HEADLINES

Month: March 2014

Matt Cassel To Re-Sign With Vikings

March 7th, 2014 at 6:56pm CST by David Kipke

7:31pm: Cassel’s two-year pact will be worth $10MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

7:14pm: The deal is for two years, according to Rapoport (via Twitter).

6:57pm: Quarterback Matt Cassel is re-signing with the Vikings, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cassel had been set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.

In six starts this season for the Vikings, Cassel enjoyed a relatively successful, albeit mistake-prone resurgence, amassing 1,807 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Cassel replaced Christian Ponder this past December when the Vikings starter exhibited concussion symptoms after a Week 13 game against the Bears, and Cassel’s new deal further signals that Ponder’s time in Minnesota is coming to an end. Ponder is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and almost certainly won’t be with the Vikings beyond 2014.

Cassel, 31, opted out of the final year of his contract with Minnesota last month. He had been set to earn a little over $3MM on that deal, so the new pact with the Vikings will surely represent a more lucrative payday. Even with Cassel now locked up, Minnesota figures to add at least one more quarterback this offseason, either in free agency or the draft.

Cassel was believed to be drawing interest from Bill O’Brien and the Texans, as recently as yesterday. The Vikings signed Cassel in March of 2013 immediately after the Chiefs decided to cut the 2010 Pro Bowler.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign Jonathan Casillas

March 7th, 2014 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers have agreed to terms on a new one-year contract with linebacker Jonathan Casillas, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). Casillas had been eligible for unrestricted free agency next week.

Casillas, 26, joined the Bucs last season after spending the first three seasons of his NFL career in New Orleans. The Wisconsin alum appeared in the team’s first 12 games, playing a total of 199 defensive snaps, before heading to injured reserve with a knee issue. Casillas was also a contributor on special teams, racking up 11 tackles on return plays.

Steelers, Antonio Brown Restructure Contract

March 7th, 2014 at 6:08pm CST by David Kipke

The Steelers and wide receiver Antonio Brown have restructured Brown’s contract in order to free up about $4MM worth of cap space for Pittsburgh, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter) that the move will convert $5.2MM of Brown’s $6MM base salary into a signing bonus, which will be spread over the contract’s remaining years.

Brown, who also reworked his deal last year, was in line to have a $8.47MM cap number for 2014. If his salary has indeed been converted to $800K, that means $1.3MM in bonus money would be added to each of the remaining four years on his deal, reducing his ’14 cap number to $4.57MM.

For the Steelers, it’s the latest in a string of cap-clearing moves for the team, as the 2014 league year nears. In addition to reworking Brown’s deal, the club also restructured Troy Polamalu‘s and Heath Miller‘s contracts, and released veterans Levi Brown and Larry Foote.

Seahawks Re-Sign Jeanpierre, Johnson

March 7th, 2014 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

5:35pm: The Seahawks put a second-round tender on Johnson, who accepted it, locking in a $2.187MM base salary for 2014, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). That salary isn’t guaranteed, but the team can’t rescind the offer now that Johnson has accepted it.

3:05pm: The Seahawks have inked a pair of restricted free agents to one-year contract extensions, the team announced today (via Twitter). Offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and safety Jeron Johnson will be returning to Seattle for the 2014 season, according to the club.

Both Jeanpierre and Johnson have been with the Seahawks for three seasons, playing almost exclusively off the bench. Jeanpierre started three games and saw a career-high 291 snaps during the 2013 season, primarily at center. Johnson, meanwhile, appeared in just four contests for the club after seeing action in every game of the 2012 season.

Seahawks Tender Doug Baldwin

March 7th, 2014 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks have extended a second-round contract tender to wide receiver Doug Baldwin, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The tender is a one-year contract offer worth $2.187MM, and ensures that Baldwin, a restricted free agent, can’t sign with another team without Seattle having the right to match the offer.

Although Seattle didn’t rely too heavily on its passing attack en route to a Super Bowl win this past season, Baldwin had a solid season, grabbing 50 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns. With three years of NFL experience and no contract for 2014, he can test the market this offseason. If Baldwin signs an offer sheet elsewhere, the Seahawks can either match it or let him walk and receive a second-round pick as compensation from Baldwin’s new team.

I’d be surprised if any team was willing to give up a second-round pick for the right to commit to Baldwin on a multiyear deal, so the likeliest outcome might see the 25-year-old accept the one-year tender offer and return to Seattle. In that scenario, Baldwin would earn $2.187MM in 2014 and be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year from now.

Extra Points: Collins, Bears, Cowboys, Jags

March 7th, 2014 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

With Eugene Monroe, Branden Albert, and Jared Veldheer all seemingly on the verge of reaching unrestricted free agency, it’ll be an active market for left tackles and the teams seeking them. But the Bengals are hoping to stay out of the mix by locking up Anthony Collins before free agency begins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Collins should draw a good deal of interest if he becomes available, as Rapoport suggests.

Here’s more from around the NFL on a Friday afternoon:

  • The Bears haven’t asked wide receiver Earl Bennett to take a pay cut, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link), and fellow ESPN scribe Michael C. Wright says (via Twitter) that’s the case for defensive end Julius Peppers as well. Of course, there’s still some time for Chicago to approach both players, if the team needs to create some flexibility.
  • By officially releasing Phil Costa and restructuring Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s contract, the Cowboys are now about $2MM under the cap with free agency around the corner, tweets ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. That doesn’t necessarily mean the team is done cutting costs though — I’d still expect DeMarcus Ware‘s deal to be addressed in some form.
  • As for Costa, Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the Cowboys asked if the veteran center would take a pay cut. Costa declined, as he feels he’ll garner interest elsewhere.
  • After re-signing with the Jaguars today, Chad Henne spoke to the media and admitted that he wanted to talk to other teams, but Jacksonville was his No. 1 choice and he decided to forgo the open market when the club made an offer he liked. Meanwhile, head coach Gus Bradley indicated that re-signing Henne doesn’t mean the Jaguars won’t draft a quarterback in May (Twitter links via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com).
  • Punter Pat McAfee told reporters, including Craig Kelley of Colts.com (Twitter link), that he “didn’t really want” to hit free agency and is happy to have re-signed with the Colts.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Contract Tenders: 49ers, Jaguars, Broncos

March 7th, 2014 at 4:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.

Here are some of the latest ERFA and RFA contract tenders:

Earlier updates:

  • The Falcons tendered cornerback Robert McClain with a $1.431MM offer, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. McClain was the team’s only restricted free agent this offseason.
  • The Jaguars tendered offers to wide receivers Mike Brown ($495K) and Kerry Taylor ($495K), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor ($570K), fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou ($570K), and tailback Jordan Todman ($645K), according to Pelissero (Twitter links). Todman, a former UConn notable, had only practice squad experience before making his on-field debut with the Jags in 2012. He had 256 yards and two scores on the ground with 14 catches, 116 receiving yards, and a touchdown through the air.
  • The Dolphins tendered offers to wide receiver Armon Binns ($495K) and linebacker Jonathan Freeny ($570K), Pelissero tweets.
  • More from Pelissero, who tweets that the Broncos have tendered offers to defensive end Mitch Unrein ($1.431M) and Brandon Marshall ($495K). Of course, that’s the Marshall who plays linebacker, not the star receiver.
  • The Lions have tendered offers to kick returner Jeremy Ross ($570K), linebacker Julian Stanford ($570K), cornerback Chris Greenwood ($570K), and tight end Matt Veldman ($420K), tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter) adds that wide receiver Kris Durham was also tendered an offer. Durham had an opportunity to shine when the Lions lost Nate Burleson to injury early in the season but he wasn’t able to break out even with double coverage on Calvin Johnson.
  • The Buccaneers are on the verge of tendering exclusive rights free agents Eric Page and Deveron Carr, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Jets In Serious Talks With Howard, Cumberland

March 7th, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

4:25pm: The Jets are also “engaged heavily in negotiations” with offensive tackle Austin Howard, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post. The club is hoping to lock up both Howard and Cumberland before the free-agents-to-be are eligible to sign elsewhere.

10:53am: The Jets are currently engaged in “serious negotiations” with tight end Jeff Cumberland, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. It’s not clear yet whether the two sides will reach an agreement by Tuesday to keep the prospective free agent off the market.

Cumberland, who went undrafted out of Illinois, has posted similar numbers in his last two seasons with the Jets. In 2013, he totaled 26 receptions for 398 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Given Cumberland’s age (26) and the Jets’ up-and-down quarterback production during his stint with the team, it’s reasonable to assume that his most productive years could be ahead of him.

When I examined 2014’s free agent market for tight ends, I placed Cumberland in the second tier, and since then, the two first-tier options – Jimmy Graham and Dennis Pitta – have been franchised and extended respectively. As such, Cumberland could draw a little extra interest from teams in need of a tight end if he reaches the open market.

FA Rumors: Falcons, Finley, Winston, Neal

March 7th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s follow up on this morning’s free agent rumors with another round of them for the afternoon….

  • The Falcons are engaged in active talks to bring back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but appear ready to part ways with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.
  • Tight end Jermichael Finley has drawn interest from the Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, and Steelers, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The former Packers standout still hasn’t been medically cleared, however.
  • The Cardinals have maintained interest in offensive lineman Eric Winston, but with no deal imminent, the veteran tackle could hit the open market, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Packers have had meaningful discussions with outside linebacker Mike Neal, but they haven’t come up with a large enough offer to keep him from testing the open market, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • Wilson also passes along an update on former Ravens defensive tackle Bryan Hall, who worked out for eight NFL teams at Arkansas State today. Hall was converted to linebacker by Baltimore, but is back to playing on the line now (Twitter links).
  • According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson continues to talk to the Titans, as the team tries to re-sign some of its players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents
  • Having re-signed Marcus Sherels, the Vikings have one restricted free agent left, in linebacker Larry Dean. A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) the team is having ongoing discussions on the possibility of bringing Dean back.
  • Tight end Dustin Keller, who was doing exceptionally well in camp with the Dolphins last offseason before tearing his ACL, is on track to return for this season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Keller is an unrestricted free agent.

Saints Release Lance Moore

March 7th, 2014 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

3:38pm: The Saints have officially released Moore, according to the league’s transaction wire.

10:28am: A day after being involved in trade rumors, wide receiver Lance Moore is being released by the Saints, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Moore hinted at the news earlier this morning, tweeting, “Thank you New Orleans for an amazing nine years. Who Dat Nation, the best on earth!!!” The tweet suggested the team had told the veteran receiver he’d been cut or traded.

Moore, 30, had been one of the longest-tenured Saints, acting as a target for Drew Brees‘ for the last several seasons. However, Moore’s 2013 receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (2) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. The decreased production, combined with the presence of 2013 fifth-rounder Kenny Stills and the team’s need to pay star tight end Jimmy Graham, contributed to Moore’s exit from New Orleans.

While there had been two years remaining on Moore’s contract, the Saints won’t be on the hook for a number of roster and workout bonuses owed to him in 2014 and 2015. Overall, the veteran receiver’s $5.069MM cap number for ’14 will be reduced to a dead money charge of about $2.538MM, creating $2.531MM in cap savings for the club.

As for Moore, he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, joining a class that includes Hakeem Nicks, Eric Decker, Golden Tate, and Julian Edelman, among others.

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