Extra Points: Johnson, Mack, Carroll, Clowney
This probably wasn’t what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had when he built AT&T Stadium. Jones was in attendance for tonight’s first Final Four game between UConn and Florida and was showered with boos in his own house when he was put on the 72×160 feet big screen, writes Chris Chase of USA Today. For Jones to get cheers in North Texas once again, the Cowboys will have to do better than 8-8 in 2014. Here’s tonight’s look around the NFL..
- Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk ran down the potential suitors for free agent running back Chris Johnson. Wilkening rightfully notes that the Jets are in need of a playmaker on offense while the Colts know the former Titans tailback well and are willing to spend for veteran talent. The Giants could also be in the mix since they got little out of their tailbacks last season.
- What direction will the Titans go in after moving on from the face of their franchise? Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looks at life after CJ2K in Tennessee.
- The feeling one year ago was that Browns center Alex Mack wanted a short-term contract so that he could go through free agency for a second time in his prime, tweets Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland.
- Pete Carroll‘s new deal with the Seahawks ensures that he’ll continue to lead in Seattle with his unusual tactics, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times. Carroll agreed to a new three-year extension with the defending champs earlier this week.
- Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle wonders if Jadeveon Clowney is the next Lawrence Taylor, the next Mario Williams, or a monumental bust waiting to happen.
- The staff at CSNChicago.com profiled Stanford tailback Tyler Gaffney and looked at how he could possibly fit with the Bears. Gaffney figures to be a fourth or fifth round selection.
AFC Notes: Mack, Burleson, Draft
The Jaguars have met with free agent center Alex Mack, reports BigCatCountry.com (via Twitter). Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 confirms that Mack has already visited with the team (via Twitter).
Mack received the transition tag from the Browns earlier this offseason, which gives the Browns the right to match any offer.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC:
- The Browns have hosted former Lion Nate Burleson, according Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Burleson, 32, had 191 catches between 2009 and 2011, but struggled to stay on the field the past two seasons.
- The Titans brought in West Virginia running back Charles Sims for a visit, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). With uncertainty at the position without Chris Johnson, the team is looking for long-term answers at the position.
- Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle was taking Raiders questions on Twitter, and discussed if the recent signings of Jacoby Ford and DeSean Jackson would push the team to choose Clemson’s Sammy Watkins with the fifth pick in the draft. Tafur believes that Watkins and Kalil Mack of Buffalo are both in play for the Raiders.
Rams Not Interested In Chris Johnson
Since Chris Johnson‘s release from the Titans earlier this week, there has been some speculation that among his potential suitors he may find a home with his former coach Jeff Fisher and the Rams.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch writes that a reunion between Fisher and Jackson is unlikely, as the organization and the coaching staff have expressed little interest in bringing in the former Pro Bowl running back.
The Rams are happy with current running back Zac Stacy, who had an impressive rookie year, tallying 973 yards in 14 games. While Johnson could supplement that production, he was scheduled to make $8MM with the Titans this year. Thomas writes that if Johnson can get even half that in the open market, then the Rams would not be able to afford him as a second back.
Even still, Fisher has a history of bringing in his former Titans, with Cortland Finnegan, Jared Cook, Will Witherspoon, and William Hayes. Most recently, the Rams brought troubled wide receiver Kenny Britt into the fold. If the price tag comes down closer to the veteran’s minimum, it is not impossible for the Rams to jump back into the mix.
AFC Pre-Draft Visits: Bills, Patriots, Titans
The Bills are hosting a few pre-draft visits today, writes Chris Brown of BufalloBills.com. North Carolina’s star tight end Eric Ebron could be in play for the team in the first round. The Bills are also meeting with defensive end Scott Crichton of Oregon State and LSU’s bruising running back Jeremy Hill. Brown writes that Crichton is projected as a second-round pick and Hill as a mid-round selection.
Here are some other players visiting with AFC teams:
- The Patriots are bringing in Boston College quarterback Chase Rettig for their local pro day, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. The team already hosted the top quarterback talents, who they are unlikely to draft, but Retig would more likely be a late-round pick. Retig will be able to workout with the team, because he is part of a local visit.
- Another late-round quarterback, Brock Jensen of North Dakota State, has visits scheduled with both the Browns and the Bengals, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
- The Steelers will be hosting visits from Minnesota safety Brock Vereen, and South Carolina wide receiver Bruce Ellington, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Wilson also reports that Titans hosted Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and Colorado State linebacker Shaquil Barrett. Jernigan is expected to be a first-round pick.
- Wide receiver Eric Thomas of Troy University has a visit with the Colts, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
Titans Notes: RBs, Johnson, Wimbley, WRs
Appearing on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today, GM Ruston Webster discussed the release of longtime Titan Chris Johnson and his team’s next move(s). Here are a few of the highlights, as tweeted by The Midday 180:
- The Titans will “definitely” be looking to select a running back in next month’s draft, according to Webster. The GM praised the position’s depth, suggesting that he’s confident the club could find the sort of player it will be seeking in the late rounds, if need be.
- “There was definitely a trade market for Chris Johnson and at times, I thought we would get it done,” Webster said.
- Asked about a report indicating the team has asked Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, Webster said the team hasn’t put a deadline on those talks, and is optimistic about bringing the defensive end back for next season.
- Webster expects the Titans to add another wide receiver to compete with Marc Mariani and Michael Preston.
Titans Release Chris Johnson
11:32am: The Titans have officially informed Johnson of his release, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
8:54am: ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) has confirmed what was widely expected: The Titans will cut Chris Johnson today. As we noted earlier this morning, the veteran running back is in Tennessee today and his situation was expected to be resolved in the form of a release rather than a trade.
With $4MM in prorated bonus money remaining on Johnson’s deal, the club will carry that amount in dead money in 2014, unless the 28-year-old is designated as a post-June 1 cut. Even without that June 1 designation, the Titans will create $6MM in 2014 cap savings by clearing Johnson’s exorbitant base salary from their books.
Johnson, who has only missed one game in his six NFL seasons, has compiled at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of those seasons. In 2013, he posted 1,077 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns despite reportedly playing through a torn meniscus. Still, those yards were hard to come by — he graded out as the league’s 42nd-best running back out of 55 qualified players last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Dallas has been mentioned as a potential destination for Johnson, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reiterates (via Twitter) that the Jets are also likely to be a primary suitor for the longtime Titan when his release is made official. New York pursued veteran backs like Donald Brown and Maurice Jones-Drew earlier in the free agent period, but came up empty in both instances. Johnson’s asking price may exceed what players like Brown and MJD were seeking, but CJ2K’s upside is arguably higher as well.
So far this offseason, backs have been hard-pressed to sign deals worth more than $3.5MM per year, so it’ll be interesting to see how Johnson does, especially since he’s coming off surgery to repair that meniscus and is hitting the market a few weeks late. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested earlier today that a contract which pays Johnson $8MM in year one, with an average annual value of $6MM, seems reasonable. But even that kind of offer may not be easy to find, considering how many teams have already addressed their backfields this offseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Notes: Titans, Wimbley, McClain
Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had high praise for quarterbacks Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst, but suggested that their presence wouldn’t stop the team from considering signal-callers in this year’s draft, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
“You always have to be prepared because you never know what can happen. If there is an opportunity in this draft where you have a guy you think is really good, then you have to look at it,” Whisenhunt said. “But more importantly you have to look at two or three years down the road. It is about finding out about these guys. And then, if you don’t have them on your team, you know about them. And if something happens down the road you’ll have an important piece.”
Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger are among the young QBs who have drawn some interest from Tennessee leading up to the draft. Here’s more on the Titans and a few other AFC clubs:
- The Titans have asked defensive end Kamerion Wimbley to take a pay cut, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). The Tennessean scribe has suggested for much of the offseason that Wimbley would be a fit for the team’s new defense, but not at his current $6MM base salary (and $7.8MM cap number). If the veteran isn’t interested in accepting a pay cut, the team may release him, tweets Wyatt.
- Two AFC East teams, the Bills and Jets, will host LSU receiver Odell Beckham for pre-draft visits next week, tweets Gil Brandt of NFL.com.
