Lions Reach 53-Man Roster
The Lions slashed their roster to the 53-man regular-season limit and included a couple of notable names in their cuts.
Veteran defensive lineman Corey Wootton did not make the roster after joining the Lions this offseason. The 28-year-old made 22 starts for the Bears in 2012-13 before serving as a Vikings backup last season.
To make room for Zach Zenner and Tim Wright, respectively, Detroit waived George Winn and Joseph Fauria. After releasing former Boise State star Kellen Moore, the Lions also will go into a season with just two quarterbacks for the first time since 2009.
The remainder of Detroit’s cuts are as follows:
- Al Bond, OL
- Crezdon Butler, DB
- Braxston Cave, OL
- Jermelle Cudjo, DL
- Kerry Hyder, DL
- Emil Igwenagu, RB
- Isaiah Johnson, DB
- Joe Madsen, OL
- Nate Ness, DB
- Casey Pierce, TE
- Xavier Proctor, OL
- Jeremy Ross, WR
- Greg Salas, WR (placed on IR)
- Julian Stanford, LB
- Brian Suite, DB
- Larry Webster, DL
- Torrian Wilson, OL
- Jerel Worthy, DL
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are today’s minor transactions from across the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening:
- Howard Balzer of the SportsXchange (all Twitter links) passes along word on a number of exclusive rights and restricted free agents who officially signed their contract tenders today. According to Balzer, the following players are now under contract for the 2015 season: Browns linebacker Craig Robertson (second-round RFA), Browns safety Johnson Bademosi (low-end RFA), Steelers fullback Will Johnson (low-end RFA), Giants cornerback Chandler Fenner (ERFA), Ravens cornerback Tramain Jacobs (ERFA), and Chiefs wide receivers Frankie Hammond and Junior Hemingway (ERFAs).
- The Seahawks have re-signed free agent center Lemuel Jeanpierre, according to Balzer (via Twitter). Jeanpierre, who turns 28 next month, started three games at center for Seattle near the end of the 2014 regular season.
Earlier updates:
- The Titans have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with linebacker Kaelin Burnett, the club announced today (Twitter link). Burnett, who started his career with the Raiders, has played in 22 total NFL games, including five last year for the Titans, primarily as a special teamer.
- Wide receiver Kamar Aiken signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Ravens today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The move was a mere formality, allowing Aiken to participate in the club’s offseason program.
- Lions wide receiver and kick returner Jeremy Ross also signed his ERFA tender today, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Like Aiken, Ross was technically a free agent but wasn’t able to negotiate with any team besides Detroit.
Minor Moves: Friday
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.
Lions Notes: RFAs, Suh, Jones, Prater, Mathis
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).
NFC Notes: Austin, Wilson, Conte
Tavon Austin did not provide the degree of immediate impact the Rams were hoping for when they chose him eighth overall last year. In an AP story, Austin was bluntly honest about why he didn’t play as fast as he’s capable: he struggled with the complexities of his first NFL playbook. “I didn’t really know what was going on,” Austin said. “Everything looked like Spanish and sounded like Spanish to me.”
Here’s some NFC links:
- Giants running back David Wilson, recovered from neck surgery, announced on Twitter that he’s been cleared for full-contact action.
- Bears safety Chris Conte faces a training-camp battle for a starting position, but it’s unknown if he’s physically ready for the beginning of camp, writes the Chicago Tribune’s Rich Campbell. Conte had shoulder surgery in late March, at which time the team said he would need four to five months to recover.
- Bears second-year right tackle Jordan Mills has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his contract adviser, according to Yahoo Sports reporter and legal analyst Rand Getlin.
- Buccaneers free agent acquisition Evan Dietrich-Smith has just one year as a full-time starter under his belt, but “the Bucs see him as an anchor on their offensive line,” says ESPN’s Pat Yasinkas in a post listing the team’s top five newcomers. “At 28, Dietrich-Smith may be just entering his prime.”
- Jeremy Ross was a pleasant surprise for the Lions last season, especially on special teams, says MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke. With him and Ryan Broyles expected to have spots on the roster behind Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate, that leaves fifth-rounder T.J. Jones, Corey Fuller and veterans Kris Durham and Kevin Ogletree battling for one or two spots.
- This season is make-or-break for Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, writes ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer.
Birkett On Lions’ Roster
The Lions are still working to sign star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to an extension, and by doing so the team will gain some immediate cap relief, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). He also notes that the team was in a similar situation when they freed up $3MM after signing quarterback Matthew Stafford last offseason.
Here are some other notes from Birkett from around the Lions (all links via Twitter):
- On the timetable of the negotiations, Birkett expects the team to get a deal done before training camp, much like they did last year with Stafford. In a separate tweet, he says the likelihood of the extension coming is at 55% in his opinion.
- When asked if guard Rob Sims and linebacker C.J. Mosley could be cut in favor of younger players, Birkett says he doesn’t see it happening. The moves wouldn’t be necessary to sign Suh, so there is no reason to part with veterans who could still be productive players.
- While the team’s top two wide receivers will be superstar Calvin Johnson and offseason acquisition Golden Tate, the team has four players competing to work out of the slot. Although Kevin Ogletree and Kris Durham are in the mix, Birkett predicts either Ryan Broyles or Jeremy Ross will ultimately take that spot.
- While the fight for the number three receiver has a number of options, the most likely answer will be first-round pick Eric Ebron, according to Birkett. Though nominally a tight end, he could have the explosiveness to cause mismatches out of the slot or tight to the formation in some sets.
Free Agent Notes: Freeman, Jets, Daniels
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has a trio of re-signings (via Twitter): running back Matt Asiata (Vikings), wide receiver Jeremy Ross (Lions) and linebacker Craig Robertson (Browns). Each player signed an exclusive rights free agent tender to stay with their respect teams. The trio was solid in 2013; Asiata ran for 166 yards on 44 carries, Ross had six receptions and six kick returns and Robertson compiled 85 tackles.
Let’s take a look at some more free agent rumors…
- Quarterback Josh Freeman visited the Bears today, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Freeman finished the season with the Vikings after playing four-plus years with the Buccaneers. The Bears also worked out quarterback Adam Weber (via La Confora’s Twitter) and tight end Matthew Mulligan (via Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs on Twitter).
- There are still eight Jets free agents left on the open market, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com takes a look at all of their statuses. Cimini mentions that Rex Ryan hasn’t “shut the door” on bringing back Ed Reed, but that a return doesn’t seem likely. Among possible returns, Cimini looks at Josh Mauga and Lex Hilliard.
- Owen Daniels visited with the Patriots before deciding to sign with the Ravens, tweets ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli. The tight end also visited the Packers and Redskins.
- The Titans have officially cut Chris Johnson, as well as defensive end Adewale Ojomo, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Redskins released linebacker Josh Hull, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In 2013, Hull had 14 tackles in 11 games.
Contract Tenders: 49ers, Jaguars, Broncos
Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.
Here are some of the latest ERFA and RFA contract tenders:
- The 49ers extended a contract tender worth $1.431MM to restricted free agent Demarcus Dobbs, reports Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The team also tendered ERFA linebacker Michael Wilhoite, says Pelissero.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons tendered cornerback Robert McClain with a $1.431MM offer, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. McClain was the team’s only restricted free agent this offseason.
- The Jaguars tendered offers to wide receivers Mike Brown ($495K) and Kerry Taylor ($495K), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor ($570K), fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou ($570K), and tailback Jordan Todman ($645K), according to Pelissero (Twitter links). Todman, a former UConn notable, had only practice squad experience before making his on-field debut with the Jags in 2012. He had 256 yards and two scores on the ground with 14 catches, 116 receiving yards, and a touchdown through the air.
- The Dolphins tendered offers to wide receiver Armon Binns ($495K) and linebacker Jonathan Freeny ($570K), Pelissero tweets.
- More from Pelissero, who tweets that the Broncos have tendered offers to defensive end Mitch Unrein ($1.431M) and Brandon Marshall ($495K). Of course, that’s the Marshall who plays linebacker, not the star receiver.
- The Lions have tendered offers to kick returner Jeremy Ross ($570K), linebacker Julian Stanford ($570K), cornerback Chris Greenwood ($570K), and tight end Matt Veldman ($420K), tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter) adds that wide receiver Kris Durham was also tendered an offer. Durham had an opportunity to shine when the Lions lost Nate Burleson to injury early in the season but he wasn’t able to break out even with double coverage on Calvin Johnson.
- The Buccaneers are on the verge of tendering exclusive rights free agents Eric Page and Deveron Carr, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Lions To Retain Kris Durham, Jeremy Ross
The Lions will bring back exclusive rights free agents Kris Durham and Jeremy Ross, GM Martin Mayhew confirmed to reporters in Indianapolis today (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). The two receivers have fewer than three accrued NFL seasons, meaning re-upping with the Lions is essentially their only option this offseason.
Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
As for Ross, the 25-year-old caught five passes for the Lions after being waived by the Packers earlier in the 2013 season. However, most of his value stemmed from his production as a return man. Ross brought back 17 punts (15.5 AVG, one TD) and 21 kicks (24.5 AVG, one TD) for the club in 10 contests.
Neither player appears to have officially inked a contract yet, but considering they have minimal leverage, minimum-salary contracts seem likely, perhaps with modest signing bonuses.