AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Texans, McAfee
The Jaguars drafted receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson to complement Cecil Shorts, but it was the unheralded Allen Hurns who made waves at minicamp, writes Mike Sando for ESPN Insider (subscription required). Hurns, who went undrafted out of Miami, saw quite a few snaps during practice sessions and made the most of them, even earning praise from quarterback Chad Henne. By signing with Jacksonville, Hurns reunites with offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, who served in the same capacity with the Hurricanes from from 2011-2012.
- Speaking of Shorts, he is one of many Jaguars veterans who feels that the team will take a step forward in 2014, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com. “I believe we’ve gotten better from where we were last year. I believe we’re way ahead of where we were last year,” said Shorts. “…Last year, we were about learning the plays and trying to figure out what to do…Now, we have the same playbook. Now, we understand everything.”
- In a piece kicking off his Best and Worst Contracts series, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examines the Texans roster, labeling Andre Johnson as the player on the most team-friendly deal, and Arian Foster as having the least favorable contract from management’s perspective.
- New Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel knows it will be a challenge to repair a unit that struggled last season, but he tells ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli that he doesn’t think the 2013 team was lacking effort. “…[E]veryone thinks when you are 2-14 that you are no good,” said Crennel. “Your record is what it is, but from what I saw on tape, I saw guys hustling, I saw guys giving effort and guys being in the game in the fourth quarter. That indicated to me that maybe they weren’t that far away.” Houston ranked 18th in DVOA and forced a league-low 11 turnovers in 2013.
- Colts punter Pat McAfee wants to add another job title to his résumé — placekicker. He hit several attempts from over 60 yards during minicamp, writes Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis, but the 27-year-old doesn’t expect to get a chance at the kicking job any time soon, what with the presence of veteran Adam Vinatieri on the roster. Handing the two duties to a single player would be an interesting idea, though, as it would free up an active roster spot on gameday.
Offset Language
Since the NFL’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement has made rookie contracts fairly regimented, negotiations between teams and draft picks have become smoother than ever, with few – if any – players expected to be unsigned by the time training camp gets underway. At the moment, only six players have yet to ink their rookie deals, including three first-round picks: Justin Gilbert (Browns), Taylor Lewan (Titans), and Dominique Easley (Patriots).
Although we don’t know for sure what the holdup is with those three players, one factor that continues to play a role in contracts for first-round picks relates to offset language. Over the last several years, only a handful of players in each year have managed to avoid having offsets language written into their deals. In most cases, a lack of offsets for a player simply relies on which team drafted him — clubs like the Rams and Jaguars traditionally haven’t pushed to include offsets in contracts for their top picks, even in an era where most other teams around the league do.
Offset language relates to what happens to a player’s salary if he’s cut during the first four years of his career, while he’s still playing on his rookie contract. For the top 15 to 20 picks in the draft, those four-year salaries will be fully guaranteed, even if a player is waived at some point during those four seasons. For example, if a player has $4MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is cut, he’ll still be owed that $4MM.
However, if a team has written offset language into the contract, that club can save some money if and when the player signs with a new team. For example, if that player who had $4MM in guaranteed money left on his contract signs with a new club on a $1MM deal, his old team would only be on the hook for $3MM, with the new team making up the difference. If there’s no offset language on that first deal, the old team would continue to be on the hook for the full $4MM, and the player would simply earn an additional $1MM from his new club.
Although the negotiation of offset language might potentially delay a rookie’s signing, the offsets rarely come into play, since few top picks flame out badly enough that they’re released during their first four seasons. And even in those rare instances, if a player has performed poorly enough to be cut in his first few years, he likely won’t sign a lucrative deal elsewhere, so offset language wouldn’t help his old club recover more than perhaps the league minimum.
As noted above, the Rams and Jaguars are among the teams who aren’t averse to forgoing offsets in their agreements with top picks, so Greg Robinson, Blake Bortles, and Aaron Donald don’t have offset language in their first NFL contracts.
Note: This is a PFR Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to free agency, trades, or other aspects of the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Information from OverTheCap.com was used in the creation of this post.
