Bills Sign Anthony Dixon
TUESDAY, 8:35am: It’s a three-year, $3.5MM deal for Dixon, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Rodak has the full details on the contract, which includes a $500K signing bonus and a first-year cap hit of about $1.017MM.
FRIDAY, 8:23pm: Anthony Dixon is set to become the newest member of the Buffalo Bills, tweeted the former 49ers running back. Dixon, who totaled just 148 carries in his four seasons in San Francisco, will sign his contract tomorrow.
PFR’s Luke Adams passed along a link this morning which noted that Dixon and linebacker Brandon Spikes were visiting the team today. Dixon had previously visited the Titans.
The No. 1 and No. 2 running backs in Buffalo are C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, so Dixon will likely take the No. 3 spot away from the inexperienced Ronnie Wingo, says Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
Broncos Expected To Sign Emmanuel Sanders
SUNDAY, 10:48am: The Broncos intend to proceed with the Sanders deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweeted that Sanders will take his physical at Dove Valley this morning and is expected to sign a three-year deal.
SUNDAY, 9:08am: In an interesting twist to the Sanders saga, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport writes that Sanders’ agent, Steve Weinberg, had originally accepted a deal with the Chiefs on his client’s behalf. However, Weinberg then shopped Kansas City’s offer to Tampa Bay without telling the Buccaneers that the offer had already been accepted. Ultimately, of course, Sanders agreed to sign with Denver.
Weinberg declined to comment, but there will undoubtedly be more fallout from this development in the coming days. For instance, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star wonders (via Twitter) who the Chiefs might have missed out on because they thought they had Sanders locked up. Paylor notes that Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell both signed with New England on Saturday.
SATURDAY, 8:34pm: A source has confirmed to FOX Sports 1 that the Broncos agreed to contract terms with Sanders, Alex Marvez reports (via Twitter).
SATURDAY, 8:18pm: After losing Eric Decker to the Jets in free agency, the Broncos are expected to fill the void by signing former Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The ESPN article notes that Sanders is looking for a contract similar to the one Golden Tate signed with the Lions (five years, $31.5MM, $13.25MM guaranteed).
Denver has been the biggest newsmaker in free agency thus far, with high-profile signings of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward. Now it seems that general manager John Elway is setting his sights on the offense, and Sanders brings a skill set that figures to be well-utilized by Peyton Manning. The fourth-year receiver from Southern Methodist set career highs in receptions (67), yards (740) and touchdowns (six) in 2013 with the Steelers, starting 11 games.
Sanders’ name had been associated with a multitude of teams since free agency began. Schefter reported that the 49ers were to host Sanders today after being hosted by the Chiefs yesterday. Before that, he’d been linked to or visited with the Jets, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Ravens and Browns.
The Broncos appear to have just under $12MM in cap room before the Sanders signing, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
Poll: Best Remaining Free Agent
It’s been an exciting and busy few days since the 2014 NFL league year officially opened Tuesday, and many of the top free agents have already relocated or re-signed with their respective teams. Also, marquee names released by clubs — like DeMarcus Ware and Darrelle Revis — have landed with top contenders priming for Super Bowl runs.
That being said, we’re interested in seeing who you think is the best remaining free agent. We’ll start with the players remaining from Luke Adams’ top 25 NFL free agents, then add players like Antonio Cromartie who were released by their teams and have yet to be signed.
Feel free to defend your vote in the comments section below.
FA Notes: Britt, DRC, Hester, Guion
Even after re-signing receiver Julian Edelman, the Patriots continue to explore their options at the position. Kenny Britt, who saw his fair share of peaks and valleys in five seasons with the Titans, will head to New England to visit with the Patriots tomorrow, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Media (via Twitter). Britt had been in St. Louis visiting with the Rams today.
Other free agent notes from around the NFL…
- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who met with the Jets today, will visit the Giants on Sunday, reports ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
- Devin Hester said the Dolphins are just one of 13 teams that have expressed interest in signing him, according to Jodie Wagner of the Palm Beach Post. In his home town of Riviera Beach for a football camp, Hester said he’d like to play a bit at wide receiver if and when he finds a new home after eight seasons with the Bears, adding that he would welcome an opportunity to play for his hometown team.
- The Packers will host former Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion on Sunday and Monday, per Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson said Guion is drawing interest from the Ravens and Patriots as well.
- The Panthers made an offer that was ultimately turned down by Hakeem Nicks, the new Colts wide receiver told Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer. Nicks said that after speaking with Carolina GM Dave Gettleman, both men agreed that Indianapolis was the best situation for the North Carolina product.
Mike Ditka Talks Bears, Free Agency
In Mike Ditka‘s regular writing for the Chicago Sun-Times entitled “Four downs with Ditka,” the former Bears head coach and Hall of Fame tight end discussed free agency, Josh McCown, dementia and concussions. Chicago has been active in free agency with Lamarr Houston as the team’s key acquisition, along with signing lower-tiered players like Domenik Hixon, M.D. Jennings, Ryan Mundy, Dante Rosario and Willie Young. Key re-signings have included cornerback Charles Tillman linebacker D.J. Williams. Defensive end Julius Peppers was released due to his high cap number and eventually ended up with the Packers, and McCown found a starting job in Tampa Bay.
On how he likes the Bears’ moves in free agency so far:
“I do like what they have done so far. They realize they have to build on their weakness and that’s what they’ve done. They’ve addressed some needs on the defensive line and in the secondary. I think they understand that if they had any defense last year, they would have had a real good shot at winning the division.”
On if the Bears should have tried harder to re-sign McCown:
“You know, he’s a backup quarterback. It’s essential you have your starter in place. I think it came down to salary. When he saw he wasn’t going to get what he wanted, he went somewhere else. I think it’s a good move for Tampa, but also a good move by the Bears.”
On if he worries about memory loss:
“If you play football long enough, chances are you’re going to get hurt. People didn’t know about concussions long ago. They didn’t understand the ramifications or the long-term effects. They really didn’t know how serious it was.”
On if concussions could ruin football:
“You know, if you’re a parent with a young son, are you going to let him play football? No, it’s probably going to be basketball, baseball or something else. But not football. Give the kid a set of golf clubs. Basically, that’s what is happening right now.”
Raiders Targeting Schaub, Sanchez
Matt Schaub and Mark Sanchez are still employed by the Texans and Jets, respectively, but both teams are expected to move on from the veteran quarterbacks. And once they do, a source tells ESPN Reporter Paul Gutierrez that the Raiders will have interest in both quarterbacks, as well as Josh Freeman and Michael Vick, in that order.
As Gutierrez notes, Oakland’s quarterback depth chart consists of Terrelle Pryor, Matt McGloin and Trent Edwards, so adding a well-traveled veteran would be in the team’s best interests.
The rumors swirling around Sanchez have been pretty dormant as of late, but Schaub has been linked to the Browns as recently as Monday. Cleveland recently cleaned house at quarterback, releasing Brandon Weeden and Jason Campbell on Wednesday (links here).
Brandon Spikes, Bills Agree To Deal
10:06 pm: ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reports that Spikes’ deal with Buffalo is for one year and $3.25MM (via Twitter).
9:39 pm: Linebacker Brandon Spikes has agreed to a deal with the Bills, reports John Wawrow of the Associated Press (via Twitter).
Spikes was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, playing in 51 games (with 39 starts) over the past four seasons. He fell out of favor with his former team, however, saying recently that he thinks both sides would benefit from a fresh start.
A run-stopping specialist, Spikes ranked first among inside linebackers against the run in both 2012 and 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).
With the Bills, Spikes looks poised to take over the middle linebacker job, as the team intends to move Kiko Alonso to the weak side linebacker spot in 2014, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The 26-year-old will also be reunited with longtime Patriots coach Pepper Johnson, who is coaching the Bills’ defensive line in 2014.
Along with running back Anthony Dixon, who also signed the Bills tonight, Spikes had been in Buffalo visiting with the team. General manager Doug Whaley apparently made both players offers they couldn’t refuse.
NFC Rumors: Peppers, Cowboys, Penn, Clark
When DeMarcus Ware was released from the Cowboys due to his high salary, nine seasons and 117 sacks walked out the door, with the seven-time Pro Bowler eventually landing with the Broncos. Add in the Cowboys losing Jason Hatcher, who totaled 11 sacks last season, and the void at pass-rusher in Rod Marinelli’s 4-3 defense was unmistakeable.
So, it makes sense that the Cowboys have reached out to another former All-Pro, Julius Peppers, who was released by the Bears on Tuesday. CBSSports’ Jason La Canfora hears that the Cowboys‘ interest in Peppers is “quite real,” pointing out the obvious connection (via Twitter) between Peppers and Marinelli, who teamed in Chicago from 2010-’12.
ESPN reporter Josina Anderson confirmed La Canfora’s report (via Twitter), calling the interest significant but not going so far as to guarantee the deal.
Other free agent rumors from around the NFC…
- Former Buccaneers left tackle Donald Penn, released by the club and replaced by Anthony Collins, will visit the Redskins this weekend, with whom he is already in negotiations, reports La Canfora (via Twitter). Penn flew to Oakland last night to visit with the Raiders but left unsigned.
- Talks between former Steelers safety Ryan Clark and the Redskins are “still in the process,” said Clark’s agent Joel Turner, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post. The Redskins hosted Clark Thursday and continued negotiations with Turner today. The Panthers have also showed interest in Clark.
Chiefs, Husain Abdullah Agree To Terms
Safety Husain Abdullah and the Chiefs have agreed to terms on a two-year contract to keep the fifth-year pro in Kansas City, per Yahoo! Sports Reporter Rand Getlin (via Twitter).
Undrafted out of Washington State in 2008, Abdullah spent his first four seasons in Minnesota before signing a one-year deal with Kansas City last offseason. He played in all 16 regular season games last season, starting two, and recorded two interceptions in the Chiefs’ heartbreaking 45-44 Wild Card loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Titans Re-Sign Leon Washington
Running back and return specialist Leon Washington will return to the Titans on a one-year deal, reports Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (via Twitter).
The eight-year veteran played two games in 2013 for the Patriots, then was released in November. The Titans quickly picked him up, and he played in their final five regular season contests. Washington confirmed his return to The Music City with a tweet earlier this afternoon.