5 Key Stories: 5/14/17 – 5/21/17
Ryan Fitzpatrick lands in Tampa Bay. After struggling through a dreadful season with the Jets in 2016, Fitzpatrick was going to be hard-pressed to find a starting job on the open market. Instead, the 34-year-old signed with the Buccaneers, with whom he’ll be a clear backup to starter Jameis Winston. Fitzpatrick will earn $3MM on a one-year deal with the Bucs, but has a chance to bring in as much as $5MM.
Seattle interested in Colin Kaepernick. The Buccaneers didn’t consider Kaepernick before inking Fitzpatrick, but the Seahawks are eyeing the 29-year-old signal-caller, whom they prefer to fellow free agent Robert Griffin III. Kaepernick would seemingly be a solid fit behind Russell Wilson, who wouldn’t have any qualms about Seattle signing the former 49ers QB. The Cowboys, meanwhile, aren’t considered a fit for Kaepernick.
Eagles sign a Blount force. Despite the Patriots placing a May 9 tender on free agent LeGarrette Blount, the veteran running back has found a new home in Philadelphia. Blount, 30, will take in $1.25MM in base salary and can earn another $1.55MM via incentives. Both the Giants and Cardinals reportedly made offers to Blount before he signed with the Birds. With Blount in town, Ryan Mathews‘ roster spot is now tenuous (at best).
Jason McCourty signs with a rebuilding club. Instead of heading to contender after being cut loose by the Titans, McCourty latched on with the Browns last week, signing a two-year deal worth $6MM ($2MM guaranteed). At age-29, McCourty will be an elder statesman on a Cleveland team in the midst of a rebuild. The Patriots also had interest in McCourty, and that link was apparently mutual.
Steelers release Ladarius Green after one year. Although Green was effective when on the field in Pittsburgh (16.9 yards per catch), he simply couldn’t overcome his health issues — concussions and an ankle issue — in order to contribute on a consistent basis. The Steelers cut bait on Green just one season into a four-year, $20MM deal, a move that leaves them north of $3.5MM in dead money. Green, still only 26 years old, has no plans to retire.
Dolphins Not Interested In Nick Mangold
Although the Dolphins lack an experienced backup behind injury-risk center Mike Pouncey, Miami has no plans to sign free agent Nick Mangold “at this time,” reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Pouncey has dealt with nagging hip injuries in recent years, and while he doesn’t believe the issue to be career-threatening, he did miss 11 games during the 2016 campaign. As such, the Dolphins need a solid replacement plan in the event that Pouncey goes down. At present, Anthony Steen, Kraig Urbik, and Ted Larsen would compete for time at the pivot in the event of a Pouncey injury, while Isaac Asiata and Jake Brendel could also factor in on the interior.
Mangold, 33, has been linked to the Giants and Ravens since being released by the Jets earlier this year. Baltimore, specifically, is engaged in something of a “holding pattern” with Mangold at the moment.
PFR Originals: 5/14/17 – 5/21/17
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff:
- A number of clubs, including the Panthers, Ravens, Jaguars, and Browns, have expressed interest in free agent wide receiver Victor Cruz since he was released by the Panthers earlier this offseason. With the 30-year-old’s market seemingly heating up, Sam Robinson evaluated the top six fits for Cruz, a list that includes a few of the teams listed above.
- The cornerback free agent market is comprised of still-interesting options, leading Rory Parks to examine the available defensive backs as a whole. In terms of name value, Darrelle Revis leads the pack, while other corners such as Brandon Flowers, Alterraun Verner, and Tramon Williams also remain unsigned.
- Three veteran edge rushers — Dwight Freeney, Elvis Dumervil, and Mario Williams — remain on the free agent market more than two months after the start of free agency. As Ben Levine notes, the trio has combined for 16 Pro Bowl appearances, six first-team All-Pro selections, and 319 sacks during their careers, but their average age is 34 years old. Ben asked which pass rusher will sign first, and PFR readers give Dumervil the edge with more than 40% of the vote.
