Market For Davon House Heating Up
The market for Packers cornerback Davon House, who is eligible to sign with a new team in a little over 24 hours, is “heating up,” according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Getlin identifies the Packers, Jets, Jaguars, Seahawks, Bears, and Cowboys as teams in play for House.
House, 25, is one of two Packers cornerbacks eligible for free agency tomorrow, along with Tramon Williams. Williams was one of Green Bay’s starters in 2014, while House saw part-time action in nickel and dime packages, but the younger player of the duo could end up doing better on the free agent market.
When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents, I listed House 34th, four spots ahead of Williams. As I noted in that piece, quarterbacks only completed 46.8% of their passes into House’s coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus, which placed him fourth among all qualified cornerbacks.
While House probably won’t match the $8-10MM annual salaries landed by players like Kareem Jackson, Brandon Flowers, and Byron Maxwell, a $6MM-per-year offer appears within reach for a player who is poised to become a full-time contributor.
Free Agent Rumors: Melton, Parker, Graham
The chase for defensive tackle Henry Melton is heating up, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Melton has heard from six teams so far and he’s likely to take a few trips this week to visit with interested teams. The Cowboys declined Melton’s option in February after he compiled 15 tackles, five sacks, and four passes defended in 2014. His season ended in December when he was placed on IR with a serious bone bruise bordering on a fracture. Here’s the latest free agent news from around the league..
- The Dolphins‘ interest in free agent safety Ron Parker is quite real, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. However, they have some serious competition for his services as there are six to eight teams that stand as legitimate suitors for his services. We heard recently that the four-year veteran, who played corner and safety for the Chiefs last year, has drawn the eye of several teams, including the Giants, Jets, Buccaneers and Falcons. The Jets also have interest in Parker and he could be on the Eagles’ radar now that Devin McCourty is off the board.
- Eagles free agent linebacker Brandon Graham is leaning towards the Dolphins and Titans, but now the Giants may make him an offer he can’t refuse, Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com tweets. Pass rushing is thought to be a priority for the Giants this offseason. Recently, Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer speculated that Graham could net a deal north of $40MM in total value and $20MM in guarantees.
- The Vikings still aren’t close on a deal with center Joe Berger, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. They’re working on one with restricted free agent running back Matt Asiata, however.
- The Bears are currently targeting inside linebackers and safeties, Aaron Leming of BearReport.com tweets. He lists Mason Foster, Da’Norris Searcy, and Antrel Rolle as names to watch. Rolle is one of the Bears’ top targets and they appear to be the frontrunners for his services, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com tweets.
FA Rumors: Sheard, Eagles, Broncos, Bears
If you’re a little confused about all the reported deals over the last couple days between free agents and new teams, you’re not alone — the three-day “legal tampering” period prior to free agency is supposed to allow teams to negotiate with agents of prospective free agents without any offers being made or agreements being reached.
Of course, teams have long ignored those guidelines, but typically they at least maintain the pretense that they’re waiting until Tuesday afternoon, with a flood of contract agreements hitting the news wire when free agency begins at 3:00pm central time on Tuesday. This year, however, noteworthy free agents Ndamukong Suh, Jeremy Maclin, and Byron Maxwell all reportedly have deals with new teams already in place.
According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links), the NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams expressing its displeasure with the release of contract terms prior to the official start of free agency. According to Getlin’s source, the league intends to conduct an investigation to examine whether teams agreed to terms with free agents early.
Considering the leaks on new deals seem to affect so many teams around the league, it seems unlikely that the NFL would come down too hard on everyone. If anything, the situation may be the push the league needs to modify its rules for free agency. In the NBA, for instance, teams and players are allowed to reach verbal agreements during the league’s “July moratorium,” which lasts a little over a week, but those signings can’t be made official until after the moratorium lifts. A system like that could make sense for the NFL.
As we wait to see how the NFL plans to address potential free agency violations, here’s more from around the NFL on free agents and free-agents-to-be:
- The Buccaneers, Bengals, Seahawks, and Patriots are all in the running for edge defender Jabaal Sheard, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Sheard is viewed as a better fit for a 4-3 team, which could give those first three suitors an edge over the Pats.
- A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) that the Eagles are showing “a little bit” of interest in cornerback Tramon Williams. Despite having reached a tentative agreement with Byron Maxwell, Philadelphia remains on the lookout for another corner and perhaps a safety as well.
- Speaking of those Eagles, Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) hears that the team was “hovering just below” $10MM annually on its final offer to Jeremy Maclin, which allowed the Chiefs to make a move on the wideout. Maclin will reportedly get about $11MM per year from Kansas City.
- The Broncos have displayed interest in free agent center Chris Myers, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). This comes as no surprise, considering Myers excelled in Gary Kubiak‘s zone-blocking scheme for years in Houston.
- Elsewhere on the center front, former Raider Stefen Wisniewski is on the Bears‘ radar, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. While Chicago has expressed interest in Wisniewksi, it’s not clear how serious that interest is, Biggs notes.
- The Vikings have an offer out to quarterback Shaun Hill, but it’s unclear whether he’ll accept it, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Packers maintain interest in bringing back defensive tackle Letroy Guion, despite his recent legal issues, tweets Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dunne points out that Guion, in the wake of his off-field troubles, may come cheaper than he otherwise would have.
49ers GM Denies Shopping Colin Kaepernick
8:37am: A well-placed 49ers official tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the report about the Niners looking to trade Kaepernick is “totally false — 0% truth.” Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says there’s big news on a 49ers player coming at some point today, but it doesn’t involve Kaepernick or Justin Smith (Twitter link).
7:23am: When Jim Harbaugh left the 49ers to become the new head coach at the University of Michigan, a handful of observers speculated that Colin Kaepernick‘s days in San Francisco could be numbered, now that he had been separated from the coach who initially made him the starter. At the very least, based on Harbaugh’s departure, his up-and-down 2014 performance, and the lack of guaranteed money in his contract, Kaepernick’s long-term future with the 49ers looked uncertain.
However, responding to a report last night that suggested the 49ers had put Kaepernick on the trading block, general manager Trent Baalke emphatically denied that his team is shopping its quarterback, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
“Colin is our quarterback and we are excited to have him. He is not going anywhere,” Baalke said in a statement, per Maiocco (Twitter links). “The media reports suggesting otherwise are without merit and quite frankly ridiculous.”
The “media report” Baalke is referring to originated with Jayson Braddock of KBME SportsTalk 790 in Houston (Twitter link). Braddock didn’t just report that the Niners had made Kaepernick available — he also identified the Eagles and Bears as two clubs that have spoken to San Francisco about the possibility of a deal (Twitter links).
In addition to Baalke’s denial, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported (via Twitter) that after reaching out to several teams in need of a quarterback, he had yet to hear from one who had talked to the Niners about Kaepernick. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports also tweeted that San Francisco is “not shopping” Kaepernick, though he wasn’t sure if other teams had called the 49ers to inquire.
So what can we make of all this? For one, as is often the case, it’s important to parse the specific wording used — Garafolo’s report and Baalke’s statement both say that the Niners aren’t “shopping” Kaepernick, a term that Braddock didn’t use in his initial report. “Shopping” suggests the team is actively out there looking for a deal, while Braddock’s report that the Niners put Kaepernick on the trade block could mean that the club is simply open to listening to offers, but isn’t aggressively seeking out a deal.
Given what we already knew about Kaepernick’s unsettled long-term future in San Francisco, Baalke’s history of issuing this same sort of denial during the season when discussing Harbaugh’s own uncertain future with the Niners, and the fact that Braddock has broken some major stories in the past (including Byron Maxwell‘s agreement with the Eagles yesterday), this is certainly a situation worth monitoring. For now though, nothing appears imminent.
Raiders, Colts, Others Eyeing Knighton
With Ndamukong Suh apparently headed to Miami, teams that missed out on 2015’s top free agent defensive tackle figure to turn their attention to the second tier. Terrance Knighton, who may be at the head of that second tier, is now drawing “serious interest” from a handful of teams, including the Raiders, Colts, Bears, and Washington, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
All four of those teams had been mentioned as possible Suh suitors, though only the Raiders were really considered to be a serious contender for the star defender after Miami emerged as a frontrunner. 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 “Pot Roast” play for Del Rio’s defense in Denver; he also played under Del Rio in Jacksonville earlier in his career.
Still, no deal between Knighton and the Raiders looks imminent quite yet. The Colts, Bears, and Washington all have plenty of cap space to make a play for the veteran defensive tackle, and all three teams have a need in the middle. Indianapolis cut Ricky Jean-Francois last month, the Bears may lose Stephen Paea in free agency, and Washington recently released Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen.
When I listed PFR’s top 50 free agents yesterday, I ranked Knighton 16th on our list, identifying the Raiders as his most logical suitor.
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.
NFC Notes: Cobb, Paea, Gore
Randall Cobb may have a soft spot for the NFL’s smallest city. The Packers wideout who looks to be the best receiving option on the market will take $1-$2MM less per year to stay with the Packers, Yahoo’s Charles Robinson tweets.
On a robust receiver market that also includes Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith and probably Andre Johnson and Dwayne Bowe, the elusive receiver figures to command north of $11MM per year. But Green Bay does have more than $32MM of cap space after opting to not franchise Cobb or right tackle Bryan Bulaga earlier this week.
Elsewhere around the NFC …
- Stephen Paea‘s contract-year showing of six sacks and 16 games started for the Bears has created early interest, with the Cowboys, Cardinals and Washington in on the defensive tackle, according to CSNChicago’s Jen Lada on Twitter. Paea graded out as the 11th-best defensive tackle last year at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but the 306-pound player entering his age-27 season performed poorly against the run. The Cowboys covet Paea, who played for DC Rod Marinelli in Chicago, and Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn, reports the Dallas Star-Telegram’s Charean Williams.
- Despite receiving a promising rookie campaign from Carlos Hyde, the 49ers are pondering an 11th year in the Bay Area for Frank Gore, reports the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch.
“We want him back,” 49ers CEO Jed York said. “I think he wants to be here. I know he wants to be here. And I think we’ll figure out a way to do it.”Gore will be 32 next year and has been the 49ers’ starter since 2006. But the bruising back’s yards per carry ticked up a bit to 4.3 last season with his carries total dipping below 256 for the first time since 2010.
- The Cardinals are amid aggressive pursuits of linebackers, writes AZcentral.com’s Kent Somers. The strongest interest still appears to be in Weatherspoon, but the Cardinals reportedly are intrigued by Trent Cole and Pernell McPhee. The latest Ravens backup dynamo, McPhee will cost the most out of this trio despite starting the fewest amount of contests.
- The Bucs do not seem interested in bringing back Da’Quan Bowers, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. The 275-pound end’s started just 10 games in four seasons after Tampa Bay tabbed him as a second-round pick in 2011.
Extra Points: NFLPA, Cutler, Raiders, Rams
NFLPA President Eric Winston tweeted Thursday night that the deadline for nominations for Executive Director of the NFLPA had passed. Along with incumbent DeMaurice Smith, Winston listed Jim Acho, Sean Gilbert, Robert Griffith, Rob London, Art McAfee, John Stufflebeam, Andrew Smith and Jason Belser as candidates. The election for the position is scheduled for March 15.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, NFLPA executives are concerned about the internal lack of confidence in DeMaurice Smith. Cole reported that those execs are unsure how Smith will be able to lead going forward if he keeps the job, which he has held since 2009.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets that, in the aftermath of the Brandon Marshall trade, “chances are” the Bears will keep Jay Cutler for at least another year. According to Breer, Chicago hasn’t brought up the possibility of a Cutler trade with other teams this offseason. Breer notes that the Bears have a “Cutler-friendly staff” with new offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Logains. Breer’s report runs contrary to one released Thursday by NFL.com colleague Ian Rapoport, who said that “teams certainly know that Cutler is available.”
