HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

Keenum Might Not Wait For Cousins To Sign

March 12th, 2018 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Popular thought has been that Case Keenum would have to wait for Kirk Cousins to sign with a team before inking a contract of his own. That’s not the case, at least in Keenum’s mind. If Keenum receives a strong offer right out of the gate, he is prepared to take it, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). 

Of course, the call is not up to just Keenum. There figures to be a good amount of overlap between his market and Cousins’ with Keenum as the Plan B – or even Plan C – behind this year’s top free agent. But, it’s notable that Keenum does not intend on waiting for Cousins to set the market. Instead, Keenum likely figures that Cousins’ contract will not have a great deal of bearing on his own.

To a large degree, that is true. Cousins is expected to become the league’s highest-paid player of all-time on a yearly basis with a deal that many have an unprecedented amount of guaranteed cash. Keenum, meanwhile, should garner more than $20MM per season, but nothing close to Cousins.

Giants Focusing On Andrew Norwell

March 12th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Linked to the Giants intermittently this offseason, Andrew Norwell is indeed a priority for Big Blue. In fact, it looks like the All-Pro guard is the Giants’ top priority.

At the tampering period’s outset, the Giants are turning their attention to Norwell and are optimistic about their chances of landing him, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

PFR’s top non-quarterback free agent, Norwell would satisfy a glaring Giants need — one Dave Gettleman has continually mentioned since being hired as GM — but it would not come cheap. Kevin Zeitler set the new guard standard by agreeing to a $12MM-per-year deal last March. Considering the cap is now $10MM higher than it was at the time of that signing, Norwell — a more acclaimed blocker than Zeitler — could fetch a bigger contract.

The Giants have approximately $19MM in cap space, so barring additional cuts, a Norwell pact would eat into the team’s funds. And Big Blue has multiple needs up front. Norwell, however, would represent the biggest step possible to filling one of them.

Browns Interested In Several Big-Name FAs

March 12th, 2018 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns took on some more salary last week by adding Jarvis Landry and Tyrod Taylor, but the team is still loaded with cap space. And the John Dorsey-led operation plans to be active this week.

Nate Solder is on the Browns’ radar as a possible Joe Thomas replacement, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. While Thomas hasn’t announced his retirement, a decision on whether he will return in 2018 is expected soon.

Additionally, the trade for Damarious Randall won’t preclude Cleveland from seeking top-end cornerback talent. The Browns will pursue Bashaud Breeland, Cabot reports, and a Trumaine Johnson/Gregg Williams reunion could well be something the team considers.

The Browns are targeting big-name corners not just because they have a need for younger talent there but because they are going to play Randall as a free safety, per Cabot. Randall has not played safety yet in the NFL, but the Browns evidently view that as a worthwhile adjustment for their new defensive back.

Terrelle Pryor remains on the Browns’ radar, per Cabot. They’ve been linked to him this offseason and tried to reacquire him from the Redskins at the trade deadline last year. Hue Jackson remains a Pryor backer. Pryor’s market may not be what it was a year ago, however, after a rough season in Washington. Cabot adds that agent Drew Rosenhaus didn’t think it was wise for Pryor to be tied down at $8.5-$9.5MM per year. It would be incredibly surprising if Pryor signs for around that amount this year.

Cabot adds the Browns will likely go after Allen Robinson and Sammy Watkins as well. Robinson is a top Browns target, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

Buccaneers To Use Second-Round Tender On Adam Humphries

March 12th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are expected to place a second-round tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Adam Humphries, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The tender this year is expected to be worth about $2.914MM.

The second-round tender has been more popular than ever this year with scores of players already having it assigned. It makes sense that teams are retaining lots of RFAs at a cost of less than $3MM given the abundance of cap room around the league.

Humphries, 25 in June, hit new career highs with 61 catches and 631 receiving yards last season. In three years with Tampa Bay, Humphries has amassed 143 grabs for 1,513 yards with four touchdowns.

Extra Points: Sherman, 49ers, Talib, 49ers, Bucs, Greco

March 12th, 2018 at 2:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Richard Sherman has taken some flack for his one-year deal with the 49ers, but he has no regrets about acting as his own agent.

“I don’t think any agent in the business could have done a better job of negotiating this contract,” Sherman told Peter King of The MMQB. “As long as I’m content with what I’m making, nothing else matters to me. Once I make a Pro Bowl, $8MM the next year is guaranteed for me. It gives me the ability to control my destiny. The 49ers have skin in the game. I have skin in the game. In my former contract, no matter what I did this year, nothing would be guaranteed to me next year. I couldn’t feel secure in my contract. Now, if I play the way I know I’m capable of playing, I know I’m going to get paid.”

Sherman’s deal is a three-year, $39MM pact, but a deeper look shows that the real base value is just $21.15MM with another $18MM coming in the form of bonuses. In order to earn the full $39MM, Sherman must play in every regular season game, be on the field for 90% of snaps, and earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in each season. In other words, it’s unlikely that Sherman will actually see the full value of the deal. Still, Sherman is content with how things played out and intimated that he wanted the opportunity to face his old team twice per year.

  • Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter) had more on the 49ers’ proposed trade for cornerback Aqib Talib from the Broncos, which Talib rejected. The 49ers were going to send a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft in exchange for the services of the five-time Pro Bowler. In the end, the Broncos traded Talib to the Rams for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
  • The Buccanneers looked to shore up their kicking woes of late by attempting to land former Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins before he re-signed with the Redskins, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. The Bucs cut former second-round pick Roberto Aguayo prior to last season and Nick Folk was cut last month after missing a majority of last season on injured reserve with a minor-injury designation. Free-agent addition Patrick Murray hit 82.6% of his kicks with Tampa Bay last year in 23 attempts, with a long of 50 yards.
  • The Giants and offensive lineman John Greco agreed to a one-year deal last month and Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) that his salary for 2018 will be $1.02MM. Greco appeared in six games for the Giants last season after spending the previous six seasons as a mainstay within the interior of the Browns’ offensive line.

Lions Interested In TE Trey Burton

March 12th, 2018 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are among the teams with interest in free agent tight end Trey Burton, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). With about “half a dozen serious suitors,” in the mix for Burton, they’ll have some steep competition for his services. 

Burton emerged as a real talent for the Eagles in 2017, but they do not have the space necessary to retain him. The 49ers are reportedly among the clubs with interest in signing him and they certainly have the room to pull it off.

Over the past two seasons, Burton has averaged just 30 catches, 288 yards, and three touchdowns per campaign, but he’s been very efficient. Football Outsiders ranked Burton third in DVOA among tight ends a season ago, underscoring his value on a per-play basis.

Last week, I ranked Burton as the No. 19 free agent available based on expected contract value.

While the Lions as of now have a starting tight end in Eric Ebron, the team is listening to offers on the fifth-year tight end. The Lions picked up Ebron’s fifth-year option last May, and that’s worth $8.25MM. It’s possible Detroit could cut Ebron, however, and pursue another tight end. That decision could come down to the wire, with the option becoming guaranteed on Wednesday.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/18

March 12th, 2018 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day.

RFAs

Tendered at second-round level:

Tendered at original-round level:

Non-Tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-Tendered:

Buccaneers Re-Sign Adarius Glanton

March 12th, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have agreed to re-sign Adarius Glanton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The linebacker will receive a $250K signing bonus as a part of his new deal. Full terms of the pact have yet to be disclosed. 

Glanton was scheduled for restricted free agency this year, but the Bucs opted against using a tender on him. Glanton is coming off of a broken leg which cost him the final weeks of the 2017 season.

Glanton has appeared in 35 games for the Bucs over the past three years, and started four contests in 2017. During that time, Glanton managed 19 tackles and one sack while playing nearly as many snaps on special teams (213) as he did on defense (284). Pro Football Focus was down on Glanton’s play in 2017, assigning him poor grades of 47.4 in run defense and 48.6 in pass coverage.

Bucs To Re-Sign Brent Grimes

March 12th, 2018 at 1:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite going into his age-35 season, Brent Grimes continues to command high-value contracts. The Buccaneers are re-signing him, Michael Silver of NFL.com reports ( Twitter link).

This will be a one-year deal worth up to $10MM, per Silver. While it might not be worth that much without incentives, Grimes appears to have done well for himself for 2018.

Grimes entered Monday as a UFA. He’s been a full-time starter throughout the 2010s, earning four Pro Bowl bids for his work. At age 34, he graded well in the view of Pro Football Focus, which tabbed him as far and away the Bucs’ No. 1 cornerback by bestowing a top-40 grade upon him.

The former Falcons and Dolphins starter will enter the 2018 season with 33 career interceptions. He also registered a career-high 24 pass deflections in 2016. The Bucs now have their No. 1 corner locked up for another season, and while they may need to find Vernon Hargreaves a long-term counterpart soon, the team looks in decent shape as of now.

Steelers Apply Second-Round Tender To K Chris Boswell

March 12th, 2018 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers are applying the second-round tender to kicker Chris Boswell, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. By applying the tender to Boswell, the Steelers have placed a one-year, $2.914MM placeholder on him for 2018.

In theory, another team can sign the restricted free agent away, but that’s unlikely to occur. An unmatched offer sheet would mean surrendering a second-round pick to the Steelers. As good as Boswell is, no kicker is truly worth that amount.

It stands to reason that the Steelers will work to hammer out a lengthier deal with Boswell from here. Last year, Boswell earned his first ever Pro Bowl nod after connecting on 35 of 38 field goal attempts. He also made all but two of his extra point tries.

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