Buccaneers To Sign Connor Barth
7:37pm: It’s a two-year, $2.75MM deal for Barth, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
7:21pm: The Buccaneers are set to sign kicker Connor Barth, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Barth was released by Denver earlier today.
Barth, 29, was signed by the Broncos last November to replace Brandon McManus, who was struggling with his accuracy. However, McManus beat Barth out for the kicking job in Denver this season, even though Barth finished the 2014 campaign by nailing 15 of 16 field goals for Denver. Now, Barth will return to the Buccaneers in hopes of becoming their primary kicker.
Barth will vie with Pat Murray for the Bucs’ kicking job in 2015. Murray got his athletic start in Gaelic football, the national sport of Ireland, and transitioned smoothly to American football. Murray edged Barth for the kicking job in training camp last season and he’ll look to do the same in this year’s rematch. He connected on 20 field goals in 24 attempts in 2014 (83.3%).
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/15
Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:
- The Patriots cut cornerback Jimmy Jean, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The rookie was signed by the Pats as a rookie free agent out of Alabama-Birmingham on May 8, 2015. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder, played both safety and cornerback over two seasons at University of Alabama- Birmingham.
- The Buccaneers have signed punter Jacob Schum, waiving safety Derrick Wells in the corresponding roster move, the team announced today (via Twitter). Schum just became a free agent last week after being cut by the Jets.
- The Lions have signed former Arena League center Joe Madsen, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link). Madsen, who finished last season on Green Bay’s practice squad, has spent time with the Packers and Browns this year.
- The Seahawks have cut quarterback Jake Waters, leaving just three quarterbacks on their roster, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The move seems to suggest that the club isn’t too worried about Tarvaris Jackson‘s health. To fill Waters’ roster spot, the Seahawks signed wide receiver Deontay Greenberry.
Extra Points: McCoy, Rice, Bucs, Broncos
Could this finally be Rueben Randle‘s breakout year? The wide receiver has long been expected to emerge as a star in New York and the Giants have a feeling that 2015 could be his time to shine, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says. Randle is entering his contract year and a strong performance could lead him to a sizable payday in the offseason, whether it’s with the Giants or another squad. GM Jerry Reese also believes that the presence of Odell Beckham Jr. and the returning Victor Cruz will open things up for the 24-year-old. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Bills running back LeSean McCoy suffered a hamstring injury earlier today and the team ordered an MRI to determine the severity of it. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) now wonders if Ray Rice‘s best shot for a deal could be in Buffalo. Head coach Rex Ryan and Rice have a shared history thanks to their time together in Baltimore.
- Buccaneers coach Lovie Smith says the starting right tackle job is up for grabs, though he added that he wouldn’t have signed Gosder Cherilus if they didn’t expect him to help right away, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets. Tampa Bay signed the veteran to a lucrative two-year deal on Monday.
- Cherilus says he believes the Bucs would have drafted him if he lasted until pick No. 20 in 2008, Smith tweets. The offensive lineman wound up going 17th to the Lions instead.
- Last week, the Broncos claimed Spencer Lanning off waivers when the Buccaneers waived him and Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter) notes that the Broncos put in a claim back when the Browns cut him loose. This means that Lanning has been on the radar for Denver for quite a while and this could be an indication that he has momentum going into the team’s kicking competition.
Buccaneers Sign Gosder Cherilus
TUESDAY, 9:06am: The Buccaneers have officially confirmed the signing of Cherilus, announcing that they’ve cut FB/TE Evan Rodriguez to clear room on the roster (Twitter link). The details on Cherilus’ two-year deal can be found here.
MONDAY, 3:09pm: After hosting free agent offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus for a visit today, the Buccaneers have agreed to terms with him on a two-year contract, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). As Stroud adds (via Twitter), Cherilus is poised to replace injured right tackle Demar Dotson, who could be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a sprained MCL.
Cherilus, who was released by the Colts in late July, started 29 games for the club at right tackle over the past two seasons. However, after a solid first season in Indianapolis, the 31-year-old struggled last year. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Cherilus 70th out of 84 qualified tackles, and he graded particularly poorly as a pass blocker. According to PFF’s data, he allowed six quarterback sacks, another 42 hits or hurries.
Despite his down year, Cherilus appeared to draw plenty of interest when he became a free agent. The veteran tackle reportedly visited the Bills and Lions, and Stroud tweets that the Chiefs and Vikings had some interest in him as well. Per Stroud, the Colts were also interested in bringing back Cherilus at a reduced salary.
