Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears
The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.
Here are more workout notes from Wilson:
- The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
- FB Ray Agnew
- TE Brandon Barden
- DT Alex Bienemann
- TE Cameron Clear
- WR Jace Davis
- WR Antwan Goodley
- WR R.J. Harris
- C Alex Hill
- T Cameron Jefferson
- WR Jordan Leslie
- QB Seth Lobato
- WR Levi Norwood
- QB Bryn Renner
- T Jack Rummells
- WR Demetrius Wilson
- Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
- The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
- In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
3:37pm: The word from today’s league meetings indicates that NFL owners will likely meet again in Houston on January 12th and 13th, perhaps voting on relocation at that time, says Jim Trotter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Chargers and Raiders would like a vote to happen sooner rather than later, and it appears their support for resolution is increasing, according to Trotter, who adds that there’s “zero chance” of a Kroenke/Spanos partnership at this time.
12:46pm: The NFL will set a date today for its special January meeting, but won’t set a date yet for the L.A. relocation vote, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. That vote may happen in January, but it may not.
11:21am: In a letter to the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities last week, the Rams proposed a 50/50 partnership with either the Chargers or the Raiders in Inglewood, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Acee, the Chargers are viewed as a more likely potential partner for the Rams, but “it could be the Raiders.”
Throughout the process, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has expressed a reluctance to enter an equal partnership with another team on the proposed Inglewood stadium, and the Chargers and Raiders haven’t had any interest in becoming a tenant at that stadium, preferring instead to pursue a stadium plan in Carson instead. The fact that Kroenke and the Rams are willing to propose a 50/50 partnership is a sign of progress.
Still, one issue with the Rams’ latest proposal is that it wouldn’t allow that second team to be involved in the “surrounding development, stadium design, and other points that would certainly be an issue,” writes Acee. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, the fact that Chargers owner Dean Spanos has already agreed to partner with Mark Davis and the Raiders could also create legal issues if Spanos wants to get out of that partnership. In Florio’s view, it may only work if Davis is given the money he needs to go toward the cost of a new stadium in Oakland.
In any case, the fact that the involved parties in potential Los Angeles relocation are considering new scenarios suggests they’re aware that decisions will have to be made soon. Here’s the latest on the L.A. situation:
- Scott M. Reid of the Orange County Register has more on the Rams‘ willingness to take on a partner, writing that some of Kroenke’s “allies” have begun to lobby for a deal that would have the Chargers joining the Rams in Inglewood.
- While there were some rumblings in recent weeks that a move to Los Angeles might get delayed until 2017, that possibility has “all but evaporated,” says Acee. “I just don’t see it,” one team owner tells Acee. “This is going to done.”
- At least two members of the league’s Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities – Giants owner John Mara and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt – would like to see a relocation vote take place in January, per Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. According to the L.A. Times report, the date and locale of that January meeting is still being discussed — the NFL is considering January 12th in Dallas or January 19th in Houston.
- Farmer suggests (via Twitter) that he expects a January meeting on relocation, followed by a February vote, and NFL.com’s Judy Battista (Twitter link) agrees with that assessment. Battista adds (in a series of tweets) that team owners would like to set a date for a January vote by the end of today, but wouldn’t necessarily enter that January meeting with a solution set in stone. As Battista outlines, that scenario would result in plenty of negotiations and side meetings before the vote, and potentially an attempt to broker a deal before that meeting.
- Spanos and the Chargers will almost certainly have a stadium solution at the end of this process, whether it’s in Los Angeles or San Diego, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). That makes a Rams/Raiders partnership a long shot, since the league wouldn’t want three teams in Southern California (two in L.A., one in San Diego).
North Notes: Bengals, Manziel, Bears
Safety George Iloka is one of many key Bengals players who will be eligible for free agency this winter, creating some interesting decisions for the club once the season comes to an end. As Iloka tells Paul Dehner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, he thinks that he and his fellow free-agents-to-be have handled the situation well.
