Seahawks Eyeing Free Agent Cornerbacks
With Byron Maxwell poised to reach the open market, and almost certain to sign with a team besides the Seahawks, Seattle is considering its options for replacing the cornerback, and is looking at the free agent market for a solution. According to various reports, the club is eyeing Cary Williams and Tramon Williams as potential free agent targets.
A report from NFL Draft Diamonds indicates that the Seahawks would be hosting Cary Williams for a visit this week, several days after he was cut by the Eagles. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms as much, reporting that there’s also mutual interest between Williams and the Ravens (Twitter links). The Jets and Titans are among the other clubs with interest in the ex-Eagle, according to NFL Draft Diamonds.
If the Seahawks are outbid for that Williams, another Williams (Tramon) could be an option for the team if and when he reaches the open market. As Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was involved in signing Tramon Williams to Green Bay’s practice squad back in 2006, and the team has made it clear it will pursue the veteran corner if he becomes available.
A source tells McGinn that the Packers proposed a two-year, $8MM deal for their free-agent-to-be, but Williams turned down the offer and is seeking a three- or four-year contract averaging $5MM+ annually. McGinn’s source adds that Williams would like a deal with a sizable guarantee as protection against being released.
While the Seahawks may like to retain Maxwell, he looks poised to land perhaps the largest deal among free agent cornerbacks this month. The Eagles are viewed as the current frontrunners, but several other teams – including the Jets – are expected to be in the mix.
49ers Sign Darnell Dockett
9:13am: According to Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 in Arizona (via Twitter), Dockett gave the Cardinals the opportunity to match the 49ers’ offer before officially agreeing to terms with San Francisco.
8:47am: Veteran defensive lineman Darnell Dockett has made the move from one NFC West team to another, signing with the 49ers days after being released by the Cardinals. Agent Drew Rosenhaus broke the news on Twitter, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has since reported (via Twitter) that Dockett’s new deal with San Francisco is a two-year pact.
Dockett, who is entering his age-34 season, was sidelined for the entire 2014 campaign due to an ACL tear. In 2013, the former third-round pick started all 16 games for the Cards, logging 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks. However, Dockett’s cap number for 2015 was nearly $10MM, which forced the club to cut him.
According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, the Cards wanted Dockett back, and had a one-year offer on the table to the veteran earlier this week worth up to $4MM, with a a base value of $2.5MM. In fact, Dockett drew interest from the entire NFC West, though he didn’t visit the Rams or Seahawks. Ultimately, the Niners’ offer won out — Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, citing Rosenhaus, tweets that the two-year deal is worth $7.5MM, including $4MM in year one, with $2MM guaranteed.
For the 49ers, Dockett represents a nice addition for a defensive line that may need replenishing this offseason. The team’s two primary defensive ends in 2014, Justin Smith and Ray McDonald, may not return for the 2015 season. Smith is mulling retirement, while McDonald was cut in December due to poor off-field conduct. The Niners also pursued Ricky Jean-Francois last week before the former Colt landed in Washington.
Saints Restructure Jairus Byrd’s Contract
After releasing running back Pierre Thomas yesterday, the Saints continue to inch toward getting under the 2015 salary cap, restructuring the contract for safety Jairus Byrd. Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club has converted Byrd’s $6MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating $4.8MM in cap savings for ’15.
Before the restructure, Byrd had been set to count for $10.3MM on New Orleans’ books for 2015 — that figure included his $6MM roster bonus, his $2MM base salary, $2.2MM in prorated signing bonus money, and a $100K workout bonus. By converting the roster bonus into a new signing bonus, the Saints can spread the cap hit over the next five years, making it count for just $1.2MM per year. So Byrd’s deal now includes that $2MM base salary and $100K workout bonus for 2015, along with $3.4MM in total prorated bonus money, for a total cap number of $5.5MM.
Although restructuring Byrd’s contract is a start, the Saints still have a ways to go before they’re under the cap, and will have until Tuesday to make all their moves. Contracts for players like Junior Galette, Jahri Evans, Marques Colston, Ben Grubbs, and Curtis Lofton are among the others that figure to be addressed in some form or other.
On the second year of his six-year, $54MM deal with the Saints, Byrd will be looking to have a greater impact than he did in his first season with the team — the former Bill appeared in just four games for New Orleans in 2014 before being placed on injured reserve with a torn meniscus.
Pats To Decline Vince Wilfork’s Option
The Patriots have elected not to exercise their option on Vince Wilfork, meaning he will be released and will become a free agent within the next few days, according to the defensive lineman himself. Wilfork posted a statement on Twitter confirming the team’s decision.
“I want to take this time to just let everyon know that I was informed on Tuesday that the Patriots will now be picking up my option,” Wilfork wrote. “I’m in a good place [and] I have a great relationship with the Patriots organization. Please know how blessed my family and I have been to play 11 years in New England for [an] amazing organization.”
Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his 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.
By turning down their option on Wilfork and removing him from the roster, the Patriots will avoid paying a $4MM roster bonus that was due next week, as well as his $3MM base salary for 2015. In total, the club will clear more than $8MM in cap room, reducing his cap hit from $8.933MM to about $867K in dead money.
Within his statement, Wilfork enthusiastically expresses his desire to continue playing football, noting that he has “lots of gas still left in the tank.” So once he officially becomes a free agent, it looks like he’ll shop around for a new NFL home.
As for the Pats, the decision on Wilfork is one of many difficult contract issues facing the club. New England also has to make a decision on Darrelle Revis within the next few days — the cornerback also has an option for 2015, and could face the same fate as Wilfork if the team decides it’s too expensive. Standout safety Devin McCourty is also just two days from being able to openly negotiate with rival suitors, and five days from being able to sign with a new team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Peyton Manning To Take Pay Cut
7:59pm: Manning can earn $2MM for winning the AFC Championship Game and $2MM for winning the Super Bowl, according to Legwold and Mortensen. Achieving those milestones would bring Manning back to his originally scheduled salary of $19MM for 2015. Manning’s 2016 base of $19MM remains in tact, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter).
4:38pm: According to Mortensen and Legwold (Twitter links), the two sides have agreed to terms on the new deal, pending a physical and the formal signing of the contract tomorrow. The duo adds that Manning’s incentives are tied to winning the AFC championship game and the Super Bowl, which makes sense — for incentives to not count against the team’s cap, they can’t have been achieved the previous year, so tying them to playoff performance rather than individual performance was expected.
3:41pm: The Broncos initially proposed a more severe pay cut to Manning, sources tell Mike Klis of the Denver Post. It doesn’t seem as if his contract will be altered significantly, however – Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the quarterback will have the opportunity to earn the lost $4MM back in incentives, and the deal isn’t expected to change the team’s approach to free agency.
2:35pm: According to the full report from Mortensen and Legwold, the two sides are still finalizing a few details of the agreement, which won’t become official until Manning takes a physical. That’s expected to happen within the next 24 hours.
2:10pm: Peyton Manning and the Broncos have yet to officially announce that the quarterback will return to the team for the 2015 season, but every development over the last several weeks has suggested he’ll be back. With the future Hall of Famer poised to continue his playing career, he’ll also take a modest pay cut for the coming year, according to Chris Mortensen and Jeff Legwold. The ESPN.com duo reports (via Twitter) that Manning is nearing an agreement with the team on a new deal that will pay him $15MM instead of $19MM for the 2015 season.
It’s not clear yet if reducing Manning’s base salary from $19MM to $15MM for 2015 is the only change being made to his contract. If so, his cap number will dip by $4MM as well, from $21.5MM to $17.5MM. However, the two sides may be making additional tweaks to the deal, or it may be torn up entirely in favor of a new agreement, so we’ll have to wait for further details.
