Denarius Moore Visiting Bengals
Free agent wide receiver Denarius Moore, who has generated little buzz over the last few weeks, will pay a visit to the Bengals today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Moore, 26, showed some promise during his first three seasons with the Raiders, averaging about 43 receptions, 685 yards, and six touchdowns per season in spite of inconsistent quarterback play. However, he had a poor 2014 campaign, as Andre Holmes took on a bigger role in Oakland’s offense and free agent signee James Jones entered the mix. Moore caught just 12 balls for 115 yards and no TDs, and missed the final few weeks of the season with knee and ankle issues.
As a third or fourth receiver on a team with a few other reliable targets, like Cincinnati, Moore could be an intriguing option, particularly as a deep threat. He’ll likely be inexpensive, not requiring more than a very modest guarantee, if that. According to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), there’s little to no chance of a reunion with the Raiders for the Tennessee product.
Cincinnati’s interest likely stems, at least in part, from Hue Jackson‘s history with Moore. The current Bengals offensive coordinator had just been promoted from OC to head coach in Oakland when the Raiders selected Moore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
Draft Visits: Jets, M. Davis, Orchard, Raiders
It would be a little surprising to see the Jets take a receiver with the sixth overall pick after signing Eric Decker and trading for Brandon Marshall during the last two offseasons, but the team is bringing in wideout Amari Cooper today for a pre-draft visit, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Cooper viewed as a near lock to be selected in the top 10, it’s more likely the Jets are doing due diligence and keeping their options open rather than making the Alabama product a priority.
Here are some details on several more pre-draft visits around the NFL:
- We heard yesterday that South Carolina running back Mike Davis has a visit lined up with the Patriots, but New England is far from the only team eyeing him. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Davis also has workouts or visits scheduled with the Buccaneers, Seahawks, Browns, and Falcons.
- Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, a projected second-round pick, confirmed that he met with the Browns, dining with defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil and outside linebackers coach Brian Fleury, per Kevin Jones of ClevelandBrowns.com.
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (all Twitter links), the Raiders are taking a look at a handful of prospects today, working out South Dakota offensive lineman Matt Huffer, and hosting New Hampshire center Mike Coccia and Texas Southern defensive back Tray Walker.
- Northwestern safety Ibraheim Campbell, a potential second-day pick, has worked out for the Buccaneers, Browns, and Texans, and has workouts on deck with the Bears and Eagles, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Delaware State defensive end Rodney Gunter, who had 57 tackles and seven sacks in his senior season, visited the Chiefs, a league source tells Wilson.
- The Broncos are hosting New Hampshire tight end Harold Spears for a pre-draft visit, according to Wilson.
Bears Cut Roberto Garza, Sign Will Montgomery
11:33am: The Bears have formally announced both moves, officially signing Montgomery to a one-year contract and releasing Garza (Twitter link).
10:21am: Montgomery is signing a one-year deal with the Bears, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
9:14am: The Bears have informed longtime offensive line stalwart Roberto Garza that he will be released, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Rich Campbell of the Tribune tweets that the team’s plan is to sign veteran center Will Montgomery as Garza’s replacement.
The move comes as something of a surprise, since the Bears signed Garza to a one-year contract extension back in December, locking him up for the 2015 season. However, the deal was consummated by the previous regime, led by general manager Phil Emery. Emery and head coach Marc Trestman were let go several days later, and new coach John Fox is more familiar with Montgomery, having coached him in Denver last season.
Garza, who turned 36 last month, had been with the Bears since the 2005 season, playing 154 regular season contests (145 starts) during that stretch, primarily at center and right guard. While he’s in his mid-30s, he was reasonably effective last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s metrics graded him as a below-average pass blocker, but a positive run-blocking grade increased his overall ranking to 21st among 41 qualified centers.
Montgomery, meanwhile, ranked 15th on that same PFF list of qualified centers, with a +4.9 pass-blocking grade buoying his overall mark. The 32-year-old spent five seasons in Washington before joining the Broncos a year ago.
Garza’s old one-year contract with the Bears reportedly included a $75K signing bonus, which would have been prorated across the 2014 and 2015 seasons. As such, Chicago should only be left with $37.5K in dead money on its books after cutting him.
NFC Notes: Eagles, Peterson, Willis, Draft
Wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the Eagles in the draft, and according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, UCF’s Breshad Perriman is paying a visit to the team today. It’s one of 18 pre-draft visits or private workouts Perriman has on his schedule in advance of the draft — the young wideout has had private workouts for the Giants and Texans, and recently visited the Ravens.
