Texans Trying To Trade D.J. Swearinger
Two years after selecting him in the second round of the draft, the Texans are exploring the possibility of trading safety D.J. Swearinger, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle, Texans GM Rick Smith said today that there’s “a lot of information and misinformation out there” at this time of year, and called Swearinger a “really good football player for us,” but never explicitly denied shopping the safety.
As the Chronicle piece notes, Swearinger has surrendered some big plays on the field for the Texans, and has struggled to fit in with the team’s off-field culture. According to Pro Football Focus (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.
The Texans appear to be overhauling the safety position this offseason, with Kendrick Lewis and Danieal Manning both hitting the free agent market. Lewis signed with Baltimore, while Manning remains available. Houston signed former Bronco Rahim Moore in free agency, and could look to add another safety to the mix through the draft, particularly if the team finds a taker for Swearinger.
Swearinger, 23, has about $460K in dead money left on his deal, and would have cap numbers below $1MM for the next two seasons for a new team if he’s traded.
Vikings GM: No Interest In Trading Peterson
Vikings GM Rick Spielman reiterated today that his team has “no interest” in trading Adrian Peterson before, during, or after the upcoming draft, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Repeating that his position – and the team’s position – on the running back has not changed, the GM said that “we can just end the Adrian Peterson stuff” (Twitter link).
“If our ownership had interest in trading Adrian Peterson he probably wouldn’t be here today,” Spielman said, according to Tomasson (via Twitter).
Of course, while Spielman attempted to put the Peterson rumors to bed by repeatedly insisting that the Vikings have no interest in moving the 30-year-old, that’s a little different than definitively stating no deal will be made. So I imagine the speculation will continue at least through this week’s draft, even if the Vikes don’t intend to make a move.
Spielman offered up a few more noteworthy quotes during today’s conversation with the media, so let’s round up the highlights….
- Spielman doesn’t see a ton of difference between the seventh overall pick and the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft, so it’s not surprise that he’s looking to moving down from No. 11 if possible (Twitter links via Tomasson and the team).
- According to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune (Twitter link), Spielman said the Vikings’ options are “wide open” at No. 11, and mentioned wide receiver, offensive line, defensive end, and defensive back as potential positions of interest. A trade up is unlikely, per the GM.
- The Vikings have made decisions on the fifth-year options for safety Harrison Smith and offensive lineman Matt Kalil, but won’t announce those moves until after the draft, tweets Tomasson. Smith’s 2016 option is a lock to be exercised, but Kalil’s, which would cost $11.096MM, is far less certain.
- Asked about not having made a big splash in free agency, Spielman said he’d prefer to fill needs by signing a bunch of players on one-year, prove-it contracts rather than adding a big-dollar player (Twitter link via Tomasson).
Titans Pick Up Kendall Wright’s Option
APRIL 28: The Titans have officially exercised Wright’s option, GM Ruston Webster confirmed today (Twitter link via Wyatt).
APRIL 23: While they don’t have to formally make the call for another week and a half, the Titans are expected to pick up the fifth-year option for wide receiver Kendall Wright, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The team will have until May 3 to make the decision official.
Wright, 25, grabbed a career-low 57 balls last season, though a career-high six of those receptions went for touchdowns. During the 2013 season, Wright developed a strong rapport with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, en route to a 94-catch, 1,079-yard campaign. However, the Titans shuttled through quarterbacks last season, with Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, and Zach Mettenberger all receiving at least five starts, and Wright’s production suffered.
While Wright could be catching passes from Mettenberger again in 2015, there’s also a chance the Titans use their second overall pick on a quarterback like Marcus Mariota, so it remains to be seen if the club will have some continuity at the position. Either way, Wright, Justin Hunter, and free agent signee Harry Douglas are expected to anchor the receiving corps.
As the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Wright will be in line for a 2016 salary worth $7.32MM if the Titans elect to exercise his fifth-year option. That salary will be guaranteed for injury only until the start of the ’16 league year — at that point, if Wright remains under contract, his salary would become fully guaranteed.
Panthers GM Talks Draft, Tackles, WRs
Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman spoke to reporters today, including Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, about the team’s plans for the draft, and while he wasn’t overly revealing, he dropped a few interesting tidbits. Here are the highlights, with all links going to Person’s Twitter account:
- The Panthers’ signing of Michael Oher last month has changed the way Gettleman views the left tackle position in the draft. According to the GM, “you don’t want a revolving door” at that spot, which suggests the club may want to let Oher try to establish himself at the position.
- Of course, tackle is still an area the Panthers will likely focus on, and Gettleman said he thinks there are four or five prospects in this class that could play the position at the NFL level. The GM added that there are a couple left tackle prospects whom he considers probable right tackles instead, but said that there’s a player who could be a long-term solution at LT at the No. 25 pick.
- According to Gettleman, having two extra picks in the draft (nine in total) “gives you pause” about moving up in certain spots. However, don’t expect the team to trade up in the first round — Gettleman doesn’t “subscribe to the theory” that Carolina is just one player away.
- The Panthers aren’t walking into this draft with the same hole at wide receiver that they had a year ago, says Gettleman, implying that the club doesn’t necessarily have to pick a wideout early. The GM pointed out that – while last year’s crop of receivers was special – there’s more depth at the position this year, which also points to the team addressing it in the middle or late rounds.
- Gettleman said today that he feels like the club “checked boxes” in free agency by adding help at tackle, in addition to more speed and special teams players. That should give Carolina more flexibility to take the best players available in the draft.
- Gettleman indicated that it’s clear where the Panthers stand on domestic violence, alluding to the team’s non-interest in re-signing Greg Hardy and hinting that players with a history of domestic incidents probably won’t be considered this week. As for positive marijuana tests or possession citations, the GM said those don’t necessarily eliminate a player from the Panthers’ board, but more discussion is required in those instances.
Latest On Shane Ray
A day after he was cited for marijuana possession, Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray is the subject of much speculation. Previously viewed as a probable top-10 pick, Ray is no longer a lock to even be a first-rounder. For his part, the young defender released a statement apologizing to his mother, his fans, and prospective NFL teams for the “poor judgment” he showed on Monday, and vowed to make better decisions in the future (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Here’s the latest on one of the most talented pass rushers in the 2015 draft class:
- Due to his citation for marijuana possession, Ray will now be automatically enrolled in the behavioral portion of Phase 1 of the NFL’s substance abuse program, sources tell former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik of ESPN. Placement in Phase 1 of the program means that Ray won’t face any NFL discipline, but will be subject to random drug testing once he enters the league.
- Within that ESPN.com story, it’s suggested that Ray could drop as low as the third round in this week’s draft, and Dominik said earlier today that he expects the Missouri defender to slide to the “third or fourth round,” according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
- While Dominik doesn’t see “any way” Ray gets picked in the first round, Rapoport tweets that there’s still a “strong possibility” of that happening. Ray continues to plan on being in Chicago for the draft, adds Rapoport.
- John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link) also explored the idea of Ray falling out of the first round, speaking to three executives about it — two said Ray might slip out of the first, while one said he won’t.
- Teams that wouldn’t have had a chance to land Ray before are now inquiring on him, with both GMs and owners doing their homework, says Rapoport (Twitter links). According to the NFL.com scribe, clubs with mid to late first-round picks are going back to Ray’s film.
NFL Surrenders Tax-Exempt Status
Much has been made over the years about the NFL’s status as a tax-exempt non-profit, but the league’s headquarters are making the change from tax-exempt to taxable, according to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). Per Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News (TwitLonger link), commissioner Roger Goodell sent out a memo to owners today announcing the change.
“As you know, the effects of the tax exempt status of the league office have been mischaracterized repeatedly in recent years,” the statement reads, in part. “The fact is that the business of the NFL has never been tax exempt. Every dollar of income generated through television rights fees, licensing agreements, sponsorships, ticket sales, and other means is earned by the 32 clubs and is taxable there. This will remain the case even when the league office and Management Council file returns as taxable entities, and the change in filing status will make no material difference to our business. As a result, the Committees decided to eliminate this distraction.”
Another “distraction” that will be eliminated as a result of the NFL surrendering its tax-exempt status is the need to publicly reveal Goodell’s salary. Because the league will no longer be a non-profit, it won’t have to disclose that figure, tweets Soshnick. According to Kaplan (Twitter link), Goodell’s salary figure will be public one more time when the league’s final public tax return is released next February, so we’ll know how much the commissioner earned for 2014.
While the NFL had held its tax-exempt status for decades, the change doesn’t come as a total shock. Major League Baseball dropped its tax-exempt status in 2007, after reportedly finding that the financial savings that came with that status were only marginal. It makes sense that the NFL would make such a decision for PR purposes, particularly given the outcry regarding Goodell’s salaries in recent years.
NFC Notes: Washington, Forte, David
Washington owner Daniel Snyder may have finally gotten it right with his hiring of GM Scot McCloughan, Jarrett Bell of USA Today Sports writes. The 44-year-old McCloughan made none of the splashy, high-dollar moves that had become a franchise trademark in his first offseason. Instead, he signed Terrance Knighton, Stephen Paea and Ricky Jean-Francois to fortify the defensive line at reasonable rates while obtaining Pro Bowl safety Dashon Goldson for next to nothing.
