Pro Football Rumors On Facebook/Twitter
The first wave of free agency is behind us, but with plenty of notable names still on the board and the draft just a few weeks away, we should still expect plenty of roster turnover and player movement before the 2014 season. There will be plenty of notable stories to track on Pro Football Rumors throughout the spring, and you don’t necessarily have to keep refreshing our site to keep tabs on them. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to get the latest updates on NFL news and rumors all year.
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Falcons Re-Sign Peria Jerry
THURSDAY, 9:39am: According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter), Jerry’s deal with the Falcons is for one year and $890K. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets that the contract includes a $730K base salary, which is the minimum, so it’s a bit surprising that the team would exceed the $65K bonus limit for a minimum salary benefit deal.
WEDNESDAY, 5:02pm: The Falcons have re-signed defensive lineman Peria Jerry, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The five-year veteran had been an unrestricted free agent.
Jerry, 29, started 14 games for the Falcons in 2013, but may not see such a significant role for the team in 2014 as the defensive line undergoes an overhaul. The former first-round pick logged 3.5 sacks to go along with 33 tackles last season, but didn’t post good grades against the run, according to Pro Football Focus, whose metrics ranked him 64th of 69 qualified defensive tackles (subscription required).
Earlier this month, it appeared the Falcons and Jerry were ready to part ways. Perhaps Jerry didn’t generate as much interest on the open market as he anticipated, or perhaps the club was unimpressed with the alternatives.
Florida Notes: Incognito, Bucs, Jaguars
Speaking to WSVN in Miami, free agent guard Richie Incognito suggested yesterday that he remains on track to return to the NFL following last year’s bullying scandal and recent treatment for erratic behavior. As James Walker of ESPN.com details, Incognito would like come back to Miami and play for his old team.
“Returning to the Dolphins was my number one goal from the time I got suspended,” Incognito said. “I want to return to the community in Miami and resume my playing career as soon as possible.”
Even with Jonathan Martin now in San Francisco, the odds of Incognito playing in Miami again, for a Dolphins team now hyper-conscious of public relations, seems virtually impossible. Here’s more on the free agent offensive lineman and a couple other notes on the NFL’s Florida teams:
- In a separate piece at ESPN.com, Walker agrees that while some NFL team may be willing to take a chance on signing Incognito for the 2014 season, that team won’t be the Dolphins.
- Discussing an interview conducted with head coach Lovie Smith by the Buccaneers‘ official website, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune notes that the team still feels as if it has a few more moves left to make in free agency. Cummings adds that there’s a chance Earl Bennett, recently released by Chicago, could interest the ex-Bears head coach.
- The Jaguars were focused on free agency up until this Tuesday, but GM Dave Caldwell suggests to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that about 95% of the club’s attention has now shifted to the draft, meaning there likely won’t be many more free agent additions in Jacksonville. Caldwell also weighed in on the Jags’ additions of Jason Babin and Chris Clemons, among other topics.
Bills Re-Sign Scott Chandler
MARCH 19: The Bills’ deal with Chandler is now official, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.
MARCH 13: Tight end Scott Chandler will be returning to Buffalo, having reached an agreement on a new two-year contract with the club, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
With players like Jimmy Graham and Dennis Pitta off the market before free agency began, Chandler was one of the more accomplished tight ends available. The 28-year-old has seen his reception and yardage totals climb in each of his first four NFL seasons, all the way up to 53 catches for 655 yards in 2013.
The Lions were said to be interested in Chandler before he agreed to terms with the Bills.
Extra Points: Browns, Goodson, Dolphins, Rams
After initially suggesting that he’d be open to returning to the Seahawks on a “hometown discount,” Golden Tate ultimately landed with the Lions, inking the second-largest deal of the offseason for a wide receiver. In retrospect, Tate may regret making the comment about giving Seattle a discount, as he explained on 710 ESPN in Seattle (link via Terry Blount of ESPN.com).
“I didn’t mean a 40% discount,” Tate said. “I’m going to earn in one year at Detroit what Seattle was going to pay me for two years. Seattle offered numbers that were laughable. I thought, ‘I’ve given you everything and this is what you give me?'”
As Tate looks forward to teaming up with Calvin Johnson in Detroit, let’s check in on a few more odds and ends from around the NFL….
- Free agent offensive lineman Paul McQuistan and defensive lineman Alex Carrington visited with the Browns, tweets Pat McManamon of ESPN.com.
- The Jets have converted Mike Goodson’s $650K roster bonus into a different form of roster bonus that can be obtained if he’s on the roster for all 16 games, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com details (via Twitter). The move takes the bonus charge off the cap, creating some modest savings for the Jets.
