Texans Sign Brock Osweiler To Four-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 3:46pm: The Texans have formally announced the Osweiler signing, introducing him today a press conference.
WEDNESDAY, 2:31pm: Osweiler got $37MM guaranteed from Houston on a four-year deal, according to Broncos players that spoke with Renck (on Twitter). In total, it’s a four-year, $72MM contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (link).
2:28pm: Teammates are hearing that Osweiler got a four-year deal from the Texans with a serious guarantee in money, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets.
Meanwhile, a 49ers source insists that the team has no interest in trading quarterback Colin Kaepernick despite reported interest from the Broncos, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
2:22pm: Osweiler’s deal will likely come around the $16MM/yr range, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Denver offered $13MM originally were willing to move a bit higher, but it sounds like the Texans edged them out by a considerable amount.
2:09pm: It appears neither of the two quarterbacks that helped the Broncos reach and win the Super Bowl this past season will be returning to Denver for the 2016 campaign. According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Brock Osweiler had reached an agreement in principle with the Texans. The news comes on the heels of Peyton Manning‘s retirement announcement.
The Texans finished 24th in offensive DVOA last season, and while it’s hard to place all the blame for that ranking on the shoulders of Brian Hoyer, there’s no question that the Texans could benefit from the addition of Osweiler. For a long time, the belief has been that the Texans are a “quarterback away” from becoming a legitimate threat. Now, we’ll find out if that’s really the case. Despite the struggles in their passing game, it should be noted that the Houston’s passing attack actually rated better in DVOA than its running game did. Signing Osweiler goes a long way towards fixing the problem, but it’s not the only issue that needs to be addressed.
Earlier this month, the Broncos reportedly offered Osweiler a three-year deal worth roughly $39MM. The Texans, ostensibly, have topped that offer. The Texans have long been expected to make a “competitive” offer to Osweiler. Per reports, $15-16MM was the figure Osweiler was targeting and it will be interesting to see where his contract falls.
With Osweiler off to Houston, Robert Griffin III is on the Broncos’ list of replacement quarterbacks, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). RG3 could be visiting Denver this week, he adds.
With Osweiler now in the fold, the Texans will likely release one-time starter Brian Hoyer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hoyer, 30, was set to enter the second year of a two-year deal, and while he has a base salary of $4MM, none of it is guaranteed. Given that his gameday roster bonuses would also be cleared out, Hoyer’s release would save Houston nearly $5MM in cap space. Hoyer wasn’t awful last season, as he completed about 61% of his passes for 17 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Still, Hoyer did finish 20th in Football Outsiders’ DYAR metric.
It’s hard to judge Osweiler’s value as a whole, given that he’s started only seven games during his four-year career, but the demand of the open market is what dictates the price. Of course, there are not a whole lot of capable quarterbacks available in free agency and the trade market never offers rock solid signal callers either. In Osweiler, the Texans have added a promising young quarterback who showed glimpses of promise in his time on the field in 2015.
Osweiler, predictably, was rated as PFR’s No. 1 free agent quarterback for the 2016 offseason. Overall, we slated Osweiler as the third-best free agent available, behind defensive linemen Olivier Vernon and Malik Jackson.
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Rod Streater, James Starks, Clay Harbor Visiting Patriots
3:29pm: Wide receiver Rod Streater is also visiting the Patriots today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). A report earlier today indicated that Streater is paying a visit to the Jets on Friday, but it looks like he’ll make a stop in New England first.
Streater’s last two seasons have been unproductive due to injuries and a reduced role in Oakland’s offense, but he looked good in 2013, catching 60 balls for 888 yards and four touchdowns for the Raiders.
3:14pm: The Patriots didn’t make much noise on the first day of free agency, but they’re bringing in a host of less notable players on the second day of the new league year. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), running back James Starks and tight end Clay Harbor are among the players visiting New England.
Earlier today, we learned that the Patriots are also hosting Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan and Rams running back Benny Cunningham for free agent visits. Hogan and Cunningham are both restricted free agents, giving Buffalo and Los Angeles, respectively, the right of first refusal if they sign offer sheets with the Pats. However, Starks and Harbor are unrestricted.
Starks, who turned 30 last month, had his best NFL season in 2015, rushing for 601 yards and two touchdowns, and adding another 392 yards and three TDs through the air. The Packers remain interested in re-signing the veteran back, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
As for Harbor, after averaging 25 receptions per season from 2012 to 2014, he caught 14 balls for 149 yards and a touchdown in 2015 for the Jaguars, primarily serving as a blocker. According to Phil Perry of CSNNE.com (Twitter link), the 28-year-old has caught Bill Belichick‘s eye — the Pats head coach “spoke at length” last season about how Harbor was used, calling him a FB/TE hybrid. With Scott Chandler no longer in the mix in New England, the team figures to be on the lookout for help at the tight end position.
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Texans Sign Lamar Miller
THURSDAY, 3:20pm: The deal is official, per the Texans on Twitter.
WEDNESDAY, 2:26pm: The Texans’ offensive backfield for the 2016 season is taking shape. After reaching an agreement with quarterback Brock Osweiler, the team is now set to sign running back Lamar Miller when the new league year begins, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). According to Schefter, Miller will sign a four-year, $26MM deal that features $14MM in fully guaranteed money.
Miller, who turns 25 in April, is one of the most talented running backs on the market this year. The fact that he was somewhat underused in Miami may have frustrated Dolphins fans, but it could increase his appeal to his new team, since his 638 career rushing attempts don’t represent a huge workload.
In 2015, Miller ran for 872 yards and eight touchdowns on just 194 carries, adding another 397 yards and two TDs through the air on 47 receptions. His lone 1,000-yard season came in 2014, when he piled up 1,099 yards on the ground, with an impressive 5.1 yards per carry average.
According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link), Miller could have accepted an offer from another team that would have been worth $7MM annually over five years, but he preferred the shorter term. Given the way NFL contracts are structured, it’s unlikely he would have seen that fifth year anyway.
Miller will take over in Houston’s backfield for Arian Foster, who was cut earlier this month by the Texans. In Miami, Jay Ajayi appears to be the frontrunner for carries with Miller gone, though the team figures to address the position in free agency or the draft.
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Texans Exploring Brian Hoyer Trade Scenarios
1:58pm: Hoyer would be available for a “very modest price,” a source tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post (Twitter link). I speculated below that the Texans probably wouldn’t be expecting more than a sixth-round pick.
12:39pm: With Brock Osweiler set to play under center for the Texans in 2016, Houston’s primary 2015 starter is expected to be on his way out. Pro Football Talk reported earlier today that Hoyer will likely leave Houston “sooner rather than later,” and Albert Breer of the NFL Network confirms (via Twitter) that the Texans are exploring trade scenarios for the veteran quarterback. No deal is imminent at this time, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
[RELATED: Texans, Brock Osweiler agree to deal]
Hoyer, 30, started nine games for the Texans in 2015, playing in 11. His numbers for the season were respectable — he threw 19 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, and racked up 2,606 yards through the air. For the second year in a row, he led his team to a winning record in his starts.
Despite his solid performance last season, Hoyer becomes expandable with the arrival of Osweiler, especially since the Texans have a backup they like in Tom Savage. Hoyer is in line for a $4MM base salary, plus $1.25MM in game-day roster bonuses, for the 2016 season, making him reasonably affordable for teams looking for quarterback help.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), several teams are in fact interested in Hoyer. Those potential suitors aren’t yet known, but the Broncos, Rams, and Browns are among the clubs potentially in the market for a QB, and the Jets are believed to have interest in Hoyer as a fallback option if Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t re-sign. Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets that the Broncos are in “no rush” when it comes to adding a QB — Denver is exploring all its options, so GM John Elway figures to at least kick the tires on Hoyer.
Given Hoyer’s fairly modest salary, which is in line with top backups around the NFL, it’s also possible that there will be teams with interest in acquiring him as a No. 2 option.
When the Texans sent Fitzpatrick to the Jets a year ago, Houston received a seventh-round pick that had the potential to turn into a sixth-rounder (which it did). I wouldn’t expect the Texans to land any more than that if they find a taker for Hoyer.
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Contract Details: Harrison, Benjamin, Massie
Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All Twitter links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…
NFC:
- Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): Five years, $46.25MM. $24MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Bobby Massie, T (Bears): Three years, $18MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due on March 14 (Twitter links).
