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Stephen Bowen

Stephen Bowen Announces Retirement

June 1st, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Defensive end Stephen Bowen has decided to call it a career, according to a press release from the Redskins. Bowen, who spent ten years in the NFL, played for the Jets in 2015 but he is better known for his time in D.C. and Dallas. Stephen Bowen (vertical)

[RELATED: Ryan Fitzpatrick Content To Wait Out Jets]

For his career, Bowen appeared in 128 career regular season games with 57 starts, accruing 175 career tackles, 12.5 sacks, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He spent four seasons with the Redskins from 2011-14 and served as a team captain on the Redskins’ 2012 NFC East championship squad. Bowen will perhaps be best remembered for 2011, his first season with Washington. In that campaign, Bowen started all 16 games and recorded 6.0 sacks, roughly half of his career total.

Bowen first entered the NFL in 2006 as a UDFA when he signed with the Cowboys. He appeared in 63 regular season games plus three postseason contests for Dallas, but he did not truly shine until his first season in the nation’s capital. Last year, the New York native and Hofstra product returned home with the Jets and saw time in 15 games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Contract Details: Britt, Dent, Fasano, Jets

March 26th, 2015 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few specific details on some of the contracts signed recently by 2015’s free agents:

  • Kenny Britt‘s two-year contract with the Rams can be worth up to $13.95MM with incentives. However, the deal voids after one year if Britt has 901+ receiving yards or at least nine touchdowns during the 2015 season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
  • Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Akeem Dent‘s two year deal with the Texans is worth $4.5MM, and includes $2MM in guaranteed money, including a $750K signing bonus.
  • Wilson also has the details on Anthony Fasano‘s new two-year contract with the Titans, tweeting that it’s worth $5.25MM, with a $1.125MM signing bonus and $500K annually in per-game roster bonuses.
  • New Jets defensive lineman Stephen Bowen will make $950K on his one-year deal with the team, with $60K of that amount fully guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson also signed for $950K and a $60K signing bonus, so it appears the two players have the same contract.

Jets Sign Stephen Bowen

March 24th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jets and free agent defensive lineman Stephen Bowen have agreed to a contract, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link), who cites Bowen’s Instagram account. Washington’s official website passes along a screenshot of Bowen’s Instagram post, which shows him signing his new contract with the Jets.

Bowen, who turns 31 this Saturday, was raised in Dix Hills, New York, and played his college ball at Hofstra, so signing with the Jets means returning to his home team. The veteran lineman reached the free agent market last month, when Washington released him for cap purposes.

Bowen missed a chunk of the 2014 season while he recovered from knee surgery, and didn’t come off the physically unable to perform list until October. It was the second straight injury-plagued season for the former Cowboy, who played just 18 games over the last two years, and has recorded only a single sack in his last three seasons. In his 243 defensive snaps in ’14, Bowen recorded a -6.1 grade, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The Jets have been on the lookout for defensive line depth recently, offering contracts to multiple lower-tier free agents, including Lawrence Guy, who decided to return to the Ravens.

Washington Parts Ways With Stephen Bowen

February 27th, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to confirming the previously reported release of defensive tackle Barry Cofield, Washington has announced that it parted ways with another defensive lineman. According to the club (via Twitter), Stephen Bowen has been released, hitting the free agent market a year before his contract was scheduled to expire.

Like Cofield, Bowen missed a chunk of the 2014 season with an injury, and didn’t come off the physically unable to perform list until October. It was the second straight injury-plagued season for the former Cowboy, who played just 18 games over the last two years, and has recorded only a single sack in his last three seasons. In his 243 defensive snaps in ’14, Bowen recorded a -6.1 grade, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Back in August, Bowen, who turns 31 next month, negotiated a new deal in which he took a pay cut in order to stay on Washington’s roster for the 2014 season. However, despite Jay Gruden‘s suggestion that the team was exploring another restructure of that contract, the team decided to simply cut him this time around. Doing so will clear all but $2.52MM of his $8.02MM cap number from Washington’s books for 2015, creating $5.5MM in cap savings.

Over the course of the last two days, Washington’s defensive line has undergone a bit of an overhaul, with Cofield and Bowen heading out, and former Colt Ricky Jean-Francois added to the mix.

Besides releasing Bowen and Cofield, Washington confirmed one more transaction, announcing that offensive lineman Tom Compton has been re-signed. Compton had been slated to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he’ll be back on a minimum-salary contract.

