AFC Links: Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Browns
The Texans current batch of quarterbacks would never be confused with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage don’t evoke fear, but that doesn’t mean their team can’t be successful. Owner Bob McNair is a supporter of that sentiment, as he told Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that he believes his team could contend for a Super Bowl:
“Teams have done that. Look at Baltimore back in 2000. They had an outstanding defense. They could run the ball and they had a quarterback that didn’t turn it over that much. I think that is a plan that can bring you great success. Look what we did last year playing four quarterbacks. We didn’t have that consistent play at quarterback and yet look how close we came. We’ve improved our defense this year.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…
- Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that his team has interest in free agent wideout Greg Jennings, but he warns that they haven’t scheduled a visit (Twitter link).
- While appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said his team also hasn’t scheduled a visit with Jennings (via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports on Twitter). However, Tannenbaum noted that Miami could pursue the veteran wideout later in free agency.
- Following news earlier today that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could be a candidate to purchase the Titans, a Browns spokesman told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the Tennessee native is devoted to Cleveland. “It’s 100% false,” the spokesman said. “There is no truth to the careless speculation from the reporter.”
- Browns general manager Ray Farmer said the organization would continue to monitor potential quarterback additions, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
- Farmer would not reveal whether the Browns offered a first-round pick to the Rams for Sam Bradford, but he did comment that the current Eagles signal-caller likely isn’t available (via Ulrich on Twitter).
Draft Notes: Bucs, Mariota, Browns, Steelers
The Buccaneers could take many different routes with the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, and head coach Lovie Smith indicated as much on Monday. Appearing on the NFL Network, Smith said his team could surprise the league by not selecting either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com):
“I can see why people would assume we’re gonna take a quarterback. There are two excellent quarterbacks that are available at the top and when you get a chance to draft someone like that, most of the time, people do. But there are other good players in the draft also. I think it’s a deep draft for defensive line. Like last year, there are a lot of great receivers that are coming out. I think, just overall, the amount of athletes coming into each incoming class, it’s pretty deep for players that can make an immediate impact.”
As Florio points out, Smith could be hinting that he’s willing to trade the pick.
Let’s take a look at some more assorted draft notes from around the league…
- ESPN.com’s Eric Williams tweets that the Chargers will schedule a workout with Mariota.
- Meanwhile, Browns general manager Ray Farmer told reporters that his team will also conduct a private workout with Mariota (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Farmer indicated that he’s talked with other teams about moving up or down the draft board.
- The Dolphins will work out Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson, according to ESPN.com’s James Walker. Grayson is projected to be drafted in the second round or later.
- Maryland wideout Stefon Diggs is scheduled to visit the 49ers in April, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Diggs finished last season with 62 catches for 792 yards and five touchdowns.
- Indiana running back Tevin Coleman will be busy in the coming weeks, as he has workouts scheduled with the Panthers, Cardinals, Chargers and Ravens, according to Wilson. The Heisman candidate previously met with the Lions.
- After talking to Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says he’d be “stunned” if Pittsburgh didn’t take a cornerback in the first round (Twitter link).
Vikings Acquire Mike Wallace
MARCH 24: The fifth-rounder headed to Miami will be pick No. 149, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Vikings will keep the 137th pick, acquired from Tampa Bay via Buffalo.
MARCH 13: The Dolphins have traded wide receiver Mike Wallace and a seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a fifth-rounder, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Both picks are in the 2015 draft, the Dolphins tweeted. 
In dealing Wallace, the Dolphins free up $2.5MM of cap space in 2015, $9.3MM in 2016 and $11.5MM in 2017, though they’ll be stuck with over $16MM of dead money during that time span. Most of that dead money ($9.6MM, to be exact) will be on Miami’s books this year. However, the $2.5MM the Dolphins save for next season will help in their efforts to keep tight end Charles Clay, a transitional free agent whom the AFC East rival Bills are pursuing. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets that Miami has “more than enough” cap for Clay. That news comes in the wake of both the Wallace trade and the deal the Dolphins made earlier Friday to send expensive linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick to the Saints for wideout Kenny Stills.
As for Wallace, the trade should come as no surprise to the 28-year-old, who Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported was on the phone with Vikings staff members throughout the afternoon on Friday. Wallace, who spent the first four years of his career in Pittsburgh, signed a five-year, $60MM contract with the Dolphins prior to the 2013 season. He subsequently caught 140 passes for nearly 1,800 yards and 15 touchdowns during his two years in Miami. The Dolphins will replace him with Stills, who hauled in 63 passes for over 900 yards as a second-year man in 2014.
In Minnesota, Wallace will give young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a durable, productive target. The six-year veteran has missed just one game in his career and has five consecutive seasons of at least 60 catches. Wallace is coming off a campaign that saw him tie a personal best with 10 TDs, giving him 47 for his career.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Extend Joe Philbin Through 2016
The Dolphins have extended the contract of head coach Joe Philbin by a year, keeping him locked up through 2016, owner Stephen Ross confirmed today to reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Philbin’s deal has previously been set to expire after the 2015 season.
After the Dolphins made the decision to bring back Philbin for 2015, a short-term extension had been expected, to avoid having him enter the season as a lame-duck coach. Explaining the decision, Ross noted that “you don’t get the best from someone when operating with a gun to their head,” tweets Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.
Still, there’s no guarantee that Philbin will still be in Miami for that 2016 season. Ross said today that “there has to be improvement,” but wouldn’t clarify whether that means Miami must have a better record or make the playoffs in 2015 (Twitter link). I’d expect that, after adding Ndamukong Suh in free agency, Philbin and the Dolphins will be in postseason-or-bust mode in ’15.
In his three seasons with the Dolphins so far, Philbin has failed to get the team a single playoff berth or a record above .500. Miami has a 23-25 record during his stint with the club, including back-to-back 8-8 seasons.
AFC East Notes: Fins, Tannehill, Bradham, Jets
The Dolphins will work this spring on attempting to finalize a long-term contract extension for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but if the two sides don’t reach an agreement, Miami will be comfortable exercising Tannehill’s fifth-year option for the 2016 season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
That option would pay Tannehill $16.155MM, and would give the Dolphins a little more time to work something out with the signal-caller. However, the team may prefer to get a deal done sooner rather than later in order to ensure that Tannehill’s 2016 cap number isn’t quite so high.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC East, including a couple more Dolphins notes….
- The Dolphins don’t have plans to add a guard in free agency or in the first couple rounds of the draft, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who passes along some quotes from executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum on the subject. The club currently plans to have Billy Turner at one guard spot, with Dallas Thomas getting the opportunity to win the other starting job.
- Tannenbaum also spoke to Salguero about why the Dolphins were comfortable swapping out Mike Wallace for Kenny Stills, even though it meant essentially giving up a third-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
- The Bills are expected to discuss a potential contract extension for linebacker Nigel Bradham this week, sources tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bradham, who established new career highs with 104 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and seven passes defended, is eligible for an extension on his rookie deal for the first time this offseason, and hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent back in January. Both Rosenhaus and Bills negotiator Jim Overdorf are in attendance at the annual league meetings in Arizona.
- Former Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger could become the latest free agent to make the move from one New York team to the other. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), Paysinger is scheduled to visit the Jets tomorrow.
AFC Notes: Clay, Browns, Worilds, Wilfork
One of the offseason’s biggest winners, Charles Clay reportedly twice received offers worth more in 2015 than he was asking for from the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.
Initially, Clay only sought $6.8MM per year from the Dolphins when the sides were negotiating, but Clay’s would-be salary for this season rose to $7MM when the Dolphins placed the transition tag on their developing tight end. Clay’s initial asking price represented the logic behind Miami opting to place the lesser-used transition tag on Clay as opposed to the franchise tag ($8.2MM for tight ends this year), per Salguero. This would’ve forced the Bills to part with two first-round draft picks if they matched the offer and ultimately kept Clay in Miami.
The Bills will now pay Clay, who signed a five-year contract worth $38MM, more than any tight end over the next two seasons ($11.5MM per season in ’15 and ’16) due to the frontloaded deal.
- The Browns are the frontrunners to be the subject of this season’s Hard Knocks, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports on Twitter. This would mark the first such time the Browns, who finished 7-9 last season, would appear on the HBO training camp show.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said prior to Jason Worilds‘ retirement he was not in the Steelers’ plans, as the team thought the improving linebacker would receive an offer they weren’t prepared to match, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Twitter.
