RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/18
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Tendered at second-round level:
- Falcons: G Ben Garland (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Jaguars: RB Corey Grant (via John Oehser of Jaguars.com, on Twitter)
- Redskins: T Ty Nsekhe (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
- Titans: G Quinton Spain (Twitter link via Paul Kuharsky)
- Vikings: G/C Nick Easton (per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, on Twitter)
Tendered at original-round level:
- Bears: CB Bryce Callahan, WR Cameron Meredith, WR Josh Bellamy (via Rich Campbell and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, all Twitter links)
Non-Tendered:
- Broncos: WR Bennie Fowler (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, on Twitter)
- Packers: P Jake Schum (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN)
ERFAs
Tendered:
- 49ers: RB Raheem Mostert (per Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler, on Twitter)
- Broncos: LS Casey Kreiter, WR Jordan Taylor, LB Zaire Anderson, T Elijah Wilkinson, LB Jerrol Garcia-Williams, LB Joseph Jones (Jhabvala reports, Twitter links)
- Giants: G Jon Halapio (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, on Twitter)
- Jaguars: TE Ben Koyack, OL William Poehls (Twitter links, via Oehser)
- Packers: WR Michael Clark, OL Justin McCray, CB Donatello Brown (all Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com and Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Raiders: K Giorgio Tavecchio, LB Shilique Calhoun (Twitter links via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com)
- Rams: RB Malcolm Brown, CB Troy Hill (per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
Non-Tendered:
- Bears: LS Patrick Scales (via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, on Twitter)
- Cardinals: TE Ifeanyi Momah (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic)
Valentino Blake To Continue Playing
Last summer, cornerback Valentino Blake left the Giants due to personal reasons and later announced his retirement. This year, Blake intends to get back into football, as Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. 
Blake left the game for personal reasons and is now free to sign anywhere he chooses as a free agent. Blake may have to wait a while before his market materializes, particularly since this is a deep class for cornerbacks.
Blake, 28 in August, was a durable defender for the Jaguars, Steelers and Titans over the first five seasons of his career. In 2016, he logged his third consecutive 16-game campaign with the Titans. However, Pro Football Focus ranked his performance just 76th among 110 qualified corners in that season.
This year’s cornerback class is headlined by the likes of Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Bashaud Breeland, E.J. Gaines, and Morris Claiborne.
Giants Release Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Apparently, the Giants and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie could not come to terms on a pay cut, as the club announced that it has terminated DRC’s contract. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com first reported that DRC would be released (Twitter link).
Just yesterday, we learned that New York asked the 31-year-old corner (32 in April) — whom they had already planned to move to safety — to take a significant pay cut. He was owed $6.48MM in 2018 and was scheduled to take up $8.5MM of cap space, which the Giants considered to be too steep of a price. We also heard that the two sides were not close to reaching any sort of agreement on a pay reduction, which makes today’s release fairly unsurprising.
One of the reasons DRC likely balked at accepting a reduction in pay is that he believes he can get at least close to what he was scheduled to earn with Big Blue this year on the open market. Indeed, $6.5MM does not seem to be too steep of a price to pay for a starting corner if a team believes he can effectively line up on the outside, and while he is on the wrong side of 30, he should have a couple of quality years left. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, DRC does, in fact, want to play as an outside CB again (Twitter link).
The Giants were sitting on just $15MM of cap space before making the move, and that number now jumps to roughly $21MM. They are expected to make a push for top free agent guard Andrew Norwell, who could command up to $12MM per year, and they also need to make other reinforcements along the O-line. New York also needs to invest in its running back and outside linebacker positions this offseason, and they may consider replacing DRC with divisional foe Patrick Robinson. As Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com opines, DRC’s release also makes retaining Ross Cockrell, who performed capably last season and who will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, more important.
Rodgers-Cromartie entered the league in 2008 as a first-round pick of the Cardinals and has since suited up for the Eagles, Broncos, and Giants. He has two Pro Bowls to his credit to go along with 30 career interceptions and six TDs.
Justin Pugh Cleared For Football Activities
Justin Pugh‘s free agency prospects just got a bit brighter. Per Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com, the Giants lineman and free-agent-to-be has been cleared to resume all football activities after an MRI revealed no structural damage in his back.
New York drafted Pugh in the first round of the 2013 draft, and this year will mark the Syracuse product’s first venture into the open market. He has lined up all along the offensive line for the Giants, and his versatility will certainly make him more attractive to potential bidders. However, he has not suited up for a full 16-game campaign since his rookie year, and advanced metrics have never been overly fond of his play. He graded out as the No. 52 guard in the league in 2017, per Pro Football Focus, and he ended the year on season-ending IR with a back injury (he ultimately missed half of last season due to injury).
Nonetheless, his medical clearance and the fact that this year’s crop of free agent lineman is pretty slim (only Andrew Norwell and Nate Solder rank above him per PFR’s most recent rankings) should result in a fairly robust market for Pugh’s services. PFR lists him as a tackle, though an acquiring team may sign him as a guard with the ability to kick out to tackle if necessary.
