2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Lions, Khyri Thornton Agree To Deal

March 7th, 2017 at 9:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions and restricted free agent defensive tackle Khyri Thornton have agreed to a deal, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It’s a two-year, $3.3MM pact that features a $325K signing bonus (Twitter link). Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the deal is actually worth $3.6MM.

Thornton, 27, entered the NFL as the Packers’ third-round pick in 2014, but he didn’t suit up in any regular-season games with the team. He debuted in 2015 as a member of the NFC North rival Lions, with whom he has totaled 19 appearances. Thirteen of those appearances came last year for Thornton, who made the first six starts of his career, registered his first sack and tallied 19 tackles. Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed, though, as it ranked his performance 121st among 126 qualified interior D-linemen.

After appearing in 29.9 percent of the Lions’ defensive snaps last year, Thornton should once again serve as depth for the club next season. Haloti Ngata, who plans to return for his age-33 campaign, and A’Shawn Robinson figure to slot in ahead of Thornton along Detroit’s interior line.

Bears Eyeing D.J. Swearinger

March 7th, 2017 at 9:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bears are reportedly “making a push” to sign free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore this week, but he won’t be the only player Chicago targets as it seeks to remake its secondary. The Bears are also interested in Cardinals safety D.J. Swearinger, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Although Chicago is presently fielding one of the league’s worst secondaries, the club does have one bright spot at safety in the form of Adrian Amos, who has shined during his first two years in the NFL. Pairing Amos with Swearinger, then, would lend instant credibility to the Bears’ back end, and allow them to further pursue cornerback upgrades through the draft or in free agency.

The Bears have often been linked to Ohio State’s Malik Hooker and LSU’s Jamal Adams in mock drafts, but adding Swearinger would give Chicago the flexibility to target other needs with the third overall pick. Plus, Swearinger figures to be relatively affordable, especially when compared with his Cardinals teammate Tony Jefferson, as Biggs notes.

Swearinger, a former second-round pick who bounced around before finding a home in Arizona, started 12 games in 2016 and posted 64 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defensed, and two sacks. Among free agent safeties, Swearinger ranks seventh in PFR’s estimation, just behind Micah Hyde and ahead of Jahleel Addae.

Steelers Not Interested In Darrelle Revis

March 7th, 2017 at 9:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Darrelle Revis is a Pennsylvania native who starred at the University of Pittsburgh before entering the NFL, but the next stop of his career won’t be at home. The Steelers are uninterested in the cornerback, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The 31-year-old Revis has been connected this offseason to the city of Pittsburgh, not its football team, since a February altercation that led to four felony charges. Revis, who could receive punishment from both the legal system and the NFL prior to next season, will attend a hearing related to those charges March 15.

Two weeks after his off-field run-in, the Jets released Revis, though they announced that the decision came for on-field reasons. The seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro is coming off the worst year of his storied career, having yielded the highest quarterback rating among cornerbacks who were targeted 75-plus times. Unsurprisingly, then, his performance ranked a mediocre 66th among Pro Football Focus’ 112 qualified corners.

Given that Revis will collect $6MM from the Jets in 2017, it’s possible he’ll sit out next season if he doesn’t get offers worth at least $8MM, those familiar with the 10-year veteran tell Florio. There’s even a chance the future Hall of Famer will retire this offseason, Florio adds.

Captain Munnerlyn Expected To Test Market

March 7th, 2017 at 8:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Vikings would like to re-sign slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, the club is expected to allow the veteran defensive back to first gauge his value on the open market, reports Chris Tomasson the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Indeed, no deal is expected between Minnesota and Munnerlyn before free agency begins on Thursday, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

Entering his age-29 season, Munnerlyn said earlier this month he’s targeting a four- to five-year deal once he reaches the free agent market. While that length of contract might be hard to come by given his age, Munnerlyn is certainly still a solid player, and his role as a slot corner is all the more important as offenses increasingly utilize three-wide receiver sets. In 2016, Munnerlyn played in 15 games and defensed three passes, grading as the No. 49 CB among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Munnerlyn rates high in PFR’s free agent rankings, placing as the No. 11 cornerback available and earning an honorable mention of PFR’s list of the top 50 free agents. The former seventh-round pick isn’t the only Vikings defensive back scheduled to hit free agency this week, however, as Terence Newman is also heading for the open market on Thursday.

Vince Young Could Sign With CFL Team

March 7th, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

While former NFL quarterback Vince Young would like to return to the sport’s top league, it appears he’ll have to settle for a job up north. Young’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, is in discussions with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, and it appears he could sign sometime in the next week, according to Dan Ralph of the Canadian Press (via the CFL’s website).

Young, who will turn 34 in May, hasn’t attempted a professional pass since he was a member of the Eagles in 2011. That didn’t go well for Young, who put up four touchdowns against nine interceptions in six appearances (three starts). He then signed one-year deals with the Bills, Packers and Browns in each of the next three years, but he wasn’t able to catch on with any of them. Young retired in 2014, though he has since made multiple attempts to return to the NFL.

A former star at Texas, where he won a national championship, Young spent the majority of his NFL tenure with the Titans, who chose him third overall in 2006. Even though he won a Rookie of the Year and earned two Pro Bowl nods in Tennessee from 2006-10, Young underwhelmed as a passer with the club. In 54 games (47 starts) as a Titan, he completed 57.9 percent of his throws, tossed as many touchdowns as interceptions (42) and averaged just 150 aerial yards per game. The mobile Young did post a strong 5.2 yards-per-carry mark and pick up 12 rushing TDs on 282 attempts as a Titan, though, and the team managed to go 30-17 in his starts.

TE Darren Fells Likely To Leave Cardinals?

March 7th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that the Cardinals have re-signed Jermaine Gresham to a four-year deal, fellow tight end Darren Fells isn’t expected to return to Arizona, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Fells is a restricted free agent this offseason, and given that he only produced 154 receiving yards in 2016, it’s difficult to imagine the Cardinals would need to use anything other than the original round tender in order to retain him. That tender would cost $1.797MM, however, which may prove too steep for the cap-strapped Cardinals (especially considering Fells’ limited role in the offense).

Theoretically, Arizona could non-tender Fells and subsequently sign him to a cheaper deal, but it’s also possible the lack of interest in a reunion is coming from Fells’ side of the table. Entering his age-31 season, Fells may want to head to a club where he’d occupy a larger offensive presence. Working in Fells’ favor as he potentially seeks a new team is his blocking acumen, as Pro Football Focus gives Fells excellent marks in both the run and pass game.

Patriots Re-Sign James Develin

March 7th, 2017 at 8:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots reached an agreement with one of their UFAs on Monday, securing a commitment from fullback James Develin, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for the sixth-year contributor, per Howe. The pact is worth up to $2.85MM and comes with a $300K signing bonus, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. It also features $500K in guarantees, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

The sides made progress in coming to an agreement on Friday, Howe reports. Develin’s played his entire career in New England, helping the Patriots on special teams and offense. He has just 13 career receptions and seven career carries but played on 31.3 percent of the Patriots’ offensive plays last season and just more than 33 percent of their special teams sequences.

Entering the week with nearly $62MM in cap space, the Patriots have several other free agents that are higher-profile players — Martellus Bennett, Dont’a Hightower, LeGarrette Blount, Jabaal Sheard, etc. — but they locked down one who has delivered three 16-game seasons and one that won’t end up costing much to keep.

Latest On Dont’a Hightower

March 7th, 2017 at 8:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Patriots haven’t yet re-signed linebacker Dont’a Hightower, the pending free agent engaged in a “positive conversation” with head coach Bill Belichick last week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hightower is open to staying in New England, but is also gauging his value on the open market, per Rapoport.

Contrary to other reports, the Patriots “didn’t even explore” the option of using the transition tag on Hightower, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). The transition tender would have given New England the right of first refusal on any contract offer Hightower might received. If they didn’t consider the transition tag, it’s fair to assume the Patriots didn’t think about deploying the franchise tender (at a cost of $14.55MM).

Hightower, 26, played in 13 games last season and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers. Given that the Patriots have already traded away other key defenders such as Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones, Hightower may be the last man standing when New England decides where to spend its free agent dollars.

Texans To Re-Sign Nick Novak, Shane Lechler

March 7th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Texans have agreed to lock up both of their specialists, as the club will re-sign kicker Nick Novak and punter Shane Lechler, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26.

Novak, 35, has spent the past two seasons with the Texans after four years with the Chargers. In 2016, Novak managed to hit 85.4% of his field goal attempts, a tick above his career rate of 82.8%. From 50+ yards, Novak was three-of-six, while Novak also missed three extra points. Novak earned a $885K base salary last year under the terms of a minimum salary benefit contract.

Now 40 years old, Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowler, but the Texans lost 12.7 points of field position on punts last season. In fact, Houston’s special teams unit finished dead least in DVOA in 2016, earning poor marks in every area except punt returns. Still, the Texans will bring back Lechler — who ranked 16th in net yards per punt — and Novak.

Redskins Have Interest In Lawrence Guy

March 7th, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Chris Baker potentially set to sign elsewhere, the Redskins are looking to address their defensive line and have shown interest in impending free agent tackle Lawrence Guy, report Mike Jones, Master Tesfatsion and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.

The 26-year-old Guy has spent the majority of the past three seasons in nearby Baltimore, where he picked up a career-high 10 starts across 16 appearances in 2016. In 484 snaps, Guy only registered one sack – down from a personal-best 4.5 in 2015 – though his performance did rank an impressive 38th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

Since the Packers chose Guy in the seventh round of the 2011 draft, he has appeared in 67 games (20 starts) and totaled 6.5 sacks. PFR’s Dallas Robinson ranks him 12th in this year’s class of unsigned interior D-linemen.

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Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.