West Rumors: Poe, Raiders, Penn, 49ers
The Chiefs have several pressing issues on their docket on the defensive side of the ball, with Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Sean Smith, and Jaye Howard among the defenders facing free agency. However, Kansas City is also exploring the possibility of locking up one of their top contributors whose contract doesn’t expire until 2017.
According to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs have spoken to Dontari Poe‘s agent, Jimmy Sexton, about a long-term deal that would keep the standout nose tackle in K.C. for the next several years.
“We’ve talked, we’ve talked more than once,” GM John Dorsey said. “I have great affection for Dontari Poe. I think he represents everything we want to do, culturally. I think he’s a good football player. We will continue this process. Right now, I’m concentrating on other things. But eventually, we’ll get to that.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- The Raiders are expected to be one of the league’s most active teams in free agency, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). That’s no real surprise, since Oakland is one of two clubs in the NFL with more than $70MM in projected cap room. Cole reports that the Raiders have “made it clear to everyone that they’re not going to let money get in the way of getting the players that they want.”
- Cornerbacks and offensive linemen figure to be atop the Raiders‘ shopping list, according to Cole, who adds that Chargers safety Eric Weddle will be a target for Oakland as well.
- Armed with all that cap space, the Raiders will prioritize getting a new deal done with offensive tackle Donald Penn, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that Penn “has a strong market,” and his stock will only improve if the Bills use their franchise tag on Cordy Glenn within the next 24 hours.
- With the free agent period fast approaching, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) expects the 49ers to target mostly offense in March, before shifting to focus on defensive players in the draft.
Joe Flacco, Ravens Moving Toward New Deal
Quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens continue to make progress on a new deal that will lower Flacco’s 2016 cap hit, according to multiple reports. Per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, no deal is expected to be completed today, but both sides remain confident that it will happen this week.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) also report that an agreement between the two sides is expected soon. Florio suggests something will likely get done within the next two to four days, while La Canfora says it will happen no earlier than Wednesday. Each report indicates that the Ravens and agent Joe Linta are meeting again today now that the scouting combine has wrapped up.
Flacco, who signed a six-year deal with the Ravens three years ago, is currently projected for a cap hit of $28.55MM in 2016, and that number will increase to $31MM+ in 2017. General manager Ozzie Newsome insisted at the start of the Ravens’ offseason – and recently reiterated – that the team has a plan to work around Flacco’s massive cap hit, but it would obviously make things easier in Baltimore if the club can reduce that figure by $10MM or so.
To create significant cap savings on a new deal for Flacco without creating massive problems in future seasons, the Ravens will likely have to add two or three new years to the quarterback’s contract, extending it rather than simply restructuring it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears Use Franchise Tag On Alshon Jeffery
2:14pm: The Bears have officially placed the franchise tag on Jeffery, the team announced today (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 2:06pm: The Bears remain on track to use the franchise tag on Jeffery, after multiple discussions in Indianapolis with agent Tory Dandy failed to result in a long-term deal, tweets Rapoport. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the Bears have let Jeffery’s camp know they’ll tag the wideout, while ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that it’ll be the non-exclusive franchise tag, worth $14.599MM.
FRIDAY, 1:48pm: While the franchise tag appears likely for Jeffery, his agent will meet with the Bears again in Indianapolis to discuss a longer-term deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
1:28pm: The Bears will use their franchise tag on wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move, which isn’t yet official, doesn’t come as a surprise, since a report earlier this week suggested Chicago expected to retain the free agent wideout.
[RELATED: Bears expected to retain Alshon Jeffery]
Speaking to reporters this week at the combine in Indianapolis, general manager Ryan Pace indicated that the team was “aggressively” negotiating with the receiver now in an effort to lock him up to a new deal. Pace, who said he gets the sense that Jeffery wants to remain in Chicago, said at the time that using the franchise tag was on the table as a potential outcome, and with Tuesday’s deadline looming, it seems the situation is headed in that direction.
After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. If and when he is franchised by the Bears, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016. He could still work out a longer-term agreement with the team by July 15th, or play the season on the one-year tag.
