2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

North Rumors: Forsett, Bengals, Iupati, Ravens

March 9th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest out of the NFL’s North divisions:

The Falcons, Washington, and the Colts are interested in Ravens free agent running back Justin Forsett, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome recently made it clear that he’d like to keep Forsett in Baltimore.
If the Buccaneers cut defensive end Michael Johnson, the Bengals are hoping to orchestrate a reunion with him, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
The Vikings never inquired on guard Mike Iupati, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. The former 49ers standout is now reportedly headed to the Cardinals.
Instead of using a restricted tender on special-teams ace Anthony Levine, the Ravens would like to bring him back on a longer-term contract, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.

Frank Gore Leaning Toward Colts, Not Eagles

March 9th, 2015 at 7:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

7:09pm: Gore is “intent” on joining the Colts, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

6:28pm: Gore is speaking with Colts players to learn more about the organization, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 5:54pm: Gore is reconsidering his potential deal with the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport suggests that the Colts could enter the mix if things don’t work out in Philly (link).

SUNDAY, 4:02pm: Gore will sign a three-year deal that will guarantee him $7.5MM in the first two seasons, tweets Schefter.

3:31pm: After trading LeSean McCoy to the Bills last week, the Eagles appear to have have found a replacement at running back, as Frank Gore has told people close to him that he will sign with Philadelphia next week, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) was the first to report that the Eagles had an offer out to Gore that would pay him $5MM annually, with $7MM in guarantees.

Per Getlin, the 49ers, Gore’s former team, were “bracing to lose” their longtime running back. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets that San Francisco values the running back at $4MM per year, so it looks like the Eagles are set to top that figure. With McCoy out of the picture, Gore will vault to the top of the Eagles’ RB depth chart, joining Darren Sproles, Chris Polk, and Kenjon Barner. The transition from McCoy to Gore makes some sense — though Gore is five years older, he’ll cost much less, and could save Philadelphia more than $5MM in 2015 alone.

The Eagles, who are reportedly set to sign free agent corner Byron Maxwell, still need to re-sign their top offensive free agent, receiver Jeremy Maclin. The 49ers, meanwhile, will presumably turn their running back job over to second-year player Carlos Hyde, and they have work to do in free agency, as well. They’ve already added Jerome Simpson, and with Michael Crabtree not expected to return, their entire receiving corps could be revamped.

With Gore and Mark Ingram now off the board, clubs with RB needs will turn their attention to the No. 1 available running back — DeMarco Murray — while also keeping an eye on other options like Shane Vereen, Ryan Mathews, and C.J. Spiller.

Browns Notes: Cole, Hartline, McCown

March 9th, 2015 at 6:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest out of Cleveland…

Head coach Mike Pettine said the club’s visit with free agent Trent Cole went well, and added that Cleveland is “still in play” for the edge rusher, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has drawn interest from a number of clubs since being released by the Eagles.
Similarly, Pettine thinks the Browns have a shot at receiver Brian Hartline, telling Cabot (via Twitter) the club will “see how it goes.” Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Hartline isn’t in a rush to sign with a team, and is hoping to find a situation with a solid quarterback.
Pettine also said the Browns are comfortable with Josh McCown as their starting quarterback, tweets Cabot. McCown was guaranteed more than $6MM, so he presumably has a leg up on fellow QB Johnny Manziel.

Latest On Greg Hardy

March 9th, 2015 at 6:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although he’s one of the best available free agent pass-rushers, Greg Hardy‘s market will surely be affected by his murky eligibility status, given that he’s currently on the commissioner’s exempt list. Per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), however, Hardy will meet with NFL officials tomorrow to learn whether or not he’ll be suspended for his 2014 domestic violence incident.

According to Cole, Hardy is expected to have a litany of suitors once his status is resolved, and the 49ers, Falcons, Jaguars, Titans, and Colts will be the clubs with the most interest. The 26-year-old Hardy played in just one game last season due to his placement on the exempt list, but he racked up 26 sacks in the two seasons prior. If he’s not suspended, he should face a healthy market for his services; if he is hit with a ban, interest in him would obviously be commensurately lowered.

