Minor Moves: Lions, Chiefs, Raiders, Colts
Our posts on minor transactions typically focus on smaller-name players and under-the-radar moves. There are plenty of those today, as players accept contract tenders and teams bolster their rosters with camp bodies in time for 2014’s offseason workouts. Let’s round up today’s transactions…
- Defensive end George Johnson has signed with the Lions, according to agent Brian Levy of Goal Line Football (Twitter link). Johnson has spent time with the Vikings and Buccaneers since 2011, though his regular-season playing time has been extremely limited.
Earlier updates:
- Free agent wide receiver Kyle Williams has re-signed with the Chiefs, as he announced today on Twitter. Williams, a former 49er, was claimed by Kansas City off waivers last fall, but tore his ACL in late November. He’ll likely continue to rehab and recover throughout the summer, so he’s not expected to have a major role for the Chiefs in 2014.
- The Lions have added a pair of cornerbacks to their roster, signing Aaron Hester and Nate Ness, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Hester was on the Broncos’ roster during the 2013 preseason, while Ness has bounced around among a handful of teams since going undrafted in 2009.
- Raiders safety Brandian Ross and tackle Matt McCants have accepted and signed their exclusive rights free agent tenders from the club, the team announced via Twitter.
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports a number of RFA and ERFA tender signings, via Twitter, as follows: Colts cornerback Josh Gordy has signed his $1.431MM tender; 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite has signed his ERFA tender; Giants center Dallas Reynolds has accepted his ERFA tender; and linebacker Adrian Hamilton and safety Anthony Levine have accepted their ERFA offers from the Ravens.
Brandt’s Latest: Fuller, Moncrief, Archer
Draft expert and former Cowboys VP of player personnel Gil Brandt shared a few draft updates this afternoon, via Twitter, so let’s jump in and briefly round up the highlights from the NFL.com veteran….
- Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, who paid a visit to the Bills today, has had 15 visits or workouts with NFL teams so far, and has four more lined up this week with the Rams, Jets, Steelers, and Broncos.
- Brandt adds a slew of teams to the list of those who have worked out or hosted Ole Miss receiver Donte Moncrief so far, tweeting that Moncrief has visited the Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Panthers, and has worked out for the Bucs, Panthers, Colts, and Falcons.
- Having already visited the Dolphins, Patriots, Cardinals, and Colts, Kent State running back Dri Archer, is on to the Buccaneers and Jets this week.
- Colorado wideout Paul Richardson, who has put on a few pounds since the draft combine, has workouts or visits with the Buccaneers, Cowboys, 49ers, and Seahawks. It’s not entirely clear if those visits and workouts are still on Richardson’s schedule, or if they’ve already happened.
Phil Costa To Retire
Less than six weeks after he signed a new two-year free agent deal with the Colts, center Phil Costa has been placed on the reserve/retired list, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Colts GM Ryan Grigson said today that “Phil feels it’s in his best interest to retire from the game,” tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
Costa, 26, was the Cowboys’ full-time starter at center in 2011, but missed most of 2012 with an ankle injury and transitioned into a backup role in 2013. The Maryland product signed a two-year, $2.7MM contract with Indianapolis in March and looked to be the favorite to take over as the Colts’ starting center in 2014, but the team will have to turn elsewhere.
Khaled Holmes looks to be the next in line at center as far as the Colts’ in-house options go. The club could also choose to address the position in the draft, or with a veteran free agent. Jonathan Goodwin, David Baas, and last year’s Indianapolis starter Samson Satele are among the players still on the market.
Extra Points: Options, Rice, Keller, Visits
As our fifth-year option tracker shows, we’re still waiting on many teams to make their official decisions on 2015 options for players who were drafted in the first round in 2011. The deadline arrives on May 3, so we still have nearly two more weeks before all those contract situations are resolved, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has decided to take his best guess at the upcoming decisions. In La Canfora’s view, 17 options are “no-brainers” to be exercised, while 10 are virtually certain to be declined — the remaining five, including Aldon Smith‘s and Mark Ingram‘s, among others, are still up in the air.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Jets offered Sidney Rice a larger contract than the Seahawks did, but the receiver wanted to return to the Super Bowl champs, he said today on 710 ESPN in Seattle (Twitter link).
