Browns Sign Thad Lewis
After signing Josh McCown earlier in the offseason, the Browns have added another veteran quarterback to their roster, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed Thad Lewis to a one-year contract.
Lewis finished the 2014 campaign in Houston but was cut by the Texans earlier this week as the team revamped its quarterback depth chart, re-adding Ryan Mallett, signing Brian Hoyer, and trading Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum. Undrafted out of Duke in 2010, Lewis has bounced around the league, having spent time with the Bills, Rams, and Lions in addition to a previous stint in Cleveland. The 30-year-old started five games for Buffalo in 2013, leading the team to a 2-3 record in those games.
For the Browns, Lewis will provide camp depth, but looks like a long shot to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster barring an injury to McCown, Johnny Manziel, or Connor Shaw.
Pats Restructure Danny Amendola’s Contract
Wide receiver Danny Amendola will be sticking with the Patriots for the coming year, as the team has restructured his contract in order to keep him on the roster, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Amendola’s new deal is also for three years and is worth a total of $12.75MM, with a max value of $15MM.
Amendola was previously set to count for $5.7MM against the Patriots’ cap in 2015 with $1MM increases each year, taking him to $6.7MM in 2016 and $7.7MM in 2017. The new deal is a bit more reasonable for the Pats given Amendola’s production and overall health. The 29-year-old did play a full 16 game season in 2014, but that was his first since his sophomore season in 2010.
Last year, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Amendola an overall grade of -7.0, ranking him 93rd out of 110 qualified wide receivers.
Had the Pats cut Amendola, they would have freed up $2.1MM in cap room. Designating Amendola as a post June 1st cut, meanwhile, would have saved New England $4.5MM.
Bucs Sign Henry Melton To One-Year Deal
11:32am: Melton’s one-year contract with Tampa Bay will be worth up to $5MM, with a $3.75MM base value, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.
8:23am: It’ll be a one-year deal for Melton with the Bucs, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Agent Jordan Woy confirms that his client has signed with the team (Twitter link).
8:15am: After hosting him for a free agent visit this week, the Buccaneers are finalizing an agreement to sign defensive tackle Henry Melton, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). According to Stroud, the Bucs should be able to officially announce Melton’s deal later today.
Melton, a former fourth-round pick, broke onto the scene with the Bears in 2010, when he finished with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best season in Chicago came in 2012, when he compiled 32 tackles and six sacks, earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl and a top-six spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings (subscription required) of defensive tackles. However, his career with the Bears ended rather unceremoniously, as Melton only appeared in three games in 2013 before injuring his ACL.
Melton joined the Cowboys in 2014 and played well in part-time action, recording five sacks. However, the team decided not to pick up his pricey option for 2015 and beyond, making him a free agent this month. Melton is set to become the second notable defensive free agent to head from Dallas to Tampa Bay this week, on the heels of linebacker Bruce Carter signing with the Bucs.
When I ranked my top 50 free agents over the weekend, I placed Melton 49th, noting that despite his past health issues, he can make a real impact when he’s on the field.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Jets Re-Sign Willie Colon
After bringing in a new interior offensive lineman earlier this week when they signed James Carpenter, the Jets have also decided to bring back one of their free agent starters from 2014. According to Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday (via Twitter), the club has re-signed veteran guard Willie Colon to a one-year contract.
Colon, who turns 32 in April, has started all 32 contests at right guard for the Jets over the last two seasons, and can be probably penciled in atop the depth chart again heading into the 2015 season. While players like Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi should compete for a starting role, Colon figures to have the inside track based on his experience.
While Colon was a solid pass blocker for the Jets last year, Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest he struggled as a run blocker. He also took too many penalties, and ultimately recorded a -16.3 PFF grade in over 1,100 snaps, placing him 66th out of 78 qualified guards. He was much better in 2013, ranking 35th.
FA Rumors: Morgan, Cameron, Harvin
Having visited the Falcons this week, free agent edge defender Derrick Morgan is on the Buccaneers today, and will meet with the team’s coaches today, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). As Getlin observes, the Bucs will have to put a strong offer on the table for Morgan if they want to lock him up, since other teams remain in pursuit. The Cowboys have been mentioned as a possible suitor, and the Titans maintain interest in re-signing their own free agent.
