Julius Peppers, Packers Agree To Deal
8:46am: The deal is official, as Peppers’ agent Carl Carey tweeted out a picture of his client signing in Green Bay.
8:35am: Free agent defensive end Julius Peppers, recently cut by the Bears, is headed to the NFC North division rival Packers, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson (via Twitter), who reports Peppers gets a three-year deal that could be worth as much as $30MM, with $7.5MM guaranteed and $8.5MM owed in the first year.
Peppers, who turned 34 in January reportedly drew real interest from the Cowboys this week, and there was some speculation that the Seahawks would be in the mix if the price was right. The Packers had significantly more cap flexibility than either of their NFC rivals though, allowing the team to structure a deal that looks similar to the one signed by DeMarcus Ware in Denver in years and dollars, albeit with far less guaranteed money. Green Bay was said to have interest in Ware, so it makes sense that the club would turn to Peppers as a slightly less expensive alternative.
Even at age 34, Peppers remains extremely durable, having only missed two games since his rookie season in 2002. He has also registered at least seven sacks in all but one of 12 NFL seasons, totaling 119 for his career. In 2013, he recorded 7.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and an interception, to go along with his 46 tackles. However, his contract with the Bears included a $13.9MM base salary for 2014, which was untenable for the team, necessitating his release.
By signing with the Packers, Peppers will make the move from Chicago’s 4-3 defense to Green Bay’s 3-4 system. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk observes, it will be interesting to see how the veteran pass rusher is employed by the Packers, since he could conceivably help against the run as a defensive end, but should also be used opposite Clay Matthews in situations where he could pressure the quarterback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Packers Re-Sign B.J. Raji
4:55pm: The Packers have officially announced Raji’s new deal.
2:27pm: Defensive lineman B.J. Raji has accepted an offer from the Packers to return to Green Bay, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $4MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds that Raji will return to nose tackle (Twitter link).
Raji, a mainstay on the Packers’ defensive line for the last several years, had played nose tackle for the first four seasons of his career before playing primarily at defensive end last season. The 27-year-old failed to record a sack for the second straight season in 2013, and ranked 43rd out of 45 qualified 3-4 defensive ends, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so a return to his natural position makes sense.
Raji reportedly rejected a contract offer from the Packers during the season that would have been worth $8MM per year, so after seeing his value decline leading up to free agency, his decision to accept a one-year contract likely suggests that he wants to rebuild that value before testing the market again a year from now.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com originally reported last week that Raji was close to accepting a one-year offer from the Packers, but the big defensive lineman decided to see what else was out there before agreeing to return to Green Bay. At the time of that initial report, it was suggested that the Packers’ offer would have a max value of $6.5MM, so we’ll see if the deal agreed upon this week includes incentives.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Rumors: Saints, Cowboys, Peppers, Guion
Having reportedly turned down an opportunity to meet with the Dolphins, free agent tackle Zach Strief expects to re-sign with the Saints, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). It’d be interesting to see Strief sign back with New Orleans, since he was expected to do well on the open market and the Saints don’t have a lot of cap flexibility. As we saw with the Jairus Byrd contract though, the team could find a way to squeeze him in, particularly with Darren Sproles‘ deal off the books.
Here are a few more brief notes from around the NFC:
- The Cowboys have shown interest in recently released defensive end Julius Peppers, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. In search of defensive line help, the team also plans to host Henry Melton, as we heard earlier.
- Former Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion is considering the Ravens, Patriots, and Packers in free agency, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). According to Tomasson, Guion, who has already visited New England, will meet with Green Bay on Sunday unless he has a deal in place before then.
- Darryl Tapp‘s new one-year deal with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit contract, with a base salary of $855K and a signing bonus of $65K, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It’ll count against Detroit’s cap for $635K.
Extra Points: Smith, Munnerlyn, Neal
Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter), that he wanted a three-year deal with the Vikings rather than four years so that he could get another contract before he turns 30. He added (link) that it was very tough for him to say goodbye to the Panthers, but Carolina couldn’t afford to give him the same contract. More from around the NFL..
- Steve Smith‘s visit with the Ravens is going well so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Steelers were eyeing Mike Neal in free agency before he re-signed with Green Bay, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The linebacker got a two-year, $8MM deal from the Packers with a $2.5MM signing bonus.
- Charlie Whitehurst had the same offer from the Chargers before he picked the Titans, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN. The quarterback inked a two-year deal with a $4MM base with another $4MM in incentives and $2MM guaranteed.
- New 49ers addition Jonathan Martin told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), that he never considered retirement.
- Former Bucs left tackle Donald Penn is flying to Oakland tonight to visit the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penn has been heavily linked to the Raiders since his release.
- The 49ers don’t have much salary cap space and it’s hard to see them signing both a cornerback and a wide receiver, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter) expects the market for Saints free agent center Brian de la Puente to heat up now that the first wave of free agency has come and gone.
- Henry Melton‘s possible legal trouble won’t prevent the Bears from re-signing him, but they could use it as ammunition as they try to knock his price down, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
NFC Contract Details: Quarless, Collins, Saffold
We rounded up a handful of AFC contract details earlier this afternoon. Now, let’s turn our attention to the NFC:
- Andrew Quarless‘ two-year contract with the Packers is worth $3MM in total, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The base salaries are $800K and $1.3MM, while the remaining money is made up of a $350K signing bonus, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $75K in annual workout bonuses.
- Pelissero tweets that only $9MM of Anthony Collins‘ five-year deal with the Bucs is fully guaranteed at signing, which is $6MM less than what was reported earlier. I’m guessing that $6MM is guaranteed for injury only.
- Although Rodger Saffold‘s new five-year contract with the Rams is worth $31.7MM, it can max out at $35MM+, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Willie Young‘s three-year contract with the Bears includes a $1MM roster bonus and $150K in workout bonuses, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Meanwhile, the Bears‘ signing of Ryan Mundy has the club on the hook for a two-year, $3MM contract, with $650K guaranteed, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (all Twitter links). That $650K guarantee comes in the form of a roster bonus, while the pact includes base salaries of $800K (2014) and $1.45MM (2015), plus workout bonuses of $50K annually.
- Eric Wright‘s one-year contract with the 49ers sounds like a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). For a player with Wright’s experience, that’s an $855K base salary to go along with a $20K reporting bonus and another $25K if he makes the team.
- Joe Berger‘s one-year deal with the Vikings is worth $920K, with a $65K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). That makes it a minimum salary benefit contract too.
- Anthony McCoy will have a base salary of $950K on his one-year contract with the Seahawks, tweets KJR’s Curtis Crabtree.
FA Rumors: Melton, Walker, Cromartie
Unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Henry Melton, who is visiting with the Vikings on Thursday, is the center of a lawsuit from a bar altercation where he is alleged to have bitten the restaurant owner, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Star-Tribune. That could be a sticking point for the Vikings, who dealt with four player arrests in 2013. The latest free agent rumors from around the NFL…
- Vance Walker is visiting with the Chiefs today, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The defensive tackle also has a visit lined up with the Packers, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
- Former Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie is visiting with the Cardinals today, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- Quarterback Shaun Hill could still return to the Lions, a source tells Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The Buccaneers seemed like a real option for Hill until they inked Josh McCown this week.
- Akeem Jordan‘s visit with the Titans has been moved up from Monday to Friday, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, adding that the Redskins would like to bring in the linebacker for a visit if he doesn’t sign with Tennessee (Twitter links).
- Tight end Owen Daniels is set to visit with the Redskins, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter).
- Return specialist Ted Ginn is visiting the Cardinals, tweets P. Schrager of FOXSports.com.
Packers Re-Sign Andrew Quarless
The Packers have re-signed free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, the team announced today in a press release. The terms of Quarless’ new contract weren’t disclosed, but it’ll be a two-year deal, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Post-Gazette (via Twitter).
Quarless, who reportedly drew interest from seven teams in free agency, including the Giants, set career-highs with 32 receptions, 312 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns in the 2013 season. The 25-year-old’s increased role in the Packers offense came as a result of injuries to Jermichael Finley, and with Finley a free agent himself, Quarless could continue to see increased playing time in 2014.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Finley left Seattle today after visiting the Seahawks, and while there’s mutual interest in a deal, Finley is still waiting on medical clearance.
Packers Re-Sign Mike Neal
THURSDAY, 9:18am: Neal’s two-year deal is worth $8MM and includes a $2.5MM signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract also features $1.6MM in total roster bonuses — $300K per year in per-game bonuses, and a $1MM roster bonus due next year (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 4:40pm: Mike Neal took to Twitter to announce that he has a new two-year deal with the Packers.
“Hi Green Bay!!! I’ll enjoy your winters for two more years!!,” the left outside linebacker tweeted.
Neal, a four-year Packers veteran, will be under contract with Green Bay through the 2015 season. Last year was Neal’s breakout campaign as he recorded 39 tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. The 26-year-old had some buzz as a second round selection for Green Bay in 2010 and in 2013 he made it clear that he’s ready to realize his potential. Other teams had interest in Neal, including the Cardinals and Eagles.
Titans Agree to Terms With Al Woods
7:18pm: Woods’ deal with the Titans is for two years and $5MM, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
6:38pm: The Titans are agreeing to terms with Woods, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Details of the deal are not yet known.
1:22pm: Updating his earlier report, Bouchette now hears that Woods’ deal with the Titans may not be done after all (Twitter link). Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean says (via Twitter) that it looks like Woods is still scheduled to meet the Packers and Cardinals later this week.
1:11pm: The Titans have signed Al Woods, a source tells Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The former Steelers nose tackle visited Tennessee today and the two sides wasted little time in hammering out a deal.
The 6’4″, 307 pound lineman saw time in all 16 games last season (including two starts) and registered 2.0 sacks. Pittsburgh had interest in retaining Woods but they’ll have to look elsewhere to fill a sizable gap on the defensive line. Woods, a former fourth round pick of the Saints, will now join the fourth NFL team in his professional career.
NFC North Rumors: Tate, Neal, Haralson,
A quick look at the NFC North..
- Golden Tate is visiting with the Lions today, according to Michelle Beisner of NFL Network (via Ian Rapoport on Twitter). 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.
- The Bears could target Packers free agent defensive end Mike Neal, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears already added Lamarr Houston at the other bookend. Neal appeared in all 16 games last season for Green Bay last season and made ten starts.
- The Packers are expected to consider free agent pass rusher Parys Haralson, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).