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The NFL’s 2015 free agent period is essentially in the books, with only a handful of intriguing players still on the market. However, there’s still plenty of action to follow at Pro Football Rumors, as the 2015 draft quickly approaches and trade rumors swirl around big names like Philip Rivers and Adrian Peterson.
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AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Jennings, Luck
Let’s check in on a handful of Friday items from out of the AFC South….
- The Jaguars still have interest in center Stefen Wisniewski and wide receiver Greg Jennings, but haven’t made a contract offer to either player, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Speaking of Jennings, Nick Underhill of The Advocate writes that the wideout has received interest from the Ravens in addition to the four teams he’s been linked to previously — the Saints, Dolphins, Panthers, and Jags. I examined Jennings’ free agent stock this morning.
- According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, front office executives and agents around the NFL are in rare agreement on the issue of Andrew Luck‘s contract situation — both sides are surprised that the Colts aren’t doing whatever they can to sign him to an extension sooner rather than later. Owner Jim Irsay indicated last month that the team likely won’t address the quarterback’s contract until 2016.
- In the wake of his new extension and restructure with the Jaguars, linebacker Paul Posluszny said he thinks the deal is mutually beneficial, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union. “I want to be a part of this organization and I wanted to do what I could to be here,” Posluszny said. “This was a great opportunity to extend the contract and give me another shot and opportunity to compete with the Jaguars.”
NFC Notes: Davis, Panthers, Johnson, Wilson
After working out a new contract with veteran tight end Greg Olsen last month, GM Dave Gettleman indicated that linebacker Thomas Davis would be the next longtime Panther in line for an extension. The two sides have engaged in discussions since then, and while no deal has been finalized yet, Davis tells Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review that he’s not worried about it at all, and expects to finish his career in Carolina.
“We’re trying to get something worked out. It’s a process, but I’m not stressing over it one bit,” Davis said. “Really and truly, I just want to be here. I want to play football here. If I’m not playing here, I’m not playing football.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (all Twitter links) supplies the details on George Johnson‘s new deal with the Buccaneers, reporting that the defensive end will earn a base salary of $750K in year one, with a $2MM roster bonus due next week. Johnson’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are $2MM and $2.5MM respectively. However, those numbers can increase via escalators if the ex-Lion plays at least 46% of Tampa Bay’s snaps ($500K) and/or records at least six sacks ($500K) during the next two seasons.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com dives deep into the Russell Wilson contract talks, reiterating in the wake of comments from GM John Schneider that it’s possible the Seahawks won’t lock up their quarterback this year. As La Canfora observes, there seems to be a gap between the two sides at this point regarding what Wilson’s next deal should look like.
- Mike Jones of the Washington Post adds Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers to the list of prospects visiting Washington next week.
- The Rams, who appear to be keeping a very close eye on this year’s crop of quarterback prospects, are putting Oregon State QB Sean Mannion through a workout today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune and Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter links) pass along Bears updates, reporting that the team hosted Portland State offensive lineman Cornelius Edison on an official visit this week, and will host Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson today.
- After having met with the Broncos recently, William & Mary receiver and returner Tre McBride visited the Lions today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Greg Jennings
Hundreds of NFL players have found themselves on the free agent market at some point this offseason, but few seem to have had as much fun with the process as Greg Jennings.
The veteran wideout has kept his fans up to date on his latest free agent visits by not-so-subtly alluding to them on Twitter — during a week that included meetings in Jacksonville and New Orleans, he wrote that he had the urge to visit a Jaguar dealership, and suggested he had a craving for some Popeyes. Of course, earlier in the process, Jennings indicated that he was set to announce his new team at 10:00pm pacific time on March 31, but that “announcement” was ultimately an April Fool’s gag.
At some point though, Jennings will find a new home, and it will be interesting to see where he lands and how he adjusts to his new situation. The ex-Packer was one of Aaron Rodgers‘ top weapons in Green Bay, where he spent the first seven years of his NFL career. During the three seasons in which he played all 16 games, from 2008 to 2010, the former second-round pick posted three straight 1,100-yard seasons, averaging about 75 receptions, 1,223 yards, and eight touchdowns per year.
