Minor Moves: Tuesday
The Giants have re-signed free-agent-to-be wideout Kevin Ogletree to a one-year contract, a source tells Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Ogletree joined the team back in October in the wake of Victor Cruz‘s season-ending knee injury, and didn’t see a ton of action during the season’s second half. For the year, he caught five balls for 50 yards in seven games (96 offensive snaps).
While financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, it will almost certainly be a minimum-salary contract for the veteran receiver. For a player with his NFL experience, that would mean a base salary of $745K for the coming season.
Here are the rest of Tuesday’s minor transactions, with any additional minor moves added to the top of this list throughout the day:
- The Cowboys cut linebacker Mister Alexander, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Alexander, who spent the year on Dallas’ taxi squad, was signed to a futures deal in January.
- Cornerback Shaquille Richardson, who was selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of last year’s draft, has signed with the Chiefs, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Richardson didn’t survive the final round of roster cutdowns in Pittsburgh last August.
- The Jaguars‘ signing of offensive tackle Brennan Williams is now official, per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). Williams, a former Texans third-round pick, tweeted word of his agreement with the Jags last week.
Earlier updates:
- Offensive tackle Darrion Weems has re-signed with the Cowboys, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Weems, who has yet to actually play a regular-season snap for Dallas, had been on track to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he’ll be back for the minimum salary.
- The same goes for guard Ronald Leary, another Cowboys ERFA who re-signed with the club today, per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). Unlike Weems, Leary is a starter on the Cowboys’ line, but since he has fewer than three years of experience, he’s not yet in line for a real raise.
- According to Archer, the Cowboys also adjusted the contract for linebacker Dekoda Watson, who agreed to take a pay cut from $1.25MM to $745K. Watson’s deal with Dallas doesn’t include any bonuses or dead money, so his base salary is the only figure that changed.
Free Agent Market For Kickers/Punters
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 March’s free agent period fast approaching, we’ll be taking a closer look this month at the free agent market for each position. Today, we’ll turn our attention to kickers and punters. Let’s dive in….
Kickers:
- Matt Bryant (Falcons)
- Billy Cundiff (N/A)
- Jay Feely (Bears)
- Kai Forbath (Washington) (RFA)
- Stephen Gostkowski (Patriots)
- Mike Nugent (Bengals)
- Matt Prater (Lions)
- Ryan Succop (Titans)
- Justin Tucker (Ravens) (RFA)
Gostkowski is perhaps the most notable name on this year’s list of free agent kickers, and for all the talk about the Patriots’ willingness to move on from high-priced players earlier than expected, the team has only really employed two kickers – Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri – since 1996. If the Pats see a young prospect they like that would cost a fraction of Gostkowski’s salary, I’d fully expect them to move on, particularly with a couple other notable players to retain. But the club has been willing to pay its kicker like one of the league’s best ($3.4MM annually) in recent years, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that continue.
As restricted free agents who have been very effective in their first three seasons, Tucker and Forbath almost certainly aren’t going anywhere, but we could see some movement with the rest of the group. Succop, Prater, and Feely joined their current teams in 2014, so there’s not much history there. They’re more likely to switch teams than guys like Bryant and Nugent, who have been with their respective clubs for a few seasons now.
Besides Gostkowski and perhaps Bryant, none of these guys should be among the league’s most highly-paid kickers, though Tucker could join those ranks soon — his status as a restricted free agent should keep his salary modest for one more season, but if Baltimore wants to work out something longer-term, it figures to cost $3MM+ per year. Tucker’s conversion percentage dipped a little last season, but his five missed attempts all came from 50+ yards.
Punters:
- Chris Jones (Cowboys) (RFA)
- Brett Kern (Titans)
- Marquette King (Raiders) (RFA)
- Mat McBriar (Chargers)
No position will have less drama during this free agent period than punter. As restricted free agents, Jones and King likely aren’t going anywhere as long as their teams want them back, which seems like a reasonable bet. McBriar probably won’t return to San Diego if injured starter Mike Scifres is ready to go for training camp. That leaves Kern, whose performance last season was certainly strong enough to warrant interest from rival suitors — it’s just a matter of finding an opening. If the Titans haven’t gotten anything done with their punter by March 10, expect clubs looking for an upgrade at the position to kick the tires on him.
Previous looks at the 2015 free agent market:
Packers Cut Brandon Bostick, Kevin Dorsey
TUESDAY, 3:40pm: The Packers officially confirmed Bostick’s release today in a press release, and announced that they’ve waived wide receiver Kevin Dorsey as well. Dorsey, a 2013 seventh-round pick, spent most of his first two season on the injured reserve list.
MONDAY, 1:44pm: The Packers have made a Monday roster move, waiving tight end Brandon Bostick, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bostick himself first broke the news, publishing a tweet this afternoon that thanked the Green Bay organization and fans and announced that his time there had ended.
Bostick, 25, had been with the Packers since 2012, playing 24 regular-season games over the course of the last two seasons. While his contributions were limited, he caught a touchdown pass in each of the last two years, totaling nine overall receptions in 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately for the Newberry product, his time with the Packers will almost certainly be best remembered for his inability to secure an onside kick in this year’s NFC championship game against the Seahawks, which helped pave the way for a Seattle victory.
Because Bostick has played fewer than four NFL seasons, he’ll have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent. If he does go unclaimed, he’ll have the opportunity to hit the free agent market early, getting a head start on the players who won’t be able to sign elsewhere until March 10.
Bostick had been set to earn the minimum salary in 2015, so his release won’t create any additional cap room for the Packers.
NFC Notes: Wilson, Gore, Vikes, Gholston
Former agent Joel Corry tells Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times that he can envision the Seahawks and Russell Wilson‘s camp coming to a creative compromise on a contract extension. A good halfway point for the two sides could be a deal that comes in at significantly less money than a top quarterback would receive, but with that money fully guaranteed. Corry throws out the idea of a possible five-year contract that would guarantee Wilson something like $75-$80MM.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Frank Gore doesn’t appear likely to re-sign with the 49ers this offseason, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link), who identifies the Colts, the Dolphins, and Washington as probable suitors for the veteran running back. Based on the conversations Miller has had with executives around the league, he names Indianapolis as the most likely landing spot for Gore.
- The Vikings will meet with agent Hadley Engelhard in Indianapolis this week, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities (via Twitter). Engelhard represents current Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn as well as free agent wideout Mike Williams.
- Former sixth overall pick Vernon Gholston hasn’t appeared in a regular season NFL game since 2010, but the ex-Jets edge defender announced today on Twitter that he has a tryout with Washington on tap.
- Pass rushers will likely be atop the Falcons‘ list of priorities this winter, prompting Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com to explore just how much the team should be willing to invest in the position.
- After tackling the AFC last week, former agent Joel Corry focuses on one pressing offseason issue for each of the 16 NFC teams in a piece for CBSSports.com. The topics addressed by Corry include Larry Fitzgerald‘s future in Arizona, Jerry Jones‘ willingness to keep spending on the Cowboys, and the moves the Saints will make to get under the cap.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Bills Release Keith Rivers
Linebacker Keith Rivers, who signed with the Bills at the start of the 2014 free agent period, will be on the lookout for a new job again this winter. The Bills announced today in a press release that they’ve parted ways with Rivers, terminating his contract a year before it was set to expire.
Rivers, who previously spent time with the Bengals and Giants, played just 12 games for the Bills in 2014, starting three. Of his 192 defensive snaps, nearly all of them came in the first half — the former ninth overall pick played just 24 snaps on defense after Week 8.
In his preview of the Bills’ offseason on Sunday, PFR’s Connor Byrne identified Rivers as a potential cap candidate, considering his dwindling role in Buffalo was paired with a $2.2MM cap hit. Buffalo won’t clear that entire amount from its books by cutting Rivers, but the team will be left with just $500K in dead money, creating $1.7MM in cap savings.
Rivers won’t have to pass through waivers, and is immediately eligible to sign with a new team.
Latest On Dez Bryant, DeMarco Murray
This week’s combine in Indianapolis provides teams an opportunity to meet with the representatives for their prospective free agents to try to see if they can find common ground before free agency officially begins in March. And according to Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones plans to do just that with DeMarco Murray‘s agent, Bill Johnson, at some point this week. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the team is also expected to meet with Dez Bryant‘s reps, after not talking for months, though Jones didn’t sound convinced that a sit-down will happen this week.
As Sabin observes, the fact that Jones is uncertain about meeting with Tom Condon and Bryant’s reps suggests that the team is leaning toward simply using its franchise tag on the star wideout. That’s a notion that Jones certainly didn’t dispute.
“Right now all things being equal, it’s leaning more Dez with the franchise than it is not,” Jones said. “But that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. … We don’t ever want to give up on a long-term deal. It’s something we worked on all of last year and it kind of cooled off once we got into the season. We’ll continue to see what our options are and things happen quickly as you go along. Things can go along with a lot not going on, but all of a sudden it happens.”
For his part, Bryant, who has indicated in the past that he doesn’t love the idea of being tagged, has “all but resigned” himself to that outcome, sources tell Hill. Nonetheless, even though it looks like a safe bet that the Cowboys will eventually use their tag on their receiver rather than their running back, Jones hasn’t dismissed the possibility of franchising Murray.
“I would never rule anything out,” Jones said. “Who knows what tomorrow brings? Things have a sudden way of getting kicked in and you start to get some traction on something. You go down that road and get that done. It’s dominoes.”
The Cowboys will have until March 2 to use their franchise tag, and will have until March 10 to get deals done with Bryant and/or Murray that would keep them off the open market.
Chiefs Cut Donnie Avery, A.J. Jenkins
1:01pm: The Chiefs have officially released Avery, and have also waived former first-round wideout A.J. Jenkins, tweets BJ Kissel of KCChiefs.com. Jenkins, who had just nine receptions last season, had been on the books for a non-guaranteed $1.337MM cap hit. He’ll have to clear waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
12:12pm: The Chiefs are nearly ready to begin making cap-clearing moves in advance of this year’s free agent period, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is cutting wide receiver Donnie Avery. As a six-year NFL veteran, Avery won’t pass through waivers, and will immediately be free to sign with another club once the move becomes official.
Avery, who had started 14 games for the Chiefs in 2013, acting as the team’s No. 2 wideout behind Dwayne Bowe, was sidelined for most of the 2014 campaign due to a groin injury. He played in six games, grabbing just 15 passes for 176 yards, and was held without a touchdown for the first time in his career.
Of course, Avery was hardly alone in Kansas City when it came to being held touchdown-less. The Chiefs’ entire wide receiving corps improbably went the whole 2014 season without catching a single TD pass. Given the lack of production from the group last season, and the fact that there’s a chance Bowe could join Avery on the open market, wide receiver figures to be a primary area of focus for the team this offseason.
Because Avery had been scheduled to earn a $2.7MM base salary and $700K in combined roster and workout bonuses, the Chiefs will create $3.4MM in cap savings by cutting him. With less than $2MM in projected cap space, and a number of their own players to re-sign – most notably Justin Houston – Kansas City will have to make a few more moves before they’ll have enough room to comfortably negotiate new deals with those free-agents-to-be
Panthers Release Thomas DeCoud
Veteran safety Thomas DeCoud has been released by an NFC South club for the second consecutive offseason. Less than a year after being cut by the Falcons, DeCoud has been let go by the Panthers, the team announced today in a press release. Within the same release, Carolina also confirmed its previously-reported one-year deal with offensive lineman Chris Scott.
DeCoud, who turns 30 next month, started 11 of 15 games for the Panthers in 2014, after having started all but one game he played in during the previous five seasons in Atlanta. The former third-round pick totaled 50 tackles and three passes defended to go along with an interception last season, and ranked 74th out of 87 qualified safeties, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
The Panthers signed DeCoud to a two-year contract back in April that was worth a base value of $3.525MM, including a $500K signing bonus. Half of that bonus will remain on the team’s 2015 cap, counting for $250K in dead money, but Carolina still creates close to $2MM in cap savings by parting ways with the safety.
As for DeCoud, as a seven-year veteran, he won’t have to clear waivers, and is immediately free to sign with another team.
AFC South Notes: Titans, Jackson, Hilton
Three years ago, the Rams struck gold in the draft when they took advantage of Washington’s desire to land Robert Griffin III by turning the second overall pick into a huge haul of future picks. The Titans hold the No. 2 overall pick in 2015, in a class with two consensus top signal-callers well above the rest of the players at the position. However, even with teams like the Browns and Eagles reportedly interested in moving up to select Marcus Mariota, NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock doesn’t foresee any team mortgaging the franchise for either of this year’s top quarterbacks (Mariota and Jameis Winston).
“Washington went and got the guy they thought could help them win a Super Bowl,” Mayock said on Monday’s conference call, per Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “Because of what’s happened with that kid, both with injuries and the way he’s played, I think a lot of teams are very nervous about the perception of mortgaging your future.”
As the Titans consider their options for what to do with that second overall pick, let’s check in on a few more notes from out of the AFC South….
- Earlier this week, Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson said he doesn’t love the idea of receiving the franchise tag, and I pointed out that the team isn’t likely to use it on him anyway. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle agrees with that assessment, suggesting that while the Texans will do their best to keep Jackson, the franchise and transition tags won’t be in play.
- T.Y. Hilton, who is heading into the final year of his rookie contract, is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and it appears a new agent will be handling those negotiations. That new agent? Hilton’s old agent. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the Colts wideout has re-hired Drew Rosenhaus, whom he fired back in June. Maverick Carter and Erik Burkhardt represented Hilton in between his stints with Rosenhaus.
- With the scouting combine taking place in Indianapolis this week, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star evaluated the drafts of Colts GM Ryan Grigson. The stellar 2012 draft featuring Andrew Luck, Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen, and Hilton predictably got an A grade. The 2013 draft didn’t pan out the same way, but the 2014 draft featuring three starters – Jack Mewhort, Donte Moncrief, and Jonathan Newsome – got a B grade.
East Notes: Allen, M. Williams, Jets, Jenkins
According to multiple reports (all four Twitter links), Eagles safety Nate Allen was detained, questioned, and released following an accusation of indecent exposure. Allen is adamant that the accusation was false, and says he has asked police to keep investigating in the hopes of finding video that clears him, tweets Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Assuming the accusation levied against the defensive back, who is eligible for free agency next month, was indeed false (as it seems to be), it could highlight potential problems with the league’s new personal conduct policy, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains.
Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Former Bills wide receiver Mike Williams was released by the team toward the end of the 2014 season, giving him a head start on free agency. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Williams’ agent is taking advantage of that opportunity, with six meetings set up in Indianapolis this week. The veteran wideout could find a new home soon, according to Rapoport.
- If Marcus Mariota is available at No. 6 overall, it would be the “ultimate no-brainer” for the Jets to trade the pick to Eagles and stockpile future selections, says Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. In Mehta’s view, a swap of that sixth overall pick in exchange for the Eagles’ first- and second-rounders in 2015 and 2016, would be fair for both sides.
- Defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, who accepted a pay cut over the weekend, tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com that he “kind of knew” the Giants would ask to rework his contract, and he never considered the possibility of rejecting the request and forcing the club to cut him.
- Earlier today, we rounded up a few Patriots-related links, and passed along word that the Giants may be preparing to franchise Jason Pierre-Paul.