As we wait to see what McCloughan has up his sleeve in the draft, let’s round up some more items from across the NFC….
- Bears head coach John Fox said today that he doesn’t believe running back Matt Forte is present at the team’s voluntary minicamp, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Forte is heading into a contract year, and figures to be seeking an extension.
- Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway is returning to the Vikings for at least one more season, but he’s not sure yet whether 2015 will be his final year in the NFL, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- Speaking today to reporters, Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David said he’s not thinking about contract negotiations. Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the team intends to begin extension talks with David following the draft.
- Defensive end Adam Carriker, who was cut by Washington a year ago, is trying out for the Falcons during the club’s minicamp this week, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
- Nebraska’s Randy Gregory would be a gift from the gods if the Cowboys could land him, Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News writes. If Gregory somehow falls all the way to No 27 and Dallas doesn’t take him, Gosselin would be shocked.
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com ranked the 49ers‘ top five draft needs, starting with inside linebacker. San Francisco won’t necessarily take an inside linebacker in the first or second round, but at some point the team will add depth at the position.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Dion Jordan Suspended For 2015 Season
Former third overall pick Dion Jordan has violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy once again, and is facing a season-long suspension for the 2015 campaign, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jordan had multiple positive tests last year, and was suspended in September as a result of that. At the time, the defensive end vowed to “make better choices” going forward.
“I am currently undergoing treatment to address my situation,” Jordan said in a statement at the time. “I am working hard to become a better man and to make better choices in the future. I am especially looking forward to returning to the team. I also want to thank my family, Coach [Joe] Philbin and the Miami Dolphins organization for their support.”
According to Schefter (via Twitter), while Jordan didn’t outright fail a drug test this time around, the league determined that one of his samples was diluted, which counts as a strike. Prior to the diluted sample and the year-long ban, the Dolphins had been nearing a trade with the Eagles that would’ve sent the Oregon product to Philadelphia, tweets Schefter.
Instead, Jordan will miss the entire 2015 season — he won’t appeal the suspension, so the penalty will stand, per Schefter (Twitter link).
The suspension helps to explain the ambiguous nature of Mike Tannenbaum‘s comments last week when he was asked about Jordan. At the time, a few Dolphins beat writers suggested that it sounded like Jordan’s time in Miami may be nearing its end. The 25-year-old’s suspensions void the remaining guaranteed salary in his contract, so the Dolphins could cut him without being on the hook for that money.
Bills Exercise Stephon Gilmore’s Option
Bills general manager Doug Whaley indicated at last month’s league meetings that his team would be exercising its fifth-year option on cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Now, the club has finalized that decision, picking up the 2016 option on Gilmore, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Gilmore, 24, led Bills cornerbacks with 873 defensive snaps last season, and had his best season yet, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — the site graded him as the NFL’s 26th-best cornerback.
Because Gilmore was a top-10 pick – 10th overall, to be specific – his option will be pricier than players drafted later in the 2012 first round. For example, the Bengals reportedly picked up Dre Kirkpatrick‘s option earlier today, and will pay him $7.507MM for the 2016 season. Gilmore, on the other hand, is set to earn a salary of $11.082MM for ’16, unless his deal is renegotiated or extended.
For the complete breakdown of 2016 option decisions around the NFL, be sure to check out our tracker.
Jets Fined $100K For Revis Tampering
The Jets have been fined $100K for tampering in regard to Darrelle Revis, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, no further penalties are expected to be handed down in the Revis case — so the Jets won’t lose a draft pick, and the Patriots won’t face any discipline.
The outcome of the Revis case isn’t surprising. Jets owner Woody Johnson discussed his team’s interest in Revis while the cornerback was still under contract with the Patriots, which is essentially the definition of tampering. The tampering charge subsequently filed by the Jets against the Pats came after the Pro Bowler signed with New York, and New England owner Robert Kraft was asked about losing him — Kraft was far from the only NFL owner or executive to discuss a player who left his team this offseason.
According to Mehta (via Twitter), at least one other team will be penalized for tampering this offseason. While Mehta’s source doesn’t identify the club in question, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s the Dolphins, who reportedly agreed to terms with top free agent Ndamukong Suh several days before teams were permitted to reach agreements – or even to discuss terms – with outside free agents. Many teams were likely guilty of this sort of rules violation, so Miami won’t necessarily be the one fined for it, but I could see the league making an example out of the most prominent case.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) first reported this morning that resolution on the Revis tampering case was expected before Thursday’s draft.