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Minor Moves: Tuesday

April 14th, 2015 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest minor moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • Wide receiver Ricardo Lockette signed his exclusive-rights tender with the Seahawks, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and National Football Post. The 28-year-old Lockette appeared in all 16 of Seattle’s games in 2014 and made 11 catches.
  • A trio of exclusive rights free agents are now officially back under contract with the Ravens, the team announced today in a press release. According to the club, safety Brynden Trawick, cornerback Rashaan Melvin, and offensive lineman Ryan Jensen are now locked up for the 2015 season, having signed their one-year ERFA contract tenders.
  • The Steelers announced today that they’ve signed former Eastern Kentucky punter Jordan Berry to a contract, giving the team three punters on its offseason roster (Twitter link). Berry will join Richie Leone and incumbent Brad Wing in the battle for the 2015 job.

AFC Notes: Chargers, Bills, Dolphins, Jets

April 14th, 2015 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers appear to be contemplating the post-Philip Rivers era in San Diego, as they take a closer look at Oregon signal-caller Marcus Mariota today. After working out Mariota, the team’s brass will head to Los Angeles to put UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley through a workout of his own, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy have repeatedly stated they want Rivers to retire as a Charger, so there may be no need to identify his successor quite yet. But Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes this offseason is the prime time for San Diego to trade Rivers in a deal to snag Mariota, arguing that all the factors in play point to it being a win-win move for the franchise and for the veteran quarterback, who is entering the final year of his contract.

We still have a little more than two weeks until the draft gets underway, so it will be interesting to see if the Rivers trade rumors pick up steam or die down as April 30 approaches. In the meantime, here are a few more notes from across the AFC:

  • Free agent wide receiver Brad Smith is paying a visit to Buffalo to meet with the Bills, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com details. Smith played for Rex Ryan on the Jets, but it’s not clear if there’s a spot for him on Ryan’s new club, with players like Percy Harvin, Marcus Easley, and Marcus Thigpen already in the mix as potentially versatile offensive weapons, returners, or special-teamers.
  • Given where we’ve seen running backs drafted in the last couple years, it would be surprise to see one go as high as No. 14 overall this year. Nonetheless, the Dolphins, who hold that pick, are hosting Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon for a visit next week, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
  • Outside pass rushers Bud Dupree and Shane Ray will be visiting the Jets, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). Although there has been plenty of chatter linking Mariota to New York, the team is in a good spot at No. 6 to add a top pass rushing prospect.
  • The Steelers hosted Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper, Ohio State tight end Jeff Heuerman, and UAB tight end Kennard Backman on pre-draft visits today, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown. Cooper met with the Saints in New Orleans yesterday, but we haven’t heard much to date about the tight ends.
  • Florida State cornerback Ronald Darby is visiting the Colts today, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • On the heels of the Raiders‘ agreement with free agent wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com shares a few initial thoughts on the deal, outlining why the former Niner is worth the risk on a one-year investment.

Contract Details: Johnson, Spencer, Lattimore

April 14th, 2015 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

We learned yesterday that the Lions have disputed the Buccaneers‘ offer sheet to George Johnson, extending the process beyond yesterday’s initial decision deadline. However, it wasn’t immediately clear what Detroit’s issue with the offer sheet was.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk sheds a little light on the subject today, reporting that the Lions want to know whether they have to match all the specifics of a Bucs’ offer that includes de-escalators in the second and third years of the deal. Per Florio, the three-year, $9MM proposal could shrink to $7MM over three years if the de-escalators are applied, so depending on how an arbitrator rules, Detroit may only have to match that lower $7MM figure.

As we wait for resolution on Johnson, which should come by the end of next week, let’s break down a few more new contracts from around the NFL…

  • Anthony Spencer inked a minimum salary benefit contract with the Saints, allowing the team to carry a cap hit of just $665K, tweets Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Spencer’s one-year deal includes an $80K signing bonus to go along with a base salary of $870K.
  • Jamari Lattimore also signed a minimum salary deal with the Jets, though since he has less NFL experience than Spencer, his base salary is just $745K, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The linebacker’s one-year contract includes a $60K signing bonus and a $20K roster bonus.
  • Wilson passes along the details on one more minimum salary benefit contract, tweeting that Will Allen‘s deal with the Steelers is worth $1.05MM, including a $970K base salary and an $80K signing bonus. Like Spencer and Lattimore, Allen will count for only $665K against his team’s cap.

Ike Taylor Retires

April 14th, 2015 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has decided to end his NFL playing career, and will retire, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). The Steelers confirmed Taylor’s decision today.

Taylor, who will turn 35 next month, spent his entire playing career in Pittsburgh, having been drafted by the team in the fourth round back in 2003. Over the course of his 12 seasons as a Steeler, Taylor never earned a Pro Bowl nod, but was a steady and mostly reliable presence in the club’s secondary, playing 174 regular season contests (140 starts) and another 14 postseason games.

Taylor’s career regular season tallies include 636 total tackles, 14 interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and 133 passes defended. His most notable run may have come following his first year as a full-time starter in 2005, when he nabbed a pair of interceptions in the playoffs en route to the Steelers’ Super Bowl win.

A few weeks ago, we heard that while Taylor hadn’t confirmed his decision to retire, he wasn’t actively seeking out contract offers from NFL teams, and was instead exploring potential television opportunities. As such, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the veteran cornerback pop up on an NFL broadcast next season.

As I noted over the weekend when I examined the noteworthy remaining defensive free agents, Taylor was one of just a handful of notable cornerbacks still on the board. Teams eyeing the free agent market for a corner will now have to turn to veterans like Tarell Brown and Carlos Rogers.

Taylor is the Steelers’ second longtime defensive back to retire within the last week, joining Troy Polamalu.

North Notes: Bears, Perriman, Draft, Peterson

April 13th, 2015 at 4:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As the Bears search for Brandon Marshall‘s replacement at receiver, they’ve brought in one of the top draft prospects at the position for a visit, meeting with UCF receiver Breshad Perriman today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Perriman, who posted a 4.25 40-time at his Pro Day, is fighting with Louisville’s Davante Parker to be the third receiver chosen behind Amari Cooper and Kevin White.

Let’s take a look at more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • The Steelers met with three prospects today, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter), who says the club visited with Texas A&M tight end Cameron Clear, West Virginia guard Quinton Spain, and Auburn receiver Sammie Coates.
  • Having already brought in UAB return specialist J.J. Nelson for a visit, the Lions met with another special teamer/receiver — Utah’s Kaelin Clay — today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
  • Though Adrian Peterson was in Minneapolis over the weekend, he did not meet with any Vikings officials, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
  • Rob Housler‘s one-year, $1.76MM deal with the Browns contains $750K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
  • Washington defensive end Andrew Hudson just wrapped a predraft visit with the Browns, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), and he’ll meet with the Buccaneers next.

AFC Notes: Pats, Gregory, Bolts, Steelers, Jets

April 10th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler went from a little-known name to a Super Bowl hero when his late-game interception of the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson helped New England earn its fourth championship in February. Now, with the departure of star corner Darrelle Revis, Butler will have a chance to make a full-season impact in 2015. One of Butler’s teammates, linebacker Chandler Jones, believes he’s up to the task.

“I know you guys only heard of Malcolm Butler during the whole Super Bowl thing and that big play, but Malcolm has been making plays for us the whole season in practice, and he’s been getting good looks for us,” Jones said, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “So I’m excited for him to step up as one of the impact players as well.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory will visit the Chargers on Saturday, and Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the team has to weigh the risk and reward of drafting the 22-year-old. Gregory is already in the NFL’s substance-abuse program for a failed drug test at the combine, but he is worth the Chargers’ first-round pick (17th overall) based on talent alone. Gregory says his past issues are behind him and he is “focused” on his dream to play in the NFL. The Chargers will have an opportunity to gauge his sincerity this weekend.
  • Gregory will visit the Steelers next week, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Jets will visit with Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty early next week, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Petty could be a target for the Jets in the second round (37th overall).
  • In the unlikely event Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers hits the trading block, Bills general manager Doug Whaley will do everything in his power to land the five-time Pro Bowler, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).

Steelers Re-Sign Will Allen

April 10th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after losing the best safety in their storied history in Troy Polamalu, the Steelers kept another by re-signing Will Allen to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

Entering his age-33 season, Allen’s played with the Steelers in every season since 2010. Pittsburgh re-signed Allen after the Cowboys cut him in 2013. The former Buccaneers fourth-round pick in 2004 started four games for Pittsburgh last year.

Pro Football Focus gave Allen a modest minus-3.6 grade last season in 310 snaps.

Terms of the deal are not known, but it would be surprising if it’s for much more than the veteran minimum. Allen earned $955K last season.

North Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Price

April 10th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With two picks for the second straight year and reported interest in Marcus Mariota, the Browns have a complex Round 1 itinerary. Today, they will visit with two players who will almost certainly be first-rounders in DeVante Parker and Danny Shelton, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

ESPN’s No. 9 and 10 prospects overall comprise two of the Browns’ 30 allotted player visits, but there’s a possibility neither could be there when they pick at No. 12. Cleveland also owns the 19th selection.

Elsewhere around the league’s North divisions …

  • The Steelers brought in several prospects for visits Friday, including Central Florida wideout Breshad Perriman, according to ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter. Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy and South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton joined Perriman on visits, per Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Mark Kaboly (via Twitter). Perriman is Scouts Inc.’s No. 21-rated prospect.
  • Boise State running back Jay Ajayi is visiting the Cowboys local pro day today, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). The All-American who totaled 2,300+ yards from scrimmage last season met with Ravens officials last week, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Recently signed Browns tight end Rob Housler knows fans aren’t expecting him to replicate what Jordan Cameron did in his brief stint as the Cleveland tight end but noted his Cardinals numbers were more a reflection of the scheme than his ability, reports Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Housler topped out at 454 receiving yards in 2013, the year he scored his only touchdown despite starting in 28 games in four seasons. “The production was a direct reflection of the opportunity, and I just went out there and did what they asked me to do,” Housler told Ulrich. “It was a blue-collar mentality. It wasn’t pretty. I can see the stats, and they’re not pretty.”
  • The Browns are on the lookout for a return specialist after a shaky year in that department, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Tom Reed. Beyond lower-round draft targets like Tyler Lockett or Jamison Crowder, Justin Gilbert and Taylor Gabriel are in-house options for a team that ranked 28th on punt returns last season, adds Reed.
  • Vikings 2014 seventh-round pick Jabari Price had his December charge for suspicion of drunken driving reduced to careless driving, reports Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Used mostly on special teams as a rookie, Price remains subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Draft Notes: Bucs, Fowler, Mariota, Bears

April 10th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

As previously reported, Dante Fowler Jr. visited the Buccaneers, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Tampa Bay GM Jason Licht “really likes” the Florida pass rusher. However, Fowler himself seems to recognize that he’s unlikely to land with the Bucs, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times details.

“They’re going with a quarterback,” Fowler said. “I feel like there’s no need for them to talk to me and waste my time unless something happens with Jameis [Winston] or Marcus [Mariota] or something like that. They know where they’re going. I understand that.”

While the Bucs cover all their bases, Mariota appears to be doing the same thing — Adam Schefter of ESPN.com said Thursday on ESPN 1000 in Chicago that the Oregon signal-caller recently paid a visit to the Bears. Mariota is considered the favorite to come off the board at No. 2, and may not be available when Chicago’s No. 7 overall pick rolls around, but as our Rob DiRe laid out this morning in PFR’s first 2015 mock draft, there are scenarios in which Mariota is still in play at that point. It sounds like both he and the Bears are doing their due diligence.

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun has updates on several more draft prospects for us this morning, so let’s round those up….

  • Cameron Artis-Payne (RB, Auburn): Met with the Patriots and Browns (link).
  • Adrian Coxson (WR, Stony Brook): The Giants were “very impressed’ with him at their local prospect day (Twitter link).
  • Tyler Murphy (QB, Boston College): Visiting the Steelers today (link).
  • Nick Perry (S, Alabama): Had private workouts for the Patriots and Colts (link).
  • Tray Walker (CB, Texas Southern): Visits with the Ravens, Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks, Dolphins, and Falcons, plus private workouts with the Cardinals and Texans (link). Had a previously-reported visit with the Raiders.

Extra Points: Nicks, Ravens, Miles, Draft

April 9th, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Outside of a visit to the 49ers, free agent receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t garnered any known interest on the open market. But the 27-year-old insists he’s not done in the NFL. “I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.”

Here’s more from around the league…

  • The Ravens have stayed in touch with safety Jeromy Miles, but there’s no deal between the two sides at this time, according to Aaron Wilson of The Balitmore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Arizona State safety Damarious Randall will visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, and already had a private workout with the club, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
  • Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell worked out for the Texans recently, and he’ll meet with the Colts on Wednesday, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
  • Defensive end Marcus Rush already worked out for the Bengals and Raiders, and the Michigan State product will also take a visit with Cincinnati, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Lions will take a look at Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams on Monday, while the Cardinals will meet with him later in the week, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse will take a predraft visit with the Packers on Friday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
  • Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com spoke with the general managers of two clubs — the Ravens and the Steelers — who usually pick near the end of the first round of the draft, and gauged each team’s strategy for acquiring value while picking in the 20s.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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