This Date In Transactions History: Dolphins Sign Chad Johnson
In the summer of 2012, the Dolphins were less-than-enamored with their options at wide receiver. The Dolphins had just traded Brandon Marshall – fresh off of his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season – to the Bears for a pair of third-round picks. Then, in the draft, they did not select a wide receiver until the sixth round.
‘‘You would like to have some players make it easy and distinguish themselves, maybe make the picture a little bit clearer,’’ head coach Joe Philbin said (via The Boston Globe). ‘‘We have to catch the ball more consistently at every position on offense, because it is not quite where it needs to be.’’
After missing out on the first and second wave of free agent wide receivers, the Dolphins placed a call to Drew Rosenhaus to inquire on Chad Ochocinco (née Chad Johnson). On June 11, 2012, the Dolphins inked the eccentric veteran to a one-year deal.
Ochocinco’s career credentials were as impressive as his touchdown celebrations were inventive. To that point, he had 766 catches for 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns, six Pro Bowl nods, and two First-Team All-Pro selections.
However, the receiver’s best days were spent with the Bengals and he looked like a shell of his former self with the Patriots in the 2011 season. In his lone campaign with New England, Johnson had just 15 catches for 276 yards and one touchdown and was targeted just 32 times in total. Johnson clearly didn’t mesh with the Patriots’ offense and he didn’t impress in his two intra-divisional games against the Dolphins either. Against Miami, he had just one catch in each of those two games.
Ochocinco – who changed his name back to Johnson shortly after signing with Miami – didn’t mesh with Philbin and the rest of the staff. The melding of personalities turned out to be the least of his issues. In August, Johnson was arrested on domestic battery charges. Johnson proclaimed his innocence, but the Dolphins released him the very next day. Thanks to “Hard Knocks,” we have video of Philbin’s final conversation with Johnson.
Johnson’s deal with the Dolphins up being his final NFL contract. Johnson went on to play for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes in 2014 and was suspended for the 2015 season when he skipped mandatory practices. He re-emerged in 2017 to play in a single game for the Monterrey Fundidores of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional de México, where he scored on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the Fundidores’ winning effort.
NFL Cancels In-Person June Minicamps
The NFL has informed teams that there will be no in-person minicamps in June, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Instead, the league has extended its “virtual” offseason activities period through June 26.
This was the expected move as the league aims to exercise caution with a gradual phase-by-phase approach to the offseason. Coaches have been permitted to return to team facilities in states, counties, and cities where that’s allowed, though as of last Friday, less than half of the league’s staffs came to the office.
The league did discuss a scenario in which rookies and newly acquired veterans could return to team facilities before 6/26, but it’s not clear if that’s still in play. When players are given the greenlight for in-person activities, they’ll be required to follow a long list of safety protocols. Teams will reconfigure locker rooms to keep players roughly 6 feet apart, disinfect equipment after each game, and have their players wear masks, unless they get in the way of “athletic activities.”
The NFL may also shorten the preseason, with two exhibition games rather than the typical four-game slate. Still, things are looking up for the NFL as the country continues to relax restrictions. On Tuesday, New Jersey nixed its stay-at-home orders, leaving California, Tennessee, and Oregon as the final states sticking to a regional reopening plan.
Offset Language In The NFL, Explained
Ever since the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, rookie contracts have been fairly regimented. Negotiations between teams and draft picks have become smoother than ever, with few – if any – players expected to be unsigned by the time training camp gets underway. Still, a number players have yet to ink their rookie deals, including several first-rounders. 
These negotiations have been delayed, in large part, due to concerns over potential revenue loss in the coming year. Fortunately for teams, offset language is not expected to be a roadblock.
Over the last several years, only a handful of players in each year have managed to avoid having offsets language written into their deals. This year, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown were the first Round 1 picks to sign and they agreed to offset language.
That hasn’t always been the case. In 2015, Marcus Mariota‘s camp haggled with the Titans until the two sides finally reached an accord with partial offset language, a compromise that was not consummated until late July. In 2016, Joey Bosa’s holdout dominated headlines until the linebacker inked his deal on August 29th. In most cases, a lack of offsets for a player simply depends on which team drafted him — clubs like the Rams and Jaguars traditionally haven’t pushed to include offsets in contracts for their top picks, even in an era where most other teams around the league do.
Offset language relates to what happens to a player’s salary if he’s cut during the first four years of his career, while he’s still playing on his rookie contract. For the top 15 to 20 picks in the draft, those four-year salaries will be fully guaranteed, even if a player is waived at some point during those four seasons. For example, if a player has $4MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is cut, he’ll still be owed that $4MM.
However, if a team has written offset language into the contract, that club can save some money if and when the player signs with a new team. For example, if that player who had $4MM in guaranteed money left on his contract signs with a new club on a $1MM deal, his old team would only be on the hook for $3MM, with the new team making up the difference. If there’s no offset language on that first deal, the old team would continue to be on the hook for the full $4MM, and the player would simply earn an additional $1MM from his new club.
