Bears Interested In Cordarrelle Patterson
The Bears are expected to make a push for wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, according to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News (on Twitter). 
Patterson is an excellent kick returner, but he has yet to do much as a receiver in the NFL. This past season, he set a new career high with 52 receptions, but he averaged just 8.7 yards per catch. The Bears might see Patterson as a late bloomer and they could find a gem in the former Viking if they can get him to clean up his route running.
Patterson, 26 later this month, has been breaking the hearts of fantasy owners for years. Last season, however, he earned a second career All-Pro nod by averaging 31.7 yards per kick return. For his career, he has averaged 30+ yards per kick return attempt (it’s a lot higher if you subtract his 2014 showing) and has five TDs off of returns over the last four years.
He can get a nice paycheck as a return specialist, but he’ll get far more if some team out there believes he can grow into a legitimate offensive weapon. In theory, a player like Patterson could help lessen the blow for the Bears if they lose Alshon Jeffery to free agency.
Chargers To Release OL D.J. Fluker
The Chargers will release offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Fluker was selected No. 11 overall in the 2013 draft. 
The Bolts exercised Fluker’s fifth-year option last spring, but that option is guaranteed for injury only. Rather than pay him $8.821MM this season, the Chargers have decided to cut bait and apply that money elsewhere. Fluker was never able to live up to his potential with the Chargers, but he should draw interest in free agency this week thanks to his ability to play on the inside or outside of the O-Line.
After spending most of his first two years at right tackle, Fluker moved to right guard in 2015 and ’16. Pro Football Focus gave Fluker a so-so 63.7 overall score, ranking him 54th out of 72 qualified guards. According to PFF, he did his best work at tackle as he had a 74.2 average score between his first two NFL seasons. The best fit for Fluker would probably be a scenario where he is slotted in as a reserve tackle but also used on the interior in the event of an injury.
Jets Rumors: Marshall, Ijalana, Glennon
Here’s a look at Gang Green:
- Jets wide receiver Jalin Marshall is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy, Manish Mehta of the Daily News writes. The team has since confirmed the news. Marshall tested positive for Adderall and will not appeal the suspension. The four-game ban is an unfortunate development for the Jets as they increase their focus on younger players. “We feel really good about our young receivers,” Maccagnan said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. “The one thing with our roster right now… everybody’s aware that we’re making some changes in terms of our veteran players. These are all decisions we’re making going forward to try to build this team. We’ll let the young guys come up and hopefully establish themselves as good players going forward.” Marshall finished last season with 14 catches for 162 yards and two scores in ten games. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 324 yards and 18 punt returns for 100 yards.
- The Jets not expected to re-sign tackle Ben Ijalana before free agency begins, Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. The Jets have been in touch with his camp about a new deal, but they’ll likely wait and see how this week plays out before submitting a serious offer. Last year, Ijalana played on a one-year, $846K deal with $150K guaranteed.
- Will the Jets pursue Mike Glennon this week? The latest word is that their reported interest in the quarterback is “overblown.”
- The Jets are one of six teams with interest in wide receiver Andre Holmes.
Bears To Make Major Push For Mike Glennon
The Bears are expected to make a major push for free agent quarterback Mike Glennon when the legal tampering period opens on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The interest is mutual, apparently, as Chicago is his preferred destination. 
We currently have Glennon ranked as the top quarterback on this year’s market and our Top 50 Free Agents list (to be updated later on today) has the Bucs QB ranked 19th based on earning power. The 49ers have Glennon on their radar, but it doesn’t sound like they’re pursuing him quite as hard as the Bears right now. The Jets have also been linked to Glennon, but a report on Monday said word of their interest has been exaggerated. The buzz now is that Glennon’s next deal could see him make $14-$15MM annually, a price that’s probably too high for the Jets or incumbent Bucs to match.
For now, Glennon stands as the king of the QBs, but we could see guys like Tyrod Taylor, Tony Romo, and Jay Cutler added to the free agent mix in the coming days. Some teams may prefer one of those three vets over Glennon or, at minimum, prefer them from a value perspective. After the Brock Osweiler deal backfired on the Texans, teams may be cautious about committing major money to Glennon.
Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 2.0: Offense
NFL free agency is right around the corner! The legal tampering period starts on Tuesday and free agency officially starts on Thursday. The list of available free agents will change between now and then as players re-sign with teams or get cut loose, but we have a pretty good idea of who will be available right now. After looking at the top defensive players, we now shift our attention to the other side of the ball.
Here are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each position. The rankings aren’t determined by earning power, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with a combination of short- and long-term value taken into account. You won’t find restricted free agents or franchise tagged guys here since they are unlikely to go leave their current clubs.
Player evaluation is always subjective, so we encourage you to make your voices heard in the comments section in cases where you disagree with us.
Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:
Updated 3-7-2017, 2:55pm CT
Quarterback:
- Mike Glennon
- Nick Foles
Brian Hoyer(story)- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Colin Kaepernick
- Josh McCown
- Case Keenum
- Matt McGloin
- Mark Sanchez
- Ryan Mallett
- Christian Ponder
- Blaine Gabbert
- Geno Smith
Matt Schaub(story)- EJ Manuel
Honorable mention: Ryan Nassib, Landry Jones, Shaun Hill 
Colin Kaepernick’s agents have (wisely) let everyone know that their client will stand for the National Anthem in 2017. That may seem like a minor point, but teams say they would have automatically removed him from consideration if he continued his attention-grabbing protest. He grabbed headlines for his actions on the sidelines last year, but he actually turned in an OK season. From a football standpoint, Kaepernick would make sense for a lot of teams as a QB2 with upside.
Interestingly, this list includes three quarterbacks who couldn’t cut it as the Jets’ starter and three rejects from the 49ers. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and all six of those players (Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kaepernick, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert) come with varying degrees of potential and proven effectiveness. Smith, somehow, could reportedly be retained by the Jets and installed as the starter in 2017.
Ryan Nassib is just outside of the top 15 here with EJ Manuel getting the final spot. Despite positive word about his play in practice, Nassib is unproven and the Giants’ apparent lack of interest in re-signing him says a lot. It’s also possible that he might not be 100% after ending the 2016 season on IR with an elbow injury. Manuel, for all his warts, has shown potential in small bursts.
Running back:
- Eddie Lacy
- Adrian Peterson
- LeGarrette Blount
- Latavius Murray
- Jamaal Charles
- Darren McFadden
- Jacquizz Rodgers
- Rex Burkhead
- Rashad Jennings
- Danny Woodhead
- Tim Hightower
- DeAngelo Williams
- Andre Ellington
- Chris Johnson
- Christine Michael
Honorable mention: Robert Turbin, Travaris Cadet, Benny Cunningham, Lance Dunbar, Bobby Rainey, Brandon Bolden, Denard Robinson, James Starks
As expected, the Vikings have cut Adrian Peterson loose and he is expected to garner interest from contending clubs this week. Some might peg Peterson as the most talented running back in this year’s free agent class, but it all comes down to how you weigh his age and injury history. Peterson has shocked the football world in the past with an incredible comeback, but I’m a little skeptical of his ability to do it again in his age-32 season. Eddie Lacy, who has injury question marks of his own, takes the top spot at the position.
The Patriots believe they won’t be able to match the offers that come in LeGarrette Blount‘s direction. Latavius Murray could circle back to the Raiders, but he won’t be agreeing to a deal with them before free agency opens on Thursday.
Jamaal Charles has the most impressive resume of anyone on this list, with the exception of Peterson. However, no one knows exactly what he can do after playing eight games in the last two years. He’ll turn 31 in December and that’s usually not an indicator of success for running backs.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/6/17
Here are today’s ERFA decisions as teams make their final preparations for free agency.
- David Irving emerged as a viable pass-rusher for the Cowboys down the stretch last season, and the team will understandably extend an ERFA tender offer to the defensive end, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. He will make $615K in 2017.
- Two Panthers wide receivers, though, won’t be tendered and will thus become free agents. RFAs Philly Brown and Brenton Bersin will become UFAs, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports. Brown started 22 games for the Panthers and had a key role in Super Bowl 50. In three seasons, Brown caught 79 passes for 1,019 yards and seven touchdowns. Bersin also spent the past three seasons on Carolina’s roster but wasn’t utilized nearly as much.
- The Bears have re-signed ERFA tight end Daniel Brown to a one-year deal, the team announced. The team also tendered ERFAs Josh Bellamy, a wide receiver/special-teamer, and Bryce Callahan, a cornerback.
- The Saints plan to submit a tender to retain wide receiver Willie Snead, Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune writes. However, his camp is hoping New Orleans will pay him more than the one-year minimum salary. The 24-year-old Snead is an ERFA despite arriving in New Orleans in 2014. However, the standout target only has two accrued seasons since he spent his rookie year on the practice squad. In those, he’s combined for more than 1,800 yards and scored seven touchdowns.
- The Vikings have agreed to tender offensive lineman Zac Kerin at the one-year, $615K level, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes.
Extra Points: Colts, Okung, Panthers, Ngata
Restricted free agent defensive tackle Zach Kerr has yet to be tendered an offer by the Colts and an NFL source tells Stephen Holder of the Indy Star that indications are he won’t be tendered at all. Kerr’s playing time vacillated last year but he still finished out with 2.5 sacks. Since joining the Colts as a UDFA in 2014, he has played nose tackle, defensive tackle, and defensive end. In related news, the Colts have decided against tendering an offer to linebacker Josh McNary.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Panthers players are “actively recruiting” free agent tackle Russell Okung, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Teams themselves cannot officially reach out to free agents until Tuesday.
