Broncos’ Jeff Heuerman Tears ACL
Broncos third-round pick Jeff Heuerman suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during rookie camp Saturday and will likely miss the 2015 season, according to Andrew Mason of the team’s website. The injury happened during a non-contact special teams drill, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
Heuerman, whom the Broncos chose 92nd overall out of Ohio State, joins the Jaguars’ Dante Fowler Jr. as the second draft pick to suffer a season-ending knee injury this week.
“I feel terrible for Jeff and this is a very unfortunate situation,” said Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, per Mason. “Jeff was going to be a big part of our team this year, and he’s still going to be a big part of our team and organization in the future.”
Heuerman is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2016 season. For now, the Broncos will have to make do with a stable of tight ends led by offseason signing Owen Daniels.
AFC Rumors: Marshall, McCoy, Anderson
Already traded three times in his nine-year career, Brandon Marshall narrowly missed out on what could’ve been his highest-profile transaction.
In an appearance on ESPN 1000, the Jets wideout said he was nearly traded to the Patriots before last season, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Bears pondered trading Marshall but instead gave the now-31-year-old receiver a three-year, $30MM extension last May. They ultimately trading Marshall to the Jets this offseason after acquiring him in 2012. Marshall, who saw his streak of seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons end last year, preferred to remain in Chicago for the remainder of his career.
Elsewhere around the league on Friday night …
- New Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase, while praising Matt Forte‘s fitness level, said his old charge in the backfield, C.J. Anderson, had to be subbed out frequently due to being “a little chubby” sometimes. The Broncos’ newfound starter told 9News‘ Mike Kils that his weight issues are nothing new. “Hey, everybody knows I’m a weight guy,” Anderson told Klis. “My body can go up and down.” The Broncos‘ offense became increasingly reliant on Anderson last season despite the former undrafted performer hovering on the fourth level of the depth chart during training camp due to his inconsistent shape status.
- In a lengthy ESPN piece on Chip Kelly‘s enigmatic offseason, one NFL executive told ESPN.com’s Ashley Fox he saw merit in the Eagles coach’s madness and did not agree with the Bills‘ decision to immediately extend LeSean McCoy. “He had an impressive five-year run, but measure it statistically,” the executive said. “Over time, most running backs have a five- to six-year run, then they decline relatively precipitously. They don’t become bums overnight, and they don’t fall off the cliff, but Buffalo made an extremely stupid mistake extending him. They should’ve played it out. He will not earn that money.” Buffalo tacked three years onto McCoy’s contract, which is now a five-year deal worth $40MM, shortly after acquiring him from Philadelphia.
- Following Dante Fowler Jr.‘s torn ACL that’s expected to sideline him for the season, the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran looks at the team’s remaining candidates to play the “Leo” defensive end in Gus Bradley‘s 4-3 scheme. Chris Clemons now goes from third-down rush specialist to every-down player, while 2012 second-rounder Andre Branch escapes the roster bubble with much more playing time available, notes O’Halloran.
West Notes: 49ers, Bennett, Weddle
49ers CEO Jed York says that GM Trent Baalke has no problem making draft-day deals for the future because he figures to be around awhile, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “You have to make sure your guys feel like they’re going to be a part of it for a while,” York said. “And with Trent, I watch it when we draft. Trent will always trade for next year’s picks because he feels comfortable that he’s going to be here.” Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC West..
- Michael Bennett said during a TV appearance that he doesn’t want to be traded, but he wouldn’t mind a salary increase, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. Reports have indicated that he would like the Seahawks to renegotiate his contract and today’s comments seem to confirm that. “People assume when you ask for a little more money, they assume that you want to be traded or something like that,” he said. “But that’s not what I’m trying to go for.”
- Eric Weddle wants a new deal and he won’t be in attendance for workouts until he gets what he wants from the Chargers, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. “I’m not coming in anytime soon until something on their side is said,” Weddle told 1090 AM. “They know where we’re at, and they obviously know their stance, so we’ll see what happens from there.” Weddle is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015.
- Broncos defensive ends Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson are already in their walk years, Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes. Both players say they’re determined to earn contract extensions this year.
Minor Moves: Monday
With the draft now in the books, we can expect plenty of roster shuffling in the coming days and weeks, as teams ready their 90-man rosters for training camp. Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league:
4:20pm:
- The Broncos have waived offensive tackles Paul Cornick and Jeremy Kelley, according to the Denver Post (Twitter link). Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link) expects the Bears to have interest in Cornick, who started six games in Dener last season. Of course, new Bears head coach John Fox and OC Adam Gase were previously with the Broncos.
