Mutual Interest Between Bucs, J.J. Wilcox
Mutual interest exists between the Buccaneers and free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, but the Cowboys are now hoping to retain the 26-year-old defensive back after seeing Barry Church sign with the Jaguars, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.
Wilcox appeared in 13 games last year as the Cowboys’ third safety behind Church and Byron Jones, but given that Dallas is reportedly bracing to lose many of its internal free agents, Wilcox appeared to be a goner. But with Church out of the picture, the Cowboys may push harder to re-sign Wilcox, as the club might not be comfortable starting special-teamer Jeff Heath in the back end.
Safety is a definite need area for the Buccaneers, as both Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald are pending free agents. Keith Tandy figures to take at least one of Tampa Bay’s starting safety jobs after playing well down the stretch in 2016, but the club could certainly use another defensive back. Wilcox ranks 12th on PFR’s list of free agent safeties.
Lions To Sign Paul Worrilow
The Lions have agreed to sign linebacker Paul Worrilow to a one-year deal, reports Dave Birket of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
Worrilow, 26, acted as a starter for the Falcons for a three-year run from 2013-15, but last year lost his starting job to rookie Deion Jones. The former undrafted free agent still appeared in 12 games, but made only one start, racking up 18 tackles and two fumble recoveries. Despite not playing much of a role on defense, Worrilow was a stalwart on special teams, where he managed to play on more than half Atlanta’s snaps.
Lions general manager Bob Quinn has shown a willingness to pay for special teams play during his year in the Motor City, and it’s possible that’s the role Worrilow will play in Detroit. But he could also earn an opportunity on defense, where the Lions’ only two established linebackers are Tahir Whitehead and DeAndre Levy, the latter of whom can’t seem to stay healthy. Worrilow is an early-down run thumper, but that position has its value.
Giants, Bills Pursuing Martellus Bennett
The free agent tight end market is heating up, as the Bills and Giants are pursuing Martellus Bennett, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who also confirmed the previously reported interest displayed by the Jaguars. The Titans and Lions are also contacting tight ends , per La Canfora, while the Packers are aiming to retain Jared Cook.
Bennett is reportedly seeking $9MM annually after a 2016 campaign which saw him 701 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for New England. Given that Jack Doyle recently re-signed with the Colts for nearly $7MM per season, Bennett seemingly has every right to ask for $9MM, but a report last month indicated a “real possibility” that Bennett won’t be returning to the Patriots in 2017. Now that New England has acquired Dwayne Allen, Bennett is almost assuredly not returning to the Patriots.
The Giants, meanwhile, are reportedly eyeing all the top tight ends on the free agent market, a list that includes Bennett, Cook, and previously Doyle, and have also expressed interest in Anthony Fasano. The Raiders, too, have been linked to Bennett, who ranks as PFR’s No. 20 overall free agent and No. 1 available tight end.
Bengals Pushing To Re-Sign Dre Kirkpatrick
The Bengals are attempting to re-sign free agent cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds Cincinnati has put “strong money” on the table in an attempt to retain its top defensive back.
Kirkpatrick, a former first-round pick, has rounded into form over the past two seasons after barely playing during his first three NFL campaigns. After starting 29 games from 2015-16, Kirkpatrick has become the Bengals No. 1 corner, and losing him to free agency would represent a devastating blow to the club’s defense. Cincinnati has spent multiple first-round picks on corners in recent years, but neither Darqueze Dennard nor William Jackson has shown much yet. Veteran Adam Jones, meanwhile, could potentially be released following an offseason arrest.
Kirkpatrick, 27, won’t come cheap, as one report indicates his price tag could approach $11MM. The Titans and Steelers are also thought to be interested in his services, although Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes Pittsburgh probably won’t go above $10MM annually to steal away its division rival’s defender.
AFC Rumors: Browns, Steelers, Titans, Jets
While the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering window has been relatively slow, things figure to heat up in the coming days as the new league year approaches. Two AFC North clubs stand to be in on the action, as the Browns and Steelers are both expected to be active when free agency begins, per Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). Pittsburgh will be “working the phones” more than usual, per Kinkhabwala, but that doesn’t mean the usually conservative team will be targeting more free agents than is customary.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Although the Titans have interest in retaining safety Rashad Johnson, he’s expected to have other suitors, tweets Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. Johnson, 31, signed a one-year, $2MM deal with Tennessee last offseason, and proceeded to start seven games for the club in 2016, posting 38 tackles in the process. He ranks as PFR’s No. 15 free agent safety, just behind Mike Adams and Jairus Byrd.
- The Jets are expected to pursue interior offensive lineman Brian Schwenke, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Schwenke, 26 this month, started 28 games during his four-year run with Tennessee, but lost his hold on the club’s starting center job when the Titans inked Ben Jones last offseason. Also capable of playing guard, Schwenke has also been linked to Seattle.
- Although previous reports have indicated Sylvester Williams is not only likely to test the market, but leave the Broncos altogether, Denver does have “some interest” in retaining the former first-round defensive lineman, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Williams hasn’t lived up to his draft billing, but does offer 48 games of starting experience. The Broncos declined his 2018 fifth-year option last summer.
Bears Eyeing D.J. Swearinger
The Bears are reportedly “making a push” to sign free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore this week, but he won’t be the only player Chicago targets as it seeks to remake its secondary. The Bears are also interested in Cardinals safety D.J. Swearinger, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
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Although Chicago is presently fielding one of the league’s worst secondaries, the club does have one bright spot at safety in the form of Adrian Amos, who has shined during his first two years in the NFL. Pairing Amos with Swearinger, then, would lend instant credibility to the Bears’ back end, and allow them to further pursue cornerback upgrades through the draft or in free agency.
The Bears have often been linked to Ohio State’s Malik Hooker and LSU’s Jamal Adams in mock drafts, but adding Swearinger would give Chicago the flexibility to target other needs with the third overall pick. Plus, Swearinger figures to be relatively affordable, especially when compared with his Cardinals teammate Tony Jefferson, as Biggs notes.
Swearinger, a former second-round pick who bounced around before finding a home in Arizona, started 12 games in 2016 and posted 64 tackles, three interceptions, eight passes defensed, and two sacks. Among free agent safeties, Swearinger ranks seventh in PFR’s estimation, just behind Micah Hyde and ahead of Jahleel Addae.
Captain Munnerlyn Expected To Test Market
Although the Vikings would like to re-sign slot cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, the club is expected to allow the veteran defensive back to first gauge his value on the open market, reports Chris Tomasson the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Indeed, no deal is expected between Minnesota and Munnerlyn before free agency begins on Thursday, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.
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Entering his age-29 season, Munnerlyn said earlier this month he’s targeting a four- to five-year deal once he reaches the free agent market. While that length of contract might be hard to come by given his age, Munnerlyn is certainly still a solid player, and his role as a slot corner is all the more important as offenses increasingly utilize three-wide receiver sets. In 2016, Munnerlyn played in 15 games and defensed three passes, grading as the No. 49 CB among 112 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Munnerlyn rates high in PFR’s free agent rankings, placing as the No. 11 cornerback available and earning an honorable mention of PFR’s list of the top 50 free agents. The former seventh-round pick isn’t the only Vikings defensive back scheduled to hit free agency this week, however, as Terence Newman is also heading for the open market on Thursday.
TE Darren Fells Likely To Leave Cardinals?
Now that the Cardinals have re-signed Jermaine Gresham to a four-year deal, fellow tight end Darren Fells isn’t expected to return to Arizona, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
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Fells is a restricted free agent this offseason, and given that he only produced 154 receiving yards in 2016, it’s difficult to imagine the Cardinals would need to use anything other than the original round tender in order to retain him. That tender would cost $1.797MM, however, which may prove too steep for the cap-strapped Cardinals (especially considering Fells’ limited role in the offense).
Theoretically, Arizona could non-tender Fells and subsequently sign him to a cheaper deal, but it’s also possible the lack of interest in a reunion is coming from Fells’ side of the table. Entering his age-31 season, Fells may want to head to a club where he’d occupy a larger offensive presence. Working in Fells’ favor as he potentially seeks a new team is his blocking acumen, as Pro Football Focus gives Fells excellent marks in both the run and pass game.
Latest On Dont’a Hightower
While the Patriots haven’t yet re-signed linebacker Dont’a Hightower, the pending free agent engaged in a “positive conversation” with head coach Bill Belichick last week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hightower is open to staying in New England, but is also gauging his value on the open market, per Rapoport.
[RELATED: Martellus Bennett Seeking $9MM Per Year]
Contrary to other reports, the Patriots “didn’t even explore” the option of using the transition tag on Hightower, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). The transition tender would have given New England the right of first refusal on any contract offer Hightower might received. If they didn’t consider the transition tag, it’s fair to assume the Patriots didn’t think about deploying the franchise tender (at a cost of $14.55MM).
Hightower, 26, played in 13 games last season and racked up 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best linebacker among 87 qualifiers. Given that the Patriots have already traded away other key defenders such as Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones, Hightower may be the last man standing when New England decides where to spend its free agent dollars.
Texans To Re-Sign Nick Novak, Shane Lechler
The Texans have agreed to lock up both of their specialists, as the club will re-sign kicker Nick Novak and punter Shane Lechler, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26.
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Novak, 35, has spent the past two seasons with the Texans after four years with the Chargers. In 2016, Novak managed to hit 85.4% of his field goal attempts, a tick above his career rate of 82.8%. From 50+ yards, Novak was three-of-six, while Novak also missed three extra points. Novak earned a $885K base salary last year under the terms of a minimum salary benefit contract.
Now 40 years old, Lechler is a seven-time Pro Bowler, but the Texans lost 12.7 points of field position on punts last season. In fact, Houston’s special teams unit finished dead least in DVOA in 2016, earning poor marks in every area except punt returns. Still, the Texans will bring back Lechler — who ranked 16th in net yards per punt — and Novak.