Robert Ayers To Visit Jaguars
Robert Ayers is on his way to visit with the Jaguars rather than the Dolphins as originally scheduled, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Ayers was with the Buccaneers earlier today. 
[RELATED: Jaguars Sign Malik Jackson]
While the Jaguars have already landed one of the offseason’s to prizes in Malik Jackson, they were also interested in fellow bookend Olivier Vernon before the Giants blew them out of the water. Ayers could now be the free agent brought in to help bolster the pass rush along with Jackson.
Ayers graded as one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 2015, according to PFF’s metrics. The 30-year-old enjoyed a career year with the Giants, picking up nine sacks to go along with 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. The 273-pounder was primarily been a reserve for most of his seven-year career (five with Denver), but he altered his stock in a major way last season.
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Jaguars Sign Malik Jackson
THURSDAY, 11:37am: The Jaguars have officially signed Jackson, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.
TUESDAY, 1:35pm: Jackson and the Jaguars agreed to a six-year deal worth up to $90MM, with $42MM in fully guaranteed money, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS. According to Klis, the deal is worth $85.5MM, with another $4.5MM in playing-time incentives for the final three seasons.
Jackson’s $42MM guarantee puts him right in the ballpark of Marcell Dareus ($42.9MM), exceeding every other defensive lineman’s guarantee except for Ndamukong Suh‘s (nearly $60MM).
12:20pm: If the deal is finalized between the Jags and Jackson, the defensive lineman will earn roughly $15MM per year, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
12:10pm: Malik Jackson has agreed to join the Jaguars. The former Broncos defensive lineman confirmed to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he is Jacksonville-bound. Negotiations are still ongoing, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), but it will be a six-year deal once it’s all done (link). Of course, no deal can be official until Wednesday at 4 ET/3 CT. Exact terms of the contract are not yet known.
Jackson recorded a personal-best 45 tackles and five sacks during his third straight 16-game regular season in 2015-16, finishing 16th out of Pro Football Focus’ 123 qualifying interior defenders in overall performance (subscription required). PFR’s Luke Adams ranks Jackson the second-best free agent in this year’s class. As of this writing, the Jaguars have roughly $82MM in cap space, per Over The Cap. The Jackson deal will obviously put a significant dent in that number.
The Jaguars are clearly high on Broncos players as they have signed Denver free agents to big deals in each of last three years. In 2014, they inked offensive lineman Zane Beadles. In 2015, the Jaguars added tight end Julius Thomas on a five-year deal with a base value of $45MM. So far, this pro-Broncos strategy has been something of a mixed bag for Denver. Thomas caught 46 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns in an injury shortened season. Beadles, meanwhile, was released just days ago. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked the guard 64th out of 81 qualified guards.
In Jacksonville, Jackson might play a role similar to Michael Bennett where he is on the outside on early downs and inside on passing downs. The Jaguars are also expecting to have a healthy Dante Fowler in 2016, so the Jags’ pass rush is shaping up to be rather strong.
Before agreeing to sign with the Jags, Jackson was also being chased by a group of teams including the Raiders, Bears, and the incumbent Broncos.
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Jaguars Sign Tashaun Gipson
THURSDAY, 10:57am: The deal is official, as John Oehser of Jaguars.com writes.
The five-year deal will pay Gipson $36MM in total, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). That pact includes $12MM guaranteed, a $4MM signing bonus, and salaries of $3MM, $5MM, $5.75MM, $7.25MM, and $7MM. His 2016 and 2017 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
The real money for Gipson is $35.5MM, tweets Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Incentives can push it to $36MM.
WEDNESDAY, 5:45pm: The Jaguars and safety Tashaun Gipson have agreed to terms on a contract, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Gipson will sign a five-year with a maximum value of $35.5MM deal, report Rand Getlin and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Jacksonville, which entered the free agent period with the most cap space in the league, continues to flex its financial muscle. The club not only agreed to a deal with defensive lineman Malik Jackson that will pay him more $15MM annually, but will sign running back Chris Ivory for more than $6MM per season. They also poached punter Brad Nortman from the Panthers, and were considered serious contenders for Olivier Vernon before he landed with the Giants.
The Browns, meanwhile, have now failed to retain not only Gipson, but center Alex Mack, right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, and receiver Travis Benjamin. A report earlier today indicated that agents were growing frustrated with a perceived lack of hesitation on the part of Cleveland during negotiations, and that lack of aggressiveness may be showing itself as the Browns lose several quality players.
Had Gipson been able to cash in following the 2014 season, he may have earned even more money than he will on his new Jaguars deal, as he posted six interceptions in just 11 games during that ’14 campaign. The 25-year-old was still solid in 2015, though, starting 13 games and racking up two picks and tackles. Gipson ranked as PFR’s No. 31 overall free agent and No. 4 safety.
Quite a few free agent safeties have come off the board today, as George Iloka re-signed with the Bengals while Rodney McLeod, Tyvon Branch, Isa Abdul-Quddus, Dwight Lowery, and others have found new homes. Eric Weddle, Walter Thurmond, and Reggie Nelson are some of the more high-profile names still available.
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Jaguars Sign Chris Ivory
THURSDAY, 9:41am: The Jaguars’ deal with Ivory is now official, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
WEDNESDAY, 7:26am: According to USA Today’s Connor Hughes (Twitter link), Ivory’s five-year deal will be worth $32.5MM ($6.5MM per year), with $10MM guaranteed.
7:04am: Per Rapoport (via Twitter), Ivory’s new deal with the Jaguars will be a five-year contract. Rapoport reiterates that it’s worth “well north” of $6MM annually.
TUESDAY, 8:59pm: The Jaguars have agreed to sign running back Chris Ivory, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ivory will be able to officially sign with Jacksonville on Wednesday. The deal is worth “well above” $6MM per year, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Ivory, 28 later this month, has been a popular name since the legal tampering period began on Monday. The former Jets running back has been linked to a number of clubs, as the Texans, Buccaneers, and Raiders have all expressed interest.
Instead, Ivory will head to the Jaguars, not a club that many pegged to land Ivory, or for that matter, any free agent running back. Jacksonville selected T.J. Yeldon in the second round last season, and the rookie was pretty impressive, averaging 4.1 yards per carry and scoring twice in 12 starts. The Jaguars also have Denard Robinson on their depth chart, and he’s shown to be a more than capable backup.
But the Jags will turn to a more proven commodity in Ivory, who last season topped 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his six-year career. A runner who exhibits terrifying force, Ivory averaged 4.3 yards per carry and reached the endzone seven times last season. He even helped out in the passing game, posting 30 receptions, 12 more than his previous career high.
Ivory was PFR’s No. 4 free agent running back, and he was expected to compete on the open market with the likes of Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte. None of that trio has yet agreed to sign with another club, though all three have been heavily linked to potential suitors.
The Jaguars, who entered the legal tampering period with more $80MM in cap space, are certainly showing their financial strength. In addition to agreeing to terms with Ivory, Jacksonville has also agreed to sign defensive lineman Malik Jackson to a six-year deal worth more than $15MM annually.
Ivory’s presence on the roster has already affected another Jaguars running back — per Rapoport (Twitter link), Jacksonville will release Toby Gerhart tomorrow.
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NFC Free Agent Rumors: Giants, Vernon, Nelson
Peter King of The MMQB offered up a behind-the-scenes look at Olivier Vernon‘s record-breaking contract with the Giants. Agent David Canter tells King that, in addition to dollars, the defensive end was insistent on signing for five years rather than six. Both the Giants and Jets wanted to give Vernon a five-year deal, but the Jaguars were looking to sign Vernon for six. Canter and Vernon only wanted a five-year deal, however, so that he could cash in one more time at the age of 30.
Here are the latest free agent rumors:
- Washington has some interest in free safety Reggie Nelson, Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweets. The tenth-year veteran had 77 tackles and a league-leading 8 interceptions last year for Cincinnati. Nelson placed No. 41 on our Top 50 NFL Free Agents List. While he had a strong 2015, his earning power is somewhat limited as he enters his age-33 season.
