Chargers To Meet With Mike Pouncey
Former Dolphins center Mike Pouncey will visit the Chargers on Saturday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks Pouncey’s first free agent visit since being released by Miami. 
Pouncey, one of the better known centers in the NFL, has been plagued by hip issues in recent years. He did not miss any games last season, but it was obvious that he was not at full strength and he struggled as a result.
Miami asked Pouncey to accept a 50% pay reduction, which he declined. That would have left Pouncey with about $4.5MM in 2018 and he felt that he could do better. Given that at least 13 NFL centers are currently making more than that on a yearly basis, Pouncey is probably right in that regard.
The Chargers recently lost versatile interior lineman Kenny Wiggins to free agency and they could use an upgrade in the middle over 2016 UDFA Spencer Pulley. Pulley graded out as one of the very worst qualified centers in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, the Chargers will have to take a very close look at Pouncey’s medicals due to his hip issues.
On Thursday, the Buccaneers also reached out to Pouncey to express their interest.
AFC Notes: Kaepernick, Texans, Titans
When Colin Kaepernick‘s choice to work out in Houston this week raised some eyebrows in the football world. We now know why he was in town. Texans owner Bob McNair was deposed on Friday in Kaepernick’s collusion lawsuit against the NFL and Kaepernick sat in on the deposition, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Kaepernick, who was ranked as one of my ten best available quarterbacks before the start of free agency, has yet to receive any bites from teams as he continues his legal proceedings against the NFL.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- The Titans are after Ndamukong Suh and that could lead to a shakeup on the defensive line, as veteran NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky notes (on Twitter). The nose tackle is set to carry a $5MM base salary in 2018 and $2.5MM of that sum becomes fully guaranteed on Sunday. Williams would not only be redundant in the event of Suh signing – he’d also be taking of cap space that may need to be allocated for the former Dolphin.
- Free agent offensive tackle Matt Tobin met with the Patriots on Friday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Broncos are working on re-signing free agent offensive lineman Billy Turner, sources tell Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).
Texans Claim WR Sammie Coates
The Texans have claimed wide receiver Sammie Coates off waivers from the Browns, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Because Coates is not a vested veteran, he hit the waiver wire instead of unrestricted free agency. 
[RELATED: Texans Depth Chart, Via Roster Resource]
With a 4-12 record, the Texans are fourth in the league’s waiver wire order, behind only the Browns, Giants, and Colts. It’s not immediately clear if any other teams attempted to claim Coates, but the Texans had the advantage over 27 other clubs.
Coates had just six catches for 70 yards with no touchdowns last year for Cleveland. His best season to date came in 2016 with the Steelers when he had 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores.
The Texans currently have Will Fuller, Braxton Miller, and Bruce Ellington as their top receivers after star DeAndre Hopkins. The Texans have nine receivers under contract in total, but there is certainly a chance for him to stick and make the final cut.
While Coates prepares to battle for a spot with the Texans, former Steelers teammate Markus Wheaton is on the market and meeting with the Seahawks.
NFC Notes: Lions, Ngata, Giants
Here’s a quick look at the NFC:
- Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata inked a one-year, $2.6MM fully guaranteed deal ($3MM maximum value) with the Eagles this week, but he had the same offer on the table from the Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (video link). He chose the Eagles because he felt they were a better scheme fit for him. In Philadelphia’s two-gap system, Ngata is hoping to get back to his old form as he backs up Fletcher Cox and Timmy Jernigan.
- The Giants restructured linebacker Alec Ogletree‘s contract to prorate the $7MM roster bonus he was due over the remaining four years of his contract, a source tells Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter). His cap hit will be reduced from $10MM to $4.75MM in 2018, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter).
- Bears tight end Dion Sims remained on the team’s roster today and now has $4MM of his $6MM base salary fully guaranteed for 2018, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter) notes.
Vikings Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Vikings have now landed premier free agents on both sides of the ball. Sheldon Richardson has agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Richardson’s deal includes an $8MM base salary and $3MM more in available incentives.
The Vikings were the only team known to have met with Richardson and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. The Vikings wined and dined Richardson a bit on Friday and pitched him with new quarterback Kirk Cousins in tow.
The Vikings used much of their cap space on Cousins, but they still had enough left to sign one of the most talented defensive linemen in this year’s free agent crop, thanks in part to the restructuring of Latavius Murray‘s deal. The 27-year-old (28 in November) had just one sack last season, but the advanced metrics showed that he was still starting caliber, even in a down year.
Richardson did his best work with the Jets, particularly in 2014 when he racked up eight sacks. His production was a bit up-and-down as he was moved at times from defensive tackle to the outside and even to linebacker, but he was a consistent threat.
Richardson, presumably, was after a multi-year deal, but the one-year pact with Minnesota will give him a chance to rebuild his value and potentially cash in next March. He joins an already stacked Vikings D and will pair with Linval Joseph in the middle. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen will serve as the starting bookends with Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Ben Gedeon filling out the front seven.
The Seahawks have now lost two high-profile defensive linemen in Richardson and Michael Bennett (via trade with the Eagles), but Richardson’s departure should at least net them some return in compensatory picks.
[RELATED: Vikings Depth Chart]
Chiefs Sign QB Chad Henne
The Chiefs are signing quarterback Chad Henne to a two-year deal, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Henne, 33 in July, will serve as the No. 2 QB behind Patrick Mahomes. 
The Chiefs have been on the lookout for a backup/mentor to pair with Mahomes. They had interest in signing Chase Daniel to fill that role, but he wound up joining the Bears on a two-year deal worth $10MM with $7MM guaranteed.
Kansas City may have preferred Daniel for the job, but Henne comes with more in-game experience. Daniel has only two starts in his entire NFL career and none since 2014. Henne, meanwhile, boasts 53 career starts, though he also hasn’t made a start since ’14.
The last time Henne saw consistent playing time was 2013, when he completed 60.6% of his passes for 3,241 yards and 13 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Jets Re-Sign OT Ben Ijalana
The Jets have signed tackle Ben Ijalana to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The news is a bit unexpected since the Jets declined his option for 2018 back in February. 
Had the Jets retained Ijalana under the terms of his old deal, they would have had to pay out a $500K bonus in order to trigger a $4.5MM base salary for 2018. He’s back now, under a cheaper deal.
Ijalana appeared in 11 games in 2017 but only played 56 offensive snaps after losing out on a starting job to Brandon Shell. However, in the previous season, he started 13 games and played 83% percent of the team’s snaps.
Ijalan offers experience at both left tackle and right tackle and projects to come off of the bench in support of Kelvin Beachum and Shell. For a complete look at the Jets’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
Eagles Cut DL Vinny Curry
The Eagles are releasing defensive lineman Vinny Curry, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Eagles were hoping to retain him, but the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a pay cut. Curry would have locked in $5MM of his $9MM base salary had he remained on the roster on Sunday. 
Curry appeared ticketed for release when the Eagles acquired Michael Bennett in a March trade with the Seahawks. He is now out of Philly and so is his $11MM cap hit. The Eagles will be left with $6MM in dead money after releasing Curry, but they’ll save $5MM.
Curry, 30 in June, totaled 42 tackles and three sacks last season for the Eagles. He tallied 22 sacks for the Eagles between 2013 and 2017.
At this point in free agency, Curry profiles as one of the very best free agent defensive linemen available. The Seahawks may have interest in Curry since they have dealt Bennett and are may be on the verge of losing Sheldon Richardson to free agency.
Seahawks Interested In DT Tom Johnson
Vikings free agent defensive tackle Tom Johnson is scheduled to meet with the Seahawks on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Johnson reportedly also has drawn interest from the Raiders and Bills. 
The Vikings are trying to hammer out a deal with Seahawks free agent Sheldon Richardson, but it has been said that they would like to retain Johnson as well. The Vikings and Johnson might not see eye-to-eye on his value, however. Johnson asked for a one-year, $4MM extension last season, but the Vikings refused. If Johnson can get an equivalent deal elsewhere, he might be a goner.
The Seahawks would like to keep Richardson, but it appears that they will not be able to keep up with the outside bidding for him. Johnson can help fill that void, though he can’t personally replace his production.
Johnson has 16 sacks to his credit over the last four seasons. He’ll celebrate his 34th birthday in August, so he’s probably looking at a one-year deal.
Patriots To Meet With CB Delvin Breaux
The Patriots are set to meet with cornerback Delvin Breaux on Friday, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Breaux met with the Broncos earlier this week, but left Denver without a deal. 
The Saints had the option of retaining Breaux as a restricted free agent, but opted against extending him a tender. That probably wasn’t an easy decision for New Orleans given the way he performed as a starter in 2015. Unfortunately, Breaux didn’t deliver in 2016 and his 2017 season was lost to injury.
The Patriots saw cornerback Malcolm Butler leave for the Titans on a five-year contract worth more than $61MM, so they’re clearly in the market for secondary help. They picked up one low-cost cornerback on Thursday when they traded for Jason McCourty, but there’s still room for improvement.
As shown on Roster Resource, the Pats currently project to start Jonathan Jones alongside star Stephon Gilmore with McCourty, Eric Rowe, and Cyrus Jones in support.