Minor Moves: Browns, Ravens, Bengals, Bucs
Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, including several signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much recent NFL regular-season action:
- The Browns have waived defensive back Julian Posey, the team announced today (via Twitter). Posey saw just 89 defensive snaps for Cleveland last season, with most of them coming in a Week 17 game against the Steelers, which he started.
- The Ravens have signed undrafted free agent linebacker D.J. Roberts, who attended their rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, the club cut quarterback Nick Stephens to clear a spot for Roberts, leaving three signal-callers on the roster — Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, and Keith Wenning.
- Defensive tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo has been released by the Bengals with a non-football illness designation, the team announced today (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has also spent time with the Chargers, Panthers, and Lions.
- The Buccaneers have signed cornerback Quinton Pointer and cut another corner, Marc Anthony, the club announced today in a press release. Pointer last played for the Rams but didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the team in March, making him an unrestricted free agent. Anthony, meanwhile, spent last season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad.
- The Lions have cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown, according to Wilson (via Twitter). Brown was cut once by the Bills earlier in the offseason, at which point Detroit claimed him off waivers. If he clears waivers this time, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.
- Veteran defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, who hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2011, was released and removed from the reserve/left team list by the Redskins, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Giants Release Josh Freeman
With Eli Manning healthy enough to participate in this week’s OTAs, the Giants have continued to clear out their excess of quarterbacks. The team announced today in a press release that it has released Josh Freeman, who was signed earlier in the offseason to provide spring depth and potentially compete for a backup job. The Giants used Freeman’s vacated roster spot to claim offensive lineman Rogers Gaines off waivers from the Bears.
Freeman, 26, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off last year and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start.
The Giants picked up Freeman a little over a month ago, and gave him $55K in guaranteed money (via a signing bonus), but the former Kansas State QB was never viewed as the favorite to win the No. 2 job behind Manning. Ryan Nassib and Curtis Painter remain on the roster, competing for that backup role, and Rusty Smith was also signed to provide offseason depth, though he has since been cut as well.
Freeman won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team.
Cowboys Notes: Lee, Bryant, Sims
In the wake of the reported sale of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, the NFL world has been abuzz with speculation about what its marquee franchises may be worth. For now, only the Bills are available, but what might a team like the Cowboys be worth? Well, it’s a moot point, according to the team’s executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).
“All I can tell you is it doesn’t matter what’s the number, Jerry’s not selling,” Stephen said on 1310 AM in Dallas, referring to his father and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “Only he can make that decision. It’s kind of fruitless to even discuss it.”
We can speculate all we want, and it should just be a matter of time before we get an idea of what the Bills will sell for, but it doesn’t sound like we’ll find out the Cowboys’ open-market value anytime soon. Here’s more out of Dallas:
- In addition to being a serious blow to the Cowboys’ defense, Sean Lee‘s injury is a reminder that huge contracts for players like Tony Romo, Brandon Carr, and Morris Claiborne could end up haunting the club, says Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. As Sabin writes, the club hasn’t been shy about committing big money to injury-prone players, and it may end up backfiring in some cases.
- Dez Bryant is one of the next Cowboys in line for a big extension, and Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says he’d be hesitant about paying Bryant like a top-five NFL receiver, though he expects the team to do it. Asked today during his aforementioned radio appearance if the Cowboys will extend Bryant before or during the 2014 season, Stephen Jones acknowledged that it’s “a real possibility,” per Machota.
- Former Cowboys linebacker Ernie Sims met with the Cardinals this week, and said on SiriusXM NFL Radio today that Arizona wasn’t ready to make a decision on him at the time, though he expects to hear back by Monday or Tuesday (audio link). Asked about the possibility of a return to Dallas, Sims said the team hasn’t reached out to him yet, which didn’t surprise him — although the veteran linebacker knows the system very well and has a “great relationship” with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, Sims recognizes the Cowboys are trying to get younger at linebacker.
NFC North Notes: Finley, Neal, Packers, Lions
In a piece on the best remaining free agents, former Packers tight end Jermichael Finley tops the 10 players named by Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Of course, as agent Blake Baratz tells Marvez, it’s not 100% certain that Finley will even return from his spinal injury and play in the NFL again. While we do expect the tight end to sign somewhere, he could file for the collection of a $10MM insurance policy if he opts not continue his playing career.
