North Notes: Browns, H. Smith, Steelers
The 2015 season will likely be a redshirt year for rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said on Wednesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At one point, Ekpre-Olomu, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury, was viewed as a potential first-round pick, but Cleveland snagged him in the seventh round in May following his torn ACL and disclocated knee. The Browns will have to wait until the end of training camp to move the Oregon alum to injured reserve if they want to avoid the risk of losing him on waivers.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two North divisions:
- “Nothing is going on” between Harrison Smith and the Vikings on the contract front, according to the safety himself, who tells Mark Craig of the Star Tribune that he and the club will likely discuss an extension after the 2015 season. Smith says he’s “not a fan” of the fifth-year option, which allowed Minnesota to lock him up through 2016. However, the 26-year-old tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he fully expects to remain with the Vikings in the long term.
- The Steelers should add Michael Vick to their training camp roster, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who writes that Ben Roethlisberger‘s backups have been “dreadful” in the spring and the early days of camp.
- Former Packers executive Andrew Brandt takes a look at the annual opening of Green Bay’s books, explaining in a piece for TheMMQB.com what the numbers mean for the team and for the NFL.
- Lions defensive ends Corey Wootton, Phillip Hunt, and Kerry Hyder are on the roster bubble as training camp gets underway, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/15
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL…
AFC:
- The Browns have re-signed undrafted rookie defensive back Landon Feichter, as Nate Ulrich of the Beacon-Journal writes. The 5’11”, 201-pound Feichter originally signed with the Browns on May 11 after participating in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He was waived on June 22. Feichter appeared in 45 games as a safety at Purdue University and tallied 234 career tackles, 10 interceptions and eight passes defensed.
- The Steelers have removed linebacker Shawn Lemon from their roster, waiving him from the PUP list and signing defensive back Jordan Sullen to take his place, tweets PR man Burt Lauten.
- The Ravens have waived undrafted rookie wide receiver Cam Worthy and signed Tom Nelson, who is converting from safety to wide receiver, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Colts have signed cornerback Raymon Taylor, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Taylor played collegiately at Michigan.
- The Chiefs have parted ways with running back Cyrus Gray, who finished last season on the team’s injured reserve list, tweets Wilson.
- The Dolphins have signed defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, wide receiver Kai De La Cruz, offensive tackle Chris Martin, and waived defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
- Fullback James Develin, who received an exclusive rights qualifying offer from the Patriots way back in March, has finally signed it today, according to Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
- After clearing waivers, wide receiver James Wright has been placed on the IR by the Bengals, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
NFC:
- The Falcons have signed offensive lineman Demarcus Love, bringing the roster up to 90 players, the team announced today in a press release. Love, who finished last season on the Broncos’ practice squad, worked out for the Browns yesterday, and inked a two-year deal with Atlanta, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- The Buccaneers, entering the day with one open roster spot, created two more openings by cutting defensive backs Deshazor Everett and Derrick Wells, according to a team release. To get back up to 90 players, the Bucs added rookie defensive backs Jude Adjei-Barimah and Al-Hajj Shabazz and free agent safety Kimario McFadden, who spent time on the Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Carolina practice squads in 2014
- The Bears announced that guard Chad Hamilton, who missed a lot of time in the spring, is retiring from football, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Hamilton has been placed on the reserve/retired list.
- The Saints have signed long snapper Chris Highland, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
- Having cleared waivers, Cameron Lawrence, and offensive lineman Ryan Miller have been placed on the Cowboys‘ injured reserve list, per Wilson (Twitter link).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Le’Veon Bell Suspension Cut To Two Games
While the NFL announced today that Tom Brady‘s suspension will be upheld, the Steelers got a break on Le’Veon Bell‘s ban. According to Jarrett Bell of USA Today (via Twitter), Bell’s suspension was reduced from three games to two games. The Steelers running back will now be eligible to return for Pittsburgh’s Week 3 contest in St. Louis.
We heard yesterday and earlier today that the NFL, NFLPA, and Bell’s reps had been in “frequent contract” and were attempting to negotiate a settlement so that a formal appeal of the three-game suspension wouldn’t be required.
Bell’s suspension was the league’s response to his arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence, and the fact that the NFL went as high as three games suggested that he was being penalized separately for each charge. A two-game penalty is in line with other suspensions for DUI incidents.
NFL, NFLPA Discuss Le’Veon Bell Settlement
Tom Brady‘s suspension appeal is getting all the headlines, but the Patriots’ Week 1 opponents – the Steelers – will also be without a key player whose suspension was though to be appealed. Explaining why there haven’t been any recent updates on Le’Veon Bell‘s case, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the NFL, NFLPA, and Bell’s reps have been in frequent contract and a formal appeal hearing may not be required.
The Steelers running back, who would argue that he’s being punished twice for the same incident, tells Breer that he’s hoping for the penalty to be reduced, not wiped out entirely (Twitter links). And according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, that remains a possibility — Graziano tweets that the two sides are negotiating a settlement that could reduce the suspension to one or two games.
Bell’s three-game suspension came as a result of his arrest for marijuana possession and driving under the influence. Both charges came as a result of the same incident, and it appears the suspension considers them separate offenses, with the running back getting two games for the DUI and one game for the marijuana possession.
As is the case with Brady’s appeal, I’d expect the NFL to announce something on Bell soon, since the league likely won’t want to have the situation drag out too far into training camp.
La Canfora On WR Extensions, Colts, JPP, Jets
After addressing a few burning questions on DeflateGate, the Marcus Mariota contract negotiations, and Junior Galette‘s release, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com takes a look around the rest of the NFL, passing along several noteworthy tidbits from all over the league. Let’s dive right in and check out a few of the highlights from La Canfora’s newest piece…
- La Canfora expects both Julio Jones and A.J. Green to sign new deals before the 2015 season begins, and estimates that both deals will fall in the range of $13MM per year. I’m guessing that figure takes into account their current $10.176MM salaries for 2015, so the annual average of the new money would be closer to the $14MM per year that Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas received.
- Several executives around the league believe that Andrew Luck‘s price tag may end up being so high that it puts the Colts in a bind with T.Y. Hilton. La Canfora thinks Hilton’s extension could come in at close to $12MM per year, and some observers aren’t convinced Indianapolis would go that high.
- Jason Pierre-Paul and the Giants will likely come to terms on a one-year contract agreement that features per-game roster bonuses, says La Canfora, adding that New York also hopes to get something out of Will Beatty in the season’s second half.
- La Canfora suggests that Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets should consider working out a short-term extension – perhaps for two or three years – that gives the standout defensive lineman a nice chunk of guaranteed money and buys the team some time to make long-term decisions on Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams. Wilkerson would be “very open” to the idea, per La Canfora.
- Some team executives around the league raised an eyebrow at the Steelers‘ big-money extension for Cameron Heyward. However, Pittsburgh likes Heyward more than a lot of clubs do and was willing to take a “calculated gamble” on his upside, writes La Canfora.
AFC North Notes: Rice, Green, Beachum
Tony Porter and Ted Bunch – the co-founders of a national organization that encourages men to end violence against women – are among those advocating that former Ravens running back Ray Rice get a second chance in the NFL, writes Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
“We have been around a lot of abusive men, but our experience with Ray has been tremendously positive,” Porter said. “We feel strongly about him having the opportunity of having a second chance. He’s deserving of it.”
While we wait to see if an NFL team takes a flier on Rice this summer, let’s check in on some others notes from out of the AFC North….
- We heard yesterday that the Bengals would like to get a new deal done with A.J. Green in 2015, and Coley Harvey of ESPN.com confirms, via a source, that the team is “happy to have that discussion now” with the star wideout. However, the club isn’t sure whether Green wants to get something done right away, or if he prefers to wait until after the season.
- On the same day the Steelers extended general manager Kevin Colbert through 2018, we heard that the team had also begun discussing a new deal with left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Beachum tells Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette he isn’t concerned about his contract situation, suggesting that he’ll “let the business people take care of the business stuff.” As Fittipaldo observes, if the Steelers decide to extend Beachum and guard David DeCastro, the club would likely have the most expensive offensive line in the NFL.
- After signing a new four-year extension with the Steelers this offseason, Ben Roethlisberger may be playing on his final NFL contract, but he’s not ready to consider his long-term future or his legacy quite yet, says Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I treat my legacy the same way [as] when people ask me how much longer I am going to play,” Roethlisberger said. “Do I think about stats and Hall of Fame? No, because that is thinking about the end. If I think about the future, then I am cheating about right now.”
AFC North Notes: Brown, Bisciotti, Farmer
Antonio Brown signed a six-year, $43MM deal with the Steelers prior to the 2012 season. Despite leading the NFL in receiving yards last season, the average annual value of the 27-year-old’s contract ranks 14th among wideouts.
While some of his peers would hold out for a new contract, Brown told Gilberto Manzano of NFL.com that that’s not the best route.
“Holdouts never go well,” said Brown. “Just look at history. It always ends badly. It wouldn’t be the best decision. I make a lot of money. I pull up to camp in Rolls-Royces.”
Even with Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas signing lucrative deals this past offseason, Brown isn’t focused on any future payday.
“You know you get caught up thinking about the future you lose sight of the present,” he said. “What I’m here to do today is to show how hard I’ve been working, showcase I can still be the best in the world and help my team win football games.”
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC North…
- Following news that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was among those pushing commissioner Roger Goodell to keep Tom Brady‘s full four-game suspension, the 55-year-old denied the report. “I have not and will not put any pressure on the Commissioner or anyone representing the NFL office to take action in what everyone is calling ‘Deflategate,'” Bisciotti said in a statement. “The story circulating that I have put pressure on Roger (Goodell) is 100% wrong. The reports are unfair to Robert Kraft, who is an honorable person, and to his franchise. Let’s talk about football and the start of training camps. Fans and people like me want the issue resolved now.”
- It was Browns CEO Joe Banner‘s decision to spend big money on 2013 free agents Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com writes. Since then, Cleveland’s big moves have been made by general manager Ray Farmer, including the additions of Donte Whitner, Karlos Dansby and Dwayne Bowe.
- A desire to have more depth on the offensive line was part of Farmer’s decision to draft Cameron Erving in the first round, Pluto notes.
AFC Notes: Revis, Steelers, Bell, Easley
Darrelle Revis is back with the Jets after a two-year hiatus, and as he tells it, he never wanted to leave — it was club management, the veteran corner tells Brian Costello of the New York Post, who saw to his departure.
“It wasn’t [owner Woody Johnson],” Revis said . “He’s a businessman and he’s going to make the best decisions he can and bring the best players in here or bring the right players in here to contend. It wasn’t him. It was the general manager. What I was told by [John] Idzik wasn’t accurate. But that’s a whole other story.”
Let’s look at more from the AFC:
- Steelers swing tackle Mike Adams is likely to miss all of training camp while dealing with a back injury, and as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets, Adams’ absence eliminates any leverage the Steelers may have had as they try to negotiate an extension with starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Pittsburgh, who has recently agreed to multi-year deals with general manager Kevin Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin, and defensive end Cameron Heyward, have reportedly opened talks with Beachum, but not much progress has been made.
- More on the Steelers, as running back Le’Veon Bell tells Kaboly (via Twitter) that his hyperextended right knee is still bothering him, but he’s getting close to 100 percent. Bell is currently suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season due to his 2014 arrest, and although he has appealed, we heard earlier today that no date for the hearing is set.
- Defensive tackle Dominique Easley, the Patriots‘ first-round pick in 2014, has switched agents, signing with Sean Stellato of SES Sports, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. As Volin correctly notes, it’s a little odd for Easley to change agencies at this point in his career, as he isn’t eligible to renegotiate his contract for two more years. Easley played just 270 snaps during his rookie season while still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, but he should see a larger role in 2015.
Extra Points: Rice, Peterson, Bell, Miller
Ray Rice is exhausting his NFL contacts in an effort to secure a chance at reviving his career, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports.
The embattled running back and his former coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano, among others, are making contact with teams in hopes of the 28-year-old runner resuming his once-promising tenure in the league. Werder reported one team was seriously interested in offering a deal to Rice but balked due to the potential backlash after video of his domestic assault on his then-fiancee/now-wife emerged last September.
Money is not motivating the former Pro Bowler here, according to Werder, with Rice having earned in excess of $20MM in his career.
Rice seeks the same second chance his 2014 suspended compatriots Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy have. Of course, those two players have more recent track records of success than Rice, whose position is arguably the easiest non-specialty role to replace. Per Werder, NFL GMs view Rice as a declining player at a young man’s position. His yards per carry, which had hovered above four per tote in each of his first four seasons, dipped to 3.1 in 2013.
Here are some other news items from the league on the final Saturday without eventful NFL action for nearly seven months.
- Despite staunch holdout threats this offseason before finally agreeing to rejoin the Vikings, Peterson said would have played out the season on his previously nonguaranteed contract, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m definitely happy,’’ Peterson told media at Vikings training camp in Mankato, Minn. “If (this week’s restructuring didn’t occur), I’d would have just been like, you know what, I’ll just play this year out and not redo the contract. I’m happy to be a Viking.” It’s doubtful the 30-year-old running back iterated that stance to Vikings management, but the team will have its star running back in a more content state this season after he missed almost all of the last. Peterson’s new deal guarantees him $13MM this season and $7MM against injury in 2016.
- Le’Veon Bell is still awaiting an appeal date for his marijuana-induced suspension, reports Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. The Steelers‘ breakout backfield star is set to miss three games.
- Ohio State standout Braxton Miller‘s switch to H-back may help his NFL draft status. The top-10 Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012 and 2013 has been playing at his new spot for three months after missing the 2014 season, reports Pete Thamel of SI.com. According to one NFL scout interviewed by CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler, this will enhance the senior’s earning potential come 2016. “We currently have two grades on him, one as an ‘athlete’ and one as a quarterback,” an NFC scout told Brugler. “The grade of him as an athlete is much…better. Because that’s when he’s at his best – with the ball in his hand.
- Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones isn’t exactly pleased with the progress made by the league this offseason in terms of rectifying the catch process, according to Dallasnews.com. In a lengthy analysis, Jones said there is still “some work to do” on avoiding controversial ruling like the one involving Dez Bryant that essentially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs in January.
- Jameis Winston‘s trial in a sexual battery lawsuit won’t occur until May 2017, according to a Tampa Bay Times report. The alleged incident occurred in December 2012. The Buccaneers‘ No. 1 overall pick was not charged or arrested for this reported incident.
Steelers Extend GM Kevin Colbert
The Steelers and general manager Kevin Colbert have come to an agreement on a contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. The deal is for two years, and it will keep him on board through at least the 2018 draft.
After having served as the Steelers director of football operations for 11 seasons, Colbert was promoted to general manager in 2010. The team made it to the Super Bowl during his first year on the job, and the Steelers have compiled a 51-29 record since he took over. The 58-year-old is also credited for having an important role in the construction of the team’s Super Bowl victories in 2005 and 2008.
“I am happy to announce that we have extended Kevin Colbert’s contract for two additional years,” Steelers’ President Art Rooney II said. “Kevin’s work and footprint on our football operations have been a key factor in our success. We are excited Kevin will continue to lead our personnel department for at least the next three years.”
“I am truly grateful to Art and Mr. Rooney for the opportunity to continue my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Colbert said. “It is with great anticipation that we enter into the 2015 season in pursuit of another Super Bowl championship.”
The Steelers have been active this month, having extended head coach Mike Tomlin through 2018 and wrapping up a six-year deal for defensive end Cameron Heyward. Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo tweets that the team may not be done, noting that the Steelers have also started talks with offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum.