AFC East Notes: Byrd, Cassel, Bowman, Fins
The Dolphins are expected to re-sign receiver LaRon Byrd this week, a source tells Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Byrd, 25, saw brief NFL action last season, appearing in one game with the Browns. He spent the last five weeks of the season on Miami’s practice squad before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Let’s take a look at more from Miami and the rest of the AFC East…
- New Bills quarterback Matt Cassel is excited about the club’s chances in 2015, and favorably compares Buffalo’s roster to that of the Chiefs’ playoff team of 2010 (which Cassel helmed). “The talent level of what we have here overall is much higher than what we had in Kansas City back in 2010,” Cassel told Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “…We’ve got all the pieces to the puzzle here to be a successful football team.”
- After signing with the Dolphins yesterday, veteran cornerback Zackary Bowman now has his sights set on a starting job, as he explains to James Walker of ESPN.com. Miami has a wide open competition at No. 2 CB, where Brice McCain, Will Davis, Jamar Taylor, and perhaps a draft pick will all battle Bowman for time.
- Bowman will also contribute on special teams, an area of focus for the Dolphins this offseason, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel. Along with Bowman and McCain, linebacker additions Kelvin Sheppard and Spencer Paysinger also have special teams experience that could come in handy. Miami’s ST unit ranked as the league’s worst in 2014, according to Football Outsiders.
AFC Notes: Chargers, Bills, Dolphins, Jets
The Chargers appear to be contemplating the post-Philip Rivers era in San Diego, as they take a closer look at Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota today. After working out Mariota, the team’s brass will head to Los Angeles to put UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley through a workout of his own, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy have repeatedly stated they want Rivers to retire as a Charger, so there may be no need to identify his successor quite yet. But Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this offseason is the prime time for San Diego to trade Rivers in a deal to snag Mariota, arguing that all the factors in play point to it being a win-win move for the franchise and for the veteran quarterback, who is entering the final year of his contract.
We still have a little more than two weeks until the draft gets underway, so it will be interesting to see if the Rivers trade rumors pick up steam or die down as April 30 approaches. In the meantime, here are a few more notes from across the AFC:
- Free agent wide receiver Brad Smith is paying a visit to Buffalo to meet with the Bills, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details. Smith played for Rex Ryan on the Jets, but it’s not clear if there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s new club, with players like Percy Harvin, Marcus Easley, and Marcus Thigpen already in the mix as potentially versatile offensive weapons, returners, or special-teamers.
- Given where we’ve seen running backs drafted in the last couple years, it would be surprise to see one go as high as No. 14 overall this year. Nonetheless, the Dolphins, who hold that pick, are hosting Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon for a visit next week, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
- Outside pass rushers Bud Dupree and Shane Ray will be visiting the Jets, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Although there has been plenty of chatter linking Mariota to New York, the team is in a good spot at No. 6 to add a top pass rushing prospect.
- The Steelers hosted Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman, and UAB tight end Kennard Backman on pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown. Cooper met with the Saints in New Orleans yesterday, but we haven’t heard much to date about the tight ends.
- Florida State cornerback Ronald Darby is visiting the Colts today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
- On the heels of the Raiders‘ agreement with free agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com shares a few initial thoughts on the deal, outlining why the former Niner is worth the risk on a one-year investment.
AFC Notes: Tannehill, Colts, Sanders
Following the Dolphins entrusting Mike Pouncey to spearhead their offensive line through the rest of the decade, their next aim is to sign Ryan Tannehill to an extension before the season begins, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).
Although the two sides haven’t had contract discussions since the NFL Scouting Combine, the front office wants to make Tannehill the next Fins cornerstone player.
The Dolphins will certainly pick up the fourth-year quarterback’s fifth-year option by May 3, which will pay him more than $16MM next year if they cannot reach an agreement before Week 1.
Both Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly at the South Florida Sun Sentinel concur Tannehill will be the next Dolphin to sign a long-term extension, but Perkins argues Olivier Vernon should be next (video link). The fourth-year defensive end graded 17th in Pro Football Focus’ 2014 rankings, and Perkins notes paying Vernon before he potentially prices himself out with another solid season now that he’s playing next to Ndamukong Suh is the prudent move.
More from around the AFC, starting in Indianapolis …
- The Colts are going to face a series of dilemmas regarding their strong 2012 draft class, writes Indianapolis Star reporter Stephen Holder. In discussing which of the non-Andrew Luck fourth-season cogs to extend, Holder ranked T.Y. Hilton, who has already fired and re-hired Drew Rosenhaus, as the priority here before following with Anthony Castonzo, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen in that order. The Colts reportedly view Castonzo, soon to be a fifth-year starter, as their long-term left tackle. Holder doesn’t see Fleener reaching the market and categorizes Allen as a deal on the back-burner despite the latter having profiled as a bigger part of the offense when he’s healthy, which hasn’t been his consistent status.
- As expected, Emmanuel Sanders will now play in the slot when the Broncos go to three-wide receiver sets, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. A slot at SMU and with the Steelers, Sanders dominated in a role shift to an outside position last season. But with Wes Welker not returning, it’s logical for Denver to deploy their quickest wideout inside, although they won’t feature as many three-wide looks in Gary Kubiak‘s offense.
- Should the restricted free agent remain in the Browns‘ plans, Tashaun Gipson may be the premier safety in an AFC North division that now houses neither Ed Reed nor Troy Polamalu for the first time since 2002, writes Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland placed a second-round tender on Gipson, who’s entering his age-25 season after a breakout 2014. But the Pro Bowler who’s due for unrestricted free agency next spring has yet to sign it.
Raiders, Dolphins, Ravens Eyeing Crabtree
6:54pm: The Raiders have emerged as the frontrunners to land Crabtree, report ESPN’s Adam Caplan and Bill Williamson, via Twitter. The pair expect an agreement as soon as tonight.
1:59pm: More than a month into 2015’s NFL free agent period, former Niners receiver Michael Crabtree is arguably the biggest name still on the board. While it doesn’t appear Crabtree is on the verge of a deal, he’s drawing the most interest from three teams, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who identifies the Raiders, Dolphins, and Ravens as the wideout’s top suitors.
None of those three clubs is a surprise contestant in the Crabtree sweepstakes. The former first-round pick has already paid a visit to two of those three suitors, having traveled to Oakland and Miami. As for Baltimore, our Rory Parks detailed yesterday how the Ravens are very much in the market for receiving help, so it makes sense that the team would be considering the top free agent at the position.
In 2014, Crabtree appeared in all 16 games for the 49ers, hauling in 68 catches for 698 yards and four scores. While San Francisco was undoubtedly delighted to see Crabtree play a full season after missing the bulk of 2013, those numbers didn’t match his best production in 2012, when he had 85 grabs for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. I’d bet that the 27-year-old is seeking a deal that pays him for something closer to that 2012 production than his modest 2014 numbers, though perhaps his asking price has come down over the last few weeks.
According to Maiocco, the Niners have kept the door open for a possible return for Crabtree, but he appears set on getting a fresh start somewhere else.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Draft, Dolphins, Bills
The Jets might be ready to move on from Geno Smith, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says the New York is taking a look at all the quarterback options available in the draft. The Jets like Florida State’s Jameis Winston, but the Buccaneers are expected to either select Winston, or ask for a “king’s ransom” to trade down, per Cole. As such, Gang Green is also interested in Marcus Mariota, Bryce Petty, and Garrett Grayson, among others, so it sounds like Smith might not be in the club’s 2015 plans.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- In addition to quarterbacks, the Jets are taking a look at receivers, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) reports that the club will have a predraft meeting with Arizona pass-catcher Austin Hill today.
- Oregon tackle Jake Fisher is a candidate to be selected near the end of the first round, and he’ll meet with several teams in need of offensive line help, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Fisher has visits lined up with the Dolphins, Bengals, Saints, and Colts, per Garafolo.
- With Marcell Dareus heading for free agency after the upcoming season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines whether the Bills could expend an early pick on a defensive tackle.
Dolphins Sign Zackary Bowman
1:38pm: Bowman’s deal is for one year, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
1:20pm: After bringing him in for a visit this morning, the Dolphins didn’t waste any time reaching a contract agreement with free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman. According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), Bowman signed with the team today. The club has since confirmed the move (Twitter link).
Bowman, 30, joined the Giants last year after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Bears. The former fifth-round pick started five games for New York in 2014, and earned 458 overall defensive snaps.
According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), of the 108 qualified cornerbacks in the league last season, no player held opposing quarterbacks to a lower completion percentage on passes into his coverage than Bowman (36.1%). However, four of the 13 completions he did allow went for touchdowns.
The Dolphins notably added Ndamukong Suh to help fortify their defense earlier this offseason, but haven’t been quite as aggressive addressing the back end of the unit — cornerback Brice McCain is the only other free agent defensive back to join the club this offseason. Even with McCain and Bowman now in the mix, cornerback may be an area of focus for Miami in the upcoming draft.
Dolphins Sign Mike Pouncey To Extension
MONDAY, 12:09pm: Pouncey’s deal is now official, according to the Dolphins (Twitter link). The extension, which locks the center up through the 2020 season, adds five new years to his existing 2015 contract — those five new years are worth just under $45MM, with the full six-year value coming in at $52.15MM.
FRIDAY, 8:38pm: Pouncey’s extension is a five-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The contract is worth $52.15MM, per ESPN’s James Walker and Adam Schefter. and includes $22MM in guarantees and an $11MM signing bonus.
6:58pm: The Dolphins and Pouncey have agreed to an extension, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Details of the contract have not yet been released, but Salguero reports (Twitter link) that Pouncey will be the highest-paid center in the NFL.
12:46pm: Mike Pouncey appears set to remain with the Dolphins on a long-term extension, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Terms of the impending agreement are not yet known, but Kelly reports they’re in the neighborhood of the $40MM extension Maurkice Pouncey received from the Steelers last year.
The Dolphins opted into Pouncey’s fifth-year option last May, which at the time guaranteed him just more than $7MM this season. This will likely lower his 2015 cap hit and guarantee the ex-first-rounder upwards of $13MM this season, reports Kelly.
After a return from an offseason hip injury that sidelined him for five games, the 25-year-old Pouncey made his second straight Pro Bowl last season despite shifting to right guard from his natural center role due to injuries on Miami’s front. The arrival of low-tier starting center J.D. Walton last month is not expected to deter Pouncey from moving back to the center position he occupied for the Dolphins from 2011 until midway through 2014.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) did not prefer Pouncey’s guard work to his top-flight center resume, rating him as a below-average blocker for a line that’s allowed 100 sacks the past two campaigns.
Miami remains interested in finding guards to place alongside Pouncey, according to Kelly.
As of now, the Fins have more than $11MM worth of salary cap space. Should this extension come to fruition, it will give the Dolphins’ line two top-market contracts, with Branden Albert signed to a five-year, $47MM deal.
FA Notes: Bell, Titans, Bowman, Dolphins
Let’s check in on the latest updates on a pair of unrestricted free agents searching for jobs, as well as a pair of restricted free agents who will soon find out where they’ll be playing next season….
- Offensive tackle Byron Bell, who recently worked out for the Chiefs, is now receiving consideration from another AFC team, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. According to Wyatt, Bell is visiting the Titans today. The Titans saw longtime tackle Michael Roos retire this offseason, and release Michael Oher, so the club is in the market for a tackle to complement Taylor Lewan, and brought in Joe Barksdale for a visit last week. If Tennessee were to sign Bell, the team would essentially be swapping tackles with the Panthers, with Bell’s old team having signed Oher.
- Free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman is visiting the Dolphins today, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that there’s a “pretty good chance” Bowman ends up signing with Miami. I didn’t mention Bowman when I examined the notable defensive free agents still on the market over the weekend, but the former Giant did play 458 defensive snaps last season, starting five games for New York.
- Safety Sean Richardson was in Green Bay for a visit and a physical on Sunday, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who notes that could be a sign that the Packers will match the Raiders‘ offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Green Bay’s decision is due today.
- The Lions‘ decision on whether or not to match the Buccaneers‘ offer sheet for RFA defensive end George Johnson is also due today. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out (via Twitter), that Johnson has already signed eight contracts with Tampa Bay, having frequently been shuttled on and off the team’s roster and practice squad earlier in his playing career.
AFC Notes: Nicks, Holliman, Trevathan
Veteran receivers will likely remain on the Dolphins‘ radar until at least the draft and probably after, considering the team lost two veteran wideouts this spring.
Miami is targeting a veteran to supplement what is now the youngest wide receiver corps in the league, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Michael Crabtree, Wes Welker and Greg Jennings remain in play for the Dolphins. An earlier report circulated that Crabtree and the Dolphins discussed specifics on contract parameters, while a subsequent account disputed numbers were brought up between the parties on Crabtree’s Miami sojourn.
Hakeem Nicks would welcome interest, according to Jackson, but has lined up other visits as the Fins are apparently looking at the aforementioned trio first. Of the four veterans mentioned here, Jennings was the only one to avoid a negative review from Pro Football Focus, grading as the 48th-best receiver last season (subscription required).
In other news from Miami and other AFC squads …
- Former rugby standout Paul Lasike has warranted multiple calls of interest from the Dolphins, reports Jackson. The BYU running back averaged 4.6 yards per carry last year.
- Louisville safety Gerod Holliman visited Miami recently, doing so after teammate Charles Gaines went to the Fins’ facilities, reports Jackson.
- Since they hired a new coach, the Broncos will begin their offseason program Monday — a week earlier than last year. Among the notable news from Denver Post reporter Mike Klis’ preview are Sylvester Williams‘ strong offseason and Danny Trevathan being in leaner shape at 242 pounds. Trevathan, Denver’s leading tackler in 2013 before missing most of ’14 with knee maladies, played at a slightly lighter weight as a 4-3 outside linebacker. He’ll work inside in the 3-4. Williams did not fare well last season but is expected to start at nose in Wade Phillips‘ defense after Terrance Knighton departed.
- Breshad Perriman would make a good second-round pick for the Ravens, but not in the first, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller notes on Twitter. Earlier today, PFR took a look at a now-depleted Ravens’ receiving corps.
Dolphins Assessing Cornerback Options
Since losing Sean Smith to the Chiefs prior to the 2013 season, the Dolphins have struggled to find a corner to play opposite Brent Grimes. Now that free agent bust Cortland Finnegan has been released, Miami’s top options at its No. 2 CB spot are third-year pros Jamar Taylor and Will Davis, neither of whom inspire much confidence. As such, the club could look to the draft to fill its corner void, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins will meet with Trae Waynes (Michigan State), Jalen Collins (LSU), and Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest), all of whom are potential first-round picks.
Along with the previously-reported visit of CB/S Eric Rowe (a projected second-rounder), Miami will have used four of their 30 allotted prospect visits on cornerbacks. Per Jackson, the Dolphins view free agent signee Brice McCain purely as a nickel corner, where he’ll replace Jimmy Wilson. Therefore, with Taylor and Davis both recovering from injuries, a first-round cornerback would presumably be asked to step into the starting lineup immediately.
The Dolphins have spent the offseason trying to upgrade their secondary — they were reportedly the runner-up in the Buster Skrine sweepstakes, while they’ve also expressed interest in potentially-available Eagles CB Brandon Boykin (though Boykin, like McCain, is primarily a slot corner, so there wouldn’t seem to be a role for him in Miami). If the Fins fail to use a draft pick on a cornerback, they could turn to the free agent market, which while relatively barren, still has some veteran options like former 49er/Raider Tarell Brown.
For his part, Jackson believes the Dolphins will ultimately use the 14th overall pick on either a corner or a wide receiver, as the club has used quite a few of its draft visit quota on those two positions. On a similar note, James Walker of ESPN.com looked this morning at whether it would make sense for Miami to trade down and acquire more draft picks.