Browns Sign Dwayne Bowe
TUESDAY, 8:21am: Per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Bowe’s two-year deal is worth $12.5MM, with $9MM guaranteed, including a $3.5MM signing bonus. That’s a pretty nice guarantee for a player who has been very mediocre in recent years.
FRIDAY, 10:38am: The Browns have officially signed Bowe, the club confirmed today in a press release.
THURSDAY, 1:07pm: It’s a two-year deal for Bowe with the Browns, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
12:47pm: After hosting him for a visit to Cleveland over the weekend, the Browns have agreed to sign free agent wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport tweets that Bowe was one of Cleveland’s top offseason priorities, adding that the two sides kept working on a deal this week until they eventually reached an accord.
Bowe, 30, was part of the underachieving and record-setting group of Chiefs wide receivers that managed to go the entire 2014 season without catching a single touchdown pass. It was the third straight mediocre season for Bowe, who has averaged approximately 59 receptions and 743 yards per year since 2012, on the heels of back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011.
Having brought aboard Jeremy Maclin on a pricey new long-term contract, the Chiefs cut ties with Bowe a week ago, allowing him to hit the open market. The former first-round pick may have drawn interest from other clubs – Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports tweets that the Jags were “lurking” – but his only visit was to Cleveland, with the Browns putting on the full court press to add him.
For the Browns, Bowe will join Brian Hartline on the team’s new-look receiving corps, which almost certainly won’t include Josh Gordon, who is facing a year-long suspension, and Miles Austin, who is on the free agent market. Andrew Hawkins is currently penciled in as the slot receiver to complement Bowe and Hartline, and it’s possible that the team will address the position in the draft as well.
Browns GM Ray Farmer was a part of the Chiefs’ front office back in 2007 when Kansas City drafted Bowe in the first round.
Texans, J.J. Watt Restructure Contract
J.J. Watt has agreed to restructure the contract extension he signed last year, converting his $10MM roster bonus for 2015 into a signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move creates $8MM in cap space for the Texans this season.
Watt’s $10MM roster bonus had been due to be paid today — if it had gone unchanged, the entire amount would have counted toward Houston’s 2015 cap. Instead, only $2MM will go on the books this year, with $2MM added to the cap for each of the next four seasons as well. Watt, who still receives that full $10MM amount up front, will now have a $13.969MM cap number for 2015, down from $21.969MM.
While the Texans don’t necessarily have any more major free agent investments on the horizon for this year, the added flexibility gives the team a little breathing room to accommodate spring or summer additions, and to sign this year’s draft class.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Watt and the Texans completed the move four days ago.
Minor Moves: Monday
We’ll track Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Colts have signed cornerback Deveron Carr, according to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter). Carr, an undrafted free agent in 2013, participated in the NFL’s veteran combine this past weekend. The former Arizona State standout made nine appearances with the Buccaneers during his rookie season, and he auditioned for the Titans, Jaguars, Giants and Patriots at some point in 2014.
Earlier updates:
- Former West Texas A&M wide receiver Nathan Slaughter became the first player who participated in the veterans combine to secure a new deal, as he agreed to terms with the Cardinals, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Slaughter, who went undrafted last spring, signed with the Texans as a rookie free agent, then spent time with the Jaguars before landing on injured reserve in August due to a foot injury. He got a two-year contract from Arizona, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
2015 NFL Compensatory Draft Picks
The NFL has officially announced the 32 compensatory draft picks for 2015 that have been handed out to teams who had the most significant losses in free agency a year ago. These picks, which can’t be traded, are determined by a formula that accounts for salary, playing time, and postseason honors. Teams can’t receive more than four picks each, and this year’s selections were divided up among 14 clubs.
Here’s the list of 2015 compensatory picks by team, with the round and overall selection number included:
- 49ers: 4th (132), 7th (254)
- Bears: None
- Bengals: 3rd (99), 4th (135)
- Bills: None
- Broncos: 4th (133), 6th (208), 7th (250), 7th (251)
- Browns: None
- Buccaneers: None
- Cardinals: 7th (256)
- Chargers: None
- Chiefs: 3rd (98), 5th (172), 5th (173), 6th (217)
- Colts: 7th (255)
- Cowboys: None
- Dolphins: None
- Eagles: None
- Falcons: None
- Giants: None
- Jaguars: None
- Jets: None
- Lions: None
- Packers: 6th (210), 6th (212)
- Panthers: 5th (169), 6th (213)
- Patriots: 3rd (97), 7th (253)
- Raiders: None
- Rams: 6th (215)
- Ravens: 4th (136), 5th (171) , 5th (175)
- Saints: None
- Seahawks: 4th (134), 5th (170), 6th (209), 6th (214)
- Steelers: 7th (252)
- Texans: 5th (174), 6th (211), 6th (216)
- Titans: None
- Vikings: None
- Washington: None
NFC Notes: Bennett, Lions, Rams, Jennings
Speaking to reporters in Arizona today, Seahawks general manager John Schneider said that defensive end Michael Bennett hasn’t requested a trade and is happy in Seattle, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN.com.
