HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Giants Sign Jasper Brinkley

September 9th, 2015 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:49am: The Giants have officially signed Brinkley, the team announced today in a press release.

TUESDAY, 2:54pm: A day after being released by the Cowboys, linebacker Jasper Brinkley has found a new NFL home with Dallas’ division rivals. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Brinkley has agreed to terms with the Giants, and will join New York’s 53-man roster.

Brinkley, 30, signed a two-year deal with the Cowboys this summer and he said that he was partially motivated by the chance to reunite with defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. However, despite the fact that Dallas guaranteed him $2MM as part of the two-year pact, Brinkley failed to earn a spot on the club’s 53-man roster this weekend.

A former fifth-round pick, Brinkley started 11 games for Minnesota last season, compiling 75 tackles and a sack. As the newest member of the Giants’ linebacking corps, the South Carolina product figures to provide some veteran depth behind middle linebacker Jon Beason, who appears to be on track for Week 1 after sustaining a knee injury. Brinkley could also provide a scouting report on his old team, with the Giants set to face the Cowboys on Sunday night.

Patriots Extend Nate Solder Through 2017

September 9th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

8:56am: Solder’s first two seasons are fully guaranteed, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). The tackle’s 2015 salary had already been guaranteed, so it sounds like the team added a fully guaranteed 2016 season on top of that. Meanwhile, Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweets that the deal includes $500K in annual Pro Bowl incentives, up to $1.5MM.

8:52am: The Patriots have locked up the man who will be protecting Tom Brady‘s blind side this year for an additional two seasons, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has extended left tackle Nate Solder through the 2017 season. Per Schefter, it’s a two-year, $20.062MM extension.

Solder, 27, was selected 17th overall by the Patriots in the 2011 draft, and after a year at right tackle, he has spent the last three seasons on the left side of New England’s offensive line. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Solder wasn’t quite as effective last year as a pass blocker as he has been in years past, and he graded as about a middle-of-the-pack offensive tackle. However, PFF ranked him among the league’s top 20 tackles in 2012 and among the top 10 in 2013.

Solder’s contract, which features a fifth-year option for 2015, had been set to expire at the end of this season, so getting him under contract at about $10MM per free agent year looks like a smart deal for the Pats. Washington’s left tackle, Trent Williams, recently inked an extension worth $13MM+ annually, so New England got a bit of a discount on the going rate for the position.

Still, the team is paying a potentially steep price at the end of the deal — according to Schefter (via Twitter), as part of the agreement, the Patriots can’t use their franchise or transition tag on Solder after the 2017 season. The Colorado product will only be 29 at the end of his new contract, so it’s very possible that he’s still playing at a high level at that point. To retain him beyond 2017, the Pats would have to work out a new deal, without the leverage of the franchise tag at their disposal.

Additionally, the extension includes a large chunk of guaranteed money, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Solder is getting $20MM guaranteed. It’s not clear if that amount is fully guaranteed, or if it includes his $7.438MM salary, which was already guaranteed. But either way, it sounds like a solid short-term commitment for Solder and the Pats.

Contracts Restructured For Levitre, Unger

September 9th, 2015 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NFC South offensive linemen have restructured their contracts with their new teams, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports that Falcons guard Andy Levitre and Saints center Max Unger have both reworked their deals.

Levitre, acquired last week by the Falcons, had originally been due $27.3MM over the next four seasons, but Atlanta reduced that figure to $23.25MM and sliced his 2015 salary from $6.5MM to $1.5MM (Twitter links via Yates). In return, the former Titans guard received a $5.5MM signing bonus, which will drop his cap hit for this season from $6.5MM to $2.875MM. As Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com details (via Twitter), Levitre’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 have been reduced as well.

Meanwhile, the division-rival Saints completed a simple restructure on their new center’s contract, converting $3MM of Unger’s base salary into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Yates). Since the ex-Seahawk has just two years left on his deal, that bonus will prorate equally in 2015 and 2016, giving New Orleans an extra $1.5MM in cap room this year.

Neither restructure is expected to open the door for the Saints or Falcons to add a notable player — they’re simply designed to create some additional flexibility if and when the teams need to put players on injured reserve and bring in injury replacements throughout the season.

Extra Points: Los Angeles, Moeller, Catapano

September 8th, 2015 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

If two teams are to wind up in Los Angeles, it could happen by commissioner Roger Goodell locking Rams owner Stan Kroenke and Chargers owner Dean Spanos in a room and demanding that they work it out, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times writes. However, if the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders all continue to insist on moving to L.A., then things could get ugly in a hurry. In that scenario, the Rams would push the Inglewood project and the Chargers and Raiders would push their joint venture in Carson in an all-or-nothing vote. These types of NFL decisions require a three-quarters majority (meaning the support of 24 of 32 owners) and it’s generally believed that the Rams and Chargers-Raiders have the requisite nine votes to block the other. If both plans are voted down, that means no one will be moving to Los Angeles for the 2016 season.

Here’s more from around the league..

  • The woman who accused Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller of assaulting her said he “tried to strangle me and beat me up” in her 911 call, as Evan MacDonald of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. The woman also said that Moeller might have been drinking that night. Moeller has been suspended indefinetly by the Browns and he may face assault charges based off of these allegations.
  • Prior to signing with the Jets‘ taxi squad, defensive end Mike Catapano had workouts scheduled with the Bears, Packers, and Vikings, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Long Island native was in heavy demand, according to Wilson.
  • A federal judge has dismissed the NFL Players Association’s claim that the NFL engaged in illegal collusion to hold down player salaries during the uncapped 2010 season, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. The union had claimed that teams broke labor laws by agreeing to effectively have a cap even though it was an uncapped year, but the judge said that any such claim from the NFLPA was nullified by the fact that both sides signed the 2011 CBA.

Eagles, Andrew Gardner Agree To Extension

September 8th, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

8:10pm: Gardner’s deal has a base value of $4.7MM, including a $500K signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Incentives can significantly raise the value of the deal, he adds.

7:37pm: The Eagles and starting right guard Andrew Gardner have agreed to a three-year contract extension, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The interior lineman is now signed through 2018.

Gardner was signed by the Eagles prior to the 2014 season to serve as a backup. Gardner proved to be a very valuable addition, however, as he went on to appear in every regular season game, including eight starts. The Eagles had an open competition for the starting right guard job this summer, but Gardner came away with the gig. Gardner is now with his sixth NFL team after stops with the Dolphins, Ravens, Vikings, Bengals, Texans, and Eagles, but it sounds like the 29-year-old has finally found a home at this late stage in his career.

In June of 2014, the Eagles hammered out an extension with fellow starting guard Allen Barbre, which means that the duo is under contract for at least the next three years.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/15

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

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Jaguars have released safety Matt Daniels from injured reserve with an injury settlement, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets. Daniels, 26, spent his first two years in the league with the Rams before hooking on with the Jaguars in 2014 as a practice squad member.
  • The Saints reached an injury settlement with wide receiver Nick Toon, who will be waived off injured reserve, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. Toon hopes to be ready to play in a couple of weeks, Woodbery adds.
  • Marion Grice and Jimmy Legree of the Cardinals and Jimmie Hunt of the Packers were removed from IR with injury settlements, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/8/15

September 8th, 2015 at 7:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed:
  • Released:
    • G David Arkin

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed:

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington

  • To be signed:

Dolphins Add Jonas Gray To Practice Squad

September 8th, 2015 at 5:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Patriots running back Jonas Gray will sign with the Dolphins’ practice squad, agent Sean Stellato tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Gray had a stint on Miami’s taxi squad previously in his career.

Gray’s release on September 5th came as a surprise to many as he figured to be a part of the Patriots’ run game this season. He emerged as potential starter during his 201 yard and four touchdown performance against the Colts in the regular season, but he was leapfrogged by LeGarrette Blount when the power back ran for 148 yards and three touchdowns of his own against the Colts in the AFC Championship game.

Gray was said to have drawn interest from several teams after he was cut loose and one of those clubs was the Titans. Instead of going to Tennessee, he’ll be staying put in the AFC East as he tries to make the Dolphins’ gameday roster.

Workout Notes: Eagles, Giants, Jets, Saints

September 8th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles, who parted ways with the polarizing Tim Tebow last week, auditioned a pair of quarterbacks on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Josh Johnson and Thad Lewis, who were both let go by their respective teams on September 5th, both worked out for Chip Kelly & Co. Johnson, 29, made an appearance during the Jets’ final preseason game, passing for 82 yards while adding 76 yards on the ground. Lewis, a 27-year-old signal caller recently released by the Browns, didn’t appear in a game with the Texans in 2014, but he did start in five games for the Bills in 2013.

Here are the latest auditions from around the NFL..

  • The Giants worked out former Eagles quarterback/wide receiver/running back G.J. Kinne on Tuesday, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out punters Brandon Fields and Kasey Redfern.
  • The Jets had former Giants safety Stevie Brown in for a tryout today, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • Field Yates of ESPN.com reports that the Saints worked out tight ends Bear Pascoe and Gerell Robinson and wide receiver Austin Pettis (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter).
  • Ross Scheuerman worked out for Buccaneers today, according to a league source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Patriots auditioned two players today: defensive back Floyd Raven (formerly of Texas A&M and the Bengals) and linebacker Alex Singleton (formerly of Montana State and the Seahawks), according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter).

Brandon Spikes, Other FAs Suspended

September 8th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran linebacker Brandon Spikes has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 regular season, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). This news won’t hurt a particular team, since Spikes is currently a free agent, having been cut by the Patriots earlier in the year.

Spikes is serving a year of probation after pleading guilty in a hit-and-run crash. Police determined that the 28-year-old was speeding and driving negligently when he crashed his Maybach sedan into an SUV back in June. After the crash, Spikes fled the scene, a crime which calls for up to two years in jail. However, the free agent linebacker was able to avoid prison time due to the minor nature of the injuries to the three people in the crash.

Spikes wasn’t the only free agent who received a suspension from the NFL. The following players have also been suspended, according to Yates (Twitter link):

  • G Rodney Austin (six weeks)
  • LB Jermaine Cunningham (six weeks)
  • RB Jonathan Dwyer (three weeks)
  • WR Mike Williams (three weeks)
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