That production in Green Bay earned Jennings a massive five-year, $45MM deal from the Vikings which almost immediately looked like a mistake. With the quarterback situation in Minnesota unsettled, Jennings was catching passes from a combination of Matt Cassel, Christian Ponder, and even Josh Freeman during his first year with the Vikes, and never appeared to be an ideal fit. Even after Teddy Bridgewater emerged as the starter in 2014, Jennings’ production was unspectacular — he recorded just 59 receptions for 742 yards last season.
With his cap number on the rise and his performance on the decline, Jennings was an unsurprising cap casualty last month, as the Vikings opted to add another pricey veteran wideout – Mike Wallace – in his place. Now, as Jennings searches for his next NFL team at age 31, potential suitors will attempt to determine whether the veteran is past his prime, or if he could have a bounce-back season in the right situation.
Within the last few weeks, Jennings has been linked to a number of receiver-needy teams, including the Panthers, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Saints — all of whom he’s visited, and all of whom are certainly logical fits. Miami and New Orleans jettisoned many of their top pass catchers from a year ago, as the Fins parted ways with Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Brian Hartline, while the Saints traded Kenny Stills and Jimmy Graham. Jacksonville has some promising young wideouts on the roster, including Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurns, but the Jags could use a veteran presence in that group. As for the Panthers, their receiving corps was depleted last year, and adding Jarrett Boykin in free agency didn’t change that.
If Jennings is going to bounce back, it will likely be in situation opposite to the one he found himself in with the Vikings two years ago — in that instance, he was the go-to target, but didn’t have a top quarterback capable of getting him the ball consistently. If he were to join a team like the Saints or even the Panthers, Jennings wouldn’t be at the top of the receiver depth chart, but he could become a steady, reliable weapon for a QB like Drew Brees or Cam Newton.
I think the 31-year-old could also be a fit for a veteran team like the Patriots or the Ravens. Oakland doesn’t really meet my criteria, and the team just signed another veteran receiver in Michael Crabtree, but the Raiders shouldn’t be ruled out entirely — after all, GM Reggie McKenzie was in Green Bay’s front office when the Packers drafted Jennings, and Raiders offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the OC in Minnesota when the Vikes signed Jennings in 2013.
At this point in his career, the days of five-year, $45MM contracts are long behind Jennings, who will likely have to settle for a modest one-year pact. A team with plenty of cap space, like the Jaguars, would probably be more willing to spend a few extra bucks on the veteran wideout this spring, but he may be better off settling for something closer to the minimum with a team like the Saints, where he could catch balls from a Pro Bowl quarterback and improve upon his Minnesota numbers. That sort of bounce-back year could potentially buoy him to one last multiyear deal with a little guaranteed money a year from now.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Reinstates Adrian Peterson
The NFL has reinstated Adrian Peterson following his suspension and his stint on the commissioner’s exempt list, the league announced today. According to the NFL’s press release, Peterson’s reinstatement will be effective as of Friday.
“In a letter from Commissioner Roger Goodell,” the league’s release reads, “Peterson was informed that he is expected to fulfill his remaining obligations to the authorities in Minnesota and Texas, as well as the additional commitments Peterson made during his April 7 meeting with the commissioner regarding maintaining an ongoing program of counseling and treatment as recommended by medical advisors.
“Beyond the requirement to comply with his court obligations and plan of counseling, Peterson was reminded that his continuing participation in the NFL depends on his avoidance of any further conduct that violates the Personal Conduct Policy or other NFL policies. Any further violation of the Personal Conduct Policy by Peterson would result in additional discipline, which could include suspension without pay or banishment from the NFL.”
Peterson, 30, faced child abuse charges last year after physically disciplining his four-year-old son, and was placed on the exempt list early in the 2014 regular season as the legal process played out. Once his case concluded, he was suspended by the NFL for the remainder of the season for violating the league’s conduct policy. Peterson and the NFLPA appealed that suspension and the decision was upheld by arbitrator Harold Henderson, but Henderson’s decision was challenged in court by the union, where Judge David Doty ruled in favor of the running back and the NFLPA.
