2015 June - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers Sign Corey Liuget To Extension

June 9th, 2015 at 3:29pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 3:29pm: The Chargers announced that they have signed Liuget to an extension.

“Corey is a consummate team player who goes about his work in an unselfish manner,” GM Tom Telesco said. “His preparation and dedication to the game and the Chargers has been evident since day one. Corey is talented, tough and durable, and plays a very important role in our defense. This extension is another reflection of our commitment to investing in our core players and homegrown talent.”

MONDAY, 8:16pm: The deal is expected to add five years to Liuget’s deal for a little north of $10MM per year, sources tell Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.

3:33:pm: The Chargers and defensive lineman Corey Liuget are putting the finishing touches on a long-term contract extension, which should be done soon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that an extension, characterized by Rapoport as “lucrative,” appeared imminent — Liuget himself told Gehlken that he hoped it would get done within the next few days.

Liuget, who turned 25 in March, has been a key contributor at defensive end for the Chargers since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. The former 18th overall pick has started 61 regular season contests for the club in his four seasons, including all 16 games in each of the last three years. In 2014, Liuget notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

As a first-round pick, Liuget had a fifth-year option tacked onto the end of his rookie contract, which the Chargers exercised last offseason. That option called for the Illinois product to earn a $5.477MM base salary in 2015, though that number will likely be altered when an extension is finalized, with Liguet’s payout for ’15 increasing while his cap hit decreases.

While Liuget has been a reliable contributor for the Chargers over the last few seasons, and his new extension was considered a “priority” for the club this spring, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has given him a mix of positive and negative grades throughout his career, and he’s not an elite pass rusher. As such, while Cameron Jordan‘s recent extension with the Saints may have been a point of comparison in negotiations with the Chargers, I wouldn’t expect Liuget’s deal to be in quite the same neighborhood as Jordan’s new contract.

As Over The Cap’s data shows, Jordan is part of a group of four 3-4 defensive ends that are paid significantly more annually than other players at the position, with Jordan, J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, and Jurrell Casey all earning at least $9MM per year. My guess is that Liuget’s new deal will place him in the second tier of 3-4 defensive ends, rather than amongst that top group.

Locking up Liuget is big for the Chargers, but the team will still have several core players in line for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season. Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and Eric Weddle are among the San Diego veterans entering contract years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buccaneers To Claim Spencer Lanning

June 9th, 2015 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers are claiming punter Spencer Lanning off waivers today, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Typically, we’d have to wait for the NFL to confirm the transaction, in case multiple teams put in claims. However, the Bucs have the league’s top waiver priority this offseason, so Lanning will be headed to Tampa Bay.

In 2014, only two punters had more attempts than the 93 punts Lanning made for the Browns. On those 93 attempts, he averaged 44.5 yards, with a net distance of 39.2 yards per punt. Those were middle-of-the-road numbers, and the Browns took the opportunity to try to upgrade the position over the weekend when they acquired Andy Lee from the 49ers for a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick, waiving Lanning in the corresponding move.

In Tampa Bay, Lanning will compete for the starting job with incumbent punter Michael Koenen and Northern Arizona product Andy Wilder, who was signed as a free agent in March. Koenen may head into camp with the edge, but his $3.25MM cap hit, which includes no dead money, makes him vulnerable if one of the younger, cheaper players impresses.

Latest On Demaryius Thomas

June 9th, 2015 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos were one of six NFL teams to open their June minicamp today, and despite the fact that these sessions are mandatory, the team wasn’t expecting Demaryius Thomas to be in attendance, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. As anticipated, the standout receiver, who was franchise-tagged by the Broncos earlier this offseason, didn’t report to the camp.

Because he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, Thomas isn’t subject to fines for missing the mandatory sessions, as Breer observes. If he were officially under contract with the team, the 27-year-old could be fined up to about $70K for missing the June minicamp.

The Broncos have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with Thomas. If the two sides don’t strike a deal, the wideout’s only real option is playing the 2015 season on his one-year, $12.823MM offer, unless he wants to extend his holdout into training camp and perhaps into the regular season as well.

As Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes, it’s important that the team does everything it can to lock up Thomas this year, since Von Miller is eligible for free agency in 2016 — if both stars are unsigned next winter, the Broncos would face a very difficult decision when using its franchise tag, which can only be assigned to one player.

Head coach Gary Kubiak said today that he’s “confident” Denver will get an extension done with Thomas before training camp, tweets Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. While that confidence may be warranted, I expect negotiations between the two sides to go right down to the wire, with resolution coming near – or on – July 15, if it comes at all.

C.J. Mosley Visited Dolphins

June 9th, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

1:09pm: According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), three teams are interested in Mosley, whose visit with the Dolphins is now over.

