Falcons Sign Tony Moeaki
After signing Jacob Tamme earlier today, the Falcons have added some more depth at the tight end position, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve also signed Tony Moeaki. The veteran tight end, who gets a one-year deal, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link), becomes the latest former Seahawks to follow new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn to Atlanta.
Moeaki, 27, was a pass-catching threat earlier in his career in Kansas City, averaging 40 receptions during his first two full seasons with the Chiefs. However, over the last two seasons, in stints with the Chiefs, Bills, and Seahawks, Moeaki has caught just eight balls. The former third-round pick likely won’t play a significant role in the Falcons’ offense.
Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d be surprised if it’s more than a minimum salary pact. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms (via Twitter) that it’s a one-year deal.
Besides having a connection to Quinn, Moeaki also has history with Falcons executive Scott Pioli, who worked in the Chiefs’ front office when the tight end was drafted.
Bucs, Sterling Moore Agree To Terms
1:25pm: According to Rapoport (via Twitter), the pact has a max value of about $1.525MM, which is very close to what Moore would’ve earned if he’d received the low-end RFA tender from Dallas.
12:51pm: It’s a one-year deal for Moore, tweets Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com.
12:42pm: The Buccaneers have struck an agreement on a contract for free agent defensive back Sterling Moore, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Moore had been eligible for restricted free agency, but was non-tendered by the Cowboys, so Dallas won’t have the right to match Tampa Bay’s offer.
Moore, 25, played an increased role for the Cowboys in 2014, starting seven regular season games for the team and appearing in all 16. Playing 866 defensive snaps, Moore didn’t grab an interception, but defended 13 passes and made 50 tackles. He also ranked 22nd out of 108 qualified cornerbacks during his time at the position, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
After not receiving an RFA tender from the Cowboys, Moore visited the Bucs first, then also met with the Steelers and 49ers. As Rapoport points out (via Twitter), the young defensive back has a little history with current Bucs GM Jason Licht — the former Patriots executive was in New England when Moore was signed to the Pats’ practice squad and then promoted to their active roster in 2011.
FA Notes: Dolphins, Jackson, Selvie, Newman
Having decided not to match the Bills’ offer sheet for tight end Charles Clay, the Dolphins may be prepared to spend the money saved on Clay on some other free agents. According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), in addition to hosting wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Miami is also having quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and center J.D. Walton in for visits.
Jackson, in particular, is an intriguing potential fit for the Dolphins. The team still needs a veteran backup behind Ryan Tannehill, and while Miami’s preference may be to re-sign Matt Moore, Jackson could come a little cheaper.
Here are a few more free agent notes from around the NFL:
- Defensive end George Selvie, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Buccaneers and Vikings so far in free agency, is visiting the Giants today, according to Art Stapleton of The Record (Twitter link).
- The Vikings and cornerback Terence Newman have discussed some contract figures, but weren’t close to a deal as of late last night, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). If the veteran corner were to join the Vikings, he’d reunite with former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
- Free agent offensive tackle Corey Hilliard is paying a visit to the Jets, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Hilliard, a former Lion, is a solid swing tackle when he’s healthy, but injuries have derailed his last two seasons.
- In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at the players who have done the best and worst so far in free agency.
Chargers Sign Patrick Robinson
Another free agent cornerback has found a new home, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that the Chargers have signed ex-Saints corner Patrick Robinson to a one-year deal worth up to $3MM.
Per Wilson, Robinson’s deal includes a $1MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, along with up to $1MM in playing-time incentives. $250K of the veteran’s base salary is guaranteed, making for $1.25MM in total guarantees.
Robinson, a 2010 first-round pick, served primarily as the Saints’ nickelback in 2014, and performed well in that role. According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), Robinson limited opposing quarterbacks to a 75.4 passer rating and just one touchdown to two interceptions on passes thrown into his coverage.
The Chargers drafted a cornerback – Jason Verrett – in the first round a year ago, and re-signed Brandon Flowers to a lucrative new deal earlier this month, so Robinson will likely find himself playing a similar nickel role in San Diego in 2015. The five-year veteran, who reportedly visited the Steelers several days ago, looks like a nice depth addition for the Chargers’ defense.
Bengals Sign Brandon Ghee
The Bengals are bringing back a player they selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, announcing today that they’ve signed cornerback Brandon Ghee to a new contract (Twitter link).
Ghee, 27, saw the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his four years with the team before signing with the Chargers last year and then landing with the Titans in October. In six contests for Tennessee in 2014, Ghee made four tackles and grabbed his first career interception. However, he was cut in December by the Titans, making him a free agent again.
Having battled injuries in the past, Ghee should have an opportunity to make the Bengals’ 53-man roster if he stays healthy, but he likely won’t be counted on to have a significant role in the team’s secondary in 2015.
Bengals Re-Sign Devon Still
It’s been a great week for defensive lineman Devon Still, who revealed on Instagram on Tuesday that doctors are optimistic about the prognosis for his daughter Leah, with recent tests not showing “any active disease in her body.” The latest positive development for Still is a new contract with the Bengals, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, who congratulated his client today on Twitter.
Still, 25, had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but the Bengals decided not to extend him an RFA tender last week. At the time though, we heard that Cincinnati had made a one-year contract offer to Still, who was mulling the proposal while also weighing family issues — as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes (via Twitter), Still had been waiting for the results of Leah’s tests before making a decision on the Bengals’ contract offer.
On the field, Still saw a career-high 237 defensive snaps as a part-time player for Cincinnati last season, recording 19 tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries. Assuming he earns a spot on the 53-man roster in 2015, the former second-round pick should play a similar role for the Bengals.
Giants Re-Sign Daniel Fells
THURSDAY, 8:44pm: The Giants have officially re-signed Fells, the team confirmed today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 4:18pm: Free agent tight end Daniel Fells is returning to New York, having agreed to terms with the Giants on a one-year deal, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
Larry Donnell emerged as the Giants’ No. 1 tight end and top pass catcher at the position in 2014, but Fells earned his fair share of playing time as the No. 2 option, and graded as a much better run blocker than Donnell, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Feels, 31, didn’t match the receiving numbers he posted in previous years in St. Louis and Denver, but he also caught 16 balls from Eli Manning for 188 yards and four touchdowns.
It’s the third notable roster move reported today for the Giants, who also agreed to sign defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis and restructured guard Geoff Schwartz‘s contract.
Saints Redo Keenan Lewis’ Contract
8:29am: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has more specifics on Lewis’ new deal, reporting that his signing bonus is actually worth $3.9MM, since his per-game roster bonuses for the next two seasons have been removed. The cornerback’s base salaries for 2015 and 2016 are now fully guaranteed, and $3MM of his $4.75MM salary for 2017 is guaranteed as well (all Twitter links).
8:08am: Amidst a recent mini-exodus of his teammates, cornerback Keenan Lewis told the Saints that he wanted to either have the rest of his contract guaranteed or be released. While the Saints didn’t guarantee Lewis’ entire remaining salary, the team has shown its commitment to him by redoing his contract, adding more guaranteed money, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has some details on the move, reporting that Lewis has agreed to reduce his 2015 base salary from $1.8MM to $850K and his 2016 base salary from $4.25MM to $2.7MM. The reduced portions of those salaries have been converted to a signing bonus, which appears to be worth $2.85MM. All in all, Lewis receives an extra $10.4MM in guarantees, and his cap hit dips from $4.85MM to $4.5MM for ’15, creating a tiny bit of extra flexibility for the Saints.
The Saints’ re-commitment to Lewis comes at a time when the club appears to be redirecting its resources to the defensive side of the ball to some extent. New Orleans has traded tight end Jimmy Graham, guard Ben Grubbs, and wide receiver Kenny Stills this month while stockpiling early-round draft picks.
Lewis, signed over from the Steelers two years ago, has started 16 games in each of the past two seasons, posting six interceptions. He’s expected to play opposite newly-signed cornerback Brandon Browner in the team’s starting lineup in 2015.
New Deals For Connor Barwin, Rob Ninkovich
6:28pm: According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter), Barwin’s new deal will guarantee the 28-year-old’s 2015 salary of $6.4MM. Furthermore, the new deal will also partially guarantee $3MM of his 2016 salary.
4:11pm: A pair of veteran edge defenders, Connor Barwin of the Eagles and Rob Ninkovich of the Patriots, have agreed to new contracts, according to reports. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com first tweeted that Ninkovich and the Patriots had agreed to adjust his deal, while Barwin himself broke word of his new contract, via Twitter.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, the Pats have increased Ninkovich’s compensation for the 2015 season. The veteran defensive end had been set to earn $2.45MM, including a base salary of $2.1MM. However, he’s now in line for a total of $5MM this year, with $4.5MM of that amount fully guaranteed. The exact breakdown of the restructure isn’t yet clear, so it’s possible New England picked up some cap space in the move.
As for Barwin, it appears he also received a bump in pay. Multiple Eagles reporters, including Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, have indicated that Barwin’s new deal doesn’t lower his cap number for 2015, but rather rewards him for an excellent 2014 campaign.
Barwin, who had 14.5 sacks and made his first Pro Bowl in 2014, had been set to make a base salary of $6.4MM. Mosher notes that the Eagles recently re-signed Brandon Graham for $6.5MM annually, and perhaps wanted to ensure Barwin, as the team’s top outside linebacker, is earning more than Graham, who has been a part-time player in recent years.
Rams Sign Garrett Reynolds
4:54pm: Reynolds’ new deal with the Rams is a two-year pact worth $2.2MM, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The contract has a max value of $4.2MM.
3:46pm: The Rams have officially signed Reynolds, the team announced today (via Twitter). According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the club continues to consider other linemen, including Tim Barnes, who isn’t out of the picture in St. Louis quite yet.
3:18pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit, the Rams are expected to finalized a deal with offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It was Caplan who first reported earlier today that Reynolds was headed to St. Louis.
Reynolds, who started 10 games for the Falcons in 2013, lost his starting job late in the 2013 season, despite grading as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd overall guard (subscription required). The 27-year-old was subsequently cut by Atlanta and picked up by Detroit, where he spent the 2014 season as an occasional starter at right guard and right tackle for the Lions.
Reynolds’ ability to play both guard and tackle could come in handy for the Rams, who are in need of players at both spots. Greg Robinson and Rodger Saffold figure to man left tackle and left guard respectively, but Jake Long and Scott Wells were cut by the club, and Joe Barksdale and Davin Joseph are free agents, so center, right guard, and right tackle are still up in the air. Reynolds may not be penciled in as a starter, but he should have the opportunity to compete for a regular job.