Dwight Freeney: “95%” Certain I’ll Play In ’16
After recent visits with the Bengals and Falcons, Dwight Freeney is still without an NFL team. According to the defensive end, however, he did not expect to leave either trip with a contract in hand (Twitter link via SiriusXM NFL Radio). The 36-year-old also said that his next contract will probably be his “last stop.” Freeney is presumably looking to sign a one-year deal, so it sounds like this coming season will mark his farewell tour – that is, if he can find an NFL home. 
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In Freeney’s estimation, the odds of him playing in 2016 “are at 95%” (link). He says that he had “good” visits (link) with both the Falcons and Bengals, which would imply that the door is being left open by both clubs. Yesterday, Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters that the team has not ruled out signing Freeney. As for the Bengals, we have not heard much on that front since the veteran took a physical with them on May 25th.
During the interview, Freeney also discussed his time with the Cardinals in 2015 (link) and expressed hope that an offer could still come his way from Arizona. The multiple-time Pro Bowler says that he would love to help mentor offseason acquisition Chandler Jones and the team’s other young players in the front seven. After racking up eight sacks for Arizona last year, one has to imagine that the Cardinals are at least open to the idea of a reunion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Gronkowski, Bills
This offseason, tight end Jordan Cameron took a pay cut in order to remain with the Dolphins. Cameron confessed that it “doesn’t feel good” to take a step back in salary, but he also admits that he didn’t do enough last year (link via ESPN.com’s James Walker).
Cameron, 28 in August, caught 80 passes and scored seven times during his Pro Bowl season in 2013, but he was slowed by injuries in 2014 during his final year in Cleveland, and posted modest numbers in his first season in Miami. Playing and starting all 16 games, Cameron recorded 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns. Now in his contract year, Cameron will look to restore his value before testing the open market.
Here’s more out of the AFC East:
- Even though we’ve seen some of the league’s top tight ends get new deals this offseason, Patriots star Rob Gronkowski has not missed a day of workouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (on Twitter). Gronkowski is significantly underpaid when compared with the going market rate for his position, but it’s possible that New England will convert some of his incentives into a signing bonus this summer in order to keep him happy and focused. Gronk stands as the fifth-highest paid tight end on a per-season average with a salary of $9MM/year. In that regard, he is out-earned by Jimmy Graham, Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed, and Julius Thomas. Gronkowski signed a six-year, $54MM extension with the Patriots in June of 2012 that should keep him from reaching the open market until after the 2019 season.
- In March, Richie Incognito signed a three-year, $15.75MM deal to remain with the Bills. When the Bills first brought the lineman in, he was considered damaged goods following the bullying scandal in Miami. Now, head coach Rex Ryan says he couldn’t be happier to have him in the fold. “He was looked at as a bully, and that’s almost as bad a thing as you can be in today’s culture. But I didn’t believe he was that person and now I know he’s not. He got a second chance and the guy’s making the most of it. I wish I had a whole bunch of Richie Incognitos, and I can tell you I’m super happy I have one,” Ryan said (via Don Banks of SI.com).
- After spending the bulk of 2015 on the Bills‘ practice squad, wide receiver Dezmin Lewis is poised to push for a 53-man roster spot, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.com writes.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Jets are not inclined to offer Ryan Fitzpatrick a one-year, $12MM deal. We also rounded up some more items on the Jets, including some thoughts on Muhammad Wilkerson‘s contract situation.
Lions Notes: Hardy, Austin, Kruger
The Lions are a possible fit for free agent defensive end Greg Hardy, Robert Klemko of The MMQB writes. The Lions, he writes, probably feel like they’re one or two pieces away from winning their division and they could conceivably be willing to deal with the headaches of signing the former Pro Bowler. Recently, PFR’s Dallas Robinson identified the Lions and seven other teams as potential landing spots for the troubled free agent.
Here’s more out of Detroit:
- Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was a popular name in different head coaching searches this offseason, but he feels that only two of his four interviews were “legitimate” (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). When asked if he felt that his other two interviews were only done to satisfy the Rooney Role, Austin told Birkett (Twitter link) that he could take his comments however he wanted to. As shown in PFR’s 2016 Head Coaching Tracker, Austin interviewed with the Browns, Dolphins, Giants, and Eagles. Since the Browns hired a black coach in Hue Jackson, Austin presumably isn’t accusing Cleveland of interviewing him to fulfill the minority candidate requirement.
- The Lions brought in Joe Kruger for a workout earlier this week, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Kruger was drafted by Philadelphia as a defensive end in 2013 but Detroit auditioned him as a tight end.
- On Wednesday, we learned that Detroit will not be signing linebacker Mike Neal, despite having met with him in March.
Jets Notes: Wilkerson, Fitzpatrick, Maccagnan
The Jets missed the boat on signing Muhammad Wilkerson to a long-term deal, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap writes. The Jets’ could have extended Wilkerson early in 2014 when the market was somewhat depressed due to a stagnant cap between 2011 and 2013. Also, at that time, the highest-paid 3-4 defensive end made ~$11MM. Now, the Jets have dragged their feet and the market for 3-4 DEs has exploded.
