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Sidney Rice

Sidney Rice To Retire

July 23rd, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Ben Levine

5:00pm: Rice has officially announced his retirement and discussed his decision on Seahawks.com:

“I was just thinking about things I’ve been through in the last few years,” he said. “I’ve hit the ground a number of times. I have quite a few injuries. It’s something I’ve always battled through and came back from.

“But I just figure at this point I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be able to function and do things later down the road.”

Rice also talked about his future, including opening additional Wingstop restaurants.

“I’m sort of a job creator right now,” he said. “What got me into the wings? It’s my favorite food. In Minnesota there was no Wingstop. So me and Adrian Peterson, every time we’d have an away game, we’d hop in the car and try to find a Wingstop. So we always talked about opening one.”

Even with all of his future endeavors, the veteran still plans on spending time with his former teammates.

“I’m going to be around,” he said. “I love it. The state has grown on me, the people. The best fans you could ever hope for. So I’ll be around as much as possible in the locker room with those guys.

“It’s not something I don’t care about anymore. It’s just being able to enjoy life down the road as much as I can. But I want to help those guys as much as possible, and while they’re playing help them prepare for their future as much as I can.”

2:55pm: Former Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice will retire, a league source tells ProFootballTalk.com (via Twitter). The source says the 27-year-old’s concussion history was a factor in the decision (via Twitter). The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta confirms the report on Twitter.

Rice was played on injured reserve during the 2011 season after sustaining a pair of concussions in a three-week span. He also dealt with concussion issues last season.

The veteran was also recovering from an ACL injury he sustained halfway through the 2013 season. He missed the rest of the season and watched on the sideline as the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. The team released Rice in late February, but the player returned on a one-year contract less than two months later.

The wideout never lived up to the five-year, $41MM he signed prior to the 2011 season. His best season came with the Vikings and Brett Favre in 2009 when he had 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished last season with 15 catches for 231 yards and three scores.

Pompei’s Latest: Rice, Pryor, Hyde, Draft

April 25th, 2014 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

In today’s column, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes that executives see this year’s draft as rich in offensive talent and lacking in defenders. “It’s surprising how heavy it is on the one side of the ball,” one NFC General Manager said. That GM estimated that of the 120 or so players on his board, 65% are offensive players. The draft has plenty of talented wide receivers and offensive linemen and solid depth at quarterback, but running back stands out as the one underrepresented offensive position at the top of draft boards. More from Pompei..

  • Sidney Rice took less money on a one-year deal from the Seahawks (a one-year, $1.4MM deal) than he could have had with the Jets in part, because he thinks he might be able to make more money in 2015 if he spends this season in Seattle. The 27-year-old is looking at next offseason since it could be his last chance to cash in big. People who know the wide receiver say he has been working his tail off in order to come back from a torn ACL healthy and stronger than ever and maximize his value next year.
  • One of the reasons Terrelle Pryor is in Seattle is that the timing of his availability was ideal for the Seahawks. The Seahawks, 32nd in claiming order, knew they would not have had a chance at acquiring him through waivers. They also knew they could not get a similar athlete with a seventh-round pick, which was the trade compensation they gave the Raiders. Pete Carroll & Co. are hoping that Russell Wilson will rub off on his new understudy.
  • Insiders are predicting a flurry of trade activity toward the bottom of the first round of the draft as teams jockey for position to try to get a falling quarterback, or the rising quarterback of their choice. The thinking is, the teams at the top of the draft that ignore their QB need will be looking to jump back in at the top of the second round.
  • Another potential trade target at the bottom of the first round is Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde, as some teams see him as clearly the best prospect at the position. One team picking late in the round already has received two phone calls feeling them out for interest in a potential deal.

Extra Points: Options, Rice, Keller, Visits

April 21st, 2014 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As our fifth-year option tracker shows, we’re still waiting on many teams to make their official decisions on 2015 options for players who were drafted in the first round in 2011. The deadline arrives on May 3, so we still have nearly two more weeks before all those contract situations are resolved, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has decided to take his best guess at the upcoming decisions. In La Canfora’s view, 17 options are “no-brainers” to be exercised, while 10 are virtually certain to be declined — the remaining five, including Aldon Smith‘s and Mark Ingram‘s, among others, are still up in the air.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • The Jets offered Sidney Rice a larger contract than the Seahawks did, but the receiver wanted to return to the Super Bowl champs, he said today on 710 ESPN in Seattle (Twitter link).
  • Tight end Dustin Keller remains unsigned, but the agent for Keller says his client is “good to go” after missing the 2013 season with a serious knee injury, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • After visiting the Jets today, TCU cornerback Jason Verrett will move on to the Rams on Tuesday and the Texans on Wednesday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • Rapoport passes along a couple more draft updates on Twitter, writing that LSU running back Jeremy Hill is visiting the Bengals today and previously visited the Titans. Rapoport adds that Florida offensive lineman Jon Halapio has worked out for the Dolphins, Buccaneers, Browns, and Colts.
  • Boston College defensive end Kaleb Ramsey will work out for NFL scouts on campus this Wednesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • According to reports from Wilson, Gil Brandt of NFL.com, and Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley is visiting the Rams, Patriots, Browns, and Cowboys this week.
  • We heard last week that Nebraska guard Spencer Long has visits lined up with the Eagles, Chargers, Dolphins, and Falcons, and Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net says (via Twitter) Long will also visit three other clubs.

Seahawks Re-Sign Sidney Rice

April 21st, 2014 at 9:45am CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY, 9:45am: Rice gets a $1MM base salary from the Seahawks, with a signing bonus of $150K, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Seattle also covers its bases with a $500K split salary in case of injury, while Rice can earn up to $250K in per-game roster bonuses, tweets Pelissero.

WEDNESDAY, 6:55pm: The Seahawks have re-signed wide receiver Sidney Rice to a one-year deal, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Exact financial terms of the deal are not yet known, but Florio writes that it’s worth more than the league minimum.

Rice was in New York area to meet with the Jets today but he’ll try and help Seattle work towards a championship repeat rather than join up with Michael Vick and Chris Johnson. The 27-year-old has missed a good deal time with injuries across the course of his career and 2013 was no different. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. Although he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), the former second-round pick still looks capable of providing a positive impact for an NFL team if he can stay healthy.

On Monday, Rice received clearance to return to football activities from Dr. James Andrews.

Sidney Rice Visiting Jets

April 16th, 2014 at 5:41pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of agreeing to terms with an offensive playmaker whose best season came in 2009 (Chris Johnson), the Jets are eyeing another player who fits that bill. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), free agent receiver Sidney Rice is in New York today to visit the Jets.

The Jets weren’t among the four teams identified as suitors for Rice earlier this week, though New York was mentioned as having interest in the veteran receiver nearly a month ago. I speculated on Monday that, with the Seahawks, Saints, Giants, and Panthers reportedly in the mix for Rice, perhaps the Jets had bowed out, but it seems as if the club still has interest in the ex-Seahawk after all.

Rice, 27, has missed time with injuries in many of his NFL seasons, including 2013. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. Although he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), the former second-round pick still looks capable of providing a positive impact for an NFL team if he can stay healthy.

Four Teams Interested In Sidney Rice

April 14th, 2014 at 8:17pm CST by Luke Adams

8:17pm: Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer confirms (via Twitter) that the Panthers will make a run at Rice “if the price is right.” Echoing those sentiments, Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer writes that there are several hurdles standing in the way of a Rice-to-Carolina deal. Aside from Rice’s troubling injury history, Jones points out that the Panthers are only $1.57MM under the salary cap and will need roughly $4.5MM to sign their draft picks (the team is still exploring restructures with players already on the roster to clear some cap room). As such, Rice would be a fit in Carolina “only at a discount.”

3:25pm: Despite the Giants being identified as a club with interest in Rice, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com suggests (via Twitter) they’re “extreme long shots” to land the receiver.

2:45pm: Following a visit with Dr. James Andrews, free agent receiver Sidney Rice has received clearance to resume football activities, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Rice himself confirmed that news, via Twitter, later this afternoon. Now that the veteran receiver has been medically cleared, his market could develop quickly. Florio reports that the Seahawks have interest in bringing back Rice, but that at least three other NFC teams – the Saints, Giants, and Panthers – are also in the mix.

Rice, 27, has missed time with injuries in many of his NFL seasons, including 2013. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. While he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), if he stays healthy and finds the right fit, the former second-round pick could still have a positive impact for an NFL team.

The Saints were identified last month as a likely suitor for Rice, and the Seahawks have reportedly had interest all along in bringing their former receiver back at a reduced rate. The Jets were also previously linked to Rice, but it seems as if they’re not seriously in the hunt at this point, perhaps because they’re focusing on the draft to further fortify their receiving corps.

Jets, Saints Eyeing Sidney Rice

March 17th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

On Friday, we heard that the Seahawks had expressed interest in bringing back wide receiver Sidney Rice, not long after releasing him to clear his bloated cap number from their books. Today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com identifies a couple more suitors for the free agent receiver. According to Rapoport (via Twitter), the Jets and Saints both have interest in Rice.

Even after adding Eric Decker in free agency last week, the Jets are pursuing wide receiver upgrades, and have already been linked to Jacoby Ford today. As for the Saints, the club is still well-stocked at receiver even after releasing Lance Moore, but if Rice could be had at a discount rate, adding one more weapon for Drew Brees wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Rice, 27, has missed time with injuries in many of his NFL seasons, including 2013. He started all 16 games for the Seahawks in 2012, but finished the season with fairly modest numbers — 50 receptions, 748 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. While he may never again match the Pro Bowl numbers he posted in 2009 (83 catches, 1,312 yards), if he stays healthy and finds the right fit, the former second-round pick could still have a positive impact for an NFL team.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, 49ers, Cardinals

March 16th, 2014 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

A couple of notes from around the National Football Conference to end your weekend…

FA Rumors: Vikings, 49ers, DRC, Cowboys

March 14th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings GM Rick Spielman spoke to reporters on a conference call today, and indicated that his team is “not by any means finished” in free agency, and will continue to be aggressive in exploring potential upgrades (Twitter links via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). According to Spielman, the Vikings still have interest in free agents Charlie Johnson and Kevin Williams, and have spoken to Williams’ agent recently (Twitter links via Tomasson).

Here are plenty more afternoon free agent rumors from around the NFL:

  • After meeting with the Chiefs today, Emmanuel Sanders‘ next visit will be with the 49ers, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The free agent wide receiver, who has also visited the Jaguars and Buccaneers this week, will be staying in Kansas City overnight, so the Chiefs still have a chance to lock him up before he reaches San Francisco, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com gets the sense that Julian Edelman‘s visit with the 49ers is more a feeling out process for both sides than an indication anything is imminent (Twitter link).
  • Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is heading to New York tonight to meet with the Jets, reports Schefter (via Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing back wide receiver Sidney Rice, who was released by the club earlier in the offseason, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
  • In addition to having some interest in Julius Peppers, as we heard earlier, the Cowboys are keeping an eye on Jared Allen and would be interested if his price falls, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Free agent tight ends Jermichael Finley and Ed Dickson don’t appear to be in the Giants‘ plans for now, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
  • Free agent guard Daryn Colledge met with the Rams today, and is now off to meet with the Raiders, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • The Bengals have confirmed that two offensive linemen, Vlad Ducasse and Uche Nwaneri, both visited the team today, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

FA Rumors: Rice, Sanders, Thurmond, Melton

March 13th, 2014 at 8:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors..

  • The 49ers will host Julian Edelman on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). The club is also interested in Hakeem Nicks.
  • Jermichael Finley left his meeting with the Seahawks without a contract, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks are now interested in re-signing Sidney Rice, who was a salary cap casualty earlier in the offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
  • The Jets still have interest in Emmanuel Sanders, but they had to reschedule his visit due to conflicts, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He’ll pay the Chiefs a visit tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Ravens have yet to get involved, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Cornerback Walter Thurmond told his fans via Twitter that he had a great meeting with the Jaguars and noted that the club is “headed in the right direction.” Thurmond’s next stop is San Francisco.
  • Henry Melton plans to spend the rest of the evening in Minnesota with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.
  • Ryan Clark tweeted to Richard Sherman to let him know his visit with the Redskins went well. Now he says that “the money guys have to work.”
  • The Panthers aren’t showing interest in Hakeem Nicks yet, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It should be noted that this report came out before Carolina officially said goodbye to Steve Smith. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported this evening that the Panthers indeed have interest.
  • Jets free agent guard Vlad Ducasse will visit the Bengals before coming to the Vikings, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals are still negotiating with Ben Dogra, the agent for Antonio Cromartie, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. This one isn’t as easy as some other deals, Somers adds.
  • The Steelers are bringing Chargers free agent nose tackle Cam Thomas for a visit on Friday, tweets Alan Robinson, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. If he’s put in the middle, San Diego can move Steve McLendon over to defensive end.
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