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 06/15/2015 NFL Note - Philadelphia Eagles Wheeler, Jared
C Jared Wheeler was signed by the Eagles Monday (June 15).
Wheeler, who was signed after working out for the team Monday, adds
depth in the wake of veteran guard Evan Mathis' release last week.
Wheeler, undrafted out of Miami in 2014, has spent time on the
rosters of the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers and Seattle
Seahawks. He was signed by the Seahawks early in the offseason, but
was waived May 5.
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Reed, Marcus
G Marcus Reed was waived by the Packers Monday (June 15). Reed, a
rookie out of Fayetteville State (N.C.), signed with the Packers on
May 8 as an undrafted free agent.
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NFL Note - Chicago Bears Bennett, Martellus
TE Martellus Bennett reported to the Chicago Bears on Monday and is
expected to participate in the team's mandatory minicamp that begins
Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Bennett had skipped organized team activities while seeking a
contract extension. Sitting out the mandatory camp, however, would
have subjected him to fines.
Bennett, 28, is set to earn about $5 million per season in 2015 and
2016, the final two years of his contract. He reportedly is seeking
a pay raise that would keep him near the top of the market for his
position, around $7.5 million per year.
Bennett set career highs last season with 90 receptions for 916
yards and six touchdowns.
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Baker, Sam
T Sam Baker had his contract terminated by the Falcons Monday (June
15).
The 6-foot-5, 301-pound Baker missed all of last season after
suffering a knee injury in the preseason. He has not returned to the
practice field from the injury.
Baker, 30, was originally selected by the Falcons in the first round
(21st overall) of the 2008 draft out of Southern California.
During his six-year career, Baker has played in 70 games, starting
61. He played in just four games during the 2013 season due to
another knee injury.
Baker would have counted $7.3 million against the salary cap in 2015
and his release provides a cap savings of $4.5 million. He signed a
six-year deal in 2013 worth $41.1 million, with a $10 million
signing bonus.
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys McClain, Rolando
LB Rolando McClain showed up for the mandatory minicamp after
missing the OTAs while he was in Alabama rehabbing from offseason
knee surgery. McClain would have been fined if he had not reported
for minicamp.
The Cowboys are still being cautious with his knee. He did some
light walk-through stuff, but did not do any team or individual
drills. Garrett also expressed optimism that McClain will be a
full-go when training camp starts late next month in Oxnard, Calif.
"I don't want to make any projections," Garrett said, "but certainly
he's made a lot of progress and we feel good about where he is."
Garrett believes McClain will build on last season's campaign when
he returned to the game after sitting out the 2013 season.
McClain played in 13 regular-season games for the Cowboys, racking
up 108 tackles with nine tackles for loss, five quarterback
pressures and five passes defensed.
"We tried to create an environment for him to come be his best,"
Garrett said. "And I think he just embraced the opportunity. He was
at the right place in his life to focus on football again."
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Free, Doug
T Doug Free remains sidelined after undergoing offseason foot
surgery. He should be ready for the start of training camp after
missing all of OTAs and minicamp.
"I've done the mental preparation the best I can and also the
physical stuff, what I can do, I've been keeping up with," Free
said. "Just planning on getting into training camp a little fresher
maybe than some other people and working extra hard."
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Lee, Sean
LB Sean Lee continued to progress in his return from a torn ACL that
sidelined him all last season. He took part in team drills for the
first time Tuesday, one week after doing 7-on-7 work for the first
time. The Cowboys have been bringing him along slowly. Said
defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, "So far, so good."
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NFL Note - Carolina Panthers Davis, Thomas
LB Thomas Davis signed a two-year contract extension with the
Panthers Monday (June 15). Davis, 32, is now under contract with the
Panthers through the 2017 season.
Davis is due to earn $18 million over the next three years under the
extension. The deal includes a $9 million signing bonus, part of a
total compensation package of $10.25 million in 2015. He will make
$3.5 million in 2016 and $4.25 million in 2017.
Davis was entering the final year of a contract that would have paid
him $7.25 million this year, with a salary cap number of $9.9
million, and the extension is expected to lower his cap hit by as
much as $4 million.
"Signing this extension is something I've wanted to do all along and
it just confirms that I now get to officially end my career as a
Carolina Panther and that means the world to me," Davis said in a
statement released by the team. "I'm extremely excited about being a
part of this defense and I'm looking forward to doing my part to
make sure that we become the No. 1 defense in the league."
