Bears Nearing Deal With D.J. Williams
The Bears appear to be on the verge of finalizing a new deal with linebacker D.J. Williams, a source familiar with the negotiations told Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. The 11th-year veteran would immediately become the frontrunner to start at middle linebacker next season if he inks a deal deal, though he would face competition from Jon Bostic for the No. 1 slot.
Williams joined the Bears during free agency in 2013 on a one-year deal with a $900K base. Unfortunately, injuries got in his way – first in the preseason by a calf injury and then a season-ending pectoral injury that he suffered in the Bears’ sixth game last fall. In six starts last season, Williams recorded 39 tackles, including 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. At the end of the season, the 31-year-old linebacker said his intent was to remain in Chicago in 2014, citing familiarity with defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
Bears general manager Phil Emery recently offered up positive words about what he saw from the University of Miami product. “I saw a good football player. Saw a guy who has legitimately very good burst. Saw a player who has good instincts, gets around the ball and plays with a relentless style. We were not displeased with his effort. We were very pleased with where he was going and how he was progressing,” said the GM.
Browns, Bears In Mix For Donte Whitner
The Browns, Bears, and Jets have expressed the most interest in free-agent-to-be Donte Whitner so far, reports Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Jets were mentioned yesterday as a suitor for the safety, who is still drawing interest from the 49ers as well, according to Branch.
Of Whitner’s potential suitors, the Browns appear to have the most cap flexibility, and are “very serious” about signing the Cleveland native, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). I ranked Whitner several spots below T.J. Ward on my list of PFR’s top 25 free agents, but if the Browns expect to lose Ward, Whitner would certainly be a solid replacement.
As Branch notes, the Niners are “still pushing” to retain their free agent safety. However, if they don’t reach an agreement with Whitner in the next 24 hours, it appears they’ll face stiff competition from at least three other clubs.
NFC Rumors: Giants, Saints, Vikings, Lions
A few Monday afternoon updates on NFC teams:
- The Giants have some level of interest in Brandon Pettigrew, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Jimmy Graham franchised and Dennis Pitta extended, Pettigrew may be the top unrestricted free agent tight end of the offseason.
- Assuming Charles Tillman doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, the Panthers look like a potential destination for the veteran defensive back, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Saints brought safety Louis Delmas in for a visit after he was released by the Lions, but New Orleans doesn’t appear likely to sign Delmas, a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Adding a veteran safety doesn’t look like a top priority for the Vikings, but it could be worth keeping an eye on Ryan Clark as a possible fit, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Redskins have remained in contact with the reps for safety Mike Mitchell, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Keim adds that Kenny Britt and Andrew Hawkins are two potential WR targets to keep an eye on for the Redskins.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says the Lions will definitely sign a wide receiver and a safety in free agency, but it’s not clear yet which specific players the team will land (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
- As Lions GM Martin Mayhew suggested last month, while he’d like to have a new deal worked out with Ndamukong Suh by the time the 2014 league year begins tomorrow, he won’t consider it a setback if nothing is done, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Suh, who recently hired Jimmy Sexton of CAA to negotiate his next deal, has a cap number of $22MM+ for 2014 that the Lions would like to reduce.
Four Teams Eyeing Josh McCown
Appearing on ESPN Radio’s Mike and Mike this morning, Josh McCown confirmed that his agent has talked to four teams about a potential fit for the free agent quarterback, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. One of those four teams is believed to be the Bears, and McCown hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to Chicago.
“If I leave Chicago, if that’s the case, [a starting job] is the opportunity I’m looking for,” McCown said. “And once those opportunities come, what’s the coaching staff? What are the players there in place?…. To leave Chicago, it would be a situation where I’m looking to be able to compete to start or grow more as a player. The only way you can do that as a player is on the field.”
According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago (Twitter link), the Bears, Jets, Buccaneers, and Texans are believed to be the four teams to express genuine interest in McCown, who is one of the top signal-callers among this year’s class of free agents. The Jets look like they’re committed to giving Geno Smith a chance to keep the starting job, but may bring in a veteran to push him. Meanwhile, Mike Glennon may return to a backup role in Tampa Bay, and Matt Schaub will likely be released by Houston.
FA Rumors: Ward, Asamoah, Mundy, Quarless
The 2014 free agent period will officially get underway tomorrow, meaning Monday represents the last full day for teams to re-sign their own prospective free agents before those players are eligible to hit the open market tomorrow afternoon. With free agency looming, Andrew Cohen breaks down the salary cap situations for all 32 teams in a piece for Rotoworld and rumors on free-agents-to-be continue to swirl. Let’s round up a few of the latest overnight and morning updates:
- Safety T.J. Ward is among the players on the Jets‘ “persons of interest” list, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Ward would be a good fit for New York’s secondary, though the team typically doesn’t invest heavily in safeties.
- An NFL source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that it would be a “small upset” if prospective free agent Jon Asamoah doesn’t sign with the Falcons to play right guard. However, the Jets are another possibility for Asamoah, Caplan adds in a second tweet.
- Giants free agent safety Ryan Mundy is intrigued by the opportunity to compete for a starting job with the Bears, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Giants have inquired on free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, but they’re just one of seven teams in the mix, with the Packers trying to re-sign him, reports Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).
- Longtime Texans defensive end Antonio Smith has drawn interest from four teams and has a pair of visits lined up, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Smith figures to sign this week.
Bears Favorites To Sign Michael Bennett
The Bears are in “strong pursuit” of Michael Bennett and officials from multiple other clubs believe Chicago will ink the defensive end to a deal on Tuesday, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears had been mentioned previously as a landing spot for Bennett, especially since it would team him up with brother Martellus Bennett.
Biggs also writes that adding Bennett could signify the end of Julius Peppers‘ tenure with the team. Peppers signed a six-year, $91.5MM contract with Chicago in 2010 and has made three Pro Bowls with the squad. Peppers finished 2013 with 46 total tackles and 7.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2007.
Earlier this week, Luke Adams listed Bennett as the top available free agent.
Bears Re-Sign Nate Collins, Jordan Palmer
The Bears will bring back defensive tackle Nate Collins and quarterback Jordan Palmer, according to the team’s Twitter account. Both players will be returning on one-year deals.
Collins signed a one-year deal last offseason, returning to Chicago after playing with the team in 2012. He played well through his first five games, compiling 14 total tackles. The 26-year-old suffered an ACL tear in week 5, ending his season.
Palmer, brother of Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Palmer, was brought in midway through last season to serve as the backup quarterback to fill-in Josh McCown. Palmer has completed ten passes in his career for 59 yards. He’s also tossed two picks in his four games between 2008 and 2010. With Jay Cutler returning from injury and McCown currently unsigned, keeping Palmer could be interpreted as insurance. As Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, head coach Marc Trestman has said he likes keeping three quarterbacks on the roster (via Twitter).
NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears
When evaluating potential free agents, teams certainly look at a players’ ability to stay on the field for as many games as possible. David Chao of the National Football Post ranked his top-ten injury risks among this year’s free agents and he featured two Packers on that list. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was seventh, with Chao pointing out that the 31-year-old will still need another month or two to recover from offseason surgery. Tight end Jermichael Finley was number-eight following his neck injury in October, and the writer believes he’ll be medically cleared very soon. Cowboys’ defensive end Anthony Spencer finished atop the list.
Let’s take a look at some more rumblings from around the NFC North…
- The Packers ended up paying cornerback Sam Shields, which seems to go along with what Packers’ General Manager Ted Thompson has done in the past, writes Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Based on Silverstein’s list of players the Packers have and have not extended, the team has typically made the correct choice in which players they’ve chosen to keep.
- The number of signings, particularly in the NFC North, has shrunk the Bears‘ market, says John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. He points to Shields as a player the team could have used.
- After the Vikings signed Everson Griffen earlier today, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com took a look at what was next for the team. He estimated that the Vikings would have about $25MM left in cap room, which would be enough to sign Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner (the Vikings have expressed interest in both) but wouldn’t leave the team with enough room to extend Kyle Rudolph or sign other free agents.
- Former Viking Jared Allen will likely take his team choosing a new team and probably won’t have a decision by Tuesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Bears Notes: Free Agents, Earl Mitchell
The Bears have some time to gauge the market values of free agents to be, which will be important in their plans on how to proceed come Tuesday, writes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times. They will be able to evaluate whether they can be in the mix for big name free agents such as Michael Bennett or T.J. Ward, but also if they have the resources to re-sign their own players, such as Henry Melton, Charles Tillman, and Josh McCown.
The planning will also decide whether the team plans to release defensive end Julius Peppers or to renegotiate his contract, as his $18.2MM cap figure will not be a figure the Bears are comfortable paying him.
Here are some other notes about the Bears’ offseason:
- Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that if the Bears are unable to retain Henry Melton, a potential replacement could be found in Texans’ defensive tackle Earl Mitchell (via Twitter).
- Dan Weiderer and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune put together a guide to free agency for the Bears. They highlighted some important in-house options the team should look to hold on to, including Melton, Tillman and McCown. Jordan Palmer, who was the team’s third quarterback last year, could return as Jay Cutler‘s backup in 2014. They do note that while the Bears could look to replace Peppers, they most likely would not cut him until they had a potential replacement lined up.
- For Weiderer and Campbell, there are a number of free agents the team should chase in free agency, highlighting Bennett and Mitchell could be great choices. Other big name free agents in the secondary could bring the Bears to pursue Jairus Byrd, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib or Alterraun Verner. They also could see the Bears investing in cheaper options, highlighting Jason Hatcher, who has experience with defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni.
Free Agent Notes: Pierre Thomas, Ravens, Bears, Giants
Miscellaneous news and notes, including free agent primers for the Bears and Giants:
- Malcolm Jenkins‘ tweet indicates Pierre Thomas won’t be back with the Saints, points out NOLA.com’s Larry Holder (via Twitter).
- The Ravens have made an offer to retain free agent receiver/returner Jacoby Jones, according to team insider Aaron Wilson (per Twitter).
- Ravens free agent cornerback Corey Graham “should have a healthy market,” according to Wilson (via Twitter). Graham, a 2007 fifth-rounder, broke in with the Bears, made a name for himself as a Pro Bowl special teams player and earned a two-year, $3.95MM deal with the Ravens in 2012. He played a more prominent role in Baltimore, where he started 13 games over two seasons and contributed as a productive sub-package defender, tallying 74 tackles, 12 passes defended and four interceptions. The team wants Graham back, but will be unable to compete if another team is willing to pay him like a starter, says Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Bears will target defensive ends in free agency, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, who breaks down four groups of free agents the Bears will sift through: big-ticket targets (such as Michael Bennett or Everson Griffen); “budget buys” (similar to Matt Slauson, who signed an inexpensive one-year deal last year, started all 16 games and earned a four-year extension); cap casualties (veterans with “a little juice left,” as Biggs puts it); and the club’s own (most notably, Henry Melton, Charles Tillman and D.J. Williams).
- Expect the Giants to act quickly in free agency, says NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, who predicts the team will land a priority free agent, likely an offensive lineman, in a matter of days. Raanan cites recent history as an indicator, reminding the team signed Antrel Rolle on the first day of free agency in 2010, signed David Baas in two days in 2011 and added Martellus Bennett three days into the 2012 signing period.