AFC Notes: Pats, Smith, Raiders, Dolphins
Here are some notes from around the AFC on the last Saturday before training camps begin.
- Chief among the owners that would be irked if Roger Goodell trimmed Tom Brady‘s Deflategate suspension are Ravens boss Steve Bisciotti and Jim Irsay of the Colts, Sal Palantonio of ESPN.com notes. The news that these two lead this figurative charge isn’t exactly surprising, with each’s organization voicing gripes during the Patriots‘ playoff run that included wins over each squad. The longtime ESPN reporter also noted other AFC owners who believe the Pats have “gotten away with murder” would be upset if Brady’s four-game ban was slashed.
- Recently suspended cornerback Sean Smith may have been able to suit up for the Chiefs in Week 1 had he resolved his case by last November instead of this April, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Had Kansas City’s top cornerback reached a resolution before Nov. 1, 2014, he could have paid a $50K fine since players, with this opportunity being afforded to players with pending charges under the NFL’s previous substance-abuse policy. Instead, the 28-year-old Smith will miss three games under the new policy, which was agreed upon in September 2014, and forfeit $750K in base salary.
- The Raiders and the city of Oakland are communicating again after more than a month of silence, report Matthew Artz, Rebecca Parr and Mike Blasky of the Bay Area News Group. Raiders president Mark Badain called Oakland assistant city administrator Claudia Cappio. The sides previous halted communication after the Bay Area News Group’s publishing of a plan that would have called for team ownership to sell off 20% of the club.
- Joe Philbin isn’t concerned about Branden Albert and DeVante Parker‘s Week 1 availability for the Dolphins despite offseason rehabilitation, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. There’s still a chance the highly paid left tackle won’t pass his physical and subsequently end up on the physically unable to perform list, however, after his knee surgery. Parker will not be 100% by training camp, though, after undergoing foot surgery.
Dolphins Cut Josh Freeman
In advance of training camp, the Dolphins have parted ways with Josh Freeman, releasing him from his contract, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The move leaves Miami with three quarterbacks on its roster — starter Ryan Tannehill, backup Matt Moore, and third option McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start.
After trying out for the Jets this offseason, Freeman joined the Dolphins on a minimum salary contract. While there was some initial speculation that the former Buccaneer could challenge Moore for the No. 2 job, it seemed more likely that Freeman would simply serve as a camp arm. However, after today’s release, he won’t even be with the Fins when their training camp gets underway next week.
AFC East Notes: Brady, Brown, Dolphins, Vick
Negotiating with Tom Brady makes commissioner Roger Goodell look soft, Gary Tanguay of CSNNE.com opines. Tanguay believes that news of the talks was leaked by the Patriots quarterback’s camp in an attempt to force Goodell to fold and wipe Brady’s suspension to zero games. Goodell is reportedly being pushed by “a small handful of influential owners” to uphold Brady’s four-game suspension, but attorney Gregg Levy, who participated in the appeal as a legal consultant to Goodell, has been warning the commissioner that it will be hard to make a suspension stick in court. Here’s more from the AFC East..
- Mike Reiss of ESPN.com gives his full endorsement to the Patriots’ signing of cornerback Tarell Brown. If healthy, Reiss believes that Brown can compete for a starting job or, at the very least, he can provide the Pats with veteran depth. Brown broke his foot last December and landed on season-ending injured reserve.
- James Walker of ESPN.com looked at the best values on the Dolphins‘ defense. Linebacker Jelani Jenkins, earning $585K this year, tops the list after he came out of nowhere in 2014, replaced injured linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, and led the Dolphins with 110 tackles. Defensive end Olivier Vernon, making $1.552MM with 21.5 sacks in three seasons, is rated as the second-best value. Cornerback Jamar Taylor, who could wind up as a starter, comes in at No. 3 with his meager salary of $734K.
- Free agent quarterback Michael Vick took to Twitter this week to let teams know that he’s ready to go. The veteran has said that he wants to play for three more seasons, but it’s telling that he remains unsigned in late July. There is reportedly some skepticism around the league that Vick is ready to accept a backup role and to put in the work necessary even when he doesn’t expect to play. The former No. 1 overall pick supposedly didn’t study up on the Jets‘ playbook last season and yielded many of his practice reps to Matt Simms.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/15
Today’s minor moves..
