Ravens Cut Jacoby Jones
Less than a year after locking him up to a new four-year contract, the Ravens have parted ways with veteran wide receiver and return man Jacoby Jones. The team made the move official today, announcing in a press release that Jones’ contract has been terminated.
Because Jones’ contract came with a $3.5MM signing bonus and still runs for three more years, the Ravens won’t free up much cap space by releasing the 30-year-old. Assuming the club doesn’t designate Jones as a post-June 1 cut, his cap hit will be reduced from $3.375MM to $2.625MM for 2015. Designating him a post-June 1 cut would create $2.5MM in cap savings.
Jones, a former third-round pick, continued to return kicks and punts for Baltimore in 2014, but his role on offense was significantly reduced — after being targeted 68 times and hauling in 37 passes in 2013, Jones received just 18 targets and caught nine passes in 2014. He also averaged 30.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, and 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns.
Having decided to cut Jones, the Ravens still have a number of other important contract issues to address. Baltimore is working on restructuring deals for Haloti Ngata and Lardarius Webb, and Justin Forsett and Torrey Smith are among the team’s notable free-agents-to-be.
As for Jones, as a veteran with more than four years of NFL experience, he won’t pass through waivers, and is immediately eligible to sign elsewhere.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Webb, Browns
Earlier this morning, we passed along word that the Steelers have restructured Marcus Gilbert‘s contract, converting base salary and roster bonus money into a signing bonus to create nearly $4MM in cap savings for 2015. Now, let’s check in on what else is going on around the AFC North division. Here’s the latest:
- In addition to trying to restructure the contract of Haloti Ngata, the Ravens are also working on figuring something out for cornerback Lardarius Webb, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Webb has a cap number of $12MM for 2015, which would only be reduced to $10MM if he were released.
- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has been running the team’s personnel department since its inaugural season, but he isn’t considering leaving Baltimore for retirement or another job, as Wilson writes. “Every time I walk in this office, it’s a good day,” Newsome said. “I enjoy coming to work every day, and the first time I walk in here and it doesn’t feel good, then that’s when I’ll call the boss and let him know.”
- The NFL will likely wrap up its investigation into the Browns‘ “Textgate” scandal this week, and announce disciplinary measures for the team, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the Falcons‘ fake crowd noise case is close to resolution as well.
- Pat McManamon of ESPN.com lays out a few reasons why he believes the idea of the Browns acquiring Sam Bradford is unrealistic.
- Belatedly responding to a report from three weeks ago, Browns president Alec Scheiner disputed the notion that he has attempted to become too involved in the football side of the team’s operations. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has the details and the quotes from Scheiner.
Ravens Owner, GM, HC On Roster, Free Agency
Earlier today, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome, and head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media in Baltimore, and Jeff Zrebiec and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com were on hand to document the pair’s comments. Let’s take a look at the highlights, with all links going to Twitter:
GM Ozzie Newsome
- The Ravens have only $5.7MM in cap space at the moment, meaning the club might have to make moves to expand that figure. “We will exhaust every avenue that we have to get as much cap flexibility as we can,” said Newsome. “We’ve been working at it.”
- Newsome said the Ravens have discussed quarterback Joe Flacco‘s cap figure for 2015, and will address it at some point. Flacco will count nearly $15MM against Baltimore’s cap next season.
- The club is working to retain free agent running back Justin Forsett, notes Newsome. The 29-year-old Forsett is likely to draw interest from the Falcons if he isn’t retained in Baltimore.
- It doesn’t sound like the Ravens are planning on re-signing defender Pernell McPhee, as Newsome stated “you can’t pay everyone market value.”
- Newsome believes that embattled former Raven Ray Rice will find out before April if he’ll be able to land an opportunity with another team, and said that he was happy Rice was ultimately reinstated. Newsome also indicated he helped testify to get Rice reinstated.
- Newsome acknowledged the team is in “wait-and-see” mode with tight end Dennis Pitta, who missed most of 2014 with a dislocated hip. The GM did indicate the Ravens would add TEs, whether through free agency or the draft.
Owner Steve Bisciotti
- Bisciotti is aware that Baltimore might not be able to afford free agent receiver Torrey Smith, and even referenced Mike Wallace‘s $12MM per year contract as an outlier. “I don’t think anyone thinks that’s a good deal,” said the owner.
Head coach John Harbaugh
- Harbaugh said he has spoken with free agent tight end Owen Daniels, who has expressed interest in returning to Baltimore.
- Baltimore isn’t sure if defensive lineman Chris Canty is planning on retiring, and Harbaugh said he hasn’t yet broached the subject with the veteran.
Ravens Negotiating To Keep Haloti Ngata
Speaking to reporters last week, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made it clear the club would like to work out a new deal with Haloti Ngata that allows the veteran defensive lineman to remain in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. It sounds as if the two sides haven been talking, as Ed Werder of ESPN reports (Twitter link) today that the Ravens have a “very good” offer out to the 31-year-old Ngata.
Ngata isn’t a free agent, but he is in danger of being released if he doesn’t agree to some sort of extension or restructure that significantly lowers his 2015 cap hit. He’s currently scheduled to count $16MM against Baltimore’s cap next year, the highest such figure on the team.
Ngata is entering the final season of his contract, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets that the Ravens want to tack on years to his deal, indicating that the club would rather lower the Oregon alum’s cap figure by extending him instead of requesting that he take a pay cut. Of course, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Werder’s classification of the offer as “very good” could translate as “team-friendly” — if the deal was satisfactory to Ngata, he probably would have already accepted it.
The Ravens currently have roughly $5.7MM in cap space, so even if Ngata agrees to bring down his cap figure, they might need to make a few more moves in order to create some financial wiggle room as free agency approaches.
FA Rumors: Clay, Miles, Johnson, Demps
We heard yesterday that the Bills may target tight end Charles Clay in free agency next month, but Clay remains very much in the Dolphins‘ plans, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Abramson that it would be “very surprising” if Clay doesn’t return to Miami for the 2015 season. As Abramson notes, while Buffalo’s interest in the tight end may be legit, it’s also fair to wonder if the Bills leaked word of that interest in order to potentially drive up Clay’s price for their division rivals in Miami.
Here are a few more notes from around the league on this year’s free-agents-to-be:
- The Ravens are expected to bring back safety and special-teamer Jeromy Miles, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next month, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. With just over two weeks until Miles would be able to sign with another club, it’s possible he dips his toe into the open market to gauge his value, but according to Wilson, a return to Baltimore appears likely.
- As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, there’s some confusion over whether Lions defensive end George Johnson is a restricted or unrestricted free agent this offseason. Johnson earned accrued seasons in 2011, 2012, and 2014, but his 2013 season is up for debate, since it seems he was paid for six weeks but was only on the Vikings’ roster for five Sundays. Players must be on a team’s 53-man roster for six weeks to earn an accrued season, and must accumulate four accrued seasons to be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
- As he prepares to enter the free agent market, Giants safety Quintin Demps has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- Mike Klis of the Denver Post takes a look at which Broncos free agents have the best chance of returning to Denver, speculating that Terrance Knighton, Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Rahim Moore are all “probably gone.”
Ravens Notes: McPhee, Johnson, Flacco
Ravens pass rusher Pernell McPhee is set to be the surprise star of free agency, despite starting only six games since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Due to his age and versatility, Chris Wesseling of NFL.com writes that he has hit the “free agency jackpot.”
Wesseling cites reports that McPhee could be in line for a deal with between $8MM and $10MM in annual salary. That type of contract is reliant on more than one year of part-time pass rushing prowess. McPhee’s potential comes from being 26 years old, having great size at 6’3″ and 280 pounds, and the ability to line up all over the field, rushing the passer from outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive end, and nose tackle in 2014.
The Colts, Falcons, Browns, and Raiders are all considered potential landing spots for his services, according to Wesseling. The Ravens’ cap situation will make it nearly impossible for them to compete for his services in free agency.
Here are some other notes from around the Ravens organization as free agency approaches:
- Since the Jets declined Chris Johnson‘s option for 2015, there has been a link made between the former 2,000 yard rusher and the Ravens. This link has been made due to the team’s interest in Johnson last offseason, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Hensley notes that the team was looking for insurance after Ray Rice‘s down 2013 season, but Johnson decided to go to the Jets where there was a clearer path to a starting job. However, this offseason the Ravens will likely avoid Johnson, who is declining and is coming off legal issues of his own.
- Hensley also examines the contract situation of quarterback Joe Flacco, who has a large cap number that will restrict the team’s ability to maneuver the roster. Hensley writes that his cap number is manageable at $14.55MM this year, but the team will look to address it next offseason before it jumps all the way to $28.55MM, which would be the highest in the NFL for 2016.
- The Ravens have a few needs on offense, but the biggest position of need on defense is in the secondary, specifically at cornerback. Unfortunately for them, this looks to be a limited market of available corners, and there will be plenty of suitors driving up the price of the few top options, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson sees Byron Maxwell setting the market at between $8MM and $10MM per year, with other options such as Kareem Jackson, Buster Skrine, Davon House, and Brandon Flowers all falling in just behind those numbers as teams become more desperate to land a top tier corner.
AFC Notes: McPhee, Revis, Johnson
Teams have scoured the Ravens‘ depth chart in recent years to bolster their own defenses, and Pernell McPhee is probably the latest Baltimore-created free agent that will morph from part-time Ravens cog to full-time starter elsewhere, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Paul Kruger, Arthur Jones and Dannell Ellerbe cashed in their mostly situational success with the Ravens for lucrative deals with the Browns, Colts and Dolphins, respectively. A fifth-round pick in 2011, McPhee grew immensely this season behind Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs, collecting 7 1/2 sacks for a fearsome Ravens pass pursuit that nearly lifted the team to its third AFC title game in four years. But with Dumervil and Suggs still on the books for next year as Baltimore’s seventh- and ninth-highest cap figures, respectively, McPhee probably finds a much better fortune elsewhere. The Ravens possess just $5.7MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap.
In the mold of Broncos part-time defensive end Malik Jackson, McPhee earned rave reviews from the analytics crowd even if the take-notice all-22 tape didn’t produce a starting job. While Jackson was Pro Football Focus’ third-best 4-3 defensive end last season in just 578 snaps, McPhee was even better, garnering the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker grade (subscription required) — ahead of Suggs (fourth) and Dumervil (sixth) — while playing only 540. McPhee charted 64 quarterback pressures and at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, will give a team the option of playing him at multiple positions as the Ravens did.
CBSSports’ Pete Prisco ranks the 26-year-old backup 10th overall on his top-50 free agent board, behind only Justin Houston among linebackers.
- Fellow Ravens free agent Torrey Smith will have options next month, and CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown examines where the might go if he leaves the mid-Atlantic region for the first time. Brown lists the Browns, Panthers and Seahawks as potential destinations. A Virginia native who emerged as one of the NFL’s best deep threats out of Maryland, Smith just turned 26. But he’s coming off his worst season as a pro with just 49 catches for 767 yards. Those numbers are nearly 500 yards off his career-best 2013 total, but his value could increase if/when Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Randall Cobb are franchise-tagged.
- The Ravens’ decisions aren’t as high-profile as what the Patriots are staring at, however, and the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian writes the duo of Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty are irreplaceable in this market or in the draft. Regaining his first-team All-Pro status after two essentially lost years, Revis, should the Patriots pick up his team option, would carry a $25MM cap number team option for this season. New England presumably won’t pay that, as Pro Football Rumors examined this month. The franchise tag for McCourty will be around $9.6MM, but the Super Bowl champions are more than $2MM over the cap, making the notion of retaining both of these standouts less likely.
- Coming off his worst season in which he played at least 15 games, Andre Johnson is slated to earn $10.5MM in base salary next season with a cap figure ($16.1MM) that’s not commensurate with his performance: 936 yards, three TDs. The Texans wideout will be 34 in July and stuck again in a murky quarterback situation, prompting the Houston Chronicle’s Randy Harvey to suggest the Texans should liberate Johnson from this scenario.
AFC Mailbags: Bowe, Jags, Revis, Ravens
It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags to answer questions from readers. Let’s start with some whispers from the AFC…
- Adam Teicher doesn’t believe the Chiefs want to cut wideout Dwayne Bowe. Despite the wideout’s $14MM salary in 2015, the Chiefs would be thin at the position if they were to cut the veteran. Without Bowe, the team would only have De’Anthony Thomas and Albert Wilson as established receiving threats.
- Michael DiRocco isn’t a fan of trading the Jaguars first-round pick. The writer is seeking an elite pass-rusher with the selection, and he isn’t optimistic the team will be able to draft that kind of player if they move down the draft board.
- Looking at some skill positions on offense, DiRocco doesn’t think the Jaguars will prioritize the running game in either the draft or free agency. Reversely, DiRocco could envision the team signing and drafting a tight end.
- Rich Cimini is under the impression that Darrelle Revis will stay with the Patriots. If the cornerback were to become available, the writer favors the Jets as a destination over the Bills. While Revis has a great relationship with Rex Ryan, Cimini ultimately believes the All-Pro defensive back wants to play in a big market.
- The Ravens offseason focus on receivers will depend heavily on whether Torrey Smith returns to Baltimore. If the wideout (or organization) decides to move on, Jamison Hensley could see the team pursuing a wideout in either the draft, free agency, or trade. One name the writer suggests is Saints receiver Marques Colston.
AFC Links: Raiders, Thomas, Patriots, McPhee
Following news that the Raiders and Chargers proposed a shared Los Angeles stadium, there were rumors that Raiders owner Mark Davis was using the move as leverage for a new stadium in Oakland. The owner didn’t necessarily confirm that rumor, but he did acknowledge that he’d like to keep the organization in it’s current location (via Vic Tafur of SFChronicle.com):
“That’s our No. 1 priority, to stay in Oakland, always has been and will continue to be,” Davis said. “We’re really trying to stay, and now there’s a great opportunity in Los Angeles. We need to get something done.”
Davis also touched on his relationship with Alex Spanos, the Chargers owner:
“My dad helped Alex (Spanos) get in the league, and while we have been fierce rivals on the field, we have common philosophies and goals,” Davis said. “And we have the same need. We are the two California teams that need a stadium.
“Together, we may be able to get it done.”
Let’s take a look at more rumors from the AFC…
- As each day goes by, it sounds increasingly unlikely that Julius Thomas will return to the Broncos. Similar to many free agent departures, fingers are already being pointed, and the tight end’s agent believes the organization is to blame. “The Broncos came to me, we tried to get it done, it didn’t work,” said Frank Bauer (via Mike Klis of The Denver Post). “Does Julius love Denver? Yes. Does Julius love the fans there? No question. Does he love the organization and the community? Look at what he does for kids in that town…But for some reason people are trying to tear him down. In my opinion what they’re doing by tearing him down is pushing him away.”
- While Patriots running backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are set to hit the open market, the team has plenty of depth to compensate for their potential departure. Among that group would be Tyler Gaffney, who missed last season while recovering from an ACL injury. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe believes the team stashed Gaffney for a reason, and he’ll be given every chance to make the team’s roster in 2015 (Twitter links).
- Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower underwent shoulder surgery this past week and is expected to miss anywhere from six to seven months. Jeff Howe of The Boston Herald writes that the injury could have an impact on negotiations with veteran Jerod Mayo and his $10MM cap hit for 2015.
- It was anticipated that Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee would be a commodity in free agency, and ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure tweets that the 26-year-old is going to be more expensive than anticipated.
AFC Notes: Ngata, Bills, Spiller, Chargers
Speaking to Luke Jones of WNST.net, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed plenty of confidence that Baltimore will get a new deal worked out with defensive lineman Haloti Ngata. In all likelihood, the two sides will come to an agreement that reduces Ngata’s $16MM cap number for 2015, and extends his contract beyond the coming season. Of course, the two sides were also working on a new deal last offseason but those talks did not prove to be fruitful. More from the AFC..
- Appearing today on WGR 550, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said the team has sent a proposal to Jerry Hughes‘ representatives, who countered with a proposal of their own (link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). There’s an “open line of communication” between the two sides, according to Whaley, who said he’s meeting with Bills VP of football administration Jim Overdof today to determine if the club is close to anything with Hughes.
- Whaley will meet with C.J. Spiller‘s representatives in Indianapolis to try and hammer out a new deal with the Bills, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com writes. The rival Jets have been heavily connected to the tailback.
- Whaley indicated that if linebacker Brandon Spikes wants an every-down role, it probably won’t happen with the Bills. “So that one’s going to be more of, ‘Hey, do you want to come back and be a one-, two-down player, or do you want to try to go out there and see if you can [be] an every-down player?” Whaley said of Spikes in an interview with John Murphy of BuffaloBills.com (audio link).
- As expected, the Chargers won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, general manager Tom Telesco said today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers had been the most viable candidates, but as I wrote last month, a franchise-tag salary would be an overpay for either player.
- If Raiders owner Mark Davis has to move the team to the NFC to make the move to Los Angeles happen, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) doesn’t see that being a deterrent. On Thursday, the Raiders and Chargers announced a plan to build a shared stadium in the Los Angeles area.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.