2014 April - Pro Football Rumors

Buccaneers Expected To Sign Lavelle Hawkins

April 4th, 2014 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Buccaneers are expected to finalize a contract agreement with free agent receiver Lavelle Hawkins, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reported earlier today that Tampa Bay was taking “a look” at Hawkins, though no agreement was in place at that point.

Hawkins, 27, grabbed 47 balls for the Titans in 2011, but typically hasn’t played a large role on offense during stints in Tennessee and San Diego. The former fourth-round pick is capable of returning kicks and can contribute on special teams as well.

The Bucs are in the market for receivers after agreeing to trade Mike Williams to the Bills earlier today. Assuming the club signs Hawkins, he of course won’t be expected to fill Williams’ role, but he’ll help provide depth at the position.

Bengals Sign Danieal Manning

April 4th, 2014 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 2:41pm: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links) provides the breakdown of Manning’s one-year deal, which has a base value of $1.6MM and can be worth another $500K in playing-time incentives. The deal also features a $100K signing bonus, says Wilson.

THURSDAY, 1:07pm: The Bengals have officially signed Manning, according to the team (via Twitter).

11:32am: The Bengals are finalizing a one-year contract with free agent safety Danieal Manning, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Manning hit the open market earlier this week when the Texans cut him after he decided not to accept a pay cut.

Once he became an unrestricted free agent, Manning indicated that his decision would be heavily influenced by which teams he felt were headed in the right direction and gave him an opportunity to win. Had he not reached an agreement with the Bengals, Manning was scheduled to make a visit to the Chiefs, another AFC playoff team. There had been speculation that the 31-year-old would also consider the Cowboys, the team he grew up rooting for, but it doesn’t seem as if Dallas was seriously in the mix.

Manning saw his 2013 season cut short when he fractured his fibula in October, forcing him out of action for the year’s final 10 games. Prior to ’13, he had started 45 regular season games in the previous three seasons for the Texans and Bears. He recorded a positive overall grade during that stretch, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), though PFF’s advanced metrics suggested his play was declining from season to season — he posted a +11.8 grade in 2010, followed by +3.1 in 2011, and -4.2 in 2012.

Still, Manning’s traditional numbers were strong even in his most recent full season (2012), when he logged 77 tackles, recovered three fumbles, and grabbed a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown. In Cincinnati, he’ll join a group of safeties that includes George Iloka and Reggie Nelson, who both had solid seasons in 2013 and under contract for two more years.

Chris Johnson Rumors: Friday

April 4th, 2014 at 2:05pm CST by Luke Adams

As we saw with DeSean Jackson last week, when a noteworthy offensive weapon hits the open market, it typically doesn’t take long for him to find a new home. Ex-Titans running back Chris Johnson is the latest big-name skill position player to be released by his previous team, with Tennessee making the move official earlier today. Even taking into account a diminished market for running backs, along with the fact that Johnson is recovering from knee surgery and is now five years removed from his 2,000-yard season, there will be interest in the perennial 1,000-yard rusher.

Here are the first few rumors on the league’s newest free agent, with any other Friday updates being added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon and evening:

Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) hears from Cowboys sources that Dallas doesn’t have interest in signing Johnson.

Earlier updates:

Before Johnson was released by the Titans, the Jets, Bills, Dolphins, and Falcons all discussed a possible trade for the running back, but elected not to make a move, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. We can probably cross off Miami as a suitor, since the club signed Knowshon Moreno instead.
Despite a report last weekend suggesting the Falcons had no interest in Johnson, Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean isn’t ruling out that possibility of the 28-year-old ending up in Atlanta — Schefter’s report indicates the Falcons at least had a little interest. Wyatt identifies the Jets, Giants, and Cowboys as other potential suitors.
The Jets seem to be leading the charge for Johnson at this point, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has reported a couple times this week. Three Jets beat writers (all Twitter links) agreed today that the team would have interest in Johnson, but all three stressed it would have to be at the right price.

Patriots To Release Adrian Wilson

April 4th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Not long after we published a post identifying the notable defenders still on the free agent market, another big name is about to become available. The Patriots have informed veteran safety Adrian Wilson that he’ll be released today, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Wilson himself broke the news a little earlier, tweeting: “Thank you to the Patriots organization for the opportunity. I look forward to the future.”

After spending 12 seasons with the Cardinals, Wilson was set to play for the Patriots in 2013, but tore his Achilles in the team’s preseason finale and missed the entire season. According to Garafolo, however, the 34-year-old will be healthy for the 2014 season and wants to continue his playing career. Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link) believes a return to the Cards is unlikely for Wilson, but considering he isn’t far removed from his most recent Pro Bowl season (2011), the former third-round pick should receive some interest.

For New England, Wilson became expendable when the club decided to re-sign a former Patriot, adding Patrick Chung to the safety mix earlier this week. Wilson had a cap number of about $1.833MM, so cutting him will leave the team with about $667K in dead money on the books for 2014, creating about $1.667MM in cap savings.

