2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Interested In Menelik Watson

March 9th, 2017 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos are clearly looking for some help on the offensive line. Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets that the team has interest in free agent tackle Menelik Watson. In a subsequent tweet, Renck says the Broncos haven’t expressed interest in free agent tackle Ryan Clady.

The team does have plenty of depth at offensive tackle, but the team could be looking for slight upgrades. Michael Schofield and Donald Stephenson are slotted in as starters, while Billy Turner and Ty Sambrailo also figure to compete for snaps. The team is also rostering lineman Max Garcia, Matt Paradis, Ronald Leary, James Ferentz, and Connor McGovern.

Watson, a former second-round pick, has yet to play a full season in the NFL. The lineman was limited to only five games in 2013, and he sat out the entire 2015 campaign. 2016 was a relatively “healthy” year for the lineman, as he appeared in 10 games (five starts). Clady, a four-time Pro Bowler, appeared in nine games (eight starts) for the Jets last year.

PFR ranked Clady as the sixth-best free agent offensive tackle, while Watson ranked 11th.

Jets Re-Sign Corey Lemonier

March 9th, 2017 at 8:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets have re-signed outside linebacker Corey Lemonier, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Lemonier is the second OLB New York has reupped Thursday, joining special teams standout Josh Martin.

After a hectic 2016 in which he spent time with four organizations, the 25-year-old Lemonier could perhaps find some stability for 2017. He first joined the Jets in late December, which came after the 49ers, Browns and Lions waived him, and played in one game with Gang Green. Lemonier’s other eight appearances came in Cleveland, with which he recorded nine tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

A third-round pick of the 49ers in 2013, the ex-Auburn Tiger totaled 42 appearances during his three seasons in San Francisco. Lemonier only produced 37 tackles and a sack in that span, though.

Packers Re-Sign Don Barclay

March 9th, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers have re-signed offensive lineman Don Barclay, reports Michael Cohen of the Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $1.3MM.

The 2012 undrafted free agent will be entering his sixth season with the organization. Besides his lost 2014 campaign, the lineman has only missed two regular season games. He started only one game for the Packers this past season, but he did appear in every contest. Pro Football Focus metrics rated Barclay as a better run blocker than pass blocker.

With J.C. Tretter set to join the Browns, Barclay is now slotted in as the backup center to Corey Linsley. The 27-year-old could also compete to backup guards Lane Taylor and Jason Spriggs.

Titans To Re-Sign Karl Klug

March 9th, 2017 at 8:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Titans have agreed to re-sign defensive lineman Karl Klug, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. Details of the deal aren’t yet available.

Klug’s new accord means the soon-to-be 29-year-old will continue with his only NFL employer to date. Tennesee chose Klug in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, and he has since appeared in 94 of a possible 96 games during his six-year career. Klug has worked almost exclusively as a reserve, having picked up just seven starts, though he has managed 20 sacks and five forced fumbles. He burst on the scene with seven sacks as a rookie.

Last season was Klug’s first campaign in which he didn’t total 16 appearances. In 14 contests, he chipped in 1.5 sacks and drew praise from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance an outstanding 22nd among 127 qualified interior D-linemen. All told, Klug accumulated 397 snaps on defense and another 155 on special teams in 2016.

Latest On Malcolm Butler, Patriots

March 9th, 2017 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore earlier today, and subsequent reports implied that the team was considering a trade that would send fellow corner Malcolm Butler to the Saints. As a result of all this news, some assumed that the Patriots were unwilling to meet Butler’s asking price regarding an extension. However, this may not be the case.

Butler’s agent, Derek Simpson, told ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss that the organization hadn’t reached out to their camp in some time.

“The Patriots haven’t approached Malcolm about his contract since last year, and anything that says he keeps asking for the moon is completely false,” Simpson said.

The Patriots applied a first-round tender to the restricted free agent earlier this week. If Butler isn’t traded, the cornerback will presumably be sharing the field with Gilmore next season. It’s the future that gets a bit murky. Butler was rated as Pro Football Focus’ number-seven cornerback this past season, and he finished the campaign with 63 tackles and four interceptions.

As a result, the former Super Bowl hero will be looking to get paid once he hits unrestricted free agency. The cornerback could presumably demand the $14MM annual salary that Gilmore received, but it’s uncertain whether the Patriots will pay that kind of money to two players at the same position.

Latest On LB Zach Brown

March 9th, 2017 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Zach Brown‘s time with the Bills has come to an end. The linebacker indicated on Twitter tonight that he won’t be returning to Buffalo next season. Meanwhile, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that the Dolphins are attempting to secure a meeting with the 27-year-old. The reporter notes that nothing is “set in stone,” but the organization is “hopeful.”

The former second-round pick joined the Bills last offseason following four seasons with the Titans. The linebacker ended up setting career-highs in tackles (149) and forced fumbles (two), and he added another four sacks and four passes defended. Pro Football Focus graded Brown as the 17th-best linebacker last season.

Thanks to his 2016 performance, PFR named Brown as the second-best free agent linebacker, while Zach Links predicted he’d earn the 25th-largest contract this offseason.

The Dolphins could use some depth at the position, as the team is currently rostering Koa Misi, Mike Hull, Neville Hewitt, and Trevor Reilly.

Ravens Re-Sign DT Brandon Williams

March 9th, 2017 at 7:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are keeping one of their top free agents in Baltimore. Defensive tackle Brandon Williams is re-signing with the team, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a five-year deal, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. The pact is worth $54MM, including $27MM in guarantees, which makes Williams the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Earlier Thursday, it was said that Williams’ agent was only working on a contract with the Ravens, though the Titans later found a way to get involved. The overtures from Tennessee didn’t work – Williams, 26, is sticking with the only team he’s ever known in the NFL and is in line to remain in Baltimore through his prime seasons.

Williams entered the league as a third-round pick in 2013 and has since totaled 55 appearances and 46 starts in Baltimore. Last year was the third straight 16-game campaign for Williams, who also started all of the Ravens’ contests for the second season in a row and ranked 39th in performance among Pro Football Focus‘ 127 qualified D-linemen.

Williams joins safety Tony Jefferson as the second major signing on the defensive side of the ball during this free agency period for the Ravens. After finishing an excellent sixth in defensive DVOA last season, the club also has free agent cornerback Morris Claiborne on its radar.

Dolphins Re-Sign John Denney

March 9th, 2017 at 7:36pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have re-signed long snapper John Denney, reports agent Ian Greengross (via Twitter). The 38-year-old is now set to play his 13th-straight seasons with the organization.

Denney joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2005, and he’s proceeded to play in every single one of the team’s games since that time. The former Brigham Young University defensive end has compiled 41 tackles during his NFL career along with one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. The long snapper was named a team captain during the 2016 season.

The player’s older brother, Ryan Denney, was a long-time defensive end for the Bills.

Chargers To Re-Sign Andre Williams

March 9th, 2017 at 7:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Andre Williams has agreed to re-sign with the Chargers. Williams announced the news on Instagram.

The 24-year-old Williams noted that he’ll have to earn a roster spot in Los Angeles, which isn’t surprising for a player who struggled to garner playing time last season. The Bolts claimed Williams off waivers in September, cut him three weeks later and then re-signed him as a practice squad member. He did end up appearing in one game with the club, in Week 17, and he impressed with 87 yards on 18 carries in the Chargers’ season-ending loss to the Chiefs.

A fourth-round pick out of Boston College in 2014, Williams spent the first two years of his career with the Giants. The bulk of his work came in his 16-game rookie campaign, during which he posted all seven of his career starts, scored seven rushing touchdowns and amassed 721 yards on 217 attempts. That only amounted to a 3.3 per-carry average for Williams, which matches his career mark in 323 tries.

Steelers Interested In CB Brandon Flowers

March 9th, 2017 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have had contact with representatives for cornerback Brandon Flowers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. They won’t sign him right now, he adds, but they could circle back to him later on.

Flowers was cut loose by the Chargers earlier this week. So far, the Steelers are the first known team to have made contact with him.

The Chargers’ release of Flowers was expected as it saved $7MM against the 2017 cap. The four-year, $36.4MM deal signed in 2015 didn’t work out for San Diego, but he still could be a worthwhile contributor for Pittsburgh at a (much) cheaper rate.

Flowers’ best career season came in 2014, when he recorded 52 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three picks. In 2016, the 31-year-old only played in six games due to concussion issues. Flowers finished out the year with 28 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception.

After he was dropped by the Bolts, we ranked Flowers as one of the 15 best cornerbacks on the open market. In Pittsburgh, he’d join a defense which ranked a slightly above-average 12th in DVOA against the pass last year. Flowers would immediately become one of the Steelers’ two most accomplished corners, joining William Gay. The club’s other options at corner include Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, Senquez Golson and Al-Hajj Shabazz.