Month: November 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/16

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Chiefs exchanged UDFA corners, signing rookie Malcolm Jackson and cutting Vernon Harris, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports. A Dartmouth product, Harris caught on with the Chiefs just after the draft. Jackson played at Division I-FCS Charleston Southern.
  • Wide receiver Titus Davis left the Jets on Saturday, the team announced (on Twitter). To take his place on the roster, Gang Green claimed wideout Chris King from the Falcons. The Jets did not cut Davis; he left by his own choosing, per NJ.com’s Darryl Slater (on Twitter). The team signed Davis to a reserve/futures contract in January after keeping the 2015 UDFA on the practice squad for much of last season. A Duquesne product, King hit waivers on Friday.
  • The Buccaneers waived offensive lineman Caylin Hauptmann, the team announced on its Twitter account. The Bucs, after signing Hauptmann earlier this week, waived him with a “left squad” designation, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
  • The Colts signed punter Michael Palardy, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. The special teamer had previously spent time with the Panthers and Ravens. Palardy will presumably provide some competition for incumbent Pat McAfee, who has spent the past seven seasons in Indianapolis.
  • To make room for fullback John Kuhn, the Saints have waived-injured defensive lineman D.J. Pettway, according to The Advocate’s Nick Underhill on Twitter. Following a tumultuous tenure at Alabama, Pettway joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent.
  • The Seahawks have signed fullback/tight end Joe Sommers, reports NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The former UW-Oshkosh standout joined Chicago as an undrafted free agent, but he was waived by the Bears earlier this week.

Cardinals Notes: Jones, Fitzgerald, Mathieu

The Cardinals enjoyed an eventful week from a long-term planning perspective, reaching a lucrative extension with Tyrann Mathieu and following that up with smaller-scale extensions for Larry Fitzgerald and Carson Palmer. Up next on Arizona’s deal docket: Chandler Jones?

The recently acquired pass-rusher will be Steve Keim‘s next target for an extension, Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A former first-round pick, Jones cost the Cardinals a second-round pick and underwhelming former first-round guard Jonathan Cooper in the March trade with the Patriots, who had a glut of 2017 expiring contracts.

Jones stands to play this season on a fifth-year option of $7.799MM. It would cost upwards of $14MM for the Cardinals to place the franchise tag on him next spring. On the heels of his first Pro Bowl and registering a career-high 12.5 sacks last season, Jones would stand to be one of the most sought-after free agents if he reaches the market.

Here’s some more coming out of the desert.

  • Fitzgerald’s extension that allots an $11MM payment to the standout wideout in 2017 is guaranteed for injury only, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This does not ensure the 32-year-old wide receiver will play for the Cardinals in ’17, which would be his 14th season, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk calling this extension a “free disability policy” for the longtime Arizona pass-catcher. Florio offers that this extension helps the defending NFC West champions avoid the distraction of having one of the best players in franchise history play on an expiring contract this season.
  • Mathieu’s contract calls for the fourth-year defensive back to make $1MM in base salary this season, with bases of $4.75MM, $5.75MM, $5.75MM, $10.75MM and $9.25MM from 2017-21, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports (on Twitter). Underhill reports $35MM of this uniquely crafted contract is guaranteed.
  • The Cardinals took care of Mathieu despite his injuries, enough so that OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald does not categorize this as a two-pronged agreement. He points out the Cardinals giving him substantially more money than the league’s previous highest-paid safety, Harrison Smith, shows they valued him as a cornerback as well rather than just a safety. Mathieu will make $42MM by 2019 on this extension compared to Smith’s $32MM at that point, and the two top-level safeties’ structures separate further by 2020, when Mathieu’s deal will surpass the $53MM mark compared to Smith’s $41MM by that point. His payments are much closer to the likes of Richard Sherman or teammate Patrick Peterson, as Fitzgerald shows.
  • Calais Campbell hopes his contract will be addressed soon. The 29-year-old defensive end is in the final season of a five-year, $55MM deal.

Eagles, Stephen Tulloch Amid Negotiations

The Eagles are amid “heavy negotiations” with former Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Lions released Tulloch early last month after a months-long process that ultimately related to the longtime Detroit second-level cog passing a physical.

