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Dolphins Sign Billy Turner

July 18th, 2014 at 5:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed third-round pick Billy Turner, agent Michael Hoffman tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With the signing, the Dolphins have signed all of their draft picks and there are now only two undrafted picks from the 2014 class in the entire NFL: Taylor Lewan (Titans) and Justin Gilbert (Browns).

Turner, 22, was pick No. 67 out of North Dakota State, where he started 56 games across four seasons. Though he played both left and right tackle in college, he will shift to guard in the NFL. Shelley Smith is probably safe as the Dolphins’ right guard, but Turner could push Dallas Thomas for snaps on the left side.

In Miami, Turner will be part of a totally revamped offensive line. Newly signed Branden Albert will start at left tackle, Thomas and Smith will man guard, and first-rounder Ju’Wuan James will handle right tackle. Center was supposed to be the Dolphins’ most stable position along the front five, but following Mike Pouncey‘s injury, Sam Brenner will likely hold down the spot until Pouncey returns.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Suh, Eagles, Packers

July 18th, 2014 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Commissioner Roger Goodell raised the idea of the 49ers and the Raiders possibly sharing Levi’s Stadium but one reader reminded Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News that such a plan would probably be unrealistic. The personal seat licenses that 49ers fans had to pay into entitles them to first dibs on events at the stadium, which certainly wouldn’t fly with the Raiders or their fans. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • Now that agent Jimmy Sexton has finished negotiating Jimmy Graham’s deal with the Saints, he can concentrate fully on a new deal for his other high-profile client, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press writes. Of course, that’s assuming the two sides want to hammer out a new contract. Earlier this week, Justin Rogers of MLive.com wrote that Detroit still wants to work out an extension with Suh this offseason and suggested that a five-year, $63MM deal could make sense.
  • John Clayton of ESPN.com looks at ten under-the-radar camp battles going on, including the Eagles‘ logjam at outside linebacker. Brandon Graham, a former first-round pick from the Andy Reid era, could be on the outside looking in when all is said and done.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com takes a crack at predicting the Packers‘ 53-man roster. Demovsky projects tight ends Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, and Ryan Taylor to make the roster, but undrafted rookie Colt Lyeria is a wild card that could shake things up. McCarthy has also carried five TEs in the past.
  • Some people have questioned whether Falcons rookie Jake Matthews has the physical strength to succeed at the next level, but his father Bruce Matthews isn’t concerned in the least, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “Floyd Reese, he was our GM when I was with the Tennessee Titans,” the elder Matthews explained, “and we drafted a guy — it might have been my last year — and Floyd goes, ‘This kid bench-presses like 700 pounds.’ And I go, ‘Damn, it’s a shame you can’t play with a bench on your back.'”‘

AFC Notes: Tebow, Watt, Jaguars, Ware, Bills

July 18th, 2014 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Tim Tebow, who has been frequently linked to the Jaguars over the years, purchased a $1.4MM home in Jacksonville, according to Andrew Thurlow of the Jacksonville Business Journal. Of course, the Jaguars have their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles and there is zero indication that they’d be interested in bringing Tebow aboard, who last played in the NFL in 2012. But, if they ever want to audition a backup, the former Florida QB will be a hop, skip, and a jump away. Here’s more out of the AFC..

  • With speculation that a new deal for Texans defensive end J.J. Watt could get a contract extension in the ballpark of $23MM per year, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a stab at what kind of contract the disruptive DE could fetch. Ultimately, Fitzgerald concludes that a four year contract worth $57.6MM could make sense for both sides. As the Texans are going through a remake of their roster, it could make both football sense and PR sense to hammer out a new deal with Watt this year.
  • Jaguars coach Gus Bradley expects the club’s offense to be more balanced this year. Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union says that new RB Toby Gerhart will be a huge key towards making that happen.
  • Thanks in part to cupping therapy, new Broncos defensive end DeMarcus Ware says that he’s feeling great, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I feel better than I did the last two years going into the season,” Ware said. “Stronger, faster. I feel flexible.”
  • The Bills have waived wide receiver Cordell Robinson and cornerback Darius Robinson, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Patriots re-signed wide receiver Derrick Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).

49ers Extend Joe Staley Through 2019

July 18th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 3:00pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) has the goods on Staley’s contract. The deal adds two option years for a total of $18.8MM and can be worth $23.2MM if he hits certain incentives. The Niners have to decide on Staley’s $6MM option for 2018 on April 1st, 2015 and will decide on the $4MM option for 2019 on April 1st, 2016. The base salaries for both years comes out to $4.8MM (link).

