Minor Moves: Colts, Jaguars, Menkin, Raiders
We’ll round up Thursday’s minor transactions right here, which today includes a former NFLer signing with a CFL club and an exclusive rights free agent signing his ERFA tender. Any additional minor moves will be added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Colts signed free agent fullbacks Stephen Campbell and Cameron White, according to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter).
- The Jaguars have re-signed exclusive rights free agent Jordan Todman, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). The running back received a $645K ERFA tender from the team last month.
Earlier updates:
- Offensive lineman Nate Menkin, who played his college ball at Mary Hardin-Baylor and joined the Eagles and Texans after going undrafted, has signed with the CFL’s Ottawa RedBlacks, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). 2014 will be the first season for the RedBlacks, an expansion franchise.
- Raiders linebacker Kaelin Burnett has signed his ERFA tender for the 2014 season, the team announced today (Twitter link). Burnett played primarily on special teams for the club in 2013, recording 11 tackles in kick and punt coverage. The 24-year-old will be in line to earn a $570K salary this year.
Jaguars Cut Russell Allen, Three Others
The Jaguars have released linebacker Russell Allen, who started 13 games for the club last season, according to Jags PR coordinator Tad Dickman (via Twitter). Dickman adds that the team also waived wide receiver Jabin Sambrano and defensive ends Will Pericak and D’Aundre Reed.
While the other three players didn’t see regular-season action for the Jaguars in 2013, Allen was a key contributor on defense, playing 601 snaps and providing nearly league-average production at the outside linebacker spot, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 27-year-old, who logged 64 tackles and a sack, saw his PFF grade buoyed by solid play against the run.
Allen will immediately become an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any club, while the other three players will have to clear waivers. The release of Allen also creates $2.5MM in cap savings for the Jags, though it’s very unlikely they’ll need or use that space this year.
Extra Points: Easley, Murray, Lions, Visits
Defensive tackle Dominique Easley, who tore his ACL in September, held a personal Pro Day to attempt to prove his health to NFL teams today, and Jeff Barlis of ESPN.com (Twitter links) reports that at least 17 clubs were in attendance. According to Barlis (via Twitter), Easley feels like his knee is at “about 80%” and that he’ll be fully prepared for summer mini-camps. In his ESPN.com piece on Easley’s performance, Barlis adds that the former Florida Gator will visit NFL clubs for seven straight days starting on Sunday.
Here are a few more notes from around the NFL, including one additional update on Easley:
- Easley is drawing “heavy interest” from the Seahawks, Bears, Patriots, and 49ers in particular, and looks like a second-round pick, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links) adds the Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, and Rams to the list of teams who have met or will meet with Georgia signal-caller Aaron Murray.
- In addition to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, whose visit was previously reported, the Lions are also hosting USC receiver Marqise Lee and Mississippi State defensive end Denico Autry today, says Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- Jason Fitzgerald’s evaluatons of each team’s free agent periods continued today at OverTheCap.com with pieces on the Redskins, who received a C grade, and the Eagles, who got an impressive grade of B+.
- Towson running back Terrance West, who has had private meetings with the Cardinals and Dolphins, will visit the 49ers, Falcons, and Bills next week, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Steelers hosted Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, UMass tight end Rob Blanchflower, and Rice cornerback Phillip Gaines for pre-draft visits today, tweets Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.
Colts Re-Sign Joe Reitz
The Colts have re-signed restricted free agent Joe Reitz, who has accepted his RFA tender, reports Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Reitz, who played at both guard positions in 2013, should be in line for a salary of $1.431MM, the minimum RFA tender amount.
Reitz, 28, played 149 total offensive snaps for the Colts last season, playing primarily in a reserve role but also starting three games for the club. The reduced role seemed to suit Reitz — after recording a negative grade in 2011 and 2012 as a starter, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Western Michigan alum posted a +5.1 mark in 2013, providing above-average run and pass blocking.
In 2014, the versatile Reitz figures to provide depth at several spots on the offensive line for Indianapolis.
Chad Johnson Signs With Montreal Alouettes
Veteran wide receiver Chad Johnson, formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, has signed with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, the league announced today (via Twitter). The longtime Bengal last played a regular-season NFL game for the Patriots in 2011.
Johnson, who totaled 766 receptions for more than 11,000 yards and 67 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons, was signed by the Dolphins in 2012, but was released that summer following his arrest due to a domestic incident. The 36-year-old recently worked out for the Alouettes and GM Jim Popp indicated over the weekend that talks between the two sides had “escalated” (link via ESPN.com).
With Johnson on board, Montreal will be looking to bounce back after a season in which the team finished with an 8-10 record, its worst mark since 2007.
NFC Draft Notes: Falcons, Lions, Eagles
To kick off the day, we rounded up a handful of draft-related items out of the AFC. Now let’s shift our attention to the NFC and check out the latest….
- We heard earlier in the week that Jake Matthews has a visit scheduled next week with the Falcons, but before that happens, Atlanta is sending a contingent to Auburn to meet with the draft’s other top offensive tackle, Greg Robinson, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a pair of tight ends visiting or working out for NFC teams. According to Wilson, Iowa’s C.J. Fiedorowicz, who was previously visited the Jets and Buccaneers, is visiting the Lions today, while Cincinnati’s Blake Annen recently had a private workout for the Eagles.
