Draft Notes: Bridgewater, Amaro, Steelers
Word broke on Tuesday that Johnny Manziel would be visiting the Patriots today, a few days after the club met with Blake Bortles in Orlando. It shouldn’t be too surprising then that Teddy Bridgewater is also visiting the team, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As we noted yesterday, the Pats are likely just doing due diligence on the top players in this year’s quarterback class, but those meetings are still worth keeping an eye on.
Here’s more on pre-draft visits, with May 8 just over five weeks away:
- Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro, who is said to be drawing interest from the Jets, is working out for the Falcons today, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Steelers are hosting a pair of defenders today, in Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard and Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- Washington State safety Deone Bucannon visited the Lions today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post passes along word of a pair of visits, reporting that Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders will meet with the Saints, while Middle Tennessee State cornerback Sammy Seamster has a visit on tap with the Chiefs.
AFC Notes: Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Blount
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today, Danieal Manning said signing with the Cowboys “would be fun,” since he grew up rooting for them. However, the free agent safety added that a team’s direction and opportunity to win will be determining factors in his decision on where to sign (Twitter links). That’s not to say that Dallas should be ruled out as a suitor, but it makes sense that Manning’s first two visits are to a pair of AFC playoff teams. Last night, we heard about his scheduled meeting with the Bengals, and today during his SiriusXM appearance, he confirmed that a visit to the Chiefs is also on tap (Twitter link).
Here’s more from around the AFC as the league’s free agent period enters its fourth week:
- Mike Reiss (Twitter link) passes along word from ESPN.com colleague John Clayton that free agent defensive end Will Smith is visiting the Patriots today. Smith, who was cut by the Saints earlier this offseason, indicated shortly after his release that he’d be open to playing in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense.
- Speaking to WBEN in Buffalo, billionaire Donald Trump confirmed that he has been approached about the possibility of joining an investment group in a bid to buy the Bills. Suggesting that he’ll “take a look” at the possibility, Trump stressed that he wants to see the franchise remain in Buffalo, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details.
- LeGarrette Blount’s new two-year deal with the Steelers includes a $150K incentive for reaching 800 yards rushing in 2014, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
FA Notes: Patterson, Rogers, Fox, Hall
DeSean Jackson may be the biggest name on the free agent market these days, but he’s not the only potential difference-maker still available. Let’s round up a few of the latest news and notes related to a few other free agents still on the board…
- After missing out on a handful of cornerbacks earlier in free agency, the Jets are hosting ex-Dolphin Dimitri Patterson today, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
- Another free agent cornerback, Carlos Rogers, is scheduled for a visit with the Raiders today, tweets Colleen Dominguez of Fox Sports.
- The Chiefs are hosting free agent offensive tackle Jason Fox, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The 25-year-old ex-Lion struggled to stay healthy during his four seasons in Detroit.
- Former Ravens defensive lineman Bryan Hall worked out recently for the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Chris Culliver’s legal troubles could prompt the 49ers to consider veteran free agent cornerback Champ Bailey.
Poll: DeSean Jackson’s Landing Spot
Former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson was released by the club on Friday, and the rumors have since been streaming in nonstop. In fact, the PFR team had posts rounding up the rumors surrounding the former Cal standout for over a week now, including this article with a link saying the Jets have had internal discussions about adding Jackson.
Now that Jackson is a free agent and is free to choose his landing spot as he so pleases, the football world is waiting with bated breath. Rarely does a player of Jackson’s caliber make it to free agency in his prime, but in the aftermath of the Aaron Hernandez-saga and Jackson’s prohibitive salary, the Eagles simply made a business decision to move on without one of the most talented players in football.
Here are Pro Football Rumors’ most recent Jackson-related rumors roundup posts:
Now, based on the information we have presented in prior rumors posts, we want to know where you think Jackson will be spending next season (and potentially beyond). Does he stay in the NFC East with the Redskins? Does Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie bring Jackson back to the Bay Area?
You decide.
DeSean Jackson Rumors: Sunday
More speculation regarding the DeSean Jackson saga:
- The Chiefs “would’ve loved” to sign Jackson, but they simply don’t have the cap space available to compete with other suitors, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
- We noted earlier that the Redskins are very interested in Jackson, but Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that cap room might be a problem in Washington, as well. The Redskins have roughly $7MM in space, while other potential bidders such as the Bills and Raiders have about $14MM available. If Washington is serious about making a legitimate offer to Jackson, a backloaded deal with a low first-year salary might make the most sense.
- In a couplet of tweets, Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that Jackson, unsurprisingly, is expected to “follow the money,” but also notes that the receiver market has been relatively modest, noting the lower-than-expected salaries of Eric Decker, Golden Tate, and others. Breer also opines that a strong receiver draft class works against Jackson’s demands.
