2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Lions To Sign Golden Tate

March 12th, 2014 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

2:58pm: Tate has now confirmed to Anderson that he has accepted the Lions’ offer (Twitter link). According to Tate, it’s a five-year deal worth $31MM, with $13.25MM in guaranteed money.

2:42pm: Tate tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (on Twitter) that he hasn’t agreed to anything yet, though it still sounds like the two sides will complete a deal.

2:35pm: The Lions have signed Golden Tate to a five-year deal, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter). Michelle Beisner of NFL Network reported earlier today that the wide receiver was in Detroit for a visit.

The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. Shortly after Seattle’s Super Bowl win, Tate said in an interview that he badly wanted to stay with the Seahawks and would even be able to take a discount to make that happen. In the week after, however, he backtracked from the notion that he would take less money to stay with Seattle.

With Tate in the mix, the Lions hope that they can have a solid receiving weapon to take attention away from star Calvin Johnson. The club has had some success using Nate Burleson in that role, but nothing has kept clubs from double-teaming Megatron.

49ers Sign Antoine Bethea

March 12th, 2014 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

2:57pm: Bethea’s physical has been finalized and he has officially signed his contract with the 49ers, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

WEDNESDAY, 2:22pm: A source tells Chris Biderman of NinersDigest that only $6.5MM of Bethea’s total $23MM salary will be guaranteed.

TUESDAY, 5:36pm: The contract for Bethea is reportedly worth close to $6MM per year over the four years, reports Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Bethea will fill in for Donte Whitner alongside last year’s first-round pick Eric Reid.

3:15pm: The 49ers have reached a four-year contract agreement with safety Antoine Bethea, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).

Bethea, who will turn 30 in July, has started 123 of 128 possible games for the Colts since entering the league in 2006, earning two Pro Bowl nods during that span. In 2013, he recorded an impressive 124 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions.

Browns Release Brandon Weeden

March 12th, 2014 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

2:52pm: The Browns have officially announced the release of Weeden (Twitter link).

2:46pm: The Browns will release former first-round pick Brandon Weeden by Monday, a source tells Mike Silver of the NFL Network (via Twitter). With a new regime in place and Weeden no longer a part of the club’s future plans, Cleveland had been expected to either trade or cut the signal-caller this offseason.

The move will actually put more money onto the Browns’ cap for 2014 unless the team designates it as a post-June 1 cut.

Buccaneers Release Darrelle Revis

March 12th, 2014 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

2:50pm: The Buccaneers have officially announced the release of Revis. In a statement, GM Jason Licht cited the team’s “specific ideas regarding the best way to build this defense” as motivation for the move.

2:31pm: The Buccaneers are cutting star cornerback Darrelle Revis, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Tampa Bay had tried to trade Revis this week, but seemingly couldn’t find a suitable offer. If the team had kept the veteran corner beyond 3:00pm central time today, he would have been owed a $1.5MM roster bonus, and the Bucs would have owed New York a third-round pick rather than a fourth-rounder.

After missing 2012 with a torn ACL, Revis once again ascended to the top of Pro Football Focus’ cornerback rankings. While Bucs coach Lovie Smith has stated that Revis and his fondness for playing man-to-man coverage could fit in Tampa’s Cover-2 defense, the cornerback’s contract, which included a $16MM annual cap hit, ultimately proved untenable for a Bucs team that decided to use that money to add several other players. Because none of Revis’ cap hit was tied to prorated bonuses, Tampa Bay clears the entire $16MM from its books.

While no team was willing to give up a draft pick to acquire Revis at his previous salary, plenty of clubs are expected to express interest now that he’s an unrestricted free agent. The Patriots, who lost Aqib Talib, are one suitor to watch. One member of Revis’ camp told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News this afternoon that he thinks the cornerback will eventually land with the Patriots (Twitter link). A return to the Jets has also been viewed as a possibility.

NFC North Rumors: Tate, Neal, Haralson,

March 12th, 2014 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the NFC North..

Golden Tate is visiting with the Lions today, according to Michelle Beisner of NFL Network (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter). The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns.
The Bears could target Packers free agent defensive end Mike Neal, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears already added Lamarr Houston at the other bookend. Neal appeared in all 16 games last season for Green Bay last season and made ten starts.
The Packers are expected to consider free agent pass rusher Parys Haralson, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).

Cowboys To Sign Jeremy Mincey

March 12th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

2:25pm: Mincey’s two-year pact with the Cowboys will be worth $4.5MM, with $2MM in guaranteed money, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

1:47pm: The Cowboys have agreed to sign defensive end Jeremy Mincey to a two-year deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The 30-year-old finished the 2013 season with the Broncos after spending the first several years of his NFL career with the Jaguars.

Although he started every game for the Jaguars in 2011 and 2012, recording 11 total sacks, Mincey returned to a reserve role last season in Jacksonville and Denver, and will likely come off the bench for the Cowboys as well. The former sixth-round pick had his best season in ’11, logging eight sacks and forcing four fumbles.

AFC Rumors: Jones, LaFell, Mack

March 12th, 2014 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have expressed real interest in Packers free agent wide receiver James Jones, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. There’s no visit scheduled yet, however. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) adds that the Jets want to sign two wide receivers this offseason.

The Jets have interest in Panthers free agent wide receiver Brandon LaFell, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. However, there’s no visit scheduled just yet (link). The Patriots are known to have interest and the Broncos are also in the mix.
Four teams have been in contact with Browns free agent center Alex Mack on various levels, Rapoport tweets. Mack is currently waiting for the frenzy to die down. The Colts and Ravens are among the teams with interest (link).
Defensive tackle Jason Hatcher will be visiting the Raiders today after his visit with the Seahawks, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter).
The Ravens would like to re-sign linebacker Daryl Smith but not at his current asking price, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Brandon Spikes and Wesley Woodyard are among other free agent options. Zrebiec also suggests that they could target Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley in the draft.
The Broncos were interested in defensive playmakers all day yesterday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Before they landed Aqib Talib on a multi-year deal, they tried to get in on Jairus Byrd. Byrd, of course, went to the Saints.

Dolphins To Re-Sign Randy Starks

March 12th, 2014 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have reached a contract agreement with defensive tackle Randy Starks that will keep him in Miami, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The contract will be a two-year deal worth $12MM, according to Garafolo. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement worth about $6MM annually.

Starks, 30, has traditionally been better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, but he was excellent in both facets of the game in 2013. He ranked seventh overall among 69 qualified defensive tackles last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

It seemed as if Miami might be prepared to let both Starks and fellow free agent DT Paul Soliai walk in free agency, as reports suggested last week the team had not offered either player a deal. Now that Starks is set to return though, he’ll join Earl Mitchell, who also agree to terms today, on Miami’s defensive line.

As I noted in my preview of this year’s top free agents, Starks has been in the NFL since 2004, but is still just 30 years old, so the modest two-year deal looks like a decent value for the Dolphins.

Vikings Rumors: Melton, Rudolph, Simpson

March 12th, 2014 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Vikings rumors as the 24-hour mark of free agency approaches….

Free agent defensive tackle Henry Melton is drawing interest from several teams, including the Cowboys, but he’ll visit with the Vikings tomorrow, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Although it probably won’t happen anytime soon, the Vikings are expected to extend tight end Kyle Rudolph‘s contract, perhaps this summer or during the 2014 season, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Rudolph is a “big priority” among the team’s players eligible for 2015 free agency.
Wide receiver Jerome Simpson may still re-sign with the Vikings, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
Chris Cook tells Tomasson (Twitter link) that there’s still a possibility he re-signs with Minnesota, and adds that he doesn’t know anything about reported interest from the 49ers.
Tomasson also provides the financial details on Larry Dean‘s one-year contract with the Vikings (Twitter link).

Chargers Sign David Johnson

March 12th, 2014 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers announced via Twitter that they have signed tight end David Johnson. Johnson, who was previously a member of the Steelers, gets a two-year deal, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter).

Johnson, 27 in August, is known primarily for his blocking and also has experience at fullback. With Antonio Gates and athletic freak Ladarius Green also in the fold, Johnson won’t be asked to do a whole lot of pass catching.