2015 May - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Mack, Jags, Ravens, Yanda, Carr

May 30th, 2015 at 8:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s not out of the question that Browns center Alex Mack could end up with the Jaguars in 2016, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Mack can opt out of his contract, the terms of which were outlined in Jacksonville’s 2014 offer sheet to Mack when he was designated as Cleveland’s transition player, after the upcoming season. The Jags will probably have interest in trying to sign Mack once again, but for now, free agent signee Stefen Wisniewski will compete with incumbent Luke Bowanko for the center job.

Here’s more from around the league…

We heard last week that the Ravens probably can’t retain both Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes today that the club will target Yanda over Osemele. Both guards are entering their contract years, and Hensley adds that if Baltimore can’t work out a deal with Yanda, Osemele would presumably be next line for a long-term agreement.
Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr holds leverage at the moment, and should be able to balk if the club asks him to take a pay cut, argues David Moore of Dallas Morning News. Releasing Carr, who has indicated that he’s not amenable to a salary reduction, would force Dallas to rely on either rookie Byron Jones or the underwhelming Morris Claiborne to start opposite Orlando Scandrick.
Veteran guard Willie Colon has no intention of retiring, but he could be fighting to keep his roster spot with the Jets, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. The 32-year-old Colon re-signed with New York in March, inking a one-year pact.

Lions Yet To Open Extension Talks With Ngata

May 30th, 2015 at 6:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With Ndamukong Suh agreeing to a deal with the Dolphins the weekend before free agency officially began, the Lions acted quickly to replace their defensive line stalwart by orchestrating a trade with Ravens during the opening minutes of the new league year, sacrificing two mid-round picks to land nine-year veteran Haloti Ngata. And though the 31-year-old Ngata is entering the final year of his contact, Detroit has yet to engage him in extension negotiations, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.

“I think there’s other guys that they’re really more worried about,” Ngata said on Wednesday. “But for me, it’s just getting my feet wet here and seeing if they want me here and seeing if it’s a good fit. I think we definitely are probably going to talk sometime, but right now, I know they wanted to, but we haven’t really said anything.”

Ngata, a five-time All Pro, indicated in March that he would be open to an extension, and Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said last month that team management is also interested in working out a long-term deal. Detroit did draft defensive tackle Gabe Wright in the fourth round of this year’s draft, but the club doesn’t have a done of depth along the interior of its defensive line after losing both Suh and Nick Fairley. Ngata, a longtime 3-4 defensive end who will now play DT in the Lions’ 4-3 scheme, could be a nice veteran fit on a young Detroit line.

Ngata will earn $8.5MM in base salary from the Lions in 2015. As a result of trading Ngata, Baltimore assumed the remainder of his prorated bonus money, which will count as $7.5MM in dead money.

Bengals Unlikely To Trade Whitworth Or Smith

May 30th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite selecting offensive tackles with both their first- and second-round picks, the Bengals don’t plan to trade either Andrew Whitworth or Andre Smith, reports Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. The veterans comprise Cincinnati’s incumbent tackle duo, and while the club has discussed the possibility of dealing one (or perhaps both), Hobson describes such internal talks as “pie-in-the-sky-what-if exercises.”

Both the 33-year-old Whitworth and the 28-year-old Smith are set to become unrestricted free agents following the 2015 season. Given that the Bengals drafted both Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher last month, it makes sense that the team could look into trading one of the two veterans. However, Ogbuehi is still recovering from a torn ACL, while Cincinnati hopes to use Fisher as a versatile reserve who could potentially backup all five spots along the line, so keeping both Whitworth and Smith for 2015 might be best for the development of the two rookies.

As Hobson notes, the Broncos and Giants are among the clubs who could be interested in dealing for one Cincinnati’s tackles (Whitworth, a left tackle, would probably be the best fit for both teams). Denver’s Ryan Clady will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL earlier this week, while New York lost Will Beatty for at least the first half of the season after he tore his pectoral.

