Washington Could Re-Sign Dashon Goldson
Washington could look to bring back safety Dashon Goldson, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Goldson, of course, was just released by the club on Monday.
When Goldson’s release was reported, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com reported that Washington attempted to restructure Goldson’s contract before cutting him, but when the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement, the veteran defensive back was released. That jibes with Keim’s report, which states that Washington wanted Goldson to return in 2016, but not at his $8MM cap figure.
So while Washington and Goldson clearly had different ideas about his value prior to the start of free agency, it remains to be seen if Goldson can find a better deal on the open market. Clearly, no competing club was in a rush to sign him during the opening wave of the free agent period when a number of other safeties — such as Rodney McLeod, Tashaun Gipson, and George Iloka — flew off the board. Goldson, at 31 years of age, is quite a bit older than those options, so he might need to sit on the market for awhile before landing a new contract.
Washington still has abut $17.22MM left in 2016 cap space, so finding room for Goldson shouldn’t be an issue. The team also has a need in the back end, especially after releasing another safety — 2015 signee Jeron Johnson — earlier this week. DeAngelo Hall and 2015 sixth-round pick Kyshoen Jarrett are currently penciled as Washington’s starters, with Duke Ihenacho available off the bench, so Goldson could certainly find a role among that group.
Of course, Goldson has never quite been the player he was in San Francisco, where he was named first-team All Pro in 2012. He started 15 games for Washington last season, playing on more than 90% of the team’s defensive snaps. Goldson posted 70 tackles and one interception, grading as the No. 70 safety among 88 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jets Sign Matt Forte
THURSDAY, 8:09pm: The Jets’ deal with Forte is official, Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of Fox Sports report (Twitter links). There was a slight hold-up due to Forte’s physical, but nothing emerged that the team viewed as significant, Garafolo reports.
THURSDAY, 9:03am: Forte is getting a three-year deal worth $12MM from the Jets, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The contract features an $8MM guarantee and has an additional $4MM available in incentives.
WEDNESDAY, 2:08pm: The Jets have agreed to sign free agent running back Matt Forte, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Forte must wait until 3pm to officially sign, but it looks like he’s heading to New York.
Numerous clubs were said to be interested in Forte after the Bears informed him that he would not be re-signed after eight seasons in Chicago. The Jets had previously been mentioned as a potential destination, as had the Dolphins, and even the division rival Packers were said to have said to be intrigued by Forte.
The 30-year-old Forte will head to the Big Apple, where the Jets are certainly in need of running back help after Chris Ivory agreed to sign with the Jaguars last night. New York’s No. 2 back, Bilal Powell, might also be on his way out, as the market is said to be intensifying for his services.
Forte had a relatively down season in 2015, missing three games with injury and failing to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2011. But he still managed almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage thanks to his receiving ability — he caught 44 passes out of the backfield for almost 400 yards. Whether Forte is asked to carry the full load in New York or instead serves as a receiving back remains to be seen, as the Jets could certainly add even more weapons in the backfield.
Given his age, Forte isn’t going to command a lengthy deal or a large salary, but it will be interesting to see the specifics of his contract with the Jets. One report earlier this year claimed that Forte would be “lucky” to get $3MM per year on the open market, and while that figure seems a bit low, running backs — especially those over 30 years of age — certainly aren’t valued all that highly in free agency.
PFR listed Forte as the No. 3 free agent running back, behind Doug Martin and Lamar Miller. Martin has already re-signed with the Buccaneers, so Miller remains the best back available, followed by Alfred Morris, Arian Foster, Powell, and Chris Johnson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders Sign Bruce Irvin To Four-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 7:50pm: The Raiders have officially signed Irvin, the team announced today (link via CSNBayArea.com).
WEDNESDAY, 9:03am: Irvin’s deal with the Raiders will be worth $37MM over four years, including $12.5MM in the first year, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The deal has a max value of $39MM if Irvin reaches certain Pro Bowl incentives, per Pelissero (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 8:06pm: The Raiders have reached an agreement with linebacker Bruce Irvin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Irvin, like all other unrestricted free agents, must wait until 3pm CT on Wednesday to officially sign.
[RELATED: Raiders, Kelechi Osemele agree to terms]
In Irvin and offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele (whom Oakland agreed to sign earlier today), the Raiders have added two of the league’s most coveted free agents — Irvin ranked sixth among PFR’s Top 50 free agents while Osemele ranked fourth. Oakland entered the free agent period with more than $60MM in available cap space, and thus far, they’ve put that money to good use, scoring impressive coups on both sides of the ball.
The Raiders had not been mentioned as a potential suitor for Irvin, so this signing is all the more surprising given that Oakland’s interest had not been reported. Rather, the Jaguars and Falcons — each of whom employ former Seahawks defensive coordinators as head coaches — were thought to be among the favorites to land Irvin, and a report earlier today tied the Cardinals to the edge rusher, as well.
Instead, Irvin will head to the Bay Area, where the Raiders are quietly assembling a solid defense to pair with an offense that is already full of young stars. Irvin will team with Khalil Mack, who posted 15 sacks last year, to form an imposing duo sure to put fear in opposing quarterbacks. Oakland needs more pieces on the defensive side of the ball, to be sure, but Mack and Irvin — along with solid role players like Dan Williams and David Amerson — are a nice start.
A former first-round pick, Irvin became a full-time starter during his sophomore campaign, and has started 37 contests since that time. His sack numbers aren’t eye-popping — he’s totaled just 12 sacks during the past two seasons — but he ranked as the league’s No. 18 linebacker in 2015, per Pro Football Focus. In a scheme different than the Seahawks’, where he’s one of the primary rushers, Irvin should be expected to top those sack totals.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes (via Twitter), it’s possible that Ken Norton Jr.‘s presence on the Raiders’ coaching staff made a difference in Oakland being able to land Irvin. Norton Jr. — who is now Oakland’s defensive coordinator — was Irvin’s linebackers coach during his first three seasons in Seattle.
From the Seahawks perspective, losing Irvin is another reminder than a contending club can’t afford to keep everyone. After extending Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and others on defense, Irvin was the odd man out, and Seattle seemed to know that it had no chance to retain Irvin — although, the Hawks could have kept Irvin for one more season had it exercised its fifth-year option.
Depending on the value of Irvin’s new deal with Oakland, the Seahawks figure to earn a compensatory pick (likely either in the third or fourth round) in the 2017 draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vikings Sign LB Travis Lewis
THURSDAY, 6:46pm: Lewis’ pact with the Vikings is official, according to the team’s website.
WEDNESDAY, 12:16pm: The Vikings have agreed to terms with former Lions linebacker Travis Lewis, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Lewis, 28, has been with Detroit since 2012, when he entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma. He actually started four games last season, but for the most part he’s been a backup, appearing in 42 contests during his four-year career. Lewis was a key member of the Lions’ special teams unit, playing on more than 70% of Detroit’s ST snaps — that’s likely the role he’ll play in Minnesota.
Like all free agents, Lewis can’t officially sign his new deal until 3pm CT today.
Chiefs Sign Mitchell Schwartz
THURSDAY, 4:05pm: The Chiefs announced that they have officially signed Schwartz.
WEDNESDAY, 8:18pm: Schwartz’s five-year pact is worth up to $33MM, including $15MM guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It also features a $7MM signing bonus and salaries of $750K, $4.9MM, $5.7MM, and then $6MM for the final two years. His base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are fully guaranteed, while his 2018 salary will be guaranteed if he’s injured. If Schwartz is healthy in 2018 and still on the roster by the third day of the league year, his salary will be guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
4:18pm: The Chiefs have agreed in principle to a deal with offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. It will be a five-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It had been quite a day regarding rumors surrounding Schwartz, as dueling reports indicated that Schwartz was at various stages of negotiation to remain with the Browns. When Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Cleveland had pulled its offer to Schwartz, it was fair to wonder if the club was merely posturing, trying to force Schwartz into accepting their latest offer.
Whatever the case, Schwartz will not be returning to the Browns, and he’ll instead head to Kansas City, which has already lost two of its own offensive lineman to free agency in the past 24 hours. Donald Stephenson, who played both left and right tackle for the Chiefs, has agreed to join the division-rival Broncos, while Jeff Allen — primarily a guard, but he can play tackle as well — will latch on with the Texans.
