2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Hosting FB Zach Line On Visit

March 15th, 2017 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are hosting fullback Zach Line on a visit, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter). Now that Kyle Juszczyk, Patrick DiMarco, and James Develin are off the board, we have Line as the second-ranked free agent fullback left in free agency.

Line has appeared in all but one of the Vikings’ regular season games in the last two years and has spent the last four seasons with Minnesota. The 6’1″, 230 pounder has a grand total of 13 carries and seven receptions over the course of his career, but can be a difference-maker when it comes to blocking.

Line graded out as the league’s 12th best fullback last year, according to Pro Football Focus, though only 17 fullbacks played enough to qualify for their rankings. Line had roughly even grades for run blocking and pass blocking in his 211 snaps.

The Jets, in theory, could make two additions in the backfield today if they sign Line and Travaris Cadet. Cadet is currently deciding between Gang Green and the Saints.

Eddie Lacy’s Contract Includes Weight Bonus

March 15th, 2017 at 11:25am CST by Zachary Links

There’s more of Eddie Lacy to love and although the Seahawks say they’re not sweating it, they have given their newly-acquired running back some incentive to keep the extra pounds off off. Lacy’s one-year deal with the Seahawks includes a $385K bonus tied to his weight, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. All in all, his one-year deal calls for $2.865MM guaranteed, but he can raise that to $5.55MM through the weight bonus and other incentives.

Lacy reportedly weighed in at 267 pounds on one of his free agent visits this year and that’s a bit concerning for a running back. Last year, Lacy was listed at 234 pounds. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll chalked Lacy’s weight up to his ankle injury from last season and said that he expects Lacy to slim down once he’s back to 100%.

Still, Lacy was struggling with his weight before his injury last fall and the Seahawks are going to be mindful of his size. On top of his one-year, prove-it deal, Lacy has additional motivation to stay in shape.

Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Vikings Re-Sign CB Terence Newman

March 15th, 2017 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have re-signed cornerback Terence Newman, according to a team announcement. Newman said this week that he wanted to continue playing and this deal will allow him to do that as he approaches his age-39 season.

Newman has started 26 of 31 games since arriving in Minnesota in 2015. He’s a favorite of head coach Mike Zimmer and the two have been in the same locker room for eight seasons with Zimmer either serving as head coach or defensive coordinator. He has 41 career interceptions, putting him second among all active players. Only DeAngelo Hall (43 career picks) has more.

The Vikings lost one cornerback when Captain Munnerlyn left in free agency and they were unwilling to lose two valuable vets. The Vikings also showed interest in cornerbacks like slot specialist Nickell Robey-Coleman and former Ravens fan favorite Lardarius Webb. They might be out on both players after welcoming Newman back into the fold.

We ranked Newman as one of the ten best cornerbacks in free agency this year.

Lions Hosting G Tim Lelito On Visit

March 15th, 2017 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are hosting Saints free agent guard Tim Lelito on a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Lelito grew up in the Detroit area, so this could be a natural fit for the veteran.

Heading into free agency, we had Lelito ranked as one of the ten best available interior linemen. Now that many of the better guards and centers are spoken for, Lelito is one of the top guys left along with Jahri Evans. He could be a great pickup for the Lions after they already fortified their offensive line by adding tackle Ricky Wagner.

The Rochester, Michigan native appeared in all 16 games last season and has only missed one regular season contest in his four years with the Saints. He placed as the 49th best guard in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF gave him a solid mark for his pass blocking with a less impressive score on running plays.

LB Zach Brown To Visit Raiders

March 15th, 2017 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are getting a visit from Bills free agent linebacker Zach Brown, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Oakland is looking to improve its linebacker group after underwhelming overall production in 2016.

Last week, Brown seemed to hint on Twitter that he won’t be returning to Buffalo. At the same time, the market for Brown has been slow to develop. The Oakland trip, as far as we know, is Brown’s first free agent visit. He was linked to the Dolphins last week, but they have since added Lawrence Timmons on a two-year deal.

The Raiders currently project to start Bruce Irvin, Cory James, and Shilique Calhoun at their three linebacker spots. Starter Malcolm Smith left the Raiders for the Niners this offseason and Perry Riley remains in free agent limbo. Brown would make a lot of sense for Oakland and, at minimum, the Raiders could use him to pressure Riley into staying on a more team-friendly deal. At last check, the Raiders were working on a new deal with Riley.

