HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Muhammad Wilkerson No Shows Jets Camp

April 6th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

10:57am: Wilkerson isn’t expected to participate in any portion of Phase One of the Jets’ voluntary offseason program, sources tell Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links). The first phase of the program will run for the next two weeks. His participation in Phase 2 and the voluntary veteran minicamp at the end of the month is still TBD.

8:06am: For months now, Muhammad Wilkerson said that he was staying patient through contract talks with the Jets. That could all be changing, however, as Wilkerson did not report to camp for the start of the team’s offseason work, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the defensive tackle might not be around for a while.

As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes, players aren’t required to show up for “Phase One” of the Jets’ program, so Wilkerson won’t suffer any repercussions. However, the decision not to join Gang Green for their strength/conditioning and classroom work demonstrates his unhappiness over his contractual situation.

Wilkerson is scheduled to earn $6.97MM in 2015 after having his fifth-year team option last year. However, he is looking for a long-term deal at a time where the market is quite favorable for standout defensive linemen. Both J.J. Watt and Robert Quinn have put pen to paper on monster contracts, though Wilkerson’s deal will obviously look more like the latter rather than the former.

After watching the Jets sign free agents Darrelle Revis ($39MM guaranteed) and Antonio Cromartie while re-signing linebacker David Harris ($15MM guaranteed) and trading for wide receiver Brandon Marshall (while adding to his deal), Wilkerson probably grew a bit impatient on his own deal. According to Mehta, GM Mike Maccagnan has hinted that the team would address Wilkerson’s situation after the draft. Right now, it sounds like the 25-year-old doesn’t want to wait that long.

The Jets are one of seven teams with a new head coach, which is why they can begin practicing today. Other teams are allowed to begin on April 20th.

Michael Crabtree To Visit Raiders

April 6th, 2015 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 10:32am: The Raiders are hosting free agent receiver Crabtree today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

FRIDAY, 9:32am: After spending his entire NFL career with the 49ers, Michael Crabtree could be mulling the possibility of heading across the bay from San Francisco to Oakland. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the free agent wideout has a visit scheduled next week with the Raiders.

Crabtree, 27, has only made one free agent visit so far, having met with the Dolphins, and appears to be in no rush to sign. The 49ers also maintain some interest in re-signing the six-year veteran, but a report last week indicated that Crabtree would rather sign with a team that places a greater emphasis on the passing game — it’s not clear if the Raiders will fit that bill, but Oakland certainly has the cap room to make Crabtree an aggressive offer if the team wants to bring him aboard.

The former 10th overall pick had reportedly been expecting to be a $9-10MM player, but his market “crashed” and he now appears likely to settle for a short-term, make-good contract rather than a longer-term deal.

The Raiders are viewed as a potential candidate to select a wide receiver – either Kevin White or Amari Cooper – in the first round of the draft later this month, and even if they signed Crabtree, I’m not sure that would change their plans. Oakland will likely retain both James Jones and Andre Holmes for the upcoming season, as well as tight end Mychal Rivera, but none of those players exceeded 700 receiving yards in 2014. Adding more weapons to Derek Carr‘s arsenal should only increase the young signal-caller’s chances to succeed.

Stefen Wisniewski Visiting Titans

April 6th, 2015 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent center Stefen Wisniewski is visiting the Titans today, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The former Raiders lineman has met with a handful of teams in recent weeks.

The 26-year-old stands as one of the last of PFR’s top 50 free agents who is still without a deal. The center visited the Patriots late last month and met with the Jaguars last week, but he has yet to find a deal. The Vikings would seem like a logical landing spot for a quality interior lineman like Wisniewski, but Minnesota reportedly has yet to express interest.

It’s somewhat surprising to see Wisniewski still on the shelf, but we learned recently that the lineman’s market has been held up as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. The former Raiders apparently played the 2014 season with a torn labrum and clubs understandably want to know that he’s healthy before making a sizable committment to him. Still, Wisniewski is reportedly seeking a $4MM per year salary, a figure that wouldn’t even place him inside the top ten at his position.

Wisniewski didn’t fare too well in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which rated him as the league’s 22nd-best center. Of course, his injury could have played a role in his decreased production, as PFF has assigned him a higher grade in years past. The Penn State alum was PFR’s No. 39 free agent.

A return to Oakland is out, of course, after the Raiders inked Rodney Hudson to a five-year, $44.5MM deal.

Sunday Roundup: Manziel, Broncos, Cowboys

April 5th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Some notes from around the NFL:

  • This offseason has been one to forget for Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, who has spent time in rehab and seen his future in Cleveland come into question since his rookie year ended. The latest blow comes from one of the Browns’ most respected players, offensive tackle Joe Thomas. The eight-time Pro Bowler said that Manziel “lost a lot of trust last year by the way he handled himself,” according to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (via Twitter).
  • With the hiring of Gary Kubiak as their head coach, the Broncos’ offense will feature a fullback for the first time since 2012, writes Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. “My thing is that to be really effective in the running game, you have to run the fullback,” said general manager John Elway, per Renck. “We will have people in the fullback position.” As of now, the leading candidates for the job are Juwan Thompson and Joe Don Duncan.
  • The Dallas Morning News’ Bob Sturm profiled Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Sturm sees Rowe a potential fit for the Cowboys in the upcoming draft, possibly as early as the first round. The Cowboys hold the 27th overall pick.
  • The Colts, Buccaneers, Packers and 49ers are the only four teams in the league with fewer than three quarterbacks, according to Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk. The Bucs are the sole member of the group without an established starter, which is likely to change in the draft. Tampa has the No. 1 overall pick, with which it could select either Florida State’s Jameis Winston or Oregon’s Marcus Mariota. The other three squads are also candidates to draft QBs, albeit not in the first round.

Extra Points: Lions, Titans, Draft, Pats

April 5th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Let’s take a look at a handful of stories from around the NFL this evening:

  • Aside from acquiring Haloti Ngata, the Lions haven’t made any major headlines this offseason. They’re fine with that, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. “We’re not out just reaching to grab anyone and high-fiving in March,” said Lions vice president of pro personnel Sheldon White, per Meinke.  “We’re trying to find guys who selectively fit our profile, fit what the coaches need and we all get together and come up with a plan that we think will help the Detroit Lions.” Nevertheless, despite what team president Tom Lewand calls the organization’s “selectively aggressive” approach, Meinke notes that it still has several holes to fix. Left guard and running back lead the way.
  • Last year’s NFL draft featured a deep, star-studded receiving class that included the likes of Odell Beckham, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins and Kelvin Benjamin. This year’s class of wideouts could be nearly equal to the 2014 group in terms of both ability and depth, an AFC personnel executive told Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. “Could see five or six going in the first round,” the exec said, “and at least a dozen in the first three rounds. It’s really deep again.”
  • ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky answered fans’ questions in a Titans mailbag. One of the Titans’ issues Kuharsky addressed is receiver, an area he thinks the team should prioritize in the draft because of its lack of playmakers.
  • Nik Beimler of WEEI.com profiled Hobart guard Ali Marpet, who could be a fit for the Patriots in the draft. Marpet is expected to be hear his name called in the second or third round.

West Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, 49ers, Cooper

April 5th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already posted one set of items from the West, but there’s more news from the two divisions. Let’s dive in…

  • The Chargers were somewhat active in free agency, re-signing cornerback Brandon Flowers and tackle King Dunlap while adding guard Orlando Franklin and receivers Stevie Johnson and Jacoby Jones. But San Diego general manager Tom Telesco doesn’t believe external additions are the best way to build a roster. “You can’t makeover your team in free agency,” Telesco told Chargers.com (video link). “That’s been proven not to work. Very few impact players actually get to free agency. They are either re-signed by the original club, or they’re franchise tagged. That all being said, you can add some complementary pieces here and there, and we were able to do that.”
  • Stony Brook receiver Adrian Coxson has a visit with the Chiefs on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Coxson has also been invited to the local workout days hosted by the Giants and Jets.
  • A report last week indicated that the 49ers would look to trade up in the draft to select Alabama receiver Amari Cooper, but Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com views that scenario as unlikely. San Francisco also wanted to move up to get Odell Beckham Jr. last year, but 49ers GM Trent Baalke thought the cost was too prohibitive. This year, with even more holes on the roster, Maiocco doesn’t think the club can afford to sacrifice a haul of draft picks to acquire one player.

East Notes: Crabtree, Dolphins, Draft, Pats

April 5th, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Refuting an earlier report, Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post writes that a Dolphins team source has “emphatically” denied that the club ever offered free agent receiver Michael Crabtree a contract that neared $3MM in value. In fact, the source tells Abramson, financial specifics never even came up during Crabtree’s visit to South Beach. Given the disparity between the two reports, it seems there’s a bit of confusion about Crabtree’s meeting with Dolphins brass — but either way, it doesn’t sound like he’ll be joining Miami.

More notes from the East divisions:

  • The Dolphins hosted Hobart offensive lineman Ali Marpet for a visit last week, reports Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Marpet, who is a projected mid-round pick, has also met with the Browns as part of the predraft process.
  • Another Division II prospect, Henderson State receiver Darius Davis, has a visit scheduled with the Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who notes that Davis will meet with Dallas later this week. Per Wilson, Davis already met with the Raiders last week.
  • In response to a reader’s question, Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes that he doesn’t believe either Pierre Garcon or Kirk Cousins is likely to be traded by Washington. Garcon, especially, could be hard to deal given his large base salaries, but any trade would likely occur after the draft after other teams assess their remaining needs, adds Tandler.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPN.com rounds up a few Patriots notes, examining the contributions of rookies on last year’s roster and wondering if New England might draft a receiver later this month.

PFR Originals: 3/29/15 – 4/5/15

April 5th, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Week In Review: 3/29/15 – 4/5/15

April 5th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

News:

  • The Falcons were fined $350K and will lose a 2016 fifth-round pick as discipline for piping in artificial noise during games.
  • Browns GM Ray Farmer will be suspended four games for sending text messages to coaches on the sideline during the 2014 season. The club was also fined $250K.
  • The NFL moved the June 1 deadline, which impacts compensatory picks and salary cap issues, to May 12.
  • Despite rumors to the contrary, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson won’t receive a fully guaranteed deal.
  • The 49ers are aiming to trade up in the draft to select Alabama receiver Amari Cooper.

Traded:

  • Broncos – acquired C Gino Gradkowski and a 2016 fifth-round pick from the Ravens in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick
  • Washington – acquired S Dashon Goldson and a 2016 seventh-round pick from the Buccaneers in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round pick

Extended:

Signed/Re-Signed:

Released:

Restructured:

South Notes: Panthers, Williams, Bucs, Jaguars

April 5th, 2015 at 1:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers have added several role players to one-year deals recently, and David Newton of ESPN.com provides the contract details. Linebacker Jason Trusnik will earn $950K ($80K guaranteed), running back Jordan Todman will get $765K ($20K guaranteed), and receiver Jarrett Boykin will receive $700K ($20K guaranteed). All three will earn slightly more than the minimum required for their respective years of service time.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions…

  • Receiver/return man Chris Williams has worked out for the Colts, Buccaneers, and Bengals, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 27-year-old Williams spent the 2014 season with the Bears, appearing in six games, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown.
  • In his latest draft diary entry for the Baltimore Sun, Penn State safety Adrian Amos reveals that he worked out for Buccaneers safeties coach Mikal Smith, and also notes that he worked out for an AFC team, though that club asked Amos not to mention them by name in the piece.
  • The Buccaneers picked up the $4MM guaranteed in Dashon Goldson‘s 2015 base salary when they traded him to Washington on Friday, and the Jaguars could employ a similar tactic if they want to deal tight end Marcedes Lewis, suggests Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. If Jacksonville converts some of Lewis’ 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, O’Halloran writes, the market for the tight end could grow. We heard last month that the 30-year-old was drawing trade interest.
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