Extra Points: Fitzpatrick, Hughes, Thomas, Robinson, Carr, Kennard
- With the Texans hitching their wagon to veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (known more for his intelligence than his physical ability) in 2014, Houston Chronicle beat writer Brian Smith released a few sobering tweets about Fitzpatrick’s prospects as a starter. Says Smith: “Recurring criticism of Fitzpatrick by analysts: Too much of a gunslinger with not enough of an arm.”
- The Bills have a new defensive scheme this year under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, but Jerry Hughes‘ deployment won’t change. “He’s brought in his 4-3 scheme, but as far as what I’m doing it’s pretty much the same thing I did last year,” Hughes told Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News. “My hand is in the ground and I’m coming off the edge trying to create pressure to get to the quarterback.” Drafted by the Colts in the first round in 2010, Hughes disappointed in Indianapolis. However, a trade to Buffalo last year gave Hughes new life as a pass-rush specialist, and he capitalized on the opportunity. Hughes registered 10 sacks, nine more quarterback hits and 39 quarterback hurries. In fact, he ranked first in the league in Pro Football Focus’ Pass Rush Productivity metric. Hughes will make just under $4MM this season before hitting free agency.
- ESPN’s James Walker came up with two notable names when asked about potential surprise veteran cuts by the Dolphins: “Some veterans I think who are on the bubble include former Jeff Ireland draft picks who didn’t live up to their potential. Running back Daniel Thomas and tight end Michael Egnew come to mind. The Dolphins are no longer waiting on their potential. Both former highly-touted picks must bring it this summer or they could lose their roster spot.”
- Julius Thomas, who emerged as a Pro Bowl tight end for the Broncos last season, could be a franchise tag candidate next year. Accordingly, he’s monitoring the Jimmy Graham situation with interest, writes the AP’s Arnie Stapleton.
- Rams No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson admits the mental part of the game is giving him trouble early in his NFL career (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner): “It’s frustrating that I’m not up to pace right now because the playbook is more intense and things are changing but once I get back to where I’m comfortable, things will calm down and I can be myself out there…Right now it’s a lot of thinking going on, it causes me to move a little slower. Once I get up to speed, I can move with the snap count and stuff like that.”
- Raiders second-round rookie Derek Carr has already ascended to No. 2 on the depth chart behind Matt Schaub, relays CSN Bay Area’s Scott Bair.
- Giants rookie fifth-rounder Devon Kennard “impressed coaches in the spring program and could be in the mix to start on the strong side,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. A 6-3, 250-pounder out of USC, Kennard, whose father was a Super Bowl winning center for the Cowboys, was viewed as a tweener prospect, albeit one with outstanding intangibles and make-it traits.
- Free agent offensive guard Garrett Reynolds visited the Cowboys, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Reynolds started 23 games over the last three years for the Falcons, but struggled last season and was released in February.
Minor Moves: Jets, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants
Plenty of teams around the league are making transactions today as minicamps wrap up and clubs look to finalize their rosters in advance of next month’s training camp. Let’s dive right in and check out the latest minor roster moves, with any additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….
- Undrafted rookie tight end Terrence Miller has been cut by the Jets, creating a second available roster spot after yesterday’s release of Mike Goodson. As the team reveals in a press release, kicker Andrew Furney and punter Jacob Schum will fill those openings.
- The Dolphins have replaced one defensive back with another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Kevin Fogg and parted ways with Anthony Gaitor.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons have waived quarterback Dominique Davis, the team announced today (via Twitter). Davis saw a little playing time last season in relief of starter Matt Ryan, but his grip on a roster spot was tenuous after Atlanta acquired T.J. Yates in a trade with the Texans yesterday. Davis will have to clear waivers before officially becoming a free agent.
- In a series of three tweets, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News passes along word of a series of signings and cuts for the Giants, who have added offensive tackle Demarcus Love and defensive lineman Everett Dawkins, parting ways with defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna and offensive lineman Steven Baker to make room on the 90-man roster.
- Long snapper Charley Hughlett, punter Kasey Redfern, and wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, who auditioned for the Jaguars earlier this week, have been signed by the club, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. In addition to Jason Babin, wide receivers Kevin Smith and Brandon Wimberly were cut by Jacksonville to create roster space.
- The Chiefs have waived defensive lineman Chas Alecxih, according to the club (Twitter link).
- For the third straight summer, defensive lineman Brandon McKinney will try to earn a roster spot with the Colts, who inked him to a deal today, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.
- The Bears have informed tight end Fendi Onobun of his release, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Patriots have cut wide receiver Reggie Dunn, the team confirmed in a press release.
NFC Notes: Panthers, Sherrod, Cowboys, Vikings
After being cut eight times in five years, Rutgers product Tiquan Underwood is fighting to beat the odds, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I wouldn’t say anything changes because you want to take a serious approach, but I would just say I’m more mindful of the fact that it’s not just me anymore,” Underwood said today at Panthers practice. “I have a fiancée and a daughter that also rely on what I do.” Underwood has an opportunity in Carolina to replace Ted Ginn Jr., the speedy wide receiver who filled the No. 3 role for the team in 2013, but he hasn’t separated himself from the pack yet this offseason. Here’s more from around the NFL…
- Oft-injured offensive lineman Derek Sherrod wasn’t surprised when the Packers turned down his fifth-year option for the 2015 season, and is hoping to stay healthy and have a productive contract year in 2014, as he tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- The Cowboys may be content to let the Kyle Orton situation play out, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks it’s just a matter of time until the team has to cut its losses. In Hill’s view, the Cowboys aren’t likely to collect any money for fines from Orton, let alone bonus money.
- The Cowboys would like to sign Dez Bryant to an extension, but the wide receiver isn’t sweating it, writes David Moore of the Dallas News. “That’s going to take care of itself,’’ Bryant said. “I’m very confident in the work I put in. Whatever happens, happens,” Bryant said. “All I know is I’m going to continue to keep doing my job. That alone shows my dedication and love I have for the game. I’m going to let it work out.’’
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Former guard Steve Hutchinson, who made four straight Pro Bowls as a member of the Vikings, hopes to return to the organization in a scouting role, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I got to get settled in down there first and see what the lay of the land is,” Hutchinson said. “If they need a presence down South or something, depending on what they might need my skill set for. But it’s nothing that’s set in stone right now. It’s kind of just talk right now.”
- Giants running back Peyton Hillis has signed with Drew Rosenhaus’ agency, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal. Rosenhaus is the fifth agency to represent the former Madden cover athlete. Hillis will be repped by Jason Katz and Michael Katz (link).
- Bears offensive lineman Michael Ola has spent the last two days working with the first team at right tackle and left guard, tweets the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. As a result, the writer believes Ola will be among the players competing for a roster spot come training camp (via Twitter). The 26-year-old spent the last two seasons playing in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes.
Ben Levine and Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Free Agent Rumors: Flowers, Vilma, Muir
Earlier today, we heard that cornerback Brandon Flowers, the most noteworthy name on the free agent market, will likely make a decision on where to sign within the next three to five days. The afternoon has brought a couple of updates on Flowers, along with several items on other free agents. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- The Chargers are hosting Flowers for a free agent visit today, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As I pointed out this morning, the most serious suitors for the veteran corner may be teams we haven’t heard many rumblings about yet, and San Diego fits that bill.
- According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Flowers has also received significant interest from the Falcons and Vikings. Sources from both of those clubs have downplayed their interest to local reporters, so it’s hard to get a read on whether their interest is being overstated by sources close to Flowers or understated by team sources. Besides those clubs, the Patriots and Ravens also have some interest, tweets Wilson.
- As they continue to weigh options to replace Sean Weatherspoon, the Falcons are working out veteran linebacker Jonathan Vilma today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). A source confirms to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (Twitter link) that the workout went well, though the team didn’t sign Vilma right away.
- Defensive tackle Daniel Muir, who spent last season with the Raiders after also playing for the Packers, Colts, and Jets, auditioned for the Ravens today, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- Guards Steve Greene and John Sullen and defensive tackles Gilbert Pena and Everett Dawkins tried out for the Giants at the team’s minicamp today, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
East Notes: Pats, Beckham, Beatty
There were a great deal of notes from the league’s east divisions today. Our Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson rounded up some of those notes earlier this evening, and we will close out the night by emptying out our east notebook.
- The Patriots appear to be playing musical chairs with Kyle Auffray and Derrick Johnson. The team cut Auffray earlier today after signing him last week, and Johnson was the player the Pats released to make room for Auffray. Now, however, Johnson may be back in the fold. Mike Lowe of the Portland Press Herald reports that Johnson was told by the club that he would be re-signed once he recovered from a sprained left knee that caused him to miss a week of practices. The former University of Maine receiver hopes to be ready for New England’s three-day minicamp that opens tomorrow (or at least by training camp in July).
- Brian Costello of the New York Post outlines the Jets‘ search for a No. 2 receiver to play opposite major free agent acquisition Eric Decker. Stephen Hill and David Nelson took the most reps at that spot during the portion of the team’s OTAs that were open to the media, and though Nelson is probably the favorite, wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal seems to believe Hill may finally begin to live up to his still-significant potential.
- In the same piece, Costello looks at other major storylines surrounding the Jets this summer, including the injury status of Dee Milliner and Willie Colon and the progress of rookie tight end Jace Amaro.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post examines the injury status of Giants left tackle Will Beatty. Although Beatty stills hopes to be ready for the start of training camp on July 21, there is no guarantee he will even be given clearance to play in the season opener on September 8. Even if he is ready, his poor play in 2013 and the fact that the team did not make any meaningful moves to address the left tackle position in the offseason leaves plenty of room for concern.
- In the same piece, Schwartz writes that the Giants may hold first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. out of minicamp as a result of his hamstring injury. Although Beckham insists the injury is minor, the team will undoubtedly want to play it safe with him.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com shares some of his notes on what he has seen from the Eagles thus far this offseason. He writes that the struggles of Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley have been overblown, as have the Jordan Matthews–Terrell Owens comparisons. He adds that, outside of kicker, there are no real position battles to watch out for at this point.
- James Walker of ESPN.com gives a list of top storylines to look out for during the Dolphins‘ three-day mandatory minicamp that begins Tuesday, including the development of Bill Lazor‘s offense and the position battles at left guard, running back, slot receiver, and cornerback.
East Notes: Freeman, Eagles, Easley, Bills
Josh Freeman was on the Giants’ roster for just over a month before being released at the end of May, but now it appears he is trying to get his career back on track. In an instance of two former Buccaneers employees reuniting, Freeman will work with Jon Gruden next week, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old will then spend the following week with noted quarterback tutor Terry Shea.
More notes from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Eagles running back LeSean McCoy says the release of DeSean Jackson was a wakeup call for the rest of the team, per NFL.com’s Albert Breer. “The whole DeSean Jackson thing, that helped out, to be honest, in making all the other guys aware,” said McCoy. “It’s all possible. They’ll cut one of your best guys if (he’s) not buying in. On any team — any team — you look at that, and as a player, you can look at it from so many different sides, but no matter how good you are, you gotta follow these guidelines. And if you don’t, you could be gone. You gotta buy in.”
- Dominique Easley is one of only five first-round picks who has yet to sign a contract, but injury protection language isn’t the reason the Florida product hasn’t signed with the Patriots, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Rookie contracts are standardized under the new CBA, so it’s unclear what the two sides could be haggling over.
- Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News believes it would be a risky proposition if Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula purchased the Bills, as Pegula sometimes failed to listen to his advisors early on in his NHL tenure. Pegula would keep the team in Buffalo, however, which would obviously sit well with local fans.
- Bills general manager Doug Whaley is trying to dispel the notion that his recent moves, including trading up to select Sammy Watkins, are indicative of a new, must-win strategy, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “Everybody’s like, ‘Whoa, you’re in a win-now mode.’ The NFL is a win-now mode,” said Whaley. “I disagree when people have been saying it’s a win-now mode because of the ownership. It’s always a win-now mode in this. So that’s something I’d like to dispel as quickly as possible. It’s a results-based business.”
- The Giants had a workout with former Air Force linebacker Alex Means, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
Giants Sign Jay Bromley, Terrell Manning
The Giants have finalized the signings of all their 2014 draftees, announcing today in a press release that they’ve locked up third-round defensive tackle Jay Bromley. In addition to Bromley, the club also signed free agent linebacker Terrell Manning.
The 74th overall pick in the draft, Bromley is in line for a signing bonus worth in the neighborhood of $644K, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. As our tracker shows, the Syracuse product was the last of seven Giants picks to ink his deal, and the move ensures that New York is the 23rd team to get its entire draft class under contract. Billy Turner of the Dolphins and Dexter McDougle of the Jets are now the only third-rounders that have yet to sign with their respective clubs.
As for Manning, the 24-year-old was a Packers’ fifth-round pick in 2012, and spent that season with the club before joining the Chargers last year. Manning’s playing time in his two NFL seasons has been extremely limited, with only a handful of special teams appearances on his resumé. The former North Carolina State standout had been claimed off waivers by the Vikings earlier this offseason, but was cut to make room for Minnesota’s undrafted free agent additions.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Benn, Roberts
The Giants‘ wideouts will have some adjustments to make as they adapt to new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s offensive system, writes Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com. The group is optimistic about how they will fit in to the new scheme.
“I’m liking it, it’s going to be pretty exciting,” said Rueben Randle. “Coach [Ben] McAdoo has done a great job putting us in positions to make plays and using our abilities. We still have a lot of work to put in out there on the field, but as far as now, we’re in a good spot.”
“I think it’s an offense that fits my game,” Jerrel Jernigan said, “And also spreads the ball out to everyone and gives everybody the chance to make plays.”
“It’s actually not that bad once you get into it and you break it down by formation and things like that,” said first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. “It’s really not that bad. It’s just a lot of memorization.”
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- On the Eagles‘ depth chart, veterans have the slight edge over their younger teammates, writes Matt Giraldi of InsideTheIggles.com. Former Jet Mark Sanchez has the inside track to the backup quarterback job over fellow USC Trojan Matt Barkley, and although the team has promising young players in the secondary and at receiver, those players will have to prove themselves before they see significant playing time.
- New Eagles‘ receiver Arrelious Benn is looking to bounce back from a torn ACL, writes Chris McPherson of PhiladelphiaEagles.com. McPherson says that Benn knows he is going to have to compete for a roster spot, but that the receiver is ready to work for his job. “I embraced it. You’ve got to embrace that type of stuff,” said Benn. “I’m not one to shy away from competition. I love competition. My life has been competition. I compete in everything that I do. The thing for me, when these younger guys come in, I want to help them out. If there’s any way to teach them so they can learn from my mistakes, something I could have done better, should have done better, I definitely tell them. The biggest thing for me honestly is I’m competing against myself.”
- While star pass rusher Brian Orakpo and new addition Jason Hatcher will be hogging the attention for the Redskins’ defense this season, head coach Jay Gruden sees importance in the performance of two other defensive linemen, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. Chris Baker and Jarvis Jenkins still figure to play key roles in the team’s defense this season. “We expect big things out of Chris and Jarvis,” Gruden said. “Baker’s going to be a major part of our nickel pass rush also, as is Jarvis Jenkins at some point.”
- The Redskins are looking for help returning both punts and kickoffs, and new receiver Andre Roberts wants to fill both positions, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. “I feel like I’m one of those players who when he gets the ball in his hands he can make some big plays,” said Roberts. “That’s what I want to bring to this team as well, not just as a receiver but also on special teams.”
- If Tony Romo continues to play at a high level, the Cowboys will not prioritize quarterback until the 2016 NFL Draft, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. However, if Romo struggles with performance or health this year, the team could target someone early in the upcoming draft.
Minor Moves: Giants, Jean, Lynch
Today’s minor moves include a pair of Giants, a trio of wide receivers and (you guessed it) four injured players. Let’s check them out…
- Giants wide receiver Kris Adams was added to the team’s reserve list, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Adams had two catches with the Colts in 2012.
- The Giants have come to an injury settlement with defensive back Jocquel Skinner and removed him from their injured reserve, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Vikings wideout Lestar Jean has cleared waivers and will be placed on injured reserve, the team announced (via Twitter). Jean has ten career receptions for 186 yards and one touchdown.
- The Colts have placed safety Corey Lynch on the injured reserve, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). The 29-year-old will be joining defensive end Fili Moala, who was placed on the IR earlier this week.
- The Titans have signed wide receiver Rico Richardson and waived injured linebacker James Gayle, reports ESPN.com Paul Kuharsky (via Twitter). Richardson was on the Chiefs practice squad last season and was released by the Texans last month. Gayle is an undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech.
- The Lions have added offensive tackle Bryce Quigley, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The undrafted rookie, who suffered a season-ending injury in San Diego State’s finale, worked out with the Lions yesterday.
East Notes: Beason, Bills, Easley, Orton
With linebackers like Sean Weatherspoon and Sean Lee already suffering season-ending injuries this spring, the Giants may have gotten off the hook relatively lightly on Jon Beason‘s diagnosis. As Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network first reported (via Twitter), Beason suffered a sesamoid fracture in his right foot, as well as a ligament tear, the team confirmed today in a press release. Jones hears that the recovery timetable will be about 12 weeks, which would get Beason back on the field just in time for the Giants’ opener, and the linebacker sounded today like he had a similar thought.
“The prognosis is X amount of time and it (the Sept. 8 opener) is within that timeframe,” Beason said. “I expect to be back (for that game). If not, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Here are a few more items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The family of Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is proposing to build a stadium to help secure the Bills‘ long-term future in western New York, multiple sources tell John Wawrow of The Associated Press. According to Wawrow, executives of Jacobs’ company are scheduled to meet with at least one prospective ownership group to evaluate potential sites for a new stadium in Erie and Niagara counties.
- First-round defensive tackle Dominique Easley is one of just 17 draft picks who remains unsigned, and Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) hears that Easley and the Patriots are “squabbling” over injury protection. However, any sort of holdout seems very unlikely.
- Kyle Orton counts for too much against the cap, considering his role, opines Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News. In Sherrington’s view, that’s why the quarterback doesn’t have much leverage in his ongoing staredown with the Cowboys — the team expects and wants Orton to report to camp, and will push for him to repay some of his bonus money if he decides to retire instead.
- Sheldon Richardson hopes to see the Jets reward fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson with a lucrative long-term contract soon, telling Brian Costello of the New York Post that Wilkerson is “due for a paycheck.”