Browns Frontrunners For Karlos Dansby
The Browns have emerged as “the team to beat” in the Karlos Dansby sweepstakes, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Titans and Cardinals have been the other teams frequently linked to Dansby, but both of those clubs feel like they may be out of the running, says Rapoport.
Although he’ll turn 33 in November, Dansby certainly didn’t show any signs of falling off in 2013, racking up 121 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a career-high four interceptions, including two for touchdowns. The former 33rd overall pick also ranked fifth among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, grading exceptionally well in pass coverage. If Cleveland can lock him up, Dansby will replace D’Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker.
Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier today that the Browns were expected to seriously pursue Dansby.
FA Rumors: McCown, Pettigrew, Giants, Cards
Free agency rumors are pouring in, with less than five hours until the market officially opens. Let’s round them up….
- Quarterback Josh McCown expects to get a deal done quickly once free agency opens, and has one or two specific teams at the top of his list, as he told SiriusXM NFL Radio this morning (Twitter link).
- The Lions continue to talk to tight end Brandon Pettigrew, but a deal before the deadline appears unlikely, so he should hit the open market, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- Centers Evan Dietrich-Smith and Brian De La Puente appear unlikely to land with the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Expect the Cardinals to pursue free agent linebacker Mike Neal, tweets Mike Garafolo of USA Today.
- Free agent tight end Jeff King is highly unlikely to return to the Cardinals, says Craig Morgan of Fox Sports Arizona (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Antoine Cason is drawing some interest, but he’ll likely wait until after the top-tier corners sign to find a deal, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.
- Emmanuel Sanders is among the names on the list of wide receiver targets for the Browns, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- Since being released late last month by the Patriots, safety Steve Gregory has received some interest, and expects to sign after the bigger dominos fall, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
- It looks like Bears cornerback and ace special-teamer Sherrick McManis will reach the open market today, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
NFC Rumors: Veldheer, Houston, Byrd, Hawley
It looks like many of the top offensive tackles will fly off the shelves early when free agency gets underway at 3:00pm central time this afternoon. Branden Albert appears to be headed to Miami, while Anthony Collins will likely sign with the Bucs, and Eugene Monroe and the Ravens should work out a new deal. That leaves the Cardinals as the logical landing spot for Jared Veldheer, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) GMs and agents are essentially viewing that as a done deal, turning their attention to Rodger Saffold and other players. As we wait to see if Arizona can officially lock up the Raiders’ free-agent-to-be, let’s check out a few more updates from around the NFC….
- The Packers were “very interested” in defensive end Lamarr Houston, but appear likely to bow out of the bidding as his price tag increases, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- It doesn’t sound as if things are heating up between Jairus Byrd and the Redskins at the moment, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who hears from a source that the two sides are just having “casual conversations” (Twitter link).
- The Lions have been in recent contact with defensive end Willie Young’s agent about a new deal, but Young looks set to hit the open market and should have a handful of suitors, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Falcons are trying to lock up center Joe Hawley to keep him from reaching the open market, but there are other teams interested in him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) talks might go right up to 3:00pm today.
- Tight end Garrett Graham could be a target for the Buccaneers, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
- As they did a year ago, the Eagles could strike quickly in free agency today, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack
The latest on the free agent front:
- Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
- Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
- The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
- With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
- The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
- Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
- The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
King On Albert, Monroe, Raiders, Byrd, Vick
In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column at TheMMQB.com, Peter King tackles free agency, writing that cornerbacks and offensive tackles look poised to become the biggest beneficiaries of the extra cap space around the NFL. As King writes, Sam Shields‘ four-year deal from the Packers improves the negotiating positions of the top corners on the market, meaning Alterraun Verner, Vontae Davis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Aqib Talib should all get $8MM+ per year. Here’s more from King on free agency:
- While the Giants are pursuing Verner, King is skeptical they’d pay the free agent cornerback $10MM per year, which is what he may cost.
- The Dolphins look ready to “blow the opposition out of the water” for offensive tackle Branden Albert, perhaps with a long-term offer worth $10-11MM year. In that event, the Cardinals would strongly pursue Jared Veldheer, and the Raiders would likely shift their attention to Rodger Saffold, according to King, who adds that the tackles will likely be the first free agent dominoes to fall.
- The offensive tackle shuffle could leave the Ravens with the player they’ve wanted all along: Incumbent starter Eugene Monroe. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported last night that the Ravens remain in contact with Monroe and are still hopeful they can re-sign him.
- King hears that Veldheer and fellow Raiders free agent Lamarr Houston are very interested in testing the free agent market and “getting a golden parachute out of Oakland.”
- Jairus Byrd is seeking $9MM per year, but King can’t figure out which team will be willing to pay him that.
- King identifies the 49ers as a dark horse candidate for Michael Vick, if Vick doesn’t find an opportunity to start.
- Discussing receivers, King writes that the Browns should be in the mix for Eric Decker and also could be a good landing spot for Julian Edelman. He adds that Golden Tate will likely “get more action” than expected.
