Bears Interested In Eddie Royal
While free agents flew off the board today, there was confusion surrounding the contract status of Eddie Royal. Multiple reports (via Twitter) suggested the veteran wideout had agreed to terms, or was close to a deal, with the Bears, but those reports were just as quickly shot down (Twitter link).
However, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) and Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com, Royal is at least paying a visit to Chicago, even if he hasn’t agreed to a deal with the team yet. According to Dickerson, several other potential suitors have expressed interest in Royal, but the Bears are the “clear frontrunner” to sign him.
Royal, who caught balls from Jay Cutler in Denver earlier in his career, isn’t exactly an ideal candidate to replace Brandon Marshall, who was officially traded to the Jets today. But the Bears are rebuilding a wide receiving corps that doesn’t feature a ton of talent behind Alshon Jeffery, so adding a slot receiver like Royal is also a priority for the club.
In San Diego last season, Royal caught 62 balls for 778 receiving yards. Both marks were his best since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2008.
FA Links: Forsett, Royal, Melton, Cameron
The latest free agent rumors on Day 1 …
- Justin Forsett will be Ravens‘ the primary backfield target after they cleared some cap room, Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson said via Twitter. The runner’s also drawn interest from the Falcons, Colts and Washington. The Colts’ signing Frank Gore today should limit their interest, however.
- Contrary to earlier reports, there is no agreement in place or visit scheduled between Eddie Royal and the Bears, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken on Twitter.
- The Bucs set up three more visits, with the team set to bring in Henry Melton, Stefen Wisniewski and Bruce Carter, Sports Talk Florida’s Jenna Laine reports.
- The Browns remain interested in bringing Jordan Cameron back to be their tight end, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports on Twitter. But ex-Bengals veteran Jermaine Gresham‘s drawn interest from the eastern Ohio team as well. Despite not having a season like Cameron’s 80-catch, 917-yard 2013 on his resume, Gresham’s made two Pro Bowls. But he saw his yards per reception drop drastically to 7.4 last season.
- Leonard Hankerson will visit the Falcons tonight, Yahoo! Sports’ Rand Getlin tweets. Missing all but one game in 2014 to injury, Hankerson played for current Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan with Washington.
- Despite cutting Shelley Smith earlier today, the Dolphins aren’t dismissing the chance at bringing him back at a reduced cost, the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley notes via Twitter. The Dolphins like backup tackle Billy Turner, however.
- The Cardinals will host center A.Q. Shipley, ESPN’s Adam Caplan said on Twitter. The Colts did not tender Shipley, their starting center in 2012 and 2014, a contract offer, sending him to the market.
North Notes: Revis, Ngata, Steelers, Packers
The Steelers looked into signing Darrelle Revis, but it doesn’t look like it’s possible, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who says that it’s down to the Jets and Patriots for the star corner. Revis was asking for more money than Pittsburgh could afford, tweets Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network.
Meanwhile, the Packers have emerged as a suitor for Revis, adds Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), who lists the Jets, Pats, Packers, and a mystery team as the finalists for Revis.
Here’s more from the North divisions:
- The Lions are expected to approach the recently-acquired Haloti Ngata about an extension, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ngata is entering the final year of his contract.
- The Packers had a “few discussions” with free agent defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link), but a deal isn’t likely. Green Bay has had discussions about retaining Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji, but the club could wait out the DT market.
- Looking to retain one of the core special teams players, the Bears have interest in re-signing cornerback Sherrick McManis, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, though nothing is yet in the works.
FA Rumors: Orakpo, Rolle, Gilchrist, Conte
After also being linked to the Cardinals earlier today, Brian Orakpo will visit the Titans to start his first free agency foray, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com on Twitter.
The Titans have more than $44MM in cap room, according to OverTheCap, and do not have much money currently allocated to their linebacking corps as free agency enters warp speed. Tennessee’s highest-paid linebacker is 3-4 inside man Wesley Woodyard, who signed with the Titans last year, with a $3.5MM number for this season.
An older first-time free agent who enters his age-29 season, Orakpo made more than triple that on the franchise tag for Washington last season before suffering a pectoral tear for the third time in his career, weakening the edge-rusher’s momentum.
In other news in the opening stage of real free agency …
- Antrel Rolle will visit the Bears, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus’ Twitter, but has no agreement in place. The Bears are the highest bidder for the 32-year-old free safety’s services, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright on Twitter.
- The player Rolle could be replacing in Chicago, 26-year-old Chris Conte, will visit the Buccaneers, ESPN Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure notes on Twitter. Conte was the fourth-worst safety Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded last year.
