Raiders Sign Austin Howard To Five-Year Deal
WEDNESDAY, 7:22pm: The Raiders have officially announced their deal with Howard.
TUESDAY, 11:26pm: Howard’s deal will be a five-year pact worth $30MM, with $15MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
11:23pm: The Raiders have an agreement in place with free agent tackle Austin Howard, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Jets made an effort to re-sign their right tackle before he hit the open market today, but fell short, and Howard will now head west for the 2014 season.
Howard, 26, started all 16 games at right tackle for New York for a second consecutive season in 2013, allowing just two quarterback sacks and ranking as one of the best tackles in the league when it came to avoiding penalties, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While right tackles typically don’t receive the same kind of paydays as their counterparts on the left side of the line, the Raiders entered the day with the most cap space in the league and already spent big money on Rodger Saffold, who may play guard for the team. In other words, I’d expect Howard will make out pretty well on his new deal.
Last month, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com suggested that Howard could be in line for a deal similar to the one signed by Patriots right tackle Sebastian Vollmer a year ago. Vollmer agreed to a four-year, $17MM contract that could increase to an overall value of up to $27MM due to various incentives. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if Howard surpassed those dollar amounts.
The Saints, Cardinals, and one other team had interest in Howard before he reached a deal with the Raiders, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Redskins Rumors: Clark, Tapp, Carroll, Talib
Reports have surfaced suggesting Ryan Clark won’t sign with the Redskins despite visiting the team today, but agent Joel Turner is adamant that his client wouldn’t meet with the club unless he had interest, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post. According to Jones, Clark has other suitors, but is intrigued by the idea of returning to Washington (Twitter links). Here’s more on the Redskins:
- Unrestricted free agent Darryl Tapp won’t be returning to the Redskins, agent Fletcher Smith tells ESPN.com’s John Keim (Twitter link).
- The Redskins have not inquired on free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll, tweets Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980. Carroll is a University of Maryland product, which would make him of interest to many Skins fans.
- The Redskins were one of the teams to express interest in Aqib Talib before he signed with Denver, the cornerback confirmed today (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Talib also suggested that the Pats, 49ers, and Saints inquired.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Saints Sign Jairus Byrd
WEDNESDAY, 5:52pm: Tom Pelissero of USA Today (on Twitter) says Byrd will earn $12.3MM in year one, including the $11MM signing bonus. Byrd has a $6MM roster bonus due next March that will be fully guaranteed next week and a $2MM base and $100K workout bonus that year (link). In 2016, $6MM of his $7.4MM base salary is guaranteed only for injury. In total, Byrd will earn $20.4MM in his first two years (link).
TUESDAY, 11:18pm: Byrd’s deal includes an $11MM signing bonus, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News.
8:53pm: The Saints are giving Byrd a six-year, $54MM contract, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The deal includes a healthy $28MM guaranteed.
8:27pm: The Saints announced that they have signed Jairus Byrd to a six-year deal. In a free agent market chock full of quality safeties, Byrd was the very best and one of the best free agents available at any position.
Byrd was said to have serious interest in signing with the Redskins and Eagles and a return to the Bills was said to be possible, but he’ll be headed to New Orleans instead. The Dolphins and Rams also reached out to Byrd’s camp, though the same could probably be said for a lot of teams.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of maneuvering the Saints had to do in order to sign Byrd since they were really tight against the cap this offseason. Even though the expected release (or trade) of tailback Darren Sproles should free up some cash for New Orleans, the team was still about $2.4MM from the limit heading into today.
Byrd will now team up with Kenny Vaccaro to give the Saints one of the most threatening safety duos in the entire NFL. Byrd, 27, missed a good chunk of the season with injury but still wound up with 37 tackles and four interceptions across eleven games. Last year in Buffalo, Byrd made $6.3MM after receiving the franchise tag from the Bills.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Darren Sproles Prefers To Be Cut, Not Traded
After initially looking like they’d cut Darren Sproles, the Saints received more interest than expected, and now figure to trade the versatile running back, according to various reports. However, if it were up to him, Sproles would prefer to be cut so that he can control his own future, as he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (TwitLonger link).
