AFC East Rumors: Bills, Dolphins, Jets
Three of the AFC East’s four teams are in the news. Here’s the latest:
- As free agency approaches, the Bills are working to retain their two best offensive linemen – left tackle Cordy Glenn and left guard Richie Incognito – writes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora. We learned this afternoon that the Bills intend to place the franchise tag on Glenn if he hasn’t agreed to a long-term deal by the March 1 deadline. Contrary to a report from earlier this week, the Bills aren’t currently looking to extend contract-year quarterback Tyrod Taylor, per La Canfora, who adds that they’re instead focusing on locking up cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Moreover, they’ll release defensive end Mario Williams and running back Anthony Dixon, and could restructure the contracts of safety Corey Graham, corner Leodis McKelvin, and possibly defensive lineman Kyle Williams. With some of the cap space those moves would create, La Canfora expects the Bills to pursue free agent-to-be Bilal Powell. The 27-year-old running back played under Bills head coach Rex Ryan as a member of the Jets from 2011-14. Powell averaged a career-high 4.5 yards per carry on 70 attempts last season and added a personal-best 47 receptions.
- The Dolphins want to rework the contract of defensive end Cameron Wake, according to La Canfora. The problem, he notes, is that Wake would likely match or exceed the $8.4MM he’s scheduled to make as a Dolphin next season if they release him and he reaches the open market. Thus, the 34-year-old lacks incentive to take a pay cut. Not surprisingly, then, talks between the Dolphins and Wake’s agent made no progress at the combine.
- With two ex-Jets bigwigs in Buffalo (Ryan) and Miami (executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum), representatives of pending Jets free agents said at the combine that the Bills and Dolphins could be landing spots for their clients, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. That seems to corroborate La Canfora’s report that the Bills will try to reel in Powell in free agency. Further, the Bills and Dolphins could go after Jets run-stuffing defensive tackle Damon Harrison if he hits the market, per Costello, though he notes that the teams’ lack of cap space might serve as roadblocks. Even so, Harrison could use those clubs as leverage to scare the Jets into meeting his demands.
East Rumors: Vernon, Wilkerson, Cowboys
The Dolphins and Olivier Vernon‘s representatives haven’t spoken much about the possibility of a long-term deal in Miami, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.
Recognizing the interest the 25-year-old defensive end will draw in free agency if he reaches the market, the Dolphins will entertain the possibility of tagging Vernon with the intent to then trade him, sources inform La Canfora.
The franchise tag for defensive ends is $15.7MM, and the Dolphins already employ the league’s highest-paid defender in Ndamukong Suh, who makes $19.06MM per year. Suh and Cameron Wake‘s cap numbers add up to $38.4MM in 2016 if those contracts are not restructured, making a potential Vernon extension tricky.
PFR’s Dallas Robinson rated Vernon as a top-15 free agent in this year’s class.
Here’s some more news coming out of the Eastern divisions on Combine Saturday.
- Publicly seeking a long-term deal for some time, Muhammad Wilkerson could also be a tag-and-trade candidate, La Canfora reports. The Jets and Wilkerson’s reps aren’t close on a long-term deal and haven’t discussed it much since talks broke off last year. The 25-year-old’s been the game’s second-best 3-4 defensive end over the past few seasons, and the $15.7MM Wilkerson would draw as a tagged player would make Gang Green’s auxiliary moves — like keeping Ryan Fitzpatrick — more difficult. The Jets possess $21.9MM worth of cap space. League executives told La Canfora Wilkerson is “plenty worth” the deal Marcell Dareus signed to stay in Buffalo last year (six years, $95.1MM, with a $25MM signing bonus) and would be incredibly sought-after on the open market. La Canfora lists the Giants, Raiders and Jaguars as teams who would listen in a tag-and-trade scenario.
- Jerry Jones expects Tony Romo to be the Cowboys‘ quarterback for another four or five years, he tells media, including Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Although this isn’t the first year Dallas’ owner tossed out that timetable for the soon-to-be-36-year-old quarterback, it wouldn’t mesh with Dallas drafting Romo’s successor at No. 4 overall, but either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz probably reaches the Cowboys at that spot barring a trade-up scenario.
- Romo’s leaning toward having a plate surgically inserted to stabilize his collarbone, which he injured twice last year, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports. Such a procedure would allow the 11th-year Cowboys starter to participate in offseason workouts despite suffering his latest setback on Thanksgiving Day.
- Romo’s backup could be a higher-profile player than Wentz or Goff, at least according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The veteran reporter expects Robert Griffin III to be in play for the Cowboys next month despite previous reports indicating tepid interest on Dallas’ behalf, Schefter said on a radio appearance with Cowlishaw and Mosley (via JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com).
- The lengthy legal battle between DeSean Jackson and former agent Drew Rosenhaus ended with a judge ruling the Washington wideout doesn’t have to pay back the $516K he was previously ruled to have owed Rosenhaus, Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal reports (on Twitter). Jackson and Rosenhaus had been mired in a legal tussle since 2013, when Jackson fired Rosenhaus in favor of Joel Segal. In April 2014, an NFLPA arbitrator ruled in Rosenhaus’ favor after the agent filed a grievance to recoup unpaid loans and agent fees.
AFC Notes: Flacco, Jaguars, Patriots, Dolphins
After reporting earlier today that the Ravens are growing increasingly optimistic about their chances of reworking Joe Flacco‘s contract, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) hears from another source that talks between the Ravens and agent Joe Linta have indeed been productive. A new deal may not be completed this week, but it’s getting closer, according to Zrebiec.
Flacco’s contract, which includes cap hits of $28MM+ in 2016 and $31MM+ in 2017, is a tricky one for the Ravens, since asking the quarterback to take a pay cut isn’t an option. In order for Baltimore to get some cap relief for more than just ’16, the team will likely need to tack on at least two years to Flacco’s deal.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- The Jaguars‘ willingness to go after older free agents this offseason shows that the team believes it’s closer to contention than it has been in past seasons, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, who notes that 18 of the 20 free agents Dave Caldwell signed in his first three years as GM were under 30 years old. “Now that we’re at that point in time where we can compete and compete for championships I have no issue with signing guys that are 30, 31 and 32,” Caldwell said.
- As of Thursday, the Patriots remained in a holding pattern when it comes to their major offseason financial decisions, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Howe suggests that the team has engaged in the early stages of talks with free-agents-to-be Tarell Brown and LeGarrette Blount, but haven’t yet approached most veterans about pay cuts or extensions.
- The Dolphins are saying they want to keep the majority of their free agents and release candidates, but given their limited cap room and their 6-10 record in 2015, continuity across the board may not be the best option for the franchise, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- The odds of a downtown stadium plan coming together for the Chargers in San Diego are long, but not impossible, says Logan Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Dolphins May Explore Olivier Vernon Trade
1:27pm: Word around the combine is that the Dolphins are “50/50” on whether or not to franchise Vernon, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.
1:18pm: The Dolphins have just five more days to decide whether or not to use their franchise tag on pass rusher Olivier Vernon. As they weigh their options, one potential outcome the team is considering is franchising Vernon, then trading him, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
[RELATED: 2016’s top franchise tag candidates]
While Miami has not yet made any decisions, Raanan hears from several league sources with knowledge of the situation that the team has been indicating at the combine that franchising and trading Vernon is a possibility. The franchise tag for defensive ends is expected to be worth about $15.5MM in 2016, which is a steep price to pay, but the Dolphins risk losing a 25-year-old pass rusher for nothing if they don’t use a tag.
The Dolphins’ current cap situation will make it hard to franchise Vernon and keep him, which would limit the club’s leverage in possible trade negotiations, notes Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Still, Miami could potentially keep clearing room by restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, working out a new deal with Cameron Wake, and potentially cutting some other players with significant cap hits.
If the Dolphins do use their franchise tag on Vernon and then attempt to work out a trade for him, it remains to be seen whether any teams will want to give up a much of value for the right to commit to Vernon on a huge, long-term deal. Although he has shown promise during his first four NFL seasons, the former third-round pick recorded just 6.5 sacks in 2014 and 7.5 in 2015 as a full-time starter. Using the franchise tag on Vernon would put his floor for a multiyear contract at about $15MM per year, which would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.
For what it’s worth, Dolphins executive VP Mike Tannenbaum said on Wednesday that the team has yet to decide on whether to tag Vernon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/24/15
Tonight’s minor moves:
- The Dolphins will sign CFL standout defensive end Cleyon Laing to a three-year deal, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Laing apparently had five NFL offers, including ones from the Jets and Patriots. The defensive end had 41 tackles, nine sacks, and two forced fumbles for Toronto last season.
Dolphins Rumors: Vernon, Cameron, Miller
The Dolphins still mulling whether to use the franchise tag on Olivier Vernon, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes.
“We have options and so does he,” team exec Mike Tannenbaum said. “We haven’t made any decisions. We have a deadline coming up in another handful of days. We haven’t made any decisions. We’re just looking at options.”
The deadline for using the tag on a player is March 1. If defensive end Cameron Wake agrees to an extension before then, the team will have more flexibility to get a deal done.
Here’s the latest out of Miami:
- Dolphins head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, that Jordan Cameron is in the team’s plans for 2016. The tight end is scheduled to cost $9.5MM against the salary cap and cutting him would save $7.5MM, but the team apparently wants to hang on to him.
- Dolphins GM Chris Grier says the Dolphins want Lamar Miller on the team, as Salguero tweets. Grier is slated to meet with agent Drew Rosenhaus at the Combine to discuss the free agent running back. Grier added that the team continues to work on a deal with Wake (link).
- For his part, Tannenbaum refused to guarantee anything when it came to Vernon or Miller, as Salguero writes.
Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Schwartz, CJ2K
Earlier today, we rounded up the latest updates on several current and pending free agents. With the combine underway in Indianapolis, there’s no shortage of news and rumors on free agency, so we’ve got another set of items to pass along already. Let’s dive in….
- According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter), word from the combine suggests that the Chargers and Falcons will be in the hunt for wide receiver Travis Benjamin, if and when he reaches free agency. Current Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan used to hold that same position with the Browns, who have reportedly broken off talks with Benjamin for now.
- The Browns are making an effort to extend the contract of tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but he appears headed for the open market, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. According to Cabot, Schwartz is believed to be seeking left tackle money, and while the Browns have made an offer, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement.
- The Dolphins would like to hang onto wide receiver Rishard Matthews, but if his price tag reaches $5MM+, Miami is unlikely to be seriously in the mix, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Cardinals GM Steve Keim said today that the team will talk to Chris Johnson‘s representatives this week at the combine, per James Palmer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Johnson said on Tuesday that he would like to re-sign with Arizona.
- The odds of the Eagles getting something done with safety Walter Thurmond prior to the start of free agency next month don’t look great, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who tweets that the team has not yet made an offer.
- The Cowboys will meet with the agent for linebacker Rolando McClain at the combine this week, per executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). McClain is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.
AFC Notes: Jaguars, Broncos, Dolphins, Canty
Adding a free safety to the mix will be a priority for the Jaguars this offseason, with the team hoping to find stability at the position, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. As I noted when I previewed the Jags’ offseason earlier in the month, the team could use some help at multiple positions in the secondary, but that free safety spot will be a big one.
“We’ve looked at some good players in free agency, and we’re starting the draft process and see some guys out there,” head coach Gus Bradley said. “The whole defense is designed for guys to come in and play at a young age.”
Here are a few more notes of interest from around the AFC:
- Within his latest mailbag, Mike Klis of 9NEWS projects the salary ranges for several of the Broncos‘ pending free agents, suggesting that quarterback Brock Osweiler would probably take a slightly lesser offer to return to Denver rather than accepting more money from a team like the Browns.
- The key question the Dolphins will have to address this offseason is whether the team feels like it’s on the cusp of contention despite a disappointing 2015, or whether a more thorough rebuild is necessary, says Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Salguero hears from multiple high-ranking people within the organization that owner Stephen Ross isn’t necessarily in win-now mode, and that he prefers to build a roster that can enjoy sustained success.
- The Ravens have been negotiating with a few of their free-agents-to-be in hopes of keeping them from hitting the open market, sources tell Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Zrebiec explores that subject and a handful of others in his latest look at the Ravens’ offseason plans.
- Ravens defensive end Chris Canty isn’t ready to retire at age 33, as Clifton Brown of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Canty is under contract for next season with the Ravens, so we should soon find out whether he’s still in the team’s plans, or whether he’ll become a cap casualty.
Free Agent Rumors: Matthews, Bradford, Nelson
Last Friday, we heard that the Dolphins had reached out to free agent wide receiver Rishard Matthews about a possible new deal. The news was somewhat surprising, since Matthews had long been considered a lock to leave Miami in search of a team that would give him an opportunity for more playing time.
According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), it looks like that’s still the case. Getlin reports that Matthews is “very likely” to reach the open market, adding that the market for the wideout “will be hot.” Matthews set new career highs in 2015 with 43 receptions, 662 yards, and four touchdowns, and while those numbers are relatively modest, they were compiled in just 11 games. Considering how weak this year’s free agent class of receivers is, there may very well be teams that view Matthews as a viable No. 2 option, and Miami almost certainly can’t afford to pay him like a No. 2.
Here are a few more updates on current free agent or free-agent-to-be from around the NFL:
- Some rival teams are doubtful that Sam Bradford will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9th, believing that he may re-sign with the Eagles before then, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that if Bradford does hit the open market, he might not receive the kind of lucrative long-term offers he’d expect, making a one-year, prove-it deal a possibility. I’m somewhat skeptical about that — I think Bradford’s second-half performance would ensure that at least one or two teams are willing to invest heavily in him.
- The Cardinals are not interested in bringing Antonio Cromartie back to Arizona, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Cromartie spent a season with the team in 2014, earning a Pro Bowl spot, but the Cards were willing to let him walk in free agency, and don’t appear eager to pursue him now that he’s back on the market.
- Safety Reggie Nelson saw his 2015 season come to an end when he left the Bengals‘ Wild Card loss with a sprained ankle, and he doesn’t want that to be his last play with the team. “Most definitely not,” Nelson said recently, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “They know that. Everybody knows that. I would love to be a Bengal.” According to Hobson, the Bengals aren’t expected to strike deals with their free agents at this week’s combine, but the club figures to discuss possible parameters for Nelson and others.