Extra Points: Bowers, Cowboys, Eagles
A second-round pick just four years ago, Da’Quan Bowers hasn’t generated much interest on the free agent market this offseason — or at least not much that has been reported. However, with veteran free agents no longer tied to draft pick compensation after May 12, the former Buccaneers defensive end may soon find a home.
According to Jayson Braddock of ESPN 97.5 Houston (Twitter link), Bowers is paying a visit to New Orleans to meet with the Saints this week. Previously, Braddock reported (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old had narrowed his options down to the Lions and Dolphins, so it’s not clear whether those teams remain in the mix, or if they’ve moved on.
As we wait for an update on Bowers, let’s round up a few more items from around the NFL….
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones confirmed today that restructuring Brandon Carr‘s contract is a priority for the team this offseason, but no work has been completed yet on that front (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). Meanwhile, Jerry’s son Stephen Jones said that the Cowboys’ meeting with Orlando Scandrick and agent Ron Slavin was productive, but he wouldn’t say whether the two sides will reach a new contract agreement (link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com).
- The Eagles have announced in a press release that former Bears executive Dwayne Joseph has been hired as the team’s director of pro scouting, while Louis Clark has been promoted to senior director of pro personnel. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who reported Joseph’s hiring earlier today, notes that the Bears tried hard to keep their associate director of pro personnel, but he chose to seek a better opportunity in Philadelphia.
- Offensive lineman Austin Wentworth, who joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and was cut earlier this month, must end his playing career because of blood clots in his leg, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. While the 25-year-old is currently walking with a limp, and will have to wear a brace for the rest of his life, he’s expected to walk normally eventually, according to Tomasson. Wentworth is currently on Minnesota’s reserve/non-football illness list.
- Former Iowa State defensive end Cory Morrissey had agreed to terms on a three-year rookie contract with the Ravens as a UDFA, but ultimately decided to walk away from football instead, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details.
- Elsewhere at the Baltimore Sun, Jeff Zrebiec takes a closer look at what this week’s roster moves and decisions mean for the Ravens.
Cards Sign Markus Golden, Rodney Gunter
The Cardinals have two more draft picks under contract, having signed second-round outside linebacker Markus Golden and fourth-round defensive lineman Rodney Gunter to their rookie deals today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
Urban notes that the moves leave three Cardinals draftees unsigned, tweeting that the contract for seventh-rounder Gerald Christian isn’t officially in the books yet. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported earlier today that Christian’s deal was done, so perhaps 2015’s “Mr. Irrelevant” has agreed to terms but not yet put pen to paper.
As for Golden and Gunter, Over the Cap’s data shows that the duo will be in line for respective signing bonuses worth about $1.11MM and $510K. For 2015, the Cardinals will have Golden and Gunter on their books for modest cap hits of approximately $712K and $562K, respectively.
Besides Christian, first-round tackle D.J. Humphries and third-round running back David Johnson have yet to formally sign their rookie contracts for the Cardinals.
Chargers Sign Four Draft Picks
With just five picks this year, the Chargers had one of 2015’s smallest draft classes, and the team nearly locked up all its draftees in one fell swoop today. According to the club’s official website, the Chargers have signed four rookies, including second-round linebacker Denzel Perryman.
In addition to inking Perryman to his rookie contract, the team also made things official with third-round cornerback Craig Mager, fifth-round outside linebacker Kyle Emanuel, and sixth-round defensive lineman Darius Philon. First-round running back Melvin Gordon, this year’s 15th overall selection, is the only San Diego draftee who has yet to put pen to paper.
As Over The Cap’s data shows, the cap numbers for the Chargers’ four signed picks will range from about $465K to $870K. Of the four players, Perryman will pull in the largest signing bonus, at about $1.734MM. Mager’s bonus will be worth approximately $662K, while Emanuel’s will come in at about $219K, and Philon will get about $121K.
For a complete breakdown of which draft picks have and haven’t signed their rookie contracts, be sure to check out our tracker.
Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Titans, Jags
Teams around the NFL continue to lock up their 2015 draft picks, and while we’ll dedicate full posts when first- or second-rounders sign their rookie contracts, we’ll pass along mid-to-late-round signings in round-up posts like this one. Here are the latest draft pick signings from around the league, with all salary info via Over The Cap:
- The Chiefs have signed third-round receiver Chris Conley, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Conley, the 76th overall pick earlier this month, is one of two key additions – along with Jeremy Maclin – to Kansas City’s new-look receiving corps, which will look to reach the end zone at least once in 2015.
- Mr. Irrelevant, 256th overall pick Gerald Christian, has signed his rookie contract with the Cardinals, per Wilson (via Twitter). Even as the final seventh-rounder to come off the board, the former Louisville tight end did significantly better than he would have as an undrafted free agent, securing a signing bonus worth about $53K.
- The Titans have agreed to terms with three more of their draft picks, locking up fourth-round defensive tackle Angelo Blackson, sixth-round center Andy Gallik, and seventh-round receiver Tre McBride, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The club still has to sign five of its nine draftees, including second overall pick Marcus Mariota.
- The Jaguars have signed a pair of draftees to their rookie deals today, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com, who reports (via Twitter) that fourth-round safety James Sample and seventh-round wideout Neal Sterling are now under contract. Sample and Sterling will receive respective signing bonuses worth about $549K and $78K.
- The Raiders announced (on Twitter) that they have signed a pair of seventh-round draft picks in wide receiver Andre Debose and tackle Anthony Morris.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On Brady, Kraft, Patriots
Tom Brady and his camp have until 11:00pm CT on Thursday to officially file an appeal in response to his four-game suspension, and we have a handful of updates on that appeal process in the space below. Here’s the latest on Brady and DeflateGate:
- As one Tuesday report outlined, there was some uncertainty about whether Brady and agent Don Yee would involve the NFLPA in their appeal of the quarterback’s four-game ban, but Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that Brady’s camp has finally involved the union in the process. The Players Association is expected to take the lead in Brady’s appeal, says Werder.
- As Barry Wilner of The Associated Press outlines, labor attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who recently represented Adrian Peterson in his suspension appeal, will aid the NFLPA in Brady’s appeal.
- The NFLPA has already drafted Brady’s appeal letter, but it’s still going through the union’s process and will likely be formally filed tomorrow, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- At least one source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he thinks Brady’s “talented, big-name lawyers,” including Kessler, will get the penalty overturned and that the quarterback won’t miss a game. Schefter conveyed that source’s message on The Herd With Colin Cowherd” today, and also suggested that the Patriots are “angry” about the penalties handed down by the NFL (including lost draft picks and a $1MM fine), since the organization doesn’t feel as if it did anything wrong. Doug Kyed of NESN.com has the details, along with quotes from Schefter.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com agrees with Schefter’s assessment of the Pats’ reaction to the NFL’s decision, writing that the team is “fuming.” Although owner Robert Kraft and the franchise hadn’t initially been planning to fight the discipline handed down by the league, the overall scope of that discipline “was unlike anything they expected,” a source tells La Canfora. Per La Canfora, Kraft and his team may challenge the NFL’s ruling, but that’s probably still a long shot at this point.
- Multiple sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that Kraft is “strongly considering” filing a lawsuit against the NFL over the ruling. However, according to Cole, many of those same sources are trying to discourage the Pats owner from doing so, since they believe it will be a “fruitless endeavor.”
Lions Sign Ameer Abdullah
The Lions have moved one step closer to completely locking up their 2015 draft class, announcing today that they’ve signed second-round running back Ameer Abdullah to his rookie deal. With Abdullah now under contract with the club, only first-round pick Laken Tomlinson remains unsigned.
Abdullah, the 54th overall pick in this year’s draft, was the fourth running back to come off the board, behind Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, and T.J. Yeldon. While Joique Bell may currently sit first on the Lions’ depth chart at the position, Abdullah is expected to play a major role in the backfield this year, and may also return kicks and/or punts for the team.
While Abdullah will count for a modest $756K hit against the Lions’ cap this season, he’ll earn a signing bonus of about $1.283MM now that he has inked his rookie contract. The four-year value of the rookie’s deal will be approximately $4.156MM, per Over The Cap.
Cardinals Sign Darryl Sharpton
In search of some depth at inside linebacker, the Cardinals have signed veteran free agent Darryl Sharpton, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), the team waived safety Eddie Whitley to create room for the new addition to the roster.
Sharpton, 27, paid a visit to Arizona to meet with the Cardinals last week, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post detailed. The Cards added one linebacker, Markus Golden, in this year’s draft, but the rookie is expected to play on the edge, so it makes sense that the team would continue to add depth at inside linebacker, particularly with Larry Foote – currently a member of Arizona’s coaching staff – still undecided on his playing future.
In four years in Houston between 2010 and 2013, Sharpton, appeared in 42 games (19 starts), totaling 146 tackles as a part-time player for the Texans. The former fourth-round pick out of Miami joined the Bears last season, but played sparingly for the club, appearing in just 108 defensive snaps.
Lions Sign Greg Salas, Chris Owens
With unrestricted free agents no longer tied to the compensatory draft pick formula, the Lions have added a pair of veterans to their roster, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Per Twentyman, the club has signed wide receiver Greg Salas and cornerback Chris Owens to one-year contracts.
Salas, a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2011, only spent one season in St. Louis before moving on to play for the Patriots, the Eagles, and – most recently – the Jets. Over the course of his four-year NFL career, the 26-year-old has accumulated 43 receptions, including eight last year for New York — most of those catches came in Salas’ rookie season, when he hauled in 27 balls for the Rams.
As for Owens, he has more NFL experience than Salas, having appeared in 83 games (17 starts) over the last six years for the Falcons, Browns, Dolphins, and Chiefs. A cornerback who plays most frequently in the slot, Salas has totaled 217 tackles, 21 passes defended, three interceptions, and three fumble recoveries in his career.
Salas will compete for reps behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, alongside recently-signed vet Lance Moore and a handful of other players, while Owens will join a group of cornerbacks that includes Darius Slay, Rashean Mathis, Josh Wilson, Bill Bentley, Nevin Lawson, Alex Carter, Quandre Diggs, and Crezdon Butler.
Owners To Consider Extra Point Proposals
The NFL’s spring meetings are scheduled to take place in San Francisco next week, and league owners will consider three alternatives to the current extra point play at those meetings, according to an Associated Press report.
The three proposals, put forth by the Patriots, the Eagles, and the league’s competition committee, are fairly similar, with a few minor tweaks. They are as follows:
- Patriots: One-point attempts (kicks) from the 15-yard line; two-point attempts from the two-yard line.
- Eagles: One-point attempts (kicks) from the 15-yard line; two-point attempts from the one-yard line; defense can score two points if it returns a turnover to the opposing end zone.
- Competition committee: One-point attempts (kicks) from the 15-yard line; two-point attempts from the two-yard line; defense can score two points if it returns a turnover to the opposing end zone.
For any of the proposals to replace the current extra point play, it would require 75% of the league’s owners (24 of 32) to approve a change.
Eight Teams Placed Claims On Swearinger
The Buccaneers, the team with the top waiver priority this offseason, were awarded D.J. Swearinger on waivers yesterday after the safety was cut on Monday by the Texans. A report earlier today indicated that the Jets also submitted a waiver claim for Swearinger, but Tampa Bay and New York were far from the only clubs involved.
According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a total of eight teams placed a claim on Swearinger. In addition to the Bucs and Jets, the Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, Bills, Steelers, and Ravens all put in claims for the former Texan, says Yates. The Browns were also believed to have interest in Swearinger, but they – and perhaps other potential suitors – must have been hoping he’d clear waivers and become a free agent.
Since Swearinger was a second-round pick in 2013, his rookie contract still has two years left on it, and is fairly reasonable, featuring base salaries of about $722K and $881K for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s an affordable flier for virtually any NFL team to take, which explains why so many clubs placed waiver claims rather than waiting for Swearinger to become a free agent.
Presumably, those eight teams that put in claims were fonder of Swearinger’s performance in 2014 than Pro Football Focus was, or at least view him as a player who has the potential to improve. According to PFF (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.
While Swearinger drew plenty of interest on waivers, it doesn’t appear that any of those teams were willing to give up anything of real value for him, since the Texans reportedly tried to trade the safety before cutting him.