HEADLINES

Christine Michael

Contract Details: Starks, Compton, Michael

March 20th, 2016 at 9:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are several of the latest contract details on deals which were agreed upon or signed within the last week.

Seahawks Re-Sign Christine Michael

March 17th, 2016 at 1:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have announced the re-signing of running back Christine Michael, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Michael was a restricted free agent this offseason but the Seahawks opted against tendering him a contract earlier this month. Christine Michael (vertical)

Michael bounced around this year before returning to Seattle where he enjoyed some success. Michael averaged 4.9 yards per carry with the Seahawks, a big improvement over his flat 3.4 per rush with the Cowboys this season.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Seahawks decided to move on from Michael, who had been one of Marshawn Lynch‘s primary backups in 2013 and 2014. Seattle shipped the former second-round pick to the Cowboys, but Dallas cut him in November, starting his mini-tour around the country. Now, he has come full circle with Seattle and he’ll look to break camp with the team this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

West Notes: Berry, Hali, Seahawks, Rams

January 18th, 2016 at 9:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, Andy Reid didn’t do much prioritizing when it came to pinpointing which of the Chiefs‘ free agents will return, but he did single out the one likely residing at the top of the itinerary.

“I think he wants to be here. We want him to be here. The agents and our people need to get with him, they’ll deal with all that, work through all that. But I like Eric Berry. I can tell you, I love Eric Berry,” Reid told media, including Dave Skretta of the Associated Press.

Berry will be the top safety on the market and one of the top players available as an unrestricted free agent. The Pro Bowl safety played out his entire rookie contract, a six-year deal worth $60MM, from the old CBA that was much friendlier to first-round selections.

“Obviously,” Berry told media, when asked if he wants to return to the Chiefs. “This is family. At the same time, we’ll sit down and talk about it when we talk about it. But right now I’m just thankful for my teammates, my coaches and everybody that has something to do with me being back on the field this year. This is something special.”

The Chiefs could have their franchise tag ready if talks with the 27-year-old cancer survivor stall. The remainder of the Chiefs’ free agent class includes a number of expiring deals from their top-flight defense. Sean Smith, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali and Jaye Howard are free agents.

Kansas City possess $31.62MM in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.

Here is the latest coming out of the Western divisions.

  • Hali’s path may lead to retirement or back to Kansas City, with Skretta noting it’s unlikely the 32-year-old outside linebacker will head elsewhere. The former first-round pick and career Chief told media after the Chiefs’ loss to the Patriots he would contemplate his future after spending most of this season not practicing due to knee trouble. Hali renegotiated his deal last season to help Kansas City with its cap. Of course, with the Chiefs having some lucrative free agents to consider retaining in hopes of keeping that strong defense intact, Hali’s third Chiefs contract won’t be nearly as hefty as the five year, $60MM deal he signed in 2011. Though Hali, a Pro Bowler this season and a top-10 edge player as graded by Pro Football Focus, could still command a reasonable accord on the open market if he sought such a path. “I know some of these (free agents) are going to return. That’s how it rolls. Which ones and how it works into the (salary) cap and all that, that’s (GM John) Dorsey‘s baby there,” Reid said.
  • The Chiefs will have their lowest first-round pick in 20 years after their 11-5 season ended in the divisional playoffs. They will pick 28th, lowest of the teams eliminated this weekend, according to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. The Steelers, Seahawks and Packers will pick 25th, 26th and 27th, respectively, based on a schedule strength tiebreaker.
  • Bruce Irvin told media, including Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com, he will take less money on his second contract to stay with the Seahawks. Irvin said both John Schneider and Pete Carroll asked him if he’d accept a below-market deal Monday. “Pete and John asked me that when I met with them today. If it came to that, I would definitely come back. $3, $4 million? $3, $4, $5 million? I would definitely come back because I’m established here,” Irvin said. The Seahawks did not pick up Irvin’s fifth-year option last year, making the edge-rusher an unrestricted free agent. The January gesture may not hold a lot of weight come March, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, who tweets Irvin’s agent, Joel Segal, won’t be interested in seeing Irvin take a hometown discount after he pushed the Chiefs to give Justin Houston a record deal last summer. Russell Okung, Jeremy Lane and Jermaine Kearse are among the Seahawks’ notable UFAs, with Marshawn Lynch‘s $6.5MM in cap savings likely to benefit toward this cause as well.
  • Carroll told media, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, he’d like to bring back Christine Michael, a UFA who bounced around this year before re-signing with Seattle. Michael averaged 4.9 yards per carry with the Seahawks and 3.4 per rush with the Cowboys this season.
  • Stan Kroenke is borrowing approximately $1 billion from JPMorgan Chase for his new Inglewood stadium, Daniel Kaplan of Sports Business Daily tweets. The stadium’s expected to cost a record $2.7 billion, and Kroenke’s $1 billion loan would represent one of the largest ever taken for a stadium, according to Elyse Glickman of the Los Angeles Business Journal.

