Melton “All For” Staying In Chicago
Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton‘s contract year did not go as planned. He suffered a season-ending torn left ACL injury in Week Three, then was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and public intoxication after a bar fight in December. However, while Melton might not be in line for the mega deal many anticipated prior to the season, he remains an athletic, disruptive, pass-rushing three-technique in his age-27 season, making him a coveted asset. Melton talked about his uncertain future with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs.
The Bears will not franchise Melton and have yet to make a contract offer, but the injured tackle continues his rehab at the Bears facility, remains in contact with the coaching staff and says he’s “all for” staying in Chicago. It sounds as though GM Phil Emery would like to make that happen, but he was not shy about sending a public message to Melton last month:
“He has to fully dedicate his mind and his focus to football, which is extremely important,” Emery said. “And as I have sat down and talked to him, there was a reason we franchise-tagged him [for 2013]. There was a reason for that [$8.45 million] investment. The under-tackle position in the scheme that we’re in is the engine that drives the defense. And when he was in the game, even though from a statistical standpoint he wasn’t off to a fast start, it was very evident on tape that he was a very important part of the defense.”
Melton says he’s “80 to 90” percent and believes he’s on track to participate in OTAs in late May, or be ready to go for training camp at the latest. Whether he’s in training camp with the Bears or another team remains to be seen. While it was the previous regime which drafted Melton, a college running back-turned-defensive lineman, Emery has been exposed to Melton for two years and knows better than anyone the risk and reward involved with an extension. He must weigh Melton’s injury risk, on-field inconsistency and overall accountability against his upside, market value and sheer importance to the Bears defense.
Accordingly, Emery faces a difficult decision, especially in the aftermath of most of the team’s off-season salary cap space being allotted to quarterback Jay Cutler. The team’s pressing needs, however, are on the defense, which bottomed out last season and is devoid of established building blocks with the exception of 30-year-old cornerback Tim Jennings and aging linebacker Lance Briggs. Retaining Melton would perhaps allow the Bears to focus on an edge rusher or secondary defender early in the draft.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Boldin, Pettigrew, Bears
Yesterday morning, there was news of the 49ers and free agent receiver Anquan Boldin working on a long-term deal, but tonight, Pro Football Talk says not so fast. A source tells PFT no negotiations have taken place, though both sides are expected to talk at the Combine. Additionally, Boldin is the team’s top priority by virtue of him being on the verge of hitting the open market, but quarterback Colin Kaepernick and head coach Jim Harbaugh could also receive extensions this year.
Other NFC notes:
- Brandon Pettigrew is the only reasonable candidate for the Lions franchise tag, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, but he says the team is unlikely to use the tag, probably for reasons explained by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Both writers seem to agree that Pettigrew is not worth the money given his inconsistency, injuries and inability to stretch the field. Furthermore, the team is sitting with just about $3MM in cap space.
- There’s a good chance Bears running back Michael Bush will be a cap casualty, according to Dan Pompei. Bush is signed for two more years with cap hits of $3.85MM in 2014 and $4.6MM in 2015, but has been very average as Matt Forte‘s backup.
- Former Ravens safety Christian Thompson worked out for the Bears, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). A good-sized, athletic prospect who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Thompson was released by the Ravens last season after he served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
- The 49ers need a speedy receiver to compliment Michael Crabtree (and maybe Boldin) if they are to have more success against the big, physical Seahawks secondary, says Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Tuesday Signings: Seahawks, Bucs, Bears
A handful of NFL teams signed players to contracts today, according to the league’s transactions log. Because these are modest reserve/futures contracts and not significant deals like DeAngelo Hall‘s, we’ll round them up in a single post, right here:
- The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Chris Matthews, tweets Brian McIntyre. Matthews, who was said to be deciding between two NFL teams, had a standout 2012 season for the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, racking up nearly 1200 yards on 81 catches, but was sidelined for most of the 2013 season due to various injuries.
- Linebacker Damaso Munoz has signed with the Buccaneers, according to McIntyre (via Twitter). Like Matthews, Munoz has spent multiple seasons playing in the CFL, having played for the Edmonton Eskimos in each of the last three years. Munoz’s 2012 and 2013 campaigns were virtually identical from a statistical perspective — in both seasons, he notched 88 tackles and three sacks.
- The Bears have signed cornerback Derricus Purdy, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The former Texas Southern DB went undrafted in 2013 before reportedly drawing some interest from the Packers and Bills.
Bears Sign Austen Lane
The Bears have signed defensive lineman Austen Lane, according to a tweet by his agent, Scott Smith.
