Tashaun Gipson - Pro Football Rumors

Packers Won’t Sign Tashaun Gipson

March 11th, 2019 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers had talks with safety Tashaun Gipson, but it appears he will be signing elsewhere, a source tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). It’s not clear whether Gipson’s asking price was too high for Green Bay or if he simply preferred another team, but the Packers were interested in meeting with him.

Reading between the lines, this could mean that Gipson is on the verge of signing elsewhere. Released by the Jaguars late last week, Gipson was expected to have a strong market for his services.

Free agency officially begins on Wednesday, but Gipson has an early jump on the competition thanks to his Friday release. That’s excellent news for Gipson, because this year’s free agent safety market is positively stacked.

Jaguars Release Tashaun Gipson

March 8th, 2019 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

It’s a bloodbath in Jacksonville. On Friday, the Jaguars released safety Tashaun Gipson, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (Twitter link).

Word of Gipson’s release comes moments after the club dropped defensive tackle Malik Jackson and running back Carlos Hyde. Between the three transactions, the Jags have saved a total of $23.2MM in salary cap space for the coming year.

Heading into Friday, the Jaguars had less than $3MM in breathing room, so the trio of cuts will make a world of difference for the Jags. By the same token, the Jaguars will have to find someone to replace Gipson – a reliable starter – in the secondary.

Gipson was due upwards of $8MM in 2019 but teams still called on him prior to his release, so he figures to find a healthy market in the coming days. The 28-year-old (29 in August) started in every possible game for the Jaguars since joining the squad in 2016. In 2018, he racked up 54 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defensed playing primarily at free safety. For Gipson’s efforts last year, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 37 safety in the NFL, placing him ahead of notables like T.J. McDonald, Landon Collins, and Duron Harmon.

Teams Inquiring On Jaguars’ Tashaun Gipson

March 6th, 2019 at 10:05am CST by Zachary Links

Teams have called the Jaguars to inquire about safety Tashaun Gipson, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The belief around the league is that he is available, Rapoport adds.

Gipson is due upwards of $8MM in 2019 and the Jaguars are in a bit of a cap crunch. On the other hand, Gipson has proven to be a reliable starter so the Jags, ideally, would like to keep him.

Gipson, 29 in August, has started in every possible game for the Jaguars since joining the squad in 2016. Last year, he racked up 54 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defensed playing primarily at free safety. In 2018, Pro Football Focus ranked Gipson as the No. 37 safety in the NFL, placing him ahead of notables like T.J. McDonald, Landon Collins, and Duron Harmon.

There are still two years to go on Gipson’s five-year, $36MM contract with cap numbers of $9.05MM and $9.3MM in each of the next two seasons. He’s scheduled to collect on a $500K roster bonus on March 17, so the Jaguars will probably aim to make something happen in the next eleven days or not trade him at all.

Extra Points: Jets, Goodell, Burfict, Prosise

November 14th, 2017 at 9:38pm CST by Micah Powell

The Jets have no plans to bench Josh McCown in favor of youngster Christian Hackenberg, as NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. “This isn’t Triple-A,” quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said Tuesday. “We’re going to play the best players that give us an opportunity to win at all positions. That’s our philosophy. Josh is our starter.”

Though just 1.5 games behind Buffalo for the AFC’s last wildcard spot, New York is sitting last in the East with a 4-6 record and might be better served seeing what the team has in Hackenberg or Bryce Petty sooner rather than later with McCown, at 38 and on a one-year deal, obviously not the team’s future at the position.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

League spokesman Joe Lockhart says the impetus for signing commissioner Roger Goodell to a new deal despite having 18 months remaining on his current contract were a series on notable events on the horizon, according to ESPN’s Jim Trotter (Twitter link) Those milestones include the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020 and network TV deals in 2021 and 2022. “Sense that getting an extension beyond those dates was in the best interest of (NFL),” Lockhart said.
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict will not be suspended for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s game vs. Tennessee, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, it will be reviewed using the standard process for a possible fine. Burfict was ejected from the game after picking up a pair of personal-foul penalties on one drive midway through the second quarter.
49ers safety Adrian Colbert could possibly miss the team’s upcoming game with Seattle after breaking his thumb vs. New York, coach Kyle Shanahan tells reporters and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). The injury, which will require surgery, was sustained early in the first quarter but Colbert managed to play the rest of the way. Should he not be ready for the Seahawks, Antone Exum and Dexter McCoil are potential replacements, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (Twitter link).
Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson is happy to have left Cleveland and hopes Jacksonville can “hang 40 on them” when the team’s meet up this weekend, writes ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. The veteran defender spent his first four seasons with the Browns before joining the Jags in 2016 and apparently still harbors some ill feelings to the organization, which he also criticized for not drafting Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson.
Seahawks running back C.J. Prosise could return in time for the postseason, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The coach said the injury will have Prosise sidelined six weeks, but he must sit out eight games after being placed on IR.