Despite all the ups and downs in the Peterson saga, his reinstatement ultimately came when we originally expected — the terms of his suspension initially called for reinstatement to be considered no earlier than April 15.
Now that he’s an active player again, Peterson could return to the Vikings and participate in the team’s offseason activities. However, it seems unlikely that he’d do so immediately, considering he reportedly wants to be traded. The former MVP’s agent, Ben Dogra, figures to work on getting his client dealt to another team sometime in the next two weeks, before or during draft night.
The Cowboys and Cardinals have been cited most frequently as potential suitors for Peterson, though it’s not clear if either team would be willing to part with a high draft pick and take on his salary. The Vikings have also indicated they don’t have any plans to trade or release their star running back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Browns, Cooper, Agholor, Titans
While he likely won’t be around by the time the No. 12 overall pick rolls around, Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper paid a pre-draft visit to the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The Browns, of course, hold the 12th and 19th overall picks, so they have plenty of options at their disposal, including trading up or down, and they could certainly use some receiving help.
Here are a few more draft-related items from across the AFC:
- USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who previously worked out for the Eagles twice, has also visited the Bills and has a workout lined up with the Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). With his draft stock reportedly on the rise, Agholor’s previously-reported workout with the Panthers happened today.
- Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford, a potential mid-round selection, recently visited the Broncos, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. As Klis observes, Denver may be looking to develop a change-of-pace alternative, with Ronnie Hillman entering the final year of his contract. Klis notes in a second story that the Broncos also recently met with wide receivers Tre McBride (William & Mary) and Keith Mumphery (Michigan State).
- The Steelers hosted a pair of prospects today, conducting their previously-reported visit with Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory and also taking a look at former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, tweets Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Gardner figures to play wide receiver at the NFL level.
- After visiting the Steelers today, Gregory is on to Tennessee to meet with the Titans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport tweets that the Titans are also hosting Louisville wideout DeVante Parker. Neither Gregory nor Parker seems like a viable candidate to go second overall, though they’ll probably be long gone by the second round, so it looks like Tennessee is preparing for a number of different scenarios.
Poll: Which QB Will Have Better NFL Career?
Earlier this week, PFR’s Rob DiRe kicked off our position-by-position breakdown of this year’s top draft prospects by examining the quarterbacks in this year’s class. As Rob wrote in his piece, there are plenty of reasons to prefer Jameis Winston to Marcus Mariota, but there are a number of equally compelling reasons why teams may rank Mariota higher on their draft boards.
It still appears likely that the Buccaneers will draft Winston first overall, but while we’ll know Tampa Bay’s pick – and Winston’s and Mariota’s new NFL teams – a couple weeks from tonight, it figures to be years before we know which player will enjoy the more successful NFL career. Winston played in a more NFL-style offense in college, but he also has his share of off-field question marks, whereas there are few – if any – concerns about Mariota’s character.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that one of these two players will have the most productive NFL career among this year’s crop of quarterbacks. Winston and Mariota are the consensus top two signal-callers in this class, but we’ve seen mid-round, late-round, and even undrafted players have a ton of NFL success in the past. Rob identified Brett Hundley, Bryce Petty, Garrett Grayson, and Sean Mannion as the next tier of QBs behind Winston and Mariota, and maybe you prefer the long-term prospects of one of those players.
What do you think? Which 2015 rookie will have the most long-term success as an NFL quarterback?
Wilson’s Latest: Dorsett, Holmes, Waynes
With two weeks until the NFL draft gets underway, Aaron Wilson continues to be busy, passing along the latest news on pre-draft visits, workouts, and meetings for the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun. Wilson has several new updates for us today, so let’s round up his Thursday morning items on a handful of prospects:
- Phillip Dorsett, WR (Miami): Visiting the Titans today (link).
