AFC Links: Dareus, Ravens, Bortles, Raiders
Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus was placed on the active/non-football injury list yesterday, and today we have learned the reason: Dareus has yet to pass a conditioning test, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Dareus has had a tumultuous offseason — he was arrested in both May and June, and could face an NFL suspension. His 2015 fifth-year option was exercised, but the pair of legal incidents, combined with a failure to stay in shape, could conceivably dissuade Buffalo from offering the 2011 third overall pick a contract extension. More from the AFC:
- 2013 wasn’t as kind to the Ravens as was 2012, but Lardarius Webb is more optimistic about 2014.“Oh yeah, my team is going to bounce back,” Webb told Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “Last year wasn’t that bad. A lot of people want to say it was bad just because we didn’t make the playoffs. We don’t usually not make the playoffs…There were a few games that left us out of the playoffs. We just have to learn from it. We have some young guys, and we just have to keep growing up with all those guys. I like where we’re at and we just have to keep on going.”
- Wilson’s colleague at the Sun, Jeff Zrebiec, previews the Ravens’ defensive line, and believes Baltimore will keep seven players at the position group.
- In an interview with Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley allows that rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has a chance to start a preseason game. “It would be late [in the preseason] if he did, and we’ll see how things go,” said Bradley. “We’re really excited about Chad [Henne] and what he’s going to do so we’ll see how it goes with him until that fourth preseason game.”
- The Raiders want to implement a run-heavy offense in 2014, and Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com previews an offensive line that will need to improve if Oakland is to succeed in that goal.
Jaguars Notes: Watson, Gerhart, Evans
There’s a chance that one of the Jaguars new additions, linebacker Dekoda Watson, could begin next week’s training camp on the team’s physically unable to perform list. According to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, the former seventh-round pick underwent hernia surgery in late June, but he is expected back for the start of the regular season.
The Jaguars inked the 26-year-old to a three-year deal in March. Watson spent his first four NFL season with the Buccaneers, where he compiled 106 tackles and three sacks. O’Halloran adds that second-year player LaRoy Reynolds took the first-team reps during minicamp and will likely do the same during training camp.
Let’s take a look at some more notes out of Jacksonville…
- NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling believes Toby Gerhart could lead the NFL in carries next season, the reporter said on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast.
- “Not participating in organized team activities and minicamp because of foot surgery certainly hurt” the chances for defensive back Josh Evans, says ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco. If Evans can start to show consistency, DiRocco believes he could unseat Winston Guy.
- DiRocco believes the team’s biggest position battle heading into training camp is between right guards Jacques McClendon and Brandon Linder. Considering the interior offensive line’s struggles in 2013, production from right guard will be key if the Jaguars hope to have a successful season.
- The competition for the the team’s final two receiver spots should be interesting, DiRocco writes. Mike Brown and Kerry Taylor make DiRocco’s projected roster, but the writer warns that Tandon Doss, Allen Hurns and Chad Bumphis are also in play.
- When looking at the team’s defensive backs, DiRocco thinks the Jaguars will have to choose between Jeremy Harris or Mike Harris for the final cornerback spot. At safety, the writer snubs Chris Prosinski.
Extra Points: Clowney, Glenn, Shembo
- Texans No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney’s status for the beginning of training camp is still up the air, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Clowney, who is recovering from June sports hernia surgery, remains day-to-day with no timetable established for his return.
- The Ravens placed backup nose tackle Terrence Cody on the physically unable to perform list for the beginning of training camp, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Cody, who is recovering from hip surgery, can be be activated whenever he’s healthy enough to resume practicing.
- In minor transaction news, the Bills signed receiver Tori Gurley and cornerback Kamaal McIlwain to fill empty roster spots, according to BuffaloBills.com insider Chris Brown.
- Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn is on the Active/Non-Football Illness list, but GM Doug Whaley doesn’t think Glenn will be lost long-term, according to WGR 550’s Joe Buscaglia. Said Whaley: “We don’t think so at this time. It’s just gonna have to see on how he progresses. We hope not. We’re still waiting on some reports on him, but it looks like it’s gonna be one of those day-to-day things and we’ll see how it progresses.”
