Latest On Chris Johnson
The Titans’ offseason workouts get underway a week from today, and one way or another, the team will likely make a move with Chris Johnson by that point, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. As Rapoport explains (via Twitter), the Titans haven’t released Johnson yet because he has drawn some trade interest, but that interest has to turn into something tangible within the next few days, or else the club will likely end up cutting the veteran running back.
While we haven’t heard much so far about teams with potential interest in Johnson, Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Jets may be in the mix. New York appears reluctant to jump into the hunt for DeSean Jackson, but the team has a “level of interest” in the Titans running back.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) echoes Rapoport’s note on the Jets having a level of interest in Johnson, adding that the team has missed out on a pair of its running back targets already this month: Donald Brown and Maurice Jones-Drew. We knew the Jets were pursuing Jones-Drew, but the fact that Brown was the club’s No. 1 RB choice, as Mehta tweets, is new information. Sources told Mehta a week ago that GM John Idzik‘s “hard-line stance” cost the Jets their top running back target earlier in free agency and that the player had signed with another AFC team — I speculated that it might have been Ben Tate, but it seems it was Brown instead.
As for Johnson, while there may be other teams with interest in him, don’t expect him to land with the Falcons. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported yesterday that Atlanta isn’t a likely suitor for the former 2,000-yard rusher.
Pats, Vince Wilfork Agree To New Contract
SATURDAY, 12:26pm: NFL Network reporter Albert Breer breaks down Wilfork’s “complicated” contract in a series of tweets. The stout defensive tackle can earn all $8MM next season if he plays at least 70% of snaps, all 16 games, and if the team ranks in the top-10 in scoring defense and advances to the divisional playoffs. Day one of the 2015 League Year will be pivotal for Wilfork, who is due a $4MM roster bonus and $3MM base salary. He has a $5MM base salary in 2016.
THURSDAY, 8:07pm: Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds two interesting notes in regard to Wilfork (both via Twitter). If Wilfork makes his full $8MM, that means that the Patriots would have ultimately saved about $3.6MM from the original contract. Additionally, there is no guaranteed money for the big man after 2014.
4:59pm: Schefter clarifies (via Twitter) that Wilfork’s new deal is really more like a one-year, $8MM contract, with an option for two additional seasons. It sounds like the contract may include playing-time incentives for 2014, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who tweets that Wilfork can earn the full $8MM if he’s healthy.
4:34pm: Vince Wilfork will remain a Patriot after all. Despite having reportedly asked for his release earlier in the offseason, Wilfork has reached an agreement with the Pats to extend his contract through the 2016 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Schefter reports that the two sides extended and restructured Wilfork’s deal, resulting in a three-year pact worth $22.5MM. Wilfork himself had published a tweet a few minutes earlier that suggested he’d be remaining in New England.
Word broke two weeks ago that Wilfork had requested his release after the Patriots approached him about accepting a restructured deal. Although the 32-year-old reportedly cleared out his locker, team owner Robert Kraft expressed optimism this week that some sort of compromise could be reached, and he and coach Bill Belichick worked to mend fences and repair the situation.
Entering the final year of his previous contract, Wilfork had been on the books for a cap hit of $11.6MM in 2014. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the new deal still gives the veteran defensive lineman the right to earn the $8MM he was previously in line for, but presumably the extension reduces his ’14 cap number. Rapoport adds in another tweet that only $3MM of Wilfork’s new contract is guaranteed.
Wilfork, who will be returning from a torn Achilles in 2014, appeared in just four games for the Pats in 2013, but has consistently posted positive grades at defensive tackle for the club in his healthy seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2012, the five-time Pro Bowler recorded three sacks, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries, to go along with 49 tackles.
In his Twitter statement linked above, Wilfork indicated that his goal has always been to retire a Patriot and that this new agreement brings him one step closer to achieving that goal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
More DeSean Jackson Rumors: Saturday
SATURDAY, 11:27am: Add the Redskins and Bills to the teams with interest in Jackson, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
10:30am: Schefter tweets that nine teams have now inquired on Jackson.
