NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/27/16
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- CB Cariel Brooks (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
Miami Dolphins
- WR Tyler Murphy (Twitter link via Dov Kleiman of RantSports)
New England Patriots
- DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald)
North Notes: Bakhtiari, Browns, Lions
It’s not too early for Ted Thompson and the Packers to start thinking about extending David Bakhtiari‘s contract, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today-Wisconsin. Green Bay’s starting left tackle is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and is interested in remaining with the team beyond 2016, as he tells Wood.
“I think it’s mutual,” Bakhtiari said of his interest in sticking with the Packers. “I like it here, and they like me. I have another year. So I think if they want to do it early, awesome. If not, then we have one more year to work together. So we can talk about it then. I do think it’s too early though.”
The Packers don’t foray into free agency much, but do typically lock up their own players, so it could be a matter of when, not if, the team gets something done with Bakhtiari. We saw Green Bay lock up Mike Daniels months before he was eligible for free agency, but the club sometimes lets talks go down to the wire — Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga signed extensions a year ago just before hitting the open market.
As we wait to see if Bakhtiari and the Packers can get anything done this offseason, let’s round up some more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….
- Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown would be shocked if the team traded up to No. 1 in the draft, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the club is more likely to trade down, if it moves off the No. 2 pick. The Titans have the first overall pick, so if the Browns intend to select a quarterback second overall, the only way they won’t get their man is if another team trades for Tennessee’s pick.
- New Lions general manager Bob Quinn said today that he hasn’t talked to Calvin Johnson yet about whether or not the wide receiver wants to continue playing, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Although Quinn doesn’t want to rush Johnson into a decision, the GM admits he “absolutely” hopes to have resolution on the issue before free agency begins in March.
- Although there’s no question that Lions players wanted Jim Caldwell back as the team’s head coach, Quinn didn’t consult with any players before making a decision on Caldwell, as Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com details.
- Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle passes (Twitter links) along a couple workout updates, reporting that the Browns recently tried out kicker Kyle Brindza, while the Vikings auditioned running back Isaiah Pead.
Russell Okung To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Russell Okung‘s free agency will be a case worth watching closely this offseason, since the Seahawks tackle is set to represent himself, opting to head to the open market without an agent. While teams – besides the Seahawks – aren’t permitted to talk to Okung until March, the left tackle contacted all 32 clubs today, per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
According to La Canfora (Twitter links), Okung sent an email to all 32 teams, letting them know that he’ll be undergoing surgery to repair his dislocated left shoulder, an injury he suffered during the Seahawks’ divisional-round loss to Carolina. Okung said in the message that he expects to be fully cleared in five months, which would put him on track to participate in training camp. The 28-year-old also expressed a desire to talk to any interested teams ASAP.
Of course, as La Canfora notes (via Twitter), Okung technically remains under contract with the Seahawks for a few more weeks, so there likely won’t be any teams replying directly to today’s email. Okung won’t officially be allowed to talk to interested teams until March 7, when 2016’s legal tampering period begins.
In the most recent edition of our free agent power rankings, Okung ranked ninth overall. However, PFR’s Dallas Robinson cautioned that the former sixth overall pick isn’t in the same class as left tackles like Trent Williams and Tyron Smith, who have signed mega-deals within the last couple years. With shoulder surgery looming and no agent to go to bat for him, Okung will face a challenge this offseason as he seeks a lucrative long-term contract of his own.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Notes: Ertz, Celek, Bradford
It’s been a busy week so far for the Eagles, who signed a pair of tight ends to new contracts and are still looking to hire a key personnel executive for their front office. Let’s check out the latest out of Philadelphia….
- Using the contracts signed last winter by Julius Thomas and Charles Clay as points of comparison, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down Zach Ertz‘s new deal with the Eagles. Fitzgerald also explains why Brent Celek‘s extension has plenty of value for Philadelphia, assuming the team had already decided to carry the veteran tight end on its roster for 2016.
- The new deals for Ertz and Celek show that – after ceding power to Chip Kelly for a year – Howie Roseman is re-committing to building an atmosphere in which players drafted by the Eagles feel valued by the organization, and stick with the team for the long term, writes Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. “It’s an important message to your team, that if you play really well and you do the right things and you’re drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, you’ve got a chance to stay for a long time,” Roseman said. “I think it’s important for the organization.”
- Josh Paunil of PhillyMag.com spoke to former agent Joel Corry about the likely value of potential extensions for players like Fletcher Cox, Lane Johnson, and Vinny Curry. Corry also explained why he thinks Sam Bradford may ultimately sign a one-year contract this offseason rather than a long-term deal.
- If the Eagles know whether they plan re-sign Bradford or let him walk, they’re not tipping their hand yet, as Bowen details in a Daily News piece.
- Bowen and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter links) are both hearing rumblings that the personnel executive ultimately hired by the Eagles to work with Roseman will be a retread, rather than an up-and-comer.
- The Eagles have hired Missouri’s Chris Wilson as their defensive line coach, Doug Pederson said today, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
NFC West Notes: Rams, Boldin, Cardinals
Before he threw a single regular-season pass for the Rams, Nick Foles signed a two-year extension that ensured he wouldn’t be eligible for free agency this winter. Although Foles is sticking around, he won’t be handed the starting quarterback job in 2016, according to Rams general manager Les Snead.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio from the Senior Bowl, Snead told Mark Dominik and Alex Marvez that he expects Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion, and any other offseason QB additions to battle for the No. 1 job this summer (link via Marvez at FOX Sports). “If I learned one thing last year, we should have let the quarterbacks have a competition from the start and the best man win instead of just passing the torch to Nick,” Snead said.
The Rams are paying Foles like the starter, as the former Eagles will count for $8.75MM against the cap in ’16. By comparison, Mannion will have a cap hit under $1MM, while Keenum – a restricted free agent – likely won’t make more than $2-3MM. Still, it sounds like Foles’ higher price tag won’t guarantee him anything.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC West…
- 49ers wideout Anquan Boldin, who is eligible for free agency this winter, spoke briefly to Chip Kelly after the new head coach joined the team, but said today that he has yet to engage in negotiations with anyone from the Niners’ front office about a new contract. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle has the details, along with Boldin’s quotes.
- Former Missouri edge defender Michael Sam plans to take “one more shot” at making an NFL roster this year, he tweeted on Tuesday. Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted when he was selected by the Rams in 2014.
- After bringing him in for a workout last month, the Cardinals have tried out defensive back Joel Wilkinson again, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Earlier today, veteran Cardinals long snapper Mike Leach announced his retirement. Our full story can be found right here.
Bills Notes: QBs, Glenn, Incognito, Defense
Bills GM Doug Whaley says he would “absolutely” consider drafting a quarterback early on, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News writes. Tyrod Taylor exceeded all expectations in his first year as a starter, but the Bills won’t close the door in taking another promising signal caller, since there’s no guarantee Taylor will remain in Buffalo for years to come.
“We’ll do it because if you look at it, unfortunately we have two quarterbacks on the roster and both of them are entering the last year of their contract,” Whaley said, referring to Taylor and EJ Manuel. “If it presents itself, it makes sense and it’s a guy we like, and we believe in, absolutely.”
Taylor completed 63.7% of his passes last season for 3,035 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also set a new record for Bills quarterbacks with 568 rushing yards on the season. On the other hand, the former Raven had a hard time staying healthy, and detractors have noted his reluctance to throw over the middle of the field.
Here’s more out of Buffalo:
- While he may consider drafting a quarterback this spring, Whaley isn’t convinced anyone in this year’s group is ready to step in and contribute immediately: “I think it’s a deep crop and I think it’s a crop that’s going to need some time. Now, it depends on their situation, who takes them and what they do. But I would say it’s not as top-heavy as last year where those top two guys would still be the top two guys. How quickly these guys can matriculate into the league, I think it’s going to take a little bit of time. Maybe a year, maybe a half of a year.”
- Jim Overdorf, the Bills’ cap specialist, is expected to reach out to the agents for potential free agents Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito soon, Dunne writes in a piece for The Buffalo News. One in-the-know source at the Senior Bowl tells Dunne that the floor for a new deal for Glenn could be about $10MM per year, so the franchise tag will be a viable option for the Bills’ left tackle.
- Despite receiving a contract extension earlier this month, Whaley knows that there’s some urgency in Buffalo to make the Bills a contender in the near future. Still, as Dunne details in another column, the GM is confident that the club is headed in the right direction.
- Despite the problems the Bills had in defense in 2015, the team doesn’t think it needs three or four new starters on that side of the ball, tweets Dunne. “I don’t think we need a major overhaul like we did last year with the offense,” Whaley said.
Cardinals LS Mike Leach Announces Retirement
After spending 16 seasons in the NFL, veteran long snapper Mike Leach has decided to end his playing career. Leach announced his retirement in a Twitter post this morning, thanking the Titans, Broncos, and Cardinals for the time he spent with each franchise.
“Every journey, no matter how great, must eventually come to an end,” Leach wrote. “Today, I’ve reached the end of my journal as a player in the National Football League. It is rare in our profession that a player gets to choose when it’s over and to go out on his terms. I am making that choice before waning abilities – or worse, an injury – make it for me.”
Leach, an undrafted free agent back in 2000, spent his first two seasons with the Titans before joining the Broncos for the 2002 campaign. Since 2003, he has not missed a single game. In total, he played 235 regular-season contests, including 112 for the Cardinals over the last seven seasons.
