Brian Winters - Pro Football Rumors

Jets, Brian Winters Agree To Extension

January 17th, 2017 at 11:15am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have re-signed one of their key impending free agents. Brian Costello of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the team has inked offensive guard Brian Winters to a four-year extension. The deal is worth $29MM and includes $15MM in guarantees, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link via Rich Cimini). Winters now ranks 10th among guards in guaranteed money.

Winters had spent the past four years with the Jets after being selected as a third-rounder in the 2013 draft. The Kent State product immediately made an impact on the New York offense, as Winters started 12 games that season. An ACL injury limited the lineman to only six games (six starts) in 2014, but he rebounded by appearing in all 16 games (10 starts) during the 2015 campaign.

Winters started the first 13 games in 2016, but his season ended early when he was placed on the injured reserve with a torn rotator cuff. The offensive guard established himself as the Jets’ top offensive lineman during his three months on the field. In fact, by most metrics, Winters ranked as one of the top run blockers in the league, playing a significant role in the hot starts for running backs Matt Forte and Bilal Powell. Winters predictably fell in those rankings, but many still thought that re-signing the lineman would be a top offseason priority for the Jets.

The Jets are surely eyeing some changes to their offensive line this offseason. Tight tackle Breno Giacomini and left tackle Ryan Clady appear to be on their way out of the organization, and the team could also cut veteran center Nick Mangold. Releasing the veteran center would free up more than $9MM in salary cap space.

Winters was just one of many Jets ready to hit free agency. Other impending free agents include quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith, offensive tackle Ben Ijalana, safety Antonio Allen, linebacker Bruce Carter, and long snapper Tanner Purdum.

Jets Place OL Brian Winters On IR

December 20th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets’ offensive line has taken yet another hit, as the club announced today that they’ve placed guard Brian Winters on injured reserve. In addition, linebacker Mike Catapano is also headed to IR, while New York has promoted offensive lineman Donald Hawkins and defensive lineman Brandin Bryant from the practice squad to the active roster.

Four-fifths of the Jets’ projected starting offensive line is now on injured reserve, as left tackle Ryan Clady, right tackle Breno Giacomini, and center Nick Mangold all preceded Winters in being sidelined for the season. Winters, in the midst of his fourth season with New York, had started 13 games on the year, playing on 87% of the club’s snaps while grading out as roughly average (No. 32) among NFL guards, according to Pro Football Focus. Winters’ rookie deal expires at season’s end, so he’ll head to free agency next spring.

Catapano, 26, had started three games for Gang Green this season, but had mostly acted a reserve, playing on slightly less than a quarter of New York’s defensive snaps while adding 110 snaps on special teams. With Catapano out, fellow linebackers Josh Martin, Freddie Bishop, and Randell Johnson (recently signed off the Rams’ practice squad) should see more time as the season concludes.

AFC East Notes: Blount, Patriots, Jets

December 14th, 2016 at 10:04am CST by Zachary Links

Three running backs have proven to be tremendous values for their respective teams this year, Will Eddowes of Over The Cap writes. That list includes Patriots tailback LeGarrette Blount, who is earning just $1MM on a one-year deal with $100K in full guarantees + $1MM in incentives. The Patriots have been leaning more on the run game this year than they have in recent seasons and that’s partially because of Blount’s effectiveness. The question now is whether the Patriots can retain him for next season. Blount has certainly earned himself a pay raise but the Patriots often prefer to replace free agents with cheaper options. Darren Sproles of the Eagles and Theo Riddick of the Lions are also highlighted as strong values.

Here’s a look at the AFC East:

Re-signing Brian Winters should be the Jets‘ top priority this offseason, Connor Hughes of NJ.com writes. After a rough first two years in the NFL, Winters has improved now that he has moved from left guard to right guard. So far this year, he ranks as one of Pro Football Focus’ best interior offensive linemen and he has been a bright spot in an otherwise dreary year for Gang Green. The Jets are going to have to get themselves new offensive tackles and they could be in the market for a center, but the 25-year-old is a player that must be kept. For his part, Winters wants to stay. “100 percent,” Winters said when asked if he wants to return. “I love what has been going on here. I would love to continue to play here. I’ve built something here. I don’t want to leave it.“
Bills running back Mike Gillislee has signed with NFL agent Ron Butler, as Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal tweets. He was formerly repped by Global Sports Advisors. Gillislee has shown potential as the primary backup to LeSean McCoy in Buffalo. He will be eligible for free agency after the season is over. For now, he’s on the books for just $600K.
Yesterday was the Dolphins‘ deadline for activating Dion Jordan and they declined to put him on the 53-man roster. Miami also shut Mike Pouncey down for the season while adding quarterback T.J. Yates.

2016 Proven Performance Escalators

February 12th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB

Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR

Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT

Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB

Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR

Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G

Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR

Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR

Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT

Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE

Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB

Jets: Brian Winters, G

Lions: Larry Warford, G

Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S

Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB

Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE

Rams: T.J. McDonald, S

Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT

Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT

Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE

Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR

Titans: Brian Schwenke, C

Washington: Jordan Reed, TE

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Bills, Jets

February 9th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills running back LeSean McCoy has hired noted Philly defensive attorney Jack McMahon to represent him, according to John Barr of ESPN.com (via Twitter link). Over the weekend, McCoy was accused of taking part in a brawl that involved the assault of two off-duty Philadelphia police officers. McCoy has yet to be arrested for the incident, but arrest warrants are expected to be issued in the coming days.

McCoy, 28 in July, was held back by injuries in his first season with the Bills. The tailback ran for 895 yards off of 203 carries, good for 4.4 yards per contest. He also had three rushing touchdowns and two receiving scores. However, he missed one-quarter of the regular season, breaking his two season streak of playing in all 16 regular season games.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

The police have completed their investigation into the McCoy case and turned it over to the district attorney’s office, which is reviewing it for potential charges against the Bills tailback, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
Jets guard Brian Winters, who replaced the injured Willie Colon and wound up starting ten games last season, will get a nice raise in 2016 worth roughly $1MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. As part of the NFL’s rookie wage scale, Winters’ base salary (non-guaranteed) jumps to $1.696MM, the final year of his rookie contract. Previously, he was due to make $675K. The pay bump is thanks to the “proven performance escalator,” which allows mid- to late-round draft choices to make more money if they play a great deal. A player gets a raise if he was drafted in rounds three through seven and participated in at least 35% of the offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons.
Jets coach Todd Bowles filled three coaching vacancies, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. Bowles promoted John Scott Jr. from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach, hired David Diaz-Infante as assistant offensive line coach, and brought in Tim Atkins to fill Scott’s role as defensive quality control coach.
The Dolphins are adding Wisconsin defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as an assistant defensive backs coach, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Jets Claim Wesley Johnson Off Waivers

October 13th, 2014 at 4:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets claimed center/guard Wesley Johnson off waivers from the Steelers to replace the injured Brian Winters, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets confirmed this afternoon that Winters is done for the year with a torn ACL, tweets Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe (on Twitter).

The Steelers cut Johnson loose on Saturday to make room for safety Ross Ventrone. Johnson, a Vanderbilt product, was taken in the fifth round of the May draft. He competed for one of the final offensive line spots on the Steelers’ active roster in preseason but was ultimately edged out and relegated to the taxi squad. Thanks to Winters’ season-ending injury, the lineman figures to see playing time at guard for the Jets, who take on the Patriots in just a few days.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 12th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While we don’t cover every injury here at Pro Football Rumors, we will keep track of injuries to key players that could force teams to make important roster moves. We’ll update the following list throughout the day:

Giants nickel back Trumaine McBride told reporters tonight, including Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), that he has a dislocated thumb, which figures to sideline him for multiple weeks.
Eagles running back Darren Sproles left tonight’s game against the Giants with a knee injury, and as Doug Farrar of SI.com tweets, NBC’s Michele Tafoya reported that the tests adminstered to Sproles’ MCL and ACL by the team left the running back “pretty unhappy.” We should have a clearer idea of the prognosis for Sproles on Monday.

Earlier updates:

The Jets fear that starting right guard Brian Winters will be sidelined for the season with a torn ACL, a sources tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The team will conduct tests tomorrow morning to determine whether or not that’s the case.
Sam Shields believes he avoided a major knee injury today, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Losing Shields would’ve been a costly blow for the Packers, who re-signed the cornerback to a lucrative long-term deal during the offseason.
Milliner is believed to have torn his Achilles, tweets Rapoport; the second-year corner would obviously miss the remainder of the season if true.
The Browns believe Mack has suffered a significant leg injury, and expect him to “miss extended time,” reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Currently, the Browns have moved right guard John Greco to center, with Paul McQuistan taking over at RG. We’ll certainly have more on this situation as more news is relayed.
Patriots running back Stevan Ridley has been ruled out for the day with a knee injury. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter), Ridley’s “ankle bent in a way no one wants their ankle to bend.”
The Bengals linebacking unit has taken another hit, as Rey Maualuga had to be carted off the field with a leg injury, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of the the NFL Network (Twitter link).
Speaking on FOX, Jay Glazer provided an update on Broncos running Montee Ball, who will miss an additional 3-4 weeks with a groin injury.
The Browns excellent offensive line has taken a hit, as center Alex Mack had to be carted off the field with a left ankle injury, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. ESPN.com’s Tony Grossi adds (on Twitter) that an air cast was applied to Mack’s ankle, an indication that the injury could be serious.
Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo is out for the day after suffering a knee injury that forced him to be carted off the field, according to John Clayton of ESPN (via Twitter).
After suffering two concussions already this season, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict left today’s game after taking a hit to the head; another concussion could shelve Burfict for some time.
2013 first-rounder Dee Milliner is out for the rest of the Jets’ game against the Broncos after suffering a non-contact injury to his ankle.