Latest On Giants, Victor Cruz
9:20am: The Giants have informed Cruz that they will release him unless he agrees to a pay cut, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. That news comes as no real surprise, and it still appears as if the two sides have a good chance to work something out.
8:29am: The Giants and wide receiver Victor Cruz had discussions about restructuring the wide receiver’s contract last week, a source tells Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. In the coming days, Graziano adds, the two sides will “likely come to an agreement” on a new deal that lessens Cruz’s cap hit for the 2016 season.
Cruz was working his way back from a torn patellar tendon that forced him to miss most of 2014 season when, during his recovery, he injured his calf. In November 2015, he was placed on IR before his season could even get started. Cruz is currently set to count $9.9MM against the Giants’ cap in 2016 and none of his remaining $24MM over the next three years is guaranteed, so he’s unlikely to continue on his current contract. However, it seems like the two sides are on the verge of hammering out a reworked deal that includes a pay cut.
Just two short years ago, Cruz was the darling of New York and the focal point of their passing attack. Now, Odell Beckham Jr. is the team’s ace wide receiver of the future. Cruz, meanwhile, has not seen the field since October 12th, 2014.
The Giants are slated to have nearly $60MM in cap room when free agency officially opens later this week. Pushing down Cruz’s compensation for the coming year will give Big Blue even more available cash as they look to turn things around in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs
Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.
Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.
Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.
- Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
- A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
- The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
- Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
- Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.
Mario Williams To Visit Giants, Jaguars?
8:47pm: The Giants are hoping to finalize a Williams summit within the next few days, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. It’s possible, a source tells Vacchiano, that Williams instead meets with the Jaguars first.
7:11pm: Williams may not be arriving for his Giants visit tonight after all. Williams still intends to meet with the Giants, but there are details that need to be ironed out, Rapoport tweets. The Jaguars are also in the mix for Williams, Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com tweets.
6:23pm: Williams’ visit will begin tonight and continue through Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Rapoport notes the Giants have a chance to keep him from visiting other teams. They carry the third-most cap space in the league, behind only the Jaguars and Raiders.
5:35pm: Needing significant help at defensive end, the Giants are set to host Mario Williams on a visit, a source told Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
The Giants already scheduled a visit with former Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson for today and are moving aggressively to gauge the pass-rushing options before free agency opens Wednesday. They are permitted to speak with the 31-year-old Williams and 29-year-old Johnson because their respective teams released them.
The Giants are among the four or five teams with which Williams is likely to visit, Raanan reports. Johnson also plans to visit with the Buccaneers.
Raanan expects the Giants to be in the running for the other top UFA edge-rushers, a group that includes Tamba Hali, Bruce Irvin and William Hayes. Hali and Irvin, however, have played linebacker for the most part of their careers, with Hali last serving as an end in 2008.
Adrian Clayborn‘s also someone the Giants are expected to consider, Raanan tweets.
Williams wrapped up a visit with the Dolphins, according to the team’s Twitter account. His next potential employer has far more cap space and less talent at defensive end currently on its roster. The Dolphins feature Cameron Wake and transition-tagged Olivier Vernon at end, while the Giants are without both returning starters — Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers — from the end of last season. JPP and Ayers are unrestricted free agents.
The Bills released Williams on Tuesday in advance of the former No. 1 overall pick being on their books for $19.9MM in 2016. Williams did not fare well in Buffalo’s transition to a 3-4 scheme last season, recording only five sacks — his fewest since his 2006 rookie campaign.
But Williams has always performed better as a 4-3 end, recording 38 sacks from 2012-14 in Buffalo, and the Giants use that scheme. They no longer possess any of the assets from their NASCAR package halcyon days, although JPP could still be in the picture, but have more than $55.7MM worth of cap space to address the position.
Despite Pierre-Paul’s return, the Giants finished with 26 sacks, which was good enough for 30th in the league.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
FA Rumors: Osweiler, Okung, M. Williams
The big news of the day, of course, was the report that Peyton Manning will officially announce his retirement tomorrow. However, offseason business in the NFL waits for no man, and to that end, here are some notes regarding some of this year’s biggest free agents:
- After Manning’s decision, and with free agency set to officially open on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Broncos‘ negotiations with Brock Osweiler will really begin to ramp up.
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Osweiler may indeed re-sign with the Broncos, but that is far from a certainty at this point. As Schefter observes, other quarterback-needy clubs could make it difficult for Denver to retain the fifth-year signal-caller.
- Even though the Seahawks are interested in retaining him, LT Russell Okung is intent on hitting the free agent market, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
- Rapoport tweets that Mario Williams stayed the night in Miami after visiting the Dolphins, and while Williams has other visits lined up, Rapoport says that Miami could keep him from taking those visits.
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman does not spend big in free agency, but if he makes an exception this offseason, Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer identifies Eric Weddle and Bruce Irvin as two players that would make a great deal of sense for Carolina.
- Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans will be active in exploring the top of the free agent running back market after parting ways with Arian Foster. Wilson names Chris Ivory, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte as possibilities for Houston.
- The Eagles will certainly invest free agent dollars and draft picks in their offensive line this offseason, and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer names Jeff Allen and Brandon Brooks as realistic targets for the club.
- Free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin, unsurprisingly, wants to continue his career with a title contender, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
Giants Interested In Charles Johnson, Mario Williams
Pass rush was thought to be an area of focus for the Giants this offseason, and with that in mind, the club is expressing interest in two veterans who have spent their careers getting after opposing quarterbacks. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link), the Giants will meet with free agent defensive end Charles Johnson on Sunday, while the team has also contacted the agent for fellow defensive lineman Mario Williams, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
[RELATED: PFR previews the Giants’ offseason]
Johnson, 29, was released earlier this week after spending nine seasons with the Panthers, and his trip to New York will comprise his first reported free agent visit. Though he played in only nine games in 2015 and posted only a single sack, Johnson was also hampered by injury, so his performance can be somewhat excused. Johnson isn’t exactly washed up, either, as he’s still under 30 years old, and averaged 11 sacks per season from 2012-14.
The 31-year-old Williams, meanwhile, has already garnered interest from at least one other club, as he was in Miami today to meet with the Dolphins. Highly ineffective in the Bills’ 3-4 scheme last year, Williams posted his lowest full-season sack total (five) since his rookie season in 2006, and was thus released on Tuesday. Still, like Johnson, Williams was successful in the three years prior, having averaged 13 sacks per year from ’12-’14.
The Giants are armed with a great deal of cap space, as their $55MM+ in reserves currently ranks third in the league. Per Vacchiano, the team is expected to “spend big” on defensive reinforcements, with the defensive line being a particular area of need. New York would prefer to bring a younger pass rusher, but Johnson and Williams would represent fallback plans if the team isn’t able to lure more youthful talent.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/16
Earlier today, we rounded up the latest decisions on restricted free agent tenders. Now, we’ll shift our focus to the day’s exclusive-rights free agent tenders, for players with fewer than three years of NFL experience. here’s the latest:
- The Dolphins tendered ERFA offers to six players today, including defensive back Michael Thomas, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links). The other players to get tenders were safety Shamiel Gary, wide receiver Matt Hazel, offensive lineman Ulrick John, cornerback Tyler Patmon, and tight end Jake Stoneburner.
- Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), the Dolphins didn’t tender ERFA tight end Brandon Williams. That leaves defensive tackle Robert Thomas as the only one of Miami’s eight ERFAs whose situation wasn’t reported on today.
- The 49ers have tendered offensive lineman Jordan Devey, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Washington has tendered offers to all three of its exclusive-rights free agents, according to John Keim of ESPN.com, who reports that linebacker Will Compton, running back Chris Thompson, and punter Tress Way will be retained.
- The Giants have tendered a contract offer to ERFA punter Brad Wing, tweets Pelissero. They’ve done the same with running back Orleans Darkwa, tight ends Jerome Cunningham and Will Tye, safety Bennett Jackson, receiver Myles White and offensive lineman Adam Gettis, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Wideout Marcus Harris did not receiver a tender and is now an unrestricted free agent, Vacchiano adds.
- The Chiefs have issued ERFA tenders to defensive linemen David King and tackle Nick Williams, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star, who tweets (links: 1, 2) that running back Charcandrick West and safety Daniel Sorensen also received tenders.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Morris, Coughlin
Having signed Sam Bradford to a two-year contract extension, the Eagles don’t necessarily plan to put the quarterback position on the back-burner for the rest of the offseason. Head coach Doug Pederson acknowledged today that he and the Eagles will look into drafting a signal-caller, though he added it would probably be later in the draft, rather than with the No. 13 overall pick (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on whether the offensive line will be a priority for the club this offseason: “It’s a priority today. It’s a priority tomorrow. It’s a priority next week. It’s a priority in April” (Twitter link via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer). It sounds like that’s a yes.
- Admitting that he doesn’t know what to expect as his first opportunity at free agency approaches, running back Alfred Morris says he’d be open to returning to Washington, but will have “no hard feelings” if the team doesn’t bring him back. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from Morris.
- Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is sending an odd message by hanging around the team’s facility and using the gym twice a week, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. Myers hear that Coughlin’s “hard feelings for the Giants came through loud and clear” during his head coaching interview with the Eagles in January, and adds that it’s time for the veteran coach to move on.
- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will undergo surgery on his collarbone next week, sources tell David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. Romo is believed to have made his decision on what kind of procedure he’ll have, but it’s yet known which direction he’s going.
Restricted Free Agent Tenders: 3/3/16
Over the next several days, there will be a ton of news on NFL teams assigning contract tenders to their restricted free agents and exclusive-rights free agents. Until a player signs his tender, he technically remains a free agent, but the offer ensures that he won’t be able to hit the open market.
For restricted free agents, teams can offer a first-round tender, a second-round tender, an original-round/right-of-first-refusal tender. The majority of RFAs will get that last tender, which allows the player to test the market and potentially sign an offer sheet, while giving his current team the opportunity to match that offer. A higher tender would ensure the player’s team compensation in the form of an early-round draft pick if he signs elsewhere.
Here are today’s updates on RFA tenders:
- The Giants have assigned a low-end RFA tender worth $1.671MM to tight end Larry Donnell, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Donnell’s 2015 campaign came to a premature end when he suffered a neck injury, but it’s not expected to jeopardize his career. As Pelissero adds (via Twitter), Tamika Cheatham, Donnell’s agent, says his client is doing well in rehab and can’t wait to play.
- After tendering safety Tony Jefferson at the low-end level on Wednesday, the Cardinals have assigned the same tender to wide receiver Jaron Brown and safety D.J. Swearinger, per Pelissero (via Twitter). Brown and Swearinger will have the opportunity to explore the market next week, though I don’t expect the duo to draw as much interest as Jefferson will.
- The Colts have extended a qualifying offer to tight end Jack Doyle, the team announced today in a press release. With Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen both eligible for free agency, it looks like the team wants to make sure it retains Doyle, a solid depth piece. He also got the low-end tender, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
East Notes: Vernon, Giants, Gipson, Wilkerson
The Giants will have nearly $60MM in cap room to work with when the free agent period begins next week, and the club is expected to use that ample space to target pass rushers, according to Ebenezer Samuel and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Both Olivier Vernon — who was designated as the Dolphins’ transition player — and Mario Williams (recently released by the Bills) figure to “at least get a call” from general manager Jerry Reese & Co, sources tell the NYDN scribes. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees, guessing that Vernon will be the first player contacted by the Giants.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Along with the edge rush, safety is another area on the Giants‘ roster that could use improvement, as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out in his preview of the New York’s offseason. Browns free agent Tashaun Gipson will be one of the top safeties available on the open market, and Raanan hears (via Twitter) that Gipson would “welcome” the idea of playing in New York. Gipson is widely expected to move on from Cleveland and find a new club next week.
- The Jets have long been rumored to be willing to explore the possibility of trading franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News doubts that the team will find a suitor willing to not only part with a first-round pick, but pony up the $40MM+ that Wilkerson is said to covet. One general manager told Mehta that he wouldn’t sacrifice a second- and third-round pick package for Wilkerson, so it’s fair to wonder if a market will develop for the star defensive end.
- Receiver Brian Tyms tweeted his goodbyes to the Patriots organization today, a sign that he won’t return to New England in 2016, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. Tyms, who spent the 2015 season on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, was set to be a restricted free agent, so the Patriots apparently won’t tender him a contract.
NFC Notes: Coughlin, Peppers, 49ers, Cooper
When Tom Coughlin‘s departure as Giants head coach was announced in January, it was classified as a resignation. At the time though, it was considered more of a firing, with most observers believing that the team would have made a change if Coughlin had been unwilling to step down. The veteran head coach insinuated as much during an appearance on the Jay Mohr Show on FOX Sports Radio, per John Healy of the New York Daily News.
“Hey, do I agree with the move? Of course not,” Coughlin said. “It hurts. It hurts. ‘Former’ is not a good word. I don’t like the word but that’s the way it is.”
As Coughlin continues to consider his next career move, whether that involves joining the Giants’ front office, waiting on another head coaching job, or simply retiring, let’s check out a few more odds and ends from around the NFC…
- Julius Peppers acknowledges that within “the next four years, somewhere in there,” he’ll be calling it a career, but that won’t happen this offseason, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press details. The veteran edge defender plans to play for the Packers in 2016, and based on a February report, it sounds like the club will welcome him back for the final year of his contract.
- In Jerry Jones‘ ideal world, the Cowboys would have the same sort of handoff from Tony Romo to their next QB that the Packers did they had Aaron Rodgers ready to replace Brett Favre. Todd Archer of ESPN.com has the details and the quotes from the Cowboys’ owner.
- Bill Williamson of FanRag Sports (Twitter link) is hearing that the 49ers won’t be shy about spending money during the free agent period next week. Williamson identifies cornerback Sean Smith, running back Doug Martin, and offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele as possible targets for San Francisco.
- The 49ers reworked tackle Joe Staley‘s contract today, converting $4MM into a signing bonus, per ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini (via Twitter). However, the move was procedural and won’t change the club’s cash or cap outlook for 2016, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.om (Twitter link). Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap examined Staley’s unusual bonus situation last April, and that explanation looks relevant once again.
- The Cardinals are considering moving Jonathan Cooper to center, Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 reports (on Twitter). Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirm Arizona’s plans for their thus-far-disappointing lineman here (Twitter links). Cooper’s made just 11 regular-season starts at guard since being drafted by the Cardinals at No. 7 overall in 2013. A knee injury shelved Cooper last season after he made nine starts, and Ted Larsen supplanted him in the Cardinals’ lineup. Larsen is a free agent, as is Lyle Sendlein, who’s started 124 games at center for Arizona since 2007.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report