Eagles Sign Stefen Wisniewski
10:11am: The Eagles have formally signed Wisniewski to a one-year deal, the team announced today (via Twitter). The club also confirmed that offensive lineman Matt Tobin has signed his low-end RFA tender, officially taking him off the free agent market.
7:29am: The Eagles are set to sign veteran offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). According to Garafolo, Wisniewski will be getting a one-year deal from Philadelphia after visiting the team last week.
Wisniewski, 27, was a second-round pick back in 2011, drafted 48th overall by the Raiders. After starting all but three regular season games during his four years in Oakland, the Penn State alum – and Pennsylvania native – signed with Jacksonville last season, where he started all 16 games at center for the Jaguars.
Although Wisniewski isn’t one of the NFL’s elite offensive linemen, he has been fairly consistent and reliable since entering the league. In 2015, Pro Football Focus viewed him as a middle-of-the-pack center, ranking him 19th out of 39 qualified players and assigning him an especially strong grade as a pass blocker.
In Philadelphia, Wisniewski likely won’t get an opportunity to play his usual center position, barring an injury to Jason Kelce. Wisniewski figures to compete for playing time at guard, where newly-signed Brandon Brooks is penciled in for one starting spot while the other is still up for grabs. Allen Barbre is among the players in the mix for that spot, so Wisniewski will have to beat out him and others to earn a starting job.
Earlier in free agency, Wisniewski also visited the Steelers, and was said to have received interest from the Browns and Jaguars as well.
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Colin Kaepernick To Report To Niners
With the 49ers’ offseason workouts set to get underway today, Colin Kaepernick – the subject of several trade rumors within the last few weeks – is expected to be in attendance. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News first tweeted on Sunday night that the quarterback would likely report, and as David Fucillo of Niners Nation details, Kaepernick was spotted on a flight from Denver to the Bay Area. He had been rehabbing in Colorado.
Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee has also reported that Kaepernick will report to the Niners’ facility on Monday, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting that the signal-caller is set to attend a team meeting at 8:30 pacific time this morning, along with the rest of his teammates.
Of course, as Barrows has detailed and as Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets, reporting to San Francisco is something of a tactical move for Kaepernick, who is still recovering from multiple injuries and may not be able to participate much in workouts. The Niners QB is owed a $400K workout bonus on his current deal, which he may have forfeited by not showing up this week.
Trade speculation involving Kaepernick swirled all weekend, with conflicting reports on whether or not the Broncos and 49ers were close to reaching a trade agreement. Although there was some disagreement on how close the two sides were on agreeing to trade compensation, virtually every report suggested that Denver would want Kaepernick at a reduced salary, and it remains to be seen whether he would be willing to take a pay cut from his current $11.9MM figure, which is fully guaranteed.
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Panthers Re-Sign Kyle Love
The Panthers are bringing back Kyle Love, having signed the veteran defensive tackle to a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release. We had heard last week that the two sides remained in touch, and it seems those conversations resulted in a new deal.
Love, 29, appeared in all but one game for the Panthers last season as a part of the club’s interior defensive line rotation. For the year, the Mississippi State alum recorded 19 tackles, three sacks, and a fumble recovery in the regular season, then added another sack in the playoffs.
After heading into the free agent period with no backups for defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short, Carolina has now signed Love and Paul Soliai to contracts, creating a little depth up front. However, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets, that veteran depth likely won’t prevent the Panthers from addressing the defensive line in the draft as well.
Financial terms on Love’s new deal aren’t yet known, but he had a non-guaranteed minimum salary contract in 2015 — another minimum salary deal, perhaps with a signing bonus this time around, would make some sense.
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Washington Signs Vernon Davis
SATURDAY, 3:48pm: Davis’ deal is indeed a one-year accord worth $2.38MM, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The 12th-year tight end receives $1.1MM in full guarantees, and Davis can earn up to $2.1MM more via incentives, per Klis. Despite disappearing from Denver’s offense down the stretch and in the playoffs, Davis presently resides as Washington’s highest-paid tight end.
THURSDAY, 4:22pm: The team has officially announced the signing.
THURSDAY, 11:05am: Free agent tight end Vernon Davis is headed home, having agreed to terms to sign with Washington, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). In addition to being a homecoming for the D.C. native, the deal also reunites Davis with former 49ers executive Scot McCloughan, who was San Francisco’s VP of player personnel when Davis was drafted.
[RELATED: Anquan Boldin visits Washington]
The sixth overall pick back in ’06, Davis averaged 50 catches per season during his first eight years in the NFL, racking up 53 total touchdowns and earning two Pro Bowl nods during that stint. However, he has slowed down in recent years, with inconsistent quarterback play, injuries, and his increasing age all playing a part in that decline.
Although Davis, traded from the 49ers to the Broncos midway through the 2015 campaign, didn’t have his best season last year, he still managed to catch 38 passes, including 20 after moving to Denver. In Washington, the team has a clear-cut No. 1 tight end in Jordan Reed, so Davis shouldn’t be relied upon as more than a complementary option as long as Reed stays healthy.
Washington has apparently been on the lookout for additional pass catchers to join Reed, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jamison Crowder as Kirk Cousins‘ top targets for 2016. In addition to reaching a deal with Davis, the team also brought in veteran wideout Anquan Boldin for a visit earlier this week.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), it’s a one-year contract.
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East Notes: Wilkerson, Carter, Bills
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Muhammad Wilkerson and his camp “are in full-fledged get-me-the-heck-out-of-here mode,” angling for a trade out of New York. As Mehta details, Wilkerson doesn’t dislike playing for the Jets, but he doesn’t believe the team is willing to pay him what he believes he’s worth, so he wants to join a club willing to pony up for a long-term deal.
As we wait to see whether Gang Green finds a trade it likes for Wilkerson, here are a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…
- After meeting with the Lions and Jets earlier this week, free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is visiting the Bills today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility, but it appears unlikely that Carter will require much more than a minimum salary deal.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com provides the details on Erin Henderson‘s two-year contract with the Jets, writing that the linebacker will earn a guarantee of $750K, including a $365K roster bonus that was paid on Monday. The deal is worth $4MM overall and features a $250K option for 2017.
- Before he decided to join the Patriots, Terrance Knighton had an offer on the table from Washington as well. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) hears that it was significantly lower than New England‘s offer. John Keim of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Washington‘s offer was heavy on incentives.
- Asked by Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com if he wants to return to the NFL as a head coach, former Washington coach Mike Shanahan said it would have to be the perfect situation, suggesting that it might be a better fit for him to be a consultant for a team.
Patriots Extend Patrick Chung Through 2018
The Patriots have tacked on an extra year to safety Patrick Chung‘s contract, giving him a raise for 2016 in the process, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Yates reports that Chung is now under contract in New England through the 2018 season, with the one-year extension adding $5.7MM in new money to his deal.
As Yates and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald explain, the new money in Chung’s deal breaks down as follows:
- Signing bonus of $2.4MM.
- 2017 base salary increased by $700K ($1.8MM to $2.5MM).
- 2017 per-game roster bonuses increased by $200K ($200K to $400K).
- 2018 base salary of $2MM.
- 2018 per-game roster bonuses of $400K.
Despite the fact that Chung is getting a raise for 2016, his cap number will actually decrease by $100K, since the Patriots eliminated $900K in likely-to-be-earned incentives from his deal for the coming season. However, the veteran defensive back will have the opportunity to earn up to $1.5MM in total incentives later in the contract now — there’s a $900K not-likely-to-be-earned incentive for 2017, and $600K in NLTBE incentives for 2018.
While the math on Chung’s new extension is a little convoluted, the upshot is that the Pats are pleased with the 28-year-old’s performance and chose to reward him for it. Since returning to New England for the 2014 season, the former second-round pick has started 29 regular-season games and another five playoff contests for the club, teaming with Devin McCourty to form a reliable duo at safety.
In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked Chung as the fifth-best safety in the NFL, two spots ahead of McCourty.
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Bengals Sign Karlos Dansby
FRIDAY, 8:14am: Dansby’s one-year contract has a base value of $2MM, with another $250K available in incentives, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The deal also features a $700K signing bonus.
WEDNESDAY, 9:40am: The Bengals have made the signing of Dansby official, announcing the move today (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 9:55am: Having been released earlier this month by the Browns, veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby has found a new home, but he won’t be going far — his new team plays in the same state and the same division as his old team.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Dansby is set to sign a contract with the Bengals. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com had reported earlier this morning (via Twitter) that talks between Dansby and the Bengals were heating up.
Dansby, a former second-round pick, racked up 109 tackles, forced three fumbles, and intercepted three passes, including two for touchdowns, during the 2015 season. Pro Football Focus ranked him 25th out of 97 qualified non-rush linebackers. However, having decided to go younger on defense, the Browns opted to cut the 34-year-old with two seasons left on his four-year contract.
At the time of his release, Dansby told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he wouldn’t mind joining a Super Bowl contender like the Bengals, Packers, or Cardinals. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” the linebacker said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.”
The Bengals have some depth at linebacker, with Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, Vincent Rey, and A.J. Hawk among the available options for the three starting jobs. Still, the team did lose Emmanuel Lamur in free agency, and Burfict will serve a suspension to start the 2016 season, so adding a player like Dansby certainly won’t hurt.
Because Dansby was released by the Browns, he won’t count toward the compensatory pick formula for 2017’s draft. Cincinnati has lost several noteworthy free agents this year, including Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Andre Smith, so the club should be in line for a few extra draft picks next year.
Dansby is also said to have received some interest from the Seahawks, though his only reported visit was to Cincinnati.
