Extra Points: Fowler, Jordan, Giants, Bolts
Although Jaguars defensive end and third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. tore his ACL in rookie camp earlier this week and won’t play in 2015, don’t expect the team to shortchange him on his first contract. Fowler, who is currently unsigned, will still receive the deal he was originally going to get, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
The injury to Fowler might bring about a change in the structure of his contract, not the value, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. That could include an offset clause in Fowler’s deal, meaning the Jags would owe him less money in the event that they release him down the line. Further, in the wake of Fowler’s injury, Corry believes agents could insist their unsigned clients sit out rookie minicamp in the future.
Here’s other news from around the league as Saturday wraps up:
- Linebacker Dion Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in 2013, has an uncertain future with the team after his most recent suspension, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. While the Dolphins stood by Jordan in the past, head coach Joe Philbin isn’t committed to having him back in 2016.
- It isn’t set in stone that ninth overall pick Ereck Flowers will be the Giants’ starting right tackle in 2015, according to offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. “Justin Pugh, right now, is the starting right tackle for the Giants,” said McAdoo, per Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
- If Flowers doesn’t end up on the right side, there’s a chance he could be the Giants’ solution at left tackle. “We believe that he has a skill set to play left tackle in this league,’’ McAdoo said, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “We will give him opportunities to train at multiple spots.’’
- Chargers team president Dean Spanos met with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer earlier this week. That might be a sign negotiations on a new stadium are picking up, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams expects the Chargers to give an update on their situation in two weeks at the league’s owners meetings. If a new stadium deal isn’t reached between the Chargers and San Diego by the end of next season, the team will be able to relocate. Carson, Calif., is its likely destination.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Rookie Notes: Winston, Shelton, Fowler Jr.
According to a document obtained by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston has filed a counterclaim against Erica Kinsman, the woman who initially sued the rookie for sexual assault.
The player’s lawyers claim the first-overall pick didn’t do anything wrong, and they cite numerous people who have rejected the claim. Furthermore, they say Kinsman launched a “false and vicious media campaign to vilify Mr. Winston with the objective of getting him to pay her to go away.”
Florio opines that the case is “destined to linger in the court system for months” and will ultimately result in a jury trial.
Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s rookies…
- Danny Shelton, the No. 12 overall pick in this year’s draft, still hasn’t signed with the Browns, but Mary Kay Cabot of Ohio.com says the rookie is close to signing his four-year contract. The reporter notes that Shelton signed an injury protection waiver prior to his initial rookie practice, guaranteeing money in case of injury.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley confirmed that Dante Fowler Jr. will miss the entire season, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The writer notes that the rookie won’t even attempt to come back towards the end of the season, a la Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram in 2013.
- Defensive end James Rouse tore his ACL yesterday, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told ESPN’s Tania Ganguli (via Twitter). The undrafted free agent joined Houston earlier this week.
- The Bills have brought in quarterbacks Austin Trainor (West Georgia) and Brandon Hill (Monmouth) for tryouts, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter).
- The Dolphins also have a pair of quarterbacks in for tryouts, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker (on Twitter): rookie Hutson Mason (Georgia) and 2014 undrafted free agent Chase Rettig (Boston College).
AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Raiders, Dolphins, Texans
It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting notes from the AFC…
- The Chiefs appear content with their current roster and aren’t eyeing any current free agents, says Adam Teicher. Of course, injuries could quickly alter the team’s plans.
- Meanwhile, Teicher can understand the connection between the organization and free agent wideout James Jones (particularly the receiver’s relationship with Chiefs general manager John Dorsey), but he’s uncertain the team will pursue the veteran.
- Had James Jones remained with the Raiders, Bill Williamson believes the wideout would have affected “the long-term progress of the group.” While the team’s selection of Amari Cooper seemed like a natural explanation for Jones’ release, Williamson instead points to the Raiders’ acquisition of Michael Crabtree.
- The draft was the Dolphins‘ “final chance” to acquire an impact linebacker, opines James Walker. Since the team did not draft a player at the position, the writer says the team will be forced to “coach up” backups Chris McCain and Spencer Paysinger.
- Tania Ganguli says it was “not necessarily” a mistake by the Texans to not select a tight end in the draft. Instead of going after someone like Maxx Williams, the organization selected the best available player in the first round, and then they addressed critical needs with their later picks.
Dolphins Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents
3:37pm: The Dolphins have added a couple more UDFAs to their roster, tweeting word of Marshall linebacker Neville Hewitt‘s signing, and listing former Maine wideout Damarr Aultman on their minicamp roster. Aultman got a $1.5K signing bonus, per Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).
10:09am: The Dolphins are the latest team to officially confirm their undrafted free agent signings, announcing (via Twitter) the 14 players they’ve added to their roster. Here are the team’s newest additions:
- Mickey Baucus, OL, Arizona
- Matt Darr, P, Tennessee
- Ray Drew, DE, Georgia
- Andrew Franks, K, RPI
- Mike Hull, LB, Penn State
- Christion Jones, WR, Alabama
- Nigel King, WR, Kansas
- Mike Liedtke, OL, Illinois State
- Jeff Luc, LB, Cincinnati
- Ellis McCarthy, DE, UCLA
- Kendall Montgomery, DE, Bowling Green
- Dionte Savage, OL, Oklahoma
- Zach Vigil, LB, Utah State
- Aundrey Walker, OL, USC
Draft Signings: Dolphins, Jets, Ravens
Here at PFR, we’re giving individual posts to players from the first and second-round that sign with their respective clubs. You’ll find news on the guys from rounds 3-7 in the roundups. Here are the latest..
- The Ravens agreed to a deal with fourth-round running back Buck Allen, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Packers signed another sixth-round pick in tight end Kennard Backman, Silverstein tweets. Green Bay now has five picks under contract with three to go.
- The Giants announced the signings of fifth-round pick Mykkele Thompson and seventh-round choice Bobby Hart, according to Dan Graziano of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- The Dolphins have agreed in principle on a deal with fifth-round cornerback Bobby McCain, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). McCain will receive roughly $2.5MM over the course of his four-year deal and a $228K signing bonus.
- Not long after that, the Dolphins wrapped up their entire draft class by signing fourth-round guard Jamil Douglas, fifth-round safety Cedric Thompson, and fifth-round wide receiver Tony Lippett, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- The Jets announced that they have signed fifth-round offensive guard Jarvis Harrison, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
- The Ravens inked fifth-round tight end Nick Boyle, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. Boyle also auditioned for the divisional rival Browns during the draft process.
- The Packers have signed Christian Ringo, a defensive tackle taken in the sixth round, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter).
Dolphins To Sign Second-Round Pick Jordan Phillips
The Dolphins have agreed to terms with second-round pick Jordan Phillips, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins now have their top two picks signed to deals after first-round choice DeVante Parker agreed to terms earlier today.
Phillips, a defensive tackle, was chosen with the No. 52 overall pick. The Oklahoma standout is considered to be a little bit rough, but he’ll be learning from the absolute best at the position when he lines up alongside Ndamukong Suh. Recently, GM Dennis Hickey told reporters, including Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, that the war room was overjoyed about picking Phillips.
“He truly was the best player available on our board,” Hickey said. “We took him and we almost had an earthquake up there, the defensive coaches trying to break down the walls, they were so excited.”
In addition to Phillips, the Dolphins have signed fifth-round running back Jay Ajayi, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Rishard Matthews Seeks Trade Or Release
Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews, unhappy with his role in Miami, is boycotting the Dolphins’ voluntary workouts in the hopes of forcing a trade or his release, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Matthews wanted to be traded or cut by the Dolphins — Beasley’s fellow Herald scribe Armando Salguero reported the same thing back in February. Presumably, as the club moved on from veterans Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Brian Hartline, Matthews became more optimistic about getting an opportunity to see consistent offensive snaps in 2015.
However, the Dolphins actively sought out replacements for their departed wideouts, trading a third-round pick for Kenny Stills, signing Greg Jennings in free agency, and using their first-round pick on DeVante Parker. With Jarvis Landry still in the mix as well, the Dolphins “made clear through their actions” that the club still views Matthews as a No. 5 receiver, writes Beasley.
Matthews, 25, saw 67 targets and caught 41 of them back in 2013, but has otherwise been a little-used weapon on offense during his three years in Miami, seeing more action on special teams. The former seventh-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so his base salary is an affordable $660K, and the Dolphins would only have to carry about $13K on their cap if they dealt him.
La’el Collins Rumors: Thursday
NFL teams can’t make visits to Baton Rouge to meet with LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins until the school’s final exams conclude later this week, but clubs are finding ways around that rule, making informal recruiting pitches and bringing Collins to them rather than going to him. A report last night indicated that the undrafted free agent was visiting the Cowboys in Dallas, and we have more details on that meeting, as well as Thursday’s other updates on Collins:
- The Colts are trying to set up a meeting with Collins, and the Falcons are also in the running to sign him, tweets Michael Cauble of WBRZ in Baton Rouge. In total, Collins has five teams on his radar, and is weighing each situation, considering playing time and other factors, according to Cauble (Twitter link).
- Per Cauble (Twitter link), Collins is scheduled to fly to Miami for a more formal meeting with the Dolphins within the next 24 hours.
Earlier updates:
- Collins received the “red carpet treatment” from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who hosted the lineman at his private residence in Dallas, and was joined by Tony Romo and the team’s offensive line, writes Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 New Orleans. According to Sabadie’s source, Jones told Collins that the Cowboys “want to assemble the greatest offensive line ever.”
- Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links), who also reported on Collins’ meeting with the Cowboys, writes that the rookie lineman is taking his time, weighing his options, and looking for the best fit.
- Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examines what sort of money teams could offer to Collins, noting that clubs already committing a good chunk of bonus money to other undrafted free agents could be at a slight disadvantage, since they’d have little left to offer from their UDFA pools.
East Notes: McCoy, C. Johnson, Cowboys
Bills running back LeSean McCoy has poured some fuel on what appeared to be a dormant controversy, not-to-subtly suggesting to Mike Rodak of ESPN that Chip Kelly‘s roster decisions for the Eagles have some racial motivation to them.
“He wants the full control,” McCoy said of Kelly’s managerial style. “You see how fast he got rid of all the good players. Especially all the good black players. He got rid of them the fastest. That’s the truth. There’s a reason. … It’s hard to explain with him. But there’s a reason he got rid of all the black players — the good ones — like that.”
While McCoy raises a few eyebrows, let’s check in on a few other items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions…
- Approached by TMZ and asked about the possibility of signing with the Cowboys, free agent running back Chris Johnson admitted that “that’s what we’re trying to do,” adding that he’d be a good fit in Dallas (link via the Dallas Morning News). The Cowboys haven’t been too aggressive in trying to replace DeMarco Murray this offseason, unexpectedly passing on running backs in last week’s draft. However, executive VP of football operations Stephen Jones did tell DMN’s Jon Machota that the team is open to adding another veteran, so perhaps Johnson will receive consideration at some point.
- While La’el Collins would be a great addition to the Dolphins‘ roster on the field, the team should exercise caution and slow its pursuit of the former LSU offensive lineman until he’s completely cleared by police, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus reviews the draft and the undrafted free agent class for the Patriots and for the Jets.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Raiders waived tight end Nick Kasa with a failed physical designation, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Oakland also bid farewell to cornerback Jansen Watson, defensive tackle Kona Scwhenke, linebacker Justin Jackson, and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
- The Chargers added tight end depth by claiming Kyle Miller off waivers from the Falcons, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Before landing in Atlanta, spent time with the Colts in 2012. To make room on the roster, the Bolts have waived defensive end Damik Scafe.
- The Seahawks waived five players today, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Seattle cut ties with Justin Renfrow, Mike Taylor, Julius Warmsley, Jared Wheeler, and Mike Zimmer. Taylor was waived with a failed physical designation.
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have waived defensive back T.J. Heath, kicker Zach Hocker, and defensive back Lowell Rose.