2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Chris Johnson Willing To Restructure

March 13th, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

5:45pm: The Titans continue to shop Johnson to other teams and there’s some interest around the league, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean.

5:37pm: Chris Johnson is willing to restructure his contract in order to help facilitate a trade, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Earlier this week we learned that Tennessee would work to move their star running back.

It is unclear what the Titans could hope to receive in exchange for the 28-year-old, but an easier contract will certainly help his trade value. The man known as CJ2K ran for over 2,000 yards four years ago, but his production has been spotty ever since. While he still has tremendous speed, he graded out as just the 42nd-best running back in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Releasing the running back would mean a $4MM cap charge for Tennessee, but they have that option at their disposal up until the first week of the regular season. In total, cutting Johnson loose would result in ~$6MM in cap savings for the Titans. The 28-year-old ran for 1,077 yards off of 279 carries, good for an average of 3.9 yards per carry. He also had six touchdowns, matching his 2012 total.

Rams Sign Rodger Saffold To Five-Year Deal

March 13th, 2014 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

5:25pm: Saffold’s new deal with the Rams has been finalized and announced, so it appears there’s no risk of another twist in this story. Here’s the team’s press release.

THURSDAY, 9:20am: Saffold’s new five-year deal with the Rams doesn’t have the same overall value as his agreement with the Raiders, but it includes nearly the same amount of guaranteed money. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that it’s worth $31.7MM overall, including $19.5MM guaranteed. Saffold also has an option to void the contract after three years.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Rams reporter Tony Softli (Twitter link) shared a few more details today on how Saffold saw his deal with the Raiders fall apart.

WEDNESDAY, 9:36pm: After an apparent disagreement with the Raiders over the tackle’s health, Saffold will be rejoining the Rams on a five-year deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Raiders had concerns over Saffold’s shoulder while the Rams had “no concerns whatsoever,” the player’s agents told Schefter (on Twitter). The player and the team are still working out the monetary details, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

According to Michael Silver of NFL.com (via Twitter), Raiders owner Mark Davis was the one who “pulled the plug” on the deal. Saffold could have had surgery and been ready for training camp, but Silver says it was Davis who decided to not continue on with the deal.

Earlier tonight, CSNCalifornia’s Scott Bair tweeted that the tackle failed his physical and would not be joining the Raiders. This all comes a day after Saffold reportedly agreed to a five-year, $42.5MM deal, of which about $16MM was to be guaranteed.

AFC Contract Details: Talib, Bills, Conner

March 13th, 2014 at 5:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Aqib Talib‘s contract with the Broncos features a $5MM signing bonus, a $2MM roster bonus, a $4.5MM guaranteed base salary, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Since Talib has a small signing bonus and his 2015 and 2016 salaries are guaranteed for injury only, the Broncos could essentially cut ties with him for no guaranteed money and a minimal ($4MM) cap hit even after the 2014 season, barring a major injury, tweets Pelissero. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown in chart form right here.

Here are a few more specific details on deals signed this week:

Corey Graham‘s new contract with the Bills can be worth over $19MM, but on the surface, it’s a four-year, $16.3MM deal with $8.1MM guaranteed, says Pelissero (via Twitter). According to Pelissero, the deal includes $700K in annual incentives, plus an extra $100K bonus each season for making the Pro Bowl.
The Chargers‘ three-year deal with Kavell Conner is worth $2.7MM, with a $270K signing bonus and an escalator worth up to $500K in 2016, tweets Pelissero.
Jim Dray‘s contract with the Browns features a $900K signing bonus, says Pelissero (via Twitter).
Pelissero also passes along the details on Chris Williams‘ four-year contract with the Bills. According to the USA Today scribe (via Twitter), it’s worth $13.04MM with $3.025MM in the first year, and is only guaranteed for injury in year two. Pelissero adds in another tweet that there’s a $2.5MM roster bonus due early in 2016 that’s a clear “trigger point” for the deal.
The Colts signed safety Sergio Brown on Tuesday, and that one-year deal will be worth $1.4MM, with a $300K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
While Keith Rivers‘ new deal with the Bills was reported as a two-year, $5MM contract with half of that amount guaranteed, it looks like it won’t be worth quite that much. Wilson tweets that it’s worth $4.05MM, with a $1MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1.25MM (2014) and $1.6MM (2015), and annual workout bonuses of $100K.
Michael Hoomanawanui‘s two-year contract with the Patriots is worth a total of $2.4MM, with a $360K signing bonus and $1.1MM in total guarantees, tweets Wilson.
The two-year, $5MM figure reported for Al Woods earlier today includes incentives, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The defensive lineman’s contract with the Titans features a signing bonus of $1MM, base salaries of $900K (2014) and $2.1MM (2015), and incentives worth up to $500K annually.

Ghee, Walker Agree With Chargers

March 13th, 2014 at 5:07pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Chargers have signed both Brandon Ghee and Reggie Walker, according to Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter). The cornerback Ghee joins the team from the Bengals, and Walker was a backup linebacker for the Chargers in 2013. Both players have signed to two-year deals.

Walker, 27, made five starts in his first season with San Diego and racked up three sacks and 34 tackles. It was his most productive NFL season so far as he had just 25 tackles in his previous four seasons with Arizona.

Ghee, 27 in June, saw time in 10 games and registered five pass deflections and four tackles. The former third round pick has seen the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his career and will hope to see more burn with San Diego.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Brandon Pettigrew Nearing Deal

March 13th, 2014 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

5:04pm: Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter) adds the Chiefs to the list of teams in the mix for Pettigrew, which means there appear to be four teams still in the running.

11:41am: Free agent tight end Brandon Pettigrew is expected to have a contract agreement in place shortly, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, Pettigrew is contemplating interest from the Jets, Raiders, and Lions.

Pettigrew, who had 71 receptions in 2010 and 83 in 2011, is perhaps the top tight end on the unrestricted free agent market, with Dennis Pitta having re-signed with the Ravens and Jimmy Graham designated as the Saints’ franchise player.

Yesterday, we heard that there were five teams in the mix for Pettigrew. In addition to the three clubs mentioned above, the Texans and Giants were named as suitors, but Houston has since agreed to re-sign Garrett Graham, and it seems the Giants have dropped out of contention.

Titans Sign Whitehurst To Two-Year Deal

March 13th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

4:55pm: Whitehurst’s two-year deal has a $4MM base value, with another $4MM in incentives, tweets Wyatt, adding that $2MM is fully guaranteed. The Titans have confirmed the signing.

4:13pm: The Titans and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst have reached an agreement on a two-year deal, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). According to Wyatt, Whitehurst’s new contract can be worth up to $8MM, and it’s expected to signal the end of Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s time in Tennessee (Twitter link).

Whitehurst, who has been Philip Rivers‘ backup in San Diego for the last two seasons, saw just 12 snaps in two games during the 2013 season, and didn’t attempt a pass. So perhaps the Titans liked what they saw of the 31-year-old during his stints as the starter in Seattle during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

While Wyatt’s initial report suggests a max value of $8MM, I’d imagine a good chunk of that amount can only be earned through playing-time and performance incentives, and if Jake Locker stays healthy and keeps his job, Whitehurst likely won’t see much action.

As for Fitzpatrick, releasing him would create $3.25MM in cap savings for the Titans, leaving just $875K of his $4.125MM cap number on the books.

FA Rumors: Clark, Browner, Finnegan

March 13th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Ryan Clark‘s visit with the Redskins went well, but there’s no deal yet, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. However, Washington is still talking with the former Steelers safety. More from around the league..

The Saints are among teams looking at cornerback Brandon Browner, according to ESPN’s John Clayton (via Mike Triplett’s Twitter). The recently reinstated cornerback is also reportedly visiting with the Redskins and Patriots.
Former Rams and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan will visit with the Dolphins tomorrow, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network.
Bears GM Phil Emery planned to speak with Henry Melton‘s agent after the defensive end met with teams and gauged his market, tweets Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. However, the clock is ticking for Chicago as their cap room is dwindling.
The Redskins have had talks with Reed Doughty, but it doesn’t sound like anything is imminent, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. It’s still a “work in progress,” a source tells Jones.
49ers free agent running back Anthony Dixon tweets that he’s on his way to Buffalo to visit the Bills.
It sounds like Antonio Cromartie‘s meeting with the Cardinals was more of a feeling out than anything, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The door isn’t shut on Alex Mack and the Colts, but the odds have gone down drastically, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.

Lions Sign Darryl Tapp

March 13th, 2014 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

4:42pm: It’s a one-year deal for Tapp, the Lions have confirmed (Twitter link via Birkett).

1:19pm: The Lions will be signing free agent defensive lineman Darryl Tapp, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Birkett adds in a second tweet that Tapp, who will replace Willie Young at defensive end, wanted to be reunited with Detroit defensive coach Jim Washburn, who worked with Tapp in Philadelphia.

Earlier this week, we learned that Tapp, an unrestricted free agent, wouldn’t be rejoining the Redskins. The former second round pick saw time in 11 games for Washington last season and, statistically, had his least productive season with seven tackles and one sack.

Colts Sign Phil Costa

March 13th, 2014 at 4:36pm CST by Luke Adams

4:36pm: Costa’s two-year deal is worth $2.7MM, with a max value of $3.5MM if he reaches playing time incentives, tweets Chappell.

4:25pm: The Colts have signed center Phil Costa, according to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star, who reports (via Twitter) that it’s a two-year deal. Before agreeing to terms with the Colts, Costa visited the Lions, and reportedly had meetings scheduled with the Bengals and Patriots.

Costa, 26, was the Cowboys’ full-time starter at center in 2011, but missed most of 2012 with an ankle injury and transitioned into a backup role in 2013. He has a decent amount of upside, and appears to be the favorite to take over as the Colts’ starting center in 2014.

Costa’s signing means the team is likely out of the running for Alex Mack, though Chappell (Twitter link) cautions not to rule out the possibility, given Costa’s lack of playing time over the last couple seasons. A report earlier today had suggested there might be some mutual interest between Indianapolis and Mack.

Chargers To Sign Kellen Clemens

March 13th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

4:35pm: Clemens’ deal is worth $3MM over two years, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

4:16pm: With Charlie Whitehurst headed to Tennessee, the Chargers wasted no time in securing a new backup quarterback, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve agreed to terms with Kellen Clemens on a two-year deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported the move (via Twitter).

Clemens, 30, performed respectably in relief of Sam Bradford in St. Louis last season, completing 142 of 242 pass attempts for 1,673 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions.