Bills Place Franchise Tag On Cordy Glenn
11:51am: The Bills have formally filed the paperwork on Glenn’s non-exclusive franchise tag, making it official, per Jason la Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 11:32am: The Bills have informed Glenn that he’ll officially be receiving the franchise tag, per Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
SATURDAY, 3:58pm: Arguably the top free agent left tackle, Cordy Glenn may not get the chance to gauge his worth on the open market this year.
The Bills are expected to use their franchise tag on Glenn if they cannot reach a long-term extension with the fifth-year left tackle by March 1, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
A tag for Glenn would be worth $13.706MM, as all offensive linemen are grouped together under this format.
The 26-year-old Glenn’s been a quiet stalwart in Buffalo the past few seasons and has started 61 games since being selected in the second round in 2012. Glenn rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 10 overall tackle and fifth-best left-edge protector last season.
The Bills have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term extension with their four-year starter. Buffalo reworked Charles Clay‘s deal and identified Leodis McKelvin and Corey Graham as players who could also restructure their contracts to create space this week, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. But additional maneuvering could be required before the start of 2016 league year March 9 should Glenn be tagged.
Richie Incognito also looms as a free agent up front, though GM Doug Whaley has expressed confidence the team can re-sign him, along with retaining Glenn.
Glenn joins Russell Okung, Donald Penn and Kelvin Beachum as the top unrestricted free agents at the left tackle position.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Bills Release Mario Williams, Kraig Urbik
With the Bills prepared to use their franchise tag on left tackle Cordy Glenn, the team is clearing cap room to accommodate today’s move and future offseason business. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Bills have let defensive end Mario Williams know that he has been released. Additionally veteran guard Kraig Urbik posted a farewell message to the team and its fans on Twitter, suggesting he has also been cut.
[RELATED: Bills place franchise tag on Cordy Glenn]
Williams indicated last week that he would be open to discussing a pay cut to remain with the Bills, but even when he made those comments, he hinted at some concerns about the team’s defensive scheme, suggesting that he would want the team’s coaches to meet the players halfway. The veteran defensive end struggled mightily during his first and only season under new Bills head coach Rex Ryan and defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman, and his released had long been viewed as likely.
In addition to his steep drop in his production this season – he had 19 tackles and five sacks after recording 42 and 14.5 in 2014 – Williams would have been one of the priciest defensive players in the NFL in 2016. His cap charge was set to increase to $19.9MM, which was accompanied by an $11.5MM base salary. Releasing the veteran pass rusher will save the Bills nearly $13MM in cap room, leaving the club with only $7MM in dead money on its books.
Although Williams will be entering his age-31 season in 2016, I imagine many teams will chalk up his 2015 struggles to a poor scheme fit, rather than a possible decline in talent. Given how many clubs will be in the market for pass-rushing help this offseason, Williams should be in high demand on the open market, and he’ll get a week’s head-start on the rest of this year’s pending free agents.
As for Urbik, the 30-year-old has spent his entire six-year career in Buffalo, starting 57 games over the last six years for the Bills. He’s the victim of a cap crunch in Buffalo, with the team in need of every bit of flexibility it can get. The Bills will free up $1.775MM in cap space by releasing Urbik, who wrote on Twitter that he is “excited about my next opportunity.”
Like Williams, Urbik is a vested veteran, so both players will become unrestricted free agents without having to pass through waivers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Frustrated With Richie Incognito Talks
As the franchise-tag deadline nears and the Bills are forced to make a decision on left tackle Cordy Glenn, the team is also attempting to get something done with left guard Richie Incognito. However, a league a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the Bills are getting frustrated with those Incognito negotiations.
As Florio explains, the cap-strapped Bills believe Incognito should be open to giving the team something of a hometown discount, since Buffalo was the club willing to give the veteran lineman a second chance last year after the Dolphins’ bullying scandal left him without a job for the entire 2014 season. However, Incognito apparently doesn’t see it that way, and his reluctance to simply take what the Bills are offering is creating some friction between the player and the team, says Florio.
