Justin Houston - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Jaguars, Titans

November 1st, 2014 at 10:56am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s check out some notes from the AFC…

Adam Teicher writes that it’s possible for the Chiefs to retain Tamba Hali and Justin Houston longterm, but they have to be clever with their cap manipulation.
Teicher adds that the Chiefs will certainly look to re-sign upcoming free agents Houston, Allen Bailey, Rodney Hudson and Anthony Sherman, but they proved last offseason that they won’t overspend to keep their own players.
Looking forward to free agency, Michael DiRocco says the Jaguars biggest needs are a “pass rusher, speed at linebacker, tight end and more depth along the offensive line.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Vince Young was the Titans starting quarterback, and Paul Kuharsky believes that the team may be wary of a player like Jameis Winston. He later notes that the team needs an edge rusher “more than anything.”

Chiefs Unlikely To Extend Justin Houston

October 28th, 2014 at 8:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With a 4-3 record through the first eight weeks of the season, the Chiefs are still in the thick of the AFC playoff picture, and their defense, which ranks ninth in DVOA, has played a central role in the club’s success. One key cog in Kansas City’s defensive unit might not be around for the long-term, however, as sources tell Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports that linebacker Justin Houston and the team are “worlds apart” in extension talks, meaning the NFL’s current sack leader is likely to either become a free agent at season’s end, or be slapped with the franchise tag.

We’ve heard before that Houston was expected to play out his contract, despite the fact that, as Getlin reports, the Chiefs and Houston representatives have been discussing a long-term pact for the better part of a year. If Kansas City does opt to place the franchise tag on Houston’s, he will earn a fully guaranteed salary of between $12.9MM and $15.1MM — the figure will be set once the 2015 salary cap is set. Per Getlin, league sources expect Houston to meet, or possibly exceed, the $30.8MM that J.J. Watt received when he signed an extension with the Texans.

Houston, a Georgia product, was selected in the third round of the 2011 draft. In 50 games (44 starts), Houston has registered 164 tackles and 36.5 sacks; he’s tenth in the league in sacks during that span. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) confirm that Houston is an outstanding pass-rusher, and also give him a positive grade in pass coverage. Overall, he grades as the second-best 3-4 outside linebacker in the league this season, second only to Khalil Mack.

In the final year of his rookie deal, Houston is earning just $1.406MM, and counts only $1.598MM against the cap. The Chiefs have a little more than $3.5MM available in 2015 cap space, so it might be tough for them to justify a franchise tagged player on their roster. However, Kansas City could cut fellow pass-rusher Tamba Hali to create more than $5.5MM in cap relief, while releasing lesser players like Anthony Fasano or Mike McGlynn could open up even more cap space. Regardless, a long-term deal would probably make better financial sense for both parties — but it doesn’t sound like that outcome is likely.

La Canfora’s Latest: Newton, Houston, Hoyer

October 12th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Rory Parks

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has a number of interesting notes this morning, including several pieces on possible contract extensions for big name stars. Let’s jump right in:

Although the Panthers have not talked with quarterback Cam Newton about a possible extension since this summer, and no such talks are imminent, La Canfora writes that Newton is not interested in a “pay as you go” contract like those signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton. Joel Corry tweets that Newton’s agent, Bus Cook, will certainly not accept that type of deal for Newton given that he was able to procure $38MM in (virtually) guaranteed money for Jay Cutler.
La Canfora writes that the Chiefs would like to extend outside linebacker Justin Houston during the season, but unnamed sources indicate that is unlikely. After locking up quarterback Alex Smith long term, Kansas City wants to revisit negotiations with Houston, which went nowhere in the preseason. However, the two sides do not currently appear likely to bridge that preseason gap, and Houston could be slapped with the franchise tag next year, which would be worth about $13MM. Even with Kansas City’s ample cap room, Joel Corry tweets that the mega-deals signed by J.J. Watt and Robert Quinn did not make it any easier for the Chiefs to extend Houston.
La Canfora writes that the Browns have not yet begun contract talks with Brian Hoyer, but after his performance against the Titans last week, the time for locking him up at a reasonable rate may be running out. Joel Corry adds (via Twitter) that Cleveland may even consider an $18MM franchise tag for Hoyer for 2015, since the club has plenty of cap room to work with.
Although new Bills owner Terry Pegula is not planning any immediate changes to his front office, La Canfora writes that Pegula ultimately wants to “bring in an experienced football man” to oversee the team’s transition. Ernie Accorsi, Mike Holmgren, and Ron Wolf have all been named as possibilities. Pegula would also like to see an organizational restructure to separate the football side and business side of the club.
Many NFL owners, despite lauding commissioner Roger Goodell for his overall efforts, would like for him to allow others to handle disciplinary matters.
La Canfora has the the value of 2015 franchise tags for each position.

AFC Mailbags: Titans, Chiefs, Raiders

October 11th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier today. Let’s now check out notes from ESPN’s AFC mailbags…

Even though Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt previously said that he’d make roster changes if play doesn’t improve, Paul Kuharsky doesn’t think that’s realistic. As the writer points out, roster building takes place in the spring, not in October.
Adam Reicher writes that it may take some time, but the Chiefs will eventually look to extend linebacker Justin Houston. If that doesn’t happen, Reicher suggests that the team could franchise the 25-year-old.
If the Raiders can’t get Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh as their next head coach, Texas A&M skipper Ken Sumlin could be a candidate, writes Bill Williamson.
Michael DiRocco can’t see linebacker Dekoda Watson returning to the Jaguars after the season unless his play improves. The writer adds that Watson wasn’t signed to be a building block, and that will make it easier to cut the player.
Jamison Hensley observes that the Ravens have historically kept the players they’ve wanted to keep. As a result, he believes that Torrey Smith will ultimately sign an extension with the team.

AFC Mailbags: Dolphins, Ravens, Raiders, Chiefs

October 4th, 2014 at 12:50pm CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN’s NFC mailbags earlier today. Let’s take a look at notes from the AFC…

LaMichael James‘ best chances of making the Dolphins 53-man roster is via a role on special teams, according to James Walker.
The “slower-than-antcipated” development of Ravens linebacker Arthur Brown has resulted in him being labeled a disappointment, writes Jamison Hensley. However, the writer says that it’s too early to give up on the former second-rounder.
Bill Williamson can envision the Raiders giving Charles Woodson one more season if the cornerback wants to continue playing.
Adam Teicher says there’s a possibility the Chiefs could cut Dwayne Bowe after the season, but it’s far from a guarantee.
The Chiefs should be in no rush to extend linebacker Justin Houston, writes Teicher. The team has until March to reach an agreement, and Teicher notes that the Chiefs have leverage with their franchise tag.

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.

Justin Houston Expected To Play Out Contract

August 22nd, 2014 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

2:40 PM: Houston’s negotiations could be pushed along if another top pass rusher secures a new contract to set the market, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Either the Texans’ J.J. Watt or the Rams’ Robert Quinn could be in line for an extension soon, that would serve as a guideline to the annual salary a terrorizing pass rusher is worth.

12:20 PM: Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston had hoped to sign a new contract with the team before the regular season gets underway, but the two sides remain so far apart in negotiations that there’s virtually no chance of an agreement within the next couple weeks, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). According to La Canfora, Houston will play out his current deal, which expires at season’s end.

Houston, 25, has racked up 21 sacks in 27 games for the Chiefs in the last two seasons, earning spots in consecutive Pro Bowls. The Georgia product ranked as the league’s best all-around 3-4 outside linebacker in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), scoring positive grades against the run, in pass coverage, and as a pass rusher. However, since he was a third-round pick in 2011 and didn’t have a fifth-year option on his contract, Houston is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will earn a base salary of just $1.4MM in 2014.

La Canfora had previously reported earlier in August that Houston and the Chiefs were far apart in contract talks, so it appears not much progress has been made in recent weeks. As the CBSSports.com scribe notes (via Twitter), quarterback Alex Smith is also still without an extension, so if the Chiefs don’t lock him up either, the team could face a tough decision at year’s end on which player gets the franchise tag.

