Ravens Notes: TEs And Backup QBs
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke with reporters today, and while there were no “major revelations,” he did indicate that the team is still talking to free agent tight ends Ed Dickson and Owen Daniels, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team is looking for a complement to No. 1 tight end Dennis Pitta, who recently signed a five-year extension with the club.
It is unclear if the team prefers Dickson or Daniels at this point. Dickson has generally underperformed and has struggled with drops since the Ravens drafted him in 2010, so Daniels would present a significant upgrade from a pure talent standpoint. However, Daniels is five years older and has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, so Baltimore would be taking a gamble with him as well.
A few early mock drafts predicted that North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron would fall to the Ravens in the draft, but now it is generally believed that he will be off the board before the Ravens are on the clock with the No. 17 overall pick.
A few more quick notes from Charm City:
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the team is “in discussions” with several veteran backup QBs. Wilson does not indicate who those veteran backups might be, but it became clear that the Ravens would look to bring in legitimate competition for current backup Tyrod Taylor when it was revealed that they had spoken to Brandon Weeden before he signed with the Cowboys. The top QBs still available include Matt Flynn, Josh Freeman, and Rex Grossman.
- In a separate tweet, Zrebiec notes that it is worth keeping an eye on the Texans’ quarterback situation. Houston currently has three quarterbacks on the roster–Ryan Fitzpatrick, Case Keenum, and T.J. Yates–and is likely to draft a QB in the early rounds of the draft, so it appears as if at least one of Keenum or Yates will become available. Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is of course familiar with both players, and Baltimore seems to have a penchant for acquiring Houston’s cast-offs and successfully integrating them into its roster.
- The Ravens signed newly-acquired center Jeremy Zuttah to a five-year extension shortly after trading for him, an extension that lessened Zuttah’s 2014 cap hit to $1.7MM. Baltimore now has $6.971MM to work with, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
Johnny Manziel To Visit Patriots
Texas A&M product and top quarterback prospect Johnny Manziel is in Foxboro and will meet with the Patriots tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport adds that Manziel’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, would not confirm the visit, though Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweeted that the meeting will indeed take place.
This is probably nothing more than thorough due diligence on New England’s part. Nonetheless, the NFL Network’s Albert Breer tweets that the visit is “interesting” in that it comes on the heels of the team’s meeting with UCF quarterback Blake Bortles in Orlando last week. Bortles, like Manziel, is expected to be taken early in the first round of this year’s draft, and although the Patriots may be looking for a quarterback to groom given Tom Brady‘s age and the fact that Ryan Mallett will be a free agent at season’s end, it is highly unlikely that they would spend their first-round pick on such a quarterback at this point. For that matter, it is highly unlikely that Bortles or Manziel would even fall to New England, who hold the 29th overall pick in the draft.
Nonetheless, it is sure to be an intriguing visit, and we will keep you posted if anything of note should come of it.
Saints Sign Parys Haralson
The Saints have re-signed free agent LB Parys Haralson to a one-year deal, the team announced (via Twitter).
New Orleans acquired Haralson last season in a trade with the 49ers, sending a 2014 seventh-round draft pick to San Francisco in exchange for the veteran linebacker. Haralson played in all 16 games for the Saints last season, starting eight of those games and finishing with 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
Over the course of his eight-year career, the former Tennessee Volunteer and 2006 fifth-round draft pick has played in 102 games, including 76 starts, and has amassed 330 tackles, 25 sacks, five passes defensed, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and 24 special teams stops. Haralson is capable of playing either on the weak-side or the strong-side, and is particularly particularly adept against the run; his presence would have been missed in New Orleans had he signed elsewhere.
Jets Sign Dimitri Patterson
The Jets have signed free agent cornerback Dimitri Patterson, the team announced (via Twitter). According to a tweet from Pro Football Talk, it is a one-year, $3MM deal, which Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News confirms (via Twitter).
The Jets will be the sixth different team that Patterson has played for in his nine-year career, having also suited up for the Redskins, Chiefs, Eagles, Browns, and Dolphins. Despite missing 10 games with a groin injury, Patterson played well for the Dolphins last season, recording four interceptions in just 240 defensive snaps. He also tallied four picks with Philadelphia in 2010, the only season in which he played the full 16 games.
Patterson, who will turn 31 before the season begins, helps to solidify a very uncertain New York secondary. Excluding Patterson, the top three corners on the depth chart are Dee Milliner, Darrin Walls, and Kyle Wilson, none of whom have inspired a great deal of confidence. Of course, the Jets either missed out on, or did not pursue, top free agent corners like Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Darrelle Revis (who signed with division rival New England after being released by the Buccaneers). For a defense predicated on strong man-to-man play from its cornerbacks, the inability to land a top corner represented a major concern.
Although Patterson is at his best when lined up in the slot, he did play primarily on the outside with Miami and proved that he could at least hold his own there. Given the lack of experience of the other corners currently on the roster, Patterson will certainly have the chance to start for the Jets and, assuming he stays healthy, may prove to be a quality signing for a bargain price.
DeSean Jackson Rumors: Sunday
More speculation regarding the DeSean Jackson saga:
- The Chiefs “would’ve loved” to sign Jackson, but they simply don’t have the cap space available to compete with other suitors, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
- We noted earlier that the Redskins are very interested in Jackson, but Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that cap room might be a problem in Washington, as well. The Redskins have roughly $7MM in space, while other potential bidders such as the Bills and Raiders have about $14MM available. If Washington is serious about making a legitimate offer to Jackson, a backloaded deal with a low first-year salary might make the most sense.
- In a couplet of tweets, Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that Jackson, unsurprisingly, is expected to “follow the money,” but also notes that the receiver market has been relatively modest, noting the lower-than-expected salaries of Eric Decker, Golden Tate, and others. Breer also opines that a strong receiver draft class works against Jackson’s demands.
Earlier Updates:
- Citing multiple reports, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes that the Redskins intend to make a serious bid to sign Jackson during his visit tomorrow, and Jackson is excited about the prospect of playing for the ‘Skins.
- NFL Network’s Albert Breer tweets that the number of serious suitors for Jackson could be relatively small. With the Jets seemingly out and the Chiefs out, the Redskins, Raiders, and Bills would seem to comprise the current class of “serious suitors.”
- Breer also tweets that the Raiders are “still doing background work” on Jackson and realize there is a risk in bringing him to Oakland.
- Although the Redskins get the first shot at Jackson and the Raiders have plenty of cap space, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bills should not be ruled out, and he implies that they are serious in their interest. Rapoport also tweeted that Buffalo is quietly researching and recruiting Jackson.
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer offers his take as to why Jackson was let go.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a similar opinion on Jackson’s release.
- Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine offers a useful roundup of national media rumblings on the Jackson story.
49ers Notes: WRs, Culliver, Verrett
Michael Crabtree is entering the final year of his contract, and although the 49ers have expressed their desire to sign him to a long-term deal, they have to at least prepare for his departure, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Similarly, although Anquan Boldin just signed a two-year deal with the team, his age suggests that the 49ers have to start looking for his eventual replacement as well.
Furthermore, neither of those players offer much of a speed element to the 49ers vertical attack–which helps to explain the natural links that pundits drew connecting DeSean Jackson to San Francisco–so Barrows believes the 49ers need to add both a strong, sturdy receiver as well as a speedster. He notes that the team has the resources–six draft picks in the first three rounds–to fill those needs in this deep class of wide receivers.
Some more notes from the NFC West powerhouse:
- Needless to say, Clemson WR Sammy Watkins would be a “beautiful fit” in the 49ers receiving corps, but Bill Williamson of ESPN.com thinks the price will just be too steep for the 49ers to trade up high enough to draft him. Williamson does not, however, rule it out, given that the team does not have many other holes to fill.
- In a separate piece, Williamson notes that the 49ers were always going to take a cornerback early in the draft, but the uncertainty that Chris Culliver‘s arrest has created makes the team’s need for a corner even more pressing. It was his presence that allowed the 49ers to let Tarell Brown leave for Oakland and stopped them from pushing harder for a free agent like Walter Thurmond. That said, San Francisco may use one or more of its six picks in the first three rounds to move up not for a top-flight receiver, but a top-flight corner.
- In keeping with those sentiments, after projecting the 49ers to draft a receiver in his first several mock drafts, Williamson is now mocking TCU cornerback Jason Verrett to the 49ers with the No. 30 overall selection.
Extra Points: Browns, Latimer, Dolphins
It is typically true that a poor showing during an NFL prospect’s pro day is a great deal more noteworthy than a strong one. After all, pro days are arranged to optimize performance, with familiar conditions, familiar targets, etc. So when Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater delivered an underwhelming audition at his pro day, it created a bit of a stir among national writers who were suddenly more quick to point out his faults than his strengths.
In a recent mailbag, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com expressed his belief that the Browns will not only pass on Bridgewater with their No. 4 overall pick, but with their No. 26 overall pick as well. Instead, Grossi projects the Browns to take Clemson WR Sammy Watkins with the fourth pick in the draft (although he does tweet that the Browns have to consider a QB in the first three rounds). Now for some more notes around the league:
- Despite using the transition tag, rather than the franchise tag, on free agent center Alex Mack, the Browns seem to have kept him off the market just the same. Grossi tweets that Mack has not received offers from any other club.
- Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer looks at five positions the Panthers need to address in the rest of the offseason, beginning with a No. 1 wideout.
- Indiana WR Cody Latimer has a private visit scheduled with the Ravens and Seahawks, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Latimer is considered a rising prospect and caught 72 passes for 1,096 yards and nine touchdowns last season. As we saw in a piece that our Luke Adams wrote on Thursday, Latimer will be a very busy young man, with at least seven teams having scheduled a visit with him.
- Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel put together a very detailed mailbag post, beginning with an examination of what the Dolphins might do if one of the top QB prospects falls to them with the No. 19 overall pick in the draft.
RBs, TEs, And The Modern NFL
A number of writers have taken a recent look at the evolution of the NFL and how that evolution affects certain positions. It is not news, of course, that as the league has become increasingly conducive to the passing game, teams are throwing the ball more than ever before. As a result, certain positions–most notably, the “classic” tight end, the fullback, and the running back–are becoming devalued.
Here at PFR, we focus primarily upon news related to player and personnel movement: free agency, the draft, hirings/firings, etc. Sometimes, then, it is nice to step back and take a look at the dynamics underlying that movement. For instance, one of the primary reasons the Lions wanted to keep Brandon Pettigrew was that he is one of the very few active tight ends who have value as both a receiver and blocker. And has anyone heard from Vonta Leach since he was released by the Ravens? He has long been one of the best fullbacks in the league, and surely has another year or two left in the tank, but there does not seem to be much room for him in today’s NFL. And after Knowshon Moreno‘s strong season in 2013, would the Broncos have been so willing to cast him aside even five years ago? Would the Dolphins have been able to land him with such a small contract? The answer to both questions is probably a resounding “no.”
Through the eyes of former “classic” tight end Ben Coates, who currently serves as the offensive coordinator for St. Augustine’s University, Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the dearth of tight ends like Coates and Pettigrew, players just as capable of throwing a block as running a route. Coates believes that the reason for the absence of such players is twofold. First, teams are simply looking to capitalize on the nightmarish mismatches that players like Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski can offer. Second, the supply of “two-way” tight ends has been greatly reduced by the proliferation of spread offenses in college football, offenses that demand players built like traditional tight ends to run down seams and out-muscle smaller corners and less athletic linebackers.
As for running backs, Mike Klis of the Denver Post and OverTheCap.com take an in-depth look at the devaluation of the position, which is even more dramatic than one might think. In fact, contracts for running backs are most comparable to those being given out to kickers.
