2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Lions Sign Joique Bell

March 12th, 2014 at 12:10pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 12:10pm: Bell has officially re-signed with the Lions, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 11:43am: The Lions and running back Joique Bell have agreed to a two-year, $7MM extension, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter). The restricted free agent gets $4.3MM guaranteed in the pact. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter) notes, the deal is a two-year extension tacked on to the one-year restricted free agent tender.

Bell, 27, said back in January that he hoped to bypass the restricted free agency process and negotiate a long-term contract that would keep him in Detroit. The undrafted running back was one of the team’s most dynamic offensive weapons in 2013, racking up nearly 1,200 combined rushing and receiving yards to go along with eight touchdowns. While Bell was only a part-time player, playing behind starter Reggie Bush, he ranked as the NFL’s ninth-best running back, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

Last season, Bell proved that he is one of the league’s best No. 2 running backs and with this deal, the Lions will continue to have him in place for the next three years in that role.

Darren Sproles Prefers To Be Cut, Not Traded

March 12th, 2014 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

After initially looking like they’d cut Darren Sproles, the Saints received more interest than expected, and now figure to trade the versatile running back, according to various reports. However, if it were up to him, Sproles would prefer to be cut so that he can control his own future, as he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link).

“I want to get released. I don’t want to be traded,” Sproles said. “I don’t know where they would send me because I have no control over it and I want to be able to pick. The good thing is none of the teams I’m told they’re talking to are terrible. It’s more than two. I feel I should have more of an idea later on today.”

While it’s not known which teams are engaged in trade discussions for Sproles, at least 10 clubs were prepared to express interest if he hit the market, and the Redskins, Vikings, and Bears are among the teams that have been mentioned as potential fits. New Orleans may be more inclined to send Sproles to an AFC team, where he’s less likely to hurt the Saints in the regular season or playoffs. That’s just my speculation though.

West Rumors: McFadden, 49ers, Rams

March 12th, 2014 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Darren McFadden re-signed with the Raiders but he could have gone elsewhere for more money. “We did have real interest from four or five other teams — one offered more money,” McFadden’s agent Ian Greengross told Jerry McDonald of Bay Area News Group. “Darren wanted to stay a Raider. He felt like he still had something to prove in silver and black.” The tailback came back to Oakland on a one-year, $1.75MM deal with $2.25 million in incentives and just $100K guaranteed. The latest out of the AFC and NFC West..

The 49ers are in the market for a tall, long-armed cornerback and they have their eye on Vikings free agent corner Chris Cook, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco also likes fellow free agent CB Nolan Carroll. Meanwhile, things are quiet around Tarell Brown and that could benefit the 49ers, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
Versatile defensive lineman Alex Carrington is drawing strong interest from the Rams and Browns, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Carrington played in just three games for the Bills last season due to injury.
Free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins is on the Cardinals‘ radar, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. However, no visit is scheduled yet for the former first round pick. Jenkins spent last season with the Raiders.
Justin Tuck isn’t the only player visiting the Raiders today. Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter) says that Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas is also in Oakland.
We can add a third Giant to the delegation visiting the Raiders. Running back Andre Brown is in Oakland as well, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Rams free agent guard Shelley Smith will make a visit with the Patriots, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. The 26-year-old started in two games for St. Louis last season and can play either left or right guard. He has build a reputation as a solid run blocker who can pull well.

Dolphins Sign Earl Mitchell To Four-Year Deal

March 12th, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

11:34am: The Dolphins have officially announced the signing of Mitchell (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 7:28am: The Mitchell deal still appears on track to be completed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports the same terms mentioned by Schefter yesterday (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 5:46pm: Mitchell said he has an offer from Miami but he hasn’t agreed to a deal just yet, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter).

3:21pm: Earl Mitchell is expected to land a four-year, $16MM deal from the Dolphins, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The former Texans defensive end gets $9MM guaranteed in the pact.

The 26-year-old got a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor. The Chargers were among his suitors this offseason but the Dolphins have been high on him for weeks.

Seahawks Release Chris Clemons

March 12th, 2014 at 11:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks have released defensive end Chris Clemons, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). The move had been anticipated, as Clemons is coming off a down year and was slated to have a cap hit of about $9.667MM in 2014.

Clemons, 32, recorded at least 11 sacks in his first three seasons with the Seahawks, but recovery from a torn ACL slowed him down in 2013, resulting in just 4.5 sacks and a -7.7 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which placed him 42nd among 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends. While he’s a good candidate to bounce back in 2014, the Seahawks will create $7.5MM in cap savings by releasing him, which could clear space for another defensive line addition. The team has been linked to Jared Allen and Jason Hatcher, among others.

The Jaguars, coached by former Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, are probably a good bet to show interest in Clemons now that he’s an unrestricted free agent.

Giants Re-Sign Josh Brown

March 12th, 2014 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 11:18am: The Giants gave kicker Josh Brown a two-year deal with a $2.5MM base and another $500K in incentives, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. That’s a step up from the veteran’s minimum that he earned last year.

TUESDAY, 5:42pm: Kicker Josh Brown announced via Twitter that he has re-signed with the Giants. We learned yesterday that Big Blue and Brown were close to an agreement.

Brown, 35 next month, only missed three field goals in 2013. Terms of the pact are not yet known but other kickers have inked new deals with annual salaries exceeding $3MM so far this offseason.

Earlier today, the other Meadowlands tenant took care of their placekicker when they inked Nick Folk to a multi-year deal.

Bills Re-Sign Dan Carpenter

March 12th, 2014 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 11:14am: Carpenter got $9.9MM over four years with the Bills, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. His guarantee is a tad over $2MM.

TUESDAY, 4:58pm: The Bills confirmed their new deal with Carpenter today, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Carpenter tells Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 that it’s a four-year contract (Twitter link).

11:46am: The Bills appear likely to re-sign kicker Dan Carpenter today, according to various reports. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports notes (via Twitter) that Carpenter caught a flight from Miami to Buffalo today, a strong indication that he’ll re-sign with the Bills. As Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports adds (via Twitter), Carpenter is coming off a minimum salary benefit deal, so he can’t sign for a raise until the new league year begins.

Carpenter, 28, enjoyed the best season of his six-year career in 2013 with the Bills, converting 33 of 36 field goal attempts and all 32 extra-point tries. His career percentages may not earn him a deal similar to the $3MM+ per year contracts signed by Graham Gano and Dan Bailey this offseason, but he should be in line for a nice raise on 2013’s $715K salary.

With Carpenter and Josh Brown likely to come off the market later today, there are only a handful of notable free agent kickers still available. Phil Dawson, Steven Hauschka, and Rian Lindell are among the players without contracts for 2014.

Contract Details: Verner, Griffen, Mitchell

March 12th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

As part of the 4-year, $26.5MM contract Alterraun Verner will sign with the Buccaneers, $1MM of the total value comes as a Pro Bowl incentive, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Here are the latest contract details from around the NFL..

Everson Griffen‘s $19.8MM of guaranteed money in his new deal with the Vikings comes from a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed $6.9MM base salaries in 2014 and 2015, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Griffen has a $8.2MM cap number in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and his cap number rises to $9.7MM in 2018, Corry tweets.If the Vikings cut Griffen after the 2015 season, they owe him nothing and take just a $3.6M cap hit, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Michael Mitchell‘s five-year, $25MM deal with the Steelers calls for him to earn $6MM in the first year followed by a $2MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of 2015 league year, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Toby Gerhart gets a $3MM roster bonus and $1MM base in the first year of his three-year, $10.5MM deal with the Jaguars, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He also has a $500K roster bonus guaranteed for skill/injury in ’15.
Tyson Jackson gets $9.5MM in first year of his five-year, $25MM pact from the Falcons, Pelissero tweets. He has another $1.5MM in 2015 guaranteed for injury only until next year. Jackson has $11MM guaranteed in total with an $8MM signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Wilson (on Twitter) has the goods on Darrell Stuckey‘s deal with the Chargers. It’s a four year, $7.6MM deal with $1.735MM guaranteed and salaries of $730K, $1MM, $1.235MM, and $2.9MM.
Earl Mitchell‘s deal with the Dolphins is as follows, according to Wilson (Twitter link): It’s a four-year, $19MM with $8MM guaranteed and a $2MM bonus. The salaries are $3MM, $4MM, $2.975MM, and $3.975MM .
In the Chiefs‘ two-year deal for Husain Abdullah, he’ll get $2.27MM in total with a $750K signing bonus, Wilson tweets. His salaries are $725K in 2014 and $745K in 2015.
Andre Roberts‘ four-year contract with the Redskins includes a $4MM signing bonus, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. He’ll count $2.25MM against the cap in 2014.

DeMarcus Ware Rumors: Wednesday

March 12th, 2014 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

Even after signing T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib yesterday, the Broncos appear ready to add another defensive playmaker to their roster. Denver is reportedly the frontrunner to sign DeMarcus Ware, who was released yesterday by the Cowboys. Still, nothing is done yet, so while we wait to see where Ware lands, we’ll round up the rest of the day’s rumors on him right here:

One team tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Ware thinks he can get at least $10MM in free agency. It’s not clear if that figure represents an overall guarantee or per-year figure, but I’d assume the latter.
In his latest piece for TheMMQB.com, Peter King suggests the Seahawks will be in play for Ware and fellow free agent pass rusher Julius Peppers “if the price is right.” I’m guessing $10MM per year might not be the right price for Seattle.

NFC East Rumors: Ayers, Wendell, Tuck

March 12th, 2014 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the NFC East..

The Cowboys are interested in defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. However, no visit has been scheduled with the Broncos free agent. Ayers, 28, registered a career-high 5.5 sacks in 15 games (3 starts) last season for Denver.
Center Ryan Wendell is a name to watch for the Giants, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN. Pro Football Focus’ metrics weren’t kind to Wendell in 2013, placing him 33rd out of 36 eligible centers.
There are more teams in play for free agent Justin Tuck than the Raiders and Giants, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Tuck has been a staple in New York for the last nine seasons but this could be the winter that he winds up somewhere else. Last season, Tuck recorded 11.0 sacks and appeared in all 16 games, starting in 15 of those contests.