Contract Details: Smith, Martin, Sweezy, Thornton
Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All Twitter links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…
- Sean Smith, CB (Raiders): Four years, $38MM. $20MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. 2016 $5.75MM base salary is guaranteed. 2017 $5MM salary guaranteed against injury upon signing. 2018 base: $8.25MM. 2019: $8.75MM. $500K annual Pro Bowl incentive. Smith has $4.25MM roster bonus guaranteed on third day of 2017 league year. (Twitter links). $15.25MM fully guaranteed in first 12 months of the deal, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter)
- Byron Maxwell, CB (Dolphins): As part of restructure, gave back $1.5MM in cash on 2017 salary in exchange for $2MM guaranteed in ’17, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter)
- Doug Martin, RB (Buccaneers): Five years, $35.75MM. $15MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus on March 14. Guaranteed base salaries of $4MM, $7MM in 2016, 2017. Salaries from 2018-20: $6.75MM, $7MM, $7MM. $1.44MM escalator for stats, playing time, Pro Bowls from 2017-20 (Twitter links)
- J.R. Sweezy, G (Buccaneers): Five years, $32.5MM. $14.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus on March 15. Base salaries from 2016-20: $4.5MM, $2.5MM, $6.5MM, $5.75MM, $5.75MM. $2.75MM roster bonus in 2017. (Twitter link)
- Cedric Thornton, DE (Cowboys): Four years, $17MM. $9MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Base salaries 2016-19: $1MM (guaranteed), $3MM (guaranteed against injury), $4MM, $4MM. (Twitter link)
- Tracy Porter, CB (Bears): Three years, $12MM. $4.25MM guaranteed. $900K signing bonus. $1.6MM roster bonus on March 30. Base salaries from 2016-18: $1.5MM, $3.5MM, $3.5MM. $1MM Pro Bowl bonus in each year. (Twitter links via Wilson and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times)
- Bilal Powell, RB (Jets): Three years, $11.25MM. $250MM signing bonus. 2016 base salary of $850K, which is guaranteed. $2.5MM of $3.75MM 2017 base salary guaranteed. (Twitter link)
- Tony Bergstrom, C (Texans): Two years, $5.75MM. $750K signing bonus. $1.5MM guaranteed. Base salaries in 2016-17: $1.23MM (guaranteed), $2.63MM (guaranteed against injury). $750K roster bonus April 18. (Twitter links)
- Johnson Bademosi, DB (Lions): Two years, $4.5MM. $2.9MM guaranteed. Base salaries in 2016-17: $1.1MM, $1.3MM. $50K annual workout bonus. $400K Pro Bowl incentive. (Twitter link)
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/16
Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
- The Cardinals have re-signed tight end Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange. Momah survived Arizona’s preseason roster cuts in 2015, but suffered a torn meniscus before Week 1, ending his season. Momah received an ERFA tender from the Cards last week.
- Corey Fuller signed his exclusive-rights tender with the Lions, Wilson tweets. Fuller caught four passes for 76 yards last season after posting 212 yards on 14 receptions in 2014.
- A Saints cog from 2012-14, tackle Bryce Harris re-signed with the Falcons, his 2015 employer, according to Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com (on Twitter). The former UDFA played in two games for the Falcons last season.
- The Cardinals cut wide receiver Damond Powell with a non-football injury designation, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Earlier updates:
- The Cowboys have re-signed cornerback Josh Thomas to a one-year contract, says Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Thomas, originally selected in the fifth round of the 2011 draft by the Cowboys, rejoined the team at the end of last season. In between his two stints in Dallas, he played 51 regular-season contests for the Panthers, Lions, Colts, Jets, and Seahawks.
- Tight end Zach Sudfeld has re-signed with the Jets, agent Jason Bernstein tweets. Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) adds that it is a one-year deal. Sudfeld was a restricted free agent, so his new deal will presumably be for less than the low-round tender of $1.671MM.
- The Chiefs announced (on Twitter) that they have signed defensive lineman David King and linebacker Efe Obada.
