Bengals Sign A.J. Green To Extension
5:15pm: Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has the full details of Green’s deal with Cincy. Green will get a $15MM roster bonus, with all money paid out by Jan. 31, 2016. His base salaries: $11.75MM in 2015, $3.8MM in 2016, $10.3MM in 2017, $10.55MM in 2018, $11.976MM in 2019. Green will be eligible for a $200,000 workout bonus in both 2016 and ’19. He’ll also receive a $6MM roster bonus if he’s on the active roster come the third day of the 2016 league year.
1:21pm: The Bengals have made it official, announcing that Green has been extended through the 2019 season (Twitter link).
12:20pm: With a late-afternoon deadline looming, the Bengals and A.J. Green will beat the clock, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a contract extension. Green becomes the latest star wideout to receive a new deal this summer, in the wake of extensions for Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and T.Y. Hilton.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Green’s extension will be a four-year deal worth $60MM, which would give him an average annual salary of $15MM. That figure likely doesn’t include his 2015 salary of $10.176MM, which would bring the total value of his next five years to about $70MM, and we’ll have to wait for further details to find out whether $60MM represents the base value or max value. But it appears Green did very well, exceeding the $14MM-per-year salaries that Thomas and Bryant landed.
Owczarski wrote yesterday that, while the Bengals were willing to meet that $14MM+ benchmark in terms of annual salary, the guaranteed money involved in the agreement may be a sticking point. Cincinnati is typically reluctant to give out significant guaranteed money on contract extensions, with even quarterback Andy Dalton getting a modest $17MM guarantee on his new $96MM deal last year.
It will be interesting to see what portion of Green’s new pact is fully guaranteed up front, and how much is guaranteed for injury only. Rapoport tweets that the Bengals “stepped up with significant first-year money” in order to make up for not guaranteeing as much. The club traditionally doesn’t do full guarantees beyond the first year of a contract, and Green’s fifth-year option for 2015 had already been guaranteed.
The fourth overall pick out of Georgia in 2011, Green has made four consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league. After catching 97 balls in 2012 and 98 in 2013, he was slowed down last year with injuries, finishing with 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on 69 receptions. With the 2015 season about to get underway, the 27-year-old looks healthy and poised for a big year, so it wasn’t surprising that the Bengals wanted to get something done before Week 1.
The star wideout had said earlier in the summer that he’d be willing to play out the final year of his rookie contract, while the team seemed more eager to work something out this year. If he hadn’t agreed to an extension in 2015, Green would have been a strong candidate for the franchise tag in the winter, at which time the two sides would have re-engaged in negotiations on a multiyear deal.
Instead, the Bengals will have Green locked up through the 2019 season, at which point he’ll be eligible for free agency again. If Green’s contract expires after ’19 without a second extension in place, he’d be eligible to hit the open market at age 31.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Deadline Looming For A.J. Green, Bengals?
Contract negotiations between the Bengals and A.J. Green reportedly intensified this week, with several reports yesterday indicating that the two sides were working hard to reach an agreement. The heightened sense of urgency in the talks appears to be a product of a looming deadline for Green and the Bengals — according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link), the deadline for a new deal is later today, when the team departs for Oakland.
It’s not clear if Green or the Bengals – or both – are pushing to shut down contract discussions if a deal isn’t reached by the end of the day, but the star wideout said earlier in the summer that he’d be willing to play out the final year of his rookie contract, while the team seemed more eager to work something out. If he doesn’t sign a new contract this year, Green would earn $10.176MM, the value of his fifth-year option, in 2015, and then would be a strong candidate for the franchise tag in the winter.
Receivers like Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones have inked new, long-term contracts in recent months, creating a blueprint for a potential Green extension. However, while Owczarski writes that the Bengals are willing to meet that $14MM+ benchmark in terms of annual salary, the guaranteed money involved in the agreement may be a sticking point. Cincinnati is typically reluctant to give out significant guaranteed money on contract extensions, with even quarterback Andy Dalton getting a modest $17MM guarantee on his new $96MM deal last year.
For his part, Green isn’t saying much about the negotiations, telling Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link) this morning that he doesn’t know whether anything will get done. The fourth overall pick out of Georgia in 2011, Green has made four consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league. After catching 97 balls in 2012 and 98 in 2013, he was slowed down last year with injuries, finishing with 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on 69 receptions. With the 2015 season about to get underway, the 27-year-old looks healthy and poised for a big year.
A.J. Green, Bengals Pushing For New Deal
3:24pm: Despite all the reports suggesting the Bengals and Green are trying hard to reach a compromise, a deal doesn’t appear imminent. A league source tells Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk that while the two sides are talking, they’re not currently close to an agreement. As expected, the main roadblock appears to be the Bengals’ reluctance to guarantee any money beyond the first year of an extension.
