AFC Contract Details: Osweiler, Ivory, Iloka
Here are the latest updates on many recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the AFC:
AFC West:
- Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Jaye Howard, DT (Chiefs): Two years, $10MM. $8.26MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus. $3.27MM guaranteed at signing for injury. Pro Bowl escalator worth up to $2MM $12,500 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $200K in 2016. $15,625 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $250K in 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Dwight Lowery, S (Chargers): Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Frank Zombo, LB (Chiefs): Three years, $3.6MM. $500K signing bonus. Roster bonus of $100K in 2016 and $150K the next two seasons (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC South:
- Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): Four years, $72MM. $37MM fully guaranteed in first two years – $21MM in 2016 ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM roster bonus, $4MM salary), $16MM in 2017. The remaining $35MM is non-guaranteed, including $18MM salary in 2018 and $13MM in 2019. Deal includes a $4MM roster bonus due March 2019 (all Twitter links courtesy of USA Today’s Tom Pelissero).
- Chris Ivory, RB (Jaguars): Five years, $32MM. $10MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Jeff Allen, G (Texans): Four years, $28MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due this month. Annual per-game roster bonus worth $31,250 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Brad Nortman, P (Jaguars): Four years, $8.8MM. $1.65MM guaranteed. $650K roster bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC North:
- George Iloka, S (Bengals): Five years, $30MM. $5MM guaranteed. $3MM bonus. Due a $2.5MM bonus March 14 (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Steelers): Three years, $3.8MM. $400K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC East:
- Richie Incognito, G (Bills): Three years, $15.75MM. $3.45MM signing bonus. $2MM base salary in 2016 is fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonuses in each season (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Isa Abdul-Quddus, S (Dolphins): Three years, $12.75MM. $2.5MM signing bonus. $6MM in guarantees (Twitter link via Wilson).
- James Develin, FB (Patriots): One year, $750K. $150K playing time incentives. $50K signing bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
FA Rumors: Hicks, Bears, Vikings, Jets, 49ers
Let’s check in on the latest free agent rumors on a hectic Wednesday night in the NFL:
- The Bears could be setting up a visit with defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Bears general manager Ryan Pace and player personnel director Josh Lucas were in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hicks in 2012. New Orleans traded Hicks to the Patriots last season, and he proved to be a terrific buy-low pickup in his 13 games with the Pats. Hicks amassed three sacks and earned positive marks for his performance from Pro Football Focus. The site (subscription required) ranked Hicks as its 14th-best D-tackle.
- Even after signing guards Alex Boone and Mike Harris, the Vikings aren’t done addressing their offensive line, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports reports (on Twitter).
- Running back Lance Dunbar will visit the 49ers, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Dunbar spent the first four years of his career in Dallas, with which he accrued 900-plus total yards. He missed most of last season with a torn ACL.
- In other Vikings news, cornerback Marcus Sherels – who has spent the first six seasons of his career with Minnesota – will visit the Jets and possibly another team, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Tomasson doesn’t rule out a Vikings return for Sherels, who has started in six of his 81 regular-season games with the club.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/16
Not every move on free agency’s first day is a big splash. Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Sam Young to a one-year, $760K deal, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Young, a six-year veteran, is coming off his first 16-game season. He has made nine starts over the last two years, giving him 16 for his career.
- Although the Rams did not tender offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, they re-signed him, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets. A 26-year-old center/guard hybrid, Folkerts spent 2015 in St. Louis and 2013-14 with the Panthers.
- The 49ers have signed quarterback Thaddeus Lewis to a one-year deal, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Lewis, 28, was on the Eagles’ roster when Chip Kelly was their head coach last season. The two are now reunited in San Francisco. Lewis has appeared in seven NFL games, though none since 2014, made six starts, and tossed five touchdowns against four interceptions.
- The Rams have re-signed safety Cody Davis to a two-year deal, according to the Los Angeles Daily News’ Vincent Bonsignore (Twitter link). Davis joined the team as an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech in 2013 and has since appeared in 43 games (zero starts).
- The Bears have re-signed running back Jacquizz Rodgers and offensive tackle Nick Becton to one-year contracts, per their Twitter account. Rodgers totaled 41 yards on 14 carries for Chicago last season. He spent 2014 in Atlanta, with which he rushed for over 1,100 yards and five touchdowns. Becton appeared in five games for the Bears last season. His only other appearance came in 2013 with the Chargers.
Chiefs Working To Re-Sign Sean Smith
Even after agreeing to new deals with Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Jaye Howard over the last two days, the Chiefs still aren’t finished trying to keep one of the NFL’s premier defenses in place. The club is now making a push to bring back standout free agent cornerback Sean Smith, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).
Paylor notes (via Twitter) that the Smith sweepstakes is down to three teams. As of earlier today, the Chiefs were competing 
with the Raiders and 49ers for his services.
Although relatively young (28), Smith has already amassed 100 NFL starts in 108 appearances since the Dolphins took him in the second round of the 2009 draft. Smith signed with the Chiefs on a three-year, $16.5MM deal in 2013 and has since added five interceptions, giving him 10 for his career, while making 44 starts in 45 appearances. Thirteen of those starts came last season, when the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder finished an outstanding 12th at Pro Football Focus among 111 qualifying cornerbacks (subscription required).
Thanks to his efforts since signing in Kansas City three years ago, Smith is guaranteed to land a significant raise sometime soon, perhaps as much as $12MM annually (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle). Entering free agency, PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Smith as the ninth-best player available. Among corners, only Janoris Jenkins had a higher ranking (fourth). Jenkins has since agreed to a five-year, $62.5MM contract with the Giants.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chargers Re-Sign Kellen Clemens
The Chargers have re-signed quarterback Kellen Clemens to a one-year deal, the team announced in a press release. Clemens will serve as Philip Rivers‘ backup for the third straight season.
In his first two seasons in San Diego, Clemens attempted just nine passes in four games. He saw extensive action in 2013 with the Rams, starting nine games and tossing eight touchdowns against seven interceptions. In 44 career appearances (21 starts), the 10-year veteran has 16 TDs and 20 picks. The ex-Oregon Duck entered the league as a second-round pick of the Jets in 2006.
Chiefs, Frank Zombo Agree To Three-Year Deal
Shortly after agreeing to a three-year deal with linebacker Derrick Johnson, the Chiefs have reached a three-year pact with fellow LB Frank Zombo, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Zombo’s deal is worth $3.6MM and includes another possible $750K in incentives, per Pelissero.
Zombo, 29, began his career with the Packers as an undrafted free agent from Central Michigan in 2010. After a three-year stint in Green Bay, he joined the Chiefs in 2013 and has since appeared in 48 straight regular-season games. Zombo logged two starts last season and amassed three sacks, the second-highest total of his career. He also played an impressive 80.9 percent of special teams plays for Kansas City and racked up nine ST tackles.
Eagles, Nigel Bradham Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Eagles and free agent linebacker Nigel Bradham have agreed to a deal, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It’s a two-year accord, per Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). Financial details are not yet available.
Bradham’s decision to sign with Philadelphia will reunite him with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The two were together in Buffalo in 2014, when Bradham posted easily the best season of his four-year career. The ex-Florida State Seminole 
totaled 104 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception in 14 games under Schwartz, also earning a reserve spot on Pro Football Focus’ Pro Bowl team. Bradham’s performance fell off significantly without Schwartz last season, as he struggled to fit into the Bills’ Rex Ryan-led defense. The 26-year-old totaled 45 fewer tackles (59) and one sack in 11 games, ranking 81st out of 97 qualifying LBs at PFF.
In Philadelphia, Bradham figures to garner significant playing time in a linebacking corps that no longer features his ex-Buffalo teammate Kiko Alonso, whom the Eagles traded to Miami earlier today. Bradham will join a high-upside group featuring Mychal Kendricks and Jordan Hicks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Offered Brock Osweiler $64MM+
5:37pm: Broncos general manager John Elway doesn’t sound too broken up about Osweiler’s exit.
“We’ve stayed true to our philosophy of building a team with players who want to be Denver Broncos and want to be here. That’s been a successful approach for us,” he said (link via Andrew Mason of the Broncos’ website).
On Elway’s attempt to keep Osweiler, the GM said, “While we did offer a very competitive and fair long-term contract to Brock, we ultimately had to remain disciplined while continuing to assemble a roster that can compete for championships.”
Elway went on to acknowledge that the Broncos are exploring other options.
“We’ve now turned our attention to other options at quarterback and are confident that we’ll find the right player and person for our team. Our organization thanks Brock for his contributions and wishes him all the best.”
5:15pm: Prior to Brock Osweiler‘s decision to accept a four-year, $72MM offer from the Texans, the Broncos offered the quarterback a contract for the same length and less money (upward of $64MM), reports Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). That came after the Broncos submitted a three-year, $45MM offer to Osweiler. Denver’s $64MM-plus pitch included $30MM in guarantees – less than the $37MM Osweiler will receive from the Texans (Twitter link via Klis).
Osweiler’s choice to leave Denver after four years as Peyton Manning’s backup came as no surprise to members of the 
organization, per Klis, who tweets that he stopped returning phone calls to some teammates and coaches over the last two weeks. Osweiler, 25, will now start anew without having to live in the shadow of Manning, which was a factor in his decision, according to Klis.
With Manning having retired and Osweiler gone, the Broncos are essentially bereft under center – an odd position to be in for a reigning Super Bowl winner. Their incumbent starter is 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian, who has never thrown an NFL pass, but his spot atop the depth chart isn’t exactly set in stone.
The recently released Robert Griffin III is on the Broncos’ list of replacement quarterbacks, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported when news of Osweiler’s departure broke (Twitter link). RG3 could visit Denver this week, per Schefter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Acquire DeMarco Murray
5:14pm: The Titans have officially acquired Murray and the Eagles’ fourth-round pick (15th in the round) from Philadelphia in exchange for Tennessee’s fourth-round pick (second in the round), the Eagles confirmed today (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 10:28am: The Eagles and Titans are expected to swap fourth-round picks as part of this deal, tweets Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic. That would allow Philadelphia to move up 13 spots in the round, giving the club the second pick on Day 3 of the draft.
TUESDAY, 6:08pm: Murray’s new contract has a four-year term and base value of $25.5MM, $12.5MM of which is guaranteed, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds that it’s unclear whether or not that $12.5MM is fully guaranteed. Escalators can push the total value to $33MM.
For comparison’s sake, Murray had $31MM remaining on his old deal — $12MM of that total was guaranteed, and further $9MM of that was fully guaranteed.
MONDAY, 7:47pm: Even with Kelly out of the equation, Murray had been pressuring the Eagles to trade him since the season ended, tweets ESPN’s Ed Werder.
6:10pm: The Titans are finalizing a trade to acquire running back DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on what the Eagles will get in return. The deal will be consummated Wednesday, the first day of the league year, and will also include a new contract for Murray, his agency, SportsTrust Advisors, announced (Twitter link). However, Murray’s guarantees won’t change, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). He’s due $7MM in 2016 and $7.5MM from 2017-19.
The Eagles shopped Murray over the last few weeks, per Rapoport (Twitter link), after the 28-year-old experienced a disastrous 
season in Philadelphia. Murray inked a five-year, $42MM deal to leave Dallas for Philly last offseason. At the time, Murray was coming off a season in which he earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors thanks to a 392-carry, 1,845-yard, 13-touchdown showing. All of Murray’s numbers dropped precipitously under Chip Kelly, though, as he amassed 199 fewer attempts (193), over 1,100 fewer yards (702), and finished with six scores. Murray also averaged just 3.6 yards per rush, a full yard below his five-year career mark.
The Cowboys discussed the idea of reacquiring Murray, but that idea didn’t go very far, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
In Tennessee, Murray will join a club that ranked 25th in rushing yards last season and 17th in per-carry average. Quarterback Marcus Mariota beefed up both stats, though, with his lofty 7.4 YPC. Their running back corps was much less threatening. Antonio Andrews led Titans backs in attempts (143), yards (520) and touchdowns (three). He matched Murray with a paltry 3.6 YPC.
The Murray trade is one of at least two the Eagles will finalize Wednesday. We learned earlier today that they will send cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso, two other Kelly acquisitions from last winter, to the Dolphins for draft-pick compensation. The Eagles might also deal running back Ryan Mathews, but that could change with Murray on the outs. Mathews was also a Kelly pickup a year ago. Regardless of whether Mathews exits, it’s clear that Eagles vice president Howie Roseman and Kelly’s replacement, Doug Pederson, are taking the club’s roster in a vastly different direction than it went in under Kelly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Re-Sign Tim Barnes
5:07pm: Barnes will get a new two-year deal worth $5.5MM, with $3.25MM guaranteed, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas adds that the max value of the contract is $9MM. The team has officially confirmed Barnes’ signing.
3:58pm: The Rams have re-signed center Tim Barnes to a two-year deal, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Financial details aren’t yet available.
Since signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2012, Barnes has appeared in 61 of a possible 64 regular-season games and logged 20 starts. Sixteen of those starts came last season, when he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 29th-best center (39 qualifiers).