Contract Details: Edelman, Meriweather, Harper
Here are a few more contract details on deals recently signed by free agents:
- In addition to including a $5MM signing bonus, Julian Edelman‘s four-year deal with the Patriots features yearly base salaries of $1MM, $2.25MM, $2.5MM, and $3MM, with various roster bonuses and workout bonuses making up the rest of the $17MM total. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweeted the details, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com presents them in chart form.
- Fitzgerald notes that Brandon Meriweather‘s one-year pact with the Redskins includes a $145K signing bonus, the only guaranteed money in the deal.
- Fitzgerald also provides the details on Roman Harper‘s new deal with the Panthers, which is technically a five-year contract. The pact includes three voidable years to help spread out the cap hit.
- Jamon Meredith‘s two-year contract with the Buccaneers is worth $2.7MM, with $350K in guaranteed money and up to $750K available in playing time incentives, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
- The contract Sherrick McManis agreed to sign with the Bears will be a minimum salary benefit deal, confirms Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Michael Vick Rumors: Wednesday
A pair of reports shortly after free agency opened last week suggested that Michael Vick intended to be patient with the process, perhaps even waiting until after May’s draft to sign with a team. However, it appears now that the veteran signal-caller will make his decision sooner than that. Here’s the latest on Vick, arguably the top quarterback remaining on the market:
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean doesn’t think Vick is an option for the Titans, as he expresses pretty strongly in a tweet.
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link) confirms that Vick’s visit with the Jets will happen on Friday. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), Vick seems to fit the bill of what the Jets brass is looking for in a No. 2 quarterback: A veteran that can push Geno Smith and is capable of winning games when called upon.
Earlier updates:
- Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link) is getting the impression that Vick may not be exclusively seeking a starting job anymore.
- Vick plans to visit the Jets this weekend, a source tells Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. It will be his first visit, and if all goes well, it may end up being his last, as Shorr-Parks writes. The Jets may face some pressure to land a free agent after missing out on several other targets, while Vick may not be handed the starting job he seeks in New York, but would probably have a chance to compete with Geno Smith.
- According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there are indications that Vick may be moving toward making a decision. The Vikings, Jaguars, and Buccaneers are likely no longer options for Vick, having signed veteran QBs of their own. But the Jets and Bills, as well as teams with potential injury concerns like the Panthers, could be in the mix. Florio also identifies the Titans as a potential dark horse, with Jake Locker still recovering from foot surgery.
Titans Release Rob Bironas
12:28pm: The Titans have confirmed Bironas’ release (via Twitter).
12:18pm: The Titans will be releasing veteran kicker Rob Bironas today, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). According to Wyatt (via Twitter), the club wants to get younger at the position and create competition. Maikon Bonani, who signed a futures contract with the team at the end of the regular season, is among the candidates in the mix for the 2014 job.
Bironas, 36, converted 25 of 29 field goals for the Titans in 2013, along with all 41 of his extra-point tries. However, Wyatt suggests (via Twitter) that the team was concerned with his declining performance on kickoffs. Bironas’ $3.875MM cap number probably played a significant part in the decision as well, as Tennessee can reduce to that figure to just 750K in dead money by cutting him.
The longtime Titan, who racked up 1,032 points during his nine seasons with the franchise, will join an underwhelming group of free agent kickers that also includes David Akers, Rian Lindell, and Lawrence Tynes.
Jets Re-Sign Willie Colon
The Jets have re-signed offensive lineman Willie Colon, the team announced today in a press release. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), it’s a one-year, $2MM agreement.
Colon, who turns 31 next month, had been an unrestricted free agent, with a Monday report indicating that New York was trying to lock him up to a new deal. The former Steelers has consistently graded as an above-average pass blocker, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but has struggled with penalties, being called for 12 in each of the last two seasons.
Colon will likely re-assume his spot as the Jets’ starting right guard for the 2014 season.
NFC North Notes: Suh, Hester, Packers, Vikes
On the heels of suggesting earlier this week that there was no rush to extend defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, Lions president Tom Lewand said today on WJR in Detroit that the team expects to meet with Suh’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, next week in Orlando at the NFL owners meetings (Twitter link via Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com). While a Suh extension may not be urgent, it definitely should be on the Lions’ offseason checklist, and it looks like the two sides will take the first steps toward a new deal within the next several days.
Let’s round up a few more links from around the NFC North….