- The Dolphins have re-signed linebacker James-Michael Johnson, per Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).
- The Chargers re-signed ERFA guard Kenny Wiggins, Balzer tweets.
- The Jets will not tender an offer to punter Ryan Quigley, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
Dolphins Sign OT Jermon Bushrod
The Dolphins have signed free agent tackle Jermon Bushrod to a one-year deal, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Bushrod himself broke the news, posting a photo on Instagram of himself signing his new contract.
Bushrod, 31, was cut by the Bears last month with a failed physical designation. After suffering a concussion early in the 2015 season, Bushrod was later sidelined by a shoulder injury, which was reportedly the cause of his failed physical designation.
Although injuries woes limited him to 12 games (and four starts) last season, Bushrod had previously been a stalwart at left tackle for the Bears and the Saints. The former fourth-round pick started 62 games for the Saints from 2009 to 2012, earning two Pro Bowl nods. He then started 30 games for Chicago in 2013 and 2014.
The Dolphins believe Bushrod will be back to 100% health in time for training camp, according to Salguero, but given the veteran’s injury issues, it seems unlikely that the Dolphins are penciling him in as a starter. Still, Bushrod figures to push for playing time on a line that currently features tackles Branden Albert, Ja’Wuan James, and Sam Young. Both Albert and James were solid in 2015, so if they remain in the starting lineup for 2016, Bushrod will likely compete for either a starting guard job or the swing tackle role.
In other Dolphins news, the team signed another offensive lineman, guard Jacques McClendon (Twitter link). McClendon spent time in Miami in 2015, but didn’t see much action. The 28-year-old made three starts for the Jaguars in 2014. According to Salguero, the Dolphins may not make a bigger splash than McClendon on the free agent guard market, preferring to address the position in the draft.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins also confirmed (via Twitter) that they’ve officially restructured Byron Maxwell‘s contract, a move that was expected as part of the trade that sent the cornerback to Miami. Maxwell’s deal is expected to remained relatively unchanged for 2016, with alterations starting in 2017.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
C.J. Anderson Signs Dolphins’ Offer Sheet
7:06pm: The Dolphins have confirmed Anderson has signed the offer sheet the organization extended to him, according to the team’s Twitter account.
Anderson told Klis he only sought a second-round tender from the Broncos, a protection measure that would have probably kept him in Denver.
“I’m super humbled,” Anderson told Klis. “All I was asking for was a second-round tender. That’s all I was expecting. And now I’m going to make way more than a second-round tender.”
The only running back left on the Broncos’ roster who was with the team as an active-roster player last season is Juwan Thompson. with 2015’s leading rusher, Ronnie Hillman, residing as a UFA. Anderson supplanted Hillman in the playoffs, however, as the Broncos’ primary ball-carrier and gained 234 rushing yards to Hillman’s 54.
4:30pm: The offer sheet is “pretty vanilla,” a source tells Mike Florio of PFT, which would infer that does not have a creative or tricky structure.
4:26pm: Anderson’s offer sheet with the Dolphins features a $5.25MM signing bonus, according to Klis. Klis’ report adds that the deal includes a total payout of $6MM in 2016 and a guaranteed $3.5MM base salary for 2017.
While those terms are somewhat front-loaded, it sounds like the cap hit for 2016 should be fairly modest, so the Broncos may not be out of the running quite yet.
3:50pm: Restricted free agent running back C.J. Anderson has signed an offer sheet from the Dolphins, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS (via Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds (via Twitter) that it’s worth $18MM, and the structure is expected to make it hard on Denver to match it.
The Broncos have the right of first refusal on Anderson, so they’ll have five days to match the Dolphins’ offer and bring back their free agent running back. If Denver opts not to match the offer sheet, the Broncos won’t receive any compensation for losing Anderson, who received only the low-end RFA tender.
An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.
The Dolphins, whose new head coach Adam Gase was Anderson’s old offensive coordinator in Denver, are in the market for running back help after Lamar Miller agreed to sign with the Texans. If Miami ultimately lands Anderson, he’ll likely share the workload with Jay Ajayi in the Dolphins’ backfield.
The 49ers, Bears, and Patriots were also rumored to have interest in Anderson, once the Broncos decided not to give him a second-round tender.
Early indications were that the Broncos would likely match any offer sheet Anderson signed, but if Denver was unwilling to go from $1.671MM to $2.553MM on its tender to the running back, it seems feasible that a four-year, $18MM wouldn’t appeal to the team. If Anderson ultimately leaves the Broncos, he’ll be the latest in a string of departures this week. Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan have all signed elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dolphins Sign Isa Abdul-Quddus
THURSDAY, 7:06pm: The Dolphins have officially signed Abdul-Quddus, according to the team (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 3:45pm: The Dolphins defensive back depth is set to get a bit deeper, as the team is expected to sign safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, reports Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it’s a three-year deal worth $12.75MM.
The 26-year-old has been a solid backup safety throughout his five-year career. The former undrafted free agent spent the past two seasons with the Lions, where he appeared in all 32 games (12 starts). Abdul-Quddus had arguably the best season of his career in 2015, compiling 57 tackles, one sack, six passes defended, and a forced fumble. Prior to his tenure in Detroit, the defensive back spent three seasons with the Saints.
Abdul-Quddus placed ninth on PFR’s list of the top free agent safeties. Pro Football Focus rated him as above-average at his position (albeit his limited snaps), and he would have ranked among the top-30 safeties had he earned enough playing time.
Free Agent Rumors: Freeman, Neal, Osemele
Here is the latest on some of the top free agents still available and some of the talents who have already landed with new teams.
- After the Packers decided to re-sign Nick Perry at a lower rate than what his fifth-year option would’ve paid him, he could still be joined by Mike Neal next season, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. The Packers’ 2010 second-round pick started 15 games last season, and the team hasn’t ruled out bringing him back as well to join Perry and Julius Peppers.
- The Colts and Jerrell Freeman aren’t close on a new contract, Chris Hagan of FOX 59 tweets. Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com adds the Colts’ offer for the inside linebacker could be a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Freeman finished last season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4-ranked linebacker and as PFR’s No. 23-rated UFA resides as one of the best players still on the market.
- Vikings free agent cornerback Josh Robinson is visiting the Dolphins, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
- New Raiders addition Kelechi Osemele says that his position is not set in stone, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Osemele indicated that he will play either tackle or guard depending on what happens for Oakland in free agency and in the draft.
- “I would love to come back [to the Falcons] and revive the feeling we had at the [Georgia] Dome, and revive my career,” free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. He’ll be meeting with Atlanta brass this evening, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- New Broncos tackle Donald Stephenson told media (including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Twitter link) that 13-15 teams were interested in him.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report
Latest On O’Brien Schofield
THURSDAY, 1:47pm: “I would love to be back in Atlanta. [I] thought I did some good things. We aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract,” Schofield told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Meanwhile, Schofield says (Twitter link) that the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Seahawks have made preliminary inquiries on him.
TUESDAY, 10:54am: The Falcons and outside linebacker/defensive end O’Brien Schofield are working together on a deal, but Schofield also is generating interest from a trio of rival teams, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. The Cowboys, Bears, and Titans have also expressed interest in adding the veteran. 
When speaking to the media late last month, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said that he’d like to Schofield re-signed this offseason. Schofield, 29 in April, appeared in all 16 games for the Falcons last season and made 11 starts. In total, he racked up 28 tackles and 2.0 sacks with 1 forced fumble.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) weren’t necessarily enamored with Schofield’s play last season. Schofield earned a 69.0 overall grade, placing him as the No. 71 edge defender in the NFL last season. That ranking did, however, place him ahead of fellow free agents Kroy Biermann, Calvin Pace, and Darryl Tapp.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
C.J. Anderson Visiting Dolphins, May Sign Offer Sheet
11:12am: Anderson had been scheduled to fly to Chicago to meet with the Bears, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, as Klis explains in a piece worth reading, the Dolphins convinced Anderson and agent Peter Schaffer that the running back should head to Miami instead. The expectation is that the Dolphins will sign Anderson to an offer sheet later today, per Klis.
10:12am: Restricted free agent running back C.J. Anderson will visit the Dolphins today, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Miami was one of four teams mentioned on Wednesday as suitors for Anderson, along with the Patriots, 49ers, and Bears. New England and Chicago would also like to bring in the RFA running back, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Because Anderson received an RFA tender from the Broncos, the team can match any offer sheet the running back signs with another club, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweeted on Wednesday that Denver will likely do just that. Still, it was a bit of a surprise that the Broncos only gave Anderson a $1.671MM tender, giving them the right of first refusal, rather than a $2.553MM tender that would have assured them a second-round pick as compensation if Anderson signed elsewhere.
Of course, when the Broncos made their decision on Anderson, the team hadn’t yet lost Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan to other teams. Now that Denver won’t have to worry about working those players into the team’s 2016 cap plans, it might be a little easier to match an offer sheet for Anderson.
Still, it sounds like Anderson’s suitors won’t make things easy — the running back appears likely to sign an offer sheet, and any team that signs him will try to structure in a way that makes it difficult for the Broncos to match it.
An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.
The Dolphins, whose new head coach Adam Gase worked with Anderson in Denver, are in the market for running back help after Lamar Miller agreed to sign with the Texans. Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link) believes that an offer sheet for Anderson could be agreed upon during his visit to Miami — the Broncos would have five days to match it once it’s officially signed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC East Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Grimes, Patriots
The latest from the AFC East:
- Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to be paid in line with the salaries that starting quarterbacks seem to be getting, which begins at about $16MM per year and works its way up, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Jets are not comfortable going that far for the veteran quarterback and Cole says that the QB needs another team to get involved in the bidding process in order to make that kind of sum a reality.
- The Jets have made an offer to Fitzpatrick that is only a little better than what Chase Daniel got from the Eagles, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Daniel and the Eagles agreed to a three-year deal with a base value of $21MM on Wednesday. The pact carries a max value of $36MM with a $3MM signing bonus. That’s a far cry from what Fitzpatrick is currently seeking.
- There isn’t acrimony between the Jets and Fitzpatrick, however, according to Breer (on Twitter). The Jets have told the veteran that they want him back as their starting QB, but they have set a price for him and they plan on sticking to it.
- Three NFL GMs refuse to sign Brent Grimes because of his wife’s antics, per Cole (video link). Grimes’ wife continues to make news off the field and execs are worried that she can become a distraction. Grimes’ wife, Cole reports, was the main reason why the Dolphins pushed Grimes to take a pay cut for 2016. When the two sides couldn’t agree to terms, Miami simply cut the cornerback. Grimes is still considered to be a very talented player, but as long as Miko Grimes continues to make the news for all the wrong reasons, it sounds like teams will be wary of adding him.
- Benny Cunningham is visiting the Patriots today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
Dolphins To Host Jason Jones, Robert Ayers
The Dolphins’ defensive end rotation is undergoing a shake-up this week, with Mario Williams in and both Derrick Shelby and Olivier Vernon out. In an effort to replace some of the depth they lost when Shelby and Vernon departed, the Fins continue to explore the defensive end market. According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), the team is bringing in Jason Jones for a visit, in addition to the previously-reported Robert Ayers.
Jones, 29, has been a full-time starter in Detroit for the last two seasons, picking up a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him solid grades as both as a pass rusher and a run defender.
Ayers, meanwhile, 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. He’ll visit Tampa Bay before heading to Miami.
While either player would be a solid pickup for the Dolphins, it’s worth noting that the team’s defensive end rotation doesn’t feature much youth. Williams is 31, Cameron Wake is 34, and both Jones and Ayers will be in their 30s by the time the 2016 season gets underway. That stands in contrast to Miami’s departing ends — Vernon is just 25, while Shelby turned 27 this month.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.