2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Seahawks Hope To Keep DeShawn Shead

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

The Seahawks are planning to release DeShawn Shead on Monday in a procedural move, but they hope to re-sign him, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com writes. Shead’s contract tolled, but Seattle is honoring a promise made to him by allowing him to explore free agency.

The Seahawks will be up against other suitors for the 28-year-old (29 in June), including the Lions. After moving on from Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane in recent days, the Seahawks would ideally like to maintain some consistency in the secondary.

The Seahawks have four cornerbacks under contract for 2018, but only one – Shaquill Griffin – has started for the team.

Eagles Leaning Toward Keeping Nick Foles?

March 12th, 2018 at 12:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Depending on how Carson Wentz‘s rehab unfolds, Nick Foles could potentially be required to start for the defending Super Bowl champions come Week 1. And the Eagles may be proceeding accordingly.

While a previous report indicated even a 2016 Sam Bradford-type trade haul — first- and fourth-round picks — wouldn’t even be enough for a team to pry Foles from the Eagles, the team now may be leaning toward holding onto its backup.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets a first-round choice may be enough to sway the Eagles, but he adds the team does not want to trade him.

Wentz is in the middle stages of rehabbing the knee ligaments he tore in Los Angeles, and despite Foles’ value being at an all-time high after his Super Bowl MVP outing, no reports have indicated Philly is ready to cash in on that. An AFC team offered the Eagles a second-round pick for Foles, but that clearly wasn’t sufficient.

The 29-year-old quarterback is under contract for one more season and set to comprise $7.6MM of the Eagles’ cap.

Packers Interested In Jimmy Graham

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

The Packers have reached out to the representatives for tight end Jimmy Graham, according to Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Graham is one of the best tight ends available in this year’s free agent crop and is PFR’s No. 2 ranked player at the position.

The Packers tried to upgrade at tight end last offseason by signing Martellus Bennett to a free agent contract. That deal quickly went sideways, but the Packers remain determined to find a quality red zone threat for Aaron Rodgers at tight end.

Graham was the league’s highest-paid tight end over the last four years with average annual salary of $10MM. He’s not quite the same player that he was in New Orleans, but he’ll also cost a lot less for any team that signs him.

The Saints are said to have interest in a reunion with Graham, but the Packers also profile as a contender and should be of interest to the veteran.

Avery Williamson Drawing Interest From Dolphins And Jets

March 12th, 2018 at 12:24pm CST by Ryan Posner

Linebacker Avery Williamson is drawing interest from the Jets and Dolphins after turning down a four-year, $12MM deal to return to the Titans, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). It was reported Sunday by ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe that there was mutual interest in Williamson returning to the Titans.

Williamson was clear, though, that he was only going to return to the Titans at the right price. Williamson also said that he was surprised by the Titans’ decision to fire head coach Mike Mularkey and hire Mike Vrabel but that wouldn’t be a deterrent in his decision to come back.

Williams, 26, who’s a Tennessee native, is one of the top 3-4 inside linebackers set to hit the open market this offseason. Wolfe pointed to inside linebackers like Kevin Minter and Zach Brown, who have had to settle for one-year deals over the past few offseasons, and players such as the Broncos’ Brandon Marshall (four-year, $32MM) and the Browns’ Christian Kirksey (four-year, $38MM) as inside linebackers who have cashed in on multi-year deals of late.

The Jets currently hold the most cap space of any team in the NFL at over $92MM, topping the Browns after their flurry of weekend moves. Jets inside linebackers Demario Davis, Bruce Carter and Julian Stanford are set to become unrestricted free agents. The Dolphins alleviated some cap issues Monday morning with the reported new that they’ll be cutting Ndamukong Suh. The team is also expected to part ways with linebacker Lawrence Timmons and Koa Misi is due to become a free agent this offseason.

The Titans made Williamson a fifth-round pick in 2014 and he’s started all 16 games in each of the last two seasons. He tallied a career-high 73 tackles in 2016 and racked up 52 tackles last season to go with three sacks.

Saints’ Zach Strief Announces Retirement

March 12th, 2018 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Saints offensive lineman Zach Strief has announced his retirement from the NFL. Strief finalized the decision with a Monday afternoon press conference attended by teammates Drew Brees, Coby Fleener, Mark Ingram, Thomas Morstead, and Cam Jordan.

Strief, a seventh round pick in 2006, spent all 12 seasons of his NFL career with the Saints. The longtime team captain leaves the game after earning millions of dollars and a Super Bowl ring. The lineman was set to earn $4MM in salary and bonuses this season, according to ESPN’s Mike Triplett (via Twitter).

Strief turned in a strong campaign in 2016, but he was limited in 2017 after suffering serious knee injuries. In light of his medical issues, Strief is opting to transition to a new phase of his life with his 35th birthday on the horizon.

The Saints will miss Strief, but they have two quality starting tackles in Terron Armstead and 2017 first-round pick Ryan Ramczyk.

Broncos Not Expected To Cut C.J. Anderson

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

Many Broncos were rumored cut or trade candidates due to the team’s potential pursuit of Kirk Cousins, but John Elway confirmed most of them will stay put.

However, he wasn’t as definitive regarding C.J. Anderson or Aqib Talib. While the Broncos recently agreed to trade Talib to the Rams, they are not ready to part ways with their starting running back just yet.

