Minor Moves: Bills, Lions, Jaguars, 49ers
Within this post, we’ll round up all of Tuesday’s minor transactions — players accepting exclusive rights contract tenders, teams signing players without real NFL experience, minor contract restructures, and so on. Any new minor transactions that pop up during the rest of the afternoon and evening will be added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Dolphins have signed punter Matt Szymanski to a contract, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Given the presence of Pro Bowl punter Brandon Fields on the Dolphins’ roster, Szymanski will likely just be an extra camp leg for the team.
Earlier updates:
- Exclusive rights free agents Chris Hogan, Antoine McClain, and Frank Summers have re-signed with the Bills, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter). Of the three players, Summers played the most for the club in 2013, appearing in 232 offensive snaps and scoring a pair of touchdowns. Hogan also caught 10 balls and recorded nine special teams tackles.
- Cory Greenwood, who previously had two years remaining on his contract with the Lions, has eliminated the 2015 season and reduced his 2014 salary and cap number to the minimum ($645K), says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The renegotiation also eliminates a $20K workout bonus for this year, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
- Jaguars fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou has signed his ERFA tender to return to the team, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Ta’ufo’ou, who had 10 carries and a single reception for Jacksonville in 2013, will be eligible for restricted free agency after the 2014 season.
- The 49ers have waived fullback Alex Debniak, who spent his rookie season on IR with a torn Achilles, the team announced today in a press release.
Rolando McClain Retires
TUESDAY, 3:52pm: McClain has officially been placed back on the reserve/retired list, confirms Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 11:43am: Just a few days after having been reinstated by the Ravens, former first-round pick Rolando McClain has decided to give up his comeback attempt and end his NFL playing career for good, according to Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
“I’m done,” McClain said in a text message to Wickersham (Twitter link). “If football made me complete I would play. But whenever I think of it my heart pulls me away [for] whatever reason.” McClain has since retweeted Wickersham’s report and changed his own Twitter profile to refer to himself as a “retired NFL vet.”
McClain, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft, was unable to reach his potential on the field, partly due to poor decision-making and inconsistent effort. Off the field, he has had several run-ins with the law, including a gun charge in late 2011. His best season on the field also came in 2011, when he racked up 100 tackles and five sacks for the Raiders. However, he hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since 2012.
Last week, we heard that McClain had a workout with the Ravens and that it went poorly, to say the least. The 24-year-old was unable to finish his conditioning test and didn’t participate in some of the drills the team put him through. Even if McClain’s heart had been in the comeback attempt, it sounds it would have taken some time to work his body back into NFL shape.
Poll: Which QB Should Be Drafted First?
With so many teams near the top of the draft lacking a long-term answer at the quarterback position, it seemed as if we might see a run on signal-callers early in the evening on May 8, with Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, and Teddy Bridgewater all coming off the board within the first few picks.
In recent weeks though, the perception of this year’s quarterback class has shifted, with the general consensus now suggesting there are significant question marks about every QB in the class. Some players, like Pitt’s Tom Savage, have seen their stocks rise, but the players at or near the top of the board, like Manziel and Bridgewater, are no longer viewed as locks to be selected in the top 10, or – in Bridgewater’s case – even the top 25.
A piece from Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com this week suggested that Bortles is considered the quarterback most likely to come off the board first. The UCF product may not have the upside of others in the draft, but he’s considered a safer pick than most of his fellow signal-callers. In a league where the job security of coaches and general managers is often directly tied to the performance of first-round quarterbacks, opting for the choice with the least risk could look awfully appealing on draft night.
Still, with the draft a little over two weeks away, we still have no idea where those big three will land, and guys like Savage, Derek Carr, A.J. McCarron, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are wild cards as well. What do you think? Which of these guys would you draft if all of them were still on the board and you needed a quarterback? Which QB should be drafted first?
Giants Notes: Amukamara, Freeman, Beason
After winning a Super Bowl earlier this year on a Seahawks squad that featured arguably the NFL’s best secondary, Walter Thurmond thinks he may take that title with him to New York, telling reporters today that he feels like the Giants could have the league’s best secondary in 2014 (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News). As Vacchiano tweets, Thurmond also thinks he’s the best slot corner in the NFL.
