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Month: November 2024

Joe Flacco’s Agent To Meet With Ravens

February 22nd, 2016 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Joe Linta, the agent for quarterback Joe Flacco, tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he expects to meet with the Ravens this weekend at the draft combine in Indianapolis. While that doesn’t mean any sort of restructuring or extension for Flacco is imminent, those topics will certainly be on the agenda if and when the Ravens meet with Linta.Joe Flacco

Flacco, who signed a six-year deal with the Ravens three years ago, is currently projected for a cap hit of $28.55MM in 2016, and that number will increase to $31MM+ in 2017. General manager Ozzie Newsome indicated at the start of the Ravens’ offseason that the team has a plan to work around Flacco’s massive cap hit, but it would obviously make things easier in Baltimore if the club can reduce that figure by $10MM or so.

Of course, as Florio observes, a simple restructure of Flacco’s contract would only be a band-aid solution for the Ravens. Converting a portion of his base salary to a signing bonus could create more than $11MM in cap savings for 2016, but it would bump up his 2017 hit to more than $36MM. So, in all likelihood, if the two sides get something done this offseason, it will involve tacking at least a couple more years onto the contract to spread out a signing bonus.

As of last week, the Ravens and Flacco reportedly hadn’t discussed reworking his deal, so if the two sides do meet this weekend at the combine, it figures to be the first time they engage in any real negotiations. For his part, Flacco has said he would be interested in working something out with the club.

“I know it’s a huge number,” Flacco said last month, referring to his cap hit. “I’m open to doing something. I want to be here for a while.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets Release Antonio Cromartie

February 22nd, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

A year after bringing him back on a four-year contract, the Jets have released cornerback Antonio Cromartie, the team announced today in a press release. As a vested veteran, Cromartie will become an unrestricted free agent without having to pass through waivers, giving him a head start on this year’s free agent period.Antonio Cromartie

Cromartie, who turns 32 in April, had earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2012 to 2014, earning him a four-year, $32MM deal with the Jets last March. However, he wasn’t as effective as usual during his first season back in New York — Pro Football Focus ranked him 86th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.

Because Cromartie’s pact was essentially a pay-as-you-go deal, it allowed the Jets to get out of it this year without taking on any dead money for the veteran corner. In his first year, Cromartie earned a $5MM base salary and a $2MM roster bonus. For 2016, his $8MM base salary was fully non-guaranteed, so New York creates $8MM in cap savings by releasing him.

While Cromartie will hit free agency, it doesn’t appear likely that the Jets’ other big cornerback signings from 2015 are going anywhere this offseason. With Darrelle Revis, Buster Skrine, and former first-rounder Dee Milliner among the cornerbacks in the mix for New York heading into 2016, the team may look to fortify the position with an addition or two in free agency and/or the draft.

As for Cromartie, he figures to draw interest on the open market, despite coming off a down year. A reunion with the Cardinals, his 2014 team, is one possibility, though he’ll likely have other suitors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Berry, Laurinaitis, Jackson

February 22nd, 2016 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

There have been multiple reports this month suggesting that the Chiefs are working on a contract extension for safety Eric Berry, making it one of their top priorities this offseason. Despite Kansas City’s obvious interest in getting something done with the All-Pro defender, no significant progress has been made at this point between the two sides, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.

I identified Berry as a strong candidate to receive the franchise tag when I examined potential recipients last week, noting that the price for safeties is reasonable compared to some other positions. While that may be where this is heading, the Chiefs still have another week to try to work out something longer-term with the 27-year-old.

Let’s check in on a few other free agents, or free-agents-to-be….

  • Appearing today on SiriusXM NFL Radio, linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was cut by the Rams on Friday, said that he’d like to join a team with a shot to win the Super Bowl. According to Laurinaitis, agent Tom Condon told him that teams have already reached out, and he should have a better idea of his options after the combine. While he admitted that he grew up as a Vikings fan, Laurinaitis maintained that he’s open to any potential suitor (all Twitter links).
  • While one veteran Seahawks running back – Marshawn Lynch – has announced his retirement, Fred Jackson doesn’t appear ready to call it a career. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson want to play in 2016. It’s not clear yet if Seattle will be interested in bringing back the veteran, who doesn’t have a contract for next season.
  • A year after being traded to Detroit by the Ravens, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is unlikely to reunite with his old team in free agency, says Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. As Hensley writes, the Ravens simply don’t have a real need for a player like Ngata, and will likely focus on edge defenders instead.
  • Quarterback Kirk Cousins holds all the cards in contract discussions with Washington, and the team knows it, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Jets would like to re-sign running back Bilal Powell, but there were other suitors – including division rivals – lurking if New York can’t lock him up by March 9th, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com outlines.

Colts Cut Jonathan Newsome, Andy Studebaker

February 22nd, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

10:55am: The Colts have confirmed they’ve waived Newsome, and have also cut veteran linebacker Andy Studebaker, per a team release. Studebaker played primarily on special teams during his time in Indianapolis.

10:35am: Following his arrest last week, linebacker Jonathan Newsome has been cut from the Colts’ roster, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Newsome himself suggested in a tweet this morning that his time in Indianapolis had come to an end.Jonathan Newsome

“I would like to thank Coach [Chuck] Pagano, Ryan Grigson, Jim Irsay and the entire Colts organization for the opportunity of a life time,” Newsome wrote.

A fifth-round pick in 2015, Newsome had an impressive rookie season with the Colts, recording 33 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. However, the 25-year-old failed to make the same sort of impact in 2015, with his season totals slipping to 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

Of course, Newsome’s decrease in production during the 2015 season isn’t what cost him his roster spot. The Ball State alum was arrested early last Wednesday morning on possession of marijuana charges, as Matt Adams of FOX59 detailed at the time. Authorities first came to his home to follow up on a noise complaint and during the investigation, officers found marijuana. Police said Newsome cooperated with authorities as he was taken into custody.

Because he has just two years of NFL experience, Newsome will be subject to waivers, meaning another team could claim him tomorrow, assuming the Colts make his release official today. If Newsome clears waivers, Indianapolis will be on the hook for about $89K in dead money on the 2016 cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

PFR Social Media Feeds By Team

February 22nd, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

We’ve detailed how you can follow Pro Football Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or using an RSS reader to ensure that you receive all of our updates, 365 days a year. If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, PFR has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

NFC Notes: C. Long, Randle, Lions, 49ers

February 22nd, 2016 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Of the three veteran players the Rams parted ways with last week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com thinks defensive end Chris Long could be the one the team regrets releasing. According to King, Long – who turns 31 next month – is already being pursued by contending teams. However, it’s not clear yet whether the veteran pass rusher will sign quickly, since he and his wife are expecting their first child in the near future, says King.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, two Giants sources recently questioned wide receiver Rueben Randle‘s “work ethic and desire to be great.” Raanan estimates there’s only about a 15% chance of Randle re-signing with New York this winter.
  • “The salary cap is not our enemy. It can be our friend,” Lions president Rod Wood said last week in an appearance on WMGC-FM in Detroit. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press passes along some other Wood quotes from that interview, and examines the state of the Lions’ salary cap as the new league year approaches.
  • Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones expressed disappointment in defensive end Randy Gregory over his four-game suspension for a substance-abuse violation, as Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram details. However, the Cowboys should also shoulder some of the blame, since they knew what they were getting into when they drafted him and were responsible for helping to avoid repeating his failed combine drug test, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at three key positions of need for the 49ers heading into this week’s draft combine, and considers potential targets for the club’s No. 7 overall pick.

AFC Rumors: Pats, Osweiler, Raiders, Browns

February 21st, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots offered Tyrunn Walker a three-year deal as a non-tendered restricted free agent, but the defensive tackle opted to sign a one-year pact with the Lions instead. New England could have interest again, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss reports.

New Lions GM Bob Quinn, formerly the Patriots’ scouting director, knows his former team’s interest well, and Reiss wonders how much that will play into Detroit’s decision on whether to retain the fifth-year lineman. A broken leg limited Walker to four games last season.

Potentially as a result of the then-24-year-old Walker spurning their offer, the Pats used their first-round pick on Malcom Brown. They have starters Brown and 2014 first-rounder Dominique Easley under contract, with only Alan Branch looming as a free agent. A deal for Walker doesn’t seem to make as much sense for the Patriots as it did last year.

