2015 June - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Sign Byron Jones

June 11th, 2015 at 7:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys announced that they have signed first-round draft pick Byron Jones. With Jones in the fold, Dallas has now inked everyone in their 2015 draft class.

Jones’ deal will call for him to earn a little under $8MM over a four-year period. The No. 27 overall pick comes to Dallas with experience at both cornerback and safety. He has already gotten a chance to show off his versatility during OTAs, getting reps at both positions.

Of course, having another talented cornerback in the mix is a strategic move by the Cowboys. Not only do they get stronger at the position at the short-term, but Jones’ presence should give them additional leverage for a Brandon Carr pay cut and give the Cowboys the upper hand in Orlando Scandrick‘s contract dispute.

The UConn standout garnered serious interest from teams all around the league leading up to the draft and the rival Eagles were one team known to be keen on him.

NFC East Notes: Chester, Eagles, Pot Roast

June 11th, 2015 at 5:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Eagles shocked the football world when they parted ways with veteran guard Evan Mathis. Things had gotten ugly between the 33-year-old and Chip Kelly, but most expected that Mathis would at least be traded to a team in need of offensive line help. As the Eagles figure out what’s next, here’s a look at the rest of the NFC East..

The Eagles, who had interest in Chris Chester before he signed with the Falcons, intended to add a guard even if Evan Mathis was on the roster, so they’re still in the market for one, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Surprisingly, Terrance Knighton wound up having to settle for a one-year prove-it deal with Washington rather than getting the big bucks many envisioned. Pot Roast says that he’s motivated to show the league what he can do and get paid in his next go ’round through free agency, Don Banks of Sports Illustrated writes. “Yeah, I was [the biggest steal],” Knighton said. “But I’ve always bet on myself. I consider myself a premier player in this league, and I’ve got a lot of football left. This will be my seventh season, so when I hit the table again, there won’t be any excuses next time.”
NFL network analyst Brian Baldinger believes that one moment late in the 2014 season shaped Kelly’s view of LeSean McCoy, leading to him getting traded from the Eagles. “I think of the Seattle game,” Baldinger said, according to Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News. “He had the biggest hole he saw all year. The biggest hole. He should have hit his head on the goal post. But he saw Earl Thomas coming on a dead sprint to blow him up. And he curled up and fell down. It’s a 10-point game, anybody’s game. And it was a game that really swung everything in December. But I think Chip saw that. And between that, taking him off the field on third down, taking him off the field on goal line . . . [Kelly was saying] ‘He’s just not tough enough or what I want.’“

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Thursday

June 11th, 2015 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

The Jets announced (via Twitter) that they have released tackle Sean Hooey. Hooey, a former member of the Rams, stands at 6’9″ and 300+ pounds.
The Giants announced that the have added rookie linebacker Tony Johnson while dropping fellow rookie linebacker Ryan Jones. Johnson, who played two seasons at Louisiana Tech after transferring from a community college, played in 12 games as a senior and finished third on the team with 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
The Patriots announced that they have signed three rookie free agents in linebacker D.J. Lynch (Bowling Green), tight end Jimmay Mundine (Kansas) and tight end Logan Stokes (Louisiana State). To make room, wide receiver Zach D’Orazio has been let go.

North Notes: Vikings, Gipson, Guion

June 11th, 2015 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

To say that things have been rocky between the Vikings and star running back Adrian Peterson this offseason would be a criminal understatement. Still, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf says that he holds no animosity towards Peterson.

“He’s always had a good heart,” Wilf said of the former MVP, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “He’s a great football player. We have great memories, and we’ll continue to have good memories with him. … He’s been great for the community, and that’s basically who he is, and when you know that’s the character of that person, you believe in him.”

Peterson, of course, is pushing for a reworked contract that gives him guaranteed cash for the remaining three seasons – or at least the first two years – of his deal.

Let’s check in on a few more items from out of the NFL’s North divisions….

The Browns could rescind Tashaun Gipson‘s restricted free agent tender next Monday, but head coach Mike Pettine wouldn’t comment today on whether or not that’s in the team’s plans, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. If Cleveland does withdraw Gipson’s RFA offer, worth $2.356MM, the team could retain the safety’s rights by offering him a tender worth about $627K (110% of his 2014 salary).
Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette feels that the Packers were right to re-sign Letroy Guion this offseason, but it’s now on the defensive tackle to stay away from marijuana. Guion was arrested with about two-thirds of a pound of pot, which could indicate a pretty serious problem. Guion, 27, had an effective first season with the Packers in 2014, starting all 16 games for the team and racking up 41 tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Although the Ravens are saying all the right things about Arthur Brown publicly, it’s fair to wonder if this year is the linebacker’s last chance with the team, writes Bo Smolka of CSNBaltimore.com. I’d be somewhat surprised if Baltimore gave up on Brown this summer, but he has certainly been underwhelming since joining the club as a second-round pick in 2013.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eagles Release Evan Mathis

June 11th, 2015 at 2:54pm CST by Luke Adams

An acrimonious relationship in Philadelphia has come to an end today, as the Eagles are releasing veteran guard Evan Mathis, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Since Mathis is a vested veteran, he’ll immediately hit the open market, and will be free to sign with any team.

The move comes as something of a surprise since Mathis is considered one of the league’s best guards. In 2014, despite playing just 608 offensive snaps, the former third-round pick ranked as the league’s best left guard, performing particularly well as a run blocker, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required). PFF had previously graded Mathis as the NFL’s No. 1 guard in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Still, the relationship between head coach Chip Kelly and Mathis never seemed great — the Pro Bowl lineman had been the subject of trade rumors for the last couple years, and had yet to report to Philadelphia’s offseason program in 2015. A combination of his age (33) and his salary ($5.5MM in 2015) may have scared off potential suitors, though Mathis did receive a little trade interest prior to the draft this year. While the Bills, Vikings, Dolphins, Rams, and Patriots are among the teams that have been linked to Mathis so far this offseason, I expect that list to grow significantly now that he’ll be a free agent.

For Kelly and the Eagles, Mathis becomes the latest in a growing list of Pro Bowl offensive players released or traded by the team in the last couple years, following DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy out the door. Heading into the 2015 campaign, it appears that Allen Barbre will get the first opportunity to replace Mathis as the Eagles’ starting left guard.

Mathis will count for $1MM against the Eagles’ cap in 2015, as the team reduces his cap hit by $5.5MM. Because he was a post-June 1 cut, Philadelphia will also carry $1MM in dead money for Mathis in 2016.

Bengals Sign Cedric Ogbuehi

June 11th, 2015 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals have finished signing their 2015 draft class, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed first-round offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to his rookie contract. Ogbuehi was the last of nine Bengals draftees to ink his deal.

According to Over The Cap’s data, Ogbuehi’s four-year contract will have a total value of about $9.326MM, with a signing bonus worth approximately $5.042MM. The deal, which will also feature a fifth-year option for the 2019 season, likely won’t quite be fully guaranteed, since most players selected late in the first round don’t get full guarantees. The Bengals grabbed the Texas A&M lineman with the 21st overall pick back in April.

The Bengals’ draft was heavy on offensive lineman at the top, as Cincinnati used its second-round pick on former Oregon tackle Jake Fisher after having added Ogbuehi. While they could very well be the Bengals’ long-term solutions on either side of the offensive line, Ogbuehi and Fisher will have to contend in 2015 with veterans Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith, who won’t be eager to surrender their starting spots. Whitworth and Smith are both eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016.

I wrote yesterday that 25 players from 2015’s draft class remained unsigned. Since then, three offensive linemen – Ogbuehi, Lions first-rounder Laken Tomlinson, and Buccaneers second-rounder Ali Marpet – have been locked up by their respective teams, leaving just 22 draftees still to sign.

West Notes: Seahawks, Boldin, L.A., Cards

June 11th, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

After the team traded away four-year starter Max Unger, Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable says that he expects “quite a battle” at the center position, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes.

Lemuel Jeanpierre, who has been with Seattle since 2010 – but has made only eleven starts – appears to be the frontrunner. However, Patrick Lewis started four games last year and is a definite contender. Also in the mix are Drew Nowak and rookie Kristjan Sokoli.

While the center position may be up in the air, the Seahawks fortified tight end in a big way when they acquired Jimmy Graham from the Saints in the Unger deal. Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two West divisions:

The 49ers saw multiple players retire this offseason but Anquan Boldin said that he didn’t give any thought to joining that list, as Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group writes. “If I felt we didn’t have a chance, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Boldin said Wednesday at minicamp. “There’s a lot of talent in this locker room. If we play the way we’re capable of playing, we’ll be right in the mix.”
Longtime NFL executive Carmen Policy is helping the Raiders and Chargers with their Carson stadium project, and in Q&A with Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, Policy lays out his case for why Carson is the ideal location for the NFL to return to L.A.
Demaryius Thomas, who received the franchise tag from the Broncos this offseason, has until July 15 to work out a long-term contract with the club, and his teammates are keeping a close eye on the situation, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com details.
The Cardinals lost what little experience they had at the tight end position when John Carlson suddenly retired in May, leaving them to work with a much younger group, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC South Notes: Orakpo, Luck, Hilton

June 11th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

Prized Titans offseason acquisition Brian Orakpo is still being held out of practice, but Whisenhunt says it’s more precautionary than anything, as Glennon writes.

“I think probably right know he could go,” the coach said. “But we’re holding him back, just because we want to make sure we don’t do anything now and we’ve got him when we get rolling in (training) camp.”

While we wait for Orakpo’s practice debut, here’s more out of the AFC South..

Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters, including Mike Chappell of the Indy Star (on Twitter), that quarterback Andrew Luck will be in Indianapolis “for a very long time.” Irsay has repeatedly expressed confidence that he will eventually lock his franchise QB up for the long term.
After listening to Colts GM Ryan Grigson talk today, Mike Chappell of CBS4 (on Twitter) is convinced that T.Y. Hilton will wait until the end of the season for a new deal. On Wednesday, Irsay gave reporters the impression that he could get a new pact done with Hilton before the start of the year.
The Colts would be smart to make Luck a big offer now, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines. Waiting to get a deal done with Luck, he argues, will only increase the quarterback’s leverage. The odds of Luck suffering a career-threatening injury that would diminish his value go down the closer he gets to completing his contract. The Colts could capitalize on that fear now and convince Luck to take a deal that will give him security against something catastrophic, just as the Dolphins did with Ryan Tannehill.

NFC East Notes: Murray, Eagles, Cowboys

June 11th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

Joseph Randle took a lot of heat for saying that DeMarco Murray could have gone for even more yards in 2014, but Andy Benoit of The MMQB says that he’s right. In many instances, Benoit found that Murray was making decisions that didn’t play to his strengths. If another Cowboys running back is able to capitalize on those gaping holes left by the elite offensive line, then someone could be in for a big year in Dallas. Here’s more from the NFC East..

Many were surprised by the Eagles‘ decision to give DeMeco Ryans an extension given the time he missed last year and the addition of Kiko Alonso. It’s a decision that coach Chip Kelly stands by, as Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I think he was productive before he got injured, and I know he recovered from the other injury,” Kelly said. “When you understand the player and what he’s all about and his dedication and what he does from the rehab standpoint, I think it’s a testament to what he’s going through right now.”

Dashon Goldson was “shocked” when he learned that he was being traded from the Buccaneers to Washington for practically nothing, but he says that he’s now eager to prove himself in a different uniform, as Liz Clark of the Washington Post writes. “To be honest I was a little shocked,” said the 30-year-old. “I understand it’s a business, at the end of the day. But when you think about your career, that’s not something you want to do, bounce around team to team. At the same time, I’m a professional. I know how to handle that situation.”

As Cowboys exec Will McClay garners more and more attention around the game, a reader asked Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News if he thinks that Jerry Jones will be able to keep him without giving him a GM title. George rightly notes that the Cowboys are armed with more money than anyone and feels that it will ultimately come down to whether McClay wants a higher role elsewhere or wants to stay in Dallas while earning top money. Still, the offers will be there for McClay, who has churned out several quality drafts.

Patriots Release Tim Wright

June 11th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have released tight end Tim Wright, according to Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Wright came to the Patriots last year as a part of the Logan Mankins deal with the Buccaneers. Wright will now be subject to waivers and, ironically, it’s the Bucs that hold No. 1 waiver priority.

The Patriots likely felt that Wright’s role on the team can be filled by offseason pickup Scott Chandler. They also have another notable in Fred Davis on the depth chart, further squeezing Wright out of the picture. Former edge rusher Jake Bequette and sixth-round choice A.J. Derby are below Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui, Chandler, and Davis at tight end.

Wright burst on to the scene in his rookie year with the Bucs when he hauled in 54 catches and five touchdowns. Last season, he caught 26 passes for 259 yards, but didn’t do a whole lot down the stretch of the regular season and didn’t record a reception in the playoffs.