NFC Notes: Bell, Wilson, Vaughn
Cardinals safety Yeremiah Bell is likely to retire despite the team offering him a one-year contract, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Phoenix (via Twitter). A Dolphins sixth-round pick in 2004, Bell, 36, spent eight years in Miami before joining the Jets in 2012 and the Cardinals in 2013. He played all 16 games in each of the last six seasons, starting all but one contest. Pro Football Talk provides additional perspective on a remarkable career which began when Bell decided to walk on at Eastern Kentucky.
Bell’s retirement would leave the Cardinals with Tyrann Mathieu at free safety and Tony Jefferson or Rashad Johnson at strong safety. However, the secondary has struggled to handle tight ends in coverage, and it would not be a surprise if the team added a bigger, more athletic, more physical safety in the draft.
In other NFC news and notes…
- David Wilson would be an ideal No. 2 back for the Giants, but he’s coming off career-threatening neck surgery and his availability is unknown, writes Ralph Vacchiano in the New York Daily News.
- Meanwhile, the Giants still have questions at three of five spots on their offensive line, in the opinion of ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
- Losing starting center Brian De La Puente to the Bears didn’t surprise the Saints, as they seemingly chose to go another direction, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett, who details De La Puente’s replacement options.
- The Lions have agreed to a one-year deal with cornerback Cassius Vaughn, reports Aaron Wilson of National Football Post (via Twitter). Vaughn, 26, played all 16 games (four starts) last season for the Colts, recording 30 tackles, six passes defended, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
- Oregon running back/receiver/returner De’Anthony Thomas (otherwise known as “Black Mamba”) will visit the Bears tomorrow, per Ross Jones of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Thomas displayed speed, quickness and playmaking ability in Oregon’s prolific spread attack, but concerns about his size, durability and work ethic could push him into the middle rounds. Thomas’ skill set seems to fit with the Bears, who are in need of a speedy compliment to their large receivers, as well as a replacement for Devin Hester.
Wimbley, Titans Agree To Restructure
Titans pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley has agreed to a restructured contract which will pay him $9MM over three years, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Wimbley, who signed a five-year, $35MM deal in 2012, was scheduled to make a $6MM base salary and count $7.8MM against the cap before the team approached him about a pay cut. He has disappointed in his two seasons in Tennessee, but he’s expected to transition back to his more natural stand-up rush linebacker position in new defensive coordinator Ray Horton‘s 3-4 scheme.
Bucs Notes: Wright, Hawkins, Bridgewater
The Buccaneers made it official with Major Wright and Lavelle Hawkins, tweeting the signings here and here. Last week, Luke Adams detailed Wright’s poor performance in Chicago, but the Bucs are hoping for a rebound from the 25-year-old safety who reunites with head coach Lovie Smith.
Other Bucs bits:
- After trading away Mike Williams, the team has to address the receiver position in the draft because, “They have Vincent Jackson and almost nothing else,” says ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas.
- Yasinskas also relays news that kicker Connor Barth, who missed last season because of a torn Achilles tendon, has been cleared medically.
- Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is visiting the Bucs today, according to Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
- Iowa tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz is also visiting, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Fiedorowicz will head to the Jets next.
Draft Notes: Rams, Dolphins, Falcons, QBs
Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews is a possibility for the Rams with the no. 2 overall selection, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes the case. Aside from the prospect’s outstanding blocking, competitiveness and durability, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher coached Bruce Matthews, Jake’s father.
In other draft-related fodder…
- If Rams GM Les Snead opts to trade out of the No. 2 spot, he believes there’s multiple players teams would trade up for and they’re not just quarterbacks. “I actually think there’s more than one player that people would want to move up for,” Snead told Greg A. Bedard of mmqb.si.com. “I just don’t know what they’d want to give to move up,” Snead said. “At the top maybe there’s four or five players who were one step or one notch ahead of the very good, and sometimes a team might say we need to get that guy. You don’t know the value of what people would be willing to give. The fact that there could be multiple teams eyeing one of those guys could drive up the price a little bit.”
- This year’s crop of quarterback prospects is polarizing, says ESPN’s Mel Kiper in a conversation with ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss: “There are about a dozen quarterbacks that could be starters, and out of those dozen, there are some that argue that all 12 will never be a successful starter. This is a crazy year for quarterbacks. A lot of them. A lot of quantity. How much quality is debatable.”
- LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger is scheduled to fly to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars, tweets NFL Network’s Albert Breer, who says the Raiders, Vikings, Titans and Lions will meet with Mettenberger in Baton Rouge (via Twitter). Coming off a November ACL tear, Mettenberger will throw at LSU’s pro day on Wednesday.
