NFC Notes: Cards, Washington, Bears
While John Carlson‘s retirement announcement today came as a surprise to many observers, the Cardinals‘ football people weren’t shocked by the news, per Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). However, Somers notes that the team wasn’t aware of Carlson’s plan prior to the draft, so it’s fair to wonder if Arizona might’ve taken a tight end a little earlier — the team selected Louisville’s Gerald Christian with the 256th and final pick in this year’s draft, making him 2015’s “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- After selecting running back Matt Jones in the draft last week, Washington is no longer in the market for veteran free agent Pierre Thomas, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim.
- Following the 2015 draft, the Bears’ front office is undergoing some major changes under new general manager Ryan Pace. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune details, college scouting director Marty Barrett won’t have his contract renewed after 18 years with the franchise. Meanwhile, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that Jay Muraco is out as Chicago’s East Coast scout, confirming a report from Neil Stratton of InsideTheLeague (Twitter link). A source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that Barrett figures to land with the Jets, while Caplan tweets that Muraco may resurface with the Falcons.
- Speaking to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, Pace explained why the Bears decided not to use one of their six picks on a quarterback during the draft.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a closer look at the specific numbers in Jameis Winston‘s rookie contract with the Buccaneers, and how they reflect the changes in the overall rookie salary pool. So far, Winston is the only rookie reported to have officially signed his contract.
- Panthers special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven is taking a medical leave of absence to deal with a “serious health situation,” and will be replaced in the interim by Russ Purnell, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Chiefs Waive Terrelle Pryor, Three Others
3:39pm: In addition to confirming that Pryor has been waived, the Chiefs also announced that they’ve cut linebacker JoJo Dickson, long snapper Jorgen Hus, and wideout Corbin Louks.
3:13pm: The Chiefs have removed one of the five quarterbacks from their roster, and the player being waived is a notable one. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the team has cut former Raider Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor appeared in 11 games in 2013 for the Raiders, starting nine of them, but was underwhelming in those contests. Overall, he completed 156 of 272 pass attempts (57.4%) for 1,798 yards, seven touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He did add some value with his legs, racking up 576 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a 93-yard score.
Since then, however, Pryor has failed to stick with any one team. He was waived by the Seahawks during last August’s roster cutdowns, and was unable to catch on with another club during the 2014 season. The 25-year-old’s stint with the Chiefs only lasted a few months — he signed a futures contract with the team after the 2014 season.
With Pryor no longer in the mix, the Chiefs will head into the summer with Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray, and Tyler Bray at quarterback.
Pats Cut Alfonzo Dennard, Two Others
3:21pm: The Patriots have confirmed they’ve waived Dennard, announcing in a press release that long snapper Tyler Ott and linebacker Deontae Skinner have been let go as well.
8:11am: Having lost a pair of key cornerbacks in free agency this offseason, when Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner signed elsewhere, the Patriots are continuing to overhaul the position. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the team is parting ways with three-year veteran Alfonzo Dennard, who started 20 games in New England over the last three seasons.
Dennard, 25, was limited to just six games in 2014, having been plagued by shoulder and hamstring issues. He also saw his role reduced with the arrivals of Revis and Browner, and played in just 241 regular season snaps before landing on injured reserve. While the sample size was small, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also graded him as the Pats’ least effective coverage corner — he allowed QBs to complete 68.2% of their passes and accumulate a 111.2 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
Due to an escalator in his rookie contract, Dennard had been set to earn a base salary of $1.542MM this season after making the minimum for his first three years, so his release doesn’t come as a total surprise. He’s a candidate to be claimed on waivers, or to quickly sign elsewhere, given his age and the experience he’s had early in his NFL career.
Vikings To Sign 10 Undrafted Free Agents
The Vikings are the latest team to announce their 2015 undrafted free agent class, having come to terms with 10 rookies. Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link) has the full list, which we’ll pass along right here, accompanied by bonus info from Ben Goessling of ESPN.com:
- Justin Coleman, CB, Tennessee
- DaVaris Daniels, WR, Notre Dame ($10K bonus)
- Tom Farniok, C, Iowa State
- Anthony Harris, S, Virginia ($10K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary)
- Taylor Heinicke, QB, Old Dominion ($10K bonus, plus $10K guaranteed salary)
- Jordan Leslie, WR, BYU
- Gavin Lutman, WR, Pittsburg State ($7.5K bonus)
- Blake Renaud, FB, Boise State
- Jesse Somsel, G, Saginaw Valley State
- Bobby Vardaro, G, Boston College ($2K bonus)
Cardinals Add 14 UDFAs, Cut Two Players
John Carlson‘s retirement announcement was the big news out of Arizona today, but the roster is undergoing plenty of other changes as well. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets, the team has let go of running back Zach Bauman and cornerback Roc Carmichael, and has agreed to terms with 14 undrafted free agents.
