Broncos Cut Owen Daniels, Aaron Brewer
The Broncos released veteran guard Louis Vasquez today, but he’s not the only player on the chopping block in Denver. According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (via Twitter), the Broncos have also released tight end Owen Daniels. Troy Renck of the Denver Post adds (via Twitter) that long snapper Aaron Brewer has been cut as well. The team has since confirmed all three moves.
[RELATED: Broncos place Peyton Manning on reserve/retired list]
Daniels, who had two years left on his contract, would have had a cap number of $4.5MM on Denver’s books in 2016. By releasing him, the Broncos trim that figure by $2.5MM to $2MM, and avoid paying him a $500K roster bonus that had been due next week. The veteran tight end, who will turn 34 in November, caught 46 balls for 517 yards and three touchdowns during his lone season in the Mile High City.
As for Brewer, he had served as the Broncos’ long snapper since the 2012 season. Any cap savings Denver creates as a result of cutting Brewer would be extremely marginal, so it appears the team is parting ways with him for other reasons.
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Steelers Re-Sign William Gay
12:33pm: Gay’s new deal is a three-year pact, tweets Kabloy.
11:35am: The Steelers have re-signed veteran cornerback William Gay to a new contract, agent Jerrold Colton confirms to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The deal, first announced by Gay on his Instagram account, will keep him from reaching the open market on Wednesday.
[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers]
Gay, a fifth-round pick in 2007, has been with the Steelers for all but one season since being drafted by the team, appearing in 128 regular-season contests and another 11 postseason games for the franchise. In 2015, head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Keith Butler continued to lean heavily on the 31-year-old, who played a team-high 1,065 defensive snaps.
The veteran cornerback has shown a knack for making big plays, racking up five return touchdowns in the last three years, and while his best years may be behind him, Gay can still be a reliable contributor in the secondary. Pro Football Focus viewed his 2015 performance as solid, albeit unspectacular, ranking him 46th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.
Gay’s previous contract was worth $4.5MM over three years, and while terms of his new pact aren’t yet known, I’d expect him to be in line for a raise, given the relative consistency he has shown since signing his last deal.
While the Steelers aren’t expected to be all that active in free agency this week, the team has been busy when it comes to re-signing its own free agents. Pittsburgh has also reached agreements with safety Robert Golden and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.
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Broncos To Release G Louis Vasquez
The Broncos will make a cap-clearing move, releasing veteran guard Louis Vasquez, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Vasquez will immediately become an unrestricted free agent once the move is made official.
Vasquez, who turns 29 in April, was a key piece of the offensive line that helped the Broncos win the Super Bowl, having started all but one game for Denver over the past three seasons, primarily spending his time at right guard. However, he had been set to count for $6.75MM against the team’s cap in 2016. Denver will create $5.5MM in cap savings by releasing him.
The Broncos’ offensive line will be undergoing some changes this winter, with Vasquez departing and fellow starting guard Evan Mathis potentially on his way out as well. Mathis has contemplated retirement, and isn’t under contract with Denver for 2016 anyway.
While Vasquez’s release will create some cap flexibility for the Broncos, perhaps to use on a new deal for quarterback Brock Osweiler, the club apparently won’t be putting that space toward an extension for Malik Jackson — the standout defensive lineman appears set to join the Jaguars.
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Extra Points: Campbell, Murray, Cowboys, Suh
Contradicting a report from another outlet, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cardinals aren’t trying to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and haven’t received any inquiries from teams asking if he’s available.
Still, while Campbell may not be on the trade block, his situation is still worth keeping an eye on this offseason, as Somers points out. The standout defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract, and has a cap hit of $15.25MM, making him a prime extension candidate if Arizona wants to keep him around for the long term.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL on a busy Tuesday:
- There was some discussion about the Cowboys, rather than the Titans, acquiring DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Werder says Dallas wasn’t on board with the compensation or the guaranteed money necessary to make a deal.
- The Dolphins created $16MM in cap room when they restructured Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). James Walker of ESPN.com breaks down the specifics.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Tyrunn Walker‘s new one-year deal with the Lions, which features a $150K signing bonus, $550K in total roster bonuses, and $650K in playing-time incentives.
- Safety Andrew Sendejo will receive $2.5MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Goessling adds that Sendejo will make $4MM in the first year and $7MM through two years.
Saints To Re-Sign Michael Hoomanawanui
The Saints have agreed to terms on a new contract for pending free agent Michael Hoomanawanui, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Marvez reports that it’ll be a three-year deal for the veteran tight end.
[RELATED: Saints to re-sign CB Kyle Wilson]
Hoomanawanui, 27, joined the Saints in late September last season, coming over from New England in a trade that sent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to the Patriots. Upon his arrival in New Orleans, Hoomanawanui started eight of his 12 games for the club, and displayed a knack for finding the end zone — three of his 11 receptions went for touchdowns.
Among Saints tight ends, Hoomanawanui ranked third in total offensive snaps, behind Ben Watson and Josh Hill. However, both of those players are eligible for free agency this week – Watson is unrestricted and Hill is restricted – and Hoomanawanui still played a decent amount (366 snaps). Locking him up gives New Orleans a little certainty at the position as the team decides what to do with Watson and Hill.
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Calvin Johnson Announces Retirement
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has officially retired from the NFL, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Lions, Megatron filed his retirement papers with the NFL. The team added that, with respect to Johnson’s contract, those “matters were settled to the satisfaction of the parties.”
In addition to the team’s press release, the Lions have also issued a statement from Johnson, who indicated that he will not have a press conference to discuss his decision.
“Let me assure you that this was not an easy or hasty decision,” Johnson said within his statement. “I, along with those closest to me, have put a lot of time, deliberation and prayer into this decision and I truly am at peace with it.”
Johnson will retire as the Lions’ all-time leader in receptions (731) receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83). Since leading the NFL with 122 receptions and 1,964 yards in 2012, he had seen his production decline a little. Still, Megatron continued to be one of the league’s more productive pass catchers in 2015, with 88 catches, 1,214 yards, and nine touchdowns, making his retirement announcement somewhat unexpected.
Just days after the regular season, the first reports surfaced suggesting that Johnson was considering retirement. The idea that the 30-year-old would walk away from the NFL after such a productive season was surprising, but all the wear and tear he had endured over his career appeared to play a role in the decision. The longtime Lions wideout had been plagued by ankle and finger issues in recent years.
Had he continued his career, Johnson would have counted for more than $24MM against the Lions’ cap in 2016. Now that the six-time Pro Bowler has retired, the team will no longer be on the hook for his base salary of $15.95MM. The Lions’ reference today to settling Johnson’s contract situation likely refers to the two sides coming to some sort of agreement on whether or not Megatron will return a portion of his signing bonus. Details on that agreement aren’t yet known.
With Johnson no longer in the mix, wide receiver figures to be a priority for the Lions in both free agency and the draft. Golden Tate has been an excellent complement to Johnson since signing with Detroit in 2014, but the club doesn’t have a ton of depth behind him, and it remains to be seen whether Tate’s production will slip if receives extra attention as the No. 1 target in Detroit.
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Dolphins In Lead For Mario Williams
The Dolphins are the “clear front-runners” in the Mario Williams sweepstakes, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Miami is expected to make a push on Tuesday to get something done with the veteran pass rusher, who doesn’t have to wait until Wednesday to sign. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report adds (via Twitter) that the two sides appear to be nearing a deal.
2015 was an ugly season for Williams, who didn’t mesh well with Rex Ryan and the new head coach’s defensive scheme, and was accused of displaying a lack of effort at times. Williams is only a year removed from an All-Pro season in which he piled up 14.5 sacks though, so even though he turned 31 in January, he likely still has something left in the tank.
A Monday report indicated that Williams told teams he would sign right away if he received an offer worth $10MM annually. If the Dolphins are confident about signing him, I’d imagine the team’s proposal will approach that figure — Cole suggests it may be worth in the neighborhood of $8MM per year.
The Dolphins have been very active within the last week or so, creating cap space by restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s and Jordan Cameron‘s contracts and by cutting Greg Jennings, among other moves. However, the team is also set to add Byron Maxwell‘s salary in a team with the Eagles, and has Olivier Vernon in limbo on a transition tag worth nearly $13MM.
It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins keeping both Vernon and Cameron Wake on the roster a their current prices if the team gets something done with Williams. It remains to be seen whether that might mean removing the transition tag from Vernon or addressing Wake’s contract via restructure or release.
The Giants and Jaguars are among the other teams with reported interest in Williams, though a report this morning suggested New York was a long shot.
Here’s more on the Dolphins:
- The Dolphins are in conversations with a few veteran free agent guards, including Alex Boone of the 49ers, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson observes that Boone has a good relationship with new Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who was in San Francisco last season.
- A source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that Jordan Cameron‘s contract restructure with the Dolphins will reduce his 2016 earnings to $6MM, adding no extra years to the end of the deal.
- It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that free agent running back Lamar Miller will re-sign with the Dolphins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
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Vikings Re-Sign LB Audie Cole
10:30am: The Vikings have officially announced Cole’s new deal.
9:09am: A day before becoming an unrestricted free agent, linebacker Audie Cole has agreed to a new deal with his current team, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Pelissero reports that the Vikings are re-signing Cole, whose rookie contract had been set to expire. It’s a one-year deal for Cole, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
[RELATED: Vikings, Phil Loadholt agree to new contract]
A seventh-round pick in 2012, Cole has played a role on special teams for the Vikings in his 41 NFL games to date, and has also seen some playing time on defense. His best season came in 2013, when he started five games, earning 45 tackles and a sack.
Cole’s 2015 campaign came to an early end in November, when the Vikings placed him on their injured reserve list due to a fractured ankle. Given his limited contributions on defense and the fact that he’s coming off a season-ending injury, Cole probably isn’t in line for much more than the minimum salary.
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Jets Show Interest In Adam Jones, Other CBs
After spending big on cornerbacks in free agency a year ago, the Jets aren’t shying away from exploring the market again this time around. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, New York is among the teams that have shown interest in Bengals free agent Adam Jones. Meanwhile, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that the team is “nosing around” the market, having also inquired on Prince Amukamara and others.
Last March, in Mike Maccagnan‘s first offseason as the team’s general manager, the Jets landed Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine on lucrative, long-term contracts. The team has since parted ways with Cromartie, whose deal didn’t feature any guaranteed money beyond the first year, and now is back in the market for possible help at cornerback.
Jones, 32, is generating plenty of interest, so the Jets will have competition if they decide to make a play for him. On Monday, Florio identified the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as potential suitors for Pacman.
Both Amukamara and Jones ranked among the top five cornerbacks currently available on the free agent market in our look at this year’s top defensive options.
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Free Agent Rumors: RBs, Trevathan, Giants
The Titans reached an agreement on a trade to acquire DeMarco Murray on Monday, and before the week is out, their division rivals in Houston may have a new running back of their own. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Texans are among the teams with “strong interest” in free agent back Lamar Miller. Rapoport adds that the market for the top running backs available, including Miller, Doug Martin, and Chris Ivory, could heat up today.
Here’s more from around the NFL on free agents:
- The Bears and Titans are among the teams that will make it challenging for the Broncos to re-sign free agent linebacker Danny Trevathan, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Trevathan previously said that he expected to receive interest from his old head coach John Fox in Chicago.
- The Giants have been making a push in recent days to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, and are continuing to talk to him, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. There is plenty of competition though, per Raanan, who notes that the market has been “aggressive,” with a handful of suitors in play.
- While the Giants remain in the hunt for JPP, it doesn’t appear they’re in the mix for defensive end Mario Williams at this time, per Raanan, who adds that Big Blue has inquired on free agent defensive end William Hayes.
- Free agent wide receiver Travis Benjamin has “piqued the interest” of the Texans and a few other NFL teams, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.