Bears Notes: Freeman, Eachus, Ringer
While Kentucky and Connecticut go to battle in one of the more improbable NCAA title games, the machine that is the NFL never stops, and the rumors continue to stream in. The Bears had a busy day, hosting former Buccaneers and Vikings quarterback Josh Freeman and signing long snapper Chad Rempel.
Rounding up more of the latest Windy City news below…
- Don’t count on the Bears signing Freeman after his Monday workout, reports ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson (via Twitter).
- The Chicago Tribune asks its readers to vote on whether Freeman would be a good backup option to Jay Cutler.
- The Bears worked out three running backs today — Nate Eachus (via National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson), Phillip Tanner and Javon Ringer (via Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs). Eachus was signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent from Colgate University in 2012, playing sparingly before sitting out 2013. Tanner saw limited action for the Cowboys the past three years, while Ringer spent the past four with the Titans.
- Former cornerback Terry Cousin, who played in Chicago from 1997-99, joined his old team in a staff role, earning the title of director of player engagement, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune writes.
- Rempel’s signing is insurance for 16-year veteran and free agent Patrick Mannelly, who is coming off hip surgery and considering retirement, writes CSN Chicago’s Chris Boden.
Extra Points: Roby, Knott, Freeman, Jones
In this thorough write-up, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken looks at Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby‘s upcoming visit with the Chargers, scheduled for later this month. Roby’s collegiate career featured a plethora of ups and downs, the majority of a non-positive nature.
“I think I had obvious shortcomings, on and off the field,” Roby told Gehlken in a phone interview. “It’s not about what happens to you. It’s all about how you respond and if you really learned. If you don’t learn, then it’s going to keep happening over and over again. I believe in karma. I believe in learning from mistakes; that’s what they’re there for.”
Roby is projected by some experts as a first-round pick. The Chargers own the No. 25 overall pick and last selected a defensive back in the first round in 2008, when they drafted Arizona’s Antoine Cason 27th overall.
Other news and notes from Friday night…
- Eagles linebacker Jake Knott has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2014 season, the team announced today. Knott violated the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances and is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. “We’re very disappointed to learn of his suspension,” the team said in a statement. “We have spoken to Jake and he is fully aware of the mistake he made and owned it. The key for him, however, is to learn from that mistake and move forward with his preparation for the 2014 season.”
- Receiver James Jones moved on from the Packers earlier this offseason, signing a three-year, $11.3MM deal with the Raiders. Another former Packers receiver, Antonio Freeman, shared his thoughts with Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying he wasn’t surprised with the move: “This game is about dollars and cents,” Freeman said. “It’s about cap value. That’s what these decisions come down to. It doesn’t come down to if James was a nice guy or a great locker room guy. He was a great guy. I met him a few times. I’ve heard great things about him. But it doesn’t come down to how nice of a guy you are. This is a business. This is Wall Street. This is Saks Fifth Avenue.”
Broncos, John Fox Agree To Extension
10:12pm: Fox’s deal is worth between $5MM to $6MM per year, reports Ryan Parker of The Denver Post.
9:10pm: Rapoport’s sources describe the deal as “fair and generous” (via Twitter).
8:33pm: The Broncos and head coach John Fox have agreed to a new three-year extension, reports FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer (via Twitter). As Glazer notes in his tweet, both Super Bowl head coaches — Fox and Seattle’s Pete Carroll — have agreed to new deals in a 24-hour span. It’s a “completely new” three-year deal, meaning the four-year, $14MM contract he signed in in 2011 was proverbially torn up.
Extending Fox’s contract was a top offseason priority for the Broncos, reported CBS Sports’ Jason LaCanfora in December. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweeted in the days leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII that negotiations were to begin after the big game.
The Broncos are 34-14 in three seasons under Fox’s tutelage, winning the AFC West each year. Before moving on to Denver, Fox coached the Carolina Panthers for nine seasons, including a Super Bowl appearance in February 2004.
Poll: Chris Johnson’s Future Home
The Titans gave running back Chris Johnson his unconditional release today, giving the three-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL rushing leader the freedom to choose his next team. There was speculation that Tennessee would try to trade Johnson, but a prohibitive salary and the decreased value of running backs led to a lack of substantive interest league-wide.
Now comes the streaming of rumors as to who’s in and who’s out on the Chris Johnson market, much like we saw when former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson became a free agent a week ago today. In this rumors roundup post by PFR’s Luke Adams, we see that four teams — the Jets, Bills, Dolphins and Falcons — all discussed a possible trade for Johnson, but nothing came to fruition.