The Lions enter 2016 with more defensive tackle queries after the franchise faced major uncertainty last offseason, when Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley both bolted. Detroit’s follow-up plan included bringing in Walker from the Saints and trading for Haloti Ngata. Both are free agents now.

Walker remains in rehab mode after also dislocating his ankle in Week 4 against the Seahawks, and ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein writes that the Lions should use this as an opportunity to keep the talent entering his age-26 season on a one- or two-year deal, where he can prove he’s an elite talent.

Here’s some more from around the AFC.

  • Steelers GM Kevin Colbert‘s already stated he will remain true to Pittsburgh’s build-from-within model and is eyeing a production leap from one of the Steelers’ holdover defenders, similar to how Cameron Heyward ascended in 2014 and Stephon Tuitt last season. “We talked about that last year, the progression has to outpace the regression of some of the older guys,” Colbert told media, including Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think outside help will be important but also those young guys taking that next step.” Colbert singled out linebackers Bud Dupree and Ryan Shazier, whom the Steelers used their past two first-round picks on, as potential ascending cogs. The Steelers, however, have fortified their front seven well, housing four first-round linebackers and signing Heyward to an extension last year. Pittsburgh’s pass defense slunk from 27th to 30th last season. Kaboly identifies second-year player Senquez Golson as a prime performer to elevate the Steelers’ pass defense from in-house. The 2015 second-rounder missed the entire season due to injury.
  • Given that the Browns are regularly early-first-round drafters but haven’t selected a quarterback in the top five since Tim Couch in 1999, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn’t envision the Browns trading out of their No. 2 spot. While there aren’t rock-solid top-five quarterbacks in this prospect pool as there have been in recent years, the Browns have better odds at drafting this class’ best quarterback since the Titans won’t take one at No. 1. Cleveland took three QBs at No. 22 overall in the past nine years — Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden and Johnny Manziel — only for all to falter. Cabot points to the Browns’ trading down from No. 4 to No. 8 and ending up with Justin Gilbert instead of Sammy Watkins as an example that would make Cleveland hesitant to orchestrate such a maneuver with this kind of glaring need.
  • The Broncos shouldn’t give in to the escalating demands of the quarterback market in assessing their potential offer to free agent Brock Osweiler, Mark Kizsla of the Denver Post writes. Using recent contracts given to Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Matt Cassel, Kizsla recommends Denver offer Osweiler no more than $10MM per season, as the team’s proven it can win a Super Bowl with adequate quarterback play. Troy Renck of the Denver Post counters that Foles’ three-year, $36MM deal fits for Osweiler, who went 4-2 in games he started and played throughout, and that a $10MM offer would force Denver to scramble for lower-tier options like Robert Griffin III.
  • Mackensie Alexander or Eli Apple could be options for the Raiders at No. 14, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The Raiders are thin at corner, with waiver claim David Amerson residing as their best in-house option. But Oakland’s safety situation needs work too. After Charles Woodson‘s retirement, the Raiders cut and then re-signed Nate Allen at a lower salary.

49ers To Meet With Colin Kaepernick’s Reps At Combine

February 21st, 2016 at 6:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the offseason’s most compelling storylines will be where Colin Kaepernick suits up this fall.

The 49ers will meet with Kaepernick’s representatives at the NFL Scouting Combine, which will help determine if the polarizing quarterback will stay in San Francisco, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports.

Although Barrows points out it’s unknown what will be discussed at this upcoming summit in Indianapolis, it could be a key junction point in determining whether Kaepernick and the 49ers can mend fences. Or it could further lead to the sides dissolving their relationship, one that looked irreparable when the 49ers placed Kaepernick on IR in November.NFL: San Diego Chargers at San Francisco 49ers

We’ve heard the 28-year-old Kaepernick could look to join the Jets, although that feeling may not be mutual, and that executives around the league are fearing what Chip Kelly’s offense would look like with Kaepernick at the controls. But the sides haven’t talked publicly about going forward together yet.

Kelly and Kaepernick met and spoke briefly at the 49ers’ Santa Clara facility once Kelly agreed to become the team’s next coach and have talked on the phone since, Barrows reports.

Entering the third year of his team-friendly contract, Kaepernick’s status in San Francisco remains tied to being on the roster on April 1, when the 49ers would owe the sixth-year quarterback his full $11.9MM base salary.

The team’s stated consistently it’s unconcerned with this deadline, Barrows notes, and merely wants Kaepernick to recover from the three surgeries (to his left shoulder, left knee and right thumb) he’s undergone since November. That’s likely not the case considering Kaepernick’s recent struggles and the sides’ turbulent relationship.

The 49ers could attempt to trade Kaepernick before that date, and as Barrows points out, the deal that ultimately sent Alex Smith to the Chiefs spawned at the combine and commenced a couple of weeks later. A lack of buzz about a Kaepernick trade could mean the 49ers haven’t sought trade partners for their signal-caller’s services just yet and that Kelly would want him in San Francisco in 2016, Barrows suggests.

Barrows notes the 49ers’ likely No. 1 item in these talks is whether Kaepernick wants to remain with the franchise that drafted him in the second round in 2011. The 49ers benched their struggling and injury-plagued starter for Blaine Gabbert last season, and Kaepernick elected to have his surgeries in Vail, Colo., and go through rehab in Colorado as well as opposed to doing so under the guidance of the 49ers’ doctors.

Kaepernick would occupy a team-high $15.89MM cap hold if on the 49ers’ roster this year. Gabbert, as of now, will take up only $2.25MM of San Francisco’s cap.

NFL Considering Combine Changes

February 21st, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL Scouting Combine could soon be subject to adjustments geared toward modernizing the workouts and other aspects of the event, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports.

National Football Scouting Inc., which coordinates the combine, is starting a committee comprised of coaches, league executives, trainers, scouts and other key personnel to review the event, starting with this year’s 35th annual combine.

Pelissero points out the combine’s cornerstone tests could be under siege. The 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and shuttle run represent the universal testing portion of the event, with most of these drills being unchanged for decades. The positional workouts haven’t been altered much in this span as well, Pelissero notes.

One of the potential adjustments National Football Scouting is considering is outfitting prospects with data-recording devices, which many teams now use at their respective facilities. A functional movement screen and the Player Assessment Tool, a psychological study that complements the Wonderlic test, have been added in recent years, and the NFL could be moving toward more scientific measures.

The league will conduct its first football performance and technology symposium Wednesday, with Dr. Marcus Elliott — director of P3, which has used 3D motion analysis to measure prospects at the NBA Combine the past two years — will be one of the speakers. P3’s already collected data on about a fourth of this year’s draft pool, per Pelissero.

“Everybody wins when you do these things,” Elliott, also a former physiologist and injury prevention specialist to the Patriots, told Pelissero. “You start choosing players that are slotted more correctly based on their real physical tools, and you also have insight into injuries they’re at risk for, so you can help them prevent those injuries.”

The new committee will also evaluate medical and psychological examinations, according to Elliott. These tests have become invaluable to teams, arguably more so than the on-field work.

This year’s combine runs from Feb. 24-29.

Bucs Interested In Re-Signing Chris Conte

February 21st, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers will meet with the agent for upcoming free agent safety Chris Conte at the scouting combine this week, according to Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report. Conte will hit free agency on March 9 if no deal is reached.

[RELATED: PFR previews the 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers offseason]Chris Conte (Vertical)

Conte, who turns 27 years old on Tuesday, joined Tampa Bay last offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.5MM that reunited him with former Bears head coach Lovie Smith. Smith, of course, was fired earlier this year and replaced by offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, but as Reynolds notes, Conte still has ties with the Buccaneers staff, as new Tampa secondary coach Jim Hoke coached Conte in Chicago.

In his first season with the Bucs, Conte started 13 games, and played the second-most snaps of any Tampa defensive back. He posted 59 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles, and graded as the No. 32 safety per Pro Football Focus before suffering a knee injury in Week 15 that ultimately landed him on injured reserve.

Like Conte, many of Tampa Bay’s free agents play on the defensive side of the ball, as corner Sterling Moore, as well as defensive tackles Henry Melton and Tony McDaniel, are also projected to reach free agency. The club’s most high-profile free agent-to-be, however, is running back Doug Martin, who is said to be discussing a new deal with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said earlier this month that his team was wary of spending big in free agency. So perhaps re-signing a competent player like Conte — who is unlikely to cost all that much — would be one way for the Buccaneers to reduce their need to enter the free agent market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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