Chiefs Extend Allen Bailey Through 2018
3:23pm: The Chiefs have formally announced Bailey’s extension in a press release.
“We are happy that we were able to reach an agreement to keep Allen in Kansas City,” said GM John Dorsey in a statement. “He has developed into a good football player and a key member of our defense.”
2:33pm: The Chiefs have reached an agreement on a contract extension for defensive lineman Allen Bailey, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, it’ll be a four-year deal for Bailey, with a base value of $25MM, and $10MM to sign.
Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter) that the extension features $15MM in guaranteed money, though a portion of that guarantee is for injury only. Florio outlines the details, noting that in addition to the $10MM signing bonus, $4MM in injury-only guarantees will become fully guaranteed this winter, shortly after the Super Bowl. The agreement also includes another $1MM in injury-only guarantees.
Bailey, 25, has been installed as a full-time starter on the defensive line for the first time this season. After playing 506 defensive snaps a year ago, Bailey has appeared in 472 so far this season through just nine games, and has certainly held his own. According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), the former third-round pick has ranked 21st among 50 qualified 3-4 defensive ends, playing particularly well as a pass rusher, having recorded 16 total quarterback pressures.
Having been selected by the Chiefs out of Miami in the 2011 draft, Bailey had been in the final year of his rookie contract, and was eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2014 season. The extension, which will keep him under team control through 2018, represents a significant pay raise for the fourth-year pro — his ’14 base salary had been the league minimum ($645K), with modest bonuses bumping his overall cap hit to about $809K.
Of course, while locking up Bailey beyond this season is a solid move by the Chiefs to reinforce the team’s defensive front seven, a more significant contract negotiation still looms. Star outside linebacker Justin Houston is also on an expiring deal, and there’s been no indication that he and the Chiefs are close to agreeing on a multiyear pact. If the club enters the offseason without a new contract in place for Houston, the franchise tag looks like a real possibility for the Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Chargers Activate Ingram, Put Verrett On IR
The Chargers have made several roster moves in advance of tomorrow’s game against the Raiders, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Gehlken reports that the team has activated outside linebacker Melvin Ingram from injured reserve and promoted safety Adrian Phillips from the practice squad to the active roster. To make room for the new additions, San Diego placed rookie cornerback Jason Verrett on the IR list and waived outside linebacker Cordarro Law.
The loss of Verrett is another significant blow for a Chargers squad that has been plagued by injuries this year. The 23-year-old, selected 25th overall in May, had combined with free agent signee Brandon Flowers at cornerback to strengthen a San Diego secondary that was much improved in 2014. However, Verrett tore his left labrum in three places and will undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder, per Gehlken (via Twitter).
While Verrett’s injury is bad news for the Chargers, the team will welcome back several players this weekend, including running back Ryan Mathews, inside linebacker Manti Te’o, and Ingram, who was placed on IR with the designation to return in September.
After their series of Saturday transactions, the Chargers are carrying a full 53-man roster and have one opening on their practice squad.
49ers Put Jimmie Ward On IR, Activate Smith
The 49ers have made a pair of roster moves involving defensive players today, placing rookie defensive back Jimmie Ward on injured reserve and activating linebacker Aldon Smith, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith had been reinstated from his nine-game suspension earlier this week, but the team had to remove a player from the 53-man roster in order for him to be active for tomorrow’s game against the Giants.
Ward, San Francisco’s first-round pick back in May, will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a foot injury. While it’s not clear if the injury is related to the Jones fracture Ward was diagnosed with earlier in the year, it’s the same foot giving him problems this time around. Despite entering the league as a safety, Ward saw most of his time at the nickel back position for the 49ers this season.
As for Smith, the Niners had a roster exemption for the returning linebacker, and could have waited until Monday to make a move to officially accommodate him. However, that corresponding move needed to be made by today if the club hoped to get him on the field in tomorrow’s game. It’s not clear how much action he’ll see, but we can expect Smith to make his 2014 debut against the Giants.
For now, Niners defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who is eligible to be activated from the injured reserve list, remains on IR.
Breer’s Latest: Colts, London, Dez, Peterson
Although the Colts did win a Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, the team watched as other clubs with less offensive firepower – like the Patriots, Steelers, and Giants – won multiple titles during the 2000s. So after drafting Andrew Luck, owner Jim Irsay was determined to put together a more balanced roster that was capable of holding its own on defense and special teams as well, writes Albert Breer of the NFL Network. This Sunday’s showdown against the Pats is a major test for the Colts, who have been outscored 102-46 in the two Luck/Tom Brady matchups to date. In addition to exploring that game, Breer also touches on a few other topics of note in his latest column at NFL.com, so let’s round up the highlights….
- NFL executive VP of international Mark Waller tells Breer that the league was encouraged by the success of the three games in London in 2014. While Wembley Stadium’s availability in 2015 made it impossible to play more than three games there next year, Waller says he’d be “very disappointed” if there aren’t at least four London games on the schedule in 2016.
- To this point in his career, the Cowboys have kept a close eye on Dez Bryant, but if and when he signs a long-term deal with the club, his status in the locker room will have to change, as will the way the team handles him, writes Breer. As the NFL.com scribe points out: “Players in any locker room keep score by salary and pay keen attention to how their most richly compensated teammates are treated.”
- “Time served” will be an oft-used phrase during Adrian Peterson‘s hearing this coming Monday, according to Breer, who says that fining and reinstating the Vikings running back is one possibility for the league, rather than assessing an additional suspension on top of the games he has already missed.
- Breer suggests keeping an eye on the free agent market for quarterbacks this offseason — while there are no huge names on expiring contracts, prospective free agents like Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Mallett could finish the season as respectable starters.
West Notes: Incognito, Bowman, Tate
The Broncos are the latest team to bring in free agent guard Richie Incognito for a visit and a workout, and Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report hears that Incognito’s visit to Denver and previous auditions with the Chiefs and Buccaneers went well. One executive even tells Freeman that Incognito looked “excellent” in his tryout. However, considering the former Dolphin is still looking for work, it appears he remains too toxic for any club to seriously consider signing him at this point, writes Freeman. At some point, a team will look past Incognito’s involvement in last year’s bullying scandal in Miami and give him another shot, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely that it will happen this season.
As we wait to see whether Denver or another club picks up Incognito in the second half, let’s check in on a few Friday items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- The 49ers will see one of their standout linebackers return to the field this weekend, with Aldon Smith having been activated after serving his nine-game suspension. However, there’s a “real possibility” that injured linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who is still recovering from a torn ACL and MCL suffered last season, won’t return to action in 2014, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Wide receiver Golden Tate inked a lucrative five-year deal with the Lions back in March, and while that deal may have raised some eyebrows at the time, it’s turning into a great investment, with Tate in the top five in the NFL in both receptions and receiving yards. Tate discussed his free agent process today, admitting that he thought he’d be a “hot commodity,” but “that wasn’t the case at all” (link via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com). Having previously referred to the Seahawks‘ contract offer as “laughable,” Tate didn’t show much sympathy for his old team today. “Their problem,” Tate said of Seattle. “Now they don’t have me or Percy [Harvin].”
- The Broncos had hoped to keep linebacker Nate Irving in case he could return this season, but the team ultimately decided to place him on season-ending injured reserve yesterday due to his knee injury. Denver head coach John Fox explained the decision today, as Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post details.
Champ Bailey To Retire As Bronco
NOVEMBER 14: Bailey will sign a one-day contract with Denver and retire as a Bronco on Tuesday, according to the team’s VP of public relations Patrick Smyth, who tweets that there will be an afternoon press conference to make the announcement.
OCTOBER 28: Despite receiving interest from NFL teams, veteran cornerback Champ Bailey has decided to end his playing career, according to agent Jack Reale (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Bailey, who last spent time with the Saints, “has some outstanding opportunities that he’s going to pursue” now that he’s retiring from the NFL, says Reale (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Bailey, who turned 36 this summer, appeared in just five regular season games in 2013 due to a foot injury, and his exorbitant cap hit made him a cap casualty for the AFC champion Broncos. In his last healthy season (2012), Bailey grabbed a pair of interceptions and racked up 66 tackles. His combination of positive grades against the run and in pass coverage resulted in a top-10 rank at cornerback in ’12, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
However, even after signing a deal with the Saints that included $500K in guaranteed money, Bailey was unable to secure a spot on the team’s 53-man roster. The 12-time Pro Bowler had indicated he’d be willing to play safety in addition to or instead of cornerback, but that may not have been a smooth transition at age 36, and he’s not a special-teams contributor, so New Orleans opted for more versatile options instead.
While he didn’t start the season on a roster, Bailey had been receiving interest in recent weeks. Per Schefter (via Twitter), Reale indicated that at least two playoff contenders were eyeing his client, and one of those was likely the Ravens, whose interest we heard about a couple weeks ago. Perhaps the other club was the Lions, who worked out Bailey back in September.
