Minor Moves: Friday
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here..
- The Seahawks removed Taylor Price from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets. The Seahawks put the wide receiver on the IR earlier this week.
- The Chiefs cut linebacker Ben Johnson and the Giants waived-injured defensive back Travis Howard, Wilson tweets.
- The Dolphins announced that they have signed linebacker Ryan Rau, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. To make room for Rau on the 90-man roster, Miami waived/injured Tariq Edwards, tweets Bryan McIntyre.
- Former Buccaneers running back Michael Smith is signing with the Jets today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals signed linebacker Derrell Johnson, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter). Johnson, a UDFA out of East Carolina, was cut by the Dolphins just days ago.
- The Giants signed cornerback Chandler Fenner, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Fenner was waived by the Seahawks when they signed ex-Giants corner Terrell Thomas.
- The Cowboys signed defensive end Kenneth Boatright to a two-year contract this afternoon, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter). Boatright was previously a member of the Seahawks.
- The Falcons signed defensive tackle Theo Agnew, tweets Wilson.
- After practice today, Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crenell announced that the team has released Trevardo Williams, according to ESPN.com’s Tania Gangull. Williams, a fourth-round outside linebacker from last season, never saw a regular season snap.
- The Chargers have signed cornerback Lowell Rose, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Jets cut Rose late last month when they signed free agent Jason Babin.
- The Giants signed rookie free agent Adam Gress after placing tackle Troy Kropog on injured reserve, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- The Seahawks announced that they have released wide receiver Randall Carroll and signed linebacker Marcus Dowtin, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter). Dowtin saw three games of action with the Giants in 2013 before being released in March.
- The Cardinals announced that they have signed offensive tackle Max Starks, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The 6’8″, 345 lineman spent time with the Rams and Chargers in 2013 after playing for Pittsburgh from 2004-2012. To make room for Starks, the Cardinals cut tackle Cory Brandon and kicker Danny Hrapmann, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
- The Texans signed wide receiver Joe Adams and offensive tackle Brice Schwab, writes John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Adams, 24, played at Arkansas and was drafted in the fourth round by Carolina in 2012. Schwab, 24, played at Arizona State. He signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent last year. The Texans waived-injured Bryan Witzmann to make room for Adams, Wilson tweets.
Chiefs Sign Steve Gregory
Former Patriots safety Steve Gregory has reached a deal to sign with the Chiefs, his agent David Canter announced today (via Twitter). Kansas City has a full 90-man roster, so the team will have to make a corresponding move to clear a spot for the new addition.
Gregory, 31, started 23 games at safety over the last two seasons for New England, but missed some time due to injuries in 2013, and was replaced adequately by rookie Duron Harmon, prompting the Pats to part ways with the veteran in February. A veteran who spent six years with the Chargers before his stint in New England, Gregory ranked among the league’s top 30 safeties in each of the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
While the timing is likely coincidental, it’s worth noting that the signing of Gregory comes on the same day that safety Eric Berry left Kansas City’s practice with an ankle injury. According to Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Chiefs were just exercising caution with Berry, and aren’t concerned that his injury is significant. Defensive back Sanders Commings, on the other hand, appears to be more seriously hurt, as he is reportedly undergoing ankle surgery today. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Gregory ultimately replaced Commings on Chiefs’ roster.
Extra Points: Jets, Peterson, Lynch, Gruden
Rex Ryan‘s Jets take a lot of heat but they have every right to be loud and express themselves, opines Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Ryan’s Jets were at their best with the volume turned up to ear-splitting levels from 2009-2011 with trash talk coming from Bart Scott and Antonio Cromartie. While those two are gone, it’s clear that the swagger is back in East Rutherford, New Jersey. More out of the AFC and NFC East..
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the full details of Patrick Peterson‘s extension with the Cardinals. Last night, Peterson became the first 2011 first-round pick to ink a contract extension, two years away from reaching free agency. Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith became the second member of the 2011 class to ink an extension earlier today.
- Peterson told Alex Flanagan of the NFL Network (Twitter links) that becoming the league’s highest-paid cornerback was a point of emphasis during negotiations and went so far as to say it was “very important” to have that title. The total new money in the five-year extension works out to $70.05MM, which is no coincidence. The extra $50K allows the Cardinals CB to edge out Seahawks star Richard Sherman as the highest paid corner in terms of average annual value.
- In a piece for the National Football Post, former NFL agent Joel Corry offers up some solutions to Marshawn Lynch‘s holdout with the Seahawks. One of Corry’s ideas would be for Seattle to convert this year’s $500K rushing yards incentive into 2014 base salary, if not the entire $1MM in incentives for both years. The conversion would use $1 million of Seattle’s $7.55MM of existing salary cap room and if they wanted to spread out the cap hit over two years, the $1MM could be a signing bonus instead.
- New Redskins coach Jay Gruden says the zone read option will remain a part of the playbook but how often it’ll be utilized remains to be seen, writes Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com.
- Chiefs defensive back Ron Parker has overcome some long odds to reach the top spot on the team’s depth chart at his position, writes Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star. The 26-year-old has been cut by three different NFL teams but has finally found a home in KC.