Of course, the contextual backdrop for all of this is the new CBA, which, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald points out, continues to squeeze the “middle class” of free agents. Tight ends who offer more as blockers than as receivers have probably been in that middle class–or lower–for some time, but running backs, even the good ones, are increasingly finding themselves in that caste. These days, when we hit what Beasley calls the “value spending” stage of free agency–that period of time after the most desirable players are signed and the league’s collective attention is turned towards the draft–teams can fill whatever holes they have at those positions on the cheap, or they can simply wait until the later rounds of the draft or for an undrafted free agent to fall into their laps.
All of the articles referenced above are worth a read, and they give you some useful context as you take a look at our posts, check for updates on your favorite team, and as you wonder why certain players remain unemployed.
AFC Notes: Clowney, Broncos, Jets
Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is not done beefing up his team’s floundering pass rush, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union. The Jags have already re-signed Jason Babin and have added Chris Clemons and Red Bryant to the fold, but Bradley wants four “Leo-types” on his roster. In other words, if Jadeveon Clowney is still on the board when Jacksonville makes the third overall selection, expect him to be standing next to Roger Goodell with a Jaguars jersey in his hands.
By the same token, if the Rams–or, much more likely, the Texans–take Clowney with one of the top two picks, expect the Jaguars to try and trade down. Jacksonville will also have a chance to manipulate the draft in the later rounds. The team holds 11 picks, including two in the fourth round, three in the fifth, and two more in the sixth. Expect the team to move around in the draft as it looks to become relevant again in the AFC South.
More notes from the AFC:
- Despite the departure of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Harris‘ knee surgery and the injury history of the newly-added Aqib Talib, don’t expect the Broncos to jump on a corner in the first round of the draft, writes Mike Kiszla of the Denver Post. Kiszla believes defensive linemen will offer the most value at the bottom of the first round, where collegiate standouts Ra’Shede Hageman and Stephon Tuitt may still be available.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, like his colleagues, does not believe the Jets will pursue DeSean Jackson, and he believes that staying away from Jackson is a “smart move.” Cimini is intrigued by newly-added cornerback Jeremy Reeves, whose signing our Luke Adams discussed on Friday.
- Christopher Price of WEEI.com looks at some of the Patriots‘ prime candidates for contract extensions.
More DeSean: False Rumors And The Jets
3:23pm: Jets owner Woody Johnson indicated the team’s interest in Jackson by name, saying “We’re looking at a lot of players, including DeSean,” according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link). However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Johnson implied that a trade was not the best option to acquire Jackson, ostensibly meaning that the Jets hope the Eagles simply release the receiver.
9:18am: Here at PFR, we have written extensively on the potential trade or release of mercurial wideout DeSean Jackson since rumors first surfaced that the Eagles would listen to trade offers for him at the beginning of this month (check out a useful roundup of Jackson links here). At some point over the course of the past few weeks, the Patriots, 49ers, Jets, Panthers, and Seahawks have all been said to have some interest in Jackson, either in trading for him or signing him if he should be released.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has added an interesting twist to the story. He writes that there is “suspicion” in league circles that the interest of at least some of the above-mentioned teams has been fabricated by the Eagles in an attempt to create a trade market for Jackson. Of course, if Philadelphia is indeed leaking false rumors, the strategy does not appear to be paying off, as there has yet to be a single report of a firm offer for Jackson.
However, the Jets’ interest does appear to be genuine. New York has been the team linked most frequently to Jackson, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Jets have the ammo to bring him aboard. As Cimini notes, the Jets “have the resources to be a major player. They have the need, the cap space (more than $30 million) and the right recruiter (Michael Vick).”
Cimini adds that the Jets have a “measured interest” in trading for Jackson, but that their interest would certainly intensify if Jackson were released. Nonetheless, Cimini himself believes acquiring Jackson would be out of character for GM John Idzik. Jackson is a “problem child,” and the fact that the Eagles appear willing to rid themselves of such an integral component to their 2013 success speaks volumes. Cimini also notes that Jackson and Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg appeared to have something of a rocky relationship when Mornhinweg was in Philadelphia.