Ryan Pickett

South Notes: Falcons, Bucs, Marks, Pickett

Discussing his team’s decision to part ways with head coach Mike Smith today, Falcons owner Arthur Blank told reporters – including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) – that he’s seeking a clear leader who has a vision for success, player development skills, and represents the club’s culture values. According to Blank, it’s less important whether Atlanta’s next head coach is offensive- or defensive-minded, and more about finding someone who is adaptable and has a vision, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Blank added that the team’s entire football operations will be under scrutiny, and that the head coaching search begins today, with interviews starting as soon as possible (Twitter links).

Let’s round up a few more notes from out of the league’s two South divisions….

  • Armed with the top two picks in the draft, the Buccaneers and Titans will both have a strong front office presence at this week’s Rose Bowl, per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links). Oregon’s Marcus Mariota and Florida State’s Jameis Winston – the consensus top two quarterbacks expected to be available in 2015’s draft – will square off in the game.
  • With the Buccaneers considered likely to select a quarterback using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, current signal-caller Josh McCown is realistic about his future – or possibly lack thereof – with the team, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
  • Jaguars defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks enjoyed the best season of his career in 2014, establishing a career-high with 8.5 sacks. However, his year ended on a sour note — according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter), Marks suffered a torn ACL yesterday in Houston. The injury raises questions about Marks’ potential availability for training camp and the start of the 2015 season, and could impact the Jags’ offseason plans.
  • Veteran nose tackle Ryan Pickett isn’t sure whether or not he’ll retire, but he enjoyed his time with the Texans this season, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. “If I did come back, I’d want to play here,” Pickett said. “I feel like this team is headed somewhere and I’d like to be a part of that.”

Texans Sign Ryan Pickett; Louis Nix To IR

The Texans have replaced one defensive lineman with another, putting rookie Louis Nix on injured reserve and signing veteran free agent Ryan Pickett to take his place on the roster, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). A report yesterday had indicated that Pickett recently worked out for the club.

Pickett, who turns 35 next month, has spent the majority of the last decade in Green Bay, where he started 113 of the 119 games he played for the Packers between 2006 and 2013, including all 16 last season. Back in July, we heard that the veteran defensive tackle was looking to continue his career and that his preference would be to continue with the Packers, but Green Bay had apparently decided to move on, electing not so sign Pickett even after B.J. Raji went down for the season.

As McClain points out (via Twitter), Nix underwent a knee scope during the preseason and never got fully healthy, so he was inactive for the Texans’ first three games. With the third-round pick heading to the injured reserve list, Pickett will push for playing time at the nose tackle spot in Houston. So far, Jerrell Powe has taken most snaps at the position, but has graded as just the 62nd-best defensive tackle out of 73 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Workout Notes: Cox, Beauharnais, Stanzi

The Eagles didn’t bring in any offensive linemen for workouts today or Monday, a league source tells Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Plenty of teams are busy auditioning players, however. We did a roundup of workout news earlier today and we have a whole ‘nother batch right here..

  • Defensive back Derek Cox and linebacker Steve Beauharnais are among the busiest free agents in the NFL, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cox tried out for the Saints while Beauharnais worked out for the Buccaneers, a source tells Yates.
  • The Lions worked out defensive backs Chance Casey, T.J. Heath, Aaron Hester, and Kendall James, and wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
  • The Giants worked out quarterback Ricky Stanzi, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Giants also worked out safeties Bacarri RamboCorey Lynch and Jerron McMillian and wide receiver Juron Criner, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
  • The Packers took a look at linebacker Nate Askew, running back Stephen Houston, running back Cameron White, and tackle Michael Philipp, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Guard Josh Walker was also part of today’s tryouts and he wound up getting signed to Green Bay’s practice squad.
  • Nose tackle Ryan Pickett tried out for the Texans, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The veteran started 16 games for Green Bay last season.

NFC Notes: Cassel, Brent, Packers, Garrard

Even after the Vikings traded back into the first round of May’s draft to select Louisville product Teddy Bridgewater, the prevailing wisdom was that Matt Cassel would be the Week 1 starter at quarterback in Minnesota. Per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports 1 (Twitter link), that notion has held, as head coach Mike Zimmer has informed the Vikings’ players that Cassel will indeed open the season as the team’s No. 1 QB.

Zimmer himself confirmed the news to reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (on Twitter), saying that Cassel was the favorite in the competition from the start. “Matt did not do anything to lose the job this preseason,” said Zimmer. “I think he’s played great. The team has a lot of confidence in him.” Through three preseason games, Cassel has completed 26 of 39 passes for 367 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception, while Bridgewater has completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 266 yards, four scores, and no picks.