1:55pm: With Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, and T.Y. Hilton all set to play on new contracts this year, A.J. Green is the last notable extension candidate at the wide receiver position without a new deal of his own. However, all signs point to the Bengals and Green pushing hard to get something done before the team’s regular season opener.
Coley Harvey of ESPN.com reported this afternoon that talks between the Bengals and Green had “picked up,” with the two sides seemingly moving closer to an agreement. Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link) agreed that the “extension rumblings” are picking up for Green, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting that the two sides are working hard to finalize a new contract.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) continues to hear that Green’s camp would like to beat Jones’ deal, which would make the Bengals’ star the second-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. However, La Canfora isn’t sure Cincinnati will be willing to budge that far. The team is typically reluctant to give out significant guaranteed money on contract extensions, with even quarterback Andy Dalton getting a modest $17MM guarantee on his new $96MM deal last year. Jones received $35.5MM in guaranteed money on his five-year, $71.25MM extension with the Falcons.
Green, who would play out the season on his $10.176MM fifth-year option if he doesn’t sign a new contract, has made four consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league as the fourth overall pick out of Georgia in 2011. After catching 97 balls in 2012 and 98 in 2013, Green was slowed down last year with injuries, finishing with 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on 69 receptions. With the 2015 season about to get underway, the 27-year-old looks healthy and poised for a big year.
AFC Notes: Steelers, A.J. Green, Patriots
We’re only about 30 hours away from the 2015 NFL regular season getting underway, as the Patriots and Steelers, two AFC teams with plenty of Super Bowl wins under their belts, get set to kick off Thursday night’s action. While we look forward to that game, let’s round up a few items of note from around the AFC….
- Given the Steelers‘ long-standing policy of not negotiating contract extension during the season, the team is running out of time to lock up tackle Kelvin Beachum and guard Ramon Foster, says Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- The clock is also ticking on A.J. Green and the Bengals, as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes. The Bengals are typically averse to doing deals with huge guarantees, and most of the top receiving contracts from this offseason have featured plenty of guaranteed money, so it’s possible Green will play out the 2015 season and get the franchise tag in 2016.
- The Patriots have sent an application to the NFL to reinstate the two employees that were suspended as a result of the Deflategate investigation, according to an Associated Press report. With Tom Brady‘s suspension lifted, we’ll see if the league follows suit for John Jastremski and Jim McNally, who referred to himself as “the deflator” in text messages.
- The two-year cash flow on Nate Solder‘s new extension with the Patriots mimics the pay structure of other recent contracts signed by offensive tackles, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Of course, Solder’s extension is only for two years rather than the four or five years that most players sign for. As Fitzgerald observes, the new deal also means that Solder will be eligible for free agency at the same time as Brady.
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC North
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.
Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed to practice squad:
- OLB Brennen Beyer (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec)
- WR Jeremy Butler (press release)
- OL Kaleb Johnson (press release)
- S Nick Perry (Twitter link via Zrebiec)
- QB Bryn Renner (Twitter link via Zrebiec)
- TE Konrad Reuland (press release)
- OL De’Ondre Wesley (press release)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Removed from IR list:
- WR Onterio McCalebb
- Signed to practice squad:
- T Dan France
- CB Troy Hill
- G Trey Hopkins
- WR Jake Kumerow
- TE Matt Lengel
- LB Trevor Roach
- RB Terrell Watson
- QB Keith Wenning
- RB James Wilder Jr.
- DT DeShawn Williams
Cleveland Browns
- Claimed off waivers:
- OL Austin Pasztor (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
- Signed to practice squad:
- RB Shaun Draughn (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
- DB Kendall James (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
- WR Darius Jennings (Twitter link via Tony Pauline)
- OL Erle Ladson (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
- OL Andrew McDonald (Twitter link via Brett Tessler)
- OL Darian Miller (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
- LB Hayes Pullard III (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
- DB De’Ante Saunders (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed:
- RB Jordan Todman
- Claimed off waivers:
- DT Caushaud Lyons
- Cut:
- LB Anthony Chickillo
- CB Doran Grant
- Signed to practice squad:
- RB Dominique Brown
- DB Jordan Dangerfield
- OL Reese Dismukes
- LB L.J. Fort
- LB Shayon Green
- DE Ethan Hemer
- OL Antonio Johnson
- WR Shakim Phillips
- TE Harold Spears
- WR Jarrod West
- OL Matt Feiler (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)
Bengals Reduce Roster To 53 Players
After having waived defensive tackle Devon Still earlier today, the Bengals have trimmed their roster down to 53 players. The team announced the corresponding moves via Twitter.
Waived:
- WR Michael Bennett
- OT Dan France
- OT Tanner Hawkinson
- CB Troy Hill
- G Trey Hopkins
- WR Jake Kumerow
- TE Matt Lengel
- T Matthew O’Donnell
- K Tom Obarski
- DS Floyd Raven Sr.
- LB Trevor Roach
- C Jake Smith
- RB Terrell Watson
- QB Keith Wenning
- RB James Wilder Jr.
- DT DeShawn Williams
Released:
- CB Brandon Ghee
- DS Shiloh Keo
Waived/injured:
- LB Jayson Dimanche
- LB Marquis Flowers
Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform:
Burfict is the most notable of the moves, as the former Pro Bowler will leave a hole in the Bengals’ defense. The former undrafted free agent played only five games last heason, compiling 29 tackles and one forced fumble.
Bengals Waive Devon Still
As part of their cutdown to 53 players, the Bengals have waived defensive tackle Devon Still, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Still will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed tomorrow.
It’s not the first time the Bengals have cut Still from their active roster. However, in the past, the Penn State product has found a spot on the team’s practice squad. Heading into the 2015 season, Still no longer has practice squad eligibility, so if Cincinnati doesn’t intent to bring him back, he’ll have to try to find a spot on another club’s 53-man roster.
Still, who hasn’t made a start in his three-year NFL career since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft, has nonetheless become a fan favorite in Cincinnati and around the league as his young daughter, Leah Still, has battled cancer. Leah went into remission from neuroblastoma in March, and Still said in July that she’s “almost back to her normal self.”
Ravens, Bengals Cut Down To 75 Players
Two AFC North rivals, the Ravens and the Bengals, have reduced their rosters to 75 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, the teams announced today.
The Ravens confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially placed Dennis Pitta on the reserve/PUP list, a move we heard weeks ago was coming. The club waived offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley to get down to 75 players on the active roster, and also cut tackle Darryl Baldwin, who had been on the reserve/NFI list.
As for the Bengals, their roster had been at 78 players after they cut Denarius Moore and eight other players on Monday. Cincinnati’s final three roster moves, according to the team (via Twitter), were placing offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi on the reserve/NFI list, placing linebacker Sean Porter on the reserve/PUP list, and waiving wide receiver Onterio McCalebb with an injury designation.
Ogbuehi and Porter will now have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the regular season, while McCalebb will land on the Bengals’ IR list if and when he clears waivers.
AFC Notes: Thomas, Green, Jets
Here’s a quick look at the AFC..
- Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas is expected to need surgery on a tendon in his finger and is expected to miss 4-5 weeks, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Thomas will go in for a second opinion on Tuesday.
- Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer expects the Bengals and A.J. Green to get a lucrative, long-term deal hammered out in the coming weeks. If they don’t, he writes, it’s fair to wonder if they ever will. There are serious hurdles for the two sides to overcome in talks, including the Bengals’ reluctance to guarantee base salaries and Green’s desire to be paid higher than Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Julio Jones.
- According to head coach Todd Bowles, Jets cornerback Dee Milliner, who is recovering from a wrist injury, is a candidate for the team’s short-term IR slot “if his hand’s not healthy,” tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Bengals Cut Denarius Moore, Eight Others
3:15pm: The Bengals have removed two more players from their roster, waiving wide receiver Tevin Reese and waiving fullback Mark Weisman with an injury designation, according to the team (Twitter link). The roster is now at 78 players.
10:10am: Less than five months after signing him, the Bengals have released wide receiver Denarius Moore, the team announced today (via Twitter). Moore was one of seven players cut loose by Cincinnati as the team looks to reduce its roster to 75 players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline.
Moore, 26, showed some promise during his first three seasons in Oakland, averaging about 43 receptions, 685 yards, and six touchdowns per season in spite of inconsistent quarterback play. However, he had a poor 2014 campaign, catching just 12 balls for 115 yards and no TDs, and missed the final few weeks of the season with knee and ankle issues.
Signing with the Bengals reunited the former Raiders wideout with Hue Jackson, who now serves as Cincy’s offensive coordinator. However, Moore, who got a $25K signing bonus and a $25K workout bonus from the Bengals, was unable to earn a spot on the club’s 53-man roster. He’ll immediately become a free agent.
Here are the other six players cut today by the Bengals:
- Kwame Geathers, DT
- Chris Jasperse, C/G
- Nico Johnson, LB
- Desmond Lawrence, WR
- Sam Montgomery, DE
- John Peters, TE