Buccaneers, Doug Martin Nearing Deal?
10:21pm: The two sides have “a ways to go” when it comes to reaching a deal, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who adds that there is definitely a “gap to bridge.”
9:27pm: The Buccaneers are set to re-sign one of their own, as they’re reportedly nearing a deal with running back Doug Martin, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Per Stroud, the new contract would pay Martin $6.85MM per season.
As many as six clubs were thought to have interest in Martin, with the Raiders, Texans, and 49ers (per Stroud on Twitter) among them. Instead, it looks like Martin will return to Tampa Bay, where he enjoyed his best season since his rookie year. Martin rushed for more than 1,400 yards, scoring six times, and added 33 reception and another touchdown for good measure.
If Martin’s new deal does come in around $6.85MM, he’ll be among the second-tier of running back contracts, as Jamaal Charles ($6.9MM) and Jonathan Stewart ($7.3MM) earn comparable annual salaries. The fact that Tampa Bay and Martin’s representatives were able to agree to a deal so quickly is a little surprising, as just days ago a report indicated between the two sides had broken down. However, it appears as though any gap in talks was able to be bridged.
Martin, 27, ranked as PFR’s No. 13 free agent, and No. 1 available running back. He’s not the only RB to agree to terms tonight, as Chris Ivory will reportedly sign with the Jaguars tomorrow.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Brock Osweiler
Brock Osweiler looks to be the Broncos’ quarterback of the future following Peyton Manning‘s Sunday retirement, but there’s just one problem — Osweiler is a free agent. Denver was thought to be negotiating with Osweiler, but according to James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Broncos have not spoken to Osweiler’s reps since making an initial three-year offer several days ago.
That offer was said to be worth roughly $39MM — obviously, without knowing the structure or the guarantees, it’s hard to judge how realistic that potential contract might be. But it was always going to be hard to judge Osweiler’s value as a whole, given that he’s started only seven games during his four-year career. Each of those starts came in 2015, but the Broncos (and other clubs) can’t be sure of what they’re getting in Osweiler.
One other team that has expressed interest in Osweiler is the Texans, who are expected to make a “competitive” offer to Osweiler. Per reports, $15-16MM might be the figure Osweiler is targeting. Of course, like any free agent, he cannot officially sign with another club until tomorrow afternoon, but he can agree to terms between now and then.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Contract Details: Sendejo, Rubin, DHB, Cox
Here are the specifics on a few deals signed in recent days:
- Andrew Sendejo‘s four-year contract with the Vikings contains a $3MM roster bonus, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The safety will make $4MM in 2016, and he has another $1MM that will become guaranteed next March.
- Defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin received a $4.5MM signing bonus as part of his $12MM deal with the Seahawks, tweets Pelissero. Rubin will take home $6MM during the upcoming season.
- Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey got a $400K signing bonus per the terms of his three-year deal with the Steelers, according to Pelissero (Twitter link).
- Long snapper Morgan Cox‘s new five-year contract with the Ravens is worth $5.6MM, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Cox will receive a $700K signing bonus and net $1.5MM in the first year of the deal.
Texans To Re-Sign Safety Eddie Pleasant
The Texans will re-sign safety Eddie Pleasant, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Per Wilson, Pleasant will receive a two-year deal.
Pleasant, 27, appeared in all 16 games last season, and while a lot of his action came on special teams (he played on about 45% of Houston’s special teams snaps), Pleasant also played a fair amount on defense, seeing action on 37% of snaps. On the year, Pleasant posted 18 tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery.
The Texans’ defensive backfield will be one to watch, both in free agency and during the season. Andre Hal figures to start at one of the safety slots after seeing a good chunk of time last season, but Rahim Moore — a key free agent addition in 2015 0– has already been released. Quintin Demps, another ’15 signee, is a free agent, but Houston reportedly wants to retain him.
Houston has been in the news today, as they’ve re-signed offensive tackle Chris Clark but lost center Ben Jones to the Titans.
