Report: DE Alex Carrington To Visit Raiders And Rams

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Free agent defensive end Alex Carrington is travelling to Oakland today to visit with the Raiders, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.

The former Bills defensive lineman is set to visit the St. Louis Rams after he meets with Oakland. Carrington met with the Steelers on Friday, and the meeting reportedly went well. The Raiders seem to be collecting defensive linemen though, and have a ton of cap space to play with. 258px-Alex_Carrington_Bills92

 

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Jerricho Cotchery To Visit Carolina Monday

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Free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is scheduled to visit the Carolina Panthers on Monday according to Mark Kaboly of the Trib. Cotchery has been absent from the first wave of free agency due to his participation on the Steelers Cruise.

The Panthers have lost Steve Smith and Brandon LaFell to free agency this week, so they are in need of free agent replacements. The Steelers were reportedly in talks with Cotchery’s camp recently, but nothing has materialized yet.

Cotchery had 10 touchdowns last season, and caught 46 of 74 pass attempts. The veteran receiver also averaged 13.2 yards per reception. This will be his 11th season in the league.

According to Kaboly, two other teams have shown interest in Cotchery as well.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Img Source: Wikimedia Commons

Chiefs Execs Call Shenanigans Over Sanders Deal

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So, I reported earlier that Emmanuel Sanders was expected to sign with the Denver Broncos. You could say this came out of left field. As it turns out, Ian Rapoport is reporting that some team officials are crying foul over the way negotiations were handled by Sanders’ camp.

According to Rapoport, one unnamed team official claimed that Sanders’ agent Steve Wienberg “broke every rule in negotiations”. A team source says that Wienberg accepted a deal “in principle” with the Chiefs, but then went on to use that deal to negotiate with Tampa Bay. All the while, never telling Tampa Bay that they agreed to terms with KC.

An executive involved in the dealings was quoted to have said, “This was one of the worst situations in modern football negotiation. Adding, “[It’s] totally wrong. This needs to be stopped.”

Adding perhaps a little more drama to this situation is the fact that Sanders recently changed representation. As it turns out, the agent he switched to is his former agent’s old partner at Woy, Weinberg, & Woy. Weinberg was recently reinstated by the NFLPA after being de-certified in 2003.

While it doesn’t sound like Wienberg did anything illicit here, it’s certainly going to hurt his credibility in future dealings.

Report: Denver Is Expected To Sign Emmanuel Sanders

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Adam Schefter is reporting that the Broncos are expected to sign Emmanuel Sanders. This move comes as a bit of a surprise. Denver hasn’t been reported as one of Sanders suitors.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports is confirming Schefter’s report as well.

Sanders posted a good-bye video of sorts earlier, so it seemed the news of a new contract was coming very soon. Here’s the video:
http://youtu.be/TBZDAZBqn2U

James Starks Reportedly To Visit Steelers On Monday

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Veteran running back James Starks is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Monday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Starks was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 6th round of the 2010 draft. He rushed for 493 yards last season, and served a secondary role behind Eddie Lacy. Starks saw 239 snaps last year with the Packers.

He was held out for the first few weeks of 2012, with turf toe, but since then has been relatively injury free. Starks is 6’2, 218 lbs, and would likely step right in as the number 2 back here in Pittsburgh.

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The Steelers have a serious lack of depth at the running back position, so we should be seeing more free agents scheduled for visits in the future. Starks would be a good fit on the Steelers roster.

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Carrington Passed Physical Today, Meeting Reportedly Went Well

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The much anticipated meeting between the Steelers and DE Alex Carrington left many fans feeling disappointed. I suspected that medical was likely the main reason behind Carrington leaving without a contract. According to Ian Rapoport, he passed his medical exam today.

Rapoport also says that the visit went well, and that both parties will continue to talk. The former Bills defensive end is rumored to be in demand, and has already passed on offers from his former team. Carrington wanting to explore the free agent market further makes sense. We’ll have to wait and see if the rumored interest in him proves to be true.

Report: Medical Likely Why Sanders Hasn’t Been Signed Yet

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So far, Emmanuel Sanders has had visits with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Kansas City Chiefs. He is reported to have a visit scheduled with the 49ers tomorrow. With this flurry of visits, one has to wonder- why doesn’t he have a contract yet?

The answer, according to Scott Brown of ESPN, is due to his medical history. Sanders missed very minimal time last season due to knee and foot injuries. The main injury concerns according to Brown, are due to the surgeries he’s had on his feet over two years ago. Durability was once a concern for the Steelers, though it hasn’t been an issue recently. The Patriots made an offer on Sanders last season, but teams often prioritize injury histories differently for one year rentals.

I have to think the bigger issue for Sanders is the money he’s reportedly seeking. According to Brown, Sanders is believed to be seeking Golden Tate money. Tate just signed a 5 year, $31.5 Mil deal, which included $13.25 in guaranteed money. If that’s true, Sanders is going to be disappointed.

The Steelers are reportedly open to having Sanders back, but there is no way they’ll offer him a contract anywhere in that ballpark. Sanders is coming off of his best season, but as we enter the 2nd wave of free agency, he’ll most likely need to consider lowering his expectations.

Ryan Clark Met With Panthers, No Word From Redskins

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According to Ryan Clark, he hasn’t had an offer from the Washington Redskins yet. With his history there, and the fact that they are in need of defensive backs, the signing would make sense.

The Charlotte Observer reports that the Panthers have recently had preliminary talks with Clark. Carolina has been courting safeties this week, and recently lost Pittsburgh’s newest safety to free agency. I’m sure Washington would be Clark’s first choice, but I can’t imagine a veteran in his position would be likely to decline any offer he receives. There was a rumor that the Redskins will be making an offer to him today, but that hasn’t apparently materialized.

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DE Alex Carrington’s Visit Ends Without Contract

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Alex Carrington’s much anticipated visit with the Steelers ended without a contract according to Ed Bouchette.

I would just be speculating at this point, but I have to think that his medical was a determining factor in today’s outcome. Carrington was placed on IR last September after suffering a quadriceps tendon tear. Reports have idicated recently that he’s not yet %100.

While he was here:

Carrington is said to be drawing interest from other teams, so maybe he’s fine from a health standpoint, and the Steelers just made him an offer that wasn’t up to his expectations. I’m sure we’ll hear more in the near future, and in the meantime, the Steelers will likely be making some calls to the agents of other defensive linemen.

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Steelers Sign DT Cam Thomas To 2 Year Deal

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According to his agent, the Steelers have signed DT Cam Thomas to a 2 year deal today. Thomas hit free agency this year after playing 547 snaps for the Chargers last year. San Diego drafted him in the 5th round of the 2010 draft, but he didn’t really see a starting role until last year. He lost the starting job in week ten to Sean Lissemore.

The details of the deal are obviously not yet known, but don’t expect it to break the bank. Try to resist the urge to draw too many conclusions from this signing. After the loss of Ziggy Hood and Al Woods, the team is very thin on the defensive line. More visits will be in the team’s future.

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Photo courtesy Instagram

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