2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Quinton Patton Visiting Jets

March 18th, 2017 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Quinton Patton started all 14 games he played for the 49ers in 2016 and remains available as the 2017 league year nears the 10-day mark. The Jets have interest and announced they are hosting the fifth-year wide receiver on a visit today.

With the 49ers over the past two seasons, Patton amassed 802 receiving yards and made 18 starts. He scored just one touchdown for 49ers teams that struggled to generate much offensively. Patton missed the 49ers’ final two games with a foot injury, joining the brigade of 49ers regulars on IR.

New Jets OC John Morton served as Patton’s wide receivers coach during his first two seasons with the 49ers, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. Gang Green has serious uncertainty at wide receiver. Brandon Marshall requested his release and signed with the Giants, and Eric Decker‘s status for the 2017 season is murky. Jalin Marshall is facing a four-game drug suspension as well, leaving Quincy Enunwa potentially as the Jets’ No. 1 wideout come Week 1 as of now.

The Jets are also hosting Josh McCown on a visit this weekend.

Jets, Josh McCown Progressing Toward Deal?

March 18th, 2017 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McCown‘s Jets visit is continuing into Saturday, and the sides are progressing on talks. Contract parameters have emerged during this visit, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv.

With this powwow going “very well,” Vacchiano notes McCown may now lead the pack in the running to be the next Jets stopgap quarterback. Vacchiano confirms the team remains interested in Jay Cutler while also clearly stating the team has no desire to pursue Colin Kaepernick. A Cutler visit was expected, with the Jets reaching out to the 33-year-old passer this week, but it hasn’t occurred yet.

The 37-year-old McCown (he’ll be 38 by Week 1) profiles as another short-term option after Ryan Fitzpatrick previously served in that role. Cutler started in front of McCown from 2011-13 on the Bears and is viewed as the more talented player, so it would be interesting if the Jets opted to sign McCown before hosting Cutler on a visit. New Jets QBs coach Jeremy Bates coached Cutler in both Denver and Chicago but also instructed McCown during two of McCown’s three years in the Windy City.

Gang Green moved from Mike Glennon to Tyrod Taylor to Brian Hoyer, per Vacchiano, this offseason. Glennon’s price tag “scared off” the Jets, Vacchiano notes, before he received his Bears offer (three years, $45MM). The Jets were also open to re-signing Geno Smith before the Giants added him, per Vacchiano, who adds it’s unlikely the Jets use one of their high draft picks on a quarterback after having taken Christian Hackenberg in the second round last year.

The Cowboys are the other serious suitor to emerge for McCown, having hosted him on a visit. This came after Dallas tried to trade for the veteran passer in 2016.

East Notes: Harmon, Giants, Hauschka, Jets

March 18th, 2017 at 3:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Duron Harmon wasn’t connected to many teams during his first instance as an NFL free agent. Part of that may have stemmed from the fifth-year safety’s desire to stay with the Patriots. Although he’s only started 12 games in four years, Harmon received lower-end starter money from the defending Super Bowl champions.

“Coming back to New England, that’s ultimately what I wanted to do. I love it here,” Harmon said via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “In the end, just coming back here really wasn’t a hard decision. It was something that I ultimately wanted to do.”

Part of that reasoning was a confidence the Bill Belichick– and Matt Patricia-led defense would deploy him best. He played as a nickel defender for most of last season, joining Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung in those looks. His $4.25MM AAV is tied for 35th in the league among safeties. The Dolphins emerged as a possible contender for Harmon’s second contract, but no indication came that Harmon turned down more money from another team.

“That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to come back, they know how to use me,” Harmon said, per Howe. “They know how to really get the best out of me and I want to continue to grow being a part of this defense.”

Here’s more from the East divisions.