- In the meantime, highly publicized rookie Seantrel Henderson will man left tackle in Glenn’s stead.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union takes an in-depth look at the Jaguars’ new-look offensive line, including quotes from offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch praising the athleticism of Luke Joeckel and the leadership of Zane Beadles. “He’s certainly as advertised and then some,” Fisch says of Beadles.
- Falcons fourth-round outside linebacker Prince Shembo has a realistic chance of earning starts, writes Orlando Ledbetter in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ledbetter says the team will “force-feed” information to Shembo, whom head coach Mike Smith is “very excited” about. “He’s picked up the system very well,” said Smith. “He doesn’t have any experience, but we will get him a lot, I can assure you that in the preseason.”
- James Harrison, Jermichael Finley and Santonio Holmes headline AP writer Dennis Waszak Jr.’s list of 13 notable, veteran free agents still looking for work with training camps getting underway.
- The Patriots issued a press release saying Bill Belichick and Aaron Hernandez exchanged 34 total text messages, not 33 pages worth. According to Boston Globe correspondent Dan Adams, filings released Monday did not reveal the contents of the text messages or what Patriots employees shared with authorities, but did reveal that Belichick, Robert Kraft were interviewed by investigators, who also searched the locker of a player.
- The NFL is moving swiftly to address the issue of underqualified underclassmen flooding the draft, reports NFL.com’s Albert Breer. In an effort to deter potentially undraftable players from declaring, the league’s advisory committee will streamline (simplify) its evaluation grades to include first round, second round or neither. Additionally, colleges will be restricted to five evaluation requests unless an abundance of talent dictates the need for more (e.g. Alabama, LSU, Florida State, etc.). Writes Beer: “At the heart of the changes are staggering statistics stemming from the 2014 draft class — of the record 107 who declared, 45 went undrafted. A majority of those 45 remain unsigned by NFL teams as undrafted free agents.”
AFC Notes: Tebow, Watt, Jaguars, Ware, Bills
Tim Tebow, who has been frequently linked to the Jaguars over the years, purchased a $1.4MM home in Jacksonville, according to Andrew Thurlow of the Jacksonville Business Journal. Of course, the Jaguars have their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles and there is zero indication that they’d be interested in bringing Tebow aboard, who last played in the NFL in 2012. But, if they ever want to audition a backup, the former Florida QB will be a hop, skip, and a jump away. Here’s more out of the AFC..
- With speculation that a new deal for Texans defensive end J.J. Watt could get a contract extension in the ballpark of $23MM per year, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a stab at what kind of contract the disruptive DE could fetch. Ultimately, Fitzgerald concludes that a four year contract worth $57.6MM could make sense for both sides. As the Texans are going through a remake of their roster, it could make both football sense and PR sense to hammer out a new deal with Watt this year.
- Jaguars coach Gus Bradley expects the club’s offense to be more balanced this year. Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union says that new RB Toby Gerhart will be a huge key towards making that happen.
- Thanks in part to cupping therapy, new Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware says that he’s feeling great, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I feel better than I did the last two years going into the season,” Ware said. “Stronger, faster. I feel flexible.”
- The Bills have waived wide receiver Cordell Robinson and cornerback Darius Robinson, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Patriots re-signed wide receiver Derrick Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Jaguars Sign Second-Round Pick Marqise Lee
FRIDAY, 10:00am: The Jaguars announced (via Twitter) that Lee has signed his deal.
WEDNESDAY, 2:00pm: It took some time, but the Jaguars have finally signed all of their draft picks. The team has agreed to terms with second-round pick Marqise Lee, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union (via Twitter). John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets that the deal will be signed Friday, and O’Halloran adds on Twitter that the team’s rookies will report to camp on Monday.
It’s unclear why it’s took so long for Lee to get signed, but some have suggested that the projected first-round pick may have been looking to recoup some guaranteed money after falling to 39th overall. The former USC Trojan finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2012, but he had an underwhelming 2013 season. Lee finished with 57 catches for 791 yards and four touchdowns.
With Lee now off the board, three rookies remained unsigned: first-round picks Taylor Lewan (Titans) and Justin Gilbert (Browns) and third-rounder Billy Turner (Dolphins).
AFC Notes: Pats, Flowers, Raiders, Chiefs
The Patriots made a pair of roster moves today in advance of training camp, parting ways with two undrafted rookie receivers. According to a press release, Jeremy Johnson and Reese Wiggins were cut by the team, and will become free agents assuming they clear waivers. The cuts give New England three total openings on the club’s 90-man roster, so it shouldn’t be long before we get word on which players will be occupying those open spots.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC….
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter links), Brandon Flowers said he signed with the Chargers because he saw while he was with the Chiefs that the AFC’s other Wild Card team was close to being a legit contender. The veteran cornerback also downplayed the idea that he was a poor fit in Bob Dutton’s defense last year in Kansas City, pointing to injury woes instead as the reason for his 2013 struggles.
- Oakland City Council voted last night to approve the Athletics’ lease to remain at O.co Coliseum, but only if a handful of small tweaks to the agreement were agreed upon by the MLB club. Will Kane of the San Francisco Chronicle and Matthew Artz of the Oakland Tribune have the details on the latest developments, and how they could affect the Raiders.
- We haven’t heard any concrete updates lately on the progress made by Alex Smith and the Chiefs toward an extension, but Smith reiterated today that he loves the city, his coaches, and his teammates, and would like to get something done (Twitter link via Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star).
- The Jaguars committed twice as much guaranteed money this offseason to Zane Beadles as they did to any other free agent, prompting Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union to explore what kind of impact the team’s new offensive lineman will make.
- As was the case a year ago, Cameron Wake and Mike Wallace were once again Jason Fitzgerald’s selections for the best and worst contracts on the Dolphins‘ books (link via OverTheCap.com).
- The pressure will be on Eric Decker to produce like a No. 1 receiver for the Jets in 2014 and beyond, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, who takes a closer look at the club’s top free agent addition.
Tight End Notes: Finley, Keller, Davis, Jags
The league’s most productive tight end became the league’s highest-paid tight end earlier today, with Jimmy Graham agreeing to terms on a four-year deal with the Saints. Although we’re still waiting on all the specifics, the contract reportedly has an average annual value of $10MM, which would be the highest per-year amount ever for the position.
While Graham’s contract saga appears to be over, there are a handful of other players looking to sign or restructure contracts of their own. Let’s round up the latest on a few tight ends around the NFL….
- Tom Pelissero of USA Today reported last night that Jermichael Finley would undergo a series of medical tests this week and would send those results to all 32 NFL teams in hopes of generating interest. Today, Pelissero passes along a series of quotes from the former Packer explaining why he wants to continue his playing career rather than trying to collect a $10MM insurance policy and retiring.
- Finley’s explanation: “It’s a pride issue now. I’ve got a lot of pride. I’ve been playing this game for free for 20 years when I was a kid, so it ain’t about the money. It ain’t about how much I can get and how much my agent can get and whatnot. It’s all about the love of the game. We all know the money’s going to come and it’s going to go. I just want to go out there and be able to showcase these skills that I’ve been working on for months now, since I got hurt in October.”
- Dustin Keller, who is coming off a serious knee injury, is still making progress in his recovery, according to Pelissero (via Twitter). Keller hopes to play this season, but isn’t in a rush to sign with a team.
- It’s safe to assume that Graham’s new annual value of $10MM becomes a target for Vernon Davis as he attempts to negotiate a new deal with the 49ers, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. In my opinion, it’s probably also safe to assume the Niners won’t pay him that much. Davis is currently in line for base salaries of just $4.7MM in 2014 and $4.35MM in 2015, though his cap hit is more sizable due to bonus money.
- A pair of tight ends who are eligible for extensions weighed in via Twitter on Graham’s new contract, with Jordan Cameron of the Browns and Julius Thomas of the Broncos passing along their congratulations. Presumably, both players will also have Graham’s deal in mind when they negotiate their own extensions.
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union examines the tight end situation for the Jaguars, who will need to figure out their third player at the position behind Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor.
AFC Notes: Jaguars, Ravens, Browns
Paul Posluszny is one of the few constants in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, losing is another. But, that’s not his fault, as he’s played in all but one game in three seasons with the team and is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
But, as The Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran writes, there is uncertainty aside from Posluszny in the Jaguars linebacker room. Projected starters Dekoda Watson and Geno Hayes have been battling injuries, and backups LaRoy Reynolds and Telvin Smith are mostly untested.
O’Halloran remarks that linebackers coach Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator Bob Babish and coach Gus Bradley will focus on the group intently, and he assumes that the aforementioned five linebackers are safe, which leaves a single roster spot for J.T. Thomas, John Lotulelei, Nate Stupar, Allen Bradford and Marcus Whitfield.
More notes from the AFC:
- The future of Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith is not likely to be affected after his arrest for disorderly conduct, CSNBaltimore.com’s Clifton Brown reports. The team has already exercised Smith’s fifth-year option and plans to sign him to a long-term deal.
- Joining the Seahawks, Broncos and Ravens, the Browns will use a live animal as its mascot, according to Cleveland.com’s Tom Reed. Swagger, a bullmastiff, will lead the team onto the field before games.
Extra Points: Saints, Steelers, Archer, Irvin
After a tumultuous 2012 season, the Saints got back to their winning ways in 2013 and made the postseason for the fifth time in the Drew Brees–Sean Payton era. A loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks sent Brees and Payton packing, and the attention turned to GM Micky Loomis.
Loomis made a key addition in former Bills free safety Jairus Byrd, writes National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel, though Byrd will probably miss some time during the preseason after undergoing “minor” back surgery near the end of OTAs.
In his team preview, Gabriel says to keep an eye on Khiry Robinson, a second-year running back from West Texas A&M used sparingly in his rookie season. Robinson has more size than Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram, Gabriel writes, and could see a larger role in 2014.
Aside from Byrd, the Saints‘ biggest offseason acquisition was wide receiver Brandin Cooks, whom the team traded up for to grab in the first round. Gabriel notes that Cooks will play the majority of his snaps out of the slot and help to fill the void left by Darren Sproles‘ departure.
More notes around the NFL on this Sunday evening…
- When the Steelers drafted Dri Archer with the 97th overall pick, they drafted a player with speed for days. For that reason, they’ll be using Archer at both running back and receiver, coach Mike Tomlin said on NFL Network, according to National Football Post’s Jason Butt.
- Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin underwent hip surgery in early June, but he says his hip feels 100 times better, per NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, who cites the Seahawks‘ depth at linebacker as an indication that Irvin won’t be forced back into action too soon.
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union lists four matchups — at Tennessee, vs. Miami, vs. New York (Giants) and vs. Houston — as the most favorable for the Jaguars.
- Though EJ Manuel enjoyed a moderate amount of success as a rookie quarterback for the Bills last season, former Bills GM and current ESPN analyst cautions fans to be patient with the former Florida State Seminole, writes The Buffalo News’ Jerry Sullivan.
AFC South Links: Texans, Jaguars, Brazill
A panel of NFL writers at ESPN.com ranked all 32 teams in order of future projected success — that is, how each franchise will fare over the next three seasons — by assigning grades for components like quarterback, front office, and coaching staff. Unsurprisingly, the Seahawks finished first in the exercise, but one underlying point was the brutal future prognosticated for the teams in the AFC South. The Colts ranked as the top team in the division, but were listed at just No. 20 overall, while the Jaguars, Titans, and Texans registered as Nos. 23, 25, and 27, respectively. I might quibble with the Texans’ projected futility, but as a whole, the AFC South looks like the weakest division in football, and could remain that way for some time.
- The Texans have several interesting position battles that need to be resolved during training camp, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes. Left guard will come down to either incumbent Ben Jones or rookie Xavier Su’a-Filo, while Randy Bullock will try to keep undrafted rookie Chris Boswell from taking the kicking job.
- In a video link, McClain and his Houston Chronicle colleague Brian T. Smith run down the top storylines on both sides of the ball for the Texans.
- The Jaguars don’t have much experience at receiver behind Cecil Shorts, but Jacksonville receivers coach Jerry Sullivan isn’t worried that his young players, including 2014 second-rounders Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, will buckle under the NFL lights. “I never think about that,” Sullivan told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “I put the pressure on myself to get them trained to perform at the NFL level.”
- In the wake of LaVon Brazill‘s suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells opines that the 25-year-old ex-Colt has no one to blame but himself.