Chiefs, Tamba Hali Restructure Contract
MONDAY, 4:29pm: The Chiefs created $7MM in cap room by reworking Hali’s contract, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). Hali’s 2015 salary was reduced from $9MM to $6MM, though he can make back that $3MM through sack-related incentives. The move also added four voidable years to the end of the contract in order to spread out Hali’s $5MM signing bonus — the deal will void after next year’s Super Bowl, at which point the Chiefs will take on $4MM in dead money on their 2016 cap.
SUNDAY, 9:07pm: The Chiefs have agreed with pass rusher Tamba Hali on a contract restructure, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The team will need to create that cap space to complete the signing of Jeremy Maclin, and depending on how much space they can carve out, target other players such as Darrelle Revis.
Joel Corry of CBS Sports notes that the restructure is likely to be a pay cut, considering Hali was in a contract year (via Twitter). The other possibility is that the team agreed on an extension with Hali, or added voidable years to allow the team to spread a prorated bonus over multiple seasons.
Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star confirms that Hali has taken a pay cut in order to remain with the team in 2015 (via Twitter).
Texans Re-Sign Kareem Jackson
MONDAY: The Texans officially announced (on Twitter) that they have re-signed Jackson.
SATURDAY: The Texans have reached an agreement to keep Kareem Jackson in Houston, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter). Jackson will remain with the team on a four-year deal.
The four-year contract will be worth $34MM in total money, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The deal also includes $20MM in guaranteed money, according to Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Jackson landed himself at number 21 on Pro Football Rumor’s Top 50 Free Agents, and figured to be highly sought after as one of the top free agent corners on the market.
The Texans selected Jackson 20th overall out of Alabama in the 2010 NFL Draft. He struggled during his first two NFL seasons, but improved and was considered the team’s top corner last season, surpassing veteran Johnathan Joseph.
Jackson himself is happy to be back with the team, according to his official Twitter account. “Wow!!!! I can’t begin to express how happy I am right now!! Definitely a great moment for me and my family right now!!!“
AFC Rumors: Cameron, Bulaga, Langford, Raiders
Tight end Jordan Cameron has become one of the most sought after free agents in the league during this “legal tampering” period, drawing interest from the Browns, Raiders, Broncos, and Seahawks, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Jaguars would also be in the mix if they are unable to sign Julius Thomas.
Here are some other rumors from around the AFC:
- One name the Bills could target heavily in free agency is versatile offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Graham writes there will be plenty of competition for his services.
- The Broncos have scheduled a visit with defensive tackle Kendall Langford, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The 29-year old veteran would provide a stout body for either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
- In addition to Denver, Langford is scheduled to visit the Colts, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). Langford already met with the Lions, Jets, and Saints.
- The Raiders are interested in Cameron to fill their tight end woes, but are also targeting Jermaine Gresham, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). The team is trying to work out a deal with the former Bengal by Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Williamson also wrote an overview of the Raiders’ free agent options after top targets Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb agreed to deals this Sunday.
- With Cobb and Jeremy Maclin signing big money deals, and Torrey Smith leaning towards the 49ers, the Raiders will have to look at veterans released to fill their wide receiver woes, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, and Dwayne Bowe could all be options for the Raiders.
- The Titans have expressed interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
- The Titans are also targeting a number of players, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean dives into ten topics the team will address this offseason. Among other things, Wyatt mentions the team needs to continue to pursue cornerbacks, writing that the team has expressed interest in Cary Williams, and could also chase Tramon Williams and Buster Skrine.
NFC Rumors: Iupati, Weatherspoon, Hill, Blalock
Mike Iupati has been a staple of the 49ers’ offensive line for his entire career, imposing his will on defensive linemen and linebackers in the running game, but his time with the team is likely coming to an end, writes Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). The Raiders, Jets, and Bills seem to be the front runners for Iupati if he does not return to San Francisco.
Here are some more rumors from some NFC teams:
- The Falcons are preparing to lose linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, as the Cardinals are expected to offer him a two-year contract somewhere between $3MM and $4MM annually, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN. He writes that the Falcons were close to a deal on Friday but talks fell apart.
- The Vikings and quarterback Shaun Hill have mutual interest, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN (via Twitter). There are other teams in the mix as well, but Hill is believed to have serious interest in joining the Vikings.
- Two of the other teams that have expressed interest in Hill are the Rams and Buccaneers, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
- The Rams have also shown interest in guard Justin Blalock, writes Thomas (via Twitter).
- Linebacker David Hawthorne could be a possible cap casualty for the Saints, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).
AFC East Rumors: Revis, Jets, Tannehill
It will be hard to beat the Patriots re-signing Devin McCourty in terms of news, but there are a number of other rumors surrounding the AFC East teams as we approach free agency.
- As the “legal tampering” period continues, the Patriots are still the favorites to keep either Darrelle Revis or McCourty, and are “a pretty good bet” to keep both players, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). The team already completed a deal with McCourty, and only needs to keep Revis to make good on Curran’s tweet.
- While the Patriots may be the favorites, keeping Revis is not a done deal. The Chiefs and Jets are still contenders to sign Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
- The Jets are looking to add a veteran passer to its quarterback depth chart, and one name that has surfaced as a favorite it Brian Hoyer, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- The team has also targeted Ryan Mallett as a possible addition, although he has far less experience than fellow Tom Brady-backup Hoyer (via Twitter).
- La Canfora also examines the impact of the Dolphins signing Ndamukong Suh will have on Ryan Tannehill‘s next contract. He writes the team has left itself little wiggle room to pay Tannehill if he has another productive season that would warrant an Alex Smith-like extension, which came in at four years and $68MM, with $45MM in guaranteed money.
- It also surfaced that the Bills are expected to come to terms on a long-term deal with newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel.
Bills, Matt Cassel Exploring Multi-Year Deal
After trading for Matt Cassel, the Bills were praised for bringing in a veteran quarterback on a low-risk move. Still, not many were ready to anoint Cassel as the future of the franchise at the most important position.
Now it looks like the team will be expected to sign Cassel to a multi-year contract that could entrench him as the starter in Buffalo beyond 2015, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team made a similar move after trading for running back LeSean McCoy, guaranteeing him $26.5MM to play with the Bills.
Cassel won’t sniff that kind of money, but any extension at all seems like a curious decision (via Twitter). Mike Rodak, who covers the Bills for ESPN, was particularly critical in analyzing the possible reasons and structures for an extension. The Bills owe Cassel a $500,000 roster bonus next weekend, but after that nothing would have been guaranteed (via Twitter).
Rodak writes that converting $4MM of his base salary into a signing bonus would only clear out $2MM in cap space but would guarantee him $4MM for 2016 (via Twitter). He adds that Cassel would be unwise to take a pay cut without getting more guaranteed money, and that the Bills would have no reason to give him any guaranteed money (via Twitter). Rodak would be more afraid of wasting money on a quarterback like Cassel than him exceeding expectations and demanding a big raise (via Twitter).
Colts To Extend Darius Butler
9:56 PM: Butler’s deal with the Colts is a two-year extension worth $5MM, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (via Twitter). Butler receives $1MM to sign and then $1.5MM and $2.5MM in base salaries over the next two seasons, respectively.
8:46 PM: The Colts have announced an extension for nickel cornerback Darius Butler, reports Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter). The former second-round pick busted out with the Patriots, but has been a very solid player since arriving in Indianapolis in 2012.
With the extension, the team will return a trio of corners including Vontae Davis and Greg Toler who put their talents on display last season for a unit that finished fifth in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus despite finishing 30th in pass rush (subscription required), an astonishing feat for two very interconnected aspects of the defense.
The three were never more on display than in the divisional playoff game against the Broncos, where they consistently draped some of the league’s top receivers and knocked down Peyton Manning passes.
Safety Mike Adams may be the next member of the secondary to receive a contract as the Colts try to roll back the strength of their defense for 2015, writes Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter).
NFC East Rumors: McCourty, Williams, Graham, Helu
The Eagles have already brought in Byron Maxwell, but are interested in continuing to add to their secondary and are pushing to sign safety Devin McCourty, writes Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). No front-runner has emerged for McCourty’s services, but the Eagles’ backup options could be Ron Parker and Rahim Moore (via Twitter).
Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:
- Maxwell and a safety would be great, but the Eagles could still be looking for another corner to complete the secondary. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com believes Tramon Williams could be an option for the team (via Twitter).
- The Giants also need help in the secondary, and checked in on Buster Skrine as a possible replacement for Walter Thurmond as a nickel cornerback, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Skrine, however, will likely be too expensive for the team.
- The Giants have serious interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham to pair with Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, piggybacking on Graziano’s report from earlier (via Twitter). Pass rushing is thought to be a priority for the Giants this offseason. The team is also targeting Dan Williams for the defensive line and are a third contender with the Eagles and Patriots for McCourty, according to Graziano (via Twitter).
- When it comes to running back, Raanan writes that the Giants have interest in Roy Helu and Antone Smith. With Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams in the fold, both players are thought to be good complements to give the running game some versatility.
- As for Helu, Washington has remained in contact with him through the offseason, according to John Keim of ESPN (via Twitter). Keim writes that five other teams have also expressed some interest in him.
Bengals To Re-Sign Mike Nugent
The Bengals have re-signed kicker Mike Nugent to a two-year deal, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The contract is worth $4MM, and Rapoport writes that $250,000 each year is in incentives.
Nugent signed with the Bengals in the middle of the 2010 season. He played in six games in 2009 with the Cardinals and Buccaneers, after spending the first four years of his career with the New York Jets.
For his career, Nugent has connected on better than 80% of his field goals.
Torrey Smith Will Not Return To Ravens
Free agent wide receiver Torrey Smith is thought to be one of the top free agent pass catchers on the market this offseason, especially with Randall Cobb already re-signing with the Packers and Jeremy Maclin coming closer to a long-term deal with the Eagles.
Smith, however, has closed the door on a possible return to the Ravens in 2015, writing a heartfelt goodbye to his teammates, coaches, and fans in Baltimore on his personal blog.
“These last four years have been amazing for me. I have been able to grow as a player, and more importantly, as a man,” said Smith. “The men who run the Baltimore Ravens organization have been essential to my growth.”
Smith will continue to be courted by teams like the 49ers, Colts, Texans, Chargers, and Raiders.
“It is tough to leave a city that I now call home,” said Smith. “I will be playing for a different organization.”