- Albert Breer of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that the big reason why the Titans didn’t pick up Jake Locker‘s option was the injury risk involved. Tennessee didn’t want to make a significant guarantee to the quarterback based on the last two years.
AFC Notes: Alex Smith, Gordon, Raiders
Alex Smith and the Chiefs have both expressed optimism about reaching a long-term contract agreement before the 2014 season gets underway, but the quarterback indicated today there will come a time when a resolution must be reached one way or the other, so that it’s not a distraction during the season (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
“You’re finally gonna cross a line where it’s like, it’s just football from here on out and I’m done not only talking about it with you guys, but even behind the scenes as well,” Smith said. “We talk about eliminating distractions and that’s a part of it. The focus needs to be on ball.”
Smith didn’t give an indication of when this deadline would arrive, but it’s probably safe to assume that he doesn’t want talks dragging past opening day, which would give the two sides a few more weeks to work something out. Here’s more from across the AFC:
- After reports surfaced suggesting Josh Gordon‘s reps would argue that his failed drug test was a result of second-hand smoke, the NFL has countered by pointing out that the agreement in place between the league and NFLPA dictates that players are responsible for what is in their bodies. ESPN.com’s Pat McManamon has the details.
- Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Gordon’s potential suspension will be an all-or-nothing scenario, since the appeal hearing officer can’t arbitrarily land on a penalty between zero games and a full season. A compromise could still be negotiated, but once the process reaches the point where the hearing officer makes a decision, that ruling will stick.
- The owners of nearby franchises weighed in on the Raiders‘ possible interest in San Antonio, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones not making much of the story (link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram), while Texans owner Bob McNair suggested that Texans fans would make up half the crowd at a San Antonio game (link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
- Perhaps responding to Mark Davis‘ visit to San Antonio, Oakland mayor Jean Quan took to Twitter last night to announce that the city is “seeing progress” on a new stadium for the Raiders as well as MLB’s Athletics.
- After signing an extension through 2015 today, Bills running back Fred Jackson suggested he’d like to play for three or four more seasons, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap is a fan of the Colts’ offseason signing of Hakeem Nicks, identifying the wideout’s contract as the best one on the team’s books. Linebacker Erik Walden gets the dubious honor of least team-friendly deal for Indianapolis, according to Fitzgerald.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:
- The Colts have waived WR Aaron Burks, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
Earlier updates:
- Guard Cody White and receiver Alan Bonner have been placed on the Texans’ injured reserve list after being waived/injured, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The Bills have removed linebacker Darrin Kitchens from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, reports Wilson (Twitter link).
- Rookie defensive lineman Kalonji Kashama has been waived by the Lions, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- The Giants have replaced one offensive lineman with another, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, tweeting that the team claimed Mark Asper off waivers from the Bills and dropped Demarcus Love.
- The Browns have waived kicker Jake Rogers, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- The Broncos now have three open roster spots after waiving tackle Aslam Sterling with a left squad designation, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- In addition to their move noted below, the Dolphins have also signed offensive tackle Tony Hills and waived wideout Gerald Ford, the club confirmed today (via Twitter).
- The Chiefs have signed South Alabama cornerback Damond Smith, the team announced today (via Twitter). By our count, Kansas City was already carrying 90 players, so a corresponding move figures to be made at some point today.
- The Raiders have filled the open spot on the roster by signing safety Jeremy Deering, who also returned kicks at Rutgers, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Former Buccaneers defensive back Anthony Gaitor has re-signed with the club, joining Michigan defensive tackle Jibreel Black as Tampa Bay’s new additions, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter), undrafted rookies Brendan Bigelow (RB) and Quintin Payton (WR) have been waived to make room for the incoming players.
- The Browns have waived offensive lineman Chris Faulk, who was coming off a major ACL injury, according to Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (via Twitter).
- Offensive lineman Michael Philipp, who signed with the Dolphins two months ago, has been cut by the club, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
West Notes: Lynch, Boone, Smith, Bradford
Though Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch seems intent on holding out for a new contract, his financial incentive to show up for training camp ramps up tomorrow, writes Terry Blount of ESPN.com. Lynch is currently being fined $30K for each missed practice session, but the more serious penalties can begin Tuesday, the sixth day of Lynch’s absence. The 28-year-old is subject to losing 15% of his signing bonus, which would amount to $900K. For his next 10 absences (starting Tuesday), Lynch could be fined an additional 1% per day. In total, Lynch could lose 25% of his signing bonus, or $1.5MM.
Blount adds that Lynch could lose one regular season game check (for Lynch, roughly $313K) for each preseason game that he misses. However, as Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets, this particular rule only applies to players who signed as unrestricted free agents. Lynch, whose contract was signed about a week before free agency began in 2012, won’t be affected by this stipulation.
More from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Like Lynch, 49ers guard Alex Boone is in the middle of a holdout, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com doesn’t expect Boone to show to camp any time soon. The two sides are “far apart” in talks, and because San Francisco isn’t inclined to deal with Boone until he reports to practice, this battle could go on for awhile.
- Alex Smith is only signed through 2014, but the Chiefs are hoping to a new deal can be worked out soon. “…[T]here’s communication going on,” head coach Andy Reid told reporters, including the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor, at a press conference. “They’re working through it so we’ll see what happens. These things take [time]. You know how the game goes. Alex isn’t worried about it and I’m not not worried about it.”
- Sam Bradford is facing yet another “make or break” season with the Rams, per USA Today. St. Louis can save almost $13MM by cutting Bradford after 2014.
Minor Moves: Panthers, Seahawks, Chiefs
Here are a few Saturday minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Panthers have swapped one defender for another, waiving cornerback DeQuan Menzie and signing defensive tackle Micanor Regis, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- The Seahawks have officially placed Marshawn Lynch on the reserve/did not report list, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Players with that designation don’t count toward the 90-man roster, which is how the club was able to sign two players and cut just one, as noted below.
- Wilson also clarifies (via Twitter) that tight end Adam Schiltz is joining the Chiefs as a waiver claim rather than a signing, as indicated below.
Earlier updates:
- The Seahawks have waived/injured defensive tackle Dewayne Cherrington and signed linebacker Brandon Denmark and safety Steven Terrell, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
- The Chiefs signed former Titans’ tight end Adam Schiltz to replace the retired Sean McGrath, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The team also waived Rokevious Watkins, who was suspended for four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.
- The Bengals have waived offensive tackle Curtis Feigt, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter). Feigt reportedly had already left the team after they brought in veterans at his position.
- The Falcons have signed former Colts receiver Jabin Sambrano, according to their official Twitter account.
- The Bills have signed tight end Dominique Jones, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The team also waived offensive lineman Mark Asper.
Chiefs’ Sean McGrath To Retire
Chiefs’ tight end Sean McGrath has decided to retire from the NFL, citing personal reasons, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Head coach Andy Reid announced McGrath’s official decision.
The 26-year old had been reportedly considering this for a while, but was in attendance at all team activities thus far this offseason. McGrath was a backup for the team in 2013, catching 26 passes and two touchdowns in limited playing time. He was in position to compete to be the second tight end in 2014.
AFC Notes: Jets, Johnson, McGrath, Broncos
As someone who rewards loyalty and “takes care of the people who take care of his franchise,” Jets owner Woody Johnson has the perfect opportunity to send the right message to one of his players, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, arguing that the Jets should extend Muhammad Wilkerson before they have to. For his part, Wilkerson is interested in a new deal but acknowledges that with two years left on his rookie contract, he doesn’t mind being patient.
“Do I feel that I’m underpaid right now? Yeah,” Wilkerson said. “But that’s part of the business. My time will come when I get a new contract. But right now I’m just worried about becoming a better player, a better teammate and a better leader.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that Andre Johnson received an “understanding of where [the] Texans are going and of his own future and security” before reporting to camp. As Rapoport points out, the term “security” that perhaps Houston assured the receiver who won’t be cut next year when his cap hit increases to $16MM+.
- As Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star tweets, Chiefs tight end Sean McGrath is seriously weighing the possibility of retiring, according to head coach Andy Reid. Per Covitz (Twitter links), McGrath has yet to report to camp as of this morning, and fellow tight end Travis Kelce is working in McGrath’s place as the club’s backup long snapper.
- Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today talks to former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe to get his opinion on how the current tight end in Denver – Julius Thomas – could best cash in on a contract extension. As I observed when I examined Thomas’ extension candidacy, another big season in 2014 would likely mean an even bigger payday next year, but the tight end may prefer to work something out now.
- Historically, the Steelers have locked up plenty of key players to contract extensions right around the start of training camp, but the team doesn’t seem to have any impending deals this time around, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Andrew Whitworth and Domata Peko have the Bengals‘ best and worst contracts, respectively, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
- Peter King of TheMMQB.com explains commissioner Roger Goodell’s logic for only handing down a two-game suspension to Ravens running back Ray Rice.
Chiefs Sign Jamaal Charles To Extension
THURSDAY, 3:28pm: Only the 2014 season is guaranteed for Charles, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that guarantee is $8.3MM, a nice upgrade from the $3.9MM he was set to earn in 2014.
WEDNESDAY, 10:06pm: The Chiefs tweeted a picture of Charles signing the contract, signifying that the deal is now official.
3:52pm: The Chiefs have agreed to a deal with star running back Jamaal Charles, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Charles will sign a two-year extension that will only trail Adrian Peterson is terms of value. Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that Charles will get $18MM in “new” money, and Rapoport adds on Twitter that they player will get an extra $5MM over the next two seasons.
We heard yesterday that the two sides were discussing a deal, but this morning’s reports indicated that a deal wouldn’t be reached today. Charles originally signed a six-year, $27.97MM in 2010, but his 2014 salary made him vastly underpaid. As PFR’s Zach Links pointed out yesterday, the running back was set to earn $3.9MM in 2014 and $6MM in 2015. The $3.9MM would have ranked him behind players like Donald Brown and Toby Gerhart.
The 27-year-old arguably had his best season in 2013, finishing with 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked Charles as the second-best running back last season. The running back has mostly stayed healthy throughout his career; except for the 2011 season, Charles has appeared in at least 15 games since his rookie year.