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Atlanta Falcons News & Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Falcons, Hali

March 8th, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have inquired about free agent receiver Travis Benjamin, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Benjamin played under Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan in Cleveland during the 2014 season. Benjamin also worked with current Minnesota OC Norv Turner in Cleveland, but per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link), the Vikings have not show any interest in Benjamin.

Here are the latest free agent rumors:

  • Linebacker Tamba Hali was choosing between the Falcons and Kansas City before signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs, Kelsey Conway of AtlantaFalcons.com tweets.
  • The Patriots were interested in signing Michael Hoomanawanui before he re-signed with the Saints on Tuesdsay, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
  • The Texans are interested in re-signing safety Quintin Demps, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. This past season, Demps started a career-high 13 games and recorded 61 tackles, one interception, six passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The 30-year-old free agent is also drawing interest from other teams, however.
  • The Buccaneers may not tender free agent defensive end Olatunji Fatinikun, but they still could sign him later in summer, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The DE is coming off of ACL surgery.

FA Rumors: Nelson, Falcons, Giants, Conte

March 7th, 2016 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors as Wednesday draws closer:

  • The Falcons have expressed interest in Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, according to a source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Nelson hauled in a league-leading eight interceptions last season.
  • The Giants have expressed interest in Vikings free agent guard Mike Harris, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Harris is currently mulling a two-year, $3.5MM offer from Minnesota.
  • Buccaneers safety Chris Conte is drawing interest from multiple teams, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bucs want him back, but he’ll explore the market before making a commitment.
  • The Texans are holding discussions with cornerback A.J. Bouye about a potential new contract, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. The Texans can retain Bouye with a low tender of $1.671MM, but it sounds like they might work out a one-year deal at a lower rate instead. The 24-year-old entered the league in 2013 as a UDFA out of UCF.
  • Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) believes that free agent tight end Rob Housler will ultimately wind up back with the Bears.

ERFA Signings & Decisions: 3/7/16

March 7th, 2016 at 5:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are today’s transactions involving exclusive rights free agents:

  • The Falcons have tendered safety Ricardo Allen, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Allen started in 14 of 15 appearances last season, amassing 68 tackles and three interceptions. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked his performance 46th out of 88 qualifying safeties.
  • Cornerback Charles James has re-signed with the Texans, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 25-year-old appeared in nine games for the Texans last season, logged one start and totaled 19 tackles. They’ve also re-signed offensive lineman Jeff Adams, tweets Tania Ganguli of ESPN. Adams started in both of his 2015 appearances.
  • The Patriots will tender corner Justin Coleman, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Coleman made 21 tackles in 10 games (two starts) last season.
  • The Bengals have re-signed center T.J. Johnson, according to their official Twitter account. Johnson appeared in 12 games last season.

Mitchell Schwartz Drawing Interest From Giants, Others

March 7th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Browns right tackle Mitchell Schwartz is drawing interest from several teams, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer. The Buccaneers, Giants, Vikings, and Falcons are all expressing interest in signing the talented offensive lineman. Mitchell Schwartz (Featured)

Cabot writes that Schwartz is in line to become the highest-paid right tackle in the league at roughly $8.5MM per year. Eagles lineman Lane Johnson presently ranks first at $11.25MM, but he’s expected to eventually shift to left tackle. Since the Browns took Schwartz in the second round of the 2012 draft, he has appeared in and started 64 straight games. For his work last season, the 26-year-old ranked sixth out of 77 qualifying tackles by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required).

The Browns may or may not be willing to pay left tackle money to re-sign their right tackle, but it appears that one of these interested suitors could make that jump.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

 

Cole’s Latest: Harrison, Vernon, Mack, Ayers

March 7th, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s legal tampering period underway for 2016, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has passed along several noteworthy free agent rumors. Let’s round up the highlights…

  • While plenty of teams will have interest, the Titans appear to be the club most willing to meet Damon Harrison‘s asking price, according to Cole (video link). The Jets would love to retain their standout nose tackle, but given all the suitors expected to be in play, the price will be high. That may be an issue for the Jets, who have already committed $15MM+ to Muhammad Wilkerson.
  • The Dolphins may ultimately decide to pull the transition tag they placed on defensive end Olivier Vernon last week, says Cole (video link). As Cole explains, if the Dolphins decide not to match an offer sheet for Vernon, the pass rusher wouldn’t factor into the compensatory pick formula for 2017, since only departing unrestricted free agents can earn teams extra picks. So if Miami senses the bidding on Vernon will be too high, the team may surrender its right to match an offer, in order to regain the $12MM+ in cap room and line itself up for a mid-round 2017 comp pick.
  • Free agent center Alex Mack has generated “extensive interest” from the Falcons, per Cole (video link). Cole says the Jaguars, who signed Mack to an offer sheet in 2014, don’t have as much interest this time around, and adds that the Rams have expressed some interest, but aren’t expected to be serious contenders.
  • The “rumor late last week” was that defensive end Robert Ayers was looking for $10MM per year from the Giants, tweets Cole. While it’s possible that was Ayers’ starting point in negotiations, it seems extremely unlikely that he’d actually land that kind of salary. Ayers had a strong year in 2015, but it’s the first time he had more than 5.5 sacks in a season, and he’ll be turning 31 this year.
  • Cole confirms (video link) that the Raiders and 49ers will both be in the mix for the top cornerbacks on the free agent market, including Sean Smith and Janoris Jenkins.

