Minor Moves: Monday Evening
Our first round-up of today’s minor transactions around the NFL was starting to get a little unwieldy, so we’ll recap the rest of the afternoon and evening minor moves right here. Here’s the latest:
- The Titans won’t tender either receiver Kris Durham or linebacker Kaelin Burnett, making both free agents, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Ravens have tendered ERFA cornerback Rashaan Melvin at $585K, per Wilson (Twitter link). Melvin started two games for Baltimore near the end of the season.
- The Ravens also have extended an exclusive rights tender worth $435K to long snapper Patrick Scales, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Scales was originally signed in December, becoming Baltimore’s third snapper of the season. The man he replaced, Kevin McDermott, didn’t get an RFA tender, tweets Wilson.
Earlier updates:
- Rather than tendering restricted free agent linebacker Mike Morgan, the Seahawks have simply signed him to a one-year contract, per Condotta (via Twitter).
- Updating a previous note, the Seahawks actually have tendered receiver Ricardo Lockette, and have offered a contract to ERFA defensive back DeShawn Shead, as well, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).
- The Jets have tendered offers to two RFAs — defensive tackle Damon Harrison received a second-round tender worth $2.356MM, while safety Jaiquawn Jarrett received the lowest tender.
- With Ryan Mallett returning to the fold and a deal with Brian Hoyer moving closer to completion, the Texans started clearing out a crowded quarterback position today by cutting Thad Lewis, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Somewhat ironically, Lewis was initially added to Houston’s roster back in November to replace Mallett, who landed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury.
- The Ravens extended an RFA tender to safety Will Hill at the low-end level, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). The $1.542MM offer ensures that Baltimore maintains the right of first refusal if Hill signs an offer sheet with another club. The Ravens also tendered ERFA defensive end Steven Means, locking him up for 2015, tweets Wilson.
- The Seahawks have elected not to tender contracts to wide receiver Bryan Walters and offensive lineman Stephen Schilling, says Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). All three players could still re-sign with Seattle, but they’ll be unrestricted free agents and can negotiate with other teams too.
- Punter Marquette King, safety Brandian Ross, and safety Larry Asante all received low-end RFA tenders from the Raiders, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Defensive back Chimdi Chekwa and running back Kory Sheets weren’t tendered, and will become UFAs tomorrow.
Saints Restructure Junior Galette’s Contract
The Saints have restructured Junior Galette‘s contract, converting his $12.5MM roster bonus into a signing bonus worth the same amount, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The move spreads the bonus over five years, at a rate of $2.5MM per season, meaning the team cleared $10MM in cap room for 2015, which should be enough to get under the cap in advance of tomorrow’s deadline.
The move all but guarantees that Galette will remain on the Saints’ roster for at least the 2015 season, which wasn’t necessarily a sure thing. The pass rusher ran into some legal troubles in recent months, and recent reports have suggested head coach Sean Payton and the Saints wouldn’t have been opposed to moving on from Galette if they could find a taker.
Galette’s off-field issues and his huge $12.5MM roster bonus, which had been due this Thursday, likely discouraged any potential suitors from seriously pursuing a deal, assuming the Saints even explored a trade themselves.
Having already cut Curtis Lofton and restructured Galette’s contract today, the Saints will likely have more cap-clearing moves on the way if they want to have a shot at adding any players in free agency this week. Marques Colston, Ben Grubbs, Jahri Evans, and David Hawthorne are among the Saints whose contracts may be addressed in some form, whether it be via restructure, pay cut, or an outright release.
Contract Details: McCourty, Jones, Moats, Ginn
Here are a few noteworthy contract details on deals recently agreed upon:
- Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): Five years, $47.5MM base value. $15MM signing bonus. $28.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Jacoby Jones, WR (Chargers): Two years, $5.5MM base value. $1.6K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
- Arthur Moats, OLB (Steelers): Three years, $7.5MM base value. $1.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ted Ginn Jr., WR (Panthers): Two years, $4.2MM base value. $1.7MM signing bonus. Up to $1.5MM in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Derek Carrier, TE (49ers): Three years, $2.985MM base value. $400K signing bonus. About $1MM in escalators (Twitter link via Pelissero).
Update On Top 25 NFL Free Agents
A little over two days after I identified PFR’s top 50 free agents of the offseason, many of those players have re-signed with their own teams or tentatively reached agreements with new teams, which will be finalized on Tuesday.
Given how fast and furious the action has been so far, here’s a quick rundown of where the top half of the players in our our top 50 currently stand:
- Ndamukong Suh, DT: Reportedly agreed to sign with Dolphins for six years, $114MM.
- Devin McCourty, S: Agreed to re-sign with Patriots for five years, $47.5MM.
- Randall Cobb, WR: Re-signed with Packers for four years, $40MM, despite reportedly receiving bigger offers, including one from the Dolphins.
- Julius Thomas, TE: Reportedly nearing a deal with the Jaguars.
- Jerry Hughes, DE: Re-signed with the Bills for five years and about $45MM.
- Jeremy Maclin, WR: Reportedly agreed to sign with the Chiefs on a deal worth about $11MM per year.
- DeMarco Murray, RB: Taking his time and weighing his options; he’s said to be open to leaving the Cowboys, and his camp is confident in signing for about $8MM per year. The Jaguars have been cited as a possible suitor.
- Pernell McPhee, OLB: Reportedly agreed to sign with the Bears for five years, $40MM.
- Byron Maxwell, CB: Reportedly agreed to sign with the Eagles for six years, $63MM.
- Bryan Bulaga, T: The Bills, the Buccaneers, the Jaguars, and Washington have been mentioned as possible suitors for Bulaga, in addition to the Packers. A deal worth at least $7-8MM per year appears likely.
- Greg Hardy, DE: There have been no reports on Hardy since the legal tampering period began. Teams may be waiting for the NFL to announce potential discipline for off-field legal troubles.
- Mike Iupati, G: The Raiders, Jets, and Bills are all believed to have serious interest in Iupati.
- Brandon Graham, DE/OLB: Re-signed with the Eagles for four years, $26MM.
- Jason Worilds, OLB: The Eagles had been considered a top contender, but likely won’t get too involved with Graham back in the mix. The Titans are one possibility.
- Torrey Smith, WR: Announced he won’t be back with the Ravens; the 49ers are considered the frontrunners.
- Terrance Knighton, DT: Washington, the Colts, and the Bears all have – or had – real interest in Knighton, but the Raiders appear to be in the lead to sign him.
- Rodney Hudson, C: Reportedly agreed to sign with the Raiders for five years, $44.5MM.
- Nick Fairley, DT: Having lost out on Suh, the Lions are expected to make an effort to bring back Fairley.
- Brian Orakpo, OLB: The Falcons, Jaguars, Cardinals, and Washington are all in the running; Atlanta is viewed as the favorite.
- Derrick Morgan, DE/OLB: The Titans are trying to re-sign him, but at least a half-dozen other teams are also involved.
- Kareem Jackson, CB: Re-signed with the Texans for four years, $34MM.
- Brandon Flowers, CB: Re-signed with the Chargers for four years, $36MM.
- Jared Odrick, DT: Expected to sign with the Jaguars for a deal worth $7MM per year.
- Chris Culliver, CB: The Jets are the only potential suitor he has been linked to so far, though more teams should get involved.
- Orlando Franklin, G: Reportedly agreed to sign with the Chargers for five years, $36.5MM.
Note: Players who received the franchise tag weren’t included in our top 50. Neither was cornerback Darrelle Revis, who may hit the market tomorrow, and would have been the No. 2 player on our list.
Bills Intend To Keep Fred Jackson
3:24pm: Jackson will remain in Buffalo with no changes to his contract, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
2:49pm: As of early this afternoon, personnel executives from four other teams were under the impression that Jackson is or would be available, tweets Graham. That doesn’t necessarily mean the running back will become available, but it sounds like there’s no resolution here yet.
2:10pm: According to Graham (via Twitter), the Bills have approached Jackson about restructuring his contract. Since the running back is in the final year of his deal, reworking that contract would have to involve either a pay cut or an extension. Either way, the team wants Jackson to stay in Buffalo, says Graham.
1:07pm: The Bills are set to finalize their acquisition of one of the top running backs in the league tomorrow when they officially trade for LeSean McCoy. Buffalo also traded a fourth-round pick for Bryce Brown, who remains in the club’s plans, and continues to carry Anthony Dixon, a solid special-teamer. On top of all that, the team is said to have real interest in free agent back Bilal Powell.
Where does longtime Bill Fred Jackson stand in such a crowded backfield? According to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter), one Bills source says the NFL’s oldest running back “isn’t going anywhere.” A second source tells Graham that owner Terry Pegula got involved in the situation — Pegula’s exact involvement isn’t specified, but implication is that the team’s new owner wants to see Jackson remain on the roster.
Jackson, who turned 34 last month, has been a mainstay on the Bills’ offense since joining the team in 2007. While he’s one of the few backs in the NFL approaching his mid-30s, Jackson doesn’t necessarily have a ton of wear and tear on his body — he has just 1,279 carries over his eight-year careeer, or about the equivalent of three seasons worth of DeMarco Murray circa 2014.
Still, if the Bills were to part ways with Jackson, he would hardly be the first player this offseason unceremoniously cut by his longtime team. Buffalo could clear the veteran’s entire $2.731MM cap hit for 2015 by releasing him, so we’ll have to wait and see what the team ultimately decides.
Patriots Won’t Pick Up Darrelle Revis’ Option
3:20pm: If Revis hits free agency, Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday (via Twitter) hears that he’ll seek something in the ballpark of $48MM over three years with $40MM guaranteed.
2:39pm: The Patriots have decided not to pick up the 2015 option on Darrelle Revis, clearing a path for the star cornerback to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Of course, the Pats could still work out a deal to retain him, but it won’t be on the terms of that option. In fact, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) says the Pats will continue negotiating with the cornerback.
Although New England would like to retain Revis, his cap number would have been an unpalatable $25MM had they exercised his option. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter) wonders if news of the option being declined might be a negotiating ploy on the part of the Pats. Still, if there’s no deal ironed out, it would make sense that the Patriots would turn down his pricey option.
PFR’s Luke Adams recently wrote that a three-year deal in the range of $45MM with a sizable portion of guaranteed money could make sense for the Patriots. The question is, would such a deal make sense for Revis given the level of interest he’d probably receive on the open market.
The Jets have been involved in “serious internal discussions” about the possibility of bringing Revis back and they figure to be one of many teams to make a serious play for the star cornerback.
Texans Release Andre Johnson
2:57pm: The Texans have officially released Johnson, signaling the end an era in Houston, reports Adam Schefer of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
9:52am: Unable to find a suitable trade for Andre Johnson, the Texans are expected to release the veteran wide receiver today, reports Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter links). Johnson’s agent, Kennard McGuire, reportedly asked the team to cut his client last week.
Johnson, who is entering his age-34 season, caught a team-high 85 balls in 2014, but that was his lowest total for a full season in about a decade. The former third overall pick also averaged just 62.4 yards per game, the third-lowest mark of his 12-year career. Houston reportedly asked Johnson to accept a reduced role in the offense going forward, which prompted discussion of a trade, and will end the receiver’s time with the Texans.
If and when Johnson hits the open market, a handful of teams in need of receiving help are expected to have interest. The Raiders, Colts, Eagles, Browns, and Patriots are among the teams I’d consider potential fits, though the longtime Texan could definitely draw interest from other suitors as well.
Saints Release Curtis Lofton
After coming up empty in an effort to move Curtis Lofton in a trade, the Saints are releasing the veteran linebacker, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the move has already been made, which would make Lofton an unrestricted free agent immediately.
Lofton, 28, has been one of the most dependable and durable pieces on the Saints’ defense in recent years, starting all 48 regular season contests for the team since arriving in New Orleans in 2012. In 2014, he racked up 145 tackles to go along with a forced fumble. However, while his stats looked solid on the surface, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as a bottom-five inside linebacker, out of 60 qualified players.
There were still three years remaining on Lofton’s contract, so the $5MM left in dead money on his deal will all accelerate to 2015, unless the team designates him as a post-June 1 cut. The post-June 1 designation wouldn’t allow New Orleans to free up any cap space immediately, however, and the team needs to get under the threshold by tomorrow afternoon, so I’d guess it’s just a standard release for Lofton. The move will create $4.25MM in cap savings.
FA Rumors: Murray, Raiders, Orakpo, Hill
While DeMarco Murray may not land an eight-digit annual salary, his camp sounds confident that there are teams willing to pay $8MM per year for his services, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. However, as Getlin notes it’s not clear yet whether the Cowboys are one of those teams. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Murray is willing to move on from Dallas if a better opportunity presents itself, but the running back is approaching free agency slowly and methodically rather than rushing into any decision.
While we wait to see if Jerry Jones opens up his check book for the NFL’s leading rusher before Murray hits free agency tomorrow, let’s check in on some few other free agent news….
- The Raiders are “hot after” Mike Iupati, widely considered to be the top free agent guard available this winter, reports Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Oakland figures to be up against the Bills and Jets, among other teams, in the bidding for Iupati. Landing the 49ers veteran after agreeing to terms with center Rodney Hudson would certainly help the Raiders solidify their offensive line.
- The Falcons were mentioned a week ago as a potential favorite for Brian Orakpo, and it doesn’t appear that’s changed. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington tweets that she’s hearing Atlanta is the current frontrunner for the free agent pass rusher.
- The Titans are still in play for Derrick Morgan, but so are about a half-dozen other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the Cowboys and Raiders are among the teams showing interest in quarterback Shaun Hill, who also has reportedly has an offer on the table from the Vikings.
- The Steelers have no immediate plans to re-sign veteran outside linebacker James Harrison, who could potentially be a late-summer addition for the club, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- We can add the Chiefs to the growing list of teams that has inquired on free agent cornerback Cary Williams, tweets Nick Jacobs of TWC SportsChannel in Kansas City.
- Washington hasn’t been in contract with wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, but the free-agent-to-be has heard from a few other teams, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Market For Davon House Heating Up
The market for Packers cornerback Davon House, who is eligible to sign with a new team in a little over 24 hours, is “heating up,” according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Getlin identifies the Packers, Jets, Jaguars, Seahawks, Bears, and Cowboys as teams in play for House.
House, 25, is one of two Packers cornerbacks eligible for free agency tomorrow, along with Tramon Williams. Williams was one of Green Bay’s starters in 2014, while House saw part-time action in nickel and dime packages, but the younger player of the duo could end up doing better on the free agent market.
When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents, I listed House 34th, four spots ahead of Williams. As I noted in that piece, quarterbacks only completed 46.8% of their passes into House’s coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus, which placed him fourth among all qualified cornerbacks.
While House probably won’t match the $8-10MM annual salaries landed by players like Kareem Jackson, Brandon Flowers, and Byron Maxwell, a $6MM-per-year offer appears within reach for a player who is poised to become a full-time contributor.