Vernon Davis Not Attending 49ers’ Minicamp
As had been expected, tight end Vernon Davis is not in attendance at the 49ers’ mandatory minicamp today, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Subbing in for Peter King at the MMQB.com earlier this week, Davis had strongly suggested that he wouldn’t be present at the Niners’ camp, explaining that he hopes to renegotiate his contract with the club.
“It’s all about getting paid what you deserve,” Davis wrote on Monday. “It’s not that complicated. I want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, and I want to be on the field this summer working towards that goal, but I have to worry about my future first.”
By failing to attend this week’s minicamp, Davis will be subject to about $70K in fines, after having already forfeited $200K in workout bonuses for missing the team’s OTAs. It remains to be seen whether the tight end will be in attendance when San Francisco begins training camp next month, but if he’s not, he’d have to pay further fines.
Although Davis may feel as if he’s not being paid what he deserves, he’s still among the league’s highest-paid tight ends by annual average value and has two years remaining on his current deal, so his leverage in contract talks will be limited. I expect the 30-year-old to relent before the Niners do, particularly since the team also has to address a potential new contract for Alex Boone and extensions for Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, all of which are arguably more pressing than a new deal for Davis.
Minicamp Updates: Jets, Jags, Dolphins, Orton
The minicamps being held around the NFL this week are mandatory for players on rosters, but those aren’t the only guys in attendance. Many clubs are also auditioning non-roster players who are hoping to earn contracts and the opportunity to compete in training camp for a regular-season roster spot. Here are the latest updates from minicamps around the league:
- As Brian Costello of the New York Post notes in a pair of tweets, running back Mike Goodson isn’t in attendance at the Jets‘ minicamp, but the team does have six players in for tryouts, including ex-Steelers punter Drew Butler. Punter Jacob Schum, kickers Andrew Furney and Carson Wiggs, and offensive linemen Bruce Campbell and Ray Dominguez are also auditioning for the club.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, cornerback Junior Mertile, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter are trying out for the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Former Ravens offensive lineman Ramon Harewood is among five tryout players at camp with the Dolphins, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) provides the other four names: Andy Wilder (P), Kevin Fogg (DB), Mike Farrell (OL), and Kevin Matthews (OL).
- As anticipated, Kyle Orton isn’t present at the Cowboys‘ facility today for minicamp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Justin Houston, who is seeking a new contract, isn’t expected to attend the Chiefs‘ minicamp this week, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune breaks down what to watch at the Vikings‘ minicamp, while Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com do the same for the Raiders and Eagles, respectively.
Titans To Sign Derek Hagan
The Titans have agreed to terms with veteran wideout Derek Hagan, the team announced today (via Twitter). Another receiver, Lamont Bryant, was cut to clear room on the roster for Hagan.
Hagan, 29, has bounced around the league, playing for several teams since being drafted by Miami in the third round in 2006. In 83 career regular-season contests for the Dolphins, Giants, Bills, and Raiders, the Arizona State product has grabbed 129 balls for 1,480 yards and six touchdowns.
Hagan sat out the 2013 season after being released by Tampa Bay in training camp, but indicated back in April (Twitter link) that he hoped to return to the NFL for the ’14 campaign. He figures to compete for a spot on Tennessee’s 53-man roster this summer.
Minor Moves: Texans, Chargers, Pats, Titans, Falcons
Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any new moves added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
- The Texans have signed offensive tackle Will Yeatman to a two-year deal, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Yeatman is a converted tight end who has spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins; he’ll compete for a backup position in Houston.
- The Chargers added a little camp depth to their secondary today by signing former Texas safety Adrian Phillips to a contract, the team announced in a press release. Running back D.J. Adams was waived by San Diego to create an opening on the team’s roster.
- The Patriots have cut tight end Kyle Auffray, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). The New Hampshire alum, who also has experience at quarterback and punter, only lasted a week on New England’s roster after signing with the club last Monday.
