FA Rumors: Osweiler, Sean Smith, Adam Jones
The latest rumors on a slew of free agents-to-be:
- The Broncos have offered quarterback Brock Osweiler a three-year contract worth ~$39MM, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. That runs a bit contrary to a weekend report that stated the Broncos had offered $45MM for three years.
- Seven teams have expressed interest in Jets running back Chris Ivory, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The Buccaneers and Raiders are among those clubs, per a report from earlier tonight.
- The Raiders “have reached out” to Chiefs corner Sean Smith‘s camp, per Scott Bair CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Smith is the fourth high-profile pending free agent whom the Raiders have been connected to today, joining Ivory, Malik Jackson and Kelechi Osemele (links to Jackson and Osemele stories: 1, 2).
- Bengals veteran corner Adam Jones has several potential suitors, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who lists the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as teams that could end up with the 32-year-old. The Bengals would like to retain Jones, per Florio.
- The Bears are expected to go after Patriots defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and player personnel director Josh Lucas were in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hicks in 2012, Biggs notes.
- The Giants, Eagles, Dolphins and Bears are interested in Chargers corner Patrick Robinson, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).
Jags, Bears, Raiders Interested In Malik Jackson
With the legal tampering period underway and free agency drawing ever closer, Broncos defensive lineman Malik Jackson is on the verge of a significant payday. It’s just a matter of which team will pony up for the 26-year-old. While the reigning Super Bowl champions are trying to retain Jackson, having offered him anywhere from $11MM to $12MM per annum as of last week, they’re certainly not the only club intrigued by the four-year veteran. In fact, the Jaguars, Bears and Raiders have “expressed serious interest” in Jackson, reports Mike Klis of 9News.
Based solely on cap space, the defense-needy Jaguars have the best chance to sign Jackson. The Jags have an NFL-high 
$82.24MM of spending room. Oakland, Denver’s AFC West rival, is in third at over $60MM. The Bears rank seventh at just under $47MM, while the Broncos lag well behind in the $9MM range.
The Raiders and Bears have obvious connections to Jackson through their head coaches. Oakland’s Jack Del Rio was the Broncos’ defensive coordinator during the first three years of Jackson’s career (2012-14), and the Bears’ John Fox was Denver’s head coach during that time span. Jackson logged little playing time as a fifth-round rookie while Fox and Del Rio were at the helm, but he partook in back-to-back 16 game seasons in his next two campaigns and amassed nine sacks. The 293-pounder has shown great versatility since entering the league, having thrived in two 4-3 positions (defensive tackle and end) and as a 3-4 five-technique end.
Jackson recorded a personal-best 45 tackles and five sacks during his third straight 16-game regular season in 2015-16, finishing 16th out of Pro Football Focus’ 123 qualifying interior defenders in overall performance (subscription required). PFR’s Luke Adams ranks Jackson the second-best free agent in this year’s class.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Rumors: Nelson, Falcons, Giants, Conte
The latest free agent rumors as Wednesday draws closer:
- The Falcons have expressed interest in Bengals safety Reggie Nelson, according to a source who spoke with Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Nelson hauled in a league-leading eight interceptions last season.
- The Giants have expressed interest in Vikings free agent guard Mike Harris, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Harris is currently mulling a two-year, $3.5MM offer from Minnesota.
- Buccaneers safety Chris Conte is drawing interest from multiple teams, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bucs want him back, but he’ll explore the market before making a commitment.
- The Texans are holding discussions with cornerback A.J. Bouye about a potential new contract, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. The Texans can retain Bouye with a low tender of $1.671MM, but it sounds like they might work out a one-year deal at a lower rate instead. The 24-year-old entered the league in 2013 as a UDFA out of UCF.
- Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) believes that free agent tight end Rob Housler will ultimately wind up back with the Bears.
Free Agent Rumors: Sean Smith, Niners, Raiders
The very latest free agent news:
- The 49ers have discussed Chiefs free agent cornerback Sean Smith, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). He adds that Smith has been on the Niners’ radar in the past as well. The Chiefs have not reached out to Smith since the start of the tampering period, but they have talked with his agent since the Combine, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes.
- The Chiefs know they will have to raise the current offer to Smith in order to retain him, but it’s not clear if they will, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Raiders will also be in play for his services, he adds.
- The Chiefs have expressed interest in former Raiders receiver Rod Streater, Paylor writes. Streater’s best season came in 2013 when he hauled in 60 catches for 888 yards and four scores.
- Seahawks free agent guard J.R. Sweezy is generating a ton of early interest with at least ten teams expressing serious interest, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The Buccaneers, Falcons, Lions, Dolphins, Saints, 49ers, Jaguars, Bears, and Jets, have all made it known that they will be suitors (link).
- Donald Penn’s agent met with the Raiders but the tackle is expected to hit the free agent market on Wednesday, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
- The Cardinals have expressed interest in Rams free agent defensive end William Hayes, according to Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The eight year vet has racked up 21.5 sacks over the last four years.