- Signing DeAngelo Williams required the Steelers’ brass to take a “little leap of faith” after what happened regarding LeGarrette Blount‘s abrupt midseason exit, Colbert said (via ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter). Coming off a career-worst season and entering his age-32 campaign, Williams received a key endorsement from quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, who recruited and coached the running back when he was on staff at Memphis in the early 2000s (Twitter link).
- Colbert told Brown the Steelers will pursue cornerbacks in the draft and that three of Pittsburgh’s four starting linebacker positions, excluding the inside backer spot manned by Lawrence Timmons, are open competitions.
- Texans owner Bob McNair wanted to sign Vince Wilfork when he became a free agent in 2010, reports Tom Curran of CSN New England. Instead, Wilfork re-signed with the Patriots on a five-year, $40MM contract — then a league-high pact for defensive tackles. McNair received a slightly lesser version of the run-stuffing tackle this year, with the now-33-year-old signing for $9MM across two years.
- Elite edge-rushing prospect Randy Gregory will visit the Ravens, whom he already met with at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
- Former Titans and Ravens linebacker Brandon Copeland participated in Sunday’s inaugural Veteran Combine and caught the eye of several teams, per Wilson on Twitter. Copeland, who will be 24 in July, told Wilson he spoke with the Chiefs, Titans, Colts, Bengals, Giants and Eagles after a workout that he said included a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound linebacker went undrafted out of Pennsylvania and appeared on the Ravens and Titans rosters in 2013 but did not accrue any statistics.
Dolphins Re-Up Matt Moore
SUNDAY, 8:37pm: Moore’s deal, which is now official, will pay him $2.6MM in 2015 with additional incentives, reports the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero on Twitter.
FRIDAY, 3:11pm: The Dolphins will re-sign backup quarterback Matt Moore to a one-year contract, reports ESPN’s James Walker.
After testing the barren quarterback market for nearly two weeks, Moore will opt to return to Miami, where he’ll again serve as Ryan Tannehill‘s understudy. This will be the 30-year-old Moore’s fourth year with the Dolphins, the third of which coming as a backup.
Joining the likes of Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and Mark Sanchez on the market, Moore also generated interest from the rival Bills, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan, noting that had Buffalo not acquired Matt Cassel via trade they would’ve pursued the veteran Dolphins backup. Moore also surveyed the market in 2013 before making a similar move in staying on a two-year extension worth $8MM.
Moore’s re-signing comes a day after the Dolphins brought in Tarvaris Jackson for a visit. After the Bills ultimately pried versatile pass-catcher Charles Clay away, the Dolphins have signed four players — J.D. Walton, Louis Delmas, LaMichael James and Moore.
The former Panthers starter initially arrived in Miami to back up Chad Henne in 2011, and that work sample made Moore an interesting option in this year’s market. Moore completed just more than 60 percent of his passes for 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 starts that season. Since, Tannehill’s started 48 consecutive games.
But the Dolphins will now keep one of the more balanced quarterback depth charts intact in 2015.
AFC Rumors: Broncos, Steelers, Sims
Amid an offseason mostly defined by subtraction with the departures of Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton and several other starters or contributors, the Broncos may have a fit as a result of an under-the-radar acquisition, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
The team’s signing of tight end/fullback Joe Don Duncan, an undrafted Division II product who missed what would’ve been his rookie season in 2014 due to injuries, occupies the Broncos’ new need for a fullback. Per Klis, the Broncos plan to convert Duncan to fill their need at fullback, a position the team hasn’t used much since Spencer Larsen and Peyton Hillis in 2008.
An Associated Press D-II All-American in 2013, Duncan caught 71 passes for 1,045 yards as a senior. Denver used recently re-signed Virgil Green and former undrafted running back Juwan Thompson at the position last season.
Gary Kubiak also mentioned in Klis’ story that Chris Myers, who he coached for six seasons with the Texans, Samson Satele, Scott Wells and 2014 Broncos snapper Will Montgomery as available free agent centers before alluding to the front office’s positive outlook on Matt Paradis, a sixth-round pick last season. Recently added ex-Dolphins guard Shelley Smith could also factor in at center, per Klis, if the Broncos see a left guard they prefer instead of a center.
Elsewhere on Sunday night …
- The Bengals are interested in bringing back defensive tackle Pat Sims, notes Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Paul Dehner Jr. via Twitter. The former third-round Bengals selection in 2008 played five years in Cincinnati before signing with the Raiders in 2013. A starter in Oakland in 2013, Sims served as a backup last season, playing in 37% of the snaps.
- Cincinnati will probably wait until at least April before attempting to re-sign role players Taylor Mays or Cedric Peerman, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes. Hobson also noted A.J. McCarron could be moved up to the Bengals’ No. 2 quarterback spot, with the team’s reluctance to devote much financially to Andy Dalton‘s backup. 2014 backup Jason Campbell remains a free agent.
- Third-year Steelers outside linebacker Jarvis Jones could switch to the left edge, reports Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writer Mark Kaboly on Twitter. GM Kevin Colbert told Kaboly newly re-signed backer James Harrison probably won’t move. Soon to be 37, Harrison was partially signed to mentor the Steelers’ young linebackers. According to Colbert, both outside backer slots and both cornerback starters are open competitions. But the GM imagines re-signed Arthur Moats will start on the left side after the retirement of Jason Worilds vacated that position. (Twitter links).
- The Dolphins won the offseason, writes Grantland’s Robert Mays. for their addition of Ndamukong Suh, Jordan Cameron and Kenny Stills while also shedding the excess contracts of Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe. Mays also speculates a fit in Miami for All-Pro guard Evan Mathis, who the Eagles are reportedly open to dealing, if Mike Pouncey indeed shifts back to center from right guard.
Latest On Greg Jennings
After being released by the Vikings on Saturday, veteran receiver Greg Jennings has already taken one free agent visit, meeting with the Panthers yesterday. However, no deal between the two parties is imminent, according to Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who adds that Jennings is expected to take other visits.
One such visit could be to Miami, where the Dolphins — aiming to add receiver depth — will speak with both Jennings and Michael Crabtree, tweets Trey Wingo of ESPN. We’ve heard previously that Miami was interested in Crabtree, and the former 49er was scheduled to meet with the Dolphins last week. Miami has already added Kenny Stills via trade, but could be looking for more pass-catchers after jettisoning Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, and Charles Clay in recent weeks.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are also on the lookout for pass-catching help, as they don’t have many options behind Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen, although they did add Ted Ginn Jr. earlier this offseason. As Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, the 31-year-old Jennings wouldn’t add much speed to the Carolina offense, but he’d be a reliable possession receiver.
Sunday Roundup: Big Ben, Bradford, Borland
As most of the sports world is fixated on the third round of the NCAA tournament, let’s take a look at a few notes from around the NFL:
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s new contract will not prevent the Steelers from making necessary signings over the life of the deal.
- Bears head coach John Fox is enthusiastic about the team’s recent signings, but he admits that his club has a lot of needs to address. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes, Fox prefers to be more active in the second wave of free agency rather than the first wave, when teams frequently overpay for a splash acquisition. Biggs expects the team to add at least one wide receiver, but that addition could come via the draft rather than the dwindling free agent market.
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com looks at where the Lions stand vis-a-vis their own free agents two weeks into the free agency period.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believes Sam Bradford will be the Eagles‘ quarterback in 2015, and possibly beyond.
- The Dolphins lead the league in dead money, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has $23.7MM of this year’s cap allocated to players who will not help them this season.
- Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com looks at a few of the names the Chargers could target in the draft as they look to bolster their pass rush.
- The NFL is hosting the inaugural Veteran Combine today, which is “designated to showcase players who have already left college and many who have already played in the NFL to teams in an effort to be signed as free agents.” Although a number of prominent front office executives, like Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, are skeptical of the Combine’s value, all 32 teams are nonetheless doing their due diligence at the event. Kevin Bowen of Colts.com writes that the Combine has the Colts‘ interest, and Conor Orr of NFL.com tweets that Rick Spielman, Reggie McKenzie, and John Dorsey are among the top executives on hand.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at the true value of all of the contracts signed in the second week of free agency.