- Linebacker James Gayle, who was cut by the Titans on Friday, has been added to the team’s injured reserve list after clearing waivers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Gayle is recovering from shoulder surgery.
- Another more notable name also hit injured reserve today: The Falcons placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on their IR list, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Cowboys Notes: Orton, Murray, Minicamp
The Cowboys officially signed first-round offensive lineman Zack Martin to his rookie contract earlier today, but there have been plenty of other headlines out of Dallas. Let’s dive in and round up the latest….
- This morning we heard that the Cowboys expected Kyle Orton to be in attendance at the team’s mandatory minicamp this week. However, that stance appears to have changed. Multiple sources informed Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com that the quarterback didn’t show up Monday for his scheduled physical, making him subject to a fine of nearly $11K. The Cowboys now no longer anticipate that Orton, who must take a physical before practicing, will attend camp this week, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com believes the Cowboys ought to cut their losses with Orton and release him. That would mean making Brandon Weeden the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Romo and giving up the opportunity to recoup part of Orton’s signing bonus, but Watkins thinks it’d be the right move since Orton clearly doesn’t want to be there.
- While DeMarco Murray is entering the final year of his contract, the running back doesn’t sound like a man who wants to leave Dallas anytime soon. “I love Dallas. I love playing football there,” Murray said, according to Archer. “I love the fans. I love the organization. It’s great. I want to stay there as long as they will allow me.” The Cowboys aren’t currently in talks with Murray’s agent about an extension, notes Archer.
- In a photo gallery, the Dallas Morning News provides a number of subplots worth keeping an eye on at the Cowboys’ minicamp.
NFC Notes: Graham, Lynch, 49ers, Vikings
Both Jimmy Graham and the Saints have plenty to lose depending on what an arbitrator rules this week on Graham’s franchise tag positional designation. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com believes it’d be in the best interest of both sides to reach a long-term agreement before that ruling is made. In Triplett’s view, a multiyear deal with a value of $10-11MM seems about right.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett told NFL AM today (link via NFL.com) that he hopes the standoff between Marshawn Lynch and the club is short-lived, though he threw some support behind his teammate: “Obviously he’s one of the best running backs in the game, and he feels like he should be paid like one of the best backs in the game. And, of course, I agree with him.” Of course, even without a new contract, Lynch already ranks among the league’s top five RBs when it comes to average annual salary.
- In addition to discussing his contract situation, Vernon Davis also shed some light on his long-term plans at TheMMQB.com today, writing that in 10 years his goal is to “host my own show, start acting, and continue to build a business empire.”
- Although it’s not 100% clear whether or not Davis will show up at the Niners‘ minicamp this week, offensive lineman Alex Boone will only be in attendance if he has a new deal in place, which appears unlikely, tweets Bill Williamson of ESPN.com.
- While the Vikings expect a big season from Kyle Rudolph, the team also needs a second tight end to step up and fill the void left by John Carlson’s departure, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- Rather than choosing a team in free agency that lacked talent on the defensive line so he’d have a better chance at playing time, Alex Carrington elected to sign with the Rams this offseason in order to surround himself with talent, as he explains to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- The Packers have a decent chunk of cap space still available, but will need to decide how to use it, writes Wes Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com, adding that extensions for Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb or a new deal for Jermichael Finley are all possibilities.
Dallas Clark To Retire As A Colt
Veteran tight end Dallas Clark will officially announce his retirement this Wednesday in a morning press conference, the Colts announce today in a team release. According to the release, Clark will sign a one-day contract with Indianapolis in order to retire as a member of the Colts.
Clark, who turned 35 last week, was a longtime target for Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, racking up 427 receptions for 4,887 yards and 46 TDs in nine seasons as a member of the Colts. During the last two years, Clark joined the Buccaneers and Ravens, adding 78 more catches to his resumé to exceed 500 for his career. The former 24th overall pick enjoyed his best overall season in 2009, setting career-highs in catches (100) and receiving yards (1,106), while earning a spot in the Pro Bowl and on the NFL’s All-Pro team.