Sunday Roundup: Jags, Colts, Graham
Let’s round up some of today’s links from around the league:
- As our Luke Adams noted earlier this month, the Jaguars do not know when Justin Blackmon will be reinstated by the league. The team does not expect Blackmon to contribute in 2014, and they are distancing themselves from even talking about the troubled wideout, writes Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union. Even friends, teammates, and ex-coaches are finding it difficult to get a read on where Blackmon is and how his recovery is progressing.
- Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida-Times Union writes that the ulnar nerve damage that Jaguars‘ jack-of-all-trades Denard Robinson suffered through last season is behind him, so he hopes to put his full skill-set on display in 2014.
- In the same piece, O’Halloran adds that the Jaguars are likely to keep three tight ends on their roster, and with Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor as locks to make the team, the competition between Brandon Barden, Marcel Jensen, Reggie Jordan and D.J. Tialavea will be a fascinating one to watch.
- John Keim of ESPN.com explains why he is impressed with Redskins‘ outside linebackers coach Brian Baker.
- Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com wonders if Ravens‘ wide receiver Jeremy Butler can become this year’s Marlon Brown: an undrafted gem that unexpectedly turns into a legitimate threat in the passing game.
- Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com gives a list of five Ravens that will be “feeling the heat” this summer.
- In a photo gallery, The Detroit Free Press projects the Lions‘ starters on both sides of the ball.
- Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the Browns will try to add another receiver or two, and she writes that if quarterback Connor Shaw impresses in training camp as he did in OTAs and minicamp, the team may have to keep him on the 53-man roster rather than put him on the practice squad and risk his being signed by another club.
- George Thomas of The Akron Beacon-Journal describes the battle for playing time that Browns‘ cornerback Leon McFadden–who was projected to be a starter in his rookie season in 2013–now faces after the influx of talent in the team’s secondary.
- In a two-part mailbag, Mike Wells of ESPN.com looks at a number of Colts-related items. He writes that, although the team will not hand a starting job to Mike Adams, he would not be surprised to see Adams starting alongside LaRon Landry at safety. Wells also notes that GM Ryan Grigson does not plan on using all of the team’s $13.7MM in salary cap space because he wants to have room to pay Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton down the road.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the league wants the Saints to settle Jimmy Graham‘s grievance case, and Florio believes the team would be wise to do so.
Minor Moves: Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants
Plenty of teams around the league are making transactions today as minicamps wrap up and clubs look to finalize their rosters in advance of next month’s training camp. Let’s dive right in and check out the latest minor roster moves, with any additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- Undrafted rookie tight end Terrence Miller has been cut by the Jets, creating a second available roster spot after yesterday’s release of Mike Goodson. As the team reveals in a press release, kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum will fill those openings.
- The Dolphins have replaced one defensive back with another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Kevin Fogg and parted ways with Anthony Gaitor.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons have waived quarterback Dominique Davis, the team announced today (via Twitter). Davis saw a little playing time last season in relief of starter Matt Ryan, but his grip on a roster spot was tenuous after Atlanta acquired T.J. Yates in a trade with the Texans yesterday. Davis will have to clear waivers before officially becoming a free agent.
- In a series of three tweets, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News passes along word of a series of signings and cuts for the Giants, who have added offensive tackle Demarcus Love and defensive lineman Everett Dawkins, parting ways with defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and offensive lineman Steven Baker to make room on the 90-man roster.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, who auditioned for the Jaguars earlier this week, have been signed by the club, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. In addition to Jason Babin, wide receivers Kevin Smith and Brandon Wimberly were cut by Jacksonville to create roster space.
- The Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, according to the club (Twitter link).
- For the third straight summer, defensive lineman Brandon McKinney will try to earn a roster spot with the Colts, who inked him to a deal today, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
- The Bears have informed tight end Fendi Onobun of his release, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have cut wide receiver Reggie Dunn, the team confirmed in a press release.
South Notes: Jags, Babin, Bucs, Falcons
The Jaguars are being smart by taking a slow, deliberate approach with Blake Bortles, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today. The rookie quarterback has stumbled at times in practice, but GM Dave Caldwell is focusing on the positives and not stressing the mistakes. Here’s more on the Jags and a few other teams in the NFL’s two South divisions:
- The Jaguars‘ decision to release veteran defensive end Jason Babin today wasn’t an easy one, according to Caldwell, who spoke to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union about the move. “It was something that we met about until last night with the coaching staff,” Caldwell said. “Jason’s been great for us. But it was something we felt would be better now than the first, second or third week of training camp.”
