HEADLINES

Month: March 2015

AFC East Rumors: Revis, Jets, Tannehill

March 8th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

It will be hard to beat the Patriots re-signing Devin McCourty in terms of news, but there are a number of other rumors surrounding the AFC East teams as we approach free agency.

  • As the “legal tampering” period continues, the Patriots are still the favorites to keep either Darrelle Revis or McCourty, and are “a pretty good bet” to keep both players, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). The team already completed a deal with McCourty, and only needs to keep Revis to make good on Curran’s tweet.
  • While the Patriots may be the favorites, keeping Revis is not a done deal. The Chiefs and Jets are still contenders to sign Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Jets are looking to add a veteran passer to its quarterback depth chart, and one name that has surfaced as a favorite it Brian Hoyer, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • The team has also targeted Ryan Mallett as a possible addition, although he has far less experience than fellow Tom Brady-backup Hoyer (via Twitter).
  • La Canfora also examines the impact of the Dolphins signing Ndamukong Suh will have on Ryan Tannehill‘s next contract. He writes the team has left itself little wiggle room to pay Tannehill if he has another productive season that would warrant an Alex Smith-like extension, which came in at four years and $68MM, with $45MM in guaranteed money.
  • It also surfaced that the Bills are expected to come to terms on a long-term deal with newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel.

Bills, Matt Cassel Exploring Multi-Year Deal

March 8th, 2015 at 9:32pm CST by Rob DiRe

After trading for Matt Cassel, the Bills were praised for bringing in a veteran quarterback on a low-risk move. Still, not many were ready to anoint Cassel as the future of the franchise at the most important position.

Now it looks like the team will be expected to sign Cassel to a multi-year contract that could entrench him as the starter in Buffalo beyond 2015, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team made a similar move after trading for running back LeSean McCoy, guaranteeing him $26.5MM to play with the Bills.

Cassel won’t sniff that kind of money, but any extension at all seems like a curious decision (via Twitter). Mike Rodak, who covers the Bills for ESPN, was particularly critical in analyzing the possible reasons and structures for an extension. The Bills owe Cassel a $500,000 roster bonus next weekend, but after that nothing would have been guaranteed (via Twitter).

Rodak writes that converting $4MM of his base salary into a signing bonus would only clear out $2MM in cap space but would guarantee him $4MM for 2016 (via Twitter). He adds that Cassel would be unwise to take a pay cut without getting more guaranteed money, and that the Bills would have no reason to give him any guaranteed money (via Twitter). Rodak would be more afraid of wasting money on a quarterback like Cassel than him exceeding expectations and demanding a big raise (via Twitter).

Colts To Extend Darius Butler

March 8th, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Rob DiRe

9:56 PM: Butler’s deal with the Colts is a two-year extension worth $5MM, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Butler receives $1MM to sign and then $1.5MM and $2.5MM in base salaries over the next two seasons, respectively.

8:46 PM: The Colts have announced an extension for nickel cornerback Darius Butler, reports Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter). The former second-round pick busted out with the Patriots, but has been a very solid player since arriving in Indianapolis in 2012.

With the extension, the team will return a trio of corners including Vontae Davis and Greg Toler who put their talents on display last season for a unit that finished fifth in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus despite finishing 30th in pass rush (subscription required), an astonishing feat for two very interconnected aspects of the defense.

The three were never more on display than in the divisional playoff game against the Broncos, where they consistently draped some of the league’s top receivers and knocked down Peyton Manning passes.

Safety Mike Adams may be the next member of the secondary to receive a contract as the Colts try to roll back the strength of their defense for 2015, writes Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter).

NFC East Rumors: McCourty, Williams, Graham, Helu

March 8th, 2015 at 8:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Eagles have already brought in Byron Maxwell, but are interested in continuing to add to their secondary and are pushing to sign safety Devin McCourty, writes Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). No front-runner has emerged for McCourty’s services, but the Eagles’ backup options could be Ron Parker and Rahim Moore (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:

  • Maxwell and a safety would be great, but the Eagles could still be looking for another corner to complete the secondary. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com believes Tramon Williams could be an option for the team (via Twitter).
  • The Giants also need help in the secondary, and checked in on Buster Skrine as a possible replacement for Walter Thurmond as a nickel cornerback, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Skrine, however, will likely be too expensive for the team.
  • The Giants have serious interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham to pair with Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, piggybacking on Graziano’s report from earlier (via Twitter). Pass rushing is thought to be a priority for the Giants this offseason. The team is also targeting Dan Williams for the defensive line and are a third contender with the Eagles and Patriots for McCourty, according to Graziano (via Twitter).
  • When it comes to running back, Raanan writes that the Giants have interest in Roy Helu and Antone Smith. With Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams in the fold, both players are thought to be good complements to give the running game some versatility.
  • As for Helu, Washington has remained in contact with him through the offseason, according to John Keim of ESPN (via Twitter). Keim writes that five other teams have also expressed some interest in him.

 

Bills Close To Re-Signing Jerry Hughes

March 8th, 2015 at 7:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills are close to finalizing a new contract with their top free agent, pass rusher Jerry Hughes, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Earlier today, we heard that talks between Hughes and the Bills were expected to come to a head today, and it looks like those negotiations will end with an agreement.

Hughes, 26, is coming off his second consecutive 10-sack season for the Bills, and his first year as a full-time starter. The former first-round pick also racked up 54 tackles and forced three fumbles, and was viewed as a potential candidate for the franchise tag. When the Bills elected not to franchise him, Hughes looked like a good bet to reach the open market, where teams like the Jaguars, Raiders, Colts, and Browns would be potential suitors. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News notes (via Twitter) that the Giants also had interest.

Instead, it appears Hughes will return to Buffalo, rejoining a dominant defensive line that also features Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Dareus. Those three players were already on the books for a combined $33.86MM cap hit for the 2015 season, so a new deal for Hughes figures to push that figure up over $40MM, barring other restructures or extensions. That’s a significant amount to invest in a defensive line, but that line is the primary reason Buffalo’s defense has been so good in recent years, ranking in the top five in DVOA in both 2013 and 2014, per Football Outsiders.

When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents, I named Hughes the fifth-best player in free agency and the top pass rusher on the unrestricted market, after Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul were franchised. Assuming Hughes finalizes his new deal with the Bills, teams eyeing a top pass rusher could shift their focus to players like Pernell McPhee, Greg Hardy, Brandon Graham, and Jason Worilds.

PFR Originals: 3/1/15 – 3/8/15

March 8th, 2015 at 7:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Bengals To Re-Sign Mike Nugent

March 8th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bengals have re-signed kicker Mike Nugent to a two-year deal, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The contract is worth $4MM, and Rapoport writes that $250,000 each year is in incentives.

Nugent signed with the Bengals in the middle of the 2010 season. He played in six games in 2009 with the Cardinals and Buccaneers, after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Jets.

For his career, Nugent has connected on better than 80% of his field goals.

Torrey Smith Will Not Return To Ravens

March 8th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Rob DiRe

Free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith is thought to be one of the top free agent pass catchers on the market this offseason, especially with Randall Cobb already re-signing with the Packers and Jeremy Maclin coming closer to a long-term deal with the Eagles.

Smith, however, has closed the door on a possible return to the Ravens in 2015, writing a heartfelt goodbye to his teammates, coaches, and fans in Baltimore on his personal blog.

“These last four years have been amazing for me. I have been able to grow as a player, and more importantly, as a man,” said Smith. “The men who run the Baltimore Ravens organization have been essential to my growth.”

Smith will continue to be courted by teams like the 49ers, Colts, Texans, Chargers, and Raiders.

“It is tough to leave a city that I now call home,” said Smith. “I will be playing for a different organization.”

Vikings To Re-Sign Tom Johnson

March 8th, 2015 at 5:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Veteran defensive tackle Tom Johnson has re-signed with the Vikings on a three-year deal worth $7MM, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).

The contract will include about $3MM in guaranteed money.

Johnson signed with the Vikings last offseason on a one-year contract, coming off of a three-year stint with the Saints. He impressed the coaching staff with a strong year in 2014 the led him to staying with the Vikings. He graded out positively as a rotation player on the defensive line according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and should continue to help the team going forward.

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