2014 May - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Johnson, Mosley, Vick

May 13th, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Zachary Links

It would be too late to help Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, but when and if the NFL’s new drug policy is finalized and announced, it will include changes specific to marijuana and other drugs of abuse, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. A source says that the renegotiation of the drug policy, which has been going on since 2011 and includes testing for HGH, also will significantly increase the threshold for a positive marijuana test and reduce the punishments for violations involving that drug. Here’s more from around the NFL..

Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that a new team taking on Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson in a deal would be taking on an awful lot in financial commitments. Johnson’s cap figure is $15.6MM after hitting a $3.5MM escalator. Earlier today we learned that Johnson is frustrated with the Texans as he openly wondered if Houston is the place for him.
Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com wonders if Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley could be the best defensive rookie to come out of this draft. Most assume No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney will come away with the award, but none of the defensive rookies taken with the first pick since the DROY was created have won it. That’s 45 years of history going in Mosley’s favor.
Willie Colon doesn’t think the Jets’ impending quarterback derby will pull the team apart, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. “No, competition is good. I think it’ll be healthy for us,” Colon said.

AFC Notes: Bills, Texans, Mallett, Browns

May 13th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While his contract has been surpassed by a few players signing extensions, no free agent signed a bigger deal this offseason than safety Jairus Byrd, who agreed to a $54MM pact to join the Saints. For the Bills, who lost Byrd in free agency, you’d think they’d at least have the consolation of awaiting a compensatory pick for their loss, but that may not be the case, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com explains. Although the NFL’s exact formula for computing compensatory picks isn’t known, the fact that Buffalo signed more free agents than it lost could help take the team out of the running for picks, writes Rodak.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

The Texans will not be trading for Patriots backup quarterback Ryan Mallett, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets definitively. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds (via Twitter) that a potential trade between the two teams died last week, which is consistent with reports we were hearing at the time.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com wonders if the Browns‘ willingness to give a lucrative contract extension to Joe Haden, who has previously been suspended in his career, bodes well for Josh Gordon‘s future in Cleveland.
Although he was linked to the Bills as a potential bidder earlier in the month, New York developer Howard Milstein confirmed this week that he won’t be attempting to buy the franchise. However, Milstein believes he has some land in Niagara Falls that could be suitable for a new stadium, as Tom Precious of the Buffalo News details.

Bucs Sign 12 UDFAs, Cut Three Players

May 13th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 4:56pm: Undrafted Texas A&M linebacker Steven Jenkins has also signed with the Buccaneers, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 2:52pm: The Buccaneers have announced 11 undrafted free agent signings, and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune passes along the names in a series of tweets. To clear room on the 90-man roster, the club has also cut three players, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link): Tight end Steve Maneri, tight end and fullback Josh Baker, and cornerback Bobby Felder. None of the three players played for the Bucs last season.

Here’s the full list of the Bucs’ UDFA additions:

Josh Allen, C Louisiana-Monroe ($5K bonus, per Pat Yasinskas)
Nate Askew, LB, Texas A&M ($7.5K bonus)
Aaron Burks, WR, Boise State ($5K bonus)
Euclid Cummings, DT, Georgia Tech ($10K bonus)
Keith Lewis, CB, Virginia-Lynchburg ($3K bonus)
Andrew Miller, G, Virginia Tech ($5K bonus)
Matt Patchan, OT, Boston College ($14.85K bonus)
Solomon Patton, WR, Florida ($9K bonus)
Brett Smith, QB, Wyoming ($3K bonus)
Chaz Sutton, DE, South Carolina ($15K bonus)
Mycal Swaim, S, Eastern Michigan ($3K bonus)

Andre Johnson Frustrated With Texans

May 13th, 2014 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

3:13pm: Retirement isn’t an option at this point for Johnson, according to Smith, who says (via Twitter) that the receiver plans to play for three more seasons, which is also how long his current contract runs.

2:35pm: No player has been with the Texans longer than wide receiver Andre Johnson, who was selected by the franchise with the third overall pick in 2003. Still, after 11 seasons in Houston, Johnson sounds like he may be ready to move on, asking reporters today, “Is this still the place for me?” (link via Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle).

Appearing at a charity event in Houston, Johnson expressed his frustrations publicly for the first time, revealing that he doesn’t plan to attend the team’s OTAs or minicamp. Although the longtime standout receiver says he hasn’t requested a trade, he acknowledged that the offseason has been “very frustrating,” as the club continues to cycle through new coaches and quarterbacks.

