HEADLINES

Author: Luke Adams

Ravens’ Jumal Rolle Tears Achilles, Out For Year

May 9th, 2016 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have suffered their first season-ending injury of 2016, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, who reports that cornerback Jumal Rolle tore his Achilles tendon recently while participating in a workout. Rolle is expected to be sidelined until 2017, per Zrebiec.

Rolle, who turns 26 later this month, may not have played a huge role in Baltimore this season even if he had stayed healthy, but he had the opportunity to earn a spot on the 53-man roster and see some action on special teams, if not in the Ravens’ secondary.

The former undrafted free agent appeared in 10 games for the Texans in 2014, recording 19 tackles and three interceptions. Rolle was cut by Houston last season, at which point the Ravens picked him up, adding him to their practice squad. He received a promotion to the 53-man roster in December, and was active for one game down the stretch.

As an exclusive rights free agent, Rolle had been on a one-year contract, so if the Ravens intend to bring him back when he’s healthy, they’ll have to sign him to a new deal for 2017.

NFC Notes: Tulloch, Schofield, Reed, Cardinals

May 9th, 2016 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Way back in February, a report surfaced suggesting that the Lions were planning to release veteran linebacker Stephen Tulloch when the new league year opened. However, the first week of the league year came and went without any roster moves involving Tulloch, and he has remained a Lion for nearly two more full months since then.

Appearing on PFT Live on Monday, Lions general manager Bob Quinn said there’s still “a chance” that Tulloch remains with the team for the 2016 season. However, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the linebacker’s release is likely “imminent.” That comes as no surprise — Detroit reportedly made efforts to work out a trade involving Tulloch, but it seems there hasn’t been any movement on that front.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • We heard last week that free agent linebacker O’Brien Schofield is interested in rejoining the Falcons. According to head coach Dan Quinn, the door is “never closed with Scho.” However, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com details, the two sides have been unable to agree on contract terms, despite the fact that Atlanta made Schofield an offer.
  • Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post breaks down the specific details on Jordan Reed‘s long-term extension with Washington, which is worth $48.421MM over five years.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk previews the extension talks between the Cardinals and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, which should become more serious in the coming weeks or months.
  • Ex-NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich has a new job, having joined the Cardinals as a coaching intern under Bruce Arians, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com outlines. The former Jaguars starting quarterback will be with Arizona throughout the offseason and in training camp. “After that, we’ll see,” Arians said. “Hopefully I can keep him all year. I think he’s got a great, bright future in coaching.”

Titans Sign Delanie Walker To Extension

May 9th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 1:49pm: Walker has officially put pen to paper, making his two-year extension official, as the Titans announced today (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 5:34pm: Tight end Delanie Walker, who was preparing to head into a contract year, has agreed to terms on a new deal with the Titans that will lock him up beyond the 2016 season, the team announced today. Although the club didn’t specify the terms of the deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that it’s a two-year, $14.7MM extension, with $8.2MM in guarantees.Delanie Walker

“Delanie is an integral piece of the offense,” Titans general manager Jon Robinson said in a statement. “In my short time around him, he came in and bought into our philosophy of what Titan football is going to be about. Obviously he’s a Pro Bowl player with great individual statistics, but his commitment and his desire and willingness to compete to the team concept of wanting to win is as important. We are looking forward to his on-field performance, but his positive impact in the community as well.”

Schefter initially reported Walker’s new deal as a three-year pact, so it seems likely that it will keep him under contract through 2018 — two new years, and three overall. Assuming that’s the case, and $14.7MM is the base value of the extension, it would represent a nice salary bump for the veteran tight end, whose last deal was worth $4.375MM annually. A $7.35MM per-year salary would put Walker in line with Dwayne Allen, and right in between Jason Witten and Kyle Rudolph.

Walker, 31, enjoyed a career year and earned his first Pro Bowl berth in 2015, his 10th NFL season. After averaging about 18 receptions per season from 2006 to 2012 in San Francisco, Walker has seen his production spike in Tennessee during the last three years. The former sixth-round pick broke the 60-catch threshold in 2013 and 2014, then exploded for 94 receptions, 1,088 yards, and six touchdowns in 2015 — all of those numbers are career highs.

Having landed a franchise quarterback in Marcus Mariota a year ago, the Titans continue to attempt to surround the young signal-caller with weapons — this offseason, the team has brought in running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, along with wide receiver Rishard Matthews. So while Walker figures to remain one of Mariota’s favorite targets going forward, the veteran tight end may not be leaned on quite so heavily in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Sign Several Draftees, UDFAs

May 9th, 2016 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears announced 17 signings today, confirming several previously-reported moves and revealing some new ones (Twitter links). The team has signed seven of its 2016 draft picks and 10 undrafted free agents to fill out its offseason roster.

