Giants Interested In Patrick Robinson?
Patrick Robinson‘s sojourn back around the free agent market post-agent switch could have the cornerback eyeing the Giants.
Although Robinson’s visited the Cowboys and Colts this week, the Giants are interested in the veteran corner, a source informs Jo
rdan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link).
Tied to the Cowboys prior to switching agents earlier this week, Robinson may now be the best corner available. And moving from Kevin Conner to Ron Butler appears to have reignited Robinson’s market.
Although the Giants already landed the market’s highest-priced corner in Janoris Jenkins on Day 1 of free agency, John Mara recently identified cornerback as an area New York would target, along with wide receiver and offensive line. Big Blue possesses $24.34MM in cap space despite their historic spending rate to kick off this year’s free agency period.
The Giants have Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as their projected starters but have a need beyond that. Trumaine McBride is a UFA, and young and unproven corners are currently residing behind the Giants’ big two.
Robinson enjoyed a bounce-back season in San Diego, rehabilitating his value on the one-year deal with the Chargers. He rated as Pro Football Focus’ No. 30- ranked cornerback.
Entering his age-29 season, the former Saints first-rounder in 2010 clearly has some momentum after the top-tier corners signed early in free agency.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Draft Rumors: 49ers, Jets, Colts, Bears
Here’s a rundown of the latest news on the 2016 NFL Draft:
- Missouri defensive back Kenya Dennis met with the 49ers yesterday and met with the Jets this afternoon, according to Tony Pauline for WalterFootball.com. Dennis struggled somewhat in 2015 after a terrific junior campaign, but Pauline writes that teams see him either as a safety or cornerback in dime packages.
- Illinois State running back/wide receiver Marshaun Coprich interviewed with the Colts and Bears, per Pauline. The Colts in particular are high on his skill set.
- The Jets, Lions, and Bengals all sent position coaches to watch North Carolina Central corner Ryan Smith work out, Pauline writes. Smith also interviewed with the Jets prior to his pro day.
- In total, Smith has six workouts and five visits on his docket, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes. In addition to the clubs listed above, Smith has private workouts with the Cardinals, Jets, Panthers, Patriots, and Ravens. On top of that, he has visits lined up with the Raiders, Steelers, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Vikings. At the combine, Smith turned heads when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds.
- Portland State Long Snapper Kameron Canaday has had private workouts with the Cardinals and Broncos, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- Texas Tech wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant had a private workout with the Colts, Getlin tweets. He also has a workout set with the Jets and a team visit coming up with the Cowboys.
- Vernon Hargreaves has a meeting with the Jaguars on April 5th, per Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 (on Twitter). He’ll also be meeting with the Buccaneers on April 7th or 8th.
- Former Clemson safety Jayron Kearse has met with, or is set to visit and/or workout with the Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, and Jets, Getlin tweets.
NFL Tweaks IR/Designated To Return Rule
Most of the NFL’s rule changes that were proposed and approved at this week’s owners’ meetings affect the play on the field, but at least one rule change will have an impact on how teams manage their rosters going forward. As Marc Sessler of NFL.com details, the league has adjusted the rules for the usage of the IR/designated to return slot.
Previously, a team was required to specify whether a player was receiving the designated-to-return tag at the time that player was placed on injured reserve. The designation allowed the player to return to practice after six weeks and to return to game action after eight weeks, rather than having to spend the entire season on IR.
Based on a new rule proposed by the Bills and approved by the NFL’s owners, teams will no longer have to specifically designate that a player will be occupying that IR-DTR spot when he’s placed on injured reserve. For instance, if a team places five players on injured reserve before Week 1, that club could decide at a later date to bring back any one of those players off IR.
The six-week waiting period will still apply, and teams will still only be able to use the IR-DTR designation on a single player per year — so in the previous example, the other four players will have to stay on IR all season, or until they work out an injury settlement with the club. Still, the option to postpone the decision on which player gets the designation will give teams more freedom and roster flexibility going forward, allowing clubs to maximize the use of that IR-DTR spot.
The rest of this week’s rule changes can be found via Sessler’s piece and right here.
49ers Re-Sign Ian Williams
MARCH 23, 3:09pm: Williams’ one-year deal is now official, having been announced by the 49ers in a press release.
Per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link), GM Trent Baalke has said the Niners still plan to sign Williams to a long-term deal. However, that will obviously be dependent on his health.
MARCH 21, 1:21pm: Nearly two weeks after the 49ers and Williams agreed to what was expected to be a five-year contract worth more than $25MM, the two sides have now struck a deal on a reworked agreement for just one year, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
According to Maiocco, Williams’ recovery from an ankle injury will take longer than initially planned, prompting the team to revisit the terms of the agreement before the deal became official. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman underwent ankle surgery after the 2015 season, creating some uncertainty about his availability for the 2016 season opener.
Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), Williams’ new one-year deal has a base value of $3MM, including a $1MM base salary and $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Wilson says the deal features $2MM in playing-time incentives, while Schefter tweets than it can be worth up to $6MM in total.
MARCH 9, 9:48am: Williams’ new five-year deal with the 49ers will be worth between $5MM and $6MM per year, tweets Rapoport.
7:16am: The 49ers have reached an agreement with one of their own free agents, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is re-signing defensive tackle Ian Williams to a five-year contract.
Coming off a leg injury that ended his 2014 season, Williams was a 16-game starter for the first time in 2015, and looked very good at nose tackle for the Niners, racking up 65 tackles and a sack. Pro Football Focus ranked Williams 18th out of 123 qualified interior defenders for the season, assigning him a particularly strong grade as a run defender.
Re-signing Williams to a new deal represents a nice start for this Niners’ offseason, after the team saw a handful of core defenders – Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Chris Borland, among others – depart via retirement or free agency during last year’s offseason. While the team figures to pursue other additions on defense, the fact that Williams will return in the middle of the defensive line should provide some nice continuity as the defense transitions from Eric Mangini‘s system to Jim O’Neil‘s.
Williams ranked as the 28th overall free agent on PFR’s top 50 list.
Lyle Sendlein Likely To Retire
While nothing is official is yet, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians suggested today that center Lyle Sendlein will likely retire this offseason, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). “As far as I know,” Arians said. “I don’t think he’s announced it yet.”
Sendlein, who turned 32 last Wednesday, has been the Cardinals’ starting center for most of the last decade, appearing in 136 regular season games (124 starts) for the team since 2007. The Texas alum ranked 27th out of 39 qualified centers in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus, which graded him as a slightly better run blocker than pass blocker.
If Sendlein does decide to continue his career, it seems likely to happen in Arizona. Last year, the team was prepared to move on without him, but didn’t like its options at center in training camp, and ultimately re-signed the veteran in August.
This time around, center is one of the few spots on the Cardinals’ offensive line that doesn’t already have a clear-cut starter lined up. Whoever ends up landing the job will have good company on either side of him, with Mike Iupati and Evan Mathis penciled in as the club’s starting guards.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Notes: T. Johnson, Ogletree, Zuerlein
It’s been an eventful day for the Rams, who were announced as the subject of this year’s installment of HBO’s Hard Knocks series, and are also believed to be the favorites to “host” a regular-season game in China in 2018. Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke this morning at the NFC coaches’ breakfast about several topics related to his roster as well, and we’ll round up the highlights right here, courtesy of Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:
- The Rams hope to lock up cornerback Trumaine Johnson to a long-term deal in the near future, per Fisher (Twitter link). The team has until July 15 to work out a multiyear extension with Johnson, who has already signed his franchise tender.
- At the other cornerback spot, Fisher anticipates Coty Sensabaugh will compete with E.J. Gaines “and/or a draft choice” for the starting job. The head coach added that the Rams were “a lot closer” to re-signing Janoris Jenkins than people think (Twitter links). Jenkins ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Giants worth $12.5MM annually.
- The Rams will have to make decisions on the 2017 options for linebacker Alec Ogletree and wide receiver Tavon Austin this spring, and Fisher said it’s virtually a lock that Ogletree’s fifth-year option will be exercised. He added that the team would like to keep both players for the long term (Twitter link).
- Greg Zuerlein remains a free agent, and while Fisher said there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the two sides, he also stressed that there will be real competition at the kicker spot (Twitter link).
- Fisher evaded a question about his own contract situation — a report earlier this month indicated he and the Rams were discussing a new deal, but he said today that he’s “not concerned about it” (Twitter link).
Dolphins Exploring Trade Market For RBs
Having missed out on several running back targets already this month, the Dolphins continue to explore every option for adding a player to their backfield. A league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins’ search for a running back has led them to the trade market, where they’ve had conversations with multiple teams about a possible deal.
Salguero’s source did not specify particular teams the Dolphins have spoken to, or players they’ve inquired about, but it doesn’t appear any deal is imminent anyway.
The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins, who were also in the running for Chris Johnson before he opted to re-sign with the Cardinals.
The Dolphins like incumbent running back Jay Ajayi, a 2015 fifth-rounder, but have been seeking a complementary back in order to avoid the Boise State product having to carry too significant a load.
While a trade is one option for Miami, the team could also return to the free agent market. Salguero mentions Arian Foster as one possibility, but he’s far from the only option — LeGarrette Blount, Ronnie Hillman, Steven Ridley, and Tim Hightower, among others, remain unsigned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: C. Jones, Brees, Bucs, Cowboys
Speaking today to reporters, including Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians admitted he was “shocked” to learn that Chandler Jones was available, revealing that the Patriots instigated the trade discussions that led to a deal earlier this month. While Chandler has just one year left on his contract, Arians is confident he’ll remain in Arizona for a while: “When he hits free agency, we’ll have the dollars to make sure he stays.”
Let’s round up a few more items of interest from around the NFC…
- In the wake of news that Sean Payton will be extended through the 2020 season by the Saints, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that New Orleans is also discussing a deal that would lock up quarterback Drew Brees for the next five years. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com recently explained why signing Brees through 2020 might make the most sense for the Saints.
- Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter believes Mike Glennon is capable of starting in the NFL, and prefers to keep him in the mix, but he acknowledged today that the team is fond of Ryan Griffin as well, hinting that Griffin would also be capable of backing up Jameis Winston if Glennon is dealt (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune).
- Koetter also said today that the Buccaneers intend to add a fullback to their roster, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
- The free agent market for a backup quarterback was a little too pricey for the Cowboys, but the team still wants to address the No. 2 spot on its depth chart behind Tony Romo, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com details. According to Jerry Jones, there “will be options” for Dallas, including potentially landing a veteran or adding a signal-caller within the first couple days of the draft. Kellen Moore currently projects as Romo’s backup.
Roger Goodell Talks Pats, Chiefs, China, Vegas
With the NFL’s owners meetings winding down in Boca Raton, Florida, commissioner Roger Goodell took to the podium this morning to announcing the rules changes approved by the league and to take questions from reporters. We won’t get into the rule changes here, but we’ll round up several of the more noteworthy comments Goodell made in response to those reporters’ inquiries. Let’s dive in…
- Goodell confirmed that he received Robert Kraft‘s letter asking for the Patriots to get their draft picks back. However, after “considering his views,” Goodell has decided that New England’s Deflategate penalties won’t be altered, since the commissioner doesn’t feel as if new information has surfaced.
- The NFL and NFL Players Association are not close – “by any stretch of the imagination” – to reaching an agreement on player discipline that would strip Goodell of some or all of his power and authority.
- Goodell expects to serve as the arbitrator for the Chiefs‘ appeal of their tampering penalties, adding that he’ll make sure that appeal happened before the draft if the team pushes for that.
- No discipline is expected for the Falcons and/or their coaches after secondary coach Marquand Manuel asked cornerback prospect Eli Apple at the combine if he liked men.
- Although several reports have suggested that the Rams are expected to host the NFL’s 2018 regular-season game in China, Goodell said several teams are interested and no decisions have been made yet. However, he did confirm that the league will play a game in China in ’18.
- Asked about the possibility of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, Goodell didn’t close the door on the possibility of having an NFL franchise there, suggesting that the league’s 32 owners would have a decision to make if a formal proposal was put on the table. The city’s economic reliance on gambling, and the potential impact on the NFL, would certainly be a significant factor in that decision.
- While no decisions have been made on Josh Gordon‘s potential reinstatement, Goodell expects his staff to update him on the Browns wide receiver’s case next week.
FA Rumors: RGIII, Browns, Rams, Falcons
Will Robert Griffin III ultimately sign with the Browns after visiting Cleveland last week? According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the prevailing feeling at the owners’ meetings in Boca Raton is that the Browns will indeed be able to get something done with RGIII. There’s no agreement in place yet, but Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that there’s a possibility of a deal by the end of the week.
As we wait to see if the two sides can strike a deal, let’s round up a few other items related to free agency, including another one on Griffin…
- Asked about the possibility of pursuing RGIII, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that it’s something his team may have to consider (video link via TheRams.com). However, it didn’t sound like there was much urgency on that front for Fisher and the Rams, who have plenty of confidence in Case Keenum as their starter.
- Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed this morning that his club remains in negotiations with free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler, who may end up returning, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Asked today about the possibility of bringing back defensive end Greg Hardy, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said that Dallas is “focused on some other guys right now,” per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Although there hasn’t been much movement on the Chad Greenway front so far, the veteran linebacker remains confident that he’ll be able to work out a new deal with the Vikings, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. While Greenway’s first choice is to remain in Minnesota, he did acknowledge that he has received some inquiries from other teams, but he’s not in a rush to make a decision.
- Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said he was “shocked” that both Chris Johnson and Jermaine Gresham accepted less money to re-sign in Arizona, adding that there was no special sales pitch for either player (Twitter links via Peter Schrager of FOX Sports).