Jaguars Pursuing Beadles, Eyeing Decker
Free agent guard Zane Beadles has narrowed his free agent options down to the Jaguars and one other team, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. That second team isn’t the Broncos, according to Klis, who says Beadles won’t be returning to Denver. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard also won’t be re-signing with the Broncos, Klis adds.
While it’s not clear what sort of contracts the Jaguars and the mystery suitor are offering Beadles, the guard figures to command a salary in the neighborhood of $5MM per year, says Klis. Considering the Broncos are already heavily invested in left tackle Ryan Clady and right guard Louis Vasquez, the team wasn’t comfortable making a big offer to Beadles as well.
As the Jaguars pursue Beadles, the team is also eyeing another one of the Broncos’ prospective free agents. According to Klis, Jacksonville has expressed interest in wide receiver Eric Decker.
AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby
Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. More out of the AFC..
- While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
- The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
- The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
- The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
- Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
- The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.
T.J. Ward Drawing Interest From Lions, Others
7:59am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) downplays the Eagles’ interest in Ward, suggesting Philadelphia is “not in the mix.” However, he names the Dolphins and Redskins as a couple other clubs that could be involved.
7:42am: With free agency now just a few hours away, safety T.J. Ward is drawing “strong interest” from the Lions and Eagles, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ward, who has also been linked to the Jets, is said to be seeking an annual salary in the neighborhood of $7MM.
The Eagles, who still have some cap flexibility after working out new deals and extensions with several of their own players, have been mentioned as suitors for nearly every top safety on the market, including Jairus Byrd, Chris Clemons, and Mike Mitchell. As for the Lions, they’re on the lookout for someone to replace Louis Delmas, but likely won’t have quite as much cap room to work with as other clubs in on Ward.
FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack
The latest on the free agent front:
- Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
- Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
- The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
- With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
- The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
- Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
- The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
D-Line Notes: Houston, Allen, Johnson
A few notes from the National Football Conference:
- The Bears are “pushing hard” for defensive end Lamarr Houston, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Bears missed out on Michael Bennett when he re-signed with the Seahawks earlier today.
- A source tell Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that they would be “shocked” if defensive end Jared Allen does not sign with the Broncos (via Twitter). I speculated as much yesterday after Allen said he would not return to the Vikings, and hoped to play for a contending team. The Broncos need pass-rush help, and a short-term deal would makes sense for both sides.
- Tomasson also tweets that the Vikings are “definitely out of the running” for defensive end Michael Johnson. Johnson had been linked to the team, primarily based on his familiarity with new head coach Mike Zimmer. The Vikings signed fellow end Everson Griffen to a five-year extension yesterday.
- Kevin Williams, the Vikings‘ longest-tenured player, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing with the team, as he tells Tomasson. The big defensive lineman has been with Minnesota since the club drafted him ninth overall in 2003.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Chris Kuper To Retire
Veteran Broncos guard Chris Kuper will retire, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Kuper, 31, was a fifth-round-pick in 2006, and has spent all eight of his NFL seasons in Denver. He became a full-time starter in 2007, and remained a mainstay on the offensive line until he dislocated his ankle late in 2011. He would have been entering the final season of a five-year, $25.5MM deal he signed in June 2010.
Although Louis Vasquez is now firmly entrenched at right guard, Kuper’s announcement adds more intrigue to a Broncos offseason that is already in flux. Left guard Zane Beadles is a free agent, and left tackle Ryan Clady will be returning from a torn ACL. The Broncos offense also faces a decision on running back Knowshon Moreno, and the likely defection of receiver Eric Decker.
Contract Tenders: 49ers, Jaguars, Broncos
Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.
Here are some of the latest ERFA and RFA contract tenders:
- The 49ers extended a contract tender worth $1.431MM to restricted free agent Demarcus Dobbs, reports Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The team also tendered ERFA linebacker Michael Wilhoite, says Pelissero.
Earlier updates:
- The Falcons tendered cornerback Robert McClain with a $1.431MM offer, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. McClain was the team’s only restricted free agent this offseason.
- The Jaguars tendered offers to wide receivers Mike Brown ($495K) and Kerry Taylor ($495K), offensive tackle Austin Pasztor ($570K), fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou ($570K), and tailback Jordan Todman ($645K), according to Pelissero (Twitter links). Todman, a former UConn notable, had only practice squad experience before making his on-field debut with the Jags in 2012. He had 256 yards and two scores on the ground with 14 catches, 116 receiving yards, and a touchdown through the air.
- The Dolphins tendered offers to wide receiver Armon Binns ($495K) and linebacker Jonathan Freeny ($570K), Pelissero tweets.
- More from Pelissero, who tweets that the Broncos have tendered offers to defensive end Mitch Unrein ($1.431M) and Brandon Marshall ($495K). Of course, that’s the Marshall who plays linebacker, not the star receiver.
- The Lions have tendered offers to kick returner Jeremy Ross ($570K), linebacker Julian Stanford ($570K), cornerback Chris Greenwood ($570K), and tight end Matt Veldman ($420K), tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter) adds that wide receiver Kris Durham was also tendered an offer. Durham had an opportunity to shine when the Lions lost Nate Burleson to injury early in the season but he wasn’t able to break out even with double coverage on Calvin Johnson.
- The Buccaneers are on the verge of tendering exclusive rights free agents Eric Page and Deveron Carr, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Broncos Tender Chris Harris
The Broncos have extended a second-round contract tender to free-agent-to-be Chris Harris, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The one-year offer is worth $2.187MM for the 2014 season, and gives Denver the right of first refusal on any offer sheet Harris signs in free agency.
Harris, 24, started 15 games at cornerback for the Broncos in 2013, matching his career-high with three interceptions and grading as an impressive ninth out of 110 qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He likely would’ve been in line for a first-round tender from the Broncos had he not torn his ACL in January. While that injury raises some question marks about Harris’ status for this summer and fall, the tear was only partial, and he’s recovering well so far.
Harris will have the option of accepting the tender from the Broncos, and playing out the 2014 season on a one-year contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent a year from now. He could also sign an offer sheet with a rival suitor once free agency opens. In that case, Denver would have to decide whether to match the offer and bring Harris back, or whether to let him walk and receive a compensatory second-round pick.
The Broncos have also extended contract tenders to two other defensive backs, according to Pelissero (via Twitter): Cornerback Tony Carter and safety Duke Ihenacho.
Broncos Rumors: DRC, Holliday, Decker
The Broncos made their first major roster move of the offseason yesterday, finalizing the release of cornerback Champ Bailey. Our latest round of Broncos links includes a look at what Bailey’s departure could mean for the team’s pursuit of secondary help, so let’s check out Friday’s updates….
- With Bailey already gone and several other players eligible for free agency, the Broncos figure to add at least two cornerbacks to their roster for 2014, and one will be signed in free agency, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is among the Denver corners eligible for free agency, and the Broncos will make “a serious attempt” to re-sign him, says Klis.
- Return specialist Trindon Holliday isn’t expected to return to the Broncos next season, writes Klis in a separate Post piece. While Holliday could still return to Denver if he doesn’t garner much interest on the open market, the Broncos have informed the 27-year-old that they won’t offer him a contract tender. As a restricted free agent, Holliday’s tender would’ve been worth $1.431MM for one year, and would’ve given Denver the right of first refusal if the return man signed an offer sheet with another club.
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com takes an excellent in-depth look at Eric Decker’s looming free agency, concluding that it would be a surprise if the wide receiver didn’t sign a deal worth more than Mike Williams’ contract with the Bucs, perhaps with a per-year value of $8MM and $15MM+ in guaranteed money. However, if Decker encounters a soft market, the Broncos could benefit, since the 26-year-old may prefer to remain in Denver if no big-money offer is available. When I examined Decker’s free agent stock last month, I predicted a deal worth close to $10MM annually with $15-20MM in guaranteed money.
Broncos Release Champ Bailey
THURSDAY, 12:51pm: The Broncos officially announced that they have released Bailey, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
WEDNESDAY, 9:01pm: The Broncos will release Champ Bailey, an NFL source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The move does not come as a surprise, as Bailey was set to earn $9MM this season with a cap number of $10MM.
While Denver was not expected to shell out that kind of money for Bailey in 2014, the two sides discussed alternatives along the way, La Canfora tweets. Ultimately, however, the team didn’t offer up a pay cut, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. By completing the move in advance of March 15th, the Broncos will also save themselves the $1MM bonus that he would have been owed.
Bailey will turn 36 this summer after playing just five regular season games in 2013 thanks to a foot injury. While he can walk away from the game as one of the top cornerbacks of his time and a likely ticket to Canton, Bailey indicated after the Super Bowl that he would like to continue playing. And while he previously expressed reluctance towards moving from CB to safety as many veterans do, the longtime corner seemed to ease up on that stance as well.
Before you go crying for Bailey, who turns 36 in June, note that he has made over $101MM during his 15-year NFL career with ~$64M of that coming after his 30th birthday, as Brian McIntyre (via Twitter) points out. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap (Twitter link) estimates that the Broncos should now have ~$29MM in cap space.