Contract Details: Culliver, Browner, Cameron
Here are some key contract details for a few notable new pacts agreed to and/or signed over the last few days:
NFC deals:
- Chris Culliver, CB (Washington): Four years, $32MM base value. $16MM fully guranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Brooks Reed, LB (Falcons): Five years, $22.5MM base value. $6.9MM fully guaranteed. $4.7MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Brandon Browner, CB (Saints): Three years, $15MM base value. $7.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ryan Mathews, RB (Eagles): Three years, $11MM base value. $5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Terrance Knighton, DT (Washington): One year, $4MM. $2MM signing bonus (link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
AFC deals:
- Jordan Cameron, TE (Dolphins): Two years, $15MM base value. $5MM fully guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $2.5MM per-game roster bonuses in 2015 (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
- Rahim Moore, S (Texans): Three years, $12MM base value. $4.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter links via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle and Wilson).
- Justin Forsett, RB (Ravens): Three years, $9MM base value. $2.1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
FA Rumors: Spiller, Bowe, Falcons, Ridley
The rumors connecting C.J. Spiller to New Orleans continue to trickle in on Friday. After we heard on Wednesday that the Saints are “in the mix” for the former Bills running back, a Thursday report indicated that the team is “very high” on him. Today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that strong interest is mutual.
The Saints have already re-signed Mark Ingram to a $4MM annual salary, and were cap-strapped heading into this week, but the team has made a number of cost-cutting moves, and could have more on the way. Spiller will likely command a deal in the same neighborhood as Ingram’s, so it’s possible that New Orleans will have the flexibility to complete such a deal, but nothing’s finalized yet.
Here’s more on free agency:
- Following up on a Thursday report which suggested that the Browns have interest in Dwayne Bowe, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) classifies Cleveland’s interest in Bowe as “strong.” Even after adding Brian Hartline in free agency, the Browns are probably in need of at least one more starting wide receiver.
- After paying a visit to the Broncos, free agent safety Darian Stewart is headed to Atlanta to visit the Falcons, source tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver had been hoping to lock up Stewart to help replace the departing Rahim Moore, but the former Raven continues to weigh his options.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds (via Twitter) that the Falcons also plan on bringing in a tight end for a visit today, though it’s not clear exactly who that player will be.
- Stevan Ridley and the Cowboys could be a good match on a one-year, prove-it deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds (via Twitter) that there’s “definitely interest” on both sides, but nothing is brewing at this point. Even if the Cowboys add a veteran free agent at running back, they’ll probably plan on addressing the position in the draft.
- Veteran guard Justin Blalock had a good visit with the Lions, and also continues to draw interest from the Rams and Titans, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. We heard earlier in the week that the former Falcons guard had a visit with the Rams on his docket, so perhaps he’s headed to St. Louis next.
Falcons To Sign O’Brien Schofield
The Falcons have agreed to terms with linebacker O’Brien Schofield, according to Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (via Twitter). Schofield had been drawing interest from a number of teams, but it appears that he has decided to follow his former defensive coordinator to Atlanta.
On Wednesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter learned from Schofield‘s agent that four teams were trying to sign him. Schofield, coming off of a solid year with the Seahawks, has been ticketed for Atlanta for some time thanks to his relationship with Dan Quinn. Schofield recorded 25 total tackles and two sacks last season with the Seahawks and played in all 16 regular season games.
Last offseason, Schofield reached an agreement with the Giants on a two-year contract worth a reported $8MM right after free agency opened, but the deal fell apart when he took a physical. After a strong year in Seattle, he wound up being rather thankful for that occurrence.
“I look at it now, and it probably was one of the bigger blessings of my career because I got the chance to work with this group of guys and these coaches again,’’ the 27-year-old (28 in April) said.
Now, with his deal in Atlanta, he’ll change zip codes but he’ll get to stay with a lot of the same faces.
FA Rumors: Morgan, Orakpo, Cameron
Derrick Morgan won’t be signing with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons are out on Morgan too after signing Adrian Clayborn, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. More free agent news from around the league..
- The Titans are still in the hunt for both Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and their best-case scenario would be to land both edge defenders, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Tight end Jordan Cameron is still in Miami and there’s a lot of mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, his old team, the Browns, remain the mix and a third team is also in the running.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that there has been a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, but it’s unclear if any team besides the Bengals or Vikings have a shot at him. Johnson, of course, played for Cincinnati prior to joining the Bucs last year, and was coached there by Mike Zimmer.
- The Chiefs have had exploratory talks with former Rams center Tim Barnes, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Paylor expects the Chiefs to sign a veteran center, whether it’s Barnes or someone else.
- The Steelers are generally quiet when it comes to free agency and trades, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that they’re exploring options for a kick returner.
Falcons Sign Adrian Clayborn, Phillip Adams
2:15pm: Clayborn’s contract will have a max value of $4.5MM for one year, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
1:45pm: The Falcons have agreed to terms with defensive end Adrian Clayborn, according to Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons (on Twitter) have confirmed the signing of Clayborn while also announcing that they have added cornerback Phillip Adams.
Clayborn, 27 in July, played only one game for the Bucs before being placed on IR last September. He made 16 starts in 2013 at right defensive end and tallied 43 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Clayborn was hoping to establish himself in 2014, his contract year, but he didn’t get the opportunity to show what he can do before hitting open market. The Bucs declined their fifth-year option on the former No. 20 overall pick in April of 2014. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) weren’t all that fond of Clayborn’s performance in 2013, ranking him 47th out of 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.
Adams, 27 in July, spent two seasons with the Raiders before hooking on with the Jets last September. Adams appeared in 12 games for Gang Green, racking up 24 total tackles, three pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and one interception. The former seventh-rounder was Oakland’s primary punt returner in 2012, when he returned 25 punts for 139 yards. He finished the Raiders’ 2013 season with 30 total tackles and a fumble recovery.
Extra Points: Brooks, Johnson, Spiller
There have been whispers that 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks could be a cap casualty, but general manager Trent Baalke made it clear that the player would be back next season.
“There has never been an indication from me otherwise,” Baalke told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “While all that was being written, I just sat back and looked at it because it was speculation based on our cap number and the cash flow that we had leading into free agency. A lot of assumptions were made, but wrongly.”
More notes as we wrap up this Wednesday evening…
- The Buccaneers met with Stefen Wisniewski earlier today, but Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the center left Tampa without a deal. In another tweet, Cummings says the team never intended to sign Wisniewski today.
- In the meantime, Wisniewski will meet with the Seahawks, reports Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Seattle would be in the market for a center after dealing Max Unger yesterday.
- We heard previously that the Saints were in the mix for free agent running back C.J. Spiller. That interest is real, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the former Bills weapon will meet with the organization in New Orleans on Thursday.
- Despite the reported interest in the defensive end, Michael Johnson‘s camp won’t start talking to teams until Thursday, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
- Yahoo’s Rand Getlin reports (via Twitter) the former 49ers defensive back Perrish Cox will meet with the Titans on Friday. The Browns and Washington have previously shown interest.
- Offensive guard Shelley Smith will visit with the Seahawks on Thursday and the Broncos on Friday, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com says (via Twitter) the Falcons are also interested, but haven’t set up an interview.
Zach Links 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).
Falcons To Sign Leonard Hankerson
2:11pm: It’s a one-year, $1MM deal for Hankerson, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
1:47pm: The Falcons and Leonard Hankerson have reached an agreement on a contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Hankerson is Atlanta’s newest receiver. The wideout himself broke the news, tweeting “#RiseUp #DirtyBirds #DoneDeal.”
Hankerson, 26, spent the first four years of his NFL career in Washington after being selected by the club in the third round of the 2011 draft. He was an occasional target in Washington’s passing game in 2012 and 2013, averaging 34 receptions and 459 yards in those two seasons, but he spent most of 2014 on the PUP list recovering from a torn ACL and MCL, and didn’t see any meaningful action after being activated.
In Atlanta, Hankerson figures to compete for the spot in the lineup vacated by No. 3 receiver Harry Douglas, who finalized a deal with the Titans today after being cut by the Falcons. Hankerson will also be reunited with former Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
FA Rumors: Harrison, Williams, Wilson
Many speculated that James Harrison could follow former coach Dick LeBeau to the Titans, and on Wednesday we received confirmation of that. “We are certainly interested,” agent Bill Parise said of his client’s interest in the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “James feels very, very strongly about coach LeBeau. And I know Dick feels the same way. It’s a natural thing. I’m sure the Steelers are still in play, too. It will probably be one of those. I hope it’s one of those. We are not ruling anybody out, but the two logical fits are Tennessee and Pittsburgh. Those are the team teams that make the most sense.” More from around the league..
- Former Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Safety Jimmy Wilson told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he will be visiting the Chargers on Friday. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus is still in talks with the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
- The Rams are still working on Kenny Britt, but there are other teams interested in him as a second choice or a Plan B at wide receiver, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Meanwhile, the Rams are thinking that they could get Joe Barksdale on the rebound, Thomas tweets. The thinking there is that the offensive tackle might be over-estimating his market value.
- Former Eagles free safety Nate Allen will visit the Raiders later today, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets.
- Pass rusher Adrian Clayborn is scheduled to visit the Falcons today, a league source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Seahawks free agent linebacker Heath Farwell, 33, says he plans to continue to play and he believes defensive tackle Kevin Williams, 34, feels the same way, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Farwell wouldn’t name any teams except to say the Vikings aren’t one that has reached out and that the Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing him back.
FA Links: Forsett, Royal, Melton, Cameron
The latest free agent rumors on Day 1 …
- Justin Forsett will be Ravens‘ the primary backfield target after they cleared some cap room, Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson said via Twitter. The runner’s also drawn interest from the Falcons, Colts and Washington. The Colts’ signing Frank Gore today should limit their interest, however.
- Contrary to earlier reports, there is no agreement in place or visit scheduled between Eddie Royal and the Bears, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken on Twitter.
- The Bucs set up three more visits, with the team set to bring in Henry Melton, Stefen Wisniewski and Bruce Carter, Sports Talk Florida’s Jenna Laine reports.
- The Browns remain interested in bringing Jordan Cameron back to be their tight end, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports on Twitter. But ex-Bengals veteran Jermaine Gresham‘s drawn interest from the eastern Ohio team as well. Despite not having a season like Cameron’s 80-catch, 917-yard 2013 on his resume, Gresham’s made two Pro Bowls. But he saw his yards per reception drop drastically to 7.4 last season.
- Leonard Hankerson will visit the Falcons tonight, Yahoo! Sports’ Rand Getlin tweets. Missing all but one game in 2014 to injury, Hankerson played for current Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan with Washington.
- Despite cutting Shelley Smith earlier today, the Dolphins aren’t dismissing the chance at bringing him back at a reduced cost, the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley notes via Twitter. The Dolphins like backup tackle Billy Turner, however.
- The Cardinals will host center A.Q. Shipley, ESPN’s Adam Caplan said on Twitter. The Colts did not tender Shipley, their starting center in 2012 and 2014, a contract offer, sending him to the market.