Draft Notes: Mariota, Cowboys, Ravens, Giants
Some assorted draft notes on this Saturday morning…
- Marcus Mariota is scheduled to meet with the Chargers in mid-April, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer (via Twitter). The writer notes that Washington is also trying to set up a visit with the prospect.
- The group over at CSNChicago.com analyzed the draft stock of prospect Gerod Hollimon, and the group concluded that the former Louisville safety would be a fit for the Bears. Despite the team’s addition of Antrel Rolle, the prospect’s “ballhawking” and “good coverage skills” are sorely need in Chicago.
- Cowboys representatives were on hand at TCU’s Pro Day on Friday to watch linebacker Paul Dawson workout, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. Despite the player’s disappointing performance at the league’s scouting combine, scouts were much more impressed this time around, Sabin reports.
- Louisville wideout DeVante Parker is set to meet with the Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The projected first-round pick is also scheduled to meet with the Titans and Dolphins. Despite missing seven games this past season, Parker still finished with 43 catches for 855 yards and five touchdowns.
- The Giants attended LSU’s Pro Day on Friday, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The writer points to offensive lineman La’el Collins as a realistic target for the G-Men, and he also includes cornerback Jalen Collins, linebacker Kwon Alexander and defensive end Danielle Hunter among the school’s top prospects. The Giants have selected numerous LSU alumni in recent years, including wideout Odell Beckham last season.
NFC Links: Cowboys, AP, Saints, Bears, 49ers
The Cowboys seemingly downgraded significantly at running back this offseason in replacing reigning rushing champ DeMarco Murray, who signed with the NFC East rival Eagles, with Darren McFadden. Given that and Adrian Peterson‘s unhappiness with the Vikings, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com took a look at whether Dallas should attempt to acquire the former NFL MVP.
Peterson, 30, has three years left on his current contract, and missed all of last season because of domestic violence issues. His off-field problems aside, Fitzgerald opines that Dallas would be better off steering clear of Peterson because of the difficulty that would come with fitting him under the team’s salary cap. The Cowboys have worked hard in recent years to better their long-term cap situation and they still have to find a way to retain wide receiver Dez Bryant beyond the 2015 season. Adding Peterson, although enticing, would be imprudent.
Here’s a look at some other NFC clubs currently in the news:
- The Saints need an edge rusher and could take one with their first-round pick, the 13th overall selection, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. “I think we’ll have to draft at least one if not two defensive linemen and or outside linebacker pass rushers,” head coach Sean Payton said. The Saints must generate a better pass rush going forward after finishing an underwhelming 21st in the league in sacks last year.
- The staff at CSNChicago.com is analyzing possible draft prospects the Bears could target. The site examined Colorado State offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo, whom it sees as a fit for the Bears in the second or third round.
- The 49ers waived cornerback Cameron Fuller on Friday, according to the team’s website. San Francisco signed Fuller to its practice squad late last season and activated him for one game, in which he didn’t play.
Bears Sign Alan Ball
After previously appearing as if he was on track to sign with the Panthers, free agent cornerback Alan Ball has opted instead for another NFC team. The Bears announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve brought Ball into the fold, signing him to a one-year contract.
Ball, who turns 30 next month, spent the last two seasons in Jacksonville, and was quietly one of the best parts of the Jaguars’ secondary. In 2013, Ball recorded a +7.5 Pro Football Focus grade in over 1,000 snaps, ranking 22nd among 110 qualified cornerbacks (subscription required). His 2014 season was cut short by a biceps injury, which landed him on injured reserve after seven games, but he still held his own in the first half of the season, recording 22 tackles and an interception.
For the Bears, Ball will provide depth and some veteran experience for a secondary that also features cornerbacks Tim Jennings and Kyle Fuller. Chicago has been very active this offseason fortifying its defense with free agent additions, having also added Pernell McPhee, Antrel Rolle, Mason Foster, and Jarvis Jenkins.
Terms of Ball’s contract with the Bears aren’t yet known, but the Panthers had been offering him a one-year, $2MM deal, so I’d be surprised if Chicago’s offer was worth less than that.
AFC West Notes: Wisniewski, Bolts, Del Rio
The food safety manager who blew the whistle on health violations at the Chiefs‘ Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium was fired by Aramark, as Paula Lavigne of ESPN.com writes. After Jon Costa told ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” about the health violations, the city came in and inspected the Royals’ and Chiefs’ stadiums and found violations at 20 out of 26 stands, including 37 critical violations. You can read Lavingne’s story for more detail, but we suggest that you do so after dinner. Here’s a look at the AFC West..
- Asked about whether the Raiders would consider re-signing Stefen Wisniewski as a guard to play alongside new center Rodney Hudson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that “that ship has sailed,” indicating Wisniewski won’t be back in Oakland.
- According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), “a lot of very smart people” believe the Chargers will try to trade up to No. 2 in next month’s draft. The Chargers have said they have no plans to trade Philip Rivers, and such a move would likely require Rivers to be involved, so it seems unlikely at this point. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on — Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote earlier today that he expects Marcus Mariota to be drafted second overall, either by the Titans or a team trading up.
- Bears coach John Fox has nothing but high praise for new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “I had a tremendous staff in Denver, and Jack was a huge part of that,” Fox said. “More often than not we had a top five defense. I plucked him from the Baltimore Ravens back when he was a linebackers coach and gave him his first coordinator job back in Carolina. At that time we were No. 31 in total defense, and that was only because there were 31 teams. We jumped all the way to second with Jack at the helm. I’ve worked with him a lot, and Jack’s a tremendous coach and a tremendous person. I wish him nothing but the best in Oakland.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Bears Sign Mason Foster
WEDNESDAY, 3:26pm: The Bears have officially signed Foster, the team announced today (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 5:15pm: It’s a one-year deal for Foster, tweets Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.
4:43pm: The Bears have reached an agreement with free agent linebacker Mason Foster, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jen Lada of CSNChicago.com, who reported nearly two weeks ago that Foster and the Bears were getting close to a three-year deal, tweeted this afternoon that Foster was “finally in.”
Foster, who turned 26 earlier in March, appeared in 10 games for the Buccaneers last season and started all of them. In that time, he recorded 62 total tackles and three pass deflections. The former third-round pick also impressed with 105 tackles in 2012, and 92 tackles – to go along with three interceptions and two sacks – in 2013.
For the Bears, it’s their third notable defensive addition of the day, as they continue to add talent to fit new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 scheme. The team also agreed to terms with defensive linemen Jarvis Jenkins and Ray McDonald today. When Jenkins’ deal was reported, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune noted that Jenkins and Foster had been texting frequently, indicating that the linebacker was a good bet to land in Chicago.
Foster also reportedly drew interest from the Dolphins and 49ers.
North Notes: Steelers, Cutler, Patterson
The NFL has informed the Steelers that the seventh-round compensatory pick the team received will actually be a sixth-rounder (Twitter link). The league initially miscommunicated the pick, which will now be the 212nd selection rather than the 252nd (Twitter link). Conversely, the Broncos‘ sixth-round compensatory pick (No. 208) will be bumped down to a seventh-rounder (No. 250), according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (via Twitter). We’ll update our list of draft picks by round and by team this afternoon to reflect the change.
Let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two North divisions….
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (all Twitter links), Bears decision-makers, including new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace, discussed Jay Cutler‘s contract as the guarantee date for more of the QB’s salary neared earlier this offseason. After meeting with Cutler, the Bears’ brass left convinced that he’s their guy going forward.
- If there was any doubt about the Vikings‘ commitment to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, head coach Mike Zimmer cleared things up on Tuesday, as Chris Wesseling of NFL.com details. According to Zimmer, there’s “no chance whatsoever” that the team will trade Patterson this year.
- Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams will visit the Ravens prior to next month’s draft, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions aren’t pursuing tampering charges against the Dolphins in regard to Miami’s pursuit of Ndamukong Suh prior to the start of this month’s free agent period, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Of course, just because Detroit isn’t pushing for it, that doesn’t mean the league isn’t looking into a potential violation by the Dolphins and other teams who reportedly reached agreements with free agents prior to March 10.
North Notes: Greenway, Browns, Bears, Rice
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the club is trying to work through a contract restructure with linebacker Chad Greenway, adding that the team wants him to retire as a Viking. As a declining player set to count more than $7MM against the cap, Greenway will probably have to accept a straight pay cut to remain on the roster.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions…
- Rob Brzezinski, the Vikings’ vice president of football operations, met with agent Ben Dogra last night, but Dogra’s client Adrian Peterson didn’t come up in conversation, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Dogra also represents free agent corner Terence Newman, whom the Vikes are rumored to be interested in, leading Wolfson to speculate that he was the topic of the meeting.
- As was widely rumored, it was the Browns that offered a first-round pick to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford, St. Louis GM Les Snead confirmed to Sal Palantonio of ESPN (Twitter link via John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game).
- Bears chairman George McCaskey initially told GM Ryan Pace that he could not sign embattled defensive end Ray McDonald, noting that the “pattern” and “frequency” of McDonald’s off-the-field trouble worried him, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wonders why former Raven Ray Rice is still a “pariah” in the eyes of the NFL, especially given that players with similar incidents (such as Greg Hardy) have been signed by other clubs.
- Texas A&M-Commerce receiver Ricky Collins has a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
Bears To Sign Ray McDonald
3:12pm: McDonald’s contract is a one-year, prove-it deal, according to Bears GM Ryan Pace (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times).
12:55pm: After agreeing to terms with Jarvis Jenkins earlier today, the Bears are poised to bring aboard another free agent defensive lineman, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is signing former 49er Ray McDonald.
McDonald, 30, was released by the Niners prior to the conclusion of the 2014 season due to what general manager Trent Baalke called a “pattern of poor decision-making.” The veteran defensive lineman never faced legal charges, but was the subject of multiple allegations in apparent domestic violence incidents.
The Santa Clara district attorney’s office decided in November not to file charges against McDonald in his first alleged domestic violence case due to insufficient evidence. The 49ers allowed McDonald to continue to play following that earlier incident, citing due process, and the former third-round pick played well — according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McDonald was the league’s 12th-best 3-4 defensive end in 2014, grading well both against the run and as a pass rusher.
After McDonald’s second incident, during which he was identified as a suspect in a possible sexual assault investigation, the Niners had simply had enough, and made the decision to cut ties with him. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter), that investigation is ongoing, though McDonald’s agent has told teams his client will be cleared.
By signing with Chicago, McDonald will reunite with his old defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who made the move from the 49ers to the Bears this offseason. Having played a 4-3 defense last year, the Bears are transitioning to a 3-4 system under Fangio, and are in the process of adding players who will fit that scheme. Both McDonald, who previously played under Fangio, and Jenkins, who played for a 3-4 defense in Washington, fit that bill.
While there’s no doubt that McDonald can make an impact on the field, his off-field issues figure to be a concern for the Bears. The former Florida Gator may not face any charges for last year’s incidents, but the league could still complete its own investigation and decide to suspend him. Presumably, John Fox and the Bears are confident they can keep McDonald out of trouble going forward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears To Sign Jarvis Jenkins
The Bears have agreed to terms with defensive lineman Jarvis Jenkins on a one-year contract, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Jenkins is scheduled to take a physical later today, at which point the signing will become official. Per Biggs, the one-year deal is a minimum salary benefit contract with a partial guarantee.
Jenkins, who turns 27 next month, spent his first four NFL seasons with Washington, but was no longer in the team’s plans after Scot McCloughan and company brought in Terrance Knighton, Stephen Paea, and Ricky Jean-Francois this month to fortify the defensive line.
In 2014, Jenkins had a career-high 28 tackles, but didn’t record a sack, and ranked as the third-worst 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). Having played in the 3-4 system in Washington, Jenkins should be a fit in Chicago, as new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio prepares to transition the defense into a 3-4 unit.
Biggs also notes that Jenkins has been texting frequently with free agent linebacker Mason Foster, who was said earlier this month to be in talks with the Bears. While there’s still no indication that anything is done between Foster and the team, his contact with Jenkins may be another sign that he’ll eventually land in Chicago.
Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland
As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
- Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
- The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
- The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.