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Author: Luke Adams

Jacoby Jones Visiting Bengals, Titans

By | at March 2, 2015 10:34 am

After being released by the Ravens last week, free agent wide receiver and return man Jacoby Jones has a visit lined up with one of Baltimore’s division rivals. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (via Twitter), Jones is meeting with the Bengals. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that the former Raven also has a visit lined up with the Titans, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweets that the Cincinnati visit will happen today, followed by the Tennessee meeting tomorrow.

Jones, 30, returned kicks and punts for Baltimore in 2014, but his role on offense was significantly reduced — after being targeted 68 times and hauling in 37 passes in 2013, Jones received just 18 targets and caught nine passes in 2014. He also averaged 30.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, and 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns.

Teams targeting Jones in free agency this month will likely be doing so with the intent of having him return kickoffs, and perhaps punts as well. At this point in his career, the former third-round pick likely won’t have a significant role in an offense — he’ll probably be about fourth on the depth chart for whichever he team he ultimately lands with.

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Eagles Notes: McCoy, Cole, Maclin

By | at March 2, 2015 10:22 am

Despite rumors to the contrary, the Eagles haven’t approached running back LeSean McCoy about restructuring his contract, two sources close to the situation tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Agent Drew Rosenhaus has since confirmed McLane’s report, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Not taking into account Adrian Peterson‘s $15.4MM cap number, which figures to be addressed at some point, McCoy’s $11.95MM figure for 2015 makes him the only running back with an eight-digit cap hit, which makes the deal a candidate to be restructured. So far though, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any urgency on the team’s part.

Here’s more on McCoy and the Eagles:

  • As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, McCoy’s contract doesn’t include any bonuses or guarantees in March, so there’s no real rush for the Eagles to do anything with it. Practically speaking, if the Eagles want to adjust the running back’s deal, they’ll probably do so before the offseason program begins, but they don’t necessarily have to until closer to the regular season.
  • While there have been no contract talks yet with McCoy, the Eagles have engaged in discussions with veteran edge defender Trent Cole to bring him back for the 2015 season, a source tells Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media. Cole’s $11.625MM cap number is Philadelphia’s second-largest for 2015, behind McCoy’s, making him a candidate to be released if the two sides can’t reach an agreement to reduce that figure.
  • Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com lays out the possible outcomes for Jeremy Maclin‘s contract situation with the Eagles, examining the possibility of a long-term contract, a franchise or transition tag, or the wideout hitting the open market. Philadelphia has until 3:00pm central time today to tag Maclin, if the team decides to go that route.
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Chiefs Use Franchise Tag On Justin Houston

By | at March 2, 2015 9:49 am

9:49am: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (all Twitter links) confirms, via a league source, that the Chiefs used the non-exclusive tag on Houston, meaning other teams can pursue him, if they so choose. For his part, Houston doesn’t seem all too pleased with being franchised — he’s already considering waiting until Week 10 to sign his franchise tender, according to PFT. Florio adds that Houston will consult with the NFLPA to decide whether to fight for a defensive end franchise salary rather than a linebacker salary. As was the case with Graham last year, I doubt that fight would be a fruitful one.

8:37am: As expected, the Chiefs have ensured that star pass rusher Justin Houston won’t reach the open market as a fully unrestricted free agent next week. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the team has officially placed the franchise tag on the NFL’s reigning sack leader.Justin Houston

After recording back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks in 2012 and 2013 – including 11 in 11 games in ’13 – Houston had a career year this past season, racking up 22 sacks, 68 overall tackles, and four forced fumbles. Houston was far and away the top-ranked 3-4 outside linebacker by Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required), logging an impressive 87 total quarterback pressures for the season.

By using the franchise tag on Houston, the Chiefs will be formally tendering the 26-year-old a one-year contract offer expected to be worth north of $13MM. Houston will be free to sign that tender at any time, but Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) that’s not expected to happen right away.

