FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knighton
Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..
- Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).
- A head coach told Russini (on Twitter) that teams are afraid to sign Terrance Knighton because he’s out of shape.
- Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.
- Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.
- Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.
- The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.
- There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.
- The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.
Eagles Expected To Sign DeMarco Murray
12:44pm: If and when it becomes official, Murray’s deal with the Eagles is expected to be worth $42MM over five years, with $21MM guaranteed, according to Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter adds (via Twitter) that $18MM of that guarantee is for both skill and injury.
12:04pm: There’s a lot of guaranteed money in the Eagles’ offer to Murray, and significantly more than the Cowboys are offering, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports and Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Schrager adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia is prepared to pay Murray like a top-five running back.
11:21am: Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) also expects the Eagles to get a deal done with Murray, adding that it will likely come in around $6MM per year.
11:16am: Murray, en route to Philadelphia, is expected to sign with the Eagles, tweets Schefter. While nothing is official yet, the Cowboys are calling around for other running backs in anticipation of Murray signing with the Eagles, Schefter adds (via Twitter).
8:54am: The meeting between the Eagles and Murray will take place early this afternoon and will include Chip Kelly, who isn’t at Oregon’s Pro Day, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports. Meanwhile, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets that the Raiders wanted Murray and were “very aggressive financially,” but still appear to be on the outside looking in
8:05am: Free agent running back DeMarco Murray is visiting Philadelphia today, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says the NFL’s leading rusher intends to sign with the Eagles. That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal yet. Schefter notes that Murray would consider a final, last-minute offer from the Cowboys, so there’s a chance this is a negotiating tactic. However, it looks like Murray is prepared to jump from one NFC East team to another if Dallas doesn’t make a satisfactory offer.
The Raiders and Jaguars have also been frequently mentioned as potential Murray suitors, but at the moment it appears that the running back’s top two choices are the Cowboys and Eagles, in some order. As Schefter notes, part of the reason Murray is interested in Philadelphia is because of his belief in the team’s chances to win — Oakland and Jacksonville are a little further away from contention.
Based on yesterday’s round of Murray rumors, it sounds as if the Cowboys’ most recent offer to their running back was in the $5MM per year range. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms today (via Twitter) that Dallas would like to keep Murray at around that price, so if the Eagles are willing to go to $6MM per year or higher, there will be pressure on Jerry Jones and company to increase that offer.
One interesting wrinkle that affects the Murray situation is the status of Ryan Mathews. The former Chargers back reportedly agreed to terms with the Eagles yesterday, but has yet to officially sign his contract. It would be surprising if the team backed out of an agreement with Mathews if there was one in place, but it’s still worth monitoring as Murray heads to Philadelphia.
Cowboys To Sign Jed Collins
We don’t know who will be running the ball for the Cowboys next season, but we do know who will be clearing the path. The Cowboys have signed fullback Jed Collins, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Collins, 29, visited with Dallas on Wednesday night and apparently agreed to a deal this morning. Collins, who was actually the first player the Cowboys have hosted in free agency, will serve as a replacement for free agent Tyler Clutts. He spent the first three years career with New Orleans before joining up with Detroit last year. With the Lions, he saw a good amount of time on offense, plus time on special teams.
Murray Decision Not Expected Tonight, Will Visit Eagles Thursday
Following a day full of rumors, it sounds like there will be no resolution on the DeMarco Murray front. According to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter), the running back will not finalize a deal tonight. PFT notes that Murray will likely “take a visit” to his potential landing spots, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms (on Twitter) that Murray will meet with Eagles officials on Thursday.
Based on today’s news, it sounds like four teams are in the running for Murray’s services: the Cowboys, Eagles, Raiders and Jaguars. In fact, Philly wasn’t even involved with the bidding until Murray and coach Chip Kelly spoke on the phone this afternoon. There were also whispers that the running back’s college roommate, recently-acquired quarterback Sam Bradford, was trying to recruit Murray to Philadelphia.
Besides the Eagles, it sounds like the running back is seriously considering the Cowboy offers. The team reportedly made him an offer of $5MM annually, and it was noted that Dallas had an advantage over Philadelphia. At least one team involved in the bidding was under the impression that Murray would return to Dallas.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Raiders are willing to offer the most money, and those same reports indicate that the Jaguars offer was too low for Murray’s liking.
DeMarco Murray Rumors: Wednesday
As perhaps the most noteworthy free agent still on the board this week, DeMarco Murray will be receiving plenty of attention today, as potential suitors vie for his services. Until the longtime Cowboys running back reaches an agreement with a new club, or at least starts closing in on a deal, we’ll track today’s Murray updates right here, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- ESPN’s Ed Werder says the Cowboys, Eagles and Raiders are “getting very competitive” for Murray’s service (Twitter link).
- One of the teams pursuing Murray is under the impression that the running back will return to the Cowboys, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter).
- Newly-signed Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton said he’s trying to recruit Murray to Oakland, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter). The duo were both standouts for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Earlier updates:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (on Twitter) that Murray understands where the Cowboys and Jaguars are with their offers, but the running back is still seeking more money. Despite Murray’s demands for about $8MM annually, Breer says that market isn’t there yet.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Eagles weren’t even interested in Murray until he called them today. Philly has already signed Ryan Mathews for $5MM guaranteed and they have Darren Sproles in the mix, so they don’t have a major need for Murray.
- Werder (on Twitter) senses that Murray’s decision could come soon. The Jaguars are not actively involved, the Raiders are offering the most money, and the Cowboys have the advantage right now over the Eagles.
- Things are heating up on the Murray front, and the situation will likely come to a head later today, tweets Pro Football Talk.
- The Eagles appear to be Murray’s top choice besides Dallas, according to Robinson (Twitter link). The Raiders and Jaguars trail Philadelphia, and one league source doesn’t believe Jacksonville will make a significant offer.
- Mutual interest between the Eagles and Murray was renewed after a personal phone call between the running back and head coach Chip Kelly, says Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who notes (via Twitter) that Murray was Sam Bradford‘s roommate at Oklahoma. However remains to be seen how much the Eagles would be willing to offer Murray, since Kelly stressed today he won’t overpay for anyone, tweets Mortensen. For his part Bradford said today that he’s been trying to recruit his old college teammate (Twitter link).
- A source tells Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that, before Murray removed mention of the Cowboys from his Twitter account earlier this week, the team made him an offer worth $5MM annually.
- Despite reaching an agreement with Ryan Mathews (as noted below), the Eagles remain very much in the mix for Murray, according to multiple reporters, including Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), it could ultimately come down to the Eagles and Cowboys.
- Jaguars GM David Caldwell said he spoke to Murray’s agent last night, but there’s no movement right now, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
- A source with knowledge of Murray’s situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the idea of the back signing with the Jaguars is currently “not likely.” That could change if the Jags up their offer, or if the NFL’s leading rusher agrees to take less money than he wants, says Florio.
- As we heard last night, the Raiders maintain interest in Murray despite signing Roy Helu, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, multiple teams have made offers to Murray.
- Earlier today, a report indicated that Ryan Mathews is expected to sign with the Eagles, pending a visit with the team. It’s not clear how that would affect the team’s interest in Murray, but I can’t imagine Philadelphia would pursue him too aggressively if Mathews was under contract.
NFC Links: Vikings, 49ers, Cowboys
Some assorted notes from around the NFC…
- The bridge hasn’t been completely burned between the Vikings and Adrian Peterson. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling tweets that the organization is still trying to “work things out” with the embattled running back.
- Prior to signing with the Bills, the Vikings asked Jerome Felton to bring them back a counter offer, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The fullback did just that, but Minnesota refused to come close to the four-year, $9.2MM deal he got from Buffalo.
- 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said there’s no interest in bringing in defensive end Greg Hardy, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
- The Cowboys are hosting fullback Jed Collins tonight, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Cowboys are hunting for a replacement for Tyler Clutts, who is a free agent. He is the first player the Cowboys have hosted during free agency.
NFC Rumors: Johnson, Peters, Pears, Carter
NFL.com’s Michael Silver reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers had a trade lined up involving defensive Michael Johnson, but the veteran wouldn’t agree to a contract restructuring. Here’s more from the NFC…
- Corey Peters, who joined up with the Cardinals today, told reporters that he had more lucrative offers elsewhere but believed that Arizona was the best fit for him, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Peters signed a three-year, $9MM deal with the Cards that will pay him $5.75MM guaranteed.
- Bills free agent offensive lineman Erik Pears is scheduled to visit the 49ers on Thursday, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
- The Cowboys had some interest in re-signing linebacker Bruce Carter, but not at an average of $5MM per season, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram tweets. Carter got a healthy pay day when he agreed to sign with the Bucs earlier today.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Saints In Mix For C.J. Spiller; Cowboys Lurking
While the DeMarco Murray chase heats up, the market for C.J. Spiller, likely the second-best running back on the board, is beginning to take shape. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Saints are taking advantage of some newfound cap space by entering the mix for Spiller, while the Cowboys “lurk” around the edges.
Presumably, the Cowboys’ involvement in the Spiller sweepstakes hinges on how things with Murray play out. As for the Saints, they’ve already re-signed Mark Ingram, but could view Spiller as a versatile weapon capable of giving them the type of production players like Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles have in the past.
The Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions, and Washington were mentioned over the weekend as potential suitors for Spiller, though reports since then have downplayed the interest of the AFC East teams. Of course, a reunion with the Bills also seems out of the question for the running back, after Buffalo acquired LeSean McCoy.
Cowboys Interested In Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan is in Atlanta meeting with the Falcons, but there’s some serious competition for his services. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that the Cowboys are now trying to get in on the Titans free agent.
Meanwhile, Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that the Cowboys have been reaching out to a lot of players, but they’re only willing to spend so much. For example, they weren’t willing to go to $5MM per year on Stephen Paea. The defensive tackle agreed to sign with Washington on Monday.
The former Georgia Tech standout had his most productive season in 2014, establishing career-highs in tackles (63), sacks (6.5) and passes defended (seven). He received the second-highest rating among Titans defenders from Pro Football Focus, and he also ranked as the eighth-best 3-4 linebacker.
The Titans had reportedly been hoping to re-sign Morgan, but it has been rumored that a half-dozen teams are also interested. He ranked 20th on Luke Adams’ list of the top-50 free agents.
Latest On DeMarco Murray
11:05pm: After attending the Mavericks fall to the Cavaliers in Dallas tonight, Murray met with Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett for a 10-minute meeting that one source described as “significant,” according to Mike Fisher of FOX Sports (Twitter links).
8:50pm: Despite their agreement with Roy Helu, the Raiders are still interested in Murray, tweets Caplan.
6:37pm: Jaguars coaches and players are on the recruiting trail, making their pitches to Murray tonight, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
5:28pm: A pair of teams looking to turn their fortunes around are making a play for last year’s top running back. The Raiders are making a run at DeMarco Murray, a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Jaguars, who have been previously connected to Murray, are also going after him, Florio tweets. Now, Murray might get the $9MM he’s after, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Meanwhile, a source indicated to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (on Twitter) that Murray could finalize something tonight. That news, he says, doesn’t bode well for Dallas’ chances of keeping him. The Cowboys have been vocal about wanting to retain Murray, but they’ve been clear that they’ll only go so far in terms of salary.