FA Rumors: Moore, Rubin, Jennings, Selvie
If Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News were in charge of the Cowboys, he would have tendered a contract offer to cornerback Sterling Moore. Cowboys coaches didn’t see enough from Moore in 2014 to want him back, apparently, but at a cost of $1.542MM, he could have given them inexpensive depth at the position. Moore, who visited the Steelers earlier this week, is in San Francisco today meeting with the 49ers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Here’s more on a handful of free agents around the NFL:
- The Seahawks are still in the market for defensive line help and they’ll host Browns free agent defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin today, Rapoport tweets. Back in December, Rubin said that he wanted to stay in Cleveland for life. So far, nothing like that has materialized.
- Wide receiver Greg Jennings told Stephen A. Smith on Sirius XM/Mad Dog Sports Radio that he’d be open to a reunion with the Packers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Jennings said that he’d never “tear down” a bridge, but Demovsky notes that Jennings might have done that already with some harsh comments towards the Packers and Aaron Rodgers upon joining the Vikings.
- We heard earlier this week that the Vikings have interest in defensive end George Selvie, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Minnesota appears to have backed off a little, while the Buccaneers are now “very much” in the mix for Selvie.
- Free agent offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds is paying a visit to the Rams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). St. Louis has holes at multiple spots on its offensive line, and Reynolds is capable of playing both guard and tackle.
- Washington, the Vikings, and the Bengals are all vying to sign free agent safety Taylor Mays, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A source tells Tomasson that Cincinnati “desperately” wants to re-sign Mays, who is considering his options.
- The Ravens have maintained interest in potentially re-signing defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, who is visiting the Jets tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Former Dolphins defensive end Rakim Cox has been invited to the veterans combine, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Ravens Release Bernard Pierce
The Ravens announced that they have released running back Bernard Pierce, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Pierce was charged with a DUI on Wednesday morning.
Pierce was already in an iffy spot with the team after coming off of a disappointing 2014 season. The Ravens have re-signed Justin Forsett with Lorenzo Taliaferro available to back him up. The Ravens’ recent pattern in dealing with arrested players has been to cut ties, so it’s not a big surprise to see Pierce let go.
As Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com noted, former Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody was cut after being charged with animal cruelty last month. Cornerback Victor Hampton was also cut earlier this month after being arrested for driving while impaired. Baltimore also acted swiftly when it came to Hampton as he was cut less than 24 hours after the incident.
Last season, Pierce appeared in 13 regular season games for Baltimore. He rushed for a career-low 366 yards off of 93 attempts with two touchdowns. Even with the Ravens’ backfield situation in flux last season, Pierce was unable to become a major part of the rushing attack. Of course, the emergence of Forsett also suppressed his role.
Ravens To Re-Sign Chris Canty
11:01am: Canty’s two-year deal is worth $4.65MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). He’ll get a $1.5MM signing bonus, a $1MM base in 2015, and a $2MM salary in 2016. As previously indicated, the Ravens will hold a team option for the second year (link).
10:58am: The Ravens officially announced that Canty has been signed to a two-year deal, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
10:40am: The Ravens will re-sign defensive lineman Chris Canty, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). It’ll be a one-year deal with a team option for year two (link).
The Ravens cut Canty because of his high cap number earlier this offseason. The 32-year-old was released by the Ravens in February and has since drawn interest from other teams, including the Seahawks and Jets. Shortly after cutting Canty loose, GM Ozzie Newsome made it clear that a reunion could still be in the cards.
“We certainly would not close the door to Chris coming back to us,” Newsome said.
Canty, a 10-year veteran, joined the Ravens prior to the 2013 season, after spending his first eight years in the NFC East with the Cowboys and Giants. In two years with Baltimore, Canty started 14 of 26 games he played, registering 65 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. While he didn’t have a huge impact on the field, the veteran lineman is a good leader and has a positive locker room presence.
By cutting Canty initially, the Ravens removed his $2.66MM base salary from their books, leaving about $667K in dead money. Canty had initially been slated to count for approximately $3.327MM against the club’s 2015 cap. The exact terms of his new deal are not yet known, but it’ll provide Baltimore with more breathing room than they would have had under the old pact.
Canty was set to visit the Seahawks on Thursday, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter), but that trip has obviously been cancelled.
Ravens Rework Webb’s Contract, Re-Sign Cox
WEDNESDAY, 9:03am: Webb’s restructure will include $5.5MM guaranteed, including a $3MM bonus, a league source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 5:00pm: It looks like Webb’s salary may have been reduced to $6MM not just for 2015 but for ’16 and ’17 as well. Wilson tweets that the corner is now due to make $18MM over the next three years.
4:36pm: Webb will see his 2015 base salary reduced to $6MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). If that’s the only change to Webb’s contract, it would create $2MM in cap savings for the Ravens.
3:58pm: The Ravens have made a series of roster moves, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links), who reports that the team has restructured the contract of cornerback Lardarius Webb and announced new deals for defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi and long snapper Morgan Cox.
The Ravens reportedly asked Webb to take a pay cut earlier this offseason, and I imagine the corner’s new deal will reduce his overall earnings, rather than simply converting a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus. Webb’s cap hit had been set to jump from $7.5MM in 2014 to $12MM in 2015, which included a base salary of $8MM.
Webb didn’t escape unscathed during a 2014 season in which the Ravens’ secondary was decimated by injuries. The veteran corner missed three games early in the year with a lower back injury, and appeared to be somewhat hampered by those back issues throughout the season. Webb’s season-long grade on Pro Football Focus (subscription required) reflected those injury problems — he ranked 78th out of 108 qualified cornerbacks in 2014 after grading as a top-20 corner in 2013. Still, if he’s back at full health, Webb’s return should help solidify Baltimore’s secondary in 2015.
As for the Ravens’ two signings, Cox has served as Baltimore’s long snapper since 2010, but missed a good chunk of the 2014 season after being placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL in October. Assuming he’s healthy in time for the 2015 season, I’d expect Cox to resume long snapping duties for the team.
A part-time player for Baltimore last season before being sidelined by an ankle injury, Bilukidi played just 47 defensive snaps after being claimed off waivers from Cincinnati. His new two-year deal with the Ravens was reported last month.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Ray, Parker, Agholor
We’ve already looked at a few upcoming draft visits in some earlier posts today, so let’s go ahead and round up the rest of today’s draft-related news…
- The Buccaneers hosted Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per Rapoport, Mariota’s visit to Tampa will be similar to Jameis Winston‘s meeting several weeks ago, and Mariota will meet with all of TB’s decision-makers.
- Edge rusher Shane Ray will be a busy man, as the Missouri product has pre-draft visits lined up with the Ravens, Falcons, Titans, and Jaguars, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- Like Ray, Louisville receiver DeVante Parker will have a full schedule, as he has 12 visits on his calendar during the next month, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that Parker will first meet with the Dolphins.
- Another receiver — USC’s Nelson Agholor — visited with the Eagles today, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Eagles head coach Chip Kelly recruited Agholor while the former was at Oregon, Getlin adds.
- The Eagles are hosting multiple prospects, as Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will visit Philadelphia today and tomorrow, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Ravens, T. Williams
The five-year, $99MM extension Ben Roethlisberger signed with the Steelers last week pays him more than $35MM in 2015, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who provides some details on the quarterback’s new deal. Bouchette reports that Big Ben gets a $31MM signing bonus, and could earn up to $9MM in incentives in later seasons, potentially increasing the total value of the contract to $108MM.
Here’s more from around the AFC North:
- Free agent defensive back Sterling Moore, who paid a visit to the Buccaneers last week, has a meeting lined up with the Steelers this week, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Non-tendered by the Cowboys, Moore arrives in Pittsburgh tonight and his visit with the team will continue tomorrow, per Anderson.
- The Ravens ultimately signed Kendrick Lewis to address their need at safety, but the club also had interest in Ron Parker before he decided to return to Kansas City, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Speaking of Ravens’ secondary targets, Wilson reports in a separate piece for the Sun that Baltimore is currently eyeing cornerback Tramon Williams, who has also received interest from the division-rival Browns.
- In a piece naming 10 of his favorite team-friendly deals of free agency so far, Grantland’s Bill Barnwell places the Ravens‘ signing of Justin Forsett atop his list.
- Free agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts is paying a visit to the Texans this week, but the Ohio native doesn’t have a visit lined up with the Browns, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
- Earlier today, Cabot reported that the Browns attempted to trade for Larry Fitzgerald before he worked out a new contract with the Cardinals.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Myers, Coleman, Bowe
The first wave of free agency is winding down, and many teams have already made their big splashes and are turning their attention to the NFL Draft. Still, the action is far from over. Plenty of front offices are looking at the second wave as a time to find bargains on second-tier free agent names, as well as a number of veterans who either have recently been released or are soon to be cut by their current teams.
As teams look for other options to improve their roster with the cream of the crop free agents already signed, here are some notes from around the AFC North:
- The Ravens are in the market for wide receivers after losing Torrey Smith to the 49ers, specifically a downfield threat, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Luckily for Joe Flacco, the draft is deep with pass catchers such as burners Philip Dorsett of the University of Miami and Devin Smith of Ohio St., and there are a number of free agent options left on the market as well, including Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Hakeem Nicks, and Cecil Shorts.
- The Ravens are hosting offensive guard Robert Myers of Tennessee State for a private workout, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team is also one of three that will host a visit with Indiana tailback Tevin Coleman, according to Wilson. The other teams are the Cardinals and Panthers.
- The meeting between Bowe and the Browns was very positive, writes Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). There continues to be mutual interest between the two sides.
Sunday Roundup: Ngata, Cameron, Rams
We have seen one major signing thus far today, as Michael Johnson and the Bengals agreed to reunite. As we wait for more free agent dominoes to fall, let’s take a look at a few more notes from around the league:
- Justin Rogers of MLive.com looks at how the Lions might work out an extension for newly-acquired DT Haloti Ngata. It is still unclear whether Detroit will even approach Ngata about an extension–the team may view him as a one-year stopgap, although the draft picks they sent to Baltimore suggest that is not the case–but Rogers believes a new three-year, $26MM deal might work well for both sides. Ngata himself said he believes he has three good years left, and such an extension would give Detroit a little more cap space for 2015 while creating manageable $7.5MM cap numbers in 2016 and 2017.
- Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com says the Browns‘ strategy in attempting to re-sign Jordan Cameron did not make much sense. The Browns could have put the transition tag on Cameron for cheaper than the deal they offered, but they did not use the tag before the deadline and then made Cameron an offer for more than the tag value.
- Despite the team’s flurry of activity in the first week of free agency, the Rams have a few major holes to fill, and most of those holes are along the offensive line. As Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the team has about $11MM in cap space, which should give them enough room to sign two out of the three of Stefen Wisniewski, Justin Blalock, and Joe Barksdale.
- Speaking of the Rams‘ offensive line, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com writes that recently-released Jake Long could be back as the team’s right tackle on a shorter, cheaper deal, but that likely would not happen until after the draft. As far as the team’s quarterback situation is concerned, Wagoner believes all options in the draft–trade up, trade down, etc.–are on the table, despite the acquisition of Nick Foles.
- Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter) lauds the 49ers‘ signing of Reggie Bush, who will pair with Carlos Hyde to create a strong 1-2 punch in the backfield. Miller adds that the team’s acquisitions in free agency will allow them to once again pursue the best player available in the draft rather than drafting for need.
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the Ravens had interest in Mike Wallace before he was traded to Minnesota. Baltimore thought that Miami might cut Wallace, thereby making him an unrestricted free agent.
- There is no new deal in place between the Saints and Keenan Lewis, but Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that Lewis feels better about his long-term security with the club after meeting with unspecified team officials this week.
- While they will not receive any compensatory picks in this year’s draft, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com points out that the Bills are in line for multiple compensatory selections next year.
Ravens To Sign Kendrick Lewis
The Ravens have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with former Texans safety Kendrick Lewis, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
The deal is pending a physical, expected for early next week, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Lewis graded out positively in 2014 according to Pro Football Focus, leading the Texans’ secondary in snap count (subscription required). He will join a secondary that struggled last season. He will likely compete with Matt Elam for the starting spot opposite Will Hill, who was arguably the best member of the defensive backfield by the end of the year.
The Texans wanted to keep Lewis in Houston, but he was not interested in backing up Rahim Moore in 2015, so he decided to pursue a starting role elsewhere, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
FA Notes: Crabtree, Parker, Dwyer
Through the first three days of free agency, we’ve seen boatloads of money handed out by front offices. According to the NFL Players Association (on Twitter), there were 85 contracts filed to the NFLPA during the first 72 hours of free agency. The value of those contracts was worth more than $1.3B dollars, including close to $590MM in guaranteed money.
As the majority of the free agent class seeks their next contract, let’s take a look at notes surrounding some notable players…
- Washington has interest in wideout Michael Crabtree, tweets ESPN.com’s John Keim. The writer notes that the Chargers appear to be a “stronger possibility.”
- The Ravens have been seeking consistency at the safety position since the retirement of Ed Reed, and Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says free agent Ron Parker could be the team’s answer. The 27-year-old, who spent the past two seasons with the Chiefs, has received interest from the Bears and Buccaneers. Keim notes that Kansas City is also interested in retaining the former undrafted free agent.
- According to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (on Twitter), the NFL has indicated that free agent running back Jonathan Dwyer is free to sign with any team. However, discipline is “pending” following Dwyer pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.