Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/16
It’s been a day of huge news around the NFL, with top free agents like Malik Jackson and Kelechi Osemele reaching contract agreements. We don’t want to let some of the smaller deals from around the league slip through the cracks though, so let’s round up Tuesday’s minor transactions….
- The Panthers have agreed to terms with Joe Webb on a new two-year contract, according to his agency, SportsTrust Advisors (Twitter link). Webb provides Carolina with a third quarterback on its depth chart, and can be utilized as a versatile, all-purpose weapon elsewhere on offense and special teams.
- The 49ers have re-signed linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, extending him through the 2016 season before he reaches free agency, the team announced today. San Francisco claimed Armstrong off waivers from the Raiders in 2015 after the linebacker and special-teamer made headlines for illegally taunting a police dog before a game against the Steelers.
- The Colts announced today that they’ve signed undrafted free agent long snapper Forrest Hill, in what probably qualifies as the exact opposite of a “splash.” Nonetheless, Hill could be given an opportunity to compete for the job this summer in Indianapolis against incumbent LS Matt Overton.
- Jaguars tight end Nic Jacobs has signed the one-year ERFA tender he received last week, the club announced today in a press release.
- Seahawks defensive tackle A.J. Francis has also received his ERFA tender, per Dov Kleiman of RantSports (Twitter link).
- The Seahawks waived defensive tackle Jesse Williams, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
Colts Waive Former First-Round Pick Bjoern Werner
The Colts announced that they have waived outside linebacker Bjoern Werner. Werner was taken with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2013 draft. 
Werner didn’t see much playing time in 2015 and today’s news doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Had he remained on the Colts roster, Werner would have carried a $2.51MM cap number for the 2016 season. Now they will carry just $1MM in dead money while saving $1.48MM against the cap.
Werner has appeared in 38 games over the last three years for the Colts, including 16 starts. In that time, he registered 77 tackles (61 solo), 6.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Last year, he appeared in 10 games with 11 total tackles and one fumble recovery.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colts’ Trent Cole Accepts Pay Cut
8:31am: According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Cole got a $1MM roster bonus guaranteed in exchange for accepting a pay cut, and the move saved a total of about $1.5MM in space for the Colts.
7:47am: Colts outside linebacker Trent Cole appears set to remain in Indianapolis for 2016 after the club reworked the final year of his contract to lower his base salary. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Cole accepted a salary reduction from $4.25MM to $2MM.
Cole, 33, signed a two-year, $14MM contract with the Colts last March that would have paid him $4.25MM this year, along with $1MM in prorated bonus money and up to $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Assuming the other aspects of the deal remain unchanged, his 2016 cap hit will be trimmed from $7.125MM to $4.875MM.
In his first year as a Colt, Cole didn’t have quite the impact the team had been hoping for. While his Pro Football Focus grade was respectable – he placed 34th out of 110 edge defenders – Cole recorded just three sacks, matching a career low.
The club could have cleared more than $6MM from its cap by releasing Cole, but it seems Ryan Grigson, Chuck Pagano, and the rest of the Colts’ decision-makers saw enough from the veteran pass rusher to want to keep him around. Instead of saving $6MM+, the club creates $2.25MM in cap savings by reducing Cole’s pay.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colts Sign Dwayne Allen To Four-Year Deal
9:12pm: Tom Pelissero of USA Today has more financial details on Allen’s contract (Twitter links). He’ll collect $17MM over the first two years if he earns $500K each season in 46-man roster bonuses. Allen got $11.5MM guaranteed at signing and is due a $2MM roster bonus in 2017.
7:16pm: The Colts have officially signed Allen, according to a team press release.
“From Jim Irsay and his family on down we are very pleased to announce the re-signing of Dwayne Allen,” said general manager Ryan Grigson. “Besides the broad skill set and overall talent level he brings, Dwayne’s tenacity and physicality has always been what has set him apart from the beginning. His genuine love for the people of this community, its fans and for the game of football is what makes him special.”
6:46pm: The Colts and tight end Dwayne Allen have agreed to a four-year, $29.4MM deal, according to Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Allen, who was scheduled to hit free agency Wednesday, will receive a large portion of that money ($12MM, to be exact) next season, PFT adds. He’s now 13th among tight ends in total contract value. 
Allen has appeared in 43 regular-season games since the Colts selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft, totaling 91 receptions, 11.5 yards per catch, and 13 touchdowns.
Other than 2013, when he played only one game, Allen is coming off the least productive season of his career. The 26-year-old racked up just 16 catches in 13 games – averaging a meager 6.8 yards per reception – and registered a mere touchdown. Allen hasn’t been able to match the production he put up during a 45-catch, 521-yard rookie season, though he did record a personal-high eight touchdowns in 2014.
Given Allen’s career numbers, such an expensive contract looks like a significant coup for him and a head-scratcher for the Colts. It should also signal the end of fellow tight end Coby Fleener‘s time in Indianapolis. Fleener, also a 2012 draft pick, has far outpaced Allen statistically to this point in their careers, having accrued 50-plus catches in three straight seasons. He’s expected to reach the open market Wednesday.
Photo courtesty of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Weddle, Raiders, Patriots
Here’s a roundup of the very latest free agent rumors from around the NFL:
- Reiterating that he wants to sign with a team capable of contending for the Super Bowl, free agent safety Eric Weddle tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com that he thinks he has another three to five years left in him. According to King, Weddle spoke fondly of the Patriots, Panthers, Raiders, and Steelers, suggesting those teams could be fits for him.
- Within King’s piece, the MMQB.com scribe notes that rival executives around the NFL expect the Raiders, Jaguars, and Falcons to be among the most active teams in free agency this week.
- “Buzz is building” for running back Bilal Powell, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who writes that the free agent Jet should land a respectable contract this week. Florio notes that all three of the Jets’ division rivals – the Dolphins, Patriots, and Bills – make sense as potential suitors for Powell.
- Washington running back Alfred Morris took to Instagram with a message that appears to be a farewell to the organization. Morris will be a free agent this week. The tailback rushed for 4,713 yards in his four seasons with Washington. This past season, he split duties with rookie Matt Jones and was not a key part of the team’s offense.
- The Colts have former Patriots tight end Scott Chandler in for a visit today, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets.
Colts Release Josh Freeman
The Colts announced that they have released quarterback Josh Freeman. The news comes as a surprise since he was expected to serve as a backup to Andrew Luck in 2016.
In late February, the Colts decided that they would not retain veteran backup Matt Hasselbeck. With the 40-year-old out of the picture, Freeman was seemingly left as the de facto No. 2 quarterback in Indianapolis. As it turns out, the team will explore other options as they seek out an understudy for their franchise quarterback.
Freeman was signed by the Colts as a free agent just before the New Year. With Luck banged up, Freeman started in the season finale against the Titans and completed 15-of-28 passes for 149 yards with one touchdown and one interception. For his career, Freeman has played in 62 NFL games (61 starts).
QB Rumors: RGIII, Foles, Romo, Luck
At least 10 teams are giving Washington signal-caller Robert Griffin III “a hard look,” sources tell Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Griffin is a strong candidate to be either traded or released in the coming days, and there are teams around the league who feel like they can remake RGIII both on and off the field, according to Freeman.
While no team will want to trade for Griffin and pay his $16MM+ salary for 2016, that figure remains non-guaranteed until next Wednesday, so there could be resolution on the quarterback’s situation soon. As Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets, Washington wouldn’t want more than a conditional late-round pick in a trade, so if a team can negotiate a reworked contract as part of a deal, it could be worth parting with that pick to get a leg up on all the clubs waiting for RGIII to be released.
As we wait to see what happens with the former No. 2 overall pick, let’s round up a few more Friday items on quarterbacks around the NFL, including the guy who was selected before Griffin in 2012…
- With the Rams currently counting on Case Keenum to be their starting quarterback, Nick Foles could almost certainly be had in the right trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Dolphins, the Cowboys, and Washington would be among the teams with interest if Foles were available. It’s hard to imagine any of those teams giving up anything of value for Foles though.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who will go under the knife next week, intends to undergo a “Mumford procedure” on his collarbone, rather than having a plate inserted, writes David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Mike Fisher of CBSDFW.com had reported that Romo would undergo the plate insertion, which involves a set of screws and a plate being inserted to protect the bone. However, Moore says that while the plate remains an option, the plan for Romo is the Mumford procedure, which would involve shaving off or removing a portion of the distal clavicle.
- Andrew Luck‘s looming extension will change the Colts‘ cap outlook drastically going forward, but the team has been anticipating that jump in its quarterback salary for several years. Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at how the Colts are approaching the deal, and how it will affect the rest of the team’s offseason plans.
Restricted Free Agent Tenders: 3/3/16
Over the next several days, there will be a ton of news on NFL teams assigning contract tenders to their restricted free agents and exclusive-rights free agents. Until a player signs his tender, he technically remains a free agent, but the offer ensures that he won’t be able to hit the open market.
For restricted free agents, teams can offer a first-round tender, a second-round tender, an original-round/right-of-first-refusal tender. The majority of RFAs will get that last tender, which allows the player to test the market and potentially sign an offer sheet, while giving his current team the opportunity to match that offer. A higher tender would ensure the player’s team compensation in the form of an early-round draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Here are today’s updates on RFA tenders:
- The Giants have assigned a low-end RFA tender worth $1.671MM to tight end Larry Donnell, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Donnell’s 2015 campaign came to a premature end when he suffered a neck injury, but it’s not expected to jeopardize his career. As Pelissero adds (via Twitter), Tamika Cheatham, Donnell’s agent, says his client is doing well in rehab and can’t wait to play.
- After tendering safety Tony Jefferson at the low-end level on Wednesday, the Cardinals have assigned the same tender to wide receiver Jaron Brown and safety D.J. Swearinger, per Pelissero (via Twitter). Brown and Swearinger will have the opportunity to explore the market next week, though I don’t expect the duo to draw as much interest as Jefferson will.
- The Colts have extended a qualifying offer to tight end Jack Doyle, the team announced today in a press release. With Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen both eligible for free agency, it looks like the team wants to make sure it retains Doyle, a solid depth piece. He also got the low-end tender, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Extra Points: Shorts, Roddy, Allen, Titans, Bucs
Veteran receiver Cecil Shorts is expected to return to the Texans and finish out the second and final year of the two-year contract he signed prior to the 2015 season, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shorts, 28, appeared in 11 games last year, catching 42 passes for 484 yards and two touchdowns. Houston could save almost $3MM by releasing Shorts, but with fellow pass-catcher Nate Washington heading for free agency, the club will need options out wide.
Let’s dive into a few more items from around the league…
- Having already identified the Buccaneers as a possible for suitor for free agent Roddy White, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) also points to the Titans and Raiders as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver. It’s unclear if Rapoport is reporting or just making connections, but either way, each club makes sense — both Tennessee (Terry Robiskie) and Oakland (Bill Musgrave) field offenses run by former members of Atlanta’s coaching staff.
- Pending free agent tight end Dwayne Allen hopes he doesn’t even make it to free agency, as he’d prefer to work out an agreement with the Colts before March 9, he told 1070 The Fan today (link via Kevin Bowen of Colts.com). Allen, along with fellow Indianapolis free agent Coby Fleener, would be one of the most sought-after tight ends on the open market. Allen recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who has a history of getting deals done with the Colts, as his new representation.
- The Buccaneers will not tender restricted free agent linebacker Danny Lansanah, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Lansanah has bounced around the league, and he’ll now become an unrestricted free agent next week. Per Auman, the Tampa Bay could re-sign Lansanah at a later date (and presumably, at a cheaper price than even the lowest tender).
FA Rumors: Freeman, Laurinaitis, Matthews
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link), Colts free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman said he loves Indianapolis and would be open to re-signing with the Colts. However, Freeman also acknowledged the possibility that he might be playing in a different city. The veteran linebacker alluded to the fact that, as an unrestricted free agent, this will be his first real opportunity to have some freedom and flexibility when it comes to signing a contract, since the Colts didn’t appear to seriously pursue a long-term extension with him a year ago when he was a restricted free agent.
“I’d been playing for the league minimum for three years,” Freeman said. “Then I ended up signing the [RFA] tender, which I guess was best for the team…. I’m in free agency now, so I guess I have to do what’s best for me.”
Here’s more on a handful of free agents and free-agents-to-be:
- After paying a visit to the Saints, linebacker James Laurinaitis left without a contract, but there still appears to be some mutual interest between the two sides, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Per Triplett, Laurinaitis has drawn interest from multiple clubs since being cut by the Rams last month.
- As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk details, Dolphins free agent wideout Rishard Matthews is aiming to be a No. 2 receiver in 2016, so Matthews figures to prioritize suitors that will give him the best opportunity for playing time.
- Washington nose tackle Terrance Knighton admitted during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link) that he let his emotions get the best of him in free agency a year ago, adding that he heads to the market this year prepared to better recognize the business aspect of the process. According to Knighton, he hasn’t received a strong indication from Washington that the team wants him back, but he’s “not going to stress about” it.
- After being released by the Bills this week, defensive end Mario Williams figures to garner interest from many teams around the NFL. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post takes a look at the Giants as one possibility for Williams, while D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores the veteran pass rusher’s potential fit with the Falcons.