- Thad Lewis, QB (49ers): One year, $760K. Minimum salary benefit. $25K playing-time incentive. $428K split salary (Twitter link).
AFC:
- Travis Benjamin, WR (Chargers): Four years, $24MM. $13MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $2.75MM salary for 2016 and $4.25MM salary for 2017 fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
- Antonio Gates, TE (Chargers): Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Ramon Humber, LB (Patriots): One year, $885K. Minimum salary benefit. $25K signing bonus. $30K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Giants Sign Janoris Jenkins
THURSDAY, 1:52pm: The Giants’ signing of Jenkins is official, as Dan Salomone of Giants.com writes.
For a sneak peek at what Jenkins might look like in his new jersey, follow Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
WEDNESDAY, 9:39am: Jenkins is expected to get $29MM in fully guaranteed money, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (Twitter link).
9:29am: Jenkins’ five-year deal with the Giants is expected to be worth $62.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). That’s an annual average of $12.5MM.
6:48am: The Giants are prepared to sign cornerback Janoris Jenkins when the free agent market officially opens later today, reports Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), Jenkins’ new contract is expected to be worth in excess of $12MM per year.
Jenkins, 27, has spent the first four years of his career with the Rams since being selected by the team with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 draft. Since entering the league, Jenkins has been a starter at cornerback in St. Louis, picking up a total of 10 career interceptions, including five for touchdowns. However, it appears he won’t join the team in Los Angeles.
Prior to the franchise-tag deadline, the Rams had been mulling over whether to use their tag on Jenkins or fellow cornerback Trumaine Johnson. The club ultimately opted to lock up Johnson with the non-exclusive franchise tag, clearing the path for Jenkins to reach the open market.
While the Rams did want to keep Jenkins, negotiations between the two sides didn’t appear to progress the way the four-year veteran anticipated. After a report surfaced suggesting that Jenkins had declined a five-year offer worth about $45MM, the former second-round pick changed agents, and tweeted. “Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks.”
For the Giants, Jenkins looks poised to team with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the secondary, suggesting free agent corner Prince Amukamara likely won’t be back in New York.
According to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter links), the Giants may be targeting other big-name free agents on the defensive side of the ball. Graziano reports that Big Blue may make a run at defensive end Olivier Vernon, and adds that the team has also expressed interest in Jenkins’ former teammate, safety Rodney McLeod.
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C.J. Anderson Visiting Dolphins, May Sign Offer Sheet
11:12am: Anderson had been scheduled to fly to Chicago to meet with the Bears, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, as Klis explains in a piece worth reading, the Dolphins convinced Anderson and agent Peter Schaffer that the running back should head to Miami instead. The expectation is that the Dolphins will sign Anderson to an offer sheet later today, per Klis.
10:12am: Restricted free agent running back C.J. Anderson will visit the Dolphins today, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Miami was one of four teams mentioned on Wednesday as suitors for Anderson, along with the Patriots, 49ers, and Bears. New England and Chicago would also like to bring in the RFA running back, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Because Anderson received an RFA tender from the Broncos, the team can match any offer sheet the running back signs with another club, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweeted on Wednesday that Denver will likely do just that. Still, it was a bit of a surprise that the Broncos only gave Anderson a $1.671MM tender, giving them the right of first refusal, rather than a $2.553MM tender that would have assured them a second-round pick as compensation if Anderson signed elsewhere.
Of course, when the Broncos made their decision on Anderson, the team hadn’t yet lost Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan to other teams. Now that Denver won’t have to worry about working those players into the team’s 2016 cap plans, it might be a little easier to match an offer sheet for Anderson.
Still, it sounds like Anderson’s suitors won’t make things easy — the running back appears likely to sign an offer sheet, and any team that signs him will try to structure in a way that makes it difficult for the Broncos to match it.
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.
The Dolphins, whose new head coach Adam Gase worked with Anderson in Denver, are in the market for running back help after Lamar Miller agreed to sign with the Texans. Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link) believes that an offer sheet for Anderson could be agreed upon during his visit to Miami — the Broncos would have five days to match it once it’s officially signed.
