DeSean Jackson Could Be Released
While it has been widely reported that the Eagles are trying to trade receiver DeSean Jackson, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the team will release Jackson if no deal is struck.
In the piece, Mehta credits his source with saying “Philly is trading him or cutting him. That’s a fact. They don’t want him.”
Mehta writes that Jackson seems uninterested in taking a pay cut, but believes that the 27-year-old playmaker will have to restructure his contract in order to get a deal done. Fresh off the NFC Championship game, both the 49ers and the Seahawks have expressed interest in acquiring Jackson, although neither team would be able to squeeze his salary ($12MM per year for three years) into their books.
The Jets and Raiders both have the cap room to absorb Jackson’s salary, but he is still very highly paid. The Raiders may be unwilling to part with a valuable draft pick, and even though the Jets have some extra picks, the report that Jackson will be released hurts the Eagles leverage in trade talks.
The Patriots and Panthers have also been thought of as potential landing spots, but would seem to be equally unwilling to trade a valuable asset for such an expensive player.
AFC Notes: Ravens, Pats, Chargers, Moreno
The Ravens’ free agent activity has been characterized by value signings, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The team was able to sign four starters and their top kick returner without breaking the bank. Additionally, the Ravens will actually be paying Steve Smith less ($4.5MM) than the Panthers ($5MM) are on the hook for this season.
Other AFC news and notes:
- In a mailbag piece, Hensley also says 2014 will be an important season for Lardarius Webb, whose cap hit jumps from $5.39MM to $10.5MM. Meanwhile, 2013 third-rounder Brandon Williams figures to have an increased role on the defensive line following the departure of Arthur Jones.
- In the past, Bill Belichick has built his defenses inside out, but Boston.com’s Erik Frenz wonders if the signings of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner “point to a change in that philosophy — or, at the very least, a golden opportunity to make the switch.”
- Free agent Knowshon Moreno visited the Dolphins on Friday, but departed without a contract, writes the Palm Beach Post’s Andrew Abramson, who compares Moreno to Miami’s current running backs.
- Chargers personnel has been getting in-person looks at edge pass rush prospects, including UCLA’s Anthony Barr, Boise State’s DeMarcus Lawrence and BYU’s Kyle Van Noy, according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The team’s projected outside linebacker starters, Dwight Freeney and Jarret Johnson, will be 34 and 33, respectively, this season, while disappointing 2009 first-rounder Larry English is a free agent at season’s end.
FA Notes: Finley, Britt, Spencer, Barkley
Former Packers’ tight end Jermichael Finley failed his physical with the Seahawks, reports Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). He writes that Finley is only four months removed from neck surgery.
Finley could still be months away from landing with an NFL team, based on his recovery, notes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Here are some other rumors from around the NFL:
- While they haven’t expressed much interest in Finley, the tight end is still an option for the Giants. However it looks like the team has concluded that Anthony Spencer‘s health is not worth the risk, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Kenny Britt had a good visit with the Patriots, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Britt had a conversation with Reiss’ colleague Mike Rodak, who covers the Bills. “It was actually better than I thought it was,” said Britt, discussing the Patriots. “A lot of guys, a lot of people out there that don’t know or been on the inside or think it’s strict and things like that, but it’s laid back when I got there. They got good people there. I actually worked out for them. The workout went great. I had a good time.”
- Matt Barkley will have a chance to win the number two quarterback job behind Nick Foles, reports Matt Bosher of CSNPhilly (via Twitter). Bosher writes that the Eagles will still have to bring another quarterback in this offseason.
FA Rumors: Colts, Blount, Allen, Britt, Finley
While the Colts aren’t necessarily done adding free agents, the team’s major moves have likely already been made, as GM Ryan Grigson told reporters today, including Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.
“You never say you’re done,” Grigson said. “We had a plan and we feel really good about it. We feel real good where we’re at right now. We’re going to look toward the draft. You never say never and we’re always trying to get better. If somebody pops up and they make sense from a roster standpoint and they kind of fit the specs – age and money, big picture – then I’ll look at it.”
As the Colts shift their free agent focus to the bargain bin, let’s check in on a few other afternoon items related to the open market:
- Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) doesn’t see the Colts pursuing center Alex Mack any further, suggesting it always would have been a long shot to sign him away from the Browns.
- Free agent running back LeGarrette Blount, who continues to draw interest from the Patriots, is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Sunday night, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Pittsburgh also met with veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew this week.
- As Jared Allen continues to mull his options, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) weighs in with a couple tidbits: The veteran defensive end is considering three teams, with retirement also still an option, and should make a decision this weekend. As for Allen’s second visit with the Seahawks, it happened because key members of the organization weren’t at the first meeting, says Rapoport.
- Wide receiver Kenny Britt has visited the Rams, Patriots, Redskins, and Bills, and has also garnered interest from the Seahawks and Panthers, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Britt will decide his next move this weekend, whether that means taking more visits or agreeing to sign with a team.
- Jermichael Finley may still be a few more months from being in position to sign with an NFL club, a source tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The free agent tight end continues to recover from a spinal injury, and hasn’t yet received medical clearance.
- At this point, the Panthers aren’t expected to sign Kevin Cone, Lestar Jean, or C.J. Akins, the three receivers they worked out today, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Draft Rumors: Bishop, Webster, Archer, Carr
Northern Illinois defensive tackle Ken Bishop is set to work out for the Dolphins, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Bishop, an All-Mid-American conference selection projected as a later-round draft pick, had 59 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, and an interception last season. Here’s the latest draft news..
- The Lions are hosting defensive end Larry Webster for a pre-draft visit today, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. Webster, who stands at 6’6″, 252 pounds, had 12.5 sacks for Bloomsburg University in 2013 and boasts a 4.58 second 40-yard-dash time.
- Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal (on Twitter) spoke with Kent State running back Dri Archer, who says that he has workouts scheduled with the Dolphins, Patriots, Cardinals, and Colts.
- Fresno State standout quarterback Derek Carr has met with Raiders, Titans, Vikings, and Browns since last night, tweets Marek Warszawski of the Fresno Bee (on Twitter).
- Stanford safety Ed Reynolds has meetings scheduled with the Lions and Falcons, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Reynolds has a 38-inch vertical jump and ran a 4.41 second 40-yard-dash earlier today at his pro day.
- The Giants will work out Maine outside linebacker/defensive end Michael Cole on April 10th, a league source tells Aaron Wilson. Cole had eight sacks last season and finished his career with 29 sacks, making him the all-time sack leader for the Black Bears.
- One scouting director gave Albert Breer of NFL Network (Twitter link) a rundown of what he was looking for from Michael Sam today at the linebacker’s Pro Day. “He needs to show good movement in linebacker drills — Bend quickness and good feet and quickness in pass rush drills. Hopefully he is staying in good shape and not letting that go.”
Aqib Talib On Broncos, New Deal, CBA
The defending AFC Champions made it clear this offseason that they weren’t content to rest on their laurels heading into 2014. Denver turned heads with their signing of former Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib, a move that they hope will help bring their defense closer to the level of their stellar offense. Earlier today, Talib sat down with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King to talk about his big move..
On whether Talib had an offer from the Patriots that tempted him to stay:
“I definitely had an offer from the Patriots. But there was language in there that definitely was a little shaky compared to Denver’s offer. The Patriots are a great organization. I loved my time there. I loved playing for Bill. He’s a great leader. I’ll be able to tell my kids I played for Bill Belichick someday and I was Tom Brady’s teammate. Really, it’s just a dream I’m experiencing, when two great organizations want you like this.”
On whether he’s concerned that it’ll be easy for the Broncos to get out of his six-year, $54MM halfway through it:
“I don’t really get into that part of the business too much, how much of a contract is guaranteed and whether I’ll make it all the way through. I hope I stay here for six years. Hopefully I see all six years, because that means I’m playing well. But for me, I just come and play as hard as I can. It’s the same for me, thinking about this season, as it was last year, when I was in the last year of my contract. As a player, I don’t think you can worry about that too much.”
On what the offseason’s big-money signings say to him about the labor agreement:
“Now we’re seeing the good part of this CBA. You can see the CBA is working well for the players right now. The first couple of years, there were other things about the deal the players liked—the limited padded practices, training camp being easier on the players, players having more of an offseason. But now the cash part of the CBA is coming into view, and it’s good to see. I don’t know the exact rules, but when the cap goes up now, the owners have to spend more of the cap money than they did before. [Collectively, NFL teams must spend 95% of available cap money between 2013 and 2016, or the players’ association can take the unspent amount and distribute it to players.] I think the league is better off when the players are getting rewarded like this.”
Patriots Sign Charley Hughlett
The Patriots have signed long snapper Charley Hughlett to a two-year deal, according to agent Brett Tessler (via Twitter). Hughlett, a UCF alum, signed with the Cowboys after the 2012 season but was cut last May.
New England had already agreed to a one-year deal with Danny Aiken, the club’s incumbent long snapper, so it looks as if Hughlett will be providing the Pats with some competition for Aiken this summer.
FA Rumors: De La Puente, Harrison, Murphy
Brian De La Puente is arguably the best center still available in free agency, and it sounds as if he’s drawing interest from plenty of potential suitors. Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post reports that the Saints, Giants, Broncos, and Patriots remain possibilities for De La Puente, who is scheduled to visit with the Redskins. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) adds that if there’s no agreement in place when the veteran center leaves Washington, more visits are expected.
Here’s more on some of the free agents still on the market:
- We already heard this week that veteran free agent James Harrison is interested in returning to the Steelers, and according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that interest is mutual.
- Having visited for two days with the Buccaneers, wide receiver Louis Murphy is scheduled to meet with the Bengals tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
- The Giants will host free agent offensive lineman Charles Brown, tweets Adam Caplan.
- After leaving his visit with the Rams without an agreement in place, free agent quarterback Shaun Hill appears to be considering both the Rams and Lions, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Bengals confirmed (via Twitter) that free agent defensive end Robert Ayers visited with them today, which means he left that meeting without an agreement in place.
- Ravens safety Brynden Trawick is no longer an exclusive rights free agent, having signed his $495K tender from the team, tweets Aaron Wilson.
Contract Details: Edelman, Meriweather, Harper
Here are a few more contract details on deals recently signed by free agents:
- In addition to including a $5MM signing bonus, Julian Edelman‘s four-year deal with the Patriots features yearly base salaries of $1MM, $2.25MM, $2.5MM, and $3MM, with various roster bonuses and workout bonuses making up the rest of the $17MM total. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweeted the details, and Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com presents them in chart form.
- Fitzgerald notes that Brandon Meriweather‘s one-year pact with the Redskins includes a $145K signing bonus, the only guaranteed money in the deal.
- Fitzgerald also provides the details on Roman Harper‘s new deal with the Panthers, which is technically a five-year contract. The pact includes three voidable years to help spread out the cap hit.
- Jamon Meredith‘s two-year contract with the Buccaneers is worth $2.7MM, with $350K in guaranteed money and up to $750K available in playing time incentives, according to Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).
- The contract Sherrick McManis agreed to sign with the Bears will be a minimum salary benefit deal, confirms Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Patriots Sign Julian Edelman To Four-Year Deal
3:15pm: The Patriots have officially announced the signing of Edelman.
11:40am: Edelman’s four-year deal has a base value of $17MM, including $8MM guaranteed, with another $2MM available via incentives, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 11:00am: Appearing on WAAF this morning, Edelman indicated that his new contract with the Patriots is a four-year deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN Boston.
SATURDAY, 1:57pm: Julian Edelman has agreed to terms on a deal that will have him returning to the Patriots, reports Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Edelman was the Patriots’ most productive receiver in 2013, catching 105 passes for ever 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. All of those marks were career highs for the 27-year-old wide receiver.
He was the only consistent weapon for Tom Brady, as he struggled with two rookie receivers and injuries in the backfield. The team’s top two receiving threats going into the season, Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski, both struggled to stay on the field.