Of Chicago’s nine draftees, only one – fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall – had reportedly agreed to terms prior to day. However, the Bears have now locked up six more of their picks to go along with Hall. Here’s the full list of draft picks signed by the club:

A pair of front-seven players – first-rounder Leonard Floyd and third-rounder Jonathan Bullard – have yet to sign their rookie contracts with the Bears, but the team has otherwise secured its draft class.

Meanwhile, in addition to confirming the eight undrafted free agent signings we passed along on Friday, the Bears added two more rookies – Liberty wide receiver Darrin Peterson and Oklahoma State cornerback Kevin Peterson – to their roster. The former received a $6K signing bonus from the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Panthers, Kawann Short Begin Talking Extension

May 9th, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers have opened contract extension negotiations with standout defensive tackle Kawann Short, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Because he was a second-round pick in 2013, Short’s rookie deal doesn’t include a fifth-year option for 2017, so he’s set to enter the last year of his contract if he doesn’t sign an extension.Kawann Short

Short, 27, enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and starting all 16 of the Panthers’ games for the first time. The Purdue product racked up 11 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also added two more sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason.

As PFR’s Dallas Robinson observed in his preview of the Panthers’ offseason, the negotiations between Short’s camp and the team will be interesting. On one hand, the Pro Bowl defender has really only produced at an elite level for one season. However, there’s no reason to think Short’s reps won’t make the case that their client deserves to be paid like Marcell Dareus or Gerald McCoy — those players inked long-term pacts worth $95MM+, making them the highest-paid 4-3 defensive tackles in the NFL not named Ndamukong Suh.

With Josh Norman no longer in the mix in Carolina, the Panthers will have a little extra flexibility to commit to a long-term deal for Short, though the team likely wouldn’t have had a problem making an extension work anyway, given its comfortable amount of cap room.

If the two sides can’t work out a multiyear extension at some point in 2016, Short figures to be a candidate for the franchise tag next offseason. This year, the franchise salary for a defensive tackle was $13.615MM, and that figure will likely get a modest bump in 2017, so Short and the Panthers will both keep that number in mind during contract discussions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Titans Cut Damaris Johnson, Add 11 UDFAs

May 9th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Titans, one of the last teams in the NFL to formally announce their undrafted free agent class, have done so today, confirming in a press release that they’ve agreed to terms with 11 rookies who weren’t selected in the 2016 draft. The team announced that it has reached deals with six members of its ’16 draft class as well.

In addition to bringing in 11 undrafted free agents and locking up six draftees, the team also announced that it has waived two veteran players — wide receiver Damaris Johnson and cornerback Steven Clarke. A former Vanderbilt CB, Clarke spent last summer with the Dolphins but has never appeared in an NFL regular season game. Johnson, on the other hand, has played in 44 career contests, most notably catching 31 balls for 331 yards and a touchdown during the 2014 season for the Texans.

Here’s the complete list of the Titans’ 11 incoming UDFAs:

And here’s the list of Titans draft picks who have agreed to terms with the team so far:

First-round tackle Jack Conklin and second-round edge defender Kevin Dodd are among the draftees who have yet to finalize contracts with the club.

 

Steelers Sign Four Players, Cut Four

May 9th, 2016 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Following their rookie minicamp, the Steelers have announced a handful of changes to their 90-man roster, signing four tryout players from the minicamp and cutting four veterans. According to the team, running backs Brandon Brown-Dukes and Cameron Stingily, wide receiver Marcus Tucker, and cornerback Donald Washington have been signed.

To open up roster spots for the incoming players, the Steelers parted ways with running backs Christian Powell and Rajion Neal, wide receiver Tobais Palmer, and cornerback Isaiah Frey. Of those players, Frey is the most notable name — although he hasn’t actually seen any action for Pittsburgh, he has appeared in 27 career NFL games, making seven starts, during parts of three seasons with the Bears and Buccaneers.

Out of the four newly-signed players, Washington has the most interesting story, and took the longest path to get to the Steelers. The former Ohio State Buckeye was drafted in the fourth round by the Chiefs in 2009, and appeared in 32 games for Kansas City over the next three seasons. However, he hasn’t appeared in an NFL contest since the 2011 campaign. Washington, who is now 29 years old, spoke to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about his comeback attempt.

“I am going to leave it out there and see what they do,” Washington said, before he earned a spot on the Steelers’ 90-man roster. “I am having the time of my life, man. The main key is to have fun and run around and have a good attitude and a good effort. Any chance I can get to play football, I want it, no matter where it is at. I just love the game and love being around the guys. No matter how the opportunity comes, I am taking it.”

Washington Signs Josh Doctson, Others

May 9th, 2016 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Washington has locked up all but one of its seven draft picks, the team announced today, as detailed by Stephen Czarda at Redskins.com. The list of draftees locked up by the club includes first-round wideout Josh Doctson, whose four-year rookie contract will feature a fifth-year option for 2020. Here’s the full list of draft picks who have officially signed with Washington:Josh Doctson

With six picks locked up, Washington just needs to finalize a deal with third-round cornerback Kendall Fuller to secure its entire draft class. Contracts for third-rounders can often be the trickiest to get done, since there’s a little more wiggle room to negotiate, whereas terms are fairly rigid throughout most of the rest of the draft.

Per Over The Cap’s data, Doctson’s four-year pact will be worth about $10.05MM, with a $5.509MM signing bonus. Cravens’ deal features a signing bonus of $1.423MM, while the rest of the team’s rookie contracts will be far more modest, with bonuses of less than $250K apiece for the late-round picks.

In addition to signing several draftees, Washington also added a pair of undrafted free agents – cornerback Lloyd Carrington and linebacker Reggie Northrup – to the roster, reaching the 90-man limit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sam Bradford Reports To Eagles

May 9th, 2016 at 9:24am CST by Luke Adams

9:24am: While the Eagles’ offseason activities aren’t currently open to the media, Bradford issued a statement today upon returning, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com:

“I’m excited to be back on the field today with my teammates and coaches. The business-side of football is sometimes a necessary consideration. My attention and efforts are focused on the participation in and preparation for a championship season: I am committed to my teammates and the Eagles organization for nothing less.”

8:41am: Appearing on Sports Radio 94WIP in Philadelphia today, Eagles defensive end Connor Barwin said that quarterback Sam Bradford would be reporting to the Eagles’ offseason activities today (Twitter link via Howard Eskin). And it seems Barwin was right — Bradford has indeed reported to the club and is in the building this morning, a source tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.Jan 3, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford (7) prior to the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

According to Tom Condon – Bradford’s agent, who spoke to Sal Paolantonio of ESPN – the signal-caller has rescinded his trade request in addition to rejoining the team (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Condon reportedly said during an appearance on Mike & Mike today that Bradford’s camp thought a trade to Denver was a viable possibility until the Broncos drafted Paxton Lynch in the first round.

As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, the Eagles are in the second phase of their offseason conditioning — Bradford missed just two of 10 weeks. The team’s offense will take the field for workouts today, and the former No. 1 overall pick will join the unit.

While Bradford may still be unhappy about his situation in Philadelphia, the Eagles had been insistent that they didn’t want to trade him, and public sentiment wasn’t exactly in favor of the player who just received an $11MM signing bonus from the team two months ago. Bradford continues to be on track to open the 2016 season as the Eagles’ starter. With rookie Carson Wentz looming, it remains to be seen how long Bradford will keep that job, and how long he’ll stick in Philadelphia.

Bradford’s new two-year deal calls for most of its guarantees to be paid in 2016, so the Eagles could move on from him in 2017 if they deem him expendable – and Wentz ready – a year from now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Jets, Fowler, Jaguars, Bolts

May 8th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Jets quarterback Geno Smith, Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe, and Buccaneers cornerback Alterraun Verner are among the veteran players who may have been put on notice as a result of their respective teams’ draft picks last weekend, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. PFR’s Dallas Robinson singled out all three of those players, and a handful of others, when he explored the same subject earlier in the week.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • One year ago today, Dante Fowler suffered a torn ligament in his knee, ending his rookie season before it began. The Jaguars, understandably, want to take things slowly with last year’s No. 3 overall pick. “Everything that we’ve seen, the drill work he’s done, the running, the reports we hear — he looks really good,” coach Gus Bradley said, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. “I think he just needs reps now and that’s when it will come, in the OTAs. We’re just taking it day by day with him and seeing his conditioning level.” Fowler notched 8.5 sacks in his final season at Florida and finished his three-year Gators career with 14.5 sacks in total.
  • In the wake of the 2016 draft, the Chargers are the latest team to make changes to their personnel department. A source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that San Diego’s changes will include the dismissal of at least one staff member.
  • Woody Paige of The Denver Post wonders if Mose Frazier will be the next great free agent to make the Broncos‘ roster. Frazier, a Memphis product, was quarterback Paxton Lynch‘s favorite target at Memphis. In the past two seasons, Frazier has caught 117 passes from the quarterback for 1,305 yards. Despite his chemistry with Lynch, he might be facing an uphill battle in Denver. As of this writing, the Broncos have eleven wide receivers under contract.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Load More Posts