East Notes: Bills, Gresham, Barwin, Scandrick
As the working week winds down, let’s round up a handful of Friday updates out of the NFL’s two East divisions….
- Charles Clay was arguably the Bills‘ top target in free agency this month, and the team made sure that they landed him by signing him to an offer sheet that the Dolphins were unwilling to match. However, Clay wasn’t the only tight end the team was considering. According to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, the Bills were “giving serious thought” to signing Jermaine Gresham before he underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc. Per Carucci’s source, the club would even have been willing to add both Clay and Gresham to the roster, if the former Bengal had been healthy.
- Speaking to Howard Eskin on 94WIP in Philadelphia, outside linebacker Connor Barwin, who just received a new deal from the Eagles, said he’d like to play out the rest of his career in Philadelphia. Barwin estimated that he has another “four to six” years left in the NFL, as Andrew Porter of CBS Philly details.
- Orlando Scandrick, the Cowboys‘ top cornerback, is scheduled to make just $10.5MM over the next four seasons, prompting Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com to wonder if the team should address Scandrick’s contract. As a point of comparison, Archer focuses on Keenan Lewis‘ situation in New Orleans, where the Saints didn’t increase Lewis’ overall pay, but guaranteed a good chunk of his salary and improved his cash flow.
- Earlier this afternoon, the Dolphins re-signed safety Louis Delmas and running back LaMichael James.
Extra Points: Holmes, Steelers, Cards, Willis
Wide receiver Santonio Holmes isn’t getting any bites this offseason and he told SI Now (video link) that he doesn’t understand why he’s out of a job.
“It baffles me a little to know that I’m not a part of any organization,” Holmes said. “It is a gift and a curse at the same time. And I say that because the gift of playing and the opportunity to be a figure in the National Football League. I enjoyed my time. And the curse of having one injury in my entire career that people are now looking at me as if Santonio Holmes is not the guy anymore.”
Many feel that Holmes is no longer the same player after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in 2012 with the Jets. It also doesn’t help that he has a reputation as a difficult locker room presence.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- The Steelers haven’t exactly been aggressive in free agency so far, and that approach won’t change anytime soon. Team president Art Rooney II said today that Pittsburgh continues to look at available options, but he isn’t expecting much in the way of upcoming free agent signings, as Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review outlines.
- The Cardinals have been a bit more active in free agency than Pittsburgh, having signed Mike Iupati to a lucrative long-term deal. However, for the most part, GM Steve Keim is on the lookout for bargains, writes Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com.
- Appearing on NBC Sports Network on Thursday, speaking to former teammate Takeo Spikes, Patrick Willis said he’s having no second thoughts about his decision to retire, and adamantly stated there’s no chance he attempts a comeback. Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the details and quotes.
- Former Dolphins quarterback Pat White has announced his retirement, according to the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos (on Twitter). White only played in the CFL in 2014 and didn’t see the field much with the Eskimos as there were multiple quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart. Former Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland drafted White No. 44 overall in 2009 but the West Virginia product did very little on the NFL gridiron.
- The Cowboys, Saints, Chiefs, and Texans will have some cap work to do between now and the summer, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap (Twitter links). Meanwhile, the Browns, Jaguars, Titans, and Buccaneers figure to have lots of cap space leftover (Twitter link).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Giants Sign George Selvie
10:00am: The Giants have made it official, announcing the signing of Selvie in a press release.
9:42am: Former Cowboys defensive end George Selvie is making the move to another NFC East team, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Selvie and the Giants have agreed to terms on a contract. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), it’ll be a one-year, $1.4MM contract for Selvie, with a $200K signing bonus.
Selvie, who turned 28 two weeks ago, has started 29 games for the Cowboys over the past two seasons, recording 10 sacks and 81 tackles. The former Jaguar, Panther, and Ram graded as the league’s 37th-best 4-3 DE among 59 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but those metrics showed a stark difference between Selvie’s run defense (where he excelled) and his pass rush (where he struggled).
While the Giants hosted Selvie for a visit this week, the team was hardly his only suitor. The Vikings were said to be interested as well, having contacted him on the first day of the legal tampering period earlier in the month. Although Minnesota’s interest waned a little this week, the Buccaneers were also very much in the mix.
In New York, Selvie looks like a good bet to assume many of the defensive snaps that Mathias Kiwanuka played last season — Kiwanuka was cut by the Giants last month. The move will also reunite Selvie with former USF teammate Jason Pierre-Paul.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Cowboys Re-Sign Nick Hayden
The Cowboys bolstered their defensive front from outside the organization earlier this week when they added Greg Hardy, but they also will look to a holdover to continue his work. Nick Hayden agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Cowboys, Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Terms of the deal are not known, but they won’t be anything extravagant.
An unrestricted free agent, Hayden started at defensive tackle in all 16 games for the Cowboys the past two seasons, stabilizing his career after part-time starting responsibilities with the Panthers and Bengals the previous three years. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Hayden as the worst defensive tackle among 81 regulars at the position last season (subscription required) and second-worst in 2013, illustrating what kind of shape the Cowboys’ interior might be in after Henry Melton‘s exit.
A greater need opened up for the 29-year-old Hayden’s workmanlike services once Dallas jettisoned Melton. The cap-drained Cowboys are also likely to lose George Selvie and Anthony Spencer.
Extra Points: 49ers, Hardy, Peterson, Rivers
49ers CEO Jed York appeared on Bloomberg Television on Tuesday to discuss a number of different topics, including the surprise retirement of Chris Borland (via SFGate.com):
“We respect it, and I love Chris. He’s a great kid. And it’s certainly a surprise to us and I think to some of his teammates. But you have to respect the decision. If he fears for his health and safety going forward, I don’t ever want somebody to go out there and do something that they’re not comfortable doing. And I would never try to talk somebody out of retirement. I know it wasn’t an easy decision for him, but we respect him and we wish him the best.”
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- Greg Hardy spurned the Buccaneers for the Cowboys earlier today, but as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes, it may have been the organization that rejected the player. “At the end of the day, we didn’t feel good about it,” said general manager Jason Licht.
- Count Larry Fitzgerald among those who’d like to see Adrian Peterson wearing a Cardinals jersey next season. The veteran wideout told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that adding the All-Pro running back would be a “game-changer” for the organization. “Obviously, he’s an MVP-caliber player,” Fitzgerald said. “Everybody knows that. Any team he ends up with — or if he stays with the Vikings — is going to have a great back. If he was to come play here, it would obviously mean a tremendous amount for our ballclub.”
- Following news that Philip Rivers wouldn’t consider a new deal with the Chargers until the end of the 2015 season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says the organization has no intention of letting the quarterback depart (via Around The NFL on Twitter). Rapoport notes (on Twitter) that both sides have plenty of leverage during negotiations.
- CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Bills actually signed wideout Percy Harvin to a three-year, $24MM deal, but the contract voids to a one-year, $6MM pact. As WGR550’s Joe Buscaglia points out on Twitter, this saves the organization $2MM in 2015 cap through “signing bonus proration,” meaning the player’s cap hit for this season will be $4MM as opposed to $6MM. Furthermore, if the Bills decide to void the contract following 2015 (which they’re expected to do), they’ll get hit with $2MM in dead money.
Draft Notes: Winston, Borland, Visits
Some assorted draft notes from around the league…
- Jameis Winston‘s decision to skip out on the NFL draft may have been based on pressure from the league. According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, the NFL may have been fearing “protests” regarding Winston’s selection in the draft, with the league advising the prospect to keep a “low profile.”
- Following the surprise retirement of Chris Borland, Cole says teams are becoming cautious of players who are “too smart for football.” Specifically, players who have future careers outside of football may be less desirable than players who are “desperate” to become professional athletes.
- Georgia running back Todd Gurley told reporters that he’s set to meet with the Panthers after having already met with the Lions, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gurley revealed that he’s also meeting with five other teams.
- Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is scheduled to meet with the Ravens, according to Yahoo’s Rand Getlin (via Twitter).
- Meanwhile, Getlin reports (on Twitter) that Duke wideout Jamison Crowder is gaining some interest, as the player has workouts planned with the Patriots, Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans.
- Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein that he’s set to meet with the Vikings and Jaguars in April (Twitter link). Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the defensive back also has private workouts scheduled with the Titans and Panthers.
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.com (via Twitter), Boise State running back Jay Ajayi had dinner with the Chargers brass on Tuesday night.
- The Jets have scheduled a one-on-one meeting with Missouri defensive end Shane Ray, according to Pauline (on Twitter).
- Purdue tight end Gabe Holmes had a private workout today with the Cardinals, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The session went well, as Wilson says Holmes “caught everything.”
- Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty has visits set up with the Cowboys, Chargers and Rams, according to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter).
Cowboys Sign Greg Hardy
6:20pm: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the signing in a statement (via NFL.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter):
“This agreement involved an important element of our defensive scheme, specifically the pass rush, at a position that we felt we needed to address this off season. We entered this free agency period with the idea of utilizing key resources to help us on the defensive side of the ball.
“Greg is a proven and experienced player whose production has allowed him to play at a Pro Bowl level. This is a one-year agreement that is incentive based and heavily weighted toward his participation in games.
“We have spent a great deal of time over the last two days in meeting with Greg directly and gaining a solid understanding of what he is all about as a person and as a football player. A thorough background review of him, involving many elements of our organization, has been ongoing for the last few weeks.
“Obviously a great deal of our study was dedicated to the issue of domestic violence, and the recent events that associated Greg with that issue. We know that Greg’s status remains under review by the National Football League.
“Our organization understands the very serious nature of domestic violence in our society and in our league. We know that Greg has a firm understanding of those issues as well.”
3:00pm: Pro Football Talk has the specific breakdown of the contract, tweeting that Hardy gets a $750K base salary, a $1.3116MM workout bonus, $9.25MM in per-game roster bonuses, and $1.8044MM in sack-based incentives. The Cowboys also won’t be allowed to designate him as their franchise or transition player next season (Twitter link).
Hardy’s 2014 salary, for the record, was $13.116MM, which is the exact same amount this year’s deal can be worth if he maxes it out.
Schefter has the specific details on how Hardy can earn those sack-based incentives (Twitter link).
2:54pm: The agreement has now been confirmed by the Cowboys’ official site, with the announcement noting that Hardy is “widely expected” to be suspended by the NFL for four to six games. Meanwhile, Schefter (Twitter link) suggests that, despite the minimum salary, the deal has a base value of $11.3MM, suggesting there are significant bonuses involved.
Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that there’s no guaranteed money on the deal, so I expect a good chunk of that bonus money probably come in the form of per-game roster bonuses — since Hardy only appeared in one game last season, most of those bonuses wouldn’t count against the cap at this point.
2:43pm: Hardy has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, Pro Football Talk confirms (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal with a minimum base salary, but it can be worth up to $13.1MM, which is the amount Hardy earned a year ago on the franchise tag (Twitter link).
2:05pm: The structure of the contract seems to be the hang-up in the Cowboys’ discussions with Hardy, but both sides remain confident that a deal will be finalized, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
1:44pm: Both sides say there’s no deal yet, but it’s hard to see how a deal won’t get done at this point, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, Bucs GM Jason Licht spoke to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) about his decision not to pursue Hardy. “At the end of the day, we didn’t feel good about it,” Licht said.
1:36pm: Greg Hardy has agreed to sign with the Cowboys, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (on Twitter). Hardy was said to have narrowed things down to the Cowboys and the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Dallas became the clear leader once the Bucs no longer were showing interest.
Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list. There has yet to be a decision from the NFL on what kind of discipline the 26-year-old will face.
Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.
The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy represents a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. Now, Hardy will likely take over right defensive end with Lawrence on the left side, leaving Mincey to serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties. A rush featuring Hardy and Lawrence is absolutely terrifying on paper, but Dallas will have to take on the backlash and potential baggage that will come with signing Hardy.
FA Rumors: Moore, Rubin, Jennings, Selvie
If Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News were in charge of the Cowboys, he would have tendered a contract offer to cornerback Sterling Moore. Cowboys coaches didn’t see enough from Moore in 2014 to want him back, apparently, but at a cost of $1.542MM, he could have given them inexpensive depth at the position. Moore, who visited the Steelers earlier this week, is in San Francisco today meeting with the 49ers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Here’s more on a handful of free agents around the NFL:
- The Seahawks are still in the market for defensive line help and they’ll host Browns free agent defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin today, Rapoport tweets. Back in December, Rubin said that he wanted to stay in Cleveland for life. So far, nothing like that has materialized.
- Wide receiver Greg Jennings told Stephen A. Smith on Sirius XM/Mad Dog Sports Radio that he’d be open to a reunion with the Packers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Jennings said that he’d never “tear down” a bridge, but Demovsky notes that Jennings might have done that already with some harsh comments towards the Packers and Aaron Rodgers upon joining the Vikings.
- We heard earlier this week that the Vikings have interest in defensive end George Selvie, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Minnesota appears to have backed off a little, while the Buccaneers are now “very much” in the mix for Selvie.
- Free agent offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds is paying a visit to the Rams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). St. Louis has holes at multiple spots on its offensive line, and Reynolds is capable of playing both guard and tackle.
- Washington, the Vikings, and the Bengals are all vying to sign free agent safety Taylor Mays, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A source tells Tomasson that Cincinnati “desperately” wants to re-sign Mays, who is considering his options.
- The Ravens have maintained interest in potentially re-signing defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, who is visiting the Jets tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Former Dolphins defensive end Rakim Cox has been invited to the veterans combine, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Greg Hardy Likely To Sign With Cowboys
12:32pm: The Bucs have lost interest in Hardy and unless someone else gets involved, it sounds like he’ll be a Cowboy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.
Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) is curious to see what the deal looks like in terms of length, guarantee, and total money. La Canfora hears that Hardy is seeking upwards of $6MM for 2015.
8:19am: After meeting with the Cowboys on Tuesday, agent Drew Rosenhaus says Greg Hardy will decide between signing with them or the Buccaneers tonight, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks were also in the running for the talented defensive end, but it appears that they have fallen out of the chase.
Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list. There has yet to be a decision from the NFL on what kind of discipline the 26-year-old will face.
Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.
The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy would obviously give a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. If he comes aboard, Eatman writes that Hardy would step in at right defensive end, Lawrence would likely switch to the left side, and Mincey would serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties. A rush featuring Hardy and Lawrence would be absolutely terrifying on paper, but Dallas would have to take on the backlash and potential baggage that could come with signing Hardy.
The Bucs lost out on what would have been a huge upgrade to their pass rush when Derrick Morgan opted to stay put with the Titans, but signing Hardy would give them a similar or greater boost in the front seven. After releasing Michael Johnson just one year after inking a five-year, $43.75MM contract, Tampa Bay needs to find a suitable replacement somehow.
Cowboys In Lead For Greg Hardy
7:00pm: Hardy is scheduled to take a physical with the Cowboys in the morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
6:31pm: The Seahawks and Buccaneers are also in on Greg Hardy, but right now, there’s one team clearly in the driver’s seat. The Cowboys are the undisputed favorite to land the free agent defensive end, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, he adds (link) that the Bucs will not go quietly.
Hardy is scheduled to have dinner with some Dallas coaches tonight after spending part of day at Valley Ranch, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets. Meanwhile, Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com hears that negotiations could get underway Tuesday night with the possibility of a deal being reached as early as Wednesday. Hardy’s docket calls for him to stay in the Dallas area through Wednesday and the possible powwow tomorrow morning could include a physical if things get that far, according to Eatman.
The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy would obviously give a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. If he comes aboard, Eatman writes that Hardy would step in at right defensive end, Lawrence would likely switch to the left side, and Mincey would serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties.
Both the Bucs and Seahawks have denied that they have a formal visit scheduled for Hardy, but their interest has been widely reported. Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.