49ers To Cut Carlos Rogers
TUESDAY, 9:34am: The 49ers will release Rogers with the post-June 1st designation, freeing up more cap space for 2014, tweets Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee.
MONDAY, 3:34pm: Cornerback Carlos Rogers will no longer represent the largest cap hit on the 49ers’ books for 2014, as the team has decided to release him, allowing him to test the market, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Rogers started all 16 regular season games for the 49ers in 2013, recording 49 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended. However, the 32-year-old ranked just 71st out of 110 qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). His performance and age, combined with an $8.09MM cap number, made his return to San Francisco unlikely unless he accepted a pay cut. By cutting Rogers, the Niners will create more than $5MM in cap savings, as the defensive back’s salary will still count for nearly $3MM in dead money on the 2014 cap.
For the Niners, Tramaine Brock looks poised to take over one of the top two cornerback jobs. However, San Francisco may be in the market for a new corner at the other spot, with Tarell Brown eligible for free agency.
NFC Rumors: Veldheer, Houston, Byrd, Hawley
It looks like many of the top offensive tackles will fly off the shelves early when free agency gets underway at 3:00pm central time this afternoon. Branden Albert appears to be headed to Miami, while Anthony Collins will likely sign with the Bucs, and Eugene Monroe and the Ravens should work out a new deal. That leaves the Cardinals as the logical landing spot for Jared Veldheer, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) GMs and agents are essentially viewing that as a done deal, turning their attention to Rodger Saffold and other players. As we wait to see if Arizona can officially lock up the Raiders’ free-agent-to-be, let’s check out a few more updates from around the NFC….
- The Packers were “very interested” in defensive end Lamarr Houston, but appear likely to bow out of the bidding as his price tag increases, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- It doesn’t sound as if things are heating up between Jairus Byrd and the Redskins at the moment, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who hears from a source that the two sides are just having “casual conversations” (Twitter link).
- The Lions have been in recent contact with defensive end Willie Young’s agent about a new deal, but Young looks set to hit the open market and should have a handful of suitors, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Falcons are trying to lock up center Joe Hawley to keep him from reaching the open market, but there are other teams interested in him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) talks might go right up to 3:00pm today.
- Tight end Garrett Graham could be a target for the Buccaneers, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
- As they did a year ago, the Eagles could strike quickly in free agency today, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Joique Bell, Lions Close To Long-Term Deal
The Lions have placed a second-round tender on running back Joique Bell, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, meaning the potential restricted free agent could accept the offer and return to Detroit on a one-year, $2.187MM contract. However, it looks like the two sides will reach a longer-term agreement. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Bell and the Lions are close to working out a multiyear deal.
Bell, 27, said back in January that he hoped to bypass the restricted free agency process and negotiate a long-term contract that would keep him in Detroit. The undrafted running back was one of the team’s most dynamic offensive weapons in 2013, racking up nearly 1,200 combined rushing and receiving yards to go along with eight touchdowns. While Bell was only a part-time player, playing behind starter Reggie Bush, he ranked as the NFL’s ninth-best running back, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
While it’s not clear if the Lions will finalize a deal for Bell before free agency gets underway this afternoon, doing so could reduce his 2014 cap hit, giving the team a little more flexibility to spend on other players.
Giants, McBride Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Giants and cornerback Trumaine McBride have reached agreement on a new two-year contract that will keep the 28-year-old off the open market, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. According to Raanan, the deal, which will likely be signed later today, is worth a total of $3.1MM.
McBride, who played for the Bears, Cardinals, and Jaguars before joining the Giants last season, saw an increased role in New York’s secondary during the second half of 2013 and performed well, ranking 24th among qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). At a cost of about $1.55MM per season, he’ll come much cheaper than many of the more notable names on the cornerback market this week, though of course he doesn’t have the same track record as many of those other free agents. McBride’s 10 starts for the Giants last season were his first starts since the 2008 season.
The Giants are still expected to be in the market for cornerbacks, according to Raanan. While New York may no longer be in the mix for top options like Alterraun Verner, Corey Graham is one player drawing interest from the team.
Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record first reported that the Giants were close to re-signing McBride.
T.J. Ward Drawing Interest From Lions, Others
7:59am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) downplays the Eagles’ interest in Ward, suggesting Philadelphia is “not in the mix.” However, he names the Dolphins and Redskins as a couple other clubs that could be involved.
7:42am: With free agency now just a few hours away, safety T.J. Ward is drawing “strong interest” from the Lions and Eagles, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ward, who has also been linked to the Jets, is said to be seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $7MM.
The Eagles, who still have some cap flexibility after working out new deals and extensions with several of their own players, have been mentioned as suitors for nearly every top safety on the market, including Jairus Byrd, Chris Clemons, and Mike Mitchell. As for the Lions, they’re on the lookout for someone to replace Louis Delmas, but likely won’t have quite as much cap room to work with as other clubs in on Ward.
