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Justin Houston

West Notes: Bennett, Rams, Waynes

April 20th, 2015 at 9:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett is not expected to be in attendance for the Seahawks’ voluntary workouts, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. Bennett denies that he’s seeking a trade out of Seattle but sources have said he would like the team to redo his contract. Bennett is entering the second year of a four-year deal worth $28.5MM signed last spring. When asked if he’s happy with is deal, the veteran replied: “I can’t really say that, but I mean I don’t know anybody that is happy with the amount of money that they’re making. But at this point, I’m just trying to be a good Seahawk.” Here’s more from the AFC and NFC West..

  • The Rams will host Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes on Tuesday and South Carolina offensive guard A.J. Cann on Wednesday, according to Nick Wagoner of the Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The Rams pick at No. 10 and they have the opportunity to jump the Vikings at No. 11, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (via Twitter).
  • Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson says that he hopes to play for another 3-5 years, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The Chiefs could create $5.2MM in cap savings by releasing Johnson, but team chairman Clark Hunt recently said that he expects that the veteran will stay put.
  • In addition to Justin Houston and Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were also absent from Chiefs camp due to academics, Paylor tweets.
  • Mississippi State defensive end Preston Smith is in Denver today visiting the Broncos, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). Smith visited the Vikings in Minnesota earlier in April.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Rivers, Titans, J. Houston, Colts

April 16th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As the NFL draft draws closer, rumors of a trade that would send Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to the Titans continue to swirl. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), there is a strong likelihood that Rivers and the 17th overall pick (and perhaps more pieces) will end up heading to Tennessee in exchange for the second overall selection. The Chargers would then draft Oregon signal caller Marcus Mariota to replace Rivers.

Here’s more on Rivers and the rest of the AFC:

  • Jason Fitzgerald of the Sporting News writes that now is the time for the Chargers to deal Rivers. Doing so would enable the Bolts to get out from under the high-paying deal Rivers, who is entering a contract year, will get sometime prior to the 2016 campaign and replace him with a much younger player, Mariota, with franchise QB potential. Rivers, 33, is 12 years older than Mariota.
  • The Chiefs used the franchise tag to retain linebacker Justin Houston in February after long-term contract negotiations proved unsuccessful, and the sides haven’t resumed discussions since then, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If Kansas City fails to lock up Houston by July 15, it’ll have to wait until the end of next season to restart talks on a new deal. In the meantime, another team could sign Houston to an offer sheet, but if that happens and the Chiefs don’t match the offer, it would cost Houston’s new club a first-round pick in both 2016 and ’17. The four-year veteran may be worth it, having racked up three straight double-digit-sack seasons and a league-best 22 in 2014.
  • Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star took a pre-draft look at the Colts’ projected starting lineup for 2015. Holder notes that the team has potential weaknesses along both lines (center, right guard and right tackle on offense; nose tackle on defense) and at free safety. All could be areas for the Colts to improve via the draft.
  • Broncos special teams ace and backup safety David Bruton has started just five a possible 91 games during his career, but Mike Klis of the Denver Post writes that the 27-year-old wants to change that in 2015. The Broncos lost free safety Rahim Moore in free agency and are down to Darian Stewart and Bradley Roby at the position. Bruton hopes to be in the mix for the No. 1 job. “I envision myself starting,” said the six-year veteran. “I’m dreaming big this season, especially (in a) contract year.”
  • The Browns will visit with Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian on Sunday and Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Siemian accounted for 12 touchdowns in 2014 (seven passing, five rushing) before suffering a torn ACL in November.

AFC Notes: Houston, Gregory, Raiders

March 26th, 2015 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Team chairman Clark Hunt is optimistic the Chiefs can sign Justin Houston to a long-term deal, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. Hunt told reporters in Arizona that he wants Houston “to be a Chief for life” and GM John Dorsey also expressed confidence that a deal will come together. The Chiefs hit the linebacker with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March and there hasn’t been major progress since then. Here’s more from the AFC..

  • ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper believes that embattled Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory could fall to the Browns at No. 12 overall, but Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group isn’t so sure that they should take the risk.
  • Bill Williamson of ESPN.com ran down the Raiders‘ remaining free agents and where they stand. He notes that even though the Raiders told Tarell Brown that they want to try and get younger at the cornerback position, the veteran could still return on a team-friendly deal.
  • Earlier today, the Bengals signed veteran defensive tackle Pat Sims.

AFC Notes: Houston, Wallace, Broncos

March 11th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the AFC…

  • The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”
  • The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.
  • The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.
  • Defensive end Vance Walker will meet with the Broncos later this week, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Chiefs.

Chiefs Use Franchise Tag On Justin Houston

March 2nd, 2015 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

9:49am: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (all Twitter links) confirms, via a league source, that the Chiefs used the non-exclusive tag on Houston, meaning other teams can pursue him, if they so choose. For his part, Houston doesn’t seem all too pleased with being franchised — he’s already considering waiting until Week 10 to sign his franchise tender, according to PFT. Florio adds that Houston will consult with the NFLPA to decide whether to fight for a defensive end franchise salary rather than a linebacker salary. As was the case with Graham last year, I doubt that fight would be a fruitful one.

8:37am: As expected, the Chiefs have ensured that star pass rusher Justin Houston won’t reach the open market as a fully unrestricted free agent next week. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the team has officially placed the franchise tag on the NFL’s reigning sack leader.Justin Houston

After recording back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks in 2012 and 2013 – including 11 in 11 games in ’13 – Houston had a career year this past season, racking up 22 sacks, 68 overall tackles, and four forced fumbles. Houston was far and away the top-ranked 3-4 outside linebacker by Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), logging an impressive 87 total quarterback pressures for the season.

By using the franchise tag on Houston, the Chiefs will be formally tendering the 26-year-old a one-year contract offer expected to be worth north of $13MM. Houston will be free to sign that tender at any time, but Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) that’s not expected to happen right away.

Assuming Kansas City is using the non-exclusive tag, Houston is free to negotiate with rival suitors starting next Tuesday. If Houston were to sign an offer sheet with another team in that scenario, the Chiefs would have five days to match it — if they didn’t match the offer, they’d receive two first-round picks from Houston’s new team as compensation.

Of course, whether or not Houston signs the one-year tender offer, a long-term deal with the Chiefs remains a possibility. A year ago, for instance, Jimmy Graham was franchised by the Saints, and – despite a handful of rumors about other teams eyeing him, ultimately he worked out a multiyear agreement with the team just before the July 15 deadline.

While Houston is the first player to officially be tagged today, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and Jason Pierre-Paul are all expected to be franchised as well, and others may join them by 3:00pm central time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Notes: Weatherspoon, Thomas, Houston, Forsett

February 28th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Ben Levine

As we heard yesterday, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is hoping the organization can keep linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, citing the player’s athleticism and attitude.

“With him, it’s that toughness and the speed that he can play with so, yes, definitely someone that we’re talking to,” Quinn said (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). “I know he’s got that kind of attitude. And you know me, just from watching our style of defense, it’s fast and physical. And that’s what Sean is. So, we’re certainly hoping that he can be a big part of it moving forward.”

However, the coach acknowledged that he is worried about the veteran’s past injuries, including an Achilles tear last season.

“I think you always are,” he said. “But at the same time, what’s the rehab like? You can tell when a guy is going for it in that way, too. All that factors in. 

“By the same token, he hit a string of bad luck. Can he come back and play at a level that he’s capable of? That’s what we’re excited to find out.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s free agent class…

  • As expected, the Broncos will likely slap receiver Demaryius Thomas with the franchise tag. Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that it’s a “safe bet” the team will place the tag as they try to work on a longterm deal. Meanwhile, Florio wonders if Peyton Manning‘s rumored restructuring could mean a return for tight end Julius Thomas.
  • Following news that the Chiefs and Justin Houston were working on a multi-year deal, Florio says such a deal is unlikely at this point. Instead, the All-Pro linebacker seems destined for the franchise tag, and Florio notes that the 26-year-old’s leverage will rise when similar free agents start receiving lucrative deals.
  • For the time being, Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believe the Eagles shouldn’t invest money in a linebacker like Brandon Spikes. However, if the team decides to move on from DeMeco Ryans, the team would be in the market for a starting linebacker, in which case Spikes could be a viable option.
  • Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome made it clear that he’d like to keep running back Justin Forsett in Baltimore. “We would like to retain Justin,” Newsome said (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “I’ve learned something since the end of the season about Justin that I didn’t really know. He has mentored some very good, young backs, starting with Arian Foster,Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew when he was in Jacksonville. Having Justin here — and with the opportunity [of] also bringing in hopefully another young running back — to have Justin be around that guy would be an asset also. So, we will work to try to retain Justin.” If the team loses out on Forsett, Hensley suggests free agents Frank Gore, C.J. Spiller, and Mark Ingram as potential replacements.

Combine Pressers: Broncos, Falcons, Panthers, Chiefs

February 19th, 2015 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve done several times over the last couple days, we’re rounding up noteworthy comments from head coaches and general managers from their sessions with the media at the combine in Indianapolis. Here are a few of this afternoon’s highlights, with all links going to Twitter:

Broncos general manager John Elway (via Lindsay Jones of USA Today):

  • Elway sidestepped a question about whether or not Peyton Manning‘s contract situation will play a role in the QB’s decision for 2015, but said that he believes the future Hall-of-Famer will return. “We’re hopeful Peyton comes back. We want him back. He has not given me a definitive answer,” Elway said.
  • There’s no deadline for Manning to make his decision, according to Elway. That includes March 9, when his 2015 salary becomes guaranteed.
  • Elway confirmed that the Broncos intend to use their franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas if the two sides don’t work out a longer-term agreement by March 2.
  • Terrance Knighton has recently voiced frustration with the slow process of contract negotiations, and Elway said today that he “can’t calm” that frustration. Per Elway, most deals for free-agents-to-be will be consummated right before the free agent period begins on March 10.

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com):

  • The Falcons are excited about the No. 8 overall pick, and while they could go in any number of directions, adding a pass rusher figures to be their preference.
  • According to Dimitroff, the team has yet to make any decisions on its current players, including free-agents-to-be or potential cap casualties.
  • Dimitroff said today that his first order of business after the club hired Dan Quinn was to discuss the team’s new scheme and how players will fit into that scheme. Presumably, that discussion covered players currently on the roster as well as potential outside targets.
  • The general manager stressed that he’s “very excited” about working with Quinn, who will have control over the 53-man roster. The two men will work together, and if there’s a disagreement, the head coach will make the final call, per Dimitroff.
  • Dimitroff said there’s no doubt in his mind that Josh McDaniels, who interviewed with the Falcons, will be an NFL head coach again.

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera (via David Newton of ESPN.com):

  • The Panthers were pretty quiet last year when it came to adding free agent receivers, but Rivera said today that GM Dave Gettleman will pull the trigger on a wideout in the right situation. The head coach also noted that the team needs to find a way to make plays over the top and to stop those plays on defense, which suggests Carolina will be targeting speedy wideouts and/or cornerbacks.
  • The Panthers aren’t in the market for a quarterback, per Rivera. While that’s not particularly surprising, given the presence of Cam Newton, it’s a little notable since the former first overall pick is entering the final year of his contract.
  • Left tackle Byron Bell, who is eligible for free agency, did some nice things for the Panthers in 2014, according to Rivera. However, the coach didn’t say whether or not the team would look to retain Bell for 2015 and beyond.