Although the negotiation of offset language might potentially delay a rookie’s signing, the offsets rarely come into play, since few top picks flame out badly enough that they’re released during their first four seasons. And even in those rare instances, if a player has performed poorly enough to be cut in his first few years, he likely won’t sign a lucrative deal elsewhere, so offset language wouldn’t help his old club recover more than perhaps the league minimum.
Teams Viewing Logan Ryan As Nickel CB?
Logan Ryan stands as one of the most attractive free agents left, in part due to his ability play both on the inside and the outside. However, some teams see Ryan as only a nickel cornerback, according to Adam Caplan of Inside The Birds. 
[RELATED: Ryan’s Asking Price Too High For Jets?]
That might help to explain the 29-year-old’s prolonged stint in free agency. Ryan is believed to be seeking $10MM per year and that’s not the kind of coin given to nickel defenders. Justin Coleman (Lions, $9MM/year), Tavon Young (Ravens, $8.6MM/year), and Chris Harris Jr. (Chargers, $8.5MM/year) lead the position in pay and Ryan probably can’t top that with a team only using him in the slot.
“A few of us during our early free agency meetings discussed whether to sign him and move him to safety,” one AFC official told Caplan. “You love his smarts, toughness and leadership…you just get concerned with putting him up against guys who can really run.”
The Jets have been heavily connected to Ryan, who was thought to be a natural fit opposite of Pierre Desir. The Dolphins – despite having already committed serious dollars and resources to the position – are also reportedly interested in Ryan, but they would only have room for him as a nickelback. Caplan notes that the Raiders – who were looking for an outside corner earlier this year – saw Ryan as a slot man. With Lamarcus Joyner already in that role, the Raiders did not pursue him.
Last year, Ryan set career-highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), sacks (4.5), and forced fumbles (four). Given his past performance, Ryan shouldn’t have a hard time finding work, but he might not get the $10MM figure he’s seeking.
NFL To Shorten Preseason?
The NFL and the players’ union are discussing the possibility of a shortened preseason, sources tell NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The belief is that we could wind up seeing only two preseason games played, rather than the usual four.
With a shortened exhibition slate, teams could have more time to prepare on the practice field and in the film room. Also, as Pelissero notes (Twitter link), it would buy more time for medical experts to develop and implement safety protocols for the many parties involved.
Most veteran players aren’t too fond of the preseason, but it’s a crucial platform for players on the fringe who are pushing to make the 53-man roster. Less preseason games could make it tougher for newcomers – especially undrafted free agents – to prove themselves and show what they can do in competition. Even before talk of a shortened preseason, fresh faces were facing an uphill battle. Instead, this could give a leg up to players returning from last year’s roster since they’re already familiar with the playbook.
As it stands, the NFL’s preseason is set to kick off on August 6th with the Steelers facing the Cowboys in the 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame game.
Packers Notes: Rodgers, LaFleur, Bakhtiari, Taylor
The Packers’ offense lacked its usual punch in 2019 and, so far, they have yet to add a playmaker this offseason. If the Packers aren’t able to address that need between now and September, head coach Matt LaFleur believes that he can make a difference from the sideline.
“It does start with the playcalling, maybe taking a few more chances to try to help generate those plays down the field,” said LaFleur (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky). “Typically, if you’re getting explosives, you’ve got a much better chance at scoring points.”
Last year, the Packers ranked 20th in explosive plays – passes of 20 yards or more and runs for at least ten yards. But, as Demovsky notes, it wasn’t the result of a conservative strategy. Aaron Rodgers had the league’s fifth-highest rate of pass attempts for 15+ yards and placed third in attempts for 20+ yards.
For now, the Packers are hoping that wide receiver Devin Funchess, second-round running back A.J. Dillon and third-round tight end Josiah Deguara will make a difference.
Here’s more out of Green Bay:
- After taking a pay cut in late May, Packers guard Lane Taylor will earn just $910K in base salary this year, according to Demovsky (on Twitter). He’s now set to count for $2.4MM against the cap in his final year under contract, saving the team roughly $3MM against the cap. The Packers now have about $14MM to spend, which could give them some room to add a playmaker for Rodgers.
- The extra cap room could also help the Packers lock up left tackle David Bakhtiari. In 2016, the Packers made Bakhtiari one of the five highest-paid tackles in the NFL with a four-year, $48MM extension. Now set to enter his final year, Bakhtiari’s value is tough to peg, as Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette writes. Bakhtiari, 29 in September, is one of the league’s best outside protectors, but he did regress slightly in 2019. Last year, he was flagged 12 times, his highest penalty total since 2015. For his part, Bakhtiari says that it was the product of adjusting to a new system. “The false starts are … I mean, that’s just unacceptable,” Bakhtiari said. “That just really comes down to thinking more about the concepts. Also just being new to a bunch of new things that are going on, So I’m taking my thought process away from the cadence. I think I kind of situated that and ironed that out.”
- The Packers inked rookie Jon Runyan Jr. late last week, officially bringing one of Bakhtiari’s new backups into the fold.
Seahawks Offered Jadeveon Clowney $15MM/Year?
At one point in negotiations, the Seahawks offered Jadeveon Clowney a one-year, $15MM deal, according to a league source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. If that proposal is still on the table, it stands to reason that the defensive end could return to Seattle, but according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, that is not the case (Twitter link). Anderson says that the starting point for negotiations between the two sides would be “very different” than the $15MM figure. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Hire Alonzo Highsmith For Full-Time Role]
Clowney has said that he wouldn’t mind returning to the Seahawks, though he rejected an offer from the team early in the offseason. Since then, the Seahawks have found front seven help elsewhere by adding Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa in free agency. They also found edge help in the draft by selecting outside linebacker Darrell Taylor (Round 2) and defensive end Alton Robinson (Round 5).
When free agency opened, Clowney was said to be asking for $21MM/year. Weeks later, that ask was reduced to around $17-$18MM per annum. The Browns – long believed to be a frontrunner – recently offered Clowney a deal that was worth somewhere around $12MM per year. The former No. 1 overall pick turned them down in hopes of finding a better deal, but some believe that Clowney is overestimating his market.
The Giants, Eagles, and Jets are not in the mix for Clowney, even though they could all use some help on the edge. That leaves the Browns and Titans as the likely frontrunners, though the Titans have also downplayed their level of interest. The Seahawks are still open to bringing Clowney back, per Anderson, but it seems their offer would be closer to the one that the Browns put on the table.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Colin Kaepernick‘s name is back in the NFL news cycle and he’s “more motivated than ever” to return to the field, a source close to the quarterback tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
[RELATED: Hue Jackson Says He Wanted Browns To Sign Kaepernick]
Kaepernick – despite the “retired” tag briefly displayed on his NFL player page recently – remains a free agent. He hasn’t played since January 1, 2017 and over the last three years, Kaep’s camp has insisted that he wants to play in the NFL as he continued his charity and social justice efforts. Kaepernick, for the most part, has avoided interviews and public comments, but he did discuss his situation in an interview earlier this year.
“My desire to play football is still there,” Kaepernick said in February. “I still train five days a week. I’m ready to go, I’m ready for a phone call, tryout, workout at any point in time. I’m still waiting on the owners and their partners to stop running from this situation. So I hope I get a call this offseason. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Kaepernick, 33 in November, would have some rust to shake off, but he’d also be returning to the game with fresh legs. It’s also worth noting that Father Time is kinder to quarterbacks than, say, running backs. Tom Brady (42), Drew Brees (41), and Ben Roethlisberger (38) can attest to that.
Seahawks Hire Alonzo Highsmith For Full-Time Role
Alonzo Highsmith has gone from a Seahawks consultant to a full-time Seattle employee, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. 
Highsmith is now listed as a “personnel executive” on the team website, signaling a larger and more permanent role within the front office.
[RELATED: Carlos Hyde Underwent Shoulder Surgery]
Highsmith was a top lieutenant in John Dorsey‘s front office, up until Dorsey was replaced by Andrew Berry. In February, his Packers ties helped lead him to Seattle, working under John Schneider as a freelancer.
Highsmith hasn’t been afraid to go against the grain of the modern NFL, relying more on game tape than newfangled analytics. The 55-year-old has spent most of his adult life in football, having played in the NFL from 1987 through 1992. Then, he took a brief foray into boxing where he amassed a 27-1-2 record in the heavyweight division. In 2012, he began the third act of his career by joining the Packers in a senior front office role.
Meanwhile, there’s lots of work ahead for the Seahawks, even after the signing of 1,000-yard rusher Carlos Hyde. They may also be in the market for a starting-caliber cornerback, depending on how things go for Quinton Dunbar.
Seth DeValve To Be Ready By September?
Tight end Seth DeValve is expected to recover in 10-12 weeks after undergoing surgery on his toe (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). With that in mind, Dr. Robert Anderson tells DeValve that he should be ready to play in September, at or around the start of the season. 
The Panthers cut DeValve last week with a non-football injury designation, making him a free agent all over again. The 27-year-old signed on with the Panthers just a few months ago in March after a one-year stint in Jacksonville. DeValve saw the most snaps of any Jaguars tight end last year, but he did not see a whole lot of targets. The ball was thrown his way just 18 times and the Princeton product finished out with 12 catches for 140 yards.
In 2017, with the Browns, DeValve enjoyed a much more active role in the offense, notching career highs of 33 receptions and 395 receiving yards. With the Panthers, DeValve was expected to take on a decent-sized role in the post-Greg Olsen era.
While DeValve recovers, teams in need of tight ends will probably prioritize other available options, including Jordan Reed, Delanie Walker, and Geoff Swaim.