2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Interested In Darrelle Revis

March 10th, 2015 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

9:29am: The Raiders and Chiefs are also fighting to get into the Revis sweepstakes, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Oakland, of course, has much more financial flexibility than Kansas City, but the Chiefs have the Bob Sutton connection and are closer to contention.

9:12am: The Patriots have a little less than six hours to work out a new agreement with cornerback Darrelle Revis. If the two sides don’t agree to a new deal, the Pats will cut the star corner, rather than pick up his pricey option for 2015. While the Jets have long been considered the only real threat to the Pats in the Revis sweepstakes, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com adds another potential suitor to the mix, tweeting that the Browns have expressed interest in Revis.

On the surface, Cleveland seems like an odd fit for Revis. The team already has one star cornerback in Joe Haden, and spent the eighth overall pick a year ago on Justin Gilbert. However, Buster Skrine appears to be on his way out in free agency, and Gilbert had a shaky rookie season both on and off the field. The Browns head into today’s free agent period armed with a ton of cap space, and Revis has played under Mike Pettine before in New York, back when the current Browns head coach was the Jets’ defensive coordinator.

I’d still rank the Browns a distant third behind (in some order) the Jets and Pats when it comes to potential destinations for Revis, but if Cleveland makes a huge offer, the cornerback could at least consider joining the Browns. A report yesterday indicated the price tag for Revis could be in the neighborhood of three years and $48MM, with $40MM in guaranteed money.

Mutual Interest Between Jets, Buster Skrine

March 10th, 2015 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

A number of options are in play for the Jets as they look to add a cornerback or two in free agency, even after the team missed out on Cary Williams. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link), the Jets have interest in Browns cornerback Buster Skrine, and there’s “a good chance he could end up in New York.”

Skrine, who turns 26 next month held onto his starting job in Cleveland during the 2014 season, and only one other cornerback in the NFL played more snaps than Skrine’s 1,152 (Williams, with 1,198). With quarterbacks avoiding Joe Haden, Skrine also saw the second-most targets in the NFL (123), and held QBs to a 56.9% completion percentage.

Per Anderson, Skrine continues to weigh offers, so he’s not close to any sort of deal with the Jets yet. According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Giants were one of many teams to check in with Skrine, but found his price tag was too high for the role they envisioned for him.

As for other Jets’ CB options, Darrelle Revis remains on track to hit free agency today if he doesn’t work out a new deal with the Pats, and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes (via Twitter) that oft-mentioned Jets target Antonio Cromartie doesn’t sound like a player who is returning to the Cardinals.

FA Rumors: Giants, Hardy, Ridley, Falcons

March 10th, 2015 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

With free agency set to open in a matter of hours, the Giants are zeroing in on a running back scheduled to his the open market later today, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. According to Vacchiano, the team is “very serious” about trying to sign Shane Vereen, with one source suggesting it’s possible a deal could get done shortly after the market opens at 3:00pm central time. The report echoes what we heard last night from Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who classified the Giants’ interest in Vereen as “significant.”

As we wait to see whether the Giants can get anything done with the longtime Patriot, let’s check in on a few more Tuesday morning free agency updates….

One general manager tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that at least six teams are interested in free agent pash rusher Greg Hardy. A Monday report indicated most potential suitors would like to hear what sort of discipline Hardy will face from the league following his legal issues before they make a bid.
The Vikings have inquired on free-agent-to-be Stevan Ridley, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. However, Ridley would likely only be an option for Minnesota if Adrian Peterson doesn’t return.
Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) believes O’Brien Schofield is the most likely free agent to sign with the Falcons. Schofield, an outside pass rusher, played for Dan Quinn‘s defense in Seattle.
Safety Ron Parker has been linked to a lot of teams within the past few days, so it’s no surprise that McClure says his price is getting pretty steep (Twitter link). It may be too expensive for the Falcons, who could look to re-sign Dwight Lowery instead, per McClure.
Safety Devin McCourty is no longer a free agent, having re-signed with the Patriots, but if he had reached the open market, the Eagles were one of three teams willing to offer him more than the $9.5MM per year New England gave him, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

Dolphins Trying To Trade Ellerbe, Wheeler

March 10th, 2015 at 7:57am CST by Luke Adams

We heard over the weekend that the Dolphins were about to release linebacker Philip Wheeler, and fellow linebacker Dannell Ellerbe has long been viewed as a potential cap casualty as well. For now though, both players remain on Miami’s roster. According to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the reason the Dolphins haven’t cut either player is that the team continues to try to trade both linebackers before the new league year begins.

Of course, technically, trades can’t be finalized until after the new league year gets underway, but I’d expect the Dolphins hope to reach an agreement on a deal by this afternoon and then make it official shortly thereafter.

While Miami may be holding out hope for a taker for one or both of the linebackers, the odds of a deal appear slim. After all, the club’s intention to release Wheeler has already been reported, so it seems unlikely that any team would give up anything of value for a part-time player with a 2015 salary of nearly $3MM. As for Ellerbe, his base salary for the coming year is $8.425MM, and he spent almost the entire 2014 season on injured reserve with a hip injury, so his trade value isn’t exactly through the roof either.

By the sounds of it, the Dolphins are a good bet to move on from both players whether or not they find a suitor on the trade market.

Terrell Suggs, Ravens Rework Contract

March 10th, 2015 at 7:45am CST by Luke Adams

Terrell Suggs is converting $3MM of his $4MM base salary for 2015 into a signing bonus, freeing up some 2015 cap room for the Ravens, a source confirms to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides were working on restructuring Suggs’ deal.

With four years remaining on his deal, Suggs’ new $3MM signing bonus will count for just $750K on each season, creating $2.25MM in cap savings for 2015. It was a logical move for Baltimore since the veteran’s base salary for the coming season was already fully guaranteed, so the team would be paying that $4MM sooner or later. Suggs’ cap hit will be reduced from $6.2MM to just below $4MM in the move, while his cap numbers for 2016 through 2018 each increase by $750K.

After agreeing to a restructure with Suggs, the Ravens are also continuing to explore the possibility of working out a similar arrangement with Haloti Ngata, says Wilson (via Twitter). However, Ngata doesn’t seem to be in any danger of being cut, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the defensive lineman’s contract will likely go unchanged. Ngata likely isn’t enthused about the idea of taking a pay cut, and any other form of restructure would have to involve the team extending his deal beyond 2015.

Brooks Reed Leaning Towards Falcons?

March 10th, 2015 at 7:23am CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 7:23am: According to McClure (via Twitter), it’s no longer a sure thing that Reed is leaning toward the Falcons. It’ll ultimately come down to money, says McClure.

MONDAY, 10:56pm: Reed has narrowed his decision to two teams, with one of them presumably being the Falcons, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.

12:05pm: The Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Bears are also expressing interest in Reed, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.

11:51am: Linebacker Brooks Reed is leaning toward signing with the Falcons when free agency opens on Tuesday, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Last week, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com reported that Reed was unlikely to return to Houston this offseason. In fact, as of a few days ago, Houston had yet to engage with Reed’s agent.

Reed, 28, appeared in all 16 games for Houston last season and made 13 starts. In total, he recorded 41 tackles, four passes defended, and three sacks as the team’s SAM linebacker. The advanced metrics placed Reed as an above average outside linebacker, ranking him as the 26th best OLB in a 3-4 scheme out of 46 players who qualified, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That’s a big improvement from 2013 when PFF gave Reed an overall grade of -17.7, placing him as the second-worst qualified outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

The former second round pick burst onto the scene with 6.0 sacks as a rookie in 2011, but he has yet to replicate that kind of production.

Latest On DeMarco Murray, Cowboys

March 10th, 2015 at 7:11am CST by Luke Adams

When I checked in yesterday on where things stood for this year’s top free agents, running back DeMarco Murray was the highest-ranked player whose destination was still very much up in the air. That remains the case for the NFL’s leading rusher, but it appears a reunion with the Cowboys is becoming less and less likely.

Late last night, Murray deleted all references to the Cowboys from his Twitter profile. On its own, the move wouldn’t necessary be a sign that he doesn’t expect to return to Dallas, but Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports tweets that in this case, it’s a signal of Murray’s frustration — the veteran back wants to re-sign with the Cowboys, but the team isn’t interested in paying big money for him. One source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the club hasn’t even called Murray since last week.

If returning to the Cowboys isn’t a viable option for Murray, he could conceivably take his time to choose his next destination. We heard on Monday that he’s approaching the process slowly and carefully rather than rushing into anything, and that makes sense, considering he’s by far the top player on the market.

Monday’s report also indicated that Murray’s camp is confident about landing an offer worth around $8MM per year. Which team might be willing to pay that kind of money for him? The Jaguars may be one candidate. Even after reaching tentative agreements with Julius Thomas, Jermey Parnell, Jared Odrick, and Dan Skuta, the Jags still have plenty of cap flexibility, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) classifies their interest in Murray as “strong to quite strong.”

Extra Points: Hoyer, Hardy, Morgan, Williams

March 9th, 2015 at 10:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As we learned earlier today, the Jets aren’t giving up on Brian Hoyer despite reports of the quarterback agreeing to a deal with the Texans. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Jets spoke with Hoyer’s agent twice Monday, and were set to do so again Monday night.

Here’s more from around the league as on free agency eve…

Disputing an earlier report, the Falcons told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they have no interest in free agent defensive end Greg Hardy.
The Buccaneers have been “kicking the tires” on edge rusher Derrick Morgan, but it’s unclear if they’ll actually present him with an offer, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
Defensive tackle Dan Williams could be a target for the Raiders, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Williams’ time in Arizona might be up following their signing of Corey Peters earlier tonight.
The Titans are in on edge rusher Brian Orakpo, who has drawn interest from numerous teams, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
Vince Young was not accepted to and won’t attend the NFL Veterans Combine on March 22 in Phoenix, a representative for the quarterback tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Smith hears that Young was not “invited” by the NFL and entered late (link). He could wind up as a last-minute addition but as of right now, he won’t be there.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Titans Rumors: Williams, Fasano, Douglas

March 9th, 2015 at 10:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from Tennessee, with all links going to the Twitter account of the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt:

Cary Williams‘ choice came down to the Seahawks and the Titans, and the chance to play for a Super Bowl contender is ultimately what swayed the free agent cornerback.
The Titans will meet with tight end Anthony Fasano on Tuesday. The 30-year-old Fasano was released by the Chiefs last month.
Tennessee is still in on receiver Harry Douglas, and it sounds like the Titans have a good chance at signing him. Douglas was cut by the Falcons last month.

Minor Moves: Monday Evening

March 9th, 2015 at 10:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Our first round-up of today’s minor transactions around the NFL was starting to get a little unwieldy, so we’ll recap the rest of the afternoon and evening minor moves right here. Here’s the latest:

The Titans won’t tender either receiver Kris Durham or linebacker Kaelin Burnett, making both free agents, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
The Ravens have tendered ERFA cornerback Rashaan Melvin at $585K, per Wilson (Twitter link). Melvin started two games for Baltimore near the end of the season.
The Ravens also have extended an exclusive rights tender worth $435K to long snapper Patrick Scales, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Scales was originally signed in December, becoming Baltimore’s third snapper of the season. The man he replaced, Kevin McDermott, didn’t get an RFA tender, tweets Wilson.

Earlier updates:

Rather than tendering restricted free agent linebacker Mike Morgan, the Seahawks have simply signed him to a one-year contract, per Condotta (via Twitter).
Updating a previous note, the Seahawks actually have tendered receiver Ricardo Lockette, and have offered a contract to ERFA defensive back DeShawn Shead, as well, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
The Jets have tendered offers to two RFAs — defensive tackle Damon Harrison received a second-round tender worth $2.356MM, while safety Jaiquawn Jarrett received the lowest tender.
With Ryan Mallett returning to the fold and a deal with Brian Hoyer moving closer to completion, the Texans started clearing out a crowded quarterback position today by cutting Thad Lewis, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Somewhat ironically, Lewis was initially added to Houston’s roster back in November to replace Mallett, who landed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
The Ravens extended an RFA tender to safety Will Hill at the low-end level, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). The $1.542MM offer ensures that Baltimore maintains the right of first refusal if Hill signs an offer sheet with another club. The Ravens also tendered ERFA defensive end Steven Means, locking him up for 2015, tweets Wilson.
The Seahawks have elected not to tender contracts to wide receiver Bryan Walters and offensive lineman Stephen Schilling, says Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). All three players could still re-sign with Seattle, but they’ll be unrestricted free agents and can negotiate with other teams too.
Punter Marquette King, safety Brandian Ross, and safety Larry Asante all received low-end RFA tenders from the Raiders, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Defensive back Chimdi Chekwa and running back Kory Sheets weren’t tendered, and will become UFAs tomorrow.