Contract Details: Sendejo, Rubin, DHB, Cox
Here are the specifics on a few deals signed in recent days:
- Andrew Sendejo‘s four-year contract with the Vikings contains a $3MM roster bonus, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The safety will make $4MM in 2016, and he has another $1MM that will become guaranteed next March.
- Defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin received a $4.5MM signing bonus as part of his $12MM deal with the Seahawks, tweets Pelissero. Rubin will take home $6MM during the upcoming season.
- Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey got a $400K signing bonus per the terms of his three-year deal with the Steelers, according to Pelissero (Twitter link).
- Long snapper Morgan Cox‘s new five-year contract with the Ravens is worth $5.6MM, tweets Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun. Cox will receive a $700K signing bonus and net $1.5MM in the first year of the deal.
FA Rumors: RGIII, Beachum, Lamur, C. Long
The Rams have not shown any interest in free agent quarterback Robert Griffin III at this point, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Ten clubs are reportedly giving Griffin a “hard look.”
Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NFL:
- Having reached a deal to bring back veteran guard Ramon Foster, the Steelers think they might be able to re-sign left tackle Kelvin Beachum on a one-year deal, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Beachum is coming off a torn ACL, which may be limiting his market.
- Free agent linebacker and special-teamer Emmanuel Lamur is not expected to re-sign with the Bengals, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who writes that the Lions, Vikings, and Dolphins are among the teams that have expressed interest in Lamur since the legal tampering window opened.
- Former Rams defensive end Chris Long enjoyed his visit to Washington and has genuine interest in joining the club, but he has more free agent visits planned, so it doesn’t sound like any deal is imminent, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- The Raiders have already made a pair of big splashes in free agency, reaching agreements with Kelechi Osemele and Bruce Irvin. Bill Williamson of Fanrag Sports suggests (via Twitter) that cornerback Janoris Jenkins is another name to watch for Oakland.
Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Falcons, Hali
The Falcons have inquired about free agent receiver Travis Benjamin, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Benjamin played under Falcons OC Kyle Shanahan in Cleveland during the 2014 season. Benjamin also worked with current Minnesota OC Norv Turner in Cleveland, but per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link), the Vikings have not show any interest in Benjamin.
Here are the latest free agent rumors:
- Linebacker Tamba Hali was choosing between the Falcons and Kansas City before signing a three-year deal with the Chiefs, Kelsey Conway of AtlantaFalcons.com tweets.
- The Patriots were interested in signing Michael Hoomanawanui before he re-signed with the Saints on Tuesdsay, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets.
- The Texans are interested in re-signing safety Quintin Demps, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle writes. This past season, Demps started a career-high 13 games and recorded 61 tackles, one interception, six passes defended, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The 30-year-old free agent is also drawing interest from other teams, however.
- The Buccaneers may not tender free agent defensive end Olatunji Fatinikun, but they still could sign him later in summer, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The DE is coming off of ACL surgery.
Vikings Release Mike Wallace
The Vikings are releasing veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The team had reportedly hoped to keep Wallace in the fold by working out a pay cut for him, but it seems the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on a reworked contract. The club has confirmed that the move is official.
[RELATED: Vikings re-sign LB Audie Cole]
If Wallace was playing hardball in negotiations on his potential pay cut, it was likely an easy decision for the Vikings to release him. Because they initially acquired the ex-Dolphin in a trade, the Vikes were only on the hook for Wallace’s base salary and workout bonuses, and not any prorated bonus money. That means Minnesota clears the wideout’s entire $11.5MM cap hit from the team’s 2016 cap sheet by cutting him.
During his first and only season in Minnesota, Wallace matched or set career-lows by catching just 39 balls for 473 yards and two touchdowns. The 29-year-old becomes the latest in a long line of veteran wideouts to hit the open market, joining free agents like Marques Colston, Roddy White, and Greg Jennings. The Colts are expected to release Andre Johnson as well, once the new league year begins.
The Vikings also formally waived offensive tackle Austin Wentworth today. He announced his retirement last spring due to medical issues, but Minnesota continued to pay him for the 2015 season in a “class move,” tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Broncos, Massie, Daniel
Now that defensive lineman Malik Jackson has agreed to join the Jaguars, we can expect the Broncos to make a serious run at Cardinals free agent right tackle Bobby Massie, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Massie could reportedly command north of $8MM per season, so it was unlikely that Denver would have been able to afford both Jackson and the offensive tackle.
Here’s the very latest free agent news:
- Even though the Eagles have re-signed Sam Bradford, the Eagles could still pursue Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who is the former OC in KC, is quite fond of Daniel.
- The Vikings are not close on a deal with guard Mike Harris, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Harris’ camp has been looking for roughly $5MM on a two-year deal while the Vikings are offering $3.5MM over two. Harris is currently planning on testing the market.
- The Bears are one of “multiple” teams that have expressed interest in defensive end Akiem Hicks, per Kevin Fishbain of Pro Football Weekly (on Twitter).
- Four teams have expressed varying degrees of interest in linebacker Demario Davis, a source tells Seth Walder of the Daily News (on Twitter).
- The Bills‘ signing of Richie Incognito means that Buffalo will not be adding free agent guard Jahri Evans, Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The Bills hosted Evans on a visit on Monday. Evans has started 153 games for the Saints dating back 2006 and earned four First-Team All-Pro selections.
Free Agent Rumors: Jaguars, Bengals, Ravens
Jerricho Cotchery is not in the Panthers’ 2016 plans, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Cotchery, 34 in June, hauled in 87 passes for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons with Carolina. The veteran has said that he would only continue playing if it were with the Panthers, so it’s possible that the former Jet will retire this offseason. Cotchery is effectively a free agent with a contract that will automatically void tomorrow.
The latest free agent rumors:
- The Jaguars are not close to done after agreeing to terms with Malik Jackson, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The Jags are still interested in top pass rushers and corners.
- Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) senses that the Bengals‘ priority guys are safety George Iloka and wide receiver Marvin Jones. Breer hears there is about $15MM budgeted for unrestricted free agents, which may not leave much room for others.
- Saints free agent tight end Ben Watson is getting “strong, strong interest” from the Ravens, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Dolphins are in pursuit of defensive end William Hayes, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. There is a strong market for Hayes, however, so Miami will have some competition to deal with.
- Running back Lamar Miller wants an annual salary in the range of $6MM or more, which is more than the Dolphins would like to offer, Jackson writes.
- The Vikings have checked in on Lions free agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).
- The Raiders are working to retain wide receiver Andre Holmes but the sense is that he’ll get decent interest elsewhere, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
Extra Points: Campbell, Murray, Cowboys, Suh
Contradicting a report from another outlet, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes that the Cardinals aren’t trying to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell, and haven’t received any inquiries from teams asking if he’s available.
Still, while Campbell may not be on the trade block, his situation is still worth keeping an eye on this offseason, as Somers points out. The standout defensive lineman is entering the final year of his contract, and has a cap hit of $15.25MM, making him a prime extension candidate if Arizona wants to keep him around for the long term.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL on a busy Tuesday:
- There was some discussion about the Cowboys, rather than the Titans, acquiring DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Werder says Dallas wasn’t on board with the compensation or the guaranteed money necessary to make a deal.
- The Dolphins created $16MM in cap room when they restructured Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). James Walker of ESPN.com breaks down the specifics.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details on Tyrunn Walker‘s new one-year deal with the Lions, which features a $150K signing bonus, $550K in total roster bonuses, and $650K in playing-time incentives.
- Safety Andrew Sendejo will receive $2.5MM fully guaranteed on his new deal with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Goessling adds that Sendejo will make $4MM in the first year and $7MM through two years.
Free Agent Rumors: Osweiler, Texans, Ivory
The Broncos and Texans are shaping up as the two primary potential landing spots for free agent quarterback Brock Osweiler, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Broncos have reportedly offered Osweiler a three-year contract worth ~$39MM, but the Texans are also expected to make a competitive offer. Could they offer up more than Denver? While we await the answer, here’s more of the latest free agent news:
- Chris Ivory is on the Texans‘ radar as the new league year approaches, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Ivory, who will celebrate his 28th birthday in a few weeks, set career highs last season in carries (247), rushing yards (1,070), and total touchdowns (eight). If the Jets do not retain Ivory, he will stand as one of the more appealing free agent running back options of the offseason.
- The Vikings are not pursuing Browns free agent tackle Mitchell Schwartz, per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). It was reported on Monday that the Vikings were pursuing Schwartz along with the Buccaneers, Giants, and Falcons. Since the Browns took Schwartz in the second round of the 2012 draft, he has appeared in and started 64 straight games. For his work last season, the 26-year-old ranked sixth out of 77 qualifying tackles by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required).
- Marcus Sherels wants to return to the Vikings and the interest is mutual, though it has to be at the right price for Minnesota, Tomasson tweets. However, there’s no agreement yet and a few teams are eyeing the cornerback.
- The Saints are working to bring back running back Tim Hightower, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hightower started three games for the Saints last year after being years removed from the NFL.
- Linebacker Junior Galette took to Twitter earlier today and shot down a follower’s suggestion that he should sign a deal for the veteran’s minimum with big incentives. Galette also restated his interest in playing for Washington.
Vikings Re-Sign LB Audie Cole
10:30am: The Vikings have officially announced Cole’s new deal.
9:09am: A day before becoming an unrestricted free agent, linebacker Audie Cole has agreed to a new deal with his current team, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Pelissero reports that the Vikings are re-signing Cole, whose rookie contract had been set to expire. It’s a one-year deal for Cole, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
[RELATED: Vikings, Phil Loadholt agree to new contract]
A seventh-round pick in 2012, Cole has played a role on special teams for the Vikings in his 41 NFL games to date, and has also seen some playing time on defense. His best season came in 2013, when he started five games, earning 45 tackles and a sack.
Cole’s 2015 campaign came to an early end in November, when the Vikings placed him on their injured reserve list due to a fractured ankle. Given his limited contributions on defense and the fact that he’s coming off a season-ending injury, Cole probably isn’t in line for much more than the minimum salary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Rumors: Osweiler, Sean Smith, Adam Jones
The latest rumors on a slew of free agents-to-be:
- The Broncos have offered quarterback Brock Osweiler a three-year contract worth ~$39MM, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. That runs a bit contrary to a weekend report that stated the Broncos had offered $45MM for three years.
- Seven teams have expressed interest in Jets running back Chris Ivory, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The Buccaneers and Raiders are among those clubs, per a report from earlier tonight.
- The Raiders “have reached out” to Chiefs corner Sean Smith‘s camp, per Scott Bair CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Smith is the fourth high-profile pending free agent whom the Raiders have been connected to today, joining Ivory, Malik Jackson and Kelechi Osemele (links to Jackson and Osemele stories: 1, 2).
- Bengals veteran corner Adam Jones has several potential suitors, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who lists the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as teams that could end up with the 32-year-old. The Bengals would like to retain Jones, per Florio.
- The Bears are expected to go after Patriots defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and player personnel director Josh Lucas were in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hicks in 2012, Biggs notes.
- The Giants, Eagles, Dolphins and Bears are interested in Chargers corner Patrick Robinson, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).