- Tight end Dustin Keller remains unsigned, but the agent for Keller says his client is “good to go” after missing the 2013 season with a serious knee injury, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- After visiting the Jets today, TCU cornerback Jason Verrett will move on to the Rams on Tuesday and the Texans on Wednesday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Rapoport passes along a couple more draft updates on Twitter, writing that LSU running back Jeremy Hill is visiting the Bengals today and previously visited the Titans. Rapoport adds that Florida offensive lineman Jon Halapio has worked out for the Dolphins, Buccaneers, Browns, and Colts.
- Boston College defensive end Kaleb Ramsey will work out for NFL scouts on campus this Wednesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- According to reports from Wilson, Gil Brandt of NFL.com, and Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley is visiting the Rams, Patriots, Browns, and Cowboys this week.
- We heard last week that Nebraska guard Spencer Long has visits lined up with the Eagles, Chargers, Dolphins, and Falcons, and Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net says (via Twitter) Long will also visit three other clubs.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Clowney, Easley
Texas A&M quarterback prospect Johnny Manziel, who will visit with Cleveland brass this week, is working out for Browns officials in College Station today, per ESPN insider Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Here’s several more draft news and notes:
- Speaking of high-profile, scrutinized prospects, South Carolina’s Jadaveon Clowney has drawn heavy criticism, but Bleacher Report columnist Mike Freeman is skeptical about how much of it is legitimate and how much of it is draft propaganda. Meanwhile, Freeman thinks Clowney could set a precedent for how elite prospects handle (dictate?) the pre-draft process in the coming years.
- “The biggest difference under [Chiefs] general manager John Dorsey is that the requirements for players seem to be a lot less rigid,” says ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher in response to a mailbag question asking about the difference between the team’s current draft philosophy and that of the previous regime. “Where former GM Scott Pioli wanted players to fit into a certain system and tried to fit the players to the system, now the Chiefs are more just looking for good players. They will mold the system around the abilities of the players.”
- Chargers GM Tom Telesco and Jaguars GM David Caldwell have a good relationship, having known each other since high school, played together in college and worked together in Indianapolis. Accordingly, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams speculates the two could work together on a draft-day trade that would enable the Jags to reenter the first round and grab a quarterback, perhaps Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, who is rumored to be sliding.
- Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley, reportedly 80% recovered from a torn ACL and meniscus, is embarking on busy pre-draft schedule, writes Aaron Wilson of National Football Post. Easley will visit with the Patriots and Cowboys after having worked out for 17 teams on Thursday, including the Bears, who had three representatives present. Though undersized, Easley shows the type of explosiveness and disruptive ability desired of a three-technique.
- Clemson receiver Martavis Bryant, who possesses intriguing measurables, has 22 combined visits and private workouts, according to Wilson via the Baltimore Sun.
- Georgia Tech pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu, Southern Miss defensive tackle Khyri Thornton, Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp were among prospects who helped themselves with strong pro day efforts, according to NFL.com’s College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer, who highlights defensive prospect risers.
Minor Moves: Colts, Jaguars, Menkin, Raiders
We’ll round up Thursday’s minor transactions right here, which today includes a former NFLer signing with a CFL club and an exclusive rights free agent signing his ERFA tender. Any additional minor moves will be added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Colts signed free agent fullbacks Stephen Campbell and Cameron White, according to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (on Twitter).
- The Jaguars have re-signed exclusive rights free agent Jordan Todman, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). The running back received a $645K ERFA tender from the team last month.
Earlier updates:
- Offensive lineman Nate Menkin, who played his college ball at Mary Hardin-Baylor and joined the Eagles and Texans after going undrafted, has signed with the CFL’s Ottawa RedBlacks, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). 2014 will be the first season for the RedBlacks, an expansion franchise.
- Raiders linebacker Kaelin Burnett has signed his ERFA tender for the 2014 season, the team announced today (Twitter link). Burnett played primarily on special teams for the club in 2013, recording 11 tackles in kick and punt coverage. The 24-year-old will be in line to earn a $570K salary this year.
Colts Re-Sign Joe Reitz
The Colts have re-signed restricted free agent Joe Reitz, who has accepted his RFA tender, reports Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Reitz, who played at both guard positions in 2013, should be in line for a salary of $1.431MM, the minimum RFA tender amount.
Reitz, 28, played 149 total offensive snaps for the Colts last season, playing primarily in a reserve role but also starting three games for the club. The reduced role seemed to suit Reitz — after recording a negative grade in 2011 and 2012 as a starter, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Western Michigan alum posted a +5.1 mark in 2013, providing above-average run and pass blocking.
In 2014, the versatile Reitz figures to provide depth at several spots on the offensive line for Indianapolis.
AFC Draft Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets
Within his latest Read Option feature on Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei focuses on what the Texans will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, which gets underway three weeks from today. It’s a question we explored ourselves earlier in the week, asking you in a poll what Houston ought to do with the pick. As we noted, selecting a quarterback or a defender like Jadeveon Clowney or Khalil Mack seem like the best options for the Texans if they keep the pick. However, more than 30% of you suggested the club’s best move would be to trade the pick, and Pompei seems to agree, writing that moving down would provide “multiple solutions” for the Texans, who “wouldn’t necessarily have to exact a ransom in return.”
Here’s more on the draft from around the AFC:
- We heard yesterday that Miami quarterback Stephen Morris was drawing interest from the Dolphins, and Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that Morris has a workout lined up with the Broncos as well.
- Noting (via Twitter) that the Jets‘ visits with wide receiver Brandin Cooks and cornerback Darqueze Dennard are scheduled for next week, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News provides an updated list of all of the team’s pre-draft visitors.
- The Ravens, who are considering drafting a safety in next month’s draft, brought in Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward for a visit, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Craig Kelley of Colts.com provides a rundown of the 20 prospects with local ties the Colts worked out earlier this week.
Draft Notes: Swoope, Clowney, Bucannon, Long
As if NFL teams didn’t have enough players to consider when they’re on the clock in next month’s draft, one player who recently declared his eligibility didn’t even play college ball. Instead, Erik Swoope of the University of Miami played for the Hurricanes’ basketball team, but nonetheless hopes to catch on with an NFL team this summer, as ESPN.com details. Swoope, who aims to play tight end, had a private workout with the Broncos earlier in April, according to the report.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league, with a focus on the draft:
- A Hurricane who actually played football for Miami this past season, quarterback Stephen Morris, is drawing some interest from the Dolphins, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Dismissing the idea that Jadeveon Clowney is “lazy” and “spoiled,” as one anonymous scout suggested, agent Bus Cook also told Jarrett Bell of USA Today that his client may conduct one more pre-draft workout for an NFL team. A previous report indicated Clowney was done with workouts, and Cook concedes that if the defensive end does work out again, he won’t do anything “that will risk injury.”
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon visited the Colts earlier this week and is currently visiting with the Patriots, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. According to Wilson, Bucannon will visit the Vikings tomorrow, then the Eagles, Jets, and Giants next week.
- Nebraska guard Spencer Long will have pre-draft visits with the Eagles, Dolphins, Falcons, and Chargers, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- Having previously met with the Chargers and Patriots, MTSU defensive end Jimmy Staten is scheduled to work out for the Packers and Chiefs this week, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
AFC Notes: Pats, Browns, Sam, Chargers
Let’s round up a few Wednesday updates from across the AFC….
- Within his latest piece at Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman writes that the Patriots are considering adding a receiver earlier in the draft and that the Browns “really love” Derek Carr, who is a strong candidate for the club’s second first-round pick.
- The Browns aren’t set on Carr yet though — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club is privately working out Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron today, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer adds (via Twitter) that McCarron will also have a formal visit with the Browns next week.
- Five of the six teams that have expressed the most interest in Missouri’s Michael Sam are AFC clubs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, who identifies the Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Browns, Jets, and Falcons as suitors for the edge defender.
- Meanwhile, in a piece for the National Football Post, Wilson reports that Illinois State defensive end Colton Underwood has visited the Chargers and Chiefs, and also worked out for the Patriots.
- After having visited the Cowboys yesterday, Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton is visiting the Broncos today and the Chargers tomorrow, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- The Chargers are hosting Indiana wideout Cody Latimer and Montana linebacker Brock Coyle today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). Coyle will visit the Seahawks next, Gehlken notes.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk attempts to discern what we can learn from the Alex Mack saga when it comes to future offer sheets for transition players.