<p> It's not a good day to be a Ravens rookie defensive lineman.</p> <p> <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-ravens-rookie-brent-urban-carted-off-the-field-timmy-jernigan-limps-into-training-room-20140730,0,6618298.story">Via The Baltimore Sun</a>, fourth-round draft pick Brent Urban had to be carted off of the practice field after sustaining a right leg injury. Urban is expected to compete for playing time in the Ravens' rotation at the five-technique position this season.</p> <p> In addition, second-round pick Timmy Jernigan sustained an injury and limped off of the field with the help of a trainer. Jernigan has had a solid camp thus far and would be a blow to the Ravens if he's out for a while.</p> <p> However, Jernigan's injury <a href="https://twitter.com/RavensInsider/status/494541777731596288">didn't appear as serious as Urban's</a>.</p> <p> Outside of Aaron Ross tearing his Achilles in the conditioning test, the Ravens had been major injury free until now. While Urban and Jernigan's status is yet to be determined, it's never a good sign when a player, in this case Urban, is being carted off due to a leg injury.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/jasonhbutt">@JasonHButt</a></p>
Month: July 2014
Redskins sign Jake McDonough
<p> The Washington Redskins have signed defensive tackle Jake McDonough, according to his agent, Glen Lansy, of Elite Sports Agency.</p> <p> McDonough has previous stints with the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts.</p> <p> He played collegiately at Iowa State.</p> <p> The Redskins have been shorthanded along the defensive line due to injuries.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Buccaneers cut Carl Nicks, sign Kip Edwards
<p> The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially cut offensive guard Carl Nicks.</p> <p> The team reached a settlement with Nicks last week. He dealt with a toe injury that's going to lead to his retirement. Nicks suffered a MRSA infection.</p> <p> Meanwhile, the Buccaneers replaced Nicks on the roster with cornerback Kip Edwards.</p> <p> Edwards has previous stints with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Clevleand Browns.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Broncos sign Will Pericak, Cody Larsen
<p> The Denver Broncos signed a pair of former Baltimore Ravens defensive linemen: Cody Larsen and Will Pericak.</p> <p> Pericak played collegiately at Colorado.</p> <p> Pericak was on the San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squads last season after being released by the Ravens.</p> <p> Larsen spent last season on the Ravens' practice squad.</p> <p> He played collegiately at Southern Utah.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Solutions to Marshawn Lynch's holdout
<p> The end of running back <a href="http://footballpost.wpengine.com/Marshawn-Lynch-holding-out-from-Seahawks-camp.html" target="_self">Marshawn Lynch’s holdout</a> doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight with both sides firmly entrenched in their respective positions. The Seattle Seahawks expect Lynch to play under the four-year, $30 million contract (with $17 million in guarantees and additional $1 million in incentives) he signed in 2012 while Lynch would like his contract redone.</p> <p> Lynch is subject to a fine of $30,000 for each day of training camp he misses during his holdout. Since Lynch’s holdout reached six days on Tuesday, the Seahawks can also recoup $225,000 of his $6 million signing bonus. 15 percent of the $1.5 million prorated amount of Lynch’s signing bonus became recoverable on the sixth day of his holdout. Another one percent ($15,000) can be recouped for each additional missed day with a maximum of 25 percent of the prorated amount ($375,000) forfeitable during training camp. An additional 25 percent can be recovered if Lynch misses Seattle’s first regular season game. After four missed weeks of the regular season, the Seahawks can recover 1/17th of the prorated amount ($88,235) for each additional week of Lynch’s absence. The most that can be recouped from Lynch’s signing bonus during 2014 is $1.5 million, the entire prorated amount of his signing bonus. Teams will typically reduce or waive the penalties accumulated as a gesture of goodwill once a player ends his holdout.</p> <p> Contrary to reports, Lynch isn’t subject to a fine of one week’s base salary (1/17 of $5 million) for each pre-season game missed, which would be $294,117 per game. This fine is applied to players who signed contracts as unrestricted free agents. Lynch signed his current deal about a week before he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.</p> <p> The Seahawks are content to follow their “Next Man Up” philosophy with 2013 second-round pick Christine Michael and 2012 fourth-round pick Robert Turbin serving as the primary ball carriers during Lynch’s absence. Michael and Turbin are the main components of Seattle’s succession plan at running back. The team was already planning on reducing Lynch’s workload before the holdout. The 28-year-old has a league-leading 901 rushing attempts over the last three seasons as the centerpiece of Seattle’s run-oriented offense. There has been speculation that the Seahawks could release Lynch in 2015.</p> <p> Lynch is adequately compensated by most standards. Although Lynch is currently the NFL’s sixth-highest paid running back by average salary at $7.5 million per year, he ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards (2,847), first in rushing touchdowns (23) and tied for fourth in yards from scrimmage (3,359 yards) since signing his deal. Lynch has the fifth-best cash flow in the first three years of running back deals ($22.5 million). He’s also fifth in compensation for running backs over the last two years with $17 million, ranking behind only Ray Rice ($25 million), Arian Foster ($23.5 million), Adrian Peterson ($19.75 million) and Chris Johnson ($18 million).</p> <p class="co_image co_image_right inline_right"> <img alt="Marshawn Lynch" src="http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c1910342/media_center/images/rendered/blog/wysiwyg/lynch3-2286.jpg" />Should Lynch honor his current contract or does he deserve a raise?</p> <p> Lynch is in a different financial situation than Jamaal Charles, <a href="http://footballpost.wpengine.com/Chiefs-sign-Jamaal-Charles-to-twoyear-extension.html" target="_self">who received an additional</a> $5.1 million over the remaining two years of his deal as a part of a two-year, $18.1 million contract extension signed on August 23. Charles was dramatically underpaid. The $18.57 million Charles made from 2010 to 2013 was $1.57 million less than Lynch earned over the last two years.</p> <p> The Seahawks don’t have any plans to deviate from their position but might be able to quickly end the stalemate by extending an olive branch to Lynch where they attempted to rework his deal within its existing framework. Interestingly, fans are almost evenly split on Lynch’s holdout according to an ESPN.com poll. 51.2 percent are in favor of reworking his contract while 48.8 percent think Lynch should honor his deal.</p> <p> Lynch is scheduled to make $5.5 million this year with a $5 million base salary and $500,000 as a per game 46-man active roster bonus ($31,250 per game). His 2015 salary is $7.5 million consisting of a $5.5 million base salary and $2 million as a per game 46-man active roster bonus ($125,000 per game). Lynch also has a $500,000 incentive in each of these years for 1,500 or more rushing yards.</p> <p> One easy cosmetic change would be to convert Lynch’s $500,000 roster bonus into base salary to ensure that he earned the money. The per game amount is only payable if Lynch is on the 46-man active roster for that particular game. For example, if Lynch suffered a season-ending injury during Seattle’s fourth game of the season, he would only earn $125,000 of his $500,000 roster bonus. Percy Harvin, Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas <a href="http://footballpost.wpengine.com/Breaking-down-Richard-Shermans-57431-million-contract.html" target="_self">don’t have per game roster bonuses</a> in their contracts. Per game roster bonuses were a rarity in Seattle contracts when Lynch signed in 2012, but have started becoming more prevalent in their deals. Michael Bennett has $1 million and $1.5 million of per game roster bonuses in the last two years of the four-year contract he signed this off-season.</p> <p> The Seahawks could convert this year’s $500,000 rushing yards incentive into 2014 base salary, if not the entire $1 million in incentives for both years. The conversion would use $1 million of Seattle’s $7.55 million of existing salary cap room (includes Lynch’s $5 million base salary in calculations which isn’t counting while he is holding out). If the Seahawks wanted to spread out the cap hit over two years, the $1 million could be a signing bonus instead. The Seahawks are in good shape cap wise in 2015, with $116.922 million of cap commitments (top 51 players).</p> <p> Another possibility would be to also fully guarantee a small portion (no more than $1 million) of Lynch’s $5.5 million 2015 base salary. As an alternative, the amount guaranteed could be tied to Lynch’s 2014 performance. Seattle would insist on any 2015 guarantees containing an offset so Lynch couldn’t “double dip” (get paid Seattle’s guarantee and the entire amount of his contract with another team) if he’s released next year. Additionally, Seattle could convert Lynch’s $2 million per game roster bonus in 2015 or $2 million of 2015 base salary into a first day of the 2015 league year roster bonus. If Lynch wasn’t a part of Seattle’s plans next year, he would hit the free agent market while teams had all of their cap room available to sign players.</p> <p> Another impediment to reworking Lynch’s deal is that NFL teams are reluctant to establish contractual precedents, especially a precedent of giving into a player’s demands for a new contract through a holdout. Although teams should be able to easily make distinctions based on each player’s particular circumstances, they don’t want to send a signal to the other team members that they could get rewarded by holding the team hostage. Seattle doesn’t want to give Sherman or Thomas ammunition to approach them about renegotiating their deals in a couple of years because of how they handled Lynch’s situation.&l
t;/p> <p> Seattle did make some changes to Brandon Browner’s contract last year to give him the opportunity to earn an additional $250,008 in the final year of the three-year deal he signed in 2011. Browner received a $125,000 signing bonus and $125,008 as a per game 53-man roster bonus ($7,813 per game). Browner’s situation can be differentiated because he was only making minimum salary in his deal and a portion of the salary increase may have been a reimbursement for him accepting a four-game performance enhancing drugs suspension without pay at the end of the 2012 regular season instead of appealing so he would be available during the playoffs.</p> <p> Outside of a serious injury at running back or extremely poor performance of the rushing attack during pre-season games, it’s hard to envision anything else that could shift leverage before the start of the regular season. Unless Seattle eventually softens its stance, Lynch’s holdout will likely end the same way Maurice Jones-Drew’s did with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012. Jones-Drew returned to the Jaguars at the end of the pre-season without getting his contract adjusted.</p> <p> <strong>Follow Joel on Twitter:</strong> @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/corryjoel" target="_blank">corryjoel</a></p> <p> <em><strong>Joel Corry is a former sports agent who helped found Premier Sports & Entertainment, a sports management firm that represents professional athletes and coaches. Prior to his tenure at Premier, Joel worked for Management Plus Enterprises, which represented Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ronnie Lott. You can email Joel at jccorry@gmail.com. </strong></em></p>
Bengals activate Geno Atkins
<p> The Cincinnati Bengals have activated Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins from the physically unable to perform list.</p> <p> Atkins tore his anterior cruciate ligament last year.</p> <p> The Bengals are hoping to get Atkins back in time for their season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens.</p> <p> The Bengals also activated rookie linebacker Marquis Flowers.</p> <p> He had been sidelined with a hamstring injury.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Giants RB David Wilson out at least this week
<p> After sustaining a burner Tuesday, New York Giants running back David Wilson is going to visit the doctor that performed his spinal fusion surgery.</p> <p> Wilson will visit Dr. Frank Cammisa this week.</p> <p> Wilson is out for at least this week.</p> <p> That means he won't play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in the annual Hall of Fame game.</p> <p> It's a serious situation given Wilson's history of neck problems.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Source: Browns work out tackle Kaycee Ike
<p> The Cleveland Browns worked out offensive tackle Kaycee Ike today, according to a league source.</p> <p> Ike has a previous stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.</p> <p> He played collegiately at Alabama-Birmingham.</p> <p> It's unclear if the Browns will sign him, though.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Opening bid for Bills over $1 billion
<p> The opening bid to purchase the Buffalo Bills is over $1 billion, according to the New York Post.</p> <p> The bid was made by Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, who would keep the team in Buffalo.</p> <p> Morgan Stanley is running the bidding process.</p> <p> Another group, led by rock star Jon Bon Jovi, is also bidding.</p> <p> Other rumored bidders were eyeing a move to Los Angeles, which has been without an NFL team since 1994.</p> <p> The Miami Dolphins' sale price of $1.1 billion is the NFL record.</p> <p> The $1.1 billion sale of the Miami Dolphins in 2008 is the highest price ever paid for an NFL team.</p> <p> Donald Trump has also bid on the Bills, but isn't expected to land the team.</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RavensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>
Cowboys' Sean Lee expects full recovery
<p> Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee expects to make a full recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.</p> <p> "I think I'll come back completely healthy," Lee told reporters "Now, the question is, can I stay out there? That's something that, obviously, I'm hopeful for, and I'm going to do everything I can do to do that and control everything I can. But at the end of the day, there's situations that you might not be able to avoid. I'm not going to stress too much about that end. I'm just going to do what I can do."</p> <p> Lee was placed on injured reserve. He has suffered hamstring, wrist, neck and knee injuries in his career, never playing a full season. Last year, the Cowboys signed him to a $42 million contract.</p> <p> "They pay me to be out there making plays and helping us win games," Lee said. "If you're injured, you're not out there. So I have to find a way to stay out there, and I get it. I have to come back from this injury and stay healthy. I see it as, my back is against the wall a little bit. I understand that, and hopefully I can come back, never be injured again and help this team win football games. But if I'm not doing that, then that's the way it goes. It's a business decision, and I would understand that completely."</p> <p> Follow me on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/RavensInsider">@RasvensInsider</a></p> <p> Aaron Wilson covers the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun</p>