Incognito, who earned a Pro Bowl nod for his strong comeback season in 2015, will turn 33 this July, so it makes sense that he’d want the opportunity to maximize what could very well be the last lucrative free agent contract of his career. While the Bills deserve some credit for rolling the dice on him last offseason, the team could have tried to lock him up to a multiyear contract at that point, rather than counting on him to give the club preferential treatment once his one-year deal expired.
With several teams around the NFL in need of interior line help, Incognito looks like a good bet to at least test the market and gauge his value during next week’s legal tampering period.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman
An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.
“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.
As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….
- Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
- No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
- Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
- Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
- Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.
Draft Rumors: QBs, Treadwell, Nkemdiche
If the Browns take the fast-rising Carson Wentz at No. 2, a longtime personnel executive informs Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com there’s a possibility three quarterbacks go off the board in the first seven picks.
This source believes Jared Goff falling to No. 4 would entice the Cowboys to select him and that the 49ers would be tempted to take Paxton Lynch at No. 7 to give a highly touted quarterback the chance to learn Chip Kelly‘s system from Day 1 as opposed to the veterans who were installed in Kelly’s offense in Philadelphia either after playing in Andy Reid‘s or another team’s attack.
Here’s the latest coming out of the prospect pool as the Combine winds down.
- The notion Laquon Treadwell‘s more of a possession receiver has emerged at the Combine, Robinson reports. Some league personnel are wondering if the Ole Miss first-round prospect’s future is more of a No. 2 wideout and red zone-type threat than a high-ceiling No. 1 that teams take in the top half of the first round, where the early-entry receiver’s expected to be drafted.
- Robert Nkemdiche‘s character concerns have caused the one-time No. 1 recruit in the country to be taken off of multiple teams’ draft boards. But Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reports (on Twitter) the Ole Miss defensive lineman already has 15 visits arranged.
- Teams will be concerned of potential nerve damage lingering for former potential No. 1 overall pick Jaylon Smith, Sal Maiorana of USA Today notes. But the Bills could be in play for the Notre Dame prospect if he falls to No. 19, with the team lacking a game-changing linebacker. Although Buffalo’s past taking a player not expected to contribute that season — Willis McGahee in 2003 — doesn’t apply too much here, Todd Gurley proved such a gamble can pay off.
- Although Joey Bosa‘s Combine numbers were eerily similar to J.J. Watt‘s, the 20-year-old prospect underwhelmed with a 4.86 40-yard dash time. But the Browns are considering Bosa with their No. 2 pick, along with Wentz and Goff, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Bosa, who met with the Browns, was expected to run faster considering he’ll likely have to play linebacker in a 3-4 defense.
Patriots Notes: Jones, Hightower, Ebner, Hogan
The Patriots have filled the vacancy created when Bob Quinn left for the Lions, as Dave Ziegler has been promoted to director of pro personnel, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Ziegler, 38, had spent the past three year’s as Quinn’s No. 2, and previously worked for the Broncos under current New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Here’s a bit more on the Patriots…
- New England has an impressive crop of players entering the final year of their contracts, as Chandler Jones, Dont’a Hightower, Jamie Collins, and Malcolm Butler — among others — will be free agents after the 2016 season. But the club hadn’t initiated extension talks with any of those players as of Friday, reports Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Patriots might begin contract conversations after free agency concludes, per Volin, but Hightower, for his part, appears likely to play out the season on his fifth-year option without coming to a long-term agreement.
- Receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell are both potential cap casualties, but the Patriots haven’t “tipped their hand” about their plans for the pass-catchers, writes Volin. Additionally, offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer and Marcus Cannon, also though to be on the roster bubble, aren’t sure of their status.
- The Patriots want to retain free agent defensive back Nate Ebner — a special-teams ace — but the team is playing “hardball” at the moment, and hopes that it can re-sign Ebner for the veteran’s minimum.
- Defensive tackle Alan Branch‘s $400K option bonus is due on the third day of the new league year, according to Reiss. If he’s retained, the 31-year-old Branch is due to count $2.75MM against New England’s cap.
- The Patriots have a history of targeting restricted free agents — both those who are tendered by their clubs and those who aren’t — and one such player who might interest New England this offseason is Bills receiver Chris Hogan, per Reiss, who notes that Buffalo may not tender Hogan due to its salary cap restraints.
Big Name Rumors: Kaepernick, Miller, Martin
Let’s take a look at some rumors surrounding the biggest names of this offseason, beginning with updates on Colin Kaepernick and Von Miller.
- Contrary to yesterday’s speculation from Ian Rapoport, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans have “no interest” in trading for Kaepernick. Likewise, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns are not interested in dealing for Kaepernick at this time.
- As Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee observes, now that Kaepernick’s unhappiness with the 49ers is public knowledge, the team has zero leverage in trade talks. Instead of being traded, Kaepernick would reportedly prefer to be released, an alternative that would probably lead to less money for him but would allow him to choose his next destination. However, a release is probably not in the cards, as Mark Purdy of The San Jose Mercury News writes. Purdy recently interviewed team owner Jed York at length, and York reaffirmed his belief in Kaepernick and expressed his hope that No. 7 is wearing a 49ers uniform next season. Plus, even if Kaepernick is still on the team’s roster on April 1, which would make his $11.9MM salary for 2016 fully guaranteed, San Francisco would still be able to trade him and at least get something in return, instead of releasing him prior to April 1 and netting no compensation.
- Of course, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, York’s comments could simply be a thinly-veiled attempt to restore some leverage to the 49ers in their efforts to deal Kaepernick, leverage that they may need even more now that the Texans and Browns are reportedly not interested in making a deal for the disgruntled signal-caller.
- Mike Klis of 9News.com tweets that the Broncos and Miller still have a lot of work to do before Tuesday’s franchise tag deadline, but he says that talks are still ongoing and the implication is that both sides are hopeful that a long-term deal can be struck before Denver is forced to use the tag. As Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post reported several days ago, Miller is motivated to reach an accord, and the two sides are not terribly far apart in their negotiations.
- Antonio Cromartie might not be garnering many national headlines at this point, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the veteran cornerback, who was recently released by the Jets, is expected to meet with the Bills. Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan is reportedly interested in a reunion with Cromartie, who played under Ryan in New York from 2011-2013 and who earned Pro Bowl nods in 2012 and 2013.
- Although he does not not explicitly say that Doug Martin is likely to leave the Buccaneers, as a report suggested a few days ago, Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times does confirm that Martin is likely to reach free agency.
East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Jets
We recently rounded up the latest reports concerning Sam Bradford‘s status with the Eagles, so let’s dive into some more notes from the league’s east divisions, starting with more out of Philadelphia:
- The Eagles were the only team to avoid drafting an offensive lineman in the 2014 and 2015 drafts, but Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer expects that to change in 2016. Head coach Doug Pederson has spoken highly of this draft’s class of offensive linemen, and although the team could address its deficiencies along the O-line in free agency, Philadelphia is likely to use at least one of its nine draft choices on a guard or a tackle who could begin his career on the interior of the line.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines the risks involved for Washington if the team were to offer a long-term deal to Kirk Cousins. Fitzgerald does not believe Washington should go higher than $15MM per year for Cousins, and he says that if the two sides cannot come to an agreement on a multi-year deal, the team should place the transition tag on its quarterback.
- Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is now the Dolphins‘ executive vice president of football operations, and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan is now the Bills‘ head coach. As Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, that situation may be creating some additional leverage for impending Jets free agents like Damon Harrison who have ties to Ryan and Tannenbaum and who might have a landing spot in Buffalo or Miami if they do not get paid by New York.
- The Jets‘ plan remains to continue negotiating with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the team is not interested in trading for Colin Kaepernick, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The Patriots are looking hard at running backs, both in the draft and in free agency, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. New England is typically loathe to spend more than $1MM on a running back, but Volin believes the team may splurge a bit on a veteran this year, considering how badly the Pats were handicapped by the lack of a running game in their loss to Denver in the AFC Championship Game.
- However, the Patriots will not dramatically alter their usual low-key approach to the offseason just because they do not have a first-round pick, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
AFC East Rumors: Bills, Dolphins, Jets
Three of the AFC East’s four teams are in the news. Here’s the latest:
- As free agency approaches, the Bills are working to retain their two best offensive linemen – left tackle Cordy Glenn and left guard Richie Incognito – writes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. We learned this afternoon that the Bills intend to place the franchise tag on Glenn if he hasn’t agreed to a long-term deal by the March 1 deadline. Contrary to a report from earlier this week, the Bills aren’t currently looking to extend contract-year quarterback Tyrod Taylor, per La Canfora, who adds that they’re instead focusing on locking up cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Moreover, they’ll release defensive end Mario Williams and running back Anthony Dixon, and could restructure the contracts of safety Corey Graham, corner Leodis McKelvin, and possibly defensive lineman Kyle Williams. With some of the cap space those moves would create, La Canfora expects the Bills to pursue free agent-to-be Bilal Powell. The 27-year-old running back played under Bills head coach Rex Ryan as a member of the Jets from 2011-14. Powell averaged a career-high 4.5 yards per carry on 70 attempts last season and added a personal-best 47 receptions.
- The Dolphins want to rework the contract of defensive end Cameron Wake, according to La Canfora. The problem, he notes, is that Wake would likely match or exceed the $8.4MM he’s scheduled to make as a Dolphin next season if they release him and he reaches the open market. Thus, the 34-year-old lacks incentive to take a pay cut. Not surprisingly, then, talks between the Dolphins and Wake’s agent made no progress at the combine.
- With two ex-Jets bigwigs in Buffalo (Ryan) and Miami (executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum), representatives of pending Jets free agents said at the combine that the Bills and Dolphins could be landing spots for their clients, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. That seems to corroborate La Canfora’s report that the Bills will try to reel in Powell in free agency. Further, the Bills and Dolphins could go after Jets run-stuffing defensive tackle Damon Harrison if he hits the market, per Costello, though he notes that the teams’ lack of cap space might serve as roadblocks. Even so, Harrison could use those clubs as leverage to scare the Jets into meeting his demands.
Bills Prioritizing Stephon Gilmore Extension
The Bills will explore the possibility of extending cornerback Stephon Gilmore‘s contract this offseason, per general manager Doug Whaley. Asked by Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 SportsRadio if a new deal for Gilmore would be a priority, Whaley replied, “Absolutely.”
[RELATED: PFR previews the Bills’ offseason]
“That’s why (cap specialist Jim Overdorf) and his staff will be meeting with his representatives,” Whaley said of Gilmore. “Not only will they be meeting with the unrestricted and restricted (free agents), but other guys on the team that we might want to extend.”
Gilmore, the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, had another strong season in 2015, recording 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 18 passes defended. Despite only playing 12 games, the 25-year-old ranked as a top-10 cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
Extending Gilmore’s contract beyond 2016 would require a significant investment from the Bills, but there’s a good chance an agreement would also reduce Gilmore’s cap charge for 2016, creating some much-needed cap space. The cornerback has a cap number of $11.082MM, the amount of the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. By giving Gilmore a signing bonus up front and bringing down his base salary, the Bills could shave a few million dollars from their cap.
The Bills have already create a chunk of cap room by restructuring tight end Charles Clay‘s contract, reducing his 2016 cap hit by $7.5MM. The team could also create significant savings by cutting defensive end Mario Williams, who is currently on the books for $19.9MM in 2016 — releasing him would open up nearly $13MM in cap space.
As such, it’s possible that the Bills won’t be in any rush to extend Gilmore, since there are other ways to create cap flexibility for the team’s offseason spending. But with Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito less than two weeks away from reaching the open market, Buffalo will want to do all it can to avoid letting those free agent offensive linemen get away. The team has also explored a possible extension for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, so every bit of cap space will help.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.