PFR named Brown as the second-best free agent linebacker in terms of ability and I predicted he’d earn the 25th-largest contract of any free agent this offseason. Brown still has time to prove me right, but given his soft market thus far, I’m skeptical that he’ll place that high.

Travaris Cadet Deciding Between Jets, Saints

March 15th, 2017 at 10:28am CST by Zachary Links

Travaris Cadet is down to two teams. The running back is weighing offers from the Jets and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). The Bills were once in the mix for Cadet, but it sounds like they’re now out of the running.

Cadet’s relationship with Jets offensive coordinator John Morton is a key factor in his decision, Wilson hears. The Jets are also offering more money than the Saints, so they could win out here.

Cadet bounced around a bit in 2015, but he has played the majority of his five-year career with the Saints. Last year, he caught 40 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns with New Orleans. Meanwhile, he had just four carries for 19 yards. That’s roughly been the way Cadet has been used over the years – he’s a pass-catching specialist who also has some experience on kick returns.

Steelers To Sign WR Justin Hunter

March 15th, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have signed wide receiver Justin Hunter, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The former second-round pick has yet to justify his draft status but the Steelers are apparently intrigued by his athleticism and speed.

The Steelers now have eight wide receivers under contract (Antonio Brown, Cobi Hamilton, Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, Canaan Severin, and Hunter), so something has got to give. Hunter probably has only a little bit of guaranteed cash on his deal or perhaps no guarantee, so it’s not a given that he’ll make the 53-man roster.

The Patriots were linked to Hunter last week, but they might have backed off their pursuit after installing Brandin Cooks at the top of their WR depth chart. Hunter closed out the year with the Bills, but we didn’t hear any word of them trying to retain him.

Ravens Cut C Jeremy Zuttah

March 15th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Zachary Links

UPDATE: The Ravens have traded Zuttah to the 49ers.

The Ravens are releasing center Jeremy Zuttah, according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter). Zuttah has been a starter for Baltimore for the last three years.

By cutting Zuttah, the Ravens will save $2.392MM in cap space. They’re also going to need a new center though some of the best options, like new Browns addition J.C. Tretter, are off the board. Veteran Nick Mangold is among the bigger names still available, but he’s not the player he used to be. Multiple teams, reportedly, have asked him to switch positions and that’s not a great sign. Alternatively, the Ravens could fill the void from within by putting John Urschel in the starting role.

Zuttah, 31 in June, started in all 16 games for the Ravens last season. Generally, he has had a pretty good attendance record over the course of his nine-year career with the exception of 2015 when he missed six regular season contests. Last year, Pro Football Focus rated Zuttah as the 13th best center in the NFL. His 82.7 score was his best showing since his rookie season (86.7).

Connor Barwin To Visit Rams

March 15th, 2017 at 9:35am CST by Zachary Links

Connor Barwin will meet with the Rams on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). This marks the veteran’s second free agent trip since being released by the Eagles earlier this month. Earlier this week, he met with the Bengals, but he left Cincinnati without a deal.

The Rams will be running a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and that could be a good fit for Barwin. Days ago, the Rams jettisoned William Hayes to the Dolphins because he was not an ideal fit for their gameplan. Barwin could come in and start opposite of Aaron Donald with Michael Brockers in the middle.

The 30-year-old was in the midst of a six-year, $36MM contract when the Eagles released him last week. Last season, Barwin racked up 34 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble. He also appeared in every single regular season game for the sixth consecutive season. Those numbers all sound good, but the advanced metrics aren’t so high on him. Barwin graded out as just the No. 100 edge defender in the NFL last year out of 109 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. He had respectable overall scores with Philly in 2013 and 2014 (76.2, 78.5), but he has dipped in the last two seasons with scores of 50.8 and 42.1.

Latest On Dont’a Hightower

March 15th, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is slated to choose between three offers today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He’s deciding between the Steelers, Jets, and Patriots, though that’s not necessarily in order. Those close to the situation still believe he’ll remain in New England.

The Jets, apparently, have offered “far and away” more money than anyone else. Still, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, he doesn’t seem inclined to accept Gang Green’s offer. The Jets have offered more than $12MM per season, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears (on Twitter).

The Steelers reportedly told Hightower their offer to him would disappear if he left town without signing on the dotted line. Hightower, it seems, is either still in Pittsburgh, or the Steelers were making an empty threat to coax him into signing.

All along, the expectation has been that Hightower would circle back to the defending champs. Still, money talks and this will probably be the largest deal the 27-year-old ever signs. Soon, we’ll know the verdict.