Minor Moves: Tuesday
The Giants have re-signed free-agent-to-be wideout Kevin Ogletree to a one-year contract, a source tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Ogletree joined the team back in October in the wake of Victor Cruz‘s season-ending knee injury, and didn’t see a ton of action during the season’s second half. For the year, he caught five balls for 50 yards in seven games (96 offensive snaps).
While financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, it will almost certainly be a minimum-salary contract for the veteran receiver. For a player with his NFL experience, that would mean a base salary of $745K for the coming season.
Here are the rest of Tuesday’s minor transactions, with any additional minor moves added to the top of this list throughout the day:
- The Cowboys cut linebacker Mister Alexander, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Alexander, who spent the year on Dallas’ taxi squad, was signed to a futures deal in January.
- Cornerback Shaquille Richardson, who was selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of last year’s draft, has signed with the Chiefs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Richardson didn’t survive the final round of roster cutdowns in Pittsburgh last August.
- The Jaguars‘ signing of offensive tackle Brennan Williams is now official, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Williams, a former Texans third-round pick, tweeted word of his agreement with the Jags last week.
Earlier updates:
- Offensive tackle Darrion Weems has re-signed with the Cowboys, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Weems, who has yet to actually play a regular-season snap for Dallas, had been on track to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he’ll be back for the minimum salary.
- The same goes for guard Ronald Leary, another Cowboys ERFA who re-signed with the club today, per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Unlike Weems, Leary is a starter on the Cowboys’ line, but since he has fewer than three years of experience, he’s not yet in line for a real raise.
- According to Archer, the Cowboys also adjusted the contract for linebacker Dekoda Watson, who agreed to take a pay cut from $1.25MM to $745K. Watson’s deal with Dallas doesn’t include any bonuses or dead money, so his base salary is the only figure that changed.
East Notes: Allen, M. Williams, Jets, Jenkins
According to multiple reports (all four Twitter links), Eagles safety Nate Allen was detained, questioned, and released following an accusation of indecent exposure. Allen is adamant that the accusation was false, and says he has asked police to keep investigating in the hopes of finding video that clears him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Assuming the accusation levied against the defensive back, who is eligible for free agency next month, was indeed false (as it seems to be), it could highlight potential problems with the league’s new personal conduct policy, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Former Bills wide receiver Mike Williams was released by the team toward the end of the 2014 season, giving him a head start on free agency. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Williams’ agent is taking advantage of that opportunity, with six meetings set up in Indianapolis this week. The veteran wideout could find a new home soon, according to Rapoport.
- If Marcus Mariota is available at No. 6 overall, it would be the “ultimate no-brainer” for the Jets to trade the pick to Eagles and stockpile future selections, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In Mehta’s view, a swap of that sixth overall pick in exchange for the Eagles’ first- and second-rounders in 2015 and 2016, would be fair for both sides.
- Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who accepted a pay cut over the weekend, tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that he “kind of knew” the Giants would ask to rework his contract, and he never considered the possibility of rejecting the request and forcing the club to cut him.
- Earlier today, we rounded up a few Patriots-related links, and passed along word that the Giants may be preparing to franchise Jason Pierre-Paul.
East Notes: McCourty, Jets, JPP, Eagles
Titans cornerback Jason McCourty likes the idea of playing in the same secondary as his twin brother, and tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com that he hopes to get a chance to recruit Devin McCourty, even while acknowledging it’ll be hard to get the safety out of New England.
“As March closes in he’ll get a chance to see what New England wants to do, and I know he wants to be back there. He feels like that’s home. I think that’s where he’ll want to play his entire career,” the Titans defensive back said of his brother, adding: “You know how the business side of it goes. We’ll see. If he becomes a free agent, I’ll be doing everything in my power to try to get him to Tennessee.”
For his part, Devin admits that he’s “excited” to see how the free agent process will play out. The 27-year-old safety is a viable candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Patriots sometime in the next two weeks.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Taking a look at the Jets‘ options as they explore adding a quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the team has an “interesting name” on its radar: Sam Bradford. The Rams have made it clear they’d like to bring back the former No. 1 overall pick, assuming he’s willing to rework his contract, but if Bradford isn’t willing to take a significant pay cut, it’s possible he’ll hit the open market and join a weak class of free agent QBs.
- As of the start of the month, the Giants and the reps for Jason Pierre-Paul had yet to exchange contract numbers, and nothing has changed on that front as of today, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan writes that the next two weeks will be “vital” to JPP’s potential future in New York as the team decides whether or not to use its franchise tag on the defensive end.
