Falcons To Meet With Dontari Poe
The Falcons are set to meet with Dontari Poe in the next 24 hours, according to Falcons PR staff member Kelsey Conway (on Twitter). The Falcons have been said to have interest in the free agent defensive tackle. Now, it seems, things are getting a little more serious. 
Poe visited the Colts on Sunday and although he did not leave with a deal, the meeting reportedly went well. Today, Poe is huddling up with the Jaguars. The 26-year-old has also garnered interest from the Dolphins, Raiders, and 49ers. The Colts were are open to a long-term deal for Po, but he might prefer a one-year pact that would allow him to rebuild his value before trying the market again next year. Clubs reportedly are concerned about Poe’s lingering back issues. If he can have a strong 2017 and stay healthy, he could be among next year’s top free agent earners.
The Falcons are looking to revamp the defensive line this offseason. Poe, who ranked as PFR’s No. 4 free agent interior defender heading into March 9, would slot in at defensive tackle next to Grady Jarrett and Ra’Shede Hageman. Hageman and Jarrett improved in 2016, but Atlanta’s front four still ranked in the bottom half of the league last year in adjusted line yards allowed and adjusted sack rate.
Chargers To Release OT King Dunlap
The Chargers are releasing King Dunlap, according to a source who spoke with Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The move was expected after the team signed Russell Okung. 
Dunlap was scheduled to earn a $500K bonus on Saturday. With Okung now slated to start at left tackle, Dunlap would have been too costly as a backup. Assuming Dunlap is being released as a pre-June 1 cut, this move will save L.A. $4.875MM while leaving $3.25MM in dead money.
In four years with the Chargers, Dunlap started in in all 46 of his appearances with the club. Pro Football Focus rated him as just the 53rd best tackle in the NFL in 2016, his second straight injury-shortened campaign. In the last two years, he has missed 13 regular season contests.
For comparison, PFF ranked Okung 38th among 78 qualified tackles last year. That was considered a down year for Okung, but he is still a clear upgrade over Dunlap.
Dunlap has a pending legal case after authorities alleged that he violated a restraining order against an ex-girlfriend. If the NFL finds there is something to those charges, he may face league discipline. His attorney has chalked that up to a miscommunication, but teams may hold off on pursuing him until that situation is cleared up.
Titans Host Erik Walden On Visit
Colts free agent linebacker Erik Walden is visiting the Titans today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Walden indicated last week that the Colts wouldn’t be re-signing him, an unsurprising decision given that Indianapolis is attempting to get younger on defense (new general manager Chris Ballard told veteran safety Mike Adams the same thing). Walden, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Colts prior to the 2013 campaign, and ended up appearing in 60 games for the club. After averaging only four sacks per season from 2013-15, Walden put up 11 quarterback takedowns last year, but still graded out as one of the six worst edge defenders in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Titans have already gotten out of the race for inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower, but Walden would give Tennessee a veteran presence on the edge. After playing more than 70% of the Colts’ defensive snaps a year ago, Walden would serve in a rotational backup role for the Titans, who already employ Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan. Tennessee ranked 14th in the NFL in adjusted sack rate last year.
Panthers’ Tre Boston Drawing Trade Interest
At least one team reached out to the Panthers to inquire about trading for safety Tre Boston, multiple sources tell Bill Voth of Black And Blue Review. The Panthers are not shopping Boston, he writes, but they may be willing listen to offers. 
The Panthers, concerned about their situation at safety, signed Mike Adams this month after whiffing on top target Barry Church. Moving Boston would hurt their depth, but as Voth notes, this year’s draft is fairly loaded at safety. The top safeties in this year’s class include LSU’s Jamal Adams and Ohio State’s Malik Hooker, both of whom could be on the board when Carolina is up at No. 8.
The Panthers traded Kony Ealy to the Patriots late last week allowing them to move up from a third round pick (No. 72 overall) to the second round (No. 64). A Boston deal probably wouldn’t net them a ton in draft considerations, but it could give the Panthers a bit of extra ammunition in April.
Boston graded out as Pro Football Focus No. 46 safety last season, putting him in a three-way tie with Jairus Byrd (Saints) and George Iloka (Bengals). Boston’s coverage grades were not as strong as Byrd or Iloka, but he made up ground with a better showing in terms of pass rush. Boston’s 78.1 overall score stands as a career high, though he was roughly on the same plane in 2014 and 2015.
Eagles Expected To Release QB Chase Daniel
As expected, the addition of Nick Foles will displace Chase Daniel in Philadelphia. However, he won’t be leaving via trade. Daniel has asked the Eagles to release him and the team is expected to do so Monday, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan. The quarterback personally confirmed the impending move with WIP’s Howard Eskin (on Twitter).
Daniel, 30, inked a lucrative contract with the Eagles last offeason that made him one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Under the terms of the three-year deal, Daniel is still owed $7MM base salaries in each of the next two years. In 2017, $5MM of that salary is fully guaranteed, so, combined with the prorated bonus money left on Daniels’ pact, Philadelphia will take a $7MM dead money hit when it releases its No. 2 signal-caller.
The Eagles reportedly tried to trade Daniel last week, and while he drew some interest around the league, no club was willing to take on his contract. Despite his paycheck, Daniel is very inexperienced as an NFL passer, as he’s attempted only 78 passes during his seven-year career. Still, as many as six teams were interested in Daniel last year before he signed with Philadelphia, so he figures to have suitors as a free agent this time around.
Falcons’ Devonta Freeman Won’t Request Trade
Despite talk of him being unhappy with his current contract, Falcons running back Devonta Freeman says he has no plans to seek a trade out of Atlanta, ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure writes. 
“This is coming out of my mouth: I definitely know I’m going to be playing for the Atlanta Falcons,” Freeman said. “This is the team I want to play for. I’m almost 100 percent for sure business will be taken care of because we’re all in this thing to win and have success.”
During Super Bowl week, Freeman’s agent Kristin Campbell made waves by saying she wanted Freeman to be paid like an “elite” running back. The timing was not ideal, but GM Thomas Dimitroff said it wasn’t really a distraction for the team. Then, days ago, Kristin’s husband Luther Campbell (better known as Uncle Luke of 2 Live Crew fame) fired off a tweet that seemed to indicate a trade request could be coming down the pike. Now, Freeman has put such talk to rest.
Freeman is coming off his second consecutive regular season with 1,000+ rushing yards, 13+ all-purpose touchdowns, and upwards of 50 receptions. He racked up those numbers despite splitting carries with 2015 third-round pick Tevin Coleman.
Freeman’s contract is set to expire after the 2017 season. Barring an extension, he’ll carry a modest ~$1.92MM cap number before being eligible for free agency.
Free Agency Rumors: Steelers, Cards, Bills
The latest free agent news:
- Cornerback Davon House will visit with the Steelers on Monday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). House was let go by Jacksonville earlier this month. Green Bay reportedly reached out to him about a reunion, but we haven’t heard much on that front in recent days.
- Steelers free agent linebacker Jarvis Jones is visiting today with the Cardinals, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Steelers remain interested, however, and the two sides are still in discussions. We had Jones ranked as one of the fifteen best edge defenders heading into the opening of free agency last week. The former first-round pick hasn’t justified his high selection in the draft, but he has been pretty solid against the run.
- The Bills are holding free agent visits with former Green Bay linebacker Jayrone Elliott and former Bolts wide receiver Jeremy Butler, according to a team announcement. Both players were non-tendered by their respective former clubs. Butler appeared in four games last season and caught two passes for eleven yards. In eleven games with Green Bay last year, Elliott had one sack and 12 total tackles.
- The Broncos have interest in Saints free agent defensive end Kasim Edebali, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Edebali could provide depth and special teams experience for Denver. He was non-tendered by New Orleans last week.
- Cardinals free agent outside linebacker Alex Okafor is visiting the Saints today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Okafor played through a painful torn bicep injury last season.
Dolphins Rework William Hayes’ Deal
The Dolphins have “deleted” the 2018 season in newly-acquired defensive end William Hayes‘ contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. He is now scheduled to become a free agent next offseason. In exchange for this concession, Hayes has agreed to trim $750K from his 2017 salary (via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald).
Late last week, the Dolphins acquired Hayes in a trade with the Rams which saw Miami give up a sixth-round pick and get back a seventh-round selection. It was a great trade for the Dolphins as they got a quality player in exchange for moving down 17 spots late in the draft.
Hayes signed a three year, $17.5MM contract with the Rams last offseason which called for him to carry a $5.5MM cap number in 2017 and a $5MM number in 2018. Given the way pass rushers have been getting paid as of late, Hayes could stand to profit from the alteration this time next year.
Hayes, 32 this spring, appeared in 14 games (all starts) for the Rams last season and racked up five sacks and 43 total tackles. Since joining the Rams in 2012, he has never had less than four sacks per season and has averaged five sacks per campaign. Last year, he was Pro Football Focus’ No. 17 edge defender in the NFL, thanks largely to his favorable run defense grade. He was ranked higher than a lot of big names, including Nick Perry, Bruce Irvin, Ryan Kerrigan, and Tamba Hali.
Dont’a Hightower To Visit Steelers
Patriots free agent linebacker Dont’a Hightower is scheduled to visit the Steelers, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This will mark Hightower’s third free agent visit. 
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Hightower has been making the free agent rounds in recent days, but the Jets and Titans don’t believe he’s serious about leaving New England. The Titans aren’t prime contenders for 2017 and the Jets’ odds of winning this year seem very slim, but the Steelers could hold appeal for Hightower if he is focused on winning another Super Bowl ring. At minimum, this meeting could be enough to scare the Patriots into increasing their offer.
The Steelers are currently projected to start Bud Dupree, Ryan Shazier, Vince Williams, and James Harrison at linebacker. Needless to say, room could be made for a star like Hightower.
The Steelers are down one linebacker after veteran Lawrence Timmons signed on with the Dolphins.
Bills Sign DE Ryan Davis
The Bills have signed defensive end Ryan Davis, according to a team announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Davis played in 30 games for the Jaguars in 2014-15 and racked up ten sacks between the two seasons. After that, the Jaguars placed a second-round tender ($2.55MM) on him to prevent him from leaving in free agency. Then, Jacksonville surprised everyone by dropping him in September of last year. After that, he hooked on with the Cowboys and was used largely as a special teamer. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury late in the regular season which prevented him from suiting up in the playoffs.
It’s not immediately clear what kind of role Davis is ticketed for in Buffalo. He may get a chance to return to a traditional workload on defensive end with Corbin Bryant and Leger Douzable still out there as free agents. If neither player is retained, there should be more playing time available for Davis behind projected starters Adolphus Washington and Kyle Williams.
Last year, Davis joined Dallas on a modest one-year, $675K deal.