2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Release Eight Players

March 15th, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Jason McCourty and wide receiver Sammie Coates aren’t the only players on their way out of Cleveland. The Browns have also cut cornerback B.W. Webb, defensive lineman Ricky Ali’ifua, offensive lineman Zach Banner, defensive lineman Collin Bevins, linebacker Jeremy Cash, offensive lineman Joseph Cheek, defensive back Trevon Hartfield, and running back Josh Rounds.

Banner figures to draw interest from teams given the lack of quality tackles available. A USC product, Banner was selected by the Colts in the fourth round of last year’s draft. When he missed Indianapolis’ final cut, the Giants tried to claim him off waivers before the Browns scooped him up. He saw time in eight games for the Browns last season.

Rounds, 25 in October, re-upped with the Browns on a futures deal in January. Same goes for Hartfield and Webb, but they’re now in search of new teams.

Raiders To Sign Doug Martin

March 15th, 2018 at 1:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have agreed to terms with Doug Martin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, providing the veteran another opportunity after some down years.

This is a one-year deal for the seventh-year back, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Martin is entering what would be his age-29 season.

Connected to Martin last week when it was reported the team was high on the former Bucs back to lead to a Martin-Jon Gruden meeting, the Raiders will hope the formerly coveted free agent-turned-castoff can bounce back. Martin, though, struggled badly over the past two seasons since signing that a lucrative deal in 2016.

The two-time Pro Bowler has averaged 2.9 yards per carry in each of his past two seasons and has gained fewer than 200 receiving yards in each of those. Given that Marshawn Lynch is also not much of a pass-catching threat at this point, this would make for a somewhat curious fit.

Lynch remains on the Raiders’ roster and was due a $1MM roster bonus on Wednesday. The soon-to-be 32-year-old back is set to take up nearly $6MM of the Raiders’ cap, but the team can jettison Lynch mostly free of charge if it chooses.

It would seem Oakland’s roster is not big enough for all four of its current backs. Oakland also has elusive change-of-pace backs DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard in the fold. Neither were as productive last season as they were in 2016, however.

[RELATED: Raiders Depth Chart]

Seahawks, Saints Still Pushing To Sign Jordy Nelson

March 15th, 2018 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jordy Nelson is not headed to Oakland just yet. The Raiders still have competition from the Saints and Seahawks.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) Nelson-to-Oakland is not a done deal yet, adding the Saints represent “real competition” for the 32-year-old wide receiver’s services. The Seahawks are also not out of the mix yet.

Nelson is still in Oakland, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier Thursday the expectation is this Raiders agreement still gets done. But two NFC teams aren’t conceding yet.

The Saints and Seahawks have scheduled visits with Nelson, but the Raiders are still in pole position here having secured the first meeting and reports of the further summits on the verge of being cancelled. This race also could decide Michael Crabtree‘s fate. The Raiders are likely to cut the three-year Silver and Black starter if they land Nelson, and that would put a younger wideout on the market.

Seattle, which lost Paul Richardson to Washington, is also pursuing Terrelle Pryor. The Saints, who have Michael Thomas under a rookie contract for up to two more seasons, have Ted Ginn signed to a veteran deal but tendered Willie Snead at the lowest level. They did not tender RFA Brandon Coleman.

Latest On Colin Kaepernick

March 15th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick may still be training for another opportunity, despite unusual circumstances surrounding the former 49ers starter. The free agent quarterback was working out in Houston on Thursday morning, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson reports (on Twitter).

Indicating he observed the entirety of the workout, Robinson added the 30-year-old passer “looked good” during a 90-minute session — with what Robinson describes as featuring traditional quarterback drills — at a Houston-area field. This appeared to be a private workout with Kaepernick and his trainers. Robinson did not see any NFL teams in attendance and added the Texans were not believed to have known about it (Twitter link).

While Kaepernick has been out of football since the 2016 season, this morning routine could well illustrate he intends to keep trying to get back into the league. Although, those odds could be incredibly slim since he’s involved in a collusion lawsuit against the NFL.

Nevertheless, Kaepernick ranked seventh on PFR’s UFA quarterbacks, and five of the top six have agreed to deals, with No. 1 Kirk Cousins expected to do so soon. Lower-tier passers like Chase Daniel, Tom Savage and Mike Glennon have also come to terms with teams. Kaepernick, the leader of the 2016-initiated racial inequality-themed protests during national anthems, launched his lawsuit in October after even lower-level quarterbacks were signed last year.

Browns Release CB Jason McCourty

March 15th, 2018 at 12:56pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE – The Browns have traded McCourty to the Patriots, rather than releasing him]

The Browns are releasing cornerback Jason McCourty, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. McCourty has personally confirmed the news via social media.

McCourty joined the Browns last offseason on a two-year, $6MM deal with $2MM guaranteed. However, the new regime is going in a different direction following the free agent pickups of cornerbacks T.J. Carrie and Terrance Mitchell.

One has to imagine that the Patriots will have interest in McCourty. Last offseason, they had interest before he hooked on with Cleveland. Of course, his twin brother twin brother, All Pro safety Devin McCourty, would be an advocate in that regard.

“I think there was definitely mutual interest, but to be honest, the Patriots are kind of set at cornerback,” McCourty said last year. “They have a lot of talent in that room. There really wasn’t room for me. Me and Dev talked about that and that’s just the way of the league. I’m excited about the opportunity I have in Cleveland to work with those guys.”