- If the Eagles can’t find a quality safety in free agency to complement Malcolm Jenkins, it’s possible the team will bring back Nate Allen, but it feels like that relationship has run its course, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus expects the Eagles to address the hole in its secondary in either free agency or the draft, rather than promoting an in-house option to the starting lineup.
- Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News examines the Bills‘ chances of keeping pass rusher Jerry Hughes on their roster, estimating that the team would likely have to pay Hughes a deal worth $8MM per year, with up to $20MM in guaranteed money.
Extra Points: Giants, Revis, Bears, Browns
As this Sunday comes to an end, here is a roundup of some stories from around the NFL:
- As the window to use the franchise tag opens up, the Giants will have to make a decision on whether to place that on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The tag number is estimated to be $14.6MM, a large number for a player who has been inconsistent over his career.
- The Patriots and star cornerback Darrelle Revis are in a “staring contest” over a long-term contract, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. The Patriots need to work out a contract as soon as possible to open up cap space to re-sign their other free agents.
- Most teams have a number one position of need as the NFL draft approaches, but the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace have a different goal: to improve the draft class in general, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. The team has drafted poorly in recent years, and the top priority for the new administration is to reverse that trend.
- The Browns were very high on Marcus Mariota, and the team could consider moving up in the draft to take the Heisman-winning quarterback, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. With the 12th and 19th picks in this draft, they could have the ammunition to move up and draft their third quarterback in the first round since 2012.
- The NFL combine will give the Titans a chance to interview both Jameis Winston and Mariota and begin to decide their future at quarterback, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. With the second overall pick, they could have a chance at either player, or they could elect to take one of the top pass rushers and move forward with Zach Mettenberger under center.
- Rookie Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon played well before being shut down due to injury last season, but is recovering well and should be back in time for offseason workouts, writes Matt Vensel of StarTribune.com.
- Michigan attorney Jim Acho has received two written endorsements from player reps nominating him to become the next NFLPA executive director, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Acho only needs one more in order to officially be included on the ballot.
Giants Restructure Cullen Jenkins’ Contract
Though they have more than $17MM in cap space to work with when free agency begins, the Giants have made a move to create a tad more financial wiggle room by restructuring the contract of defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), Jenkins accepted a pay cut, lowering his 2015 base salary from $2.2MM to $1MM. In exchange, the 34-year-old Jenkins was given a $375K per-game roster bonus, meaning in total, New York created $825K in new space, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
Jenkins’ new deal will include just $250K in guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who also reports that Jenkins can earn an extra $100K through incentives. His revised 2015 cap figure will be $2.091MM. Jenkins, in his second season with the Giants, started 11 games, finishing as the No. 33 defensive tackle among 81 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Due to his age and his relatively mediocre 2014 performance, I’m guessing that Jenkins was told that he would be released had he not accepted this pay reduction.
The Giants will now focus on re-signing pending free agents such as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, safety Antrel Rolle, and cornerback Walter Thurmond, as well as targeting help for their battered offensive line and linebacking unit. For more on what New York might do in the coming months, check out PFR’s Zach Links’ Offseason Outlook for the Giants.
NFC Mailbags: Newton, Lions, McCarthy, Giants
We checked out ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…
- If quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco can average $20MM annually, David Newton believes Cam Newton could certainly be included in that group. Ultimately, the writer believes the Panthers quarterback will receive a contract totaling about $100MM.
- Kicker Matt Prater and defensive back Rashean Mathis want to return to the Lions next season, according to Michael Rothstein. There has been some contact between the organization and the agents for the team’s multiple free agents, but the writer cautions that nothing’s been “locked down.”
- Despite Mike McCarthy‘s interest in the personnel aspect of the league, the Packers head coach does not want to be the team’s general manager, writes Rob Demovsky. The writer says the coach’s recent shuffling of the coaching staff indicates that he’d like to get involved in other areas of coaching.
- Dan Graziano doesn’t see any incentive for the Giants to pursue Ray Rice over any other running back.
- Considering the linebacker’s age and injury history, John Keim can’t envision Washington investing too much money in Brian Orakpo. Meanwhile, the writer could see the team bringing back quarterback Colt McCoy, tight end Niles Paul, and “perhaps” running back Roy Helu and wideout Leonard Hankerson. Santana Moss is among the players Keim would be surprised to see return.
New York Notes: Thomas, Wilkerson, Jones
For the first time in more than 10 years, both the Jets and Giants had losing records in the same season in 2014, so there’s plenty of work to be done in the Big Apple this offseason. Let’s check in on a few Friday notes on the NFL’s two New York teams, starting with the AFC squad….
- It sounds as if Eric Decker, who has been recruiting his former Denver teammate for the better part of a year, isn’t the only member of the Jets interested in bringing Demaryius Thomas to New York. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears from a “very credible” source that the Jets intend to “roll out the red carpet” for Thomas if the Broncos don’t place the franchise tag on him. I expect it to be a moot point, since I’d be shocked if Denver allows its star wideout to reach the open market.
- The Jets have benefited from top-notch defensive line play on the cheap for the last couple seasons, but that’s about to change, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. The team figures to explore a contract extension with Muhammad Wilkerson this offseason, and the deals for J.J. Watt and Robert Quinn mean Wilkerson’s market is probably set in the $12-14MM per year range. Outside of potentially extending Wilkerson, the Jets’ priority on the defensive line this winter should be bolstering their depth in free agency, says Cimini.
- The Giants were able to add the CFL’s Offensive Lineman of the Year to their offseason roster and didn’t have to assume any risk to do it, per Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan reports that Brett Jones‘ three-year contract with the G-Men is for the minimum salary and doesn’t include any guaranteed money.
NFC East Notes: Mariota, Giants, Orakpo
On one hand, trading up from No. 20 to land Marcus Mariota would be a crazy idea for the Eagles given their holes. On the other hand, doing whatever it takes to get the Oregon star makes perfect sense for head coach Chip Kelly and the Eagles, writes Mike Slelski of The Inquirer. If Kelly considers the draft a complete crapshoot, as he has suggested before, then making Mariota his top priority would make all the sense in the world. While you ponder what figures to be the biggest sports story in Philadelphia this spring, here’s more out of the NFC East..
- Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News looked at the Giants‘ cap situation and their biggest needs to address. Recently, Pro Football Rumors detailed the Giants as a part of our Offseason Outlook series.
- In today’s chat, a reader asked Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News if Brian Orakpo could be a fit for the Cowboys if he becomes a free agent. Orakpo could potentially be had on a one-year deal, but as a 3-4 outside linebacker, he probably couldn’t be a great fit for Dallas’ scheme. He could be a Sam linebacker, possibly, but he probably wouldn’t be worthwhile unless he was unsigned after the draft and the Cowboys had some cash laying around.
- More from Sturm, who writes that he would be fine with paying Dez Bryant $70MM over five years or maybe even $84MM over six years, giving him an average annual value of $14MM. That yearly figure would put Bryant just below the likes of Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, but above the other wide receivers. Still, Sturm isn’t sure that the Cowboys are willing to go that far right now.
Terrell Thomas Announces Retirement
Veteran cornerback Terrell Thomas has announced his retirement from the NFL, the Giants confirmed today in a press release. Thomas hadn’t been on the Giants’ roster, but he played virtually entire his NFL career with the team, never appearing in a regular season game for another club.
Thomas, who turned 30 last month, was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft, and ultimately appeared in 60 games for the Giants, starting 41 of them. He was sidelined for two years – 2011 and 2012 – after suffering consecutive ACL injuries, the second and third ACL tears of his career. The USC product returned to the field in 2013 and was active in all 16 games for the Giants, making seven starts and logging 588 defensive snaps, but he expressed concern last June that teams were wary about signing him because of his injury history.
Although he eventually got a look from the Seahawks in training camp, Thomas didn’t make the club’s regular season roster, and didn’t catch on with another team during the 2014 season. The veteran corner admits that he thought he would have an active free agency, and would have no trouble finding a home, but says doctors didn’t give the OK on his knee.
“Knowing the game of football, being 29 with three ACL (injuries), I just figured my time is short,” Thomas said. “I can keep chasing a dream, but I was blessed to be able to come back and play that one year (2013). To be able to show my family and fans, my daughter and myself that I worked hard enough to overcome some significant injuries and I became the second player in NFL history to come back from three ACLs. I didn’t play with a brace. I am proud of my accomplishments. I have been through a lot and I overcame it. I am a smart dude and I am not going to chase football. Football is not chasing me. I feel like my time is over. I was blessed enough to play six years in the NFL. I lived my dream, and now it is time for the next chapter of my life.”
For his career, Thomas accumulated 285 total tackles, grabbed 12 interceptions, and defended 46 passes. His best season came in 2010, when he had 101 tackles, five INTs, 21 passes defended, and four forced fumbles.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- The Giants officially announced their previously-reported signing of former Calgary Stampeders center Brett Jones, confirming the roster addition in a press release. “It has always been a goal and a dream of mine to play in the NFL,” said the CFL’s reigning Offensive Lineman of the Year. “This is the first step, and I look forward to taking many more.”
- Within that same press release from the team, the Giants also revealed that they’ve waived running back David Wilson, who announced last year that he would retire from the NFL due to neck issues. By cutting WIlson, who had been on the books for a $2.127MM cap hit in 2015, the Giants will create about $1.3MM in cap savings.