Donald Penn

West Notes: Raiders, Garnett, Broncos

August 5th, 2017 at 8:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Donald Penn appears to be dug in on his holdout from Raiders camp. The Pro Bowl left tackle has scheduled some workouts in St. Louis with Hall of Fame tackle Orlando Pace, Steve Wyche of NFL.com reports, perhaps an indication Penn doesn’t expect to report to Napa, Calif., anytime soon. Penn spent recent time working out with another Rams Hall of Fame tackle in Jackie Slater but did so in southern California. The 34-year-old left tackle wants to be paid top-10 money at his position and has been absent from Raiders camp for over a week. Reggie McKenzie refused to address his left tackle’s contract publicly, but Oakland is now working with two new tackle starters — Marshall Newhouse and Vadal Alexander — after cutting Austin Howard and observing Penn hold out. The 11th-year player has never missed a regular-season game but will continue to push for more money. Penn signed a two-year, $14MM deal — one that will pay him $5.8MM in base salary this season — last year.

Here’s more from Oakland and other Western-division camps.

Malcolm Smith‘s pectoral injury dealt a significant blow to the 49ers defense, but their offense won’t have the services of Joshua Garnett for a while. The second-year guard is expected to miss a “period of time” because of a knee injury Kyle Shanahan said could require surgery. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com reports the 2016 first-round guard is not believed to have damaged his ACL, but his chances of competing for a starting job appear to be over during camp. Brandon Fusco and Zane Beadles are now working as San Francisco’s first-team guards. Shanahan described the uncertainty around Garnett by saying he “hoped” the interior lineman could help the team this season, via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
Raiders backup safety Keith McGill suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot Saturday and will have surgery, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. McGill’s status for Week 1 is uncertain, but he will miss the rest of training camp, Gehlken writes. A former cornerback, McGill is entering his fourth season and is a consistent special teams presence for Oakland. He and Obi Melifonwu are expected to be the second-string safeties.
Broncos camp still has a ways to go, but Vance Joseph has identified his punt returner already. Five-foot-7 Isaiah McKenzie won the job, the first-year coach said, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Although Joseph views McKenzie as too small for kick-return responsibilities, the Broncos drafted him with a punt-return role in mind. They remain hopeful he can have an impact on offense as well. McKenzie returned five punts for touchdowns during three seasons at Georgia.
The Cardinals lost running back and return man T.J. Logan to a dislocated wrist. The rookie will be placed on IR.

Latest On Raiders’ Donald Penn

August 2nd, 2017 at 6:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Raiders left tackle Donald Penn is holding out as he seeks a raise that would make him one of the NFL’s 10 highest-paid players at his position. Commenting on Penn’s status Tuesday, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie suggested to reporters that the lineman’s wish definitely won’t come true if he doesn’t report to training camp.

“We don’t talk contracts unless a guy is here,” said McKenzie, via Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group.

Penn, 34, is halfway into the two-year, $14MM contract the Raiders gave the 6-foot-5, 305-pounder upon re-signing him in March 2016. With age serving as the only real check against Penn, it’s hard to argue that he doesn’t deserve more money. Few tackles are able to mix durability and excellence like Penn, who has never missed a regular-season game during his 10-year career and has typically earned high marks as a blocker. Penn posted his ninth straight 16-start campaign in 2016, when his performance graded 12th among 76 qualified tackles at Pro Football Focus.

To this point, the Raiders have not fined Penn any money for missing camp, according to McDonald. They’re allowed to dock him $40K per day as long as he holds out, and doing so could hasten Penn’s return. Still, that’s a relatively meager amount compared to Penn’s $5.8MM salary for 2017, and he’d nearly double that sum by breaking into the top 10 in pay among left tackles. At $11.25MM per year, the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is 10th in annual value.

With Penn away, the Raiders have turned to Marshall Newhouse on the blindside and used Vadal Alexander at right tackle, and two rookies – fourth-round pick David Sharpe and seventh-rounder Jylan Ware – are in reserve. The only member of the group with substantial NFL experience is Newhouse, who joined the Raiders in free agency after combining for 86 appearances and 56 starts as a Packer, Bengal and Giant from 2011-16. Nobody would confuse him for Penn, though, given that Newhouse hasn’t played a 16-game season since 2012 and most recently ranked a below-average 50th among tackles at PFF last year. Alexander earned an even worse grade over nine games (five starts) and 305 snaps as a rookie in 2016.

Given that the Raiders’ outlook at tackle without Penn looks somewhat bleak, McKenzie unsurprisingly indicated that the Super Bowl hopefuls want him back.

