Minor Moves: Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants
Plenty of teams around the league are making transactions today as minicamps wrap up and clubs look to finalize their rosters in advance of next month’s training camp. Let’s dive right in and check out the latest minor roster moves, with any additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- Undrafted rookie tight end Terrence Miller has been cut by the Jets, creating a second available roster spot after yesterday’s release of Mike Goodson. As the team reveals in a press release, kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum will fill those openings.
- The Dolphins have replaced one defensive back with another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Kevin Fogg and parted ways with Anthony Gaitor.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons have waived quarterback Dominique Davis, the team announced today (via Twitter). Davis saw a little playing time last season in relief of starter Matt Ryan, but his grip on a roster spot was tenuous after Atlanta acquired T.J. Yates in a trade with the Texans yesterday. Davis will have to clear waivers before officially becoming a free agent.
- In a series of three tweets, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News passes along word of a series of signings and cuts for the Giants, who have added offensive tackle Demarcus Love and defensive lineman Everett Dawkins, parting ways with defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and offensive lineman Steven Baker to make room on the 90-man roster.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, who auditioned for the Jaguars earlier this week, have been signed by the club, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. In addition to Jason Babin, wide receivers Kevin Smith and Brandon Wimberly were cut by Jacksonville to create roster space.
- The Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, according to the club (Twitter link).
- For the third straight summer, defensive lineman Brandon McKinney will try to earn a roster spot with the Colts, who inked him to a deal today, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
- The Bears have informed tight end Fendi Onobun of his release, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have cut wide receiver Reggie Dunn, the team confirmed in a press release.
Dolphins Sign Ju’Wuan James
One of eight 2014 draftees who had yet to officially sign his rookie contract has done so today. First-round offensive tackle Ju’Wuan James tweeted out a photo that shows him inking his deal with the Dolphins, accompanied by the caption “Happy to officially be apart of the @MiamiDolphins for many years to come #FinsUp.”
James, the 19th overall selection in last month’s draft, will be in line for a signing bonus worth nearly $4.45MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com. The four-year contract, which will include a fifth-year team option for the 2018 season, will have an overall value in the neighborhood of $8.428MM, and that total is fully guaranteed, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
With James locked up, the Dolphins have one unsigned pick remaining, in third-round tackle Billy Turner. I wouldn’t be surprised if the club was working on finalizing that deal as well, with the intention of formally announcing both signings at once. Besides the two Dolphins linemen, six other draftees have yet to put pen to paper, including three first-rounders. You can check out our tracker for all the updates.
Chargers Waive Brandon Taylor
The Chargers have waived former third-round pick Brandon Taylor, the team announced today in a press release. The 73rd overall selection out of LSU in 2012, Taylor couldn’t stay healthy during his two seasons in San Diego, appearing in just four regular-season contests for the club.
“We’d like to thank Brandon for his work and contributions to the Chargers the last three years, and wish him the best as he continues his career,” said GM Tom Telesco in a statement.
Taylor, 24, tore his ACL in December of 2012, and was activated from the Chargers’ PUP list in August, but didn’t play a snap all year, and underwent another procedure on his knee at season’s end. Given his injury problems, Taylor will likely go unclaimed on waivers, but if he’s healthy enough to take the field next month, the safety could draw interest on the open market as teams prepare for training camp.
The Chargers now have an opening on their 90-man roster, so it will likely just be a matter of time before we hear about a corresponding move to fill that spot. While the team won’t necessarily sign anyone immediately, it’s worth noting that free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers was in town for a visit yesterday and is expected to make a decision on his next destination within the next few days.
South Notes: Jags, Babin, Bucs, Falcons
The Jaguars are being smart by taking a slow, deliberate approach with Blake Bortles, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today. The rookie quarterback has stumbled at times in practice, but GM Dave Caldwell is focusing on the positives and not stressing the mistakes. Here’s more on the Jags and a few other teams in the NFL’s two South divisions:
- The Jaguars‘ decision to release veteran defensive end Jason Babin today wasn’t an easy one, according to Caldwell, who spoke to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union about the move. “It was something that we met about until last night with the coaching staff,” Caldwell said. “Jason’s been great for us. But it was something we felt would be better now than the first, second or third week of training camp.”
