Cowboys To Re-Sign Morris Claiborne
The Cowboys will bring back Morris Claiborne for another season, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). According to Garafolo, the two sides have worked out a one-year contract for Claiborne to continue his career in Dallas. Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that the deal has a base value of $3MM, and can be worth up to $3.75MM.
The sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Claiborne hasn’t lived up to his draft billing. Since a rookie season in which he started 15 games, made 55 tackles, and recovered a pair of fumbles, the LSU product has made just 21 more starts for Dallas, having been plagued by injuries and underperformance.
In 2015, Claiborne started 11 games for Dallas, but he failed to grab even one interception for the first time in his career, and Pro Football Focus ranked him 104th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.
As a 2012 first-round pick, Claiborne had been eligible for a fifth-year option for the 2016 season, but the Cowboys turned down that option last spring. Had they exercised it, Claiborne would have been on the books for $11MM+ in 2016, so the Cowboys got him back at a much less expensive rate.
With Claiborne locked up, the Cowboys aren’t necessarily done looking for cornerback help. They have been linked to Nolan Carroll, and Archer tweets that Carroll still could be in play, though nothing is imminent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Sign Mackenzy Bernadeau
3:24pm: The deal is now official, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (Twitter link).
2:59pm: The Jaguars have added some depth to their offensive line, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms with offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau. It’ll be a two-year deal worth up to $4MM, says Garafolo.
Bernadeau, 30, started his career with the Panthers back in 2008 before joining the Cowboys in 2011. The former seventh-round pick was Dallas’ primary starter at right guard in 2012 and 2013, but returned to a reserve role in 2014 after the Cowboys drafted Zack Martin. Bernadeau will be the second reserve Cowboys lineman to join the Jaguars in free agency in the last two years — Jacksonville signed Jermey Parnell to a long-term deal last March.
While the Jaguars have a starting spot on their offensive line open after releasing Zane Beadles, Bernadeau is likely more of a depth piece. He may get a chance to compete for playing time with the team’s current in-house options, as well as whoever else joins the franchise in free agency or the draft.
Currently, A.J. Cann, Brandon Linder, and Luke Bowanko appear to be the top contenders to be in the mix for the two guard spots, along with Bernadeau. With veteran center Stefen Wisniewski also facing free agency, the team will need someone to fill that position as well, though it’s still possible Wisniewski will re-sign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots Sign Chris Hogan; Bills Decline To Match Offer Sheet
Wide receiver Chris Hogan will be a Patriot, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Bills have declined their right of first refusal. That means Hogan will head to New England under the terms of the three-year, $12MM offer sheet he signed with the club.
The Bills had five days to decide whether or not to match the Patriots’ offer to Hogan, but the team didn’t even take one full day before making its decision.
Having tendered Hogan with a low-end tender worth $1.671MM, the cap-strapped Bills weren’t expected to be able to go much higher for him, and won’t receive any compensation for losing him. The offer sheet the wideout signed with the Patriots reportedly carries a $5.5MM first-year cap hit, which made it even more difficult for Buffalo to match.
In 2015, Hogan hauled in 36 catches for 450 yards and two touchdowns. The New Jersey native had a similar season in 2014 for the Bills when he caught 41 passes for 426 yards and four scores.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has done serious research on Hogan, so much so that he knows the 27-year-old could serve as a backup (left-footed!) punter should the need ever arise. While Hogan likely won’t be pressed into action as a punter, he’s capable of contributing on special teams as well as on offense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Rumors: Cards, Hall, Ayers, Jets, Jenkins
With starting cornerback Jerraud Powers eligible for free agency, the Cardinals are considering their options at the position, and have veteran corner Leon Hall scheduled to come in on Monday for a visit, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Hall, 31, started just four of his 14 games for the Bengals last season, but still played in 735 defensive snaps, ranking 33rd among qualified cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Cincinnati has already retained free agent defensive backs Adam Jones and George Iloka, so it will be interesting to see whether the team can also re-sign Hall (and Reggie Nelson), or whether the veteran cornerback may land in Arizona, where the Cards could pair him with Patrick Peterson.
Let’s round up a few more free agent rumors from around the league…
- The Jaguars will make a strong effort to close on a deal with Robert Ayers during the defensive end’s visit to Jacksonville, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). However, the Buccaneers and Dolphins will be in play if Ayers leaves his Jags visit without a deal, Robinson notes.
