HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Colts Release Gosder Cherilus

July 26th, 2015 at 11:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have released one of their starting offensive players from last season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve parted ways with right tackle Gosder Cherilus. As a veteran player, Cherilus won’t have to pass through waivers, and will immediately be free to sign with another team.

Cherilus, who turned 31 last month, signed a five-year, $35MM contract with the Colts in 2013, and started 29 games for the club at right tackle over the past two seasons. However, after a solid first season in Indianapolis, he struggled last year. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Cherilus 70th out of 84 qualified tackles, and he graded particularly poorly as a pass blocker. According to PFF’s data, he allowed six quarterback sacks, another 42 hits or hurries.

Because he received a sizable signing bonus when he signed his deal back in 2013, Cherilus will still count for a decent chunk of dead money against the Colts’ cap. His $6.9MM hit in 2015 will be reduced to just $2.9MM, but he’ll count for another $5.8MM against the club’s 2016 cap. All that dead money will serve as the Colts’ latest reminder of a poor class of 2013 free agents — the club has since cut LaRon Landry and Ricky Jean-Francois as well.

Now that the Colts have moved on from Cherilus, who was identified by our Dallas Robinson earlier this month as a release candidate, expect Jack Mewhort to get the first look at right tackle for the Colts, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Mewhort was the team’s starting left guard in 2014.

Bengals Want A.J. Green Deal Done In 2015

July 26th, 2015 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Less than two weeks ago, Bengals receiver A.J. Green told Coley Harvey of ESPN.com that he expected to play out the 2015 season on his current contract, and likely wouldn’t discuss a new deal with the Bengals until at least 2016. However, as of late, Green has sounded a little more optimistic, telling Fox10 that he expects the team to get something done at some point.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Green’s increased optimism regarding a new contract likely stems from the fact that the Bengals have told him he’s their top priority. Rapoport suggests that the club wants to get Green locked up this year, rather than letting the situation drag out.

When Green made his comments earlier this month, Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas remained unsigned, and it wasn’t clear if either of the franchised wideouts would ink a long-term deal this year. Now that both players are under contract on similar five-year, $70MM extensions, there’s an obvious point of reference for Green and the Bengals, which has perhaps increased the club’s motivation to work something out.

Cincinnati will have a number of players eligible for unrestricted free agency next winter, including both of their starting offensive tackles – Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith – along with defensive backs Leon Hall and Reggie Nelson. Signing Green to an extension now would give the Bengals a better idea of how much cap flexibility it has for those other potential free agents when the time comes.

AFC Notes: Revis, Steelers, Bell, Easley

July 25th, 2015 at 8:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Darrelle Revis is back with the Jets after a two-year hiatus, and as he tells it, he never wanted to leave — it was club management, the veteran corner tells Brian Costello of the New York Post, who saw to his departure.

“It wasn’t [owner Woody Johnson],” Revis said . “He’s a businessman and he’s going to make the best decisions he can and bring the best players in here or bring the right players in here to contend. It wasn’t him. It was the general manager. What I was told by [John] Idzik wasn’t accurate. But that’s a whole other story.”

Let’s look at more from the AFC:

  • Steelers swing tackle Mike Adams is likely to miss all of training camp while dealing with a back injury, and as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets, Adams’ absence eliminates any leverage the Steelers may have had as they try to negotiate an extension with starting left tackle Kelvin Beachum. Pittsburgh, who has recently agreed to multi-year deals with general manager Kevin Colbert, head coach Mike Tomlin, and defensive end Cameron Heyward, have reportedly opened talks with Beachum, but not much progress has been made.
  • More on the Steelers, as running back Le’Veon Bell tells Kaboly (via Twitter) that his hyperextended right knee is still bothering him, but he’s getting close to 100 percent. Bell is currently suspended for the first three games of the 2015 season due to his 2014 arrest, and although he has appealed, we heard earlier today that no date for the hearing is set.
  • Defensive tackle Dominique Easley, the Patriots‘ first-round pick in 2014, has switched agents, signing with Sean Stellato of SES Sports, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. As Volin correctly notes, it’s a little odd for Easley to change agencies at this point in his career, as he isn’t eligible to renegotiate his contract for two more years. Easley played just 270 snaps during his rookie season while still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, but he should see a larger role in 2015.