Free Agent Rumors: Sean Smith, Niners, Raiders

March 7th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The very latest free agent news:

  • The 49ers have discussed Chiefs free agent cornerback Sean Smith, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). He adds that Smith has been on the Niners’ radar in the past as well. The Chiefs have not reached out to Smith since the start of the tampering period, but they have talked with his agent since the Combine, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes.
  • The Chiefs know they will have to raise the current offer to Smith in order to retain him, but it’s not clear if they will, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Raiders will also be in play for his services, he adds.
  • The Chiefs have expressed interest in former Raiders receiver Rod Streater, Paylor writes. Streater’s best season came in 2013 when he hauled in 60 catches for 888 yards and four scores.
  • Seahawks free agent guard J.R. Sweezy is generating a ton of early interest with at least ten teams expressing serious interest, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The Buccaneers, Falcons, Lions, Dolphins, Saints, 49ers, Jaguars, Bears, and Jets, have all made it known that they will be suitors (link).
  • Donald Penn’s agent met with the Raiders but the tackle is expected to hit the free agent market on Wednesday, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
  • The Cardinals have expressed interest in Rams free agent defensive end William Hayes, according to Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The eight year vet has racked up 21.5 sacks over the last four years.

Safety George Iloka Drawing Interest From Five Teams

March 7th, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Safety George Iloka has gotten serious interest from the Falcons, Giants, Lions, Vikings, and the incumbent Bengals, Jim Owczarski of The Enquirer tweets. Iloka is PFR’s top-rated free agent safety for the 2016 offseason. "<strong

Iloka, 26 at the end of the month, is poised to receive a nice deal this offseason thanks to his ability and young age. This past season, the strong safety appeared in 12 games (all starts) and recorded 47 total tackles with four pass deflections and one interception. Pro Football Focus (sub. required) rated Iloka as the 15th best safety in the NFL last year, placing him behind fellow unrestricted free agents Reggie Nelson and Rodney McLeod.

The Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, have long been connected to Iloka. Recently, it was reported that Minnesota would continue to pursue the safety hard, even after re-signing Andrew Sendejo.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Rumors: Weddle, Raiders, Patriots

March 7th, 2016 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a roundup of the very latest free agent rumors from around the NFL:

  • Reiterating that he wants to sign with a team capable of contending for the Super Bowl, free agent safety Eric Weddle tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he thinks he has another three to five years left in him. According to King, Weddle spoke fondly of the Patriots, Panthers, Raiders, and Steelers, suggesting those teams could be fits for him.
  • Within King’s piece, the MMQB.com scribe notes that rival executives around the NFL expect the Raiders, Jaguars, and Falcons to be among the most active teams in free agency this week.
  • “Buzz is building” for running back Bilal Powell, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who writes that the free agent Jet should land a respectable contract this week. Florio notes that all three of the Jets’ division rivals – the Dolphins, Patriots, and Bills – make sense as potential suitors for Powell.
  • Washington running back Alfred Morris took to Instagram with a message that appears to be a farewell to the organization. Morris will be a free agent this week. The tailback rushed for 4,713 yards in his four seasons with Washington. This past season, he split duties with rookie Matt Jones and was not a key part of the team’s offense.
  • The Colts have former Patriots tight end Scott Chandler in for a visit today, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.

Falcons To Tender RFAs Worrilow, Schraeder

March 7th, 2016 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Falcons intend to extend second-round tender offers to restricted free agent linebacker Paul Worrilow and offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The contract tenders will be worth $2.553MM, and will keep Worrilow and Schraeder from becoming unrestricted free agents.Paul Worrilow

Manning the middle of the Falcons’ defense, Worrilow has been the team’s leading tackler in his first three seasons in the NFL. The former undrafted free agent, who turns 26 in May, has averaged 122 tackles from 2013 to 2015, and grabbed the first two interceptions of his career in 2015.

Still, Pro Football Focus ranked Worrilow 80th out of 97 qualified linebackers, based on the site’s 2015 grades. PFF was particularly hard on Worrilow’s performance as a run defender, grading him a bit higher for his coverage and pass-rush skills. The Falcons are reportedly bringing in veteran free agent James Laurinaitis for a visit today, so it seems the team is mulling other options at the middle linebacker spot, even as they prepare to tender Worrilow.

Pro Football Focus was significantly higher on Schraeder’s performance as Atlanta’s right tackle. In his first season starting all 16 games for the club, the Valdosta State product graded as PFF’s fifth overall tackle, earning PFF’s fourth-best pass-blocking grade at the position.

The Falcons will receive a second-round pick as compensation if another team signs either player to an offer sheet that Atlanta decides not to match.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs

March 6th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.

Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.

Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.

  • Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
  • A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
  • The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
  • Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
  • Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.
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