- The Jets are examining free agent defensive linemen, and will bring in Jarvis Jenkins for a visit, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Jenkins, 27, established new career highs with 32 tackles and four sacks last season for the Bears.
- Veteran defensive end Chris Long tells SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of FOX Sports) that he wants to sign with a “playoff” team, adding that he really enjoyed his visits with Washington and the Falcons.
- Linebacker Chad Greenway tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that, while he wants to return to the Vikings, he would consider signing – and finishing his career – with another team. Greenway, who says he has been “laying low” in free agency so far, doesn’t sound close to a deal anywhere.
Broncos Acquire Mark Sanchez From Eagles
1:43pm: The Broncos aren’t done at quarterback yet, and plan to bring in another player to compete with Sanchez for the starting job, Schefter confirms (via Twitter).
12:41pm: The conditional 2017 pick acquired by the Eagles in the swap is a seventh-rounder, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The conditions aren’t yet known, but I would imagine they’ll hinge on Sanchez’s playing time in Denver.
12:29pm: The Broncos have begun to address their hole at quarterback, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, who reports (via Twitter) that Denver is acquiring Mark Sanchez from the Eagles. Philadelphia will get a conditional draft pick in exchange for the veteran signal-caller, per Klis. The pick is a 2017 selection, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Broncos lost the top two quarterbacks on their depth chart this week, as Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Texans on a four-year, $72MM deal. While it remains to be seen if he’ll start for the Broncos, Sanchez is an affordable fallback option for the team. He’ll count for just $4.5MM against the 2016 cap – with another $3MM+ available in incentives – and the 2017 pick the Broncos are giving up is unlikely to be more than a late-rounder.
Sanchez a former fifth overall pick, served primarily as the backup during his two-year stint in Philadelphia, but did start 10 games for the Eagles. Overall, the 29-year-old completed 64.3% of his passes, with 3,034 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
With just Sanchez and Trevor Siemian on their depth chart, the Broncos will remain in the market for quarterback help, and that includes the possibility of trading for someone else, such as Colin Kaepernick — Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that the Sanchez deal doesn’t take Kaepernick off the table for Denver.
As for the Eagles, Sanchez became expendable for them when the team re-signed Sam Bradford and added Chase Daniel in free agency. By trading him instead of releasing him, the Eagles create $4.5MM in cap savings instead of $3.5MM, since the club will no longer be on the hook for the $1MM guarantee on his 2016 base salary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Cut DL Brandon Bair
The Eagles continue to purge their roster of Chip Kelly acquisitions, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut defensive lineman Brandon Bair. While Bair was technically added to the roster before Kelly gained personnel control, Philadelphia’s former head coach presumably played a part in bringing in the Oregon product, not to mention extending his contract last fall.
Bair, 31, had 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2014 for the Eagles. However, he was limited to five games (two starts) in 2015, and picked up just 11 tackles. As Geoff Schwartz of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets, Bair is no longer a scheme fit under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Bair’s release will leave $50K in dead money on Philadelphia’s cap for the 2016 season. Although the Eagles are no longer on the hook for his $675K base salary or $50K workout bonus, they won’t create a full $725K in cap room, since Bair will be replaced in the team’s top 51 by a minimum-salary player.
Compensatory Picks For 2016 NFL Draft
The NFL has officially announced the 33 compensatory picks for the 2016 NFL draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2015 offseason. So, for instance, the Lions, who lost Ndamukong Suh, get the top compensatory pick this year.
The comp pick formula assigns picks who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. These selections can’t be traded.
Here’s the full breakdown, by round and by team:
By Round:
Round 3:
- Detroit Lions
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
Round 4:
- Green Bay Packers
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Baltimore Ravens
- Dallas Cowboys
- Denver Broncos
- Green Bay Packers
- Cleveland Browns
- Buffalo Bills
Round 5:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Seattle Seahawks
- Cleveland Browns
- Cleveland Browns
- San Francisco 49ers
- San Diego Chargers
Round 6:
- New England Patriots
- Baltimore Ravens
- Detroit Lions
- San Francisco 49ers
- Dallas Cowboys
- San Francisco 49ers
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
- Dallas Cowboys
- Dallas Cowboys
- Buffalo Bills
- Denver Broncos
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- New England Patriots
By Team:
- Dallas Cowboys (4)
- New England Patriots (4)
- San Francisco 49ers (4)
- Baltimore Ravens (3)
- Cleveland Browns (3)
- Denver Broncos (3)
- Seattle Seahawks (3)
- Buffalo Bills (2)
- Detroit Lions (2)
- Green Bay Packers (2)
- Arizona Cardinals (1)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
- San Diego Chargers (1)
FA Visits: Seahawks, Lions, Chiefs, Pats, Titans
After being released recently by the Jaguars, veteran edge defender Chris Clemons is expected to pay a visit to the Seahawks soon, and could sign with the team during that visit, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). In fact, Condotta suspects that Clemons will sign.
If it happens, it would be a reunion for the two sides, as Clemons enjoyed the best years of his NFL career in Seattle. Although he was slowed down by injuries during his final year with the team in 2013, he recorded at least 11 sacks as a 16-game starter in each season from 2010 to 2012. At age 34, Clemons is unlikely to reach those totals again, but he could be a solid situational pass rusher if he rejoins the Seahawks.
Here’s more on potential free agent visits:
- While the Patriots would like to bring back defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, the veteran free agent is exploring his options, and those options include a pair of NFC North teams. In addition to making a previously-reported visit to the Bears, Hicks is planning to visit the Lions over the weekend, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Defensive tackle Al Woods is visiting the Seahawks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Seattle is bringing in both Woods and – as previously reported – Cam Thomas, as the team explore possible replacements for Brandon Mebane.
- The Chiefs may still get a chance to meet with wide receiver Rod Streater, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Streater, who met with the Patriots on Thursday, is planning to head to Kansas City after visiting the Jets.
- Free agent cornerback Antwon Blake is scheduled to visit the Patriots and Titans this weekend, per Ralph N. Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). Blake’s agent is also negotiating with four other teams, says Paulk. The 25-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Steelers.
Lions Re-Sign Dan Orlovsky
The Lions have re-signed backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky to a new contract, the team announced today in a press release.
[RELATED: Lions re-sign LB Tahir Whitehead]
Orlovsky, 32, has been with the Lions for the last two seasons, and saw his first action in relief of Matthew Stafford in 2015. For the season, he completed 22 of 40 passes for 201 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He hasn’t started a game since the 2011 season, as a Colt. Of course, his longest stretch as a starter came in 2008 for the Lions team that went 0-16.
While Orlovsky looks like the current favorite to be No. 2 on Detroit’s depth chart again in 2016, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that he expects the team to draft a signal-caller to compete with Orlovsky this year.
Terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d be surprised if it’s much more than a minimum salary contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Contract Details: Kearse, Whitehead, Hali
Here are a few of the latest contract details for players who have agreed to new deals and/or signed them in recent days. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…
NFC:
- Jermaine Kearse, WR (Seahawks): Three years, $13.5MM. $6.3MM guaranteed. $5.5MM signing bonus. Up to $4.7MM in total incentives/escalators (Twitter links via Wilson and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Tahir Whitehead, LB (Lions): Two years, $8MM. $4.75MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $500K in annual playing-time/Pro Bowl incentives. $200K in per-game active roster bonuses in 2017 (Twitter links).
- Sherrick McManis, CB (Bears): Two years, $2.85MM. $600K signing bonus. $150K roster bonus due 10th day of 2016 league year. $50K annual workout bonus (Twitter link).
- Senio Kelemete, OL (Saints): Two years, $2.7MM. $300K signing bonus. $50K roster bonus due third day of 2017 league year. Up to $600K in annual incentives (Twitter links).
- Kenrick Ellis, DT (Vikings): One year, $810K. $25K workout bonus. $25K bonus for one game on 53-man roster (Twitter link via Pelissero).
AFC:
- Tamba Hali, OLB (Chiefs): Three years, $21MM. $11.5MM fully guaranteed. $4.75MM signing bonus. $500K annually in weight bonuses (five weigh-ins worth $100K each). $500K annually in per-game active roster bonuses (Twitter links via Wilson and Pelissero).
- Robert Golden, S (Steelers): Three years, $4.95MM. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Eddie Pleasant, S (Texans): Two years, $2.15MM. $311K roster bonus in 2016. $36K roster bonus in 2017 (Twitter link).
- Shane Lechler, P (Texans): One year, $1.8MM. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Khiry Robinson, RB (Jets): One year, $1.175MM. $80K signing bonus. $20K roster bonus for first game. $350K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link).
- Nick Novak, K (Texans): One year, $965K. Minimum salary benefit. $80K roster bonus due March 14 (Twitter link).