2017 March - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Won’t Re-Sign S Mike Adams

March 6th, 2017 at 7:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts don’t intend to re-sign free agent safety Mike Adams, as Adams himself posted on Instagram that today was his “last day” with Indianapolis. Adams later confirmed to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) that the Colts intend to pursue younger players on the defensive side of the ball.

Adams, 36, later this month, was something of a journeyman before joining the Colts prior to the 2014 campaign, as he’d spent time with 49ers, Browns, and Broncos. But over the past three seasons, Adams has become a legitimately above-average starter, and earned two Pro Bowl nods during that time. In 2016, Adams started 15 games, racked up 79 tackles, and posted two interceptions.

Adams placed as the No. 14 safety on PFR’s positional free agent ranks, and while he won’t be in for a long-term deal given his age, he could make a nice stopgap for a contending team. On the free agent market, he’ll compete with other safeties including Tony Jefferson, Duron Harmon, and Barry Church.

Cowboys Bracing To Lose Free Agents

March 6th, 2017 at 6:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys’ list of pending free agents is rife with talented players, including cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, safeties Barry Church and J.J. Wilcox, and wide receiver Terrance Williams, but Dallas might not be able to retain many (if any) of their unsigned free agents, as Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram reports the Cowboys “could lose them all.”

At present, the Cowboys rank last in the league with just $3.3MM in cap space, and as such, don’t figure to be aggressive in the early goings of free agency, per Hill, who adds Dallas will “let the market come back to them.” At wideout, the Cowboys won’t be a factor in the Williams sweepstakes if his value approaches the $7MM range (as is expected), but the club will attempt to re-sign fellow free agent pass-catcher Brice Butler if the price is right.

In the secondary, the Cowboys won’t retain both Carr and Claiborne and could potentially lose both, while Church will also price himself out of Dallas’ range if he lands a contract north of $7MM (Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported $5MM as the Church sweet spot earlier today). The Cowboys are reportedly open to starting Jeff Heath at safety opposite Byron Jones, per Hill, which lessens the need to re-sign either Church or Wilcox.

Dallas still plans to target a wide receiver and pass rusher this offseason, but owner Jerry Jones believes those needs can be addressed either through the draft or the second wave of free agency, according to Hill.

Kawann Short To Sign Franchise Tag Soon

March 6th, 2017 at 6:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short is expected to sign his franchise tender at some point this week, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Short would have been the best interior defender on the open market had he reached free agency, but the Panthers opted to assign him the franchise tag, which will pay Short a fully guaranteed $13.387MM for the 2017 season. Short has expressed a willingness to sign the tender in the recent past, confessing that he wouldn’t take the same stance former Carolina franchise player Josh Norman did in 2016. “I wouldn’t fight it or anything,” said Short, who was unable to reach a long-term deal with the Panthers last offseason.

The 28-year-old Short, who graded as the league’s No. 3 interior defender last season per Pro Football Focus, would have until later this summer to ink an extension with the Panthers after signing the tag. Short earned a base salary of just over $1MM during the 2016 campaign.

Earlier today, Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson became the first 2017 franchise player to sign his tender.

Raiders Secure Additional Las Vegas Funding

March 6th, 2017 at 6:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ Las Vegas project received what could be a critical boost on Monday. Bank of America agreed to help fund the proposed $1.9 billion stadium. According to the team, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter), this latest development stands to complete the financing on this venture.

The extra backing became essential to the Raiders moving forward with their long-planned Vegas relocation because of Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs’ withdrawals earlier this year.

Bank of America being now involved with the franchise’s push to move strengthens the Raiders’ potential proposal. One insider said the Raiders showed a “very strong” Las Vegas plan at today’s presentation to the NFL’s stadium and finance committees, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Raiders were seeking an additional partner to aid this effort after Adelson’s exit deprived the team of the $650MM he promised to deliver. While the Raiders still secured the record $750MM in public money from Nevada, a sizable gap existed prior to Bank of America agreeing to fill the void.

Conversely, the Oakland made a 45-minute presentation at today’s summit in Florida. An NFL source informed Bonsignore (Twitter link) no new revelations emerged from the Oakland proposal. The Fortress Investment Group that’s backing the Ronnie Lott-led Oakland operation was not on hand at today’s meetings, Bosignore tweets. This continues the stagnant nature of the Oakland push to retain the Raiders, one that has yet to produce a viable plan in the eyes of the league.

The Vegas venture that as recently as five weeks ago was categorized as being “all but dead” appears to have new life. Today’s development gels with Raiders president Mark Badain saying last month two banks had agreed to loan them money for the move.

While the Raiders still need to convince 23 owners to approve this relocation when it’s put up for a vote, the lack of an Oakland solution may deliver more momentum to Vegas. (And one of the most influential owners seems to be on board.) However, there are still complications regarding this move, and after key Raiders backers pulled out recently, the project being on firm footing can’t be assumed just yet. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Adelson could still try to keep the team out, as he reportedly plans to lure another team. But nothing of any substance has emerged on that front.

49ers Interested In Kenny Britt

March 6th, 2017 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Flush with cap space and devoid of offensive weapons, the 49ers are expected to pursue wide receiver Kenny Britt this offseason, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

Britt will be entering his ninth NFL campaign in 2017, but is still only 28 years old, a product of entering the league at an extremely young age. Coming off the best season of his career, Britt is expected to be a popular target on the free agent market, as both the Eagles and Redskins have also been mentioned as possible suitors, in addition to San Francisco.

After posting his first 1,000-yard season (an honor that’s even more impressive considering the quality of quarterback play in Los Angeles), Britt may garner an annual salary of $6-8MM per year, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicated yesterday. PFR has ranked Britt as the fourth-best available wideout, behind Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, and Kenny Stills, while labeling him the 18th overall free agent.

The 49ers’ depth chart at wide receiver is extremely thin, and became even more so after the club released Torrey Smith earlier today. At present, San Francisco is fielding the recently re-signed Jeremy Kerley, Aaron Burbridge, Chris Harper, DeAndre Smelter, and Bruce Ellington at wideout.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/6/17

March 6th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s ERFA decisions as teams make their final preparations for free agency.

David Irving emerged as a viable pass-rusher for the Cowboys down the stretch last season, and the team will understandably extend an ERFA tender offer to the defensive end, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. He will make $615K in 2017.
Two Panthers wide receivers, though, won’t be tendered and will thus become free agents. RFAs Philly Brown and Brenton Bersin will become UFAs, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports. Brown started 22 games for the Panthers and had a key role in Super Bowl 50. In three seasons, Brown caught 79 passes for 1,019 yards and seven touchdowns. Bersin also spent the past three seasons on Carolina’s roster but wasn’t utilized nearly as much.
The Bears have re-signed ERFA tight end Daniel Brown to a one-year deal, the team announced. The team also tendered ERFAs Josh Bellamy, a wide receiver/special-teamer, and Bryce Callahan, a cornerback.
The Saints plan to submit a tender to retain wide receiver Willie Snead, Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune writes. However, his camp is hoping New Orleans will pay him more than the one-year minimum salary. The 24-year-old Snead is an ERFA despite arriving in New Orleans in 2014. However, the standout target only has two accrued seasons since he spent his rookie year on the practice squad. In those, he’s combined for more than 1,800 yards and scored seven touchdowns.
The Vikings have agreed to tender offensive lineman Zac Kerin at the one-year, $615K level, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes.

Six Teams Interested In WR Andre Holmes

March 6th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers, Redskins, Lions, Jets, Bears, and Raiders are all potential landing spots for pending free agent wide receiver Andre Holmes, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Holmes, 28, has spent the past four seasons in Oakland after beginning his career with the Cowboys. The former undrafted free agent was a large part of the Raiders’ offense as recently as two years ago, as he posted 47 receptions for nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns during the 2014 campaign. In 2016, however, Holmes managed only 14 catches, but was a key cog on special teams, where he played over 65% of Oakland’s snaps.

Due to his lackluster offensive production, Holmes didn’t earn a spot among PFR’s free agent wide receiver rankings, but clearly clubs have already expressed interest in acquiring the 6’5″ pass-catcher. Holmes earned $2MM in 2016 on a one-year deal with Oakland, which was agreed to after other teams pushed to sign him.

Panthers Expected To Pursue Barry Church

March 6th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers are expected to make a run at free agent safety Barry Church when the market opens on Thursday, according to Bill Voth of the Black and Blue Review.

Church, 29, is coming off the best season of his career, during which he posted two interceptions and graded as the league’s No. 11 safety, per Pro Football Focus. As Andy Benoit of Sports Illustrated recently noted, Church is “solid at everything, great at nothing,” but looks like one of the best safeties on the 2017 free agent market. PFR ranked Church as the third-best available safety in our positional rankings, while listing him as the No. 33 overall free agent on a macro level.

Earlier today, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reported Carolina figures to address the secondary in a “meaningful way,” and adding Church to a safety group that already includes Kurt Coleman and Tre Boston would do just that. Coleman and Boston graded as league-average defensive backs in 2016, so reducing one or both of their snaps in order to accommodate Church is a tenable idea. Per Robinson, Church is expected to garner north of $5MM on his next contract.

Church has spent the first seven seasons of his NFL tenure with the Cowboys, and is open to accepting something of a hometown discount to stay in Dallas. However, now that he’s just days from hitting free agency, Church figures to see what the open market has to offer as he competes with fellow safeties Tony Jefferson, Duron Harmon, Darius Butler, and Jonathan Cyprien for free agent funds.

NFL Draft Rumors: Lattimore, Westbrook, TEs

March 6th, 2017 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets might not be nearing a consensus that ends with Marshon Lattimore joining Gang Green. Picking sixth, the Jets could be worried about the Ohio State cornerback’s history of hamstring injuries. A Jets source fears Lattimore will be hampered by those recurring maladies, per DraftAnalyst.com’s Tony Pauline, a fear that may have received some reinforcement on Monday. Said source mentioned since-released Dee Milliner‘s name when discussing the worries about Lattimore.

Lattimore suffered another hamstring injury today at the Combine, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. However, the prized corner prospect denied the report (Twitter link), saying that it was actually a hip flexor issue and that he’ll be “good.” He also texted Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) to tell him he’ll be ready for his pro day, where he’ll do all his position work. Before the injury, Lattimore ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 38.5 inches.

Here’s more from the 2017 prospect pool.

Heisman Trophy finalist Dede Westbook has generated concerns among evaluators, per Pauline. The former Oklahoma wide receiver’s decision to skip the Senior Bowl and not work out at the Combine, along with a history of off-the-field trouble, serve as red flags for some teams. Pauline notes a number of franchises have stamped Westbrook as undraftable. During interviews, Westbrook appeared “guarded” and “seemed untruthful” to some who spoke to Pauline regarding the sessions. Oklahoma’s pro day figures to be well-attended on Wednesday, with Joe Mixon set to perform for scouts for the first time, and it looks like it will be key for Westbrook as well. Pauline estimates the “Day 2 talent” will be a Day 3 pick.
First-round prospect Solomon Thomas has a frame that concerns some NFL personnel, Pauline notes. At not quite 6-foot-3 and at 275 pounds, the Stanford edge player might not have much growth potential, per Pauline. Thomas is still expected to go during the first half of the first round.
The rookie tight end class profiles as one of the best in recent memory may see at multiple Division II products be drafted. One such player is Ashland’s Adam Shaheen, whom Pauline hears from scouts will be a third-round pick. The 6-foot-6 Shaheen is coming off a dominant season at the D-II program. He caught 57 passes for 867 yards and 16 touchdowns, this coming off a 10-touchdown junior slate. Although Shaheen barely ran under 4.8 in the 40, scouts believe he’s “sneaky-fast,” view him as a potential seam-stretching target and love his pass-catching prowess.
Toledo defensive tackle Treyvon Hester missed the East-West Shrine Game and the Combine due to undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in December, but the prospect will be ready to audition for scouts sometime in April, Pauline reports. Hester is expected to be 100 percent by training camp.

Tony Romo Wants To Join Broncos

March 6th, 2017 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

After Combine interviews where John Elway didn’t shoot down speculation the Broncos could pursue Tony Romo and say they’re committed to their incumbents, the Broncos look to be readying to enter this equation. Should the Cowboys release Romo, the Broncos are prepared to pursue him, two sources informed Mike Klis of 9News.

Another source indicated to Klis the Broncos are Romo’s preferred destination. While there will likely be other teams in on the Romo hunt if/when the Cowboys cut him, the Broncos now look like they’re going to make a serious effort here.

Romo previously was linked to a preference of the Broncos, Texans, Chiefs and Cardinals. But the latter two appear to have bowed out. The Cardinals definitely have after Carson Palmer agreed to come back for 2017, and every Chiefs major decision-maker has said Alex Smith will return for a fifth season as their starter. This would leave the Broncos and Texans, the latter being viewed at the Combine as the favorite.

During an expansive interview that featured numerous Romo questions on Saturday, Jerry Jones acknowledged he wants to do right by his former franchise passer. Klis notes that bodes well for Denver, with the Texans being in the same state and competing to some degree in the same revenue stream. Jones at the Combine indicated he and Romo have an implied agreement where the quarterback won’t sign anywhere that would directly damage the Cowboys’ chances of reaching a Super Bowl. Adding that if the “Do Right” policy goes both ways, Klis notes that would mean sending Romo into free agency earlier, when prospective suitors have their entire offseason budgets with which to work.

Elway and Vance Joseph praised both Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch this offseason but stopped short of saying the Broncos are set against adding competition. Romo would not be competition, but rather relegate the current Broncos QBs to backup duty, provided he can stay healthy. The Broncos do not have much money tied up in their quarterbacks and saw their defense rank first in DVOA for a second straight season, likely piquing Romo’s curiosity. After operating without much cap space the past two years, the Broncos now have $42.1MM.

Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.