He has not been connected to any teams prior to the Eagles’ discussions, which have gone on for weeks, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The 31-year-old linebacker has started for the past eight seasons, first with the Titans and then becoming a regular in the Lions’ 4-3 setup.

Now run by Jim Schwartz, the Eagles’ defense will transition back to the 4-3 scheme with which Tulloch’s familiar. Tulloch played on Schwartz-run defenses in Tennessee and Detroit, playing for Schwartz for six seasons — from 2006-08 with the Titans and from 2011-13 with the Lions.

Philadelphia also could be dealing with a possible suspension for projected starting outside ‘backer Nigel Bradham after he was arrested late last month. Under optimal circumstances, the Eagles appear set to start Bradham and Mychal Kendricks on the outside and Jordan Hicks in the middle. Behind them, as Roster Resource shows, is a particularly thin group featuring Deontae Skinner, Najee Goode and seventh-round rookie Joe Walker. The team could use some depth in this area, and the Eagles could be a fit for Tulloch on a one-year deal.

Despite their unrelenting spree of extensions doled out this offseason, the Eagles’ payroll includes $6MM+ worth of cap space for 2016, with the financial fallout from the extensions not set to hit the team hard until the 2017 and ’18 league years.

Tulloch led the Lions in tackles last season (108) but his salary was too rich for the Lions’ liking this year. Now, the Eagles could add Tulloch without having to dole out too much money.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seahawks Waive Cooper Helfet

On a busy day in Seattle, the Seahawks waived fifth-year tight end Cooper Helfet, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports, amid a wave of transactions.

The Seahawks extended Helfet a tender as an exclusive-rights free agents in March, and the 27-year-old pass-catcher signed it soon after. However, Helfet has missed almost all of training camp after breaking a bone in his foot.

Condotta expects the veteran tight end to pass through waivers and land on Seattle’s IR (Twitter link).

A former UDFA out of Duke, Helfet’s played with the Seahawks since 2012 and made a modest impact during the past two seasons. Starting four games combined during the 2014-15 campaigns, Helfet made 25 receptions for 315 yards and two touchdowns — both of which coming in 2015. An easier route to playing time opened after Jimmy Graham‘s season-ending injury last season.

But Graham is expected to return soon, and the Seahawks also drafted Nick Vannett in the third round this year. Luke Willson also returns for the Seahawks, who made more moves on Saturday in addition to signing Jahri Evans.

Seattle also waived Brandon Cottom, whom Condotta tabbed as a good bet to be the team’s primary fullback prior to suffering an Achilles injury Thursday, along with tight end Ronnie Shields, running back Tre Madden and defensive end David Perkins.

The Seahawks signed linebacker Kache Palacio, running back Troymaine Pope and wideout Uzoma Nwachukwu.

Falcons Sign Dwight Freeney

SATURDAY, 2:42pm: Freeney’s Falcons base salary will be worth $1MM, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (on Twitter). His base was $970K last season with the Cardinals.

TUESDAY, 9:00pm: Freeney will earn $2MM “up front” and can score another $2MM via sack incentives, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Admittedly, that report is a little unclear, as it’s highly unlikely that Freeney has secured $2MM guaranteed.

TUESDAY, 3:21pm: The Falcons have agreed to sign Dwight Freeney, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran defensive end chose the Falcons over the Bengals, Rapoport adds. "<strong

Freeney, 36, worked out for the Falcons earlier this summer but the team decided to put him on the back burner as they evaluated other players already in-house. After tallying eight sacks in an abbreviated 2015 season, Freeney makes a lot of sense for Quinn & Co. and the team recently made him an offer to jump into their defensive end group. The Falcons are slated to start Vic Beasley and Derrick Shelby at defensive end with support from Adrian ClaybornTyson Jackson, and now Freeney.

Recently, former NFL head coach and current analyst Mike Nolan pushed the Falcons to sign Freeney to amp up their quarterback pressure. Last season, the Falcons finished with a league-worst 19 sacks. Now, Freeney is coming to Atlanta with an eye on adding to his 119.5 career sack tally.

The Falcons were also considering a reunion with O’Brien Schofield, but they might not need him after adding Freeney. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down the top ten teams most likely to sign Freeney and put the Falcons at the top of the list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears’ Hroniss Grasu Suffers Knee Injury

Hroniss Grasu left Saturday’s Bears practice via cart after a non-contact injury to his right knee. John Fox told media, including Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the malady “looked serious.”

The second-year Chicago center will undergo testing, Fox confirmed, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).

Grasu missed half of his rookie season due to a neck injury but returned and started the final eight games for the Bears, who are counting on him at center this season.

This would continue to affect a Bears team that once looked to have amassed some depth up front, but the NFC North outfit has endured several setbacks to that once-deep stable of blockers. Chicago cut Matt Slauson and saw the guard who played center effectively when Grasu was shelved last fall sign with the Chargers. The Bears also lost free agent signings Manny Ramirez and Nate Chandler to retirement. Offseason additions Ted Larsen and Amini Silatolu remain with the team, though, with the former potentially being called to action if Grasu’s injury is indeed serious.

Grasu arrived in Chicago after the Bears selected him in the third round out of Oregon last year. The Bears brought Larsen in to play guard, but he’s lined up at center in the past in a six-year career with the Buccaneers and Cardinals.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Packers To Work Out Kellen Winslow

Kellen Winslow has not played in an NFL game since the 2013 season but has remained focused on a comeback, albeit doing so mostly under the radar. But the Packers are set to gauge how far along Winslow is on this return journey by hosting him on a workout on Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

This is the tight end’s first audition since he began talk of a comeback, Rapoport notes.

Although it is set for the same day as the Packers’ first preseason game, one set for Canton, Ohio — meaning the workout might not be for a top audience — Winslow receiving such an opportunity at 33 and nearly three full seasons removed from action is noteworthy.

He last contributed as a backup for the Jets in ’13 after a 2012 season with the Patriots that included just one game, but Winslow was one of the league’s better tight ends from 2006-11 with the Browns and Buccaneers. His well-documented injury issues notwithstanding, the former first-round pick in 2004 recorded five 700-plus-yard seasons in that span, including a Pro Bowl effort in Cleveland during the 2007 campaign. How much of this form is left, though, is obviously worth wondering, and Winslow would be competing for a depth spot with Green Bay.

The Packers have Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers as their top two tight ends, with Cook still out due to offseason foot surgery. Green Bay’s roster currently houses five tight ends.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reactions To NaVorro Bowman Extension

NaVorro Bowman is staying in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. The talented linebacker signed an extension earlier this week that will last through the 2022 season. The four-year extension is worth a reported $44MM (with $20MM guaranteed).

Bowman still had three years left on his contract, but the 28-year-old told Cam Inman of The Mercury News that he was intent on inking a long-term extension as soon as possible. Furthermore, the linebacker understood his standing in the organization, and he didn’t want his contract to trump that of former 49ers greats (including Patrick Willis).

“Out of respect for Pat, I took a little less and understood this was his team at the time,” Bowman said. “I’ve accomplished a lot since that time and made huge accolades.

“For me asking (now) for the deal, they understood why,” said Bowman, noting he never considered holding out of camp. “I knew it wasn’t a popular thing to do so with three years left. It’s basically about being fair. It shows how good of an organization they are to the players and fair for all the work I’ve put in.”
Let’s take a look at some more reactions to Bowman’s new contract…
  • The Bowman extension sent the right message to the linebacker’s teammates, writes Cam Inman. The players have learned that hard work can translate into a lucrative extension, and general manager Trent Baalke has already said that he plans on using the team’s remaining cap space to ink additional players to new contracts. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert, defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, wide receiver Quinton Patton and linebacker Michael Wilhoite are among the 49ers who are in the final year of their contracts, Inman notes
  • “I’ve had several guys walk up to me and say this is motivation for them,” Bowman told Inman. “It’s win-win situations for all us, to show guys it’s possible, but you have to put your work in and do your job.” 
  • “It just shows they truly believe in the guys they drafted to get the job done,” said defensive tackle Quinton Dial, who also received an extension. “It’s something we take a lot of pride in.”
  • “I want to thank Jed, the York family and Trent for giving me the opportunity to continue my career where my heart is,” Bowman said after inking the extension (via CSNBayArea.com). “I appreciate the hard work that Drew and Paraag put in to getting this deal done. My teammates and coaches have meant so much to me throughout my career and I thank them for helping me become the player I am today. The support I’ve received from my family and friends throughout my life, especially through the adversity of the past few years, has meant so much to me. I can’t wait for the season to start and play in front of the best fans in the NFL.”
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com was surprised at the timing of the Bowman extension, although he notes that it isn’t the first time the team has extended a player with multiple years left on a contract. Furthermore, Fitzgerald believes the organization was simply taking advantage of their abundance of cap room.

NFC Notes: Redskins, Cowboys, Cardinals

Kirk Cousins‘ top two targets will both be free agents following the 2016 season, and ESPN.com’s John Keim writes that the Redskins quarterback will vicariously play a role in the duo’s future contracts.

Veteran wideouts Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson are both set to hit free agency following the season, and Cousins is focused on earning the pair as much money as possible.

“I said to guys in college that I would take great pride in them having NFL careers,” Cousins said, “and it’s a point of emphasis that I would get them the ball, help them play well enough as a college player and it would give them an opportunity to be noticed and play in the NFL. The same would be true now. I want to see them have great success in this league and have long careers and certainly as a quarterback, you have a role in that.”

For what it’s worth, both Garcon and Jackson are simply focused on their on-field production, as both veterans understand that that’s all they can control at this point.

“We can just give great effort and however they want to use us is how they use us,” Garcon said. “Kirk has to throw touchdowns and get passing yards and we have to get receiving yards. We can’t control the outcome of the contract, but we can control what goes on with us between the lines.”

“I’m just really keeping it real right here, keeping it real simple,” Jackson added. “I don’t want to put no extra pressure on anybody, on myself, on the team, nobody. I’m just here to work and be rewarded for whatever it is. Whatever that turns out to be at the end of the year, so be it.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…

  • Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr took a significant pay cut for 2016, with his salary dropping from $9.1MM to $4.25MM. However, the veteran understands that on-field production will lead to a future payday. “Get the ball, get this money,” Carr told Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram. “Keep it simple. Get the ball, make some plays and you’ll see what happens when it’s all said and done.”
  • Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson has taken a personal leave to deal with “personal matters,” reports Hill. There’s no timeline for when the coach will return to the team. “I don’t know. I don’t want to speculate on that,” said vice president Stephen Jones. “Wade has got to take care of himself. I know no one wants to be out here more than him.”
  • Cardinals general manager Steve Keim had no issues extending 36-year-old Carson Palmer. In fact, the executive doesn’t want to imagine life without the talented quarterback. “That’s all I think about,” Keim said (via ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano). “That’s what keeps you up at night. I mean, if you think about it, what GM or coach doesn’t have their career attached to that position?…I was fortunate enough to get this job, and one of the first moves I made was to trade for Carson. And the rest is history. Three years, 10, 11 and 13 wins. And there’s no doubt he’s obviously the biggest impact.”
  • With Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, and Tyrann Mathieu recently earning extensions, Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell is hoping his new contract is next on the organization’s agenda. “I hope so,” Campbell told ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. “Just one of those things when it comes, I’m going to be very happy but you got to be patient and continue playing ball and whenever it comes I’m going to be ready for it.” 

Bills Sign Reggie Bush

SATURDAY, 9:45am: According to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (on Twitter), Bush’s one-year deal includes a $1MM base salary, a $375K signing bonus, and a $125K roster bonus. Overall, the veteran’s salary cap number will be worth $1.5MM.

MONDAY, 3:43pm: The Bills have officially signed running back Reggie Bush. The pact is a one-year deal laden with incentives, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal should be worth up to $3MM, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.Reggie Bush (vertical)

[RELATED: Q&A With Bills Beat Writer Vic Carucci]

The Bills are in need of depth behind starter LeSean McCoy after Karlos Williams was hit with a four-game suspension for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Fifth-round pick Jonathan Williams is also likely to be hit with a suspension after a DUI arrest. Bills coaches view Bush as an experienced vet with a similar running style to McCoy, which should allow him to hit the ground running in Buffalo.

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. Now, he has found his new NFL home.

Last year, Bush signed 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. After finishing the year with a grand total of 28 yards, Bush says he has recovered from his injury and is ready for action.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.