HEADLINES

Courtney Upshaw

Falcons Expected To Remake Defensive Line

February 21st, 2017 at 8:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Having already fired defensive coordinator Richard Smith and defensive line coach Bryan Cox, the Falcons are expected to use free agency and the draft in order to bolster their defensive line, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.Courtney Upshaw (Vertical)

[RELATED: Top 3 Offseason Needs — Atlanta Falcons]

Free agent defensive lineman Earl Mitchell is expected to meet with Atlanta on Thursday and Friday, and if signed would be the first step in the Falcons’ remaking of their front four. Courtney Upshaw, who signed a one-year pact with Atlanta last spring, is expected to re-signed, as the the Falcons value his ability to play both linebacker and defensive end, per McClure. Fourth-year defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, meanwhile, has “won over” Atlanta’s coaching staff and figures to see his role increase going forward, while free agent tackle Terrell McClain is a “name to keep an eye on” for the Falcons this offseason, reports McClure.

Change up front also means several defenders could be leaving, and veteran tackle Jonathan Babineaux could be among them, as the Falcons could choose to part ways with the unrestricted free agent even if he opts not to retire. Tyson Jackson, too, could be gone, as McClure writes the 30-year-old is expected to be released or asked to accept a cut to his $3.5MM base salary.

Contract Details: P. Robinson, Robertson, Cook

March 28th, 2016 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are some specific details on several of the latest contracts recently agreed upon or signed by NFL free agents. All links courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

AFC:

  • Patrick Robinson, CB (Colts): Three years, $14MM. $6MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this Tuesday. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year — becomes fully guaranteed if on roster beyond this Friday (all Twitter links).
  • Chris Hairston, OL (Chargers): Two years, $2.9MM. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Brandon Thompson, DT (Bengals): One year, $840K. $50K signing bonus. $30K workout bonus. $150K incentive for playing time (Twitter link).
  • Leonard Hankerson, WR (Bills): One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K workout bonus. $40K first-game 53-man roster bonus (Twitter link).
  • Steven Johnson, LB (Steelers): One year, minimum salary benefit. $25K signing bonus. $55K first-game 53-man roster bonus (Twitter link).

NFC:

  • Craig Robertson, LB (Saints): Three years, $5MM. $1.965MM guaranteed. $1.2MM signing bonus. $250K roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $275K due on fifth day of 2018 league year. Up to $1.5MM in annual incentives (Twitter links).
  • Jared Cook, TE (Packers): One year, $2.75MM. Up to $900K in incentives for catches, TDs, and Pro Bowl (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Courtney Upshaw, OLB (Falcons): One year, $1.25MM. $390K signing bonus. $100K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $250K in incentives for playing time and playoffs (Twitter links).
  • Mike Morgan, LB (Seahawks): One year, $1MM. $200K signing bonus. $150K incentive for playing time (Twitter link).
  • Jamarca Sanford, S (Saints): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus. $130K of $885K salary is guaranteed (Twitter link).

AFC Notes: Dolphins, Patriots, Texans

March 26th, 2016 at 10:16am CST by Ben Levine

After having spent the first four years of his career with the Ravens, Courtney Upshaw joined the Falcons yesterday. Still, the 26-year-old was quick to recognize his former team’s fans.

“No thank you!” he wrote on Instagram. “#ravennation I appreciate all the love! Gonna miss those guys! Gonna miss those all black uniforms! Next man up! I understand that it’s a business! I met some great people in Baltimore who treated me like family and I appreciate it all! God has a plan for me and this is part of it! Call it a fresh start or whatever but I’m ready for the challenge!”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

  • Dolphins rookie head coach Adam Gase has watched as a trio of talented young players (Olivier Vernon, Lamar Miller, Rishard Matthews) left Miami this offseason. Still, he understands the roster turnover is part of the job. “That’s the struggle, that’s the tough part about being, at least for myself being in Year 1, there’s nothing that I was able to do as far as moving forward,” he told ESPN.com’s James Walker. “We were in that situation. We had three good players that were wanted by other teams. Obviously we would have loved to keep them but it was too late. Once they hit the market, it was going to be a challenge to keep them on our roster.”
  • Despite the receiver’s $6.8MM cap hit, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss believes the Patriots should hold on to wideout Danny Amendola. With the team acquiring a handful of new targets for Tom Brady, the writer wonders whether the organization would ask Amendola to take a payout for the second straight season.
  • The Texans could use a speedy wideout in the draft, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. He also notes that offensive tackle, defensive end, safety, tight end, and center are other positions of need.

Falcons Sign Courtney Upshaw

March 25th, 2016 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after visiting with Courtney Upshaw, the Falcons signed him, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Falcons announced the move on their website.

Upshaw started for the bulk of his time with the Ravens, logging at least nine starts in each of his four seasons and lining up with Baltimore’s first-string unit for at least 13 contests from 2013-15.

The former second-round pick could be a replacement for UFA O’Brien Schofield, with the Falcons and the outside linebacker not in harmony during negotiations. Philip Wheeler is also a free agent.