12:51pm: A report last week indicated that defensive tackle C.J. Mosley was drawing interest from an unknown suitor, while another report yesterday suggested he was making a visit, presumably to that some mystery team. The club hosting Mosley has now been identified, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets that the veteran free agent is visiting the Dolphins today.

Mosley obviously isn’t the first former Lions defensive tackle to catch the Dolphins’ eye this offseason, and while Ndamukong Suh received far more headlines, Mosley was a solid contributor in Detroit last season too. 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.

Despite adding Suh, the Dolphins don’t have a ton of veteran depth at the defensive tackle position, so it makes sense that the team would be considering adding a player like Mosley, especially since he has a history with Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum, having played for the Jets back during Tannenbaum’s stint in New York.

Still, it remains to be seen whether Mosley will reach an agreement with the Dolphins, as multiple reports have suggested the Lions have also been in touch with his camp about a possible return. Most veterans settle for the minimum salary this late in the offseason, but if at least two clubs are interested in signing Mosley, he may land a little extra.

Seahawks, Others Inquired On James Jones

June 9th, 2015 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

We haven’t heard many rumors about James Jones since he was released by the Raiders following the draft, but the veteran wideout wants to continue his career, telling Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he’s not retiring. “If you need a wide receiver, come get me,” Jones tells Anderson.

According to Jones’ agent, the Seahawks, Giants, and Chiefs all made preliminary inquiries after the wide receiver his the open market last month, tweets Anderson. The 31-year-old has yet to make any free agent visits, however.

After spending seven seasons in Green Bay, Jones established a new career high in 2014 with 73 receptions in Oakland, easily the most catches for any player currently available. Given the conservative nature of the Raiders’ offense though, Jones averaged just 9.1 yards per catch, significantly below his career mark, for a total of only 666 yards.

While Jones caught balls from rookie Derek Carr last year, teams like the Seahawks, Giants, and Chiefs all have established signal-callers at the helm, and Jones wouldn’t be relied upon to be a primary option for any of those clubs. I’d be a little surprised if the former third-round pick doesn’t find a new home by the time the regular season begins.

Titans Sign Fernando Velasco

June 9th, 2015 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have added some veteran depth to their offensive line, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent center Fernando Velasco to a contract. To make room on the roster, the Titans placed cornerback Brandon Harris, who tore his ACL last week, on injured reserve.

While the Titans list Velasco as a center, he spent most of last season at guard for the Panthers, playing 407 overall offensive snaps. The 30-year-old wasn’t a core piece of Carolina’s offensive line, but he was a useful part-time player, appearing in multiple games at both right guard and left guard, and not allowing a quarterback sack all year.

In Tennessee, Velasco may challenge for playing time at center, where Brian Schwenke is the favorite to start. Schenke, a 2013 fourth-round pick, has started 20 games at the position for the Titans over the last two seasons, but has ranked among the bottom 10 players at the position in each of those years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He and backup center Andy Gallik are also both dealing with hamstring injuries, so Velasco may ultimately just provide offseason depth.

Terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but I’d anticipate a minimum salary pact for Velasco, who won’t be guaranteed a regular season roster spot. As for Harris, he had been playing out the final year of his contract with the Titans, so he appears likely to spend the season on IR, then become a free agent next winter.

AFC Notes: Gipson, Jets, Chargers, Bengals

June 9th, 2015 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

Safety Tashaun Gipson, the league’s only unsigned restricted free agent, almost certainly took notice when the Browns added a $2MM+ salary to their payroll for a punter (Andy Lee) this past weekend, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. As McManamon points out, Gipson wasn’t thrilled when the team assigned him a second-round tender, and is believed to be seeking a long-term deal that assures him of some guaranteed money up front.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Brian Costello of the New York Post ran down the top storylines to watch for in Jets camp, including the return of Muhammad Wilkerson, who is in the building today, as expected (Twitter link via Kristian Dyer of Metro New York). It’ll also be interesting to see whether offseason addition Ryan Fitzpatrick can eventually leapfrog Geno Smith for the starting job. For now, Jets coaches say that Smith will be under center unless he totally flames out this summer.
San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer is now going on the offensive against the Chargers and the team isn’t happy about it, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. “This new negative advertising campaign against the Chargers — launched just as the team began negotiations with the city — speaks volumes about what the Mayor and his political operatives have really been up to on this issue from the start,” Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani said of the mayor’s sponsored Facebook post going after the club. “They have always seemed more concerned with political cover than with actually building a stadium.”
Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is among the intern coaches on the Bengals‘ staff for the 2015 season, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Houshmandzadeh, who spent most of his career in Cincinnati and earned a Pro Bowl spot as a Bengal in 2007, last played for the Raiders in 2011.
As Field Yates of ESPN.com details, Joe Cardona‘s rookie contract with the Patriots features only a $100K signing bonus rather than the $190K his draft slot calls for. However, Cardona can earn up to $100K in roster bonuses over the next three seasons if he’s on the team, so the Pats are presumably protecting themselves a little in case the long snapper has to serve in the Navy.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

No Contract Talks Yet For Manning, Giants

June 9th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Eli Manning is heading into the final year of his contract with the Giants, and so far there have been no talks between him and the team about extending that deal beyond the 2015 season, as he tells Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.

“No discussions yet,” Manning said. “I don’t know if there will be or not.”

While the Giants certainly haven’t expressed publicly that they intend to wait until 2016 to try to work out an extension with their quarterback, Manning’s comments suggest that it’s possible he’ll head into the season without an agreement in place. Though for his part, the two-time Super Bowl MVP doesn’t seem too concerned about it.

“I guess I’m just happy that I’m still playing and still got a job to do,” Manning said. “I guess I’ve always just thought, they gave me a contract for six years, this is the sixth year. I don’t have any complaints. I’m going to do my job, no matter what. My focus is on playing good football, winning games, and whatever happens after that happens after that.”

As one of three notable veteran quarterbacks from the 2004 draft class who headed into this offseason without a long-term extension in place, Manning likely took notice when Ben Roethlisberger re-upped with the Steelers for a five-year, $99MM contract back in March. The other top QB from that ’04 first round, Philip Rivers, was the subject of numerous trade rumors earlier this spring, but it doesn’t seem as if the Giants have considered any sort of trade involving Manning — the team simply appears willing to let the situation play out in the coming weeks, or months, without rushing into a new deal.

Manning, 34, is coming off one of his best statistical seasons, having posted a 63.1% completion percentage, 4,410 passing yards, and 30 touchdowns in 2014. For now, he’s set to earn a $17MM base salary for the coming year.

South Notes: Stewart, Panthers, Texans

June 8th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

When the Panthers released their all-time leading rusher DeAngelo Williams, it paved the way for Jonathan Stewart to become the team’s undisputed featured running back for the first time in eight years, as Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. His teammates believe that he’s up for the task.

“We saw last year that as he got more and more reps, the better he got,” tight end Greg Olsen said. “He’s so talented. You forget that he’s just unbelievable. When he gets rolling he’s as good as there is in the league. He’s so big and strong.”

Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South..

The Texans have reached out to former center Chris Myers about returning to the team, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Myers will consider multiple options before deciding, however.
Olsen says that playing with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has been “great for his career,” as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Last week, Newton signed a five-year extension that will make him a member of the Panthers through 2020.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien announced that the team’s promotion of George Godsey to offensive coordinator is now official, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com tweets. Godsey was previously slotted in as the team’s quarterbacks coach.
When asked about whether tackle David Quessenberry could play this year, O’Brien said, “This season is a possibility. I would not rule it out,” according to Ganguli (on Twitter). the former sixth-rounder has been battling with lymphoma and, fortunately, appears to have made a great recovery. The Texans lineman announced in February that he was in remission.
The Saints have added former Jets director of pro personnel Brendan Prophett to their scouting staff, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate. Prophett has not yet been assigned an area that he will scout.

NFC Notes: Meachem, Lions, Boone

June 8th, 2015 at 8:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem will be working out for the Lions on Tuesday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). As previously reported, Detroit will also host receiver Brad Smith and running back Ben Tate on Tuesday. Here’s more from the NFC..

49ers lineman Alex Boone, who had not been part of the team’s offseason program to date, will be on hand for the veteran minicamp that runs Tuesday through Thursday, a league source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The Niners’ starting right guard was away from the team for the entire 2014 offseason while fishing for a better deal. He wound up settling for a two-year pact, a deal that he’s ostensibly trying to upgrade from now. The 49ers lost their other starting guard, Mike Iupati, in free agency and last week learned that starting right tackle Anthony Davis would retire.
Cardinals linebacker Larry Foote says the itch to play hasn’t hit him yet and he’s likely to coach this season, Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com tweets. The Cardinals added Foote to their coaching staff earlier in the offseason with the intent of signing him to the roster later in the summer if he decided to continue playing.
Todd Archer of ESPN.com wonders if the Cowboys should lock up Tyrone Crawford now or later. Crawford finished with just three sacks but he had 29 quarterback pressures and four tackles for loss as he learned the defensive tackle position on the fly. Set to make just $675K in the final year of his rookie deal, it could make sense for Dallas to lock Crawford down for multiple years beyond 2015. Still, he’s rather unproven as those three sacks are the only sacks of his career.
Rainer Sabin of The Dallas Morning News wonders if Darren McFadden can get his second wind with the Cowboys. Dallas has always been enamored with the former Raiders back, but he has lost much of his luster due to injury in recent years. “He was a guy that was interesting to us,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said of McFadden. “Obviously he has some skill sets with his explosiveness and his speed. He can take it to the house if he gets the right seam. He’s an interesting back for us. We think he can bring something to the table here.”