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Cortland Finnegan

Cortland Finnegan To Retire

March 11th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce his retirement from the NFL. Finnegan, 31, was released by the Dolphins earlier this month.

Finnegan’s release could be considered a cap-related move, but it’s also apparent that his performance took a nosedive towards the end of his career. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) placed Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners in 2013 with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games.

Because of that, many were surprised when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal last offseason. Finnegan was a little better for the Dolphins, but still placed just 74th out of 108 corners, with a -4.4 grade in 2014, per PFF. By cutting Finnegan, the Dolphins removed his $5.45MM base salary and a $25K workout bonus from their books for 2015, reducing his $6.475MM cap hit to just $1MM in dead money.

At one time, Finnegan was considered a very solid cornerback in the NFL and PFF’s numbers reflect that as he was rated the No. 2 CB in the NFL in 2012 with a +18.0 grade. Of course, the biggest part of his legacy for many will be his altercation with Andre Johnson in 2010 in which the wide receiver got the better of him — unsurprisingly, it sounds like Finnegan doesn’t see it that way, as he alludes to the incident in his Instagram announcement.

Dolphins Cut Cortland Finnegan, Nate Garner

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins began making cap-related cuts last week when they released wide receivers Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, and the team is far from done. According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the club parted ways with cornerback Cortland Finnegan today. Barry Jackson of the Herald adds (via Twitter) that agent Drew Pittman has confirmed the team is also releasing his client, offensive lineman Nate Garner, who is still dealing with concussion-related issues.

Finnegan, 31, was one of the league’s worst corners in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus advanced metrics (subscription required). PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal last offseason. Finnegan was a little better for the Dolphins, but still placed just 74th out of 108 corners, with a -4.4 grade in 2014, per PFF.

By cutting Finnegan, the Dolphins will remove his $5.45MM base salary and a $25K workout bonus from their books for 2015, reducing his $6.475MM cap hit to just $1MM in dead money.

As for Garner, he missed a chunk of the 2014 season due to ongoing headache and migraine issues, and it’s not clear if he’ll continue his playing career, or if he’ll even be able to. The offensive lineman’s release creates $1.65MM in cap savings for the Dolphins, leaving just $167K in dead money on the books for 2015.

East Notes: Finnegan, Rolle, Pats, Bills

December 10th, 2014 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s a crucial weekend in the NFL’s two East divisions, as the top two teams in both the AFC East and the NFC East will square off, with the Patriots hosting the Dolphins and the Cowboys looking to avenge their Thanksgiving loss against the Eagles. While we look forward to those two matchups and others, let’s check out the latest out of the league’s East divisions….

  • Dolphins cornerback Cortland Finnegan tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald that he’ll consider retiring after this season, indicating that he’ll probably either return to Miami or call it a career, rather than playing for another team.
  • After Tom Coughlin expressed his displeasure with Antrel Rolle‘s celebration following a Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie touchdown on Sunday, the veteran safety didn’t show any real remorse. Considering Rolle is one of the defensive leaders for the 4-9 Giants, it’s no wonder that Coughlin has had trouble getting his team to play disciplined football, writes Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, suggesting that the club should think twice about retaining the free-agent-to-be this offseason.
  • Four mid-season pickups are playing key roles for the Patriots as they make their push toward a first-round bye, writes Christopher Price of WEEI.com. Two of those players, Akeem Ayers and Jonathan Casillas, were acquired via trade, making them rarities for the NFL — deadline acquisitions that are actually making a real impact.
  • The Bills are sticking with Kyle Orton at quarterback down the stretch as they attempt to sneak into the playoffs, writes Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. Orton has an option year on his contract for 2015, so it’ll be interesting to see how he finishes the year, since it may dictate whether or not he returns to Buffalo in 2015.

Extra Points: Herman, Finnegan, Boone, Colts

August 8th, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Over at ESPN.com, Jim Trotter has published an interesting piece on why teams are inclined to pay big bucks to lock up non-elite quarterbacks.

“Teams are just afraid to say, ‘Let’s start again, because we literally do not have a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl with the quarterback that we have,’” one club president told Trotter. “They’d rather have an average to above-average quarterback than wait to get a great quarterback. I think it’s more than fair to say that the fear of the unknown is greater than the fear of the known.”

Let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • Giants offensive lineman Eric Herman has been suspended for four games for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. The NFLPA released a statement on behalf of Herman explaining the positive test.
  • Cornerback Cortland Finnegan tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com that he considered a pitch from the Falcons this offseason before ultimately reaching an agreement with the Dolphins (Twitter link).
  • In the wake of the 49ers‘ first preseason contest, it doesn’t sound as if there has been any movement on contract talks with holdout guard Alex Boone, tweets Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.
  • As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk details, former Colts running back Chris Rainey doesn’t seem to believe he should have been cut by Indianapolis for breaking team rules, and took to Twitter to vent last night. Rainey, a free agent, has since deleted the tweets.
  • The Colts’ offensive line is thinning out, with both Khaled Holmes and rookie Ulrick John suffering injuries this week. According to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the team believes Holmes may have sprained his left ankle, which would sideline him for a few weeks. As for John, Stephen Holder of the Star reports (via Twitter) that his ankle might be broken. Meanwhile, Xavier Nixon tweeted today that he’s set to undergo surgery, presumably on the knee that his been bothering him.

East Notes: Kerrigan, Bills, Dolphins, Cowboys

July 9th, 2014 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Redskins exercised their fifth-year option on outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan this offseason, ensuring that he remains under contract with the club through the 2015 season. As he tells Ben Breiner of the Muncie Star Press, Kerrigan is cautiously optimistic about an even longer stay in Washington: “I’m going to be a part of [the team] for at least an additional year and hopefully after that, even longer.”

The Redskins also have Brian Orakpo playing under the franchise tag in 2014, and selected Trent Murphy with the No. 47 pick in the ’14 draft, so it remains to be seen whether the club plans on keeping all three OLBs for the long term, or whether one will move on in the next year or two.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Jerry Zremski of the Buffalo News surveyed a handful of local developers on where the Bills‘ next stadium should be built, assuming the team remains in Western New York. As Zremski writes, he wasn’t surprised when his investigation produced “plenty of ideas and little consensus.”
  • It was just two years ago that Cortland Finnegan inked a five-year, $50MM deal with the Rams, but after being released this offseason, he’s on a much more modest two-year contract with the Dolphins. According to James Walker of ESPN.com, early reports from the Miami coaching staff suggest the veteran cornerback could be in line for a bounceback performance in 2014.
  • Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon, who racked up 11.5 sacks last season, has left Rosenhaus Sports and is said to be meeting with other agents, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
  • Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the Cowboys’ left defensive end spot, where Anthony Spencer was re-signed by the team but isn’t being relied upon nearly as heavily as he has been in the past.

AFC Notes: Flowers, Fitzpatrick, Ravens, ‘Fins

June 22nd, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent cornerback Brandon Flowers, released by the Chiefs on June 13, is expected to sign with a new team by the middle of the week, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). We heard similar news a few days ago, so it appears that Flowers, whom La Canfora notes has “plenty of suitors,” has at least narrowed down his possible destinations. Our own Luke Adams mentioned the Lions as a landing spot for Flowers, given that Detroit has not downplayed its interest in the 2013 Pro Bowler. I would posit that the Chargers, who are in desperate need of secondary help, and the Ravens, who have a history of signing high-level players who have been cut, could also be options for the 28-year-old Flowers.

More from around the AFC:

  • Yesterday, we passed along several tweets from the Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith regarding Ryan Fitzpatrick, with some analysts opining that the quarterback is “too much of a gunslinger with not enough of an arm.” In a new article, Smith fleshes out more opinions on Fitzpatrick, and wonders if he is capable of leading the Texans in the right direction. For his part, head coach Bill O’Brien has expressed confidence in his starter. “Ryan has come in here and learned well,” said O’Brien. “He’s a good guy. He’s a fun guy to coach. He works extremely hard. He’s thrown the ball accurately in these practices that we’ve had. He’s picked up the system well.”
  • Jacoby Jones and Gary Kubiak worked together with the Texans, and now that two are reunited on the Ravens, Jones is excited about the prospects of working in a Kubiak-run offense again, writes Ray Frager of CSNBaltimore.com. “Don’t sleep on [the deep pass], but the way he is, he’s going to take what you give us,” said Jones. “If you’re going to sit there and play that all game — you’re going to give it to us — why not? Just chip away and throw it down the field. It’s football. It’s a chess match.”
  • Some executives thought Dolphins first-rounder Ju’Waun James, who signed his rookie contract on Thursday, was a reach at pick No. 19, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “We had James as a late-first rounder,” said an NFC scout. “He has first-round talent but you want more of a finisher, more production for a player with his size and skill level. He’s a quiet country kid. I’m not sure he wants to lead a unit.”
  • Within the same piece, Jackson spoke with an NFC executive who said that veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan could rebound with the Dolphins this season, and pointed to the failures of ex-Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton as the reason for Finnegan’s 2013 struggles. Finnegan overwhelmingly agreed with that assessment, saying Walton’s scheme was “atrocious. From the game plan to technique to fundamentals, they weren’t in line with a defensive coordinator who knew what he was doing. He was a great defensive backs coach, but when you’re in over your head, it’s kind of tough.”

AFC Notes: Louis, Dareus, Thomas, Taylor

June 7th, 2014 at 10:35am CST by Matt Feminis

With Donald Thomas injured, Lance Louis, who hasn’t played since November 2012 because of a torn ACL injury, is working as the Colts’ first-team left guard, shares ESPN’s Mike Wells. Louis appeared to be an emerging talent in 2012 when he started the first 11 games for the Bears, and Colts GM Ryan Grigson took notice: “I was sitting watching the Bears (on tape) with Tom Telesco when we were preparing for them. I look at the tape and I said, ‘Who’s No. 60?’ I look him up in the system and the guy ran a 4.72 (40-yard dash) at 309 (pounds) coming out of San Diego State. He was faster than some of the receivers who are going to go in the second round this year. So, we’re watching that and we’re thinking, in free agency, this guy is going to break the bank because he’s the best player on their line. He gets his knee blown out and things change. We stayed on him all (last) year and the knee’s fine now and we have him here for two years. Hopefully he gets back to that level of play where he’s a good starter. He’s a guy who is completely off the radar who we’re optimistic about.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • A pair of off-season arrests for Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus has thrown his long-term stability into question, prompting Adam Schein of SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio (highlighted on the web by Pro Football Talk) to ask head coach Doug Marrone if Dareus “gets it.” The coach’s response? “That’s a good question.”
  • Steelers 6-4, 330-pound defensive lineman Cam Thomas, who signed a two-year, $4MM deal in March, is working at nose tackle and five-technique, writes Mark Kaboly of Triblive.com.
  • Dolphins cornerback Jamar Taylor, a 2013 second-rounder, played just 40 snaps as a rookie after a pre-draft kidney ailment and subsequent sports hernia affected him. He’s healthy now and competing with Cortland Finnegan and Will Davis for available playing time between the No. 2 corner and nickel back jobs, writes ESPN’s James Walker, who also notes the Dolphins got just 1,126 snaps by their rookies last year, third-fewest in the league.
  • It was a tale of two seasons for Chiefs cornerback Marcus Cooper in 2013, writes ESPN’s Adam Teicher, who identifies Cooper as a young player who must improve. A seventh-rounder claimed on waivers, Cooper immediately “looked like he belonged,” earned the third cornerback job and “played better than either of the two starters for the first half of the season,” according to Teicher. However, Cooper’s play deteriorated during the second half of the season and he was demoted. At 6-2, 192 pounds, Cooper has the dimensions and physical tools the Chiefs desire, but the team needs more consistency out of him.
  • Because of free-agent departures, there’s competition for jobs up and down the Chiefs roster, details AP writer Dave Skretta.
  • MarQueis Gray, an undrafted college quarterback out of Minnesota, converted to tight end and stuck with the Browns last season, appearing in 12 games (two starts). The team is again tapping into his versatility, this time trying him at fullback, according to George M. Thomas in the Beacon Journal.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Pats, Bills, Dolphins

March 31st, 2014 at 4:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at a handful of rumblings from the AFC East…

  • Receiver Jacoby Ford and offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger both visited the Jets today, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News confirmed the news on Twitter.
  • The Patriots worked out Eastern Washington defensive end Anthony Larry, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. As Pauline points out, Larry’s ability to play linebacker and rush the passer is similar to current Patriot Rob Ninkovich, who recently turned 30-years-old.
  • The Patriots are still in need of a defensive end and a defensive tackle, opines Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Considering the team’s depth, the Patriots can think in the long-term, which Reiss believes is the “ideal scenario.”
  • With rumors swirling regarding DeSean Jackson‘s eventual destination, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com evaluates whether a deal would work out for the Bills. Rodak focuses on positives (like the similarities between Chip Kelly‘s system in Philadelphia and Bills offensive coordinator Nate Hackett‘s system in Buffalo) and the obvious negatives (the potential price tag and behavioral issues).
  • The Dolphins have become a fan of “show me” contracts, and ESPN.com’s James Walker looks at the team’s current batch of players on one-year deals. This includes Louis Delmas, Knowshon Moreno and Cortland Finnegan.

NFC Notes: Kiwanuka, Melton, Peppers, Rams

March 17th, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Matt Feminis

A short while after the Giants signed Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, it was learned Mathias Kiwanuka took a pay cut, as reported by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Kiwanuka sees his base salary decrease from $4.38MM to $1.5MM (with $700k roster bonus and $125k worth of incentives) and the team nets just over $2MM in cap space, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The finagling created flexibility to add Rodgers-Cromartie, says NJ.com’s Jordan Rannan, who points out Kiwanuka signed a deal in 2012, restructured in 2013 and took a pay cut in 2014.

Other NFC news and notes:

East Notes: Jackson, Browner, Giants, Dolphins

March 17th, 2014 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer shot down rumors suggesting the Eagles could trade or release DeSean Jackson this offseason, but that didn’t stop the wide receiver from reading those earlier reports himself. According to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com, Jackson is “troubled” by what has been written about him and is unsure about his standing on the team, while the Eagles have yet to contact him to offer him assurance. While it may not be a significant issue at this point, it has become “a bit of a distraction,” one of Jackson’s confidantes tells McManus.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Brandon Browner‘s three-year deal with the Patriots has a base value of $12.35MM, but can be worth up to $16.8MM. Field Yates and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com break down exactly what the cornerback’s contract looks like, and how he can reach those incentives.
  • The Giants had, and may still have, some interest in free agent defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Ayers is visiting the Bengals tomorrow.
  • The Dolphins haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, who is willing to move over to right tackle for his next team, as he said on WQAM (link via Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). The veteran lineman also suggested he may wait until after May’s draft to sign.
  • Cortland Finnegan‘s two-year contract with the Dolphins includes a $2MM signing bonus, a $3.5MM guaranteed base salary in 2014, and a $5.45MM non-guaranteed base in 2015, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
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