Kamerion Wimbley

Kamerion Wimbley Announces Retirement

After a nine-year NFL career, Titans outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley has decided to retire, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Wimbley, who signed a five-year deal with the Titans prior to the 2012 season, still had two years left on that contract, which he won’t play out.

Wimbley, 31, began his career in 2006 with the Browns, who selected him 13th overall out of Florida State. In a strong rookie campaign, Wimbley recorded 11 sacks and recovered three fumbles, marks he wouldn’t match again in subsequent years. Still, while Wimbley’s first season may have been his best, he had some productive years in Cleveland, Oakland, and Tennessee, including a nine-sack season for the Raiders in 2010.

For his career, Wimbley totaled 53.5 sacks, 442 overall tackles, eight forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions in 140 contests. He never appeared in a playoff game, and only played on one squad that had a winning season — the 2007 Browns, who went 10-6.

In a statement announcing his decision, Wimbley explained why he has decided to call it a career at age 31:

“While I still feel like I could be competitive on the field, at this point in my life, my family is my priority. Although my wife and two young daughters have always been incredibly supportive of my career, I am looking forward to spending more meaningful time with them and never missing another big moment in their lives!”

Injury Updates: Sunday

We don’t pass along news on every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, but we’ll keep tabs on those injuries that may be serious enough to warrant a player heading to IR, or his team making a roster move in order to make up for his absence.

This list will be updated as more information becomes available, as always, with news added to the top of the list as it trickles in.

  • Washington linebacker Adam Hayward will miss the rest of the season with a broken bone in his kneecap, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
  • Texans‘ quarterback Ryan Mallett practiced and played with a right pectoral injury this past week, and will likely miss several weeks, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the team expects Ryan Fitzpatrick to start next week against the Titans.
  • Dolphins‘ cornerback Jamar Taylor suffered a shoulder injury that could end his season, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. If that is true, he will be the third Miami defensive back to have his season end this November.
  • NFL interception leader and Browns‘ safety Tashaun Gipson left the game with a knee injury that could sideline him for the remainder of the season, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. He will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the severeness of the injury.

Earlier Updates

  • Bengals’ offensive tackle Andre Smith exited today’s game against the Texans with a possible triceps injury. He will have an MRI on Monday to see the extent of the injury, reports Coley Harvey of ESPN (via Twitter). If Smith has a torn triceps, he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
  • Washington cornerback Tracy Porter joined a long list of defensive backs who were off the field when he exited with a right shoulder injury, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter). Porter was ruled out for the game, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter), and could leave the team thin at corner if he misses an extended period of time.
  • Titans‘ linebacker Kamerion Wimbley suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Eagles earlier today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
  • Dolphins‘ first-round pick Ja’Wuan James started at left tackle, but was forced out of the game due to a stinger and failed to return, writes James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). With Branden Albert already out for the season, the team could be very thin at that position.

AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Draft Visits

Titans edge defender Kamerion Wimbley agreed earlier this week to restructure his contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown of what Wimbley’s new deal looks like. However, as Fitzgerald details, Wimbley wasn’t the only Titan to rework his contract this week. Tight end Craig Stevens also has a new 2014 cap figure, reducing his overall base salary by $1.7MM in exchange for a $500K guarantee. While Stevens’ 2015 salary remains unchanged, his ’14 cap number is now only about $2.69MM.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • The Ravens haven’t had an above-average, long-term solution at right tackle for a number of years, and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the team would be wise to address the position with its first-round pick this year. That’s one of a handful of topics Preston addresses in his Ravens notebook, which also touches on the club’s recent tight end and running back signings.
  • The Bills are eyeing a pair of offensive line prospects today, hosting Mississippi State’s Charles Siddoway for a pre-draft visit (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) and having dinner tonight with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM).
  • Having already met with the Steelers, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard now has visits lined up with the Jets, Bengals, and Rams, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
  • Another cornerback, Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller, also has a handful of visits scheduled with AFC teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Fuller will meet with the Colts, Bengals, Raiders, Jets, Broncos, and Bears, says Wilson.
  • The Chargers will work out Troy quarterback Deon Anthony on April 22, reports Wilson at the National Football Post.
  • More from Wilson (via Twitter): The Patriots are working out Boise State’s Geraldo BoldewijnMatt Paradis, and Charles Leno on Wednesday, while Virginia-Lynchburg cornerback Keith Lewis visited the Raiders and has a private workout lined up next week with the Chiefs (Twitter link).

