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Dwayne Allen

Extra Points: Shorts, Roddy, Allen, Titans, Bucs

March 2nd, 2016 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Veteran receiver Cecil Shorts is expected to return to the Texans and finish out the second and final year of the two-year contract he signed prior to the 2015 season, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shorts, 28, appeared in 11 games last year, catching 42 passes for 484 yards and two touchdowns. Houston could save almost $3MM by releasing Shorts, but with fellow pass-catcher Nate Washington heading for free agency, the club will need options out wide.

Let’s dive into a few more items from around the league…

  • Having already identified the Buccaneers as a possible for suitor for free agent Roddy White, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) also points to the Titans and Raiders as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver. It’s unclear if Rapoport is reporting or just making connections, but either way, each club makes sense — both Tennessee (Terry Robiskie) and Oakland (Bill Musgrave) field offenses run by former members of Atlanta’s coaching staff.
  • Pending free agent tight end Dwayne Allen hopes he doesn’t even make it to free agency, as he’d prefer to work out an agreement with the Colts before March 9, he told 1070 The Fan today (link via Kevin Bowen of Colts.com). Allen, along with fellow Indianapolis free agent Coby Fleener, would be one of the most sought-after tight ends on the open market. Allen recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who has a history of getting deals done with the Colts, as his new representation.
  • The Buccaneers will not tender restricted free agent linebacker Danny Lansanah, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Lansanah has bounced around the league, and he’ll now become an unrestricted free agent next week. Per Auman, the Tampa Bay could re-sign Lansanah at a later date (and presumably, at a cheaper price than even the lowest tender).

FA Rumors: Irvin, Forte, C. Long, Gipson, J. Howard

February 29th, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Armed with over $70MM in cap space and in need of defensive upgrades, the Jaguars have emerged as early contenders for soon-to-be free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Irvin, who has spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, is familiar with Jags head coach Gus Bradley – formerly the Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator. Bradley helped Irvin to a career-high eight sacks in the defender’s rookie year, 2012, before leaving for Jacksonville. Irvin has since added 14 more sacks over the last three years. When PFR’s Luke Adams previewed the Jaguars’ offseason three weeks ago, he listed Irvin as a logical fit for the Jags.

Here’s the latest on some other players looking for new contracts as free agency nears:

  • Thirty-year-old running back Matt Forte will have a difficult time eclipsing $3MM per annum on his next deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The five-time thousand-yard rusher racked up 1,287 total yards (898 rushing, 389 receiving) and seven touchdowns last season, and is poised to join his second franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in Chicago.
  • Free agent defensive end Chris Long is generating interest and will start visiting teams after his first child is born (due date Wednesday), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Long, 30, has 54.5 sacks in his first eight seasons, all of which were spent in St. Louis. The Rams released Long earlier this month after injuries limited his effectiveness the previous two years.
  • Safety Tashaun Gipson expects his Browns tenure to end after four years, per teammate Donte Whitner. “I don’t think he’s too hopeful he’s going to be back,” said Whitner (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). We learned over the weekend that Gipson could parlay his ball-hawking prowess (14 career interceptions) into a big contract.
  • Chiefs defensive lineman Jaye Howard is looking for $8MM to $9MM per year, Biggs reports. Howard, 27, set career highs in starts (14), tackles (57) and sacks (5.5) during the 2015-16 season, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him a solid 24th among 123 qualifying interior D-linemen.
  • The Dolphins could pursue Bears tight end Zach Miller in free agency, writes Biggs. Miller played under new Dolphins head coach Adam Gase when the latter was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last season and totaled career bests in all notable categories. If Chicago loses Miller, it could replace him with one of the Colts‘ free agent tight ends, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener, per Biggs.