Ravens, Eugene Monroe Close To Deal
The Ravens and left tackle Eugene Monroe are “very close” to agreeing to a new contract that will keep the free-agent-to-be off the open market, reports Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com and the NFL Network (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) are also hearing that the two sides should hammer out a deal today, barring any last-minute snags.
We heard just yesterday that the Ravens and Monroe were “deep in productive talks.” The Dolphins, expected to be a strong suitor for Monroe, have seemingly opted to sign Branden Albert instead, and the Cardinals appear to be focusing on Jared Veldheer, freeing up Monroe to resume negotiations with the Ravens.
In earlier talks with the Ravens, at a time when a reunion seemed unlikely, Monroe was said to be seeking $10MM per season, while Baltimore was hoping to pay closer to $8-9MM annually. With Albert reportedly in line for a $10MM per year salary, it seems likely that the final figures on Monroe’s deal will end up closer to that amount than what the Ravens wanted to pay.
Jaguars Release Justin Forsett
The Jaguars have cut running back Justin Forsett, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). While $100K of prorated bonus money will still count against the team’s cap for 2014, Jacksonville avoids paying Forsett his $1.1MM base salary and a $50K workout bonus.
Forsett, 28, appeared in only 100 snaps and had just six carries for 31 yards in his first season with the Jags. The former seventh-round pick battled foot issues throughout the season and was buried on the depth chart behind Maurice Jones-Drew and Jordan Todman. Forsett will become an unrestricted free agent.
Bears Release Michael Bush
5:11pm: The Bears have officially cut Bush, the team announced today (Twitter link).
4:41pm: The Bears are releasing veteran running back Michael Bush, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Bush had two years remaining on his contract, which would have run through the 2015 season.
Acting as Matt Forte‘s backup and a short-yardage option in the Bears’ backfield, Bush set career-lows in rushing attempts (63) and yards per carry (3.1) in 2013, en route to a career-worst 197 rushing yards. He was on Chicago’s books for a $3.85MM cap hit in 2014, so releasing him will reduce that number to $2MM in dead money, creating $1.85MM in cap savings for the Bears.
Dolphins To Sign Louis Delmas
The Dolphins have agreed to sign Louis Delmas, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The veteran safety, who was released by the Lions last month, can earn up to $3.5MM on his new one-year contract, Florio reports.
Delmas, who turns 27 in April, started all 16 games for the Lions in 2013, recording 64 tackles, three interceptions, and a pair of sacks. He also ranked 26th among NFL safeties using Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Despite his solid performance, he was cut by Detroit because of his oversized cap number and also perhaps due to lingering concerns about his knees. In 2011 and 2012, Delmas missed 13 games due to knee injuries.
The Dolphins were one of several teams Delmas visited in the last few weeks. The Saints and Steelers were among the clubs who met with the former second-round pick, while the Broncos, Ravens, and Falcons were all believed to have at least a little interest at some point. With Delmas locked up, the Dolphins likely won’t be seriously involved in bidding for top-tier free agent safeties like Jairus Byrd, who was linked to Miami earlier today.
NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Bell, Vikings, Bears
The Cowboys are interested in re-signing free-agents-to-be Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, but Dallas isn’t the only team with interest in the defensive linemen. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, the free agent duo has at least seven interested suitors, including the Cowboys. Dallas is also interested in defensive tackle Henry Melton, according to Watkins (Twitter link), but the ESPN scribe cautions that there are no assurances of a deal, given the Cowboys’ limited cap space.
Here’s more from around the NFC, with free agency less than 24 hours away:
- The Lions continue to work hard on a new deal for restricted free agent running back Joique Bell, and hope to get something done before free agency begins tomorrow, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Vikings have inquired about free agent defensive lineman Lamarr Houston but he’ll probably wind up elsewhere, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Wolfson adds in a second tweet that the team has kicked the tires on defensive tackle Vance Walker as well.
- Packers free agent Jermichael Finley has yet to receive medical clearance, but nonetheless has visits lined up with potential suitors this week, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report views the Redskins as the best potential fit for prospective free agent Darren Sproles, though he says the Patriots could be a dark horse.
- The Bears aren’t currently considering free agents Jairus Byrd or Michael Johnson, according to Patrick Finley and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Jason La Canfora’s latest article at CBSSports.com includes plenty of interesting tidbits on free agents. Among them: The Buccaneers may release Jeremy Zuttah this week, and are focusing on signing Anthony Collins. La Canfora adds that the Packers are “very high” on free agent defensive lineman Arthur Jones.
- The door isn’t completely closed on center Jonathan Goodwin winding up back with the 49ers, a source tells Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Holder opines that Goodwin would be a good fit with the Saints also if Brian De La Puente leaves.
Zach Links contributed to this post.