NFC Rumors: Saints, Rams, Cardinals
As the Saints continue to cut players, fans are attributing the moves to the team trying to free up cap space for Jimmy Graham. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com doesn’t directly attribute the cuts to New Orleans trying to afford the All-Pro tight end, pointing out that most of the players (Darren Sproles, Lance Moore, Will Smith) have become part-timers at this point of their careers. He also adds that the team won’t use all of their savings on Graham and will likely pursue one or two free agents.
A couple of more notes from the NFC South…
- In the same article, Triplett mentions the possibility that the Saints might let center Brian de la Puente go. If that’s the case, Triplett believes Tim Lelito would be next in line at the position.
- Saints running back Mark Ingram wasn’t necessarily happy with all of the teams cuts, especially fellow back Sproles, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Still, Ingram understands that this means a bigger role in the team’s offense.
- The Rams are expecting to be less active than other teams in free agency, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Of course, the team has said that previously, resulting in them spending potentially $175MM in 2012 and 2013.
- The Cardinals have reportedly offered Karlos Dansby a two-year contract worth between $10MM and $12MM, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. Somers adds that Dansby is likely to test free agency.
- The Vikings are making cornerback their priority in free agency, sources tell Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
FA Rumors: O-Line, Davis, Vinatieri, Campbell
The market for offensive linemen is beginning to heat up, and Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has a couple of predictions from league sources. In one of his tweets, he identifies potential landing spots for Branden Albert (Dolphins), Jared Veldheer (Cardinals), Rodger Saffold (Raiders), Anthony Collins (Buccaneers) and Eugene Monroe (Ravens). In another tweet, he mentions that the Raiders have already talked to Saffold and Monroe, while the Buccaneers have contacted Saffold and Collins.
A couple of more notes on available (and potential) free agents…
- The Colts are nearing a deal with Vontae Davis, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The deal is expected to be finished on Monday. However, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star says a deal is not close (via Twitter).
- The Colts are also talking with Adam Vinatieri, but it appears that the kicker will test the market, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
- With Jason Campbell set to receive a $250K bonus, the Browns may choose to cut or trade the quarterback, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The bonus is due on the third day of the league year, which would be this Thursday.
- When asked if the Jaguars would get a deal done with Will Blackmon, John Oehser of Jaguars.com responded “yes” (via Twitter).
FA Roundup: Veldheer, Ward, Byrd, Jets
The Cardinals are expected to heavily pursue free agent offensive tackle Jared Veldheer, according to Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. The team is looking to improve their offensive line by upgrading at left tackle, where incumbent Bradley Sowell struggled mightily last season. Veldheer, 26, was somewhat surprisingly not franchise-tagged by the Raiders, who have ample cap space and could have aimed to sign him to a long-term contract. Now the Cardinals (whose top target, Branden Albert, will likely sign with the Dolphins) will look to swoop in and sign the young lineman.
Other free agent notes:
- ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner seconds Somers’ reports, and tweets the the Cardinals have “cooled” on free agent offensive lineman Rodger Saffold.
- Completing the offensive linemen circle, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets the the Raiders may be interested in Saffold.
- Approximately a dozen teams have expressed interest in free agent safety T.J. Ward, according to the National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson.
- The Eagles have yet to show much interest in free agent safety Jairus Byrd, but they could be interested in Mike Mitchell, who would cost much less, writes Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
- Safety Donte Whitner and running back Maurice Jones-Drew are two players that are of interest to the Jets, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Rashard Mendenhall Retires
Free agent running back Rashard Mendenhall is retiring, reports ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Mendenhall, 26, spent his first five seasons with the Steelers, then started 13 games last year for the Cardinals, rushing for 687 yards and eight touchdowns.
A first-round draft pick from Illinois in 2008, Mendenhall totaled 4,236 yards and 39 touchdowns in his six-year career. He surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Mendenhall hinted at retirement in a February 25 column for Huffington Post: “And as I write this, today is the day that the journey is over and I am fully at peace. Eagerly looking to a new way, which lies ahead.”
PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Mendenhall in the second tier of free agent running backs.
Cardinals Release Daryn Colledge
7:32pm: The release of Colledge will be designated as a post June 1 cut, so his $4.55MM cap hit will be spread over two years, per Kent Somers of azcentral.com (via Twitter).
7:06pm: The Cardinals have released offensive guard Daryn Colledge, according to a tweet from the eight-year pro: “Wanna thank you the fans and the Cardinals for an amazing opportunity. A great organization headed in the right direction. Wish ya the best.”
Colledge would have counted $7.28MM against the cap in 2014, but the move carries with it a dead money hit of $4.55MM. Overall, Arizona will save roughly $2.73MM, per OverTheCap.com.
Never having missed a game as a professional, there figures to be a decent market for Colledge, who turns 33 in August. FOX Sports 1 Senior NFL reporter Alex Marvez, who knows South Florida well, projects the Dolphins as a potential landing spot (via Twitter). Colledge and Miami head coach Joe Philbin were together with the Packers from 2006-’10.