AFC Notes: Bills, Browns, Ravens, Rackley
A day after Bills president and CEO Russ Brandon said an update would come soon on the investment bank and legal firm that will handle the sale of the franchise, the club has made that announcement. Per Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter), the Bills have selected financial firm Morgan Stanley and legal firm Proskauer Rose to head up the sale process. According to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter), the team added in a press release that prospective bidders for the franchise figure to be contacted “within the next 30 days.”
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Appearing on WKNR in Cleveland (audio link), GM Ray Farmer suggested that if the Browns hadn’t been able to trade up for Johnny Manziel, the quarterback they would’ve landed instead was “already on the roster.” The implication there is that it was Manziel or bust for the team during the draft. I’m not sure I totally buy that, but it’s a nice way to give a vote of confidence to both Manziel and Brian Hoyer.
- Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com believes we could see some movement on the trade market involving backup quarterbacks in the near future. La Canfora points to the Ravens, Browns, Texans, and Chiefs as some situations to watch, noting that new Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak could have interest in bringing a player like Case Keenum or T.J. Yates to Baltimore.
- General manager Dave Caldwell said last week that Jacksonville released offensive lineman Will Rackley because he didn’t fit the club’s scheme, and the Jags wanted to give him a chance to find a better situation elsewhere. It sounds like the former Jaguar appreciates that opportunity — as he tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Rackley is embracing a fresh start with the Ravens: “This could be a great fit for me. I think they’re looking mostly at me playing guard now, whatever I can do to help the team.”
Chiefs Sign Three Players, Cut Two
The Chiefs have made a handful of roster moves on the defensive side of the ball, officially signing three defensive linemen and waiving a defensive tackle and linebacker. The team announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed former Ram Jermelle Cudjo and undrafted free agent Kona Schwenke, along with Kyle Love, whose agreement was previously reported. Meanwhile, Cory Grissom and Ridge Wilson have been cut (Twitter link).
Love, a former starter in New England, is the most notable name among Kansas City’s new additions, though Cudjo also has a few starts under his belt from his time in St. Louis. Cudjo saw part-time action over the last four years as a reserve on the Rams’ defensive line before he was released last week, while Love started 25 games in three seasons for the Patriots before spending time with the Jaguars and Chiefs in 2013.
As for the cuts, both Grissom and Wilson were signed by the Chiefs following the season — Wilson came from the club’s practice squad, while Grissom spent last season on injured reserve with the Patriots.
West Minor Moves: Seahawks, Cardinals, Chiefs
The Seahawks have signed fourth-round pick Cassius Marsh to a rookie deal, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). The UCLA pass rusher will provide depth at defensive end.
Here are some other roster moves from across the NFC and AFC West:
- The Seahawks have also signed tight end Rashaun Allen and offensive tackle Nate Isles out of their rookie minicamp, reports Condotta (via Twitter). The team has released cornerback Jimmy Legree and tight end Travis Beckum to make room for the signings.
- The Cardinals have signed fifth-round pick Ed Stinson to a rookie contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The defensive end out of Alabama will earn $2.406MM over four years, with a signing bonus of $186,740.
- Defensive lineman Kyle Love has agreed to return to the Chiefs, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Love has formerly enjoyed stints with the Patriots and Jaguars.
J’Marcus Webb To Sign With Chiefs
11:03am: Webb’s deal is for one year at the veteran minimum ($730k), per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
8:44am: After visiting a few teams this offseason, offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb has decided to sign with the Chiefs, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter). Webb, who will be 26 this August, has 45 career starts under his belt and will likely vie for a role as a swing backup tackle behind starters Eric Fisher and Donald Stephenson. The Chiefs lost offenisve linemen Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz — who combined for 28 starts in 2013 — before adding a pair of late-round, developmental prospects in Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Zach Fulton.
Volin On Roster Crunches: Roos, Hardy, Hali
The more successful franchises in the league always have an eye towards the so-called “second wave” of free agency when they construct their draft boards and begin drafting players. They can determine the potential cap casualties and the players who might be released from another squad simply because of a roster crunch, and they can identify which of those players might fill a need on their club that was not necessarily addressed via the draft. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe takes a look and those players whose security with their current club took a hit after last week’s draft. Some of the highlights:
- Michael Roos: Roos is perhaps the most obvious name of the group, given that the Titans signed Michael Oher in free agency and selected Taylor Lewan in the first round of the draft. That’s not to mention Roos’ $6.62MM salary cap number and the fact that Tennessee would not take on any dead money by releasing him.
- Matt Forte: Forte’s inclusion on this list is somewhat surprising, and although Volin notes he will almost certainly remain with the Bears this season, Volin goes on to say that the tread on Forte’s tires, along with his $8.8MM 2015 cap number and the team’s drafting of Ka’Deem Carey, could lead to Forte’s release after the season.
- Jeremy Maclin: “The writing is on the wall for Maclin,” as Volin points out that the Eagles gave Riley Cooper the long-term deal while handing out a one-year contract to Maclin, and then went on to draft Jordan Matthews and Josh Huff on the second day of the draft.
- Tamba Hali: Hali is another player who will remain with the only team he has ever known in 2014, but the Chiefs drafted Dee Ford in the first round of the draft and Hali has a $12MM cap number in 2015 (his contract expires at the end of 2015).
- Greg Hardy: obviously Hardy is safe for 2014, having signed the franchise tender worth over $13MM, but Volin writes the Panthers will have to reevaluate the future of their star defensive end considering his legal troubles this offseason and the selection of Kony Ealy in the second round of the draft.
Draft Signings: Jets, Pats, Saints, Chiefs
With many rookie minicamps underway, it’s clear that a good portion of the players drafted last week have been eager to get their contract situations taken care of so they can focus solely on football. Several more draftees reached agreements or signed their deals today, so let’s round up the latest….
- No team drafted more players than the 12 the Jets selected last week, and few clubs have been more proactive about getting those draftees under contract. The club announced today in a press release that Jalen Saunders, a fourth-rounder, is the latest player to sign on the dotted line, meaning only first-round safety Calvin Pryor and two other Jets draft picks still need to ink their deals.
- Fourth-round running back James White and seventh-round receiver Jeremy Gallon have signed with the Patriots, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. We heard earlier today that Cameron Fleming had also signed, so New England is putting a dent into its draft class.
- In addition to confirming the previously reported signing of sixth-rounder Tavon Rooks, the Saints announced today that they’ve also locked up a pair of fifth-round picks, safety Vinnie Sunseri and linebacker Ronald Powell. Both players should receive four-year deals worth a little less than $2.4MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, and their signings mean New Orleans has secured half of its 2014 draft class.
- Fourth-round running back and receiver De’Anthony Thomas is the latest draftee to sign with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Thomas should be in line for a signing bonus of about $420K, per Fitzgerald.
- Safety Ahmad Dixon became the fourth Cowboy taken in the seventh round to sign his rookie deal, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- According to Robert Herron himself (via Twitter), the former Wyoming receiver officially put pen to paper today for the Buccaneers, making him the first Tampa Bay draftee to sign his deal. The club has since confirmed Herron’s tweet, and noted that fifth-round pick Kadeem Edwards has also signed (Twitter link).
QB Coach: Browns Owner Involved In Trade For Manziel
Although general manager Ray Farmer and the Browns have repeatedly denied that owner Jimmy Haslam exerted any influence in the team’s draft room last week, quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains suggests that’s not quite the case. Appearing on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly on ESPN Radio in Arkansas, Loggains said that a text from Johnny Manziel inspired Haslam and the Browns to trade up for him.
“We’re sitting there and they keep showing Johnny on TV,” Loggains said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “And Johnny and I are texting and he shoots me a text and he says, ‘I wish you guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me because I want to be there. I want to wreck this league together.’ When I got that text, I forwarded it to the owner and to the head coach (Mike Pettine). I’m like, ‘This guy wants to be here. He wants to be part of it.’ As soon as that happened, Mr. Haslam said, ‘Pull the trigger. We’re trading up to go get this guy.'”
Although the Browns eventually made a deal with the Eagles to move up to the No. 22 spot, the team also talked to the Titans (No. 11) and Cowboys (No. 16), Loggains confirmed. The quarterbacks coach also suggested that the Browns felt they had to get ahead of the Chiefs at No. 23: “We knew they would draft him.”
As for Haslam’s role in making the deal, it certainly sounds like he was very much involved in the decision, even if he didn’t necessarily have to overrule his staff to get it done. Previous reports have suggested that the Eagles had several offers for that 22nd overall pick, and that the Browns only landed the pick after sweetening their proposal to include a third-rounder. Based on Loggains’ comments, it sounds as if Philadelphia may have ended up trading with one of those other clubs had Haslam not provided the push to get something done.
Draft Signings: Chiefs, Cards, Texans, Cowboys
We’ve already rounded up several draft pick signings a couple times today, but with teams and players motivated to hammer out deals, there are another handful of updates to pass along this afternoon. Let’s dive right in….
- The Chiefs have locked up third-round cornerback Phillip Gaines, his reps tell ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s James Walker reports (via Twitter) that fourth-rounder De’Anthony Thomas has also signed with Kansas City. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Gaines should receive a signing bonus worth about $549K, while Thomas’ will be worth around $420K.
- The Cardinals have agreed to terms with third-round pick Kareem Martin, a source tells Caplan (Twitter link). That would make Martin the first Arizona draftee to sign so far.
- After signing Ben Gardner earlier today, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with two more draftees, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who writes that seventh-round linebacker Will Smith has agreed to his deal, and tweets that seventh-round cornerback Terrance Mitchell has done the same.
- The Texans have agreed to terms with quarterback Tom Savage, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Houston’s fourth-round pick will be in line for a bonus of just over $300K, according to Fitzgerald.
- A couple agents broke their clients’ own news this afternoon, with Mike McCartney tweeting that Princeton DT Caraun Reid has signed his contract with the Lions, while Blake Baratz announced (via Twitter) that sixth-rounder Zach Moore is the first draftee to sign with the Patriots.
- The Colts have signed sixth-round linebacker Andrew Jackson, the team announced today in a press release.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Packers have signed fifth-round pick Corey Linsley. Linsley’s signing bonus should be worth $185K, based on Fitzgerald’s figures at OTC.
- The Seahawks have signed Kiero Small to his rookie contract, a source tells Curtis Crabtree of KJR in Seattle. The seventh-round fullback is the second of nine Seahawks draft picks to sign.
- The Texans and Eagles have signed seventh-rounders, according to various reports. Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston has the details on Texans cornerback Andre Hal, while Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets the new on Eagles defensive tackle Beau Allen.
Draft Signings: Reaser, Chiefs, Packers
Here’s a rundown of tonight’s draft signings from rounds 3-7. For a look at the signings that went down earlier today, check out our previous post..
- The 49ers have signed fifth-round pick Keith Reaser, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The cornerback out of Florida Atlantic might have gone higher if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL last October. Despite not being able to compete in on-field drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Reaser put up 22 reps of the 225-pound bench press.
- The Chiefs signed sixth-round offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). After Tennessee guard Zach Fulton agreed to terms yesterday, Duvernay-Tardif became the second KC rookie to sign. The 6’5″ offensive tackle out of McGill in Canada was the 200th overall pick and looks to be competing for the Chiefs swing tackle spot with starters Eric Fisher and Donald Stephenson already on either side.
- The Packers have signed seventh-round pick Jeff Janis, according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Press-Gazette (on Twitter). The receiver out of Saginaw Valley State was the third wideout taken by Green Bay in the draft.
Minor Moves: Saints, Panthers, Bucs, Eagles
We’ll round up today’s minor transactions here, including mid-to-late-round draftees agreeing to contracts, players being claimed off waivers, and the retirement of a former NFLer who most recently played in the Canadian Football League…..
- The Chiefs announced that they have sixth-round pick Zach Fulton (Twitter link). The offensive lineman out of Tennessee was taken with the No. 193 pick.
- The 49ers announced that they have signed fifth-round outside linebacker Aaron Lynch and seventh-round defensive lineman Kaleb Ramsey, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Saints have signed former Notre Dame guard Mike Golic Jr. to a two-year contract, the club announced today in a press release. Golic went undrafted in 2013 and joined the Steelers for the preseason.
- Drake Nevis, who was cut yesterday by the Jaguars, has been awarded to the Panthers on waivers, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The defensive lineman appeared in games for the Cowboys and Jags last season.
Earlier updates:
- The Buccaneers have waived running back Michael Smith, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Eagles have locked up one of their draft picks, signing third-round wideout Josh Huff to a four-year deal, per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- After being cut by the Seahawks yesterday, long snapper Jorgen Hus has been claimed off waivers by the Rams, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins have cut punter Matt Syzmanski, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The only NFL team to lock up any draftees so far, the Bears have agreed to terms with two more players they selected last week, according to the team (Twitter links). Fourth-round running back Ka’Deem Carey and seventh-round tackle Charles Leno Jr. have reached agreements on four-year deals with the club. At Over The Cap, Jason Fitzgerald has estimations on what sort of contracts the duo will be receiving.
- The Jaguars have claimed linebacker Allen Bradford off waivers from the Giants, a day after he was cut, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Bradford, a former Seahawk like a few other players the Jags have added this offseason, fills the last spot on the team’s 90-man roster.
- Former Bills first-round pick Aaron Maybin has officially announced his retirement as a football player, according to the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts (Twitter link). After being selected 11th overall out of Penn State, Maybin failed to make a consistent impact at the NFL level, with his best season coming in 2011 as a reserve for the Jets (six sacks).