HEADLINES

Vikings To Re-Sign Tom Johnson

March 8th, 2015 at 5:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Veteran defensive tackle Tom Johnson has re-signed with the Vikings on a three-year deal worth $7MM, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).

The contract will include about $3MM in guaranteed money.

Johnson signed with the Vikings last offseason on a one-year contract, coming off of a three-year stint with the Saints. He impressed the coaching staff with a strong year in 2014 the led him to staying with the Vikings. He graded out positively as a rotation player on the defensive line according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and should continue to help the team going forward.

AFC FA Rumors: Raiders, Jags, Colts, Jets

March 8th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders may have missed out on two big-name free agent targets — Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb — but they may have other players in mind. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Oakland will continue to make a “strong push” for center Rodney Hudson, though the Chiefs haven’t given up on retaining him. Elsewhere, the Raiders have expressed interest in free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the Browns also have interest.

Let’s dive in to the latest AFC rumors…

  • The Jaguars have an “opportunity” with running back DeMarco Murray, per Robinson (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear if that means Jacksonville has been talking with the free agent RB, but Robinson says the Jags could outbid the Cowboys.
  • More on the Jaguars: Despite their ample cap space, they were “never in” on Ndamukong Suh, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
  • While it’s not a priority, the Colts are expected to talk to edge rusher Brian Orakpo in the coming days, tweets Robinson. Orakpo has also drawn interest from the Falcons. Jaguars, Cardinals, as well as his current team, Washington.
  • The Jets have interest in free agent safety Ron Parker, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We learned earlier today that Parker and the Bucs have mutual interest.
  • Given the nature of recent CB contracts, Buster Skrine is one cornerback who could be in for a big payday, according to Garfolo (on Twitter).
  • With Jordan Cameron unlikely to return, the Browns are expected to show interest in tight end Ed Dickson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Titans Rumors: Sanchez, McCourty, Worilds

March 8th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Titans are showing “decent interest” in free agent QB Mark Sanchez, according to Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Second-year player Zach Mettenberger currently tops Tennessee’s quarterback depth chart, but the club could also look to upgrade the position with the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s draft. Sanchez, whom the Eagles are interested in retaining, would make for a nice stopgap solution if the Titans did take a QB in the draft.

Here’s more on the Titans, with all links going to the Twitter account of the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt:

  • The Titans have reached out to safety Devin McCourty, whose twin brother Jason is a corner for the club. McCourty, who somewhat surprisingly wasn’t franchised by the Patriots, is the top safety available, so the Titans will certainly have competition. Tennessee recently released Bernard Pollard, so they have an opening in the back end.
  • Clearly interested in secondary help, the Titans will meet with cornerback Cary Williams tomorrow. Williams, recently released by the Eagles, has already met with the Seahawks and Jets.
  • Tennessee is interested in Jason Worilds and a number of other edge rushers. Former Steelers coordinator Dick LeBeau is now running the Titans’ defense, so the connection to Worilds makes sense.
  • The club still wants to retain free agent rusher Derrick Morgan, whom Wyatt notes is a getting an “idea of his value” during the three-day negotiating window.

NFC Rumors: Peterson, Hoyer, Eagles, Cards

March 8th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Adrian Peterson is able to work his way out of Minnesota, his preferred destination would be Arizona, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the veteran running back’s other top landing spots are the Colts, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Chargers. For their part, the Cardinals have denied any interest in the Vikings running back, adds Robinson’s colleague Rand Getlin (via Twitter). However, Getlin does tweet that a source told him the Cards’ release of Darnell Dockett was done to clear out cap room for Peterson.

Let’s check out the latest from the NFC as free agency approaches…

  • Both the Vikings and the 49ers have expressed interest in quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). But with other teams like the Jets and Texans (who could potentially offer a starting role) showing interest, as well, I’d bet the Hoyer would look unfavorably upon joining Minnesota or San Francisco, where he’d be the clear backup.
  • Though they’re about to add Byron Maxwell, the Eagles could still use another corner, but the club hasn’t shown interest in either Buster Skrine or Chris Culliver, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who adds in a separate tweet that Walter Thurmond is also not on Philly’s radar.
  • Washington appears set on adding help along the defensive line — they’re intrigued by Terrance Knighton, and they’ve also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Paea and Dan Williams, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • After re-signing Scott Tolzien earlier today, the Packers aren’t interested in retaining fellow backup QB Matt Flynn, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • The Cardinals are interested in linebacker Brian Orakpo, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Arizona is also interested in Trent Cole (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN), so it looks like they’re targeting OLB help.
  • The Buccaneers are looking for safety help, and there is mutual interest between the club and FA Ron Parker, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).

