NFC Rumors: Rams, 49ers, Lions, Saints
The Rams are receiving “significant interest” as they attempt to trade franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). As of yet, the only club to be directly linked to the Johnson discussions is the Browns, and even that report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was seemingly tangential and not indicative of definitive interest. Johnson is set to earn nearly $17MM in 2017 under his second consecutive franchise tender.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Free agent defensive tackle Terrell McClain is generating “a lot of interest” from the 49ers, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. McClain is coming off the best season of his career, as he started more 12 or more games for the first time since 2012. In 15 starts, McClain put up 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He’s also been linked to Atlanta, Seattle, Washington, and Miami.
- The Lions reached out to offensive tackle Mike Remmers before signing Ricky Wagner, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Remmers isn’t an elite tackle like Wagner, but he can play both the left and right side and has started 32 games for Carolina over the past two seasons. He rates as PFR’s No. 10 free agent offensive tackle.
- Although the Saints have interest in retaining linebacker Michael Mauti, a deal may not come together until later in free agency, according to Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link). Mauti, 27, played in eight games for New Orleans last season before being placed on the NFI list with an intestinal issue. While he’s not a contributor on defense, Mauti did play 35% of the Saints’ special teams snaps despite only managing a half-season.
- The meeting between the Vikings and controversial running back prospect Joe Mixon went “very well,” tweets Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Mixon will meet with the Raiders next, per Miller, after posting a successful Pro Day this afternoon.
Free Agency Rumors: Vikings, Okung, Bills
Rounding up the latest free agency news:
- The Vikings are expected to express interest in offensive tackle Russell Okung when free agency starts, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. This doesn’t come as a big surprise since Okung has been previously linked to Minnesota.
- The Bills were in play for Brian Hoyer, but he will not be signing with Buffalo after the team retained Tyrod Taylor, sources tell ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). The Jets and 49ers have strong interest in the veteran QB.
- The 49ers are now among the teams in the mix for fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. The Ravens would like to keep him, but they are expecting to get outbid for the former fourth-round pick. The Bills are said to be in the lead for him and the Browns are also in pursuit.
- The Raiders working hard today on bringing back right tackle Menelik Watson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. If he reaches the open market, however, the Broncos are among the teams that will pursue him, Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets.
- The Raiders are trying to get a new deal done with inside linebacker Perry Riley, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/17
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:
RFAs:
Tendered:
- Chiefs — K Cairo Santos (per Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, on Twitter)
- Raiders — DE Denico Autry (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter)
- Ravens — G Ryan Jensen (via Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun, on Twitter)
- Redskins — LB William Compton
Non-Tendered:
- Titans — RB Antonio Andrews, LB Justin Staples, TE Phillip Supernaw (via Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com)
ERFAs:
Tendered:
- Dolphins — TE Thomas Duarte, LB Mike Hull, CB Lafayette Pitts, C/G Anthony Steen
- Falcons — CB Ricardo Allen, G/DT Ben Garland, S Akeem King (per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Twitter)
- Lions — DE Brandon Copeland, DE Kerry Hyder, WR T.J. Jones (per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, via Twitter)
Latest On Raiders, Adrian Peterson
The Raiders have been frequently mentioned as a possible landing spot for Adrian Peterson. However, Peterson’s interest level in joining Oakland is higher than Oakland’s interest level in bringing him aboard, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
Recently, Peterson’s father praised the Raiders’ offensive line while taking a clear dig at the Vikings’ unit.
“What we personally like is [the Raiders’] offensive line,” Nelson Peterson told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, while adding that the Vikings have yet to make a follow-up offer after declining his option. “The offensive line, they haven’t been playing around. They haven’t been trying to get offensive linemen from the bottom of the barrel and trying to make them into something.”
Peterson, my No. 2 ranked free agent running back and No. 35 ranked free agent overall (based on earning power), might not have the kind of market that he anticipated. The Seahawks are not presently interested in him and he might have to accept a deal with a modest base salary if he wants to join up with the Patriots. The Giants, who said they would “take a look” at Peterson, are not in the running.
All things considered, Peterson’s best bet might be to circle back to the Vikings. His popularity in Minnesota and history with the team could make them willing to pay him more than any other potential suitor.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Raiders Unlikely To Keep McGloin, Smith
Linebacker Malcolm Smith, tight end Mychal Rivera, and quarterback Matt McGloin are expected to sign elsewhere this week, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Right now, the Raiders are prepared to go with Connor Cook as their No. 2 quarterback, though they could conceivably bring in competition for him (Twitter link).
Last week, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio spoke openly about the club possibly installing Cook as the No. 2 QB, but he also did not ruled out acquiring another backup for starter Derek Carr.
“I think, for us, we want to develop Connor Cook first as our backup quarterback. He’s the guy we know we have right now,” Del Rio said (via Kyle Meinke of MLive.com). “But there’s always competition in this league, and I wouldn’t close the door there, to say we wouldn’t make it competitive for him.”
“Moxy” McGloin is presently ranked as my No. 8 free agent quarterback. He’s highly unlikely to garner consideration as a starter, but he has had his moments over four years as a reserve in Oakland.
Smith, our No. 12 linebacker remaining on the board, is coming off of a two-year deal which had a $7MM base value and $3.75MM fully guaranteed. After taking on a starting role with the Raiders, he may be in line for a raise. Last year, Smith totaled 103 tackles. In 2015, he had 123 total tackles and a career-high four sacks.
The Raiders’ primary receiving tight end prior to the team elevating Clive Walford, Rivera started 13 games between the 2013 and ’14 seasons. The 2014 season proved to be his best to date, with his second season including 58 receptions, 534 receiving yards and four touchdowns. However, Pro Football Focus consistently scrutinized his work, rating Rivera near the bottom of its tight end hierarchy in both the ’14 and ’15 seasons. The site graded Rivera as its No. 33 tight end in 2016, but he caught just 18 passes, as Walford usurped him on the depth chart.
Latest On Adrian Peterson’s Market
A number of teams will have interest in free agent running back Adrian Peterson, but at least two teams are considered “desirable landing spots” for the veterans. According to Stacey Dales of the NFL Network (via Twitter), the Seahawks and Raiders are teams that Peterson has on his radar. The seven-time Pro Bowler could seek $4MM to $6MM per year on his next deal, tweets Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, who adds that the Patriots – with whom Peterson could take a discount – are also in the mix. Peterson has spent his entire career with the Vikings to this point, but they’re prioritizing their offensive line and might not make him an offer until next week, relays Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The 31-year-old Peterson only appeared in three games this past season as he recovered from a torn meniscus in his right knee. Still, the veteran’s previous performance is a big reason why PFR’s Zach Links pegged Peterson as the projected highest-earning running back this offseason (he was also listed as the second-best available running back behind Eddie Lacy).
There shouldn’t be any worry that Peterson can bounce back from his injury. After playing in only one game in 2014, the running back finished the 2015 campaign with 1,485 yards and 11 touchdowns on 327 carries (4.5 yards per carry). The veteran also finished that campaign with 30 receptions.
Neither the Seahawks nor Raiders would deny a player of Peterson’s talent, but they currently have solid depth at the position. Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise are set to compete for the starting gig in Seattle, while Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are among the intriguing options is Oakland. The Raiders could also look to re-sign Latavius Murray.
Raiders Secure Additional Las Vegas Funding
The Raiders’ Las Vegas project received what could be a critical boost on Monday. Bank of America agreed to help fund the proposed $1.9 billion stadium. According to the team, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter), this latest development stands to complete the financing on this venture.
The extra backing became essential to the Raiders moving forward with their long-planned Vegas relocation because of Sheldon Adelson and Goldman Sachs’ withdrawals earlier this year.
Bank of America being now involved with the franchise’s push to move strengthens the Raiders’ potential proposal. One insider said the Raiders showed a “very strong” Las Vegas plan at today’s presentation to the NFL’s stadium and finance committees, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The Raiders were seeking an additional partner to aid this effort after Adelson’s exit deprived the team of the $650MM he promised to deliver. While the Raiders still secured the record $750MM in public money from Nevada, a sizable gap existed prior to Bank of America agreeing to fill the void.
Conversely, the Oakland made a 45-minute presentation at today’s summit in Florida. An NFL source informed Bonsignore (Twitter link) no new revelations emerged from the Oakland proposal. The Fortress Investment Group that’s backing the Ronnie Lott-led Oakland operation was not on hand at today’s meetings, Bosignore tweets. This continues the stagnant nature of the Oakland push to retain the Raiders, one that has yet to produce a viable plan in the eyes of the league.
The Vegas venture that as recently as five weeks ago was categorized as being “all but dead” appears to have new life. Today’s development gels with Raiders president Mark Badain saying last month two banks had agreed to loan them money for the move.
While the Raiders still need to convince 23 owners to approve this relocation when it’s put up for a vote, the lack of an Oakland solution may deliver more momentum to Vegas. (And one of the most influential owners seems to be on board.) However, there are still complications regarding this move, and after key Raiders backers pulled out recently, the project being on firm footing can’t be assumed just yet. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Adelson could still try to keep the team out, as he reportedly plans to lure another team. But nothing of any substance has emerged on that front.
Six Teams Interested In WR Andre Holmes
The 49ers, Redskins, Lions, Jets, Bears, and Raiders are all potential landing spots for pending free agent wide receiver Andre Holmes, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
[RELATED: PFR’s Top 50 2017 Free Agents]
Holmes, 28, has spent the past four seasons in Oakland after beginning his career with the Cowboys. The former undrafted free agent was a large part of the Raiders’ offense as recently as two years ago, as he posted 47 receptions for nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns during the 2014 campaign. In 2016, however, Holmes managed only 14 catches, but was a key cog on special teams, where he played over 65% of Oakland’s snaps.
Due to his lackluster offensive production, Holmes didn’t earn a spot among PFR’s free agent wide receiver rankings, but clearly clubs have already expressed interest in acquiring the 6’5″ pass-catcher. Holmes earned $2MM in 2016 on a one-year deal with Oakland, which was agreed to after other teams pushed to sign him.
Raiders Have Serious Interest In Martellus Bennett
- Although it is difficult, as usual, to pin down the Patriots‘ free agency plans, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe does his best, writing that the club is “taking a long look” at the tight end position but that Martellus Bennett could certainly be back, that the team is in the defensive end market now that Chris Long is gone and Jabaal Sheard appears unlikely to return, and that Logan Ryan is likely to price himself out of the Patriots’ price range. Volin names the Jaguars and Raiders as two teams with serious interest in Bennett.
Raiders Interested In Martellus Bennett
- Martellus Bennett wants to test the market, but the Patriots would like him to return. Their top competition could come from fellow AFCers, with the Raiders and Jaguars interested in the veteran tight end, Volin tweets. Jacksonville just unloaded underwhelming UFA signing Julius Thomas, and the Raiders haven’t seen much from Clive Walford yet. Former starter Mychal Rivera is a free agent. Bennett and Jared Cook reside as the top tight ends on the market.