NFC FA Rumors: Vikings, Seahawks, House
On the eve of 2015’s “legal tampering period,” during which teams can talk to agents for players who are eligible for unrestricted free agency on Tuesday, let’s round up a few FA updates from around the NFC….
- Having started his career in Minnesota, Tarvaris Jackson hasn’t played a game for the Vikings since 2010, but he’d have interest in returning to the team, he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I still go (to Minnesota) to train every summer,” Jackson said. “Coming there, I think I could definitely help Teddy out. I love being in Minnesota. It’s a place that I’ll never forget. It’s a part of my life. … I don’t know why (the Vikings) wouldn’t be interested in me.” The Vikings will certainly be in the market for a backup after trading Matt Cassel, so they could take a look at Jackson, who has spent the last couple seasons backing up Russell Wilson in Seattle and is a free-agent-to-be.
- Speaking of Seattle, don’t be shocked if the Seahawks emerge as a viable landing spot for tight end Julius Thomas, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. A player like Thomas would certainly be a nice addition to Seattle’s offense, giving Wilson a top red zone option.
- Agent Kenny Zuckerman confirmed today that Packers cornerback Davon House expects to reach the open market, and Zuckerman thinks his client will draw “a lot of interest,” writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. That doesn’t rule out a return to Green Bay, but it looks like other teams will get the opportunity to pursue House.
- Cornerback Walter Thurmond, who is coming off a season-ending pectoral injury, is not expected to re-sign with the Giants, and Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com expects the Falcons to strongly consider the veteran. Thurmond formerly played on Dan Quinn‘s defense in Seattle.
- Expect the Buccaneers to kick the tires on free agent safety Chris Conte, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, pointing out that Conte played for current Bucs head coach Lovie Smith in Chicago.
NFC East Notes: Washington, Giants, Spiller
Appearing today on the NFL Network, Brian Orakpo left the door open for a return to Washington, but didn’t sound overly optimistic about the possibility, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post details.
“There’s obviously a chance. Obviously the window is still there. The sides are still talking, but it’s very minimal right now,” Orakpo said. “It’s always the numbers. Numbers have to make sense for both sides. And I understand, me coming off of injury, they have to look out for themselves, and I have to look out for myself. So, if we can come up with something that works out for both sides, who knows?”
Jones hears from sources that Orakpo’s return to Washington is unlikely, and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter link) reports the same thing, even more definitively. It looks like Orakpo will be on the lookout for a new NFL home very soon, and the veteran linebacker said today during that NFL Network appearance that he’d have some interest in playing for a team in his home state of Texas.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- With no progress on a long-term deal for restricted-free-agent-to-be Kai Forbath, Washington will likely just offer the kicker a one-year tender, a source tells Jones (Twitter link).
- If the Ravens and Justin Forsett don’t work out a deal within the next few days, the veteran running back will have an interesting market, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Washington is ready to make a play for Forsett, and the Saints will likely be among his suitors as well.
- In addition to having interest in Devin McCourty, as he previously reported, the Giants also figure to explore the possibility of signing safety Rahim Moore, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. All three of New York’s top safeties from 2014 are eligible for free agency, so there figures to be some turnover at the position next week.
- Sources close to Chip Kelly tell Russini (Twitter link) that the Eagles head coach wasn’t willing to rework LeSean McCoy‘s contract, especially considering the running back was looking for a raise. I’d be surprised if McCoy thought the Eagles – or the Bills – would increase his $9.75MM base salary for 2015, but perhaps he wanted to renegotiate his deal to include more guarantees beyond ’15.
- As for the running back McCoy is replacing in Buffalo, C.J. Spiller appears to be campaigning to sign with the Eagles, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com.
East Notes: Wallace, Williams, Alonso
Mike Wallace’s father sees the wide receiver remaining with the Dolphins, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. “Right now, he’s been talking to them,” Burnell Wallace said. “He thinks he’s going to stay there. He doesn’t have a problem staying. [But] they really don’t know. I really can’t give you a definitive answer.” The Dolphins must pay Wallace a $3MM bonus if he is on the roster on March 14th. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Starting linebacker Jacquian Williams will become a free agent and he’s unlikely to return to the Giants, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger writes. The 26-year-old started all nine games at weakside linebacker last season, before a concussion ended his season early. He graded out positively in six of the first seven games, but finished with an overall grade of -4.0 in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Trading linebacker Kiko Alonso was one of the first things Rex Ryan wanted to do when he was hired by the Bills, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport speculates that Alonso wasn’t a good scheme fit for Ryan.
- Running back has suddenly vaulted up the Eagles‘ list of needs and Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looked at three possibilities they could pursue in the draft and free agency. In the draft, he identifies Todd Gurley (Georgia), T.J. Yeldon (Alabama), and Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) as possible targets. In free agency, he lists Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller, and Justin Forsett.
- With the Eagles in the market for a running back and Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com also examine Forsett as a potential free agent target. Mosher makes the case that as a patient, methodical runner who reads blocks well, Forsett is an ideal fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense.
- John Kryk of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Bills agreed to trade for Matt Cassel for him to be their starter at quarterback or if they got him merely to push E.J. Manuel. Cassel, who turns 33 in May, started just three games for the Vikings in 2014 before a broken foot landing him on the injured reserve list, ending his season.
- John Keim of ESPN.com ran down Washington‘s potential needs on the defensive line and the players that they could look into this offseason. Of course, the list starts with Ndamukong Suh but the question is, how hard will they chase him? Washington has $25MM in cap space, but other teams have even more.
- The Jets need help at guard and Brian Costello of the New York Post identifies Mike Iupati, Orlando Franklin, James Carpenter, and Clint Boling as free agent possibilities.
NFC Notes: Ryans, Mariota, Rolle
Cardinals GM Steve Keim is determined not to let emotions dictate his free agent decisions, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. “The problem is you can’t get too emotionally attached to players,” Keim said. “When the time comes to make another decision, you make a poor business decision and try to overpay for players that might not deserve it.” Here’s more from the NFC..
- DeMeco Ryans is coming off of Achilles surgery, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) expects him to stay on with the Eagles. However, Rapoport could see the two sides re-working Ryans’ $7MM salary before the start of the season.
- There’s a limit to how many picks the Eagles (or any team) can trade, but the rules change once the 2015 draft opens, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. According the the league office, trades conducted before the draft begins can include draft picks in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Once the draft starts, trades can include picks from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. If the Eagles want to make a deal for Marcus Mariota, they’ll have much more flexibility once the Bucs are officially on the clock at No. 1.
- Pending free agents safety Antrel Rolle took to Twitter to let everyone know that he hasn’t had discussions with any teams yet, including the Giants.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looked at players that the Falcons might be interested in adding in free agency, including Chiefs free safety Ron Parker, Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan, and outside linebacker Jason Worilds.
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News looked at what the Cowboys defense has to seek out this offseason.
- Cutting Pierre Thomas only makes sense if the Saints really plan to spend on a running back, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes.
Minor Moves: Wednesday
Tonight’s minor moves..
- The Giants officially tendered tight end Larry Donnell, one of their two exclusive rights free agents, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Donnell, 27 in November, enjoyed a breakout season in 2014, catching 63 passes for 623 yards and six touchdowns.
- The Jets announced that they have signed free agent defensive end Ronald Talley. Talley, 28, played under coach Todd Bowles in 2013 with the Cardinals. He signed as a free agent with the Buccaneers last year but was a final cut and didn’t play last season.
- The Colts announced they have agreed to terms on a contract extension with long snapper Matt Overton, as Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk writes. Overton was going to be a restricted free agent upon the start of the new league year but his new deal will probably take him through 2018. Overton has played in all 48 games over the first three years of his career with 22 tackles on special teams.
- Washington (via Twitter) announced the re-signing of exclusive rights free agent safety Duke Ihenacho.
- The Patriots signed long snapper Tyler Ott, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Free Agent Rumors: Spiller, Suh, Harris
League sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter link) that C.J. Spiller turned down a contract offer worth $4.5MM per year from the Bills before the team decided to make a move for LeSean McCoy. It’s hard to evaluate Spiller’s decision without knowing how Buffalo’s offer was structured, but presumably the running back will be trying to top that number on the open market next week. More free agent rumors..
- Russini also reports (via Twitter) that the Colts are expected to try to get involved in the Ndamukong Suh derby, if the star defender reaches the open market. Washington, Miami, and the Giants have also been identified as potential suitors this week.
- Expect the Bills to put on a “full court press” for linebacker David Harris, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, using a cross-sport metaphor. Buffalo was already considered a potential landing spot for Harris due to the Rex Ryan connection, and the trade of Kiko Alonso makes it an even more obvious fit.
- The 49ers are expected to be in the mix for newly-available edge defender Trent Cole, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Cole would likely be a better fit in a 4-3 system, but he’s been effective enough in Philadelphia over the last two seasons that it looks like 3-4 teams won’t rule out pursuing him.
- Former Packers wide receiver Kevin Dorsey had been scheduled to visit with the 49ers on Tuesday, but the two sides had to cancel the meeting due to bad weather on the East Coast, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. San Francisco is hoping to reschedule Dorsey’s visit, but hasn’t done so yet, per agent Chad Wiestling.
- Expect the Giants to kick the tires of Devin McCourty if he makes it to the open market, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Giants safeties Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps, and Stevie Brown are all eligible for free agency, so the safety position is wide open in New York.
- Veteran defensive end Chris Canty, cut by the Ravens last week, is scheduled to visit the Jets on Friday and Saturday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). New Jets head coach Todd Bowles and defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers were both on the coaching staff in Dallas from 2005 to 2007 when Canty started his NFL career with the Cowboys.
NFC East Notes: Beason, Branch, Eagles
Not long after we included a few NFC East items in our morning look at both East divisions, there are a few more updates to round up. Here’s the latest out of the NFC East:
- Linebacker Jon Beason confirmed today to SiriusXM NFL Radio that he has been working with the Giants on restructuring his contract, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Beason, whose 2014 season was mostly wiped out due to foot problems, would count for $7.4MM against the cap in 2015 if the two sides don’t reach an agreement. Working as his own agent in the negotiations, Beason recognizes he’ll likely have to accept a pay cut and is optimistic about his return, per Raanan.
- After meeting with the Colts today, free agent safety Tyvon Branch will visit Washington tomorrow, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
- The Eagles have yet to approach linebacker Mychal Kendricks about a potential contract extension, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). As a 2012 draftee, Kendrick is now eligible for a new contract, with his rookie deal set to expire after the 2015 season, but it’s not clear if Philadelphia plans to broach the subject this offseason, particularly after the looming addition of Kiko Alonso.
- While the cuts of Todd Herremans, Trent Cole, and Cary Williams, as well as the trade of LeSean McCoy, will create a ton of cap space, players around the league are somewhat leery of Chip Kelly and the Eagles after seeing him part ways with several solid veterans, along with DeSean Jackson last year, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole notes that any free agents considering signing with Philadelphia may be unsure about whether Kelly will be willing to hang onto productive players over the long run.
- Within the same video, Cole also wonders if the Eagles‘ moves to create cap space are motivated in part by a desire to fill a number of holes in free agency, making their draft picks more expendable if they decide to try to move up for Marcus Mariota.
- Earlier this afternoon, we learned that the Eagles are expected to go after outside linebacker Jason Worilds once the free agent period begins.
East Notes: Dolphins, Suh, Dez, Maclin, McCoy
The Giants are right to consider making a run at Ndamukong Suh, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The Giants aren’t well-positioned to outbid anyone, but if they were able to pull it off, the team could have a pass rush to rival what they had in 2007 with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions, including one more item on Suh:
- We heard the Dolphins mentioned as a possible suitor for Suh earlier this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the reasons why Miami actually may emerge as the favorites to land the star defensive tackle, with teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Buccaneers being floated for potential leverage rather than as legit bidders.
- Last week, former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins indicated that he had “no knowledge” of any 2011 Wal-Mart incident involving Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, but a report of the incident did, in fact, make its way to his office about a year after the fact, as Florio explains at PFT.
- It looked for a little while as if the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin were getting close to a new deal, but the two sides are farther apart now, and the wideout is starting to get “nibbles,” tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports backs up this assessment, tweeting that there’s “work to be done” on the Maclin front for the Eagles.
- While running back LeSean McCoy initially wasn’t thrilled about the trade that will send him to the Bills, a source tells McLane (Twitter link) that the veteran back is “ready to move on.” We rounded up several more updates on the reported swap between the Eagles and Bills earlier this morning.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Patriots‘ offseason, suggesting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team lets both of its free agent running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – sign elsewhere.
- Veteran safety Jordan Pugh, who last appeared in a regular season game for Washington in 2013, recently worked out for the Jets, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Giants Considering Run At Ndamukong Suh
Although it seems “improbable” on the surface, the Giants are believed to be considering a run at Ndamukong Suh, assuming he reaches the open market next week, sources tell Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
The Lions elected not to place the franchise tag on Suh yesterday, and his potential suitors are starting to come out of the woodwork — Washington is said to have interest, while the Dolphins have been identified as a possible wild card candidate. As I noted while discussing Washington’s interest, there aren’t many teams in the NFL that wouldn’t love to add Suh to the mix on the defensive line, so a ton of times will likely kick the tires on him if given the opportunity.
For the Giants, defensive line isn’t necessarily a top priority, since the team used its own franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul yesterday, and has Johnathan Hankins as an anchor on the interior. However, adding Suh to the mix to complement JPP, Hankins, and pass rusher Robert Ayers would give New York one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.
Of course, cap space would be a concern for the Giants. At the moment, the club has about $13MM in room, which could be enough to accommodate Suh, depending on how a contract is structured and what other moves are forthcoming. However, it wouldn’t leave much flexibility to address other areas of need — a team source tells Vacchiano that New York is unlikely to engage in a bidding war. On top of that, if the team hopes to work out a longer-term arrangement with Pierre-Paul, investing so heavily on two defensive lineman could come back to haunt the team down the road.
While there may ultimately be too many roadblocks for the Giants to get serious about pursuing Suh, the team’s reported interest is another sign that the star defender will have more than just a handful of suitors as he nears unrestricted free agency.
East Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Suh
Bill Belichick knocked pretty much every single free agent decision out of the park last year en route to a championship, and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the Patriots perplexing decision to franchise kicker Stephen Gostkowski over safety Devin McCourty. After all, at $9.6MM, that’s a steep price to pay for McCourty and the Rutgers product himself would have been thrilled to get it, even as he seeks a new long-term deal. The Patriots are playing hardball with McCourty and Darrelle Revis now, but there’s still an entire week to hammer out these deals. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (via Twitter) sees the Dolphins as a wildcard candidate to land coveted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Earlier today, we learned that Washington has interest in Suh after the Lions opted not to use the franchise tag on him.
- Giants star Jason Pierre-Paul will command a huge contract once he has the franchise tag removed, Adam Schefter tells ESPN New York’s Michael Kay (audio link).
- Veteran linebacker Brad Jones was won over by the Eagles‘ culture, prompting him to sign with them, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes. “From the first day you get here … you kind of realize it’s a different kind of thing they got out here,” the former Packer said via conference call. “It’s unique. I wanted to be a part of that.”
- The Eagles overlooked adding an inside linebacker last offseason and they made sure not to repeat the same mistake this time around when they made Jones their first addition, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.