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 03/18/2015 NFL Note - Atlanta Falcons Biermann, Kroy
DE Kroy Biermann re-signed with Atlanta on Wednesday. Terms were not
disclosed.
Biermann, 29, started 15 games last season and set a career high
with 80 tackles to go along with 4.5 sacks and three passes
defensed. It was a rebound season for Biermann, who missed the final
14 games in 2013 due to an Achilles injury.
Biermann was a part of general manager Thomas Dimitroff's first
draft class in 2008. The former fifth-round pick from Montana has
played in 98 games, made 37 starts and registered 21 sacks. He has
also been versatile, including playing as a hybrid linebacker in
former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's scheme.
However, Biermann was also the 42nd-ranked defensive end by Pro
Football Focus last season. His return to the Falcons under new head
coach Dan Quinn was uncertain because Biermann is too light
(6-feet-3, 255 pounds) to fit Quinn's 4-3 scheme, but he could help
on special teams and in a backup role. He played 867 snaps in 16
games last season and tallied 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
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NFL Note - Dallas Cowboys Hardy, Greg
DE Greg Hardy left the Panthers for the Cowboys Wednesday (March 18)
after two days of negotiations. The one-year deal for the former
Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl player carries a salary of $750,000, but
he could earn $13.1 million.
Hardy can earn a workout bonus of $1.3 million, $9.25 million in
per-game roster bonuses and $1.8 million in incentives based on
sacks and being on the 53-man roster for the final game of the
regular season.
His 2015 salary cap number will be $3.2 million -- base salary,
workout bonus and two games of the per-game bonus because he was on
the 53-man roster for just two games in 2014. Any other bonuses or
incentives he reaches in 2015 will be added to the Cowboys' 2016
salary cap.
The Cowboys hosted Hardy on Tuesday and he stayed overnight before
taking a physical Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, agent Drew Rosenhaus told media that his client
would choose between the Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Bucs general manager Jason Licht later told the Tampa Bay Times that
they were no longer pursing Hardy.
"At the end of the day, we didn't feel good about it," Licht told
the newspaper.
The Cowboys confirmed the signing Wednesday afternoon on Twitter:
"Welcome to the Cowboys Greg Hardy!"
Rosenhaus also tweeted the news: "Congrats to Greg Hardy on joining
the Cowboys! Thanks to Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and the Cowboys
organization."
Hardy, who was a 2013 Pro Bowl selection after leading the Panthers
with 15 sacks, could be facing an NFL suspension of as many as six
games after he missed 15 games last season.
The 26-year-old Hardy was arrested and charged with assaulting and
threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, in May. He was
convicted last summer, but he appealed the ruling and was assigned
for a jury trial that was to start Feb. 9 in Charlotte, N.C. But the
case was dismissed because Holder did not appear to testify.
Hardy played only one game last season but received $13.1 million
from
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NFL Note - Chicago Bears Gafford, Thomas
LS Thomas Gafford left the Chiefs for the Bears Wednesday, signing a
one-year contract.
The Bears had been the only team in the NFL without a long snapper
on their roster.
Since making his NFL regular-season debut on Nov. 2, 2008, Gafford
has appeared in 105 straight games as the long snapper of the Kansas
Chiefs.
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Gafford has collected 19 special teams
tackles and a fumble recovery during his NFL career.
Gafford entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in
2006 out of the University of Houston. He also spent time with
Seattle (2007 offseason) and Chicago (2008 preseason, including two
preseason games) before signing with Kansas City in 2008.
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NFL Note - Detroit Lions Mathis, Rashean
CB Rashean Mathis re-signed with the Lions Wednesday (March 18),
agreeing to terms on a two-year contract worth $3.5 million that
includes a $750,000 signing bonus.
After spending his first 10 NFL seasons in Jacksonville, Mathis has
played for the Lions the past two. Last year, he started every game
and recorded 51 tackles, nine pass breakups and one interception,
which he returned for a touchdown.
In his 12-year career, Mathis has 31 interceptions and 127 passes
defensed.
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NFL Note - St. Louis Rams Reynolds, Garrett
T/G Garrett Reynolds left the Falcons for the Rams Wednesday (March
18), agreeing to terms on a two-year, $2.2 million contract.
Reynolds, 27, spent his first five years in Atlanta after the
Falcons drafted him in the fifth round in 2009.
The Falcons cut him in February 2014 and he signed with the Detroit
Lions in July and played in 10 games last season, starting four.
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NFL Note - New England Patriots Fletcher, Bradley
CB Bradley Fletcher left the Eagles for the Patriots Wednesday
(March 18), agreeing to terms on a one-year contract. Fletcher, 28,
spent the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles after four
years with St. Louis Rams. He has 306 career tackles and eight
interceptions.
Last season with the Eagles, Fletcher started the first 15 games but
was burned repeatedly late in the season in coverage and benched for
the final game. He led the Eagles with 26 passes defensed.
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NFL Note - New England Patriots McClain, Robert
CB Robert McClain left the Falcons for the Patriots Wednesday (March
18), agreeing to terms on a one-year, $1.25 million contract that
includes a $150,000 signing bonus. McClain, 26, has bounced between
the Carolina Panthers (2010), Jacksonville Jaguars (2011) and
Atlanta Falcons (2012-14) in four NFL seasons. In 63 career games,
he has 202 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and four
fumble recoveries.
In 2014, McClain started six of 16 games for the Falcons and totaled
60 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
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NFL Note - Baltimore Ravens Canty, Chris
DE Chris Canty re-signed with the Ravens Wednesday (March 18),
agreeing to terms on a two-year, 4.65 million contract that includes
a $1.5 million signing bonus.
The Canty move comes almost three weeks after the team terminated
the final year of his previous three-year, $8 million contract --
saving the team $2.66 million in salary-cap space.
Canty talked with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks before
deciding to return for his third season with the Ravens.
Canty said he canceled a visit to Seattle to sign the deal.
"I'm really, really excited about it," Canty said Wednesday. "Just
to have an opportunity to be back with a great organization and work
with some really great people, I'm thrilled."
On Feb. 27, the Ravens terminated Canty's original contract, but the
Ravens said at that time that the 10-year NFL veteran could return
to Baltimore.
"We talked weeks ago about the possibility of Chris coming back, and
we are happy he is," general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a
statement.
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Canty, 32, has spent the last two seasons with the Ravens, seeing
action in 26 games (24 starts). He has recorded 63 tackles, 2.5
sacks, six passes defensed and three forced fumbles while playing in
Baltimore.
This past season, Canty played in 11 games (all starts), producing
33 tackles, a half-sack, two passes defensed and one forced fumble.
He added two solo tackles in Baltimore's two playoff games, one of
which he started.
Canty came to Baltimore after spending the first eight years of his
career with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. He won a Super
Bowl with the Giants in 2011.
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NFL Note - Baltimore Ravens Guy, Lawrence
DE Lawrence Guy re-signed with the Ravens Wednesday (March 18),
agreeing to terms on a two-year contract.
Guy joined the Ravens via waivers from the San Diego Chargers last
season and provided depth along the defensive line. The 6-foot-4,
318-pound player finished with 16 tackles and one fumble recovery.
A seventh-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2011, Guy
also has played for the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins.
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NFL Note - * Free Agents Pierce, Bernard
RB Bernard Pierce was placed on waivers by the Ravens Wednesday
(March 18), just hours afer being arrested and charged with driving
under the influence earlier in the morning.
The Baltimore County police told the Baltimore Sun that Pierce was
pulled over for speeding just before 2 a.m. and failed field
sobriety tests. He reportedly was driving 55 mph in a 30-mph zone.
According to police, the officer who pulled Pierce over suspected
that he had been drinking. He asked Pierce to exit the vehicle for
field sobriety tests. After failing the tests, he was arrested and
taken to the Towson precinct in Baltimore County for processing.
According to the report, Pierce predicted the Ravens' move, telling
police, "I'm getting cut tomorrow, not like you care."
Pierce is the second running back to run afoul of the law and be
released by the Ravens in the past year. Ray Rice was released in
September after video emerged of him punching his fiancée. He is on
probation for that offense.
Pierce also is the third player to be cut in the wake of legal
issues this offseason. Cornerback Victor Hampton was released
earlier this month after he was arrested on charges of driving under
the influence. Defensive tackle Terrence Cody was cut the day he was
indicted for animal cruelty.
Pierce has been with the Ravens for three years. The former
third-round pick ran 93 times for 366 yards and two touchdowns last
season.
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NFL Note - Cincinnati Bengals Gresham, Jermaine
Free-agent TE Jermaine Gresham reportedly will have surgery to
repair a herniated disk in his back Thursday.
The condition was diagnosed Wednesday, according to Ian Rapoport of
NFL Media, and there is no timetable for his recovery.
Gresham missed the Bengals' playoff loss at the Indianapolis Colts
with a back injury, which he suffered in Week 17 at the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
The herniated disk was discovered during a free-agency visit,
according to Rapoport.
The Oakland Raiders, who missed out on signing tight end Julius
Thomas, reportedly had shown the most interest in Gresham, who
caught 62 passes for 460 yards and five touchdowns with the Bengals
last season.
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NFL Note - New York Giants Fells, Daniel
TE Daniel Fells re-signed with the Giants Wednesday (March 18).
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NFL Note - San Diego Chargers Unrein, Mitch
DE Mitch Unrein left the Broncos for the Chargers Wednesday (March
18), agreeing to terms on a two-year contract.
Unrein is 6-4, 306 pounds and he'll play his fifth NFL season in
2015. A native of Eaton, Colorado, Unrein played at the University
of Wyoming before signing with the Houston Texans as a free agent in
2010. He spent five seasons with the Broncos (2010-14), including
most of 2010 on the Broncos' practice squad, after he was released
by the Texans. Over the last four seasons (2011-14), Unrein played
in 54 games with three starts and he recorded 48 tackles and a
fumble recovery. He also appeared in six postseason games. In 2012,
Unrein saw action as a fullback in short-yardage situations and he
caught a one-yard touchdown pass in a game against Tampa Bay to
become the first Broncos defensive lineman in team history to catch
a touchdown pass.
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NFL Note - Atlanta Falcons Smith, Jared
G Jared Smith was signed by the Falcons Wednesday (March 18). Smith,
6-4, 302 pounds, was originally selected by the Seattle Seahawks in
the seventh round (241st overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft out of the
University of New Hampshire. He spent part of the 2013 season as a
member of the Seahawks practice squad before suffering an injury.
Smith was waived prior to the start of training camp in 2014.
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NFL Note - New York Giants Ellis, Kenrick
DT Kenrick Ellis left the Jets for the Giants Wednesday (March 18),
agreeing to terms on a one-year contract.
A third-round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2011, the 6-foot-4,
346-pound tackle had been a backup for the Jets over the past four
seasons.
Last year, he finished with 12 tackles and a sack in 14 games while
helping the Jets rank fifth against the run at 93.1 yards per game.
He will be expected to help the Giants improve their run 30th-ranked
run defense.
"I am a run-stopper and I like doing it," Ellis said. "That is the
strength of my game. I look forward to helping the Giants get back
to their glory.
"By default, that's who I am. I'm a journeyman. I come in and do my
job. You don't get much recognition for it, but you get the job done
and it helps out the team. I'll take on the double-teams and take on
the work no one else wants to do. It's just who I am. I take pride
in what I do, which is being a big man in the middle and try to make
sure no one runs the ball."
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NFL Note - Atlanta Falcons Biermann, Kroy
DE Kroy Biermann re-signed with the Falcons Wednesday (March 18).
Biermann, 29, started 15 games last season and set a career high
with 80 tackles to go along with 4.5 sacks and three passes
defensed. It was a rebound season for Biermann, who missed the final
14 games in 2013 due to an Achilles injury.
Biermann was a part of general manager Thomas Dimitroff's first
draft class in 2008. The former fifth-round pick from Montana has
played in 98 games, made 37 starts and registered 21 sacks. He has
also been versatile, including playing as a hybrid linebacker in
former defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's scheme.
His return to the Falcons under new head coach Dan Quinn was
uncertain because Biermann was thought to be too light (6-foot-3,
255 pounds) to fit Quinn's 4-3 scheme, but he could help on special
teams and in a backup role. He played 867 snaps in 16 games last
season and tallied 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
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