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Josh Sitton

Teams Calling On Bears G Josh Sitton

October 31st, 2017 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Teams are calling the Bears with interest in guard Josh Sitton, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).With a couple of hours to go until the trade deadline, the 3-5 Bears could be motivated to trade the lineman to a contending club. Josh Sitton (vertical)

Sitton, 31, carries a $6.8MM cap number this year before that jumps to $8.66MM in 2018. Sitton doesn’t come cheap, but he has been regarded as one of the league’s best guards for nearly a decade, so he is worth it for a team looking to win right now.

Sitton currently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-best guard, which is actually lower than where Sitton has been situation in previous years. Sitton, who has spent his entire career to date in the NFC North, is coming off of his fourth career Pro Bowl nod.

Extra Points: Beckham, Bears, Browns

May 22nd, 2017 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. did not report to Day 1 of Giants OTAs, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports. The reason for the absence is not known, per Duggan. These are voluntary workouts, so Beckham cannot be fined for missing them. The Giants will convene again Tuesday, and Thursday’s session will be the first featuring media availability. Duggan reports Beckham being absent for this part of Big Blue’s calendar isn’t new; the superstar wideout was not a consistent presence at last year’s OTAs. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver is attached to a $1.8MM salary in 2017, but New York predictably picked up his $8.5MM fifth-year option. Beckham is now eligible for an extension that would stand to be in line with the top receivers in football, and while he’s displayed some mercurial tendencies, he’s already shown himself to be historically dominant Giants playmaker.

Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • The Bears are in the process of moving Kyle Long to a third position, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports. He and Josh Sitton are set to swap spots, with Long shuttling to left guard and Sitton sliding over to the right side. Sitton has extensive experience at both guard slots, having played at least four years at each. Long, though, has never played left guard in the NFL. He played right tackle in 2015 but was relocated back to his customary right guard slot last season. Long did suit up at left guard while at Oregon. Long is still rehabbing from the ankle injury that ended his season after eight games, Biggs reports. Sitton started at right guard from 2009-12 for the Packers, who switched he and T.J. Lang in 2013 because of Lang’s more physical approach.
  • Justin Pugh signing an extension this offseason would come as a surprise to NJ.com’s James Kratch, who writes that it makes sense for neither side to rush this process. The Giants want to see Pugh make it through a season unscathed after he missed nine combined games between 2014-16. Pugh discussed being in a good spot regarding his second contract, seemingly content to reach free agency after noticing the guard deals of March.
  • Jason McCourty is a possible free safety candidate for the Browns, Pat McManamon of ESPN.com notes. Hue Jackson said the newly acquired defender, a career-long corner, would get a look at safety and the team would play the best four in the secondary. Ed Reynolds will start Cleveland’s OTA workouts at safety, per Jackson. Upon signing, McCourty said he’d be willing to play free safety. Twin brother Devin McCourty, of course, has been a standout back-line defender for the Patriots. It would certainly behoove the Browns to involve McCourty as much as possible, and they are light on experience at safety. They still have Jamar Taylor, who played better in Cleveland than he did in Miami, at corner and drafted Jabrill Peppers as a safety. But the latter doesn’t have much experience there.
  • The Browns will relocate inside linebacker Christian Kirksey to the weak side in Gregg Williams‘ 4-3 look, McManamon reports. Kirksey led the Browns by nearly 50 tackles last season by registering 148 stops.

Sitton Received Calls From “15 or 16” Teams

September 17th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Ryan Pace and John Fox met with Josh Sitton, 15 or 16 teams contacted the free agent guard, Sitton told Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune.

“Probably 15 or 16 teams called. Of the ones that were truly serious, there were probably four or five,” Sitton said of the interest that accumulated during his visit with the Bears’ brass.

GMs and coaches contacted 30-year-old guard, along with Kyle Long. Per Wiederer, both Fox and Pace did not give the longtime Packers mainstay the hard sell, instead pitching him what a guard tandem of he and Long would look like. Long, though, did make a more aggressive sales pitch. “He wasn’t going to let up,” Sitton told Wiederer.

However, Chicago’s power structure did have to make their pitch quickly while seeing Sitton’s phone buzz constantly.

But Sitton also did not want to leave the meeting without a deal, having made the 175-mile drive from Green Bay to Chicago on Sunday after quickly retrieving his belongings from the Packers’ locker room following his Saturday release.

“I’ve seen what John has done with every team he has been at. He comes in and [turns] the program around. So I wanted to feel that this was a team on the rise,” Sitton said of a meeting at a Chicago-area restaurant.

Sitton ended up signing for three years and $21.75MM and forms one of the league’s top guard tandems, along with the recently extended Long. The Saints were probably another of the serious teams that contacted Sitton, but he did not leave the Chicago summit without a deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

 

Latest On Packers’ Release Of Josh Sitton

September 11th, 2016 at 1:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers shocked the NFL world by releasing Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton during final cutdowns, and while there’s been some speculation as to what Green Bay was thinking with the move, confusion is still abounds regarding the club’s decision. However, Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel yesterday attempted to make some sense of the situation, and ultimately came to the conclusion that general manager Ted Thompson & Co. made a mistake by parting ways with one of its best players.Josh Sitton (Vertical)

[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Wants To Play Past Age-40]

Sources tell McGinn that the Packers told Sitton is mid-August that extensions for David Bakhtiari, J.C. Tretter, T.J. Lang, and Eddie Lacy would be the priority, meaning Sitton wouldn’t be getting a long-term deal any time soon. While Sitton may have been upset at that news, he never showed, as far as McGinn could tell. And while Green Bay had mentioned a possible Sitton trade to at least one team, serious discussions didn’t occur until final cutdown weekend.

At that point, the Packers told Sitton he would be released if the club couldn’t find a trade partner. Green Bay, per McGinn, was “apoplectic” that it couldn’t locate another team willing to part with draft compensation in order to acquire Sitton. The Saints expressed some interest, but their cap problems and lack of a fifth-round pick prevented them from making a deal.

With a trade seemingly impossible, the Packers began to worry that Sitton would become a locker room distraction if he was kept on the roster, according to McGinn. If other Green Bay players began to sign extensions while Sitton remained in his contract year, the problem might only get worse, thought the club’s front office.

Still, there’s been no indication that Sitton planned to hold out or become any sort of pariah. And on the whole, McGinn seems correct — the Packers made a massive miscalculation by parting ways with Sitton. Green Bay likely would have recouped a compensatory pick by simply letting Sitton play out the season and find a new home in free agency. Now, the Packers will move forward with Lane Taylor in the starting lineup, and having received noting in return for Sitton.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Contract Details: Broncos, Bears, Sanchez

September 8th, 2016 at 6:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos and receiver Emmanuel Sanders were nearing a contract extension in late August, but the deal Los Angeles gave fellow wideout Tavon Austin led to Sanders raising his asking price, reports James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link). Sanders and the Broncos ended up agreeing to a three-year, $33MM pact with $27MM in guarantees on Wednesday. Austin hasn’t been on Sanders’ level in terms of production, but the Ram is four years younger. That helped Austin secure a longer, richer deal – four years, $42MM – with a few million more in guaranteed money ($30MM).

More contract details from around the NFL:

  • Guard Josh Sitton‘s three-year accord with the Bears is worth $21MM, $9.5MM of which guaranteed, as Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune tweets. Sitton can earn an additional $250K per season if he makes the Pro Bowl, something he did three time in Green Bay.
  • Quarterback Mark Sanchez‘s one-year deal with the Cowboys comes with a $2MM base salary and no guaranteed money, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • Receiver/returner Devin Hester‘s contract with the Ravens is for one year and $1.1MM, including $100k fully guaranteed, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • New Broncos QB Austin Davis making $1.25 million this year, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). He’ll get another $200K if he takes 50% of Denver’s offensive snaps, which is a long shot for a signal-caller who’s behind Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch on the team’s depth chart.
  • Kicker Connor Barth‘s agreement with the Bears is for one year and $885K, relays Biggs (Twitter link). Barth’s predecessor, Robbie Gould, was scheduled to make $3MM this season before the Bears released him.
  • Earlier Thursday, the Steelers made guard David DeCastro the richest offensive lineman in franchise history.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

Latest On Josh Sitton

September 5th, 2016 at 8:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Behind-the-scenes issues likely factored into the Packers’ surprising decision to release guard Josh Sitton on Saturday, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com details.

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Cracks may have started forming in the relationship between Sitton and the Packers when he was critical of their offensive game plan last December, leading irked head coach Mike McCarthy to tell reporters, “Josh Sitton needs to play guard.” Months later, the team informed Sitton in training camp that it wouldn’t discuss a contract extension with him during the season, which may have worsened the two sides’ relationship. Before the Packers released Sitton, he was set to earn $6.15MM in 2016 to conclude the five-year extension he signed in 2011.

While there might be acrimony between Sitton and his former employer, the 30-year-old explained Monday that he wasn’t trying to get back at Green Bay by signing with the NFC North rival Bears.

“Honestly, it didn’t have anything to do with sticking it to the Packers,” the three-time Pro Bowler said (via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com). “I’m more familiar with the division. [Chicago is] close to where I was. I like the weather up here. We had a few other teams interested. It’s too damn hot in the south.”

One of Sitton’s new teammates, fellow guard Kyle Long, said Monday that he heavily recruited Sitton.

“I wouldn’t get out of his ear,” Long stated.

Both Sitton (three years, $21.75MM) and Long (four years, $40MM) inked expensive deals with the Bears over the weekend, though it was an extension in the latter’s case. Those two should comprise one of the top guard tandems in the league, while the Packers will move forward with the inexperienced Lane Taylor and the excellent T.J. Lang. Taylor, who’s replacing Sitton on the left side, picked up just two starts during his first three seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears To Sign Josh Sitton

September 4th, 2016 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After being released by the Packers yesterday, free agent guard Josh Sitton will stay in the NFC North, as he’s agreed to a three-year contract with the Bears, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The deal is worth $21.75MM and contains $10MM in guarantees, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.Josh Sitton (Vertical)

[RELATED: Bears Sign Kyle Long To Extension]

Sitton, 30, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has long been considered one of the best — if not the best — guards in the NFL, so the Packers’ willingness to move on from him certainly came as a surprise. In eight seasons in Green Bay, Sitton appeared in 121 games, starting 112, while delivering dominant results on the interior of the offensive line.

Last year, Sitton graded out as the sixth-best guard in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He received a strong 91.1 pass blocking grade (tied for fourth-best in the NFL) with a still respectable 81.2 mark against the run.

While the Saints were also reported to have interest in meeting with Sitton, he’ll instead head to the Chicago, where his presence along the interior offensive line will be a boon. While the Bears boast the recently-extended Kyle Long at right guard, left guard and center had been wide open following the release of Matt Slauson, the retirements of Nate Chandler and Manny Ramirez, and the injury to Hroniss Grasu.

Sitton will start on the left side, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, while rookie Cody Whitehair and veteran Ted Larsen compete for time at center.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Josh Sitton To Visit Bears; Saints Also?

September 4th, 2016 at 9:11am CST by Zachary Links

After the Packers cut Josh Sitton loose on Saturday, upwards of ten teams expressed interest in the Pro Bowl guard. Now, he has his first visit lined up with the division-rival Bears, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Saints could be next on the docket for him, Schefter adds. Josh Sitton (vertical)

Sitton, 30, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has long been considered one of the best — if not the best — guards in the NFL, so the Packers’ willingness to move on from him certainly came as a surprise. In eight seasons in Green Bay, Sitton appeared in 121 games, starting 112, while delivering dominant results on the interior of the offensive line.

Last year, Sitton graded out as the sixth-best guard in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He received a strong 91.1 pass blocking grade (tied for fourth-best in the NFL) with a still respectable 81.2 mark against the run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Packers Bring Roster Down To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 6:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have announced the cuts that will bring their roster down to 53. The club has made the following moves:

Cut:

Placed On IR:

  • C Kyle Steuck
  • DT Tyler Kuder

Reserve/Suspended:

Josh Sitton Drawing Widespread Interest

September 3rd, 2016 at 5:58pm CST by Zachary Links

There are already upwards of ten teams with interest in talking to Josh Sitton, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. Sitton was released by the Packers on Saturday as they worked their way down to a 53-man roster. Josh Sitton (vertical)

The Packers reportedly shopped Sitton to other teams but he was released on Saturday after the Packers could not find a trade for him. Prior to his release, Sitton was scheduled to earn $6.15MM in base salary for the coming season. Apparently, teams were reluctant to take him on at that price but still had interest in him as a football player. Sitton told Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter) that there was no showdown over his contract with the Packers.

“I was prepared to play the season,” he said.

Last year, Sitton graded out as the sixth-best guard in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He received a strong 91.1 pass blocking grade (tied for fourth-best in the NFL) with a still respectable 81.2 mark against the run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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