Eagles Favorites For Chase Daniel; Two Other Teams Interested
Three clubs are “heavily involved” in negotiations with free agent quarterback Chase Daniel, but the Eagles are viewed as the frontrunner, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, cautions Russini, a deal between Daniel and Philadelphia is not yet done.
Just this afternoon, a report indicated that the Eagles could be interested in Daniel, even after agreeing to re-sign starting QB Sam Bradford to a two-year deal. Daniel, of course, has spent the past several seasons in Kansas City under former OC Doug Pederson, who is now Philadelphia’s head coach. The connection is there, but whether Daniel would want to be relegated to a backup role once again is an open question.
Daniel, entering his age-30 season, is almost all promise — he’s only attempted 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. But in a league where competent quarterback play is so rare (yet so needed), it’s easy to see a club taking a chance on Daniel as its starter. He’d already been one of the backups in the NFL, earning $3.33MM annually during his time with Kansas City.
Daniel ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Rumors: Vernon, A. Jones, J. Freeman
Alex Marvex of FOX Sports is “getting strong vibes” from NFL sources that the Dolphins will rescind defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s transition tag at some point (Twitter link). Vernon could be expendable given that Miami signed Mario Williams and plans to keep Cameron Wake.
Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald agrees that the Fins could rescind the tag, and also reports that a league source expects Vernon to sign a long-term deal with another club in the next few days, and the Dolphins aren’t expected to be able to match. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also chimes in, noting that he hears Miami hasn’t made a decision on Vernon yet.
Here’s the latest on the AFC free agent scene:
- The Jets are no longer in contention for free agent corner Adam Jones, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
- The Chiefs are “poking around” on free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Freeman could serve as a potential replacement for Derrick Johnson, who is also a free agent.
- Elsewhere in Kansas City, it looks like Chiefs corner Sean Smith will hit the open market, per Robinson (Twitter link), and the Raiders could be one potential suitor.
- Despite receiving interest from other clubs, receiver Travis Benjamin is still in play for the Browns, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
- Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com believes the Titans are interested in receiver Rishard Matthews — it’s a little unclear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating, but it sounds like there could be a link.
- Free agent safety Tavon Wilson will not return to the Patriots, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. the former second-round pick has been in New England since 2012.
Colts Re-Sign Adam Vinatieri
6:55pm: It’s a two-year, $6MM deal for Vinatieri, with another $1MM available in incentives, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. $1MM is guaranteed, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
6:23pm: The Colts announced that they’ve re-signed veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri, who will stay in Indianapolis for his age-43 season (and presumably beyond).
“We are thrilled to retain Adam as a member of the Colts family,” said Colts GM Ryan Grigson. “Adam continues to play at the highest level year in and year out and his hard work, consistency and professionalism are a credit to him being the longest tenured active player in the NFL. Adam has won multiple Super Bowls and is a future Hall of Famer. We look forward to continuing to utilize his championship-pedigree and leadership in our program.”
In 2015, Vinatieri connected on 25 of 27 field goal tries, for a 92.6% conversion rate. However, he did occasionally struggle with the longer extra point, missing three of 35 attempts. Still, there were few NFL kickers more reliable than Vinatieri, who is now third on the league’s list of all-time leading scorers. With 2,253 points, Vinatieri could make a run at Morten Andersen (2,544) and Gary Anderson (2,434) if he decides to play for longer than just one more season.
Vinatieri’s previous contract with the Colts, which he signed in March 2014, was worth $5MM over two years, with a modest $500K signing bonus. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him sign a similar pact this time around.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Top 2016 Free Agents By Position: Defense
NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 9th, and while we can still expect the list of free agents to undergo some major changes between now and then, we’ll head into free agency week with a pretty good idea of what the market will look like. Franchise and transition tags have been assigned, many teams have cut their overpriced veterans, and most clubs are in the process of assigning RFA and ERFA tenders, if they haven’t already done so.
With free agency around the corner, it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. After looking at offense yesterday, we’ll tackle defense and special teams today.
Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.
Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.