Now, Fitzgerald feels that the Jets should offer him a “no franchise tag designation” for 2017 in return for signing his contract and coming to camp on time. They also can restructure the terms of his contract so that Wilkerson earns more in August, rather than waiting 17 weeks for his full salary. Ultimately, Fitzgerald does not see an outcome in which the Jets can hammer out an extension with Wilkerson.
Here’s more on Gang Green:
- Even if Jets were open to a one-year, $12MM with Ryan Fitzpatrick, it would be hard to pull off with roughly $3.5MM of cap room, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. In order to pull that kind of deal off, voidable years would be necessary. Earlier today, we learned that the Jets are not interested in a one-year, $12MM “compromise” with the 33-year-old.
- Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter) suggests that a one-year compromise between the Jets and Fitzpatrick could be a base deal of ~$8MM with playing time and playoff incentives that boost the deal to (or beyond) $12MM.
- Bob Glauber of Newsday believes that the gridlock between the Jets and Fitzpatrick will ultimately result in a deal. Glauber also believes that he needs the Jets more than the Jets need him.
- Steve Serby of the New York Post also feels that a deal will get done eventually between the veteran quarterback and the Jets. However, Serby seems to think that it’s Fitzpatrick who has the upper hand, in part because the team’s veterans will be extremely upset if they do not have him under center. He also believes that GM Mike Maccagnan will ultimately improve his offer to Fitzpatrick because he is not the type to let his pride get in the way of what’s best for the team.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Marshall, Sanders
On Wednesday night, Broncos GM John Elway spoke with Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter) about contract talks for linebacker Brandon Marshall, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and defensive ace Von Miller. Elway says that he has gone back and forth with the agents for Marshall and Sanders but has no real update with regards to Miller. The GM says that he has a goal date in mind for all three deals.
“The ideal thing would be to get all three of them done (by mid-July). That’s the goal. That would be nice if we could do that,” Elway said (link).
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Now entering his contract year, it’s time for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram to put his money where his talent is, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Last season, Ingram notched at least one sack in each of the team’s final five games. If he can produce across a full season in 2016, he’ll be in line for a major payday, whether it be from San Diego or elsewhere.
- Non-union construction workers are frustrated with the latest proposal for a new Chargers stadium in San Diego, David Garrick of U-T San Diego writes. It’s not immediately clear whether these non-union laborers would have any ability to stand in the way of the proposal as it’s currently put together.
- Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told ESPN that she has yet to discuss gambling regulations in the process of luring the Raiders (link via PFT). There has been some speculation that the city would be asked to restrict sports books from taking bets on games played in Las Vegas. “We’ve had years and years of experience in how to set regulations and enforce them. But I really don’t believe it’s going to be an issue for us at all,” she said. “At this point, the first step is to work through those numbers to make sure we can get a stadium built, do it high quality and most importantly in the right location.”
- Earlier this week, we rounded up some more news on the Broncos.
Jets Won’t Offer One-Year, $12MM Deal To Ryan Fitzpatrick
Last week, we learned that the Jets have offered Ryan Fitzpatrick a three-year deal worth $24MM, with half of that sum coming in year one. Some have suggested that the Jets could entice the QB to accept the offer if they simply cut out the final two years of that deal and make in a one-year, $12MM pact. Unfortunately, that’s not going to work for Gang Green. The Jets are not interested in giving Fitzpatrick a one-year, $12MM deal, sources tell Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
If the Jets were to make that offer to the 33-year-old, they would be increasing the annual average of the deal by 50% and increasing their own salary cap hit for 2015. Mehta notes that, in theory, the Jets could increase their ~$3MM in cap space by converting the base salary of some players to signing bonuses. However, the Jets do not appear inclined to do that sort of contract tinkering with notable candidates such as Buster Skrine, Marcus Gilchrist, Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, and perhaps even Darrelle Revis.
The Jets also want to have Fitzpatrick around as an insurance policy in 2017, Mehta writes, in the event that second-round pick Christian Hackenberg is not ready to take the reins. For these reasons, the Jets would only entertain a one-year offer for $8MM, an amount that would match the AAV of their current three-year offer to the veteran.
While the deadline for a deal “seems to be” the start of training camp, Mehta writes that the Jets could “move on” from Fitzpatrick sooner rather than later if a deal does not materialize. Personally, I would be surprised if the Jets truly break off talks with Fitzpatrick as long as he remains on the open market. Publicly, the Jets have expressed confidence in Geno Smith, but the team surely knows that there is a sizable gap between the two QBs.
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Jake Long Working Out For Bears
Offensive tackle Jake Long is working out today for the Bears, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). 
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Long, 31, spent the 2015 season with the Falcons after signing on midway through September. The former No. 1 overall pick was hoping to have a bounce-back season in Atlanta but he wound up only appearing in four games and he didn’t start in any of those contests. In the year prior, Long saw time in just seven games for the Rams last season due to a torn ACL. In the year before that, Long also tore his ACL in St. Louis.