- The Giants will re-sign undrafted rookie safety Justin Currie, a source tells Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. Currie, a Western Michigan product, was released last week when the Giants signed veteran safety Jeromy Miles. Currie’s release came as a surprise to some as he shined during OTAs and minicamp.
- Washington announced that running back Michael Hill has been released from the 90-man roster, according to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post (on Twitter). Washington’s roster now stands at 89 players.
- The Patriots re-signed undrafted rookie wide receiver Zach D’Orazio, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Akron product, who is effective out of the slot, was with the team from May 26th through June 11th.
- The Dolphins announced that undrafted rookie offensive tackle Mickey Baucus will retire, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets.
East Notes: Kromer, Cassel, Harris
Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is scheduled to appear in court for an August 12 plea date, following his arrest last weekend, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. With Kromer having been placed on indefinite paid administrative leave by the Bills this week, that August court session could go a long way toward determining whether or not he’ll have a job with the team by the time the regular season gets underway.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- We’ve been hearing in recent weeks that Matt Cassel may be in danger of losing his roster spot on the Bills, but Rodak believes that, despite a shaky spring and a sizable salary, Cassel still has about a 60% chance of making the regular season roster.
- This week, ESPN.com’s AFC East writers weighed in on which coach is on the hottest seat in the division. Unsurprisingly, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin ran away with the dubious distinction. Philbin is 23-25 as Miami’s head coach. Meanwhile, Rex Ryan (Bills) and Todd Bowles (Jets) were just hired earlier in 2015, and Bill Belichick‘s job with the Patriots certainly seems safe.
- Wide receiver Marcus Harris, cut by the Giants yesterday with an injured designation, underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee last month, which led to his removal from the team’s 90-man roster, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Assuming he’s not claimed today, Harris figures to land on the Giants’ injured reserve list. It’s the second straight year that the 26-year-old has seen his chances of earning a spot on the club’s Week 1 roster dashed by injuries.
Extra Points: Battle, Supplemental Draft, Lions
They say that home is where the heart is and Andre Johnson‘s heart told him to head east to Miami this offseason, as he told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
“I always had a dream of playing at home. I was a huge Dolphins fan,” Johnson said. “But they never called.”
With no apparent interest from the Dolphins, the former University of Miami star instead joined up with former Hurricanes teammate Frank Gore in Indianapolis. Here’s more from around the league..
- Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle looks like the most likely player to get taken in the supplemental draft but Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears that he looked “good, not great” at his recent pro day workout. At least six teams remain interested in Battle, who profiles most likely as a right tackle but possibly a left tackle depending on the scheme he’d play in. Battle has been compared to D.J. Fluker out of Alabama, a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, but he has also been flagged as someone with off-the-field issues. Those issues could drop Battle to the fifth or sixth round but he could also go as high as the fourth, based on what Cole is hearing.
- Fourteen teams have inquired about former UConn tight end Sean McQuillan over the past few days, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The Raiders, Dolphins, and Lions attended a recent workout of his and McQuillan performed up to expectations – he didn’t drop a pass and he ran sharp routes. McQuillan was arrested this spring following a fight with his roommate and he was denied entrance into school.
- The NFL has hired Rod Graves as its new senior V.P. of football administration and club services, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Graves spent roughly a year in the Jets’ front office but is better known for his time as GM of the Cardinals. A league source tells Florio that the NFL has hired Graves to “oversee all club and game-related initiatives concerning the Competition Committee, general managers, and head coaches.” In Florio’s estimation, Graves’ central duty will be to prevent hiccups from becoming national scandals like DeflateGate.
Andre Johnson Had Interest In Dolphins
When Andre Johnson was released by the Texans back in March, it didn’t take him long to find a new home in the AFC South. After receiving some interest from the Chargers, Eagles, and a handful of other clubs, the veteran wideout signed with the Colts, joining former Miami Hurricanes teammate Frank Gore in Indianapolis.
