Latest On Stephon Gilmore
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is using Janoris Jenkins‘ deal as a baseline to work from, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). The Giants handed Jenkins a five-year, $62.5MM contract last offseason.
We learned yesterday that the Bears were making a strong push for Gilmore. The cornerback said in January that he’d like to stay with the Bills, but the team ultimately decided against slapping the player with the franchise tag.
The former first-rounder has started 66 games since entering the league in 2012. Despite finishing the 2016 season with a career-high five interceptions, Pro Football Focus ranked him only 61st among 112 qualifying corners.
Despite the apparent decline in performance, Gilmore still ranked as our third-best available free agent cornerback. Zach Links also predicted that Gilmore will receive the 10th-highest contract this offseason.
Dolphins Re-Sign Andre Branch
The Dolphins are re-signing pass-rusher Andre Branch on a long-term deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known. It’s a three-year contract worth $27MM in total, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Cashes in after a resurgence
One report recently assessed Branch’s value at somewhere between $7MM-9MM per year. That sounded a tad high, but it turns out that was right on the money. The $9MM average annual salary will rival the $8MM earned by teammate Cameron Wake. The yearly salary would rank just outside the top-10 among NFL defensive ends.
The defensive end appeared in all 16 games last season – his first perfect attendance record since 2013 – and turned in a strong year. He compiled 49 total tackles and 5.5 sacks and made eleven starts. Prior to signing, Branch was listed as our tenth-best edge defender on the open market, ahead of Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson, Datone Jones, Mario Addison, and Dwight Freeney.
Despite the expected interest, Branch was said to be a priority for Miami. Today, the Dolphins got it done. For what it’s worth, there weren’t a whole lot of teams connected to the lineman over the past few days.
Branch would have been sorely missed if he departed for another team. The Dolphins currently have a pair of defensive ends under contract in Wake and Terrence Fede.
Ravens Release Elvis Dumervil
Once again, Steve Smith is breaking news. The Ravens are releasing linebacker Elvis Dumervil, according to the retired wide receiver (on Twitter). The team has since confirmed the news.
By releasing Dumervil, who had one year left on his contract, the Ravens opened up $6MM in cap space. However, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome says he has not closed the door on a possible return (Twitter link via NFL.com’s James Palmer).
Dumervil, 33, played in only eight games last year but still managed three sacks. Before that half-season, he missed just one game out of 48 possible appearances from 2013-15 and totaled 32.5 sacks. In 2014, he had 17.5 sacks on the season.
Dumervil now joins a linebacker market that includes names such as Dont’a Hightower, Zach Brown, Kevin Minter, Perry Riley, and Lawrence Timmons. Given his age and injury history, he may have to settle for a one-year deal with a modest base salary.
The Ravens will presumably add some reinforcement at the position to replace Dumervil. The team now has six linebackers under contract in Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, Kamalei Correa, Matt Judon, Albert McClellan, and Za’Darius Smith.
Free Agency Rumors: Vikings, Okung, Bills
Rounding up the latest free agency news:
- The Vikings are expected to express interest in offensive tackle Russell Okung when free agency starts, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. This doesn’t come as a big surprise since Okung has been previously linked to Minnesota.
- The Bills were in play for Brian Hoyer, but he will not be signing with Buffalo after the team retained Tyrod Taylor, sources tell ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). The Jets and 49ers have strong interest in the veteran QB.
- The 49ers are now among the teams in the mix for fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. The Ravens would like to keep him, but they are expecting to get outbid for the former fourth-round pick. The Bills are said to be in the lead for him and the Browns are also in pursuit.
- The Raiders working hard today on bringing back right tackle Menelik Watson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. If he reaches the open market, however, the Broncos are among the teams that will pursue him, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets.
- The Raiders are trying to get a new deal done with inside linebacker Perry Riley, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
Jaguars In On A.J. Bouye, Barry Church
Holy moly, Jacksonville is not playing around this offseason. The Jaguars appear in the mix for some of this year’s best unrestricted free agents, including cornerback A.J. Bouye, guard Kevin Zeitler, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, and safety Barry Church, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Their interest in Campbell and Zeitler was reported earlier this week.
Bouye is ranked as my No. 1 free agent this offseason based on earning power and the rest of the guys in this group are not far behind. Zeitler (No 5 on the list), Campbell (No. 9), and Church (No. 34) would all cost the Jaguars a pretty penny. Of course, there is no realistic scenario that has Jacksonville signing all four players, but their interest in this bunch is noteworthy. Armed with upwards of $75MM in cap space, the Jags could certainly come away with one or two high-end free agents.
When free agency opens on Thursday, Zeitler could set a new guard standard at $12MM per year. Bouye’s market is also looking like it will yield a $12MM+ per year contract, even though he only has one strong year on his resume. Church already has a number of teams interested in him and should get more than $5MM per season.
Patriots Have Not Discussed Adrian Peterson
This is not shaping up to be a great day for Adrian Peterson. The Patriots have not yet discussed signing him, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The source added that it is safe to assume the Pats won’t be pursuing him either. 