While the financial terms of Cherilus’ new two-year deal with the Bucs aren’t yet known, he’ll certainly make less than he would have in Indianapolis, had the Colts held onto him. The former first-round pick signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts back in 2013, and would’ve counted for $6.9MM against the team’s cap in 2015, including a $4MM base salary, if he hadn’t been released.
In Tampa Bay, Cherilus looks like the favorite to start the season at right tackle, though it’s not clear if he’ll continue to get regular playing time after Dotson returns from his MCL injury. Currently, second-round pick Donovan Smith is penciled in as the Bucs’ starter at left tackle, so his performance early in the season could determine whether or not there’s room on the line for Cherilus throughout the year.
Extra Points: Rivers, Hilton, Ngata, Cherilus
Over the weekend, the Chargers and quarterback Philip Rivers reached agreement on a lucrative four-year extension worth $84MM. Today, we learned the details of the contract.
Rivers will earn a $22.5MM signing bonus with $15MM fully guaranteed in 2015, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. He’ll have a $16.5MM injury-only guarantee in 2016 which converts to a full guarantee on the second day of the ’16 waiver period. In 2017, Rivers will earn $14MM with $11MM guaranteed for injury only that will convert to a full guarantee on the second day of the waiver period. In the final two years, he’ll make $10MM and $11MM, respectively, with a $5MM roster bonus in each of those seasons.
That’s big bucks for the Bolts QB, but as we learned earlier tonight, that kind of deal apparently isn’t good enough for Giants quarterback Eli Manning. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- T.Y. Hilton‘s deal with the Colts calls for him to earn base salaries of $1MM, $3MM, $8MM, $11MM, $13MM, and $14.54MM, Mike Chappell of the Indy Star tweets. Hilton’s new deal with Indianapolis could pay him $65MM in total with $39MM guaranteed.
- Contract talks between the Lions and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata are ongoing and positive, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Ngata, a five-time All Pro, indicated in March that he would be open to an extension, and Lions GM Martin Mayhew has said that team management is also interested in working out a long-term deal.
- Gosder Cherilus‘ deal with the Buccaneers is worth $7MM over two years, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The offensive lineman will earn $2.5MM this year and $4.5MM next year. Cherilus gets a $500K roster bonus in 2016 and his $2M base salary escalates to $3M if he plays 75 percent of the snaps in 2015, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
- Cardinals UDFA rookie linebacker Zack Wagenmann broke his foot again and will miss the entire 2015 season, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Bucs’ Akeem Spence Suspended One Game
Buccaneers defensive tackle Akeem Spence has been notified that he’s facing a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on substance of abuse, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’s not 100% clear, based on Rapoport’s tweet, if Spence can still appeal the penalty, but assuming he’s been notified of the suspension by the league, it sounds like the appeal process has already been completed.
Spence, 23, has been a regular contributor on the Buccaneers’ defensive line since being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft. In his two seasons with the club, he has started 19 of 32 contests, recording 68 overall tackles, four sacks, and three fumble recoveries. Spence, who remains on Tampa Bay’s PUP list, underwent back surgery earlier in the summer, and had already been expected to miss the first few weeks of the 2015 regular season.
When he does get healthy and is ready to return to the Bucs’ active roster, Spence will have to serve his one-game suspension as a result of a 2014 arrest on a marijuana charge. The incident, which took place way back in January of 2014, was the result of a traffic stop in Flomaton, Alabama.
Demar Dotson Sprains MCL
8:24pm: Dotson’s MCL sprain will keep him out of action for roughly six weeks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
3:19pm: Head coach Lovie Smith says Dotson will be out “for a period of time,” tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, while Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports (Twitter link) that the Bucs believe he will return at some point during the season.
8:44am: Buccaneers right tackle Demar Dotson suffered a sprained left MCL in last night’s preseason contest against the Vikings, according to Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Dotson will have an MRI today to determine the extent of the injury. Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports first tweeted that Dotson was believed to have sustained a sprained MCL.
Dotson has been a steady presence on the right side of Tampa Bay’s line, starting all but one of the team’s regular season games since 2012. Dotson has recorded a positive grade in each of the last three seasons according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), and he ranked 28th out of 84 qualified tackles last year. He even held down the left tackle spot for three games in 2014.
Dotson is under club control through 2016, but he was understandably seeking a new contract this summer, as he has considerably outperformed his current deal that carries an average annual value of $1.5MM (he is set to earn $2.5MM this year). Although Dotson and the Bucs were reportedly close to agreement on a new contract, the fact that Dotson skipped voluntary workouts in an effort to rework his deal complicated the matter, as Tampa Bay’s team policy prohibits the negotiation of contracts with players who are absent from workouts, whether those workouts are voluntary or mandatory. Even though Dotson ultimately reported to mandatory minicamp and changed agents, it does not appear that the dialogue picked up much steam.
Needless to say, a season-ending injury would be a major blow for the Bucs, who are trying to give Jameis Winston as many chances to succeed as possible. Patrick Omameh is listed as the backup right tackle on the team’s depth chart. Notable free agents still available include players like Jake Long and Tyson Clabo. We will pass along updates on the severity of Dotson’s injury when they become available.
Gosder Cherilus To Visit Buccaneers
Free agent offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus is expected to visit the Buccaneers on Monday, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
The Bucs are looking for help at right tackle in the wake of the sprained left MCL starter Demar Dotson suffered in last night’s preseason contest against the Vikings. Earlier Sunday, head coach Lovie Smith said Dotson will be out “for a period of time.”
Cherilus, who has visited with the Bills and Lions in recent weeks, is in search of work after the Colts released him in late July. The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts in 2013, and started 29 games for the club at right tackle over the past two seasons. However, after a solid first season in Indianapolis, he struggled last year. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Cherilus 70th out of 84 qualified tackles, and he graded particularly poorly as a pass blocker. According to PFF’s data, he allowed six quarterback sacks, another 42 hits or hurries.
Prior to his time with the Colts, Cherilus spent the first five years of his career with the Lions after they used a first-round pick on him in 2008. The former Boston College standout has appeared in 104 games and made 100 starts as a pro.
Sunday Roundup: Loadholdt, Dotson, Broncos
The Buccaneers and Vikings played each other on Saturday night, and both teams lost their starting right tackles. Minnesota’s Phil Loadholdt suffered a torn Achilles and is likely done for the season, while Tampa Bay’s Demar Dotson sprained his MCL and will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the sprain. Today’s Sunday Roundup begins with some fallout from those two injuries.
- Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times notes that the Buccaneers could shift Kevin Pamphile from left tackle to right tackle to replace Dotson, or they could promote Patrick Omameh. However, if Dotson has anything worse than a sprained MCL, Auman expects Tampa Bay to look outside the organization to fill the void (Twitter links).
- Former NFL agent Joel Corry tweets that the Vikings could be forced into a tough early decision on Loadholdt next season. As Corry notes, Loadholdt will be due a $500,000 bonus if he is on the roster on the third day of the league year (March 17, 2016), which may be too rich for a player who has suffered two major injuries in 10 months.
- Mark Craig of The Star Tribune tweets that the Vikings are not panicking over Loadholdt’s injury or scrambling for outside help, as the team has confidence in its young tackles.
- John Keim of ESPN.com breaks down Washington‘s potential options at tight end as it seeks to build depth behind Jordan Reed.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com observes (via Twitter) that the season-ending injury to Rams CB E.J. Gaines could open the door for someone like undrafted free agent Imoan Claiborne.
- Broncos WR Bennie Fowler, whom Denver signed as an undrafted free agent last year, might be a long-shot to make the roster, but as Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, Fowler’s impressive showing in training camp and in the first preseason game is giving the Broncos’ brass a lot to think about.
More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/15
Earlier in the day, we rounded up several of Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, but there have been a number of moves since then. Here’s the latest:
- The Broncos have claimed punter Spencer Lanning off waivers from the Buccaneers, increasing their roster to the maximum 90 players, tweets Mike Klis of 9News. For Lanning, who can also handle kickoffs, it’s the second time this offseason he has been claimed off waivers — the Bucs snatched him up in June after he was cut by Cleveland.
- Defensive tackle Casey Walker has rejoined the Patriots, the team with which he saw the most action last season, the club announced today in a press release. According to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), after being cut by the Ravens earlier this month, Walker visited the Pats and Rams and received interest from other clubs as well.
- Washington has swapped one linebacker for another, waiving Trevardo Williams and signing Sage Harold, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Williams, who’s dealing with a hamstring issue, will revert to the team’s injured reserve list if he clears waivers.
- The following players have been removed from their respective teams’ IR lists with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all Twitter links): WR Caleb Holley (Bills), DB Shamiel Gary (Dolphins), and LB Quinton Alston (Buccaneers).
- After being waived/injured by the Steelers earlier this week, running back Cameron Stingily is now on the team’s IR, tweets Wilson.