West Rumors: Poe, Raiders, Penn, 49ers
The Chiefs have several pressing issues on their docket on the defensive side of the ball, with Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Sean Smith, and Jaye Howard among the defenders facing free agency. However, Kansas City is also exploring the possibility of locking up one of their top contributors whose contract doesn’t expire until 2017.
According to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs have spoken to Dontari Poe‘s agent, Jimmy Sexton, about a long-term deal that would keep the standout nose tackle in K.C. for the next several years.
“We’ve talked, we’ve talked more than once,” GM John Dorsey said. “I have great affection for Dontari Poe. I think he represents everything we want to do, culturally. I think he’s a good football player. We will continue this process. Right now, I’m concentrating on other things. But eventually, we’ll get to that.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- The Raiders are expected to be one of the league’s most active teams in free agency, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). That’s no real surprise, since Oakland is one of two clubs in the NFL with more than $70MM in projected cap room. Cole reports that the Raiders have “made it clear to everyone that they’re not going to let money get in the way of getting the players that they want.”
- Cornerbacks and offensive linemen figure to be atop the Raiders‘ shopping list, according to Cole, who adds that Chargers safety Eric Weddle will be a target for Oakland as well.
- Armed with all that cap space, the Raiders will prioritize getting a new deal done with offensive tackle Donald Penn, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (via Twitter) that Penn “has a strong market,” and his stock will only improve if the Bills use their franchise tag on Cordy Glenn within the next 24 hours.
- With the free agent period fast approaching, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) expects the 49ers to target mostly offense in March, before shifting to focus on defensive players in the draft.
AFC Notes: Colts, Jets, Pats, Chiefs
Last offseason was a busy one for the Colts, as the organization spent big money to secure veterans like Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Trent Cole and Kendall Langford. As Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes, we may be seeing a different strategy this time around.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson told reporters that the team won’t be as aggressive on the free agent market this offseason.
“I would say this year is a little different than in years past just because of some of the financials we have on the horizon,” Grigson said. “Somewhat like 2012, where we tightened our belt.”
Holder attributes part of that strategy to Andrew Luck‘s inevitable contract extension, but he also notes that many of the team’s recent free agent acquisitions haven’t necessarily worked out.
Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…
- ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini would support a Sheldon Richardson trade if it meant the Jets could ink Muhammad Wilkerson to an extension. However, the writer notes that Richardson’s trade value currently isn’t at its highest, and the Jets are in no rush to trade the defensive tackle due to his affordable contract. Ultimately, Cimini believes the two will remain teammates for at least one more season.
- The Patriots and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks are “still in the strategy phase” of the re-signing process, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The writer believes it will be a few weeks until there’s clarity on the situation, although he did list Hicks as the Patriots free agent with the most value on the open market.
- The Chiefs are interested in retaining defensive end Mike DeVito, tweets Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. The 31-year-old appeared in 13 games (five starts) for the Chiefs last season, compiling 19 tackles and three sacks.
La Canfora’s Latest: Hali, Bengals, Rams, Colts
After renegotiating his contract last May, and adding four void years to the end of his deal, Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali is set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9, and he although the expectation is that he’ll return to Kansas City for an 11th season, he would walk into a strong market were he to reach free agency, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. In a league devoid of pass rush talent, Hali, who posted 6.5 sacks last year at the age of 32, could land a surprisingly large contract, per La Canfora.
Let’s dive into the latest from the CBS Sports scribe:
- The Bengals consider receiver Marvin Jones, cornerback Adam Jones, and safety Reggie Nelson their three most important free agents, sources tell La Canfora. For his part, Jones is expected to test free agency, while Nelson has expressed a strong desire to return to Cincinnati.
- A report earlier today indicated that the Rams plan to place the franchise or transition tag on either Janoris Jenkins or Trumaine Johnson, and La Canfora reports that the odds of Los Angeles completing a long-term deal with either corner before the March 1 tag deadline is “bleak.” Therefore, it’s possible the Rams are forced to simply use the tag on one player, and let the either leave via free agency.
- Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford might not have many suitors on the open market, per La Canfora, so Philadelphia could be smart to let him gauge his value in free agency rather than striking a deal now or using the franchise tag. La Canfora does point to Chip Kelly and the 49ers as one possible landing spot for Bradford (if San Francisco trades Colin Kaepernick).
- La Canfora believes Dwayne Allen is the more likely tight end to remain with the Colts, arguing that he’s a more complete player than Coby Fleener. Whichever tight end does leave Indianapolis, adds La Canfora, could be candidate to fill the void left by Heath Miller on the Steelers‘ roster.
- In a separate piece, La Canfora examines whether the “franchise tag-and-trade” concept — which the Dolphins are reportedly mulling using with defensive end Olivier Vernon — could become a leaguewide trend.
Chiefs Rumors: Charles, Berry, Johnson, Daniel, Branch
The torn ACL that ended star running back Jamaal Charles‘ season last October won’t bring about the conclusion of his Chiefs career, general manager John Dorsey said at the combine Thursday. The Chiefs will not release the five-time thousand-yard rusher, according to Dorsey, who added that Charles is progressing well in his recovery (link via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com).
In addition to Charles’ situation, Dorsey addressed the statuses of a few of the Chiefs’ pending free agents. Here’s the latest:
- Dorsey says he’ll meet with safety Eric Berry‘s agent this weekend (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star). As of earlier this week, not much progress had been made in the Chiefs’ quest to lock up Berry. If the two sides fail to reach a deal this month, the Chiefs are expected to place the franchise tag on the four-time Pro Bowler by the March 1 deadline.
- Dorsey confirmed that he recently talked to the agent for linebacker Derrick Johnson, per BJ Kissel of the Chiefs’ website (Twitter link). Johnson, who has been with the Chiefs since they drafted him 15th overall in 2005, is coming off his sixth career 16-start season. He totaled 116 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and ranked eighth out of 97 qualifying linebackers at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). If the Chiefs strike a deal with Berry before the franchise tag deadline, Johnson could become a candidate for it, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes.
- Backup quarterback Chase Daniel has sat behind starter Alex Smith for the last three years, and now Daniel could be in line for a No. 1 job elsewhere. If another team is willing to pay Daniel like a starter, the Chiefs won’t be able to keep him, according to Dorsey – who says he has spoken with Daniel’s agent. Dorsey added that he thinks the Chiefs’ No. 2 QB is already on their roster (Twitter links via Paylor). They currently have Aaron Murray and Tyler Bray under contract.
- The Chiefs are interested in retaining safety Tyvon Branch, a source tells Paylor (Twitter link). Branch, whom the Chiefs signed to a one-year deal last winter, appeared in all 16 of their games last season and started one. The 29-year-old added 43 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble, and four passes defensed.
West Notes: Bennett, Kaepernick, Chargers
Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett and Chiefs running back Spencer Ware have both hired Relativity Sports for representation, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter links). Ware isn’t even eligible for restricted free agency until 2017, so Bennett is the more notable name here, since the standout pass rusher wants Seattle to rework his deal.
As Gregg Bell of The News Tribune details (via Twitter), head coach Pete Carroll said today that he has spoken to Bennett about his situation, though it’s probably on the back-burner for now. Unless the Seahawks feel they could rework Bennett’s contract in a way that would create some cap space for free agency, the team likely won’t address it until the spring.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- A day after GM Trent Baalke insisted that Colin Kaepernick will “absolutely” remain on the 49ers’ roster beyond his April 1st salary guarantee deadline, head coach Chip Kelly told reporters, including Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, that he has spoken to the QB several times, and believes Kaepernick want to be in San Francisco. “I don’t know what the narrative is that, ‘Is he on the team? Is he not on the team?'” Kelly said. “It’s never been a question. I’m excited to work with Colin. I’ve never thought that, ‘Hey, I’m going to go to San Francisco and he’s not going to be there.'”
- In addition to discussing Kaepernick, Kelly also said he’d like the 49ers to re-sign running back Shaun Draughn (Twitter link), and refuted the assumption that fullback Bruce Miller will be let go because he won’t have a role in Kelly’s offense.
- According to GM Tom Telesco, the Chargers‘ tight end position is “in flux” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego). Both Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green are among San Diego’s free agents and Telesco said he’ll meet with their agents at the combine this week.
- Telesco also said today that the Chargers‘ wide receiver depth is “not as strong with Malcom [Floyd] not being there” (Twitter link via Gehlken). Needless to say, San Diego is firmly in the market for more help at the position, and is hunting specifically for a deep threat.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
NFLPA Announces Cap Carryover Amounts
The NFL Players Association issued a press release today announcing the salary cap carryover amounts for all 32 NFL teams for the 2016 season. The official salary cap amount for 2016 has yet to be announced by the league, but it’s expected to be in the neighborhood of $155MM+. When that figures becomes official, it can be added to each team’s carryover amount to determine that club’s official cap for 2016.
According to the press release, the Broncos, Rams, and the Saints are the only teams that opted not to carry over the full amount available to them, though none of those clubs are believed to have left significant amounts on the table.
Here are the salary cap carryover amounts for 2016, per the NFLPA, from highest to lowest:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $32,774,928
- Tennessee Titans: $20,783,801
- Cleveland Browns: $20,734,144
- Oakland Raiders: $13,373,617
- San Francisco 49ers: $12,206,686
- New York Giants: $11,193,231
- Miami Dolphins: $9,137,544
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $7,987,748
- Cincinnati Bengals: $7,587,902
- Philadelphia Eagles: $7,255,362
- Green Bay Packers: $6,953,847
- Washington: $5,837,734
- Indianapolis Colts: $4,950,629
- Buffalo Bills: $4,467,331
- Atlanta Falcons: $3,905,771
- Carolina Panthers: $3,731,200
- Dallas Cowboys: $3,571,239
- Denver Broncos: $3,300,000
- Arizona Cardinals: $3,031,663
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $3,000,327
- Kansas City Chiefs: $2,622,838
- New York Jets: $2,484,216
- San Diego Chargers: $2,287,176
- Minnesota Vikings: $2,090,409
- Houston Texans: $1,637,055
- Baltimore Ravens: $1,633,944
- New Orleans Saints: $1,400,000
- New England Patriots: $1,347,882
- Los Angeles Rams: $933,521
- Chicago Bears: $867,589
- Detroit Lions: $862,191
- Seattle Seahawks: $11,587
Eagles Rumors: Daniel, Bradford, Pederson
The Eagles have question marks at quarterback and their new head coach apparently covets a signal caller who is under contract elsewhere. Doug Pederson is quite familiar with Chiefs reserve QB Chase Daniel and he told reporters today that Daniel could be a starter in the NFL, if given the right opportunity (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). As for incumbent Sam Bradford, Pederson says he believes Bradford wants to be there (link).
Here’s more on the Eagles’ QB situation and other news on Philly:
- Pederson said the Eagles have contingency plans in place in case they can’t bring Bradford back, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
- When asked about Bradford, Pederson said (Twitter link via Zach Berman of The Inquirer): “All I know is if Sam wants to be in Philadelphia, he’ll be in Philadelphia.” Pederson indicated that he would not tag Bradford in order to ensure his return to Philly and Berman believes that the coach’s implication is that it’s all up to the QB (link).
- Rookie quarterbacks in the draft won’t affect the Bradford situation, the coach told reporters (Twitter link via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News).
- Pederson says there “are holes” on the team’s offensive line, as John Clark of CSNPhilly tweets. He says he will look to the draft and free agency to fill those needs.
- Pederson said that he anticipates Mark Sanchez returning to the team as a backup quarterback (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Sanchez is already under contract for 2016.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Cruz, RGIII, Cards
With Tony Romo turning 36 this April, the Cowboys may not get a better chance to draft his eventual successor, but their No. 4 overall pick could also be used to address a more immediate need elsewhere on the roster. Speaking to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones acknowledges that the idea of selecting a quarterback is one the team must seriously consider.
“I mean you have to look at it,” Jones said. “You’re not naive to it but if you have the opportunity in this league, in our situation, to get a potential franchise quarterback, then you have to make the investment. You have to have the patience. You sacrifice maybe that opportunity that maybe is impactful right now.”
Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….
- Speaking to Nina Mandell of of USA Today’s For The Win, wide receiver Victor Cruz speculated that there’s an 80 percent chance he’ll return to the Giants for the 2016 season. While that’s an optimistic estimate, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets that it doesn’t sound like Cruz has been told anything definitive yet by the team.
- In the wake of Washington president Bruce Allen suggesting Robert Griffin III won’t be back with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) identifies the Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, and Cowboys as possible suitors for RGIII.
- Speaking today to reporters at the combine in Indianapolis, Cardinals GM Steve Keim said that he loves Andre Ellington‘s skills, but the running back must show he can consistently stay healthy before Arizona seriously considers locking him up long-term (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic). As a 2013 draftee, Ellington is extension-eligible for the first time this offseason.