Lane, 26, was a 2010 fifth-round-pick of the Jaguars out of Murray State. He was released in 2013, and spent time with both the Chiefs and the Lions last season, but did not record any statistics. While in Jacksonville, he played under current Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
The Bears’ defensive line struggled last season, due to both injuries and ineffectiveness. Tackle Henry Melton is a free agent and coming off a torn ACL, and end Julius Peppers is a candidate for release. 2012 first-round-pick Shea McClellin‘s play was lackluster, and the team has since announced plans to move him to linebacker.
NFC North Notes: Combine, Franchise Tags
As teams get ready for the scouting combine next week, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com previews the top priority the Vikings‘ scouts will have going into Indianapolis. He believes the team will draft to improve their defensive line, and sees the team targeting Louis Nix of Notre Dame, Ra’Shede Hageman of Minnesota, and Kony Ealy of Missouri. Here are some other notes from around the NFC North:
- While Goessling has the team using the draft to bolster their defensive line, he has not forgotten about the Vikings‘ free agents. He wrote about the possibility of using the franchise tag on Jared Allen or the transition tag on Everson Griffen, although notes that it is more likely the team pursues a long term deal with Griffen.
- The Packers have enough cap room to use their franchise tag sometime in the next two weeks, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. Silverstein sees the team using either the franchise or transition tag to help retain one of two players: cornerback Sam Shields or defensive linemen B.J. Raji.
- The Bears are unlikely to utilize their franchise tag, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Jay Cutler would have been the only logical candidate for the designation, and the team agreed to a contract extension with him earlier this offseason.
NFC North Notes: Raji, Vikings, Harper
ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde continues his position-by-position outlook of the Packers by delving into Green Bay’s defensive line and linebackers. With regards to the defensive line, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport recently reported that the Packers would try to remake the unit with smaller and more athletic players, which DC Dom Capers has historically preferred. If the team does go in that direction, it could simply let unrestricted free agents B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, and C.J. Wilson–all of whom offer more size than speed or athleticism–find a new employer. The biggest name of that group, of course, is Raji, whose rejection of an $8MM/year offer last fall suggests that he is unhappy with his role in the Packers’ scheme and that he is ready to move on. In any event, Green Bay is looking at a great deal of turnover on the defensive line, and it remains to be seen if they will add depth to the unit via free agency, the draft–the Packers have used a high pick on a defensive lineman in each of the past two years–or both.
As far as their linebackers are concerned, the big question the Packers face is what to do with Mike Neal. Neal was a revelation in 2013, moving from defensive end to outside linebacker and thriving in that role. While that was good news for Green Bay last season, Neal, an unrestricted free agent, is well-positioned to receive a significant offer from another club this season. With 2012 first-round pick Nick Perry still an unproven commodity at this point–injuries have shrouded each of his first two years in the league–the Packers may have no other choice but to retain Neal, lest they face another season with Clay Matthews as the only legitimate play-maker in the linebacking corps.
More notes from the NFC North:
- As noted by our own Rob DiRe last week, Vikings GM Rick Spielman wants to add another two picks to the team’s 2014 draft. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling thinks the best way to do that would be for Minnesota to trade back from its No. 8 overall selection. Such a move would be especially tempting if the draft’s top quarterbacks are off the board at that point. Goessling adds that, even if the Vikings could not get a top-flight QB with the eighth overall pick, they would be wise to grab Clemson’s Sammy Watkins if he’s still available. Watkins could team with Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, and Adrian Peterson to form a formidable group of offensive weapons.
- ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein believes the top priority for the Lions this offseason is at wide receiver, a belief reinforced by the recent release of Nate Burleson. Tight end would also be a high priority, particularly if the Lions cannot re-sign Brandon Pettigrew. As noted last week, Detroit’s outlook at tight end beyond Pettigrew is uninspiring.
- Although ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright opined last week that the recently-released Roman Harper would probably cost too much for the Bears to sign, he does note that Harper would still be a viable option if another team does not spend big on him.
Devin Hester Likely To Leave Bears
Bears return man Devin Hester is without a contract for 2014, and Dan Pompei at Bleacher Report says, “It is starting to look like Devin Hester has brought back his last kick for the Bears.” Despite being used solely as a return specialist last season, Hester, 31, did not regain the explosiveness and productivity of his prime. Considering the Bears have less than $7MM in cap space with several needs to address, Pompei says the team is likely to seek a returner who also contributes on offense or defense.
As for Hester’s future, while his days of his superhuman impact appear a thing of the past, he still remains a viable upgrade for many teams. Hester ranked in the top third of return men in the league, averaging 27.6 yards per kickoff return and 14.2 yards per punt return, including a score. Pompei alludes to speculation that Hester could reunite with former head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa.
NFC Notes: Dimitroff, Shields, Orakpo, Eagles
Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff was put under the microscope by the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Dawson Devitt, who published the first part of an exhaustive retrospective analysis of the GM’s transaction history 2008-09, including free agency, cuts, trades, extensions and drafts. The verdict? More good than bad.
Other opinions from NFC writers:
- Packers free agent cornerback Sam Shields‘ arrow is pointing up, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who says the 26-year-old is worth $7-8MM per year. Shields has blazing speed to run with outside burners and has improved leaps and bounds with his technique and tackling.
- With Henry Melton, Jay Ratliff and Nate Collins set to hit free agency, defensive tackle “will have to be a top priority” for the Bears, according to ESPN Chicago’s Michael C. Wright, who believes the team will add interior defenders in the draft, via free agency and still attempt to bring back its own free agents.
- The Redskins can re-sign both Brian Orakpo and Perry Riley provided both players don’t ask for unreasonable deals, says ESPN Washington’s John Keim.
- Thanks to second-year head coach Chip Kelly’s familiarity with college players, Dallas Morning News writer Rick Gosselin believes the Eagles are in a window when they have a distinct draft advantage. Gosselin cites past examples of Jimmy Johnson‘s move from the University of Miami to the Cowboys, Jim Harbaugh‘s jump from Stanford to the 49ers and Pete Carroll’s escape from USC to the Seahawks when the coaches drafted players they were familiar with, creating the core of winning NFL teams. Kelly, who recruited nationally for Oregon, “spent four years with the Ducks so he has a four-year window when he’ll know the draft board better than the NFL lifers,” contends Gosselin.
Extra Points: Bills, Boldin, Brady, Browns
The Bills would be smart to add some competition at quarterback and trading for Kirk Cousins could be one way for them light a fire under E.J. Manuel. Mike Rodak of ESPN.com looked at why a deal for the Redskins‘ No. 2 QB could happen, why it might not happen, and what it would take to get it done. More from around the National Football League:
- Consistent with what we’ve been hearing this offseason, the 49ers want wide receiver Anquan Boldin back and the feeling is mutual, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
- Would the Patriots ever trade Tom Brady? Bob Neumeier and Fred Toucher stopped by CSNNE.com (video link) for some friendly debate.
- Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap wonders if the Browns‘ situation is really so bad despite their many question marks. The Browns have a tremendous talent in Josh Gordon and lots of cap room to work with this offseason.
- The Bears announced that Pat Meyer has been promoted to offensive line coach, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
- Veteran defensive tackle Vaughn Martin visited the Jets and Lions over the last two weeks and is fully recovered from the hernia surgery he underwent during last season, tweets Adam Caplan of SiriusXM. The Canadian has recorded 78 tackles and three sacks over the course of his NFL career.
Extra Points: Helu, Cardinals, Cowboys
Defensive ends didn’t find a whole lot of cash out there on the open market last offseason but that should change this time around, writes Joe Fortenbaugh of National Football Post. Free agent DEs like Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett found themselves agreeing to short-term pillow contracts to try and get back to free agency while they can still cash in last year. This year, the Falcons, Jaguars, and Bears are among the many clubs with needs at that position…
- Two people familiar with Roy Helu‘s contract tell The Washington Times that he has reached the “proven performance escalator,” a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that rewards players who were drafted in the third through seventh rounds who are entering the final year of their rookie contract. As a result, his base salary for 2014 will double. The running back was the Redskins’ leading rusher as a rookie in 2011 and played a significant role for the team last season. Helu was supposed to earn a base salary of $645K this season but will instead earn a base salary of $1.39MM.
- Teams can start using the franchise tag as early as Monday, but the Cardinals won’t be among those clubs, writes Darren Urban of Cardinals.com. Linebacker Karlos Dansby was hit with the tag two years in a row by the Cards a few years back but he won’t be in line for a deal that would pay him ~$10.9MM.
- Don’t expect the Cowboys to make any major moves on the free agent market, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Are the Bears better off letting Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers go? Ryan McGuffey and John Mullin of CSNChicago.com (video link) discuss the pros and cons.
- Despite his differences with special teams coach Mike Pfeiffer, former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe says Minnesota would be a good place for Michael Sam, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.