2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Malcolm Butler, Patriots

March 12th, 2017 at 10:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Malcolm Butler is informing teams he wants a Stephon Gilmore-level deal, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter). The RFA cornerback’s agent is contacting teams trying to find one willing to fork over a first-round pick for his client, per La Canfora (via Twitter), although this shouldn’t be deemed as especially unusual.

However, Butler might not be happy with his currently employer after the Patriots signed the Bills’ previous No. 1 corner to a lucrative contract. The fourth-year player’s camp, per Michael Giardi of CSNNE.com (Twitter link), is “extremely frustrated” by the Patriots’ current position and their decision to add Gilmore on a big deal.

La Canfora adds the Patriots would likely be OK with another team signing Butler to an offer sheet and collecting a first-round pick by refusing to match. They sent their 2017 first-rounder to the Saints for Brandin Cooks and moved their second-round choice in a deal for Kony Ealy during an action-packed Friday for the franchise.

This gels with what a report earlier today indicating the Pats and Butler’s opinions of what an extension would cost to keep him differ. Gilmore signed for five years and $65MM — which is quite a bit of a commitment for a team that doesn’t usually sign other teams’ UFAs to lavish long-term deals — while Butler is attached to a first-round tender ($3.91MM) he’s yet to sign.

No trade can occur until Butler signs his tender, but a trade commencing between the Patriots and a team willing to give Butler a big contract is more likely than a scenario where a team signs the 27-year-old former UDFA to an offer sheet and New England doesn’t match, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Butler and his agent are free to try and create a trade/subsequent new contract, Volin notes (Twitter link).

The Patriots may not be especially keen on employing two corners on eight-figure-AAV deals considering their recent actions involving impending high-end UFAs. New England traded Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, watching those talents’ second NFL teams retain them at steep prices. The Patriots have only two defenders making more than $5MM per year, and both play in the secondary — Gilmore and Devin McCourty ($9MM-plus AAV). This further points to a potential path out of New England for Butler. The Pats and Dont’a Hightower also remain engaged in discussions on a deal that would make the linebacker a third highly paid New England defender.

But for now, Butler is tethered to the defending Super Bowl champions. The Patriots can withdraw their tender offer to Butler on June 15 and pay him 110 percent of his 2016 salary ($600K), so there will be some movement in this looming impasse by then.

Connor Barwin To Visit Bengals

March 12th, 2017 at 9:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Defensive end Connor Barwin is set to meet with the Bengals on Monday, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). This will be the veteran’s first visit since he was released by the Eagles last week.

The former second-round pick joined the Eagles in 2013 after signing a six-year, $36MM contract ($8MM guaranteed), and he proceeded to make his only Pro Bowl appearance in 2014. The 30-year-old didn’t miss a game during his four-year tenure in Philly, starting all but one game. Barwin finished 2016 with 34 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumbles.

Signing with the Bengals would be a bit of a homecoming for Barwin, who played 51 games for the Cincinnati Bearcats between 2005 and 2008.

As Caplan notes, the Bengals need help at both defensive end and linebacker, and Barwin is capable of filling either hole. The team is currently rostering three defensive ends (Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, Will Clarke) and six linebackers (Vincent Rey, Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, Marquis Flowers, Nick Vigil, Paul Dawson).

The 49ers reportedly had interest in Barwin before he was let go by the Eagles.

NFC Notes: Vikings, Redskins, Evans, Cardinals

March 12th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Rhett Ellison left the Vikings organization and signed a deal with the Giants last week. While the player cited his new team’s winning culture, his father indicated that he left Minnesota for other reasons.

Riki Ellison, a former NFL linebacker, sent out a Facebook post on Saturday night that blasted the Vikings for a “mentality of physical practices.” He noted that the number of free agent departures indicates “toxic leadership.”

“Do (free agents) think this program is going in the right direction and a Super Bowl contender or are they in a position to be another start-up, starting up from scratch?’’ the elder Ellison later told Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com. “That’s why you see your veterans are leaving because they have to look at the future. They should be able to retain anybody they want.

