Mike Daniels - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Gordon, Daniels, Pats, Succop

July 24th, 2019 at 8:01pm CST by Rory Parks

After rounding up some news from the NFC earlier tonight, let’s check out the AFC:

Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he did offer an extension to RB Melvin Gordon, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets, but there are no reports on how much the offer was worth. Gordon is holding out from camp and was put on the reserve/did not report list.
Before the Packers cut Mike Daniels earlier today, they discussed potential trades with the Browns, Patriots, and Chiefs, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link). Garafolo suggests those teams will continue to pursue Daniels, but at least seven clubs have already been in contact with him.
Browns GM John Dorsey confirmed that he met with Duke Johnson‘s new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on Tuesday, but Dorsey declined to say whether Johnson is still demanding a trade (via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com on Twitter). In related news, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports RB Kareem Hunt will miss the start of training camp with a groin injury, though the injury is not believed to be serious.
The Patriots have placed veteran O-lineman Brian Schwenke on the reserve/retired list, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schwenke was taking first-team reps at left guard in the spring, but it sounds as if his career could be over.
Jets safety Marcus Maye is on the PUP list after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says it’s not a sure thing that Maye will be ready to go by Week 1 (Twitter link). Head coach Adam Gase was non-committal when asked if Maye would miss any regular season action.
Titans K Ryan Succop had offseason knee surgery that did not go as well as planned, according to Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com. The team has placed Succop on the PUP list, but he is expected to be ready for Week 1 at the latest.
Ravens first-round WR Marquise Brown could be getting closer to completing his comeback from a Lisfranc injury. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that Brown has passed his conditioning test and now needs to pass his physical (Twitter link). Hensley says it would not be surprising to see “Hollywood” on the field next week.

NFC Notes: Packers, Clark, Lynch, Giants

July 24th, 2019 at 6:56pm CST by Rory Parks

The Packers made the surprising decision to cut Mike Daniels earlier today, and GM Brian Gutekunst confirmed that the club did try to trade Daniels first (via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com). It sounds as if Green Bay made some headway in trade talks, but the talks broke down over the last couple of weeks. Gutekunst also mentioned Daniels’ foot injury as a factor in the decision.

Now for more from the NFC:

The decision to cut Daniels has opened the door for the Packers to sign NT Kenny Clark to a lucrative extension, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. Silverstein suggests (via Twitter) that such a deal could happen at the end of the season.
Matt Barrows of The Athletic suggests that, although John Lynch is the 49ers‘ GM, he is primarily in charge of the defense, while head coach Kyle Shanahan picks the offensive talent. And Lynch has missed on a few major decisions on the defensive side of the ball, so if that unit should struggle again, not only will defensive coordinator Robert Saleh be in danger of losing his job, but Lynch could be as well.
The Giants worked out free agent safeties Johnathan Cyprien and Tre Boston several days ago, but Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com does not believe Big Blue is going to pay for a starting-caliber safety at this point (Twitter link). He thinks the club was simply doing its due diligence.
The Panthers will give Daryl Williams some reps at left tackle and left guard in training camp, per GM Marty Hurney (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic on Twitter). Williams signed a one-year deal in March to remain with Carolina, but Hurney is said to prefer Taylor Moton at right tackle — where Williams has spent most of his time as a pro — and the club drafted LT Greg Little in the second round this year. So if Williams is to earn the big FA contract that he missed out on this year, he may have to do so at an unfamiliar spot.
The Buccaneers have placed Jason Pierre-Paul on the active/non-football injury list, as James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets. Although a player on the active/NFI list can be activated from that list at any time before the start of the season, that will almost certainly not happen with JPP, who is expected to miss at least a chunk of the regular season.

Packers Release Mike Daniels

July 24th, 2019 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers have released Mike Daniels, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Given his Pro Bowl resume, the move comes as a total surprise.

Daniels was due $8.1MM this season in base salary and roster bonuses, which was apparently too rich for Green Bay’s blood. By cutting Daniels, the Packers will save $8.3MM versus $2.4MM in dead money.

The Packers explored a Daniels trade, but couldn’t find a suitable deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Garafolo suggests that the Browns, with all their former Packers connections, are likely to take a look at Daniels after trying, and failing, to sign Gerald McCoy earlier this year.

The Packers extended Daniels via four-year, $41MM contract during the 2015 season. For the most part, the deal has paid off. Daniels earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017, though he was less productive in 2018 before ultimately landing on IR in December with a foot injury.

In his Pro Bowl campaign, Daniels notched five sacks and 49 tackles across 14 games. Last year, he had two sacks and 18 tackles in ten contests.

Daniels is now free to sign with any club. His preference is to sign with a Super Bowl contender, Schefter hears (on Twitter).

Packers Place Mike Daniels On IR

December 1st, 2018 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Packers’ best players won’t have a chance to help the team make a last-ditch playoff charge in the coming weeks. Green Bay placed defensive end Mike Daniels on IR.

Wide receiver Trevor Davis will also be moved to the Packers’ IR list. Green Bay will promote fullback Dan Vitale from its practice squad and activate wide receiver Jake Kumerow from IR.

Afflicted with a foot injury, Daniels carried a questionable designation into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. The standout defensive lineman has been a key component of the past several Green Bay defenses, serving as a full-time player for the past five years. He’s played in 10 Packers games this season.

Green Bay extended Daniels via four-year, $41MM contract during the 2015 season. One year (at a $10.9MM cap number) remains on Daniels’ deal. He made the Pro Bowl last season and has 29 career sacks.

Kumerow returned to Packers practice last week. The Division III product has not played in an NFL game yet, despite being a fourth-year pro. Initially a Bengals UDFA, Kumerow may soon be in line to make his regular-season debut. He’ll replace Davis in the Packers’ receivers room. Davis is the third Packer wideout to land on IR this year, following Kumerow and Geronimo Allison. Kumerow’s activation ensures Allison won’t return in 2018.

Mike Daniels To Miss Time

November 18th, 2018 at 9:02am CST by Rory Parks

The Packers’ narrow loss to the Seahawks on Thursday night may have done serious damage to their playoff hopes, and the news is not getting any better today. Green Bay lost tight end Jimmy Graham for the foreseeable future with a broken thumb that he sustained during the Seattle matchup, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that defensive lineman Mike Daniels will miss a few weeks with a foot injury (Twitter link). RapSheet adds that Daniels visited Dr. Robert Anderson to address the injury and that there will be a more definitive timeline for his return shortly.

Daniels may not be a household name, but he has been a stout defender for the Packers since he became a full-time starter in 2014, and Green Bay rewarded him with a four-year, $42MM extension towards the end of the 2015 campaign (which made him the third-highest paid 3-4 defensive end in the NFL at the time). Daniels earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season, and although he is not performing at as high of a level this year, he is still grading out as an above average player at his position, per Pro Football Focus.

Daniels’ snap count is actually up a bit from last year, and he has compiled 17 tackles and two sacks on the season. Those numbers, though, do not really paint a complete picture of how important he is to the club’s defensive front, and he will surely be missed as the Packers fight to stay alive in the playoff race.

Second-year pro Montravius Adams, a 2017 third-round draft choice, is likely to see an uptick in playing time during Daniels’ absence. Green Bay will try to get back on track against the division rival Vikings next week.

North Rumors: Packers, Cobb, Jordy, Browns

September 18th, 2017 at 9:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MRI results show that wide receiver Randall Cobb (shoulder) and defensive lineman Mike Daniels (hamstring) did not suffer major injuries in the Packers‘ loss to the Falcons on Sunday night, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Both are considered day-to-day, and should be available for Green Bay’s Week 3 game against the Bengals. There’s no official word to the severity of wideout Jordy Nelson‘s quad issue, but the Packers don’t believe the injury is serious, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

The Browns will likely place receiver Corey Coleman on injured reserve on Tuesday, tweets Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald. Coleman, who broke his hand for the second time in as many seasons, will likely need six-to-eight weeks to recover, so he’ll likely be one of Cleveland’s two IR/designated to return players. That would allow Coleman to return to practice in six weeks and see the field in eight. The Browns will lean on Rashard Higgins, Kasen Williams, and Kenny Britt in Coleman’s absence.
Second-round cornerback Kevin King will continue to see his role grow after a solid performance for the Packers on Sunday, as head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters, including Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “If anything, he’s earned the right to potentially play more,” said McCarthy. “Smooth, confident athlete. I like the progression that Kevin’s made.” King, a Washington product, saw his snap percentage leap from 12% in Week 1 to 79% in Week 2, and is now Pro Football Focus‘ No. 19 ranked corner through two weeks.
General manager Ted Thompson has shown a recent willingness to add external free agents as he revamps the Packers‘ roster, writes Demovsky in a full piece. Veteran such as Martellus Bennett, Ahmad Brooks, and Davon House have all joined the club this offseason as part of a detour from a Green Bay strategy that typically involves mostly homegrown players. “It’s the realization that they needed to get better,” one NFL executive said of the Packers, noting that Thompson may be more open to input from his front office subordinates.

North Notes: Ravens, Barnidge, Daniels, Packers

December 15th, 2015 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The five-year, $37.5MM contract the Ravens gave to left tackle Eugene Monroe in 2014 looks like an obvious mistake now, but it was applauded at the time, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. After missing just three games due to injury in his first four seasons, Monroe hasn’t been able to stay on the field during the last two years, and now the team will face a tough offseason decision.

While cutting Monroe in the offseason is one option, the Ravens wouldn’t clear much cap room by doing so, since the lineman’s deal still includes $6.6MM in dead money. It seems to me that a more logical solution would be to rework Monroe’s deal to convert a chunk of his $6.5MM salary for 2016 into per-game roster bonuses. That would allow Monroe to keep his spot on the roster and give him an opportunity to earn his full salary, while also alleviating the risk for the Ravens — if the veteran tackle gets hurt again, Baltimore won’t be on the hook for his entire salary.

As we wait to see what the Ravens decide on Monroe, let’s round up some other items from around the AFC North, including a couple more out of Baltimore….

Within the above-linked piece, Zrebiec also notes that if Kelechi Osemele holds up well at left tackle over the final three games of the season, it could change the lineman’s outlook for free agency. The Ravens likely can’t afford to sign another guard to a lucrative contract after extending Marshal Yanda, but if Osemele can play left tackle, that’s a position the team would be willing to spend on — of course, so would many other rival clubs.
Before the Ravens decided to sign Ryan Mallett, the quarterback assured the team that he has received professional help for personal issues that led to his ouster in Houston, a league source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Having been signed for the 2016 season, Mallett could serve as Joe Flacco‘s backup next year if the Ravens like what they see from him.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links) passes along a few more details on Gary Barnidge‘s new contract with the Browns, reporting that the three-year, $12.3MM pact features $5.73MM in guaranteed money, though not all of that money is fully guaranteed yet. Barnidge’s $1.5MM salary for 2016 becomes fully guaranteed in March.
Speaking of contract details, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) has a few for Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels, providing the year-by-year cap breakdown for Daniels’ extension. Daniels will count against the cap for $7.4MM in 2016, with his hits jumping to the $10-11MM range for the final three years of the deal.
Now that the Packers have extended Daniels, who’s next in line for a new contract in Green Bay? Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com takes a closer look at some possibilities.

Packers, Mike Daniels Agree To $42MM Extension

December 14th, 2015 at 8:58am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers and Mike Daniels have reached agreement on a four-year, $42MM extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will give Daniels $22MM in the first 15 months of the deal and a $12MM signing bonus, a source tells Schefter. Daniels is now the third-highest paid 3-4 defensive end in the NFL.

Daniels, who will earn an average annual value of $10.5MM under his new deal, was considered to be a potential franchise tag candidate for Green Bay this offseason. Green Bay management was said to have identified Daniels as the most important of its 14 upcoming free agents, but they reportedly weren’t willing to go to $10MM per year. Apparently, things have changed over the last couple of months as Daniels has continued to excel on the Packers’ defensive line.

“Why wouldn’t (Daniels) get $10 (million)?” an NFL personnel director told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last month. “Most of those guys are bigger, but who’s more disruptive? I think Mike Daniels is a good player. I think he and Liuget are on a par. The way that market goes, you’re going to overpay. It he goes to free agency, do you (the Packers) want to run that risk?”

Daniels, 26, has started all 13 of the Packers’ games this season, racking up 41 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. Of course, he still has time to try and eclipse his stats from 2014. Last year, Daniels amassed 47 tackles and 5.5 sacks in a full 16 game season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Breer’s Latest: Dolphins, Gronk, Cowboys, Texans

December 5th, 2015 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Campbell‘s decision to jettison both his coordinators, with OC Bill Lazor being the second to go, as an interim coach likely stemmed from the tough-minded instructor’s dismay at the Dolphins being referred to as a “finesse team in a power division,” Albert Breer of NFL.com reports.

Miami ranks 27th in rushing yards per game but sixth in yards per carry at 4.6 and attempted just 23 combined runs the past two games. This led to a sense that Lazor was losing his players, per Breer.

Lazor and Ryan Tannehill began to have a less-than-ideal QB-OC relationship, and Breer now notes Campbell will take a more involved role in the Fins’ offensive approach. So, Lamar Miller will probably see more touches going forward.

Here are some more notes from the veteran NFL scribe.

Rob Gronkowski‘s league-high five offensive-pass interference penalties stem from teams alerting officials to the Patriots‘ brand of pick routes against an increasing amount of man coverage, with Gronk’s size making separation at route stems noticeable. Defensive coordinators are torn on the degree of the All-Pro tight end’s level of infraction, with one saying “He pushes off on every play” and another categorizing the physical performer’s penalties as a product of his size. “It just looks extreme with him, because of size and strength. A 180-pound dude pushing off is different [than] a 260-pound dude pushing off,” the anonymous DC told Breer. Another coordinator falls in the middle of these characterizations, noting the Patriots’ volume of pick routes makes it logical they should be on the receiving end of the most OPI flags.
With Tony Romo set for his age-36 season in 2016 and coming off more severe collarbone trouble, the Cowboys will explore taking a quarterback in the first round and signing a veteran, Breer reports. Romo being the starter for the foreseeable future gives the Cowboys some flexibility here by not having to reach for a player they don’t think can take the reins.
The Los Angeles relocation project continues to point toward the Chargers and Rams, with Breer noting Dean Spanos carries the political capital in the owners’ eyes and Stan Kroenke possessing the finances to make this transition work.
Bill O’Brien‘s cultivating a reputation as a players’ coach in leading the Texans, permitting open social media use and organizing a 12-player leadership council, Breer notes. Houston’s now tied for first in the AFC South with Indianapolis, but as far back as the Texans’ blowout loss in Miami in late October, players were behind O’Brien. “He’s not the problem. Very cool coach to play for and everyone enjoys the way he treats us,” one Texan told Breer after that 44-26 defeat.
In projecting franchise tag figures for next year, Breer also gives predictions of players potentially being tagged. Moving past long-rumored names like Von Miller and Muhammad Wilkerson, NFL executives told Breer players like Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, Russell Okung, Mike Daniels and Kirk Cousins are tag candidates.

Packers, Mike Daniels Far Apart In Extension Talks

November 7th, 2015 at 5:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers and defensive end Mike Daniels remain far apart in ongoing contract negotiations, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Per McGinn, the two sides have engaged in “on-again, off-again” talks for some time, but no deal is considered close at this time.

Green Bay management has reportedly identified Daniels as the most important of its 14 upcoming free agents, and while they are interested in working out a long-term deal, the club currently isn’t willing to go to $10MM per year — Daniels’ apparent asking price — to get something done. That level of salary certainly isn’t out of the question for Daniels, as it would put him in line with other 3-4 defensive ends, such as Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, Corey Liuget, and Calais Campbell, who earn between $10MM and $11MM per year.

“Why wouldn’t (Daniels) get $10 (million)?” an NFL personnel director told McGinn. “Most of those guys are bigger, but who’s more disruptive? I think Mike Daniels is a good player. I think he and Liuget are on a par. The way that market goes, you’re going to overpay. It he goes to free agency, do you (the Packers) want to run that risk?”

The 26-year-old Daniels is in the midst of his fourth NFL season (all with the Packers) and his second as a full-time starter, and he’s playing slightly more than 60% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps for the second consecutive season. The club’s best defensive lineman, Daniels has posted 17 career sacks — admittedly, not the primary goal of a 3-4 DE — while helping the Packers defense to the No. 8 overall position in Football Outsiders’ DVOA.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Daniels told McGinn yesterday. “I don’t want to really get involved. Think about it. Am I going to worry about a contract when I got Peyton Manning across from me?”

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.