- Before he re-signed with the Jets, Willie Colon drew interest from the Falcons and Vikings, but those teams both ultimately “backed off,” the lineman told reporters today (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
- The Redskins hosted free agent guard Mike McGlynn for a visit today, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Washington is clearly in the market for at least one interior lineman after cutting Will Montgomery, considering we heard earlier in the afternoon that the club will also host Brian De La Puente.
- The conditional draft pick the Dolphins sent to the Ravens for Bryant McKinnie last season will be a seventh-rounder, a league source tells Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
- The Vikings‘ offer to Henry Melton was competitive with the Cowboys‘ proposal in terms of salary, but the free agent defensive lineman simply chose Dallas instead, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- A little over a week into free agency, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines where the Rams stand, and takes an in-depth look at Rodger Saffold‘s new contract.
- Javier Arenas‘ one-year deal with the Falcons is a minimum salary benefit contract with a $65K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the details on the new additions to the NFLPA’s executive committee.
Marc Mariani, Titans Agree To One-Year Deal
The Titans have agreed to terms with wide receiver and return man Marc Mariani on a one-year contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Mariani, 26, missed the entire 2012 season after breaking the tibula and fibula in his left leg and spent the entire 2013 season on Tennessee’s injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in training camp. Still, he flashed plenty of promise during his first two seasons with the club, returning two punts and one kick for touchdowns in 2010 and 2011. During his rookie season in ’10, he earned a Pro Bowl spot as a return specialist.
The Chargers hosted Mariani for a visit this week, but the Titans had always maintained interest in bringing him back. Still, it’s not clear what Mariani’s role on the 2014 roster will be, with return men Dexter McCluster and Leon Washington also under contract.
Chiefs Sign Cory Grissom
The Chiefs have signed Cory Grissom, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Wilson reports that it’s a one-year contract for the defensive tackle.
Grissom, 23, signed last spring with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of South Florida. He was placed on injured reserve in August, however, and didn’t see the field for the team during the 2013 season, before being waived last week.
Patriots Sign Charley Hughlett
The Patriots have signed long snapper Charley Hughlett to a two-year deal, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Hughlett, a UCF alum, signed with the Cowboys after the 2012 season but was cut last May.
New England had already agreed to a one-year deal with Danny Aiken, the club’s incumbent long snapper, so it looks as if Hughlett will be providing the Pats with some competition for Aiken this summer.
FA Rumors: De La Puente, Harrison, Murphy
Brian De La Puente is arguably the best center still available in free agency, and it sounds as if he’s drawing interest from plenty of potential suitors. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Saints, Giants, Broncos, and Patriots remain possibilities for De La Puente, who is scheduled to visit with the Redskins. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds that if there’s no agreement in place when the veteran center leaves Washington, more visits are expected.
Here’s more on some of the free agents still on the market:
- We already heard this week that veteran free agent James Harrison is interested in returning to the Steelers, and according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that interest is mutual.
- Having visited for two days with the Buccaneers, wide receiver Louis Murphy is scheduled to meet with the Bengals tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Giants will host free agent offensive lineman Charles Brown, tweets Adam Caplan.
- After leaving his visit with the Rams without an agreement in place, free agent quarterback Shaun Hill appears to be considering both the Rams and Lions, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Bengals confirmed (via Twitter) that free agent defensive end Robert Ayers visited with them today, which means he left that meeting without an agreement in place.
- Ravens safety Brynden Trawick is no longer an exclusive rights free agent, having signed his $495K tender from the team, tweets Aaron Wilson.
DeSean Jackson Updates: Wednesday
The DeSean Jackson rumor mill heated up yesterday, with multiple reports suggesting the Eagles weren’t necessarily shopping their star receiver, but were willing to listen when other teams called. We’ll round up Wednesday’s items on the Jackson story right here, with any new updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Bowen now hears (Twitter link) from a Jackson spokesperson that the receiver hasn’t spoken to Kelly, contrary to what Bowen’s other source told him (noted below). According to the spokesperson, Jackson tried to get in touch with the head coach, but Kelly has been tied up with free agency (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- A source close to Jackson told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News last night that the receiver would be ”
really hurt if [the Eagles] traded him for no apparent reason,” since he loves playing in Philadelphia.
- Bowen also confirms a report from 94WIP’s Ike Reese suggesting head coach Chip Kelly has reached out to Jackson to tell him not to worry about the trade rumors. As the Daily News scribe notes, it’s an odd situation, since the Eagles aren’t denying the story publicly despite being aware of the reports, which almost seems to confirm those reports.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at some possible Jackson trade scenarios.