McCoy/Alonso Notes: Wednesday
The Bills and Eagles shocked the NFL world on Tuesday evening, reportedly agreeing to a trade that will send LeSean McCoy to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Trades can’t officially be finalized until the new league year begins next Tuesday, but by all accounts, this deal will happen at that point. We rounded up a few initial reactions to the move last night, but there are several more updates to today to pass along. Here’s the latest:
- After the swap is formally completed, the Bills are expected to rework McCoy’s contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While that may reduce the running back’s cap number for 2015, don’t expect him to take a pay cut — Rapoport suggests that the goal will be to ensure that McCoy gets some guaranteed money beyond 2015.
- The Eagles called at least one other team to gauge interest in McCoy before reaching an agreement with the Bills, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today that he knew Shady was available, but said he “wasn’t a fit” in Arizona (Twitter link via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com).
- Alonso did not ask for a trade, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
- A source familiar with C.J. Spiller‘s situation tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that the news was “certainly surprising.” The source added that Spiller is still “processing the personal part,” but suggested it may be a blessing in disguise for the running back to get a fresh start elsewhere.
- More on the pending deal: Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com breaks down the trade’s winners and losers, Peter King of TheMMQB.com shares his thoughts on the swap, and Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com writes that the move is the latest indication that the Eagles are completely Chip Kelly‘s team.
NFC West Teams Vying For Darnell Dockett
Former Cardinals defensive lineman Darnell Dockett is expected to decide on his new team today, and his old team remains in the mix, along with the rest of that club’s division rivals. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Dockett will likely decide between the Cardinals and 49ers, though the Rams and Seahawks are also interested in signing him.
Dockett, who is entering his age-34 season, was sidelined for the entire 2014 season 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 had a one-year offer on the table to Dockett earlier this week worth up to $4MM, with a a base value of $2.5MM.
If Dockett lands with the 49ers, he’d be joining a team with a 3-4 defensive scheme similar to the one in Arizona, and would likely take over the defensive end role vacated by Ray McDonald, who was cut last season due to his off-field conduct. If the Rams or Seahawks emerge as a viable dark horse candidate and land Dockett, he’d have to make the adjustment to a 4-3 system. However, while the 33-year-old visited the 49ers this week, it doesn’t appear that he paid a visit to St. Louis or Seattle, so those clubs look like long shots at this point.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus had suggested on Monday that there was a strong market developing for his client, and that a decision was expected by week’s end.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Hartline, Johnson
While there are more notable wide receivers scheduled to hit free agency next week, former Dolphin Brian Hartline may be the best player currently available at the position. Hartline is getting a head start on the rest of the receiver market, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, who writes that the veteran wideout is visiting the Browns today. Cleveland certainly makes sense as a fit for Hartline — he’s from Canton and played his college ball at Ohio State, while the Browns will be without Josh Gordon for the 2015 season, and have pass catchers like Miles Austin and Jordan Cameron facing free agency.
As we wait to see if anything comes of Hartline’s meeting with the Browns, let’s check in on a few more items from across the AFC North….
- A league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group that the Browns are comfortable heading into the season with Josh McCown as their bridge quarterback until they find their man of the future. For his part, McCown would not divulge what Cleveland told him about the club’s plans.
- Even though they have $50MM+ in cap room at their disposal, the Browns aren’t expected to be major players in free agency this month, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
- Veteran edge defender Jarret Johnson, who announced his retirement from the NFL last month, will officially do so as a Raven, after signing a one-day contract with the club, tweets Brett Hollander of WBAL Radio. Johnson, who was officially released by San Diego last week, spent the first nine years of his career with the Ravens before joining the Chargers in 2012.
Titans Claim Jonathan Massaquoi Off Waivers
TUESDAY, 4:35pm: The Titans have claimed Massaquoi off waivers from the Falcons, assuming the remainder of his contract, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
FRIDAY, 4:26pm: Having already cut a pair of long-tenured players today, the Falcons have announced another roster move, according to Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com, who tweets that the team has waived Jonathan Massaquoi. The move comes on the heels of the Falcons also cutting wide receiver Harry Douglas and guard Justin Blalock.
Massaquoi, 26, was selected by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, and has since played 40 games for the team, starting seven of them. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that the edge defender was in the doghouse last year with the club’s old coaching staff for skipping treatments on his foot, and was upset about his playing time. While Dan Quinn‘s arrival might have meant a clean slate for Massaquoi, it seems the team will instead move on, cutting him a year before his contract was set to expire.
Because he only has three years of experience, Massaquoi will have to clear waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. As for the Falcons, their cap savings will be very limited — the Troy product had a cap number of just $702K for the coming year.
Giants Considering Run At Ndamukong Suh
Although it seems “improbable” on the surface, the Giants are believed to be considering a run at Ndamukong Suh, assuming he reaches the open market next week, sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
The Lions elected not to place the franchise tag on Suh yesterday, and his potential suitors are starting to come out of the woodwork — Washington is said to have interest, while the Dolphins have been identified as a possible wild card candidate. As I noted while discussing Washington’s interest, there aren’t many teams in the NFL that wouldn’t love to add Suh to the mix on the defensive line, so a ton of times will likely kick the tires on him if given the opportunity.
For the Giants, defensive line isn’t necessarily a top priority, since the team used its own franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul yesterday, and has Johnathan Hankins as an anchor on the interior. However, adding Suh to the mix to complement JPP, Hankins, and pass rusher Robert Ayers would give New York one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.
Of course, cap space would be a concern for the Giants. At the moment, the club has about $13MM in room, which could be enough to accommodate Suh, depending on how a contract is structured and what other moves are forthcoming. However, it wouldn’t leave much flexibility to address other areas of need — a team source tells Vacchiano that New York is unlikely to engage in a bidding war. On top of that, if the team hopes to work out a longer-term arrangement with Pierre-Paul, investing so heavily on two defensive lineman could come back to haunt the team down the road.
While there may ultimately be too many roadblocks for the Giants to get serious about pursuing Suh, the team’s reported interest is another sign that the star defender will have more than just a handful of suitors as he nears unrestricted free agency.
Ravens Ask Lardarius Webb To Take Pay Cut
The Ravens are asking cornerback Lardarius Webb to reduce his salary for the 2015 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Webb’s contract calls for an $8MM base salary this coming year, to go along with a $12MM cap number.
Webb didn’t escape unscathed during a 2014 season in which the Ravens’ secondary was decimated by injuries. The veteran corner missed three games early in the year with a lower back injury, and appeared to be somewhat hampered by those back issues throughout the season. Webb’s season-long grade on Pro Football Focus (subscription required) reflected those injury problems — he ranked 78th out of 108 qualified cornerbacks in 2014 after grading as a top-20 corner in 2013.
With Webb’s cap hit set to jump from $7.5MM to $12MM, it’s unclear if the Ravens would cut him if he refuses to take a pay cut — since he still has $10MM in prorated bonus money left on his deal over the next three seasons, releasing him would create just $2MM in cap savings if he’s not designated as a post-June 1 cut. Additionally, if he’s healthy again for the 2014 season, the Ravens could use Webb’s presence in the secondary.
Whether or not Webb returns for 2015, the Ravens are expected to add cornerbacks this offseason to help solidify a group led by Jimmy Smith, whose 2014 campaign ended early due to a foot injury. Cary Williams, released today by the Eagles, reportedly has interest in returning to Baltimore and makes some sense as a veteran target for the team.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Revis, Tannehill, Pats
The Jets have been involved in “serious internal discussions” about the possibility of bringing back cornerback Darrelle Revis, with owner Woody Johnson very much involved in those talks, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets’ interest in Revis is hardly news, but the closer we get to March 9 without an agreement in place between the Patriots and the star cornerback, the more likely it is that he reaches the open market next week.
Let’s round up a few more items related to the Jets and their AFC East rivals….
- While there have been rumblings in recent weeks suggesting the Jets could target C.J. Spiller in free agency, the team would like to bring back Bilal Powell and will make a “sincere effort” to re-sign him, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Cimini estimates that Powell will land a deal that averages between $1.5MM and $2MM per year.
- Brian Costello of the New York Post examines how new Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan will approach the team’s hole at cornerback this offseason.
- Former Packers wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, who recently visited the Patriots, is working out for the Jets today, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Visits with the 49ers and Chiefs are next up on Dorsey’s schedule.
- Ryan Tannehill said today that he has yet to sit down with the Dolphins to discuss a contract extension, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. There’s no real rush for the Fins to get anything done, since Tannehill has one more year left on his rookie contract, and the club holds a team option for the 2016 season.
- As Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com details, Patriots safety Devin McCourty spoke to ESPN’s Josina Anderson yesterday after the team announced that it was franchising kicker Stephen Gostkowski, rather than McCourty. The veteran safety didn’t say anything too noteworthy in addressing his contract situation, but acknowledged that not being tagged made it more “realistic” that he could end up somewhere besides New England.
- The Patriots hired former 49ers special-teamer Bubba Ventrone today as an assistant special teams coach, as first reported by Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Ventrone, who began his NFL career with the Pats, is just 28 years old, so the move from playing to coaching is a little surprising, but he hadn’t been under contract for the 2015 season.
Byron Maxwell Changing Agents
12:38pm: Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Maxwell is expected to hire Alvin Keels and/or Premier Sports & Entertainment for representation, noting that the firm has already started working on the cornerback’s behalf. McLane has tweeted that he “jumped the gun” on the Maxwell report, so it appears Dogra may not be in the picture after all. Either way, Maxwell’s new agent can’t officially be hired quite yet.
11:50am: With his unrestricted free agency just a week away, cornerback Byron Maxwell has made the unusual move of informing his agent, Jason Chayut, that he’ll be parting ways with him and seeking new representation, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Per NFLPA bylaws, players must wait five days before hiring a new agent, so Maxwell won’t be able to officially appoint a new rep until this weekend.
When he is able to formally hire a new agent, Maxwell is expected to opt for Ben Dogra, formerly of CAA, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Dogra, who also represents Adrian Peterson and many other NFL players, joined Relativity Sports several weeks ago, as the agency’s co-CEO.
While it’s not unusual for a player to change agents as his free agency nears, making a move at the very last minute is a curious choice. Chayut and Maxwell’s former reps have spent the last year, including last month’s combine, gauging the value of their client, and would presumably have a leg up over a new agent. Considering Maxwell is projected to be the top cornerback in what may be a seller’s market, he’ll do very well regardless of who represents him, but a few million dollars could be at stake, depending on how negotiations play out.
Additionally, agents are allowed to begin talking to rival teams on behalf of their clients starting on Saturday, so depending on when Maxwell officially appoints Dogra as his new rep, he may not be able to immediately explore his market when that negotiating period opens.
The Eagles are regarded as a potential frontrunner for Maxwell, who isn’t expected to return to the Seahawks.
Cole Beasley, Cowboys Agree To Extension
The Cowboys and wide receiver Cole Beasley have agreed to terms on a multiyear extension that will keep Beasley under contract through the 2018 season, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). The four-year contract is worth $13.6MM, with $7MM in guarantees, including a $4MM signing bonus. Beasley can also increase the value of the deal to $15.1MM if he reaches certain escalators.
Getlin initially reported last week that the Cowboys and Beasley were discussing a new contract, and I suggested at the time that I didn’t think Dallas would go much higher than about $2MM per season. However, it looks like I undershot the wideout’s new salary, since the extension will pay him $3.4MM per year. Of course, as is the case with most NFL contracts, if the deal goes south, the team will have the opportunity to get out of it in the last year or two without paying the full amount.
Beasley, who turns 26 in April, was hardly the Cowboys’ most notable extension candidate at the wide receiver position — that honor belongs to Dez Bryant, who received the franchise tag from the team yesterday. Still, Beasley has developed into one of Tony Romo‘s more reliable targets over the last couple seasons. In 2014, the SMU product set career highs with 420 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while totaling 37 receptions.
Having take care of Beasley, who had been eligible for restricted free agency, the Cowboys will shift their focus to a handful of other pending free agents. Bryant’s situation doesn’t need to be addressed immediately now that he’s been franchised, but a number of other notable players, including DeMarco Murray, Doug Free, Justin Durant, and Rolando McClain are scheduled to reach the open market next Tuesday.
Panthers Re-Sign Colin Cole
The Panthers have reached an agreement with free-agent-to-be Colin Cole, keeping the veteran defensive tackle off the open market, reports John Clayton of ESPN.com (Twitter link via David Newton). According to Clayton, Cole is signing a one-year, $1.05MM contract to remain in Carolina.
Cole, who has been in the league since joining the Packers in 2004, will turn 35 this summer, but was still a regular contributor for the Panthers last season. In 16 games (10 starts), the Iowa product recorded 32 tackles and recovered a fumble.
For a player with Cole’s experience, the minimum salary for 2015 is $970K. The maximum signing bonus for a minimum salary benefit deal is $80K, for a total of $1.05MM. Because it’s a minimum salary benefit contract, the Panthers’ cap hit for Cole will be just $665K — the amount of a minimum salary for a two-year veteran ($585K), plus the $80K bonus.