2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

49ers To Sign Robbie Gould

March 9th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers have agreed to a deal with free agent kicker Robbie Gould, reports Alex Flanagan of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s a two-year pact, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (Twitter link via Adam Schefter).

Gould will take over in San Francisco for Phil Dawson, who signed with the NFC West rival Cardinals on Thursday. The 49ers will be the third NFL franchise for the 35-year-old Gould, who spent 2005-15 with the Bears. A couple months after Chicago released him prior to last season, Gould hooked on with the Giants in October.

A career 85.9 percent field goal kicker, Gould converted all 10 of his attempts in 10 games last year and also hit on 20 of 23 extra points. His PAT performance with Big Blue represented a drop-off from his showing in 2015 in Chicago, where he nailed 28 of 29 extra points.

In heading to San Francisco, Gould will rejoin special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, who was the Bears’ assistant ST coach last year. With Gould, Steven Hauschka and Nick Novak now off the market, Nick Folk stands as PFR’s top-rated free agent kicker.

Browns Still Eyeing Jimmy Garoppolo

March 9th, 2017 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Just because the Browns currently have two polarizing members of the 2012 quarterback class doesn’t mean they’re giving up a pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo. Cleveland still intends to try and trade for the Patriots’ backup quarterback, league sources tell Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets this remains the Browns’ intention (Twitter link), but Rapoport believes the Patriots want to hang onto Garoppolo. A league source told Cabot a package fronted only by Cleveland’s No. 12 pick this year won’t be enough to land Garoppolo. The Patriots are believed to want the Browns’ No. 1 overall pick, which Cleveland is expected to use to take Myles Garrett.

The Browns, though, have now acquired an extra second-round pick thanks to their unorthodox Brock Osweiler acquisition. Cleveland now has two first-rounders and two second-rounders this year and three second-round selections in 2018. A combination of those would be enough ammunition to get the Patriots to consider trading Garoppolo, in all likelihood.

As for Osweiler, the Browns are shopping him across the league after acquiring the sixth-year quarterback and a second-round pick.

The new-era front office is trying to trade Osweiler and a late-round pick for a 2018 third-round selection, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. In making these trade inquiries, the Browns are informing teams they are prepared to eat at least half of Osweiler’s $16MM price tag in order to facilitate this trade, per La Canfora (on Twitter). The reporter adds the Browns are “fixated” on a third-round pick, leading many to believe they’re ready to deal a collection of picks to the Patriots for Garoppolo (Twitter link).

The Patriots initially pulled Garoppolo off the trade market but may want either two first-rounders or a first and a second for their longtime backup. Cabot reiterates the Patriots are likely to want a first this year and the Browns’ 2018 first-round selection. New England’s asking price may stem from wanting to make sure it has a backup plan in case a soon-to-be 40-year-old Tom Brady begins to slip despite not showing much evidence of that during his age-39 season.

While expected to take a quarterback in the draft, Cleveland is believed to be ready to release Robert Griffin III.

Bucs To Meet With J.J. Wilcox

March 9th, 2017 at 5:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have scheduled a visit with free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Wilcox appeared in 13 games last year as the Cowboys’ third safety behind Church and Byron Jones, but given that Dallas is reportedly bracing to lose many of its internal free agents, Wilcox appeared to be a goner. But with Church out of the picture, the Cowboys may push harder to re-sign Wilcox, as the club might not be comfortable starting special-teamer Jeff Heath in the back end.

Safety is a definite need area for the Buccaneers. Chris Conte has been re-signed, but Bradley McDougald is a pending free agent. Keith Tandy figures to take at least one of Tampa Bay’s starting safety jobs after playing well down the stretch in 2016, but the club could use another defensive back. Wilcox ranks 12th on PFR’s list of free agent safeties.

Conte’s deal, meanwhile, is a two-year, $5MM pact with $2.5MM guaranteed, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The max value is $7MM.

Bengals To Re-Sign Dre Kirkpatrick

March 9th, 2017 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the top cornerbacks on the UFA market won’t end up spending much time there. The Bengals agreed to a deal to retain sixth-year corner Dre Kirkpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The contract is for five years and nearly $52.5MM, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

This comes after the Bengals put together “strong money” in an offer to hold off the Steelers for Kirkpatrick. The former first-round pick drew interest from the Steelers and Titans but will stay in Cincinnati. The Bengals eased the former Alabama product into a role, developing him as an off-the-bench presence until inserting Kirkpatrick into the lineup in 2015. He’s been a full-time starter for the past two seasons and has nine career interceptions, three of the thefts coming last year.

This should help set the cornerback market, coming after Stephon Gilmore‘s agreement to join the Patriots. Several corners remain on the market, but the top targets are beginning to go. A.J. Bouye has just agreed to join the Jaguars, leaving players like Logan Ryan, Prince Amukamara and Morris Claiborne as the top outside cover men left.

The Kirkpatrick deal could become even more critical to the immediate future of the Bengals’ secondary depending on what happens with Adam Jones. His latest arrest has cast some doubt on another season in Cincinnati despite the Bengals re-signing Jones last year in free agency.

Three Teams Interested In WR Andre Roberts

March 9th, 2017 at 5:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Wideout Andre Roberts has drawn interest from several teams, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). The Patriots, Falcons, and Lions are among the teams eyeing the free agent receiver.

Roberts had a disappointing first season in Detroit, finishing with only 14 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown. The 29-year-old’s best season came back in 2012 with the Cardinals, when he finished with 64 receptions for 759 yards and five touchdowns. The wideout also has nine career carries for 77 yards.

Roberts would presumably slide in as the Patriots’ fifth wideout, or he could potentially replace Danny Amendola in the lineup. He’d be competing with Devin Fuller and Nick Williams for snaps in Atlanta, while Detroit would presumably continue to use him behind Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and T.J. Jones.

Colts To Sign Barkevious Mingo

March 9th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts lost out on some marquee free agents on Day 1 of the NFL’s player-movement period but agreed to sign an auxiliary pass-rusher in Barkevious Mingo. The deal is for one year and $2.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets that the deal includes $500K in guaranteed money.

Indianapolis entered free agency with a glaring need at the edge-rushing spots, with much of its 2016 sack total associated with UFAs or players that retired. Mingo will join the Colts as a former first-round pick but one who hasn’t lived up to his potential. Mingo registered seven sacks with the Browns in 2013-14 but none since, and the Patriots acquired him for a 2017 fifth-round pick.

Trent Cole and Erik Walden entered free agency, and Robert Mathis retired after the 2016 season. Those three were responsible for 18 Colts sacks last season. Mingo figures to play a depth role in Indy as he attempts to recapture some of the promise that made him the No. 6 pick in 2013.

Cardinals To Sign Karlos Dansby

March 9th, 2017 at 5:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have agreed to sign linebacker Karlos Dansby for a third stint with the team, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran, according to Darren Urban of the Cardinals website (via Twitter).

Dansby entered the NFL in 2004 as a second-round pick of the Cardinals, with whom he played through 2009 before a three-year stay in Miami. The ex-Auburn star then returned to the Cardinals in 2013, but his second tenure with the club only lasted one season. He has since suited up with Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Despite his age (35), Dansby has remained productive. In 2016, his 13th season, he totaled 16 appearances for the seventh time, though he turned in a career-low seven starts. Dansby nonetheless surpassed the 100-tackle mark for the seventh time and ranked a middle-of-the-road 46th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 87 qualified linebackers.

Dansby is the second over-30 defender who has agreed to sign with the Cardinals on free agency’s first day, joining safety Antoine Bethea. The two will try to bolster a ‘D’ that has suffered notable losses in lineman Calais Campbell (Jaguars) and safety Tony Jefferson (Ravens) since the league year began.

