Extra Points: Winston, Mariota, Keisel, Schaub
Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league to finish out the night:
- Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News tweets that he has not heard anyone from a team’s personnel department say that they would draft Jameis Winston over Marcus Mariota.
- ESPN’s draft guru Todd McShay offers a contrasting viewpoint in his second mock draft, as he projects Winston will be taken first overall by the Buccaneers (Insider subscription required).
- After Brett Keisel’s season ended with a torn triceps in November, many expected his 13th season with the Steelers to be his last. However, the defensive end wasn’t talking retirement at a charity event on Wednesday. “I’ve been preparing for when that day comes, and by ‘that day’ I mean the end,” Keisel told reporters, including Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. “But right now I’m under contract and I’m going to rehab and see (how) things turn out.”
- Brown (via Twitter) wonders if FSU cornerback P.J. Williams might be of interest to the Ravens. Williams was the Defensive MVP of the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, and would be a solid addition to a secondary in need of an upgrade.
- Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton says, as players are wont to do, that the team does not need to be active in free agency to improve its defense (even if New Orleans had the cap room to be especially active players). Per Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, Lofton says what the defense really needs is to improve its situational football: “When it comes to situational football, I think of third-and-one, third down, red zone, two-minute — all those things are super-important and lead to wins and losses. If we get better in all those areas, we’ll be pretty good next year.” Lofton said the Saints had not yet approached him about a contract restructure, but New Orleans is expected to convert his $4.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus in order to drop his cap number from $9.25MM to $6.25MM.
- Michael Wagaman of ESPN.com reports that Matt Schaub will either have to restructure his current deal with the Raiders or otherwise be released. Schaub has stated that he does not intend to retire, but if he wants one last crack at being a starting quarterback, he may prefer to get out of Oakland, where Derek Carr is seen as the future of the franchise.
- Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at the major changes that could be coming for the 49ers, including the likely retirement of stalwart Justin Smith.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Steelers Re-Sign Greg Warren
The Steelers have re-signed veteran long snapper Greg Warren, the team announced today in a press release. Warren, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a one-year contract.
While terms of the deal aren’t immediately available, Warren is coming off a minimum salary benefit deal, which saw him earn a minimum base salary and the maximum allowable $65K signing bonus. There’s a good chance his new agreement with Pittsburgh looks the same as that contract.
Warren, 33, has served as the Steelers’ regular long snapper since the 2005 season, appearing in 149 regular season games during his time with the club. He had been one of 14 long snappers around the NFL eligible to hit the open market this offseason.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
The NFL’s waiver period for 2015 officially opened this week after the Super Bowl, which means we should see an uptick in transactions over the next few weeks, even before free agency opens on March 10. Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the league:
- The Colts announced today that they have agreed to terms with guard Ben Heenan. Heenan, 6’4″, 316 pounds, spent the last three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. In 2014, he started all 21 games for the Roughriders, released Heenan from his CFL deal this week to allow him to pursue NFL opportunities. Heenan had offers from five NFL teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Bills have claimed wide receiver Justin Brown off waivers from the Steelers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The Steelers waived Brown back in December to make room for the addition of Ben Tate. Brown, a sixth-round choice in 2013, caught 12 passes for 94 yards during his time in Pittsburgh.
- While Brown didn’t clear waivers, several other players who were cut since the end of the regular season made it through, tweets Wilson. Safety Jakar Hamilton (Cowboys), offensive lineman Darren Keyton (Lions), and tight end Steve Maneri (Patriots) all went unclaimed.
- After signing a reserve/futures contract with the Lions at the end of the regular season, tight end Ifeanyi Momah was cut today by the team due to a failure to disclose a physical condition, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Momah spent time on the Lions’ and Browns’ practice squads in 2014.
- The Saints formally terminated the contract of linebacker Cheta Ozougwu today, says Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (Twitter links). Ozougwu spent the entire 2014 season on New Orleans’ reserve-PUP list.
- Fullback Greg Jones, who announced his retirement last month, has officially been moved to the reserve/retired list by the Jaguars, per Wilson (via Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC North Notes: Manziel, Browns, J. Jones
Experts in the field say that a rehab program may not be effective, particularly for young people, if they’re not willing to go on their own, but that’s not the case for Johnny Manziel, who voluntarily entered treatment last Wednesday, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Based on Manziel’s willingness to seek help, friends and family of the Browns quarterback are confident that he’ll take it seriously and do the work needed to get well, according to Cabot.
While we wait for updates on Manziel and wish him the best, let’s check in on a few other items from out of the AFC North….
- Responding to tweets from his followers about the likelihood of the Browns retaining a pair of their notable free agents, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com put the odds of Brian Hoyer‘s return at 51%, but gave tight end Jordan Cameron just a 1% chance to re-sign (Twitter links).
