Dolphins Sign Jordan Cameron
9:08pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that it is a two-year deal, $15MM deal.
8:08pm: After a wild couple hours, the Dolphins have officially signed Cameron to a two-year contract, the team announced (Twitter link via James Walker of ESPN.com). According to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (via Twitter), Miami continues to try to retain Clay despite locking up Cameron.
7:52pm: The Dolphins have gotten a deal done with Cameron, according to Robinson (via Twitter). With the recent chaos surrounding this signing, and with memory of the Frank Gore turnaround, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is official, but Robinson’s source tells him it is.
With Cameron ready to sign, Clay would be ready to sign with either the Bills or the Browns, according to La Canfora (via Twitter). He writes that the Bills have an offer ready.
7:38pm: Cameron has a verbal agreement with the Browns in place but has not signed it, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). He remains in Miami, where the Dolphins are attempting to get a deal done. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are still working on an extension with Clay, however the sides have yet to agree (via Twitter). Clay thinks he could be in line for a bigger deal elsewhere, either with the Browns or Bills.
Without Clay or Cameron, the Browns are afraid of being left with no one. Both Cameron and Clay are working on deals with the Dolphins, and Miami is weighing both potential deals to see which one makes more sense for the team. Mike Rodak of ESPN sees this playing out like musical chairs, with three teams with needs chasing only two tight ends (via Twitter).
At this point, the Dolphins believe they will get the Cameron deal done, reports Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
7:03pm: The Dolphins are “making progress” with Cameron, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets. A deal would likely result in removing the tag from Clay. In theory, Florio adds (link), Clay could blow the Cameron-to-Miami deal by signing the transition tender.
6:59pm: The Dolphins jumped back in once they heard about Cameron’s reported agreement with Cleveland, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). No deal was signed, so they aggressively went after the tight end.
6:53pm: Despite reports to the contrary, Jordan Cameron won’t be signing with the Browns. He’ll be joining the Dolphins, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). He adds that contract details are being finalized now.
Originally, Cameron was said have reached an agreement on a new contract with Cleveland worth $15MM for two years. Cameron reportedly was not interested in returning to the Browns, so his rumored signing with Cleveland took many by surprise. Apparently, the tight end has decided to throw us a second swerve tonight by joining up with Miami.
Cameron struggled with injuries in 2014, managing to play in 10 games but only catching 24 passes. However, he had a breakout season in 2013, when he caught 80 passes for nearly 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Raiders were another team with major interest, but the team was hesitant to commit to Cameron due to his significant concussion history, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). If Cameron does indeed land in Miami, it’ll be interesting to see how that impacts Charles Clay‘s status. The Dolphins free agent tight end was said to be discussing a long-term deal with Miami, but the arrival of Cameron could throw that info flux.
Dolphins Want To Keep Charles Clay
Even after signing Jordan Cameron tonight, the Dolphins hope to keep Charles Clay in the fold, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. At the very least, Miami will keep the transition tag on Clay, thereby making it tougher for the Bills to sign him (Twitter links to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and ProFootballTalk).
Per Carucci, Clay returned to Miami tonight after spending the last three days in Buffalo. We heard several days ago that the Bills were planning to make a strong push for the tight end’s services, but we learned within the last few hours that Clay and the Dolphins were discussing a long-term deal that would keep Clay in Miami. The Dolphins recently cut Brian Hartline and may yet part ways with Mike Wallace, but as Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post tweets, the combination of Cameron, Clay, and Dion Sims would help to offset the team’s lack of depth at wide receiver.
But Carucci adds in a separate tweet that Buffalo is by no means out of the running for Clay. Carucci believes the Bills could either sign Clay as an unrestricted free agent, if Miami ultimately chooses to remove the transition tag, or they could present him with an offer sheet that the Dolphins would not be willing to match. The Browns, on the other hand, lost out on Cameron and are apparently no longer a threat to sign Clay either (Twitter link to Carucci).
Minor Moves: Thursday
Today’s minor moves…
- The Giants have agreed to terms with cornerback Chykie Brown, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Brown was picked up by the Giants midway through last season after being waived by the Ravens. Brown played 375 snaps for the Giants after joining the team in early November, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- The Dolphins signed defensive back T.J. Heath, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
- The Patriots signed linebacker Jonathan Freeny, who had been with the Dolphins since going undrafted out of Rutgers in 2011, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (on Twitter).
- Long snapper James Winchester signed with the Chiefs today, according to agent Ken Sarnoff (on Twitter).
- Panthers free agent cornerback James Dockery is set to sign with the Raiders, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Dockery took to Instagram not long ago to thank his fans in the Charlotte area.
- The Broncos (via Twitter) have signed rookie punter Karl Schmitz to a contract. He handled punts and kickoffs for Jacksonville University in 2008 before transferring to University of Missouri-St. Louis and graduating in 2011.
- Long snapper Tanner Purdum has signed a new two-year deal with the Jets, according to agent Robert Roche (via Twitter). Purdum, who became an unrestricted free agent Tuesday, has been close to perfect in his five seasons as the Jets’ snapper, as Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com writes. He’s made every one of the punt and placement snaps in that time, 783 snaps over 83 regular- and postseason games, without a single fumble, wild snap or penalty.
Charles Clay, Dolphins Talking Long-Term Deal
The Bills are contemplating signing tight end Charles Clay to a lucrative offer sheet, but the team may not get the opportunity to do so, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links), who reports that the Dolphins are talking to their transition player about a long-term contract. If Clay were to reach an agreement with Miami on a multiyear deal, it would take him off the free agent market.
Having designated Clay as their transition player, the Dolphins tendered him a one-year offer worth $7.071MM, which gives the team the right to match any offer sheet the tight end signs with another suitor, such as the Bills. However, the Fins wouldn’t receive any draft-pick compensation if they don’t match that offer sheet, and Buffalo has reportedly been trying to structure its offer sheet in a way that would make it difficult for Miami to match it.
Complicating matters is the fact that the Dolphins currently have another top free agent tight end, Jordan Cameron, in Miami on a free agent visit, and there’s mutual interest between the two sides. While Cameron represents a nice fallback option if the Fins lose Clay, the former Browns tight end is drawing interest from other clubs, including Cleveland. The Browns are also said to have interest in Clay.
The Bills, meanwhile, are badly in need of some help at the tight end position after releasing Scott Chandler and letting Lee Smith walk in free agency. If Buffalo ends up empty-handed in the Clay and Cameron sweepstakes, it’s not clear where the team would turn next. For his part, GM Doug Whaley told SiriusXM NFL Radio today his Bills are still debating whether to make Clay an offer, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
FA Rumors: Morgan, Orakpo, Cameron
Derrick Morgan won’t be signing with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons are out on Morgan too after signing Adrian Clayborn, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. More free agent news from around the league..
- The Titans are still in the hunt for both Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and their best-case scenario would be to land both edge defenders, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Tight end Jordan Cameron is still in Miami and there’s a lot of mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, his old team, the Browns, remain the mix and a third team is also in the running.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that there has been a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, but it’s unclear if any team besides the Bengals or Vikings have a shot at him. Johnson, of course, played for Cincinnati prior to joining the Bucs last year, and was coached there by Mike Zimmer.
- The Chiefs have had exploratory talks with former Rams center Tim Barnes, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Paylor expects the Chiefs to sign a veteran center, whether it’s Barnes or someone else.
- The Steelers are generally quiet when it comes to free agency and trades, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that they’re exploring options for a kick returner.
Eagles Working To Trade Evan Mathis
1:48pm: The Patriots have also expressed interest in Mathis, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Jim Thomas tweets that the Rams have denied having interest, though he rightly points out that the team adamantly denied that they had any interest in trading Sam Bradford.
1:29pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds the Bills and Vikings to the list of teams “sniffing around” on Mathis, and says the Saints may be involved as well (Twitter link).
1:23pm: The Dolphins have been in touch with the Eagles about Mathis, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The Rams are also believed to be in the mix, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).
1:11pm: The Eagles are working to trade guard Evan Mathis, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter). Dealing Mathis would be just the latest move in what has been a wild offseason for the Eagles.
Finding a marker for Mathis shouldn’t be too difficult considering his performance last season. Even though he only saw time in nine games, Mathis’ overall score of 25.8 (per Pro Football Focus, subscription required) ranked him as the second-best offensive guard in the NFL last season. The year prior, Mathis graded out as the very best guard in the NFL.
Mathis’ deal calls for him to earn a $5.5MM base with $1MM prorated in 2015, good for a total of $6.5MM. With an extra $500K in his base salary in 2016, that number jumps slightly to $7MM. Mathis is 33, but guards tend to age a little bit better than most other positions.
FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knighton
Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..
- Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).
- A head coach told Russini (on Twitter) that teams are afraid to sign Terrance Knighton because he’s out of shape.
- Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.
- Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.
- Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.
- The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.
- There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.
- The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.
FA Rumors: Morgan, Cameron, Harvin
Having visited the Falcons this week, free agent edge defender Derrick Morgan is on the Buccaneers today, and will meet with the team’s coaches today, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). As Getlin observes, the Bucs will have to put a strong offer on the table for Morgan if they want to lock him up, since other teams remain in pursuit. The Cowboys have been mentioned as a possible suitor, and the Titans maintain interest in re-signing their own free agent.