Hardy, whom the Panthers are not expected to try to retain, ranked as the No. 11 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list.

Rams Release Jake Long, Scott Wells

March 9th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Zachary Links

6:04pm: The Rams officially announced the release of Long and Wells, Wagoner tweets.

5:38pm: The Rams informed offensive tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells that they will be released, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The moves will save the team about $12MM in cap space.

The Rams will continue to speak with Long as he rehabs from his torn ACL and “discuss options,” tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL. Long, a former No. 1 overall pick, had been in St. Louis for the past two seasons after spending the first five years of his career with the Dolphins. The Rams had acknowledged that the 29-year-old would no longer be playing left tackle, as the club planned to move 2014 No. 2 overall selection Greg Robinson to that spot. Still, St. Louis had indicated that Long might still be retained, possibly to play on the right side.

But with Long scheduled to count $10.5MM against the cap in 2015, it simply didn’t make financial sense to keep him around. Injury concerns also surely played into the Rams’ thinking, as Long has torn his ACL in each of the prior two seasons, playing in just 22 games during that timeframe. With needs elsewhere on the roster, St. Louis couldn’t afford to sink money into such risky player. But if Rapoport is correct, a reunion between Long and the Rams could be in the cards, albeit at a much lower salary.

Wells, meanwhile, is a more durable player, having started 28 out of 32 games from 2013-14, but he was largely ineffective during that time — last season, in fact, he rated as the worst center in the league per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). At this point in his career, the 34-year-old Wells could struggle to find many offers on the open market. As for the Rams, they could potentially look to find a new center in free agency, where Stefen Wisniewski is the best available option.

East Notes: Graham, Ellis, Pouncey, Helu

March 9th, 2015 at 5:28pm CST by Zachary Links

News out of the AFC and NFC East..

The Giants thought they had Brandon Graham before he re-signed with the Eagles, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. He was prepared to make the move to a 4-3 team like the Giants, but he changed his mind and the Eagles found a way to keep him.
Jets free agent defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis is picking up a decent amount of interest and six teams are talking to him, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. The Jets want him back but Ellis wants to scan the market first.
A source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter) that the Patriots are one of three teams in on free agent running back Roy Helu.
The Dolphins and Mike Pouncey have yet to discuss an extension/new deal, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Miami has understandably been busy in recent days.
A half a dozen teams are seriously monitoring Chiefs safety Ron Parker and the Giants are among them, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. We learned earlier today that the Dolphins are among the teams with interest in Parker. The Jets also have interest in Parker and he could be on the Eagles’ radar now that they missed on Devin McCourty.

Saints Restructure Junior Galette’s Contract

March 9th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have restructured Junior Galette‘s contract, converting his $12.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus worth the same amount, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The move spreads the bonus over five years, at a rate of $2.5MM per season, meaning the team cleared $10MM in cap room for 2015, which should be enough to get under the cap in advance of tomorrow’s deadline.

The move all but guarantees that Galette will remain on the Saints’ roster for at least the 2015 season, which wasn’t necessarily a sure thing. The pass rusher ran into some legal troubles in recent months, and recent reports have suggested head coach Sean Payton and the Saints wouldn’t have been opposed to moving on from Galette if they could find a taker.

Galette’s off-field issues and his huge $12.5MM roster bonus, which had been due this Thursday, likely discouraged any potential suitors from seriously pursuing a deal, assuming the Saints even explored a trade themselves.

Having already cut Curtis Lofton and restructured Galette’s contract today, the Saints will likely have more cap-clearing moves on the way if they want to have a shot at adding any players in free agency this week. Marques Colston, Ben Grubbs, Jahri Evans, and David Hawthorne are among the Saints whose contracts may be addressed in some form, whether it be via restructure, pay cut, or an outright release.

Packers Sign Randall Cobb To Four-Year Deal

March 9th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

MONDAY, 4:44pm: The Packers have officially announced Cobb’s new deal.

SATURDAY, 9:29pm: The Packers will keep one of their big-name free agents off the market. Randall Cobb agreed to a four-year, $40MM deal to stay in Green Bay, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted.

Cobb, who doesn’t turn 25 until August, was one of the top players on the market and will return to Green Bay to pair with Jordy Nelson, who makes just less than $10MM per year.

A slot receiver who posted career-high numbers across the board in his contract year, Cobb reportedly had six or seven offers and turned down more money to stay with the Packers, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter. This is the second contract in less than nine months the Packers have offered to keep one of their own. Nelson signed a $39MM deal last July and teamed with Cobb to give Aaron Rodgers a dynamic wideout duo that helped the Packers return to the NFC title game.

Cobb rated No. 3 on PFR’s top 50 free agents list and was reportedly seeking $12MM per year, and this deal may determine the value of this year’s wideout crop. Jeremy Maclin and Torrey Smith now slide up the board for wide receiver-desperate teams. Nelson and Cobb took priority for the Packers, who let Greg Jennings and James Jones leave in the past two offseasons, respectively.

The 5-foot-10 former second-round pick from Kentucky notched his first season of 1,000+ yards last year, re-establishing his value after missing 10 games due to a broken leg in 2013. Since entering the league in 2011, Cobb’s caught 75.2% of his targets — tops in the NFL in that span, per ESPN.

The Packers will have around $22MM in cap space with right tackle Bryan Bulaga set to hit free agency in less than three days.

Vikings Notes: Murray, Peterson, McCourty

March 9th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Vikings..

If the Cowboys let DeMarco Murray walk, Adrian Peterson would be interested in going there, provided that Dallas would guarantee at least $25MM on a deal that amounts to a three-year pact, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. Robinson adds (link) that if the Cowboys won’t pay Murray $8MM per year and guarantee $25MM+, they’re unlikely to deal for Peterson and do the same thing.
The Vikings were in on Devin McCourty until the bidding reached $7MM per year, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. That could be an indication of how far they’re willing to go on free agent safeties.
The Vikings have also inquired about linebacker Brooks Reed, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Bears are interested in Reed but he’s reportedly leaning towards signing with the Falcons.
You can count the Vikings among the teams that are interested in cornerback Davon House, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune tweets.
The Vikings will likely host cornerback Brice McCain for a visit, Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN tweets.
The Vikings have inquired on free agent linebacker Andrew Gachkar and may bring him in for a visit later in the week, Wolfson tweets.
The Vikings have checked on guys like Bradley Fletcher and Sterling Moore, but everything is still preliminary with both, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets.

Chiefs, Tamba Hali Restructure Contract

March 9th, 2015 at 4:29pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 4:29pm: The Chiefs created $7MM in cap room by reworking Hali’s contract, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Hali’s 2015 salary was reduced from $9MM to $6MM, though he can make back that $3MM through sack-related incentives. The move also added four voidable years to the end of the contract in order to spread out Hali’s $5MM signing bonus — the deal will void after next year’s Super Bowl, at which point the Chiefs will take on $4MM in dead money on their 2016 cap.

SUNDAY, 9:07pm: The Chiefs have agreed with pass rusher Tamba Hali on a contract restructure, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The team will need to create that cap space to complete the signing of Jeremy Maclin, and depending on how much space they can carve out, target other players such as Darrelle Revis.

Joel Corry of CBS Sports notes that the restructure is likely to be a pay cut, considering Hali was in a contract year (via Twitter). The other possibility is that the team agreed on an extension with Hali, or added voidable years to allow the team to spread a prorated bonus over multiple seasons.

Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star confirms that Hali has taken a pay cut in order to remain with the team in 2015 (via Twitter).