2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Expected To Sign Frank Gore, Meeting With Andre Johnson

March 10th, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Zachary Links

11:25am: According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the deal Gore is expected to sign with the Colts is similar to the one he would’ve signed with the Eagles. It’s for three years, with a total value of $12MM, and $7.5MM guaranteed. However, we shouldn’t lock that in quite yet, given what happened between Gore and the Eagles — Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter) that the veteran back hasn’t made his final decision yet.

11:13am: Both Johnson and Gore are traveling to Indianapolis today to meet with the Colts, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.

11:06am: Frank Gore appeared ready to join Chip Kelly and the Eagles, but on Monday night he started having second thoughts. Now, he appears to be leaning heavily towards signing with the Colts instead. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, Gore got cold feet with Philly in part because he didn’t want a coach like Kelly to ride him hard at this stage in his career.

There were multiple concerns for Gore even beyond that. The tailback told friends he was more intrigued by the chance to play in the Colts’ offense than with the Eagles’ personnel. Also, the Colts’ offer to him is slightly more lucrative than the deal Philly was ready to give him. And, from a football standpoint, he was worried that the Eagles might struggle without Maclin and without a big-time receiving threat. Sources that Garafolo have spoken with are reluctant to say that he’s headed to the Colts for sure given that Gore has flip-flopped once already, but all signs are pointing that way.

Meanwhile, it sounds like the Eagles had a plan to pair Gore with a big time receiving threat before the deal fell apart. Someone close to wide receiver Andre Johnson told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com (on Twitter) that the Eagles wanted both him and Gore. Now, Johnson is on the owner’s private jet in transit to Indianapolis and after a phone conversation, both veterans have agreed to join the Colts.

However, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter) says that while Johnson may end up in Indy, three people close to him insist that he’s still working out in Miami this morning.

NFC FA Rumors: Irving, Cowboys, Falcons

March 10th, 2015 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals are expected to lock up former Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon to a new contract once free agency opens, but the team has interest in adding two free agent linebackers, not just one, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport reports that Nate Irving could be that second linebacker, as the former Bronco is likely to visit Arizona this week.

The Cowboys have some interest in free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie, tweets Rapoport. Cromartie has been almost exclusively linked to the Jets, but there’s no agreement in place between the two sides yet.
Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that he has been told “repeatedly” that the Falcons aren’t real players for Brian Orakpo. However, Jones adds that Atlanta does appear to have interest in another Washington free agent, wide receiver Leonard Hankerson.
Running back Antone Smith has yet to hear a whole lot about his free agent status, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) that the Falcons would like to bring him back. Smith has also reportedly drawn some interest from the Giants.
In the wake of the Saints‘ release of Curtis Lofton, there’s mutual interest between the team and Ramon Humber in getting a deal done to help bolster the inside linebacker spot, tweets Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com.
No longer a free agent, Randall Cobb told reporters today, including Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) that he had five other offers when he decided to return to the Packers, and got a sixth after he had made his decision.
After offering him a contract, the Vikings remain in contact with quarterback Shaun Hill, who has yet to make a decision, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

NFC East Rumors: Graham, Cousins, Allen

March 10th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants‘ offer to Brandon Graham was only for one year, source tell Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Eagles and Giants were the final two teams in the running for his services. Ultimately, Graham signed a four-year, $26MM deal to stay in Philly. More from the NFC East..

In an interview on 106.7 The Fan, Washington president Bruce Allen said nobody has called to inquire about a trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times tweets.
Allen also said Washington has “had conversations” with the agents for Ryan Kerrigan and Trent Williams about long-term contract extensions (link).
The Giants have “sniffed around” free agent safety Da’Norris Searcy, tweets Nick Powell of NJ.com. Searcy should have no shortage of suitors, having also been linked to the Bears, Colts, Texans, Raiders and Dolphins.
A source tells Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (on Twitter) not to expect any action from the Cowboys on the first day of free agency. In fact, his exact words were, “y’all are going to get bored waiting on us.“

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC FA Rumors: Harvin, Raiders, Adams

March 10th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders‘ interest in wide receiver Percy Harvin will be contingent on meeting him and also finding out his price tag, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Even with Harvin’s connection to Bill Musgrave, the Raiders have to inspect the baggage before going any further with him. The latest free agent rumors..

Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) still anticipates the Colts re-signing safety Mike Adams, but no deal is done just yet. Adams, who turns 34 later this month, has said that he wants to retire with the Colts.
Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) suggested that the Raiders are pursuing Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter) believes that the Raiders are the favorites when it comes to him.
Linebacker Arthur Moats spoke with the Bengals and Cardinals and seemed set to go to the Falcons before deciding to re-sign with the Steelers, Ross Tucker of NBCSN tweets.
The Titans are still working to retain both defensive end Derrick Morgan and kicker Ryan Succop as the clock ticks towards the opening of free agency, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
McCormick (on Twitter) isn’t sure that the Titans will land him, but he expects them to seriously pursue Jason Worilds.
Linebacker Andrew Gachkar has received interest from the Vikings, Panthers, and Raiders, and may end up visiting all three teams later this week, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Washington has also talked to Gachkar’s camp, but hasn’t made an offer yet, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The 26-year-old had his best season for the Chargers in 2014, playing nearly 400 defensive snaps.

Bengals Re-Sign Eric Winston

March 10th, 2015 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

Eric Winston took to Twitter to announce that he’s headed back to the Bengals. Winston, 31, missed the bulk of the 2014 season and joined Cincy in December of last year.

Winston, 31, has been one of the league’s most durable linemen over the last few years, starting all 16 of his teams’ games in Houston, Kansas City, and – most recently – Arizona in each of the last seven seasons, prior to 2014. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the former third-round pick ranked as just the 69th-best tackle out of 76 qualified players in 2013. However, that may have been an aberration, considering Winston recorded consistently positive grades in every year prior to that.

Winston was cut by the Seahawks at the end of the ’14 preseason and was out of work until the Bengals scooped him up on December 2nd, despite tryouts with the Vikings, Falcons, and Eagles. The NFLPA president helped to add some depth to Cincinnati’s offensive line late in the season and he’ll likely be back in a similar role in 2015.

AFC East Rumors: Jets, Vereen, Hoyer, Suh

March 10th, 2015 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the AFC East..

The Jets are showing interest in Patriots running back Shane Vereen, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Their level of interest, predictably, hinges on the outcome of their talks with Bilal Powell. There are other suitors for the 26-year-old as well.
The Jets will have interest in Brian Hoyer if the price is right, but they won’t go out of their way to target him, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). There are other, cheaper options for the Jets and the source says the team won’t be “losing sleep” over which veteran signal caller they wind up with.
The Dolphins are worried about the NFL investigating them for tampering when it comes to the Ndamukong Suh pact, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains.
Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears that the Bills‘ offer to Jerome Felton is a nice contract for a fullback. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported Buffalo’s interest in the veteran.
Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace explained to Anderson (on Twitter) that he’s not concerned about the terms of his pay cut because any deal he strikes would be one where there are ways where he can earn his money back. The implication there, we can infer, is that Wallace is targeting easily attainable incentives in the deal that will bring him back to what he was scheduled to earn. He went on to explain that he’s happy “for the most part” in Miami (link). Any restructuring deal he takes would have to be “reasonable” and he refuses to do anything “crazy” since he has a family to take care of (link).

Patrick Willis, Justin Smith Expected To Retire

March 10th, 2015 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 10:05am: The 49ers have officially announced in a press release that Willis is retiring.

MONDAY, 2:14pm: Speaking to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, Smith said today that he still isn’t quite ready to formally announce his retirement.

“I’m going to decide by next week probably,” Smith said. “So you’ll know by then. It’s not 100 percent.”

Multiple reports have indicated that Smith will call it a career, but only the veteran defender himself can make that decision official. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports notes (via Twitter) that the 49ers would be willing to explore options to limit the physical toll on Smith if he wanted to come back.

9:57am: According to Florio, Willis will in fact retire, with a formal announcement expected to come on Tuesday. Florio confirms that Smith will also call it a career, meaning two longtime cornerstones for the 49ers defense will retire this offseason.

Smith, 35, spent seven years in San Francisco after a seven-year stint with the Bengals. For his career, he appeared in 221 total regular season contests, racking up 87 total sacks and earning spots in five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009 to 2013.

Willis, who played and started 112 games for the Niners, averaged nearly 119 tackles per season during his NFL career, even taking into account his abridged 2014 campaign.

9:18am: The big 49ers news hinted at by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk earlier today appears to involve linebacker Patrick Willis. According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the 49ers are bracing for the loss of Willis, who is expected to retire from the NFL.

While the Niners had been preparing for the possibility that veteran defensive end Justin Smith decides to call it a career this winter, the news of Willis potentially deciding to end his career comes as a surprise. Prior to a 2014 season cut short by injury, Willis had earned a spot in the Pro Bowl in each of his even seasons, and only turned 30 years old in January.

However, when he landed on the injured reserve list back in November, Willis revealed that the toe on which he was undergoing surgery had been a chronic issue, limiting his effectiveness for years.

“I don’t look to play this game for just another year,” Willis told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com at the time. “I feel like I have five or six more great years of football left in my body. Unfortunately, this toe was telling me otherwise.”

We’ve yet to hear from Willis himself that he’ll retire, and even if he does decide to bow out of the NFL, it’s not clear that it’s entirely due to the toe issues. However, given his stated desire to play “five or six more” seasons, the veteran linebacker presumably wouldn’t announce his retirement unless he felt his body wouldn’t allow him to continue playing.

With two years still left on his contract, Willis is due a salary north of $7MM for 2015, so if he were to retire, the 49ers would create about $7.425MM in cap savings. While the loss of Willis in the middle of their defense would be significant, the Niners appear to have uncovered a gem in 2014 draftee Chris Borland, who could start for the team alongside NaVorro Bowman in 2015.

A recent report suggested San Francisco was shopping inside linebacker Michael Wilhoite, who stepped in as a starter for the club last season when Bowman and Willis were injured. If Willis does retire, the team may be more inclined to keep Wilhoite in the mix rather than selling him off for a late-round draft pick.

Colts Re-Sign Joe Reitz

March 10th, 2015 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have ensured that offensive lineman Joe Reitz doesn’t hit the open market later today, announcing that they’ve reached an agreement on a new contract for him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it’s a three-year contract for Reitz, and can be worth up to $10MM, with a base value of just under $9MM.

Reitz, 29, has been a part-time player for the Colts over the last four seasons, starting 24 games during that stretch. The versatile lineman – and Indiana native – saw time at both guard spots and at right tackle for Indianapolis during the 2014 season, taking over as the club’s starting right tackle during the postseason.

It’s not clear yet whether Reitz will be penciled into a starting role for 2014, but he should have a chance to compete for playing time, and if he’s not a starter, he’ll almost certainly be the first lineman off the bench in the event of an injury.

Cards, Jags, Bucs In Mix For DeMarco Murray?

March 10th, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

The NFL’s rushing leader could officially hit the open market in about five and a half hours, and there are a handful of suitors expected to be in the mix for DeMarco Murray. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Cardinals and Jaguars appear to have interest in Murray, and the Buccaneers may be in play as well.

Since Rapoport’s report, however, a pair of local reporters have weighed in, with Kent Somers of Arizona Republic suggesting (via Twitter) that the Cards don’t have real interest in Murray. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Tribune adds (via Twitter) that Tampa Bay has discussed the possibility of signing Murray, but says he has been told Bucs fans shouldn’t get “overly excited” about the possibility.

That leaves the Jaguars, who look like perhaps the strongest outside suitor for Murray, and of course the Cowboys. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today that the team hadn’t contacted its running back since last week, but Schefter’s ESPN colleague Todd Archer tweets that executive VP Stephen Jones was in touch last night.

Rapoport confirms (via Twitter) that Jones and Murray spoke, with the team making a final push to re-sign him. Archer says it’s not clear what the tenor of the discussion was, or how long it lasted, but the fact that the running back apparently removed all mention of the Cowboys from his Twitter account after the conversation doesn’t seem like a great sign for Dallas.

Chiefs Sign Tyvon Branch

March 10th, 2015 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

9:50am: The Chiefs have officially signed Branch, the team announced in a press release.

9:39am: Branch’s one-year deal could be worth up to $4MM, with a base value of about half that, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

9:34am: Former Raiders safety Tyvon Branch will be sticking in the AFC West, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Branch has agreed to a one-year deal with the Chiefs. Oakland parted ways with the veteran safety last week.

Branch, who also visited the Colts and Washington, had been with the Raiders for seven seasons, although the strong safety missed all but five games during the past two years with injuries after starting all 62 of a possible 64 games in his previous four seasons. The 28-year-old carried by far the highest cap number on the Raiders’ roster at $9.7MM this season before his release.

For the Chiefs, Branch will come much cheaper than he did in Oakland, and it appears he could be a less expensive replacement for Ron Parker. Parker spent most of his time at strong safety last year for Kansas City, but he’s capable of moving around to different positions, including free safety, and Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets that the agreement with Branch won’t necessarily affect the Chiefs’ pursuit of Parker. Still, with Parker reportedly drawing plenty of interest around the league, I’d be surprised if Kansas City was able to re-sign him.