NFL - NEWS & NOTES

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released tight end Ladarius Green one year into a four-year contract after he failed a physical.

Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official website confirmed Green's release, adding it came "with the designation failed physical."

The 26-year-old Green only played in six games for the Steelers last season. He started 2016 on the physically unable to perform list after?having?offseason ankle surgery and battling headaches stemming from two concussions in a span of two weeks during the 2015 season with the San Diego Chargers.

Green missed Pittsburgh's final five games of last season, including three playoff games, due to a concussion.

 

Is he going to offer different flavors?

 

^^no word on that gid. he better stay clear of Philly PD.

 

They had to have a idea about this when they were drafting. So why didn't we draft a TE? There were some really good TEs in this draft and we got none. When you are in a win now mode you cover all your bases.

 

Yeah, it's perplexing. As someone once said "We will be alright this time because we have Tomlin and the standard is the standard."

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick lands with Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ryan Fitzpatrick grabbed a chair in this offseason's game of quarterback musical chairs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to terms with the veteran quarterback, the team announced Friday.

Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times first reported the news.

The Bucs were in need of a veteran behind starter Jameis Winston. They entered offseason workouts with Ryan Griffin, Sean Renfree and undrafted rookie Sefo Liufau as their backups. Griffin has never taken a regular-season snap, and Renfree threw a total of seven passes in two appearances with Atlanta in 2015.

Tampa couldn't head into 2017 without replacing Mike Glennon with an insurance plan in case Winston suffers an injury. The Bucs are poised to battle for a playoff spot this season -- and could be a trendy pick to swipe the NFC South. Adding Fitzpatrick at least provides an experienced signal-caller if something catastrophic happens to Winston.

Fitzpatrick also brings an experienced tutor to the Bucs' QB room. Tampa will be the 34-year-old nomad's seventh team in 13 seasons. When last we saw him with the New York Jets in 2016, Fitzmagic was throwing costly interceptions and cratering after a splendid 2015 season.

Regardless of his rollercoaster play, Fitzpatrick is a better protection policy than the inexperienced QBs Tampa employed before Friday. (NFL.com)

 

Apparently the "Standard" is drafting a long snapper rather than simply waiting to sign him as an UDFA. The logic? "We drafted a player that will contribute for 10+ years".

OBTW: The last long snapper for Pittsburgh (Warren) played for 11 years. He was an UDFA.

 

Myles Garrett is officially a Cleveland Brown.

The Browns signed the first overall pick to his four-year rookie deal on Friday, the team announced.

$30.4 M guaranteed.

 

Wayne Walker, Lions LB, longtime 49ers broadcaster, dies at 80

DETROIT -- Wayne Walker, a Pro Bowl linebacker for the Detroit Lions and broadcaster, has died. He was 80.
The Lions say Walker died Friday. Walker said in 2015 he had Parkinson's disease.

"Wayne was one of our finest players from the decade of the 60s and will not only be remembered for his career accomplishments as a Lion, but also for his great success as a broadcaster after his playing days were over," Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford said in a team statement.

The former Idaho standout set a team record by playing in 200 games. The mark stood until kicker Jason Hanson surpassed it in 2004. The three-time Pro Bowl selection led the Lions in scoring three times as its kicker during his 15-year career.

Walker went on to be an NFL analyst for CBS and the San Francisco 49ers. He was sports director of San Francisco TV station KPIX from 1979-1994.
________________________

Wobbly Wayne Walker... RIP

 

Zimmer: Vikings provide Floyd 'good support system'

Michael Floyd is hoping to rejuvenate his career in his home state. His new coach thinks he has the infrastructure in place to do so.

Floyd signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Vikings earlier in the month, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. The former first-round pick played for two teams last season -- he joined the Patriots after he was dismissed from the Cardinals in December.

"We understand [his legal history]. We always try to weigh every situation," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Saturday at his youth football camp. "But you know, he's from here. I think he has a good support system with [former Notre Dame teammates] Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph, partly. A lot of those things were factored into it."

According to a police report obtained by NFL.com, Floyd was "unconscious behind the wheel of his running vehicle at the intersection in Scottsdale" just before 3 a.m. He pleaded guilty to an extreme DUI charge in February and was sentenced to jail and counseling.

The St. Paul native, however, reportedly had the remainder of his 96-day house arrest transferred from Arizona to Minnesota, per ESPN. This means that Floyd can start working out with the Vikings in organized team activies -- which start on May 23 -- rather than having to wait until June 13-15 for mandatory minicamp.

Zimmer mentioned Saturday it was "important" Floyd can start practicing with the team earlier than expected, and have a few extra weeks to develop chemistry with Sam Bradford. Even with juggling his legal situation, Zimmer doesn't think it will be difficult for the big-play threat to adjust to his third offense in less than a calendar year.

"Michael's a very, very intelligent person, so I don't think he'll have any problem catching on to the system or anything like that," Zimmer said. "But to get out here and do it, and be around the other guys, and be around the quarterbacks, I think that will help him."

The addition of the 6-foot-2 target gives Bradford another weapon to work with. Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and Rudolph each accumulated at least 800 yards through the air in 2016. Floyd, a five-year veteran, averaged more than 800 receiving yards in his first four seasons in the league. (NFL.com)

 

To be fair, how many late 6th round TEs will give 10+ years of quality service in the NFL? There were reports the Chiefs were interested and they picked before us in the 7th, so he might not have been there...course

 

I don't think they meant to take a TE in the 6th round...The example was how the draft was irrational overall. This draft was chock full of quality TEs (that would have needed to be taken in the first 4 rounds), example taking Jake Butt in the 4th instead of Joshua Dobbs...

However, just as they are talking about how they needed a TE knowing they were probably moving on from Green, I believe they are also in "next up" mode from Roethlisberger (because if anyone knows how serious he was about retirement, it was Colbert. I don't think anyone in the Steelers organization wants to stare down the doorway of Landry Jones being the best QB in the QB room...

I think this underlines the fact that the Steelers are starting to find holes in their roster. The "next man up" just isn't as reliable a source as it was in the past....Is that because Tomlin can manage the guys that are already stars, but can't develop his young talent?

 

I would think if anyone could get behind the commitment to a long snapper it would be a Browns fan considering the front office that is supposedly going to get the Browns out of the cellar just made their LS the highest paid in the league - and they did so two years prior to him hitting unrestricted free agency.

 

Hard to make sense of this statement. I mean every roster has holes but I would think selecting a specialist in the 6th would me more of a statement that they are confident with their depth and for good reason. They have DEVELOPED starters from every round of the draft as well as the undrafted ranks:

22 starters

Free Agents - 2
UDFAs - 4
6th rounders - 2
5th rounders - 1
4th rounders - 1
3rd rounders - 1
2nd rounders - 4
1st rounders - 7

 

lol...It's still a long snapper beach...A 2012 Undrafted Free Agent. Yes, he has signed the highest contract..however, he is still the 12th highest paid long snapper in the league by average per year of contract, to the tune of $1,061,667 per year. Veteran minimum is 775,000 for a 6th year player, he has only accumulated 2 years though, so his minimum would be $615,000...Not quite a premium by any stretch..

Again...this minimum commitment (which as far as guarantees averages $141k per year) is for a veteran player. Not committing a piece that could be added in the 6th round of the draft.

 

Fuzzy math. At 1.465M Charley Hughlett has the highest cap number among long snappers in the NFL - about 850k more than he was on the books for prior to the extension.

 

I never said an organization shouldn't show a commitment to a long snapper. Just don't think you need to spend a draft pick on one.

OBTW: The highest paid LS in the league was an UDFA.

 

Belichick spent a 5th a couple of years ago. And a 6th round pick is cheaper over a 4 year period than a UDFA who becomes RFA eligible in his 4th year. Makes financial sense and he won't get swiped off the practice squad like their '16 6th round pick did.

 

How many of those are from the past 3 years?

I was speaking specifically to the question raised about the TE position, which would have needed to be addressed earlier than the 6th round..

The question comes into play of the decision to make that specialist player selection in the 6th, when you do have more pressing needs.

 

LOL, EXACTLY!! On a team that had a historically large amount of cap money to spend, they front loaded a contract for a player they now have wrapped up for 6 years. You want to talk about fuzzy math? You want to use a single year for the basis point of his over all value? You, the capologist that you are, should know better than that.