“There is something going on, from my perspective. Why would people be leaving a brand-new facility (U.S. Bank Stadium)? They got the best facility in the world. … That’s just not a normal thing to happen.’’

So far this offseason, the Vikings have seen the departure of tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, wide receiver Charles Johnson, punter Jeff Locke, and linebacker Audie Cole with Jacksonville.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

At one point, the Redskins may have had interest in free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim. The market has been pretty quiet for the former second-rounder, who we ranked as the second-best free agent interior lineman. The team met with free agent lineman Bennie Logan last week.
Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans was excited about the team’s acquisition of receiver DeSean Jackson, and general manager Jason Licht made it clear to the player that his payday was coming (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter). “We have until May,” Licht said of the player’s impending fifth-year option. “Mike Evans hopefully is going to be here a long time.”
The Cardinals have been prioritizing compensatory picks when it comes to “losing and signing new free agents,” tweets Mike Jurecki of FoxSports910, adding that the organization is looking to build via the draft. Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com predicts the team will get three extra picks following the departures of Calais Campbell, Tony Jefferson, and Marcus Cooper.

Dont’a Hightower Meeting With Jets

March 12th, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Linebacker Dont’a Hightower is currently visiting the Jets, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). The meeting is expected to “wrap up” on Monday. We learned earlier today that New York was one of the two “favorites” (along with the Patriots) to sign the free agent.

We’ve been hearing throughout the offseason that the Patriots are interested in retaining Hightower, and La Canfora notes that New England is still very interested in retaining the defender. The former first-rounder finished the 2016 campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games. We listed him as the best available linebacker in our free agent positional rankings.

The Jets have seemed to prioritize making their roster younger throughout the offseason. While Hightower, 27, isn’t a spring chicken, he’s still young enough to fit into the team’s long-term game plan. The Jets haven’t been big spenders in free agency, so they’d have plenty of money to throw at the Pro Bowler.

They’ll presumably have to offer a contract that drastically exceeds that of the Patriots, and it’s important to remember that New England is still operating with a good chunk of cap room. La Canfora notes that teams around the NFL are assuming Hightower will return to New England on a contract that pays $10MM a season.

If Hightower did sign with the Patriots’ division rival, he’d be joining a linebacker corps that currently features starters Sheldon Richardson, David Harris, Darron Lee, and Jordan Jenkins. Seth Walder of The New York Daily News writes that if the team does sign Hightower, they might move on from Harris. The veteran is a long-time member of the Jets defense, but the team could save $6.5MM against the cap by cutting him loose.

Browns Refused Final Chance To Sign Pryor

March 12th, 2017 at 6:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Prior to signing his one-year contract with the Redskins, wideout Terrelle Pryor gave the Browns one last chance to sign him, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Last week, Cabot reported that Pryor never went back to the organization to see if they’d match, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The reporter notes that the Browns had reduced their offer the second time around, prompting Pryor to take Washington’s $6MM offer (plus a $3MM signing bonus and $2MM in incentives). The receiver ultimately wanted to stay in Cleveland, and he was holding out in hopes that the Browns would increase their four-year offer.

While the Browns wanted to keep Pryor, they weren’t willing to meet his demands. The team was willing to hand out a long-term deal worth around $8.5MM annually, but that compromised the wideout’s flexibility. Considering his desire to stay in Cleveland, we can assume that he would have given the team a hometown discount. However, the annual salary clearly didn’t meet Pryor’s requirements for a long-term deal.

The receiver had also received offers of $10MM and $11MM, according to Cabot, but the 27-year-old had no interest in locking himself into a long-term contract. Rather, Pryor preferred to hit free agency next offseason and fetch a contract that approaches $15MM a season. Pryor also didn’t accept those early offers because he intended to stay with Cleveland, but the Browns’ unwillingness to budge led to him signing with the Redskins.

Consistent play at quarterback would presumably boost Pryor’s value in 2018. Despite playing with five different quarterbacks last season, the former signal-caller had a breakout campaign. He finished the year with 77 receptions for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns.

AFC Notes: Osweiler, Butler, Campbell

March 12th, 2017 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

A Week 17 altercation with head coach Bill O’Brien fueled the Texans to move quarterback Brock Osweiler, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.

