2014 July - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Sign Phillip Tanner

July 29th, 2014 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have added another running back to their roster, signing former Cowboy Phillip Tanner, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter). Linebacker Jonathon Sharpe has also signed with the Colts, who had two open roster spots, meaning no corresponding moves to clear room will be necessary.

Tanner, who turns 26 next week, has spent his first three seasons in Dallas, accumulating 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 56 carries during that stretch, along with 93 receiving yards on nine catches. The Middle Tennessee State product, who worked out for the Seahawks last week, also contributed on special teams in 2013.

Running back has become an area of need for the Colts, who lost Vick Ballard to a season-ending Achilles injury, and cut Chris Rainey yesterday due to a violation of the team’s rules. Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw still project to be Indianapolis’ top options in the 2014 season, but Tanner should have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot further down on the depth chart.

AFC Notes: Gordon, Hoyer, Broncos, Bills

July 29th, 2014 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Gordon‘s appeal hearing is scheduled to take place this Friday, and the Browns receiver appears to have a pretty decent case for having his suspension reduced from the looming one-year penalty, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. Florio goes into detail on Gordon’s failed test, which only constituted a failure by the narrowest of margins, and which the wideout would have passed had the “A” and “B” labels on his two urine samples been flipped.

It’ll be interesting to see what the NFL decides on Gordon, especially after Roger Goodell and the league came under so much scrutiny for what was viewed as a light punishment for Ray Rice. As we wait to see how the case plays out, let’s check in on a few items from across the AFC, including one more note out of Cleveland….

The Browns and quarterback Brian Hoyer haven’t had any discussions about a contract extension since exchanging numbers earlier in the offseason, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that perhaps if Cleveland were to include bonuses or incentives based on team or individual performance, something could get done, but that’s not all that likely. Hoyer’s agent suggested a month ago that he and his client would probably wait to see how the season played out, perhaps re-assessing the situation in November or later.
While an incumbent option like Ronnie Hillman or C.J. Anderson might win the No. 2 running back job for the Broncos behind starter Montee Ball, that role could ultimately be assumed by a player plucked off waivers before the season starts, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
Donald Trump will submit a bid in an attempt to purchase the Bills, but he doesn’t expect his bid to be the winner, as he tells Fox News. Meanwhile, Jon Bon Jovi isn’t making many friends in Buffalo by having aligned himself with Toronto-based investors, writes Eric Edelson of Yahoo! Sports.
With this afternoon’s deadline for initial bids on the Bills approaching, New York Senator Charles E. Schumer said today in a statement that he has spoken to several prospective owners who would be committed to keeping the team in Western New York. Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News has the details and quotes.
Asked by Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (TwitLonger link) about the pay cut he took this offseason, Patriots defensive lineman Tommy Kelly said he didn’t mind reworking his deal, since the changes weren’t too drastic. “Coach asked me for a favor and I obliged,” Kelly said. “I didn’t have no problem with it. At this point in my career, I’ve made a whole lot of money. Money ain’t the problem.”

Seahawks Sign Eric Winston

July 29th, 2014 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 1:07pm: Winston’s one-year contract is worth just over $1MM, including a $60K signing bonus and a $100K bonus if he’s on the 53-man roster in Week 1, tweets Brian McIntyre.

TUESDAY, 11:56am: In addition to confirming the signings of Thomas and Winston, the Seahawks have also added wideout Randall Carroll to the roster, the club announced today in a press release. To make room for the three new additions, the Seahawks have waived cornerback Chandler Fenner and offensive guard Bronson Irwin, and placed receiver Taylor Price on their IR.

9:32am: The president of the NFLPA has found a job, as Eric Winston has reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Seahawks, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The veteran offensive tackle confirmed the news himself, tweeting, “Season finally starts for me today! Looking forward to chasing a ring with the Seahawks!! Time go to work!”

Winston, 30, has been one of the league’s most durable linemen over the last few years, starting all 16 of his teams’ games in Houston, Kansas City, and – most recently – Arizona in each of the last seven seasons. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the former third-round pick ranked as just the 69th-best tackle out of 76 qualified players last season. However, that may have been an aberration, considering Winston recorded consistently positive grades in every year leading up to 2013.

