Eight Teams Placed Claims On Swearinger
The Buccaneers, the team with the top waiver priority this offseason, were awarded D.J. Swearinger on waivers yesterday after the safety was cut on Monday by the Texans. A report earlier today indicated that the Jets also submitted a waiver claim for Swearinger, but Tampa Bay and New York were far from the only clubs involved.
According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a total of eight teams placed a claim on Swearinger. In addition to the Bucs and Jets, the Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, Bills, Steelers, and Ravens all put in claims for the former Texan, says Yates. The Browns were also believed to have interest in Swearinger, but they – and perhaps other potential suitors – must have been hoping he’d clear waivers and become a free agent.
Since Swearinger was a second-round pick in 2013, his rookie contract still has two years left on it, and is fairly reasonable, featuring base salaries of about $722K and $881K for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s an affordable flier for virtually any NFL team to take, which explains why so many clubs placed waiver claims rather than waiting for Swearinger to become a free agent.
Presumably, those eight teams that put in claims were fonder of Swearinger’s performance in 2014 than Pro Football Focus was, or at least view him as a player who has the potential to improve. According to PFF (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.
While Swearinger drew plenty of interest on waivers, it doesn’t appear that any of those teams were willing to give up anything of real value for him, since the Texans reportedly tried to trade the safety before cutting him.
Bills Sign John Conner
After hosting him today for a free visit, the Bills have signed former Jets fullback John Conner to a contract, the team announced in a press release. To make room on the 90-man roster for Conner, Buffalo has waived fullback Corey Knox.
Conner, who turns 28 next month, has had multiple stints with the Jets under Rex Ryan, having been drafted by the franchise back in 2010. Most recently, the veteran appeared in 12 games for the Jets in 2014, carrying the ball six times and catching a pair of passes – including one for a touchdown – but serving primarily as a blocking back.
In Buffalo, there’s certainly no guarantee that Conner will earn a spot on the Bills’ 53-man roster, since the team already signed Jerome Felton to a multiyear contract back in March. However, a report from Draft Diamonds earlier today suggested that the Bills and Ryan, fond as they are of “The Terminator”‘s blocking ability, would like to add him as a complement to Felton, utilizing him in big-back sets and on special teams.
Still, if the Bills ultimately decide there isn’t room for Conner on their regular season roster, it shouldn’t be hard to move on — Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) reports that the fullback’s contract is for one year at the minimum salary. I expect the deal will include only a small portion of guaranteed money, if there’s any guarantee at all.
Free Agent Notes: Arrington, Conner, Davis
It’s not clear if the Browns or Falcons put in a waiver claim for D.J. Swearinger, but both clubs had interest in landing the former Texans safety before he was claimed by the Buccaneers yesterday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One team that did put in a claim was the Jets, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). None of those clubs could get to Swearinger, however, as Tampa Bay had the No. 1 waiver priority and used it.
While Swearinger didn’t make it to the open market, we have a few updates on players who are currently free agents, or who recently signed contracts with new teams:
- As the Ravens explore the possibility of adding a cornerback, recently released ex-Patriot Kyle Arrington is “clearly” their top target, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees that the Ravens are in the mix for Arrington, adding that the Panthers are another team to watch.
- Having already signed Jerome Felton this offseason, the Bills shouldn’t necessarily be in the market for another fullback, but the team is hosting John Conner for a visit today, according to a report from Draft Diamonds. Conner has had multiple stints with the Jets under Rex Ryan, who is fond of his blocking ability and would consider adding “The Terminator” to the roster as a complement to Felton.
- Tight end Fred Davis, who was a free agent – and serving a suspension – for over a year before signing with the Patriots this week, received a $20K workout bonus and $60K in per-game roster bonuses on his one-year, minimum salary deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Davis’ contract doesn’t include any guaranteed money.
- As NFL communications rep Randall Liu notes (on Twitter), unrestricted free agents who didn’t receive contract tenders from their former clubs are now free to sign with new teams without having an impact on that team’s compensatory draft pick formula. The NFL moved up this cutoff date from June 1 to May 12 this year, allowing unsigned players a better opportunity to find new homes earlier in the spring.
Draft Signings: Falcons, Bucs, Bills
The latest draft signings from rounds 3-7..
- The Falcons signed third-round pick Tevin Coleman, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With the running back in the fold, Vic Beasley stands as the last draft pick unsigned in Atlanta.
- The Buccaneers signed fourth-round linebacker Kwon Alexander, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (on Twitter). The Bucs traded up in the fourth round with the Raiders to land the LSU product.
- The Buccaneers also signed Nebraska product Kenny Bell, according to Smith (on Twitter). The wide receiver was taken in the fifth round.
- FSU tight end Nick O’Leary, a sixth-round choice, has signed his rookie contract with the Bills, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Seventh-round wideout Dezmin Lewis has also signed his rookie deal with the team, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.
- The Bengals signed safety Derron Smith, a sixth-round pick, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Smith is just the second of nine picks to sign.
- The Cardinals announced (via Twitter) that they have signed a pair of fifth-round picks in linebacker Shaquille Riddick and wide receiver J.J. Nelson.
AFC Notes: Kraft, Broncos, Ravens, Bills
As Ben Volin of The Boston Globe notes (on Twitter), Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of three owners on the NFL Compensation Committee, which determines commissioner Roger Goodell’s pay. The other two owners on that committee are Arthur Blank and Jerry Richardson. One unidentified NFL owner told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (TwitLonger link) that he thinks the relationship between Kraft and Goodell is “pretty much dead” in the wake of DeflateGate, so that will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on going forward.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Broncos are looking at tight ends in the wake of Jeff Heuerman‘s knee injury, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Legwold could envision Denver signing a tight end this week, even as soon as today or Wednesday.
- The Ravens aren’t expected to be too active on the free agent market now that veteran signings no longer affect the compensatory draft pick formula, but sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking predict Baltimore will try to add a cornerback through free agency or a trade, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. One possible option for the Ravens could be former Patriot Kyle Arrington, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun outlines.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines the Bills‘ backfield, where the running back depth chart is getting crowded. While LeSean McCoy is locked in for a roster spot, the team figures to have to cut at least one player – and maybe two – from a group that features Fred Jackson, Boobie Dixon, Bryce Brown, and rookie Karlos Williams.
- Free agent wide receiver James Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link) that he was really surprised the Raiders released him. Oakland let Jones go earlier this month.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest minor moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Lions signed three tryout players – safety Nathan Lindsey and receivers Erik Lora and Jarred Haggins – and released wideout Desmond Lawrence, Tim Twentyman of the team’s website writes.
- Washington has signed undrafted receiver Quinton Dunbar, formerly of Florida, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.
- The Dolphins signed one tight end – Tim Semisch, undrafted out of Northern Illinois – and released another in Ryan Taylor, writes Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. Taylor, a Packers seventh-round pick in 2011, has eight career catches.
- The Cardinals have signed three tryout players – a quarterback (Phillip Sims) and two safeties (Brandon Person and Harold Jones-Quartey) – per their official website. To make room, they released tackle Kelvin Palmer, wide receiver Travis Harvey, and cornerback Ross Weaver.
- The Bears signed quarterback Pat Devlin, defensive tackle Terry Williams, and linebacker Kyle Woestmann, tweets Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. They also waived linebacker Khaseem Greene and cut fellow LB Austen Lane.
- The Buccaneers have cut safety Shelton Johnson, wide receivers Chandler Jones and Josh Reese, offensive lineman Matt Patchan, and linebacker Michael Reynolds (Twitter: Roy Cummings, Tampa Tribune).
- The Packers will release defensive lineman Luther Robinson, according to Bill Huber of Packer Report. Robinson appeared in five games last year.
- The Bills signed undrafted free agent safety Wes Miller, formerly of UTEP, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
- The Raiders signed ex-Auburn running back Michael Dyer, who tried out for them over the weekend, tweets Richard Davenport of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Twitter link). They also signed Emporia state wideout Austin Willis, the player told Rick Peterson Jr. of the Topeka Capital-Journal. Additionally, running back Terrance Cobb wrote on Instagram that the team released him.
- The Vikings waived wide receiver Kain Colter and guard Jesse Somsel, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Colter was on the Vikings’ practice squad last year, while they recently signed Somsel as an undrafted free agent.
- The Giants released three players – running back Chris Ogbonnaya, linebacker James Davidson, and defensive back Thomas Gordon – according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers signed linebacker Jared Koster, who tried out at their rookie minicamp, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
- The Steelers signed tryout players Cameron Stingily (running back) and Mike Thornton (defensive line) to their 90-man roster, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). To make room, they cut punter Richie Leone, defensive tackle Nigel Crawford-Kinney, defensive end Brandon Prate, long snapper Brandon Hartson, wide receiver Brelan Chancellor, and guard Collin Rahrig (Twitter).
- The Broncos waived guard Jon Halapio, whom they signed to their practice squad last December, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. Additionally, the team waived wide receiver Matt Miller after signing him as an undrafted free agent earlier this month (Twitter link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
- The Buccaneers have signed three tryout players from rookie camp, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. The team agreed to deals with wide receivers Donteea Dye and Adam Humphries and offensive tackle Edawn Coughman.
- Offensive tackle Antonio Richardson, whom the Vikings waived last week, has retired because of knee issues, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Richardson signed with the Vikings last year as an undrafted free agent from Tennessee and saw some action in the preseason.
- The Panthers have cut defensive tackle Darious Cummings, reports ESPN’s Joe Person (via Twitter). Cummings signed with the Panthers last week as an undrafted free agent from Florida.
- The Buccaneers will cut return man Solomon Patton today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Patton, who went undrafted out of Florida last year, appeared in seven games for the Bucs as a rookie. He has had two stints with Tampa and one with the Cardinals during his short career.
- Former Wisconsin offensive lineman Andy Phillips signed with the Packers, the player tweeted. Phillips earned a spot with the Pack after impressing team brass as a tryout player at rookie minicamp over the weekend.
Rookie Notes: Winston, Shelton, Fowler Jr.
According to a document obtained by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has filed a counterclaim against Erica Kinsman, the woman who initially sued the rookie for sexual assault.
The player’s lawyers claim the first-overall pick didn’t do anything wrong, and they cite numerous people who have rejected the claim. Furthermore, they say Kinsman launched a “false and vicious media campaign to vilify Mr. Winston with the objective of getting him to pay her to go away.”
Florio opines that the case is “destined to linger in the court system for months” and will ultimately result in a jury trial.
Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s rookies…
- Danny Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft, still hasn’t signed with the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of Ohio.com says the rookie is close to signing his four-year contract. The reporter notes that Shelton signed an injury protection waiver prior to his initial rookie practice, guaranteeing money in case of injury.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley confirmed that Dante Fowler Jr. will miss the entire season, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The writer notes that the rookie won’t even attempt to come back towards the end of the season, a la Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram in 2013.
- Defensive end James Rouse tore his ACL yesterday, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told ESPN’s Tania Ganguli (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent joined Houston earlier this week.
- The Bills have brought in quarterbacks Austin Trainor (West Georgia) and Brandon Hill (Monmouth) for tryouts, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins also have a pair of quarterbacks in for tryouts, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker (on Twitter): rookie Hutson Mason (Georgia) and 2014 undrafted free agent Chase Rettig (Boston College).
AFC Rumors: Marshall, McCoy, Anderson
Already traded three times in his nine-year career, Brandon Marshall narrowly missed out on what could’ve been his highest-profile transaction.
In an appearance on ESPN 1000, the Jets wideout said he was nearly traded to the Patriots before last season, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bears pondered trading Marshall but instead gave the now-31-year-old receiver a three-year, $30MM extension last May. They ultimately trading Marshall to the Jets this offseason after acquiring him in 2012. Marshall, who saw his streak of seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons end last year, preferred to remain in Chicago for the remainder of his career.
Elsewhere around the league on Friday night …
- New Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, while praising Matt Forte‘s fitness level, said his old charge in the backfield, C.J. Anderson, had to be subbed out frequently due to being “a little chubby” sometimes. The Broncos’ newfound starter told 9News‘ Mike Kils that his weight issues are nothing new. “Hey, everybody knows I’m a weight guy,” Anderson told Klis. “My body can go up and down.” The Broncos‘ offense became increasingly reliant on Anderson last season despite the former undrafted performer hovering on the fourth level of the depth chart during training camp due to his inconsistent shape status.
- In a lengthy ESPN piece on Chip Kelly‘s enigmatic offseason, one NFL executive told ESPN.com’s Ashley Fox he saw merit in the Eagles coach’s madness and did not agree with the Bills‘ decision to immediately extend LeSean McCoy. “He had an impressive five-year run, but measure it statistically,” the executive said. “Over time, most running backs have a five- to six-year run, then they decline relatively precipitously. They don’t become bums overnight, and they don’t fall off the cliff, but Buffalo made an extremely stupid mistake extending him. They should’ve played it out. He will not earn that money.” Buffalo tacked three years onto McCoy’s contract, which is now a five-year deal worth $40MM, shortly after acquiring him from Philadelphia.
- Following Dante Fowler Jr.‘s torn ACL that’s expected to sideline him for the season, the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran looks at the team’s remaining candidates to play the “Leo” defensive end in Gus Bradley‘s 4-3 scheme. Chris Clemons now goes from third-down rush specialist to every-down player, while 2012 second-rounder Andre Branch escapes the roster bubble with much more playing time available, notes O’Halloran.
Bills Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents
FRIDAY, 12:49pm: The Bills’ deal with Barton fell through, leaving the club with one empty roster spot, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 3:17pm: The Bills have officially announced their UDFA signings, confirming the 11 players listed below and adding defensive end Erik Williams (Bethune-Cookman) and offensive tackle Jermaine Barton (Illinois State)
SUNDAY, 11:38am: Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News provides a list of the 11 undrafted free agents who have agreed to sign with the Bills (all Twitter links). There are no quarterbacks in the group:
- Clay Burton, TE, Florida
- Tyson Chandler, OT, N.C. State ($7,500 signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
- Andre Davis, WR, Southern Florida
- Justin Hamilton, DL, Louisiana Lafayette
- Andrew Hudson, DE, Washington
- B.J. Larsen, LB, Utah State
- Merrill Noel, DB, Wake Forest
- Cedric Reed, DE, Texas
- Spencer Roth, P, Baylor
- A.J. Tarpley, LB, Stanford
- Cam Thomas, CB, Western Kentucky
AFC East Notes: Wilkerson, Collins, Bills
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan told ESPN 98.7FM that he’d “like to keep” Muhammad Wilkerson in the organization and added that the drafting of Leonard Williams “doesn’t really impact Mo,” according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Maccagnan added that Wilkerson’s name “comes up periodically” in talks with other teams, but he’s not shopping him (link).
- Bills coach Rex Ryan did his best to downplay his interaction with LSU tackle La’el Collins earlier this week, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. “I did have dinner with him. That’s really the extent of it,” the normally verbose coach told reporters.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter) spoke to multiple players regarding the Wells Report and found that there’s a general indifference towards it because the Patriots won the Super Bowl and that’s not going to be stripped from them.
- Alex Carrington‘s one-year deal with the Bills calls for him to earn a $745K base and an $80K signing bonus, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll count for $665K against the cap thanks to the minimum salary benefit.