HEADLINES

Daniel Thomas

NFC Notes: Gurley, Carr, J. Jones, Bears

June 17th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Former agent Jimmy Halsell passes along an interesting note on Todd Gurley‘s rookie contract with the Rams, observing that the running back will get his full 2015 and 2016 salaries even if he’s on the non-football injury list due to his knee (Twitter link). Gurley’s ACL injury occurred when he was still at Georgia, so based on the NFL’s definition, it would be considered a non-football injury, and teams can opt not to pay full salaries when placing players on the NFI list.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

  • Brandon Carr won’t be released late in the offseason like Evan Mathis was, as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said today that the cornerback will be with the team for the 2015 season. However, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets, the club is still working on lowering Carr’s cap number ($12.717MM).
  • Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones told reporters today, including D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that he doesn’t intend to hold out at all as he seeks a new contract.
  • A pair of former second-round picks, running back Daniel Thomas and defensive back Sherrod Martin, are trying out for the Bears at the team’s minicamp, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Thomas has been busy over the last few weeks, working out for the Lions and Cowboys as well.
  • The Panthers promoted director of football operations Brandon Beane to assistant general manager, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Beane was briefly Carolina’s interim GM before Dave Gettleman took over the job in 2012.

North Notes: Heyward, Lions, Bennett

June 10th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward is due for a big-time contract and will likely ink one before training camp opens, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.

“I try to stay out of the process and just focus on what I can control,” Heyward said. “I’d love to get a contract, but I have to just continue to keep my eyes on the prize. I would love for it to happen. I think they want it to happen.”

Last season, Heyward was the first defensive end to lead the Steelers in sacks in a decade as he and Jason Worilds tied with 7.5 a piece. Heyward says he plans on being even more of a force this season and topping that total. Here’s more out of the North divisions..

  • There are a number of Steelers entering their walk years, but Heyward might be the only one to sign a new deal, Bouchette writes. The Steelers may try to sign tackle Kelvin Beachum, but they may not pay him what he’s likely worth on the opening market. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth best left tackle in the game.
  • The Lions hosted a ton of notable veteran free agents on Wednesday but did not sign any of them immediately after the session, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Wide receivers Brad Smith and Robert Meachem and running backs Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas were among the free agents in Detroit today but none of them have deals – at least not yet. The Lions appear set at running back after drafting Ameer Abdullah in the second round to pair with Joique Bell, but Bell is still recovering from offseason surgeries. Tate and Thomas, in theory, could be called upon if Bell’s recovery takes longer than expected.
  • Bears head coach John Fox is unsure if Martellus Bennett will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. The tight end is pushing for a raise from the $4.9MM base he’s scheduled to earn in 2015. The 2014 Pro Bowler has two years left on a four-year, $20.4MM deal he signed in March of 2013.

Lions To Work Out Daniel Thomas

June 8th, 2015 at 7:02pm CST by Zachary Links

“Give me your tired, your old, Your veteran players yearning to see playing time.”

The Lions added yet another name to their list of veteran players being auditioned on Tuesday. Detroit will work out veteran running back Daniel Thomas, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Thomas now joins the likes of Ben Tate, Brad Smith, and Robert Meachem in an effort to impress the Lions.

Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, was initially displaced from the Dolphins when they added Knowshon Moreno last offseason. However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow in September, prompting Miami to reunite with the 27-year-old. In four seasons with Miami, Thomas has run for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. Last year he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try.

Strangely enough, this will be Thomas’ second time auditioning opposite of Tate this offseason. The two backs shared the field in late May when showing their stuff for the Cowboys.

Cowboys Notes: Thomas, Rice, Randle

May 21st, 2015 at 7:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Cowboys..

  • Besides Felix Jones and Ben Tate, the Cowboys also worked out running back Daniel Thomas today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, was a prominent part of the Dolphins’ backfield from 2011 through 2013. In 2014, he was squeezed out of the picture after the signing of Knowshon Moreno but he was re-signed by the club a couple of weeks into the season.
  • Even with many factors working against him, there’s still a good chance that a team will bring Ray Rice in at the start of training camp and give him an opportunity to make the roster, John Clayton of ESPN.com writes. Clayton figures that there are five teams that make sense for the troubled tailback, including the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones appears to be content with starting the season with Joseph Randle and Darren McFadden in the backfield, but Clayton figures that Rice could be an option if something happens to either player.
  • Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News ran down the reasons why the Cowboys would and wouldn’t be interested in signing Rice. Aside from the obvious, Rice is also rusty – he hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2013.

