Ravens’ Ayanbadejo rips Patriots for Spygate, “gimmick” offense

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Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo watched the Patriots beat the Texans, and he wasn’t impressed.

Ayanbadejo, whose Ravens will travel to New England on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game, wrote on Twitter during the Patriots-Texans game that he thinks the Patriots’ offense is a “gimmick,” and that the Patriots do things that he views as cheap shots.

New England does some suspect stuff on offense. Can't really respect it. Comparable to a cheap shot b4 a fight

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Brendon Ayanbadejo (@brendon310) January 13, 2013

Are you watching the game pats vs texans? If so you see the hurry snap offense catch em b4 they set up. It's a gimmick.

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Brendon Ayanbadejo (@brendon310) January 13, 2013

Although Ayanbadejo plays linebacker, he actually won’t see much of the Patriots’ offense on Sunday: Ayanbadejo is almost exclusively a special teams player, and he didn’t get a single snap on defense on Saturday against the Broncos. But Ayanbadejo didn’t only talk about the Patriots’ offense. Ayanbadejo also brought up the Spygate scandal, when the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick were disciplined by the league office for taping opposing coaches in violation of league rules, and the fact that New England cut wide receiver Tiquan Underwood the day before the Super Bowl last year.

You know the same organization that did spygate and cut a guy the day b4 the Super Bowl

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Brendon Ayanbadejo (@brendon310) January 13, 2013

It’s surprising that Ayanbadejo, an intelligent man who’s well respected around the NFL, would choose to give the Patriots bulletin-board material heading into the AFC Championship week. Perhaps Ayanbadejo was trying to fire up his own teammates. He has certainly assured that the Patriots will be fired up to see him on Sunday.

AP

Cortland Finnegan doesn’t have a team at the moment.

And when he finds another one, it will be without the benefit of an agent.

Finnegan told Josina Anderson of ESPN he wants to join a contender, but doesn’t think he needs to pay someone to help him find one.

“I still feel like I can contribute and also benefit a team by bringing a young kid along,” he said. “What’s different now is that I don’t have an agent. I’m representing myself in this process. Let me tell you I am getting an upfront look at what’s it’s really like to talk to these General Managers, coordinators and coaches and take in how they really feel about you. I’m asking questions and getting answers that I would never get from an agent.

“Personally I think I’ve had some real conversations with a few teams. I may take a few visits but sometimes I feel like I can collect the information that I need on the phone. I know the teams that have a standard for winning already. That’s really my focus now.”

Finnegan’s play dropped off sharply last year, to the point that his patron Jeff Fisher cut him. That’s probably as clear a signal as could be sent.

But if a good team needs a veteran stable-pony, Finnegan seems inclined to accept a smaller role than in the past.

And with his smaller paycheck, saving the 3 percent might be a wise investment.

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The Bears may expect to sign free agent defensive end Michael Bennett, but the Seahawks are still fighting to keep him.

Seattle General Manager John Schneider has identified keeping Bennett as a “top priority,” and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Seahawks are now the favorites to sign Bennett. Bennett led Seattle with 8.5 sacks last season, and after Red Bryant’s departure, the Seahawks would hate to lose another key player on the defensive line.

The fact that both the Bears and Seahawks are eager to sign Bennett will be good news for his bottom line. Whether it’s in Seattle or Chicago, Bennett is going to get paid somewhere.

Bennett is the No. 2 player in our Free Agent Hot 100.

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The Chargers have re-signed linebacker Donald Butler and core special teamer Darrell Stuckey recently and they’ll be keeping another one of their players from hitting the open market.

San Diego announced Monday that guard Chad Rinehart has re-signed with the team on a two-year deal. Rinehart, like all free agents, has had the opportunity to hear from teams over the weekend and the decision to stay in San Diego suggests he didn’t hear anything to make him think that the grass would be greener somewhere else.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reported the news before the announcement. Vacchiano covers the Giants, who were one of the teams believed to be interested in potentially adding Rinehart to their offensive line. Jon Asamoah, Geoff Schwartz and Zane Beadles are some of the other options that the Giants could explore if they still plan to try to upgrade at guard.

Rinehart started 10 games when not ailing last season, his first in San Diego after stops in Washington and Buffalo. His return at left guard means the Chargers have their entire starting offensive line from last season under contract for 2014.

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One of the top centers available in free agency has been linked to a club in need of offensive line help.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports the Giants have shown “interest” in Saints center Brian de la Puente.

The 28-year-old de la Puente is No. 87 on PFT’s Free Agent Hot 100. He has started 44 games in the last three seasons for New Orleans.

David Baas, the Giants’ starting center in 2013, is slated to make $4.75 million in 2013, and the club wants to reduce his compensation. He appeared in just three games last season because of neck and knee injuries, and he will be 33 in September.

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The Steelers released linebacker Larry Foote last week as part of their effort to create cap space ahead of free agency and some wondered if that might be the end of the line for Foote.

The longtime Steeler played just one game last season before a torn biceps sent him to injured reserve and he turns 34 this summer, a combination that isn’t likely to make him a hot commodity on the open market. Foote isn’t throwing in the towel, though.

He told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he has no immediate plans to retire after 12 NFL seasons. He also told her he’d like to catch on with a contender and that he’d like to sign before the summer, although it isn’t clear if that will be the deciding factor in continuing his career if the only offers come from teams with longer shots at a championship.

Foote isn’t likely to be too high on anyone’s priority list as free agency opens and many teams may see him as a fallback option if neither free agency nor the draft brings the help they desire, so it may be tough for him to avoid an extended wait while remaining active in the NFL.

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Free agent left tackle Branden Albert must really like South Beach.

Otherwise, how would he have seemingly settled on a destination without having been made a firm offer?

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the technicalities are just that, and Albert will “be a Dolphin.”

Of course, Salguero points out that nothing is 100 percent done, which is because by the letter of the law it can’t be. The league has sent out its memo telling teams they can’t do the kind of thing that is apparently being done here, which is share numbers and reach agreements.

Which, of course, no one believes.

Miami landing Albert would be a huge step in rebuilding their offensive line, but more work needs to be done.

As soon as it can be officially done, of course.

AP

Martha Ford, the widow of William Clay Ford Sr., will inherit the Detroit Lions. Their son Bill Ford Jr. will remain the team’s vice chairman.

The Lions announced on Monday, a day after the death of Ford Sr., that Martha Ford will inherit controlling interest in the team.

“Pursuant to long-established succession plans, Mr. Ford’s controlling interest in Lions passes to Mrs. Martha Ford. She and her four children will continue to be involved in the ownership of the franchise, as they have during Mr. Ford’s tenure,” the team said in a statement.

Bill Ford Jr., who has played an increasingly prominent role in the Lions, will likely be the public face of team ownership. The Lions are not expected to make any significant changes in the front office.

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Longtime Lions owner William Clay Ford died on Sunday and the team announced that his widow will take over as chairman of the team while Bill Ford Jr. will remain the team’s vice chairman.

On Monday’s PFT Live, Mike Florio will talk to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about what impact the loss of the elder Ford will have on the team’s operations. With free agency opening on Tuesday, there will also be some discussion of the Lions’ plans and president Tom Lewand’s statement that a Ndamukong Suh extension isn’t essential to fulfilling those plans.

The only free agent quarterback market that the Lions will be in is one for backups should Shaun Hill not be re-signed. This year’s crop of free agent signal callers is long on backups, but short of potential starters outside of Michael Vick and Josh McCown. Florio will preview the group during Monday’s show.

It all gets going at noon ET and you can watch it all live by clicking right here.

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Back in February, the Jets opened up contract talks with right tackle Austin Howard in hopes of keeping him from becoming a free agent when the market opens on Tuesday afternoon.

They haven’t come to an agreement yet, but they are reportedly still trying to make it happen. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets continue to push for a contract with Howard as he also speaks to other teams that are hoping the Jets aren’t able to secure a signature on the dotted line.

Howard, who placed 60th on PFT’s Hot 100 list of free agents, has started 32 straight games for the Jets and turned in a solid season as a pass blocker in 2013. Right tackles don’t break the bank the way their counterparts on the left side of the line do, but their value has risen in the last couple of years as teams do all they can to secure strong blocking across their entire frontline.

Michael Oher, Anthony Collins and Breno Giacomini are others with right tackle experience who could be on what could be a deep market at both tackle spots come Tuesday afternoon.

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The Patriots turned to Michael Hoomanawanui last year when their tight end position was a mess on and off the field.

Monday, he was rewarded for it.

According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, Hoomanawanui agreed to a two-year deal to stay with the Patriots.

While he was a solid complementary tight end, the Patriots obviously need a healthy Rob Gronkowski this year, as Hoomanawanui posted 12 receptions for the season, scoring one touchdown.

AP

Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan primarily coached units that played 3-4 schemes prior to landing in Atlanta, but he has run a 4-3 base defense for head coach Mike Smith over the last two seasons.

The addition of an outside linebackers coach to the squad creates some question about whether there might be some schematic changes coming to Atlanta in 2014. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports reports that the team has promoted Mark Collins from defensive assistant to the outside linebacker position, which was not a position on the Falcons staff in the past.

Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports that there’s been talk from some Falcons players about just such a change and points out a slew of free agents and draft-eligible players who would help facilitate a change in schemes. It’s all speculative, but free agency could wind up telling the story of how the Falcons defense lines up next season.

Marvez also reports that the Falcons have hired former Southern Miss safeties coach Andrew Thacker to replace Collins as the team’s defensive assistant.

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The Vikings signed Jasper Brinkley on Sunday and will meet with Jameel McClain on Monday, the same day that they locked up a member of their linebacking corps. 

The team announced that they have re-signed linebacker Larry Dean. Dean was eligible for restricted free agency, but re-signing now means that he and the Vikings won’t have to do a dance involving tender offers.

Dean joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and has seen action in all 48 regular season games and one postseason game with the team since then. Most of that action has come on special teams, where he has 48 overall tackles. Dean had four of those tackles against the Ravens last December, the most special teams stops in a game by any member of the team last season.

Dean joins cornerback Marcus Sherels as potential restricted free agents that the Vikings have re-signed ahead of the start of free agency. They were the only two players eligible for that designation this season.

AP

At this point, the Bears signing Michael Bennett will seem almost anticlimactic when it happens, because everyone in the world assumes that’s where he’s going to land.

The Seahawks defensive end tried to play coy during an appearance on the NFL Network Monday morning, saying: “I got to leave it suspenseful right now.”

But his brother, Bears tight end Martellus Bennett is already making plans for what life will be like playing with his brother.

“The No. 1 thing is family,” Martellus said, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. “You’re going to get paid wherever you get paid, but to be able to play—this is history. Two brothers—I don’t think there’s ever been two brothers that played on the same time.”

While that’s not true, the plan Martellus — who once dubbed himself “The Black Unicorn” — has dreamed up could be fantastic.

“If the contract is not the numbers that you want, you got to think about the market and off the field,” the Bears tight end said. “We could do Doublemint commercials. Look at Duck Dynasty. Talk about the Black Duck Dynasty right now. Me and you, bro. So it’s just a lot of opportunity. Chicago is the best fans, unique city, great opportunities business-wise, which I know there’s a lot of things you want to do off the field after football. None of those things are tech or coffee, so, I mean, Seattle, that’s what they’re offering you. So come on down to Chicago, man.

“Usually when you go from another team to another team, you may have a friend there. You may just be jumping into the water. But there there’s a bridge. Your brother is the bridge.”

And from that bridge, they may shoot ducks and grow beards together.

Or unicorns.

Or something.

AP

After playing well in five starts while filling in for Jay Cutler last season, Josh McCown wants to be a starting quarterback in 2014. And he thinks there are teams willing to give him the opportunity to do that.

McCown said on Mike & Mike that some teams have already expressed interest in signing him when he officially becomes a free agent on Tuesday afternoon.

“We’ve talked to four teams,” McCown said. “There have been good discussions and we’ll take those as they come and evaluate those situations.”

McCown said he loved playing in Chicago and thinks of Cutler as a brother. But McCown has no chance to compete for the starting job in Chicago, and he doesn’t want to spend 2014 holding a clipboard.

“To leave Chicago it will be a situation where I’m looking to compete to start, or to start, and to grow more as a player,” McCown said. “The only way you can do that as a player is on the field. So that will definitely be something that we’re looking at.”

It’s kind of amazing that the 34-year-old McCown is viewed as a potential starter, considering that the NFL had more or less given up on him a couple years ago. But McCown threw 13 touchdown passes and just one interception and had better numbers than Cutler last year, and he’s hoping that he proved he has enough left that he can be some team’s starter.

“Two years ago I was coaching high school football,” McCown said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

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Safety Jairus Byrd ranks 12th on PFT‘s list of the Hot 100 free agents, but he’s reportedly looking to rank even higher when it comes to compensation among NFL safeties.

James Walker of ESPN.com reports that the safety is looking for an average salary of around $9 million from any team that wants to sign him when such signings become a possibility on Tuesday. There’s no word on whether he’s found interest at that price tag over the weekend.

If Byrd did land a deal averaging $9 million a year, he’d slot in behind Eric Berry and just ahead of Eric Weddle and Dashon Goldson when it comes to highest averages among safeties. Byrd’s desire to secure a contract in that range led to a long standoff with the Bills after they placed the franchise tag on him last season as Buffalo wasn’t willing to meet his price for a long-term deal.

There have been reports of interest in Byrd from both Miami and St. Louis, although predicted interest from the Browns has yet to materialize. Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com adds that the Eagles, who need safety help, haven’t shown much interest “yet,” which may have something to do with the price tag that Byrd is looking for this offseason.