HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Cecil Shorts Visiting Texans

March 16th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent wideout Cecil Shorts spent the first four years of his NFL career in Jacksonville, and now he appears to be mulling the possibility of joining another AFC South team. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Shorts is paying a visit to the Texans.

While the two sides aren’t on the verge of any sort of contract agreement at this point, a positive visit in Houston for Shorts could ultimately lead to a deal. The Texans are in the market for a veteran wideout to complement DeAndre Hopkins after having parted ways with Andre Johnson earlier this month. With Johnson having signed with the Colts and Shorts considering the Texans, the AFC South could be undergoing a wide receiver version of musical chairs this month.

In a follow-up tweet, McClain notes that he expects Houston to add a veteran receiver via free agency and then to draft a wideout in the first two rounds this spring as well, with a focus on speed. Although Shorts’ yards per catch averaged dipped to just 10.5 in 2014, he served as a deep threat for the Jaguars earlier in his career, racking up 979 yards and seven touchdowns on only 55 receptions in his first season as a starter in 2012.

The Jets and Chargers have also been mentioned as potential suitors for Shorts.

King’s Latest: Peterson, Hardy, Winston

March 16th, 2015 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

After publishing a Wednesday Morning Quarterback last week to recap a crazy first day of NFL free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com returns to his usual Monday Morning Quarterback piece this week, and the latest installment includes several noteworthy tidbits from around the league. Let’s round up the highlights….

  • Addressing a report about the Cardinals‘ possible interest in Adrian Peterson, King cites a “reliable Cardinals source” who indicates Arizona hasn’t had any contact with the Vikings about Peterson. “There is no way we could live with those numbers,” the source said, referring to the three years and $45MM left on the running back’s contract. “We just got Larry Fitzgerald’s contract under control. No way we’d add that salary.”
  • One general manager tells King that Greg Hardy is on his club’s free agent list, “but pretty far down.” Many teams believe the veteran defensive end will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season.
  • Jameis Winston isn’t currently planning to attend the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago, preferring to spend it with family and friends down south, says King.
  • King thinks a team like the Falcons or Buccaneers would be a nice fit for free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney.
  • The Jets likely would have blown any rival offer for Darrelle Revis out of the water, so even if the Patriots had been willing to get into the neighborhood of New York’s five-year, $70MM proposal, the Jets probably would’ve just upped the ante.
  • The Cowboys started out at a $5MM-per-year price tag for DeMarco Murray, and were willing to stretch that to $6MM annually, but never considered matching the Eagles‘ final offer, which got up to $8MM+.

NFLPA Re-Elects DeMaurice Smith

March 16th, 2015 at 7:50am CST by Luke Adams

Despite a crowded field that featured eight challengers, reigning executive director DeMaurice Smith was re-elected by the NFL Players Association last night in Hawaii by the league’s team player reps, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). The decision ensures that Smith gets another three-year term heading the NFLPA.

Outside of Smith, Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, Robert Griffith, Rob London, Art McAfee, John Stufflebeam, Andrew Smith and Jason Belser were also vying for the union’s executive director position. Belser, who has worked under Smith as part of the NFLPA in recent years, was viewed as perhaps the strongest challenger.

Nonetheless, one executive committee member, veteran safety Ryan Clark, tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that the vote to re-elect Smith was unanimous on the first ballot. Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) pushes back on that report, suggesting that the first vote wasn’t unanimous, with the player reps re-voting to exhibit solidarity. Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that Smith at least got the majority he needed for re-election during the first round of voting, so it wasn’t a contentious process.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement is widely considered to be more owner-friendly than player-friendly, which made Smith vulnerable to challengers. However, with nine candidates in the running for the position, the field may have been slightly diluted, pushing players to align themselves with the candidate they knew best, rather than rallying around another contender.

Smith’s candidacy may also have received a bit of a boost in the wake of some of the lucrative free agent contracts signed by players within the last several days.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Housler, Peterson, Johnson

March 15th, 2015 at 10:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers came into the offseason with holes at wide receiver, running back, and defensive line. General manager Trent Baalke filled each one of those holes during the first week of free agency, and will now be able to go into the NFL draft with his options open, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

“When you get pigeonholed like that, other teams can maneuver, if they need to, to get ahead of you,” Baalke said last week. “So you’re always trying to get into that draft with the mindset that nobody can lock you in and say, ‘Boy, they’ve got to take this (position).’ Or, ‘They’ve got to take this position.’ You’re trying to get into it with the idea of we can go wherever we want to go and feel pretty good about it.”

  • The Falcons will be on the board with the eighth pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and former NFL executive Bill Polian expects the team to select a pass rusher, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s probably the strength of this draft,” Polian said Wednesday. “So, it is a good time to be in that market. The odds are pretty good, I think, that somebody good in that position is going to be there for (the Falcons). That’s what you like to have. You like for the need line and the talent line to cross.”
  • Former Cardinals tight end Rob Housler had a visit with the Falcons, but nothing has come of it so far. The team has not yet agreed to terms with the 6’5″ pass catcher, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • As the Cardinals remain a logical trade partner with the Vikings for Adrian Peterson, Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post writes that the two sides have been informally chatting about potential deals (via Twitter). Schultz writes that the parameters currently involve Peterson and a seventh-round pick for the Cardinals second-round pick. He also notes that the Cardinals, not the often linked Cowboys, are Peterson’s team of choice.
  • Safety Jeron Johnson is visiting with Washington tomorrow, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Caplan expects the former Seahawks safety to start if he signs there. After backing up Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor for 46 games over the past four years, both Caplan and Matt Williamson agree that Johnson could be a great value in free agency (via Twitter).

Vince Wilfork Visiting With Texans

March 15th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is visiting with the Texans in Houston, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 (via Twitter).

The Texans are in need of a veteran nose tackle and Wilfork would be their top choice, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

Wilfork was effective during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, grading out as 13th best defensive end in the league by Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Wilfork is known more as a defensive tackle, and although he has the versatility to shift outside, that would be the role he is likely to play should he land in Houston.

Houston struggled on the interior of its defensives line in 2014, with Ryan Pickett and Jerrell Powe both grading out poorly as defensive tackle, ranking 65th and 76th out of the 81 players to line up for 25% of their teams snaps at the position (subscription).

McClain also points out the connection Wilfork has with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, with whom he won a Super Bowl as a rookie in 2004. McClain knows there are still a few teams interested, and that Wilfork is not close to making a decision (via Twitter). The Patriots are among those teams, and are reportedly interested in bringing him back.

AFC East Notes: Johnson, Revis, Gachkar, Clay

March 15th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Patriots have been targeting wide receiver Stevie Johnson since his release from the 49ers, and we learned yesterday that Johnson would be visiting the team on Monday. Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com believes that could be the last visit Johnson takes, saying the team “find a way to make sure he sticks around.” 

“He is only 28-years-old, 6’2″ a little under 200 pounds, absolutely electric in getting off the line of scrimmage and making people miss,” said Curran. “What happened last year at San Francisco you wonder? That’s a horrible passing game. I talked to our collegue Matt Maiocco with CSN Bay Area, and he said the only guy that could be satisfied out there was Anquan Boldin.”

AFC West Links: Raiders, Broncos, Hardy

March 15th, 2015 at 7:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

Raiders safety Charles Woodson is excited about what the team was able to do in free agency, despite the lack of one huge signing, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com.

“There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” said Woodson. “But at the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth. So you bring in guys that are possibly starters, that will compete for a starting job, and then we’ve still got money to get three or four other guys. Then you’ve got the draft coming up. So you have the potential to build the team the way you want to. Just because you didn’t get the one guy, we’ll have the opportunity to build this team the right way and that’s what Reggie’s looking at.”‘

  • Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is looking at free agency in the same light as Woodson, and is happy with what they were able to do, according to McDonald. “Every year you go after a lot of guys, and you don’t get them all,” McKenzie said. “Our intent was to go out hard and heavy after each one of these guys, and we were able to land a whole bunch of guys we really liked.”
  • The Broncos were big spenders in free agency last offseason, but were more reserved this year as they lost Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Rahim Moore. Head coach Gary Kubiak stressed the importance of being able to sustain success by replacing veterans with younger players, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I think you have to understand that’s going to happen with your football team,” Kubiak said. “You can’t keep everybody that you’d like to. Being able to replace guys is part of it. And right now our biggest challenge is that we have to improve a lot of the younger players.”
  • One free agent the Broncos were able to bring in was offensive lineman Shelley Smith, who played college ball at Colorado State University. Smith was specifically excited to play for Kubiak, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “We have a lot of friends and family here, a lot of support. And it was very appealing. I think he is a heck of a coach, and some of his staff obviously followed him,” Smith said Saturday. “Obviously the scheme has proven to be a very good system and I think it fits my capabilities well.”
  • Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego asked a few Chargers’ players if they would be receptive to bringing in Greg Hardy despite his legal troubles. He feels the locker room would approve of the signing (via Twitter). However, he warns them that they will lose their right to judge the next player who gets himself into an ugly situation if they do take him in (via Twitter).

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Myers, Coleman, Bowe

March 15th, 2015 at 5:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

The first wave of free agency is winding down, and many teams have already made their big splashes and are turning their attention to the NFL Draft. Still, the action is far from over. Plenty of front offices are looking at the second wave as a time to find bargains on second-tier free agent names, as well as a number of veterans who either have recently been released or are soon to be cut by their current teams.

As teams look for other options to improve their roster with the cream of the crop free agents already signed, here are some notes from around the AFC North:

  • The Ravens are in the market for wide receivers after losing Torrey Smith to the 49ers, specifically a downfield threat, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Luckily for Joe Flacco, the draft is deep with pass catchers such as burners Philip Dorsett of the University of Miami and Devin Smith of Ohio St., and there are a number of free agent options left on the market as well, including Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Hakeem Nicks, and Cecil Shorts.
  • The Ravens are hosting offensive guard Robert Myers of Tennessee State for a private workout, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is also one of three that will host a visit with Indiana tailback Tevin Coleman, according to Wilson. The other teams are the Cardinals and Panthers.
  • The meeting between Bowe and the Browns was very positive, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). There continues to be mutual interest between the two sides.

Latest On Sam Bradford

March 15th, 2015 at 3:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Ever since the Eagles acquired Sam Bradford last Tuesday, there’s been no shortage of speculation and rumors surrounding the 27-year-old quarterback and Philadelphia’s plans for him. Let’s take a look at the latest…

  • Both Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher have claimed they were offered a first-round pick from a separate team in exchange for Bradford. The Browns were tossed out as a viable option to have made that offer, appearing on the Michael Kay Show today, former NFL general manager Charley Casserly said he’s heard it was in fact Cleveland who was willing to surrender a first-rounder (link via Connor Orr of NJ.com).
  • From what she can gather from talking to NFL coaches at West Virginia’s pro day, Josina Anderson of ESPN says (Twitter link) that many league insiders still believe the Eagles plan to use Bradford as trade bait, specifically to move up the No. 2 pick and select Marcus Mariota. That would presume that the Titans would be interested in Bradford, despite reports that they’ll stick with Zach Mettenberger at QB.
  • Of course, if the Titans really wanted Bradford, they could have dealt with the Rams themselves, adds Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). I would add here that perhaps St. Louis had its eye on Nick Foles as a long-term option at quarterback, something Tennessee couldn’t provide via trade.
  • If the Eagles do intend to keep Bradford for the long haul, they could tack on a few years to his contract and insert a no-trade clause, effectively ending any speculation about his future in Philadelphia, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Week In Review: 3/8/15 – 3/15/15

March 15th, 2015 at 2:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s been a crazy week here at PFR, and there were far too many transactions made during the past seven days to list in their entirety. Instead, we’ll take a look at the biggest moves, and invite you to check out the rest via our Transactions page.

Key Signings/Re-Signings

Trades

  • Jets – acquired QB Ryan Fitzpatrick from the Texans in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick.
  • Lions – acquired DT Haloti Ngata and a seventh-round pick from the Ravens in exchange a fourth- and a fifth-round pick.
  • Rams – acquired QB Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick from the Eagles in exchange for QB Sam Bradford, a 2015 fifth-round pick, and a conditional 2016 pick.
  • Seahawks – acquired TE Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick from the Saints in exchange for C Max Unger and a first-round pick.
  • Vikings – acquired WR Mike Wallace and seventh-round pick from the Dolphins in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

Again, here’s our Transactions page where you can find the rest of last week’s moves.

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