AFC East Notes: Hardy, Bush, Bulaga, Clay
The Patriots have a history of taking in players with checkered pasts, and could have the opportunity to do so again by signing Greg Hardy this offseason, write Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. He notes that the team took in trouble souls such as Corey Dillon, Randy Moss, Aqib Talib, and most recently LeGarrette Blount, all of whom had successful runs with the team.
Considering the cap space the Patriots have available after losing both Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, Hardy could be the next reclamation project for Bill Belichick.
- The Patriots lost versatile tailback Shane Vereen to the Giants, and missed out on Reggie Bush, who signed with the 49ers earlier today. That puts them in the market for a pass catching option out of the backfield, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN. Reiss writes that last year’s fourth-round pick James White could fill that role, or Dion Lewis, both of whom are still on the roster. He also picks out University of Miami running back Duke Johnson and former Saint Pierre Thomas as possible options.
- The Bills were pursuing offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga aggressively in free agency, and Andrew Brandt noted that Buffalo had offered him more money than he got to return to the Packers, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.
- The Bills may have lost out on Bulaga, but they are still trying to land Charles Clay away from the Dolphins, writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. The team fully intends to sign Clay to an offer sheet, then the Dolphins would have to either match or allow Clay to leave.
Patriots Eyeing Stevie Johnson
The Patriots have addressed their receiving corps in multiple ways this week, first signing free agent Brandon Gibson and then restructuring the contract of Danny Amendola. Now they might do something more significant at the position. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 tweets that the Pats are “targeting” free agent Stevie Johnson, whom the 49ers released Wednesday.
New England is familiar with Johnson, who spent the first six years of his career with AFC East rival Buffalo. The 28-year-old impressed as a member of the Bills from 2008-13, racking up three different seasons of 70-plus catches and over 1,000 yards. The Bills traded him to San Francisco last offseason and he wasn’t nearly as successful as a 49er, for whom he totaled just 35 catches in 13 games.
If Johnson lands with the Patriots, he’ll join a receiving corps that already includes Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Amendola and Gibson. Edelman and LaFell had far more productive 2014 campaigns than Johnson, whose numbers were more in line with the unspectacular ones amassed by Amendola and Gibson. Nevertheless, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Johnson a terrific 22nd out of 110 qualifying wideouts last season.
AFC Rumors: Fins, Bush, Pats, Gresham, Titans
After signing Jordan Cameron and completing a deal for Kenny Stills, the Dolphins may not be done making moves, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, who notes that the team continues to work on a possible long-term deal for tight end Charles Clay. Beasley adds that the team appears to be open to keeping Mike Wallace, but that may hinge on the wideout’s willingness to redo his contract, so it looks like that situation remains uncertain for the time being.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Running back Reggie Bush is moving forward with his Patriots visit, and is meeting with the team today, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. We heard yesterday that a meeting with the Pats was on Bush’s schedule. The former Lion, who has also visited San Francisco this week, could be a good fit in a Shane Vereen-type role. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) believes there’s a good chance the Patriots could come away with either Bush or Percy Harvin, noting that the team has interest in both players.
- According to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter), the Patriots aren’t currently in on any trade talks for Eagles guard Evan Mathis. We heard yesterday that New England had expressed interest in Mathis, who appears to be on the trade block.
- A source tells Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that despite the team trying to lock him up this week, talks between the Raiders and tight end Jermaine Gresham are “dead for now.”
- Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link) hears that free agent offensive tackle Joe Barksdale is an option the Titans will consider. Tennessee lost two tackles this offseason, as Michael Roos retired and Michael Oher was released.
Latest On Terrance Knighton
6:04pm: Washington is closing in on a deal with Knighton, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
3:07pm: Terrance Knighton is still in the nation’s capital and negotiating with Washington, but there are five other teams still chasing him, Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports tweets. Meanwhile, a source tells Getlin (on Twitter) that it’s unlikely that Knighton will sign with anyone today. It could be a while before we learn where he lands, according to Getlin’s source.
