2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

Contract Details: Sherels, Boldin, Brown, Royal

March 10th, 2014 at 2:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Marcus Sherels‘ two-year, $2.2MM extension with the Vikings included a $300K signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The defensive back and punt returner also has $200K of his $750K base in 2014 guaranteed. Sherels, 26, saw an increased role in the secondary in 2013, playing 545 defensive snaps. With that extra playing time, Sherels racked up 47 tackles, seven passes defended, and an interception. His most positive contributions probably came on special teams, however, where he averaged 15.2 yards per attempt on 22 punt returns, including a touchdown. Some more details on recent contracts..

Over The Cap has the full breakdown of wide receiver Anquan Boldin‘s pact with the 49ers, which includes three voidable years.
The Steelers did a simple restructure on Antonio Brown‘s deal, Pelissero tweets. Pittsburgh converted $5.27MM of his 2014 base salary to a signing bonus, clearing about $3.95MM off the cap.
Eddie Royal gets $3.5MM guaranteed in his reworked deal with the Chargers, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The maneuvering saves San Diego about $1MM in cash and salary cap room.
Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s “restructure” with the Cowboys included a $1.15MM pay cut in 2014 and a $1.75MM cut in 2015, Pelissero tweets. Bernadeau now has a $500K roster bonus and fully guaranteed $1.1MM base in 2014 (link). His 2015 base is now $1.5MM ($400K guaranteed for injury).
Pelissero (Twitter link) has the goods on Mark Herzlich‘s one-year extension with the Giants. He’ll get a $775K base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $25K workout bonus, good for $1MM total.
Offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre got a $150K signing bonus and $50K roster bonus on his one-year, $950K extension with the Seahawks, Pelissero tweets.

Jets Release Santonio Holmes

March 10th, 2014 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they have released wide receiver Santonio Holmes. Holmes was once of the league’s premier offensive threats but he has taken a few steps back in recent years.

Holmes, 29, has played in just 15 games for the Jets over the last two seasons due to foot issues, and even when he’s played, his production has been down. He has compiled 43 catches, 728 yards, and two TDs overall in the last two seasons. In an effort to provide weapons for Geno Smith or the veteran signal-caller the team brings in to compete for the QB job, New York is in the market for receiving help this offseason, and cutting Holmes will create some cap space to pursue free agents. By releasing Holmes before his $1MM roster bonus is due on March 13, the club can reduce his $10.75MM cap hit to just $2.5MM in dead money, creating more than $8MM in cap savings.

Recently, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk identified the Rams, Cardinals, and Steelers as potential suitors as potential suitors for the veteran’s services.

Babin Voids Jaguars Deal, Becomes Free Agent

March 10th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Babin has voided the final two years of his deal with the Jaguars to become a free agent, tweets John Clayton of ESPN. The move clears up $6MM+ plus from the Jaguars’ salary cap in 2014.

As Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union notes (on Twitter), Babin could re-sign with Jacksonville at some point, especially if the Jags come up empty in free agency. General Manager Dave Caldwell has said that he’ll be keeping his options open when it comes to the two-time Pro Bowler (link).

Babin, who turns 34 in May, played in all 16 games last season, racking up 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two passes defended. The well-traveled veteran has been with five clubs over the course of his NFL career and assuming he doesn’t double back with any of them, he could be on his way to No. 6.

Texans Rumors: Daniels, Joseph, Graham

March 10th, 2014 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look at the latest out of Houston..

Owen Daniels wants to remain with the Texans and is willing to restructure his contract if neccesary, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. Daniels is entering the final year of his deal with Houston.
Teammate Johnathan Joseph, who has a cap number of $11.25MM in 2014, is also open to restructuring his deal with the Texans, tweets James Palmer of CSNHouston.com. However, the club hasn’t approached him to rework his contract just yet, Tania Ganguli of ESPN tweets.
Garrett Graham said the Texans told him they want him here but that the process has been slow, Ganguli tweets. Meanwhile, several teams have shown interest in the 27-year-old tight end.

Falcons Aggressively Pursuing Paul Soliai

March 10th, 2014 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons are “aggressively” pursuing prospective free agent Paul Soliai, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora notes that Atlanta may be implementing some 3-4 elements on defense, since Soliai is perhaps the best nose tackle available this offseason.

As of last week, the Dolphins had yet to make contract offers to either Soliai or fellow defensive lineman Randy Starks, so it looks like both players will reach the open market. The Dolphins are instead targeting other defensive tackles, including Earl Mitchell, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Soliai, who has also attracted interest from the Vikings, will turn 31 in December, so he may not receive as lucrative a long-term deal as some of the younger linemen on the market. However, he’d certainly make an excellent addition on a Falcons defensive line that badly needs to be retooled. According to Jackson, Soliai’s decision is down to three teams.

Seahawks Emerge As Favorites To Sign Michael Bennett

March 10th, 2014 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

1:33pm: Bennett is “definitely” leaning toward staying with the Seahawks, and could make a decision later today, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

12:12pm: Word around the league suggests that the Bears have made an offer of $8.5MM per year for Bennett, while the Seahawks have offered $8MM annually, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Seattle’s offer is believed to be for four years, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

11:58am: The Seahawks have emerged as the new favorites in the Michael Bennett sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Just yesterday, a Chicago Tribune report suggested that league sources expected Bennett to join his brother Martellus Bennett in Chicago, but it sounds like the Super Bowl champs aren’t letting their top free agent leave town without a fight.

Bennett, who I ranked as the top free agent available with players like Jimmy Graham and Greg Hardy essentially off the market, is expected to command a lucrative multiyear contract, and there were questions about whether Seattle could afford such an investment with long-term commitments to Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Russell Wilson on the horizon. However, Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Seattle could announce a new deal for Bennett as soon as today. Meanwhile, the Bears may be turning their attention to other targets as the Seahawks push hard to retain the defensive end, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

While the Seahawks appear to be focusing on getting something done with Bennett, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that he has heard the team has a chance to retain not only Bennett, but Golden Tate as well. I’d expect the duo to command a combined $15MM+ per year, so it will be interesting to see if the Seahawks find a way to keep both players around without seriously compromising future cap flexibility.

Alterraun Verner Rumors: Monday

March 10th, 2014 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Both New York teams have been linked to free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner, with the latest reports suggesting that Verner is one of many defensive backs the Jets have inquired on, while the Giants may bow out of the Verner sweepstakes if it takes $10MM per year to land him. Here’s more on the free agent I ranked as the eighth-best in this year’s class:

Appearing on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Verner made a number of interesting comments. Verner suggested he’d like to go to a team that he thinks can win, and that he might be more interested in being among a team’s highest-paid players at $6-7MM than earning $8-9MM and not being among the highest paid (all Twitter links). He added that he expects to make a decision fairly quickly (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

There’s still no movement between Verner and the Titans on a new deal, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who says there are at least six teams in the mix for the cornerback (Twitter link).
Like Peter King, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger hears it could take $10MM annually to sign Verner, and says that price is likely out of the Giants‘ range. As Raanan writes, the Giants have multiple holes to fill and will be reluctant to spend heavily on any one player.
Verner is one of the prospective free agents that the Steelers have expressed interest in, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Given Pittsburgh’s cap situation and Verner’s rumored asking price, it’s hard to see how the team could afford to bring in the Titans cornerback, but he’s at least on the radar. According to Brown, the Steelers have also inquired on Captain Munnerlyn and Nolan Carroll.

Bears Nearing Deal With D.J. Williams

March 10th, 2014 at 1:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears appear to be on the verge of finalizing a new deal with linebacker D.J. Williams, a source familiar with the negotiations told Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. The 11th-year veteran would immediately become the frontrunner to start at middle linebacker next season if he inks a deal deal, though he would face competition from Jon Bostic for the No. 1 slot.

Williams joined the Bears during free agency in 2013 on a one-year deal with a $900K base. Unfortunately, injuries got in his way – first in the preseason by a calf injury and then a season-ending pectoral injury that he suffered in the Bears’ sixth game last fall. In six starts last season, Williams recorded 39 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. At the end of the season, the 31-year-old linebacker said his intent was to remain in Chicago in 2014, citing familiarity with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.

Bears general manager Phil Emery recently offered up positive words about what he saw from the University of Miami product. “I saw a good football player. Saw a guy who has legitimately very good burst. Saw a player who has good instincts, gets around the ball and plays with a relentless style. We were not displeased with his effort. We were very pleased with where he was going and how he was progressing,” said the GM.

Browns, Bears In Mix For Donte Whitner

March 10th, 2014 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns, Bears, and Jets have expressed the most interest in free-agent-to-be Donte Whitner so far, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Jets were mentioned yesterday as a suitor for the safety, who is still drawing interest from the 49ers as well, according to Branch.

Of Whitner’s potential suitors, the Browns appear to have the most cap flexibility, and are “very serious” about signing the Cleveland native, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). I ranked Whitner several spots below T.J. Ward on my list of PFR’s top 25 free agents, but if the Browns expect to lose Ward, Whitner would certainly be a solid replacement.

As Branch notes, the Niners are “still pushing” to retain their free agent safety. However, if they don’t reach an agreement with Whitner in the next 24 hours, it appears they’ll face stiff competition from at least three other clubs.

Frank Zombo, Chiefs Agree To Terms

March 10th, 2014 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs have agreed to terms on a new contract with linebacker Frank Zombo, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Zombo’s new deal will keep him off the unrestricted free agent market tomorrow.

Zombo, 27, was primarily a part-time player in his first three seasons with the Packers, but started several games on defense for the Chiefs last season and was a contributor on special teams. Assuming Kansas City’s defense enters the season fully healthy, Zombo will likely return to a reserve role, but he held his own in 439 defensive snaps in 2013.