- Although Ben Tate was a disappointment, rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West had solid rookie seasons for the Browns in 2014. Still, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com thinks running back is a position the team ought to address in the offseason, perhaps by bringing in a veteran to complement the youngsters.
- Within his look at 10 of the most noteworthy NFL storylines to watch this offseason, ESPN.com’s Mike Sando (Insider link) suggests keeping an eye on the Ravens‘ offense and the Steelers‘ defense, after the two rivals lost coordinators Gary Kubiak and Dick LeBeau, respectively.
- Wide receiver Jacoby Jones may be a luxury rather than a necessity for the Ravens, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, who explains why the club may consider cutting one of the most productive kick returners in football this winter.
Lance Moore Seeks Release From Steelers
For the first time in his NFL career, Lance Moore played for a team besides the Saints in 2014, joining the Steelers as a free agent. After a single season in black and gold, however, Moore has asked the club to release him from his contract, according to Adam Schefter and Scott Brown of ESPN.com.
Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers this past season, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014. As the ESPN.com report notes, the veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time.
“I just want to play … whether that’s here or somewhere else,” Moore said after Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss. “I’d love to be here, I’d love to be a part of this offense, but I think those are decisions that have to be made down the line.”
If the Steelers were to release Moore, he would count for about $323K on their 2015 cap, with the club wiping his $1.5MM base salary off the books.
Sunday Roundup: Wilson, Manning, AFC North
Let’s take a look at some notes from around the league on this Super Bowl Sunday:
- According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, negotiations on a long-term extension for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will begin “as soon as the Super Bowl ends.” As we have been hearing, Wilson is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, with Aaron Rodgers‘ $22MM average annual salary serving as the starting point for negotiations with Wilson. Rapoport adds that everything Seattle has done this year, including its dealings with Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, and K.J. Wright, was done with a Wilson deal in mind (Twitter link to NFL Media PR).
- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to play in 2015, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen writes that official confirmation could come from Manning this week.
- Falcons star receiver Julio Jones is under contract through 2015, but an extension for Jones will be put on hold until incoming head coach Dan Quinn has had time to fully assess the roster, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Those sentiments come from team owner Arthur Blank, which suggests that Quinn will have a great deal of input into roster decisions and creates more questions about the role of GM Thomas Dimitroff.
- Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the state of the Steelers‘ secondary, which looks to be a major area of concern heading into the offseason.
- Ravens running back Justin Forsett spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk about a number of topics, including his impending free agency. The tailback made it known once again that he’d like to stay in purple and black. “I would like to stay in Baltimore, but it is a business and I’m looking for a commitment. However that comes, I just want to be able to take care of my family,” the veteran said. Florio also asked Forsett about the possibility of following former Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak to Denver. Forsett was complimentary of Kubiak but downplayed the likelihood of a reunion, noting that the Broncos have multiple tailbacks under contract, including C.J. Anderson. However, as Florio rightly noted, none of the Denver backs amassed 1,266 yards on the ground in 2014 like Forsett did.
- There is a mechanism in the collective bargaining agreement by which the Browns could seek to recover a pro-rated portion of Gordon’s signing bonus because of games missed due to suspensions, as Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com writes. That pro-rated portion for 2015 is just over $564K, however, so it’s not clear if Cleveland will pursue that process.
Zach Links contributed to this post
Minor Moves: Friday
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon and evening:
- The Bears have locked up linebacker and special-teamer DeDe Lattimore to a two-year contract extension, the team announced today (Twitter link). An undrafted free agent in 2014, Lattimore would have been an exclusive rights free agent, so it’s a modest deal for him — Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that he’ll earn the minimum salary for the next two seasons, with no guaranteed money.
- Safety Ian Wild, who worked out for the Steelers several weeks ago, has signed a reserve/futures contract with the team, according to PR man Burt Lauten (Twitter link).
North Notes: Briggs, Bears, Taylor
Veteran linebacker Lance Briggs wants to continue playing for the Bears, but he’s not 100% sure that he’ll continue playing football. “It’d be nice,” Briggs said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But as much as I don’t know, I’m excited no matter avenue that I go. If I get to play football, it’s going to be great. That’s priority No. 1. But if I don’t, there’s plenty of avenues for me afterwards. There’s plenty of things that I want to do.” Briggs also said that he’s happy about the arrival of new head coach John Fox while being very careful not to bash former coach Marc Trestman. More from the North divisions..
- Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor was toying with retirement, but he tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s training as if he’ll be playing in 2015 and he’d like to go another two or three more years. He’d have interest in following former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to a new team and he’d also be open to playing safety, if it means continuing his playing career.