We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2016:
Interior defensive line:
- Malik Jackson
- Damon Harrison
- Ian Williams
- Jaye Howard
- Nick Fairley
- Cedric Thornton
- Haloti Ngata
- Akiem Hicks
- Terrance Knighton
- Mike DeVito
- Brandon Mebane
- Paul Soliai
- B.J. Raji
- Jared Crick
- Steve McLendon
Honorable mention: Kevin Williams, Al Woods, Ahtyba Rubin, Randy Starks, Henry Melton
The interior of the defensive line might be the deepest positional class among the defensive free agent groupings, but the list is clearly led by Malik Jackson, who looks poised to cash in on the open market after the Broncos were forced to use their franchise tag on another defender, linebacker Von Miller. At just 26 years old, Jackson figures to be among the highest-paid of this year’s free agents, at any position.
Clubs that play a 3-4 scheme will be especially interested in this crop of free agents, as Ian Williams, Jaye Howard, Cedric Thornton, and Haloti Ngata are all extremely experienced in that front (and offer some degree of positional flexibility). On the 4-3 side, Nick Fairley, who had to settle for a one-year contract last offseason, figures to interest teams looking for gap-shooting interior lineman.
Nose tackle also features a multitude of options, and although Damon Harrison is expected to land the largest deal, Terrance Knighton, Paul Soliai, and B.J. Raji should also be able to find nice contracts in the coming weeks. All four of those players are adept at plugging up space in the middle, although the latter three may be forced to take short-term pacts due to either age or recent performance.
Edge defender:
- Olivier Vernon
- Bruce Irvin
- Jason Pierre-Paul
- Mario Williams
- Charles Johnson
- Greg Hardy
- Tamba Hali
- Robert Ayers
- William Hayes
- Derrick Shelby
- Nick Perry
- Junior Galette
- Jason Jones
- Chris Long
- O’Brien Schofield
Honorable mention: Adrian Clayborn, Courtney Upshaw, Mike Neal, Dwight Freeney, Andre Branch
While we didn’t include franchise-tagged players on this list, we did incorporate Olivier Vernon, who was assigned the transition tag by the Dolphins. Miami will have the option to match any offer receives from another club, but they won’t receive any compensation if they decline to match. The latest reports indicate that the Dolphins could simply allow Vernon to walk if he signs an offer sheet that pays him more yearly than the transition tag will ($12.734MM).
Elsewhere, Bruce Irvin seems ready to earn more than $10MM annually, and given that he’s not expected back in Seattle, the Jaguars and Falcons — both of whom employ former Seahawks coordinators as head coaches — make sense as landing spots. Jason Pierre-Paul will face an interesting free agency due to the status of his injured hand, as will Greg Hardy and Junior Galette due to off-field concerns, and in the case of Galette, Washington’s right to match any offer he receives.
Clubs looking for veteran pass-rushers are in luck this offseason, as Mario Williams, Charles Johnson, and Chris Long — all recently released — join longtime Chief Tamba Hali as free agents. Of the group, Long had the worst season in 2015 and might have to sit on the open market for awhile longer, but the other three should find a robust market for their services — Williams and Johnson, in fact, have already begun taking visits with interested teams.
Inside linebacker:
- Danny Trevathan
- Jerrell Freeman
- Rolando McClain
- Derrick Johnson
- Zach Brown
- Stephen Tulloch
- James Laurinaitis
- Demario Davis
- Craig Robertson
- Daryl Smith
- Erin Henderson
- Donald Butler
- Mason Foster
- DeMeco Ryans
- Keenan Robinson
Honorable mention: Kelvin Sheppard, Jasper Brinkley, Audie Cole
After helping the Broncos to the Super Bowl title last season, Danny Trevathan figures to be the highest-paid among free agent inside linebackers. A return to Denver is possible, but with their cap problems, the Broncos will probably have to bow out — the Falcons, for one, have been mentioned as a possible destination for Trevathan.
Veteran presence abounds on this list, as James Laurinaitis, Daryl Smith, and DeMeco Ryans have all been recently released by their respective clubs. Laurinaitis will probably be the most coveted of the trio, as Smith reportedly might head back to Baltimore on a cheaper deal, while Ryans has dealt with so many injuries in recent seasons that it might be hard for him to land a starting gig.
As far as projects go, Zach Brown might be my favorite of the bunch — the former second-round pick is full of athleticism, but just never broke through with the Titans, so a change of scenery could do him good. Further down the list, Craig Robertson has shown an aptitude for pass coverage, a trait that is highly coveted in today’s NFL.
Outside linebacker (non-rush):
- Tahir Whitehead
- Mark Barron
- Vincent Rey
- Nigel Bradham
- Chad Greenway
- Sean Weatherspoon
- Danny Lansanah
- Justin Durant
- Bruce Carter
- Emmanuel Lamur
- Shea McClellin
- David Hawthorne
- Philip Wheeler
- Spencer Paysinger
- Jason Trusnik
Easily the weakest group among the defensive free agent class, it was a struggle to find 15 players to fit this list. Indeed, it might be considered a stretch to call several of these players outside linebackers — Sean Weatherspoon, Bruce Carter, Shea McClellin, and David Hawthorne all have recent experience on the inside.
Tahir Whitehead looks like the clear favorite to sign the biggest deal among this group, but Mark Barron might be the most interesting player on the list. Drafted No. 7 overall as a safety, Barron looked like a bust until he was traded to the Rams, who converted him to weakside ‘backer. He’s thrived ever since, and it seems like Los Angeles wants to retain him.
The tail end of this list features linebackers whose primary role will be on special teams, but closer to the top, Vincent Rey and Nigel Bradham would fit in most systems — not as stars, certainly, but as role players who can be counted on. Chad Greenway also offers that level of veteran experience, but it’s likely that he’ll stay in Minnesota.
Cornerback:
- Janoris Jenkins
- Sean Smith
- Prince Amukamara
- Casey Hayward
- Adam Jones
- Brandon Boykin
- Jeremy Lane
- Leon Hall
- Patrick Robinson
- Nolan Carroll
- Josh Robinson
- Jerraud Powers
- Antonio Cromartie
- Shareece Wright
- William Gay
Honorable mention: Sterling Moore, Charles Tillman, Kyle Wilson, Coty Sensabaugh, Terence Newman
Janoris Jenkins will probably get the most money among free agent corners — he’s 27, and he already reportedly turned town $9MM per year from the Rams. Los Angeles placed the franchise tag on fellow CB Trumaine Johnson, so it’s unclear if Jenkins is still in the club’s plans.
He’s a year older, but Sean Smith could give Jenkins a run for his money as the highest-paid free agent corner, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he ultimately earns more. Smith probably isn’t the pure athlete that Jenkins is, but he’s arguably more steady, and that’s something teams will pay for in a corner.
The group of slot corners might be the most interesting part of this list, as Brandon Boykin, Jeremy Lane, and Leon Hall all stand to earn a bit of money from the inside. Casey Hayward, too, has been primarily deployed on the inside, but he’s shown an ability to play outside cornerback as well, so he should be in line for a larger deal.
Safety:
- George Iloka
- Eric Weddle
- Rodney McLeod
- Tashaun Gipson
- Reggie Nelson
- Walter Thurmond
- Rashad Johnson
- Dwight Lowery
- Isa Abdul-Quddus
- Husain Abdullah
- Tyvon Branch
- David Bruton
- Robert Golden
- Will Allen
- Michael Griffin
Honorable mention: Chris Conte, James Ihedigbo, William Moore, Quintin Demps, Roman Harper
Like the interior defensive line class above, the safety group contains a strong list of players who could be counted on to start for a number of clubs. The Bengals, notably, will see both their starting safeties hit the open market — Reggie Nelson led the league in interceptions and made the Pro Bowl last season, but George Iloka is seven years younger, so he’ll score the bigger deal.
