AFC Notes: Hilton, Broncos, Colts
Agent Drew Rosenhaus will once again meet with the Colts face to face in Indiana on Wednesday to discuss a new contract for wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Rosenhaus appears to be spending a lot of time on Hilton’s deal this summer, which suggests that the two sides have a good chance to get something done before the season. Here’s more from the AFC..
- Brock Osweiler’s preseason could determine his future with the Broncos, Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post writes. Osweiler’s contract expires at the end of the season, leaving both him and the Broncos a limited window to evaluate his value and potential as their future quarterback. Of course, the QB likely won’t see much time on the field this season with Peyton Manning locked in as the starter.
- As Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun observes (via Twitter), Ravens defensive end Brent Urban announced that he’s undergoing surgery to repair his torn biceps today, but it’s not clear yet if he’ll be able to return this season.
- The agent for tackle Matt Hall informed the Broncos his client will not report because he is retiring, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. Denver recently claimed the tackle off waivers from the Colts.
- An undrafted free agent has made the Broncos‘ roster in each of the last 11 years. Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) believes that trend will continue in 2015 with linebacker Zaire Anderson trending upwards in camp.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/15
The latest minor moves and signings from around the NFL..
- The Dolphins signed running back Demitrius Bronson and safety Phillip Thomas, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. To make room, Miami waived/injured safety Shamiel Gary and waived receiver Tyler McDonald.
- The Colts re-signed guard Kitt O’Brien and waived guard Dionte Savage, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Just days ago, the Colts cut O’Brien and signed Savage.
- The Broncos claimed Matt Hall off waivers from the Colts, Wilson tweets.
- The Saints waived UDFA wide receiver Malcome Kennedy from their IR, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Seahawks signed safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, Wilson tweets.
- The Patriots signed Tony Creecy and Logan Stokes while cutting Chris White and Mason Brodine, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Lions signed tight end Jacob Maxwell, who was briefly with the team as a UDFA, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
- The Titans waived-injured cornerback Curtis Riley and picked up fellow corner Will Brown, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
- The Jaguars signed defensive end Camaron Beard and waived/injured linebacker Matt Robinson, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
- The Eagles signed ex-Falcons wide receiver Freddie Martino and released fellow wideout John Harris, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Defensive end Frances Mays has also been waived/injured.
Earlier updates:
- The Packers announced that they have released punter Cody Mandell, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Mandell was in competition with fellow punter Tim Masthay, but that showdown didn’t even make it until the preseason opener.
- The Browns worked out and signed linebacker Moise Fokou, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). To make room for Smith, the Browns have cut Rodney Smith, Wilson tweets.
- The Seahawks cut Robert Smith with a failed physical designation, Wilson tweets. The safety was claimed off waivers from the Colts late last week.
Extra Points: Eagles, Raiders, 49ers, Colts
Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis spoke Sunday on the statuses of two of the team’s injured linebackers, Kiko Alonso and DeMeco Ryans.
Regarding Alonso, who suffered a concussion Tuesday and has missed four practices: “Kiko’s fine,” said Davis, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve been coaching linebackers my whole career. It’s just part of that position, when it sneaks up on you nowadays, we have great protocol. It’s not an issue. Kiko’s doing great. He won’t miss a beat.”
Davis was more guarded when discussing Ryans, who is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon for the second time in his nine-year career.
- The Eagles’ right guard situation could take some time to sort out, writes Jeff McLane of the Inquirer. The team has a vacancy there after cutting three-time Pro Bowl left guard Evan Mathis and replacing him with former RG Allen Barbre. John Moffitt, Matt Tobin, Andrew Gardner and Julian Vandervelde are competing for the job.
- 49ers defensive coordinator Eric Mangini is using his linebackers’ flexibility to his advantage as he tries to find a way to fill the void left by Aldon Smith, whom the team cut earlier this week because of off-field issues. “A guy like Aldon is not a guy that you just can replace,” Mangini said, per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “He’s got a unique skill set. But one of the things that we focused on defensively is building flexibility, in terms of what we can play, and then building flexibility with who’s going to play there.” The lion’s share of reps at Smith’s former spot have gone to Corey Lemonier and Eli Harold, writes Gutierrez.
- The Raiders could have the biggest interior defensive line in the NFL when Dan Williams and Justin Ellis, who combine to weigh 665 pounds, line up side by side. The two have been paired together often in camp, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com. “To be able to have those guys in the front, we feel like you shouldn’t run the ball on us,” safety Charles Woodson said. “If they put those guys up there, we should be a very stout defense. That’s what we’re counting on.”
- Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is bullish about the team’s secondary, which helped the defense finish a respectable 12th overall against the pass in 2014. “I think we have an excellent group. We got playmakers and smart guys that communicate well and play well together. I’m excited for that group,” Pagano said, according to USA Today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/9/15
Here are Sunday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Bills re-signed defensive Erik Williams and waived/injured receiver Justin Brown, ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweeted.
- The Colts have signed former Ball State cornerback Eric Patterson, according to Indy PR man Matt Conti (Twitter link). Patterson, who went undrafted earlier this year, was cut by the Patriots in June.
- The Browns signed CB Joe Rankin yesterday, and according to Nate Ulrich of The Akron Beacon Journal, the team has also signed TE Manasseh Garner. To make room for the new additions, Cleveland has cut LB Darius Eubanks and TE Kevin Haplea.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15
Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
- In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.