- The Dolphins, in their quest to find a legitimate right tackle solution, have been linked to Notre Dame’s Zack Martin, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the team also likes a Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield from Michigan, citing a team official. Meanwhile, a story published by Dan Parr at NFL.com quotes anonymous league evaluators who question Lewan’s toughness and physicality.
- Speaking of offensive linemen, the Falcons are also in need, and Dawson Devitt of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides a primer detailing several OL prospects who could be available at different stages of the draft.
- The Eagles will work out Canadian offensive tackle prospect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
- Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Bengals, Jets and Rams. He has already met with the Steelers, writes Jeff Howe in the Boston Herald.
- Louisville safety Calvin Pryor is visiting the Steelers today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
- Towson running back, Terrance West, who shredded I-AA competition with 2,500 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior, has his pro day today. Nearly half the league has shown interest, including the Ravens, Browns, Titans and Cardinals mentioned in a draft diary piece in the Baltimore Sun.
AFC Notes: Mack, Wimbley, Brown, Steelers
It was reported that the Browns wouldn’t hesitate to match an offer sheet for Alex Mack containing $22M guaranteed, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union gives reasons why the Jaguars can afford to overspend for Mack if they so desire.
Here’s a handful of other AFC notes:
- Jets GM John Idzik, on the job 15 months, has cut ties with three of his predecessor Mike Tannenbaum’s nine first-round picks (Darrelle Revis, Dustin Keller and Mark Sanchez). Cornerback Kyle Wilson could be next out the door, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini, who cites Wilson’s unimpactful play as the reason he’s on the hot seat. In 2,195 defensive snaps over four seasons, Wilson has managed just six impact plays. Says Cimini: “Clearly, the organization has added competition, so Wilson will have to raise his game if he wants to play out his contract in New York.” Wilson has one year remaining on his rookie deal.
- The Steelers “have been able to reshape their roster despite the constraints of the salary cap,” writes ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, who details how the team took advantage of a rule in the CBA that allows teams to hand out veteran minimum contracts and get a cap discount. In that that type of contract, the max signing bonus allowed is $65k, and the Steelers have done three such deals this offseason.
- The Steelers’ website posted a free agent update, listing key additions and subtractions for all four teams in the AFC North.
- The Titans and Kamerion Wimbley are still trying to work out a restructured contract, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter).
- Free agent running back Andre Brown, previously of the Giants, will visit the Texans today, reports Pro Football Talk.
Extra Points: Pats, Ravens, Bears, Keller
The Patriots raised eyebrows this week with a string of quarterback draft prospect visits, and overthecap.com’s Aaron Fitzgerald says the team has structured its salary cap to allow for the addition of Tom Brady‘s successor.
Miscellaneous lunchtime news, notes and links. . .
- The Ravens are expected to draft a safety, and ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley discusses the merits of three of the top available, saying Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward might be the best fit. Last year’s first-rounder, Matt Elam, who did not produce an abundance of impact plays as a rookie, is expected to be used closer to the line of scrimmage more often next season. Says Hensley: “The Ravens can’t afford for Elam to disappear so much in games this year.”
- Dustin Keller, who tore his ACL, MCL and PCL and also dislocated the knee last August, is not yet 100 percent, but “hasn’t been ruled out and remains on the Dolphins’ radar,” writes ESPN.com’s James Walker.
- A brief, position-by-position analysis of the Jaguars’ off-season moves is provided by Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran, who describes under-the-radar free agent acquisition Dekoda Watson as an “ascending player.”
- During an edition of ESPN’s First Draft podcast (listen here), ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay campaigns for the Bears to draft Pittsburgh three-technique Aaron Donald 14th overall, saying the team’s Plan B would be “panic” in a scenario where Donald is off the board. McShay also called Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert the most overrated player in the draft.
- Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, recovered from a torn hamstring injury, worked out for scouts at GT’s pro day yesterday, and has visits scheduled with the Colts, Eagles and Patriots.
- A list of reported prospect workouts/visits as well as head coach and general manager sightings at various pro days can be found on NFL.com.
Redskins Cut Bellamy, Hull, Mouton
The Redskins have released Josh Bellamy, Josh Hull and Ryan Mouton, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). All three were special-teams contributors/fringe roster players, though Hull paced the team with 14 special-teams tackles, points out CSN Washington’s Tarik El-Bashir (via Twitter). Hull became expendable thanks to the Redskins’ free-agent linebacker acquisitions.
Chris Johnson To Sign By Next Week?
Free agent running back Chris Johnson, recently cut by the Titans, should settle on his new team by the middle of next week, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who writes the Jets are the “strongest link” at the momentum, but it’s still unclear where Johnson will land.
As for contract terms, Florio says,
“The fact that a land rush apparently hasn’t immediately emerged for Johnson could be a bad sign. And if there aren’t multiple teams with a high level of motivation to get Johnson, it will be hard for agent Joel Segal to get a significant offer.
“Don’t be surprised if Johnson ultimately does a one-year deal that allows him to get back to the open market on the first day of 2015 free agency, and don’t be shocked if the base value is a lot closer to $3.5 million (the current top of the market) than $8 million.”
The Jets are interested in Johnson if the price is right, though the team has yet to reach out to Johnson’s representation, says the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: Jackson, Hawkins, Coleman, Giants, Panthers
Former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson claims the team never specified why he was cut. “I was sitting there waiting for the reason why, but that’s basically all I can (recall) from the conversation,” Jackson told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “. … I got off the phone. I was like, ‘Are you sure? That’s it?’ We hung up. That was it.”
While the Eagles haven’t addressed the issue directly, more details of Jackson’s behavior have emerged thanks to Joseph Santoliquito of CBS Philly.
In other news and notes from around the NFC. . .
- Receiver Lavelle Hawkins worked out for the Buccanneers, according to Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Hawkins, who was cut by the Patriots last year, played for Bucs offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford at Cal.
- Wilson also reports that former Eagles safety Kurt Coleman worked out for the Colts.
- The Bears are not actively seeking to replace second-year right tackle Jordan Mills, writes ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright in a mailbag piece. Says Wright: “…the Bears are fairly happy with Mills, and expect him to improve in his second year. Mills to me has a very bright future in the NFL, and has the right attitude in terms of doing what it takes day in and day out to be a pro.”
- The Packers’ biggest defensive weakness is a lack of speed at inside linebacker, writes ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who suggests Alabama’s C.J. Mosley for the 21st pick.
- The Panthers could very well draft two receivers and two offensive tackles, speculates ESPN.com’s David Newton, who also says the “Double Trouble” running back tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart should remain intact for two more seasons.
- The Giants earned a B-minus grade in free agency in the eyes of NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, who recaps and reviews the team’s signings.
Brandt: Changes Needed For Cowboys To Return To Glory
Gil Brandt is a revered football man thanks to his role as the only VP of player personnel the Cowboys knew for the first 30 years of the franchise’s existence. The team won a pair of Super Bowls in the 1970s and three more in the 1990s, but has just one postseason victory since 1996. Accordingly, Brandt endorsed a “five-point, four-year plan to help the Cowboys return to glory” on NFL.com:
- Hire a director of football operations
Brandt credits Jerry Jones for his willingness to spend and spend big in an effort to win, but politely and eloquently echoes what many have said for years: Jones is in over his head as a football decision maker. Says Brandt: “This is why Jones would do well to hire an NFL insider — a veteran front office figure with a background in personnel and preferably general-manager experience — to direct the football side of the business, specifically with regard to scouting players.”
- Refocus the draft strategy
Brandt says the team has hurt itself by too often prioritizing need over value in the draft: “The Cowboys would likely improve their draft yield by first looking for the most talented player and then considering need. In the past, they’ve hampered themselves by focusing on filling roster holes rather than taking the best prospect available, leading them to sometimes reach for players. Picking a prospect ahead of where his rating suggests he should be picked often leads to trouble.” - Turn up the heat on the quarterback hunt
Brandt says the team is “set for now” with 34-year-old Tony Romo, but the time is now to look for his successor, calling this “an ideal year to grab a quarterback.” - Spend more carefully
Brandt insists the team must improve its contract valuation in order to avoid overpaying veterans (a consequence of poor drafting), entering into endless contract restructures, incurring dead money and hamstringing itself financially. Brandt warns, “Dallas should focus on getting the situation under control…. The team’s approach to staying under the cap has been driven largely by the tactic of re-working contracts and pushing the pain off to future years, likely with the expectation that the cap will continue to rise. But it would be better not to borrow so much against the future.” - Cement a franchise identity
Brandt asserts, “Great organizations have a solid identity and don’t change with the wind. They don’t shift their schemes suddenly or make erratic changes in strategy, because they have a carefully considered plan to begin with. This comes from taking a consistent approach to the draft, contracts and what you do on the football field — and that’s where the director of football operations would come in.”
In closing, Brandt advocates “taking a proactive approach” to analytics — he credits the Jaguars, in particular, in this department — and believes, “Statistical analysis has the potential to change the league in the same way that the advent of computer technology did 25 years ago, and keeping up with that can ensure that the Cowboys continue growing and getting better in a grounded, smart way.”