HEADLINES

Ted Ginn Jr.

Saints View Ted Ginn As IR-Return Option

October 20th, 2018 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ted Ginn‘s season may not be over. The Saints view the veteran wide receiver as a player who has a good chance of returning from injured reserve.

Sean Payton said (via NOLA.com’s Josh Katzenstein) the possibility of Ginn coming back this season is “very realistic.” A Ginn knee injury prompted the Saints to move him to IR, but he’s already undergone arthroscopic surgery, Katzenstein notes.

Ginn played through the injury early in the season before inflammation shelved him, and he now won’t be able to return until Week 15. The Saints can attempt to rely on Cameron Meredith and Tre’Quan Smith as their top Michael Thomas sidekicks, but Ginn played well in this role a season ago. New Orleans has not brought anyone off IR yet, making the 33-year-old wideout a logical choice to be one of the two players that resurfaces in 2018.

The 12th-year veteran posted 787 yards last season, his most since 2008, and caught four touchdowns. He’s in the second season of a three-year, $11MM deal. With the Saints having returned to the playoffs last year and being on a four-game win streak, it would be shocking if they weren’t in position to contend for the NFC South title again this season, so veteran IR-return candidates would make sense for the reigning division champs.

Saints Place Ted Ginn On IR

October 18th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Ted Ginn‘s season may be over. On Thursday, the Saints placed the wide receiver on injured reserve, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Ginn missed the Saints’ Week 5 win over the Redskins with a knee injury, apparently, did not recover much over the Week 6 bye. It’s a bad blow for the Saints, but they got by just fine against Washington thanks to rookie Tre’Quan Smith, Cameron Meredith, and the return of pass-catching tailback Mark Ingram. The Saints would prefer to have Ginn on the field, but they certainly have enough weapons to survive.

Ginn, 33, never quite justified his selection at No. 9 overall in 2007, but he has been a valuable receiver and return man since joining the Saints in 2017. Last year, the speedster had a career-high 787 yards off of 53 catches, plus four touchdowns. In four games this year, Ginn had 12 grabs for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Ginn, in theory, could return after eight weeks of inaction, but that will all depend on his recovery and whether or not he needs surgery. The Saints’ first game without the veteran will come on Sunday against a resurgent Ravens defense.

Saints To Sign WR Ted Ginn Jr.

March 9th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have plucked two players from the rival Panthers in a matter of minutes. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. will be signing with New Orleans, according to Dianna Russini‏ of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team announced that the wideout has been signed to a three-year deal.

Ginn, 32 in April, hasn’t quite justified his selection at No. 9 overall in 2007. However, he has bounced back in the last two years with Carolina. In 2015, he had 44 catches for 739 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Last season, he had 54 grabs for 752 yards and four scores.

On Thursday morning, the Saints also signed linebacker A.J. Klein away from Carolina.

This move could signal a more seismic transaction from the Saints, because they now have four notable contributors at wide receiver in Ginn, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas and Willie Snead. Cooks, though, has been the subject of incessant trade rumors for over a week now despite having produced consistently in New Orleans. The 23-year-old talent has griped about his role in the offense, and as the 2016 season went on, Thomas showed he could have the makeup of a No. 1 receiver in the future.

The Saints and Patriots are reportedly discussing a Cooks-for-Malcolm Butler swap of players in the final year of their rookie contracts. Although, Cooks — being a former first-rounder — has a fifth-year option. Butler will need to be extended soon to give the Saints value in that deal.

NFC Notes: Ginn, Kerrigan, Chancellor

August 5th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Panthers wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. admitted that he was “chasing a check” when he signed with the Cardinals last year, suggesting he took the highest offer he got in free agency for the benefit of his family (link via Tim Durr of the Black and Blue Review). Although Ginn signed a three-year deal with the Cards, his stint in Arizona didn’t last long — he was cut by the team in February.

Here’s more from across the NFC:

  • ESPN.com’s John Keim and Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap examine the specific details on Ryan Kerrigan‘s new contract with Washington, and Fitzgerald also provides a breakdown of the extension in chart form. The deal, which includes a $16MM signing bonus, features cap hits of $6.238MM in 2015 and $8.45MM in 2016 before jumping to $11.7MM+ for the final four years.
  • Since Kam Chancellor‘s holdout from Seahawks camp is now at six days, Seattle is allowed to recoup 15% of the safety’s signing bonus proration for 2015, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Since Chancellor’s bonus counts for $1MM against the team’s cap this year, Seattle could recoup $150K.
  • Lions GM Martin Mayhew explained that the team’s depth at cornerback led to the trade that sent Mohammed Seisay to the Seahawks, a deal he called “win-win for everybody.” Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the quotes from Mayhew.
  • Packers defensive end Datone Jones told reporters, including Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link), that he did not appeal his one-game suspension. Jones was suspended last month after receiving a citation for marijuana possession.
  • Free agent cornerback Josh Victorian, who recently auditioned for the Texans, worked out for the Panthers following Chris Houston‘s retirement, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Contract Details: McCourty, Jones, Moats, Ginn

March 9th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few noteworthy contract details on deals recently agreed upon:

  • Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): Five years, $47.5MM base value. $15MM signing bonus. $28.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Jacoby Jones, WR (Chargers): Two years, $5.5MM base value. $1.6K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
  • Arthur Moats, OLB (Steelers): Three years, $7.5MM base value. $1.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ted Ginn Jr., WR (Panthers): Two years, $4.2MM base value. $1.7MM signing bonus. Up to $1.5MM in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Derek Carrier, TE (49ers): Three years, $2.985MM base value. $400K signing bonus. About $1MM in escalators (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Panthers Sign Ted Ginn Jr.