It’s also possible that the Bengals have interest in retaining either Whitworth or Smith beyond 2015. As I wrote last week when assessing the chances of an extension between Cincinnati and Whitworth, Smith is probably going to be the odd one out among the front five after this season, but a short pact for Whitworth is entirely possible.

West Notes: Bowman, Chiefs, Bolts, Broncos

May 30th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the NFL’s two West divisions:

Three-time All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman isn’t completely back from the torn ACL and MCL that caused him to miss the 2014 season, but the 49ers’ linebacker is making strides. Bowman practiced with the 49ers three times this week and took a high number of reps, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. He was, however, limited by a knee brace. “I don’t like it,” said Bowman. “It’s not allowing me to run as fast as I’d like to, but it’s keeping my knee safe, and that’s the most important thing.”
The Chiefs made a big splash in free agency when they signed star receiver Jeremy Maclin, but their Alex Smith-led offense is still lacking aerial weaponry, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. The Chiefs don’t any proven pass-catching threats outside of Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce.
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is excited about the development of second-year center Chris Watt, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Seeing a guy, even from his rookie year to his second-year offseason like this stage we’re in right now, he’s just got a different presence about him,” Rivers said of Watt, who appeared in 12 games as a rookie and whom ProFootballFocus (subscription required) ranked 20th out of 41 qualifying centers.
The Broncos haven’t finished better than 18th in the NFL in yards per punt return over the last three years, so special teams coach Joe DeCamillis is heavily emphasizing competition for punt-return duties, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “We’ve got to find what our guys do best. And we’ll do that as we go forward, but I think in this stadium I know you have to be a really good punt-return team,” said DeCamillis, who has given return reps to Jordan Norwood, Isaiah Burse, Kyle Williams, Solomon Patton, Omar Bolden, and Emmanuel Sanders during OTAs.
The 49ers lost starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox in free agency, but Tramaine Brock and Shareece Wright are expected to fill their void capably. What’s more, head coach Jim Tomsula liked what he saw from some of San Francisco’s other corners during OTAs. “We are talking about all this evaluating and we don’t have any pads on,” Tomsula said, per Cam Inman of the Mercury News. “But everything that is being asked of them, the way they are moving around, the running, all that stuff, good.”

NFC Notes: Raji, Alonso, D. Washington

May 30th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji missed all of last season with a torn bicep and then re-signed with the team on a one-year deal earlier this offseason, but Green Bay wasn’t his only suitor in free agency.

“I actually, ironically, had more interest this time around than last year,” said Raji, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. “I’m talking about as far as the contending teams. I had two, three playoff teams.”

One of those teams was the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, per Wilde, but Raji simply couldn’t bring himself to leave Green Bay.

“I just wasn’t comfortable leaving this place in the shape that it was in, the perception about the defense, the perception of myself,” Raji said. “If I was going to leave this place, I wanted to be able to say, ‘Yeah, those guys really get it.’ I didn’t want to leave with questions. As a person, having a lot invested in this program, if it is ever time to leave, I want to leave on a good note.”

Here’s the latest on a couple of the Packers’ fellow NFC teams:

Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso, whom the team acquired from Buffalo earlier this offseason, missed all of last season after tearing his ACL in July. There don’t seem to be any lingering effects from the injury, however, as the 24-year-old is ahead of schedule in his recovery, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I honestly didn’t think I’d be doing this much,” said Alonso, who participated in organized team activities this week without wearing a brace. “I’ve just been going on how I feel, and it’s feeling really good.”
Speaking of the Eagles’ defense, the team revamped its secondary in the offseason by signing Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond, using a first-round pick on Eric Rowe, and parting ways with Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher, and Nate Allen. Despite all the noteworthy additions and subtractions, safety Malcolm Jenkins believes the most important move Philadelphia made with respect to its secondary was replacing previous defensive backs coach John Lovett with Cory Undlin, who coached Denver’s DBs from 2013-14. “Adding Cory Undlin is really probably the biggest addition we had when you talk about upgrading that (defensive backs) room,” said Jenkins, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. The Lovett-led Eagles finished 2014 second last in the NFL in pass defense and toward the bottom of the league in interceptions.
The league suspended Cardinals linebacker Daryl Washington for four games in 2013 and all of 2014 because of multiple substance-abuse violations, and he’s expected to miss time this year because of domestic-violence issues. Despite all that baggage, Washington’s teammates still want him back, head coach Bruce Arians told Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. “If he’s reinstated by the league, I know this – our players want him back in the locker room. That’s fine by me,” said Arians.

AFC Notes: Dolphins, Dalton, Mack, Spikes

May 30th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

If the Eagles trade two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis prior to the season, it likely won’t be to the Dolphins – who have been a rumored candidate to land the 34-year-old – according to Drew Rosenhaus, Mathis’ agent. “We thought we had a trade with another team leading up to the draft. It was not the Dolphins,” Rosenhaus told the Joe Rose Show, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com. “We’ve never really gotten close on a trade with the Dolphins.”

Here’s more on some other AFC clubs:

Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has become a much-maligned figure during his four years in Cincinnati, but Coley Harvey of ESPN.com doesn’t expect him to be in another uniform in the near future. Harvey notes that releasing Dalton doesn’t become particularly favorable for the Bengals until after 2018, when the six-year, $115MM extension he signed last year won’t have any dead money left on it. Even if Dalton struggles before then, the likelihood of the team cutting the cord is low because finding a replacement would be difficult and entering a rebuild isn’t on the horizon for Cincy.
Browns center Alex Mack‘s contract has him in a unique situation, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. The 29-year-old has both an opt-out clause in his contract, which he can take advantage of next offseason, and one that prevents the Browns from placing either the franchise or transition tag on him. Mack is mum about his future for the time being, saying that he’ll “talk about that at the end of the season,” but it might be difficult for the Browns to retain him if they don’t turn it around on the field. Since drafting Mack in 2009, the team hasn’t sniffed the playoffs. “I think I definitely want to win games,” Mack said. “It’s very important to me.”
Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes left the team in acrimonious fashion last offseason and then signed a one-year contract with AFC East rival Buffalo. Back in New England after inking another one-year deal earlier this month, Spikes says he and head coach Bill Belichick are ready to put past drama behind them. “I think we’re both happy that I’m here and we were able to put things aside and let bygones be bygones,” Spikes said, according to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com. “We’re all moving forward. The 2015 season is right around the corner and we’re just trying, each and every day, to get better. I’m happy to be home.”
The Ravens parted with longtime defensive staple Haloti Ngata earlier this offseason, trading him to Detroit, and it’s going to take a team effort (led by Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams) to replace the five-time Pro Bowl nose tackle, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. For his part, Williams is confident the Ravens won’t be adversely affected by the loss of Ngata. “It tells me I just have to step up,” said Williams. “We have to do more. I accept the challenge, willingly, to get out there and do everything I have to do to be my best player, be my best self. And that goes for everybody else on the defensive line. We don’t need anybody to be Haloti. We just need everybody to be their best selves, and we’ll be fine.”

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Bucs, Vikings, Panthers, Cardinals

May 30th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with notes from the NFC…

Considering Benny Cunningham‘s role as a third-down blocker and kick returner, Nick Wagoner doesn’t believe it’s realistic for the Rams to pay Isaiah Pead just to be the fourth running back.
Pat Yasinskas wouldn’t be surprised if the Buccaneers and linebacker Lavonte David agree to a longterm extension prior to training camp. The writer guesses an annual value of about $8MM for the former second-round pick.
The Vikings and Adrian Peterson haven’t made any progress towards a restructured deal, according to Ben Goessling. The writer assumes that the organization would prefer to get Peterson in for a meeting before they sign him to a new deal. Goessling also notes that most of the team’s moves are with an eye towards 2016, when they move into a new stadium. If the team didn’t have plans for Peterson to be on the roster during that season, they wouldn’t be “bothering” with this current back-and-forth.
If the Panthers offense struggles in 2015, David Newton believes the blame will be attributed to offensive coordinator Mike Shula. However, the writer would caution declaring this a “make-or-break” season for Shula.
Unless Joe Webb can prove his value as a wideout or special-teams player, Newton has a tough time envisioning the quarterback making the Panthers roster.
The competition for the Cardinals third quarterback job is Logan Thomas‘ to lose, says Josh Weinfuss. Phillip Sims or Chandler Harnish could ultimately prove to be better options, but Weinfuss believes the competition is coach Bruce Arians‘ way of motivating Thomas.

Falcons To Sign Chris Chester

May 30th, 2015 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 11:50am: The Falcons have officially announced the signing.

FRIDAY, 9:33pm: Chester will get a one-year, $2.8MM deal from the Falcons, tweets McClure.

8:29pm: Released two days ago by Washington, veteran guard Chris Chester didn’t last long on the free agent market. According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Chester is signing with the Falcons after paying a visit to the team today.

Chester, 32, started at right guard for Washington last season, but with 2014 third-rounder Spencer Long ready to take over that role and Chester’s cap number approaching $5MM, the veteran became expendable. Still, while Spencer, a former second-round pick, may not have been in Washington’s long-term plans, he can still be a positive contributor.

In 2014, Chester played the eighth-most offensive snaps among guards (1,091), and ranked 33rd among 78 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). With a +6.4 grade as a pass blocker, Chester was better in that aspect of the game than he was as a run blocker, though that’s not necessarily consistent with his career performance.

Earlier today, we heard that Chester was set to visit Atlanta and Philadelphia, but it appears head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons didn’t let him leave to meet with the Eagles. As I noted this afternoon, the Falcons have Harland Gunn, who has made one career start, penciled in as a potential starter at one of their guard spots following the departure of Justin Blalock, so bringing in a veteran like Chester makes sense.

When he officially joins the Falcons, Chester will reunite with Kyle Shanahan, the Falcons’ new offensive coordinator who previously held the same position in Washington.

Minor Moves: Saturday

May 30th, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including the latest mid-to-late-round draft pick signings:

The Steelers have signed seventh-round draft pick Gerod Holliman, the team announced on Twitter. With the signing of the safety, the organization has officially inked all of their draft picks. The Louisville product finished last season with 14 interceptions.
The Browns have signed defensive tackle Christian Tupou and wideout Josh Lenz, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tupou, an undrafted free agent in 2012, has spent time with Colts, Bears, 49ers, Cardinals and Browns. He’s apparently found a home in Cleveland, where he’s spent time on the team’s practice squad over the past two seasons. Lenz, an underrated free agent in 2013, has spent time with the Bears, Seahawks and Colts. He was cut by Indianapolis earlier this month.

Brandon Marshall, Jets Restructure Contract

May 30th, 2015 at 10:10am CST by Ben Levine

10:10am: Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has an interesting note on the timing of the new deal (via Twitter). Multiple teams showed interest in Marshall when he was shopped by the Bears, and the Jets agreed to sweeten the wideout’s contract to earn an advantage in trade negotiations.

The two sides had to wait until May 22nd, the one year anniversary of Marshall signing his extension with Chicago, to give the receiver a raise.

9:41am: After having traded for the Pro Bowler this past offseason, the Jets have agreed to rework wideout Brandon Marshall‘s contract. According to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, the two sides have agreed to a new three-year, $26MM contract, with $1.3MM in fully guaranteed money. Marshall’s previous contract called for the wideout to earn $24.3MM over the next three seasons.

Yates has the yearly breakdown for the new contract. Marshall’s 2015 salary includes a full-guaranteed base salary of $9MM, but with no workout bonus. Marshall was originally owed $7.5MM this upcoming season, with a $200K workout bonus.

Marshall’s 2016 base salary is now at $9.5MM (only guaranteed for injury), up from the $7.9MM he was originally set to make. His 2017 salary dropped from $8.3MM (not including a $200K workout bonus) to $7.5MM. There is also a $700K de-escalator clause if the team wins a Super Bowl.

Marshall had one of the least productive seasons of his career in 2014, finishing with 61 catches for 721 yards and eight touchdowns. Nonetheless, the 31-year-old still placed 26th among 110 candidates in Pro Football Focus’ wide receiver rankings (subscription required).