Details On Jamaal Charles’ Broncos Contract
While the maximum value of running back Jamaal Charles‘ one-year contract with the Broncos is $3.75MM, the veteran runner could struggle to reach that total, as the as the majority of that figure can only be attained through incentives, Mike Klis of 9News details.
As Klis previously reported, Charles is scheduled to earn a veteran minimum base salary of $900K plus a $100K workout bonus, the latter of which is the only guaranteed portion of the contract. However, if Charles makes Denver’s Week 1 roster, he’ll bring in an additional $250K bonus. The 30-year-old can also earn $1.25MM in per-game active roster bonuses, per Klis.
Another $1.25MM is available for Charles through incentives. He’ll earn that entire total if the Broncos make the postseason and he reaches 1,000 all-purpose yards, according to Klis. Charles’ first incentive barrier is 500 all-purpose yards, although it’s unclear what financial figure he’ll reach if he meets that target.
For what it’s worth, Klis recently gave Charles only a 50-50 chance of making the Broncos’ roster. Other running backs on Denver’s depth chart include C.J. Anderson, Devontae Booker, Juwan Thompson, and De’Angelo Henderson.
Colin Kaepernick “Not A Fit” For Cowboys
The Cowboys could use a veteran backup behind starting quarterback Dak Prescott, but it doesn’t appear free agent Colin Kaepernick is in the club’s plans. Kaepernick is “not a fit” for Dallas, sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
At present, Kellen Moore is the only quarterback with any level of experience behind Prescott, although the Cowboys also signed two other undrafted college free agent signal-callers, Austin Appleby (Florida) and Cooper Rush (Central Michigan). Earlier this offseason, Dallas looked into free agent Josh McCown, and even met with the veteran, but McCown ultimately signed with the Jets.
Given that Moore has only started two NFL games since entering the league in 2012, the Cowboys seem likely to pursue at least one other veteran quarterback to compete for reserve duties behind Prescott. The free agent market doesn’t offer many inspiring options, but Zach Mettenberger, Luke McCown, Shaun Hill, Robert Griffin III, and Christian Ponder are among the passers Dallas could consider.
The Cowboys have become at least the second team to not express interest in Kaepernick, as the Buccaneers also didn’t target Kaepernick before signing Ryan Fitzpatrick last week. The Seahawks, however, are eyeing Kaepernick to play behind Russell Wilson.
Buccaneers Waive QB Sean Renfree
Following the signing of veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Buccaneers waived fellow signal-caller Sean Renfree, the club announced.
[RELATED: Bucs Didn’t Consider Colin Kaepernick]
Renfree, 27, never attempted a pass for Tampa Bay, as he’d just signed a futures contract with the club earlier this year. A former seventh-round pick, Renfree spent the first three seasons of his career elsewhere in the NFC South, acting as a backup in Atlanta. His only NFL action came in 2015, when he completed three of seven passes for 11 yards and one interception.
After being waived by the Falcons last September, Renfree spent ample time on the workout circuit, auditioning for the Panthers, Saints, Broncos, Giants, and Bills. He also worked out for the Patriots in early September after Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett suffered injuries.
Fitzpatrick will enter the 2017 campaign as the Buccaneers’ clear backup behind starter Jameis Winston. Tampa Bay also has Ryan Griffin in tow, but none of his $1.797MM base salary is guaranteed, so the club could conceivably part ways with Griffin if it chooses to go forward with only two quarterbacks on the roster.
Jaguars Worked Out CB Alterraun Verner
The Jaguars worked out veteran cornerback Alterraun Verner last week, a source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Verner’s audition apparently didn’t go well, per O’Halloran. “He was a little out of shape,” the source said. “Word is they will do a do-over.”
[RELATED: Checking In On The Cornerback Market]
Jacksonville is set to field one of the league’s better cornerback tandems, as free agent signee A.J. Bouye will pair with 2016 first-round pick on the outside. After that duo, however, the club’s depth is questionable. Aaron Colvin is projected to start in the slot, but only played 10 games last year thanks to a four-game suspension and an ankle injury. Josh Johnson, Tracy Howard, and Jalen Myrick comprise the remainder of the Jaguars’ cornerback depth chart.
Verner, 28, could compete with Colvin to serve as Jacksonville’s nickelback and also offer depth at outside corner. Released by the Buccaneers in February, Verner reportedly drew immediate interest as soon as being cut loose, but still has yet to land a contract. Originally signed to be a starter for Tampa Bay, Verner’s playing time had dwindled over the past two campaigns, and he saw action on less than a quarter of the Bucs’ defensive snaps a season ago.
East Rumors: Brady, Eagles, Hackenberg
Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com says Tom Brady will have to address his wife’s recent comments about his alleged concussions at some point soon. It appears that, if Brady has suffered concussions, he never told the Patriots, so the club will not face discipline for failing to note his concussions on injury reports. Interestingly, Brady’s agent, Don Yee, recently said that Brady “was not diagnosed” with a concussion last year, which is quite different than saying he did not actually suffer one.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe makes the common sense point that Brady has of course suffered a few concussions over the course of his 17-year career, and that he, like many before him, has simply done whatever he can to conceal them from his team, both out of a sense of pride and out of a desire to not miss any time.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions:
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com looks at the Eagles‘ 2018 salary cap situation, and while the team is currently projected to have limited cap room again, there are plenty of options to free up some space. For instance, the club is likely to release Jason Peters, and may even consider releasing Brandon Graham if Derek Barnett and Vinny Curry do well in 2017.
- The Eagles‘ recent signing of LeGarrette Blount will likely force UDFA Corey Clement, who had a real chance of cracking the 53-man roster as the club’s resident big-body back, to the taxi squad, as Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. Zangaro predicts the club will carry four backs on their roster heading into 2017, including Blount, Wendell Smallwood, Darren Sproles, and Donnel Pumphrey. We learned yesterday that Philadelphia was interested in drafting both Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook, but that the price to move up in Rounds 1-2 to be in range to select them was too steep.
- The Jets‘ QB competition will be the story to watch at the team’s OTAs over the next several weeks, though Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, like most other writers, believes it would be a surprise if Josh McCown is not the team’s Week 1 starter. Head coach Todd Bowles wants to identify a presumptive starter before training camp in order to give that player the majority of first-team reps in camp, and McCown is likely to prevail over the untested youngsters Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, Cimini is especially bearish on Hackenberg, who does not fit OC John Morton‘s West Coast offense.
- James Kratch of NJ.com looks at some of the Giants‘ high-profile players who are entering their contract years and what their long-term outlook with the club looks like. Kratch says an extension for Justin Pugh will not happen, and that Big Blue is either going to have to pony up big bucks for a multi-year deal next offseason or else slap Pugh with the franchise tag. Kratch believes an extension is slightly more likely for Weston Richburg, but that it is still a remote possibility, and if Richburg returns to form in 2017, he could set himself up for an Alex Mack-level payday.
South Rumors: Fournette, Albert, Vaccaro
Leonard Fournette recently inked his rookie deal with the Jaguars, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Fournette is the only 2017 top-10 draft choice under contract to entirely avoid offset language. Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is apparently unconcerned about being on the hook for the full amount of Fournette’s rookie contract if Fournette should be cut within the first four years of his contract, or maybe he is just confident that Fournette will not fizzle out that quickly. This is in keeping with Jacksonville’s standard operating procedure, as the Jags have not included offset language for former top-5 picks Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler, Luke Joeckel, and Jalen Ramsey.
- The Jaguars recently touched base with left tackle Branden Albert, who continues to stay away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes he is only hurting himself. The club drafted Cam Robinson in the second round of this year’s draft and has already stated that he will compete for the starting LT position, and given Robinson’s upside, there’s reason to think that he could win it. As such, Cummings does not believe that Albert will hold out of training camp.
- David Grunfeld of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints should let Kenny Vaccaro play out the 2017 season, his contract year, and then determine whether or not to give him a big-money deal or put the franchise tag on him in advance of free agency next offseason. The club has two former second-rounders, Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell, who could theoretically replace much of Vaccaro’s production at a fraction of the cost.
- We heard several months ago that the Buccaneers could be preparing to move on from Roberto Aguayo, and as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing PewterReport.com) writes, Aguayo is ready for his competition with newly-signed Nick Folk. Said Aguayo, “It is motivation. When I was in college there would be walk-on kids come in and I didn’t know who they were or if they were good or whatever. But whoever they were, it was always a competition for me. Just seeing someone else out there trying to compete. I like it.”
- We learned yesterday that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is confident the team will reach a long-term pact with RB Devonta Freeman.
Checking In On The Cornerback Market
As the league has grown increasingly pass-happy, and as the rules have evolved in a way that favors quarterbacks and wideouts, the importance of the cornerback position has never been higher. Over the course of the offseason, we ranked the best available free agents at each position, and five of our top ten corners remain unsigned. Of course, after the initial wave of free agency is over, teams generally turn their attention to the draft and will circle back to the free agent pool if necessary over the summer months.
The group of cornerbacks still available is headlined by Darrelle Revis, whose performance fell off a cliff last season and who was released by the Jets earlier this year. Almost three weeks ago, we heard that two unidentified teams were interested in Revis, but neither club was willing to pay him more than the $6MM he’s earning from the Jets. Because Revis’ deal with New York contained offset language, if he signs for $6MM or less, his new club would essentially be getting his services for free, which certainly would not sit well with the prideful Revis. The two teams that expressed interest in Revis were not optimistic that they would sign him, but it’s difficult to imagine Revis sitting out 2017 entirely. He’s bound to get a job somewhere, and perhaps he will ultimately return to the Patriots, as was speculated back in March.
The next player on our list, Brandon Flowers, was let go by the Chargers several days before the start of free agency in a cost-cutting move. Flowers, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Bolts prior to the 2015 season, a deal that included $20.5MM in guaranteed money. That contract was a reward for his strong 2014 campaign in San Diego, when he collected 52 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three interceptions. He did not reach that level of play in the following two seasons, though he played in only six games last year due to a concussion. He has always been a fundamentally-sound corner, so even if he has lost a step or two, he could still be a useful part of someone’s DB rotation. The Steelers checked in on him soon after his release, and the two sides could reconvene in the coming months.
Like all of the players in this post, Alterraun Verner did not reach the end of his last contract before becoming a free agent. The Bucs released Verner in February, and immediately thereafter, Verner himself said that four or five teams had reached out to him. That may be true, but there have been no independent reports of interest in Verner since his release. The UCLA product has been quite durable during his seven-year career, but he saw his playing time wane dramatically over the past two seasons. He started just three games in 2016, tying a career low, and only appeared in 22.8% of Tampa Bay’s defensive plays. Still just 28, Verner will not command the same type of money he did when he inked a four-year, $25.5MM pact with the Bucs in 2014, but he never seemed to play to his potential in Tampa Bay, and it’s possible that a change of scenery could reinvigorate him.
There have been no reports of interest in former Packer Sam Shields since he was released by Green Bay earlier this year. Sadly, Shields suffered his second concussion in a nine-month span during the Packers’ Week 1 contest in 2016, and he never made it back to the field last season. He is only 29 and is immensely talented, but it does not appear as if the league has much confidence in his ability to rebound from his concussion issues. He previously stated that he has no intention of retiring, so hopefully he can convince someone to take a chance on his upside, even if it’s on a one-year pact for the veteran minimum.
Tramon Williams is the oldest of this group of corners, and at age 34, it’s fair to wonder what he has left in the tank He played in only 12 games (seven starts) for the Browns last season, and he finished 2016 with 36 tackles, five passes defended, and one interception – his lowest totals since 2007. Plus, Pro Football Focus’ metrics graded him as just the 73rd-best corner out of 111 qualified players. He was very good for a very long time for the Packers, but while he may be able to hang on for another year or two, his playing career appears just about over.