- The Eagles and cornerback Nolan Carroll haven’t been able to get on the same page and as of right now, it seems like he could be headed elsewhere, Tim McManus of The Fanatic (on Twitter). The rival Cowboys, he adds, are a team to watch.
- At least six teams had interest in new Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel before he signed, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Now with Philly, Daniel is reunited with Doug Pederson, who was his offensive coordinator in Kansas City
- The Giants have had discussions with former Washington linebacker Keenan Robinson and numbers have been exchanged, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. However, there’s no deal there yet.
- Jermon Bushrod isn’t scheduled to visit the Vikings right now, but the team is monitoring his recovery from surgery, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets.
Jaguars Sign Brad Nortman
THURSDAY, 8:57am: The Jaguars have officially signed Nortman, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (Twitter link). As reported on Wednesday, the four-year deal is worth $8.8MM, with $1.65MM guaranteed.
WEDNESDAY, 1:05pm: While this week has been dominated by big-name free agents making headlines, the Jaguars are once again making sure that punters don’t go overlooked. Four years after selecting Bryan Anger in the third round of the 2012 draft, Jacksonville is apparently replacing him — Rich Eisen of the NFL Network (Twitter link) reports that Brad Nortman will join the Jags on a four-year contract.
It’s a bit of a surprising move, since news of a punter changing teams via a long-term deal isn’t what we’d typically expect from the legally tampering period. But Nortman was solid in Carolina last season, averaging 45.4 yards per punt, with a 39.8 net average. By comparison, Anger’s net average (39.5) was a little lower, and his punts resulted in 462 return yards, as opposed to 288 return yards on Nortman’s attempts.
With Nortman headed to Jacksonville, the Panthers figure to be in the market for a new punter, and Anger will be seeking a job elsewhere. While it would make sense to link Anger to the Carolina opening, the Panthers may opt for a cheaper alternative, leaving the former third-round pick to look elsewhere for his next contract.
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Free Agency Rumors: Dolphins, Penn, Bushrod
Before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia, new Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham also received interest from the Browns, Buccaneers and Jaguars, as he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Bradham further stated that his former team, the Bills, backed out of contract talks.
Meanwhile, in addition to having lost out on Bradham, the Browns swung and missed on receiver Rishard Matthews, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan reports that Cleveland was one of several teams in play for Matthews, who agreed to sign with Tennessee on a three-year deal.
After a busy day around the NFL, we still have a few more rumors related to free agents who signed today, and free agents who are still on the market. Let’s dive in…
- The Dolphins aren’t looking to invest much money in a backup quarterback, Marvez tweets. Matt Moore is paying a visit to the Cowboys this week, and it seems Moore may not be back in Miami for the 2016 season.
- The Giants have shown interest in free agent left tackle Donald Penn, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). The reliable Penn has started 16 games in eight straight seasons, including the last two in Oakland.
- Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, whom the Bears cut last month, is garnering “ample interest” in spite of recent shoulder surgery, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He’s planning to visit the Dolphins and Vikings, La Canfora adds.
- Prior to re-signing with the Bengals, cornerback Adam Jones drew the Vikings’ attention, he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. On Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Jones said, “I love Zim. He really treated me well through this, but this is the place where I know.”
- At least four teams – including the Bears – have expressed interest in return man Marc Mariani, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the 49ers and Raiders are also among those clubs in the mix for Mariani, who played the last two seasons in Chicago.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
AFC Contract Details: Osweiler, Ivory, Iloka
Here are the latest updates on many recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the AFC:
AFC West:
- Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Jaye Howard, DT (Chiefs): Two years, $10MM. $8.26MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus. $3.27MM guaranteed at signing for injury. Pro Bowl escalator worth up to $2MM $12,500 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $200K in 2016. $15,625 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $250K in 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Dwight Lowery, S (Chargers): Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Frank Zombo, LB (Chiefs): Three years, $3.6MM. $500K signing bonus. Roster bonus of $100K in 2016 and $150K the next two seasons (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC South:
- Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): Four years, $72MM. $37MM fully guaranteed in first two years – $21MM in 2016 ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM roster bonus, $4MM salary), $16MM in 2017. The remaining $35MM is non-guaranteed, including $18MM salary in 2018 and $13MM in 2019. Deal includes a $4MM roster bonus due March 2019 (all Twitter links courtesy of USA Today’s Tom Pelissero).
