Jermaine Gresham - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Carter, Helu, Gresham, McCain

March 10th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is drawing interest on the open market, and he’ll first visit the Buccaneers, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). If he doesn’t sign with Tampa, he’ll head to Houston to meet with the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Here’s more from the free agent front…

The Buccaneers will meet with center Stefen Wisniewski, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Tampa just signed center Evan Dietrich-Smith last offseason so Wisniewski could be viewed as a guard.
Cornerback Tramon Williams will visit with the Saints tonight, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran CB is wrighing a return to Green Bay and has also drawn other interest.
Running back Roy Helu probably won’t be returning to Washington, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), but he does have other suitors, including the Patriots, Raiders, and Jets (link).
The Patriots are interested in another free agent running back, C.J. Spiller, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, but their interest isn’t considered serious.
As we’ve heard earlier, the Raiders want to sign tight end Jermaine Gresham, Caplan (via Twitter) would be surprised if a deal doesn’t get done.
The Vikings were hoping to meet with cornerback Brice McCain, but he’s meeting with a mystery team and taking a physical, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

Free Agent Rumors: Fletcher, Williams, Gresham

March 9th, 2015 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have expressed interest in pending free agent cornerback Bradley Fletcher, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Fletcher had an off year for the Eagles in 2014, being ranked 92 out of 108 NFL cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus. He was much better in 2013, having been ranked 44 out of 110 players at the position. Here’s a look at the latest free agent rumors..

Giants free agent linebacker Jacquian Williams took to Twitter to let everyone know that he has interest from five teams.
If the Raiders don’t get a deal done with tight end Jermaine Gresham, the Browns are also among those with interest, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Jaguars a team to watch for when it comes to linebacker Dan Skuta, but there are several interested, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. He could have expanded role with Jacksonville if he signs with them tomorrow, Caplan adds.
Pat McManamon of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t expect the Browns to lose any of their restricted free agents, but he thinks a team in need of a safety could think about adding Tashaun Gipson.
Bills tight end Lee Smith is expected to sign a big contract with another team tomorrow, Tim Graham of The Buffalo News tweets.

AFC Rumors: Cameron, Bulaga, Langford, Raiders

March 8th, 2015 at 11:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

Tight end Jordan Cameron has become one of the most sought after free agents in the league during this “legal tampering” period, drawing interest from the Browns, Raiders, Broncos, and Seahawks, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Jaguars would also be in the mix if they are unable to sign Julius Thomas.

Here are some other rumors from around the AFC:

One name the Bills could target heavily in free agency is versatile offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Graham writes there will be plenty of competition for his services.
The Broncos have scheduled a visit with defensive tackle Kendall Langford, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The 29-year old veteran would provide a stout body for either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
In addition to Denver, Langford is scheduled to visit the Colts, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). Langford already met with the Lions, Jets, and Saints.
The Raiders are interested in Cameron to fill their tight end woes, but are also targeting Jermaine Gresham, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). The team is trying to work out a deal with the former Bengal by Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
Williamson also wrote an overview of the Raiders’ free agent options after top targets Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb agreed to deals this Sunday.
With Cobb and Jeremy Maclin signing big money deals, and Torrey Smith leaning towards the 49ers, the Raiders will have to look at veterans released to fill their wide receiver woes, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, and Dwayne Bowe could all be options for the Raiders.
The Titans have expressed interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
The Titans are also targeting a number of players, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean dives into ten topics the team will address this offseason. Among other things, Wyatt mentions the team needs to continue to pursue cornerbacks, writing that the team has expressed interest in Cary Williams, and could also chase Tramon Williams and Buster Skrine.

Combine Pressers: Colts, Bengals, Falcons

February 19th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The last of today’s head coach and general manager press conferences with the media are in the books, so let’s check in on the highlights for the noteworthy sessions that we haven’t already covered. Here’s the latest, with all links going to Twitter accounts for reporters on the scene in Indianapolis:

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano:

The team will take a look at all its options at the safety position, which may be an area of need. Grigson indicated that the Colts would like to re-sign Mike Adams, who “never played like he was long in the tooth.”
Both Pagano and Grigson stressed the importance of improving the team’s running game. Asked about the possibility of adding a workhorse back, Pagano said he’d love to have a player like that, but added that the club could get the production it needs with a committee approach.
Expect the Colts to always be on the lookout for pass rushers. Grigson said today that even if he had 12 pass rushers, he’d want a 13th.
Veteran wideout Reggie Wayne hasn’t yet informed the team if he wants to play in 2015. As Grigson notes, everyone knows what he means to the organization, so if Wayne does continue his career, it will almost certainly happen in Indianapolis — for now, he doesn’t have a contract for next season.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis:

According to Lewis, there have been no discussions yet about his contract, which is set to expire after the 2015 season.
Lewis didn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement for Jermaine Gresham when he was asked today if there’s a place on the Bengals for the free-agent-to-be going forward. The veteran tight end is considered likely to land elsewhere this offseason.
According to Lewis, the Bengals have made a conscious effort to draft high-character plays in recent years. The head coach acknowledged that in some cases he can’t “fix” a player with off-field issues, and he doesn’t want to waste his time dealing with the distractions.
Lewis confirmed that he has spoken to veteran defensive back Terence Newman, who wants to continue his playing career. It’s not clear yet if there will be a spot in Cincinnati for Newman, who will turn 37 in September.

Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff:

We covered Dimitroff’s presser earlier this afternoon, but the GM also spoke to local media off to the side, and addressed a few more topics. Among them: Dimitroff said the Falcons would like to get a deal done quickly with kicker Matt Bryant, who is eligible for free agency.
We heard this morning that the Falcons haven’t opened negotiations yet on a contract extension for Julio Jones, but Dimitroff was adamant today the club wants to keep the standout receiver in Atlanta for years to come.
Both Dimitroff and Quinn are high on running back Devonta Freeman, whom the GM thinks could be a full-time back in Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme.
According to Dimitroff, Quinn’s philosophy is that you don’t have to pay a huge amount for a pass rusher. The GM added that he believes the free agent class has some depth at that spot, and it’s worth noting that Quinn’s defense in Seattle frequently rotated part-time specialists in and out as a way of pressuring the quarterback.
Cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford should be scheme fits for the Falcons’ new system, per Quinn.

Sunday Roundup: Broncos, Hudson, Bradford

February 8th, 2015 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s have a look at some links from around the league on this slow news day:

Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes that, even if Peyton Manning returns in 2015, the Broncos should still find ways to get meaningful snaps for Brock Osweiler.
Mike Klis of the Denver Post provides a complete offseason breakdown for the Broncos, which includes the team’s contingency plans should Manning retire (of course, his retirement would create an additional $19MM of cap room that would allow Denver to surround Osweiler with talent). Klis says the Broncos’ top priority will be finding a right tackle, and he therefore puts Bryan Bulaga at the top of the team’s shopping list.
Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star fleshes out his tweet from a few days ago with a deeper look into the decision the Chiefs will have to make regarding free agent center Rodney Hudson. Paylor also confirms that the Chiefs are expected to use the franchise tag on Justin Houston.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Rams are in pretty good financial shape. Even though the team’s cap number currently sits just shy of $143MM, with the projected league salary cap to be somewhere between $140MM and $150MM, Thomas notes that St. Louis has plenty of options to reduce their cap number, including a restructure of Sam Bradford‘s contract or even an outright release of the former No. 1 overall pick.
Tommy Lawlor of PhiladelphiaEagles.com offers his offseason blueprint for the Eagles, noting that even if the team hands out a big-money deal to Jeremy Maclin, it should still have enough room to shop for a couple of starters in free agency.
Free agent cornerback Ike Taylor said that if there is any one person he would follow, it would be Dick LeBeau (Twitter link to SiriusXM NFl Radio). As our Zach Links wrote several days ago, Taylor is one of a number of long-time Steelers who could finish their playing days in a Titans uniform under LeBeau’s tutelage.
Summarizing reports from various sources, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk confirms that free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham is unlikely to remain with the Bengals.

AFC North Notes: Harbaugh, Browns, Maualuga

January 9th, 2015 at 1:06pm CST by Ben Levine

When John Harbaugh was originally interviewing for the Ravens head coaching position, he received a bit of help from one of his colleagues. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gave owner Steve Bisciotti a call, endorsing the former Eagles special teams coach for the opening. Harbaugh eventually got the job, and as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes, the coach still appreciates the recommendation from his upcoming playoff opponent:

“It meant everything. As far as probably getting the job, it didn’t hurt. You have to ask Steve and Ozzie [Newsome] if it made the difference or not. But the fact that he was willing to do that at the time, I was stunned when I heard the story much later.

