Minor Moves: Wednesday
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves from around the NFL, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Raiders waived safety Terrell Pinson to make room for cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on the team’s 90-man roster, according to Steve Corkran (on Twitter). Pinson, a Louisiana Tech product, was signed as a UDFA earlier this month.
- The Raiders announced that they have signed fifth-round linebacker Ben Heeney, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- The Browns have signed fourth-round defensive back Ibraheim Campbell to his rookie deal, the club announced today in a press release. No team selected more players than Cleveland in the 2015 draft, and the Browns now have 11 of their 12 picks under contract.
- The Chargers swapped one signal-caller for another at the back of their roster today, officially signing former Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig and cutting quarterback Cole Stoudt.
- The Packers have moved one step closer to locking up their draft class by signing third-round receiver Ty Montgomery, per Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com (via Twitter). After locking up Montgomery, the 205th draft pick to reach a deal with his team, Green Bay only has first-rounder Damarious Randall left to sign.
- Former Chargers defensive tackle Chas Alecxih has signed with the Panthers, the team announced today (via Twitter). To make room for Alecxih, Carolina has parted ways with offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila. Kugbila, who will have to pass through waivers before hitting the open market, was a fourth-round pick back in 2013.
- After inviting him to their rookie minicamp as a tryout player, the Colts have signed kicker Taylor Pontius to a contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). Pontius almost certainly won’t displace incumbent kicker Adam Vinatieri, but as Mike Wilkering of Pro Football Talk observes, a couple Vinatieri understudies have found starting jobs elsewhere in recent years.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
West Notes: Raiders, 49ers, Cardinals
NFL executive Eric Grubman sounds as if he’s skeptical of Oakland’s ability to put an offer on table to keep the Raiders, Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes. “I have been to Oakland many times over the last four or five years,” Grubman said. “Each time I’ve gone there I’ve heard that the promise is right around the corner of a master development of that parcel that will include substantial proceeds from a developer, a third party, fourth party or multiple-party developers. I’ve heard that for three or four years and it hasn’t been produced and we have now lost all that time, the time has shrunk. No results have been produced. That, to me is going backward, because the time has shrunk but the probability hasn’t gone up.” Here’s more on the Raiders’ stadium situation and other items from the West divisions..
- Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) that she last spoke with Grubman on Tuesday. She added that she has a potential meeting with Roger Goodell to discuss the Raiders when she’s in New York in early June.
- Mark Davis doesn’t want to share a stadium with the 49ers because he feels that his Raiders would play second fiddle to the building’s primary tenants, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. “There’s not going to be a No. 1 team and No. 2 team” in Carson, he said. “There’s going to be two No. 1 teams, if in fact that’s how it happens (referring to the Chargers-Raiders partnership). We’re designing it together. We’re making all the decisions together.… “San Francisco did a phenomenal job of getting something done in California — on their own. To finance a stadium and get it built. And you give them a lot of credit. But it’s not a Raider type of area. It’s just not going to work for the Raiders.”
- Things are wide open when it comes to the Cardinals‘ third quarterback battle and it’s a race worth watching, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes.
Goodell Talks Brady, Pats, Oakland, L.A.
At the conclusion of this week’s NFL meetings in San Francisco, commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the media, and while he took questions from reporters, he – unsurprisingly – didn’t drop any bombshells. Still, Goodell shed at least a little light on a few topics, so let’s check out a few highlights from the commissioner’s presser:
- As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports details, Goodell strongly hinted that Tom Brady‘s best chance at reducing his four-game suspension would involve the quarterback handing over text messages and emails that he didn’t initially surrender to Ted Wells. Goodell was also asked directly if Robert Kraft‘s decision not to appeal the Patriots‘ penalties would factor into Brady’s appeal, and replied with one word: “No.”
- Contradicting a report from earlier this week, Goodell said that the NFL didn’t ask the Patriots to suspend the two staffers – Jim McNally and John Jastremski – who starred in the Wells Report (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Asked about discussions with St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland about stadium plans, Goodell noted that he had yet to hear from Oakland about a plan for the Raiders. While he didn’t go so far as to call it frustrating, the lack of a proposal has “clearly irked” Goodell, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Goodell on the Oakland situation: “We don’t have a deadline, but this is not a new issue that we’re all dealing with here. This is something that the Raiders have been working on a stadium for years. This is something that’s been very publicly debated. So we do need to have a proposal from the people here about how they’re going to be able to keep the raiders here in Oakland.”
- Colts owner Jim Irsay said today that it’s just a matter of “when” – not “if” – a team relocates to Los Angeles, but Goodell cautioned that a return to L.A. isn’t “inevitable,” per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “There is certainly momentum, there are certainly opportunities,” Goodell said. “I can’t remember the last time we had two facilities that are actually entitled and are being developed. That’s a very positive development, and in fact there are actually even two more sites that have been entitled, but the two that we’re focusing on are obviously the Carson site and the Inglewood site. I think those are positive developments, but a lot more work has to be done.”
Extra Points: Brown, Wilkerson, Raiders
The NFL and NFLPA recently reached a settlement that capped the number of unsigned veterans who can participate in tryouts at rookie minicamp to five players, sources tell Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. The financial compensation for participating veterans was one of the NFLPA’s concerns, and that apparently outweighed the upside of deals coming together for players like Josh Morgan, who signed with the Saints after an impressive tryout during rookie minicamp. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- The Patriots had free agent cornerback Tarell Brown in for a visit today, a team source tells Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This is the second time that the Pats have hosted Brown for a visit.
- Jets owner Woody Johnson didn’t make it sound like a new deal for Muhammad Wilkerson is coming anytime soon, as Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post writes. “We’re continuing to have dialogue sporadically, but it’s got to be something that works for both sides,” Johnson said.
- The Raiders are open to selling a minority stake in the team to a Bay Area company if that company can help fill the $400MM stadium financing gap that currently exists, Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets.
- Washington proposed that roster cuts should go from a 90-man roster to a 53-man roster, but that idea was voted down, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- With 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith retiring in May, he has more than $2.1MM in unearned signing bonus money, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. The 49ers could try and recoup that money, but they might feel indebted to Smith after he restructured his deal in 2013. Meanwhile, the former defensive end known as Cowboy says he checked out 49ers rookie minicamp and he might want to “dip my toe into coaching” after a couple years, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
- Saints receivers coach John Morton probably had some input in the signing of wide receiver Lance Lewis, who spent last year under Morton on the 49ers’ practice squad, Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune tweets. Earlier today, New Orleans signed Lewis and dropped kicker Shayne Graham.
- The release of Graham leaves the Saints on the hook for his $10K signing bonus, Woodbery notes (on Twitter). The team’s dead money total has now risen a tad, from $21.67MM to $21.68MM.
NFL Approves Change To Extra Points
NFL owners have approved a change to extra point attempts, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter) reports. From now on, PAT attempts will be taken from the 15-yard line, the distance of a 33-yard field goal try.
Two-point conversions will remain untouched and continue to be done from the two-yard line. However, the opposing defense can now return those attempts for two points of its own in the case of a fumble or interception, Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune tweets.
Regular point-after attempts can also be returned by defenses for two points, Garafolo tweets. If a team lines up for two points and is penalized, the club can opt to instead kick for one point, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
The Raiders and Washington both voted against changes to the extra point, a source tells Garafolo (link). In the end, however, they were outnumbered. While some will surely be critical of the new plan, it’s undeniable that extra points will now be much more interesting in 2015.
Raiders Owner Mark Davis On Possible Move
Raiders owner Mark Davis told an audience in the Ritz-Carlton lobby that his goal remains keeping his team in Oakland, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, while he’s working on that front, the Raiders and Chargers have enlisted the help of Carmen Policy to help facilitate the joint Carson City project. Davis later added that he wouldn’t consider moving the Raiders to St. Louis in the event that the Rams bolt for Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Davis says that the Raiders and Chargers closed on the land deal in Carson last night, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. While Davis’ preference might be to stay put, he’s also well-prepared to move if necessary.
