Ravens Re-Sign Will Hill
Shortly after reporting that Justin Tucker has signed his restricted free agent tender to return to the Ravens, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that another Baltimore RFA has signed his own tender. According to Wilson, safety Will Hill has inked a one-year contract and will be back with the Ravens.
Whereas the team tendered Tucker at the second-round level, Hill was given an original-pick tender, meaning he’ll be in line for a 2015 salary of $1.542MM. It also means that if Hill had signed an offer sheet with another team and the Ravens elected not to match it, Baltimore wouldn’t have received any draft compensation, since the Florida product came into the league as an undrafted free agent.
It’s perhaps a little surprising that Hill didn’t generate much interest or sign an offer sheet elsewhere, since he was one of the more talented RFAs available. Still, his off-field history, which includes multiple suspensions for violating league policies, may have scared off potential suitors.
Hill, who turned 25 last month, served a six-game suspension to start the 2014 season, but was his usual effective self when he returned, recording 47 tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown. The Ravens safety also ranked 14th out of 87 qualified players at the position last year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — his 584 defensive snaps were the fewest of any safety with a top-20 grade.
Pauline’s Latest: Mariota, Saints, Mannion
Earlier this week, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested that a three-way trade between the Browns, the Eagles, and a team in the top five could be mutually beneficial, with Cleveland landing Sam Bradford, Philadelphia getting Marcus Mariota, and the third team stockpiling extra draft picks.
The piece sounded like informed speculation, but Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net hears that both the Eagles and Chargers have explored the possibility of moving up for Mariota through the Browns, and have had conversations about the idea. A league source tells Pauline that if the Titans decide to deal that No. 2 overall pick, Cleveland is in the best spot, since the Browns hold two top-20 picks, and could either move up for Mariota themselves or get involved in another team’s deal.
Here’s more from Pauline, with the draft just one week away:
- According to Pauline, the Saints (the other team with two first-round picks), will consider trading up if they feel like they have a chance to land pass rusher Vic Beasley, whose potential DC Rob Ryan loves.
- Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion, who recently worked out for the Rams and Cowboys, ranks as the third-best quarterback available on more than a dozen teams’ boards, per Pauline.
- Pauline hears that the Seahawks would “love to grab” wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham if he’s available at No. 63, but the team expects him to come off the board in the first round, or within the first 15 picks of round two.
- Michigan State’s Marcus Rush will be drafted earlier than originally predicted, having “blown teams away” during the interview process, says Pauline, adding that the defensive end could be a fifth-round pick.
- Speaking of Michigan State players, a number of teams view former Spartans outside linebacker Taiwan Jones as a potential “gem,” and grade him as a third-round pick, according to Pauline.
- The Raiders, Chiefs, and Patriots are expressing interest in Villanova offensive lineman Vince Kowalski, who could be a late-round gamble or an undrafted free agent, tweets Pauline.
Bears Sign Bear Pascoe
Bear is officially a Bear — according to the Chicago Bears (via Twitter), the team has signed free agent tight end Bear Pascoe to a one-year contract.
Pascoe, who turned 29 earlier in the offseason, spent five seasons with the Giants to start his NFL career before playing for the Falcons in 2014. Although he primarily serves as a blocker, Pascoe has totaled 40 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns in his career. He caught just two passes last year in 148 offensive snaps for Atlanta, though one went for a TD.
In Chicago, Pascoe figures to provide some more veteran presence on a tight end depth chart that also features Martellus Bennett, Zach Miller, and Dante Rosario, among others. He’ll likely receive a minimum salary contract, and won’t necessarily be assured a regular season roster spot.
No Rivers Talks Between Chargers, Titans?
Outside of perhaps Adrian Peterson, no veteran Pro Bowler has been mentioned more as a potential trade candidate within the last few weeks as Philip Rivers. However, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune that the Chargers have yet to discuss a Rivers trade with the team most frequently linked to the veteran signal-caller. According to Gehlken, there has been no contact between the Chargers and Titans, and no discussion of a Rivers deal between the two sides “at all.”
As Gehklen cautions, deals can materialize quickly in the NFL — Rex Ryan told reporters last month that the Bills’ acquisition of LeSean McCoy came together in about a half hour. So even if the source is right, and the Chargers and Titans haven’t engaged in any trade discussions yet, it doesn’t mean they won’t within the next week, or even on draft night.
Still, a trade involving the second overall pick and a franchise quarterback is the sort of move that would likely require plenty of discussion, especially since the Titans would probably want a chance to talk to Rivers about a potential contract extension before agreeing to any sort of deal. So if there have been no negotiations at this point, it lends credence to the theory that all the whispers and rumors are just part of a “mating dance” between the Rivers and the Chargers as they work toward a new contract.
General manager Tom Telesco and the Chargers have insisted all along that they want Rivers to remain with the franchise, and eventually retire with the club. Still, the quarterback’s contract expires after the 2015 season, and a recent report indicated that he plans to play out the season before talking about a new deal. The possibility of relocation for the Chargers could also play a significant role in those contract discussions, since Rivers reportedly doesn’t love the idea of making the move to Los Angeles.
Ravens Re-Sign Justin Tucker
Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has re-signed with the team, inking his restricted free agent tender, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Tucker had been assigned a second-round tender, meaning he’ll be in line for a $2.356MM salary for the 2015 season.
Per Wilson, there were teams besides the Ravens with interest in Tucker, who had until Friday to sign an offer sheet with another club. However, any suitor hoping to land the 25-year-old would have had to surrender a second-round pick to do so, which is too high a price to pay for a kicker, even one who has been as effective as Tucker.
During his three seasons with the Ravens, Tucker has made 97 of 108 field goal attempts, for an overall conversion percentage of just below 90%. He has also converted 14 of 20 attempts from 50+ yards, for a 70% career success rate. The Texas product struggled a little in 2014 with those longer kicks, making just four of nine from 50+ yards, but those were his only misses of the season.
Tucker will be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year from now, so the Ravens will likely work on getting him locked up before he hits the open market next March.
Latest On Los Angeles Stadium Talks
Earlier this week, the Carson City Council unanimously approved a proposal to move forward with a privately funded NFL stadium in the city. While that decision doesn’t represent a major development, it’s another step forward in the process, as the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders vie for a potential spot in the Los Angeles area. Here are the latest updates on the saga:
- Representatives of NFL stadium plans for Inglewood, Carson, and St. Louis met with the Committe on Los Angeles Opportunities in New York on Wednesday, and made presentations to the committe, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Those in attendance included commissioner Roger Goodell, Steelers owner Art Rooney II, and the five other owners who make up the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities.
- As Farmer outlines, the St. Louis group went first, giving a half-hour presentation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke then made an hour-long presentation on the Inglewood proposal, and Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Raiders owner Mark Davis followed that by presenting for an hour about the Carson plan.
- The Raiders and Chargers issued a joint statement following their presentation, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The statement read, in part: “The goal of the presentation was to update the owners on the LA stadium site in Carson, which was fully entitled on Tuesday night. In addition, we presented a new stadium design for LA that is the result of two months of close collaboration between the teams. Goldman Sachs representatives were at the meeting to answer questions about the financing plan. And, finally, both teams updated the owners on the situation in our home markets.”
- According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Goldman Sachs reps reiterated during the Carson presentation that the proposed stadium could be done with one team — it doesn’t necessarily hinge on both the Chargers and Raiders relocating.
- Rams COO Kevin Demoff was also at the meeting, with the St. Louis Stadium Task Force, sources tell Andy Banker of FOX2 St. Louis. Banker adds that the St. Louis presentation was described as very detailed and very impressive.
- The various stadium proposal groups are expected to give similar presentations to a larger group of owners during the NFL meetings in San Francisco next month, according to Farmer and Bair.
Maurice Jones-Drew Announces Retirement
APRIL 23: Jones-Drew will be in Jacksonville next Tuesday to officially retire as a member of the Jaguars, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
MARCH 5: Maurice Jones-Drew will not return to the Raiders or any other NFL team for the 2015 season. The veteran running back confirmed today (via Twitter) that he has decided to end his playing career, announcing his retirement.
“After much discussion with my family and business team during this offseason, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Drew wrote in his statement. “Football has been a central part of my life for the past 24 years. But, now I’m excited about and looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”
Although he played his final year in Oakland, most of Jones-Drew’s nine-year career was spent in Jacksonville with the Jaguars, and he’ll leave the game as the franchise’s second-leading rusher, behind Fred Taylor. While he didn’t mention the possibility in his statement today, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 29-year-old signed a one-day contract with the team to formally retire as a Jaguar.
