HEADLINES

D.J. Swearinger

NFC Rumors: Bucs, Eagles, Washington

May 23rd, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bruce Carter occupies the fifth-highest cap charge for the Buccaneers this season but could play an unfamiliar position for his new team. The Bucs plan to slot the former Cowboys outside linebacker in the middle of their 4-3 alignment, writes Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com.

With the weak-side spot spoken for in All-Pro Lavonte David and versatile Danny Lansanah slated to work at the strong-side position, Carter will attempt to earn his money at a spot he’s rarely played. The former Cowboys second-round pick struggled at outside backer last season, grading well below zero on Pro Football Focus’ scale, but arguably Carter’s best campaign came as an inside performer. The 27-year-old North Carolina product rated adequately on PFF (subscription required) during 11 starts inside in what was then a 3-4 look in Dallas in 2012.

Playing all three second-level spots in Tampa last season, the bulkier Lansanah’s best work came on the strong side — PFF doled out an eye-catching 6.1 grade for his Week 13 work against the Bears — and the soon-to-be-30-year-old former United Football League standout will begin his season there.

Here is some other news from Tampa and other NFC locales.

  • Also from Tampa: newly acquired George Johnson will start his Bucs tenure as a left defensive end, but the team views the ex-Lion as more of a rotational part than starter, according to Laine. But that could mean a workload similar to the 531 snaps Johnson logged in Detroit last season, albeit in an off-the-bench capacity. The team also hopes third-year end William Gholston, a nine-game starter last season, can man the top swing spot, playing both inside and outside up front.
  • Recent waiver claim D.J. Swearinger will have a chance to start, defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier told Laine. The Bucs’ signing of Chris Conte, who struggled at times last year, doesn’t exactly signify a menacing safety corps that prevents upward mobility.
  • With the additions of Brian Mihalik, a seventh-round selection this year, and 2014 Arena Leaguer Frances Mays — an Eagles camp body last season — the Eagles have two 6-foot-9 talents up front, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer. Although he doesn’t expect either to make the 53-man roster of a team that didn’t allocate any funds to free agent defensive linemen, they could profile as practice-squad developmental bastions.
  • Both Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com wonder if Will Compton can supplant Perry Riley as a starting inside backer in Washington. Neither were flashy options last season, per PFF, but the six-year veteran Riley’s started inside for Washington for the past three seasons.

Eight Teams Placed Claims On Swearinger

May 13th, 2015 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers, the team with the top waiver priority this offseason, were awarded D.J. Swearinger on waivers yesterday after the safety was cut on Monday by the Texans. A report earlier today indicated that the Jets also submitted a waiver claim for Swearinger, but Tampa Bay and New York were far from the only clubs involved.

According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), a total of eight teams placed a claim on Swearinger. In addition to the Bucs and Jets, the Jaguars, Raiders, Falcons, Bills, Steelers, and Ravens all put in claims for the former Texan, says Yates. The Browns were also believed to have interest in Swearinger, but they – and perhaps other potential suitors – must have been hoping he’d clear waivers and become a free agent.

Since Swearinger was a second-round pick in 2013, his rookie contract still has two years left on it, and is fairly reasonable, featuring base salaries of about $722K and $881K for 2015 and 2016, respectively. That’s an affordable flier for virtually any NFL team to take, which explains why so many clubs placed waiver claims rather than waiting for Swearinger to become a free agent.

Presumably, those eight teams that put in claims were fonder of Swearinger’s performance in 2014 than Pro Football Focus was, or at least view him as a player who has the potential to improve. According to PFF (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.

While Swearinger drew plenty of interest on waivers, it doesn’t appear that any of those teams were willing to give up anything of real value for him, since the Texans reportedly tried to trade the safety before cutting him.

Free Agent Notes: Arrington, Conner, Davis

May 13th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

It’s not clear if the Browns or Falcons put in a waiver claim for D.J. Swearinger, but both clubs had interest in landing the former Texans safety before he was claimed by the Buccaneers yesterday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. One team that did put in a claim was the Jets, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). None of those clubs could get to Swearinger, however, as Tampa Bay had the No. 1 waiver priority and used it.

While Swearinger didn’t make it to the open market, we have a few updates on players who are currently free agents, or who recently signed contracts with new teams:

  • As the Ravens explore the possibility of adding a cornerback, recently released ex-Patriot Kyle Arrington is “clearly” their top target, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees that the Ravens are in the mix for Arrington, adding that the Panthers are another team to watch.
  • Having already signed Jerome Felton this offseason, the Bills shouldn’t necessarily be in the market for another fullback, but the team is hosting John Conner for a visit today, according to a report from Draft Diamonds. Conner has had multiple stints with the Jets under Rex Ryan, who is fond of his blocking ability and would consider adding “The Terminator” to the roster as a complement to Felton.
  • Tight end Fred Davis, who was a free agent – and serving a suspension – for over a year before signing with the Patriots this week, received a $20K workout bonus and $60K in per-game roster bonuses on his one-year, minimum salary deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Davis’ contract doesn’t include any guaranteed money.
  • As NFL communications rep Randall Liu notes (on Twitter), unrestricted free agents who didn’t receive contract tenders from their former clubs are now free to sign with new teams without having an impact on that team’s compensatory draft pick formula. The NFL moved up this cutoff date from June 1 to May 12 this year, allowing unsigned players a better opportunity to find new homes earlier in the spring.

Bucs Claim D.J. Swearinger

May 12th, 2015 at 4:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have claimed safety D.J. Swearinger off waivers, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Tampa Bay had No. 1 waiver priority and used it to grab the 23-year-old after he was discarded by the Texans.

It was reported last month that Houston was trying to trade Swearinger, on whom it used a second-round pick in 2013. Swearinger, who totaled 145 tackles and three interceptions in 22 starts during the first two years of his career, struggled mightily last season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him 78th out of 87 qualifying safeties after he allowed opposing quarterbacks a 99.2 passer rating against him.

Swearinger’s old contract included roughly $460k in dead money and cap numbers under $1MM for the next two seasons. That was a price tag too rich for Houston, but Tampa Bay is happy to welcome him into the fold.

NFC South Notes: Swearinger, Saints, Jones

May 12th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on a few items from around the NFC South….

  • A handful of NFC South teams are eyeing safety D.J. Swearinger, who was cut yesterday by the Texans and will become a free agent today if he’s not claimed on waivers. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link), the Buccaneers are discussing claiming Swearinger, but there’s only a 50/50 chance they do so. Meanwhile, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer says the Panthers are also considering putting in a claim for the ex-Texan, and Falcons safety William Moore tells ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure that he thinks Swearinger would be a nice fit in Atlanta.
  • The Saints hosted defensive tackle Kevin Williams on a visit, according to Kristian Garic of WWL (on Twitter). The veteran free agent spent last season with the Seahawks after playing in Minnesota for 11 years. Williams isn’t the same player he was when he earned five All-Pro nods with the Vikings between 2004 and 2009, but he can still be an effective piece in the middle of a defensive line.
  • The Falcons are expected to work hard to extend wide receiver Julio Jones before the season gets underway, and the price to do so figures to be upwards of $80MM, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Texans Moving On From D.J. Swearinger

May 11th, 2015 at 3:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

3:03pm: The Texans have released Swearinger, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

8:28am: The Texans and safety D.J. Swearinger are on the cusp of officially parting ways. Swearinger wrote on Instagram early Monday morning that “It’s time for a new chapter,” but it’s unclear as of now whether the Texans have found a trading partner for the 23-year-old or if they will release him.

It was reported last month that Houston was trying to trade Swearinger, on whom it used a second-round pick in 2013. Swearinger, who totaled 145 tackles and three interceptions in 22 starts during the first two years of his career, struggled mightily last season. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him 78th out of 87 qualifying safeties after he allowed opposing quarterbacks a 99.2 passer rating against him.

Swearinger’s contract currently includes roughly $460k in dead money and cap numbers under $1MM for the next two seasons.

Texans Trying To Trade D.J. Swearinger

April 28th, 2015 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Two years after selecting him in the second round of the draft, the Texans are exploring the possibility of trading safety D.J. Swearinger, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle, Texans GM Rick Smith said today that there’s “a lot of information and misinformation out there” at this time of year, and called Swearinger a “really good football player for us,” but never explicitly denied shopping the safety.

As the Chronicle piece notes, Swearinger has surrendered some big plays on the field for the Texans, and has struggled to fit in with the team’s off-field culture. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Swearinger allowed opposing quarterbacks to compile a 99.2 passer rating to go along with five touchdowns on 59 passes into his coverage last season. Overall, he ranked as the league’s 78th-best safety out of 87 qualified players.

The Texans appear to be overhauling the safety position this offseason, with Kendrick Lewis and Danieal Manning both hitting the free agent market. Lewis signed with Baltimore, while Manning remains available. Houston signed former Bronco Rahim Moore in free agency, and could look to add another safety to the mix through the draft, particularly if the team finds a taker for Swearinger.

Swearinger, 23, has about $460K in dead money left on his deal, and would have cap numbers below $1MM for the next two seasons for a new team if he’s traded.