According to the Colts’ press release, Clark will finish his career tied for sixth among tight ends in NFL history in receiving touchdowns, tied for eighth in receptions, and 15th in receiving yards.
Brandon Flowers Rumors: Monday
The Chiefs‘ release of Brandon Flowers on Friday injected some life into a free agent market that has been lacking real impact players for the last few weeks. While Flowers wasn’t at his best in 2013, he’s a 28-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback free to sign with any team, so there will certainly be plenty of clubs with interest. We’ll round up Monday’s rumors on Flowers right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings‘ call on Flowers was just a preliminary check-in and that there’s nothing serious brewing at this point.
- The 49ers aren’t one of the 10 teams that reached out to Flowers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Earlier updates:
- The Lions are “seriously considering” making a run at Flowers, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Vikings, Lions, and Falcons made inquiries on Flowers shortly after the Chiefs cut him, according to Chiefs Insider at Scout.com (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (Twitter link) later confirmed that the Vikes had made a call on the veteran corner.
- Add the Ravens to the list of teams that have reached out to Flowers so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, ten clubs have called on Flowers, so there are a handful of unknown teams in the mix. Still, talks remain in the preliminary stage, per Wilson’s source.
- The Titans are doing their homework on Flowers, but don’t expect him to land in Tennessee, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, pointing out that the ex-Chief doesn’t seem like an ideal fit in the Titans’ system (Twitter links).
- The Redskins don’t have interest in Flowers, a source tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
Ravens Auditioning Cornerbacks
2:00pm: Former Jet and Patriot Marquice Cole will also be among the players auditioning for the Ravens this week, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
1:38pm: Free agent cornerback Dominique Franks will also attend the Ravens’ minicamp this week in the hopes of earning a contract, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
12:28pm: Earlier today, we learned that the Ravens inquired on Brandon Flowers, but the former Chief isn’t the only defensive back the club is keeping an eye on. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens are monitoring the cornerback market, with Drayton Florence among the players under consideration. In Florence’s case, there appears to be mutual interest.
“I would love to play for the purple and black!” Florence told Wilson. “I can bring leadership and experience and help the team win. The Ravens are a first-class organization, and I want to be a part of their team.”
Florence confirmed to Wilson (Twitter link) that he’s headed to the Ravens’ minicamp this week to audition for the club. Another free agent corner, Aaron Ross, tweeted today that he’ll also be in attendance on a tryout basis. Neither player is assured of a contract with the team, but I expect Baltimore to ink at least one cornerback to a deal following the minicamp, whether it’s Florence, Ross, or another participant.
The Ravens are looking to create some additional competition for the slot corner role that Corey Graham filled last season. Graham, the team’s primary nickelback, headed to Buffalo in free agency, so someone new will have to step up as the third option behind starters Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith. While it may ultimately be a free agent signee that earns the job, in-house options Chykie Brown and Asa Jackson will also be given the opportunity to impress the coaching staff.
Giants Sign Jay Bromley, Terrell Manning
The Giants have finalized the signings of all their 2014 draftees, announcing today in a press release that they’ve locked up third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley. In addition to Bromley, the club also signed free agent linebacker Terrell Manning.
The 74th overall pick in the draft, Bromley is in line for a signing bonus worth in the neighborhood of $644K, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. As our tracker shows, the Syracuse product was the last of seven Giants picks to ink his deal, and the move ensures that New York is the 23rd team to get its entire draft class under contract. Billy Turner of the Dolphins and Dexter McDougle of the Jets are now the only third-rounders that have yet to sign with their respective clubs.
As for Manning, the 24-year-old was a Packers’ fifth-round pick in 2012, and spent that season with the club before joining the Chargers last year. Manning’s playing time in his two NFL seasons has been extremely limited, with only a handful of special teams appearances on his resumé. The former North Carolina State standout had been claimed off waivers by the Vikings earlier this offseason, but was cut to make room for Minnesota’s undrafted free agent additions.