Extra Points: Titans, Roos, Harbaugh, Browns
Although the Titans are currently prioritizing this year’s pending free agents and potential cap casualties, the team shouldn’t forget about players like left tackle Michael Roos and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey, whose contracts are up after the 2014 season, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. In Wyatt’s view, Tennessee can afford to wait to see how Casey fits in a changing defense, but the team would be wise to try to lock up Roos to an extension as soon as possible.
Here are a few more miscellaneous Monday links from around the NFL:
- Former Octagon agents Doug Hendrickson and C.J. LaBoy have joined Relativity Sports, according to Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal (via Twitter). Mullen adds in a second tweet that the duo will work with and report to Relativity’s football CEO, Eugene Parker.
- If Jim Harbaugh doesn’t receive a contract extension this offseason and the 49ers don’t win the Super Bowl next season, expect the Dolphins to be among the teams pursing the head coach next year, tweets Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports.
- Before he was removed from his role as CEO of the team, Joe Banner had the Browns‘ offensive and defensive coordinators reporting directly to him, reports Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com. As agent Mike McCartney observes (via Twitter), if Kirwan’s report is accurate, it’s not hard to understand why head coaching candidates would’ve been reluctant to accept the Cleveland job.
- Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had a stellar performance at the combine, met with nine teams, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link): The Cowboys, Ravens, Bears, Bengals, Vikings, Texans, Lions, Buccaneers, and Rams.
- The Packers, Patriots, and Seahawks met with Rutgers receiver Brandon Coleman, who also had an informal meeting with the Redskins, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Combine Updates: Clowney, Ford, Tuitt, Mason
Jadeveon Clowney is the talk of the NFL combine on Monday morning, running an unofficial time of 4.47 in the 40-yard dash today. The time is easily the best among defensive linemen, and in fact surpassed the times of most of the running backs and receivers that ran the 40 yesterday. Clowney won’t participate in all of today’s on-field drills, citing a hip flexor, but there are still plenty of combine updates to pass along from Indianapolis:
- Auburn defensive end Dee Ford was medically flagged due to a 2011 procedure on a herniated disc in his lower back and won’t work out today at the combine. Scott Hanson of NFL Red Zone first reported (via Twitter) that Ford would sit out, while Steve Wyche of NFL Network passed along the specifics (Twitter link).
- Like Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt was diagnosed with a fractured foot by doctors at the combine, according to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com, who says Tuitt will undergo surgery in about a week, with a full recovery expected in six to eight weeks. Ford and Tuitt are viewed as two of the top non-Clowney DEs available in the draft.
- The Titans, Dolphins, Rams, and Cardinals are among the teams that have met with Auburn running back Tre Mason at the combine, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Ravens have met with Wisconsin linebacker Chris Borland, as well as wide receivers Brandin Cooks (Oregon State) and Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt), Aaron Wilson writes in separate pieces for the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also says the team will meet with LSU receiver Jarvis Landry.
- Maryland cornerback Dexter McDougle won’t participate in drills at the combine due to health concerns, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
- For a complete list of combine results, including scores in the 40-yard dash, bench press, and broad jump, be sure to check out NFL.com’s tracker.
AFC South Notes: Johnson, Fitzpatrick, Watt
The Titans and the representation for runningback Chris Johnson met at the NFL scouting combine, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean. Johnson is scheduled to make $8MM in 2014, a price that the team is unlikely to pay. Johnson might not be willing to take a pay cut, and that could result in in the runningback’s release. The cap space the Titans would gain by releasing Johnson could help pay cornerback Alterraun Verner, who made his first Pro Bowl in 2013. Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- New Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt is on record saying that he holds backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in high regard, writes Wyatt. “Fitz is a good quarterback. He is a veteran guy that has played, and he made some plays for this team last year,” Whisenhunt said. “I have a lot of respect for what he has done in this league.” General manager Ruston Webster had the same sentiment.
