Jermaine Gresham To Undergo Back Surgery
Free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham was diagnosed with a herniated disc earlier today, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the former Bengals weapon is scheduled for back surgery on Thursday. While Rapoport notes that the tight end will determine his timetable following the surgery, previous reports estimated that Gresham would be ready for training camp.
The 26-year-old was certainly one of the more intriguing options on the free agent market, but his subpar 2014 campaign didn’t earn him a place on Luke Adams’ list of the top 50 free agents. He finished last season with 62 catches for 460 yards and five touchdowns, earning him a negative rating from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, it was a step up from his performance in 2013 and 2012, when PFF rated him as one of the two worst tight ends in the entire league.
The former first-round pick had previously met with the Raiders, but as of last week, the talks were reportedly “dead.” Meanwhile, the Browns had shown interest in Gresham, while the Bills were also rumored to be keeping an eye on the two-time Pro Bowler.
Contract Details: Revis, Cromartie, Spiller
Here are a few notable details from some of the contracts signed by free agents within the last several days:
AFC deals:
- Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): Five years, $70MM base value. $39MM fully guaranteed. Options for 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. Can be worth up to $35MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $3.5MM fully guaranteed. $3.125MM cap number in 2015 (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
- Tramon Williams, CB (Browns): Three years, $21MM base value. $10MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this month (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Scott Chandler, TE (Patriots): Two years, $5.3MM base value. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
- Christian Ponder, QB (Raiders): One year, $2.25MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com).
NFC deals:
- C.J. Spiller, RB (Saints): Four years, $16MM. $7.3MM fully guaranteed. $2MM available in escalators. Voids after three years if Spiller makes it to two Pro Bowls (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
- Rashean Mathis, CB (Lions): Two years, $3.5MM base value. $750K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Chykie Brown, S (Giants): Two years, $1.8MM base value. $200K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Tyrunn Walker, DT (Lions): One year, $1.75MM base value. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
FA Notes: Connolly, Gresham, Ellis, Barksdale
After passing along several updates on free agency this morning, we’re back this afternoon with another round-up. Here’s the latest on a handful of players still on the market:
- The Patriots would like to re-sign Dan Connolly, but the veteran offensive lineman is also receiving interest from the Seahawks and Bears as a center, and from the Dolphins and Buccaneers as a guard, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 32-year-old has been a mainstay in New England for the last few years, but had a down year in 2014, placing among the bottom 10 guards in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- Tight end Jermaine Gresham is meeting with a doctor tomorrow to determine the severity of a back injury, and could be headed for surgery later this week, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Greshman still expects to be ready for training camp, but that’s a giant red flag for potential suitors, and explains why he remains unsigned. Teams in need of a tight end – such as the Bills, Raiders, and Browns – figure to monitor Gresham’s situation, tweets Rapoport.
- Free agent defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis could potentially make the move from one New York team to another. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter), the former Jet is visiting the Giants today.
- The Titans have maintained interest in Joe Barksdale, arguably the top tackle left on the market, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Since hitting free agency last week, Barksdale has frequently been linked to the Titans and the Rams, who are still interested in re-signing him.
- Veteran free agent Samson Satele is looking for a team that will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting center job, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Raiders Sign Trent Richardson
12:25pm: Per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), it’s a two-year deal worth $3.9MM for Richardson. However, the running back can earn up to about $8MM via incentives.
12:04pm: The Raiders have officially signed Richardson, the team announced (via Twitter).
11:53am: Less than a week after he was cut by the Colts, running back Trent Richardson has found a new home in the AFC. According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Richardson will be signing a contract to join the Raiders. ESPN’s Bill Williamson (Twitter link) confirms that the two sides are in the “final stages” of completing a deal.
Richardson, 23, was selected third overall in the 2012 draft by the Browns, but lasted just over a year in Cleveland, having been dealt to the Colts for a first-round pick early in the 2013 campaign. Richardson was underwhelming, to say the least, during his time in Indianapolis, recording 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 rushing attempts across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a TD in 29 games (20 starts). During his time wearing blue and white, the Alabama product averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.
