2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

NFC North Rumors: McCourty, Green, Packers

March 9th, 2015 at 9:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though Devin McCourty ultimately re-signed with the Patriots, two NFC North clubs were hot on his trail. The Bears were involved until the bidding got above $9MM per year, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), while the Vikings also had interest, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Here’s more from the NFC North:

Free agent tight end Virgil Green will have a strong market, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, and he’ll probably decide between the Bears and Broncos, though other teams are interested.
Restricted free agent offensive lineman Don Barclay hasn’t heard if the Packers will tender him, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If Bryan Bulaga isn’t re-signed, Barclay would likely become Green Bay’s starting right tackle, so Demovsky believes that GB will ultimately offer him a contract.
Lest we forget long snappers are people too, Biggs reports (via Twitter) that the Bears are interested in long snapper Tanner Purdum, who spent 2014 with the Jets.

West Notes: Wisniewski, Chargers, Raiders

March 9th, 2015 at 9:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams have touched base with the reps for free agent center Stefen Wisniewski, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Wisniewski could be a replacement for Scott Wells, who was released on Monday night.

Let’s check out more rumors from the West divisions:

The Chargers are still in communication with running back Ryan Mathews, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link), but nothing is close to happening at the moment.
As does seemingly half the league, the Raiders have interest in free agent safety Ron Parker, per Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Despite reports that the Raiders are nearing an agreement with Terrance Knighton, Williamson tweets that the situation is still “fluid.”
Also from Williamson (Twitter link), Malcolm Smith is expected to have a “fast market,” and the Raiders could be in on him.
49ers fullback Bruce Miller was last week on a spousal abuse charge, reports Jenna Laine of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Miller, who signed an extension last March, could be in line for a suspension via the league’s domestic violence policy.

Falcons To Re-Sign T.J. Yates

March 9th, 2015 at 9:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons will keep a familiar face as the No. 2 quarterback behind Matt Ryan, as the club has re-signed backup QB T.J. Yates, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Yates will earn $1.5MM on a one-year deal, per Caplan.

Earlier this week, we heard that four teams (in addition to Atlanta) were expressing interest in the 27-year-old Yates, but he’ll return to the place where he spent the entire 2014 season after being traded by the Texans. Yates, a former fifth-round pick, started five games during his rookie season in 2011, and even lead Houston to a playoff victory over the Bengals. Playing behind Ryan last season, though, he received next to no playing time, attempting just four passes.

In the final season of his rookie deal, Yates earned a base salary of only $645K, so he’ll receive a raise of more than 100%.

Cowboys, Tyron Smith Restructure Contract

March 9th, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

9:01pm: The Cowboys didn’t bring Smith’s base salary all the way down to the minimum, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com, meaning they only converted $10MM into a signing bonus.

7:03pm: Save for the Saints, the Cowboys were set to have the least amount of cap space in the NFL when the new league year begins tomorrow. As they attempt to make moves during free agency to shore up areas of need, they’ve agreed to a contract restructure with left tackle Tyron Smith that will free up more than $8MM in cap room, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.

Per George, Dallas used a built-in restructuring mechanism attached to Smith’s contract, converting $10.2MM of his $11.039MM 2015 base salary into a signing bonus, creating a savings of $8.16MM. As such, the Cowboys will now have more than $11MM to work with when free agency starts tomorrow afternoon. Smith is in the midst of an eight-year, $109MM extension that contained $40MM guaranteed.

As George writes, the Cowboys could create an additional $12.8MM in space if they chose to restructure quarterback Tony Romo‘s contract. However, the club has already done so in the past, and would prefer not to tweak Romo’s deal again.

Giants, Jon Beason Restructure Contract

March 9th, 2015 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After hearing last week that Jon Beason was working with the Giants to restructure his contract, the two sides have reached an agreement, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It’s a straight pay cut for the linebacker, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, as Beason’s 2015 base salary will be slashed from $3.6MM to $1.9MM.

Beason will able to make up a chunk of that loss through playing-time incentives, adds Raanan. All told, the 30-year-old’s cap figure will be lowered from $7.4MM to roughly $4.154MM, saving the Giants about $3.246MM. Beason had been scheduled to earn a $1MM roster bonus on Tuesday.

While clearly a talented player, Beason simply cannot stay healthy — he’s played in just 22 games over the previous four seasons. Beason, who was traded from the Panthers to the Giants in 2013, played in only four games last year while dealing with numerous foot injuries. But if he can avoid the training room, the former first-round pick projects as New York’s starting middle linebacker for 2015.

Chargers To Re-Sign Trevor Robinson

March 9th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have agreed to re-sign center Trevor Robinson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Per Caplan, it’s a two-year deal for Robinson that can max out at $4.5MM, and it includes playing-time bonuses.

San Diego infamously used five centers last season, as injuries took their toll on Nick Hardwick, Doug Legursky, Rich Ohrnberger, and Chris Watt before landing on Robinson. With Hardwick now retired, Watt is the presumed starter, though Robinson will presumably engage in a training camp battle for the position. The 27-year-old Robinson, who can also play guard, spent two full seasons with the Bengals before coming to the Chargers off waivers in October.

In retaining Robinson, the Chargers continue to invest in their offensive line, as they signed left tackle King Dunlap to an extension last month, before agreeing to a deal with free agent Orlando Franklin yesterday.

East Rumors: Eagles, Vereen, Giants, McCoy

March 9th, 2015 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the latest from the East divisions…

With Frank Gore looking as though he might spurn Philadelphia for Indianapolis, the Eagles are taking a look at contingency plans at running back, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link). DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, and Justin Forsett are among the available RB options.
Meanwhile, the Giants are also on the lookout for a running back, and have kept an eye on Shane Vereen, tweets Breer. Vereen, who is said to be seeking $3.5MM annually, has also drawn interest from the Jets.
Washington has continued to dialogue with quarterback Colt McCoy, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). McCoy would presumably act as Washington’s No. 3 QB if signed, unless the club deals Robert Griffin III or Kirk Cousins.

Vikings To Re-Sign Matt Asiata

March 9th, 2015 at 7:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings have agreed to a deal with restricted free agent running back Matt Asiata, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who reports that Asiata will sign the incentive-laden contract tomorrow. Minnesota had the option of offering Asiata an RFA tender, but it looks the two parties worked out a separate deal.

Specifics of the deal aren’t yet known, but it’s worth less than $1MM, tweets Tomasson. Part of the reason for the heavy use of incentives, explains Tomasson, is that neither the Vikings nor Asiata are sure of how his large his role will be in 2015. Given the ongoing uncertainty regarding Adrian Peterson, Asiata could see himself as the starter, part of a tandem with Jerick McKinnon, or on the backburner altogether.

In his third season with Minnesota, the 27-year-old Asiata rushed for more than 500 yards and scored nine touchdowns, and was heavily involved in the passing game, securing 44 receptions.

Seahawks Sign Will Blackmon

March 9th, 2015 at 7:35pm CST by Zachary Links

7:35pm: The Seahawks have officially announced the transaction, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

4:28pm: The Seahawks have signed cornerback Will Blackmon, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The veteran had a solid season for Jacksonville in 2014.

The Jaguars released the 30-year-old late last month. Blackmon spent the last two seasons with the Jaguars and been one of the top three cornerbacks for the team during his time there, starting 12 of 23 games. His 2014 campaign was cut short by a broken finger, which landed him on the injured reserve list with about two months left in the season.

Jacksonville wanted to go younger, but Seattle is happy to add the seasoned cornerback to its already loaded secondary. In 2013, Blackmon graded out as the 22nd best cornerback in the league according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Browns Sign Brian Hartline

March 9th, 2015 at 7:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

7:32pm: The Browns have officially announced the transaction, according to Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald (Twitter link).

7:06pm: It’s a two-year, $6MM deal for Hartline, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

6:46pm: The Browns have reached an agreement with receiver Brian Hartline, according to Dustin Fox of the Browns Radio Network (Twitter link). The 28-year-old was released by the Dolphins last month.

Hartline, a former fourth-round pick, spent the first six years of his career in Miami, but had a down season in 2014, catching only 39 passes and two touchdowns. Still, he’s been a solid possession receiver in the past, topping 1,000 yards in both ’12 and ’13, and had drawn interest from numerous clubs. The Chiefs, Patriots, Texans, and Bears were among the other teams who had expressed interest in adding the veteran pass-catcher.

The Browns sorely needed help at receiver, where No. 1 option Josh Gordon is expected to be suspended for the 2015 season, and receiving tight end Jordan Cameron is poised to leave via free agency. For now, Hartline will top a WR depth chart that includes Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, and Travis Benjamin.

Hartline didn’t place among PFR’s top 50 free agents, but he was included as an honorable mention.