- J.J. Watt is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, and the Texans are getting closer to being forced to make a decision about the star defensive lineman’s futre, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. The team has the ability to pick up the team option for a fifth year, but much like the situation in Carolina with Cam Newton, it might be better for both sides to come to terms on a long-term extension. Ganguli does know that the team does not Watt to reach free agency.
- Other players the Texans have to make decisions on are Antonio Smith, Garrett Graham, and Earl Mitchell, writes Ganguli. The original assumption was that these three might not be in the team’s long-term plans, but the new coaching staff might have different and evolving opinions of them.
- Colts‘ general manager Ryan Grigson has put out the idea of “Don’t rule anything out” when it comes to the NFL Draft, but Mike Wells of ESPN.com is pretty close to ruling them out of moving back into the first round. He sees the depth of this draft and the many holes the Colts need to fill would make them unlikely to package multiple assets to move up.
AFC South Notes: Colts, Richardson, Draft
Colts GM Ryan Grigson wants the team’s offensive line play to improve, according to Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Although the unit did give up nine fewer sacks than in 2012, injuries abounded and the interior line play was inconsistent. Grigson, who recently sounded lukewarm on the status of center Samson Satele, may have to look to the draft for improvements, as the center/guard free agent market is not all that strong save for Alex Mack. Advanced metrics differ on the play of the Colts’ offensive line — Pro Football Focus rated them as the 24th best unit, while Football Outsiders marked them as middle of the pack in run-blocking, but excellent in pass protection.
- Improved offensive line play could be the first step in getting more from running back Trent Richardson, and the Colts expect progress from him in 2014, writes Craig Kelly of Colts.com.
- Within the same piece, Grigson says “don’t rule anything out” when it comes to trading back into the first round of the draft. The Colts traded their 2014 first-round-pick for Richardson.
- Texans GM Rick Smith is a believer in the “best player available” strategy it terms of drafting players, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. “I think the risk is if you take a player that is not reflective of the value,” said Smith. “Because what you ultimately do is you miss on another player you should have been taking that has that value. That’s why we don’t rank our board with any type of consideration for need because when you do that, you make mistakes.” However, Smith did allow that quarterback is by far the most important position on the field, followed by pass-rusher.
- The Jaguars would likely want a first-rounder and either a second- or third-round-pick in exchange for moving out of the third overall draft position, writes ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco as part of a mailbag segment. He also notes the Jags will use free agency to bolster their offensive and defensive lines, but will not spend big on marquee names.
- In his mailbag, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com argues that the Titans will likely draft a running back in the fourth round or later, ostensibly to pair with Shonn Greene. Fellow ball-carrier Chris Johnson is expected to be released.
Titans Rumors: Locker, Johnson, Verner
Although Titans team president/CEO Tommy Smith recently lent his full endorsement to QB Jake Locker, Locker can expect to have some competition, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Although it is expected that the 2014 draft’s top quarterbacks–Johnny Manizel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles–will be off the board by the time the Titans pick with the 11th overall selection, new head coach Ken Whisenhunt noted that there is a lot of talent at the position in this year’s draft and that he would like to have “five or six” of the incoming QBs.
Potential options to provide some younger competition for Locker that could be had after the first round include Derek Carr, Aaron Murray, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger, all of whom have enough talent to be starters in the league. Of course, the Titans also have Ryan Fitzpatrick under contract. Although his $2.75MM base salary puts him at risk of being a cap casualty, Titans officials have indicated that they “feel comfortable” with Fitzpatrick. In any event, 2014 seems to be Locker’s last year to prove he is Tennessee’s long-term solution at quarterback.
A couple quick updates on two of the bigger names on the Titans roster:
- There has been no change in talks with RB Chris Johnson, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Our Luke Adams noted last week that it is widely expected the Titans will cut Johnson, and since then, GM Ruston Webster indicated the team will be patient when it comes to a decision regarding Johnson. Wyatt tweeted that Johnson will “stick to his word” and will not accept a pay cut.
- Wyatt also tweets that the Titans are continuing to talk to CB Alterraun Verner, but that nothing is imminent. As Adams pointed out several days ago, the Titans would love to keep Verner but do not want to use the franchise tag on him.
Titans Rumors: Verner, Free Agents, Britt
There’s some concern that free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner may be out of the Titans’ price range, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The club has spoken to Verner’s agent and hasn’t ruled out using its franchise tag, but indications are that Tennessee won’t franchise its standout cornerback, who figures to attract several big-money suitors on the open market, says Wyatt. Here’s more on the Titans from the Tennessean scribe:
- Within the same piece, Wyatt suggests that locking up Verner may require a deal similar to the one the Titans gave Jason McCourty, who is averaging $8.6MM per year.
- GM Ruston Webster on Verner, and free agents in general: “You have to look at where he is going to fit in your puzzle with the salary cap, with the value, whatever you set his value at. You want to get good players on your team. We try and get as many of those as we can everywhere, but obviously you have to spread it out some, so you have to be careful that way.”
- There are indications that the Titans have spoken to – or plan to speak to – the agents for several prospective free agents, writes Wyatt, listing running back Jackie Battle, wide receivers Damian Williams and Marc Mariani, return specialist Leon Washington and offensive lineman Chris Spencer.
- One free agent with whom the team appears ready to part ways? Wide receiver Kenny Britt. Unsurprisingly, Wyatt tweets that Tennessee has no plans to re-sign Britt.
South Notes: Caldwell, Griffin, Washington
Despite owning 10 selections in the 2014 NFL Draft — including No. 3 overall — Jaguars second-year GM David Caldwell cites a robust class of eligible draftees as a reason to trade down and stockpile picks.
“We have 10 picks already and when we did the Eugene Monroe trade, we felt it would be a deep draft,” Caldwell said at his NFL Scouting Combine interview, according to John Oehser of Gaguars.com. “We feel really good about having an extra four and an extra five.”
In addition to its regularly allotted picks in Rounds 1-7, Jacksonville acquired a fifth-round pick with the trade of receiver Mike Thomas to the Lions, along with the aforementioned fourth- and fifth-round picks from the Ravens in the Monroe trade.
With NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock calling this draft class the deepest in the last 10 years, and Steelers GM Kevin Colbert saying it’s the deepest he’s ever seen, one would be hard-pressed to argue with Caldwell’s philosophy, especially with a lineup devoid of blue-chip talent.
More notes from the AFC and NFC South….
- Titans safety Michael Griffin and receiver Nate Washington are due to make $6.2MM and $4.8MM in 2014, respectively, but it “sounds like they’re going to be OK,” according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (Twitter link).
- However, Wyatt doesn’t feel so optimistic about right tackle David Stewart, who is scheduled to earn $6.4MM next season. The Titans would not endure a cap hit of any kind if they release Stewart, who is in the final year of a six-year deal and has missed four games in each of the past two seasons due to injury.
- Saints GM Mickey Loomis said he plans on filling as many needs as possible in free agency, then finding the best players available in the draft, writes John DeShazier of NewOrleansSaints.com. The New Orleans staff has all the reports written on the 2014 NFL draft class, said Loomis, and that it is now in the “fine-tuning” stage of the evaluation process.
- DeShazier notes that the BPA strategy has paid dividends with Loomis at GM, unearthing gems like Jahri Evans and Marques Colston in the fourth and seventh rounds of 2006, along with Pierre Thomas and Junior Galette as undrafted free agents in 2007 and 2010.
Titans Rumors: Verner, Pollard, Wimbley
Earlier today, we heard from Titans general manager Ruston Webster that the team is taking its time when it comes to making a decision on Chris Johnson‘s contract, and that the front office intends to continue talking to Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new deal. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean has an update on the Verner front, along with a few other Titans-related items, so let’s see what he’s got for us….
- The Titans are meeting with Verner’s agent at the combine and the hope is that the two sides can work out a new deal in the near future, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Wyatt adds that the club is unlikely to use the franchise tag on its free agent cornerback.
- Bernard Pollard‘s agent and the Titans have engaged in discussions about a new contract for the free agent safety, and the team would like to bring him back, tweets Wyatt.
- Kamerion Wimbley has a $7.8MM cap number for 2014 and Wyatt can’t see him returning to the Titans at that price. However, the club believes Wimbley would be a good fit in its changing defense, and there’s still plenty of time to talk about a restructure, says Wyatt (Twitter links).
- Tennessee is also interested in re-signing free agent defensive lineman Ropati Pitoitua and will likely speak to his agent at the combine, tweets Wyatt.
Combine Updates: Bucs, Titans, Bears, Lions
The 2014 scouting combine is underway in Indianapolis, and NFL head coaches and general managers have begun speaking to reporters both in scheduled press conferences and in smaller side interviews. There have been several tidbits worth passing along from those sessions, so let’s dive right in and round up a few highlights….
- While Lovie Smith said he likes Mike Glennon, the Buccaneers head coach also expressed a belief that there could be a potential franchise quarterback available with the No. 7 pick in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details. If that’s the case, it sounds like the Bucs will strongly consider drafting a signal-caller in the first round.
- Steelers GM Kevin Colbert didn’t reveal much about his team’s offseason plans, but was enthusiastic in discussing 2014’s draft class. While he cautioned that it’s an immature group due to all the underclassmen in the mix, Colbert said it’s the best class he has even seen, according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter), that’s very high praise coming from Colbert, who has been preparing for drafts for the last 30 years.
- Colbert’s comments on wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suggested to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that the Steelers intend to let Sanders hit the open market.
- Asked about running back Chris Johnson, a potential cap casualty, Titans GM Ruston Webster said that the club can be as patient as it wants to be in making a decision on Johnson, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Webster also confirmed that the Titans have spoken to cornerback Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new contract, adding that “we’ll continue to talk” (Twitter link via Wyatt).
- The Bears would like to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton, GM Phil Emery indicated to reporters, including Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). However, it’s clear that it will come down to Melton’s price tag. Emery also echoed coach Marc Trestman‘s views on Chris Conte, suggesting that he hopes the safety comes in and wins a starting job (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). “I’d like to be talking to him about an extension,” Emery said of Conte.
- Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said “never say never” when it comes to re-signing recently released safety Louis Delmas, but didn’t sound optimistic about the possibility, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Caldwell added that acquiring a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson will be one of the club’s top priorities this offseason, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).
- The Cardinals would like to re-sign linebacker Karlos Dansby but have always been prepared to move on, GM Steve Keim said today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
Extra Points: Roberts, Fitzpatrick, Steelers
Andre Roberts doesn’t sound bullish about the possibility of returning to the Cardinals for 2014, suggesting during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio that there may not be “enough balls to go around out here” (link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Roberts will be looking for a four- or five-year contract this offseason, but will be willing to sign a one-year, make-good deal, according to Weinfuss. The receiver also sounds like he’s looking forward to testing the open market.
“I’m pretty excited about the whole free-agency process,” Roberts said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming for the rest of my career.”
Here’s more from across the NFL:
- Titans backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick could be cut this offseason if the team wants to create a little cap flexibility, but he tells John Glennon of the Tennessean that he’s not worried about that possibility.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes there’s at least an outside chance that a grievance over Jimmy Graham’s franchise-tag position could result in the Saints star becoming an unrestricted free agent, as he explained in a piece this morning. Taking that possibility into account, Florio thinks the Saints ought to tag Graham and push for resolution sooner rather than later.
- With a grievance over Graham’s position likely looming, Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com takes a look at how the NFL could make franchise-tag positional designations more logical. In Kirwan’s view, the league and the NFLPA should agree on several adjustments to the system, including adding new designations for fullbacks and kick returners, and dividing offensve linemen and wide receivers into multiple groups.
- Appearing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert echoed comments made by team president Art Rooney II last month, suggesting that the franchise wants to re-sign Ben Roethlisberger and ensure that he remains a Steeler for the rest of his career. ESPN.com’s Scott Brown has the quotes and the details.
- In an interesting piece for the National Football Post, Jack Bechta explains how agents help their clients prepare for the draft combine.