Eagles Re-Sign Cedric Thornton
The Eagles have re-signed defensive end Cedric Thornton to a one-year deal, the team announced today (Twitter link). Thornton had been an exclusive rights free agent, so while he didn’t previously have a contract for 2014, he couldn’t sign with any NFL team except the Eagles.
Thornton, 25, had an excellent second season in Philadelphia, starting all 16 games for the team. In addition to racking up 62 tackles and a sack, Thornton graded as one of the NFL’s best run-stopping 3-4 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but given his limited leverage in negotiations, Thornton will likely be on a minimum salary contract for 2014. The Southern Arkansas alum will be eligible for restricted free agency a year from now.
Ravens, Monroe Remain Far Apart In Talks
While the two sides continue to talk, the Ravens and left tackle Eugene Monroe remain “far apart” in negotiations on a new contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson, some progress has been made and both Monroe and the team would like to work something out, but as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com noted last week, there’s still a gap to bridge.
If the two sides haven’t reached a compromise by 3:00pm CT today, which looks like a long shot, the Ravens could turn to the franchise tag. Some teams are reluctant to tag offensive linemen because the franchise salary for the position is determined by the highest-paid left tackles, meaning it will be worth about $11.65MM in 2014. For someone like Monroe though, who actually plays that position, the one-year cost may represent a worthwhile investment. Having reached a long-term agreement with Dennis Pitta, the Ravens no longer need to use their franchise tag on their tight end, and Wilson hears from a source that the team has considered the possibility of tagging Monroe.
Whether or not the Ravens decide to franchise Monroe, the two sides will have another week to work out a long-term deal before the ex-Jaguar can officially hit the open market. If he does reach unrestricted free agency, Monroe figures to be one of the top tackles available, and should draw interest from the Dolphins and Cardinals, among other teams.
Colts Won’t Franchise Vontae Davis
The Colts are still engaged in talks with cornerback Vontae Davis in an effort to lock him up to a long-term contract, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, today’s franchise deadline looming, the team won’t use its tag on Davis, La Canfora reports.
The deadline for NFL teams to use their 2014 franchise tags is today at 3:00pm central time. Assuming the Colts and Davis don’t agree to terms on a new deal by this afternoon, the two sides are expected to continue negotiating throughout the week, with Indianapolis attempting to keep the former 25th overall pick from hitting the open market. Even if Davis does become a free agent on March 11, that doesn’t mean he won’t return to Indy — gauging offers from other suitors may give Davis and the Colts a better idea of his value, allowing them to strike a deal.
Although Davis grabbed just one interception in 2013, the 25-year-old ranked among the best cornerbacks in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Only Darrelle Revis and fellow free-agent-to-be Brent Grimes had higher overall grades at the position than the Colts’ standout CB, according to PFF. Given his age and production, Davis figures to draw plenty of interest if he reaches unrestricted free agency.
Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star adds (via Twitter) that the Colts won’t use their franchise tag at all this year, which is unsurprising now that we know the club doesn’t intend to use it on Davis. Because kicker Adam Vinatieri has been tagged twice previously, he’s not a candidate to receive the franchise tag again. The only other viable candidate on the team is Antoine Bethea, but even the relatively modest franchise price for a safety ($8.433MM) looks a little too pricey for Bethea.
Brent Grimes, Dolphins Nearing Agreement
The Dolphins and prospective free agent Brent Grimes are “closing in” on a new deal that would keep the standout cornerback in Miami without the team having to use its franchise tag, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the two sides could put the finishing touches on an agreement very soon.
There are a handful of notable cornerbacks eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, though few, if any, are more talented than Grimes. The former Falcon returned from an Achilles injury in 2013 to start all 16 games for the Dolphins, playing in more snaps (1132) than all but two cornerbacks in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Grimes, who grabbed four interceptions, was the league’s second-best full-time cornerback last season.
Rapoport had tweeted earlier this morning that he’d be “shocked” if the Dolphins used their franchise tag on Grimes. The one-year franchise salary for a cornerback in 2014 will be about $11.8MM, so the 30-year-old’s new deal figures to pay him a lesser annual salary for multiple seasons.
This post was first published on March 3 at 9:09am CT.
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Redskins Haven’t Made Offer To Orakpo
We’ve heard multiple times this week alone that the Redskins are engaged in contract discussions for linebacker Brian Orakpo. However, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the team has yet to actually extend a formal contract offer to Orakpo and his reps.
It seems likely that the Redskins will offer Orakpo a contract within the next couple days, since Monday is the deadline for teams to designate franchise players. Orakpo would be a strong candidate to receive the franchise tag if no long-term agreement is in place by that point, as I noted yesterday. Still, two people with knowledge of the situation tell Jones that it’s still not clear whether the club plans to franchise its prospective free agent linebacker, or whether he’ll hit the open market.
It’s also possible that the Redskins had been waiting to see exactly how much cap room they’ll have in 2014. Now that the NFL has informed teams the cap will be set at $133MM, the club could move forward with an official offer for Orakpo. That’s just my speculation though.
According to Jones, Washington has also yet to make a formal contract offer to its other key free agent linebacker, Perry Riley.
2014 NFL Salary Cap Set At $133MM
The league has officially informed teams that the 2014 NFL salary cap will be set at exactly $133MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The projection is about $7MM higher than had initially been expected, and is an increase of more than 9% on last year’s $123MM figure.
The added flexibility for the coming season should have an effect on teams’ roster moves, as clubs may be less inclined to release players or renegotiate contracts with oversized 2014 cap hits. However, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported earlier today, the cap is continued to take large steps forward over the next couple years, and could reach $150MM by 2016. In that case, teams may end up being more willing to push player salaries or dead money into future seasons.
The new NFL salary cap figure is good news for teams like the Panthers, Saints, and Cowboys, who were facing a cap crunch in both the short- and long-term. It also bodes well for teams hoping to retain their own star free agents, since they’ll have a little extra cap flexibility with which to work.
NFC Links: Tate, Cowboys, Wynn, Falcons
Free-agent-to-be Golden Tate suggested there’s mutual interest between him and the Seahawks in a new contract, but said “only time will tell” if he remains in Seattle, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Tate added that he doesn’t consider Riley Cooper’s contract as a sign of what sort of deal he may get, since the two receivers’ situations are “very, very different.”
Here’s more from around the NFC on a busy day in the NFL:
- In a piece for CBSSports.com, Jason La Canfora explains why offensive tackle Tyron Smith may be better off waiting on a long-term deal, whereas the Cowboys will look to lock him up as soon as possible.
- Speaking of the Cowboys, they have interest in bringing back free agent defensive tackle Jarius Wynn, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Despite the fact that offensive lineman Joe Hawley has never had an extended run as a starter in his four years in Atlanta, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure thinks the Falcons will prioritize re-signing the prospective free agent.
- McClure also reports (on Twitter) that offensive tackle Jake Matthews met with the Falcons at the combine in Indianapolis. Matthews is expected to be one of the first tackles off the board in May’s draft, and Atlanta holds the sixth overall selection.
Dolphins Gauged Dion Jordan’s Trade Value?
4:08pm: Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears from a Dolphins source that the team is not shopping Jordan or attempting to gauge his trade value. If the Dolphins ever considered dealing Jordan, it seems as if they’ve moved away from that idea at this point.
1:47pm: Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 also heard Miami was exploring potential Jordan trades, but adds that the team has since told the defensive end he’s not going anywhere (Twitter links). Perhaps the Dolphins were unimpressed with what they heard when they were gauging Jordan’s value, though Garafolo as notes (via Twitter), the club’s dismissal of the rumors doesn’t necessarily close the door on the possibility of a trade.
1:24pm: The Dolphins have been gauging the potential trade value of defensive end Dion Jordan, league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Less than a year ago, the team traded up to the third overall pick in the draft to nab Jordan.
Jordan, who turns 24 next week, appeared in all 16 games for the Dolphins in 2013, but was just a part-time player, seeing action in 339 overall snaps. The Oregon product recorded a pair of sacks and graded around the middle of the pack among 4-3 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
While it’s a little surprising that the Dolphins already seem to be considering trade options for Jordan, the club has numerous holes to fill this offseason, including several on an offensive line that will be almost entirely overhauled. There may also be some concerns about Miami’s appeal to free agents, given last year’s bullying scandal and a lengthy GM search in which potential candidates reportedly questioned the structure of the front office. On top of all that, it was the previous regime, led by Jeff Ireland, that traded the team’s 12th and 42nd picks in 2013 to move up to No. 3. So if the Dolphins could add multiple draft picks or young players for Jordan, a deal might make sense.
As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes, the Eagles will likely be mentioned as a potential destination due to Jordan’s history with former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly. However, despite the obvious fit, a trade would still be difficult to pull off (Twitter links).
Dolphins Deny Shopping Wallace, Wake
4:06pm: Speaking to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, a Dolphins source strongly denied that the team is open to trading Wallace and Wake. As was the case with the team’s dismissal of the Jordan trade talk earlier, I don’t think this necessarily rules out the possibility of a deal. Still, a trade isn’t likely, and if there were any discussions, Miami’s new regime may have just been doing due diligence to gauge the value of its current assets
2:23pm: In addition to exploring the trade value of last year’s No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan, the Dolphins may also be putting out feelers on potential deals involving wide receiver Mike Wallace and defensive end Cameron Wake. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears from numerous league sources that Miami might be open to moving both Wallace and Wake, adding that that perception has only grown within the last week or so.
As I noted when La Canfora first reported the trade rumblings involving Jordan, there are plenty of reasons why the Dolphins might dangle players as trade chips. The team has many holes to fill, including several on the offensive line, and a new decision-making group is in place this offseason, led by recently hired GM Dennis Hickey. Still, Wake is one of the league’s top pass-rushers, and Jordan and Wallace were Miami’s two big offseason additions just a year ago. I’d be somewhat surprised if the Dolphins moved any of them in the coming weeks, though La Canfora hears from sources close to all three players that they wouldn’t be shocked by a trade.
Wallace and Wake are both under contract for several more seasons – Wallace through 2017 and Wake through 2016 – and their deals would make it tricky to find a trade partner. Presumably, in any swap, the Dolphins would be looking to add draft picks and perhaps move up in the first round, as well as creating additional cap flexibility. La Canfora writes that adding an elite tackle will be a priority for the club in either the draft or free agency.