- More from the safety market: the Jets will host former Chargers back-line starter Marcus Gilchrist tonight, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Gilchrist started all 16 games for the Chargers the past two years.
- Kendrick Lewis and the Texans engaged in preliminary discussions on keeping the free safety in Houston, reports Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
- Veteran defensive end Cory Redding announced (Twitter link) he intends to visit the Cardinals on Wednesday. Now 34, Redding started at least 14 games for the Colts the past three years.
- Chargers backup linebacker Andrew Gachkar has visits booked with two potential suitors, the Panthers and Vikings, notes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The Vikings appear to be the frontrunner for Gachkar’s second contract, adds Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter.
Jets To Acquire Brandon Marshall
TUESDAY, 3:35pm: In addition to acquiring Marshall, the Jets will also be getting Chicago’s seventh-rounder, tweets Adam Schefter. The reporter confirms that New York will be sending the Bears a fifth-round pick.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6th, 4:47pm: Per Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), the Jets are tweaking Marshall’s contract as part of the deal, meaning he’ll have a chance to earn even more than the $15.8MM previously available to him over the next two seasons.
11:34am: The Jets are expected to give up a fifth-round pick in the swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). That makes sense, considering the team’s fourth-rounder and sixth-rounder are currently tied up in the Harvin trade.
10:08am: The Bears and Jets have reached an agreement on a trade that will send wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Jets, pending a physical, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). News of the move, which can’t be officially completed until the new league year begins, comes a day after we learned that the Bears were exploring their trade options with regard to Marshall. The agreement was first reported by Aaron Leming of BearReport.com (via Twitter).
Marshall, who turns 31 later this month, signed a three-year contract extension with the Bears last May that locks him up through the 2017 season. However, with Marc Trestman, Phil Emery, and the old regime out of the picture in Chicago, new GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox didn’t waste much time moving in a different direction.
While it’s not clear yet what sort of compensation the Bears will receive for Marshall, the team had reportedly been seeking a mid-round draft pick, and Leming suggests the pick may end up falling in the “late” rounds. Of course, the club will also clear some cap room in the move — Marshall’s $7.5MM base salary for 2015 was due to become fully guaranteed next Thursday, and that will now be the Jets’ responsibility, rather than Chicago’s. With $5.625MM left in dead money on the Bears’ cap, the team will create nearly $4MM in cap savings.
As for the Jets, the acquisition of Marshall likely removes any of the suspense regarding the club’s decision on Percy Harvin. The team had reportedly been interested in reducing Harvin’s pay and keeping him around, but the former Seahawk didn’t seem open to that idea, and will almost certainly be released this month. Assuming the Jets cut Harvin before March 19, they’ll owe the Seahawks a sixth-round pick as compensation for the wideout, rather than a fourth-round pick.
During the 2014 season, Marshall struggled along with the rest of the Bears, totaling just 721 receiving yards and 61 catches, his worst marks since his rookie season in 2006. However, he’s only a year removed from a 100-catch season and a spot in the Pro Bowl, so if the Jets can find a quarterback to get him the ball, he should help anchor a solid receiving corps in New York, alongside Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley.
Of course, if the Jets continue to have quarterback issues, it’s fair to wonder if the situation with Marshall could go south. The veteran wideout isn’t the type of player to quietly go about his business if things aren’t going well for him or his team. This will be the third time since 2010 that Marshall has been traded in a league where trades are rare, and his clubhouse presence has certainly played a role in a couple of those moves, if not all three of them.
Chicago, meanwhile, figures to be in the market for a wide receiver in free agency or the draft this offseason to pair with Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery is extension-eligible for the first time this winter as he heads into the final year in his contract, and I expect the Bears to seriously explore a long-term deal for him now that Marshall is out of the picture.
Schefter (Twitter link) reported earlier today that the Colts and Browns had also spoken to the Bears about Marshall.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dan Williams Has Deal In Place
Free agent defensive tackle Dan Williams has an agreed to sign with a unknown club, according to Aaron Leming of BearReport.com (Twitter link). Per Leming, William has informed the Bears that he will be signing elsewhere.
Williams has been linked to the Raiders, Washington, Lions, and Giants, but the latter club is reportedly no longer in the mix for him. The 27-year-old Williams, who ranked as the No. 33 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, has started 40 games in his five-year career, all with the Cardinals, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft.
Williams has spent the majority of his career as a nose tackle, so Washington, which plays a 3-4 defense, makes sense as a possible destination. The Lions, however, are looking to replace Ndamukong Suh, and Williams is capable of playing in a 4-3, so Detroit isn’t out of the question, either. Williams is expected to garner between $5-6MM per year. With Suh, Jared Odrick, Terrance Knighton, and Stephen Paea all nearing deals with other clubs, Williams and Nick Fairley sit atop the available crop of free agent interior lineman.
Latest On Terrance Knighton
TUESDAY, 2:33pm: The Raiders are the frontrunners for Knighton but the Colts are still in the mix, according to Cecil Lammey of ESPN Denver (on Twitter). The Bears and Washington, meanwhile, are out.
Aaron Leming of BearReport.com (on Twitter) hears that the Raiders are expected to be the winners.
10:01am: Knighton will reach the open market in just under five hours, but there’s no guarantee he’ll sign with the Raiders at that point. After ESPN’s Bill Williamson tweeted last night that the situation remains “fluid,” Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports hears from a source today that Knighton still isn’t close to an agreement with any team (Twitter link). Oakland still looks like the most logical fit to me, given the Del Rio connection and the Raiders’ abundance of cap room, but we’ll have to wait and see what Pot Roast decides.
MONDAY, 1:35pm: The Raiders and Terrance Knighton are nearing agreement on a deal, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Tafur cautions that he hasn’t heard of the deal being finalized yet, however.
Pot Roast started drawing “serious interest” from a handful of teams, including the Raiders, Colts, Bears, and Washington, once Ndamukong Suh came off the board. Oakland has also long been viewed as a logical landing spot for Knighton, considering his history with new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio. Not only did he play for Del Rio’s defense in Denver; he also played under Del Rio in Jacksonville earlier in his career.
When Luke Adams listed PFR’s top 50 free agents recently, he ranked Knighton 16th on our list, identifying the Raiders as his most logical suitor. 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.
North Rumors: Thomas, Williams, Parker
The Ravens‘ first choice at running back is to re-sign Justin Forsett, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. But, if things don’t work, Pierre Thomas could be a plan B for them. More from the AFC and NFC North..
- The Bears informed veteran middle linebacker D.J. Williams that the team is going in a different direction and he will not return to Chicago, a source tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter).
- Chiefs free agent safety Ron Parker remains very much on the radar for the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Many, many teams have been connected to Parker over the last week. The Bears and Falcons are the most involved when it comes to Parker, according to Biggs (on Twitter).
- The Packers haven’t been moving much on their number with Tramon Williams, Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel tweets. However, Dunne wonders if that changes with cornerback Davon House leaving.
- The Vikings have inquired about San Francisco cornerback Chris Culliver, but they haven’t made an offer, so things are still preliminary there, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
Brooks Reed Leaning Towards Falcons?
TUESDAY, 7:23am: According to McClure (via Twitter), it’s no longer a sure thing that Reed is leaning toward the Falcons. It’ll ultimately come down to money, says McClure.
MONDAY, 10:56pm: Reed has narrowed his decision to two teams, with one of them presumably being the Falcons, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
12:05pm: The Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Bears are also expressing interest in Reed, Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.
11:51am: Linebacker Brooks Reed is leaning toward signing with the Falcons when free agency opens on Tuesday, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Last week, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com reported that Reed was unlikely to return to Houston this offseason. In fact, as of a few days ago, Houston had yet to engage with Reed’s agent.
Reed, 28, appeared in all 16 games for Houston last season and made 13 starts. In total, he recorded 41 tackles, four passes defended, and three sacks as the team’s SAM linebacker. The advanced metrics placed Reed as an above average outside linebacker, ranking him as the 26th best OLB in a 3-4 scheme out of 46 players who qualified, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That’s a big improvement from 2013 when PFF gave Reed an overall grade of -17.7, placing him as the second-worst qualified outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
The former second round pick burst onto the scene with 6.0 sacks as a rookie in 2011, but he has yet to replicate that kind of production.
NFC North Rumors: McCourty, Green, Packers
Though Devin McCourty ultimately re-signed with the Patriots, two NFC North clubs were hot on his trail. The Bears were involved until the bidding got above $9MM per year, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), while the Vikings also had interest, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Free agent tight end Virgil Green will have a strong market, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, and he’ll probably decide between the Bears and Broncos, though other teams are interested.
- Restricted free agent offensive lineman Don Barclay hasn’t heard if the Packers will tender him, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If Bryan Bulaga isn’t re-signed, Barclay would likely become Green Bay’s starting right tackle, so Demovsky believes that GB will ultimately offer him a contract.
- Lest we forget long snappers are people too, Biggs reports (via Twitter) that the Bears are interested in long snapper Tanner Purdum, who spent 2014 with the Jets.