HEADLINES

Carlos Rogers

Raiders Notes: Rogers, Brown, Branch

February 18th, 2015 at 6:09pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie sat down with reporters for a 30 minute chat. He told the press on hand, including Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) that the Raiders will let both Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown hit the open market as they look to go younger at cornerback. Here are some of the highlights from McKenzie’s chat..

  • Safety Tyvon Branch has an uncertain future with the Raiders. McKenzie says that he plans to speak with his agent soon to discuss different possibilities, Bair tweets. Branch, under contract through 2017, is due a $1MM roster bonus in March. He has missed almost two entire years thanks to injury.
  • Even with a starter’s salary, McKenzie said it isn’t out of the question for Matt Schaub to return as a backup, Jerry McDonald of The Oakland Tribune tweets. Schaub is scheduled to earn a $5.5MM base salary and Derek Carr in place as the team’s starter. It seems likely that he could get let go if he was unwilling to restructure.
  • Talks are ongoing with center Stefen Wisniewski but McKenzie wouldn’t make promises either way, Williamson tweets.
  • Coach Jack Del Rio told reporters that Austin Howard, who struggled at guard in 2014, will compete with third-year player Menelik Watson at right tackle, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. That could mean that Oakland will be shopping for a guard this offseason.
  • In no particular order, it seems like McKenzie will be looking at running back, wide receiver, guard, defensive end, defensive tackle, and middle linebacker, Williamson tweets.
  • The GM said that the Raiders could sign multiple starter quality players, Williamson tweets.

Raiders Place Carlos Rogers on IR

November 29th, 2014 at 12:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders announced (via Twitter) that they have placed cornerback Carlos Rogers on the injured reserve, ending the veteran’s season. The 33-year-old hadn’t played since the end of October as he tried to recover from a knee injury. To take his place on the roster, the team promoted running back George Atkinson III to the active roster.

Rogers joined the Raiders this offseason after being cut by the 49ers, signing a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, including a $1MM signing bonus. The former Auburn standout was selected ninth-overall by Washington in the 2005 draft, where he spent six seasons with the squad. The defensive back joined San Francisco prior to the 2011 season, and he started every game during his three-year tenure.

However, following his Pro Bowl appearance in 2011, Rogers production has decreased. He ranked as Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) sixth-best corner in the league following his first season with the Niners, but he soon fell to the middle of the pack in 2012 and 2013. In his abbreviated 2014 season with Oakland, he ranked 77th among 112 eligible cornerbacks, compiling 35 tackles and two passes defended in seven games.

Atkinson joined the Raiders this offseason after going undrafted out of Notre Dame. Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times expects the rookie to return kicks this weekend against the Rams (Twitter link).

Raiders Sign Carlos Rogers

April 2nd, 2014 at 10:07am CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 10:07am: The base value of Rogers’ one-year deal with the Raiders is $2.5MM, including a $1MM signing bonus, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, who says the cornerback can earn up to $3.5MM via incentives.

MONDAY, 7:41pm: The Raiders have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with cornerback Carlos Rogers, according to Colleen Dominguez of Fox Sports (via Twitter). The team has officially announced the transaction on their Twitter account.

Rogers, 32, is a veteran of nine NFL seasons, and played the past three years with the 49ers, before being cut on March 10. He was originally a first-round draft pick of the Redskins, and spent 2005-2010 in Washington. Though his durability has not decreased with age (he started all 16 games in each of his seasons with the Niners), his play, on the other hand, has suffered. Last season, while notching 49 tackles and two interceptions, he ranked as just the 71st out of 110 cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

For the Raiders, the signing of Rogers further adds to their veteran-dominated offseason, following the acquisitions of experienced players like Matt Schaub, Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, and Maurice Jones-Drew. Rogers, along with fellow former 49er/new Raider Tarell Brown, will attempt to strengthen a Raiders defensive backfield that ranked 28th in 2013 in terms of passing yards allowed. The current plan is for Brown and second-year player D.J. Hayden to start on the outside, with Rogers manning the slot, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Sulia).

FA Notes: Patterson, Rogers, Fox, Hall

March 31st, 2014 at 12:43pm CST by Luke Adams

DeSean Jackson may be the biggest name on the free agent market these days, but he’s not the only potential difference-maker still available. Let’s round up a few of the latest news and notes related to a few other free agents still on the board…

49ers To Cut Carlos Rogers

March 11th, 2014 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 9:34am: The 49ers will release Rogers with the post-June 1st designation, freeing up more cap space for 2014, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.

MONDAY, 3:34pm: Cornerback Carlos Rogers will no longer represent the largest cap hit on the 49ers’ books for 2014, as the team has decided to release him, allowing him to test the market, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Rogers started all 16 regular season games for the 49ers in 2013, recording 49 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended. However, the 32-year-old ranked just 71st out of 110 qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). His performance and age, combined with an $8.09MM cap number, made his return to San Francisco unlikely unless he accepted a pay cut. By cutting Rogers, the Niners will create more than $5MM in cap savings, as the defensive back’s salary will still count for nearly $3MM in dead money on the 2014 cap.

For the Niners, Tramaine Brock looks poised to take over one of the top two cornerback jobs. However, San Francisco may be in the market for a new corner at the other spot, with Tarell Brown eligible for free agency.

CB Rumors: Talib, Rogers, Verner, Davis

March 10th, 2014 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Perhaps the best corner in the league appears to be available via trade, but let’s look at some news regarding free agent cornerbacks:

  • Aqib Talib is “very close” to a new contract with the Patriots, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington.
  • Russini also tweets that the Redskins want Talib, but that the Patriots are offering a better deal.
  • Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the Redskins to “heavily pursue” Talib (via Twitter).
  • Carlos Rogers would “love” to return to the Redskins after being released by the 49ers, and the two sides are discussing a reunion, according to Russini (on Twitter).
  • It would be an upset if the Jets don’t sign either Vontae Davis or Alterraun Verner to replace Antonio Cromartie, as the Jets defense is based around solid cornerback play, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We previously noted that Jets could be the mystery team in on Davis, who is expected to sign tomorrow.
  • Verner has interest in both the Jets and the Giants, saying “both those teams could win and have capabilities,” according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Sulia).
  • The Titans remain in conversation with Verner, but they probably won’t be able to match the money offered by other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
  • The Ravens would like to retain Corey Graham, but he’s drawn interest from the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (on Twitter).

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Quinn, Cardinals

March 8th, 2014 at 12:25pm CST by Matt Feminis

The 49ers have big-money decisions to make, while the Cardinals eye offensive line help in a batch of NFC West division tidbits:

  • Last season, 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers declined a pay cut, but the team had no recourse because they needed him on the field. A year later, the team is prepared to release Rogers if he does not agree to a pay cut, as the veteran is scheduled to earn a $6.25MM base salary and count nearly $8.1MM against the cap, writes Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. Releasing Rogers after June 1 would save $6.6 on the 2014 cap, but the team would incur $1.5MM in dead money on the 2015 cap. If the team swallowed the entire cap hit in 2014, the immediate cap savings would be $5.1MM with no dead money in future years.
  • The escalating salary cap helps the 49ers long-term, especially given the team’s desire to retain 2015 free agents Colin Kaepernick, Aldon Smith, Michael Crabtree and Mike Iupati, but the extra $10MM the rest of the league has to play with in the short term could make it difficult to retain this year’s free agents, including Donte Whitner, Tarell Brown and Phil Dawson, writes Eric Branch of sfgate.com.
  • Robert Quinn is entering the final year of his four-year rookie contract, but a provision in the new CBA (instituted in 2011 when Quinn was drafted 14th overall) allows the Rams to keep the reigning Defensive Player of the Year through 2015, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. By virtue of Quinn being selected between No. 11 overall to No. 32, the team can pay Quinn the average salary made by the third- through 25th-highest paid players at the defensive end position ($6.9MM).
  • The Cardinals are targeting Branden Albert and Rodger Saffold in that order, according to Kent Somers of azcentral.com (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Clowney, Lions, Vikings, Niners

February 23rd, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney would like to be a member of the Falcons — but only if they trade up to get him, writes ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. The star Gamecock is widely expected to be selected in the top five picks of the draft, and he realizes this would make it challenge for him to get to Atlanta. “…I hope I don’t fall to No. 6,” said Clowney, hoping for a Falcons draft position swap. “I like Atlanta – a lot. They’re pretty good. They’ve got some guys from South Carolina on the team, also. And it’s close to home.” The Falcons are in dire need of pass rush help, and we learned Friday that they are not averse to attempting to move higher in the draft.

Some other notes from around the NFC: