Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Titans, Jags
Teams around the NFL continue to lock up their 2015 draft picks, and while we’ll dedicate full posts when first- or second-rounders sign their rookie contracts, we’ll pass along mid-to-late-round signings in round-up posts like this one. Here are the latest draft pick signings from around the league, with all salary info via Over The Cap:
- The Chiefs have signed third-round receiver Chris Conley, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Conley, the 76th overall pick earlier this month, is one of two key additions – along with Jeremy Maclin – to Kansas City’s new-look receiving corps, which will look to reach the end zone at least once in 2015.
- Mr. Irrelevant, 256th overall pick Gerald Christian, has signed his rookie contract with the Cardinals, per Wilson (via Twitter). Even as the final seventh-rounder to come off the board, the former Louisville tight end did significantly better than he would have as an undrafted free agent, securing a signing bonus worth about $53K.
- The Titans have agreed to terms with three more of their draft picks, locking up fourth-round defensive tackle Angelo Blackson, sixth-round center Andy Gallik, and seventh-round receiver Tre McBride, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The club still has to sign five of its nine draftees, including second overall pick Marcus Mariota.
- The Jaguars have signed a pair of draftees to their rookie deals today, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com, who reports (via Twitter) that fourth-round safety James Sample and seventh-round wideout Neal Sterling are now under contract. Sample and Sterling will receive respective signing bonuses worth about $549K and $78K.
- The Raiders announced (on Twitter) that they have signed a pair of seventh-round draft picks in wide receiver Andre Debose and tackle Anthony Morris.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eight Teams Placed Claims On Swearinger
The Buccaneers, the team with the top waiver priority this offseason, were awarded D.J. Swearinger on waivers yesterday after the safety was cut on Monday by the Texans. A report earlier today indicated that the Jets also submitted a waiver claim for Swearinger, but Tampa Bay and New York were far from the only clubs involved.
According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a total of eight teams placed a claim on Swearinger. In addition to the Bucs and Jets, the Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, Bills, Steelers, and Ravens all put in claims for the former Texan, says Yates. The Browns were also believed to have interest in Swearinger, but they – and perhaps other potential suitors – must have been hoping he’d clear waivers and become a free agent.
Since Swearinger was a second-round pick in 2013, his rookie contract still has two years left on it, and is fairly reasonable, featuring base salaries of about $722K and $881K for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s an affordable flier for virtually any NFL team to take, which explains why so many clubs placed waiver claims rather than waiting for Swearinger to become a free agent.
Presumably, those eight teams that put in claims were fonder of Swearinger’s performance in 2014 than Pro Football Focus was, or at least view him as a player who has the potential to improve. According to PFF (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.
While Swearinger drew plenty of interest on waivers, it doesn’t appear that any of those teams were willing to give up anything of real value for him, since the Texans reportedly tried to trade the safety before cutting him.
AFC South Notes: Fowler, Titans, Mariota
After Dante Fowler’s injury, the Jaguars could have structured their contract proposal differently, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes. A league source tells the Jags beat writer that the team could have offered no signing bonus, made his 2015 base salary ($4.2MM) fully guaranteed, and converted the remaining $19.2MM to guaranteed cash if he was on the roster to start training camp in 2016. Those measures would have protected Jacksonville if they were worried about his rehab. However, it also would have been terrible business, and the Jaguars opted not to go that route. Here’s more from the AFC South..
- Dick LeBeau, the recently hired associate head coach in charge of defense for the Titans, told reporters, including Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (on Twitter), that the team has great quickness on the defensive line and added that he likes the mix of youth and veterans they now have in the secondary.
- LeBeau added that Titans offseason addition Perrish Cox and 2013 third-round pick Blidi Wreh-Wilson will get plenty of snaps this year, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
- Some of the rookies in the Titans‘ 2015 draft class will be putting the veterans on the spot with their arrival, Wyatt writes. Of course, that list starts with No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota, who figures to displace incumbent Zach Mettenberger as the starter. Meanwhile, second round choice Dorial Green-Beckham’s presence could alter Justin Hunter‘s future with the team, though I would argue that both players appear to be projects at this stage.
Broncos Claim Marcel Jensen
The Broncos have been awarded tight end Marcel Jensen off waivers from the Jaguars, a source tells Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter). Denver has been on the lookout for a tight end after rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman tore his ACL, ruling him out for the season.
Tight ends Owen Daniels and Virgil Green remain the team’s presumptive starters this season, but Jensen will add depth at what is a critical position for the Broncos. On Monday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com accurately predicted that Denver would add a tight end early in the week.
Jensen, 25, only saw time in one game last season and caught one pass for eight yards.
Jaguars, Dante Fowler Jr. Agree To Deal
The Jaguars have reached an agreement with pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. on his rookie contract, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). As Garafolo notes in a second tweet, Fowler’s deal is fully guaranteed and doesn’t include offset language.
Fowler, the third overall pick last month, saw his NFL career get off to a devastating start last week when he suffered a torn ACL during the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp. The injury will sideline the Florida product for the entire 2015 season, but the fact that it happened prior to the two sides officially reaching an agreement on Fowler’s rookie contract didn’t affect the terms of the deal.
As Over The Cap details, Fowler’s four-year deal will have an overall value of $23.49MM, with a $15.344MM signing bonus. The contract, which includes a cap hit of about $4.27MM for Fowler’s rookie season, will feature a fifth-year option, allowing Jacksonville to retain the pass rusher through at least the 2019 season.
