Giants Notes: Beason, Snee, D’Amato
Let’s round up a few quick items on the Giants, as free agency inches closer….
- Linebacker Jon Beason, who is said to be the Giants’ top free agent priority, has been emailing teams to let them know he’s representing himself, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. As Schefter notes, the clubs can’t reply yet due to tampering rules. Beason also won’t be able to talk to any teams besides the Giants until Tuesday, since the three-day negotiating window that opens Saturday only applies to player agents talking to rival suitors on behalf of their clients.
- Kimberley Jones of NFL Network hears from a source that a contract agreement between the Giants and offensive lineman Chris Snee “will get done” (Twitter link). Snee and the Giants have mutual interest in the veteran’s return to the team for next season, but are working to reduce his $11.3MM cap number for 2014.
- The Giants have interest in Cal kicker Vincenzo D’Amato, who worked out for the Patriots today, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (link via National Football Post).
AFC Notes: Brinkley, Cassel, Bailey, Byrd
The Bills are getting an early start on perusing this year’s crop of free agent linebackers. After meeting with Jameel McClain, who was released last week by the Ravens, Buffalo is hosting another free agent LB today, as Jasper Brinkley comes to town, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. Brinkley was cut last Friday by the Cardinals.
Here’s more from around the AFC:
- Matt Cassel, who opted out of his contract with the Vikings, has an old Patriots connection with new Houston head coach Bill O’Brien, and the interest between Cassel and the Texans is mutual and real, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
- Rapoport also hears that before D’Qwell Jackson signed with the Colts, the free agent linebacker turned down more money elsewhere (Twitter link).
- Veteran defensive back Champ Bailey, who is being released by the Broncos, tells Mike Klis of the Denver Post (Twitter link) that GM John Elway didn’t present a pay cut as an option. “There was no discussions about it,” Bailey said. “It was like, ‘We’re ready to move on.'”
- The Broncos will look to add a pass rusher this offseason to play opposite Von Miller, and free agency may be a better bet for the club than the draft, according to Klis, who identifies Jared Allen as one possible target.
- In a Q&A with John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, Bills GM Doug Whaley suggested that not franchising Jairus Byrd earlier this week set up a “more amicable” negotiation with the free agent safety. Said Whaley, in noting that the team franchised Byrd a year ago: “This year we said, ‘For the betterment of the Buffalo Bills, and to show you more or less good faith, we’re not going to use that option to restrict you from hitting the market. Let’s try to go full bore, with both of us focused on trying to get a deal done.'”
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe explains why he thinks it make sense for the Patriots to pass on re-signing prospective free agent Aqib Talib and instead try to trade for Buccaneers cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Pompei On Byrd, Graham, Joseph, McCown
Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report leads off his latest column by discussing Bills safety Jairus Byrd, who looks poised to reach the open market in the next few days. Many front office executives around the league view Byrd as the top difference-maker of this year’s free agent class, so the 27-year-old figures to draw plenty of interest, even if he won’t come cheap — Pompei suggests the “word on the street” is that Byrd will seek $9MM+ per year. Here’s more from the BR piece:
- The Seahawks are unlikely to pursue franchised Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, since the investment required in Graham could preclude deals for one or more of the team’s own young players.
- Others clubs around the league believe Buccaneers guard Davin Joseph could be available via trade, says Pompei. Joseph is a two-time Pro Bowler, but is owed $6MM in 2014 and turns 31 later this year.
- Josh McCown‘s market is “developing quite nicely,” according to Pompeti, who suggests that it’s starting to look like the free-agent-to-be won’t return to the Bears. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted something similar today, indicating that it looks like the signal-caller will hit the open market next week. The Buccaneers, Jets, and Vikings could be among McCown’s suitors, writes Pompei.
- Don’t expect Greg Schiano to join the Patriots‘ staff, despite the time he spent with Bill Belichick at last month’s combine. A source tells Pompei that New England doesn’t have a spot on the staff for the former Bucs head coach, and isn’t likely to create one.
- The 49ers front office “thinks very highly” of defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, according to Pompei, who suggests that if the reported tension between the club and Jim Harbaugh develops into anything real, Tomsula could be next in line for the head coaching job.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Evans, Matthews
The Browns didn’t meet with Johnny Manziel at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he wasn’t the only quarterback that the club didn’t talk to, according to Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com (via Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group). Cleveland also passed on the chance to talk to the likes of Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr. That doesn’t mean the team won’t meet with the top QBs, however. The Browns plan to spend quality time with the quarterbacks when they bring them to Berea, Ohio for visits and future private workouts. More draft news..
- Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans has met with the Patriots and 49ers in the last 24 hours, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- Tackle Jake Matthews met has met with the Browns and Rams, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Matthews, widely expected to be one of the first tackles off the board in this year’s draft, has also met with the Falcons.
- Alabama State running back Isaiah Crowell confirmed that he has spoken to the Raiders, Browns, and the Ravens, according to a report from BamaStateSports.com (hat tip to NFL.com).
FA Rumors: Talib, Allen, Carroll, McClain
While one prospective free agent cornerback, Brent Grimes, re-upped with his team earlier this week, we probably shouldn’t expect Aqib Talib and the Patriots to reach an agreement before Talib hits the open market, says Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. Howe hears from a source that Talib “wants to be paid as a top-of-the-market corner” in free agency, meaning he’s unlikely to accept any offer from the Pats before he sees what else is out there. New England has made the veteran cornerback a priority since the team’s season ended, but it looks like the Pats will have to compete with other suitors if they want to bring Talib back for 2014.
Here’s more on this year’s free agent class:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jared Allen said that when he hits free agency, he’ll be looking for a good organization with a chance to win – as well as a fair contract – and expects to be very involved in the process. The longtime Viking didn’t sound bullish on the idea of joining the Raiders, suggesting that Oakland has a lot of things to “correct” and may not be looking for a veteran defensive end (all Twitter links).
- The Vikings are “expected to take a strong look” at cornerback Nolan Carroll if and when he becomes available, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. We heard last week that the Dolphins have interest in bringing back Carroll, who anticipates testing the open market.
- Jack Bechta, the agent for linebacker Pat Angerer, tells Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star that the Colts will let his client hit the open market next week without attempting to re-sign him. Angerer’s looming departure helps explain the club’s interest in signing free agent linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.
- After visiting with the Bills today, free agent linebacker Jameel McClain will move on to meet with the Giants, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR550. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Bills and Giants are two of the five teams interested in McClain.
- The Redskins continue talking to linebacker Perry Riley but aren’t particularly close to reaching an agreement, reports Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
- Seth Walder of the New York Daily News expects the Jets to add a quarterback in free agency, and identifies Josh McCown, Michael Vick, and Tarvaris Jackson as a few potential targets for the club.
- According to head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have “aggressive” offers out to all the pending free agents they want to keep (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at some free agent options for the Lions as the team hunts for a slot receiver to replace Nate Burleson.
AFC East Notes: Byrd, Bills, Patriots, Jets
With the 2014 free agent period just one week away from officially getting underway, let’s round up a few of the latest AFC East headlines related to free agency….
- While it looks like there’s a strong possibility of Jairus Byrd leaving the Bills in free agency, the safety hasn’t ruled out the possibility of returning to Buffalo, as he tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. “The door is not closed on anything,” Byrd said. “I’m not closing the door on any opportunities at all. The lines of communication [with the Bills] are still open…. We’re talking. So it’s not anything that’s hard feelings or anything like that. The conversations that we’ve had, we know what’s going on. We’re all on the same page. We’ll go from here.”
- Byrd also cautioned that “you can’t really believe everything you hear” when asked about an Associated Press report that suggested he turned down an offer from the Bills that would have paid him $10MM over the next three years.
- The Patriots may end up re-signing free-agents-to-be Julian Edelman and/or Aqib Talib, but the team didn’t see any value in using the franchise tag on either player, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Volin also thinks it only makes sense for New England to release Danny Amendola this offseason if the receiver is designated as a post-June 1 cut.
- Seth Walder of the New York Daily News examines a few potential free agent wide receiver targets for the Jets, including Hakeem Nicks, Emmanuel Sanders, and Golden Tate.
FA Rumors: Spikes, Jackson, Mack, Graham
With the 2014 free agent period now eight days away, we’re starting to get a clearer idea of which players will actually be available when we turn the calendar to March 11, and a new league year begins. Plenty of free-agents-to-be will still be locked up between now and then, but many more will hit the open market, and perhaps change teams. Here’s the latest on a number of current or prospective free agents:
- The Patriots and Brandon Spikes aren’t discussing a new deal, meaning the linebacker appears likely to become a free agent and sign elsewhere, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
- Having met with the Broncos and Titans already, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson is on his way to Miami today to visit the Dolphins, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The former Brown has a leg up on this year’s class of free agent linebackers, since he’s free to sign prior to March 11 if he so chooses.
- The Browns‘ brass met with center Alex Mack this weekend, and are serious about mending fences with Mack that may have been torn down by the old regime, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- In the view of ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), the Seahawks and Packers should be open to the idea of signing Jimmy Graham to an offer sheet and giving up two first-round picks to snatch him away from the Saints. However, Peter King of TheMMQB.com doesn’t think giving up a pair of top picks for the right to pay Graham $12MM per year is worth it.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the Saints‘ perspective when it comes to negotiating a new deal for Graham.
- Chris Murray, the agent for defensive back Marcus Sherels, is optimistic that he and the Vikings will complete a deal for his restricted free agent client before March 11, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
- The Giants will be bringing back exclusive rights free agent OL Dallas Reynolds, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
- Pro Football Focus has released a list of its top 75 free agents.
AFC East Notes: Mallett, Byrd, Howard, Trades
Tom Brady is signed through the 2017 season, and the Patriots will be facing the same series of questions until that contract is up: should we draft his eventual replacement? Is the replacement already on the roster? Should we sign a veteran backup? Within the framework of those questions, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald examines the status of current backup Ryan Mallett, who will be a free agent after the 2014 season.
There have been rumors that the Texans may be interested in Mallett, given his familiarity with the offense that Houston’s new head coach Bill O’Brien plans to install, and the Vikings might also have some interest. But despite Mallett’s potential and the fact that he has been mentored by Brady and Bill Belichick, his impending free agency might reduce the the return the Patriots could expect in a trade.
Further complicating the situation is the fact that, if New England were to take a QB in this year’s draft, that player’s rookie deal would expire at the same time as Brady’s. But with Mallett unlikely willing to wait until Brady plays out his contract before finally getting a shot, the Patriots probably have no choice but to trade him now or let him walk after this season. As such, the Pats will keep their eyes peeled for the next young quarterback to impress them the way Mallett did in 2011.
Some more notes from the AFC East:
- The Bills have nearly $25MM in cap space, and Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News examines how the team might utilize that flexibility. Most notably, Gaughan writes that Buffalo has enough space to retain Jairus Byrd, whether they bring him back on a long-term deal or put the franchise tag on him. GM Doug Whaley said the team will “go after” all of its own free agents, and Gaughan observes that the most significant of those free agents beyond Byrd are Scott Chandler and Dan Carpenter. The team could create even more cap space–about $3.1MM– with the expected release of backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. Right tackle Erik Pears is also in danger of being cut, and his release would save about $2.9MM.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com expects the Jets to re-sign tackle Austin Howard before free agency opens on March 11. He also notes that, with all their cap space–which will increase following the expected release of Santonio Holmes–the Jets will also attack the free agent market for quarterbacks and wide receivers. Cimini expects the team to pursue quarterbacks Michael Vick and Josh McCown and wideouts Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, and Hakeem Nicks.
- James Walker of ESPN.com says it is “difficult to believe” that the Dolphins are seeking to trade Dion Jordan, Cameron Wake, and Mike Wallace, particularly since the team is in “win now” mode. We heard several days ago that Miami was shopping those players, rumors that the team quickly denied. Walker thinks the most “tradeable” of that group is Jordan, who had a difficult time finding a good fit on the Dolphins defense last year. However, Walker adds that Miami is not likely to give up on such a special talent after just one season.
Broncos, Patriots Interested In Revis
NFL teams have been considering trading for Darrelle Revis, and while the Buccaneers are not confirmed to be seriously shopping him, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the Patriots and Broncos would both be interested in acquiring the superstar cornerback.
Revis holds a $16MM cap figure ($13MM in base salary, $3MM in bonuses) but the contract is completely non-guaranteed. Even still, this is a large number for two cap-strapped AFC contenders.
The thinking behind each move is that both the Patriots and the Broncos employ expensive quarterbacks that are both inching closer and closer to their 40th birthdays, with Peyton Manning at 37 and Tom Brady at 36. Each team knows its window to win a Super Bowl is now.
For the Patriots, Revis could be a safer alternative to re-signing Aqib Talib to a big money deal, especially after the team was embarrassed by other players with character concerns in Aaron Hernandez and Alfonzo Dennard. Also, Florio rights that the “icing on the cake” would be the ability to stick Revis against the Jets twice a year.
The Broncos have Champ Bailey on the books for $10MM in 2014, and for only $6MM more they could have a much younger, healthier option at corner. At this point in their respected careers, the older Bailey is not even close to the talent Revis is. Florio writes that Revis wouldn’t close the gap between the Broncos and the Seahawks in case of a Super Bowl rematch, but he would be a huge upgrade for a team that was embarrassed by 35 points in its final game.
Patriots Shopping Danny Amendola?
The Patriots have “floated” Danny Amendola in trade talks, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei. After contract negotiations with Wes Welker turned sour last year, the Pats jumped at the chance to replace the veteran slot receiver with Amendola, ostensibly a younger, quieter replica. Amendola was handed a five-year, $28.5MM contract, but managed just 54 catches for 633 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games. In two playoff games, he totaled 3-77-0 and was kept off the stat sheet in a season-ending loss to the Broncos.
When healthy, Amendola has been productive, but he’s missed 24 games the last three seasons and his cap hit ($4.575MM in 2014) escalates by $1MM each of the remaining four years. Pompei says Amendola could be cut if a deal is not found.