HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Chiefs Sign 14 To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 5:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs announced the signings of 14 players to futures contracts earlier today. Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star:

All of the players came from KC’s practice squad, with the exception of Hus, Sherrod, Feigt, and Ware. Defensive tackle Loni Fangupo and wide receiver Corbin Louks were the lone members of the taxi squad that were not signed to futures deals.

Dolphins Sign Six To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins signed a half dozen players to reserve/futures contracts today, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (via Twitter):

All six players were previously on Miami’s taxi squad. The only player left out was wide receiver L’Damian Washington, who joined the practice squad in early December.

Rams Sign Seven To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Rams announced that they have signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts. Here’s the full list, courtesy of USA Today’s Howard Balzer (on Twitter)..

All seven of the signees above were previously on St. Louis’ practice squad. Two members of the Rams’ taxi squad, defensive tackle Matt Conrath and tight end Brad Smelley, were not signed.

Cowboys Place Henry Melton On IR

December 30th, 2014 at 5:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have placed Henry Melton on injured reserve, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com (via Twitter). To take his place on the roster, Dallas has signed linebacker James Anderson.

Melton has a serious bone bruise bordering on a fracture, according to a source that spoke with Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter). The defensive tackle signed a one-year with Dallas last offseason worth up to $5MM based on whether he could hit certain performance bonuses. Beyond that, the deal gives Dallas an option in this upcoming offseason that could tack on another three years to the lineman’s deal. If he remains on the roster through the first day of the 2015 league year, a three-year extension worth $8MM annually and $9MM guaranteed will kick in. If the injury isn’t more serious than what it’s currently believed to be, then it’s a mortal lock that he’ll remain on the roster.

Anderson, 31, was cut loose by the Falcons on Christmas Eve. He started all 16 games last season for the Bears, with Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) ranking him 33rd out of 35 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers. That poor grade was due in large part to subpar performance against the run — he was one of the league’s more effective linebackers in pass coverage. Still, he didn’t see any time on defense during an earlier stint this season in Tennessee, appearing exclusively on special teams, and during his time with Atlanta, he didn’t see the field at all.

Raiders Sign Nine Players To Reserve Deals

December 30th, 2014 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raiders announced today in a press release that they have signed nine players to reserve/futures contracts. One of those nine players – running back Terrance Cobb – broke word of his signing earlier in the day, but the other eight are new names. Here are the rest:

Six of the Raiders’ signees finished the 2014 season on the team’s practice squad — Cobb, Gallon, and Schwenke did not.

Jordan Phillips To Enter Draft

December 30th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has decided to forgo his remaining two years of college eligibility and enter the 2015 NFL draft, he announced today on Twitter.

“To Sooner Nation thank you for a great four years at the best university in America,” Phillips wrote. “After a thorough but difficult decision I have decided to enter the 2015 NFL draft. Thanks for your support through everything.”

Phillips, a redshirt sophomore, was a disruptive force in the middle of the Sooners’ defensive line this season, starting all 13 of the team’s games and recording 32 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Projecting a potential NFL nose tackle, Phillips is ranked as the eighth-best defensive tackle prospect, according to WalterFootball.com. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweeted earlier today that he has a first-round grade on Phillips.

Texans Sign 10 To Futures Contracts

December 30th, 2014 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have locked up nine players to reserve/futures contracts for the 2015 season, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Here are the players who inked new deals with the club:

Eight of the nine players signed by the Texans finished the season on the team’s practice squad. Labhart was the lone player who wasn’t on the taxi squad at season’s end, while two players who were a part of the unit – quarterback Ricky Stanzi and guard Alex Kupper – have yet to sign new deals.

Meanwhile, the Texans haven’t made an official announcement regarding his status, but agent David Canter tweeted that his client, defensive end Tevita Finau, has also signed a futures deal with the team, making it 10 overall signings for Houston.

Giants Notes: Coughlin, JPP, Fewell, Eli

December 30th, 2014 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Giants co-owner John Mara, head coach Tom Coughlin, and general manager Jerry Reese all spoke to reporters today in New York, and touched on a few notable topics along the way. Here’s a round-up of some of the highlights from the presser, via Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (all Twitter links):

John Mara:

  • Mara stressed that he still believes in Coughlin, Reese, and the rest of the staff, despite disappointing results on the field in the last two seasons.
  • While Mara said the fates of the coaching assistants will ultimately be Coughlin’s decision, he conceded that “the defense did not play well.”
  • The Giants typically won’t let a coach head into the final year of his contract without an extension, but Mara hasn’t yet decided whether or not he’ll extend Coughlin’s deal, which expires after the 2015 campaign. Asked if ’15 would be a “win or else” season for Coughlin and others, Mara said he didn’t consider that an unfair stance.
  • Mara admitted that after the team’s loss to the Jaguars earlier in the season, he wanted to “fire everybody.”
  • Mara would be “very surprised” if Jason Pierre-Paul isn’t a Giant next season. While he cautioned that the price would have to be right, the Giants co-owner acknowledged that the franchise tag will be an option for retaining JPP.

Tom Coughlin:

  • Asked about the job security of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, Coughlin said he’s “evaluating everything,” but also strongly defended the embattled DC. Asked if he felt like players responded to Fewell, Coughlin replied, “Yes, I do.”
  • Vacchiano notes that it doesn’t sound as if Coughlin wants to fire either Fewell or special teams coordinator Tom Quinn — the head coach was “very defensive” of both.
  • Coughlin was noncommittal about how long he intends to continue coaching, joking that he thinks he has at least another decade left in him.

Jerry Reese:

  • The GM suggested that he thinks the Giants are heading in the right direction and “could have a really good football team going into next year.”
  • After spending aggressively in free agency in 2014, Reese said the team doesn’t plan to take the same approach in 2015.
  • Discussing Coughlin, Reese said, “You can tell quickly if a team’s not going to play for a coach. That never happened.”

Here are a few more Giants-related links from the last 24 hours:

  • Eli Manning is ready to discuss a contract extension, but isn’t necessarily making it a priority, and will defer to the team, as he tells Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
  • Giants quarterback coach Danny Langsdorf will leave after one season in New York to accept a job as the offensive coordinator for Nebraska, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • Declining to talk about his contract status, Pierre-Paul indicated that he wasn’t going to make any promises about returning to the Giants as he nears free agency, per George Willis of the New York Post.
  • Asked about the possibility of the Giants replacing Fewell or other members of the defensive staff, cornerback Prince Amukamara said, “From what I am hearing I could see that happening” (link via Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News).

AFC East Notes: Jets, Lynn, Brady, Bills

December 30th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

As the AFC East’s only playoff team takes a week off before preparing to host its first postseason contest, let’s round up the latest notes from out of the division….

  • We can add an internal candidate to the Jets‘ list of potential head coaches, according to Kristian Dyer of Metro New York, who tweets that Anthony Lynn will interview for the position. Lynn, who has served as the team’s running backs coach and assistant head coach for the last three seasons under Rex Ryan, is likely being interviewed to help the Jets satisfy the terms of the Rooney Rule.
  • When it was first reported yesterday that Tom Brady had agreed to restructure his contract with the Patriots, it was presented as simply a matter of converting guaranteed salaries into salaries guaranteed for injury only, but that’s not the only change that was made to Brady’s deal. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains that the Pats also added $1MM to each of Brady’s base salaries for the next three seasons.
  • Brady’s willingness to rework his contract has been presented as a magnanimous gesture that will allow the Patriots to be more flexibility when they negotiate with other players, but Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com doesn’t quite see it that way. As Barnwell outlines, the fact that Brady essentially gave up his guaranteed money makes it easier for the Pats to part ways with the quarterback in the next three years. That could benefit Brady as well, since allowing the club to cut him without swallowing a ton of guaranteed money would allow him the freedom to pick his next destination in unrestricted free agency. Of course, presumably both sides would prefer for Brady to maintain his current high level of play for the next few seasons, allowing him to finish this contract without any drama.
  • With Kyle Orton retiring and E.J. Manuel likely not the long-term answer in Buffalo, John Kryk of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Bills could explore the trade market this offseason. In Kryk’s view, Robert Griffin III would make a better target for the Bills than Jay Cutler.

NFC Notes: Garrett, AP, Suh, Brees, Bucs

December 30th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys decision-makers Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have publicly lauded head coach Jason Garrett for his work this season in Dallas, suggesting that his job is safe, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says there’s “a school of thought in some league circles” that if the Cowboys get upset this weekend by the Lions, the team may not re-sign Garrett this offseason. In my opinion, leading this Cowboys team to a 12-win season will likely be enough to earn Garrett a new deal, but it’s a situation worth monitoring.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • As the Vikings wait for Adrian Peterson to potentially be reinstated in 2015, head coach Mike Zimmer said today that he’ll be “in [Peterson’s] corner” if he returns to the Vikings next season, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “Adrian was always great with me,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s a good person. I think obviously he’s a great running back and if it works out that way and things work out and he gets his life in order – that’s the most important thing, he gets his life in order, he gets the opportunity to come back – then I will be in his corner whatever the decision is made.”
  • Ndamukong Suh‘s latest “misstep” complicates his pending free agency, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who says the ramifications of the defensive tackle’s one-game suspension could make the Lions think long and hard about whether to sign Suh to a lucrative new multiyear pact.
  • Working out a contract extension similar to the one signed by Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2013 would be a win-win situation for Drew Brees and the Saints, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Brees still has two years left on his current deal, but tacking on a few extra years could give him some additional security and create some cap flexibility for New Orleans.
  • The Buccaneers spent big in free agency last offseason and it certainly didn’t translate to regular-season success. However, as Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune details, that doesn’t mean the Bucs will shy away from free agency in 2015.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes an early look at the Buccaneers‘ offseason, including the team’s projected cap space and the prospective free agents that should be let go or retained.
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