Osweiler, who was traded in a cap-dump to the Browns last week, was inserted into that game against the Titans after starter Tom Savage went down with a concussion. Savage was ruled out for the game during half time, at which time Osweiler learned that he’d be playing the rest of the contest.

The now-traded quarterback “reacted negatively” to this news, according to Florio, claiming that the Texans were only playing him because O’Brien “needs him.” An argument ensued, and at one point, the coach apparently blocked Osweiler from exiting the office. The quarterback would subsequently say that he was “held hostage” during the confrontation. Previously, former NFL defensive back Bryant McFadden had said players and coaches had to hold O’Brien and Osweiler back.

With all the said, the Browns are now stuck with Osweiler, and the team is reportedly looking to move him. ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini believes the Jets are a team to watch when it comes to the embattled quarterback.

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

The Patriots and Malcolm Butler “have a difference of opinion” when it comes to the value of a potential contract extension for the cornerback, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. Reports from last week indicated that the organization hadn’t reached out to Butler’s camp in a while.
The Ravens‘ decision to sign free agent running back Danny Woodhead to a three-year deal was not a response to Kenneth Dixon‘s four-game PED suspension, general manager Ozzie Newsome told reporters, Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. “We’ve known about Kenneth for a long time, but yes, we needed to add another element to our offense, and Danny brings that from the backfield, and we’re still working to try to do some other things at receiver and maybe offensive line,” Newsome said. “But yes, he still would have been a big part of our conversation. We still would have signed him.” Woodhead’s new deal is worth $8.8MM and contains $4.25MM guaranteed.
There was a bit of confusion following news that defensive lineman Calais Campbell had joined the Jaguars last week, as subsequent reports said the player was having a change of heart and considering the Broncos. However, Florio notes that there was no agreement in place with Jacksonville when these reports emerged. Ultimately, the player did ultimately join the organization on a four-year, $60MM.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

5 Key Stories: 3/5/17 – 3/12/17

March 12th, 2017 at 4:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agency opens! The busiest week of the NFL calendar was as crazy, as the free agent period officially opened on Thursday after a two-day legal tampering period. The sheer magnitude of signings means we won’t be able to go over all of them (or even a fraction of them) here, but there are several ways you can look back on the week that was. First, our Transactions tag will allow you to read stories that simply focus on actual moves, filtering out all rumors. The Newsstand tag, meanwhile, will show you the most important posts of the week. Check out our Top 50 Free Agents list, which is constantly being updated when each player signs, and bookmark our master list of 2017 free agents, which is also updated after each transaction.

The Browns go Moneyball. Cleveland made the first NBA-style trade in league history last week, acquiring quarterback Brock Osweiler, his contract (an entity unto itself), a 2018 second-round pick, and a 2017 sixth-round pick from the Texans in exchange for a 2017 sixth-round choice. The Browns effectively bought a second-round pick by taking on Osweiler’s fully guaranteed $16MM base salary, but Cleveland has little interest in Osweiler himself. The club is already trying to trade the 27-year-old (and are willing to pay roughly half his deal to do so), and will release him if no takers are found.

Patriots wheel and deal. The Browns weren’t the only club to operate in the trade market last week, as the Patriots made three (three!) of their own deals. First, they acquired tight end Dwayne Allen from the Colts to replace Martellus Bennett, and then picked up defensive end Kony Ealy from the Panther to bolster their pass rush. New England saved the largest move for last, however, sending a first- and a third-round pick to the Saints for wide receiver Brandin Cooks. You can keep track of all the moves by bookmarking our list of 2017 NFL Trades.

Redskins in turmoil. Washington fired general manager Scot McCloughan on the first day of free agency, a highly unusual decision even for a franchise known for making them. McCloughan’s status with the club had been in question for some time, and while the longtime evalutor’s admitted alcoholism may have played a role in his demise, the move may have simply been a power grab by others in the Redskins’ front office. While the distrust within the organization might have disrupted its free agency plans, Washington still signed a number of players including Stacy McGee, Terrell McClain, and D.J. Swearinger.

AP still waiting. Adrian Peterson remains unsigned and only has one visit scheduled (Seahawks), as more teams have indicated they’re not interested in Peterson than called to express intrigue. The Texans, Patriots, Raiders, Giants, and have all said “thanks, but no thanks” to Peterson, who could still return to the Vikings even after they declined his 2017 option. Peterson, 32 later this month, is the No. 2 running back on PFR’s board.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Lacy, Lang, Lions

March 12th, 2017 at 4:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although Eddie Lacy said last month the Packers were pushing to re-sign him, they’re reportedly not offering him much money, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who notes Green Bay will likely stand by its initial proposal. Lacy, 26, is scheduled to to take free agent visits with both the Vikings and Seahawks. The running back market as a whole has been incredibly slow to develop, as only one back on PFR’s top 10 list of free agent RBs has signed (Danny Woodhead).

Here’s more from the NFC North:

If Lacy expects the Packers to change their tune, he may want to look at the example of right guard T.J. Lang, who today signed a three-year deal to join the division-rival Lions. Green Bay didn’t make a competitive offer, as their final proposal was $21.5MM over three years with $6.5MM guaranteed, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Instead, Lang will earn $28.5MM and $19MM in guarantees over the same three-year term with Detroit. Lang would have re-signed with the Packers if the offer was close, reports Demovsky.
The Packers may not have an obvious internal candidate to replace Lang, as Demovsky details. 2016 second-round pick Jason Spriggs slid inside to guard for a few games last season, but he’s more likely to stay at tackle long-term, leaving Don Barclay, Lucas Patrick, and Kyle Murphy as other option to take over for Lang. While Green Bay could look to add a veteran on the cheap, the club will most likely use the draft to find a new interior lineman, per Demovsky.
Cornerback Marcus Cromartie visited with the Lions on Saturday, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Cromartie, 26, hit the open market last week after San Francisco declined to offer him a restricted free agent tender. Cromartie has appeared in 21 games during his three-year NFL tenure, mostly acting as a special teams player during that time.

Dontari Poe To Visit Jaguars

March 12th, 2017 at 4:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Defensive tackle Dontari Poe will next visit the Jaguars as part of his free agent tour, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Poe wrapped up his visit with the Colts without agreeing to a deal, although Anderson reports the meeting “went well.”

Poe, 26, has also drawn interest from the Falcons, Dolphins, Raiders, and 49ers, and is expected to meet with Atlanta, Miami, and Oakland at some point. While the Colts were reportedly open to a long-term deal, Poe might be more open to a one-year pact that would allow him to rebuild his value before entering the market again in 2018. Clubs are apparently concerned about Poes’s lingering back issues, so a one-year contract would afford Poe the opportunity to prove his health before cashing in next year.

The Jaguars have been active in making defensive line moves this offseason, as they’ve added Calais Campbell on a four-year $60MM deal while releasing Jared Odrick, Sen’Derrick Marks, and Roy Miller. Poe, a former first-round pick, would slot in alongside Campbell, Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Yannick Ngakoue, and Sheldon Day on a rapidly-improving front.

Bills Sign Philly Brown

March 12th, 2017 at 3:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills announced that they’ve signed wide receiver Corey Brown. Brown, 25, became an unrestricted free agent last week after the Panthers to offer him a restricted free agent tender.

Brown, a former undrafted free agent, had spent his entire three-year career in Carolina. He started 22 games during his tenure with the Panthers, catching 79 passes for 1,019 yards and seven touchdowns. Brown has also posted 16 career rushing attempts for 139 yards. “Philly” appeared in all 16 games (eight starts) last season, hauling in 27 receptions for 276 yards and one touchdown.

In Buffalo, Brown will help mitigate the losses of receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin, who last week signed with the Rams and 49ers, respectively. At present, the only other Bills wideout with any real experience under his belt is Sammy Watkins. The rest of the position group is comprised of Dezmin Lewis, Walt Powell, and Kolby Listenbee.

The Lions hosted Brown for a visit last week, but instead he’ll reunite with former Panthers defensive coordiantor Sean McDermott in Buffalo.