10:27am: At least seven teams expressed interest in Jackson’s services on Friday, Pro Football Talk reports (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that Jets GM John Idzik did not. The Raiders have been researching Jackson for weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, and the team isn’t in a hurry to make a rash decision.
FRIDAY, 7:23pm: The Eagles officially informed DeSean Jackson of his release on Friday, and we’ve already rounded up one set of links dealing with the aftermath of that decision. Of course, with one of the league’s most explosive wide receivers now on the open market, plenty more rumors have followed, so let’s dive and check out the latest….
- Unsurprisingly, the Bears won’t be among the teams pursuing Jackson, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune confirms.
- As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted earlier this afternoon, six teams called to inquire on Jackson shortly after news broke that the Eagles were cutting him, and that number could increase.
- Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link) hears from a source that the Chiefs were one of those teams that reached out to Jackson’s reps.
- There are definitely people within the Jets‘ organization that have interest in Jackson, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. However, Mehta adds that it’s not clear how interested owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik are.
- In addition to the Chiefs and Jets, the Raiders are in the mix, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source connected to a team with interest in Jackson tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that “the gang stuff [reported by NJ.com] is totally overblown,” but that there are legitimate concerns about potential attitude issues.
- The Cardinals have zero interest in Jackson, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter), and the same can be said about the Buccaneers, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
- Despite Ron Rivera‘s comments to USA Today earlier in the day, the Panthers also aren’t interested in signing Jackson, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Person, who says the team made the decision before the receiver was even released, tweets that Rivera wasn’t trying to “play games” — he just made what he believed were innocuous comments, not realizing the impact.
- The entire ESPN.com team of beat writers has assessed the likelihood of Jackson landing with their respective clubs.
Redskins Re-Sign E.J. Biggers
SATURDAY, 1:51am: Biggers’ one-year deal is reportedly worth $730,000 in base salary and $65,000 in signing bonus, writes John Keim of ESPN (via Twitter). Only the signing bonus is guaranteed.
10:24am: It’s a one-year deal for Biggers, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
10:15am: The Redskins have re-signed defensive back E.J. Biggers, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Biggers had been an unrestricted free agent following his first season in Washington.
Since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2009, Biggers has appeared in 61 overall contests (29 starts) for the Buccaneers and Redskins. His best season came in 2012 as a starter in Tampa, when he forced a pair of fumbles, grabbed an interception, recorded a sack, and logged 48 tackles to go along with a +3.8 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
As his performance last year showed, Biggers probably shouldn’t be relied upon for more than a reserve role on defense, but as a veteran who can also contribute on special teams, the 26-year-old should be a decent depth piece for the Redskins in 2014.
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Dolphins To Sign Knowshon Moreno
SATURDAY, 6:19pm: Full details of Moreno’s one-year deal, courtesy of The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter) — $1MM in signing and roster bonuses, $1.98MM salary and $18,750 per-game active roster bonuses.
FRIDAY, 2:51pm: Moreno’s one-year deal is worth about $3MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
2:04pm: The Dolphins have reached an agreement with free agent running back Knowshon Moreno, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, the former Bronco will ink a one-year deal with Miami.
The 12th overall pick in 2009, Moreno posted his first 1,000-yard season in 2013, racking up 13 overall regular-season touchdowns. Although the Broncos’ explosive offense aided those numbers, Moreno will be an upgrade over Daniel Thomas, pairing with Lamar Miller to lead the Dolphins’ rushing attack in 2014.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported yesterday that the Dolphins were “moving closer” to an agreement with Moreno. Broncos GM John Elway had indicated earlier this week that his team hasn’t closed the door on the possibility of bringing back the 26-year-old, but that always appeared to be a long shot, particularly when Moreno began to draw interest from Miami.
With Moreno off the board, the market for other veteran running backs like Maurice Jones-Drew and LeGarrette Blount could quickly develop. The Dolphins had been one of four teams linked to Jones-Drew, while the Patriots and Steelers were rumored to have interest in both players.
Texans To Sign Chris Clemons
4:45pm: Clemons’ two-year deal with the Texans will be worth $2.7MM, with $450K guaranteed, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
4:09pm: The Texans have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with safety Chris Clemons, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The former Dolphin, of course, is not the same Chris Clemons that signed with the Jaguars earlier this month.
The newest Texan joins a crowded mix of safeties in Houston, considering the team already added Kendrick Lewis to a group that figures to include Shiloh Keo, Danieal Manning, and D.J. Swearinger as well. Earlier today, Ganguli reported that the Texans were working on getting Manning to accept a pay cut, so it’ll be interesting to see how the signing of Clemons relates to that situation — if Manning declines, perhaps Clemons will replace him on the roster. Either way, a restructure or release of Manning would help create some cap flexibility to put toward Clemons’ deal.
Clemons, 28, started all 32 games for the Dolphins over the last two seasons, recording 92 tackles and an interception in 2013. Only Reshad Jones played more snaps in 2013 at safety than Clemons, who graded as the league’s 19th-best player at the position among 86 qualified candidates, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
Raiders Sign C.J. Wilson
The Raiders have officially signed free agent defensive end C.J. Wilson, according to the team (Twitter link). Wilson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Packers, so he has a connection to former Green Bay exec and current Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie.
Wilson, 26, started seven games for the Packers in 2012, recording 24 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the season. However, the former seventh-round pick returned to a reserve role last season, appearing in just over 100 defensive snaps in eight regular season games.
It’s the third signing of the day for the Raiders, who also added running back Maurice Jones-Drew and re-signed nose tackle Pat Sims.
Steelers Sign LeGarrette Blount
4:05pm: Blount’s new two-year deal is worth $3.85MM, with a $950K signing bonus, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
3:49pm: The Steelers have officially signed Blount, according to a press release.
2:25pm: The Steelers have reached an agreement on a two-year contract with LeGarrette Blount, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). According to Wilson (via Twitter), the Ravens maintained interest in Blount up until the end. The Patriots were also be interested in bringing back the free agent running back, though not at the price as the Steelers were willing to offer, tweets Wilson.
Blount, 27, emerged as the Patriots’ primary ball-carrier last season, racking up 772 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry during the regular season. He also ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the second round of the postseason against the Colts, but was bottled up for just six yards on five carries in Denver.
By signing with the Steelers, Blount will give the team a complementary runner in a backfield that already includes youngster Le’Veon Bell. I’d imagine Bell will receive more carries than Blount, but the veteran could handle short-yardage and goal-line duties in addition to spelling the 2013 second-rounder.
It’ll be interesting to see what sort of salary Blount receives from the Steelers, considering the team was nearly capped out. Barring some creative bookkeeping on Blount’s deal, the Steelers may have to restructure or release another player’s contract to create the space necessary to finalize the signing.
With Blount off the board and Knowshon Moreno and Maurice Jones-Drew also finding new homes this week, the running back market is starting to look pretty thin. Teams still in need of a rusher can peruse a group that includes Andre Brown, Willis McGahee, and Justin Forsett, among others.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
North Notes: Carr, Ravens, Bears, Flynn
On a busy Friday for NFL signings (Maurice Jones-Drew, LeGarrette Blount) and cuts (DeSean Jackson), let’s check out some of the latest headlines from around the league’s two North divisions….
- Derek Carr‘s private workout with the Browns is scheduled for Monday, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
- In a round-up of Ravens notes, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun says he gets the sense from talking to people around the team that Corey Graham was the toughest free agent departure this month. Zrebiec also writes that that if Baltimore doesn’t draft a quarterback, the club could wait until after the draft to see if a team that does take a QB jettisons one of its veterans.
- As Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune details, Bears head coach Marc Trestman has a number of traits he’s looking for in a No. 2 quarterback.
- It appears likely that the Packers will ultimately end up re-signing Matt Flynn to compete with Scott Tolzien for the team’s backup job, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- As Nick Fairley heads into the 2014 season without the security of the Lions picking up his fifth-year option for 2015, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com says the team shouldn’t reward Fairley with a lucrative contract next year even if he has a strong ’14.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the details on a pair of new contracts: Vlad Ducasse inked a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal with the Vikings that includes a $65K signing bonus, while Domata Peko‘s two-year extension with the Bengals includes a $4.4MM roster bonus for 2014 and is worth $9MM in total.