Cowboys Eyeing Upgrades At Safety
3:28pm: The Cowboys aren’t bringing in Goldson for a visit, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It’s unclear if there’s just nothing formally scheduled for now, or if Goldson isn’t among the team’s targets.
12:21pm: The Cowboys are “working diligently” to upgrade at the safety position, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says the team has been “rebuked” so far by its free agent targets. Dallas had reportedly been one of the clubs with interest in signing veteran safety Eric Weddle before he landed with the Ravens.
According to Cole, the Cowboys would like to move 2015 first-rounder Byron Jones to cornerback on a more permanent basis, after he spent much of his rookie year playing safety. Considering J.J. Wilcox had an inconsistent 2015 campaign and may not be relied upon as a starter again, that leaves Barry Church as the only stable option at the position.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), one veteran free agent the Cowboys are eyeing is former Buccaneer Dashon Goldson, who was recently released by Washington. A source tells Rapoport that Dallas is planning on bringing in Goldson for a visit.
Goldson didn’t have a great year in 2015, but his released can be attributed more to the fact that he had been set to count for $8MM against Washington’s cap in 2016. At a more affordable price, he could be worth rolling the dice on.
Besides Goldson, a few of the more noteworthy unrestricted free agent safeties on the board include Reggie Nelson, Rashad Johnson, Husain Abdullah, David Bruton, and Rahim Moore. Walter Thurmond also remains unsigned, but he is believed to be leaning toward retiring.
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FA Rumors: Okung, Kerley, Bruton, Allen
Now that they’ve agreed to sign offensive tackle Ryan Harris, the Steelers are out of the running for free agent tackle Russell Okung, a source tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). It’s not clear if the Steelers are also out on Kelvin Beachum – since he’s their own free agent, they may be more willing to bring him back – but it seems clear that they’re willing to let him walk if he gets a better offer elsewhere.
With the Steelers no longer in contention for Okung, that likely reduces the field of suitors for the former first-round pick to three teams — the Seahawks, Lions, and Giants. Harris almost certainly won’t earn as much on his new deal as guys like Okung and Beachum will on theirs, but his signing may have given the tackle market the push it needs to get other players signed. Stay tuned.
Let’s round up a few more free agent rumors and updates from across the league….
- After losing one of their wideouts – Chris Hogan – to the division-rival Patriots, the Bills are taking a look at another free agent receiver from the AFC East. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Buffalo is bringing in ex-Jet Jeremy Kerley for a visit. Having recently been cut by New York, Kerley would likely compete for the No. 3 receiver spot and punt-return duties if he were to sign with the Bills.
- Washington hosted safety David Bruton on a free agent visit on Tuesday, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com. Bruton, a special-teamer who held his own when forced into action on defense for the Broncos, recently told Arran Anderson of KMGH-TV (Twitter link) that Denver had expressed interest in re-signing him, but he wanted to explore the market if the price wasn’t right.
- Free agent defensive back Antonio Allen, who missed the 2015 season due to an Achilles injury, is visiting the Texans, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Allen made 18 starts in the Jets’ secondary from 2012 to 2014.
- Linebacker Shea McClellin is making a visit with the Seahawks, per Caplan (via Twitter). The Bears recently signed Jerrell Freeman and Danny Trevathan, signaling that McClellin’s time in Chicago has likely come to an end.
- Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram confirms (via Twitter) that the Cowboys‘ previously-reported visits with cornerback Leon Hall and defensive end Chris Long will both take place on Wednesday.
Donald Penn Visiting Giants
3:04pm: Penn’s visit with the Giants is expected to happen later in the week, rather than today, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Meanwhile, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that Penn has been “very open” to re-signing with the Raiders, but there’s still “meaningful distance” between the player and the team regarding his value.
11:06am: The game of musical chairs continues for the offensive tackle free agent market, as Donald Penn is scheduled to pay a visit to the Giants today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport adds that Penn and the Raiders have been “locked in a contract stalemate.”
Penn, who will turn 33 in April, has been one of the more reliable and consistent left tackles in the NFL over the past two seasons for the Raiders. In 2015, he ranked 11th at the position, according to Pro Football Focus, with an especially strong grade as a pass blocker.
However, the Raiders signed Kelechi Osemele to a five-year mega-deal, giving the team an alternative at left tackle, which could allow GM Reggie McKenzie to play hardball to a certain extent with Penn. Given the veteran’s age, he certainly won’t be in line for an Osemele-esque contract of his own.
With a handful of notable free agent left tackles on the market, including Penn, Russell Okung, and Kelvin Beachum, there’s a sense that things may fall into place for multiple players once one of them agrees to a deal. The Seahawks, Okung’s old team, have also been cited as a potential suitor for Penn, while the Steelers – Beachum’s old team – and the Giants are said to be in the mix for Okung.
The Giants have options at left tackle, including Ereck Flowers and possibly Justin Pugh, but landing a solid veteran like Penn or Okung could allow the team to move Flowers to the right side and play Pugh at guard, strengthening the line as a whole.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos To Match Dolphins’ Offer Sheet For C.J. Anderson
With today’s deadline looming, the Broncos have decided to match the Dolphins’ offer sheet for running back C.J. Anderson, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). By matching the offer, Denver will bring Anderson back on the terms of that deal, rather than letting him leave for Miami.
Anderson confirmed the decision himself, announcing in a tweet: “I will be apart of the Broncos for 4 more years blessed to be apart of this wonderful Organization and super blessed for this opp.”
[RELATED: Details on C.J. Anderson’s offer sheet]
An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.
Having been assigned a low-end RFA tender worth $1.671MM, Anderson was free to sign an offer sheet with another team, and got one he liked from the Dolphins, worth $18MM over four years. If the Broncos had elected not to match the offer, they wouldn’t have received any compensation for losing their running back.
It’s fair to criticize the Broncos for not using a second-round tender (worth $2.553MM) on Anderson, which likely would have discouraged rival offers. However, when Denver placed an RFA tender on Anderson, the team had not yet lost free agents like Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan. Had GM John Elway known that all of those players would depart, he likely would’ve used a little extra cap room on Anderson by giving him a higher tender.
Additionally, if Anderson had received the second-round tender, he likely would have played out the season on that salary, becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2016. A big year would have put him in a good position to land an even larger deal, and the Broncos wouldn’t have had the right of first refusal at that point.
With Anderson headed back to Denver, he looks like the favorite to be the No. 1 back for the Broncos in 2016 — not only does he have a big new contract, but fellow running back Ronnie Hillman is currently a free agent. As for the Dolphins, they still have 2015 draftee Jay Ajayi, but will likely continue to monitor the market for a veteran to complement him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens, Mike Wallace Agree To Deal
1:24pm: It will be a two-year, $11.5MM deal for Wallace and the Ravens, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
1:07pm: The Ravens have reached an agreement on a contract for wide receiver Mike Wallace, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Rapoport, who first reported that the two sides were closing in on a deal, adds that Wallace has been on a visit in Baltimore since Monday.
The Vikings released Wallace last Tuesday when the two sides could not agree on a pay cut. During his first and only season in Minnesota, Wallace matched or set career-lows by catching just 39 balls for 473 yards and two touchdowns. However, he’s still just 29 years old, and put up decent numbers during his two-year stint in Miami from 2013 to 2014, averaging 70 receptions per season and totaling 15 TDs.
Of course, Wallace is no stranger to the AFC North. The most productive seasons of his career, before he signed a mega-deal with the Dolphins, came in Pittsburgh as a Steeler. He earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2011, when he racked up 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns on 72 catches.
In Baltimore, Wallace will act as a deep threat as part of a wide receiving corps that has plenty of upside, but plenty of question marks as well. Steve Smith is coming off an Achilles injury, 2015 first-rounder Breshad Perriman missed his entire rookie season, and Kamar Aiken and Jeremy Butler had only combined for 24 total receptions prior to the 2015 season.
The Ravens have been more active than usual in free agency in 2016, adding safety Eric Weddle on a four-year deal and tight end Ben Watson on a two-year contract. While those expenditures were somewhat out of character for Baltimore, Wallace is the sort of player the team typically targets, since he’s a buy-low candidate who was released by another team, meaning he won’t count toward the compensatory draft pick formula.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agency Rumors: D. Davis, Browns, Steelers
Free agent linebacker Demario Davis is in Cleveland visiting the Browns, according to Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin, who tweets that Davis has also drawn interest from other clubs. Davis, 27, has spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Jets, starting every game for the team since the start of the 2013 season.
Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the NFL:
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) hears from sources that safety Eric Weddle turned down larger offers from two other teams to join the Ravens. Cole adds that Baltimore assistant general manager Eric DeCosta spoke to Weddle and his representatives for 90 minutes on the phone, addressing questions and issues that the veteran free agent had about Baltimore and the Ravens.
- The Steelers like nose tackle Steve McLendon and want to re-sign him, but they’re resistant to paying big money to a player who only sees the field for about 25-30% of the club’s defensive snaps, writes Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. According to Fowler, Pittsburgh is willing to enhance Dan McCullers‘ role if the team loses McLendon, who recently paid a visit to the Jets.
- Before he agreed to a new deal with the Vikings, cornerback Marcus Sherels received an offer from the Jets and was prepared to visit with the Panthers, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Buccaneers also had interest in Sherels.
Walter Thurmond Contemplating Retirement
MARCH 15, 12:06pm: Thurmond is leaning toward retirement at this point, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, the free agent safety has received offers in the range of $4MM (presumably per year), but he’s closer to calling it a career than signing a new deal.
MARCH 11, 11:06pm: Despite coming off a strong first season as a safety, defensive back Walter Thurmond hasn’t generated much free agent buzz this week. Per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, the lack of news related to Thurmond may not be due to a lack of interest from teams — Bowen hears from multiple team sources that the 28-year-old may be contemplating retirement, something that Jordan Raanan of NJ.com has also heard (Twitter link).
According to Bowen, Thurmond sent a text message asking, “Who started that rumor?” when contacted about the possibility of retirement. However, he didn’t respond when asked if he wanted to deny it.
[RELATED: Eagles sign Rodney McLeod]
Thurmond, who joined the Eagles a year ago as a cornerback, ended up starting 16 games for the first time in his career while also playing safety for the first time. He excelled at the new position, picking up 71 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks, and two forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus’ grades backed up his solid stat line, as he ranked 26th out of 88 qualified safeties.
Still, as Bowen details, Thurmond has interests outside of football – including filmmaking – and has talked in the past about having to reconsider his NFL future if he suffers another serious injury, so there’s no guarantee that he wants to keep playing for several more seasons.
If Thurmond does continue his playing career, there may not be a spot for him in Philadelphia anymore. The Eagles signed Rodney McLeod earlier this week to pair with the recently-extended Malcolm Jenkins at safety.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Vikings Re-Sign Rhett Ellison
11:37am: Ellison’s new one-year deal with the Vikings is worth $2.25MM, per Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link).
10:39am: The Vikings have announced a pair of signings, via a press release, confirming their previously-reported agreement with defensive back Marcus Sherels and revealing that they’ve also struck a deal with tight end Rhett Ellison.
Ellison, 27, has spent the last four seasons in Minnesota, having been selected by the Vikings in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. As the No. 2 option at tight end behind Kyle Rudolph, Ellison enjoyed his best year in 2014, when Rudolph was limited to nine games — in that season, Ellison caught a career-high 19 balls for 208 yards and a touchdown.
Primarily though, Ellison serves as a blocker, as was the case in 2015. Although he appeared in nearly 500 offensive snaps last season, he recorded just 11 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Ellison will be looking to return from a torn patellar tendon that landed him on injured reserve at the end of the 2015 season, keeping him out of action for Minnesota’s Wild Card game in January.
Details on Sherels and his new deal can be found right here.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles To Re-Sign Nolan Carroll
11:18am: Carroll’s one-year deal has a base value of $2.36MM, and can max out at $3MM, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.
9:31am: The Eagles are set to bring back cornerback Nolan Carroll on a one-year contract for the 2016 season, reports Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
Carroll, 29, spent the last two seasons with the Eagles, becoming a starter in 2015. Before a broken ankle ended his season, he was one of Philadelphia’s most reliable corners in 2015, picking up 55 tackles, two interceptions, and 10 passes defended.
Pro Football Focus wasn’t overly bullish on Carroll’s play, placing him a modest 53rd out of 111 qualified cornerbacks. Still, his overall ranking was dragged down somewhat by a poor grade as a run defender, and he was viewed as significantly more reliable in coverage than most of his teammates at the position, including Byron Maxwell, Eric Rowe, and E.J. Biggers.
Coming off a two-year contract that paid him $2.625MM annually, Carroll should be in line for a raise on his new deal, though it’s possible that his ankle injury will limit his earnings. The financial terms of the agreement aren’t yet known.
Caroll received interest from the Cowboys and Dolphins, paying a visit to Dallas, before agreeing to re-up in Philadelphia.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Fairley, Hall, Moore, Harvin
On the first day of the 2016 legal tampering period last Monday, we learned that the Jets had some interest in defensive tackle Nick Fairley. It doesn’t appear there’s been much movement on that front in the last eight days, but Gang Green isn’t the only club eyeing the ex-Ram.
According to Mark Eckel of NJ.com, there are three or four teams with “serious interest” in Fairley. The Eagles are one of those teams, and the Saints and Jets might be two of the others, though that’s not certain. Eckel’s source is “fairly certain” that the free agent defensive lineman won’t return to the Rams after spending a season with the team.
As we wait to see where Fairley lands, here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NFL…
- After having visited the Cardinals, free agent cornerback Leon Hall is now set to meet with the Cowboys, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Hall is one of several Cincinnati defensive backs to reach the open market this year — he and Reggie Nelson remain unsigned, while George Iloka and Adam Jones reached new deals the Bengals.
- Veteran quarterback Matt Moore has been surveying his options on the free agent market, and the Dolphins reportedly prefer not to spend much for a backup QB, but the two sides could still find their way back to one another. According to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald, Moore is meeting with the Fins today, a signal that the player and team are open to a reunion.
- Moore isn’t the only free agent scheduled to meet with the Dolphins. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that veteran edge defender Andre Branch will be in Miami for a visit tonight and Wednesday, as the club continues to consider defensive end options.
- A return to the Bills or a deal with the Ravens are among the possible outcomes for wide receiver Percy Harvin this offseason, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio doesn’t cite any sources, so it’s not clear whether he’s reporting Buffalo and Baltimore as potential landing spots for Harvin, or simply speculating.