HEADLINES

Eric Winston

NFC Links: Marshall, 49ers, Winston

March 27th, 2014 at 9:18pm CST by Ben Levine

A couple of notes from around the NFC…

  • Brandon Marshall is not worried about this future with the Bears, and he said as much on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN Chicago 1000 (via ESPNChicago.com). “One way or another, they’re going to get the deal done,” Marshall said.
  • The 49ers have been seeking a veteran inside linebacker and Brandon Spikes was one of the players on their list, says ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). The player ultimately proved to be too expensive and signed with the Bills.
  • In a separate article, Williamson gives a list of potential veteran linebackers that the 49ers could be interested in. Among them are Desmond Bishop, Dan Connor and Jonathan Vilma.
  • Offensive tackle Eric Winston still hopes to return to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from SiriusXM NFL Radio. The tweet quotes Winston: “I’ve maintained I hope I’m going back to (the Cardinals). I still think there’s a possibility for that, but have to keep looking.”
  • Prior to signing with the Saints, Ramon Humber considered signing with the Vikings and the Patriots, according to Ramon Antonio Vargas of the New Orleans Advocate.

Ravens Notes: Jimmy Smith, OL, Daniels, QBs

March 25th, 2014 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

The 16 AFC head coaches met with the media at breakfast this morning in Orlando, and while some didn’t offer up a whole lot of notable tidbits, Ravens coach John Harbaugh made a few interesting comments. Let’s dive right in and round up some highlights, with these items coming from Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, and Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times:

  • The Ravens will pick up the fifth-year option on cornerback Jimmy Smith‘s contract for 2015. However, the team would like to work out a longer-term deal with him.
  • Harbaugh confirmed that Jeremy Zuttah, acquired from the Buccaneers over the weekend, will head into the summer as the Ravens’ starting center. For now, the club also intends to keep Kelechi Osemele at guard.
  • The only current opening on the Ravens’ line is at right tackle, but the team isn’t talking to Eric Winston, who has a history with offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
  • The Ravens aren’t necessarily done with free agency, and remain in talks with a few players, according to Harbaugh. Tight end is one position the team is considering, with Ed Dickson and Owen Daniels among Baltimore’s potential targets.
  • Baltimore had interest in quarterback Brandon Weeden earlier this month before he signed with the Cowboys, and Harbaugh believes the Ravens need to add another quarterback to the roster.
  • Harbaugh confirmed that the seventh-round pick the Ravens acquired from the Dolphins in exchange for Bryant McKinnie is for 2015 rather than 2014.
  • Rolando McClain, whose rights are still held by the Ravens, has discussed making a comeback, and Harbaugh suggested he’d be open to welcoming back the linebacker if he’s working hard. However, the head coach hasn’t talked to McClain at all.

Eric Winston Named NFLPA President

March 19th, 2014 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent tackle Eric Winston has been elected as the new president of the NFL Players Association, as Melissa Mahler writes at ProPlayerInsiders.com. Winston, who will take over the job from Domonique Foxworth, had been running against Ryan Clark and Ben Watson, who both tweeted congratulations to the veteran offensive lineman.

Winston, who played for the Cardinals in 2013, will be tasked with leading the NFLPA’s executive committee as the players continue to work on issues relating to health and safety, and look ahead to the next labor agreement.

FA Rumors: Falcons, Finley, Winston, Neal

March 7th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s follow up on this morning’s free agent rumors with another round of them for the afternoon….

  • The Falcons are engaged in active talks to bring back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but appear ready to part ways with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.
  • Tight end Jermichael Finley has drawn interest from the Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, and Steelers, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The former Packers standout still hasn’t been medically cleared, however.
  • The Cardinals have maintained interest in offensive lineman Eric Winston, but with no deal imminent, the veteran tackle could hit the open market, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Packers have had meaningful discussions with outside linebacker Mike Neal, but they haven’t come up with a large enough offer to keep him from testing the open market, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • Wilson also passes along an update on former Ravens defensive tackle Bryan Hall, who worked out for eight NFL teams at Arkansas State today. Hall was converted to linebacker by Baltimore, but is back to playing on the line now (Twitter links).
  • According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson continues to talk to the Titans, as the team tries to re-sign some of its players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents
  • Having re-signed Marcus Sherels, the Vikings have one restricted free agent left, in linebacker Larry Dean. A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) the team is having ongoing discussions on the possibility of bringing Dean back.
  • Tight end Dustin Keller, who was doing exceptionally well in camp with the Dolphins last offseason before tearing his ACL, is on track to return for this season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Keller is an unrestricted free agent.