HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Jets Notes: Jets, Kelly, Douglas, Gase

May 29th, 2019 at 10:41am CST by Zachary Links

Champ Kelly‘s interview for the Jets‘ GM vacancy will take place next week, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Kelly is one of five candidates presently scheduled to interview for the job following Wednesday’s addition of Saints exec Terry Fontenot.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

  • Multiple GMs believe the Jets already decided on hiring Eagles exec Joe Douglas when they fired Mike Maccagnan after the draft, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears. Meanwhile, there’s skepticism about whether Vikings assistant GM George Paton will give serious consideration to the job after turning the Jets down twice before. “Why would George even take the interview?” said a high-ranking NFL official. “I wouldn’t take it. He doesn’t need to do that now.”
  • Interesting note from Mike Florio of PFT: The Jets do not have to cede control of the 53-man roster in order to hire an executive who is under contract with another team. Rules dictate that the Jets offer “the primary authority over all personnel decisions related to the signing of free agents, the selection of players in the College Draft, trades, and related decisions; and…the primary responsibility for coordinating other football activities with the head coach.” However, the rules explicitly state: “Final authority regarding the composition of the 53-player roster is not a requirement.” Head coach Adam Gase currently has 53-man roster control and it has been said that the Jets are unwilling to tweak that arrangement.

Steelers Rework Chris Boswell’s Contract

May 29th, 2019 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers pushed kicker Chris Boswell to delay his $2MM bonus until after the club’s final preseason game, Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette (on Twitter) hears. Originally, Boswell was slated to collect on that bonus in mid-March. 

Had Boswell not accepted the payout change, Dulac hears that he would have been released. By pushing up the bonus date, the Steelers will give themselves additional time before deciding whether to give the veteran a shot at redemption.

Last year, Boswell converted just 65% of his field goal attempts last season, a percentage that ranked him 30th among kickers. That’s a far cry from his previous work, including his 2017 Pro Bowl campaign in which he sank 92.1% of his kicks, nailed all four of his tries from t50 yards and further, and earned his first ever trip to the Pro Bowl.

The Steelers also have Central Florida rookie Matthew Wright on the roster and could conceivably look at other kicking options between now and September.

Jets Request Interview With Terry Fontenot

May 29th, 2019 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets added a fifth name to their GM search. The Jets put a request in for Saints Director of Pro Scouting Terry Fontenot, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Jets GM Search Tracker]

Fontenot was not previously connected to the job and doesn’t have the name value of the Jets’ other four candidates. However, as Rapoport notes, he has a strong reputation in the football world and has been credited with improving the Saints’ roster, along with Sean Payton and Jeff Ireland.

Fontenot, 38, has spent 16 years with the Saints and six years as the club’s director of pro scouting. He joins Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Bears assistant director of player personnel Champ Kelly, and Vikings assistant GM George Paton as known candidates for the job.

 

Latest On Gerald McCoy, Ravens

May 28th, 2019 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Browns hoped they could have Gerald McCoy signed before he left Cleveland, they now have serious AFC North competition. The Ravens are trying to execute the same strategy.

McCoy’s Tuesday visit will continue to Wednesday morning, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The Ravens hope to have a deal with the decorated defensive lineman by Wednesday, per ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The Browns, though, have remained in contact with McCoy since he left their facility, Hensley adds.

The six-time Pro Bowler (but zero-game playoff participant) wants to land with a contending team. The Browns have enjoyed a busy offseason loading up for what could be their most talented team since rebooting in 1999, but the Ravens are the defending AFC North champions. This has become an interesting pursuit. No other McCoy visits are known to be scheduled, though numerous teams have inquired.

Baltimore obviously lost plenty of talent from its No. 1-ranked defense this offseason, but most of the shakeups occurred in Baltimore’s secondary or linebacking corps. Brent Urban, however, signed with the Titans after starting 16 Ravens games last season. McCoy would join Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce, who recently signed his second-round RFA tender, on Baltimore’s front. Third-year players Chris Wormley and Willie Henry reside on the Ravens’ line as well. Baltimore also signed UDFA Gerald Willis, who was viewed as a mid-round draft prospect.

The Ravens hold $13.7MM in cap space but have not signed their top three draft choices. A multiyear deal should not be ruled out, with that likely serving the Ravens’ interests better, as The Athletic’s Jeff Zreibec writes (subscription required). Baltimore is expected to hold more than $55MM in 2020 cap space. Another potential draw for McCoy: the employment of defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who was the Buccaneers’ D-line coach from 2014-15.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/28/19

May 28th, 2019 at 9:24pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Chris Harris Eyeing Top Cornerback Contract In 2020

May 28th, 2019 at 8:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Chris Harris is back with the Broncos and set to reprise his role as their top secondary cog, he remains in a contract year. Tuesday night’s pay raise only covers 2019, and the 29-year-old cornerback has big plans for 2020.

