Jack Doyle To Reach Free Agency
The Colts lost their top pass-catching tight end from 2015, Coby Fleener, to free agency last March. It now looks as if their No. 1 receiving tight end from 2016, Jack Doyle, will follow in Fleener’s footsteps this year. The Colts have attempted to lock up Doyle, but he’ll hit the open market, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Free agency comes at a fortuitous time for the soon-to-be 27-year-old Doyle, who’s coming off easily the most productive of his four NFL seasons. After hauling in a combined 42 receptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns over his first three years, Doyle amassed 59 catches, 584 yards and five scores in 2016. Doyle also piled up 75 targets, which finished second among Colts. The 6-foot-5, 254-pounder served as an above-average run blocker, too, though his pass blocking was subpar, according to Pro Football Focus.
Along with Doyle, this year’s class of free agent tight ends is set to include Martellus Bennett, Jared Cook and Vernon Davis, among others (PFR ranks Doyle behind only Bennett and Cook). Speculatively, despite having a lesser track record, Doyle could attempt to parlay both his 2016 output and the rising salary cap into a deal similar to the lucrative pacts Fleener and Colts teammate Dwayne Allen landed a year ago. Fleener inked a five-year, $36MM contract with $14.6MM in guarantees, while Allen secured a four-year, $29MM agreement with $16MM guaranteed.
T.J. Lang Plans To Test Free Agency
As of two weeks ago, impending free agent guard T.J. Lang hadn’t “heard a word” from the Packers about a new contract that would keep him off the open market. Lang updated his status Tuesday, telling ESPN Wisconsin’s “Wilde & Tausch” that his agent and the Packers have since had “good contact.” Nevertheless, Lang anticipates reaching free agency (via Jason Wilde of ESPN.com).
“I think every player, once they get to this point, it’s just smart business to go out and check out the market and see what you’re actually worth,” Lang said. “Because that’s the only time as a player that you get to see what your true value is — when you actually hit the open market and you get other teams letting you know what they think of you and letting you know where you rank amongst everybody else in the league.”
While Lang could leave the Packers as early as March 9, he plans on giving them a chance to match any offers he might receive as a free agent.
Continued Lang: “We told Green Bay all along that we’ll keep them updated on any other offers that come in, and really at that point it would just be, ‘Hey, this is what we’ve got sitting on the table, can you guys compete with it?’ Obviously we’re going to give them the first right of refusal. [We will] let them know, ‘Can you come close? Can you match it? This is what we’ve got, this is what the market’s set at.’
The 29-year-old Lang has spent his entire NFL career in Green Bay since it selected him in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. In 119 regular-season appearances, Lang has logged 94 starts. The last time he didn’t start a game he was healthy for came in 2010, and Lang has recorded at least 13 starts in each of the past six seasons. Lang has been a high-end blocker along the way, most recently picking up a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 after ranking eighth among Pro Football Focus’ 72 qualified guards. He now ranks as PFR’s second-best unsigned guard and figures to rake in a substantial payday in the coming weeks.
Jared Odrick Visited Patriots
Free agent defensive end Jared Odrick visited Monday with the Patriots, with whom he passed a physical, reports Mike Kaye of WLTV. The Patriots now have “real” interest in signing the 29-year-old, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
New England is the first team to publicly court Odrick since the Jaguars released him last week. In doing so, the Jaguars saved $8.5MM against the cap in 2017 and brought an end to a disappointing tenure in Jacksonville for Odrick. After signing a five-year, $42.5MM contract with the Jags in 2015, the ex-Dolphin totaled 32 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 22 games (all starts). He missed 10 contests last year with injuries, which ended a streak of five straight 16-game seasons.
The Patriots could lose a pair of established defensive ends, Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long, when free agency opens March 9. In that event, adding Odrick would give the Pats a fallback option at the position. Odrick has amassed 63 starts, 23 sacks and five forced fumbles since entering the NFL in 2010.
Extra Points: Bills, Redskins, Bengals, 49ers
Bills general manager Doug Whaley might be content to go into 2017 with Cardale Jones at quarterback, but the team is only going to release Tyrod Taylor if rookie head coach Sean McDermott signs off on it, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Whaley and McDermott have equal say in how the Bills assemble their roster, per Carucci, who notes the coach hired an offensive coordinator, Rick Dennison, who might be able to get more out of Taylor. Dennison is a Taylor fan, having previously coached him in Baltimore, and Albert Breer of The MMQB senses that the coordinator would like for Buffalo to continue with Taylor under center.
More from around the NFL:
- The Redskins haven’t engaged in negotiations with any of their impending free agents yet, but talks will take place at next week’s combine, reports Mike Jones of Washington Post. John Keim of ESPN.com passed along slightly different information earlier this month, writing that the Redskins had held discussions with unsigned tight end Vernon Davis. Regardless, no deal has materialized for Davis, who’s on a list of UFAs that also includes quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, and defensive lineman Chris Baker.
- The torn ACL Giovani Bernard suffered in November could help spur the Bengals to select a running back as early as Round 1 of the draft, writes Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. Neither Bernard nor Jeremy Hill reached the 4.0 yards-per-carry mark last year, though the former posted strong pass-catching numbers and the latter scored nine touchdowns. Hill is set to enter the last year of his contract in 2017, while Rex Burkhead is on track to hit free agency next month after putting up a lofty 4.6 YPC on 74 tries in 2016. Head coach Marvin Lewis spoke on both Hill and Burkhead on Friday, telling Geoff Hobson of the team’s website: “We have to coach [Hill] better. We bet on him. We have no other choice. We bet on Jeremy to continue to progress and move forward. Our job is to try and re-sign Rex. That doesn’t affect Jeremy.”
- After spending 12 years with the 49ers, including the past four as their director of college scouting, Matt Malaspina took a job as a college scout with the Packers on Friday, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. In doing so, Malaspina became the second front office member to leave the San Francisco organization this week. The 49ers and assistant general manager Tom Gamble parted ways Wednesday.
- In other 49ers news, defensive tackle Earl Mitchell‘s four-year, $16MM agreement with the club includes $6.5MM in guarantees, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
AFC Notes: Jags, Broncos, Chiefs, Browns
Jaguars vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin said Friday he “doesn’t see any reason” why the team’s trades with the Dolphins involving tight end Julius Thomas and left tackle Branden Albert would fall through before they become official March 9. That indicates Albert has passed a physical with the Jags, notes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Thomas has also passed his with Miami). As for free agency, with upward of $70MM in cap space, Coughlin expects the Jaguars “to be very competitive” in bidding for outside help.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Before defensive tackle Earl Mitchell agreed to a deal with the 49ers on Friday, the Broncos offered him a three-year contract featuring a $4.5MM salary in 2017, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). He ended up with a four-year, $16MM pact that includes $5.5MM next season.
- Kansas City could pursue soon-to-be former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the coming weeks, but it would be unwise to regard the Chiefs as one of the favorites for his services, argues Adam Teichner of ESPN.com. If the Chiefs were to fail in an attempt to reel in Romo, they’d risk causing irreparable damage to their relationship with Smith, opines Teichner. Considering that, the Chiefs might only get involved in the Romo sweepstakes if they’re sure they’re going to come out on top.
- The Browns could turn to quarterback Tyrod Taylor in free agency if the Bills release him, and after studying tape of the dual threat, Dan Labbe of cleveland.com contends that he’s “no less intriguing” than much-ballyhooed New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo. By opting for Taylor, the Browns would save the premium in draft picks they’d have to pay for Garoppolo – whom they’d nonetheless prefer to acquire – and would still have the option of selecting a QB to develop behind Taylor, Labbe writes.
- Tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn’t expect the back injury that kept him out of the Patriots’ lineup from late November onward, including for their Super Bowl-winning playoff run, to limit him in 2017. Gronkowski told ESPN on Friday that there’s “no doubt” he’ll be ready for Week 1. Longer term, the 27-year-old said earlier this month he’d like to play at least six more years, though he wasn’t willing on Friday to put a number on how much longer he’ll last. “I mean, I still love playing the game, and as of right now, I want to play as long as I possibly could play,” Gronkowski said. “My mindset is to keep on going” (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI).