- The Raiders’ possible relocation to Carson, Calif., has been a major topic in recent weeks, and team owner Mark Davis said in a radio interview Friday that “other cities are possible relocation places,” Howard Balzer tweeted. Davis went on to state that he “wouldn’t say St. Louis is one of them.” Like the Raiders and Chargers, the Rams have been linked to the Los Angeles area. All three teams can terminate their leases and move after next season. If the Rams relocate, there have been rumblings about another NFL team playing in St. Louis in the future. If you’re to believe Davis, the Raiders won’t be that team.
- Speaking of the Rams, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Friday that the team and right tackle Joe Barksdale are “too far apart” on a new deal. Thus, the 26-year-old will hit free agency when the market opens March 10. The four-year veteran has started 29 games over the last two seasons for St. Louis. Out of 84 qualifying tackles, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Barksdale as the 48th best in the league in 2014.
Bears Re-Sign Jimmy Clausen
It won’t be the biggest NFL news out of Chicago today, but the Bears have made a move besides agreeing to trade Brandon Marshall to the Jets. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club also reached a deal to re-sign quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times confirms the move, adding that it’s a one-year contract for Clausen.
Clausen, 27, served primarily as the Bears’ backup signal-caller last season, getting a start in Week 17 when Marc Trestman wanted to see someone besides Jay Cutler lead the offense. In his first start since 2010, Clausen completed 23 of 39 passes for 181 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Returning to the Bears for the 2015 season means Clausen will almost certainly continue to back up Cutler, but new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace were very noncommittal when discussing Cutler at the combine in Indianapolis last month. While a trade of Cutler is unlikely, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed yesterday that teams around the league know the veteran quarterback is available.
Of course, regardless of what happens with Cutler, Clausen isn’t expected to be any sort of long-term answer for the Bears. I expect his new deal won’t be worth much more than the minimum.
North Notes: Suh, Hoyer, Cutler, Tulloch
When he officially becomes a free agent next Tuesday, Ndamukong Suh is expected to garner a “massive” contract, in the words of Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who hears from insiders that the Lions defensive tackle could receive $17MM per year with as much as $60MM guaranteed.
That guaranteed figure in particular sounds high, as that total would be the highest in the NFL (Aaron Rodgers currently is No. 1 with $54MM in guarantees). However, with the league-wide salary cap continuing to rise, and a number of clubs enjoying ample amounts of cap space, nothing is out of the question. La Canfora adds that the Dolphins are hot on Suh’s trail, noting that if Miami doesn’t add the 28-year-old, it “won’t be for lack of effort.”
Here’s more from the North divisions…
- After the Browns signed Josh McCown last month, fellow quarterback Brian Hoyer‘s tenure in Cleveland presumably came to an end. Hoyer confirmed as much to Jim Corbett of USA Today, saying that he’ll be looking to compete for a starting job elsewhere. “It’s good for both sides to get a fresh start and go our separate ways,” said Hoyer, who should sit near the top free agent QB market alongside Mark Sanchez.
- Though not a free agent like Hoyer, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been the subject of just as many rumors during the offseason, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms what most already suspected: teams around the league know that Cutler is available via trade. I outlined why it could be difficult for Chicago to deal Cutler in our Bears’ Offseason Outlook.
- Via an Instagram post, Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch indicates that he’ll return to Detroit next season. Tulloch isn’t a free agent, but his $5.8MM 2015 cap hit, combined with an ACL injury, lead to speculation that he’d be released. Tulloch is reportedly progressing well in his recovery, and while his post obviously doesn’t make his return official, one can assume that Lions management has told him he’ll be retained.