While the Giants’ secondary may not reach the heights that Thurmond envisions, the group definitely looks stronger than it did in 2013, with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie having arrived along with Thurmond in free agency. As the former Seahawk prepares to back up his comments, let’s check in on a few more Giants notes:
- Cornerback Prince Amukamara is hoping the Giants pick up his fifth-year option for 2015, and admits he might feel a little insulted if the club turns it down, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. A team source tells Vacchiano (Twitter link) that the Giants remain undecided on the option, and likely won’t announce anything until next week.
- Josh Freeman‘s new contract with the Giants is a minimum salary benefit deal with a $55K signing bonus and a $10K workout bonus, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links). Assuming he plays out the season, Freeman will earn $795K, while the cap hit for the team will be $635K.
- Jon Beason, who represented himself in contract negotiations this offseason, said today that the Giants called him eight minutes before free agency opened in March (Twitter link via Vacchiano).
- Earlier today, we heard that Will Hill‘s time with the Giants may be over, as the safety faces another drug-related suspension.
AFC North Notes: Burfict, McCarron, Steelers
When longtime Bengals defensive leader Domata Peko spoke yesterday about the teammates he hopes the team locks up to long-term deals, he identified Vontaze Burfict in addition Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. As important as Dalton and Green are to Cincinnati’s offense, you could make a strong case that Burfict is just as integral on the other side of the ball. Last season, the 23-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl nod, racking up an impressive 177 tackles to go along with three sacks, two fumbles, and an interception.
Now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Bengals are indeed engaged in extension talks with Burfict, who is in line for a $570K salary in 2014. The Arizona State product is eligible for restricted free agency after the ’14 season, which means the Bengals would still be in the driver’s seat for re-signing him, but presumably the club would prefer not to let it get to that point.
Let’s check out a few other items from out of the AFC North….
- Following A.J. McCarron’s visit with the Browns today, the Alabama quarterback will continue a mini-AFC North tour by heading to Baltimore to see the Ravens on Wednesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier today that McCarron would privately work out for the Rams next week.
- The Steelers are hosting Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell for a pre-draft visit today, according to ESPN.com’s Scott Brown (via Twitter). Cockrell projects as a likely mid- to late-round pick.
- Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, the brother of Shane Vereen, has met with a number of teams in advance of the draft, including the Steelers and Bengals, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Falcons, Vikings, Colts, Panthers and Jaguars have also met with the younger Vereen.
Draft Visits: Matthews, Colts, Aikens, Bills
The Texans continue to do their due diligence on every player near the top of the draft board, as they’re set to host Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews for a visit this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that the Texans’ myriad pre-draft visits with top prospects could be designed to keep teams guessing about which player Houston actually wants, laying the groundwork to potentially trade down from No. 1. Meanwhile, Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Matthews will visit the Falcons before heading to Houston later in the week for his Texans visit.
Here are a few more miscellaneous draft notes, as we inch a little closer to May 8:
- After meeting with the Dolphins on Monday, Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant is visiting the Colts today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Wilson also adds the Panthers and Steelers to the list of clubs that have hosted Bryant for visits so far.
- In a separate NFP report, Wilson provides an update on Liberty cornerback Walt Aikens, who is visiting the Colts, Packers, and Bengals this week. According to Wilson, in addition to previously reported visits and workouts, Aikens has also visited the Dolphins, Chiefs, and Buccaneers, and worked out for Cowboys and Jaguars.
- According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago (via Twitter), the Bears traveled to Los Angeles late last month to conduct a private workout with UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr.
- The Bills hosted Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, USC offensive lineman Marcus Martin and Georgia Southern running back Jerick McKinnon today, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton has visited with a long list of teams, including the Patriots, Cardinals, Rams, and Lions, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan.
- Auburn cornerback Chris Davis worked out for the Falcons, Colts, and Patriots, among other clubs, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
Seahawks, Sherman Progressing On Extension
The Seahawks and Richard Sherman have made “considerable progress” on a new long-term contract for the standout cornerback, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. According to La Canfora, Seattle is prepared to make Sherman, whose current deal expires after the 2014 season, the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
Per OverTheCap.com’s data, the largest per-year salary at cornerback currently belongs to Darrelle Revis, though his $16MM annual average is a little misleading, since his deal will almost certainly end up being one year for $12MM. Brandon Carr is the runner-up, at a little over $10MM per year. As for Sherman, several league sources expect his next deal to exceed $13MM per year, according to La Canfora, though he notes that the Seahawks have resisted going up to $14MM annually.
