Derrick Johnson (LB) - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Carrie, Foster, Johnson, Tags

February 17th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the top wide receivers expected to be available on this year’s UFA market may not be locks to leave their previous teams. The Jaguars and Rams face decisions on Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins, respectively, and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com expects both wideouts to be franchise-tagged by the March deadline. The Jags have both Robinson and Marqise Lee as free agent WRs, and Robinson has posted the best season of any wideout in this UFA class. But the 24-year-old pass-catcher’s 2015 campaign (80 receptions, 1,400 yards, 14 touchdown catches) thus far serves as the outlier, and Robinson didn’t have a chance to rebound from a lesser 2016 slate (73/883/6) — albeit with a worse Blake Bortles showing that year — on it after going down in Week 1.

Watkins being tagged would be notable since the Rams also have Lamarcus Joyner as a tag candidate. Joyner may be the best safety on the market, if he reaches free agency. The Rams also have an Aaron Donald contract to prepare for, so it’s a complicated offseason for the reigning NFC West champs. The receiver tag is expected to come in at $16.2MM, and Watkins’ L.A. work thus far would not justify that price. That could also complicate matters for the Jags, who have Bortles’ fifth-year number of $19MM set to vest come March. A Robinson tag would add a considerable figure to the Jacksonville payroll.

As teams continue to prepare for the Combine and free agency, here’s the latest from around the league.

Derrick Johnson confirmed on Instagram he will not be back with the Chiefs next season. This news emerged earlier this week and will conclude a 13-season run for Johnson, who will end his Kansas City career as one of the franchise’s best defenders. However, Johnson wants to play a 14th season. The 35-year-old linebacker may have regressed a bit but could be an interesting fit for a linebacker-needy team on a one-year deal.
The 49ers spoke to Reuben Foster in person and by phone this week, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports. The linebacker is being investigated for an alleged domestic violence incident, leading to his second arrest of the offseason, that occurred last weekend.
Despite his Raiders contract having expired, T.J. Carrie met with the new Silver and Black coaching staff this week, Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Carrie functioned as a full-time starter with Oakland last season. The Raiders released David Amerson earlier this month and could well move on from Sean Smith free of charge soon. Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 corner in 2017, Carrie is coming off his best season and would be an interesting name to on the market. But the former seventh-round pick told Kawahara he would like to stay with the Raiders. “I’m a hometown kid. I’m a Bay Area kid. I couldn’t see myself being anywhere else than Oakland,” Carrie said. “… I’ve loved and I’ve dreamed of playing for the Raiders for such a long time. And now that I’ve had the opportunity to play there for four years, I want to finish there.”
The Lions hired Erik Kunttu to run their video operations department, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com notes. This hire proves interesting because it adds to an unusual pipeline. Counting Matt Patricia, there are now seven members of the 2018 Lions’ staff who were on the 2001 Syracuse staff, per Meinke. Patricia spent three seasons serving as an offensive graduate assistant at the then-Big East program, and then-Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni will join Patricia in guiding the Detroit defense.

Chiefs To Allow Derrick Johnson To Reach Free Agency

February 13th, 2018 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will allow Derrick Johnson to become a free agent this offseason, the club announced on Tuesday morning. A return is not explicitly ruled out, but it is heavily implied in the press release that the linebacker will not be back with the team in 2018.

“Few players in recent history have meant more to the Chiefs franchise and the Kansas City community than Derrick Johnson,” Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said. “His tireless work ethic and passion for the game made him one of the most productive defensive players to ever wear a Chiefs uniform and one of the most respected players both in our locker room and around the league. Over the last 13 seasons, Derrick represented himself and the Chiefs organization with integrity and class, and he will always be a part of our Chiefs family.”

Johnson, 35, is the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, with 1,262 career stops to his credit over 13 seasons with the Chiefs. Since entering the league as a first round pick in 2005, Johnson has appeared in 182 games with 169 starts. He’s also earned four Pro Bowl nods, plus a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2011.

“I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs organization my entire career,” Johnson said. “I’d like to thank the Hunt family, my coaches, teammates and the staff for the tremendous amount of support I received over the years. I love Kansas City and this fan base, they’ve always had my back. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to spend 13 years in a place I love. I plan on playing for several more years because I love this game so much, but I look forward to retiring as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs when my career is over. I’ll miss my Chiefs teammates – we made a lot of big plays together over the years – and I wish them the best in bringing a championship home to the best and loudest fans in the NFL.”

Johnson’s deal was set to void when free agency opened up on March 14 as part of his restructured deal that he agreed to last offseason that dealt him a pay cut. The Chiefs will still owe Johnson $2.25 million in dead money after his contract is officially voided.

Last season, Johnson earned a 77.3 overall score from Pro Football Focus, which placed him as the 33rd best linebacker in the NFL. Johnson is no longer a world-beater, but he can still be a quality piece for a 3-4 team in need of veteran reinforcement. Johnson posted 48 tackles last season, the second-lowest mark for a season in which he’s appeared in at least 10 games.

Reggie Ragland played in 12 games at middle linebacker last season for the Chiefs. Kevin Pierre-Louis, who appeared in 14 games, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

AFC Rumors: Patriots, Johnson, Browns

May 14th, 2017 at 6:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

An interesting what-if scenario emerged after the Patriots signed center David Andrews to a three-year extension. The UDFA success story, though, may have seen his Patriots path unfold differently if the team’s most recent draft had gone in another direction. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports the Pats came close to drafting Indiana interior lineman Dan Feeney in the third round, but the Chargers stepped in and made the decision to bring the ex-Hoosiers blocker to Los Angeles with the No. 71 overall pick. New England, which held the No. 72 choice, then traded down and ended up selecting Youngstown State defensive end Derek Rivers at No. 83. Reiss notes Andrews’ three-year extension may not have come to fruition if Feeney was in the fold.

Here’s more from the AFC.

More from the defending champions: their recent extension for Super Bowl hero James White comes with some incentives that may be difficult to reach. White’s three-year, $12MM extension can max out at $15MM via playing-time and accomplishment bumps. White can earn $250K extra per season by playing in 50 percent of the Pats’ offensive snaps, with another $250K available to him if he suits up for 60 percent of their plays, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. Should White gain 1,000 total yards in a season, he would earn a $250K bonus. Another $250K would come his way if he gains 1,200 yards in a campaign. However, the 25-year-old Wisconsin product amassed a career-high 717 yards from scrimmage last season — one that mostly didn’t feature a healthy Dion Lewis. Plus, the Pats brought in Mike Gillislee and Rex Burkhead this offseason and could still have LeGarrette Blount in the fold after being the first team in 17 years to use the May 9 tender. White has maxed out at 38 percent of the Pats’ plays, so eclipsing 50 or 60 percent will be difficult going forward.
A training camp return remains the goal for 13th-year Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson. The inside ‘backer said Sunday from a NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway, per Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star, he’s still on track to be ready by camp. “I’ll go back Texas after we break OTAs, get my body right,” the 34-year-old Johnson said. “That’s the plan. Be ready for camp.” Johnson has now suffered two severe Achilles injuries in a three-season period. The Chiefs did not draft a linebacker until Round 5 (Ukeme Eligwe out of Georgia Southern), and although Johnson accepted a paycut this offseason, the Chiefs are still counting on him to return to his post on their starting defense.
Jabrill Peppers missed the first day of Browns rookie minicamp by not signing a participation waiver, which lets rookies practice without having signed their contract. The rookie safety could not be drug tested until he did. However, the Michigan product did sign it and joined his first-year peers on Saturday and said the delay did not stem from any attempt to avoid a drug test. “I don’t know why you think of me like that, but everyone is entitled to an opinion,” Peppers said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Peppers will enter Stage 1 of the NFL’s drug program after a diluted sample resulted in a failed drug test at the Combine.

Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Accepts Paycut

March 17th, 2017 at 8:56am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs have worked out contract restructures with linebacker Derrick Johnson and fullback Anthony Sherman, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com.

Johnson, 34, was previously scheduled to earn $4.75MM in 2017 base salary and could have made an additional $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. Instead, he’s agreed to reduce his base salary to a fully guaranteed $1MM, and will also earn a $1MM signing bonus. In sum, the cap-strapped Chiefs were able to use leverage against Johnson — who tore his Achilles last season — in order to create roughly $4.25MM in cap space.

Sherman, meanwhile, will see his base salary drop from $1.55MM to a fully guaranteed $1MM, per Yates. Additionally, his previous per-game roster bonuses of $12,500 have been slashed in half, and are now worth only $6,250 per contest. In total, the move creates about $550K in cap space for the Chiefs.

