Month: January 2025

NFC West Notes: Wilson, Bennett, Cardinals

Here’s a look at the NFC West..

  • Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times wonders how a new deal for Cam Newton could impact Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. The deal could make things more difficult between Seattle and Wilson or, at the least, will reset the floor, much in the way that Ryan Tannehill‘s deal did in May. Considering that Newton has a 31-33-1 record and just one playoff win in four years as a starter, Wilson could get substantially more than he did.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looked at Michael Bennett‘s contract and the decision facing the Seahawks. Bennett signed his contract just one year ago, but he likely regretted putting pen to paper after he watched DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, and other veteran defensive ends cash in big just weeks later. At the same time, the Seahawks set a precedent for renegotiating deals when they caved on their contract dispute with Marshawn Lynch. That probably helped give Bennett some additional confidence in his stare down with the front office. Since Seattle doesn’t want to make renegotiating the norm, Fitzgerald expects that this conflict will drag on until late in the summer.
  • Jonathan Cooper is out to prove to the Cardinals that he was worth being chosen with the No. 7 overall pick in 2013, Bob Baum of The Associated Press writes.

Anquan Boldin On Retirement, Tomsula

Anquan Boldin has been the model of consistency over his 13-year career in the NFL. He’ll look to have yet another solid campaign even though much has changed around him in San Francisco. The 49ers will be led by new head coach Jim Tomsula on the sideline and will be without linebacker Patrick Willis and lineman Justin Smith on the defensive side this year. Boldin is only under contract for one more season, so his own future with the Niners is up in the air somewhat. Of course, at his age, retirement would also seem to be a possibility. Boldin spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report earlier today to discuss his plans and the changes around him. Here’s a look at a few of the highlights..

On whether he’ll retire after this season:

I’ll finish the game on my own terms. I don’t want to overstay my welcome. If I’m not playing at a high level, I will leave on my terms. But I will also say for myself that when I do retire, I will have a lot left in the tank.

On how long he’ll stick around:

I think it’s kind of selfish to want to play until you’re 40 or 45. I have two boys now, and I’m 34. If I play until I’m 40 and my oldest, he’ll be in 11th grade and I’ll have missed his entire time growing up just so that I can be a football player. Being a football player takes a lot of time and sacrifice by everybody, including your family. Obviously, I can give him a lot of things by playing football, but that’s not worth the time that we can spend together. There are a lot of things I want to do as a husband and as a father, and football takes a lot of that time away. The money won’t mean as much as the time.

On why he’s confident in Tomsula:

I’ve seen how many of the defensive linemen respond to him and how good a job he did managing that group. With the defensive line, you have a lot of really out-there, aggressive personalities, and he got the most out of those guys. He did it because he knew how to treat each of those guys differently. Great coaches are the coaches who know how to work with different personalities and still find a way to get the most out of people. I don’t think you can coach every guy the exact same way, and Jim doesn’t do that. He has done a great job with all the different characters he has had.

East Notes: Carr, RGIII, Cannon

In a series of several tweets, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram checks in on the Brandon Carr situation in Dallas, writing that the Cowboys haven’t approached the cornerback’s agent recently about a possible pay cut. The team did so earlier in the offseason, but was rebuffed, and now it seems as if Carr may head into the 2015 season with his contract unchanged. According to Hill, nothing is set in stone yet, but Carr has talked to the media about the issue more than he’s talked to the team about it.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Speaking at the team’s charity golf tournament on Monday, Washington president Bruce Allen touched on a handful of topics, calling the decision to pick up Robert Griffin III‘s fifth-year option a “no-brainer,” according to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post. Allen also said that DeSean Jackson‘s absence from the club’s OTAs isn’t a concern (link via Scott Allen of the Washington Post), and suggested that Washington is still keeping an eye on players to acquire (link via ESPN.com’s John Keim).
  • According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Marcus Cannon‘s contract with the Patriots includes a $35K weight bonus — to earn that bonus, the offensive lineman must be under 345 pounds today.
  • A first-round pick in 2012, wide receiver A.J. Jenkins has been traded by the 49ers and cut by the Chiefs, and now hopes his third team is the charm. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com writes that Jenkins is grateful for the opportunity he’s getting from the Cowboys, who signed him last week.

Broncos Sign Shane Ray

The Broncos announced that they have signed first-round pick Shane Ray, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Denver selected Ray with No. 23 overall pick.

Ray, 22, opted to go pro following his junior season at Missouri. Ray was projected by some to be a top ten prospect early on in the process, but an arrest for marijuana possession a few days prior to the draft may have hurt his stock somewhat. The Broncos gave up the No. 28 pick, a fifth-rounder (143), a 2016 fifth-rounder, and offensive lineman Manny Ramirez to move up to the No. 23.

Denver believes that Ray has a bright future in the NFL and that comes as little surprise given his pedigree. Shane’s father, Wendell, was also a star at Missouri and was a fifth round draft pick in the 1981 NFL Draft by the Vikings.

Minor Moves: Monday

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Chargers announced that they have signed cornerback Lowell Rose and waived offensive tackle Cameron Clemmons. Rose was in training camp with the Chargers last year, appearing in three preseason games. The Tulsa product later signed with the Dolphins and played in five games.
  • The Jaguars claimed quarterback Jeff Tuel off waivers from the Bills while releasing quarterback Jake Waters, according to John Oehser of Jaguars.com (via Twitter).
  • The Colts announced that they have signed free agent wide receiver Tyler Rutenbeck. Rutenbeck, 6-2, 186 pounds, was originally signed by Washington after going undrafted out of Division-III Dubuque but lasted less than two weeks there. In four years of college he recorded 163 receptions for 2,715 yards and a school-record 42 receiving touchdowns.
  • The Seahawks are waiving rookie defensive tackle Tory Slater today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • Washington has signed nose tackle Jerrell Powe, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Powe wasn’t tendered an offer as a restricted free agent of the Texans.
  • The Jets signed UGA wide receiver Jonathon Rumph, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Rumph had 11 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown for Georgia last year but sidelined most of the year due to injury.
  • The 49ers cut Chase Thomas from the NFI list, Wilson tweets.

Chargers Not Talking Contract With Weddle

The Chargers have informed Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter that they won’t be engaging in extension talks this year, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran safety didn’t report to the team’s OTAs, in the hopes of negotiating a new contract, but it doesn’t appear that will happen.

“He’ll be excited about playing this year and then hit free agency,” Canter said of his client, adding: “We’re disappointed and will continue to be disappointed. But Eric will go balls-out this season.”

Weddle is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that, while he was focused on the draft at that point, he eventually wanted to discuss Weddle’s contract, so the new stance is a little surprising. It’s possible that the team will revisit negotiations following the season, before the 30-year-old reaches free agency.

Weddle has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he has not missed a regular season start since the 2009 season. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and an interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated the three-time Pro Bowler as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a +18.9 overall grade.

Here are a couple other notes on Chargers’ extension candidates:

  • While they may not be negotiating with Weddle, the Chargers are “quietly working on an extension” for defensive lineman Corey Liuget, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Liuget is a “priority” for the club. The 25-year-old is currently on track to play the 2015 season on his fifth-year option salary of $5.477MM.
  • John Clayton of ESPN.com examines the Philip Rivers contract situation, concluding that it’s “highly unlikely” that the quarterback plays for anyone but the Chargers in 2016. If the franchise moves to Los Angeles, however, it may take a little extra money to convince Rivers to re-up.

Cardinals Sign D.J. Humphries

The Cardinals have become the latest team to finish signing their draft picks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that first-round offensive tackle D.J. Humphries has inked his rookie contract with the team.

The 24th overall pick in this year’s draft, Humphries was initially expected to start at right tackle for the Cardinals, across from Jared Veldheer. However, head coach Bruce Arians recently indicated that the right tackle job is Bobby Massie‘s to lose, so Humphries will have to impress the team in training camp to earn a shot at regular playing time.

Per Over The Cap, Humphries’ four-year contract is worth about $8.912MM, with a signing bonus of about $4.742MM. The Cardinals will also hold a fifth-year option on the former Florida Gator, giving the club the opportunity to extend his deal through the 2019 season.

To keep tabs on all of this year’s rookie signings, be sure to check out our tracker.

Titans, Dorial Green-Beckham Agree To Deal

The Titans have agreed to terms with their second-round draft pick, the team announced today, tweeting a photo of wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham signing his rookie contract. With Green-Beckham locked up, Tennessee needs to sign second overall pick Marcus Mariota and third-round offensive lineman Jeremiah Poutasi to complete its draft signings.

Green-Beckham will be one of the more interesting players to monitor from this year’s draft class. Based on talent alone, he’d be considered one of the top wideouts in this year’s group, and would’ve easily been a first-round pick. However, off-field red flags pushed him into the second round, where the Titans snagged him with the 40th overall pick.

The Titans were originally slated to pick first in the second round, at No. 33, but the team felt confident that it could move back a little and still land DGB. In exchange for moving down seven spots to No. 40, the Titans picked up an extra fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick from the Giants.

As for Green-Beckham’s contract, he’ll get a signing bonus worth about $2.335MM, and his deal will have a four-year value of approximately $5.604MM, per Over The Cap.

Buccaneers Sign Donovan Smith

The Buccaneers now have their top two draft picks under contract, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com, who tweets a photo of second-round offensive tackle Donovan Smith signing his rookie deal. In a press release announcing the transaction, the team notes that seventh-round fullback Joey Iosefa has also inked his contract, so only second-round lineman Ali Marpet remains unsigned.

The 34th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Smith will be in line for a four-year contract worth about $6.069MM, with a signing bonus of approximately $2.674MM, per Over The Cap. Because he was selected just outside of the first round, Smith’s deal won’t feature a fifth-year option, meaning he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency following the 2018 season.

Smith is expected to immediately assume the starting role at the left tackle position, replacing the ineffective Anthony Collins, who was released earlier in the offseason. Assuming he starts the year at left tackle, Smith will be protecting the blind side of quarterback Jameis Winston, who was the first player selected in this year’s draft, and was also the first draftee to sign his rookie contract.

Cardinals Extend Frostee Rucker

The Cardinals have reached an agreement with defensive lineman Frostee Rucker on a one-year contract extension, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rucker’s deal had previously been set to expire after the 2015 season, so the extension will keep him locked up through 2016 instead.

Rucker, 31, re-signed with the Cardinals last March on a two-year, $2.1MM contract, and enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2014. Starting seven of his 15 games for the Cards, the former third-round pick recorded 28 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus’s grades (subscription required), Rucker was the 21st-ranked 3-4 defensive end out of 47 qualified players.

Rucker received more playing time in 2014 due in part to a handful of injuries to Cardinals defenders, including a season-ending ACL tear for Darnell Dockett. While Dockett is expected to be healthy for the coming season, he’ll be playing for Arizona’s division rivals in San Francisco, so Rucker currently appears to be penciled in for a regular role once again.