In 126 total regular season games, MJD racked up 8,167 rushing yards to go along with another 2,944 yards through the air — he finishes with a very neat 11,111 yards from scrimmage for his career. Jones-Drew’s best season came in 2011, when he was named to the NFL’s All-Pro First Team after leading the league with 1,606 rushing yards.
Although the Raiders signed Jones-Drew to a three-year, $7.5MM contract last March, the odds were slim that the team would have brought him back for the 2015 season, considering he had a $2.5MM cap hit and no dead money let on his contract. Already armed with well over $50MM in cap room, the team will create a little flexibility by removing MJD from its books.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
North Notes: Bengals, Peterson, Ravens
Working out extensions with cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and guard Kevin Zeitler before May 4 is “a big priority” for the Bengals at the moment, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Both 2012 first-round draftees are eligible for fifth-year options for 2016, and if Cincinnati is happy enough with both players to want to extend them, I’d imagine the team would exercise those options.
While it’s possible that the Bengals agree to an extension with one or both players within the next week and a half, it seems more likely that a deal would be struck sometime later in the offseason. A year ago, no club extended a former first-round pick before exercising his fifth-year option, but several teams finalized new deals with those players later.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- A reader asked Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) if he thinks the Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson before or during the draft. King says his gut feeling is that Minnesota won’t do that. With $45MM due to the 30-year-old running back over the next three years, it’ll be hard to find the right deal. On top of that, the Vikes want a high draft pick to part with AD.
- Elsewhere at TheMMQB.com, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt is less convinced that the Vikings will hang on to Peterson. As Brandt writes, the key person to smooth tension between a player and his team is usually the agent, but in this case, Ben Dogra has clashed with Vikings management and is doing all he can to get his client on a new team. Brandt views the Cowboys as the best fit for the running back.
- Miami receiver Phillip Dorsett recently paid a visit to the Ravens, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also met with Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson and worked him out, Wilson writes in a separate piece for the Sun.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review provides a breakdown of the Steelers‘ 29 pre-draft visits, while Lindsay Selengowski of DetroitLions.com lists all 30 prospects the Lions brought in for visits.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: S. Brown, Texans, Pats, Titans
Free agent safety Stevie Brown, who is said to be close to deciding on where to sign, visited the Texans yesterday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Houston already signed one free agent safety this offseason, adding Rahim Moore, so we’ll see if the club makes a play for Brown, who may prefer the Giants if everything is equal.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley is in New England today to meet with the Patriots, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Gurley is widely considered a strong bet to come off the board in the first round, so he may not last until the Pats’ pick at the very end of the first.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk doesn’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that the Titans would draft a wide receiver with the second overall pick next Thursday.
- The Broncos are hosting Florida offensive lineman D.J. Humphries and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on pre-draft visits today, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
- Offensive lineman Chris Hairston got a $25K bonus on his new minimum salary deal with the Chargers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Taiwan Jones, who started his career with the Raiders as a running back before moving to cornerback in 2013, will return to running back this year, according to Oakland’s official site. Whether he’s listed on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, Jones contributes primarily as a special teamer.
- Intriguing Hobart guard Ali Marpet is visiting the Browns today, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Jerod Mayo, Pats Agree To Reworked Deal
Longtime Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo will remain in New England after the two sides agreed to a reworked contract that reduces the veteran’s cap hit. Mike Gafarolo of Fox Sports first reported that Mayo and the Pats were finalizing a new deal, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting that an agreement has been reached.
Mayo’s previous contract with the Pats called for a $6.25MM base salary in 2015, and cap numbers averaging about $10MM for the next three years, through 2017. According to Rapoport (Twitter links), the new pact is a one-year contract that includes $4.5MM in guaranteed money. That amount is equivalent to the injury guarantee New England would have owed the 29-year-old if the club had cut him before he was deemed healthy.
Mayo will have a chance to earn $6MM this year, while the Pats will hold a pair of option years on the deal. If New England elects to pick up those option years, the club would owe the linebacker a $4MM bonus before free agency.
After earning his second Pro Bowl berth following a 2012 campaign in which he racked up 147 tackles and forced four fumbles, Mayo battled injuries, playing just six regular season games in each of the last two years. After tearing a pectoral muscle in 2013, the former first-round pick suffered a torn patella tendon during an October game against the Bills in 2014, prematurely ending his season.