Will Hill Suspended Six Games
The Giants announced safety Will Hill has lost his appeal and been suspended six games by the NFL for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse. The 24-year-old safety started 10-of-12 games played last season, and tallied 77 tackles, two passes defended, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. In fact, he was one of the best safeties in football, according to Pro Football Focus, whose grades amounted to a 15.7 overall rating, which ranked ahead of veterans such as T.J. Ward, Eric Berry, Eric Weddle and Earl Thomas.
Trouble has long followed Hill, however, dating back to his days at Florida, where he earned the reputation as a headache thanks to inconsistent play, multiple suspensions, marijuana use and a lewd Twitter account. Despite possessing obvious talent, Hill’s substantial character red flags knocked him off draft boards in 2011. He went undrafted and spent time in the Arena Football League before the Giants took a flier on him in 2012.
By the summer of 2013, Hill had been suspended twice for violating the league’s substance abuse policy (Adderall and marijuana, according to Hill). In December, Hill was arrested on a warrant for outstanding child-support payments. And this April, he failed a drug test, leading to his third suspension.
The flurry of transgressions and consequent punishment appears to signal the end of his Giants career, according to the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano, who tweets the team is “likely done” with Hill.
Giants Release Josh Freeman
With Eli Manning healthy enough to participate in this week’s OTAs, the Giants have continued to clear out their excess of quarterbacks. The team announced today in a press release that it has released Josh Freeman, who was signed earlier in the offseason to provide spring depth and potentially compete for a backup job. The Giants used Freeman’s vacated roster spot to claim offensive lineman Rogers Gaines off waivers from the Bears.
Freeman, 26, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off last year and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start.
The Giants picked up Freeman a little over a month ago, and gave him $55K in guaranteed money (via a signing bonus), but the former Kansas State QB was never viewed as the favorite to win the No. 2 job behind Manning. Ryan Nassib and Curtis Painter remain on the roster, competing for that backup role, and Rusty Smith was also signed to provide offseason depth, though he has since been cut as well.
Freeman won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, free to sign with any team.
Minor Moves: Ravens, Bears, Steelers
The Ravens have signed former Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. To create a roster spot, Baltimore waived-injured rookie outside linebacker Ryan Jones out of Montana Tech. Toussaint played at Michigan, rushing for 648 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior last season. He also caught 18 passes for 203 yards for the Wolverines in 2013. Here are the rest of today’s minor moves..
- The Bills released Western New York native Randy Colling, writes Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. The Gannon University product, who also has Arena League experience, was previously a defensive lineman but Buffalo was trying to transition him to offensive guard.
- In addition to confirming the release of Derrick Martin, the Bears announced (via Twitter) that they have waived offensive tackle Rogers Gaines.
- The Steelers took to Twitter to announce that they have released Nik Embernate and Kaycee Ike. Their spots have been filled by offensive lineman Emmanuel McCray and Deion Belue, whose acquisitions were disclosed earlier.
- The Broncos have waived guard/tackle Ramon Harewood, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Giants received wide receiver Corey Washington off waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. To make room for Washington, Big Blue waived offensive lineman Stephen Goodin.
The Importance Of June 1st
Many of the most important dates of the NFL offseason have already come and gone, but this Sunday represents another day that team executives around the league have circled on their calendars. Here’s a brief summary of why June 1 is important, and what we can expect starting next Monday, after that deadline has passed:
- As we explained in a PFR Glossary entry, players released or traded after June 1 count against the cap differently than players who were cut or moved earlier in the offseason, with teams able to spread the player’s dead money across multiple years. So we could see a handful of veterans released or dealt once June 1 is behind us.
- Several players were released earlier in the offseason and designated as post-June 1 cuts, meaning their cap hits will finally be reduced starting in June. Those players are LaMarr Woodley (Steelers; $8MM cap savings), Carlos Rogers (49ers; $6.6MM), Miles Austin (Cowboys; $5.5MM), Steve Smith (Panthers; $5MM), David Bass (Giants; $5MM), Daryn Colledge (Cardinals; $5MM), and Thomas DeCoud (Falcons; $3.4MM). Each of those teams was starting to approach the cap limit, so the new savings will give them the flexibility to lock up draft picks and possibly revisit the free agent market.
- Speaking of free agents, June 1 represents the deadline for teams to extend contract tenders to their unrestricted FAs. If a club’s former veteran player remains unsigned, that team can make him a one-year offer worth 110% of his previous cap number (minus workout and incentive payments). For former players who were on rookie contracts, the one-year tender is worth 100% of the player’s previous base salary. Players who receive these June 1 tenders have until July 22 to sign with another team — after that date, the player’s previous team retains exclusive negotiating rights throughout the season.
- Most free agents won’t receive tender offers, meaning they become free after June 1 to sign with any club without being tied to future draft compensation. As such, we’ll likely see an increase in veterans inking contracts, since teams will no longer have to worry that signing those players will reduce their chances at compensatory 2015 draft picks.
Details from Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.
NFC Links: Giants, Buccaneers, Rams
A handful of ESPN’s NFC writers were kind enough to give us some reading material on this holiday. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from those articles…
- “Economics” was the main reason why the Giants didn’t pursue a pass rusher like Michael Johnson in free agency, says ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. The team already has some depth at defensive end, and Graziano thinks the Giants were wise to use their resources elsewhere.
- Graziano also thinks it makes sense for the Giants to start Adrien Robinson at tight end. Instead of bringing in a veteran, the writer says they might as well roll with the player they’ve been developing.
- ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas thinks it’s a good idea for the Buccaneers to extend defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The writer suggests a contract worth about $13MM annually and says the steep price is worth it for the team’s best player.
- Rams running backs Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason are set to hold their respect jobs “for the foreseeable future,” writes ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. This means running backs Isaiah Pead and Chase Reynolds are likely competing for one job. Wagoner says undrafted rookies Kadeem Jones and Trey Watts could also join that competition.
NFC Notes: Giants, Durant, Washington, Floyd
“It seems everyone in the free world with an interest in football wants to know why the Giants didn’t draft a tight end and what they’re going to do to shore up the position,” writes Giants.com Senior Writer/Editor Michael Eisen. However, Eisen says GM Jerry Reese likes his two young, developmental tight ends (Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell) and wants to see what the team has in veterans Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells and rookie free agent Xavier Grimble before addressing the position.
In other NFC news and notes…
- The 49ers waived offensive tackle Luke Marquardt, a 2013 undrafted free agent out of Azusa Pacific who has been sidelined with foot problems, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- In a “Buy or Sell” piece for the Cowboys’ website, former NFL executive Bryan Broaddus says the days of linebacker Justin Durant being useful have passed, and DeVonte Holloman and Kyle Wilber possess the athleticism and three-down utility to compete for the Sam linebacker job.
- Bears 2013 sixth-round defensive lineman Cornelius Washington could be a roster casualty if his raw ability doesn’t manifest more consistently, believes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
- Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl‘s “ability to teach and develop talent is almost as valuable as having extra draft picks,” asserts ESPN’s David Newton.
- Cardinals receiver Michael Floyd, a first-round pick in 2012, is showing signs that he’s ready to take his game to another level, writes Darren Urban on azcardinals.com. Quarterback Carson Palmer praised Floyd, and receivers coach Darryl Drake said, “The only person that can keep [Floyd] from being good is him.”
- The Cardinals brought in 17 tryout players for rookie minicamp, and ESPN’s John Weinfuss has the list.
East Notes: Bills, Pats, Cowboys, Eagles
ESPN Insider Mike Sando provided grades for all 32 NFL teams’ offseasons, and while the Bills received a C+, that grade has the potential to fluctuate significantly depending on how the next couple years play out for the club. Buffalo was the only team to trade away its 2015 first-round pick during the 2014 draft, and as ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak notes, one general manager who spoke to Sando questioned that move for Sammy Watkins.
“Watkins dominated all the way through college, has rare measurables and plays with a mean streak, but if you are going to mortgage your future, you do it to get a quarterback, not a receiver,” the GM said. “They gave up way too much. They mortgaged the future when they do not have a franchise quarterback, in my opinion. They will be looking for another QB in a year and they will not have a first-round pick to get him.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Patriots cut linebacker James Morris with a failed physical designation earlier this week, just four days after signing him as an undrafted free agent, but Morris made out reasonably well for four days of work. According to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, the Pats had given the Iowa product a $10K signing bonus and $10K in other guarantees, so his brief stint cost the club $20K.
- Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Wednesday, Tony Romo confessed that he may have had a little inside information heading into this year’s draft, so he wasn’t concerned about the Cowboys potentially drafting Johnny Manziel. Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News has the details and the quotes from Romo.
- Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com takes an early look at how he thinks the Eagles‘ 53-man roster could shake out.
- ESPN.com’s team reporters are unveiling their offseason wrap-ups this week, and Todd Archer, Andy Jasner, Dan Graziano, and John Keim have published their recaps for the Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Redskins, respectively.
East Notes: Cowboys, Jernigan, Giants, Bills
First-round pick Zack Martin is expected to start his NFL career as a guard for the Cowboys, but as Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes, the assumption has been that Martin will shift over to right tackle in 2015, since Doug Free is in the last year of his contract. Still, Archer wonders if it might be more beneficial for the club to keep Martin on the interior a little longer and extend Free’s deal beyond this season, since he had a solid 2013 season and only just turned 30.
Here’s more from Archer on the Cowboys, along with some update on a couple other East teams:
- Within the same piece, Archer explores the possibility of the Cowboys carrying four tailbacks on their regular-season roster now that they’ve added Ryan Williams, and wonders if players like Henry Melton and Anthony Spencer can even come close to reaching playing-time incentives, given Dallas’ depth on the defensive line.
- Although this month’s selection of wideout Odell Beckham Jr. fortified the Giants‘ receiving corps, it raised question marks about the role Jerrel Jernigan will have in New York going forward, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. In Raanan’s view, Jernigan’s best chance for consistent playing time may come with another team, barring an injury to Beckham, Victor Cruz, or Rueben Randle.
- In the NFL, signing a five-year contract with a team doesn’t assure a player of a long-term stay with that club, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is hoping to stick with the Giants for several years, as Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News writes. DRC also noted that the decision to sign with the Giants rather than the Jets in free agency was “very difficult.”
- According to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link), the NFL expects the sale of the Bills to take a little longer than usual. The league wants to intensify the vetting process after what happened with Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, whose business was investigated by the FBI and IRS just a few months after he was approved as the team’s majority owner.
Checking In On Draft Pick Signings
Under old NFL Collective Bargaining Agreements, the time between the draft and the regular season represented a period of uncertainty for many rookies, with no assurances that contracts would get signed before training camps opened in the summer. However, the current CBA has expedited the process significantly, essentially locking in signing bonus and contract values by draft slot, meaning that deals are being completed faster than ever and holdouts are becoming a thing of the past.
With the help of our list of draft pick signings by team, here are a few details on which contracts have been finalized so far, and which ones still need to be signed:
- 139 draftees have signed, or at least agreed to terms, so far. Since 256 players were drafted in total, that leaves 117 who still have to sign.
- Although more than half of this year’s draft picks have been locked up, that ratio doesn’t extend to first-rounders. Only six of those 32 players have reached agreements with their respective clubs so far — Khalil Mack (No. 5), Anthony Barr (No. 9), Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 12), Kyle Fuller (No. 14), Brandin Cooks (No. 20), and Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32). There shouldn’t be any problems with the contracts for any first-round picks, but there are a few more details to negotiate for those players, including overall guaranteed money.
- Conversely, the deals for seventh-rounders are less complicated to work out, so it’s not surprising that 33 of 41 seventh-round picks have agreed to terms on their deals. Four of those eight unsigned seventh-rounders were drafted by the Rams, who have yet to sign any of their picks.
- The Saints and Bears made quick work of the draft pick signing period, having signed all of their 2014 draftees to rookie contracts already. The Chargers, Colts, and Giants each have just one player left to lock up.
- On the other hand, several clubs are taking their time to sign their draft picks, or at least are in no rush to announce those deals — in addition to the Rams, the Broncos, Bengals, Dolphins, and Browns have yet to ink any rookie contracts.
- To check out the pick-by-pick breakdown of signing bonuses and contract values for each draft slot, be sure to visit OverTheCap.com.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants
Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones spoke to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network about the possibility of the NFL expanding their playoff format, and he liked the idea of more playoff teams, reports Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Jones noted that it would help his team get into the tournament, as the Cowboys have barely missed the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- The Eagles have signed fourth-round pick Jaylen Watkins, fifth-round pick Taylor Hart, and undrafted free agent Devan Morgan, reports Jeff McClane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Hart is a defensive end out of Oregon, while Watkins and Morgan are both defensive backs. The team released defensive back John Fulton to make room on the roster.
- Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly drafted two Oregon players this year, and both have found the transition from college to the pros smooth because of the connection, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“There’s things in the offense I know already,” receiver Josh Huff said. “It’s just getting things separated from the Oregon offense to the Philly offense. The play calls are different. The hand signals are different. So I have to reboot my whole system and get it in order.”
Hart also has some familiarity with the system.
- The Giants have just enough cap room to sign all their draft picks without making any roster move, writes Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Ranaan still expects the team to free up about $5MM by cutting David Baas in the near future..