Davis said he has $500M to give on a $900M potential stadium in Oakland, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and it remains to be seen if the city is willing to cover that funding gap. When asked what’s needed to keep the Raiders in Oakland, Davis responded (link), “Ask the city of Oakland and the county of Alameda.”
Carson and Oakland are on the table, but he says the chances of the Raiders playing at the Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers, are “zero,” as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. He also says there is no way he’d ever sell the team (link).
Raiders To Sign Chimdi Chekwa
Chimdi Chekwa has signed a one-year deal to return the Raiders, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Chekwa was released by the Patriots on Monday to help make room for linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Chekwa signed with the Patriots after the Raiders declined to tender him an offer in March. The former fourth-round pick was brought in to give some depth to the team’s stable of cornerbacks following the departure of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner via free agency. Now, he’s back in Oakland, presumably at a lower price than his restricted free agent tender would have called for.
Last year, the 26-year-old (27 in September) appeared in ten games and made two starts for the Raiders. He totaled 16 total tackles and two pass deflections.
Latest On Los Angeles Relocation
Momentum continues to built toward the NFL returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, multiple sources tell Albert Breer of the NFL Network. One of those sources tells Breer that the league is “confident” there will be multiple viable options on the table before year’s end to make relocation to L.A. a realistic possibility.
While no significant movements forward are expected to be announced this week, Los Angeles will be a topic of discussion at the NFL’s spring meetings in San Francisco. Here’s more on what to expect at those meetings, and going forward:
- The cities of St. Louis and San Diego have made progress toward new stadiums, but Oakland has moved backward since March, “losing time without making any progress,” writes Breer.
- Breer also notes that Rams owner Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood project continues to maintain an “incremental lead” over the Carson project spearheaded by the Raiders and Chargers. An outcome is “unlikely to crystallize” until late 2015, perhaps in advance of the NFL’s December meetings.
- While NFL executive Eric Grubman appreciates the city of San Diego expediting the process by submitting a proposal to build a new stadium, he tells Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com that it still needs some work. “I don’t think they made a specific proposal that includes all the key elements of how they get entitled and so forth and so on,” Grubman said. “So first of all, I haven’t dug into it. And second of all, I don’t know what the timing of that proposal could be.”
- As Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com details, Grubman also indicated that the league will look into compressing the window for teams to formally apply for relocation, which currently runs annually from January 1 to February 15.
Chargers Notes: Policy, Barksdale, Spanos
The Chargers and Raiders have hired Carmen Policy to oversee the potential football project the two teams would share, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Policy, who held senior roles with the 49ers and Browns and has been out of the NFL for over a decade, believes that the NFL will put the project “on the fast track.” Since leaving the NFL, Policy’s main occupation has been his winery in Napa, but he says he’s excited to be back in football in some capacity. Here’s more on the Chargers..
- Right tackle Joe Barksdale is visiting the Chargers, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. The veteran started 29 games the past two seasons, all at right tackle, for the Rams.
- Chargers Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos announced that his two sons will be elevated to President-level roles. A.G. Spanos has been named President – Business Operations and John Spanos has assumed the role of President – Football Operations. John held the position of executive vice president of football operations for the past two seasons.
- Dean Spanos will now focus on the Chargers’ stadium situation, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com writes.
Draft Signings: Raiders, Jaguars, Cowboys
Here are a few of the latest draft pick signings from around the NFL, as teams continue to work toward getting all their rookies under contract:
- The Raiders have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Jon Feliciano and sixth-round defensive end Max Valles, according to a pair of press releases from the team. Oakland has now locked up half of its 10-player draft class, including fourth overall pick Amari Cooper.
- The Michael Bennett who plays for the Seahawks and is currently playing out a $28MM contract has been a subject of a few rumors lately, but it’s another Michael Bennett, the defensive tackle out of Ohio State, that signed his rookie deal with the Jaguars today, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports (Twitter link).
- The Cowboys have inked seventh-round offensive tackle Laurence Gibson to his four-year rookie contract, tweets Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Gibson will get a signing bonus of about $56K on a deal that’s worth $2.336MM in total, according to Over The Cap.