Extra Points: Suh, Johnson, McClain, Smith
Ndamukong Suh has long been linked to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, but it sounds like the Lions star might actually opt to represent himself in his contract negotiations, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. While he’d consult with others, including Roc Nation, it sounds like the defensive tackle is giving real thought to sitting across the table from the Lions without a formal agent at his side. An extension would be very complex for Suh if he wants to maximize his value and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that even the Lions don’t want him to enter negotiations on his own. More from around the league..
- The Seahawks gave safety Jeron Johnson a second-round tender as a restricted free agent, Garafolo tweets. Johnson, 26 in June, could garner interest elsewhere, so it’ll be interesting to see how things to this offseason.
- Former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain is scheduled to take a free agent visit with the Bills tomorrow, Rapoport tweets. The LB has a few more visits with other clubs on his docket as well.
- Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith met with general manager Dave Gettleman earlier today to try and clear the air, a league source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Gettleman was non-committal about Smith’s future with the team when asked about him at the scouting combine last month which didn’t sit well with the veteran.
- 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh personally scouted Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at his pro day, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Texans also came to watch the signal caller throw.
- The Giants will be on the hunt for running backs once free agency officially opens, explains Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
- Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated examined the nuances of the franchise tag, the transition tag, and the ripple effects they’ll have on free agency.
Panthers Sign Graham Gano To Four-Year Deal
MARCH 4: Gano’s contract included a $3MM signing bonus and $3.95MM in guaranteed money, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It’ll count as $1.75MM against the cap in 2014, and includes escalators for the final three years.
FEBRUARY 28: The Panthers have re-signed kicker Graham Gano to a four-year contract, the club announced today in a press release. Gano’s deal, which will keep the kicker under team control through the 2017 season, is worth $12.4MM and could max out at $13MM, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
“The special teams unit was a large part of our success last year, and we are excited to keep Graham as a part of our team,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in a statement. “Graham has shown range and accuracy in his field goal kicking, and his strong leg has been a weapon for us on kickoffs.”
Gano, 26, had his best NFL season in 2013, converting 24 of 27 field goals for the Panthers, as well as all 42 extra-point tries. He was also in perfect in six attempts from 50+ yards, and ranked second in kickoff effectiveness, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Based on his ’13 success, I’d expect Gano’s new deal to pay him something in the neighborhood of $2-3MM per year.
Gano’s signing means one fewer option on the market for teams on the lookout for kicking help. Steven Hauschka, Jay Feely, Phil Dawson, Adam Vinatieri, and Josh Brown are among the other potential free agents who will hit the open market on March 11 if they haven’t re-signed with their respective clubs.
Greg Hardy Signs Franchise Tender
Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy has become the first of this year’s franchised players to sign his one-year tender, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. By inking the one-year franchise deal, Hardy will be guaranteed a $13.116MM salary for the 2014 season, barring a long-term deal that shifts some of that money around.
Signing the franchise tender doesn’t preclude Hardy and the Panthers from negotiating a multiyear agreement at some point over the next few months. In fact, it may give the team more incentive to do so, in order to reduce the star pass rusher’s $13MM+ cap number for 2014.
Because he has signed the tender, Hardy can no longer negotiate with rival suitors in free agency, while the Panthers can no longer rescind their franchise offer. Essentially, Carolina and Hardy are down to three options: Hardy playing out the 2014 season on this one-year deal, the two sides working out a long-term agreement, or the team trading him.
South Rumors: Pollard, Texans, Buccaneers
The Titans re-signed Bernard Pollard this afternoon and a couple interesting notes have trickled out since. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (via Twitter), Pollard did not use his agent and worked out the new deal himself. General manager Ruston Webster told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (via Twitter) that “getting this deal done today helps our overall plan for this offseason…. We still have work ahead of us trying to retain some of our other players, but we are glad to be able to get this one done.” Among the team’s other free agents are cornerback Alterraun Verner and receiver Kenny Britt.
Some more whispers from the teams down south…
- The Texans should consider signing receiver Sidney Rice, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. The team doesn’t have much cap room, but Rice shouldn’t cost a lot. As DiRocco points out, adding Rice to the duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson should give the team plenty of depth and talent at the position.