In this writeup by SI.com’s Chris Burke, the writer outlines eight teams as potential landing spots for the one-time 2,000-yard back: Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Bears, Cardinals, Broncos, Rams, and Jaguars.
Will CJ2K end up with one of these eight teams? Or is there a sleeper team Burke failed to mention that could wind up utilizing Johnson’s services for the foreseeable future? Let us know in this PFR poll.
Remaining Salary Cap Space Per Team
Curious about how much salary cap space your favorite team has? Thanks to the hard work by OverTheCap.com, they’ve procured estimates for all 32 NFL teams, and we’re bringing the figures to you in order, from most to least.
Teams generally need between $4-6MM in cap space for their rookie draft classes. Earlier this week we brought you the 2014 rookie draft pool estimates, again courtesy of Over The Cap.
Extra Points: McRath, Price, Hoyer, Taylor
It’s been a relatively slow Sunday around the league, but there are still plenty of worthwhile stories to read. We’ve parsed through an assortment of them and bring you the most pertinent bits:
- Linebacker Gerald McRath, who played 40 games for the Titans from 2009 through 2011, has been signed by the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Winnipeg Free Press reports.
- Former University of Washington quarterback Keith Price wrote in this first-person piece for USA Today Sports he will make “close to 60 throws” in his upcoming pro day on Wednesday.
- The Titans will welcome former Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews on Monday for a pre-draft visit, The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt reports (via Twitter).
- Brian Hoyer is eager for the upcoming quarterback competition in Browns training camp, he told Daryl Ruiter of CBS Cleveland.
- USA Today Sports’ Jim Corbett tackles the issue of finding the right fit for a team in Los Angeles.
- Former general manager Phil Savage, now the executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, spoke with Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and talked about the evolution of the tight end position: “In the classic sense of the term ‘tight end,’ you’re not going to see as many of them in college football now as you would have 15 years ago,” Savage said. “You don’t see the Mark Bavaros in the college game as much as you did 25 years ago. But I do think that teams in the NFL are looking for these guys who can play in space and give you a threat down the middle of the field.”
- Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor knows his standing on the depth chart and understands he’ll have to compete for the backup job, writes The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
Eagles Notes: Maclin, Sproles, Jackson
The time is now for Jeremy Maclin to thrive in Philadelphia, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. As the team’s No. 1 receiver with the jettisoning of DeSean Jackson, it’s unclear whether Maclin will be at full strength come training camp after an ACL injury last July, according to general manager Howie Roseman: “In terms of the exact timetable, my understanding is with an ACL, when you get to this point this far along, then the process … comes in weekly increments. I think we’ll know more as it goes. Obviously we feel really good about his progress. We signed him. We were aggressive trying to bring him back.” Roseman re-signed Maclin to a one-year, $5.5MM deal at the end of last month, and a big year could turn into a big contract for the sixth-year receiver from Chesterfield, Missouri.
More news and notes from arguably the busiest franchise this offseason…
- ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins a number questions regarding Jackson’s release, asking why the team didn’t demand more from Jackson or confront him about having supposed gang relations.
- Chip Kelly doesn’t see Darren Sproles as a replacement player for Jackson. “Totally different positions,” Kelly said, via Ed Kracz of the Burlington County Times. “Darren is a running back. DeSean a wideout, so our whole thing, and I mentioned it when we got Darren, we’re excited about him, but we’ve got a long way to go here before we play a game so let’s get him in here. Let’s go through phase one, OTA, minicamp, and all that, and find out what his strengths are and play to them, but I’m real excited with the addition and what he can give us.” Kelly’s comments came at the NFL owners’ meetings when Jackson was still on the team, but the meaning remains the same.
Poll: DeSean Jackson’s Landing Spot
Former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson was released by the club on Friday, and the rumors have since been streaming in nonstop. In fact, the PFR team had posts rounding up the rumors surrounding the former Cal standout for over a week now, including this article with a link saying the Jets have had internal discussions about adding Jackson.
Now that Jackson is a free agent and is free to choose his landing spot as he so pleases, the football world is waiting with bated breath. Rarely does a player of Jackson’s caliber make it to free agency in his prime, but in the aftermath of the Aaron Hernandez-saga and Jackson’s prohibitive salary, the Eagles simply made a business decision to move on without one of the most talented players in football.
Here are Pro Football Rumors’ most recent Jackson-related rumors roundup posts:
Now, based on the information we have presented in prior rumors posts, we want to know where you think Jackson will be spending next season (and potentially beyond). Does he stay in the NFC East with the Redskins? Does Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie bring Jackson back to the Bay Area?
