The Lions announced that they have signed first-round guard Laken Tomlinson. The Duke product was taken with the No. 28 overall pick.
The Lions originally owned the No. 23 pick in the draft but they moved back in a deal with the Broncos in order to add veteran center/guard Manny Ramirez. Tomlinson is expected to start for the Lions at left guard this year in place of Rob Sims. There’s change elsewhere on the offensive line too as Travis Swanson will be the starter at center in place of longtime staple Dominic Raiola.
The rookie wage scale calls for Tomlinson to earn just over $8MM over a four year period. With Tomlinson signed, the Lions now have their entire draft class under contract.
The Buccaneers have signed second-round pick Ali Marpet, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Tribune (on Twitter). With the Hobart guard in the fold, the Bucs have now signed all seven of their 2015 draft picks.
The Bucs traded up from No. 65 to get the Colts’ No. 61 pick, where they selected Marpet. The swap called for the teams to swap their fourth round picks, which meant that the Bucs moved down from No. 109 to No. 128. Buccaneers GM Jason Lichtlater said he traded up for Hobart guard Ali Marpet because offensive line depth in the draft was shrinking.
Tampa Bay also fortified its offensive line earlier in the second round by selecting Penn State tackle Donovan Smith with the No. 34 pick. Both Smith and Marpet are considered front-runners to start on a revamped Buccaneers’ offensive line in 2015.
Leon Washington is out of the picture in Tennessee, but Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt feels that he can find his next return man in-house between wide receiver Jacoby Ford, running back Antonio Andrews and running back Dexter McCluster. “We’ll look at a lot of different guys,” Whisenhunt said, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean. “We’ll see where Jacoby fits in that mix. Antonio did a nice job for us last year. Dexter has done it before, and we’ll see what other guys (might be in the mix).” Washington, meanwhile, remains a free agent. Here’s more from the AFC..
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has taken notice of the big money being thrown around for quarterbacks lately and wants a $100MM contract of his own, as Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union writes. Panthers QB Cam Newton inked a five-year, ~$104MM extension lat week and Ryan Tannehill just signed a deal for under $20MM per year. Obviously, Bortles won’t have to think about his next deal for a while but he’s definitely thought about it. “That’s the goal. I try and get better each and every day and why not make a career out of this, not a job? I want to be here long term and do as much as I can to make this team better and have a blast doing it,” Bortles said.
Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler missed the team’s first OTA practice because he a missed flight due to weather issues and he was held out of practice for three weeks as a result, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald writes. Meanwhile, Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that the NFLPA is looking into the Butler situation since the CBA prohibits teams from punishing players for missing voluntary workouts.
Bills coach Rex Ryan says that he’s not ready to declare a winner or even a leader in the quarterback race between EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor, as Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News writes. As we heard earlier this offseason, Manuel might not have a spot on the team if he doesn’t come away with the starting gig.
This week, Sheldon Richardson has become Muhammad Wilkerson‘s spokesperson, for all intents and purposes. Wilkerson is trying not to air his dirty laundry with the Jets in the New York tabloids, but Richardson is more than happy to talk. Earlier today, he told reporters that his teammate and friend should be the league’s next $100MM man.
“He’s worth that penny,” Richardson said of Wilkerson. “And you know what penny I’m talking about. … We don’t just want J.J. Watt money. We want it all. We want [Ndamukong] Suh money. Hopefully everybody wants that type of bread in this league.”
The PR director of Team Wilkerson didn’t stop there, telling Jets beat reporters “If Gerald McCoy can get $100MM, I’m pretty sure my guy Mo Wilkerson can get $100MM.”
Of course, “Can” and “Should” are two different things. Can Wilkerson get $100MM from the Jets? Probably not, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who noted that the team has leverage thanks to the presence of No. 6 overall pick Leonard Williams. The presence of Wilkerson’s buddy Richardson, another top defensive lineman, also damages his leverage. Barring something unforeseen, it may be a fruitless exercise to debate whether Wilkerson will get that $100MM deal from Gang Green this offseason. The better question might be whether he deserves $100MM.
Wilkerson’s credentials are undoubtedly impressive. The 25-year-old (26 in October) is widely regarded as the second best 3-4 defensive end in the league, after the historically dominant J.J. Watt. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilkerson graded out as the second-best at his position in 2012 and third-best in 2014 (subscription required). Watt finished first in each of the past three seasons.
