HEADLINES

Dannell Ellerbe

AFC Notes: Houston, Wallace, Broncos

March 11th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the AFC…

  • The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”
  • The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.
  • The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.
  • Defensive end Vance Walker will meet with the Broncos later this week, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Chiefs.

Dolphins Trying To Trade Ellerbe, Wheeler

March 10th, 2015 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

We heard over the weekend that the Dolphins were about to release linebacker Philip Wheeler, and fellow linebacker Dannell Ellerbe has long been viewed as a potential cap casualty as well. For now though, both players remain on Miami’s roster. According to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the reason the Dolphins haven’t cut either player is that the team continues to try to trade both linebackers before the new league year begins.

Of course, technically, trades can’t be finalized until after the new league year gets underway, but I’d expect the Dolphins hope to reach an agreement on a deal by this afternoon and then make it official shortly thereafter.

While Miami may be holding out hope for a taker for one or both of the linebackers, the odds of a deal appear slim. After all, the club’s intention to release Wheeler has already been reported, so it seems unlikely that any team would give up anything of value for a part-time player with a 2015 salary of nearly $3MM. As for Ellerbe, his base salary for the coming year is $8.425MM, and he spent almost the entire 2014 season on injured reserve with a hip injury, so his trade value isn’t exactly through the roof either.

By the sounds of it, the Dolphins are a good bet to move on from both players whether or not they find a suitor on the trade market.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins’ D, McCourty, Idzik

December 14th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, noting that the Dolphins defense is not the consistently stout force that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle claims, took a look at the immediate future of each position in Coyle’s unit this morning. For instance, Jackson writes that defensive tackle Randy Starks is unlikely to return on his current contract, which creates a $6MM cap hit if Starks is on the team, and a $1MM hit if he is not.

Jackson adds that is is “highly questionable” if Miami will pay Jared Odrick what he could make on the open market, and the departures of both Odrick and Starks would force the team to go shopping for a run-stuffer like Dan Williams or Terrance Knighton in free agency. While the defensive end position is more or less set for 2015, Jackson notes that linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will either need to accept a pay cut or be released, and he points out that there is a strong class of free agent corners for the team to pursue as it seeks a reliable starter opposite Brent Grimes.

Now for a few more notes from the AFC East:

  • Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that there is “nothing happening” on an extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty, and that New England is expected to use the franchise tag as major leverage.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that one reason the Patriots might have agreed to a recent extension with Marcus Cannon is that it helps to thaw the team’s relationship with Cannon’s agent, David Dunn, a relationship that soured during the Wes Welker negotiations several seasons ago. Dunn, one of the game’s most successful agents, also represents Nate Solder, who will be a free agent in 2016, and Shane Vereen, who hits free agency after this season.
  • Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Jets GM John Idzik has been involved in the early stages of the team’s head coaching search, and La Canfora wonders if that might be a sign that Idzik’s job is safe. Although owner Woody Johnson could still parts ways with Idzik, particularly if the team lands a big-ticket head coach who wants a different general manager, Idzik’s early involvement and his ties to potential head coaching candidates are positive signs for him.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look at the Jets’ bad fortune in recent years, noting that the team’s worst seasons tend to coincide with fairly weak drafts or drafts with no elite quarterback prospects.
  • In the same piece, Cimini writes that nose tackle Damon Harrison, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets this season, is likely to receive the max tender (which is expected to be higher than 2014’s $3.1MM figure) as he hits restricted free agency.

AFC Mailbags: Tannehill, Bowe, Richardson

December 6th, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting notes from the AFC…

  • Ryan Tannehill‘s fifth-year option is worth $15MM, and James Walker believes the hefty price could prompt the Dolphins to start extension talks with their quarterback this offseason.
  • Walker can’t envision the Dolphins retaining the same linebacker core next season, and he guesses that either Philip Wheeler or Dannell Ellerbe will be a cap casualty.
  • Looking towards the draft, Rich Cimini thinks there’s a possibility that Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will be off the board when it’s the Jets time to pick. The writer suggests the team could instead focus on drafting a wide receiver or cornerback with their first-rounder.
  • Adam Teicher opines that Chiefs wideout Dwayne Bowe is likely playing his final four games with the team. Reversely, he believes linebacker Tamba Hali will ultimately stick around.
  • Mike Wells writes that the Colts will pursue a free agent running back, regardless of how Trent Richardson finishes the season.
  • Michael DiRocco is under the impression that the Jaguars will focus on drafting a pass-rusher with their first-round pick. While some may be hoping for an offensive lineman, the writer says the team could select a solid prospect in the middle rounds.

Dolphins Sign Kelvin Sheppard; Ellerbe To IR

September 8th, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After recording 100 tackles in his first season with the Dolphins, Dannell Ellerbe‘s second year with the team has been prematurely cut short. Head coach Joe Philbin confirmed today that Ellerbe would land on Miami’s season-ending injured reserve list after sustaining a hip injury in the club’s opener against the Patriots (link via James Walker of ESPN.com). The Dolphins will sign linebacker Kelvin Sheppard using the open roster spot vacated by Ellerbe.

Sheppard, 26, spent the 2013 season with the Colts after two years in Buffalo. His best season came in 2012, when he was a starter for the Bills and racked up 80 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest Sheppard has typically fared better against the pass than the run, scoring much better in pass coverage and as a pass rusher than as a run stopper.

As for Ellerbe, his $6MM base salary this year is fully guaranteed, but only a portion of next year’s $8.425MM salary is currently guaranteed, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Whether or not the linebacker returns to Miami for the 2015 season will depend in part on how his recovery goes, but his cap number figures to be considered as well.

Dolphins Links: Tannehill, Pouncey, Ellerbe

July 2nd, 2014 at 10:35pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ryan Tannehill is the 23rd ranked quarterback in the popular piece by Mike Sando of ESPN.com (subscription required) where a group of anonymous league insiders divided the league’s quarterbacks into tiers. That ranking put him near the bottom of the third tier of NFL signal callers. Tannehill needs to find a way to lead this Dolphin team to a winning season, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. Otherwise, his career in Miami might be shorter than expected.

Here are some other notes about the Dolphins:

  • The Dolphins have a number of questions to be answered on offense in 2014 if they want to make a run at the playoffs, writes Ross Devonport of Fox Sports Florida. Devonport wonders if the re-tooled offensive line can keep Tannehill upright, if new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor can lead a more explosive unit, and if Knowshon Moreno will be able to contribute at a similar level as he did with the Broncos last season.
  • A SportsNation Poll on ESPN.com asked how the Dolphins will fare without star center Mike Pouncey if he misses between two and six games to start the season while recovering from hip surgery. Walker reveals the results, showing an optimistic fan base that believe the team can go 2-2 or 3-1 in his absence.
  • The team has moved Dannell Ellerbe from inside linebacker to outside linebacker this offseason, and the position change could bring out more playmaking from Ellerbe, writes Walker. However, the linebackers have underachieved recently, which is a cause for concern.
  • Some notable names could be left off the Dolphins 53-man roster, writes Thomas Galicia of Bleacher Report. Receivers Armon Binns and Damian Williams landed on his list of the last five players off the roster, while receiver Rishard Matthews and running back Marcus Thigpen were among those who squeezed into the last five spots on the roster.

Dolphins Notes: Kouandijo, Hartline, Linebackers, Draft

April 19th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Matt Feminis

With the obligatory, pre-draft, take-with-a-grain-of-salt disclaimer in mind, the Dolphins reportedly have eyes for Alabama right tackle prospect Cyrus Kouandijo with the 19th overall pick, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.

Abramson’s piece included a few Dolphins news nuggets:

  • The team is not as high on Virginia tackle prospect Morgan Moses because of work ethic and off-the-field concerns. This is noteworthy because offensive coordinator Bill Lazor coached Moses for three seasons at UVA (2010-12).
  • The team is likely to go offense with its second-round pick, too, be it a guard or receiver.
  • According to a source, a second-round receiver “would likely mean the departure of receiver Brian Hartline after the 2014 season.” Releasing Hartline after next year would save $4MM.
  • Abramson quelled speculation the team will take Alabama inside linebacker C.J. Mosley: “Miami is planning to move Koa Misi from strong-side linebacker to middle linebacker. Dannell Ellerbe, who struggled last season, would move from the middle to the weak side. Philip Wheeler, who also had a sub-par year, would move from weak-side to strong-side linebacker.”
  • Ellerbe ($7.4MM cap hit) and Wheeler ($4.4MM) are candidates to be cut after the season with “minimal cap consequences if they don’t perform well in 2014.”
  • The team is high on Alabama defensive lineman Ed Stinson, a stout run defender who would be a mid-round option.