NFC Notes: 49ers, Breaux, Seahawks, Packers

December 18th, 2015 at 7:39pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rookie 49ers head coach Jim Tomsula is at the helm of a 4-9 team and certainly not a lock to return for a second season, but two of the club’s respected veterans spoke out Friday in support of the 47-year-old, according to Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.

“Yeah, I love Tomsula,” linebacker NaVorro Bowman said. “I’ve been with him for a long time. He knows me. I know him. It’s always been a good relationship.”

Tomsula has been with the 49ers since taking over as their defensive line coach in 2007, so he and Bowman – drafted in 2010 – are well-acquainted.

Receiver Torrey Smith, on the other hand, signed with the 49ers last offseason and obviously hasn’t spent nearly the amount of time with Tomsula that Bowman has. That didn’t stop Smith from endorsing Tomsula.

“He’s been one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever had,” Smith said. “I think he’s a great man. It sucks that we haven’t had the results that we need, but I think he’s a great guy. So I want the best for him.”

More on the Niners and a few of their NFC counterparts:

  • The Lions missed a golden opportunity last offseason to sign standout cornerback Delvin Breaux, who was unable to pass a team physical, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Breaux, formerly of the CFL, went on to sign with the Saints and has been a bright spot on a porous defense. The 26-year-old has 38 tackles and two interceptions in 13 games, and currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-best corner (subscription required).
  • Running back Christine Michael‘s recently signed deal with the Seahawks expires at the end of the season, but he’ll be still be under team control as a restricted free agent, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With fellow RBs Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson potentially out of Seahawks uniforms in 2016, Michael could stick around as Thomas Rawls‘ backup. He’ll have a chance to impress the organization in the coming weeks with both Lynch and Rawls injured.
  • 49ers rookie Jarryd Hayne is encouraged by his progress and plans to return to the NFL next season, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. “To come this far in seven months, give me 12, 14 (and) it’s going to be completely different. And I think anyone who’s seen my growth will tell you how much I’ve changed and developed,” the 27-year-old said. The native of Australia and former professional rugby player signed with the Niners as a running back/return specialist last offseason. He appeared in six games for the team this year before it cut him and brought him back as a member of its practice squad last month.
  • The Packers spent Friday looking at free agent special teamers, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reports. The Pack worked out two punters – Will Johnson and Kasey Redfern – a pair of long snappers in Rick Lovato and Sam Rodgers, and kicker Andy Wilder.

NFC Notes: Michael, Jeffery, Trattou, Cousins

December 16th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks inked running back Christine Michael to a contract earlier today, his second stint with the organization. The former second-rounder was traded prior to the season, and with all of the injuries in Seattle’s backfield, he’s hoping his second chance ends better than his first.

“I’m just here to work and give you guys all I have,” he told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “That’s all I can do. All I want to do. And I told them just like that.’’

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

  • Alshon Jeffery ranked number two in the first installment of our 2016 free agent power rankings, but he’s not the only important Bears player on an expiring deal. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com takes a look at four more to go along with Jeffery.
  • After re-signing with the Vikings, defensive end Justin Trattou admitted that he got an offer from another team during his brief time as a free agent, but turned it down because he wanted to remain in Minnesota. “I really didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Trattou said, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m happy where I’m at.”
  • While Panthers cornerback Josh Norman is considered one of the top free-agents-to-be at any position for 2016, there are plenty of other corners who should be in line for nice deals, including Sean Smith of the Chiefs and Janoris Jenkins of the Rams. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at the cornerback market.
  • Former sports agent (and current writer for CBSSports.com) Joel Corry examined what Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ next contract will look like. Corry wonders if Cousins could receive a deal similar to the two-year, $24.5MM (worth up to $38MM) extension between the Rams and Nick Foles.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Seahawks Sign Christine Michael

December 16th, 2015 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after running back Christine Michael was cut from Washington’s practice squad, he has found a new NFL home, and it’s a familiar one. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told reporters today that Seattle has re-signed Michael (Twitter link).

Prior to the start of the regular season, the Seahawks decided to move on from Michael, who had been one of Marshawn Lynch‘s backups in 2013 and 2014. Seattle sent the former second-round pick to the Cowboys, but Dallas cut him in November. In five games with the Cowboys, Michael ran for just 51 yards on 15 attempts, adding a single reception for two yards.

When Michael became a free agent yesterday, we speculated that a return to Seattle might be in the cards, since the Seahawks have had to deal with several injuries in their backfield. Rookie Thomas Rawls is out for the year, while Marshawn Lynch remains sidelined for now as well. The team also cut DuJuan Harris on Tuesday, leaving veteran Fred Jackson and newly-signed Bryce Brown as the only healthy halfbacks on the 53-man squad.

I’d still expect Brown and Jackson to see the majority of the backfield touches in Week 15, but if Lynch remains out of action for multiple weeks, Michael could become a more significant part of that rotation.

Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/15

December 15th, 2015 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s practice squad signings and cuts from across the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: S Craig Bills (Twitter link via team)
  • Cut: CB Mike Lee

St. Louis Rams

  • Signed: LB Matthew Wells

Washington

NFC Notes: Kaepernick, Cowboys, Giants

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Peter King of The MMQB talked to a “few league people” over the weekend about possible landing spots for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The ordered list starts with the Eagles at the top which makes sense given Chip Kelly’s offense and their need for a signal caller. After that, it’s the Jets, Ravens, and Raiders on King’s list.

The Raiders are a surprising one, of course, because of the presence of Derek Carr, but it could be a possibility for Kaepernick if he doesn’t get a starting opportunity elsewhere. King hears that the Raiders likely would have picked Kaepernick in the 2011 draft had the 49ers not leapfrogged them on the draft board. “Al [Davis] was upset,” Hue Jackson, the coach at the time, told King a couple of years ago. “So was I. Scouting him, I fell in love with the kid.” Years later, King hears that there are some within the Raiders organization that believe Kaepernick can be saved.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Cowboys running back Christine Michael and cornerback Corey White were released, in part, because they did not wear suits on their road trip to Tampa Bay, a source tells Brandon George of SportsDay DFW. “Sometimes you just have to drop the hammer,” a Cowboys player said about the decision to part ways with the two veterans. White later confirmed that version of events with TMZ.
  • Giants center Weston Richburg has a high ankle sprain, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). That’s potentially bad news for the center’s availability going forward.
  • Panthers wide receiver Stephen Hill, who is currently on IR, has been suspended for one game for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, as David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Hill was stopped and cited for possession of marijuana over the summer, leading to his one-game ban. Hill can serve his suspension now, despite being medically unfit to play.

Washington Signs Christine Michael To PS

November 19th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Luke Adams

3:51pm: As expected, Washington has cut running back Mack Brown from the practice squad to create space for Michael, tweets Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.

3:40pm: Just two days after he was cut by the Cowboys, running back Christine Michael has caught on with another NFC East team, signing today with Washington, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Michael will be joining the club’s 10-man practice squad, rather than the 53-man roster.

Michael, who turned 25 last Monday, was acquired by the Cowboys from the Seahawks in a trade earlier this year, and had been expected to get an increased workload after Joseph Randle was demoted and then released. However, it was the veteran, Darren McFadden, who ended up taking many of those carries, prompting Dallas to waive Michael and take a flier on Robert Turbin this week. In five games with the Cowboys, Michael ran for just 51 yards on 15 attempts, adding a single reception for two yards.

Washington doesn’t currently have an opening on its practice squad, so the team will have to remove a player when it officially announces the addition of Michael — running back Mack Brown looks like a potential candidate to be cut, unless the club wants to carry multiple backs on the taxi squad.

It will probably take an injury for Michael to get a promotion to Washington’s 53-man roster, since Alfred Morris and Matt Jones have been a solid 1-2 punch for the team so far, while Chris Thompson has done good third-down work.

Michael was a second-round pick in 2013 for the Seahawks, back when current Washington general manager Scot McCloughan was still working in Seattle, so McCloughan is familiar with the former Texas A&M back. It’s also worth noting that Washington still has two games left against Michael’s old team in Dallas, so he may be able to provide a bit of intel on the division rivals.

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