- Now that Babin is a free agent, the Buccaneers and Falcons could be two potential suitors to watch, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. According to Garafolo, both NFC South teams have been kicking the tires on veteran pass rushers who may be available via trade.
- Even after the Texans parted ways with T.J. Yates, sending him to Atlanta, Case Keenum isn’t taking his spot on Houston’s roster for granted, says John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Keenum is expected to battle rookie signal-caller Tom Savage for the No. 2 job behind Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jaguars Release Jason Babin
The Jaguars have released veteran defensive end Jason Babin, the team announced today (Twitter link via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com). As a player with more than four years of NFL experience, Babin won’t be subject to the waiver system and immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent, able to sign with any team.
Babin, who turned 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season for the Jaguars, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. After voiding his contract early in the offseason, Babin indicated a strong preference to return to Jacksonville, and ultimately re-signed with the club on a three-year deal. However, that agreement was heavily incentive-laden, with only $500K in guaranteed money, giving Jacksonville an out to move on from the veteran.
As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter), there are younger players on the roster that the Jaguars like, and if the team recognized now that those players would beat out Babin for a roster spot, Jacksonville is doing him a favor by giving him more time to land elsewhere. Even at age 34, the former first-round pick isn’t far removed from a 2011 season in which he piled up 18 sacks for the Eagles, and he has remained relatively productive since then, so he should receive some interest on the open market.
AFC Links: Goodson, Flowers, Jaguars
The Jets released running back Mike Goodson earlier today, but the transaction had little to do with his production on the field. Following Goodson’s failure to show up to training camp, the team announced that the player was cut with the “left squad” designation. Furthermore, he’s had zero contact with anyone within the organization, and that’s leaving some of his former teammates and coaches worried.
Offensive guard Willie Colon is one of those players (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini):
“Usually, a guy will send you a text and say, ‘I’m OK.’ Not to hear anything is scary in itself. All you can do is send out prayers to him.”
Goodson has had a bit of a troubled past. The issues began in May 2013, when he was found stopped in the middle lane of a highway by New Jersey Police. The cops say he was incoherent and had vomited, and a semiautomatic weapon and marijuana was allegedly found in his possession. Last season, he was suspended four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Wideout David Nelson briefly touched on his former teammate’s issues:
“The concern is what kind of state he might be in, where he might be and things he might be doing. Guys are trying to check in on him, making sure that stuff isn’t reoccurring and taking over.
“For somebody who has just gone MIA – nobody can get a hold of him and nobody knows where he is – that takes it to a different level and it goes beyond football. Guys aren’t reaching out to him because of football. They’re reaching out to him because they care about him. They want to know if he’s OK.
“That’s the element everybody is talking about. At this point, nobody is talking about, ‘Why isn’t he here practicing?’ I think the fear is that we haven’t heard from him. That’s not a good sign, honestly.”
Head coach Rex Ryan also addressed the matter:
“There’s no question, it concerns me. I’ve tried to reach out to him but haven’t been able to make contact with him.”
The only time we’ve heard from Goodson’s agent, Kennard McGuire, was following the player’s initial absence from camp on Tuesday:
“Mike must be accountable and responsible for his own actions and comprehend not only effective communication but simple communication.”
With that, let’s see what else is going on around the AFC…
- Free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers isn’t negotiating with teams yet, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The former Chiefs notable will spend the next two days with the Chargers. The Ravens, Steelers, and Vikings are among the clubs keeping a close eye on him. According to La Canfora (via Twitter), Flowers has no other visits scheduled yet and will re-evaluate the situation and whether to take more visits after he’s done spending time in San Diego (link).
- Count wide receiver Eddie Royal amongst the folks who want to see Flowers sign with the Chargers, writes Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego. The two were teammates at Virginia Tech.
- New Jaguars running back Toby Gerhart wants to be the Jacksonville’s version of Marshawn Lynch, writes Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports. The Jags gave Gerhart a three-year, $10.5MM deal in March.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jaguars Sign Blake Bortles
8:15am: There are no offsets in Bortles’ deal, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
8:07am: The Jaguars have locked up the third overall pick from last month’s draft, announcing today that they’ve signed quarterback Blake Bortles. As a first-rounder, Bortles’ four-year rookie deal will also feature a fifth-year club option for the 2018 season.
“It’s awesome,” Bortles said of signing his contract. “It’s awesome to be able to kind of put this in the past. It’s a once in a lifetime thing, signing your first contract. It’s a cool feeling.”
The first quarterback selected in the draft, Bortles will receive a signing bonus worth in the neighborhood of $13.342MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at Over the Cap. Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (via Twitter) that the entire amount ($20.65MM+) of Bortles’ four-year deal is guaranteed, though it’s not clear whether offsets are included in the agreement.
By signing Bortles, who currently ranks behind Chad Henne on the team’s depth chart, the Jaguars move a step closer toward locking up their draft class. Two of Henne’s and Bortles’ targets, second-round receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson, remain unsigned, as our tracker indicates.
13 Draftees Still Unsigned
While a couple dozen mandatory offseason minicamps around the NFL are getting underway today, we’re still several weeks away from players reporting for training camps. That means there’s still plenty of time for members of 2014’s draft class to sign contracts with their respective teams. Still, for the most part, this year’s draftees won’t need to take those next few weeks to negotiate their deals.
After the Browns announced their agreement with Johnny Manziel and the Texans signed Xavier Su’a-Filo today, nearly 95% (243 of 256) of this year’s draft picks have been locked up by their new NFL clubs. 24 of 32 teams have totally locked up their draft classes, including the 49ers, who selected a league-high 12 players last month.
Since the new Collective Bargaining Agreement made rookie contracts so standardized, there’s little wiggle room for teams and players to push for better deals, and essentially no reason for players to hold out. Among the remaining unsigned players, five are first-round picks, six are second-rounders, and the last two are third-rounders, so in many cases the holdup can likely be attributed to haggling over offsets, guaranteed money, or the way in which that money gets paid. But as soon as a player was drafted, he essentially knew what his rookie contract would look like, based on his draft slot.
With the help of our tracker, here’s the full list of the remaining 13 unsigned draftees:
- Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1.3)
- Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8)
- Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11)
- Ja’Wuan James, OT, Miami Dolphins (1.19)
- Dominique Easley, DT, New England Patriots (1.29)
- Demarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Dallas Cowboys (2.34)
- Joel Bitonio, OT, Cleveland Browns (2.35)
- Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39)
- Stephon Tuitt, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers (2.46)
- Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans (2.54)
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.61)
- Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67)
- Dexter McDougle, CB, New York Jets (3.80)
Minicamp Updates: Jets, Jags, Dolphins, Orton
The minicamps being held around the NFL this week are mandatory for players on rosters, but those aren’t the only guys in attendance. Many clubs are also auditioning non-roster players who are hoping to earn contracts and the opportunity to compete in training camp for a regular-season roster spot. Here are the latest updates from minicamps around the league:
- As Brian Costello of the New York Post notes in a pair of tweets, running back Mike Goodson isn’t in attendance at the Jets‘ minicamp, but the team does have six players in for tryouts, including ex-Steelers punter Drew Butler. Punter Jacob Schum, kickers Andrew Furney and Carson Wiggs, and offensive linemen Bruce Campbell and Ray Dominguez are also auditioning for the club.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, cornerback Junior Mertile, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter are trying out for the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Former Ravens offensive lineman Ramon Harewood is among five tryout players at camp with the Dolphins, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan. Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link) provides the other four names: Andy Wilder (P), Kevin Fogg (DB), Mike Farrell (OL), and Kevin Matthews (OL).
- As anticipated, Kyle Orton isn’t present at the Cowboys‘ facility today for minicamp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Justin Houston, who is seeking a new contract, isn’t expected to attend the Chiefs‘ minicamp this week, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune breaks down what to watch at the Vikings‘ minicamp, while Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group and Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com do the same for the Raiders and Eagles, respectively.