2015 May - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens To Sign Cassius Vaughn

May 28th, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

4:35pm: Wilson has the details on Vaughn’s minimum salary deal, tweeting that it features a $50K 53-man roster bonus, and another $30K bonus if he plays at least 37% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps.

10:44am: The Ravens have added another veteran cornerback to their roster, agreeing to terms with Cassius Vaughn, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, it’s a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract for Vaughn.

Vaughn, 27, has played for the Broncos, Colts, and Lions since making his NFL debut in 2010, appearing in a total of 67 games (23 starts). In 2014, he recorded 21 tackles, five passes defended, and two interceptions in 13 games (five starts) for Detroit.

The Ravens likely won’t be relying on Vaughn to play a major role, but he’ll make for a nice depth piece if the team endures as many injuries to its cornerbacks as it did a year ago. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, who were both hurt last season, are projected to be the starters, with another veteran free agent addition, Kyle Arrington, penciled in as Baltimore’s nickel back.

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Bennett, Lions

May 28th, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after releasing a statement indicating that he doesn’t want to be traded and that his absence from OTAs is simply about securing his future with the Vikings, Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to rant about NFL contracts. While many of the running back’s broader points – involving the lack of agency players have compared to teams when it comes to getting out of contracts – are accurate, it’s difficult to have any sympathy for Peterson, given the circumstances.

Peterson, after all, is poised to enter his age-30 season as the NFL’s highest-paid running back, and the Vikings appear entirely willing to pay him that $12.75MM salary rather than asking him to reduce it, despite the fact that the 30-year-old was investigated for child abuse last year. While many players could rightly gripe about teams failing to honor contracts, the rhetoric doesn’t sound very effective coming from Peterson right now.

Let’s check out a few more items from across the NFC North….

Michael Johnson took a free agent visit to Minnesota to meet with the Vikings before he decided to return to Cincinnati this offseason. As Johnson told SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), he didn’t think he’d like Minnesota, but he did — he simply preferred to “go home” instead of signing with the Vikes.
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett continues to be absent from Chicago’s offseason program due to a contract dispute, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. A report last month suggested that Bennett wanted a new deal and that the Bears were considering trading him.
Lions president Tom Lewand spoke to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about the team’s increased focus on adding high-character players to its roster.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Idzik, Jags, S. Smith

May 28th, 2015 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

In a Wednesday mailbag, a reader asked Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post why the Broncos didn’t make more of a push to sign La’el Collins. According to Renck, the lack of a resolution for Collins’ potential criminal case gave Denver pause during the draft — the team shied away from him in the seventh round more because of that uncertainty, not because of the lineman’s vow that he wouldn’t report if he was drafted on Day 3.

Once Collins became a free agent, he narrowed his choices rather quickly to teams with proven quarterbacks, coaches and line coaches. Denver offered all of those things, but Collins didn’t want to play in cold weather and wanted a team close to home, leading him to the Cowboys.

Of course, given today’s news on Ryan Clady‘s torn ACL, the Broncos may be regretting not rolling the dice on Collins with one of their seventh-round picks.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Former Jets general manager John Idzik, hired back in February as a consultant by the Jaguars, has been named to a full-time position of special assistant to the general manager, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “He’ll do a little bit of everything,” GM Dave Caldwell said of Idzik. “He’s a great cultural fit for us. He has a great understanding of the salary cap and the different ways to do a contract.” As O’Halloran writes, the Jags also promoted Chris Polian to director of player personnel and Chris Driggers to director of pro personnel.
Ravens wideout Steve Smith said he didn’t really contemplate retiring after last season, but he knows he won’t play forever, or even until he’s 40, like Jerry Rice (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith turned 36 earlier this month.
Browns third-round running back Duke Johnson wasn’t in attendance when the team’s OTAs got underway this week. However, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it’s because of a personal matter rather than anything contract-related. Johnson is the only one of Cleveland’s 12 draftees who remains unsigned.
Titans running back Bishop Sankey was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie season, but the Titans are betting he’ll be better following some offseason strength training, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Re-Sign Ishmaa’ily Kitchen

May 28th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen has signed his restricted free agent tender from the Browns, meaning he is now officially under contract, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Kitchen’s signing means that only one RFA – Browns safety Tashaun Gipson – has yet to ink his deal.

Kitchen, who turns 27 next month, earned 279 defensive snaps for the Browns in 2014, making 27 tackles. While his play in the middle was unspectacular, the Kent State product was solid enough in his three years in Cleveland that the team felt comfortable tendering him a one-year contract offer worth $1.542MM. Kitchen will now be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.

When I provided an update on the remaining unsigned restricted free agents earlier this month, I noted that there was no indication that Kitchen was unhappy with his contract situation, and that he would likely sign his tender soon. The same can’t be said for Gipson, who isn’t at Cleveland’s OTAs and wants a long-term deal.

Agent Discusses Russell Wilson Negotiations

May 28th, 2015 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Between now and the start of the 2015 regular season, many big-name players poised for 2016 free agency figure to sign extensions to remain with their current teams. Of those potential ’16 free agents, no player will be monitored more closely than Russell Wilson, whose next contract has already been a frequent topic of discussion this offseason.

Wilson’s agent, Mark Rodgers, appeared on the Brock and Salk Show on ESPN 710 Seattle today, and answered plenty of questions about his client’s contract situation, and where negotiations stand with the Seahawks. According to Rodgers, there’s no deadline to get a deal done with Seattle, and Wilson would be happy to play out his current contract. However, the veteran agent, who has dealt primarily with MLB players in the past, is encouraged by how discussions have progressed so far, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times details.

“I would characterize our talks as ongoing, fluid, robust at times, thoughtful,” Rodgers said. “And we’ve made progress . … I would characterize them as positive and encouraging.”

According to Rodgers, 95% of what has been reported on Wilson’s contract talks with the Seahawks has been “off-base,” though he didn’t specify exactly what details in various recent reports were inaccurate. Asked if his client wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL, Rodgers said that wasn’t necessarily a key factor, suggesting there’s a “danger in getting caught up in those labels.”

Noting that he and Wilson have prepared financially for the quarterback to play out the year on his current salary ($1.542MM), Rodgers indicated that entering the regular season without a new contract in place is possible, but added that Wilson “would love to stay [in Seattle] for a long time,” since he’s “very, very happy” with the Seahawks.

“As long as I’m talking with the Seahawks, it’s with a tone of optimism,” Rodgers said. “The goal here is at the end of the day we have a successful negotiation with the Seahawks.”

East Notes: Hardy, Scandrick, Fletcher, Jets

May 28th, 2015 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

While we won’t find out immediately whether or not arbitrator Harold Henderson will decide to uphold Greg Hardy‘s 10-game suspension, Hardy’s camp and the NFLPA were scheduled to make their case on behalf of the Cowboys defensive end this morning. Here’s the latest on that appeal, along with a few other items from out of the NFL’s two East divisions:

Examining Hardy’s appeal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the specific arguments he expects Jeffrey Kessler and the union to make in Hardy’s defense. Meanwhile, former NFL executive Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com writes that he expects the suspension for the Cowboys defensive end to ultimately be reduced to six games.
Orlando Scandrick‘s new deal with the Cowboys ensures that he’ll earn $4MM this year rather than $1.5MM, but it only increases his 2015 cap number by $100K, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link) has the details on Dane Fletcher‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots, reporting that the linebacker gets a $20K signing bonus and a $60K roster bonus on his minimum salary benefit contract.
Veteran guard Willie Colon told Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com on Wednesday that he feels a greater sense of urgency in the Jets‘ locker room under Todd Bowles than he did last year under Rex Ryan. “You kind of feel like if you don’t fit the mold of what Bowles wants, it’ll be hard for you to survive,” Colon said.

Lions’ Lewand: No Trade For DT In Works

May 28th, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

Over the weekend, a report suggested that the Lions may add some extra talent and/or depth at defensive tackle by making a trade, as they did earlier this offseason when they acquired Haloti Ngata from Baltimore. For now though, “nothing” is in the works regarding a trade for a DT, team president Tom Lewand tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

“As you know, we’re always looking at ways to upgrade,” Lewand said. “[General manager] Martin [Mayhew] is relentless when it comes to looking at ways to improve the roster. When he gets done with one transaction, his focus is on making another one. So as you know, we never rest in those ways and we look at any opportunity that we might come our way to improve the team and evaluate it.”

Having lost Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley in free agency, the Lions have done a decent job revamping their interior defensive line. Besides trading for Ngata, Detroit also signed Tyrunn Walker, a potentially undervalued free agent from the Saints, and drafted Auburn’s Gabe Wright. Still, Wright was a fourth-round pick and Walker has only logged 425 career defensive snaps, so the club could use one more experienced veteran.

While I’m not sure the Lions would seriously consider pursuing either player, Muhammad Wilkerson and Michael Brockers are among the notable defensive tackles who have drawn trade interest within the last few weeks. Fairley’s arrival in St. Louis made Brockers a little more expendable, while Wilkerson was generating trade interest even before the Jets drafted Leonard Williams with the sixth overall pick last month.

If the Lions do attempt to go the trade route to fortify their defensive line, a deal may develop closer to the season, when teams are making roster cutdowns.

Ray McDonald Arrested Wednesday Afternoon

May 27th, 2015 at 9:49pm CST by Zachary Links

9:49pm: While Defilippis said “the only thing (McDonald) got was a booking sheet when he left,” he also added, “they told him to stay away from her,” Anderson tweets.

