Charles Clay (TE)

FA Rumors: Clay, Miles, Johnson, Demps

February 23rd, 2015 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

We heard yesterday that the Bills may target tight end Charles Clay in free agency next month, but Clay remains very much in the Dolphins‘ plans, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post. A source with knowledge of the situation tells Abramson that it would be “very surprising” if Clay doesn’t return to Miami for the 2015 season. As Abramson notes, while Buffalo’s interest in the tight end may be legit, it’s also fair to wonder if the Bills leaked word of that interest in order to potentially drive up Clay’s price for their division rivals in Miami.

Here are a few more notes from around the league on this year’s free-agents-to-be:

The Ravens are expected to bring back safety and special-teamer Jeromy Miles, who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next month, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. With just over two weeks until Miles would be able to sign with another club, it’s possible he dips his toe into the open market to gauge his value, but according to Wilson, a return to Baltimore appears likely.
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details, there’s some confusion over whether Lions defensive end George Johnson is a restricted or unrestricted free agent this offseason. Johnson earned accrued seasons in 2011, 2012, and 2014, but his 2013 season is up for debate, since it seems he was paid for six weeks but was only on the Vikings’ roster for five Sundays. Players must be on a team’s 53-man roster for six weeks to earn an accrued season, and must accumulate four accrued seasons to be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
As he prepares to enter the free agent market, Giants safety Quintin Demps has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post takes a look at which Broncos free agents have the best chance of returning to Denver, speculating that Terrance Knighton, Orlando Franklin, Julius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Rahim Moore are all “probably gone.”

Free Agency Links: Giants, Poe, Clay

February 22nd, 2015 at 9:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite landing one of the marquee receivers with 2014 first-rounder Odell Beckham, Giants GM Jerry Reese intends to invest further in that spot this offseason.

“We’ll upgrade receiver,” Reese told Connor Orr of NFL.com on a decision that has more to do with slot bastion Victor Cruz, who suffered a ruptured patellar tendon midway through last season. Cruz is signed through 2018 and carries an $8.2MM cap number — the second-highest figure on the team behind Eli Manning, according to OverTheCap — as by far the Giants’ highest-paid receiver but regaining his top form after a gruesome ailment isn’t a lock. Beckham and Rueben Randle remain on their rookie deals.

Cruz hasn’t come close to replicating his 1,500-yard 2011 season, but the Giants have yet to see him team up much with Beckham, as the two played just one full game together last season. Although this is the team that took Jason Pierre-Paul in 2011 with Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck on their roster at the time, seeing the Giants go receiver at No. 8 overall or allocate significant funds to the spot via free agency would surprise, considering their other needs.

Occupying one of the tightest salary cap situations with less than $5MM of room (OverTheCap), the Chiefs have a slew of decisions to make to become active in this season’s free agent market. But one they must exercise by May 3 is whether to pick up their fifth-year option on nose tackle Dontari Poe, their Pro Bowl nose tackle, and GM John Dorsey is putting that decision on the back burner, writes the Kansas City Star’s Terez A. Paylor. If Kansas City picks up this option, Poe’s salary in 2016 will be an average of the league’s DTs paid between third- and 25th-most at the position. Poe’s been a regular who’s played high snap counts in the middle of the Chiefs’ defense since being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, but their decision isn’t open and shut considering the statuses of high-priced players Tamba Hali, Dwayne Bowe and Eric Berry, who saw his fifth-year option picked up last spring. Poe graded out as the 11th-best defensive tackle in a breakout 2013 season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but didn’t crack the site’s top 40 in his other two seasons.
The Bills were probably going to take current Lions tight end Eric Ebron before trading up for Sammy Watkins last May and may not deviate from a tight end-based plan this time around, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Carucci picks out Charles Clay, one of the top free agents at the position this offseason after being a steady performer with the Dolphins the past two years, as a possible upgrade on the Scott Chandler-led corps. Clay’s ability to work as a fullback in Rex Ryan‘s offense would be key here, Carucci said. The Bills haven’t had much of note, receiving-wise, at this spot in the modern era after deploying the likes of Chandler, Robert Royal and Jay Riemersma over the past 15 years.
Clay, who caught 58 and 69 passes the past two years, respectively, may not be a fit for the Super Bowl champion Patriots, tweets the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe, however. Clay’s price may be out of the range of a team that employs the second-highest-paid player, by seasonal value, in Rob Gronkowski.