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Wisconsin): Has had private workouts for the Bengals, Jaguars, Rams, and Buccaneers (link).
- Gabe Holmes, TE (Purdue): Visiting the Cardinals today after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Bobby McCain, CB (Memphis): Visited Colts after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Joe Okafor, DT (Lamar): Meeting with Eagles today (link)
- Trae Waynes, CB (Michigan State): Visited the Bears in addition to previously-reported visits with the Jaguars and Vikings (link).
West Notes: Wilson, McGrath, Rams, Broncos
Asked on KIRO 97.3 FM about contract negotiations with quarterback Russell Wilson, whose rookie contract expires after the 2015 season, Seahawks general manager John Schneider predictably didn’t offer up many details. As Terry Blount of ESPN.com details, Schneider alluded to the challenges of balancing the roster and the salary cap as he expressed how much the club wants to keep Wilson in the mix for years to come.
“Every negotiation is unique in and of itself and this is no different,” Schneider said. “He’s our quarterback. We’d love him to be our quarterback. But the thing is we need to keep as many of these guys together as we possibly can. What I can tell you is that this is the ultimate team sport. We have a track record of rewarding our players that we recognize as core players.”
Yesterday, we heard that the Seahawks and Wilson had begun extension discussions, but hadn’t made much progress. As we wait to see if the two sides move forward on a new deal, let’s check in on a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Former Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath, who retired last summer, has decided to make an NFL comeback, his agent tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). However, he won’t return to Kansas City — the team reinstated him from the reserve/retired list yesterday, then immediately waived him.
- The Rams‘ private workout with quarterback Marcus Mariota is happening today, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that head coach Jeff Fisher, GM Les Snead, executive VP of football operations Kevin Demoff, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke will all be in Eugene to meet with the Oregon signal-caller.
- Per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, the Seahawks have hosted Tennessee State guard Robert Myers for a pre-draft visit, and are also hosting West Georgia defensive lineman Tory Slater. Slater previously visited the Falcons as well.
- Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings visited the Broncos earlier this week, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who adds that the club also held a private workout for Colorado State offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo.
Draft Notes: Strong, Peters, Beasley, Fowler
Teams are in full swing in preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft, meeting with prospects and hosting workouts to fill out final draft boards. Here we will keep up with which prospects are garnering interest in a jam-packed notes post, with any updates added to the top:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Louisville tackle Jamon Brown will visit the Broncos, Lions, and Washington, and has private workouts scheduled with the Bengals and Bills.
- Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Rams have visited with LSU tackle La’el Collins and Louisville WR DeVante Parker (Twitter links). In a separate piece, Thomas offers a little more detail on Parker and provides a complete list of all the pre-draft visits that the Rams have hosted.
- Kevin White visited with the Giants today, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan adds that the team is doing its due diligence just in case the wideout should fall to New York, which holds the No. 9 overall pick.
Earlier Updates
- Jaelen Strong definitely has a wrist injury, but he contradicts the report that he will need surgery, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
- In addition to Strong, Todd Gurley, Cedric Ogbuehi, and Tevin Coleman will be having Combine rechecks this weekend, writes Rapoport (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks will meet with University of Louisiana at Lafayette defensive tackle Christian Ringo, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). The team will also host Michigan defensive end Frank Clark (via Twitter). Clark had recently visited the Saints in New Orleans.
- In addition to Kendricks, the Falcons will work out UCLA defensive end Owa Odighizuwa, according to Chase Goodread of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams will visit the Chargers on Monday, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Division II star has already met with the Patriots, Lions, and Cardinals.
- Minnesota defensive tackle Cam Botticelli has a number of team’s interested in his services, writes Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The Texans, Eagles, Lions, Seahawks, and Buccaneers have looked into him.
- University of Cincinnati quarterback Munchie Legaux worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, according to the Associated Press in USA Today. Legaux will also have the opportunity to work out for the Saints later this week.
- The Saints will also host Tulane running back Dante Butler at their local prospect day on Friday, reports Tammy Nunez of NOLA.com.
- Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong has a fractured bone in his wrist, which should require surgery, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He will be among players that will get combine rechecks this weekend, and the injury could affect his draft stock (via Twitter).
- Potential first-round cornerback Marcus Peters met with the 49ers yesterday and the Falcons today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Peters will visit with the Raiders tomorrow.
- Pass rusher Vic Beasley has met or will meet with at least six teams drafting in the top ten, writes Rapoport (via Twitter). He will meet with the Titans today, and visit the Jets and Washington sometime next week.
- Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. will visit with Washington as well, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. The visit might be for naught, as most believe Fowler is going to land in Jacksonville on draft day. The Jaguars select third overall.
- Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat visited with the Broncos, who are need of help along the offensive line after losing Orlando Franklin in free agency, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Peat might not last that long, but could provide immediate impact for a team trying to return to the Super Bowl.
- Cardinals running backs coach Stump Mitchell attended Tevin Coleman’s workout at Indiana, writes Josh Weinfuss of ESPN (via Twitter). The Lions already had Coleman in for a workout earlier in the process, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Tony Paulie of DraftInsider.net adds that the Cowboys and Patriots have expressed interest in the Indiana tailback (via Twitter).
- The Rams have scheduled a workout with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty in Waco, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter). Brandt notes the team has indicated that it will select a quarterback at some point in the draft.
- The Lions also hosted Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett for a visit, the sixth receiver the team has brought in according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- The 49ers have expressed interest in a number of LSU players, including linebacker Kwon Alexander, running back Terrence Magee, and cornerback Jalen Collins, writes Eric Branch of SFGate.com.
- Ohio State speedster Devin Smith told SiruiusXM NFL Radio he had a visit with the 49ers, saying he got a “really good vibe from the coaches and staff,” and that the visit “went really well,” (via Twitter).
- UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks met with Saints’ assistant coaches Joe Vitt and Rob Ryan during his visit with the team earlier this week, writes Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
- Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks worked out for the Bengals at their local prospect day, and could be a player the team keeps an eye on in the middle rounds of the draft, writes Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
- Florida State defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. has visited with the Patriots, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter). Edwards will visit with the Texans and Seahawks as well, although Garafolo believes Seattle will need to trade up from No. 63 to draft him.
- Old Dominion basketball player Richard Ross has drawn interest from NFL teams who believe he could be next in line of basketball players making the transition to tight end. The Vikings are among the teams interested in Ross, sending tight ends coach Kevin Stefanski to the school for a private workout, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
- The Browns have conducted a private workout for quarterback Garrett Grayson at Colorado State, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Assuming they don’t trade up in the draft, the Browns figure to miss out on at least the top two QBs in this draft class, meaning a player like Grayson probably represents a more realistic target.
- Washington State wide receiver Vince Mayle has visited the 49ers, Chargers, Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Seahawks, and Washington, and is on his way to visit the Colts today, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links).
- South Florida cornerback Chris Dunkley has visits lined up with a number of NFL teams, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dunkley says by the end of the process he will have met with the 49ers, Chargers, Falcons, Dolphins, Patriots, Bills, Lions, and Ravens.
- Coastal Carolina interior offensive lineman Chad Hamilton will work out privately for the Falcons on Thursday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Hamilton previously had a private workout for the Texans.
- Wilson also reported that Western Kentucky tight end Mitchell Henry met with the Chargers for a private workout. Mitchell will meet with an NFC team this week. Additionally, Wilson reports that Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts has had workouts for the Colts, Eagles, Chiefs, 49ers, and Packers.
- University of Washington pass rusher Andrew Hudson met with the Browns, Buccaneers, and Washington this week, as part of his pre-draft visits, writes Brett Tessler of Tessler Sports (via Twitter).
- Utah guard Junior Salt, BYU wide receiver Jordan Leslie, and San Diego State University linebacker Derek Largent are among the players the Dolphins are targeting as late-round picks or priority free agents, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
Rob DiRe and Rory Parks contributed to this post.