HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Colin Kaepernick Likely To Make 49ers’ Roster

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers will have some tough choices to make as they cut down to 53, but it sounds like they won’t be wrestling over what to do with Colin Kaepernick. The controversial quarterback is likely to survive tomorrow’s cut deadline, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Colin Kaepernick (vertical)

Kaepernick has been making headlines for unexpected reasons as of late and he lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert long ago, even if coach Chip Kelly won’t admit to it publicly. There were rumblings that Kaepernick had fallen behind both offseason pick Christian Ponder and sixth-round rookie Jeff Driskel in the eyes of coaches, but that is apparently not the case. Kaepernick has cemented himself as one of the better QBs on San Francisco’s roster and should remain there for the start of the season.

Kaepernick is due to make $11.9MM via fully guaranteed base salary this season, so dropping him wouldn’t save SF any money. The Niners entertained trade offers for Kaepernick this offseason, including a long flirtation with the Broncos, but they never found a suitable deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Shopping Three Defenders

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears have told other clubs that defensive lineman Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton, as well as linebacker Christian Jones, can be had via trade, sources tell Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. As Biggs notes, Chicago is unlikely to acquire anything meaningful for any of that trifecta, and all three are in danger of being cut.Christian Jones (Vertical)

The Bears are in the process of overhauling their defense, and GM Ryan Pace clearly isn’t interested in keeping players who were brought in by the team’s previous administration (all three of Ferguson, Sutton, and Jones were acquired in 2014). Of the three, Jones is the most experienced, as he played over 70% of Chicago’s defensive plays a year ago, starting 13 games and picking up 59 tackles. But given that the Bears have signed both Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman, there doesn’t seem to be a role for the 25-year-old Jones.

Sutton and Ferguson, meanwhile, played roughly 40% and 10%, respectively, of the Bears’ defensive plays during their sophomore campaigns.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eagles Shopping CB Eric Rowe

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:48am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles are attempting to trade cornerback Eric Rowe, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, who adds that Philadelphia has been trying to deal Rowe since training camp began. Rowe, 24 next month, was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft.Eric Rowe (Vertical)

During his rookie campaign, Rowe appeared in all 16 games (starting five), and played on about 40% of the Philadelphia’s defense snaps. In that time, Rowe posted one interception, five passes defensed, and 24 tackles. He doesn’t appear ticketed for a starting job under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, however, as Nolan Carroll, Leodis McKelvin, and Ron Brooks look to be the Eagles’ top three defensive backs.

De facto GM Howie Roseman hasn’t been afraid to deal away players acquired by former head coach Chip Kelly, as he’s already shipped out Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso, and DeMarco Murray.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Trim Roster To 53

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they’ve moved their roster to 53 players by cutting 21 players. That list of cuts includes notable names like fullback Jerome Felton, linebacker Manny Lawson, versatile cornerback Sterling Moore, and linebacker Randell Johnson."<strong

The Bills will save $2.35MM against the cap by releasing Lawson and $1.55MM by cutting Felton. By freeing up that cash, the Bills will have a little more room to work with as they negotiate a new deal with cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Felton was signed as a free agent last offseason to a four-year pact worth $9.2MM, with $4MM guaranteed. Considering how the fullback position has been phased out by many NFL teams, that was a steep price to pay for the former Viking. With Minnesota, Felton acted as the lead blocker for Adrian Peterson‘s 2012 MVP campaign, paving the way for Peterson to nearly break the all-time rushing record. Felton himself went to the Pro Bowl that season, and was named second-team All Pro. The team is saving money by dropping the 30-year-old, but his release is also a sign of their confidence in Glenn Gronkowski.

Over the last three seasons, Lawson has appeared in all but one regular season game for the Bills. In 2015, Lawson appeared in every contest and started 14 games, racking up 45 tackles, 1 sack, and 5 pass deflections. Lawson is facing a one-game ban as a result of a domestic violence incident and that was thought to be a big blow in the season opener considering that the team will also be without top rookies Reggie Ragland and Shaq Lawson plus reserve linebacker IK Enemkpali. For one reason or another, the Bills have decided that they are better off without him.

Moore, 26, came over from Tampa Bay during the offseason, and has also spent time with the Patriots, Cowboys, and Raiders. Johnson, meanwhile, has been with Buffalo for the past two seasons, starting one game during that time.

Here is the complete list of cuts:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buccaneers Down To 53 Man Roster

September 2nd, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have trimmed down to 53 with more than 24 hours to go before the deadline. According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, the following players have been dropped from the roster: "<strong

Among the cuts, Vitale’s is one of the most surprising. The Bucs are planning on carrying five tight ends, yet the sixth-round pick out of Northwestern apparently did not show enough to make the cut. The Bucs will have Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers, and UDFA Alan Cross on the roster to open up the season instead. Myers and Cross were both considered to be on the bubble somewhat, but they have impressed Dirk Koetter & Co. to the point where they are going to carry five tight ends and bounce a sixth-round pick in order to keep both of them. Myers was inactive for the Bucs’ final five games of 2015 as a healthy scratch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Texans Cut LB Eric Lee

September 2nd, 2016 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have cut outside linebacker Eric Lee, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets. Lee was pursued by a number of teams after going undrafted this year, but the numbers crunch left him on the outside in Houston. Eric Lee (vertical)

Lee finished his senior season at South Florida with 45 tackles (12 for loss), five sacks, an interception, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He had a sack and an interception in the Miami Beach Bowl, and he served as a team captain. He also was a second-team all-conference selection who won the Lee Roy Selmon award as the Bulls’ top defensive lineman.

Lee worked out privately for Texans linebackers coach Mike Vrabel prior to the draft and made a strong impression on him. The Patriots, Bears, Dolphins, and Buccaneers were among the teams interested in the linebacker prior to the draft, so it’s possible that they could be among the clubs with interest in him now that he is available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Sign Stephen Paea

September 2nd, 2016 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

Stephen Paea took to Twitter to announce that he is joining up with the Browns. The tweet includes a picture of Paea signing his contract, so the deal appears to be official. Stephen Paea (vertical)

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. God is good. #DAWGPOUND #Cleveland #Browns,” Paea tweeted.

Paea, 28, was cut by the Redskins this week in an effort to save cash and get down to the NFL’s mandated roster maximum. Paea started just one game for Washington in 2015 after getting 40 starts in his previous three years in Chicago. While his part-time role limited his overall numbers (19 tackles, 2.5 sacks), Paea was solid during his time on the field, ranking as Pro Football Focus‘ 45th interior defensive lineman, out of 128 qualified players.

Paea was slated to earn $3.3MM plus bonuses in 2016, a price that was too high for the Redskins. By cutting him, Washington saved a under $1MM against the cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions, Brandon Pettigrew Rework Contract

September 2nd, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions and Brandon Pettigrew have agreed to a reworked contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. The new deal gives Pettigrew additional security while he is on the PUP list while saving the Lions some cash once he returns to the field. Brandon Pettigrew (Vertical)

The tight end was previously set to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $3.65MM for 2016. Now, Pettigrew gets a $2.2MM salary split while he is on PUP with a torn ACL. However, $1.2MM of his contract is fully guaranteed. For each week Pettigrew is on PUP, he’ll earn ~$129K – or, 1/17th of $2.2MM. If and when he is brought on to the 53-man roster, he’ll earn almost $215K, which is 1/17th of $3.65MM.

Pettigrew, 31, is counted upon for his blocking ability. Although he had a decent number of targets early in his career, he has caught only 17 passes for 137 yards over the last two seasons.

When Pettigrew is healthy, he’ll serve as the Lions No. 2 tight end behind Eric Ebron. As shown on the team’s depth chart, they also have undrafted rookie Cole Wick in the mix along with Andrew Quarless, who will be suspended for the first two games of the season. The team will have to decide on fellow tight ends Orson Charles and Adam Fuehne this week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Redskins’ Kory Lichtensteiger Takes Pay Cut

September 2nd, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins didn’t get the center they wanted this offseason, but they did convince their incumbent starter to accept a pay cut. Kory Lichtensteiger has agreed to reduce his salary from a $3.25MM base to $2.25MM in 2016, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. However, he can earn that $1.25MM back through incentives. Kory Lichtensteiger (vertical)

Lichtensteiger, 31, missed eleven games last season thanks to a nerve issue in his right arm. He was placed on IR-DTR, but he was not able to take the field for the Redskins’ lone playoff game against the Packers. Prior to 2015, however, Lichtensteiger went three consecutive seasons without missing a start.

The Redskins tried to deal for Patriots center Bryan Stork earlier this offseason, agreeing to send a conditional seventh-round pick to New England for him. The hope was that Stork could push Lichtensteiger for the starting gig, but he wound up failing his physical, which nullified the trade.

Prior to the trade, Lichtensteiger was 13th in the NFL amongst centers in terms of average annual salary. Now, he drops to 18th behind the following players:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Vikings’ QB Situation

September 1st, 2016 at 8:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rick Spielman on Thursday night expressed confidence Shaun Hill can take the Vikings back to the playoffs. As a result, the team will not make a trade that includes a promising young talent or a high draft pick, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reports.

The fifth-year GM revealed the Vikings are “considering all their options” as they attempt to move forward without Teddy Bridgewater this season. But other teams are demanding a high return from the Vikings in exchange for quarterback help.

“People are asking for some crazy things,” Spielman said. “People think you’re desperate. I’m not doing anything that jeopardizes the franchise.”

Nevertheless, Spielman hopes to land a quarterback in the next two days. Teams must cut their rosters down to 53 by Saturday afternoon. There will be outside help available, although none that would qualify as a surefire starter over Hill since the pickup would be joining a new team on the heels of being waived or released less than a week before the season.

We heard last night the price for some teams whose backups have been the subject of trade rumors — Josh McCown, A.J. McCarron and Mike Glennon are among three who fit this category — is thought to be a Day 2 draft choice at the least, with the possibility of a first-round pick being sought.

Bridgewater, who suffered a torn ACL and dislocated knee in a gruesome injury on Tuesday, will decide on a surgeon within the next few days, per Goessling.

Once a UDFA who began his career with the 2005 Vikings behind Daunte Culpepper and Brad Johnson, the 36-year-old Hill has played for four teams. He’s started at least eight games in three different seasons but only sported an over-.500 record in one of those campaigns — with the 2008 49ers. With the Rams in 2014, he went 3-5 but completed more than 63% of his passes, throwing eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

The Vikings, though, look to sport better talent than the previous teams that gave Hill the starting reins. Hill, who threw a career-high 16 TD passes in 10 starts for the Lions in 2010, resided as Bridgewater’s backup in 2015 as well. He threw seven passes last season.

 

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