“I’m ready to roll,” Harris told 9News’ Mike Klis. “I’m ready to get back with the team and start working on the camaraderie with my teammates. I’m the fourth cornerback this year (in terms of slated cash earnings) and after this season I’ll hit free agency and be No. 1.”

Workout bonuses totaling $1.25MM and a base salary bump from $7.8MM to $9.8MM will cover Harris’ $12.05MM payment, which in terms of cash trails only Xavien Howard, A.J. Bouye and Darius Slay, but ahead of Kareem Jackson, which Klis notes (on Twitter) was no accident. The Broncos gave Jackson a three-year, $33MM deal in March. That $11MM AAV was considerably more than Harris, who has four Pro Bowls to Jackson’s zero, was set to make this season.

“I just wanted to be the highest-paid cornerback on the team,” said Harris, who held this distinction last year but not during Aqib Talib‘s Denver tenure. “It had nothing to do with Kareem. I just thought I deserved to be the No. 1 cornerback on the team. Nothing against Kareem.”

Both Harris and the Broncos’ initial focus during these talks was a long-term extension, but Klis reports the sides were so far off the conversations shifted to a 2019 pay increase. Harris’ agent came in with a $15MM-AAV and $40MM guaranteed proposal, and Klis notes the sides realized quickly they were far apart on terms. Rather than a drawn-out extension discussion, the Broncos and Harris agreed to this pay raise. The team first offered Harris a $3MM incentive package, similar to what he received last year. Given that Harris only collected $500K of that 2018 incentive money, he did not want to go down that road again.

Contrary to how the Broncos usually approach negotiations, Klis notes John Elway communicated directly with Harris’ agent for these talks but stood firm at $12MM. Team Harris lowered their price to $12.1MM Monday. This turned into $12.05MM by Tuesday. These talks had been ongoing for three months, with Denver7’s Troy Renck noting they began at the Combine. Jackson’s deal, obviously, changed the nature of the discussions. Both Jackson and Bryce Callahan are signed through 2021, though Jackson has opened OTAs as a base-set safety.

“Oh yeah, I could (have) pushed it more,” Harris said, via Renck (on Twitter). “I am just glad I can get on the field and be a free agent next year.”

2019 General Manager Search Tracker

May 28th, 2019 at 8:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets and Texans commenced mid-offseason GM firings, with Mike Maccagnan and Brian Gaine respectively displaced from their posts. We’ll keep track of all developments related to these vacancies in this post.

Listed below are the GM candidates that have been linked to the Jets and Texans, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make general manager changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here’s the current breakdown:

Updated 6-16-19 (10:22 pm CT)

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Broncos, Chris Harris Rework Contract

May 28th, 2019 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos and Chris Harris have ended their weeks-long impasse. The parties agreed to a reworked 2019 contract, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter).

Harris’ 2019 pay will spike from $8.9MM to $12.05MM, per Klis. A clincher to this deal being done before the Broncos reconvene for their latest OTA session Wednesday: Harris will receive a $650K reporting bonus for showing up to this round of OTAs, Klis adds (on Twitter). Harris will also receive $600K to report to training camp.

This deal, as has been rumored for several days, will only cover the All-Pro cornerback’s 2019 pay. No new years were added. As it stands, Harris remains on track for free agency in 2020. But for 2019, this will bring Denver’s top secondary cog back into the fold. This comes after a trade-or-extension demand pre-draft and trade talks during the draft. But the Broncos held onto the last of their Super Bowl-era secondary cogs and will redeploy him in 2019.

Though rumored for days to be heading in this direction, the precise conclusion of this move remains unusual. The Broncos will give a long-underpaid player a raise — rather than the incentive package they gave Harris last year — but did not obtain any additional years of team control in exchange. This pay raise will make Harris the 10th-highest-paid corner in 2019.

“We have a lot of respect for Chris as a player and for everything he’s meant to our organization,” GM John Elway said in a statement. “This contract adjustment recognizes his value to our team and the high expectations we have for Chris as a Bronco this season and hopefully for years to come.”

Harris agreed to a five-year, $42.5MM deal late in 2014 — just before he was due to hit free agency — and that deal quickly became incredibly team-friendly. The versatile corner became a perennial Pro Bowler and was a key part of Denver’s Super Bowl championship defense. The Broncos agreed to give Kareem Jackson, who is a year older than Harris and has four fewer Pro Bowl nods (4-0), $11MM per year. Harris opted to stay away from the team in hopes of a new contract. While the 29-year-old corner initially demanded a new deal worth at least $15MM annually, this compromise brought him back.

The Broncos viewed Harris as essential to their hopes of returning to the playoffs. Despite Elway’s comment, it remains unclear if this will be Harris’ final year in Denver. The team will use more zone concepts under Vic Fangio after being mostly a man-based team during Harris’ tenure.

A 2011 UDFA, Harris has been one of this decade’s best corners and stands as arguably the top slot corner in NFL history, with this position having become commonplace in the modern game and the Kansas alum having excelled in this role throughout his career. He will team with Jackson and Bryce Callahan at corner this season, with it looking like Jackson will play safety in base sets and slide to corner in sub-packages.

Mike Mayock On Richie Incognito Signing

May 28th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

On his first day as a Raider, Richie Incognito worked with the team’s first-string offensive line. The Raiders have a need at left guard, after trading Kelechi Osemele for a minimal return. The Raiders have picked a controversial player to potentially replace him, but they are not certain a suspension is in the works.

“There’s a chance there could be league discipline,” Mike Mayock said, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Scott Bair. “We don’t know what it will be, but it’s a one-year minimum prove-it deal, and we feel that he’s incentivized properly to stay straight. We can’t control what the NFL will do.”

As far as the contradiction between the Raiders’ prioritizing high-character players in Mayock’s first draft with the team and subsequently signing Incognito, the first-year GM said the Raiders have spoken with many about signing the embattled 35-year-old blocker. Ten Raiders staffers also observed the workout that landed Incognito this latest opportunity.

“It’s a fair question. Both Jon (Gruden) and I have talked a lot about foundation. We have reinforced that with our draft. At the end of the day, you can’t have all Boy Scouts,” Mayock said. “You have to do your homework in each individual case. We’ve done our homework. We’ve talked to an awful lot of people. We talked to Richie and told him what we expect on and off the field and we’ll expect him to adhere to that. … The infrastructure will be here for him to use.”

Days after his release from the Bills last year, Florida cops placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he hurled weights at a gym and told officers that the government is spying on him. Incognito claimed that he drew interest even after that event, but as far as we know, the Raiders were the only team to show any interest in him this year. Incognito pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct stemming from his August 2018 arrest for an incident at an Arizona funeral home. The turbulent 2018 points to a likely 2019 suspension.

Prior to the bullying scandal that led to his exit from Miami and a season (2014) out of football, Incognito had a divisive reputation with the Rams. They released him midway through the 2009 season. He became an high-level guard with the Bills, making the Pro Bowl in each of his three Buffalo seasons before missing another full season in 2018.

He will nevertheless receive another chance. The Raiders had a glaring need at left guard, with Denzelle Good previously penciled in as the starter there.

“We have done a one-year, prove-it deal with him and that means both on and off the field,” Mayock said. “There are some expectations he has to meet in both areas. He turns 36 in July. We think he’s going to be a good football player and allow himself to compete for the left guard job.”

49ers Release Anthony Davis

May 28th, 2019 at 3:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have released offensive tackle Anthony Davis, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the 29-year-old is now a free agent and eligible to speak to other teams. The NFL reinstated Davis from the reserve-retired list Tuesday.

Davis announced his retirement after the 2014 season and returned for one game in 2016 before retiring once again, citing concerns about concussions. But, earlier this month, Davis filed paperwork for reinstatement.

This does throw an interesting lineman into the free agent mix, based strictly on his work when he was a full-time starter. But that was five years ago.

The No. 11 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Davis played 16 games as San Francisco’s starting right tackle for four straight seasons. He started in each of the 49ers’ three NFC championship games earlier this decade and Super Bowl XLVII. But since the end of the 2013 season, Davis has played just eight games.

Coming into the NFL as a 20-year-old rookie nine years ago, Davis will not turn 30 until midway through this coming season. But it will obviously be difficult for a team that considers him to be convinced he will stick with football. That said, any Davis deal would likely qualify as a flier and be a low-risk addition, financially speaking. The Saints signed Derek Newton last year, after the former Texans right tackle starter missed more than two years due to severe knee injuries. Without those kind of injury concerns, it would not be too difficult to see a team inquiring about Davis.

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