Stefen Wisniewski - Pro Football Rumors

Stefen Wisniewski Visits Steelers

March 25th, 2016 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers continued their inquiries on veteran interior linemen recently by visiting with Stefen Wisniewski, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (on Twitter).

This news comes after Geoff Schwartz visited Pittsburgh on Thursday.

These summits may stem from Maurkice Pouncey‘s availability after the All-Pro center missed all of 2015 with a broken fibula. Pouncey may not participate in Steelers OTAs this year, which would leave Cody Wallace again as the team’s top snapper for the time being.

Although, Schwartz has played guard and tackle in his career, so the Steelers may just be in the market for interior-line assistance. They already re-upped Ramon Foster, however, and have All-Pro guard David DeCastro entrenched opposite him.

Wisniewski has started every game in which he’s played since entering the league in 2011. He opened all 16 Jaguars games as their starting center last season after signing a one-year contract. The former Raiders second-round pick graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19-ranked center in 2015.

Wisniewski visited five teams last spring before eventually signing in Jacksonville, but his search for another employer hasn’t been as widespread this season. The Browns had some interest in the 27-year-old center, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, after Alex Mack departed. But nothing much emerged from it.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

FA Rumors: Chargers, Jeffery, Steelers, Bears

March 22nd, 2016 at 12:27am CST by Luke Adams

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco says that he views Chris Watt as the team’s starting center, but he will not rule out making a move to improve at the position, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Although Telesco didn’t mention them by name, it sounds possible that the Bolts could consider free agent centers Stefen Wisniewski or Manny Ramirez. As of this writing, the Chargers have less than $14MM in cap space for 2016, per ESPN and OverTheCap.com.

Here’s more on free agency from around the league:

Bears head coach John Fox and Jets owner Woody Johnson each discussed their franchised players on Monday, and the differences in their comments were noticeable. As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, Fox said on ESPN’s NFL Live that the Bears are actively working on a longer-term deal for wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
Meanwhile, Johnson said he won’t be “disappointed” if defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson remains in New York going forward, and was evasive when asked whether the Jets have made him a fair extension offer. “I’m not going to characterize the offer,” Johnson said, per Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “If we made him an offer, he didn’t accept it. Fair is a subjective thing. It’s got to be acceptable to him and to us.” While Wilkerson technically remains a free agent, Jeffery recently signed his franchise tender, taking him off the market.
Could the Steelers add a cornerback in free agency? Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t sound optimistic about the idea, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t know that there is one that’s viable at this juncture in free agency,” the Steelers coach said. “We are comfortable with the guys that we have from that perspective.”
The Broncos continue to have interest in re-signing receiver and return man Jordan Norwood, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Renck adds that free agent special-teamer Omar Bolden is set to visit John Fox and the Bears this week.
The Giants were the biggest spenders of this year’s free agent period, signing Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison to mega-deals early in the new league year. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines New York’s free agent decisions and wonders whether the club will come to regret its big moves.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Free Agent Rumors: Wisniewski, Jaguars, Giants, Sanu

March 11th, 2016 at 10:43am CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors:

Center Stefen Wisniewski remains an option to return as a starter for the Jaguars, but he is still shopping himself around, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The Jaguars, meanwhile, continue to seek out depth on the offensive line. Cowboys free agent guard Mackenzy Bernadeau is visiting the Jaguars, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
New Falcons receiver Mohamed Sanu says that his agent indicated that the Giants, Chargers, Patriots, Bucs, Titans, and Washington were all interested in him, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets.
The Raiders sniffed around Jerrell Freeman but they seem closer to signing a different inside linebacker in Erin Henderson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The Jets are also after Henderson, he adds.
Browns free agent linebacker Craig Robertson is on his way to visit the Seahawks, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer tweets.

Free Agent Rumors: Jaguars, Wisniewski, Branch

March 10th, 2016 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors:

Jaguars GM David Caldwell says that he’s “not done” adding to the team’s offensive line (Twitter link via John Oehser of Jaguars.com). Caldwell went on to say that the door is not closed on Stefen Wisniewski either (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union).
Defensive lineman Andre Branch is on his way to visit Washington, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Titans have been talking with the reps for nose tackle Al Woods and are hoping to get something done, Tiffany Blackmon of NFL Network tweets.
Free agent tackle Bradley Sowell has a visit scheduled with the Seahawks, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Before signing punter Brad Nortman, Caldwell says the Jaguars offered a new deal to incumbent Bryan Anger (Twitter link via O’Halloran).

Free Agent Rumors: Wisniewski, Browns, Pacman

March 7th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have expressed interest in Jaguars free agent center Stefen Wisniewski, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The Browns are in danger of losing three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to free agency and they could turn to the 26-year-old as a replacement. Hue Jackson was the coach in Oakland when the Raiders used their 2011 second round draft choice on Wisniewski.

The latest free agent rumors from around the NFL:

The Browns have expressed interest in free agent cornerback Adam Jones, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Jones, a Bengals free agent, has been heavily linked to Miami in recent weeks thanks to his connection with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The Vikings and Matt Asiata are far apart on a possible contract, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) hears from a source. Several other teams expressed an interest in the running back on Monday, he adds. Asiata has previously stated that he would like to return to Minnesota.
49ers free agent Alex Boone and Cardinals free agent Bobby Massie are two offensive linemen who could get north of $8MM per season, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears.
The Vikings have reached out to the representative of Bengals free agent linebacker Vincent Rey, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). The Vikings are in need of a linebacker and Mike Zimmer is familiar with Rey from their previous time together.
Backup quarterback Drew Stanton is unlikely to return to the Cardinals, an NFL source tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
The Eagles had significant interest in signing wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey before he re-upped with the Steelers, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.

Free Agent Rumors: Okung, Blount, Osweiler

February 24th, 2016 at 9:49am CST by Luke Adams

Seahawks tackle Russell Okung, who is venturing into free agency without an agent to negotiate on his behalf, has retained former agent and team executive J.I. Halsell to counsel him on his upcoming contract, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

“I hired a consultant for analytical and support value,” Okung explained to Anderson (Twitter link). “I’ll continue to sit directly at the table in all negotiations.”

Here’s more from around the NFL on current and pending free agents:

The Patriots and running back LeGarrette Blount have shown mutual interest in working out a new contract, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. However, negotiations between the two sides are “in the infant stages,” and Blount could still reach the open market in March.
Speaking today to reporters, including Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak called quarterback Brock Osweiler “special” and made it clear he wants Osweiler to remain in Denver going forward.
Bears tight end Zach Miller, eligible for unrestricted free agency next month, is now represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. A report earlier this month suggested Miller is aiming to land $5MM per year on his next deal.
Former Bears tackle Jermon Bushrod, who became a free agent last week after being cut by Chicago, underwent labrum surgery and is expected to take about four months to fully recover, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That could put Bushrod’s search for a new team on hold.
The Jaguars spoke last week to center Stefen Wisniewski, but the team doesn’t anticipate getting anything done with the veteran free-agent-to-be before the new league year begins, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Jaguars Rumors: Caldwell, Henne, Wisniewski

January 2nd, 2016 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

As opposed to this past year when the Jaguars extended numerous free agent offers and signed many early in the offseason, their next shopping period won’t be as frenzied.

The Jags won’t have as much money as they did last year and a slight on-field improvement doesn’t leave as many holes to fill, GM Dave Caldwell told the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran.

“I think it’s going to be tough,” Caldwell told O’Halloran on the upcoming market. “But for us, we can really start to narrow down our needs. In the past, we were just trying to get guys come in and plug holes. Now, we can focus on what our 4-5 areas of needs are and be aggressive instead of saying, ‘Shoot, we have 16 or 18 needs so let’s see who we can get.”

Caldwell said Jacksonville will have “one to two” targets on Day 1 of free agency, which is March 15.

As of now, the Jags possess $43.14MM of cap space, which is fourth in the league behind the Raiders, Bears and Buccaneers. O’Halloran expects the team to release Chris Clemons and Toby Gerhart, clearing up an additional $7.5MM.

Here are some more notes from the Southern franchises.

The Jaguars will likely offer Chad Henne a contract paying him around the $3.5MM-per-year deal he’s finishing Sunday, O’Halloran notes. In a piece detailing the team’s roster going into 2016, O’Halloran expects Marcedes Lewis to remain with the Jaguars. This runs counter to the logic that dictated the longtime tight end would be jettisoned after Julius Thomas‘ lucrative accord, but a thin tight end class and the 10th-year player accepting his backup role, in O’Halloran’s view, looks to keep him in Jacksonville. Lewis, though, will be a free agent entering his age-32 season off of a campaign that’s thus far included just 15 receptions for 181 yards and no scores.
Stefen Wisniewski‘s status in Jacksonville is uncertain after the fifth-year center signed a one-year pact late during last year’s free agency. The former Raiders snapper said he’s “open to anything” in terms of a return to the Jaguars, Vito Stellino of the Times-Union reports. Wisniewski rates as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 center.
Jacksonville wouldn’t be smart to allocate any resources to adding wideout help, either in free agency or the draft, Hays Carlyon of the Times-Union writes. Both Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns under contract for two more seasons on incredibly affordable deals, and backups Rashad Greene and Marqise Lee remain projects.

Extra Points: Washington, Cutler, Cowboys, Fins, Bolts, Jags

December 12th, 2015 at 9:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Washington will head to Chicago on Sunday to face the Jay Cutler-led Bears as it looks to stay atop the NFC East heap. Besides the matchup’s playoff implications, adding further intrigue is that Cutler – whom the Bears acquired in a trade with Denver in 2009 – was minutes from being Washington’s quarterback, as ESPN’s John Keim writes.

“You know how much time I put into that? A lot. Months. Dan [Snyder] put in a lot, too,” said Vinny Cerrato, who was Washington’s executive vice president at the time. “It was disappointing because at times we thought we had a deal then they called and said, no. Then they called back and said, ‘Hold on. If the deal falls through, we’ll trade him to you.’ Then it was like, ‘No, it didn’t work.'”

Cutler hasn’t exactly been a franchise quarterback for the Bears, but he has fared better than the slew of passers Washington has used since failing to acquire him. Washington has started Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy and current No. 1 Kirk Cousins throughout Cutler’s time in Chicago, Keim notes. Among that group, the club invested a fair amount in an ineffective McNabb and a boatload in RGIII, who hasn’t taken a snap this year and is all but guaranteed to be with another franchise next season.

Landing Cutler would’ve cost Washington plenty – a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder and QB Jason Campbell – but Cerrato believes Mike Shanahan’s presence would’ve helped make it worthwhile. Shanahan coached Cutler with the Broncos from 2006-08 and went on to hold the same position in Washington from 2010-13. Cutler threw 54 touchdowns against 37 interceptions in 37 games under Shanahan and amassed a career-best 4,526 passing yards in 2008.

“Mike knew him and what made him tick,” Cerrato said. “It would have given the organization a shot in the arm. Some like him and some don’t, but he’d have played his best football because of the way he is with Mike … It was like a punch in the gut.”

We’ll never know how another helping of Cutler-Shanahan would’ve gone, but one thing’s obvious: Had it happened, it would’ve changed both franchises dramatically – not necessarily for the better in either case, of course.

More from around the NFL as we draw closer to Washington-Chicago and the rest of Sunday’s Week 14 action:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones criticized the team’s coaching staff earlier this week. On Friday, he laid some of the blame for Dallas’ 4-8 record on himself – specifically for his handling of the backup quarterback position last offseason. “On the other hand, if you want to look at any aspect of this team you can say well, if we would have been in better shape had you had Matt Cassel in the spring, rather than (Brandon) Weeden, and I’m not trying to knock Weeden, but if we would have had a guy like Cassel in here than we might have made a difference there, so put that one ultimately on my shoulders for sure,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per Josh Clark of CBS DFW.
Dolphins rookie receiver DeVante Parker – whom the team chose 14th overall in this year’s draft – started quietly but has come on strong over the last two weeks, combining for seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. With Parker seemingly emerging as a playmaker and Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills also part of the Dolphins’ long-term receiving corps, the end of Rishard Matthews‘ tenure in Miami could come this offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero. Matthews, a fourth-year man who’s in the top two among Dolphins in receptions (43), targets (60), yards (662), yards per catch (15.4) and touchdowns (four) this year, is scheduled to hit free agency in a few months.
Chargers running back Melvin Gordon was impressive on 12 carries against Denver last Sunday, rushing for 55 yards, but head coach Mike McCoy benched the first-round rookie because of fumbling issues. Gordon coughed the ball up twice in a 17-3 loss, giving him five fumbles on the season. McCoy’s decision to sit Gordon was wrong, Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune offers. In Canepa’s opinion, with the season effectively over for the 3-9 Bolts, McCoy and his staff should be coaching Gordon through his struggles and letting him play – not relegating him to the sideline.
The final quarter of the season will provide some important answers for the Jaguars, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Among them: the future statuses of receiver Marqise Lee, center Stefen Wisniewski, defenders Ryan Davis and Chris Smith, and kicker Jason Myers.

South Notes: Bucs, Blackmon, Wisniewski

April 24th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers aren’t expected to trade the No. 1 pick, but that hasn’t stopped teams from asking, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes.

“It’s fair to assume someone is going to have to make a really good offer, yeah,” Bucs GM Jason Licht said. “And this time of year you get a lot of calls every day. Not making offers but just throwing, gauging your interest of if you would be open to it or not. And that will continue. But it would have to be an offer that makes this franchise, that sets this franchise even further ahead than what you thought you were going to with the decision you made.”

As the Bucs continue to mull their options for that first overall pick, let’s check in on some more notes from around the league’s two South divisions….

Asked by a reader about Justin Blackmon‘s future with the Jaguars, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union suggests the wideout is “done-zo” in Jacksonville. It’s a response to a chat question rather than the subject of an actual report, but O’Halloran, who views Amari Cooper as a strong option for the Jags at No. 3 overall, sounds pretty confident that Blackmon won’t play another game for the franchise.
Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post has the details on Stefen Wisniewski‘s one-year deal with the Jaguars, tweeting that the veteran center will earn a $1.25MM base salary to go along with a $500K signing bonus. The contract also features $250K in per-game roster bonuses, $500K in playing-time incentives, and an injury waiver.
West Virginia wide receiver Mario Alford, one of the fastest players in this year’s draft class, visited and worked out privately for the Falcons, according to Wilson. Wilson adds that NFL teams have primarily been working out Alford as a slot receiver, even though he mostly played outside at WVU.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

West Links: Rams, Raiders, Harbaugh

April 19th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Jaguars adding Stefen Wisniewski on Saturday, the Rams researched the former Raiders center and maintained interest in him as an option to become their starting center, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Now, the Rams could opt to look in-house for their next snapper.

Unrestricted free agent Scott Wells regressed badly last season in 16 games for the Rams, rating as the worst center in the league, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Entering his third season, Barrett Jones will likely receive the first shot at succeeding Wells after arriving in St. Louis as a fourth-round pick in 2013, per Thomas. But he’s actually less-experienced than in-house competitor Tim Barnes, who started four games for an injured Wells in ’13. The tandem combined for just 32 snaps last season.

Thomas also notes the team’s brought in nine offensive linemen for visits, including Florida State’s Cameron Erving, with holes to fill at center, guard and right tackle.

Here are some more items from the Western divisions.

Despite being staunch in his position that there was no rift between former 49ers head coach and the players, Alex Boone admitted that Jim Harbaugh wore out his welcome in San Francisco, according to the staff at CSNBayArea.com. “I think he just pushed guys too far. He wanted too much, demanded too much, expected too much. You know, ‘We gotta go out and do this. We gotta go out and do this. We gotta go out and do this.’ And you’d be like, ‘This guy might be clinically insane. He’s crazy,’” Boone said. “I think that if you’re stuck in your ways enough, eventually people are just going to say, ‘Listen, we just can’t work with this.’”
The Seahawks have their starting quarterback position settled, with Russell Wilson ingrained as the starter for the foreseeable future, but the rest of the depth chart is still up in the air. Currently, B.J. Daniels and R.J. Archer remain on the roster, but Tarvaris Jackson could very well return as the team’s primary backup, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. He picks Wilson-Jackson-Daniels as his most likely trio for the final roster.
The issue of whether Oakland and Alameda can come up with a solution on keeping the Raiders long-term could generate some clarity in the next two weeks, report San Francisco Chronicle reporters Phil Matier and Andy Ross. The NFL is reportedly pressing for answers on this matter, which is coming down to how a new Bay Area stadium will be financed. NFL representatives met with city officials in Oakland and the Raiders on Wednesday while also taking summits with team executives and Carson officials a day later, according to the report. Both the Raiders and Oakland city and county officials have expressed they cannot afford to pay for a stadium costing around $1 billion on their own.
Expected to claim the Broncos‘ No. 3 wide receiver job behind Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders this season, Cody Latimer admits he fell behind in his quest to learn how to play in a Peyton Manning-paced offense last season, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “I was in the playbook, but I could have done even more. When I actually got it, it was too late. It was just way different (than college),” Latimer told Renck. “I would know the play, then Peyton would change it.”Rob DiRe contributed to this report