Martellus Bennett On Trade Block
Earlier in 2015, a report suggested that Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett wanted a new contract and a trade out of Seattle. Members of the Seahawks organization quickly shot down the idea that Bennett was seeking a trade, though it does still appear that the standout pass rusher wants to rework his deal.
Now, a similar report has surfaced regarding Bennett’s brother, Martellus Bennett. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bears are entertaining trade offers for their Pro Bowl tight end, and Bennett wants a new contract, whether he remains in Chicago or lands with a new team.
Bennett, 28, is coming off his best season, having racked up 90 receptions, 916 receiving yards, and six touchdowns for the Bears in 2014 — all of those figures were career-highs. So it makes sense that the veteran tight end would be seeking a raise, particularly since his contract doesn’t include any more guaranteed money.
Bennett is slated to earn about $5MM annually in 2015 and 2016, the final two years of his contract. While those are respectable salaries, Bennett presumably took notice of what happened on the free agent market this offseason, as players like Jordan Cameron and Charles Clay signed for $7.5MM per year — between them, Cameron and Clay combined for fewer catches than Bennett had in 2014.
While no teams have been linked to Bennett as potential suitors at this point, the Ravens, Packers, Browns, and Falcons are a few clubs with ample cap room and without a top-tier tight end.
Bears To Decline Shea McClellin’s Option
The Bears will not exercise their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Shea McClellin, general manager Ryan Pace told reporters today (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). The decision means that McClellin will enter a contract year, and will be eligible to hit the open market in 2016.
McClellin was selected 19th overall by the Bears in the 2012 draft, and after playing sparingly in his rookie year, he earned 20 starts for the club over the past two seasons. However, the 24-year-old failed to have a real impact for the defense during that stretch, compiling a combined 66 tackles and five sacks in 2013 and 2014.
If the Bears had elected to pick up McClellin’s option for the 2016 season, it would have cost the team $7.751MM, though that salary is guaranteed for injury only until the start of the ’16 league year. New Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is transitioning the unit from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in 2015, so given McClellin’s underwhelming play to date, and potential concerns about his fit in the new system, it makes sense that the new coaching staff would decide to pass on the option.
Of course, it’s possible that switching to the 3-4 will actually help McClellin, but if that’s the case, the Bears should still have the opportunity to negotiate a new deal with him next winter before he reaches the free agent market, likely at a rate far below $7.75MM.
Here are a few more Bears notes:
- West Virginia wideout Kevin White said today that he believes he’ll be the Bears’ choice if he’s still on the board at No. 7, per Around the NFL (Twitter link). Receiver is an area of need for Chicago after the team traded Brandon Marshall, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the club opted for a defender instead.
- According to Pace, the team has identified seven players as targets for the No. 7 pick, so at least one of them will be available if the club doesn’t move up or down (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times).
- Pace had fielded calls for that seventh overall pick, tweets Jahns. The GM hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading up from No. 7, but would be mindful of the cost and proceed with caution in that scenario (Twitter link via Jahns).
- According to Jahns (via Twitter), Pace’s big board features 170 prospects.
Jets Re-Sign Damon Harrison
Another restricted free agent is officially under contract with his team, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta (via Twitter), defensive tackle Damon Harrison told reporters today that he signed his RFA tender from the Jets earlier this week.
Harrison, 26, has started all 32 regular season games for the Jets over the last two seasons, acting as the team’s primary nose tackle. Teaming with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson, Harrison has contributed to one of the more formidable run-stopping fronts in the league during that stretch — according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Harrison’s +16.8 grade against the run in 2014 placed him third among defensive tackles, behind All-Pro players Marcell Dareus and Ndamukong Suh.
The Jets assigned Harrison a second-round tender last month, so he’ll be in line for a $2.356MM salary in 2015 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016. While other teams may have had interest in Harrison, they would have had to surrender a second-round pick to sign him away from the Jets.
With Harrison now under contract, only four restricted free agents remain unsigned: Browns safety Tashaun Gipson, Seahawks wideout Jermaine Kearse, Steelers safety Robert Golden, and Browns defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen.
La’el Collins Returning To Louisiana
Having traveled to Chicago this week, LSU guard La’el Collins was set to be one of 27 prospects that would be in attendance at the 2015 draft. Instead, Collins had opted to leave Chicago to return to Louisiana in order to meet with police in an effort to clear his name, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
As we learned yesterday, Louisiana police are looking to question Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week. The woman, Brittany Mills, is believed by police to be a former girlfriend of Collins, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect in the case. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, told Schefter that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.
“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Collins had originally intended to speak to police and submit to paternity tests following the draft. However, it’s clear that the situation requires urgent attention, so the first-round prospect will attempt to clear his name in Louisiana rather than walking across the stage to shake Roger Goodell’s hand in Chicago.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported today that one team interested in drafting a tackle in the first round was debating whether or not to keep Collins on its board.
King’s Latest: Bucs, Mariota, Cowboys, Pats
Before answering readers’ questions in his weekly mailbag this week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com passed along a number of the latest draft rumors he’s hearing with the first round just one day away. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Buccaneers have yet to receive a trade offer that “would come close” to making them decide to move down from No. 1.
- The Titans, Buccaneers, and Jaguars have all inquired with teams picking late in the first round about moving up from the second round, says King. The three teams have the first, second, and fourth picks, respectively, in round two.
- One GM told King that while the Titans still look like the favorites to end up with Marcus Mariota, he wouldn’t be shocked if Cleveland “trades the farm” to land the Oregon quarterback. The thinking is that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is sick of the merry-go-round at the position, and would like to land a “squeaky-clean” signal-caller to lead the franchise.
- The Cowboys would love to see running back Melvin Gordon fall to them at No. 27, but two other names to watch are linebackers Eric Kendricks (UCLA) and Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State).
- One team considering drafting a tackle in the first round is debating whether or not LSU’s La’el Collins will be on its draft board on Thursday night. While King acknowledges that this may be unfair, he explains the club’s thinking: “How can you draft a guy who’s being sought in connection with the death of a woman, even if police are saying now he isn’t a suspect? He needs to be exonerated by Thursday.”
- The Patriots like USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who looks like a logical target for the club if he’s still available at No. 32.
- With the 21st overall pick, the Bengals are considering Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, who had ACL surgery in January. King views this is a sign that teams are willing to wait on a prospect who wouldn’t be healthy enough to contribute immediately if they think he can be a premier player in the long term.
Draft Rumors: Collins, Bucs, Gurley, Titans
We heard yesterday that police are looking to question La’el Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.
“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”
Indeed, even if Collins is officially ruled out as a suspect by police, which appears likely, it’s not clear if that will happen before the draft gets underway tomorrow night, and teams figure to approach the lineman with extra caution.
As we wait to see how the ongoing investigation affects Collins, let’s round up a few more Wednesday draft rumors from around the league….
- According to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, trade inquiries involving the No. 1 overall pick are on the rise this week, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Still, I think Tampa Bay would have to be blown away to move out of that first overall spot.
- One team has Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 1 overall on its draft board, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it’s safe to say that’s not the consensus around the NFL. In fact, scouts who have spoken to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report don’t believe Gurley will be a top-10 pick, as has been rumored.
- Within Freeman’s piece, the BR scribe notes that the Jets are still very much in the hunt for Marcus Mariota, though he’s skeptical that New York will offer enough to move the Titans out of the No. 2 spot.
- Speaking of those Titans, Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that Tennessee isn’t just taking trade calls — the club is making them as well. So far, things haven’t gotten serious, but trade talks involving that second overall pick could heat up today and tomorrow, says Darlington.
- Amidst reports that Shane Ray could slide out of the first round, and perhaps much further than that, one NFL executive tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the Missouri pass rusher “isn’t going to fall very far” following his citation for marijuana possession.
- Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian appears to be a popular target, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Siemian has received calls from 11 teams in the past two days. Those teams are the Broncos, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings, Packers, Browns, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, and Dolphins.
Drayton Florence To Retire
Veteran NFL defensive back Drayton Florence will officially retire as a player this Friday, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Anderson, Florence will announce his retirement on the same day that he graduates from the University of North Florida.
Florence, a second-round pick back in 2003, played for the Chargers, Jaguars, Bills, Lions, and – most recently – the Panthers. In Carolina in 2013, the 34-year-old made 26 tackles, defended nine passes, and grabbed a pair of interceptions, ranking an impressive 19th among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). However, after rejoining the Lions last year, he was cut by the team in August, and didn’t appear in an NFL game during the 2014 season.
Over the course of his 11-year NFL career, Florence appeared in a total of 157 games, starting 104 of them. He tallied 20 interceptions, 104 passes defended, six fumble recoveries, and 486 tackles. While he never appeared in a Pro Bowl or won a Super Bowl, Florence’s longevity as an NFL player speaks to his ability to provide solid production at the cornerback position for a number of different teams.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Florence is graduating from the University of North Florida with a major in sports management and a minor in business, so it sound like he could remain involved in the NFL in some capacity during the next stage of his career.
AFC Notes: Bengals, Rivers, Mercilus, Browns
Multiple reports and mock drafts in recent weeks have suggested the Bengals could use their first-round pick to add a young tackle, perhaps envisioning that player as an eventual replacement for Andrew Whitworth. As he tells Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer though, the idea of the team adding his potential replacement doesn’t worry Whitworth.
“I’ve always had the opposite mentality,” Whitworth said. “Mess up and draft somebody at my position because you are going to sit around and watch him sit the bench. That’s always been my mentality. I see it as a challenge.”
While we wait to see which direction the Bengals decide to go on Thursday, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….
- The Chargers met with Philip Rivers‘ agent in person last week and are still focused on extending the quarterback’s contract, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. If Rivers is still a Charger on Sunday, it should signal that the team is relatively confident it can get something done.
- Speaking today to reporters, including John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links), Texans general manager Rick Smith said he and the club are still deciding whether to pick up the fifth-year option on Whitney Mercilus. “Whether we pick it up or not, we want him around long time,” Smith said of the outside linebacker. For his part, McClain doesn’t expect the team to exercise its 2016 option.
- On the heels of ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reporting that Sam Bradford wants to play for the Eagles, and Philadelphia is unlikely to trade him, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says the Browns would still like to acquire the former first overall pick — however, it’s not likely to happen.
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com ranks the Raiders‘ top five draft needs, and according to Bair, the No. 1 priority is finding a pass rusher that can take some of the heat off of Khalil Mack. Oakland could use a defensive end and they could very well use the No. 4 pick to shore up that spot. Bud Dupree, Leonard Williams, and Dante Fowler Jr. are candidates to end up in Oakland next season, Bair writes.
- Chiefs president Mark Donovan has signed a long-term contract extension to remain in Kansas City, the team announced today in a press release.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Eagles, Jordan, Mathis, Cowboys
When Adam Schefter of ESPN.com first reported today that Dion Jordan had been suspended for the 2015 NFL season – news that has since been confirmed by the Dolphins – he also added another interesting tidbit, noting that the Eagles were nearing a trade for Jordan prior to his latest ban.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer has some additional details on those trade talks between the Dolphins and Eagles, tweeting that Jordan would’ve gone to Philadelphia for a conditional late-round pick. Per McLane, veteran guard Evan Mathis was also discussed, but it doesn’t appear Mathis would’ve been involved in the deal, if it had been finalized.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Speaking today to reporters, including David Helman of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link), Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said having the No. 27 pick increases the team’s chances of moving around in the draft, either up or down. Per Helman (Twitter links), Jones also classified Dallas’ need at running back as “not urgent,” suggesting that defense is a much greater priority. In Jones’ view, running back is merely a position of interest, while the D must be improved “by hook or crook.”
- General manager Doug Whaley made a visit to meet with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty today, a source tells Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports adds (via Twitter) that Whaley isn’t the only member of the Bills‘ front office in Dallas to have dinner with the young signal-caller. Petty is viewed as a probable day two pick in this week’s draft.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) provides the specific details on Chris Jones‘ new three-year contract with the Cowboys. Based on Wilson’s figures, the deal features a $1MM cap number for 2015.
- The Dolphins met with Miami running back Duke Johnson today, since a conflict with a Colts workout had prevented him from attending the team’s local pro day, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Former TCU quarterback Casey Pachall and ex-Patriots defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick are among the players attending the Jets‘ minicamp as tryout players, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter links). Deaderick has also played for the Saints and Jaguars since spending three seasons in New England.
Miller’s Latest: Cooper, Browns, Gurley
Matt Miller of Bleacher Report reported yesterday that while there are NFL teams interested in drafting Dorial Green-Beckham in the first round on Thursday, ownership has squashed those plans. In fact, a source from one team drafting in the top 15 tells Miller that ownership responded with a flat-out “no” when the topic of DGB in the first round was broached.
Miller has many more items in his latest piece at Bleacher Report, so let’s dive in and check out the highlights….
- Raiders sources tell Miller that coaches in Oakland have “fallen in love” with Amari Cooper. The Alabama wideout, who has also been linked to the Jaguars at No. 3, could be the surprise pick over Leonard Williams if he’s available at No. 4.
- The Browns like Marcus Mariota a lot, and Miller continues to hear that the team has interest in trading up to land him. Miller also hears that Cleveland has spoken to the Giants – drafting ninth overall – about a possible deal.
- Browns sources don’t expect safety Tashaun Gipson to be on the roster in 2016. According to Miller, the belief is that he’ll price himself out of Cleveland’s range. Gipson is currently forgoing the Browns’ voluntary workouts, having not yet signed his RFA tender.
- Todd Gurley‘s knee is looking better than anticipated, with one team source telling Miller the running back could play in Week 1 of the NFL season.
- The Eagles are being connected to UCF wideout Breshad Perriman, according to several GMs who spoke to Miller.
- Miller asked four different teams about Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, and while none of those four clubs expect him to be selected within the top 10, they all believe he’s still a first-round player.
- Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead has been the popular pick for the 49ers in mock drafts, and Miller hears that Armstead is indeed a Niners target at No. 15 if the club doesn’t trade up or down.
- Chronic knee problems have resulted in a pair of guards – Florida State’s Tre‘ Jackson and Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio – failing physicals during the pre-draft process, sources tell Miller. Both players’ stocks figure to take a significant hit as a result of injury concerns.