Leodis McKelvin Visiting Eagles; Cowboys Next?
Free agent cornerback Leodis McKelvin is paying a visit to Philadelphia today to meet with the Eagles, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While most pending free agents can’t make visits until Wednesday, McKelvin is eligible to begin doing so now since he was released by the Bills last week.
McKelvin, selected 11th overall in the 2008 draft, had been preparing to enter the final year of his contract with the Bills. Recent reports had suggested the team would explore a reworked contract with McKelvin in an attempt to keep him around, but Buffalo ultimately parted ways with him instead, allowing him to hit the open market.
Despite being a first-round pick, McKelvin never developed into a shutdown corner for the Bills, or even a full-time starter — he has only started more than nine games in a season twice in his career, due to both performance and injuries. In 2015, McKelvin grabbed two interceptions to go along with 32 tackles, nine passes defended, and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus ranked him 83rd out of 111 qualified cornerbacks.
The Eagles are in the market for cornerback help after agreeing to trade Byron Maxwell to the Dolphins, and McKelvin would represent a more affordable option than many other players on the free agent market. Rapoport suggests that a deal between the two sides could “come quickly.” However, if McKelvin and the Eagles don’t work something out while he’s in Philadelphia, a visit to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys is next up on the 30-year-old’s schedule, per Rapoport.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Campbell, Murray, Cowboys, Suh
Contradicting a report from another outlet, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cardinals aren’t trying to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and haven’t received any inquiries from teams asking if he’s available.
Still, while Campbell may not be on the trade block, his situation is still worth keeping an eye on this offseason, as Somers points out. The standout defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract, and has a cap hit of $15.25MM, making him a prime extension candidate if Arizona wants to keep him around for the long term.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL on a busy Tuesday:
- There was some discussion about the Cowboys, rather than the Titans, acquiring DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Werder says Dallas wasn’t on board with the compensation or the guaranteed money necessary to make a deal.
- The Dolphins created $16MM in cap room when they restructured Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). James Walker of ESPN.com breaks down the specifics.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Tyrunn Walker‘s new one-year deal with the Lions, which features a $150K signing bonus, $550K in total roster bonuses, and $650K in playing-time incentives.
- Safety Andrew Sendejo will receive $2.5MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Goessling adds that Sendejo will make $4MM in the first year and $7MM through two years.
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).
FA Rumors: Whitehead, Clayborn, Vikings, Jags
With Kiko Alonso set to head to Miami once the trade between the Dolphins and Eagles becomes official, Philadelphia will be in the market for a new linebacker. And Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com hears that the Eagles are targeting a player with whom new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is familiar.
According to Shorr-Parks, the Eagles have expressed interest in Lions linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who can become a free agent this week. Whitehead ranked as our top non-rush outside linebacker when we examined 2016’s top defensive free agents over the weekend, and he’d represent an upgrade over Alonso. However, he’ll also be more expensive, so we’ll see if Howie Roseman and the Eagles can make it work.
Here’s more updates on free agents around the NFL:
- Free agent defensive lineman Adrian Clayborn, who has experience playing inside and outside, is drawing interest from a few teams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Rapoport identifies the Giants, Jaguars, Cowboys, and Dolphins as some of the clubs “lurking” on Clayborn.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press passes along a couple updates on the Vikings‘ free agent prospects, reporting (via Twitter) that the team has inquired on safety Reggie Nelson, who previously played for Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati. Tomasson adds (via Twitter) that he’s hearing offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele may be too expensive for Minnesota.
- Could defensive lineman Malik Jackson be a top target for the Jaguars this week? Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why it could be a good match, noting that Jacksonville is believed to have several targets for the first wave of free agency.
- Free agent wide receiver James Jones tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) that he wants to keep playing for “at least three more years”
- Buccaneers safety Keith Tandy, an unrestricted free agent, has been in talks to return to Tampa Bay, and there’s a good chance he re-signs with the team within the next few days, says Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
Cowboys Use Second-Round Tender On Ronald Leary
The Cowboys have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent guard Ronald Leary, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The tender would pay Leary $2.553MM in 2016. Meanwhile, safety Jeff Heath was given the low tender worth $1.671MM. 
Leary was on the field for 137 pass snaps and 84 run snaps this season, according to the stats compiled by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Although he did not qualify to be ranked based on that limited sample size, Leary was given an overall grade of 72.2, which would have placed him near the backend of the top 30.
In other Cowboys news, we recently learned that quarterback Tony Romo will go under the knife next week to have a “Mumford procedure” on his collarbone, rather than having a plate inserted. Meanwhile, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Gil Brandt of NFL.com that he will not take a QB with the No. 4 overall pick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
QB Rumors: RGIII, Foles, Romo, Luck
At least 10 teams are giving Washington signal-caller Robert Griffin III “a hard look,” sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Griffin is a strong candidate to be either traded or released in the coming days, and there are teams around the league who feel like they can remake RGIII both on and off the field, according to Freeman.
While no team will want to trade for Griffin and pay his $16MM+ salary for 2016, that figure remains non-guaranteed until next Wednesday, so there could be resolution on the quarterback’s situation soon. As Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets, Washington wouldn’t want more than a conditional late-round pick in a trade, so if a team can negotiate a reworked contract as part of a deal, it could be worth parting with that pick to get a leg up on all the clubs waiting for RGIII to be released.
As we wait to see what happens with the former No. 2 overall pick, let’s round up a few more Friday items on quarterbacks around the NFL, including the guy who was selected before Griffin in 2012…
- With the Rams currently counting on Case Keenum to be their starting quarterback, Nick Foles could almost certainly be had in the right trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Dolphins, the Cowboys, and Washington would be among the teams with interest if Foles were available. It’s hard to imagine any of those teams giving up anything of value for Foles though.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who will go under the knife next week, intends to undergo a “Mumford procedure” on his collarbone, rather than having a plate inserted, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Mike Fisher of CBSDFW.com had reported that Romo would undergo the plate insertion, which involves a set of screws and a plate being inserted to protect the bone. However, Moore says that while the plate remains an option, the plan for Romo is the Mumford procedure, which would involve shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Andrew Luck‘s looming extension will change the Colts‘ cap outlook drastically going forward, but the team has been anticipating that jump in its quarterback salary for several years. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at how the Colts are approaching the deal, and how it will affect the rest of the team’s offseason plans.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Morris, Coughlin
Having signed Sam Bradford to a two-year contract extension, the Eagles don’t necessarily plan to put the quarterback position on the back-burner for the rest of the offseason. Head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged today that he and the Eagles will look into drafting a signal-caller, though he added it would probably be later in the draft, rather than with the No. 13 overall pick (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on whether the offensive line will be a priority for the club this offseason: “It’s a priority today. It’s a priority tomorrow. It’s a priority next week. It’s a priority in April” (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It sounds like that’s a yes.
- Admitting that he doesn’t know what to expect as his first opportunity at free agency approaches, running back Alfred Morris says he’d be open to returning to Washington, but will have “no hard feelings” if the team doesn’t bring him back. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from Morris.
- Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is sending an odd message by hanging around the team’s facility and using the gym twice a week, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. Myers hear that Coughlin’s “hard feelings for the Giants came through loud and clear” during his head coaching interview with the Eagles in January, and adds that it’s time for the veteran coach to move on.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo surgery on his collarbone next week, sources tell David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Romo is believed to have made his decision on what kind of procedure he’ll have, but it’s yet known which direction he’s going.
Draft Rumors: Cowboys, Myles Jack, J. Smith
Free agency is dominating NFL conversation at the moment, but the draft isn’t that far away, either. Here are the latest news and notes surrounding collegiate prospects and their impending entry to the league:
- In a piece previewing several developmental options that could make sense for Dallas, Gil Brandt of NFL.com reveals that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently told Brandt “unequivocally” that his club will not select a QB with the fourth overall pick. Dallas has been linked to Cal’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, as the thinking goes that the team would like to draft an heir apparent to Tony Romo — in fact, Jones said this morning that he’d like to find Romo’s successor. But the Cowboys have enough holes, especially on defense, that it probably makes more sense to use their first pick at a different position, especially if the front office is confident Romo can steer the ship for a few more years.
- UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is drawing rave reviews from NFL coaches, and they believe Jack can play five positions, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 6’1”, 225-pounder was certainly a jack-of-all-trades (excuse the pun) for the Bruins, as he saw time at both inside and outside linebacker, safety, nickel corner, and running back, and even returned the occasional kick. Jack is the No. 1 overall player of Josh Norris of Rotoworld‘s big board.
- Another collegiate linebacker — Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith — was thought to be competing with Jack to become the first defensive player selected, but that changed when Smith suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his final college game. A report last week indicated that NFL clubs are also concerned about possible nerve damage in Smith’s ankle, but it sounds as if at least one team isn’t worried. According to ESPN’s Todd McShay, via Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com (Twitter link), Smith is still the No. 1 overall player on one club’s draft board. On the other hand, “a couple” other teams have removed the linebacker from their boards altogether.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/2/16
Here are today’s minor moves:
- The Browns have offered a tender to kick returner Raheem Mostert, per his agent Brent Tessler (Twitter link). Mostert, a running back by trade, doesn’t have an NFL carry to his name, but returned 12 kickoffs (25.8 yard average) for Cleveland last season.
- The Cowboys have cut four players, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), who reports that the club has parted ways with offensive lineman Cody Clay, receiver Donte Foster, running back Michael Hill, and defensive end Efe Obeda. Of the group, Hill, with eight career games, has the most NFL experience.
Earlier updates:
- The Panthers signed linebacker Ben Jacobs, according to the team’s website. An exclusive-rights free agent, the 27-year-old Jacobs spent the past three seasons with the Panthers, suiting up for all 16 games the last two years. The former UDFA out of Fresno State will be a restricted free agent after 2016.
- The Dolphins signed wide receiver Christion Jones, per SportsTrust Advisors (on Twitter). A former Alabama product who’s yet to suit up in an NFL game, Jones initially caught on with Miami as a rookie last summer but exited via waived/injured designation just before the season began. Jones earned SEC special teams player of the year honors in 2013.
NFC Notes: Coughlin, Peppers, 49ers, Cooper
When Tom Coughlin‘s departure as Giants head coach was announced in January, it was classified as a resignation. At the time though, it was considered more of a firing, with most observers believing that the team would have made a change if Coughlin had been unwilling to step down. The veteran head coach insinuated as much during an appearance on the Jay Mohr Show on FOX Sports Radio, per John Healy of the New York Daily News.
“Hey, do I agree with the move? Of course not,” Coughlin said. “It hurts. It hurts. ‘Former’ is not a good word. I don’t like the word but that’s the way it is.”
As Coughlin continues to consider his next career move, whether that involves joining the Giants’ front office, waiting on another head coaching job, or simply retiring, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFC…
- Julius Peppers acknowledges that within “the next four years, somewhere in there,” he’ll be calling it a career, but that won’t happen this offseason, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. The veteran edge defender plans to play for the Packers in 2016, and based on a February report, it sounds like the club will welcome him back for the final year of his contract.
- In Jerry Jones‘ ideal world, the Cowboys would have the same sort of handoff from Tony Romo to their next QB that the Packers did they had Aaron Rodgers ready to replace Brett Favre. Todd Archer of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from the Cowboys’ owner.
- Bill Williamson of FanRag Sports (Twitter link) is hearing that the 49ers won’t be shy about spending money during the free agent period next week. Williamson identifies cornerback Sean Smith, running back Doug Martin, and offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele as possible targets for San Francisco.
- The 49ers reworked tackle Joe Staley‘s contract today, converting $4MM into a signing bonus, per ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini (via Twitter). However, the move was procedural and won’t change the club’s cash or cap outlook for 2016, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.om (Twitter link). Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examined Staley’s unusual bonus situation last April, and that explanation looks relevant once again.
- The Cardinals are considering moving Jonathan Cooper to center, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (on Twitter). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirm Arizona’s plans for their thus-far-disappointing lineman here (Twitter links). Cooper’s made just 11 regular-season starts at guard since being drafted by the Cardinals at No. 7 overall in 2013. A knee injury shelved Cooper last season after he made nine starts, and Ted Larsen supplanted him in the Cardinals’ lineup. Larsen is a free agent, as is Lyle Sendlein, who’s started 124 games at center for Arizona since 2007.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report