2015 Release Candidates: AFC West

July 25th, 2015 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.

Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.

We’ve already looked at the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North, NFC North, AFC South, and NFC South, so let’s dive into the AFC West…

Denver Broncos:

  • Andre Caldwell, WR: The Broncos have lost Eric Decker and Wes Welker in consecutive seasons, but that hasn’t led to an uptick in production for Caldwell, who has caught just 21 balls for less than 300 yards over the past two years. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders will reprise their roles as Denver’s top two receivers in 2015, but Sanders will move to the slot in three-receiver sets, leaving unanswered the question of who will play the outside in such formations. The odds-on favorite is 2014 second-round pick Cody Latimer, who not only saw first-time reps while Thomas was away from camp as a frachise-tagged player, but received praise from head coach Gary Kubiak. So where does that leave Caldwell? Mostly as a viable fourth receiver and special teamer — he played on more than 40% of Denver’s ST snaps last year — who might not be worth his $1.55MM cap charge. But the Broncos have little to no depth behind him at receiver, so he probably sticks. Prediction: not released.

Kansas City Chiefs:

  • Chase Daniel, QB: The Chiefs are scheduled to spend the third-most on quarterbacks in 2015 — Alex Smith will only be the 10th-highest paid QB this season, meaning that positional spending is driven in large part by Chase Daniel. The league’s highest-paid backup, the 28-year-old Daniel will count for $4.8MM against Kansas City’s cap. He’s earning similar money to that of a third-tier starter, and given that he’s attempted fewer than 60 passes over the past two seasons, it might have made sense for the team to go cheaper at the No. 2 spot. But given that it’s almost time for training camp and the Chiefs aren’t in dire financial straits, they’ll probably just keep Daniel around to act as top-notch insurance in the event of a Smith injury. Prediction: not released.
  • Derrick Johnson, LB: Johnson, 32, missed the majority of last year after tearing his Achilles, and given that none his $5.25MM cap figure is guaranteed, it’s conceivable that the Chiefs could move on. But that probably won’t happen for two reasons. First, club owner Clark Hunt said in March that Johnson is safe. “There will be a point in time where we address [his contract],” Hunt said. “But it just hasn’t been germane to this point.” Second, Johnson is still a solid player, and Kansas City will need his contributions if it hopes to improve upon its No. 19 DVOA ranking. The Chiefs navigated through the offseason despite their salary cap troubles, and now have nearly $9MM in space, so clearing Johnson’s money isn’t completely necessary. Prediction: not released.

Oakland Raiders:

  • Austin Howard, OL: After spending two years as the Jets’ starting right tackle, Howard signed a five-year, $30MM deal to join Oakland prior to last season and promptly moved to right guard. He’s projected to move back to tackle for the upcoming season, with veteran Khalif Barnes taking over at RG, but the right side of the Raiders’ line is still unsettled. Third-year pro Menelik Watson is a candidate to edge out Howard for the right tackle job, and if that happens, Howard could conceivably shift back to guard, or be moved to the bench. Of course, a final option would be for the club to release him, saving $5MM tis season. But Oakland would incur more than $4MM in 2016 dead money by doing so, and though Howard’s play was poor last year, the Raiders aren’t in any position to be casting off players who possess any modicum of talent. Prediction: not released.

San Diego Chargers:

  • Donald Brown, RB: Brown’s three-year, $10.5MM ($4MM guaranteed) deal with the Chargers already looked like an overpay when it was signed, and following Brown’s dreadful 2014 season, the pact looks even worse. Following injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, Brown had an opportunity to take the starting running back job, but was wholly ineffective, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry on 85 attempts. Brown, 28, is an effective pass-blocker, but with first-rounder Melvin Gordon in tow, Woodhead expected to regain his third-down role, and Brandon Oliver coming off an impressive year-end run, Brown doesn’t figure to have role. San Diego can save $3MM by releasing him, and would carry just over $1MM in dead money. Prediction: released.
  • John Phillips, TE: The 28-year-old Phillips didn’t see the field much in 2014 while acting as San Diego’s third tight end — he played on only 202 snaps, but still managed to post a disappointing -7.0 grade per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Chargers could clear out Phillips’ $1.45MM base salary by cutting him, but with Antonio Gates suspended for the first four games of the season, Phillips will probably be back to serve as the club’s inline tight end while Ladarius Green acts the move option. Prediction: not released.

Details On Marcus Mariota’s Partial Offsets

July 25th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans became the final team to come to terms with their first-round pick earlier this week, agreeing to a standard four-year deal with a fifth-year option with quarterback Marcus Mariota. The delay in negotiations was largely (if not entirely) due to haggling over offsets, and as such, the final contract reportedly contains partial offset language, the details of which we’ve learned today.

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (all Twitter links), the only portion of Mariota’s $24.214MM contract that would be subject to offsets are his base salaries, which total just $2.28MM. Mariota’s signing bonus, which is worth roughly $15.87MM, and his roster bonuses — $1.011MM in 2016, $2.021MM in 2017, and $3.032MM in 2018 — are protected. Additionally, Pelissero reports that those roster bonuses are due on the fifth day of training camp each year.

Speaking on the subject nearly two weeks ago, Titans CEO and president Steve Underwood seemed adamant that the club would not budge on the issue of offsets. “We’ve always had offset language in our player contracts. It’s nothing new,” Underwood said. “I think it is important where a high first-round draft pick is concerned, because it’s the precedent. Everything that we do is precedential for the next round of contracts.”

Instead, it appears as though Tennessee caved on the issue; the club could point to the fact that some offsets were included as a win, but for the most part, this looks like a victory for Mariota and his camp. For what it’s worth, No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston didn’t force the issue on offsets, choosing instead to agree to a contract with the Bucs the day after he was drafted. Only one player selected in the top 10 – third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. – has a deal without any offset language.

As explained by Luke Adams of PFR last summer, offset language relates to what happens to a player’s salary if he’s cut during the first four years of his career, while he’s still playing on his rookie contract. For the top 15 to 20 picks in the draft, those four-year salaries will be fully guaranteed, even if a player is waived at some point during those four seasons. For example, if a player has $4MM in guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is cut, he’ll still be owed that $4MM.

However, if a team has written offset language into the contract, that club can save some money if and when the player signs with a new team. For example, if that player who had $4MM in guaranteed money left on his contract signs with a new club on a $1MM deal, his old team would only be on the hook for $3MM, with the new team making up the difference. If there’s no offset language on that first deal, the old team would continue to be on the hook for the full $4MM, and the player would simply earn an additional $1MM from his new club.

Extra Points: Rice, Peterson, Bell, Miller

July 25th, 2015 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ray Rice is exhausting his NFL contacts in an effort to secure a chance at reviving his career, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports.

The embattled running back and his former coach at Rutgers, Greg Schiano, among others, are making contact with teams in hopes of the 28-year-old runner resuming his once-promising tenure in the league. Werder reported one team was seriously interested in offering a deal to Rice but balked due to the potential backlash after video of his domestic assault on his then-fiancee/now-wife emerged last September.

Money is not motivating the former Pro Bowler here, according to Werder, with Rice having earned in excess of $20MM in his career.

Rice seeks the same second chance his 2014 suspended compatriots Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy have. Of course, those two players have more recent track records of success than Rice, whose position is arguably the easiest non-specialty role to replace. Per Werder, NFL GMs view Rice as a declining player at a young man’s position. His yards per carry, which had hovered above four per tote in each of his first four seasons, dipped to 3.1 in 2013.

Here are some other news items from the league on the final Saturday without eventful NFL action for nearly seven months.

  • Despite staunch holdout threats this offseason before finally agreeing to rejoin the Vikings, Peterson said would have played out the season on his previously nonguaranteed contract, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m definitely happy,’’ Peterson told media at Vikings training camp in Mankato, Minn. “If (this week’s restructuring didn’t occur), I’d would have just been like, you know what, I’ll just play this year out and not redo the contract. I’m happy to be a Viking.” It’s doubtful the 30-year-old running back iterated that stance to Vikings management, but the team will have its star running back in a more content state this season after he missed almost all of the last. Peterson’s new deal guarantees him $13MM this season and $7MM against injury in 2016.
  • Le’Veon Bell is still awaiting an appeal date for his marijuana-induced suspension, reports Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. The Steelers‘ breakout backfield star is set to miss three games.
  • Ohio State standout Braxton Miller‘s switch to H-back may help his NFL draft status. The top-10 Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012 and 2013 has been playing at his new spot for three months after missing the 2014 season, reports Pete Thamel of SI.com. According to one NFL scout interviewed by CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler, this will enhance the senior’s earning potential come 2016. “We currently have two grades on him, one as an ‘athlete’ and one as a quarterback,” an NFC scout told Brugler. “The grade of him as an athlete is much…better. Because that’s when he’s at his best – with the ball in his hand.
  • Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones isn’t exactly pleased with the progress made by the league this offseason in terms of rectifying the catch process, according to Dallasnews.com. In a lengthy analysis, Jones said there is still “some work to do” on avoiding controversial ruling like the one involving Dez Bryant that essentially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoffs in January.
  • Jameis Winston‘s trial in a sexual battery lawsuit won’t occur until May 2017, according to a Tampa Bay Times report. The alleged incident occurred in December 2012. The Buccaneers‘ No. 1 overall pick was not charged or arrested for this reported incident.

Saturday Mailbags: Bills, Colts, Panthers, Washington

July 25th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The last round of offseason mailbags are emerging today. Here is some of the top conjecture from around the league.

  • One of the flashy new offensive weapons to join the Bills this offseason, Percy Harvin may still have trouble re-establishing the form he displayed with the Vikings, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Despite the well-traveled Harvin being the most accomplished wideout the Bills possess, Carucci does not think he’ll be able to usurp Sammy Watkins or Robert Woods in the team’s target hierarchy. With LeSean McCoy and Charles Clay also present in a ground-oriented offense, Carucci doesn’t see a satisfactory amount of work coming Harvin’s way for the quarterback-limited squad.
  • Even with the possibility that Jack Mewhort relocates to right tackle from left guard, Kevin Bowen of Colts.com notes the Colts don’t seem interested in pursuing Evan Mathis. Instead, Bowen expects Lance Louis and Hugh Thornton to jostle for the job that the still-present yet injury-besieged Donald Thomas vacated in 2013.
  • Rookie Cameron Artis-Payne should outshine Fozzy Whittaker in training camp and claim the Panthers‘ No. 2 running back job this preseason, opines ESPN.com’s David Newton. Taking over for Tre Mason in Auburn’s unique rushing attack, Artis-Payne led the SEC in rushing last season with 1,608 yards. Although Jonathan Stewart finally has the gig to himself, securing talent behind him is paramount, considering the 28-year-old has not played a full 16-game season since 2011.
  • Dwight Freeney is not a realistic candidate to sign with Washington, writes John Keim of ESPN.com, but the team is still looking for linebacker depth.
  • Keim also sees Andre Roberts securing Washington’s No. 3 wide receiver spot ahead of rookie Jamison Crowder and 2014 fifth-rounder Ryan Grant, although the team views Grant as a third receiver in the future.

Russell Wilson Declines Lucrative Extension Offer?

July 25th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks reportedly offered Russell Wilson a contract that would pay the fourth-year quarterback among the top-five signal-callers in the league, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

But the former Wisconsin and North Carolina State standout’s crusade at an evolutionary pact apparently will continue, with Florio pointing out Wilson’s camp declined the offer worth nearly $21MM per year. That figure, which came in an offer containing “significant” guaranteed money, would place the two-time Pro Bowler third among all quarterbacks, with only Aaron Rodgers ($22MM/year) and Ben Roethlisberger ($21.85MM/AAV) exceeding $21MM per year.

Florio notes the Seahawks don’t want to exceed the Rodgers figure.

Just as it’s done with almost all of its key bastions in recent years. Seattle appears to be making the effort to retain its top free agent. But even though Wilson’s statistics don’t place him among the candidates to earn the aforementioned offer, although he surely has the postseason victories to stack up with the bulk of that quarterback tier, agent Mark Rodgers has steered the quarterback into an intense negotiation that has less than a week to be completed, per the Wilson camp’s figurative pre-training camp deadline looming.

Since Wilson’s salary for this season is a paltry $1.5MM, Florio posits the Seahawks can appease the determined quarterback without reaching the Rodgers threshold. Just by triggering a contract to begin immediately, the Seahawks could sign Wilson to a five-year $100MM deal — or a six-year, $120MM deal — with a new money amount that surpasses Rodgers’ deal but not a per-year contract that does.

Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren claims to have knowledge of the contract terms and would advise Wilson to accept the deal rather than play for $88K per game this season. Holmgren also said Wilson’s contract will be worth $20MM+ per season, while Florio points out Wilson taking this deal now rather than after the season would put him back at the bargaining table sooner when it comes time to negotiate his third contract.

“I know the Seahawks have not lowballed Russell Wilson. Now, is it an Alex Rodriguez contract, which is twice as much as anybody’s ever made in their life? No. But they have not lowballed him,” Holmgren said in an appearance on The Erik Kuselias Show. “So I think it’s a fair deal, looking at it from an outsider looking in. I have no skin in the game, but I just think — I think he should do this.”

 

AFC Notes: Pats, Smith, Raiders, Dolphins

July 25th, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are some notes from around the AFC on the last Saturday before training camps begin.

  • Chief among the owners that would be irked if Roger Goodell trimmed Tom Brady‘s Deflategate suspension are Ravens boss Steve Bisciotti and Jim Irsay of the Colts, Sal Palantonio of ESPN.com notes. The news that these two lead this figurative charge isn’t exactly surprising, with each’s organization voicing gripes during the Patriots‘ playoff run that included wins over each squad. The longtime ESPN reporter also noted other AFC owners who believe the Pats have “gotten away with murder” would be upset if Brady’s four-game ban was slashed.
  • Recently suspended cornerback Sean Smith may have been able to suit up for the Chiefs in Week 1 had he resolved his case by last November instead of this April, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Had Kansas City’s top cornerback reached a resolution before Nov. 1, 2014, he could have paid a $50K fine since players, with this opportunity being afforded to players with pending charges under the NFL’s previous substance-abuse policy. Instead, the 28-year-old Smith will miss three games under the new policy, which was agreed upon in September 2014, and forfeit $750K in base salary.
  • The Raiders and the city of Oakland are communicating again after more than a month of silence, report Matthew Artz, Rebecca Parr and Mike Blasky of the Bay Area News Group. Raiders president Mark Badain called Oakland assistant city administrator Claudia Cappio. The sides previous halted communication after the Bay Area News Group’s publishing of a plan that would have called for team ownership to sell off 20% of the club.
  • Joe Philbin isn’t concerned about Branden Albert and DeVante Parker‘s Week 1 availability for the Dolphins despite offseason rehabilitation, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. There’s still a chance the highly paid left tackle won’t pass his physical and subsequently end up on the physically unable to perform list, however, after his knee surgery. Parker will not be 100% by training camp, though, after undergoing foot surgery.

Vikings’ Jabari Price Suspended Two Games

July 25th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 12:30pm: Price told reporters, including Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune, that he appealed the suspension and was denied (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 12:21pm: Yet another NFL player is facing a suspension, as the Vikings announced in a press release that Jabari Price has been banned by the league for the first two games of the 2015 regular season for violating the league’s policy on substances of abuse. Price is the third player to have a suspension announced today, following Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith and Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe.

Price’s suspension stems from a December incident, when he was charged for suspicion of drunken driving. That charge was ultimately reduced to careless driving, but the 22-year-old was still subject to discipline from the league. In a statement released on Price’s behalf through the NFLPA, the young defensive back apologized to his family, his teammates, the Vikings organization, and fans, vowing that he’ll never make the same mistake again.

After being selected in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, Price stuck with the Vikings last year, contributing sparingly on defense and special teams for the club. For the season, Price logged 47 defensive snaps and made five tackles in kick and punt coverage. He’ll provide depth in the Minnesota secondary once he returns from his two-game ban.

Load More Posts