2015 June - Pro Football Rumors

Minor Moves: Thursday

June 18th, 2015 at 4:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

The Titans waived tight end Taylor Thompson, tweets the Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt. Thompson, whom the Titans chose in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, has 11 career catches. It was reported earlier this week that the Titans were primed to fine Thompson for showing up late to mandatory minicamp. He has also been dealing with knee issues.
The Patriots cut tight end Logan Stokes, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Stokes signed with the Pats last week as an undrafted free agent out of LSU.
The Chiefs signed cornerback Kenneth Penny and waived both guard Melvin Meggs and cornerback De’Vante Bausby, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
The Bills signed free agent tight end Matthew Mulligan and released defensive back Merrill Noel, according to the Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Mulligan, who has 16 career receptions, played under current Bills coach Rex Ryan as a member of the Jets from 2009-11.
The Falcons signed veteran wide receiver Carlton Mitchell and waived fellow wideout Shane Wynn, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Mitchell, a sixth-round pick in 2010, last saw action in 2011, when he caught three passes for the Browns. Wynn signed with Atlanta last month as an undrafted free agent out of Indiana.
The Lions waived Bill Bentley after minicamp practice on Thursday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). The cornerback was attempting to return from a torn ACL. Bentley played some nickel for Detroit over the last three years.
The Packers released cornerback Travis Manning, according to Weston Hodkiewicz of the Press Gazette (on Twitter). Taking Manning’s place on the roster will be tight end Harold Spears, who was waived by the Saints earlier this week, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Green Bay still has 89 players on the roster after today’s moves.

Community Tailgate: 6/18/15

June 18th, 2015 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still a few months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. This week, we’ve launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every day, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, we’ll be discussing the crop of top wide receivers who are eligible for contract extensions. Dez Bryant has received most of the headlines this week, but Demaryius Thomas is currently in the same situation as the Cowboys wideout, having received a franchise-tag tender that he has yet to sign. Meanwhile, both A.J. Green and Julio Jones are entering their fifth-year option season, making them eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.

All four players could ultimately play out the coming season on one-year contracts and be franchised in 2016, but there’s a belief that once one of the four reaches a long-term agreement with his team, it will provide a template for the other three to negotiate their own deals. It’s just not clear yet what those extensions might look like.

While Calvin Johnson, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham Jr., and others would have something to say about it, you could make a reasonable case that these four extension candidates are among the top five wide receivers in the NFL. Consider the following résumés:

Dez Bryant: Has averaged approximately 91 receptions, 1,312 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns over the last three seasons, earning an All-Pro spot in 2014.
Demaryius Thomas: His three-year averages (99 catches, 1,494 receiving yards, 12 TDs) match up favorably with Bryant’s, and he’s coming off a career year in which he racked up 111 catches and averaged more than 100 yards per game.
A.J. Green: Has been a Pro Bowler in each of his four NFL seasons, and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of those seasons as well, despite being slowed by injuries last year. In 2013, his last fully healthy campaign, he totaled 98 catches, 1,426 yards, and 11 TDs.
Julio Jones: Established new career highs with 104 receptions and 1,593 yards in 2014, earning his second Pro Bowl berth.

All four appear headed for huge paydays, but there’s plenty to debate and discuss. For instance: Will any of these player challenge Calvin Johnson’s seven-year, $113MM+ contract? Which of the four will sign first, and which will receive the largest deal? Which of the four would you want on your favorite team? Would you be reluctant to invest significant money in any of them? We want to hear from you, so head to the comments section to place your bets and voice your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Giants Sign Ereck Flowers

June 18th, 2015 at 3:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants announced that they have signed first-round pick Ereck Flowers. Flowers, a product of the University of Miami, was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. According to his slot, Flowers should earn $14.4MM with a healthy $8.7MM signing bonus.

Flowers negotiated his own rookie contract with the Giants, which may have contributed to the delay in signing. Had Flowers hired an agent and been charged the maximum allowable 3% fee on his $14.4MM guaranteed contract, the fee would have worked out to $432K. Instead, he decided to keep that fee and use his family for guidance. Flowers’ camp did hire an attorney to review the contract, however.

Flowers was already expected to play a big role for the Giants, but when Will Beatty tore his pectoral muscle lifting weights on May 18th, he became even more crucial to the team’s immediate success. Many expected the Giants to go hard after Iowa tackle Brandon Scherff, who is widely believed to be more NFL ready, but he was off the board by the time it was their turn to pick.

Judge Rules In Favor Of Tom Benson

June 18th, 2015 at 2:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints owner Tom Benson has been ruled mentally competent and fit to run his businesses by Judge Kem Reese, according to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). The official ruling is expected to come down this afternoon.

The ruling is expected to have major implications on the future of both the Saints and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. Years ago, the Saints owner designated granddaughter Rita Benson LeBlanc as his handpicked successor. Then, in January, he announced that he decided to instead transfer ownership of the city’s two major pro sports franchises to his wife, Gayle, when he dies. Meanwhile, LeBlanc’s offices at the teams’ Metairie headquarters were vacated and her company-issued Mercedes-Benz and cell phone was seized. LeBlanc, who was less than thrilled by all of this, filed a lawsuit claiming Benson is mentally incompetent and is being manipulated by his wife.

Benson, 87, was forced to undergo evaluations by three different doctors to determine whether he remains competent to control his NFL and NBA franchises. One doctor was appointed by Benson, one by his daughter Renee, and the third was named by those first two physicians.

While the ruling was of significant importance to the Saints’ future, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com recently wrote that relocation was not in the cards regardless of who was put in charge. The Saints are locked into their current stadium lease until 2025.

Over the past five months, the battle has been nothing but ugly both in the courtroom and in the press. Today’s resolution, barring an appeal, should bring the circus to a close.

For more on how the ruling affects the NBA’s Pelicans, head on over to Hoops Rumors, our sister site for the NBA.

Bears Sign Daniel Thomas

June 18th, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears took to Twitter to announce that they have signed running back Daniel Thomas and safety Sherrod Martin to one-year deals. In related moves, kicker Jeremiah Detmer, quarterback Pat Devlin, and tight end Jacob Maxwell have all been waived.

Thomas and Martin auditioned for Chicago on Wednesday and apparenty made a strong impression on the club. Thomas, a second-round pick in 2011, was initially displaced from the Dolphins when they added Knowshon Moreno last offseason. However, Moreno went down with a dislocated elbow in September, prompting Miami to reunite with the 27-year-old. In four seasons with Miami, Thomas has run for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. Last year he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try.

Texans, Johnathan Joseph Agree To Extension

June 18th, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

2:06pm: The total three-year deal is worth $22MM, with $11.5MM guaranteed, according to McClain (on Twitter). Joseph will now carry a $11.75MM hit against Houston’s cap versus the $12.25MM he was initially slated for.

1:50pm: The Texans and cornerback Johnathan Joseph have reached agreement on a new deal, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Joseph was set to enter the final year of his contract. The deal will be for three years in total, which means that Jackson got an additional two years on his contract, according to a source that spoke with Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Joseph was a Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2012, but didn’t play at his best in 2013 due to injury. The nine-year vet was on the field for all 16 regular season games in 2014, however. Last year, Joseph pulled down two interceptions, caused two fumbles, and racked up a total of 75 tackles. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) had him as an above average corner in 2014, giving him a 5.0 overall grade good for 23rd amongst all qualified corners. The No. 23 ranking at cornerback might not put him up there with elite corners like Darrelle Revis, but it was his best showing since he finished No. 11 on PFF in 2011.

The deal might come as a surprise to some after Houston used a 2015 first round pick to select cornerback Kevin Johnson. The 31-year-old initially came to Houston on a five-year, $48.75MM deal he signed as a free agent in 2011. Joseph is poised to start opposite of Kareem Jackson for a fifth consecutive season.

Bills Notes: McCown, Incognito, Fluellen

June 18th, 2015 at 12:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the Bills..

Nobody is comparing the Bills‘ stable of quarterbacks to Tom Brady, but they will be compared to Josh McCown, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes. McCown, of course, spurned the Bills to instead join up with the Browns this offseason. When McCown went to Cleveland, that opened the door for Matt Cassel, who is now duking it out with Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel for the starting job.
Bills guard Richie Incognito says he’s matured in his time off, as Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News writes. Reporters asked the controversial lineman if he’s changed after more than a year and a half away from the game. “You know, it’s six one way, half dozen the other,” he said. “I’ve definitely grown, definitely matured. I definitely did take some steps forward. But, you know, I think what this whole thing was, it really just shook me down to my core values, and really just kind of made me think about the kind of man I am.”
Andre Fluellen‘s one-year deal with the Bills will pay him $870K with a $585K cap figure on minimum salary benefit, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Fluellen, 30, has spent nearly all of his career with the Lions since being drafted by the team in the third round back in 2008. However, he has never played a significant role in Detroit, acting as a part-time contributor over the course of 77 career games (75 with Detroit). In 2014, Fluellen recorded 10 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery in 183 defensive snaps.

Dez Bryant Attends Cowboys Practice

June 18th, 2015 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett confirmed to reporters, including Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter) that wide receiver Dez Bryant is on hand today. The star wide receiver will not practice with his team, however.

Bryant recently attempted to regain some leverage by suggesting he was prepared to sit out regular season games if an extension isn’t in place. However, when speaking to reporters yesterday, owner Jerry Jones didn’t seem to put much stock in that. Jones said that he has “no doubt” Bryant will be on the field for Dallas’ Week 1 game against the Giants. Last year, Bryant became the first player in Dallas history to have three straight seasons with at least 85 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown receptions, but he has limited leverage until he’s eligible to hit the open market.

Because he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, Bryant can’t be fined for missing this week’s minicamp, or August’s training camp. However, if Bryant were to start missing regular season games, he’d lose nearly $753K per week. After Bryant appeared in Texas today, however, it’s even harder to envisioning him following through on that threat.

The Cowboys and Bryant have until July 15 to reach a multiyear deal. Do you take today’s development as a sign that the two sides are nearing an agreement?

Bills Expect To Sign Wayne Hunter

June 18th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Bills coach Rex Ryan told reporters that he expects to sign veteran offensive lineman Wayne Hunter, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hunter has been trying out for Buffalo over the past couple of days.

It has been a couple years since we’ve heard from Hunter, who started all 16 games at right tackle for the Jets in 2011, and last appeared in the NFL in 2012. The tackle was widely criticized by Jets fans during his time in New York. In his final year in green, Hunter graded out as one of the very worst tackles in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Hunter finished with an overall grade of -24.6, ranking him 71st out of 76 qualified tackles.

In August of 2012, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer convinced the Rams to send Jason Smith east in order to bring Hunter to St. Louis. Hunter fared slightly better in his 14 games (4 starts) with the Rams, but still graded out with a below average mark according to PFF.

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Jones, Oher

June 18th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers running back Doug Martin has a lot of goals for the 2015 season, including one that might surprise you.

“The name ‘Muscle Hamster’ is the worst nickname possibly ever given to somebody,” Martin told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “I hope it changes, and I hope that I play to a level where my nickname changes. That’s what my goals are.”

As Martin gets to work on that, let’s check out more from the NFC South..

Falcons star Julio Jones says he won’t be holding out to get a better deal like Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure writes. “[Agent] Jimmy Sexton, he’s going to negotiate that with [general manager] Thomas [Dimitroff] and [Falcons owner] Mr. [Arthur] Blank. That’s the side they handle. My side, I’ve got to handle on the football field. I’ve got to keep showing up every day and putting in work,” Jones said. Atlanta picked up Jones’ fifth-year option, meaning that he’ll earn $10.2MM for 2015. The Falcons will have the option of slapping him with the franchise tag in 2016 if they don’t work out a new deal. If that happens, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Jones’ position change a bit.
The movie “The Blind Side” made Michael Oher a household name but the Panthers offensive tackle believes that the film has had an adverse affect on his career, ESPN.com’s David Newton writes. “I’m not trying to prove anything,” Oher said. “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field. This stuff, calling me a bust, people saying if I can play or not … that has nothing to do with football. It’s something else off the field. That’s why I don’t like that movie.” Unable to live up to his first round billing, the Ravens released Oher this offseason, leading him to hook on with Carolina.
Kevin Williams will earn a base salary of $1MM with a $500K signing bonus on his deal with the Saints, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). He can earn another $600K through playing time incentives. In 2014, the former first-round pick ranked in the middle of the pack among defensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF’s grades placed Williams 40th out of 81 qualified DTs, as he finished the season with 38 tackles and three sacks.