Davis has spent his entire career with the Panthers since being
drafted with the 14th overall choice in the 2005 draft. Davis is the
second-leading tackler in franchise history with 831, and has played
in 117 regular-season games with 99 starts -- both team records for
a linebacker.
"Thomas has been and continues to be an integral part of our team on
the field and off the field," general manager Dave Gettleman said in
the news release. "His leadership is valuable and he is still
playing at a high level. We're thrilled we could get this done. He's
a linchpin in our defense and we're excited that he's going to have
the ability to retire as a Panther."
In 2014, Davis tallied his third consecutive 100-tackle season,
finishing with 129 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one
fumble recovery and six passes defensed as the Panthers became the
first team to win the NFC South in consecutive seasons.
Davis was named the 2014 Walter Payton
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NFL Note - Carolina Panthers Houston, Chris
CB Chris Houston was signed by the Panthers Monday (June 15).
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Houston has played in 99 regular-season
games with 91 starts for his career, splitting time between the
Atlanta Falcons (2007-09) and Detroit Lions (2010-13). He has
totaled 370 tackles, 13 interceptions, including three returned for
touchdowns, 80 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble
recoveries. He was selected by the Falcons in the second-round (41st
overall) of the 2007 draft.
Houston was released by the Lions a year ago in June after
undergoing toe surgery.
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Wilcox, J.J.
FS J.J. Wilcox missed practice Tuesday, and will be limited the rest
of minicamp as he's dealing with plantar fasciitis. He is expected
to be ready by training camp.
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NFL Note - New York Giants Beatty, Will
T Will Beatty, who is almost one month into his estimated
five-to-six month recovery from pectoral surgery, made his first
appearance before the media since suffering his injury.
Beatty, who described his injury as a "freak accident," is hoping to
be back on the field again at some point this season, perhaps even
before his projected six-month timetable.
In the meantime, he will probably spend all of training camp on the
PUP list, where he will likely remain to start the season.
"I mean they haven't said anything to how they are going to do
that," Beatty admitted, adding, "It is more of I have the
opportunity to come back and they are letting me know that early, so
it's like, 'Don't sit around and don't mope around; you have got to
get back on your horse and we have got to get back not only as fast
as possible but also healthy enough and strong so you can be a
factor in the game.'"
Of course, there could be complications for Beatty when he is
physically ready to return, and that comes in the form of rookie
Ereck Flowers, whom the team drafted ninth overall with an eye
toward becoming the future left tackle.
Should Flowers grow into the role, it would probably be difficult
for the coaching staff to remove the rookie once Beatty is ready to
return.
Beatty admitted that is a concern.
"I am more, 'How can I be here and not get lost in the crowd or get
put on the back burner?'" he said.
"I was talking to the doctor; he was like, 'We could have surgery,
it is something that can be 100 percent when you recover,' so that
is my goal and that is my mentality, to get back out there and to
still prove to myself that I can still do this."
To make sure he doesn't get caught up in the wash, Beatty said the
only thing he can do is build on what he started last season so that
when his number is called, he's ready to pick up where he left off.
"If I focus on that, the uncertainties of the game, you are just
rolling dice," he said. "The things I
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NFL Note - Philadelphia Eagles Bradford, Sam
QB Sam Bradford participated in 7-on-7 work in Tuesday's minicamp
practice, but continued to be held out of 11-on-11 work. That will
be the case for the final two days of minicamp, but Bradford said he
expects to be a full practice participant when the Eagles open
training camp on Aug. 2.
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NFL Note - Detroit Lions Ngata, Haloti
DT Haloti Ngata returned for minicamp after missing the last two
weeks of OTAs and jumped right back in with the first-team defense.
The Lions weren't concerned with Ngata's absence because of his
familiarity in defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's scheme.
"Nothing caught us by surprise. We knew exactly where he was. We
knew exactly what was happening with him," head coach Jim Caldwell
said. "Some guys that you've had a history with, you know them a
little bit better than others. One of the things - he'll work, he'll
get himself to where he's supposed to be physically."
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NFL Note - Detroit Lions Lucas, Cornelius
T Cornelius Lucas will be out for the entirety of minicamp with an
undisclosed injury, but said he won't need surgery. Lucas is the
likely starting right tackle with LaAdrian Waddle still recovering
from offseason knee surgery.
"Any reps you miss is a problem, so I'm not really feeling too hot
about it," Lucas said. "But at the same time, it's all about certain
situations and the time of the year it is."
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Skinner, Jocquel
CB Jocquel Skinner was waived by the Panthers with an injury
settlement Monday (June 15).
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NFL Note - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Marpet, Ali
G Ali Marpet, selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the
draft (34th overall), signed a four-year contract Monday (June 15).
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NFL Note - St. Louis Rams Gurley, Todd
RB Todd Gurley, selected by the Rams in the first round of the draft
(10th overall), signed a four-year contract Monday (June 15).
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NFL Note - St. Louis Rams Havenstein, Rob
T Rob Havenstein, selected by the Rams in the second round of the
draft (57th overall), signed a four-year contract Monday (June 15).
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NFL Note - Minnesota Vikings Barr, Anthony
LB Anthony Barr, whose 2014 season was cut short right as it was
beginning to soar to potential rookie-of-the-year honors late last
season, participated in individual drills as camp opened on Tuesday.
Barr sat out team drills, but was still excited to strap on a helmet
for the first time in about six months.
"I did the first 30 minutes of practice; more than I have done
obviously this entire offseason," Barr said. "It felt good to be out
there."
A knee injury forced Barr onto injured reserve in November after he
posted 70 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles and an overtime
fumble return for a touchdown at Tampa Bay.
But that injury healed and was replaced by something else that has
sidelined last year's ninth overall draft pick.
As for the nature of his new injury, well, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer
has locked everybody's lips to make sure it stays in-house.
"He's got to get back to playing," Zimmer said. "He hasn't really
done football in a long time. So it's good for him to get back out
here and start moving around and getting with the calls. I mean, I
don't anticipate any problems. I just think it's good for his
mindset. And good for ours as well."
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NFL Note - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dotson, Demar
T Demar Dotson, who was held out of OTAs because of a contract
dispute, attended the Bucs' mandatory minicamp.
"I didn't want to lose any money," said Dotson, who faced fines of
at least $72,920 had he missed all three days of minicamp. "It's
like $100,000, and I got some good advice there.
"You don't want to lose that money. I don't have $100,000 to lose,
so I wanted to keep my money. That was the only way to keep
negotiations going throughout these six weeks going to training
camp."
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Dotson is due to make $2.5 million this season as part of a
three-year extension he signed in 2013, with the potential to
escalate his 2016 salary from $1.75 million to $2.75 million with
playing-time incentives.
That's still below average for a player who has started 47 of 48
games in the last three seasons.
The Bucs were close to finalizing a new deal with a raise and
extension before Dotson opted to stop attending voluntary workouts,
and they pulled their offer, citing a team policy of not negotiating
while players are absent from team activities.
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NFL Note - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wright, Tim
Ten months after he was traded to the Patriots as part of the deal
for Pro-Bowl guard Logan Mankins, tight end Tim Wright was back in a
Bucs uniform on Tuesday after being waived by New England.
"Some familiar faces, same facility, everything just flew back into
what it was," said Wright, wearing a No. 85 jersey, since his old
No. 81 is taken. "I'm pretty happy about that transition and being
able to step in and contribute right away."
Wright is one of five tight ends on the roster and is likely
competing for three or four spots this fall. On Tuesday, he made
several catches as the Bucs opened their three-day mandatory
minicamp.
Wright caught six touchdown passes for the Patriots last year, while
Bucs tight ends collectively caught two, but said he understood the
Patriots' decision to cut him was part of life in the NFL.
"It's a business; you can't control that," said Wright, who caught
five touchdowns as a Bucs rookie in 2013. "Whatever opportunity you
get, you just have to take advantage of it."
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NFL Note - Chicago Bears Bennett, Martellus
TE Martellus Bennett made his first appearance at Halas Hall under
head coach John Fox when mandatory minicamp began Tuesday and said
he expected to report for the start of training camp.
But he did not eliminate the possibility of a holdout, saying,
"There's always a possibility. I take it one day at a time."
Bennett, who had a career-high 90 catches in 2014, wants his
contract extended or renegotiated with two years remaining and
that's not a common practice around the league.
"Most people don't honor their damn phone contract," Bennett said.
"They switch from Sprint to T-Mobile, so, I mean, it's just like
being in an apartment and getting out of your lease because you want
to find a better apartment or something better."
Bennett called it a right to seek a better contract regardless of
how much time he has remaining on this one.
"I think every American, every person in the whole world should be
trying to get a new contract, and if they're not, it's silly," he
said. "For me right now, just continue to work and outperform
whatever it is you need to do and you just come back here and ball
out."
Although he did drop a pass in scrimmage time coming across the
field, Bennett generally seemed at ease with the new offense under
coordinator Adam Gase in his first exposure.
"The great thing about football, there's only so many concepts you
can possibly run," Bennett said. "Nobody's really doing that many
things different around the league. It's just different ways of
getting there. Once you crack that code, you're pretty good.
"It's no different from coding on a website or something."
After Fox said it was apparent Bennett had been studying the new
offense on his iPad, Bennett indicated otherwise.
"Today's my first day looking at the offense," he said. "Just like
any course you ever take in school."
Bennett pointed out the entire offense will be reinstalled at
training camp again, anyway.
"A lot of guys, they know a lot of st
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NFL Note - Buffalo Bills Henderson, Seantrel
T Seantrel Henderson missed the first practice of the minicamp
because of travel problems, and head coach Rex Ryan wasn't pleased
that Henderson could not make it back to Buffalo in time.
"He was not in the building," Ryan said of the second-year right
tackle. "You always tell guys, especially when you're coming up
heading north and all that type of stuff, always try to prepare a
little bit. I'll talk to him about that."
With Henderson absent, 2014 second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio took
the reps with the first offensive line.
Kouandjio made great strides this offseason after a disappointing
rookie season, when he was active for only one game. He and
Henderson are expected to battle for the starting job come training
camp.
"I think he's done extremely well," Ryan said of Koaundjio. "We'll
see when the pads come on. I think he's done about as good as you
can do in the weight room, in the classroom, and carrying out over
to these OTA's, he's done a tremendous job.
Now the big thing is let's see what it looks like when the pads come
on."
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NFL Note - Buffalo Bills Williams, Chris
G Chris Williams is alive and well, Ryan was happy to report.
"Chris is here," Ryan said. "And (now) I know what he looks like.
He's a big dude. My conversation, I'll just leave as a private
conversation with Chris, but there are voluntary camps and all that
type of stuff.
"Obviously we knew Chris' situation with his rehab and things, but
like I said, I know what he looks like now."
Williams has been slow to recover from back surgery that was
performed last season when he missed 13 games.
Signed as a free agent, Williams started the first three games
before going down, though he wasn't all that effective. He did all
of his recuperating at home, as well as his rehab, and despite a new
coaching staff being hired, he opted to stay away from Buffalo, an
odd decision given the circumstances.
Ryan said on a couple of occasions that he was somewhat miffed by
Williams' continued absences.
Because this is a mandatory minicamp, Williams essentially had to
come to town, but he is unable to practice and Ryan would not
speculate on when he might be cleared to work when training camp
begins.
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NFL Note - Buffalo Bills Fluellen, Andre
DT Andre Fluellen, who wasn't tendered as a UFA by the Lions, was
signed by the Bills Tuesday (June 16).
The 30 year old from Florida State is a former third-round pick of
the Lions who has played in 77 career NFL games.
"You can't have enough good players and I think when you add to the
competition you know those are real positive things," head coach Rex
Ryan said. "You know I just saw him out there and I'm like, 'Hey,
who's that young kid?' He's played in the league a little bit but he
can run, he's got some movement skills."
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NFL Note - Buffalo Bills Broomfield, Deon
S Deon Broomfield was waived/injured by the Bills Tuesday (June 16),
meaning he will be placed on injured reserve if he clears waivers.
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NFL Note - Miami Dolphins Delmas, Louis
S Louis Delmas, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right
knee in December, participated in Tuesday's entire practice, the
first of the three-day minicamp. That means Delmas, who is expected
to retain his starting position, is right on schedule with what the
team predicted two months ago.
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NFL Note - New England Patriots Chandler, Scott
TE Scott Chandler has been one of the stars of New England's OTA and
minicamp practices. The free agent and former Buffalo Bill spent a
lot of time working with Rob Gronkowski and Brady. The team hopes to
utilize the two tight ends together in so-called "12 personnel,"
especially in the red zone. Chandler was a little banged up late in
Tuesday's minicamp practice, but said he was "OK."
He emphasized that although he has a start to building a rapport
with Brady, it's still early in the process.
"I still think there is a lot of room to grow there, and a lot to
learn," Chandler told reporters. "But it's coming along. We try to
take a step forward every day."
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NFL Note - Baltimore Ravens Pitta, Dennis
TE Dennis Pitta is still dealing with the fallout from his second
major hip injury in the past two years. Pitta hasn't been medically
cleared by doctors and his career is in doubt as he tries to return
from his second fractured and dislocated right hip within the past
two years.
Pitta also has to decide if he wants to attempt to play after
getting hurt last September against the Cleveland Browns without
being hit. Pitta underwent surgery on his hip for the second time
and was placed on injured reserve.
Unlike previous offseason practices, Pitta wasn't allowed to take
part in individual drills at the start of the team's minicamp and he
just watched the practice from the sideline.
"A couple of things are going to have to happen for him to play,
ultimately," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Pitta, who's
guaranteed $4 million this season under his five-year, $32 million
contract regardless of whether he plays again. "No. 1, he has to be
cleared by the doctors. And, No. 2, he has to decide if he wants to
play because obviously there will be some risk involved. He hasn't
been cleared by the doctors.
"He has been going through, as you saw before, the individual part
of practice. Minicamp, unless you're cleared, you can't come out to
practice. I don't know if that's a rule or a policy, but that's the
way it goes here. Until he gets cleared by the docs, he won't be
able to practice and we'll just have to see where that goes from
here."
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NFL Note - Baltimore Ravens Yanda, Marshal
G Marshal Yanda is heading into the final year of his five-year, $20
million contract extension. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Yanda
has signed a total of four contracts since joining the Ravens in
2007 as a third-round draft pick from Iowa.
"I'm focused on the mandatory minicamp right now," Yanda said.
"We'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, I'm focused
on getting better as a football player. I'm not too worried about
it. We'll get it done when we get it done."
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NFL Note - Cleveland Browns Gipson, Tashaun
S Gipson missed all of OTAs working on his own in a mini-protest of
receiving a second-round tender as a restricted free agent.
Gipson finally signed his tender on Friday. He showed up with a
hamstring injury, which did not please Pettine.
"We obviously held him out," Pettine said. "It's disappointing when
a guy's not here to show up with something. We were going to go at a
very slow pace, but it's disappointing he showed up with an injury."
Gipson called being held out of practice "precautionary." He said he
is not bitter about not getting a long-term contract and said he
wants to stay with the Browns. He is also excited about the prospect
of cashing in on free agency next winter if he does not sign an
extension with the Browns.
Gipson was voted to the Pro Bowl last season.
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NFL Note - Cleveland Browns Shelton, Danny
NT Danny Shelton, was on the field for the start of minicamp. He was
unable to take part in OTAs because he had two finals to take at the
University of Washington. He graduated on Sunday with a degree in
anthropology.
"I'm trying to understand the plays," he said. "Mentally, I was back
in college focusing on my last two finals. Physically, I stayed up
to date with my conditioning.
"I did a little MMA back in Washington. Being back here I'm
transitioning back to football. It wasn't too bad."
Shelton said the coaches are getting him up to date on what he
missed in the classroom.
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NFL Note - Houston Texans Strong, Jaelen
WR Jaelen Strong was back in action Tuesday. The third-round pick
returned to the field for the first time after recovering from a
minor hamstring pull.
"Jaelen's got a long way to go, so it was good to see him out there
(Tuesday)," O'Brien said. "He's got a big stretch here in front of
him where he can work on getting his hamstring better."
Strong mostly ran with the second unit during the first day of a
three-day mandatory minicamp.
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NFL Note - Jacksonville Jaguars Clemons, Chris
DE Chris Clemons followed through on his promise to be in attendance
for the Jacksonville Jaguars mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, his
first appearance of the offseason after the defensive end skipped
all nine of the team's OTA practice sessions.
Clemons was the focus of attention on the field during the Jaguars'
two-hour practice on Tuesday and held center court in the locker
room afterward. It was his first public comments since the end of
the 2014 season. One of Clemons' points of emphasis was that he
stayed in good physical shape, especially when considering he's shed
15-18 pounds since last year, weighing in at 248 when he reported in
on Monday.
"Going out today on the grass with the fellas was a great feeling,"
Clemons said. "My body feels better than it did last offseason. I
played last year at 255, 260 pounds in some games and I felt my
productivity went down. My thing this year was to come back lighter
and leaner so I can go out and play better than I did last year."
As for his absence from the team's OTAs and being the only healthy
player on the 90-man roster who skipped out on them, Clemons said he
and Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley talked on a regular basis and
that Bradley knew that this was how the veteran defensive end
prepared himself for the coming season.
Bradley was defensive coordinator in Seattle for four seasons prior
to his accepting the Jaguars' head coaching spot in 2013.
All six players interviewed during the team's OTAs about Clemons'
absence unanimously agreed that the 34-year-old, 11-year veteran
would be ready to play once the season started and that they had no
beef with his absence. Clemons echoed those thoughts on Tuesday
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