Andre Smith (Ot)

OL Andre Smith To Visit Bills

March 11th, 2017 at 8:49am CST by Ben Levine

Free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith is set to visit the Bills, reports ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (via Twitter). The reporter also notes that Smith could wind up with his former team, the Bengals.

The former first-round spent the first seven seasons of his career in Cincinnati before signing a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Vikings last offseason. Smith would ultimately play in four games (four starts) for Minnesota before going down for the year with a triceps injury.

The 30-year-old has 86 career games (77 starts) under his belt. He hasn’t played in all 16 games since 2013, and he’s missed 21 games over the past three seasons.

The Bills don’t have a lot of depth at offensive tackle. Behind Cordy Glenn and Cyrus Kouandjio, the team is only rostering Michael Ola.

Vikings To Place Andre Smith On IR

October 10th, 2016 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official – the Vikings are placing offensive tackle Andre Smith on IR. Coach Mike Zimmer told reporters today that the veteran will have surgery tomorrow, likely ending his season in October.

On Friday, we learned that Smith’s elbow injury could be a season-ender. Minnesota has been ravaged by injuries this year, but they have powered through and now sit atop the league with a 5-0 record. After topping the Texans 31-13 at home, the Vikings will rest up before traveling to Philadelphia in Week 7.

Smith came to the Vikings on a one-year, $3.5MM deal this offseason. While he was brought in to hold down the right tackle spot, reserve tackle Jeremiah Sirles has actually been outperforming him according to the advanced metrics. Pro Football Focus has Smith ranked as just the 71st best tackle out of 75 qualified players. Meanwhile, Sirles is No. 15.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Vikings To Place Andre Smith On IR?

October 7th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

Andre Smith has an elbow injury and it might end his season. The tackle’s injury is keeping him out of practice today and the team believes that it might be severe enough to warrant placing him on IR, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Vikings, unfortunately, have been wrecked by injuries this year. The first big blow came late in the summer when Teddy Bridgewater suffered a severe knee injury. Then, a torn meniscus knocked Adrian Peterson out for a minimum of two months and potentially for the entire season. Now, Minnesota might lose another starter in Smith.

Smith came to the Vikings on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, was the Bengals’ starting right tackle for several seasons, making 73 starts in Cincinnati since first joining the club seven years ago. Although he has been a steady performer throughout his career, the 29-year-old became expendable in Cincinnati after the Bengals used their first two picks in the 2015 draft on offensive tackles.

Through one month of NFL football, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus have Smith ranked as just the 69th best tackle out of 75 qualified players. Meanwhile, fellow Vikings tackle Jeremiah Sirles is rated No. 32.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

North Notes: Bengals, Griffin, Bears

March 20th, 2016 at 9:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Watching most of their UFAs either defect or still reside in free agency, the Bengals allowed their latest longtime starter who fled Cincinnati to do so without an effort to keep him. The Bengals did not pursue Andre Smith, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports, and the eighth-year right tackle signed with the Vikings.

Smith landed in Minnesota on a one-year, $3.5MM deal, one that could be deemed as a value-reestablishing accord. The Bengals, though, prepared for Smith’s departure a year in advance in drafting tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher in the first two rounds last year. Although, Fisher moved to H-back toward the end of last season.

Longtime secondary cogs Reggie Nelson and Leon Hall remain unsigned, while the Bengals let Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu join higher-bidding teams.

Here’s some more on the Bengals, along with other North-division franchises.

Former Bengals OC Jay Gruden expects Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard to command hefty contracts, per Hobson. “You have to tip your hat to that offensive scheme over there and the way Andy [Dalton] is throwing the ball around,” Gruden said. “That’s what that offense is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to get people touches, just not A.J. [Green]. Marvin and Mo got big contracts. A.J. has already established himself. Eifert will get a big deal. Giovani will get a great deal.” Gruden, who watched former auxiliary wideout Andrew Hawkins attract a solid contract from the Browns a few years ago, doesn’t anticipate a big drop-off from the Bengals’ offense after Sanu and Jones left. “[The Bengals] will be fine,” Gruden said. “Andy will throw it to the open guy and he’ll make someone else a couple of million dollars.”
While noting the Browns‘ meeting with Robert Griffin III went well, Jackson indirectly seemed to intimate a prospective interest in Colin Kaepernick, telling NFL.com’s Steve Wyche (via Marc Sessler) “I can’t comment on players on other teams. But it is where it is and eventually I think all those things will show itself.” Kaepernick should be one of the chief topics of this week’s owners’ meetings, with the Browns, Broncos and Jets having indicated some interest over the past couple of weeks. Jackson went on to call RG3 a “tremendous talent.” Griffin’s now visited the Jets and Browns. The Browns remain interested in Griffin, a source informed Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Cabot notes the prospect of a Griffin-Browns union becoming reality would make the most sense this week, with the Cleveland brass in Boca Raton, Fla., for the meetings.
Kyle Long would play right guard for the Bears with the personnel that’s presently on the roster, John Fox told media (including Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune) from the spring meetings. A two-time Pro Bowl guard who earned an additional Pro Bowl nod upon being moved to right tackle in 2015, Long moving back there would stem from the Bears adding Bobby Massie in free agency. Long’s performance appeared to dip last season, however, with Pro Football Focus ranking him as its 37th-best tackle. The Bears trotted out Charles Leno at left tackle last season.
Fox said the Bears weren’t done in free agency, and Biggs hears from a source the team is looking to add a tight end this week. After keeping Zach Miller and trading Martellus Bennett, the Bears have Rob Housler under contract as well. Biggs points out Jared Cook could be a fit after playing for new OC Dowell Loggains with the Titans. The Bears haven’t allocated much money to the position, with Miller receiving a two-year, $6MM deal.
Fox believes both Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman can function as nickel linebackers for them, and Ryan Grigson concurs, telling media (including John Mullin of CSNChicago.com) Freeman can “do it all” as a three-down linebacker. Trevathan logged 513 snaps against the pass last season compared to Freeman’s 449, although Freeman would have likely matched or surpassed his new linebacking mate’s 2015 figure had he played more than 13 games.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Colon, Vikings, Lions

March 19th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting earlier today that the NFL Players Association was considering a vote on whether to reduce agent fees from a maximum of 3% to a max of 2%, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from multiple sources that the union discussed a possible reduction, but won’t make any changes.

Two sources tell Florio that a small group of players, including Richard Sherman and Rashad Jennings, were in favor of a fee reduction, but the discussion ended up focusing instead on educating players on their right to negotiate a fee lower than 3%.

The conversation comes at an interesting time, in the wake of Russell Okung negotiating his new contract without an agent of his own. While Okung was able to get something done without having to give up a 3% fee, his deal arguably wasn’t as player-friendly as the majority of the other contracts signed this month, as I discussed earlier today. Agents could point to Okung’s lack of guaranteed money as a reason why they’re worth that 3% cut.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

Veteran guard Willie Colon, who is currently a free agent after spending the last three years with the Jets, said during an appearance on ESPN New York 98.7 FM that he’s contemplating retirement. “I’m on the fence. I still haven’t decided if I’m gonna go or not go,” Colon said, adding that he doesn’t want to rush his decision.
As Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune details, new Vikings tackle Andre Smith couldn’t pin down just one reason why he decided to sign in Minnesota as a free agent, citing Mike Zimmer‘s presence, the opportunity to join a winner, and the chance to compete for a starting job.
In his latest mailbag, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com praises some of the Lions‘ free agency decisions, but says the team didn’t significantly upgrade any position, adding that there are a few “concerning places” on the roster.
Mike Klis of 9NEWS sets the stage for next week’s NFL owners meetings in Boca Raton, Florida, suggesting that Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers, and the Broncos will receive plenty of attention, even if nothing major happens with the Kaepernick trade talks.

NFC Contract Details: Starks, Galette, Mathis

March 18th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are several of the latest contract details on deals which were agreed upon or signed within the last week. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

NFC North:

James Starks, RB (Packers): Two years, $6MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. $300K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $600K in annual Pro Bowl and rushing-yard incentives (Twitter link).
Andre Smith, T (Vikings): One year, $3.5MM. $500K of $2.5MM base salary guaranteed. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in playing-time and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link).
Terence Newman, CB (Vikings): One year, $2.5MM. $1MM guaranteed. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Mitch Unrein, DL (Bears): Two years, $2.26MM. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus. $200K roster bonus due April 1. $500K base escalator for 2017 (Twitter link).
Matt Asiata, RB (Vikings): One year, $840K. $60K signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time, rushing-yard, and catch incentives (Twitter link).
Marc Mariani, WR (Bears): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC East:

Nolan Carroll, CB (Eagles): One year, $2.36MM. Can be worth up to $3MM. $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. $600K for eight games active. Up to $640K in playing-time and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link).
Junior Galette, OLB (Washington): One year, $1.6MM. Can be worth up to $4.1MM. $1MM base salary. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $2.5MM in playing-time, Pro Bowl, and sack incentives (Twitter link).
Will Blackmon, CB (Washington): Two years, $2.05MM. $150K signing bonus (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
Josh LeRibeus, G/C (Washington): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC West:

Evan Mathis, G (Cardinals): One year, $4MM. Can be worth up to $6MM. $3MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $1MM guaranteed base salary. $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $2MM in playing-time, Pro Bowl, and All-NFL incentives (Twitter link).

FA Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Steelers, Norwood

March 18th, 2016 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Only five players on our list of this year’s top 50 free agents remain unsigned, and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (No. 19) is the highest-rated player of that group. The Jets and Fitzpatrick have been at an impasse since free agency opened, with Fitzpatrick seeking a sizable raise and New York offering a more modest deal.

Speaking today to reporters, including Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan said that Fitzpatrick remains a “very good fit” for the team, adding that the goal is to eventually re-sign him. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN (Twitter links), Maccagnan declined to put a time frame on those talks, suggesting there’s no real deadline. The GM also confirmed that the Jets’ visit with Robert Griffin III was “due diligence,” and that the club remains focused on getting something done with Fitzpatrick.

As we wait to see if the two sides can reach an agreement, let’s check in on a few other free agent updates from across the NFL…

The Steelers are hosting free agent linebackers Spencer Paysinger and Mike Morgan for visits today, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Neither player projects as a probable starter, so Pittsburgh is presumably looking to fill out its depth chart after losing Sean Spence to the Titans. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes (via Twitter) that the Dolphins would like to bring back Paysinger, but he wants to see if he can get more than the minimum salary from another club.
Free agent wide receiver Jordan Norwood ended his visit with the Lions today without a deal in place, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. According to Birkett, Norwood – who also met with the Jets – has a visit with another team set up for next week, and has yet to make a decision.
Offensive tackle Andre Smith, who signed with the Vikings, said today that his agent told him he would have a visit with the Cardinals, but that trip never happened (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).

Vikings Sign Andre Smith

March 18th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:57pm: The Vikings have officially announced their deal with Smith, confirming the signing in a press release.

THURSDAY, 11:12am: Smith’s one-year deal has a base value of $3.5MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

11:05am: The Vikings continue to fortify their offensive line, with free agent tackle Andre Smith announcing today (via Twitter) that he’s heading to Minnesota, having agreed to a one-year contract with the club.

“Minneapolis here I come,” Smith tweeted. “Excited to join the great Vikings organization today on a 1-yr deal!!#SKOLVikings!!”

Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, has been the Bengals’ starting right tackle for the last several seasons, making 73 starts in Cincinnati since first joining the club seven years ago. Although he has been a steady performer throughout his career, the 29-year-old became expendable in Cincinnati after the Bengals used their first two picks in the 2015 draft on offensive tackles.

Smith’s new deal with the Vikings will pay him up to $4.5MM, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that it will feature $1MM in guaranteed money, while Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports says (via Twitter) that it sounds as if other options were on the table for Smith, who “really liked” the Vikings.

