Contract Tenders: Tuesday
Cam Johnson has signed his tender that should keep him with the Colts in 2014, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). The linebacker was traded to the Colts from the 49ers last year.
Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reports that Buccaneers returner Eric Page has also signed his tender, but awaits for the deal to be made official (via Twitter).
While Johnson and Page signed their respective one-year deals, here are some other players from around the NFL who were not tendered and are now free agents:
- The Texans will allow three players to test free agency, as none of Bryan Braman, Terrell McClain, and Lestar Jean received tenders from the team, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Dezmon Briscoe did not receive a tender from the Redskins, reports Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter). The 24-year-old receiver did not play in a game for the Redskins last season, but caught 35 passes for the Buccaneers in 2011.
- The Bills chose not to tender Thomas Welch, reports Mike Rodak of ESPN NFL Nation (via Twitter). The offensive tackle is now an unrestricted free agent.
- The Lions did not tender tight end Dorin Dickerson, reports Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).
- Safety M.D. Jennings was not tendered by the Packers, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). Silverstein does leave open the possibility of the team still re-signing their starting free safety.
Contract Tenders: Dobbs, Lattimore, Bears
The 49ers are expected to extend the restricted free agent tender to defensive lineman Demarcus Dobbs and extend a tender to exclusive rights free agent Michael Wilhoite, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. We’ll keep track of the latest contract tenders here..
- The Packers put the low ($1.431MM) restricted tender on linebacker Jamari Lattimore, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- The Bears are not planning to place the restricted free agent tender on safety Anthony Walters, so he will become an unrestricted free agent this afternoon, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Cardinals won’t tender Marcus Benard, Alfonso Smith, Ronald Talley, or Jake Ballard, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. That doesn’t mean they won’t return, it just means Arizona doesn’t want to pay the tender price.
- The Ravens have tendered Omar Brown, D.J. Bryant, Josh Bynes, Adrian Hamilton, Anthony Levine and Brynden Trawick, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Contract Details: Weatherford, Snee, Shields
Giants punter Steve Weatherford accepted a pay cut to reduce his $2.025MM base salary for 2014, and Tom Pelissero of USA Today says (via Twitter) it was a $950K cut. However, Weatherford can make some of that money back, as he now has $350K available through incentives, rather than an initial $50K. Here are a few more details on contracts recently signed or restructured around the league:
- Weatherford’s new deal includes $1.1MM in compensation for 2014 with $150K in new guarantees, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com. His cap number is $1.9MM.
- Chris Snee’s restructured deal with the Giants isn’t quite what was initially reported, according to Pelissero, who says the new contract features a $2MM base, $500K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $50K roster bonus (Twitter link).
- Pelissero has the specifics on Sam Shields’ four-year deal with the Packers, which includes a $2.5MM roster bonus next March (Twitter links).
- Darrin Walls avoided restricted free agency by re-signing with the Jets last week, and his two-year deal is worth $1.9MM, including a $350K roster bonus, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
- The new two-year deal for Ravens linebacker Albert McClellan includes a $400K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
NFC Rumors: Veldheer, Houston, Byrd, Hawley
It looks like many of the top offensive tackles will fly off the shelves early when free agency gets underway at 3:00pm central time this afternoon. Branden Albert appears to be headed to Miami, while Anthony Collins will likely sign with the Bucs, and Eugene Monroe and the Ravens should work out a new deal. That leaves the Cardinals as the logical landing spot for Jared Veldheer, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) GMs and agents are essentially viewing that as a done deal, turning their attention to Rodger Saffold and other players. As we wait to see if Arizona can officially lock up the Raiders’ free-agent-to-be, let’s check out a few more updates from around the NFC….
- The Packers were “very interested” in defensive end Lamarr Houston, but appear likely to bow out of the bidding as his price tag increases, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- It doesn’t sound as if things are heating up between Jairus Byrd and the Redskins at the moment, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who hears from a source that the two sides are just having “casual conversations” (Twitter link).
- The Lions have been in recent contact with defensive end Willie Young’s agent about a new deal, but Young looks set to hit the open market and should have a handful of suitors, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Falcons are trying to lock up center Joe Hawley to keep him from reaching the open market, but there are other teams interested in him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) talks might go right up to 3:00pm today.
- Tight end Garrett Graham could be a target for the Buccaneers, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
- As they did a year ago, the Eagles could strike quickly in free agency today, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
WR Rumors: Britt, Hawkins, Edelman, Jones
With about 17 hours left to go until the official start of free agency, here’s a look at some of the rumors regarding receivers:
- The Redskins have interest in both Kenny Britt and Andrew Hawkins, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Britt is an unrestricted free agent who has had his share of struggles both on and off the field, but he can still be a playmaker. Hawkins is a restricted free agent who was tendered at the original-pick level; because he was an undrafted free agent, the Redskins would not have to sacrifice a draft pick to sign him. Hawkins played under Redskins head coach Jay Gruden the past three seasons with the Bengals.
- The Patriots are heavily engaged in contract talks with Julian Edelman, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Edelman was on the free agent market for over a month last offseason before re-upping with the Pats, but that would assuredly not happen were he to reach free agency tomorrow.
- James Jones is receiving interest from both the Lions and the Jets, but a return to the Packers is not out of the question, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
- The 49ers could be interested in Dexter McCluster, says ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter).
NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Bell, Vikings, Bears
The Cowboys are interested in re-signing free-agents-to-be Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, but Dallas isn’t the only team with interest in the defensive linemen. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, the free agent duo has at least seven interested suitors, including the Cowboys. Dallas is also interested in defensive tackle Henry Melton, according to Watkins (Twitter link), but the ESPN scribe cautions that there are no assurances of a deal, given the Cowboys’ limited cap space.
Here’s more from around the NFC, with free agency less than 24 hours away:
- The Lions continue to work hard on a new deal for restricted free agent running back Joique Bell, and hope to get something done before free agency begins tomorrow, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Vikings have inquired about free agent defensive lineman Lamarr Houston but he’ll probably wind up elsewhere, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Wolfson adds in a second tweet that the team has kicked the tires on defensive tackle Vance Walker as well.
- Packers free agent Jermichael Finley has yet to receive medical clearance, but nonetheless has visits lined up with potential suitors this week, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report views the Redskins as the best potential fit for prospective free agent Darren Sproles, though he says the Patriots could be a dark horse.
- The Bears aren’t currently considering free agents Jairus Byrd or Michael Johnson, according to Patrick Finley and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Jason La Canfora’s latest article at CBSSports.com includes plenty of interesting tidbits on free agents. Among them: The Buccaneers may release Jeremy Zuttah this week, and are focusing on signing Anthony Collins. La Canfora adds that the Packers are “very high” on free agent defensive lineman Arthur Jones.
- The door isn’t completely closed on center Jonathan Goodwin winding up back with the 49ers, a source tells Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Holder opines that Goodwin would be a good fit with the Saints also if Brian De La Puente leaves.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Rumors: McCluster, Titans, Steelers, Jets
A league source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star that wide receiver and return man Dexter McCluster won’t be returning to the Chiefs. McCluster has four or five suitors and will likely sign Tuesday night, says Paylor, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com also hears that the free-agent-to-be will be “snapped up quickly.” Here’s more from around the AFC:
- In addition to Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, other players on the Titans‘ radar include Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain and Broncos defensive end/outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
- Red Bryant says he received interest from the Packers, Chiefs, and Redskins signing with the Jaguars, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Bryant signed a four-year deal with Jacksonville that could pay him up to $17MM but guarantees him just $5.25MM.
- The Steelers are working to see if Ike Taylor will take a pay cut, tweets La Canfora. If Taylor is unwilling to do so, I imagine Pittsburgh will release him soon.
- Chiefs inside linebacker Akeem Jordan is drawing interest from six teams and has a visit set up with one AFC club for Thursday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (at the National Football Post).
- The Jets are high on Matt Schaub, and figure to target him in free agency if he’s released by the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
FA Rumors: Ward, Asamoah, Mundy, Quarless
The 2014 free agent period will officially get underway tomorrow, meaning Monday represents the last full day for teams to re-sign their own prospective free agents before those players are eligible to hit the open market tomorrow afternoon. With free agency looming, Andrew Cohen breaks down the salary cap situations for all 32 teams in a piece for Rotoworld and rumors on free-agents-to-be continue to swirl. Let’s round up a few of the latest overnight and morning updates:
- Safety T.J. Ward is among the players on the Jets‘ “persons of interest” list, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Ward would be a good fit for New York’s secondary, though the team typically doesn’t invest heavily in safeties.
- An NFL source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that it would be a “small upset” if prospective free agent Jon Asamoah doesn’t sign with the Falcons to play right guard. However, the Jets are another possibility for Asamoah, Caplan adds in a second tweet.
- Giants free agent safety Ryan Mundy is intrigued by the opportunity to compete for a starting job with the Bears, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- The Giants have inquired on free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, but they’re just one of seven teams in the mix, with the Packers trying to re-sign him, reports Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).
- Longtime Texans defensive end Antonio Smith has drawn interest from four teams and has a pair of visits lined up, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Smith figures to sign this week.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears
When evaluating potential free agents, teams certainly look at a players’ ability to stay on the field for as many games as possible. David Chao of the National Football Post ranked his top-ten injury risks among this year’s free agents and he featured two Packers on that list. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was seventh, with Chao pointing out that the 31-year-old will still need another month or two to recover from offseason surgery. Tight end Jermichael Finley was number-eight following his neck injury in October, and the writer believes he’ll be medically cleared very soon. Cowboys’ defensive end Anthony Spencer finished atop the list.
Let’s take a look at some more rumblings from around the NFC North…
- The Packers ended up paying cornerback Sam Shields, which seems to go along with what Packers’ General Manager Ted Thompson has done in the past, writes Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Based on Silverstein’s list of players the Packers have and have not extended, the team has typically made the correct choice in which players they’ve chosen to keep.
- The number of signings, particularly in the NFC North, has shrunk the Bears‘ market, says John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. He points to Shields as a player the team could have used.
- After the Vikings signed Everson Griffen earlier today, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com took a look at what was next for the team. He estimated that the Vikings would have about $25MM left in cap room, which would be enough to sign Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner (the Vikings have expressed interest in both) but wouldn’t leave the team with enough room to extend Kyle Rudolph or sign other free agents.
- Former Viking Jared Allen will likely take his team choosing a new team and probably won’t have a decision by Tuesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
FA Rumors: Allen, Johnson, Mitchell, Jones
Jared Allen will not return to the Vikings, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Allen, 34, spent the past six seasons in Minnesota, after the team acquired him in 2008 from the Chiefs in exchange for a first-round-pick. La Canfora reports that Allen has narrowed his focus to teams that can contend next season, and that his list of preferred organizations contains less than five teams (via Twitter). The Raiders have been mentioned as a potential fit, while the Broncos would also seem to be an ideal match, as they are a veteran-laden squad with Super Bowl aspirations, and have a need at defensive end.
Allen’s play slipped last season, as he graded out as just the 34th-best defensive end in the league according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), although he did finish with 11.5 sacks. The Vikings seemed to have replaced him today by re-signing fellow end Everson Griffen to a five-year pact. The team had already extended defensive end Brian Robison in October.
Other notes from free agency:
- Although the Vikings could sign both Griffen and free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, sources expect Johnson to land elsewhere following the Griffen deal, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN. Johnson played under new Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer in Cincinnati.
- We noted earlier that the Redskins are expected to be “major players” for cornerback Aqib Talib, but it seems they also have interest in safety Mike Mitchell, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Mitchell, a second-round-pick by the Raiders in 2009, notched 66 tackles and four interceptions in his first season in Carolina last year.
- Defensive end Arthur Jones is a popular name on the free agent market, having already drawn interest from the Titans, Redskins, Giants, and Vikings, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Wilson also tweeted that the Packers are also intrigued by Jones. Jones, 27, is a versatile player who would fit in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense, as evidenced by the teams calling on him.