Chiefs general manager John Dorsey (via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star):

  • Asked about free-agent-to-be Justin Houston, Dorsey said discussions with the pass rusher’s agent are “ongoing.” The GM didn’t explicitly say that the Chiefs will franchise Houston if a long-term deal can’t be reached, but he did say he plans on having the NFL’s sack leader back in 2015, which strongly suggests that the tag is in play.
  • Kansas City can afford to keep backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who has a cap hit of $4.8MM in 2015, according to Dorsey. However, he didn’t go so far as to say Daniel will return.
  • Third-string quarterback Tyler Bray also remains in the Chiefs’ plans for now, per Dorsey.

AFC West Notes: Houston, Chiefs, Manning

February 17th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Zachary Links

San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer responded to the letter from Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani’s with a strongly worded one of his own, Stefanie Loh of U-T San Diego writes.

“His divisive tone and criticism of this group of volunteers, civic leaders and the City of San Diego as a whole are not conducive to developing a plan for a new stadium. I hope his behavior is not indicative of our ability to find a solution,” Faulconer said of Fabiani.

If the two sides truly want to get a new stadium done for the Bolts in San Diego, Faulconer and Fabiani will have to kiss and make up at some point. Here’s more from the AFC West..

  • The franchise tag continues to look like the most likely scenario for Justin Houston and the Chiefs, and according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link), if Houston does get tagged, he may not sign the one-year tender right away. Assuming Houston gets the non-exclusive franchise tag, he could still negotiate with other suitors, though any team interested in signing him would have to be willing to part with two first-round draft picks in that scenario, making it a tough sell.
  • Broncos coach Gary Kubiak laid any speculation to rest today when he said that he wants Peyton Manning to be his starting quarterback in 2015. “I’m expecting him to come back,” Kubiak said, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. “We want to play with him. This organization has won a lot of games with him and we want to get back and do it again. Expecting him to come back.” Manning hasn’t said that he’s definitely coming back, but Kubiak seems to think it’s a foregone conclusion.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explained why Manning will have leverage if the Broncos ask him to take a pay cut. In short, Denver doesn’t have the upper hand because remaining a Super Bowl contender largely hinges on whether Peyton Manning is the quarterback. If Manning doesn’t play in Denver next season, it could be reminiscent of Brian Griese taking over in 1999 after John Elway retired.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Justin Houston, Chiefs Working On Long-Term Deal

February 16th, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Ben Levine

MONDAY, 3:37pm: So far, there’s been “zero progress” in talks between Houston and the Chiefs, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The two sides are hoping to move closer to an agreement at the combine this week.

SUNDAY, 4:04pm: The Chiefs won’t use the franchise tag on Houston until the two parties meet, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Additionally, Houston’s reps haven’t made a decision on whether on not they would sign the franchise tender (link).

10:25am: Over the next couple of days, the Chiefs and Joel Segal, the agent for Justin Houston, will see if they can come to an agreement on a multi-year deal for the All-Pro linebacker, reports Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. It was only a month ago that we heard the two sides had had “zero talks” regarding a new contract, but there was continuing belief that the Chiefs wanted to retain the Pro Bowler.

As we heard previously (and as Florio reiterates in his article), Kansas City was expected to place the franchise tag on Houston. While there were questions regarding whether the player would be tagged as a linebacker or defensive end, Houston was still expected to promptly sign the contract. Both sides may still go down that path, giving them additional time to negotiate a long-term deal. Florio notes that a “new strategy” could emerge should Houston be dissatisfied with Kansas City’s offer.

Houston made his third-straight Pro Bowl in 2014, compiling career-highs in tackles (59), forced fumbles (four), and sacks (22), the latter of which broke a franchise record. Houston was far and away the highest rated 3-4 outside linebacker in Pro Football Focus’ ratings (subscription required). In fact, his 51.1 overall rating trailed only J.J. Watt, Khalil Mack and Von Miller among defenders.

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Raiders, Colts, Jags

February 14th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off the day with some whispers from the AFC…

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