AFC Notes: CJ2K, Steelers, Yates, Titans
New Jets running back Chris Johnson is now five years removed from a 2009 season in which he eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards with the Titans. He’ll turn 29 this fall, and is coming off a knee injury, but Johnson still believes he has enough left in the tank to make another run at that mark, as he tells Seth Walder of the New York Daily News.
“I’d just retire and not play anymore if I didn’t feel like I was still capable of being a 2,000-yard back,” Johnson said. “I know I have the ability.”
Another run at 2,000 yards may be aiming a little high for the former Titan, but the fact that Johnson feels as if he hasn’t lost a step should be encouraging for Jets fans hoping he’ll make an impact this season. Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Steelers have swapped one undrafted free agent for another, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed running back Jordan Hall and waived cornerback Deion Belue. Belue signed with the Dolphins as a rookie free agent last month, then was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh after being cut by Miami.
- Although the Ravens have been “monitoring” T.J. Yates‘ situation for some time, there’s no guarantee that Baltimore will pursue the quarterback now that he’s been cut by the Texans, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Of the two linebackers who worked out for the Titans earlier this week, Quentin Groves is viewed as a better fit than Marvin Mitchell, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Wide receiver Greg Little, who joined the Raiders after being cut by the Browns, was surprised that Cleveland waived him, since he had a “tremendous relationship” with the new coaches, he tells Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle. Of course, as Little acknowledges, the decision ultimately wasn’t in the hands of the coaching staff (Twitter links).
AFC Notes: Titans, Vick, Ravens, Chiefs, Bills
According to recent reports, the Broncos may or may not have offered Demaryius Thomas a five-year contract extension, but there’s no doubt that discussions are open between the two sides, prompting Joel Corry of the National Football Post to examine what a new deal for the star wideout might look like. Corry points out that matching the massive contracts signed by Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald probably isn’t likely for Thomas and other standout receivers approaching free agency. But as I suggested last week, the five-year, $60MM+ deals signed by Mike Wallace and Percy Harvin in recent years could be used as benchmarks in negotiations between Thomas and the Broncos.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Titans worked out a pair of linebackers, Quentin Groves and Marvin Mitchell, on Monday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Neither player received a contract from the club right away, however. Per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter), the Titans are also auditioning WR/FB Dorin Dickerson this week at their minicamp.
- Michael Vick is on a one-year contract with the Jets, but the signal-caller feels like he has about three years left at his “current level,” as he tells Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post (Twitter link). Although the “current level” qualifier makes it unclear whether Vick plans to continue his playing career beyond that point, it sounds like he hopes to play for at least a couple more seasons after his current deal expires.
- Asked today about a potential contract extension with Baltimore, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata told reporters that he’d “love to be a Raven for life” (Twitter link).
- We heard yesterday that several veteran cornerbacks would be trying out for the Ravens at their minicamp this week, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds one more name to the list of participants today: Kevin Thomas, a Colts third-round pick in 2010 who hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2011. Wilson adds in a pair of tweets that cornerback Bobby Felder, linebacker Austin Spitler and wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe are also trying out for the Ravens.
- Former Missouri defensive back Kip Edwards was one of four non-roster players to audition for the Chiefs at the club’s minicamp today, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) provides the other three names: Cornerback Quinton Byrd, and wide receivers Mark Harrison and Cole Stanford.
- In a series of three tweets, Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 AM and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com report that wide receiver Tori Gurley, cornerback Kamaal McIlwain, and cornerback Sam Miller are auditioning for the Bills at their minicamp.
Titans Sign Second-Rounder Bishop Sankey
The Titans have locked up their second round pick, agent Jason Bernstein announced today, tweeting that running back Bishop Sankey has signed his rookie contract with the club (hat tip to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan). The deal will keep Sankey under contract through the 2017 season.
The 54th overall pick, Sankey was the first running back off the board in last month’s draft, and was the Titans’ second pick after offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who remains unsigned. As I detailed earlier this afternoon, Sankey and Lewan were two of just 13 picks who had yet to put pen to paper, so the running back’s agreement means we’re down to just 12 unsigned draftees now.
According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Sankey’s signing bonus will be worth about $1.115MM, while the overall value of his four-year pact amounts to around $3.843MM.
13 Draftees Still Unsigned
While a couple dozen mandatory offseason minicamps around the NFL are getting underway today, we’re still several weeks away from players reporting for training camps. That means there’s still plenty of time for members of 2014’s draft class to sign contracts with their respective teams. Still, for the most part, this year’s draftees won’t need to take those next few weeks to negotiate their deals.
After the Browns announced their agreement with Johnny Manziel and the Texans signed Xavier Su’a-Filo today, nearly 95% (243 of 256) of this year’s draft picks have been locked up by their new NFL clubs. 24 of 32 teams have totally locked up their draft classes, including the 49ers, who selected a league-high 12 players last month.
Since the new Collective Bargaining Agreement made rookie contracts so standardized, there’s little wiggle room for teams and players to push for better deals, and essentially no reason for players to hold out. Among the remaining unsigned players, five are first-round picks, six are second-rounders, and the last two are third-rounders, so in many cases the holdup can likely be attributed to haggling over offsets, guaranteed money, or the way in which that money gets paid. But as soon as a player was drafted, he essentially knew what his rookie contract would look like, based on his draft slot.
With the help of our tracker, here’s the full list of the remaining 13 unsigned draftees:
- Blake Bortles, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars (1.3)
- Justin Gilbert, CB, Cleveland Browns (1.8)
- Taylor Lewan, OT, Tennessee Titans (1.11)
- Ja’Wuan James, OT, Miami Dolphins (1.19)
- Dominique Easley, DT, New England Patriots (1.29)
- Demarcus Lawrence, DE/OLB, Dallas Cowboys (2.34)
- Joel Bitonio, OT, Cleveland Browns (2.35)
- Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.39)
- Stephon Tuitt, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers (2.46)
- Bishop Sankey, RB, Tennessee Titans (2.54)
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (2.61)
- Billy Turner, OT, Miami Dolphins (3.67)
- Dexter McDougle, CB, New York Jets (3.80)
Titans To Sign Derek Hagan
The Titans have agreed to terms with veteran wideout Derek Hagan, the team announced today (via Twitter). Another receiver, Lamont Bryant, was cut to clear room on the roster for Hagan.
Hagan, 29, has bounced around the league, playing for several teams since being drafted by Miami in the third round in 2006. In 83 career regular-season contests for the Dolphins, Giants, Bills, and Raiders, the Arizona State product has grabbed 129 balls for 1,480 yards and six touchdowns.
Hagan sat out the 2013 season after being released by Tampa Bay in training camp, but indicated back in April (Twitter link) that he hoped to return to the NFL for the ’14 campaign. He figures to compete for a spot on Tennessee’s 53-man roster this summer.
Minor Moves: Texans, Chargers, Pats, Titans, Falcons
Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any new moves added to the top of the page throughout the evening:
- The Texans have signed offensive tackle Will Yeatman to a two-year deal, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Yeatman is a converted tight end who has spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins; he’ll compete for a backup position in Houston.
- The Chargers added a little camp depth to their secondary today by signing former Texas safety Adrian Phillips to a contract, the team announced in a press release. Running back D.J. Adams was waived by San Diego to create an opening on the team’s roster.
- The Patriots have cut tight end Kyle Auffray, according to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter). The New Hampshire alum, who also has experience at quarterback and punter, only lasted a week on New England’s roster after signing with the club last Monday.
- Linebacker James Gayle, who was cut by the Titans on Friday, has been added to the team’s injured reserve list after clearing waivers, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Gayle is recovering from shoulder surgery.
- Another more notable name also hit injured reserve today: The Falcons placed linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on their IR list, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Brandon Flowers Rumors: Monday
The Chiefs‘ release of Brandon Flowers on Friday injected some life into a free agent market that has been lacking real impact players for the last few weeks. While Flowers wasn’t at his best in 2013, he’s a 28-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback free to sign with any team, so there will certainly be plenty of clubs with interest. We’ll round up Monday’s rumors on Flowers right here, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings‘ call on Flowers was just a preliminary check-in and that there’s nothing serious brewing at this point.
- The 49ers aren’t one of the 10 teams that reached out to Flowers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Earlier updates:
- The Lions are “seriously considering” making a run at Flowers, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Vikings, Lions, and Falcons made inquiries on Flowers shortly after the Chiefs cut him, according to Chiefs Insider at Scout.com (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (Twitter link) later confirmed that the Vikes had made a call on the veteran corner.
- Add the Ravens to the list of teams that have reached out to Flowers so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, ten clubs have called on Flowers, so there are a handful of unknown teams in the mix. Still, talks remain in the preliminary stage, per Wilson’s source.