- The Falcons have signed former Titans fullback Collin Mooney, the team announced today (Twitter link). It’s a multiyear pact for Mooney, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Syracuse linebacker Cameron Lynch is the latest rookie free agent to join the Rams, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have waived linebacker Chase Thomas with a non-football injury designation, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Thomas tore his ACL in the offseason.
- The Buccaneers have claimed offensive lineman Reid Fragel off waivers from the Falcons, per Wilson (via Twitter). The move reunites the ex-Falcon with his old offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter.
- The Packers have cut offensive lineman Joe Madsen, tweets Wilson. Madsen finished the year on the team’s practice squad before signing a futures contract.
10:46am:
- The Colts have cut several players from their roster today, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, who tweets that the team waived wide receiver Kadron Boone, defensive end Gannon Conway, offensive lineman Matt Hall, and former Olympic medalist Jeff Demps.
- Washington has parted ways with veteran edge defender Gabe Miller, according to his agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The former fifth-round pick saw his first regular-season NFL action last season.
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link) adds Maryland linebacker Yannik Cudjoe-Virgil to the list of UDFAs signed by the Titans.
AFC Links: Collins, Dorsett, Timmons
One of the highest-regarded undrafted free agents in history, La’el Collins figures to be a premier topic in May as he attempts to begin a now-unorthodox career.
The Titans, however, won’t be among the teams pursuing the ex-LSU lineman that was a surefire first-round pick as recently as earlier this week, according to The Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt on Twitter. The team remains in need of a right tackle but did add two interior linemen in the draft — guard Jeremiah Poutasi and center Andy Gallik in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.
Here is some additional news from around the AFC.
- The Colts‘ draft puzzled Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel, with the team adding players in key spots that may not be able to contribute much this season — one with immense expectations. Doyel argues the team did not address needs of defensive tackle and safety early enough, with one of each added on Day 3. Indianapolis ranked 18th in run defense last season. Part-time players last year, Josh Chapman and Montori Hughes, are the Colts’ top two nose tackle options.
- The crux of Doyel’s argument, first-round pick Phillip Dorsett, could also find himself a key player in the Colts’ offense from the start, writes the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder. Dorsett, CFL import Duron Carter and former All-Pro Andre Johnson add to a loaded wideout corps that was at times slowed by descending veterans Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks last year. Holder wonders if the 34-year-old Johnson will give way to Dorsett in some three-wide sets or when the Colts deploy the two-tight end look they often do.
- One of now four linebackers with first-round pedigrees in Pittsburgh, Lawrence Timmons is in line for a contract extension come 2016, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Steelers’ second-highest-paid player and NFL’s best-compensated inside linebacker’s current deal that pays him $12.6MM this season and $11.8MM next year runs through ’16.
- With just two starters locked in for this season up front, the Broncos are positioning their offensive line youngsters less than three days after acquiring them. Second-round choice Ty Sambrailo will open his career at right tackle, where the Broncos have a glaring need after using three players there last year, while versatile fourth-rounder Max Garcia will begin work behind Louis Vasquez at right guard, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Last year’s third-rounder, Michael Schofield, didn’t suit up for a game as a rookie despite the Broncos’ right tackle issues and is now playing behind Ryan Clady at left tackle.
- Mel Kiper Jr. envisions Ravens second-round pick Maxx Williams as an offensive rookie of the year candidate, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The ESPN draft veteran also opined Breshad Perriman will be a better player than Torrey Smith.
AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Geno, Collins, Browns
With newly drafted defensive lineman Leonard Williams in the fold, Muhammad Wilkerson‘s time with the Jets could be running out, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Despite being one of the Jets’ best players, Wilkerson is without a contract beyond next season and, per Mehta, the team isn’t eager to give him a new deal. Mehta argues that it doesn’t make financial sense to dole out big bucks to Wilkerson, especially with fellow lineman Sheldon Richardson under team control through 2017 and cornerback Darrelle Revis signed to a long-term mega-deal.
While the Jets might not be able to go forward with all three as anchors of their defense, Mehta believes they could slap the franchise tag on Wilkerson next offseason and trade him for a first-round pick. For now, rookie Jets coach Todd Bowles will enjoy having Wilkerson as a key cog in what should be a dominant D-line, but it doesn’t seem as if the four-year veteran will be a part of it beyond the 2015 campaign.
Here’s more on the Jets and some of their fellow AFC teams:
- Despite adding Ryan Fitzpatrick via trade and Bryce Petty via the draft, the Jets will enter training camp with Geno Smith atop the quarterback depth chart, Fitzpatrick as his main backup, and Petty and Matt Simms fighting for third-string duties, Bowles tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
- The Chargers did “as much as work as [they] could” in researching La’el Collins, but they simply couldn’t take the risk due to lack of information, general manager Tom Telesco tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune (via Twitter). Broncos GM John Elway said the same thing (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today), and I imagine nearly every team’s front office felt the same way.
- The Browns didn’t end up drafting a quarterback, but GM Ray Farmer says that wasn’t by design. Farmer adds that the club’s grades simply didn’t match up with availability (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Broncos Add Nine Undrafted Free Agents
The Broncos have agreed to terms with nine undrafted free agents, six of whom are linemen. Here’s the full list, courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter):
- Zaire Anderson, LB, Nebraska
- Kalon Davis, OL, Clemson
- Dillon Day, OL, Mississippi State
- Matt Miller, WR, Boise State
- Chuka Ndulue, NT, Oklahoma
- Connor Rains, OL, Wyoming
- Kyle Roberts, OL, Nevada
- Jordan Taylor, WR, Rice
- Josh Watson, DL, Clemson
AFC Notes: Steelers, Ravens, Chargers
Before drafting Mississippi cornerback Senquez Golson with the 56th overall pick, the Steelers tried to move up and take Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review. The Steelers were unable to pull it off, however, and Williams ended up going 55th to the AFC North rival Ravens, who traded up to get ahead of Pittsburgh. Not surprisingly, that displeased the Steelers, according to Kaboly.
While the Steelers may not have been happy to see their division rivals land Williams, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) doesn’t think they were going to take the tight end themselves in that spot — according to La Canfora, Pittsburgh was “locked in” on Golson at No. 56.
Here are a few more draft-related leftovers from day two, from around the AFC…
- Speaking of the Ravens, they’re eyeing some of the draft’s remaining cornerbacks, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter).
- The Chargers had discussions with multiple teams about moving down in the second round, but they decided to stay put because they wanted Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Bolts took Perryman 48th overall.
- Broncos general manager John Elway didn’t consider taking a quarterback in the third round, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Broncos instead used the 92nd overall pick on Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman.
- Discussing the teams’ day two draft picks, Texans GM Rick Smith said linebacker Benardrick McKinney was the highest-rated player on the club’s board when the second round began, and added that Jaelen Strong‘s injured wrist was medically cleared by the Texans’ staff prior to the draft (Twitter links via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).
- Josh Cribbs became expendable for the Colts when the team drafted Phillip Dorsett in the first round, and Indianapolis released Cribbs earlier today. According to GM Ryan Grigson, the club wanted to give the veteran returner a chance to find “greener pastures,” tweets Mike Chappell of RTV6.
Pauline’s Latest: Mannion, Grayson, Sample
With day two of the NFL draft getting underway, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net points out a few players to keep an eye on tonight. Here are the highlights from Pauline:
- The representatives for Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion are “pretty confident” he’ll come off the board quickly in the second round, writes Pauline. As for Garrett Grayson, there’s a chance he lands in the third round — the Bills and Jets are looking hard at Grayson, and the Rams, Broncos, and Washington are also in the mix.
- According to Pauline, many people believe Florida Atlantic cornerback D’Joun Smith will be selected in the second round tonight, which would be much earlier than expected.
- Safety James Sample, who is receiving interest from the Seahawks and Ravens, could also come off the board earlier than anticipated, per Pauline.
- South Carolina guard A.J. Cann likely won’t last long tonight. The Dolphins would love to nab Cann at No. 47, but the Jets have him graded highly and pick 37th, writes Pauline.
Broncos Acquire 23rd Pick From Lions
FRIDAY, 2:43pm: Ramirez has passed his physical, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com on Twitter, making the trade official.
THURSDAY, 9:31pm: The Broncos have traded up, acquiring the No. 23 pick from the Lions, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (Twitter link). Denver will use the pick to select Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray, tweets Mike Klis of 9 News. Detroit will receive the Broncos’ No. 28 pick, a fifth-rounder (143), a 2016 fifth-rounder, and offensive lineman Manny Ramirez.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), the deal was agreed to on Wednesday. Presumably, Denver agreed to the deal in principle with the hope that Ray was still on the board. Of course, Ray, once projected as a top-ten pick, saw his stock tumble following his recent arrest for marijuana possession. He’s also dealing with a foot injury that could force him to miss the beginning of the season.
Ramirez, meanwhile, will slot in at left guard for Detroit, who has yet to re-sign their own free agent guard, Rob Sims. Ramirez played more than 1,000 snaps for the Broncos last season, seeing time at both center and guard.