- Now that Babin is a free agent, the Buccaneers and Falcons could be two potential suitors to watch, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. According to Garafolo, both NFC South teams have been kicking the tires on veteran pass rushers who may be available via trade.
- Even after the Texans parted ways with T.J. Yates, sending him to Atlanta, Case Keenum isn’t taking his spot on Houston’s roster for granted, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Keenum is expected to battle rookie signal-caller Tom Savage for the No. 2 job behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Panthers Extend Chandler, Addison, Jones
THURSDAY, 11:32am: According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Addison’s new deal is worth $3.205MM over the next three years, with $660K guaranteed, while Jones’ three-year value is $2.5MM, with $300K guaranteed. Both guarantees are in the form of signing bonuses (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 1:23pm: The Panthers have signed three players to contract extensions, the team announced today in a press release. According to the club, offensive tackle Nate Chandler has inked a three-year extension, while defensive end Mario Addison and safety Colin Jones have each signed new two-year deals. All three players had been entering the final year of their respective contracts.
“You have to think long-term and be proactive,” general manager Dave Gettleman said in a statement. “Around here we talk about earning the right, and these three young guys have earned the right to these contract extensions. We think all three are ascending as players. This gave us a chance to lock them up long-term.”
With Jordan Gross no longer in the picture at left tackle, Chandler could be competing this summer for the right to protect Cam Newton‘s blind side. The third-year player out of UCLA started eight regular-season contests and a playoff game at right guard for Carolina last season, and figures to see his fair share of playing time somewhere on the Panthers’ offensive line. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Chandler’s three-year extension will be worth $7.95MM, with $1.87MM in guaranteed money.
As for the pair of players receiving two-year extensions, Addison is expected to head into the 2014 season as a reserve defensive end, after recording 2.5 sacks and 28 total quarterback pressures in 264 defensive snaps last season. Jones, meanwhile, didn’t see much action on defense in 2013, but he and Addison are key contributors on special teams — they each recorded nine tackles in kick and punt coverage last season.
Titans To Sign Dorin Dickerson
The Titans are in the process of making a change to their 90-man roster, having cut tight end David Wright, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (via Twitter). In place of Wright, who was signed last month as an undrafted free agent, the Titans will sign veteran tight end Dorin Dickerson.
Dickerson, 26, was a seventh-round pick by the Texans in 2010, and has spent time with Houston, New England, Buffalo, and Detroit since then. The Lions opted not to tender Dickerson a contract offer in March, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Pittsburgh product, who has 11 career receptions for 151 yards, auditioned for the Titans at their minicamp this week, and seemingly made a strong enough impression to earn a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp.
The latest set of transactions may not be the last of the Titans’ maneuverings this summer, according to coach Ken Whisenhunt, who said today that moves may still be made before training camp begins (Twitter link).
Pro Football Rumors On Facebook/Twitter
Spring workouts and minicamps are coming to an end, and players won’t report to training camps for a few more weeks, but Pro Football Rumors will remain active throughout the summer. We’ll be looking back on teams’ offseason moves, looking ahead to training camps, and keeping tabs on all the notable June and July stories, including Brandon Flowers‘ free agency and the upcoming decision on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag positional designation. You don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to stay up to date on all of our content — there are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
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Adrian Peterson Talks Vikings, Role, Future
While running backs struggled to find big-money offers on the free agent market this offseason, Vikings star Adrian Peterson remains the highest-paid player at the position as he enters the third season of a long-term deal that will pay him $12MM this year. Tom Pelissero of USA Today spoke to Peterson about a variety of topics, including the new coaching staff in Minnesota and his goals for the upcoming season, but many of the running back’s most interesting comments related to his role with the Vikings and his future in the NFL. While the entire Q&A is worth checking out, we’ll round up a few of Peterson’s more notable quotes below….
