Jabaal Sheard To Visit Patriots
Free agent outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard will visit the Patriots tonight, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
The 24-year-old Sheard entered the NFL in 2011 as a second-round pick of the Browns and has appeared in 61 games, totaling 23 sacks and seven forced fumbles. Only two of those sacks and none of those forced fumbles came last season, but Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Sheard a solid 16th out of 46 qualifying 3-4 outside linebackers in 2014. He ranked an even more impressive 10th out of 42 in 2013.
Earlier Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss wrote that Sheard would make sense for the Pats. Per Reiss, the Pats spent 73.5% of the time in sub packages last year, and Sheard “would add another “joker” to the team’s versatile stable of pass-rushing linebackers.”
If the Patriots are unable to ink Sheard to a deal, the Buccaneers, Bengals and Seahawks are other possible suitors, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweeted Monday.
FA Rumors: Carter, Helu, Gresham, McCain
Free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is drawing interest on the open market, and he’ll first visit the Buccaneers, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). If he doesn’t sign with Tampa, he’ll head to Houston to meet with the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Here’s more from the free agent front…
- The Buccaneers will meet with center Stefen Wisniewski, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Tampa just signed center Evan Dietrich-Smith last offseason so Wisniewski could be viewed as a guard.
- Cornerback Tramon Williams will visit with the Saints tonight, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran CB is wrighing a return to Green Bay and has also drawn other interest.
- Running back Roy Helu probably won’t be returning to Washington, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), but he does have other suitors, including the Patriots, Raiders, and Jets (link).
- The Patriots are interested in another free agent running back, C.J. Spiller, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, but their interest isn’t considered serious.
- As we’ve heard earlier, the Raiders want to sign tight end Jermaine Gresham, Caplan (via Twitter) would be surprised if a deal doesn’t get done.
- The Vikings were hoping to meet with cornerback Brice McCain, but he’s meeting with a mystery team and taking a physical, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
Patriots To Sign Brandon Gibson
The Patriots have bigger fish to fry as they look to retain Darrelle Revis, but they’ve made a smaller move today, signing receiver Brandon Gibson to a one-year deal worth $825K, per Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Gibson was released by the division rival Dolphins last month.
In New England, he’ll join Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, and Danny Amendola in catching passes from Tom Brady. As Gibson is primarily a slot receiver, however, his signing could be a sign that the Pats are considering releasing Amendola, a move that would create $4.5MM if he were designated as a post June-1 cut. That cap room could be valuable as the Patriots attempt to re-sign Revis.
A former Ram, Gibson joined the Dolphins prior to the 2013 season, and put up nearly identical numbers in his first two seasons with the club. Of course, in 2013, when he grabbed 30 balls for 326 yards and three touchdowns, he did so in just seven games. In 2014, he totaled 29 receptions for 295 yards and a TD in 14 contests.
Gibson earned more than $3.2MM in base salary last season, so he’ll take a significant pay cut to join the Super Bowl champs.
Darrelle Revis Has $48MM Offer
Cornerback Darrelle Revis might be the best player on the free agent market and, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, he’s on the verge of being paid like it. La Canfora reports that the Revis camp has informed teams that they have a three-year, $48MM offer on the table. The deal is said to include a whopping $40MM in guarantees, and La Canfora’s “sense” is that the offer came from the Jets. Per La Canfora, the Patriots have offered Revis over $30MM in guarantees and the Chiefs are also in the mix for his services.
Earlier Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter linked the Steelers and Bills to Revis, though Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweeted that the Bills aren’t after the corner. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report added that the Packers are also in the sweepstakes.
If Revis signs with the Jets, it would mean rejoining the team with which he spent the first six seasons of his career. The Jets used a first-round pick in 2007 on Revis, who proceeded to rack up 19 interceptions and four Pro Bowl bids in New York. Revis missed most of the 2012 season, his last one with the Jets – who subsequently traded him to Tampa Bay in April of 2013 for a first-rounder.
After just a one-year stint with the Buccaneers, who released him last winter, Revis signed with New England and became an integral piece of a Super Bowl-winning team. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL during the 2014 regular season, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.
The Pats declined Revis’ $20MM for 2015 on Monday, making him a free agent, and have been trying to keep him on a long-term deal.
Pats Rumors: Revis, Harvin, Spiller
The very latest on the Pats..
- The Bills are also expressing interest in Pats free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ryan and Revis have a previous relationship, of course, and by most accounts the star cornerback enjoyed playing for Ryan in New York.
- The Patriots are a team to watch when it comes to Percy Harvin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport hears there’s a good chance that New England will be where he lands.
- The Pats are still searching for playmakers, Rapoport tweets. They’ve inquired about C.J. Spiller possibly filling the Shane Vereen role.
- The Saints are an early entrant into the Brandon Browner chase, but they have company, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
Tender Updates: Tuesday
Today’s tender decisions:
- The Buccaneers have signed running back Bobby Rainey to a one-year tender worth $1.54MM, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will now have right of first refusal if another club offers Rainey a deal.
- The Falcons chose not to tender an offer to restricted free agent Drew Davis, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported. The wide receiver will now become an unrestricted free agent.
- The Packers elected not to tender new contracts to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin or running back DuJuan Harris, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens didn’t tender an offer to cornerback Anthony Levine, who already has other teams interested in his services. He still might end up back in Baltimore, per Wilson.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots declined to make a qualifying offer to receiver Brian Tyms. He’s now a free agent. Further, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Pats also didn’t make an offer to Tyms’ fellow wideout Greg Orton.
- In other Pats news, Volin reports that the team made qualifying offers to fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga and linebacker James Morris. All three will return to New England.
- The Texans tendered a contract to quarterback Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
- The Vikings have opted to let go a pair of exclusive rights free agents, linebacker Dom DeCicco and offensive lineman Josh Samuda, per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
- Safety Michael Thomas will return to the Dolphins after signing his ERFA tender, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
- Green Bay issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- The Packers have issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
- James Develin is returning to the Patriots after signing his exclusive rights tender, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
- The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent outside linebacker Cam Johnson has signed his tender. Johnson was first acquired by the Colts in a trade with the 49ers in September of 2013.
- The Packers tendered RFA offensive lineman Don Barclay at the lowest level ($1.542MM), per agent Joe Linta (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- The Vikings tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent offensive tackle Mike Harris, but their other RFA-eligible player, linebacker Dom DeCicco, didn’t get a tender, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
Earlier updates:
- The Jaguars re-signed exclusive rights free agent tackle Austin Pasztor, tendering him a contract, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
- The Dolphins tendered defensive end Derrick Shelby with the second-round tender of $2.35MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Shelby, 26, appeared in 15 games last season, recording 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
- The Bengals (on Twitter) extended a tender offer to cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris, an ERFA, has appeared in 12 games for Cincy over the last three years.
- The Bengals will not extend a tender offer to defensive tackle Devon Still, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. However, the Bengals have offered Still a one-year deal and he’s mulling that over while also taking matters involving his family into account, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Packers have tendered safety Sean Richardson at the ROFR (right of first refusal rate) of one-year, $1.542MM, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). That’s a sizable committment to Richardson, he adds.
Extra Points: Hartline, Murray, Browner, Bush
The latest from around the league…
- Brian Hartline‘s decision ultimately came down to the Browns and the Patriots, the receiver tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Hartline ended up signing a two-year pact with Cleveland yesterday.
- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the club wants to re-sign DeMarco Murray, emphasizing that Dallas is still in negotiations with its free agent running back (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
- The Panthers don’t seem to be showing much interest in edge rusher Derrick Morgan, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- The Titans have interest in cornerback Brandon Browner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Browner isn’t expected to take a pay cut to remain in New England. Browner is receiving a lot of interest around the league, but he could still return to the Patriots, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
- Jahri Evans is still a candidate for release in New Orleans, and if the Saints do cut him, expect the Bills to be in on the veteran guard, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Most observers expected free agent receiver Michael Crabtree to depart San Francisco, but the 49ers do have interest in re-signing him, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (via Twitter).
- Having been cut by the Lions earlier in the offseason, running back Reggie Bush is considering a return to the Saints, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Patriots and Eagles are among the other teams in play for Bush.
Pats Think Darrelle Revis Is Headed To Jets
The sense out of New England is that Darrelle Revis is likely headed to the Jets, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Pats will still make a final push, but it’s not over yet. Meanwhile, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (on Twitter) that Revis wants $40MM guaranteed and Jets owner Woody Johnson wants to make it happen.
The Jets reportedly have been involved in “serious internal discussions” about the possibility of bringing Revis back and they figure to be one of many teams to make a serious play for the star cornerback. The Jets‘ “ideal-world plan” for the offseason would be to land both Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, according to Peter King of The MMQB.
Revis, 30 in July, had his 2012 season with the Jets cut short by injury. Since then, he has had back-to-back 16 game seasons, one with the Bucs and one with the Pats in 2014. This past season, Revis helped lead the Pats’ defense to a Super Bowl championship.
In 2014, Revis had 50 total tackles, 16 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions in the regular season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Revis as the fourth-best corner in the NFL last season, behind Chris Harris Jr., Vontae Davis, and Richard Sherman.
Brandon Browner To Become Free Agent
3:00pm: According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the Patriots have not informed Browner that they’ll exercise his 2015 option. He’ll now become a free agent.
1:56pm: Brandon Browner won’t take a pay cut to stay in New England, a source tells Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). At this point, New England’s options will be to exercise his option as it stands or cut him by 3pm CT. The cornerback is owed $5.5MM for 2015.
The Pats allowed him to gauge interest from other teams around the league and the interest is clearly there for the veteran, Breer tweets. Right now, his market is shaping up at $7MM-$8MM, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. The Pats, meanwhile, would probably like to work out a deal that extends beyond 2015.
If the Patriots exercise Browner’s option, he would count $4.8MM against the cap, but he would also earn a $2MM roster bonus on Tuesday. If they decline the option, they would save $4.8MM against the cap without any dead money, but re-signing him from that point could prove to be difficult. The team source indicated to Howe that his value on the open market might actually approach $7MM to $8MM per year thanks to the deals given to Byron Maxwell ($63MM over six years), Brandon Flowers ($36MM over four years) and Kareem Jackson ($34MM over four years) in the last couple days.
Browner, 31 in August, appeared in nine regular season games for the Patriots in his suspension-shortened season. He recorded 32 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception during that time. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t wowed by Browner’s performance in 2014, ranking him No. 79 out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.
Browns Interested In Darrelle Revis
9:29am: The Raiders and Chiefs are also fighting to get into the Revis sweepstakes, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Oakland, of course, has much more financial flexibility than Kansas City, but the Chiefs have the Bob Sutton connection and are closer to contention.
9:12am: The Patriots have a little less than six hours to work out a new agreement with cornerback Darrelle Revis. If the two sides don’t agree to a new deal, the Pats will cut the star corner, rather than pick up his pricey option for 2015. While the Jets have long been considered the only real threat to the Pats in the Revis sweepstakes, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com adds another potential suitor to the mix, tweeting that the Browns have expressed interest in Revis.
On the surface, Cleveland seems like an odd fit for Revis. The team already has one star cornerback in Joe Haden, and spent the eighth overall pick a year ago on Justin Gilbert. However, Buster Skrine appears to be on his way out in free agency, and Gilbert had a shaky rookie season both on and off the field. The Browns head into today’s free agent period armed with a ton of cap space, and Revis has played under Mike Pettine before in New York, back when the current Browns head coach was the Jets’ defensive coordinator.
I’d still rank the Browns a distant third behind (in some order) the Jets and Pats when it comes to potential destinations for Revis, but if Cleveland makes a huge offer, the cornerback could at least consider joining the Browns. A report yesterday indicated the price tag for Revis could be in the neighborhood of three years and $48MM, with $40MM in guaranteed money.