2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Texans Release Andre Johnson

March 9th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

2:57pm: The Texans have officially released Johnson, signaling the end an era in Houston, reports Adam Schefer of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

9:52am: Unable to find a suitable trade for Andre Johnson, the Texans are expected to release the veteran wide receiver today, reports Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter links). Johnson’s agent, Kennard McGuire, reportedly asked the team to cut his client last week.

Johnson, who is entering his age-34 season, caught a team-high 85 balls in 2014, but that was his lowest total for a full season in about a decade. The former third overall pick also averaged just 62.4 yards per game, the third-lowest mark of his 12-year career. Houston reportedly asked Johnson to accept a reduced role in the offense going forward, which prompted discussion of a trade, and will end the receiver’s time with the Texans.

If and when Johnson hits the open market, a handful of teams in need of receiving help are expected to have interest. The Raiders, Colts, Eagles, Browns, and Patriots are among the teams I’d consider potential fits, though the longtime Texan could definitely draw interest from other suitors as well.

Saints Release Curtis Lofton

March 9th, 2015 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

After coming up empty in an effort to move Curtis Lofton in a trade, the Saints are releasing the veteran linebacker, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the move has already been made, which would make Lofton an unrestricted free agent immediately.

Lofton, 28, has been one of the most dependable and durable pieces on the Saints’ defense in recent years, starting all 48 regular season contests for the team since arriving in New Orleans in 2012. In 2014, he racked up 145 tackles to go along with a forced fumble. However, while his stats looked solid on the surface, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as a bottom-five inside linebacker, out of 60 qualified players.

There were still three years remaining on Lofton’s contract, so the $5MM left in dead money on his deal will all accelerate to 2015, unless the team designates him as a post-June 1 cut. The post-June 1 designation wouldn’t allow New Orleans to free up any cap space immediately, however, and the team needs to get under the threshold by tomorrow afternoon, so I’d guess it’s just a standard release for Lofton. The move will create $4.25MM in cap savings.

Texans Re-Sign Derek Newton

March 9th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Ben Levine

MONDAY: The Texans officially announced (via Twitter) that they have re-signed Newton.

SATURDAY: A key member of the Texans offensive line will be sticking around Houston for the foreseeable future. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the organization has reached an agreement with tackle Derek Newton on a five-year deal. Financial terms of the contract have not been reported.

The former seventh-round pick has established himself as one of the most reliable members of the Texans offense, as he’s started 46 of a possible 48 games since 2012 (the two missed games were a result of a knee injury). Newton wasn’t rated favorably by Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) during his first two years as a starter, but the statistics favored the 27-year-old’s performance this past season. Newton ranked 19th among 84 offensive tackle candidates, and his run blocking skills earned him the fourth-best ranking for that particular attribute. However, his pass blocking rating left some to be desired, as he finished in the bottom half of the league in that ranking.

Texans Re-Sign Kareem Jackson

March 9th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY: The Texans officially announced (on Twitter) that they have re-signed Jackson.

SATURDAY: The Texans have reached an agreement to keep Kareem Jackson in Houston, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Jackson will remain with the team on a four-year deal.

The four-year contract will be worth $34MM in total money, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The deal also includes $20MM in guaranteed money, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Jackson landed himself at number 21 on Pro Football Rumor’s Top 50 Free Agents, and figured to be highly sought after as one of the top free agent corners on the market.

The Texans selected Jackson 20th overall out of Alabama in the 2010 NFL Draft. He struggled during his first two NFL seasons, but improved and was considered the team’s top corner last season, surpassing veteran Johnathan Joseph.

Jackson himself is happy to be back with the team, according to his official Twitter account. “Wow!!!! I can’t begin to express how happy I am right now!! Definitely a great moment for me and my family right now!!!“

Latest On Patriots, Brandon Browner

March 9th, 2015 at 2:21pm CST by Zachary Links

2:21pm: Howe clarifies (via Twitter) that the Pats’ decision on Browner is actually due tomorrow afternoon rather than today, so we may not see resolution on this situation for another 24 hours or so.

1:10pm: The Patriots have until today to decide on Brandon Browner‘s team option for the 2015 season, but it sounds like they may decide not pick it up. The Patriots would like to restructure his contract instead and have allowed the cornerback to explore his value around the league, a team source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.

If the Patriots exercise Browner’s option, he would count $4.8MM against the cap, but he would also earn a $2MM roster bonus on Tuesday. If they decline the option, they would save $4.8MM against the cap without any dead money, but re-signing him from that point could prove to be difficult. The team source indicated to Howe that his value on the open market might actually approach $7MM to $8MM per year thanks to the deals given to Byron Maxwell ($63MM over six years), Brandon Flowers ($36MM over four years) and Kareem Jackson ($34MM over four years) in the last couple days.

Browner, 31 in August, appeared in nine regular season games for the Patriots in his suspension-shortened season. He recorded 32 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception during that time. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t wowed by Browner’s performance in 2014, ranking him No. 79 out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.

Panthers Re-Sign Joe Webb

March 9th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers announced that they have re-signed jack of all trades player Joe Webb on a one-year deal. Webb originally signed with the Panthers as a quarterback last offseason, also on a one-year pact.

“Joe gives us continuity at the quarterback position,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “He is also a very versatile player. Not only has he played quarterback, but he has played wide receiver and on special teams, and gives us some depth there because of his athleticism and intelligence. We are very excited for him to continue to be part of what we’re trying to build here.”

Webb, 28, helped the offense get ready for the season while Cam Newton recovered from ankle surgery. Once Newton returned, Webb pitched in at wide receiver and on special teams. He had a 16-yard reception, returned two kickoffs for 53 yards and added a touchdown-saving tackle on a kickoff return in the Panthers’ division-clinching victory against Falcons to wrap up the regular season.

Brandon Graham Down To Eagles, Giants?

March 9th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

1:48pm: Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets to “beware reports” that suggest the Eagles are still in play for Graham, hinting that the free-agent-to-be is unlikely to return to Philadelphia. That doesn’t necessarily mean Graham will end up in New York — with 24+ more hours until free agency begins, another suitor could make a play, and Mosher doesn’t entirely rule out Philadelphia as an option. But I’d probably give the Giants better odds than the Eagles at this point.

For what it’s worth, Russini doubled down on her report that Graham will eventually decide between the Giants and Eagles (Twitter link).

1:30pm: Brandon Graham has multiple offers and the linebacker appears to be deciding between the Eagles and Giants, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter). Earlier today we heard that Graham was leaning towards the Dolphins and Titans, but it seems the tide has turned for the Eagles free agent.

Graham, 27 in April, recorded 5.5 sacks and 46 total tackles in 2014. The former first-round choice has moved around a bit in the front seven over the years, having seen time at defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker. Last season, he played the bulk of his snaps at outside linebacker and enjoyed his best season to date. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed him as the third best OLB in a 3-4 set last season.

Recently, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer speculated that Graham could net a deal north of $40MM in total value and $20MM in guarantees. It was said earlier this month that talks between the Eagles and Graham weren’t going so well, but it appears that Philly has gained some ground. Now, it remains to be seen whether he’ll stay put in Philly or join up with their NFC East rivals.

FA Rumors: Murray, Raiders, Orakpo, Hill

March 9th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

While DeMarco Murray may not land an eight-digit annual salary, his camp sounds confident that there are teams willing to pay $8MM per year for his services, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. However, as Getlin notes it’s not clear yet whether the Cowboys are one of those teams. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Murray is willing to move on from Dallas if a better opportunity presents itself, but the running back is approaching free agency slowly and methodically rather than rushing into any decision.

While we wait to see if Jerry Jones opens up his check book for the NFL’s leading rusher before Murray hits free agency tomorrow, let’s check in on some few other free agent news….

The Raiders are “hot after” Mike Iupati, widely considered to be the top free agent guard available this winter, reports Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Oakland figures to be up against the Bills and Jets, among other teams, in the bidding for Iupati. Landing the 49ers veteran after agreeing to terms with center Rodney Hudson would certainly help the Raiders solidify their offensive line.
The Falcons were mentioned a week ago as a potential favorite for Brian Orakpo, and it doesn’t appear that’s changed. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington tweets that she’s hearing Atlanta is the current frontrunner for the free agent pass rusher.
The Titans are still in play for Derrick Morgan, but so are about a half-dozen other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Cowboys and Raiders are among the teams showing interest in quarterback Shaun Hill, who also has reportedly has an offer on the table from the Vikings.
The Steelers have no immediate plans to re-sign veteran outside linebacker James Harrison, who could potentially be a late-summer addition for the club, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
We can add the Chiefs to the growing list of teams that has inquired on free agent cornerback Cary Williams, tweets Nick Jacobs of TWC SportsChannel in Kansas City.
Washington hasn’t been in contract with wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, but the free-agent-to-be has heard from a few other teams, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Vikings Pursuing Clint Boling

March 9th, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are making a strong push for free agent guard Clint Boling, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Boling has spent the last four years with the Bengals and Mike Zimmer was on staff for three of those seasons.

The Vikings are not the only team going after Boling, however. Boling’s trainer, Ryan Goldin, tells Tomasson that the Jets and Falcons are also very interested in Boling and the incumbent Bengals are hoping to retain him. Still, it sounds like Minnesota could have a leg up on the competition.

“He has a lot of interest in the Vikings,’’ Goldin said. “I know he likes the Vikings organization. It’s going to be an interesting 24 hours.’’

Goldin also works out Vikings guard David Yankey and he believes it would be a positive for Yankey if Boling ended up on the same team. Yankey, a rising sophomore, did not see any games last season as a rookie.

Steelers To Re-Sign Arthur Moats

March 9th, 2015 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

12:49pm: Moats’ deal is worth $7.5MM over three years, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).

12:36pm: Not only is Arthur Moats staying with the Steelers – he decided to give himself the scoop on the story.

“Steeler Nation, I’m proud to announce that my family and I will be staying in Pittsburgh! #GoSteelers!,” the linebacker tweeted.

Moats, 26, signed with Pittsburgh last March on a minimum salary benefit deal. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) was very high on his performance against the run in 2013 and this year he received high marks for his overall performance. PFF had Moats ranked as the 17th best outside linebacker in a 3-4 set with his 7.3 overall grade. Those advanced numbers put him ahead of guys like Clay Matthews, Trent Cole, Aldon Smith, and Brian Orakpo in 2014.

Moats appeared in all 16 games for Pittsburgh last year and made nine starts. In total, he had 24 tackles and a career high 4.0 sacks.