FA Rumors: Charles, Hightower, Cutler, Bills
The latest free agency rumors from around the league:
- Jamaal Charles will visit the Seahawks next week, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Seahawks’ interest in Charles was first reported on Thursday morning. If he signs with Seattle, he’ll join Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise on the RB depth chart.
- A Dont’a Hightower/Patriots re-up remains on the table, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (on Twitter) the parties remain in good communication about keeping Hightower in New England.
- The Jets‘ interest in Jay Cutler is being reciprocated by the veteran quarterback, Rapoport notes (on Twitter). The Bears released Cutler today after eight seasons.
- Malcolm Smith will receive a raise from the 49ers after his two years with the Raiders. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets it’s a five-year, $26.5MM deal for the outside ‘backer, with $13MM guaranteed. This $5.3MM-AAV pact represents quite the bump from his $3.5MM deal in Oakland, one that didn’t come with rave reviews from the advanced metrics community.
- The Bills remain interested in retaining Lorenzo Alexander, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweets. The sides are continuing to work at completing a deal for the edge defender. Although the Bills are moving to a 4-3 scheme, Alexander — who thrived as a 3-4 outside ‘backer in the form of 12.5 sacks in 2016 — looks to still be part of their plans.
- It sounds like the Bills and Lions are in the lead for wide receiver Russell Shepard (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). He could still wind up returning to the Buccaneers.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Texans Trade Brock Osweiler To Browns
Whoa! The Texans are trading quarterback Brock Osweiler and a 2018 second-round pick to the Browns in order to move his $16MM salary off the books, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link). The deal will also see the Browns’ fourth-round pick go to Houston and the Texans’ sixth-round choice to go Cleveland. The Texans have made the deal official, announcing its completion via press release.
This type of deal rarely goes down in the NFL and is more of an NBA or MLB type of transaction. In this swap, the Browns are absorbing an albatross of a deal in order to acquire significant draft compensation. The wheeling and dealing might not stop here: Cleveland is not committed to keeping Osweiler and is likely to try to trade him, sources tell Schefter.
On the other hand, maybe they’ll keep him. The Browns are expected to move on from Robert Griffin III and the Brock Osweiler acquisition should clear the way for that, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The move clears out tons of cap space for the Texans who are expected to use that money towards signing Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Schefter writes. The deal saves $10MM in cap space for the Texans and $16MM in cash.
The Texans signed Osweiler to a four-year, $72MM roughly one year ago today with the hope that he would be their QB of the future. That, obviously, did not work out. Osweiler’s deal calls for him to earn $16MM guaranteed this year. After that, he has $18MM and $17MM non-guaranteed salaries in 2018 and 2019.
The Browns came into this week with upwards of $100MM to spend and Schefter writes that they would have struggled to spend all of it. Still, this seems like a very strange way to utilize that space. The only way this trade would make real sense for the Browns, in my view, is if they already have a final leg of the trade set up in which they deal Osweiler for something else of value. As of this writing, the Browns are spending $16MM in cash to acquire a second-round choice and that is not good business.
Patriots Acquire TE Dwayne Allen From Colts
The Patriots are trading for Colts tight end Dwayne Allen, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Patriots will be sending a fourth-rounder to the Colts in exchange for Allen and a sixth-round pick, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The deal has been confirmed by the Colts via press release.
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The deal, which had no prior buildup, comes as a complete surprise. The Patriots have now added one of the league’s best offensive tight ends and that presumably spells the end of Martellus Bennett‘s time with the team.
During his only season in New England, Bennett hauled in 55 catches for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Considering Allen’s catching ability, he should be able to easily slide in as the number-two tight end behind Rob Gronkowski. Of course, the team also heavily relies on two tight end-sets, so Allen should get plenty of looks, especially in the red zone. The team is also rostering tight end Matt Lengel.
Allen was ranked 41st on Pro Football Focus‘ listing of tight ends (Bennett, meanwhile, was ranked 10th). The veteran performed better in the receiving game, but he struggled in both run and pass catching.
Allen signed a four-year, $29.4MM deal with the Colts one year ago today. Now, he’s slated to serve out the rest of that deal in New England. Allen is set to carry a $5.937MM cap number in 2017, which shouldn’t be too much of a burden on the Pats given the amount of space they presently have to work with. The Colts will free up $2.9MM in cap space, but they’ll also be left with $3MM in dead money.
The Colts re-signed fellow tight end Jack Doyle this week, making Allen somewhat expendable. The team will presumably be seeking a third tight end, as Erik Swoope is currently slotted as the backup.
Now, Indianapolis can redirect that money elsewhere. They have serious needs on the defensive line and they also have free agents of their own to still address, including versatile defensive back Darius Butler.
Photo via PFR on Instagram.
Buccaneers Re-Sign S Chris Conte
The Bucs are re-signing safety Chris Conte to new extension, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
“[I’m] Excited to be a part of what we’ve got building,” Conte told Auman.
Last year, Conte re-upped with the Bucs on a one-year, $3MM deal, his second consecutive one-year pact. This time around, he’ll get to take his coat off and stay a while.
In 2016, Conte had 64 total tackles and two interceptions. The advanced metrics weren’t crazy about him, however. He ranked as the No. 88 safety out of 89 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus. His career-low 42.0 overall score was weighed down by dreadful marks for run defense and by only slightly less dreadful marks for coverage and pass rush. In his previous two years with Tampa, he earned scores of 64.6 and 75.3.
Despite Conte’s re-signing, the Buccaneers are likely still in the market for safety help. Keith Tandy is projected to start at one spot after playing well down the stretch in 2016, but Tampa Bay needs to acquire another solid defensive back. They’ve been linked to free agent J.J. Wilcox, who reportedly has mutual interest in coming to town.
Lions To Release LB DeAndre Levy
After eight seasons with the team, the Lions are releasing linebacker DeAndre Levy, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran will be designated a June 1st cut, allowing the team to save some extra cap room for next season (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press on Twitter). The linebacker was set to make $5.75MM this upcoming season, and his cap hit accounted for $8.39MM. The organization saves around $1MM by making this move.
Levy joined the Lions as a third-round pick in 2009, and he quickly established himself as a reliable presence on the defensive side of the ball. The linebacker missed only seven regular season games through his first six years in the league, including a career-year in 2014 when he collected 151 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and one safety. Levy earned second-team All-Pro honors following the season, and he subsequently signed a four-year, $33.74MM extension with the Lions.
Detroit’s investment hasn’t paid off over the past two seasons. Levy has only appeared in six games (four starts) since inking the new deal, compiling 21 tackles. A report from earlier this month indicated that the team hadn’t approached the 29-year-old about a pay cut, but there were indications that Levy would still return to the Lions for the 2017 season.
The team will presumably be eyeing some reinforcement at linebacker following this move. The team is currently rostering four players at the position, including Thurston Armbrister, Tahir Whitehead, Antwione Williams, and Paul Worrilow.
Calais Campbell Picks Jaguars Over Broncos
After considering Denver, Calais Campbell is going to sign a four-year, $60MM deal with the Jaguars (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal will include $30MM guaranteed.
The Jaguars’ offer was initially reported to be “upwards of $14MM per season.” It sounds like Campbell’s indecisiveness may have motivated the Jaguars to sweeten the pot even further. The Broncos were offering him $13MM/year on a new deal. It should also be mentioned that there is no state income tax in Florida, so Campbell stands to make a lot more with the Jags than he would have with the Broncos.
The Jaguars were armed with ample cap space this offseason and they used it to beef up their front seven with the addition of Campbell. The former University of Miami star will join up with Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue to form a fearsome front four.
Despite entering his age-31 season, Campbell was one of the prizes of this year’s free agent market — he ranked as PFR’s No. 9 overall free agent and No. 1 interior defender. Capable of playing tackle or end, Campbell placed as the No. 2 interior player in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, earning strong marks against the run and pass. Last year, he managed eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception while playing more than 800 snaps.
Jets To Re-Sign OL Ben Ijalana
The Jets are retaining OL Ben Ijalana, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It will be a two-year, $11MM deal.
Ijalana offers versatility on the offensive line and he stepped up to play left tackle when called upon in 2016. He’s not exactly a world-beater, however. Ijalana got a 47.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus, ranking him as the No. 60 tackle in the NFL last year out of 78 qualified players.
Cowboys Expect To Trade Tony Romo To Broncos Or Texans
1:31pm: The Broncos are not currently shopping Siemian, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
1:27pm: Some “backpedal talk” has emerged regarding a Siemian-to-New York trade, Mortensen tweets. But he adds that Romo remains a trade candidate a day after being expected to be released.
1:07pm: The Cowboys now expect to trade Tony Romo to the Broncos or Texans, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the Broncos are talking with the Jets about trading Trevor Siemian to New York.
A Broncos trade for Romo would be surprising, a source tells Denver7’s Troy Renck (Twitter link). The Broncos have long been connected to Romo but never via trade until today. For more than a month, reports out of Denver have pegged the Broncos as being willing to look at Romo as a UFA.
Wednesday, there was word that the Cowboys would be releasing Romo, allowing him to explore free agency. It turns out that the Broncos and Texans are now willing to acquire him via trade. If a deal goes down, it stands to reason that Romo could agree to restructure his deal in order to make things work for the acquiring club.
Romo, 37 in April, has not been healthy for two full seasons. However, he does have four Pro Bowl selections on his resume. In his last healthy season (2014), Romo completed a league-high 69.9% of his passes with 3,705 yards through the air and 34 touchdowns against just nine interceptions.
The Broncos have been telling everyone that they are willing to go into 2017 with Siemian and Paxton Lynch as their quarterbacks. However, the Romo talk has been strong for weeks now and it sounds like they are looking to bring another star QB to Denver. The Broncos brought in Peyton Manning at a time when the world was writing him off and they might be able to find the same success here with Romo. If they do acquire him, it will be interesting to see whether Romo will be put into an open competition with Lynch or given the starting job from the get-go.
Houston has not been as bullish on a Romo acquisition as Denver has been reported to be. Although neither side has exactly been aggressive, word out of Houston was the team was not going to pursue Romo. The two-time reigning AFC South champions, though, did not get close to what they hoped from Brock Osweiler this season. The Texans’ four-year $72MM contract — one that cannot be realistically removed from the payroll until 2018 — now looks like an albatross after the 6-foot-7 passer could not complete his first Houston season without being benched. He returned to the lineup once Tom Savage sustained a concussion and won a playoff game, but Osweiler did not provide many signs he is the future in Houston.
The Cowboys would take a ~$19MM cap hit this year if they were to trade Romo rather than release him. They could not spread it over two years as they could by designating him a post June 1 cut.
The Jets would like to deal for Siemian but they will look hard at Jay Cutler if they cannot pull off a trade with Denver, Mortensen tweets. Right now, Siemian is Plan A, Cutler is Plan B, and it’s not clear what their Plan C might be if both fall through. The Jets, with limited cap space and little chance of contending in 2017, have very few options to address their vacancy under center.
A seventh-round pick out of Northwestern, Siemian has two years and just $1.3MM left on his rookie contract. He completed 59 percent of his passes and led the Broncos to an 8-6 record. But two injuries sidelined him, providing possible durability queries going forward.
Photo via PFR on Instagram.
Alshon Jeffery Leaning Toward Signing With Eagles
Alshon Jeffery is leaning toward choosing the Eagles when free agency starts, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. At last check, both the Colts and Eagles were making “strong pushes” to sign the wide receiver. Now, he could be Philly bound, leaving the Colts and Bears to look elsewhere.
The Eagles found a deep threat receiver on Thursday morning when they agreed to sign Torrey Smith. After that, we got word that they were easing up on their pursuit of a Brandin Cooks trade. Ultimately, a Cooks trade would have cost the Eagles a boatload of draft compensation on top of having to work out a new deal with Cooks at some point in the next two years. If they can sign Jeffery and Smith, they will have given two serious weapons to Carson Wentz without hurting their draft situation.
Remaining in these wideout pursuits despite having one of the worst cap situations in the league, the Eagles would be in a better place offensively by signing Jeffery. With the Bears in 2013 and ’14, the big target surpassed 1,100 yards — going for 1,421 in a Pro Bowl ’13 slate — before injuries and a suspension limited him the past two seasons.
Jeffery rated as PFR’s No. 2 overall free agent. The Eagles showed interest in DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Kenny Stills and Kenny Britt. By adding Smith and Jeffery, they could possibly put Jordan Matthews in the slot full-time and have a layered passing attack, one that also includes Zach Ertz.
Extra Points: Bears, Cutler, Bills, Gilmore, Kendricks, Eagles
No surprise here, but the Bears tried to trade Jay Cutler before releasing him on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After his 2016 struggles, teams were not willing to take on his contract. He’s now a free agent.
Here’s more from around the NFL:.
- Bills brass decided well before the 2016 season they wouldn’t pay Stephon Gilmore anything close to the $14MM/year figure he’ll reportedly get from the Patriots, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.
- There has been no movement on a potential Mychal Kendricks trade for the Eagles, a source tells Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). He’ll see his $4.35MM salary guaranteed if he remains on the roster on Saturday.
- The Falcons had talks about defensive tackle Terrell McClain, according to source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, McClain will be joining up with Washington on a multi-year deal.
- The Eagles have some interest in bringing back Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Kaye of First Coast News tweets. Wisniewski has the ability to play either guard or center and did well in starts at left guard last season.