- Cal linebacker Khairi Fortt, who met with the Ravens earlier in April, is visiting the Seahawks today, tweets Rich Cirminiello of CampusInsiders.com.
- Chris Russell of ESPN 980 reports (via Twitter) that the Redskins are bringing in Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu for a visit this week. Attaochu indicated last month that Washington was one of the teams showing the most interest in him.
- The 49ers hosted Cumberlands running back Terrance Cobb for a pre-draft visit, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees, who is scheduled to visit the Bears on Friday.
Vikings Sign Kurt Coleman
THURSDAY, 10:26am: The Vikings have officially signed Coleman, the team announced today in a press release.
MONDAY, 2:13pm: Free agent safety Kurt Coleman, who visited the Vikings last week, plans to sign a deal with the team, according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Vensel reports that the two sides agreed to terms on a contract today, after Minnesota reportedly extended an offer to Coleman following his visit. It’ll be a one-year deal (Twitter link).
Coleman, who turns 26 in July, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Eagles, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. Although he was the team’s starter at free safety in 2011 and 2012, he ranked 85th out of 88 total qualified safeties in ’12, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Those grades may have contributed to the team reducing Coleman’s role in 2013, a season in which he played just 74 defensive snaps. However, he still played a significant role on special teams, racking up nine tackles in kick and punt coverage.
The Jets and Colts also hosted Coleman for visits before the unrestricted free agent reached an agreement with the Vikings. In Minnesota, Coleman will likely find himself battling for playing time – or even a roster spot – among a group of safeties that includes returning players Harrison Smith, Andrew Sendejo, and Jamarca Sanford, all of whom started at least seven games at safety for the Vikes last season.
Poll: Will Lions Trade Up From No. 10?
As Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was in Allen Park yesterday to visit Lions coaches and front office personnel as one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits. Of all the prospects eligible to be drafted in 2014, Clowney is perhaps the least likely to be picked outside the top five, meaning he’s a lock to be off the board by the time the Lions pick tenth overall.
Spending so much time looking at and meeting with players they know won’t be available at No. 10, such as Clowney and Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins, seems like a waste of time for the Lions unless the club is strongly considering moving up in the draft. It’s possible that Detroit is setting up an elaborate smokescreen, but that doesn’t seem all that beneficial, so we can apply Occam’s razor here — the most plausible explanation is likely the real one.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explored the subject this morning and reached the same conclusion, speculating that perhaps the Lions are trying to get the attention of teams like the Texans and Rams at the top of the draft. In Florio’s view, the Lions would have a better chance at moving up at a reasonable cost if they can get another team to instigate trade negotiations, perhaps playing some of those clubs at the top of the draft against one another.
Still, even if the Lions want to move up, trading into the top three or four from No. 10 won’t come cheaply. Only two years ago, the Rams, who hold this year’s No. 2 pick, traded that same selection for the No. 6 pick, two additional first-rounders, and a second-rounder. No player in 2014’s draft appears to be as strongly coveted as Robert Griffin III was in 2012, so the cost for the second overall pick shouldn’t be quite as exorbitant this time around. But considering most pundits and observers view this year’s draft class as exceptionally deep and talented, the Lions may be better off keeping all their picks and simply selecting the best player available at No. 10.
The question of whether the Lions should trade up largely depends on what the cost would be, so let’s put that aside for now and get your take on whether or not the team will trade up. Feel free to weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts.
AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets
Within his latest Read Option feature on Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei focuses on what the Texans will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, which gets underway three weeks from today. It’s a question we explored ourselves earlier in the week, asking you in a poll what Houston ought to do with the pick. As we noted, selecting a quarterback or a defender like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack seem like the best options for the Texans if they keep the pick. However, more than 30% of you suggested the club’s best move would be to trade the pick, and Pompei seems to agree, writing that moving down would provide “multiple solutions” for the Texans, who “wouldn’t necessarily have to exact a ransom in return.”
Here’s more on the draft from around the AFC:
- We heard yesterday that Miami quarterback Stephen Morris was drawing interest from the Dolphins, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Morris has a workout lined up with the Broncos as well.
- Noting (via Twitter) that the Jets‘ visits with wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Darqueze Dennard are scheduled for next week, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News provides an updated list of all of the team’s pre-draft visitors.
- The Ravens, who are considering drafting a safety in next month’s draft, brought in Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward for a visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Craig Kelley of Colts.com provides a rundown of the 20 prospects with local ties the Colts worked out earlier this week.
Sidney Rice Visiting Jets
On the heels of agreeing to terms with an offensive playmaker whose best season came in 2009 (Chris Johnson), the Jets are eyeing another player who fits that bill. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), free agent receiver Sidney Rice is in New York today to visit the Jets.
The Jets weren’t among the four teams identified as suitors for Rice earlier this week, though New York was mentioned as having interest in the veteran receiver nearly a month ago. I speculated on Monday that, with the Seahawks, Saints, Giants, and Panthers reportedly in the mix for Rice, perhaps the Jets had bowed out, but it seems as if the club still has interest in the ex-Seahawk after all.
Rice, 27, has missed time with injuries in many of his NFL seasons, including 2013. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. Although he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), the former second-round pick still looks capable of providing a positive impact for an NFL team if he can stay healthy.