Extra Points: A. Smith, Draft, Lions, Eagles
After being released by the Raiders on March 31, defensive lineman Antonio Smith received a phone call from the Broncos just hours later, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Smith, who agreed with Denver on a one-year deal worth $2MM, is pleased to be joining a contender. “I am excited. Every piece that you need is on this team, and I know what [the coaching staff] can do with a good quarterback and good offense,” said Smith. “It will be a dangerous combination. I believe wholeheartedly we have a chance of making the last dance.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFL…
- Utah defensive back Eric Rowe is flying up draft boards, and while he’s already worked out for the Eagles, he has another workout planned with the Lions, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. The Packers are also interested, per Pauline, but they haven’t scheduled a visit.
- We heard earlier tonight the Cowboys will visit with Arizona State safety Damarious Randall, and Pauline reports that the Lions and Falcons will do so, as well.
- Oklahoma cornerback Julian Wilson has worked out for the Eagles and Patriots and is scheduled to work out for the Falcons, league sources Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. At the NFL scouting combine, Wilson ran a 4.58 40-yard-dash and had a 36-inch vertical leap.
- Wake Forest cornerback Kevin Johnson will is expected to visit the Cowboys, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who adds that Johnson has already worked out for Chargers, Falcons, and Eagles, and will work out for the Ravens, Patriots, and Cardinals. Per Wilson (link), Johnson also had a dinner meeting with the Steelers.
- Using his expected contract value metric, Bryce Johnston of Over the Cap examines the free agent contracts handed out to quarterbacks this offseason.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Broncos, Cowboys
Some notes from around the NFL:
- This offseason has been one to forget for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has spent time in rehab and seen his future in Cleveland come into question since his rookie year ended. The latest blow comes from one of the Browns’ most respected players, offensive tackle Joe Thomas. The eight-time Pro Bowler said that Manziel “lost a lot of trust last year by the way he handled himself,” according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
- With the hiring of Gary Kubiak as their head coach, the Broncos’ offense will feature a fullback for the first time since 2012, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “My thing is that to be really effective in the running game, you have to run the fullback,” said general manager John Elway, per Renck. “We will have people in the fullback position.” As of now, the leading candidates for the job are Juwan Thompson and Joe Don Duncan.
- The Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm profiled Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Sturm sees Rowe a potential fit for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft, possibly as early as the first round. The Cowboys hold the 27th overall pick.
- The Colts, Buccaneers, Packers and 49ers are the only four teams in the league with fewer than three quarterbacks, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. The Bucs are the sole member of the group without an established starter, which is likely to change in the draft. Tampa has the No. 1 overall pick, with which it could select either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. The other three squads are also candidates to draft QBs, albeit not in the first round.
NFC Mailbags: Saints, Lions, Bears, Vikings
We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…
- Mike Triplett believes the only way the Saints move on from Drew Brees is if they are confident in their backup plan. While the quarterback’s production has dropped, Triplett is still confident Brees will be one of the best at his position in 2015.
- While the Lions could fill the majority of their roster holes via the draft, Michael Rothstein focuses on a couple of positions that could be fixed in free agency. The writer points to left guard, suggesting free agents Justin Blalock or Rob Sims.
- 2015 will be a big season for Bears defensive end Cornelius Washington, writes Michael C. Wright. The player still has two years left on his contract, but he hasn’t shown much during his brief time in the NFL. With all the veteran defenders on the roster, there’s a chance that Washington could be on the outside looking in.
- Ben Goessling points to safety Harrison Smith as being the Vikings player most likely to receive an extension prior to the season. The writer suggests the organization also explore an extension for kicker Blair Walsh.
- Rob Demovsky says the Packers should now focus their attention on locking up defensive tackle Mike Daniels and cornerback Casey Hayward. However, considering the money thrown around this offseason, Demovsky says it may be in the players’ best interests to explore free agency.
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.
North Notes: Lions, Ravens, Packers, Petty
After owner Steve Bisciotti said yesterday that he’d like to see longtime Raven Haloti Ngata return to Baltimore at some point, our Zach Links noted that Bisciotti’s comments could result in tampering accusations. However, it doesn’t appear the Lions are interested in filing a tampering change against the Ravens.
“The Ravens have reached out to us concerning the comments made yesterday by Steve Bisciotti regarding Haloti Ngata,” the Lions said today in a statement (all Twitter links). “We appreciate both the Ravens’ professionalism and the context in which Mr. Bisciotti’s statements were made. We consider the matter to be a non-issue.”
Here’s more from around the league’s two North divisions:
- The Packers are bringing in Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty for a pre-draft visit, writes Bill Huber of Packer Report. As Huber notes, it’s an interesting piece of news, since Petty projects as a second-day pick and a top-five QB in this draft class.
