Draft Rumors: Jack, Lawson, Kearse, Alexander
This week being veteran-centric, let’s look at the latest occurring at some of the draft prospects who will soon take over the NFL news cycle.
- Myles Jack received full clearance during a visit with a UCLA surgeon, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds that Jack, a projected top-10 pick, is ready to ramp up training following this positive diagnosis.
- Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson met with the Jets, Titans and Saints on Wednesday and told Dan Hope of OrangeandWhite.com (on Twitter) he’s visiting the Browns next.
- Lawson also has a private workout with the Falcons upcoming, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Lawson told Ledbetter he speaks with Falcons defensive line coach Bryan Cox, illuminating a connection between the defensive end-needy Falcons and the Clemson pass-rusher.
- During Clemson’s pro day today, safety Jayron Kearse told media (including Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, via Twitter) he’s scheduled visits with the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Lions, Saints and Steelers.
- NFL personnel are “gushing” over Clemson corner Mackensie Alexander‘s workout at the Tigers’ pro day, while scouts weren’t as taken with Kearse’s positional-drills work, per Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. One source told Pauline that Kearse would be better off “gaining 20 pounds and moving to linebacker.”
Contract Details: Sanu, Lane, Harris, Jones
Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL.
- Mohamed Sanu, WR (Falcons): Five years, $32.5MM. $14MM guaranteed. $7MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $1MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6MM, $6.5MM. (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter). Can earn additional $1.25MM based on receptions, per ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure (on Twitter).
- Jeremy Lane, CB (Seahawks): Four years, $23MM. $11MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $2MM, $4MM, $6MM, $6MM (Twitter link via Wilson). $7MM fully guaranteed. Lane’s $4MM salary in 2017 guaranteed in February 2017, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).
- Mike Harris, OL (Vikings): One year, $2MM. $500K of $1.9MM base salary fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonus. (via Wilson, on Twitter). Can earn $1.05MM in incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
- Mason Foster, ILB (Washington): Two years, $2.5MM. $350K signing bonus. Can earn $1.6MM in playing-time incentives, per Pelissero (on Twitter).
- Adam Jones, CB (Bengals): Three years, $24MM. $16MM in 2016-17, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (on Twitter).
- Kellen Clemens, QB (Chargers): One year, $1.065MM. $80K roster bonus, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter).
Free Agent Rumors: Jackson, Broncos, Long
The Broncos offered Malik Jackson roughly $11MM per year before he signed with the Jaguars, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets. The Broncos also made a strong offer to Brock Osweiler before he decided to join up with the Texans. The Broncos did not want to let linebacker Brandon Marshall get away, of course, which is why they used a second round RFA tender on him. When it comes to Danny Trevathan, however, the team decided to move on, so the front office wasn’t too crushed when he signed with the Bears.
Here are the latest free agent rumors:
- Defensive end Chris Long wants to play for a winning team, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Long has spoken with the Falcons, Cowboys, and Washington, and a decision should be coming soon.
- Tight end Jermaine Gresham is on his way to the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s an interesting visit as the Bears toy with the idea of trading Martellus Bennett.
- Free agent guard Louis Vasquez will visit the Titans, but it will happen this weekend rather than on Friday as originally planned, John Glennon of The Tennessean tweets.
- Cornerback Sherrick McManis is visiting with an AFC East team today, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. McManis, who led the Bears with 17 special teams tackles, could still re-sign with Chicago.
Free Agent Rumors: Robinson, Raiders, Weddle
Can Nate Robinson go from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors? In a YouTube video released this week, the diminutive former NBA guard announced that he is going to make a run at the NFL. The well-produced video features testimonials from Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.
Robinson originally went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship and made a name for himself on the gridiron with his electrifying plays, but it has been many years since he tried his hand at football. The 31-year-old (32 in May) did not say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.
Here’s the latest news on some of this week’s more typical NFL free agents:
- The Raiders are zeroing in on Eric Weddle, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s not immediately clear whether Weddle has a visit scheduled with Oakland. We learned last night that the Steelers are also fond of the veteran.
- The plan is for Akiem Hicks to visit the Bears tomorrow, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
- Safety Rashad Johnson is traveling Friday for a visit with the Titans, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he’s ready for the second wave of free agency, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Telesco also says that he is open to newly signed safety Dwight Lowery serving as a stopgap for Eric Weddle.
- Cardinals free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will meet with the Falcons on Friday, per Jay Adams of the Falcons (on Twitter).
Falcons To Sign Mohamed Sanu
1:36pm: It’s a five-year, $32.5MM deal for Sanu, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The receiver will earn $14MM fully guaranteed.