A report last week indicated that Bennett wanted a new contract, and perhaps a trade to Dan Quinn‘s Falcons, but even if that’s the case, it doesn’t look like the Seahawks have any plans to move him. For what it’s worth, Schneider appeared to dodge the issue of whether the defensive end wants his contract reworked, as Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets.
Schneider also confirmed that defensive lineman Jesse Williams will be re-added to the Seahawks’ roster soon, indicating that Williams was only waived as a procedural transaction (Twitter link via Condotta).
Here’s more out of the NFC:
- Lions GM Martin Mayhew confirmed today to reporters, including Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News (Twitter link), that his team is in talks with free agent guard Rob Sims about a new deal.
- The Rams are keeping their eye on free agent offensive linemen like Joe Barksdale, Stefen Wisniewski, and Justin Blalock, but the club isn’t expected to sign any of those players this week, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- While the Cowboys aren’t likely to make any other noteworthy free agent investments, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com suggests the club could go bargain shopping, identifying offensive tackle, safety, and return man as three potential areas of need.
- Panthers owner Jerry Richardson took responsibility for the organization’s decision to not re-sign embattled defensive end Greg Hardy. “Whose call would you think that would be?” Richardson asked ESPN.com’s David Newton. When asked about the owner’s logic, Richardson replied that the Panthers “do the right things.”
- When wideout Greg Jennings left the Packers for the Vikings in 2013, the veteran displayed some animosity towards the organization. However, Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson made it clear that those kinds of comments wouldn’t dissuade his team from pursuing the 31-year-old. “We’re not that sensitive about things like that,” Thompson said (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com). “Players are players. Players say things. Sometimes we make mistakes [too].”
Colts May Not Address Luck’s Deal In 2015
Along with Russell Wilson, quarterback Andrew Luck is the most notable player eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason, but it doesn’t sound like the Colts are in a rush to finalize a new deal for the former first overall pick. Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters today that his team likely won’t address Luck’s contract until next offseason, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
Luck, 25, has led the Colts to three consecutive 11-5 seasons since entering the league in 2012, and established new career highs in 2014 with 4,761 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. He also led the team to a pair of postseason wins this winter, reaching the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. In other words, the young signal-caller has done nothing but prove that he’s in line for a mega-deal, and there’s a possibility his next contract makes him the highest-paid player in football.
Still, from the Colts’ perspective, there’s plenty of time to get something done. Because he was a first-round pick, Luck – unlike Wilson – has a fifth-year option for 2016 attached to his rookie contract. Barring an unexpected extension within the next few weeks, Indianapolis will exercise that option, locking up Luck for the ’16 campaign. The team would then also have the franchise tag in its back pocket for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, so there’s no risk of Luck hitting the open market for a while.
Of course, there’s no reason to play hardball with a player expected to be the face of the franchise for at least the next decade, so even if the Colts don’t delve into serious discussions about an extension this offseason, there’s no reason to think the team won’t make it a priority a year from now. I’d be surprised if Luck ultimately plays the 2016 season on his fifth-year option salary ($16.155MM).
When Luck and the Colts do work out a new deal, it could set a new benchmark for NFL quarterbacks. With the salary cap on the rise in recent years, a salary in the neighborhood of $25MM per year – or higher – appears realistic for the Stanford product.
La Canfora’s Latest: Wilson, Peterson, Titans
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has been busy today at the NFL’s March meetings in Arizona, publishing three pieces — one on Russell Wilson‘s contract, one on the Titans‘ ownership situation, and one that addresses a few other items of note from around the league. Here are a few highlights from all three of La Canfora’s Monday articles:
- La Canfora continues to hear that no new deal is imminent for Wilson and the Seahawks, and while both sides would like to get something done, there’s no sense that real progress has been made. The two sides figure to keep negotiating throughout the spring and the summer, but Wilson is prepared to play the 2015 season without an extension in place if need be, knowing that even without a new contract, he’d likely be in line for $20MM+ if Seattle franchises him next winter.
- Adrian Peterson doesn’t want to play for the Vikings, but there may not be much trade interest in him at his current salary, and Minnesota doesn’t appear willing to cut him either. That may end up essentially creating a game of chicken between the star running back and the team — the Vikes could probably find a trade partner if Peterson were open to significantly reworking his deal, but it’s not clear how much he’d be willing to sacrifice to get out of Minnesota. La Canfora believes the Cowboys, Cardinals, and Washington would have interest at the right price, but that price likely isn’t $45MM over three years.
- Some team executives around the NFL are growing frustrated with the league for dragging out investigations into the Patriots (Deflategate), Browns (Textgate), and Falcons (Noisegate), questioning why there’s still no resolution on any of those issues.
- “Lot of people like [Marcus] Mariota a lot more than what you are seeing in the media,” said a high-ranking official for one NFL team. La Canfora believes Mariota will be the second overall pick, or at least a top-five selection.
- Currently, veteran free agents signed after June 1 don’t factor into the following year’s compensatory picks. According to La Canfora, the league may change that date to May 1 to help benefit players (who could find a home a few weeks earlier) and teams (who could get those players to their facilities sooner).
- Rumblings about a potential Titans sale have only increased since Tommy Smith left the franchise. La Canfora writes that billionaire Dave Tepper, who currently owns 5% of the Steelers, is considered by some league insiders as the favorite to land the Titans. However, the CBSSports.com scribe warns not to count out current Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, who is a Tennessee native and would love to own the Titans. While a “swap” of franchises between owners is unlikely, it’s worth keeping an eye on Haslam just in case, says La Canfora.
AFC Notes: Browns, Housler, Titans, Jags, Pats
Having lost Jordan Cameron to the Dolphins and missed out on Charles Clay, who signed with the Bills, the Browns are considering tight end Rob Housler, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. According to Fowler, the Browns have had discussions with Housler, and there’s mutual interest between the two sides, but no visit has been planned and no deal is imminent. Housler, who turned 27 last week, caught just nine balls for the Cardinals last season after recording 84 combined receptions in 2012 and 2013.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean takes a closer look at Tommy Smith‘s decision to retire as CEO of the Titans, reporting that the decision was made in part because of a shift in thinking within the club’s ownership group. According to Wyatt, there was no longer a consensus among ownership that Smith’s wife, Susie Adams Smith, daughter of the late Bud Adams, should be the franchise’s controlling owner. The Titans are currently on the lookout for a new president and CEO.
- Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley discussed one running back his team landed and one that got away, telling reporters today, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links) that GM David Caldwell has done “a lot of research” on Bernard Pierce, and that the team “held [its] stance” in pursuit of DeMarco Murray.
- Patriots owner Robert Kraft pointed to upcoming free agencies for players like Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower in explaining why the team couldn’t offer Darrelle Revis a massive contract, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
- Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Darian Stewart‘s two-year contract with the Broncos is worth $4.25MM, with a $1.5MM signing bonus and a 2016 escalator.
Dolphins Extend Joe Philbin Through 2016
The Dolphins have extended the contract of head coach Joe Philbin by a year, keeping him locked up through 2016, owner Stephen Ross confirmed today to reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Philbin’s deal has previously been set to expire after the 2015 season.
After the Dolphins made the decision to bring back Philbin for 2015, a short-term extension had been expected, to avoid having him enter the season as a lame-duck coach. Explaining the decision, Ross noted that “you don’t get the best from someone when operating with a gun to their head,” tweets Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.
Still, there’s no guarantee that Philbin will still be in Miami for that 2016 season. Ross said today that “there has to be improvement,” but wouldn’t clarify whether that means Miami must have a better record or make the playoffs in 2015 (Twitter link). I’d expect that, after adding Ndamukong Suh in free agency, Philbin and the Dolphins will be in postseason-or-bust mode in ’15.
In his three seasons with the Dolphins so far, Philbin has failed to get the team a single playoff berth or a record above .500. Miami has a 23-25 record during his stint with the club, including back-to-back 8-8 seasons.
AFC East Notes: Fins, Tannehill, Bradham, Jets
The Dolphins will work this spring on attempting to finalize a long-term contract extension for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, but if the two sides don’t reach an agreement, Miami will be comfortable exercising Tannehill’s fifth-year option for the 2016 season, writes Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
That option would pay Tannehill $16.155MM, and would give the Dolphins a little more time to work something out with the signal-caller. However, the team may prefer to get a deal done sooner rather than later in order to ensure that Tannehill’s 2016 cap number isn’t quite so high.
Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC East, including a couple more Dolphins notes….
- The Dolphins don’t have plans to add a guard in free agency or in the first couple rounds of the draft, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, who passes along some quotes from executive VP of football operations Mike Tannenbaum on the subject. The club currently plans to have Billy Turner at one guard spot, with Dallas Thomas getting the opportunity to win the other starting job.
- Tannenbaum also spoke to Salguero about why the Dolphins were comfortable swapping out Mike Wallace for Kenny Stills, even though it meant essentially giving up a third-round pick in exchange for a fifth-rounder.
- The Bills are expected to discuss a potential contract extension for linebacker Nigel Bradham this week, sources tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bradham, who established new career highs with 104 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles, and seven passes defended, is eligible for an extension on his rookie deal for the first time this offseason, and hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent back in January. Both Rosenhaus and Bills negotiator Jim Overdorf are in attendance at the annual league meetings in Arizona.
- Former Giants linebacker Spencer Paysinger could become the latest free agent to make the move from one New York team to the other. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links), Paysinger is scheduled to visit the Jets tomorrow.