Falcons Re-Sign Two

March 9th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Falcons have re-signed tight end Levine Toilolo and linebacker LaRoy Reynolds, per a team announcement. Toilolo will get $12MM over three years, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal includes a $3MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The tight end will earn $1.5MM in the first year, and his salary will then jump to $3.5MM and $4MM. There’s also a $500K receptions escalator added to the deal. Meanwhile, Wilson tweets that it’s a $1.3MM deal for Reynolds, which includes an $850K salary, a $250K signing bonus, and up to $550K in incentives.

The 25-year-old Toilolo has spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He has since appeared in 64 straight regular-season games and amassed 62 catches, including 13 last year. While his reception total was low for the NFC champs last season, Toilolo averaged 20.3 yards per grab, added two touchdowns and started in 11 games. He also ranked a decent 27th among Pro Football Focus‘ qualified tight ends.

After spending his first three years between Jacksonville and Chicago, Reynolds found a home in Atlanta in 2016. He made 16 appearances, including three starts, and totaled 23 tackles. The majority of Reynolds’ work last year came on special teams, where he saw action in 57.3 percent of snaps.

AFC Rumors: Browns, Jets, Chiefs, Dolphins

March 9th, 2017 at 5:07pm CST by Ben Levine

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport has provided some more insight on the Browns‘ quarterback plans following their acquisition of Brock Osweiler earlier today (Twitter link). The reporter notes that the team is likely to release Robert Griffin III, and they’ll continue shopping Osweiler as they search for a proper deal. Rapoport also expects the organization to select a signal-caller in the draft.

Let’s take a look at some other AFC notes on a busy day around the NFL…

Rams free agent running back Benny Cunningham is set to visit the Jets, reports Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire four-year career with the Rams. He finished last season with 101 rushing yards and 16 receptions while serving primarily as a third-down back.
Linebacker Gerald Hodges will visit the Chiefs, according to ProFootballTalk (via Twitter). The former 49ers defender had a career-season in 2016, finishing with 83 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.
The Dolphins have restructured defensive end Nick Williams‘ contract, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The 27-year-old played in 10 games between the Chiefs and Dolphins last season, finishing with eight tackles.
Lawrence Timmons will be visiting the Dolphins on Friday, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The veteran linebacker spent his entire 10-year career with the Steelers, and he finished last season with 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions.

NFC Rumors: Romo, Baker, Jeffery, Eagles

March 9th, 2017 at 5:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Tony Romo was “never being waived” by the Cowboys, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). We presume the source means “cut” rather than “waived” since vested veterans cannot be waived in the offseason. Word on Wednesday was that the Cowboys would release Romo, allowing him to sign with another club. Then, on Thursday, it was reported that the Cowboys were expecting to trade the quarterback to the Broncos or Texans. For now, things remain in a holding pattern for Romo.

Here’s more from around the league on Day 1 of official free agency.

The Redskins did not end up making an offer to Chris Baker, who agreed to a deal with the Buccaneers, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Baker joined DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon as higher-end free agents who left Washington this week.
Alshon Jeffery looks to be a believer in Carson Wentz. The sixth-year wideout turned out a turned down a multiyear deal with greater security from the Vikings to sign with the Eagles, Ian Rapoport tweets.
Torrey Smith‘s Eagles deal is for one year and $5MM, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (on Twitter), adding that the contract contains two option years. Both option years are worth $5MM apiece. Smith will collect a $500K bonus from what will be his third NFL employer.
Chance Warmack signed with the Eagles for one year and $1.51MM, per Pelissero (on Twitter). This looks like a value-re-establishing season for the former Titans first-rounder, who will receive a $500K signing bonus.
The Seahawks‘ Luke Joeckel deal is for one year and up to $8MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The guaranteed money here isn’t known yet, but Joeckel could do well for himself after seeing seeing the Jaguars pass on his 2017 option in 2016 and then going on IR.
New Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall said four teams were on his top tier in terms of giving him the best chance to win: the Giants, Patriots, Steelers and Seahawks, per Art Stapleton of The Record (on Twitter). Marshall has never made the playoffs in 11 seasons. The Giants made their first playoff berth in five years in 2016.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report.