As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, some free agents who haven’t received a ton of interest in recent weeks may see their markets pick up after this Thursday. May 12th will be the first day that free agents no longer count toward the compensatory draft pick formula for 2017, meaning teams can sign veteran players without worrying about potentially losing draft picks next spring.
Of course, players who were released earlier in the offseason never counted toward that comp-pick formula, so guys who fit that bill, such as Roddy White, Antonio Cromartie, and Chris Culliver, won’t be affected. But for someone like Ryan Fitzpatrick, who simple saw his contract expire back in March, it could make a difference — teams could be more willing to make a solid offer if they know it won’t affect their 2017 draft plans.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Earlier today, a report indicated that the Panthers and standout defensive tackle Kawann Short had begun discussing a contract extension. David Newton of ESPN.com explores what such a deal might be worth, reaching the same conclusion we did: Carolina won’t offer an Ndamukong Suh-type contract, but something that puts him in the second tier of highest-paid DTs wouldn’t be unreasonable.
- Peyton Manning paid a visit to the Dolphins this offseason, but it wasn’t as a free agent. As Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details, Manning was in Miami to meet with his former offensive coordinator, Adam Gase, as well as Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and explained some of the nuances of Gase’s offense to Tannehill. “It was really cool just to be able to sit and pick his brain about things he’s done in this offense and football things in general: snap counts, things you like, the way you want guys to run routes, little details about the game,” Tannehill said. “We really just got to talk the game, which is something we both love.”
- Browns owner Jimmy Haslam continues to be tied up in civil lawsuits filed against Pilot Flying J, a truck-stop chain owned by him and his brother. An Associated Press report (link via Ohio.com) provides the latest details on Haslam, who has agreed to be deposed “under specific conditions.”
- The Bears have promoted Mark Sadowski to director of college scouting, replacing Joe Douglas who is leaving for Philadelphia, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets.
Zach Links contributed to this post.