Either way though, it appears as if the move will give the Broncos a little more spending flexibility with free agency around the corner. The team has already used its franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas, but still has a handful of key contributors eligible for unrestricted free agency, including tight end Julius Thomas, defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, safety Rahim Moore, and guard Orlando Franklin. It remains to be seen how Denver will use its cap savings, but presumably Manning would like the team to bring back his tight end, if possible — Thomas has caught 24 touchdowns from the former MVP over the last two seasons.
Manning’s current contract runs through the 2016 season, with one additional year that features a $19MM base salary and $21.5MM cap hit, identical to the current 2015 figures. Presumably, if the Broncos want to reduce the quarterback’s salary for 2015, they may want to do the same for the following season, though that may end up being a moot point if Manning decides this will be the final year of his playing career.
Saints Cut Pierre Thomas
5:30pm: Agent Lamont Smith (on Twitter) says that Thomas has been officially let go.
3:17pm: The Saints have begun working their way toward getting under the salary cap for 2015, informing veteran running back Pierre Thomas that he will be released, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). When the move becomes official, Thomas won’t have to clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
When the Saints parted ways with Darren Sproles last March, the team re-committed to Thomas, signing him to a two-year, $4MM extension that spanned the 2015 and 2016 seasons. However, Thomas won’t play any of that new deal, which allowed the team to reduce his 2014 cap number. By cutting him now, the Saints will create $1.735MM in cap savings for 2015, carrying $800K in dead money on their books.
Thomas, 30, saw his 2014 campaign derailed by injuries and by an increasing workload for Mark Ingram, who received many of the carries that would have gone to Thomas in past years. Before he finished the season on injured reserve, Thomas ran for 222 yards on 45 attempts, both career-low totals. He did remain fairly involved in the passing game, however, grabbing 45 balls out of the backfield.
Plenty more moves will be coming for the Saints, who entered the day about $22MM above the 2015 cap, according to Over the Cap’s data. As for Thomas, he should be a fairly inexpensive signing this month for a team looking to add depth at the running back position.
Free Agent Rumors: Spiller, Suh, Harris
League sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter link) that C.J. Spiller turned down a contract offer worth $4.5MM per year from the Bills before the team decided to make a move for LeSean McCoy. It’s hard to evaluate Spiller’s decision without knowing how Buffalo’s offer was structured, but presumably the running back will be trying to top that number on the open market next week. More free agent rumors..
- Russini also reports (via Twitter) that the Colts are expected to try to get involved in the Ndamukong Suh derby, if the star defender reaches the open market. Washington, Miami, and the Giants have also been identified as potential suitors this week.
- Expect the Bills to put on a “full court press” for linebacker David Harris, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, using a cross-sport metaphor. Buffalo was already considered a potential landing spot for Harris due to the Rex Ryan connection, and the trade of Kiko Alonso makes it an even more obvious fit.
- The 49ers are expected to be in the mix for newly-available edge defender Trent Cole, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Cole would likely be a better fit in a 4-3 system, but he’s been effective enough in Philadelphia over the last two seasons that it looks like 3-4 teams won’t rule out pursuing him.
- Former Packers wide receiver Kevin Dorsey had been scheduled to visit with the 49ers on Tuesday, but the two sides had to cancel the meeting due to bad weather on the East Coast, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. San Francisco is hoping to reschedule Dorsey’s visit, but hasn’t done so yet, per agent Chad Wiestling.
- Expect the Giants to kick the tires of Devin McCourty if he makes it to the open market, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Giants safeties Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps, and Stevie Brown are all eligible for free agency, so the safety position is wide open in New York.
- Veteran defensive end Chris Canty, cut by the Ravens last week, is scheduled to visit the Jets on Friday and Saturday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). New Jets head coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers were both on the coaching staff in Dallas from 2005 to 2007 when Canty started his NFL career with the Cowboys.
49ers Shopping Michael Wilhoite
Curtis Lofton isn’t the only inside linebacker reportedly being shopped as a trade chip by an NFC team. According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, the 49ers are also exploring the possibility of a deal, shopping linebacker Michael Wilhoite.
Wilhoite, 28, saw his first extended action on defense for the 49ers in 2014, starting all 16 games for the club as NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis dealt with injuries. The inexperienced duo of rookie Chris Borland and Wilhoite held its own at the inside linebacker spots for San Francisco, ranking fourth and 36th at the position, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). Wilhoite, a former undrafted free agent, recorded 87 tackles to go along with a pair of interceptions and a forced fumble.
With Bowman and Willis expected back for 2015, and the team needing to find a way to make room for Borland to have a regular role, Wilhoite is somewhat expendable. For a team looking to add an inside linebacker, he’ll come much cheaper than Lofton would, and the Niners’ asking price isn’t high — Barrows writes that the club is seeking a sixth- or seventh-round draft pick for the linebacker, who can also contribute on special teams.
For now, Wilhoite technically doesn’t have a contract, but he’s an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he’d have to sign a one-year, minimum-salary tender from his current club if he wants to continue his career. That’s a formality, and wouldn’t stand in the way of San Francisco completing a deal.
Vikings Notes: AP, QB, Jennings, Munnerlyn
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman were among a contingent that flew to Houston today to meet with Adrian Peterson, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today details. Now that the running back has been moved back to the exempt list, open communication is once again permitted, and this will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in months, according to Pelissero. While Peterson hasn’t asked to be traded or released, he is “uneasy” about the possibility of returning to Minnesota, so the goal of today’s meeting for the club is likely to ease some of those concerns.
As we wait to hear how the meeting in Houston goes, let’s round up a few more Vikings-related notes….
- Sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports that while Peterson hasn’t ruled out the possibility of continuing to play for the Vikings, he has also considered trade destinations, and may be open to restructuring his contract to accommodate a deal. Robinson identifies the Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys, Chargers, and Buccaneers as Peterson’s preferred destinations if he leaves Minnesota.
- The Vikings reached an agreement earlier today with the Bills on a trade that will send Matt Cassel to Buffalo, which means the club will be in the market for a backup quarterback this month. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Vikings already have a specific backup in mind. Goessling suggests keeping an eye on Charlie Whitehurst, who was with Norv Turner in San Diego — Turner also has a connection to free-agent-to-be Brian Hoyer.
- Spielman has said the Vikings aren’t likely to make a big splash in free agency, but as Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune observes (via Twitter), the Cassel deal is the latest move toward creating the cap room necessary to keep all free agent options open.
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that the Vikings will likely restructure Greg Jennings‘ contract at some point this month. Conversely, Goessling hears that the team hasn’t approached cornerback Captain Munnerlyn about reworking his deal (Twitter link). Given the cap room created by the Cassel trade, restructuring Munnerlyn’s contract may not be necessary, says Goessling.
Eagles Release Trent Cole
WEDNESDAY, 3:08pm: The Eagles made the move official today, announcing (via Twitter) that Cole has been cut.
TUESDAY, 4:26pm: Despite initially engaging in discussions to keep him around on a reworked contract, the Eagles are expected to part ways with Trent Cole, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Although the move isn’t official yet, two league sources tell Mosher that the club will eventually release the veteran edge defender. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that it’s expected to become official within the next 24 hours.
Cole, 32, has been a fixture on the Eagles’ defense since being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. During his 10 years in Philadelphia, Cole has played 155 games (145 starts), racking up 85.5 sacks, 569 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles. After posting six consecutive seasons with eight or more sacks from 2006 to 2011, Cole’s production has fallen off in recent years — he has just 17.5 sacks since 2012.
Cole’s cap number had been set to jump from $6.6MM in 2014 to $11.625MM for the coming year, meaning the Eagles needed to address it. With only $3.2MM in prorated bonus money left on the deal, Philadelphia can create $8.425MM in cap savings by parting ways with the veteran.
While the additional cap room created by cutting Cole could be put toward retaining another edge defender, Brandon Graham, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Graham is 99.9% likely to test the open market. Mosher had reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that talks between the Eagles and both Cole and Graham weren’t progressing very well.