Kelvin Sheppard - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Work Out Kelvin Sheppard

August 16th, 2017 at 5:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Along with the previously reported Rey Maualuga, the linebacker-needy Dolphins worked out free agent Kelvin Sheppard on Wednesday, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). Miami didn’t sign either player and “will keep monitoring options,” writes Jackson, who adds that the team hasn’t ruled out picking up Maualuga. Whether it will continue considering Sheppard is unclear.

Had the Dolphins inked Sheppard to a deal Wednesday, he’d have been in line for his second stint with the team. Sheppard was a member of the Dolphins from 2014-15, when he made 30 appearances with the club and started 15 times. Nearly all of those starting appearances (14) occurred in 2015, a season in which Sheppard amassed a career-high 102 tackles. The former LSU Tiger wasn’t much of a difference-maker in Miami, though, and also wasn’t a high-impact defender in stints with the Bills (2011-12), Colts (2013) and Giants (2016).

Sheppard, 29, appeared in each of the Giants’ games last season and made 11 starts, but he finished with just 47 tackles, failed to force any turnovers and earned a poor grade (39.1) from Pro Football Focus. He hadn’t generated any known interest in free agency until his workout with the Dolphins.

Miami’s decision to bring in Maualuga and Sheppard came as a reaction to the ACL tear that ended second-round rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan‘s season last week. The Dolphins will also go without Koa Misi, whom they placed on injured reserve in June as a result of the spinal fusion surgery he underwent last year, further weakening their depth at linebacker.

NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

July 23rd, 2017 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL is reportedly wrapping up its investigation into Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, but franchise owner Jerry Jones stood behind Elliott when addressing the media earlier today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. “I have reviewed everything and there is absolutely nothing – not one thing – that had anything to do with domestic violence,” Jones said. Last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported a “growing sense” that Elliott will face a league-imposed suspension. Elliott was never arrested or charged in the incident, but his accuser addressed her allegations in a statement today.

Here’s more from Dallas and the rest of the NFC East:

Echoing statements he made earlier this year, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones reiterated his club’s desire to reach an extension with right guard Zack Martin, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “We’d love to get Zack Martin‘s [deal] done,” said Jones. “He’s an important part of our future…confident we’ll get something worked out.” The Cowboys plan to meet with Martin’s agent during training camp, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Dallas, which has already hammered out deals with left tackle Tyron Smith and center Travis Frederick, controls Martin through 2018 via the fifth-year option. Martin, a 2016 All Pro, ranked as the second-best guard in the league a season ago, per Pro Football Focus.
With B.J. Goodson entrenched as the club’s starting middle linebacker, the Giants are unlikely to re-sign Kelvin Sheppard, reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Sheppard, 29, started 11 games for New York last season, but was essentially a two-down player, as he saw action on only 40% of the team’s defensive snaps. Goodson, Jonathan Casillas, and Devon Kennard figure to serve as Big Blue’s starting ‘backers, with Kenan Robinson and J.T. Thomas serving as relatively high-priced reserves.
The Giants aren’t expected to reach an extension with guard Justin Pugh, as the fifth-year pro seemingly wants to reach the free agent market in 2018, as James Kratch of NJ.com writes. The upper echelon of the guard market has now hit the $12MM mark, and it’s possible Pugh could hit that barrier with another solid season. Pugh, a 55-game starter during his career, will earn $8.821MM next year, and Kratch believes the franchise tag (with a cost near $15MM) could be in play for 2018.
Free agent addition Brian Quick isn’t likely to act as one of the Redskins‘ top four wideouts next season, meaning his roster spot could be in danger, details John Keim of ESPN.com. If Quick isn’t a contributor on offense, he’d need to be a factor on special teams, something he hasn’t been throughout his career. Washington inked Quick on a minimum salary benefit contract that contained just $80K in guarantees, so cutting him wouldn’t represent much of a fiscal loss.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Giants Notes: Graham, McAdoo, Free Agents

November 5th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

During the 2015 offseason, defensive end Brandon Graham received interest from the Giants. As the 28-year-old Eagles lineman prepares to play New York this weekend, he understands that he made the correct decision to stick with the team that drafted him.

“It was real,” Graham said of the Giants interest (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com). “I wasn’t that close. I wanted the Eagles here to get it right, as far as keeping me here. Obviously I made the right decision. I couldn’t be cool with myself going somewhere where I play the Eagles twice a year. I would have had to go outside the division.”

Graham ultimately inked a four-year, $26MM contract ($13MM) to remain in Philadelphia, and the former first-rounded has rewarded his team with 25 tackles, four sacks, and two forced fumbles this season.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of MetLife Stadium…

The Giants continue to deny rumors that they had discussions with Alabama’s Nick Saban to become their next head coach. George Willis of The New York Post believes we still haven’t seen enough from Ben McAdoo to determine whether he’s the right man for the job. However, if the Giants continue to collect losses, the writer believes the team could revisit their talks with Saban this offseason.
According to Hall of Fame boxing promoter Bob Arum, it was Saban’s wife who didn’t want to leave Alabama for the Big Apple. Had his wife decided to make the move to New York, Willis wonders if Saban would currently be coaching the Giants.
NJ.com previews the Giants players who are playing for a new contract. Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul leads the list, and he’s joined by defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, linebacker Keenan Robinson, right guard John Jerry, linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, and tight end Larry Donnell.

NFC Notes: Washington, Rams, Greenway, Giants

April 13th, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Although Washington didn’t have a ton of cap flexibility this offseason, the team could have made a bigger splash in free agency if GM Scot McCloughan had been interested in doing so. However, as John Keim of ESPN.com details, Washington’s players have faith in the front office and don’t mind the more patient approach to roster building.

“I’m excited about what he’s doing,” said Washington defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois. “I understand a lot of people say he didn’t bring in a lot of big names. You’ve got to know Scot McCloughan; he doesn’t like big name guys. As you can see with our [defensive backs], we got guys off the street and he brought them in and they did a wonderful job for us. I can only imagine what he’s going to do with the draft. I understand he [wants] 12 picks. I believe that first and second pick are up for grabs to get what he wants.”

As we wait to see what McCloughan has up his sleeve for draft day, let’s round up several more items from around the NFC….

Ohio State wide receiver Michael Thomas will work out on Friday in Los Angeles for a Rams contingent that includes GM Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Vikings‘ new one-year deal with linebacker Chad Greenway is worth $2.75MM, with $750K in guaranteed money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Ben Goessling of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the guarantee comes in the form of a $400K roster bonus and a $350K guarantee on Greenway’s $2.3MM base salary.
Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links) has the details on three recently signed Giants contracts, reporting that the deals for linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, running back Bobby Rainey, and offensive tackle Byron Stingily are all one-year, minimum salary benefit pacts. Sheppard gets an $80K signing bonus, Rainey gets a $40K signing bonus (plus $40K in additional bonuses), and Stingily gets a $20K first-game, 53-man roster bonus.
Maryland safety/corner Sean Davis will visit the Buccaneers next week, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Aaron Wilson had reported over the weekend that Davis met – or will meet – with over half the teams in the NFL.
Aaron Wilson passes along word of a couple more pre-draft meetings, reporting (via Twitter) that Incarnate Word linebacker Myke Tavarres has a private workout this Friday with the Eagles, and tweeting that Sam Houston State punter Lachlan Edwards is privately working out for the Cardinals today.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Giants Sign Kelvin Sheppard

April 11th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

MONDAY, 10:38am: The Giants have officially signed Sheppard, the team confirmed today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 11:19am: The Giants will sign free agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, according to a tweet from Sheppard himself. Big Blue had brought Sheppard in for a visit last week.

Sheppard was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2011 draft and appeared in all 32 regular season games for Buffalo from 2011-12, including seven starts in his rookie campaign and 15 starts in the 2012 season. 2012 was Sheppard’s most productive year as a pro, as he racked up 80 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks for Buffalo. He was then traded to the Colts in exchange for Jerry Hughes, and he spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Dolphins on a pair of one-year contracts.

Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest Sheppard has typically fared better against the pass than the run, scoring much better in pass coverage and as a pass rusher than as a run stopper. He will serve as useful linebacker depth for the Giants, who were also interested in Nathan Stupar before he ultimately signed with the Saints.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Rumors: Clady, Flowers, Beatty, Powers

April 10th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though the Giants did express some interest in left tackle Ryan Clady before he was shipped from the Broncos to the Jets, talks never became serious because of the draft pick compensation required, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The Jets ultimately swapped a fifth-round pick for Clady and a seventh-rounder, a price that was apparently too steep for the Giants. Big Blue may have had more definitive interest in Clady had he been released by Denver, per Raanan.

Let’s take a look at a few more Giants note, all courtesy of Raanan…

Another barrier to Clady joining the Giants was the presence of Ereck Flowers, whom New York wants to keep at left tackle, writes Raanan. However, the club still wants to add depth along the offensive line, so they could spend a mid-round pick on a tackle to compete with Marshall Newhouse and Bobby Hart on the right side.
One offensive line option who likely won’t be considered is tackle Will Beatty, whom the Giants released in early March. Though Raanan reports that Beatty, who tore his pectoral muscle and missed the entire 2015 season, is expected to be near full strength before the summer, both the Giants and Beatty have decided to move in different directions.
Former Cardinals cornerback Jerraud Powers visited the Giants at the tail end of March, and the club is thought to have made an offer worth roughly $2MM, according to Raanan. Powers is said to be looking for more money, so while he remains an option for the New York, no signing appears to be imminent.
Free agent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard announced this morning that he would be signing with the Giants, and Raanan confirms that Sheppard is expected to be with the team on Monday. Sheppard wasn’t the only linebacker on New York’s radar, per Rannan, who says the club also had interest in Nate Stupar before he joined the Saints.

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Giants, Lions

April 5th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the NFC:

Defensive end Jason Jones is still in play for the Cowboys, a source tells David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). However, the deal would have to be similar to the one-year, $1.1MM deal that Jack Crawford agreed to with Dallas on Monday.
Former Dolphins linebacker Kelvin Sheppard visited the Giants on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Giants brought in offensive linemen Ben Ijalana and Byron Stingily for a visit on Monday, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
The Lions‘ pre-draft visits are underway, and the team looked at offensive line prospects on Monday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that tackles Jerald Hawkins (LSU), Shon Coleman (Auburn), Caleb Benenoch (UCLA), and Jason Spriggs (Indiana) are meeting with the Lions.
Bowling Green center-guard Alex Huettel worked out for the Lions, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has (or has had) meetings, workouts, or visits with the Cardinals and Vikings as well as the Jaguars, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
The Saints conducted private workout for Cal wide receiver Darius Powe on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Powe didn’t have any drops, according to a source, and drew praise from New Orleans brass.
The Eagles are hosting Florida wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson on a visit, a source tells Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: Cowboys, Dolphins, Bromley

February 2nd, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard that the Cowboys were set to talk to former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan about their defensive backs coach position, but Nolan isn’t the only candidate for the opening. According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter), the Cowboys will also interview Tim Lewis, lost his job as the Niners’ defensive backs coach last month.

Alex Marvez of FOX Sports adds a few more names to the Cowboys’ list of possible targets, tweeting that the team has already interviewed Titans assistant secondary coach Steve Brown, former Colts assistant Mike Gillhamer, and former Miami Hurricanes head coach Al Golden, who has since been hired by the Lions. Even with Golden off the table, it certainly seems that Dallas has no shortage of candidates to replace Jerome Henderson.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

It’s only been a few hours since word broke that the Browns are expected to cut Johnny Manziel when the 2016 league year officially begins, but that’s plenty of time for the speculation about Manziel landing with the Cowboys to rev up. As Todd Archer of ESPN.com and David Moore of the Dallas Morning News observe, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanted to select Manziel during the 2014 draft, but was talked out of it by other members of the team’s front office, and the quarterback has shown little since then – on or off the field – to make the club regret that decision. Still, Jones may still harbor some optimism for Manziel’s potential, and as Mike Sando of ESPN.com (Insider link) writes, the team hasn’t shied away from signing players with character red flags.
The linebacker position “will be of particular interest” for the Dolphins throughout this offseason, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who writes that the club will be looking for two starting-caliber linebackers. Salguero suggests Miami will likely try to replace middle linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and outside linebacker Koa Misi this winter, if possible.
A police source tells Ryan Sit and Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News that investigators have uncovered “significant discrepancies” in the story told by the woman who accused Giants defensive tackle Jay Bromley of assaulting and attempting to rape her. Bromley has steadfastly denied his accuser’s allegations.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Bears, Vikes, Lions, Draft

January 2nd, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins’ front office and coaching staff apparently aren’t the only areas they’re going to overhaul during the offseason. The team will also make big changes to its 27th-ranked defense, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Miami ranks 24th in passing yards allowed and 25th in rating against (98.8), so it plans to strengthen its secondary in the coming months. That means adding two new cornerbacks, asking veteran corner Brent Grimes ($9.5MM cap hit in 2016) to restructure his contract, and finding another safety to complement Reshad Jones. Free agent-to-be Eric Weddle, a three-time Pro Bowler with San Diego, would be open to an offer from the Dolphins, Jackson writes. He and Jones would form an excellent tandem, but it will cost the Dolphins (or anyone else) a lot to land Weddle.

Along the front seven, the Dolphins want to keep end Cameron Wake, who tore his Achilles’ tendon in October. Doing so might require the soon-to-be 34-year-old to restructure his deal, as he’s set to count nearly $10MM against the club’s cap next season. The Dolphins hope to continue pairing Olivier Vernon with Wake to generate a pass rush, but Vernon is a free agent and retaining him might be unrealistic.

“I only get one shot [at free agency], so I’m not [doing] a hometown discount,” said Vernon.

Miami also needs to upgrade at linebacker, where Jackson believes the team will look to add one or two new starters. They could either cut Koa Misi or move him back to the middle if they’re unable to find a better outside solution than MLB Kelvin Sheppard.

Dolphins Rumors: Tannehill, Misi, Taylor

March 28th, 2015 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the May 3 deadline looms in the near future for the Dolphins to pick up Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option, which they will do barring an unlikely extension in the next five weeks, the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero doesn’t think a new contract is necessary for the improving quarterback.

The Dolphins’ most reliable 21st-century quarterback, Tannehill is due $16.1MM in 2016 once the Dolphins use that option. He’s also the 17th-highest paid player on the team, excluding dead-money anchors Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe, that just signed Ndamukong Suh to a $114MM deal.

Using the Andy Dalton contract as an example of a premature splurge on a player who hadn’t yet warranted it, Salguero argues the Dolphins’ best course of action is to let Tannehill play under this deal ($4MM cap number in 2015) while he attempts to ascend further as a fourth-year player and take Miami to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Tannehill’s average salary on the rookie contract he signed in 2012 ($3.17MM per season) is 34th in the league, according to OverTheCap.

For some additional Dolphins notes …

A debate is ongoing in the organization about what to do with the middle linebacker position, reports Adam H. Beasley. Koa Misi‘s future, in the minds of Joe Philbin and DC Kevin Coyle, remains at the middle spot he played last season, while new front office exec Mike Tannenbaum views the 28-year-old as a better fit on the outside where he played the previous four seasons. Misi’s graded positively on Pro Football Focus’ metrics the past three campaigns, topping out as the 12th-best inside backer last season (subscription required).The front office, per Beasley, eyes the younger Kelvin Sheppard to have a shot to start inside in the Fins’ 4-3 alignment.
With the youngest wideout stable in the league at 23.3 years old, the Dolphins look to supplement the Jarvis Landry– and Kenny Stills-fronted corps with a high draft pick and veteran free agent. Beasley mentioned Greg Jennings or Michael Crabtree to potentially be added to balance out a unit that lost 2014 starters Wallace and Brian Hartline.
Also from Beasley: despite the signing of Brice McCain, third-year player Jamar Taylor will probably have a chance to start across from Brent Grimes. The 2013 second-rounder started three games in two seasons.