Zach Miller (Nebraska-Omaha) - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Hawkins, Miller, Broncos

May 20th, 2017 at 9:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Released by the Browns in February, Andrew Hawkins has been busy in earning a master’s degree from Columbia and interning with LeBron James’ media company, Uninterrupted. But the 31-year-old wideout remains interested in a seventh NFL season, and other teams have reciprocated that. Hawkins visited the Patriots last week and told Jarrett Bell of USA Today four teams have submitted contract proposals since his departure from Cleveland. A UDFA out of Toledo who split his six-season career between the league’s Ohio teams, Hawkins told Bell he wants to play for a contender. The wideout’s best season came in 2014, when he caught 63 passes for 824 yards on the Brian Hoyer-led Browns team. Hawkins’ name surfaced with the Saints in March, but the team get too far in that effort.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

Former Packers exec Andrew Brandt described a practice being perpetrated by teams this year as “sinister” regarding language some have attempted to insert into rookie contracts. In a piece for TheMMQB.com, Brandt wrote that some franchises are attempting attach fines to possible future voids of guaranteed money. Brandt describes a scenario where a player is late for a meeting and it results in voided guarantees of millions, which would certainly stand to drive a wedge between players and teams if this tactic ends up costing a player money. The NFLPA sent a memo to agents urging them to reject certain types of contract proposals. This practice could well be included on the union’s red-flag list.
Zach Miller said his foot is close to 100 percent but that he will “take it slow” in Bears OTAs, the tight end said (Twitter link, via Mike Berman of NBC Chicago). Miller broke his foot and landed on IR last season. The tight end’s situation in Chicago became much more complicated after the Bears made offseason moves to add Dion Sims in free agency and draft Adam Shaheen in the second round. The Bears have reportedly dangled the contract-year pass-catcher in trade talks.
The Broncos will have one of the league’s most interesting position battles take place this summer when Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch vie for the starting quarterback job. The two bring disparate profiles to the competition, with Lynch being a first-round pick and Siemian coming out of nowhere as a 2015 seventh-rounder to seize the job last year. Siemian is the favorite in Denver7 reporter Troy Renck’s eyes (Twitter link). While Lynch not commandeering the job over Siemian given the investment would be interesting, Renck notes Siemian should have more leeway to audible in Mike McCoy‘s offense. Lynch has “made strides,” however, which should create a unique duel. Going into Denver’s offseason program, NFL.com’s James Palmer reported Siemian had the early edge. Vance Joseph subsequently described this as a 50-50 situation.

Bears Willing To Trade TE Zach Miller?

May 10th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears told rival clubs at the scouting combine earlier this year that if they selected a tight end in the draft, they could be willing to deal veteran tight end Zach Miller, Michael Lombardi reported on The Ringer NFL Show (SoundCloud link).

Chicago did indeed draft a tight end, picking up Ashland’s Adam Shaheen in the second round. Additionally, the Bears signed free agent tight end Dion Sims to a three-year, $18MM deal this offseason that included $6MM in guaranteed money. Other tight ends on Chicago’s roster include Daniel Brown, Ben Braunecker, and MyCole Pruitt.

Miller, 32, finished the 2016 campaign on injured reserve after suffering a broken foot in Week 11. In only 10 games, however, Miller had already surpassed his 2015 reception and yardage totals while scoring four touchdowns. In his two seasons with the Bears, Miller has averaged 52 catches for 592 yards and four touchdowns on a per 16-game rate.

Entering the final year of his contract, Miller is due a $1MM base salary in 2017. Any club that acquires Miller would be responsible for that figure, as well as $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. The Bears, meanwhile, would incur $500K in dead money if they trade Miller.

Bears TE Zach Miller Done For Season

November 20th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bears tight end Zach Miller broke his right foot in today’s game against the Giants and will miss the remainder of the season, head coach John Fox told reporters, including Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

Miller, 32, was a breakout performer during the 2015 season after spending three years out of the NFL, hauling in five touchdowns as Chicago’s second tight end. Following the trade of Martellus Bennett in the offseason, Miller became the Bears’ primary TE, and had followed up last year with another solid season. Through nine games, Miller had managed 44 receptions for 425 yards and three scores. Miller agreed to a two-year contract this spring, so he’s signed through the 2017 campaign, during which he’ll have a cap charge of $3MM.

With a record of 2-8, the Bears are going nowhere fast, but they could ill afford another loss on the offensive side of the ball after wide receiver Alshon Jeffery got hit with a four-game PED suspension last week. Chicago already has three other tight ends — Logan Paulsen, Ben Braunecker, and Daniel Brown — but each is more of a blocker/special teamer than a receiving threat.

Contract Details: Weddle, Sensabaugh, Hayward

March 15th, 2016 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are several of the latest contract details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless other indicated.

AFC:

Eric Weddle, S (Ravens): Four years, $26MM. $13MM guaranteed ($9MM fully guaranteed). $7MM signing bonus. $1MM roster bonus due on April 4. $4MM base salary guaranteed for injury at signing; becomes fully guaranteed if on the roster on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. $1MM annual Pro Bowl incentives from 2017 to 2019 (Twitter links).
Casey Hayward, CB (Chargers): Three years, $15.3MM. $6.8MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus. $3.3MM roster bonus due on March 18. $1MM roster bonuses due on third day of 2017, 2018 league years (Twitter links).
Chris Hogan, WR (Patriots): Three years, $12MM. $7.5MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus paid on March 14. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Mackenzy Bernadeau, OL (Jaguars): Two years, $3MM. $250K signing bonus. $250K option bonus to be exercised 22 days before first day of 2017 league year (Twitter links).

NFC:

Coty Sensabaugh, CB (Rams): Three years, up to $19MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 18. $1MM roster bonus due third day of 2017 league year (becomes fully guaranteed this Friday). $1.5MM annually incentives for playing time, fumble recoveries, interceptions, and playoffs (all Twitter links).
J’Marcus Webb, G/T (Seahawks): Two years, $6MM. $2.45MM guaranteed. $1.2MM signing bonus. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Zach Miller, TE (Bears): Two years, $5.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $500K roster bonus due on March 18. $500K in annual per-game roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in annual incentives for playing time, catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns (Twitter links).
Chris Conte, S (Buccaneers): One year, $3MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus due on March 17. Up to $1MM in incentives for playing time, stats, and playoffs (Twitter link).
Josh Robinson, CB (Buccaneers): One year, $2MM. $500K roster bonus due on March 18 (Twitter link).
Sealver Siliga, DT (Seahawks): One year, $1.05MM. $200K signing bonus. $50K Week 1 active roster bonus. Up to $350K in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Bradley Sowell, T (Seahawks): One year, $1MM. $200K signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
Dan Orlovsky, QB (Lions): One year, minimum salary benefit. $160K guaranteed. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).
Red Bryant, DL (Cardinals): One year, minimum salary benefit. $55K Week 1 roster bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Bears Re-Sign Zach Miller

March 14th, 2016 at 5:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears announced that they have re-signed tight end Zach Miller. Miller will return on a two-year deal. Miller’s deal with the Bears is worth $6MM with another $2MM available in incentives, a source told Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).

The Bears are looking to trade Martellus Bennett, so Miller could now take over as the Bears’ No. 1 tight end. Not to be confused for former Pro Bowler Zach Miller, who spent time with the Raiders and Seahawks, this Zach Miller had an improbable comeback to the NFL in 2015 after not having appeared in a game since the 2011 season due to various injuries. The former sixth-round pick, who came into the season having recorded 45 career receptions, set new career highs by grabbing 34 balls for 439 yards and five touchdowns in 2015.

Before signing with the Bears, Miller drew interest from the Rams. Los Angeles would have made a lot of sense for Miller, especially after the club released fellow tight Jared Cook earlier this month. Los Angeles still has Lance Kendricks on the roster, but the team doesn’t have a lot of other reliable receiving options, so Miller could have added another dynamic in the passing game. Alas, he’ll be staying put in Chicago and won’t be moving to L.A.

The 31-year-old Miller isn’t a great run-blocker, but his offensive ability gives him considerable value. Miller was said to be seeking $5MM annually, but he wound up settling for less on his new deal with the Bears. Miller was considered the best tight end remaining on the free agent market, as Antonio Gates, Coby Fleener, Allen, and Ladarius Green have all signed new contracts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

TE Zach Miller To Visit Rams

March 12th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran tight end Zach Miller hasn’t found a new home thus far in free agency, but he has now set up his first reported visit. Miller has scheduled a meeting with the Rams on Sunday, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Miller, who spent the 2015 season with the Bears, could still return to Chicago, as reports indicated that the two sides had resumed negotiations on Tuesday night — the club is looking to trade Martellus Bennett, so Miller, if re-signed, could take over as the Bears’ No. 1 tight end.. But the Rams would make a lot of sense for Miller, especially after the club released fellow tight Jared Cook earlier this month. Los Angeles still has Lance Kendricks on the roster, but the team doesn’t have a lot of other reliable receiving options, so Miller could add another dynamic in the passing game.

Not to be confused for former Pro Bowler Zach Miller, who spent time with the Raiders and Seahawks, this Zach Miller had an improbable comeback to the NFL in 2015 after not having appeared in a game since the 2011 season due to various injuries. The former sixth-round pick, who came into the season having recorded 45 career receptions, set new career highs by grabbing 34 balls for 439 yards and five touchdowns in 2015.

The 31-year-old Miller isn’t a great run-blocker, though, and neither is Kendricks, and with the Rams set up to field a run-based offense led by Todd Gurley, Los Angeles might look to find a tight end who could be an asset in that part of the game, especially given that its offensive line ranked in the bottom-third of the league in adjusted line yards in 2015. Cook, for all his faults, was a top-15 run-blocking tight end last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Earlier this offseason, Miller was said to be seeking $5MM annually, and while that figure may seem high, it could be a bit more palatable now that Dwayne Allen, for example, was able to score $7MM per year. Miller is the best tight end remaining on the free agent market, as Antonio Gates, Coby Fleener, Allen, and Ladarius Green have all signed new contracts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: McLeod, Vernon, Steelers, Sweezy

March 9th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

Safety Rodney McLeod is one of the top young safeties set to hit the market today, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that the Ravens are a “strong contender” for the Rams’ free-agent-to-be.

While the Ravens could use some help at free safety, since Kendrick Lewis didn’t prove in 2015 that he’s the long-term answer and Lardarius Webb doesn’t have much experience at safety. But the idea that Baltimore would make a play for someone like McLeod is surprising, since the team typically doesn’t foray too aggressively into free agency, and doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility.

As we wait to see if anything comes of the Ravens’ apparent interest in McLeod, let’s check in on a few other free agent rumors….

In an interesting piece for TheMMQB.com, defensive end Olivier Vernon, one of the top free agents available, acknowledges that he “probably” won’t be back with the Dolphins in 2016.
With Heath Miller having retired, the Steelers are exploring the tight end free agent market, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Coby Fleener, Ladarius Green, and Jared Cook are names worth monitoring for Pittsburgh.
Over a half-dozen teams remain in the mix for offensive lineman J.R. Sweezy, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that the Broncos are worth keeping an eye on.
Offensive tackle Bobby Massie has received interest from the Bears and Giants, but his market isn’t up to $8MM per year yet, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. A Monday report indicated that Massie could end up landing a deal in that range.
The Rams are intent on trying to re-sign defensive end William Hayes, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, Hayes has a “nice market,” but wouldn’t rule out a return to the Rams.
The Bears resumed negotiations on Tuesday with tight end Zach Miller, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Miller’s reported asking price of $5MM per year, which seemed outrageous a few weeks ago, doesn’t look quite as far-fetched after Dwayne Allen got $7MM+ annually from the Colts.

FA Rumors: Irvin, Forte, C. Long, Gipson, J. Howard

February 29th, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Armed with over $70MM in cap space and in need of defensive upgrades, the Jaguars have emerged as early contenders for soon-to-be free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Irvin, who has spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, is familiar with Jags head coach Gus Bradley – formerly the Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator. Bradley helped Irvin to a career-high eight sacks in the defender’s rookie year, 2012, before leaving for Jacksonville. Irvin has since added 14 more sacks over the last three years. When PFR’s Luke Adams previewed the Jaguars’ offseason three weeks ago, he listed Irvin as a logical fit for the Jags.

Here’s the latest on some other players looking for new contracts as free agency nears:

Thirty-year-old running back Matt Forte will have a difficult time eclipsing $3MM per annum on his next deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The five-time thousand-yard rusher racked up 1,287 total yards (898 rushing, 389 receiving) and seven touchdowns last season, and is poised to join his second franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in Chicago.
Free agent defensive end Chris Long is generating interest and will start visiting teams after his first child is born (due date Wednesday), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Long, 30, has 54.5 sacks in his first eight seasons, all of which were spent in St. Louis. The Rams released Long earlier this month after injuries limited his effectiveness the previous two years.
Safety Tashaun Gipson expects his Browns tenure to end after four years, per teammate Donte Whitner. “I don’t think he’s too hopeful he’s going to be back,” said Whitner (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). We learned over the weekend that Gipson could parlay his ball-hawking prowess (14 career interceptions) into a big contract.
Chiefs defensive lineman Jaye Howard is looking for $8MM to $9MM per year, Biggs reports. Howard, 27, set career highs in starts (14), tackles (57) and sacks (5.5) during the 2015-16 season, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him a solid 24th among 123 qualifying interior D-linemen.
The Dolphins could pursue Bears tight end Zach Miller in free agency, writes Biggs. Miller played under new Dolphins head coach Adam Gase when the latter was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last season and totaled career bests in all notable categories. If Chicago loses Miller, it could replace him with one of the Colts‘ free agent tight ends, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener, per Biggs.

NFC North Rumors: Packers, Z. Miller, Kalil

February 26th, 2016 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, word around this year’s scouting combine from agents and league personnel is that the Packers intend to go after more free agents than usual this offseason — especially veterans released by their previous teams, who won’t factor into the compensatory draft pick formula for next year.

“We’ll see how it shakes out,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. “We might shock you this year.”

Green Bay, a draft-and-develop franchise, typically plays it fairly safe in free agency, making small additions here and there but mostly focusing on locking up the team’s own free agents. While a series of big splashes this year seems unlikely, it sounds like the Packers may foray into the open market in order to fill a couple holes.

Here’s more from around the NFC North:

The Bears would like to re-sign veteran tight end Zach Miller, but will likely let him test the free agent market to get a better sense of what he’s worth, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details. “What happens at this stage in the game is you understand the reality that a lot of times these guys have to hit the open market to set their value,” GM Ryan Pace said. “We like Zach, I don’t want to go through every one of our unrestricted free agents, but he’s a guy we’d want back and we’re negotiating with him.”
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings want to keep offensive tackle Phil Loadholt in 2016, but would like to lower his cap number, which is currently $7.75MM. Per Wolfson, a meeting on the Loadholt front took place last night at the combine.
As the Vikings look to retain Loadholt, they’re “torn” on tackle Matt Kalil, according to Wolfson (via Twitter). A former fourth overall pick, Kalil hasn’t necessarily lived up to his billing so far and has an $11MM cap number for 2016. But he has also never missed a regular-season start in his four NFL seasons, so Minnesota would have a hole to fill if the team were to let him go.

Bears Expected To Retain Alshon Jeffery

February 24th, 2016 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Bears are expected to keep wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in the mix and off the open market, either by re-signing him to a long-term contract or using their franchise tag on him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

General manager Ryan Pace spoke to reporters today about Jeffery, indicating that the team is “aggressively” negotiating with the wideout now in an effort to lock him up to a new deal, per Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Pace, who said he gets the sense that Jeffery wants to remain in Chicago, said that using the franchise tag is on the table as a potential outcome.

A report last week suggested that the Bears were still undecided on whether or not to tag Jeffery, but it sounds as if the team is becoming more inclined to go that route, if no contract extension is agreed upon. March 1st is the deadline for clubs to use their franchise or transition tags, so Pace and the Bears figure to continue working on a multiyear deal up until that deadline.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. If he is franchised by the Bears, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016. He could still work out a longer-term agreement with the team by July 15th, or play the season on the one-year tag.

Pace also briefly mentioned another one of the team’s key offensive free-agents-to-be today, telling reporters that the Bears like tight end Zach Miller. However, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets that it sounds as if Miller will test free agency before considering signing a new deal with Chicago, in order to get a sense of his value on the open market. According to Cambell (via Twitter), it sounds like linebacker Shea McClellin will also reach the open market, but bother players could re-sign with the Bears if the price is right.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.