Bears Work Out Holmes, Obomanu
6:32pm: The Browns have also shown interest in Holmes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
5:03pm: The Bears have worked out veteran wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Ben Obomanu, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Neither player will be signing with Chicago just yet, however.
Holmes, 30, is probably the biggest name left on the free agent market. However, teams haven’t been beating down his door to sign him since he was released by the Jets earlier this offseason. Holmes signed a monster contract with the Jets four years ago but never really lived up to expectations, amassing just 2,128 total yards in green and white. Injuries have also gotten the better of him as of late and he has suited up for just 15 games across the last two seasons. The real reason for Holmes’ unemployment probably stems from character concerns, however. Last month, when asked whether he’d sign the veteran, one unnamed front office exec said, “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room.” Our own Luke Adams recently looked at the market for Holmes.
Obamanu, also 30, spent last season alongside Holmes with the Jets. Obamanu saw the field in three games and caught just one pass for eight yards. He spent the previous five sesaons with Seattle, where he hauled in a grand total of 87 catches for 1,209 yards. The bulk of those yards and receptions came in 2011 and 2012.
NFC Notes: Brent, Wilson, Bears, Foles
Former Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell this week in the hopes of being reinstated to the league after serving a 180-day prison sentence for intoxication manslaughter. And if he’s reinstated, he’ll have a roster spot available in Dallas, according to team owner Jerry Jones (link via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
“We will, yes we will,” Jones said, when asked if the Cowboys would create an opening for Brent. “In other words, we wouldn’t have it today, but we will make a roster spot.”
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Even with David Wilson no longer on the roster, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin thinks his team has enough running backs, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
- As for Wilson, despite his retirement due to injury, he’ll be eligible to collect his full $998K salary for 2014 while on injured reserve, as well as half of his $1.3MM salary for 2015, writes Eben Novy-Williams of Bloomberg.
- It sounds as if the Bears will add a wide receiver to their roster soon after potential No. 3 wideout Marquess Wilson suffered a fractured clavicle this week. In his latest mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explores the possibility of the club re-signing Earl Bennett, who was cut earlier in the offseason and was subsequently signed and released by the Browns.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap breaks down how Andy Dalton‘s new contract compares to other quarterback deals, suggesting that it may represent the return of the middle class market. The Dalton extension may also provide a blueprint for Nick Foles and the Eagles, according to Fitzgerald, since Philadelphia has a similar cap situation to the Bengals and Foles, like Dalton, still has a few question marks.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at perhaps the oddest detail of Colin Kaepernick‘s extension with the 49ers, which involves the disability policy the quarterback had to purchase as part of the deal.
NFC North Notes: Wilson, Lyerla, Lions
Bears second-year receiver Marquess Wilson will be sidelined indefinitely after he suffered a fractured clavicle on Monday. A second-year pro, Wilson had the inside track on the Bears’ No. 3 receiver job prior to going down. Josh Bellamy was listed behind Wilson on the Bears’ unofficial preseason depth chart, but the team is expected to sign another receiver in Wilson’s absence.
Here’s a few more NFC North news and notes:
- There’s a legitimate chance 34-year-old safety Adrian Wilson doesn’t make the Bears if he’s not a starter, says Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam Jahns, who lists five Bears with something to prove.
- Packers rookie tight end Colt Lyerla suffered a knee injury which will keep him out for ‘weeks,’ according to head coach Mike McCarthy (Twitter link). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat writer Tyler Dunne spoke with Lyerla’s agent, who said surgery doesn’t look necessary (Twitter link). While the injury throws cold water on one of the more interesting story lines in Packers camp, it could be a blessing in disguise if the team is able to stash the talented undrafted free agent on IR.
- Adding Jonathan Baldwin to the mix is a low-risk, high-reward move for the Lions, opines ESPN’s Michael Rothstein: “The Lions are always on the search for tall wide receivers, hoping the work ethic and professionalism Calvin Johnson provides can potentially rub off on one of them.”
- The Lions drafted Nate Freese with the thinking he would take over the team’s kicking duties, but he has not impressed, according to Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, Italian-born Giorgio Tavecchio is pushing hard for the job, and Justin Rogers of Mlive.com says Freese’s status as a draft pick will not preclude the team does not guarantee anything.
- “The Vikings are being built the right way, a model that could lead to sustained success if — and this should be written in bold capital letters because it looms over everything else — rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can develop into their franchise quarterback,” writes Chip Scroggins in the Star Tribune. Scroggins adds the team has 17 “core players,” excluding rookies.