Combine Pressers: Washington, Lions, Chargers, Ravens

February 18th, 2015 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Head coaches and general managers continue to speak to the media at press conferences in Indianapolis, and we’ve already rounded up the highlights from several of them so far today. Here are a few more noteworthy comments from some NFL decision-makers, with all links go to the Twitter accounts of various reporters in attendance:

Washington head coach Jay Gruden:

  • In perhaps the most newsworthy moment of any of today’s pressers so far, Gruden said that Robert Griffin III will open the 2015 campaign as Washington’s starting quarterback. There’s still plenty of time for things to change between today and September, but on a day when Jay Cutler couldn’t get a vote of confidence from the Bears, it’s notable that Washington seems committed to RGIII.
  • According to Gruden, the Washington front office is in contact with the reps for high-priced players like Pierre Garcon, Barry Cofield, and Stephen Bowen about possible contract restructures. Discussing Garcon specifically, the head coach stressed that the veteran wideout is still very much in the club’s plans.
  • Echoing the mantra of new GM Scot McCloughan, Gruden said Washington’s philosophy will be to target the best available players in the draft.

Lions GM Martin Mayhew:

  • While he admitted that a new deal with Ndamukong Suh isn’t done, Mayhew remains confident that the two sides will work something out. According to the GM, the defensive scheme, coaches, and players are all a good match for Suh, and the club will definitely “keep working on it.”
  • The Lions still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll resort to the franchise tag if the team and Suh don’t reach an agreement by March 2. Detroit also remains undecided about the fifth-year option for offensive tackle Riley Reiff, and hasn’t yet made any final determinations on any free agents except center Dominic Raiola, who won’t be re-signed.
  • Mayhew can envision a situation where both Suh and Nick Fairley return to Detroit, but he can also imagine a scenario in which neither player is back. The Lions aren’t sure yet how seriously they’ll pursue Fairley, but will meet with his agent, Brian Overstreet, this week.
  • The general manager also has a combine meeting lined up with the agent for free-agent-to-be Matt Prater.
  • According to Mayhew, the team is engaged in dialogue with some players about contract restructures to clear some cap room. Although the GM didn’t identify anyone specifically, one of those players could be Reggie Bush — Mayhew said the team hasn’t determined yet what the running back’s future with the team is.

Chargers GM Tom Telesco:

  • The Chargers plan to meet with the agent for free agent running back Ryan Mathews at the combine this week, according to Telesco. The GM added that the Chargers are “a different team” when Mathews is healthy and on the field.
  • The team is currently planning for D.J. Fluker to play right tackle in 2015, rather than continuing to try him at guard. San Diego figures to have some holes to fill on its offensive line this offseason, so having a set plan for Fluker should help identify the spots that need to be addressed.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh:

  • According to Harbaugh, the team’s free agents want to return to Baltimore, and the team wants them back. “That bodes well for us,” Harbaugh said.
  • It’s not clear if the head coach’s comment applies to every Ravens free-agent-to-be, but when he was asked specifically about Torrey Smith, Haloti Ngata, and Lardarius Webb, Harbaugh said, “They want to be back [and] we want them back, so we should have a good chance.” Smith is eligible for free agency, while Ngata and Webb are candidates for contract restructures or pay cuts.
  • Harbaugh also expects wide receiver Steve Smith to be back with the Ravens in 2015. The former Panther has two years left on his contract, but will turn 36 in May, so retirement may be a viable option soon.

Minor Moves: Saturday

October 18th, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with recent updates added to the top of the list:

  • Defensive back Lowell Rose has been promoted to the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, replacing defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, who was waived, the team announced today (Twitter link). Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter) that the return of defensive lineman Derrick Shelby and a hamstring injury to safety Jimmy Wilson likely spelled doom for Coleman.
  • The Saints have released tight end Tom Crabtree and promoted linebacker Todd Davis to the active roster, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
  • The Lions have placed linebacker Travis Lewis on the IR and promoted tight end Jordan Thompson from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Redskins have activated Stephen Bowen off the PUP list, reports Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980 in Washington D.C. The team has placed linebacker Akeem Jordan on IR to make room, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens have added safety Will Hill to the 53-man roster, and placed defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi on IR to make room, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
  • The Seahawks activated tight end RaShaun Allen off the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). They also promoted safety Steven Terrell off the practice squad, and placed Cassius Marsh on IR to make room, reports Brian McIntyre of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Panthers have waived safety Robert Lester and promoted linebacker Adarius Glanton from the practice squad, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton. Lester, a former standout at Alabama, had 21 tackles in 12 appearances last season.
  • The Browns have signed defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad and have waived tight end Gerell Robinson, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Robinson has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2012. He played in his first career game against the Saints in Week 2.
  • The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett from the practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Brackett will replace injured tight end Craig Stevens, who was placed on the injured reserve.
  • The Cowboys have signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. To make room, the team released their seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, defensive tackle Ken Bishop. Archer notes in a following tweet that he expects Bishop to return if he clear waivers.

 

PUP, IR-DTR Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 10th, 2014 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Rams, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many of those clubs may be welcoming some players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the injured reserve list with the designation to return prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to practice.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to the practice field doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player on the PUP list could theoretically return for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest. If the player doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, he’ll revert to season-ending injured reserve.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform list who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

Players who began the season on the PUP list didn’t participate in any preseason practices, but that’s not the case for players on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that players who were placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing next week. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after – for instance – Week 2 will have to wait another two weeks to return to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as next week:

Redskins Trim Roster To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

4:54pm: The Redskins have finalized their roster, announcing the following moves via press release:

Waived:

Placed on injured reserve:

Placed on reserve/physically unable to perform list:

8:41am: We learned yesterday that the Redskins let go of eight players, and the team has continued to make cuts this morning. While none of the moves have been announced officially, here is a running list of the team’s reported cuts:

Redskins Rework Stephen Bowen’s Contract

August 18th, 2014 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY, 12:12pm: According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links), Bowen agreed to cut his base salary by $2.8MM for 2014. He can make up to $2.05MM of that money back through per-game roster bonuses and playing-time incentives, but since only a portion of those count against the cap, the team creates about $2.3MM in cap room with the restructure, says Pelissero.

FRIDAY, 3:28pm: The Redskins have renegotiated the contract for veteran defensive end Stephen Bowen, reports John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The specifics on Bowen’s reworked deal have yet to surface, but the move figures to clear some 2014 cap room for Washington.

General manager Bruce Allen had indicated earlier in the week that the Redskins only had about $2MM in cap space, suggesting some cap-clearing moves would be necessary before the regular season. Reducing Bowen’s cap number should help — the 30-year-old was set to earn a base salary of $4.4MM, with an overall cap hit of $7.02MM. Turning a portion of that salary into a signing bonus, or into other forms of bonuses or incentives, would bring that figure down. Bowen is also currently on the books for a cap hit of $8MM+ in 2015, including a $5.4MM base salary.

A starter at defensive end since arriving from the Cowboys in 2011, Bowen had 41 tackles and six sacks in his first year in Washington. However, he has struggled to make the same impact over the last two seasons, ranking among the bottom 10 qualified 3-4 defensive ends in both 2012 and 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

After undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee, which forced him to miss six games last season, Bowen remains on the preseason PUP list, and even when he returns to the lineup, doesn’t seem likely to start for a team that signed Jason Hatcher this offseason and is also bringing back Jarvis Jenkins and Chris Baker.

Redskins Notes: Jackson, Hocker, Minnifield

June 27th, 2014 at 2:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Rumors of gang connections surrounded DeSean Jackson following his release from the Eagles. The current Redskins wideout previously distanced himself from the accusations, and Jackson again hushed the gossip in an interview with ESPN The Magazine’s Cord Jefferson.

Jackson said that he knows people in gangs, but has never been affiliated. Furthermore, the alleged gang signals the wideout has displayed in games were purely shoutouts to his friends.

“If I score a touchdown or make a play and my boys at home can see me throwing up the area we’re from, that’s me showing them love,” Jackson said. “They weren’t fortunate enough to make it where I’m at. All my friends wanted to be in the NFL growing up, but they weren’t able to do that, and I was. That doesn’t mean I forgot about them. They’re my boys, I grew up with them, and I’m going to give them love.”

Gayle Jackson, DeSean’s mother, weighed in on the outside influences.

“Those guys gravitated toward him because he had structure in his life,” she said. “A lot of time I was trying to chase these cats away. I told him it would catch up with him and that people don’t understand, so he should leave those guys alone. He told me, ‘Mom, you can’t treat people like that.'”

Let’s check out some more Redskins notes, all via the mailbag of ESPN.com’s John Keim…

  • If the Redskins decide to roll the dice with rookie kicker Zach Hocker, Keim believes it will be a gamble. However, Hocker’s main opponent, Kai Forbath, had never attempted a kick in the NFL prior to signing with the team in 2012.
  • Keim says Chase Minnifield‘s chances of making the Redskins will come down to whether the team decides to keep six cornerbacks. Of course, injuries could help his chances. Reversely, the presence of Richard Crawford could hurt those chances.
  • In regards to backups on the offensive line, Keim sides with Mike McGlynn, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long and Josh LeRibeus. If the team carries an additional lineman, Tom Compton could also make the roster.
  • Assuming the defensive line starters are Chris Baker, Barry Cofield and Jason Hatcher, Keim chooses Jarvis Jenkins, Stephen Bowen and Kedric Golston as the three backups.
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