HEADLINES

Sean Richardson

North Rumors: Harris, Newman, D. Smith, Ravens

March 3rd, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings guard Mike Harris is eligible to hit the open market next week, but he would prefer to get something done before Monday’s legal tampering period begins so that he can remain in Minnesota, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“My agent is working really hard right now, and I’m hoping I can get a deal before Monday,” Harris said. “I see myself in Minnesota for the rest of my career. That’s where I want to be. So hopefully we get the contract ready this weekend. I’m excited. It’s going to be a great season for the Vikings, and I want to be a part of it.”

Harris expects the Vikings to put a formal offer on the table soon, and a source tells Tomasson that it will likely be a two-year contract worth in the ballpark of $5MM. If Minnesota can get a deal like that finalized, it would be a great value for the team — Harris shifted over from tackle last season to become a full-time guard for the Vikes, and was ranked 23rd out of 81 qualified players by Pro Football Focus.

Here’s more out of the NFL’s North divisions, including one more Vikings-related item:

  • Terence Newman is set to become the NFL’s oldest defensive back. Newman, who will turn 38 this year, wants to play another season, and all signs points to there being mutual interest between the veteran cornerback and the Vikings, Tomasson writes for the Pioneer Press.
  • Although the Ravens released linebacker Daryl Smith today, the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing him back after he gauges his value on the open market, GM Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “We are not closing the door on the possibility of him returning to the Ravens,” Newsome said. “He deserves an opportunity to see his market value at this time.”
  • As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com details, safety Sean Richardson‘s future with the Packers – and in the NFL – remains unclear due to his neck injury. While Richardson is scheduled to become a free agent next week, his situation is unlikely to be resolved, since he still hasn’t been medically cleared to return.
  • Whlie it would be great for the Browns if they can re-sign center Alex Mack, who opted out of his contract this week, the team shouldn’t devote a ton of resources to Mack if it means losing right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Of course, Reed notes that the ideal scenario would involve retaining both players.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/15

October 14th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..

  • The Cowboys claimed running back Rod Smith off waivers from the Seahawks, according to Bryan Broaddus of 105.3 The Fan (on Twitter). After previously trading for Christine Michael, it appears that the Cowboys are fans of Seattle running backs.
  • The Broncos announced that they have signed tight end Richard Gordon while waiving fellow tight end Mitchell Henry. This will be Gordon’s third AFC West team, after stints with the Chiefs and Raiders, who selected Gordon in the sixth round (No. 181 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft from the University of Miami.
  • The Browns have been awarded defensive back Don Jones off waivers from the Saints, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. In a related move, outside linebacker Scott Solomon was placed on injured reserve with a sprained knee. Solomon’s injury certainly won’t help the Browns’ poor results against the run.
  • Mike Chappell of FOX59 (on Twitter) reports that the Colts have placed Tyler Varga on IR following his concussion. That move will help make room for the newly-signed Ahmad Bradshaw.
  • The Dolphins signed safety Jonathan Dowling off the team’s practice squad, as Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. Dowling was a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Raiders.
  • The Buccaneers cut Josh Martin from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks signed linebacker Nick Moody to their active roster, Wilson tweets.
  • The Bears announced (on Twitter) that they have promoted linebacker Jonathan Anderson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
  • The Packers announced that they have signed tight end Justin Perillo to the active roster while placing safety Sean Richardson on IR. Coach Mike McCarthy wouldn’t comment on Richardson’s future when asked about it on Monday, but his playing career could be in jeopardy, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. The Packers brought back Richardson this year as an restricted free agent when they matched the one-year, $2.55MM offer sheet he signed with the Raiders.

NFC North Notes: Zenner, Ford, Palardy, Richardson

October 9th, 2015 at 7:19pm CST by Rob DiRe

Lions running back Zach Zenner had two huge carries on Monday night against the Seahawks, and has made a compelling case to take some of Joique Bell‘s playing time, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Bell has missed time with knee and ankle injuries, and but was only averaging 1.1 yards per carry on 20 attempts so far this season. Zenner only has four carries on the season, but could see an increased workload going forward.

  • The Ford family has owned the Lions for years, and Bill has served as the team’s vice chairman for over 20 years. However, he admitted that it is actually his mother Martha who has been running the organization since William Clay Ford passed away in March, according to Aaron McMann of MLive.com. “She’s in charge. She absolutely is,” Bill said. “Since my father passed away over a year ago, my mother is in charge and she makes all the decisions.”
  • The Bears worked out punter Michael Palardy today at Halas Hall, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter). The rookie was previously with the Rams.
  • Packers safety Sean Richardson will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury, which could be career threatening according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Saints, 49ers, Packers, Hill

August 1st, 2015 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

As we head into Saturday night, here’s the latest from around the NFC.

  • Panthers wideout Stephen Hill‘s bad week worsened Saturday in the form of a right leg injury that resulted in him being carted off the field, according to Steve Reed of the Associated Press. This comes a few days after his marijuana-related citation. Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweeted Hill’s status “doesn’t look good.” He has to be considered a longshot to play in North Carolina this season, considering what’s happened this week and the players residing ahead of the former second-round pick on the Panthers’ depth chart.
  • A starter at right tackle in Minnesota’s final five games last season, Mike Harris will receive the first crack at earning the Vikings‘ starting right guard job, coach Mike Zimmer confirmed to media (via Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). Rookie T.J. Clemmings also figures to factor in there, but Harris has started 17 games since arriving in the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2012.
  • Adrian Peterson‘s game-action drought will likely continue until the Vikings take the field for the regular season, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com reports. Although this means the running back’s time without having suited up for a game will last more than a year, with the Vikings’ opener coming Sept. 14, Peterson hasn’t carried the ball in a preseason game since 2011.
  • Saints coach Sean Payton was not surprised by the suspension given to tight end Orson Charles‘ one-game suspension for a road-rage incident, telling media (including NOLA.com’s Evan Woodberry), “We were on top of all of that. None of that was a surprise, “Payton said. “He’s been very forthright in communicating. He’s been very open with the league and with ourselves.” Charles has started six games in three seasons, each coming with the Bengals as a rookie in 2012.
  • As part of his reworked contract, fifth-year 49er Aldon Smith collected a $300K roster bonus Saturday. The perpetually afoul-with-the-league linebacker’s earned $800K in bonuses since April 1, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Sean Richardson‘s eventful offseason continued Saturday, with the safety receiving a $200K bonus for being on the roster on the third day of Packers training camp, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (via Twitter). The Packers matched the Raiders’ $2.55MM contract offer and kept Richardson in Green Bay for another season.

Packers Match Offer For Sean Richardson

April 13th, 2015 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have matched the Raiders’ offer sheet for safety and special-teamer Sean Richardson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The move, which comes in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, ensures that Richardson will remain in Green Bay for the coming season.

By matching the Raiders’ offer, the Packers are now on the hook for the same deal Oakland would have paid Richardson. The Raiders’ offer sheet was reportedly for one year and $2.55MM — that total includes a $1MM base salary, a $1.35MM signing bonus, and a $200K reporting bonus.

Richardson, 25, has yet to play a major role on defense for the Packers since joining the team in 2012, logging a career-high 135 defensive snaps in 2014. However, he has been a special teams ace for the club, recording 12 tackles in kick and punt coverage last season. With Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Micah Hyde still in the mix in Green Bay, it’s not clear whether there will be room for Richardson to take on a larger role in 2015, but the fact that the club is willing to pay him $2.55MM suggests it’s possible.

As for Oakland, the team still has Nate Allen and Charles Woodson at the safety position, but the Raiders’ offer to Richardson indicated they viewed him as a potential starter. The club may have to return to the free agent market in search of another safety, or earmark that position as one to address in the draft.

FA Notes: Bell, Titans, Bowman, Dolphins

April 13th, 2015 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Let’s check in on the latest updates on a pair of unrestricted free agents searching for jobs, as well as a pair of restricted free agents who will soon find out where they’ll be playing next season….

