Bengals To Sign Michael Johnson
1:21pm: Schefter hears that Johnson won’t make quite $24MM, tweeting that the four-year deal will in fact be worth $20MM, with $6MM coming in 2015.
11:25am: It is a four-year, $24MM deal for Johnson, according to Tomasson (via Twitter).
10:08am: The Bengals and DE Michael Johnson have agreed to terms, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it is a four-year deal.
It will be a homecoming of sorts for Johnson, who was drafted by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2009 draft. The Georgia Tech product played for the Bengals for five seasons before signing a five-year, $43.75MM deal with the Buccaneers last offseason. Tampa Bay released Johnson just a few days ago, saving themselves $2MM of cap room and setting the stage for Johnson’s reunion with Cincinnati. Rapoport (via Twitter) adds that Johnson made $16MM during his one year in Tampa Bay, and there are no offsets in his contract, so whatever he earns from the Bengals will be in addition to that $16MM figure. As Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets, Johnson was already due $7MM from the Buccaneers and is now set to make around $14MM in 2015 alone.
Johnson had a breakout season in 2012, contributing 11.5 sacks and grading out as the 14th-best 4-3 defensive end according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He combined with Carlos Dunlap to form an imposing pair of bookends along the Bengals’ defensive line. Cincinnati put the franchise tag on Johnson after the 2012 campaign, and although his sack totals fell off considerably in 2013, PFF listed him as the 4th-best 4-3 DE in the league, largely as a result of his excellent play against the run. The performance made him a hot commodity last offseason, and he ultimately signed with Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers looked to bolster their front seven.
But Johnson’s lone season in Tampa was disappointing to say the least. He accrued just four sacks and even his run defense full off a cliff as he finished near the bottom of the league’s defensive ends per PFF. However, his talent is undeniable, and the Vikings recently brought him in for a visit that by all accounts left both sides with a good feeling. In the end, though, the attraction of playing for his original club was just too much. As Johnson said, “[Cincinnati] is my home. I feel like outside of Selma (Johnson’s Alabama hometown) this is my home” (Twitter link to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).
Cincinnati, meanwhile, gets a quality player who should bring a lift to its defensive line, and a player who the team knows will fit into its system. Furthermore, the Bengals will get a third-round compensatory choice for losing Johnson last season, even though he is now back on the team, and because he was re-acquired after having been released, he will not count against the team’s compensatory pick formula next year. All in all, Johnson and the Bengals appear to have made out very well today.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Ebbele
As free agency’s flashy stage winds down, the next batch of potential impact players will come from the college ranks.
Some early draft buzz …
- The Eagles made a move at quarterback this past week, acquiring former first-overall pick Sam Bradford from the Rams. Despite the move, prospect Marcus Mariota could still envision his former coach, Chip Kelly, drafting him in the first round. “I wouldn’t doubt it, but Coach Kelly and the Eagles are going to do what’s best for the team,” Mariota told Zach Berman of Philly.com. “We’ll see what happens.”
- Meanwhile, Mariota indicated that he wouldn’t have any qualms about being selected by the Jets. “I’d love to play for the Jets,” Mariota said (via Seth Walder of the New York Daily News). “Meeting with the offensive coordinator (Chan Gailey) and the quarterbacks coach (Kevin Patullo) was awesome. It was an opportunity for me to introduce myself, and it seems like a great organization.”
- Gary Myers of the Daily News argues the Jets’ passing on Mariota at No. 6 overall — or failing to trade up to acquire the spread-honed prospect — would halt the team’s momentum it created from adding Darrelle Revis.
- The Bengals hosted a private workout for Arizona right tackle Fabbians Ebbele today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
Ben Levine and Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Latest On Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson entered the league as a third-round pick of the Bengals in 2009. Following a successful five-year tenure with the franchise, the defensive end inked a five-year contract worth nearly $44MM with the Buccaneers last offseason.
Tampa Bay decided to part ways with the 28-year-old earlier this week, and a reunion with Cincinnati seemed logical. Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com says Johnson is still very close with some of his former teammates, and the writer focuses on a quote by the former Bengal in November.
“They’re my brothers and going to work with them every day, it was fun. It didn’t feel like a job,” Johnson said. “We had fun every day, especially on Sundays. We had a special group there and I’ll always have very fond memories of our time there.”
More on the former Georgia Tech standout…
- As expected, Johnson is choosing between the Bengals and the Vikings, tweets ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling.
- Johnson had a “very good visit” with the Vikings, according to Mark Craig of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). The defensive end spent the night in Minnesota, which Craig says is a good sign for the organization.
- However, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says nothing can be “deduced” from Johnson’s prolonged stay in Minnesota (on Twitter). The writer notes that it’s been the player’s plan all along to stay in Minnesota until Saturday.
- Despite a successful meeting, Goessling warns (on Twitter) that Johnson will probably leave Minnesota today without a contract.
NFL Issues Performance-Based Bonuses
The NFL has announced and issued its performance-based pay bonuses for the 2014 season, according to a press release from the league. The bonuses, which are based on a player’s playing time relative to his salary level, come from a pool of $3.633MM per team. Here are the top performance-based pay amounts for the past season:
- Seantrel Henderson, T (Bills): $373,671
- Corey Linsley, C (Packers): $339,566
- Russell Bodine, C (Bengals): $318,612
- Avery Williamson, LB (Titans): $315,120
- E.J. Gaines, DB (Rams): $308,338
- Zach Fulton, G (Chiefs): $303,352
- Kelvin Beachum, T (Steelers): $297,687
- Preston Brown, LB (Bills): $293,179
- Michael Wilhoite, LB (49ers): $292,406
- Paul Worrilow, LB (Falcons): $287,413
FA Rumors: Morgan, Orakpo, Cameron
Derrick Morgan won’t be signing with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons are out on Morgan too after signing Adrian Clayborn, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. More free agent news from around the league..
- The Titans are still in the hunt for both Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and their best-case scenario would be to land both edge defenders, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Tight end Jordan Cameron is still in Miami and there’s a lot of mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, his old team, the Browns, remain the mix and a third team is also in the running.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that there has been a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, but it’s unclear if any team besides the Bengals or Vikings have a shot at him. Johnson, of course, played for Cincinnati prior to joining the Bucs last year, and was coached there by Mike Zimmer.
- The Chiefs have had exploratory talks with former Rams center Tim Barnes, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Paylor expects the Chiefs to sign a veteran center, whether it’s Barnes or someone else.
- The Steelers are generally quiet when it comes to free agency and trades, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that they’re exploring options for a kick returner.
Nick Fairley Visiting Rams
One of the league’s best defensive lines could add even more talent in free agency. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), free agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley is on his way to visit the Rams in St. Louis today.
Fairley had his 2014 season derailed by injuries, but he was very effective when healthy, and is drawing plenty of interest this week. The 27-year-old paid a visit to the Bengals already this week, and a report yesterday indicated that about a half-dozen teams were interested before free agency even began on Tuesday.That same Wednesday report also revealed that Fairley isn’t currently considering re-signing with the Lions, who lost Ndamukong Suh this week, but added Haloti Ngata.
As for the Rams, defensive line certainly isn’t an area of need for a team that has Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, and Chris Long on its roster, but the team did cut Kendall Langford earlier in the offseason and could be looking to add another interior piece. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported yesterday that the Rams had reached out to Fairley.
When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents last weekend, I placed Fairley 18th, which makes him one of the top unsigned players on our board.
North Rumors: Gachkar, Johnson, Taylor
A quick look at the AFC and NFC North…
- Chargers linebacker Andrew Gachkar will not be visiting the Vikings, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. Despite previous reports linking San Diego to the 26-year-old, Craig clarifies that the team has no interest.
- Following Michael Johnson‘s release from the Buccaneers earlier today, FOX Sports’ Jenna Laine tweets that the Vikings have interest in the veteran defensive end (along with the Bengals). A source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Johnson has already heard from handful of teams.
- The Ravens have maintained interest in bringing back backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Taylor visited with the Bills on Tuesday.