While he’s happy to be a Colt, Johnson admitted that, after having played his high school and college ball in Miami, playing for the Dolphins “was something [he] thought about,” writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
“I always had a dream of playing at home. I was a huge Dolphins fan,” Johnson said. “But they never called.”
The Dolphins revamped their wide receiving corps this offseason, jettisoning Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, and Brandon Gibson, while bringing aboard Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, and first-round draft pick DeVante Parker.
While Johnson could’ve potentially filled the role occupied by Jennings, Miami seemed to be targeting younger, cheaper players for its top roles, while Jennings is expected to be a complementary piece — at two years and $8MM, Jennings was a more affordable veteran addition than Johnson (three years, $21MM) would have been.
Offseason In Review: Miami Dolphins
After being a staple in the playoffs for roughly the entire history of the franchise, the Dolphins have only one playoff appearance since 2001, including six consecutive seasons without a winning record. It finally feels like the Dolphins have the quarterback in place to make a run at the division – and it doesn’t hurt that their biggest competition might be missing theirs – and their offseason centered around winning the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes. However, Miami did much more than just that to put itself in a position to make a run at the playoffs, and the team might not be finished just yet.
Notable signings:
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: Six years, $114.375MM. $59.955MM guaranteed.
- Jordan Cameron, TE: Two years, $15MM. $5MM guaranteed.
- Greg Jennings, WR: Two years, $8MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Brice McCain, CB: Two years, $5.5MM. $3MM guaranteed.
- Matt Moore, QB: One year, $2.6MM. $1.6MM guaranteed.
- Kelvin Sheppard, LB: One year, $1.35MM. $500K guaranteed.
- Jason Fox, T: Two years, $2.5MM. $475K guaranteed.
- J.D. Walton, C: One year, $1.025MM. $250K guaranteed.
- Zackary Bowman, CB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- C.J. Mosley, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
- Jeff Linkenbach, G: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
- Derrick Shelby, DE: One year, $2.356MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
- Louis Delmas, S: One year, $2.25MM.
- Josh Freeman, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Jacques McClendon, G: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- Spencer Paysinger, LB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
- LaMichael James, RB: One year, minimum salary.
The numbers speak for themselves: Six years, $114.375MM. $59.955MM guaranteed. LeBron James makes it hard to say that Suh is hand down the biggest free agent South Beach ever drew, and Giancarlo Stanton’s contract overshadows Suh’s, but the Dolphins made a very large move for a very large man. No matter which direction this team goes, Suh will get the lion’s share of the credit (or blame), at least on the defensive side of the ball. His detractors will note that he isn’t as good as J.J. Watt, but you could argue Suh is the best player to hit free agency in the prime of his career since Reggie White, and he got paid like it.
It’s a big gamble to devote that many precious cap dollars to one player, but Suh is a true difference maker on the defensive line. He’s a stout run defender, and he’s among the best in the league at rushing the passer from the interior — he has the talent to live up to that massive contract.
Suh wasn’t the only defensive tackle the Dolphins added. They also signed his former Lions’ teammate C.J. Mosley, who was thought by many to be a lock to return to Detroit in an increased role. Instead, Mosley should provide cheap insurance for the Dolphins in case Suh misses time, and he should also fit nicely in a rotation that can’t afford to be that deep with all the resources devoted to Suh. The team also spent a second-round pick on one of the top college nose tackles, but we’ll get to that later.
The Dolphins traded Mike Wallace and replaced him with veteran Greg Jennings. Charles Clay signed an offer sheet with the Bills and the Dolphins declined to match the offer, instead signing Jordan Cameron as a replacement. The club also took a flier on LaMichael James to complement Lamar Miller, in the role Knowshon Moreno was supposed to fill before going down with injury last year.
In addition to the holes they made sure to fill, the Dolphins also added J.D. Walton and Jason Fox along the offensive line. Both players are likely to provide depth, each bringing six years of NFL experience that could prove extremely helpful considering the recent struggles along the offensive line. Louis Delmas, Brice McCain, and Zackary Bowman should all provide similar depth along a thin defensive backfield, and if all goes right they should see the field plenty with a chance to have an impact.