  • Offensive tackle Byron Bell, who recently worked out for the Chiefs, is now receiving consideration from another AFC team, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. According to Wyatt, Bell is visiting the Titans today. The Titans saw longtime tackle Michael Roos retire this offseason, and release Michael Oher, so the club is in the market for a tackle to complement Taylor Lewan, and brought in Joe Barksdale for a visit last week. If Tennessee were to sign Bell, the team would essentially be swapping tackles with the Panthers, with Bell’s old team having signed Oher.
  • Free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman is visiting the Dolphins today, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that there’s a “pretty good chance” Bowman ends up signing with Miami. I didn’t mention Bowman when I examined the notable defensive free agents still on the market over the weekend, but the former Giant did play 458 defensive snaps last season, starting five games for New York.
  • Safety Sean Richardson was in Green Bay for a visit and a physical on Sunday, per Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), who notes that could be a sign that the Packers will match the Raiders‘ offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Green Bay’s decision is due today.
  • The Lions‘ decision on whether or not to match the Buccaneers‘ offer sheet for RFA defensive end George Johnson is also due today. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press points out (via Twitter), that Johnson has already signed eight contracts with Tampa Bay, having frequently been shuttled on and off the team’s roster and practice squad earlier in his playing career.

Packers’ Decision On Sean Richardson Due

April 12th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Richardson will learn where he’ll play this season on Monday, with the Packers’ decision on whether or not to match the one-year, $2.55MM offer sheet he received from the Raiders last week due.

The fourth-year player operated as the Packers’ fourth safety last season, but his value comes from his special teams contributions. Richardson led the Packers with 361 special teams snaps and 13 special teams tackles last year, and Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel makes a case for why the Packers will keep him around next season.

Green Bay, which assigned Richardson a low-end tenure as a restricted free agent last month, played Richardson on just 121 defensive snaps last season and return top three safeties Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Micah Hyde. Should the Packers match, Richardson as of now would become their 13th-highest-paid player, with a 2015 salary exceeding Hyde and Clinton-Dix. Richardson would also be one of the richest special teams performers in the league, topping Pro Bowlers Matt Slater, Justin Bethel and Darrell Stuckey, according to Silverstein.

Silverstein reminds this situation is similar to a 2008 scenario where Packers GM Ted Thompson matched a Titans offer for Jarrett Bush, a fellow special-teamer whose Packers career went on to last nine seasons after he re-signed again with the team in 2012. There remains a chance Bush, who will be 31 when the season starts, could return to Green Bay. But he’s an unrestricted free agent coming off surgery at an advanced age for exclusive kick- and punt-coverage players.

Since Richardson, 25, came into the league undrafted out of Vanderbilt, the Packers wouldn’t receive any compensation should they not match the Raiders’ offer. Despite lucrative extensions for Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga, the Packers can easily afford to keep Richardson, with $17.7MM worth of cap space. They would save $1.5MM by not matching Richardson’s offer.

The Raiders have $20.7MM of room and would likely present a better chance at defensive playing time, with recently signed Nate Allen and 38-year-old Charles Woodson slotting as Oakland starting safeties and scant depth behind them.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Saints, Packers, Bucs

April 11th, 2015 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening the mailbags to answer questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some notes out of the NFC…

  • If the Rams were to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft, Nick Wagoner would expect either Austin Davis or Case Keenum to not make the roster.
  • When focusing on Washington‘s positions of need in the draft, John Keim points to an edge rusher, defensive lineman, receiver or quarterback. Meanwhile, he eliminates a running back, tight end and inside linebacker from consideration for the team’s first-round pick.
  • Despite the Saints signing veterans Brandon Browner and Kyle Wilson, Mike Triplett says the team shouldn’t hesitate to select top cornerback prospect Trae Waynes if the Michigan State product is available.
  • Rob Demovsky believes it’s a 50-50 chance the Packers will match the Raiders‘ offer sheet to safety Sean Richardson. The $2.55MM could ultimately prove to be too pricey to retain the backup safety.
  • The Panthers should begin exploring an extension for cornerback Josh Norman, according to David Newton. “Big corners with that type of ability — and attitude — are rare and don’t come cheaply,” the writer explained.
  • Pat Yasinskas writes that the best value the Buccaneers could get for quarterback Mike Glennon is a third-round pick, but he clarifies that a fourth or fifth-rounder is much more realistic.