A number of teams have been connected to the running back, but at this point it doesn’t seem like anyone is falling over themselves to sign him. Peterson’s interest level in the Raiders is not being equally reciprocated by Oakland, the Seahawks are not presently interested, and the Vikings have yet to submit a follow-up offer to him after rejecting his high-priced option. Now, we can add the Patriots to this lukewarm pool of possible, but far from definite, suitors.
LeGarrette Blount is scheduled to become a free agent tomorrow and the Pats may be the market for a running back if they do not re-sign him.
Latest On Bears, Mike Glennon
Mike Glennon cannot officially sign with teams until tomorrow, but the rest of the league already seems to think he’s spoken for. Other teams are operating as though he’s off the board and going to the Bears, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. 
Glennon’s suitors have been falling off one-by-one this week. The Jets reported interest in him was apparently overblown and the 49ers are not interested either. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see what kind of contract Glennon might get from the Bears. Last week, there were rumblings of Glennon getting $14-$15MM per year. If the Bears are effectively bidding against themselves, then that would be a particularly high price to pay.
For the majority of free agents, deals cannot be consummated until the start of the new league year at 3pm ET/2pm CT on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.
Lions To Sign Ricky Wagner
The Lions and tackle Ricky Wagner have agreed to terms on a deal, NFL reporter Rand Getlin tweets. The deal will pay him more than $9MM per year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a five-year contract for Wagner, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
Throughout the offseason, we’ve heard rumblings of Wagner fetching around $10MM/year, a staggering number for a right tackle. However, salaries are on the rise across the board thanks to the cap increase and Wagner was in great position to get paid given the lack of quality tackles in this year’s free agent crop. It also helps that the draft is soft on tackles.
The Lions are a natural fit for the 27-year-old, as offensive lineman Riley Reiff is also a free agent. The team has tackles Taylor Decker, Corey Robinson, and Pierce Burton on the books for next season.
Until now, Wagner spent his entire four-year career with the Ravens after being selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. The offensive tackle played in 62 total games for Baltimore, including 47 starts.
I had ranked Wagner as the second-best offensive tackle available in free agency. The veteran slotted below Andrew Whitworth and above Russell Okung, though I had him slated to make more money than both.
The rival Bears were said to also have interest in Wagner, as were the Texans and Vikings. There were reports that the Ravens were also interested in retaining the lineman.
Giants Sign WR Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall doesn’t have to go house shopping. The wide receiver has struck agreement with the Giants on a two-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a two-year, $12MM deal for Marshall (Twitter link). Marshall tweeted a picture of the signed contract, so it’s now official.
The Giants have been linked to Marshall ever since the Jets released him earlier this month. He’ll now line up opposite of Odell Beckham Jr. and give defenses something to think about before they double team the young superstar. The Giants’ WR depth chart is looking pretty strong at the moment with OBJ, Marshall, and rising sophomore Sterling Shepard in the top three slots.
Marshall is just two years removed from a season in which he had 109 catches, 1,502 yards, and 14 touchdowns. His numbers dipped significantly last season, but that can be largely attributed to the Jets’ overall offensive quagmire. Now, he could be reinvigorated as he switches jerseys in the same building.
Marshall not only avoids the hassle of moving by signing with the G-Men – he’ll also get to stay in the country’s No. 1 media market. The charismatic veteran already does a fair amount of TV work and he hopes to continue in broadcasting after he’s done playing.
After being released, I ranked Marshall as the sixth-best wide receiver available in free agency, behind Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Stills, Kenny Britt, and DeSean Jackson. That position slotted him ahead of notables like Pierre Garcon, Torrey Smith, and Terrance Williams.
Cardinals To Extend Chandler Jones
The Cardinals and Chandler Jones are finalizing a five-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Exact terms are not yet known and Rapoport only says that the deal is “going to be large.” Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets that the deal is expected to “come up a little short” of the five-year, $80MM deal Olivier Vernon received from the Giants last offseason. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that the defender will make over $16MM annually, which will translate to around $83MM or $84MM total. The reporter adds that Jones will make over $50MM in guaranteed money.
Arizona placed the franchise tag on Jones earlier this month, giving him a one-year, $14MM+ tender. Under the terms of the franchise tag rules, the two sides had until mid-July to work out an extension. However, with minimal cap space for the coming season and several key free agents in limbo, the Cardinals were eager to hammer out a cap-smoothing deal. It remains to be seen how much the team might be saving in 2017.
The Cardinals’ list of free agents currently includes defensive lineman Calais Campbell (ranked No. 9 on my Top 50 list of free agents), safety Tony Jefferson (No. 11), and linebacker Kevin Minter (No. 22). Other notable free agents include running backs Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington, and Stepfan Taylor, tight end Darren Fells, center A.Q. Shipley, cornerback Marcus Cooper, and safety D.J. Swearinger.
Jones is one of the league’s premier edge defenders. In his first year with Arizona, he racked up eleven sacks and graded out as the league’s No. 7 pass rusher, according to Pro Football Focus.