1:30pm: The Falcons agreed to terms with former Bengals wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on a five-year deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Agent Mike McCartney confirmed the agreement on Twitter. 
Sanu, a third round pick of the Bengals in the 2012 draft, totaled 152 receptions and 15 touchdowns in Cincy. Eleven of those scores came as a receiver, while he also ran and passed for two apiece. The 26-year-old took a backseat in the Bengals’ passing game last season to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones, catching 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs. He was far more productive in 2014, though, putting up career bests in catches (56), receiving yards (790), YPC (14.1) and TDs (five).
He’s a good bet to return to similar form as the Falcons’ top option behind Julio Jones. That spot has been cleared for him now that the Falcons have released Roddy White. White made four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2010, when he caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, the 34-year-old’s production has fallen off in recent years, leading Atlanta to seek out alternatives.
Sanu is the second Bengals wideout to depart Cincinnati this week, joining M. Jones – who’s headed to the Lions on a five-year, $40MM accord. Prior to free agency, Sanu ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available receiver, putting him behind M. Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, and Jermaine Kearse. He earned honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 List of NFL Free Agents.
Prior to signing with the Falcons, Sanu was also pursued by the Patriots.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: RG3, Rams, Chiefs
The latest free agent rumors:
- Robert Griffin III would “very much” like to play for the Rams in Los Angeles, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter). The 49ers and the Broncos have also been connected to Griffin this week.
- Despite outside interest, Tamba Hali says that he gave no thought at all to leaving the Chiefs, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Falcons were reportedly a finalist for his services.
- Stevan Ridley‘s market continues to unfold but the Patriots haven’t shown interest in a reunion, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Still, Howe (link) points out that the Patriots reached out to Ridley late last offseason before he joined the Jets, so nothing can be completely ruled out, even though that union is still unlikely. Ridley racked up 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground back in 2012 for the Pats.
- The Ravens reviewed eight free agent tight ends but after watching a handful of plays from Ben Watson on tape, they determined that he was their guy, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Eagles‘ interest in defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is “tepid,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Eagles haven’t ruled out a return, however.
- The Seahawks are interested in guard Ted Larsen, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As we learned yesterday, Larsen will also take a visit with the 49ers.
Falcons Sign Derrick Shelby
THURSDAY, 8:44am: The Falcons have officially signed Shelby, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 7:27pm: The Dolphins featured two defensive ends that received top-25 grades from Pro Football Focus last season. Both will suit up for other teams next season, the second such defection coming in the form of Derrick Shelby‘s decision to sign with the Falcons, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Atlanta’s adding Shelby on a four-year, $18MM deal that could be worth as much as $21MM and contains $7.5MM in guaranteed money. The contract contains a $5MM signing bonus, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Shelby joins Olivier Vernon as four-year Dolphins who received significant raises by signing with other teams today, with Vernon’s mammoth pact with the Giants overshadowing Shelby’s.
But Shelby, who took over for Cameron Wake in Miami’s lineup once the veteran defensive end was lost for the season, started eight games and performed well. PFF rated the former UDFA as its No. 23 overall edge-rusher despite Shelby starting just one game in his previous three seasons.
Shelby recorded 3.5 sacks after registering 5.5 in 2013-14 as a backup. The Falcons finished last in the league, accruing just 19 sacks as a team last season.
Falcons Sign Adrian Clayborn To Two-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 8:43am: The Falcons have officially announced their deal with Clayborn.
WEDNESDAY, 8:54am: The Falcons and defensive end Adrian Clayborn have agreed to a two-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport adds (on Twitter) that Clayborn will get a $9MM base with a chance to max out at $14MM. Clayborn is the second defensive end signing the Falcons have made today, joining Derrick Shelby.
Clayborn, whom the Falcons inked to a $4.5MM deal last winter, started in five of 16 appearances for the club during the 2015-16 campaign and logged 15 tackles and three sacks. The 27-year-old was also third among the Falcons’ defensive linemen in snaps (523) and earned a decent ranking (53rd out of 110 qualifying edge defenders) at Pro Football Focus (sub. required). Clayborn’s most productive years came in 2011 (42 tackles, 7.5 sacks) and 2013 (64 tackles, 5.5 sacks), both of which were spent in Tampa. He was the Bucs’ first-round pick in 2011.
Free Agent Visits: Ayers, C. Long, Whitehead
With most top available pass rushers having flown off the board early on in the free agent period, defensive end Robert Ayers is in position to cash in with a team that missed out on that first wave of edge rushers. Ayers has a visit lined up with the Buccaneers, but that’s not the only meeting on his schedule.