Sunday Roundup: Bon Jovi, Orton, Browns
Let’s round up some links from around the league as Sunday morning turns into Sunday afternoon:
- In order to stem concerns from Bills‘ fans that the Toronto-based group led by rocker Jon Bon Jovi would like to ultimately move the team to Toronto if its ownership bid is successful, Bon Jovi himself wrote a letter published in the Buffalo News on Sunday morning stating that he hopes to make the Bills successful “in Buffalo.” As John Wawrow of the Associated Press writes, however, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told the AP several weeks ago that he has no doubts regarding Bon Jovi’s group’s long-term intentions to move the team to Toronto.
- Bears‘ GM Phil Emery is open to a reunion with Kyle Orton if Orton wants to play in 2014, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Orton, who was released by the Cowboys last month, began his career in Chicago and the Bears have twice tried to re-sign him since trading him to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal five years ago. Orton would represent an upgrade at backup quarterback over Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thinks that it is a “good sign” that Browns‘ receiver Josh Gordon and his attorneys are heading back to New York on Monday to resume Gordon’s appeal hearing. Cabot believes that Gordon will still be suspended, but perhaps not indefinitely.
- In the same piece, Cabot opines that Browns‘ second-year pro Barkevious Mingo could produce double-digit sacks in 2014. George M. Thomas and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal similarly believe that Mingo looks poised for a breakout campaign.
- In a separate piece, Ulrich writes that Browns‘ rookie QB Johnny Manziel could be gaining ground on presumed starter Brian Hoyer.
- Scott Brown of ESPN.com writes that Steelers‘ head coach Mike Tomlin is paying particularly close attention to the unheralded running backs fighting to make the team’s 53-man roster, including Tauren Poole, Miguel Maysonet, and Josh Harris.
- I posted an article earlier today regarding a potential contract extension for 49ers‘ head coach Jim Harbaugh, and Eric Branch of the San Fransisco Chronicle adds to that discussion. He writes that CEO Jed York believes he and Harbaugh are “on the same page” in their contract talks and that both parties will assess where they are after the 2014 season.
- Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune writes that Buccaneers wide receiver Tommy Streeter has been the pleasant surprise of training camp thus far.
- Herbie Teope of ChiefsSpin.com tweets that Chiefs‘ star safety Eric Berry returned to practice today.
- ESPN.com has created a chart detailing the first impressions that the first-round picks of 2014 have made.
NFC Notes: Saints, Carr, Barr, Hyde
Writing about the Saints, OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald says, “On one end of the spectrum they do a pretty poor job with planning for tomorrow due to restructures, void years, etc… but on the other end of the spectrum they also find these really good bargains on players.” Fitzgerald references Marques Colston, Zach Strief and Junior Galette chief among those bargains, deeming Galette the team’s best contract. On the flip side of the coin, however, is Curtis Lofton. Fitzgerald says the veteran linebacker’s guaranteed money is out of whack, and his deal is “littered” with prohibitive roster bonuses and a potentially costly voidable year.
Read on for several more NFC news and notes:
- Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr hasn’t joined the Cowboys for training camp yet because he’s been with his cancer-stricken mother, who passed away on Wednesday.
- Another player who has been sidelined for training camp is 49ers tight end Garrett Celek. He missed four games last season because of a hamstring injury, and is dealing with a back injury right now. Division III product Derek Carrier stands to benefit, writes SFGate.com’s Eric Branch, as Carrier and Celek are the contenders for the third tight end job behind Vernon Davis and Vance McDonald. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman believes in Carrier’s ability: “He’s got a chance to be a productive player in this league. There’s no doubt. Derek’s got a nice feel for the passing game, he’s got good hands, and he can cover some ground now – he can really run. I don’t like to put timetables on people, but this a big year for him. He’s got a hell of an opportunity this year to really take a big step.”
- Meanwhile, 49ers coaches are raving about the mental prowess of rookie runner Carlos Hyde, going so far as to call him savant-like, writes Matt Barrows in the Sacramento Bee.
- Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer says there is a “strong” chance first-rounder Anthony Barr could start the season opener, reports Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
- Bears rookie linebacker Christian Jones was one of the highest-profile undrafted free agents because he was key member of the national champion Florida State Seminoles, because he’s an impressive athlete who garnered second-round grades from draft evaluators and because he failed a drug test at the Combine. Not surprisingly, he’s made early waves in training camp for the linebacker-needy Bears, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright, who says it would be a surprise if Jones didn’t make the team: “The question now is whether Jones can maintain the momentum. Through the first seven practices, Jones appears to be one of the most athletic linebackers on the team, and probably the only true strongside linebacker at the position.”
- ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas checks in on a handful of Buccaneers position battles, including the worrisome guard spots: “This one remains wide open. Jamon Meredith, Oniel Cousins, Patrick Omameh and Kadeem Edwards have been taking turns working with the first team and it doesn’t look like anyone has pulled ahead of the pack yet.”