In addition to bringing in Perriman, the Eagles are also taking a look at USC’s Nelson Agholor, with Chip Kelly in Tampa today to work out a player he recruited back in his Oregon days (Twitter link via Kevin O’Donnell of WTVT Fox13).. Philadelphia has previously been linked to Agholor, so it looks like that interest is very genuine.
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended, in-depth look at Adrian Peterson‘s situation in Minnesota, suggesting that if the Vikings were to trade the veteran running back, they probably shouldn’t expect more than a second-round pick in return. Corry also identifies seven potential trade partners for the Vikes, with clubs like the Falcons and Chargers joining oft-mentioned suitors such as the Cowboys and Cardinals.
- Speaking to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Corry says he’d be surprised if the 49ers don’t attempt to recoup a portion of Patrick Willis‘ signing bonus, following the linebacker’s retirement. In Corry’s view, the team could probably recover a minimum of $3.54MM from Willis. Chris Borland, who also retired this offseason, previously indicated he’d be returning three-quarters of his signing bonus to the Niners.
- Linebacker Darin Drakeford, who participated in last month’s veterans combine, is working out today for the Buccaneers, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Lions continue to examine speedy receiving prospects, bringing in UAB’s J.J. Nelson today for a pre-draft visit, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
FA Notes: Ravens, Paysinger, Fins, Bengals
The Ravens have accumulated more compensatory draft picks than any other NFL team over the past two decades, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com notes (via Twitter) that the Matt Schaub signing this week is a good example of how the team does it. Schaub, who was cut by the Raiders, won’t count toward the compensatory draft pick formula, but former backup Tyrod Taylor, whose contract expired, will count toward that formula. In other words, by swapping out one backup QB for another, the club could net a seventh-round comp next year.
Here are a few more notes on free agency, including some updates on players who remain unsigned:
- The Dolphins are hosting free agent linebacker Spencer Paysinger for a visit today, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Paysinger, who has spent his first four NFL seasons with the Giants, was a regular contributor on defense in 2013, but returned to a backup and special teams role last season.
- Quarterback Josh Johnson, who spent a good chunk of the 2014 season with the 49ers, is visiting the Bengals today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora notes that Johnson’s athleticism and experience in different offensive systems should bode well for his chances of signing with Cincinnati or another team.
- As shown by their apparent interest in veteran guard Dan Connolly, the Buccaneers haven’t given up on the idea of signing an interior offensive lineman in free agency, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. It’s not clear yet if the Bucs will shift their focus to another veteran if they don’t land Connolly, or if they’ll simply wait and address the spot in the draft.
- Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times wonders if the NFL’s decision to move up a key free agency date from June 1 to May 12 will affect the Seahawks‘ pursuit of a veteran center.
FA Notes: Wisniewski, Lowery, Housler, Sam
One of the last of our top 50 free agents who is still without a deal, center Stefen Wisniewski has seen his market move slowly in part because he underwent shoulder surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum. However, things may be picking up for the former Raider.
According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wisniewski visited the Patriots earlier this week, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that the center visited the Jaguars today. There’s no deal with either team in place yet, but it could just be a matter of time until Wisniewski find a new home.
Here’s more on Wisniewski and a few other free agents:
- The Vikings could use an interior lineman like Wisniewski, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities says (via Twitter) that Minnesota hasn’t expressed any interest in the veteran free agent.
- According to Breer (via Twitter), free agent safety Dwight Lowery visited the Colts this week. The last update on the Lowery front came two weeks ago, when he admitted the Falcons hadn’t shown a ton of interest in re-signing him.
- The Bengals are hosting tight end Rob Housler for a free agent visit on Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Tyler Eifert figures to take on a bigger role for Cincinnati in 2015 if he’s back to full health, but with Jermaine Gresham unlikely to return, the Bengals could use another tight end. Housler has also visited Atlanta and Baltimore, and received a contract offer from the Ravens.
- Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi, who spent time on the Browns‘ and Ravens‘ practice squads in 2014, is visiting the Vikings and Buccaneers this week, according to Wilson.
- The Montreal Alouettes hold Michael Sam‘s CFL rights, and general manager Jim Popp told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette this week that he believes his team has a “50/50” shot at signing the former Rams draftee.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Teams around the NFL have been busy today, making minor roster additions and subtractions as they continue to survey the remaining free agent landscape and prepare for this month’s draft. Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the league:
- According to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have signed defensive end Efe Obada, who played last year with the London Warriors in England.
- Meanwhile, a former Cowboys defender, Caesar Rayford, announced today on Facebook that he has signed a new contract with the Vikings.
- The Jets have re-signed backup tackle Ben Ijalana, the team announced today in a press release. During his two seasons in New York, Ijalana has been inactive on game days more often than not.