Assuming Kansas City is using the non-exclusive tag, Houston is free to negotiate with rival suitors starting next Tuesday. If Houston were to sign an offer sheet with another team in that scenario, the Chiefs would have five days to match it — if they didn’t match the offer, they’d receive two first-round picks from Houston’s new team as compensation.

Of course, whether or not Houston signs the one-year tender offer, a long-term deal with the Chiefs remains a possibility. A year ago, for instance, Jimmy Graham was franchised by the Saints, and – despite a handful of rumors about other teams eyeing him, ultimately he worked out a multiyear agreement with the team just before the July 15 deadline.

While Houston is the first player to officially be tagged today, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and Jason Pierre-Paul are all expected to be franchised as well, and others may join them by 3:00pm central time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Lions Won’t Franchise Ndamukong Suh

By | at March 2, 2015 8:40 am

With today’s deadline for franchise tags looming, the reporter for the Lions’ official site, Tim Twentyman, tweets that Detroit won’t be using its tag on star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. That means that, unless Suh and the Lions reach a long-term agreement within the next eight days, he’ll hit the open market when the free agent period begins next Tuesday.Ndamukong Suh

Suh’s case was the most interesting one to watch as today’s deadline for franchise and transition tags approached. As a consensus top-five free agent, Suh would normally be right there alongside Justin Houston, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant as someone expecting to be tagged today. However, because Suh is coming off a season in which his cap number was $22MM+, his franchise salary for 2015 projected to be nearly $26.9MM, about twice as much as the tag for those other players.

As I pointed out back in December when I took a closer look for the Lions’ options with Suh, his $22.4MM cap hit in 2014 was the league’s highest, so a 20% raise on top of that looked somewhat unpalatable for the Lions, even with the cap on the rise.

General manager Martin Mayhew and the Lions have insisted throughout the process that they’re optimistic about the likelihood of Suh returning to Detroit for the 2015 season and beyond. However, with the 28-year-old now just eight days from reaching free agency, and no franchise tag in play, it seems likely that Suh and agent Jimmy Sexton will test the market. Suh said back in December that he intended to let Sexton choose his next time, suggesting that the highest bidder may win out.

Regardless of whether or not Suh returns to the Lions, Detroit will carry a $9.7MM cap hit for him in 2015. That’s the amount of dead money on the team’s books, the cost of restructuring his deal, which voided after this year’s Super Bowl.

If Suh does reach the open market, bidding for his services figures to be competitive, considering plenty of teams have the cap room necessary to make a monster offer, and there isn’t a team in the NFL that couldn’t use his presence in the middle of the defensive line. In 2014, Suh graded as the league’s third-best defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), excelling both as a pass rusher (57 quarterback pressures) and against the run.

By all accounts, Suh will be looking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football, exceeding the six-year, $100MM extension J.J. Watt signed with the Texans last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2015 NFL Free Agent Market By Position

By | at March 2, 2015 8:27 am

Our list of 2015 free agents provides a comprehensive position-by-position breakdown of which players are eligible to hit the open market this year. However, that list of names doesn’t include much context or additional information about those players. So, with this year’s free agent period fast approaching, we’ve been taking a closer look at the free agent market for each position over the last few weeks.

Since we started by examining 2015’s free agent quarterbacks in mid-February, the list of free agents has changed a little. Teams have cut players, adding intriguing new names like running back Reggie Bush, wide receiver Brian Hartline, guard Justin Blalock, and defensive lineman Darnell Dockett to the open market. Some players, like quarterback Josh McCown and defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, were cut and have since signed new contracts since we examined the markets for their respective positions.

Still, for the most part, with franchise and transition tags not due until tomorrow, and free agency still more than a week away for players with expiring contracts, the lists below reflect this year’s market. For each position, we broken down players into unrestricted and restricted free agents, identifying the top-tier UFAs at each spot.

Here’s the full list of our breakdowns of the 2015 free agent market by position:

Offense:

Defense:

Special teams:

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Franchise, Transition Tags Due Monday

By | at March 2, 2015 7:46 am

NFL teams have until 3:00pm central time today to assign the franchise or transition tag to pending free agents, assuring that those players won’t reach the open market next week as unrestricted free agents. Using an exclusive franchise tag on a player ensures that he can’t negotiate with any other suitors, while opting for the non-exclusive franchise tag or the transition tag limits the ability of that player to sign elsewhere, essentially making him a restricted free agent.

Our glossary entry on the subject goes into greater detail on how franchise and transition tags work, but for now, we’re primarily focused on today’s deadline, and determining which players will be tagged by their respective teams. So far, we’ve heard that the following teams are reportedly prepared to use the tag:

  • Broncos: As expected, the Broncos will use their non-exclusive franchise tag on wideout Demaryius Thomas in advance of today’s deadline, assuming the two sides don’t unexpectedly reach a long-term deal at the last minute.
  • Cowboys: Executive VP Stephen Jones informed Dez Bryant‘s camp over the weekend that Dallas intends to use its franchise tag on the star receiver today.
  • Giants: Multiple reports since the franchise tag period opened last month have indicated that New York expects to franchise defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul if no long-term deal has been reached. The non-exclusive tag is expected to be used.

Thomas, Bryant, and Pierre-Paul were three players are identified as very viable candidates to be tagged when I looked into the issue last month. Here are a few more to keep an eye on today as the 3:00pm deadline nears:

While those aren’t the only players who could be tagged this afternoon, the other candidates – including Pernell McPhee, Jason Worilds, and a handful of others – are probably long shots.

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Free Agent Market For Cornerbacks

By | at March 1, 2015 3:59 pm

Our list of 2015 free agents provides a comprehensive position-by-position breakdown of which players are eligible to hit the open market this year. However, that list of names doesn’t include much context or additional information about those players. So, with this year’s free agent period fast approaching, we’ve been taking a closer look at the free agent market for each position. Today, we’ll turn our attention to cornerbacks. Let’s dive in….

Top unrestricted FAs:

Maxwell is widely considered to be the top option on the cornerback market, and looks like a good bet to land the biggest contract of the group this month. However, suitors should approach with some caution when considering the Seattle corner, despite the fact that he played a key role for the league’s best secondary. It’s worth noting that the Seahawks locked up all the other starting defensive backs to extensions, but seem willing to let Maxwell walk. Additionally, while Pro Football Focus grades aren’t the be-all, end-all for player evaluation, Maxwell earned just a -0.2 mark in 2014 (subscription required). Besides Tillman, who missed the season with a triceps injury, only Skrine’s PFF grade was lower than that, among this group.

Of those players who graded above Maxwell in 2014, Culliver and Jackson are a couple worth watching. Both corners are entering their age-27 seasons, and ranked in PFF’s top 15 at the position in ’14. Quarterbacks completed just 50.7% of their passes when throwing into Culliver’s coverage, and Jackson limited opposing signal-callers to a passer rating of 74.2 — for comparison’s sake, players like Geno Smith and Brian Hoyer had better overall marks.

Teams targeting cornerbacks in free agency will have to strongly consider how those players will fit in their systems. The 5’9″ Flowers struggled mightily in 2013 while playing for a Chiefs defense that required him to match up in press-man coverage with bigger, more physical receivers, but had a nice bounce-back season in 2014 playing a different style of defense in San Diego.

There are also a couple instances in this group where multiple corners from one team are eligible for free agency, and the Packers and 49ers will have to decide which of their guys they want to retain. Having already invested heavily in Sam Shields, Green Bay seems unlikely to bring back both House and Williams, and the same can be said for the 49ers, who may not have the flexibility to re-sign Culliver and Cox.

Other unrestricted options:

There’s certainly a drop-off from the first tier to most of these players, but for a team looking for some value in a depth signing, there are a few options worth considering.

When Thurmond made the move from the Seahawks to the Giants a year ago, he looked poised to take a larger role, but a torn pectoral prematurely ended his season. He’ll come at a discount this season, and could be a solid No. 3 or 4 corner. Jimmy Wilson took on a greater role in Miami last season, starting 13 games and playing both cornerback and safety. Although he struggled a little at corner, his versatility is appealing.

The results weren’t always pretty, but Fletcher, Newman, Wright, and Tarell Brown all logged more than 800 defensive snaps for their respective clubs in 2014, and with the exception of Brown’s Raiders, all those teams finished above .500. That doesn’t mean they should necessarily be relied upon as starters again, but if they start out in a reduced role and are forced to take on more snaps, at least they have the experience.

Restricted FAs:

Moore is the standout name in this group, and the only player who saw action in more than half of his team’s defensive snaps. The Cowboys obviously have a few more noteworthy free-agents-to-be to deal with, but I don’t expect them to overlook Moore. He’s the best – and perhaps the only – candidate in this group to receive a one-year RFA tender.

Previous looks at the 2015 free agent market:

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Adrian Peterson Returns To Exempt List

By | at February 28, 2015 11:25 am

SATURDAY, 11:25 am: Peterson has released a statement regarding the judge’s ruling, but he doesn’t mention the league’s anticipated appeal (via the Vikings website):

“I was pleased to learn about Judge Doty’s decision. It is a positive step in protecting players’ rights and preserving due process for all players. It also brings me one step closer to getting back on the football field and playing the sport I love. As I prepare for my return to football, I am still focused on my family and continue to work to become a better father every day. I want to express my gratitude for all of the support I have received from the fans, NFLPA, Jeffrey Kessler, and my agents Ben Dogra, Tracy Lartigue, and Mark Heligman from Relativity Sports.”

THURSDAY, 5:21pm: The Vikings released a statement regarding Peterson (via Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune on Twitter):

“Adrian Peterson is an important member of the Minnesota Vikings, and our focus remains on welcoming him back when he is able to rejoin our organization. Today’s ruling leaves Adrian’s status under the control of the NFL, the NFLPA and the legal system, and we will have no further comment at this time.”

4:17pm: The league has officially announced that it believes Judge Doty’s ruling on Peterson is “incorrect” and confirmed it has filed an appeal to have the decision reviewed by the Eight Circuit Court (Twitter link via Garafolo). In the meantime, the Vikings running back has been placed back on the commissioner’s exempt list.

2:23pm: The NFL is expected to appeal the ruling handed down by Judge Doty, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

12:04pm: The NFLPA has released the following statement in response to today’s ruling from Judge Doty:

“This is a victory for the rule of law, due process and fairness. Our collective bargaining agreement has rules for implementation of the personal conduct policy and when those rules are violated, our union always stands up to protect our players’ rights. This is yet another example why neutral arbitration is good for our players, good for the owners and good for our game.”

11:29am: Judge David Doty has ruled in favor of the NFL Players Association and Adrian Peterson, granting the union’s motion to overturn the decision on the running back’s suspension, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, that means Peterson should have his suspension lifted and will be reinstated, well before the April 15 date the NFL had originally planned on.NFL: Minnesota Vikings at St. Louis Rams

After Peterson’s legal case concluded in the fall, he was removed from the commissioner’s exempt list and was suspended for the remainder of the 2014 season, with no opportunity to be reinstated until April. Arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld the league’s ruling, but the NFLPA challenged Henderson’s decision, arguing that the NFL had arbitrarily changed its rules when it disciplined Peterson. It seems Doty agreed with that assessment.

While being reinstated several weeks early wouldn’t have an impact on whether or not Peterson will return to the field for 2015 – which he would have done either way – the decision should significantly affect the Vikings’ plans for him. When it looked as if Peterson wouldn’t be reinstated until at least April 15, Minnesota retained a certain amount of leverage, since the number of potential suitors for the 29-year-old would been limited — most clubs would have completed their major free agent spending by that point.

Now that Peterson figures to return to the Vikings’ active roster immediately, the team will likely make a decision on him around the time the free agent period begins. The former MVP currently counts for a $15.4MM cap hit on the Vikings’ 2015 books, and it’s unlikely the club will want to carry such a large figure for a running back who essentially sat out the entire 2014 season. The two sides could begin discussing the possibility of a pay cut, a contract restructure, or a trade, with an eye toward reaching a resolution sometime in the near future.

Of course, as is often the case with legal proceedings, Doty’s decision doesn’t necessarily signal the end of the ongoing Peterson saga. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets, the NFL has appeal rights on the judge’s ruling. Albert Breer of the NFL Network notes (via Twitter) that the league can seek an injunction to keep Peterson from being reinstated. For now, the league has simply said that it is reviewing Doty’s decision, and hasn’t suggested whether or not that decision will be challenged.

It wouldn’t be a total surprise if the NFL elected to stand down and cut its losses at this point, recognizing that Peterson will be back on the field in September regardless of whether his reinstatement comes in February or April. But it’s not a good look for the league to be overruled on this matter after having the same thing happened during Ray Rice‘s case back in November.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Minor Moves: Ravens, Lions

By | at February 27, 2015 4:59 pm

There has certainly been no shortage of notable transactions around the NFL today, primarily in the form of cap-clearing cuts. But while those moves dominate the headlines, we also don’t want to led a handful of under-the-radar transactions go unnoticed. Here are Friday’s minor moves, with any additional updates added to the top of the page throughout the evening:

  • The Ravens have agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with veteran defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). A part-time player for Baltimore last season before being sidelined by an ankle injury, Bilukidi played just 47 defensive snaps after being claimed off waivers from Cincinnati, but the Ravens liked what they saw enough to lock up the 25-year-old for a couple more years. He had been eligible for restricted free agency.
  • Longtime Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach will return to Detroit for the 2015 season, the team announced today in a press release. Muhlbach, a Pro Bowler in 2012, has spent his entire career with the Lions, playing 164 regular season contests for the franchise since 2004. Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), Muhlbach’s new deal is one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, with an $80K signing bonus.
  • Former Eagles edge defender Phillip Hunt, who last played a regular season NFL game in 2012, is signing with the Lions, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Earlier in his playing career, Hunt was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, leading the CFL with 16 sacks in 2010.
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Cardinals Release Darnell Dockett

By | at February 27, 2015 3:14 pm

The last time Darnell Dockett appeared in a game for the Cardinals, he was carted off the field during a preseason contest after suffering a torn ACL, an injury that wiped out his entire 2014 season. As it turns out, that may be the last time Dockett takes the field in a Cardinals uniform. According to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter), the team released Dockett today. The move was first reported by Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 in Washington (via Twitter).Darnell Dockett

While Dockett will immediately hit the open market and can look for work elsewhere, the Cardinals haven’t closed the door on a potential reunion, notes Urban. The veteran defensive lineman will have a chance to gauge his value around the NFL before the free agent period officially begins, and general manager Steve Keim is very open to bringing Dockett back, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

“We have been very clear about our feelings for Darnell and our desire to have him back,” Keim said.

Dockett, who has been with the Cardinals since the 2004 season, earning three Pro Bowl nods during that stretch, was scheduled to count for $9.8MM against the team’s cap in 2015. By cutting him, Arizona will create $6.8MM in cap savings, with $3MM dead money left on the deal.

While a defensive lineman entering his age-34 season and coming off an ACL tear may not generate huge interest on the open market, I imagine plenty of teams will kick the tires on Dockett, who can still be effective and productive when he’s healthy. In 2013, the former third-round pick started all 16 games for the Cards, logging 46 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

With Dockett out of action in 2014, the Cardinals primarily relied on Tommy Kelly to fill his shoes, and the former Raider did an excellent job, recording a positive grade against both the pass and the run in 726 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, Kelly is eligible for free agency next month as well, so if Dockett doesn’t return to Arizona, the team could either lean on Frostee Rucker to take on a larger role, or pursue a replacement in free agency or the draft.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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