HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Extra Points: Gilchrist, Titans, Kaepernick

July 26th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist has been cleared for action and is lining up visits for next week, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Gilchrist tore his patellar tendon while with the Jets last season and wound up on the injured reserve in mid-December. The six-year veteran has combined for 91 appearances and 69 starts with the Chargers and Jets since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2011. Gilchrist started in all 61 of his appearances from 2013-16, when he combined for eight interceptions. He picked off two passes in 13 games last season en route a passable 53rd-place ranking among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties.

More from around the league:

  • Titans rookie wide receiver Corey Davis could be headed toward a holdout as the team gets ready to start training camp Friday, writes Jason Wolf of the Tennessean. Davis, the fifth overall pick, is one of three unsigned first-rounders, and it seems the ex-Western Michigan star is haggling with the Titans over offset language. The Titans have typically included offset language in rookie deals and “are reluctant to change precedent,” writes Wolf.
  • In a piece laying out the best fits for some of the top free agents remaining on the board, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com names Seattle as the most logical destination for quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The 29-year-old met with the Seahawks in May, but they never exchanged offers and the club went on to sign the unproven Austin Davis instead. He and Trevone Boykin are all the Seahawks have behind Russell Wilson, leading Seifert to argue that they should circle back to Kaepernick. The former 49er is also better than all of the Jets’ signal-callers (Josh McCown, Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty), contends Seifert. Regardless of whether that’s true, the rebuilding outfit looks unlikely to add Kaepernick or any other experienced free agent to its current mix of passers.
  • Both the Kaepernick-less Seahawks and Jets rank toward the bottom of the league when it comes to the quality of their backup QBs, opines Field Yates of ESPN.com (Insider required and recommended). No one’s in worse shape than the Colts, though, observes Yates. Their fallback to Andrew Luck is Scott Tolzien, who has been horrid across nine career appearances with the Packers and Colts. He got into three contests last year and could see time this season if Luck’s shoulder continues to be an issue.
  • Along with the previously reported Kitt O’Brien, the Dolphins worked out fellow guards Connor Bozick and Isame Faciane on Wednesday, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins are content with their current choices at guard, per Jackson, which explains why they didn’t sign any of those unproven players or look at more established free agents.

AFC Notes: Steelers, Bengals, Broncos

July 26th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contract extensions may be in the offing for Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin, writes Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Colbert’s contract will expire after next year’s draft, while Tomlin is still under wraps for two more seasons. That’s typically when the Steelers have worked to extend their head coaches in the past, observes Bouchette. They’ve had just three since 1969, the year of Chuck Noll‘s hiring. Bill Cowher also came before Tomlin, who has mimicked those two with a resoundingly successful run in Pittsburgh. The Tomlin-led club has made the playoffs seven times out of 10, including last year, and hasn’t finished with fewer than eight wins in a season. Overall, the Steelers have gone 103-57 with a Super Bowl victory and two AFC championships under Tomlin.

More from the AFC:

  • One of Tomlin’s AFC North rivals, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, seems less secure in his role. Lewis is in a contract year, but owner Mike Brown indicated Tuesday that he’ll go at his own pace on a potential extension for the coach, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Still, Brown is satisfied with Lewis, who trails only the Patriots’ Bill Belichick in tenure among head coaches. “That should tell you how I feel about him. He has my respect, my regard, my confidence,” said Brown. “We’ve been through this before. Sometimes it was an additional prod. Heck, we all know how it went last year. We wish it had gone better, so maybe we’ll see a better year this year and things will sort out then.” The Bengals stumbled to a 6-9-1 mark in 2016, snapping a five-year playoff streak and giving them a 118-103-3 record during Lewis’ 14-season stint. Amazingly, the team has lost all seven of its postseason games with Lewis at the helm.
  • Even though he has been cleared for everything, Broncos coach Vance Joseph says that the team will be approaching things cautiously with Jamaal Charles in an effort to keep him fresh for the season. That makes James Palmer of NFL.com (on Twitter) wonder if that means Charles has already made the team. For all of his career accomplishments, it has been said that Charles may only have a 50/50 shot of making the final cut.
  • The executive who signed Charles in free agency this year, John Elway, received a promotion when the Broncos awarded him a contract extension Monday, reports Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. The Hall of Fame quarterback is now Denver’s president of football operations/general manager. He had been their executive VP of football operations/GM since 2011.
  • The Ravens had expressed interest in running back Bobby Rainey even before Kenneth Dixon went down with a meniscus injury, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Baltimore had been in contact with Rainey throughout the summer, per Hensley, but news of Dixon’s impending operation presumably sped up contract talks and led to his signing Tuesday. Rainey, who had also drawn interest from the Jets earlier this year, joins a backfield that includes Terrance West, Danny Woodhead, Buck Allen, and Lorenzo Taliaferro.

Dallas Robinson and Zach Links contributed to this post.

Joe Flacco Dealing With Back Injury

July 26th, 2017 at 8:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is preparing to sit out three to six weeks with a disc issue in his back, report Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). A worst-case scenario could put Flacco’s status for the Ravens’ Sept. 10 season opener in jeopardy, but the team only expects him to miss a week, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Joe Flacco

If Flacco’s injury proves to be serious, the Ravens may choose to scour the free agent and trade markets for available quarterbacks. There are, of course, much-discussed unsigned QBs in Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III. Those two offer vastly different skill sets than Flacco and backup Ryan Mallett, but it may be worth noting in Kaepernick’s case that he played under Jim Harbaugh, the brother of Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, in San Francisco. Kaepernick is also familiar with senior offensive assistant Greg Roman, who was once the 49ers’ O-coordinator.

Other available options include Christian Ponder, Shaun Hill and Zach Mettenberger, and anyone the Ravens bring in would initially join Dustin Vaughan behind Mallett. The team re-signed Mallett to a one-year, $2MM deal in March. Mallett hasn’t been effective since debuting with the Patriots in 2012, though, which could give a newcomer a chance to unseat him and become Baltimore’s top backup.

Flacco, meanwhile, is the unquestioned No. 1 with the Ravens, but the 32-year-old has taken steps backward since their latest playoff campaign in 2014. The onetime Super Bowl champion struggled over 10 games in 2015 and then succumbed to a torn ACL that November. While Flacco returned last year to start all of Baltimore’s games, he posted pedestrian numbers for an 8-8 team.

Saints Don’t Expect Nick Fairley Return

July 26th, 2017 at 7:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The heart condition that will shelve Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley this year seems increasingly likely to end his career. Saints doctors don’t expect Fairley to return to the field, according to Joel Erickson of the Advocate, and head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that the defender’s condition will not improve over time. Further, Payton added that he’s not aware of any procedure capable of fixing it.

Nick Fairley (Vertical)

Payton stopped short of declaring that’s Fairley done for good, saying: “I would never sit at this table and use that word never. As we sit here today, though, we’ve prepared ourselves for him not playing this season. … The good side to that is, fortunately, this was discovered not the hard way.”

It’s possible the Saints will attempt to recoup some of the money they awarded Fairley in free agency, when they re-signed him to a four-year, $28MM contract that includes $9MM in guarantees and an $8MM bonus. Speaking Wednesday, general manager Mickey Loomis didn’t rule out trying to recover some of Fairley’s contract.

“I’d rather not answer that, because I don’t know yet,” Loomis said. “I don’t know how it’s going to resolve itself. Those are difficult questions there. … We’re a lot more concerned about Nick himself than we are about that, although that is a concern.”

It could hurt New Orleans’ cause that its concerns over Fairley’s heart cropped up before the team handed him a new deal, and all 32 NFL clubs have been aware of his condition dating back to 2011. That was Fairley’s draft year, when the Lions chose him 13th overall. Fairley has been effective with the Lions, Rams and Saints over his six pro seasons, but it appears we’ve seen the last of the 29-year-old on the gridiron.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Vikes, Cowboys, Cards

July 26th, 2017 at 7:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although he hasn’t gotten a new contract yet, Falcons running back Devonta Freeman reported to training camp Wednesday, per Zach Klein of WSB in Atlanta (on Twitter). Freeman insisted during the offseason that he wouldn’t hold out, so it’s not surprising that he joined his teammates at the outset of camp. While Freeman’s agent left town after a meeting with Falcons brass on Wednesday, talks are ongoing, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, who suggests that a deal could come together by Thursday.

More from the NFC:

  • “There really hasn’t been anything that’s changed” regarding Sam Bradford‘s contract status, the Vikings quarterback told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, on Wednesday. Bradford is one of two high-profile Vikings signal-callers who could become a free agent next year. The other is Teddy Bridgewater, who suffered a knee injury last August that led to the Vikings acquiring Bradford from the Eagles. Bridgewater still isn’t ready to return to the gridiron, as the team went the expected route and announced Wednesday that he’ll start training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list. His contract could toll if he lands on the reserve/PUP list by by Week 1, which would give the Vikings an extra year of control over the 2014 first-round pick.
  • Searching for a Lucky Whitehead replacement, the Cowboys worked out wide receivers Corey Washington and Marvin Bracy on Wednesday, but they won’t sign either, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The only one with NFL experience is Washington, who appeared in eight games with the Giants in 2014 and caught five passes. Bracy hasn’t played competitively since his redshirt year at Florida State in 2012. The speedster left football to focus on track, which worked out well. He was a 100-meter Olympian at the Rio Games in 2012 and is a former United States 60-meter dash champion.
  • Running back Chris Johnson‘s one-year deal with the Cardinals is worth $1.35MM (a bit more than was previously reported) and can max out at $2.5MM with incentives, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.

Chargers Acquire Cardale Jones

July 26th, 2017 at 6:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills announced that they have traded quarterback Cardale Jones to the Chargers for a conditional draft pick. It’s a seventh-rounder in either 2018 or ’19, reports Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).

Cardale Jones (Vertical)

The Chargers had been in the market to acquire another quarterback to compete for a spot behind starter Philip Rivers, having worked out veteran Robert Griffin III on Tuesday. While the Bolts’ meeting with RG3 went well, they’ve elected to go with Jones, who’s only a year removed from joining the Bills as a fourth-round pick. As a rookie, the former Ohio State star worked with Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who was the Bills’ offensive coordinator last year. On the heels of Rex Ryan‘s firing, Lynn served as the Bills’ interim head coach in Week 17 – a 30-10 loss to the Jets in which Jones saw his first pro action. The 24-year-old completed 6 of 11 passes for 96 yards and an interception.

The offseason regime change in Buffalo clearly helped lead to Jones’ demise with the club. The general manager who selected Jones, Doug Whaley, lost his job after the draft this year. Before that, the Bills, led by new head coach Sean McDermott, used a fifth-round pick on ex-Pitt standout Nathan Peterman. With Tyrod Taylor entrenched as the starter and veteran T.J. Yates also in the fold, there was no longer room for Jones in Buffalo. He’ll now push for a place behind Rivers, whose primary backup is Kellen Clemens. The Chargers also have developmental QBs Mike Bercovici and Eli Jenkins on hand.

Akiem Hicks Seeking $10MM Per Year

July 26th, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Having just hired Rosenhaus Sports to represent him, Bears contract-year defensive end Akiem Hicks is seeking $10MM per year on a new deal, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).

Akiem Hicks (vertical)

Formerly with the Patriots and Saints, Hicks joined the Bears in March 2016 on a two-year pact totaling $10MM. That contract has been a steal thus far for the Bears, with whom Hicks played like one of the NFL’s premier defensive linemen last season. Hicks tied a career high with 16 starts, led Bears defensive linemen in snaps (930) and piled up 54 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. Additionally, the 27-year-old ranked 15th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior D-linemen in overall performance.

Given both Hicks’ showing last season and the deals given out to similarly productive players in recent years, it’s no surprise that he’s looking to double his annual income. As PFR suggested earlier this month, the contracts Giants nose tackle Damon Harrison (five years, $46.25MM, including $24MM guaranteed) and Packers DT Mike Daniels (four years, $42MM, including $12MM guaranteed) signed over the past couple years are among those that look like reasonable benchmarks for Hicks.

Without a new deal by next year, the Bears could theoretically place the franchise tag on Hicks, but the $17MM cost would be far higher than his current asking price. With that in mind, it would seemingly behoove general manager Ryan Pace to get to work on extending one of his key defensive contributors. Hicks, for his part, isn’t looking to leave Chicago.

“I just enjoy my time here and I’m completely open to ending my career here,” he told Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com and other reporters Wednesday.

It may help Hicks’ cause that Pace has long had an affinity for the defender, having been part of two front offices that have acquired him. When Hicks entered the NFL as a third-round pick of the Saints in 2012, Pace was their director of professional scouting.

Latest On RG3, Chargers

July 26th, 2017 at 5:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Robert Griffin III has generated scant interest since the Browns released him in March, but the quarterback may have a shot to latch on with the Chargers. Griffin’s Tuesday audition for the Bolts was a “positive” one, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, while Josina Anderson of ESPN reports that the two sides are likely to engage in followup conversations Wednesday (Twitter link).

Robert Griffin III (Vertical)

“He looked good,” a team source told Anderson. “The young man can move, he’s athletic, he can throw the ball. Some guys are proven and you know them; with Robert you just want to make sure he is healthy and moving around well.”

That praise seems to bode well for Griffin, though the Chargers are undecided on whether to sign the 27-year-old to push for a spot behind starter Philip Rivers.

“We are trying to put together the best roster before we go into camp,” noted the source. “We’re always looking to upgrade, and everyone is on board with that in this organization.”

When you compare their career resumes, RG3 would be an upgrade over the Chargers’ current No. 2 signal-caller, Kellen Clemens. However, the majority of Griffin’s NFL success came as a rookie with the Redskins in 2012, when he was among the best, most electrifying players in the game. Injuries and ineffectiveness beset Griffin over the past four years, which explains why he remains without a job as August nears. For now, it seems the Chargers are his best hope of landing somewhere in the near future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/17

July 26th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor moves:

  • The Saints have waived running back Marcus Murphy and moved offensive lineman Chris Watt to the reserved/retired list, tweets Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Murphy, whom the Saints chose in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, served almost exclusively as a return man over his first two years, but he became superfluous to the team thanks to its offseason additions of Ted Ginn Jr. and Alvin Kamara. Watt signed with the Saints just over a month ago and looked like a candidate to function as interior O-line depth. That won’t be the case, though. The 26-year-old entered the NFL as a third-rounder of the Chargers in 2014 and started in eight of 17 appearances with them through last season.
  • The Jets have cut wide receiver Devin Street, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). New York will use Street’s old roster spot on Lucky Whitehead, whom it claimed off waivers from Dallas on Wednesday. A three-year veteran, Street was teammates with Whitehead when the two were on the Cowboys in 2015. Street was a member of the Colts last season, when he totaled five appearances and one catch. Indianapolis cut Street after the season, and both the Patriots and Jets have since waived him after short stints.
  • Safety Ricardo Allen has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Falcons, who have waived undrafted offensive lineman Cam Keizer. Allen, a fifth-rounder in 2014, has emerged as an integral cog in Atlanta, having started in 30 of 31 appearances and picking off five passes since debuting in 2015. He racked up 90 tackles and two picks across 16 starts and a team-high 1,101 defensive snaps last year.
  • The Vikings have signed cornerback Sam Brown and waived offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis. Brown spent some time last year with the Ravens, who signed him as an undrafted free agent from Missouri Western State, but didn’t see any action. Uzdavinis just signed with the Vikings on Monday. They quickly became the fifth former team for the 2016 undrafted free agent from Tulane, who previously spent time with the Texans, Bears, Jaguars and Lions.
  • The Patriots have added defensive end Caleb Kidder, an undrafted rookie from Montana. Kidder previously had a brief stint with Minnesota, which cut him last week.

Titans Extend Dennis Kelly

July 26th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Titans have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with offensive lineman Dennis Kelly, reports Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. It’s a three-year deal that runs through 2019, tweets Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com.

Dennis Kelly

The 27-year-old Kelly is entering his second season with the Titans, who acquired him in a trade with the Eagles for wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham in August 2016. Kelly went on to log career highs in appearances (16) and starts (six) last season, when he lined up as an extra tight end and only played 145 snaps on offense. Despite his limited playing time, Kelly showed enough to the Titans for them to lock up the 304-pounder and keep him in the fold behind stalwart tackles Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin.

A fifth-round pick in 2012, Kelly spent the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, where he started in 15 of 30 appearances.

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