- Chris Ivory, RB (Jaguars): Five years, $32MM. $10MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Jeff Allen, G (Texans): Four years, $28MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due this month. Annual per-game roster bonus worth $31,250 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Brad Nortman, P (Jaguars): Four years, $8.8MM. $1.65MM guaranteed. $650K roster bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC North:
- George Iloka, S (Bengals): Five years, $30MM. $5MM guaranteed. $3MM bonus. Due a $2.5MM bonus March 14 (Twitter link via Wilson)
- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (Steelers): Three years, $3.8MM. $400K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
AFC East:
- Richie Incognito, G (Bills): Three years, $15.75MM. $3.45MM signing bonus. $2MM base salary in 2016 is fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonuses in each season (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Isa Abdul-Quddus, S (Dolphins): Three years, $12.75MM. $2.5MM signing bonus. $6MM in guarantees (Twitter link via Wilson).
- James Develin, FB (Patriots): One year, $750K. $150K playing time incentives. $50K signing bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Marcedes Lewis Re-Signs With Jaguars
6:16pm: Lewis’ three-year deal will be worth $12MM, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (Twitter link).
5:32pn: Marcedes Lewis‘ once-tenuous tenure with the Jaguars will now extend throughout perhaps the remainder of the veteran tight end’s career. The Jags have re-signed Lewis on a three-year deal, Mark Long of the Associated Press reports (on Twitter).
The soon-to-be 32-year-old Lewis decided to stay with the Jaguars despite late interest from the Rams, Long reports.
Lewis took a massive pay cut to stick with the Jags last season, slicing his cap number from $6.8MM to $2.65MM. The terms of this deal have not been announced, but it should be in that range considering where Lewis is at this juncture of his career.
Once thought to be expendable once Jacksonville brought in Julius Thomas on a five-year deal last season, Lewis remained and functioned as the team’s No. 2 tight end for most of 2015. But the former first-round pick in 2006 started all 16 games.
The 11th-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Jaguars. He caught 16 passes for 226 yards last season while operating as one of the best pass-blockers at the position when assigned to stay in and help.
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Giants, Jags Frontrunners For Olivier Vernon
Now that Olivier Vernon‘s a full-fledged UFA after the Dolphins rescinded his transition tag, the Giants and Jaguars are leading the sweepstakes for the defensive end’s services, Jeff Darlington of NFL.com tweets.
There figures to be more teams involved in pursing the dynamic defender coming off a strong contract year, but these two are out in front, per Darlington.
Ranked No. 1 on PFR’s list of free agents going into the 2016 league year, the 25-year-old Vernon is now a coveted commodity by other suitors after the Dolphins opted to sign Mario Williams to join an already high-paid defensive front that features Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh.
The Jaguars’ interest comes as no surprise given their league-high cap space, which currently sits at $72.2MM (per OverTheCap), but Jacksonville just agreed to sign defensive end/tackle hybrid Malik Jackson to a deal worth upwards of $85.5MM. Jacksonville also employs Jared Odrick, whom it pried from the Dolphins last year. Jackson and Odrick are currently the Jags’ top two highest-paid players.
The Giants, who as of now possess $47.02MM of cap space, are bolstering their defensive front aggressively as well, reaching agreements to keep Jason Pierre-Paul with the team and Damon Harrison in New York.
This would give the Jags some serious capital allocated toward its defensive front, which houses rookie-contract stalwart Sen’Derrick Marks.
Vernon ranked third overall behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller among edge defenders last season, according to Pro Football Focus, after amassing 7.5 sacks and 61 tackles. The former third-round pick has 29 career sacks.
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