2015 July - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals, Jermaine Gresham Agree To Deal

July 24th, 2015 at 6:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Cardinals have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (via Twitter). Financial terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

The 27-year-old Gresham spent the first half-decade of his career in Cincinnati, which used a first-round pick on him in 2010. With the Bengals, the ex-Oklahoma Sooner hauled in 280 passes and 24 touchdowns – including 62 receptions and five scores last season – while earning a reputation as a solid blocker. He averaged a meager 7.4 yards per catch in 2014, however, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him a below-average 37th out of 67 qualifying tight ends.

Gresham – who underwent surgery on a herniated disc in March – drew interest this offseason from several teams besides the Cardinals, including the Saints, Packers, Bears and Raiders. In Arizona, Gresham will provide a veteran tight end to a team that lost John Carlson and Rob Housler during the offseason. Carlson and Housler combined for 42 receptions, 479 yards and a touchdown last year. Gresham has exceeded 42 catches every year of his career, surpassed the 479-yard mark twice, and totaled at least four TDs in each of his five seasons.

Community Tailgate: Should Rice Get Second Chance?

July 24th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re still several weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, we’ll be addressing a report from Ed Werder of ESPN.com, which suggests that running back Ray Rice and some of his supporters – including former Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano – have been contacting NFL teams in the hopes of landing Rice a job for training camp.

According to Werder, one club was seriously considering signing Rice, but team ownership “became uncomfortable” late in the process due to public relations concerns. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along a similar report, tweeting that there are teams with interest in Rice, but owners are reluctant to sign off on any deal.

Those P.R. concerns stem from a leaked Atlantic City hotel elevator video that shows Rice hitting his then-fiancée and knocking her unconscious. The recording earned Rice his release from the Ravens, a suspension from the NFL, and so far has cost him a chance to catch on with another team in the league.

While Rice’s actions were appalling, and I can’t blame a team for not wanting to bring him aboard, it’s fair to wonder if the existence of a video in his case has resulted in him being blackballed from the league. Rice isn’t the first NFL player to strike a woman, but with no video evidence in most cases, players have often received second and third chances from NFL teams.

Just this offseason, Greg Hardy was found guilty in a non-jury domestic trial, but after reaching a plea deal, the defensive end signed a lucrative one-year pact with the Cowboys. If there had been a video of the alleged incident involving Hardy, he may not have received that second chance. Of course, in Hardy’s case, it’s worth noting that his performance on the field was still exceptional when we last saw him, which isn’t necessarily true of Rice.

What do you think? Does Rice, who has expressed more remorse than most NFL players involved in domestic incidents, deserve a second chance? Should a club give him an opportunity to try to earn a roster spot? Or is it entirely reasonable for the league’s 32 teams to pass on him, taking into account not only that elevator video, but also his advancing age and declining performance? Weigh in below in the comment section with your thoughts!

Ravens Place Dennis Pitta On Active/PUP List

July 24th, 2015 at 4:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Ravens have placed injured tight end Dennis Pitta on the active/physically unable to perform list, ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter). Now that he’s on the PUP list, Pitta will have to partake in training camp at some point in order to be eligible to play during the first six weeks of the regular season. If he doesn’t, he won’t be able to make his 2015 debut until Week 7 at the earliest.

Pitta is trying to return from a fractured hip he suffered in Week 3 of last season. He suffered the same injury during training camp in July 2013, and this time his career could be in jeopardy, the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson wrote earlier this week.

In parts of five seasons with the Ravens, the 30-year-old has racked up 138 catches and 11 touchdowns – including career highs of 61 and seven, respectively, in both categories in 2012. He signed a five-year, $32MM contract to remain in Baltimore last year.

Vikings Sign Josh Thomas

July 24th, 2015 at 4:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Vikings have signed free agent cornerback Josh Thomas, according to their official website. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Thomas, 26, is a four-year veteran who played for the Panthers from 2011-13 before spending time with the Jets, Seahawks and Lions last season. He appeared in four games and amassed two tackles, and has tallied 66 tackles and an interception in 42 career contests. He’ll provide depth to a Minnesota secondary that will be without Jabari Price because of a two-game suspension and Josh Robinson, who will miss an undisclosed amount of time because of a torn pectoral muscle.

Dolphins Cut Josh Freeman

July 24th, 2015 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

In advance of training camp, the Dolphins have parted ways with Josh Freeman, releasing him from his contract, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The move leaves Miami with three quarterbacks on its roster — starter Ryan Tannehill, backup Matt Moore, and third option McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

Freeman, 27, was Tampa Bay’s full-time starting quarterback from 2009 to 2012, but saw the wheels come off in 2013 and was cut by the team. In his first four seasons, the former 17th overall pick completed 58.8% of his passes and tossed 78 touchdowns to go with 63 interceptions, as well as throwing for more than 4,000 yards in 2012. In 2013 though, Freeman’s completion percentage in four starts with the Bucs was just 45.7%, a number which declined even more after he joined the Vikings and performed poorly in his lone start.

After trying out for the Jets this offseason, Freeman joined the Dolphins on a minimum salary contract. While there was some initial speculation that the former Buccaneer could challenge Moore for the No. 2 job, it seemed more likely that Freeman would simply serve as a camp arm. However, after today’s release, he won’t even be with the Fins when their training camp gets underway next week.

Free Agent Notes: Welker, Rice, D.J. Williams

July 24th, 2015 at 3:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Wes Welker has said publicly that he wants to continue his NFL career, but former teammate Champ Bailey wouldn’t mind seeing the free agent wideout decide to retire instead, according to an ESPN.com report.

“I don’t want Wes to play for my own personal reasons. I’ve seen him get concussions. It scares me,” Bailey said during an appearance on FOX Sports 1. “I think he can still play, but I don’t want him to play because of these concussions. … This thing is no joke. It’s a serious thing when you start talking about your head. And for him to have to worry about that at a young age that he is now, he has to think about that for years to come, and I just hope he hangs it up and not strap it up again.”

As we wait to see whether Welker can find a job this summer, let’s check in on some other veteran free agents around the league….

Former Ravens running back Ray Rice and a group of his supporters – including ex-Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano – have been contacting NFL teams in an effort to land Rice a job, sources tell Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, one club was seriously considering signing Rice, but team ownership “became uncomfortable” late in the process due to P.R. concerns.
Veteran linebacker D.J. Williams, who turned 33 on Monday, still hopes to play in 2015, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. It doesn’t look like Williams will return to the Bears, but he was unsatisfied with the way 2014 ended – he landed on the IR while the Bears plummeted to the NFC North cellar – and would like to catch on with an NFL team in the coming weeks.
Earlier this afternoon, we learned that the Bears have discussed the possibility of pursuing free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham.

Bears Consider Pursuing Jermaine Gresham

July 24th, 2015 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

With training camps around the corner, unsigned tight end Jermaine Gresham is becoming a popular free agent target around the league. The latest team to be linked to Gresham is another NFC North squad — according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears have discussed the possibility of pursuing the former Bengals tight end.

The Bears’ No. 1 tight end, Martellus Bennett, reportedly isn’t thrilled with his contract, and was mentioned as a potential trade candidate earlier in the offseason. However, Biggs’ report suggests that if the Bears were to go after Gresham, it would likely be as a complement to Bennett, rather than as a replacement.

While Chicago is one possible suitor for Gresham, he doesn’t appear to be lacking options these days. The 27-year-old recently paid a visit to the Cardinals, and the Packers hosted him for a visit this week as well, though Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets that Green Bay isn’t currently discussing a contract with Gresham. The Saints and Raiders are also said to have some interest in the former first-round pick.

I expect that Gresham, who is returning from offseason back surgery, will sign with a team around the time that training camps get underway in the coming days.

East Notes: Brady, Kromer, Randle

July 24th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

After speaking to multiple sources, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says the NFL believes Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will ultimately accept a reduced suspension in order to avoid having the DeflateGate saga continue to be a distraction into training camp and the preseason. We’ll see if that’s ultimately the case, but we probably won’t find out today — a report this morning indicated there was “no chance” of an announcement on Brady from Roger Goodell before the weekend.

Here’s more from Cole on Brady, along with a couple other items out of the NFL’s East divisions:

According to Cole, the wording of Brady’s penalty could be crucial — the Patriots signal-caller would be more inclined to accept a penalty for not cooperating with the league’s investigation, but would likely continue to fight any penalty that’s based on his perceived involvement in deflating footballs.
The Bills are likely to part ways with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer following his arrest earlier this month, sources tell Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. For now, the team is weighing its options while Kromer remains on indefinite paid leave as his legal case plays out.
After stealing $123 worth of cologne and underwear from a Texas mall last October, Cowboys running back Joseph Randle has been put on six months of probation, according to an Associated Press report. At the time of the incident, the Cowboys opted to fine – but not suspend – Randle, who could still face additional discipline from the league now that the case has been resolved.

Bucs’ C.J. Wilson To Step Away From NFL

July 24th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

12:50pm: Wilson will be placed on the Bucs’ reserve-retired list, which leaves the door open for him to unretire later on, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

12:23pm: While Jason Pierre-Paul attempts to make his way back to the Giants, another player involved in a Fourth of July fireworks accident may not see the field in 2015. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Wilson has decided to “step away from the NFL for now,” per agents Joel and Justin Turner.

Wilson, not to be confused with the defensive tackle who goes by the same name, hadn’t been expected to play a major role for Tampa Bay in 2015, but he did appear in two games for the team at the end of last season, logging some snaps on both defense and special teams.

However, on the same weekend of JPP’s much-publicized fireworks accident, Wilson lost two fingers in a fireworks accident of his own. A report last week indicated that the young defensive back was out of the hospital, doing well, and was “in very good spirits.” But while Wilson may be optimistic about his long-term health, it looks like he’ll be retiring from the NFL, at least temporarily.

Wilson’s decision to “step away” from the NFL is reminiscent of the language offensive tackle Anthony Davis used when he announced his decision to leave the 49ers in early June. It leaves the door open for Wilson to potentially return to the game down the road, if his health allows it.

Wilson, who had been in the final year of a two-year pact with the Bucs, will likely be placed on the non-football injury list or the reserve-retired list by Tampa Bay, unless the team decides to simply cut him.

Broncos’ Derek Wolfe Suspended Four Games

July 24th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL is continuing its July pattern of announcing suspension news on Fridays, with the Broncos confirming in a press release that defensive lineman Derek Wolfe has been suspended four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Wolfe offered a “most sincere apology” to the Broncos, his teammates, and fans for his violation.

“During the offseason I took a medication which is on the banned substance list,” Wolfe said in the statement. “The medication is not a substance which would enhance my on-field performance in any way and I genuinely was unaware that it was prohibited, but players are responsible for what is in their bodies. … I will certainly exercise far greater caution in the future and will seek advice relating to the permissibility of any and all medications.”

While Wolfe can practice with the team throughout training camp, and can play in the preseason, he’ll be ineligible to play in Denver’s first four regular season contests. That means he’ll miss the club’s games against the Ravens, Chiefs, Lions, and Vikings before returning for the Broncos’ Week 5 contest against the Raiders.

Wolfe, 25, has started 43 games at defensive end for the Broncos since being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft. Although he has seen his sack totals decrease from six in his rookie year to four in 2013 to just 1.5 in 2014, he remains a steady piece on the Denver defensive line. As Pro Football Focus’ data shows (subscription required), he played significantly better against the run than as a pass rusher in 2014.

With new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips taking over a Broncos defense that was previously headed by Jack Del Rio, Wolfe’s role on the defensive line may evolve a little this season. However, for at least the first four weeks of the regular season, the team will have to rely more heavily on defensive ends Malik Jackson and Vance Walker.

Wolfe is entering the final year of his contract with the Broncos, making him extension-eligible this offseason, and eligible to reach unrestricted free agency next March.