Panthers Use Franchise Tag On Greg Hardy
3:52pm: The Panthers have officially placed the franchise tag on Hardy, according to a team release.
“The franchise mechanism gives us time to secure the services of a very good player while we continue to look at the future of Greg with the Carolina Panthers,” GM Dave Gettleman said in a statement. “We have had great dialogue with both Greg and his agent. It was important to keep our defensive front together.”
3:01pm: The Panthers have notified defensive end Greg Hardy that they’ll use the franchise tag on him prior to Monday’s deadline, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The designation will keep Hardy from becoming an unrestricted free agent if the two sides haven’t reached a longer-term agreement by March 11.
Hardy, considered one of the top free agents available this offseason, if not the very best, has been engaged in talks with the Panthers about a long-term deal, and those talks will to continue, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Last month, Hardy expressed a willingness to give the team a “small” discount, but it will still take a significant commitment to keep him in Carolina on a multiyear deal.
The 25-year-old has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, and ranked as the third-best and sixth-best 4-3 defensive end in those two years, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Charles Johnson is on a six-year contract with the Panthers worth $76MM, and it wouldn’t be surprise if Hardy’s price tag approaches that neighborhood.
With Monday’s deadline looming, teams are starting to make decisions on their franchise players. Besides Hardy, Jimmy Graham is on track to be designated as a franchise player by the Saints, and kicker Nick Folk has already received the Jets’ tag.
Cowboys Release Everette Brown
3:44pm: The Cowboys have officially released Brown, the team announced in a press release.
1:36pm: The Cowboys will release defensive lineman Everette Brown, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While the move won’t leave any dead money on the Cowboys’ cap, the savings will be minimal, since Brown had been slated to earn the minimum salary ($730K).
Brown, a former second-round pick, saw 159 snaps for the Cowboys in 2013 as a backup defensive end. The 26-year-old Florida State product recorded one sack and forced a fumble in his seven regular-season contests with the team.
While every little bit of flexibility will come in handy for the Cowboys this offseason, this move will be one of the team’s more minor cap-saving maneuvers. Dallas will create $235K of cap savings with Brown’s release.
Cowboys Cut Olson, Dominguez, Irvin
3:44pm: The Cowboys have made the cuts official, according to a press release from the team.
2:34pm: Earlier this afternoon, we heard that the Cowboys were set to release defensive end Everette Brown. Now, Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com adds three more names to the team’s list of cuts. According to Watkins (via Twitter), the Cowboys will release offensive linemen Jeff Olson and Ray Dominguez, along with defensive tackle Corvey Irvin.
Like Brown, none of these three players were set to earn more than the minimum salary in 2014. Olson, Dominguez, and Irvin also don’t have any prorated bonuses that will count against the cap, so waiving them will wipe their entire cap numbers from the Cowboys’ books. Given how small those cap hits were though, the combined savings of the four cuts will total less than $1MM.
Of the three players, only Irvin saw real action for the Cowboys in 2013, playing 119 snaps for the club over the final six weeks of the season.
Cardinals Cut Jasper Brinkley
The Cardinals have made a cap casualty out of Jasper Brinkley, releasing the veteran linebacker today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Brinkley’s cap number of $2.2MM will be reduced to $200K in dead money, saving Arizona $2MM on the 2014 cap.
Brinkley, 28, spent one season with the Cardinals after starting his NFL career with the Vikings. As a full-time starter in Minnesota in 2012, Brinkley ranked among the worst inside linebackers in the league, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In part-time action for Arizona this past season, he received better grades, particularly as a run-stopper, but he was too expensive for the Cardinals to keep around as a bench player.
As a five-year veteran, Brinkley will immediately become an unrestricted free agent without having to pass through waivers. He’ll be able to sign with another team prior to March 11.
Jets Use Franchise Tag On Nick Folk
The Jets have officially placed their franchise tag on Nick Folk, the team announced today in a press release. The exact franchise figure for kickers isn’t known yet, but it figures to be in the neighborhood of $3.4MM. That would represent a sizable raise for Folk, who earned $780K in 2013.
In addition to making all 27 of his extra-point tries in 2013, Folk converted on 33 of 36 field goal attempts, including three game-winners. His 91.7% rate for the season was a career-high, and the first time since 2008 that his conversion rate was higher than 80%.
As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News points out (via Twitter), no kickers received the franchise tag a year ago, but five kickers were designated as franchise players in 2012. The tag can be appealing for teams with free agent kickers, since the salary is so modest.
Eagles Re-Sign Maclin To One-Year Deal
The Eagles and Jeremy Maclin have reached an agreement on a one-year, $5.5MM contract, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It’s the latest in a series of new deals for Eagles players, on the heels of multiyear contracts for offensive linemen Jason Peters and Jason Kelce and wide reciever Riley Cooper. 
The team has confirmed the agreement, which could be worth up to $6MM, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports 1 (Twitter link). $3.5MM of that figure is guaranteed, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
“Jeremy is an ideal player for our scheme with his combination of size, speed, strength and route-running ability, in addition to his dynamic playmaking talent,” Eagles GM Howie Roseman said in a statement. “We’re happy to see him rehabbing well and to get him under contract for the 2014 season.”
When the Eagles re-signed Cooper, a report suggested that a new deal for Maclin was expected as well. However, we heard yesterday that Maclin was seeking a one-year, make-good contract, while the team preferred a multiyear pact. By the looks of it, the Eagles relented, which will allow the former first-round pick to hit the open market a year from now, if he so chooses.
Maclin, 25, grabbed between 56 and 70 balls for the Eagles in each of his first four seasons, with 26 total touchdowns. However, he suffered a torn ACL in training camp in 2013, sidelining him for the season and derailing his chances of putting up big numbers in a contract year. By inking a one-year deal, Maclin, who should be healthy for the 2014 season, will get a chance to be a part of Chip Kelly‘s explosive offense — a return to his usual form could result in more lucrative multiyear offers for Maclin next winter.
The Eagles’ agreement with Maclin takes another top-tier receiver off the 2014 market. The Jets and Broncos were among the teams prepared to make a run at the Missouri alum, according to Schefter (Twitter link). Now, those clubs will have to look elsewhere in a free agent class that could feature Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, Hakeem Nicks, Golden Tate, and Emmanuel Sanders, among others.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots To Release Steve Gregory
The Patriots will release safety Steve Gregory today, according to his agent David Canter of DEC Management (Twitter link). Gregory had been set to enter the final year of his contract, but instead will hit the free agent market early.
Gregory, 31, started 23 games at safety over the last two seasons for New England, but missed some time due to injuries in 2013, and was replaced adequately by rookie Duron Harmon, who is significantly younger and cheaper. By cutting Gregory, the Pats will create $2.85MM in 2014 savings, reducing his cap number from about $3.683MM to just $833K in dead money.
While he’s a cap casualty in New England, Gregory should be able to find work with another NFL team. He has ranked among the league’s top 30 safeties in each of the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
Cardinals Rumors: FAs, Dansby, Jackson
We’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of free agency, with just 11 days until the start of the new league year. Prospective free agents will be able to talk to rival teams a week from tomorrow, though they won’t be able to officially put pen to paper until March 11. As such, teams are preparing to make pitches to free agent targets. Asked if he and the Cardinals had their eye on anyone in particular, head coach Bruce Arians said on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the team has more than one player in mind.
“We probably have five,” Arians said of the Cards’ early free agent targets. “[GM] Steve [Keim] and I have the same philosophy: ‘Here it is, do you want it? I’m going to ask this guy in about a half an hour. If you don’t want it, I’m going to ask him. If he wants it, you’re out.’ It’s easy. We don’t play games.”
Let’s round up a few more Cardinals-related items….
- Within the same interview, Arians said the Cardinals offered Karlos Dansby a contract immediately after the season ended. While the veteran linebacker obviously hasn’t accepted that offer, the two sides remain engaged in negotiations, and the head coach said he’d “definitely” love to have Dansby back.
- Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com believes Dansby wants to see what sort of offers he gets on the open market, which doesn’t necessarily preclude a return to Arizona.
- It appears the Cardinals are eyeing alternatives in the event that the club can’t re-sign Dansby. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), Arizona is among the clubs interested in recently released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. The Cards have contacted Jackson’s agent and will try to set up a visit for next week.
- Arians on where the Cardinals need to improve: “I think we need to get bigger and stronger on both sides of line with more depth — offensive line and defensive line. We need to get some depth because of our division. You’re going to win at the line of scrimmage in our division, you have to be physical.”
Bears Re-Sign Kelvin Hayden
The Bears have re-signed defensive back Kelvin Hayden to a one-year contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright had reported earlier this morning (via Twitter) that there was a “strong” chance of Hayden returning to Chicago.
Hayden, 30, tore a hamstring last August, which landed him on injured reserve, forcing him out of action for the 2013 season. The former Colt had been set to act as the Bears’ nickel corner, and will likely assume a similar role for Chicago in 2014, unless Charles Tillman leaves in free agency and the team doesn’t add a suitable replacement.
For his career, Hayden has been active for 101 games, including 49 starts, racking up 12 interceptions and 45 passes defended in parts of eight seasons. The Illinois alum was on a minimum-salary contract a year ago, so he’s unlikely to have signed for more than the minimum this year, perhaps with a modest signing bonus.
49ers Sign Daniel Kilgore To Extension
9:52am: Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) has a total of $5.4MM for Kilgore’s extension, including $2.595MM in guaranteed money and $1.8MM in escalators.
FRIDAY, 9:25am: Kilgore’s four-year deal is worth a total of $4.845MM, including a $1.35MM signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. If Kilgore does indeed become the 49ers’ starting center and holds that position, he could be a very nice bargain for the team.
THURSDAY, 2:26pm: The 49ers have reached an agreement on a contract extension with offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The 49ers confirmed the extension in a press release, indicating that the new deal will keep Kilgore under contract through 2017. That means the team added three new years to the 26-year-old’s rookie contract, which had been set to expire after the 2014 season.
“We are pleased to extend the contract of a talented, young player like Dan,” said GM Trent Baalke in a statement. “This move is another example of our philosophy to extend the contracts of our own young players.”
While he has served as a backup and part-time player during his first three NFL seasons since being selected by the Niners in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, Kilgore looks poised to assume a larger role going forward. The team’s 2013 starting center, Jonathan Goodwin, is eligible for unrestricted free agency and has yet to hear from the 49ers about a new contract, as Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted earlier today. As such, it looks like San Francisco may let the 35-year-old walk, handing the reins at center to Kilgore.
Kilgore, who has experience at both center and guard, played just 86 regular-season snaps for the Niners, mostly functioning as an extra blocker in run-heavy packages. He becomes the third member of the 2011 draft class to sign a contract extension this offseason, following Taiwan Jones of the Raiders and Jason Kelce of the Eagles.