Contract Details: Culliver, Browner, Cameron
Here are some key contract details for a few notable new pacts agreed to and/or signed over the last few days:
NFC deals:
- Chris Culliver, CB (Washington): Four years, $32MM base value. $16MM fully guranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Brooks Reed, LB (Falcons): Five years, $22.5MM base value. $6.9MM fully guaranteed. $4.7MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Brandon Browner, CB (Saints): Three years, $15MM base value. $7.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ryan Mathews, RB (Eagles): Three years, $11MM base value. $5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Terrance Knighton, DT (Washington): One year, $4MM. $2MM signing bonus (link via Troy Renck of the Denver Post).
AFC deals:
- Jordan Cameron, TE (Dolphins): Two years, $15MM base value. $5MM fully guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $2.5MM per-game roster bonuses in 2015 (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
- Rahim Moore, S (Texans): Three years, $12MM base value. $4.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter links via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle and Wilson).
- Justin Forsett, RB (Ravens): Three years, $9MM base value. $2.1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Ravens To Re-Sign Justin Forsett
1:36pm: The deal will pay Forsett about $3MM per year, a source tells Wilson (on Twitter).
1:27pm: The Ravens have reached an agreement with free agent running back Justin Forsett, ensuring the veteran remains with the team for at least the 2015 season, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, it’s a three-year deal for Forsett.
The Ravens have maintained interest throughout the process but were said to be ready to bow out of the bidding if it got too rich for their blood. At one time, some connected Forsett to the Broncos where he could reunite with Gary Kubiak, but he downplayed the likelihood of a reunion, noting that the Broncos have multiple tailbacks under contract, including C.J. Anderson. At the same time, he made it clear to anyone who would listen that he wanted to rejoin the Ravens.
“I would like to stay in Baltimore, but it is a business and I’m looking for a commitment. However that comes, I just want to be able to take care of my family,” the veteran said.
While he won’t have Kubiak, new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman is expected to keep many of the same principles that Baltimore’s run game used in 2014. Forsett was never regarded as one of the league’s better halfbacks, but after gaining 1,266 yards on the ground, he established himself as a bonafide starter and he’ll look to have a repeat performance for Baltimore in 2015.
The 29-year-old played 2014 under a one-year, $730K deal after being released by the Jaguars. Because he was on a minimum salary benefit contract, he wasn’t eligible to sign a multi-year deal with Baltimore until the official start of free agency. If not for that, it’s likely that the two sides would have hammered something out in advance of March 10th.
FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knighton
Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..
- Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).
- A head coach told Russini (on Twitter) that teams are afraid to sign Terrance Knighton because he’s out of shape.
- Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.
- Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.
- Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.
- The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.
- There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.
- The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.
North Rumors: Blalock, Rolle, Ravens
Veteran offensive lineman Justin Blalock is paying a visit to the Lions today, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Yesterday, we learned that St. Louis and Detroit both have interest in the ex-Falcon, and that he planned to visit the Rams as well.
- A day after agreeing to sign with the Bears, Antrel Rolle tells SiriusXM NFL Radio that his decision came down to Chicago and Washington, and adds that he’s not sure why the Giants seemingly had no interest in bringing him back (Twitter links).
- The Ravens have preliminary interest in former Bills tight end Scott Chandler, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Chandler, 30 in July, was released by the Bills on Tuesday.
- The Ravens are looking to bring in a veteran to challenge quarterback Keith Wenning for the backup job, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun tweets. There’s not a whole lot of quality free agent quarterbacks remaining, however.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Ravens Re-Sign Anthony Levine
THURSDAY, 9:57am: The Ravens have officially re-signed Levine, the team announced today in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 5:21pm: Levine’s two-year deal is worth $2.4MM, including a $400K signing bonus and playing time incentives, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
1:41pm: The Ravens have re-signed Anthony Levine to a two-year deal, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). On Tuesday, Baltimore declined to tender an offer to the cornerback.
Levine, 28 at the end of March, appeared in all 16 games for the Ravens last season, recording 33 tackles and four pass deflections. Levine has spent the last three seasons of his career with Baltimore after playing his first season in Green Bay.
North Rumors: Gachkar, Johnson, Taylor
A quick look at the AFC and NFC North…
- Chargers linebacker Andrew Gachkar will not be visiting the Vikings, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. Despite previous reports linking San Diego to the 26-year-old, Craig clarifies that the team has no interest.
- Following Michael Johnson‘s release from the Buccaneers earlier today, FOX Sports’ Jenna Laine tweets that the Vikings have interest in the veteran defensive end (along with the Bengals). A source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Johnson has already heard from handful of teams.
- The Ravens have maintained interest in bringing back backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Taylor visited with the Bills on Tuesday.
Pats, Seahawks, Ravens Interested In Knighton
Free agent defensive tackle Terrance Knighton is drawing interest from the Patriots, Seahawks, and Ravens, according to Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. Knighton is also visiting with Washington today.
The Raiders appeared to be nearing a deal with Pot Roast, but on Tuesday he reached out to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson to let everyone know that he won’t be joining up with Oakland or returning to Denver.
When Luke Adams listed PFR’s top 50 free agents recently, he ranked Pot Roast 16th on our list. The six-year veteran was an integral part of a Broncos team that had the league’s second-best run defense in 2014, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Knighton 12th among 81 qualifying D-tackles last season. Knighton, 29 in July, recorded 33 total tackles with two sacks and three pass deflections last season.
Lions Acquire Haloti Ngata
WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Ngata has passed his physical and is officially a Lion, says Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 3:36pm: Detroit will receive Ngata and a seventh-round pick while sending a fourth- and fifth-round pick to Baltimore, per Schefter (Twitter link).
2:55pm: The Lions have acquired defensive tackle Haloti Ngata from the Ravens, Baltimore announced via Twitter. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun was the first to report the news (Twitter link). Detroit is expected to send a fourth- or fifth- round pick to the Ravens, tweets Peter King of Sports Illustrated.
Baltimore has expressed optimism that it would be able to retain the 31-year-old Ngata via some sort of contract restructure involving either an extension or a pay reduction. He had been scheduled to carry a $16MM cap charge for 2015. Now that they’ve traded him, the Ravens will only be responsible for his prorated bonus money, which comes to $7.5MM.
In landing Ngata, the Lions have found their replacement for departed free agent Ndamukong Suh, who agreed to terms with the Dolphins over the weekend. Ngata is also reuniting with Teryl Austin, Detroit’s defensive coordinator, who previously coached in Baltimore. The Lions will assume Ngata’s base salary of $8.5MM for the upcoming season. The nine-year veteran has started 133 games in his career, accruing 25.5 sacks.
Former Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley is now a free agent, and it will interesting to see if Detroit’s move for Ngata will impact their pursuit of him.
Bears Sign Pernell McPhee
WEDNESDAY, 11:36am: The Bears have officially announced their five-year deal with McPhee (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 8:22am: A year after adding veteran defensive ends Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen in free agency, the Bears are making another big splash on the open market in the hopes of improving their pass rush. According to Aaron Leming of BearReport.com (via Twitter), the team is in agreement on a five-year contract with Pernell McPhee that will be worth just under $40MM. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has since confirmed the deal, adding that it includes nearly $16MM in guaranteed money.
McPhee, 26, has seen his stock rise since he was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round back in 2011. Although he only started six total regular season contests in Baltimore over the course of his rookie contract, McPhee developed into one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers.
According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the Mississippi State product racked up an impressive 64 total quarterback pressures – including 21 QB hits – in just 540 defensive snaps last season. PFF ranked McPhee second among all 3-4 outside linebackers, behind only NFL sack leader Justin Houston.
When I identified my top 50 free agents over the weekend, I listed McPhee eighth overall, suggesting that he could be this year’s Everson Griffen, who inked a five-year, $42.5MM deal last March as he made the transition from being a part-time contributor to his team’s primary pass rusher. McPhee’s deal looks like it’ll be in the same neighborhood as Griffen’s, and I’d expect the Bears intend to use him in a much larger role than the Ravens did.
The Colts had been viewed as a possible suitor for McPhee, given the Chuck Pagano connection and the team’s need for a pass rusher. Wilson tweets that Washington was also among the several teams that had interest in the four-year veteran. However, according to Wilson (via Twitter), McPhee was interested in playing for new Bears head coach John Fox, and was impressed by the Bears’ plans for him as a pass rusher.
With Vic Fangio taking over as defensive coordinator on Fox’s staff in Chicago, the Bears are transitioning from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 scheme, so McPhee should fit comfortably. Players like Houston and Allen make far more sense as 4-3 defensive ends than 3-4 outside linebackers, so the position was one the Bears needed to address this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see what other moves the team makes to accommodate Fangio’s system, and how the carryover players adjust to the new defense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
King’s Latest: Peterson, Cowboys, Forsett
Following a wild Tuesday in the NFL, Peter King of TheMMQB.com introduced a one-time-only Wednesday Morning Quarterback column to reflect on yesterday’s highlights from around the NFL. The piece included a handful of interesting tidbits worth passing along, so let’s dive in….
- King hears that running back Adrian Peterson hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out of Minnesota, and notes that if a team like the Jaguars or Raiders ends up landing DeMarco Murray, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys could be willing to move a draft pick for the Vikings star.
- Speaking of Murray and the Cowboys, LeSean McCoy‘s lucrative new contract with the Bills is having a “chilling effect” on Dallas’ efforts to re-sign the NFL’s leading rusher, says King.
- The Ravens would very much like to re-sign Justin Forsett, but are expected to bow out if the bidding gets too high.
- Seahawks GM John Schneider only had first-round grades on 16 players in this year’s draft class, so when he parted with the No. 31 overall pick in yesterday’s Jimmy Graham trade, he essentially viewed that pick as a second-rounder.
- The league appears to be concerned, but “not fuming,” over all the contract agreements that were leaked before the start of the free agent period. We heard yesterday that the league had asked teams to hang onto their phone records, but King doesn’t believe we’ll see much more than “an angry finger-wag” at teams and their general managers.
- Jameis Winston met with commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL officials last Thursday, in a meeting that was instigated by the young quarterback and his camp, writes King. The purpose of the sit-down was to allow Winston to tell his own story about his history of off-field incidents, and to get the lay of the land for his future in the NFL. “He went out of his way to make a good impression, and to show that he understood what was going to be expected of him in the NFL,” one league official told King.