North Links: Gordon, Packers, Bears, Ravens
Browns receiver Josh Gordon‘s appeal hearing in New York today lasted from 9:30am to 7:00pm, and is expected to continue on Monday, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The 23-year-old Gordon is seeking to overturn his proposed one-year ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Earlier today, Florio indicated that there is a “slight chance” a compromise is reached in the negotiations; any such deal would presumably allow Gordon to serve a sentence less than one year. If that’s the case, it makes sense that the ongoing deliberations are taking a decent amount of time.
More from the NFL’s two North divisions:
- The Packers fear that fifth-round receiver Jared Abbrederis has a torn ACL, a source told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Abbrederis, a Wisconsin product, was expected to contribute in the return game.
- Adrian Wilson is already working with the Bears’ first-team defense, according to John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Roles in training camp are often inconsequential, but this report suggests that Wilson, who missed all of last season with an Achilles injury, is healthy enough to dominate safety snaps at Chicago’s practice sessions.
- Browns rookie guard Garrett Gilkey believes he’s a legitimate candidate to start, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Gilkey, a seventh-round pick in May’s draft, has been rotating at right guard with John Greco. “He’s shown to us in our practices he is a caliber of guy that is ready to be right in the starting mix,” said offensive line coach Andy Moeller. “…By no means has he arrived, but he’s certainly taking great strides to get there.”
- Following the release of veteran Vonta Leach, second-year man Kyle Juszczyk is slated to be the Ravens’ starting fullback, and he’s made great strides heading into his sophomore campaign, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
North Notes: AD, Manziel, Leonhard, Briggs
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson says that he didn’t want a coaching change but he recognizes that his teammates probably did, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “It was good to have him there, Coach [Leslie] Frazier, but [Mike Zimmer] fits our players better. That’s something I can honestly sit here and say. A lot of guys can’t respond to a Coach [Tony] Dungy, Coach Frazier, guys like that. A lot of guys respond to Coach Zimmer. He’s a better fit for the team,” Peterson said. More from the North divisions..
- New Browns safety Jim Leonhard says that he plans to retire after the 2014 season, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Leonhard added that he is happy to join coach Mike Pettine for what he expects to be last hurrah in the NFL. Of course, Leonhard and Pettine have been together during their shared time with the Ravens, Jets, and Bills.
- There might technically be a quarterback competition in Browns camp, but it’s starting to look like it’s heavily tilted in one direction. “I think Brian Hoyer‘s got the starting nod currently,” said center Alex Mack in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter). Star rookie Johnny Manziel may have the No. 1 spot eventually, but it seems likely that Hoyer will be the starter to kick off the 2014 season.
- When all is said and done, veteran linebacker Lance Briggs says that he intends to retire as a member of the Bears, writes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. Briggs, entering his 12th season with Chicago, says that he’s excited about the new faces on the Bears’ D this season and added that he feels comfortable with second-year defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
- The offseason addition of tackle Antonio “Tiny” Richardson might wind up being one of the Vikings‘ biggest moves, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. The 6’6″, 330-pound lineman is earning high praise from coach Mike Zimmer for his play so far in training camp.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL will be rounded up below, with any moves reported or announced this afternoon or evening added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Bears signed offensive tackle Dennis Roland and waived fellow tackle Cody Booth, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com recently wrote that Roland was one of the best right tackles remaining on the open market.
- The Chiefs waived rookie linebacker Ben Johnson to clear roster room for the signing of former Patriots safety Steve Gregory, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The Chiefs signed Johnson as a UDFA out of Tennessee-Martin and he participated in training camp practices despite missing time during OTAs with a hamstring injury.
- The Dolphins have swapped one tight end for another, signing Raymond Webber and placing the recently-signed Brett Brackett on waivers, tweets Brian McIntyre.
- Per Aaron Wilson (Twitter links), the Bills have removed defensive back Brandon Smith from their injured reserve list, while the Seahawks did the same with offensive lineman Jared Smith. The Seahawks reached an injury settlement with their Smith, though it’s not clear if Buffalo did the same.
- Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com has the corresponding move for the Lions‘ signing of Redding (noted below), tweeting that the club has cut receiver Cody Wilson.
Earlier updates:
- Tight end Anthony McCoy has been moved to injured reserve by the Seahawks, who replaced him on the roster with former USC wide receiver Ronald Johnson, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- According to his agent Joel E. Turner (Twitter link), rookie defensive end Kris Redding has signed with the Lions. Detroit currently has a full 90-man roster, so a corresponding move will be necessary when the team officially announces the signing of the Wake Forest product.
- After missing most of last season with a torn quadriceps, Colts guard Donald Thomas suffered the same injury in practice this week, according to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. It’s disappointing news for Thomas and for the Colts, who signed the offensive lineman to a four-year, $14MM prior to the 2013 season and have only gotten two regular-season games out of him so far. With second-round pick Jack Mewhort seemingly poised to take over a starting role, Indianapolis has placed Thomas on IR, signing offensive lineman Eric Pike to fill his roster spot, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
- The Bears swapped a couple players near the back-end of their roster today, signing offensive lineman Graham Pocic and waived wide receiver Terrence Toliver with an injury settlement, the team announced (via Twitter).
Minor Moves: Tuesday
As August approaches, teams continue to shuffle around their 90-man rosters, making minor signings and cuts. We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Bears signed wide receiver Dale Moss to fill out their roster, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Moss spent part of 2012 on the Bears’ practice squad and the early part of the 2013 offseason on Chicago’s roster.
- Brian McIntyre (Twitter links) passes along word of a pair of waiver claims, reporting that the 49ers claimed offensive tackle Michael Philipp from the Dolphins, while the Lions were awarded wideout Quintin Payton from the Bucs. Detroit had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move was necessary to claim Payton — San Francisco has waived quarterback Kory Faulkner to make room for Philipp.
- The Steelers have waived-injured offensive lineman David Snow, replacing him on the roster with running back Josh Harris, the team announced today (Twitter link via PR man Burt Lauten).
Earlier updates:
- After suffering a couple injuries in the secondary recently, the Ravens have brought in a free agent defensive back, signing former Arena Leaguer Marrio Norman to a contract, the team announced today. To make room on the roster, Baltimore has cut wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard, who spent most of last season on the club’s practice squad.
- In order to make room for the newly-signed Alfonso Smith, the 49ers have waived-injured rookie guard Fouimalo Fonoti, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have made a series of moves this morning, signing tight end Brett Brackett, quarterback Seth Lobato and defensive end D’Aundre Reed, and waiving quarterback Brock Jensen and linebacker Derrell Johnson. Miami also waived-injured guard Davonte Wallace, according to the team (TwitLonger link). Of the six players, only Reed has seen regular-season NFL action, and his experience is limited to six active games in 2012. The release of Jensen is also notable, since he was one of the club’s more highly-touted undrafted free agents this spring.
- Former Jets linebacker Ricky Sapp has been cut by the Texans, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the team signed running back Tim Cornett and offensive tackle Mike Farrell. Sapp, a former fifth-round pick who was active in 10 total games last year for the Jets and Texans, will have to clear waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Monday Roundup: Gaffney, Suh, Bills
Let’s round up some links from around the league to close out this Monday night:
- The Panthers waived-injured sixth-round draft pick Tyler Gaffney on Sunday, hoping they could sneak him past waivers and put him on IR after he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Friday. However, the Patriots thwarted those hopes by claiming Gaffney earlier today. Of course, the Panthers could have kept Gaffney on the 90-man camp roster, but, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, Carolina GM Dave Gettleman noted that the team needed that roster spot for another running back (who turned out to be Fozzy Whittaker). In response to the Patriots’ acquiring Gaffney, a move that breaks one of the league’s many “unwritten rules,” Gettleman replied, “It’s business.”
- During a brief, almost impromptu session with the media earlier today, Lions‘ defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh did not offer any real explanation as to why extension talks with the team have been tabled, nor did he say much about his long-term plans, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Suh merely reiterated yet again that he wants to remain a Lion. See Birkett’s article and our own Luke Adams’ post from earlier this afternoon for more details on the Suh dilemma.
- Mike Sando of ESPN.com (subscription required) offers his thoughts as to how the Seahawks can keep their title window open once quarterback Russell Wilson inevitably gets a new deal that will pay him many times what he currently earns.
- Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that the Saints are entering 2014 with tremendous confidence, despite their jettisoning of veteran stalwarts like Roman Harper and Will Smith and their increased reliance on their young talent on both sides of the football.
- Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes that the bidding process to buy the Bills begins Tuesday.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes that Donald Trump will bid on the Bills, but Trump says his chances of becoming the franchise’s next owner are “very, very unlikely.”
- Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets that Raiders‘ receiver Rod Streater has been diagnosed with a concussion.
- Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune gives the early edge in the Bears‘ backup quarterback battle to Jimmy Clausen. He also notes that defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and wideout Marquess Wilson have been impressive in camp thus far.
- Liz Mullen of SportsBusinessJournal.com tweets that NFL agents Michael Perrett and Kevin McGuire have left SportsTrust Advisors to form their own firm.