Leach, 39, had been on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract with Arizona in 2015, so his deal was set to expire this winter. As such, the Cards won’t carry any dead money on their 2016 cap now that Leach has decided to call it a career, though the team will have to find a new long snapper for the first time since 2009.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Rumors: Defense, Joeckel, Draft
The Jaguars are getting a first-hand look at talent in this week’s Senior Bowl, Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union writes. Jacksonville will likely end up taking an underclassmen with its first-round pick, but the club’s coaching staff could definitely be working with its future second-, third-, or fourth-round picks this week.
“When you’re there and you’re coaching it, it’s unbelievable,” coach Gus Bradley said. “You find some things about guys that you really like and then you find some things out that you say, I think you have to be careful that you don’t jump to conclusions. It’s just a piece of the puzzle. There’s a lot of good information. We get a chance to visit with both teams. To me, who does it help? It helps all of us. … We can knock out 80 guys or 90 guys or however many it is. That part is great.”
Here’s more on the Jags:
- According to Carlyon, it would be surprising if Jacksonville doesn’t use at least six of its draft picks this spring on defensive players to help improve 2015’s unit. In a separate Times-Union piece, Carlyon quotes Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell on the subject. “We feel good about the offense right now,” Caldwell said. “We still have a ways to go and aren’t done by any means, but we’ll really focus on the defensive side of the ball. Getting [Dante] Fowler and [Sen’Derrick] Marks back will help us, then we have cap space and eight draft picks to fix the rest of the needs.”
- Adding pass-rushing help will be a priority for the Jaguars this offseason, per Caldwell (via Carlyon). “We have a need there, whether it’s two more or three more,” the GM said. “You can never have enough pass rushers. There were a handful of games we were winning in the fourth quarter. If we had some pass rush, we could have closed half of them out. If we had, we’d been playing in January.”
- Caldwell says the club has not yet begun discussions about re-signing any of its free agents or exercising the fifth-year option for left tackle Luke Joeckel, as ESPN.com’s Mike DiRocco writes. Joeckel, a former No. 2 overall pick, started 14 games in 2015.
- Caldwell also said he doesn’t see the Jaguars trading up in the first round (Twitter link via DiRocco). The Jags, who finished 5-11, currently hold the No. 5 pick in the 2016 draft.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Browns Interview Xanders, Vital For Top Personnel Job
WEDNESDAY, 8:09am: In addition to speaking to Xanders, the Browns also interviewed former Falcons director of player personnel Lionel Vital for their top personnel job, sources tell Cabot. Vital was let go by Atlanta earlier this month after spending three years with the team.
TUESDAY, 7:44pm: The Browns have interviewed Lions senior personnel executive Brian Xanders for their top available personnel position, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Xanders was one of two men to interview for the job on Tuesday, though the identity of the other candidate to interview today is not yet known. 
Besides the former Broncos GM, the Browns have also talked with former Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey and former Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and they have also been linked to ex-Eagles executive Rick Mueller. Whoever the Browns’ next big hire is will not carry the title of GM. Their next “Executive Vice President of Player Personnel” will have input when it comes to the roster, but Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown will have final say.
Xanders, 44, comes with tons of experience having just completed his third season with the Lions and 22nd in the NFL. There’s no exact timetable for a hire, but the team is optimistic about making a decision shortly.
“We’re still on track to hopefully wrap things up in the next week or two,” said Brown. “We feel good about it. We’ve talked to some really talented people around the league despite not being able to interview everyone we were originally slated to. I feel like we’ll find a really talented personnel executive to come in and lead that function for us.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coaching Notes: Campbell, Saints, Golden
New Saints hire Dan Campbell has been brought aboard as an assistant head coach to Sean Payton, but it is not accurate to say that he is the assistant head coach in New Orleans. Campbell, who was hired just weeks ago in New Orleans, will share the assistant head coach title with linebackers coach Joe Vitt, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes. With that matter cleared up, Payton says there is only one minor open matter remaining on his staff – finding an offensive assistant to work with receivers coach John Morton.
More coaching news from around the NFL:
- Former Miami/Temple coach Al Golden is in line for a defensive assistant job with the Cowboys, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports hears (via Twitter). Golden, 46, coached Miami to a 32-25 record from 2011 through 2015.
- The Titans made some moves on their coaching staff, as Jim Wyatt of Titans Online reports (via Twitter links). Nick Eason will be the team’s defensive line coach, Bob Bratkowski is the Titans’ new wide receivers coach, and Sylvester Croom will remain as the team’s running backs coach. Croom has had many stints as an NFL RBs coach and also served as the head coach of Mississippi State from 2004-2008.
- The Eagles requested permission to interview Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, but they were denied, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Kocurek is an advocate for an attacking 4-3 front which would have made him a good fit under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.