La Canfora writes that Ben Dogra and Jimmy Sexton of CAA, Sherman’s new agents, have been engaged in contract talks with the Seahawks for some time, and says negotiations have been “amicable and productive.” While nothing is necessarily imminent, there’s a chance the two sides could finalize something in time for May’s draft. That would have a significant impact on extension talks for other young star corners around the league, such as the Browns’ Joe Haden and the Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson.
Sherman, who is in line for a $1.431MM base salary in 2014, is viewed as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, and based on the numbers reported by La Canfora, it sounds like the Seahawks believe he deserves to be atop that list. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked Sherman outside the top five at the position in 2013, though quarterbacks compiled a meager 47.3 QB rating on passes into his coverage, which was the best mark in the league. The 26-year-old, who earned his second All-Pro spot in 2013, also grabbed a league-leading eight interceptions.
NFC Notes: Will Hill, Julio Jones, Vikings
We rounded up several NFC West notes earlier this morning, but there are plenty more items to pass along from around the rest of the conference. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- Giants safety Will Hill is facing another drug-related suspension and plans to appeal the results in hopes of avoiding a lengthy absence. However, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes, Hill is likely “done” with the Giants regardless of the appeal’s outcome, since the club is “livid” at the 24-year-old’s continued drug issues.
- Speaking to reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link), Falcons head coach Mike Smith indicated Julio Jones “is going to be an Atlanta Falcon for a long, long, long time.” Smith didn’t specifically address Jones’ fifth-year option, but I imagine the only way that won’t be exercised is if Atlanta reaches a longer-term agreement with Jones before the May 3 deadline.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds offensive tackle Greg Robinson to the list of prospects visiting the Falcons this week.
- A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) that Blake Bortles won’t be visiting or working out for the Vikings. It’s hard to know how to interpret the report — if it’s Bortles’ decision, he may be confident he’ll be drafted before the Vikings pick at No. 8. If it’s Minnesota’s decision, perhaps the team simply knows all it needs to after watching Bortles and meeting with him at his Pro Day.
- Speaking of Vikings quarterbacks, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, with the help of cap expert Joel Corry, explains why the club’s decision on Christian Ponder‘s fifth-year option isn’t as simple as it may seem on the surface.
- We heard yesterday that Kareem Martin has visited the Vikings, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the Cowboys and Panthers will also be hosting the UNC defensive end.
- The Lions invited five tryout players to minicamp, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter): Kevin Matthews (C), Sherman Carter (G), Josh Jenkins (G), Cordaro Howard (T), and Jordan Thompson (TE).
Russell Allen To Retire
Former Jaguars linebacker Russell Allen, who was released last week by the club, will retire from the NFL for health reasons, according to a feature by Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com. Allen suffered a stroke during a Week 15 game against the Bills last season and was diagnosed with a “dead” spot on his cerebellum.
As Klemko writes, “none of the doctors Allen consulted could find a precedent for a pro football player suffering this kind of stroke” and the former Jaguar was told definitively by the last neurosurgeon he consulted that he should never play football again. Klemko’s entire piece, which provides an account of how the stroke happened and its effect on Allen, is worth reading.
A San Diego State alum, Allen spent his entire five-year career in Jacksonville, developing into a full-time starter with the club over the last two seasons. The 27-year-old was a key contributor on defense for the Jaguars in 2013, playing 601 snaps and providing nearly league-average production at the outside linebacker spot, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Allen, who logged 64 tackles and a sack, saw his PFF grade buoyed by solid play against the run.
NFC West Links: McCarron, Rams, Jacobs
Let’s round up a few Tuesday morning items on NFC West clubs….
- Although teams and draft prospects must complete pre-draft visits by Sunday, that doesn’t preclude clubs from working players out after that date. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the Rams will privately work out Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron in Tuscaloosa on May 1, one week before the draft.
- In his latest piece at TheMMQB.com, Peter King examines the Rams‘ No. 2 pick, suggesting that the team would be better off passing on Jadeveon Clowney (if he’s available) and selecting an offensive player like Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, or Jake Matthews instead. In King’s view, the Rams need to fortify their offense more than they need to turn their formidable pass-rushing duo (Chris Long and Robert Quinn) into a formidable pass-rushing trio.
- McNesse State tight end Nic Jacobs has visits lined up with two NFC West clubs, the 49ers and Cardinals, writes Gil Brandt of NFL.com. As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee notes, Jacobs is the latest tight end to visit the Niners, who have hosted 13 prospects by Barrows’ count.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com gives the Seahawks a grade of C+ for their moves in free agency, questioning the team’s decision not to retain offensive lineman Breno Giacomini.