Eric Winston - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Bulaga, Winston, Rams, Panthers

September 5th, 2014 at 8:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers’ offensive line didn’t fare too well after right tackle Bryan Bulaga went down last night, and Green Bay’s front five will be without the 2010 first-rounder for a while longer. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter), Bulaga has suffered a torn MCL. While the Packers are lucky Bulaga didn’t re-tear his ACL, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets that the 25-year-old will miss two-to-four weeks while recovering from the injury. Derek Sherrod, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) handed a -6.4 grade on just 42 snaps in last night’s contest, will fill in at RT.

Meanwhile, Demovsky adds (on Twitter) that while Green Bay might consider adding free agent tackle Eric Winston, there’s “nothing concrete” on that front as of yet. Winston, 30, signed with the Seahawks on July 29 but was released just a month later.

Let’s look at some more news items from the NFC:

The Rams tried out veteran linebackers Pat Angerer and Kelvin Sheppard today, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Angerer spent most of his career with the Colts before latching on with the Falcons for the summer, while Sheppard was cut by Indianapolis last week.
Panthers tight end D.C. Jefferson, a second-year player out of Rutgers, has been suspended four games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Jefferson is currently on Carolina’s injured reserve after being waived-injured late last month.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap breaks down the details of Junior Galette‘s extension with the Saints, which includes a roster bonus and escalators which come into play if Galette notches 12 sacks in 2014. Fitzgerald also notes that New Orleans will likely have to restructure the pass-rusher’s deal as soon as next offseason due to its cap management woes.
Most teams carry only one fullback and some don’t even bother to have one at all. So why do the Vikings have two in Jerome Felton and Zach Line? “In college, no one has them anymore. They don’t have any fullbacks in college football,” coach Mike Zimmer said, according to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. “So typically you’re taking a tight end — if they have those. There’s hardly any blocking tight ends anymore. So you’re taking them and making them fullbacks or taking linebackers and making them fullbacks. When you find one, if you have a fullback offense, you keep them.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Seahawks Release Eric Winston

August 30th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

As part of their reduction to 53 players, the Seahawks have released veteran offensive tackle Eric Winston, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Winston signed with Seattle near the end of July, so he only lasted about a month on the team’s roster.

Winston, 30, has been one of the league’s most durable linemen over the last few years, starting all 16 of his teams’ games in Houston, Kansas City, and – most recently – Arizona in each of the last seven seasons. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the former third-round pick ranked as just the 69th-best tackle out of 76 qualified players last season. However, that may have been an aberration, considering Winston recorded consistently positive grades in every year leading up to 2013.

The president of the NFLPA, Winston looked to have a decent chance at a roster spot, or even a place in the starting lineup, in Seattle, where the departure of Breno Giacomini in free agency, along with Michael Bowie‘s release, left the right tackle position up for grabs. Instead, he’ll return to the free agent market.

Browns Claim Michael Bowie

August 3rd, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Ben Levine

SUNDAY, 5:01pm: The Browns announced they have claimed Bowie off waivers, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

SATURDAY, 5:50pm: The Seahawks have placed Bowie on waivers with the injured designation, the tweet announced (via Twitter).

The team is reportedly already seeking a replacement, as Condotta tweets that the team will likely pick up offensive tackle Cory Brandon. Brandon was cut by the Cardinals yesterday.

5:28pm: The Seahawks have waived injured offensive lineman Michael Bowie, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The second-year player was battling a nagging shoulder injury that coach Pete Carroll deemed “significant” (according to a tweet from Brian McIntyre).

The 22-year-old was selected in the seventh round of the 2013 draft and was forced to contribute immediately. With significant injuries on the offensive line, Bowie ultimately started eight games during his rookie season. The offensive tackle proved to be a steal for the Seahawks, as Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) ranked him as the team’s most productive lineman in 2013. Bowie excelled at run blocking, where he finished as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best tackle in the league.

With that kind of production, why would the Seahawks risk letting him go? In a follow-up tweet, Condotta stated that some within the organization “were not happy with the shape Bowie showed up in last spring.” The team will now rely on veteran Eric Winston, who joined the team earlier this week.

Seahawks Sign Eric Winston

July 29th, 2014 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 1:07pm: Winston’s one-year contract is worth just over $1MM, including a $60K signing bonus and a $100K bonus if he’s on the 53-man roster in Week 1, tweets Brian McIntyre.

TUESDAY, 11:56am: In addition to confirming the signings of Thomas and Winston, the Seahawks have also added wideout Randall Carroll to the roster, the club announced today in a press release. To make room for the three new additions, the Seahawks have waived cornerback Chandler Fenner and offensive guard Bronson Irwin, and placed receiver Taylor Price on their IR.

9:32am: The president of the NFLPA has found a job, as Eric Winston has reached an agreement on a one-year contract with the Seahawks, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The veteran offensive tackle confirmed the news himself, tweeting, “Season finally starts for me today! Looking forward to chasing a ring with the Seahawks!! Time go to work!”

Winston, 30, has been one of the league’s most durable linemen over the last few years, starting all 16 of his teams’ games in Houston, Kansas City, and – most recently – Arizona in each of the last seven seasons. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the former third-round pick ranked as just the 69th-best tackle out of 76 qualified players last season. However, that may have been an aberration, considering Winston recorded consistently positive grades in every year leading up to 2013.

It’s not clear whether Winston will become a starter this season in Seattle and keep that streak alive, but as Tom Pelissero of USA Today notes (via Twitter), the Seahawks’ right tackle position is currently up in the air, following the departure of Breno Giacomini in free agency. Second-year player Michael Bowie and rookie Justin Britt are among the other contenders for the RT spot.

According to Pelissero, the agreement between Winston and the Seahawks just came together within the last couple days. Financial terms of the pact aren’t yet known. Additionally, by our count, Seattle had a full 90-man roster prior to reaching deals with Winston and Terrell Thomas, so a pair of corresponding roster moves should be necessary to make the two signings official.

Pompei On Flowers, Incognito, Holmes, FAs

June 20th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Read Option piece for Bleacher Report, Dan Pompei spoke to three front office executives from around the league about the best remaining free agents on the market. Let’s dive right in and check out what Pompei and the trio of execs had to say about the top available players….

One exec wonders if Brandon Flowers might be declining after a poor 2013, while another likens him to Alterraun Verner, who received a $26MM deal ($14MM guaranteed) from the Bucs earlier this offseason.
All three of Pompei’s sources agree that Richie Incognito is easily the best interior lineman available, but no teams want to deal with him after last year’s bullying scandal.
Although Santonio Holmes is the most intriguing unsigned wide receiver, there are concerns about his durability, his asking price, and potentially his off-field presence. “We’d have to look more closely at what happened in New York with him in the locker room,” said one front office man.
Jason Babin and Ryan Pickett are both entering their mid-30s, meaning teams will proceed with caution. There’s also some concern that both players have become increasingly one-dimensional – Babin as a pass-rusher and Pickett as a space-eater – but the execs think both players will sign somewhere.
One exec on Josh Freeman: “He is probably better as a starter, but he isn’t going to get a starting job now. And if he knows he’s a backup, he might not prepare like he’s a starter.”
Michael Bush may be hard-pressed to find a role, since the devaluation of running backs means clubs are more inclined to pick up a rookie who can play special teams rather than a veteran like Bush.
Offensive linemen Eric Winston, Kyle Cook, and Tyson Clabo also earned mentions to round out the list of 10 players.

No Deal For Cardinals, Tyson Clabo

June 9th, 2014 at 8:33pm CST by Matt Feminis

8:33pm: The Cardinals will not be inking Clabo to a contract, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Caplan says the team was interested in signing the veteran following his workout earlier today, but the two sides could not come to an agreement.

6:55pm: Veteran right tackle Tyson Clabo was expected to work out for the Cardinals on Monday, reported ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).

Clabo, 32, is a veteran of 10 NFL seasons and 116 career starts. After seven years in Atlanta, Clabo spent 2013 in Miami, where he made 15 starts, allowing 11 sacks and drawing a -0.9 overall rating from Pro Football Focus, including a poor -8.4 run blocking grade. At one point, Clabo was benched for a week in favor of Jonathan Martin before Martin left the team.

Whether Clabo is offered a contract by the Cardinals remains to be seen, but his presence in Arizona could be reason for concern, as the team is desperately hoping Bobby Massie, Bradley Sowell or Nate Potter emerges as a viable right tackle option. Sowell, who went undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2012, started 12 games last season, but did not establish himself as a long-term answer. Potter, a seventh-round choice in 2012, has 21 career games under his belt, including six starts as a rookie, though he is an underpowered blocker better-suited for a backup role. Massie, a fourth-round pick in 2012, is the most physically gifted of the group (including desirable 35-inch arms), but after he was thrown into the fire as a rookie starter, the presence of veteran Eric Winston made Massie a backup last season.

The fact the team is looking to a street free agent, particularly one clearly past his prime (who did not garner a free-agent contract in March), could indicate the unproven trio is not inspiring confidence. The Cardinals had one of, if not the worst offensive lines in football last season, and the team’s quarterback has been sacked 99 times the last two seasons. Jared Veldheer was signed to solidify the blind side, but it’s apparent right tackle remains a question mark.

Extra Points: Incognito, FAs, Finley, Patriots

May 28th, 2014 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of last year’s bullying scandal, Richie Incognito has predictably had trouble finding NFL work. As Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report writes, the offensive lineman’s reps have been contacting teams over the last few weeks and months, but there has been virtually no interest. Said one general manager: “He’s trying to get back in the game, but the door remains shut. No one trusts him.”

Here’s more from around the NFL:

A pair of veteran free agents, offensive tackle Eric Winston and cornerback Drayton Florence, are expected to make visits next week to unidentified clubs with interest, reports Alex Marvez of Fox Sports. As Marvez notes, interest in unsigned veterans should pick up around the league next week, when June 1 passes and free agents are no longer linked to compensatory draft picks.
A source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com that Jermichael Finley‘s meeting with the Packers is a “formality.” The free agent tight end had previous plans to travel to Green Bay with his family, so he’ll check in with team doctors, but no medical clearance, contract signing, or even testing is anticipated, according to Demovsky’s source.
The Patriots and the representatives for Aaron Hernandez have a June hearing scheduled to go before an arbitrator as the team attempts to recoup the former tight end’s signing bonus money, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
General manager Jim Popp of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes confirmed today to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports that former Bengals star Chad Johnson has received his work permit to play in Canada and is “at camp as we speak.”
Following up on Chris Johnson‘s Twitter plea for the Jets to acquire Andre Johnson, Brian Costello of the New York Post takes a look at a few reasons why trading for the Texans wideout could make sense for the Jets, as well as several reasons why it may not work.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ravens, Jones

May 11th, 2014 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Many recent Steelers draftees have found themselves buried on the depth chart, but a handful from this year’s class will have an opportunity to start, writes Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fourth-rounder Martavis Bryant has a good chance of starting, with wide receivers coach Richard Mann telling Bouchette that they “feel like (they) got a guy to put opposite of Antonio Brown.”

Bouchette adds that the team’s two big holes, inside linebacker and defensive end, could adequately be filled by their first two picks, Ryan Shazier and Stephon Tuitt.

Let’s take a look at some more notes out of the AFC North…

The Steelers announced the signing of 10 undrafted free agents yesterday, and ESPN.com’s Scott Brown focuses on five who could make a difference. Brown lists Howard Jones, Josh Mauro, Ethan Hemer, Eric Waters and Devon Carrington as the most likely to stick around.
San Jose State offensive lineman Ryan Jones didn’t pass his physical with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Wilson adds that the undrafted player had foot surgery last year.
Michigan running back Fitz Toussaint will join the Ravens for rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, tweets Wilson.
The Ravens didn’t address their need at offensive tackle in the draft and now need to look at help internally or in free agency, writes Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. Mink suggests veteran Eric Winston, who played for Raven Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak in Houston.

AFC Notes: Castonzo, Colts, Winston

April 26th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have yet to officially decide whether they will be picking up Anthony Castonzo‘s fifth year option, but they will, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. The left tackle’s option should be worth $7.438MM according to our Fifth-Year Option Tracker.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

With the retirement of Phil Costa, the Colts are back on the market for a veteran to compete at center. Wells writes that they could look at free agents such as Jonathan Goodwin, David Baas, Kyle Cook, and Steve Vallos. Because Khaled Holmes is still young, Wells believes the team would be unlikely to draft a center to compete.
The Ravens have huge needs at both free safety and offensive tackle, but the team does not always draft for need, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. While those would be the most logical holes to fill, the team could elect to go best player available
The Ravens could be interested in signing right tackle Eric Winston, writes Hensley. The team will most likely wait until after the upcoming draft before making a decision. If they draft a tackle in the first few rounds, they will not need Winston’s services.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rams, Thomas

April 6th, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest out of the NFC West:

Despite his listing right tackle as the Cardinals’ biggest need, ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss doesn’t see the team re-signing Eric Winston. The veteran offensive lineman, who was recently elected president of the NFLPA, lacks the durability that the Cardinals need. The team will either look to the draft for an RT, or use Bobby Massie or Bradley Sowell, both of whom played left tackle last season.
The Cardinals signed two cornerbacks last week, but that doesn’t mean they won’t add to the position in the first round of the draft, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Neither of the two cornerbacks (LeQuan Lewis and Eddie Whitley) were given a signing bonus, and neither is guaranteed a roster spot. The signings point to the Cardinals’ preference for, in Urban’s words, “a fluid roster.” In terms of the draft, Arizona has been linked to TCU cornerback Jason Verrett.
Though the upcoming draft is considered one of the deepest in recent memory, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wonders how far the Rams can trade down from No. 2 and still land an impact player. Wagoner also notes that simply finding a trade partner could prove difficult if the quarterback-needy teams remain lukewarm on this year’s class of signal-callers.
Earl Thomas is still considered first-in-line to get an extension from the Seahawks, and a deal could be struck between now and the draft, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
Condotta thinks the Seahawks will draft at least one defensive lineman to replenish the depth they lost during free agency, but also believes that several young players such as Greg Scruggs and Benson Mayowa could be contributors in 2014.
Pete Carroll’s extension probably won’t have much of an impact on contract discussions between Jim Harbaugh and the 49ers, notes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Carroll had only a lone season remaining on his deal and now has a Super Bowl championship on his résumé , while Harbaugh has two seasons left on his contract, and has not won a title (despite reaching the NFC Championship game in each of his three seasons at the helm).