Chiefs Pick Up Dontari Poe’s 2016 Option
Defensive tackle Dontari Poe has become the latest 2012 first-round draftee to have his fifth-year option picked up, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Breer reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs have exercised their 2016 option on Poe.
Because he was selected 11th overall, Poe’s salary for the 2016 season isn’t subject to the rules for 2012’s top 10 picks, making the option more affordable for the Chiefs. Assuming he remains under contract with Kansas City and doesn’t rework his contract, the Memphis product will earn a base salary of $6.146MM in 2016 — that figure, currently guaranteed for injury only, will become fully guaranteed on the first day of the ’16 league year.
Having started all but one game for the Chiefs since entering the league three years ago, Poe has been one of the team’s best defensive players, earning spots in the last two Pro Bowls. In 2014, he recorded 46 tackles to go along with six sacks, and according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), no player appeared in more snaps at defensive tackle than Poe’s 966. In fact, only two other DTs – Ndamukong Suh (875) and Jared Odrick (817) – played more than 800 snaps.
To keep tabs on all the decisions on fifth-year options for 2012 first-rounders, be sure to check out our tracker. Teams have until May 3 to decide one way or the other on those option years.
Extra Points: Draft, Falcons, Chiefs, Joseph
The 2015 NFL draft is now just six days away, and trade talks figure to heat up very soon. According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie said today that he’s fielded calls about the No. 4 overall pick, and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff has taken calls about moving up or down from No. 8, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Additionally, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets that Chiefs GM John Dorsey has called around and told teams that his club is open to trade discussions.
As we wait to see whether any of those teams make some moves before or during the draft, here are a few more items from around the league, including additional notes on the Falcons and Chiefs:
- Among the other updates from today’s Falcons presser: Dimitroff dimissed the idea that Atlanta is pursuing Adrian Peterson (per Ledbetter), and head coach Dan Quinn said the club plans to address the linebacker spot in the draft, despite having signed free agents (Twitter link via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
- The Chiefs have been in contact with Justin Houston‘s representatives, having spoken to the linebacker’s camp within the last three days, Dorsey said today (link via Paylor). Houston, who was franchised by Kansas City, has yet to sign his one-year tender, and there’s a chance the two sides could work out a long-term deal this spring.
- Players and agents aren’t thrilled that general managers have publicly voiced doubts about whether certain 2016 fifth-year options will be exercised, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Whatever the intention of those comments is, players tend to regard them as an expression of uncertainty about their abilities, and a signal that the team may not want to keep them around for the long term.
- Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at the Browns‘ decision to draft Johnny Manziel over Teddy Bridgewater a year ago, writing that a league source with knowledge of the Vikings‘ draft plans said Minnesota had determined a few days before the draft that Cleveland was leaning toward Manziel rather than Bridgewater.
- Free agent guard Davin Joseph told SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that he’d love to join a contender and try to get a championship ring. Joseph, 30, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, starting 99 of the 100 games he played for the team, before signing with the Rams last spring.
- Idaho center Mike Marboe had a private workout today for the Seahawks, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Draft Rumors: Clemmings, Mariota, Gregory
Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings is the latest prospect to discover an injury during a team visit. A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Clemmings was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot, despite not feeling any pain. It remains to be seen how the injury will affect the draft position of Clemmings, who is viewed as one of the best offensive lineman in the draft.
More on next week’s draft:
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report spoke to five NFL personnel men, and all five believe that Marcus Mariota will be drafted by the Titans, either at No. 2 or at No. 5 (following a trade with Washington). Some of those execs points to the Jets as another strong contender for Mariota, but they don’t believe New York will move up, a belief supported by GM Mike Maccagnan‘s comments today.
- Of course, even if the Titans select Mariota, it doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of Tennessee trading him to another team. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com takes a look at how a Mariota trade could potentially happen after the draft.
- Randy Gregory may take a fall in the first round, but one exec tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that Gregory won’t fall out of the first round. Personally, I’d be surprised if the Nebraska pass rusher is still on the board after the first 15 picks of the draft.
- One football executive tells Bob McGinn of the Journal-Sentinel that he sees a lot of former Raiders bust JaMarcus Russell in presumptive No. 1 pick Jameis Winston. “Lack of focus by JaMarcus is what I see in Winston,” the personnel man said. “They’re physically talented, but during the course of a game they kind of lose their focus and just put the ball up for grabs. I see the body. I see the lack of focus. I see the same coach and system. Only Winston’s not as good an athlete and his arm isn’t as strong as JaMarcus‘.”
- In addition to his previously-reported visits, Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper also paid visits to the Buccaneers, Bears, Falcons, Giants, and Washington, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Wilson also provided an update on Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, writing that the Cowboys, Saints, and Panthers were among the teams to meet with intriguing deep threat.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jets GM Talks Draft, Wilkerson, RFAs
Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan will be running his first draft this year after arriving in New York from Houston this offseason, and it’ll be an important one for the franchise, which holds the sixth overall pick next Thursday. Speaking to reporters today, Maccagnan addressed a number of topics related to the upcoming draft and the Jets’ general plans. Here are a few highlights, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of beat writers Rich Cimini (ESPN.com) and Manish Mehta (New York Daily News):
- Maccagnan would prefer to add more picks, which increases the team’s chances of finding good players, rather than to give up picks to move up for someone. The Jets will still reach out to every team picking ahead of them to gauge the market value of those selections, but don’t necessarily expect to trade up.
- Asked about Muhammad Wilkerson‘s absence from the club’s offseason program, Maccagnan downplayed the defensive lineman’s absence, noting that the workouts were voluntary and adding, “I’m sure Mo is doing a good job wherever he’s working out.” For now, the club is too focused on the draft to deal with Wilkerson’s contract situation, but the GM says that will happen “at some point in time going forward.”
- The Jets expect restricted free agents Damon Harrison and Jaiquawn Jarrett to sign their tenders. Today is the last day RFAs can sign offer sheets with rival teams, and neither player appears poised to do so.
- Maccagnan and the Jets “absolutely” feel comfortable with the amount of homework they’ve done on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, whom they saw during a visit, a private workout, and his pro day.
- Maccagnan, point to the Steelers as an example, said he’d like to create a “pipeline” of 3-4 outside linebackers, since those players take some time to develop.
- The Jets evaluated just under 1,400 prospects, and ended up with just under 300 on their draft board, per Maccagnan.
- According to Maccagnan, his philosophy involves using free agency to fill needs (such as cornerback), and using the draft to select the best players available.
Lions To Exercise Reiff’s 2016 Option
Exactly a month after general manager Martin Mayhew suggested the Lions had yet to make a decision on the fifth-year option for offensive tackle Riley Reiff, the GM said today that the team will pick up that 2016 option, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
As I noted in March when Mayhew initially expressed some uncertainty about Reiff’s option, it would’ve been a huge surprise if the club had declined the option, considering how well the young lineman has played at left tackle over the last couple seasons. In 2014, Reiff’s Pro Football Focus grade (subscription required) placed him in a tie for 23rd out of 84 qualified offensive tackles.
By exercising Reiff’s fifth-year option, the Lions will extend the 26-year-old’s rookie contract by one year, keeping him locked up through the 2016 season. If the two sides don’t work out a longer-term agreement that adjusts his ’16 cap number, Reiff will be in line for a salary of $8.07MM for that season.
In addition to confirming that his team would pick up Reiff’s option, Mayhew made a number of other notable comments during his conversation with the media this morning. Here are the highlights, via Birkett, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com:
- Mayhew indicated that he has “empathy” for safety James Ihedigbo, who wants a new deal and didn’t report for the Lions’ voluntary offseason program. The GM is looking forward to discussing Ihedigbo’s contract situation “whenever I see him,” which suggests the team may want the safety to report before any negotiations take place (Twitter link).
- The Lions spoke to Rob Sims‘ agent three weeks ago and made a contract offer, but haven’t heard back from the offensive lineman’s camp since then (Twitter link).
- According to Mayhew, Detroit has yet to discuss a potential contract extension with Haloti Ngata, but there’s interest on both sides in getting something done eventually (Twitter link). While the GM expressed optimism about getting a veteran defensive tackle locked up, he also praised the depth at the position in this year’s draft, noting that the class is “especially” deep on the defensive line (Twitter link).
- Although the Lions have had some dialogue about a new contract for linebacker DeAndre Levy, nothing is imminent on that front (Twitter link).
- The Lions cut offensive lineman Rodney Austin after domestic violence allegations, but Mayhew said the team hasn’t closed the door on bringing him back if and when his legal issues are resolved (Twitter link).
South Notes: Bucs, Blackmon, Wisniewski
The Buccaneers aren’t expected to trade the No. 1 pick, but that hasn’t stopped teams from asking, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes.
“It’s fair to assume someone is going to have to make a really good offer, yeah,” Bucs GM Jason Licht said. “And this time of year you get a lot of calls every day. Not making offers but just throwing, gauging your interest of if you would be open to it or not. And that will continue. But it would have to be an offer that makes this franchise, that sets this franchise even further ahead than what you thought you were going to with the decision you made.”
As the Bucs continue to mull their options for that first overall pick, let’s check in on some more notes from around the league’s two South divisions….
- Asked by a reader about Justin Blackmon‘s future with the Jaguars, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union suggests the wideout is “done-zo” in Jacksonville. It’s a response to a chat question rather than the subject of an actual report, but O’Halloran, who views Amari Cooper as a strong option for the Jags at No. 3 overall, sounds pretty confident that Blackmon won’t play another game for the franchise.
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post has the details on Stefen Wisniewski‘s one-year deal with the Jaguars, tweeting that the veteran center will earn a $1.25MM base salary to go along with a $500K signing bonus. The contract also features $250K in per-game roster bonuses, $500K in playing-time incentives, and an injury waiver.
- West Virginia wide receiver Mario Alford, one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class, visited and worked out privately for the Falcons, according to Wilson. Wilson adds that NFL teams have primarily been working out Alford as a slot receiver, even though he mostly played outside at WVU.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
East Notes: Jennings, Eagles, Cowboys
When Greg Jennings reached a contract agreement with the Dolphins earlier this week, we learned almost immediately that it was a two-year, $8MM pact. Now, Alex Marvez of Fox Sports has a breakdown of the specifics. Per Marvez (Twitter link), the wideout’s deal features a $3MM signing bonus, base salaries of $900K (2015) and $3.9MM (2016), and annual workout bonuses of $100K. That means Jennings’ cap hit for this season should be $2.5MM before jumping to $5.5MM in ’15.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), before the Vikings released Jennings, they offered him a pay cut to $4MM, plus $3MM in incentives. However, that offer didn’t include any guarantees, so it makes sense that the veteran would elect to hit the open market instead.
Here are a few more Friday morning items out of the NFL’s East divisions:
- UConn cornerback Byron Jones, who has already visited the Eagles and has been cited as a potential target for the club, is working out for Philadelphia’s brain trust this morning, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. According to Pauline, Huskies wideout Geremy Davis and defensive tackle B.J. McBryde are also participating in the Eagles’ workout.
- The Cowboys are working out Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney today, per Pauline, who notes (via Twitter) that the club is sending a defensive line coach to attend the workout.
- Even if they expect Greg Hardy to have to serve his full 10-game suspension, the Cowboys aren’t likely to elevate pass rusher above running back or cornerback when it comes to their draft needs, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.
- Washington is sending its defensive staff to Macon, Georgia to meet with University of Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter) that the Giants called him Thursday night to chat as a part of their pre-draft process. The Giants pick at No. 9, but Fowler could very well be gone by that point.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates identifies five general managers who need a strong draft in 2015, lest they find themselves in hot water after the season. Bills GM Doug Whaley tops Yates’ list.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Ray, Scherff, Peters, Williams
There was some concern that Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray, who is expected to come off the board early in the draft next Thursday night, would require surgery on a troublesome foot injury. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), Ray’s injury – which is similar to turf toe – was discovered during a team visit and prompted a visit to a foot specialist, who recommended rest rather than a surgical procedure, good news for the young edge defender.
Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Cowboys flagged Ray as needing surgery, but not all teams – and not all doctors, apparently – were convinced it was required.
Let’s check in on a few more Thursday draft updates….
- Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff is drawing “heavy interest” from teams drafting between the fifth and ninth spots in the first round, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). The clubs currently in those spots? Washington, the Jets, the Bears, the Falcons, and the Giants.
- In addition to making 17 pre-draft visits to teams, Washington cornerback Marcus Peters had individual workouts for the Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Dolphins, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Speaking to Maggie Gray on SI Now, Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams said that most teams are telling him his DUI incident shouldn’t have a huge impact on his draft stock.
