Chargers Re-Sign Rich Ohrnberger
The Chargers have officially re-signed offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger to a one-year contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). The guard/center had been an unrestricted free agent.
Ohrnberger, 28, has spent time with the Patriots, Cardinals, and Chargers since being selected by New England in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. Although he started one game for San Diego last season, Ohrnberger has primarily served as a depth piece for the interior offensive line. In 2013, he played 161 regular-season offensive snaps for the Chargers.
Ohrnberger was said to be drawing interest as a potential starting guard or center at the start of free agency, but he’ll likely return to a part-time role in San Diego. Prior to agreeing to sign with the Chargers, the Penn State product visited the Jets.
Chargers Cut Byron Jerideau
The Chargers have waived defensive tackle Byron Jerideau, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Jerideau, 24, signed with San Diego last May, but didn’t appear in a regular season game for the team, spending the year on injured reserve. The South Carolina product will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
AFC Notes: Titans, Ravens, Draft Visits
Titans edge defender Kamerion Wimbley agreed earlier this week to restructure his contract, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown of what Wimbley’s new deal looks like. However, as Fitzgerald details, Wimbley wasn’t the only Titan to rework his contract this week. Tight end Craig Stevens also has a new 2014 cap figure, reducing his overall base salary by $1.7MM in exchange for a $500K guarantee. While Stevens’ 2015 salary remains unchanged, his ’14 cap number is now only about $2.69MM.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Ravens haven’t had an above-average, long-term solution at right tackle for a number of years, and Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun believes the team would be wise to address the position with its first-round pick this year. That’s one of a handful of topics Preston addresses in his Ravens notebook, which also touches on the club’s recent tight end and running back signings.
- The Bills are eyeing a pair of offensive line prospects today, hosting Mississippi State’s Charles Siddoway for a pre-draft visit (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com) and having dinner tonight with Texas A&M’s Jake Matthews (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM).
- Having already met with the Steelers, Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard now has visits lined up with the Jets, Bengals, and Rams, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link).
- Another cornerback, Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller, also has a handful of visits scheduled with AFC teams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Fuller will meet with the Colts, Bengals, Raiders, Jets, Broncos, and Bears, says Wilson.
- The Chargers will work out Troy quarterback Deon Anthony on April 22, reports Wilson at the National Football Post.
- More from Wilson (via Twitter): The Patriots are working out Boise State’s Geraldo Boldewijn, Matt Paradis, and Charles Leno on Wednesday, while Virginia-Lynchburg cornerback Keith Lewis visited the Raiders and has a private workout lined up next week with the Chiefs (Twitter link).
Pauline’s Draft Notes: Latimer, Johnson, West
In this nugget-filled piece on draftinsider.net, NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline drops some knowledge on the latest workouts and visits from eligible prospects around the league. Here are a few of the notes PFR has yet to touch on:
- The Eagles hosted Indiana receiver Cody Latimer for an official visit today in addition to Brandon Coleman, Quron Pratt and Kelvin Benjamin.
- The Chargers and Saints will host New Mexico offensive lineman Darryl Johnson, whom Pauline describes as a practice squad developmental prospect who projects to guard in the NFL.
- Terrance West has already worked out for the Falcons and has made an official visit to see the Titans. At least 22 teams were represented at the Towson running back’s pro-day today.
- Georgia State offensive tackle John Ulrich has trips scheduled to visit the Falcons and Seahawks.
- Sources tell Pauline to expect the Seahawks to target offensive tackles in the upcoming draft.
- Pauline hears that the Buccaneers hope to draft at least one tackle and/or guard with starting potential.
- South Carolina edge rusher Chaz Sutton recently met with the Texans and Raiders.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Matthews, Mettenberger
As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review takes a look at five players the Steelers could draft in the first round. The list includes receivers Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, cornerbacks Darqueze Dennard and Justin Gilbert and defensive lineman Louis Nix. Robinson also brings up Pittsburgh defensive lineman Aaron Donald, but believes that the defender is not a good fit for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has the 15th pick in the first-round of this year’s draft.
Here are some more prospect notes…
- Johnny Manziel will begin meeting with the Jaguars tomorrow, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Manziel spent that last two days with the Raiders.
- Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews will visit with the Bills tomorrow, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR Sports Radio.
- While the team will meet with the quarterback, the Titans have no intention of working out Zach Mettenberger, according to Jim Wyatt of Tennessean (via Twitter).
- University of Tennessee offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James is scheduled to visit the Titans this week, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
- Running back De’Anthony Thomas will visit with the Bears, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
- Scouts for the Bills and Saints were at Terrance West‘s pro day, Wilson tweets. The Bengals also met with the Towson running back (via Twitter). West ran for 2295 yards last season.
- Center Bryan Stork will visit the Saints this week, according to Larry Holder of NOLA.com (via Twitter). The Florida State alumni won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center.
- Former Boise State defensive tackle Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe met with the Chargers, reports Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). According to Gehlken, the Amsterdam-native is relatively new to the sport.
- Eagles coach Bob Bicknell worked out Rutgers receivers Quron Pratt and Brandon Coleman, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- The Dolphins hosted offensive tackle Garrett Scott, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. The team has already added linemen Shelley Smith, Branden Albert and Jason Fox during free agency.
Draft Visits: Latimer, Tripp, Croyle, Gilbert
A few updates on draft visits (all links are courtesy of NFL.com’s Gil Brandt on Twitter):
- Indiana receiver Cody Latimer will visit seven teams over the next three weeks: the Bills, Eagles, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks, Chargers, and Panthers.
- Additionally, Lattimer will have a private dinner with Panthers receivers coach Ricky Proehl and director of college scouting Don Gregory on April 8, and undergo a class-room exercise on April 9.
- Two Montana linebackers have scheduled visits — Jordan Tripp will meet with the Eagles on Monday and the Falcons later in the week, and Brock Croyle will visit with the Chargers and the Seahawks.
- Southern Methodist University quarterback Garrett Gilbert will work out for the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers.
Extra Points: Roby, Knott, Freeman, Jones
In this thorough write-up, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken looks at Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby‘s upcoming visit with the Chargers, scheduled for later this month. Roby’s collegiate career featured a plethora of ups and downs, the majority of a non-positive nature.
“I think I had obvious shortcomings, on and off the field,” Roby told Gehlken in a phone interview. “It’s not about what happens to you. It’s all about how you respond and if you really learned. If you don’t learn, then it’s going to keep happening over and over again. I believe in karma. I believe in learning from mistakes; that’s what they’re there for.”
Roby is projected by some experts as a first-round pick. The Chargers own the No. 25 overall pick and last selected a defensive back in the first round in 2008, when they drafted Arizona’s Antoine Cason 27th overall.
Other news and notes from Friday night…
- Eagles linebacker Jake Knott has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2014 season, the team announced today. Knott violated the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances and is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. “We’re very disappointed to learn of his suspension,” the team said in a statement. “We have spoken to Jake and he is fully aware of the mistake he made and owned it. The key for him, however, is to learn from that mistake and move forward with his preparation for the 2014 season.”
- Receiver James Jones moved on from the Packers earlier this offseason, signing a three-year, $11.3MM deal with the Raiders. Another former Packers receiver, Antonio Freeman, shared his thoughts with Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, saying he wasn’t surprised with the move: “This game is about dollars and cents,” Freeman said. “It’s about cap value. That’s what these decisions come down to. It doesn’t come down to if James was a nice guy or a great locker room guy. He was a great guy. I met him a few times. I’ve heard great things about him. But it doesn’t come down to how nice of a guy you are. This is a business. This is Wall Street. This is Saks Fifth Avenue.”
Draft Notes: Savage, Lions, Bills, Falcons
With the 2014 NFL draft now just five weeks away, you can expect at least one round of draft updates per day from us, and often it’ll be more. Here’s Thursday’s afternoon updates on a few prospects and the NFL teams that are eyeing them:
- The stock of Pittsburgh quarterback Tom Savage is on the rise, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, who says Savage has had workouts with nine NFL teams so far and has another seven scheduled for this month (Twitter links).
- Martavis Bryant certainly isn’t the biggest name among the Clemson receivers in this year’s draft class, but he seems to be drawing some interest from the Lions, who hosted him for a pre-draft visit today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
- The Bills announced two more pre-draft visits today, revealing that Clemson defensive back Bashaud Breeland and Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell were in town on Thursday.
- Speaking of Breeland, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link) hears that the Falcons are high on the Clemson DB. Pauline adds that the team is at Liberty University today, working out cornerbacks Walt Aikens and Kevin Fogg.
- Kansas State safety Ty Zimmerman recently met with Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Danna, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- Middle Tennessee State defensive tackle Jimmy Staten will visit the Chargers next week, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
- The cousin of Cardinals running back Andre Ellington, South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, has a pre-draft visit scheduled with the Cards, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
Extra Points: Manning, Draft, Bush, Carr
Some assorted notes to close out the evening:
- The Bengals will meet with safety Danieal Manning on Tuesday and Wednesday, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston. Manning was released by the Texans earlier today.
- NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock has updated his position rankings for draft prospects, and the most notable change is his moving Johnny Manziel up to the No. 1 quarterback slot, followed by Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater. One wonders if this might be an overreaction to a good Pro Day (Manziel) versus a poor one (Bridgewater).
- Running back Michael Bush will visit with the Patriots, who recently lost LeGarrette Blount to the Steelers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- On a related note, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com wonders if the Patriots let Blount get away too easily, citing both his low cost and the fact that Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are in the last year of their respective contracts.
- Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr says his private workout with the Browns “went exactly how [he] wanted it to,” writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. Grossi also tweets that Carr dined with the Browns general manager Ray Farmer and the Cleveland offensive staff on Sunday night. Carr could be an option for the Browns at pick No. 26.
- Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby told Sirius XM NFL that he has visits set up with the Chargers, Steelers, Titans, Bills, and Jets, as well as three additional teams (Twitter link).
AFC Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Zuttah, Titans
DeSean Jackson‘s release was the latest reminder that trades are tricky to work out in the NFL, even when it’s simply a matter of trying to swap a player for a draft pick. Player-for-player deals are even more difficult to finalize, but Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) has five suggestions for trades he thinks would benefit both sides, and four of them don’t include any picks. Among Yates’ suggestions: Ryan Mathews from the Chargers to the Titans for offensive tackle Michael Roos, and defensive lineman Jared Odrick from the Dolphins to the Patriots for offensive lineman Marcus Cannon.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- While it won’t have a real effect on teams’ cap situations for 2014, about $105MM in leaguewide deferred payments on bonus money are due today and tomorrow, tweets Brian McIntyre. As Yates writes in another ESPN.com piece, the Patriots are among the teams with a handful of payments owed, including $2.5MM each to offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer and cornerback Kyle Arrington.
- Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he plans to speak to Dan Marino about a possible job within the organization, though he’s not sure yet what sort of role it would be, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- When the Ravens acquired Jeremy Zuttah in a trade last week, the team also worked out a five-year extension with the veteran center. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun now has the details on Zuttah’s new contract, tweeting that it’s worth $18MM with $6.5MM guaranteed. That includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, a $1MM guaranteed 2014 base salary, and $2MM of his $3MM 2015 base salary in guaranteed money. Wilson adds in a second tweet that the deal also includes playing-time and Pro Bowl escalators, and provides the full breakdown of annual base salaries and cap figures in two final tweets.
- The base salaries on Shaun Phillips‘ two-year deal with the Titans are $1.5MM (2014) and $2.55MM (2015), tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Titans are hosting several players for pre-draft visits today, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (all Twitter links). According to Wyatt, the players visiting the Titans include tight end A.C. Leonard, offensive linemen Kadeem Edwards and Demetrius Rhaney, and defensive back David Van Dyke of Tennessee State, as well as former Vanderbilt kicker Carey Spear, cornerback Andre Hal, and safety Kenny Ladler.
- Nearly three weeks after the free agent period began, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com resets the Browns’ roster, examining which positions still might be areas of need.