Top 8 Fits For Free Agent TE Gary Barnidge
Gary Barnidge was a relative no-name until the 2015 season, when — at age 30 — the 6’5″ tight end broke out for 79 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Each of those totals were career-highs for Barnidge, and his yardage figure was the eight-highest single-season total for a tight end since 2010. The 2016 campaign wasn’t quite as fruitful for Barnidge, but he still managed 55 catches for 612 yards, solid numbers for a tight end in a weak Browns offense.
There are certainly question marks that could lead a team to not pursue Barnidge. Chief among them is probably his age, as Barnidge is set to enter his age-32 season. That could conceivably make him an injury risk, although he’s appeared in all 32 possible games over the past two years. Bardidge’s blocking prowess is also a concern, as he ranked 50th out of 63 qualified tight ends in run blocking efficiency last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, Barnidge offers excellent receiving ability and should come relatively cheap. It’s tough to see Barnidge topping the $5MM and $5.3MM annual salaries earned by fellow tight ends Vernon Davis and Jared Cook respectively, and he likely won’t command a multi-year deal. So which NFL teams could possibly employ Barnidge in his 10th pro season? Let’s take a look…
Atlanta Falcons
Austin Hooper, the Falcons’ third-round pick in 2016, posted 271 receiving yards during his rookie campaign. That lowly figure was somehow the second-highest yardage total by an Atlanta tight end since Tony Gonzalez retired at the end of the 2013 season. Yes, the Falcons’ offense was the best in the NFL by a wide margin last year, but the unit could continue its dominance by adding another element at tight end. New offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has never worked with an elite tight end (not counting his one-game stint as O.J. Howard‘s OC at Alabama, Sarkisian’s best TE pupil was Austin Seferian-Jenkins), so it’s unclear if he can develop young options such as Hooper and 2017 fifth-rounder Eric Saubert. A veteran such as Barnidge would allow those youthful players to grow by lessening their responsibilities, at least for the upcoming season.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills were the first stop on Barnidge’s free agent tour following his release by the Browns, so Buffalo clearly has some level of interest. Charles Clay is currently atop the Bills’ tight end depth chart, but he hasn’t been worth the five-year, $38MM deal Buffalo gave him prior to the 2015 season. Despite being the fifth-highest-paid tight end in the league, Clay has finished just 12th in approximate value since joining the Bills. Buffalo is stuck with him through at least 2018, as a 2016 contract restructure makes release unpalatable. Clay is a much better run blocker than Barnidge, so the latter would be able to play as a move tight end in the Bills’ offense. Given that Buffalo is fielding one of the league’s worst wide receiving groups, the club needs all the weapons it can get.
Carolina Panthers
After visiting with the Bills, Barnidge indicated he might take a meeting with the Panthers, and although it’s unclear if that visit ever took place, it stands to reason Carolina is still eyeing a tight end addition. Greg Olsen, clearly, is the No. 1 option for the Panthers, but the team’s depth at the position is shockingly sparse. Linked to a number of tight ends during the predraft process, Carolina ultimately stood pat, leaving only Ed Dickson and Chris Manhertz behind Olsen. Dickson, for his part, is essentially a non-factor in the receiving game and isn’t a great blocker — the Panthers could release him with a minimal dead cap charge. Barnidge spent the first four years of his career in Carolina, and a homecoming would make a lot of sense.
Cincinnati Bengals
Unquestionably one of the league’s more talented tight ends when healthy, Tyler Eifert just can’t seem to stay on the field. He’s never appeared in all 16 games, and has missed more than eight games in two of the past three seasons. Eifert’s 52-reception, 13-touchdown 2015 campaign showed him at his best, but he simply can’t be relied on. And the Bengals’ backup options are lackluster, as well, as C.J. Uzomah (25 catches, 234 yards) and Tyler Kroft (10, 92) struggled when asked to fill in for Eifert last season. Cincinnati has already bolstered its offense this offseason by adding wide receiver John Ross and running back Joe Mixon, and Barnidge would give the club another target and (much-needed) depth.
Denver Broncos
Denver has reached out to Barnidge in recent days, and the Broncos have a level of familiarity with Barnidge given that many of their coaches — notably offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and tight ends coach Jeff Davidson — worked with Barnidge in Carolina. While the tight end position isn’t quite the integral position in McCoy’s offense that it was in former head coach Gary Kubiak‘s, Denver still needs an infusion of talent at the position. The selection Jake Butt, of course, marked the initial step in the Broncos’ tight end revamp, but the former Michigan Wolverine may not be ready for Week 1 as he recovers from a torn ACL. Barnidge would instantly become Denver’s No. 1 tight end if signed, although head coach Vance Joseph said he’s currently pleased with the Broncos’ tight end group, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Like the Panthers, the Jaguars may try to set up a visit with Barnidge, and Barnidge confirmed that he has in fact heard from the Jacksonville staff. The Jaguars parted ways with free agent bust Julius Thomas this offseason, shipping him to Miami for a late-round pick, but the club’s only addition at the position was the signing of former Raider Mychal Rivera, who hasn’t topped 300 yards receiving since 2014. Incumbent Marcedes Lewis continues to strike new deals with the Jaguars (the latest a three-year, $12MM pact) despite last being productive at the turn of the decade, so Barnidge would represent an immediate upgrade for quarterback Blake Bortles & Co.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings may have landed a draft steal in Virginia Tech Bucky Hodges, who was projected to come off the board on Day 2 but lasted until the sixth round. Still, Hodges is more an oversized wideout than a typical tight end, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in Hodges’ predraft profile. No. 1 tight end Kyle Rudolph posted the best season of his career in 2016, as he hauled in 83 passes for 840 yards, so Barnidge would clearly be the No. 2 in Minnesota. Given quarterback Sam Bradford‘s proclivity for the short passing game, adding another tight end who can play over the middle wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Pittsburgh Steelers
After releasing Ladarius Green last week, the Steelers appear set to roll with Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, and TE/FB David Johnson at tight end for the 2017 season. Pittsburgh didn’t address the position during the draft, which could mean the club is content with its current options. James, specifically, posted a nice season last year (39 receptions, 338 yards), but it’s hard to argue that he’s true No. 1 tight end for a contending team. Clearly, with Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and (hopefully) Martavis Bryant in the fold, the Steelers don’t exactly need a dynamic weapon at tight end, but Barnidge would give the Steelers a veteran option for at least one year.
Patriots, Gronk Restructure Contract
Rob Gronkowski has a new deal. Gronk’s new deal will give him chance to boost this year’s salary from $5.25MM to $10.75MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Facebook link). If he’s able to reach the maximum value of the deal for 2017, he could wind up as the league’s highest-paid tight end. Here are the complete details:
- Gronk can max out at $10.75MM if he sees either 90% play time or hits 80 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or earns an All-Pro nomination.
- He can make $8.75MM if he hits 80% play time or 70 catches or 1,000 receiving yards or 12 touchdowns.
- His salary will reach $6.75MM if he achieves 70% play time or 60 receptions or 800 receiving yards or ten touchdowns.
In terms of playing time, the top tier of this reworked contract might be tough to achieve. Gronk reached 84.2% in 2015, but he came in at just 31.5% last year and 70.3% in 2014. He also has not eclipsed 1,200 receiving yards since 2011. Still, Gronk has three First-Team All-Pro nominations to his credit including the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In that 2014 season, he had 82 receptions, so an 80+ catch total is not out of the realm of possibility. Even with the addition of Brandin Cooks, Gronk figures to be a focal point in the Pats’ offense.
Gronkowski has pushed for a new contract in the past but was never able to get a bump on the six-year, $54MM extension he signed with the team in the summer of 2012. The Patriots didn’t exactly rip up the remaining three years on his pact, but they did tack on some bonuses in a year where he has a tidy $6.75MM cap number.
Gronk’s deal calls for an $11MM cap number in 2018 and a $12MM figure in 2019. However, much of that money is non-guaranteed. If Gronk were to suffer another serious injury and the Pats wanted to release him next offseason, they’d only be on the hook for $4MM while saving $7MM against the 2018 cap. Prior to the 2019 season, the breakdown shifts to $2MM of dead money versus $10MM in savings. Ideally, Gronk probably would have liked more long-term security, but today’s restructuring is a compromise that keeps both sides happy.
Gronkowski is represented by Drew Rosenhaus.
Cowboys Considering LB Daryl Washington
Edge rusher David Irving is facing a four-game ban and the Cowboys might replace him with a player who knows all too well about suspensions. The team is doing its homework on recently released linebacker Daryl Washington, according to a team source who spoke with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Cowboys DE David Irving Facing Four-Game Ban]
Washington was suspended indefinitely in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy and has not played since Week 17 of the ’13 campaign. The linebacker was reinstated by the league in late April, but the Cardinals were not interested in keeping him – at least, not at the salary that was dictated by his contract.
The linebacker was a Pro Bowler in 2012 after recording an eye-popping 134 total tackles with 9.0 sacks. He was productive again in 2013, but he has now been out of the game for three straight NFL seasons. The Cowboys may see Washington as a low-risk, high-reward type of player since he’ll be hard pressed to find a big money deal at this juncture.
For his part, Washington claims that he is a changed man who will not run afoul of the league’s rules.
“Obviously, from a standpoint I’ve grown and matured over the years of being able to kind of really appreciate life and appreciate the game that I took for granted at one point,” Washington said recently. “When you feel like you’re on top of the world. When you’re on that pedestal, you feel like everything is easy and nothing would happen. But once it’s taken away from you, you really feel that much more grateful for the opportunity to just say, you know what, I really took these things for granted so when I get back now it’s time to go even harder. At this point in my life, I feel much better mentally, physically, spiritually and I’m in that right mind frame.”
The Cowboys are first known team to consider Washington since he was released roughly one month ago.
Rams Advance Aaron Donald Extension Talks
The Rams are progressing on what would be a major development for their long-term plans, with GM Les Snead confirming the team’s contract talks with Aaron Donald are advancing. They’re now in the “serious” phase and have gotten to the point the All-Pro defensive tackle is not presently at OTAs, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
Donald may be trying to avoid injury while these talks are ongoing, Steve Wyche of NFL.com tweets. Snead said the parties have been discussing an extension for a while and hopes the sides can reach a deal soon, per Wyche. The GM said at the Combine that Donald “deserves a raise.”
Gonzalez offers that a deal for Donald may indeed have to make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player, at least during his extension years. Donald has two years remaining on his rookie contract — the first at $3.225MM and the fifth-year option season at $6.892MM. It’s unknown at this point if the Rams are talking about a deal that would go into effect in 2017 or ’18, or commence after those years conclude. It’s likely Donald’s camp would want an extension to begin as soon as possible, given the raise that would be attached to such an agreement.
Snead confirmed in March these talks were coming, and they look to be moving well. A Donald deal would stand to reset the market for defensive tackles, even though he could be categorized as a 3-4 end after the Wade Phillips-orchestrated move will shift the Rams’ base to that scheme. As a 4-3 defensive tackle, Donald’s moved into a class by himself. He rated as Pro Football Focus’ top interior defender last season. has two first-team All-Pro slates to his credit and hasn’t missed a game in his three years in St. Louis and Los Angeles.
The defensive line market stops at Ndamukong Suh‘s six-year, $114.3MM deal. Von Miller also signed for six years and $114MM-plus and became the league’s highest-paid defender last summer. Either way, Donald would be looking at a monstrous raise.
Los Angeles currently has barely $2MM in cap space, but that’s scheduled to expand considerably come 2018. Per OverTheCap, more than $54MM is set to be available for the Rams, before factoring in any cuts. This figure also doesn’t consider a possible long-term extension for Trumaine Johnson, who is anchored to Los Angeles’ payroll at a $16.742MM cap figure.
NFL Still Investigating Ezekiel Elliott
The league’s investigation into Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott “remains under review,” a spokesman tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The inquiry into domestic violence claims against the running back has been going on since July and that probably marks a new record for the league office. 
A former girlfriend of Elliott’s claims that she was a victim of five separate domestic violence incidents when they were together. Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office in Columbus, Ohio, opted against pursuing charges against him last September. Elliott has maintained his innocence ever since the allegations came to light.
In January, Elliott said that he wanted the investigation to conclude so that he could have closure and move on:
“I do want closure,” Elliott said. “I would rather it not drag on this long. If there was something to find, which there’s not, they would’ve found it by now. The police did a very thorough investigation. I will tell you this — it just seems like they’re dragging their feet right now. Who knows, man? I’m just ready for it to end.”
Elliott, 22 in July, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 scores. He also added 32 catches for 363 yards and one touchdown.
Bucs Didn’t Consider Colin Kaepernick
On Friday, the Buccaneers signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and the deal drew eye rolls from those who believe that the unemployed Colin Kaepernick is more deserving of a roster spot. Not only did the Bucs choose Fitzpatrick over Kaepernick, but it turns out that they did not consider Kaepernick for the No. 2 quarterback job at all, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. 
Kaepernick threw for 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2016 while Fitzpatrick tossed 12 TDs against 17 picks. Even the advanced metrics preferred Kaepernick as he earned a 61.6 overall score from Pro Football Focus, besting Fitzpatrick’s less atrocious 42.1 posting. Neither player set the world on fire last year, but by almost any measure, Kaepernick had the better year and his offense was by no means better than Fitzpatrick’s.
However, there are plenty of reasons why the Buccaneers probably went with Fitzpatrick without first mulling Kaepernick, and none of them pertain to Kaepernick’s social positions. Fitzpatrick was an above-average starter as recently as 2015 and he had two under-the-radar quality seasons before that with the Titans and Texans, respectively. Kaepernick, meanwhile, is now two years removed from being a respectable starter. There’s also the matter of playing styles to consider. Fitzpatrick is a pro-style quarterback who can fit the offense designed for Jameis Winston if he’s called upon. Kaepernick, however, would be better suited for a playbook with more designed runs and an offensive line that’s accustomed to the blocking schemes needed for a mobile QB.
The Bucs didn’t think about signing Kaepernick, but as we learned earlier this week, the Seahawks are taking a hard look at him.
Buccaneers Sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
One of the best quarterbacks left on the board is now spoken for. The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. It’s a one-year, $3MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
The Buccaneers lost their Jameis Winston backup this offseason when Mike Glennon signed a lucrative free agent deal with the Bears. Fitzpatrick, who had a surprisingly strong 2015 season with the Jets, now becomes Tampa Bay’s new insurance policy under center.
While ’15 was a banner year for the bearded signal caller, 2016 was definitely a season to forget. Things got so bad in New York last year that the veteran found himself considering retirement after the season.
“Last year was the most difficult year for me,” Fitzpatrick said. “Not physically, just kind of mentally and emotionally. I had to take a step back and think about it. Is this something I still want to do? Football is something so ingrained in me, something I love doing and definitely something I want to do. I still want to compete and I still think I can contribute whether I am in a starting role or whatever capacity.”
Fitzpatrick, 35 in November, had a shaky grip on his starting job last year as he threw for 12 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. The year prior, however, Fitzpatrick threw for 31 touchdowns. If given the opportunity to get on the field, Fitzpatrick will try to channel the magic of his ’15 campaign. If he looks like the ’16 version of himself, then this might be his last stop in the NFL.
Steelers Release TE Ladarius Green
The Steelers have released tight end Ladarius Green. In a related move, Pittsburgh signed running back Terrell Watson. 