As we wait to see if the Packers express interest in bringing Finley back into the fold, here’s more from around the NFC North:
- Linebacker Mike Neal re-signed with the Packers early in free agency, but Green Bay wasn’t the only team interested in him. Neal tells Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that the Bears made him an offer, though he opted not sign with the Packers’ division rival. “In the long run, their offer, it wasn’t a bad deal,” Neal said of Chicago’s proposal. “The option for me to come back [to Green Bay] was better, in my opinion. I felt like this was a system that if I was kept in the same position, I could flourish in.” The Steelers also reportedly expressed interest in Neal before he re-upped with the Packers.
- Although there are questions about how long Ted Thompson will continue on in his role as Green Bay’s general manager, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com says Packers fans should hope that Thompson still has plenty of years left on the job. One person close to Thompson recently told Demovsky that he doesn’t think the GM will leave anytime soon unless the Packers win another Super Bowl, and that speculation about his retirement “got him going.”
- The Lions have promoted Rob Lohman to assistant director of pro personnel and expanded their scouting department, as Tim Twentyman details at DetroitLions.com.
Daryl Washington Suspended For Season
1:01pm: Washington has released a statement through agent Jordan Woy (Twitter link), confirming that his suspension was related to failing a drug test for marijuana.
“I am committed to making changes in my life that will allow me to return to the NFL as soon as possible,” Washington said, apologizing to his teammates, coaches, and the rest of the Cardinals for his actions.
12:17pm: Linebacker Daryl Washington has been suspended for at least a year, the Cardinals confirmed today in a press release. Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports first reported earlier today that Washington was facing a suspension that would last the entire 2014 season. According to the club, Washington’s suspension is a result of another violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, and is unrelated to the linebacker’s recent plea bargain for an assault charge.
“It’s completely unacceptable that Daryl has once again put us in this position,” said Cardinals GM Steve Keim in a statement. “We all know what the consequences are and will deal with them. From a personal standpoint, our hope is that this suspension will give Daryl the opportunity to accept the necessary help and guidance to get his life back on track and we will certainly support him however we can.
“As it pertains to our team, our approach is the same as it’s always been: next man up,” Keim continued. “We talk a lot about how critical depth is to a team because situations always arise where you lose players, whether by injury or other circumstances such as this one. One player’s absence is another’s opportunity. That approach has served us well in the past and we will rely on it now.”
Washington, who was previously suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, will forfeit his $2.9MM base salary and $100K in workout bonuses for the 2014 season. The Cardinals also appear likely to attempt to recoup a portion of the signing and option bonus money they’ve paid out to the 27-year-old.
With Washington out of the picture, free agent signee Larry Foote seems to be the likeliest candidate to assume a starting role at inside linebacker. The club also figures to consider adding another veteran to the roster, having recently worked out Ernie Sims. As our list of free agents shows, Pat Angerer, Jonathan Vilma, and Dan Connor are among the other inside linebackers still available.
Ravens Sign Terrence Brooks
12:46pm: The Ravens have officially signed all their draft picks, announcing Brooks’ deal today in a press release.
11:26am: Baltimore has become the 10th NFL team to lock up its entire 2014 draft class, with Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reporting that the Ravens have agreed to terms with third-round safety Terrence Brooks. The 23-year-old is expected to officially sign his deal later today, a source tells Wilson.
Brooks, a key contributor for the Florida State squad that went undefeated and won the BCS Championship last season, recorded 56 tackles and a sack in his final year as a Seminole, and also forced a pair of fumbles. The 79th overall pick, who is expected to compete for a starting safety job with the Ravens, will be in line for a signing bonus worth a little over $606K, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
Once Brooks officially signs, he’ll be the last of nine Baltimore draftees to put pen to paper. To follow all of this year’s draft pick signings, be sure to check out our tracker.
NFC West Notes: Washington, Sims, Baldwin
After being arrested and charged with aggravated assault as a result of an altercation with the mother of his child, Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington is facing a season-long suspension, according to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports (Twitter links). The reported suspension is lengthier than had been expected, but considering the nature of the incident, and the fact that Washington was previously suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, it’s hard to argue that the punishment is too severe.
