Gary Barnidge - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Raiders, Carr, Bengals, Bernard

May 22nd, 2017 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has “complete faith” that a deal will get done before training camp, as Anthony Galaviz of the Fresno Bee writes.

“I have an agent who is in charge of that and I am confident that he and [GM Reggie McKenzie] will work it out. I am only focused on becoming a better football player and helping my teammates become better players,” Carr said. “These things take time. The Raiders know I want to be here; this is my family, and I know they want me to be their quarterback.”

Recently, McKenzie also expressed confidence in a deal getting done this summer. If both men are to be believed, then it might not be long before we see Carr sign on the dotted line.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is expected to be a limited participant at OTAs, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bernard suffered a torn ACL in November and is still on the mend. In ten games last year, Bernard ran for 337 yards off of 91 carries and added 39 receptions for 336 yards.
Free agent tight end Gary Barnidge says that he’s in a holding pattern since a lot of teams are waiting to evaluate their rosters in OTAs and minicamp (Twitter links via SiriusXM), but he says he has no problem with waiting. He added that while he would like to be the No. 1 tight end wherever he signs, he’s also OK with a mentor type of role. We learned on Monday that Barnidge has been contacted by some of his former coaches who are now with the Broncos. He previously visited with the Bills and he has also heard from the Jaguars and Panthers.
On Tuesday, the league will vote on whether to permit a team to negotiate with a head coach candidate during the postseason before his season ends, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). The league will also vote on whether to change the anti-tampering policy definition of a GM to the team’s main football exec, even if he doesn’t have control of the 53-man roster.

Broncos Reach Out To TE Gary Barnidge

May 22nd, 2017 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

Gary Barnidge left his early May visit with the Bills without a contract and roughly three weeks later he remains on the open market. Things could be picking up for the tight end, however. Barnidge tells SiriusXM (Twitter link) that he has heard from some of his old coaches that are now with the Broncos.

The Broncos added a big name at tight end when they selected Michigan’s Jake Butt in the fifth round. However, he has torn an ACL in each knee with the latest one happening during the Orange Bowl this past January. While Butt recuperates, the Broncos project to go into September with Virgil Green, Jeff Heuerman, and A.J. Derby as their top three tight ends. Barnidge could be added to the mix to help push Derby and/or Henry Krieger-Coble for the final TE spot on the 53-man roster.

Around the time of his visit to Buffalo, it was also reported that meetings with the Jaguars and Panthers could be on the docket. Barnidge confirmed that he has heard from the Jaguars, but it’s not immediately clear whether the Panthers still have interest.

Barnidge’s earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 as he hauled in 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he caught 55 passes for 612 yards and two touchdowns for the Browns.

Gary Barnidge May Visit Panthers, Jaguars

May 3rd, 2017 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If tight end Gary Barnidge leaves his visit with the Bills without a contract, he figures to take several more trips. Barnidge is halting his free agent tour to attend the Kentucky Derby on Sunday, but may meet with the Panthers and Jaguars in the near future, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Were Barnidge to sign with Carolina, he’d return to the club where he spent the first four years of his NFL career. Barnidge, 31, was a bit player during his stint with the Panthers, as he only totaled 18 receptions during his time with the team. The Panthers were linked to a number of tight ends during the draft, but ultimately stood pat with Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, and Chris Manhertz.

Jacksonville, too, neglected to draft a tight end last week even after trading Julius Thomas to the Dolphins earlier this offseason. At present, the Jaguars’ tight end depth chart is comprised of Marcedes Lewis, Mychal Rivera, Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, and Alex Ellis. Barnidge would likely become Jacksonville’s No. 1 tight end upon signing.

Bardnidge broke out during the 2015 campaign when he hauled in 79 receptions for 1,043 and nine touchdowns for the Browns. His numbers dipped last season, but he still managed 55 receptions, 14th among NFL tight ends.

Bills Hosting TE Gary Barnidge On Visit

May 3rd, 2017 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are hosting tight end Gary Barnidge on a visit today, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Barnidge was cut by the Browns this week following the selection of Miami tight end David Njoku.

Barnidge broke out with the Browns in 2015 when he recorded 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns on his way to a Pro Bowl selection. Before fantasy football fanatics learned his name, however, he spent several seasons with the Panthers. His final two years in Carolina overlapped with Sean McDermott‘s first two years as their defensive coordinator, so his shared history with the Bills head coach could lead to a deal.

The Bills currently project to have Charles Clay as their lead tight end. Tight ends Nick O’Leary, Gerald Christian, Logan Thomas, and Blake Annen are also under contract.

Browns Cut TE Gary Barnidge

April 28th, 2017 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have released tight end Gary Barnidge, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It appears that he has been squeezed out by the selection of Miami’s David Njoku. Barnidge has confirmed the news via social media.

“I want to thank the Cleveland Browns for giving me my opportunity and looking forward to seeing the change. Time for the next step,” Barnidge said (Twitter link).

Barnidge signed a three-year, $12.3MM extension with the Browns during the 2015 season. The deal, which featured $5.73MM in guaranteed money, had two years still to go. This year, Barnidge was set to carry a $3.812MM cap number. Instead, the Browns will carry $1.625MM in dead money and save $2.2MM against the cap.

Barnidge has appeared in 61 of 64 possible games for the Browns over the last four seasons. In 2016, he caught 55 passes for 612 yards and two touchdowns. His best season came in 2015, his lone Pro Bowl season, when he had 79 receptions and 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns.

North Notes: Ravens, Barnidge, Daniels, Packers

December 15th, 2015 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The five-year, $37.5MM contract the Ravens gave to left tackle Eugene Monroe in 2014 looks like an obvious mistake now, but it was applauded at the time, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. After missing just three games due to injury in his first four seasons, Monroe hasn’t been able to stay on the field during the last two years, and now the team will face a tough offseason decision.

While cutting Monroe in the offseason is one option, the Ravens wouldn’t clear much cap room by doing so, since the lineman’s deal still includes $6.6MM in dead money. It seems to me that a more logical solution would be to rework Monroe’s deal to convert a chunk of his $6.5MM salary for 2016 into per-game roster bonuses. That would allow Monroe to keep his spot on the roster and give him an opportunity to earn his full salary, while also alleviating the risk for the Ravens — if the veteran tackle gets hurt again, Baltimore won’t be on the hook for his entire salary.

As we wait to see what the Ravens decide on Monroe, let’s round up some other items from around the AFC North, including a couple more out of Baltimore….

Within the above-linked piece, Zrebiec also notes that if Kelechi Osemele holds up well at left tackle over the final three games of the season, it could change the lineman’s outlook for free agency. The Ravens likely can’t afford to sign another guard to a lucrative contract after extending Marshal Yanda, but if Osemele can play left tackle, that’s a position the team would be willing to spend on — of course, so would many other rival clubs.
Before the Ravens decided to sign Ryan Mallett, the quarterback assured the team that he has received professional help for personal issues that led to his ouster in Houston, a league source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Having been signed for the 2016 season, Mallett could serve as Joe Flacco‘s backup next year if the Ravens like what they see from him.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along a few more details on Gary Barnidge‘s new contract with the Browns, reporting that the three-year, $12.3MM pact features $5.73MM in guaranteed money, though not all of that money is fully guaranteed yet. Barnidge’s $1.5MM salary for 2016 becomes fully guaranteed in March.
Speaking of contract details, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) has a few for Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels, providing the year-by-year cap breakdown for Daniels’ extension. Daniels will count against the cap for $7.4MM in 2016, with his hits jumping to the $10-11MM range for the final three years of the deal.
Now that the Packers have extended Daniels, who’s next in line for a new contract in Green Bay? Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com takes a closer look at some possibilities.

Browns Sign Gary Barnidge To Extension

December 11th, 2015 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:09am: Barnidge’s three-year deal is worth $12.3MM, with just over $5.5MM in guaranteed money, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

THURSDAY, 3:25pm: Barnidge’s new deal is a three-year contract, a source tells Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that it’s worth north of $12MM.

1:31pm: The Browns’ extension with Barnidge is now official. The tight end himself took to Twitter to announce the deal, posting a photo of himself putting pen to paper.

12:04pm: The Browns are moving toward locking up one of their top pass catchers to an extension, keeping him off the free agent market, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). According to La Canfora, a new deal for tight end Gary Barnidge and the Browns is “imminent.” Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) confirms that the two sides are nearing a deal, adding that it could get done today.

Barnidge, 30, caught just 44 balls in 92 games with the Panthers and Browns between 2008 and 2014, after being selected in the fifth round of the 2008 draft by Carolina. However, he has blown away all his previous career highs this year, catching 60 balls for 817 yards and seven touchdowns in an increased role for the Browns.

Had he played out his contract, Barnidge would’ve been eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason. Instead, it looks like he’ll continue to catch passes for the Browns in 2016 and beyond. Coming off a $1.2MM salary in 2015, the Louisville product will be in line for a significant raise on his new contract.

It’s not yet known what sort of deal the Browns and Barnidge are discussing, but I imagine the four-year, $18.5MM ($6.75MM) pact signed by Lance Kendricks earlier this year will be a point of reference. That deal put Kendricks just inside the league’s top 15 highest-paid tight ends, despite the fact that he had never caught more than 42 passes or four touchdowns in a season.

Based on his 2015 numbers, Barnidge probably deserves to be valued higher than that — perhaps even within the top 10, which would mean an annual salary of $7MM+. I imagine his age and his lack of a track record will limit Cleveland’s willingness to invest too heavily in him, but the Browns certainly have no shortage of future cap room, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the club is willing to commit to its breakout tight end.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Rumors: Benjamin, Barnidge, Roper

December 10th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns signed tight end Gary Barnidge to a contract extension today, and while the salary numbers on the deal aren’t yet known, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he believes Barnidge’s camp was targeting $4MM per year.

That would be a team-friendly price for a player who ranks among the NFL’s best tight ends in terms of catches, yards, and touchdowns this season. As I noted in our story on Barnidge’s extension, Lance Kendricks signed a four-year deal worth $4.625MM annually with the Rams in March, and he has never had a season nearly as productive as Barnidge’s 2015. On the other hand, the Browns tight end is 30 years old, and had only caught 44 balls in 92 career games coming into the season.

As we wait on the figures for Barnidge’s new contract, let’s round up a few more news items and notes from out of Cleveland….

Another Browns pass catcher, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, indicated earlier in the season that he’d like to remain in Cleveland beyond this year, and the team has since engaged him in extension discussions. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter links), Benjamin said today that he thinks he’s about 75% or 80% of the way to reaching a new deal with the Browns.
Discussing his extension, Barnidge explained today that he decided not to test the open market because he wanted to repay the Browns for giving him a shot (Twitter link via Cabot). “I want to be part of the turnaround,” Barnidge said.
According to Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has conducted at least one meeting to discuss “how to pick up the broken shards left from the 2015 season.” Team president Alec Scheiner and general manager Ray Farmer were present at that meeting, says Grossi, within a piece examining Farmer’s track record as Browns GM.
Browns senior offensive assistant Kurt Roper will finish the season with the team, but he’s on track to become South Carolina’s new offensive coordinator, Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine confirmed today (Twitter link via Ulrich).
With the 49ers on the schedule for Cleveland this week, ex-Niners punter Andy Lee reflected on his time in San Francisco, praising the franchise for how it handled his traded to the Browns. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the story, along with Lee’s quotes.

AFC North Notes: Harrison, Manziel, Steelers

December 9th, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Following an up-and-down 2013 season with the Bengals, veteran linebacker James Harrison looked like he was on his way to retirement. However, he changed course when an opportunity arose to rejoin the Steelers, and in his last two seasons, Harrison has been an effective part-time player for the club, most recently racking up three sacks against the Colts on Sunday night.

There aren’t many NFL players born in the 1970s who are still active, and it’s possible that this year could be Harrison’s latest. However, the 37-year-old doesn’t sound ready to call it a career quite yet, as Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.

“You know, I still got another year on the contract,” Harrison said. “So we will play this year out; I’m not even thinking about that at this point to be honest with you. I can’t think any further ahead than the next game. We’re right now in a situation where we have to.”

As Harrison and the Steelers prepare for an AFC North showdown against the Bengals, and attempt to continue their push for a playoff spot, let’s check in on the latest out of the division:

While head coach Mike Pettine wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Browns will have a zero-tolerance policy for Johnny Manziel going forward, he did admit that repercussions would likely be harsh if the quarterback has another off-field incident (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
In his examination of the NFL’s most underpaid extension-eligible players, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, Browns tight end Gary Barnidge, and Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele as a few AFC North players who fit the bill. Barnidge and Osemele are headed for unrestricted free agency, and Brown could very well get an extension from Pittsburgh this offseason, so I don’t expect the trio to remain underpaid for long.
Veteran running back DeAngelo Williams has been excellent in an increased role for the Steelers, having averaged 137.2 yards from scrimmage over his last five games. As Corry observes (via Twitter), Williams’ performance not only helps Pittsburgh win now — it also provides the team some leverage in upcoming extension negotiations with starting running back Le’Veon Bell, who will be entering a contract year in 2016.