The Bucs already locked up one notable front-seven player today, signing Henry Melton to a one-year deal — if they were also able to add Morgan, it would go a long way toward improving their outside pass rush, with Michael Johnson no longer on the roster.
Here are a few more free agent updates from around the NFL:
- Jordan Cameron‘s visit with the Dolphins is happening today, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miami is still hoping to retain Charles Clay, but Cameron certainly wouldn’t be a bad Plan B if the Bills sign Clay to an offer sheet that the Dolphins can’t – or don’t want to – match.
- A source who spoke with free agent Percy Harvin told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the wide receiver doesn’t want to be a “gadget guy” anymore and wants to play something closer to a traditional wide receiver role. Throughout his career, he has had coaches “lie” to him and tell him that he would play a typical wide receiver, only to have him involved more in unorthodox plays.
- The Dolphins aren’t done adding cornerbacks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. They’re working on scheduling a visit with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain and that meeting could go down this week. In addition to Miami, McClain has also drawn interest from the Vikings and Saints (link). McClain made six starts for Atlanta in 2014 and also had two interceptions.
- The interest between the Titans and James Harrison is mutual, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, Harrison is not a high priority free agent at this stage of his career, so the Titans can take care of him later and they won’t need to address signing him in week one of free agency.
- Before signing with the Panthers, tight end Ed Dickson said that he drew interest from the Raiders, Broncos, Cardinals, and Browns, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. But, he says, no other team “came close” to Carolina.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
AFC Notes: Houston, Wallace, Broncos
Some assorted notes from around the AFC…
- The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”
- The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.
- The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.
- Defensive end Vance Walker will meet with the Broncos later this week, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Chiefs.
Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh
6:20pm: Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has all the details on Suh’s contract (via Twitter). The guaranteed portion is worth $59.955M, and the defensive tackle will receive a $25.5M signing bonus. The base salaries for each year (chronologically) are $985K, $23.485MM, $9.985MM, $16.985MM, $18.985MM and $8.36MM.
WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Suh has signed his deal, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes.
SUNDAY, 12:12pm: Ndamukong Suh will sign with the Dolphins on Tuesday, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. It will be a six-year contract worth around $114MM with $60MM guaranteed.
The deal will bring an end to perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2015 offseason. Because of Suh’s generational talent, it was not a foregone conclusion that the Lions would decline to put the franchise tag on Suh this year, despite the $26.9MM cap number that the tag would have carried. After all, Suh has established himself as one of the league’s top defensive linemen, having earned four Pro Bowl berths and three First-Team All-Pro nods. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) have ranked the former second overall pick among the NFL’s top four defensive tackles in each of the last three seasons.
By PFF’s count, Suh racked up 72 total quarterback pressures in 2013, well ahead of any other DT besides Gerald McCoy, and he generated 57 quarterback pressures in 2014, tops in the league among defensive tackles. Suh also excels against the run, and he will team with Cameron Wake to form an intimidating defensive front for Miami.
As expected, Suh’s deal will top the contract that J.J. Watt signed with Houston last year, and it marks the richest deal ever given to a defensive player. The Lions had consistently expressed optimism that they would be able to retain their superstar lineman, but when they tabled extension talks last July, Suh’s departure became more likely. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit had offered Suh a contract worth $17MM annually–his deal with Miami will average $19MM per year–including $58MM guaranteed. In the end, however, the Lions “did not want to approach Miami’s money.” Birkett reaffirms that the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Chargers all had some degree of interest in Suh.
Along with the transcendent talent, of course, comes a number of well-documented behavioral concerns. While Suh has never been plagued by off-field issues, he has been justifiably labeled as one of the dirtier players in the game, as evidenced by past encounters with, among others, Evan Dietrich-Smith and Matt Schaub. Suh was initially suspended for the Lions’ wild card playoff matchup against Dallas for stepping on Aaron Rodgers‘ leg during Detroit’s Week 17 loss to Green Bay, though the suspension was ultimately overturned. So, in addition to the financial ramifications of the deal, Miami does have a few other reasons to be concerned with bringing Suh into the fold.
As for the Lions, Suh’s departure leaves an irreplaceable void in the middle of the team’s defensive line. As Birkett writes, Detroit will now shift its focus to re-signing Nick Fairley and adding a complementary run-stuffer. Although the Lions will miss Suh’s talent, they will at least avoid the strain that his contract will put on his new club’s salary cap. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have proven that their past missteps in free agency will not deter their free-spending ways, and by landing the biggest fish in this year’s free agent pool, they might have taken a number of risks, but they also got a lot better.
Luke Adams contributed to this post
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