Cardinals To Release Lyle Sendlein
2:56pm: It’s official, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (on Twitter).
2:54pm: The Cardinals will release Lyle Sendlein soon, sources tell Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). Somers suspects that Sendlein declined to take a pay cut. The door will be open for Sendlein to return, according to Somers, but he’ll test the open market first.
Sendlein, 30, was set to carry a $4.275MM in 2015. By releasing him, Arizona will save $3.15MM while carrying $1.125MM in dead money. Sendlein finished with an overall score of -29.1, per the metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That atrocious number placed him as the second-to-worst qualified center in the NFL last season. In 2013, Sendlein graded out as an above average center with 3.8 overall score.
AFC South Notes: Orakpo, Colts, Jackson
As we wait for Thursday’s free agent action to ramp up, let’s check in on some items from around the AFC South….
- After visiting the Titans yesterday, Brian Orakpo remains in Tennessee and has yet to officially set up a time to visit the Cardinals, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links). A visit to Arizona is the plan for Orakpo if and when he leaves the Titans meeting, but as he said yesterday, “anything can happen.”
- The Colts have signed Kendall Langford and Trent Cole and brought back Mike Adams in free agency, but after adding veteran running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Andre Johnson, and guard Todd Herremans on offense, the team figures to focus primarily on its defense in next month’s draft, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. One exception, Holder notes (via Twitter), will be drafting a young running back, if the right guy is available.
- Kareem Jackson‘s new deal with the Texans includes $16MM in fully guaranteed money, but practically speaking, the full guarantee is $20MM, since the cornerback gets a $4MM roster bonus today, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter), a source close to Marcus Mariota advised King not to minimize the Titans‘ interest in the quarterback, suggesting they’re “very serious.” Whether that reported interested is legit or a smokescreen remains to be seen.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Today’s minor moves…
- The Giants have waived cornerback Travis Howard, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz (via Twitter). The 25-year-old has yet to play an NFL game, and he spent last season on the injured reserve.
Earlier updates:
- The Chiefs will sign offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The 28-year-old started 30 games with the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
- The Patriots have added cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on a one-year deal, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter). The former fourth-rounder had spent the entirety of his four-year career with the Raiders.
- The Patriots signed wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter). Dorsey also had interest from the 49ers.
- Veteran long snapper Mike Leach re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal today, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Terms weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum salary benefit contract with a modest signing bonus for the 38-year-old
- The Patriots have re-signed wide receiver Brian Tyms according to the NFL’s transaction wire, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The Pats declined to make Tyms a qualifying offer on Tuesday but they’ve presumably signed him at a lesser rate.
- The Browns announced that they have re-signed wide receiver and top special teams contributor Marlon Moore. Moore, 27, appeared in 13 games and was the team’s leading kickoff returner with an average of 24.8 yards on his 13 attempts.
Cardinals Sign A.Q. Shipley
7:07pm: It’s a two-year deal for Shipley with the Cardinals, tweets Wilson.
5:51pm: The Cardinals will sign A.Q. Shipley, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The Colts did not tender Shipley, their starting center in 2012 and 2014, a contract offer, sending him to the open market.
Shipley also took to Twitter (sic) to share the news with his followers. “Couldnt be happier 2 sign with the @AZCardinals today! So excited for this opportunity & cant wait to put it all out on the field! #BirdGang,” Shipley tweeted.
Shipley has bounced around since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2009, spending time with the Steelers, Eagles, Colts and Ravens. He five starts in 15 games for Indianapolis last season.
NFC Rumors: Johnson, Peters, Pears, Carter
NFL.com’s Michael Silver reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers had a trade lined up involving defensive Michael Johnson, but the veteran wouldn’t agree to a contract restructuring. Here’s more from the NFC…
- Corey Peters, who joined up with the Cardinals today, told reporters that he had more lucrative offers elsewhere but believed that Arizona was the best fit for him, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Peters signed a three-year, $9MM deal with the Cards that will pay him $5.75MM guaranteed.
- Bills free agent offensive lineman Erik Pears is scheduled to visit the 49ers on Thursday, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
- The Cowboys had some interest in re-signing linebacker Bruce Carter, but not at an average of $5MM per season, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram tweets. Carter got a healthy pay day when he agreed to sign with the Bucs earlier today.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Contract Details: Maclin, Thomas, Hughes, Odrick
Here are a few details on some of this week’s noteworthy new contracts:
AFC deals:
- Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): Five years, $55MM. $22.5MM fully guaranteed. $12MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
- Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): Five years, $46MM. $21MM fully guaranteed. $28.3MM in first three years (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
- Jerry Hughes, DE (Bills): Five years, $45MM base value. $7MM signing bonus. $11.775MM fully guaranteed. $1MM annually in sack-based incentives (Twitter links via Corry and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Jared Odrick, DL (Jaguars): Five years, $42.5MM. $22.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): Four years, $36.4MM base value. $20.5MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. $2.25MM first-year cap hit (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): Three years, $18MM base value. $10MM guaranteed. $6.5MM in first year, including $3.5MM roster bonus (Twitter links via Pelissero and Wilson).
- Kendall Langford, DT (Colts): Four years, $17.2MM base value. $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports).
- Brian Hoyer, QB (Texans): Two years, $10.5MM base value. $3.75MM roster bonus to be paid this month. $5.25MM annual cap hits (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
- A.J. Hawk, LB (Bengals): Two years, $3.25MM base value. $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
NFC deals:
- Torrey Smith, WR (49ers): Five years, $40MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $8.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Corry).