- Opinions are split on whether the Lions should give Ndamukong Suh a whopping payday, whether on a record-smashing long-term deal or via the super expensive franchise tag, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. “The talent speaks for itself,” O’Hara said. “I think he’s a phenomenal defensive lineman, very strong, very active. I think the big question, if I’m looking at it big picturewise and I’m running a team, (is) the amount of money that he’s going to command, can I afford it?“
- Browns cornerback Joe Haden wants people to stop slamming Josh Gordon and he hopes that the wide receiver remains with the team, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. “JG is a good kid,” Haden, said. “It’s time for people to stop bashing Josh Gordon. Before they start talking about him, they’ve got to figure out what’s really going on.”
- The Browns chatted with Kevin O’Connell today about their quarterbacks coach vacancy and they scheduled an interview with ex-Florida offensive coordinator Kurt Roper for tomorrow, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). O’Connell worked with Johnny Manziel before he was drafted last year.
- It sounds like changes could be on the way when it comes to the Packers‘ special teams coaching unit. “It’s important to evaluate,” said head coach Mike McCarthy, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “I obviously haven’t had that opportunity. So we’ll look at everything. We’ll look at every job description, every job responsibility, performance – mine included – and we’ll look to make changes.” All the assistant coaches, including embattled special-teams coordinator Shawn Slocum, were given this week off.
Max Starks Announces Retirement
Longtime Steelers tackle Max Starks says he’s staying retired from the NFL, according to Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (on Twitter).
The 6’8″, 345 lineman spent time with the Rams and Chargers in 2013 after playing for Pittsburgh from 2004-2012. However, his stint in Arizona didn’t last all that long. Before the deadline for the 75-man cutdown, the Cardinals released Starks along with eleven other players. At the time, Starks was excited about his reunion with coach Bruce Arians.
“All the terminology seems to be the old terminology, so it’s starting to click again,” said Starks, who played under Arians’ coordination with the Steelers. “Obviously it’s been two years since I was with [Arians] so just getting used to that lingo and getting that going.”
Starks made 125 starts across the course of his ten year NFL career, seeing time at both right tackle and left tackle. In 2012, his last full NFL season, Starks graded out as the 72nd best tackle out of 80 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required and recommended). Starks, 34 in March, received negative grades for his run blocking and even worse grades for his pass blocking. In years past, however, Starks graded out as an above average offensive tackle.
2015 Franchise Tag Candidates: AFC North
The deadline for assigning a franchise or transition tag on a 2015 free-agent-to-be is less than five weeks away, and we’re in the process of taking a look at players who are candidates to be tagged this year. On Tuesday, we examined the AFC East, identifying the Patriots, with safety Devin McCourty and kicker Stephen Gostkowski eligible for free agency, as the most likely team to make use a tag. Today, we’ll shift our focus north, breaking down the franchise and transition tag candidates for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers….
Baltimore Ravens:
- Candidates: Pernell McPhee, Torrey Smith
- Odds of being used: Possible
- McPhee and Smith are both solid contributors, with McPhee in particular providing plenty of value to the Ravens in 2014 — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the league’s second-best 3-4 outside linebacker, behind sack leader Justin Houston. Still, McPhee was only a part-time player, appearing in just 540 defensive snaps, barely over half of what Houston played. For that reason, he may not be the most viable candidate for a tag, but he shouldn’t be ruled out. Smith, on the other hand, can probably be dismissed as an option — his production took a step backward in 2014 after the arrival of Steve Smith, and his 49 receptions and 767 yards were career lows. Kicker Justin Tucker would be a strong candidate if he were eligible for unrestricted free agency rather than restricted.
Cincinnati Bengals:
- Candidates: None
- Odds of being used: Zero
- A few recognizable names, such as Jermaine Gresham and Mike Nugent, are scheduled to hit the open market for the Bengals, but none of the club’s prospective free agents are core players that absolutely must be retained.
Cleveland Browns:
- Candidates: Brian Hoyer, Jordan Cameron
- Odds of being used: Unlikely
- At different points in 2014, the idea of using a tag on Hoyer or Cameron looked entirely reasonable, but both players’ stocks dropped toward the end of the season. If Hoyer is brought back, it would likely be to compete for a starting job, which isn’t worth a franchise salary that could exceed $18MM. The tight end tag will be worth less than half that, but after an injury-plagued and ineffective 2014 campaign, Cameron will almost certainly have to settle for a more modest deal.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
- Candidates: Jason Worilds
- Odds of being used: Possible
- The Steelers used the transition tag on Worilds a year ago, and in his first season as a full-time starter in 2014, he was arguably just as good or better, so it’s absolutely within the realm of reason that the team would do it again. Still, tagging a player for a second time means that his salary will increase by at least 20% (in Worilds’ case, that means a raise to at least $11.705MM), and the Steelers have a handful of other contracts to address this offseason, including a potential extension for Ben Roethlisberger. I do expect Pittsburgh to make every effort to retain Worilds, but the club may push a little harder for a long-term deal this time around, which would increase cap flexibility and the ability to spend elsewhere this winter.