HEADLINES

Maurice Alexander

NFL Workout Updates: 10/16/17

October 16th, 2017 at 7:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Jets Work Out DB Maurice Alexander

October 13th, 2017 at 7:38pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets worked out free agent safety Maurice Alexander this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Alexander was waived by the Rams on Monday.Maurice Alexander (Vertical)

New York is currently deploying two rookies — Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye — at safety, and both have performed surprisingly well through five games. Terrence Brooks and Rontez Miles are currently the Jets’ backup defensive backs, and both have played on fewer than 60 defensive snaps. Both Brooks and Miles have been contributors on special teams, however, and both have seen action on at least a quarter of New York’s ST plays (Brooks, notably, is second to only linebacker Julian Stanford in Jets special teams snaps).

Alexander, 26, started 14 games for Los Angeles in 2016 and had started four contests for the club this season. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus had graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. But Alexander offers both youth and experience, and could potentially become a valuable reserve for the Jets if signed.

Rams Waive DB Maurice Alexander

October 9th, 2017 at 3:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams have waived safety Maurice Alexander in order to clear a roster spot for wide receiver Mike Thomas, the club announced today.Maurice Alexander (Vertical)

Alexander, 26, started 14 games for Los Angeles in 2016 and had started four games for the club this season. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus had graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. Alexander’s release is simply performance-based, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, who reports the Rams want to see more from young players Josh Johnson, Cody Davis, Blake Countess, Marqui Christian, and Isaiah Johnson.

Thomas, a sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, was suspended four games for violating the league’s PED policy. A favorite of many in the draft community, Thomas managed only three receptions in 15 games during his rookie campaign, but also contributed on special teams. He joins a wide receiver group that also includes Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Tavon Austin.

Extra Points: Ja. Peppers, Rams, Texans

April 17th, 2017 at 9:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Jabrill Peppers played both linebacker and cornerback at Michigan, but nearly all NFL teams view the draft-bound prospect as a safety, he told the Associated Press. Peppers is on board, saying, “I didn’t play safety, but I’m going to be a safety.” While one club informed Peppers it would use him at linebacker, another had an outside-the-box idea. “One team told me they thought I should play offense,” revealed Peppers, who did see time on that side of the ball at Michigan last season. Peppers rushed 27 times for 167 yards, caught two passes and scored three touchdowns. He also fared well in space as a punt returner, posting a Big Ten-leading 14.8-yard average on runbacks.

More from around the game:

  • Ravens college scouting director Joe Hortiz is the Rams’ top choice to take over the same position in Los Angeles, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (all Twitter links). The Rams have shown interest in Hortiz in the past, notes La Canfora, who adds that Baltimore wouldn’t be able to prevent him from leaving. Los Angeles started reshuffling its scouting department when it dismissed four evaluators on April 9.
  • The Rams are also making changes on the field, with several familiar names apparently set to switch positions as the Sean McVay era begins, according to Myles Simmons of the team’s website. Contrary to a prior report, the signing of left tackle Andrew Whitworth will not force Greg Robinson to shift to guard; rather, Robinson will head to right tackle, leaving Rob Havenstein to move inside. Elsewhere, cornerback Lamarcus Joyner will play free safety and Maurice Alexander will take over at strong safety in the wake of the team’s addition of Nickell Robey-Coleman, who’s primed to handle Joyner’s old job as a slot corner. Finally, Robert Quinn is transitioning from defensive end to outside linebacker, though his role as a pass rusher will remain the same.
  • Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles visited the Texans on Monday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. With potential first-rounders in Bolles, Alabama’s Cam Robinson and Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk on their radar, it’s clear the Texans are strongly considering taking a tackle with the 25th pick in the draft.
  • The surgery Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster underwent on his right rotator cuff in February won’t keep him out for any portion of training camp, his agent, Malki Kawa, announced Monday (on Twitter). The soon-to-be first-rounder is “ahead of schedule,” per Kawa.

2017 Proven Performance Escalators

January 17th, 2017 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.Donte Moncrief (Vertical)

If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.8MM in 2017. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.

Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2017 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:

49ers: Aaron Lynch, LB; Marcus Martin, OL

Bears: Charles Leno, T; Will Sutton, DT

Bengals: Russell Bodine, C

Bills: Preston Brown, LB; Seantrel Henderson, T

Broncos: Michael Schofield, OL

Browns: Christian Kirksey, LB

Buccaneers: Kevin Pamphile, G

Cardinals: John Brown, WR

Chiefs: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, G; Zach Fulton, G; Phillip Gaines, CB

Colts: Donte Moncrief, WR

Cowboys: Anthony Hitchens, LB

Falcons: Devonta Freeman, RB

Giants: Devon Kennard, LB

Jaguars: Aaron Colvin, CB; Brandon Linder, G; Telvin Smith, LB

Lions: Nevin Lawson, CB; Travis Swanson, C

Packers: Corey Linsley, C; Richard Rodgers, TE

Panthers: Tre Boston, S; Trai Turner, G

Raiders: T.J. Carrie, CB; Justin Ellis, DT; Gabe Jackson, G

Rams: Maurice Alexander, S; E.J. Gaines, CB

Redskins: Bashaud Breeland, CB; Spencer Long, G; Morgan Moses, T

Texans: C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE; Andre Hal, S

Titans: DaQuan Jones, DL; Avery Williamson, LB

Vikings: Shamar Stephen, DT

NFC West Notes: Rams, Baldwin, Driskel, 49ers

June 13th, 2016 at 8:04pm CST by Zachary Links

While the Rams could still be in the market for a veteran safety, the club likes what it’s seen from defensive backs Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, and Christian Bryant, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). LA has been on the lookout for secondary help since losing safety Rodney McLeod during free agency, and the team has met with Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson over the past several months. Both safeties reportedly remain “in play” for the Rams, but for now, it sounds as though the team is happy where they are.

Here’s more out of the NFC West…

  • Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin says his contract situation “will take care of itself,” as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes. Baldwin is entering the final season of a three-year deal he inked prior to the 2014 season. Now, after tying for the NFL lead with 14 receiving touchdowns in 2015, Baldwin could be in line for $10MM/year or more. Baldwin should be helped by the four-year, $40MM extension the Jaguars recently gave to Allen Hurns, though Hurns is three years younger than the Seattles standout.
  • The 49ers are high on rookie quarterback Jeff Driskel, as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com writes. “I think he’s done a really nice job,” 49ers coach Chip Kelly said. “He’s really intelligent. (He) picked things up conceptually very quickly. (He) was exposed to a couple of systems because he was at Florida and then Louisiana Tech. I think he’s already been exposed to multiple systems at the college level, so we’ve been impressed with him. He’s very athletic. I think he was the fastest quarterback at the combine. He’s big. He’s got a good arm.” Driskel, a sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, could get involved in special teams packages and give San Francisco some trick play options. Driskel currently sits as the team’s No. 4 QB behind Blaine Gabbert, Colin Kaepernick, and Thaddeus Lewis. It’s conceivable that Driskel could leapfrog Lewis to become the team’s No. 3 signal caller, or he could become the club’s No. 3 signal-caller if Kaepernick is traded or released.
  • Jermaine Gresham apparently had more lucrative offers from other clubs — such as the Bears and Jets — but he chose to take less money to remain with the Cardinals.
  • Yesterday, we learned that the Cardinals are unlikely to reach an extension with defensive back Tyrann Mathieu before the start of training camp.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Rams Sign Robinson, Donald, Eight Others

June 12th, 2014 at 5:12pm CST by Luke Adams

5:12pm: Donald doesn’t have offsets in his deal either, Breer adds (on Twitter).

5:01pm: The Rams’ deal with Robinson does not have offsets, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network. He’s the first player to get that concession this year and that could factor into the Jaguars’ talks with Blake Bortles, Breer adds.

4:34pm: The Rams may have waited the longest of any NFL team to get a draft pick under contract, but it didn’t take the team long to complete the process once it was started. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Rams have signed all 11 of their 2014 draftees. In addition to the previously reported Lamarcus Joyner, that group includes first-rounders Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald and 249th overall pick Michael Sam.

A year ago, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher wanted to take the team’s rookies through “Financial Planning 101” before those players received their signing bonuses. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Rams did the same thing this year, delaying the signing process to ensure that their players know how to manage their money when they receive it.

Among those signing bonuses, Robinson’s will be the largest — according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the signing bonus for the No. 2 pick should fall just short of $14MM. As the 13th overall pick, Donald will be in line for a bonus of $5.692MM. The remaining eight bonuses range from about $46K to $638K.

Besides Robinson, Donald, Joyner, and Sam, the Rams now have the following draftees under contract:

  • Tre Mason, RB, Auburn (3.75)
  • Maurice Alexander, S, Utah State (4.110)
  • E.J. Gaines, CB, Missouri (6.188)
  • Garrett Gilbert, QB, SMU (6.214)
  • Mitchell Van Dyk, OT, Portland State (7.226)
  • Christian Bryant, S, Ohio State (7.241)
  • Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State (7.250)