NFC North Notes: Vikings, Packers, Lions
After starting 35 games for the Vikings over the last three seasons, Christian Ponder heads into the 2014 preseason as the No. 3 quarterback on the team’s depth chart, behind Matt Cassel and Teddy Bridgewater. However, he’s trying not to let his precarious situation in Minnesota bother him — according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Ponder recognizes that he has to “be prepared” despite not getting as many reps this summer as Cassel and Bridgewater, and adds that he doesn’t expect to be traded before the regular season gets underway.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link) has heard there’s been a little dialogue between the Vikings and Brandon Fusco‘s camp about a contract extension for the offensive lineman. However, according to Fusco himself, nothing is imminent at this point. Minnesota’s starting right guard is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
- With swing tackle Don Barclay expected to be placed on injured reserve, Packers GM Ted Thompson doesn’t expect his club to be in the market for a veteran offensive lineman, says Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- As we heard last night, the Lions‘ waiver claim of former 49ers wideout Jonathan Baldwin has yet to be finalized, while the team evaluates his medical situation. According to Carlos Monarrez and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Baldwin took his physical on Tuesday, but there are some concerns about his knee. “I’m not sure exactly the timetable on when we have to (make a decision),” head coach Jim Caldwell said. “(GM) Martin (Mayhew) and those guys stay on top of those kind of stuff, but we’re evaluating him right now.”
- One of the Lions‘ offseason coaching changes involved bringing in a new defensive coordinator, and as Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News writes, newcomer Teryl Austin likes what he has seen from the unit so far.
PFR Commenting Policy
Comments of this nature are not allowed at Pro Football Rumors:
- Attacks or insults towards other commenters, the post author, journalists, teams, players, or agents.
- Inappropriate language, including swearing and related censor bypass attempts, lewdness, insults, and crude terms for body parts, bodily functions, and physical acts. Overall, we don’t want any language that a parent would not want their kid to see.
- Juvenile comments or extensive use of text message-type spelling.
- Writing comments in all or mostly caps.
- Spam-type links or self-promotion.
- Comments about how you’re sick of this topic or it’s not newsworthy.
- No inappropriate avatars or images are allowed.
- Anything else we deem bad for business.
If you see comments that fit the above criteria, please flag them and/or contact us. Bans may be handed out liberally by our moderators, without second chances. Remaining civil is not that difficult though, and most commenters have no problems doing so, as well as helping rein each other in. We are grateful for all of our longtime commenters and readers, though this policy applies equally regardless of tenure. This policy is always available at the bottom of the site, and will be re-posted monthly.
Rob Bironas Works Out For Buccaneers
Longtime Titans kicker Rob Bironas was released by the Titans in a cost-cutting move earlier this offseason, but the veteran free agent appears to be on the lookout for a new job for the 2014 season. According to JoeBucsFan.com, Bironas worked out for the Buccaneers this morning. The club also took a look at former Texas punter and kicker Anthony Fera.
Connor Barth, who is coming off an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the 2013 season, is currently lined up to be the team’s regular kicker for 2014. While Barth was effective before his injury and seems to have fully recovered, he’s owed a $2MM base salary, along with up to $1.15MM in per-game roster bonuses for the coming season, so perhaps Tampa Bay views Bironas as a less expensive option who will post similar numbers. For his part, Bironas has remained accurate in recent years, converting field goals at an 87.3% rate over the last four seasons, including 86.2% last year.
Like Barth, incumbent Bucs punter Michael Koenen also isn’t on a cheap contract, as he’s set to earn a $3.25MM base salary in 2014 after ranking as the 23rd-best and 24th-best punter in the NFL over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
For now, it doesn’t appear as if the Bucs are interested in making significant alterations to their special teams unit, but the fact that the team is looking at other options could signal potential changes down the road.
Browns Notes: Holmes, Gordon, Manziel
While the Browns addressed most of their positions of need this offseason, wide receiver remains an area of concern, with Josh Gordon potentially facing a lengthy suspension. A Gordon decision is expected within the next couple weeks, but in the meantime, the club continues to explore its options at the position. Last night, we heard that former Richmond wideout Ben Edwards auditioned for the Browns, though he didn’t sign with the team. Here’s more on Gordon, Cleveland’s receiving corps, and anything else Browns-related:
- A Tuesday report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggested that veteran wideout Santonio Holmes had drawn interest from the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link) hears that the team is not currently interested in the former Jet.
- The longer the league’s decision on Gordon’s suspension is delayed, the more hope the Browns and their fans will have that his penalty will be reduced, and the crueler it would be if the NFL upheld the original year-long ban, writes Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report polled six NFL general managers on which rebuilding team they were most optimistic about, and five of the six picked the Browns. Per Freeman, the sixth GM chose the Bills.