Extra Points: Foles, Redskins, Orr

July 17th, 2016 at 12:29pm CST by Rory Parks

Nick Foles, currently listed as the Rams‘ No. 3 quarterback on the team’s depth chart (per Roster Resource), is a prime trade candidate, and as Vincent Bonsignore of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets, nothing has changed in that regard. Bonsignore notes that, barring a last-second trade, the plan is to bring Foles to training camp and to wait for another club to have a need open up at quarterback as a result of injury or underperformance. At that time, Los Angeles hopes to deal Foles to such a quarterback-needy team. And, because the Rams already paid out Foles’ guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club would only be on the hook for Foles’ $1.75MM base salary, which is certainly a palatable figure for a backup quarterback. Also, since the $6MM roster bonus is already a sunk cost, the Rams could simply cut Foles if they cannot find a trade partner during camp.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the league:

The Redskins‘ cornerback competition will be a fascinating one to watch this summer, as Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com writes. Tandler observes that the maximum number of corners Washington can keep without creating a major numbers squeeze elsewhere is five, and Josh Norman, Bashaud Breeland, Kendall Fuller, and Quinton Dunbar are all virtual locks to make the club. That means that the team will have to cut a player it would prefer to keep, or else try to sneak such a player onto its practice squad. Dashaun Phillips, Greg Toler, and rookie Lloyd Carrington will all battle for that fifth spot, and Toler is the only member of that trio without practice squad eligibility.
Ravens‘ third-year inside linebacker Zach Orr will be under the microscope in training camp, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Orr is currently the favorite to start alongside fellow ILB C.J. Mosley, but despite the fact that his playing time increased late in the 2015 season, he is still largely unproven. If he should struggle, the Ravens could turn to Albert McClellan, Arthur Brown, or (more likely) a free agent.
After Isaiah Crowell made headlines for all the wrong reasons last week, many Browns fans have clamored for his release. Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, however, confirmed that Cleveland will not cut Crowell at this time. She says the club believes his public apology was sincere and adds that the Browns will give him a chance to be part part of the solution instead of the problem. Crowell will be donating $35K to the Dallas Fallen Officer Foundation and will continue doing “other things in the community” to atone for his mistake.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com continues his ongoing series on each club’s best and worst contracts. In his opinion, Tashaun Gipson‘s five-year, $36MM deal is the most team-friendly contract on the Jaguars‘ books, while Julius Thomas‘ five-year, $46MM contract is the worst.

AFC South Notes: Ferguson, Jaguars, Titans

June 18th, 2016 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts did not do much conventionally to add depth to their backfield this offseason, leaving them with no obvious change-of-pace option behind 33-year-old Frank Gore. But the team did place a high priority on signing UDFA Josh Ferguson, a player a source told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star the Colts eyed as high as the fourth round.

Indianapolis took defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway and linebacker Antonio Morrison with their two fourth-round selections and continued to address issues on both sides of their line in the fifth and seventh rounds. The Colts, though, immediately turned their attention to the versatile Illinois running back by telling Ferguson’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to “name his price” when it came time to add UDFAs.

Ferguson ended up signing for $35K guaranteed with a $10K signing bonus. Holder adds that the versatile ball-carrier’s compensation package was one of the league’s most lucrative proposals offered to a 2016 undrafted player. He’ll still earn the league minimum at $450K if he makes the team, but given that Indianapolis doesn’t house many deterrents to that occurring, the former crafty Big Ten pass-catcher could well see the latter amount instead of a practice squad salary.

As Roster Resource details, the Colts’ contingent behind Gore consists of Robert Turbin, Jordan Todman, Trey Williams and Tyler Varga, so the shifty Ferguson — who totaled 4,093 yards from scrimmage from 2011-15, including making 168 career receptions for 1,507 yards and eight touchdowns — will have an easier route to a roster spot than most UDFA running backs will this summer.

Here’s the latest on the Colts’ top rivals.

In projecting the Jaguars‘ 53-man roster, Jacksonville.com’s Ryan O’Halloran projects Sen’Derrick Marks to lose his starting job and instead tabs Roy Miller to play alongside Malik Jackson at defensive tackle, with Jared Odrick and Dante Fowler Jr. lining up with the first-string ends. Jackson hasn’t played defensive tackle since 2013 with the Broncos, but the highly coveted performer served as a disruptive presence for the AFC champions that year. He’s played three positions in the past three years, shifting to 4-3 end in 2014 and 3-4 end last season. Marks tore his ACL to close the 2014 season and saw knee and triceps injuries limit him to four games in 2015, so the former ascending talent’s star has fallen to some degree.
With another big year, Allen Robinson should see a deal that pays north of $25MM in guaranteed money, O’Halloran writes. Considering the Jags paid their second-best Allen pass-catcher $20MM guaranteed when Allen Hurns signed for four years and $40MM earlier this month, $25MM would be an easy floor should Robinson produce a similar season in 2016. Not yet 23, he’s nearly two years younger than Hurns and is coming off a 1,400-yard, 14-touchdown season.
Tashaun Gipson didn’t exactly deviate from the norm when he said he was excited to leave the Browns and join the Jaguars because he wanted to play for a winning team. Players often are quick to praise the teams that just agreed to pay them, regardless of their recent accomplishments. But the fifth-year safety explained on a Sirius XM Radio appearance (Facebook link) that while the Jags haven’t been a winning team in many years, their collection of talent has placed the team in a position to win. “A lot of people didn’t understand that. It doesn’t mean that, ‘Hey, I’m coming to the Jaguars, we just came off a Super Bowl.’ But I know what it looks like when you’re changing an organization and you turn this thing around and you’ve got all those pieces in the right part,” Gipson said. “And I think that, when you look at this organization, yeah they were 5-11 last year, but a lot of the things that needed to be addressed were addressed in free agency and the draft, as everybody knows.” Jacksonville hasn’t pieced together a winning season since 2007, when David Garrard quarterbacked them to an 11-5 record and a divisional playoff game.
The Titans will look to use their No. 1 position in the waiver hierarchy to add offensive line depth, Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com writes. While Tennessee does have some depth on its interior line given that the loser of the Brian Schwenke–Jeremiah Poutasi left guard competition will be a quality backup, not much else in terms of seasoning exists.
Despite going into only his second year with the Texans, Cecil Shorts accepted a pay cut on Saturday.

Jaguars Sign Tashaun Gipson

March 10th, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 10:57am: The deal is official, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com writes.

The five-year deal will pay Gipson $36MM in total, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). That pact includes $12MM guaranteed, a $4MM signing bonus, and salaries of $3MM, $5MM, $5.75MM, $7.25MM, and $7MM. His 2016 and 2017 base salaries are fully guaranteed.

The real money for Gipson is $35.5MM, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Incentives can push it to $36MM.

WEDNESDAY, 5:45pm: The Jaguars and safety Tashaun Gipson have agreed to terms on a contract, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gipson will sign a five-year with a maximum value of $35.5MM deal, report Rand Getlin and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Jacksonville, which entered the free agent period with the most cap space in the league, continues to flex its financial muscle. The club not only agreed to a deal with defensive lineman Malik Jackson that will pay him more $15MM annually, but will sign running back Chris Ivory for more than $6MM per season. They also poached punter Brad Nortman from the Panthers, and were considered serious contenders for Olivier Vernon before he landed with the Giants.

The Browns, meanwhile, have now failed to retain not only Gipson, but center Alex Mack, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, and receiver Travis Benjamin. A report earlier today indicated that agents were growing frustrated with a perceived lack of hesitation on the part of Cleveland during negotiations, and that lack of aggressiveness may be showing itself as the Browns lose several quality players.

Had Gipson been able to cash in following the 2014 season, he may have earned even more money than he will on his new Jaguars deal, as he posted six interceptions in just 11 games during that ’14 campaign. The 25-year-old was still solid in 2015, though, starting 13 games and racking up two picks and tackles. Gipson ranked as PFR’s No. 31 overall free agent and No. 4 safety.

Quite a few free agent safeties have come off the board today, as George Iloka re-signed with the Bengals while Rodney McLeod, Tyvon Branch, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Dwight Lowery, and others have found new homes. Eric Weddle, Walter Thurmond, and Reggie Nelson are some of the more high-profile names still available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Browns, Harrison, Titans

March 9th, 2016 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have had a knack for stealing headlines in recent years, but that trend could come to a halt this offseason. New Browns executive vice president Sashi Brown is not looking to make a splash in free agency, various agents tell Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Browns already lost out on one significant free agent target today when Marvin Jones signed a lucrative deal with the Lions.

Here are the latest free agent rumors:

There’s nothing brewing right now between the Titans and free agent defensive tackle Damon Harrison, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
Safety Tashaun Gipson is a longshot for the Eagles but it’s not out of the question, Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (on Twitter) hears.
The Seahawks are working to bring back Brandon Mebane, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Rams are in good position to bring back linebacker/safety Mark Barron, a league source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter).
The Jets are sniffing around the free agent tackle market and that could spell the end of Breno Giacomini in New York, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets.

East Notes: Vernon, Giants, Gipson, Wilkerson

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants will have nearly $60MM in cap room to work with when the free agent period begins next week, and the club is expected to use that ample space to target pass rushers, according to Ebenezer Samuel and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Both Olivier Vernon — who was designated as the Dolphins’ transition player — and Mario Williams (recently released by the Bills) figure to “at least get a call” from general manager Jerry Reese & Co, sources tell the NYDN scribes. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees, guessing that Vernon will be the first player contacted by the Giants.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Along with the edge rush, safety is another area on the Giants‘ roster that could use improvement, as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out in his preview of the New York’s offseason. Browns free agent Tashaun Gipson will be one of the top safeties available on the open market, and Raanan hears (via Twitter) that Gipson would “welcome” the idea of playing in New York. Gipson is widely expected to move on from Cleveland and find a new club next week.
The Jets have long been rumored to be willing to explore the possibility of trading franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News doubts that the team will find a suitor willing to not only part with a first-round pick, but pony up the $40MM+ that Wilkerson is said to covet. One general manager told Mehta that he wouldn’t sacrifice a second- and third-round pick package for Wilkerson, so it’s fair to wonder if a market will develop for the star defensive end.
Receiver Brian Tyms tweeted his goodbyes to the Patriots organization today, a sign that he won’t return to New England in 2016, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. Tyms, who spent the 2015 season on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, was set to be a restricted free agent, so the Patriots apparently won’t tender him a contract.

FA Rumors: Irvin, Forte, C. Long, Gipson, J. Howard

February 29th, 2016 at 8:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Armed with over $70MM in cap space and in need of defensive upgrades, the Jaguars have emerged as early contenders for soon-to-be free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Irvin, who has spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, is familiar with Jags head coach Gus Bradley – formerly the Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator. Bradley helped Irvin to a career-high eight sacks in the defender’s rookie year, 2012, before leaving for Jacksonville. Irvin has since added 14 more sacks over the last three years. When PFR’s Luke Adams previewed the Jaguars’ offseason three weeks ago, he listed Irvin as a logical fit for the Jags.

Here’s the latest on some other players looking for new contracts as free agency nears:

Thirty-year-old running back Matt Forte will have a difficult time eclipsing $3MM per annum on his next deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The five-time thousand-yard rusher racked up 1,287 total yards (898 rushing, 389 receiving) and seven touchdowns last season, and is poised to join his second franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in Chicago.
Free agent defensive end Chris Long is generating interest and will start visiting teams after his first child is born (due date Wednesday), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Long, 30, has 54.5 sacks in his first eight seasons, all of which were spent in St. Louis. The Rams released Long earlier this month after injuries limited his effectiveness the previous two years.
Safety Tashaun Gipson expects his Browns tenure to end after four years, per teammate Donte Whitner. “I don’t think he’s too hopeful he’s going to be back,” said Whitner (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). We learned over the weekend that Gipson could parlay his ball-hawking prowess (14 career interceptions) into a big contract.
Chiefs defensive lineman Jaye Howard is looking for $8MM to $9MM per year, Biggs reports. Howard, 27, set career highs in starts (14), tackles (57) and sacks (5.5) during the 2015-16 season, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him a solid 24th among 123 qualifying interior D-linemen.
The Dolphins could pursue Bears tight end Zach Miller in free agency, writes Biggs. Miller played under new Dolphins head coach Adam Gase when the latter was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last season and totaled career bests in all notable categories. If Chicago loses Miller, it could replace him with one of the Colts‘ free agent tight ends, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener, per Biggs.