Contract Details: Maclin, Thomas, Hughes, Odrick
Here are a few details on some of this week’s noteworthy new contracts:
AFC deals:
- Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): Five years, $55MM. $22.5MM fully guaranteed. $12MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
- Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): Five years, $46MM. $21MM fully guaranteed. $28.3MM in first three years (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
- Jerry Hughes, DE (Bills): Five years, $45MM base value. $7MM signing bonus. $11.775MM fully guaranteed. $1MM annually in sack-based incentives (Twitter links via Corry and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Jared Odrick, DL (Jaguars): Five years, $42.5MM. $22.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): Four years, $36.4MM base value. $20.5MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. $2.25MM first-year cap hit (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): Three years, $18MM base value. $10MM guaranteed. $6.5MM in first year, including $3.5MM roster bonus (Twitter links via Pelissero and Wilson).
- Kendall Langford, DT (Colts): Four years, $17.2MM base value. $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports).
- Brian Hoyer, QB (Texans): Two years, $10.5MM base value. $3.75MM roster bonus to be paid this month. $5.25MM annual cap hits (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
- A.J. Hawk, LB (Bengals): Two years, $3.25MM base value. $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
NFC deals:
- Torrey Smith, WR (49ers): Five years, $40MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $8.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Corry).
- Bryan Bulaga, T (Packers): Five years, $33.75MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- Stephen Paea, DT (Washington): Four years, $21MM. $7.85MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Corey Peters, DT (Cardinals): Three years, $9MM base value. $5.75MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Justin Durant, LB (Falcons): Three years, $10.8MM base value. $4.5MM in 2015. $3MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Dwan Edwards, DT (Panthers): Two years, $4MM base value. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Cardinals): One year, $3.58MM base value. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Major Wright, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $3MM base value (Twitter link via Pelissero).
Bengals Sign A.J. Hawk
WEDNESDAY, 1:53pm: The Bengals have officially signed Hawk, the team announced today (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 4:37pm: A.J. Hawk has agreed to sign with the Bengals, according to agent Mike McCartney (via Twitter). It’ll be a two year deal for Hawk with his hometown team.
Cincinnati re-signed linebacker Rey Maualuga this week, but with Vontaze Burfict‘s recovery timetable still uncertain following microfracture surgery, the team needed some more depth at the position. The Packers were said to be leaving the door open for a possible return, but that just didn’t work out for one reason or another.
Over the last nine years, Hawk has been one of the most recognizable players on the Packers’ defense, averaging over 100 tackles per year and appearing in all but two of the team’s regular-season games. However, toward the end of his tenure with the franchise, the 31-year-old’s production no longer matched his salary. In 2014, he saw his playing time scaled back toward the end of the season and in the playoffs as he struggled with an ankle injury, and he recorded a -14.4 grade for the season, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required).
Hawk, a former fifth overall pick, was entering the final year of his contract, and would have counted for $5.1MM on Green Bay’s cap. By cutting him, the Packers cleared his base salary, roster bonus, and workout bonus from their books, creating $3.5MM in cap savings.
Bengals Re-Sign Clint Boling
1:53pm: Boling’s new deal with the Bengals is now official, the team confirmed today (via Twitter).
WEDNESDAY, 9:51am: It’s a five-year, $26MM deal for Boling, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). That’s not a bad deal for the Bengals, considering other top free agent interior linemen, like Mike Iupati and Rodney Hudson, received $8MM+ annual salaries.
TUESDAY, 9:07pm: Boling is returning to the Bengals, as the two sides have worked out a deal, per the NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala (Twitter link).
7:26pm: The Bengals are nearing a deal to retain guard Clint Boling, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old Boling had been drawing interest from other clubs, but it looks like he’ll head back to Cincinnati. Terms of the deal aren’t yet known.
The Vikings had expressed an interest in adding Boling, which would have reunited the Georgia alum with former Bengals coach Mike Zimmer. Boling’s trainer had indicated that although the Jets and Falcons were also pursuing the former fourth-round pick, Boling had the strongest interest in joining Minnesota. Instead, he’ll stay in Cincinnati, where’s started 44 games over the past three seasons.
Boling, who ranked at No. 44 among PFR’s Top 50 free agents, was especially excellent in 2014, grading as the league’s eighth-best guard per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He earned a base salary of $1.431MM last year, meaning he’ll be in for a large pay increase on his new contract.