North Notes: Wallace, Hicks, Bryant, Vikings
Even after being released by the Vikings earlier this week, Mike Wallace still might return to Minnesota, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says that the possibility of Wallace re-signing with the Vikings is “on the table.” Wallace hasn’t been the same player since leaving the Steelers after 2012, as he’s averaged just 755 yards and six touchdowns with the Dolphins and Vikings in the three years since. But he’s not yet 30 years old, and given the crop of free agent wideouts, he should be able to find a nice landing spot.
Wallace was set to count $11.5MM against the cap in 2016, so if Minnesota does want to re-sign him, it will obviously be for far less than that total. The Ravens will reportedly have Wallace in for a visit, and while it’s just my speculation, I wonder if the Steelers would be interested in a reunion given that Martavis Bryant is facing a yearlong suspension.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s two North divisions…
- Free agent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is in Chicago deciding his next move, and no resolution is expected to be announced today, reports Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The Bears are still in the hunt for Hicks, per Finley, while the Lions have also expressed interest.
- The Steelers have known about Bryant’s suspension since before the combine, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com, so today’s news didn’t come as a major surprise.
- Two Vikings‘ linebackers — Travis Lewis and Audie Cole — received one-year, minimum salary benefit deals, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links). Lewis received a $50K signing bonus, per Rothstein, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported (via Twitter) a few days ago that Cole received a $40K bonus.
Miller’s Latest: Glennon, Hackenberg, Doctson
While the Buccaneers have floated the idea of acquiring a first-round pick for quarterback Mike Glennon, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report hears the Tampa Bay would accept a third-rounder if it were from a team picking relatively high. That conflicts with a recent report by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com which said the Bucs turned down a second-round pick for its backup quarterback. Of course, La Canfora’s report didn’t given any sense of a timetable, so Tampa’s view of Glennon’s market could have changed since it rejected a second-rounder. Glennon is generating the most trade interest of any signal-caller outside of Colin Kaepernick, per Miller.
Here’s more from Miller’s latest column, with a heavy focus on the NFL draft…
- Some around the NFL don’t expect Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg to have any chance at being a first-round pick now that the Texans have signed Brock Osweiler, according to Miller. Houston head coach Bill O’Brien tutored Hackenberg at Penn State, but now Hackenberg looks to be a second- or third-round pick.
- Instead of focusing on quarterback, the Texans could now look to find help at either wide receiver or defensive tackle early in the draft, the clubs’ scouts told Miller.
- Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche‘s character concerns have caused some teams to take him off their draft boards, and one NFC West general manager sounds like he’s employed by one of them. “Take Nkemdiche out of your mock drafts,” the GM said, per Miller. “No one is that stupid.”
- After releasing Mike Wallace earlier this week, the Vikings are expected to target receivers early in the draft, and one player to keep an eye on could be Josh Doctson of TCU, per Miller, as a team source tells the Bleacher Report scribe that Minnesota has a high grade on Horned Frog pass-catcher.
- Linebacker Reggie Ragland struggled during his Pro Day, and could now possibly fall to the second round. One scout told Miller that the Alabama product looked “slow, sluggish, and heavy” during his workout.
- Another Alabama defender — defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson — is viewed as a two-down run-stopper, and therefore might fall out of the first round.
- Oklahoma cornerback Zack Sanchez is earning good reports from NFL scouts, says Miller, and he’s moved up enough draft boards that he could now be a late first-round pick.
- Some teams are wary of running back Devontae Booker because the Utah product has undergone two surgeries to clean up a torn meniscus.
Washington Could Re-Sign Dashon Goldson
Washington could look to bring back safety Dashon Goldson, according to John Keim of ESPN.com. Goldson, of course, was just released by the club on Monday.
When Goldson’s release was reported, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com reported that Washington attempted to restructure Goldson’s contract before cutting him, but when the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement, the veteran defensive back was released. That jibes with Keim’s report, which states that Washington wanted Goldson to return in 2016, but not at his $8MM cap figure.
So while Washington and Goldson clearly had different ideas about his value prior to the start of free agency, it remains to be seen if Goldson can find a better deal on the open market. Clearly, no competing club was in a rush to sign him during the opening wave of the free agent period when a number of other safeties — such as Rodney McLeod, Tashaun Gipson, and George Iloka — flew off the board. Goldson, at 31 years of age, is quite a bit older than those options, so he might need to sit on the market for awhile before landing a new contract.
Washington still has abut $17.22MM left in 2016 cap space, so finding room for Goldson shouldn’t be an issue. The team also has a need in the back end, especially after releasing another safety — 2015 signee Jeron Johnson — earlier this week. DeAngelo Hall and 2015 sixth-round pick Kyshoen Jarrett are currently penciled as Washington’s starters, with Duke Ihenacho available off the bench, so Goldson could certainly find a role among that group.
Of course, Goldson has never quite been the player he was in San Francisco, where he was named first-team All Pro in 2012. He started 15 games for Washington last season, playing on more than 90% of the team’s defensive snaps. Goldson posted 70 tackles and one interception, grading as the No. 70 safety among 88 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agency Rumors: Freeman, Carroll, Blount
The Colts offered Jerrell Freeman the same three-year, $12MM deal that the Bears ultimately handed the 30-year-old linebacker, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports (on Twitter). The No. 23 player on PFR’s list of 2016’s top free agents, Freeman spurned the Colts’ offer and decided to change agents, winding up in Drew Rosenhaus’ stable, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Freeman held out for a better deal after not being scooped up during free agency’s opening two days, and the Colts moved on after Freeman turned down their initial offer, Holder reports.
Here’s at look at the latest free agent notes:
- Veteran corner Nolan Carroll left his visit with the Cowboys without agreeing to a contract, according to Tim McManus of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link), who adds that the Dolphins and Eagles are apparently still in play for Carroll. Carroll, 29, started 11 games for Philadelphia last season.
- LeGarrette Blount did not undergo surgery on the injured hip that ended his season early, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Still unsigned, Blount, who suffered a chipped bone in his hip, is 100% healthy and would be ready for OTAs should a team sign him.
- Johnny Manziel cleared waivers, and the Browns as of now owe their latest first-round flameout quarterback $2.17MM, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Browns will attempt to recoup some of that money, should Manziel be suspended for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident this January in Dallas. Cleveland waited until Friday to waive Manziel, who’s been photographed at nightclubs in each of the past 10 nights, in hopes of a team attempting to trade for him.
- The Dolphins confirmed (via Twitter) three previously-reported free agent visits, announcing that defensive end Jason Jones, linebacker Sean Spence, and quarterback Brandon Weeden had all met with the team.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
Russell Okung To Visit Steelers; Several Teams Still In Mix
5:57pm: Okung’s visit to Pittsburgh will take place Sunday, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
SATURDAY, 1:57pm: Okung will visit the Steelers, according to NFL.com’s Michael Silver (on Twitter). The seventh-year tackle remains high on the Lions, with the Giants, 49ers and Seahawks still in the mix, per Silver. The Steelers aren’t generally big on pursuing high-priced free agents but do have Kelvin Beachum unsigned as a UFA.
FRIDAY, 5:44pm: Finished with his Giants meeting, Okung will make the trip to Detroit and meet with the Lions’ contingent like he originally planned, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Okung’s Lions summit will take place Saturday. The Giants remain interested in signing the left tackle, per ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter).
8:15pm: The 49ers have also reached out to Okung, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). With the veteran tackle set to visit the Giants and Lions on Friday, it doesn’t appear anything has been set up yet with San Francisco.
7:44pm: An executive from a team that spoke with the agent-less Okung said the former first-round pick was very well-prepared and professional, but his shoulder injury that forced him out of the Seahawks’ divisional-round loss to the Panthers could prevent him from securing a big payday, per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Okung had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder and already sent an email out to the 32 NFL teams pronouncing he’d be fully recovered by summer.
THURSDAY, 7:37pm: Russell Okung had to wait six years to become a free agent, and his initial foray onto the market was delayed by an NFL memo preventing self-represented players from participating in the legal tampering period.
But the seventh-year left tackle’s market is beginning to take shape. Okung will visit the Giants on Friday and the Lions potentially after that, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport adds (Twitter link) that since the Giants summit is first on the 28-year-old Okung’s itinterary, they have a chance to keep him from trekking to Detroit.
After cutting Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz, the Giants have a need at tackle. Despite spending on mega-deals for Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins, and hefty accords in terms of AAV for Damon Harrison and Jason Pierre-Paul, Big Blue still has $20.8MM in cap space, per OverTheCap.
The Giants have Ereck Flowers, who could be shuttled back to right tackle in the event an Okung accord occurs Friday.