I’d expect an appeal from Washington, but it’s still a huge blow for the Cardinals, who figure to be without the former Pro Bowl linebacker for a good chunk of the season. As Arizona considers how to replace Washington’s production, let’s check in on a few other items from out of the NFC West….
- One potential replacement on the Cardinals‘ depth chart could be free agent linebacker Ernie Sims, who visited the team this week, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Sims, who spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys, has experience as both an outside and inside linebacker.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com passes along the year-by-year breakdown on Doug Baldwin‘s new contract, tweeting that the deal includes a $4.8MM signing bonus, a fully guaranteed $1.4MM salary for 2014, a $2.3MM 2015 salary guaranteed for injury only, and a $4MM salary for 2016. In a second tweet, Corry adds that there are also $2.3MM worth of incentives for 2015 and 2016, and the lowest thresholds to reach those incentives are 55 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. The cap hits for the next three years for Baldwin and the Seahawks will be $3MM, $3.9MM, and $5.6MM, for an average of about $4.333MM per season.
- Appearing on KNBR’s Murph and Mac Show, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged that Alex Boone and Vernon Davis are absent from the team’s offseason workouts due to contract issues. However, he declined to go into any real detail, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com notes. “If they want to talk about it publicly, and they think it’s beneficial to talk about it publicly, then they’ll choose to do that,” Harbaugh said. “Certainly, you could have Vernon or Alex on the show and ask them or talk to their agent, if they think that’s something that’s beneficial. I choose to not do it.”
Largest 2014 Cap Hits By Position: Defense/ST
Yesterday, we took a closer look at the players with the largest cap hits for 2014 on the offensive side of the ball. Today, we’ll shift our focus to defense, as well as examining punters and kickers. These guys aren’t necessarily taking in the largest cash payments for the 2014 season, but a combination of base salary and bonuses ensure that their cap numbers are among the NFL’s highest.
As was the case with the offensive players, even just a quick glance at the lists below reveal details about how certain clubs have constructed their rosters, and hint at salary trends by position. Before we jump into the top 2014 cap hits on defense and special teams by position, a few observations about the players that show up on these lists:
- There are a few instances on the offensive side of the ball where positional lines are blurred — a running back like Darren Sproles often acts as a de facto wide receiver, as do tight ends like Jimmy Graham. But those lines are blurrier on defense, where some teams run 3-4 defenses and others run 4-3. Defensive ends generally get more opportunities to rush the quarterback in 4-3 defenses, so it’s no surprise that four of the top five DEs on this list play in 4-3 systems. Only Haloti Ngata is the exception.
- Similarly, 3-4 outside linebackers are their teams’ primary pass rushers, and all five of the top OLB cap hits belong to 3-4 players.
- The current highest cap hit for an outside linebacker actually belongs to LaMarr Woodley of the Steelers. Pittsburgh released him earlier in the offseason, but designated him as a post-June 1 cut, so for now he continues to count for $13.59MM against the team’s cap. That will change in a matter of days though, when Woodley’s 2014 cap number is reduced to just $5.5MM, so we left him off this list.
- Still, had Woodley been included, it would have only further illustrated the Steelers‘ dedication to stockpiling impact linebackers. Even without Woodley, Pittsburgh still has a top-five cap hit at OLB in Jason Worilds, and the No. 1 cap hit at ILB in Lawrence Timmons. Linebacker may not have been a position of need when the Steelers drafted Ryan Shazier in the first round earlier this month, but it’s hardly a shock that the club went in that direction.
- The only team with two players on the same list below? The Panthers, with a pair of defensive ends accounting for nearly $30MM in cap space. No wonder the club didn’t have much room left over to add an impact receiver.
- Joe Haden‘s cap number has yet to be confirmed, since he recently inked an extension, and Over the Cap and Spotrac had different figures for the cornerback. So the number here is an estimation. Either way though, he appears likely to rank second overall this season.
- The Broncos have the league’s reigning MVP in Peyton Manning and spent big on defense this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they’re ignoring special teams at all. Denver is the only club with both a kicker and punter among the top five cap hits.
