2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Contract Details: Fairley, Peppers, Reiff

March 10th, 2017 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFC contracts:

Nick Fairley, DL (Saints): Four years, $28MM. $14MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $1MM, $4.25MM, $5.95MM, $5.95MM (Twitter link via Wilson). $500K available yearly in sack incentives (link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).
Captain Munnerlyn, CB (Panthers): Four years, $17MM. $8MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus. $1MM available via incentives (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Julius Peppers, DL (Panthers): One year, $3.5MM. $750K available via incentives (Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.com).
Riley Reiff, T (Vikings): Five years, $58.75MM. $26.3MM guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Annual $500K Pro Bowl escalator clause (Twitter link via Wilson).
Mike Remmers, T (Vikings): Five years, $30MM. $10.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune).
Dion Sims, TE (Bears): Three years, $18MM. $6MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
Stefen Wisniewski, OL (Eagles): Three years, $9MM. $3.25MM guaranteed. $1.75MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer)

Dontari Poe Market Heating Up

March 10th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although he hasn’t yet found a new home, free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe is in “high demand,” tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Poe will meet with the Colts on Sunday, while the Jaguars, Raiders, Dolphins, and Falcons also want to set up visits.

The 49ers and Redskins have also been linked to Poe, who recent reports indicate may have to accept a one-year contract. That might change, however, if the massive defensive tackle can generate enough of a market for himself. Poe, who is now on the open market after the Chiefs opted not to franchise him, ranks as PFR’s No. 17 free agent.

Poe served as a lane clogger in Kansas City but was a dynamo in terms of snaps played, logging more than any nose man during his rookie-deal tenure in Kansas City. But his sack totals decreased, plummeting from 10.5 between the 2013 and ’14 seasons (both Pro Bowl slates) to 2.5 combined in 2015 and ’16.

Bennie Logan Visiting Redskins

March 10th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan is drawing serious interest from NFC East rival Washington. Logan is visiting with the Redskins tonight and tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports that he’s in the market for a one-year deal (Twitter link).

The Redskins’ interest in Logan, 27, dates back until at least January, though he has obviously been on their radar for longer as a division rival. Washington finished last year 25th in DVOA against the run and has since lost lineman Chris Baker to Tampa Bay, so the fact that it’s pursuing Logan isn’t surprising. The 309-pound Logan is a well-regarded run defender, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him poor grades last season, his most recent work came in a 4-3 defense. The Redskins run a 3-4, for which Logan is better suited.

Logan, a third-round pick in 2013, has missed five games since entering the league – all in the past two seasons – and totaled 51 starts and 5.5 sacks. He’s coming off the third straight year in which he started in each of his appearances, and he notched personal bests in sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (two).

AFC Contract Details: Gilmore, Kirkpatrick

March 10th, 2017 at 7:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest contract details from the AFC (all Twitter links):

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore‘s five-year, $65MM accord with the Patriots includes an $18MM signing bonus, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The arrangement comes with a fully guaranteed $31MM through 2018 and $9MM guaranteed for injury only in 2019. It contains up to $500K in per-game roster bonuses each year, as well (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
Fellow corner Dre Kirkpatrick‘s Bengals deal, worth $52.5MM over a five years, includes $15MM in 2017, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract features another $2.5MM in incentives. It’s essentially a pay-as-you agreement after 2018, notes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who adds that Kirkpatrick got $7MM to sign, $12MM in guarantees, and will make $23.2MM during the first two years of the contract.
Guard Ronald Leary‘s pact with the Broncos is worth $36MM over four years and will receive $18.75MM guaranteed, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Leary will collect a $3.5MM signing bonus.
Newly re-upped Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills landed a $7MM signing bonus, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Fullback Patrick DiMarco‘s four-year deal with the Bills features $4.8MM in guarantees, more than the originally reported $4MM, per Wilson. It also comes with a $2MM bonus and an annual workout bonus worth $59K.
Safety Nate Allen‘s contract with the Dolphins is for one year and $3.4MM, relays Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
The Titans gave linebacker Nate Palmer $2.3MM over two years, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. He also received a signing bonus worth $850K.
Tight end David Johnson‘s agreement with the Steelers is worth $2.05MM over two years, per Wilson. It includes a $235K signing bonus and a $915K roster bonus.

Packers Sign Martellus Bennett

March 10th, 2017 at 7:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Just after learning they wouldn’t re-sign Jared Cook, the Packers have added a new tight end, as Green Bay announced that it has signed Martellus Bennett. It’s a three-year, $21MM deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Bennett, who turns 30 years old today, will earn quite the birthday present as he heads to the Packers in order to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers. Of course, Bennett didn’t have it too bad in New England with Tom Brady, but once the Patriots acquired fellow tight end Dwayne Allen from the Colts, Bennett appeared as good as gone. Bennett reportedly rejected an in-season extension from New England, and was looking for $9MM annually on the open market.

With Cook out of the picture, Bennett becomes the primary tight end in a Green Bay offense that ranked fourth in DVOA last season. While Cook posted a solid bounceback season in 2016, there’s little question Bennett is the superior player: Bennett ranked as PFR’s No. 20 overall free agent and the No. 1 tight end on the market, ahead of Cook, Jack Doyle, and Vernon Davis.

The Patriots acquired Bennett and a sixth-round pick from the Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick, and the acquisition paid immediate dividends. Appearing in all 16 games, Bennett managed 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns, and helped New England overcome the loss of fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Bennett created a healthy market during the legal tampering and the first two days of free agency. The Raiders reportedly showed “heavy interest” in his services, while Giants, Jaguars, and Raiders were also eyeing Bennett. Instead, he’ll slot in alongside Richard Rodgers in the Packers’ tight end group.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com was the first to report the deal (Twitter link), while Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted that it’s a multi-year contract (Twitter link). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts, Darius Butler At Impasse

March 10th, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent defensive back Darius Butler hasn’t been able to reach a contract to stay with the Colts, and will now begin taking visits with other clubs, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

Butler, a former second-round pick, had played cornerback for most of his career before transitioning to safety in the middle of last season. He wants to continue playing deep, as he told Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star last week, and that’s presumably how Butler is marketing himself to potential suitors. Pro Football Focus still graded Butler among corners in 2016, and the 30-year-old finished as the league’s No. 20 CB.

Butler, who appeared in 12 games (seven starts) for Indianapolis, ranks as PFR’s No. 48 overall free agent. Among safeties, we placed him fourth thanks to his coverage ability.

Patriots Acquire Brandin Cooks

March 10th, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Patriots have acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick in 2017 from the Saints in exchange for first- and third-round picks this year, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN. New England will receive the 118th selection, while Nos. 32 and 103 will go to New Orleans.

The Titans were also involved in the Cooks sweepstakes, but he’ll join the reigning Super Bowl champions instead. New England will now assume responsibility for the $781,599 bonus Cooks is due Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

As of Thursday, the Patriots were reportedly considering sending cornerback Malcolm Butler to the Saints in exchange for Cooks. It’s still possible Butler will end up in New Orleans in a separate trade, according to Schefter, while Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes that Butler couldn’t be a part of this deal because the restricted free agent is without a contract at the moment (Twitter link).

Still only 23 years old, Cooks was eminently productive in New Orleans during the first three seasons of his career and will now team with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, among others, in a loaded group of targets for Pats quarterback Tom Brady. Cooks is coming off his second straight 16-game, 1,100-yard campaign. The 5-foot-10, 189-pounder also combined for 162 catches and seven touchdowns over the past two seasons.

Cooks will come with a modest $1.56MM price tag in 2017, but after a fifth-year option season at approximately $8.5MM, it’s possible he’ll enter eight-figure-per-year territory on his next contract. Barring an extension before then, the Patriots will have an opportunity to see how Cooks fares in their offense before deciding on his long-term future. New Orleans, meanwhile, still has a pair of high-end receivers in Willie Snead and Michael Thomas, thereby rendering Cooks expendable in the club’s estimation. The likelihood is the Saints will look to strengthen their defense with their newly acquired first-rounder.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Chargers Re-Sign Damion Square

March 10th, 2017 at 7:17pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chargers have re-signed nose tackle Damion Square, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal.

An undrafted free agent from Alabama in 2013, Square had brief stints with the Eagles and Chiefs before joining the Chargers in 2014. He made his debut with the Bolts in 2015 and has since logged 17 appearances and eight starts. Career highs in games (11) and starts (seven) came in 2016 for Square, who played 362 defensive snaps and posted personal bests in tackles (13) and sacks (2.5). His performance last year ranked a decent 58th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior D-linemen.

Now that he’s staying with the Chargers, the 28-year-old Square will continue to function as depth behind Brandon Mebane and Corey Liuget. His emergence last season came after Mebane suffered a biceps injury.

Panthers To Sign Captain Munnerlyn

March 10th, 2017 at 6:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers have agreed to sign cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a four-year deal, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

The newest member of the Panthers, wide receiver Charles Johnson, revealed Friday that he bumped into Munnerlyn at the team’s facilities, per David Newton of ESPN.com. Munnerlyn told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) earlier today that he’d probably sign a new deal by the end of Friday.

Munnerlyn is now signed up for his second stint with the organization. The Panthers selected Munnerlyn in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, and he stuck with them through the 2013 season. Munnerlyn spent the previous three seasons as Johnson’s teammate in Minnesota.

Munnerlyn, who ranked as PFR’s No. 11 free agent corner, is strictly a slot man, but he’s an excellent one. Carolina finished 11th in pass defense DVOA last year even after losing Josh Norman, and Munnerlyn will now team with James Bradberry and Daryl Worley in a rapidly improving unit. The Panthers already addressed their secondary earlier today, agreeing to terms with veteran safety Mike Adams.

Mutual Interest Between Nick Foles, Bucs

March 10th, 2017 at 6:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers are eyeing Nick Foles, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds the interest is mutual. Tampa Bay is in the market for a new backup quarterback after Mike Glennon signed with the Bears on Thursday.

Foles, 28, appeared in three games for the Chiefs in 2016 (one start), completing 36 of 55 attempts for 410 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. While his single start was an impressive showing, Foles lacks a history of solid play. After tossing 27 touchdowns with the Eagles in 2013, Foles’ next two campaigns were middling, and he wasn’t able to keep his starting job with the Rams.

Kansas City officially declined its 2017 option on Foles yesterday, and he’s already been linked to the Vikings since that time.