Extra Points: Chiefs, Colts, Garoppolo, Manziel

February 4th, 2017 at 7:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derrick Johnson is optimistic he’ll be ready to suit up for Chiefs training camp in July, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports. The former All-Pro is coming off his second torn Achilles’ tendon in three years and will turn 35 this year. Still, the inside linebacker’s return revitalized the 2015 Kansas City defense, and the Chiefs missed his presence against the Steelers after he went down in December. Johnson plans to play out the final two years of the three-year, $21MM deal he signed last year.

“I’m trying to win the Super Bowl, so my obligation is two more years and I want to do everything I can to make an impact to help [Chiefs chairman] Clark Hunt and the people that brought me here to win a Super Bowl,” Johnson said, via Paylor. “I’m not that guy trying to hold on. I really want to make an impact. If I see I’m hurting the team, that’s when I’ll have to think like ‘OK, that’s it.”

The Chiefs held out several starters in their previous training camp, so Johnson surmounting a second Achilles malady to suit up by July could be pushing it.

Let’s take a look at the latest from around the league on Super Bowl eve.

Pat McAfee‘s early retirement leaves the Colts without the NFL’s yards-per-punt leader in 2016. But the team could ask for $400K of the retired punter’s $1MM signing bonus he received as part of a five-year, $14.5MM contract, Mike Wells of ESPN.com notes. This would be somewhat interesting if they did go after that rather modest sum, considering, as Wells notes, the Seahawks didn’t pursue Marshawn Lynch‘s $5MM bonus when he retired last year. The Colts clear $2.8MM in cap space in 2017 and $2.7MM in ’18 because of McAfee’s retirement. The Colts haven’t placed McAfee on the reserve/retired list because the 29-year-old specialist hasn’t submitted retirement papers yet.
A Jimmy Garoppolo trade would involve the passer agreeing to a new contract, CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora tweets in an effort to remind that the backup has some leverage here. The Browns and Bears have been pondering Garoppolo pursuits. The Patriots‘ backup quarterback has one season remaining on his deal.
Johnny Manziel‘s comeback has elicited disparate responses from NFL personnel men. “I don’t think anyone will touch him,” one personnel man told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. An anonymous GM believes one team will give the embattled quarterback a chance. Another GM added the return bid would be “unlikely, but you never know. It would be tough as a starter. Quality backup level.” Manziel plans to submit to drug testing before re-entering the league.
Former Jaguars linebackers coach Robert Saleh could land with the 49ers or Chargers, a source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Saleh worked under Gus Bradley dating back to the pair’s years with the Texans, who also employed Kyle Shanahan during Saleh’s stay in Houston.
The Chiefs are looking to upgrade at quarterback after a loss in the divisional round for a second straight season.

Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Done For Season

December 17th, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

TODAY, 11:50am: As expected, the Chiefs have placed Johnson on the injured reserve (via Terez A. Paylor on Twitter).

DECEMBER 9th, 9:27am: Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson has suffered a ruptured Achilles, coach Andy Reid told reporters on Thursday night. The injury, of course, will end Johnson’s season and the team will place him on IR.

This isn’t Johnson’s first experience with a torn Achilles. He suffered the same injury back in 2014 and missed the majority of the season as a result. The good news is that he rebounded well, starting all 16 games in 2015 and totaling 116 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. For his efforts, he was ranked as the No. 8 linebacker in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

Johnson has been halted in the middle of another strong campaign – he is rated No. 21 amongst NFL linebackers by PFF with a top five grade for his coverage abilities. Now, the Chiefs will probably turn to 2015 fifth-round pick D.J. Alexander as a stand-in. Johnson will be sorely missed, but the good news is that the Chiefs’ D was able to hang on after losing him as they sealed a 21-13 win over the Raiders.

Johnson is tied with punter Dustin Colquitt as KC’s longest-tenured player. He signed a three-year, $21MM deal to stay with the Chiefs this offseason, so he should be under contract through the 2018 season.

Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson Not Considering Retirement

December 9th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite suffering a torn Achilles on Thursday night, Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson doesn’t have any plans to retire, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “I will play again,” said Johnson, who does plan to undergo surgery to repair the injury.

Not only does Johnson intend to return next season, he plans to fulfill the rest of the three-year, $21MM deal he signed prior this spring. “I have two years on my deal and I intend to finish them out strong,” Johnson told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). In 2017, Johnson is due a base salary of $4.75MM ($2MM of which is guaranteed), a roster bonus of $1MM, and a workout bonus of $250K. His cap charge is $7.75MM in 2017 before increasing to $9.75MM in 2018.

As such, the Chiefs could conceivably save as much as $4MM on next year’s cap by releasing Johnson with a post-June 1 designation. However, that scenario is unlikely, given that Kansas City is would still carry $3.75MM in dead money if they cut Johnson. Additionally, the 34-year-old Johnson is viewed as a leader of the Chiefs’ defense, and is still quite effective — Johnson has graded as the league’s No. 21 linebacker this season with a top-five rank for his coverage abilities, according to Pro Football Focus.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, too, offered positive words on Johnson, and indicated that the veteran linebacker would return next season, as Paylor writes in a full article. “I want him around here — I don’t want him going anywhere,” Reid said. “I want him to hang around, do his rehab and get himself back to where he can play. But in the meantime, he can work on a little coaching there with some of our young guys.”

AFC Contract Details: L. Miller, D. Johnson, Woods

March 14th, 2016 at 10:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are several of the latest contract details from around the AFC on recently agreed-upon and signed deals. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…

Lamar Miller, RB (Texans): Four years, $26MM. $14.5MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 16. $750K in annual per-game active roster bonuses in 2018 and 2019 (all Twitter links).
Derrick Johnson, ILB (Chiefs): Three years, $21MM. $9.75MM guaranteed. $5.25MM signing bonus. $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses in 2017 (Twitter link).
Al Woods, DT (Titans): Three years, $10.5MM. $5MM guaranteed. $2.25MM signing bonus. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Prince Amukamara, CB (Jaguars): One year, $5.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $500K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Rod Streater, WR (Chiefs): One year, $810K. $110K guaranteed. $10K signing bonus. $1MM in incentives based on touchdowns, catches, and yards (Twitter link).
Kellen Davis, TE (Jets): One year, minimum salary benefit. $230K guaranteed. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
Jamell Fleming, DB (Chiefs): One year, minimum salary benefit. $40K signing bonus. $40K first-game 53-man roster bonus (Twitter link).

Chiefs Re-Sign Derrick Johnson

March 10th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

THURSDAY, 5:15pm: Johnson’s third contract with the Chiefs is official, according to the team’s website.

WEDNESDAY, 6:37pm: A day after locking up longtime defensive stalwart Tamba Hali, the Chiefs will bring back another franchise icon. The club will re-sign middle linebacker Derrick Johnson to a three-year, $21MM deal, he told ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

“Just agreed to it,” Johnson said (Twitter link via Anderson).

Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reported earlier that a deal was imminent (on Twitter).

A Chief since they drafted him 15th overall in 2005, Johnson had a magnificent bounce-back year last season after missing nearly all of 2014 with a torn Achilles. The ex-Texas Longhorn started 16 games for the sixth time in his career and totaled 116 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles, and ranked eighth out of 97 qualifying linebackers at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 33-year-old also made his fourth Pro Bowl.

Entering free agency, PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Johnson as the 46th-best player available and No. 4 inside linebacker, behind Danny Trevathan, Jerrell Freeman, and Rolando McClain. Trevathan and McClain have since signed with the Bears and Cowboys, respectively.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Derrick Johnson

March 9th, 2016 at 2:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs are negotiating to keep veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). For his part, Johnson says his agent has only spoken with Kansas City, but per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link), Johnson’s rep has in fact talked with other clubs.

“It’s heating up,” Johnson told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “It’s going to come down to the wire.” Johnson did add that he’s more optimistic now that he’ll be able to reach a deal to remain with the Chiefs for a 12th consecutive year.

Johnson, 33, hasn’t been linked to any other clubs, but the Chiefs have reportedly been “poking around” fellow free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman as possible replacement in case Johnson departs. Johnson ranked as PFR’s No. 46 overall free agent and No. 4 inside linebacker, behind Danny Trevathan, Freeman, and Roland McClain, the latter of whom has already re-signed with the Cowboys.

In his 11th season with Kansas City, Johnson started all 16 games just one season after missing nearly the entire year with a torn Achilles. He posted 95 tackles, four sacks, and two interceptions, grading out as the league’s eighth-best linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.

The Chiefs have already retained one veteran defender, agreeing to a three-year deal with Tamba Hali yesterday.