Dolphins Plan To Pursue Monroe, Albert
Overhauling the offensive line will be one of the Dolphins’ top priorities this offseason, and the team intends to get started on that process in free agency. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins like free-agent-to-be left tackles Eugene Monroe and Branden Albert, and plan to pursue both players in the hopes of landing one of the two.
Bryant McKinnie and Jonathan Martin handled left tackle duties for the Dolphins in 2013, and neither player was particularly effective, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). McKinnie will be eligible for free agency himself, and Martin is extremely unlikely to return to Miami following last season’s bullying scandal, so left tackle represents a major hole for the club. And as I suggested earlier this week, Monroe and Albert both qualify as first-tier options on this year’s free agent market.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that both Monroe and Albert even make it to free agency. A report from two weeks ago indicated that the Chiefs were likely to let Albert walk, but GM John Dorsey said last week that’s not necessarily the case, confirming that the team has talked to the veteran’s representatives. As for Monroe, he expressed last week that he’s not interested in accepting a discount to remain in Baltimore, but head coach John Harbaugh has still conveyed optimism about the two sides working something out.
With those two players high on their wish list, the Dolphins hope to land a left tackle in free agency, then address the right tackle position in the draft, according to Jackson, who notes that Notre Dame’s Zack Martin could be an option at No. 19 overall. Considering Richie Incognito and John Jerry certainly won’t return, Miami will also need to revamp its guard rotation, though it sounds like shoring up the outside of the offensive line ranks higher on the team’s to-do list than bolstering the inside.
AFC Notes: Bortles, Ravens, Chiefs, Colts
We checked in on the NFC earlier this afternoon, so let’s head over to the AFC now and round up a few of the latest updates….
- Blake Bortles had formal interviews with eight franchises at the combine in Indianapolis, according to Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinel. Of those eight teams, three – the Texans, Jaguars, and Titans – were AFC South squads. The Jets and Raiders also met with the UCF quarterback.
- With James Ihedigbo expected to leave in free agency, the Ravens would like to add a free safety this offseason, shifting Matt Elam to strong safety, writes Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com. Still, the team feels good about its secondary overall, and safety won’t be the top priority in May’s draft.
- The Chiefs had formal interviews in Indianapolis with Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy and Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links).
- Cornerback Vontae Davis and safety Antoine Bethea are potential candidates to receive the Colts‘ franchise designation, but the free agent most likely to be tagged might be kicker Adam Vinatieri, says Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.
AFC West Notes: Watkins, Pryor, Chiefs
Here’s a few notes from the AFC West focusing on the draft and free agency:
- Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins is an option for the Raiders with the fifth overall pick, writes Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Watkins ran a 4.43 40-yard-dash, which was somewhat disappointing, but Bair doesn’t expect it to affect his draft stock. The Raiders have a history of selecting big, speedy receivers, and some believe Watkins could have the same type of immediate effect that A.J. Green and Julio Jones did in their rookie seasons.
- In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s Paul Guiterrez notes that quarterback Terrelle Pryor could become trade bait. Coach Dennis Allen specifically noted that fellow QB Matt McGloin has a future with the Raiders, but made no such declaration about Pryor.
- Guiterrez also reports that Raiders offensive lineman Mike Brisiel could be released, if he doesn’t retire first.
- Eric Berry is a candidate for a contract extension with the Chiefs, writes Adam Teichel of ESPN.com. Berry is heading into the final season of his current deal.
- Teichel goes on to note that the Chiefs could probably re-sign both free agent offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and Jon Asamoah for what it would cost to retain tackle Branden Albert, also a free agent. However, Schwartz wants to be a starter, and will likely not accept an offer to return as a backup.
- The Chiefs would only consider drafting a quarterback if things looked bleak regarding an Alex Smith extension, says Teichel.
- The wide receiver draft class is deep, which is a positive for the Chargers as they look for a play-maker to pair with Keenan Allen, writes ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams.
AFC Notes: Pouncey, Chiefs, Satele, McGlynn
- “The Ted Wells report most likely saved the Dolphins a lot of money when it comes to Mike Pouncey,” says ESPN.com’s James Walker. Pouncey is a 24-year-old Pro Bowler, but his part in the bullying of Jonathan Martin “is reason enough to deny Pouncey a long-term extension,” according to Walker, who believes rewarding Pouncey would send a bad message.
- The Chiefs will not have to release any players for cap purposes, believes ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher, who also says the team must retain two of the three starting offensive linemen scheduled to hit free agency: Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. Says Teicher: “[The Chiefs] might be able to get Schwartz and Asamoah for what they could pay Albert. That’s what makes the most sense. But I know Schwartz wants to be a starter (and get paid like one). I don’t blame him. He won’t come back for a backup job or backup money unless he can’t get better somewhere else. That’s true for Asamoah, too. So the Chiefs may be forced to choose between Schwartz and Asamoah and look elsewhere for their backups.”
- Colts center Samson Satele did not get a ringing endorsement from GM Ryan Grigson, says ESPN.com’s Mike Wells. Satele’s roster spot could be in jeopardy, as he struggled last season and counts $5.1MM against the 2014 salary cap. Additionally, Wells mentions some scouts think Mike McGlynn, a free agent-to-be, is a better option. The team also spent a fourth-round pick on Khaled Holmes, a developmental center out of USC.
Chiefs Making Every Effort To Extend Smith
Chiefs GM John Dorsey confirmed earlier today that the team has reached out to Alex Smith‘s representatives about a new long-term contract for the starting quarterback. Speaking further to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), Dorsey indicated that those discussions are ongoing. According to La Canfora, the Chiefs are putting “every effort” into locking up Smith to a long-term extension.
As Smith prepares to enter the final year of his current contract, the negotiations on a new deal should be interesting to follow. The 29-year-old’s current pact pays him about $9MM per year, and he has only strengthened his resumé since inking that deal, having led the 49ers and Chiefs to a combined 17-6-1 in his starts over the last two seasons. After setting career-highs in passing yards (3313) and touchdowns (23) in 2013, Smith looks poised to earn an eight-figure annual salary on his next deal, with a sizable chunk of guaranteed money. Still, with Smith currently set to earn a base salary of $7.5MM in 2014, an extension could reduce that number, benefiting the Chiefs by opening up a few million dollars in cap space.
In addition to discussing a new deal with Smith, the Chiefs haven’t dismissed the possibility of bringing back free agent tackle Branden Albert, according to Dorsey (link via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher). A report last week suggested Kansas City would let Albert walk, replacing him with in-house options, but Dorsey said that’s the first he’s heard of it.
“We have ongoing conversations with all of our unrestricted free agents,” Dorsey said. “It just so happens we’ve had conversations with Branden’s representatives, and that’s the beauty of the combine. Those guys are here. We will continue to have conversations with those representatives as the combine passes.”
Despite Dorsey’s comments, it’s unlikely that the team reaches an agreement to retain Albert, writes Teicher.
AFC West Rumors: Raiders, Allen, Smith
Chargers GM Tom Telesco addressed reporters yesterday and acknowledged that the team is a little tight on cap space and will have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. While we keep an eye on San Diego, here’s a quick look at the Chiefs and Raiders..
- Raiders head coach Dennis Allen says that he’s not interested in a one-year fix. “Everybody looks at our salary cap and says, ‘They’re going to go after every free agent that’s out there.’ That’s just not the case,” Allen told CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. “We’re going to identify some guys and we have the ability to go out and get some guys (in free agency), but I just don’t believe that’s the way you build your football team.”
- Chiefs GM John Dorsey says he doesn’t anticipate using the franchise tag, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
- Dorsey confirmed the Chiefs have reached out to Alex Smith’s representatives about an extension, Paylor tweets. A new deal for the quarterback could clear some much-needed cap room for KC.
AFC West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Chiefs
The play of the Seahawks’ secondary during their Super Bowl run has the NFL trending toward bigger defensive backs, and the Chargers are one team targeting tall corners in the draft, writes ESPN Insider Kevin Weidl (subscription required). He mentions that there are quite a few corners standing at six feet or taller, and picks out Clemson’s Bashaud Breeland as a possible target. Here are some other notes from around the AFC West:
- The Chargers will make re-signing Donald Butler a priority this offseason, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The team would like to come to an agreement on a long term contract before the start of free agency. Williams writes that the Chargers could consider using the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which although it carries more than $10MM in salary, it will give them a chance to continue to work on a multi-year contract.
- The Raiders also have to consider whether or not to use the franchise tag this offseason, according to Chris McClain of Silver and Black Report. The most likely candidate would be left tackle Jared Veldheer, but top passrusher Lamarr Houston is a possibility as well.
- The Chiefs would like to clear some extra cap space in order to further improve their roster, but there aren’t many veterans who would be logical cap casualties, according to Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. He writes that the biggest savings would come from Tamba Hali, Brandon Flowers, and Eric Berry, but notes that those players are too productive to let go. Dwayne Bowe and Sean Smith would make more sense on the field, but financially are not options for release.
AFC Notes: Martin, Bonuses, Colts, Kolb
In the wake of the publication of the Ted Wells report, Jonathan Martin’s agent Kenny Zuckerman reiterated to several reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), that his client fully intends to continue his NFL career in 2014. Jim Harbaugh, Martin’s former coach at Stanford, believes that the offensive tackle should fare better in another team’s locker room, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details. Meanwhile, Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports tweets that Martin’s camp will meet with the Dolphins as soon as next week at the scouting combine.
Richie Incognito‘s lawyer has publicly suggested that the Wells report is “replete with errors,” while Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears from a Dolphins source that offensive line coach Jim Turner is almost certainly done in Miami (Twitter link). There may still be more twists and turns coming in this story, but for now we’ll focus on a few other non-Dolphins items around the AFC:
- While it won’t affect teams’ salary cap figures, plenty of clubs are set to pay out deferred bonus money this weekend. The Patriots will pay Tom Brady $5MM of his signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Brian McIntyre reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs and Dolphins will also pay out bonus money on Saturday, including $6MM to Tamba Hali and $5MM to Dwayne Bowe for Kansas City.
- With Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard set to return to the Colts’ backfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see prospective free agent Donald Brown land elsewhere, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
- A history of concussions has placed Kevin Kolb‘s NFL future in doubt, and Bills coach Doug Marrone told WGR 550 today that he still isn’t sure if Kolb is planning to return to the team. ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak has the details. With a $1MM roster bonus owed to the quarterback next month, the Bills may end up releasing Kolb or restructuring his deal.
- Within his latest look around the NFL, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei revisits the Browns‘ front office situation, providing details about Ray Farmer‘s GM candidacy with the Dolphins, Cleveland’s head coaching search, and Joe Banner‘s future job prospects.
- The Titans should try to re-sign cornerback Alterraun Verner, safety Bernard Pollard, and defensive end Ropati Pitoitua, but should be content to let wide receiver Kenny Britt and a few other free agents walk, suggests Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
Chiefs Re-Sign Richard Gordon
The Chiefs have signed tight end Richard Gordon to a one-year, $645K extension, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Gordon had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but he’ll instead return to Kansas City on a minimum salary deal.
Gordon, 26, hasn’t seen much playing time during his three NFL seasons with the Raiders, Steelers, and Chiefs, but he’s managed to record at least one reception in each of those seasons. The former Miami Hurricane, who was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 draft, figures to play on special teams and occasionally on offense for the Chiefs in 2014.
Chiefs To Let Branden Albert Walk
The Chiefs have made the decision to let left tackle Branden Albert walk in free agency, according to Danny Parkins of AM 610 in Kansas City (Twitter link). Parkins adds that Donald Stephenson and Eric Fisher will be the starting tackles for the Chiefs in 2014.
Albert, 29, has been in Kansas City since the team drafted him 15th overall in 2008, starting 83 of 85 games over the course of his seasons with the club. However, after using their first overall pick on Fisher in 2013, the Chiefs will likely have the 23-year-old protect Alex Smith‘s blind side in 2014, with Stephenson manning right tackle.
As for Albert, he finished the season as the 28th-best tackle in the NFL in Pro Football Focus’ estimation (subscription required), including 18th among left tackles. While that ranking doesn’t place him among the league’s very best, he’s still just 28 years old, so he’ll likely receive some lucrative offers in free agency from teams looking to improve their offensive lines. Previous reports have suggested that the Cardinals and Dolphins figure to be squarely in the mix for Albert’s services.