2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Colts, Fili Moala Agree To Terms

March 11th, 2014 at 5:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

TUESDAY, 5:52pm: Moala’s one-year contract is worth $1.4MM, with $300,000 guaranteed and another $600,000 in possible incentives, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 9:48pm: Moala’s contract is for one year, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

8:01pm: The Colts have agreed to terms with defensive end Fili Moala, reports Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). The team has confirmed the transaction.

Moala, a second-round pick in 2009, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. He played 2013 under a one-year deal, after missing much of 2012 due to a torn ACL. He has started 45 games over the course of his career. Last season, he started only six games, accruing 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and ended the season on injured reserve.

Nick Folk Re-Signs With Jets

March 11th, 2014 at 5:50pm CST by Zachary Links

5:50pm: Folk got $12MM over four years with $2.1MM guaranteed, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. His ’14 cap number is $3.6MM, a small increase over the ~$3.5MM it was with the franchise tag.

4:36pm: The Jets have re-signed kicker Nick Folk to a multi-year deal, according to Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com.

Folk, who hit with the franchise tag in late February, had his his best season in a long time in 2013, hitting game-winning field goals in the season opener against Tampa Bay, on the road against Atlanta, and at home in overtime against New England. He remains among the NFL’s top three most accurate fourth-quarter kickers of the past 24 seasons, with his 92.2% career rate (47-for-51) trailing only Stephen Gostkowski (96.9%) and Denver’s Matt Prater (94.0%).

Raiders Re-Sign Darren McFadden

March 11th, 2014 at 5:46pm CST by Luke Adams

5:46pm: While McFadden’s contract could be worth up to the previously reported $4MM, Joel Corry of the National Football Post reports that it is mostly incentive based, and that $2.25MM is not likely to be earned (via Twitter).

4:34pm: The Raiders have re-signed McFadden to a one-year, $4MM contract, tweets Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.

3:06pm: It appears likely that Darren McFadden will agree to re-sign with the Raiders on a one-year contract, reports Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). It was reported earlier today that the team had extended an offer to the free-agent-to-be.

McFadden was rumored to be drawing “significant interest” in free agency, so if he returns to Oakland, it will be a bit of a surprise. Reports that surfaced following the end of the team’s season seemed to indicate that the Raiders were more interesting in retaining their other free agent back, Rashad Jennings. However, with Jennings drawing serious interest from the Giants, perhaps a one-year, prove-it deal could be in the best interests of both McFadden and the Raiders.

Broncos To Sign T.J. Ward

March 11th, 2014 at 5:42pm CST by Zachary Links

5:42pm: Details of the Ward contract are now becoming more clear, with Mike Klis of the Denver Post reporting that the four-year contract will be worth $23.MM with $14MM in guaranteed money (via Twitter).

4:19pm: The Broncos are set to sign former Browns safety T.J. Ward, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). He’ll get an average of $5.5MM per year, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Northeast Ohio News Group (on Twitter).

Ward was displaced in Cleveland when the Browns agreed to sign fellow free agent Donte Whitner. He was also linked to the Jets and Lions but the Broncos have been in the thick of it all along.

Steelers Release LaMarr Woodley

March 11th, 2014 at 5:40pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 5:40pm: ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweets that the release of Woodley by the Steelers is now official.

MONDAY, 12:34pm: The Steelers will release linebacker LaMarr Woodley when the new league year begins tomorrow, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). According to Schefter, the team will designate Woodley as a post-June 1 cut, allowing his cap number to be spread across 2014 and 2015.

Since signing his massive six-year contract in 2011, Woodley has recorded just 18 sacks in three seasons, after notching 35 from 2008 to 2010. He still graded well above average last season according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, but his cap hit is untenable for the Steelers, particularly with Jason Worilds locked in at nearly $10MM as the team’s transition player.

Woodley had been slated to earn a base salary of $8MM in 2014, with a cap number of $13.59MM. Designating him a June 1 cut will ensure that only $5.59MM of his cap number counts on the Steelers’ books for 2014. The contract will then represent $8.58MM in dead money on the team’s 2015 cap.

Once he’s officially released on Tuesday, Woodley will be free to sign with any team, and despite the decline in his sack totals in recent years, he’ll still make a very intriguing option for clubs eyeing edge defenders.

Giants Re-Sign Stevie Brown

March 11th, 2014 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

5:37pm: Brown was re-signed on a one-year contract, worth $3MM in 2014, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).

1:08pm: Free agent defensive back Stevie Brown has re-signed with the Giants, according to Brown himself, who tweeted, “put the ink to the paper happy to say I’ll b in NY for the 2014 seasons, thanks to my man [agent Blake Baratz] gettin the deal done.” Based on Brown’s tweet, it sounds like a one-year contract, though that hasn’t been confirmed.

Brown, 26, missed the entire 2013 season due to an ACL tear, but should be healthy in time for the 2014 season. Brown appeared in 14 games at safety for the Giants in 2012, starting 11, and recorded a positive grade, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. The team figures to continue pursuing free agent defensive backs, but could end up with a low-cost starter or depth piece in Brown, depending on the terms of his new deal.

Rams Release Cortland Finnegan

March 11th, 2014 at 5:28pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 11, 5:28pm: The Rams have officially released Finnegan, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).

MARCH 5, 3:30pm: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), the Rams met with Finnegan today and presented him with multiple options, including taking a pay cut. Finnegan’s tweet suggests he decided to let the team release him. While Finnegan informed Fisher and a few members of the St. Louis front office of his decision after the meeting, many key members of the club’s staff found out the cornerback’s answer when they saw his tweet.

2:30pm: The Rams are releasing cornerback Cortland Finnegan, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Finnegan himself broke the news first, tweeting, “St. Louis thank you for your letting me play for a classy franchise and coach [Jeff Fisher] nothing but love thank you all.” According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link), the team will have to wait until Tuesday to officially finalize the move, due to cap restrictions.

Finnegan, whose 2013 season was cut short by a fractured orbital bone, was one of the league’s worst corners even before the injury, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. A longtime starter for the Titans, the former seventh-round pick was named to the All-Pro first team in 2008, but has seen his production fall off in recent years.

Finnegan had a $3MM roster bonus due next week, and a $10MM overall cap number for 2014. By releasing him, the Rams will create a few million in cap savings, though the exact amount isn’t entirely clear yet. According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), the veteran cornerback’s roster bonus was guaranteed for injury and skill, meaning he could still receive it. The team also may designate Finnegan as a post-June 1 cut, which will spread his dead money over 2014 and 2015.

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link), Fisher expressed an openness in re-signing Finnegan at a later date and a lower salary, but I’d be surprised if that happened. The 30-year-old will immediately become an unrestricted free agent once his release is finalized, and will likely end up signing elsewhere.

FA Signings: Buccaneers, Colts, Bears, Bills

March 11th, 2014 at 5:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Among the big name signings flying around today, here are a few minor signings that might have slid under the radar:

The Buccaneers have re-signed cornerback Danny Gorrer, according to Greg Auman of TampaBay.com (via Twitter). Gorrer has bounced around the league, playing for three teams in three years before landing with the Buccaneers in 2012.
The Colts have agreed to a contract to retain safety Sergio Brown, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Brown has played the last two seasons with the Colts.
The Bears have signed linebacker Jordan Senn, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Senn had played the last four seasons with the Panthers.
The Bills have re-signed tight end Mike Caussin, according to Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Caussin has not played in an NFL game since 2011.

Chiefs, Husain Abdullah Agree To Terms

March 11th, 2014 at 5:24pm CST by Peter Sowards

Safety Husain Abdullah and the Chiefs have agreed to terms on a two-year contract to keep the fifth-year pro in Kansas City, per Yahoo! Sports Reporter Rand Getlin (via Twitter).

Undrafted out of Washington State in 2008, Abdullah spent his first four seasons in Minnesota before signing a one-year deal with Kansas City last offseason. He played in all 16 regular season games last season, starting two, and recorded two interceptions in the Chiefs’ heartbreaking 45-44 Wild Card loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Ahmad Bradshaw Re-Signs With Colts

March 11th, 2014 at 5:09pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Colts have retained Ahmad Bradshaw, agreeing to terms on a one-year deal according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Bradshaw was arguably the most talented running back on the Colts’ roster last season, but only played in three games before missing the rest of the season due to injury.

Bradshaw will join Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard in a crowded backfield, but could be a key contributor if healthy. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.