Minor Moves: Bruce Johnson
We have a minor transaction to pass along this morning, and as the day goes on, we will add any other minor moves to the top of this page. We classify minor moves as free agents accepting contract tenders, notable CFL signings, and signings and cuts involving players who haven’t seen much or any NFL action lately.
- Former Giants and Texans CB Bruce Johnson has signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, tweets ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan. The former Miami Hurricane, who was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2009, had an intriguing start to his career. In 2009, he started five games, appeared in all 16, and logged two interceptions (including a pick-six) and a sack. However, he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in 2010 and was never able to get back on track. He will now try to revive his career in Canada.
Colts Sign Colt Anderson
TUESDAY, 4:02pm: Anderson’s one-year contract with the Colts is for the minimum, with $65K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. That $65K likely comes in the form of a signing bonus.
MONDAY, 8:33pm: The Colts have signed free agent safety Colt Anderson, the team announced earlier tonight. Anderson is regarded as a special teams ace, and he led the Eagles with 16 special teams tackles in 2013.
The former Montana Grizzly was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2009, but the Eagles poached him off Minnesota’s practice squad in November 2010. He spent the next three-and-a-half seasons with Philadelphia, starting six games (including the final four games of 2012) and appearing in 48. During that time, Anderson posted 47 tackles, 46 special teams tackles, four passes defensed, one interception, and two forced fumbles.
Although the Colts do have a vacancy at safety with the departure of Antoine Bethea, it is likely that Anderson will primarily serve as a special teams contributor with Indianapolis. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but odds are it will be a one-year, minimum-salary benefit contract.
It has also been noted that Anderson’s first name meshes well with his new club.
Extra Points: Orton, Roos, Savage
Today marked the first day of voluntary offseason workouts for the Cowboys, and backup QB Kyle Orton was absent, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Given conflicting reports earlier this offseason concerning whether Orton wanted to retire from the game, Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com writes that it is a “strange absence.”
However, Watkins points to earlier statements made by Orton’s agent, David Dunn, who said retirement was not an option for his client. And, as Williams points out, these are voluntary workouts, and the Cowboys remain hopeful that Orton will return (Twitter link). Nonetheless, this will be an interesting story to keep an eye on in the coming days, much more interesting than most stories involving backup signal-callers.
Now for some some quick notes from around the league to close out the evening:
- In the midst of their respective legal concerns, 49ers stars Colin Kaepernick and Aldon Smith were present for the team’s first day of offseason workouts, according to Cam Inman of InsideBayArea.com.
- Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tweets that there have been no extension talks between the Titans and LT Michael Roos, who is entering the final year of his contract.
- The Bears are open to drafting a QB that head coach Marc Trestman can groom behind Jay Cutler and current backup Jordan Palmer, writes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets that the Patriots are “very high” on Pittsburgh QB Tom Savage and that some refer to him as “Tom #2.”
Suh Will Not Attend Voluntary Minicamp
Ndamukong Suh will not attend the Lions’ voluntary minicamp this week, according to the Associated Press (citing an unnamed source). The source, said to be “familiar with the situation,” adds that Suh does plan to attend the team’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp next month.
Because the Lions have a new head coach, Jim Caldwell, they were able to begin Phase 1 of voluntary offseason workouts two weeks ago. Phase 1 activities are limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation, and although coaches are not permitted on the field or in the weight room during Phase 1, they can conduct instructional sessions in meeting rooms. 19 of the 25 teams who do not have new head coaches began Phase 1 today, and the remaining six clubs will begin tomorrow.
Suh has not shown up to team facilities since the Lions were first permitted to conduct offseason workouts on April 7, and while the absence of veteran players from these types of voluntary activities often means nothing, particularly when a well-established veteran is the absentee, those absences sometimes take on increased significance under certain circumstances. Suh’s teammate, Lions RB Reggie Bush, noted several weeks ago that he believed Suh’s lack of participation was a “contract thing,” and he is probably right.
Suh is in the last year of his deal with the Lions, and he carries a $22.41MM cap hit in 2014. Team president Tom Lewand recently expressed optimism that the two sides would get an extension worked out, and such an extension would indubitably make Suh one of the highest-paid defensive players in league history. If these contract discussions do not get resolved by next month, it will be interesting to see if Suh does in fact participate in May’s voluntary workouts and mandatory minicamp as he currently suggests.
Draft Notes: Browns, Norwood, Allen
Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater visited with the Browns today, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Rapoport adds that Bridgewater will next meet with the Texans.
Bridgewater also had a private workout with the Browns, and as Jeff Schudel of The Morning Journal writes, “When all is said and done, the Browns will have privately worked out all the top-rated quarterbacks in the draft and will have had all the top prospects to Berea for a personal visit.” Schudel notes that UCF signal-caller Blake Bortles is visiting the Browns today and tomorrow, Georgia’s Aaron Murray indicated he would be visiting with the team April 22-23, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr will visit April 24.
Of course, Cleveland already worked worked out Texas A&M superstar Johnny Manizel several days ago, and Manziel also plans to “squeeze in” a visit with the Browns later this month. The Browns will meet with Murray again next week in Athens, Ga. Our own David Kipke detailed the wide variety of options that the Browns have when it comes to selecting a QB in this year’s draft, and they have certainly done their due diligence. Now it will be up to Ray Farmer and company to effectively evaluate what they have seen and make the decision that previous Cleveland regimes have been unable to make.
Several quick draft notes:
- We learned this morning that Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney were visiting with the Texans today, and Mark Berman of FOX Houston tweets that Manziel was having dinner with head coach Bill O’Brien and his offensive staff, while Clowney was dining with GM Rick Smith and the team’s defensive staff.
- Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Alabama WR Kevin Norwood says the Eagles and Panthers have indicated they have strong interest in him.
- Tim McManus of Philadelphia Magazine writes that Wisconsin DT Beau Allen could be a fit for the Eagles. Philadelphia’s defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro recruited Allen out of high school while working in the same capacity under Chip Kelly at Oregon, and Azzinaro was present at Wisconsin’s pro day last month. Allen is projected to be a mid- to late-round selection.
NFC Notes: Lions, Williams, Aldon Smith
The Lions‘ brass held a town hall meeting for season ticket holders on Monday, and there were a few highlights. For instances, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that team president Tom Lewand is optimistic that a new deal for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will get done, although there is nothing new on that front just yet.
Vice President of Player Personnel Sheldon White also spoke at the meeting. Referencing the Lions’ late-game meltdowns in 2013, White said the team will be looking for “closers” in this year’s draft (Twitter link). And special teams coordinator John Bonamego said that finding a kicker is his “top priority” from a scouting standpoint (Twitter link) and that the team will compare Giorgio Tavecchio and John Potter with the players available in the draft to determine the best fit in that regard (Twitter link).
More notes from the NFC to close out the night:
- Mark Craig of the Star Tribune tweets that free agent defensive tackle Kevin Williams visited with the Giants Monday night and that the visit will continue on Tuesday. As our Luke Adams recently wrote, Williams still offers solid value as a veteran run-stopper.
- NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it would be hard to imagine the 49ers picking up Aldon Smith‘s option by the May 3 deadline, given that the team will not have “enough answers” regarding his latest off-field incident by that time. Instead, he believes the team will go year-to-year with Smith (Twitter link).
- After meeting with the Titans, Colts, and Redskins, Louisville DE Marcus Smith will have his final pre-draft visit with the Eagles next week, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
- Oklahoma State CB Justin Gilbert is visiting the Saints, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
AFC Notes: Dolphins, FA Grades, Manziel
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that, although wide receiver might be the deepest position on the Dolphins‘ roster, and although the team likes the top receivers on its depth chart–Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, and Rishard Matthews–Miami wants to continue adding to its receiving corps.
The Dolphins were unable to land Nate Burleson, who ultimately signed with the Browns, but they did recently add Damian Williams along with “long shots” Kevin Cone and Mike Rios. More importantly, they have devoted at least three of their 30 official visits to wide receivers who are projected to be taken in the first several rounds of next month’s draft. The team will visit with Ole Miss receiver Donte Moncrief and Clemson wideout Martavis Bryant, along with USC’s Marqise Lee.
As Jackson observes, the attention to receivers is motivated at least in part by the recent surgeries that Hartline, Gibson, and the “intriguing” Armon Binns have undergone. No doubt the Dolphins are also intent on giving quarterback Ryan Tannehill as many explosive weapons as possible by mining the deepest wide receiver draft class in recent memory.
Some more notes from around the AFC:
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his series of offseason evaluations as he takes a look at how AFC West teams fared in free agency. He believes the Raiders‘ offseason looks like an attempt to recreate a Pro Bowl roster from 2009 and gives the team a “D” grade (link), while the Chiefs and Chargers receive similarly disappointing “C-” grades (links here). The Broncos, meanwhile, receive a “B” for their efforts (link), as Fitzgerald respects their bold acquisitions but wonders if Eric Decker and Darrelle Revis would have made more sense than Emmanuel Sanders and Aqib Talib. Since the team is sacrificing its cap health in 2015 anyway, Decker/Revis indubitably looks like the better play on paper.
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun provides a similar evaluation of the Ravens‘ offseason, noting that the club has “closed the gap” in the AFC North with its savvy series of re-signings and modest but potentially valuable additions like Steve Smith and Owen Daniels.
- After writing that the Texans would take Johnny Manizel and Blake Bortles in his first two mock drafts, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has shifted gears and now believes the team will select Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick.
- ESPN Insider Field Yates (subscription required) takes a look at how the Browns and Jaguars have gone about their respective rebuilding processes and evaluates the merits of each approach.
Texans Considering Khalil Mack With First Pick
We learned earlier today that the Texans would be hosting Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack sometime next week. However, that visit appears to be more than due diligence on Houston’s part. According to Brent Sobleski of USA Today, Mack is a “legitimate candidate” for the Texans’ No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Given that the quarterbacks who might make sense with the No. 1 pick each come with some red flags, and given the concerns surrounding Jadeveon Clowney‘s work ethic and lack of production in 2013, the fates might be aligning for Mack to hear his name called first when the draft opens on May 8.
Mack performed at an elite level at the combine, finishing among the top five linebackers in four of the six drills in which he participated, and he would also fit seamlessly into Houston’s 3-4 scheme. And although he played at a relatively small football program, there was nothing small about his production. Mack recorded 75 tackles for loss during his career in Buffalo, along with 28.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles.
Although the Texans would be taking something of a PR risk should they opt for Mack with the first pick–much as they did when they chose Mario Williams over Reggie Bush in 2006–his track record, the position he plays, and the level at which he plays it have forced him into the conversation along with the likes of Clowney, Johnny Manziel, and Blake Bortles.
NFC Mailbags: Saints, Giants, Eagles, Cards
Let’s have a look at some of the highlights from the mailbags of NFC writers:
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that the Saints are likely to draft a receiver in the first three rounds, given the combination of the team’s need for a dynamic young receiver and the depth of quality options available. However, if the Saints really like LSU WR Odell Beckham, Jr., whom they just saw at the LSU pro day last week, they will probably need to trade up from their No. 27 overall selection.
- In the wake of Eli Manning‘s ankle surgery Thursday, Giants fans are wondering if the team’s reaching out to veteran free agents like Josh Freeman and Matt Flynn is cause to worry about Manning’s health. ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano says there is no reason to worry at this point, and that there is a real possibility that all the team is doing is seeing whether players like Freeman and Flynn represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Curtis Painter.
- Bill Williamson of ESPN.com believes TCU CB Jason Verrett is a perfect fit for the 49ers with the No. 30 overall pick
- Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com sees a great deal of talent among defensive linemen projected to go in the top half of the first round of the draft, but the Bears have also brought in top safety prospects Deone Bucannon and Calvin Pryor for visits. Wright believes the decision between a defensive back and a defensive lineman will ultimately come down to what player still available the Bears have ranked highest on their board at the time of the pick.
- Speaking of safeties, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes the Eagles will definitely consider Bucannon or Northern Illinois product Jimmie Ward, they just won’t consider them in the first round.
- ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss believes the Cardinals would do well to draft LSU QB Zach Mettenberger and groom him behind incumbent starter Carson Palmer.
Extra Points: Landry, Thompson, Texans
Let’s have a look at some notes from around the league on this relatively slow news day:
- Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post takes a look at some of the most significant pro day workouts from this past week. LSU and Penn State were the major programs to host pro days, but smaller schools McNeese State and Bloomsburg also boast several draftable prospects.
- LSU WR Jarvis Landry will be an intriguing player to watch at next month’s draft. He carried a first-round grade into the combine, but performed poorly there, and though he showed improvement at his pro day this week, it won’t be enough to get him back in the first round. Gabriel expects him to be taken in the third or fourth round, but does note that Landry’s game tape is phenomenal and there are plenty of other top-flight receivers who have had mediocre workout numbers.
- BYU linebacker Kyle Van Noy has had a number of official visits already, and he recently met with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Van Noy has received first- and second-round grades from draft analysts.
- In a separate piece, Wilson writes that the felony and misdemeanor drug charges that Ravens WR Deonte Thompson was facing have been dropped by Florida prosecutors. Thompson may be crowded out of the Ravens roster this year, as the team added to its receiving corps this offseason and expects to add at least one more receiver in the draft, but at least he no longer has legal troubles hanging over his head.
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, noting that the Patriots have a penchant for drafting highly-talented players whose stock has taken a hit for medical reasons, wonders if Clemson guard Brandon Thomas, who carried a second-round grade before tearing his ACL in a pre-draft workout last week, might be a target in the middle to late rounds of this year’s draft.
- The Patriots are still in the mix for free agent OLB/DE Will Smith, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
- John McClain of the Houston Chronicle gives an excellent description of the dilemma the Texans, picking first overall for the third time in their young history, face in the 2014 draft.