HEADLINES

Andrew Quarless

North Rumors: Packers, Pitta, Browns

July 21st, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Packers president Mark Murphy wasn’t thrilled to see his a handful of his players at the center of off-field incidents this offseason, with Datone Jones having been suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, while Letroy Guion and Andrew Quarless were each arrested and could be suspended as well. However, the team still doesn’t have any plans to release any of those players to send a message, as Murphy tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“While we’re disappointed in all the situations, we have to let the process play out and see exactly what happens in each situation,” Murphy said.

As we wait to see how Quarless’ legal situation plays out, and whether or not Guion receives discipline from the NFL, here are a few more items from around the league’s two North divisions:

  • Although Dennis Pitta has made “significant progress” in his recovery from a fractured and dislocated right hip, his NFL future is still up in the air. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens tight end will likely begin the 2015 regular season on the physically unable to perform list, which would sideline him for at least the first six weeks. Pitta, who will earn a guaranteed $4MM base salary this year whether or not he plays, has yet to be medically cleared to practice.
  • In his latest piece for ESPNCleveland.com, Tony Grossi highlights the departure of former Browns director of player engagement Jamil Northcutt, suggesting that the so-called mutual parting reflects a “seeping rift” between head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer. Sources have told Grossi that Northcutt was a recipient of Farmer’s illegal in-game texts that earned the GM a four-game suspension, though another source says that’s not accurate.
  • The Vikings don’t have interest in free agent guard Evan Mathis, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, who tweets that the team wants to see what it has in its young players. Minnesota could consider revisiting Mathis later if the club’s guard play is an issue.
  • U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie Mayeron has ordered the NFL and the Players Association into settlement negotiations in their battle over Vikings running back Adrian Peterson‘s suspension, writes Dave Campbell of The Associated Press. The legal fight stems from the NFLPA claiming that the league “deliberately ignored” Judge David Doty’s ruling when Doty sided with the union in rejecting arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision to uphold Peterson’s suspension.

Packers Don’t Plan To Release Quarless

July 6th, 2015 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers don’t plan to release tight end Andrew Quarless despite his weekend arrest, sources tell Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Quarless is in the second year of a two-year, $3MM contract and is expected to compete for the starting job with second-year tight end Richard Rodgers.

Quarless reportedly fired a pair of rounds following an argument with two women at a South Beach parking garage. When police pursued the vehicle he was riding in, the 26-year-old tried to hide outside a restaurant and conceal his weapon in a potted plant. The gun, a source tells Demovsky, was legally registered to Quarless.

The league’s new Personal Conduct Policy could result in paid leave (“pending the resolution of these charges and the imposition of league discipline”) and a subsequent unpaid suspension for Quarless, but the Packers apparently won’t bail on him. The Penn State alum was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. In four seasons (he missed the 2012 season with a knee injury), Quarless has compiled 85 receptions for 909 yards few six touchdowns. In 2014, he set career highs in yards (323), touchdowns (three), and first downs (20).

The Packers haven’t had the easiest offseason, with Datone Jones getting a one-game suspension and Letroy Guion potentially facing discipline for an arrest earlier this year.

Potential Replacements For Andrew Quarless

July 5th, 2015 at 2:04pm CST by Rob DiRe

With starting tight end Andrew Quarless dealing with the aftermath of being arrested early on July 4th, the Packers could be missing a key member of their offense in 2015, either due to suspension or release.

Quarless was arrested after firing a weapon in public while in Miami yesterday morning. The team released a statement on their official website, noting they will not make any decisions until they have more information.

“We are aware of the matter involving Andrew Quarless and are in the process of gathering more information. We will withhold further comment.”

More information seems more likely to hurt Quarless than help him, and many fans and pundits expect his release. He is in the second year of a two-year deal that he signed last offseason, and is due a base salary of $1.3MM plus roster and workout bonuses.

Although he was a starter, he caught only 29 passes for 323 yards last season, and has career totals of only 85 catches and 909 yards in his four years with the team. Still, whether Aaron Rodgers needs big production from tight end or not, losing a starter is rarely a good thing, and he will need to be replaced.

If they choose to look to free agency, Jermaine Gresham remains available as one of the best overall players on the market. He should be easy to sign on a short-term deal, and has experience both as a pass catcher and blocker as a former first-round pick in Cincinnati.

The 6’6″ Gresham has had consistent production since coming out of Oklahoma has a big-time playmaker at the position. His numbers came in between 45 and 65 catches each of his professional seasons, catching between four and six touchdowns each year. While those numbers were underwhelming considering his hype coming out of college, he was a reliable option for Andy Dalton, and could thrive in the Green Bay offense.

Zach Miller, formerly of the Seahawks, could also be a relatively cheap option, but after Gresham the market is weak for tight ends. Miller is entering his age-30 season, and hasn’t produced much of anything since leaving Oakland for Seattle in 2011. He missed most of the 2014 season with an ankle injury, but is not the player he once was even if he gets healthy.

Besides Gresham and maybe Miller, the list of available players at the position (courtesy of Spotrac.com) is full of uninspiring choices who either have no history of producing on the field or a long gap since the last time they were effective players.

Signing or trading for an impact player at the position is out of character for the Packers and general manager Ted Thompson anyway. The most likely scenario is an upgrade in role for second-year tight end Richard Rodgers, who caught 20 passes for the team in 2014. They also drafted Kennard Backman in the sixth round, who could see some action in a backup role.

Either way, smart money says it will not be Quarless catching passes in Green Bay this coming season.

Andrew Quarless Arrested

July 4th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Ben Levine

4:42pm: An affidavit stated just before Quarless fired the shots, he and another man left their vehicle and approached the women, and witnesses heard the women yell for Quarless and his friend to leave them alone, per the Associated Press.

A tweet from Pro Football Talk questions if the Packers will cut the sixth-year tight end soon before they have to pay him not to show up by putting him on the Commissioner-Exempt list.

11:33am: Packers tight end Andrew Quarless was arrested earlier this morning in Miami for discharging a firearm in public, according to Tim Elfrink of Miami New Times.

According to the report, the 26-year-old fired a pair of rounds following an argument with two women at a South Beach parking garage. When police pursued the vehicle he was riding in, Quarless tried to hide outside a restaurant and conceal his weapon in a potted plant.

As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the league’s new Personal Conduct Policy could result in paid leave (“pending the resolution of these charges and the imposition of league discipline”) and a subsequent unpaid suspension for Quarless.

The Penn State alum was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. In four seasons (he missed the 2012 season with a knee injury), Quarless has compiled 85 receptions for 909 yards few six touchdowns. In 2014, he set career highs in yards (323), touchdowns (three), and first downs (20).

The Packers haven’t had the easiest offseason, with Datone Jones getting a one-game suspension and Letroy Guion potentially facing discipline for an arrest earlier this year.

NFC Contract Details: Quarless, Collins, Saffold

March 13th, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up a handful of AFC contract details earlier this afternoon. Now, let’s turn our attention to the NFC:

  • Andrew Quarless‘ two-year contract with the Packers is worth $3MM in total, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The base salaries are $800K and $1.3MM, while the remaining money is made up of a $350K signing bonus, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $75K in annual workout bonuses.
  • Pelissero tweets that only $9MM of Anthony Collins‘ five-year deal with the Bucs is fully guaranteed at signing, which is $6MM less than what was reported earlier. I’m guessing that $6MM is guaranteed for injury only.
  • Although Rodger Saffold‘s new five-year contract with the Rams is worth $31.7MM, it can max out at $35MM+, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Willie Young‘s three-year contract with the Bears includes a $1MM roster bonus and $150K in workout bonuses, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Meanwhile, the Bears‘ signing of Ryan Mundy has the club on the hook for a two-year, $3MM contract, with $650K guaranteed, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (all Twitter links). That $650K guarantee comes in the form of a roster bonus, while the pact includes base salaries of $800K (2014) and $1.45MM (2015), plus workout bonuses of $50K annually.
  • Eric Wright‘s one-year contract with the 49ers sounds like a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). For a player with Wright’s experience, that’s an $855K base salary to go along with a $20K reporting bonus and another $25K if he makes the team.
  • Joe Berger‘s one-year deal with the Vikings is worth $920K, with a $65K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). That makes it a minimum salary benefit contract too.
  • Anthony McCoy will have a base salary of $950K on his one-year contract with the Seahawks, tweets KJR’s Curtis Crabtree.

Packers Re-Sign Andrew Quarless

March 13th, 2014 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have re-signed free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, the team announced today in a press release. The terms of Quarless’ new contract weren’t disclosed, but it’ll be a two-year deal, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Post-Gazette (via Twitter).

Quarless, who reportedly drew interest from seven teams in free agency, including the Giants, set career-highs with 32 receptions, 312 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns in the 2013 season. The 25-year-old’s increased role in the Packers offense came as a result of injuries to Jermichael Finley, and with Finley a free agent himself, Quarless could continue to see increased playing time in 2014.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Finley left Seattle today after visiting the Seahawks, and while there’s mutual interest in a deal, Finley is still waiting on medical clearance.

FA Rumors: Ward, Asamoah, Mundy, Quarless

March 10th, 2014 at 8:05am CST by Luke Adams

The 2014 free agent period will officially get underway tomorrow, meaning Monday represents the last full day for teams to re-sign their own prospective free agents before those players are eligible to hit the open market tomorrow afternoon. With free agency looming, Andrew Cohen breaks down the salary cap situations for all 32 teams in a piece for Rotoworld and rumors on free-agents-to-be continue to swirl. Let’s round up a few of the latest overnight and morning updates:

  • Safety T.J. Ward is among the players on the Jets‘ “persons of interest” list, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Ward would be a good fit for New York’s secondary, though the team typically doesn’t invest heavily in safeties.
  • An NFL source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that it would be a “small upset” if prospective free agent Jon Asamoah doesn’t sign with the Falcons to play right guard. However, the Jets are another possibility for Asamoah, Caplan adds in a second tweet.
  • Giants free agent safety Ryan Mundy is intrigued by the opportunity to compete for a starting job with the Bears, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Giants have inquired on free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, but they’re just one of seven teams in the mix, with the Packers trying to re-sign him, reports Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).
  • Longtime Texans defensive end Antonio Smith has drawn interest from four teams and has a pair of visits lined up, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Smith figures to sign this week.

Extra Points: Jackson, Carlson, Quarless

March 6th, 2014 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The agent for D’Qwell Jackson says that his client asked for his release from the Browns and adds that his client is happy to be with the Colts, tweets Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald. Cleveland would have owed Jackson a $4MM roster bonus on March 16th but they cut him loose well in advance. This could be a case of Jackson’s agent trying to put a positive spin on things – it’s more likely that the Browns asked him to take a pay cut that was too steep for his liking.

  • The Jets and Packers are among the clubs with interest in tight end John Carlson, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. We learned earlier that Carlson, who was cut loose by the Vikings, is meeting with the Cardinals today.
  • The Packers are talking to tight end Andrew Quarless about a new deal before he hits the open market on Thursday, writes Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel. Of course, there’s also uncertainty surrounding the future of fellow tight end Jermichael Finley this offseason, but bringing back Quarless, who hauled in 32 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns, could give them more certainty at the position.
  • There’s mutual interest between the Bears and linebacker D.J. Williams in working out a new deal, tweets Michael C. Wright of ESPN. The two sides are talking and that’s expected to continue through the weekend. The former University of Miami standout spent his whole career in Denver up until 2013 when he joined Chicago. Unfortunately, his season ended when he ruptured his pectoral tendon against the Giants in Week 6.
  • Brandon Smith got a two-year deal from the Bills, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The cornerback was an exclusive rights free agent for Buffalo and accepted his offer earlier today.
  • The Cowboys are interested in TCU prospect Jason Verrett, writes ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins. The cornerback is a potential late-first round/early-second round pick, despite the fact that he is recovering from a torn labrum. “[The doctors] feel like it’s gonna be a very short process,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said. “Everybody that’s done it has been able to be back before camp. On the high road, I think that’s what he’s anticipating. That he’ll be back before camp.”
  • Steve Serby of the New York Post is less-than-thrilled about the idea of the Jets signing Michael Vick.
  • Former Jaguars wide receiver Mike-Sims Walker was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.

Finley Eyes Return, Mentions Seattle

January 31st, 2014 at 10:11pm CST by Matt Feminis

Packers injured tight end Jermichael Finley, recovering from season-ending neck surgery, spoke with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio about his pending unrestricted free agency. Finley was upbeat and optimistic, saying he feels “awesome,” has been running routes and catching passes and expects to be cleared for contact in three to four weeks when his vertebrae fusion is complete.

Speaking on the subject of free agency, Finley expressed his desire to remain a “Packer for life,” saying he will give them first chance to be heard, but did not hide the fact he’s already pondered alternative destinations. “…I would love to be on the first flight out to good old Seattle,” said Finley.

It remains to be seen if the Packers, typically tight-lipped regarding free agent plans, will offer a contract to Finley, who missed a total of 26 games to season-ending injuries in 2010 and 2013. Finley has been outspoken in the past about his desire to earn all that he can, but his earning power will be predicated on his medical reports, and he might be forced to accept a one-year deal. Back in October, ESPN’s Rod Demovsky used the team’s 2012 decision to sever ties with former Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins to illustrate the complicated nature of Finley’s risk-reward situation.

Whether Finley is back in Green Bay or not, the team’s tight end situation is a question mark heading into the offseason, as No. 2 Andrew Quarless is also a free agent.