“I want to get released. I don’t want to be traded,” Sproles said. “I don’t know where they would send me because I have no control over it and I want to be able to pick. The good thing is none of the teams I’m told they’re talking to are terrible. It’s more than two. I feel I should have more of an idea later on today.”
While it’s not known which teams are engaged in trade discussions for Sproles, at least 10 clubs were prepared to express interest if he hit the market, and the Redskins, Vikings, and Bears are among the teams that have been mentioned as potential fits. New Orleans may be more inclined to send Sproles to an AFC team, where he’s less likely to hurt the Saints in the regular season or playoffs. That’s just my speculation though.
Saints, Pierre Thomas Agree To Extension
The Saints have extended Pierre Thomas with a two-year deal, according to his agent Lamont Smith (on Twitter). The extension will keep Thomas under contract through the 2016 season.
There was a great deal of speculation this offseason that the Saints would waive Thomas to save $2.9MM against the salary cap in 2014. Instead, it sounds like the two sides have compromised on a new dollar figure that will give New Orleans some extra breathing room this season. New Orleans needs to shave every dollar that they can after signing top safety Jairus Byrd to a six-year, $54MM deal with $28MM guaranteed.
Last season, Thomas rushed for just 549 yards off of 147 yards, resulting in a 3.7 yards per game average, his lowest in any full NFL season. The Saints are expected to say goodbye to Darren Sproles either by release or trade, so the new deal for Thomas will give them some extra stability in the backfield.
Saints Revisit Trade Options For Sproles
TUESDAY, 6:21pm: After receiving heavy interest in Sproles, the Saints are now planning to trade him rather than release him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). While no trade agreement is in place yet, it looks like the veteran running back won’t become a free agent quite yet.
FRIDAY, 5:59pm: Shortly after parting ways with one of their longtime offensive weapons, Lance Moore, the Saints are expected to cut another one. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is releasing running back Darren Sproles. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the move isn’t official yet and the Saints are still trying to find a potential trade partner for Sproles, but will cut him if no deal can be found.
The Saints were said to be shopping both Moore and Sproles earlier this week, along with Pierre Thomas, in an effort to create some cap flexibility. With younger, less expensive players like receiver Kenny Stills and running back Khiry Robinson ready for larger roles, the team can better afford to part ways with veteran contributors like Sproles. The 30-year-old was on the Saints’ cap for a $4.25MM cap number in 2014, but that will now be reduced to $750K in dead money, creating $3.5MM in cap savings for the club.
When the move becomes official, Sproles should draw plenty of interest from teams looking to add running back depth. The ex-Charger had developed into one of the league’s best receiving threats out of the backfield, averaging more than 77 catches per season in his three years with the Saints.
Jairus Byrd Rumors: Tuesday
4:59pm: Byrd is visiting with the Saints, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that he flew to New Orleans earlier today (via Twitter). It is unclear how serious the meeting is, considering the team’s cap situation.
2:54pm: Byrd’s camp has been most interested in the Redskins and Eagles, but Washington, at least, doesn’t appear willing to pay the safety’s asking price, tweets Russini.
2:20pm: Don’t rule out the Bills if Byrd can’t get big money elsewhere, tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, one exec says he wouldn’t give him big bucks due to health issues (link).
12:44pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that he’d be “really surprised” if the Redskins are seriously in the mix for Byrd, based on what he’s hearing. Rapoport adds that a return to the Bills still isn’t entirely out of the question for the standout safety either. Russini has been pretty plugged in on the Redskins’ offseason so far, having broken word of multiple signings, so I wouldn’t rule out Washington as a landing spot for Byrd quite yet.
12:29pm: The Redskins and Eagles have extended their on-field rivalry to the offseason, as the two teams are the top remaining suitors for free agent safety Jairus Byrd, according to Dianna Russini of NBC Washington (Twitter links). A source tells Russini that Byrd is likely to decide between one of the two NFC East teams.
Byrd, considered the best safety on the market this offseason and one of the top free agents overall, has reportedly received some level of interest from the Dolphins and Rams, among other teams. However, his alleged asking price of $8-9MM per season may have taken some potential suitors out of the mix.
Earlier today, we heard that things weren’t “heating up” between Byrd and the Redskins, though that could change as the new league year approaches.
NFC Rumors: Sproles, Tuck, Suh, Watson
Let’s check on the latest miscellaneous notes from around the NFC….
- The Saints are set to cut Darren Sproles today, but they are still holding out hope on trading him, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There are more than ten teams interested in the diminutive tailback if he’s cut free, so it’s conceivable that they could find a trade partner.
- Justin Tuck‘s exploration of the free agent market may end up with him returning to the Giants, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears that one team was willing to pay Tuck $3MM per year, but the veteran defensive end would prefer to remain in New York at that price.
- Talks have yet to start between the Lions and Ndamukong Suh on reworking his deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The thinking previously was that Detroit had to re-work the deal before the start of free agency but that’s not the case.
- Buccaneers linebacker Dekoda Watson is likely to sign elsewhere at the start of free agency, a league source tells Mike Florio.
- The Bears would like to bring back cornerback/special teams player Sherrick McManis, but the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons could be in play as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- With Donte Whitner set to leave the 49ers, San Francisco could turn to safety Ryan Mundy as a fallback, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Free agent left tackle Jared Veldheer has fired his agent in order to hire his brother, James Veldheer, as his new agent, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Veldheer is expected to sign with the Cardinals.
- The Redskins are monitoring Kenny Britt, who could be had on a reasonable deal in a soft market, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Of course, the Redskins’ likely deal with Andre Roberts lessens their need for Britt.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Contract Tenders: Monday
Cowboys punter Chris Jones signed his exclusive rights tender of $645K, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The move locks down Dallas’ punter situation but eats up about $150K of the ~$2MM salary cap space the club had to work with. Jones averaged 45 yards per punt in his first full season with the Cowboys. The latest contract tenders from around the NFL..
- Restricted free agent tackle Byron Bell has received a second-round tender worth $2.187MM from the Panthers, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The club also tendered exclusive rights free agent Chris Scott, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
- The Chargers have only two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Bront Bird and guard Stephen Schilling and they won’t be tendering either one, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
- Jets linebacker Nick Bellore got the low restricted free agent tender, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Bellore led Gang Green in special teams kickoff tackles last season.
- The Ravens won’t extend an RFA tender to wide receiver Tandon Doss, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team could still bring Doss back on a smaller deal though.
- Lions wide receiver Kris Durham confirmed via Twitter that he inked his tender with the club. Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
- Joe Morgan and Jed Collins won’t receive RFA tenders from the Saints, but the club still has interest in re-signing the two free agents, says Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.
- The Rams won’t tender tight end Mike McNeill, who was eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- Linebacker Justin Hickman has signed his ERFA tender from the Colts, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Bell, Vikings, Bears
The Cowboys are interested in re-signing free-agents-to-be Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, but Dallas isn’t the only team with interest in the defensive linemen. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, the free agent duo has at least seven interested suitors, including the Cowboys. Dallas is also interested in defensive tackle Henry Melton, according to Watkins (Twitter link), but the ESPN scribe cautions that there are no assurances of a deal, given the Cowboys’ limited cap space.
Here’s more from around the NFC, with free agency less than 24 hours away:
- The Lions continue to work hard on a new deal for restricted free agent running back Joique Bell, and hope to get something done before free agency begins tomorrow, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Vikings have inquired about free agent defensive lineman Lamarr Houston but he’ll probably wind up elsewhere, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Wolfson adds in a second tweet that the team has kicked the tires on defensive tackle Vance Walker as well.
- Packers free agent Jermichael Finley has yet to receive medical clearance, but nonetheless has visits lined up with potential suitors this week, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report views the Redskins as the best potential fit for prospective free agent Darren Sproles, though he says the Patriots could be a dark horse.
- The Bears aren’t currently considering free agents Jairus Byrd or Michael Johnson, according to Patrick Finley and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Jason La Canfora’s latest article at CBSSports.com includes plenty of interesting tidbits on free agents. Among them: The Buccaneers may release Jeremy Zuttah this week, and are focusing on signing Anthony Collins. La Canfora adds that the Packers are “very high” on free agent defensive lineman Arthur Jones.
- The door isn’t completely closed on center Jonathan Goodwin winding up back with the 49ers, a source tells Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Holder opines that Goodwin would be a good fit with the Saints also if Brian De La Puente leaves.
Zach Links contributed to this post.