HEADLINES

Jameel McClain

Extra Points: Suh, Johnson, McClain, Smith

March 4th, 2014 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Ndamukong Suh has long been linked to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, but it sounds like the Lions star might actually opt to represent himself in his contract negotiations, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. While he’d consult with others, including Roc Nation, it sounds like the defensive tackle is giving real thought to sitting across the table from the Lions without a formal agent at his side. An extension would be very complex for Suh if he wants to maximize his value and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that even the Lions don’t want him to enter negotiations on his own. More from around the league..

  • The Seahawks gave safety Jeron Johnson a second-round tender as a restricted free agent, Garafolo tweets. Johnson, 26 in June, could garner interest elsewhere, so it’ll be interesting to see how things to this offseason.
  • Former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain is scheduled to take a free agent visit with the Bills tomorrow, Rapoport tweets. The LB has a few more visits with other clubs on his docket as well.
  • Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith met with general manager Dave Gettleman earlier today to try and clear the air, a league source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Gettleman was non-committal about Smith’s future with the team when asked about him at the scouting combine last month which didn’t sit well with the veteran.
  • 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh personally scouted Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at his pro day, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Texans also came to watch the signal caller throw.
  • The Giants will be on the hunt for running backs once free agency officially opens, explains Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
  • Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated examined the nuances of the franchise tag, the transition tag, and the ripple effects they’ll have on free agency.

Ravens Cut Vonta Leach, Jameel McClain

February 27th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

3:00pm: The Ravens have officially released Leach and McClain, according to the team (Twitter link). GM Ozzie Newsome left the door open for their potential returns, calling Leach and McClain “our types of players” (Twitter link).

1:59pm: In a cap-clearing move, the Ravens will release fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Jameel McClain, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). According to Zrebiec, the cuts aren’t official yet, but should be soon.

Both players had been entering the final year of their respective contracts in 2014. Leach’s cap number of $2.33MM will become $580K in dead money, creating $1.75MM in cap savings for the club. The room created by cutting McClain will be even more significant — the Ravens will turn his $4.4MM cap hit into $1.2MM in dead money, for $3.2MM in savings.

Leach wasn’t a significant part of the Ravens’ offense in 2013, seeing action in just 230 snaps, including nine in the last three weeks of the regular season. McClain, who renegotiated his contract last August, missed the first few weeks of 2013 while recovering from a spinal injury, then saw part-time action in 10 games. The longtime Raven’s performance over the course of 376 snaps ranked him 34th among 55 qualified inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Baltimore has interest in re-signing McClain at a lower rate, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

The cuts will create a little more wiggle room as the Ravens attempt to re-sign high-priority free agents, such as tight end Dennis Pitta and left tackle Eugene Monroe.