- Haloti Ngata informed the Lions that he plans to play this year, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. Ngata stated back in January that he would return in 2017, but Breer says the coaching staff was unsure about his intentions until recently.
- If Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk reaches free agency on Thursday, he’ll likely sign with a team that provides him a “hybrid” role, meaning that he’d see time at running back, fullback, and tight end, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Juszczyk is our No. 1 rated fullback ticketed for free agency.
- The Giants will not tender an offer to restricted free agent Orleans Darkwa, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. A return is still possible, but the running back will first test the market. Darkwa was recently cleared for action after recovering from a leg injury.
- The 49ers don’t plan to tender either of their RFAs, running back DuJuan Harris or cornerback Marcus Cromartie, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports.
- The Vikings have interest in re-signing punter Jeff Locke, but it looks like he’ll test the market, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
Bills Cut K Dan Carpenter, Others
The Bills announced that they have parted ways with a number of players, including kicker Dan Carpenter. Cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, long snapper Garrison Sanborn, tight end Gerald Christian, and safety Phillip Thomas were also shown the door.
Buffalo’s kicker from 2013-16, Carpenter was slated to carry a $2.937MM cap number for 2017. In his first year with Buffalo, he nailed 92% of his field goal attempts. However, his numbers have been slipping in recent years. In 2015, he missed six of the recently-elongated extra points and bricked five more in 2016. Last year, Carpenter made only 76% of his field goal tries, so his release doesn’t come as a huge shock.
Collectively, these cuts will create $6.1MM in additional cap space for the Bills, inflating their total past $24MM.
Robey-Coleman served as a sporadic starter in Buffalo, breaking with the Bills’ first unit 15 times during his four seasons with the team. The 25-year-old former UDFA signed a two-year deal to stay in Buffalo in 2015, and this release could create a bit of a market for his services. He was set to make $2.1MM this season. Buffalo will save $1.65MM as a result of this release.
While profiling as a lower-tier player than Stephon Gilmore or Ronald Darby, Robey-Coleman graded out as the Bills’ best cornerback, per Pro Football Focus, in 2016. In 573 snaps, PFF slotted Buffalo’s slot man as its No. 33 overall corner. A former USC standout, Robey-Coleman intercepted two passes last season, forced a fumble and scored a defensive touchdown. As a result of this release, the Bills could well be without their Nos. 1 and 3 corners from 2016. Gilmore is expected to move on in free agency.
Sanborn spent eight seasons in Buffalo and was one of the team’s longest-tenured performers. The 31-year-old played his entire career up to this point with the Bills. Buffalo signed Reid Ferguson to a reserve/futures contract after the season, and it appears the team will go with a younger cog as its long snapper. He played in 128 straight games for the Bills dating back to the 2009 season.
Darius Butler Wants To Play Safety
Darius Butler is versatile to play anywhere in the secondary, but if he has his druthers, he would rather play safety, as Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. Butler, however, is stopping short of any kind of demand. 
“I’m just a football player,” Butler said. “But to be 100 percent honest with you, I would like to transition to safety at this point in my career.”
We have Butler ranked as the fourth-best safety in this year’s free agent class (based on talent), ahead of guys like Jonathan Cyprien, Micah Hyde, D.J. Swearinger, Jahleel Addae, and T.J. McDonald. Butler’s ability to play cornerback is a big part of his appeal, but his clear preference would be to have a regular safety gig and only fill in at cornerback when needed.
The Colts still have safety as a clear need on defense, so it’s conceivable that he could return to Indianapolis and play at his preferred spot. Playing at both safety and corner due to injuries last year, Butler graded out as the 20th best safety in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. His 82.6 overall score was the highest of his career.
NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Romo, Redskins
The Cowboys are hoping a team comes in with a Tony Romo trade offer and hoping the 36-year-old passer would accept the deal, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Romo is believed to be open to helping Dallas facilitate a trade, but Jerry Jones said he plans to “do right by” the longtime starting passer. Hill also notes Romo would be inclined to sign an playing time-incentive-based contract that would make it easier for a team to justify adding him.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- One team with interest in Romo said the Cowboys QB will likely have to take a low base salary in the $6MM-$8MM range with per game incentives, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter).
- Redskins free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson will be looking for deals in the $10MM-12MM per-year range this week, several sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The market for Jackson is heating up and it sounds like he’ll put pen to paper just as soon as he’s allowed.
- The Redskins only just reached out to Pierre Garcon‘s reps this week, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. With many expected suitors, it remains to be seen if the Redskins can keep him. It’s also not clear how badly they want him back.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.