The Texans may be hard-pressed to find a trade partner now that many teams have filled their rosters and no longer have cap space to take on a player who is set to earn a $10MM base salary in 2014. Still, with three years left on Johnson’s deal, it sounds like resolution will need to happen at some point in the near future, and ’14 is the first year in which the Texans could actually create a little cap room by releasing or trading the receiver.

Although he has racked up over 3,000 receiving yards in the last two seasons, earning Pro Bowl berths in both years, Johnson will turn 33 this summer, so it’s fair to wonder how many more productive years he has left in him. 2011 and 2012 were the first two playoff seasons in Houston since Johnson joined the team, but after a significant regression in 2013, the longtime Texan sounds concerned about being part of another rebuild.

“We’ve talked. They understand how I feel,” Johnson said of the club. We’ll have to wait and see if the Texans are able to do anything about it before the 2014 season gets underway.

Jaguars Notes: Shorts, Rackley, UDFAs

May 13th, 2014 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jaguars held their State of the Franchise event today at EverBank Field, and while owner Shad Khan and team officials didn’t offer many noteworthy comments on the roster during that address, GM Dave Caldwell spoke to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union at the event and offered up a few interesting nuggets. Let’s dive in….

The team has spoken to the reps for wide receiver Cecil Shorts, who is entering the final year of his contract. “Obviously, we want him here for the long haul,” Caldwell said. “He’s a valuable part of our organization and we’d love to at some point in time take care of Cecil.”
Explaining the Jags’ decision to release 2013’s starting left guard, Will Rackley, Caldwell suggested that the veteran didn’t really fit the team’s scheme. The club wanted to give him an opportunity to catch on in a better situation elsewhere, per Caldwell.
Caldwell said Jacksonville is “not done adding talent to the roster” and will be watching closely to see how its young players develop, so it’s too early to tell which positions the club may be focusing on upgrading a year from now.
Caldwell is “really pleased” with the work his staff did to add the 17 undrafted free agents the team signed: “We got size on the d-line. We got some athletic offensive linemen. We got two really good receivers. We got a good safety [Craig Loston], a physical guy that played in the SEC. A good nickel cornerback in Rashaad Reynolds.”
The Jaguars are hoping to sign their draft picks earlier this year than they did last year.
Connecticut edge defender Tim Wellman is among the players invited to Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

Vikings Sign 16 UDFAs, Cut Four Players

May 13th, 2014 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 1:33pm: The Vikings have officially signed their UDFAs, with Missouri Western quarterback Travis Partridge joining the group to make it 16 in total.

In order to make room for the new additions, the Vikings have cut four players: Linebackers Terrell Manning and Simoni Lawrence, running back Bradley Randle, and guard Josh Samuda.

SATURDAY, 8:29pm: The Vikings have agreed to terms with 15 undrafted free agents, according to the team. Here’s the complete list of new Vikes, per a press release:

Conor Boffeli, G, Iowa ($4K bonus, per Ben Goessling)
Pierce Burton, OT, Mississippi
Kain Colter, WR, Northwestern ($8K bonus)
Rakim Cox, DE, Villanova ($3K bonus)
Isame Faciane, DT, Florida International
Donte Foster, WR, Ohio ($1K bonus)
Matt Hall, OT, Belhaven ($1.5K bonus)
Zac Kerin, C, Toledo
A.C. Leonard, TE, Tennessee State ($2.5K bonus)
Erik Lora, WR, Eastern Illinois ($1.5K bonus)
Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee
Tyler Scott, DE, Northwestern ($2.5K bonus)
Jake Snyder, DE, Virginia
Austin Wentworth, G, Fresno State ($2K bonus)
Dominique Williams, RB, Wagner ($1K bonus)

Bengals Announce 11 UDFA Signings

May 13th, 2014 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 1:00pm: The Bengals have officially signed an 11th free agent, Mississippi running back Jeff Scott, the team announced today (Twitter link). Scott received a $2K signing bonus, per ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey.

MONDAY, 4:13pm: The Bengals have made their undrafted free agent signings official today, announcing their 10 new players in a press release. Here are the newest Bengals:

James Davidson, LB, Texas-El Paso
Curtis Feigt, OT, West Virginia
Dan France, G, Michigan State
Ryan Hewitt, TE/FB, Stanford ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
Trey Hopkins, G, Texas
Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
Colin Lockett, WR, San Diego State ($8K bonus, per Coley Harvey)
Alex Neutz, WR, Buffalo
Nikita Whitlock, FB, Wake Forest
James Wilder Jr., RB, Florida State ($6K bonus, per Wilson)

Browns Sign Joe Haden To Extension

May 13th, 2014 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Richard Sherman signing a record-setting contract to remain with the Seahawks through the 2018 season, another cornerback has agreed to an extension of his own. The Browns have signed Joe Haden to a new contract that will lock him up through the 2019 season, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The five new years on Haden’s deal are worth $68MM, meaning he’ll be in line for about $75MM in total over the next six seasons. While the $13.6MM annual value on the extension itself is a little less than what Sherman got ($14MM per year), Haden’s new contract includes a $14MM signing bonus, $22MM in fully guaranteed money, and another $23MM that’s guaranteed for injury only, all numbers that reportedly exceed what Sherman received.

Haden, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season, has graded as a top-20 cornerback in each of his first four NFL seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2013, the former seventh overall pick recorded 54 tackles, broke up 20 passes, and grabbed four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Because Haden’s previous contract had been set to expire after the coming season, an extension for the standout cornerback had been viewed as a priority for the Browns. Haden becomes the second core piece the Browns have locked up to a long-term contract this offseason — of course, in the case of Alex Mack, the center agreed to an offer sheet with the Jaguars that Cleveland decided to match, so it’s a step in the right direction for the Browns that they didn’t let Haden reach unrestricted free agency.

The Haden extension is the latest update in what’s been a whirlwind week for the Browns, who landed a 2015 first-rounder in a trade with the Bills, and also drafted a potential franchise quarterback (Johnny Manziel) and a cornerback to play across from Haden (Justin Gilbert). On the flip side, word also broke that star receiver Josh Gordon is facing a lengthy suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, leaving the team’s receiving corps looking awfully thin.

We’ll have to wait for the specific year-by-year figures on Haden’s new deal, but it sounds to me as if the salary in the first year (2015) is fully guaranteed, and that the salaries for 2016 and 2017 are guaranteed for injury only. With Haden and Sherman locked up, Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals appears to be the next notable corner in line for an extension. We heard yesterday that Peterson and the Cardinals have discussed a new long-term deal, with the 23-year-old presumably looking to match or exceed the deals agreed to by his fellow Pro Bowl cornerbacks.

Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk first reported that Haden and the Browns had reached an agreement, and had the figures on the guaranteed money in the deal. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter) added the overall amount of the contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Bridgewater, Steelers, Ravens

May 13th, 2014 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up the latest out of the AFC North….

Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show today, new Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater revealed that he knew he could land with the Browns during last week’s draft, but told his agent “that’s not the place I wanted to be.” Andrew Krammer of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities has the details and quotes from Bridgewater.
Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review conducted a Q&A with Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, discussing the team’s draft preparation, its first-round pick (Ryan Shazier), and the apparent focus on adding speed to the roster.
One of a handful of undrafted free agents who reportedly agreed to terms with a team and then didn’t land with that club, Texas Tech linebacker Terrance Bullitt saw a shoulder issue scuttle his deal with the Ravens, which would have included a $5.5K signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
UNLV wideout Jerry Rice Jr., the son of the Hall of Fame receiver, wasn’t among the Ravens’ UDFA signings, but he’ll participate in the club’s rookie minicamp in the hopes of earning a contract, a source tells Wilson.

NFC East Notes: Cousins, Colledge, Eagles

May 13th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Redskins backup quarterback Kirk Cousins reportedly drew renewed trade interest during last week’s draft, but GM Bruce Allen confirmed yesterday that the club never came close to moving Cousins over the past few days. With Cousins appearing likely to stay put in Washington, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets that the Browns’ previous efforts to acquire Cousins were rebuffed by the ‘Skins. Although many involved parties, including Cousins and starting QB Robert Griffin III, would welcome a deal that sent the No. 2 elsewhere, Allen doesn’t seem inclined to make such a move anytime soon, as La Canfora tweets.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Free agent offensive lineman Daryn Colledge will pay a visit to Philadelphia to meet with the Eagles this week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Eagles didn’t select an offensive lineman in the draft despite planning to do so, so a veteran player like Colledge could provide some depth.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the draft’s No. 22 pick, which the Eagles essentially put up for auction after a few of their top targets came off the board. While the Browns beat out the Vikings to land the pick, Philadelphia had two more “solid” offers from unknown teams, and one of those clubs was actually the leader until Cleveland swooped in and sweetened its offer. Had that mystery team acquired the pick, it would have drafted a player besides Johnny Manziel, says King.
The Redskins made a pair of cuts yesterday, waiving kicker Jake Rogers and wide receiver David Gettis, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.
Washington is the only NFC East team that has yet to announce its undrafted free agent signings. Earlier today we passed along the Cowboys‘ list, while we heard about the Giants‘ signings yesterday and the Eagles‘ additions over the weekend.