AFC North Notes: Manziel, Reid, Peerman
Earlier today we heard that Johnny Manziel was released from rehab, but he returns to a very different Browns’ team than he left, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. The offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and receivers coach all changed over, and quarterback Brian Hoyer has been replaced by Josh McCown and Thaddeus Lewis.
Should Manziel win a starting job, he will not have Miles Austin or Jordan Cameron to throw to. Instead, Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, and Rob Housler will be lining up for the Browns on offense.
Here are a few other notes from around the AFC North:
- While the Browns have a long way to go to improve at quarterback and on offense, Tom Reed of Cleveland.com writes that improving at punt returner will be an easy way to help the offense. Last year the team struggled to to find a player who could even successfully field punts, and eventually put Jim Leonhard back there giving up the hope of a big play return. With electric players like Tyler Lockette, Jamison Crowder, and Nelson Agholor likely to be available on day two or three in the draft, they could provide value as a returner while they work their way onto the field as receivers.
- Prairie View quarterback Jerry Lovelocke will work out for the Ravens at their local prospect day on April 21st, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. He could be in consideration during the later rounds of the draft or as a rookie free agent.
- Jah Reid‘s one-year deal with the Ravens is worth $745,000 and includes another $400,000 in playing time incentives that are not likely to be earned, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- With A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, and Mohamed Sanu all entering the final years of their respective contracts, the Bengals should be looking for a receiver early in the 2015 NFL Draft. Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com has outlined a number of top prospects that could be intriguing to the team, and picks out Devin Smith, Phillip Dorsett, and Tyler Lockette as logical fits if they are available in the second round.
- Running back Cedric Peerman re-signed with the Bengals on Thursday with a two-year deal worth $2.13MM, according to Wilson (via Twitter). He will earn $745,000 and $885,000 in salaries over the next two seasons, plus an annual workout bonus of $50,000 and $300,000 in an unlikely to be earned rushing yards incentive foreach season (via Twitter). Wilson also passes along his salary-cap figures for the next two seasons (via Twitter).
Jason Campbell Considering Retirement
Veteran quarterback Jason Campbell is reportedly leaning towards retirement, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. According to the writer, the 33-year-old has rejected “multiple opportunities to sign a contract” for next season, including apparent offers from the Ravens and Bengals.
The former first-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with Washington, tossing 55 touchdowns to only 38 interceptions. The team’s acquisition of Donovan McNabb made Campbell expendable, and he was shipped to the Raiders prior to the 2010 season. Since then, the veteran has bounced around to the Bears, Browns and Bengals.
Serving as Andy Dalton‘s backup last season, Campbell completed 11 of 19 pass attempts for 74 yards. His last starting gig came in Cleveland in 2013, when he threw for 2,015 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine games. Throughout his ten-year career, Campbell had thrown for 16,771 yards, 87 touchdowns and 60 interceptions.
Extra Points: Nicks, Ravens, Miles, Draft
Outside of a visit to the 49ers, free agent receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t garnered any known interest on the open market. But the 27-year-old insists he’s not done in the NFL. “I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.”
Here’s more from around the league…
- The Ravens have stayed in touch with safety Jeromy Miles, but there’s no deal between the two sides at this time, according to Aaron Wilson of The Balitmore Sun (via Twitter).
- Arizona State safety Damarious Randall will visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, and already had a private workout with the club, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
- Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell worked out for the Texans recently, and he’ll meet with the Colts on Wednesday, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
- Defensive end Marcus Rush already worked out for the Bengals and Raiders, and the Michigan State product will also take a visit with Cincinnati, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
- The Lions will take a look at Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams on Monday, while the Cardinals will meet with him later in the week, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse will take a predraft visit with the Packers on Friday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
- Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com spoke with the general managers of two clubs — the Ravens and the Steelers — who usually pick near the end of the first round of the draft, and gauged each team’s strategy for acquiring value while picking in the 20s.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Draft Notes: Gregory, Sambrailo, Hundley
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory, once viewed as a top-10 pick, could fall toward the late first round after his failed drug test. Now, the top-five talent could drift into the early 20s, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). He’ll be evaluated extensively given the concerns, but his agent tells Cole that tons of teams are highly interested in him. The Saints are viewed by many as the most likely destination for him at No. 13 but the Lions, Bengals, and Colts could all be interested if he falls further. The latest draft news..
- When all is said and done, Colorado State tackle Tyler Sambrailo will have met with or worked out for the Colts, Buccaneers, Seahawks, Broncos, Falcons, and Chargers, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 6’5″, 311 pound athlete is considered to be one of the top offensive linemen in this year’s class. Teams like his versatility and ability to play at either tackle position or on the inside and at least one team told Caplan (link) that they’ve worked him out at center.
- The Cardinals will host UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley for a visit next week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport (link) adds that Hundley has auditioned for the Bengals, Eagles, and Jets. Given the widespread interest in him, Hundley stands as something of a wildcard as we approach the draft.
- The Vikings, Colts, and Giants are all “in love” with Arizona State safety Damarious Randall, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link). Miller previously had Randall rated in the second round but he could find his way into the first thanks to his budding interest.
- More from Miller, who says that Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead will not fall further than the middle of the first round. While he’s a boom-or-bust player, the Dolphins, 49ers, and Texans are all high on him and all pick in the middle of the first.
- The Vikings “love” Michigan State shutdown cornerback Trae Waynes, according to Miller. He checks all the boxes for Mike Zimmer‘s defense and while Miller sees him as a late first round guy, Minnesota could make a play for him earlier on.
Bengals Re-Sign Cedric Peerman
2:25pm: The Bengals have officially re-signed Peerman, according to the club (Twitter link).
9:13am: After paying a visit to the Eagles this week, free agent running back Cedric Peerman will be re-signing with the Bengals later today, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Details of Peerman’s new deal aren’t yet known, but I wouldn’t expect more than a modest one-year contract.
Peerman, 28, has spent the last five seasons with the Bengals, appearing in 68 games for the team during that stretch. Although he’s listed on the depth chart as a running back, the former sixth-round pick plays sparingly on offense, appearing in just 44 offensive snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
While his offensive contributions are limited, Peerman excels on special teams, having recorded at least nine tackles in kick and punt coverage in each of the last four seasons. In 2014, he racked up an impressive 21 total special teams tackles, including three in the Bengals’ Wild Card game, per PFF.
With Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard set to return and dominate the backfield touches in 2015, Peerman once again figures to play a much bigger role on special teams than on offense.
Contract Details: Smith, Lowery, Moore
Here are details on some of the NFL’s most recently-signed contracts, all via the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter. We’ll make sure to update you on any other contract details as they become available…
- Antonio Smith, DE (Broncos): One year, $2MM base value. $500K bonus (Twitter link, original story).
- Dwight Lowery, S (Colts): One year, $950K base value. $80K bonus (Twitter link, original story).
- Denarius Moore, WR (Bengals): One year, $825K base value. $25K bonus, $30K first-game roster bonus, $25K workout bonus (Twitter links, original story).
Bengals Re-Sign Emmanuel Lamur
Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur has officially signed his one-year contract tender and will return to Cincinnati for the 2015 season, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Lamur, who received a second-round RFA tender from the Bengals, will be in line for a $2.356MM salary.
In over 900 defensive snaps for the Bengals last season, Lamur graded as a below-average player in pass coverage, run defense, and as a pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which ranked him 39th out of 40 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers. However, the team clearly viewed the 25-year-old’s performance more favorably, with his 97 tackles and two interceptions earning him more than just the low-end RFA tender.
If Lamur, who went undrafted out of Kansas State, had received that low-end RFA offer, which doesn’t come with any draft pick compensation, he may have drawn interest from rival suitors. However, because the Bengals assigned him the $2.356MM tender, any team interested in signing Lamur would’ve had to surrender a second-round pick to land him, which likely diminished any outside interest.
Lamur had been the only Bengals’ restricted free agent who remained unsigned.
Bengals To Sign Denarius Moore
The Bengals are set to sign wide receiver Denarius Moore to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The deal reunites the former Raiders wideout with Hue Jackson, who now serves as Cincy’s offensive coordinator.
Moore, 26, showed some promise during his first three seasons with the Raiders, averaging about 43 receptions, 685 yards, and six touchdowns per season in spite of inconsistent quarterback play. However, he had a poor 2014 campaign, as Andre Holmes took on a bigger role in Oakland’s offense and free agent signee James Jones entered the mix. Moore caught just 12 balls for 115 yards and no TDs, and missed the final few weeks of the season with knee and ankle issues.
Moore, a proven deep threat, likely didn’t require much of a financial commitment from the Bengals and his relationship with Jackson likely played a significant role in the signing. The 26-year-old visited the Bengals late last week.
South Notes: Panthers, Williams, Bucs, Jaguars
The Panthers have added several role players to one-year deals recently, and David Newton of ESPN.com provides the contract details. Linebacker Jason Trusnik will earn $950K ($80K guaranteed), running back Jordan Todman will get $765K ($20K guaranteed), and receiver Jarrett Boykin will receive $700K ($20K guaranteed). All three will earn slightly more than the minimum required for their respective years of service time.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions…
- Receiver/return man Chris Williams has worked out for the Colts, Buccaneers, and Bengals, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 27-year-old Williams spent the 2014 season with the Bears, appearing in six games, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown.
- In his latest draft diary entry for the Baltimore Sun, Penn State safety Adrian Amos reveals that he worked out for Buccaneers safeties coach Mikal Smith, and also notes that he worked out for an AFC team, though that club asked Amos not to mention them by name in the piece.
- The Buccaneers picked up the $4MM guaranteed in Dashon Goldson‘s 2015 base salary when they traded him to Washington on Friday, and the Jaguars could employ a similar tactic if they want to deal tight end Marcedes Lewis, suggests Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. If Jacksonville converts some of Lewis’ 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, O’Halloran writes, the market for the tight end could grow. We heard last month that the 30-year-old was drawing trade interest.
Draft Notes: Packers, Pats, Dolphins
Here’s the latest draft news..
- Maryland nose tackle Darius Kilgo told Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter) that he has visited the Packers, Patriots, and Dolphins. He’ll also visit the Bengals and attend the Panthers‘ local prospect day.
- Maryland wide receiver Deon Long told Wilson (Twitter links) he’ll attend the Ravens‘ local prospect day on April 21st. He added that he has drawn interest from the Bears and Panthers. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote about the intriguing prospect earlier today and noted that he has drawn the interest of the Patriots.
- The Patriots met with Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Rutgers fullback Michael Burton worked out for the Buccaneers this morning at RU, according to Dan Duggan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Next up is a visit with the Browns on Friday.