- While B.J. Raji‘s one-year deal with the Packers could be worth as much as $3.5MM with bonuses and incentives, it only counts against the team’s cap for $1.75MM for now, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Raji also received $500K guaranteed in the form of a signing bonus, whereas fellow defensive tackle Letroy Guion didn’t get any guaranteed money in his new one-year contract with the Packers.
- According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Matt Schaub‘s one-year, $2MM deal with the Ravens is fully guaranteed, not including the extra $1MM available in incentives. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms as much, tweeting that the veteran quarterback got a $1MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1MM base salary.
- Emmanuel Ogbuehi, who reportedly agreed to terms with the Buccaneers, didn’t get a contract offer from the Vikings when he visited Minnesota, which made his decision easy, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Packers Re-Sign B.J. Raji
TUESDAY, 3:40pm: The Packers have officially announced their new deal with Raji in a press release.
MONDAY, 3:22pm: According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Raji and the Packers have agreed to terms on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, with incentives that can increase the value to about $4MM.
10:24am: After reaching an agreement with Letroy Guion, the Packers also appear poised to retain another one of their free agent defensive tackles. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that B.J. Raji is expected to return to the Packers on a one-year contract. Earlier today, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com wrote that Green Bay had offered Raji a one-year deal worth less than $2MM.
Raji, 28, missed the entire 2014 campaign after tearing his right bicep during the preseason, but he stayed with the team throughout the season to rehab and should be back at full strength by training camp. The veteran has played in 76 games for the Packers since they drafted him ninth overall out of Boston College in 2009.
After spending several years as Green Bay’s nose tackle, Raji moved over to defensive end in the Packers’ 3-4 scheme during the 2013 season, and struggled with the transition. He had been expected to return to the nose tackle role last year before he landed on injured reserve.
Raji earned $4MM on his one-year deal with the Packers in 2014, so assuming he agrees to the terms reported by Demovsky, it looks like he’ll be accepting a sizable pay cut. However, it’s possible that his agreement with Green Bay will include incentives and/or per-game roster bonuses — because he didn’t play a single game last year, any per-game roster bonuses for Raji would be considered unlikely to be earned, meaning they wouldn’t initially count against the team’s cap.
Bill Huber of Packer Report initially reported last month that Raji would likely re-sign with the Packers.
Packers Re-Sign Letroy Guion
TUESDAY, 3:39pm: The Packers have officially re-signed Guion, the team confirmed today in a press release.
MONDAY, 10:38am: Guion’s one-year deal with the Packers will be worth $2.75MM, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
8:15am: The Packers and defensive tackle Letroy Guion have agreed to terms on a one-year contract that will keep Guion in Green Bay, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Per Demovsky, the deal is expected to be officially finalized and signed tomorrow.
Guion, 27, had an effective first season with the Packers in 2014, starting all 16 games for the team and racking up 41 tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. However, he ran into some off-field trouble earlier this offseason, when he was pulled over for erratic driving — police found 357 grams of marijuana, $190K+ in cash, and an unloaded gun in his truck. Guion reached a plea deal last week and avoided prosecution.
Following the conclusion of his legal case, Guion reportedly visited the Seahawks on Friday. As I noted at the time, while many teams won’t let free agents leave the building without a contract, Seattle has a track record of bringing in players for visits and not signing them. That appears to be the case this time, as Guion will return to a Green Bay team that lost to the Seahawks in January’s NFC Championship game.
Guion’s previous one-year contract with the Packers was worth just under $1MM, and I’d expect his new deal to exceed that figure, even after his off-field incident. Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, however.
NFC Links: Peterson, Munnerlyn, Lacy
In some news in the NFC Saturday night …
- One of the Cowboys‘ biggest fears in their debate on retaining NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray is that it would cost them the chance at adding long-coveted Adrian Peterson, sources told Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Cowboys’ rare offseason thrift may not preclude the notoriously splashy franchise from making a deal for native Texan Peterson. Despite Peterson’s $12.75MM salary, the 30-year-old running back could still be acquired via draft-weekend trade, per Hill.
- The Vikings have not looked into free agents Michael Crabtree and Justin Blalock, notes Darren Wolfson of KSTP on Twitter.
- After previously fearing his up-and-down play could result in his release one year into a three-year deal, Captain Munnerlyn is confident he can beat out the recently added Terence Newman for the starting job opposite Xavier Rhodes, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A four-year starter soon to be 27, Munnerlyn, who graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 37th-best corner (subscription required), probably has the inside track. Newman, PFF’s 56th-best corner in 2014, is 37 and signed a one-year, $2.5MM contract Friday — a lesser investment than the Vikings made in Munnerlyn (three-year, $11.25MM deal signed in ’14).
- Mike McCarthy is attempting to keep Eddie Lacy fresh without taking him off the field on third downs, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Lacy’s snap totals spiked to more than 65% last season after hovering at an injury-reduced 60 as a rookie in 2013. Lacy’s touch total, however, declined from Year 1 to Year 2, however, and the Packers‘ powerful running back’s 246 carries didn’t reach the standard McCarthy planned before last season.
- Washington represents another stop on Marcus Mariota‘s spring itinerary, and CSNWashington.com’s Tarik El-Bashir previews the summit (audio link). Sources have noted Washington either taking the Heisman winner at No. 5 or strongly considering it. The Jets were the latest team to publicly court the Oregon star.
NFC North Mailbags: Mathis, Long, Blalock
Here’s some of the chatter from the Saturday mailbags on the NFC North.
- Evan Mathis could be in play for the Vikings if the Eagles release him as they’ve indicated they might, writes ESPN’s Ben Goessling. Although not willing to part with draft choices for the All-Pro guard, the Vikings are reportedly eyeing more interior help and could move for a soon-to-be-released player. Mathis has connections to Mike Zimmer and offensive line coach Jeff Davidson from his time with the Bengals and Panthers, respectively.
- Stefen Wisniewski, conversely, is not on the Vikings’ radar due in part to the torn labrum he suffered last season, reports Goessling.
- The Bears view Kyle Long as a candidate to move to tackle due to his athleticism, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. Long started 31 games at right guard the past two years and Bears 2014 starters Jermon Bushrod and Jordan Mills were lower-tier tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Wright notes the Bears won’t go out of their way to take a quarterback or wide receiver at No. 7 despite the loss of Brandon Marshall or uncertainty surrounding Jay Cutler.
- The Packers going after a cornerback in the first round to replace the departed Tramon Williams and Davon House is probably one of their top options, offers ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Green Bay, which hasn’t drafted a corner in Round 1 since Ahmad Carroll in 2004, could look at Wake Forest’s Kevin Johnson at No. 30 if he’s still on the board, per Demovsky.
- Wes Welker may have been a fall-back option had Randall Cobb opted to sign elsewhere, but the veteran slot target is not on the Packers’ radar now. Young backups Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis remain in the team’s developmental plans.
- Like the Vikings, the Lions are also expected to add talent at guard, reports ESPN’s Mike Rothstein. Retaining 32-year-old Rob Sims or signing longtime Falcons starter Justin Blalock, also 32, are the Lions’ most likely routes in this pursuit, opines Rothstein. After a free agency period more notable for who they lost than who they’ve acquired, the Lions have just more than $5MM worth of cap space heading into the draft.
- The only two starting lineup locks up front in Detroit are Larry Warford at right guard and Travis Swanson at center, notes Rothstein. Former tight end Michael Williams, who resided on the practice squad last season, could make a move toward the swing tackle spot.
NFC Notes: Guion, Seahawks, Rams, Falcons
With Letroy Guion‘s legal case now resolved, the Packers continue to explore a potential reunion with the free agent defensive lineman, but it sounds like he’s drawing interest from the team that knocked Green Bay out of the postseason earlier this year. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Guion visited the Seahawks today.
More than other most other teams in the NFL, Seattle has shown a willingness to bring in players for visits without necessarily pushing hard to sign him, so there’s certainly no guarantee Guion will become a Seahawk, but it appears the Packers aren’t his only suitor.
Let’s check in on a few more Friday items from across the NFC….
- Despite acquiring Nick Foles from the Eagles, the Rams still intend to draft a quarterback, according to head coach Jeff Fisher (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Foles is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so St. Louis figures to use the 2015 season to determine whether or not the ex-Eagle can be the Rams’ QB of the future.
- For now, T.J. Yates appears to be the favorite to back up starting quarterback Matt Ryan in Atlanta, but Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t ruled out the possibility of signing a veteran like Matt Schaub, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “Schaub is certainly somebody that we could [add],” Quinn said. “As we get through it, we’ll let you know if we go down that road.”
- The Giants‘ five-year, $17.5MM contract for Dwayne Harris, which includes $7.1MM in guaranteed money, has taken its share of criticism over the last couple weeks. However, agent Chad Speck tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that 14 teams reached out to him about Harris, and the Giants “weren’t the only team involved in the numbers that Dwayne ultimately signed for.”
- A pair of prospects who were dismissed from their respective college teams will visit the Vikings, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is scheduled to host cornerback Marcus Peters and wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.