McCourty missed all of 2015 and had a so-so year in 2016, leading the Titans to cut him. However, he bounced back strong in Cleveland with three interceptions and a top-30 rank on Pro Football Focus’ list of NFL cornerbacks. In that sense, the Browns’ decision to release McCourty is a little perplexing since he was set to carry a reasonable cap hit of less than $3.6MM. The move will bring about nearly $3MM in cap savings for the Browns.

McCourty, 31 in August, could very well be in for a pay raise on his next deal, wherever that may be.

Price Range Emerges For Sheldon Richardson?

March 15th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Vikings bring Sheldon Richardson in for a visit on Thursday, a price range may be forming.

Richardson may be eyeing a deal in the $11-$15MM-per-year range, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

While Garafolo was quoted as saying during an NFL Network appearance (Twitter link) that the Seahawks have offered Richardson $11MM per year, they have not made any proposals just yet.

A $15MM deal would place him toward the top of that position’s salary spectrum. Five defenders — Fletcher Cox, Kawann Short, Marcell Dareus, Gerald McCoy and Jurrell Casey — earn more than $15MM annually. Four other 4-3 defensive tackles earn at least $11MM AAV.

Considering Richardson’s status as a top-tier free agent, he appears set to try and place himself on that top tier. The former defensive rookie of the year has been a 3-4 defensive end for most of his career, but the 27-year-old talent — who has encountered legal trouble — at his best is one of the top interior defenders in the game.

49ers Trade C Daniel Kilgore To Dolphins

March 15th, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers announced they’ve traded center Daniel Kilgore to the Dolphins. Kilgore will take the place of Mike Pouncey, who will be released.

In the swap, the Niners will send a seventh-round pick to Miami and receive a seventh-round pick in return, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In the deal, Miami will assume both Kilgore’s contract and bonus.

Kilgore inked an extension with San Francisco just one month ago, but the signing of Weston Richburg has displaced him. There was some thought to Richburg playing guard for the Niners, but we now know that he’ll be lining up at his native position.

Kilgore will cost the Dolphins $5.3MM in 2018, including a $2.3MM roster bonus that comes due on Thursday. After that, he has cap hits of $2.7MM in 2019 and $3.6MM in 2020. Those numbers are significantly cheaper than the contract of Pouncey, who would have carried cap hits of $9MM, $8.2MM, and $9MM over the next three seasons.

Last summer, Kilgore projected as a reserve for San Francisco. However, after the Niners waived Jeremy Zuttah, he beat out free agent pickup Tim Barnes for the starting job. The advanced metrics weren’t keen on him, but the Niners felt he had considerable value. That is, until Richburg became available this week.

[RELATED: Dolphins Depth Chart]

Giants, Redskins Pursuing John Sullivan

March 15th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have asked to meet with Rams veteran center John Sullivan, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport hears that he’s also drawing interest from the Redskins.

The Giants are in search of a new center after losing to the 49ers. Richburg netted a pact worth $47.5MM, with $28.5MM in guaranteed money, but Sullivan would be considerably cheaper.

Sullivan, 32, played 15 games for the Rams last year and graded out as the tenth-best center in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. After sliding down the Redskins’ depth chart in 2016, he re-established himself as a starting-caliber player.

The Giants missed out on the best possible upgrade to their interior line when guard Andrew Norwell signed a mammoth deal with the Jaguars. Still, they landed a great consolation prize in tackle Nate Solder, even if the deal is something of an overpay, and former Jaguar Patrick Omameh projects to hold down one of the team’s starting guard spots.

The Redskins also lost their a center to free agency when Spencer Long agreed to join the Jets. As it stands, Chase Roullier projects as their No. 1 center, as shown on Roster Resource.

On Wednesday, Rams general manager Les Snead said that he has begun talks with Sullivan on a new deal.

Sheldon Richardson To Visit Vikings

March 15th, 2018 at 12:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings’ reported Sheldon Richardson interest turned out to be very real. They are bringing the UFA defensive lineman in for a visit on Thursday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports (on Twitter).

This is the first known visit for Richardson, who is one of the best players still on the market. And the Vikings have a need at defensive tackle. Linval Joseph‘s 2017 running mate, Tom Johnson, is also a free agent and will be 34 this year.

Richardson, 27, is entering his sixth year and should be a costly free agent. The 2013 defensive rookie of the year graded as the No. 27 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus, last season. He wasn’t able to make the kind of statistical impact in Seattle that he did during some of his best Jets seasons, registering just one sack, but he would stand to be an upgrade for a Vikings team that’s shown it’s ready to make the payments necessary to put itself in top Super Bowl position.

Minnesota technically still has $50MM in cap space, but once the expected Kirk Cousins deal is finalized, that number will shrink dramatically. But the Vikings did not have many needs coming into this offseason. And adding Cousins and Richardson would stand to improve one of the league’s best rosters.

Raiders To Meet With LB Tahir Whitehead

March 15th, 2018 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Lions free agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead is visiting the Raiders, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Whitehead was ranked as one of PFR’s ten best available players at the position heading into free agency.

Whitehead has been with the Lions since 2012 and has been a fixture in their front seven since 2014. This past season, he started in all 16 games and totaled 110 tackles plus one sack.

The 27-year-old (28 in April) is coming off of a two-year deal worth more than $8MM. This time around, he’s probably due for a pay bump considering the contracts that have been given to other non-rush linebackers this offseason. The Jets scoffed at Demario Davis‘ request for $8MM per year, but he got that with his three-year, $24MM deal with the Saints. Meanwhile, Nigel Bradham re-upped with the Eagles on a five-year, $40MM deal and Anthony Hitchens scored a five-year, $45MM deal with the Chiefs.