After nine years in San Diego, Eric Weddle has stressed that he’ll look to latch on with a contender this offseason, and he shouldn’t be wanting for suitors. Tashuan Gipson also expects to move on from his old club — the Browns — and like Iloka, his age should help him land a nice contract. Rodney McLeod, also young at just 25, probably isn’t a household name, but he has been excellent during his career with the Rams, and his next deal could surprise.
Isa Abdul-Quddus and David Bruton haven’t been full-time starters during their careers, but they’ve been solid when they’ve been asked to play. Meanwhile, Chiefs free agents Tyvon Branch and Husain Abdullah weren’t asked to start last season — Eric Berry and Ron Parker held down those roles, but there’s little doubt they could handle a starting job.
Kicker:
- Adam Vinatieri
- Josh Brown
- Greg Zuerlein
- Nick Novak
- Phil Dawson
- Kai Forbath
- Randy Bullock
- Shayne Graham
Justin Tucker would have easily topped this list of free agent kickers, but he has already signed his franchise tender with the Ravens. Adam Vinatieri is still going strong at age 43 and is expected to return to the Colts, so Josh Brown, who shined with the Giants last year, might the best kicker to actually reach the market.
Greg Zuerlein (aka “Greg the Leg”) has the best distance on his kicks, but has struggled with accuracy — the Rams have indicated he won’t be handed the kicking job if he returns, so maybe he heads elsewhere.
Punter:
Like at kicker, the best player at punter — the Raiders’ Marquette King — has already been taken off the market, and none of these players are likely to land a large deal. Of the bunch, Bryan Anger will probably make the most money, as he’s a former third-round pick and is only 27 years old.
Luke Adams contributed to this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PFR Originals: 2/28/16 – 3/6/16
The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With free agency just days away, Luke Adams examined the top 2016 offensive free agents, looking at key names like Brock Osweiler, Doug Martin, Marvin Jones, and Kelechi Osemele who are set to hit the open market on Wednesday. The post contains a position-by-position breakdown with the best 15 players available at each spot, so use this page as a go-to resource when the free agent period begins.
- After Luke went over the options available on the offensive side of the ball, I covered the top 2016 defensive/special teams free agents, a group that includes Malik Jackson, Olivier Vernon, Bruce Irvin, and Janoris Jenkins. Just as we did on offense, we broke down each position, listing the top interior defenders, edge rushers, linebackers corners, and safeties.
- After the dust had settled, Luke rounded up the 2016 franchise and transition tag players.
- We continued our Offseason Outlook series, taking a team-by-team look at what lies ahead for each club during the next few months:
Charles Johnson To Visit Buccaneers
8:41pm: Johnson’s visit with the Giants is expected to continue into Monday, but the free agent end will fly to Tampa soon after on Monday to visit with the Bucs, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson reports (on Twitter). Johnson’s dinner with Giants representatives Sunday night reportedly went well, per Anderson (via Twitter).
1:24pm: After being released by the Panthers last week, veteran defensive end Charles Johnson is already drawing interest from pass rush-needy clubs around the league. As we learned yesterday, Johnson is set to meet with the Giants today, and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Johnson will follow that trip with a visit to the Buccaneers.
[RELATED: Free agent RB Doug Martin likely to hit the open market]
Tampa Bay ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of getting after the quarterback in 2015, finishing 14th in sacks and 16th in adjusted sack rate. A lot of the Buccaneers’ pressure came from the interior, namely Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, as Jacquies Smith was the only Tampa end with more than five sacks. Smith is an exclusive-rights free agent (and expected to be offered a tender, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times), but other players along the Bucs’ front four — Henry Melton and Da’Quan Bowers, for example — are headed for unrestricted free agency.
Johnson, then, would be a nice fit for a club that needs to generate more pressure, and he comes with the added bonus of knowing his way around the NFC South. Though he played in only nine games in 2015 and posted only a single sack, Johnson was also hampered by injury, so his performance can be somewhat excused. Johnson isn’t exactly washed up, either, as he’s still under 30 years old, and averaged 11 sacks per season from 2012-14.
Because he was released, Johnson is free to sign with any club at any time — he doesn’t have to wait until Wednesday like the majority of NFL free agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.