Dolphins Re-Sign Daniel Thomas

September 15th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

12:31pm: In order to make room on the 53-man roster for Thomas, the Dolphins have placed defensive back Sammy Seamster on injured reserve, per James Walker of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

9:56am: Running back Daniel Thomas didn’t survive the Dolphins’ preseason cutdown to 53 players, but he’s heading back to the team that waived him just over two weeks ago. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the Dolphins and Thomas have agreed to a one-year contract.

Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, received 365 carries during his three seasons in Miami, but failed to make a significant impact with those opportunities, averaging just 3.6 yards per rush. When the club signed Knowshon Moreno in free agency this offseason, it made Thomas expendable, and he failed to earn a spot on Miami’s Week 1 roster.

However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow during yesterday’s contest in Buffalo, and Lamar Miller was also banged up in the second half, prompting the Dolphins to add some running back depth. Having spent the preseason, as well as the previous three seasons, with Miami, Thomas is familiar with the system, making him a good fit for the roster, even if the team doesn’t necessarily want to rely on him as a primary option.

The Dolphins will have to make a corresponding roster move to clear an opening for Thomas.

Extra Points: Rice, Bills Ownership, Injuries

September 8th, 2014 at 6:14pm CST by Matt Feminis

The NFL has informed teams that any contract with Ray Rice will not be approved until further direction is provided from Roger Goodell, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Additionally, Rice will not be eligible to play north of the border, either, as the CFL will honor the NFL’s suspension, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani (via Twitter).

Here’s some more miscellaneous news and notes:

  • Bids to buy the Bills are in from Terry Pegula, Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi’s Toronto-based group, reports the Buffalo News’ Tim Graham (via Twitter). He adds multiple sources believe the process could be wrapped up as soon as Wednesday. As of yesterday, Pegula, who also owns the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, appears to be the favorite to land the winning bid.
  • Titans linebacker Zach Brown will miss the rest of the season because of a torn pectoral, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Zaviar Gooden, another athletic linebacker, is expected to replace Brown in the starting lineup.
  • Bears center Roberto Garza sustained a high ankle sprain yesterday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). With Garza sidelined for an undetermined period of time, the Bears will turn to free-agent acquisition Brian De La Puente at center.
  • Redskins defensive tackle Barry Cofield will also be sidelined by a high ankle sprain, says Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
  • The Patriots worked out running back Daniel Thomas, quarterback Brock Jensen and tight ends Evan Wilson and Brian Wozniak, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
  • Yates also reports a couple more running back tryouts: Chris Rainey (Cardinals) and Lache Seastrunk (Packers).
  • Jason Fitzgerald at OverTheCap.com identifies players entering crucial stages of their contract who helped or hurt their stock on Sunday. Fitzgerald highlights Broncos tight end Julian Thomas, who recorded 7-103-3 in a win over the Colts, noting Thomas or teammate and free agent-to-be Demaryius Thomas “should be able to jump into a new offer” since the team can only franchise one of their pass-catching stars. At the other end of the spectrum, Fitzgerald says Redskins pass rusher Brian Orakpo was “non-existent “on Sunday. Furthermore, Orakpo’s reputation as someone who disappears in games could prevent him from getting the type of mega deal he seeks in free agency.

Dolphins Bring Roster To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 4:42pm CST by Ben Levine

4:42pm: The Dolphins have whittled their roster down to 53 players, but the most important news to come out of Miami is that center Mike Pouncey, who is dealing with a hip injury, will be placed on the active roster rather than on the PUP or IR designated to return list. Pouncey will probably still miss some time, but he’ll be eligible to play as soon as he is healthy. The following players have been waived per a press release:

12:38pm: Following the Dolphins signing of Knowshon Moreno, it didn’t look particularly good for running back Daniel Thomas. Once it was clear that Moreno and Lamar Miller were the top backs on the roster, it looked even worse for the 26-year-old.

Well, as Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post reports (via Twitter), the Dolphins have cut ties with Thomas. It wasn’t that long ago that he compiled 165 carries as a rookie, so there’s a chance a team may take a flyer on him.

The Dolphins also let go of 13 other players. The complete list is below:

The Dolphins have also informed defensive tackle Kemal Johnson that he will be placed on injured reserve (via Jackson’s Twitter).

AFC Links: Keisel, Dolphins, Ravens, Atkins

August 23rd, 2014 at 5:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Brett Keisel is excited to return to the Steelers, and the defensive end isn’t concerned about his role for this upcoming season. Instead, he’s focused on helping the team, particularly the rookies.

“To be back and to be able to hope to help lead some of these guys and help these guys turn into pros and accountable pros, I’m excited about it,” Keisel told Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

“I’ve felt since about March, when I decided I still wanted to play football, that something would happen. I hoped it would be here, and for a long time … nothing happened, nothing happened. It was kind of weird like, ‘What am I going to do now?'”

So, after having started in each of his 110 games since 2006, will the veteran welcome a reduced role?

“We really didn’t get into that too much. They just said, ‘We want you back.'”

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

  • As Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno continues to get healthy, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald believes the player will climb up the depth chart. That could leave some of his teammates, including Daniel Thomas, on the outside looking in. However, the prospect of being cut is far from the 26-year-old’s mind. “I don’t really worry about it,” Thomas said. “I’ll just let whatever happens, happens and just go with it. It’s all I can do.”
  • Considering the injuries in the Ravens secondary, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun says that the team “probably can’t afford to cut any corners” until the starters return to practice.
  • Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins is expected to make his preseason debut on Sunday. After recovering from an ACL injury, some could be worried that the Pro-Bowler has lost some explosiveness. That does not include head coach Marvin Lewis, who told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com that “Geno looks like Geno.”

East Links: Revis, Jets, Brown

August 3rd, 2014 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

As the Bills and Giants prepare to kick off the preseason in tonight’s Hall of Fame game, let’s take a look at some links from some of their fellow teams in the league’s east divisions:

  • It will be difficult for Dolphins‘ running back Daniel Thomas to stay on Miami’s roster, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Thomas is, of course, behind Lamar Miller and Knowshon Moreno on the team’s depth chart, but he has also lost his biggest advocate in former GM Jeff Ireland and Mike Gillislee has been more active in training camp.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Jets received a $1.75MM salary cap credit this season as a result of an injury grievance settlement with former nose tackle Sione Po’uha. The team would have had a great deal of salary cap room even without the settlement, but now they have about $21MM of cap space.
  • In the same piece, Cimini notes that the recent deals for 2011 first-round selections Tyson Smith and Patrick Peterson will not hurry the Jets in extension talks with their own 2011 first-rounder, Muhammad Wilkerson. A new deal for the big defensive lineman may not happen until next year.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Jets‘ LB Jermaine Cunningham, who the team hoped would provide pass-rush help in 2014, is believed to have torn his ACL, thus ending his season.
  • The freshly-inked extensions for Tyson Smith and Patrick Peterson have proven to be useful fodder for beat writers from around the league. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes that those new deals have set the bar for key members of the Patriots‘ roster like Nate Solder and Darrelle Revis. Although Revis is technically under contract for the next two seasons, no one expects New England to pick up his $12.5MM option bonus for 2015, which would saddle the club with a $25MM cap hit. As such, Revis–assuming he stays healthy and productive–will be eyeing Peterson’s deal (as well as those recently signed by Richard Sherman and Joe Haden) as a benchmark for a new contract of his own. However, he will turn 30 next July and has a torn ACL in his past, so a “pay-as-you-go” deal like that signed by Sherman may be a more fitting option. Solder, meanwhile, is under contract for a more reasonable $7.44MM in 2015, so while an extension for him is not a top priority just yet, Smith’s new contract may guide negotiations if and when extension talks commence.
  • Giants kicker Josh Brown knows that his spot on the team’s roster is far from guaranteed, writes Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. His competition with Brandon McManus, who is 12 years his junior, begins in earnest tonight.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com examines the Redskins roster battle at inside linebacker.

AFC East Notes: Williams, Thomas, Johnson, Kelly

July 19th, 2014 at 3:06pm CST by Ben Levine

Bills newcomer Mike Williams sat out portions of minicamp to rest his troubled hamstring, but the veteran wideout has no worries heading into training camp.

“I’m fully ready to go,” Williams told Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News. “I trained this whole offseason. There was really no offseason for me. I kinda had to get my leg better. I had to get back to feeling like Mike again, like my mom always tells me. Today running that conditioning test made me feel like I was Mike again.

“At the start of camp, just did the conditioning test and I feel real good. I feel great. I feel I got an A-plus, if there was a grade for it. I feel I’m ready to go.”

Williams finished 2013 with 22 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns – all career lows. The Buccaneers traded the wideout to the Bills in early April for a sixth-round pick.

Let’s look at some more notes from the AFC East…

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