Lions Sign Dan Orlovsky

April 4th, 2014 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 1:37pm: Orlovsky’s contract is a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Birkett (via Twitter). The Free Press scribe adds (via Twitter) that the deal includes $125K in guaranteed money — a $65K bonus, plus $60K of the base salary.

WEDNESDAY, 3:03pm: The Lions and Orlovsky have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

2:39pm: The Lions are expected to reach an agreement to sign free agent quarterback Dan Orlovsky, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press first wrote a week ago when Shaun Hill signed with the Rams that the Lions were likely to turn their attention to Orlovsky, among other options.

Orlovsky, 30, was originally selected by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. His most extensive regular-season action came during the team’s infamous 0-16 year in 2008, when he made seven starts, throwing for 1,616 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. In recent years, the veteran signal-caller has served as a backup in Indianapolis and Tampa Bay.

Hill’s departure for St. Louis left the Lions without a clear-cut No. 2 option behind starting QB Matthew Stafford for 2014, so if the team finalizes an agreement with Orlovsky, he becomes the immediate favorite to fill that role. Kellen Moore is also expected to be in the mix for the club.

Giants Sign Kellen Davis, Travis Harvey

April 4th, 2014 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

1:26pm: The Giants have officially announced the signing of Davis, as well as a deal with former Florida A&M receiver Travis Harvey, according to a team release. Harvey signed with the Titans last spring and was cut during training camp.

11:49am: The Giants have signed a tight end, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who reports (via Twitter) that the team agreed to terms on a one-year contract with unrestricted free agent Kellen Davis. New York has been extremely active in free agency this offseason, but Davis is the first addition at tight end for a club that lost Brandon Myers to the Bucs.

Davis, 28, played for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks last season, acting primarily as a blocker rather than a pass-catcher. After recording a career-high 19 receptions during his final season with the Bears in 2012, Davis hauled in just three passes in Seattle in 2013.

A former fifth-round pick, Davis likely isn’t being brought in to be the Giants’ answer at tight end. The club could address the position in the draft, and may still be keeping an eye on Jermichael Finley, who was linked to New York earlier in the offseason and is recovering from a spinal injury. The Giants also reportedly had interest last month in Brandon Pettigrew and Andrew Quarless, though those players and others have since come off the market.

Ravens Sign Owen Daniels

April 4th, 2014 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

1:20pm: Daniels’ one-year contract is worth $1MM, with another $1MM available in incentives, tweets Wilson.

FRIDAY, 12:03pm: The Ravens’ signing of Daniels is now official, according to the team (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 4:30pm: Daniels will travel to Baltimore tomorrow to take his physical and officially sign his deal with the Ravens, according to Wilson (Twitter link).

4:17pm: The Ravens have agreed to terms with free agent tight end Owen Daniels, reports Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Daniels will ink a one-year deal to join the team. It’ll be a reunion for Daniels and former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, who is now the Ravens’ offensive coordinator.

Daniels, 31, was limited to just five games last season due to a broken leg. In his previous seven NFL seasons, however, he averaged over 51 receptions per year to go along with 26 total touchdowns. Daniels was also named to two Pro Bowl teams, in 2008 and 2012.

In Baltimore, Daniels won’t be the No. 1 tight end option for a team that re-signed Dennis Pitta to a lucrative long-term deal earlier this offseason. However, he’ll provide an excellent second option at the position, and his veteran presence and his familiarity with Kubiak should be a plus.

The Ravens had also reportedly been considering bringing back Ed Dickson, but I’d imagine the team’s agreement with Daniels means Dickson is no longer a target. As for Daniels, he visited the Redskins and Packers before agreeing to sign with the Ravens, tweets Wilson.

Notable Remaining Free Agents On Defense

April 4th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted yesterday when we examined the notable free agents still available on the offensive side of the ball, the first few weeks of 2014 free agency haven’t left the cupboards totally empty. There are still many intriguing players out there looking for work, and the best bargain signings of the offseason may be yet to come.

Since we published that piece, a pair of veteran safeties – Danieal Manning and Patrick Chung – have agreed to deals, while another (Rafael Bush) signed an offer sheet. Still, plenty of free agent defenders remain on the market. Let’s highlight a few of them….

Defensive Ends:

There are a handful of 2013 starters among the group of available defensive ends, but not all those starters are created equal. Jason Hunter and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, for instance, logged 600+ defensive snaps for their respective clubs last season, but both ranked in the bottom five qualified 4-3 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Meanwhile, longtime starters Will Smith and Anthony Spencer are recovering from an ACL tear and microfracture surgery, respectively, so betting on the two former Pro Bowlers to return to peak form in 2014 seems unwise.

Perhaps the most interesting name in this group is Brett Keisel, another former Pro Bowler who logged four sacks and modest PFF grades for the Steelers in 2013. He’ll turn 36 in September, which helps explain why he hasn’t found a new home yet, but he could still help fortify a defensive line, particularly in a part-time role.

Defensive Tackles:

After 11 seasons in Minnesota, which included five All-Pro nods, Kevin Williams doesn’t appear likely to continue his career with the Vikings, but he’s still an above-average run-stopper and could be a nice piece for a team in need of interior line help.

Among the other notable names at this position: A pair of ex-Packers in Johnny Jolly and Ryan Pickett, longtime Niner Isaac Sopoaga, and Colin Cole and Aubrayo Franklin, neither of whom were difference-makers last season in 300+ defensive snaps. Kyle Love is also worth keeping an eye on — after a couple solid seasons with the Patriots in 2011 and 2012, he was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes and cut by the team before the 2013 regular season. Love is a bounce-back candidate if he’s healthy.

Outside Linebackers:

Teams willing to roll the dice on a veteran who is past his prime but could still contribute have a couple solid options here in James Harrison and Will Witherspoon — neither player should be a full-time starter in 2014. Ernie Sims, Rocky McIntosh, and Michael Boley fall into a similar boat. They aren’t as old as Harrison or Witherspoon, but their resumés also aren’t as impressive, and their starting days are probably behind them.

Marvin Mitchell, James Anderson, and Stephen Nicholas are a few of the other players to watch here.

Inside Linebackers:

London Fletcher hasn’t 100% committed to retirement yet and considering he hasn’t missed a start since 2000, it’s probably best to keep him on the list of possibilities to be safe. However, he’ll turn 39 next month and doesn’t seem likely to play in 2014.

Age is also a concern for Paris Lenon, who turns 37 in November, and there will be questions about the health of veterans Larry Foote and Jonathan Vilma, who both spent most of the 2013 season on injured reserve. Throw in a torn MCL for Nick Barnett and off-field concerns for Erin Henderson, and there are certainly no slam dunks in this group. 27-year-old Pat Angerer may be the most appealing name here, but he’s certainly no beacon of good health himself.

Cornerbacks:

Champ Bailey doesn’t appear quite ready to change positions or retire quite yet, and the future Hall-of-Famer certainly represents the biggest name on the market. Still, there are a few other noteworthy veterans here: Jabari Greer, Quentin Jammer, Asante Samuel, Rashean Mathis, Drayton Florence, and Dunta Robinson are among them.

Corey Webster and Josh Wilson are among the other players on the market who have extensive starting experience, but my favorite potential bargain buy might be Terrell Thomas, who returned admirably from back-to-back torn ACLs in 2013.

Safeties:

Safety is perhaps the deepest defensive position in free agency, even after Manning, Chung, and Bush came off the market. According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), Steve Gregory, Ed Reed, and Quintin Mikell had the best 2013 seasons among this group, but there are plenty of other longtime starters or players with upside here.

Thomas DeCoud, Reed Doughty, and Major Wright are reportedly drawing some interest this week. Meanwhile, Mike Adams, Yeremiah Bell, Michael Huff, and Jim Leonhard have a combined 341 NFL starts to their names, for clubs in search of veteran experience.

Patriots Sign Patrick Chung

April 4th, 2014 at 12:50pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:50pm: Chung gets a one-year deal with a base salary of $740K, a $60K signing bonus, a $60K workout bonus, and $240K in per-game roster bonuses, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.

THURSDAY, 12:54pm: The Patriots have officially signed Chung, the team announced today in a press release.

12:30pm: Following the Eagles’ release of Patrick Chung, the Patriots will bring the veteran safety back to New England, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. Curran tweets that Chung is re-signing with the Pats.

Chung, who was drafted 34th overall by the Patriots in 2009, spent four seasons in New England and started 30 games for the team, but never developed into the kind of impact player the Pats likely envisioned. The 26-year-old regressed further during his lone season in Philadelphia, placing 71st among 86 qualified safeties according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), and failing to grab an interception for the first time in his career. That prompted his release, which came on the first day of free agency last month.

Returning to the Patriots for his second stint with the team, Chung figures to start out in a reserve role, though he’ll likely be given the opportunity to compete for playing time this summer.

Steelers Sign Darrius Heyward-Bey

April 4th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:33pm: Heyward-Bey’s contract is a minimum salary benefit deal with a $65K signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

WEDNESDAY, 12:24pm: Former seventh overall pick Darrius Heyward-Bey has agreed to terms with the Steelers, who announced today that they have signed the free agent wideout to a one-year contract (Twitter link).

Heyward-Bey, 27, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Raiders after the team grabbed him with its 2009 first-round pick. However, despite flashing some promise in Oakland, the Maryland product didn’t put up a 1,000-yard season during his stint with the team and scored just 11 total touchdowns in four years. Heyward-Bey joined the Colts in 2013, but didn’t make a huge impression in Indianapolis either, grabbing 29 passes for 309 yards and a TD.

For the Steelers, Heyward-Bey will have an opportunity to help fill the holes left by departing free agents Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery. Pittsburgh also inked Lance Moore to a deal to help complement No. 1 receiver Antonio Brown.