Brandon Marshall‘s Giants cap charges will be $4.5MM in 2017 and $6.5MM in 2018, Dan Duggan of NJ.com reports. The 12th-year wide receiver will make a fully guaranteed $3MM this season. Marshall is due a nonguaranteed $5MM for 2018, which will be his age-34 season.
New York’s John Jerry re-up will see the veteran guard stand to earn a $925K fully guaranteed base salary in 2017 and have a ’17 cap hit of $1.75MM, per Duggan. Jerry will count $4.125MM against the 2018 cap, although only $925K of that is guaranteed — and that guarantee is for injury only. If Jerry is still on the Giants in 2019, he’ll have a $3.05MM base and a $4.125MM cap charge.
Rhett Ellison‘s four-year Giants pact has the tight end’s cap charges at $2.25MM (2017), $3.75MM (2018), $5.75MM (2019) and $6.25MM (2020), according to Duggan. Ellison’s $975K base salary this season is fully guaranteed, as is $2.025MM of his $2.475MM base salary for 2018.
New Bills kicker Steven Hauschka called the Seahawks’ decision to release him and replace him with Blair Walsh an “interesting” one. “I thought it was interesting that direction that they would go in,” Hauschka said, per Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. “But I’m not really concerned about that anymore because my job’s just to go out there and kick and that really doesn’t have anything to do with me now. But, yeah, it was definitely an interesting move.” Hauschka will make $2.6MM from the Bills this season ($1.6MM base/$1MM signing bonus) after collecting $2.7MM from the Seahawks in 2016. Walsh will earn an $800K base and a $300K roster bonus in Seattle.
The Jets‘ decision not to pursue Colin Kaepernick is probably about more than just his quarterbacking acumen, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. We heard earlier today the Jets were not the team that nearly signed the 29-year-old passer, and Cimini connects the dots between owner Woody Johnson — a Republican fundraiser and recently nominated to become ambassador to Great Britain — and the likely media frenzy that would occur if Kaepernick played in New York as reasonable issues that are standing in the way of the Jets pushing to add the ex-49ers QB. The Jets have been connected to both Jay Cutler and Josh McCown.

Bills Sign Andre Holmes

March 18th, 2017 at 1:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

It looks to be the real thing this time. Andre Holmes is signing with the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former Raiders wide receiver drew an offer from Buffalo this week, one that was mistaken for an agreement by the NFLPA. The Bills announced the move.

It’s a three-year pact worth $6.5MM, per Rapoport (on Twitter). This proves interesting since the Bills’ leaked offer was for three years and $4.5MM. This stands to provide the Bills a pass-catcher with some experience, albeit with a bit of an inconsistent track record. This appears to conclude an interesting situation, one that revealed the terms of Buffalo’s offer to the sixth-year wide receiver before he actually agreed to terms. Three days later, though, Holmes looks to be on his way to western New York.

The 28-year-old Holmes played the past four seasons as a member of the Raiders, drifting downward in Oakland’s pass-catching pecking order as the team continued to stock its receiving corps. The Raiders re-signed Holmes on a one-year deal last spring but used him as their No. 4 receiver. Previously having accumulated a 693-yard, four-touchdown season on a less talented 2014 Raiders team, Holmes caught just 14 passes for 126 yards while playing behind Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts last season. A former UDFA, Holmes did haul in three touchdown passes in 2016.

He actually commanded considerable interest this offseason, with as many as six teams pursuing the UFA wideout. Holmes visited the Lions but opted to sign on with the Bills as one of Sammy Watkins‘ sidekicks.

He joins a Bills team that lost No. 2 man Robert Woods in free agency and saw Percy Harvin retire again. Holmes should have a better path to regular playing time in Buffalo, which added potential supporting-casters Corey Brown and Jeremy Butler this offseason.

Colin Kaepernick Nearly Signed Last Week

March 18th, 2017 at 12:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Even though he’ll stand for the national anthem in 2017, polarizing quarterback Colin Kaepernick hasn’t publicly drawn interest from any teams since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers on March 3. However, the free agent nearly signed with a club last week, Niners general manager John Lynch told KNBR (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle).

“I don’t know what happened to that market (for Kaepernick) because when we added our second guy, at that time, I can just tell you, you learn things,” Lynch said. “And he was in everyone’s mind in this league very close to signing a deal with a team at a really good number. And it fell through, apparently.”

The “second guy” in this case is Matt Barkley, who signed with the 49ers after they inked fellow signal-caller Brian Hoyer to a deal. While it appears Hoyer and Barkley will serve as the 49ers’ top QBs next season, Lynch hasn’t completely ruled out re-signing Kaepernick.

“I think the likelihood of it happening has probably gone down significantly,” Lynch said. “But we’re not going to close our mind or options on anyone, including him.”

Despite Lynch’s statement, it’s a good bet that Kaepernick 49ers career is over after six years and 59 starts. While the 29-year-old was San Francicsco’s No. 1 for the majority of his tenure there, he’ll likely have to settle for a backup role with his next team.

NFC Notes: Poe, Romo, Eagles, Lynch

March 18th, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Ben Levine

Dontari Poe is excited about the opportunity he has with the Falcons, but the defensive tackle understand that he needs to be in shape if he wants to be productive. Talking to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure, Poe said head coach Dan Quinn echoed that sentiment.

“He just told me he wanted me to come in and play fast and be aggressive,” Poe said, “so around 330 is where I’ll play at most of the year. I feel like that will be a comfortable weight for me, too.”

Poe acknowledged that he’s currently at 340 pounds, so he doesn’t have much more to lose to reach his goal. Meanwhile, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that Poe has a $500K weight bonus attached to his contract, so there’s added incentive to slim down.

If the 26-year-old isn’t overweight during the season, he should see an improvement as a pass rusher. After collecting 10.5 sacks between 2013 and 2014, Poe only compiled 2.5 sacks between 2015 and 2016.

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFC…

Following news that the Cowboys were planning on releasing quarterback Tony Romo, reports indicated that the organization would instead try to trade the veteran. Florio wonders if the change of heart could be attributed to owner Jerry Jones‘ unwillingness to let Romo go to the Texans. The two teams aren’t technically rivals, but Florio believes the Cowboys owner doesn’t want to share viewers with another Texas team. Furthermore, if the Texans establish themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL with Romo, plenty of pundits will question the Cowboys’ logic to just cut bate with the quarterback. Ultimately, Florio believes that Jones is waiting for an offer to materialize at the upcoming league meetings.
The Eagles hosted running back Leonard Fournette yesterday, but Mark Eckel of NJ.com notes that the LSU product is expected to be taken prior to Philly’s first-round pick (No.14 overall). Therefore, the writer wonders if general manager Howie Roseman may have a trade up his sleeve. There’s certainly precedent, as the Eagles surrendered five picks and three players to move up to the second-slot in last year’s draft. Eckel believes Philly could find a trade partner in the Titans, who have the fifth-overall pick.
If Marshawn Lynch decides to unretire, ESPN.com’s Sheil Kapadia believes the Seahawks will be forced to release the running back. Lynch would have a $9MM cap hit in 2017, which would drastically cut into their nearly $15MM in remaining cap space. The team could look to trade Lynch, but it’s uncertain whether any teams would give up anything of worth for the veteran. Plus, by opting for that route, Seattle could end up being stuck with the running back, who would join an already-crowded depth chart. The Raiders have been rumored to be eyeing the five-time Pro Bowler.

Contract Details: Murray, Williams, Jones

March 18th, 2017 at 9:51am CST by Ben Levine

The latest contract details from around the NFL:

We learned earlier this week that Latavius Murray‘s new contract with the Vikings could be voided after one season, making the running back a free agent again in 2018. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the player essentially has another team option for the third season of the contract. Therefore, Murray’s spot on the Vikings roster will presumably be reevaluated every offseason.
Nose tackle Sylvester Williams‘ deal with the Titans is worth $17.5MM over three years, reports ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky. The deal includes a $3MM signing bonus. In 2017, Williams is due a $2MM base salary and a $2MM roster bonus (which was paid last Monday), and his base salaries will eventually increase to $5MM (2018) and $5.5MM (2019). $2.5MM of his 2018 is now guaranteed for injury.
Linebacker Jarvis Jones‘ one-year contract with the Cardinals includes a $1MM base salary, reports Mike Jurecki of FoxSports910 in Arizona (via Twitter). The former first-rounder, who finished last season with a career-high 42 tackles, can earn additional money via incentives.

John Lynch Defends Offseason Strategy

March 18th, 2017 at 8:58am CST by Ben Levine

John Lynch‘s first offseason as the 49ers general manager may be remembered for the hefty contracts he handed out to a fullback and a former Super Bowl MVP.

The organization committed more than $23MM in guaranteed money to fullback Kyle Juszczyk and linebacker Malcolm Smith, leading some pundits to wonder whether agents were looking to take advantage of the new, inexperienced executive. Of course, that sentiment may not be entirely fair, as Lynch has added a number of free agents on favorable deals, including quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley, wide receivers/offensive weapons Pierre Garcon, Aldrick Robinson and Marquise Goodwin, tight end Logan Paulsen, linebacker Dekoda Watson, special teamer Don Jones, and kicker Robbie Gould.

Like any GM, Lynch will be forced to answer more questions regarding the “egregious” signings than the shrewd additions. The executive already started addressing his offseason strategy while appearing on San Francisco’s KNBR 680 yesterday. Thanks to CSNBayArea.com, we’re able to pass along some of those quotes below…

On the signings of Juszczyk and Smith:

“We’re proud of those signings. We really are … if you’re sitting there reading everything that people are saying about you and taking it personally, you aren’t gonna be very successful … I think the reason they both got nice contracts is because they were wanted. And we weren’t the only ones that wanted them. In a lot of our situations, we weren’t the highest bidder.”

On whether the two players were enticed by money or the organization:

“Guys came because there’s an exciting vibe here; guys want to be here. None of this means anything until they go play and we go play. But those are two guys we’re very excited to have as part of the 49ers.”

On the team’s negotiations with Juszczyk:

“In that period where the negotiating period started, we were doing some traveling and we got a call and they said, ‘Here’s where it’s at now,’ and we said, ‘Wow,’ because we set in with ‘Hey, to get this guy, we’re gonna have to likely make him the highest paid fullback ever.’ And we were willing to do that…

“But then it kind of got to even another step and we had to all stop and kind of look at each other and go, ‘OK. This is getting real.’ And that’s when we kind of came up the philosophy he’s not just a fullback; he’s an offensive weapon … I’m gonna trust my instincts on what the guy brings, not necessarily what the rest of the market sees him as.

“You can’t go crazy with that, but like I said, we weren’t the only ones interested in this guy … he’s still worth it to us.”

NFC Notes: Giants, 49ers, Eagles, Vikings

March 17th, 2017 at 10:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Giants would like to re-sign free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, but they’re unlikely to offer him anything more than a one-year, $4MM deal because of their lack of cap room, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. That probably won’t suffice for Hankins, who’s reportedly seeking upward of $10MM per year. Free agency hasn’t unfolded to Hankins’ liking, and one reason is that some around the NFL don’t see him as “an impact player,” sources told Vacchiano. Hankins went without a sack during a nine-game 2015 campaign and only notched three last year, Vacchiano notes. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with Hankins’ performance in 2016, as it graded the 24-year-old just 72nd out of 127 qualified interior D-linemen.

49ers Sign Dekoda Watson

March 17th, 2017 at 10:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers have signed free agent linebacker Dekoda Watson, his agent, Peter Schaffer, announced on Instagram. It’s a three-year, $6MM deal, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

San Francisco is the sixth NFL team for the 29-year-old Watson, who originally went to the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. Since then, Watson has appeared in 89 games, made seven starts and picked up four sacks. As a member of the Broncos in 2016, he played a 16-game slate for the second time in his career and worked almost exclusively as a special teamer. While Watson only played 3.8 percent of the Broncos’ defensive snaps, he saw action in 84 percent of their special teams plays.

Denver had hoped to retain Watson, who instead joins newly signed Rams cornerback Kayvon Webster as the second key special teamer to leave the Mile High City this week. Watson also drew interest from one of the 49ers’ NFC West rivals, the Seahawks, and visited the Raiders while in the Bay Area on Friday, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).