Chiefs Re-Sign Jason Avant, Two Others
The Chiefs have re-signed three players who finished the 2014 season with the team, according to a press release. The club announced that wide receiver Jason Avant, tight end Richard Gordon, and safety Kelcie McCray will all be returning to Kansas City.
Avant, who turns 32 next month, joined the Chiefs late last season after being cut by the Panthers, and grabbed 13 balls for 152 yards in his five games with the club. He’ll reunite with Jeremy Maclin, his old Eagles teammate, under Andy Reid in Kansas City this season.
Gordon also joined the Chiefs late in the season, playing 17 offensive snaps for the team over the last two weeks of the year. He also saw a little time on special teams, though not nearly as much as McCray, who logged nine tackles in kick and punt coverage for the Chiefs.
NFL Issues Performance-Based Bonuses
The NFL has announced and issued its performance-based pay bonuses for the 2014 season, according to a press release from the league. The bonuses, which are based on a player’s playing time relative to his salary level, come from a pool of $3.633MM per team. Here are the top performance-based pay amounts for the past season:
- Seantrel Henderson, T (Bills): $373,671
- Corey Linsley, C (Packers): $339,566
- Russell Bodine, C (Bengals): $318,612
- Avery Williamson, LB (Titans): $315,120
- E.J. Gaines, DB (Rams): $308,338
- Zach Fulton, G (Chiefs): $303,352
- Kelvin Beachum, T (Steelers): $297,687
- Preston Brown, LB (Bills): $293,179
- Michael Wilhoite, LB (49ers): $292,406
- Paul Worrilow, LB (Falcons): $287,413
Extra Points: Mariota, Richardson, Culliver
The Jets have scheduled a pre-draft visit with Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Mariota says he’ll be meeting with the Bucs, Eagles and Titans at his pro day, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) adds. Mariota’s pro day performance was underwhelming, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tweets, though as we saw last year with Teddy Bridgewater, we shouldn’t necessarily put a ton of stock into that. More from around the NFL..
- After being officially waived by the Colts earlier, Trent Richardson gave an explanation for why it didn’t work out in Indianapolis, according to Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter). “Me and the GM didn’t see eye to eye,” said Richardson. “My next step, I’ll be the starter. Indy didn’t fit me.” The embattled halfback also confirmed that he was continually fined by the organization for being overweight (via Twitter). Richardson had told head coach Chuck Pagano he would have flown himself to New England for the AFC Championship game, but was told he would inactive regardless (via Twitter).
- Long snapper James Winchester joined the Chiefs despite three other teams competing to sign him, writes Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The Chiefs now have three long snappers on the roster.
- Washington is bringing in cornerback Chris Culliver for a visit, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). However, La Canfora warns that a return to the 49ers for Culliver should not be ruled out, and that his value is rising with fewer top cornerbacks left on the market (via Twitter).
- While both Shelley Smith and Stefen Wisniewski visited with the Seahawks, neither offensive lineman is expected to sign today, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
- The 49ers have not closed the door on bringing Stevie Johnson back, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). San Francisco released Johnson earlier this week after signing Torrey Smith, but it sounds like they might consider bringing him back at a cheaper rate.
Chiefs To Sign Paul Fanaika
The Chiefs have signed guard Paul Fanaika to a three-year deal worth $8.1MM, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The 28-year-old started 30 games with the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
Fanaika struggled in 2014, grading in as the 41st out 44 guards to play at least 75% of his team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He was not necessarily a shoe-in for a starting job, but the contract with the Chiefs suggests he will get every chance to get the starting spot.
Paylor noted that Fanaika was a mainstay at right guard, while newly acquired Ben Grubbs played left guard for the Saints. Both could be plugged into the Chiefs’ offensive line, writes Paylor (via Twitter). He wonders what this means for Jeff Allen‘s future with the team. Allen only played one game in 2014, stepping in at right tackle.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves…
- The Giants have agreed to terms with cornerback Chykie Brown, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Brown was picked up by the Giants midway through last season after being waived by the Ravens. Brown played 375 snaps for the Giants after joining the team in early November, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- The Dolphins signed defensive back T.J. Heath, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- The Patriots signed linebacker Jonathan Freeny, who had been with the Dolphins since going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2011, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
- Long snapper James Winchester signed with the Chiefs today, according to agent Ken Sarnoff (on Twitter).
- Panthers free agent cornerback James Dockery is set to sign with the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dockery took to Instagram not long ago to thank his fans in the Charlotte area.
- The Broncos (via Twitter) have signed rookie punter Karl Schmitz to a contract. He handled punts and kickoffs for Jacksonville University in 2008 before transferring to University of Missouri-St. Louis and graduating in 2011.
- Long snapper Tanner Purdum has signed a new two-year deal with the Jets, according to agent Robert Roche (via Twitter). Purdum, who became an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, has been close to perfect in his five seasons as the Jets’ snapper, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. He’s made every one of the punt and placement snaps in that time, 783 snaps over 83 regular- and postseason games, without a single fumble, wild snap or penalty.
FA Rumors: Morgan, Orakpo, Cameron
Derrick Morgan won’t be signing with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons are out on Morgan too after signing Adrian Clayborn, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. More free agent news from around the league..
- The Titans are still in the hunt for both Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and their best-case scenario would be to land both edge defenders, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Tight end Jordan Cameron is still in Miami and there’s a lot of mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, his old team, the Browns, remain the mix and a third team is also in the running.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that there has been a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, but it’s unclear if any team besides the Bengals or Vikings have a shot at him. Johnson, of course, played for Cincinnati prior to joining the Bucs last year, and was coached there by Mike Zimmer.
- The Chiefs have had exploratory talks with former Rams center Tim Barnes, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Paylor expects the Chiefs to sign a veteran center, whether it’s Barnes or someone else.
- The Steelers are generally quiet when it comes to free agency and trades, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that they’re exploring options for a kick returner.
Chiefs Release Dwayne Bowe
1:52pm: Bowe has officially been released by the Chiefs, tweets Rapoport. The wideout issued a statement on Twitter thanking the organization for his time spent in Kansas City.
THURSDAY, 1:00pm: The Chiefs are cutting Bowe today, tweets Schefter.
TUESDAY, 12:15pm: Indications point to the Chiefs releasing Bowe this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that it’ll probably take place on Wednesday.
THURSDAY, 2:11pm: Having franchised Justin Houston earlier this week, the Chiefs currently sit more than $5MM over the 2015 cap, and will need to cut some salary from their books by Tuesday. One likely candidate to be affected by those cut-cutting moves? Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Chiefs are expected to either release or trade Bowe this month.
Bowe, 30, was part of the underachieving and record-setting group of Chiefs wide receivers that managed to go the entire 2014 season without catching a single touchdown pass. It was the third straight mediocre season for Bowe, who has averaged approximately 59 receptions and 743 yards per season since 2012, on the heels of back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011.
The Chiefs have already signaled a commitment to retooling their wide receiving corps, parting ways with Donnie Avery and A.J. Jenkins earlier in the offseason. It appears that Bowe will be next, in some form or other. With three years still left on his contract and annual base salaries of $10.75MM, $9.75MM, and $9.75MM, Bowe likely won’t attract much attention on the trade market — especially when other more established wideouts like Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall are also being shopped.
If the Chiefs ultimately decide to cut Bowe, it would create $5MM in cap savings, which would go a long way toward getting the team under the cap for the 2015 league year. However, it would still leave $9MM in dead money on the books. Designating Bowe as a post-June 1 cut would create more 2015 cap room, but the team would have to wait until after June 1 to actually gain access to that cap room, and it would push some of Bowe’s dead money onto Kansas City’s 2016 cap.
If Bowe were to become available, he would likely generate plenty of interest, even during a month when many noteworthy receivers are expected to hit the open market. Potential suitors for the former first-round pick may suspect that his poor production in recent years can be attributed in part to a Chiefs offense that relies on short, safe passes, limiting Bowe’s upside.
Chiefs Acquire Ben Grubbs From Saints
The Chiefs and Saints have agreed to a trade that will send veteran guard Ben Grubbs to Kansas City in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Grubbs, who had a $9.6MM cap hit for the Saints in 2015, had long been viewed as a potential cap casualty, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reporting in February that the team would likely let him go. Trading Grubbs will have the same effect on New Orleans’ cap as releasing him would’ve — he’ll count for $6MM in dead money, creating $3.6MM in cap savings. However, by finding a taker, the team will at least get a mid-round pick in return for its two-time Pro Bowler.
Grubbs becomes the latest victim of a cap crunch in New Orleans, with today’s deal coming on the heels of the departures of players like Jimmy Graham (traded) and Curtis Lofton (released). Still, the team now appears likely to keep Jahri Evans, since hanging on to one high-priced guard is more palatable than having both on the roster. Assuming he remains in New Orleans, Evans will play next to newly-acquired center Max Unger next season.
As for the Chiefs, they don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, so it’s possible they’ll end up reworking Grubbs’ contract to accommodate him, notes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap (via Twitter). They won’t have to take on Grubbs’ dead prorated bonus money when they acquire him, so his cap hit in Kansas City would be just $6.6MM ($6.5MM base salary; $100K workout bonus) for the coming season, assuming the deal is untouched. The Auburn product, who turned 31 this week, also has one more year left on his contract, for a 2016 salary of $7.2MM.
Kansas City is adding a player who is just one year removed from earning a Pro Bowl spot. In 2014, Grubbs ranked in about the middle of the pack, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, which placed him 35th out of 78 qualified guards (subscription required). The team’s addition of Grubbs comes on the heels of its contract agreement with offensive lineman Paul Fanaika.
AFC Notes: Houston, Wallace, Broncos
Some assorted notes from around the AFC…
- The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”
- The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.
- The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.
- Defensive end Vance Walker will meet with the Broncos later this week, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Chiefs.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Today’s minor moves…
- The Giants have waived cornerback Travis Howard, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz (via Twitter). The 25-year-old has yet to play an NFL game, and he spent last season on the injured reserve.
Earlier updates:
- The Chiefs will sign offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The 28-year-old started 30 games with the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
- The Patriots have added cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on a one-year deal, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter). The former fourth-rounder had spent the entirety of his four-year career with the Raiders.
- The Patriots signed wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter). Dorsey also had interest from the 49ers.
- Veteran long snapper Mike Leach re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal today, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Terms weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum salary benefit contract with a modest signing bonus for the 38-year-old
- The Patriots have re-signed wide receiver Brian Tyms according to the NFL’s transaction wire, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The Pats declined to make Tyms a qualifying offer on Tuesday but they’ve presumably signed him at a lesser rate.
- The Browns announced that they have re-signed wide receiver and top special teams contributor Marlon Moore. Moore, 27, appeared in 13 games and was the team’s leading kickoff returner with an average of 24.8 yards on his 13 attempts.