March 9th, 2015 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

12:01pm: It’s a two-year deal for Ginn, the Panthers announced in their press release confirming the signing.

11:15am: Ginn confirmed on Instagram that he’s returning to Carolina, posting a photo of him signing his new deal with the Panthers.

8:18am: Wide receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr., who spent the 2013 season with the Panthers, is back in Charlotte today and is expected to sign a new deal to return to the team, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. The years and dollars on Ginn’s new contract with the Panthers aren’t yet known.

Ginn agreed to a three-year, $9.75MM contract with the Cardinals a year ago, coming off a season in which he was an all-purpose threat for the Panthers, accumulating 36 catches, 26 punt returns, 25 kickoff returns, and even four carries. In his first and only season in Arizona, Ginn didn’t have the same impact, outside of one 71-yard punt return touchdown back in September. For the season, Ginn posted a career-low 19.0 yards per return on kickoffs, and caught just 14 balls on offense. He was cut by Arizona last month.

Presumably, by adding him back to the mix, the Panthers are hoping Ginn can recapture his 2013 form. The Browns, Titans, and 49ers were also linked to the 29-year-old since his release by the Cards.

AFC Notes: Ginn, Titans, Jaguars, Dunlap

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the AFC, which will now include star running back LeSean McCoy..

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Packers

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

  • Nick Wagoner says the Rams would like to re-sign tight end Lance Kendricks, but the writer wonders if the rumored $4MM annual salary the player is seeking is too pricey.
  • The Panthers need a speedy wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin, and David Newton suggests free agents Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree, although he warns that the former 49ers receiver may not be a “Dave Gettleman guy.”
  • With Cam Newton‘s contract situation being a priority in Carolina, Newton says the Panthers likely won’t make any progress on an extension for Luke Kuechly until next season.
  • The Lions releasing Reggie Bush is not an indication that they’ll draft a running back early, says Michael Rothstein. The team still has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick, so there doesn’t need to be any panic from the organization to replace the former second-overall pick. With the said, Rothstein still believes the team will select a running back, albeit much later in the draft.
  • Dan Graziano believes Bush would be the type of running back the Giants would be looking to acquire. However, the writer says that the team wasn’t among the organizations that displayed initial interest in the veteran.
  • Rob Demovsky says the Packers could keep both Tramon Williams and Davon House, but he notes that it’s unlikely for both players to remain on the roster. After all, the team is looking to expand Casey Hayward‘s role, meaning one of the two defensive backs would be on the outside looking in.
  • John Keim opines that Washington needs to improve their tight end depth. The writer says the team can’t rely on Jordan Reed, and he adds that Logan Paulsen is most productive as a blocker. Keim points to former Eagles tight end James Casey, noting that Washington has already shown interest in the 30-year-old.

Browns, Panthers Interested In Ted Ginn Jr.

February 25th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

4:51pm: Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) adds the Panthers to the list of teams with interest in Ginn.

1:15pm: Wide receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. became one of a handful of veteran players to hit the free agent market early when he was released on Monday by the Cardinals. Now, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Ginn is drawing interest from the Browns, who have called his agent to convey that interest. Cabot adds that a number of other teams are eyeing the Cleveland native as well.

As Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com detailed yesterday, Ginn once said that he’d be interested in finishing his career with his hometown Browns. At age 29, the next contract Ginn signs is unlikely to be his last, but the Browns would still be a good match, given the team’s huge amount of cap room, and a need at special teams. According to Football Outsiders, Cleveland ranked 14th in special teams DVOA in 2014, but that rank was buoyed by a solid kicking and punting game — the club received negative grades for kick and punt returns.

One current Browns player in favor of signing Ginn is veteran safety Donte Whitner, who said he texted head coach Mike Pettine to tell him that Ginn is interested in the Browns.

“[Pettine] said it’s definitely a consideration,” Whitner said. “There may be something to it. Hopefully it will happen. … [Ginn] can take the top off a defense and also take it to the house on returns. We need a guy like him on our team.”

If the Browns are in the market for a veteran return man, they could kick the tires on another player who became available earlier today, as the division-rival Ravens parted ways with Jacoby Jones.

Cardinals Cut Ted Ginn Jr.

February 23rd, 2015 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after ensuring that two key members of their organization are locked up for the next several years, the Cardinals announced another move, this time releasing a player from their roster. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details, the team has parted ways with wide receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr., just one year into a three-year contract.

Ginn, 29, agreed to a three-year, $9.75MM contract with the Cardinals a year ago, coming off a season in which he was an all-purpose threat for the Panthers, accumulating 36 catches, 26 punt returns, 25 kickoff returns, and even four carries. In his first and only season in Arizona, Ginn didn’t have the same impact, outside of one 71-yard punt return touchdown back in September. For the season, Ginn posted a career-low 19.0 yards per return on kickoffs, and caught just 14 balls on offense.

By releasing Ginn, whose base salary for 2015 was non-guaranteed, Arizona creates $2.5MM in cap room, slicing Ginn’s cap number from $4MM to $1.5MM in dead money. The former first-round pick is immediately free to sign with another team, prior to next month’s free agent period.

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