- Former CFL pass rusher Tristan Okpalaugo, who signed with the Cardinals this week, got a $30K signing bonus on his one-year, minimum-salary deal, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Free Agent Rumors: Berry, Laurinaitis, Jackson
There have been multiple reports this month suggesting that the Chiefs are working on a contract extension for safety Eric Berry, making it one of their top priorities this offseason. Despite Kansas City’s obvious interest in getting something done with the All-Pro defender, no significant progress has been made at this point between the two sides, tweets Rand Getlin of the NFL Network.
I identified Berry as a strong candidate to receive the franchise tag when I examined potential recipients last week, noting that the price for safeties is reasonable compared to some other positions. While that may be where this is heading, the Chiefs still have another week to try to work out something longer-term with the 27-year-old.
Let’s check in on a few other free agents, or free-agents-to-be….
- Appearing today on SiriusXM NFL Radio, linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was cut by the Rams on Friday, said that he’d like to join a team with a shot to win the Super Bowl. According to Laurinaitis, agent Tom Condon told him that teams have already reached out, and he should have a better idea of his options after the combine. While he admitted that he grew up as a Vikings fan, Laurinaitis maintained that he’s open to any potential suitor (all Twitter links).
- While one veteran Seahawks running back – Marshawn Lynch – has announced his retirement, Fred Jackson doesn’t appear ready to call it a career. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jackson want to play in 2016. It’s not clear yet if Seattle will be interested in bringing back the veteran, who doesn’t have a contract for next season.
- A year after being traded to Detroit by the Ravens, defensive tackle Haloti Ngata is unlikely to reunite with his old team in free agency, says Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. As Hensley writes, the Ravens simply don’t have a real need for a player like Ngata, and will likely focus on edge defenders instead.
- Quarterback Kirk Cousins holds all the cards in contract discussions with Washington, and the team knows it, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- The Jets would like to re-sign running back Bilal Powell, but there were other suitors – including division rivals – lurking if New York can’t lock him up by March 9th, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com outlines.
AFC Rumors: Bolts, Reid, Miller, Jets, Titans
A Chargers-led citizen’s initiative could help solve stadium cost issues at the Mission Valley, Calif., site that hovered at the center of discussions prior to the Bolts’ Carson overtures, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
This process involves the sale of 75 acres of the 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site, a transaction that could net $225MM that would go toward funding the proposed $1.1 billion Chargers stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s task force’s estimates. That would help significantly, considering the new stadium still requires $350MM in taxpayer funds to go along with $300MM from the NFL and additional money generated by personal seat licenses, among other streams of revenue.
“They did it in Carson and another group of lawyers did it in Inglewood, so it certainly could be done in San Diego in pretty much the same way,” city attorney Jerry Goldsmith told Garrick. “It would involve re-zoning; it would involve voter approval of not only a stadium but ancillary development, and it would include bypassing the California Environmental Quality Act if it’s done right.”
Garrick, however, makes it clear the Chargers haven’t committed to pursue this route, as the sides still have a long way to go before anything substantial emerges in this long-running saga.
Let’s take a look at the latest transpiring in the AFC.
- Andy Reid won’t join the Chiefs‘ contingent at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine due to knee replacement surgery, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. The 57-year-old coach had this surgery last year and attended the Combine, but he missed this year’s Senior Bowl and won’t trek to Indianapolis as well.
- The Jets have engaged in contract talks with Chris Ivory‘s camp, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the seventh-year running back will test the market. Ivory would join Lamar Miller, Doug Martin and Matt Forte as free agency’s top ball-carriers, should Gang Green fail to keep him off the market.
- Lamar Miller‘s roots in Miami could induce the Dolphins to give him a low-ball offer in free agency and incite the fifth-year running back to bolt, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Miller attended the University of Miami and was born in the city in which he played his first four NFL seasons. Florio also speculates DeMarco Murray‘s first-year flop with the Eagles will make it harder for this year’s crop of fifth-year runners, Miller and Martin, to receive a Murray-like deal.
- The Titans will address the wide receiver position in the draft, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. Coming off his worst season, Kendall Wright currently is set to enter his fifth-year option campaign, and Justin Hunter is also entering a contract year. Wyatt notes the team’s investment in the position will not come at No. 1 overall, given that there isn’t a wide receiver that’s projected to possess that kind of value.