Draft Notes: Gordon, Hundley, McKinney, Lions
Two clubs who could be in need of a running back will meet with Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, a consensus top-two back in next month’s draft, as both the Cowboys and the Jaguars have lined up visits with the former Badger, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News and Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), respectively. The Cowboys, who hold the 27th overall pick, are aiming to replace DeMarco Murray, while Jacksonville, who would probably target Gordon at the top of the second round, could use another back to team with Denard Robinson.
Let’s take a look at some more pre-draft news…
- After Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, there aren’t many draft options at the quarterback position. One player in the mix to be third QB, however, is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who says he’s already met with both the Eagles and the Jets, and plans to set up more visits, tweets SiriusXM NFL Radio.
- The 49ers lost linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement in the past week, and they’ll look to the college ranks to fill that positional void. The club will meet with Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney, who will also visit the Broncos, Texans, and Cowboys, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
- The Lions hosted a pair of defensive prospects today, as both Oregon State cornerback Steven Nelson and Oklahoma defensive tackle Jordan Phillips visited the Motor City, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com in a pair of articles.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Ray, Parker, Agholor
We’ve already looked at a few upcoming draft visits in some earlier posts today, so let’s go ahead and round up the rest of today’s draft-related news…
- The Buccaneers hosted Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per Rapoport, Mariota’s visit to Tampa will be similar to Jameis Winston‘s meeting several weeks ago, and Mariota will meet with all of TB’s decision-makers.
- Edge rusher Shane Ray will be a busy man, as the Missouri product has pre-draft visits lined up with the Ravens, Falcons, Titans, and Jaguars, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- Like Ray, Louisville receiver DeVante Parker will have a full schedule, as he has 12 visits on his calendar during the next month, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that Parker will first meet with the Dolphins.
- Another receiver — USC’s Nelson Agholor — visited with the Eagles today, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Eagles head coach Chip Kelly recruited Agholor while the former was at Oregon, Getlin adds.
- The Eagles are hosting multiple prospects, as Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will visit Philadelphia today and tomorrow, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
Greg Hardy Rumors: Monday
When I ranked Greg Hardy 11th in my list of top 50 free agents of 2015, I noted that no player’s value was more difficult to pin down than Hardy’s, given his off-field troubles and his uncertain status for the start of the coming season. The market so far has reflected the difficult nature of assigning a value to Hardy — of our top 25 free agents, only the former Panthers defensive end remains unsigned.
Here’s the latest on the free agent pass rusher:
- Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas (Twitter link) hears from sources that the Cowboys are in talks with Hardy about a possible deal. Hardy would be an intriguing fit for a team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year.
- The Dallas coaching staff has been in touch with Hardy’s old coaches to learn more about his character, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 Washington (Twitter link), who adds that the Cowboys like what they’ve heard so far.
- After poking around the Hardy market over the weekend, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com came away with the sense that the Cowboys and Seahawks could emerge as legit suitors for the defensive end. However, despite the fact that several teams are monitoring the situation, nothing is imminent and it would be a surprise if any team reached an agreement before the NFL announces its ruling on possible discipline, says La Canfora (Twitter links).
- The Jaguars are unlikely to pursue Hardy, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility when he spoke to reporters last week, but it doesn’t look as if the team will seriously consider the 26-year-old.
- Earlier today, Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported that many teams believe Hardy will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season
Extra Points: Robinson, Manning, Romo, House
Former Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson will visit the Steelers on Sunday, Dale Lolley of the Washington (Pa.) Observer Reporter notes on Twitter. The sixth-year corner’s drawn interest from several teams thus far into his initial free agency opportunity.
Some other notes from Saturday …
- The New York Post’s Paul Schwartz points out that Ben Roethlisberger‘s latest extension sets the bar for 2004 first-round peer Eli Manning, with $20MM per year being the possible floor for the 12th-year Giants quarterback. Set to count $19.75MM against the Giants’ cap this year, Manning’s entering the last year of the $97.5MM megadeal he signed in 2009. The Giants may have to do another extension with Manning as major deals come to pass for younger signal-callers, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports.”You are going to see the market escalate if reports are correct that Seattle’s prepared to make Russell Wilson the highest-paid player,” Corry told Schwartz. “And there are reports about Indy doing something uncharacteristically early with Andrew Luck, which would make him the highest-paid player. The market’s gonna go up, and usually people benefit from a trickle-down effect. That’s not even taking Cam Newton into consideration.”
- More on the subject of market-steering QB accords: Tony Romo‘s 2014-inked contract that features a staggering $27.77MM cap number has restrained the Cowboys thus far in free agency, the Dallas Morning News’ Rainer Sabin writes. Beyond the departure of reigning rushing champion DeMarco Murray to the Eagles, the Cowboys have lost Henry Melton, Jeremy Parnell, Bruce Carter and three others in the opening week of player movement. The Cowboys’ brass remain hesitant to reduce Romo’s figure to prevent ramifications down the road, scenarios they’ve dealt with in the recent past.
- New Falcons coach Dan Quinn identified team speed as his top priority upon watching film of his new team, Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes as part of a lengthy Q&A session with Quinn and Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff.
- The Jaguars are betting free agent acquisition Davon House has “another level of upside” despite coming in with scant starting experience with the Packers, the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran writes. Their primary reason behind this faith that led to House receiving $10MM in guaranteed money was his film against top receivers like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones, which O’Halloran analyzes.
Latest On Greg Hardy
SATURDAY, 9:06pm: Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie buried the Hardy-to-Oakland rumors, telling CSNCalifornia’s Scott Bair the team doesn’t have “any intention” of pursuing him (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 2:18pm: Speaking to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Davis called rumors of the Raiders’ interest in Hardy “false, falser, and falsest.”
“He’s somebody we are not negotiating with and I don’t believe we would be interested in at this point in time,” Davis said. “I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me.”
FRIDAY, 1:35pm: Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) have both been told by sources that the Raiders aren’t engaged in discussions with Hardy about a deal.
FRIDAY, 10:43am: Hardy is in negotiations with at least one team, and is drawing interest from others, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, who suggests to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that his client’s market may be more lucrative than expected. Per Schefter, Rosenhaus expects Hardy to earn a “strong multiyear deal.”
“It’s a very positive situation,” Rosenhaus said. “While we’re waiting to hear from the league, we’re working through it, and it has been very encouraging.”
Gus Bradley, the head coach of one team that has been linked to Hardy, said today that the defensive end’s name has not come up in the Jaguars’ free agent discussions, per Nick Kostos of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 7:55am: With two more free agent pass rushers coming off the board this morning, teams looking to generate an outside pass rush may soon have to make a decision on whether to seriously pursue Greg Hardy, who is still awaiting word on potential discipline from the NFL. Reports this week have suggested about a half-dozen teams are eyeing Hardy, but they’re proceeding with caution due to Hardy’s off-field history and the possibility that he’ll be facing a suspension.
It appears one of those clubs with interest in Hardy is the Raiders. Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post first reported (via Twitter) that Oakland is considering the former Panthers defensive end, and the team’s interest has since been confirmed by others, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While Hardy certain makes sense for the Raiders from an on-field perspective, it would be a surprise if the team was seriously considering adding him, based on the franchise’s stance on domestic violence. Owner Mark Davis has said in the past that players with that sort of history won’t receive too long a look from the Raiders — most recently, Davis told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, “We just said it’s not going to be something that we tolerate here.”
Of course, Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, but there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. For now, the 26-year-old, who had 15 sacks in 2013 before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
Another potential suitor for Hardy could be the Jaguars — GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility of pursuing him when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.
Minor Moves: Friday
Today’s minor moves…
- The Jaguars have signed return specialist Bryan Walters, according to the team’s official website. The 27-year-old spent last season with the Seahawks and is hoping to earn a chance as a slot receiver. He may get that opportunity in Jacksonville, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- Washington re-signed cornerback Justin Rogers, the team tweeted. Rogers appeared in Washington’s final three games last season. He spent the first three years of his career in Buffalo (2011-13), where he played 34 games and totaled three interceptions.
- Fullback Ray Agnew tweeted that he’s joining the Cowboys. The 24-year-old Agnew’s only NFL experience came last season in Cleveland, with which he appeared in 12 games.
- Cornerback James Dockery has officially signed with the Raiders (via Instagram). The four-year veteran will join his third NFL team. He was previously with the Browns and Panthers, having spent the last three seasons with the latter. His career includes 39 appearances and 31 tackles.
Contract Details: Maxwell, Murray, McPhee
Here are some key details on some of the notable contracts agreed to or signed around the NFL this week:
NFC deals:
- Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): Six years, $63MM base value. $25MM fully guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of USA Today and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- DeMarco Murray, RB (Eagles): Five years, $40MM base value. $42MM max value. $18MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
- Pernell McPhee, OLB (Bears): Five years, $38.75MM base value. $8.675MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Antrel Rolle, S (Bears): Three years, $11.25MM base value. $4.9MM guaranteed. $3.9MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Tom Johnson, DT (Vikings): Three years, $7MM base value. $2.75MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Matt Prater, K (Lions): Two years, $4.55MM base value. Third-year team option for 2017 (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
AFC deals:
- Davon House, CB (Jaguars): Four years, $24.5MM. $10MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- James Carpenter, G (Jets): Four years, $19.1MM base value. $5MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Owen Daniels, TE (Broncos): Three years, $12.25MM base value. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Mike Adams, S (Colts): Two years, $4.25MM base value. $1.2MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
Jaguars Release Red Bryant
The Jaguars have released defensive lineman Red Bryant, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union (on Twitter).
Bryant’s release had been rumored for some time due to his cap number for the coming season. At a presser yesterday, GM David Caldwell told reporters that no decision had been made on Bryant’s situation yet, but that might not have been exactly true.
Bryant, 31 in April, saw time in all 16 games in his first and only season for the Jaguars. In total, he racked up 23 tackles to go with one pass deflection and one sack. Bryant graded out as being just below average according to Pro Football Focus‘ (subscription required) metrics, coming in with a -1.6 grade. Overall, that placed him No. 31 out of 59 qualified 4-3 defensive ends.
Bryant’s contract called for him to earn $19MM in total between the years of 2014 and 2017. However, his only guaranteed money came in year one between his $3.5MM roster bonus and $1.225MM base salary in ’14. By dropping Bryant, the Jaguars have given themselves $4.5MM in cap savings for the coming year while adding additional flexibility in years to come.
Murray Decision Not Expected Tonight, Will Visit Eagles Thursday
Following a day full of rumors, it sounds like there will be no resolution on the DeMarco Murray front. According to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter), the running back will not finalize a deal tonight. PFT notes that Murray will likely “take a visit” to his potential landing spots, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms (on Twitter) that Murray will meet with Eagles officials on Thursday.
Based on today’s news, it sounds like four teams are in the running for Murray’s services: the Cowboys, Eagles, Raiders and Jaguars. In fact, Philly wasn’t even involved with the bidding until Murray and coach Chip Kelly spoke on the phone this afternoon. There were also whispers that the running back’s college roommate, recently-acquired quarterback Sam Bradford, was trying to recruit Murray to Philadelphia.
Besides the Eagles, it sounds like the running back is seriously considering the Cowboy offers. The team reportedly made him an offer of $5MM annually, and it was noted that Dallas had an advantage over Philadelphia. At least one team involved in the bidding was under the impression that Murray would return to Dallas.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Raiders are willing to offer the most money, and those same reports indicate that the Jaguars offer was too low for Murray’s liking.
DeMarco Murray Rumors: Wednesday
As perhaps the most noteworthy free agent still on the board this week, DeMarco Murray will be receiving plenty of attention today, as potential suitors vie for his services. Until the longtime Cowboys running back reaches an agreement with a new club, or at least starts closing in on a deal, we’ll track today’s Murray updates right here, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- ESPN’s Ed Werder says the Cowboys, Eagles and Raiders are “getting very competitive” for Murray’s service (Twitter link).
- One of the teams pursuing Murray is under the impression that the running back will return to the Cowboys, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter).
- Newly-signed Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton said he’s trying to recruit Murray to Oakland, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter). The duo were both standouts for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Earlier updates:
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (on Twitter) that Murray understands where the Cowboys and Jaguars are with their offers, but the running back is still seeking more money. Despite Murray’s demands for about $8MM annually, Breer says that market isn’t there yet.
- Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Eagles weren’t even interested in Murray until he called them today. Philly has already signed Ryan Mathews for $5MM guaranteed and they have Darren Sproles in the mix, so they don’t have a major need for Murray.
- Werder (on Twitter) senses that Murray’s decision could come soon. The Jaguars are not actively involved, the Raiders are offering the most money, and the Cowboys have the advantage right now over the Eagles.
- Things are heating up on the Murray front, and the situation will likely come to a head later today, tweets Pro Football Talk.
- The Eagles appear to be Murray’s top choice besides Dallas, according to Robinson (Twitter link). The Raiders and Jaguars trail Philadelphia, and one league source doesn’t believe Jacksonville will make a significant offer.
- Mutual interest between the Eagles and Murray was renewed after a personal phone call between the running back and head coach Chip Kelly, says Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who notes (via Twitter) that Murray was Sam Bradford‘s roommate at Oklahoma. However remains to be seen how much the Eagles would be willing to offer Murray, since Kelly stressed today he won’t overpay for anyone, tweets Mortensen. For his part Bradford said today that he’s been trying to recruit his old college teammate (Twitter link).
- A source tells Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that, before Murray removed mention of the Cowboys from his Twitter account earlier this week, the team made him an offer worth $5MM annually.
- Despite reaching an agreement with Ryan Mathews (as noted below), the Eagles remain very much in the mix for Murray, according to multiple reporters, including Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), it could ultimately come down to the Eagles and Cowboys.
- Jaguars GM David Caldwell said he spoke to Murray’s agent last night, but there’s no movement right now, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
- A source with knowledge of Murray’s situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the idea of the back signing with the Jaguars is currently “not likely.” That could change if the Jags up their offer, or if the NFL’s leading rusher agrees to take less money than he wants, says Florio.
- As we heard last night, the Raiders maintain interest in Murray despite signing Roy Helu, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, multiple teams have made offers to Murray.
- Earlier today, a report indicated that Ryan Mathews is expected to sign with the Eagles, pending a visit with the team. It’s not clear how that would affect the team’s interest in Murray, but I can’t imagine Philadelphia would pursue him too aggressively if Mathews was under contract.