Terrelle Pryor Hires Drew Rosenhaus
After firing agent Jerome Stanley last week, Terrelle Pryor has rehired Drew and Jason Rosenhaus to represent him, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Rosenhaus brothers had previously repped Pryor when he first entered the NFL out of Ohio State in 2011.
Having completed three seasons of his four-year rookie contract, Pryor will be eligible for an extension this offseason. However, given his performance in 2013, which eventually resulted in him losing the starting job to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin, a new deal is unlikely for Pryor. He figures to earn a base salary of $705K in 2014, then be eligible for free agency next year.
102 Underclassmen Enter NFL Draft
98 underclassmen who met the NFL’s three-year eligibility rule and formally applied to enter the draft have been granted special eligibility, the league announced on Sunday. In addition to those 98, another four players who are underclassmen in terms of eligibility, including top QB prospect Teddy Bridgewater, will be eligible for the draft because they have already graduated, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.
The number of underclassmen entering the draft represents a new record, and is a significant increase from the previous record of 73 in 2013. It’s the sixth straight year that the number of early entrants has risen, which can be partially attributed to the league’s new rookie wage scale. As Florio points out, the limits on salaries for draft picks under the new CBA means that there’s added incentive to get to the NFL early to put in time toward a second contract.
In addition to Bridgewater, underclassmen like Johnny Manziel, Jadeveon Clowney, and Blake Bortles also declared their intent for the draft, and are expected to be top-10 picks. According to Jason Cole of the National Football Post, NFL executives expect about half the players selected in the first round to be early entrants.
The full list of underclassmen entering the draft can be found at NFL.com.
Texans Hire Romeo Crennel As DC
Former NFL head coach Romeo Crennel has agreed to a three-year contract with the Texans as the team’s defensive coordinator, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter confirms (via Twitter) that the deal, which was initially reported earlier in the month by Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, has now become official.
Crennel, who has previously served as the defensive coordinator in Cleveland and New England, also coached the Browns from 2005 to 2008, and most recently was the Chiefs’ head coach from 2011 to 2012. After winning two of three games in relief of Todd Haley at the end of the 2011 season, Crennel and the Chiefs stumbled to a 2-14 record in ’12, prompting the club to replace him with Andy Reid.
In Houston, Crennel will join another team coming off a 2-14 season. The Texans will head into the 2014 season armed with the first overall pick and a new head coach, in Bill O’Brien. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), the Texans are trying to add another ex-head coach to their staff, as the team pursues Mike Munchak as its offensive line coach.
Giants Sign 13 Players To Futures Contracts
JANUARY 7TH: The Giants signed quarterback Ricky Stanzi to a reserve/futures deal, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Combined with their signing of kicker Chris Boswell from earlier today, the tally is now up to 13 for Big Blue.
DECEMBER 29TH: Joining a handful of other teams, the Giants have signed several players to reserve/futures contracts today, locking them up for the offseason. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), the following 11 players signed deals with New York today:
- Michael Bamiro, OL
- Juron Criner, WR
- Thomas Gordon, DB
- Chris Harper, WR
- Bennett Jackson, CB
- Robert Malone, P
- Jordan Stanton, DE
- Julian Talley, WR
- Uani ‘Unga, LB
- Josh Victorian, CB
- Nikita Whitlock, FB
Of those 11 players, nine were on the team’s practice squad at season’s end. Jackson and Malone are the new additions, while cornerback Victor Hampton was the only taxi squad player not to receive a new deal.
Washington Signs Nine To Reserve Deals
JANUARY 6TH: Washington also signed outside linebacker Austin Spitler to a futures deal, according to Zac Boyer of The Washington Times (on Twitter).
DECEMBER 29TH: Washington has signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts, the team announced today (via Twitter). The following eight players have been locked up by the club, moving from the practice squad to Washington’s offseason roster:
- Isaako Aaitui, DT
- Edawn Coughman, T
- Chase Dixon, TE
- Je’Ron Hamm, TE
- Colin Lockett, WR
- Rashad Ross, WR
- Robert Thomas, DT
- Trey Wolfe, CB
Of the players who finished the season on Washington’s practice squad, only running back Michael Hill and center Tevita Stevens haven’t signed futures contracts with the team.