- Bryan Bulaga, T (Packers): Five years, $33.75MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- Stephen Paea, DT (Washington): Four years, $21MM. $7.85MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Corey Peters, DT (Cardinals): Three years, $9MM base value. $5.75MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Justin Durant, LB (Falcons): Three years, $10.8MM base value. $4.5MM in 2015. $3MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Dwan Edwards, DT (Panthers): Two years, $4MM base value. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Cardinals): One year, $3.58MM base value. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Major Wright, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $3MM base value (Twitter link via Pelissero).
Jets Expect To Sign Antonio Cromartie
1:20pm: There are still some details to be worked out, but the Jets expect to land Cromartie and it looks like it’ll get done, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.
8:45am: The Jets are the “clear leaders” in the Cromartie sweepstakes, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
8:11am: Having already reached agreements with Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine, two of the top cornerbacks available this offseason, the Jets aren’t done looking for help in the secondary. Reports last night indicated that the team was still engaged in discussions with free agent corner Antonio Cromartie, with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News characterizing those talks as “serious.”
The two sides negotiated into the “wee hours” of Tuesday night and spoke again this morning, but haven’t yet reached a deal, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (all Twitter links). As Costello cautions, that doesn’t mean Cromartie and the Jets won’t eventually work something out, since the two sides are still talking. In fact, the Jets appear to be one of two finalists for the veteran corner — Costello says Cromartie is expected to choose today between signing with New York or returning to the Cardinals.
Cromartie, who turns 31 in April, has made no secret of the fact that he’d like to sign with the Jets — his Cardinals teammate Patrick Peterson even complained last month that all Cromartie talked about was “freaking New York.” Still, the Cards have maintained interest all along in bringing Cromartie back to Arizona, and the Cowboys were also mentioned yesterday as a possible destination.
Cardinals To Sign Cory Redding
1:25pm: Redding’s deal will pay him up to $6MM over two years, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Redding’s deal will include a $2MM bonus with salaries of $1MM and $3MM, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
10:42am: The Cardinals are nearing a deal with defensive end Cory Redding, a source tells Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Redding, 34, started at least 14 games for the Colts the past three years.
In October, Redding said that he was considering retirement. It was a decision that he wasn’t taking lightly as he was thinking long and hard about what his legacy would be.
“When I’m dead and gone, what are people going to say about Cory Redding?” the defensive end said. “Will my name even come up? Was he just a football player? A good football player and a horrible person? What is my legacy going to be?”
After some soul searching, Redding decided that he has yet to write his final chapter. In 2014, Redding started all 16 regular season games for the Colts, racking up 44 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 3 pass deflections. He also made his presence felt in the postseason, recording 2 sacks and 2 pass deflections to go with 9 total tackles.
Cards, Mike Iupati Agree To Five-Year Deal
WEDNESDAY, 11:43am: The Cardinals’ five-year deal with Iupati is now official, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com.
TUESDAY, 4:24pm: Iupati’s deal is worth $40MM over five years with incentives that can take the total package up to $41MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In total, the deal has $22.5MM in guaranteed cash.
MONDAY, 5:40pm: Free agent guard Mike Iupati has told people he plans to sign with the Cardinals, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Iupati was widely viewed as the top available interior offensive lineman of the offseason. Financial terms of the possible agreement are not yet known.
The Raiders were said to be “hot after” Iupati and he also had serious interest from the Bills and Jets. The Cardinals, meanwhile, weren’t really mentioned as a leading suitor for his services. The marriage makes quite a bit of sense, however, as Arizona could use a boost on the interior of their offensive line. That’s a role that 2013 first-round choice Jonathan Cooper was expected to fill, but so far he hasn’t realized his potential. Assuming Iupati stays on the left side, Cooper could wind up shifting over to right guard.
The three-time Pro Bowler graded out as the 14th best guard in the NFL out of 78 qualified players, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Iupati, a former first-round pick who’s started missed only five games during his career, is regarded as a much better run-blocker than pass-blocker. The Cardinals, therefore, could look to add a running back in the coming days, and have been tied to both Adrian Peterson and DeMarco Murray.
Iupati will be just the latest player to leave the Bay Area in recent days. Justin Smith and Patrick Willis are expected to retire, Frank Gore will sign with the Eagles, Stevie Johnson will be released, and Michael Crabtree isn’t expected to be retained.
Cardinals Sign Sean Weatherspoon
WEDNESDAY, 11:42am: The Cardinals’ deal with Weatherspoon is official, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets.
MONDAY, 7:05am: The Cardinals have reached an agreement with linebacker Sean Weatherspoon and will sign him to a one-year deal when free agency opens on Tuesday, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link), Weatherspoon’s new one-year deal with the Cards will be worth close to $4MM.
Weatherspoon, 27, was viewed as a priority for the Falcons, though we heard last week that Arizona would be waiting with its arms “wide open” if the linebacker didn’t work something out with Atlanta. The Saints were also believed to have interest in Weatherspoon, who has missed all but seven games during the last two seasons due to an Achilles injury in 2014, and knee and foot issues in 2013.
In spite of Weatherspoon’s health problems, I still listed him as one of the top options when I explored the free agent market for 4-3 outside linebackers last month, noting that he averaged 110 tackles per season in 2011 and 2012. In Arizona’s 3-4 scheme, the former first-round pick looks like a good bet to assume one of the inside linebacker spots.
En route to a playoff berth in 2014, the Cardinals had to make do with a depleted linebacking corps that was without Karlos Dansby (departed via free agency), John Abraham (out with concussion issues), and Daryl Washington (suspended for the season). The club heavily relied on Larry Foote on the inside, but it appears the veteran Foote will be transitioning to the coaching staff for the 2015 season, unless he changes his mind later this summer. A healthy Weatherspoon would go a long way toward solidifying a linebacking group that has seen plenty of turnover in the last year.