Bengals, Mike Nugent Nearing Two-Year Deal

March 8th, 2015 at 2:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It’s not the biggest news of the day, but the Bengals are set to keep a key special teams contributor, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports (via Twitter) that kicker Mike Nugent is expected to return to Cincinnati on a two-year deal. Nugent was set scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.

Originally a second-round pick out of Ohio State, the 33-year-old Nugent has been the Bengals’ placekicker since 2010. He converted 78.8% of his field goals last season, missing seven kicks (though three were from 50+ yards). That figure was his lowest percentage of made kicks during his time in Cincinnati, and he wasn’t overly effective in generating touchbacks — he rated No. 21 among all kickers in that regard.

Nugent earned a base salary of $1.3MM in 2014, and I’d expect his new deal to be near that number.

Raiders, Colts, Others Eyeing Knighton

March 8th, 2015 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

With Ndamukong Suh apparently headed to Miami, teams that missed out on 2015’s top free agent defensive tackle figure to turn their attention to the second tier. Terrance Knighton, who may be at the head of that second tier, is now drawing “serious interest” from a handful of teams, including the Raiders, Colts, Bears, and Washington, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

All four of those teams had been mentioned as possible Suh suitors, though only the Raiders were really considered to be a serious contender for the star defender after Miami emerged as a frontrunner. Oakland has also long been viewed as a logical landing spot for Knighton, considering his history with new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio. Not only did “Pot Roast” play for Del Rio’s defense in Denver; he also played under Del Rio in Jacksonville earlier in his career.

Still, no deal between Knighton and the Raiders looks imminent quite yet. The Colts, Bears, and Washington all have plenty of cap space to make a play for the veteran defensive tackle, and all three teams have a need in the middle. Indianapolis cut Ricky Jean-Francois last month, the Bears may lose Stephen Paea in free agency, and Washington recently released Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen.

When I listed PFR’s top 50 free agents yesterday, I ranked Knighton 16th on our list, identifying the Raiders as his most logical suitor.

Jaguars Re-Sign Tyson Alualu

March 8th, 2015 at 2:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

SUNDAY: The deal is now official, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

SATURDAY: The Jaguars and defensive lineman Tyson Alualu have agreed on a two-year deal that will keep Alualu in Jacksonville through 2016, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Alualu’s deal will be worth $6MM, with $4.25MM guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Alualu was the first-round pick of the Jaguars in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was considered to be a reach at 10th overall at the time of the pick, and has been underwhelming at best during his tenure with the team.

AFC East Rumors: Revis, Hughes, Powell

March 8th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not technically a free agent yet, cornerback Darrelle Revis may hit the open market very soon if he can’t work out a new deal with the Patriots. As has been expected all along, Revis’ choice appears to be coming down to the Pats and Jets, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). If New England can’t reach a long-term deal with Revis before Tuesday, and isn’t interested in picking up his 2015 option, the team will have to cut him, opening the door for the star corner to work out a deal that sends him back to New York.

As we wait to see what happens on the Revis front, here are some other items from across the AFC East:

  • Negotiations between the Bills and pass rusher Jerry Hughes are expected to come to a head today, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Per Robinson (via Twitter), the Jaguars are a potential outside suitor, but Buffalo remains hopeful of getting something done.
  • While Brian Hoyer has drawn interest from a handful of clubs, the Jets are one of two suitors – along with the Texans – interested in signing him as a potential starter, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • The Jets would like to re-sign running Bilal Powell, but believe he’s leaning toward a reunion with Rex Ryan in Buffalo, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Dan Graziano of ESPN.com confirms that the Bills have interest in Powell (Twitter link).
  • The Jets are preparing some contingency plans in the event that Powell doesn’t return to New York, and one possible alternative for the team is Patriots free agent Shane Vereen, according to Mehta (via Twitter).

Week In Review: 3/1/15 – 3/8/15

March 8th, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The headlines from the past week at PFR:

Key News:

Franchise/Transition Tags:

Traded:

Signed/Re-Signed:

Extended:

Released:

Suspended:

Retired:

Minor Moves: Sunday

March 8th, 2015 at 1:55pm CST by Rory Parks

We’ll keep track of any minor moves that are made over the course of the day right here:

  • The Vikings have come to terms on a one-year deal with long snapper Cullen Loeffler, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Packers have agreed to a one-year, $1.35MM pact with reserve quarterback Scott Tolzien, according to Packer Report (Twitter link). Tolzien has been with Green Bay since 2013. Fellow backup QB Matt Flynn is also a free agent.
  • The Seahawks and TE Anthony McCoy have agreed to a one-year deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
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