Ike Taylor Retires
Longtime Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has decided to end his NFL playing career, and will retire, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). The Steelers confirmed Taylor’s decision today.
Taylor, who will turn 35 next month, spent his entire playing career in Pittsburgh, having been drafted by the team in the fourth round back in 2003. Over the course of his 12 seasons as a Steeler, Taylor never earned a Pro Bowl nod, but was a steady and mostly reliable presence in the club’s secondary, playing 174 regular season contests (140 starts) and another 14 postseason games.
Taylor’s career regular season tallies include 636 total tackles, 14 interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and 133 passes defended. His most notable run may have come following his first year as a full-time starter in 2005, when he nabbed a pair of interceptions in the playoffs en route to the Steelers’ Super Bowl win.
A few weeks ago, we heard that while Taylor hadn’t confirmed his decision to retire, he wasn’t actively seeking out contract offers from NFL teams, and was instead exploring potential television opportunities. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the veteran cornerback pop up on an NFL broadcast next season.
As I noted over the weekend when I examined the noteworthy remaining defensive free agents, Taylor was one of just a handful of notable cornerbacks still on the board. Teams eyeing the free agent market for a corner will now have to turn to veterans like Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers.
Taylor is the Steelers’ second longtime defensive back to retire within the last week, joining Troy Polamalu.
Raiders, Dolphins, Ravens Eyeing Crabtree
6:54pm: The Raiders have emerged as the frontrunners to land Crabtree, report ESPN’s Adam Caplan and Bill Williamson, via Twitter. The pair expect an agreement as soon as tonight.
1:59pm: More than a month into 2015’s NFL free agent period, former Niners receiver Michael Crabtree is arguably the biggest name still on the board. While it doesn’t appear Crabtree is on the verge of a deal, he’s drawing the most interest from three teams, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who identifies the Raiders, Dolphins, and Ravens as the wideout’s top suitors.
None of those three clubs is a surprise contestant in the Crabtree sweepstakes. The former first-round pick has already paid a visit to two of those three suitors, having traveled to Oakland and Miami. As for Baltimore, our Rory Parks detailed yesterday how the Ravens are very much in the market for receiving help, so it makes sense that the team would be considering the top free agent at the position.
In 2014, Crabtree appeared in all 16 games for the 49ers, hauling in 68 catches for 698 yards and four scores. While San Francisco was undoubtedly delighted to see Crabtree play a full season after missing the bulk of 2013, those numbers didn’t match his best production in 2012, when he had 85 grabs for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. I’d bet that the 27-year-old is seeking a deal that pays him for something closer to that 2012 production than his modest 2014 numbers, though perhaps his asking price has come down over the last few weeks.
According to Maiocco, the Niners have kept the door open for a possible return for Crabtree, but he appears set on getting a fresh start somewhere else.
Jets Sign Joe Mays
MONDAY: The Jets have officially announced the signing of Mays.
FRIDAY: The Jets are expected to sign free agent linebacker Joe Mays to a contract, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who tweets that Mays will likely sign by early next week. Caplan first reported on Wednesday that the veteran linebacker was receiving interest from the Jets.
A seven-year veteran, Mays has spent time with the Eagles, Broncos, Texans, and Chiefs since being selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. In 2014, Mays spent the first half of the season on the injured reserve list with the designation to return due to a wrist injury. When he returned to the field, he recorded 20 tackles and a fumble recovery in eight games for Kansas City — he was cut by the team last month.
The Jets appear to be focused on adding linebacker depth this week, having already reached an agreement to bring aboard another free agent, former Viking Erin Henderson. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), Henderson’s one-year deal with New York doesn’t include a signing bonus, so he’s certainly not locked into a roster spot. Mays and Henderson figure to be among the players vying for playing time at the inside linebacker positions on Todd Bowles‘ defense.
Mays, who turns 30 in July, also visited the Chargers in free agency.
Dolphins Sign Zackary Bowman
1:38pm: Bowman’s deal is for one year, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
1:20pm: After bringing him in for a visit this morning, the Dolphins didn’t waste any time reaching a contract agreement with free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman. According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), Bowman signed with the team today. The club has since confirmed the move (Twitter link).
Bowman, 30, joined the Giants last year after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Bears. The former fifth-round pick started five games for New York in 2014, and earned 458 overall defensive snaps.
According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), of the 108 qualified cornerbacks in the league last season, no player held opposing quarterbacks to a lower completion percentage on passes into his coverage than Bowman (36.1%). However, four of the 13 completions he did allow went for touchdowns.
The Dolphins notably added Ndamukong Suh to help fortify their defense earlier this offseason, but haven’t been quite as aggressive addressing the back end of the unit — cornerback Brice McCain is the only other free agent defensive back to join the club this offseason. Even with McCain and Bowman now in the mix, cornerback may be an area of focus for Miami in the upcoming draft.
NFC Notes: Edwards, Wilson, Saints, Vikes
The Cowboys and Bears are among the teams to host Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards for a visit, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The timeline on Edwards’ visit to Dallas isn’t clear, but his trip to Chicago happened last week, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com details in a column today, Edwards is a prospect worth keeping an eye on — while most mock drafts don’t include him in the first round, he’s generating plenty of buzz among talent evaluators around the NFL. One tells La Canfora that “in this [not overly talented] draft, he’s definitely a first-rounder for me.”
Here are a few more items from around the NFC:
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a closer look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, forecasting how things might play out if Wilson and the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term contract agreement this year. As Florio outlines, the Seattle signal-caller could still do very well for himself if the team were to use the franchise tag multiple times to keep him under contract.
- Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, and Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper are all visiting New Orleans today, as the Saints consider defensive options, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter link).
- The Vikings have “clear interest” in North Dakota edge defender Kyle Emanuel, having observed him at his Pro Day and then later working him out privately, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Lions are hosting a Division II prospect, Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams, on a pre-draft visit today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday will pay a visit to Washington this week to meet with GM Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, a source confirms to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
Packers Re-Sign John Kuhn
Shortly after they reportedly matched the Raiders’ offer to bring back safety Sean Richardson, the Packers have re-signed another one of their own free agents. Agent Kevin Gold tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter links) that his client, fullback John Kuhn has agreed to a new one-year deal with Green Bay. The contract is worth the minimum ($870K), but includes a workout bonus and a Pro Bowl incentive.
Kuhn, the Packers’ longtime fullback, is typically a blocking specialist, but continued to receive occasional touches during the 2014 season, particularly in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The 32-year-old recorded 85 yards and a touchdown on 24 rushing attempts last season, earning a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the league’s All-Pro team.
Kuhn has rushed for at least one touchdown every year since 2008, combining for 21 total TDs on the ground or through the air during those seven seasons. His new deal figures to include up to $80K in workout bonuses, tweets Demovsky.
Wade Smith Announces Retirement
Longtime NFL offensive lineman Wade Smith announced today that he has decided to end his playing career. Smith, who last spent time with the Eagles in 2014, wrote that he “wouldn’t change a thing” about his 12 years in the NFL (Instagram link).
“I’m moving on to my next stage in life, with a smile on my face, knowing that I gave everything I had to the game, and to the guys in the huddle that counted one me,” Smith wrote. “The NFL is a brotherhood that is second to none and I’m honored to be able to say that I am part of the family.”
A third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2003, Smith played just 22 games in Miami before moving on to spend time with the Jets, Chiefs, Texans, and Eagles over the course of the next decade. The veteran lineman, who turns 34 later this month, had his best run as Houston’s starting left guard from 2010 to 2013, playing all 64 regular season contests for the Texans during that stretch and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2012.
For his career, Smith – who wasn’t currently under contract with an NFL team – played in 143 games, starting 98 of them.