The Bucs already locked up one notable front-seven player today, signing Henry Melton to a one-year deal — if they were also able to add Morgan, it would go a long way toward improving their outside pass rush, with Michael Johnson no longer on the roster.
Here are a few more free agent updates from around the NFL:
- Jordan Cameron‘s visit with the Dolphins is happening today, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miami is still hoping to retain Charles Clay, but Cameron certainly wouldn’t be a bad Plan B if the Bills sign Clay to an offer sheet that the Dolphins can’t – or don’t want to – match.
- A source who spoke with free agent Percy Harvin told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the wide receiver doesn’t want to be a “gadget guy” anymore and wants to play something closer to a traditional wide receiver role. Throughout his career, he has had coaches “lie” to him and tell him that he would play a typical wide receiver, only to have him involved more in unorthodox plays.
- The Dolphins aren’t done adding cornerbacks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. They’re working on scheduling a visit with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain and that meeting could go down this week. In addition to Miami, McClain has also drawn interest from the Vikings and Saints (link). McClain made six starts for Atlanta in 2014 and also had two interceptions.
- The interest between the Titans and James Harrison is mutual, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, Harrison is not a high priority free agent at this stage of his career, so the Titans can take care of him later and they won’t need to address signing him in week one of free agency.
- Before signing with the Panthers, tight end Ed Dickson said that he drew interest from the Raiders, Broncos, Cardinals, and Browns, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. But, he says, no other team “came close” to Carolina.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Panthers Re-Sign Ed Dickson
THURSDAY, 9:04am: Dickson’s three-year deal with the Panthers, which is worth $6.8MM, is now official, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
TUESDAY, 2:22pm: Dickson will earn between $6MM and $7MM over the life of the deal, per David Newton of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
2:00pm: It’s a three-year deal for Dickson, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). In that case, the veteran tight end should be in line for more than the minimum salary.
1:57pm: The Panthers have reached an agreement with Ed Dickson that will keep the tight end off the open market and will bring him back to Carolina, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Dickson, 27, joined the Panthers last offseason, and was used sparingly in the team’s passing game, receiving a career-low 17 targets for just 10 overall receptions. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also graded him as a below-average pass blocker and run blocker, but the Panthers apparently liked his play well enough to retain him for another year.
Financial terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, but Dickson is coming off a minimum-salary contract, so it seems very likely he’ll get another minimum deal this time around.
The Browns had been expected to show some interest in Dickson.
Vince Wilfork Considering Four Teams
THURSDAY, 8:50am: Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link) hears that Wilfork has three offers of two years, $10MM on the table from AFC teams.
WEDNESDAY, 12:19pm: Vince Wilfork was one of three notable Patriots who became free agents yesterday when the team decided not to exercise their options. Darrelle Revis has already landed with the Jets, and Brandon Browner is off to visit the Saints, but Wilfork is expected to take his time to make a decision, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
According to Rapoport, Wilfork is considering four potential destinations. One of those possible destinations is Houston — we heard yesterday that the Texans were trying to sign the veteran defensive tackle, and the team continues to maintain interest in landing him. Another suitor in the mix is Wilfork’s old team, the Patriots. The statement Wilfork released when he announced the Pats wouldn’t be picking up his option seemed to close the door on New England, but apparently the two sides could still end up working toward a reunion.
Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his NFL career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season.
In his statement last week, Wilfork said he has “lots of gas still left in the tank,” so he should eventually land with a team, whether it’s the Pats, the Texans, or one of his other two unknown suitors.
Nick Fairley Visiting Rams
One of the league’s best defensive lines could add even more talent in free agency. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), free agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley is on his way to visit the Rams in St. Louis today.
Fairley had his 2014 season derailed by injuries, but he was very effective when healthy, and is drawing plenty of interest this week. The 27-year-old paid a visit to the Bengals already this week, and a report yesterday indicated that about a half-dozen teams were interested before free agency even began on Tuesday.That same Wednesday report also revealed that Fairley isn’t currently considering re-signing with the Lions, who lost Ndamukong Suh this week, but added Haloti Ngata.
As for the Rams, defensive line certainly isn’t an area of need for a team that has Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, and Chris Long on its roster, but the team did cut Kendall Langford earlier in the offseason and could be looking to add another interior piece. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported yesterday that the Rams had reached out to Fairley.