Fowler is the first of eight Jacksonville draft picks to strike a deal with the team, but the rest should follow suit shortly.
Extra Points: Fowler, Jordan, Giants, Bolts
Although Jaguars defensive end and third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL in rookie camp earlier this week and won’t play in 2015, don’t expect the team to shortchange him on his first contract. Fowler, who is currently unsigned, will still receive the deal he was originally going to get, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
The injury to Fowler might bring about a change in the structure of his contract, not the value, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. That could include an offset clause in Fowler’s deal, meaning the Jags would owe him less money in the event that they release him down the line. Further, in the wake of Fowler’s injury, Corry believes agents could insist their unsigned clients sit out rookie minicamp in the future.
Here’s other news from around the league as Saturday wraps up:
- Linebacker Dion Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in 2013, has an uncertain future with the team after his most recent suspension, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. While the Dolphins stood by Jordan in the past, head coach Joe Philbin isn’t committed to having him back in 2016.
- It isn’t set in stone that ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers will be the Giants’ starting right tackle in 2015, according to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. “Justin Pugh, right now, is the starting right tackle for the Giants,” said McAdoo, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
- If Flowers doesn’t end up on the right side, there’s a chance he could be the Giants’ solution at left tackle. “We believe that he has a skill set to play left tackle in this league,’’ McAdoo said, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “We will give him opportunities to train at multiple spots.’’
- Chargers team president Dean Spanos met with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer earlier this week. That might be a sign negotiations on a new stadium are picking up, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams expects the Chargers to give an update on their situation in two weeks at the league’s owners meetings. If a new stadium deal isn’t reached between the Chargers and San Diego by the end of next season, the team will be able to relocate. Carson, Calif., is its likely destination.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Rookie Notes: Winston, Shelton, Fowler Jr.
According to a document obtained by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has filed a counterclaim against Erica Kinsman, the woman who initially sued the rookie for sexual assault.
The player’s lawyers claim the first-overall pick didn’t do anything wrong, and they cite numerous people who have rejected the claim. Furthermore, they say Kinsman launched a “false and vicious media campaign to vilify Mr. Winston with the objective of getting him to pay her to go away.”
Florio opines that the case is “destined to linger in the court system for months” and will ultimately result in a jury trial.
Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s rookies…
- Danny Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft, still hasn’t signed with the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of Ohio.com says the rookie is close to signing his four-year contract. The reporter notes that Shelton signed an injury protection waiver prior to his initial rookie practice, guaranteeing money in case of injury.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley confirmed that Dante Fowler Jr. will miss the entire season, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The writer notes that the rookie won’t even attempt to come back towards the end of the season, a la Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram in 2013.
- Defensive end James Rouse tore his ACL yesterday, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told ESPN’s Tania Ganguli (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent joined Houston earlier this week.
- The Bills have brought in quarterbacks Austin Trainor (West Georgia) and Brandon Hill (Monmouth) for tryouts, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins also have a pair of quarterbacks in for tryouts, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker (on Twitter): rookie Hutson Mason (Georgia) and 2014 undrafted free agent Chase Rettig (Boston College).
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.
Dante Fowler Jr. Out For Season
Barely a week after learning where he’d begin his NFL career, Dante Fowler Jr. will now have to wait much longer to do so.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter, the Jaguars rookie defensive end and No. 3 overall pick will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL in a minicamp practice Friday.
The Florida pass-rusher suffered the tear in his left knee during the first hour of the team’s initial minicamp, going down in an 11-on-11 drill. Fowler was carted to the locker room after his workout was halted when his knee buckled during an exchange with offensive lineman Watts Dantzler.
Fowler notched 15 sacks last season and finished his three-year Gators career with 33. Picking No. 3 for the second straight year, the Jaguars were counting on Fowler to elevate their pass pursuit. Jacksonville boasted the seventh-best sack total in the league last season with 45 but finished 22nd in pass defense.
Thirty-three-year-old Chris Clemons finished with eight sacks last year — second to Sen’Derrick Marks‘ 8.5 on the team — and looks to again be the team’s most formidable pass-rusher on the edge. The Jags can likely no longer entertain the notion of cutting Clemons, who will turn 34 in October, like they did Jason Babin last June after this development, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
Fowler has not yet signed his rookie contract but signed an injury-protection waiver, which mandates the Jaguars “negotiate in good faith,” per Schefter, via Twitter. He didn’t miss a game in his three years in Gainesville.
David Garrard To Officially Retire
Although he hasn’t played in an NFL regular season game since 2010, David Garrard was hoping to make a comeback as recently as last August. Today, however, Garrard told Jaguars Today on 1010XL 92.5 in Jacksonville that he has decided to officially retire, and will do so as a Jaguar (Facebook link).
Garrard started 76 games for the Jaguars from 2002 through 2010 before catching on with the Dolphins in 2012 and the Jets in 2013. Injuries kept him off the field in both comeback attempts, and the 37-year-old has never played a regular season NFL contest for any team besides the Jaguars.
Over the course of his NFL career, Garrard had a winning record (39-37) as a starter, and earned a Pro Bowl berth for his performance in the 2009 season. Overall, he threw for more than 16,000 passing yards, compiled an 85.8 passer rating, and had an 89/54 TD-to-INT ratio.
Garrard’s retirement as a Jaguar comes just weeks after another longtime mainstay in Jacksonville – Maurice Jones-Drew – announced his retirement upon signing a one-day contract with the team.