Sean Richardson Signs Raiders’ Offer Sheet

April 7th, 2015 at 7:19pm CST by Luke Adams

7:19pm: The deal, which would be fully guaranteed, would include a $1MM base salary, a $1.35MM signing bonus, and a $200K reporting bonus, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.

5:01pm: A source tells Rapoport (Twitter link) that the Raiders’ offer sheet is for one year and $2.55MM.

3:56pm: The restricted free agent market has been fairly quiet over the last few weeks, but at least one team is looking to poach an RFA from another club. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Raiders have signed safety Sean Richardson to an offer sheet. The Packers, who tendered Richardson a contract offer, will have five days to match the offer, if they so choose.

Richardson, 25, has yet to play a major role on defense for the Packer since joining the team in 2012, logging a career-high 135 defensive snaps last season. However, he was a special teams ace for the club, recording 12 tackles in kick and punt coverage. The Raiders may view Richardson as a player capable of taking on a larger role on defense.

Green Bay assigned Richardson a low-end RFA tender worth $1.542MM, which gives the team the right of first refusal. However, the Packers won’t receive any draft pick compensation if they decide not to match the Raiders’ offer, allowing the young safety to head to Oakland.

Tender Updates: Tuesday

March 10th, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s tender decisions:

  • The Buccaneers have signed running back Bobby Rainey to a one-year tender worth $1.54MM, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will now have right of first refusal if another club offers Rainey a deal.
  • The Falcons chose not to tender an offer to restricted free agent Drew Davis, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported. The wide receiver will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • The Packers elected not to tender new contracts to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin or running back DuJuan Harris, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens didn’t tender an offer to cornerback Anthony Levine, who already has other teams interested in his services. He still might end up back in Baltimore, per Wilson.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots declined to make a qualifying offer to receiver Brian Tyms. He’s now a free agent. Further, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Pats also didn’t make an offer to Tyms’ fellow wideout Greg Orton.
  • In other Pats news, Volin reports that the team made qualifying offers to fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga and linebacker James Morris. All three will return to New England.
  • The Texans tendered a contract to quarterback Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
  • The Vikings have opted to let go a pair of exclusive rights free agents, linebacker Dom DeCicco and offensive lineman Josh Samuda, per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  • Safety Michael Thomas will return to the Dolphins after signing his ERFA tender, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Green Bay issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • James Develin is returning to the Patriots after signing his exclusive rights tender, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
  • The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent outside linebacker Cam Johnson has signed his tender. Johnson was first acquired by the Colts in a trade with the 49ers in September of 2013.
  • The Packers tendered RFA offensive lineman Don Barclay at the lowest level ($1.542MM), per agent Joe Linta (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • The Vikings tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent offensive tackle Mike Harris, but their other RFA-eligible player, linebacker Dom DeCicco, didn’t get a tender, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars re-signed exclusive rights free agent tackle Austin Pasztor, tendering him a contract, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • The Dolphins tendered defensive end Derrick Shelby with the second-round tender of $2.35MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Shelby, 26, appeared in 15 games last season, recording 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
  • The Bengals (on Twitter) extended a tender offer to cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris, an ERFA, has appeared in 12 games for Cincy over the last three years.
  • The Bengals will not extend a tender offer to defensive tackle Devon Still, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. However, the Bengals have offered Still a one-year deal and he’s mulling that over while also taking matters involving his family into account, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Packers have tendered safety Sean Richardson at the ROFR (right of first refusal rate) of one-year, $1.542MM, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). That’s a sizable committment to Richardson, he adds.