Lions left tackle Riley Reiff will enter his fifth-year option season, but new GM Bob Quinn said recently he’d like to upgrade the position for the future.
As the No. 11 player on PFR’s list of 2016’s top 50 free agents, Okung is the top UFA remaining.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Washington Re-Signs Tress Way
4:54pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) reports that it’s actually a four-year extension for Way — as noted below, the club announced the deal as a five-year extension, but was likely counting 2016, when Way was already under contract as an ERFA, as one of the years. The new deal is worth $9.4MM, per Rapoport, and contains $2.95MM guaranteed and a $1.25MM signing bonus.
3:46pm: Washington re-signed Tress Way to a five-year extension that would keep the third-year punter in D.C. for the decade’s remainder, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com tweets.
Washington previously tendered the exclusive-rights free agent but elected to lock him up long-term.
Way, who will turn 26 in April, played in all 16 Washington contests upon taking over as the team’s punter in 2014. Arriving as an undrafted free agent in ’14, Way finished 13th last season with a 46.1-yards-per-punt average. The University of Oklahoma product boasted a 47.5-yard average in 2014.
Browns Waive Johnny Manziel
MARCH 12, 4:36pm: Manziel has officially cleared waivers and is now free to sign with any team, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
MARCH 11, 10:34am: The Browns have officially waived Manziel, as Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com writes.
9:20am: The Browns are expected to waive Johnny Manziel by the end of Friday, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move has long been expected and the Browns will make it all official in a matter of hours. 
Some speculated that the Browns would wait on making a move with Manziel to see if they might be able to trade him for a late-round pick. Given his off-the-field troubles and uneven play on the field, teams were apparently unwilling to give up anything of value for Manziel.
Since the Browns drafted the former Texas A&M star in the 2014 first round, he has appeared in 15 games, made eight starts, and tossed seven touchdowns and seven picks. Manziel showed progress in parts of his six starts last season, but his off-field issues overshadowed his positive steps on the gridiron and have carried into the offseason. The Dallas County District Attorney’s office is currently investigating the 23-year-old over a Jan. 30 altercation with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, who alleges that Manziel assaulted her and ruptured her eardrum.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mike Wallace To Visit Ravens
SATURDAY, 4:27pm: Wallace will visit the Ravens on Monday, SI.com’s Don Banks tweets. However, Baltimore’s interest hinges on the recently released receiver accepting a low-budget deal, per Banks. 
WEDNESDAY, 9:34am: The Ravens are interested in free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. The Ravens are clearing cap space, she writes, in an effort to do something significant in free agency. The Ravens are also interested in left tackle Kelvin Beachum (link).
The Vikings released Wallace on Tuesday when they could not agree on a pay cut. During his first and only season in Minnesota, Wallace matched or set career-lows by catching just 39 balls for 473 yards and two touchdowns. The 29-year-old becomes the latest in a long line of veteran wideouts to hit the open market, joining free agents like Marques Colston, Roddy White, and Greg Jennings, and Andre Johnson.
Prior to last season, Wallace logged five straight seasons of 60-plus receptions, 800 or more yards and at least five touchdowns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bears Bring Back Marc Mariani
The Bears’ busy afternoon continued, with the team announcing (on Twitter) it has re-signed Marc Mariani on a one-year deal.
Mostly used as a kick returner in Chicago, Mariani generated a modest market for himself this week, with the Raiders, 49ers and other teams inquiring about his future.
Mariani signed with the Bears prior to the 2014 season after spending the first four years of his career with the Titans. The 28-year-old wide receiver averaged 26.5 yards per kick return — on 16 returns — last season for the Bears.
A one-time Pro Bowler, Mariani saw by far the most time as a receiver last season, with the Bears besieged by injuries to their receiving corps. Mariani caught 22 passes for 300 yards in 2015 after not catching a single pass from 2012-14.
Patriots To Re-Sign Nate Ebner
The Patriots plan to bring back key special teams presence Nate Ebner, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for the fifth-year defensive back, Tom Curran of CSNNE.com tweets.
Terms of the deal are not yet disclosed. The team sought to keep Ebner, a sixth-round selection in 2012, on an accord worth around the veteran minimum.
Ebner’s played in at least 15 regular-season games in three of his four seasons with the Patriots. His 11 special teams tackles last season ranked third on the Patriots, behind Pro Bowler Matt Slater‘s 17 and Brandon King‘s 12.