Cardinals Sign Jared Veldheer
WEDNESDAY, 7:34pm: Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk has the full details on Veldheer’s deal. The tackle has a full-guaranteed base salary of $1.25MM in 2014 and a $3MM full-guaranteed base in 2015. He has an additional $3MM guaranteed for injury in 2015, which will become fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2015 league year. In 2016, $3.5MM in base salary is guaranteed only for injury and becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of that year’s league year. The full base salary in 2016 is $6.5MM, which is the same for 2017 and 2018.
From 2014-2017, Veldheer can earn a bit more than $31K for each game played, maxing out at $500K. The contract also has $2.5MM in potential escalators, as well as a $500K annual Pro Bowl bonus.
Florio mentions that the Raiders did not view Veldheer as a “high-end left tackle” and instead envisioned him on the right side. The Cardinals intend to play him at left tackle.
TUESDAY, 6:05pm: Details of Veldheer’s contract are becoming more clear, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports the $35MM deal includes $17MM in guaranteed money and a $6.25MM signing bonus (via Twitter).
3:09pm: The Cardinals have reached agreement on a five-year, $35MM deal with former Raiders tackle Jared Veldheer, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Veldheer started and played in only five games for Oakland in 2013 after having played 16 games in his previous three seasons. The 26-year-old was drafted in the third round (69th overall) in 2010 and started 48 games for the Raiders in his four years with the team.
Earlier today, the left tackle fired his agent in order to hire his brother, James Veldheer.
Raiders Sign Austin Howard To Five-Year Deal
WEDNESDAY, 7:22pm: The Raiders have officially announced their deal with Howard.
TUESDAY, 11:26pm: Howard’s deal will be a five-year pact worth $30MM, with $15MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
11:23pm: The Raiders have an agreement in place with free agent tackle Austin Howard, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Jets made an effort to re-sign their right tackle before he hit the open market today, but fell short, and Howard will now head west for the 2014 season.
Howard, 26, started all 16 games at right tackle for New York for a second consecutive season in 2013, allowing just two quarterback sacks and ranking as one of the best tackles in the league when it came to avoiding penalties, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While right tackles typically don’t receive the same kind of paydays as their counterparts on the left side of the line, the Raiders entered the day with the most cap space in the league and already spent big money on Rodger Saffold, who may play guard for the team. In other words, I’d expect Howard will make out pretty well on his new deal.
Last month, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com suggested that Howard could be in line for a deal similar to the one signed by Patriots right tackle Sebastian Vollmer a year ago. Vollmer agreed to a four-year, $17MM contract that could increase to an overall value of up to $27MM due to various incentives. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if Howard surpassed those dollar amounts.
The Saints, Cardinals, and one other team had interest in Howard before he reached a deal with the Raiders, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Titans Agree to Terms With Al Woods
7:18pm: Woods’ deal with the Titans is for two years and $5MM, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
6:38pm: The Titans are agreeing to terms with Woods, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Details of the deal are not yet known.
1:22pm: Updating his earlier report, Bouchette now hears that Woods’ deal with the Titans may not be done after all (Twitter link). Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean says (via Twitter) that it looks like Woods is still scheduled to meet the Packers and Cardinals later this week.
1:11pm: The Titans have signed Al Woods, a source tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The former Steelers nose tackle visited Tennessee today and the two sides wasted little time in hammering out a deal.
The 6’4″, 307 pound lineman saw time in all 16 games last season (including two starts) and registered 2.0 sacks. Pittsburgh had interest in retaining Woods but they’ll have to look elsewhere to fill a sizable gap on the defensive line. Woods, a former fourth round pick of the Saints, will now join the fourth NFL team in his professional career.
West Rumors: McFadden, 49ers, Rams
Darren McFadden re-signed with the Raiders but he could have gone elsewhere for more money. “We did have real interest from four or five other teams — one offered more money,” McFadden’s agent Ian Greengross told Jerry McDonald of Bay Area News Group. “Darren wanted to stay a Raider. He felt like he still had something to prove in silver and black.” The tailback came back to Oakland on a one-year, $1.75MM deal with $2.25 million in incentives and just $100K guaranteed. The latest out of the AFC and NFC West..
- The 49ers are in the market for a tall, long-armed cornerback and they have their eye on Vikings free agent corner Chris Cook, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco also likes fellow free agent CB Nolan Carroll. Meanwhile, things are quiet around Tarell Brown and that could benefit the 49ers, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Versatile defensive lineman Alex Carrington is drawing strong interest from the Rams and Browns, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Carrington played in just three games for the Bills last season due to injury.
- Free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins is on the Cardinals‘ radar, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. However, no visit is scheduled yet for the former first round pick. Jenkins spent last season with the Raiders.
- Justin Tuck isn’t the only player visiting the Raiders today. Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter) says that Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas is also in Oakland.
- We can add a third Giant to the delegation visiting the Raiders. Running back Andre Brown is in Oakland as well, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Rams free agent guard Shelley Smith will make a visit with the Patriots, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. The 26-year-old started in two games for St. Louis last season and can play either left or right guard. He has build a reputation as a solid run blocker who can pull well.
FA Rumors: Broncos, Allen, LaFell, Redskins
According to a Denver Post report, the Broncos are considering free agent linebackers Jon Beason and Daryl Smith. However, the report surfaced yesterday before word broke that the team had agreed to sign Aqib Talib and scheduled a visit with DeMarcus Ware, so it’s not clear whether Denver still has interest. The team certainly does seem to be going all-in to try to take advantage of Peyton Manning‘s final years though.
Here are several more Wednesday morning free agency updates:
- The Bears don’t presently appear to be in the mix to sign veteran defensive end Jared Allen, sources tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- While Julian Edelman explores the open market, the Patriots will be hosting another free agent receiver, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Brandon LaFell will visit New England.
- Free agent cornerback Corey Graham is set to visit the Redskins, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Graham has also reportedly drawn interest from a pair of Washington’s division rivals, the Giants and Eagles.
- The Redskins are also hosting offensive lineman Bruce Campbell, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions will host free agent fullback Henry Hynoski on Thursday, says Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- Free agent guard Shelley Smith is visiting with the Giants today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Bills have announced that free agents Chris Williams (OL) and Nolan Carroll (CB) will be visiting the team today, according to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter).
- Free agent wide receiver Kevin Cone didn’t receive a tender offer from the Falcons and will now be an unrestricted free agent, says D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Defensive end Ronald Talley, who was eligible for restricted free agency, also appears to have gone untendered, having tweeted that he won’t be back with the Cardinals in 2014 (hat tip to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com).
Cardinals Re-Sign Jay Feely
TUESDAY, 6:10pm: It’s a minimum-salary pact for Feely, with a $65K roster bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Feely will earn $1.02MM in total.
MONDAY, 6:22pm: It’s a one-year deal for Feely, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com (via Twitter).
5:46pm: Kicker Jay Feely will re-sign with the Cardinals, according to a tweet from Feely’s personal account. The 37-year-old veteran, like most kickers, has made his rounds through the NFL, playing for six teams over the course of 13 seasons. He signed with the Cardinals before the 2010 season.
Last year, Feely made 30-of-36 field goals, with a long of 52 yards, and converted every extra point attempt. He rated 14th in terms of kickoff distance, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). For his career his field goal success rate stands at 82.7%.
Terms of the contract are not yet public, but Feely’s annual salary will likely be closer to the $1MM Billy Cundiff will earn on his new contract, rather than the multi-year, ~$3MM deals signed by Graham Gano and Dan Bailey.
Cardinals Re-Sign Jake Ballard
The Cardinals have re-signed Jake Ballard to a one-year deal, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (link goes to Twitter). Arizona opted not to extend a tender to the restricted free agent, but he’ll be back in Arizona, presumably on a cheaper deal.
Within the tweet, Urban adds that the Cards have also cut guard Daryn Colledge.
Cardinals Sign Frostee Rucker
The Cardinals signed Frostee Rucker to a two-year, $2.145MM deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He’ll receive $590K guaranteed over the span of the deal.
NFC Rumors: Sproles, Tuck, Suh, Watson
Let’s check on the latest miscellaneous notes from around the NFC….
- The Saints are set to cut Darren Sproles today, but they are still holding out hope on trading him, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There are more than ten teams interested in the diminutive tailback if he’s cut free, so it’s conceivable that they could find a trade partner.
- Justin Tuck‘s exploration of the free agent market may end up with him returning to the Giants, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears that one team was willing to pay Tuck $3MM per year, but the veteran defensive end would prefer to remain in New York at that price.
- Talks have yet to start between the Lions and Ndamukong Suh on reworking his deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The thinking previously was that Detroit had to re-work the deal before the start of free agency but that’s not the case.
- Buccaneers linebacker Dekoda Watson is likely to sign elsewhere at the start of free agency, a league source tells Mike Florio.
- The Bears would like to bring back cornerback/special teams player Sherrick McManis, but the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons could be in play as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- With Donte Whitner set to leave the 49ers, San Francisco could turn to safety Ryan Mundy as a fallback, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Free agent left tackle Jared Veldheer has fired his agent in order to hire his brother, James Veldheer, as his new agent, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Veldheer is expected to sign with the Cardinals.
- The Redskins are monitoring Kenny Britt, who could be had on a reasonable deal in a soft market, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Of course, the Redskins’ likely deal with Andre Roberts lessens their need for Britt.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Contract Tenders: Dobbs, Lattimore, Bears
The 49ers are expected to extend the restricted free agent tender to defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs and extend a tender to exclusive rights free agent Michael Wilhoite, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. We’ll keep track of the latest contract tenders here..
- The Packers put the low ($1.431MM) restricted tender on linebacker Jamari Lattimore, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- The Bears are not planning to place the restricted free agent tender on safety Anthony Walters, so he will become an unrestricted free agent this afternoon, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Cardinals won’t tender Marcus Benard, Alfonso Smith, Ronald Talley, or Jake Ballard, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. That doesn’t mean they won’t return, it just means Arizona doesn’t want to pay the tender price.
- The Ravens have tendered Omar Brown, D.J. Bryant, Josh Bynes, Adrian Hamilton, Anthony Levine and Brynden Trawick, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.