2016 July - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Extend Pete Carroll Through 2019

July 26th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have signed head coach Pete Carroll to a long-term extension that will keep him in Seattle through the 2019 season. Carroll’s contract had been set to expire after the upcoming season.

Carroll’s extension comes just two days after the Seahawks locked up general manager John Schneider through the 2021 campaign, meaning the club’s brain trust will be together for at least the next four seasons. Seattle was always expected to hammer out a new deal with its head coach, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported yesterday that there was no rancor in negotiations. Rather, the Seahawks (and Carroll) simply wanted to follow their usual offseason plan — tackling free agency, the draft, and extensions for contract year players — before working out a new agreement.

In addition to allowing Carroll avoid a lame-duck status in 2016, the extension also gives both Seattle and Carroll some added security — Carroll will be guaranteed a salary for a few extra years, and the Seahawks mitigate the risk of their head coach eyeing another job. While there has been no indication that Carroll would want to leave Seattle, one January report suggested that the former USC head coach may eventually have interest in a Los Angeles NFL job, with the Rams – and possibly Chargers – returning to L.A.

Carroll’s current contract is believed to place him among the NFL’s top three highest-paid coaches, with an annual salary in the range of $7-8MM per year. Presumably, his new deal wouldn’t involve a pay cut of any sort, so Carroll will continue to rank near the top of the salary leaderboard for coaches after signing his extension.

Since taking over as the Seahawks’ head coach in 2010, Carroll has led the team to a 60-36 regular-season record, with a 9-6 record and a Super Bowl win in the postseason. Seattle has won at least 10 games and made the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, winning at least one postseason contest every year and earning a spot in the Super Bowl twice.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) was the first to report the extension and noted that it runs through 2019. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Redskins, Neal, Schofield, Vick

July 26th, 2016 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Even though they’ve lost edge rusher Junior Galette for the season due to a torn Achilles, the Redskins aren’t interested in free agent defenders Mike Neal or O’Brien Schofield, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). At this point, it appears as though Washington is going to rely on internal options to replace Galette (who, it should be noted, didn’t even play in a single contest for Washington last year), as reports have indicated that the Redskins won’t target free agent Dwight Freeney or controversial pass rusher Greg Hardy. Instead, the club figures to ask Preston Smith, a second-round pick in last year’s draft, to provide increased production.

Here’s more from around the league…

Free agent quarterback Michael Vick has stated he’d like to continue his NFL career multiple times this offseason, and he repeated that sentiment earlier this week on The Dan Patrick Show, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “We had a couple phone calls,” Vick said. “I won’t say as many phone calls as I’d like. I understand the dynamics. I’m 36 years old. The thing is I still have a lot in the tank. I go work out, still go throw, still feel good.” The Seahawks are known to be looking for a veteran quarterback behind Russell Wilson, and Vick’s name has been tossed out in relation to that vacancy.
The NFL and NFLPA have reached an agreement to more strictly enforce the league’s concussion protocol, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Both the NFL and the players’ union will designate a representative to investigate potential violations, and discipline — including fines or loss of draft picks — could be handed down as penalties. Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) confirms that the NFLPA had threatened to sue the league and claim malpractice against team doctors after Rams quarterback Case Keenum was allowed to remain in a game last season after appearing concussed.
Ra’Zahn Howard‘s signing bonus with the Texans is worth $5K, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Houston signed the former Purdue defensive tackle to a three-year, $1.625MM deal shortly after he went unclaimed in this year’s Supplemental Draft. Many viewed Howard as the strongest player out of this year’s supplemental class and early projections had him going somewhere between rounds five and seven.
NFL agent Tory Dandy, who represents Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman, and Bills cornerback Ronald Darby, has joined CAA Sports, as Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal tweets.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Eagles LB Nigel Bradham Arrested

July 26th, 2016 at 8:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham was arrested yesterday following his involvement in an alteration in Miami on Thursday, NBC Miami was the first to report. Bradham turned himself into police today and was charged with aggravated battery, a second-degree felony, according to the police report.

Bradham was reportedly part of a six-person group that began arguing with a Hilton Bentley hotel employee over the amount of time it took to receive an umbrella they had apparently purchased. The scene grew violent, and the worker was struck over the head with a glass bottle, and, according to the police report, Bradham “without provocation, struck the victim in the nose with a closed fist, causing the victim to fall to the ground.” The group eventually left, but police located a cell phone and a receipt indicating Bradham had paid for the umbrella.

The Eagles issued a statement confirming that they are aware of the situation, but offered no further comment on Bradham, who signed a two-year, $7MM deal during the offseason and is expected to report to training camp tomorrow, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Bradham, 26, becomes the second Eagle to enter legal hot water this year, as wide receiver Nelson Agholor was accused of rape in June before being cleared of all charges earlier this month.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Josh Gordon

July 26th, 2016 at 6:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After being conditionally reinstated by the NFL yesterday, wide receiver Josh Gordon is still on “thin ice” with the Browns’ leadership team, and the club’s new coaching staff will be watching him closely, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who adds that Cleveland has become “weary” of Gordon’s antics. Nevertheless, Browns executive VP of football operations Sashi Brown was supportive of Gordon in a statement issued yesterday.

“With the league’s decision to afford Josh the opportunity to resume his career, he will be with us for the start of training camp,” said Brown. “At that time, we will discuss directly with Josh the direction of our team, our expectations of our players and a plan to support him on and off the field.”

Brown was placed on the non-football injury list today with a quad injury, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, but he should be able to return to practice in a few weeks. In a somewhat unprecedented move, the league will allow Gordon to not only play in all four preseason contests, but permit Gordon to attend team meetings during his suspension. Meanwhile, Gordon’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is confident that the Browns are willing to welcome the former star wide receiver.

“I do believe the Browns are a big part of Josh getting reinstated,” Rosenhaus said today on Pro Football Talk Live. “I do believe that Sashi Brown …had a lot to do with this. I believe that Hue Jackson is very committed to working with Josh Gordon. I believe that Jim Brown, who’s an integral part of this process who got to know Josh and has served as a mentor in some respects had a lot to do with this. I really do think that the Browns are committed to Josh and want to see him succeed.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/16

July 26th, 2016 at 5:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

The Browns announced that they have waived defensive back A.J. Stamps. The move makes room for the return of wide receiver Josh Gordon to Cleveland’s 90-man roster. On Monday, the NFL announced that Gordon has been conditionally reinstated by the NFL and will be eligible to return in Week 5, provided that he stays on the straight and narrow between now and then.
Cowboys offensive lineman Charles Brown has retired, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). A former second-round pick, Brown never lived up to his draft status, but did start 14 games for the Saints as recently as 2013. Dallas waived him today, along with fellow tackle David Hedelin, in order to make for offensive lineman Darryl Baldwin and Cameron Bradfield.
The Titans have signed offensive lineman William Campbell, the club announced. Campbell was part of the same workout that veteran wide receiver Andre Johnson took part in today, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
Center Garrett Gilkey has been waived by the Buccaneers with a failed physical designation, tweets Roy Cummings of FanRag Sports. Gilkey appeared in all 16 games for Tampa Bay in 2014, starting one contest. To fill his roster spot, the Bucs have signed offensive lineman Joel Hale.
The Colts have signed running back Abou Toure, waived cornerback Daniel Davie, and placed running back Tyler Varga on the reserve/retired list, the club announced today.
The Broncos announced the signing of rookie linebacker Darnell Sankey. To make room, Denver has waived long snapper Nathan Theus.
The Bengals announced that they have released rookie defensive end Dezmond Johnson and rookie running back DyShawn Mobley, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
Tight end Chase Coffman will be signing with the Colts, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Coffman was most recently with Seattle.

Bills, Reggie Bush Nearing Deal?

July 26th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Zachary Links

5:32pm: No deal is imminent between Bush and the Bills, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds that the two sides still have several “obstacles” blocking an agreement.

1:41pm: The Bills and Reggie Bush are “working out the deal points” of a contract, according to an NFL source who spoke with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).

As it stands, the Bills still have starter LeSean McCoy, 2015 breakout Mike Gillislee, and Dan Herron in the fold for the first month of the season. They may be without the services of rookie running back Jonathan Williams, however, after he was arrested for DUI earlier this month. McCoy appeared to be facing a suspension of his own, but last week the NFL decided against punishing Shady for his role in a February nightclub brawl.

Bush announced in February that he was intent on playing in 2016, though it was unclear at the time whether that feeling was being reciprocated back from any of the league’s 32 teams. Recently, the veteran indicated that there was at least a pair of clubs that would be interested in having him aboard. Thanks to the Bills’ unfortunate series of events in recent weeks, it seems that Buffalo is his most fervent suitor.

The Lions cut Bush prior to the 2015 season to save money after he missed much of the previous campaign with ankle injuries. Bush went on to sign with the 49ers, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. Bush later sued the St. Louis Regional Convention and Stadium Authority over his injury, which capped his season’s statline at a grand total of 28 yards. Now, Bush says he has recovered from his ACL tear and is ready for action.

Earlier today, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) reported that Bush was still actively engaged in talks with Buffalo, though one other team was also said to be interested in him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Fitz, Jordan, Cromartie

July 26th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like we shouldn’t expect much to change between the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick this week. As training camp approaches, it doesn’t appear that the two sides are any closer to a deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Fitzpatrick has touched base with teammate Brandon Marshall after multiple weeks without contact, but it’s not clear when or if the two will be reunited on the field.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

If the NFL doesn’t reinstate Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan before his roster bonus due on the fifth day of camp, his representatives will file a grievance, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Jordan’s camp will also push back if the Dolphins move to wipe out the $1.69MM payout (Twitter link). Jordan applied for reinstatement almost two months ago, but has yet to hear back from the NFL. Some execs in Miami’s front office do not want to give Jordan that kind of money following his third drug suspension.
Although Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears that Antonio Cromartie‘s hip issues could end his career, the former Jets cornerback denies that he’s ready to hang up his cleats. “Hell, no. I’m not done,” Cromartie told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). “My hip wasn’t the problem last year.” Cromartie was highly ineffective in 15 starts for Gang Green last season, but he did earn an honorable mention on PFR’s list of the best available defensive free agents.
Running backs LeGarrette Blount and James White could be on the roster bubble when the Patriots break camp in a few weeks, writes Doug Kyed of NESN.com. Blount has acted as New England’s power back for the past several years, and scored six touchdowns in that role last season, while White has been a valuable asset as a pass-catcher. But as Roster Resource shows, the Pats are well-stocked in their backfield, with Dion Lewis, Donald Brown, Brandon Bolden, and Tyler Gaffney among the club’s other options. Lewis, recovering from a torn ACL, could begin the year on the PUP list, which could open up a spot for another runner.

Titans Host Andre Johnson On Visit

July 26th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans are hosting Andre Johnson on a visit today, according to John McClain of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Johnson, of course, was released by the rival Colts early on in the offseason.

After spending 12 seasons in Houston, Johnson signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Colts a year ago, and looked poised to enjoy the benefits of catching balls from Andrew Luck after playing with a cavalcade of mediocre quarterbacks over the years with the Texans. However, Luck missed more than half the season, and Johnson struggled, averaging a career-low 31.4 receiving yards per game. For the season, he had 41 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, easily the worst full-season marks of his career. For a player who averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards per season during the first 12 years of his career, earning seven Pro Bowl nods during that time, last year’s drop-off was precipitous.

As shown on Roster Resource, the Titans currently have wide receivers Rishard Matthews, Tajae Sharpe, Kendall Wright, Dorial Green-Beckham, Harry Douglas, Justin Hunter, Tre McBride, and Andrew Turzilli (suspended for the first four games of the season) on the 90-man roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Taylor Mays Handed Second Suspension

July 26th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 4:37pm: Mays will be suspended for an additional four games, giving him an eight-game ban in total, Howard Balzer of USA Today tweets.

MONDAY, 3:42pm: The Bengals signed safety Taylor Mays this spring knowing that he would be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season due to a substance-abuse policy violation. Over the weekend, Cincinnati cut Mays before he could even suit up for training camp. The move was a head-scratcher for some, but it makes a lot more sense now. The Bengals dropped Mays because he is facing another drug suspension on top of his original four-game ban, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Bengals were counting on Mays to help support starters George Iloka and Shawn Williams at safety. Now that he’s out of the picture, the Bengals currently have a seventh-round rookie, a sixth-round 2015 pick, and a ’15 UDFA in reserve at the position, as Roster Resource details.

Despite the headaches Mays has caused, the Bengals have not ruled out giving hm another shot if he is ready to play football after his suspensions are served, Rapoport hears (Twitter link).

Mays bounced all around the NFL last year and was yo-yo’ed on and off of the Raiders’ roster multiple times. The 28-year-old recorded 23 tackles and 5 passes defensed in his 14 Raiders games. Mays, entering his seventh-year in the NFL, was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft by the 49ers. Needless to say, the USC product has not exactly fulfilled his expectations.

For his career, Mays has appeared in 80 games and made 15 starts. In total, he has 107 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 11 passes defended to his credit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Justin Houston May Miss Games With Injury

July 26th, 2016 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

As he recovers from ACL surgery, Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston may not be ready to take part in training camp. Because he is still working his way back, the expectation is that he will have to miss time at the start of the season, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Houston underwent postseason arthroscopic surgery on his knee, at which point his ACL was found to be “intact but not functioning.” Earlier this offseason, when asked exactly when the 27-year-old would be back, GM John Dorsey was noncommittal:

“When is a good [question]. Not being a medical expert, I really can’t definitively tell you that answer,” Dorsey said.

One of the league’s top outside linebackers, Houston inked a six-year, $101MM extension with the Chiefs roughly one year ago, but was hampered by injuries in the first season of his new deal. Houston still played very well in 2015, but totaled just 7.5 sacks in 11 games, a fraction of what he turned out in the year prior. The outside linebacker also showed some versatility by grabbing a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.

In 2014, Houston led the league in sacks, racking up 22 en route to his first All-Pro nod. From 2012 through 2014, the 27-year-old terrorized opposing quarterbacks, accumulating 43 sacks in 43 games — he also forced four fumbles in 2014, totaling 68 tackles. The advanced numbers back up Houston’s dominance as well, as he has ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 outside linebacker in ’13 and ’14. In 2014, his +51.1 grade nearly doubled the +26.0 mark posted by PFF’s second-best 3-4 OLB, Pernell McPhee.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.