NFC Notes: Suh, Graham, Cardinals, Draft
Lions running back Reggie Bush speculated today that Ndamukong Suh‘s absence from the team’s offseason workouts may be contract-related, but as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, Suh has made a habit of skipping these workouts in past seasons. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com later reported (via Twitter) that Suh’s absence wasn’t related to his contract, and head coach Jim Caldwell indicated he knew the defensive tackle wouldn’t be in town for the start of the club’s offseason program (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC….
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis has shot down the notion that the team has to reach some sort of resolution on Jimmy Graham‘s contract situation by April 22, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk had originally suggested that the April 22 date represented the deadline for Graham to file a grievance about his franchise-tag position. However, having reviewed the CBA, Florio now admits that Graham actually has three years to challenge his tight end designation, meaning there’s certainly no rush yet for the two sides to strike a deal.
- Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic that he was “shocked” when he heard that offensive tackle Jared Veldheer would hit the open market after the Raiders decided not to franchise him. Veldheer, of course, ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Cards.
- As he has been doing for the last few weeks, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a couple pre-draft visits. According to Wilson, Florida State center Bryan Stork is visiting the Saints today and tomorrow, while Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman has met with or worked out for the Falcons, Cardinals, and Colts so far.
- The contract punter Blake Clingan signed with the Redskins is a two-year deal worth $930K that includes no guaranteed money, tweets Wilson. That makes it a minimum salary pact, with base salaries of $420K (2014) and $510K (2015).
Ravens Links: Clinton-Dix, Rankin, RBs
As the Ravens continue to weigh their options for the No. 17 pick, the team recently hosted Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on a pre-draft visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that Clinton-Dix has also visited the Lions and met with the Titans. As Wilson writes, the young safety would be an excellent addition to Baltimore’s secondary, allowing the club to shift Matt Elam over to strong safety. However, considering Clinton-Dix is viewed as arguably the top defensive back in the draft, there are no guarantees he’ll be available when the Ravens pick 17th overall.
Here’s more out of Baltimore:
- Add Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin to the list of prospects participating in the Ravens’ local Pro Day, tweets Wilson. Among the other players expected to be in attendance: Wake Forest wideout Michael Campanaro, Towson running back Terrance West, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and Arkansas fullback Kiero Small.
- The Ravens’ No. 3 running backs last season totaled just 16 rushing yards on eight carries, and the team is looking to improve on those totals this season, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. With Ray Rice dealing with legal troubles and Bernard Pierce coming off shoulder surgery, that position will be of extra importance. For now, Justin Forsett is penciled into that No. 3 spot, though there’s still time for the team to add more competition to the roster, either in free agency or the draft.
- Picking just two spots apart in the draft, the Ravens and Steelers may be targeting similar players, says Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Brown singles out safety Calvin Pryor and offensive tackle Taylor Lewan as prospects who seem to be generating interest from the pair of AFC North rivals.
South Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Falcons
The Jaguars have been at the center of a number of NFL stories this week, with the team reportedly on the verge of signing Alex Mack to a five-year offer sheet and hosting some of 2014’s biggest prospects on pre-draft visits this week. Jacksonville continues to pop up in the news cycle, with the team playing a part in a couple of our late-afternoon updates out of the NFL’s South divisions. Let’s dive in….
- Offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger, who re-signed with the Chargers today, drew interest from the Jaguars before he agreed to return to San Diego, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. It’s not likely that the Jags viewed Ohrnberger and Mack as equal commodities, but perhaps missing out on the former prompted the team to push harder to finalize an offer sheet with the latter.
- Add LSU running back Jeremy Hill to the list of prospects visiting the Jaguars tomorrow, says Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
- Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt, who met with the Jags today, will visit the Texans tomorrow, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- The Falcons have a visit lined up for next Wednesday with BYU outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Extra Points: Carr, Johnson, Bailey, Bills
Although multiple reports have suggested that free agent signal-caller David Carr would like to end up on the team that drafts his brother Derek Carr, perhaps serving as Derek’s backup, that’s not necessarily the case, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter tweets that the two brothers’ destinations aren’t related, and that David intends to sign with a club prior to draft day.
As the elder Carr continues to search for a new home, let’s round up a handful of updates from around the NFL….
- Free agent running back Chris Johnson could theoretically try out for teams in private, without those workouts needing to be reported, but he doesn’t intend to do so, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Florio notes, it’s possible that Johnson could reach an agreement with a new team without even visiting that club, since the veteran is a known commodity at this point.
- All NFL 32 teams were in attendance at LSU’s Pro Day today, including several general managers and head coaches, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- The details of Champ Bailey‘s two-year contract with the Saints have surfaced, and Joel Corry of CBSSports.com provides the breakdown (Twitter links): The base value is $3.75MM, though it can be worth up to $6.75MM with incentives and escalators. It’s guaranteed for $500K and includes a $250K roster bonus if Bailey is on the team for six games in 2014.
- The Bills announced today that Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews and Louisville linebacker Preston Brown were in town to meet with the team.
- Top cornerback prospect Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Boise State wide receiver Geraldo Boldewijn, who was in New England today for a private workout, will visit the Cardinals on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Cards are also hosting Memphis safety Lonnie Ballentine today, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
- The Packers will host Washington State offensive lineman John Fullington for an official pre-draft visit next week, tweets agent Collin Roberts.
NFC Notes: Rams, Bucs, Eagles, Packers
Speaking to Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk, Seahawks tight end Zach Miller suggested he had been willing to accept a pay cut this offseason because he was open to doing whatever it took to remain in Seattle. Miller’s restructure reduced the veteran’s overall compensation for 2014 and 2015.
“I’ve been around long enough that I know the business of the NFL,” Miller said. “It’s something you hear rumors about. You never know until you hear from the horse’s mouth. I’m just happy to be back. Love to be on this team, love playing with these guys. For me, it never was a question of being anywhere else, I wanted to be here.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- After he visits the Jaguars, Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins will meet with the Rams, then has a private workout lined up with St. Louis on April 18, says ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
- The Buccaneers are hosting Marshall left tackle Garrett Scott for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. However, the more noteworthy visit for the Bucs looks like it’ll come tomorrow, as Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune says (via Twitter) Johnny Manziel will be in town to meet with the club.
- USC receiver Marqise Lee has met with the Eagles multiple times already, and will pay an official visit to the team this week, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
- According to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com, the Packers maintain interest in a few of their unsigned free agents, including tight end Jermichael Finley and defensive linemen Johnny Jolly and Ryan Pickett.
Jaguars Notes: Mack, Watkins, Clowney
The Jaguars are still contemplating extending an offer sheet to free agent center Alex Mack, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Because Mack is the Browns’ transition player, the team would have the opportunity to match a Jacksonville offer, and as Kabot details, it sounds like team owner Jimmy Haslam is leaning that way.
“We remain optimistic that Alex Mack will be a Cleveland Brown for a long time,” Haslam said yesterday. “We want him to be. I think we’ve made it very clear that he’s the kind of person, the kind of player we want in our organization.”
As the Jaguars continue to mull an offer for the standout center, we’ll check in on one idea for how they could structure their offer, along with a few more draft-related updates out of Jacksonville…
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com spoke to several agents and executives to try to get an idea of how the Jaguars could structure a contract for Mack that would make the Browns reluctant to match it. The best suggestion he heard involved a two-year deal with a base salary of $10MM for year one, and $1MM for year two, with a $15MM roster bonus early in that second year.
- The specific dollar figures on that potential Mack offer aren’t as important as the structure — the Jags could conceivably restructure the deal in the second year to convert the big roster bonus into a more cap-friendly signing bonus, and the Browns would be reluctant to match since they’d be paying a premium annual salary for just two years of Mack. Additionally, if Cleveland were to match such an offer and then release Mack before his second-year roster bonus, the team wouldn’t receive future compensation when he signed elsewhere.
- It’s a big week of pre-draft visits for the Jaguars, and we can add a few more notable names to the list of prospects who will be in town. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins will visit the Jags tomorrow, while Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets that South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will arrive in town tonight.
- More pre-draft visits in Jacksonville: According to Peter Schrager of Fox Sports (via Twitter), Texas A&M wideout Mike Evans is visiting the Jaguars today, and O’Halloran reports (via Twitter) that Alabama signal-caller A.J. McCarron will meet with the club tomorrow.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles
Let’s check in on the NFC East, where we have Wednesday morning updates on three of the division’s four teams….
- The Rams are said to be considering the possibility of trading the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, but don’t count the Cowboys among the interested teams, says Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. According to Watkins, while the Cowboys would be open to moving up for the right player, jumping from 16th to second overall is probably too big a leap.
- Former Ravens fourth-round pick Christian Thompson will work out for the Redskins today, reports Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. The 23-year-old safety, who was suspended for the first four games of 2013 for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, didn’t see any regular-season action last season and was released by Baltimore in October.
- Given how many snaps DeMeco Ryans played last season for the Eagles, the team may look to reduce his workload a little in 2014 by drafting an inside linebacker who excels in pass coverage, suggests Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com.
- Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News examines three issues facing the Eagles‘ offense now that DeSean Jackson is no longer in the mix.
NFC Notes: Cardinals, Finley, Garoppolo
Free agency has hit a lull for the Cardinals but it isn’t over yet, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Last year was Steve Keim‘s first as a GM, and he learned the value of patience with free agency. Keim signed four players who became starters after this date a year ago, Somers notes. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) spoke with Packers free agent tight end Jermichael Finley who says he’s expecting to get an X-ray on his neck Thursday and an MRI within two weeks. The plan is to exchange the feedback on his latest films with interested teams.
- The Buccaneers visited with Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo today, tweets Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
- Standout quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is scheduled to travel and make his visit with the Vikings on April 14th and 15th, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.
- Texas Christian cornerback Jason Verrett, a potential first-rounder, is slated to visit with the Cardinals tomorrow and Thursday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport adds that the Verrett is doing well post-shoulder surgery.
- LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger met/will meet with the Raiders and Patriots today and will meet with the Vikings tomorrow, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Mettenberger will throw tomorrow too.
NFC South Notes: Johnson, Falcons, Saints
Don’t expect the Falcons to bid for free agent running back Chris Johnson, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports 1. The secondary was a more pressing concern for Atlanta than tailback, Marvez says. Of course, the Falcons have addressed the cornerback position by signing Josh Wilson earlier today. Here’s tonight’s look at the NFC South..
- Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) adds that in addition to signing Wilson earlier today, the Falcons also auditioned tailback Greg Jones. Jones would represent a much less costly option at running back than Johnson.
- USC wide receiver Marqise Lee is visiting the Saints, according to safety Kenny Vaccaro (on Twitter). Lee may not be on the board when New Orleans drafts at No. 27, so landing him might mean trading up.
- The Cowboys and Saints are set to audition Baylor cornerback Demetri Goodson, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The former Gonzaga point guard will visit Dallas on Friday and New Orleans next week, with at least three other teams showing interest.
Redskins Notes: Mesko, Jackson, Latimer
The Redskins signed Blake Clingan to a contract earlier today, giving the team a pair of punters on the roster — Clingan joins Robert Malone, who was signed following the end of the regular season. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), former Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko auditioned for Washington as well, but unless the club plans on a three-way competition in camp, it looks like Mesko’s workout with the Redskins won’t result in a contract.
Let’s round up a few more items out of Washington….
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio yesterday, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden suggested that when someone like DeSean Jackson becomes available, the team wants to do “whatever it takes” to land that player.
- Asked in the same interview whether the club is done signing free agents, Gruden indicated the Redskins are focused primarily on the draft unless someone else piques their interest in free agency.
- The Redskins are scheduling a pre-draft visit with Indiana wide receiver Cody Latimer, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to Wilson (via Twitter), Latimer will hold a private workout day later this month, and at least 17 NFL teams have expressed interest in attending.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that Rob Jackson‘s new one-year contract with Washington is a minimum salary benefit deal that includes a $65K signing bonus.