- The Titans are doing their homework on Flowers, but don’t expect him to land in Tennessee, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, pointing out that the ex-Chief doesn’t seem like an ideal fit in the Titans’ system (Twitter links).
- The Redskins don’t have interest in Flowers, a source tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link).
AFC Notes: Worilds, Gilbert, Bray, Pats
Linebacker Jason Worilds turned down an extension offer from the Steelers, reports Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The proposal, which was made to Worilds “a while ago,” is apparently the Steelers’ final offer. Worilds has no plans to accept the deal, however, and will likely play out the 2014 season under the franchise tag, which will pay him $9.754MM.
- Within the same piece, Bouchette writes that Steelers didn’t fret over losing cornerback Keenan Lewis after 2012 because they believed Cortez Allen was the better player. Now that Allen has yet to be offered an extension, Bouchette wonders if their evaluation of the 25-year-old defensive back has changed.
- Browns rookie Justin Gilbert, the ninth overall pick in last month’s draft, is optimistic that he will flourish in Cleveland’s new defensive scheme (per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). “If you don’t have confidence playing press man in the NFL, I’m sure you’re going to get beat a lot,” said Gilbert. “So you’ve got to have a lot of confidence. … Confidence is where it’s at, and I have all the confidence in the world.”
- Second-year quarterback Tyler Bray feels much more comfortable in the Chiefs’ West Coast offense, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Bray’s development could be instrumental in Kansas City, as Alex Smith‘s contract expires after 2014.
- Brandon Gilman, who played along the defensive line in college, made the transition to outside linebacker with the Ravens last season, and is now moving inside with the Titans, according to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times.
- Young players often make the biggest leap in productivity between their first and second seasons in the league, and with that in mind, Chistopher Price of WEEI lists Jamie Collins and Aaron Dobson among several Patriots who could improve in 2014.
Rodney Thomas Passes Away
Former Oilers/Titans and Falcons running back Rodney Thomas passed away yesterday at the age of 41, reports the Bryan-College Station Eagle. Thomas was a collegiate standout at Texas A&M, racking up over 3,000 yards and 41 touchdowns over his four-year career as an Aggie before being selected by the Oilers in the third round of the 1995 draft.
Thomas led the Oilers with 947 rushing yards as a rookie in 1995, but he was relegated to a reserve role when the team drafted Eddie George the following season. Thomas primarily served as a backup for the remainder of his career, though he did participate in Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans. He signed a free agent contract with the Falcons in 2001, accumulating 126 yards on 37 carries that season. Atlanta waived him prior to the 2002 season, and he subsequently retired from the game.
The cause of Thomas’ death was not immediately known and an autopsy will be performed. Our condolences go out to Thomas’ friends and family.
AFC South Notes: Jones, Luck, Clowney
For Colts defensive lineman Arthur Jones, who signed a five-year, $33MM deal with the team after four years in Baltimore, versatility is the name of the game.
“It really doesn’t matter where I line up,” Jones said, according to Mike Chappell of The Indianapolis Star. “I’m here to help win games, help win championships. I come in as a humble servant. I mean that.”
Jones started 20 of his 46 games played with the Ravens, totaling 8 1/2 sacks in his most recent two seasons. He’ll be asked to stuff the run on early downs and rush the passer on favorable down-and-distance situations. An unselfish man on and off the field, Indianapolis is hoping Jones’ steady play and demeanor rubs off on his defensive counterparts.
More news and notes from the AFC North below…
- The signing of safety Mike Adams creates real intrigue in the Colts‘ defensive backfield, writes Stephen Holder of The Indy Star.
- Losing 43-22 to New England in the AFC divisional playoffs is motivating Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells reports.
- Sooner is better than later in the case of surgery for Texans‘ defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, ESPN.com’s Tania Ganguli writes. Clowney should be back in time for training camp, where the reps are far more significant than those in padless mandatory minicamps.
- The lack of mental mistakes made by Titans defenders in minicamp practices was referred to as amazing by new defensive coordinator Ray Horton, ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky reports.
- Jaguars‘ cornerback Dwayne Gratz has been quiet at OTAs this offseason, writes Bruce Lipsky of Jacksonville.com. Lipsky notes that this is a good thing, because in the past Gratz has been noticeable at team’s practices for his inability to cover receivers. Gratz has been better this offseason, and recently made some positive noise during 11-on-11 drills on Thursday.
- Entering the second season with general manager Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley at the helm, the Jaguars are still searching for their face of the franchise, according to ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco.