Fallout From Randall Cobb Deal
Randall Cobb‘s decision to remain in Green Bay on a four-year, $40MM contract has had an impact on a number of teams in the league, especially those with a need at the wide receiver position. Let’s take a look at some of the fallout from the Cobb deal:
- The Chargers were “real players” for Cobb, tweets Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego. However, they were prepared for the Packers to re-sign Cobb before the star slot receiver could hit the open market. It is unclear if the Chargers, who have a number of irons in the fire at the moment, will consider a run at Jeremy Maclin or Torrey Smith.
- Confirming what we heard last night, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports that Cobb had been one of the Raiders‘ top free agent targets. With plenty of money to spend, Oakland will continue its attempts to upgrade its wide receiving corps in free agency and the draft. If the Raiders cannot land one of the top free agents still on the board, second-tier options like Michael Crabtree, Cecil Shorts, and Kenny Britt could be options.
- Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com wonders if the Cobb deal will “force the Bears into a greater focus to consider a change-of-pace, over-the-top receiver in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.” Boden notes that the team really needs someone to take the pressure off Alshon Jeffery now that Brandon Marshall is in New York, and the only true deep threat left in free agency is Baltimore’s Smith.
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Cobb’s lucrative deal is a win for Smith and Maclin, who now have more leverage as they seek their next contract.
- Smith was already expected to leave the Ravens, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports, but now Wilson would not be surprised if Smith’s next deal approached the $10MM average annual value that Cobb received from Green Bay.
Extra Points: Smith, Dolphins, Ravens
The 49ers reportedly seek to bolster their downfield passing attack with one of the best in the game. Torrey Smith is now a target for San Francisco, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets.
A passing game that sputtered beyond chain-mover Anquan Boldin, who they acquired from the Ravens, last season, the 49ers could lose the inconsistent Michael Crabtree and thus have a spot for Smith. The Ravens wideout has never missed a game due to injury in four seasons and posted yards-per-reception averages of 17.4 in 2012 and 2013 — fourth and fifth in the NFL in those years, respectively.
Smith’s deep-ball proficiency waned a bit last year, as the former second-round pick’s per-catch figure slid to 15.7. But the 26-year-old established a new touchdown career high with 11 and would be an upgrade over a 49ers corps that relied on aging Brandon Lloyd for sporadic deep-ball reps last season.
Behind possibly Jeremy Maclin now that Randall Cobb agreed to a deal to stay with the Packers, Smith won’t come cheap on a wideout market that’s now seen its top three players — counting the franchise-tagged Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas — removed.
Some other pieces of information from the free agency “soft opening” …
- Several league executives reportedly have the Dolphins as the frontrunners for the premier free agent, Ndamukong Suh, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The Chargers and Jaguars remain the mix for the 28-year-old defensive tackle. The Dolphins, who have just more than $9MM of cap room, are also targeting mid-level cornerbacks, with Patrick Robinson (Saints), Shareece Wright (Chargers) and Robert McClain (Falcons) on their radar.
- Washington looked into Chargers corner Marcus Gilchrist and remains in talks with Brian Orakpo, the Washington Post’s Mike Jones summarized. Those talks with Orakpo, who missed nine games with a torn pectoral muscle last year, were lengthy on Saturday.
- As Smith and Pernell McPhee can probably see more money elsewhere, the Ravens’ free agency hesitancy looks to continue, reports the Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec. The Ravens’ top four 2015 cap figures are homegrown players, and that should remain the case with less than $5MM of cap space (OverTheCap).”They are not going to be one of these teams that act like they have money burning a hole in their pocket. … One, they don’t have the cap room to do it, and two, that hasn’t been their M.O. Nobody should expect them to turn into the Miami Dolphins or the Tampa Buccaneers of the past couple of years,” CBS Sports’ Joel Corry told Zrebiec.
NFC East Notes: Washington, Giants, Spiller
Appearing today on the NFL Network, Brian Orakpo left the door open for a return to Washington, but didn’t sound overly optimistic about the possibility, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post details.
“There’s obviously a chance. Obviously the window is still there. The sides are still talking, but it’s very minimal right now,” Orakpo said. “It’s always the numbers. Numbers have to make sense for both sides. And I understand, me coming off of injury, they have to look out for themselves, and I have to look out for myself. So, if we can come up with something that works out for both sides, who knows?”
Jones hears from sources that Orakpo’s return to Washington is unlikely, and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter link) reports the same thing, even more definitively. It looks like Orakpo will be on the lookout for a new NFL home very soon, and the veteran linebacker said today during that NFL Network appearance that he’d have some interest in playing for a team in his home state of Texas.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- With no progress on a long-term deal for restricted-free-agent-to-be Kai Forbath, Washington will likely just offer the kicker a one-year tender, a source tells Jones (Twitter link).
- If the Ravens and Justin Forsett don’t work out a deal within the next few days, the veteran running back will have an interesting market, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Washington is ready to make a play for Forsett, and the Saints will likely be among his suitors as well.
