2015 June - Pro Football Rumors

Minor Moves: Monday Night

June 8th, 2015 at 8:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest minor moves..

The Bears signed wide receiver Ify Umodu, who was a tryout player at the team’s rookie minicamp in May, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Umodu takes the place of linebacker Jamil Merrell, who was placed on waivers. Umodu, an undrafted rookie free agent from Northern Arizona, had 47 catches for 692 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.
The Rams removed Bud Sasser from the non-football illness list, making him a free agent, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. The sixth-round wide receiver was signed to a deal but waived just two days later to ensure that he would still receive his signing bonus despite his heart condition.
The Dolphins reached an injury settlement with Jake Knott, Wilson tweets.

Lions To Work Out Daniel Thomas

June 8th, 2015 at 7:02pm CST by Zachary Links

“Give me your tired, your old, Your veteran players yearning to see playing time.”

The Lions added yet another name to their list of veteran players being auditioned on Tuesday. Detroit will work out veteran running back Daniel Thomas, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Thomas now joins the likes of Ben Tate, Brad Smith, and Robert Meachem in an effort to impress the Lions.

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.

Strangely enough, this will be Thomas’ second time auditioning opposite of Tate this offseason. The two backs shared the field in late May when showing their stuff for the Cowboys.

Ben Tate To Work Out For Lions

June 8th, 2015 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Ben Tate is on his way to Detroit for a Tuesday workout with the Lions, a source tells ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter).

Tate, 26, was long viewed as one of the best running backs in the NFL without a starting job. When he broke free from being Arian Foster‘s understudy, however, he did not impress. After signing with the Browns, Tate was leapfrogged on the depth chart by rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Tate was bounced in November and picked up off waivers by the Vikings, but his stint only lasted until week 7.

The former Auburn standout received one more opportunity in the postseason, signing with the Steelers and seeing five carries in Pittsburgh’s Wild Card loss to the Ravens. He’s now an unrestricted free agent, and – unsurprisingly – he’s generating much less interest this offseason than he did a year ago. Tate worked out for Dallas back in May but didn’t land a deal, despite their murky running back situation.

For the season, Tate accumulated just 371 rushing yards on 119 carries, good for an average of 3.1 yards per rush. That’s a significant step down from the 4.7 mark he posted during the previous three seasons in Houston, over a span of 421 carries.

Browns Acquire Andy Lee From 49ers

June 8th, 2015 at 4:49pm CST by Ben Levine

MONDAY, 4:49pm: The 2017 seventh-round pick going from the Browns to the 49ers is conditional, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets.

SATURDAY, 1:34pm: The Browns have indeed cut Lanning, notes Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (via Twitter). He was scheduled to make $585K this season.

1:27pm: Lanning confirms his end of the transaction on his Twitter account, thanking Cleveland fans. As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle points out (on Twitter), the Browns’ new punter will count $2.55MM against the cap, while the 21-year-old Pinion is slated to make just more than $483K.

12:42pm: 49ers fans have had to watch as some of their favorite, long-time players have departed this offseason. Supporters can add another subtraction to the list, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that San Francisco will be shipping punter Andy Lee to the Browns in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick. According to Schefter (via Twitter), the Browns will also be releasing punter Spencer Lanning.

The move shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as the 49ers selected punter Bradley Pinion if the fifth round of this past year’s draft. Still, there’s no denying the impact Lee had on the team during his 11 seasons in San Francisco. The 32-year-old has yet to miss a game since being selected in the sixth round of the 2004 draft, and he’s collected three Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections in that span.

Lee is still one of the top punters in the league, and he’s consistently finished in the top-10 of Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) rankings at the position. Lee averaged 46.8 yards a punt last season, good for sixth in the league. He has the second-most career punts among active players, trailing only Texans’ punter Shane Lechler.

Lee will certainly be an upgrade over Lanning. Despite finishing third in the league in punts (93) last season, the 27-year-old finished in the bottom-10 for average punt distance. Pro Football Focus hasn’t handed out a positive rating to a Browns punter since Brad Maynard in 2011.

Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson To Report To Camp

June 8th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson says that Muhammad Wilkerson has informed him that he’ll be coming to the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson. Wilkerson has been away from the team in hopes of hammering out a new long-term contract.

“It’s a business; I guess it takes a long time,” Wilkerson said on Friday about the prospect of a long-term contract extension. “This is new to me. But, hopefully, something will get done soon.”

Wilkerson is entering his walk year and is presently due to make $6.9MM this year. If Wilkerson were to skip all three days of the minicamp, he would be fined more than $72K. It sounds like he is going to avoid that short-term hit while still pushing for long-term security. Wilkerson has maintained a positive attitude about remaining with Gang Green so far and presumably wants to familiarize himself with the schemes of new head coach Todd Bowles.

The former first-round pick from the 2011 NFL Draft has made a legitimate case for himself as the second best 3-4 defensive end in the league, after the possibly immortal 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.

What complicates his contract situation is the player who finished second in Pro Football Focus’ grades last season, Wilkerson’s teammate and fellow first-round selection Richardson. Adding potential star Leonard Williams with the fifth-overall pick in this past NFL Draft hurt Wilkerson’ leverage even further.

Patriots Sign Derek Cox

June 8th, 2015 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots have signed cornerback Derek Cox to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal were not released, but I’d be surprised if it’s anything more than a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract.

Cox, 28, spent his first four seasons with the Jaguars before playing with the Chargers in 2013. He spent time with the Vikings and Ravens in 2014, but was released before the regular season began. Cox’s best season was his rookie year in 2009, when he finished with 72 tackles, four interceptions and 11 passes defended.

In New England, Cox figures to get a chance to compete for a roster spot and playing time at a cornerback position that has been totally revamped this offseason. Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner were the most notable departures, but the Pats also parted ways with Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard. Logan Ryan, Bradley Fletcher, and Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler are a few names that figure to be at or near the top of New England’s depth chart in 2015.

Interestingly, Cox was drafted with the 73rd overall pick in 2009, a selection that initially belonged to the Patriots. New England sent that pick to Jacksonville in exchange for a 2010 second-round pick and the 2009 seventh-rounder that the Pats used to take Julian Edelman. The following year, the Pats moved up a couple spots in the second round using that Jags pick (along with a sixth-rounder) to draft Rob Gronkowski.

North Notes: Lions, Flacco, A. Brown

June 8th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Special teams standout Brad Smith, who has played all over the field in his NFL career, will pay a visit to the Lions on Tuesday, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. While Smith has seen time at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver during his NFL career, and was a very productive kick returner a few years ago, his primary contributions at this point in his career will come in kick and punt coverage.

Meanwhile, a Lions free agent, defensive tackle C.J. Mosley, is visiting an unknown team today, per Birkett. There were conflicting reports last week on whether Detroit has interest in re-signing Mosley, and Birkett notes that while the Lions have engaged with the defensive lineman about a possible return, no agreement is imminent.

Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would like to play in the NFL until he’s at least 40 years old, as he tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Of course, we should probably take Flacco’s comments with a grain of salt at this point, considering he just turned 30 earlier this year.
While the Steelers may not adjust Antonio Brown‘s contract this year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, with the help of former NFL salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell, attempts to identify a potential extension scenario that could work for both sides.
Judge David Doty will hear the NFLPA’s motion to hold Roger Goodell in contempt of court in the Adrian Peterson case on August 13, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Doty ruled in favor of the NFLPA back in February, granting the union’s motion to overturn the league’s decision on Peterson’s suspension, but the NFL didn’t reinstate the Vikings running back until mid-April.
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along word of a couple auditions taking place this week, reporting (via Twitter) that center/guard Ben Gottschalk is trying out for the Packers today and former Hawaii defensive end Beau Yap is working out for the Bengals tomorrow.

Wagner, Seahawks Begin Extension Talks

June 8th, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

While much of the focus in Seattle is on a potential contract extension for Russell Wilson, another key contributor is eligible for free agency after the 2015 season, as fellow 2012 draftee Bobby Wagner enters the final year of his rookie deal. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks and Wagner have begun discussing an extension.

Despite missing five games in 2014 with turf toe, Wagner racked up an impressive 135 regular season tackles and was named an All-Pro linebacker, in addition to earning a Pro Bowl nod. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Wagner fifth out of 60 qualified inside linebackers, grading him as an above-average contributor in pass coverage, as a pass rusher, and especially against the run.

The Seahawks’ secondary has received much of the praise for the defense’s impressive performance in recent years, and players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas have already been extended. However, the club’s front seven has been very effective as well. With Wagner and Bruce Irvin both eligible for free agency after the season, and Michael Bennett said to be unhappy with his contract situation, the Seahawks will have some work to do on that side of the ball before the 2016 offseason.

As Rapoport notes (via Twitter), the Wilson and Wagner contract discussions will also affect each other to a certain extent, since the Seahawks can only use the franchise tag on one player in 2016. If both players remain unsigned by next February, the team would have to choose between the two, with Wilson the favorite to earn the tag. If at least one of them has signed a long-term deal by then, it wouldn’t be an issue.

A report in April suggested that Wagner will likely command more than $8MM per year on his next deal.

Minor Moves: Monday

June 8th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s latest minor transactions from around the NFL:

The Cowboys have made a change at the running back position, waiving rookie Synjyn Days and signing former Baylor standout Lache Seastrunk, the team announced today in a press release. The pair of moves were first reported by Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). In a crowded Dallas backfield, Seastrunk may not be a strong bet to make the roster, but he’s worth keeping an eye on, after spending time on the Panthers’ and Titans’ practice squads in 2014.
Meanwhile, having cut linebacker Kyle Knox last week, the Cowboys replaced him on their roster today by signing another linebacker, Justin Jackson, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Jackson became a free agent last month after being cut by the Raiders.
In need of another body at wide receiver with DeVante Parker on the mend, the Dolphins re-added wide receiver Tommy Streeter to their roster today, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). A former sixth-round pick by the Ravens, Streeter spent most of last season with the Jaguars after starting on Miami’s taxi squad.

NFC West Notes: Wilson, 49ers, Britt

June 8th, 2015 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Peter King of TheMMQB.com leads it off by taking a close look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation with the Seahawks. King provides three reasons why he thinks that talks between the Seahawks and Wilson may not ultimately be fruitful, pointing to a rising salary cap, a front office willing to stick to the value is sets for players, and Wilson’s agent Mark Rodgers suggesting that “sometimes the best deal is the deal you don’t do.”

Within his piece, King stresses that Rodgers has a baseball history, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) that Wilson’s agent did something last week that’s more common in MLB negotiations than in NFL talks, sending a 16-page letter to the Seahawks explaining his position on his client’s contract.

Wilson’s extension negotiations are perhaps the most interesting of any NFL player’s, and it seems unlikely that the two sides will strike an agreement in the immediate future. Whether or not the Seahawks and Rodgers bridge their gap before the 2015 season remains to be seen. Here’s more from around the NFC West:

Anthony Davis‘ retirement may not be permanent, which is creating some confusion about how exactly his contract with the 49ers will work if and when he returns. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets, it would make sense for the offensive tackle to only repay the 2015 portion of his prorated signing bonus for now, if he intends to return in 2016.
In the wake of Davis’ retirement and the trade of Andy Lee to the Browns, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News wonders which 49ers veteran might be the next one out the door.
Kenny Britt led the Rams in receiving yards in 2014, but in the view of the veteran wideout, it was just the latest in a string of disappointing seasons, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. “There’s definitely more I feel like I can give because there’s more that I want to give and there’s more that I want to do in my career,” Britt said. “I’m going into my seventh year, I feel I let myself down the last six years. I have a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove.”