Matt Cassel - Pro Football Rumors

Contract Details: Cassel, F-Jax, J. Jones, Solder

September 9th, 2015 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

With teams getting their rosters in order for Week 1, a handful of free agents have signed with new – or old – clubs, and players around the league are having their contracts extended. Here are the latest details on a few notable contracts that have been recently signed:

Matt Cassel‘s base salary on his new deal with the Bills is down to $2MM from the $4.15MM he was set to earn on his previous pact, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. However, according to Yates, the veteran quarterback can earn up to $4.15MM via incentives on the new contract. Presumably, Cassel would have to reclaim the starting job to achieve any of those incentives.
The Seahawks‘ deal with running back Fred Jackson is a one-year pact worth $900K, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). The minimum salary for a player with Jackson’s experience is $870K, so unless Pelissero is simply rounding up, it looks like there’s a small bonus included.
There’s no signing bonus on James Jones‘ new contract, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Demovsky says Jones’ deal with the Packers is worth the veteran’s minimum of $870K, so the veteran wideout will count for just $585K against the cap.
Offensive tackle Nate Solder got a $12.5MM signing bonus as part of his two-year extension with the Patriots, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (all Twitter links). As part of the agreement, Solder had his 2015 base salary reduced by $6MM to $1.438MM, and had his 2016 salary ($6MM) fully guaranteed.

Bills Re-Sign Matt Cassel

September 8th, 2015 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Matt Cassel‘s unemployment lasted less than 72 hours. After being released by the Bills on Saturday afternoon, the veteran quarterback re-signed with the team today, according to a press release. Buffalo cut tight end Nick O’Leary to make room on the 53-man roster for Cassel.

Cassel, 33, was acquired by the Bills back in March in a trade with the Vikings, but didn’t initially survive the cutdown to 53 players over the weekend. His release left the team with a pair of young signal-callers, Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel, as the only QBs on the roster, so it makes sense that he’d return to the fold to provide some veteran insurance.

Cassel’s reunion with the Bills also certainly comes with a reduced salary. He had initially been slated to make a base salary of $4.15MM in 2015, which likely contributed to his release. His new deal with the team will probably be closer to the veteran’s minimum, perhaps with some playing-time and performance bonuses attached, which would reward him if he retakes the starting job during the season.

Taylor is still penciled in as the Bills’ starter for 2015, but if he struggles or goes down with an injury, it appears Cassel will get the nod over Manuel. Head coach Rex Ryan said today that Cassel will open the year as the No. 2 QB on the depth chart (Twitter link via ESPN’s Mike Rodak).

Extra Points: RGIII, Panthers, Cassel

September 6th, 2015 at 3:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Washington head coach Jay Gruden is confident that backup quarterback Robert Griffin III will receive medical clearance and be ready for Week 1, writes Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

“He’s got to see the independent neurologist one more time early this week,” said Gruden.

Gruden recently stripped the starting job from Griffin, who suffered a concussion in the preseason, and awarded it to Kirk Cousins. If healthy, it’s no lock RGIII will even be Washington’s No. 2 QB. Gruden wouldn’t commit to it when asked, according to Smith. That role could go to Colt McCoy instead, which would leave RGIII as a third-stringer.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Despite their shortage of viable wide receivers, the Panthers are not interested in free agent James Jones, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
The Texans have contemplated adding another quarterback in the wake of third-stringer Tom Savage‘s season-ending shoulder injury. But they have no interest in free agent Matt Cassel, whom Buffalo cut on Saturday (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
Speaking of the Texans, one of their ex-players, wideout Damaris Johnson, will work out for the AFC South rival Titans, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The three-year veteran played in all 16 games last season and totaled career bests in receptions (31), yards (350) and touchdowns (one).
The Titans will work out linebacker Diaheem Watkins on Tuesday, according to agent Jeff Jankovich (via Twitter). Watkins, an undrafted rookie out of UAB, was a victim of Philly’s roster cuts Saturday.
Rookie cornerback Justin Coleman, whom the Patriots signed Friday, also had interest from other teams, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. He worked out for the Seahawks on Wednesday, which came after Minnesota cut him a week ago.

Texans Trim Roster To 53 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Warning: Hard Knocks spoilers ahead. The Texans finalized their initial regular season roster today, announcing several cuts and other transactions in order to get down from 75 players to 53. In addition to cutting defensive tackle Louis Nix, defensive tackle Brandon Deaderick, and wide receiver Damaris Johnson (as we heard yesterday), and placing quarterback Tom Savage on injured reserve (as we heard today), the club made the following moves, per a press release:

Waived:

OLB Kourtnei Brown
ILB Max Bullough
S Kurtis Drummond
T Matt Feiler
C James Ferentz
DE Tevita Finau
RB Kenny Hilliard
CB Charles James
S Corey Moore
WR EZ Nwachukwu
DE Dan Pettinato
T Joseph Treadwell
WR Chandler Worthy

Released:

DE Fili Moala

Waived/injured:

OLB Lynden Trail
OLB Tony Washington

Placed on injured reserve:

G Chad Slade

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweeted earlier today that the Texans were exploring trade scenarios involving cornerbacks Jumal Rolle and Charles James. James showed up on the list above as having been cut, so it’s clear Houston didn’t find a trade partner there. For now, Rolle remains on the team’s roster.

Meanwhile, another’s team’s roster casualty, veteran quarterback Matt Cassel, could be an option for Houston, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Cassel and Texans head coach Bill O’Brien were in New England at the same time, and with Savage landing on IR, Houston is in the market for an insurance policy at quarterback behind Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett.

Bills Release Matt Cassel, Red Bryant

September 5th, 2015 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have made five more roster moves to get their roster under 53 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. According to a press release, quarterback Matt Cassel and defensive tackle Red Bryant are among the players who have been cut by the team. Buffalo also confirmed the release of safety Jonathan Meeks and announced that it has waived center Dalton Freeman and linebacker Kevin Reddick.

Cassel, 33, was acquired by the Bills back in March in a trade with the Vikings. His release comes as a bit of a surprise, since the club already cut Matt Simms, and the latest move leaves Buffalo with just Tyrod Taylor and E.J. Manuel at quarterback. Still, Cassel had been set to earn a base salary of $4.15MM, so cutting him will create some cap flexibility, and the Bills could put that room toward an extension for Marcell Dareus.

Speaking of Dareus, he’ll start the season on the reserve/suspended list, which should leave the Bills with two openings on their 53-man roster. That makes the club a strong candidate to add a player or two on waivers tomorrow.

East Notes: Cassel, Bills, Giants, Cowboys

September 2nd, 2015 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

After having let go of one veteran offensive player earlier this week, the Bills may part ways with another before the season begins — albeit one that has only been on the roster for several months, rather than several years. According to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter links), there’s an expectation among multiple NFL personnel people that Buffalo will cut quarterback Matt Cassel and go with E.J. Manuel as Tyrod Taylor‘s backup.

As Carucci notes, Cassel is a costly bench player, with a cap hit of nearly $5MM for 2015, and the Bills need all the cap space they can get in order to extend star defensive lineman Marcell Dareus. Fred Jackson‘s cap number likely played a significant part in his Monday release as well.

Speaking of Jackson, we heard this morning that the decision to cut the veteran running back appears to have been made by general manager Doug Whaley, and Carucci points out that Manuel has “strong support” from Whaley. It may be worth keeping an eye on these sorts of roster decisions in Buffalo this year to see how the relationship between Rex Ryan and Whaley evolves, and how much influence each of them has over personnel decisions.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Adam Caplan of ESPN.com has the details on Stevie Brown‘s new contract with the Giants, tweeting that the safety will earn the minimum salary and will get a $40K bonus if he’s on the team’s Week 1 roster.
Given the Giants‘ problems at the safety position this summer, the decision not to re-sign veteran defensive back Antrel Rolle back in March looks especially bad now, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
With the Cowboys‘ roster now down to 75 players, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at some position battles across the roster, predicting which players might hit the waiver wire when the club cuts down to 53.

AFC Notes: A. Jones, Bryant, Simms, Jaguars

September 1st, 2015 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Colts defensive tackle Arthur Jones is now seeking the opinion of another foot and ankle specialist to determine his course of action and how long he might be sidelined, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Facebook). The Colts previously sent Jones to a specialist who informed him that he would not have to go on IR. Now, he’s looking for a second opinion on the matter. Here’s more from the AFC..

The Steelers have known about wide receiver Martavis Bryant‘s possible four-game suspension for some time and it even impacted their approach in May’s draft, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Coach Mike Tomlin said that the news pushed Pittsburgh to use a third-round draft choice on Sammie Coates.
Bills coach Rex Ryan says the “odds are probably stacked against” quarterback Matt Simms making the 53-man roster but he will “never say never,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Many have speculated that Simms could bump Matt Cassel from the Bills’ roster, but that sounds like something of a longshot at this time.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan anticipates a long-term extension to the team’s London deal, keeping the partnership going until roughly 2030, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union tweets. O’Halloran (link) expects that announcement to come in October when the Jaguars have their scheduled game in England.

Bills Notes: Jackson, Ryan, Cassel

August 31st, 2015 at 8:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Bills parted ways with running back Fred Jackson. The news was devastating to many Bills fans but also to Jackson himself who would have “done anything” to retire with the Bills, according to a source to spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. Bills GM Doug Whaley acknowledged today that finances played a role in Jackson’s exit from Buffalo, but Florio hears that the veteran was never even given a chance to make things work with the team. Here’s more on the Bills..

In a statement that was seemingly hinting at the salary-cap ramifications of cutting Jackson, coach Rex Ryan said the Bills are “restricted by several limitations as a team,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Ryan went on to say that he isn’t worried about Jackson landing with the Patriots or any other divisional rival, as Rodak wrote.
Safety Aaron Williams said that Ryan told the locker room that the team did everything possible to keep Jackson, as Rodak writes.
Ryan told reporters, including Rodak (link): “I expect to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. That’s a true statement.” Many would assume that those three QBs would be newly-named starter Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel, and E.J. Manuel. However, Matt Simms could be in the mix for that third spot.

Bills To Start Tyrod Taylor At QB

August 31st, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Bills have made a decision on their starting quarterback, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will open the season with Tyrod Taylor under center. Taylor, who signed with Buffalo this offseason as a free agent, beat out Matt Cassel and E.J. Manuel for the starting job.

Taylor, 26, spent his first four NFL seasons backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore, and has only thrown 35 passes in the regular season over the course of his career, including none since 2013. However, he was viewed as a Rex Ryan favorite — the Bills’ new head coach reportedly tried to trade for Taylor back when he was coaching the Jets and Taylor was a Raven.

Although Taylor is penciled in as the Week 1 starter, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll start all 16 games for the Bills — given his limited experience, there’s no guarantee he’ll thrive in the starting role. Still, the decision raises questions about Cassel’s and Manuel’s status in Buffalo.

There was some speculation earlier in the year that Cassel could be a release candidate if he didn’t win the Bills’ starting job. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team keeps him around as a veteran insurance policy, but he’s entering the final year of his contract and probably doesn’t fit into Buffalo’s long-term plans. As for Manuel, he’s under contract through 2016, but his days with the Bills may be numbered as well, now that he has been passed by Taylor on the club’s depth chart.

Bills Notes: QBs, Injuries

August 29th, 2015 at 7:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills head coach Rex Ryan is closing in on a decision regarding the team’s three-way competition for the starting quarterback job. Ryan will make his choice for the No. 1 spot Sunday, but he won’t announce it yet, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).

Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel have been vying for the role throughout the spring and summer, and all three have fared well during the preseason. That was especially true Saturday, when the trio shredded Pittsburgh in a 43-19 victory. The three combined to complete 25 of 28 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor added a 20-yard TD run to his 12-of-13, 122-yard performance through the air. Saturday’s effort will likely be the last of the preseason for Taylor, Manuel and Cassel, as Ryan expects fourth-stringer Matt Simms to play all of Buffalo’s exhibition finale against Detroit, Rodak tweeted.

Here’s more on the Bills:

Third-year receiver Marquise Goodwin may have broken a few ribs Saturday, according to Ryan (via Twitter).
Ryan seems optimistic about No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who departed Saturday with a shoulder injury. “Gilmore is gonna be fine, I hope. We need him,” Ryan said, per Buscgalia (Twitter link).
Safety Aaron Williams left the game with a leg injury before eventually returning. He was limping in the locker room afterward and “clearly not 100 percent,” Rodak reports (Twitter link).
Ryan said rookie linebacker Tony Steward hurt his MCL and will be out a few weeks, per Rodak (Twitter link).