Denver is not expected to release Anderson, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). However, Palmer adds the team may listen to trade offers for the sixth-year running back. The Broncos aren’t exactly stacked in the backfield, but they do have third-year player Devontae Booker and intriguing second-year cog De’Angelo Henderson.

An Anderson release would save the Broncos $4MM, but he enjoyed his first 1,000-yard season in 2017 after tearing a meniscus in 2016. And the Broncos could possibly fetch a return for the 26-year-old back in a trade. Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter) the Broncos will listen to offers for the running back.

The Broncos applied an original-round tender to Anderson in 2016 and saw the Dolphins sign him to a four-year, $18MM offer sheet. The Broncos matched it, and Anderson has become Denver’s longest-tenured starting running back since Terrell Davis.

But the Dolphins, led by former Broncos OC Adam Gase and having recently hired longtime Denver RBs coach Eric Studesville, would be interested in Anderson if available. So, the sides could potentially do business. Miami traded Jay Ajayi last season for a fourth-round pick. Two years remain on the contract the Dolphins originally designed.

Ravens Release Lardarius Webb

March 12th, 2018 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight March, the Ravens made the decision to release their longest-tenured defensive back.

The franchise cut Lardarius Webb again on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), and there might not be an immediate path back onto the roster for the nine-year Ravens starter.

Webb was used mostly off the bench last season, but he’s made 85 starts with Baltimore and suited up for 127 regular-season games. The Ravens, who are up against the cap, will save $1.75MM by making this move.

The Ravens brought Webb back last year at a reduced rate but may not do the same for what will be the defender’s age-33 season.

He saw action in six playoff games, starting four, for the franchise. Although, an injury prevented him from suiting up during the Ravens’ four 2012 playoff contests. However, in Baltimore’s near-Super Bowl run during 2011, Webb intercepted eight passes (five in the regular season, three in those playoffs).

Ravens Re-Sign OL James Hurst

March 12th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Ryan Posner

The Ravens and James Hurst have agreed to a four-year deal to keep the offensive lineman in Baltimore, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. Hurst’s deal will be worth $17MM in total and he’ll receive $8MM guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) opines that the money in Hurst’s deal signals that the Ravens plan on transitioning him into a starting role. He also speculates as to what the deal could mean for right tackle Austin Howard, who the Ravens signed to a three-year deal last offseason and started all 16 games this past year.

Hurst, 26, has served in mostly a backup role during his first four seasons with the Ravens but started all 16 games last season at left guard due to injuries on the team’s line. Zrebiec wonders whether the team will opt to keep Hurst at left tackle and shift former fourth-round pick Alex Lewis, who missed all of his sophomore season due to a shoulder injury, to right tackle rather than starting Howard.

The Ravens signed Hurst as an undrafted free agent in 2014 out of North Carolina. They’re set with Ronnie Stanley at left tackle and Marshal Yanda at right guard but have several other question marks remaining in regards to how their line will shake out.

Hurst, Lewis and Howard are all under contract but center Ryan Jensen and backup Luke Bowanko are both due to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Ravens also have Nico Siragusa back at guard after taking him in the fourth round last year and missing the entire season with a torn ACL.

Texans Likely To Sign OL Zach Fulton

March 12th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

It sounds like this will be a lucrative offseason for free agent offensive linemen. The Texans are the favorites to sign Chiefs free agent Zach Fulton to a multi-year deal worth more than $7MM per year, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Rapoport cautions that other teams are still in the mix, so while the Texans are the likely landing spot for Fulton, it is not a done deal. It’s not clear if the Chiefs are still involved, but the asking price may be too high for their liking.

Last year, Fulton appeared in 15 games (12 starts) for the Chiefs, playing primarily at center. Fulton earned a so-so 68.8 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, though the advanced metrics were fond of his pass blocking.

The Texans’ plan is for Fulton to play guard for them and not center, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He worked in both spots for the Chiefs, primarily operating as a guard since being a sixth-round pick in 2014.

Houston signed ex-Chiefs guard Jeff Allen in 2016 for $7MM per year. That agreement has not worked out like the franchise had hoped. Nevertheless, the Texans plan to use a similar strategy to bring in Fulton. Only their line is in a worse place now than it was two years ago, with Derek Newton being sidelined indefinitely and Duane Brown having since been traded.

Broncos Give Shaquil Barrett Round 2 Tender

March 12th, 2018 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are protecting two RFAs at the second-round level this offseason, with Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reporting (via Twitter) the team placed the second-highest available tender on Shaquil Barrett.

This comes minutes after Matt Paradis was tendered at the Round 2 level. Like Paradis, Barrett will make $2.914MM if he plays on the tender this season.

Barrett has not been an every-week starter like Paradis but has served as a key rotational presence over the past three seasons. The former UDFA was the player the 2015 Super Bowl champion iteration of the Broncos turned to to replace DeMarcus Ware while he was injured, and he’s been one of the better run-defending outside linebackers since that season.

While three years younger than Paradis despite coming into the league at the same time, Barrett isn’t as surefire an extension candidate because of Shane Ray‘s presence. The Broncos used both Ray and Barrett as Von Miller‘s top complements last season after Ware’s retirement, and the franchise must decide on Ray’s fifth-year option by May 3. Barrett, though, has been the more consistent player despite Ray’s first-round status.

It could become an either/or situation as to which Miller supporting-caster is extended, but for 2018, both are under contract.