HEADLINES

Jeromey Clary

Extra Points: Cobb, Ravens, Clary

February 26th, 2015 at 11:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers have not given up hope on re-signing Randall Cobb, per ESPNWisconsin’s Jason Wilde, despite a report earlier this week indicating they were prioritizing their other free agents.

Wilde cites multiple sources indicating the Packers remain persistent in their efforts to re-sign Cobb, who at 25 is younger than the majority of the players headlining this year’s unrestricted free agent market. The earlier report came from CBSSports’ Jason La Canfora and noted Green Bay is focused on keeping Bryan Bulaga, probably the top free agent right tackle, and defensive tackle Letroy Guion.

Should Cobb, who set career highs in receptions, yards and TDs last year, reach the market like recent Packers pass-catchers Greg Jennings and James Jones, he could be the top WR available with Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant set to be franchised. The Packers have more than $32MM in cap space and have Jordy Nelson on a reasonable $4.6MM number at present.

Some additional links from Thursday night …

  • The Ravens also have several players primed to reach the open market, and OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald examines who they should retain, allow to exit and whose contracts need restructuring. At $4.7MM of space, the Ravens have Torrey Smith and Pernell McPhee heading a talented contingent heading for free agency and won’t be able to have as open of discussions regarding their own free agents as the Packers can.
  • The Chargers cut Jeromey Clary with a failed physical designation, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun noted on Twitter. Clary, 31, announced his retirement back in January. Although he was a sixth-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle. In his final season with the Chargers, the veteran lineman accepted a pay cut that reduced his base salary from $4.55MM to $1.6MM.

Zach Links contributed to this report.

Jeromey Clary Announces Retirement

January 8th, 2015 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has announced his retirement, according to a press release from the team. Clary spent the 2014 season on the team’s reserve/PUP list after undergoing hip surgery.

“Honestly, it has been a long time coming now with the two hip injuries,” Clary said. “San Diego was a great place to play, and I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to play for. All the coaches and all the players I was with, and the friendships I’ve built … I’m honored to have played for an organization like this. It means the world to me. I’ve processed this decision a lot and gone through it a lot, and to be honest with you, I’m really excited about the future. I look forward to getting back to Texas and being around my family.”

Clary, 31, was selected by the Chargers in the 2006 draft out of Kansas State. Although he was a sixh-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle. In his final season with the Chargers, the veteran lineman accepted a pay cut that reduced his base salary from $4.55MM to $1.6MM. He’d be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March if he were continuing his career.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

November 18th, 2014 at 5:08pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to making practice squad changes, teams around the league are also adding and subtracting players from their 53-man rosters today. We’ll round up some of those minor transactions in this space, with the latest moves added at the top of the list:

  • The Texans have released Ricky Sapp from injured reserve, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Sapp was placed on IR on October 7th to make room for the signing of linebacker John Simon to the 53-man roster.
  • The Titans have cut linebacker James Anderson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Anderson, 31, started all 16 games last season for the Bears. While Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required) ranked Anderson 33rd out of 35 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers in 2013, his poor grade was due in large part to subpar performance against the run — he was one of the league’s more effective linebackers in pass coverage. This year he saw time in seven games as a reserve.
  • The Bears have added receiver and return man Marc Mariani to their roster on a two-year contract, waiving safety Ahmad Dixon to make room for the incoming player, the team announced today (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Cardinals had hoped Troy Niklas‘ ankle injury wouldn’t be season-ending, but that optimism didn’t last long. As Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes, the team placed the rookie tight end on injured reserve today, ending his season. To replace Niklas, the Cards signed veteran tight end Matthew Mulligan, who was on the Bears’ roster earlier this season.
  • The Seahawks have officially confirmed the previously-reported signings of offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and defensive tackle Travian Robertson, cutting offensive tackle Andrew McDonald and defensive back Steven Terrell to accommodate the new additions. Jeanpierre and Robertson will get a chance to play at center and defensive tackle, respectively, with Max Unger and Brandon Mebane injured.
  • Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has been ruled out for the season and will remain on the reserve/PUP list, the team announced today in a press release. Clary needed to start practicing today if he hoped to play this season, but his hip injury will keep him sidelined until 2015.

PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 10th, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

AFC Links: Manning, Mallett, Houston, Clary

August 31st, 2014 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Danieal Manning was cut by the Bengals yesterday, but he caught on with a familiar team this afternoon. The former All-Pro safety signed with the Texans, the team he played with the past three seasons. The 32-year-old talked about his return to Houston (all via tweets from Mark Berman of KRIV):

“Rick (Smith) kept his word, that if I ever have an opportunity to come back, he’ll talk to me about it. He did and we came back…It feels really good. I’m excited. I’m thankful. I’m grateful. This business is really funny… It seems like I took a little short vacation. This just feels right coming back home.”

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

  • The Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith has more details on the Texans–Patriots trade (via Twitter): New England will receive a conditional seventh-rounder than could improve to a sixth-round pick based on Ryan Mallett‘s snap count.
  • Alex Smith‘s new extension will allow the Chiefs to franchise linebacker Justin Houston if the sides don’t come to an agreement, notes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Chargers guard Jeromey Clary underwent hip surgery about a week ago, and Michael Gehlkin of U-T San Diego writes that the 30-year-old could miss the entire season.

Chargers Cut Ghee, Place Three On IR

August 26th, 2014 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

About five and a half months after signing him during the first week of the league’s 2014 free agent period, the Chargers have parted ways with defensive back Brandon Ghee, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links). Although Ghee, who received $300K guaranteed when he signed with the team, was one of five players removed from San Diego’s active roster today, he was the only player who was cut outright.

Per Gehlken, here are the Chargers’ other transactions, which reduced their roster to 75 players:

Placed on injured reserve:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

West Notes: Hill, Farwell, Hayden

August 25th, 2014 at 10:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s look at a few notes from the league’s west divisions to wrap up this Monday evening:

  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, in the wake of Sam Bradford‘s season-ending injury, has reiterated that St. Louis has not engaged other teams in talks regarding a potential quarterback trade.
  • On a related note, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes that Fisher emphasized that Shaun Hill will be the Rams‘ starting quarterback going forward.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that Colton Schmidt, who was waived by the 49ers earlier today, could draw interest from other clubs looking to make an upgrade at punter. Schmidt led all punters in net yards this preseason.
  • Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that Seahawks backup middle linebacker and special teams captain Heath Farwell will likely need surgery to repair the extensive groin damage that he suffered in Friday’s preseason game against Chicago. Farwell’s injury essentially locks up a roster spot for undrafted free agent Brock Coyle.
  • Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego reports that Chargers‘ guard Jeromey Clary will begin the season on the PUP list, thereby forcing him to miss at least the first six games of the regular season.
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com writes that the Raiders may have found a diamond in the rough in defensive back Neiko Thorpe, who was signed to a futures contract in January.
  • Citing head coach Dennis Allen, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Raiders corner D.J. Hayden, who is recovering from foot surgery, looked a lot better today working with trainers on the sidelines. The team will not make a decision regarding whether Hayden should go on the PUP list until Saturday’s deadline.

Jeromey Clary Accepts Pay Cut

July 28th, 2014 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has accepted a pay cut, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Clary’s base salary has been reduced from $4.55MM to $1.6MM, creating $2.95MM in cap savings for the club. It doesn’t seem that the veteran will be able to earn back some of that money via bonuses or incentives, but according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter), his salary is now fully guaranteed.

Clary, who turns 31 this fall, has been a full-time starter on San Diego’s offensive line for the six seasons, appearing in 93 games (all starts) over that time. Per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the longtime Charger struggled last season playing primarily right guard rather than right tackle, recording a -20.8 grade for the season.

Currently on San Diego’s PUP list, Clary will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2015.

West Notes: Tebow, Thomas, 49ers, Seahawks

June 2nd, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Tim Tebow still has hopes of returning to the NFL someday, even as he continues his television work with the new SEC Network, writes Mike Organ of the Tennessean. Tebow, who lead the Broncos to the playoffs in 2012, spent one season with the Jets before attending training camp with the Patriots in 2013. “I’m training every day and feel like I’m the best that I’ve ever been,” said Tebow. “I still love it, love playing, talking about it, and I’m just excited about whatever the future holds. Who knows what could happen? But I’m excited about it, though.”

More notes from the West divisions:

  • Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas is looking at a huge payday, says Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Thomas, an unrestricted free agent following the upcoming season, could be in line for a contract close to that of Larry Fitzgerald, who earns over $16MM annually and received $27MM in guarantees.
  • Raiders safety Charles Woodson might have retired had the Oakland not re-signed him in March, but that doesn’t mean that 2014 will be the veteran’s final NFL season, tweets ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. Woodson, 37, graded out as the league’s 28th-best safety in 2014 per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), excelling more in coverage than in run defense.
  • Sio Moore will likely play more weak-side linebacker for the Raiders next season, says Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Moore spent most of 2013 on the strong side, but Oakland’s first-round pick, Khalil Mack, will move into the SAM position.
  • Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary, already recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, recently underwent hip surgery, leaving his training camp availability in question, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
  • The 49ers, along with the Ravens and Packers, are masters of the compensatory pick system, and Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com thinks that San Francisco could be in line for additional picks in the sixth and seventh rounds, citing the losses of Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown.
  • Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin had hip surgery today, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). While Condotta notes “there is not real prognosis yet,” Irvin himself chimes in on Twitter, saying that he will return by training camp.
  • Several lesser-known players are getting opportunities for the Seahawks, as defensive lineman Jordan Hill is receiving some playing time in nickel packages (filling the void left by Clinton McDonald), and rookie offensive lineman Justin Britt is manning right tackle while Michael Bowie deals with a minor injury, per Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.

AFC Notes: Clary, Johnson, Archer, Pats

May 17th, 2014 at 10:08am CST by Matt Feminis

During Chargers rookie minicap, third-rounder Chris Watt was working at right guard, “the same position of Jeromey Clary, who is to make $4.55 million in total compensation in 2014,” writes ESPN’s Eric D. Williams. “Watt lining up at right guard probably is not a coincidence.”

This comes on after an ESPN Insider piece (subscription required) about veterans whose jobs are in jeopardy in which Nathan Jahnke put the magnifying glass on Clary: “Thanks to the drafting of D.J. Fluker in 2013, Clary was moved from right tackle to right guard last year. The move didn’t work out well for Clary, who had the third-lowest run-block rating for all guards per PFF. In addition, the Chargers’ running backs averaged 4.6 yards per carry when running to the left compared to 3.6 yards per carry when running to the right, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Clary had something to do with that large difference.”

Here’s a few more AFC news and notes:

  • Any rumors of Andre Johnson being reunited via trade with Gary Kubiak in Baltimore were quashed by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
  • Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com passed along a few Patriots tidbits: The team will carry three quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo and Ryan Mallett), but Mallett is expected to depart via free agency at year’s end; Shane Vereen could earn a contract extension with a healthy, productive season; and 2013 fourth-rounder Josh Boyce, who struggled with the “mental aspect” as a rookie, will “compete for the kickoff return job while also vying for a role as a No. 3-5 option on the depth chart.”
  • Free agent linebacker James Anderson, who started all 16 games for the Bears last season, tried out for the Patriots, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
  • On third-rounder Dri Archer, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert told Post-Tribune writer Alan Robinson, “We think we got the fastest player in the draft.” The Steelers hope to take advantage of Archer’s versatility, according to Colbert, who says the rookie could be used as a kick returner, in the slot, in the backfield and maybe as an H-back.
  • When asked about potential surprise cuts depending on how many rookies/young players make the Jaguars, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco mentioned Tyson Alualu, Denard Robinson and Ricky Stanzi as bubble players.
  • With the Jets adding Daryl Richardson via waivers, Mike Goodson is not expected to be with the team, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).