“I would describe the relationship as very good, great admiration for coach. I’ve never worked with him, specifically, but for whatever reason he has been always willing to kind of take me under his wing in a way and give me time and insight and things like that.”

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

Former Bears quarterback coach Matt Cavanaugh is on the Browns “radar” for the offensive coordinator opening, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cavanaugh previously worked with coach Mike Pettine at the University of Pittsburgh, and they reunited again in the NFL with the Ravens and Jets.
Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com takes a look at some other potential candidates for the Browns offensive coordinator opening. His list includes Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, former college coach/NFL coordinator Charlie Weis, former Bears coach Marc Trestman and Cowboys offensive coordinator Bill Callahan.
Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther believes upcoming free agent linebacker Rey Maualuga will ultimately return to the Bengals. “I believe he does,” Guenther said (via ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey). “You saw when he came back the effect he had on us.”
Harvey also focuses on five major questions surrounding the Bengals entering the offseason, including the future of tight end Jermaine Gresham.

Poll: Who Is Most Likely To Be Traded?

October 27th, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The trade deadline is tomorrow at 4pm eastern time, and a number of prominent players have been the subject of swirling trade rumors over the past several weeks. After a nightmarish start to the season, the Buccaneers may be entertaining the idea of a fire sale, with Vincent Jackson, Doug Martin, and Dashon Goldson all potentially on the trading block.

The Titans, meanwhile, appear ready to usher in a new era with the insertion of Zach Mettenberger into the starting lineup, and they are reportedly taking calls on veterans Nate Washington, Michael Griffin, and Wesley Woodyard. The Bengals, who have regained control over the AFC North without much help from Jermaine Gresham, may be waiting for someone to meet what should be a fairly low price for Gresham’s services. And the Rams, who suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the Chiefs yesterday after a surprising upset of the Seahawks in Week 7, could be shopping players like Kendall Langford and Zac Stacy.

We also learned yesterday that the Vikings could be taking calls on Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings. However, all of those players, for various reasons, are probably less likely to be on the move than some of the other names mentioned above.

Indeed, given the level of interest in his services, the struggles of his current team, and his potential impact on a new club, the player who may be the most likely to be dealt is Jackson. This is despite NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s belief that Tampa Bay would not settle for less than a second-round pick in exchange for its top wideout.

But that’s just one person’s opinion. Odds are, of course, that no one will be traded; that’s simply the status quo when it comes to the NFL trade deadline. And several head coaches whose teams were rumored to be active participants in the trade market said today that they did not expect their clubs to pull the trigger on a deal. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, even though he lays out a number of trades that he thinks would be beneficial for teams who appear destined for losing records in 2014, acknowledges that seeing one of those trades come to fruition would be very surprising.

However, reality is not always exciting. So, with that in mind, which of the above players do you think are mostly likely to be traded? Do you think a different player will be on the move? Or do you live so relentlessly in the real world that you think all of this smoke will fail to give rise to a single fire?

Trade Buzz: V-Jax, Rams, Vikings

October 26th, 2014 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

There seems to be more buzz surrounding this year’s NFL trade deadline than in years past, and Michael Fensom of the National Desk points out that Week 8 will be the final “audition” for those players who have generated the most interest, including the Buccaneers‘ Vincent Jackson and the Bengals‘ Jermaine Gresham. Fensom also observes that, since January 2012, the teams that have made the most trades are also among the most successful clubs on the field.

Of course, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, the odds that a major trade comes to fruition are pretty slim, especially since so few teams are clearly out of the hunt at this point in the season. That does not mean, however, that it is not worth your while to take a look at some of the latest trade buzz. The trade deadline is Tuesday, October 28:

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the Eagles, Patriots, and Seahawks are among the teams calling about Jackson. He adds (via Twitter) that the Chiefs are also involved. He points out, however, that the Buccaneers are looking for real value in any trade involving Jackson, and Rapoport defines “real value” as a second-round pick (Twitter link).
Rapoport tweets that another player that could be on the move is Rams DT Kendall Langford, who has generated some interest. La Canfora believes that St. Louis may have also fielded some calls on RB Zac Stacy.
La Canfora writes that the Raiders are willing to deal Matt Schaub, but there is unsurprisingly not much of a market for him.
La Canfora adds that players who had previously been discussed as trade possibilities, like the Eagles‘ Brandon Graham, have since been taken off the table.
Fensom reasons that, given the Seahawks‘ reported interest in tight ends, Seattle is a potential landing spot for Gresham.
Our Zach Links recently wrote that Titans WR Nate Washington has been made available via trade, but Fensom writes that other Tennessee players like Wesley Woodyard and Michael Griffin are also rumored to be available.
There is also speculation that the Vikings are looking to sell, and Fensom lists Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, and Greg Jennings as potential trade chips.

Trade Rumors: Thomas, V-Jax, Spiller

October 19th, 2014 at 11:35am CST by Rory Parks

As we already pointed out earlier today, the Seahawks, who are in need of a tight end, reportedly asked for Browns TE Jordan Cameron in a potential Percy Harvin deal before ultimately sending Harvin to the Jets. As it turns out, Seattle aimed even higher by asking the Broncos for emerging star Julius Thomas, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Although Denver promptly rebuffed the Seahawks’ proposal, Joel Corry tweets that these tight end inquiries are not good news for Zach Miller‘s long-term prospects in Seattle. This is despite the fact that Miller has already cut $3MM and $2MM from his 2014 and 2015 salaries, respectively.

Let’s take a look at some other trade notes from around the league. Remember, the trade deadline is October 28:

Citing his colleague Ian Rapoport, Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes that two other big-name players who are generating significant trade interest are Buccaneers‘ WR Vincent Jackson and Bills‘ RB C.J. Spiller. Rapoport says Tampa Bay is receiving a “ton of calls” on Jackson and would be open to anything. The Cowboys, meanwhile, were interested in Spiller last season, and given that Buffalo has been unable to effectively utilize his skill-set–in addition to the fact that he is in his contract year–Spiller could be on his way out of Buffalo within the week.
Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 tweets that, unless Spiller accepts a “fair offer” from the Bills in the offseason, Buffalo will not re-sign him. That explains why trade talks surrounding Spiller may intensify.
Noting that the Patriots are “usually active” at the trade deadline, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that New England is targeting help on the offensive and defensive lines and at linebacker.
We learned earlier that the Bengals may deal Jermaine Gresham if the price is right.

AFC North Notes: Forsett, Steelers, Gresham

October 19th, 2014 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

After Justin Forsett‘s surprising emergence as the Ravens‘ best running back this season, fans are wondering if he will have a future in Baltimore beyond 2014. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes that it is too early to answer that question, particularly since Forsett is a small back that cannot withstand a big workload and is 29 years old. Hensley notes that Baltimore could certainly give Forsett a “modest” two-year contract at the end of the year, but the team remains high on younger players such as Bernard Pierce and Lorenzo Taliaferro.

In the same piece, Hensley writes that if the Ravens‘ offense continues its upward trajectory under new OC Gary Kubiak, the chances increase that Kubiak will get another crack at a head coaching job in 2015. If that happens, current quarterbacks coach Rick Dennison, Kubiak’s right-hand man, would likely leave with Kubiak, and the Ravens ‘ only other legitimate in-house option would be current offensive line coach Juan Castillo. In other words, if Kubiak leaves, expect Baltimore to bring in an outside candidate to replace him.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that an appeal hearing date has been set in the Ray Rice case, and a final decision could be handed down by mid-November, which means that Rice could be reinstated and eligible to play within the next four weeks. Whether a team would take the risk and sign him is another story, but La Canfora points to the Colts and Patriots as potential landing spots.
Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that, although the Steelers prefer to “reload” rather than “rebuild,” that strategy has them currently caught in no man’s land: “not good enough to compete for a championship, but not bad enough to select high in the draft.”Although their decision to not entirely rebuild the roster in recent years is understandable, given that they have a franchise quarterback, the declining performance of some of the team’s veterans may soon make Pittsburgh’s front office reevaluate its strategy going forward.
Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal describes how Browns OC Kyle Shanahan, like Kubiak, is reestablishing himself as a viable head coaching candidate as he leads Cleveland’s suddenly potent offense.
With the trade deadline just over a week away, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Bengals TE Jermaine Gresham, who is in a contract year, could be available for the right price.