Seahawks Re-Sign Jeanpierre, Johnson
5:35pm: The Seahawks put a second-round tender on Johnson, who accepted it, locking in a $2.187MM base salary for 2014, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). That salary isn’t guaranteed, but the team can’t rescind the offer now that Johnson has accepted it.
3:05pm: The Seahawks have inked a pair of restricted free agents to one-year contract extensions, the team announced today (via Twitter). Offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre and safety Jeron Johnson will be returning to Seattle for the 2014 season, according to the club.
Both Jeanpierre and Johnson have been with the Seahawks for three seasons, playing almost exclusively off the bench. Jeanpierre started three games and saw a career-high 291 snaps during the 2013 season, primarily at center. Johnson, meanwhile, appeared in just four contests for the club after seeing action in every game of the 2012 season.
Seahawks Tender Doug Baldwin
The Seahawks have extended a second-round contract tender to wide receiver Doug Baldwin, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The tender is a one-year contract offer worth $2.187MM, and ensures that Baldwin, a restricted free agent, can’t sign with another team without Seattle having the right to match the offer.
Although Seattle didn’t rely too heavily on its passing attack en route to a Super Bowl win this past season, Baldwin had a solid season, grabbing 50 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns. With three years of NFL experience and no contract for 2014, he can test the market this offseason. If Baldwin signs an offer sheet elsewhere, the Seahawks can either match it or let him walk and receive a second-round pick as compensation from Baldwin’s new team.
I’d be surprised if any team was willing to give up a second-round pick for the right to commit to Baldwin on a multiyear deal, so the likeliest outcome might see the 25-year-old accept the one-year tender offer and return to Seattle. In that scenario, Baldwin would earn $2.187MM in 2014 and be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year from now.
Extra Points: Collins, Bears, Cowboys, Jags
With Eugene Monroe, Branden Albert, and Jared Veldheer all seemingly on the verge of reaching unrestricted free agency, it’ll be an active market for left tackles and the teams seeking them. But the Bengals are hoping to stay out of the mix by locking up Anthony Collins before free agency begins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Collins should draw a good deal of interest if he becomes available, as Rapoport suggests.
Here’s more from around the NFL on a Friday afternoon:
- The Bears haven’t asked wide receiver Earl Bennett to take a pay cut, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link), and fellow ESPN scribe Michael C. Wright says (via Twitter) that’s the case for defensive end Julius Peppers as well. Of course, there’s still some time for Chicago to approach both players, if the team needs to create some flexibility.
- By officially releasing Phil Costa and restructuring Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s contract, the Cowboys are now about $2MM under the cap with free agency around the corner, tweets ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. That doesn’t necessarily mean the team is done cutting costs though — I’d still expect DeMarcus Ware‘s deal to be addressed in some form.
- As for Costa, Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com tweets that the Cowboys asked if the veteran center would take a pay cut. Costa declined, as he feels he’ll garner interest elsewhere.
- After re-signing with the Jaguars today, Chad Henne spoke to the media and admitted that he wanted to talk to other teams, but Jacksonville was his No. 1 choice and he decided to forgo the open market when the club made an offer he liked. Meanwhile, head coach Gus Bradley indicated that re-signing Henne doesn’t mean the Jaguars won’t draft a quarterback in May (Twitter links via Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com).
- Punter Pat McAfee told reporters, including Craig Kelley of Colts.com (Twitter link), that he “didn’t really want” to hit free agency and is happy to have re-signed with the Colts.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Jets In Serious Talks With Howard, Cumberland
4:25pm: The Jets are also “engaged heavily in negotiations” with offensive tackle Austin Howard, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post. The club is hoping to lock up both Howard and Cumberland before the free-agents-to-be are eligible to sign elsewhere.
10:53am: The Jets are currently engaged in “serious negotiations” with tight end Jeff Cumberland, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. It’s not clear yet whether the two sides will reach an agreement by Tuesday to keep the prospective free agent off the market.
Cumberland, who went undrafted out of Illinois, has posted similar numbers in his last two seasons with the Jets. In 2013, he totaled 26 receptions for 398 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Given Cumberland’s age (26) and the Jets’ up-and-down quarterback production during his stint with the team, it’s reasonable to assume that his most productive years could be ahead of him.
When I examined 2014’s free agent market for tight ends, I placed Cumberland in the second tier, and since then, the two first-tier options – Jimmy Graham and Dennis Pitta – have been franchised and extended respectively. As such, Cumberland could draw a little extra interest from teams in need of a tight end if he reaches the open market.
FA Rumors: Falcons, Finley, Winston, Neal
Let’s follow up on this morning’s free agent rumors with another round of them for the afternoon….
- The Falcons are engaged in active talks to bring back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but appear ready to part ways with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.
- Tight end Jermichael Finley has drawn interest from the Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, and Steelers, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The former Packers standout still hasn’t been medically cleared, however.
- The Cardinals have maintained interest in offensive lineman Eric Winston, but with no deal imminent, the veteran tackle could hit the open market, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Packers have had meaningful discussions with outside linebacker Mike Neal, but they haven’t come up with a large enough offer to keep him from testing the open market, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
- Wilson also passes along an update on former Ravens defensive tackle Bryan Hall, who worked out for eight NFL teams at Arkansas State today. Hall was converted to linebacker by Baltimore, but is back to playing on the line now (Twitter links).
- According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson continues to talk to the Titans, as the team tries to re-sign some of its players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents
- Having re-signed Marcus Sherels, the Vikings have one restricted free agent left, in linebacker Larry Dean. A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) the team is having ongoing discussions on the possibility of bringing Dean back.
- Tight end Dustin Keller, who was doing exceptionally well in camp with the Dolphins last offseason before tearing his ACL, is on track to return for this season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Keller is an unrestricted free agent.
Saints Release Lance Moore
3:38pm: The Saints have officially released Moore, according to the league’s transaction wire.
10:28am: A day after being involved in trade rumors, wide receiver Lance Moore is being released by the Saints, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Moore hinted at the news earlier this morning, tweeting, “Thank you New Orleans for an amazing nine years. Who Dat Nation, the best on earth!!!” The tweet suggested the team had told the veteran receiver he’d been cut or traded.
Moore, 30, had been one of the longest-tenured Saints, acting as a target for Drew Brees‘ for the last several seasons. However, Moore’s 2013 receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (2) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. The decreased production, combined with the presence of 2013 fifth-rounder Kenny Stills and the team’s need to pay star tight end Jimmy Graham, contributed to Moore’s exit from New Orleans.
While there had been two years remaining on Moore’s contract, the Saints won’t be on the hook for a number of roster and workout bonuses owed to him in 2014 and 2015. Overall, the veteran receiver’s $5.069MM cap number for ’14 will be reduced to a dead money charge of about $2.538MM, creating $2.531MM in cap savings for the club.
As for Moore, he’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, joining a class that includes Hakeem Nicks, Eric Decker, Golden Tate, and Julian Edelman, among others.
Giants Re-Sign Mark Herzlich
The Giants have re-signed linebacker Mark Herzlich, keeping him off the open market, according to the team. Herzlich had been eligible for restricted free agency.
Herzlich, 26, didn’t have a significant role on defense for the Giants in 2013, playing just 194 snaps. However, he was one of New York’s key special teams contributors, racking up a team-high 14 tackles. The Boston College product has spent all three seasons of his young NFL career with the Giants.
Cardinals Sign John Carlson
3:15pm: Carlson’s two-year contract is worth $4.65MM, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
3:05pm: The Cardinals have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with free agent tight end John Carlson, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic first reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Cards were “working on a deal” for Carlson, who met with the team yesterday after being released by the Vikings earlier this week.
Carlson, who was also drawing interest from the Jets and Packers, as we heard yesterday, recorded a total of 40 receptions for 387 yards in his two seasons with the Vikings as the team’s second tight end behind Kyle Rudolph. Carlson was said to be considering retirement this offseason after suffering his third concussion during the 2013 season, but decided to continue his playing career.
The 29-year-old can be an effective weapon in a team’s passing game when he’s healthy, but as Tom Pelissero of USA Today notes (via Twitter), Carlson hasn’t really been 100% since the 2010 season. He’ll join an Arizona team that didn’t feature a top receiving threat at tight end during the 2013 season. Rob Housler and Jim Dray led the way in tight end receptions for the club, combining to catch 65 balls.
Cowboys Cut Costa, Rework Bernadeau’s Deal
MARCH 7: The Cowboys have officially released Costa, according to the team. Dallas also restructured offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s contract to help gain cap room.
FEBRUARY 28: The Cowboys have already released four players today, and another cut is around the corner, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (link via the National Football Post). According to Wilson, the Cowboys are parting ways with center Phil Costa, who will be released rather than accepting a pay cut.
Unlike the team’s earlier cuts, Costa was not on a minimum salary deal for 2014, so releasing him will create $1.5MM in cap savings for Dallas. The 26-year-old had a cap number of $1.725MM, which will be reduced to $225K in dead money.
Costa was the Cowboys’ full-time starter at center in 2011, but missed most of 2012 with an ankle injury and transitioned into a backup role in 2013.
Jaguars To Re-Sign Chad Henne
The Jaguars have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with quarterback Chad Henne, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Ryan O’Hallaron of the Florida Times-Union had reported yesterday that the club expected to lock up Henne within the next couple days.
Henne’s two-year deal is worth $8MM, including $4.5MM guaranteed, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The contract includes a $1.5MM signing bonus and a $3MM roster bonus, and features incentives that can be earned based on playing time and other criteria. You can check out the full details from Marvez on Twitter, but the upshot is that the more Henne plays – and the better he performs – the more his salary will increase in both 2014 and 2015.
Henne, 28, started 13 games for the Jaguars last season after taking over the job from Blaine Gabbert. The veteran signal-caller completed 60.6% of his attempts, compiling 3,241 passing yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with his 14 interceptions. While those numbers aren’t spectacular, the Jaguars had insisted since the regular season ended that they wanted to bring Henne back, and the team has now backed up those comments.
Although Henne will be back in Jacksonville next season, that doesn’t mean the team will simply hand him the starting job. The former second-round pick might head into 2014 as the No. 1 guy, or at least with a chance to compete for that spot, but the Jaguars are expected to select a quarterback fairly early in May’s draft. Henne’s spot on the depth chart could ultimately depend on whether Jacksonville uses its No. 3 overall pick on that signal-caller, or whether the club waits until the second or third round to draft a QB.
A league source told O’Halloran today that he doesn’t expect the Jaguars to prioritize a signal-caller in the draft after re-signing Henne (Twitter link). O’Halloran’s source figures the club won’t draft a quarterback until at least the second round, and perhaps the third or fourth.
Had Henne reached the open market, he would have drawn interest from other teams, including the Texans, tweets Garafolo. Clubs seeking a veteran quarterback will have to turn to other available options such as Michael Vick, Josh McCown, Matt Cassel, and Josh Freeman. Matt Schaub and Mark Sanchez may also hit the market, as they’re are among the signal-callers expected to become cap casualties within the next few weeks.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.