Richardson’s time in Indianapolis came to an unceremonious end when the Colts waived him after hitting him with a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team at the end of the 2014 season. Richardson, who missed a Colts walkthrough during AFC Championship week without notifying the club, reportedly was dealing with a family emergency involving “serious complications” to his girlfriend’s pregnancy, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
The Colts’ suspension voided the guarantee on the former third overall pick’s $3.184MM base salary for the 2015 season, so Richardson and the NFLPA have filed a grievance against the team to attempt to recoup that money.
For the Raiders, adding Richardson to a roster that features Latavius Murray and newly-signed Roy Helu is an interesting decision. Richardson, who told Mike Wells of ESPN.com on his way out of Indianapolis that he expected to be the starter for his next team, may get a chance to compete for that job, with Helu expected to a change-of-pace option and Murray lacking in experience. The Raiders were strongly linked to DeMarco Murray before he landed with the Eagles, so it seems the team was intent on adding a veteran to the mix.
Still, for a team that spent last season with veteran runners like Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden struggling to get much of a ground game going, bringing in the ineffective Richardson looks like more of the same, even if he has more upside than the team’s former backs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Notes: Clay, Canty, Spencer, Irving, Moore
There hasn’t been much movement on the Charles Clay front lately, but the Bills are still steadfast in their hopes of signing him to an unmatchable offer sheet, a source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Buffalo appears confident in landing the Dolphins transition player, as the source tells Carucci that it’s a 90% certainty that the Bills will acquire the tight end.
Rex Ryan is reportedly pushing for Clay, as the Bills head coach knows how difficult Clay is to defend from the former’s time with the Jets. Per Carucci, Buffalo is currently going over both their cap numbers and those of the Dolphins, in an attempt to structure a contract that Miami can’t match.
Let’s take a look at the what’s happening on the rest of the free agent market:
- Defensive lineman Chris Canty will visit the Seahawks tomorrow, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The 32-year-old was released by the Ravens last month, and while a reunion with Baltimore is possible, he’s also met with the Jets as he explores his options.
- Canty isn’t the only defender who will take a meeting with Seattle, as LB/DE Anthony Spencer will also visit the Seahawks, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Seattle had success in bringing in veteran defensive lineman Kevin Williams last season, so perhaps they’re trying to find another diamond-in-the-rough between Canty and Spencer.
- While his visit with the Colts today went well, linebacker Nate Irving is still weighing all his options, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The former Bronco has also been linked to the Dolphins and the Cardinals.
- After asking a source whether receiver Denarius Moore could return to the Raiders, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter) got a clear response: “Not a chance.” The 26-year-old hasn’t drawn any known interest during the free agent period.
- Although we heard on Thursday that the Bears were discussing a multi-year deal with linebacker Mason Foster, no such pact is imminent, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that nothing is close between the two sides.
Raiders Release Matt Schaub
As expected, the Raiders have parted ways with quarterback Matt Schaub, terminating his contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Schaub won’t have to clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent, and will have the opportunity to immediately sign elsewhere.
Schaub, 33, was acquired by the Raiders in a trade with the Texans last offseason, but lost out on the starting quarterback job to rookie Derek Carr, and served as the No. 2 option in Oakland. After new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave brought former Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder in last week to back up Carr, Schaub’s release was viewed as inevitable.
Schaub had been set to earn a $5.5MM base salary for the 2015 season, but by releasing him, the Raiders will clear that entire amount from their books. As for the veteran signal-caller, he should have some backup opportunities around the league now that he’s not tied to that $5.5MM cap hit.
AFC West Links: Raiders, Broncos, Hardy
Raiders safety Charles Woodson is excited about what the team was able to do in free agency, despite the lack of one huge signing, writes Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com.
“There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” said Woodson. “But at the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth. So you bring in guys that are possibly starters, that will compete for a starting job, and then we’ve still got money to get three or four other guys. Then you’ve got the draft coming up. So you have the potential to build the team the way you want to. Just because you didn’t get the one guy, we’ll have the opportunity to build this team the right way and that’s what Reggie’s looking at.”‘
- Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is looking at free agency in the same light as Woodson, and is happy with what they were able to do, according to McDonald. “Every year you go after a lot of guys, and you don’t get them all,” McKenzie said. “Our intent was to go out hard and heavy after each one of these guys, and we were able to land a whole bunch of guys we really liked.”
- The Broncos were big spenders in free agency last offseason, but were more reserved this year as they lost Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Rahim Moore. Head coach Gary Kubiak stressed the importance of being able to sustain success by replacing veterans with younger players, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. “I think you have to understand that’s going to happen with your football team,” Kubiak said. “You can’t keep everybody that you’d like to. Being able to replace guys is part of it. And right now our biggest challenge is that we have to improve a lot of the younger players.”
- One free agent the Broncos were able to bring in was offensive lineman Shelley Smith, who played college ball at Colorado State University. Smith was specifically excited to play for Kubiak, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “We have a lot of friends and family here, a lot of support. And it was very appealing. I think he is a heck of a coach, and some of his staff obviously followed him,” Smith said Saturday. “Obviously the scheme has proven to be a very good system and I think it fits my capabilities well.”
- Kevin Acee of the U-T San Diego asked a few Chargers’ players if they would be receptive to bringing in Greg Hardy despite his legal troubles. He feels the locker room would approve of the signing (via Twitter). However, he warns them that they will lose their right to judge the next player who gets himself into an ugly situation if they do take him in (via Twitter).
McKenzie, Woodson On Raiders’ Offseason
The Raiders, armed with a boatload of cap space, had hoped to make a big splash in free agency. They wanted Ndamukong Suh, they wanted DeMarco Murray, and they wanted Randall Cobb, among others. But while the Raiders were unable to land the biggest of the big names, they have acquired a number of quality players that should give the team a lift in 2015. Rodney Hudson is one of the league’s best centers, and Dan Williams and Curtis Lofton will give the front seven a much-needed boost. Roy Helu, meanwhile, has a ton of upside and could be one of the offseason’s biggest steals.
At the Raiders’ Commitment to Excellence dinner honoring free safety Charles Woodson last night, GM Reggie McKenzie and Woodson himself spoke about what the team has accomplished so far. Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group passes along a few interesting notes on what those two had to say (all links go to Twitter, unless otherwise noted):
- McKenzie said that the plan this offseason was to acquire younger players who are still in their prime years. Last year, of course, the Raiders targeted older players who could provide leadership and help to change the team’s culture.
- The older players that were acquired last season largely served their purpose, and some, like Donald Penn, Justin Tuck, and Woodson were retained, as they are still capable contributors. Otherwise, Oakland sought young “starter-types.”
- Confirming what we had already learned, McKenzie said the team did make a strong push Suh but will not pursue Greg Hardy.
- McKenzie spoke specifically about Hudson and new safety Nate Allen. He said that the Raiders jumped at the chance to sign Hudson, who is a skilled pass-blocker and run-blocker, and he cited Allen’s range, versatility, and instincts as the major factors in his signing.
- Both McKenzie and Woodson spoke of the positive energy that the new acquisitions bring with them, and Woodson discussed how a staff assembled of former players contribute to that energy.
- Woodson added that he helped to recruit a few of the team’s new additions, though most of them had already agreed to terms.
- In a full-length piece, McDonald provides a quote from Woodson that accurately summarizes the team’s offseason: “There’s no question that Suh would have been huge. He would have been a great addition to the team,” Woodson said. “At the same time, if you don’t get a Suh, you can get three or four other players to make up for it. And what that does is build depth.”
- For his part, McDonald tweets that this free agent class could end up being a great one, just like last year’s draft class. Given the quality of the signings and the impact they should have on the team’s overall depth, it appears McDonald’s optimism is well-founded.
Latest On Greg Hardy
SATURDAY, 9:06pm: Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie buried the Hardy-to-Oakland rumors, telling CSNCalifornia’s Scott Bair the team doesn’t have “any intention” of pursuing him (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 2:18pm: Speaking to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Davis called rumors of the Raiders’ interest in Hardy “false, falser, and falsest.”
“He’s somebody we are not negotiating with and I don’t believe we would be interested in at this point in time,” Davis said. “I can tell you this: It has not been brought up to me and it would have to come to me.”
FRIDAY, 1:35pm: Bill Williamson of ESPN.com and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links) have both been told by sources that the Raiders aren’t engaged in discussions with Hardy about a deal.
FRIDAY, 10:43am: Hardy is in negotiations with at least one team, and is drawing interest from others, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, who suggests to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that his client’s market may be more lucrative than expected. Per Schefter, Rosenhaus expects Hardy to earn a “strong multiyear deal.”
“It’s a very positive situation,” Rosenhaus said. “While we’re waiting to hear from the league, we’re working through it, and it has been very encouraging.”
Gus Bradley, the head coach of one team that has been linked to Hardy, said today that the defensive end’s name has not come up in the Jaguars’ free agent discussions, per Nick Kostos of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 7:55am: With two more free agent pass rushers coming off the board this morning, teams looking to generate an outside pass rush may soon have to make a decision on whether to seriously pursue Greg Hardy, who is still awaiting word on potential discipline from the NFL. Reports this week have suggested about a half-dozen teams are eyeing Hardy, but they’re proceeding with caution due to Hardy’s off-field history and the possibility that he’ll be facing a suspension.
It appears one of those clubs with interest in Hardy is the Raiders. Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post first reported (via Twitter) that Oakland is considering the former Panthers defensive end, and the team’s interest has since been confirmed by others, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
While Hardy certain makes sense for the Raiders from an on-field perspective, it would be a surprise if the team was seriously considering adding him, based on the franchise’s stance on domestic violence. Owner Mark Davis has said in the past that players with that sort of history won’t receive too long a look from the Raiders — most recently, Davis told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, “We just said it’s not going to be something that we tolerate here.”
Of course, Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, but there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. For now, the 26-year-old, who had 15 sacks in 2013 before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
Another potential suitor for Hardy could be the Jaguars — GM David Caldwell didn’t rule out the possibility of pursuing him when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday.
Raiders Sign Dan Williams, Curtis Lofton
MARCH 13: Lofton’s deal is for three years and carries a total value of $18MM ($10MM in guarantees), according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweeted earlier Friday that Williams’ contract is worth $25MM over four years. It includes $15.5MM in guarantees.
MARCH 11: The Raiders missed out on a few of their top targets in the early wave of free agency over the weekend, but the team is poised to add two solid defenders to its roster, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reports. According to Wright (Twitter link), the Raiders are signing defensive tackle Dan Williams and linebacker Curtis Lofton. The terms of the deals are not yet known.
Lofton, 28, was one of the most dependable and durable pieces on the Saints’ defense in recent years, starting all 48 regular season contests for the team since arriving in New Orleans in 2012. In 2014, he racked up 145 tackles to go along with a forced fumble. However, while his stats looked solid on the surface, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as a bottom-five inside linebacker, out of 60 qualified players. Money was tight for New Orleans and Lofton no longer looked like he was worth his salary, so the Saints cut him loose earlier this week.
The Raiders were heavily connected to Terrance Knighton, one of the top defensive tackles on the open market this offseason, but they turned their attention to Williams once their appetite for Pot Roast had waned. We learned Tuesday afternoon that Williams had a deal in place with a team, and we now know that his home will be with the Raiders. Williams was also linked to the Lions, Giants, and Washington at different points in recent days. The 27-year-old Williams, who ranked as the No. 33 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, has started 40 games in his five-year career, all with the Cardinals, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft.