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Jordan Gross To Retire
After taking a few weeks to mull his future, longtime Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross has decided to retire, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Person reports that Gross will make an official announcement tomorrow, and the club has confirmed the Wednesday press conference.
Gross, 33, spent his entire 11-year career with the Panthers, starting all 167 games he played for the team since being drafted eighth overall in 2003. The Utah alum consistently graded as one of the league’s best tackles according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, and earned three Pro Bowl berths, including one in 2013.
Gross had initially planned to play through 2014, but when the Panthers restructured his contract, it was set up to void this offseason, meaning the veteran was faced with a decision on whether or not to continue his career. Had he decided to keep playing, Gross almost certainly would’ve returned to Carolina.
As I noted yesterday in our look at the free agent market for offensive tackles, Panthers right tackle Byron Bell is also a free agent this offseason, albeit a restricted one. With Gross headed for retirement and Bell’s future not certain, tackle figures to be a primary area of focus for the team in the draft and perhaps in free agency.
AFC North Rumors: Browns, Bengals, Ravens
CBS’ studio show will look a little different in 2014, with longtime analysts Dan Marino and Shannon Sharpe on the way out and a pair of recently-retired players on board. In addition to Tony Gonzalez, Bart Scott will also be joining the CBS team, according to the network. For Scott, who is still just 33 years old, it’s an early transition away from the field, and one that some NFL teams were hoping he’d put off. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, Scott had multiple workouts lined up before accepting the CBS job, and the Browns were among his most serious suitors.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- A Browns source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that a Monday report suggesting Cleveland’s new coordinators reported to CEO Joe Banner before the team overhauled the front office was not accurate.
- Some reports have suggested that the Bengals may let Michael Johnson walk after signing two other defensive linemen, Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins, to big contracts a year ago. However, according to Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, the Bengals intend to make every effort to re-sign Johnson, who will “see a lot of activity” if he hits the open market.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has been keeping close tabs on the players the Ravens have interviewed at this weekend’s combine in Indianapolis, and passes along a couple more updates today. According to Wilson, The Ravens met with a pair of linebackers, Alabama’s Adrian Hubbard and LSU’s Lamin Barrow, as well as Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz.
Raiders Extend Taiwan Jones
TUESDAY, 9:51am: In a pair of tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today passes along the specifics of Jones’ new deal: The contract includes a roster bonus of $855K for the 2014 season, as well as annual $50K workout bonuses. Jones’ 2014 base salary remains at the minimum ($645K), while it will increase to $1.1MM for each of the following three seasons.
MONDAY, 1:18pm: Jones’ new three-year deal is worth $4.355MM, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1. That brings the four-year total for the special teams standout to $5MM.
12:56pm: The Raiders have signed cornerback Taiwan Jones to a three-year contract extension, the Raiders announced today in a press release. Jones, who had one year remaining on his rookie deal, will now be under contract through 2017.
“I was excited when they came to me about the extension,” Jones said in a statement. “It is definitely a blessing for a local kid to be part of the Raiders’ turnaround. I’ve been an underdog all my life, so I think it’s very fitting for me to remain here. I’m definitely excited about it.”
Jones, 25, came into the league as a running back, but made the transition to the defensive side of the ball last season. His real contributions have come on special teams though — not only does he play on the Raiders’ kick coverage units, but he also acted as a kick returner in 2013, averaging 24.0 yards per return in 26 chances.
The financial details of Jones’ new contract aren’t yet known, but he had been on a minimum salary deal that initially included a $405K signing bonus. I don’t imagine he’ll receive a significant bump in salary in the new agreement.
Lions Notes: Draft, Clemons, Fullback
The Lions would be comfortable heading into the 2014 season with LaAdrian Waddle and Corey Hilliard as their right tackles, according to GM Martin Mayhew, who says both players played “really good football” for the team last season. However, while Detroit likely won’t pursue an upgrade in free agency, the club could be open to adding a tackle early in the draft if the opportunity arises, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. I still expect the Lions to address their secondary or add a receiver with that No. 10 pick, but they certainly could go in any number of directions. Here’s more out of Detroit:
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press looks at a few potential targets for the Lions in free agency and the draft, noting that free agent safety Chris Clemons could be an option for the team’s secondary. Birkett also acknowledges that the club could draft a tackle with the tenth overall pick, but currently has Detroit grabbing Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans — according to Birkett, several scouts he has spoken to in Indianapolis don’t believe the gap between Evans and top receiver Sammy Watkins is as big as it’s perceived to be.
- Under their previous coaching staff, the Lions eliminated traditional free safety and strong safety designations for defensive backs, opting for players capable of playing both roles. Under Jim Caldwell though, Detroit will once again differentiate between the two positions, which could affect which players the team pursues this offseason. Justin Rogers of MLive.com has the details.
- With Caldwell taking the reins, the team also could reintroduce a fullback to the offense, writes Birkett in a separate Free Press piece. We could see the Lions add a run-blocking fullback in free agency to compete with Montell Owens for the final spot in the backfield.
- Over at MLive.com, Meinke has a full list of prospects the Lions interviewed at this weekend’s combine.
Bears Re-Sign Derrick Martin, Taylor Boggs
6:43pm: Martin’s deal is indeed worth the $855K veteran’s minimum for an eight-year veteran. tweets Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
1:11pm: The Bears have re-signed a pair of players eligible for free agency, inking safety Derrick Martin and center Taylor Boggs to one-year contracts, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
Martin, a journeyman who has spent time with the Ravens, Packers, Giants, Patriots, and Bears since 2006, rarely sees any playing time on defense, but figures to compete for a roster spot in Chicago as a special teams contributor. He had been eligible for unrestricted free agency, and will likely be back on a minimum salary contract.
As for Boggs, his options were limited, as he was set to be an exclusive rights free agent. Like Martin, he’ll probably be on a minimum salary deal, with a chance to compete for a place on the Bears’ roster this summer. The 27-year-old has yet to log a snap in a regular season NFL game.
Extra Points: Titans, Roos, Harbaugh, Browns
Although the Titans are currently prioritizing this year’s pending free agents and potential cap casualties, the team shouldn’t forget about players like left tackle Michael Roos and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, whose contracts are up after the 2014 season, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. In Wyatt’s view, Tennessee can afford to wait to see how Casey fits in a changing defense, but the team would be wise to try to lock up Roos to an extension as soon as possible.
Here are a few more miscellaneous Monday links from around the NFL:
- Former Octagon agents Doug Hendrickson and C.J. LaBoy have joined Relativity Sports, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). Mullen adds in a second tweet that the duo will work with and report to Relativity’s football CEO, Eugene Parker.
- If Jim Harbaugh doesn’t receive a contract extension this offseason and the 49ers don’t win the Super Bowl next season, expect the Dolphins to be among the teams pursing the head coach next year, tweets Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.
- Before he was removed from his role as CEO of the team, Joe Banner had the Browns‘ offensive and defensive coordinators reporting directly to him, reports Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com. As agent Mike McCartney observes (via Twitter), if Kirwan’s report is accurate, it’s not hard to understand why head coaching candidates would’ve been reluctant to accept the Cleveland job.
- Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had a stellar performance at the combine, met with nine teams, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link): The Cowboys, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Vikings, Texans, Lions, Buccaneers, and Rams.
- The Packers, Patriots, and Seahawks met with Rutgers receiver Brandon Coleman, who also had an informal meeting with the Redskins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Ravens, Dennis Pitta Making Progress In Talks
The Ravens and Dennis Pitta continue to discuss a new contract and are “making progress” toward a deal, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While no agreement is imminent, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 echoes Rapoport’s report of progress between the two sides, tweeting that there’s a chance the two sides work something out before March 3.
Because Pitta is a candidate for the franchise tag, March 3 represents an important deadline as the last day teams are permitted to designate franchise players. If the Ravens can’t lock up Pitta to a long-term pact, franchising him is somewhat risky — the 28-year-old will almost certainly file a grievance in the hopes of being franchised as a wide receiver instead of a tight end, which could significantly affect his potential one-year salary.
Still, Rapoport tweets that most rival teams don’t believe the Ravens will let Pitta get away this offseason, which suggests that talks are progressing well, considering a week ago one report indicated the two sides were “far apart” in negotiations. According to Rapoport and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), plenty of suitors would emerge if Pitta did become available on March 11. Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com wrote earlier today that the Packers, Falcons, and Patriots would be candidates to pursue Pitta if he reaches the open market.
Dolphins Unlikely To Re-Sign Paul Soliai
3:10pm: Soliai has received interest from at least five teams, and two of those clubs “are quite serious” about trying to sign the veteran defensive tackle, says Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. For now, the Dolphins are the only club that can offer Soliai a contract, but the team has yet to make a proposal.
12:52pm: Defensive tackle Paul Soliai appears ready to test the open market, having already moved out of his South Florida home, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. According to Beasley, the Dolphins will be “hard-pressed” to keep Soliai, who is set to hit free agency on March 11.
Soliai, 30, has started 58 of the Dolphins’ 64 total games over the last four seasons, earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2011 and ranking as a top-20 defensive tackle in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Coming off a $7.375MM cap number in ’13, Soliai likely won’t come cheap, and Beasley suggests the run-stopping lineman has drawn a significant amount of “unofficial interest” at the combine this week.
The Dolphins will have plenty of cap room this offseason, but also have numerous positions and players to address — the club will have to remake its offensive line and retain standout cornerback Brent Grimes. A report earlier this month from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com suggested that Miami would probably only be able to re-sign one of its two free agent defensive tackles. In addition to Soliai, Randy Starks is also eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Miami could free up some additional cap space by restructuring Mike Wallace‘s contract to reduce his $17.25MM cap hit for 2014, but there have been no discussions on that front yet, according to Beasley.
Lions Will Seek Veteran Quarterback
The Lions won’t be in the market for a starting quarterback this offseason, with Matthew Stafford firmly entrenched as the number one in option in Detroit. But the team will be keeping an eye out in free agency for a veteran option to back up Stafford, according to GM Martin Mayhew (link via Justin Rogers of MLive.com).
“We’ll get into the free agency market and see what it looks like and see if there’s a veteran out there that’s right for us, that we feel comfortable with,” Mayhew said.
One free agent who will attract some interest from the team is Shaun Hill, who has been Stafford’s backup in Detroit for the last several seasons. However, it sounds as if he’ll just be one of the options the Lions consider, rather than necessarily heading into free agency as the club’s first choice. Former Boise State signal-caller Kellen Moore also remains under contract with the team for one more year, though Mayhew doesn’t love the idea of heading into 2014 with Moore as the primary backup.
While this year’s top free agent quarterbacks such as Michael Vick, Matt Cassel, and Chad Henne will likely be seeking opportunities to start, there are plenty of other intriguing options on the market. Josh McCown, Josh Freeman, Matt Flynn, Tarvaris Jackson, and Kellen Clemens are among the notable No. 2 QBs expected to be available next month.