- According to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers may enter the mix for free agent return man Devin Hester, but not until his asking price drops. Demovsky hears from one NFL personnel evaluator that Hester has been looking for $4MM per year, which is probably unattainable for a 31-year-old return specialist who contributes little on offense.
- In a separate piece for ESPN.com, Demovsky writes that the Packers are still in good salary cap shape, and should have room to extend Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, if and when they so choose.
- Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune explores whether Henry Melton‘s new deal with Dallas could open the door for Kevin Williams to return to the Vikings.
- Earlier this morning, the Lions agreed to sign fullback Jed Collins and the Bears reached an agreement with defensive back Sherrick McManis. Both deals are one-year pacts.
Eric Winston Named NFLPA President
Free agent tackle Eric Winston has been elected as the new president of the NFL Players Association, as Melissa Mahler writes at ProPlayerInsiders.com. Winston, who will take over the job from Domonique Foxworth, had been running against Ryan Clark and Ben Watson, who both tweeted congratulations to the veteran offensive lineman.
Winston, who played for the Cardinals in 2013, will be tasked with leading the NFLPA’s executive committee as the players continue to work on issues relating to health and safety, and look ahead to the next labor agreement.
Lions To Sign Jed Collins
10:58am: The Lions have agreed to terms with Collins on a one-year contract, says Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein adds (via Twitter) that it’s a minimum salary benefit deal.
8:48am: Fullback Jed Collins is visiting with the Lions today, and if all goes according to plan, the team expects to sign him to a contract, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It was Birkett who first reported yesterday that the Lions were hosting Collins for a visit.
Only three other players in the NFL received more snaps at fullback last season than Collins, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While he was used primarily as a blocker, the 28-year-old also got a few touches, compiling 15 rushing attempts and 14 receptions.
Lions GM Martin Mayhew suggested last month that he’d like to add a fullback to the roster, and his team and Collins look like a good match. A former Saints, Collins saw his old team sign Erik Lorig to a four-year deal yesterday, meaning there’s likely no longer room in New Orleans for him. As for the Lions, they brought in free agent fullback Henry Hynoski for a visit last week, but Hynoski ultimately ended up re-signing with the Giants.
Maurice Jones-Drew Visiting Steelers
Maurice Jones-Drew is arguably the most accomplished running back among this year’s free agent class, only three years removed from leading the league in rushing in 2011. However, he hasn’t drawn a whole lot of interest so far, with a report linking him to the Jets representing the only activity on his PFR rumors page since free agency got underway.
Jones-Drew has a visit lined up to today, however, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the longtime Jaguar will meet with the Steelers. Schefter adds that Pittsburgh isn’t the only club with interest in the veteran running back, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com also suggests (via Twitter) that MJD is talking to several suitors, being patient and trying to find the right fit.
Following his excellent 2011 season, in which he averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game, Jones-Drew was slowed by injuries in 2012. He appeared in 15 games in 2013, but underachieved for a subpar Jacksonville team, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, a significant drop-off from his previous career low of 4.2.
If he’s healthy and behind a solid line, Jones-Drew, who turns 29 this Sunday, should still have something left in the tank next season. But he’s accumulated a lot of mileage, and the running back market hasn’t exactly been booming this offseason, so the offers for MJD may be modest.
Chris Carr To Retire
Veteran defensive back Chris Carr has announced, via Twitter, that he’s officially retiring as an NFL player this week. In a string of successive tweets, Carr has thanked the teams he played for and those teams’ fans, but says his years as a Raven were the highlight of his career.
“When I think of my career, I consider myself a Raven first and foremost,” Carr tweeted. “My three years in Bmore are my fondest football memories! The Raven organization is incredible and the fans are second to none! Thank you Baltimore.”
Carr, 30, also played for the Raiders, Titans, Chargers, and Saints, but his only season as a fulltime starter on defense came in Baltimore in 2010. The Boise St. alum racked up 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions for the Ravens that season. Over the course of his career, Carr appeared in 125 NFL games, compiling more than 7,300 return yards on kicks and punts in addition to his defensive contributions.
Bears To Re-Sign Sherrick McManis
The Bears have agreed to terms with cornerback and special teams contributor Sherrick McManis, according to the team (Twitter link). The club will bring McManis to Chicago on a one-year contract.
McManis, 26, only saw a dozen snaps on defense last year for the Bears, but he played on the kick and punt coverage units, contributing nine special teams tackles over the course of the season. Given his lack of playing time, McManis figures to be be back on a minimum salary deal without much guaranteed money included.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that the Bears were working to re-sign McManis, who also reportedly drew interest from the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons.