Jets, Patriots In Lead For Dont’a Hightower
The Jets and Patriots are currently the favorites to land free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). However, La Canfora notes that several other clubs are closely monitoring the situation.
We learned yesterday that New England was still interested in re-signing Hightower, who was named to his first Pro Bowl this season. The Alabama product finished the 2016 campaign with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 games, and he was listed as the best available linebacker in our free agent positional rankings. Until today, however, no one other than the Patriots had been definitively connected to Hightower (although another AFC East club, the Dolphins, have been mentioned as a possible fit).
Needless to say, the Jets and Patriots are in very different places as far as their immediate championship prospects, so Gang Green may have to outbid New England by a wide margin if they want to lure Hightower away from Foxborough. The Patriots, though, still have plenty of money to spend, and none of their other options offer the type of production that Hightower does from the middle linebacker spot, so they may be inclined to match a larger offer from another club, even if they were unwilling to use the franchise or transition tag on Hightower. New England typically embraces a “next man up” philosophy, but the team may make an exception in this case.
The market is capped for a non-rush ‘backer like Hightower, but he is among the best at what he does, and he has also been lauded for his intangibles. Coming off another Super Bowl championship, he may be willing to join a rebuilding team like the Jets if the money is right. However, just yesterday we heard that one team involved in Hightower talks is convinced he will remain with the Pats.
West Notes: Cardinals, Joeckel, Raiders
Let’s take a quick swing around the league’s west divisions:
- We learned earlier today that Tony Jefferson‘s new deal with the Ravens will pay him up to $37MM over four years. We also heard reports in recent days that the Browns and possibly the Jets offered him slightly more money, but that he spurned those offers to sign with Baltimore. As Andy Benoit of TheMMQB writes in a detailed piece on Jefferson’s free agent journey, Jefferson’s former team, the Cardinals, made him an initial “low-ball” offer of three years, $12MM, before upping their proposal to four years and $24MM, still well short of the winning bid.
- Mike Jurecki of FoxSports910 passes along some contract details on two of the Cardinals‘ recent signings (Twitter links). Jurecki reports that safety Antoine Bethea‘s new three-year deal will pay him yearly base salaries of $2MM, $3MM, and $3MM, while A.Q. Shipley‘s new two-year pact is worth a total of $3.5MM with base salaries of $775K and $1.5MM, $725K in guarantees, and $250K in roster bonuses for 2017 and 2018.
- Luke Joeckel‘s new one-year deal with the Seahawks will pay him a fully-guaranteed $7MM, with an additional $1MM available in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Robbie Gould‘s new two-year pact with the 49ers is worth a total of $4MM, with $1MM fully guaranteed.
- The Raiders will likely not have a lease agreement for a proposed Las Vegas stadium in place before the league owners meet later this month, a meeting during which they could approve the team’s relocation bid. However, as noted in a piece from the Associated Press, the absence of a finalized lease agreement does not mean the league owners will be precluded from voting on the relocation proposal. Instead, they could conditionally approve the relocation as long as the lease adequately addresses issues that are important to the league.
- The Raiders have made a few changes to their coaching staff, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. Last season’s assistant secondary coach, Rod Woodson, will coach cornerbacks, as he did previously, and Brent Vieselmeyer, who was assistant linebackers coach last year, will coach the safeties in 2017. Meanwhile, Travis Smith has been promoted from quality control to outside linebackers coach, and Nick Holz is now the assistant receivers coach. Nate Tice, son of offensive line coach Mike Tice, is the offensive quality control coach.
- We learned earlier today that the Broncos and OT Donald Stephenson have agreed to a restructured deal.
Broncos, Donald Stephenson Rework Deal
Offensive tackle Donald Stephenson has restructured his deal with the Broncos to remain in Denver, as Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Stephenson signed a three-year, $14MM contract with the club last offseason, but he struggled in his first year at Mile High. He started 12 games at right tackle and graded as the second-worst OT in the league among qualifying players per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He was responsible for three sacks and 11 penalties.
Still, as Troy Renck of Denver7 tweeted last night, Stephenson’s salary was low enough that the team was considering retaining him for depth, and now he will stick around at a price tag that the Broncos are more comfortable with. As Klis reports in a separate tweet, Stephenson was due a $4MM salary in 2017, and this restructure gives him $2MM in guaranteed money now; he will get the additional $2MM if he makes the team’s 53-man roster.
Speaking of the 53-man roster, Renck isn’t convinced that the lineman is a shoo-in to make the squad. The team has 10 draft picks in the upcoming draft, and the writer believes the organization could add a rookie to the unit. However, the Broncos are optimistic that new offensive line coach Jeff Davidson could help Stephenson improve.
The Chiefs selected Stephenson in the third round of the 2012 draft, and he has largely underwhelmed in his career. Stephenson opened his last season in Kansas City as the starting left tackle, but he ultimately lost that job to former first overall pick Eric Fisher.
The Broncos, though, desperately need as much help as they can get along the offensive line, especially since this year’s rookie crop of O-linemen is considered to be rather weak. The club lost last year’s starting left tackle, Russell Okung, to division-rival San Diego on Thursday.
Klis observes that the Broncos now have four offensive tackles in Stephenson, Menelik Watson, Michael Schofield, and Ty Sambrailo. Watson is the only member of that group that cannot play both guard and tackle, which does give Denver some positional flexibility (Twitter link). Klis adds (via Twitter) that Stephenson will likely get some LT reps, though the club is expected to sign or draft a left tackle as well.
Jets Interested In Brandon Carr
The Jets have expressed interest in free agent cornerback Brandon Carr, as Connor Hughes of NJ.com writes. Carr, who spent the last five years in Dallas and who will turn 31 in May, contemplated retirement after the Cowboys’ 2016 season came to an end, but he ultimately decided to continue his playing career and test the free agent market.
He took a significant paycut last offseason, agreeing to lower his base salary from $9.1MM to $4.25MM in the final year of the five-year, $50.1MM pact he signed with the Cowboys prior to the 2012 season. He never quite lived up to that contract, but he is still a serviceable player. In 2016, Carr played 96% of Dallas’ defensive snaps, posted one interception, and graded as the NFL’s No. 52 cornerback among 114 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. He is also durable, having never missed a game in his nine-year career.
The Jets, of course, had one of the worst pass defenses in the league last season, and they recently parted ways with franchise icon Darrelle Revis (though Revis was obviously part of the problem). As Hughes observes, the Jets allowed 52 pass plays of 20-plus yards (14th most in NFL) and 13 of 40-plus (3rd most). They allowed 30 passing touchdowns (6th most) and intercepted just eight passes (second fewest).
Carr, a physical man-coverage defender, would immediately step into the club’s starting lineup, which would allow Gang Green to let Marcus Williams, Darryl Roberts, and Juston Burris compete for the other outside spot.
The Jets have not yet scheduled a visit with Carr, who received an honorable mention in PFR’s list of top 2017 free agents.
Contract Details: Ravens, Zeitler, Guy
Let’s take a look at the details of some recently-signed free agent contracts:
- Danny Woodhead, RB (Ravens): Three years, $8.8MM. $4.25MM guaranteed. $1.75MM cap number for 2017 (Twitter links via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes (via Twitter), that represents a sizeable investment for a running back in this market. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that Woodhead gets a $2.5MM signing bonus.
- Tony Jefferson, S (Ravens): Four years, $34MM (max value of $37MM). $19MM guaranteed. $5.5MM cap number for 2017 (Twitter links via Zrebiec). La Canfora tweets that Jefferson gets a $10MM signing bonus.
- Kevin Zeitler, G (Browns): Five years, $60MM. $31.5MM guaranteed ($6MM 2017 base salary fully guaranteed). $12MM signing bonus. Cash per year values of $18MM, $10MM, $10MM, $10MM, $12MM (Twitter links via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
- Lawrence Guy, DL (Patriots): Four years, $19MM. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter) reports that Guy receives a fully-guaranteed $4.9MM in 2017, but that the total base value of his contract is $13.4MM, with the chance to reach $19MM with $1.4MM playing-time incentives each year. As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets, Guy’s deal effectively amounts to a one-year pact, as the final three years of the contract are non-guaranteed. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets that Guy receives a $4MM signing bonus.
- Marshall Newhouse, OT (Raiders): Two years, $3.5MM. Can earn an additional $1MM in playing-time bonuses (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).
RFA/ERFA Signings: 3/5/17
We’ll round up the latest news on restricted and exclusive-rights free agents here:
- Geronimo Allison will sign his ERFA Packers tender before free agency opens this week, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports. The wide receiver’s agent met with the Packers at the Combine. Allison will make the second-year minimum, $540K, in 2017. He caught two playoff touchdowns for the Packers as a rookie after catching on in Green bay as a UDFA.
- The Vikings are expected to retain ERFA offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. Sirles will receive a one-year tender for the league minimum of $690K. Injuries forced Sirles into the starting lineup for Minnesota last year, and he ended up starting 10 games for the club, including nine at right tackle.
Latest On QB Market
There are a lot of moving pieces in this year’s quarterback market, and the Patriots’ Jimmy Garoppolo, despite recent reports suggesting he would not be traded, remains the forefront of the discussion. Per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, New England is willing to deal Garoppolo, but the team has not yet received an offer approaching its asking price for Tom Brady‘s top backup. Howe writes that the current asking price is believed to be a first- and second-round draft pick, but the Patriots will not simply flip Garoppolo to the highest bidder. If the team is not “properly compensated,” they will not make a deal.
Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Bills are not expected to retain Tyrod Taylor under his current contract (we heard several days ago that Buffalo was leaning against keeping Taylor, though there is a split among the club’s top decision-makers in that regard). Assuming Taylor does hit the open market, La Canfora expects the Browns to emerge as the front-runner for his services. Indeed, Taylor has strong ties to some members of the Browns staff already, and if Cleveland is able to acquire him, the club could use its two first-round selections on the best player available and would not have to reach for a quarterback or deal one (or both) picks for Garoppolo.
La Canfora also reports that the Bears have the strongest interest in Mike Glennon at the moment, and sources around the league believe Chicago will push hard to acquire him. The Bears also love Garoppolo, but they do not want to meet the Patriots’ asking price (all of that is consistent with reports that our Sam Robinson passed along last night). La Canfora projects Glennon, who turned down an $8MM/year offer from Tampa Bay, to receive an incentive-laden contract with an AAV of around $12MM.
Interestingly, Glennon has no official agent at this point, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. That’s significant because when the “legal tampering” period opens on Tuesday, teams can negotiate with agents representing free agents, but not with the free agents directly. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that teams with interest in Glennon are working under the assumption that David Dunn is his agent.
East Notes: Cowboys, Jets, Marshall
The Cowboys are working on contract extensions for offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News reports. Both men are under contract through the 2017 season, having signed three-year deals in January 2015. Linehan has served as the Cowboys’ OC since 2014, while Marinelli worked as the team’s D-line coach in 2013 before being promoted to DC in 2014.
Team owner Jerry Jones said he is not ready to announce any extensions just yet, but that all talks thus far have been positive.
Now for more from the league’s east divisions:
- We learned several days ago that the Cowboys are proceeding as if LB Jaylon Smith will play in 2017, although there has been no significant change in the nerve damage that caused Smith’s draft stock to plummet last year and that forced him to miss the entire 2016 campaign. As Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, Dallas not only expects Smith to play this year, the team expects him to be a full participant in offseason workouts. Jones, as per usual, is especially bullish on Smith’s chances of being an impact player this year.
- The Jets have clearly entered into full-on rebuilding mode, and as Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com writes, the club is willing to deal its No. 6 overall selection to acquire more picks. Per Bergman, if the Jets do not want to use their top pick on a quarterback or offensive lineman, they will be comfortable trading down to the mid-to-late first round and collecting mid-round selections in the process.
- The Eagles‘ desire for wide receiver and cornerback help has been well-documented, but Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the team would also be well-served in pursuing a pass-rushing defensive end in the early rounds of the draft, especially since this year’s draft class is well-stocked with quality pass rushers. After all, the Eagles are expected to trade or release Connor Barwin, which would leave the team with two 29-year-olds (Vinny Curry and Brandon Graham) rushing the edge and little proven depth behind them.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com names the Giants, Patriots, and Ravens as three potential landing spots for the recently-released Brandon Marshall (Twitter link). We learned about the mutual interest between New England and Marshall yesterday.
- The Dolphins plan to lean more heavily on 2015 second-rounder Jordan Phillips next season, and they hope Phillips will seize a starting role opposite Ndamukong Suh, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes.
FA Rumors: Pats, Jefferson, Jags, Falcons
Free agency officially opens on March 9, so let’s round up a few FA-related notes and rumors from around the league:
- Although it is difficult, as usual, to pin down the Patriots‘ free agency plans, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe does his best, writing that the club is “taking a long look” at the tight end position but that Martellus Bennett could certainly be back, that the team is in the defensive end market now that Chris Long is gone and Jabaal Sheard appears unlikely to return, and that Logan Ryan is likely to price himself out of the Patriots’ price range. Volin names the Jaguars and Raiders as two teams with serious interest in Bennett.
- Speaking of the Jaguars, the club is expected to let Tyson Alualu hit the open market, as Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union writes.
- In a separate piece, O’Halloran lists the Jaguars‘ most pressing needs in free agency and examines how they could address those needs with an aggressive approach or with a more disciplined approach. He predicts that the Jags will land this year’s top FA cornerback, A.J. Bouye, if Bouye does not re-sign with Houston.
- Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, citing an agent who represents a FA safety, says that the Cardinals‘ Tony Jefferson can expect to land a contract that will pay him $7MM per year (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, though, tweets that Jefferson is likely to get paid closer to $10MM per year.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that the Falcons, who are moving towards an extension for Desmond Trufant, want to re-sign tight end Levine Toilolo, safety/linebacker Kemal Ishmael, and fullback Patrick DiMarco before free agency opens. The team is expected to let Jacob Tamme hit free agency and to wait until after the draft to make a decision on Dwight Freeney. Atlanta is also waiting to hear back from guard Chris Chester, who is contemplating retirement.
- The Falcons plan to upgrade their defensive front in free agency and the draft, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. The club is expected to re-sign Courtney Upshaw, and McClure names Cowboys’ DT Terrell McClain as one potential target for Atlanta.
- Mike Klis of 9News.com writes that the Broncos are seeking help on both the offensive and defensive line in free agency, but he observes that the club may be operating with two budgets: one that includes Tony Romo, and one that doesn’t. Even if Denver does not land the long-time Cowboys signal-caller, Klis says the Broncos will have to manage the cap creatively, as they have a number of housekeeping moves to make that will eat into their $35MM of cap room, and offensive and defensive linemen do not come cheap on the open market.
Falcons, Desmond Trufant Moving Towards Deal
Negotiations between the Falcons and top cornerback Desmond Trufant are “heating up,” according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff said last week that locking up Trufant was going to be the club’s next major move, and it appears as if he is making good on his word.
Trufant, the 22nd-overall pick of the 2013 draft, quickly established himself as the Falcons’ best cover corner and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2015. He picked up right where he left off in 2016, but he suffered a torn pectoral in Week 9 and missed the rest of the season, which was a major blow to a pass defense that struggled even with Trufant in the lineup. At the time of the injury, Trufant ranked as the 32nd-best corner in the NFL out of 119 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and he had picked up an interception and two sacks. For his career, he has seven interceptions and three sacks.
He had also been highly durable before the injury, having started every game from Week 1 of his rookie season to Week 9 of 2016 (a total of 57 contests). He is already under contract for 2017, as the Falcons picked up his fifth-year option, but the team obviously wants to keep him in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.
Of course, Trufant will not come cheap. The market for top cornerbacks seems to increase dramatically with each passing year, and Trufant can use recent deals for Darius Slay (five years, $51.33MM) and Janoris Jenkins (five years, $62.5MM) as benchmarks.
Per Ledbetter, Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn met with Trufant’s agents until midnight last night. The club is also trying to resign safety Kemal Ishmael, tight end Levine Toilolo, and fullback Patrick DiMarco.