One more notable name Miami brought in was Josh Freeman, who may have a chance to stick on the roster if he has a strong preseason and flashes the upside that made him a first-round pick to begin with. However, keeping Matt Moore in the fold was much more important, as he’s considered to be a high-end backup capable of steering the ship in the event of an unfortunate injury to Ryan Tannehill.
Notable losses:
- Charles Clay, TE: Assigned transition tag, declined to match Bills’ offer.
- Daryn Colledge, G: Retired
- Cortland Finnegan, CB: Released (he then retired).
- Jonathan Freeny, LB
- Nate Garner, OL: Released
- Brandon Gibson, WR: Released
- Brian Hartline, WR: Released
- Knowshon Moreno, RB
- Jared Odrick, DT
- Samson Satele, C
- Shelley Smith, G: Released
- R.J. Stanford, CB
- Randy Starks, DT: Released
- Daniel Thomas, RB
- Jason Trusnik, LB
- Philip Wheeler, LB: Released
- Jimmy Wilson, CB
A number of the Dolphins’ offseason losses were either expected or at least left the team indifferent, such as Philip Wheeler, Daniel Thomas, Shelley Smith, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Nate Garner, Cortland Finnegan, and Daryn Colledge, all of whom had struggled. Miami appeared happy to move on from them, and that’s a good thing, considering an 8-8 team that spent so much in free agency usually would have to part with much better players to stay under the cap.
Still, the team was forced to let go of a number of players who were still making an impact, and chief among them is Jared Odrick. Odrick was still playing at a high level, and was rewarded with a big contract of his own with the Jaguars. Suh is definitely an upgrade, but Odrick had played well in Miami for years and the decision not to re-sign him is the cost of doing business. Randy Starks is another defensive tackle who has been a staple of the Dolphins defense, but the team decided to go younger at the position behind Suh.
After that, Jimmy Wilson, R.J. Stanford, Jason Trusnik, and Jonathan Freeny are all usable players, but since they’re more or less replacement level, the Dolphins could afford to let them leave during the offseason in order to throw their resources elsewhere on the roster.
Extensions and restructures:
- Ryan Tannehill, QB: Extended through 2020. Four years, $77MM. $21.5MM guaranteed. Club had already exercised his 2016 fifth-year option.
- Mike Pouncey, C: Extended through 2020. Five years, $44.75MM. $11MM guaranteed.
- Brandon Fields, P: Restructured contract. Reduced 2015 cap hit from $3.9MM to $2.52MM.
Tannehill is the spiritual brother to Suh on the Dolphins, in that the team’s success will be directly linked to how he plays as far as the public is concerned. He could complete 65% of his passes with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but if the Dolphins don’t make the postseason, Tannehill won’t get the respect as one of the rising stars in the league. Considering the blowback when he signed his deal, coming off a season where he completed 66% of his passes for 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, Dolphins’ fans are ready for a postseason berth.
Luckily for Tannehill, he should have the best offensive line in front of him he has had yet in his career, starting with the newly-extended Mike Pouncey, who signed a deal to keep him with the team through 2020. Pouncey will look to lead an offensive line that returns last year’s big free agent signing Branden Albert and last year’s first-round pick Ja’Wuan James, along with a pair of young guards, to keep Tannehill upright and run the ball effectively again.
Trades:
- Acquired WR Kenny Stills from the Saints in exchange for LB Dannell Ellerbe and a 2015 third-round pick.
- Acquired a 2015 fifth-round pick from the Vikings in exchange for WR Mike Wallace.
- Acquired a 2015 second-round pick (No. 52; DT Jordan Phillips), a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 145; CB Bobby McCain), and a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 156; CB Tony Lippett) from the Eagles in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick (No. 47; DB Eric Rowe) and a 2015 sixth-round pick (No. 191; CB JaCorey Shepherd).
Trading Wallace isn’t going to hurt too much, as he was scapegoated for many of Tannehill’s struggles with the deep ball, and the team hedged against it by trading for Kenny Stills, who was one of the best in the league at hauling in deep passes during his time with Drew Brees. Getting rid of Ellerbe in the deal justifies the high price paid for Stills, and is the closest thing seen in the NFL to the NBA version of using draft picks to sweeten a salary dump.
Moving down five spots in the draft doesn’t seem like as big a move, but the two cornerbacks chosen with the fifth-round picks could go a long way to rebuilding a defensive backfield the team could have trouble filling out with all the money devoted to the defensive line and pass rushers.
Draft picks:
- 1-14: DeVante Parker, WR (Louisville): Signed
- 2-52: Jordan Phillips, DT (Oklahoma): Signed
- 4-114: Jamil Douglas, G (Arizona State): Signed
- 5-145: Bobby McCain, CB (Memphis): Signed
- 5-149: Jay Ajayi, RB (Boise State): Signed
- 5-150: Ced Thompson, S (Minnesota): Signed
- 5-156: Tony Lippett, CB (Michigan State): Signed
DeVante Parker should quickly rise in the pecking order on offense, and if Stills comes through as a major deep threat but not much more, it shouldn’t be long before Parker emerges as the No. 1 wideout in Miami. Jennings may play that role early on, but he’s in the twilight of his career, and while he adds veteran value, it seems awfully optimistic to expect an 80-catch season at this stage of his career.
The more interesting selection came in round two, where the 6’5″, 329-pound Jordan Phillips comes in with an NFL-ready body who could plug in at nose tackle from day one and eat up blocks on the inside. He gives the Dolphins some flexibility with where to play Suh along the defensive line, allowing him to bump out in certain situations.
Jamil Douglas, a fourth-round pick, could be the starter at guard as a rookie, slotting in between Pro Bowlers Pouncey and Albert to ease his transition into the NFL. After that, the team was smart to take three depth pieces for the defensive backfield and an NFL-ready running back in Jay Ajayi, who was lauded for his abilities to run, catch, and block, even if his knees were red flag enough to drop him to the fifth round with the stigma that he may not survive until his second contract.
Other:
- Hired Mike Tannenbaum as executive VP of football operations.
- Learned DE Dion Jordan would be suspended for the entire 2015 season.
- Claimed OL Donald Hawkins off waivers from the Cowboys.
- Signed six players to reserve/futures contracts
- Signed 16 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
The most disappointing part of the offseason was learning that Dion Jordan would be suspended for the entire year. The Dolphins may have already given up on Jordan before last season, as they’ve reportedly tried to trade him multiple times and have either come up with no suitors or asked for too high a return. The former third overall pick missed six games due to a suspension last year, and continues to disappoint the organization and fan base that invested so much in him.
The biggest indictment on Jordan is that with Chip Kelly making personnel decisions in Philadelphia, even he wouldn’t pony up a little something for the former Oregon Duck, when it seems like the Dolphins would have given him away at a bargain rate. Even off the field, Jordan continues to be a headache for the team, and it’s not as if he was producing at a high level the few times he was playing.
Top 10 cap hits for 2015:
- Branden Albert, LT: $10,725,000
- Cameron Wake, DE: $10,450,000
- Brent Grimes, CB: $10,000,000
- Reshad Jones, S: $7,712,942
- Mike Pouncey, C: $7,000,000
- Mike Wallace, WR: $6,600,000 (dead money)
- Dannell Ellerbe, LB: $6,400,000 (dead money)
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: $6,100,000
- Ryan Tannehill, QB: $4,873,364
- Dion Jordan, DE/OLB: $4,682,276
The running theme of the offseason ran through the two big contracts, one for Suh and one for Tannehill. With the commitments made to those two this offseason, the Dolphins have made them the faces of the defense and offense, respectively.
Around the two stars, the team’s plan has for the most part been throwing a lot of things at the wall and hoping they stick. They should be commended for recognizing weaknesses at offensive line and defensive back, and throwing a lot of assets at those spots. However, the dangers of giving big contracts to two players can be seen in that strategy. While the team added and added to both position groups, they did so mostly with middling free agents and low-round draft picks. Hoping that one or two of these players turns into something more than a replacement-level player is a gamble, especially if the coaching staff struggles with player development.
Miami added some high-upside players early in the draft, but even those guys will grab minimal headlines early in their career. Come December, the Dolphins will either be in the playoff hunt or they won’t, and whether they are or not will likely fall on the shoulders of their two big stars.
Contract information from Over the Cap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post.
Extra Points: Attaochu, Bowman, Bridgewater
Earlier today, Rory Parks gave us a roundup of some notes from some early Sunday NFL news, including an update on Chris Borland‘s post-NFL life, Marcus Mariota’s potential holdout, and a couple of notes on the Saints, Browns, and Broncos.
Now, for anyone who was too busy watching the USA defeat Japan 5-2 in the World Cup, here are a couple more pieces of NFL news that trickled across the landscape this evening:
- Second-year pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu only had two sacks in limited snaps as a rookie, but is focused on improving that number in 2015, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. He writes that Attaochu trained in combine-related drills for much of last offseason, but is focused on football-specific drills and getting reps in practice to prepare him for an increased role with the Chargers this year.
- The Dolphins signed Zackary Bowman this offseason to compete for the starting cornerback job across from Brent Grimes, but right now the leader for that spot is Jamar Taylor, writes James Walker of ESPN. Bowman hasn’t stood out in minicamps, and Walker writes he has about a 50 percent chance of making the final roster, depending on how many cornerbacks the team keeps on the depth chart.
- The Vikings are excited about Teddy Bridgewater and how he got stronger as the season went on in 2014, especially offensive coordinator Norv Turner, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today in his offseason report. With Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Kalil, and Brandon Fusco all back healthy on available, and Mike Wallace added to the fold, Bridgewater is ready to break out as leader of the offense.
- Detroit Lions’ beat writer Dave Birkett addressed a number of issues on a Q&A with Ste Hoare of TheRouteTree.com. Birkett believes that Ameer Abdullah will begin the season as a complement to Joique Bell in the role Reggie Bush filled, but expects him to eventually emerge as the feature back. He also addresses the concern that first-round pick Laken Tomlinson’s interest in the medical field could leave him to an early retirement in the vain of Borland, but Birkett does not believe the team is worried and writes that the Lions encourage his interests off-the-field.
AFC Links: Raiders, Dolphins, Green
The stadium proposal that didn’t exactly receive rave reviews leaves some unanswered questions regarding the feasibility of its completion and, naturally, the Raiders‘ future in Oakland, writes Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group.
Chief among them, writes Artz, is whether the stadium can be built for the $900MM budgeted, and if not, what’s the plan if additional funds are required? Artz points out how Levi’s Stadium was slated to cost $937MM but ended up running a $1.3 billion tab.
The project would have to be financed entirely by the NFL and the Raiders, and the proposed 55,000-seat stadium would be smaller and is projected to generate less revenue than what’s being discussed in Carson, Calif. But before seeing a cost breakdown, which the Raiders have not released, determining the project’s viability is difficult, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at USC’s School of Business David Carter told Artz.
Here are some more details from around the league on Independence Day eve.
- The Raiders upgraded at backup quarterback in Christian Ponder, a veteran of new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave‘s offense from the duo’s time in Minnesota from 2011-13, writes Steve Corkran of RaiderBeat.com. Corkran doesn’t doubt starter Derek Carr‘s ability to make a “precipitous” leap this season and believes new weapons Amari Cooper and Clive Walford will help in this effort. Concluding his analysis of the Oakland quarterback spot, the veteran Raiders reporter predicts Matt McGloin will beat out rookie Cody Fajardo.
- New Raiders offensive coordinator Mike Tice has taken to second-year guard Gabe Jackson, referring to the 2014 third-round pick as a “rising star,” offers CSNBayArea.com. Jackson was the 27th-best guard, per Pro Football Focus, last season and now has the benefit of working next to key free agent acquisition Rodney Hudson in Year 2.
- In his series on who’s bound for the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, James Walker of ESPN.com gives running back Mike Gillislee a 25% chance at making the team in what could be his final training camp in Miami. Currently fifth on the depth chart behind Lamar Miller, rookie Jay Ajayi, LaMichael James and Damien Williams, Gillislee has just six carries for 21 yards in his two-year career.
- Even before Antonio Gates‘ suspension, the Chargers were planning to allot more time to Ladarius Green, writes Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With the Chargers viewing Green as a superior run-blocker to the 35-year-old Gates, the veteran’s early absence could expedite Melvin Gordon‘s development.