2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Texans Cut Brice McCain

March 11th, 2014 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Texans have released longtime cornerback Brice McCain, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). McCain had been on the books for a $1.75MM cap hit, which will be reduced to $900K in dead money, saving the club $850K in cap room.

McCain, who grabbed one interception and defended seven passes for the Texans in 2013, had the unfortunate honor of ranking dead last among 110 qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). While he was solid against the run and avoided taking penalties, McCain ranked as the league’s worst cover corner by a wide margin, according to PFF.

Giants To Re-Sign Peyton Hillis

March 11th, 2014 at 9:35am CST by Luke Adams

9:35am: Hillis’ deal is worth $1.8MM over two years, a source tells Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger (Twitter link).

8:28am: After filling in as the team’s feature back at times last season, Peyton Hillis will return to the Giants for the 2014 season, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Hillis will ink a two-year deal with the team, perhaps as soon as today.

Hillis, 28, recorded 73 carries for 247 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Giants in 2013. His 3.4 yards per carry represented a career-worst average, but he’s likely to be no more than second or third on the club’s depth chart heading into next season. Andre Brown, who finished the 2013 season as New York’s feature back, is also eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, so the club will likely add at least one more player to the mix, whether it’s Brown or someone else.

The Giants are also reportedly close to re-signing cornerback Trumaine McBride and kicker Josh Brown, meaning the team could have a handful of new deals to announce very soon.

49ers To Cut Carlos Rogers

March 11th, 2014 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 9:34am: The 49ers will release Rogers with the post-June 1st designation, freeing up more cap space for 2014, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.

MONDAY, 3:34pm: Cornerback Carlos Rogers will no longer represent the largest cap hit on the 49ers’ books for 2014, as the team has decided to release him, allowing him to test the market, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Rogers started all 16 regular season games for the 49ers in 2013, recording 49 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended. However, the 32-year-old ranked just 71st out of 110 qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). His performance and age, combined with an $8.09MM cap number, made his return to San Francisco unlikely unless he accepted a pay cut. By cutting Rogers, the Niners will create more than $5MM in cap savings, as the defensive back’s salary will still count for nearly $3MM in dead money on the 2014 cap.

For the Niners, Tramaine Brock looks poised to take over one of the top two cornerback jobs. However, San Francisco may be in the market for a new corner at the other spot, with Tarell Brown eligible for free agency.

Redskins Re-Sign Perry Riley

March 11th, 2014 at 9:32am CST by Dallas Robinson

9:32am: The Redskins have officially re-signed Riley, the team announced today (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 8:21am: Riley’s new contract with the Redskins is for three years and is worth $13MM, reports Russini (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 8:57pm: The Redskins have agreed to re-sign linebacker Perry Riley, according to Dianna Russini of NBC Washington (via Twitter).

Riley, 25, was a fourth-round-draft pick in the 2010 draft. He became a full-time starter during 2012, and last season racked up 115 tackles, three sacks, and one interception. However, he graded out as just the 46th best 3-4 inside linebacker according to Pro Football Focus. The Redskins will add him to linebacking core that includes Brian Orakpo, who was recently franchise-tagged, and Ryan Kerrigan, but is likely losing veteran London Fletcher to retirement.

Buccaneers Favorites For Johnson, Collins

March 11th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Dallas Robinson

TUESDAY, 9:31am: Johnson’s deal will average $8.5MM per year with around $24MM guaranteed, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

8:49am: The Buccaneers and Johnson are in “serious discussions,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Meanwhile, La Canfora tweets that GMs and agents are treating the tackle market as if Collins is headed to Tampa Bay.

MONDAY, 9:10pm: The Buccaneers are the favorites to sign defensive end Michael Johnson, likely at a salary of over $8MM per year, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). La Canfora also notes that Bucs will make a “strong push” for Johnson’s teammate on the Bengals, offensive tackle Anthony Collins.

Johnson, rated as the fifth best free agent by PFR’s Luke Adams, was expected to draw heavy interest from the Vikings, but they are no longer seen as viable contenders for his services after re-signing Everson Griffen. He graded out as the fourth-best 4-3 defensive end in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and was especially effective against the run. The Bucs could hope to pair him with another formidable lineman in Gerald McCoy and help to create a very stout front four.

Collins stepped in at left tackle for the Bengals as part of a reshuffling of the offensive line, and performed very well. He has experience at both tackle and guard, but likely wants to stay at tackle. Collins could slide in left tackle if the Bucs choose to release Donald Penn.

AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby

March 11th, 2014 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. 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. More out of the AFC..

While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.

NFC Rumors: Veldheer, Houston, Byrd, Hawley

March 11th, 2014 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

It looks like many of the top offensive tackles will fly off the shelves early when free agency gets underway at 3:00pm central time this afternoon. Branden Albert appears to be headed to Miami, while Anthony Collins will likely sign with the Bucs, and Eugene Monroe and the Ravens should work out a new deal. That leaves the Cardinals as the logical landing spot for Jared Veldheer, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) GMs and agents are essentially viewing that as a done deal, turning their attention to Rodger Saffold and other players. As we wait to see if Arizona can officially lock up the Raiders’ free-agent-to-be, let’s check out a few more updates from around the NFC….

The Packers were “very interested” in defensive end Lamarr Houston, but appear likely to bow out of the bidding as his price tag increases, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
It doesn’t sound as if things are heating up between Jairus Byrd and the Redskins at the moment, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who hears from a source that the two sides are just having “casual conversations” (Twitter link).
The Lions have been in recent contact with defensive end Willie Young’s agent about a new deal, but Young looks set to hit the open market and should have a handful of suitors, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Falcons are trying to lock up center Joe Hawley to keep him from reaching the open market, but there are other teams interested in him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) talks might go right up to 3:00pm today.
Tight end Garrett Graham could be a target for the Buccaneers, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
As they did a year ago, the Eagles could strike quickly in free agency today, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Joique Bell, Lions Close To Long-Term Deal

March 11th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have placed a second-round tender on running back Joique Bell, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, meaning the potential restricted free agent could accept the offer and return to Detroit on a one-year, $2.187MM contract. However, it looks like the two sides will reach a longer-term agreement. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Bell and the Lions are close to working out a multiyear deal.

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).

While it’s not clear if the Lions will finalize a deal for Bell before free agency gets underway this afternoon, doing so could reduce his 2014 cap hit, giving the team a little more flexibility to spend on other players.

Giants, McBride Agree To Two-Year Deal

March 11th, 2014 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Giants and cornerback Trumaine McBride have reached agreement on a new two-year contract that will keep the 28-year-old off the open market, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. According to Raanan, the deal, which will likely be signed later today, is worth a total of $3.1MM.

McBride, who played for the Bears, Cardinals, and Jaguars before joining the Giants last season, saw an increased role in New York’s secondary during the second half of 2013 and performed well, ranking 24th among qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). At a cost of about $1.55MM per season, he’ll come much cheaper than many of the more notable names on the cornerback market this week, though of course he doesn’t have the same track record as many of those other free agents. McBride’s 10 starts for the Giants last season were his first starts since the 2008 season.

The Giants are still expected to be in the market for cornerbacks, according to Raanan. While New York may no longer be in the mix for top options like Alterraun Verner, Corey Graham is one player drawing interest from the team.

Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record first reported that the Giants were close to re-signing McBride.

T.J. Ward Drawing Interest From Lions, Others

March 11th, 2014 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

7:59am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) downplays the Eagles’ interest in Ward, suggesting Philadelphia is “not in the mix.” However, he names the Dolphins and Redskins as a couple other clubs that could be involved.

7:42am: With free agency now just a few hours away, safety T.J. Ward is drawing “strong interest” from the Lions and Eagles, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ward, who has also been linked to the Jets, is said to be seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $7MM.

The Eagles, who still have some cap flexibility after working out new deals and extensions with several of their own players, have been mentioned as suitors for nearly every top safety on the market, including Jairus Byrd, Chris Clemons, and Mike Mitchell. As for the Lions, they’re on the lookout for someone to replace Louis Delmas, but likely won’t have quite as much cap room to work with as other clubs in on Ward.