Schwartz, though, is clearly a superior talent to both of those players — PFR ranked Schwartz as the No. 19 overall free agent, and the No. 2 offensive tackle, behind only Russell Okung. An extremely durable player, Schwartz hasn’t missed a single start since entering the league in 2012. He’d been productive in past seasons, but 2015 was truly his coming out party, as he ranked as the sixth-best tackle in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
As noted, the Chiefs have lost a few players to free agency, but they’ve also kept one, agreeing to a new deal with defender Tamba Hali. They’re also in the mix to retain corner Sean Smith, and are negotiating to re-sign Derrick Johnson. The Browns, meanwhile, have now lost both Schwartz and Alex Mack from their offensive line, as well as receiver Travis Benjamin.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Titans Sign C Ben Jones
THURSDAY, 1:02pm: The Titans have officially signed Jones to his new contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). The financial details on the deal can be found right here.
TUESDAY, 7:14pm: The Titans have poached a free agent from a division rival, as the club has agreed to sign center Ben Jones away from the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Per Wilson, Jones and Tennessee have agreed to a four-year deal.
Jones, 26, has been with the Texans since 2012, when he entered the league as a fourth-round pick out of Georgia. He became Houston’s full-time starter in 2014, and he’s started all 32 games since. Jones posted solid marks from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him as the No. 18 center in the league last season, noting that he was better in the pass game than as a run-blocker.
In Tennesee, Jones will take over at center for Brian Schwenke and Andy Gallik, both of whom saw starts last year. Offensive line was expected to be an area of focus for the Titans this offseason, and the club could still look to add help at tackle, potentially by selecting Ole Miss prospect Laremy Tunsil with the first overall pick.
It’s been a whirlwind few days for new Titans GM Jon Robinson, who in addition to agreeing to terms with Jones, also struck a deal to bring running back DeMarco Murray to Tennessee.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Buccaneers Sign J.R. Sweezy
THURSDAY, 12:56pm: The Buccaneers have formally announced their deal with Sweezy, via a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 7:13pm: Sweezy’s deal is a five-year, $32.5MM accord, according to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
4:43pm: The Buccaneers have agreed to sign guard J.R. Sweezy, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Sweezy will join a Tampa Bay offensive line that is now quietly full of players who are both young and talented. The club will field two sophomores in left tackle Donovan Smith and guard Ali Marpet, plus veterans Joe Hawley at center, some combination of Gosder Cherilus and Demar Dotson at right tackle, and now Sweezy at left guard.
But Sweezy won’t be replacing a scrub — no, he’ll be stepping into the shoes of veteran left guard Logan Mankins, who recently announced his retirement. Sweezy clearly isn’t the player that Mankins was, but he’s competent, and perhaps more importantly, reliable, having missed just two starts during the past three seasons.
The 26-year-old Sweezy ranked as PFR’s No. 15 free agent interior offensive lineman, and it’s a position that has seen a lot of action over the past several days. Kelechi Osemele, Alex Mack, Richie Incognito, Brandon Brooks, Jeff Allen, and others have all flown off the board.
Losing Sweezy will further hamper Seattle’s offensive line, but the club is negotiating to keep left tackle Russell Okung.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Sign Tashaun Gipson
THURSDAY, 10:57am: The deal is official, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com writes.
The five-year deal will pay Gipson $36MM in total, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). That pact includes $12MM guaranteed, a $4MM signing bonus, and salaries of $3MM, $5MM, $5.75MM, $7.25MM, and $7MM. His 2016 and 2017 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
The real money for Gipson is $35.5MM, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Incentives can push it to $36MM.
WEDNESDAY, 5:45pm: The Jaguars and safety Tashaun Gipson have agreed to terms on a contract, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gipson will sign a five-year with a maximum value of $35.5MM deal, report Rand Getlin and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Jacksonville, which entered the free agent period with the most cap space in the league, continues to flex its financial muscle. The club not only agreed to a deal with defensive lineman Malik Jackson that will pay him more $15MM annually, but will sign running back Chris Ivory for more than $6MM per season. They also poached punter Brad Nortman from the Panthers, and were considered serious contenders for Olivier Vernon before he landed with the Giants.
The Browns, meanwhile, have now failed to retain not only Gipson, but center Alex Mack, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, and receiver Travis Benjamin. A report earlier today indicated that agents were growing frustrated with a perceived lack of hesitation on the part of Cleveland during negotiations, and that lack of aggressiveness may be showing itself as the Browns lose several quality players.
Had Gipson been able to cash in following the 2014 season, he may have earned even more money than he will on his new Jaguars deal, as he posted six interceptions in just 11 games during that ’14 campaign. The 25-year-old was still solid in 2015, though, starting 13 games and racking up two picks and tackles. Gipson ranked as PFR’s No. 31 overall free agent and No. 4 safety.
Quite a few free agent safeties have come off the board today, as George Iloka re-signed with the Bengals while Rodney McLeod, Tyvon Branch, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Dwight Lowery, and others have found new homes. Eric Weddle, Walter Thurmond, and Reggie Nelson are some of the more high-profile names still available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Sign Chris Ivory
THURSDAY, 9:41am: The Jaguars’ deal with Ivory is now official, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
WEDNESDAY, 7:26am: According to USA Today’s Connor Hughes (Twitter link), Ivory’s five-year deal will be worth $32.5MM ($6.5MM per year), with $10MM guaranteed.
7:04am: Per Rapoport (via Twitter), Ivory’s new deal with the Jaguars will be a five-year contract. Rapoport reiterates that it’s worth “well north” of $6MM annually.
TUESDAY, 8:59pm: The Jaguars have agreed to sign running back Chris Ivory, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ivory will be able to officially sign with Jacksonville on Wednesday. The deal is worth “well above” $6MM per year, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Ivory, 28 later this month, has been a popular name since the legal tampering period began on Monday. The former Jets running back has been linked to a number of clubs, as the Texans, Buccaneers, and Raiders have all expressed interest.
Instead, Ivory will head to the Jaguars, not a club that many pegged to land Ivory, or for that matter, any free agent running back. Jacksonville selected T.J. Yeldon in the second round last season, and the rookie was pretty impressive, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and scoring twice in 12 starts. The Jaguars also have Denard Robinson on their depth chart, and he’s shown to be a more than capable backup.
But the Jags will turn to a more proven commodity in Ivory, who last season topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his six-year career. A runner who exhibits terrifying force, Ivory averaged 4.3 yards per carry and reached the endzone seven times last season. He even helped out in the passing game, posting 30 receptions, 12 more than his previous career high.
Ivory was PFR’s No. 4 free agent running back, and he was expected to compete on the open market with the likes of Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte. None of that trio has yet agreed to sign with another club, though all three have been heavily linked to potential suitors.
The Jaguars, who entered the legal tampering period with more $80MM in cap space, are certainly showing their financial strength. In addition to agreeing to terms with Ivory, Jacksonville has also agreed to sign defensive lineman Malik Jackson to a six-year deal worth more than $15MM annually.
Ivory’s presence on the roster has already affected another Jaguars running back — per Rapoport (Twitter link), Jacksonville will release Toby Gerhart tomorrow.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:
Tendered
- Buccaneers – Bradley McDougald, S (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Second-round tender (Twitter link via Auman)
- Jets – Kenbrell Thompkins, WR (Twitter link via Rand Getlin of NFL.com)
- Packers – Justin Perillo, TE (Twitter link via Wes Hodges of the Green Bay Press Gazette)
- Rams – Benny Cunningham, RB (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com)
- Ravens – Chase Ford, TE (Twitter link via Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Saints – Josh Hill, TE; Tim Lelito, C (Twitter links via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com)
Non-Tendered
- 49ers – Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Bears – Patrick Omameh, G; LaRoy Reynolds, LB; Deonte Thompson, WR (Twitter link via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com)
- Bills – Stefan Charles, DT; Ty Powell, LB; Bacarri Rambo, S (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Chargers – Cordarro Law, LB; Brandian Ross, S; Damion Square, DL; Johnnie Troutman, G (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Colts – Dan Herron, RB (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX 59)
- Falcons – Nathan Stupar, LB (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Lions – Tim Wright, TE (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- Packers – Andy Mulumba, LB (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Patriots – Kevin Hughes, T; Sealver Siliga, DL; Brian Tyms, WR (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Rams – Chase Reynolds, RB (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch ); Daren Bates, S and Brian Folkerts, C (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com )
- Ravens – Marlon Brown, WR; Micajah Reynolds, DT; Brynden Trawick, S (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Seahawks – Alvin Bailey, OL; Derrick Coleman, FB; Ricardo Lockette, WR; Christine Michael, RB; Nick Moody, LB (Twitter links via Greg Bell of the News Tribune and Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle)
- Steelers – Terence Garvin, LB (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Washington – Tom Compton, T (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)