Accordingn to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Ayers plans to remain in Florida following his visit with the Bucs, heading to Miami for a visit with the Dolphins. Miami has already signed one veteran defensive end in Mario Williams this week, but the team has also lost Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby, who each saw significant playing time in 2015. So the club could use another end to add to a group that already features Williams and Cameron Wake.
As we wait to see if Ayers ends up landing with a team in the Sunshine State, let’s round up the latest news on a few more free agent visits…
- Defensive end Chris Long, who has already paid a visit to Washington, will visit with the Falcons today, according to ESPN’s Trey Wingo (Twitter link). Wingo’s colleague, Adam Schefter, reported on Wednesday that Long would be meeting with the Cowboys this week, but it appears that visit is either on hold or is not happening.
- The Buccaneers are hosting linebacker Tahir Whitehead on a visit today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. If Tampa Bay were to get something done with Whitehead, he would be a nice addition to a linebacking corps that features Lavonte David.
- Free agent offensive tackle Andre Smith is expected to visit the Vikings next week, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson cautions that the situation is fluid, but says Smith is definitely on Minnesota’s radar. The Vikes have already fortified their offensive line by striking a deal with Alex Boone, but they continue to look for upgrades.
- The Seahawks are hosting defensive tackle Cam Thomas for a visit today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes that Seattle may view the former Steeler as an affordable replacement for Brandon Mebane, who agreed to sign with San Diego.
NFC Contract Details: Vernon, Jenkins, Mack
Here are some of the latest details on many recent agreed-upon and signed contracts from out of the NFC (all links via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post unless otherwise indicated)…
NFC East:
- Olivier Vernon, DE (Giants): Five years, $85MM. $52.5MM guaranteed. $20MM signing bonus. $7MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2016 league year (Twitter links).
- Janoris Jenkins, CB (Giants): Five years, $62.5MM. $28.8MM guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $1.4MM base salary in 2016 (Twitter link).
- Brandon Brooks, G (Eagles): Five years, $40MM. $21MM guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus. $1MM base salary in 2016 and $5MM base salary in 2017 fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
- Chase Daniel, QB (Eagles): Three years, $21MM base value. $36MM max value. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due on March 14. $3MM base escalators in 2017 and 2018 (Twitter link).
- Colt McCoy, QB (Washington): Three years, $9MM base value. Third year can be voided based on playing time. $1.8MM signing bonus. $1MM annually in playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
- Ron Brooks, CB (Eagles): Three years, $5.5MM. $1.55MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus (Twitter link).
NFC South:
- Alex Mack, C (Falcons): Five years, $45MM. $28.5MM guaranteed. $11.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link)
- Coby Fleener, TE (Saints): Five years, $36MM. $18MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Mike Tolbert, FB (Panthers): Two years, $3.3MM. $700K signing bonus. Up to $200K in annual playing-time incentives (Twitter links).
- Charles Johnson, DE (Panthers): One year, $3MM. $2MM base salary. $1MM in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
NFC North:
- Marvin Jones, WR (Lions): Five years, $40MM. $20MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Alex Boone, G (Vikings): Four years, $26.8MM. $10MM guaranteed. Annual $100K workout bonus (Twitter link).
- Danny Trevathan, LB (Bears): Four years, $24.5MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus due on March 14 (Twitter link).
- Michael Griffin, S (Vikings): One year, $2.5MM. $250K signing bonus. $500K of $1.65MM base salary guaranteed. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter links).
- Tavon Wilson, S (Lions): Two years, $2.2MM. $500K signing bonus. Up to $500K in annual playing-time incentives (Twitter link).
NFC West:
- Mark Barron, OLB (Rams): Five years, $45MM. $20MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- William Hayes, DE (Rams): Three years, $17.5MM. $10MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus due on March 13 (Twitter link).
- Tyvon Branch, S (Cardinals): Two years, $8MM. $1MM signing bonus. $1.75MM roster bonus in 2016, $1MM roster bonus in 2017 (Twitter link).
- Tim Barnes, C (Rams): Two years, $5.6MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.25MM roster bonus due in four days. $750K roster bonus due on third day of 2017 league year guaranteed for injury, skill; becomes fully guaranteed if on roster June 17. Up to $1MM in annual playing-time incentives. $250K annual Pro Bowl incentive (all Twitter links).
- Brian Quick, WR (Rams): One year, $1.75MM. $1.5MM guaranteed ($1.25MM bas salary, $250K roster bonus due on March 15). $2MM stats incentive (Twitter link).