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Month: November 2024

Dolphins Have Ownership Succession Plan

April 7th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross doesn’t plan on selling his franchise anytime soon, but he’ll turn 76 in May, and is looking ahead and making preparations for the future. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, NFL owners recently approved a succession plan for the Dolphins, which will give New York businessman Bruce Beal Jr. the right to purchase the team in the event that Ross decides to sell — or passes away.Stephen Ross

As La Canfora writes, the league typically doesn’t announce this sort of arrangement publicly, but they’re not uncommon. Sources tell La Canfora that Ross wanted to be proactive in coming up with a succession plan, and Beal is someone to whom he feels very close.

Beal was elevated to president of Ross’ Related Companies real estate firm when the Dolphins owner – and Related Companies founder – stepped aside as CEO in 2012. The two men have worked together for years, and one source describes the Dolphins’ new succession plan as something akin to “keeping the team in the family,” per La Canfora.

While the arrangement doesn’t ensure that Beal will gain control of the franchise when it becomes available, he’ll be in the driver’s seat to purchase it.

Ross has been willing to OK major personnel moves in recent years, signing Ndamukong Suh to a mega-deal in free agency in 2015, and approving a major trade involving Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, and a pair of first-round picks last month. The Dolphins, under Ross, also made another coaching change earlier this year, hiring Adam Gase to replace interim head coach Dan Campbell.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Draft Updates: Eagles, Hackenberg, Ifedi

April 7th, 2016 at 6:43pm CST by Luke Adams

A report last Thursday indicated that Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg had a workout lined up with the Eagles this week, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will happen tomorrow.

As Rapoport notes, Philadelphia is taking a look at all of the top QB prospects in this year’s draft class, so the club will be an interesting one to keep an eye on in three weeks. While some observers are convinced that new head coach Doug Pederson and the Eagles will take a signal-caller early, others believe it’s just a smoke-screen.

As we wait to see exactly what Pederson, Howie Roseman, and Co. have up their sleeves, let’s check in on some other draft updates from around the NFC….

  • We heard on Wednesday that Texas A&M tackle Germain Ifedi has a busy schedule of pre-draft visits and workouts. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle adds a couple more teams to the list of potential suitors for Ifedi, tweeting that the Vikings are hosting him for a visit and Seahawks assistant Tom Cable is working him out.
  • Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has a visit with the Rams on tap for early next week, per Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
  • Jihad Ward of Illinois has 12 pre-draft visits lined up with teams, and is meeting with the Cardinals, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. Ward transitioned from receiver/safety to the defensive line during his time as a JUCO player. In his first year with Illinois (his junior season), he recorded 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and four fumble recoveries.
  • Wisconsin safety Michael Caputo visited Washington today, Aaron Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks are slated to work out BYU flex tight end Terenn Houk, tweets Aaron Wilson.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Texans Re-Sign Quintin Demps

April 7th, 2016 at 5:43pm CST by Zachary Links

5:43pm: The Texans have officially re-signed Demps, the team confirmed in a press release.

2:01pm: The Texans have agreed to re-sign Quintin Demps, as Mark Berman of FOX26 tweets. It’s a one-year, $1.5MM deal, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). John McClain of the Chronicle adds (via Twitter) that the pact features $260K in guarantees.Quintin Demps

Demps, 31 in June, started a career-high 13 games last season and recorded 61 tackles, one interception, six passes defended, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Demps reportedly also drew interest from other teams, though Houston has wanted to bring him back ever since the start of free agency.

Among Houston’s returning safeties, Demps received the strongest grade from Pro Football Focus, though even he ranked just 47th out of 89 qualified players. Andre Hal and Eddie Pleasant checked in at 51st and 66th, respectively, while Lonnie Ballentine and Kurtis Drummond each saw just a handful of defensive snaps.

Demps didn’t rank among our top 15 safeties when we previewed the free agent market last month, but he did earn an honorable mention.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Rumors: Taylor, Bills, Broncos, Steelers

April 7th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Asked during an appearance on the NFL Network if Tyrod Taylor is the Bills‘ long-term solution at quarterback, Doug Whaley was somewhat non-committal in his answer.

“We want him to be, he wants to be, and time will tell,” the Bills GM said, as NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writes. “But we’re excited about what he did last year — he went 8-6 as a starter. There is a lot of excitement around our football team.… I’ll tell you this, I know he’s a big competitor and he’s going to want to raise his level of his game next year and take the next step and we are excited and we’re going to try to give him as much ammunition around him for him to succeed.”

So what does that mean for a potential contract extension? Whaley says he won’t rule out a new pact being agreed to this season, but it’d have to be at the “right price.” In the interim, the Bills are keeping their options open and meeting with some of the top QBs in this year’s draft.

Here’s more out of the AFC:

  • GM John Elway and the Broncos have inquired about Taylor, according to Benjamin Allbright of AM1340 in Denver (Twitter link). A trade probably isn’t likely, as the Bills prefer to hang onto their quarterback and the Broncos are just exploring all their options, but it’s an interesting tidbit nonetheless.
  • Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak says the team worked out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch at his pro day on Wednesday, as Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. Denver will still bring Lynch in for an official pre-draft visit down the line, as Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post tweets.
  • The offensive line is definitely a priority for the Colts, but it appears they’re more focused on improving at center and guard rather than the tackle spots, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes. “The interior of that offensive line, the center and two guard spots, is the focal point,” coach Chuck Pagano said. At the same time, there aren’t a ton of high-level interior lineman in this year’s class and Wells wouldn’t be surprised if they took a top pass-rusher or middle linebacker if there’s one on the board.
  • Auburn cornerback Jonathan Jones is visiting the Steelers today, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Akron outside linebacker Jatavis Brown and North Carolina Central cornerback Ryan Smith are also among the prospects in Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Patriots Sign Markus Kuhn

April 7th, 2016 at 4:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots continue to fortify their defensive line, importing another free agent from the NFC East. Former Giants defensive tackle Markus Kuhn, who said farewell to Big Blue in an Instagram post earlier today, revealed his new team in a separate post on Instagram, publishing a photo of himself as he signed a new contract with the Pats.Markus Kuhn

“I could [not] be more proud to be part of such a great organization!” Kuhn said in his Instagram post. “Hard work always pays off!”

Kuhn, who will turn 30 next month, spent the first four years of his NFL career in New York after being selected by the Giants in the final round of the 2012 draft. He has played a rotational role for the club in recent years, appearing in 24 games (eight starts) in 2014 and 2015. Over the course of those two seasons, the German defender compiled 39 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries, including one he returned for a touchdown.

According to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, even after their free agent spending spree last month, the Giants offered Kuhn the opportunity to return to New York as a reserve, but he elected to sign elsewhere. Kuhn joins a New England squad that recently added former Washington defensive linemen Terrance Knighton and Frank Kearse, as well as ex-Rams defensive end Chris Long.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

 

Bills Sign Fernando Velasco

April 7th, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After hosting him for a visit today, the Bills have signed free agent offensive lineman Fernando Velasco to a contract, the team announced today in a press release.Fernando Velasco

Velasco, 31, was one of the Titans’ final cuts prior to the 2015 season and he circled back to Carolina in September. While the veteran is usually listed as a center, he has also spent a good deal of time at guard, and the Bills didn’t specify a position in their press release today, so Velasco could move around on the line depending on where he’s needed.

When he was with the Steelers in 2013, Velasco filled in for injured center Maurkice Pouncey and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the team’s fourth-best lineman. In 2015, Velasco appeared in 12 games, though he started just one. For his career, he has totaled 38 regular-season starts.

Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with a modest bonus appears likely.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders Sign Reggie Nelson

April 7th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

2:48pm: Nelson’s new two-year deal is worth $8.5MM, with an additional $3.5MM available in incentives, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. According to Volin, Nelson will get $4.25MM in guaranteed money, and his roster bonus for 2017 will become guaranteed if he plays 65% of Oakland’s defensive snaps in 2016.

THURSDAY, 12:30pm: The Raiders announced the deal.

WEDNESDAY, 6:34pm: The Raiders will continue their offseason defensive fortification by signing Reggie Nelson to a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

The former Bengals safety who was one of the top free agents remaining on the market will fill a void created by Charles Woodson‘s retirement. As far as veterans go, the Raiders previously had only Nate Allen — whom they cut and re-signed to more team-friendly terms in March — and a host of inexperienced cogs at safety.

A 10th-year pro, Nelson is coming off his lone Pro Bowl berth after intercepting a league-high eight passes in 2015. He’ll join Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith and Aldon Smith as part of Oakland’s revamped defense this fall.

Nelson visited Oakland earlier this week but left the Bay Area without a deal in place, but the Raiders were in need of veteran assistance on their back line after Woodson’s retirement. The former Jaguars safety ranked as the No. 41 overall free agent on PFR’s Top 50 free agents list when the new league year began. Nelson will turn 33 in September.

Even with Woodson in the fold, the Raiders ranked 26th in defending the pass last season. Aside from Woodson, the team didn’t possess much experience at either corner or safety. Allen missed most of the season due to an MCL injury, and the Silver and Black was forced to rely on inexperienced contributors, converted cornerbacks or journeyman Taylor Mays alongside Woodson.

The Raiders entered Wednesday with $14.79MM in cap space after filling several of the voids that plagued their defense last season. Nelson has 30 career interceptions to his credit and has been a full-time starter since the Jaguars took him in the first round in 2007.

The Giants also had interest in Nelson, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter), but nothing past the inquiry stage.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Broncos, Johnny Manziel

April 7th, 2016 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have spoken with Johnny Manziel about his potential fit with the team, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold (Twitter link). However, the Broncos have no plans to sign Johnny Manziel and signing him has not been discussed, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter). Even though head coach Gary Kubiak reached out to Manziel’s camp about a month ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) also hears that team has no intention of signing him. "<strong

[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, Colin Kaepernick]

Kubiak and Manziel are both former Texas A&M quarterbacks and have a relationship stemming from that commonality, Klis notes (on Twitter). The Broncos head coach reached out to Manziel sometime after his release from the Browns, but it doesn’t sound like there were substantive conversations after that point.

The Broncos, of course, are searching for a quarterback after Peyton Manning announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Texans on a four-year, $72MM deal. In March, Denver acquired Mark Sanchez from the Eagles, though he could be relegated to No. 2 on the depth chart if the team finds a better alternative at QB. The Broncos have discussed acquiring Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers, but Kaepernick is not interested in taking the kind of pay cut that Denver is pushing.

Earlier this year, Manziel was dropped by both the team that drafted him and his agent. In March, the controversial signal caller signed on with polarizing agent Drew Rosenhaus. Days later, Rosenhaus claimed that there were teams interested in his new client. That assertion was (understandably) met with some eye rolls from around football, but it appears that the defending champs at least kicked the tires on the former first-round pick.

The 23-year-old made eight starts and played in 15 total games for Cleveland, completing 57% of his passes (147 of 258) for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His overall passer rating was 74.4.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Rumors: Titans, Ramsey, Jack

April 7th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans will meet with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Monday, as John Glennon of The Tennessean writes. Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, is widely considered to be one of the top talents in this year’s class and the Titans are giving real thought to taking him first overall. The Titans’ secondary could certainly use the help after a rough showing last season.

Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South:

Draft Rumors: Robinson, Panthers, Jets

April 7th, 2016 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

Alabama defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson will visit the Lions, Panthers, and Jets in the coming days, Eddie Borsilli of SiriusXM tweets. Robinson, who likely projects as a defensive tackle for a team running a 4-3 scheme or a defensive end for a 3-4 defense, is considered one of the top defensive linemen available this spring. A Consensus All-American in his junior year, Robinson recorded 46 tackles (7.5 for a loss) to go along with his 3.5 sacks. After helping his team win a National Championship this past season, Robinson seems poised to enter the league as a first-round draft pick.

The latest draft rumors:

  • Multiple teams have taken Bowling Green wide receiver Roger Lewis and Arizona wide receiver Cayleb Jones off their boards due to off-field issues, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets.
  • UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch is set to visit the Titans and Texans, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The athletic offensive lineman is widely viewed as a second-round prospect.
  • Stanford tight end Austin Hooper visited the Titans and Bears earlier this week, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The 6’4″, 254-pound athlete is a likely top-50 pick, Getlin adds.
  • So far, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds has had workouts with the Ravens, Patriots, and Titans, according to freelance reporter Jenna Laine (via Twitter).
  • Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has (or has had) meetings, workouts and/or visits with the Falcons, Steelers, and Titans, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
  • Houston corner William Jackson III visited the Ravens last week and will meet with the Raiders on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Norfolk State linebacker Deon King has worked out privately for the Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Colts, and Washington and will visit with the Cowboys, according to Wilson. King finished his collegiate career with 372 tackles, 52.5 tackles for losses, 22 sacks, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. King was an All-American selection and a three-time all-conference selection.
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