Knighton’s first visit with Washington went well, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post hears. The Colts, Patriots and Chargers have expressed varying degrees of interest in Knighton, Renck writes, and he also identified the Seahawks and Ravens as teams with interest yesterday.
The Raiders appeared to be nearing a deal with Pot Roast, but on Tuesday we learned that he won’t be going to Oakland or returning to Denver. When Luke Adams listed PFR’s top 50 free agents recently, he ranked Pot Roast 16th on our list. The six-year veteran was an integral part of a Broncos team that had the league’s second-best run defense in 2014, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Knighton 12th among 81 qualifying D-tackles last season. Knighton, 29 in July, recorded 33 total tackles with two sacks and three pass deflections last season.
Earlier today, a head coach told Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 that teams were afraid to sign Knighton because of his physical condition.
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.
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.
Pats Restructure Danny Amendola’s Contract
Wide receiver Danny Amendola will be sticking with the Patriots for the coming year, as the team has restructured his contract in order to keep him on the roster, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Amendola’s new deal is also for three years and is worth a total of $12.75MM, with a max value of $15MM.
Amendola was previously set to count for $5.7MM against the Patriots’ cap in 2015 with $1MM increases each year, taking him to $6.7MM in 2016 and $7.7MM in 2017. The new deal is a bit more reasonable for the Pats given Amendola’s production and overall health. The 29-year-old did play a full 16 game season in 2014, but that was his first since his sophomore season in 2010.
Last year, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Amendola an overall grade of -7.0, ranking him 93rd out of 110 qualified wide receivers.
Had the Pats cut Amendola, they would have freed up $2.1MM in cap room. Designating Amendola as a post June 1st cut, meanwhile, would have saved New England $4.5MM.
Vince Wilfork Considering Four Teams
THURSDAY, 8:50am: Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link) hears that Wilfork has three offers of two years, $10MM on the table from AFC teams.
WEDNESDAY, 12:19pm: Vince Wilfork was one of three notable Patriots who became free agents yesterday when the team decided not to exercise their options. Darrelle Revis has already landed with the Jets, and Brandon Browner is off to visit the Saints, but Wilfork is expected to take his time to make a decision, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
According to Rapoport, Wilfork is considering four potential destinations. One of those possible destinations is Houston — we heard yesterday that the Texans were trying to sign the veteran defensive tackle, and the team continues to maintain interest in landing him. Another suitor in the mix is Wilfork’s old team, the Patriots. The statement Wilfork released when he announced the Pats wouldn’t be picking up his option seemed to close the door on New England, but apparently the two sides could still end up working toward a reunion.
Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his NFL career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season.
In his statement last week, Wilfork said he has “lots of gas still left in the tank,” so he should eventually land with a team, whether it’s the Pats, the Texans, or one of his other two unknown suitors.
East Notes: Jets, Bills, Harvin, Fasano
Now that he has returned to the Jets, cornerback Darrelle Revis is working hard to convince Antonio Cromartie to come back to the Meadowlands, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
“I’m going to get in contact with him very soon and try to convince him to come back and join our Batman and Robin tandem that we had a couple of years ago,” Revis said.
The two cornerbacks played together in New York from 2010 to 2012. There might not be much work for Revis to do, as Cromartie and the Jets are said to be pretty close to a deal.
Here are a few more Thursday morning notes from around the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Bills‘ visit with Percy Harvin is scheduled to continue today, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, who tweets that the wideout is returning to the team’s facility this morning. Buffalo is said to be pushing to sign Harvin to a one-year deal.
- After cutting Scott Chandler on Wednesday, the Bills are interested in former Chiefs tight end Anthony Fasano, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. Fasano could visit with Buffalo if he doesn’t sign with the Titans during his visit there. Fasano, 30, was released by KC in late February.
- Running back Shane Vereen made it clear last night that he’s not having second thoughts about leaving the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots for the Giants, as Doug Kyed of NESN writes. “This is a great organization. I was fortunate enough to play in New England with another great organization, and this is no slouch,” Vereen said. “This is not a step down. If anything, it’s a step up. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, and I’m enjoying being in New York.”
Luke Adams contributed to this post.