Randy Starks - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Release Randy Starks, Jim Dray

February 18th, 2016 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns, led by new front-office decision-makers and a new coaching staff, have begun to make changes to their roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve released veteran defensive tackle Randy Starks and tight end Jim Dray.

Starks, 32, signed with the Browns last March after spending his previous seven years in Miami, where he earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Over the course of his seven seasons with the Dolphins, Starks never recorded fewer than three sacks, but he notched just a single sack in 2015 for the Browns in his 15 games, to go along with 29 tackles.

Pro Football Focus graded Starks as the Browns’ top interior defender, placing him 46th overall out of 123 qualified players. However, Cleveland decided to opt for the cap savings created by releasing Starks, rather than keeping him around for the final year of his contract. By cutting the veteran lineman, the Browns clear $3MM from their cap, and will carry just $625K in dead money.

Dray, meanwhile, was the Browns’ second tight end behind Gary Barnidge during the 2015 season. While Barndige flourished, enjoying a career year and earning a contract extension, Dray was used primarily as a blocker, earning only 16 targets all season. He caught six of them, for 61 yards.

Like Starks, Dray was heading into a contract year, so the Browns will carry minimal dead money ($300K) on their cap this season. Releasing the tight end creates $1.775MM in cap savings for Cleveland.

As vested veterans, both Starks and Dray will immediately become free agents without having to pass through waivers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Browns Sign Randy Starks

March 16th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

4:27pm: The Browns have officially signed Starks, the team confirmed in a press release.

1:19pm: The Browns have reached a contract agreement with former Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to La Canfora, Starks will join the Browns on a two-year contract worth about $4MM annually.

Starks, 31, went to two Pro Bowls with the Dolphins and was an interior anchor on the defensive line since joining the team in 2009, missing just one game in his six seasons in Miami. However, the team released him last week to help accommodate the signing of Ndamukong Suh — Starks had been in line for a 2015 salary of $6MM before his release.

In Cleveland, Starks will help solidify a Browns defensive line that underwhelmed in 2014. In addition to signing Starks, the team also hopes to get a healthy John Hughes back in the lineup for a full season, which should help offset the likely loss of free agent defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin.

Making the transition from the Dolphins’ 4-3 scheme to Cleveland’s 3-4 system, Starks looks like a good bet to return to a defensive end role after playing defensive tackle in Miami in recent years.

Dolphins Release Randy Starks

March 11th, 2015 at 8:07am CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: The Dolphins released Starks this morning, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 3:32pm: To accommodate their impending megadeal with Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins will release longtime starter Randy Starks, per the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley (via Twitter).

The 31-year-old Starks went to two Pro Bowls with the Dolphins and was their interior anchor since signing in Miami in 2008, but the team must make room to accommodate Suh’s $114MM contract. Miami saves $5MM by cutting Starks, who was due $6MM this season.

The Dolphins, who re-signed Starks to a two-year, $12MM contract last March, had just more than $9MM worth of cap space before accounting for their new free agent prize. Starks will be a coveted piece once the dust settles after playing no fewer than 14 games in each of his seven seasons with the Dolphins while offering positional versatility.

Miami used him at end in multiple campaigns, and the former third-round pick of the Titans notched at least four sacks the past four years.

Extra Points: Bradford, Rice, Starks

February 14th, 2015 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Rams introduced their new offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti, on Friday. The most significant information that came from Cignetti’s press conference was the vote of confidence given to quarterback Sam Bradford, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Petra.

Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, has been inconsistent and injury prone during his five-year career, with an underwhelming 79.3 passer rating and just 49 of a possible 80 regular-season appearances. Bradford missed all of last season with a torn ACL and there was some question as to whether the Rams would bring him back in 2015, the final year of his deal, but head coach Jeff Fisher and Cignetti officially put such speculation to rest.

Asked if he wanted Bradford back next season, Fisher said, “That’s correct, yes. He’s been in the building since the season ended. He’s doing well,” according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas.

Fisher even said Bradford’s presence influenced the promotion of Cignetti, who was previously St. Louis’ quarterbacks coach.