Bears, Agent Working On Martellus Bennett Trade
9:04am: There are some around the NFL who doubt that a Bennett trade will happen, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links), who says the Bears would likely release the tight end if they can’t find a trade partner. Biggs adds that Bennett “increasingly frustrated coaches and teammates” during the 2015 season, making his looming departure from Chicago seem somewhat inevitable.
8:11am: The Bears are working with agent Kennard McGuire, the agent for tight end Martellus Bennett, to find a trade that would send Bennett to an “agreeable landing spot,” reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). If the two parties can figure something out, Chicago would likely consummate a deal at the start of the 2016 league year next week, or shortly thereafter.
Bennett, who will turn 29 next Thursday, was slowed by injuries in 2015, but still managed to haul in 53 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Previously, Bennett established new career-highs across the board in 2014 with 90 receptions, 916 yards, and six TDs, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
In the wake of that Pro Bowl season, Bennett sought a raise and an extension, skipping the Bears’ voluntary OTAs last spring. However, Chicago, having recently hired a new head coach and GM, was unwilling to work out a new deal at that point, and it appears the team now prefers a trade to an extension.
Bennett has one year left on his current contract, and is currently set to earn a base salary of $5.085MM in 2016, with a cap hit of $6.31MM. If a team were to trade for the veteran tight end, that club would be responsible for his salary and his $100K workout bonus, leaving $1.125MM in dead money on the Bears’ cap. It’s also possible a contract extension would be part of any deal, perhaps reducing that cap hit for 2016 and giving Bennett a larger guarantee up front.
The emergence of tight end Zach Miller gives the Bears another option at the position in the event that they move Bennett. Miller had a career year in 2015, recording 34 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns. Although he’s a free agent, there’s a decent chance Miller will be back with the Bears, who have plenty of cap space at their disposal to sign him to a new deal.
As for Bennett’s potential destinations, there are a handful of teams that could be decent fits. One club in the market for tight end help is in Baltimore, where the Ravens have two tight ends with health concerns (Dennis Pitta and Crockett Gillmore) and one who is facing a 10-game suspension (Nick Boyle). Ravens offensive coordinator Marc Trestman was Chicago’s head coach during Bennett’s best season in 2014.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/16
Today’s round of minor transactions around the NFL is dominated by exclusive-rights free agents. ERFAs are players with less than three years of NFL experience, who don’t have a contract for 2016.
While these players are technically considered free agents, they don’t have any real freedom when it comes to picking their destinations — if their current teams want them back, all those clubs have to do is submit an ERFA tender (typically worth the minimum salary), which precludes those players from negotiating with any other teams.
Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
- The Bears have tendered a contract offer to ERFA wide receiver Josh Bellamy, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bellamy saw a decent amount of playing time on offense, catching 19 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and was also one of the club’s top contributors on special teams.
- The Cardinals have assigned ERFA tenders to defensive tackle Josh Mauro and tight end Ifeanyi Momah, signaling that they want to bring back those players, the team announced today on its website. Momah missed the 2015 campaign with a knee injury, while Mauro was a depth piece on Arizona’s defensive line.
- The Titans have re-signed ERFA running back Antonio Andrews, the club announced in a press release. The move is classified as a re-signing rather than a simple contract tender because Andrews has already signed the offer. He figures to compete for a roster spot in Tennessee in 2016.
- The Buccaneers have assigned an ERFA tender to long snapper Andrew DePaola, agent Sean Stellato tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). DePaola has been Tampa Bay’s full-time long snapper since the start of the 2014 season.
Extra Points: Vernon, Crosby, Bears, Draft
The fate of defensive end Olivier Vernon will shape how the Dolphins approach their offseason, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the franchise tag ($15.7MM) or transition tag ($12.7MM) on Vernon. But doing either of those things would make it especially difficult for them to keep fellow pass rusher Cameron Wake and running back Lamar Miller, which they want to do. If he hits the open market, Vernon could end up with a long-term deal in the range of $12MM to $14MM annually, per Beasley, who adds there’s an outside possibility Miami will slap the franchise tag on the 25-year-old and then trade him.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Packers are unlikely to use the $4.572MM franchise tag on longtime kicker Mason Crosby, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As of last week, there was optimism the Packers and Crosby would agree on a contract and render the tag unnecessary. If that doesn’t happen by March 7, Crosby will be free to start negotiating with other teams.
- Even though he’s coming off a personal-best eight-sack season, the Bears could release edge rusher Lamarr Houston, one well-placed AFC executive told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cutting Houston would open up over $4MM of cap space for the Bears this year. When PFR’s Dallas Robinson previewed the Bears’ offseason earlier this month, he named Houston as a possibility for the chopping block.
- Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche has visits with 19 teams set up, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootall.com. That number has increased from the 15 Pauline reported Sunday.
FA Rumors: Irvin, Forte, C. Long, Gipson, J. Howard
Armed with over $70MM in cap space and in need of defensive upgrades, the Jaguars have emerged as early contenders for soon-to-be free agent linebacker Bruce Irvin, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Irvin, who has spent the first four years of his career in Seattle, is familiar with Jags head coach Gus Bradley – formerly the Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator. Bradley helped Irvin to a career-high eight sacks in the defender’s rookie year, 2012, before leaving for Jacksonville. Irvin has since added 14 more sacks over the last three years. When PFR’s Luke Adams previewed the Jaguars’ offseason three weeks ago, he listed Irvin as a logical fit for the Jags.
Here’s the latest on some other players looking for new contracts as free agency nears:
- Thirty-year-old running back Matt Forte will have a difficult time eclipsing $3MM per annum on his next deal, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The five-time thousand-yard rusher racked up 1,287 total yards (898 rushing, 389 receiving) and seven touchdowns last season, and is poised to join his second franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in Chicago.
- Free agent defensive end Chris Long is generating interest and will start visiting teams after his first child is born (due date Wednesday), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Long, 30, has 54.5 sacks in his first eight seasons, all of which were spent in St. Louis. The Rams released Long earlier this month after injuries limited his effectiveness the previous two years.
- Safety Tashaun Gipson expects his Browns tenure to end after four years, per teammate Donte Whitner. “I don’t think he’s too hopeful he’s going to be back,” said Whitner (Twitter link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). We learned over the weekend that Gipson could parlay his ball-hawking prowess (14 career interceptions) into a big contract.
- Chiefs defensive lineman Jaye Howard is looking for $8MM to $9MM per year, Biggs reports. Howard, 27, set career highs in starts (14), tackles (57) and sacks (5.5) during the 2015-16 season, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him a solid 24th among 123 qualifying interior D-linemen.
- The Dolphins could pursue Bears tight end Zach Miller in free agency, writes Biggs. Miller played under new Dolphins head coach Adam Gase when the latter was the Bears’ offensive coordinator last season and totaled career bests in all notable categories. If Chicago loses Miller, it could replace him with one of the Colts‘ free agent tight ends, Dwayne Allen or Coby Fleener, per Biggs.
Bears Use Franchise Tag On Alshon Jeffery
2:14pm: The Bears have officially placed the franchise tag on Jeffery, the team announced today (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 2:06pm: The Bears remain on track to use the franchise tag on Jeffery, after multiple discussions in Indianapolis with agent Tory Dandy failed to result in a long-term deal, tweets Rapoport. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the Bears have let Jeffery’s camp know they’ll tag the wideout, while ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that it’ll be the non-exclusive franchise tag, worth $14.599MM.
FRIDAY, 1:48pm: While the franchise tag appears likely for Jeffery, his agent will meet with the Bears again in Indianapolis to discuss a longer-term deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
1:28pm: The Bears will use their franchise tag on wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move, which isn’t yet official, doesn’t come as a surprise, since a report earlier this week suggested Chicago expected to retain the free agent wideout.
[RELATED: Bears expected to retain Alshon Jeffery]
Speaking to reporters this week at the combine in Indianapolis, general manager Ryan Pace indicated that the team was “aggressively” negotiating with the receiver now in an effort to lock him up to a new deal. Pace, who said he gets the sense that Jeffery wants to remain in Chicago, said at the time that using the franchise tag was on the table as a potential outcome, and with Tuesday’s deadline looming, it seems the situation is headed in that direction.
After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. If and when he is franchised by the Bears, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016. He could still work out a longer-term agreement with the team by July 15th, or play the season on the one-year tag.
In other franchise tag news, the Ravens have already used theirs on kicker Justin Tucker, while Washington is said to be deciding between the franchise or transition tag for quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC North Rumors: Packers, Z. Miller, Kalil
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, word around this year’s scouting combine from agents and league personnel is that the Packers intend to go after more free agents than usual this offseason — especially veterans released by their previous teams, who won’t factor into the compensatory draft pick formula for next year.
“We’ll see how it shakes out,” head coach Mike McCarthy said on Thursday. “We might shock you this year.”
Green Bay, a draft-and-develop franchise, typically plays it fairly safe in free agency, making small additions here and there but mostly focusing on locking up the team’s own free agents. While a series of big splashes this year seems unlikely, it sounds like the Packers may foray into the open market in order to fill a couple holes.
Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- The Bears would like to re-sign veteran tight end Zach Miller, but will likely let him test the free agent market to get a better sense of what he’s worth, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details. “What happens at this stage in the game is you understand the reality that a lot of times these guys have to hit the open market to set their value,” GM Ryan Pace said. “We like Zach, I don’t want to go through every one of our unrestricted free agents, but he’s a guy we’d want back and we’re negotiating with him.”
- Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) hears that the Vikings want to keep offensive tackle Phil Loadholt in 2016, but would like to lower his cap number, which is currently $7.75MM. Per Wolfson, a meeting on the Loadholt front took place last night at the combine.
- As the Vikings look to retain Loadholt, they’re “torn” on tackle Matt Kalil, according to Wolfson (via Twitter). A former fourth overall pick, Kalil hasn’t necessarily lived up to his billing so far and has an $11MM cap number for 2016. But he has also never missed a regular-season start in his four NFL seasons, so Minnesota would have a hole to fill if the team were to let him go.