Extra Points: Wells, Broncos, Raiders
Former Rams center Scott Wells is paying a visit to the Titans today, a league source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The 34-year-old, who earned a Pro Bowl berth during his final season with the Packers in 2011, played his college ball at Tennessee, so it would be a homecoming of sorts if he were to sign with the Titans.
- Tight end Jeff Heuerman is the Broncos‘ only remaining unsigned draft pick but his deal is likely to get done later this week, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. Earlier today, first round choice Shane Ray put pen to paper with Denver.
- After signing blocking tight end Lee Smith away from Buffalo and using a third-round pick on Miami’s Clive Walford, the Raiders are hoping to get significant production out of their TEs this season, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. He notes that tight end versatility is essential in Bill Musgrave’s offense, particularly when they go up-tempo.
- North Carolina Central wide receiver/kick returner Adrian Wilkins will enter the Supplemental Draft, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. As a sophomore, Wilkins returned five kicks for touchdowns, three kickoffs and two punts and was given All-American honors for his play.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Ravens cut Trey DePriest and re-signed linebacker Andrew Bose, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. Both players were UDFAs from this year’s class. DePriest, who got a $5K signing bonus from Baltimore earlier this month, was a starter at Alabama who registered 87 total tackles and five tackles for loss last season. Bose, meanwhile, tried out at the Ravens’ rookie minicamp and was a roster casualty after the signing of veteran cornerback Kyle Arrington.
- The Raiders signed linebacker Horace Miller and wide receiver Milton Williams III, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The Panthers waived Miller in April.
- Browns linebacker Keith Pough reverted to the team’s injured reserve after going unclaimed off waivers, Wilson tweets. Cowboys wide receiver Chris Boyd (link) and Colts defensive back Josh Mitchell (link) also went back to their team’s respective IRs after going unclaimed.
- The Raiders cut Travell Dixon and Austin Hill, Wilson tweets. Oakland signed Hill after the wide receiver did not pass a physical to sign with Seahawks.
AFC West Notes: Houston, Rivers, Berry
The Raiders have a solid backup plan at quarterback thanks to the presence of Christian Ponder, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “This offense is a little different than what I ran in Minnesota, but some of the things carry over,” Ponder said. “It is nice to be out there getting reps. I didn’t get many last year (in Minnesota) with Matt Cassel and Teddy (Bridgewater). When you’re in a new situation, the added playing time certainly helps you get your feet wet.” So far, Bair says that Ponder’s transition has been a smooth one. More from the AFC West..
- As expected, Justin Houston missed the Chiefs’ first OTA workout, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. In a poll on Monday, 41% of PFR readers said that Houston will probably wind up signing his one-year franchise tender.
- Despite his contract issues with the team, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is going about his business just as he does every offseason, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Rivers said he was “certain” to play out the final year on his deal if something was not done before training camp began. There hasn’t been a whole lot of talk between the Bolts and Rivers’ agent in recent weeks.
- Chiefs coach Andy Reid gave reporters an update on standout defensive back Eric Berry, who is currently battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “He’s been through all the treatments,” Reid explained, according to the team’s website. “Now the doctor’s going to sit down with him and go over exactly what the results of that are. We don’t have that. Eric doesn’t have it quite yet. Everything up to this point has been very positive from the doctor and from Eric, so I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
Minor Moves: Tuesday Night
Earlier today, we rounded up the day’s smaller transactions. Here are the latest minor moves..
- The Seahawks announced they have signed draft picks Frank Clark and Tyler Lockett to their rookie contracts, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Seattle now has all of its picks under contract.
- The Cowboys officially signed third-round offensive lineman Chaz Green, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets. With Green in the fold, only two picks remain unsigned for Dallas: cornerback Byron Jones and linebacker Damien Wilson.
- The Steelers removed wide receiver L’Damian Washington from injured reserve with an injury settlement, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Browns have signed offensive lineman Eric Olsen and linebacker Mike Reilly, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter). Olsen, a four-year NFL vet, has appeared in 23 games with four starts over the course of his career. Reilly was a participant in Cleveland’s rookie minicamp.
- The Raiders have signed seventh-round cornerback Dexter McDonald. McDonald was selected 242nd overall by the Raiders in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played three seasons at Kansas, starting 24-of-31 games at cornerback.
West Notes: Broncos, Bennett, Rivers
The Broncos will have to make a call this week on whether or not they want to keep Antonio Smith on their roster as their organized team activities get underway, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Smith is being investigated following a complaint of possible child abuse of a sexual nature, and while that’s a serious allegation, the defensive lineman has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, so Denver’s decision isn’t as clear-cut as the one the Bears faced with Ray McDonald.
As we wait to see whether or not the Broncos decide to cut ties with Smith, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….
- Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, and Cliff Avril won’t report immediately to the Seahawks‘ OTAs as they deal with various personal and family matters, according to Danny Neil of 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle (Twitter links). The more notable absence for Seattle is defensive end Michael Bennett, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, citing ESPN Radio. The standout pass rusher suggested earlier this offseason that he wouldn’t mind reworking his contract, which he just signed a year ago.
- Philip Rivers is in action for the Chargers as they begin their OTAs, but there hasn’t been much contract-related discussion between the two sides this month, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf recently reiterated that she opposes the idea of spending any public funds on a new football stadium in the city, as Rachel Swan of SFGate.com details. For a new stadium to work for the Raiders in Oakland, a gap of about $400MM in financing would have to be closed somehow.
West Notes: Relocation, Seahawks, Walker
Last week, Rams fans in St. Louis received a bit of good news when league commissioner Roger Goodell noted that the efforts to keep the Rams in the Gateway City by building a new stadium on the riverfront had made “tremendous progress.” Although financing plans still need to be worked out, a number of football scribes, like Ben Volin of The Boston Globe and Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, wonder how Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the league itself could justify moving the Rams to Los Angeles if St. Louis comes through with funding for a new stadium before the team’s current lease with the Edward Jones Dome expires.
That question becomes particularly relevant if the Carson plan, in which the Raiders and Chargers would share a stadium in LA, continues to gain momentum. As Miklasz points out, the Carson proposal would allow the league to solve its “California problem” inside California without having to move a franchise from another region. Furthermore, the Chargers and Raiders have been waiting for a new stadium for years, while the Edward Jones Dome is comparatively new.
But Miklasz is keeping his optimism in check, because the NFL has refused to confirm that a new stadium will assure St. Louis of a place in the league. The city has gone to great lengths to keep the Rams in St Louis, as they have committed to constructing a new, $985MM stadium while still paying off the cost of building the Edward Jones Dome, and the league has repeatedly stated that it strongly prefers to keep each team in its current market. And yet, without the NFL’s public commitment that the riverfront project, if successful, would keep the Rams in place, Miklasz writes that the whole ordeal becomes a question of honor. And honor is one department in which the league sometimes falls short.
Now let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s West divisions:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that there will not be three teams in Southern California until the Chargers‘ stadium situation is resolved in some way. As Breer notes (via Twitter), it is possible that, if the Chargers reach a deal to stay in San Diego, the Raiders and Rams could share the Inglewood stadium, which is designed to house two teams.
- On a less serious note, Chargers superfan Dan Juaregui, otherwise known as the costumed “Boltman,” has contacted an attorney about the possibility of filing an antitrust suit against the NFL on behalf of Chargers fans if the Chargers should relocate to Los Angeles. While the attorney himself noted that such a suit would be feasible, Kristina Davis of The San Diego Union-Tribune, citing Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, says the city gave up its right to sue the league over relocation in its stadium lease.
- Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times summarizes former agent Joel Corry’s analysis of Russell Wilson‘s contract negotiations with the Seahawks. Our Luke Adams wrote a piece on Corry’s original article several days ago.
- Jayson Jenks of The Seattle Times describes the difficulty opposing defenses will have to face when confronted with the Seahawks‘ triple threat of Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and one of the biggest prizes of the offseason, Jimmy Graham.
- Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post looks at the value and versatility that newly-acquired defensive tackle Vance Walker, who was used sparingly with division rival Kansas City, brings to the Broncos.
West Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Cardinals
Though Raiders owner Mark Davis said on Tuesday that he wants to keep his club in Oakland, a different scenario involving the team’s location has been floated in league circles, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Per Rapoport, it’s possible that the Raiders could sign a one-year lease to remain in Oakland for the 2016 season, allow the Chargers and Rams situations time to play themselves out, and then be the only team left standing for a possible move to a different city the following year.
Such a delay tactic would allow the Raiders to discuss transitioning to a city like San Antonio or even St. Louis (in the event the Rams relocate), says Rapoport. Davis did indicate that there was no chance he’d move his team to Missouri, but the NFL.com scribe cautions (via Twitter) to not rule out such a move.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two West divisions…
- The Raiders aren’t the only AFC West club in a state of flux, as the Chargers have also been heavily linked to the Los Angeles area. But the team hasn’t been straight about its plans with the city of San Diego or Chargers fans, argues Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Suspended Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington still isn’t sure of his status with the NFL, reports Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910. Washington, who hasn’t seen the field since 2013, still hasn’t been disciplined for a domestic violence incident, and all told, is expected to be handed a two- to six-game ban, per Jurecki.
- More from Oakland, as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap analyzes the Raiders in his latest piece for Sporting News, writing that the club is set up to spend heavily in free agency next offseason. Of course, cap space hasn’t been a problem for Oakland during the past few offseasons, but they’ve still had difficulty landing marquee free agents.
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Raiders announced that they have signed fifth-round draft pick Neiron Ball, as the staff at CSNBayArea.com writes. The linebacker was selected 161st overall by the Raiders after starting four seasons at Florida.
- The Chiefs released Ricky Henry and signed tight end Ryan Taylor, according to the league’s transaction report, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Taylor, 28 in November, appeared in 45 games for the Packers from 2011 through 2013.
- The Colts announced that they have waived tackle Demarco Cox. Cox, who four years of college basketball at Ole Miss (2010-14) before transferring to Georgia Tech (2014-15) for his final season of eligibility, just signed with the club on Tuesday.
- The Packers announced that they have signed cornerback Travis Manning. Manning, 24, was a standout at Division II Northwest Missouri State. He previously participated in camps with the Cowboys and Chiefs.
- The Saints placed wide receiver Andy Tanner on the IR after he cleared waivers today, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Smith, Raiders
Chargers kicker Nick Novak, for the most part, likes the new point after attempt rules, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
“I think it makes my job that much more exciting,” Novak said. “There could be games where I may not get any work, just lighting up the scoreboard and scoring touchdowns, which is a good thing. Now, I have the privilege of kicking 33-yard field goals, maybe four of five a game — I call them field goals because they’re from 33 yards. And I may kick four or five (actual) field goals. My workload is going to go up. It’s exciting to showcase what I can do. I think it increases the value of a kicker, too. Accuracy is going to be a (more valued commodity).”
However, now that the two-point scoring incentive is there, Novak is concerned that rushers may make a more concerted effort to block, which could lead to greater injury risk for players. Here’s more out of the AFC West..
- Broncos defensive lineman Antonio Smith is being investigated in Texas for possible child abuse of a sexual nature, Mike Klis of 9News writes. The alleged incident took place in November, two months before Denver signed him to a one-year, $2MM pact. Only Smith’s $500K signing bonus is fully guaranteed from that amount, though a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy could put that in jeopardy.
- The Raiders are set up perfectly for a 2016 spending splurge, Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News writes. If QB Derek Carr and LB Khalil Mack lead the Raiders to a respectable season in 2015, McKenzie will likely see the time being right to spend on high-quality players. At that point, the Raiders will have up to 16 unrestricted free agents and it’s unlikely any of them would be inked to an extension over the summer.
- There’s a lot of talk about where the Raiders will wind up playing but that’s not a concern to head coach Jack Del Rio, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “We’re not naïve to know that there are things going on but, really, our focus is just on trying to be as good a football team as we can be,” Del Rio said. “Inside these walls, it’s all about football, about competing, about learning the system and challenging each other and building a brotherhood, beginning to get that chemistry and that bond and all of that.”
Los Angeles Relocation Notes: Thursday
With the league’s spring’s meetings having taken place in San Francisco this week, the possibility of moving one or two NFL franchises to Los Angeles was a point of discussion for owners and the commissioner. While no significant steps forward were made, we have a few more updates on the L.A. situation. Let’s round up the highlights….
- There was “strong positive buzz” about the Carson stadium plan coming out of the owner’s meetings, several high-ranking ownership sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora’s sources had plenty of praise for Chargers owner Dean Spanos, who has “moved expertly” through the process while Rams owner Stan Kroenke has rubbed the league office the wrong way.
- As La Canfora details, the Chargers and Raiders appear more willing to cooperate with what the league wants, whereas Kroenke has “shown willingness to go rogue,” which could mean that the Carson plan has taken the lead as the favorite over Kroenke’s Inglewood project. With the Rams‘ lease in St. Louis up at season’s end, and Kroenke financing the Inglewood plan on his own, he could decide to go to court if the NFL objects to his moving to L.A., writes La Canfora.
- If the Chargers and Raiders were to move to Los Angeles for 2016, the Rose Bowl could potentially support both teams in the short term, and possible realignment (with the Chargers moving to the NFC) would be “no hindrance,” per La Canfora.
- While the Chargers‘ odds of moving to L.A. may be increasing, Spanos continues to insist that he’d like to see the franchise stay in San Diego, as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune details.
- 49ers owner Jed York suggests that the Los Angeles stadium proposals are much further along than any stadium plans in St. Louis, San Diego, or Oakland, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “The most progress that has taken place has been in Los Angeles,” York said. “Does that mean you’re going to have a team there in 2016? The chances you’re going to, they’re higher than not — based on all the work that has gone into it and the momentum behind it. And a lot of that is pushed by home markets not having viable solutions for teams.”