Packers Match Offer For Sean Richardson
The Packers have matched the Raiders’ offer sheet for safety and special-teamer Sean Richardson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The move, which comes in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, ensures that Richardson will remain in Green Bay for the coming season.
By matching the Raiders’ offer, the Packers are now on the hook for the same deal Oakland would have paid Richardson. The Raiders’ offer sheet was reportedly for one year and $2.55MM — that total includes a $1MM base salary, a $1.35MM signing bonus, and a $200K reporting bonus.
Richardson, 25, has yet to play a major role on defense for the Packers since joining the team in 2012, logging a career-high 135 defensive snaps in 2014. However, he has been a special teams ace for the club, recording 12 tackles in kick and punt coverage last season. With Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Micah Hyde still in the mix in Green Bay, it’s not clear whether there will be room for Richardson to take on a larger role in 2015, but the fact that the club is willing to pay him $2.55MM suggests it’s possible.
As for Oakland, the team still has Nate Allen and Charles Woodson at the safety position, but the Raiders’ offer to Richardson indicated they viewed him as a potential starter. The club may have to return to the free agent market in search of another safety, or earmark that position as one to address in the draft.
FA Notes: Bell, Titans, Bowman, Dolphins
Let’s check in on the latest updates on a pair of unrestricted free agents searching for jobs, as well as a pair of restricted free agents who will soon find out where they’ll be playing next season….
- Offensive tackle Byron Bell, who recently worked out for the Chiefs, is now receiving consideration from another AFC team, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. According to Wyatt, Bell is visiting the Titans today. The Titans saw longtime tackle Michael Roos retire this offseason, and release Michael Oher, so the club is in the market for a tackle to complement Taylor Lewan, and brought in Joe Barksdale for a visit last week. If Tennessee were to sign Bell, the team would essentially be swapping tackles with the Panthers, with Bell’s old team having signed Oher.
- Free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman is visiting the Dolphins today, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that there’s a “pretty good chance” Bowman ends up signing with Miami. I didn’t mention Bowman when I examined the notable defensive free agents still on the market over the weekend, but the former Giant did play 458 defensive snaps last season, starting five games for New York.
- Safety Sean Richardson was in Green Bay for a visit and a physical on Sunday, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who notes that could be a sign that the Packers will match the Raiders‘ offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Green Bay’s decision is due today.
- The Lions‘ decision on whether or not to match the Buccaneers‘ offer sheet for RFA defensive end George Johnson is also due today. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out (via Twitter), that Johnson has already signed eight contracts with Tampa Bay, having frequently been shuttled on and off the team’s roster and practice squad earlier in his playing career.
Greg Jennings Visiting Jaguars
Three weeks ago, at the NFL owners’ meetings, Jaguars general manager David Caldwell confirmed that his team had some interest in wide receiver Greg Jennings, but cautioned that no visit had been scheduled. Now, it appears that visit will finally happen. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Jennings is scheduled to pay a visit to Jacksonville to meet with the Jags today.
Jennings, 31, caught just 59 balls for 742 yards during the 2014 season, prompting the Vikings to cut him just two years into a massive five-year contract. The two-time Pro Bowler never seemed to fully fit in Minnesota, so a fresh start could help. However, he’s unlikely to return to the highs of his earlier years in Green Bay. From 2008 to 2010, Jennings averaged about 75 receptions, 1,220 yards, and eight touchdowns per year with the Packers.
The Jaguars have a nice young core at wide receiver, even if former fifth overall pick Justin Blackmon never plays another game for the team — and even after losing Cecil Shorts in free agency. Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and Allen Hurns currently sit atop the team’s depth chart, so the club could use a veteran to complement that young group. Of course, the biggest name among the Jags’ pass-catchers is Julius Thomas, who inked a lucrative five-year contract with the team earlier in free agency.
Prior to visiting the Jaguars, Jennings paid a visit to Miami to meet with the Dolphins. The veteran wideout has also been linked to the Panthers.