HEADLINES

Kevin Boothe

Raiders To Release Kevin Boothe

May 4th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raiders appear to be in the process of removing a handful of veteran players from their roster, having already reportedly informed wideout James Jones and linebacker Miles Burris they’ll be cut. Now, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the team is also parting ways with a veteran offensive lineman, releasing former Giant Kevin Boothe.

Boothe, 31, was a regular at guard – and occasionally center – for the Giants, starting every one of the team’s games in 2012 and 2013. However, his playing time took a hit when he headed to Oakland for the 2014 season — while he appeared in nine games, he wasn’t a starter for the Raiders, and played just 19 overall offensive snaps.

Boothe would have earned a base salary of $1.175MM to go along with a workout bonus of $125K if he’d remained on the roster for the 2015 season, but he didn’t have any bonus money or guaranteed salary left on his deal, so the Raiders won’t be on the hook for any dead money.

Raiders Sign Kevin Boothe

March 18th, 2014 at 1:28pm CST by Matt Feminis

TUESDAY, 1:28pm: The base value of Boothe’s two-year deal is $2.625MM, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). That includes a $300K roster bonus for this year, $125K annual workout bonuses, and base salaries of $900K (2014) and $1.175MM (2015).

MONDAY, 9:35pm: Boothe gets $3.4MM over two years, according to NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).

7:27pm: The Raiders have signed Giants offensive lineman Kevin Boothe to a two-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Boothe was drafted by the Raiders in 2006 when he started 14 games before being waived and picked up by the Giants the following year. The 30-year-old started all 16 games last season, beginning the year at left guard before shifting to center when David Baas was lost to injury. Boothe rated near the bottom of the league’s centers according to Pro Football Focus, finishing the season with a -6.4 rating.

AFC Notes: Jets, Spikes, Raiders, Broncos

March 17th, 2014 at 6:17pm CST by Matt Feminis

Losing free agent Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Giants is not sitting well with members of the Jets who blame GM John Idzik for losing the player, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In a three-pack of Tweets, Mehta says Idzik blew it by letting Rodgers-Cromartie visit the Giants, quotes an employee saying Idzik “operates on his own time and schedule” and adds head coach Rex Ryan “is pissed” about losing out on Rodgers-Cromartie. This on the heels of Ryan reportedly wanting the team to bring back Darrelle Revis, who landed with the division rival Patriots.

In other AFC news:

  • Free agents Kevin Boothe and Alex Carrington “are still in the building,” according to San Francisco Chronicle Raiders beat writer Vic Tafur (via Twitter).
  • The Bills introduced Brandon Spikes on Monday (contract details here), and ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak relayed some of Spikes’ first comments as a Bill, most notably that Spikes chose Buffalo because of his relationship with Pepper Johnson.
  • The Broncos have made a handful of expensive free-agent additions, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold explains how they were able lure and afford marquee talent. For starters, the roster consists of 34 players with cap hits of $2MM or less.
  • Packers free agent offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse will meet with the Bengals, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

FA Rumors: Jets, Boothe, Melton, Wharton

March 17th, 2014 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The two New York teams appear to be the top contenders for free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but Rich Cimini of ESPN New York gets the sense that the Jets may be losing hope on the DRC front (Twitter link). That’s not to say the Giants should start printing Rodgers-Cromartie jerseys quite yet, since the Browns are rumored to be lurking as well, but it looks like the G-Men might have the upper hand on their AFC rivals.

Here’s more on a few free agents still on the market:

  • The Jets continue to talk to offensive lineman Willie Colon in the hopes of working out a deal to bring him back to New York, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The club has also shown interest in free agent receiver Jacoby Ford, says Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
  • The free agent swap meet between the Raiders and Giants continues, as offensive lineman Kevin Boothe is in Oakland to visit the Raiders today, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
  • Defensive end Robert Ayers will visit the Bengals tomorrow, tweets Garafolo.
  • The Vikings remain in contact with free agent defensive tackle Henry Melton, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Melton is visiting the Cowboys today.
  • While the Dolphins have made preliminary inquiries on free agent offensive lineman Ryan Harris, the team has yet to set up a visit with the ex-Texan, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
  • Free agent guard Travelle Wharton has no plans to retire at this point, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wharton has spent nearly his entire NFL career with the Panthers, who have seen Jordan Gross and Geoff Hangartner retire so far this offseason.
  • Free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins is visiting the Buccaneers today, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

OL Rumors: Dolphins, Oher, Titans, Giants

March 14th, 2014 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

As rumors continue to trickle in on the fourth day of free agency, let’s check in on a few offensive lineman who remain on the market:

  • The Dolphins have extended a contract offer to offensive lineman Shelley Smith, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). However, Beasley cautions that Smith has other offers on the table, adding that the situation remains fluid. According to Beasley (via Twitter), Smith and cornerback Cortland Finnegan are at the Dolphins’ headquarters this morning.
  • Free agent tackle Michael Oher is visiting with the Titans today, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that Oher will meet with the Raiders tomorrow. With Eugene Monroe back in the fold in Baltimore, the subject of The Blind Side appears likely to land with a new team this offseason.
  • As of late yesterday, the Giants still had interest in re-signing veteran offensive lineman Kevin Boothe and pairing him with J.D. Walton at center, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

East Notes: Giants, Jennings, Woodyard

March 11th, 2014 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are still in the mix for center Evan Dietrich-Smith, but it appears that guard Geoff Schwartz is their more immediate priority, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger says the club appears to be looking in house at center. Offensive lineman Kevin Boothe, who started six games at center last season, is being viewed as the possible short-term answer.

  • The Giants have made an offer to free agent running back Rashad Jennings, a league source tells Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). The Raiders, meanwhile, would like to hang on to the tailback.
  • Despite interest from the Cowboys, a source close to Wesley Woodyard told Brandon Krisztal of the Denver Post (on Twitter) that his first trip is to the Patriots with another team visit planned after.
  • Tyson Jackson is getting an impressive amount of interest with suitors including the Dolphins, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Browns and Falcons are also interested while the Chiefs are still in the mix.