On a macro level, this news means that no rookie quarterback will be his team’s Week 1 starter (unless Matt Schaub‘s injury lingers and David Carr is forced to take the reins for the Raiders). Chad Henne was chosen to start over Blake Bortles in Jacksonville, and Johnny Manziel lost out out Brian Hoyer in Cleveland. Still, I’d be surprised if two or three (or perhaps all four) of said rookies aren’t starting games by season’s end.

More notes from the NFC:

  • While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears ready to save a roster spot for Josh Brent, the defensive tackle likely won’t require an active roster spot when the NFL reinstates him. According to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, the league is expected to suspend Brent if and when he’s reinstated. “He’s not just going to walk back onto the field,” a source tells Werder.
  • Even after B.J. Raji‘s season-ending biceps injury, Green Bay has enough depth along the defensive line that it won’t be signing ex-Packer Ryan Pickett, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • Unhappy with incumbent Alex Henery, the Eagles had been scouting teams with a surplus of kickers, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Berman points to Dustin Hopkins, released by the Bills this morning, as one option for the Birds.
  • It’s unclear if he was simply being humorous, but David Garrard lobbied the Rams (via Twitter) to give him a call following Sam Bradford‘s season-ending injury. Garrard is 36 and has dealt with numerous injuries in the last few years — it’s highly doubtful St. Louis would be interested.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Dunne On Replacements For B.J. Raji

An unfortunate injury to Packers’ nose tackle B.J. Raji has left the team looking for a way to replace his size and athleticism in the middle of their defense. The arm injury has been confirmed to be torn biceps, and will more than likely force him to miss the season, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

As big of a loss as this is for the defense, the team is not yet panicking, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). The team has a number of in-house replacements, including Josh Boyd, Letroy Guion and undrafted rookie Mike Pennel, according to Dunne.

Guion was one of the favorite free agent signings this offseason, but has missed virtually all of training camp with a variety of hamstring problems. He was thought of as a possible PUP candidate, but Dunne notes that the team might not feel comfortable waiting that long to see him in action now without Raji (via Twitter).

Dunne also notes that former Packer Ryan Pickett is an option (via Twitter). Pickett, who played nose tackle and defensive end for the team since 2006, is a free agent who has expressed interest in continuing his career with the Packers, as Dunne wrote earlier this offseason.

However, Dunne also mentioned that the team would most likely stand pat with what they have, knowing they have the option to play more nickel packages, which would put Mike Daniels and Datone Jones on the field, and alleviate the need for a true nose tackle (via Twitter).

Johnny Jolly, another former Packer defensive lineman, is also not currently in the team’s plan as a replacement for Raji, (via Twitter).

Ryan Pickett Seeking Contract

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett will turn 35 this fall, and has 13 NFL seasons under his belt, but he hopes to catch on with a team and return for a 14th year, as he tells Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. While Pickett’s preference would be to re-sign with the Packers, for whom he started every game in 2013, the free agent says he’s open to other possibilities and is 100% certain he’ll continue his playing career.

“I can still play ball. Just turn on the tape,” Pickett said. “I can do my job. And I do it well. I like to prove people wrong. I feel great. I don’t feel old.”

The number one goal for the former first-round pick is to win another Super Bowl, so he’d like to join a contending team. However, Pickett acknowledges that the Packers have gone in a different direction on the defensive line this offseason, getting younger and more athletic, even as head coach Mike McCarthy keeps the door open for a possible reunion. The team also brought back B.J. Raji to occupy the nose tackle position that Pickett played last season.

At the moment, a handful of teams – including the Packers – have open roster spots, though clubs with full 90-man rosters could consider making an offer to Pickett as well. The Ohio State product expects to have landed somewhere in time for training camp, as he tells Dunne. Following the 2014 season, Pickett will contemplate retirement, but for now it sounds like he’s gearing up to be healthier and more productive in ’14 than he was in ’13.

Pompei On Flowers, Incognito, Holmes, FAs

In his latest Read Option piece for Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei spoke to three front office executives from around the league about the best remaining free agents on the market. Let’s dive right in and check out what Pompei and the trio of execs had to say about the top available players….

  • One exec wonders if Brandon Flowers might be declining after a poor 2013, while another likens him to Alterraun Verner, who received a $26MM deal ($14MM guaranteed) from the Bucs earlier this offseason.
  • All three of Pompei’s sources agree that Richie Incognito is easily the best interior lineman available, but no teams want to deal with him after last year’s bullying scandal.
  • Although Santonio Holmes is the most intriguing unsigned wide receiver, there are concerns about his durability, his asking price, and potentially his off-field presence. “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room,” said one front office man.
  • Jason Babin and Ryan Pickett are both entering their mid-30s, meaning teams will proceed with caution. There’s also some concern that both players have become increasingly one-dimensional – Babin as a pass-rusher and Pickett as a space-eater – but the execs think both players will sign somewhere.
  • One exec on Josh Freeman: “He is probably better as a starter, but he isn’t going to get a starting job now. And if he knows he’s a backup, he might not prepare like he’s a starter.”
  • Michael Bush may be hard-pressed to find a role, since the devaluation of running backs means clubs are more inclined to pick up a rookie who can play special teams rather than a veteran like Bush.
  • Offensive linemen Eric Winston, Kyle Cook, and Tyson Clabo also earned mentions to round out the list of 10 players.