It’s not clear whether Winston will become a starter this season in Seattle and keep that streak alive, but as Tom Pelissero of USA Today notes (via Twitter), the Seahawks’ right tackle position is currently up in the air, following the departure of Breno Giacomini in free agency. Second-year player Michael Bowie and rookie Justin Britt are among the other contenders for the RT spot.

According to Pelissero, the agreement between Winston and the Seahawks just came together within the last couple days. Financial terms of the pact aren’t yet known. Additionally, by our count, Seattle had a full 90-man roster prior to reaching deals with Winston and Terrell Thomas, so a pair of corresponding roster moves should be necessary to make the two signings official.

NFC Notes: Harbaugh, Peterson, Packers

July 29th, 2014 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked about Alex Boone‘s holdout and Vernon Davis‘ near-holdout, as well as his own contract situation, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh took the opportunity to set the record straight regarding rumors about his deal with the Niners, in a conversation with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.

“I signed my 10th contract in the National Football League in 2011, so I understand contracts,” Harbaugh said. “I understand how contracts work, and what they are there for. I also know that I work at the pleasure of the San Francisco 49ers organization and at the pleasure of the York Family. And I am paid extremely well – which I am most grateful for – and I am very proud to be part of this organization. For the record, I have never asked to be the highest-paid coach in football. I have never asked to be paid like a Super Bowl-winning coach. I have never asked for more power. Nor has anybody asked for those things on my behalf, which anybody in this organization can attest to, and all the focus will be on the 2014 season and achieving our goals of the team.”

Harbaugh’s comments seem to be directly reference an early-June report which suggested that contract talks between the Niners and their head coach had reached an impasse. While further discussions may still be on hold, it doesn’t sound as if Harbaugh is unhappy with his situation, which figures to be addressed after the 2014 season.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Cardinals GM Steve Keim and cornerback Patrick Peterson both appear committed to working out a long-term extension sooner rather than later, with Keim indicating the team has had “great talks” with agent Joel Segal, and Peterson saying the two sides are in “pretty heated negotiations.” Still, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today writes, no template has been set yet for how to account for the 2015 options for 2011 first-rounders when negotiating their second contracts.
After speaking to “key people” within the Packers‘ organization, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com came away more convinced than ever that general manager Ted Thompson has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com takes a look at Jordan Gross’ somewhat surprising decision to retire after the 2013 season, and how the longtime Panthers tackle is transitioning into his post-playing career.
The Vikings are bringing in prominent criminal attorney Ted Wells, who headed the report on the Dolphins’ bullying scandal, to work on settlement talks for the Chris Kluwe investigation, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Seahawks Sign Terrell Thomas

July 29th, 2014 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 11:54am: The Seahawks have officially signed Thomas, per a team release.

MONDAY, 4:53pm: It’ll be a one-year deal for Thomas with the Seahawks, per Caplan (via Twitter).

4:32pm: The Seahawks have reached an agreement on a contract with free agent cornerback Terrell Thomas, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan had reported earlier in the afternoon that Thomas was drawing interest from the team, while Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports added that he thought a deal was done (Twitter links).

Thomas, a former second-round pick, spent the first six seasons of his NFL career in New York with the Giants. However, he was sidelined for two of those years – 2011 and 2012 – after suffering consecutive ACL injuries. The 29-year-old returned to the field in 2013 and was active in all 16 games for the Giants, making seven starts and logging 588 defensive snaps, though he expressed concern in June that teams were wary about signing him because of his injury history.

By signing in Seattle, Thomas, who reportedly worked out for the Patriots and Raiders earlier in the offseason, will be reunited with his former head coach at USC, Pete Carroll.

Browns Notes: Hoyer, Cameron, Farmer, WRs

July 29th, 2014 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

Jason La Canfora’s latest dispatch for CBSSports.com as he tours various training camps comes from out of Berea, Ohio, after his trip to Browns camp. Leading off his column, La Canfora explores the competition between Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel, writing that Hoyer has surprisingly looked faster and more nimble than the highly-touted rookie. While Manziel still has time to make up ground, everything that La Canfora has seen and heard so far suggests to him that Hoyer should keep his job as the starter heading into the regular season.

Let’s dive into the rest of La Canfora’s piece and round up the highlights….

There have been extension talks between Jordan Cameron and the Browns, but the two sides aren’t close to anything. La Canfora hears that the Browns’ offers were in the $5-6MM per year range, so it’s possible Kyle Rudolph signing a deal worth about $7MM annually with the Vikings will help boost the team’s offer and accelerate discussions. According to La Canfora, Cameron admitted that he’d had a look at the numbers on Rudolph’s deal.
La Canfora praised general manager Ray Farmer, who has installed a diverse collection of front office executives around him since being promoted to GM earlier this year. “We definitely made some changes,” Farmer said. “I think we have a good mix now. We added some folks – older guys who have a depth of experience – and guys that have a lot of history in this league. Those guys will be beneficial, as well as the young guys who are eager to grow and learn. So we are in a position where we can share ideas and learn together and hopefully improve the Browns.”
Expect the Browns to be as active as any team exploring wide receiving options on the waiver wire this years, according to La Canfora, who adds that he wouldn’t be surprised if the team pursues Montreal Alouettes standout Duron Carter (the son of Cris Carter) once the CFL season is complete.
In La Canfora’s view, the battle in the backfield between free agent signee Ben Tate and rookie third-rounder Terrance West will be much more competitive than the QB competition. If West continues to make strides in pass protection, he has the ability to make an impact immediately.

Lions Notes: Fairley, Houston, Suh, Leshoure

July 29th, 2014 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

The big news out of Detroit yesterday was the team’s decision to postpone extension negotiations with star defender Ndamukong Suh until after the 2014 season. Despite the added uncertainty at the defensive tackle position now that contract talks with Suh have been tabled, the Lions don’t regret their decision to decline Nick Fairley‘s option for 2015, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.

“Two totally different situations, two totally different players,” said general manager Martin Mayhew. “Neither one affects the other. They play the same position, that’s the only similarity between the two of them.”

Here’s more on the Lions:

Mayhew tells Birkett that the Lions are “shopping for everything,” and are always talking to people around the league about possible trades or ways to upgrade their roster. The GM specifically identified the secondary as “a place we need to look.”
As Birkett tweets, the Lions believe that Chris Houston, whom the team released earlier this offseason, is probably done, or at least won’t recapture his previous form, due to health issues. In the Free Press piece linked above, Mayhew acknowledges that the Lions could have approached the offseason differently if they’d known the extent of Houston’s health issues earlier.
Birkett and John Niyo of the Detroit News both recapped the Suh developments from yesterday, conveying the idea that the Lions remain optimistic about getting a deal done, despite not being able to guarantee that the standout defensive tackle won’t hit the open market in March.
Having slid down the team’s running back depth chart in recent years, Mikel Leshoure was asked on Monday if he’d prefer to move on if he isn’t getting regular touches for the Lions. “I feel like I’ll get a role somewhere,” LeShoure said, suggesting that could happen in Detroit or elsewhere. “So I’m going to think about that right now“(link via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com).

Monday Roundup: Gaffney, Suh, Bills

July 28th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up some links from around the league to close out this Monday night:

The Panthers waived-injured sixth-round draft pick Tyler Gaffney on Sunday, hoping they could sneak him past waivers and put him on IR after he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Friday. However, the Patriots thwarted those hopes by claiming Gaffney earlier today. Of course, the Panthers could have kept Gaffney on the 90-man camp roster, but, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes, Carolina GM Dave Gettleman noted that the team needed that roster spot for another running back (who turned out to be Fozzy Whittaker). In response to the Patriots’ acquiring Gaffney, a move that breaks one of the league’s many “unwritten rules,” Gettleman replied, “It’s business.”
During a brief, almost impromptu session with the media earlier today, Lions‘ defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh did not offer any real explanation as to why extension talks with the team have been tabled, nor did he say much about his long-term plans, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Suh merely reiterated yet again that he wants to remain a Lion. See Birkett’s article and our own Luke Adams’ post from earlier this afternoon for more details on the Suh dilemma.
Mike Sando of ESPN.com (subscription required) offers his thoughts as to how the Seahawks can keep their title window open once quarterback Russell Wilson inevitably gets a new deal that will pay him many times what he currently earns.
Albert Breer of NFL.com writes that the Saints are entering 2014 with tremendous confidence, despite their jettisoning of veteran stalwarts like Roman Harper and Will Smith and their increased reliance on their young talent on both sides of the football.
Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes that the bidding process to buy the Bills begins Tuesday.
Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes that Donald Trump will bid on the Bills, but Trump says his chances of becoming the franchise’s next owner are “very, very unlikely.”
Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets that Raiders‘ receiver Rod Streater has been diagnosed with a concussion.
Matt Bowen of the Chicago Tribune gives the early edge in the Bears‘ backup quarterback battle to Jimmy Clausen. He also notes that defensive tackle Lamarr Houston and wideout Marquess Wilson have been impressive in camp thus far.
Liz Mullen of SportsBusinessJournal.com tweets that NFL agents Michael Perrett and Kevin McGuire have left SportsTrust Advisors to form their own firm.