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Lions Sign Geoff Schwartz
FRIDAY, 8:12am: Schwartz’s one-year deal with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit contract, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who tweets that the veteran lineman received an $80K signing bonus and had $120K of his base salary guaranteed.
WEDNESDAY, 10:02am: The Lions have officially signed Schwartz, the team confirmed today in a press release.
7:52am: The Lions will add some depth to their offensive line, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms with free agent lineman Geoff Schwartz. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it will be a one-year deal for Schwartz in Detroit.
Schwartz, 29, signed a four-year contract with the Giants in March 2014, but has been plagued by injuries since then, appearing in 13 games over the last two seasons for New York. He started 11 games for the Giants in 2015, but his season was cut short when he fractured a bone in his left leg in late November, forcing the team to place him on injured reserve. The Giants cut Schwartz earlier in the offseason.
Since becoming a free agent, Schwartz has received interest from multiple teams, paying a visit to the Steelers and nearly visiting the Cardinals as well — that meeting in Arizona was scuttled after the club signed Evan Mathis. In joining the Lions, Schwartz will be playing for fifth team in nine NFL seasons — he has also had stops in Carolina, Minnesota, and Kansas City since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2008.
It remains to be seen what role Schwartz will have for the Lions, but guard is his primary position, and if he’s healthy, he should certainly rank among the team’s top five offensive linemen, making a starting job a real possibility. Larry Warford and Laken Tomlinson were Detroit’s starters at guard a year ago, but neither player is elite, so Schwartz should push them for playing time, and could also get a look at right tackle.
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Dolphins Sign Isaiah Pead
6:53pm: The Dolphins announced (on Twitter) that the signing is official.
2:46pm: The Dolphins are finally on the board when it comes to signing a free agent running back. After missing out on Lamar Miller, C.J. Anderson, and Chris Johnson, the team is signing former Ram Isaiah Pead, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
Of course, unlike many of the other backs the Dolphins had been considering, Pead isn’t necessarily expected to play a major role in 2016. As Marvez notes (via Twitter), an ACL injury and a drug suspension have played a role in sidelining Pead, who has just 19 rushing attempts in his NFL career. He has some upside, but he won’t be assured of a roster spot for 2016.
Pead, 26, was originally selected by the Rams in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Cincinnati. St. Louis kept him on its roster until September 2015, at which point he was cut. The Steelers signed Pead in November, but also waived him a few weeks later.
Signing Pead shouldn’t have a real impact on the Dolphins’ running back plans. The team could still take a back in the draft, or add a veteran via trade or free agency. We heard earlier today that Miami has spoken to the Chiefs about a possible deal.
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FA Rumors: Norman, Dolphins, Eagles, Chiefs
As players like Olivier Vernon and Malik Jackson signed huge, long-term contracts earlier this month, players like Broncos pass rusher Von Miller and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman were forced to watch, unable to land lucrative new mega-deals of their own. As Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) details, Miller and Norman have been frustrated by the franchise tag system, which prevents star players from cashing in like some lesser free agents have.
In Norman’s case, fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins got a five-year, $62.5MM as an unrestricted free agent, but according to David Newton of ESPN.com, the Panthers haven’t gone to that $12.5MM-per-year range in their extension talks with Norman. If the Carolina corner had been able to reach the open market himself, he likely would’ve surpassed easily, so it’s not a surprise that Miller and Norman would like to see the franchise tag system go away, according to Cole.
Here’s more on free agency:
- The Dolphins signed Isaiah Pead today, but they continue to seek running back help, and worked out former Buccaneers back Bobby Rainey, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rainey ran for nearly 1,000 total yards in 2013 and 2014, but had just five carries last season.
- After paying a visit to Pittsburgh, free agent offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski met with the Eagles today, a source tells Rapoport (Twitter link). Wisniewski is arguably the top center still on the board, though he’d be unlikely to start in the middle if he were to sign with Philadelphia.
- The Chiefs hosted free agent safety Jeron Johnson for a visit on Wednesday, a source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). After serving as a backup DB and a special-teamer for several years in Seattle, Johnson signed with Washington last year and appeared poised to get the opportunity to player more. However, things didn’t work out in D.C., and Johnson was cut earlier this month.
- In addition to having hosted Johnson, the Chiefs are bringing in another defender, linebacker Andy Mulumba, for a visit, per Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Twitter link). Mulumba, who has played 22 games for the Packers during the last three seasons, also visited the Patriots, according to Hodkiewicz.
- Free agent defensive lineman Jack Crawford is paying a visit to the Jets, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). Crawford, who visited Pittsburgh this week, picked up four sacks as a part-timer in Dallas in 2015
- Todd Archer of ESPN.com explains how recently-signed free agent defensive end Benson Mayowa can opt out of his deal with the Cowboys after two seasons and hit the open market again in 2018.