On being one of the few longtime Vikings standouts still in Minnesota after the offseason departures of Jared Allen and Kevin Williams:
“We’re just kind of going through that phase. They say the NFL is a revolving door. … Ultimately, the organization is going to do what they feel is best for their team. If that’s going younger or trying to save money, that’s what it boils down to, no matter what type of talent you are. It’s really the unfortunate part of the business, but I’m blessed to still be around, and hopefully, it doesn’t happen to me one day. If it does, then, oh well. I’ll go on and do something different with my career.”
On whether durability is becoming a concern as Peterson approaches age 30:
“I feel I have longevity. There’s things that I know personally I could’ve done better to try to prevent some of the injuries that occurred the last two years — especially last year, because towards the end of the season, that’s when it really started to break down. I’ve been able to kind of focus on those areas as far as the healing process this year and kind of like backdoor-ing what I missed out on last year as far as strengthening the area that kind of triggered the surgery I had to have, the adductor release. But I feel like I’m going to play this game as long as I can. I came back from my ACL injury and won MVP. So, what’s a groin? What’s an adductor? That’s how I look at things. I feel like if you just continue to take care of your body, working out, making sure you’re in shape and you stay on top of your game, you can play as long as you want.”
On whether he thinks he’ll be with the Vikings long enough for the team to become a Super Bowl caliber club:
“I don’t see why not. But then again, I know it’s a business at the end of the day. I won’t ever be blinded by that, when I hear different talks of this trade or that trade. Would you have ever traded Percy Harvin? … I wouldn’t have. I would have been like, ‘You’re just going to sit here and I’ll pay you, but you’re not going nowhere else.’ But he got traded. So, you never know. I’m always looking at things in different lights — not saying that I would want that. But if it was to happen, I’ve had a good time here. People will know that this guy gave his heart for this organization. I think the organization would take a heavy hit – for real – more so from the fan base. I don’t think it would be like a LeBron (James) situation where they’re burning my jersey, this, that and the other. They might be doing (the opposite) and not buying some season tickets.
Jaguars Release Jason Babin
The Jaguars have released veteran defensive end Jason Babin, the team announced today (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com). As a player with more than four years of NFL experience, Babin won’t be subject to the waiver system and immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team.
Babin, who turned 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season for the Jaguars, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. After voiding his contract early in the offseason, Babin indicated a strong preference to return to Jacksonville, and ultimately re-signed with the club on a three-year deal. However, that agreement was heavily incentive-laden, with only $500K in guaranteed money, giving Jacksonville an out to move on from the veteran.
As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter), there are younger players on the roster that the Jaguars like, and if the team recognized now that those players would beat out Babin for a roster spot, Jacksonville is doing him a favor by giving him more time to land elsewhere. Even at age 34, the former first-round pick isn’t far removed from a 2011 season in which he piled up 18 sacks for the Eagles, and he has remained relatively productive since then, so he should receive some interest on the open market.
Free Agent Rumors: Flowers, Vilma, Muir
Earlier today, we heard that cornerback Brandon Flowers, the most noteworthy name on the free agent market, will likely make a decision on where to sign within the next three to five days. The afternoon has brought a couple of updates on Flowers, along with several items on other free agents. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- The Chargers are hosting Flowers for a free agent visit today, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As I pointed out this morning, the most serious suitors for the veteran corner may be teams we haven’t heard many rumblings about yet, and San Diego fits that bill.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Flowers has also received significant interest from the Falcons and Vikings. Sources from both of those clubs have downplayed their interest to local reporters, so it’s hard to get a read on whether their interest is being overstated by sources close to Flowers or understated by team sources. Besides those clubs, the Patriots and Ravens also have some interest, tweets Wilson.
- As they continue to weigh options to replace Sean Weatherspoon, the Falcons are working out veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). A source confirms to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link) that the workout went well, though the team didn’t sign Vilma right away.
- Defensive tackle Daniel Muir, who spent last season with the Raiders after also playing for the Packers, Colts, and Jets, auditioned for the Ravens today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- Guards Steve Greene and John Sullen and defensive tackles Gilbert Pena and Everett Dawkins tried out for the Giants at the team’s minicamp today, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.