THURSDAY, 4:29pm: The 49ers have added two extra years to left tackle Joe Staley‘s contract, locking him up through the 2019 season, the team announced today in a press release. The offensive lineman’s previous deal ran through 2017.

“In today’s NFL, it is rare for a player to play his entire career with one team,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “With this extension, Joe will likely be a 49er for life. He is a three-time All-Pro and core member of our football team. His commitment and professionalism have been great assets to our team and our community. This extension reflects our philosophy of investing in our core players.”

Staley, who turns 30 next month, has started all 98 games he has played for the Niners since entering the league in 2007, and has been the team’s starting left tackle since 2008. The former first-round pick has made the Pro Bowl in each of his last three seasons, and has ranked among the top five tackles in football in each of the last two years according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), including first overall in 2012.

While the Niners have a number of other extension candidates to potentially address, including Vernon Davis, Alex Boone, Mike Iupati, and – as I discussed earlier this afternoon – Michael Crabtree, the team had been mulling reworking Staley’s deal for some time. The veteran tackle had been slated to earn just $21.65MM over the next four years, so his new contract will likely come with some bonus money up front. We’ll have to wait for the official numbers to be reported, but the club could also use the new agreement to reduce Staley’s cap hit for this year or next, in order to create some extra flexibility for those other players seeking extensions.

Offseason In Review: Washington Redskins

July 18th, 2014 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 47) and a third-round pick (No. 78) from the Cowboys in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 34).
  • Acquired a sixth-round pick (No. 186) and a seventh-round pick (No. 228) from the Titans in exchange for a sixth-round pick (No. 178).

Draft picks:

  • Trent Murphy, LB, Stanford (2.47): Signed
  • Morgan Moses, OT, Virginia (3.66): Signed
  • Spencer Long, G, Nebraska (3.78): Signed
  • Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson (4.102): Signed
  • Ryan Grant, WR, Tulane (5.142): Signed
  • Lache Seastrunk, RB, Baylor (6.186): Signed
  • Ted Bolser, TE, Indiana (7.217): Signed
  • Zach Hocker, K, Arkansas (7.228): Signed

Other:

  • Hired Jay Gruden as head coach.
  • Promoted tight ends coach Sean McVay to offensive coordinator.
  • Exercised Ryan Kerrigan‘s fifth-year option for 2015 ($7.038MM).
  • U.S. Patent Office canceled Redskins trademark.
  • Tanard Jackson suspended indefinitely again.
  • Signed 14 rookie free agents after the draft.

Okay, so things didn’t go quite as planned in 2013 in the nation’s capital. The Redskins finished with their worst record since 1994, canned coach Mike Shanahan after four seasons, and waged what might be a losing PR battle against those who want them to change their nickname. In more ways than one, this is a team in search of its true identity."<strong

While John Gruden has been connected to multiple openings in recent years, but it was younger brother Jay Gruden who was hired to be a head coach in 2014. The former Bengals offensive coordinator and longtime arena football mainstay is also an ex-quarterback and the Redskins are hopeful that he’ll click with Robert Griffin III better than his predecessor did last season. The game is bigger than one person, but the Redskins won’t get far if Gruden can’t get RGIII back to his 2012 form.

Between the player-friendly Gruden and the arrival of former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, RGIII won’t have many excuses in 2014. After he was cut by Philly, the Redskins gave Jackson what amounts to a three-year pact worth ~$24MM, with $16MM fully guaranteed. The average annual value and guarantee are higher than what Eric Decker got from the Jets and shows how important it was for the Redskins to get another weapon in the passing game. Last year, Pierre Garcon led the league with 181 targets and many of those looks figure to transfer over to Jackson this season. Jackson should also pick up more attention from opposing secondaries, opening things up more for Garcon and others. The only person in D.C. who might not be thrilled about the arrival of Jackson might be fellow free agent addition Andre Roberts. Roberts was often overshadowed in Arizona by Larry Fitzgerald and, at times, Michael Floyd, and came to the Redskins in hopes of occupying the No. 2 WR role. Jackson’s arrival bumps him down the depth chart a bit and barring injury, there’s no way he’ll see the kind of target total he was hoping for. Impressively, the Redskins were able to add Jackson and Roberts to their receiving corps while losing only Dezmon Briscoe and Josh Morgan.

While Jackson and Gruden should bring change to the offense, the bulk of the Redskins’ change came on the other side of the football this offseason. The Redskins added defensive tackle Jason Hatcher on a four-year, $27.5MM deal. The 32-year-old was a valuable member of the Cowboys, recording 19.5 sacks on both the interior and exterior over the past three years. However, Dallas’ cap situation kept them from competing to retain his services. In support of defensive line starters Hatcher, Barry Coefield, and Jarvis Jenkins, the Redskins retained Chris Baker and added former Eagles lineman Clifton Geathers. Both players can play on the inside and outside, giving the Redskins additional versatility off the bench.

London Fletcher decided to hang ’em up after the 2013 season, but there’s still plenty of stability in the linebacking corps. The Redskins used the franchise tender on Brian Orakpo, giving him a fully guaranteed one-year, $11.45MM deal. The Redskins could have also worked out a new deal to lock him up for years to come, but that deadline came and went this week. Orakpo ranked fourth among 3-4 outside linebackers in 2013 according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Ryan Kerrigan, who was a Pro Bowler in 2012, will be back alongside him after the Redskins exercised his fifth-year option at just over $7MM. The 25-year-old turned in 8.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons and even though PFF’s metrics weren’t as kind to him in 2013 as they were in 2012, Kerrigan is still a force that can help put pressure on opposing QBs. Perry Riley will also be back in the fold after signing a three-year, $12MM ($5MM guaranteed) pact.

Longtime Redskins safety Reed Doughty is no longer with the team and a couple of notable veterans are slated to start at safety for the Skins this season. Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather both came aboard on highly reasonable one-year make-good deals. Meriweather, who re-signed for just $1MM, was the Redskins’ choice as they weren’t enamored with the second-tier safeties available on the open market. Playing free safety and strong safety for the Redskins in 2013, Meriweather logged 69 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 13 games. However, he ranked just 77th out of 86 qualified safeties according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Clark, who was Troy Polamalu‘s partner in crime in Pittsburgh for years, agreed to terms with Washington in early April. The 34-year-old had a career-high 104 tackles to go along with two interceptions in 2013 and Washington got him for just over $1MM when factoring in the signing bonus. Cornerback Tracy Porter, who appeared to be getting pretty cozy with the Giants, joined up with the Redskins following a strong year for Oakland. He’ll look to keep receivers in check with DeAngelo Hall, back on a four-year, $17MM deal, manning the other side of the field.

This wasn’t an offseason of tremendous on-the-field change for the Redskins, but what they needed more than anything was a new voice in the locker room and another offensive weapon. They got just that in Gruden and Jackson, respectively. Now it’s time for Washington to get back on track.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Brady, DeSean, Eagles

July 18th, 2014 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Many have been critical of the NFL’s Thursday night games, but Patriots coach Bill Belichick isn’t among them. Pats owner Robert Kraft says Belichick “likes the Thursday night games and would be happy to have more than one in a season,” writes Sam Galanis of NESN.com. Perhaps if Belichick was playing in the games rather than coaching them, he’d feel differently. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC East..

  • Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com writes that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is at a crossroads. While Curran says that Brady is far from finished, Belichick has openly acknowledged that rookie Jimmy Garoppolo was drafted with an eye on the future of the club’s QB position.
  • Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com finished their top-to-bottom rankings of every player on the Redskins and high-profile newcomer DeSean Jackson lands at the No. 2 spot, second only to Robert Griffin III. If the 27-year-old speedster stays healthy and focused, they write, he’ll add another dimension to an already talented offense. That speed was enough for Jackson to zoom past last year’s No. 1 target, Pierre Garcon (ranked No. 5).
  • Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine looks at Eagles‘ inside linebacker roster crunch. Najee Goode has the inside track on one of the backup spots while the other will likely come down to Jason Phillips, Jake Knott, and Emmanuel Acho and special teams will probably be the determining factor. Knott was an undrafted free agent last year and will miss the first four weeks of the season for violating the league’s PED policy. Phillips was signed last offseason to provide a special-teams boost, but tore his ACL during training camp. If he’s healthy, he could have the edge. If not, Acho could steal the spot.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Finnegan, Kouandjio

July 18th, 2014 at 10:36am CST by Zachary Links

Most people aren’t expecting big things from the Jets this offseason but coach Rex Ryan sees things differently. “I believe we’re better than that. I believe we’re a lot better than that,” Ryan told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “Eight and eight would be a hell of a disappointment for us. I’m just telling you that I believe this team is on the cusp of doing some special things. . . . I’m confident we will be a playoff team.” For a detailed look at what the Jets have done this offseason to try and improve, check out their Offseason In Review. Here’s more from the AFC East..

  • There are several camp sleepers that could help make Ryan’s vision come true for the Jets, as Seth Walder of the New York Daily News explains. Center Dalton Freeman, former Patriots cornerback and No. 33 overall pick Ras-I Dowling, and defensive end Kerry Hyder are among the sleepers who could make a big impact in 2014 if they’re on the roster.
  • Outside of top cornerback Brent Grimes, there are lots of question marks in the Dolphins‘ secondary, including new CB Cortland Finnegan, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel. Finnegan, whose 2013 season was cut short by a fractured orbital bone, was one of the league’s worst corners even before the injury, according to Pro Football Focus advanced metrics (subscription required). PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games.
  • Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News is keeping his eye on Bills second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio. The 6’7″, 325 pound lineman could potentially beat out Erik Pears for the job at right tackle and his readiness will largely dictate the club’s strength at tackle.

Jaguars Sign Second-Round Pick Marqise Lee

July 18th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Ben Levine

FRIDAY, 10:00am: The Jaguars announced (via Twitter) that Lee has signed his deal.

WEDNESDAY, 2:00pm: It took some time, but the Jaguars have finally signed all of their draft picks. The team has agreed to terms with second-round pick Marqise Lee, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union (via Twitter). John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets that the deal will be signed Friday, and O’Halloran adds on Twitter that the team’s rookies will report to camp on Monday.

It’s unclear why it’s took so long for Lee to get signed, but some have suggested that the projected first-round pick may have been looking to recoup some guaranteed money after falling to 39th overall. The former USC Trojan finished fourth in the Heisman voting in 2012, but he had an underwhelming 2013 season. Lee finished with 57 catches for 791 yards and four touchdowns.

With Lee now off the board, three rookies remained unsigned: first-round picks Taylor Lewan (Titans) and Justin Gilbert (Browns) and third-rounder Billy Turner (Dolphins).

AFC North Notes: Browns, Sheard, Austin

July 18th, 2014 at 9:07am CST by Zachary Links

It has been previously reported that Jabaal Sheard and the Browns have had preliminary talks on a new deal but agent Drew Rosenhaus indicated to reporters last night that the two sides have talked quite a bit. “What I can say is we’ve done some back and forth, so we’ve had some extensive negotiations,” said Rosenhaus, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “But I wouldn’t say anything is close at this time.” When asked if a new deal could be struck before the start of the season, Rosenhaus declined to give an answer. More out of the AFC North..

  • Browns newcomer Miles Austin is ready to go, writes John Kampf of The Morning Journal. New receivers Andrew Hawkins and Nate Burleson are expected to play large roles this year, but Cleveland could also use a healthy and productive Austin.
  • Veteran running back Justin Forsett, who was signed to a one-year, $730K contract in March, could play a key role for the Ravens if Ray Rice is suspended at the beginning of the season, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Forsett is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Jaguars where he played in just nine games and rushed for 31 yards on six carries before being placed on injured reserve thanks to a stress fracture and a turf toe injury.
  • Former Rams safety Darian Stewart, who signed a one-year, $1.3MM deal with the Ravens this offseason, is looking like the clear leader in a competition with Jeromy Miles and rookie Terrence Brooks, Wilson writes.

Extra Points: Holmgren, Gordon, 49ers

July 17th, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Holmgren indicated to Greg Bishop of MMQB that he’s leaving the door open to an NFL return. “I know guys who coached after 65. I thought I would. The more I’m moving away from it, it’s flattering when you get a call from somebody. It strokes your ego. Then you start to think, Hey, I could do that! I mean, I miss it. I miss the coaching. I miss it,” said the 66-year-old, before adding that he’s “semi-retired.” Holmgren was sacked as Browns president after a three year stint and he still has the itch to get back involved in football. Here’s more from around the league..

  • Josh Gordon‘s agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed that the appeal hearing for the Browns star regarding his drug suspension is coming up soon, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer.
  • The 49ers are set to move into Levi’s Stadium, but commissioner Roger Goodell indicated that they might not be the only tenants there. “Well, we have two pro teams in the Bay Area. Obviously, the stadium issue in Oakland’s going to have to be resolved, too,” Goodell said, writes Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. “We believe a new stadium is appropriate for the Raiders. They have to make that determination whether they’re in a new stadium in Oakland or whether they feel that it’s best to join this stadium. We’re working on that, and that’s one of the decisions they’ll have to make.”
  • There will be changes coming to the feedback system for college underclassmen, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com explains (based off of Albert Breer’s report). Underclassmen will now be given one of three grades: first-round, second-round, or neither, which is the equivalent of “stay in school.” In the past, underclassmen had been given five grades: 1) as high as the first round, 2) as high as the second round, 3) as high as the third round, 4) not in the first three rounds, and 5) not draftable.
  • Patriots owner Bob Kraft says the NFL should “work very hard” to have a team in London before the end of the decade, tweets Marc Sessler of NFL.com.
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