Pittsburgh signed Green as a free agent last offseason with the idea that he would become one of Ben Roethlisberger‘s go-to weapons. Instead, ailments kept him off the field for much of 2016. His Steelers career ends after six games and 18 receptions for 304 yards and a touchdown. His best game with the Steelers came against the Giants in Week 13, when he had six receptions for 110 yards and his one score on the year.
In the past, Green has suffered from chronic headaches. Those headaches, he says, stemmed from sinus issues and not concussions. Last summer, there were reports that he was mulling retirement as a result of the head trauma he has suffered, but he later denied those claims. Late in the 2016 regular season, the tight end was placed in concussion protocol following a big hit in Week 15. Depending on who you ask, it was either the concussions or the surgically-repaired ankle that kept Green out of action for much of last season.
Before coming to the Steelers, Green amassed 37 catches for 429 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (11 starts), a solid stat line considering that he was sharing the field with Antonio Gates in many of those games. From a talent perspective, the league had been waiting for multiple seasons for the ultra-athletic tight end to break out. Sadly, Green’s football future seems pretty murky after his disappointing season and today’s release.
With Green out of the picture, Jesse James projects as the Steelers’ No. 1 tight end for 2017. The Steelers did not address the position in the draft, so he is without any real competition at this time.
Green earned just over $6MM in the first year of his would-be four-year, $20MM deal. By cutting him early, the Steelers are left with $3.562MM of dead money on the books. They’ll save $2.625MM in 2017, however.
Watson spent part of the 2016 season on the Browns, Broncos and Eagles practice squads. He was on the Eagles’ 53-man roster for the final week of the regular season.
Vince Wilfork Unsure About Retirement
After the Patriots knocked Vince Wilfork‘s Texans out of the playoffs, the defensive tackle indicated that he was likely done with football. Four months later, Wilfork has yet to make his retirement official. That’s because the veteran is still on the fence about whether he wants to continue playing. 
“Right now I am not retired,” Wilfork told SiriusXM (on Twitter). “I’m not saying I’m retired. It’s something I want to make sure I’m 100% certain about.”
To date, Wilfork has put in 13 years in the NFL and he can probably leave the game without any regrets if this is in fact the end of the line. The 35-year-old has two Super Bowl rings thanks to his 11-year stint with the Patriots and he was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the game during his prime. Although he had only 16 career sacks, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus show that he was among the game’s elite between 2006 and 2012. Once he’s eligible, it seems likely that Wilfork will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
With all of that said, it’s not clear what Wilfork can offer in 2017. Last year, he ranked 84th amongst PFF’s 127 qualified defensive tackles. It’s not clear if the Texans or Patriots would have a place for Wilfork, so continuing his career might mean joining up with a third squad.
Eagles Likely To Cut RB Ryan Mathews
The Eagles have signed running back LeGarrette Blount and the expectation is that they will release Ryan Mathews as a result, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. However, he adds that the Eagles will wait until Mathews is healthy before releasing him. 
As noted by former NFL executive Michael Lombardi (on Twitter), cutting Mathews before he is healthy would leave the Eagles on the hook for injury protection. Per the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Philly would have to pay out an extra $1.15MM, leaving them with a $2.15MM cap charge when factoring in the dead money on his deal. By waiting until he’s back to full health, however, the Eagles will be left with just $1MM on the cap while saving $4MM.
Mathews‘ 2016 season ended in December of last year when he suffered a herniated disc in his neck. Still, even with that injury plus the MCL sprain he was dealing with, he still turned in an alright season. In 13 games played he had 661 yards off of 155 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per attempt. He also had eight rushing touchdowns plus 13 catches for 115 yards.
With Mathews out of the picture, the Eagles will likely have Blount and Darren Sproles split the majority of carries. Wendell Smallwood and fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey figure to make the cut while 2016 UDFA Byron Marshall might be on the fringe.