Frank Gore Leaning Toward Colts, Not Eagles
7:09pm: Gore is “intent” on joining the Colts, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
6:28pm: Gore is speaking with Colts players to learn more about the organization, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
MONDAY, 5:54pm: Gore is reconsidering his potential deal with the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport suggests that the Colts could enter the mix if things don’t work out in Philly (link).
SUNDAY, 4:02pm: Gore will sign a three-year deal that will guarantee him $7.5MM in the first two seasons, tweets Schefter.
3:31pm: After trading LeSean McCoy to the Bills last week, the Eagles appear to have have found a replacement at running back, as Frank Gore has told people close to him that he will sign with Philadelphia next week, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) was the first to report that the Eagles had an offer out to Gore that would pay him $5MM annually, with $7MM in guarantees.
Per Getlin, the 49ers, Gore’s former team, were “bracing to lose” their longtime running back. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee tweets that San Francisco values the running back at $4MM per year, so it looks like the Eagles are set to top that figure. With McCoy out of the picture, Gore will vault to the top of the Eagles’ RB depth chart, joining Darren Sproles, Chris Polk, and Kenjon Barner. The transition from McCoy to Gore makes some sense — though Gore is five years older, he’ll cost much less, and could save Philadelphia more than $5MM in 2015 alone.
The Eagles, who are reportedly set to sign free agent corner Byron Maxwell, still need to re-sign their top offensive free agent, receiver Jeremy Maclin. The 49ers, meanwhile, will presumably turn their running back job over to second-year player Carlos Hyde, and they have work to do in free agency, as well. They’ve already added Jerome Simpson, and with Michael Crabtree not expected to return, their entire receiving corps could be revamped.
With Gore and Mark Ingram now off the board, clubs with RB needs will turn their attention to the No. 1 available running back — DeMarco Murray — while also keeping an eye on other options like Shane Vereen, Ryan Mathews, and C.J. Spiller.
Browns Notes: Cole, Hartline, McCown
The latest out of Cleveland…
- Head coach Mike Pettine said the club’s visit with free agent Trent Cole went well, and added that Cleveland is “still in play” for the edge rusher, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). The 32-year-old has drawn interest from a number of clubs since being released by the Eagles.
- Similarly, Pettine thinks the Browns have a shot at receiver Brian Hartline, telling Cabot (via Twitter) the club will “see how it goes.” Per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Hartline isn’t in a rush to sign with a team, and is hoping to find a situation with a solid quarterback.
- Pettine also said the Browns are comfortable with Josh McCown as their starting quarterback, tweets Cabot. McCown was guaranteed more than $6MM, so he presumably has a leg up on fellow QB Johnny Manziel.
Latest On Greg Hardy
Although he’s one of the best available free agent pass-rushers, Greg Hardy‘s market will surely be affected by his murky eligibility status, given that he’s currently on the commissioner’s exempt list. Per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), however, Hardy will meet with NFL officials tomorrow to learn whether or not he’ll be suspended for his 2014 domestic violence incident.
According to Cole, Hardy is expected to have a litany of suitors once his status is resolved, and the 49ers, Falcons, Jaguars, Titans, and Colts will be the clubs with the most interest. The 26-year-old Hardy played in just one game last season due to his placement on the exempt list, but he racked up 26 sacks in the two seasons prior. If he’s not suspended, he should face a healthy market for his services; if he is hit with a ban, interest in him would obviously be commensurately lowered.
Hardy, whom the Panthers are not expected to try to retain, ranked as the No. 11 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list.
Chargers Re-Sign Brandon Flowers
MONDAY, 12:23pm: Flowers’ four-year deal with the Chargers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.
SUNDAY, 2:58pm: The Chargers have reached an agreement on a four-year deal with cornerback Brandon Flowers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Flowers will earn a $9MM AAV, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Although Flowers was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, we heard yesterday that a reunion between him and San Diego was likely.
In his first season with the Charger, Flowers finished as the league’s 15th-best CB among 108 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 29-year-old, who ranked as PFR’s No. 22 free agent, started 14 games, accruing two interceptions in the process. After being released by the Chiefs last summer, Flowers signed on with San Diego on a one-year pact that netted him $3MM — he should be in for a significant pay bump this time around.