Earlier updates:
- Seahawks fullback and defensive lineman Will Tukuafu posted an Instagram photo today that showed him signing a new contract with the Seahawks, and the NFL’s official transactions wire confirms the deal, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Per Condotta (via Twitter), Seattle’s new deal with defensive lineman Jesse Williams, who was cut earlier in the offseason for procedural reasons, also showed up on the transactions wire.
- Cornerback and special-teamer Sherrick McManis has returned to the Bears on a one-year deal, according to the club (Twitter link). Although he played just 46 defensive snaps for Chicago in 2014, McManis was a key contributor on kick and punt coverage, recording 11 special teams tackles.
- The Steelers have re-signed defensive lineman Clifton Geathers to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. Geathers, 27, joined the Steelers in December of last year after the club placed Brett Keisel on injured reserve, but didn’t see any game action.
- Agent Mike McCartney published a tweet this afternoon congratulating his client Mike Kafka on the quarterback’s new deal with the Vikings. A participant in last month’s veterans combine, Kafka spent time in 2014 on the Buccaneers’ practice squad and active roster.
- Running back Dan “Boom” Herron has officially signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Colts, ensuring that he’ll be back with the team in 2015. The move was a formality, since Herron couldn’t negotiate with other clubs.
- The Panthers have waived guard Derek Dennis and linebacker Horace Miller, two players who signed futures contracts with the team at season’s end, the club announced today (via Twitter).
Jets Sign Jamari Lattimore
The Jets have signed free agent linebacker Jamari Lattimore, agent Tony Agnone tells Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). We heard two weeks ago that Lattimore was paying a visit to New York to meet with the Jets.
Lattimore spent the last four seasons with the Packers, playing in 49 regular season contests for the team. Playing on a one-year RFA tender in 2014, the 26-year-old earned 285 defensive snaps and played on special teams before landing on injured reserve, prematurely ending his season. Lattimore had 37 tackles and an interception for the year.
The Jets have signed plenty of defenders in free agency over the last few weeks, though most of those new additions are either defensive backs – such as Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine – or defensive lineman, like Stephen Bowen and Kevin Vickerson.
NFC Notes: Rams, Kaepernick, Draft, Boykin
Let’s check in on a few Wednesday items from around the NFC….
- Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper, Stanford offensive tackle Andrus Peat, and Louisville offensive tackle Jamon Brown are among the prospects paying pre-draft visits to the Rams today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (all Twitter links).
- Colin Kaepernick‘s long-term outlook in San Francisco isn’t entirely clear yet, but for the foreseeable future, he’s the 49ers‘ starting quarterback, and that became even more certain today — as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com details, Kaepernick’s $10.4MM salary for 2015 became fully guaranteed when the calendar turned to April.
- The son of former Detroit wide receiver Brett Perriman visited his father’s old team today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who writes that the Lions hosted Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman for a pre-draft visit. The younger Perriman is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class.
- Another speedy receiving prospect, Miami’s Phillip Dorsett, said today that he has visits lined up with the Falcons and Panthers, per James Walker of ESPN.com.
- Prior to his Pro Day today, Towson cornerback Tye Smith had a dinner meeting with the Saints, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Smith is expected to be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent.
- Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides the details on wide receiver Jarrett Boykin‘s one-year deal with the Panthers, tweeting that it’s a minimum salary pact with a $20K bonus.
Texans Sign Nate Washington
3:13pm: The Texans have signed Washington to a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract which includes a $30K signing bonus, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
3:03pm: The Texans have added another free agent wide receiver to their roster, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that veteran Nate Washington is signing with the team.
In the wake of releasing longtime Texan Andre Johnson, Houston has added a pair of free agent wideouts, signing Washington to go along with Cecil Shorts. Both players are familiar to the Texans, having come from AFC South rivals — Washington last played for the Titans, while Shorts came to Houston from Jacksonville.
Heading into his age-32 season, Washington won’t be expected to post big numbers for the Texans. However, he should bring veteran experience to the team’s receiving corps, and figures to play the role of a reliable possession target, while Shorts could see a few more deep balls.
Having spent six years with the Titans, Washington averaged over 50 catches per season in Tennessee. During the 2014 campaign, he saw just 72 targets, his lowest mark since joining the club, as Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter took on larger roles. Washington caught 40 balls for 647 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his final year in Tennessee.
Washington and Shorts will complement up-and-coming No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins in Houston in 2015, providing plenty of receiving options for whichever quarterback wins the team’s starting job. Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are expected to compete for the role, with Tom Savage also in the mix.