“Donald’s my guy. Ever since he stepped in, after we lost (Jared Veldheer), I told him he’s my guy,” said McKenzie. “That’s not going to change. I’d love to have him, and if you guys go down to L.A. and drive him up I’d appreciate it. We want to focus on the young guys practicing now, get these guys some reps and we’re just going to keep moving. We’ve got to practice.”

Donald Penn Seeking Top 10 LT Money

July 28th, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Currently 21st among left tackles in yearly contract value, the Raiders’ Donald Penn is holding out in hopes of landing a raise. Now, thanks to retired linebacker and current NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest, there’s some clarity on Penn’s demands.

Penn spoke to McGinest about his asking price, and McGinest relayed (via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Twitter) that the lineman “wants to be paid in the top 10. He’s not looking to be the top paid.”

To break into the top 10 among left tackles in annual pay, Penn would need upward of the $11.25MM per season that the Rams’ Andrew Whitworth is earning on the three-year pact he signed in free agency. Penn, 34, is a year younger than Whitworth, and there’s a strong case to be made that the former deserves similar money. Like Whitworth, who has appeared in 168 of a possible 176 regular-season games and been extremely effective in the process, Penn has been an eminently durable stalwart.

An injury kept Penn out of the Raiders’ wild-card round loss to the Texans last January, but he otherwise hasn’t missed a game since entering the league with the Buccaneers in 2007. That was also the only year Penn hasn’t started in all 16 contests, as he served as a reserve in four of them. Dating back to his second year, Penn has started 156 consecutive games. He has also consistently earned quality grades from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 12th among 76 qualified tackles in 2016.

“(Penn) just wants the respect for what he’s done on the field,” explained McGinest. “Stop looking at his age, look at his production”

Age isn’t on Penn’s side, as McGinest implied, but it’s hard to find a problem with his on-field output. With the Raiders and their high-octane offense aiming for a Super Bowl this year, general manager Reggie McKenzie may look to find common ground with Penn and appease one of the team’s premier linemen. Penn, guards Kelechi Osemele and Gabe Jackson and center Rodney Hudson are among the best players in the league at their positions, and the Raiders surely want that alignment in place for all 16 games this season.

Raiders OT Donald Penn Holding Out

July 28th, 2017 at 1:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran left tackle Donald Penn is holding out for a new contract from the Raiders, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Penn didn’t report for Oakland’s training camp today, and the Raiders are aware that he wants to rework his deal, per Rapoport.

In 2017, Penn is scheduled to earn a base salary of $5.8MM and a workout bonus of $300K as part of a two-year extension he signed last March. That workout incentive could reportedly be voided due to a holdout, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Penn’s yearly contract value of $6.25MM ranks just 21st among NFL left tackles, as he’s sandwiched between the Cardinals’ Jared Veldheer (who’s being shifted to the right side) and former No. 2 draft pick Greg Robinson.

Part of Penn’s argument for a new contract appears to revolve around him playing against the NFL’s best pass-rushers — including Von Miller, Justin Houston, Melvin Ingram, and Joey Bosa — in the AFC West, per Rapoport. He’s also been remarkably durable, as the 34-year-old Penn hasn’t missed a single game during his decade-long career. Last year, Penn ranked as the NFL’s No. 12 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Raiders have continually invested in their offensive line, which ranked first in adjusted sack rate last season, per Football Outsiders. Oakland recently reached a long-term extension with right guard Gabe Jackson, and has signed left guard Kelechi Osemele and center Rodney Hudson to hefty free agent contracts in recent years.

AFC West Notes: Shanahan, Raiders, Chargers

January 7th, 2017 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyle Shanahan followed Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub in conducting a four-hour interview with Broncos brass, John Elway relays (on Twitter). While the Falcons’ OC will continue on the interview circuit — having already interviewed or being set to do so with the Jaguars, 49ers and Rams — he remains focused on landing this job. And past tensions between the organization and his father won’t stand in the way, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Klis notes Elway and Mike Shanahan are friends, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Broncos president Joe Ellis won’t stand in the way if Elway wants to hire the 37-year-old son of the franchise’s winningest head coach. Ellis was with the Broncos when they made the decision to fire the elder Shanahan after 14 seasons following the 2008 campaign. Elway worked with Mike Shanahan during the successful coach’s three stints in Denver — the first two coming as the team’s top offensive assistant in a four-year 1980s stay and again for two seasons in the early ’90s — before returning to take a leadership position with the franchise two years after it fired Shanahan.

The Broncos are set to meet with Vance Joseph sometime after Sunday’s Dolphins-Steelers wild-card game.

Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West as the Raiders are set to play in their first playoff game in 14 years.

The Raiders will present details of their Las Vegas project on Wednesday at a meeting involving the NFL’s finance and stadium committees, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter), adding (Twitter link) the team will not apply for relocation until its playoff run concludes. Underdogs with their third-string quarterback at the helm against the Texans today, that decision could come soon. Last we heard, the sides had made significant progress on the long-discussed Las Vegas stadium after some hiccups between the Raiders and casino mogul Sheldon Adelson emerged.
Donald Penn said he sustained a small fracture in his knee but doesn’t need surgery, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Penn also eyes a return for a divisional-round game if the Raiders win today, per Schefter. The Pro Bowl left tackle will miss the first game of his career and his first opportunity to suit up for a playoff contest since his rookie season with the Buccaneers in 2007. Menelik Watson will slide over and start on the left side, with the previously supplanted Austin Howard returning to his right tackle spot.
Wade Phillips has been connected to the Browns’ DC job after his Broncos contract expired, and while it hasn’t been ruled out the veteran DC could return to Denver, the Raiders are another name to watch for the 69-year-old assistant’s services, Pelissero tweets. This is an indication second-year Raiders DC Ken Norton Jr. could be on the hot seat after his unit, one fortified by the additions of Bruce Irvin and Sean Smith in the offseason, finished 26th in total defense for the second straight season. Phillips’ Broncos finished as the top DVOA defense for the second straight year.
The Chargers will bring Panthers DC Sean McDermott in for a second interview, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports. He initially sat down with Bolts brass on Friday. Patriots DC Matt Patricia will meet with the team next.

Raiders’ Donald Penn Out Saturday

January 6th, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Already without starting quarterback Derek Carr for Saturday’s wild-card round game against the Texans, the Raiders will also have to get by without their best offensive lineman. Left tackle Donald Penn will miss the game with a knee injury, reports Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

The remarkably durable Penn, who tweeted that he’s “in tears,” suffered the injury in Week 17 and will now sit out for the first time in his 10-year career. Dating back to his rookie year in 2007, Penn had made 161 consecutive appearances, including one playoff game with the Buccaneers. This past regular season marked Penn’s ninth straight 16-start campaign. The 33-year-old was his usual effective self in 2016, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best tackle.

Without Penn, the Raiders will move Menelik Watson to left tackle and use Austin Howard on the right. It’ll be up to Watson, who made five starts during the regular season, to protect neophyte signal-caller Connor Cook‘s blind side.

Notable 2017 Pro Bowl Incentives/Escalators

December 20th, 2016 at 9:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The NFL announced the 2017 Pro Bowl rosters earlier tonight, and aside from determining which players will spend a week in Orlando early next year, the rosters also dictate several important bonuses and/or contract escalators for individual players. Former NFL agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry has rounded up the notable incentives earned tonight, and we’ll pass those along below. As Corry notes (Twitter links), only first ballot Pro Bowlers who actually participate in the game (unless injured or playing in the Super Bowl) can earn bonuses, which are typically paid out by the end of March.

Here are the notable Pro Bowl bonuses and escalators that were preliminarily netted this evening (all links to Corry’s Twitter):

Incentives

Raiders G Kelechi Osemele, $300K (link): Under general manager Reggie McKenzie, the Raiders have employed what is often referred to as an “all cash” salary cap management system, wherein prorated signing bonuses are rarely used while base salary guarantees, roster bonuses, and — as evidenced by the number of Oakland players on this list — incentive clauses are heavily employed. Osemele, the league’s highest-paid interior offensive lineman, is signed through 2020 with cap charges north of $10MM in each season.
Colts P Pat McAfee, $250K (link): McAfee, who signed a five-year extension with the Colts in 2014, ranks third in the NFL in net punting average at 42.8 yards. The Indy special teams unit ranks fourth in the league in DVOA, while McAfee himself has been worth four points of field position on punts, third-best in the AFC.
Raiders S Reggie Nelson, $250K (link): Nelson sat on the free agent market until April, but has rewarded the Raiders for signing him by earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl season. The 33-year-old Nelson, who’s posted four interceptions after leading the NFL with eight picks in 2015, is in the middle of a two-year, $8.5MM deal.
Raiders T Donald Penn, $200K (link): Penn is the definition of stability, as the veteran left tackle hasn’t missed a game since becoming a starter during his rookie season in 2007. Penn signed a two-year, $11.9MM contract with the Raiders this spring, and is set to count $6.1MM against Oakland’s cap in 2017.
Raiders C Rodney Hudson, $100K (link): The third member of the Raiders’ offensive line to earn a Pro Bowl bonus, Hudson is the fourth-highest paid center in the league, earning $8.9MM annually. The No. 4 center in the NFL this year according to Pro Football Focus, Hudson is signed through the 2019 campaign.
Titans RB DeMarco Murray, $100K (link): After a putrid season in Philadelphia during which he barely topped 700 yards rushing, Murray has rebounded since being traded to the Titans, and is currently second in the league with 1.224 yards on the ground. He’s scored nine rushing touchdowns, and has added three more scores thorugh the air.

Escalators

Browns T Joe Thomas, $1.5MM 2017 roster bonus escalator (link): Thomas is due a roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, and that bonus’ value has now increased from $1MM to $2.5MM. That bonus could factor in (in a minimal way) to any trade talks the Browns might have with other clubs, but Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson has been adamant that the Browns won’t deal Thomas.
Titans LB Brian Orakpo, $200K 2017 base salary escalator (link): Orakpo’s 2017 base salary will increase to $5.95MM after he was selected to the Pro Bowl and played in more than 65% of the Titans’ defensive snaps. Orakpo, who has posted 11 sacks during his second season with Tennessee, is signed through 2018.
Titans DT Jurrell Casey, $100K 2017 base salary escalator (link): Casey, 27, is arguably one of the more underpaid defenders in the league, as he’s due only $36MM from 2014-2018. His 2017 base salary will now increase to $5.9MM in 2017, and he’s also due a $200K roster bonus next spring.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Richardson, Penn

October 29th, 2016 at 12:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFL…

Sheldon Richardson is hoping his versatility will pay off… literally. The Jets defender has contributed on the defensive line and at linebacker this season, and the 25-year-old is hoping other team’s will recognize his versatility when he reaches free agency after next season. “I think it’ll give me more money, just to be honest,” Richardson said (via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press). “My film don’t lie. You took a three-technique (lineman) that was drafted in the first round and put him at outside linebacker and he held his own…That’s just building up a resume for that.”
In 2014, left tackle Donald Penn saw his eight-year tenure with the Buccaneers come to an end after he was unceremoniously released. The 33-year-old, who now plays for the Raiders, will be making his return to Tampa Bay this weekend, and the veteran was adamant that he wants to stick it to his former team. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s very huge,” Penn told Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “You know me, I’m a straight forward guy. That’s definitely in my mind. I mean that’s something I’m never going to forget, when they released me.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter details how the Cowboys ultimately landed rookie quarterback Dak Prescott, despite the fact that the team explored every other possibility at the position. The team brought in a whopping seven rookie quarterbacks for workouts (including Prescott, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Paxton Lynch, Christian Hackenberg, Jacoby Brissett, and Connor Cook), and the team also took a look at veterans Nick Foles and Josh McCown.
In case you missed it, we learned yesterday that a number of teams are eyeing reinforcement on their offensive lines.

Latest On Raiders’ Future

September 15th, 2016 at 7:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

In an interview with Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf reiterated the city is still interested in keeping the Raiders despite Las Vegas’ aggressive pursuit. The Southern Nevada Tourism and Infrastructure committee navigated a key hurdle in the process of bringing an NFL team to Vegas by approving the $750MM in public funds for a potential $1.9 billion Raiders stadium.

Schaaf told Ratto she’s not interested in winning a public-perception battle with Las Vegas, with Oakland and Vegas on the surface heading in opposite directions regarding their interest in the Raiders. She confirmed negotiations are ongoing with the Raiders’ Oakland point man Larry McNeil but declined to offer much in the way of specifics.

“As Mayor of Oakland, it’s my job to remain fully focused on what I can do to responsibly keep the team where they belong, here in Oakland,” Schaaf told Ratto. “While Nevada lawmakers consider making the largest public investment in a private stadium deal in history by approving a $750MM public subsidy for a facility in Las Vegas, I will continue to work with the NFL and the Raiders’ designee Larry McNeil to iron out a deal that works for the team, the league, the fans and the taxpayers in Oakland.”

Schaaf reiterated her stance on public funding, categorizing the appetite for using that financing method as being much lower in Oakland than it is in Las Vegas. She instead called on business leaders in the Bay Area to get involved since the public-subsidy component of this prospective new stadium offer won’t be substantial.

“There is a long and complicated history between this team and this city,” Schaaf told Ratto. “We’ve learned from the mistakes of the past and we won’t repeat them. Oakland is neither rolling over, nor giving up. Now is the time for everyone in our region to pull together to show the NFL and the Raiders that their future is in Oakland.”

For what it’s worth, Raiders veteran left tackle Donald Penn said, via NFL.com (Twitter link), Mark Davis continues to inform the team he’s “doing everything possible” to try to keep the Raiders in Oakland. This comment runs counter to Davis’ numerous assertions he will move the team to Las Vegas if Nevada green-lights the finances. The plan must now be approved by the state legislature and Nevada governor Brian Sandoval.

Just today, Davis said, via Matt Youmans of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter), “I think everybody wins in this. We still have work to do. We’re going to make Las Vegas and Nevada proud.”

Raiders president Marc Badain also told Youmans (via Twitter) Davis wants to make the league “an offer it can’t refuse,” and categorized today as a key step toward securing such a proposal.

Schaaf told Ratto she is “constantly” working to keep the Raiders, albeit in a way that is fiscally responsible for the city. She noted the Bay Area’s wealth and the region’s location are key selling points for both the Raiders and the NFL, pointing out that those factors likely induced the league to make the Raiders third in line for Los Angeles behind the Rams and Chargers in February’s seminal decision. She also mentioned the Ronnie Lott-backed group as bringing energy to the project, even if scant details have emerged on what kind of impact that developmental venture’s had to date. Davis and Lott have engaged in discussions, however.

“Oakland has a lot to offer to this team and the NFL. The Coliseum site is the most accessible and transit-rich location for professional sports in the country, the Bay Area is a tremendous market for the league both in terms of sports and ancillary development opportunities and the regional fan base here is without comparison,” Schaaf said.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Contract Details: Okung, Penn, Pacman

March 18th, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are several of the latest contract details on deals which were agreed upon or signed within the last week. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

AFC West:

Russell Okung, T (Broncos): Five years, $53MM. No guaranteed money. Option after year one. $2MM base salary, $1MM workout bonus, and $2MM Week 1 roster bonus for 2016. Up to $3MM in incentives available in 2016 ($1.5MM for 80% of snaps, $3MM for 90% of snaps). Option must be exercised between fifth day after Super Bowl and first day of 2017 league year. If option is exercised, $2MM salary for 2017 and $9.5MM salary for 2018 become fully guaranteed, and an $8MM roster bonus is paid out (links via Pro Football Talk, ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Tom Pelissero of USA Today, and Wilson)
Donald Penn, T (Raiders): Two years, $11.9MM, $5.5MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus due 20th day of 2016 league year. $300K in annual weigh bonuses (six weigh-ins worth $50K each). Up to $750K in annual playing-time, Pro Bowl, and playoff incentives (Twitter links).
Andre Holmes, WR (Raiders): One year, $2MM. $750K guaranteed. $500K signing bonus. $250K of $1.25MM base salary guaranteed. $250K workout bonus. Up to $1MM in catch, yardage incentives (Twitter links).

AFC North:

Adam Jones, CB (Bengals): Three years, $22MM. $6MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $4MM roster bonus due March 18. $500K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. $500K playing-time escalator for 2017. $750K playing-time escalator for 2018. $200K punt return average incentive for 2018. 2018 option to be exercised by last day of 2017 league year. (Twitter links).
Demario Davis, LB (Browns): Two years, $8MM. $4.1MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. Annual $100K workout bonus (Twitter link).
Ryan Harris, T (Steelers): Two years, $3.9MM. $675K signing bonus (Twitter link).
Pat Sims, DT (Bengals): Two years, $2.3MM. $250K guaranteed roster bonus due March 18. $200K in annual playing-time incentives. $200K playing-time escalator for 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson and Pelissero).

AFC East:

Andre Branch, DE (Dolphins): One year, $2.75MM. $2.5MM guaranteed base salary. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $250K in incentives (Twitter link).
Nate Ebner, S (Patriots): Two years, $2.4MM. $500K guaranteed. $125K in annual per-game roster bonuses. $250K first-day camp reporting bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time, Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter links via Wilson and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
Frank Kearse, DT (Patriots): One year, minimum salary benefit. $30K signing bonus. $30K first-day camp reporting bonus. $20K in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter link).
Robert Blanton, S (Bills): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).

AFC South:

Antwon Blake, CB (Titans): One year, $1.5MM. $200K signing bonus. Up to $750K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).

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