- Within Freeman’s piece, he also notes that Browns players have been impressed by Johnny Manziel‘s work ethic and his ability to quickly pick up the offense and the playbook, though many players on the roster still prefer to head into the 2014 season with Brian Hoyer as the starter. For now, Hoyer tops the depth chart at quarterback, as Pat McManamon of ESPN.com details.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Here are the NFL’s minor transactions for Tuesday, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:
- The Bears waived linebacker Conor O’Neill to make room for the addition of Greg Herd, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Browns reached an injury settlement with James Oboh, Wilson tweets.
- The Broncos waived defensive end Hall Davis with a left squad designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver signed Davis to a reserve/futures contract in February.
- The Vikings waived Lestar Jean from injured reserve, tweets Wilson. The wideout has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
- Running back Kendall Hunter will spend the season on the 49ers’ injured reserve list after he cleared waivers on Tuesday, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- The Dolphins announced that they have signed kicker Danny Hrapmann and waived linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Hrapmann was one of at least three kickers Miami auditioned recently.
- The Bears added wide receiver Greg Herd today, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Chicago must make a corresponding roster move for Herd, who had short stints with the Cowboys and Seahawks after entering the NFL in 2013.
Earlier updates:
- The Colts agreed to sign former Eagles outside linebacker Phillip Hunt, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To make room for Hunt, the Colts dropped wide receiver Nu’Keese Richardson, who signed with the club just two days ago.
- The Browns announced that they have signed tight end Martell Webb, linebacker Keith Pough, and wide receiver Tim Smith, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Originally signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Webb has spent time on the practice squads of the Jets (2011), Bucs (2011), Colts (2012), Titans (2012), and Lions (2013).
- The Browns waived defensive back Darwin Cook, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- The Titans will sign Lanier Coleman, a defensive lineman who has spent time with the Jets and Packers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Tennessee has a full 90-man roster, so the team will need to cut someone to make it official.
- The Saints have signed former second-round tight end Richard Quinn, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). In a separate tweet, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com adds a few more Saints moves courtesy of Yates: New Orleans also signed wideout Tobais Palmer, waiving receiver Steve Hull (injured designation), defensive tackle Tyrone Ezell, and linebacker Marcus Thompson.
- As first reported by NFL Draft Diamonds, the Browns have reached a deal to sign tight end Kyle Auffray, writes Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk. Cleveland entered the day with four open roster spots, so there’s plenty of room for Auffray, who spent some time with the Patriots in the spring.
- The Buccaneers completed a series of roster moves today, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed defensive ends Ryne Giddins and James Ruffin, and waived-injured linebacker Jeremy Grable and safety Mycal Swaim.
- The Steelers are set to sign wide receiver James Shaw, who previously played for the Arena League’s Pittsburgh Power, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Pittsburgh has a full 90-man roster, so the club will need to make a corresponding roster move to make room for the latest signee.
- Jermaine Cunningham, who tore his Achilles tendon during training camp, has been waived-injured by the Jets, who signed offensive lineman Bruce Campbell to fill Cunningham’s roster spot, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York (Twitter link). Campbell attended the team’s minicamp back in June on a tryout basis.
- Armed with an open spot on their 90-man roster, the Broncos have signed former Browns defensive end Brian Sanford, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post details. Sanford, who turns 27 next month, has been active for 13 career regular-season contests for Cleveland and Oakland.
- The Seahawks have waived-injured safety Dion Bailey and signed defensive back Trey Wolfe to replace him, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
Giants Sign Israel Idonije
The Giants have made a handful of roster moves, with the most notable of the bunch being the signing of veteran defensive lineman Israel Idonije, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. According to Graziano, the team also signed tight end Jerome Cunningham and waived defensive end Kendrick Adams (Twitter links). Only one cut was necessary, since David Wilson‘s roster spot had been opened up yesterday.
Idonije, a 6’7″ defensive tackle, has spent nine of his ten career seasons playing for the Bears, save for a one-year tour with the Lions in 2013. Idonije has 149 games of NFL experience to his credit, including 50 starts for Chicago. His best season came in 2010 when he lined up at left defensive end for the Bears and racked up eight sacks and 33 tackles. The 33-year-old signed with the Bears earlier in the offseason but was released by the team in June. He figures to compete for a roster spot in New York.
AFC West Notes: Smith, Houston, Gates
Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:
- With Alex Smith and Justin Houston both facing potential free agency next March, the Chiefs may have a dilemma on their hands if they have to decide which player to use the franchise tag on, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Kansas City may not be inclined to franchise either player, since the tags would be very pricey — about $18MM for a quarterback and $14MM for an outside linebacker.
- Florio follows up that piece on Smith and Houston by providing an update on Houston’s contract negotiations with the Chiefs. According to PFT’s source, there’s a “huge” gap between Houston’s asking price and Kansas City’s current offer, which was made by the team when the linebacker reported to training camp. The Chiefs may not be eager to break the bank on Houston, since their other starting outside linebacker – Tamba Hali – has an $11MM+ annual cap hit, and the club also invested a 2014 first-round pick on pass rusher Dee Ford.
- Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com believes this will be Antonio Gates’ last year with the Chargers. The longtime San Diego tight end will carry an $8.2MM cap number in 2015, and is being pushed for playing time and targets by 24-year-old Ladarius Green.
Patriots Interested In Extending Revis
Darrelle Revis, the Patriots’ most notable free agent signing this offseason, has yet to even appear in a preseason contest for the club, but according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the club already has interest in ensuring that he remains in New England long-term. Appearing in a video spot on Bleacher Report, Cole says the Pats are “privately already starting to talk about extending [Revis’] contract.”
“The Patriots like what they see so much — they think they see the next Ty Law, that shutdown cover corner to really get their defense going. They’d like to extend him now,” Cole said. “Robert Kraft, the owner of the team, has pulled [Revis] aside and has started to talk to him to see if they can get a long-term deal worked out.”
Revis, 29, signed a two-year, $32MM contract with the Patriots, though it’s structured in such a way that it’ll almost certainly end up being a one-year, $12MM pact if it isn’t extended. Currently, the 2015 cap number on the deal is an unpalatable $25MM. Given the huge extensions signed by cornerbacks like Richard Sherman, Joe Haden, and Patrick Peterson so far this offseason, Revis may be inclined to hit the open market in March to see if he can land a similar contract, since it seems unlikely New England would make such a huge commitment.
Still, based on Cole’s comments, it sounds like the Patriots have been very impressed with the former Buccaneer and Jet so far, and the team likely recognizes that Revis won’t accept a significant discount, so it’s reasonable to expect a fair offer. It will be interesting to keep an eye on possible negotiations between the two sides this summer and fall, since securing Revis long-term would give the Pats a cornerstone in their secondary.
Seahawks Sign Wade Smith
TUESDAY, 3:37pm: Smith’s one-year contract with the Seahawks is a minimum salary benefit contract with a $60K bonus, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
MONDAY, 1:35pm: The Seahawks have reached an agreement to sign veteran offensive lineman Wade Smith, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Smith will become the second established lineman signed by Seattle within the last week, after the team also brought aboard tackle Eric Winston.
Smith, 33, has appeared in 138 games over the course of his 11-year NFL career for the Dolphins, Jets, Chiefs, and Texans, starting 98 of those contests. Most recently, he spent several seasons in Houston as the club’s full-time left guard, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2012. Despite having started every game for the Texans for the last four seasons, Smith seemingly didn’t draw a ton of interest this offseason, with only one report linking him to the Dolphins early in free agency. Smith figures to compete for a roster spot and playing time in camp with the Seahawks.
In addition to locking up Smith, the Seahawks also made a handful of other roster moves, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). The club re-signed defensive tackle Andru Pulu, waiving wide receiver Ronald Johnson and linebacker Brandon Denmark to clear space on the roster for the new additions.
NFC Notes: Brent, Wilson, Bears, Foles
Former Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this week in the hopes of being reinstated to the league after serving a 180-day prison sentence for intoxication manslaughter. And if he’s reinstated, he’ll have a roster spot available in Dallas, according to team owner Jerry Jones (link via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
“We will, yes we will,” Jones said, when asked if the Cowboys would create an opening for Brent. “In other words, we wouldn’t have it today, but we will make a roster spot.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Even with David Wilson no longer on the roster, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin thinks his team has enough running backs, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
- As for Wilson, despite his retirement due to injury, he’ll be eligible to collect his full $998K salary for 2014 while on injured reserve, as well as half of his $1.3MM salary for 2015, writes Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg.
- It sounds as if the Bears will add a wide receiver to their roster soon after potential No. 3 wideout Marquess Wilson suffered a fractured clavicle this week. In his latest mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explores the possibility of the club re-signing Earl Bennett, who was cut earlier in the offseason and was subsequently signed and released by the Browns.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap breaks down how Andy Dalton‘s new contract compares to other quarterback deals, suggesting that it may represent the return of the middle class market. The Dalton extension may also provide a blueprint for Nick Foles and the Eagles, according to Fitzgerald, since Philadelphia has a similar cap situation to the Bengals and Foles, like Dalton, still has a few question marks.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at perhaps the oddest detail of Colin Kaepernick‘s extension with the 49ers, which involves the disability policy the quarterback had to purchase as part of the deal.