The Giants, who are reportedly preparing to make a major push for Norwell, have not ruled out a reunion with Pugh.
Giants Ask DRC To Take Pay Cut
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie signed with the Giants four years ago, but the team has revamped its front office. And the new one doesn’t like how much money the defensive back will earn in 2018.
The Giants have asked DRC to take a “significant” pay cut, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). While it’s uncertain if the 11th-year defender will do so, Garafolo reports the sides are not believed to be close on terms at this point. However, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv expects a resolution to be reached before free agency opens on Wednesday. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com says the team could also look to trade DRC, as his salary is reasonable for a team that believes he could start on the outside (Twitter link).
Rodgers-Cromartie will turn 32 in April and has just one year remaining on a five-year, $35MM contract he signed in March 2014. That year calls for a $6.48MM base salary — which the team would save by cutting him — and a $8.5MM cap number. DRC could balk at a major pay cut by believing he could fetch at least a per-year offer of close to what he’d make with the 2018 Giants, but he’s one of the players Big Blue could target as a cap casualty.
If the two sides can agree on a pay cut, the team plans to move DRC to safety next season. The Giants are expected to make a big push to sign Andrew Norwell to begin an offensive line overhaul Dave Gettleman has repeatedly hinted at. With Norwell possibly costing more than $12MM per year, and the Giants sitting on less than $15MM in cap space, adjustments will need to be made before a strong offer goes out to the UFA guard.
While the then-cornerback was part of a historically turbulent season for Giants corners, incurring a one-game suspension from then-HC Ben McAdoo, Pro Football Focus still graded DRC as a mid-level player. He would likely receive an opportunity elsewhere if the Giants moved on from him. The rangy defender is on his fourth team but has started 120 games in his career and has made two Pro Bowls.
Odell Beckham Jr. Involved In “Troubling” Video
Star Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. is featured in a potentially disturbing video clip that was leaked on Friday while Beckham was on a Nike-sponsored trip in Europe, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. As Raanan writes, the clip is seven seconds long and shows Beckham in a bed holding what appears to be some sort of brown cigarette or cigar. The video also shows a woman next to Beckham holding a credit card, and there is a powdery white substance aligned in rows nearby.
Needless to say, this video has emerged at a very inopportune time for Beckham. After reportedly seeking a $100MM+ contract before the 2017 campaign got underway — and given how productive he had been in his first three years in the league, those ambitions did not seem unreasonable — Beckham managed to play just four games in 2017 due to a broken ankle, which cast his chances of landing a record-breaking extension into doubt. Nonetheless, he is still hoping for a lucrative long-term deal to come his way this offseason, as he is set to play out the 2018 season on his fifth-year option, which will pay him $8.5MM.
The Giants, of course, have a new GM and head coach, both of whom have indicated that they are in Beckham’s corner and want him to be with the club for the foreseeable future. Team ownership has never wavered in its desire to make Beckham a Giant for life, but Big Blue was surely hoping that Beckham had moved past his ankle injury as well as his past enigmatic behavior, and this video will not help matters.
ESPN has been unable to confirm where or when the video was filmed, but the NFL and the Giants are aware of its existence. Both the league and the team have declined to comment beyond that, and Beckham’s camp has not returned requests for comment.
Giants Cut Punter Brad Wing
The Giants have terminated the contract of punter Brad Wing, reports Michael Elsen of Giants.com. The move will free up $1.025MM in cap space, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).
The 2013 undrafted free agent out of LSU seemingly found a home in New York, as he appeared in every game for the Giants since 2015. After being acquired by the organization in a trade with the Steelers, Wing went on to have solid campaigns for his team in 2015 and 2016. However, he took a step back last season, as his 36.7-yard net average ranked last among eligible punters. Elsen also notes that shorts punts against the Eagles and Buccaneers ultimately led to Giants losses.
As ProFootballTalk.com’s Michael David Smith writes, the Giants will likely look to improve their entire special teams core this offseason. Long snapper Zak DeOssie is now the only member of the grouping under contract in 2018.
Giants Won’t Re-Sign Weston Richburg
The Giants are not interested in re-signing center Weston Richburg, who will reach free agency when the market opens next Wednesday, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Instead, New York plans to tender restricted free agent Brett Jones and deploy him as its starting center.
Richburg only appeared in four games in 2017 while dealing with a concussion, but he’s been since been medically cleared. The 26-year-old offers 50 games of experience at the pivot, but teams are reportedly considering Richburg at guard, as well. Richburg, a former second-round pick, hasn’t played guard since his rookie campaign, but any added versatility could potentially give him more value.
PFR recently ranked Richburg as the No. 34 overall free agent on the board, and he’s one of the best interior lineman available. At his position, Richburg will compete with the likes of Ryan Jensen, Matt Slauson, and John Sullivan for free agent dollars. Richburg has reportedly drawn early interest from the crosstown Jets, who have a glaring need at center.
The Giants are expected to use the second-round tender on Jones, per Schwartz. Not only would that tender entitle Jones to a $2.914MM salary in 2018, but it would allow Big Blue to reap a second-round pick if Jones inks an un-matched offer sheet with another club. Jones, 26, started 13 games in the absence of Richburg, and graded as the NFL’s No. 18 center among 37 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Giants Acquire LB Alec Ogletree From Rams
The Rams are trading linebacker Alec Ogletree to the Giants, a league source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will see Ogletree and the Rams’ 2019 seventh-rounder go to the G-Men in exchange for a fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick. 
Thanks to the extension he signed last fall, Ogletree is under contract through 2021. The Rams probably didn’t expect to part ways with him so soon even that the deal included $18MM in full guarantees with $33MM in cash flow over the first three years. L.A. is moving on from him, partially due to financial constraints, but the Giants believe they’re acquiring a quality playmaker on D.
Ogletree, a former first-round pick, started in all 15 of his games last season and racked up 95 tackles and two sacks. The advanced metrics have never been fond of him, but those who have watched him play disagree with the analytics.
Linebacker was one of the Giants’ biggest areas of need this offseason, particularly with Akeem Ayers, Jonathan Casillas, Mark Herzlich, Devon Kennard, Keenan Robinson, and Kelvin Sheppard all headed towards free agency. Last year, the Giants’ run defense sagged and opposing tight ends had their way across the middle of the field. The Giants are hoping that Ogletree’s presence will help in both areas.
The acquisition of Ogletree gives new defensive coordinator James Bettcher a big-time weapon to work with. Ogletree spent much of his career in a 4-3 scheme, but he transitioned to a 3-4 set under Wade Phillips last year, similar to Bettcher’s. It’s worth noting, however, that Ogletree didn’t cleanly fit into 3-4, as Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com (Twitter link) writes.
This marks the latest deal in what has been a busy offseason for the Rams. In recent weeks, L.A. has acquired cornerback Marcus Peters from the Chiefs and shipped defensive end Robert Quinn to the Dolphins.
The Rams were not expected to part ways with Ogletree, but it’s a logical move for cap reasons. Moving Ogletree may allow the Rams to hold on to linebacker Mark Barron and re-sign wide receiver Sammy Watkins. There’s also the outside chance that the Rams find space to retain cornerback Trumaine Johnson and the extra breathing room could help the team in their bid to eventually extend Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, and Jared Goff.
Per league rules, the trade will not become official until March 14.
Giants Notes: Darkwa, Richburg, Bromley
Although he’s drawing interest from the cross-town Jets, the Giants still want to re-sign running back Orleans Darkwa, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Darkwa, 26, broke out with Big Blue in 2017, posting career-highs in starts (11), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). A former undrafted free agent out of Tulane, Darkwa had only managed 287 rushing yards in the three prior years of his NFL tenure. The Giants could conceivably lose both Darkwa and fellow free agent Shane Vereen to the open market, which would leave them with Wayne Gallman, Paul Perkins, Terrell Watson, and Jalen Simmons on their running back depth chart.
Here’s more on the Giants, all courtesy of Raanan:
- Teams around the league are viewing Giants free agent Weston Richburg as both a center and a guard, per Raanan. Richburg has played at the pivot for the past three years, but he spend time at guard during his rookie season in 2014. Although injuries limited him to only four games in 2017, Richburg will be the best center available on the open market, leading a positional group that also includes Ryan Jensen, John Sullivan, Russell Bodine, and Travis Swanson, but he could increase his number of suitors by exhibiting versatility.
- The Giants could field five new starters along their offensive line in 2018, a source tells Raanan. While that overhaul likely wouldn’t removing Brett Jones, who filled in for Richburg at center last season, but it would still represent a massive overhaul. Notably, changeover at all five positions would mean New York has moved on from former first-round pick, and incumbent left tackle, Ereck Flowers. Panthers guard Andrew Norwell could be part of the renovation, as Giants general manager Dave Gettleman reportedly “loves” the Carolina free agent, Raanan writes in a separate piece.
- A number of Giants free agents are unlikely to remain with the club next year, per Raanan. Defensive lineman Jay Bromley and Kerry Wynn aren’t expected to re-sign, as neither is a good fit for new defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s 3-4 scheme. Bromley, notably, is reportedly looking for a larger role on defense, according to Raanan, as he’s spent the majority of his career as a reserve. Linebacker Jonathan Casillas, additionally, doesn’t appear to be on the Giants’ radar, as the club is looking to get younger at the second level of its defense.
- Gettleman will likely try to improve the Giants’ locker room culture by inking established veterans on the defensive side of the ball, and Raanan lists incumbent linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and Dolphins’ special teams ace Michael Thomas as players New York could sign for their leadership.