Month: September 2024

AFC Notes: Amendola, Jordan, Titans, Jets

After acquiring tight end Martellus Bennett and signing wide receiver Chris Hogan, the Patriots are now carrying five pass-catchers whose 2016 cap hits exceed $4.4MM. The two new additions almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, and the same can be said for tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Julian Edelman, whose $4.421MM cap number is the smallest in the group.

That leaves Danny Amendola and his $6.804MM cap charge, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears from a source with knowledge of the situation that Amendola’s spot on the Patriots’ roster isn’t necessarily safe. That doesn’t mean he’ll be cut — the two sides could work out a new deal that reduces Amendola’s cap hit for 2016 and allows him to stick around. But his contract is likely to be addressed in some form or another.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Defensive end Dion Jordan is eligible for reinstatement from his suspension next month, and the Dolphins are open to the possibility of having him back on the team for 2016, as Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald details.
  • More than a week into free agency, the Titans have made plenty of moves, but there’s no indication that the team is interested in signing an offensive tackle, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. The team has 2014 first-rounder Taylor Lewan penciled in as one of its starters at tackle, but Byron Bell‘s free agency leaves a hole on the other side, and it seems increasingly likely that the team will address that spot in the draft — perhaps by using its No. 1 pick on Laremy Tunsil.
  • After Demario Davis and Antonio Allen signed with new teams on Wednesday, the Jets were left with no players from their 2012 draft class on their roster. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News takes a look back at the impact – or lack thereof – that the Jets’ 2012 draftees had on the franchise, as well as GM Mike Maccagnan.

Extra Points: Chancellor, Cardinals, Draft, Jets

Four-time Pro Bowl Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor hasn’t been shy about voicing his disenchantment with his current contract, going so far as to sit out all of last summer and then the first two games of the season in an effort to land a better one. Though that gambit backfired, he’s in no hurry to leave Seattle. Chancellor took to Instagram on Wednesday and posted a picture with the message: “I’m not going anywhere.” The 27-year-old also wrote, “Seattle is my Second home. I don’t plan on going anywhere unless some higher power places me elsewhere.” Chancellor has two years remaining on his deal.

More from around the NFL as we wrap up Wednesday…

  • The right side of the Cardinals’ offensive line will consist of newly signed Evan Mathis (guard) and D.J. Humphries (tackle), while A.Q. Shipley is the current starter at center, according to general manager Steve Keim (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team’s website).
  • On the other side of the ball, newly acquired pass rusher Chandler Jones will shift from defensive end – where he played in New England – to outside linebacker for the Cardinals, per Keim. The deal to land Jones took about three days to execute, the GM added (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). It’s worth mentioning that defensive ends cost more to franchise tag than linebackers ($15.701MM to $14.129MM this year), which could impact Jones – who will be a free agent next offseason.
  • Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple has lined up visits with more than 16 teams, including the Rams, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Jaguars, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • Baylor defensive tackle Andrew Billings has met with the Buccaneers, Steelers, 49ers and Lions, he told James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link).
  • Receiver/returner Jordan Norwood will join linebacker Courtney Upshaw in visiting the Jets on Thursday, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). Norwood, 29, has played sporadically with three different teams since entering the league in 2009. He spent last season with the champion Broncos, amassing 22 receptions and 11 returns, and set the record for the longest Super Bowl punt return (61 yards).

FA Rumors: Upshaw, Cowboys, Hall, Dansby, Mays

Free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw will meet with the Jets on Thursday, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Upshaw has made 64 straight regular-season appearances (51 starts) since Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 26-year-old recorded 51 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. In terms of overall performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Upshaw 84th out of 110 qualifying edge defenders for his work during the 2015-16 campaign. He was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

The latest on some other unsigned players around the NFL:

  • Linebacker Karlos Dansby, whom the Browns released Wednesday, would like to join the Cardinals, Bengals or Packers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” he said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.” Notably, Dansby started his career in Arizona as a second-round pick in 2004 and piled up 25.5 sacks before leaving at the close of the 2009 season.
  • The Cowboys aren’t working toward a deal with Wednesday visitor Leon Hall, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The veteran cornerback has thus far spent his entire career with the Bengals since they chose him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Hall started in four of 14 appearances last season, picked off two passes, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best corner (111 qualifiers). Like Upshaw, Hall also earned an honorable mention from PFR before free agency.
  • Even though Hall to the Cowboys doesn’t exactly appear imminent, they are working on a deal with restricted free agent Benson Mayowa, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. The Raiders gave Mayowa, a defensive end, an original-round tender. As a former undrafted free agent, that means they won’t get any compensation for him if they decide against matching a hypothetical offer. Mayowa, 25 in August, has accrued 30 appearances (three starts) and two sacks during his three-year career.
  • The Bengals “have made good progress” on a contract with Taylor Mays, writes Geoff Hobson of their official website. Mays is scheduled to miss the first four games of next season because of a suspension. Nevertheless, Cincinnati wants him back as a nickel linebacker to replace Emmanuel Lamur – who signed with the Vikings – Hobson notes. Mays spent 2011-14 with the Bengals before joining the Raiders last season.
  • Linebacker O’Brien Schofield took to social media Wednesday to discuss his future. “By no means have I counted the Falcons out but I’m waiting for the right opportunity for my family and I. It’s a business so I’m patient,” Schofield tweeted. The 28-year-old signed with Atlanta last offseason and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts). Schofield said last week that he and the Falcons “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/16

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Falcons announced the signings of linebacker LaRoy Reynolds and offensive tackle Tom Compton (link via their website). Reynolds has spent time with the Jags and Bears since entering the league in 2013, totaling 43 appearances and four starts. Compton, Washington’s sixth-round pick in 2012, has 44 appearances and 11 starts under his belt. He amassed career highs in both categories (16 and nine, respectively) in 2014.
  • The Raiders have signed safety Brynden Trawick, according to their website. Trawick appeared in 38 games with Baltimore from 2013-15 and made one start.
  • The Bears have signed long snapper Aaron Brewer to a one-year deal, per their Twitter account. Brewer was the Broncos’ long snapper from 2012-15.
  • Seahawks linebacker Eric Pinkins signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Dov Kleiman of RantSports (Twitter link). Pinkins, a sixth-rounder in 2014, logged his first six appearances last season.
  • While the Seahawks will keep Pinkins, the same isn’t true for long snapper Clint Gresham. The club has released him, Kleiman tweets. Gresham had been Seattle’s snapper since 2010.
  • Browns safety Don Jones signed his restricted free agent tender, per Kleiman (on Twitter). Jones joined the Browns last season after spending time with three other organizations since Miami took him in the seventh round of the 2013 draft.

Chris Johnson Visiting Dolphins

7:20pm: Johnson is deciding between the Dolphins and Cardinals, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Other teams have requested visits with Johnson, but he’s not expected to make them, per La Canfora.

10:50am: Having missed out on their targets at running back so far this month, the Dolphins are now eyeing veteran free agent Chris Johnson. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that CJ2K is traveling to Miami today to visit with the club.Chris Johnson (vertical)

Johnson, who turned 30 last September, had a bounce-back season of sorts in 2015 with the Cardinals. While his average of 4.2 yards per carry was actually a slight step down from his production with the Jets, the former first-round pick saw more playing time and got more touches in Arizona, racking up 814 rushing yards in just 11 games.

Unfortunately for Johnson, a fractured tibia suffered in the second half of the season sidelined him for the stretch run. Having been placed on IR with the designation to return, the veteran back would have been eligible to return to action if the Cardinals made the Super Bowl, but the team fell just short, losing to the Panthers in the NFC championship game.

Although Johnson has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Cardinals, Arizona has David Johnson penciled in for the starting role, with Andre Ellington as a change of pace, so it makes sense that CJ2K would explore other opportunities. If were to sign with the Dolphins, Johnson may have an opportunity to carry a heavier load, since second-year back Jay Ajayi currently its atop the depth chart.

The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texans Sign Antonio Allen

7:02pm: Allen will get $800K, including an $80K signing bonus, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

4:27pm: The Texans officially announced the deal, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.

2:16pm: Free agent safety Antonio Allen is signing with the Texans, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) first reported that the two sides were working towards a deal. It’s a one-year deal, per Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter)."<strong

Allen missed the entire 2015 campaign with an Achilles injury. Prior to that, the 27-year-old (28 in September) made 18 starts in the Jets’ secondary from 2012 to 2014. The former seventh-round pick assumed a major role for the team in 2013, starting nine games at safety and accumulating 60 tackles. In 2014, he saw some time at cornerback when New York’s depth chart at the position thinned out.

Allen was the last Jets draft pick from 2012 to still be on Gang Green’s roster. Now that he has signed with Houston, there are no more players left from that year’s class with the Jets.

In other Texans news, new quarterback Brock Osweiler was reportedly instructed by his agent not to take any calls from Denver brass until he reached agreement with either the Broncos or Texans. Ultimately, Osweiler left the Broncos for a four-year, $72MM deal in Houston.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Sign Andre Branch To One-Year Deal

6:51pm: The Dolphins have announced the signing, ESPN’s James Walker tweets. Branch will get a fully guaranteed $3MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

6:09pm: The Dolphins have agreed to a one-year deal with defensive end Andre Branch, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Financial details aren’t yet available.

Branch, a second-round pick in 2012, spent the first four years of his career in Jacksonville, where he amassed 14 sacks in 51 Andre Branch appearances (13 starts). He logged a career-best 10 starts in 13 appearances last season, totaling 24 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Overall, Branch graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 76th-best edge defender (110 qualifiers).

The 26-year-old Branch will now head to a Miami team that has undergone notable changes at defensive end in recent weeks. Olivier Vernon left to sign a mega-deal with the Giants, while Derrick Shelby departed for the Falcons. Ex-Bill Mario Williams signed with the Dolphins to help replace the departed pair, and Branch will join him and Cameron Wake as the club’s primary edge rushers next season.

Prior to agreeing to a deal with the Dolphins, Branch drew interest from Washington.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To Chandler Jones Trade

On Tuesday, the Patriots and Cardinals completed a noteworthy deal when edge rusher Chandler Jones was shipped to Arizona in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft choice. The talented Jones is coming off of a career year in which he recorded 44 tackles to go along with a career-high 12.5 sacks, earning his first-ever Pro Bowl selection. The Pats, meanwhile, got themselves a former first-round pick who can play either center or guard while adding to their upcoming draft stockpile.

Here’s a look at some of the reactions to (and fallout from) the swap:

  • Now that the Patriots have traded Jones, re-signing outside linebacker Jamie Collins is a high priority, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). In 12 games last season, Collins racked up 89 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 passes defensed, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. Collins is presently due to make a little north of $900K in 2016 and they believe that he is more likely to be receptive to an extension offer than Jones would have been. The Pats, Cole says, feel that they can get something done sooner rather than later.
  • The Cardinals are not expected to sign Jones to a long-term deal until after the 2016 season, according to Cole (video link). Once Calais Campbell‘s hefty contract comes off the books, Arizona will have more room to give Jones a big deal.
  • The Patriots probably saw the writing on the wall when Malik Jackson and Olivier Vernon got monster contracts this offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. Based on the way both players were paid ($14.25MM/year for Jackson, $17MM/year for Vernon), Fitzgerald estimates that Jones was in line for close to $20MM/year, and that sum would have been too rich for New England’s blood. As for Cooper, Fitzgerald notes that the Patriots will probably decline his 2017 option. The lineman’s option year calls for him to earn well over $10MM but, as of right now, he’s more like a $3MM player.
  • Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com ran down some of the main reasons why the Patriots traded Jones. Among them, of course, is the projected cost of a new deal for Jones down the line. He also notes that New England is in a good spot at defensive end. New England has Jabaal Sheard as well as an aging, but still productive, Rob Ninkovich to help pressure opposing quarterbacks. The Patriots are also hopeful that they can get production out of Geneo Grissom and Trey Flowers plus new addition Chris Long.
  • The Jones trade is reminiscent of the team’s Richard Seymour swap in 2009, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss writes. The Pats shipped Seymour to the Raiders for a 2011 first-round choice at a time when the team was unsure about whether they’d be able to re-sign him after the season.
  • Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Logan Ryan, and Malcolm Butler (restricted) are all due to be free agents next year, and it would have been difficult to try and re-sign all of those contributors in addition to Jones, Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com writes. Of that group, Jones would have required the most money of anyone thanks to the way that Jackson and Vernon got paid this month. When it comes to Cooper, Barnwell wonders aloud if a change of scenery could turn things around for the former first-rounder.
  • Peter King of The MMQB says that the Patriots made the right choice when looking at the numbers. Of course, it also helps that the Pats were able to add Long. Long, he writes, gave up an extra $2-3MM that he could have instead earned with the Falcons, Lions, Washington, or Cowboys.

Contract Details: Bruton, Soliai, M. Wallace

Here are specific details on several of the latest agreed-upon and signed contracts from around the NFL. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…

NFC:

  • David Bruton, S (Washington): Three years, $9MM. $3.4MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus. $500K annual playing-time escalator in 2017 and 2018. $500K in incentives in 2018 (Twitter links via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post).
  • Paul Soliai, DT (Panthers): Two years, $6.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $740K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. $500K roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2017 league year (Twitter link).
  • Leodis McKelvin, CB (Eagles): Two years, $6.2MM. $3MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $1.2MM bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $100K Pro Bowl incentive. $350K playing-time incentive (Twitter link).
  • Cory Harkey, TE (Rams): Three years, $5.7MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $500K roster bonus due on 10th day of 2016 league year. $500K roster bonus due in 2017, guaranteed for skill and injury (Twitter link).
  • Rolando McClain, LB (Cowboys): One year, $4MM. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM base salary. $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in playing-time and playoff incentives (Twitter link).
  • Rhett Ellison, TE (Vikings): One year, $1.75MM. $100K signing bonus. $790K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $500K in incentives (Twitter link).
  • Chris Givens, WR (Eagles): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus. $100K of $760K base salary is guaranteed (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).

AFC:

  • Mike Wallace, WR (Ravens): Two years, $11.5MM. $4.5MM signing bonus. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. Option for second year to be exercised/declined prior to end of 2016 league year (Twitter links).
  • Matt Moore, QB (Dolphins): Two years, $3.55MM. $2.25MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM in annual incentives (Twitter link).
  • Sean Spence, LB (Titans): One year, $2.5MM. $500K signing bonus. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
  • Robert Turbin, RB (Colts): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K in incentives for rushing yards (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).

Vikings Re-Sign Matt Asiata

The Vikings announced that they have re-signed Matt Asiata. It’s a one-year deal, according to a source who spoke with Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Matt Asiata

A little over a week ago, we heard that the Vikings and Asiata were far apart on a possible contract. Several other teams expressed an interest in the running back at the start of free agency, but Asiata did not make a secret of his desire to stay in Minnesota. Minnesota has been said to value the tailback’s pass-blocking acumen, as well as his prowess near the goal line.

Last year, Asiata re-upped with the Vikings on a one-year deal worth less than $1MM. The deal also included a fair amount of performance bonuses, since neither side was sure about how the running back would be used. In 2015, Asiata ran the ball just 29 times for 112 yards over the course of 16 games. That was a stark contrast to the previous year in which Asiata rushed for more than 500 yards and scored nine touchdowns, and was heavily involved in the passing game, securing 44 receptions. As long as Adrian Peterson stays healthy and the athletic Jerick McKinnon lives up to his potential, Asiata probably isn’t primed for a major role in the Vikings’ offense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.