Upshaw previously visited with the Jets, and had other suitors, with the Patriots and 49ers vying with the Ravens among potential suitors.

Upshaw (five career sacks) didn’t serve as a key pass-rusher for the Ravens like Terrell Suggs or Elvis Dumervil, which could be at the root of why he wasn’t snatched up earlier like former sought-after Ravens Paul Kruger and Pernell McPhee. An ex-Alabama talent, Upshaw rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 84 edge defender last season. Upshaw, however, was a top-20 performer against the run and may be well-suited to play in Dan Quinn‘s 4-3 defense that isn’t as dependent on linebackers to serve as pass-rushers.

The newest Falcon recorded 51 tackles and three fumble recoveries last season for the No. 8-ranked Ravens’ defense.

The Ravens have now lost both of their 2012 second-round selections after Kelechi Osemele bolted on Day 1 of free agency.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Courtney Upshaw Visiting Falcons

March 24th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

2:18pm: The Falcons have confirmed Upshaw’s visit and announced that free agent guard Ted Larsen is also in town to meet with the team today (Twitter link). Larsen has 57 career NFL starts for the Cardinals and Buccaneers.

11:29am: More than two weeks into free agency, free agent outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains unsigned, but it appears a new suitor has emerged. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Upshaw is set to pay a visit to the Falcons. ESPN’s Vaughn McClure confirms (via Twitter) that the visit is taking place today.Courtney Upshaw

A second-round pick in 2012 out of Alabama, Upshaw didn’t miss a regular-season game for the Ravens in his four seasons with the team, making 51 starts, but he never really made the sort of impact the team may have expected. In his four NFL seasons, the 26-year-old has struggled to get to opposing quarterbacks, totaling just five sacks. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 84th out of 110 edge defenders, assigning him a much higher grade against the run than as a pass rusher.

The Falcons may be in the market for a replacement for O’Brien Schofield at their outside linebacker spot — a reunion between the Falcons and Schofield hasn’t been ruled out, but the veteran free agent said last week that the two sides weren’t “seeing eye-to-eye” in contract talks, so it appears Atlanta is exploring other options.

So far in free agency, Upshaw has reportedly visited the Jets, with the Ravens, 49ers, and Patriots among the other teams cited as potential suitors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: Ravens, V. Davis, Fitzpatrick, Jets

March 22nd, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens remain in the market for pass rushing help, but when asked today about Greg Hardy, head coach John Harbaugh replied, “Greg Hardy? He won’t be a Raven, I can tell you that” (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). Harbaugh also said that free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw is still on the team’s radar, but Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Upshaw’s return sounds unlikely.

Here are a few more updates related to free agency:

  • GM Scot McCloughan confirmed today that Washington still has interest in free agent tight end Vernon Davis, who paid a visit to D.C. earlier in March (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com). In fact, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) suggests that Washington has made Davis a contract offer, in the hopes of pairing him with Jordan Reed and giving Kirk Cousins an additional weapon in the passing game.
  • Although there’s still a significant gap between the Jets‘ offer and Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s asking price, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that the “Wild Wild West stare-down narrative has been exaggerated.” A source tells Mehta that the two sides have had an open line of communication in recent weeks.
  • Packers head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed that Green Bay is moving on from free agent wideout James Jones, says Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Jones’ agent said as much on Monday.
  • Before he re-signed with the Cardinals, running back Chris Johnson was believed to be deciding between Arizona and Miami. However, Johnson tells Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Patriots also had interest in him.
  • Colts owner Jim Irsay said today that the team will continue to meet with free agents this week, but Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star cautions (via Twitter) that the team won’t be making any major moves.

Free Agent Rumors: Upshaw, Pats, CJ2K

March 17th, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains on the open market here in mid-March, but his field of suitors could soon grow a little bit larger. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that the 49ers and Patriots could jump into the mix for the Ravens free agent linebacker. The former second-round pick, who is visiting with the Jets today,was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

Here are the latest free agent rumors from around the league:

  •  The Dolphins announced that Chris Johnson has wrapped up his free agent visit. That announcement infers that there is no deal – at least, not yet – between CJ2K and Miami. Johnson is said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the incumbent Cardinals.
  • Before putting pen-to-paper with the Ravens, the Cowboys stood as the other finalist for Eric Weddle, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. The safety had a multitude of offers and before he was down to two clubs, Weddle weeded out proposals from teams that were not positioned to in 2016. One of those teams, according to agent David Canter, made Weddle the most lucrative offer of any suitor.
  • Former Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith is visiting the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens cut Smith earlier this month in order to save roughly $2.6MM against the 2016 cap. Smith, who joined the Ravens for the 2013 season after spending nine years in Jacksonville, hasn’t missed a game in his three years in Baltimore, starting the last 48 regular-season games for the club. In 2015, he racked up 121 tackles to go along with three sacks and an interception.

FA Rumors: Upshaw, Cowboys, Hall, Dansby, Mays

March 16th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw will meet with the Jets on Thursday, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Upshaw has made 64 straight regular-season appearances (51 starts) since Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 26-year-old recorded 51 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. In terms of overall performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Upshaw 84th out of 110 qualifying edge defenders for his work during the 2015-16 campaign. He was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

The latest on some other unsigned players around the NFL:

  • Linebacker Karlos Dansby, whom the Browns released Wednesday, would like to join the Cardinals, Bengals or Packers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” he said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.” Notably, Dansby started his career in Arizona as a second-round pick in 2004 and piled up 25.5 sacks before leaving at the close of the 2009 season.
  • The Cowboys aren’t working toward a deal with Wednesday visitor Leon Hall, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The veteran cornerback has thus far spent his entire career with the Bengals since they chose him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Hall started in four of 14 appearances last season, picked off two passes, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best corner (111 qualifiers). Like Upshaw, Hall also earned an honorable mention from PFR before free agency.
  • Even though Hall to the Cowboys doesn’t exactly appear imminent, they are working on a deal with restricted free agent Benson Mayowa, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. The Raiders gave Mayowa, a defensive end, an original-round tender. As a former undrafted free agent, that means they won’t get any compensation for him if they decide against matching a hypothetical offer. Mayowa, 25 in August, has accrued 30 appearances (three starts) and two sacks during his three-year career.
  • The Bengals “have made good progress” on a contract with Taylor Mays, writes Geoff Hobson of their official website. Mays is scheduled to miss the first four games of next season because of a suspension. Nevertheless, Cincinnati wants him back as a nickel linebacker to replace Emmanuel Lamur – who signed with the Vikings – Hobson notes. Mays spent 2011-14 with the Bengals before joining the Raiders last season.
  • Linebacker O’Brien Schofield took to social media Wednesday to discuss his future. “By no means have I counted the Falcons out but I’m waiting for the right opportunity for my family and I. It’s a business so I’m patient,” Schofield tweeted. The 28-year-old signed with Atlanta last offseason and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts). Schofield said last week that he and the Falcons “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract.”

Free Agent Rumors: Saints, Fleener, Falcons

March 9th, 2016 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

A deal between tight end Ladarius Green and the Steelers remains imminent, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. The Saints were looking at the athletic tight end as well, but they’ll now turn their attention to Coby Fleener. Fleener is available and less likely to be retained by the Colts after they signed Dwayne Allen to a hefty new contract.

Here are the latest free agent rumors on what has been a crazy day:

  • After adding one of the league’s top centers in Alex Mack, Gino Gradkowski is not expected to be retained by the Falcons, according to a source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Jets are exploring the market for offensive lineman, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Mehta reports that New York did its homework on tackle Donald Stephenson before he agreed to terms with the Broncos, and adds that J.R. Sweezy is worth keeping an eye on as a Jets target.
  • Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida confirms (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers are likely moving on from cornerback Sterling Moore, as first reported by JoeBucsFan.com.
  • After receiving a low-end tender from the Broncos, RFA running back C.J. Anderson has generated interest from “multiple” teams, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Denver has the right to match any offer sheet Anderson signs, but won’t receive compensation if he leaves.
  • The market for Ravens outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw is “not exactly wild,” tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Upshaw may ultimately return to Baltimore, though the Colts are worth monitoring — Indianapolis’ new defensive coordinator is Upshaw’s former linebackers coach, Ted Monachino.

AFC North Notes: Gordon, Richardson, Rice

September 20th, 2014 at 2:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

Josh Gordon recently had his season-long ban reduced to ten games, and both he and the team are grateful of the new ruling, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.

Browns‘ general manager Ray Farmer released a statement:

“We are aware of the new NFL policy related to the reduction of Josh Gordon’s suspension to 10 games. We will continue to support and work with him under the NFL guidelines throughout this process. Our team’s focus right now remains on preparing for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.”

Gordon also released a statement through the NFLPA:

“I”m happy that the NFLPA and NFL worked hard to agree on a new Substances of Abuse policy. I”m very thankful to my union for fighting for a significant reduction in my suspension. I”m glad I can go to the facility during my suspension. I look forward to going to meetings, working out individually, and learning from my coaches and teammates. I can”t wait until game 11 to get back on the field!”

Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:

  • Yesterday, the Colts were lamenting the long term effects of the Trent Richardson trade. The Browns, on the other hand, are reaping the benefits, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Just one year later, the Browns, while not perfect, are progressing as an organization, highlighted by last week’s win over the Saints. The 0-2 Colts have a top heavy roster that seems to be crumbling around Andrew Luck, and while they ran the ball well against the Eagles last week, Richardson fumbled twice.
  • Ravens‘ linebacker Courtney Upshaw was fined $16,537 for a hit he put on Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Upshaw will appeal the fine.
  • The Ravens have already denied the accuracy of the report on how the team and the NFL handled the domestic violence case against Ray Rice, and ESPN did trip over itself in reporting incident. Bob Ley of Outside the Lines misreported that the team had actually received a copy of the tape, and then backtracked to say they had received an account of what transpired. This hurts the overall credibility of the report, writes David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun.