Donte Whitner - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Whitner, Boldin, Eagles, Saints

May 13th, 2016 at 7:32pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been more than a month since free agent safety Donte Whitner paid a visit to the Rams, but Whitner continues to be “in play” for L.A., tweets Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News. Since the veteran safety was cut by Cleveland, there was no need for any team to wait until after May 12 to sign Whitner — he wouldn’t have counted toward the compensatory draft pick formula either way.

A report earlier this week indicated that the 49ers have not made an effort to re-sign wide receiver Anquan Boldin. However, general manager Trent Baalke said today that the door isn’t closed on a possible reunion between the two sides (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today). While Baalke likes his team’s young receiving talent, the Niners are still exploring all their options.
On Thursday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Eagles received verbal commitments from Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, with both quarterbacks agreeing to accept offset language in their rookie contracts if they were drafted at No. 2 by Philadelphia. Today, Florio followed up on that story by writing that the NFL has no comment on the subject — it’s not clear whether the Eagles violated negotiating rules, or whether the league plans to do anything about it.
Veteran free agent outside linebacker Matt Shaughnessy will work out for the Saints this weekend, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Shaughnessy, a third-round pick in 2009, has appeared in 75 total NFL contests for Oakland and Arizona, but missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury.
Reports continue to link the Raiders to Las Vegas, but Falcons owner Arthur Blank isn’t yet entirely sold on the idea. “I think whether or not there are enough people in Las Vegas to support a team is a question,” Blank told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “I haven’t seen the data on that to support it or not support it. It’s certainly a dynamic market. It’s a growth market. It’s got tremendous tourism, a lot of convention business. So it’s certainly a consideration.”

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Donte Whitner Visiting Rams

April 10th, 2016 at 1:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Eight days after being released by the Browns, free agent safety Donte Whitner will take his first reported visit, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Whitner has landed in Los Angeles for a meeting with the Rams.

Following the Raiders signing of Reggie Nelson last week, Whitner represents the clear best option on the safety market, so it makes sense that the Rams are showing interest as they seek to replace Rodney McLeod, who signed with the Eagles on the first day of free agency. Whitner wouldn’t be a perfect proxy for McLeod, as the two are very different players — Whitner is more of an “in-the-box” safety who plays close to the line of scrimmage, while McLeod was a rangy free safety who manned center field.

Still, talent is talent, and Whitner is still a productive player as he enters his age-31 season. In 2015, he started 14 games in Cleveland, defensing four passes, forcing one fumble, and posting 1.5 sacks. Whitner also graded out well via the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus, which rated him as the league’s No. 24 safety among 89 qualifiers.

Even after re-signing many of their own free agents, the Rams still have roughly $12.3MM in cap space remaining, so it shouldn’t be a problem to fit Whitner onto the books. Whitner averaged cap hits of $5.5MM over his first two years with the Browns, and he should be able to earn a similar figure — or perhaps a tad less — if he signs with Los Angeles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

DB Rumors: Ramsey, Titans, Whitner, Washington

April 3rd, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest concerning a trio of defensive backs…

Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey has a legitimate chance to become the first defensive back taken No. 1 overall in the draft since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, as John Glennon of the Tennessean details. The popular belief is that the Titans will select Ole Miss offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil if they keep the top pick, but they’ve also shown interest in Ramsey and will meet with him soon. Considering opposing quarterbacks shredded the Titans last season and their defensive backfield continues to look like a significant weakness, that’s not particularly surprising. Further, the pass-happy nature of today’s league makes Ramsey to Tennessee that much more plausible. ESPN’s Mark Dominik, a former general manager, told Glennon that choosing Ramsey first “has to be a discussion just because the way the game is being played now as a passing league.”
Donte Whitner instantly became one of the best safeties on the market when Cleveland released him Saturday, and Washington head coach Jay Gruden said last month that he’s “very concerned” about the club’s safety depth. That would seem to make Washington a potential landing spot for Whitner, right? Wrong, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. A source told Jones that Washington isn’t interested in signing Whitner, even though he’s likely superior to the team’s current top two strong safeties – Duke Ihenacho and David Bruton.
After leaving his Giants visit earlier this week without a contract, free agent cornerback Jerraud Powers tweeted positive words Sunday about his time with Big Blue’s brass, but he added that he’s not in a rush to sign anywhere. The 29-year-old doesn’t have any other reported visits lined up at this time.

Browns Release Donte Whitner

April 2nd, 2016 at 7:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have continued their purge of veteran players, as they’ve announced the release of safety Donte Whitner. Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link) was the first to report the news. Whitner himself alluded to the move earlier in the evening, tweeting “Cleveland I’m gone!”

“It is important for us to thank Donte for all of his contributions to the Cleveland Browns over the last two seasons,” said Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown in a statement. “His passion for this city and dedication to his craft was contagious. These are difficult decisions to make but we felt it was the best decision for the Browns at this time. We wish him the best as he continues his career.”