In 2014, Long’s last season which could be measured by advanced metrics, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Long as just the No. 36 tackle out of 84 qualified players. In 2013, however, Long graded out as the seventh-best tackle in the league with a strong 22.5 overall score, based on PFF’s advanced metrics. Those numbers suggest that Long could still be a productive player if he can return to full health.
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Nick Foles Unhappy With Rams, Skipping OTAs
4:28pm: Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke about Foles’ situation Wednesday, saying, “He has not been here to participate since the draft … We’re trying to work things out.” Fisher continued, “Nick has the feeling if things stay the same, he’s probably not gonna be on the roster” (Twitter links via Albert Breer of NFL.com).
Fisher also called Foles’ absence “more of a mutual thing,” writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Based on that, it appears Foles’ time with the Rams is done. Now it’s just a matter of whether they’ll be able to find another team to take him via trade.
10:35am: Nick Foles is none too pleased with the Rams this offseason. The quarterback, who was a regular when offseason workouts began April 18th, has not participated in a team practice since the Rams selected Jared Goff No. 1 overall, as ESPN.com’s Jim Trotter writes. Multiple sources have confirmed that Foles has been abstaining from team-run training sessions and the start of OTAs because the Rams drafted a quarterback. 
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Acquired by the Rams in the trade that sent Sam Bradford to the Eagles, the two quarterbacks have wound up in strikingly similar situations. Last offseason, Foles inked a two-year, $24.5MM extension that included nearly $13.8MM in guarantees. Now, it’s clear that he is not the quarterback of the future in Los Angeles and maybe not even the quarterback of the present. Last season, Foles opened the season as the starter under center but was benched in favor of Case Keenum after throwing seven touchdowns against six interceptions.
Foles drew trade interest from teams in late April and the quarterback presumably wants the team to ship him elsewhere. Because the Rams have already paid his guaranteed $6MM roster bonus for the 2016 season, Foles would come at a very affordable rate for any team interested in acquiring him — only his $1.75MM base salary for ’16 would count against a new team’s cap. Of course, his new team would also take on the rest of his contract, including a non-guaranteed $10.75MM base salary for 2017.
Foles has plenty of starting experience and could be a good fit as a backup elsewhere. Meanwhile, Los Angeles could roll with Goff, Keenum, and 2015 third-rounder Sean Mannion on the depth chart. It remains to be seen whether Goff or Keenum can deliver in 2016, but the team probably sees more potential in those two players than Foles, a fifth-year pro.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/2016
Today’s minor moves:
- The Giants have signed their third-round pick, safety Darian Thompson, according to the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano (on Twitter). Thompson was a four-year standout at Boise State, where he appeared in 49 games and intercepted 17 passes.
- The Seahawks have waived cornerback Jamal Marshall, whom they signed undrafted out of North Texas last month, tweets Dov Kleiman of RantSports.
- The Chargers have cut offensive tackle Zeth Ramsay, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Ramsey signed with the Chargers in April as an undrafted free agent from Colorado Mesa.
- The Packers have waived two rookies, receiver Devonte Robinson (non-football illness) and guard Cory Tucker, and signed first-year guard Lucas Patrick, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- The Cardinals have cut safety Brandon Person, receiver Chris King and offensive tackle Edawn Coughman (previously reported), per Darren Urban of the team’s official website (Twitter link).
- The Jets signed defensive end Shelby Harris and waived fellow defensive end (and former shot putter) Lawrence Okoye, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets.
- The Lions signed undrafted free agent tackle Dominick Jackson, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes.
- The Browns signed fourth-round wide receiver Ricardo Louis and fourth-round tight end Seth DeValve, as Wilson tweets.
- The Bears have waived OT Tayo Fabuluje, per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Latest On Falcons, Dwight Freeney
The Falcons are not signing Dwight Freeney today, coach Dan Quinn told reporters (including Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). However, a signing has not been ruled out for down the road. 
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Freeney, 36, visited with the Falcons today. Strictly a pass-rushing specialist at this stage of his career, Freeney has not found a ripe market for his services despite coming off of a surprisingly strong season. Freeney didn’t hook on with the Cardinals until midway through the 2015 campaign, but he made up for lost time by racking up 8 sacks in 11 games. In 2015, the advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Freeney as (tied) for the 51st best edge rusher in the NFL out of 110 qualified players.
The Falcons are not necessarily hard up for edge rushers, but Freeney could be a fit for Dan Quinn‘s aggressive defensive scheme. The Falcons are currently slated to start Vic Beasley and Derrick Shelby at defensive end with support from Adrian Clayborn and Tyson Jackson. Recently, former NFL head coach and current analyst Mike Nolan opined that the Falcons should sign Freeney to improve their quarterback pressure. Last season, the Falcons finished with a league-worst 19 sacks.
Last month, Freeney also visited the Bengals, but it is not clear if talks are still active between the two sides.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.