George Johnson - Pro Football Rumors

Bucs To Acquire George Johnson Via Trade

April 15th, 2015 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

1:25pm: The Buccaneers will send the Lions a fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson’s services, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. The Buccaneers will also receive a seventh-round pick from the Lions as part of the trade.

7:50am: More than a week after he first sign an offer sheet with the Buccaneers, defensive end George Johnson is finally officially heading to Tampa Bay, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Stroud reports (via Twitter) that the Lions and Bucs have agreed to a trade that will allow the Bucs to land Johnson, with the two clubs swapping late-round picks.

While it’s not clear yet exactly which picks are involved in the swap, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the deal is “done,” pending league and union approval. The CBA allows for a player who is signed for an offer sheet to be traded, though a certain procedure must be followed in that instance — presumably, the Lions and Bucs have followed that procedure here.

The offer sheet Johnson signed with the Bucs initially was worth a total of $9MM over three years, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the defensive lineman will still receive that amount. Restricted free agency gives teams five days to match an offer sheet, but before the Lions’ deadline rolled around on Monday, Detroit disputed the offer sheet, seeking a clarification on exactly what terms must be matched, since the contract included de-escalators for years two and three. Working out a trade agreement allows the two sides to avoid having an arbitrator make a ruling on the issue.

An undrafted free agent in 2011, Johnson originally signed multiple contracts early in his career with the Buccaneers, and spent parts of the next two seasons with the club. The 27-year-old was quietly effective in 2014, appearing in all 16 games for the Lions and earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), largely thanks to his excellent pass-rushing acumen.

In Tampa Bay, Johnson figures to slot in at one of the defensive end spots along the team’s defensive line, essentially replacing Michael Johnson, who was released.

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.

Lions Disputing Bucs’ Offer To George Johnson

April 13th, 2015 at 2:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 2:07pm: The Lions are disputing the terms of the Buccaneers’ offer sheet, reports Tim Twentyman of Lions.com (Twitter link). It’s not clear what Detroit is contesting, but an independent arbitrator will “identify all terms that that have to be matched” within 10 days, per Twentyman (Twitter link), who adds that the Lions will then have two days to match the offer.

WEDNESDAY, 3:38pm: The offer sheet Johnson signed with the Bucs is worth a total of $9MM over three years, a source tells Garafolo (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet whether the Lions will decide to match it.

TUESDAY, 8:13pm: The Buccaneers have signed Lions restricted free agent George Johnson to an offer sheet, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). While we don’t yet know the financial terms, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that the deal is for three years. Detroit will have five days to match the offer to its defensive end.

An undrafted free agent in 2011, Johnson originally signed, coincidentally, with the Buccaneers, and spent parts of the next two seasons with the club. Tampa hosted Johnson for a visit last week, signalling their interest, and while we don’t know the terms of the Bucs’ offer, there’s a decent chance he ends up with the team. He’d slot in at one of the defensive end spots along Tampa Bay’s defensive line, essentially replacing Michael Johnson, who was released.

The Lions tendered Johnson at the lowest level, meaning that while they’ll be able to match Tampa Bay’s offer, they won’t receive any compensation if they decline to match. The 27-year-old Johnson was quietly effective last season, appearing in all 16 games and earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), largely thanks to his excellent pass-rushing acumen.

The Lions have only a tad over $3.5MM in cap space, so it could be tough for them to match any offer sheet, no matter the size. With Haloti Ngata, Ezekiel Ansah, and Jason Jones set to count about $17.5MM against the cap in 2015, Detroit could be wary of investing any more money in its defensive line.

Johnson is the second restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet today, joining Sean Richardson of the Packers.

More Mailbags: Draft, G. Johnson, Pagano

April 12th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Rory Parks

There are an increasing number of mailbags as we get closer to the draft, so let’s round up a few more:

ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson looks at two top defensive line prospects the Bears could target in the first round of the draft, Shane Ray and Danny Shelton. Dickerson believes that Shelton, who is more of a two-down player, would be a good choice for the Bears if they were to trade back in the draft, but Chicago would be reaching if it took him with the No. 7 overall pick. Although Ray would need to adjust to playing outside linebacker after lining up primarily as a 4-3 defensive end in college, Dickerson believes the Bears would do well to add the elite pass rusher with their first selection.
A number of publications have mocked Florida State offensive lineman Cameron Erving to the Browns, and Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com–who did the same thing in his own mock draft–says there’s a good reason for that. Erving is the best center in the draft, and he also projects favorably at guard. Grossi writes that Erving is the only offensive lineman the Browns should consider in the first two rounds.
The Lions also have big needs on the offensive and defensive lines, and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes that it would not be a surprise to see the team address those areas in the early rounds of the draft. In a separate mailbag, Rothestein believes the team should let George Johnson leave for the Buccaneers, who recently signed the defensive lineman to an offer sheet.
David Newton of ESPN.com believes that Washington’s Shaq Thompson, one of the best athletes in this year’s draft class, would be the ideal player for the Panthers to groom as an outside linebacker behind Thomas Davis. Speaking of Davis, Newton reiterates his belief that Carolina will get an extension done with the 32-year-old before the season begins, which, along with the planned long-term deal for Cam Newton, would require the team to somehow lower Charles Johnson‘s $20MM+ cap number.
Mike Wells of ESPN.com examines whether or not the Colts will–or should–offer a long-term extension to head coach Chuck Pagano.