- In addition to having interest in Devin McCourty, as he previously reported, the Giants also figure to explore the possibility of signing safety Rahim Moore, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. All three of New York’s top safeties from 2014 are eligible for free agency, so there figures to be some turnover at the position next week.
- Sources close to Chip Kelly tell Russini (Twitter link) that the Eagles head coach wasn’t willing to rework LeSean McCoy‘s contract, especially considering the running back was looking for a raise. I’d be surprised if McCoy thought the Eagles – or the Bills – would increase his $9.75MM base salary for 2015, but perhaps he wanted to renegotiate his deal to include more guarantees beyond ’15.
- As for the running back McCoy is replacing in Buffalo, C.J. Spiller appears to be campaigning to sign with the Eagles, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com.
Seahawks Eyeing Free Agent Cornerbacks
With Byron Maxwell poised to reach the open market, and almost certain to sign with a team besides the Seahawks, Seattle is considering its options for replacing the cornerback, and is looking at the free agent market for a solution. According to various reports, the club is eyeing Cary Williams and Tramon Williams as potential free agent targets.
A report from NFL Draft Diamonds indicates that the Seahawks would be hosting Cary Williams for a visit this week, several days after he was cut by the Eagles. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms as much, reporting that there’s also mutual interest between Williams and the Ravens (Twitter links). The Jets and Titans are among the other clubs with interest in the ex-Eagle, according to NFL Draft Diamonds.
If the Seahawks are outbid for that Williams, another Williams (Tramon) could be an option for the team if and when he reaches the open market. As Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was involved in signing Tramon Williams to Green Bay’s practice squad back in 2006, and the team has made it clear it will pursue the veteran corner if he becomes available.
A source tells McGinn that the Packers proposed a two-year, $8MM deal for their free-agent-to-be, but Williams turned down the offer and is seeking a three- or four-year contract averaging $5MM+ annually. McGinn’s source adds that Williams would like a deal with a sizable guarantee as protection against being released.
While the Seahawks may like to retain Maxwell, he looks poised to land perhaps the largest deal among free agent cornerbacks this month. The Eagles are viewed as the current frontrunners, but several other teams – including the Jets – are expected to be in the mix.
North Notes: Webb, Peterson, Langford
The question was never whether the Ravens would approach Lardarius Webb about a pay reduction, it was whether he would take one, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. Hensley runs through the different compromises the two sides could reach and ultimately concludes that the Ravens’ best outcome will be for the two sides to find some middle ground. Even if Webb agrees to a pay cut, however, his contract will be an issue next offseason. Baltimore can gain $6MM of cap room by releasing the cornerback in 2016. More from the North divisions..
- Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is scheduled to fly to Houston on Wednesday to meet with Adrian Peterson to discuss the embattled superstar’s future with the team, two people with knowledge of the plan told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Vikings GM Rick Spielman is also expected to make the trip to participate in what would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in months.
- Kendall Langford‘s visit with the Lions went well but he’ll continue visiting other teams, according to Nick Wagoner of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The former Rams defensive lineman will visit the Jets next, followed by the Saints. Langford, who turned 29 last month, inked a four-year, $22MM deal with the Rams in 2012 but was cut late last month.
- Vikings linemen Tom Johnson and Joe Berger both played for the minimum salary last season and both are seeking raises this offseason, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Johnson’s agent says that the Vikings are his client’s first choice, but he’ll be seeking a three- or four-year deal in “the right situation and right system.” Johnson, 30, finished second on the team last season with 6.5 sacks.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Hartline, Johnson
While there are more notable wide receivers scheduled to hit free agency next week, former Dolphin Brian Hartline may be the best player currently available at the position. Hartline is getting a head start on the rest of the receiver market, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, who writes that the veteran wideout is visiting the Browns today. Cleveland certainly makes sense as a fit for Hartline — he’s from Canton and played his college ball at Ohio State, while the Browns will be without Josh Gordon for the 2015 season, and have pass catchers like Miles Austin and Jordan Cameron facing free agency.
As we wait to see if anything comes of Hartline’s meeting with the Browns, let’s check in on a few more items from across the AFC North….
- A league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group that the Browns are comfortable heading into the season with Josh McCown as their bridge quarterback until they find their man of the future. For his part, McCown would not divulge what Cleveland told him about the club’s plans.
- Even though they have $50MM+ in cap room at their disposal, the Browns aren’t expected to be major players in free agency this month, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
- Veteran edge defender Jarret Johnson, who announced his retirement from the NFL last month, will officially do so as a Raven, after signing a one-day contract with the club, tweets Brett Hollander of WBAL Radio. Johnson, who was officially released by San Diego last week, spent the first nine years of his career with the Ravens before joining the Chargers in 2012.