Bradford’s cap number for next season is a whopping $16.58MM, and Thomas wrote earlier this week that the team hopes to restructure the 27-year-old’s contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com took a look at the factors working for and against Ray Rice in his quest to return to the league after a yearlong hiatus resulting from the 28-year-old’s assault of his then-fiancée. Working in Rice’s favor, according to Brown, is that the likes of Michael Vick and Richie Incognito recently found second chances after committing serious off-the-field offenses. Conversely, one of the reasons Rice might not find much of a market is his poor 2013 performance. Rice was among the worst starting running backs in the league that year, amassing just 660 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games. His 3.1 yards-per-carry average was significantly lower than his career mark (4.3).
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com sees “virtually no chance” of Washington using the franchise tag on anyone this offseason. Tandler notes that the $13.75MM cost for tagging outside linebacker Brian Orakpo would be too steep, and fellow free agents-to-be Niles Paul, Roy Helu and Jarvis Jenkins aren’t candidates to be among the five highest-paid players at their respective positions. Earlier this month, our own Luke Adams covered the possibility of Washington using the franchise tag this offseason, also concluding that it was unlikely.
Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks is one potential cap casualty who could make sense for the Patriots, tweets the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. The 31-year-old Starks is scheduled to count $6MM against Miami’s cap in 2015.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins’ D, McCourty, Idzik

December 14th, 2014 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, noting that the Dolphins defense is not the consistently stout force that defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle claims, took a look at the immediate future of each position in Coyle’s unit this morning. For instance, Jackson writes that defensive tackle Randy Starks is unlikely to return on his current contract, which creates a $6MM cap hit if Starks is on the team, and a $1MM hit if he is not.

Jackson adds that is is “highly questionable” if Miami will pay Jared Odrick what he could make on the open market, and the departures of both Odrick and Starks would force the team to go shopping for a run-stuffer like Dan Williams or Terrance Knighton in free agency. While the defensive end position is more or less set for 2015, Jackson notes that linebacker Dannell Ellerbe will either need to accept a pay cut or be released, and he points out that there is a strong class of free agent corners for the team to pursue as it seeks a reliable starter opposite Brent Grimes.

Now for a few more notes from the AFC East:

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that there is “nothing happening” on an extension between the Patriots and Devin McCourty, and that New England is expected to use the franchise tag as major leverage.
Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes that one reason the Patriots might have agreed to a recent extension with Marcus Cannon is that it helps to thaw the team’s relationship with Cannon’s agent, David Dunn, a relationship that soured during the Wes Welker negotiations several seasons ago. Dunn, one of the game’s most successful agents, also represents Nate Solder, who will be a free agent in 2016, and Shane Vereen, who hits free agency after this season.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Jets GM John Idzik has been involved in the early stages of the team’s head coaching search, and La Canfora wonders if that might be a sign that Idzik’s job is safe. Although owner Woody Johnson could still parts ways with Idzik, particularly if the team lands a big-ticket head coach who wants a different general manager, Idzik’s early involvement and his ties to potential head coaching candidates are positive signs for him.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com takes a look at the Jets’ bad fortune in recent years, noting that the team’s worst seasons tend to coincide with fairly weak drafts or drafts with no elite quarterback prospects.
In the same piece, Cimini writes that nose tackle Damon Harrison, who has been one of the few bright spots for the Jets this season, is likely to receive the max tender (which is expected to be higher than 2014’s $3.1MM figure) as he hits restricted free agency.

AFC East Notes: Revis, Smith, Starks

March 12th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

News broke earlier tonight that Darrelle Revis will be joining the Patriots, and Albert Breer of NFL.com has a couple of interesting notes on the big move. According to Breer, nothing prevents the Patriots from franchising the corner in 2015 (via Twitter). Revis’ tag for 2015 would be $14.4MM, a 20% raise on his current salary, but that may be moot, since the Patriots hope to lock up the ex-Buccaneer to a long-term deal after a “feeling-out period,” Breer says in another tweet.

More news from around the AFC East…

The Jets never engaged in any substantive conversations on Revis, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. General Manager John Idzik never even got the opportunity to talk to Revis’ camp.
Furthermore, Jets head coach Rex Ryan wanted to “badly” bring back the cornerback, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Mehta adds that the decision was “over his head.”
Shelley Smith is meeting with the Patriots after he left New York without a deal from the Giants, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas adds that Smith also has a visit scheduled with the Dolphins.
With Revis’ deal taking up $12MM of the Patriots‘ ~$17MM cap space, Vince Wilfork has to restructure his contract or seek employment elsewhere, opines Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
Specifics for Randy Starks‘ contract from Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter): $2MM signing bonus, $3MM guaranteed base in 2014, $5MM in 2015 with $2MM in incentives. Those incentives kick in if the Dolphins win 10 games and Starks plays 65% of the snaps.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Dolphins To Re-Sign Randy Starks

March 12th, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have reached a contract agreement with defensive tackle Randy Starks that will keep him in Miami, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The contract will be a two-year deal worth $12MM, according to Garafolo. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement worth about $6MM annually.

Starks, 30, has traditionally been better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, but he was excellent in both facets of the game in 2013. He ranked seventh overall among 69 qualified defensive tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

It seemed as if Miami might be prepared to let both Starks and fellow free agent DT Paul Soliai walk in free agency, as reports suggested last week the team had not offered either player a deal. Now that Starks is set to return though, he’ll join Earl Mitchell, who also agree to terms today, on Miami’s defensive line.

As I noted in my preview of this year’s top free agents, Starks has been in the NFL since 2004, but is still just 30 years old, so the modest two-year deal looks like a decent value for the Dolphins.

Randy Starks, Dolphins Nearing Deal

March 12th, 2014 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins are nearing a contract agreement with defensive tackle Randy Starks that would keep him in Miami, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). While La Canfora suggests it’ll be worth $6MM per season, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that figure is “way too ambitious.” Either way, it looks like the two sides are on their way to working something out.

Starks, 30, has traditionally been better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, but he was excellent in both facets of the game in 2013. He ranked seventh overall among 69 qualified defensive tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

It seemed as if Miami might be prepared to let both Starks and fellow free agent DT Paul Soliai walk in free agency, as reports suggested last week the team had not offered either player a deal. Assuming Starks gets locked up though, he’ll join Earl Mitchell on the new-look Miami d-line, as the former Texan appears poised to join the Dolphins.

FA Rumors: Monroe, Ward, Dolphins, Hester

March 4th, 2014 at 7:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already passed along one round of free agent rumors this afternoon, but with the 2014 FA period just a few days away from officially getting underway, there will be plenty more items to track in the near future. In fact, we’ve already got another handful of updates to run through:

Left tackle Eugene Monroe and the Ravens remain far apart in talks on a new contract, reports Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times. It’s still possible that the two sides could work out an agreement, but it appears unlikely to happen before Monroe becomes eligible to hit the open market and negotiate with other clubs, says Zenitz. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) also hears that the sides are still far apart, though he says there were no new negotiations today, meaning things haven’t gotten any worse.
The agent of Browns safety T.J. Ward has released a statement about his free agent client to the Akron Beacon Journal, as Nate Ulrich details. It reads, in part: “With the passing of the franchise/transition tag deadline, we remain open to further discussions with the Browns in working towards a long-term deal and look forward to that possibility. However, if things don’t work out in Cleveland, we likewise look forward to the opportunity that can coincide with becoming an unrestricted free agent.”
To the surprise of the players’ agents, the Dolphins have yet to make contract offers to free-agent-to-be defensive tackles Randy Starks and Paul Soliai, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
It looks like Ernie Sims won’t return to the Cowboys, according to ESPN.com’s Calvin Watkins, who says the team wants to get younger at its backup linebacker spots (Twitter link).
The Raiders have tendered contracts to five of their exclusive rights free agents, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Offensive linemen Matt McCants is eligible for the minimum salary for players with one year of NFL experience ($495K), while linebacker Kaelin Burnett, running backs Jamize Olawale and Jeremy Stewart, and cornerback Brandian Ross are eligible for the two-year minimum ($570K). All five players have to accept the tenders if they want to play in the NFL next season.
The Buccaneers aren’t expected to tender a contract to restricted free agent tight end Kyle Adams, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The team would still have the option of trying to re-sign Adams for less than the RFA tender amount.
The Bears are making no attempts to sign Devin Hester, meaning the return specialist appears likely to leave Chicago this offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
When the Redskins released Adam Carriker today, I wrote that the defensive end would likely have to sign with another team if he hopes to return to the field in 2014, and John Keim of ESPN.com confirms as much (via Twitter). A source tells Keim that Washington won’t re-sign Carriker at a lower price.
The Giants have tendered contracts to Spencer Paysinger ($1.431M) and Dallas Reynolds ($570K) while the Browns tendered Craig Robertson ($570K), according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter).

AFC East Links: Jets, Dolphins, Albert

February 24th, 2014 at 10:08pm CST by Ben Levine

While various reports may claim the contrary, the Jets are a “realistic possible landing spot” for quarterback Michael Vick, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). Rapoport cites the team’s desire for a veteran alternative to Geno Smith, as well as Vick’s connection to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

A few other notes from one of the Jets’ rivals in the AFC East…

The Dolphins and Brent Grimes continue to make progress, and the cornerback is “pretty optimistic” about returning to Miami, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Grimes also said that the franchise tag has not been brought up in negotiations.
In the same article, Jackson mentions that the Dolphins have not yet made offers to impending free agents Randy Starks or Paul Soliai. The team has expressed interest in bringing back both players, though.
The Dolphins have made signing offensive tackle Branden Albert a “high priority,” league sources told Ian Rapoport (via NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal). The Cardinals are also zeroing in on Albert.
Dolphins’ Philip Wheeler isn’t likely to be a casualty of the June 1st cut day, writes Ryan Feder of OverTheCap.com.