HEADLINES

Gabe Carimi

NFC Notes: Nelson, Tuck, Fitzgerald, Mangini

February 20th, 2014 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already published posts on the Vikings, Bears, and Cowboys so far today, but even after rounding up a few team-centric updates, there are still several more notes to pass along on NFC teams. Here’s the latest:

  • While there will be plenty of items on the Packers‘ to-do list this offseason, locking up wide receiver Jordy Nelson to an extension is expected to be near the top of that list, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
  • There are plenty of notable names among this year’s free agent class of defensive ends, but Justin Tuck’s agent tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that he believes his client is the best all-around player of the bunch. “Justin is by far the most complete d-end in the class,” agent Doug Hendrickson said of the longtime Giant. “He can play the 4-3, he can play the 3-4. He obviously had an incredible season last year with every stat he had with the tackles, tackles for loss, the hurries and the sacks. They were up there with the upper-echelon defensive linemen.”
  • Asked about a report last month that suggested the Patriots were mulling a Larry Fitzgerald trade last year, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said of the rumor, “I was looking for someone to fire because [the Patriots] never called me” (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). That initial report suggested that the Pats’ talks didn’t get very far, so it sounds like they were just internal discussions.
  • Former defensive specialist Eric Mangini will be the 49ers’ tight ends coach in 2014, the team confirmed today. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee was the first to report Mangini’s new role.
  • Cornerback figures to be one of the most important positions for the Eagles to address this offseason, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, exploring some potential options for the team.
  • Offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, who was released by the Buccaneers earlier this month, admitted in an appearance on Sirius XM NFL Radio that he was surprised by the move. However, the early cut gave Carimi to test the market ahead of the free agent period. While he had planned to work out for the Bengals and some other teams, the ex-Bear landed with the Falcons this week (Twitter links via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports).

Falcons Sign Gabe Carimi

February 19th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 3:17pm: Carimi’s one-year contract with the Falcons is worth a total of $840K, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The deal includes a $645K base salary, a $65K signing bonus, and $140K in “per game” roster bonuses.

MONDAY, 3:55pm: The Falcons have signed offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, according to their team website. He had been released by the Buccaneers on February 10.

Carimi, 25, was a 2011 first-round pick of the Bears. He started 16 games over two seasons, before being traded to Tampa in 2013, where he started three games. He has experience at both tackle and guard.

As Alex Marvez of Fox Sports notes on Twitter, Carimi played under current Falcons offensive line coach Mike Tice when they both were with the Bears. Additionally, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure notes that Carimi played with Tice’s son while at Wisconsin (Twitter link).

Buccaneers Cut Rodgers, Hill, Carimi, Landri

February 10th, 2014 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have officially released four players from their roster, reports Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). According to Smith, the club has cut quarterback Jordan Rodgers, running back Michael Hill, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi, and defensive tackle Derek Landri.

Carimi and Landri each had one year remaining on their respective deals, and had been set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2015. Rodgers and Hill would have been ticketed for 2016 free agency, though neither would’ve been fully unrestricted by that point. While Rodgers and Hill were on minimum-salary contracts, Carimi and Landri had been set to earn about $1.34MM and $1.5MM respectively, so Tampa Bay will save a little cap room by cutting them. None of the four players will represent any dead money for 2014.

While Rodgers didn’t play for the Bucs in 2013 and Hill earned just nine carries in limited action, Carimi and Landri both started games for the club. However, neither player was expected to have a significant role with the team going forward.

Rodgers is the brother of Packers star Aaron Rodgers, while Carimi was a former first-round pick by the Bears.