HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jaguars Sign Allen Hurns To Extension

June 2nd, 2016 at 6:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:21pm: The Jags made Hurns’ deal official, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets.

4:28pm: The Jaguars and wide receiver Allen Hurns have agreed to a contract extension that will average more than $10MM per season, according to Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). With escalators, Hurns can earn as much as $11MM per year, Mike Florio of PFT reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms the $40MM+ pact for Hurns, tweeting that it is a four-year deal for the Jags’ No. 2 wideout that contains four new years an $20MM in guarantees. Although he came into the league with the same draft class as receivers who aren’t yet allowed to sign long-term extensions, Hurns can because those rules do not apply to undrafted players. So, this loophole will oddly give the UDFA gem financial security before the rest of the star-studded 2014 receiver class, which included Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins and Jacksonville’s No. 1 receiver, Allen Robinson.

The 24-year-old wideout wasn’t set to become an RFA until March of 2017 and, under the terms of his previous agreement with the north-Florida franchise, would not have been a UFA until the following spring.

So, it’s an early payday for Hurns after he enjoyed a breakout season in 2015 in joining Robinson in compiling 1,000-yard slates. After quickly establishing himself as a key performer in a rebuilding Jags offense in ’14 with 677 yards, Hurns exploded for 1,031 and 10 touchdown receptions in 2015.

Jacksonville came into Thursday with a league-most $49.3MM in cap space, with Hurns’ previous rookie deal set to take up barely $600K of it going into his third and final season of a contract he signed as a UDFA. Hurns’ new deal will not only vault from from a status that saw him as the Jaguars’ lowest-paid starter to one that will place him high in the receiver hierarchy in terms of AAV. Only 10 receivers earn more than $10MM annually, with the line of demarcation residing between Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson.

So, a clear bar has been set for Robinson, assuming he can continue on course as Jacksonville’s No. 1 target, and potential 2017 free agent Emmanuel Sanders, himself a No. 2 wideout.

The Jaguars now have multiple pieces of their talented skill-position corps locked into long-term deals, with Julius Thomas set for Year 2 of the five-year pact he signed in 2015. Robinson and Blake Bortles will become eligible to negotiate extensions after their third campaigns conclude.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Nate Chandler To Sign With Bears

June 2nd, 2016 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite having his free agency largely nullified by a severe knee injury, Nate Chandler found two NFC North suitors this week. After making a visit to Detroit on Wednesday, the UFA tackle decided to sign with the Bears, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Bears brought Jake Long in for a visit this morning but have opted to give that roster spot to Chandler, Rapoport notes. This proves as an interesting maneuver considering Chandler had not generated much free agency attention after the Panthers released him before the start of the new league year.

After trying out for the Buccaneers in April, Chandler visited the Lions about becoming a possibly depth piece but soon received interest from the Bears despite having no previous connection to the team.

A day after his 27th birthday, Chandler will make arrangements to venture to his second franchise. The Panthers slotted him into their starting lineup in 19 games, with the former UDFA from UCLA seeing time at both tackle and guard during the 2013 and ’14 seasons, but a knee injury sustained midway through the 2014 campaign sidetracked his career. Carolina placed Chandler on IR last September and watched as its line helped Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart lead a cutting-edge ground attack during a 15-1 season that ended with an NFC championship.

With the Bears, Chandler will likely compete for a role behind projected starters Bobby Massie and Charles Leno. Chicago also added interior-line presences Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen this offseason. Chandler could potentially add to this versatile group should he stay healthy.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Bears, Alshon Jeffery Unlikely To Ink New Deal This Summer

June 2nd, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Zachary Links

THURSDAY, 5:41pm: The fact that Jeffery’s chosen to train independently in Miami has helped dissuade the Bears from engaging in substantial long-term extension discussions, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report notes (video link). Although Jeffery and Jay Cutler have played together for four seasons, the second-year power structure of Ryan Pace and John Fox would prefer to see the fifth-year receiver working with the team in Chicago to develop a stronger rapport with the eighth-year Bears passer after being limited to nine games last season.

TUESDAY, 10:32am: Back in March, the Bears applied the ~$15MM franchise tag to Alshon Jeffery to keep him in Chicago for the 2016 season. At the time, it was widely expected that the two sides would shake hands on a new multi-year deal before the start of the 2016 season. Apparently, that is not going to be the case. There are no indications that the Bears will push to get a long-term deal solidified for Jeffery this summer, league sources tell Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. At this point, it is a “near certainty” that he will play out this season under the franchise tender, Wiederer adds."<strong

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. Now, the Bears want Jeffery to prove that he can stay healthy before they give him eight figures per season on a long-term pact. The wide receiver, predictably, wants his guaranteed cash now and is skipping OTAs to try and get his point across. Still, according to Campbell, the expectation is that Jeffery will be at the mandatory minicamp in mid-June and at training camp in late July.

One could argue that Jeffery would be better off playing out the 2016 season under the franchise tag anyway. After missing seven games in 2015, Jeffery could boost his leverage by turning in that same kind of output across a full 16-game season.

The Bears started to remodel their team last season but, despite some speculation to the contrary, the team did not shop Jeffery. This offseason, the Bears had no intention of letting him hit the open market. Had he been an unencumbered free agent, however, he would have ranked near the top of PFR’s Top 50 NFL Free Agents list. The wide receiver market this spring was headlined by the likes of Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, Jermaine Kearse, and Mohamed Sanu.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Sign Second-Round Pick Hunter Henry

June 2nd, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest heir apparent to Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry signed his four-year rookie deal with the Chargers, the team announced on its website.

He’s the sixth member of the Chargers’ eight-man draft class to agree to terms. Joey Bosa and third-round center Max Tuerk are the only holdouts.

A second-round pick out of Arkansas and a player viewed as the top tight end in the 2016 class, Henry will succeed Ladarius Green as the player the Bolts are grooming to replace the resilient Gates. Green’s signing with the Steelers after four years of Gates apprenticeship created a sizable void that Henry will now attempt to fill.

With the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound performer caught 116 passes for 1,661 yards in three seasons, the last finishing with San Diego’s No. 2 tight end winning the John Mackey award and being a consensus first-team All-American.

San Diego made a bigger investment in Henry than it did with Gates or Green, with the second-round selection being the first time the Bolts have used such a pick on a tight end since taking Mikhael Ricks in Round 2 in 1998.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/16

June 2nd, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Steelers have signed fourth-round offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, as Teresa Varley of Steelers.com writes. Hawkins offers experience at both left and right tackle but he’s expected to play on the left side for Pittsburgh. “He can come in here and help right away by competing and pushing the guys and making them better,” said offensive line coach Mike Munchak. “It just makes the group better when you can bring in a good athlete and a good player that has the ability to compete and help us become better. “We feel this guy can come in and learn from the guys we have, push the guys that we have and now it’s just a matter of how quickly we feel he can contribute.”
  • The Cardinals signed wide receiver Marquis Bundy, safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, and guard Jake Bernstein to return to the 90-man roster limit, Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com tweets.
  • The Chargers have agreed to sign guard/tackle Brett Boyko, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • To make room, the Chargers waived offensive lineman Zeth Ramsay, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. The Bolts now have 17 offensive linemen on their 90-man roster.
  • The Lions announced that they have signed UDFA kicker Devon Bell and waived punter Kyle Christy. Bell, a Mississippi State product, played in all 13 games last year and averaged 62.1 yards per kickoff, while also punting nine times for 370 yards (41.1 avg).
  • The Jaguars have signed guard Patrick Omameh and released offensive lineman Patrick Miller, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. Omameh has played in 30 games over the course of his NFL career.
  • The Redskins signed UDFA wide receiver Jarvis Turner, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed fullback Kyle Coleman, as Wilson tweets. A rookie with tight end experience who played at Arkansas State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Coleman will possibly audition at multiple spots in Seattle, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes.
  • The Jets announced that they’ve signed guard Mike Liedtke, while adding that they’ve cleared a roster spot by waiving tackle Luke Marquardt.

Redskins Sign Third-Round Pick Kendall Fuller

June 2nd, 2016 at 3:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have signed third-round cornerbackKendall Fuller, as Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post tweets. With Fuller signed, the Redskins have now inked every member of their 2016 draft class. Kendall Fuller (vertical)

Heading into the draft, some teams had concerns over Fuller’s injured knee, but a medical re-check in April yielded positive results. Fuller, the fourth member of his family to play at Virginia Tech, went pro in lieu of playing out his senior season. If Fuller did not have injury concerns attached to him, it’s conceivable that he could have gone somewhere in the second-round.

Here’s the full rundown of the Redskins’ 2016 draft class:

Washington Redskins

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dwight Freeney: “95%” Certain I’ll Play In ’16

June 2nd, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

After recent visits with the Bengals and Falcons, Dwight Freeney is still without an NFL team. According to the defensive end, however, he did not expect to leave either trip with a contract in hand (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio). The 36-year-old also said that his next contract will probably be his “last stop.” Freeney is presumably looking to sign a one-year deal, so it sounds like this coming season will mark his farewell tour – that is, if he can find an NFL home. Dwight Freeney

[RELATED: Best Available NFL Free Agents: Defense]

In Freeney’s estimation, the odds of him playing in 2016 “are at 95%” (link). He says that he had “good” visits (link) with both the Falcons and Bengals, which would imply that the door is being left open by both clubs. Yesterday, Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters that the team has not ruled out signing Freeney. As for the Bengals, we have not heard much on that front since the veteran took a physical with them on May 25th.

During the interview, Freeney also discussed his time with the Cardinals in 2015 (link) and expressed hope that an offer could still come his way from Arizona. The multiple-time Pro Bowler says that he would love to help mentor offseason acquisition Chandler Jones and the team’s other young players in the front seven. After racking up eight sacks for Arizona last year, one has to imagine that the Cardinals are at least open to the idea of a reunion.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Gronkowski, Bills

June 2nd, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

This offseason, tight end Jordan Cameron took a pay cut in order to remain with the Dolphins. Cameron confessed that it “doesn’t feel good” to take a step back in salary, but he also admits that he didn’t do enough last year (link via ESPN.com’s James Walker).

Cameron, 28 in August, caught 80 passes and scored seven times during his Pro Bowl season in 2013, but he was slowed by injuries in 2014 during his final year in Cleveland, and posted modest numbers in his first season in Miami. Playing and starting all 16 games, Cameron recorded 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Now in his contract year, Cameron will look to restore his value before testing the open market.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

  • Even though we’ve seen some of the league’s top tight ends get new deals this offseason, Patriots star Rob Gronkowski has not missed a day of workouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Gronkowski is significantly underpaid when compared with the going market rate for his position, but it’s possible that New England will convert some of his incentives into a signing bonus this summer in order to keep him happy and focused. Gronk stands as the fifth-highest paid tight end on a per-season average with a salary of $9MM/year. In that regard, he is out-earned by Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed, and Julius Thomas. Gronkowski signed a six-year, $54MM extension with the Patriots in June of 2012 that should keep him from reaching the open market until after the 2019 season.
  • In March, Richie Incognito signed a three-year, $15.75MM deal to remain with the Bills. When the Bills first brought the lineman in, he was considered damaged goods following the bullying scandal in Miami. Now, head coach Rex Ryan says he couldn’t be happier to have him in the fold. “He was looked at as a bully, and that’s almost as bad a thing as you can be in today’s culture. But I didn’t believe he was that person and now I know he’s not. He got a second chance and the guy’s making the most of it. I wish I had a whole bunch of Richie Incognitos, and I can tell you I’m super happy I have one,” Ryan said (via Don Banks of SI.com).
  • After spending the bulk of 2015 on the Bills‘ practice squad, wide receiver Dezmin Lewis is poised to push for a 53-man roster spot, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com writes.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Jets are not inclined to offer Ryan Fitzpatrick a one-year, $12MM deal. We also rounded up some more items on the Jets, including some thoughts on Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation.

Lions Notes: Hardy, Austin, Kruger

June 2nd, 2016 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are a possible fit for free agent defensive end Greg Hardy, Robert Klemko of The MMQB writes. The Lions, he writes, probably feel like they’re one or two pieces away from winning their division and they could conceivably be willing to deal with the headaches of signing the former Pro Bowler. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson identified the Lions and seven other teams as potential landing spots for the troubled free agent.

Here’s more out of Detroit:

  • Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was a popular name in different head coaching searches this offseason, but he feels that only two of his four interviews were “legitimate” (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). When asked if he felt that his other two interviews were only done to satisfy the Rooney Role, Austin told Birkett (Twitter link) that he could take his comments however he wanted to. As shown in PFR’s 2016 Head Coaching Tracker, Austin interviewed with the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, and Eagles. Since the Browns hired a black coach in Hue Jackson, Austin presumably isn’t accusing Cleveland of interviewing him to fulfill the minority candidate requirement.
  • The Lions brought in Joe Kruger for a workout earlier this week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Kruger was drafted by Philadelphia as a defensive end in 2013 but Detroit auditioned him as a tight end.
  • On Wednesday, we learned that Detroit will not be signing linebacker Mike Neal, despite having met with him in March.

Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Fitzpatrick, Maccagnan

June 2nd, 2016 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets missed the boat on signing Muhammad Wilkerson to a long-term deal, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. The Jets’ could have extended Wilkerson early in 2014 when the market was somewhat depressed due to a stagnant cap between 2011 and 2013. Also, at that time, the highest-paid 3-4 defensive end made ~$11MM. Now, the Jets have dragged their feet and the market for 3-4 DEs has exploded.

Now, Fitzgerald feels that the Jets should offer him a “no franchise tag designation” for 2017 in return for signing his contract and coming to camp on time. They also can restructure the terms of his contract so that Wilkerson earns more in August, rather than waiting 17 weeks for his full salary. Ultimately, Fitzgerald does not see an outcome in which the Jets can hammer out an extension with Wilkerson.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

  • Even if Jets were open to a one-year, $12MM with Ryan Fitzpatrick, it would be hard to pull off with roughly $3.5MM of cap room, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. In order to pull that kind of deal off, voidable years would be necessary. Earlier today, we learned that the Jets are not interested in a one-year, $12MM “compromise” with the 33-year-old.
  • Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter) suggests that a one-year compromise between the Jets and Fitzpatrick could be a base deal of ~$8MM with playing time and playoff incentives that boost the deal to (or beyond) $12MM.
  • Bob Glauber of Newsday believes that the gridlock between the Jets and Fitzpatrick will ultimately result in a deal. Glauber also believes that he needs the Jets more than the Jets need him.
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post also feels that a deal will get done eventually between the veteran quarterback and the Jets. However, Serby seems to think that it’s Fitzpatrick who has the upper hand, in part because the team’s veterans will be extremely upset if they do not have him under center. He also believes that GM Mike Maccagnan will ultimately improve his offer to Fitzpatrick because he is not the type to let his pride get in the way of what’s best for the team.
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