- Speaking to Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times, former Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain says he’s preparing as if he’s going to return to the NFL in 2014.
Chris Johnson Resolution Expected Today
Earlier this week, agent Joel Segal suggested he thought Chris Johnson‘s time with the Titans was over, but didn’t know exactly when that would become official. It looks like Segal may have his answer. The running back himself tweeted last night that he’s en route to Tennessee for a Friday meeting with the team, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports that the expectations is Johnson will take a physical before being released.
The Titans have been expected to part ways with Johnson for some time, but recent reports of trade interest created optimism that the 28-year-old could be moved rather than cut. As I pointed out yesterday, however, once those reports start to suggest that Johnson will be released if no trade partner is found, it becomes pretty tricky to extract anything of value for him in a deal.
If and when Johnson hits the free agent market, he’ll provide an interesting case for the value of running backs — so far this offseason, backs have been hard-pressed to sign deals worth more than $3.5MM per year. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that a contract which pays Johnson $8MM in year one, with an average annual value of $6MM, seems reasonable. But even that kind of offer may not be easy to find, considering how many teams have already fired their free agency bullets.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Burleson, Jaguars, Titans
On this day in (sort of) NFL history, Bo Jackson signed a one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox. The year was 1991, and the signing came only three months after Jackson suffered a career-threatening hip injury while playing in the NFL playoffs with the Raiders. Jackson would never play another NFL game, finishing with 2,782 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Jackson would play in 23 games for the White Sox in 1991 and, after missing the entire ’92 baseball season, would appear in another 160 games between 1993 and 1994. Jackson was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in both the NFL and MLB.
Now, for some more news on the Raiders and other AFC teams…
- The Raiders will host Northern Illinois defensive tackle Ken Bishop, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
- Free agent wide receiver Nate Burleson will visit with the Browns on Saturday, tweets Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. Burleson met with the Dolphins earlier today.
- The Jaguars are keeping their options open in regards to trading the No. 3 pick, and Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com looks at a couple of deals that the team could make. The “jackpot scenario,” according to DiRocco, would have to include the Texans selecting a quarterback and the Rams taking Greg Robinson. Plenty of teams would have interest in Jadeveon Clowney, meaning the Jags could move down a few spots while also adding a couple of draft picks.
- Assuming the Titans draft a running back, there still will not be a bona fide starter among the group, ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky says in a chat. According to Kuharsky, snaps will change game-to-game between the rookie, Shonn Greene and Dexter McCluster.
- In the same chat, Kuharsky says he wouldn’t “be surprised” if the team selected a receiver, adding that the team needs one more. When asked which players he would avoid in the first round, Kuharsky replied “the quarterbacks.”
FA Notes: DeCoud, Reynolds, Coffman, Packers
A pair of notable safeties have come off the board today, with Patrick Chung heading back to New England, and Danieal Manning putting the finishing touches on a deal with Cincinnati. Like those players, Thomas DeCoud didn’t have an expiring contract, but found himself on the open market last month when his team decided to release him. And it appears a potential suitor has emerged for DeCoud as well. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the former Falcon is visiting the division-rival Panthers on Monday.
While we wait to see if DeCoud ends up reaching a deal in Carolina, let’s check out a few more free agency items:
- Rapoport passes along a little more free agent safety news, tweeting that Kurt Coleman, who met with the Jets earlier this week, is visiting the Colts tomorrow.
- Before the Titans signed Eric Olsen for offensive line depth, the team engaged in contract talks with free agent guard Garrett Reynolds, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). However, the two sides couldn’t work out an agreement.
- Chase Coffman was already an unrestricted free agent, but now it looks like a lock that he won’t be returning to his old team. The Falcons have informed the tight end that they won’t be offering him a contract, Coffman tweeted this morning.
- The Packers are the only team that hasn’t signed an unrestricted free agent from the 2014 class, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. While the team did bring players like Julius Peppers and Letroy Guion aboard, those players were released by other clubs, rather than having their contracts expire. As Hodkiewicz notes, the team’s offseason reflects GM Ted Thompson‘s philosophy, which places more value on the compensatory picks acquired by losing free agents than on signing free agents themselves.