In other franchise tag news, the Ravens have already used theirs on kicker Justin Tucker, while Washington is said to be deciding between the franchise or transition tag for quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Rumors: JPP, Ayers, Amukamara
The Giants would like to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and will continue to try to make it happen, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. However, according to Raanan, the club is currently only willing to do a one-year, prove-it deal. Unless that stance changes within the next week or so, there’s a good chance JPP will explore the market, and if he finds a more appealing offer elsewhere, there’s a good chance he’ll depart.
As Raanan details, it’s possible that another team in desperate need of a pass-rusher will be willing to offer Pierre-Paul a multiyear contract in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, but there are too many variables in play for the Giants to make such an offer themselves before letting JPP gauge his value. It will be an interesting situation to watch as free agency nears.
Here’s more from Raanan on the Giants:
- On the whole, the free agent market is expected to be player-friendly, and one player who will likely benefit is Giants defensive end Robert Ayers. According to Raanan, Ayers is expected to land a deal in the range of $6MM per year, and the Giants will be in the running.
- The Giants will allow Prince Amukamara to reach the open market to get a sense of his value. The team doesn’t appear poised to spend big money on the cornerback position, since the front seven is the priority, says Raanan. If that’s the case, Amukamara could land with another team.
- New York will likely explore signing a veteran free agent safety to pair with Landon Collins, says Raanan. Isa Abdul-Quddus is one player the team could target if it doesn’t spend on a top-tier safety.
- The Giants are willing to let kicker Josh Brown walk if he finds a lucrative multiyear contract on the open market, since they don’t want to invest too heavily in the position.
Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman
An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.
“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.
As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….
- Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
- Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
- Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.
Raiders Sign P Marquette King To Extension
The Raiders have signed punter Marquette King to a contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. While the Raiders only classify the new deal as “long-term,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it’s a five-year pact, locking up King through the 2020 season.
Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that the extension is worth $16.5MM in total – good for a $3.3MM annual average – with $7.75MM in guaranteed money. It’s not clear whether all that money is fully guaranteed, but King can make $10.75MM in the first three years of the deal, Rapoport notes.
King, 27, has been the Raiders’ full-time punter for the last three seasons, averaging 46.1 yards per attempt over that span. While his 44.5 yards per punt average in 2015 was the lowest of his career, King placed nearly half of his attempts (40 of 83) inside the 20-yard line, and his 40.7 net average was a career best. Opposing returners also totaled just 201 yards on King’s punts, with no touchdowns.
King had been set to become an unrestricted free agent if the Raiders hadn’t re-signed him by next Wednesday, though he was never considered likely to depart. Oakland has more projected cap room than virtually every team in the NFL, and could have deployed the franchise tag (worth $4.572MM) to retain King, if necessary.
With King off the market, Bryan Anger, Jon Ryan, Brad Nortman, and Shane Lechler headline this year’s group of potential free agent punters.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Janoris Jenkins, Rams
As we heard on Sunday, after firing his previous agent, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins is expected to hire Neil Schwartz for representation, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who says the move will become official after the five-day waiting period ends on March 3rd.
[RELATED: Rams prepared to tag Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson]
Meanwhile, Jenkins took to Twitter last night with a message presumably inspired by contract talks with the Rams, which are now on hold: “Total disrespect when u held down one side all 4 years and force the ball the other way.. #ThanksButNoThanks”
Sunday’s report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report indicated that Jenkins had balked at an offer from the Rams worth $45MM over five years, though it’s not clear how much of that money would have been guaranteed. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that he has heard Jenkins is seeking upwards of $12MM annually.
The Rams are considered very likely to use their franchise or transition tag on either Jenkins or fellow free agent cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Although Johnson is currently viewed as the stronger candidate of the two corners to be franchised, perhaps the lack of progress made in negotiations with Jenkins will prompt Los Angeles to tag him and focus on reaching a long-term agreement with Johnson.
The Rams will have until Tuesday at 3:00pm central time to make their decision. If the club opts to use the franchise tag, it will cost $13.952MM, while the transition tag will be worth $11.913MM.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kelechi Osemele Expected To Hit Open Market
Ravens offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele is expected to reach the open market and become an unrestricted free agent next week, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Wilson adds that Osemele probably won’t stay in Baltimore unless the team makes him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
[RELATED: Ravens use franchise tag on K Justin Tucker]
A report last week indicated that the Ravens had made an “aggressive” offer to Osemele in the hopes of re-signing him. And while Wilson suggests that Osemele wants to be paid like the league’s highest guard, it’s likely that he’d be shifting over to left tackle on a full-time basis if he remains in Baltimore. As such, it makes sense that he’d be seeking left-tackle money, particularly since he’d probably find at least one team willing to make him that kind of offer on March 9th.
Currently, the top contract in the NFL for a guard is Logan Mankins‘ deal. Mankins’ pact ranks first in the position in terms of total value ($51MM), annual average ($8.5MM), and fully guaranteed money ($21.5MM). Since the former Patriot was traded to Tampa Bay halfway through that contract, two teams were on the hook for parts of it, making it a little easier to swallow overall. Mankins’ $8.5MM per-year salary would rank 13th among tackles.
Due to injuries on the Ravens’ offensive line, Osemele spent some time at left tackle for the team in 2015 after starting the year at guard. Pro Football Focus, which grouped Osemele in with 77 qualified offensive tackles, ranked him 18th at the position and assigned him an especially strong grade as a run blocker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Falcons Rumors: Trevathan, WRs, Schaub
Although teams are ostensibly at the scouting combine to evaluate prospects for the draft, and aren’t supposed to engage in any talks with agents regarding outside free agents, plenty of free agent chatter typically takes place in Indianapolis. After spending some time at the combine, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com passes along several tidbits related to the Falcons, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…
- Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan is “high on the Falcons’ radar,” writes McClure. Richard Smith, who formerly served as the linebackers coach in Denver, is now the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, and Atlanta has a hole at inside linebacker. McClure hears that the Falcons are willing to pay in the ballpark of $5-6MM per year for a free agent linebacker, which may not be quite enough to land Trevathan.
- Atlanta is expected to target Mohamed Sanu as the team searches for help at wide receiver to complement Julio Jones. However, McClure notes that the Falcons would like a No. 2 wideout capable of returning kicks, which might make Travis Benjamin a more logical fit.
- There’s a “strong possibility” that Matt Schaub could return to Atlanta, according to McClure, who points out that the Falcons were interested in signing Schaub as Matt Ryan‘s backup last year.
- Bengals safety Reggie Nelson is on the Falcons’ list of secondary targets, though not necessarily at the very top of the club’s list of potential safeties.
- The Falcons’ level of interest in Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is still unclear, per McClure.
Washington Rumors: Cousins, Davis, Galette
When ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Friday that Washington would use either the franchise or transition tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk refuted that report, suggesting no decision has been made and adding that the team was more likely than not to avoid tagging Cousins. Three days later though, Schefter is sticking to his initial story, tweeting again that Washington will tag Cousins before Tuesday’s deadline.
Washington is not done discussing a long-term deal with Cousins yet, however, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who tweets that the two sides will continue to talk right up until the March 1st deadline. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) echoes that report, but both reporters view a tag as the most probable scenario, with Rapoport suggesting the transition tag might be the likeliest outcome.
As we wait to see what happens with Cousins and Washington, here’s the latest out of D.C., including more on the free agent quarterback:
- John Keim of ESPN.com breaks down the risks and benefits of using the franchise or transition tag on Cousins. Using the transition tag would save a couple million dollars, but would result in no compensation if Cousins signs with an offer sheet elsewhere and Washington decides not to match it. While that approach may seem risky, Keim notes that if the team goes that direction, it would be based on extensive market research.
- Could Washington be a potential destination for free agent tight end Vernon Davis? As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Davis appears unlikely to re-sign with the Broncos, and Washington is worth keeping an eye on since GM Scot McCloughan drafted the veteran tight end during his time in San Francisco.
- Given his suspension history and the fact that Washington holds the right of first refusal on him, pass rusher Junior Galette may have a hard time landing an offer sheet from another team, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). In La Canfora’s view, there are enough factors working against Galette that it’ll be hard for him to get big-time money, or more than a one-year offer. The 27-year-old will also be working with new representation, having recently fired his agent.
- In case you missed it: We previewed Washington’s offseason last week.