Earlier updates:
- The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
- Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
- The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
- The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/15
Here are Friday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- With Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman both nursing injuries, the Falcons have bolstered their backfield depth by signing running back Michael Ford, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The LSU product spent some time with the Bears in 2013.
- Offensive lineman Ben Heenan has been waived by the Colts after suffering an MCL injury, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. The team reached an injury settlement with Heenan, so he won’t go on the IR if the clears waivers. To replace Heenan, the Colts signed free agent guard Kitt O’Brien.
- The Chargers have swapped one offensive lineman for another at the back of their roster, waiving rookie Ben Beckwith with an injury designation, and signing undrafted free agent Melvin Meggs, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
- Earlier this week, the Texans released offensive lineman Will Yeatman with an injury settlement. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the settlement was worth just over $68K.
- Wilson also reports (via Twitter) that wide receiver Eli Rogers has been placed on the Steelers‘ injured reserve list after going unclaimed on waivers.
AFC Notes: Foster, Brady, Colts, Nicks
As we inch close to the start of the NFL’s preseason schedule, let’s round up a few of the latest updates from around the AFC….
- Texans running back Arian Foster underwent successful surgery on his groin this morning in Philadelphia, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that there’s some hope Foster’s recovery period will be less than three months. The star running back still appears to be a strong candidate for the club’s IR-DTR slot to open the regular season.
- The settlement conference between the NFL and NFLPA is scheduled to take place at 11:00am eastern time next Wednesday, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and commissioner Roger Goodell will both attend the meeting in Judge Richard M. Berman’s courtroom.
- The Colts snagged cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers from Washington this week, despite the fact that he’s expected to miss the season with a shoulder injury, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. As Holder explains, the Colts were targeting Mitchel in the draft this year before Washington grabbed him in the sixth round, and the club now has the opportunity to stash him on its IR for the season.
- Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press examines Hakeem Nicks‘ efforts to earn a roster spot in Tennessee after signing a one-year deal with the Titans this offseason.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/16
We rounded up some of the minor signings and moves in the NFL earlier today. Below, we’ll round up the very latest..
- The Bills are signing former Eastern Michigan running back Bronson Hill, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hill should provide Buffalo with more depth as they get set to install a run-heavy offense. To make room, the Bills cut defensive end Erik Williams, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Colts were awarded cornerback Tevin Mitchel off waivers from Washington and waived safety Robert Smith to make room for him, Wilson tweets.
- The Steelers waived-injured Rob Blanchflower and claimed tight end Ray Hamilton off waivers from the Cowboys, Wilson tweets.
- The Patriots announced today that they have signed offensive lineman Mark Asper and tight end Mason Brodine. To make room, offensive lineman Harland Gunn has been let go. Asper, 29, originally entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick by the Bills in 2012.
- The Cardinals waived/injured guard John Fullington (knee) and released tight end Ted Bolser, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets.
- The 49ers have waived/injured offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets.
- The Saints waived defensive end Glenn Foster with a failed physical designation, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. To fill his spot, New Orleans inked undrafted rookie cornerback Travis Manning.
South Notes: Saints, David, Texans, Colts
It’s been an eventful year for cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, who received a raise for 2015 and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots within the first few weeks of the year. However, since then, he’s been cut twice, by the Pats and Cardinals, negating that non-guaranteed raise that he earned back in January. Currently, Dennard is a free agent, and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that he’s working out for the Saints today.
Dennard missed 10 regular season contests in 2014, as he was plagued throughout the season by shoulder and hamstring issues. In New Orleans, he could help provide depth for a secondary that’s banged up early in training camp — cornerbacks Keenan Lewis and Delvin Breaux were among the players absent from the team’s walkthrough on Wednesday.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David will likely be keeping a close eye on the financial terms for DeAndre Levy‘s new extension with the Lions, since David figures to surpass Levy’s deal. According to Anderson (via Twitter), the Bucs and David were “still not close” to working out a new contract as of Wednesday morning.
- Pierre Thomas and the Texans could revisit a deal, even though there’s no pact at this time, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson, who says Houston offered Thomas a minimum-salary contract, indicates that the two sides will likely remain in touch, since the former Saint was “clearly” the Texans’ preferred choice of the backs that auditioned for the team.
- Former Patriots and Rutgers linebacker Steve Beauharnais worked out for the Colts on Wednesday, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link). The 25-year-old saw a little regular season action with Washington in 2014.
Community Tailgate: T.Y. Hilton’s Value
We’re still a few weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll be discussing T.Y. Hilton‘s value as he is in contract discussions with the Colts. Hilton, of course, is a very productive player, but he’s not the sort of prototypical No. 1 receiver that guys like Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas are. This offseason, Bryant and Thomas signed nearly identical deals with their respective clubs worth $70MM over five seasons. That comes out to an average annual value of $14MM, and Hilton is expected to look for at least that much on a new long-term pact.
While Hilton probably isn’t on the same level as Bryant and Thomas, there is something to be said for timing. With the salary cap growing each year, Hilton could have a case for a contract on the same level. There’s also something to be said for the Colts taking the “safe” route and locking Hilton up before he could potentially have the best season of his career in 2015, boosting his value even further.
What kind of a contract do you think the Colts should give to Hilton? Do you think he can match or come close to the deals given to Bryant and Thomas? Let us know in the comment section below!