[RELATED: Browns waive CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu]

Whitner, who will turn 31 this summer, is the latest Brown to be released, as Cleveland also parted ways with linebacker Karlos Dansby and receiver Dwayne Bowe last month. Of course, those weren’t the only Browns who won’t be returning for the 2016 season, as the club has seen free agents Mitchell Schwartz, Alex Mack, Travis Benjamin, Tashaun Gipson, and Craig Robertson sign elsewhere over the course of the last month.

Cleveland has added a few players — namely quarterback Robert Griffin III, linebacker Demario Davis, and safety Rahim Moore — but the release of Whitner is sure to add fuel to the notion that the Browns are “tanking,” Agents complained last month that the club was hesitant in negotiations to bring back any of its internal free agents, and the team’s revamped front office, led by Brown and former MLB executive Paul DePodesta, has been under scrutiny for the entirety of the offseason. Whitner himself added a few parting shots (Twitter links), saying that Cleveland is playing “Moneyball” and that he would have preferred to be released earlier to get a head start on free agency.

Whitner will now hit the free agent market after playing out only two seasons of a four-year deal he signed with the Browns prior to the 2014 season. A former top-10 draft pick, Whitner started 30 games for Cleveland, posting more than 120 tackles and one interception over the past two years. In 2015, Whitner graded as the league’s No. 24 safety among 89 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

The release of Whitner will save the Browns nearly $4MM against the cap, but the club will also incur a dead money hit of $4.5MM. Even after accounting for Whitner’s dead money, Cleveland would still have more than $30MM in cap space, so financially, the team can handle the hit. But it’s fair to wonder if the Browns will designate Whitner as a post-June 1 release, spreading his dead money out over the next two years ($2.25MM in both 2016 and 2017).

While most of the free agent money has already been spent, Whitner will vault to the top of the free agent safety rankings, where his only real competition is former Bengal Reggie Nelson. Walter Thurmond (who is contemplating retirement), William Moore, and Roman Harper make up the rest of the available class at the position, so any club still looking for safety help is sure to place a call to Whitner’s representatives. Because he was released, Whitner won’t factor into the compensatory pick formula, a positive for the team that signs him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Whitner, Pryor, Ravens, Bengals

December 12th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Between a league-worst record and the mishandling of Johnny Manziel, Browns head coach Mike Pettine is definitely a candidate to be replaced this offseason in Cleveland. At least one veteran doesn’t want to see that happen, in Donte Whitner, who believes the staff deserves another year to right the ship, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

“Sometimes it’s not greener on the other side. Sometimes you have to stick it out to get to where you want to get to,” Whitner said. “Who’s to say we couldn’t come out next season with the same coaching staff being in the third year in the system and run off a streak like the Carolina Panthers?”

Here are some more notes from around the AFC North:

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make his first appearance this season at wide receiver for the Browns this Sunday against the 49ers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.“Terrelle looks good, I don’t know if he’s ready to take on a full role, but there’s a chance that there will be some involvement in the plan there,” said Pettine. “He’s just got to play (to get some experience). The credit to him, he came back in great shape, came back in really, really good shape and retained a lot of what we’re doing. You say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be sooner than later.’ More than likely, it’s going to be sooner.”
Matt Schaub hasn’t been ruled out of the Ravens’ game against the Seahawks this weekend, but signs are pointing to him not being able to play, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team has already promoted quarterback Bryn Renner to the active roster, and Jimmy Clausen is expected to start.
The Bengals will leave cornerback Adam Jones inactive this week, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). The corners on the roster will be Leon Hall, Josh Shaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Troy Hill this week.

Browns Notes: Whitner, Gordon, Manziel

July 11th, 2014 at 7:36pm CST by Rob DiRe

As Josh Gordon stays in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, many fans and pundits (notably Cris Carter) have called for the Browns to cut ties with their star receiver, but one of his new teammates does not want to see that happen. Donte Whitner does not think he deserves to be released, reports Marc Sessler of NFL.com.

“I know all the dumb things people say — ‘he should be cut, he should be this’ — he shouldn’t,” said Whitner. “He’s a 23-year-old kid; he made some mistakes. A lot of people’s 20-year-old sons make mistakes. We have to help him, and that’s the bottom line. We have to help him collectively. It’s not going be one person that helps him, it’s not going to be two people that help him. It’s gonna come from the front office, the coaching staff, the players and his whole family. We have to help him — not only for football purposes, but for life purposes to get his life in order.”

Whitner also said that most of the team, including cornerback Joe Haden, have reached out to Gordon and that he is “very remorseful” over the situation.

Here are some other notes about the Browns:

Whitner also lauded how the offense is taking shape, comparing it to what the Redskins executed under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, writes Sessler. “This scheme that they’re running on offense is some of the stuff they did in Washington with (Robert Griffin III),” Whitner said. “So if you get that running, you get the defense guessing, and you’re running the football well and throw the football around and guys’ eyes aren’t in the right place on defense, that’s where a lot of the big plays come from.”
Another Browns’ player who has been in the spotlight for non-football related reasons is Johnny Manziel, and Maggie Hendricks of USAToday.com writes that the rookie quarterback is a big winner of the return of LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers. She writes that sharing the city with an NBA star of that stature will take some of the pressure off of Manziel, and will spread out the spotlight.
Whether it was because he is relieved to share the spotlight, excited as a fan, or just happy for his friend to join him in Cleveland, Manziel was excited for James to come back to his hometown. Manziel posted to his Twitter and twice on Instagram welcoming James back to Ohio.
While Manziel has his detractors, don’t count Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders as one of them. Sanders appeared on 105.3 The Fan with Shan and RJ in Dallas to discuss the embattled quarterback. “The kid hasn’t done anything,” said Sanders. “They’re putting him out there like he’s Justin Bieber — like he’s egging folks on and doing wild and rich folks stuff. He’s not doing stuff like that. He’s a good kid.”

AFC Rumors: Chiefs, Jordan, Raiders

March 12th, 2014 at 5:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs aren’t one of the four teams that have reached out to free agent center Alex Mack, but teams are getting creative with their proposals to the Browns free agent, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Here’s a look at the latest out of the AFC..

Donte Whitner told reporters today, including Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link), that he has encouraged the Browns to look into signing Ted Ginn Jr., who would like to come to Cleveland. The Bucs are hosting the speedy return man today.
The Patriots and Vince Wilfork have discussed an extension this offseason, but an agreement isn’t close, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network. Talks aren’t active at the moment, but could pick up again as the Pats need additional room (link). Adrian Wilson could also potentially be cut for cap savings.
Linebacker Dekoda Watson says he had interest from nine-ten other teams before he signed with the Jaguars, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com. The Bills, Patriots, 49ers, and Browns were among the interested clubs.
Chiefs free agent linebacker Akeem Jordan is scheduled to visit the Titans on Monday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). We heard earlier this week that Jordan has interest from half a dozen teams.
The Falcons and Raiders had interest in Linval Joseph before he signed with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN. Ultimately, neither club came close to Minnesota’s offer.
Chris Clemons‘ first visit will be to the Jaguars, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN. The Seahawks recently released the veteran defensive end.

Contract Details: Whitner, Jenkins, Blackmon

March 11th, 2014 at 8:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest particulars from various contracts signed today..

Donte Whitner‘s four-year, $28MM deal with the Browns includes $11MM fully guaranteed in 2014, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Malcolm Jenkins‘ three-year deal with the Eagles is worth $15.5MM, Pelissero tweets. He gets $6MM fully guaranteed in 2014, plus $2.5MM of the $4MM base in ’15 now guaranteed for injury.
Will Blackmon‘s two-year, $1.725MM deal with the Jaguars included $500K guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. He earn up to $250K with playing time in ’14 and ’15.
Zane Beadles‘ five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars has $12.5MM in guaranteed money, Pelissero tweets. He’s scheduled to get roster bonuses of $4.5MM in ’14 and $2MM in ’15 is guaranteed for skill/injury.

Browns To Sign Donte Whitner

March 11th, 2014 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

3:10pm: The Browns have reached an agreement on a four-year, $28MM deal with Whitner, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

2:44pm: The Browns’ agreement with Whitner is expected to be worth in the neighborhood of $7MM annually over four years, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The deal would make Whitner one of the league’s top 10 highest-paid safeties and sounds like it’d be similar to contracts signed by Kam Chancellor and Reshad Jones.

12:51pm: In addition to being the favorites to land free agent linebacker Karlos Dansby, the Browns are also in pole position for safety Donte Whitner, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Cabot reports that Whitner is expected to ink a deal with the Browns today when free agency opens, replacing T.J. Ward, who figures to sign elsewhere.

Coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, Whitner was one of the league’s best safeties in pass coverage last season, limiting yards after the catch and grabbing a pair of interceptions. At age 28, the longtime Bill and 49ers should have plenty of productive years left in him, and represents the best possible free agent replacement if the Browns had to lose Ward.

As we noted yesterday, the Browns, Bears, and Jets were in the mix for Whitner, and it was the Browns that sounded the most serious about landing the Cleveland native. Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported earlier today that there was a lot of talk about Whitner joining new Browns head coach Mike Pettine in Cleveland.

NFC Rumors: Ware, Beason, Mitchell

March 11th, 2014 at 11:12am CST by Zachary Links

A look at the NFC..

DeMarcus Ware has requested the Cowboys decide future before start of free agency signing period today, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN. Werder is unsure of the Cowboys’ response at this time.
The Giants want to re-sign linebacker Jon Beason but Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that he’s asking for more than Big Blue wants to pay. The Giants have 26 free agents and are alright with letting most of them go, but they’d like to keep the University of Miami product.
If Donte Whitner goes elsewhere, the 49ers are looking at Panthers safety Mike Mitchell as a backup plan, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Mitchell, 26, had a career high four interceptions to go along with eight pass breakups in 2013.