Martellus Bennett - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Bennett, Foles, Panthers

July 30th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Martellus Bennett sat out the voluntary portion of the Bears’ offseason program to help force a new contract, but he now accepts that a new deal isn’t coming his way anytime soon, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.

“It’s just business,” Bennett said. “I have no hard feelings against anybody. Some business deals go the way you want. I have several business deals this offseason that worked and didn’t work out. “For me, [the pursuit of new contract was] just another business deal, and then that’s just the way it is. Some deals get done, some don’t. Still got to come work and do my job.”

Here’s more from the NFC..

Rams GM Les Snead says that it is “definitely realistic” that the team and Nick Foles will agree to an extension before the quarterback becomes a free agent after the season, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes. The two sides have been discussing a new deal for more than a month now and, recently, PFR’s Connor Byrne evaluated Foles as an extension candidate.
Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman says Stephen Hill‘s arrest won’t affect his chances to make the team, David Newton of ESPN.com writes. Hill, a second-round pick by the Jets in 2012, spent last season on Carolina’s practice squad after being released by the Jets at the end of training camp.
The Panthers GM was surprised to learn that backup left tackle Jonathan Martin is retiring, as Newton writes. However, the team has good depth at the position with Nate Chandler, Amini Silatolu, and rookie Daryl Williams competing to back up Michael Oher.

North Notes: Sims, Gipson, Bennett

June 16th, 2015 at 4:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Back in April, we learned that the Lions had attempted to re-sign Rob Sims, but the veteran guard hadn’t responded to their contract offer, which was made about three weeks earlier. Asked about that offer, Sims told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, in so many words, that it wasn’t worth considering.

“Without throwing [the Lions] under the bus, and I could, but when we got the offer, we didn’t think, for the time we had put in, 80 straight games, 80 straight starts and some of the things we had played through, the offer was … something that we didn’t deserve,” Sims said. “It wasn’t right for us. That’s, basically, what it boils down to: It just wasn’t right for us.”

With veteran guards like Justin Blalock and Mike Pollak retiring this week, Sims won’t be the next one to announce he’s moving on from the NFL, as he tells Birkett that he can still play, and would like to play. However, “it’s got to be under the right circumstances,” according to the longtime Lion. If he doesn’t get an offer he likes, Sims sounds prepared to move on to the next phase of his life.

Here are a few more Tuesday items from out of the NFL’s two North divisions:

Having reported to the Browns, safety Tashaun Gipson remains hopeful that he’ll get a long-term contract done with the team, indicating today that the situation is “ongoing,” per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Gipson, the last restricted free agent of 2015 to sign, told reporters that he was disappointed to receive a second-round tender from Cleveland instead of the first-round tender, but noted that some family matters kept him away from OTAs, in addition to his contract situation (Twitter links)
As expected, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett participated in minicamp today, and spoke to reporters after the team’s practice. Addressing his desire for a new deal, Bennett said he’s “always” trying to sign a new contract, adding that he thinks every American should be doing the same thing (Twitter links via Adam Jahns and Brad Biggs). Bennett, who confirmed that he expects to report to training camp, wouldn’t say whether or not he asked the Bears to trade him (Twitter links via Biggs and Jeff Dickerson).
Speaking to reporters for the first time since taking over the Lions from her late husband, Martha Ford said today that she was disappointed Ndamukong Suh left in free agency, adding that she told him she wanted him to stay (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).

Martellus Bennett Reports To Bears’ Minicamp

June 15th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Another spring holdout is coming to an end, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune, who reports that Bears tight end Martellus Bennett reported to Halas Hall on Monday for the team’s mandatory June minicamp. Barring an unforeseen twist, Bennett will participate in practice when the Bears’ minicamp begins on Tuesday, tweets Dan Wiederer of the Tribune.

Bennett, 28, is coming off his best season, having racked up 90 receptions, 916 receiving yards, and six touchdowns for the Bears in 2014 — all of those figures were career-highs. The Pro Bowl campaign prompted Bennett to seek a new contract for the coming season, and he had been absent from Chicago’s OTAs while he sought that new deal.

Those OTAs, unlike this week’s minicamp, were voluntary, so Bennett won’t face any fines for not being in attendance. However, he was the only Bear who had missed the team’s offseason program up until this point under the new regime, which includes head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

Bennett is slated to earn about $5MM annually in 2015 and 2016, the final two years of his contract. While those are respectable salaries, Bennett presumably took notice of what happened on the free agent market this offseason, as players like Jordan Cameron and Charles Clay signed for $7.5MM per year — between them, Cameron and Clay combined for fewer catches than Bennett had in 2014. Additionally, Bennett’s salaries for the next two years are currently non-guaranteed.

North Notes: Heyward, Lions, Bennett

June 10th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward is due for a big-time contract and will likely ink one before training camp opens, Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.

“I try to stay out of the process and just focus on what I can control,” Heyward said. “I’d love to get a contract, but I have to just continue to keep my eyes on the prize. I would love for it to happen. I think they want it to happen.”

Last season, Heyward was the first defensive end to lead the Steelers in sacks in a decade as he and Jason Worilds tied with 7.5 a piece. Heyward says he plans on being even more of a force this season and topping that total. Here’s more out of the North divisions..

There are a number of Steelers entering their walk years, but Heyward might be the only one to sign a new deal, Bouchette writes. The Steelers may try to sign tackle Kelvin Beachum, but they may not pay him what he’s likely worth on the opening market. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth best left tackle in the game.
The Lions hosted a ton of notable veteran free agents on Wednesday but did not sign any of them immediately after the session, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. Wide receivers Brad Smith and Robert Meachem and running backs Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas were among the free agents in Detroit today but none of them have deals – at least not yet. The Lions appear set at running back after drafting Ameer Abdullah in the second round to pair with Joique Bell, but Bell is still recovering from offseason surgeries. Tate and Thomas, in theory, could be called upon if Bell’s recovery takes longer than expected.
Bears head coach John Fox is unsure if Martellus Bennett will attend the team’s mandatory minicamp, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes. The tight end is pushing for a raise from the $4.9MM base he’s scheduled to earn in 2015. The 2014 Pro Bowler has two years left on a four-year, $20.4MM deal he signed in March of 2013.

NFC Notes: Newton, Jordan, Cards, Bears

June 3rd, 2015 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on the details we passed along earlier today on Cam Newton‘s and Cameron Jordan‘s new extensions, we have another pair of notes. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com clarifies (via Twitter) that while Newton’s $10MM option bonus isn’t technically guaranteed at the time of the signing, it’s practically guaranteed, since there’s essentially no chance the Panthers will cut the quarterback before picking it up. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Jordan received a significant signing bonus, worth $16MM, from the Saints.

Here are a few more items from across the NFC:

The Cardinals signed defensive lineman Frostee Rucker to a one-year extension earlier this week, and Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com identifies three more defensive players who could be next in line for new deals. Weinfuss’ list includes safety Rashad Johnson, defensive back Justin Bethel, and cornerback Jerraud Powers.
Asked about whether he expects Martellus Bennett to attend the Bears‘ June minicamp, head coach John Fox said he “can’t predict” the tight end’s intentions, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. Bennett, who wants a new contract, has been absent from the team’s OTAs.
Having signed a $40MM deal to remain with the Packers this offseason, wideout Randall Cobb vows the new contract won’t change his approach or create added pressure, per Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com.
According to an incident report obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, former Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo admitted to kicking his girlfriend’s dog and considered fleeing the country after the animal’s death. The AJC’s Tyler Estep has the details.

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Bennett, Lions

May 28th, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after releasing a statement indicating that he doesn’t want to be traded and that his absence from OTAs is simply about securing his future with the Vikings, Adrian Peterson took to Twitter to rant about NFL contracts. While many of the running back’s broader points – involving the lack of agency players have compared to teams when it comes to getting out of contracts – are accurate, it’s difficult to have any sympathy for Peterson, given the circumstances.

Peterson, after all, is poised to enter his age-30 season as the NFL’s highest-paid running back, and the Vikings appear entirely willing to pay him that $12.75MM salary rather than asking him to reduce it, despite the fact that the 30-year-old was investigated for child abuse last year. While many players could rightly gripe about teams failing to honor contracts, the rhetoric doesn’t sound very effective coming from Peterson right now.

Let’s check out a few more items from across the NFC North….

Michael Johnson took a free agent visit to Minnesota to meet with the Vikings before he decided to return to Cincinnati this offseason. As Johnson told SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter link), he didn’t think he’d like Minnesota, but he did — he simply preferred to “go home” instead of signing with the Vikes.
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett continues to be absent from Chicago’s offseason program due to a contract dispute, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. A report last month suggested that Bennett wanted a new deal and that the Bears were considering trading him.
Lions president Tom Lewand spoke to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about the team’s increased focus on adding high-character players to its roster.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone

May 1st, 2015 at 11:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:

Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.

Extra Points: Falcons, Bennett, Spikes, Stacy

May 1st, 2015 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Some assorted, non-prospect related notes from around the NFL…

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff denied a report that the team was working a trade to land Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “He’s under contract,” Dimitroff said on 92.9 The Game this morning. “I didn’t give it a second thought.” Irvin, an Atlanta native, played for Falcons head coach Dan Quinn for the past two seasons in Seattle.
Bears tight end Martellus Bennett told NFL Network (video link) that he’s extremely high on first round choice Kevin White. While it’s not proof positive that Bennett is staying in Chicago, it could be a sign that he anticipates staying put this season. Bennett was rumored to be a trade candidate earlier this week.
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was contacted on Thursday night about his interest in free agent linebacker Brandon Spikes, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP TV in Minneapolis (via Twitter). Spielman passed on the offer, as Wolfson notes that the GM is confident he’ll get a linebacker in the draft.
Following reports that Rams running back Zac Stacy requested a trade, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that representatives for the former fifth-rounder met with the organization. While it was a productive meeting, Thomas notes that a a decision hasn’t been made regarding Stacy’s future with the team. The Rams selected Georgia running back Todd Gurley with the tenth pick of the first round.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

NFC North Rumors: Packers, Peterson, Bennett

April 30th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

News from the NFC North..

Veteran tight end Tom Crabtree took to Twitter to announce his retirement from football. “I’m officially retiring from football,” he wrote. “Thanks for all the support and criticism over the years. This means I can do dirty jokes on here now.” Crabtree spent parts of five seasons in the NFL, three of which were with the Packers. He took home a championship ring with Green Bay following the 2010 season.
Former Vikings receiver and Hall of Famer Cris Carter, hinted today on Mike & Mike that he has been given inside information about an Adrian Peterson trade, as Michael David Smith of PFT writes. “I’m under gag order on the Adrian Peterson situation, but I believe something’s gonna happen,” Carter said. “But I can’t talk about it.”
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), meanwhile, has heard nothing to suggest that anything has changed with Peterson and A source who spoke with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) termed the speculation as “BS.”
When asked if he expects tight end Martellus Bennett to still be on the roster after the draft, Bears head coach John Fox responded in the affirmative, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported on Wednesday that the tight end is on the trade block.

Extra Points: Hardy, Randle, Jordan

April 29th, 2015 at 10:19pm CST by Zachary Links

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith firmly believes there is precedent for getting Greg Hardy‘s suspension reduced, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram writes. “In the last three years, we’ve had the league overturned three times in [the Saints’] Bounty, [Adrian] Peterson and Ray Rice,” Smith said as he gears up to defend the Cowboys star. “To me, it’s never a question about whether I’m confident or not. We start with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and if they continue to seek to impose penalties that are inconsistent with that agreement or inconsistent of the law of the case that has been developed under that agreement, this is what unions do. We fight that.” More from around the NFL..

Cowboys running back Joseph Randle won’t face domestic violence charges for his incident in Wichita, according to Drew Davidson of the Star Telegram tweets. There was a “lack of evidence” cited by the DA’s office in the case. More from around the NFL..
Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan issued a statement through the NFLPA regarding his suspension. “I’m very disappointed that I will not be playing in the NFL in the 2015 season,” the statement read. “Because of past positive tests and my status in the drug program, the consequence of dilute (not positive) tests is severe. I deeply regret putting myself in this position, and I apologize to my teammates and the Dolphins organization. I will use the time away from playing to finish my college degree. I will stay in excellent physical shape and look forward to returning to the NFL as soon as possible. I’m deeply grateful to my family and friends for their continued support.”
Before the Seahawks traded for tight end Jimmy Graham, they had trade discussions with the Bears about Martellus Bennett, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Alex Boone, who held out last offseason for a new contract, will skip all of the 49ers‘ voluntary activities in the final year of his contract, a source close to the guard tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Boone, who will earn $3.4MM in 2015, has not taken part in the 49ers’ offseason program, and he was not on the field Tuesday and Wednesday for the start of the team’s voluntary three-day minicamp at the team’s practice facility.
The Titans have gotten calls from multiple teams inquiring about what it will take to deal for the No. 2 overall pick, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, one team executive tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the Titans have been asking for three first round picks to part with the No. 2 choice. The executive laughed hard when passing that info along, he adds.