NFC Rumors: Saints, Cowboys, Peppers, Guion
Having reportedly turned down an opportunity to meet with the Dolphins, free agent tackle Zach Strief expects to re-sign with the Saints, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). It’d be interesting to see Strief sign back with New Orleans, since he was expected to do well on the open market and the Saints don’t have a lot of cap flexibility. As we saw with the Jairus Byrd contract though, the team could find a way to squeeze him in, particularly with Darren Sproles‘ deal off the books.
Here are a few more brief notes from around the NFC:
- The Cowboys have shown interest in recently released defensive end Julius Peppers, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. In search of defensive line help, the team also plans to host Henry Melton, as we heard earlier.
- Former Vikings defensive tackle Letroy Guion is considering the Ravens, Patriots, and Packers in free agency, says Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). According to Tomasson, Guion, who has already visited New England, will meet with Green Bay on Sunday unless he has a deal in place before then.
- Darryl Tapp‘s new one-year deal with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit contract, with a base salary of $855K and a signing bonus of $65K, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. It’ll count against Detroit’s cap for $635K.
No Deal For Brandon Browner, Patriots
11:33am: Breer and Rapoport hear from Redskins sources that Browner’s visit, which was called off as of this morning, is now back on for this afternoon (Twitter link).
9:29am: We now have conflicting reports coming even from the same reporter. Acknowledging how messy the story has become, Albert Breer says he’s hearing from two Redskins sources that Browner’s visit has been called off, even though agent Peter Schaffer still says it’s a go (Twitter links).
9:09am: Once again, we have conflicting reports on Browner, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears that today’s visit with the Redskins is still happening. According to Florio’s source, the meeting was delayed, not canceled.
FRIDAY, 8:37am: Although Browner had been scheduled for a visit in Washington next, he’s still in the Boston-area this morning and continues to talk to the Patriots, according to ESPN’s Josina Anderson and Field Yates (Twitter links). Ian Rapoport hears that the visit with the Redskins may have been canceled, while Albert Breer says Washington is under the impression Browner may do a deal with New England (Twitter links).
THURSDAY, 9:45pm: Agent Peter Schaffer tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that reports of Browner signing with New England are “100% untrue.” Schaffer added that he has four teams to still negotiate with. Meanwhile, Rapoport tweets that the cornerback is telling those close to him that he is New England-bound. Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter) says those four teams are the Patriots, Saints, Redskins, and Raiders.
9:10pm: Brandon Browner and the Patriots have come to an agreement on a two-year deal, reports Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Browner must serve his four-game suspension to begin 2014.
The giant Browner, who is among the tallest cornerbacks in the league if not the tallest, will be paired with Darrelle Revis when he gets back from suspension. The former Seahawk had previously played across from another one of the league’s best defensive playmakers in Richard Sherman.
Browner will be 30 years old at the start of the upcoming season, and has only played three seasons in the NFL, all with the Seahawks. Browner was also suspended in 2011, also for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
FA Rumors: Campbell, Melton, Browner, Mack
Offensive lineman Bruce Campbell, who was originally thought to have a deal with the Redskins, will visit the Giants today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Last we heard on Campbell, there were some issues with his physical, but Washington remained on the table as a destination. According to Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter), the Redskins’ offer stands, though perhaps it’s not the same offer that Campbell initially agreed to, given the health concerns.
Here are the latest updates on a few more free agents on the board, plus one that recently came off it:
- After sticking around Minnesota overnight, defensive tackle Henry Melton is on his way to Seattle to visit with the Seahawks, says Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter).
- While his agent negotiates with the Patriots and Raiders, free agent cornerback Brandon Browner will first visit with the Redskins today and then head to New Orleans to meet with the Saints, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
- Center Alex Mack is in no hurry to sign his transition tender from the Browns, agent Tim Younger tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. According to Mack’s agent, his client intends to make some visits to teams at some point, but there are none on the docket quite yet.
- The Cowboys showed no signs of wanting to re-sign Jason Hatcher before he landed with the Redskins, the defensive lineman himself told KRLD-FM yesterday, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I know the [Cowboys’] fans are upset. They should be,” Hatcher said. “They have all the right in the world to be. But I made the right decision for me. If we could’ve made it work out we would’ve, but I’m in a great place with the Redskins, a great organization. I’m looking forward to getting back to football.”
Steve Smith Rumors: Thursday
6:37pm: Smith is scheduled to fly to Baltimore tonight in order to meet with the Ravens tomorrow, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
5:32pm: The Smith market is starting to heat up now that he’s officially a free agent. According to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Ravens, Patriots, Chargers, Redskins, and Seahawks have all reached out so far. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore expects to schedule a visit with Smith soon, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears from a source that no deal is imminent tonight (Twitter link).
12:26pm: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) clarifies that the Ravens haven’t reached out to Smith yet, and will do so later this afternoon when he’s officially off the Panthers’ roster.
11:00am: The Panthers officially announced today that Steve Smith has been released, and the Ravens have already inquired on the veteran wide receiver, according to ESPN.com’s David Newton (via Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore has emerged as the early favorite to land Smith.
The Ravens’ interest in Smith was first reported earlier this week, well before Carolina decided to release him, by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Buccaneers and Raiders were also mentioned yesterday as likely suitors, and the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers were among Smith’s preferred trade destinations when Carolina was trying to move him, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
AFC Contract Details: Talib, Bills, Conner
Aqib Talib‘s contract with the Broncos features a $5MM signing bonus, a $2MM roster bonus, a $4.5MM guaranteed base salary, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Since Talib has a small signing bonus and his 2015 and 2016 salaries are guaranteed for injury only, the Broncos could essentially cut ties with him for no guaranteed money and a minimal ($4MM) cap hit even after the 2014 season, barring a major injury, tweets Pelissero. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown in chart form right here.
Here are a few more specific details on deals signed this week:
- Corey Graham‘s new contract with the Bills can be worth over $19MM, but on the surface, it’s a four-year, $16.3MM deal with $8.1MM guaranteed, says Pelissero (via Twitter). According to Pelissero, the deal includes $700K in annual incentives, plus an extra $100K bonus each season for making the Pro Bowl.
- The Chargers‘ three-year deal with Kavell Conner is worth $2.7MM, with a $270K signing bonus and an escalator worth up to $500K in 2016, tweets Pelissero.
- Jim Dray‘s contract with the Browns features a $900K signing bonus, says Pelissero (via Twitter).
- Pelissero also passes along the details on Chris Williams‘ four-year contract with the Bills. According to the USA Today scribe (via Twitter), it’s worth $13.04MM with $3.025MM in the first year, and is only guaranteed for injury in year two. Pelissero adds in another tweet that there’s a $2.5MM roster bonus due early in 2016 that’s a clear “trigger point” for the deal.
- The Colts signed safety Sergio Brown on Tuesday, and that one-year deal will be worth $1.4MM, with a $300K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- While Keith Rivers‘ new deal with the Bills was reported as a two-year, $5MM contract with half of that amount guaranteed, it looks like it won’t be worth quite that much. Wilson tweets that it’s worth $4.05MM, with a $1MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1.25MM (2014) and $1.6MM (2015), and annual workout bonuses of $100K.
- Michael Hoomanawanui‘s two-year contract with the Patriots is worth a total of $2.4MM, with a $360K signing bonus and $1.1MM in total guarantees, tweets Wilson.
- The two-year, $5MM figure reported for Al Woods earlier today includes incentives, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The defensive lineman’s contract with the Titans features a signing bonus of $1MM, base salaries of $900K (2014) and $2.1MM (2015), and incentives worth up to $500K annually.
Panthers Release Steve Smith
4:23pm: According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Panthers designated Smith as a post-June 1 cut, which will reduce the dead money on the team’s 2014 books, stretching some of that hit into 2015.
10:27am: The Panthers have officially released Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link).
9:55am: Before the Panthers decided to cut Smith, the receiver presented the team with five preferred trade destinations, a source tells Joseph Person. Those clubs were the Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens, Bucs, and Chargers.
7:12am: Unable to find a trade partner for Steve Smith, the Panthers will release the veteran wide receiver, according to Bill Voth of the SportsXchange (via Twitter). Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer confirms (via Twitter) that the move is expected to come later today. According to Person (via Twitter), Hakeem Nicks will be the club’s top target as they consider replacements for the longtime Panther.
Smith’s agent, Derek Fox, had suggested yesterday that his client’s time in Carolina was almost certainly over, noting that the club would likely release the wide receiver if he couldn’t be traded. When the move becomes official, Smith is expected to draw serious interest from the Ravens, and a report this week indicated that interest should be mutual. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter) calls Baltimore the early frontrunner in the upcoming Smith sweepstakes, though we heard the Buccaneers and Raiders mentioned yesterday as likely suitors as well.
Assuming the Panthers don’t designate Smith as a post-June 1 cut, his cap number will be higher after he’s cut ($9MM) than it would’ve been if he remained on the roster ($7MM). As Person wrote yesterday, GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t view the move as a financial necessity, but thinks the team needs to part ways with the veteran receiver to let younger leaders like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly take control of the locker room.
Smith, who turns 35 in May, is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving. He’s also is 19th all-time in NFL history in yards receiving and 25th in receptions.
Tommy Kelly Restructures Pats Contract
Patriots defensive lineman Tommy Kelly has restructured the final year of his contract to reduce the team’s cap hit for 2014, reports Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com.
Kelly’s deal had originally featured a $2.656MM cap number for 2014, but that has been reduced to about $1.85MM in the restructure, according to Yates. Kelly can still earn approximately the same total salary if the contract maxes, but more of it is tied up in per-game roster bonuses and playing time incentives.
Unlike Kelly, it doesn’t appear fellow lineman Vince Wilfork will be reworking his deal. He reportedly asked the Pats for his release earlier today.
Vince Wilfork Asks Pats To Release Him
Longtime Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has requested his release, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While no further details have surfaced yet, it had been expected that the club and Wilfork would have to restructure the veteran’s contract at some point in the near future if he was to remain in New England.
Entering the final year of his contract, Wilfork had been on the books for a cap hit of $11.6MM in 2014. With $3.6MM of dead money included in that amount, the Pats would create $8MM in cap savings if they were to release the 32-year-old. According to Rapoport and Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links), there had been no recent talks between the team and Wilfork, and the idea of reworking his contract was a non-starter for the former first-round pick.
Wilfork, who will be returning from a torn Achilles in 2014, appeared in just four games for the Pats in 2013, but has consistently posted positive grades at defensive tackle for the club in his healthy seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). If the five-time Pro Bowler were to hit the open market, he would draw plenty of interest from virtually every team in need of interior defensive line help.
WR Rumors: Smith, Nicks, Edelman, Hixon
A notable wide receiver came off the board last night when Eric Decker agreed to terms with the Jets, but another one is expected to hit the open market today, as word broke this morning that the Panthers will release Steve Smith. Baltimore, Oakland, and Tampa Bay have been mentioned as potential landing spots for Smith, and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer cautions not to rule out the Chargers or Patriots as well (Twitter link). Here are a few more wide receiver rumors to start off your Thursday:
- As we heard this morning, the Panthers are eyeing Hakeem Nicks to potentially replace Smith, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is currently offering a deal worth about $4.5MM per year.
- If Smith eventually lands with Baltimore, it increases the chances that Julian Edelman will re-sign with the Patriots, according to La Canfora (via Twitter). However, the CBS scribe adds in another tweet that Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer has been attempting to recruit Edelman to Cleveland.
- The Patriots continue to monitor the market, and will almost certainly land a receiver eventually, whether it’s Smith, Edelman, Nicks, or someone else, tweets La Canfora.
- We heard earlier this week that the Bears were in talks with wide receiver Domenik Hixon, and now Josina Anderson of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the free agent is on his way to Chicago to visit the team. Assuming the visit goes well, Hixon would like to sign with the Bears, Anderson adds in a second tweet.
FA Visits: Woodley, Munnerlyn, Browner
Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen were out to dinner with edge defenders LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck Wednesday night with the Raiders, and things are moving in the right direction with both players, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Here’s more from around the NFL on free agent visits:
- While it sounds as if Woodley’s meeting with the Raiders went well, the ex-Steeler is on his way to Tennessee to meet with the Titans today, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
- Panthers free agent cornerback Captain Munnerlyn visited the Vikings last night and also has appointments planned with the Jets and Buccaneers, tweets Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- After reaching an agreement yesterday with ex-Buc Darrelle Revis, the Patriots will host another free agent cornerback for a visit today, according to Mark Ockerbloom of Fox 25 Boston, who tweets that Brandon Browner will meet with the team.
- Defensive lineman Anthony Spencer is visiting the Redskins, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Panthers brought free agent defensive back Roman Harper in for a visit, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
- Free agent linebacker Darryl Sharpton is meeting with the Titans today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions are hosting free agent safety James Ihedigbo for a visit, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who notes (via Twitter) that Ihedigbo has a history with new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.