Titans GM Downplays Trade Rumors
The Titans are off to a slow start this season, having fallen well back of the playoff teams at 2-5, and the team’s decision to start rookie Zach Mettenberger at quarterback this weekend indicates that the focus has shifted from contending to rebuilding. As such, several veterans have been cited as potential trade candidates, but general manager Ruston Webster isn’t anticipating a busy deadline for his team, as Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com details.
“We actively traded Akeem [Ayers]; that was something we were working on and trying to do and was good for both parties,” Webster said today on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville. “Outside of that, there’s really nothing imminent, nothing on the back burner. I’d be surprised if anything happened before the trade deadline.”
While Ayers had been a key contributor on defense in past seasons, the new coaching staff didn’t have a spot for him, and the return in this week’s trade was minimal — the Titans upgraded from a seventh-round pick to a sixth-rounder for the 2015 draft. There’s a chance the team could do a little better than that for some of its trade chips, but none of them are potential difference-makers that will move the needle significantly for a contender or net the Titans a high draft pick.
Wide receiver Nate Washington, linebacker Wesley Woodyard, and safety Michael Griffin have all been mentioned as players potentially on the block. A PFR poll this morning asked which of those players is most likely to be dealt, and Washington is currently the leader with nearly 50% of the vote. About 20% of you lean toward Webster’s apparent stance, voting that none of those three players will be moved.
The trade deadline is scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00pm central time, so Webster still has about 95 hours to change his mind and swing a deal. We’ll have to wait and see whether the rebuilding Titans indeed stand pat.
Raiders To Place Woodley, Young On IR
At least two Raiders players won’t be around to try to help lead the team to its first victory of the year, according to head coach Tony Sparano, who confirmed today that defensive end LaMarr Woodley and safety Usama Young have season-ending injuries (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle). According to Steve Corkran of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter), practice squad players will likely be promoted to the 53-man roster when Woodley and Young are officially placed on injured reserve.
Woodley, who turns 30 next month, suffered a torn bicep on Sunday, prematurely ending his season and likely his stint with the Raiders as well. The veteran defender signed a two-year deal with the team in the offseason, but the contract didn’t include a signing bonus, which means it’ll be fairly easy for Oakland to get out of at season’s end. With Woodley recovering from this injury, it seems more likely that the Raiders would cut him than commit to a 2015 salary that includes a $3.85MM base and a $1MM bonus due on the fifth day of the ’15 league year.
As for Young, he also signed a two-year contract with the Raiders in the offseason. A frequent contributor on special teams, Young had also taken on a more significant role on defense this season, starting three of the club’s first six contests.
Assuming the Raiders add a pair of defenders to replace their injured players, candidates to be promoted from the practice squad include defensive ends Denico Autry and Shelby Harris, along with linebacker Spencer Hadley, cornerback Ras-I Dowling, and defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin.
Cap Notes: Rice, Kerley, Trades
With the trade deadline approaching, it’s worth keeping an eye on which teams have cap room to spare and which clubs don’t have much flexibility to make moves. Before we get into that though, we have a couple notes on how a pair of players will affect their respective teams’ (or former teams’) caps. Let’s dive in….
- Because Ray Rice filed a grievance against the Ravens in an attempt to recoup his 2014 base salary, he’ll count against the cap for 40% of that disputed amount, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Because Rice had been in line for a $3,529,412 salary, the cap charge for Baltimore works out to $1,411,765.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds another note on Jeremy Kerley‘s contract details, tweeting that the Jets wideout has $3.841MM in fully guaranteed money at the time of his signing, with an additional $2MM becoming guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2015 league year.
- As Albert Breer of the NFL Network considers whether there will be any deals of note before Tuesday’s trade deadline, he points out that 15 teams have less than $5MM in cap space, which could make it tricky to complete any sort of significant move.
- Breer goes on to add that there are six teams with more than $10MM in cap room: The Jaguars ($22.84MM), Browns ($19.06MM), Eagles ($16.31MM), Jets ($12.82MM), Titans ($11.86MM), and Patriots ($10.54MM).
AFC East Links: Wilkerson, Dolphins, Pats
As we look forward to a showdown of the AFC West’s leaders tonight, let’s shift our focus to the other side of the conference and round up a few items from out of the AFC East….
- While the Jets recently locked up wide receiver Jeremy Kerley through 2018, defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson is the more notable extension candidate on the roster. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report suggests that because the Jets can keep Wilkerson under control at a relatively affordable price through 2016 due to his fifth-year option and the franchise tag, the team may not be willing to offer significant guaranteed money at this point.
- The Dolphins could use a power running back, some help at linebacker, and a gunner on special teams, but it’s unclear if they’ll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, if they’re even active at all, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. If the Dolphins do decide to make a move, defensive lineman Jared Odrick looks like their most plausible trade chip, in Kelly’s view.
- Rookie running back David Fluellen and former Tampa Bay defensive end Scott Solomon had workouts with the Patriots this week, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio is one of five NFL executives identified by Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post as potential general manager candidates this offseason.
Poll: Broncos’ Top Extension Priority?
ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported earlier today that the Broncos don’t intend to discuss contract extensions with either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas until after the season. That has since been confirmed by multiple reporters, including Mike Klis of the Denver Post and Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who indicated that the team hasn’t engaged in talks with either player since August.
The Broncos will do their best to keep all their impact players heading into next season, but the team will only have one franchise tag available, and the salary cap will almost certainly limit Denver’s ability to keep all its key free agents. Besides the Thomases, wideout Wes Welker and – more importantly – cornerback Chris Harris are among the team’s other players eligible to test the open market.
Harris, who is playing this season on a restricted free agent tender, ranked eighth among cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and has been even better so far this year. Per PFF, quarterbacks throwing into Harris’ coverage have completed 12 of 32 attempts for 101 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception, good for a 33.5 QB rating. The 25-year-old’s outstanding play has made him one of the cornerstones of Denver’s improved defensive unit.
Of course, in Demaryius and Julius Thomas, the Broncos have two players who rank among the best at their respective positions in the NFL. Demaryius has averaged 1,432 receiving yards over the last two seasons, and is on pace to blow past that mark this year, while Julius leads the NFL with nine receiving touchdowns in just six games. Even though Peyton Manning could post big numbers throwing to just about anyone, losing either Thomas would be a significant blow to the Broncos’ passing attack.
What do you think? Which of the Broncos’ top three prospective free agents is the most important for the team to extend? Does the club need to make sure it retains one or both of Manning’s top targets, or is keeping the young, shutdown cornerback the top priority?
Minor Moves: Thursday
Since Thursday is typically a quieter day for transactions during the NFL season, we’ll round up today’s minor 53-man roster and practice squad moves right here, rather than splitting them into separate posts. Here’s the latest:
- The Broncos announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve released safety John Boyett from their practice squad following his arrest earlier this week on a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge.
Earlier updates:
- The Chiefs have signed linebacker Darin Drakeford to their practice squad, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Paylor adds that Drakeford takes the practice squad spot vacated by linebacker Orie Lemon, who has signed to the Buccaneers‘ 53-man roster. Tampa Bay had an opening on its roster after Da’Quan Bowers was moved to the reserve/suspended list for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
- After clearing waivers, tight end Rashaun Allen has returned to the Seahawks, signing to the club’s practice squad, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
NFC Notes: Jackson, Murray, Seahawks
Here’s a round-up of a few Thursday notes from around the NFC:
- Vincent Jackson has been cited frequently as one of the trade candidates to watch as Tuesday’s deadline approaches, but if it were up the Buccaneers wideout, he wouldn’t be going anywhere, as he tells Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “I think bringing Lovie in and the staff that he’s brought and his mentality and his goals are aligned with mine and I think a lot of guys in this locker room,” Jackson said. “I hope for us to start the tradition here of winning football in Tampa Bay. I hope to stay in this uniform and this jersey and help bring that.”
- While having a monster season in a contract year typically bodes well for a player’s future earnings, former Packers executive Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com examines whether DeMarco Murray‘s big numbers, buoyed by a huge workload, may actually be hurting him financially.
- Before he signed with the Titans’ practice squad, linebacker Nate Askew was one of a handful of players to work out for the Seahawks, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). In addition to Askew and players previously reported, the club also auditioned defensive end Sammy Brown and tight end Michael Egnew, as well as bringing in defensive end Austen Lane for a visit (Twitter links).
- A few more tryouts, via Wilson: The Buccaneers are working out punter Brock Miller (Twitter link), the Cowboys took a look at offensive lineman Keavon Milton (Twitter link), and Washington auditioned defensive end Lawrence Sidbury (Twitter link).
Lions Unlikely To Make Trade At Deadline
Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has been the subject of some trade speculation this year, but general manager Martin Mayhew doesn’t anticipate moving the star defender, or anyone else for that matter, as he told reporters today in London, including Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). With Tuesday’s deadline just five days away, the Lions don’t expect to be active, according to Mayhew.
“We kind of talk to everybody around the league, getting calls from different teams and things like that,” Mayhew said, per Mike O’Hara of DetroitLions.com. “I don’t anticipate us making any moves at the trade deadline.”
The Lions are one of the NFL’s pleasant surprises so far, having jumped out to a 5-2 record and a share of the NFC North lead, despite kicking issues that cost the team at least one win. For a team with playoff – and even Super Bowl – aspirations, a modest addition or two could help solidify the roster, but Mayhew indicated he’s confident in the club’s current makeup.
“There’s no magic formula, schemes. There’s no magic trade I’m going to do that all of a sudden is going to bring some guy in here and we’re going to start winning,” the GM said. “It’s about how far our players are going to take us. I think they understand it.”
South Notes: Panthers, Griffin, Titans, Bucs
Plenty of Panthers players were caught off guard by the team’s release of veteran defensive back Charles Godfrey, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, who says words like “shocking” and “surprising” were used to describe the move.
“With a guy of his stature who’s been here for as long as he had, and all of a sudden you wake up and he’s not here, it’s definitely got to be a shock. It’s shocking to me,” said fellow defensive back Roman Harper. “But it’s a job. We’ve got to take it seriously and understand that nobody’s job is safe from top to bottom. They’ll always fire you before you get them fired. That’s just what I’ve always been taught.”
As the Panthers’ defense adjusts to life without Godfrey and one of the newest additions to the free agent market looks for work, let’s check out a few more items from around the NFL’s two South divisions….
- We heard yesterday that the Titans had been entertaining trade discussions involving wide receiver Nate Washington, and it sounds like he’s not the only veteran the team is mulling moving. In addition to confirming the Washington report, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com says he has heard defensive back Michael Griffin may be on the block as well (Twitter link). The Titans, who announced last night that Zach Mettenberger will start at quarterback this weekend, seem to be “embracing” a rebuild, notes McCormick.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) adds several new names to the list of players to audition for the Panthers this week. According to Wilson, the club took a look at cornerbacks Trevin Wade, Robert Steeples, Ellis Lankster, and Josh Victorian, as well as offensive linemen Ryan Miller and Matt Patchan.
- Besides the players they signed to their 53-man roster or practice squad, the Buccaneers also worked out linebackers Erin Henderson and Lawrence Wilson this week, tweets Wilson. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Henderson had a tryout with the Titans too.
- Cornerback Deveron Carr auditioned for the Jaguars this week, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Broncos Don’t Expect In-Season Deals For Demaryius, Julius Thomas
A pair of Peyton Manning‘s top weapons face free agency this winter, but the Broncos don’t anticipate working out contract extensions with either Demaryius Thomas or Julius Thomas during the season, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Instead, the team will table discussions for now and resume negotiations with both players once the season is over, Schefter reports.
The Broncos reportedly initiated talks with their top receiver and top tight end back in June, and GM John Elway provided an update just before training camp got underway, indicating that the club expected to remain in contact with both players about their contracts during camp and the preseason. So far, however, it seems as if Denver hasn’t been able to reach a compromise with either player’s camp, so it makes sense to postpone discussions as the team focuses on making a Super Bowl run.
Buoyed by a 17.0 yards per catch average, Demaryius Thomas ranks fifth in the NFL with 662 receiving yards in just six games, putting him on pace to obliterate his career high of 1,434 yards. As for Julius Thomas, no one at any position has grabbed more touchdowns than the tight end’s nine so far this season. In other words, both Thomases are on track to have monster seasons, meaning it won’t be easy for the Broncos to keep both players, even if the club uses the franchise tag on one of them.
Complicating matters further is the fact that wideout Wes Welker is also eligible for free agency at season’s end. Welker doesn’t put up the same sort of huge numbers that the Thomases do, and likely won’t be as high a priority when the team starts addressing contracts, but he’s still a significant part of the Broncos’ passing attack. Having to let go of him or one of the Thomases for the 2015 season would be a notable loss for Manning and company.
Over the summer, I looked at both Demaryius and Julius as potential extension candidates for the Broncos.