Ravens Ask Lardarius Webb To Take Pay Cut
The Ravens are asking cornerback Lardarius Webb to reduce his salary for the 2015 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Webb’s contract calls for an $8MM base salary this coming year, to go along with a $12MM cap number.
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.
With Webb’s cap hit set to jump from $7.5MM to $12MM, it’s unclear if the Ravens would cut him if he refuses to take a pay cut — since he still has $10MM in prorated bonus money left on his deal over the next three seasons, releasing him would create just $2MM in cap savings if he’s not designated as a post-June 1 cut. Additionally, if he’s healthy again for the 2014 season, the Ravens could use Webb’s presence in the secondary.
Whether or not Webb returns for 2015, the Ravens are expected to add cornerbacks this offseason to help solidify a group led by Jimmy Smith, whose 2014 campaign ended early due to a foot injury. Cary Williams, released today by the Eagles, reportedly has interest in returning to Baltimore and makes some sense as a veteran target for the team.
Eagles Release Cary Williams
The Eagles have parted ways with a player who has started every game for the team during the last two seasons, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve terminated the contract of cornerback Cary Williams. As a vested veteran, Williams won’t have to pass through waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Williams, 30, inked a three-year, $17MM contract with the Eagles prior to the 2013 season, so he had one year remaining on that deal. He has been set to count against the team’s cap for $8.167MM in 2015, so by cutting him, the Eagles will create $6.5MM in cap savings — that was the amount of Williams’ base salary for the coming year. The move leaves the team with $1.667MM in dead money on the books.
While Williams’ performance in the Eagles’ secondary wasn’t great, he was far from a disaster, and he was certainly a workhorse for the club. In each of his two seasons in Philadelphia, Williams led all cornerbacks in defensive snaps, averaging over 1,180 plays per year. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the veteran corner said today on Philadelphia radio that he wasn’t asked to take a pay cut, with the team simply deciding to move in another direction.
By cutting ties with Williams, the Eagles are moving toward overhauling their secondary, and particularly the cornerback position. Bradley Fletcher is also not expected to return, meaning the club will be looking for two new starters this offseason. The Eagles are viewed as a potential frontrunner for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, who will hit the open market next week.
As for Williams, he’ll have a modest head start on the slew of free agents who will be free to negotiate with new teams in a few days. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the ex-Raven has “strong interest” in returning to Baltimore, and that would seem to be a nice fit, given the problems the Ravens had in the secondary last season.
Minor Moves: Alexander, Hampton
Tonight’s minor moves..
- The Seahawks have signed linebacker Mister Alexander, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Alexander, who spent part of the year on Dallas’ taxi squad, was signed to a futures deal in January by Dallas before being let go in February. Seattle got a look at Alexander back in November and apparently kept his number handy.
- The Ravens released cornerback Victor Hampton, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com. Hampton, 22, was arrested over the weekend on DUI charges while he was driving 100 mph in a 55 mph zone in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Ravens signed the South Carolina product to a futures deal in January. After going undrafted in 2014, he spent part of the season with the Giants and Bengals.
AFC Notes: Fins, Broncos, FA Targets, Ravens
Always among the biggest players in free agency, the Dolphins will look to fill several holes when the new league year begins next week. Corner, defensive tackle, and linebacker are among the positions that could use upgrades in South Beach, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers several names that could be of interest to the Fins. Per Jackson, the Dolphins have internally discussed both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers at corner, and the club also wants to re-sign Jimmy Wilson.
Along the defensive line, Miami is interested in Tom Johnson, Corey Peters, and Terrance Knighton, the latter of whom, as Jackson adds, will be the most expensive. Kenrick Ellis is viewed as a “backup option,” while Haloti Ngata will be on the Dolphins’ radar if he’s released by the Ravens. At linebacker, Jackson has previously reported that Miami is intrigued by David Harris, Mason Foster, and Dan Skuta.
Here’s more from the AFC:
- Like the Dolphins, the Broncos are expected to be heavily involved in free agency, as they have been for the duration of GM John Elway’s reign. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will target a variety of positions next week, with offensive line, safety, tight end, and defensive end among them. Center Rodney Hudson, edge defender Pernell McPhee, and and tight end Charles Clay all figure to spark Denver’s interest, per Klis, who adds that center is the one position where the Broncos will surely add a high-profile free agent.
- Ravens cornerback Victor Hampton was arrested for DWI last night, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Hampton was signed to a futures deal in January, and given Baltimore’s low-tolerance for off-the-field incidents at the moment, Aaron Wilson of the Sun (via Twitter) doesn’t see Hampton ever setting foot on a field for the Ravens.
- The Raiders haven’t officially released safety Tyvon Branch, leading Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap to believe (Twitter link) that Branch will be designated a post-June 1 cut. Such releases can’t be formalized until the new league year begins next week.
- In a full-length piece, Fitzgerald takes a look at the Colts’ cap situation as they head into free agency. Check out PFR’s Connor Byrne’s Indianapolis outlook here.