Earlier Updates:
- Citing multiple reports, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes that the Redskins intend to make a serious bid to sign Jackson during his visit tomorrow, and Jackson is excited about the prospect of playing for the ‘Skins.
- NFL Network’s Albert Breer tweets that the number of serious suitors for Jackson could be relatively small. With the Jets seemingly out and the Chiefs out, the Redskins, Raiders, and Bills would seem to comprise the current class of “serious suitors.”
- Breer also tweets that the Raiders are “still doing background work” on Jackson and realize there is a risk in bringing him to Oakland.
- Although the Redskins get the first shot at Jackson and the Raiders have plenty of cap space, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Bills should not be ruled out, and he implies that they are serious in their interest. Rapoport also tweeted that Buffalo is quietly researching and recruiting Jackson.
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer offers his take as to why Jackson was let go.
- Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer has a similar opinion on Jackson’s release.
- Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine offers a useful roundup of national media rumblings on the Jackson story.
Extra Points: Jackson, Jets, Gilbert, Thomas
While the Chiefs were originally thought to be potential suitors for DeSean Jackson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the team has withdrawn their interest (via Twitter). Kansas City looked into the circumstances surrounding the wide receiver’s recent release, and decided to pull out of the running. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News added to Rapoport’s report, noting that the Chiefs lacked sufficient cap space to compete for Jackson’s services (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the NFL:
- DeAngelo Hall is excited at the prospect of Jackson joining the Redskins, reports Tarik El Bashir of CSNWashington.com. “Huge, huge, man,” said Hall. “If we could add a piece like that … he’s a threat whenever the ball is in hands.” Hall added that he would be willing to serve as a mentor for his former rival. “If he’s able to come here, man, I’m going to take him under my wing and just try to put him on the right path.”
- Jets‘ owner Woody Johnson spoke about the team’s recent approach to the offseason, saying, “I’m not going to use the word ‘patient’ anymore. We want to do it now,” as writes Mehta (via Twitter).
- The top projected cornerback in the upcoming draft, Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert, is scheduled to visit with the Jets, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
- Versatile running back DeAnthony Thomas out of Oregon has scheduled a private visit with the Falcons, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 5’9″, 170 pound back had over 5,000 all purpose yards at Oregon, known as a dangerous receiver and returner as well as a runner.
More DeSean Jackson Rumors: Saturday
SATURDAY, 11:27am: Add the Redskins and Bills to the teams with interest in Jackson, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
10:30am: Schefter tweets that nine teams have now inquired on Jackson.
10:27am: At least seven teams expressed interest in Jackson’s services on Friday, Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that Jets GM John Idzik did not. The Raiders have been researching Jackson for weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and the team isn’t in a hurry to make a rash decision.
FRIDAY, 7:23pm: The Eagles officially informed DeSean Jackson of his release on Friday, and we’ve already rounded up one set of links dealing with the aftermath of that decision. Of course, with one of the league’s most explosive wide receivers now on the open market, plenty more rumors have followed, so let’s dive and check out the latest….
- Unsurprisingly, the Bears won’t be among the teams pursuing Jackson, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune confirms.
- As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted earlier this afternoon, six teams called to inquire on Jackson shortly after news broke that the Eagles were cutting him, and that number could increase.
- Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Chiefs were one of those teams that reached out to Jackson’s reps.
- There are definitely people within the Jets‘ organization that have interest in Jackson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. However, Mehta adds that it’s not clear how interested owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik are.
- In addition to the Chiefs and Jets, the Raiders are in the mix, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source connected to a team with interest in Jackson tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that “the gang stuff [reported by NJ.com] is totally overblown,” but that there are legitimate concerns about potential attitude issues.
- The Cardinals have zero interest in Jackson, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), and the same can be said about the Buccaneers, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Despite Ron Rivera‘s comments to USA Today earlier in the day, the Panthers also aren’t interested in signing Jackson, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Person, who says the team made the decision before the receiver was even released, tweets that Rivera wasn’t trying to “play games” — he just made what he believed were innocuous comments, not realizing the impact.
- The entire ESPN.com team of beat writers has assessed the likelihood of Jackson landing with their respective clubs.
Fallout From DeSean Jackson’s Release
After weeks of trade rumors, the Eagles officially parted ways with DeSean Jackson today, releasing him after they couldn’t find a satisfactory deal. In the wake of the move and a report from NJ.com that suggested the team was concerned about the receiver’s possible gang ties, Jackson has issued a statement, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter details. It reads, in part:
“I would like to make it very clear that I am not and never have been part of any gang. I am not a gang member and to speculate and assume that I am involved in such activity off the field is reckless and irresponsible.”
As Jackson works to clear his name and assuage the concerns of potential suitors, here’s a round-up of several links related to his release:
- At least four teams reached out to agent Joel Segal within a half-hour of Jackson being released, according to Schefter (via Twitter), who says talks are ongoing. Schefter added in a later tweet that the number of clubs inquiring on Jackson is now up to six and counting.
- It’s not entirely clear yet which teams are in the mix for Jackson, but several writers expressed a belief that the Seahawks will be in the mix (all Twitter links).
- Based on a conversation he had recently with a Redskins source, John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link) would be “shocked” if Washington pursued Jackson.
- Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer says not to expect the Panthers to pursue Jackson, but head coach Ron Rivera tells Jim Corbett of USA Today that his team might have some interest. “He’s an intriguing player and we’ll take a look at him,” Rivera said.
- The Chiefs don’t appear to be a serious contender for Jackson, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Given their track record of giving players second chances, the Bills could emerge as a candidate for Jackson, suggests Tim Graham of the Buffalo News.
- According to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the Eagles didn’t previously know about the contents of NJ.com’s report until this week. Albert Breer of the NFL Network and Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News both suggest (Twitter links) the NJ.com story didn’t make the Eagles decide to release Jackson, but it certainly accelerated the process.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the move from a financial perspective, estimating what sort of salary Jackson might be looking at on a new deal.
- A league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the Eagles didn’t designate Jackson as a post-June 1 cut, so it’ll be a $6MM cap hit for the team this year.
- Florio also notes that wide receiver Mike Evans said today that he’ll be visiting the Eagles soon. Evans isn’t likely to be on the board at No. 22 for Philadelphia, but the Eagles’ apparent interest shows they’ll consider drafting a receiver.
AFC Notes: Titans, Browner, Clowney, Chiefs
The Eagles are considered the favorites to land Mark Sanchez, and it’s hard to determine which other teams may be a threat to Philadelphia for the signal-caller. The Seahawks have been ruled out as a destination, and reported interest from the Rams and Giants has been significantly downplayed. Now, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com suggests that another rumored suitor isn’t seriously in the mix, tweeting that the Titans don’t have interest in bringing Sanchez aboard. As we wait to see where the former Jet lands, let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC….
- Chris Johnson‘s future with the Titans remains in limbo, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
- In a series of four tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today explains how Brandon Browner‘s contract with the Patriots works, complete with financial specifics.
- Field Yates of ESPN Boston (Twitter link) has the details on the playing-time incentives in Michael Vick‘s new deal with the Jets. As Yates outlines, Vick can earn bonuses up to $1MM depending on whether he appears in 50% ($100K), 60% ($300K), 70% ($550K), 80% ($900K), or 90% ($1MM) of the Jets’ snaps.
- Texans head coach Bill O’Brien plans to attend Jadeveon Clowney‘s Pro Day next week, and is looking forward to continuing the “good talk” he had with Clowney at the combine, tweets James Palmer of CSNHouston.com.
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that he spoke to free agent receiver Jason Avant, but suggested there’s nothing there when it comes to the team’s interest in the former Eagle. Reid instead hinted that he and Avant may work together down the road, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links).
- Chris Owens‘ one-year contract with the Chiefs is worth $800K, which includes a $730K base salary and a $70K workout bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. $80K of Owens’ base salary is guaranteed.
- Fullback Jamize Olawale has signed his exclusive rights tender to remain with the Raiders, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Hali, Penn, Prospect Visits
Chiefs‘ pass rusher Tamba Hali received a $2MM roster bonus on Thursday, assuring his place on the team in 2014, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). He credits Joel Corry of the National Football Post with first noticing. Hali was one half of the terrorizing pair of quarterback killers that helped get the Chiefs’ defense off to such a hot start (the other half being Justin Houston). He would have been tough to replace, and it would have been somewhat of a surprise had he been released for cap space.
Here are a few other notes from around the NFL:
- New Raider Donald Penn went on SiriusXM NFL Radio to discuss his tumultuous offseason, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “The way Tampa did me kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. I kind of wish they were on the schedule, but they’re not,” said Penn. “I built a great relationship there. But the way they did it at the end, it wasn’t right in my book. I’m a grown man and they could have treated me like a grown man.”
- Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans is taking an official visit with the Jets, reports Tony Pauline of Draftinsider.net (via Twitter). Evans is considered the second best receiver in the draft, and a potential top-ten pick.
- The Jets will also work out offensive tackle Kadeem Williams out of Albany, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Williams will also work out for the Giants.
- Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews went on SiriusXM NFL Radio to discuss teams interested in the wide receiving talent, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports 1. Matthews announced he will have pre-draft visits with both the Titans and Panthers.