NFC North Notes: Suh, Vikings, Packers

So far today, the Lions have officially signed first-round pick Eric Ebron to his rookie contract, and the Vikings have brought aboard former Browns wideout Josh Cooper. A few more Friday updates out of the NFC North have trickled in over the course of the day, so let’s round up the latest on the Lions, Vikings, and one of their division rivals….

  • A restructure of Ndamukong Suh‘s contract is a good bet to happen at some point this summer, but a trade remains unlikely. A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that no discussions or negotiations about a potential deal involving the Lions star have occurred.
  • While Harrison Smith will be one of the Vikings‘ starting safeties this fall, the team continues to audition players for the other starting job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. According to Goessling, Kurt Coleman, Robert Blanton, Brandan Bishop, and rookie Antone Exum have all received plenty of looks during OTAs.
  • Packers head coach Mike McCarthy continues to insist that the club hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of bringing back free agents Jermichael Finley, Ryan Pickett, and Johnny Jolly. “I would love to work with all three of those guys again,” McCarthy said during an appearance on the Bill Michaels Show on SportsRadio 1250 (hat tip to Pro Football Talk). We’ve heard for months that the Packers have been monitoring those free agents, with health an ongoing concern for Finley and Jolly.

Packers Notes: Raji, Peppers, Pickett

The latest out of Green Bay..

  • Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji spoke to reporters, including Pete Doughterty of the Press Gazzette, about his disappointment in being unable to find a multiyear deal this offseason. Raji looked around but ultimately came back to Green Bay on a one-year deal.
  • Julius Peppers hasn’t played a snap yet for the Packers but he’s already impressing teammates in Green Bay, writes Lori Nickel of the Journal Sentinel. “You obviously notice his athletic ability right off the bat,” said Hawk. “He’s 34 and runs like he’s 18. If ever there was a genetic freak put on this planet, it is Julius. He’s just a specimen. I have a ton of respect for how he works, too. What a great teammate just from Day 1. He’s a quiet guy that already knows what he is doing, so it is fun to be around a guy like him.”
  • Free agent nose tackle Ryan Pickett told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that he’d love to return to the Packers if the opportunity presents itself. A late April report indicated that the Packers were in a holding pattern when it came to Pickett.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Giants, Packers, Saints

In an attempt to narrow down the wide range of players the Eagles could select at No. 22, Philly.com’s Jeff McLane focuses on 11 prospects who could pique the team’s interest and be available. Three receivers top the list.

In other NFC news and notes. . .

  • We know the Giants are “livid” at Will Hill over his most recent transgression, but in a mailbag piece, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes the team doesn’t know whether Hill will be suspended (because he can appeal), doesn’t know how long the suspension will be or if he’ll be released. “As for a replacement,” writes Graziano, Stevie Brown was slated to be a starting safety for the Giants this time last year, and assuming he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery in time for the season, they’d just make him the starter opposite Antrel Rolle.”
  • “The most important Giants player on the defensive side of the ball is Jason Pierre-Paul,” opines Paul Schwartz in the New York Post. “And no one is a close second.” After a breakout season in 2011 with 16.5 sacks, Pierre-Paul “got derailed by physical issues and, perhaps, motivational lapses.” The 25-year-old pass rusher is making his optimism for the upcoming season known, however, saying he’s healthy, in better shape (reportedly a lean 270) and ready for a leadership role. Perhaps most important, he’s motivated entering the final year of his rookie deal knowing he stands to make a fortune if he shows improved production, consistency, durability and stability.
  • Free agent defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, who started 16 and eight games, respectively, for the Packers last season, remain on the team’s radar. However, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky describes their situation as a “holding pattern,” saying the Packers “will wait to see what comes of the draft and then reassess their needs.”
  • “The last time the Saints promoted two less-experienced starters into their starting o-line (Zach Strief and Brian De La Puente in 2011), they wound up setting the NFL record for yards gained in a season,” writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Three years later, the team is preparing for another pair of second-year players to step into starting roles: left tackle Terron Armstead and center Tim Lelito.
  • The 49ers have done their homework on San Jose State quarterback prospect David Fales, seeing him live during the season and working him out at the team’s pro day for local prospects. Head coach Jim Harbaugh thinks Fales is a top-five QB in the draft, according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson.