Zach Mettenberger - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Notes: Preston, Lewan, Mettenberger

July 1st, 2014 at 10:20am CST by Ben Levine

The Titans are set atop their receiver depth chart with Nate Washington, Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. There is a spot up for grabs behind the trio, and Lauren Moore of The Tennessean writes that second-year player Michael Preston is looking like the favorite. Receiver coach Shawn Jefferson gushed about the 25-year-old:

“He is my jack of all trades,” Jefferson said. “He knows all the positions. I can plug him in anywhere, he hustles, blocks, and is a great teammate.

“He has a great chance, but there is a lot of competition at this position. Right now, I’m not making any predictions, but as a coach I can’t live without him. That’s how much he means to me as a player and a person.”

The competition for the spot isn’t easy. Among the candidates are veterans Brian Robiskie, Derek Hagan, Dorin Dickerson and Marc Mariani. 2013 undrafted free agent Rico Richardson is in the mix, as well as a handful of 2014 undrafted free agents.

Here are some more notes from the Volunteer State…

The holdup over first-round pick Taylor Lewan‘s contract is likely regarding roster bonuses, writes ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio. The offensive tackle could be looking to replace his fully-guaranteed base salaries with roster bonuses paid out during training camp. As Florio points out, this is similar to what happened with the team’s first-round pick in 2013, Chance Warmack. Warmack ended up receiving the type of contract that Lewan is seeking.
Among the team’s expiring contracts, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean suggests that the Titans should negotiate extensions with defensive lineman Jurrell Casey and punter Brett Kern. The writer wanted to see more from quarterback Jake Locker, linebacker Akeem Ayers, defensive lineman Derrick Morgan and offensive tackle Michael Roos before extending their contracts.
Rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger is making it his goal to be the starter “from day one,” he said on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “I’m going to make Jake work that much harder…cause I’m coming everyday. And I’m bringing my best effort and my hardest work to the facility everyday to show that I should be the guy playing.” Mettenberger clarified that he isn’t trying to start a quarterback controversy, claiming that “any guy worth his salt” would have the same approach.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Revis, Amendola

May 30th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Matt Feminis

The Raiders announced the signings of fourth-round picks Justin Ellis and Keith McGill, the sixth and seventh members of the team’s eight-man draft class to ink rookie contracts. Ellis is a 6-2, 334-pound nose tackle out of Louisiana Tech who profiles as a run stuffer, though he will have to improve his conditioning. McGill is a rare-sized, highly athletic, overaged, unrefined cornerback (6-3, 211) out of Utah whom the Raiders hope can develop into a coverman in the mold of the big, physical, rangy secondary defenders thriving and trendsetting in Seattle.

Here’s a handful more AFC news and notes:

Patriots big-ticket acquisition Darrelle Revis spoke with the local media for the first time, saying, “I’m on my career and my journey, and right now, I’m a New England Patriot. And that’s that.” Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post took notice of Revis’ word choice: “The words “right now” were telling, because logic — and the salary cap — dictates the $20 million team option for 2015 in Revis’ deal means this will be the All-Pro cornerback’s lone season in a Patriots uniform.”
One of Revis’ new teammates, receiver Danny Amendola, managed just 54 receptions for 633 yards (11.7 YPC) and two touchdowns in his first season in New England after signing a five-year $28.5MM ($10MM guaranteed) deal. He was affected by a groin injury that kept him out of four games and hampered him in others, but Amendola — who opted against off-season surgery — tells the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that he’s 100 percent.
Despite making a run at Alex Mack, the Jaguars believe in third-year center Mike Brewster, who has 10 career starts under his belt, said ESPN’s Michael DiRocco in a chat: “They went after Mack because he is by far the best center in the game and they felt they could take a shot. But notice they didn’t go after any other centers in free agency and only drafted one in the sixth round [Luke Bowanko]. That means they felt confident Brewster could do the job and they didn’t view it as a need position.”
ESPN’s Paul Kuharsky wonders if the Titans are better off with a veteran (Charlie Whitehurst) or a young, developmental (Zach Mettenberger) quarterback behind starter Jake Locker.

South Notes: Saints, Titans, Texans, Wharton

May 27th, 2014 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Broadwater, a member of Louisiana’s House of Representatives and the sponsor of a piece of legislation which would have reduced compensatory benefits for Saints players injured during the offseason, has pulled his support for the bill, writes Emily Lane of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The announcement comes mere hours before several Saints players were planning to show up at Louisiana State Capitol to express their opposition.

While the development is good news for the NFLPA, Broadwater still hopes that the Saints and the players are able to reach an agreement on workers compensation benefits on their own. As Lane explains, the legislation aimed to “calculate workers’ compensation benefits for professional athletes based only on weekly earnings at the time of the injury, rather than based on average weekly earnings over the entire year.” However, the Saints have indicated they’re willing to compromise on the matter, and discussions are already underway about a solution.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:

Veteran Titans tackle Michael Roos said today that he’s “here for one more year” in Tennessee, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). That quote makes it sound like an extension isn’t on the horizon for Roos, which perhaps isn’t surprising considering the club signed Michael Oher to a four-year deal in free agency and selected Taylor Lewan 11th overall in the draft.
Also at Titans OTAs, Jake Locker said that he spoke to management before the draft and was assured that the club wouldn’t draft a quarterback early (Twitter link via Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com). In a follow-up tweet, ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan notes that the Titans looked at Zach Mettenberger in the fourth round, so perhaps that’s the earliest point that a signal-caller was considered. Tennessee ultimately landed Mettenberger in the sixth round.
As expected, Texans wideout Andre Johnson missed the club’s first OTAs today, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
Travelle Wharton, a longtime Panthers offensive lineman who is currently a free agent, continues to sound as if he’s leaning toward retirement, says Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, passing along quotes from Wharton’s appearance on a Panthers.com podcast.

Draft Signings: Titans, Raiders, Jaguars, 49ers

May 20th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re dedicating individual posts to draft pick signings from the first two rounds while rounding up the deals from rounds 3-7 in bulleted posts. To keep tabs on all of this year’s draft pick signings to date, be sure to check out our tracker. Here are Tuesday’s latest draft signings from the later rounds:

The Titans announced that they have agreed to terms with sixth-round quarterback Zach Mettenberger and fifth-round linebacker Avery Williamson, writes Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Mettenberger, whose deal we heard about earlier today, fell in the draft partially due to a torn ACL suffered at the end of his final season.
Three seventh-rounders have inked their deals with the Raiders, the team announced today in a press release. Cornerback Travis Carrie, defensive end Shelby Harris, and safety Jonathan Dowling are now officially members of the club, and they’ll receive respective signing bonuses of about $67K, $54K, and $46K, according to Jason Fitzgerald’s figures at OverTheCap.com.
Former UCF standout Storm Johnson has signed his rookie deal with the Jaguars, the team announced via Twitter. The 6’0″, 209-pound tailback, who was selected with the seventh pick in the seventh round, has shown quick feet for a player of his size.
The 49ers announced that they have signed seventh-round fullback Trey Millard, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Titans, Cowboys, Bills, Vikings

May 20th, 2014 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few of the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, including late-round draftees signings their deals and undrafted free agents finding new NFL homes:

The Titans have agreed to terms on a four-year rookie contract with sixth-round quarterback Zach Mettenberger, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). With Mettenberger locked up, Tennessee still has to sign three of its six 2014 draft picks, including first-rounder Taylor Lewan.
No team had more seventh-round draft picks than the Cowboys, and Dallas has finally signed all the players it selected in that round. According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, 251st overall pick Ken Bishop, a defensive tackle, inked his deal today.
East Central wide receiver Caleb Holley, one of four non-roster players who auditioned for the Bills this past weekend, has earned a spot on the team’s roster, signing a deal today, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.
One Mike Zimmer apparently wasn’t enough for the Vikings, who have signed the former Illinois State linebacker with the same name as the club’s head coach, per a team release. Zimmer joined the Jaguars after going undrafted last year and spent the 2013 preseason with Jacksonville.

Rookie Notes: Titans, Saints, Packers

May 19th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Ben Levine

It hasn’t been the best couple of days for two Titans rookies. Sixth-round pick Zach Mettenberger had his first practice since tearing his ACL in November and admitted that his leg wasn’t close to 100 percent.

“I am not moving as fluidly as I have in the past but I am working hard to get back there,” the rookie told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “Being in the brace for two months, trying to learn how to walk, you lose a lot of muscle. … I just have to keep working.”

Meanwhile, first-round pick Taylor Lewan had his court case adjourned for four weeks, according to ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The 11th-overall pick requested more time to investigate the report that charges him with one count of misdemeanor aggravated assault and two counts of assault and battery. The hearing is scheduled for June 16th, the day before the Titans’ first minicamp.

