Chiefs Sign Chris Owens, Waive Brandon Moore
Cornerback Chris Owens has signed a deal to become a member of the Chiefs, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Adam Teicher of ESPN also reported the signing (via Twitter). The team has also decided to release defensive tackle Brandon Moore.
Owens has played six years in the NFL, with the Dolphins, Falcons, and Browns. Teicher added that the signing was curious, because at 5’9″ he is undersized compared to what the Chiefs are looking for in the secondary under this regime.
Draft Rumors: Ebron, Bortles, Desir
North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron figures to be a popular man in the coming weeks and he told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that he’s got at least four visits lined up for himself. Ebron, a Newark, New Jersey native, will check in with the Bills, Lions, Ravens, and Panthers in April. Here’s today’s latest draft rumors..
- ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said on air that the Texans, Jaguars, Browns, Raiders, and Vikings have met with Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles, according to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal (on Twitter). The signal caller participated in UCF’s pro day this afternoon.
- The Rams, Chiefs, Jaguars, Packers, Lions, and Bears attended cornerback Pierre Desir‘s pro day at Lindenwood University (Missouri), tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Desir recorded 25 interceptions over the course of his career at the Division II school.
- The Browns worked out Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas individually today, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.com. Pauline says Thomas is looking more like a top 45 pick at this juncture.
- Lache Seastrunk says he has visits set up with Steelers and Bills, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Baylor running back posted the best vertical jump (41.5-inches) and broad jump (134 inches) of anyone at the draft combine in February.
- San Jose State quarterback David Fales will meet with the Vikings this weekend, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
- Middle Tennessee State guard Josh Walker will visit the Colts, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The standout lineman also has a visit with the Saints lined up.
Chiefs Sign Cory Grissom
The Chiefs have signed Cory Grissom, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Wilson reports that it’s a one-year contract for the defensive tackle.
Grissom, 23, signed last spring with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of South Florida. He was placed on injured reserve in August, however, and didn’t see the field for the team during the 2013 season, before being waived last week.
Extra Points: Cason, Allen, Mariani, Hester
Three candidates have emerged to succeed Domonique Foxworth as NFLPA president, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Saints tight end Ben Watson, free-agent tackle Eric Winston, and free-agent safety Ryan Clark will make their speeches Wednesday before the 32 team representatives vote for a new president. More from around the NFL..
- In addition to cornerback Terrell Thomas, who was in for a visit today, the Panthers are also looking at corner Antoine Cason, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Garafolo figures that Carolina could sign one or both cornerbacks to boost their secondary.
- Defensive end Jared Allen is unlikely to sign with the Cowboys after visiting today, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Dallas became less likely for the veteran when the Cowboys agreed to sign fellow defensive lineman Henry Melton earlier this evening.
- The Chargers worked out former Titans wide receiver/kick returner/punter Marc Mariani, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Mariani has struggled to stay healthy in the past. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2012 season after snapping the tibula and fibula in his left leg and spent the entire 2013 season on Tennessee’s injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in training camp.
- Top draft prospect Teddy Bridgewater met with the Texans, Jaguars, and Raiders after his pro-day workout at Louisville, tweets Brian Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- In a conference call with reporters, Chiefs GM John Dorsey said contract extension talks with Alex Smith are ongoing, tweets Herbie Teope of the Associated Press. Dorsey did not offer a timetable for a resolution with his starting quarterback. On the call, Dorsey went on to discuss the club’s near deal with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders who wound up signing with the Broncos, writes Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star.
- Rex Ryan and Jets GM John Idzik were at Florida State Pro Day to check out 6’5″, 240-pound wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin today, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Safety Craig Steltz‘s one-year deal with the Bears is for the veteran’s minimum of $730K, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter). Steltz can also earn another $65K in roster bonuses.
- A source close to free agent return man Devin Hester tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN (on Twitter) that the former Bears standout is still in Atlanta and very much in the picture for the Falcons.
Contract Details: DRC, Hauschka, Edelman
We’ve got plenty more contract details to round up, so let’s dive right in….
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Albert Breer of the NFL Network pass along several key details on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s contract with the Giants, which seems to include $12MM in fully guaranteed money, and a little more in salary guaranteed for injury only. Here are the relevant Twitter links to read up on all the specifics.
- Wilson also shares the specifics on Steven Hauschka‘s three-year contract with the Seahawks (Twitter link), Walter Thurmond‘s one-year deal with the Giants (Twitter link), and Dane Fletcher‘s one-year deal with the Bucs (Twitter link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has been doing a great job all week getting finalized contract details up in his database, and he passed along several new entries today. Among them: The Raiders‘ two-year deals for LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck, the Eagles‘ extension for Darren Sproles, and the Saints‘ five-year pact with Zach Strief.
- Julian Edelman received a $5MM signing bonus from the Patriots on his new contract, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
- John Keim of ESPN.com has the details on Santana Moss‘ minimum salary benefit contract and Clifton Geathers‘ two-year deal with the Redskins.
- Although Michael Oher‘s four-year deal with the Titans was initially reported as including $9.5MM in guaranteed money, it’s actually a little less than that, and only $6MM is fully guaranteed, with another $3.35MM guaranteed for injury only. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com has the details.
- Emmanuel Sanders‘ three-year, $15MM contract with the Broncos features $6MM in guaranteed money and cap hits of $6MM (2014), $4MM (2015), and $5MM (2016), tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- Updating his earlier report on Charles Tillman‘s contract with the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the deal includes $150K in performance incentives (based on total interceptions), so it could max out at $3.4MM instead of $3.25MM.
- Frank Zombo‘s two-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $1.6MM and includes a $100K signing bonus, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. A minimum-salary deal for Zombo with a $100K bonus would work out to $1.575MM, so either that $1.6MM figure is rounded up, or the linebacker received slightly more than the minimum.
Extra Points: DRC, Miller, Sanders, Saffold
Following up on a piece he wrote about Jets GM John Idzik‘s deliberate – and perhaps questionable – approach to free agency, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that, after an initial low-ball offer, the Jets made an “11th hour” pitch to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. However, the Giants had essentially locked up the free agent cornerback by that point.
Here are a few more Tuesday updates from around the NFL:
- In a series of tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today breaks down the details on Zach Miller‘s pay cut with the Seahawks, which will reduce the tight end’s 2014 compensation by $3MM and his 2015 pay by $2MM.
- After missing out on Emmanuel Sanders, the Chiefs continue to target younger wide receivers in free agency, which rules out some of the older veterans on the market, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Speaking of Sanders, his agents issued a lengthy statement suggesting that there was never an agreement in place with the Chiefs before the receiver agreed to sign with the Broncos, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post details.
- In the wake of the Sanders controversy, former agent Joel Corry points out in a piece for CBSSports.com that both agents and teams can be guilty of reneging on deals.
- Aaron Wilson (Twitter links) passes along the specifics of the Rodger Saffold contract with the Rams, which includes a $5MM signing bonus, a $3MM roster bonus for 2015, and a $3MM guaranteed base salary in 2014. As Joel Corry tweets, the Raiders‘ decision to void their agreement with Saffold will cost the offensive lineman a significant sum.
- Daryl Smith‘s contract with the Ravens includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, and that appears to be the only guaranteed money in the deal, as Aaron Wilson details in a pair of tweets. According to Wilson, the four-year pact can be worth up to $16.1MM, as initially reported, but it has a base value of just $13.6MM.
- Jack Bechta of the National Football Post identifies the Colts‘ signing of Hakeem Nicks and the Buccaneers‘ deal with Alterraun Verner as two of the best bargains in free agency so far. Among our top 25 free agents of 2014, Nicks and Verner are two who will earn markedly less than I anticipated.
