Cowboys could look to add depth through free agency. Archer lists Thomas DeCoud, Robert Ayers, Kyle Cook, and Nate Burleson as players who could potentially help at those respective positions. The Cowboys have about $6.4MM in cap space with which to work.
- In separate pieces, Zach Berman of Philly.com and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com make much the same point: the Eagles need to find a way to continue to beat man coverage following the departure of DeSean Jackson. Opposing defenses primarily employed man coverage because it was the simplest to way to combat the Eagles fast-paced offensive attack. Jeremy Maclin will now become the focal point in the receiving game, but the team is expected to add a receiver from what is regarded as a loaded wideout class. Florida State’s Kelvin Benjamin, at 6’4″ and 240 pounds, is the type of physical receiver who could take on opposing defensive backs.
- NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock disputes the notion that the Eagles need a receiver, and thinks they should draft their highest-rated defensive player left on the board (via Bryan Fischer of NFL.com).
- The “door is not closed” between safety Reed Doughty and the Redskins, but he is not a priority in Washington, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington, also noting that several other teams have inquired on Doughty.
- New Redskins safety Ryan Clark will act as a mentor to young defensive backs Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo, and try to fill the leadership void left by the retiring London Fletcher, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. But Clark was signed due to his ability, as well, as Keim notes (in a nice turn of phrase highlighting the Redskins ineptitude on defense last season): “[W]hile Pittsburgh let [Clark] walk because he’d lost a step, the Redskins have been seeking a safety who had any steps to begin with. They weren’t losing steps; they never had any.”