Corry On Marshawn Lynch

July 28th, 2014 at 9:59pm CST by Rory Parks

We learned several days ago that the Seahawks do not intend–at the moment, anyway–to give holdout Marshawn Lynch a new contract. Instead, they are willing to reconfigure Lynch’s current deal, but they do not want to give him any additional money. After all, Lynch has two years remaining on his current contract, and the team does not want to set a bad precedent for future negotiations with other players.

Former NFL agent Joel Corry recently discussed Lynch’s situation on KJR-AM, and some of that discussion was passed along by Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Here are a few of the highlights:

Corry reiterated that the Seahawks are especially concerned about setting a precedent as a soft touch and as a team that is quick to rework its existing contracts.
He ultimately believes, however, that Lynch’s holdout will not be especially successful for him. Corry noted that former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew held out last season and ultimately reported to the team in September with nothing to show for his efforts other than a number of fines that Jacksonville later reduced. Corry believes Lynch is bound for the same type of frustration.
Corry adds that Lynch’s situation is not comparable to that of Jamaal Charles — Charles recently signed an extension with the Chiefs, but was actually underpaid, and plays on a team without a viable alternative at running back.
As a way to make peace with Lynch without setting a negative precedent by giving him additional money, Corry suggested that Seattle could convert some of his roster bonuses into base salary, or the team could guarantee part of Lynch’s 2015 salary and pro-rate it over two years. Or, since Sidney Rice‘s retirement freed up $500K, the Seahawks could simply find a way to give that money to Lynch.
However, Corry believes that no such alternative is likely to be taken anytime soon, as the Seahawks want to demonstrate that they are willing to take a hardline stance in negotiations, even with key contributors like Lynch.
Finally, Corry concludes that the holdout will likely not be resolved before mid-to-late August, as potential injuries to the other running backs on the roster, or the performance of those backs, could alter the leverage of one of the parties involved.

Minor Moves: Monday

July 28th, 2014 at 8:40pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up the day’s minor transactions from around the NFL right here, with additional moves listed at the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening:

The Colts have waived WR Aaron Burks, tweets Craig Kelley of Colts.com.

Earlier updates:

Guard Cody White and receiver Alan Bonner have been placed on the Texans’ injured reserve list after being waived/injured, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
The Bills have removed linebacker Darrin Kitchens from their injured reserve list with an injury settlement, reports Wilson (Twitter link).
Rookie defensive lineman Kalonji Kashama has been waived by the Lions, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
The Giants have replaced one offensive lineman with another, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, tweeting that the team claimed Mark Asper off waivers from the Bills and dropped Demarcus Love.
The Browns have waived kicker Jake Rogers, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Broncos now have three open roster spots after waiving tackle Aslam Sterling with a left squad designation, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
In addition to their move noted below, the Dolphins have also signed offensive tackle Tony Hills and waived wideout Gerald Ford, the club confirmed today (via Twitter).
The Chiefs have signed South Alabama cornerback Damond Smith, the team announced today (via Twitter). By our count, Kansas City was already carrying 90 players, so a corresponding move figures to be made at some point today.
The Raiders have filled the open spot on the roster by signing safety Jeremy Deering, who also returned kicks at Rutgers, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
Former Buccaneers defensive back Anthony Gaitor has re-signed with the club, joining Michigan defensive tackle Jibreel Black as Tampa Bay’s new additions, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter), undrafted rookies Brendan Bigelow (RB) and Quintin Payton (WR) have been waived to make room for the incoming players.
The Browns have waived offensive lineman Chris Faulk, who was coming off a major ACL injury, according to Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (via Twitter).
Offensive lineman Michael Philipp, who signed with the Dolphins two months ago, has been cut by the club, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.