HEADLINES

Month: March 2015

Latest On Brian Orakpo

March 10th, 2015 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

1:37pm: The Cardinals are poised to sign LaMarr Woodley, but that doesn’t necessarily take them out of the running for Orakpo, tweets Keim.

12:33pm: The Titans and Cardinals are in the mix for Brian Orakpo along with Washington, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Cardinals, he adds, are the team to watch as they badly want an edge presence in 2015. John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Cards are making a big push for the veteran linebacker.

When Washington made Orakpo its highest-paid player with an $11.455MM deal last year (off of the franchise tender), the club had much higher hopes for him than an injury-riddled year that would be cut short by Week 7. Still, Orakpo is one of the best at his position when he’s healthy and Washington knows that his talent would be hard to replace, so they find themselves chasing him today. Right now, it sounds like the Cardinals could blow them away, however, and the Titans are also getting involved.

Orakpo recorded just 0.5 sacks in his first seven games before a torn pectoral wiped out the second half of his season.

Latest On Antonio Cromartie

March 10th, 2015 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that he’s down to the Cowboys, Jets, and Cardinals, according to Dom Consentino of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter). Cromartie has been almost exclusively linked to the Jets, but there’s no agreement in place between the two sides.

Earlier this morning it was reported that the Cards were unlikely to retain Cromartie, but now it seems that they’re one of the finalists for him. The veteran cornerback enjoyed something of a career resurgence in Arizona last season but his former sensei, Todd Bowles, has gone from the Cards’ defensive coordinator to taking the Jets’ head coaching job.

Last month, when asked about the possibility of rejoining the Jets, whom he spent the 2010-13 seasons with before they released him last year, Cromartie said, “It would be an easy choice, if the opportunity presented itself.”

Still, in an interview on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday, Cromartie explained that he would be a good addition in Dallas as well.

“They’re only missing one key piece and that’s the piece in the secondary,” Cromartie said, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. “I feel like I can be that piece to help and go in and win a championship and get the Dallas Cowboys back where they’re supposed to be.”

NFC FA Rumors: Hardy, Peterson, Worilds

March 10th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears there’s at least some cursory interest in Greg Hardy from the 49ers. Still, it’s very early in the process and his signing might drag on for some time. No matter who signs him, Robinson says (link) that it’ll be a slow process and he expects to see some media leaks to see how it plays publicly. More from the NFC..

  • Vikings running back Adrian Peterson met with the Wilfs in New York on Monday and GM Rick Spielman, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It was a continuation of the discussion Peterson had last week with Spielman and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who huddled with Peterson for about four hours at his home outside Houston to discuss his future with the team.
  • Jason Worilds has a clear idea of what he wants but both the Giants and Steelers think that price is too high, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. As one source told the NFL.com scribe, “We’re not paying $1MM per sack.” Worilds notched 7.5 sacks in 2014.
  • B.J. Raji‘s preference is to return to the Packers but he’s weighing offers and his return is no sure thing right now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Lions are still trying to get something done with Nick Fairley but he’s got some interest elsewhere, Robinson tweets.
  • The Packers are not pursuing Andre Johnson at this time, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It appears that Johnson was only being looked at in case Randall Cobb went elsewhere.
  • The Falcons are expected to be in play for Rams tight end Lance Kendricks, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch (on Twitter).

Colts Sign Kendall Langford

March 10th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

WEDNESDAY, 1:32pm: Langford did pretty well on his new deal with the Colts — it’s a four-year pact worth $17.2MM, and features $5MM in year-one money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

TUESDAY, 6:07pm: The Colts and free agent defensive lineman Kendall Langford have agreed to a contract, per the team’s official website. Terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Langford, a seven-year veteran, spent the past three seasons with the Rams and totaled over 100 tackles and eight sacks. Impressively, the 29-year-old Langford has never missed a game since breaking into the NFL in 2008 with the Dolphins, appearing in 112 straight contests and making 90 starts.

Langford is coming off a respectable season – Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him the 36th-best D-tackle in the league out of 81 qualifiers – and is expected to add durable depth to a Colts defense that finished 2014 a below-average 18th against the run.

Dolphins To Re-Sign Kelvin Sheppard

March 10th, 2015 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have signed linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The move is a depth signing for the Dolphins who needed reinforcements at the position.

Sheppard, 26, spent the 2013 season with the Colts after two years in Buffalo. His best season came in 2012, when he was a starter for the Bills and racked up 80 tackles to go along with a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest Sheppard has typically fared better against the pass than the run, scoring much better in pass coverage and as a pass rusher than as a run stopper.

Miami picked Sheppard up in September when Dannell Ellerbe‘s second year with the team has been prematurely cut short due to injury.

Broncos Re-Sign Johnson, Will Host Daniels

March 10th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have reached an agreement to re-sign linebacker Steven Johnson, who had been eligible for restricted free agency, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Rather than tendering him an offer worth $1.542MM, the team appears to have worked out a one-year deal worth less than that.

Johnson saw an increased role on the defensive side of the ball in the second half of the 2014 season, playing in 215 total snaps on defense for the Broncos. Typically though, he has primarily been a special teams contributor — he recorded 11 tackles in kick and punt coverage last season.

In addition to re-signing Johnson, the Broncos have also been busy trying to fill the void left by the departing Julius Thomas at tight end. According to Klis, tight end Owen Daniels, who has a long history with new Denver coach Gary Kubiak, will visit with the team on Wednesday.

While the Broncos appear set to lose Thomas to Jacksonville, the team seems to be in good position to bring back its other free agent tight end. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos are the frontrunners to sign Virgil Green, who is weighing strong interest from multiple teams and is close to making a decision.

Contract Details: Suh, Cobb, Jackson, Graham

March 10th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a round-up of a few notable details on new contracts from around the NFL:

  • Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins); $60MM guarantee is fully guaranteed at signing (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
  • Randall Cobb, WR (Packers): Four years, $40MM base value. $13MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus in March 2016, $5.35MM cap hit for 2015 (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
  • Kareem Jackson, CB (Texans): Four years, $34MM base value. $9MM signing bonus. $4MM roster bonus due this weekend (Twitter link via Corry).
  • Brandon Graham, OLB (Eagles): Four years, $26MM base value. $4MM signing bonus. $14MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Cary Williams, CB (Seahawks): Three years, $18MM base value. $3.5MM signing bonus. $7MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Mark Sanchez, QB (Eagles): Two years, $9MM. $2MM signing bonus. $5.5MM guaranteed. Escalators for playing time, playoffs (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ryan Mallett, QB (Texans): Two years, $7MM base value. $1.75MM of $2.5MM 2015 salary guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Brian Hartline, WR (Browns): Two years, $6MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Tyvon Branch, S (Chiefs): One year, $2.1MM base value. $200K signing bonus. $2MM in playing-time, INT, Super Bowl incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).

Extra Points: Spiller, Moore, Morgan

March 10th, 2015 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from around the NFL..

  • There was speculation about it at one point, but the Dolphins will not be chasing running back C.J. Spiller at this time, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
  • The Dolphins have been doing due diligence on finding a cheap backup defensive tackle in free agency, Salguero tweets. If they find one, that could spell the end of Randy Starks in Miami.
  • Some connected Rahim Moore to the Raiders since Jack Del Rio was his defensive coordinator last year, but Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) hears that the Raiders won’t be in the mix for him.
  • The Buccaneers lost out on defensive end Trent Cole, but they’re still in the mix for Jabaal Sheard and Derrick Morgan, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. They’re also still in the running for Parker.
  • The Titans still talking with Morgan, along with three other teams, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
  • The Chiefs still have some interest in re-signing tackle Ryan Harris, but there’s nothing imminent on that front, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
  • Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter) heard that the Giants were closing in on free agent defensive tackle Dan Williams, but things quickly turned and Big Blue is no longer in the mix (link).

North Rumors: Thomas, Williams, Parker

March 10th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens‘ first choice at running back is to re-sign Justin Forsett, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. But, if things don’t work, Pierre Thomas could be a plan B for them. More from the AFC and NFC North..

  • The Bears informed veteran middle linebacker D.J. Williams that the team is going in a different direction and he will not return to Chicago, a source tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter).
  • Chiefs free agent safety Ron Parker remains very much on the radar for the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Many, many teams have been connected to Parker over the last week. The Bears and Falcons are the most involved when it comes to Parker, according to Biggs (on Twitter).
  • The Packers haven’t been moving much on their number with Tramon Williams, Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel tweets. However, Dunne wonders if that changes with cornerback Davon House leaving.
  • The Vikings have inquired about San Francisco cornerback Chris Culliver, but they haven’t made an offer, so things are still preliminary there, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.

Panthers Re-Sign Dwan Edwards

March 10th, 2015 at 12:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced on Twitter that they have re-signed defensive tackle Dwan Edwards. David Newton of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that it’s a two-year deal.

Edwards, 34 in May, appeared in all 16 games for the Panthers last season. In total, he racked up 43 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 2 pass deflections, and an interception. Edwards, who previously saw some time at defensive end earlier in his career, has spent the last three seasons in Carolina and his new deal might just be enough for him to retire with the Panthers. Over the course of the last ten seasons, Edwards has also played with the Ravens and Bills.

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