Still, $100MM ain’t exactly chump change and that tier is really for players who are selected to the Pro Bowl year in and year out. In the case of Wilkerson, he has earned second team All-Pro selections in each of the past three years from either Pro Football Focus or the AP, but he has yet to get a first-team nod. Is Wilkerson elite? Absolutely. Is he $100MM elite? That’s the question we’re asking you. Vote below and give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Colts owner Jim Irsay didn’t close the door on the possibility of deals getting done for both wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and coach Chuck Pagano, Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. Irsay also made it clear that “it takes two parties” to get a deal done, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star tweets.
Back in February, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Colts were expected to be proactive when it comes to locking up members of their 2012 draft class. Hilton, he said, would likely be the first player addressed, but others from that class include tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen and – of course – star quarterback Andrew Luck. Hilton, 25, enjoyed his best season to date in 2014, hauling in 82 catches for 1,345 yards and seven touchdowns. That performance earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection. Hilton still has a year to go on his third-round rookie contract.
Pagano, meanwhile, has has been the Colts’ head coach for the last three seasons. In each campaign, Pagano has led the Colts to a 11-5 regular season mark and a playoff appearance. Last year, the Colts made it to the AFC Championship Game but succumbed to the Patriots.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has spoken with other players who walked away from the game because they grew bored with the tediousness of studying film and the monotony of practice. That’s not the case for him, however.
“I think everybody likes continuity and some consistency in what you’re doing. But I will say at age 36 when I got here and now 39 that I have been stimulated by the changes, which I do think keeps you engaged and energetic and focused in meetings,” Manning said, according to Arnie Stapleton of The Associated Press.
Here’s more from the West divisions..
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles News Group gave us a preview of what to expect from the New York meetings today between NFL owners and contingents from the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders – the three teams weighing moves to the Los Angeles Area.
Like Frank Gore before him, 49ers offseason addition Reggie Bush is ready to prove that there is life for running backs after the age of 30, Cam Inman of the Mercury News writes. Carlos Hyde is projected to take the starting job, but the door is open for Bush to win the gig. Even after nine seasons and 9,758 all-purpose yards, the veteran looks spry and capable of playing at a high level.
The Raiders are committed to going younger at cornerback and coach Jack Del Rio says he’s up for the challenge, as The Associated Press writes. “We feel like there is some talent in that group,” coach Jack Del Rio said. “They do need to be developed. They do need to be worked. A lot of times when you bring in older guys that may be safer guys Week 1, they’re not able to hold up in Weeks 15 and 16, and they’re not really changing the makeup of the team. We feel like it’s time to develop these guys, bring these guys along.” Right now, it sounds like the starters will likely come from a bunch that includes 2013 first-round pick DJ Hayden and second-year players TJ Carrie and Keith McGill. An offseason addition could change that, but Del Rio sounds like he’s going to try and develop the guys he has.
5:39pm: The Dolphins announced that the deal is official, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). To make room, defensive tackle Kamal Johnson has been shown the door.
1:16pm: It’ll be a minimum salary benefit contract for Mosley, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
12:33pm: After hosting him for a visit, the Dolphins have reached an agreement on a one-year contract with defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The free agent defender reportedly drew interest from the Lions and at least one other team besides the Dolphins.
By agreeing to sign with Miami, Mosley will reunite with former teammate Ndamukong Suh, the offseason’s No. 1 free agent, who joined the Dolphins back in March. Although he wasn’t as coveted a free agent as his ex-Lions teammate, Mosley was a solid contributor in Detroit last season as well. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) ranked him 26th out of 81 qualified defensive tackles, viewing him as slightly above average against both the pass and the run.
While the addition of Suh was huge for the Dolphins, the team lost two of its top defensive tackles from 2014 this past winter — Jared Odrick departed in free agency and Randy Starks was released by the team. Earl Mitchell is returning from last year’s squad to pair with Suh up front, but the club doesn’t have much veteran depth at the position, so Mosley could be a useful part-time player. Second-round rookie Jordan Phillips also figures to be a part of Miami’s interior defensive line rotation.
It’s not clear yet what sort of salary Mosley will earn on his one-year pact with the Dolphins, but it figures to be fairly modest, since no free agents are signing for big money this late in the offseason. Still, the fact that the 31-year-old had multiple potential suitors may earn him a deal worth more than the minimum.
Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ executive vice president of football operations, was the general manager in New York when Mosley played for the Jets from 2006 to 2008.
Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with additional moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
The 49ers re-signed linebacker Michael Wilhoite, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter). Wilhoite was an exclusive rights free agent. At one point earlier this offseason, the 49ers were said to be shopping Wilhoite as a possible trade chip. However, that was back when San Francisco was still expecting to have Patrick Willis and Chris Borland back in the mix for 2015. In April, GM Trent Baalkeindicated that he was working on a new deal with Wilhoite. Apparently, that did not come together as planned.
As we heard yesterday, the Panthers are signing tight end Scott Simonson after working him out earlier this week. To make room on the roster, Carolina has waived punter Matt Wile, the team announced today (Twitter link). Wile initially joined the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan about five weeks ago.
The Lions have made some changes at the back of their 90-man roster, signing tight end David Ausberry and cutting safety Nathan Lindsey, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Like Simonson, Ausberry is a former Raiders tight end, having spent four seasons with the team after being drafted in the seventh round back in 2011. He played sparingly during his time in Oakland, catching 11 career passes for 120 yards.
“I try to stay out of the process and just focus on what I can control,” Heyward said. “I’d love to get a contract, but I have to just continue to keep my eyes on the prize. I would love for it to happen. I think they want it to happen.”
Last season, Heyward was the first defensive end to lead the Steelers in sacks in a decade as he and Jason Worilds tied with 7.5 a piece. Heyward says he plans on being even more of a force this season and topping that total. Here’s more out of the North divisions..
There are a number of Steelers entering their walk years, but Heyward might be the only one to sign a new deal, Bouchette writes. The Steelers may try to sign tackle Kelvin Beachum, but they may not pay him what he’s likely worth on the opening market. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth best left tackle in the game.
The Lions hosted a ton of notable veteran free agents on Wednesday but did not sign any of them immediately after the session, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Wide receivers Brad Smith and Robert Meachem and running backs Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas were among the free agents in Detroit today but none of them have deals – at least not yet. The Lions appear set at running back after drafting Ameer Abdullah in the second round to pair with Joique Bell, but Bell is still recovering from offseason surgeries. Tate and Thomas, in theory, could be called upon if Bell’s recovery takes longer than expected.
Bears head coach John Fox is unsure if Martellus Bennett will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. The tight end is pushing for a raise from the $4.9MM base he’s scheduled to earn in 2015. The 2014 Pro Bowler has two years left on a four-year, $20.4MM deal he signed in March of 2013.
A pair of starting quarterbacks signed long-term extensions with their clubs in recent weeks, as the Dolphins and Panthers locked up Ryan Tannehill and Cam Newton respectively. With Ben Roethlisberger signing a multiyear deal of his own with the Steelers back in March, a few of the signal-callers we expected to see extended this offseason have already taken care of business.
Several more notable quarterbacks are still without new deals though, and are seemingly preparing to enter the final year of their respective contracts without an extension in place. Of course, we still have about three months until the regular season gets underway, so there’s plenty of time between now and then for these QBs to work out agreements with their teams.
Sam Bradford and Nick Foles are among the quarterbacks whose contracts expire after the 2015 season, but neither player is a top-tier NFL starter, and both Bradford and Foles are coming off significant injuries that shortened their 2014 seasons. So while they may sign extensions at some point, we’re not including them in this discussion, since they’re not quite in the same class as a few other contract-year QBs.
We’ll also remove Andrew Luck from this conversation, since the Colts have explicitly stated that they don’t intend to negotiate an extension with the former No. 1 pick until 2016. Like Tannehill, Luck was a first-round pick in 2012, which makes him eligible for an extension now, but since Indianapolis holds a fifth-year option for the ’16 season, there’s no rush for the team to get something done.
That leaves us with three top quarterbacks entering contract years: Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning. Like Roethlisberger, Rivers and Manning are each in the final year of a veteran contract. However, Rivers seems somewhat hesitant about re-upping with the Chargers given the uncertain future of the franchise, which resulted in some trade rumors earlier in the offseason. It doesn’t appear that Rivers is going anywhere, but the two sides don’t seem to be close to an extension either, despite some optimism from the Bolts.
As for Manning, we heard earlier this week that contract talks between the two-time Super Bowl MVP and the Giants haven’t begun yet, and he’s not sure when they will. The latest report on the situation suggests that the club may be willing to wait until after the season, with Manning using the 2015 campaign to prove his worth once more.
Wilson, meanwhile, is coming off a rookie contract, which perhaps makes his situation the trickiest of the three. Having built a talented roster around Wilson, the Seahawks are now facing the possibility of their quarterback’s cap hit jumping from the $1MM range to something much, much higher. So far, the two sides are at an impasse, and by all accounts, Wilson is willing to play out the 2015 season and force Seattle to use the franchise tag if he feels like he’s being low-balled by the team in extension discussions.
It’s possible that all three of these quarterbacks will head into the 2015 regular season without having signed new contracts, but I’d be surprised if that were the case. What do you think? Which of these three Pro Bowl quarterbacks will extend his contract with his current team first?