Dolphins Plan To Keep Cameron Wake
Even with Mario Williams in the mix, the Dolphins feel that they still have a place for Cameron Wake. The defensive end isn’t “going anywhere…anytime soon,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) says, but there are still details to be worked out between the two sides. 
Wake has been in talks to restructure his deal, but it was reported earlier this month that negotiations were not going smoothly. The Dolphins were hoping to reduce Wake’s $9.8MM cap figure for 2016, while the defensive end assumed that any extension would ultimately result in more guaranteed money. This “divide” between the two sides, as a result, was said to be significant
The 34-year-old is entering the final year of the four-year, $49MM contract he signed in 2012. There’s no certainty that Wake will return when his contract expires, and some were speculating that the team could cut or trade the four-time Pro Bowler. As of this writing, however, it seems like Miami is intent on keeping him.
Wake appeared in only seven games last season, compiling nine tackles, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles.
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Ravens To Sign TE Ben Watson
5:07pm: Watson will sign a two-year, $8MM deal with the Ravens, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
2:04pm: The Saints have lost tight end end Ben Watson to the Ravens, a source tells Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The tight end revived his career in New Orleans he will now try and keep things rolling in Baltimore. 
The Ravens were in the hunt for a tight end this offseason due to some uncertainty at the position. Dennis Pitta is one of the league’s toughest matchups when healthy, but it has been a long time since he was on the field and productive. Ravens tight end Nick Boyle is facing a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. Tight end Crockett Gillmore, who offered solid offensive production in 2015, recently underwent surgery on both of his ailing shoulders. The team does still have rising sophomore Maxx Williams, but Watson will give Baltimore an experienced fallback at the position.
Now, the Saints have some work to do to fortify their tight end situation since Watson is out of the picture and Josh Hill is a restricted free agent. They made one move earlier today at tight end, however, re-signing Michael Hoomanawanui.
Watson was ranked as the No. 7 tight end on PFR’s free agent list, behind Antonio Gates, Coby Fleener, Dwayne Allen, Ladarius Green, Zach Miller, and Jared Cook.
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Dolphins Expected To Sign Mario Williams
3:58pm: It will be a two-year deal for Williams, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports, who tweets that it’s “not done yet, but it will be.”
3:49pm: A busy week in Miami continues, as the Dolphins appear poised to finalize a deal with ex-Bill Mario Williams. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins and Williams are expected to agree to terms today, and the contract should be worth in the ballpark of $8MM per year.
2015 was an ugly season for Williams, who didn’t mesh well with head coach Rex Ryan and the team’s new defensive scheme, and was accused of displaying a lack of effort at times. Coming off a five-sack performance in 2015, and with a huge cap hit on the books for 2016, Williams was released last week by the Bills.
Still, Williams is only a year removed from an All-Pro season in which he piled up 14.5 sacks though, so even though he turned 31 in January, he likely still has something left in the tank. Returning to a 4-3 system that better suits his skill-set could help him bounce back in 2016.
We heard earlier today that the Dolphins, who hosted the veteran pass rusher on a visit over the weekend, were the “clear front-runners” for Williams, with a separate report suggesting that the two sides may be nearing a deal worth about $8MM annually. Assuming the Dolphins get Williams locked up, the team will have a decision to make at the defensive end position.
Currently, the Dolphins have Olivier Vernon tentatively on their 2016 books for $12.7MM+ after placing the transition tag on him. However, Vernon has not signed that transition tender, so Miami could still remove it at any time. That would mean losing the right of first refusal if Vernon gets an offer from another club, but it would allow the Dolphins to collect a compensatory draft pick for 2017 if he leaves.
If the Dolphins prefer to keep Vernon, Cameron Wake could be the odd man out. Wake and the Dolphins are reportedly trying to rework a contract that currently features a $9.8MM cap charge for 2016, but as of last Tuesday, the two sides hadn’t made a whole lot of progress.
The Dolphins have a number of moves reportedly in the works, with a trade that will see them acquire Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso from the Eagles set to be finalized on Wednesday.
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Giants To Re-Sign Jason Pierre-Paul
3:45pm: It’s a “real” $10MM deal with a chance for JPP to make $10.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Cardinals, he adds, offered “much more.”
1:23pm: Pierre-Paul has confirmed, via Instagram, that he will be returning to the Giants, though he made a note to specifically thank the Cardinals for their interest. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that a source close to JPP was surprised the defensive end decided to return to New York, which suggests that another team – probably Arizona – made him a more lucrative offer.
12:46pm: It’s a one-year deal worth up to $10.5MM, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He adds that the Cardinals made a late push for Pierre-Paul’s services.
12:39pm: The Giants are expected to keep Jason Pierre-Paul, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). JPP will sign a one-year deal with Big Blue, per Rapoport, and he apparently turned down more money elsewhere to stay put in the Meadowlands. 
Other possible suitors were reportedly “hesitant” to offer Pierre-Paul a long-term pact, giving the Giants some optimism that they could get a deal done. They’ve done just that today, though the financial terms of the deal are not yet known.
Pierre-Paul has been one of Big Blue’s fiercest defenders since they drafted him 15th overall in 2010. The 27-year-old end totaled 42 sacks from 2010-14, including a career-high 16.5 during the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011. However, his career took a terrible turn last summer when he lost his right index finger thanks to a July 4 fireworks accident.
Pierre-Paul returned to the field in November and ended up appearing in eight games, registering 26 tackles and a personal-low one sack. Despite his statistical decline, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still ranked Pierre-Paul a solid 30th out of 91 qualifying edge rushers. The site remained impressed with his pass-rushing ability, though it gave him a poor grade against the run. He clearly disagrees in regards to the latter, having stated in December that, “I think I play the run better than I play the pass.”
JPP ranked No. 7 on Luke Adams’ list of Top 50 NFL Free Agents.
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Patriots To Keep Alan Branch For 2016
The Patriots have informed defensive tackle Alan Branch that they will pick up his $400K bonus due on Wednesday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Branch is now locked in for the 2016 season.
Now that he’s been retained, the 31-year-old Branch is due to count $2.75MM against New England’s cap. The Patriots signed Branch to a two-year deal worth as much as $6.6MM last offseason. In the past, Branch has had some question marks about his work ethic and conditioning and those issues contributed to an up-and-down year with New England.
In 16 regular season games (15 starts), Branch totaled 35 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 pass deflections. Branch graded out as the No. 36 defensive tackle according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required), putting him ahead of notables such as Haloti Ngata, Ricky Jean-Francois, and Chris Canty.
Packers Eyeing Martellus Bennett
It appears Martellus Bennett‘s days in Chicago may be numbered, and one of the Bears’ division rivals is said to be eyeing the veteran tight end. A source tells Luke Rodgers of 247Sports.com (Twitter link) that the Packers have shown some interest in Bennett.
[RELATED: Packers show interest in Matt Forte]
As last week’s reports suggested, agent Kennard McGuire and the Bears have been seeking out potential trade partners for the team in the hopes of finding Bennett an “agreeable landing spot.” However, there’s skepticism around the league that the Bears will be able to find a suitable offer for their tight end. The idea that the division-rival Packers would be able to work out a deal with the Bears seems even more far-fetched, so it’s not surprising that Ed Werder of ESPN (video link) suggests Green Bay would only have interest if Bennett were to be released.
Bennett, who will turn 29 on Thursday, was slowed by injuries in 2015, but still managed to haul in 53 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. Previously, Bennett established new career-highs across the board in 2014 with 90 receptions, 916 yards, and six TDs, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.
In the wake of that Pro Bowl season, Bennett sought a raise and an extension, skipping the Bears’ voluntary OTAs last spring. However, Chicago, having recently hired a new head coach and GM, was unwilling to work out a new deal at that point, and it now sounds as if the team would prefer to move on from Bennett, who reportedly “frustrated coaches and teammates” in 2015.
The Packers aren’t typically very active in free agency, but when they do explore the market, GM Ted Thompson and the team’s decision-makers often prefer players who have been released by other clubs, since those free agents don’t count toward the draft compensatory pick formula for the following season. So Green Bay is worth keeping an eye on if Bennett is ultimately cut by the Bears.
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Free Agent Rumors: Ivory, Eagles, Powers
Chris Ivory wants roughly $6.5MM per year and is looking for at least a three-year commitment, Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday tweets. Some might view that as an ambitious ask, but Ivory could net that sort of deal this offseason given that there are many teams with significant cap space to use. On PFR’s list of top free agent running backs, Ivory stands as the No. 4 option behind Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte.
Here are the very latest free agent rumors:
- The Eagles have reached out to linebacker Nigel Bradham, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The 26-year-old has a history with Philly DC Jim Schwartz.
- Jerraud Powers says he’s unsure about future with the Cardinals as free agency nears, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. “I think it’s close but at the same time, it’s not,” Powers said. “We’ve been in talks, but I don’t know what the waiting process is like. I’m starting to think that maybe they’re just going to move in another direction.” Powers, who made $4.35MM last season, wants a three- or four-year deal. He also says that he wants to join a club with a “winning pedigree” that can contend in 2016.
- The Giants are nowhere near done making moves on the defensive line, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. Raanan cautions to expect several more big moves. Earlier today, the Giants reached agreement with JPP on a new deal.
- Charles Johnson has already visited the Giants and Buccaneers, but he might be signing with a different club based on the tone of this tweet. “2mor u will know my future!!! It’s going to be epic,” Johnson wrote.
AFC Rumors: Penn, Jags, Vernon, Incognito
Raiders free agent left tackle Donald Penn says he has not closed the door on coming back to Oakland, as Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes.
“I’ve been open with my plan. My plan is to be a Raider,” Penn told NFL Network. “We’re trying to figure out of the feeling is mutual. They tell me it is. They made a great signing, that’s a great pickup for Derek Carr and everybody., We’re going to see what’s going to happen. Only time is going to tell. The good thing is I’m showing interest from other teams.”
The latest from the AFC:
- Could the Jaguars land the top two defensive ends in this year’s free agent class? Word around the league is that the Jaguars will still chase Olivier Vernon, plus one of the top cornerbacks available, and perhaps a safety, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. PFR’s top cornerbacks (in order) are Janoris Jenkins, Sean Smith, Prince Amukamara, Casey Hayward, and Adam Jones.
- Guard Richie Incognito says he took a discount to stay with the Bills, Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. The Bills and the interior lineman agreed to a three-year, ~$15MM deal on Tuesday afternoon. Incognito says six or seven teams reached out to him, but his “goal was to come back to Buffalo,” Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets.
- Jones says that he would like to play at least five more years and possibly six more years, Paul Dehner Jr. of ESPN.com tweets. Pacman believes that his years spent sitting out make him younger in football years than his age would indicate.
Vikings Release Mike Wallace
The Vikings are releasing veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). The team had reportedly hoped to keep Wallace in the fold by working out a pay cut for him, but it seems the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on a reworked contract. The club has confirmed that the move is official.
[RELATED: Vikings re-sign LB Audie Cole]
If Wallace was playing hardball in negotiations on his potential pay cut, it was likely an easy decision for the Vikings to release him. Because they initially acquired the ex-Dolphin in a trade, the Vikes were only on the hook for Wallace’s base salary and workout bonuses, and not any prorated bonus money. That means Minnesota clears the wideout’s entire $11.5MM cap hit from the team’s 2016 cap sheet by cutting him.
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. The Colts are expected to release Andre Johnson as well, once the new league year begins.
The Vikings also formally waived offensive tackle Austin Wentworth today. He announced his retirement last spring due to medical issues, but Minnesota continued to pay him for the 2015 season in a “class move,” tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
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Colts Waive Former First-Round Pick Bjoern Werner
The Colts announced that they have waived outside linebacker Bjoern Werner. Werner was taken with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2013 draft. 
Werner didn’t see much playing time in 2015 and today’s news doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Had he remained on the Colts roster, Werner would have carried a $2.51MM cap number for the 2016 season. Now they will carry just $1MM in dead money while saving $1.48MM against the cap.
Werner has appeared in 38 games over the last three years for the Colts, including 16 starts. In that time, he registered 77 tackles (61 solo), 6.5 sacks, five passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Last year, he appeared in 10 games with 11 total tackles and one fumble recovery.
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