When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents last weekend, I placed Fairley 18th, which makes him one of the top unsigned players on our board.
AFC South Notes: Orakpo, Colts, Jackson
As we wait for Thursday’s free agent action to ramp up, let’s check in on some items from around the AFC South….
- After visiting the Titans yesterday, Brian Orakpo remains in Tennessee and has yet to officially set up a time to visit the Cardinals, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter links). A visit to Arizona is the plan for Orakpo if and when he leaves the Titans meeting, but as he said yesterday, “anything can happen.”
- The Colts have signed Kendall Langford and Trent Cole and brought back Mike Adams in free agency, but after adding veteran running back Frank Gore, wide receiver Andre Johnson, and guard Todd Herremans on offense, the team figures to focus primarily on its defense in next month’s draft, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. One exception, Holder notes (via Twitter), will be drafting a young running back, if the right guy is available.
- Kareem Jackson‘s new deal with the Texans includes $16MM in fully guaranteed money, but practically speaking, the full guarantee is $20MM, since the cornerback gets a $4MM roster bonus today, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter), a source close to Marcus Mariota advised King not to minimize the Titans‘ interest in the quarterback, suggesting they’re “very serious.” Whether that reported interested is legit or a smokescreen remains to be seen.
DeMarco Murray Rumors: Wednesday
As perhaps the most noteworthy free agent still on the board this week, DeMarco Murray will be receiving plenty of attention today, as potential suitors vie for his services. Until the longtime Cowboys running back reaches an agreement with a new club, or at least starts closing in on a deal, we’ll track today’s Murray updates right here, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- ESPN’s Ed Werder says the Cowboys, Eagles and Raiders are “getting very competitive” for Murray’s service (Twitter link).
- One of the teams pursuing Murray is under the impression that the running back will return to the Cowboys, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter).
- Newly-signed Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton said he’s trying to recruit Murray to Oakland, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter). The duo were both standouts for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Earlier updates:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (on Twitter) that Murray understands where the Cowboys and Jaguars are with their offers, but the running back is still seeking more money. Despite Murray’s demands for about $8MM annually, Breer says that market isn’t there yet.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Eagles weren’t even interested in Murray until he called them today. Philly has already signed Ryan Mathews for $5MM guaranteed and they have Darren Sproles in the mix, so they don’t have a major need for Murray.
- Werder (on Twitter) senses that Murray’s decision could come soon. The Jaguars are not actively involved, the Raiders are offering the most money, and the Cowboys have the advantage right now over the Eagles.
- Things are heating up on the Murray front, and the situation will likely come to a head later today, tweets Pro Football Talk.
- The Eagles appear to be Murray’s top choice besides Dallas, according to Robinson (Twitter link). The Raiders and Jaguars trail Philadelphia, and one league source doesn’t believe Jacksonville will make a significant offer.
- Mutual interest between the Eagles and Murray was renewed after a personal phone call between the running back and head coach Chip Kelly, says Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who notes (via Twitter) that Murray was Sam Bradford‘s roommate at Oklahoma. However remains to be seen how much the Eagles would be willing to offer Murray, since Kelly stressed today he won’t overpay for anyone, tweets Mortensen. For his part Bradford said today that he’s been trying to recruit his old college teammate (Twitter link).
- A source tells Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that, before Murray removed mention of the Cowboys from his Twitter account earlier this week, the team made him an offer worth $5MM annually.
- Despite reaching an agreement with Ryan Mathews (as noted below), the Eagles remain very much in the mix for Murray, according to multiple reporters, including Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), it could ultimately come down to the Eagles and Cowboys.
- Jaguars GM David Caldwell said he spoke to Murray’s agent last night, but there’s no movement right now, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
- A source with knowledge of Murray’s situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the idea of the back signing with the Jaguars is currently “not likely.” That could change if the Jags up their offer, or if the NFL’s leading rusher agrees to take less money than he wants, says Florio.
- As we heard last night, the Raiders maintain interest in Murray despite signing Roy Helu, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, multiple teams have made offers to Murray.
- Earlier today, a report indicated that Ryan Mathews is expected to sign with the Eagles, pending a visit with the team. It’s not clear how that would affect the team’s interest in Murray, but I can’t imagine Philadelphia would pursue him too aggressively if Mathews was under contract.