La Canfora’s Latest: Hali, Bengals, Rams, Colts

February 26th, 2016 at 9:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After renegotiating his contract last May, and adding four void years to the end of his deal, Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9, and he although the expectation is that he’ll return to Kansas City for an 11th season, he would walk into a strong market were he to reach free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a league devoid of pass rush talent, Hali, who posted 6.5 sacks last year at the age of 32, could land a surprisingly large contract, per La Canfora.

Let’s dive into the latest from the CBS Sports scribe:

  • The Bengals consider receiver Marvin Jones, cornerback Adam Jones, and safety Reggie Nelson their three most important free agents, sources tell La Canfora. For his part, Jones is expected to test free agency, while Nelson has expressed a strong desire to return to Cincinnati.
  • A report earlier today indicated that the Rams plan to place the franchise or transition tag on either Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson, and La Canfora reports that the odds of Los Angeles completing a long-term deal with either corner before the March 1 tag deadline is “bleak.” Therefore, it’s possible the Rams are forced to simply use the tag on one player, and let the either leave via free agency.
  • Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford might not have many suitors on the open market, per La Canfora, so Philadelphia could be smart to let him gauge his value in free agency rather than striking a deal now or using the franchise tag. La Canfora does point to Chip Kelly and the 49ers as one possible landing spot for Bradford (if San Francisco trades Colin Kaepernick).
  • La Canfora believes Dwayne Allen is the more likely tight end to remain with the Colts, arguing that he’s a more complete player than Coby Fleener. Whichever tight end does leave Indianapolis, adds La Canfora, could be candidate to fill the void left by Heath Miller on the Steelers‘ roster.
  • In a separate piece, La Canfora examines whether the “franchise tag-and-trade” concept — which the Dolphins are reportedly mulling using with defensive end Olivier Vernon — could become a leaguewide trend.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Skuta

February 17th, 2016 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

A pair of pending Colts free agents have hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent them, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter links). Tight end Dwayne Allen and linebacker Jerrell Freeman will both be represented by the super agent heading into March and that could be a promising sign for the Colts. Rosenhaus has a history of getting deals done with Indianapolis and the team would surely like to retain both players.

Here’s more from the AFC South:

  • Linebacker Dan Skuta had never been considered a probable cap casualty for the Jaguars this offseason, but that possibility became even more remote last week. According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), $3.5MM of Skuta’s $3.6MM base salary for 2016 became fully guaranteed on Friday, meaning there would be extremely minimal cap savings this season for the Jags if they were to cut him.
  • Finding a starting center should be a priority for the Jaguars this offseason, says Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. As we noted last week during our Jags offseason preview, incumbent starter Stefen Wisniewski is a free agent, and Alex Mack – who drew significant interest from Jacksonville two years ago – may hit the market again.
  • Colts linebacker Jonathan Newsome was arrested early Wednesday morning on possession of marijuana charges, as Matt Adams of FOX59 writes. Authorities first came to Newsome’s home to follow up on a noise complaint and during the investigation, officers found marijuana. Police said Newsome cooperated with authorities as he was taken into custody. Newsome established himself in 2014 with 4.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits. In 2015, the 25-year-old didn’t put up the same kind of numbers, recording 18 total tackles and 1 sack.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/15

December 30th, 2015 at 9:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, as teams get their rosters set for Week 17:

  • The Colts made a pair of tight end transactions, placing Dwayne Allen (calf) on season-ending injured reserve and promoting Erik Swoope from their practice squad, per Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). A fourth-year man, Allen made 16 catches in 13 games for the Colts this season. He hasn’t been able to match the production he put up as a rookie in 2011 in terms of receptions (45) and yardage (521), but he did amass a career-best eight touchdowns last season.
  • The Patriots waived cornerback Troy Hill, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (Twitter link). The Pats claimed Hill off waivers from Cincinnati last week. In addition, they signed defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The 49ers have been awarded tight end Je’Ron Hamm off waivers, a day after he was cut by Washington, according to a Niners release. San Francisco moved running back Shaun Draughn to injured reserve to accommodate the waiver claim — Draughn joins fellow RBs Reggie Bush and Carlos Hyde on the Niners’ IR.
  • The Bills created two roster spots on Tuesday by placing Charles Clay and Ron Brooks on injured reserve, and filled those spots today with a pair of practice squad cornerbacks. As Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets, head coach Rex Ryan confirmed that Buffalo elevated Merrill Noel and Sammy Seamster from the team’s taxi squad.
  • The Chargers also added secondary depth today, signing safety Brandian Ross and cornerback Cassius Vaughn to their active roster, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The club has now added three defensive backs to its 53-man squad this week.
  • After placing Dez Bryant and two other players on injured reserve today, the Cowboys have promoted wide receivers Rodney Smith and Vince Mayle from their practice squad, and also signed cornerback Josh Thomas, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link).
  • The Broncos are signing guard Robert Myers off the Ravens‘ practice squad to fill the 53rd spot on their roster, reports Mike Klis of 9News. That roster opening was created on Tuesday when Denver cut safety Shaun Prater.
  • According to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), offensive lineman Braxston Cave has been promoted from the Lions‘ practice squad to their active roster, taking the spot vacated by cornerback Bill Bentley, who was cut on Tuesday.

AFC Notes: Manziel, Osemele, McKelvin, Allen

December 30th, 2015 at 8:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns head coach Mike Pettine said earlier this week that the team was considering disciplining quarterback Johnny Manziel for a video that featured him guzzling a black cherry Four Loko – an alcoholic drink – on Christmas Eve. After further review, Pettine stated Wednesday that he wouldn’t have benched Manziel this week, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. That’s moot now, of course, as Manziel is out with a concussion. Still, given that Manziel spent 73 days in rehab for alcohol issues last offseason and the Browns benched him earlier this season when a different party video surfaced, the organization finds this latest incident concerning, according to Cabot.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Ravens left tackle Kelechi Osemele is a candidate to hit free agency this offseason, but the 26-year-old is confident about staying in Baltimore after a chat he had with general manager Ozzie Newsome. “He was really positive about it,” Osemele said, per Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “I was positive about staying. I think we’ve done great work here, and obviously working with someone like that, you want to stay. You want to be around a guy like Ozzie.” Osemele went on to state that “I know if we can get a deal done, we will.”
  • If the Bills cut veteran cornerback Leodis McKelvin in the offseason, they’ll open up $3.9MM of cap room in 2016. That makes his departure a strong possibility, but the eight-year veteran seems open to a pay cut if it means staying in Buffalo. “I have a lot of money in the bank,” he told Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News, also adding that he’s willing to move to safety if necessary.
  • Like McKelvin, Colts tight end Dwayne Allen could also be in a different uniform next year. Allen, whom Indy placed on IR with a calf injury Wednesday, wasn’t happy with his diminished role in the team’s passing game this season, according to Mike Chappell of Fox59 (Twitter link). As a pending free agent, it seems Allen has played his last game as a Colt.

AFC Notes: Allen, Gipson, Raiders, Heuerman

May 15th, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

After tight end Dwayne Allen didn’t initally report to the Colts‘ voluntary offseason program, a text message from head coach Chuck Pagano was enough to get him to show up, as Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star outlines. Allen is heading into a contract year and figures to seek a new deal with the team.

Here’s more from across the AFC:

  • Browns cornerback Joe Haden acknowledged that fellow defensive back Tashaun Gipson is upset about the contract tender he received from the team, but said Gipson will be in attendance for Cleveland’s mandatory minicamp and training camp (Twitter link via Pat McManamon of ESPN.com).
  • The Raiders seem unsatisfied with their safety depth, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. Oakland gave an offer sheet to restricted free agent Sean Richardson earlier in the offseason, but the Packers matched to retain him. Then, this week, Oakland put a waiver claim in on D.J. Swearinger but they were behind the Bucs (and the Jags, who also placed a claim) in the pecking order. The Raiders do have some quality depth at the position, but their actions have made it clear that they want more.
  • Broncos rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman hasn’t signed yet but he eventually will, despite his knee injury, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Recently, the Jaguars completed their deal with Dante Fowler Jr. after the No. 3 overall pick suffered his own season-ending injury.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com is excited to see what diamonds in the rough might emerge at the Chargers‘ rookie minicamp after last year produced Branden Oliver, Tenny Palepoi, and Chris Davis.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Greene, Titans, Jags

April 25th, 2015 at 1:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts have thought outside the box as they’ve attempted to round out the bottom of their roster. As Stephen Holder of the Indy Star points out, the team currently has four former CFL players, two college basketball players and a Kenyan rugby player under contract.

The mix of different backgrounds isn’t unusual to general manager Ryan Grigson, who is willing to look anywhere to make his team better:

“If you have elite athletic traits, you can do this. This isn’t one of those specialized sports, like golf. If you have a level of toughness and you can move and you have instincts, if you have those at an elite level, you’re going to get a chance.”

Let’s take a look at more notes out of the AFC South, including additional whispers from Indianapolis…

Extra Points: Daniels, Allen, Bucs, Eagles

April 20th, 2015 at 10:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Packers defensive end Mike Daniels is entering a contract year but he’s not thinking too hard about his financial future, as Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel writes.

“All of that is just a distraction,” Daniels said. “That’s just a distraction. I’m here to play football. I’m here to get better. I’m here to watch film, relearn the defense, get bigger, faster, stronger. All that stuff, that’s nothing but a huge distraction. The instant people start putting a focus on something like that, that’s when their play starts to suffer. And I don’t have time for my play to suffer.”

Daniels played in 63.8% of the defensive snaps last season and has 76 tackles and 14 sacks across three seasons. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • After checking in for the Colts‘ first day of offseason conditions, tight end Dwayne Allen is heading back to Arizona to work out on his own there, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Rapoport notes that Allen, who is entering a contract year, doesn’t expect to discuss a new deal with the club until after the season.
  • Buccaneers GM Lovie Smith says that he and GM Jason Licht are in “total agreement” as to who the team should draft, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets.
  • Linebacker Mychal Kendricks and running back Chris Polk were not present for the start of the Eagles‘ spring workouts, sources tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Polk has yet to sign his low-level restricted free agent tender offer and therefore cannot partake in activities yet. Kendricks, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
  • Dion Jordan was not present for the Dolphins‘ voluntary workouts today and it’s not immediately clear why, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. The defensive end is under contract through 2016 with cap numbers of $5.6MM and $6.5MM in each of the next two seasons.
  • The Dolphins discussed trading for Matt Barkley before ultimately signing Josh Freeman, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (on Twitter). That deliberation is what kept the Eagles from signing Tim Tebow even sooner.
  • Paul Posluszny‘s 2015 cap number with the Jaguars should go from $9.5M to $6.8MM with his renegotiated three-year deal, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
  • Toledo safety Jordan Haden, the younger brother of Pro Bowler Joe Haden, has decided not to pursue an NFL career, his father tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The younger Haden drew interest from nine NFL teams, but has elected to work for the family business after sustaining a number of injuries during his college career.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Hilton, Titans

February 19th, 2015 at 9:47pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the AFC South..

  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) expects the Colts to be “very proactive” when it comes to locking up the members of their 2012 draft class, who are now eligible for contract extensions. Wideout T.Y. Hilton will likely be first up, according to La Canfora. Other players from that class include Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen, and – of course – Andrew Luck.
  • Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) feels that the Colts must address their safety situation in both free agency and the draft. The Colts need to solidify the position and they have no viable safeties in-house.
  • We learned last month that veteran safety Bernard Pollard has asked the Titans for his release, and coach Ken Whisenhunt says that sort of thing is “not uncommon” at this time of year, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “[Bernard’s] not healthy right now, so there is no decision to be made,” Whisenhunt said of the safety’s request.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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