HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers Sign Marcus Martin, Lock Up Draft Class

May 29th, 2014 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

No team selected more players in the 2014 draft than the 49ers, who tied with the Jets for most picks with 12. And now all 12 of those players are under contract. The team announced today in a press release that third-round center Marcus Martin has signed his four-year deal, officially joining his 11 fellow draftees on the Niners’ roster.

Martin, a Los Angeles native, played his college ball at USC and joins a deep, talented group of interior linemen on San Francisco’s roster, as our David Kipke detailed earlier this week. The 20-year-old was viewed as a possible late-first-round pick, earning an invite to New York for the draft, but ended up being the last player remaining in the green room when he was eventually selected 70th overall.

Per Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Martin is in line for a signing bonus worth about $671K, with an overall value of $3.058MM on his new four-year contract. To follow the complete list of draft picks who have and haven’t signed so far, be sure to check out our tracker.

Chargers Sign Jason Verrett

May 29th, 2014 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers announced that they have signed first-round cornerback Jason Verrett, according to Michael Gehlken of the Union-Tribune. With the signing, the Chargers now have their entire draft class under contract.

The Chargers drafted the former TCU standout with No. 25 overall pick. The 5-10, 189-pound athlete recorded 160 tackles, 41 passes defensed, and nine interceptions during his time in Fort Worth. In 2013, Verrett posted 39 tackles, 14 passes defensed, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, one sack, and one forced fumble. Verrett earned a second-team All-American selection, was a first-team All-Big 12 pick, was named the co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the top defensive back in the nation.

In an interview with Ricky Henne of Chargers.com (video link) last week, Verrett said he was hoping all along that the Bolts would draft him.

Minor Moves: Ravens, Bears, Steelers

May 29th, 2014 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens have signed former Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. To create a roster spot, Baltimore waived-injured rookie outside linebacker Ryan Jones out of Montana Tech. Toussaint played at Michigan, rushing for 648 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior last season. He also caught 18 passes for 203 yards for the Wolverines in 2013. Here are the rest of today’s minor moves..

  • The Bills released Western New York native Randy Colling, writes Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. The Gannon University product, who also has Arena League experience, was previously a defensive lineman but Buffalo was trying to transition him to offensive guard.
  • In addition to confirming the release of Derrick Martin, the Bears announced (via Twitter) that they have waived offensive tackle Rogers Gaines.
  • The Steelers took to Twitter to announce that they have released Nik Embernate and Kaycee Ike. Their spots have been filled by offensive lineman Emmanuel McCray and Deion Belue, whose acquisitions were disclosed earlier.
  • The Broncos have waived guard/tackle Ramon Harewood, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • The Giants received wide receiver Corey Washington off waivers from the Cardinals, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. To make room for Washington, Big Blue waived offensive lineman Stephen Goodin.

 

Bills Sign Cyrus Kouandjio

May 29th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have signed second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPNBoston.com. Buffalo has now successfully signed all of their draft picks, as shown in PFR’s running list.

Kouandjio, a former DeMatha Catholic star who continued his dominance at the University of Alabama, was a candidate to go in the first round. While he didn’t hear his name called on Day 1, the Bills scooped him up early on in the Day 2 proceedings, tabbing him with the No. 44 pick. Earlier this week, coach Doug Marrone made it clear that he thinks Kouandjio is ready to make the transition to the NFL.

“When you feel someone’s ready to go from the standpoint of knowledge where they’re not going to get anyone hurt, throw them in there,” said Marrone, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. “I’ve had a lot of success by taking young guys and once they know what they’re doing, throw them in there with the first group and see what they can do. I think you’ll see a lot of that as we look forward in camp.”

The Bills weren’t the only club with an eye on the 311 pound bruiser. The Redskins reportedly would have taken him in the first round if they had a pick there and considered him at No. 34 before trading that selection to Dallas.

Extra Points: Titans, Chiefs, Graham, Ravens

May 29th, 2014 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said earlier in May that his team suspected another club was targeting defensive back Lamarcus Joyner in the second round, which is why St. Louis traded up for him. However, while Fisher’s comments pointed to his old team – the Titans – as the team eyeing Joyner, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report hears that Tennessee was always targeting a running back in the second round. There were a handful of backs the Titans liked, so they worked out a deal to move down even before the Rams moved up, says Pompei. The club ultimately grabbed Bishop Sankey 54th overall.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • The Chiefs worked out defensive tackle Brandon Deaderick this week, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The former seventh-round pick spent three seasons with the Pats before joining the Jaguars last season, and has started 15 of his 47 career contests.
  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an extended look at the Jimmy Graham grievance hearing situation, identifying a few clubs that still could conceivably take a run at the free agent tight end, including the Browns and Packers. In Corry’s view, no matter the outcome of next month’s hearing on Graham’s position, he and the Saints are likely to work out a long-term contract.
  • The Ravens will be on the lookout for potential post-June 1 additions to their roster, coach John Harbaugh confirmed today (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Brandon Graham‘s name surfaced in a couple trade rumors this offseason, but the edge defender remains on the Eagles‘ roster, and takes solace in the fact that he’s still in Philadelphia, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer outlines. “They want me here, I’m still here, all the rumors and whatever it is, it’s just rumors,” Graham said. “I feel like if it was something they wanted to do, I’d be gone.”

Panthers Sign Second-Rounder Kony Ealy

May 29th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers have locked up second-round defensive end Kony Ealy, according to the team, confirming today in a press release that Ealy has signed his four-year rookie contract. The former Missouri pass rusher is the fourth of six Carolina draftees to ink his deal, with only first-round wideout Kelvin Benjamin and third-round guard Trai Turner still unsigned.

“We had a first-round value on Kony Ealy. He’s got a lot of potential,” general manager Dave Gettleman said in a statement. “You cannot have too many pass rushers. You can’t. It’s impossible.”

The 60th overall pick, Ealy should be in line for a signing bonus worth just under $900K, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Overall, Ealy’s contract will have a base value of approximately $3.547MM.

Seahawks Sign Doug Baldwin Through 2016

May 29th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

3:17pm: The Seahawks have officially announced Baldwin’s new three-year contract in a press release.

10:23am: The two-year extension includes about $11MM in “new money” with achievable bonuses available to max out at around $13MM, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

10:10am: According to Louis Riddick of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Baldwin’s three-year contract is worth $13MM overall, with $9MM of that money coming in the first two years. While we don’t have the specifics yet, I’d guess there will be a signing bonus worth in the neighborhood of $3-4MM, and that Baldwin’s first-year salary will be fully guaranteed.Doug Baldwin

9:57am: The Seahawks and wide receiver Doug Baldwin have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension for the 25-year-old, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN (via Twitter). The agreement should add two new years to Baldwin’s 2014 tender, so he’ll be under contract through 2016. Earlier today, both Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com had reported that the two sides were moving closer to a deal.

Baldwin had been the last remaining restricted free agent on the market, which put a little pressure on the two sides to work something out before June 15, at which point the Seahawks could have withdrawn their $2.187MM RFA tender and still retained exclusive negotiating rights. For Seattle, a multiyear deal was preferable since it would keep Baldwin off the unrestricted free agent market next year — for the receiver himself, securing a little extra guaranteed money to remain with the defending champions was also likely his preferred option.

Golden Tate departed for the Lions in free agency this offseason, but Percy Harvin is set to return to the Seahawks’ lineup this season, so Baldwin should remain in his previous role as the club’s No. 2 receiving option. Last season, he hauled in 50 passes for 778 yards, both totals that were just off of his career highs (51 and 788). Seattle’s offensive game plan wasn’t particularly pass-heavy in 2013, but the return of the explosive Harvin could help to open things up going forward.

While the Seahawks haven’t made significant upgrades to the roster that beat the Broncos in the Super Bowl less than four months ago, the team has done well to keep several of its own key free agents. In addition to bringing back Baldwin and standout defensive end Michael Bennett, the Seahawks also reached new deals with Tony McDaniel, O’Brien Schofield, Steven Hauschka, and Sidney Rice, among others.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams Sign Davin Joseph

May 29th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 2:25pm: According to Marvez (via Twitter), Joseph’s new one-year deal is worth $1.75MM, with a $1.1MM base salary, a $300K roster bonus, and $350K in additional per-game roster bonuses.

WEDNESDAY, 9:37am: The Rams have officially signed Joseph, the team announced today (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 4:23pm: While it’s not a done deal yet, the Rams are finalizing their agreement with Joseph, which will be a one-year contract, tweets Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.

3:40pm: The Rams are set to sign veteran offensive lineman Davin Joseph, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Terms of the agreement have yet to be reported.

Joseph, 30, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers, starting 99 of the 100 games he played for the team. A two-time Pro Bowler, Joseph missed the 2012 season with a torn patellar tendon and provided subpar play at right guard last year upon his return, despite starting all 16 games. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced grades (subscription required), Joseph ranked second-last among 81 qualified guards in 2013. The former first-rounder was released by Tampa Bay earlier in the offseason.

For the Rams, Joseph should provide some veteran depth on an offensive line that saw guards Shelley Smith and Chris Williams sign elsewhere in free agency. Despite losing those two regulars, St. Louis addressed the line by re-signing Rodger Saffold to a lucrative five-year contract and selecting Greg Robinson with the No. 2 pick in this month’s draft, so Joseph shouldn’t be pressed into a starting role, barring an injury.

Largest 2014 Cap Hits By Position: Offense

May 29th, 2014 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier in the spring, we examined the largest contracts signed in free agency this offseason by overall value, per-year value, and guaranteed money. However, while there were some massive deals signed by free agents, most of those contracts don’t include significant first-year cap hits. Since the later years of a contract are typically non-guaranteed, the larger cap hits are pushed to the back half of the term, as shown by Jairus Byrd‘s $54MM deal with the Saints — the 2014 cap number on Byrd’s contract is just $3.5MM, whereas that number jumps to $10.5MM by 2017 and $11MM in 2018.

It should come as no surprise then that when we take a closer look at the top 2014 cap hits, not many ’14 free agents make the top five lists by position. Instead, these are typically players who are at the point in their contracts where cap numbers are increasing, but are still productive enough that those rising cap hits are worth stomaching to keep the players on the roster.

Before we jump into the top 2014 cap hits on offense by position, a few observations about the players that show up on the lists below:

  • Much has been made of the fact that inexpensive quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick have led their teams to the Super Bowl in recent years, and the list of 2014’s biggest cap hits at the position reflects this trend — of the top five QBs, only one (Drew Brees) led his team to the postseason last year, and New Orleans was a No. 6 seed.
  • Similarly, the declining value of running backs has been an oft-discussed trend during this offseason, but the highest-paid players at the position still stack up reasonably well against most other positions. It may take a little more time to tell if the position’s value is decreasing as sharply as it appears, or if this year’s class of free agent backs just wasn’t particularly strong.
  • At tight end, it figures to just be a matter time until Jimmy Graham perennially tops the list of largest cap hits, but for now, his $7.035MM franchise tag leaves him outside the top five.
  • Unsurprisingly, the top five tackles all play on the left side.
  • Breaking down the top fives by position allow us to see which teams place a premium on certain positions, committing a sizable portion of their caps to those spots. For instance, the Saints have a pricey interior line, with two guards in the top five, while the Browns have the top cap hits at both tackle and center.

Here are the lists of the top five 2014 cap hits by offensive position:

Quarterback:

  1. Eli Manning, Giants: $20.4MM
  2. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: $18.895MM
  3. Jay Cutler, Bears: $18.5MM
  4. Drew Brees, Saints: $18.4MM
  5. Sam Bradford, Rams: $17.61MM

Running back:

  1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: $14.4MM
  2. LeSean McCoy, Eagles: $9.7MM
  3. Ray Rice, Ravens: $8.75MM
  4. Arian Foster, Texans: $8.5MM
  5. Matt Forte, Bears: $7.9MM

Wide receiver:

  1. Mike Wallace, Dolphins: $17.25MM
  2. Andre Johnson, Texans: $15.645MM
  3. Percy Harvin, Seahawks: $13.4MM
  4. Calvin Johnson, Lions: $13.058MM
  5. Vincent Jackson, Buccaneers: $12.432MM

Tight end:

  1. Jason Witten, Cowboys: $8.412MM
  2. Marcedes Lewis, Jaguars: $8.25MM
  3. Greg Olsen, Panthers: $7.8MM
  4. Antonio Gates, Chargers: $7.363MM
  5. Vernon Davis, 49ers: $7.343MM

Tackle:

  1. Joe Thomas, Browns: $12.3MM
  2. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Jets: $11.699MM
  3. Russell Okung, Seahawks: $11.24MM
  4. Trent Williams, Redskins: $10.98MM
  5. Jake Long, Rams: $9.25MM

Guard:

  1. Jahri Evans, Saints: $11MM
  2. Logan Mankins, Patriots: $10.5MM
  3. Carl Nicks, Buccaneers: $9.357MM
  4. Ben Grubbs, Saints: $9.1MM
  5. Andy Levitre, Titans: $8.6MM

Center:

  1. Alex Mack, Browns: $10MM
  2. David Baas, Giants: $8.225MM
  3. Ryan Kalil, Panthers: $7.284MM
  4. Nick Mangold, Jets: $7.227MM
  5. Chris Myers, Texans: $7MM

Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Vernon Davis Looking For New Contract

May 29th, 2014 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Alex Boone isn’t the only player absent from the 49ers’ offseason workouts as he seeks a new contract. According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, tight end Vernon Davis is also hoping for a new deal, and isn’t in attendance at the Niners’ workout program due to dissatisfaction with his current contract.

Davis has two years left in a five-year extension he signed back in 2010, which had a total value of $36.75MM. The $7.35MM per-year figure on that deal continues to make the 30-year-old one of the highest-paid players at his position. Only Rob Gronkowski ($9MM) and Jason Witten ($7.4MM) have higher annual values on their contracts, though Jimmy Graham figures to join that group if he and the Saints reach a long-term agreement.

Still, Davis’ current contract was structured so that it included a significant chunk of money in the form of a signing bonus as well as roster bonuses and workout bonuses. His actual base salaries for 2014 and 2015, which are non-guaranteed, are only $4.7MM and $4.35MM respectively. The standout tight end may be worthy of a little raise, or at least a new deal that includes more upfront guarantees, but he’s not significantly underpaid, and the Niners may have more pressing contract concerns, including a new deal for Boone and extensions for Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, and Mike Iupati.

While the current workout program is voluntary and there are no mandatory workouts on the Niners’ schedule until late June, Davis will lose his $200K workout bonus for 2014 by not attending the program, so the situation is worth monitoring over the next few weeks.

Load More Posts