Contract Details: Peppers, Cook, McClain
While Julius Peppers‘ three-year deal with the Packers was reported as being worth $30MM over three years, the base value is actually just $26MM, though that could increase if the veteran hits certain escalators, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links). With a $7.5MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary in 2014, the cap hit in the first year will be just $3.5MM. The deal also includes base salaries of $8.5MM in 2015 and $7MM in 2016, with $1MM in workout and roster bonuses in each of those seasons.
Let’s round up a few more contract details from around the league….
- Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com provides the financial details on the contracts signed by cornerback Chris Cook and kicker Phil Dawson with the 49ers. Cook’s pact is a minimum salary benefit deal with no guaranteed money, according to Maiocco.
- Jameel McClain‘s two-year deal with the Giants has a base value of $4.5M, with escalators that can push up to $6M, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson says the contract includes a $600K signing bonus, base salaries of $1.375M (2014) and $1.75M (2015), and a $400K roster bonus in ’15.
- The Rams‘ new deal with Jo-Lonn Dunbar is a two-year, $2.05MM contract, but could be voided after year one in certain scenarios, as Wilson explains in a pair of tweets.
- The new five-year contract Zach Strief and the Saints agreed to today includes a first-year base salary of just $900K, meaning Strief’s 2014 cap hit is $2MM, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Frank Zombo‘s new contract with the Chiefs is a two-year deal, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- The three-year deal between the Giants and Jon Beason has a base value of $16.8MM, with a $4.4MM signing bonus and $6MM in overall guaranteed money, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
FA Links: Sanders, Allen, Hester
Before he signed with the Broncos, there were rumblings that receiver Emmanuel Sanders might end up with the Chiefs. There was so much to those rumors that even the team thought they were going to land the free agent, but it all ended up being a clever strategy by the former Steelers’ agent, Steve Weinberg. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, many executives around the league aren’t happy with how the Sanders talks were handled, with one team official saying the Weinberg broke “every rule in negotiations”. In his press conference today, Sanders said there was “no handshake” and “no kind of agreement” with the Chiefs.
More from around the NFL…
- Jared Allen met with the Seahawks today, tweets Rapoport. In a subsequent tweet, Rapoport mentions that Allen will likely visit another team this week and that retiring is still an option for the 31-year-old.
- Adding to reports that the Dolphins have interest in Devin Hester, the wide receiver has said that he would “love” to play for the team, writes Chris Perkins of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Buccaneers will now listen to offers for offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah after having signed Evan Dietrich-Smith, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds (via Twitter) that the team is looking to revamp their offensive line but acknowledged that the team does value Zuttah’s versatility. La Confora suggests the Ravens, Colts and Giants as potential fits (from Twitter).
Visit Updates: Manningham, Britt, Bridgewater
Several notes on player visits:
- Receiver Mario Manningham will meet the Giants on Monday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. Manningham played for the Giants from 2008-2011 before signing with the 49ers.
- Receiver Kenny Britt will meet with the Redskins after he visits the Patriots, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. We noted earlier today that Washington was attempting to schedule a visit with the free agent.
- Linebacker Will Herring visited the Cowboys on Saturday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. A previous deal between the two parties fell through.
- The Chiefs met with offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).
- Caplan also tweets that fullback Erik Lorig met the Saints, who do not have a fullback on the roster after non-tendering Jed Collins.
- Linebacker Rob Jackson will meet with the Raiders, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater met with the Vikings staff, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Broncos Sign Emmanuel Sanders
1:57pm: The Broncos have officially announced the transaction.
12:20pm: After he allegedly accepted a deal with the Chiefs, the Broncos officially announced that they have signed former Steelers wideout Emmanuel Sanders, tweets ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Schefter reports that it is a three-year, $15MM deal, and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that it is worth a maximum of $18MM with escalators.
Assuming he passes his physical, a press conference is scheduled for 1:30 MST, tweets Lindsay Jones of USA Today.