“The approach hasn’t been, let’s all try to play individually and get paid the highest amount we can get paid,” Iloka said. “We look at it as, man, this is our last whoo-rah. Who knows who will be back and who won’t, but we are only guaranteed this year. I feel like we have a pretty good squad, we have been together for a long time and I just feel like this is it. If there’s a shot it’s this year. I think that’s been our approach more than, oh, let’s get paid because everyone knows if you make the Super Bowl everyone’s next contract is inflated. Getting to the Super Bowl and winning is our main goal, if you do that the money thing will take care of itself.”
In Dehner’s view, Iloka is one of six Bengals players who should be top priorities for the team this offseason, along with cornerback Adam Jones, wide receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, defensive end Wallace Gilberry, and linebacker Vincent Rey.
As we wait to see how the Bengals approach their offseason, let’s round up a few more items out of the NFL’s two North divisions….
- Asked today if Johnny Manziel might want out of Cleveland, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said he’s seen “no indication of that,” adding that talks with Manziel have been good (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com).
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an interesting look at a number of players around the NFL whose performance – or simply ability to stay healthy – could make them some extra money this season, via incentives. One such player is Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, who will profit greatly if he’s able to have more postseason success than he had in his first four NFL seasons.
- Bears chairman George McCaskey sat down for a Q&A with Dan Pompei, and discussed several past decisions, including multiple general manager and head coach changes, the signing of Ray McDonald, and the release of Jeremiah Ratliff.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, former Vikings general manager Jeff Diamond says that if he were still running his old club, and could’ve received anything close to fair value, he would’ve traded Adrian Peterson in the offseason. As Diamond explains, the Vikings may not have had the same on-field success this year without their star runinng back, but moving him would’ve sent a “strong message” about the team’s expectations off the field.
NFL To Allow Comp Pick Trades Starting In 2017
DECEMBER 2, 12:42pm: The NFL has voted to allow trades of compensatory draft picks, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. However, the new rules will apply for picks in 2017 and beyond, rather than 2016. That avoids giving a competitive advantage to the teams that deliberately attempted to land comp picks for ’16 during last year’s free agent period.
NOVEMBER 19, 11:35am: Beginning in 2016, the NFL is expected to start allowing teams to trade compensatory draft picks for the first time, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). These selections, which begin at the end of the third round, have traditionally not been movable.
[Related: Click here for the full list of the 2016 draft picks that have already been traded.]
Compensatory draft picks are rewarded to teams that had the most significant losses in free agency the previous year, with a formula determining how the 32 available selections are divvied up. Typically, teams like the Ravens have taken advantage of the system by allowing players to walk in free agency and collecting multiple compensatory picks, often using those picks to draft inexpensive potential replacements.
Now, it appears teams like Baltimore will be able to use those picks in trades going forward. Because there are no compensatory picks until the draft begins approaching the 100th overall pick, these selections may not be centerpieces of major deals, but being able to move them will give teams extra flexibility when making moves. As I noted when I took a closer look at all the trades made in the NFL in 2015, 64 of the 69 deals completed this year included at least one draft pick.
According to projections by Over the Cap, the Browns, 49ers, Cowboys, and Patriots are all in line to potentially land four compensatory picks for 2016, the maximum allowed for a single team. The Ravens, Broncos, Seahawks, Packers, and Lions are also projected to land multiple picks, though that’s not set in stone yet.
As Brian McIntyre notes (via Twitter), there’s a case to be made that any changes to the compensatory picks should be postponed until the 2017 draft, since changes for 2016 favor teams that attempted to stockpile those selections for the coming year. However, for now, it seems the league is ready to institute those changes sooner rather than later.
NFL Shortens Legal Tampering Window
WEDNESDAY, 12:38pm: The NFL has officially shortened the legal tampering window prior to free agency from three days to two days, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
TUESDAY, 12:05pm: At this week’s NFL meetings in Dallas, team owners will vote on whether to shorten the league’s “legal tampering” window during free agency from three days to two days, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The legal tampering period refers to the three days in March when clubs can talk to agents and negotiate possible deals for free agents from other teams, but aren’t yet allowed to officially sign those players. Teams and agents aren’t supposed to discuss specific year and dollar amounts or reach agreements in principle during that legal tampering window, though that rule has generally been ignored in recent years.
In March 2015, Ndamukong Suh‘s massive deal with the Dolphins was one of many instances where the exact terms of a contract agreement were reported during the legal tampering window, well before Suh was officially permitted to put pen to paper for Miami. The league investigated the Dolphins following the free agent period, but no penalties were handed out.
Reducing the legal tampering window from three days to two days could help ensure that fewer deals are agreed upon during that time, saving more of the contract drama for the first few hours and days after free agency officially opens.
Here are a few more items of interest related to this week’s league meetings:
- Owners will also vote on whether or not teams will be allowed to trade compensatory draft picks, which has been recommended by the competition committee, tweets Rapoport. A November report indicated that this change is likely to be approved.
- Los Angeles will be a subject of discussion this week, but there are no votes or presentations on L.A. planned for now, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link), the NFL will hold a special owners meeting in January. That may be the time when a vote on Los Angeles relocation takes place, though that’s not set in stone yet.
Ryan Mallett Working Out For Ravens
With Joe Flacco out for the year, the Ravens are currently moving forward with Matt Schaub and Jimmy Clausen as their quarterbacks. However, the team appears to be keeping an eye on the free agent market as well. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the club is working out former Texans signal-caller Ryan Mallett today.
Mallett, who initially joined the Texans prior to the 2014 season, started six games over the last two years for the team, totaling 1,170 passing yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions during his time in Houston. He was cut by the Texans in October after missing the team’s charter flight for a game in Miami — it was the second time this year tardiness was an issue for Mallett, who also missed a training camp practice.
It’s not clear at this point whether the Ravens are considering signing Mallett, or whether the team is merely taking a look at him to assess his value as a potential insurance policy in case Schaub gets injured, or perhaps as an offseason target.
Austin Davis To Start For Browns
With Josh McCown out for the rest of the season with a broken collarbone, the Browns won’t hand the reins back to Johnny Manziel — at least not yet. The team announced today in a press release that Austin Davis will get the start in Week 13 against the Bengals.
“Austin took advantage of his opportunity on Monday night. He was prepared, played well and put us in position to win,” said head coach Mike Pettine in a statement. “He’s been great in the quarterback room all season and he has earned the right to start on Sunday. We expect him to play well.”
Davis was called upon on Monday when McCown went down, with Manziel serving as the No. 3 quarterback in that game, so today’s decision doesn’t come as a real surprise. Still, it shows that the Browns are serious about disciplining the second-year signal-caller for his off-field behavior.
Manziel, who turns 23 this coming Sunday, was removed from the starting job last week after photos surfaced of him partying at a nightclub in Austin. Reports indicated that the Texas A&M product lied to the Browns about the photos, though the club never confirmed that.
At some point, particularly if Davis struggles mightily or goes down with an injury of his own, the Browns may determine that it’s worth getting a look at Manziel down the stretch, with the team well out of playoff contention. For now though, he’ll serve as Davis’ backup as the Browns prepare for Cincinnati.
Browns Re-Sign Terrelle Pryor
WEDNESDAY, 9:33am: The Browns have officially re-signed Pryor, who will be a wide receiver and a third quarterback for the team if and when he’s active, tweets Cabot.
TUESDAY, 4:23pm: Head coach Mike Pettine confirmed to reporters that the team is talking about signing Pryor, though there is “nothing official” on that front (Twitter link via Tony Grossi of ESPN.com). Pettine went on to say that bringing in another QB is on the table for discussion, Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal tweets.
10:49am: Nearly three months after cutting him, the Browns are bringing back Terrelle Pryor, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Cabot, Pryor had been getting set to meet with the Bears today, but is now signing with the Browns instead.
Pryor, 26, made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver this offseason, and impressed the Browns’ coaching staff in the preseason. However, he ended up being the 54th man on the squad heading into the regular season — he survived the initial cutdown to 53 players before being dropped when Cleveland claimed Robert Turbin off waivers, just days before the team’s Week 1 game.
Since then, Pryor has worked out for several teams across the NFL, including the Giants, Niners, Steelers, Seahawks, Jets, and Patriots. About a month ago, agent Drew Rosenhaus expressed optimism that those auditions would eventually result in a deal, telling ESPN’s Ashley Fox, “We’re confident that it’s just a matter of time until one of these teams decides to make the move.”
As expected, the Browns are signing Pryor as a wide receiver rather than a quarterback, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Still, it’s worth noting that starting QB Josh McCown is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a possible broken collarbone in Monday’s game against the Ravens. If McCown lands on IR, Pryor could serve as an emergency third option behind Austin Davis and Johnny Manziel.
AFC Notes: M. Williams, Reich, Broncos, Jets
There are only 10 NFL players who will have higher cap hits than Mario Williams in 2016, and eight of those players are quarterbacks. As such, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com thinks it would be wise for the Bills to give serious consideration to moving on from the standout defensive end in the offseason. Buffalo could use the cap room, and simply releasing Williams would give the club much more flexibility than trying to restructure his contracts.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who received consideration for a couple NFL head coaching positions last winter, interviewed this week for the head coaching job at the University of Maryland, according to Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun.
- Even if Brock Osweiler continues to have success for the Broncos down the stretch, the quarterback could likely be signed on a multiyear deal worth about $10MM per year, Mike Klis of 9News suggests in his latest mailbag. In Klis’ view, there’s virtually no chance that Von Miller doesn’t get the franchise tag from the Broncos.
- When Osweiler took over as the Broncos‘ starting quarterback, Troy Renck of the Denver Post thought the team may look to bring back James Casey as a fullback. However, he concedes that adding a fullback would be a luxury for Denver at this point.
- With Brandon Marshall having emerged as the “go-to guy” for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that the Jets‘ acquisition of the veteran receiver is looking like a steal for general manager Mike Maccagnan.
- New Patriots slot wide receiver Damaris Johnson will probably factor into the mix in 2016 if things go well, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Johnson inked a two-year deal with the Patriots on Tuesday and he’s ostensibly being brought aboard for his return skills.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/1/15
Here are Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Seahawks signed tight end Chase Coffman and released center Drew Nowak, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
- The Patriots claimed running back Trey Williams off waivers from the Cowboys, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In a related move, defensive end Trey Flowers has been moved to IR.
- The Broncos waived tight end Richard Gordon and promoted safety Josh Bush from the taxi squad, as Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets.
- The Patriots are expected to sign return specialist Damaris Johnson, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for Johnson, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
Earlier Updates:
- The Bills created two openings on their 53-man roster with a pair of Monday moves, and opened up a third vacancy by officially placing Kyle Williams on IR today, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The move had been expected since last week.
- To fill those three spots on their roster, the Bills signed defensive end Lavar Edwards off the Cowboys‘ practice squad, defensive lineman T.J. Barnes off the Jets‘ practice squad, and linebacker Kevin Reddick via free agency, per Rodak (all Twitter links). The series of signings helps the team fortify its banged-up defensive line, while also re-adding Reddick, who was cut prior to the regular season.
- The Dolphins have re-signed center/guard Jacques McClendon to their 53-man squad as an insurance policy for Mike Pouncey, the team announced today (via Twitter). Pouncey is dealing with a minor foot sprain and is considered day to day for now. Miami waived linebacker James-Michael Johnson in a corresponding move.