You decide.
NFC Mailbag Roundup: Cowboys, Packers
Thanks to ESPN dedicating a seasoned reporter to each NFL team, there’s never a shortage for content. Today is mailbag day, where the reporters answer Twitter questions from fans in posts on the ESPN NFL Nation site. We’ve perused the mailbags and are bringing you the most relevant information from the NFC:
- Todd Archer thinks $11MM a year for Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant might be a little high, in part because of the money tied up in quarterback Tony Romo. However, if the contract is structured in such a way to encourage Bryant to prove it every year — with yearly roster bonuses, for example — it would make more sense.
- Rob Demovsky takes on the Packers center situation, saying the team can’t pay everyone big money on the offensive line. Guards T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton are each on their second contracts, while tackles Bryan Bulaga and Derek Sherrod earn first-round pick salaries. Demovsky pegs center candidate J.C. Tretter as “smart, athletic, extremely versatile and a tough guy,” and says Don Barclay and possibly a draft pick with challenge Tretter for the job.
- In an interesting bit of news, Demovsky reports that the Packers will gain $350K in salary-cap space for this season and every season through 2017 thanks to an insurance policy that kicked in when quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed seven games with a fractured left clavicle.
- Cornerback Charles Godfrey currently carries a $7.1MM salary cap figure, and David Newton says the Panthers want Godfrey on the roster, but not at that number. Godfrey suffered an Achilles injury in Week 2 that prematurely ended his 2013 season, and his recovery from the injury will go a long way to figuring out his status on the team.
- Mike Triplett says there’s probably a “good chance” the Saints will add another veteran receiver.
- Michael Rothstein does not agree with the Lions‘ choice to not exercise the defensive tackle’s $5.5MM option for 2015.
- Dan Graziano says North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron “remains a strong possibility” for the Giants with the No. 12 overall pick.
- Ryan Clark remains an option at free safety for the Redskins, John Keim writes, adding that he thinks the team will draft someone at the position.
- Ben Goessling doesn’t think the Vikings were willing to spend what the Giants ended up spending for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Mark Dominik Talks Darrelle Revis
The general manager who traded first- and fourth-round picks a year ago for Darrelle Revis, as well as signing him to a six-year, $96MM contract, is no longer a general manager. Mark Dominik lost his job with the Buccaneers after a tumultuous 4-12 season and is now an NFL insider for ESPN, but he has first-hand knowledge of Revis, who signed with the Patriots after his release from Tampa Bay. Field Yates of ESPN.com spoke with Dominik to glean insight on the All-Pro cornerback, as well as fellow Patriots defensive backs Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan.
On Revis’ greatness:
“Revis to me, in spending time around him, has unique anticipation. Elite anticipation is probably the right way to use it. He has a way of feeling it, understanding routes, reading the hops of players, reading the eyes, [the] general feel and he’s exceptional with ball skills. He knows how to break on the ball, where to use his hands to avoid penalties, and he obviously has soft hands for interceptions. His ball awareness and ball skills, and then again anticipation, are what make him an elite corner.”
On Revis the person:
“Darrelle is very low maintenance, very down to earth. Not full of himself, a really good dude, soft spoken, but will speak when he feels like he needs to. He’s a great teammate that way. And really, he’s a good man. He comes from a good family, his mother is a wonderful lady, and Darrelle’s a unique person, and I think he doesn’t usually talk much unless he’s provoked. And Darrelle just lets his play talk.”
On Revis’ surgically repaired knee:
“Coming off an ACL as a cornerback, a lot of guys have made that transition, and sometimes it takes more than a year. I think Darrelle still played at a very high level, we put him in some tough spots in terms of coverage, but at the end of the day he still was what I thought was the elite corner that we traded for. That’s why I think it’s a great acquisition for the New England Patriots.”
On Browner:
“Browner is a huge corner. Just really long from his ankle to knee and then his knee to his arms. I mean that’s what his advantage is. He’s going to be a little bit tighter in space, short-area quickness, [those are] the things he’s going to struggle with. He’s going to come up and maul you at the line of scrimmage, beat you up, and he’ll tackle you. They have big corners, thick corners, and that’s obviously what coach Belichick is looking for.”
On Ryan:
“Very smart football player, extremely smart. Understands angle, good positioning. Again, good with his hands, and he has enough speed. His big thing that everybody talks about is the top-end speed, but again, if you get a pass rush and you get a guy who understands early stuff and uses his hands well, you can eliminate some of that speed deficiency, and I think Logan can do that.”