East Notes: Fins, Clay, Pats, Ayers, Washington

January 25th, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins would like to re-sign impending free agent tight end Charles Clay, and are preparing an offer with the intention to submit it to Clay’s representatives in the coming weeks, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Clay, who turns 26 in about three weeks, earned $1.431MM in base salary last season, and should be in for nice pay increase despite a somewhat disappointing campaign that saw him catch 58 passes for 589 yards and three touchdowns. I profiled Clay as an extension candidate before the season, and while the four-year, ~$21MM contract I projected at the time now seems a tad high, a $4MM AAV isn’t out of the question.

Let’s look at some more notes from the two East divisions:

In the same article, Jackson passes along some other Dolphins news, including Miami’s visit with defensive tackle prospect Danny Shelton, and league-wide interest in Dolphins executives Chris Grier and Adam Engroff.
The NFL bears significant responsibility in the DeflateGate scandal, argues Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Despite vowing to investigate the matter fully, the league hasn’t discovered much in the way of evidence or intent, writes Florio. Instead, the Patriots and the NFL as a whole are now being tarnished in what is the most important week in the league calendar.
Akeem Ayers doesn’t have any hard feelings towards the Titans regarding the trade that sent him to the Patriots, as the linebacker tells Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “They made a decision that they felt like they needed to make,” said Ayers. “…I just took it as motivation and especially being here on this team, I feel like they did me a favor, honestly…I came here and I did a good job here and we’re going to the Super Bowl.” New England acquired Ayers and a seventh-round pick for a 2015 sixth-rounder. A free agent at season’s end, the 25-year-old Ayers registered 20 tackles and four sacks in nine games with the Pats.
Washington would like to speak with Packers senior personnel executive Alonso Highsmith about its director of personnel position, but hasn’t heard back from Green Bay as of yet, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

AFC East Notes: Vick, Wilfork, Clay

December 24th, 2014 at 7:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Michael Vick‘s season in New York likely didn’t go as planned, and the quarterback doesn’t sound like he’s anxious for a return to the Jets next season.

“I don’t know, I couldn’t say right now,” Vick said yesterday (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). “I’d have to talk to my agent and see what’s the best situation for me. Obviously, this organization has to do what’s best for them. I really can’t say right now, but hopefully I have a chance to play somewhere and continue to give that effort.”

“I still feel like I can start. I still feel like I can play at a high level, like I said. I think with the right talent around me and good structure I feel like I can win some games.

“I still feel like I have a lot left in the tank. I can’t say it’s five years worth, but maybe it’s a good solid two. I’m just going to train for that, get ready for that and set my mindset. If it doesn’t happen and I have to grind my way back up to a starting position, then that’s what it will be. I think at the end of the day my mindset is to just continue to play football. I love the game. I want to continue to play until it’s all out of me.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the division…

One thing you can say about Geno Smith is that the quarterback does not lack confidence. Smith told reporters (including ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) that he envisions himself being the Jets quarterback for “a long time.”
One part of Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork‘s restructured contract called for a $2.5MM boost should the former Pro Bowler play at least 70 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this season. As Tom E. Curran of CSNNewEngland.com points out, if the team decides to sit Wilfork this weekend, he likely won’t reach the required number.
The Bills released Alan Branch in late August, and he caught on with the Patriots soon after. The defensive tackle has played well in New England, but his former coach isn’t bitter about the player’s production for a rival. “I see him playing with a lot of enthusiasm,” Doug Marrone told Curran. “Obviously we’re happy for him. Obviously, you don’t like playing against good football players and Alan’s a very good football player. You see him making plays and you see him out there having fun and he brings a lot of energy and he’s a solid football player and he’s playing well.”
James Walker of ESPN.com says Dolphins tight end Charles Clay wants to stay with Miami. The upcoming free agent told Walker that he’d love to ink a long-term extension, and the writer believes there would be mutual interest. However, both sides may have different opinions on the player’s value.

AFC Notes: Revis, Clay, Rubin, King, Mallett

December 19th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

Darrelle Revis will count for $25MM against the cap in 2015, and many fans and pundits expect him to move on to free agency after his lone season with the Patriots. Even Revis himself has not committed to staying a Patriot, according to Conor Orr of NFL.com. In advance of the matchup against his former teammates for the Jets, Revis was asked about his chances of playing with the Patriots or returning to the Jets this offseason. “I don’t know what my future holds, like I said,” Revis said. “We’ll see. The future will take care of itself.”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

Chargers‘ left tackle King Dunlap has been phenomenal in the final year of his contract, and that could lead to a big raise this offseason, writes Michael Gelhken of the U-T San Diego. “I’m just trying to focus on the now,” Dunlap said. “I know it’s coming. … Time’s not going to move any faster or any slower. Just focus on the now and let the rest take care of itself. … I’m still a work in progress. I’m not even close to being finished yet. I’m still working. “
Dolphins‘ tight end Charles Clay has been a reliable weapon for Ryan Tannehill this season, and as he approaches free agency is focused on staying with the team, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. “Just being here and knowing the guys, knowing the coaches, the city, this is definitely somewhere I want to spend the rest of my career,” Clay said. “I was saying that the second I got drafted. Yeah, I definitely want to [re-sign].”
Browns‘ nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin is set to hit unrestricted free agency this March, but doesn’t plan to explore free agency. He wants to be a Brown for life, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
Ryan Mallett of the Texans doesn’t have the long history with his franchise that Dunlap, Clay, and Rubin do, but he would also like to remain with his team, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He did note that the season is still in progress and that it is early to discuss his future with the team.

Extension Candidate: Charles Clay

August 17th, 2014 at 7:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Given that later rounds of the NFL draft tend to be crapshoots, the success of two players selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft is something at which to marvel. The more notable player, chosen with pick No. 191, is Eagles center Jason Kelce. The former Cincinnati Bearcat, now regarded as one of the best centers in the league, was signed to a six-year, $37.5MM extension in February.

Chosen 17 picks before Kelce was a slightly more anonymous player — tight end Charles Clay. Clay, 25, is not only entering the his fourth season with the Dolphins, but the final year of his rookie contract. As such, he could be a candidate for a new deal that, if not equal to the length and/or compensation of Kelce, more correctly aligns with his production. In fact, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that Clay’s agent has approached the Dolphins about an extension, but the talks haven’t led to any serious negotiations.

Clay entered the league three years ago after playing college ball at Tulsa. During his rookie season, he displayed versatility by spending time at both tight end and fullback, but finished with just 16 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns. After transitioning to playing solely TE in 2012, he ended the year with a nearly identical statistical line. Clay broke out in 2013, however, displaying a rapport with quarterback Ryan Tannehill and catching 69 balls for 759 yards and six touchdowns — he also rushed the ball seven times.

Advanced metrics don’t indicate as much positive development for Clay as do traditional stats. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) have painted Clay as merely ordinary over the course of his career — he ranked as just the 36th- and 34th-best tight end in the league in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Last year, specifically, PFF painted Clay as a well above-average pass-catcher, but lackluster in terms of pass-blocking. Football Outsiders has a similar opinion of Clay, as he finished 41st and 20th in DVOA over the past two years.

There are several potential roadblocks regarding extension talks from the Dolphins’ point of view, two of which Jackson notes. First, Clay only has one season of above-average production; Miami might want to wait and see if he is able to maintain last year’s level of play. Second, Clay recently aggravated his surgically-repaired knee, so the Dolphins could be wary of further injury risk. It’s just my speculation, but the Dolphins might also be worried about Clay’s fit in new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s scheme. Lazor worked under Chip Kelly in Philadelphia last year, and tight ends weren’t overly featured in the Eagles offense.

So what would a Clay extension look like? He probably won’t match Kyle Rudolph‘s five-year, $36.5MM deal — Rudolph had a second-round pedigree, and the Vikings were likely projecting a big season for the fourth-year TE with the help of offensive coordinator Norv Turner. Further down the list of tight end contracts is Jared Cook‘s five-year, $35.1MM pact with the Rams, which now looks like a major overpay. Descend further, and find the contracts of Brandon Pettigrew and Anthony Fasano that probably set the floor for Clay — four years, $16MM, with between $4-5MM guaranteed.

Among tight ends, there isn’t a perfect comparable with which to juxtapose Clay. The best deal to view might be that of Martellus Bennett, who received a $5.1MM AAV over four years, with $5.215MM in guarantees. Bennett is probably a better overall player, but Clay is two years younger and offers more versatility. The Dolphins will have to judge whether they value Clay as much as the Bears valued Bennett. In the end, I would guess a deal gets worked out, perhaps in-season. Working with an innovative coordinator like Lazor, Clay could be in for an even bigger season, and Miami could win big with a forward-looking contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Sports Images.