Lions Notes: Parker, Hardison, Johnson

April 9th, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that Calvin Johnson missed some time due to injury in 2014, he and Golden Tate combined to grab 170 balls for the Lions. However, no other Detroit wide receiver exceeded Jeremy Ross‘ 24 receptions, so the team appears to be at least considering the possibility of taking a wideout early in the draft.

Today, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, the club hosted Louisville’s DeVante Parker, who is viewed by many as the third-best receiver in this year’s class, behind only Kevin White and Amari Cooper. While we wait to see exactly how serious the Lions are about upgrading their receiving corps, let’s check in on a few more items out of Detroit…

Per Twentyman, the Lions also hosted Arizona State defensive tackle Marcus Hardison for a pre-draft visit today.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explains why he doesn’t think it makes sense for the Lions to match George Johnson‘s three-year, $9MM offer sheet from the Buccaneers. As Birkett points out, if the Lions had really wanted to retain Johnson at that sort of price, they could’ve assigned him a second-round tender ($2.356MM) rather than a low-end tender ($1.542MM) last month, which would’ve limited the defensive end’s market and virtually guaranteed his return.
Birkett also passes along a note on the Lions’ draft plans, tweeting that several people he has spoken to believe the team will select an offensive lineman with its first-round pick.
Linebacker Brandon Copeland, who signed with the Lions following the veterans’ combine, received a $25K bonus from the team, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

South Notes: Johnson, Bucs, Wootton

April 2nd, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers hosted Lions restricted free agent defensive end George Johnson, according to Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida. Johnson, of course, was with the Bucs from 2010-2012. The Lions placed Johnson on a low-round RFA tender, which means the Lions have the right to match any offer Johnson receives, but they won’t collect compensation if he goes elsewhere. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC South..

Former Bears and Vikings defensive end Corey Wootton tried out for the Titans, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) adds that Wootton auditioned for the Jaguars. Wootton, 28 in June, appeared in 15 games for the Vikings last season.
Former Giants wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan recently had a tryout with the Buccaneers, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The 5’9″ wide receiver saw just two games in 2014 thanks to injury.
Former Chiefs practice squad center Ben Gottschalk worked out for the Buccaneers today, a league source told Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Gottschalk caught Tampa Bay’s eye at the veteran combine.

Minor Moves: Friday

March 6th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Exclusive rights free agent Ryan Davis signed a deal with the Jaguars today, according to the team’s Twitter account. The defensive end signed with the Jaguars in May 2012 after going undrafted. He played in one game as a rookie and seven games in 2013 before sticking on the roster last year for 16 games and recording 6.5 sacks. Today’s minor moves..

Quarterback Tajh Boyd has agreed to terms with the Steelers on a one-year deal, multiple league sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Clemson product was drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2014 draft.
The Broncos officially announced that they have tendered offers to three exclusive rights free agents: linebacker Brandon Marshall, tackle Paul Cornick, and guard Ben Garland, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Browns announced they re-signed exclusive rights free agents running back Shaun Draughn and punter Spencer Lanning, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
The Jaguars declined to tender offers to their five restricted free agents, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes. Fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou, cornerback Teddy Williams, tailback/kick returner Jordan Todman, guard Jacques McClendon, and tight end Fendi Onobun will now become unrestricted free agents.
The Lions gave defensive end George Johnson an original-round tender and wide receiver Jeremy Ross an exclusive rights tender, Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com writes.
The Chiefs have tendered ERFA Junior Hemingway, according to a source that spoke with Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Hemingway, 26, is a fourth-year pro who caught 12 passes for 108 yards in 14 games as a backup last season.
The 49ers have tendered exclusive-rights free agents Michael Wilhoite and Tony Jerod-Eddie, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com tweets.
As expected, the Cardinals declined to tender either one of their restricted free agents, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Both quarterback Ryan Lindley and nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu will hit the open market.

FA Rumors: Pascoe, Jean-Francois, McCourty

February 25th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The agent for tight end Bear Pascoe tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client will be moving on from the Falcons next month.

“We had a great conversation with the Falcons and it looks like at this point Bear is going to explore some other options for next year and the Falcons are going to do the same,” said Noel LaMontagne, Pascoe’s agent. “The front office and Bear both were really appreciative of everything over the last year, but with coaching changes, there will always be other changes, so Bear is going to see what else is out there for the future.”

Let’s round up a few more Wednesday updates on 2015’s prospective free agents:

After been released by the Colts earlier this week, defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois is seeking a new home for the 2015 season, and a pair of potential suitors has already surfaced. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jean-Francois has visits lined up with Washington and the 49ers this week. Jean-Francois has a history with the Niners, having spent the first four years of his NFL career in San Francisco.
Asked about the possibility of being franchised by the Patriots, safety Devin McCourty wasn’t sure if that’s the team’s plan, but said being tagged wouldn’t be the worst thing (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald). “The franchise tag is player-friendly now,” McCourty said (Twitter link via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com). “It’s a good number.”
After some confusion about his contract status, Lions defensive end George Johnson is being considered a restricted free agent by both the NFL and NFLPA, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). As such, there’s a very good chance Johnson returns to Detroit.
Appearing on PFT Live today, veteran safety Mike Adams said he’d like to retire as a Colt (Twitter link). Adams, who is eligible for free agency, turns 34 next month, so there’s a chance his next contract will be his last.
As we heard this morning, the Dolphins are working to get a deal done with tight end Charles Clay. If he remains unsigned when the free agent period arrives though, Clay’s market will be “very strong,” tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few clubs to watch in free agency, identifying the Falcons, Buccaneers, Raiders, Jaguars, and Bills as the teams poised to spend big.

FA Rumors: Clay, Miles, Johnson, Demps

February 23rd, 2015 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

We heard yesterday that the Bills may target tight end Charles Clay in free agency next month, but Clay remains very much in the Dolphins‘ plans, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Abramson that it would be “very surprising” if Clay doesn’t return to Miami for the 2015 season. As Abramson notes, while Buffalo’s interest in the tight end may be legit, it’s also fair to wonder if the Bills leaked word of that interest in order to potentially drive up Clay’s price for their division rivals in Miami.

Here are a few more notes from around the league on this year’s free-agents-to-be:

The Ravens are expected to bring back safety and special-teamer Jeromy Miles, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next month, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. With just over two weeks until Miles would be able to sign with another club, it’s possible he dips his toe into the open market to gauge his value, but according to Wilson, a return to Baltimore appears likely.
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, there’s some confusion over whether Lions defensive end George Johnson is a restricted or unrestricted free agent this offseason. Johnson earned accrued seasons in 2011, 2012, and 2014, but his 2013 season is up for debate, since it seems he was paid for six weeks but was only on the Vikings’ roster for five Sundays. Players must be on a team’s 53-man roster for six weeks to earn an accrued season, and must accumulate four accrued seasons to be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
As he prepares to enter the free agent market, Giants safety Quintin Demps has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post takes a look at which Broncos free agents have the best chance of returning to Denver, speculating that Terrance Knighton, Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Rahim Moore are all “probably gone.”

Lions Notes: RFAs, Suh, Jones, Prater, Mathis

February 20th, 2015 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have four free agents who are set to be either restricted or exclusive rights FAs this offseason, and general manager Martin Mayhew addressed the club’s plans for all four players today in a conversation with Detroit reporters. According to Mayhew, the Lions will tender RFA defensive end George Johnson a contract, but won’t tender offers to Kellen Moore and Josh Bynes, though the team would like to re-sign Moore at a lesser rate. As for the lone ERFA on the roster, Mayhew said that Jeremy Ross will return to the club for 2015 (Twitter links via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).

Here are a few more Lions-related tidbits:

A league source told Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) that the Lions are optimistic that they’ll be able to keep defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in Detroit. Of course, that has been the club’s public stance for some time now, but it sounds like the team is privately confident as well.
Defensive end Jason Jones, who will count for nearly $4MM against the cap in 2015, will return to the Lions and his contract won’t be adjusted, according to Mayhew (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com).
Mayhew is meeting with the agent for prospective free agent Matt Prater tonight in Indianapolis and hopes to figure something out, as he believes Prater can be a Pro Bowl kicker (Twitter link via Twentyman).
The general manager added that he hopes to bring back cornerback Rashean Mathis for the 2015 season, and praised Mathis’ “position versatility” (Twitter link via Twentyman).