HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/16

May 2nd, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Steelers Decline Option On Jarvis Jones

May 2nd, 2016 at 6:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on outside linebacker Jarvis Jones, according to a source who spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. He’s now scheduled to be a free agent after the 2016 season. Jarvis Jones (vertical)

[RELATED: PFR’s 2017 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

Jones’ fifth-year option would have been worth $8.369MM, more money than the Steelers were willing to pay. Last season, Jones started 15 regular season games at right outside linebacker and totaled 27 tackles with two sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception. The advanced metrics of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed Jones as the 67th best edge defender out of 110 qualified players in 2015.

With the Steelers’ decision on Jones now in the books, we now have resolutions on the fifth-year options of every player from 2013’s first round. For a full rundown of today’s decisions, check out PFR’s 2017 Fifth-Year Option Tracker.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Decline E.J. Manuel’s Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 5:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills declined to exercise E.J. Manuel‘s fifth-year option for the 2017 season, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The quarterback would have been due an $11.357MM salary in 2017 if the team had pulled the trigger. E.J. Manuel (vertical)

[RELATED: 2017 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

Manuel is now slated to earn a fully-guaranteed base salary of $2.827MM salary in 2016 before hitting the open market next spring. Given that Manuel has been squeezed out of the starting lineup in favor of Tyrod Taylor, today’s news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Bills also added to their quarterback depth chart by selecting Ohio State’s Cardale Jones last week.

Manuel has not been the Bills’ full-time starting quarterback since Week 4 of the 2014 season. The Bills traded down from No. 8 to No. 16 in the first round of the 2013 draft to select Manuel and while he showed some promise early on, things have not panned out as the team hoped they would.

All things considered, coach Rex Ryan says that he likes Manuel as his No. 2 QB.

“I’m not done with EJ Manuel, either (as a backup to Taylor),” Ryan said in February. “I think EJ’s got the talent, the size and all that stuff. Sometimes, guys just take a little bit longer to develop, so we’ll see how that goes.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots To Decline Jonathan Cooper’s Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots will decline Jonathan Cooper‘s option for 2017, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Patriots acquired the offensive lineman (and a second-round choice) from Arizona in the Chandler Jones trade. Jonathan Cooper (vertical)

[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram]

After missing his rookie season due to a broken fibula, the 26-year-old started just 11 games for the Cardinals in the past two years, failing to carve out a long-term role in Arizona. However, he still has plenty of talent, and could play either guard or center on the Patriots’ line. The Pats were not expected to exercise their option on the No. 7 selection in the 2013 draft, but he could conceivably still be a part of the team’s plans if he plays well next season. Cooper’s option would have paid him in excess of $10MM but, right now, he’s probably worth one-third of that.

The Patriots received the No. 61 pick in this year’s draft in the Jones deal and wound up trading that selection to the Saints for pick Nos. 78 and 112. With that pick, the Saints took Ohio State safety Vonn Bell. New England, meanwhile, took N.C. State offensive lineman Joe Thuney and Georgia wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Packers To Decline Datone Jones’ Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers will decline the fifth-year option on 2013 first-round draft pick Datone Jones, according to a source who spoke with Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Jones is now entering his contract year with Green Bay. Datone Jones (vertical)

Jones, 26 in July, was suspended for the first game of the 2015 season due to a citation for marijuana possession. After that, he went on to appear in the remaining 15 regular season games plus Green Bay’s two postseason contests. In the regular season, the defensive end racked up 20 total tackles, three sacks, and three passes defended. Ultimately, he did not do enough to make Green Bay want to lock him in at a hefty rate for 2017.

In other Packers news, veteran Mike Neal has apparently “moved on” from the club, prompting the team to draft a promising linebacker in the third round.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cardinals Announce 16 UDFA Additions

May 2nd, 2016 at 3:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals supplemented their six-man draft class today by agreeing to sign 16 undrafted free agents, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com details. General manager Steve Keim is optimistic about the potential impact of the team’s newest additions.

“We’re excited about it, because we still have a number of guys that we like, that we think have an opportunity to make this football team,” Keim said of the UDFAs. “You look at the past history of this organization, we’ve had guys make significant contributions, whether it’s been Lyle Sendlein or a Jaron Brown, they can be the difference of you winning football games or not. Not only do our coaches do a great job, our scouts, they work together and they call and they recruit these guys extremely well.”

Here’s the full list of the 16 UDFAs who agreed to sign in Arizona:

Jaguars Decline Luke Joeckel’s 2017 Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The second overall pick from the 2013 draft will not have his fifth-year option picked up for 2017, reports Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. According to O’Halloran, the Jaguars have decided to turn down Luke Joeckel‘s 2017 option.Luke Joeckel

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

Joeckel, the first pick made by the Jaguars after Dave Caldwell became the general manager and Gus Bradley became the head coach, hasn’t exactly been the most successful selection of their tenure in Jacksonville. Although he has started 35 games for the Jags since joining the team in 2013, including 30 over the last two years, Joeckel has been inconsistent and hasn’t lived up to his draft slot.

After spending the last two years as Jacksonville’s left tackle, Joeckel may be usurped by free agent signee Kelvin Beachum in 2016. The former Steeler is expected to take over as the Jags’ left tackle if he’s healthy. That could mean Joeckel ends up on the bench in a reserve role, or in a spot elsewhere on the line.

By turning down Joeckel’s $11.902MM option for 2017, the Jaguars perhaps preserve some trade value for the tackle as well. I don’t expect the team to find a taker for him, but if he has a solid camp and another club’s left tackle goes down with an injury, it’s in play. The 24-year-old is set to earn a guaranteed base salary of $3.296MM this season before becoming eligible for free agency in 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Cut Jarius Wynn, Add 14 UDFAs

May 2nd, 2016 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have fortified their rookie class, adding to their seven-man draft class by agreeing to terms with another 14 undrafted free agents, the team announced today. Here are the 14 undrafted rookies who have agreed to sign with Buffalo:

In addition to adding over a dozen rookies to their roster, the Bills also cut ties with some veteran players, per a press release. The most notable name in the trio of players released is edge defender Jarius Wynn, who perhaps became more expandable after Buffalo used its first-round pick on outside rusher Shaq Lawson. Wynn last played in 2014, recording 17 tackles and two sacks for the Bills.

The club also cut cornerback Merrill Noel and offensive lineman Ronald Patrick.

Broncos Decline Sylvester Williams’ 2017 Option

May 2nd, 2016 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos will not be exercising Sylvester Williams‘s $6.757MM option for 2017, a source tells Troy Renck and Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. As the Post duo details, GM John Elway and the Broncos like what Williams brings to the table, but are wary about committing significant money to a nose tackle.Sylvester Williams

[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]

Williams, 27, had perhaps his best season in 2015, starting 15 games for the Broncos and establishing new career bests in tackles (25) and sacks (2.5). Primarily a two-down player, Williams helped anchor Denver’s stout run defense, appearing in just under half of the club’s defensive snaps for the season.

As we’ve seen throughout this offseason, the Broncos have been careful about not overpaying in contract negotiations, even for players who were crucial cogs on their Super Bowl team. Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan were among the players who departed in free agency, while the club has yet to work out new long-term deals with franchised pass rusher Von Miller or RFA linebacker Brandon Marshall.

In Williams’ case, the team would like to keep him around beyond the 2016 season, but didn’t want a $6.757MM cap charge on the books for him in 2017. Since the Broncos would prefer to extend him at a lesser salary, they weren’t interested in using that figure as a starting point in negotiations, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS writes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bucs Agree To Terms With 19 UDFAs

May 2nd, 2016 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers’ rookie free agent class is a large one, with 19 undrafted players agreeing to terms with Tampa Bay, according to a team release. Here’s the full list of undrafted free agents who have agreed to sign with the Bucs:

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