Assuming Bailey doesn’t come out of retirement at any point and has indeed played his last NFL snap, it should just be a matter of time until he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition to his 12 Pro Bowl berths, Bailey racked up 52 interceptions during a 15-year career that saw him spend five seasons in Washington and 10 in Denver. His most impressive stretch came with the Broncos in 2005 and 2006, when he grabbed 18 total INTs in two seasons, returning three of them for touchdowns.
Bailey will be eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2019.
Browns Place Phil Taylor On Injured Reserve
1:51pm: The Browns have promoted linebacker Keith Pough from their practice squad to replace Taylor on the roster, tweets Cabot.
12:19pm: The Browns have placed defensive lineman Phil Taylor on injured reserve with a knee issue, head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today to reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). Taylor, who previously underwent a scope on his troublesome right knee, will undergo more surgery next week that’s unrelated to the initial procedure.
In 2013, Taylor was a starter on defense for Cleveland, but only played 555 defensive snaps, serving primarily as a run stopper. While he wasn’t a full-time player, Taylor’s performance against the run still placed him a solid 26th among 69 qualified defensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). The 26-year-old played just 133 snaps this year before being sidelined with a knee injury, and Cleveland’s run defense has struggled in his absence — Football Outside ranks the unit 30th in DVOA.
The Browns exercised their fifth-year option on Taylor for 2015, so the former first-round pick is under contract with the team for a base salary of $5.477MM. That salary isn’t yet guaranteed, however, so if the team is concerned about Taylor’s recovery or his cap hit, he could be released this winter.
While Cleveland has yet to announce a corresponding roster move, a practice squad promotion for Sunday’s game could happen later today or tomorrow.
Bears Activate Marquess Wilson From IR
The Bears have filled the opening on their 53-man roster by activating wide receiver Marquess Wilson in advance of this weekend’s game against the Vikings, the team announced today (Twitter link). Wilson steps into the roster slot created when Chicago released veteran wideout Santonio Holmes earlier this week.
Wilson, 22, had been poised to assume a larger role in the Bears’ offense this season, with the team hoping he’d step into the role of the No. 3 receiver in the offense, behind standouts Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. However, a fractured clavicle derailed Wilson’s sophomore year, forcing the Bears to place him on injured reserve with the designation to return.
Wilson saw limited action in his 2013 rookie season, having been targeted just three times for two receptions and 13 yards. Even if he doesn’t immediately step into the third receiver role in the offense this year, he should easily top those marks, providing another target for embattled quarterback Jay Cutler.
AFC East Notes: Will Davis, Marrone, Jets
Earlier today, we learned that Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin suffered a fractured ankle during last night’s loss in Miami, but McKelvin wasn’t the only player to sustain a significant injury during the game. Here’s the latest out of the AFC East, including an update on a Dolphin whose 2014 season is over:
- As first reported by James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Dolphins cornerback Will Davis tore his ACL against the Bills, and will be sidelined for the rest of the season. Davis hadn’t seen the field much on defense in recent weeks, but the team will miss his contributions on special teams.
- Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin confirmed to reporters, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), that Davis will be placed on injured reserve soon. However, the club isn’t overly concerned about its depth at cornerback and will evaluate over the weekend whether to add a corner to replace Davis or use the newly-available roster spot to bolster another position (Twitter link via Walker).
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, Bills head coach Doug Marrone doesn’t feel as if he’s coaching for his job. Still, having taken over as the Bills’ owners earlier this season, Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula will likely be keeping a close eye on Marrone’s performance the rest of the way, with changes possible at year’s end.
- While it’s too early to call the Jets‘ 2014 draft a bust, the early returns on the 12 players selected by the team haven’t been great, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Leodis McKelvin Fractures Ankle
It’s been a bad week for Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who last Sunday night guaranteed a win over the Dolphins, then left Thursday’s loss in Miami with an ankle injury. As it turns out, that game against the Dolphins figures to be McKelvin’s last of 2014 — according to head coach Doug Marrone (Twitter link), the cornerback suffered a fracture ankle, and the team is having discussions about what to do with his roster spot.
Losing McKelvin is a blow not only to the Bills’ secondary but to the club’s return game as well. The 29-year-old had been Buffalo’s primary punt returner this season in addition to starting at cornerback. With McKelvin likely headed to injured reserve due to his ankle injury, players like Corey Graham, Nickell Robey, and Ron Brooks are candidates to see enhanced roles in the Bills’ secondary.
Assuming McKelvin is indeed placed on IR, the Bills will also have an open spot to fill on their 53-man roster. If the team decides to add another cornerback in McKelvin’s absence, Rod Sweeting, the only corner currently on Buffalo’s practice squad, would be a candidate for promotion.