Giants To Re-Sign Peyton Hillis
9:35am: Hillis’ deal is worth $1.8MM over two years, a source tells Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger (Twitter link).
8:28am: After filling in as the team’s feature back at times last season, Peyton Hillis will return to the Giants for the 2014 season, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Hillis will ink a two-year deal with the team, perhaps as soon as today.
Hillis, 28, recorded 73 carries for 247 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Giants in 2013. His 3.4 yards per carry represented a career-worst average, but he’s likely to be no more than second or third on the club’s depth chart heading into next season. Andre Brown, who finished the 2013 season as New York’s feature back, is also eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, so the club will likely add at least one more player to the mix, whether it’s Brown or someone else.
The Giants are also reportedly close to re-signing cornerback Trumaine McBride and kicker Josh Brown, meaning the team could have a handful of new deals to announce very soon.
Giants, McBride Agree To Two-Year Deal
The Giants and cornerback Trumaine McBride have reached agreement on a new two-year contract that will keep the 28-year-old off the open market, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. According to Raanan, the deal, which will likely be signed later today, is worth a total of $3.1MM.
McBride, who played for the Bears, Cardinals, and Jaguars before joining the Giants last season, saw an increased role in New York’s secondary during the second half of 2013 and performed well, ranking 24th among qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). At a cost of about $1.55MM per season, he’ll come much cheaper than many of the more notable names on the cornerback market this week, though of course he doesn’t have the same track record as many of those other free agents. McBride’s 10 starts for the Giants last season were his first starts since the 2008 season.
The Giants are still expected to be in the market for cornerbacks, according to Raanan. While New York may no longer be in the mix for top options like Alterraun Verner, Corey Graham is one player drawing interest from the team.
Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record first reported that the Giants were close to re-signing McBride.
FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack
The latest on the free agent front:
- Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
- Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
- The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
- With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
- Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
- The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
- Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
- The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
CB Rumors: Talib, Rogers, Verner, Davis
Perhaps the best corner in the league appears to be available via trade, but let’s look at some news regarding free agent cornerbacks:
- Aqib Talib is “very close” to a new contract with the Patriots, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington.
- Russini also tweets that the Redskins want Talib, but that the Patriots are offering a better deal.
- Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the Redskins to “heavily pursue” Talib (via Twitter).
- Carlos Rogers would “love” to return to the Redskins after being released by the 49ers, and the two sides are discussing a reunion, according to Russini (on Twitter).
- It would be an upset if the Jets don’t sign either Vontae Davis or Alterraun Verner to replace Antonio Cromartie, as the Jets defense is based around solid cornerback play, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We previously noted that Jets could be the mystery team in on Davis, who is expected to sign tomorrow.
- Verner has interest in both the Jets and the Giants, saying “both those teams could win and have capabilities,” according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Sulia).
- The Titans remain in conversation with Verner, but they probably won’t be able to match the money offered by other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Ravens would like to retain Corey Graham, but he’s drawn interest from the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (on Twitter).
Chris Snee Restructures Contract
Giants guard Chris Snee has agreed to restructure his contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It appears to be a straight pay cut, as Schefter reports that Snee’s base salary will lower from $7.2MM to just $1.1MM, with another $1MM available through incentives. The move allows to keep a stalwart of their offensive line on the same day that they released center David Baas.
Snee, 32, was a fourth-round-pick of the Giants in 2004, and has spent his entire career in New York. He was entering the final year of a six-year extension he signed in 2008. He played in only three games in 2013 due to hip injuries.
Giants Rumors: McBride, Dietrich-Smith, Dickson
Earlier today, we heard that the Giants will cut center David Baas, and that the team is close to locking up kicker Josh Brown to a new deal. Here’s more on the G-Men:
- Cornerback Trumaine McBride and the Giants are close to agreeing on a two-year contract, reports Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record. McBride saw an increased role in New York’s secondary during the second half of 2013 and performed well, ranking 24th among qualified cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- As expected, the Giants expressed interest in Packers center Evan Dietrich-Smith, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. A team source described the interest as “serious,” and that was before word broke that the club would be cutting Bass. Dietrich-Smith could sign quickly tomorrow, and the Giants look like the frontrunners, says Vacchiano (via Twitter).
- The Giants are interested in tight end Ed Dickson, tweets Vacchiano. Both New York teams may be in on the Ravens free agent, as Brian Costello of the New York Post says the Jets also have interest (Twitter link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Giants To Cut Baas, Close To Re-Signing Brown
The Giants are cutting David Baas, multiple sources tell Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The team had approached the veteran center about accepting a pay cut to reduce his 2014 cap number, but it seems the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement.
Baas, who was limited to three games last season due to knee injuries, was slated to have a cap hit of $8.225MM in 2014. Because the final two seasons of his deal carry large prorated bonus numbers, cutting him will only create $1.775MM in cap savings for the Giants. Nonetheless, the team won’t designate him as a post-June 1 cut.
Meanwhile, Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger reports that the Giants are also close to wrapping up a new contract for kicker Josh Brown. Years and dollars on that agreement aren’t yet known. While Brown’s age (35 next month) may limit his earnings, other kickers have inked new deals with annual salaries exceeding $3MM so far this offseason, and Brown only missed three field goals in 2013.
Contract Details: Sherels, Boldin, Brown, Royal
Marcus Sherels‘ two-year, $2.2MM extension with the Vikings included a $300K signing bonus, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The defensive back and punt returner also has $200K of his $750K base in 2014 guaranteed. Sherels, 26, saw an increased role in the secondary in 2013, playing 545 defensive snaps. With that extra playing time, Sherels racked up 47 tackles, seven passes defended, and an interception. His most positive contributions probably came on special teams, however, where he averaged 15.2 yards per attempt on 22 punt returns, including a touchdown. Some more details on recent contracts..
- Over The Cap has the full breakdown of wide receiver Anquan Boldin‘s pact with the 49ers, which includes three voidable years.
- The Steelers did a simple restructure on Antonio Brown‘s deal, Pelissero tweets. Pittsburgh converted $5.27MM of his 2014 base salary to a signing bonus, clearing about $3.95MM off the cap.
- Eddie Royal gets $3.5MM guaranteed in his reworked deal with the Chargers, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap. The maneuvering saves San Diego about $1MM in cash and salary cap room.
- Mackenzy Bernadeau‘s “restructure” with the Cowboys included a $1.15MM pay cut in 2014 and a $1.75MM cut in 2015, Pelissero tweets. Bernadeau now has a $500K roster bonus and fully guaranteed $1.1MM base in 2014 (link). His 2015 base is now $1.5MM ($400K guaranteed for injury).
- Pelissero (Twitter link) has the goods on Mark Herzlich‘s one-year extension with the Giants. He’ll get a $775K base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $25K workout bonus, good for $1MM total.
- Offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre got a $150K signing bonus and $50K roster bonus on his one-year, $950K extension with the Seahawks, Pelissero tweets.
Alterraun Verner Rumors: Monday
Both New York teams have been linked to free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner, with the latest reports suggesting that Verner is one of many defensive backs the Jets have inquired on, while the Giants may bow out of the Verner sweepstakes if it takes $10MM per year to land him. Here’s more on the free agent I ranked as the eighth-best in this year’s class:
- Appearing on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Verner made a number of interesting comments. Verner suggested he’d like to go to a team that he thinks can win, and that he might be more interested in being among a team’s highest-paid players at $6-7MM than earning $8-9MM and not being among the highest paid (all Twitter links). He added that he expects to make a decision fairly quickly (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- There’s still no movement between Verner and the Titans on a new deal, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who says there are at least six teams in the mix for the cornerback (Twitter link).
- Like Peter King, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger hears it could take $10MM annually to sign Verner, and says that price is likely out of the Giants‘ range. As Raanan writes, the Giants have multiple holes to fill and will be reluctant to spend heavily on any one player.
- Verner is one of the prospective free agents that the Steelers have expressed interest in, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Given Pittsburgh’s cap situation and Verner’s rumored asking price, it’s hard to see how the team could afford to bring in the Titans cornerback, but he’s at least on the radar. According to Brown, the Steelers have also inquired on Captain Munnerlyn and Nolan Carroll.
NFC Rumors: Giants, Saints, Vikings, Lions
A few Monday afternoon updates on NFC teams:
- The Giants have some level of interest in Brandon Pettigrew, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). With Jimmy Graham franchised and Dennis Pitta extended, Pettigrew may be the top unrestricted free agent tight end of the offseason.
- Assuming Charles Tillman doesn’t re-sign with the Bears, the Panthers look like a potential destination for the veteran defensive back, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Saints brought safety Louis Delmas in for a visit after he was released by the Lions, but New Orleans doesn’t appear likely to sign Delmas, a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Adding a veteran safety doesn’t look like a top priority for the Vikings, but it could be worth keeping an eye on Ryan Clark as a possible fit, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
- The Redskins have remained in contact with the reps for safety Mike Mitchell, says John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Keim adds that Kenny Britt and Andrew Hawkins are two potential WR targets to keep an eye on for the Redskins.
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says the Lions will definitely sign a wide receiver and a safety in free agency, but it’s not clear yet which specific players the team will land (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
- As Lions GM Martin Mayhew suggested last month, while he’d like to have a new deal worked out with Ndamukong Suh by the time the 2014 league year begins tomorrow, he won’t consider it a setback if nothing is done, writes Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Suh, who recently hired Jimmy Sexton of CAA to negotiate his next deal, has a cap number of $22MM+ for 2014 that the Lions would like to reduce.