Defilippis also provided his explanation for what occurred prior to McDonald’s latest arrest.

“Today my investigator contacted her and confirmed that she was in Santa Cruz, and Ray went over to the apartment to meet the investigator to let him in so that he could get photographs of this allegedly broken door, and lo and behold the cops show up and arrest him,” said Defilippis. “He was not served with a restraining order. We confirmed that the young lady was not going to be there. He goes there to meet the investigator for a legitimate purpose and the police show up and arrest him; and knowing these facts the police still have insisted upon keeping him custody…This is pretty much gamesmanship on their part.”

9:28pm: McDonald’s attorney Steve Defilippis tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he was never aware of any restraining order against his client.

“When Ray McDonald was released from jail he was not served with a restraining order. They say there is a restraining order now, but they never served him with it,” the attorney said.

8:50pm: After Ray McDonald‘s alleged domestic violence incident over the weekend, his attorney went on the offensive to try and cast doubt on the alleged victim’s motives. Now, it sounds like his job just got even more difficult. The defensive end was arrested Wednesday by Santa Clara, California police for violating a restraining order, according to Katie Nelson of the San Jose Mercury News (via Twitter).

McDonald was issued a restraining order following his Memorial Day arrest and it required him to stay away from his ex-fiancée. After this latest violation, it’s not immediately clear if he’ll have the opportunity to post bail like he did on Monday. After he was sprung loose from jail, the Bears wasted little time in ridding him from their roster.

“We believe in second chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear. He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him,” Bears GM Ryan Pace said.

McDonald inked a one-year deal with the Bears earlier this offseason despite his checkered past. Chicago brass went to bat for McDonald against public criticism and concerns, but that vote of confidence has apparently backfired. The defensive end’s season was already in a bit of jeopardy since the league had yet to make a decision on his December incident. Now, given these two incidents within the span of three days, the 30-year-old might not see the gridiron ever again.

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), McDonald was the league’s 12th-best 3-4 defensive end in 2014, grading well both against the run and as a pass rusher. Over the last four regular seasons as the 49ers’ starting left defensive end, McDonald racked up 14.5 sacks, 153 tackles, five forced fumbles, and a safety.

Extra Points: Winston, Bills, Rams

May 27th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

While there’s a lot of whispering about whether first overall pick Jameis Winston will live up to the hype, Buccaneers tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins feels like he’s up to the challenge, Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida writes. “He’s just himself,” Jenkins said of Winston. “Great quarterback and he wants to be great. He’s himself, he doesn’t need to pretend or anything like that. But I didn’t really get to see him personally out there. We were just running. I think it’s a better question to ask the coaches, they spent more one-on-one time with him.” Here’s more from

Bills head coach Rex Ryan says he’s trying Corey Graham at safety to make sure that he has the “best eleven on the field” after losing Da’Norris Searcy in free agency, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. For his part, Graham says he’s excited about the move and is eager to follow in the footsteps of Charles Woodson, who also made the transition from corner to safety. “Obviously, I’ve been watching him my whole career, so with the move to safety, now I have the opportunity to do some of the things he’s done,” Graham said. “I was in Chicago when he was in Green Bay, so I watched him a lot. He played nickel, I played nickel. I focused on him, studied his game, so it means a lot to me, seeing what he was able to accomplish.”
St. Louis residents will not vote this summer on the use of their tax dollars to build a new riverfront football stadium for the Rams, David Hunn of the Post Dispatch writes. At this point, it is unclear whether city voters will get the opportunity to weigh in on the use of city tax dollars to help finance a proposed $985MM downtown stadium.
According to team sources, the Chargers and San Diego city officials will sit down on Tuesday, June 2nd to talk about the stadium proposal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.
West Georgia defensive end/outside linebacker Darrius Caldwell is applying to the Supplemental Draft this year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Illinois transfer registered 69 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, and 12 sacks in 2014.

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Patterson, Bears

May 27th, 2015 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the NFC North..

On Wednesday afternoon, a reader asked Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) to handicap the odds that the Vikings will trade Adrian Peterson. Schefter replied that the Vikings have been very clear in their stance and they’ve insisted that they won’t budge. Earlier today, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report spoke with a league source who felt that Peterson was likely to show up at some point during OTAs. Peterson, meanwhile, issued a statement explaining that he does not want to be traded.
The Lions are set to meet with defensive lineman Mike Patterson, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Detroit is looking to beef up the line and they could do it by reuniting Patterson with coach Jim Washburn.
The Bears have hired former Saints cap guru Joey Laine as their new director of football administration, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Laine will handle the salary cap and player negotiations, according to a source. Cliff Stein will remain with Chicago as general counsel.