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Dominique Easley

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/17

May 4th, 2017 at 9:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • Defensive tackle Dominique Easley signed his restricted free agent tender with the Rams today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Easley was tendered at the original round level, which means he’ll earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM for 2017. Because Easley is a former first-round pick, any club that signed him to an offer sheet would have had to be willing to sacrifice a first-round pick. Clearly, no team was interested in such a move, so Easley will return to Los Angeles next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
  • The Seahawks have waived running back Kelvin Taylor, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Taylor, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. During his rookie campaign, Taylor spent time on the practice squads of both the Seahawks and the 49ers, and was on Seattle’s active roster for one week in December. The Florida alum is the son of former NFL running back Fred Taylor.
  • The Vikings announced that they’ve waived defensive end Sterling Bailey and offensive tackle Marquis Lucas. Bailey, 24, went undrafted in 2016 and has already been with the Colts and Seahawks in addition to the Vikings. Lucas was also originally a UDFA who signed with Buffalo after last year’s draft before ending the season on Minnesota’a practice squad. Neither Bailey nor Lucas has appeared in an NFL contest.
  • The Broncos have waived defensive end Iosia Iosia, wide receiver Mekale McKay, and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. None of the three have any NFL experience, as both McKay and Overbaugh were signed to futures deals in January, while Iosia latched onto the Broncos’ practice squad at the end of last season.
  • After signing 21 undrafted free agents earlier this week, the Falcons have added another UDFA in Miami linebacker Jermaine Grace, the club announced today. Grace didn’t see the field in 2016, as he was dismissed from the Hurricanes squad following an investigation into Grace’s link to a luxury car rental agency.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/17

March 7th, 2017 at 7:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

Extra Points: Ramsey, Jags, Sanders, Loadholt

June 25th, 2016 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Jaguars fans everywhere were scared earlier this offseason, when reports indicated that fifth overall selection Jalen Ramsey would require a knee operation — having already dealt with losing 2015 third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. to an ACL tear, Jacksonville held its collective breath awaiting further updates on Ramsey. Luckily, Ramsey is now expected to return by training camp, a sentiment that Ramsey himself confirmed today, telling Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times Union (Twitter links) that he isn’t experiencing any physical limitations. Ramsey, who is expected to play cornerback in Gus Bradley’s defense, says he felt comfortable with the Jaguars’ defensive scheme throughout the draft process, and feels even more locked in now that he’s continued to learn.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Entering the final year of his contract, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders seemingly isn’t worried about his ongoing contract negotiations with the Broncos, as he explains to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “I don’t think it weighs on me,” said Sanders. “I think it weighs on other people and then they talk about and it’s like, ‘All right, you’re trying to put the weight on me.’ If I could just keep my ears closed and not listen to the noise, I wouldn’t even know this is a contract year.” Sanders reportedly exchanged contract figures with Denver management last week.
  • Tackle Phil Loadholt is a possible cap casualty if he doesn’t win the Vikings‘ right tackle job, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While free agent signee Andre Smith secured $1MM guaranteed on his one-year contract with the club, Loadholt doesn’t have any guaranteed money left after he restructured his deal earlier this year. Loadholt is reportedly progressing well in his recovery from a 2015 Achilles tear, but Minnesota’s offensive line has so much depth that it’s hard to see him making the final roster unless Smith is the one who gets cut (which could be an option, notes Goessling).
  • Locker room issues apparently played a part in Dominique Easley‘s release from the Patriots earlier this year, and former first-round pick doesn’t sound all that interested in changing that perception now that he’s joined the Rams. “I wouldn’t say it’s (among) my main goals, because (being a great person is) just who I am,” Easley said of his rumored off-field problems on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Facebook link). “But, yeah, there’s been obviously stuff said about me. I mean, we don’t know where it came from. Obviously, the person doesn’t want to come out and say it, either.”

West Notes: Bosa, Baldwin, Lynch, Easley

May 20th, 2016 at 8:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Everyone gets excited about rookies, but it’s not fair to compare Chargers newcomer Joey Bosa to superstar J.J. Watt, Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego writes. Bosa, who was ranked as the top player in the entire draft by some outlets, should provide the Bolts with an instant boost and a long-term staple in the front seven. Still, no NFL neophyte should be expected to keep pace with a four-time Pro Bowler and the league’s most feared defensive force, Krasovic argues.

Let’s take a spin around the rest of the NFL’s two West divisions…

  • During an appearance on the NFL Network, Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin indicated that contract talks could begin soon. “Not yet,’’ Baldwin said when asked if contract talks have begun (link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). “We’re going to be talking here shortly, at least that’s what I’ve been told. We’ll see how it goes. Of course, I’m not worried about it. I’m here working out with my teammates trying to get better for this upcoming season.’’ Condotta writes that conventional wisdom would dictate that the veteran could get at least $8MM/year on a new deal, which would rank him among the top 20 highest-paid receivers in the NFL. As it stands, Baldwin will be playing on a $4MM base salary in 2016, the final year of his three-year, $13MM deal signed in 2014.
  • Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch hasn’t yet signed his rookie contract, but his agent Leigh Steinberg tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that he intends on “getting [the deal] done quickly.” Thanks to the new CBA, rookie signings are a relative breeze, as contracts are essentially slotted values. Lynch should be in line for a four-year deal worth about $9.59MM, with the requisite fifth-year option attached.
  • Dominique Easley‘s one-year deal with the Rams is a minimum salary deal worth $600K with no guarantees, incentives, or bonuses, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The Patriots had offset language in Easley’s Patriots contract, but the Pats still owe him ~$484K and the team will receive a $600K cap credit in 2017 (link). Easley also has a split salary of $363k if he gets hurt and spends the season on IR (link).
  • Former Oregon quarterback Vernon Adams worked out with the Seahawks and Redskins after going undrafted, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be starting an NFL career anytime soon. The Montreal Alouttes have acquired Adams’ rights from the BC Lions in exchange for a first-round pick, and Adams is set to report to the CFL, according to Marvez (Twitter link). Adams will sign a deal this weekend, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Rams Sign Dominique Easley

May 18th, 2016 at 4:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

WEDNESDAY, 4:21pm: Easley’s signing is now official. Los Angeles waived linebacker Kache Palacio to make room for Easley on its 90-man roster, Nick Waggoner of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 6:35pm: The Rams and free agent defensive lineman Dominique Easley have agreed to a one-year deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). It didn’t take long for the Rams-Easley union to materialize, as the 24-year-old worked out for the team earlier Tuesday.

Easley, whom the Patriots selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft, is the fifth member of the Rams defensive line who has a "<strongfirst-round pedigree, joining Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and fellow offseason free agent pickup Quinton Coples.

Despite New England’s significant investment in Easley, it moved on from the 285-pounder earlier this offseason after the two sides reportedly butted heads over “philosophical differences on following injury programs.”

Easley had difficulty staying healthy his first two years in the NFL, missing 10 of a possible 32 regular-season games because of various injuries to his hip, knee and ankle. Easley also tore his ACL at the University of Florida, but that didn’t stop the Patriots from spending a high pick on him. One former Pats teammate referred to Easley as a “locker room cancer,” though, and a team source told the Boston Globe that Easley “comes across as an entitled kid” who “thinks he’s invincible.” Moreover, Easley is currently facing a lawsuit in Palm Beach County from a man who alleges that the defender’s dog bit him.

On the field, Easley has 25 career tackles and three sacks to his credit. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave him a terrific grade for his 2015 performance. His presence in Los Angeles should help make up for the departure of Nick Fairley, who appeared in 15 games with the Rams last year before leaving as a free agent to join the Saints.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Notes: Belichick, Easley, Brady

May 18th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Bill Belichick sees a “strong trend” in the NFL with hybrid defensive players, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. This year, the Patriots followed that trend when they selected Kamu Grugier-Hill of Eastern Illinois in the sixth-round, a player who played linebacker in college but could play safety in the NFL. Bill Belichick (vertical)

“I think that you are definitely seeing a strong trend in the league towards corners that play safety or corner-type athletes that play safety, bigger safeties that play linebacker. Both of those are trends,” Belichick said during the draft.

At 6’2″ and 215 pounds, Grugier-Hill is on the bigger side for a safety but light for a linebacker in the team’s base defense. The Patriots wil likely move him between both positions, depending on their needs throughout the season and during each drive.

Here’s more out of New England:

  • The Patriots have offset language on Dominique Easley’s $1.084MM salary, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (Twitter links) points out. The Patriots now only owe Easley the difference between that figure and what the Rams pay him. The minimum salary for Easley is $600K, so at most, the Patriots will owe him roughly $484K.
  • If Tom Brady and the NFLPA successfully get U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to give them another hearing, then the quarterback will likely avoid any suspension for the 2016 season as the legal proceedings drag on. However, even if the Second Circuit denies the petition, the Pats QB still has a path by which he can further delay his suspension, Mike Florio of PFT writes. The first step then would be for Brady to ask the Second Circuit for a stay of the suspension while an appeal to the Supreme Court is prepared. If that request is denied, Brady would present the question of whether the suspension will be stayed not to the Supreme Court justice assigned to the Second Circuit, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. If Ginsburg were to issue a stay, Brady would not be suspended until 2017, at the earliest.
  • Earlier this week, Dwight Freeney told Peter King of The MMQB that he would not rule out joining up with the Patriots.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams To Work Out Dominique Easley

May 17th, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Patriots first-round pick Dominique Easley is working out for the Rams today, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Easley was waived by the Pats back in March and has been looking for employment ever since. Dominique Easley (Featured)

Easley, 24, was selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft by the Patriots, despite the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL at the time. Although he made it back to the field for his rookie season, he was limited to just 11 games, and played in only 11 more in 2015, having been plagued by hip, knee, and ankle issues.

Before he landed on injured reserve in December of 2015, Easley picked up 15 tackles and two sacks in his sophomore NFL season, and received a solid Pro Football Focus grade. Given his decent play when he was healthy, his first-round pedigree, and the fact that he still had guaranteed money remaining on his contract, Easley’s release came as a bit of a surprise, despite his injury woes.

Reportedly, there wasn’t one incident that led to Easley’s release, but rather a confluence of factors. Easley and the team reportedly butted heads over “philosophical differences on following injury programs.” The defensive tackle is also facing a lawsuit in Palm Beach County from a man alleging that he was bit by Easley’s dog and that might not be the only dog-related lawsuit in the pipeline.

According to one report, multiple sources have labeled the 24-year-old as “unreliable and immature,” and an unnamed former teammate referred to him as a “locker room cancer.” One team source told The Boston Globe that Easley built a pretty disastrous reputation for himself during his time in New England.

“I think he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He comes across as an entitled kid. He reneges on everything. He thinks he’s invincible.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest on Dominique Easley

May 7th, 2016 at 9:13am CST by Ben Levine

The market for former first-round pick Dominique Easley is seemingly heating up. Following reports last week that the Falcons were eyeing the former Patriots defensive lineman, several more teams have recently expressed interest. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that Easley has already had a couple workouts with teams, including a visit with the Bengals.

The 29th-overall pick in the 2014 draft was surprisingly waived by the Patriots in mid-April. Later reports indicated that the move was due to “philosophical differences on following injury programs.” The 24-year-old did struggle to stay healthy in New England, although the Patriots knew these concerns when they drafted Easley despite a torn ACL.

Other reports indicated that the release could be attributed to a lawsuit regarding Easley’s dog, while others have reported that the defender was “unreliable and immature,” as well as a “locker room cancer.” For what it’s worth, one of his former teammates expressed hope for the University of Florida product, noting Easley’s work ethic.

Easley has played in 11 games in each of his two seasons in the league, compiling a combined 25 tackles, three sacks, and one interception.

Falcons Have Talked To Dominique Easley

April 21st, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said he’s spoken with free agent defensive tackle Dominique Easley, but no signing appears imminent, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Quinn coached Easley at Florida, so the connection makes some sense on the surface. Easley, of course, was somewhat surprisingly waived by New England last week.Dominique Easley (Featured)

Easley, 24, was selected 29th overall in the 2014 draft by the Patriots, despite the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL at the time. Although he made it back to the field for his rookie season, he was limited to just 11 games, and played in only 11 more in 2015, having been plagued by hip, knee, and ankle issues.

Before he landed on injured reserve in December of 2015, Easley picked up 15 tackles and two sacks in his sophomore NFL season, and received a solid Pro Football Focus grade. Given his decent play when he was healthy, his first-round pedigree, and the fact that he still had guaranteed money remaining on his contract, Easley’s release came as bit of shock, despite his injury woes.

However, later reports indicated that injuries weren’t the only factor that led to Easley’s release. Injury protocols, an outstanding lawsuits, and a penchant for aggressive dogs were all listed as reasons for the split, and locker room issues could have also come into play. Sources said Easley is “unreliable and immature,” and an unnamed former teammate referred to him as a “locker room cancer.” Said one source to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe:“I think he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. He comes across as an entitled kid. He reneges on everything. He thinks he’s invincible.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Cowboys, Wake, Parker, Eagles

April 19th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In an interview on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones identified the pass rush as his club’s top need heading into the draft, as Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. “Ultimately we want to find a dominant type of pass rusher,” Jones said. “Obviously that’s easier said than done.” If Dallas keeps the No. 4 overall pick rather than moving up or down, top pass rushers like Joey Bosa and DeForest Buckner will likely be available, so it will be interesting to see the club’s approach in the draft.

Let’s check out some other updates from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald believes it makes sense for the Dolphins to gauge defensive end Cameron Wake‘s value on the trade market, arguing that not doing so would be “shortsighted.” In Salguero’s view, if Miami can land a second- or third-round pick for the veteran pass rusher, that would be more valuable in the long term for the club than keeping Wake.
  • Former Giants wide receiver Preston Parker, who appeared in two games for Big Blue last season, was arrested in Palm Beach on Monday night for possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana and resisting arrest, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Parker caught 36 balls for the Giants in 2014, but was the cut by the team last September, and this incident won’t help him find a new job.
  • The Eagles are bringing in four veteran free agents for tryouts this week, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Defensive tackle Ken Bishop, fullback Michael Zordich, wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, and wide receiver T.J. Graham will get a look at Philadelphia’s minicamp.
  • Patriots defensive lineman Alan Branch doesn’t agree with the notion that his former teammate Dominique Easley, who was cut by New England last week, was a problem in the locker room, as Chris Mason of the Boston Herald details.
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