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FA Visits: V. Davis, Vasquez, Titans, Jets
Free agent tight end Vernon Davis will pay a visit to Washington today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s an unsurprising piece of news, considering Davis is from the D.C. area, and Washington GM Scot McCloughan was working in the 49ers’ front office when San Francisco drafted the tight end.
Davis, traded from the 49ers to the Broncos midway through the 2015 season, didn’t have his best year, but still managed to catch 38 passes, including 20 after moving to Denver. If he were to sign with Washington, he would presumably be a complementary option to Jordan Reed, so we’ll see if there’s a fit there.
Here’s more on free agent visits happening around the NFL:
- Former Broncos guard Louis Vasquez, recently released by Denver, will visit the Titans on Friday, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Tennessee is looking to beef up the interior of its offensive line, having already signed center Ben Jones away from the division-rival Texans.
- The Cowboys are scheduled to host cornerback Nolan Carroll for a visit, says Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The Cowboys need help at cornerback, and we heard earlier today that Dallas would be a “team to watch” on Carroll, who hasn’t been on the same page as the Eagles in negotiations.
- Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) is hearing that Rod Streater may be planning to head east to visit some teams, and Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News confirms (via Twitter) that the Jets will host the free agent wideout on Friday. Paylor notes that the Chiefs have also expressed some interest in Streater, as he reported earlier in the week.
- Titans GM Jon Robinson indicated today that the team plans to set up visits with a couple veteran free agent safeties, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The Titans – who cut longtime safety Michael Griffin last month – will also explore the position in the draft, per Robinson.
Chiefs Re-Sign Tamba Hali
THURSDAY, 9:57am: The Chiefs have officially re-signed Hali, the team announced today in a press release.
TUESDAY, 6:53pm: Hali and the Chiefs have agreed to a three-year, $22MM deal that contains nearly $12MM in guarantees, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com.
12:16pm: The Chiefs have reached an agreement on a three-year contract for outside linebacker Tamba Hali, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter notes that the new deal will allow the veteran pass rusher to finish his career in Kansas City.
Hali, 32, has seen his sack totals decline a little over the last two seasons after he piled up a total of 46.5 from 2010 to 2013. However, despite picking up just 12.5 total sacks in 2014 and 2015, Hali has continued to be an effective edge defender for the Chiefs. Pro Football Focus ranked the veteran 11th out of 110 qualified players at the position in 2015, assigning him solid grades as both a pass rusher and a run defender.
As I noted in PFR’s top 50 free agents list, in which I placed Hali 22nd, the longtime Chief had been one of the few edge defenders who fit better in a 3-4 scheme as an outside linebacker, rather than a 4-3 defensive end, so Kansas City did well to keep him from rival suitors looking for pass-rushing help.
With Hali back in the fold, the Chiefs have now secured two of their key free agent defenders, having used their franchise tag on safety Eric Berry. Still, there are plenty of Chiefs on track to reach the open market tomorrow. Defensive lineman Jaye Howard, cornerback Sean Smith, and linebacker Derrick Johnson are among the team’s free-agents-to-be on defense, while backup quarterback Chase Daniel and starting guard Jeff Allen are also eligible to hit the market.
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Dolphins To Host Jason Jones, Robert Ayers
The Dolphins’ defensive end rotation is undergoing a shake-up this week, with Mario Williams in and both Derrick Shelby and Olivier Vernon out. In an effort to replace some of the depth they lost when Shelby and Vernon departed, the Fins continue to explore the defensive end market. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), the team is bringing in Jason Jones for a visit, in addition to the previously-reported Robert Ayers.
Jones, 29, has been a full-time starter in Detroit for the last two seasons, picking up a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him solid grades as both as a pass rusher and a run defender.
Ayers, meanwhile, graded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 2015, according to PFF’s metrics. The 30-year-old enjoyed a career year with the Giants, picking up nine sacks to go along with 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. He’ll visit Tampa Bay before heading to Miami.
While either player would be a solid pickup for the Dolphins, it’s worth noting that the team’s defensive end rotation doesn’t feature much youth. Williams is 31, Cameron Wake is 34, and both Jones and Ayers will be in their 30s by the time the 2016 season gets underway. That stands in contrast to Miami’s departing ends — Vernon is just 25, while Shelby turned 27 this month.
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