AFC West Notes: Smith, Houston, Gates

August 5th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:

With Alex Smith and Justin Houston both facing potential free agency next March, the Chiefs may have a dilemma on their hands if they have to decide which player to use the franchise tag on, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Kansas City may not be inclined to franchise either player, since the tags would be very pricey — about $18MM for a quarterback and $14MM for an outside linebacker.
Florio follows up that piece on Smith and Houston by providing an update on Houston’s contract negotiations with the Chiefs. According to PFT’s source, there’s a “huge” gap between Houston’s asking price and Kansas City’s current offer, which was made by the team when the linebacker reported to training camp. The Chiefs may not be eager to break the bank on Houston, since their other starting outside linebacker – Tamba Hali – has an $11MM+ annual cap hit, and the club also invested a 2014 first-round pick on pass rusher Dee Ford.
Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com believes this will be Antonio Gates’ last year with the Chargers. The longtime San Diego tight end will carry an $8.2MM cap number in 2015, and is being pushed for playing time and targets by 24-year-old Ladarius Green.

La Canfora On Chiefs, 2011 Draftees, Smith

August 4th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Matt Feminis

In his latest edition of training camp notes, CBS’ Jason La Canfora provided an update on negotiations between the Chiefs and Alex Smith, saying talks “are ongoing, with the dialogue maintaining on a regular basis and the team looking for creative ways to secure him for the future, according to several sources. To this point, however, they haven’t been able to bridge a few gaps, but the Chiefs are willing to cut into their considerable cap space to strike a deal, and there are no plans to stop exchanging proposals.”

La Canfora adds talks have “remained cordial” and there is mutual desire to find common ground. Common ground would seem to be a “middle-tier” deal that would place Smith’s contract somewhere between the elite passers and the lower-paid, “bridge starters” group. From the team perspective, the Chiefs don’t want to overpay for Smith in the event a younger QB is ready to vie for the job, especially given Andy Reid‘s ability to develop quarterbacks.

More tidbits from La Canfora:

The Chiefs have revived talks with Justin Houston, who is also a priority. La Canfora does not expect a deal to get hammered out before the season, however, since the sides are far apart financially playing out the season could make the most sense for Houston.
La Canfora publicized first-year tight end Demetrius Harris as a “deep sleeper” and potentially “the next college basketball player to make the jump to tight end.”
Do not expect many more 2011 first-rounders to be extended for a while. This group includes Cam Newton, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Muhammad Wilkerson, among others. La Canfora quoted an agent for one prominent pass rusher, who said, “The money is going to be so high, these teams don’t really have an incentive to do it now. I’m not sure any of these guys get new deals this year. If there’s any movement going on I’m not aware of it.”
Some agents are outraged over the Cowboys’ eight-year extension to Tyron Smith because “he essentially gave the Cowboys two contracts for the price of one, locked up until age 32.” Those agents believe Jerry Jones might have used his “father figure” relationship with the young Smith to take advantage of him in negotiations.

Justin Houston Reports To Chiefs’ Camp

July 24th, 2014 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 24: Houston is present at the Chiefs’ training camp, multiple sources tell Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link).

JULY 16: While he’s still seeking a new contract and remains upset with the Chiefs, linebacker Justin Houston is expected to report to the team’s training camp when it opens next week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Houston was absent from Kansas City’s spring workouts and minicamp, but will want to avoid incurring up to $30K in daily fines for missing training camp.

Houston, 25, has racked up 21 sacks in 27 games for the Chiefs in the last two seasons, earning spots in consecutive Pro Bowls. However, since he was a third-round pick in 2011, he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract and will earn a base salary of just $1.4MM in 2014.

Because he wasn’t a first-rounder, Houston doesn’t have a fifth-year option on his deal, meaning he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency after the ’14 season. His approaching free agency could improve his leverage, but Houston also has to be careful about missing too much of this year’s training camp — failing to report within 30 days of the regular season opener would cost him an accrued season, in which case he’d only be eligible for restricted free agency in 2015.

Houston is certainly underpaid, and with just a year remaining on his deal, the Chiefs should be motivated to work out a deal that locks him up for multiple years, but the team doesn’t have a significant amount of cap flexibility. As such, this will be an interesting situation to watch during training camp, whether or not Houston is in attendance.