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Matt Cassel

AFC Notes: Barrett, Cassel, Browns, Texans

May 31st, 2017 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shaquil Barrett won’t be participating in any further Broncos offseason workouts after suffering a hip injury away from the team’s facility recently, but the outside linebacker won’t need surgery, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). The third-year outside linebacker contributor will still be out “a while,” per Klis, who notes (via Twitter) this injury could keep him out of some training camp time. Barrett is expected to be the Broncos’ No. 3 outside ‘backer behind Von Miller and Shane Ray, with the group thinning out after DeMarcus Ware‘s retirement. The Broncos signed Kasim Edebali after the Saints didn’t extend him an RFA tender this offseason but didn’t further address the position. A lengthy Barrett absence could lead the team to explore potential edge defenders in free agency.

Here’s the latest from the AFC.

  • The Titans have a slightly more prominent player in the same boat, with Matt Cassel expected to be out six weeks after injuring his throwing thumb, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com tweets. The 13th-year veteran will have surgery on the thumb, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Cassel is signed for another year as Marcus Mariota‘s backup. This timetable puts him in line to be able to rejoin the team come training camp, per Mike Mularkey. Alex Tanney resides as Tennessee’s third-stringer.
  • Isaiah Crowell addressed his contract situation from Browns OTAs, saying “both sides are trying to get something done,” Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Crowell reported late to Cleveland’s voluntary workouts. He signed his RFA second-round tender earlier this month and is entering a contract year. The 24-year-old managed to gain nearly 1,000 yards last season despite being a 1-15 team’s primary running back. After the Browns beefed up their line this offseason, Crowell is in better position to play well in a possible audition season for other teams, should the sides be unable to get a deal done before this season. The Browns have $57MM in cap space and signed Christian Kirksey to an extension earlier this week.
  • Corey Coleman will be held out of remaining Browns offseason practices after the second-year wideout fell on the ball while making a catch last week, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Hue Jackson steadfastly denied Coleman broke a bone during the tumble, but it looks like the 2016 first-rounder won’t re-emerge on the practice field until camp. Coleman missed six games last season because of a broken hand.
  • Duane Brown is again a no-show as the Texans continue their voluntary workouts, and John McClain of the Houston Chronicle confirms (Twitter link) this absence is contract-related. The Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson reported last week the longtime left tackle wants a new contract and is staying away for the time being. McClain wonders if the 31-year-old Brown will show for mandatory minicamp next month. Two years remain on Brown’s six-year, $53.4MM extension. He has non-guaranteed base salaries of $9.65MM and $9.75MM on tap for 2017 and ’18.

Titans Re-Sign QB Matt Cassel

March 2nd, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

Matt Cassel will stay on board as Marcus Mariota‘s backup. The Titans announced that they have agreed to terms with the quarterback on an extension. It’s a two-year deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter). He’ll get $5.25MM with $2.75MM in 2017, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Matt Cassel (vertical)

[RELATED: Titans GM Discusses Offseason, Draft, Free Agency]

Cassel was called on to start late last season when Mariota went down with a fractured fibula. In four games, the veteran completed 30-of-51 passes for 284 yards, with two touchdowns against two interceptions.

Cassel could be asked to lead the first team offense in practice this summer if Mariota is slow to recover, but the early word is that the youngster is doing just fine.

“I feel pretty good about it,’’ coach Mike Mularkey said of Mariota’s timetable. “You have to trust the doctor’s words, and if you know Marcus like we do, we believe with the way he goes about his business he’ll be prepared. He is not going to overdo it, he has been told to be careful, and be smart about it. Our No.1 goal is to make sure he is under center when we open up opening day. I am not going to put a timeframe on when that first practice or when that first (OTA) will be. I can’t do that because every player is different in how they recover, and it’s difficult to do.”

AFC Notes: Jets, Bengals, Broncos, Titans

July 2nd, 2016 at 11:19am CST by Ben Levine

Former Jets second-round pick Devin Smith is confident that he’ll be able to contribute to the team in 2016, according to Zac Jackson of ProFootballTalk.com. The wideout was banged up for most of training camp last year, and his season ended following a torn ACL in December.

“Physically, I feel great,” he said. “My weight is up. I feel healthy. The trainers have pushed me in the right direction. The trainers at the Jets have been great. I feel totally comfortable that they’ll have me back when the right time comes. They watch me closely and we have great communication.

“It’s one day at a time. I really do feel better most days than I did the day before, the week before. They haven’t told me much about a timetable because the focus is just on me getting better. I know when camp starts, [how much time] we have, and I’m just glad I’m making the progress I’m making now. Hopefully we keep going in the right direction.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explores some of the Bengals best and worst contracts. Quarterback Andy Dalton‘s six-year, $96MM contract (with $17MM guaranteed) is rated as the best, while defensive tackle Domata Peko‘s two-year, $9MM contract (with $4.4MM guaranteed) is named the worst.
  • Broncos safety Shiloh Keo had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence, reports Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old was arrested in February in Idaho.
  • The Titans made quarterback Matt Cassel a priority in free agency, writes Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. General manager Jon Robinson and coach Mike Mularkey were both fans, and Robinson was familiar with Cassell due to their Patriots roots.

Contract Details: Freeman, Sims, Claiborne

March 13th, 2016 at 8:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are the latest contract details for players who have agreed to new deals and/or signed them in recent days. Unless otherwise specified, all links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…

NFC:

  • Jerrell Freeman, LB (Bears): Three years, $12MM. Deal maxes out at $14.25MM with incentives/escalators. $6MM guaranteed at signing (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Eugene Sims, DE (Rams): Three years, $10MM. $3.75MM in guarantees. $2.25MM salary for 2016 guaranteed. $750K roster bonus due this week. $500K roster bonuses due on the fifth day of the 2017 and 2018 league years. $750K annual incentives for sacks and playoffs (Twitter links).
  • Jon Ryan, P (Seahawks): Four years, $10MM. $3.4MM guaranteed. $2.4MM signing bonus. $1MM salary in 2016 guaranteed. $100K incentives for Pro Bowl and playoffs (Twitter link).
  • James Hanna, TE (Cowboys): Three years, $8.25MM. $2.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
  • Emmanuel Lamur, LB (Vikings): Two years, $5.5MM. $2MM guaranteed. $1MM roster bonus due Monday. $15,625 per-game active roster bonus in both seasons (Twitter link).
  • Gino Gradkowski, OL (Panthers): Three years, $3.15MM. $450K signing bonus. $25K annual workout bonus (Twitter link).
  • Morris Claiborne, CB (Cowboys): One year, $3MM. Deal maxes out at $3.375MM with incentives. $500K signing bonus. $1MM in per-game active bonuses (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Keenan Robinson, LB (Giants): One year, $2.6MM. $1MM roster bonus due on the 10th day of the 2016 league year. $21,500 per-game active bonus. Up to $900K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
  • Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Falcons): One year, $1.5MM. $500K in per-game active bonuses. $750K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Travaris Cadet, RB (Saints): One year, $840K. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link)

AFC:

  • Eddie Pleasant, S (Texans): Two years, $2.15MM. $311K roster bonus for 2016. $36K roster bonus for 2017 (link).
  • Matt Cassel, QB (Titans): One year, $2MM. $750K signing bonus. $500K in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Shane Lechler, P (Texans): One year, $1.8MM. $500K signing bonus (link).
  • Nick Novak, K (Texans): One year, 965K. $80K roster bonus due Monday (link).

Titans To Sign Matt Cassel

March 9th, 2016 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Matt Cassel, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cassell will compete with Zach Mettenberger behind starter Marcus Mariota (link). Matt Cassel

One has to wonder if the Titans will shop Mettenberger now that they have a capable veteran backup in Cassel. The 33-year-old fared poorly in place of Tony Romo last season in Dallas, but one has to imagine that Mettenberger is not thrilled about playing the backup role to Mariota. At the same time, there are several teams with question marks at quarterbacks. It would make plenty of sense for the Titans to move Mettenberger, possibly giving themselves an additional draft pick and some further cap space.

Cassel is entering his 12th NFL season. He has spent time with the Patriots, Chiefs, Vikings, Bills, and Cowboys.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Broncos, Cowboys, Draft

December 19th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With quarterback Peyton Manning nearing a return from injury, the Broncos are on the brink of having to make the most important decision of their season, Troy Renck of The Denver Post offers.

The 39-year-old Manning was having a bottom-of-the-barrel season before he landed on the shelf in mid-November with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot, and his loss looked like addition by subtraction as the Brock Osweiler era got off to a solid beginning. Osweiler’s first three starts all ended up as wins for Denver, but some shine wore off two weeks ago in a 17-3 victory over a horrific San Diego team and matters worsened in a 15-12 loss to Oakland last Sunday.

Manning will be inactive for Sunday’s game against playoff-caliber Pittsburgh, but he’s likely to be healthy enough for activation by Week 16. That means Osweiler might be playing for the starting job at Heinz Field. As Renck points out, Denver’s Osweiler-led offense has gone 23 straight possessions without scoring a touchdown, which isn’t going to cut it with a prolific Steelers offense on the other side. With another underwhelming showing from Osweiler, head coach Gary Kubiak could turn back to Manning as the playoffs near.

Some other NFL news and notes:

  • Tonight is potentially the end of the Matt Cassel era in Dallas. The 33-year-old has fared poorly in place of Tony Romo this season, and he’ll be on a short leash against the Jets, ESPN’s Ed Werder tweets. The Cowboys’ current No. 2 QB, Kellen Moore, got some first-team reps in practice this week and could see his first action since going undrafted out of Boise State in 2012.
  • Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright capped off an injury-riddled junior year Saturday by announcing he’ll enter the 2016 draft, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reports. A foot injury cost Wright all but three games this season, making it a disappointing follow-up to a highly productive 2014 campaign that saw him earn All-America honors, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Jack Lambert Award (nation’s best linebacker), and the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation’s top defender).
  • A list of the top 20 failed free agent signings from last offseason reveals predictable names – Dwayne Bowe, DeMarco Murray, Brandon Browner, among others – but also mentions lower-tier additions like Tampa’s Bruce Carter and Arizona’s Sean Weatherspoon, Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com writes. Both Carter and Weatherspoon were beaten out early for starting linebacker jobs.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.

Extra Points: Washington, Cutler, Cowboys, Fins, Bolts, Jags

December 12th, 2015 at 9:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Washington will head to Chicago on Sunday to face the Jay Cutler-led Bears as it looks to stay atop the NFC East heap. Besides the matchup’s playoff implications, adding further intrigue is that Cutler – whom the Bears acquired in a trade with Denver in 2009 – was minutes from being Washington’s quarterback, as ESPN’s John Keim writes.

“You know how much time I put into that? A lot. Months. Dan [Snyder] put in a lot, too,” said Vinny Cerrato, who was Washington’s executive vice president at the time. “It was disappointing because at times we thought we had a deal then they called and said, no. Then they called back and said, ‘Hold on. If the deal falls through, we’ll trade him to you.’ Then it was like, ‘No, it didn’t work.'”

Cutler hasn’t exactly been a franchise quarterback for the Bears, but he has fared better than the slew of passers Washington has used since failing to acquire him. Washington has started Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy and current No. 1 Kirk Cousins throughout Cutler’s time in Chicago, Keim notes. Among that group, the club invested a fair amount in an ineffective McNabb and a boatload in RGIII, who hasn’t taken a snap this year and is all but guaranteed to be with another franchise next season.

Landing Cutler would’ve cost Washington plenty – a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and QB Jason Campbell – but Cerrato believes Mike Shanahan’s presence would’ve helped make it worthwhile. Shanahan coached Cutler with the Broncos from 2006-08 and went on to hold the same position in Washington from 2010-13. Cutler threw 54 touchdowns against 37 interceptions in 37 games under Shanahan and amassed a career-best 4,526 passing yards in 2008.

“Mike knew him and what made him tick,” Cerrato said. “It would have given the organization a shot in the arm. Some like him and some don’t, but he’d have played his best football because of the way he is with Mike … It was like a punch in the gut.”

We’ll never know how another helping of Cutler-Shanahan would’ve gone, but one thing’s obvious: Had it happened, it would’ve changed both franchises dramatically – not necessarily for the better in either case, of course.

More from around the NFL as we draw closer to Washington-Chicago and the rest of Sunday’s Week 14 action:

  • Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized the team’s coaching staff earlier this week. On Friday, he laid some of the blame for Dallas’ 4-8 record on himself – specifically for his handling of the backup quarterback position last offseason. “On the other hand, if you want to look at any aspect of this team you can say well, if we would have been in better shape had you had Matt Cassel in the spring, rather than (Brandon) Weeden, and I’m not trying to knock Weeden, but if we would have had a guy like Cassel in here than we might have made a difference there, so put that one ultimately on my shoulders for sure,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Josh Clark of CBS DFW.
  • Dolphins rookie receiver DeVante Parker – whom the team chose 14th overall in this year’s draft – started quietly but has come on strong over the last two weeks, combining for seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. With Parker seemingly emerging as a playmaker and Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills also part of the Dolphins’ long-term receiving corps, the end of Rishard Matthews‘ tenure in Miami could come this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero. Matthews, a fourth-year man who’s in the top two among Dolphins in receptions (43), targets (60), yards (662), yards per catch (15.4) and touchdowns (four) this year, is scheduled to hit free agency in a few months.
  • Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was impressive on 12 carries against Denver last Sunday, rushing for 55 yards, but head coach Mike McCoy benched the first-round rookie because of fumbling issues. Gordon coughed the ball up twice in a 17-3 loss, giving him five fumbles on the season. McCoy’s decision to sit Gordon was wrong, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune offers. In Canepa’s opinion, with the season effectively over for the 3-9 Bolts, McCoy and his staff should be coaching Gordon through his struggles and letting him play – not relegating him to the sideline.
  • The final quarter of the season will provide some important answers for the Jaguars, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Among them: the future statuses of receiver Marqise Lee, center Stefen Wisniewski, defenders Ryan Davis and Chris Smith, and kicker Jason Myers.

NFC Notes: Hawley, Lions, Cassel, Saints

December 3rd, 2015 at 5:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Buccaneers center Joe Hawley feels like he got a raw deal from his former team, the Falcons. On a conference call, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked Hawley if he felt that he was given enough time coming back from the injuries to win the starting job.

“Uh, honestly, no. I think they kind of used it as an excuse,” Hawley said. “When I got here I wasn’t 100 percent yet. But they gave me a chance. Now, I’m feeling like the knee is back to new. But it just took four or five more weeks that I thought it would. Yeah, I think they kind of cut me short of that.”

The Bucs (5-6) are set to host the Falcons (6-5) on Sunday.

  • With Matt Prater battling an illness, the Lions tried out free agent kickers Kyle Brindza, Billy Cundiff, and Garrett Hartley, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). However, Prater will be able to play tonight against the Packers after all, so the team didn’t sign anyone.
  • If Matt Cassel plays the final five games of the Cowboys‘ season, that extra playing time could earn him $1.2MM in incentives, as Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com explains. Cassel’s deal includes incentives for playing a certain percentage of the team’s snaps, and he’s projected to play over 55% ($1.2MM), but not up to 65% ($1.6MM).
  • The performance of certain players over the course of the Saints‘ final five games this year could help dictate some of the salary cap decisions the club makes in the offseason, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. I examined the Saints’ cap outlook for 2016 earlier this fall.
  • Edge defender Willie Jefferson, a former Texan who spent the last two seasons with the CFL’s Edmonto Eskimos, will work out for two NFC teams next month, and is drawing a lot of interest, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Jefferson had six sacks this season for the Grey Cup champions.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Tomsula, Rawls, Bills, Cassel

November 27th, 2015 at 9:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from around the NFL…

  • The 49ers are 3-7 and bound to finish with one of the league’s worst records this season, but it might not be the team’s win-loss results that decide if head coach Jim Tomsula will return for a second year. Instead, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (video link), it could come down to how well some of the 49ers’ young players progress over the final six games. As Maiocco notes, the 49ers chose Tomsula over Adam Gase, among others, in the offseason – a pick they were happy with at the time. They wanted Tomsula because of his teaching skills. Thus, it’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that they’ll get rid of him because of one subpar year.
  • With Marshawn Lynch injured, the Seahawks are especially fortunate to have rookie sensation Thomas Rawls as a member of their backfield. Rawls could have signed elsewhere as an undrafted free agent last spring, though, as the $15,000 the ex-Central Michigan standout got from Seattle wasn’t his highest offer, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Dallas was among the teams interested in Rawls – who chose the Seahawks because he wanted to learn from Lynch, according to his agent. If not for off-field issues, Rawls might have been drafted and unable to choose his destination.
  • The Bills shut down four-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kyle Williams for the season Friday because of a knee injury, and the 10-year veteran isn’t a lock to return to Buffalo for an 11th season in 2016. He does intend to keep playing, though, and he hopes to remain a Bill. “I want to see everything, every dream, every goal I’ve had since I’ve been here 10 years ago, I want to see it come true,” said Williams, according to The Buffalo News’ Tyler Dunne. “We’ve got a great staff and we’ve got a lot of guys who believe in one another.”
  • The 3-8 Cowboys have gone 0-7 in games not started by Tony Romo this year, and they’ll have to play the final five weeks of the season without the injured Romo. That means Matt Cassel will be under center, which hasn’t been a positive for Dallas this season. Cassel, who has underwhelmed statistically in addition to going winless, might not be a Cowboy next year. Regarding the upcoming offseason, owner Jerry Jones said (via The Dallas Morning News’ Brandon George), “We’ll look at certainly where we are at our backup quarterback position, which probably if I could redo some of the thinking there this year, that would be the first place I’d start looking in my mirror.”
  • 49ers running back Carlos Hyde – sidelined since the end of October with a stress fracture in his foot – is a candidate for season-ending surgery, per Maiocco.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap took a look at the upcoming class of free agent tight ends. Cleveland’s Gary Barnidge is among the players highlighted. While Barnidge is having a big year (48 catches, 667 yards, seven touchdowns), Fitzgerald doesn’t expect him to cash in to a significant extent because of his lack of track record relative to his age (30).

Cowboys Notes: Hardy, Cassel, Garrett

November 11th, 2015 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

In a recent radio appearance, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Tony Romo has offered to help identify his own eventual replacement, adding that Romo has put in time studying what he’d look for in a college quarterback. While the 35-year-old has the team’s long-term future in mind, they’ll be banking on him in the here and now as they get set for his return. Here’s the latest out of Dallas:

  • Deadspin has obtained the transcript of Greg Hardy‘s confidential reinstatement hearing on March 4th. At the hearing, Hardy’s private defense attorney used the sex lives of Nicole Holder and Kristina Laurence to cast doubt on their version of events. The attorney also opined that Holder tripped and fell and was not struck by the Cowboys defensive end.
  • This week, Hardy took to Twitter and suggested that he has been the victim of racial discrimination. That is an assertion that does not sit well with everyone and that includes Cowboys coach Jason Garrett, as David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. When asked if he fears that Hardy tunes him out, the coach did not give a direct answer. “I think the biggest thing we try to do with any player is just address things when they come up,” Garrett said. “We address them in-house and we deal with things inside these walls and then we move forward. I think a big part of coaching is shaping a mentality and a mindset and it’s shaping behavior. We do that every day with 53 guys on our roster, 10 guys on our practice squad along with coaches and staff.”
  • Matt Cassel will be making his final start of the season for the Cowboys on Sunday if all goes according to plan, but he hopes that his future in Dallas will extend beyond 2015, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t think about [next year] at all, to be honest with you,” Cassel said. “At this point in the season my main focus is all about this week. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes here. If you’re asking me would I like to be a Dallas Cowboy for a long period of time? Absolutely.“
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