Let’s take a look at some more rookie notes from around the NFL…

Undrafted rookie Tim Flanders had good reason to want to join the Saints, writes Terrance Harris of NOLA.com. Not only is the team seeking a fifth running back who can contribute on special teams, but coach Sean Payton has proven that he won’t write off undrafted backs. Flanders refers to Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson.
ESPN’s Packers reporter Rob Demovsky says an undrafted rookie’s signing bonus may indicate who sticks around for the regular season. The writer points to Lane Taylor, who made the team last season after inking the largest signing bonus among the Packers undrafted signees. The team signed five players to a team-high, $5K signing bonus: linebackers Jake Doughty, Jayrone Elliott, Adrian Hubbard and Joe Thomas and guard John Fullington.
Despite tearing an abdominal muscle that required sports hernia surgery last month, Jaguars‘ undrafted tight end Marcel Jensen has a good chance of making the team, writes Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. His size and production at Fresno State, combined with the lack of tight end talent currently on the roster, gives the rookie a chance.
Of the four tryout players the Bills brought in, receiver Caleb Holley is the most likely to stick around, opines Joe Buscaglia of WGR550.com. Meanwhile, considering the presence of Jeff Tuel and Dennis Dixon, quarterback Kenny Guiton likely won’t be signed.

Draft Notes: Titans, Ravens, Saints, UDFAs

May 10th, 2014 at 5:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team considered taking quarterback Zach Mettenberger in an earlier round, but moved up in fear that another team was prepared to take him, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter).

Titans’ Director of College Scouting Blake Beddingfield says that the team will sign 12 or 13 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft, reports McCormick (via Twitter).
The Ravens are out of draft picks, but that won’t stop them from aggressively pursuing Missouri defensive end Michael Sam as an undrafted rookie free agent, reports Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). The team did trade back into the draft, but elected to take receiver Michael Campanaro out of Wake Forest.
Saints’ head coach Sean Payton says the team will look to sign a quarterback as part of their undrafted rookie free agent class, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Poll: Best Late Round Quarterback?

May 10th, 2014 at 3:52pm CST by Rob DiRe

Just because they don’t have the fanfare of a Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater doesn’t mean the day three quarterbacks are destined to be career backups. A handful of high-caliber NFL quarterbacks do get selected in the later rounds.

Not every quarterback drafted in the sixth round is going to turn into Tom Brady–most first-round quarterbacks won’t accomplish half of what Brady has–but many if not all of these fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh-round quarterbacks will have a chance to push for a starting job at some point in their career, either by performance or by injury.

The question is, which of these quarterbacks is going to have the best chance to find success as a starter in the NFL? That takes a combination of talent and opportunity, where some of these draftees have definite roadblocks in front of them in the form of quarterbacks entrenched as starters.

Of course, a few more quarterbacks will still come off the board in the next 50+ picks, and a couple more will be snagged as undrafted free agents. Maybe Stephen Morris of Miami, Tahj Boyd of Clemson, Garrett Gilbert of SMU, Keith Price of Washington, Brett Smith of Wyoming, or Connor Shaw of South Carolina ends up being the best of the group, although they are still waiting to hear their names called.

Titans Acquire No. 178 From Redskins

May 10th, 2014 at 2:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have moved up in the sixth round of the draft, acquiring the 178th overall pick from the Redskins, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Tennessee, who had previously been set to pick 186th, sent that pick and No. 228 to Washington in the swap, per Jones (via Twitter).

The Titans used the pick to take Zach Mettenberger of LSU. Mettenberger is a big, strong armed quarterback, in the mold of what Ken Whisenhunt has failed to develop since working with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh. The LSU signal caller is coming off a torn ACL, but had been impressive in pre-draft workouts as he began to move up draft boards.

Of course, as much as his stock was improving, it was leaked that he was one of ten players who had a flagged drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mettenberger’s camp held that his test was flag due to a diluted urine sample, not a banned substance.

Dolphins Looking To Add A Quarterback

May 10th, 2014 at 2:19pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Dolphins are looking for a potential quarterback now in the draft, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). He notes the team could be interested in Stephen Morris of Miami (via Twitter).

The team still has Ryan Tannehill, who will be entering a crucial third season with the team. While he has not been a bust just yet, he may not be developing as quickly as the team would have hoped. Behind Tannehill are Matt Moore and Pat Devlin, which is not the worst set of backups in the league.

If the team stays away from Morris, there is still a bevy of options to choose from in the rest of the draft, including David Fales of San Jose State and Zach Mettenberger of LSU.