Wimbley, Titans Agree To Restructure

Titans pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley has agreed to a restructured contract which will pay him $9MM over three years, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Wimbley, who signed a five-year, $35MM deal in 2012, was scheduled to make a $6MM base salary and count $7.8MM against the cap before the team approached him about a pay cut. He has disappointed in his two seasons in Tennessee, but he’s expected to transition back to his more natural stand-up rush linebacker position in new defensive coordinator Ray Horton‘s 3-4 scheme.

AFC Notes: Mack, Wimbley, Brown, Steelers

It was reported that the Browns wouldn’t hesitate to match an offer sheet for Alex Mack containing $22M guaranteed, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union gives reasons why the Jaguars can afford to overspend for Mack if they so desire.

Here’s a handful of other AFC notes:

  • Jets GM John Idzik, on the job 15 months, has cut ties with three of his predecessor Mike Tannenbaum’s nine first-round picks (Darrelle Revis, Dustin Keller and Mark Sanchez). Cornerback Kyle Wilson could be next out the door, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini, who cites Wilson’s unimpactful play as the reason he’s on the hot seat. In 2,195 defensive snaps over four seasons, Wilson has managed just six impact plays. Says Cimini: “Clearly, the organization has added competition, so Wilson will have to raise his game if he wants to play out his contract in New York.” Wilson has one year remaining on his rookie deal.
  • The Steelers “have been able to reshape their roster despite the constraints of the salary cap,” writes ESPN.com’s Scott Brown, who details how the team took advantage of a rule in the CBA that allows teams to hand out veteran minimum contracts and get a cap discount. In that that type of contract, the max signing bonus allowed is $65k, and the Steelers have done three such deals this offseason.
  • The Steelers’ website posted a free agent update, listing key additions and subtractions for all four teams in the AFC North.
  • The Titans and Kamerion Wimbley are still trying to work out a restructured contract, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean (via Twitter).
  • Free agent running back Andre Brown, previously of the Giants, will visit the Texans today, reports Pro Football Talk.

Titans Notes: RBs, Johnson, Wimbley, WRs

Appearing on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today, GM Ruston Webster discussed the release of longtime Titan Chris Johnson and his team’s next move(s). Here are a few of the highlights, as tweeted by The Midday 180:

  • The Titans will “definitely” be looking to select a running back in next month’s draft, according to Webster. The GM praised the position’s depth, suggesting that he’s confident the club could find the sort of player it will be seeking in the late rounds, if need be.
  • “There was definitely a trade market for Chris Johnson and at times, I thought we would get it done,” Webster said.
  • Asked about a report indicating the team has asked Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, Webster said the team hasn’t put a deadline on those talks, and is optimistic about bringing the defensive end back for next season.
  • Webster expects the Titans to add another wide receiver to compete with Marc Mariani and Michael Preston.

AFC Notes: Titans, Wimbley, McClain

Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had high praise for quarterbacks Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst, but suggested that their presence wouldn’t stop the team from considering signal-callers in this year’s draft, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

“You always have to be prepared because you never know what can happen. If there is an opportunity in this draft where you have a guy you think is really good, then you have to look at it,” Whisenhunt said. “But more importantly you have to look at two or three years down the road. It is about finding out about these guys. And then, if you don’t have them on your team, you know about them. And if something happens down the road you’ll have an important piece.”

Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are among the young QBs who have drawn some interest from Tennessee leading up to the draft. Here’s more on the Titans and a few other AFC clubs:

  • The Titans have asked defensive end Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). The Tennessean scribe has suggested for much of the offseason that Wimbley would be a fit for the team’s new defense, but not at his current $6MM base salary (and $7.8MM cap number). If the veteran isn’t interested in accepting a pay cut, the team may release him, tweets Wyatt.
  • Two AFC East teams, the Bills and Jets, will host LSU receiver Odell Beckham for pre-draft visits next week, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
  • Speaking to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, former Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain says he’s preparing as if he’s going to return to the NFL in 2014.

AFC Notes: Titans, Dolphins, Ravens, Steelers

Let’s take a look at some rumblings from around the AFC to wrap up this Thursday night…

  • The Titans hope to keep linebacker Kamerion Wimbley but are apprehensive about his high salary, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
  • The current quandary between the Titans and Chris Johnson is similar to what the team went through with Steve McNair in 2006, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That offseason, the team attempted to trade their quarterback but couldn’t find any suitors. McNair “forced” the issue by showing up for offseason workouts, which the Titans prevented him from attending. McNair filed a grievance, which he eventually won.
  • Since the Dolphins don’t have to pay a franchise quarterback, the team is currently in “the golden years” with their cap, tweets James Walker of ESPN. As Walker points out, they’ll eventually have to pay someone at the position (whether it’s Ryan Tannehill or somebody else). As a result, this is the time to take advantage of the flexibility (via Twitter).
  • If the Ravens were to address two more positions in free agency, it would likely be tight end and a backup defensive lineman, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Hensley suggests that the tight end could be Ed Dickson on a cheap deal.
  • Wide receiver is one of the Steelers‘ biggest needs, opines Scott Brown of ESPN.com, and the team will likely add to their depth via the draft. Brown adds that the team could consider reuniting with Plaxico Burress, but also adds that he can’t see the team adding another veteran wideout after inking Lance Moore to a deal.

Titans Rumors: Verner, Pollard, Wimbley

Earlier today, we heard from Titans general manager Ruston Webster that the team is taking its time when it comes to making a decision on Chris Johnson‘s contract, and that the front office intends to continue talking to Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new deal. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean has an update on the Verner front, along with a few other Titans-related items, so let’s see what he’s got for us….

  • The Titans are meeting with Verner’s agent at the combine and the hope is that the two sides can work out a new deal in the near future, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Wyatt adds that the club is unlikely to use the franchise tag on its free agent cornerback.
  • Bernard Pollard‘s agent and the Titans have engaged in discussions about a new contract for the free agent safety, and the team would like to bring him back, tweets Wyatt.
  • Kamerion Wimbley has a $7.8MM cap number for 2014 and Wyatt can’t see him returning to the Titans at that price. However, the club believes Wimbley would be a good fit in its changing defense, and there’s still plenty of time to talk about a restructure, says Wyatt (Twitter links).
  • Tennessee is also interested in re-signing free agent defensive lineman Ropati Pitoitua and will likely speak to his agent at the combine, tweets Wyatt.

Wimbley Hopes To Remain With Titans

After racking up 16 sacks in two seasons with the Raiders from 2010-11, Kamerion Wimbley signed a lucrative five-year, $35MM contract with the Titans.

Two seasons into his new deal and Wimbley has totaled only nine sacks. The ninth-year player from Florida State, set to earn $6MM in 2014, told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean he doesn’t have any ideas of going elsewhere.

“I would love to be back,” Wimbley said, “and I expect to be back in a Titans uniform. They are doing some exciting things. My contract is not up, and I am training as hard if not harder than I’ve trained any other offseason. So yeah, that is what I am expecting. Unless I hear something different, I expect to be back.”

Wyatt notes that the Titans’ new defensive coordinator, Ray Horton, primarily runs a 3-4 scheme under which Wimbley has thrived in the past.

“I played my first six years in the 3-4 system, so I am familiar with it, and I feel it would be a great fit for me, and easy to pick up whatever they asked me to do,” Wimbley said.

Wimbley started just one game last season, relegated to third down and obvious passing situations. Spending $6MM on a backup tasked with rushing the passer who averages less than five sacks per season is not sound financial business, but Tennessee coaches will be banking on Wimbley reinventing himself in a new scheme.