NFC Notes: Panthers, Sherrod, Cowboys, Vikings
After being cut eight times in five years, Rutgers product Tiquan Underwood is fighting to beat the odds, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I wouldn’t say anything changes because you want to take a serious approach, but I would just say I’m more mindful of the fact that it’s not just me anymore,” Underwood said today at Panthers practice. “I have a fiancée and a daughter that also rely on what I do.” Underwood has an opportunity in Carolina to replace Ted Ginn Jr., the speedy wide receiver who filled the No. 3 role for the team in 2013, but he hasn’t separated himself from the pack yet this offseason. Here’s more from around the NFL…
- Oft-injured offensive lineman Derek Sherrod wasn’t surprised when the Packers turned down his fifth-year option for the 2015 season, and is hoping to stay healthy and have a productive contract year in 2014, as he tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- The Cowboys may be content to let the Kyle Orton situation play out, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks it’s just a matter of time until the team has to cut its losses. In Hill’s view, the Cowboys aren’t likely to collect any money for fines from Orton, let alone bonus money.
- The Cowboys would like to sign Dez Bryant to an extension, but the wide receiver isn’t sweating it, writes David Moore of the Dallas News. “That’s going to take care of itself,’’ Bryant said. “I’m very confident in the work I put in. Whatever happens, happens,” Bryant said. “All I know is I’m going to continue to keep doing my job. That alone shows my dedication and love I have for the game. I’m going to let it work out.’’
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Former guard Steve Hutchinson, who made four straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Vikings, hopes to return to the organization in a scouting role, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I got to get settled in down there first and see what the lay of the land is,” Hutchinson said. “If they need a presence down South or something, depending on what they might need my skill set for. But it’s nothing that’s set in stone right now. It’s kind of just talk right now.”
- Giants running back Peyton Hillis has signed with Drew Rosenhaus’ agency, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal. Rosenhaus is the fifth agency to represent the former Madden cover athlete. Hillis will be repped by Jason Katz and Michael Katz (link).
- Bears offensive lineman Michael Ola has spent the last two days working with the first team at right tackle and left guard, tweets the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. As a result, the writer believes Ola will be among the players competing for a roster spot come training camp (via Twitter). The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons playing in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes.
Ben Levine and Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Bengals, Raiders, Bears, Bucs
Tonight’s minor moves..
- The Bengals announced (via Twitter) that they have released Mississippi halfback Jeff Scott.
- The Raiders claimed tackle Emmett Cleary off waivers from the Buccaneers, tweets Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Safety Sean Cattouse (Bears), Steven Jenkins (Buccaneers), Lamont Bryant (Titans), Aaron Mellette (Ravens), and Adrian Hamilton (Ravens) all went unclaimed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
- The Texans signed former North Carolina defensive tackle Tim Jackson, Wilson tweets.
- Texans cut tight end Chris Coyle and waived-injured defensive lineman Sullivan Grosz, Wilson tweets. Both Coyle, an Arizona State product, and Grosz, out of Cal Poly, were signed as undrafted free agents back in May.
- The Raiders cut David Gilreath, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The former Wisconsin wideout hooked on with Oakland earlier this month.
- The Cowboys removed former Illinois State tight end Evan Wilson from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets. The UDFA signed with Dallas in May and received a $2.5K signing bonus.
Extra Points: Vikings, Ravens, Rams, Polamalu
Vikings defensive end is very open to helping guide rookie Scott Crichton, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “He’s got a good burst and he’s obviously got great size,” Robison said. “Obviously, we’re going to help him in every way we can and try to make him the best ballplayer we can. … I definitely want to help him in every way possible.” More from around the league..
- The Ravens worked out former Arizona State wide receiver Mike Willie today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Willie has previously played for the Chargers.
- With their signings this year, the Rams and Buccaneers have created a new model for contracts for draft picks, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. Both teams negotiated contracts with notable picks that have no offsets which will protect them in the event of an outright release.
- The Steelers have made some major changes on defense and Troy Polamalu has taken notice, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Polamalu will have to get accustomed to the switch from Ryan Clark to Mike Mitchell, but that’s not the only difference for Pittsburgh in 2014.
- Decision day is looming for the Bears‘ group of quarterbacks, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Jimmy Clausen, Jerrod Johnson, and Jordan Palmer are jostling to back up Jay Cutler, and one of the three could be gone as early as this week. Sixth round pick David Fales is likely safe.
Minor Moves: Patriots, Ravens, Bucs
Tonight’s minor moves..
- The Buccaneers signed former Panthers receiver David Gettis, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The 26-year-old turned heads as a tryout player at the team’s minicamp last week. As a rookie with Carolina in 2010, Gettis hauled in 37 passes and 508 yards with three touchdowns.
- The Ravens have released former seventh-round wide receiver Aaron Mellette and outside linebacker Adrian Hamilton, according to Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Both young players spent last year on injured reserve and were attempting comebacks this season but were waived after failing physicals. Mink says the Ravens could re-sign one or both of the players. If Mellette hadn’t failed a physical and was just a routine cut, he could have been a popular waiver claim, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Patriots announced on their website today that they have signed rookie free agent defensive lineman Seali’i Epenesa. Epenesa, 22, played in 41 games and finished with 46 total tackles and one sack during his four year college career. The 6’1″, 310-pounder played in 12 games with seven starts as a senior in 2013 and was credited with 16 tackles and one sack.
- The Buccaneers cut tackle Emmett Cleary and linebacker Steven Jenkins, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Cleary, an undrafted free agent out of Boston College, and was signed in October 2013 but did not appear in any games. Jenkins was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M this year.
- The Bears cut safety Sean Cattouse, Wilson tweets. Cattouse spent most of 2013 on Chicago’s practice squad.
NFC Notes: Redskins, Eagles, Bears
Let’s check out some notes from ESPN.com’s NFC writers on this Father’s Day evening…
- If the Redskins young guards play well, Chris Chester could be a release candidate, writes John Keim. Spencer Long, Josh LeRibeus and Adam Gettis would be among the players looking to replace the 31-year-old.
- In the same article, Keim mentions that veteran Adam Carriker hopes to make a comeback. The defensive end was cut by the Redskins in March.
- It is unlikely that Eagles rookie kicker Carey Spear (also known as “Murderleg”) beats out Alex Henery, says Phil Sheridan. The former Vanderbilt kicker signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in May.
- Assuming the Bears hold on to three running backs, Michael C. Wright believes that Jordan Lynch would be the odd man out. In spite of the players skills, Wright doesn’t think he’ll receive enough repetitions in the preseason to display his talent. Lynch figures to be competing with Ka’Deem Carey and Michael Ford.
NFC Notes: Graham, Forte, Giants, Peterson
The grievance hearing on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag positional designation is scheduled for next week, and a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com that the NFL Management Council is preparing a “strong counterargument” against the NFLPA’s claim that Graham should be considered a receiver.
“The union’s position is a naked cash grab,” the source said. “It ignores Mr. Graham’s use as a traditional tight end on roughly 60% of the snaps where he lined up within four yards of the tackle. It also ignores the historical use of the tight end position.”
It’s fair to assume that Triplett’s source isn’t exactly an impartial observer, considering his comments sound like ones the NFL will make during the hearing. Taking into account that the Saints star lined up in the slot or split out wide for roughly two-thirds of his snaps in 2013, the decision certainly isn’t cut-and-dried, and the outcome could have significant ramifications not just on Graham’s next deal, but on the tight end position going forward.
Here’s more from out of the NFC:
- “I think I can play 12 years,” Bears running back Matt Forte tells John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Forte, who has two years left on his current contract, would have to play through the 2019 season to achieve that goal.
- The Giants have multiple free agents lined up for workouts this week, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who writes in two separate pieces that the club will audition 6’5″ wide receiver Denzell Jones and former South Carolina cornerback Victor Hampton on Wednesday.
- Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals have yet to reach an agreement on a new long-term contract, but that didn’t stop the cornerback from reporting to the club’s mandatory minicamp today, says Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Agent Joel Segal and the Cards continue to discuss an extension for Peterson.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com believes Justin Durant will be the Cowboys‘ starting middle linebacker when the regular season gets underway, but suggests that if Durant doesn’t play well in camp, the 28-year-old is a candidate to be cut or traded.
- Wide receiver Kain Colter received the biggest bonus ($8K) among the Vikings‘ undrafted free agent signings, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
NFC Links: Kluwe, Hayden, Ponder
The Chris Kluwe investigation is coming to an end. According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the lawyers in charge of the case estimate that the process will be finished in the next ten days.
Kluwe, who claimed his 2013 release by the Vikings was related to his support for same-sex marriage, has yet to find a job this season. Former coach Leslie Frazier was fired in late December, but special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer (who Kluwe accused of making “homophobic remarks”) was retained by new coach Mike Zimmer.
Let’s see what else is happening in the NFC…
- Christian Ponder doesn’t have better than “an outside chance” of being the Vikings starting quarterback, writes ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling. According to the writer, the former first-round pick hasn’t done anything “to suggest he’s changed enough to challenge for the job.”
- D.J. Hayden missed another practice this afternoon, and Raiders coach Dennis Allen doesn’t sound too optimistic about a quick return. “It’s hard to tell,” Allen said (via Steve Corkran of The Mercury News). “Initially I was hopeful of (a quick return). Hopefully we’ll have him out here, because he needs the work.”
- Former Lions (and current Bears) defensive end Willie Young doesn’t have any hard feeling against his former team. “They did [show interest] but we definitely broke ways on good terms,” Young said (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). “I definitely enjoyed my years here, I can say that. Thankful for the opportunity I was able to create for myself here and landing me in Chicago right now.”
NFC North Links: Nelson, Vikings, Bears
Many prospective free agents give stock answers when asked about their next contract, expressing a desire to remain with their current teams because that’s what expected of them. But in the view of Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Jordy Nelson isn’t sticking to the middle of the road when discussing his situation with the Packers, and has expressed a strong preference to remain in Green Bay.
“My wife and I have enjoyed it,” Nelson said Sunday of his time with the Packers. “Let’s see, it’s six years, going on seven years now. We don’t want to go anywhere else. We love it here. We want to be here, and hopefully we can get to that point.”
Our Peter Sowards examined Nelson as an extension candidate last month.
Let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFC North:
- Speaking of saying all the right things, Vikings rookie Teddy Bridgewater has suggested he’s perfectly content to start his NFL career as a backup. But as Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune writes, history suggests that a first-round quarterback like Bridgewater won’t stay on the bench for long.
- In his latest mailbag, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune fields readers’ questions on a handful of Bears-related topics, including potential free agent targets still on the market, and whether or not Chicago would be willing to take a chance on recently-waived safety Will Hill.
- Although Minnesota will never be at the top of most athletes’ destination wish lists, the Vikings and other local teams are proving it’s not the free agent outpost it used to be, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune.
Extra Points: Kaepernick, Jones, Houston, Wilcox
The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin writes that Collin Kaepernick’s new contract is not nearly as large as it seems. As our own Luke Adams thoroughly outlined earlier this week, Kaepernick is only truly guaranteed the amount of his signing bonus combined with the NFL minimum that he is set to make next season: $12.973MM-a figure well short of the recent guaranteed money recently given to Aaron Rodgers ($54MM), Matt Ryan ($42MM), and Tony Romo ($40MM) . Over the next three seasons total, Kaepernick will essentially be guaranteed $44MM, a figure that falls short of future three-year earnings of both Joe Flacco ($62MM) and Jay Cutler ($47MM). Kaepernick will need to earn the vast majority of the quoted $126MM total value of the contract on the gridiron. Here are some other news bits from around the league:
- Former Alabama star lineman Barrett Jones is ready to compete to become the primary interior swingman for the Rams after losing most of his rookie season to injury, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Jones will figure to become the Rams‘ long-term starter at center.
- Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks that arrival of Jared Allen bodes very well for fellow recent Bears‘ free agent acquisition Lamarr Houston.
- Brandon George from the Sports Day DFW projects that expectations will be high for second year safety J.J. Wilcox, who George has penciled in to start for the Cowboys alongside Barry Church heading into the 2014-2015 Season.
- Eagles‘ nose tackle Bennie Logan added 10 additional pounds to his frame this offseason, bringing his playing weight to 317-319 pounds, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While Logan is still lighter than the average NFL nose tackle’s average weight, he thinks that his size is ideal for the Eagles’ particular defensive schemes.
NFC North Notes: Super Bowl, Vikings, Nelson
Minneapolis was awarded the 2018 Super Bowl, but not before it agreed to a lengthy list of demands from the NFL, according to Mike Kaszuba and Rochelle Olson of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 154-page document listing the league’s requirements is available in its entirety at the link, and it includes stipulations ranging from the waiving of government licensing fees to the installation of “NFL-preferred ATMs” inside the Vikings’ new stadium. The Minneapolis host committee claims that it did not agree to every demand issued by the league, but some are angry at the seemingly secret nature of the entire process, especially given that the new stadium will be financed using a good amount of public money.
More items from the NFC North:
- The naming rights to the aforementioned new Vikings stadium (opening in 2016) are expected to go U.S. Bank, reports Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
- Matt Cassel, competing with rookie Teddy Bridgewater to be the Vikings’ starting quarterback, is excited about new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s presence in Minnesota, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I’m pleasantly surprised, because like I said I think he creates a sense of urgency in practice that we need,” said Cassel. “That’s the way you get better. If you don’t have a sense of urgency in practice, then it’s hard to carry that over on game day. And he coaches everybody. It’s not just certain guys. It’s the first person up, the second person up, the third person up. He’s talking about all the little details, and that’s huge.”
- Jordy Nelson was recently labeled an extension candidate by PFR’s Peter Sowards, and Nelson, speaking at his charity softball game, sounds like he wants to remain with the Packers (courtesy of Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). “We don’t want to go anywhere else,” said the Green Bay receiver. “We love it here. We want to be here. Hopefully, we can get to that point.”
- In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky observes it would be too risky for the Packers to let either Nelson or Randall Cobb leave via free agency. Both receivers are entering the final year of their respective contracts.
- Scott Tolzien is hoping he can stick as the Packers’ third quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn, according to Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.
- 2013 Bears seventh-rounder Marquess Wilson, in an effort to be Chicago’s third receiver, has bulked up to 207 pounds, after weighing in at 194 pounds at the combine, reports Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.