Earlier this week, Smith was said to be deciding between the Vikings and Cardinals, though Arizona GM Steve Keim downplayed his team’s interest in the veteran tackle in a radio interview this morning. It’s not clear whether the Cards’ interest in Smith was overstated, or whether Keim knew at that point that the free agent would end up in Minnesota.

Having initially pursued Kelechi Osemele in free agency, the Vikings have now added two solid veterans in Smith and Alex Boone. While Boone will be penciled in as a starter at guard, Smith may have to beat out Phil Loadholt and T.J. Clemmings to win the right tackle job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Andre Smith Deciding Between Vikings, Cardinals

March 14th, 2016 at 6:53pm CST by Zachary Links

6:53pm: Smith tells Tomasson (Twitter link) that his visit with the Vikings went well and that things are “even” between the Vikings and the Cardinals.

4:57pm: Tackle Andre Smith is still with the Vikings and they are still working on signing him, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) reports. Minnesota hopes to get a deal done today with the veteran.

Smith spent 2009-15 with the Bengals after they selected him No. 6 overall and the tackle went on to make 73 regular season starts for them in 82 appearances. If Smith signs with the Vikings, he’d be the third starting-caliber O-lineman to do so this offseason, joining guards Alex Boone and Mike Harris.

The 38th-ranked player in PFR’s top 50 free agents list, Smith’s market has been somewhat slow to materialize. From the sound of it, however, his free agency could come to a halt rather soon.

The former first-rounder didn’t receive high marks based on the advanced metrics used by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Smith was ranked 56th out of 77 qualified tackles in 2015 with equally poor grades in pass blocking and run blocking. Smith saw 567 pass snaps and 414 run snaps last season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest Rumors: Osweiler, Broncos, A. Smith, Titans

March 13th, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Earlier this week, quarterback Brock Osweiler agreed to leave the Broncos for a four-year, $72MM contract with the Texans, but agent Jimmy Sexton never gave Denver a chance to match the offer, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

Sexton told Osweiler not to return any calls from any Broncos employees until the agent had reached a deal with either Denver or Houston. Osweiler wanted out of the Mile High City after the Broncos went back to Peyton Manning for their playoff run, a source close to Osweiler’s family told Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). If true, that obviously helped the Texans win the battle for his services.

“They wanted him in Denver, but (general manager) Rick (Smith) hung in there and got the deal consummated,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. “I couldn’t be more excited.”

Smith and head coach Bill O’Brien undoubtedly join McNair in his excitement. After watching tape of pending free agent QBs, both came to an agreement that Osweiler was atop their wish list.

“We came out of the film room agreeing that Brock Osweiler was the quarterback to lead us where we want to go,” Smith said.

However, the Texans didn’t know whether they’d have a chance to land Osweiler, as McNair stated.

“He could have signed (with Denver) and not been available. We really didn’t know, but we were still looking at him and hoping he would be available,” said McNair.

More on the Broncos and a couple other NFL teams:

With Manning and Osweiler gone, the Broncos are “exercising patience” in their search for a signal-caller, tweets The Denver Post’s Troy Renck, who lists Colin Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, and draft prospects as their targets. They aren’t yet considering Robert Griffin III, per Renck.
Offensive tackle Andre Smith – who visited the Vikings on Sunday – doesn’t have any more meetings currently lined up, but his agent told him this morning there are other teams that could be interested in him (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Smith spent 2009-15 with the Bengals after they selected him sixth overall and made 73 regular-season starts in 82 appearances. If Smith signs with the Vikings, he’d be the third starting-caliber O-lineman to do so this offseason, joining guards Alex Boone and Mike Harris.
Linebacker Terence Garvin will visit the Titans on Monday, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link). Garvin has been with the Steelers since they signed him as an undrafted free agent from West Virginia in 2012. The 25-year-old has appeared in 43 regular-season games (one start) and amassed 21 special teams tackles. Garvin met with Washington earlier this week.