Here are the lists of the top five 2014 cap hits by defensive and special teams position:
Defensive end:
- Mario Williams, Bills: $18.8MM
- Charles Johnson, Panthers: $16.42MM
- Haloti Ngata, Ravens: $16MM
- Chris Long, Rams: $14.9MM
- Greg Hardy, Panthers: $13.116MM
Defensive tackle:
- Ndamukong Suh, Lions: $22.413MM
- Gerald McCoy, Buccaneers: $15.627MM
- Geno Atkins, Bengals: $9MM
- Ahtyba Rubin, Browns: $8.175MM
- Barry Cofield, Redskins: $7.678MM
Outside linebacker:
- Tamba Hali, Chiefs: $11.465MM
- Brian Orakpo, Redskins: $11.455MM
- Clay Matthews, Packers: $10.944MM
- Jason Worilds, Steelers: $9.754MM
- Robert Mathis, Colts: $8.75MM
Inside linebacker:
- Lawrence Timmons, Steelers: $11.816MM
- James Laurinaitis, Rams: $10.4MM
- Paul Posluszny, Jaguars: $9.5MM
- Dannell Ellerbe, Dolphins: $7.425MM
- David Harris, Jets: $7MM
Cornerback:
- Brandon Carr, Cowboys: $12.217MM
- Joe Haden, Browns: $11.728MM
- Johnathan Joseph, Texans: $11.25MM
- Brandon Flowers, Chiefs: $10.5MM
- Lardarius Webb, Ravens: $10.5MM
Safety:
- Eric Berry, Chiefs: $11.62MM
- Eric Weddle, Chargers: $10.1MM
- Antrel Rolle, Giants: $9.25MM
- Dashon Goldson, Buccaneers: $9MM
- Michael Griffin, Titans: $8MM
Kicker:
- Josh Scobee, Jaguars: $4.188MM
- Matt Prater, Broncos: $3.813MM
- Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots: $3.8MM
- Nick Folk, Jets: $3.6MM
- Mason Crosby, Packers: $3.4MM
Punter:
- Mike Scifres, Chargers: $4.035MM
- Dustin Colquitt, Chiefs: $3.8MM
- Brandon Fields, Dolphins: $3.586MM
- Michael Koenen, Buccaneers: $3.25MM
- Britton Colquitt, Broncos: $3.25MM
Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Colts Finish Signing Draft Picks
The Colts have signed third-round wide reciever Donte Moncrief to his four-year rookie contract, the team announced today in a press release. Indianapolis had the league’s smallest draft class, with just five selections, and Moncrief becomes the last of those five players to put pen to paper.
Moncrief, who decided to forgo his senior season and enter the draft early, caught 156 balls for 2,371 yards and 20 touchdowns during his three years at Mississippi, including 59 for 938 yards in 2013. Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the wideout’s signing bonus will be $543K+, with an overall four-year contract value of about $2.794MM. Since they only had five picks and no first-rounder, the Colts’ signing bonus pool was the smallest in the NFL this season — the team’s five draftees combined for just $1.796MM in bonus money, according to Fitzgerald.
By signing Moncrief, the Colts become the ninth NFL team to finish locking up its draft class. The Bills, Bears, Chiefs, Saints, Chargers, 49ers, Seahawks, and Redskins have also signed all of their picks, and many other clubs are just one player away. You can track all the signings right here.
49ers Sign Marcus Martin, Lock Up Draft Class
No team selected more players in the 2014 draft than the 49ers, who tied with the Jets for most picks with 12. And now all 12 of those players are under contract. The team announced today in a press release that third-round center Marcus Martin has signed his four-year deal, officially joining his 11 fellow draftees on the Niners’ roster.
Martin, a Los Angeles native, played his college ball at USC and joins a deep, talented group of interior linemen on San Francisco’s roster, as our David Kipke detailed earlier this week. The 20-year-old was viewed as a possible late-first-round pick, earning an invite to New York for the draft, but ended up being the last player remaining in the green room when he was eventually selected 70th overall.
Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Martin is in line for a signing bonus worth about $671K, with an overall value of $3.058MM on his new four-year contract. To follow the complete list of draft picks who have and haven’t signed so far, be sure to check out our tracker.