AFC West Links: Raiders, Broncos, Hardy
Raiders safety Charles Woodson is excited about what the team was able to do in free agency, despite the lack of one huge signing, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com.
“There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” said Woodson. “But at the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth. So you bring in guys that are possibly starters, that will compete for a starting job, and then we’ve still got money to get three or four other guys. Then you’ve got the draft coming up. So you have the potential to build the team the way you want to. Just because you didn’t get the one guy, we’ll have the opportunity to build this team the right way and that’s what Reggie’s looking at.”‘
- Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is looking at free agency in the same light as Woodson, and is happy with what they were able to do, according to McDonald. “Every year you go after a lot of guys, and you don’t get them all,” McKenzie said. “Our intent was to go out hard and heavy after each one of these guys, and we were able to land a whole bunch of guys we really liked.”
- The Broncos were big spenders in free agency last offseason, but were more reserved this year as they lost Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Rahim Moore. Head coach Gary Kubiak stressed the importance of being able to sustain success by replacing veterans with younger players, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I think you have to understand that’s going to happen with your football team,” Kubiak said. “You can’t keep everybody that you’d like to. Being able to replace guys is part of it. And right now our biggest challenge is that we have to improve a lot of the younger players.”
- One free agent the Broncos were able to bring in was offensive lineman Shelley Smith, who played college ball at Colorado State University. Smith was specifically excited to play for Kubiak, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “We have a lot of friends and family here, a lot of support. And it was very appealing. I think he is a heck of a coach, and some of his staff obviously followed him,” Smith said Saturday. “Obviously the scheme has proven to be a very good system and I think it fits my capabilities well.”
- Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego asked a few Chargers’ players if they would be receptive to bringing in Greg Hardy despite his legal troubles. He feels the locker room would approve of the signing (via Twitter). However, he warns them that they will lose their right to judge the next player who gets himself into an ugly situation if they do take him in (via Twitter).
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Myers, Coleman, Bowe
The first wave of free agency is winding down, and many teams have already made their big splashes and are turning their attention to the NFL Draft. Still, the action is far from over. Plenty of front offices are looking at the second wave as a time to find bargains on second-tier free agent names, as well as a number of veterans who either have recently been released or are soon to be cut by their current teams.
As teams look for other options to improve their roster with the cream of the crop free agents already signed, here are some notes from around the AFC North:
- The Ravens are in the market for wide receivers after losing Torrey Smith to the 49ers, specifically a downfield threat, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Luckily for Joe Flacco, the draft is deep with pass catchers such as burners Philip Dorsett of the University of Miami and Devin Smith of Ohio St., and there are a number of free agent options left on the market as well, including Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Hakeem Nicks, and Cecil Shorts.
- The Ravens are hosting offensive guard Robert Myers of Tennessee State for a private workout, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is also one of three that will host a visit with Indiana tailback Tevin Coleman, according to Wilson. The other teams are the Cardinals and Panthers.
- The meeting between Bowe and the Browns was very positive, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). There continues to be mutual interest between the two sides.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Ebbele
As free agency’s flashy stage winds down, the next batch of potential impact players will come from the college ranks.
Some early draft buzz …
- The Eagles made a move at quarterback this past week, acquiring former first-overall pick Sam Bradford from the Rams. Despite the move, prospect Marcus Mariota could still envision his former coach, Chip Kelly, drafting him in the first round. “I wouldn’t doubt it, but Coach Kelly and the Eagles are going to do what’s best for the team,” Mariota told Zach Berman of Philly.com. “We’ll see what happens.”
- Meanwhile, Mariota indicated that he wouldn’t have any qualms about being selected by the Jets. “I’d love to play for the Jets,” Mariota said (via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News). “Meeting with the offensive coordinator (Chan Gailey) and the quarterbacks coach (Kevin Patullo) was awesome. It was an opportunity for me to introduce myself, and it seems like a great organization.”
- Gary Myers of the Daily News argues the Jets’ passing on Mariota at No. 6 overall — or failing to trade up to acquire the spread-honed prospect — would halt the team’s momentum it created from adding Darrelle Revis.
- The Bengals hosted a private workout for Arizona right tackle Fabbians Ebbele today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Ben Levine and Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Vikings Release Greg Jennings
8:45pm: The Vikings will not designate Jennings as a post-June 1 cut, according to Goessling on Twitter. That means Jennings’ release saves the Vikings $5MM, but $6MM worth of dead money remains on the team’s 2015 cap.
7:20pm: Jennings reportedly failed his physical, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan on Twitter.
2:07pm: Jennings was asked to restructure his contract in order to remain with the team, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement, according to Goessling (via Twitter). Jennings was willing to take a pay cut, writes Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The two sides must not have been able to agree on a number, according to Wolfson.
1:16pm: The Vikings have released veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings, according to the team’s public relations and communications department (via Twitter).
The team will save $5MM in cap room by cutting Jennings, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Ben Goessling of ESPN adds that he expects the team to designate him a post-June 1st cut in order to save another $4MM (via Twitter).
Jennings’ release comes shortly after the team traded for Mike Wallace. The Vikings attempted to sign Wallace in 2013 but landed Jennings instead, according to Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: Brown, Mays, Lewis, Satele
With Ron Parker, Kendrick Lewis, Rahim Moore, and Antrel Rolle all signing deals over the past few days, the safety market has evaporated before the Giants’ eyes, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Without many options on the roster or left in free agency, Raanan believes the team will have to do their best to re-sign veteran Stevie Brown, who played with the team in 2012 and 2014, missing the season in between. Brown intercepted eight passes in 2012, ties for second in the NFL that season.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- While discussing some of Washington’s options left in free agency, John Keim of ESPN forgot to mention that the team had interest in safety Taylor Mays (via Twitter). While there was mutual interest, there has been no official visit.
- Cornerback Keenan Lewis now wants to retire with the Saints despite his previous demand at a guaranteed contract or a release, NOLA.com’s Katherine Terrell reports. New Orleans’ No. 1 corner also denied an NFL.com report that indicated the Saints are re-working his contract. Lewis has three years left on his deal with base salaries totaling $10.8MM.
- The Vikings hosted former Buccaneer and Bengal Michael Johnson for a visit today, according to the Vikings’ public relations and communication department (via Twitter). The team could place Johnson at defensive end opposite Everson Griffen.
- The Bears could be in the market for a veteran center, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune suggests that Samson Satele is a name to keep an eye on (via Twitter).
- The Panthers have filled a number of holes this offseason, and with draft picks, injury replacements, and contract extensions still to be accounted for, general manager Dave Gettleman will likely have to wait another year before making a huge extension, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. He does, however, give five names to watch as possible value signings the team could target this offseason, including Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Charles Tillman.
- Holding the No. 1 draft choice isn’t the only perk of finishing with the league’s worst record. The Buccaneers hold the No. 1 waiver priority thanks to their 2-14 record last year, and they intend to capitalize on it, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. “It’s a huge deal,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht told Stroud. “Bigger than people realize.” The Texans signed three players with their No. 1 position last season.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
AFC East Notes: Hardy, Bush, Bulaga, Clay
The Patriots have a history of taking in players with checkered pasts, and could have the opportunity to do so again by signing Greg Hardy this offseason, write Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. He notes that the team took in trouble souls such as Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Aqib Talib, and most recently LeGarrette Blount, all of whom had successful runs with the team.
Considering the cap space the Patriots have available after losing both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, Hardy could be the next reclamation project for Bill Belichick.
- The Patriots lost versatile tailback Shane Vereen to the Giants, and missed out on Reggie Bush, who signed with the 49ers earlier today. That puts them in the market for a pass catching option out of the backfield, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss writes that last year’s fourth-round pick James White could fill that role, or Dion Lewis, both of whom are still on the roster. He also picks out University of Miami running back Duke Johnson and former Saint Pierre Thomas as possible options.
- The Bills were pursuing offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga aggressively in free agency, and Andrew Brandt noted that Buffalo had offered him more money than he got to return to the Packers, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.
- The Bills may have lost out on Bulaga, but they are still trying to land Charles Clay away from the Dolphins, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. The team fully intends to sign Clay to an offer sheet, then the Dolphins would have to either match or allow Clay to leave.
Notable Contracts Guaranteed Today
On today, the fifth day of the league year, a number of contracts have become fully or partially guaranteed.
Below are a number of notable contracts that have money guaranteed as of today, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports. All links are via Twitter.
- Rams defensive end Robert Quinn‘s $5.556MM base salary has become fully guaranteed.
- Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee‘s $2.5MM base salary has become fully guaranteed.
- Eagles offensive tackle Jason Peters already had $4MM of his $7.3MM base salary for 2015 guaranteed. An additional $2.8MM has become guaranteed as of today.
- Dolphins pass rusher Cameron Wake is set to make $8.95MM in 2015, $3MM of which has become guaranteed today.
- Three Broncos also saw their base salaries for 2015 become fully guaranteed, in Ryan Clady, T.J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware.
Titans To Sign Perrish Cox
The Titans have agreed to the terms of a contract with cornerback Perrish Cox, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Cox will joining the team on a three-year deal worth $15MM, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Cox intercepted five passes for the 49ers in 2014, after playing limited snap counts for the team in 2012 and 2013. He also appeared in two games for the Seahawks in 2012 before returning to the 49ers.
Cox had also visited Washington and Cleveland this week, and was weighing his options, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter). The Ravens were also pursuing Cox, according to Getlin (via Twitter).
Ravens To Sign Kendrick Lewis
The Ravens have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with former Texans safety Kendrick Lewis, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
The deal is pending a physical, expected for early next week, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Lewis graded out positively in 2014 according to Pro Football Focus, leading the Texans’ secondary in snap count (subscription required). He will join a secondary that struggled last season. He will likely compete with Matt Elam for the starting spot opposite Will Hill, who was arguably the best member of the defensive backfield by the end of the year.
The Texans wanted to keep Lewis in Houston, but he was not interested in backing up Rahim Moore in 2015, so he decided to pursue a starting role elsewhere, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Contract Updates: Manning, Suh, Parker
Peyton Manning‘s contract restructure with the Broncos includes a no-trade clause, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that clause only applies for 2015, so theoretically the Broncos would be free to trade him after this season.
- Ndamukong Suh‘s new contract included $60MM in guaranteed money, and Florio says that money will be paid to Suh over the first three years of the contract. Following that, Suh has “rolling guarantees,” and the Dolphins will have to guarantee his salary on the fifth day of each league year. The defensive tackle will earn $16.985 in 2018, $18.985 in 2019 and $18.36 million in 2020.
- Ron Parker‘s five year, $30MM contract with the Chiefs includes $8MM in guaranteed money, including a $5MM signing bonus, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). He also notes that $5MM of the total $30MM value comes in incentives like playoff appearances and interceptions.
- Lance Kendricks‘ contract with the Rams will pay him $18.5MM over four years, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). He will count $5.6MM against the cap in 2015, which includes $1.5MM in base salary and a $4MM roster bonus (via Twitter).
- Kendall Langford‘s new contract with the Colts is a four-year deal worth $17.2MM, but only $2.5MM of that money is guaranteed, according to Thomas (via Twitter). He received a $1MM signing bonus and a $1.5MM roster bonus, to go along with a $2.5MM base salary in 2015 (via Twitter).
- New Steeler DeAngelo Williams new two-year contract is worth $4MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Kenny Britt re-signed with the Rams on a two-year deal worth $14MM, but the second year of the contract is voidable based on performance milestones, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).
Ben Levine contributed to this post.