2016 February - Pro Football Rumors

Washington Notes: Riley, D. Jackson, Scherff

February 10th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Six-year veteran Perry Riley remains under contract, but Washington must decide whether to keep him in their plans or move on from him, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post writes. Riley, 27, is entering the final year of a three-year, $12MM contract that he signed in 2014. He’s set to earn a base salary of $4MM, with about $1MM in prorated signing bonus money bringing his total cap hit to $5MM+. Washington could save itself $4MM by cutting Riley.

Here are a few more notes out of the nation’s capital:

Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com debated the merits of Washington bringing back DeSean Jackson in 2016. Jackson is set to cost $9.25MM against Washington’s cap in 2016 and the team can save $6.75MM in cap space by letting him go. Talent-wise, Jackson can still bring something to the table, but one has to wonder if GM Scot McCloughan will want to pay that kind of money to a veteran who skipped a substantial number of the team’s OTA sessions to film a TV reality series last year.
Larry Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com (video link) wonders if McCloughan will try to build Washington’s defense through free agency.
Washington raised some eyebrows last spring when the team used its fifth overall pick on offensive lineman Brandon Scherff. However, the rookie had a solid first year in D.C., and his steady progress bodes well for the club going forward, writes John Keim of ESPN.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Panthers Sign Eight To Futures Contracts

February 10th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

Having concluded their season on Sunday, the Panthers have begun to sign players to their 90-man offseason roster, inking eight players to reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday. The team’s official website has the complete list of signees, all of whom finished the season on Carolina’s practice squad:

Chas Alecxih, DT
Marcus Ball, S (previously reported)
Brian Blechen, LB
Damiere Byrd, WR
Rakim Cox, DE
Reese Dismukes, OL
Ras-I Dowling, S
David Foucault, T

With eight of the 10 Panthers practice squad players re-signing with the team, only defensive end Wes Horton and linebacker Nate Askew didn’t get new deals. It’s possible that Carolina didn’t offer either player a futures contract, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if Horton, at least, wanted to explore other opportunities.

An undrafted rookie in 2013, Horton made 15 starts for the Panthers last season in place of suspended teammate Greg Hardy. Following a rookie campaign that saw him compile eight tackles and two sacks, the former USC standout finished 2014 with 26 tackles and three sacks. However, he returned to a bench role in 2015, then was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances, before ultimately being cut from the 53-man roster in December. He signed with Carolina’s practice squad at the start of the postseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Philip Rivers’ 2016 Salary Becomes Fully Guaranteed

February 10th, 2016 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

The 2016 base salary for Philip Rivers has become fully guaranteed, since the Chargers quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond the second day of the NFL’s waiver period. Rivers is now assured of earning a $16.5MM salary for the coming season, an amount that was previously guaranteed for injury only.

The fact that Rivers’ salary has become fully guaranteed is no surprise, since he just signed his new extension with San Diego in August, and showed no signs of slowing down during the 2015 season. Although the Chargers struggled, posting a 4-12 record, Rivers was as productive as ever, leading the league with 437 completions and racking up 4,792 passing yards to go along with 29 touchdown passes.

When taking into account his $16.5MM salary and $4.5MM of prorated bonus money, Rivers’ contract will count against the Chargers’ cap for $21MM this season. The team now won’t have a decision to make on its veteran quarterback until the second day of the 2017 waiver period, when $11MM of his $14MM salary for ’17 becomes fully guaranteed.

While Rivers was the only noteworthy player whose contract called for his salary to become fully guaranteed if he remained on his team’s roster beyond Tuesday, there are several players who are in a similar boat on Wednesday.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Saints safety Jairus Byrd, Browns cornerback Joe Haden, and Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton are among the players who will see their 2016 salaries – or at least a significant chunk of them – become fully guaranteed if they’re not released today, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Combine, Brees, Chargers

February 9th, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has decided that prospects that have been convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault will be barred from the NFL scouting combine, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes. “It is important for us to remain strongly committed to league values as we demonstrate to our fans, future players, coaches, general managers, and others who support our game that character matters,” stated NFL Football Operations Executive Vice President Troy Vincent in the memo to NFL teams. Last year, Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson was uninvited from the combine at the last minute after he was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape. He went undrafted and his court case is still pending.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down 18 key NFL offseason dates and notable contract deadlines. As he details, the third day of the waiver period – Wednesday, Feb. 10th – will be significant for a number of big-name players, including the Saints’ Drew Brees and Jairus Byrd, the Browns’ Joe Haden, and the Raiders’ Curtis Lofton.
The Chargers finalized their coaching staff by naming former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant and Marquice Williams as a special teams assistant, as Ricky Henne of Chargers.com writes. Rees quarterbacked the Irish from 2010-13, playing alongside current Bolts Manti Te’o, Chris Watt and Trevor Robinson.
The Colts announced that they have hired Maurice Drayton as assistant special teams coach and Jemal Singleton as running backs coach. Drayton has 17 years of coaching experience, including 10 seasons at his alma mater, The Citadel. Singleton holds 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, including nine seasons at his alma mater, Air Force. He served as the special teams coordinator/running backs coach at Arkansas in 2015.

Reggie Bush To Continue Playing

February 9th, 2016 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

It was not a banner year for Reggie Bush in 2015, but the veteran tailback isn’t about to call it quits. The free agent says that he hopes to continue playing in 2016.

“I’m not retiring,” Bush told reporters Sunday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I’m still playing. No, I’m not done. And I would never — knock on wood — I never want to end my career like that, going out with that.”

The Lions cut Bush in February 2015 to save money after he missed much of the 2014 season with ankle injuries. Bush later signed with the 49ers this season, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. The 31-year-old sued the St. Louis Regional Convention and Stadium Authority over his injury in January. Bush rushed for just 28 yards before his season was brought to a premature end.

Despite getting heavy run as the lead back in Miami and Detroit between 2011 and 2013, he more likely would only carry value as a third-down specialty back if he returns for the 2016 season. Bush had one of his best seasons as a runner in 2013, surpassing 1,000 yards for the second time in his career. However, injuries caught up to him in 2014 as he was only able to play in 11 games and failed to reach even 300 yards on the ground.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Bills, Jets

February 9th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills running back LeSean McCoy has hired noted Philly defensive attorney Jack McMahon to represent him, according to John Barr of ESPN.com (via Twitter link). Over the weekend, McCoy was accused of taking part in a brawl that involved the assault of two off-duty Philadelphia police officers. McCoy has yet to be arrested for the incident, but arrest warrants are expected to be issued in the coming days.

McCoy, 28 in July, was held back by injuries in his first season with the Bills. The tailback ran for 895 yards off of 203 carries, good for 4.4 yards per contest. He also had three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. However, he missed one-quarter of the regular season, breaking his two season streak of playing in all 16 regular season games.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

The police have completed their investigation into the McCoy case and turned it over to the district attorney’s office, which is reviewing it for potential charges against the Bills tailback, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
Jets guard Brian Winters, who replaced the injured Willie Colon and wound up starting ten games last season, will get a nice raise in 2016 worth roughly $1MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. As part of the NFL’s rookie wage scale, Winters’ base salary (non-guaranteed) jumps to $1.696MM, the final year of his rookie contract. Previously, he was due to make $675K. The pay bump is thanks to the “proven performance escalator,” which allows mid- to late-round draft choices to make more money if they play a great deal. A player gets a raise if he was drafted in rounds three through seven and participated in at least 35% of the offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons.
Jets coach Todd Bowles filled three coaching vacancies, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. Bowles promoted John Scott Jr. from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, hired David Diaz-Infante as assistant offensive line coach, and brought in Tim Atkins to fill Scott’s role as defensive quality control coach.
The Dolphins are adding Wisconsin defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as an assistant defensive backs coach, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/9/16

February 9th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by Zachary Links

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

The Steelers announced that they have signed offensive guard Cole Manhart to a reserve/future contract. Manhart originally signed with the Eagles as a UDFA out of Nebraska-Kearney in May 2015. After being released by the Eagles, he spent the 2015 training camp with the Saints, but he was cut in September of that year. Prior to his signing with Pittsburgh, his most recent stint was with the Raiders as a member of their taxi squad.
The Panthers inked safety Marcus Ball to a deal, per Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Ball ended the season on Carolina’s practice squad.
The Rams signed former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
The Steelers cut wide receiver David Nelson, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
The Eagles cut Matthew Tucker with a non-football injury designation, Wilson tweets.

Workout Notes: 2/9/16

February 9th, 2016 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

NFL’s 2016 free agent period doesn’t officially open until March 9th, but players who didn’t finish the season on a roster – or who have since been cut – are free to work out with teams and sign contracts right away. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has several updates on those free agents who are visiting and/or auditioning for NFL teams, so let’s round up the latest:

Before he agreed to sign a reserve/futures contract with Washington, former Steelers first-round defensive lineman Ziggy Hood tried out for the Raiders. Oakland also brought in former Fresno State edge defender Tristan Okpalaugo for a visit (Twitter links).
Veteran defensive back Jeromy Miles and ex-Broncos tight end Dan Light recently auditioned for the Chiefs (Twitter link). Miles, who has appeared in 67 career regular-season games for the Bengals and Ravens, was cut last September by the Giants, while Light lost his practice squad spot in Denver following the team’s AFC Championship win over New England.
The Bengals recently worked out – but did not sign – offensive tackle Sean Donnelly, safety Zach Elias, running back Alonzo Harris, running back Storm Johnson and wide receiver Rico Richardson (Twitter link). Those players were part of a larger group of eight, with the remaining three players earning contracts.
Former Cowboys defensive tackle Ken Bishop, a seventh-round pick in 2014, worked out for the Buccaneers (Twitter link).
Former Pitt offensive guard Jason Pinkston recently visited the Steelers (link). The Steelers also recently worked out linebacker Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo, wide receiver Issac Blakeney, long snapper Matt Dooley, defensive back Montell Garner, offensive guard Cole Manhart, wide receiver Tobais Palmer, cornerback Al-Hajj Shabazz, and defensive tackle Josh Watson (Twitter links).

Montee Ball Arrested; Cut By Patriots

February 9th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 4:21pm: The Patriots have formally released Ball, following his arrest, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Ball had been re-signed by New England on February 1, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), so he didn’t last long on his new reserve/futures contract.

MONDAY, 5:56pm: Prosecutors charged Ball with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, according to Ed Treleven of Madison.com, and the former second-round pick will not face a felony charge.

But Ball, who was released from jail earlier today, also faces a misdemeanor battery charge, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County (Wis.) Circuit Court, for striking the woman on the face five days before this incident occurred.

The battery charge carries a nine-month maximum jail term, per Treleven, with the disorderly conduct charge carrying a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.

FRIDAY, 2:07pm: Former Broncos running back Montee Ball was arrested by police in Madison, Wisconsin early Friday morning after he allegedly pushed his girlfriend into a table at a hotel, according to Bill Novak of Madison.com. Novak writes that Ball was taken to the Dane County jail on a “tentative charge” of substantial battery.

“The woman told police she had a dispute with her boyfriend,” a police source told Novak. “She said he put his hands on her, picked her up and threw her.” The source added that Ball was “very cooperative” with police.

Ball, 25, had a solid rookie season for the Broncos in 2013 after being selected in the second round of the draft, running for 559 yards and four touchdowns. However, he took a step backward in 2014, and was waived by Denver prior to the 2015 regular season.

After working out for a handful of teams, Ball eventually signed in December with the Patriots’ practice squad to help provide depth for a New England team dealing with multiple backfield injuries. Even then though, Ball wasn’t promoted to the Pats’ active roster and wasn’t believed to be in great shape — Ed Werder of ESPN.com noted that the running back weighed about 205 pounds when he was drafted by the Broncos, and was in the 230s as a Patriot.

With Ball’s on-field potential seemingly on the decline, his off-field legal run-in figures to further decrease his odds of finding a spot on an active roster for 2016. Whether or not Ball is ultimately prosecuted for this incident, the NFL will conduct its own investigation, and could decide to suspend the running back for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Release Nate Allen

February 9th, 2016 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than 12 months after signing him to a four-year contract, the Raiders have parted ways with safety Nate Allen, terminating his contract, according to a Pro Football Talk report (via Twitter). Allen will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers.

After spending his first five NFL seasons with the Eagles, Allen inked a four-year, $23MM contract with the Raiders in free agency last March. That contract rightly raised some eyebrows around the league, but all of the fully guaranteed money included in the deal was paid out in the first year. That means the Raiders won’t carry any dead money on their cap for Allen going forward.

As Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets, Allen’s $4.9MM base salary for 2016 would have become fully guaranteed on Wednesday if he was still on the Raiders’ roster, which explains why he was cut today. After paying him $7MM in his first and only season in Oakland, the Raiders will be off the hook for Allen’s cap hits of $5MM in 2016, $6MM in 2017, and $5MM in 2018.

Although he started 69 games in his five seasons in Philadelphia, Allen’s performance was up and down. Still, he had a fairly strong season in 2014, racking up 62 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass deflections, and a sack. Injuries derailed his 2015 campaign, however — he was placed on IR with the designation to return after Week 1 due to a knee injury, and while he returned later in the season for a few games, he never got fully healthy, and ended up back on IR to finish the year.

Assuming his knee is good to go for 2016, Allen could be a decent bounce-back candidate for a team in need of a safety this offseason. He’ll likely come at a much cheaper rate than he did a year ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.