Here are the 14 newest Cardinals, per Urban, along with bonus info via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic:
- Cariel Brooks, CB, Adams State ($4K bonus)
- Rob Crisp, T, North Carolina State ($15K bonus)
- Alani Fua, LB, BYU ($17K bonus)
- Trevor Harman, WR, Shippensburg
- Edwin Jackson, LB, Georgia Southern ($1.5K bonus)
- Andrae Kirk, LB, Florida Atlantic ($3K bonus)
- Paul Lasike, RB, BYU ($500 bonus)
- Gabe Martin, LB, Bowling Green ($4.5K bonus)
- Damond Powell, WR, Iowa ($500 bonus)
- C.J. Roberts, CB, Colorado State-Pueblo ($8K bonus)
- Jaxon Shipley, WR, Texas ($9K bonus)
- Gannon Sinclair, TE, Missouri State ($5K bonus)
- Zack Wagenmann, LB, Montana ($8K bonus)
- Xavier Williams, NT, Northern Iowa ($8K bonus)
49ers Sign Nine Undrafted Free Agents
The 49ers have announced their undrafted free agent class for 2015, and the group is very heavy on wideouts. Five of the nine UDFAs whose signings were confirmed today in a press release are receivers, per the team. Here’s the full list:
- Dres Anderson, WR, Utah ($50K guaranteed, per Brian McIntyre)
- Issac Blakeney, WR, Duke
- DiAndre Campbell, WR, Washington
- Darius Davis, WR, Henderson State
- Patrick Miller, OL, Auburn
- Marcus Rush, DL, Michigan State
- Dylan Thompson, QB, South Carolina ($5K bonus, plus $15K guaranteed salary, per Aaron Wilson)
- DeAndrew White, WR, Alabama ($32K guaranteed, per McIntyre)
- Jermaine Whitehead, S, Auburn
John Carlson Announces Retirement
Veteran Cardinals tight end John Carlson has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. As Urban notes, the decision comes as a surprise, since Carlson has been working out with the team during Arizona’s offseason program.
Carlson, a former second-round pick, will turn 31 next Tuesday, and was coming off a solid first season with the Cardinals. In 16 games (12 starts) for the club, the former Seahawk and Vikings totaled 33 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers brought his career marks to 210 catches, 2,256 yards, and 15 TDs in 90 overall regular season contests.
While Carlson dealt with concussion issues earlier in his career, he didn’t miss a game during the 2014 season, and told Tom Pelissero of USA Today last year, “I don’t have a concussion problem.” Carlson’s retirement comes somewhat early in his career, but his statement announcing the decision didn’t make reference to health concerns.
“After much thought and consideration, my wife Danielle and I know that this is best decision for us,” Carlson said in a statement, per Urban. “I was blessed to play seven seasons in the NFL for three tremendous organizations – the Cardinals, Vikings and Seahawks. I will always treasure the experiences and relationships made during that time but I’m also very excited about the next phase of my life and what’s ahead.”
With Carlson no longer in the mix, 2014 second-rounder Troy Niklas and veteran Darren Fells figure to head up the Cardinals’ depth chart at the tight end spot. If the team isn’t satisfied with its options, it could turn to the free agent market, where players like Jermaine Gresham and Zach Miller are still available. A trade is also an option, with Martellus Bennett reportedly on the trade block, though I wouldn’t expect Arizona to make a big splash.
Poll: Best Value Among Draft-Day Fallers?
With NFL rookie contracts coming in at a far more affordable rate than they used to, the most effective way a team can build a cap-friendly roster involves nailing a few draft picks every year, and carrying those players on cheap deals for the first four years of their NFL careers. And given how important it is to get those picks right, teams are increasingly shying away from players with off-field, character, or injury concerns, which might derail their NFL careers or result in suspensions down the road.
A team like the Browns provides a case study for how drafting high-risk, high-reward players can backfire — heading into the 2015 campaign, Cleveland’s best receiver, Josh Gordon, is facing a season-long suspension for repeated drug violations. Meanwhile, the team’s first-round quarterback from a year ago, Johnny Manziel, is coming off a stint in rehab, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to bounce back from a forgettable rookie year and contribute to an NFL franchise.
In 2015’s draft, a handful of players who would have been first-round talents, or even top-10 picks, had a number of question marks swirling around them as the draft approached. In some cases, those players still went about where we expected — cornerback Marcus Peters didn’t fall far, going 18th overall to the Chiefs, and defensive end Frank Clark was a second-round pick despite an alleged domestic violence incident that got him kicked off the team in Michigan.
Still, most players who had off-field questions or injury concerns slipped precipitously on draft day. Potential drug concerns for Shane Ray and Randy Gregory resulted in them going 23rd and 60th respectively, rather than in the top 10. Dorial Green-Beckham, Ronald Darby, and P.J. Williams had very strong cases to come off the board on day one if not for off-field question marks. And health concerns caused players like Jaelen Strong, T.J. Clemmings, and Jay Ajayi to fall further than expected.
In some cases, teams’ wariness may be warranted. But given the talent these players possess, I expect at least a couple of them to have long, successful NFL careers, and to make the teams that passed on them regret it. It’s just a matter of identifying which of these players is most likely to overcome the roadblocks currently facing them.
What do you think? Which of the following picks will provide the best value?
NFC East Notes: Collins, Kendricks, McClain
As teams finalize their undrafted free agent signings and create room on their rosters for their new players, let’s round up a few items from around the NFC East….
- While virtually every team in the NFL has expressed at least some level of interest in undrafted LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, many of those clubs are more realistic potential suitors than others. According to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Washington is not among Collins’ likely destinations — Keim was told the club isn’t expected to pursue the lineman.
- After initially not reporting to the Eagles‘ offseason workouts, linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in attendance for the second phase of the team’s program, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. I imagine Kendricks would still like some more long-term security, but the fact that Chip Kelly denied shopping him and other players during the draft seems to be enough for the time being.
- Alabama prosecutors are dismissing charges against Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, stemming from an incident that took place over two years ago (Associated Press report via ESPN.com). McClain was convicted on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in city court in 2014, and appealed to state court for another trial, which now won’t take place.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com outlines how the Giants made a number of their decisions during last week’s draft.
Fifth-Year Option Decisions For 2016
While the deadline for exercising fifth-year options typically falls on May 3, teams around the league had an extra day to make those decisions this year, since May 3 didn’t land on a business day. For 2012’s first-round picks, if their fifth-year options for 2016 weren’t picked up by midnight on Monday, they’re now on track to become unrestricted free agents after the 2015 season — assuming they’re still even playing on their rookie contracts, that is.
In total, 20 of 2012’s 32 first-rounders had their fifth-year options exercised by their respective teams. However, that leaves 12 players whose options weren’t picked up, including four of the top seven picks from the ’12 draft.
Of those 12 players, five didn’t have an option to exercise for various reasons, including release, suspension, or retirement. One of the remaining seven, Whitney Mercilus, inked an extension with the Texans to avoid the need for the option. That leaves just six players who had their option years outright declined.
The numbers suggest that if a first-round player plays out the first three years of his rookie contract, there’s a very good chance his team will exercise his fifth-year option. Even players who were considered potential question marks, such as Robert Griffin III, Matt Kalil or Dre Kirkpatrick, had their options exercised, and it’s hard to question their clubs’ decisions. After all, these fifth-year salaries are only guaranteed for injury at the moment, so those teams have until the start of the 2016 league year to rethink their decisions.
Here’s a full breakdown of the fifth-year option decisions for 2016:
Exercised:
- Andrew Luck (QB, Colts), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Robert Griffin III (QB, Washington), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Matt Kalil (T, Vikings), $11.096MM: Exercised
- Ryan Tannehill (QB, Dolphins), $16.155MM: Exercised
- Luke Kuechly (LB, Panthers), $11.058MM: Exercised
- Stephon Gilmore (CB, Bills), $11.082MM: Exercised
- Dontari Poe (DT, Chiefs), $6.146MM: Exercised
- Fletcher Cox (DE, Eagles), $7.799MM: Exercised
- Michael Floyd (WR, Cardinals), $7.32MM: Exercised
- Michael Brockers (DT, Rams), $6.146MM: Exercised
- Quinton Coples (OLB, Jets), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Bengals), $7.507MM: Exercised
- Melvin Ingram (OLB, Chargers), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Kendall Wright (WR, Titans), $7.32MM: Exercised
- Chandler Jones (DE, Patriots), $7.799MM: Exercised
- Riley Reiff (T, Lions), $8.07MM: Exercised
- David DeCastro (G, Steelers), $8.07MM: Exercised
- Dont’a Hightower (LB, Patriots), $7.751MM: Exercised
- Kevin Zeitler (G, Bengals), $8.07MM: Exercised
- Harrison Smith (S, Vikings), $5.278MM: Exercised
Not exercised:
- Trent Richardson (RB, Raiders): Not applicable due to release
- Justin Blackmon (WR, Jaguars): Not applicable due to suspension
- Morris Claiborne (CB, Cowboys), $11.082MM: Declined
- Mark Barron (S, Rams), $8.263MM: Declined
- Bruce Irvin (OLB, Seahawks), $7.751MM: Declined
- Shea McClellin (OLB, Bears), $7.751MM: Declined
- Brandon Weeden (QB, Cowboys): Not applicable due to release
- Whitney Mercilus (OLB, Texans), $7.751MM: Signed extension
- Nick Perry (OLB, Packers), $7.751MM: Declined
- A.J. Jenkins (WR): Not applicable due to release
- Doug Martin (RB, Buccaneers), $5.621MM: Declined
- David Wilson (RB): Not applicable due to retirement