- Montana edge defender Zack Wagenmann, who is projected as a mid- to late-round pick, broke his foot recently during a private workout with an NFL team, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Wagenmann won’t be able to participate in football-related activities for eight weeks, but is aiming to be ready for training camp.
- Caplan also passes along an update on Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet, reporting (via Twitter) that Marpet visited the Chargers earlier this week, and has worked out for the Cardinals, Bengals, and Texans.
- Besides confirming some of his previously-reported visits, T.J. Clemmings‘ draft diary for USA Today (via Tom Pelissero) added some new teams to his list of possible suitors. According to the Pittsburgh tackle himself, he visited the Bears and had a private workout with the Panthers. Clemmings will also privately work out for the Dolphins tomorrow.
- Florida linebacker Neiron Ball has made pre-draft visits with the Patriots, Broncos, Buccaneers, and Texans, writes Wilson. Ball has also worked out privately for the Falcons, Rams, Steelers, Cardinals, and Texans.
West Notes: D. Thomas, Cards, Foote, Floyd
Demaryius Thomas, like other franchised players who have yet to sign their one-year tenders, didn’t report to his team’s voluntary spring workout this week. That had been expected, but Broncos GM John Elway still didn’t sound all that thrilled about it when he spoke to reporters today.
“We’d like to get [a long-term contract] done,” Elway said, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “But by him being away from here, there is zero value, not only to us, (but) to him. To me it makes no sense. That actually has no effect to anything we’re talking about, trying to get a contract done with him, because that’s ultimately what we’d like to do. But for him not to be here it has zero effect.”
As we wait to see whether Thomas and the Broncos can work out an agreement, here are a few more items from across the NFL’s two West divisions….
- The Cardinals added Larry Foote to their coaching staff earlier in the offseason, intending to sign him to their roster later in the summer if he decides he wants to continue his playing career. So far, however, he remains undecided. According to Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals (via Twitter), the veteran linebacker said he’s 50/50 between playing and coaching — the draft, his health, and Daryl Washington‘s situation are among the factors Foote is considering.
- The Cardinals haven’t yet decided whether to pick up the fifth-year option on receiver Michael Floyd, and figure to make that call after the draft, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910. Like fellow wideout Kendall Wright, whose 2016 option the Titans plan to exercise, Floyd would be in line for a salary of $7.32MM.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, Terrance Knighton, who ultimately signed with Washington, admitted he was surprised that the Raiders didn’t make a stronger push to sign him (Twitter link). New Oakland head coach Jack Del Rio had previously coached Pot Roast in both Denver and Jacksonville.
- Sean McGrath, who is attempting an NFL comeback after retiring last summer, was cut by the Chiefs, but that had nothing to do with the tight end’s football ability, according to head coach Andy Reid. As Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star details, Reid and the Chiefs simply wanted to give McGrath the opportunity to get a fresh start elsewhere, if he so chooses.
- The one-year deal that center Lemuel Jeanpierre signed with the Seahawks is a minimum salary benefit contract with an $80K signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
NFC South Notes: Saints, Falcons, Panthers
Let’s round up a few Thursday items from around the NFC South….
- The Saints are preparing to transition from Drew Brees to a new quarterback at some point in the next three or four years, and could kick-start that process by drafting a QB early this year, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, New Orleans is eyeing Bryce Petty, who recently worked out for the club, and Garrett Grayson, and figures to select a signal-caller in the first three or four rounds next week.
- Within the same video, Cole adds that the Saints intend to use their two first-round picks to land players whose commitment to football is unquestioned. That means the team may decide to pass on a top prospect who has run into off-field problems, like Randy Gregory or Marcus Peters.
- Florida running back Matt Jones made a pre-draft visit to New Orleans to meet with the Saints on Wednesday, the final day teams were allowed to host prospects, writes Katherine Terrell of The Times-Picayune.
- Indiana running back Tevin Coleman visited the Falcons on Wednesday, and tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he enjoyed the visit quite a bit.
- Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney has a workout with the Panthers today, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter). With just one week left until the draft, teams can no longer host prospects on pre-draft visits, but they can still privately work them out.
Zach Links contributed to this post.