- Heading into the NFL Draft, the Buccaneers only have five draft picks and will likely have to be active in free agency. As a result of that, the team may be looking to clear more cap space, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. He mentions Darrelle Revis, Michael Koenen and Donald Penn as potential cap casualties.
- The Falcons have began discussions with Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters and Joe Hawley, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In the same article, Ledbetter mentions potential free agent targets for Atlanta, including Jairus Byrd, Michael Johnson and Michael Bennett.
- What’s next for the Panthers after franchising Greg Hardy and learning of Jordan Gross‘s retirement? It appears to be re-signing safety Michael Mitchell and receiver Ted Ginn Jr., according to David Newton of ESPN.com. The team has started talking to representatives for the two players.
Panthers Notes: Draft, Free Agency, Wharton
It’s been a busy week for the Panthers. They put the franchise tag on defensive end Greg Hardy, they saw longtime stalwart at offensive tackle Jordan Gross retire, and there are now reports that Steve Smith is distrustful of GM Dave Gettleman. Naturally, Panthers fans have a lot of questions, and David Newton of ESPN.com addresses some of the most pertinent ones in a recent mailbag:
- Newton clears up some confusion regarding the team’s cap space. Despite earlier reports that the team was $28MM under the cap prior to franchising Hardy, Newton notes that the number was actually closer to $24MM. However, even if the Panthers cannot work out a long-term deal with Hardy, his $12.5MM cap hit will still give them enough room to retain some of their own free agents–like safety Mike Mitchell–and to pursue mid- to low-level free agents from other clubs.
- Newton believes Carolina will target an offensive tackle either in free agency or the draft–or perhaps both–but if they pursue a free agent, it will not be a high-priced one. And if the Panthers do, in fact, sign a tackle in free agency, that would make it much more likely that they would address their other top offensive priority–wide receiver–with their first round pick (No. 28 overall).
- Nonetheless, Newton notes that if the Panthers have to choose between wideout and offensive tackle with their first pick, they will likely go with the tackle, as the class of wide receivers in this year’s draft is very deep.
- Finally, Newton does not believe Travelle Wharton will be back with the club in 2014. He observes that Wharton was brought in last season because of injuries to younger players who are expected to be healthy this season, and he adds that cap issues will also play a part in precluding his return.
NFC Links: Sanchez, McFadden, Jackson
The extra cap space the Lions will have will allow them extra flexibility in free agency, but Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com doesn’t see the team making a big splash. Free agent Willie Young still isn’t a lock to be retained, and Rothstein thinks the team will look to get younger at many positions this offseason.
Here are some other notes from the NFC:
- If the Vikings draft a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, they could still look for a veteran quarterback to bridge the gap in free agency, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. While Matt Cassel seems like an obvious choice, Goessling thinks Mark Sanchez could be a dark horse candidate.
- Steve Smith of the Panthers has an uncertain future in Carolina, and Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes that Smith is distrustful of general manager Dave Gettelman.
- Darren McFadden is looking for a new team, and Bill Williamson of ESPN.com sees a potential fit with the 49ers. McFadden is familiar with the team’s runningback coach Tom Rathman from their Raider days, and he would be a cheap veteran the team could afford.
- While the Cardinals are waiting to see of they can keep Karlos Dansby, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com thinks D’Qwell Jackson would be a great alternative. Though a little older, the veteran will bring leadership to the locker room, and could be had on a team-friendly deal.
Panthers Use Franchise Tag On Greg Hardy
3:52pm: The Panthers have officially placed the franchise tag on Hardy, according to a team release.
“The franchise mechanism gives us time to secure the services of a very good player while we continue to look at the future of Greg with the Carolina Panthers,” GM Dave Gettleman said in a statement. “We have had great dialogue with both Greg and his agent. It was important to keep our defensive front together.”
3:01pm: The Panthers have notified defensive end Greg Hardy that they’ll use the franchise tag on him prior to Monday’s deadline, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The designation will keep Hardy from becoming an unrestricted free agent if the two sides haven’t reached a longer-term agreement by March 11.
Hardy, considered one of the top free agents available this offseason, if not the very best, has been engaged in talks with the Panthers about a long-term deal, and those talks will to continue, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Last month, Hardy expressed a willingness to give the team a “small” discount, but it will still take a significant commitment to keep him in Carolina on a multiyear deal.
The 25-year-old has racked up 26 total sacks in the last two seasons, and ranked as the third-best and sixth-best 4-3 defensive end in those two years, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Charles Johnson is on a six-year contract with the Panthers worth $76MM, and it wouldn’t be surprise if Hardy’s price tag approaches that neighborhood.
With Monday’s deadline looming, teams are starting to make decisions on their franchise players. Besides Hardy, Jimmy Graham is on track to be designated as a franchise player by the Saints, and kicker Nick Folk has already received the Jets’ tag.
NFC Rumors: Raiola, Vikings, Beason, Hardy
Dominic Raiola has been the Lions‘ center since the days when they wore leather helmets, but eventually he’ll be moving on from football. He wants to play for another two seasons, but Detroit would like to start grooming someone to take over for Raiola once he retires, writes Dave Bickett of the Detroit Free Press. It’s not a top priority, but if they get a chance in the middle of the draft, don’t be surprised if you see the Lions go for a center. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- Simoni Lawrence turned down three clubs to sign with the Vikings, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN.
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects it to take a deal paying $3-4MM annually for the Giants to sign linebacker Jon Beason to a new deal.
- The Panthers met recently with Drew Rosenhaus, defensive end Greg Hardy‘s agent, and the two sides have had ongoing negotiations, two league sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. After totaling 26 sacks over the past two seasons, Hardy is looking for a deal that will be commensurate with his performance.
- Beyond Beason, Carolina will be looking to re-sign wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and free safety Michael Mitchell, both of whom played on one-year deals last season, Person notes. Backup quarterback Derek Anderson and No. 2 tight end Ben Hartsock are viewed as priorities as well, but will likely have to take one-year contracts. The Panthers are expected to let free agent receiver Brandon LaFell and cornerback Captain Munnerlyn test the market, but could ultimately re-sign them to shorter, team-friendly deals.
Panthers Sign Anderson Russell
The Panthers have signed safety Anderson Russell, according to today’s NFL personnel notice (Twitter link via Brian McIntyre). Russell had a previous stint with the Panthers, having joined the team in 2012, but was cut prior to the 2013 regular season.
Russell, 26, played his college ball at Ohio State before going undrafted in 2010. He has signed deals with the Redskins, Dolphins, and Panthers, but hasn’t seen any real action in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he played just one snap for Carolina 2012.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it’ll be a minimum salary contract. I doubt Russell will end up on the Panthers’ regular-season roster, though perhaps he’ll get a chance to earn a spot this summer.
NFC Notes: Wharton, Panthers, Lions, Saints
The Panthers have already lost one starting lineman to retirement this week, when longtime left tackle Jordan Gross called it a career. Now, left guard Travelle Wharton tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer that he’s not 100% sure about his future either. However, it sounds like if he keeps playing, the free agent lineman wants to do so in Carolina.
“I love it here in Charlotte. This is where we want to live,” Wharton said. “If there’s going to be a next year, we have to sit down and talk about it.”
Here’s more on the Panthers and a couple other NFC teams:
- Steve Smith‘s age (35 in May) and contract ($9MM in dead money, three years remaining) make him a tricky case for the Panthers, as Jason Fitzgerald explores in his latest piece at OverTheCap.com. Fitzgerald thinks it makes sense for the two sides to continue their relationship, but makes some suggestions for how to make the veteran receiver’s contract more tenable for the club.
- When the Lions inked Matthew Stafford to his long-term contract extension last summer, the team agreed to defer the payment of $17.5MM of his $27.5MM signing bonus. That bill has come due, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who says the team will pay Stafford the remainder of the bonus this Friday. Glover Quin, Reggie Bush, and Jason Jones will also receive deferred bonus money within the next few weeks, but the lump-sum payments won’t alter the team’s cap outlook.
- Running back Mikel Leshoure expressed a desire for a bigger role, either in Detroit or elsewhere, and it looks like he may receive that opportunity with the Lions, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com.
- Add linebacker and special teams player Ramon Humber to the growing list of pending Saints free agents who have had early discussions with the club about a new deal, writes Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate.