HEADLINES

Month: April 2024

Patriots To Release Steve Gregory

February 28th, 2014 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots will release safety Steve Gregory today, according to his agent David Canter of DEC Management (Twitter link). Gregory had been set to enter the final year of his contract, but instead will hit the free agent market early.

Gregory, 31, started 23 games at safety over the last two seasons for New England, but missed some time due to injuries in 2013, and was replaced adequately by rookie Duron Harmon, who is significantly younger and cheaper. By cutting Gregory, the Pats will create $2.85MM in 2014 savings, reducing his cap number from about $3.683MM to just $833K in dead money.

While he’s a cap casualty in New England, Gregory should be able to find work with another NFL team. He has ranked among the league’s top 30 safeties in each of the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

Cardinals Rumors: FAs, Dansby, Jackson

February 28th, 2014 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

We’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of free agency, with just 11 days until the start of the new league year. Prospective free agents will be able to talk to rival teams a week from tomorrow, though they won’t be able to officially put pen to paper until March 11. As such, teams are preparing to make pitches to free agent targets. Asked if he and the Cardinals had their eye on anyone in particular, head coach Bruce Arians said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the team has more than one player in mind.

“We probably have five,” Arians said of the Cards’ early free agent targets. “[GM] Steve [Keim] and I have the same philosophy: ‘Here it is, do you want it? I’m going to ask this guy in about a half an hour. If you don’t want it, I’m going to ask him. If he wants it, you’re out.’ It’s easy. We don’t play games.”

Let’s round up a few more Cardinals-related items….

  • Within the same interview, Arians said the Cardinals offered Karlos Dansby a contract immediately after the season ended. While the veteran linebacker obviously hasn’t accepted that offer, the two sides remain engaged in negotiations, and the head coach said he’d “definitely” love to have Dansby back.
  • Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com believes Dansby wants to see what sort of offers he gets on the open market, which doesn’t necessarily preclude a return to Arizona.
  • It appears the Cardinals are eyeing alternatives in the event that the club can’t re-sign Dansby. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), Arizona is among the clubs interested in recently released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. The Cards have contacted Jackson’s agent and will try to set up a visit for next week.
  • Arians on where the Cardinals need to improve: “I think we need to get bigger and stronger on both sides of line with more depth — offensive line and defensive line. We need to get some depth because of our division. You’re going to win at the line of scrimmage in our division, you have to be physical.”

Bears Re-Sign Kelvin Hayden

February 28th, 2014 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have re-signed defensive back Kelvin Hayden to a one-year contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright had reported earlier this morning (via Twitter) that there was a “strong” chance of Hayden returning to Chicago.

Hayden, 30, tore a hamstring last August, which landed him on injured reserve, forcing him out of action for the 2013 season. The former Colt had been set to act as the Bears’ nickel corner, and will likely assume a similar role for Chicago in 2014, unless Charles Tillman leaves in free agency and the team doesn’t add a suitable replacement.

For his career, Hayden has been active for 101 games, including 49 starts, racking up 12 interceptions and 45 passes defended in parts of eight seasons. The Illinois alum was on a minimum-salary contract a year ago, so he’s unlikely to have signed for more than the minimum this year, perhaps with a modest signing bonus.

49ers Sign Daniel Kilgore To Extension

February 28th, 2014 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

9:52am: Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) has a total of $5.4MM for Kilgore’s extension, including $2.595MM in guaranteed money and $1.8MM in escalators.

FRIDAY, 9:25am: Kilgore’s four-year deal is worth a total of $4.845MM, including a $1.35MM signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. If Kilgore does indeed become the 49ers’ starting center and holds that position, he could be a very nice bargain for the team.

THURSDAY, 2:26pm: The 49ers have reached an agreement on a contract extension with offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The 49ers confirmed the extension in a press release, indicating that the new deal will keep Kilgore under contract through 2017. That means the team added three new years to the 26-year-old’s rookie contract, which had been set to expire after the 2014 season.

“We are pleased to extend the contract of a talented, young player like Dan,” said GM Trent Baalke in a statement. “This move is another example of our philosophy to extend the contracts of our own young players.”

While he has served as a backup and part-time player during his first three NFL seasons since being selected by the Niners in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Kilgore looks poised to assume a larger role going forward. The team’s 2013 starting center, Jonathan Goodwin, is eligible for unrestricted free agency and has yet to hear from the 49ers about a new contract, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted earlier today. As such, it looks like San Francisco may let the 35-year-old walk, handing the reins at center to Kilgore.

Kilgore, who has experience at both center and guard, played just 86 regular-season snaps for the Niners, mostly functioning as an extra blocker in run-heavy packages. He becomes the third member of the 2011 draft class to sign a contract extension this offseason, following Taiwan Jones of the Raiders and Jason Kelce of the Eagles.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Redskins, Ware

February 28th, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

While Eagles general manager Howie Roseman didn’t want to specifically address reports that his team met with Johnny Manziel at the combine in Indianapolis, the GM’s comments to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com at least indirectly explained why Philadelphia might want to talk to a top prospect like Manziel.

“You never know when the opportunity is going to come to get a player,” Roseman said. “It may be now in the draft, it may be in free agency, it may be via trade. If you look at your notes and you haven’t met the guy and the head coach is coming down the hallway and he’s going, ‘Hey, how was this guy when he came out?’ – and you’re kind of going, ‘Help.'”

Here’s more on the Eagles and a couple of their NFC East rivals:

Extra Points: Woodson, Pouncey, Kaepernick

February 27th, 2014 at 10:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent veteran Charles Woodson told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he might consider retirement if the Raiders or another club don’t offer him enough money, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Sulia link).

“If the right numbers don’t come across, for myself and from the team’s standpoint, then it is a serious consideration at this point that I could have played my last season in the NFL,” Woodson said. “So that’s definitely something that I think about. I do plan on playing another year. Hopefully something can get done with the Raiders but if not then I’ve got to take a real hard look at this last year being the last one.”

Including playing-time bonuses, Woodson made $3.4MM last season with Oakland. More out of the AFC:

  • Dolphins general manager Dennis Hickey told WMEN-640’s Orlando Alzugaray on Thursday that he’s committed to center Mike Pouncey, who was implicated in the Ted Wells report. “Pouncey is an excellent player,” Hickey said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I’ve had good conversations with him in the last month. I’m excited about the future.”
  • Two sources tell Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) that the contract talks between the Bills and Jairus Byrd have been pleasant so far, a departure from last year at this time.
  • Sean Gilbert has a plan to get the players out of the current CBA and is making a case to head the union, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
  • Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com gave his perspective on a possible extension for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Any way you slice it, there are going to be challenges for San Francisco.

NFC Rumors: Raiola, Vikings, Beason, Hardy

February 27th, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Dominic Raiola has been the Lions‘ center since the days when they wore leather helmets, but eventually he’ll be moving on from football. He wants to play for another two seasons, but Detroit would like to start grooming someone to take over for Raiola once he retires, writes Dave Bickett of the Detroit Free Press. It’s not a top priority, but if they get a chance in the middle of the draft, don’t be surprised if you see the Lions go for a center. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • Simoni Lawrence turned down three clubs to sign with the Vikings, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
  • Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects it to take a deal paying $3-4MM annually for the Giants to sign linebacker Jon Beason to a new deal.
  • The Panthers met recently with Drew Rosenhaus, defensive end Greg Hardy‘s agent, and the two sides have had ongoing negotiations, two league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. After totaling 26 sacks over the past two seasons, Hardy is looking for a deal that will be commensurate with his performance.
  • Beyond Beason, Carolina will be looking to re-sign wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and free safety Michael Mitchell, both of whom played on one-year deals last season, Person notes. Backup quarterback Derek Anderson and No. 2 tight end Ben Hartsock are viewed as priorities as well, but will likely have to take one-year contracts. The Panthers are expected to let free agent receiver Brandon LaFell and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn test the market, but could ultimately re-sign them to shorter, team-friendly deals.

Eagles Expected To Release Jason Avant

February 27th, 2014 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are expected to release veteran wide receiver Jason Avant before his $1MM roster bonus is due next month, tweets Adam Caplan of SiriusXM. Avant’s $1MM roster bonus is due on March 15th and they’ll save $3.25MM once he’s cut loose.

Avant, well-regarded within the organization and locker room, is coming off of his least productive season since 2008. While teammate Riley Cooper took a seismic step forward in 2013, Avant hauled in just 38 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns across 14 games. That’s a far cry from his 2012 campaign where he caught 53 passes for 648 yards, good for 46.3 yards per game average.

The Eagles agreed to a four-year deal with Cooper earlier this week that will keep Nick Foles‘ favorite target in Philadelphia for quite a while. Meanwhile, they continue to work on a new deal with the ultra-athletic but oft-injured Jeremy Maclin. The Eagles want to sign him to a multi-year pact while his value is low while Maclin is looking for a one-year, make-good deal.

Franchise Tag Candidates

February 27th, 2014 at 6:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Although NFL teams have been free to designate franchise players since last Monday, no player has received the tag yet. In most cases, clubs are likely hoping to reach multiyear agreements with their top free agents before having to resort to the franchise tag, but they don’t have much time left. The deadline for using the 2014 franchise tag is this coming Monday, March 3.

Based on various reports, it sounds like the franchise designation remains a strong possibility for at least a handful of players, assuming they don’t agree to long-term deals. There are also a number of other prospective free agents who are candidates for the tag, but perhaps aren’t quite as likely to receive it. With Monday’s deadline looming, let’s run through those most commonly mentioned names. For a refresher on the specific details of the franchise tag, you can check out our glossary entry.

Strong candidates:

  • Jairus Byrd (S, Bills): The Bills franchised Byrd a year ago, and sound increasingly open to doing so again.
  • Jimmy Graham (TE, Saints): The Saints don’t necessarily want to get the stage where Graham files a grievance over his positional designation (tight end or wide receiver), but there’s no way the team will let him get away. Even earning $11MM+ on a one-year contract, Graham would be a good value.
  • Greg Hardy (DE, Panthers): Like the Saints with Graham, the Panthers don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, but it’s extremely unlikely they’d let one of 2014’s best free agents hit the open market.
  • Brian Orakpo (LB, Redskins): Even after re-signing DeAngelo Hall and Chris Baker, the Redskins have plenty of cap room left to tag Orakpo, though I think a long-term agreement is more likely.
  • Dennis Pitta (TE, Ravens): Pitta finds himself in a similar position to Graham, potentially readying to file a grievance over his position. However, the Ravens may not let it reach that point, agreeing on a compromise that splits the difference between the two positions instead.
  • T.J. Ward (S, Browns): The Browns have made free agent center Alex Mack their top priority, but the franchise price tag for Ward will be much more palatable than for Mack, who would be eligible for the left tackle franchise salary.

Possible candidates:

  • Michael Bennett (DE, Seahawks): While the Seahawks would like to bring Bennett back, it doesn’t sound like the team will use its franchise tag on him.
  • Donald Butler (LB, Chargers): I’d also be surprised if the Chargers franchised Butler, though he represents the club’s most likely candidate.
  • Vontae Davis (CB, Colts): The Colts definitely want Davis back, but the cornerback franchise tag might be a little too pricey for the club, and wouldn’t help create roster flexibility. This predicament applies to many of the other cornerbacks in this section as well.
  • Brent Grimes (CB, Dolphins): Grimes has expressed a desire to work out a multiyear deal rather than being tagged, and it sounds like he and the Dolphins are making progress.
  • Lamarr Houston (DE, Raiders): The Raiders have two potential franchise candidates in this group, and it’s not clear yet which one they’re leaning toward tagging, if the club plans on using it at all.
  • Sam Shields (CB, Packers): GM Ted Thompson didn’t shoot down the possibility of using the franchise tag on Shields last week, but his combine presser was so devoid of real updates that it’s hard to read too much into that. For what it’s worth, negotiations between the two sides are said to be “heating up.”
  • Aqib Talib (CB, Patriots): Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald suggested yesterday that the Pats likely won’t franchise Talib even if they can’t reach a multiyear agreement.
  • Jared Veldheer (OL, Raiders): The Raiders’ other franchise candidate, Veldheer indicated earlier this month that he wouldn’t be happy with the franchise tag, since he’d like more long-term security.
  • Alterraun Verner (CB, Titans): According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, indications are that the Titans won’t franchise Verner, who perhaps falls into the same category as Davis.
  • Donte Whitner (S, 49ers): The price for a franchise safety isn’t exorbitant, but I think the 49ers may be more inclined to pursue a cheaper alternative than to franchise Whitner.

Kickers and punters:

While they aren’t necessarily marquee free agents, kickers and punters are often designated as franchise players when a team has no other viable candidates, if only because the salaries are so modest. Here are a few special teams players who might be candidates this offseason:

Eagles Cap Details: Peters, Cooper, Kelce

February 27th, 2014 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Offensive tackle Jason Peters, center Jason Kelce, and wide receiver Riley Cooper have all reached long-term contract agreements with the Eagles this week, and the details of those deals have slowly become public over the last couple days. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the three contracts look:

  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the specifics on Peters’ new contract, including a new chart that clearly exhibits how the annual figures. The deal includes a $5MM signing bonus and a $5MM roster bonus for 2014, so Peters will receive $10MM of his guarantee before the 2014 season even begins. Additionally, his full ’14 base salary (down to $1.75MM) is now guaranteed, as is a portion of his 2015 salary ($4MM of $6.8MM). The contract also includes $3MM in escalators based on Pro Bowl and All Pro selections.
  • Fitzgerald also has the year-by-year breakdown of Cooper’s new five-year contract, which included a $4MM signing bonus. According to Fitzgerald, Cooper’s $1MM base salary for 2014 is fully guaranteed, as is $3MM of his 2015 base salary ($4MM). The receiver can ensure that an extra $1MM in base salary is guaranteed in both 2015 and 2016 if he remains on the roster beyond the fifth day of those league years. Fitzgerald’s piece on Cooper’s deal also takes a look at how it might affect the rest of the secondary receiver market.
  • Cooper’s contract includes annual escalators worth $625K from 2015 to 2018, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. As Fitzgerald’s chart details, that means the deal only amounts to a total of $22.5MM over five years, with the possibility of Cooper earning an extra $2.5MM via those escalators.
  • According to Pelissero (Twitter links), Kelce’s base salary for 2014 remains the same, before jumping to $3MM in 2015. Both of those amounts, plus $2.602MM of his $4MM base salary for 2015, are fully guaranteed. The center also received a $6MM signing bonus, and his deal includes $200K per year in Pro Bowl escalators.
  • Overall, the three new contracts resulted in an extra $1.409MM being added to the Eagles’ 2014 cap total, tweets Pelissero.
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