49ers Sign Earl Mitchell
The 49ers are making a free agency splash well before March 9: The club has agreed to a four-year, $16MM deal with defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). The team announced the signing of the veteran lineman Saturday.
Mitchell, who will enter his age-30 season in 2017, came available when the Dolphins released him last week. The 49ers were among several teams to show interest in Mitchell, who also visited with the Seahawks, Broncos and Falcons. Mitchell would have made $4MM next season had the Dolphins retained him, but he’ll now rake in $5.5MM as a Niner, per Garafolo.
A seven-year veteran who went in the third round of the 2010 draft, Mitchell divided his career between Houston and Miami before reaching a deal with the 49ers. He has collected 100 appearances, 38 starts and 5.5 sacks to this point, and is coming off a season in which he only played nine games on account of a calf injury.
In his previous trip to free agency, in 2014, Mitchell landed a richer deal – four years and $19MM – though he did it as an in-his-prime player fresh off a 14-start season. While the full details of his new pact aren’t yet known, Mitchell has landed an impressive payday in the wake of both an injury-shortened season and a release. He’ll now join a 49ers defense that finished last season 28th in DVOA and will attempt to turn things around under new coordinator Robert Saleh.
NFC Notes: Vikings, Redskins, Eagles
Vikings general manager Rick Spielman hasn’t yet spoken with Adrian Peterson‘s agent regarding the running back’s future, but that will change at next week’s combine, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Peterson is due a $6MM roster bonus March 11, two days after the market opens, and Spielman said Thursday that the seven-time Pro Bowler’s fate will become known prior to free agency. Spielman will also meet with the agent for cornerback Terence Newman next week, relays Cole. Newman is coming off his age-38 season, in which he totaled 38 tackles and an interception across 15 appearances (nine starts), and is on track to hit free agency. The 2016 campaign was Newman’s second in Minnesota, which re-upped him to a $3MM pact last March.
More on the Vikings and two other NFC franchises:
- The likelihood is that the Redskins won’t retain safety DeAngelo Hall at his $5MM-plus cap hit for 2017, according to Rich Tandler of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The club will either release the 33-year-old, which would save $4.25MM, or keep him at a lesser rate, Tandler suggests. Hall sat out 13 games last season on account of a late-September ACL tear and has missed a combined 31 contests since 2014.
- Wide receiver Josh Doctson, another member of the Redskins who wasn’t much of a factor in 2016, is making encouraging progress in his recovery from a strained right Achilles’ tendon, details Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Doctson hasn’t had any setbacks since doctors cleared him to run earlier this month, and the Redskins “are closely monitoring his progress” with fellow wideouts Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson set to reach the open market. After going 22nd in last year’s draft, Doctson missed all but two games and caught two passes as a rookie.
- While Eagles pass rusher Connor Barwin has expressed a willingness to take a pay cut to remain in Philadelphia, it’s time for both sides to move on, opines Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com. Barwin probably wouldn’t accept enough of a reduction from the $7.75MM he’s due next season to make keeping him worthwhile for the team, writes Zangaro, who notes that getting rid of the 30-year-old would open up more playing time for Vinny Curry. Overall, Barwin has been quite productive during his four-year stint with the Eagles, but his numbers declined last season in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s scheme. Thus, Zangaro argues that Barwin deserves to play in a defense that’s more suited to his abilities. The eight-year veteran won’t have any difficulty finding a job if the Eagles do let him go.
- Although they had interest in Alterraun Verner when he was on the open market in 2015, the Vikings have not reached out to the cornerback’s reps at this point, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Verner became a free agent when the Buccaneers released him Thursday.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Redskins Interested In Kenny Britt
The Redskins are in danger of losing two of their best wide receivers, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, when free agency opens March 9. With that in mind, the club has interest in another high-profile soon-to-be free agent, the Rams’ Kenny Britt, reports JP Finlay of CSN Mid-Atlantic.
[RELATED: 2017’s Top Offensive Free Agents]
Despite being a member of the worst offense in the NFL last season, Britt logged personal bests in catches (68), targets (111) and yards (1,002), and he posted the second-highest touchdown total of his eight-year career (five). Thanks to his success in 2016, Britt could command in the range of $8MM to $12MM per annum on a multiyear contract, sources told Finlay. Garcon and Jackson, who each tallied production in Britt’s neighborhood last year, figure to rake in similar amounts on their next deals.
Unlike the 28-year-old Britt, Garcon and Jackson had the benefit of playing with a high-end quarterback, fellow impending free agent Kirk Cousins, last season. Britt is mindful of Cousins’ murky status and would only want to join the Redskins if the signal-caller stays in Washington, according to Finlay. Even retaining Cousins wouldn’t guarantee anything for the Redskins with respect to Britt, as Finlay notes that at least seven other clubs are currently targeting the 6-foot-3, 223-pounder.
Extra Points: Bouye, Texans, Tannehill, Kelly
The Texans are unlikely to place the ~$14.297MM franchise tag on pending free agent A.J. Bouye, which the cornerback understands. “Like my agent told me, it’s about the market value. If you’re not set to make that amount in the franchise tag, then the Texans have to do what they have to do,” Bouye told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “We made some moves last offseason and spent some money. We have guys, other corners, No. 25 [Kareem Jackson], No. 24 [Johnathan Joseph] and No. 30 [Kevin Johnson]. On top of trying to bring me back, they also have to take care of Hopkins, take care of Clowney when his deal is up.” If the Texans don’t tag Bouye, the 25-year-old could price himself off the team on a long-term deal once he reaches the open market. Even though he only has 19 starts to his name, Bouye’s “going to get paid a lot of money” because “everybody in the league knows how good he is,” an NFL personnel department executive informed Wilson.
More from around football (and a relevant baseball note):
- As expected, the knee injury that sidelined Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill for the tail end of last season, including the team’s wild-card round loss to the Steelers, won’t be a problem going forward. Tannehill is now fully healed from his partially torn ACL/Grade 2 MCL sprain and will be able to participate in the Dolphins’ entire offseason program, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Because he pleaded guilty to a non-criminal charge of disorderly conduct in January 2015, former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly isn’t allowed to participate in next week’s scouting combine in Indianapolis. However, Kelly’s agent, Vance McAlister, is still working to land an invitation for his client, details Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. If that doesn’t happen, Kelly and McAlister might travel to Indy anyway. “We are talking with all the teams that have already expressed interest to see what their thoughts are to make a decision,” said McAlister, who believes Kelly deserves an opportunity to meet with each team and let the clubs decide if he’s worth drafting. “I’ll be the first to tell you, Chad has had to grow up and has made some mistakes because of his immaturity. No question about that,” continued McAlister. “But for me, it’s up to the 32 teams to decide whether he has learned from his mistakes or grown. Nobody would be writing a story or talking about this if Chad didn’t have the talent. And by no means are we trying to justify any of his behavior of what he has done in the past. But that’s for teams to talk to him, ask him the questions and decide.”
- Onetime NFL defensive back Sanders Commings will attempt to break into Major League Baseball as an outfielder, having agreed to join the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract, writes Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. The soon-to-be 27-year-old could have taken a shot at a baseball career much earlier, as the Arizona Diamondbacks selected him in the 37th round of the 2008 MLB draft, but he instead chose to play football at Georgia. After his time with the Bulldogs ended, Commings went to Kansas City in the fifth round of the NFL draft in 2013. Commings appeared in the only two games of his pro football career that year with the Chiefs, who waived him in December 2015.
- Jaguars offensive tackle Josh Wells‘ new deal is a two-year, $1.52MM pact featuring $75K in guarantees, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/23/17
Thursday’s minor moves:
- The Lions have announced the signing of offensive tackle Pierce Burton to an undisclosed contract. Burton, who went undrafted in 2014, previously spent time on the practice squads of the Vikings, Falcons, Panthers and Colts. The ex-Ole Miss standout hasn’t yet appeared in an NFL game.