Extra Points: Peterson, Jimbo, Mariota, Draft
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is not expected to face any further discipline when he comes off the commissioner’s exempt list, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. For Peterson, being clear of any more punishment was a key goal of today’s meeting with league officials in New York, per Rapoport. Peterson is eligible to be reinstated next Wednesday.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Appearing on Pro Football Talk Live, Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher told Mike Florio that he’s received interest from NFL teams in the past, allowing that he “would never say never” to a pro opportunity. With a NCAA title under his belt, and a history of developing quarterbacks, it’s unsurprising that NFL clubs would inquire as to Fisher’s availability.
- Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, having already worked out for the Titans privately, will meet with Tennessee again on Thursday, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Dolphins are assessing collegiate linebackers, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, going as far as to send linebackers coach Mark Duffner to spend private time with Clemson’s Stephon Anthony. Miami has also met with Georgia’s Ramik Wilson and Anthony’s teammate, Vic Beasley, and have had several conversations with Utah State’s Zach Vigil, a potential late-round pick, says Jackson.
- Purdue tight end Gabe Holmes, who has already drawn interest from the Cardinals and Raiders, will work out for the Dolphins on Friday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Searching for a replacement for Mike Iupati, the 49ers have scheduled an official visit for Utah guard Jeremiah Poutasi which will take place later this month, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Both the city and county of San Diego independently voted to pay the cost of hiring consultants with stadium experience as they look for a new home for the Chargers, according to David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
Let’s take a look at today’s minor moves:
- 49ers defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie has signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Jerod-Eddie was active for all 16 games last season — starting two — and posted 12 tackles. Maiocco adds that although fellow San Francisco ERFA Michael Wilhoite has not yet signed his contract, he is participating in the club’s offseason program.
- Rams running back Chase Reynolds has also signed his ERFA contract, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Reynolds didn’t log a single carry in 2014, but did contribute on special teams, where he played more than 60% of the snaps.
- The Buccaneers signed tackle Ben Gottschalk, per Wilson (Twitter link). The Southern Methodist product went undrafted in 2014 before spending a brief time on the Chiefs’ practice squad. He originally worked out for Tampa Bay last Thursday.
Contract Details: Sullivan, Morgan, Wilson
Here are the details on some recently-signed contracts, all courtesy of the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter:
- John Sullivan, C (Vikings): Extended through 2017. $1MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus, plus $500K escalator for 2017 with 90% playing time in 2015 and 2016 (Twitter links).
- Will Montgomery, C (Bears): One year, $950K base value. $120K guaranteed (link).
- Joe Morgan, WR (Saints): One year, $600K base value. $15K signing bonus (link).
- Josh Wilson, CB (Lions): One year, $950K base value. $200K guaranteed (link).
- Nick Bellore, LB (49ers): Two years, $1.69MM base value. $30K signing bonus. $505K available through incentives (link).
Draft Notes: Eagles, Fowler, 49ers, Parker
The Eagles have signed three cornerbacks within the last month, adding E.J. Biggers today to go along with Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond, but the team continues to consider options at the position with the draft approaching. As Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com outlines, the team hosted LSU cornerback Jalen Collins, a potential scheme fit, on a pre-draft visit today.
Here are a few more draft-related updates from around the NFL:
- Although he thinks he’ll probably end up in Jacksonville with the No. 3 overall pick, Dante Fowler Jr. is meeting with a couple NFC teams in the top 10, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who tweets that the Florida pass rusher will visit the Buccaneers and Falcons this weekend.
- The 49ers are meeting with Louisville receiver DeVante Parker, who is expected to be one of the first wideouts to come off the board, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- UTC pass rusher Davis Tull, a former wide receiver, has pre-draft visits lined up with the Saints and Falcons, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Over at The National Football Post, Aaron Wilson passes along updates on a pair of prospects, writing that Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian has visited the Broncos and is working out for the Bears, while Bowling Green linebacker Gabe Martin is visiting the Cowboys today.
- Per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), the Cowboys “love” Damarious Randall, and consider the Arizona State alum the best safety in this year’s draft class.
- Rutgers tight end Tyler Kroft has had individual workouts with the Eagles, Jaguars, and Buccaneers, and is scheduled to visit the Bears and Broncos this week, says Dan Duggan of NJ.com.
- The Patriots had a private workout with Northwestern State defensive tackle Deon Simon last week, a league source tells Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
NFC Notes: Staley, Draft, Cowboys, Lions
The 49ers converted Joe Staley‘s option bonus to a signing bonus, affecting his cap number for 2015, as CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (Twitter links) explains. Staley’s cap number has gone from $6.4MM to $7.6MM after his $6MM option bonus was converted. San Francisco, meanwhile, will get a salary cap credit of $1.2MM in 2016. The accounting move won’t result in a salary increase for the offensive tackle. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explicates the transaction.
Here’s more the NFC…
- The Buccaneers‘ private workout with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is set for tomorrow in Eugene, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
- The Cowboys have filled most their 30 allowed spots for draft visits, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who reports the following players have headed or will head to Valley Ranch in the coming days: running backs T.J. Yeldon, Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jay Ajayi, and Ameer Adbullah; defensive lineman Bud Dupree and Danielle Hunter; linebacker Benardrick McKinney; and defensive backs Josh Shaw and Damarious Randall.
- The Cowboys will also take a look at a defensive lineman tomorrow, as they’ll meet with UCLA DE Owa Odighizuma, per Rapoport (Twitter link), who adds that the former Bruin will also visit with the Saints. Odighizuma has already visited the Eagles.
- Dallas will be flush with prospects on Tuesday, as the Cowboys will also visit with both versatile Washington product Shaq Thompson and UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, according to Rapoport (Twitter link).
- Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com takes an overview of the Lions’ roster, noting that while linebacker is a deep position group, Detroit could afford to spend draft resources on the interior of both the offensive and defensive lines.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Broncos, Cowboys
Some notes from around the NFL:
- This offseason has been one to forget for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has spent time in rehab and seen his future in Cleveland come into question since his rookie year ended. The latest blow comes from one of the Browns’ most respected players, offensive tackle Joe Thomas. The eight-time Pro Bowler said that Manziel “lost a lot of trust last year by the way he handled himself,” according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
- With the hiring of Gary Kubiak as their head coach, the Broncos’ offense will feature a fullback for the first time since 2012, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “My thing is that to be really effective in the running game, you have to run the fullback,” said general manager John Elway, per Renck. “We will have people in the fullback position.” As of now, the leading candidates for the job are Juwan Thompson and Joe Don Duncan.
- The Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm profiled Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Sturm sees Rowe a potential fit for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft, possibly as early as the first round. The Cowboys hold the 27th overall pick.
- The Colts, Buccaneers, Packers and 49ers are the only four teams in the league with fewer than three quarterbacks, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. The Bucs are the sole member of the group without an established starter, which is likely to change in the draft. Tampa has the No. 1 overall pick, with which it could select either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. The other three squads are also candidates to draft QBs, albeit not in the first round.
West Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, 49ers, Cooper
We’ve already posted one set of items from the West, but there’s more news from the two divisions. Let’s dive in…
- The Chargers were somewhat active in free agency, re-signing cornerback Brandon Flowers and tackle King Dunlap while adding guard Orlando Franklin and receivers Stevie Johnson and Jacoby Jones. But San Diego general manager Tom Telesco doesn’t believe external additions are the best way to build a roster. “You can’t makeover your team in free agency,” Telesco told Chargers.com (video link). “That’s been proven not to work. Very few impact players actually get to free agency. They are either re-signed by the original club, or they’re franchise tagged. That all being said, you can add some complementary pieces here and there, and we were able to do that.”
- Stony Brook receiver Adrian Coxson has a visit with the Chiefs on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Coxson has also been invited to the local workout days hosted by the Giants and Jets.
- A report last week indicated that the 49ers would look to trade up in the draft to select Alabama receiver Amari Cooper, but Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com views that scenario as unlikely. San Francisco also wanted to move up to get Odell Beckham Jr. last year, but 49ers GM Trent Baalke thought the cost was too prohibitive. This year, with even more holes on the roster, Maiocco doesn’t think the club can afford to sacrifice a haul of draft picks to acquire one player.
NFC Notes: Huff, Mosley, Saints, Glennon, Long
Eagles receiver Josh Huff gives his opinion on a number of the team’s offseason moves to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Huff, who played for Chip Kelly at Oregon before coming to Philadelphia, has an interesting perspective on Kelly’s thoughts about each move.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- After losing Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley this offseason, it was expected that the Lions would attempt to re-sign defensive tackle C.J. Mosley. The team has not pursued him yet, and Kyle Meinke of MLive.com believes his suspension for marijuana possession the caused him to miss a game against the Falcons last season could be a reason why the team is hesitant to bring him back.
- The Saints are caught in between win-now and rebuilding mode after a disastrous 2014 season. They traded away their best receiving threat in Jimmy Graham, but still have franchise signal caller Drew Brees at the helm. They are the only team with five selections in the first three rounds, and have the ammo to rebuild quickly despite their cap troubles, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
- If the Buccaneers do select Jameis Winston with the first overall pick, quarterback Mike Glennon will become available for a trade, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. He writes if any team wants Glennon, he could be had as the team would just sign another veteran backup to replace him.
- The Rams have yet to pursue offensive tackle Jake Long in free agency, and Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com doesn’t see the Rams or any team actively trying sign Long at this point in the offseason. Wagoner cites his injury concerns as a reason teams would not be rushing to sign the former All-Pro tackle.
- The 49ers may have a pair of starting inside linebacker despite the retirements of Patrick Willis and Chris Borland, but NaVorro Bowman is coming off an injury and Michael Wilhoite is still relatively inexperienced. Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com believes that Lance Briggs could be an interesting option to add to their depth, as he would not command big money but is looking to continuing his NFL career.
49ers To Sign Nick Bellore
The 49ers signed linebacker Nick Bellore, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bellore spent last season with the Jets. Bellore is known for his special teams acumen, but the Jets moved on from Bellore recently when they inked Jamari Lattimore to a one-year deal. Bellore’s pact will be a two-year contract, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
Bellore, 25, has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Jets. Terms of this deal are not yet known. Bellore played for the $1.431MM restricted free agent tender with the Jets last season and it remains to be seen how his 2015 salary looks in comparison. In 2014, the linebacker tallied a total of 15 sacks. He has played in all 16 games of each season for the Jets, going back to 2011.
49ers Looking To Trade Up For Amari Cooper
The 49ers are looking to trade up from pick No. 15 to land Alabama star Amari Cooper, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link).
GM Trent Baalke has fallen in love with Cooper, particularly because he is polished, well-rounded, and seems ready to contribute almost immediately. Cooper can play any of the three receiver positions for the 49ers, which would give them a number of options in 2015. San Francisco has Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith in the fold, but Cooper could be the team’s offseason replacement for Michael Crabtree.
The 49ers, Miller says, have already started asking around about where Cooper is expected to land and they are trying to figure out what it would take to get in that range. In Miller’s view, the Niners would have to get up to No. 6 if he makes it past the Raiders at No. 4 because the Bears (No. 7) would love to pair Cooper with Alshon Jeffery in the wake of dealing Brandon Marshall.
Realistically, that would leave Washington (No. 5) and the Jets (No. 6) as possible trading partners for Baalke & Co. Even though it would cost them quite a bit, Miller notes that Baalke has historically shown that he knows how to manipulate a draft board and he has been willing to deal from a surplus of picks in the past to get the guy he wants.