Minor NFL Transactions: 2/24/15
Tonight’s minor moves:
- The Dolphins will sign CFL standout defensive end Cleyon Laing to a three-year deal, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Laing apparently had five NFL offers, including ones from the Jets and Patriots. The defensive end had 41 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles for Toronto last season.
Rams Rumors: Keenum, Foles, Ogletree
Here’s a look at the Los Angeles Rams:
- Jeff Fisher reiterated that Case Keenum is going into the 2016 season as the starter, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Still, he says that veteran Nick Foles has a chance to compete for the job. The Eagles were rumored to have trade interest in Foles earlier this month, but even if they did like Foles, his cap number and dead money charge mean that a trade is unlikely.
- Still, Fisher says there’s a “good chance there will be one, maybe two new quarterbacks on roster” by training camp, as Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
- The Rams have a meeting scheduled with Alec Ogletree‘s agent this week at the Combine, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter) and he says an extension is looming. Ogletree, 25, suffered a right ankle injury in the fall and underwent surgery to repair the damage. He was placed on IR-DTR but he did not return later in the year. The Rams will have to decide on Ogletree’s fifth-year option for 2017 this year.
Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson
The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).
Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:
- Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
- When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
- Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
- Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
- Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.
Panthers Rumors: Norman, Gettleman, Johnson
Here’s a quick look at the defending NFC Champions:
- The Panthers will meet with Josh Norman‘s rep this week at the Combine, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. It has been long speculated that the Panthers will use the franchise tag to keep Norman for the 2016 season. The 28-year-old Norman put himself in a great position heading into unrestricted free agency, as 2015 was easily the best season of his four-year career. He was named first team All Pro and selected for his first Pro Bowl, and posted solid raw statistics, producing career highs in both interceptions (four) and passes defensed (18).
- “Obviously we are going to try to get a deal done with [Josh] Norman. If not, the tag is an option,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer).
- Based off the comments of GM Dave Gettleman on Wednesday, Person (on Twitter) gets the sense that Norman will be tagged. He also gets the feeling that defensive end Charles Johnson will either be cut or asked to take a big pay cut. Right tackle Mike Remmers, who is slated to be a free agent, also sounds likely to be retained.
- Gettleman says they are still evaluating Johnson (link). The GM added that it was tough to evaluate him last year because of the injuries.
Jets Rumors: Wilkerson, Cromartie, Harrison
Jets head coach Todd Bowles says cutting Antonio Cromartie was a “hard decision,” but the team needed to upgrade the position, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. There’s a chance he could still return, according to the coach, but in the opinion of Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter), it sounds like he has moved on from Cromartie.
Here’s more on Gang Green:
- Bowles said the team has not made a decision on the franchise tag regarding Muhammad Wilkerson, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Maccagnan, meanwhile, says the organization has a good idea as to whether it will place the franchise tag on Wilkerson (Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the Daily News).
- Maccagnan claims Damon Harrison and Wilkerson are “both options” for the franchise tag, as Cimini tweets. I have a hard time imagining that the Jets would use the tag on Harrison, even though he is a very valuable nose tackle.
- Maccagnan says it’s “not outside realm of possibilities” they keep Wilkerson plus their two young defensive ends long term, but that’s a significant investment for the team (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports).
- GM Mike Maccagnan says he has scheduled meetings with agents of all his free agents, Cimini tweets.
- Maccagnan says he’s looking into moves to create more cap space (link via Cimini).
Ravens To Franchise Justin Tucker If No Deal
Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome confirmed that he will use the franchise tag on Justin Tucker if he cannot reach a deal with him before the start of free agency, as Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com writes. Tucker is a pending unrestricted free agent. 
For his career, Tucker has connected on 130 of 148 field-goal attempts (87.8%), with 12 of those 18 overall misses coming from 50 yards or longer. He has also nailed an eye-popping 10 game-winning field goals, including three in 2015.
The franchise salary for Tucker will depend on where exactly the salary cap lands, but it will be by far the least expensive of any position besides punter. Based on a $154MM cap, kickers and punters would be in line for a 2016 salary of $4.534MM on the non-exclusive franchise tag. Considering GM Ozzie Newsome has previously said he’s willing to use the tag to keep Tucker in the mix, it’s no surprise that the team appears to be preparing for that possibility as the franchise window opens.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Rumors: Vernon, Cameron, Miller
The Dolphins still mulling whether to use the franchise tag on Olivier Vernon, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes.
“We have options and so does he,” team exec Mike Tannenbaum said. “We haven’t made any decisions. We have a deadline coming up in another handful of days. We haven’t made any decisions. We’re just looking at options.”
The deadline for using the tag on a player is March 1. If defensive end Cameron Wake agrees to an extension before then, the team will have more flexibility to get a deal done.
Here’s the latest out of Miami:
- Dolphins head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, that Jordan Cameron is in the team’s plans for 2016. The tight end is scheduled to cost $9.5MM against the salary cap and cutting him would save $7.5MM, but the team apparently wants to hang on to him.
- Dolphins GM Chris Grier says the Dolphins want Lamar Miller on the team, as Salguero tweets. Grier is slated to meet with agent Drew Rosenhaus at the Combine to discuss the free agent running back. Grier added that the team continues to work on a deal with Wake (link).
- For his part, Tannenbaum refused to guarantee anything when it came to Vernon or Miller, as Salguero writes.
49ers Sign DT Quinton Dial To Extension
4:03pm: Dial’s new three-year extension with the 49ers is worth $12MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that the deal features $5.3MM in guaranteed money. If Dial maxes out the value of his new contract, it can be worth up to $16.5MM, says Rapoport.
2:04pm: The 49ers have signed defensive tackle Quinton Dial to a three-year contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. Dial had been set to enter the final year of his deal in 2016, so his new contract keeps him under team control through the 2019 season.
“Throughout his first three seasons in the NFL, Quinton has shown consistent development and has become a key contributor in our defense,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We have certainly seen his positive impact on the field and in our locker room, but we also recognize the impressive work he does in the community year round. We are pleased to extend the contract of young players like Quinton and are excited to see him continue his career with the 49ers.”
Dial, 25, started six games in 2014 before becoming a full-time starter in 2015. He established new career-best marks last season, recording 59 tackles and 2.5 sacks and appearing in 662 defensive snaps, far more than any other Niners interior defensive lineman except Ian Williams.
As a 2013 draftee, Dial became extension-eligible this offseason for the first time. He had been set to earn a modest $675K base salary for 2016, but he figures to get a pay bump going forward as a reward for his solid play in 2015.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cousins, Reiff, Falcons, Floyd
As noted earlier this afternoon, Washington‘s Scot McCloughan wasn’t on today’s schedule of general managers or head coaches to hold formal press conferences at the combine in Indianapolis. However, he did speak to the media about his team’s contract talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins.
While McCloughan didn’t go into specifics, he said that he has met with Cousins’ agent face-to-face this week, describing the sit-down as “very positive,” per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). According to McCloughan, conversations are going on “every day” between the two sides, and he remains optimistic that something will get done (Twitter link).
Let’s round up several more of the latest GM and head coach comments from the combine in Indianapolis, with a focus on NFC teams….
- Lions tackle Riley Reiff is currently set to earn an $8.07MM salary for 2016, and while that money isn’t yet guaranteed, Reiff won’t be going anywhere, GM Bob Quinn said today (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). It’s not clear yet what position Reiff will play next season, but he’ll be a Lion.
- Speaking to the media today, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said that he’d like to see defensive free agents Adrian Clayborn and O’Brien Schofield re-signed, and added that no veterans besides Paul Soliai have been approached about restructuring their contracts (Twitter links via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
- There’s no new deal imminent for Michael Floyd, but GM Steve Keim had plenty of praise for the Cardinals wideout, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com details. Floyd is extension-eligible but still has one year left on his rookie contract, so Arizona doesn’t have to get anything done right away.
- Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed today that wide receiver Kevin Norwood met the conditions of the trade Carolina made with Seattle prior to the 2015 season, so the Seahawks will receive the Panthers‘ seventh-round pick in 2017, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Despite a fairly sizable cap hit for 2016, Vikings defensive end Brian Robison sounds like a good bet to remain on Minnesota’s roster based on comments made today by GM Rick Spielman, says Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.
NFC East Rumors: Washington, Cowboys, Cruz
Washington executives Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen aren’t scheduled to speak to the media in formal press conferences this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but head coach Jay Gruden did so today, touching on a handful of topics surrounding the team. Most notably, Gruden expressed confidence that Washington will work something out with quarterback Kirk Cousins, suggesting that the two sides continue to talk in the hopes of hammering out an agreement (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).
Cousins isn’t the only quarterback that Gruden is bullish about bringing back. According to Jones (via Twitter), the head coach also wants to re-sign Colt McCoy. However, it sounds as if linebacker Keenan Robinson will depart via free agency. John Keim of ESPN.com adds that Gruden spoke to defensive lineman Jason Hatcher recently and thinks that Hatcher is leaning toward playing in 2016, rather than retiring.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones spoke about his team’s approach to free agency, suggesting that the Cowboys don’t want to “pay a good player like he’s a great player” if they can avoid it. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com has the details and the quotes from Jones.
- Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said today that he “absolutely” expects Victor Cruz to return to the club next season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Cruz, who has a $9.9MM cap hit, recently estimated that he has an 80% chance of being retained by the Giants.
- Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that McAdoo’s comments today made it sound as if he really wants the Giants to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul.
- McAdoo also confirmed today that “there was a potential for a second interview” for the Eagles‘ head coaching job before he was promoted by the Giants. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, McAdoo said he wasn’t formally offered the Eagles’ job.