Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Vikings announced that they have waived safety Ahmad Dixon, running back Henry Josey, tight end Ryan Otten, offensive tackle Antonio Richardson, and guard Austin Wentworth.
- Ravens defensive end Steven Means has signed his $510K exclusive-rights tender, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Washington cut offensive tackle Xavier Nixon, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Washington originally acquired him off waivers from the Colts.
- The Eagles re-signed defensive end Frank Mays and cut wide receiver Will Murphy, Wilson tweets.
- The Cardinals released wide receiver Nathan Slaughter, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
- The Raiders announced (on Twitter) that they have signed former Fresno State wide receiver Josh Harper.
- The Patriots waived wide receiver Kevin Dorsey and defensive end Michael Buchanan, Doug Kyed of NESN tweets.
- The Seahawks waived Brendan Kelly, who signed as a free agent earlier this year, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
La Canfora’s Latest: Bennett, Eagles, Titans
Michael Bennett and his agent have “made it clear” he’d rather not return to the Seahawks, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Of course, as La Canfora points out, the Seahawks typically don’t budge when it comes to trades or contract situation, so while the two sides may be able to work something out that makes sense for all parties, Bennett may not go anywhere or sign a new contract in the next few months.
Bennett and various members of the Seahawks organization have repeatedly denied a rumor that he wants to be traded. However, that initial report came from another reporter, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, so the fact that La Canfora has heard similar rumblings suggests there may be something to it. It wouldn’t be surprising if, at the very least, Bennett wants to rework his deal, considering he’s one of the league’s best pass rushers and is earning a relatively modest $7MM per year.
Here are a few more tidbits from La Canfora’s piece on potential trade candidates:
- Whether it’s this week or the week before the season begins, the Eagles will trade Evan Mathis at some point, in La Canfora’s opinion. The CBSSports.com scribe adds that Chip Kelly was trying to move Mychal Kendricks for a second-round pick in the week leading up to the draft. La Canfora predicts that Philadelphia will eventually get a late-round pick for Mathis and a fourth-rounder for Kendricks.
- While the Titans say they don’t plan to move Zach Mettenberger after drafting Marcus Mariota, the second-year QB would “relish a change of scenery,” per La Canfora.
- La Canfora views the Browns as the most logical potential suitor for Muhammad Wilkerson, suggesting that while the Jets won’t shop the standout defensive lineman, they should at least be willing to listen. The Bears, Saints, and Raiders would all be reasonable fits as well, according to La Canfora, who thinks a team should offer a first- and third-round pick for Wilkerson.
- A veteran backup like Jason Campbell or Tarvaris Jackson would be a better match for Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers than Mike Glennon, who continues to be a trade candidate, writes La Canfora.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Today’s minor moves..
- The Raiders waived tight end Nick Kasa with a failed physical designation, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Oakland also bid farewell to cornerback Jansen Watson, defensive tackle Kona Scwhenke, linebacker Justin Jackson, and linebacker Bojay Filimoeatu, according to ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
- The Chargers added tight end depth by claiming Kyle Miller off waivers from the Falcons, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Before landing in Atlanta, spent time with the Colts in 2012. To make room on the roster, the Bolts have waived defensive end Damik Scafe.
- The Seahawks waived five players today, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Seattle cut ties with Justin Renfrow, Mike Taylor, Julius Warmsley, Jared Wheeler, and Mike Zimmer. Taylor was waived with a failed physical designation.
- The Dolphins announced (via Twitter) that they have waived defensive back T.J. Heath, kicker Zach Hocker, and defensive back Lowell Rose.
Extra Points: Manziel, Collins, Jets
Coach Mike Pettine indicated to 92.3 The Fan that quarterback Josh McCown is the Browns‘ likely starter heading into training camp rather than Johnny Manziel, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. It’s not a guarantee that McCown opens the season as the starter, of course, but prior to the draft Pettine was reluctant to say much of anything regarding the battle. More from around the NFL..
- La’el Collins met with police this morning, cooperated fully, and is still not considered a suspect, the Baton Rouge Police Department tells Jerit Roser of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Earlier tonight, we learned that Collins is meeting with Bills coach Rex Ryan in Louisiana.
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t expect the Bills to land Collins.
- Meanwhile, one team personnel man told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the entire NFL is monitoring the situation with Collins. “We are all watching this (La’el Collins) situation closely. Every team. If he’s cleared, every team wants him.”
- The Jets have fired director of pro personnel Brendan Prophett, sources tell Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Prophett was with Gang Green for 14 years.
- James Jones and Kevin Boothe are just the latest players to be purged from the Raiders‘ disappointing 2014 free agent class, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes.
Raiders To Release Kevin Boothe
The Raiders appear to be in the process of removing a handful of veteran players from their roster, having already reportedly informed wideout James Jones and linebacker Miles Burris they’ll be cut. Now, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the team is also parting ways with a veteran offensive lineman, releasing former Giant Kevin Boothe.
Boothe, 31, was a regular at guard – and occasionally center – for the Giants, starting every one of the team’s games in 2012 and 2013. However, his playing time took a hit when he headed to Oakland for the 2014 season — while he appeared in nine games, he wasn’t a starter for the Raiders, and played just 19 overall offensive snaps.
Boothe would have earned a base salary of $1.175MM to go along with a workout bonus of $125K if he’d remained on the roster for the 2015 season, but he didn’t have any bonus money or guaranteed salary left on his deal, so the Raiders won’t be on the hook for any dead money.
Raiders To Cut Miles Burris
A year after starting all 16 games for the Raiders, linebacker Miles Burris will find himself looking for a new NFL home. Burris announced today on Instagram that the Raiders have informed him he’ll be waived.
“Nothing but respect and love for the Oakland Raiders,” Burris wrote in his statement. “Grateful for the opportunity they gave me. Grew up coming to Raider games as a kid and got to live my dream of playing in the same stadium for the team closest to my hometown. I’m thankful to everyone in the organization and all my teammates. This is goodbye to Oakland but I’m not done yet.”
Burris, who turns 27 next month, piled up 110 tackles in 1,096 defensive snaps for the Raiders last season, but didn’t record a single interception, sack, or forced fumble. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the least effective inside linebacker in the NFL by a wide margin — Burris’ -23.2 grade as a run defender alone was worse than any other linebacker’s overall grade, and PFF also ranked him as the NFL’s worst ILB in pass coverage.
Burris will be the second notable veteran cut by the Raiders following the draft, with James Jones also reportedly receiving his release from the club.
Raiders To Release James Jones
The Raiders welcomed a new receiver to the mix last Thursday when they made Amari Cooper their top draft choice of 2015. For another wideout, that means the end of his brief stay in Oakland. According to Scott Bair and Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com, James Jones has confirmed that the club is releasing him from his contract.
The addition of the Cooper was the latest change to a Raiders’ receiving corps that has undergone a bit of a facelift this offseason. While some restricted free agents, such as Rod Streater and Andre Holmes, were retained, the team also added a notable outside free agent in Michael Crabtree.
Jones, 31, signed a three-year contract with the Raiders last winter, but that $10MM deal didn’t include any guaranteed money beyond the 2014 season, so the club can get out of it without taking on any dead money. Jones had been set to earn a $2.95MM base salary in 2015, with various other cap charges taking his total hit up to $3.433MM. While Oakland didn’t need the extra cap room, cutting Jones will allow him to catch on with another team before training camp gets underway in July.
After spending seven seasons in Green Bay, Jones established a new career high in 2014 with 73 receptions in Oakland. However, he averaged just 9.1 yards per catch, significantly below his career mark, for a total of only 666 yards.
Buccaneers Acquire No. 124 Pick From Raiders
For the second time today, the Raiders have moved down in the fourth round. Oakland will trade the No. 124 pick acquired from the Panthers to the Buccaneers, the Raiders announced on Twitter. In return, Oakland will receive a fourth round (No. 128) and seventh round (No. 218) selection.
With the pick, the Bucs will select LSU linebacker Kwon Alexander. The 20-year-old is the first defensive player selected by the Buccaneers since 2013, and it’s the first defender taken during Jason Licht and Lovie Smith‘s tenure.
Panthers Acquire No. 102 Pick From Raiders
The Raiders have traded their fourth-rounder (pick No. 102) to the Panthers, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to NFL Network, Oakland will receive Carolina’s fourth-rounder (No. 124), fifth-rounder (No. 161), and a seventh-rounder (No. 242) in return.
The Panthers used the pick to select Oklahoma offensive tackle Daryl Williams. The 6’5″, 327-pound lineman will be counted on to provide depth on an offensive line that struggled in 2014.
Draft Rumors: Gregory, AP, Wilkerson
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory is regarded as one of the most talented players in this year’s NFL draft, but he remains available after the completion of the first round because of off-field issues. Gregory voiced his disappointment about his current undrafted status to Yahoo! Sports’ Rand Getlin on Friday (via Twitter).
“I feel like I let my family and the people who believe in me down, and I’m sorry for that,” said Gregory. “But I’m going to use this as fuel. The franchise that drafts me won’t have to worry about me off the field, but the teams that didn’t select me will have to worry about me on the field.”
Gregory went on to state that he is “the best defensive player in the draft.”
Here’s more as the second round of the draft draws nearer:
- If the Jets are going to trade defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, it could take multiple first-round picks to land him, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, La Canfora notes that, after having drafted Leonard Williams with their first-round selection, the Jets would have a loaded defensive line even without Wilkerson. That may lead to a reduction in their asking price, and the likes of the Browns and Raiders could be possible destinations should the Jets move Wilkerson.
- Friday could be the last real chance for the Vikings to trade Adrian Peterson, per LaCanfora. Peterson might fetch the Vikings a second-round pick if he’s willing to take a pay cut to play elsewhere.
- Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman won’t stay on the board for long tonight, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport notes that Goldman is viewed as a first-round talent by many teams.
- Indiana’s Tevin Coleman could be the first running back taken tonight, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). A team tried to trade up for Coleman last night, Rapoport notes.
- The first half of the second round could see several running backs and offensive lineman selected, according to La Canfora. Conversely, La Canfora doesn’t expect any tight ends to go for a while, noting that South Carolina’s Rory Anderson or Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft could be the first one taken.
- La Canfora writes that Baylor’s Bryce Petty will likely be the first quarterback drafted Friday. The Bills, Rams, Saints and Chargers are among the teams that have done their homework on Petty.