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 06/12/2015 NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Bryant, Dez
WR Dez Bryant is threatening to miss the Dallas Cowboys'
regular-season opener unless he receives a long-term contract by
July 15, according to an ESPN report on Friday.
If the Cowboys fail to sign Bryant to a contract before that date,
he would have to play for a franchise tender offer of $12.823
million in 2015. That is the deadline for players with franchise
tags to secure a new long-term deal.
According to ESPN, the Cowboys have not made an offer to Bryant
since before the 2014 season when he switched agents from Eugene
Parker to Tom Condon.
"I'm just not going to comment about that," Condon said. "Our goal
is still to get something done on a long-term basis by the
deadline."
After the ESPN report circulated, Michael Silver said Bryant told
him, "This is no rumor. It's legit."
Bryant has not participated in the Cowboys' OTA workouts but did
show up at one OTA practice session and has been a part of
individual drills. The five-year veteran does not have to show up
next week for the team's mandatory minicamp because he is not
officially under contract.
Last season, Bryant had 88 receptions for 1,350 yards and a
career-best 16 touchdowns. In five years with the Cowboys, he has
381 catches for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns.
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Mathis, Evan
G Evan Mathis had his contract officially terminated by the Eagles
Friday (June 12), one day after it was reported he would be
released.
The 33-year-old Mathis skipped all of the Eagles' voluntary OTAs,
but had planned to be at the team's mandatory three-day minicamp
next week. Mathis had been unhappy with the five-year, $25.5 million
contract he signed prior to the 2012 season. He was scheduled to
make $5.5 million this year and $6 million next year. The Eagles had
offered to add some incentives that would have given Mathis the
opportunity to earn another $1 million this year. But the offer was
taken off the table by the club after general manager Howie Roseman
was demoted in January and head coach Chip Kelly was given full
control over football operations.
The Eagles gave Mathis and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, permission
last year to talk to other teams about a trade. But Kelly said last
month that no one ever made them an offer. Mathis' release means the
Eagles will have two new starting guards this season. They released
right guard Todd Herremans earlier in the offseason. The two likely
replacements for Mathis and Herremans - Allen Barbre and Matt Tobin
- have a combined 15 career NFL starts.
Mathis tweeted a farewell to Philadelphia shortly after the news
broke.
"Thanks for the memories Philly," Mathis wrote.
Mathis later told the Philadelphia Inquirer how he got the news from
Kelly. He said he was heading to a workout in Arizona on Thursday
afternoon when his phone rang.
"We're going to release you so you can see if you can get what you
want," is how Mathis recalled what Kelly said to him.
Mathis said he was surprised by the call and had made flight
arrangements to attend next week's mandatory minicamp, after sitting
out optional OTAs.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Mathis said he asked Kelly. "He
was cordial and said nice things."
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Jones, Byron
CB Byron Jones, selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the
draft (27th overall), signed a four-year contract Friday (June 12).
The deal reportedly is worth $8.6 million, with $7 million in
guaranteed money and a $4.5 million signing bonus.
Jones has been impressive during the team's organized team
activities, playing mostly cornerback. He played safety for the
first time this week.
"Obviously there's a lot of things to like about him," head coach
Jason Garrett told the Dallas Morning News. "The stuff that we saw
in college -- his physical ability, his approach. I think he's
demonstrated a desire to be a great player by his work ethic. You
see that in everything he does. He's a young player, though. He has
to get better technically but he's certainly working at it."
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Sloat, Taylor
TE Taylor Sloat was waived by the Buccaneers Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wright, Tim
TE Tim Wright returned to the Buccaneers Friday (June 12) after he
was waived a day earlier by the Patriots. The Buccaneers were
awarded a waiver claim on Wright, who signed with Tampa Bay as a
college free agent in 2013 before he was traded to the Patriots in
2014.
The 25-year-old Wright spent last season with the Patriots, where he
was traded along with a fourth-round draft pick in August for guard
Logan Mankins, and finished with 26 receptions for 259 yards and six
touchdowns.
In two NFL seasons, Wright has played in 32 regular-season games and
three playoff games, including 10 starts and Super Bowl XLIX with
the Patriots, and has 80 catches for 830 yards and 11 touchdowns.
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NFL Note - New Orleans Saints Williams, Kevin
DT Kevin Williams, who wasn't tendered as a UFA by the Seahawks on
May 12, was signed by the Saints Friday (June 12). Williams, a
12-year NFL veteran, played in all 16 regular-season games for the
Seattle Seahawks last year and started eight times, producing 29
tackles, three sacks and two passes defenses. He added eight tackles
duirng the postseason.
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The six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro is
a member of the All-Decade Team of the 2000s as voted upon by
members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee.
In 187 career games with the Minnesota Vikings and the Seahawks,
Williams has 495 tackles, 63 sacks, 68 passes defensed, eight forced
fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries and five interceptions, including two
returned for touchdowns. He also has 24 tackles and one fumble
recovery in nine postseason games.
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Spears, Harold
TE Harold Spears was waived by the Saints Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - San Francisco 49ers Hooey, Sean
T Sean Hooey was claimed on waivers by the 49ers from the Jets
Friday (June 12).
The 6-foot-9, 304-pound Hooey had signed with the Jets on Jan. 23
but was waived Thursday. Hooey, 24, originally signed with the St.
Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in May 2013 and spent time on
the team's practice squad in 2013 and 2014. At the University of
Cincinnati, Hooey played in 27 games and started six.
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NFL Note - New England Patriots Flynn, Matt
QB Matt Flynn, who wasn't tendered as a UFA by the Packers on May
12, was signed by the Patriots Friday (June 12).
The 29-year-old Flynn played in seven games for the Packers last
season.
Flynn joins a Patriots roster that has Tom Brady and second-year
player Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, but New England is likely to
be without Brady at the start of the season while he serves a
suspension resulting from the Deflategate investigation.
The journeyman Flynn has spent seven seasons in the NFL with the
Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills. A
seventh-round draft pick by the Packers in 2008, Flynn has played in
51 games and started seven, throwing for 2,541 yards and 17
touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
Flynn was Green Bay's backup from 2008 through 2011 and then signed
with Seattle as an unrestricted free agent in 2012. A year later, he
was traded to the Raiders but was released on Oct. 7, 2013, and
signed a week later by the Buffalo Bills before being released again
and returning to Green Bay.
In seven games last season for the Packers, Flynn completed 8-of-16
passes for 66 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
But the Packers decided to go forward with Scott Tolzien as their
No. 2 quarterback behind starter Aaron Rodgers as the start of
training camp in late July draws closer.
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NFL Note - Seattle Seahawks Jackson, Tarvaris
QB Tarvaris Jackson, who wasn't tendered as a UFA by the Seahawks on
May 12, re-signed with the team Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - Seattle Seahawks Williams, Jesse
DT Jesse Williams, who underwent kidney surgery May 28 after being
diagnosed with papillary type-2 cancer, announced this week that he
was cleared to resume working out.
Williams has remained on the Seahawks' 90-man roster, anticipating
that he will be able to return in time for training camp. He missed
his first two seasons after undergoing knee surgeries.
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NFL Note - New York Giants Johnson, Tony
LB Tony Johnson was signed by the Giants Thursday (June 11).
Johnson, 6-2 and 255 pounds, played two seasons at Louisiana Tech
after transferring from Southwest Mississippi Community College. He
played 24 games for the Bulldogs and was credited with 92 tackles
(52 solo), 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses, an interception and
a fumble recovery. As a senior in 2014, Johnson played in 12 games
and finished third on the team with 69 tackles (42 solo) and 2.5
sacks. He split his time the previous season between linebacker and
fullback and recorded 23 tackles (10 solo) and an interception.
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NFL Note - Atlanta Falcons Beasley, Vic
LB Vic Beasley, selected by the Falcons in the first round of the
draft (8th overall), signed a four-year contract Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Boone, Anthony
QB Anthony Boone was waived by the Lions Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Alexander, Mister
LB Mister Alexander was waived by the Seahawks Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - Detroit Lions Gilbert, Garrett
QB Garrett Gilbert was claimed on waivers by the Lions from the
Patriots Friday (June 12).
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NFL Note - New York Jets Brown, Charles
T Charles Brown was signed by the Jets Friday (June 12).
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