The Chargers have about $27MM in cap space, so while we don’t know how Flowers’ contract specifics will affect their room, the club should have money left to spend if they want to make upgrades via free agency. San Diego has already been active this offseason, re-signing left tackle King Dunlap to a four-year deal, but they have other pending free agents in Ryan Mathews, Dwight Freeney, and Eddie Royal who could be retained.
Flowers’ re-signing contributes to the thinning of an already meager free agent CB market — top option Byron Maxwell is said to be heading to Philadelphia, and Kareem Jackson has already re-signed with the Texans, so options are few for secondary-needy clubs. Antonio Cromartie, Chris Culliver, and Davon House represent the best remaining corners available.
PFR Originals: 3/1/15 – 3/8/15
The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- We unveiled our 2015 Top 50 Free Agents list, and Luke Adams ranked Ndamukong Suh, Devin McCourty, and Randall Cobb as Nos. 1, 2, and 3. Of course, Suh and Cobb have already agreed to terms with the Dolphins and Packers, respectively.
- We finished our Offseason Outlook series: Zach Links looked at the Raiders (link) and the Chargers (link); I examined the Packers (link), Cardinals (link), and Buccaneers (link); Ben Levine delved into the Patriots (link) and the Browns (link); Connor Byrne wrote up the Seahawks (link); Luke profiled the Rams (link); Rob DiRe looked at the Falcons (link); and Sam Robinson examined the Chiefs (link).
- Luke rounded up all the franchise tag and transition tag news.
- Luke also looked at the free agent market for cornerbacks. Check out the entire Free Agent Market series here.
AFC FA Rumors: Raiders, Jags, Colts, Jets
The Raiders may have missed out on two big-name free agent targets — Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb — but they may have other players in mind. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Oakland will continue to make a “strong push” for center Rodney Hudson, though the Chiefs haven’t given up on retaining him. Elsewhere, the Raiders have expressed interest in free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the Browns also have interest.
Let’s dive in to the latest AFC rumors…
- The Jaguars have an “opportunity” with running back DeMarco Murray, per Robinson (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear if that means Jacksonville has been talking with the free agent RB, but Robinson says the Jags could outbid the Cowboys.
- More on the Jaguars: Despite their ample cap space, they were “never in” on Ndamukong Suh, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
- While it’s not a priority, the Colts are expected to talk to edge rusher Brian Orakpo in the coming days, tweets Robinson. Orakpo has also drawn interest from the Falcons. Jaguars, Cardinals, as well as his current team, Washington.
- The Jets have interest in free agent safety Ron Parker, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We learned earlier today that Parker and the Bucs have mutual interest.
- Given the nature of recent CB contracts, Buster Skrine is one cornerback who could be in for a big payday, according to Garfolo (on Twitter).
- With Jordan Cameron unlikely to return, the Browns are expected to show interest in tight end Ed Dickson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
Titans Rumors: Sanchez, McCourty, Worilds
The Titans are showing “decent interest” in free agent QB Mark Sanchez, according to Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Second-year player Zach Mettenberger currently tops Tennessee’s quarterback depth chart, but the club could also look to upgrade the position with the No. 2 overall pick in next month’s draft. Sanchez, whom the Eagles are interested in retaining, would make for a nice stopgap solution if the Titans did take a QB in the draft.
Here’s more on the Titans, with all links going to the Twitter account of the Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt:
- The Titans have reached out to safety Devin McCourty, whose twin brother Jason is a corner for the club. McCourty, who somewhat surprisingly wasn’t franchised by the Patriots, is the top safety available, so the Titans will certainly have competition. Tennessee recently released Bernard Pollard, so they have an opening in the back end.
- Clearly interested in secondary help, the Titans will meet with cornerback Cary Williams tomorrow. Williams, recently released by the Eagles, has already met with the Seahawks and Jets.
- Tennessee is interested in Jason Worilds and a number of other edge rushers. Former Steelers coordinator Dick LeBeau is now running the Titans’ defense, so the connection to Worilds makes sense.
- The club still wants to retain free agent rusher Derrick Morgan, whom Wyatt notes is a getting an “idea of his value” during the three-day negotiating window.
NFC Rumors: Peterson, Hoyer, Eagles, Cards
If Adrian Peterson is able to work his way out of Minnesota, his preferred destination would be Arizona, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the veteran running back’s other top landing spots are the Colts, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Chargers. For their part, the Cardinals have denied any interest in the Vikings running back, adds Robinson’s colleague Rand Getlin (via Twitter). However, Getlin does tweet that a source told him the Cards’ release of Darnell Dockett was done to clear out cap room for Peterson.
Let’s check out the latest from the NFC as free agency approaches…
- Both the Vikings and the 49ers have expressed interest in quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). But with other teams like the Jets and Texans (who could potentially offer a starting role) showing interest, as well, I’d bet the Hoyer would look unfavorably upon joining Minnesota or San Francisco, where he’d be the clear backup.
- Though they’re about to add Byron Maxwell, the Eagles could still use another corner, but the club hasn’t shown interest in either Buster Skrine or Chris Culliver, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who adds in a separate tweet that Walter Thurmond is also not on Philly’s radar.
- Washington appears set on adding help along the defensive line — they’re intrigued by Terrance Knighton, and they’ve also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Paea and Dan Williams, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- After re-signing Scott Tolzien earlier today, the Packers aren’t interested in retaining fellow backup QB Matt Flynn, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- The Cardinals are interested in linebacker Brian Orakpo, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Arizona is also interested in Trent Cole (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN), so it looks like they’re targeting OLB help.
- The Buccaneers are looking for safety help, and there is mutual interest between the club and FA Ron Parker, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).
Bengals, Mike Nugent Nearing Two-Year Deal
It’s not the biggest news of the day, but the Bengals are set to keep a key special teams contributor, as Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com reports (via Twitter) that kicker Mike Nugent is expected to return to Cincinnati on a two-year deal. Nugent was set scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
Originally a second-round pick out of Ohio State, the 33-year-old Nugent has been the Bengals’ placekicker since 2010. He converted 78.8% of his field goals last season, missing seven kicks (though three were from 50+ yards). That figure was his lowest percentage of made kicks during his time in Cincinnati, and he wasn’t overly effective in generating touchbacks — he rated No. 21 among all kickers in that regard.
Nugent earned a base salary of $1.3MM in 2014, and I’d expect his new deal to be near that number.
Week In Review: 3/1/15 – 3/8/15
The headlines from the past week at PFR:
Key News:
- The Bills acquired running back LeSean McCoy from the Eagles in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso.
- The Dolphins have reportedly agreed to terms with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on a $114MM deal.
- Peyton Manning will return to the Broncos in 2015, having accepted a $4MM pay cut.
- Veteran receiver Andre Johnson has asked the Texans to release him.
- The 2015 salary cap was set at $143.28MM.
Franchise/Transition Tags:
- Broncos – WR Demaryius Thomas (link)
- Chiefs – LB Justin Houston (link)
- Cowboys – WR Dez Bryant (link)
- Dolphins – TE Charles Clay (link)
- Giants – De Jason Pierre-Paul (link)
- Patriots – K Stephen Gostkowski (link)
Traded:
- Jets – acquired WR Brandon Marshall from the Bears for a fifth-round pick
- Bills – acquired QB Matt Cassel and a 2015 sixth-round pick from the Vikings for a 2015 fifth-round pick and a 2016 seventh-round pick
Signed/Re-Signed:
- 49ers – Darnell Dockett (link)
- Cowboys – T Doug Free (link)
- Jets – LB David Harris (link)
- Packers – WR Randall Cobb (link)
- Saints – RB Mark Ingram (link)
- Texans – CB Kareem Jackson (link) and T Derek Newton (link)
- Washington – TE Niles Paul (link)
Extended:
- Cowboys – WR Cole Beasley (through 2018)
- Panthers – TE Greg Olsen (through 2018)
- Seahawks – RB Marshawn Lynch (through 2017)
Released:
- Dolphins – LB Philip Wheeler (link)
- Eagles – DE/LB Trent Cole (link) and CB Cary Williams (link)
- Patriots – NT Vince Wilfork (declined option)
- Raiders – DE/LB LaMarr Woodley (link)
- Saints – RB Pierre Thomas (link)
- Seahawks – TE Zach Miller (link)
- Texans – C Chris Myers (link)
Suspended:
- S LaRon Landry (10 games)
Retired:
- RB Maurice Jones-Drew (link)