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49ers Sign Jerome Simpson

March 7th, 2015 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 12:32pm: Simpson’s two-year deal is worth $1.73MM, reports USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The deal contains no guaranteed money.

THURSDAY, 4:36pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit, the 49ers have reached an agreement to sign wide receiver Jerome Simpson, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Financial terms of Simpson’s new deal aren’t yet known, but it’s a two-year contract, per a team release.

Simpson, 29, was suspended for the first three games of the 2014 season after he was arrested for a DUI, and was subsequently released by the Vikings before he became eligible to return to the field. Simpson has been arrested three times since 2012, and the fact that the 49ers are willing to bring him on board shows that the club isn’t inclined to shy away from players with off-field red flags following the release of Ray McDonald.

On the field, Simpson had his best seasons in 2011 and 2013, posting nearly identical numbers for the Bengals in ’11 (50 receptions, 725 yards, four touchdowns) to the ones he put up for Minnesota in ’13 (48 receptions, 726 yards, one TD).

The 49ers are expected to significantly overhaul their receiving corps this offseason, with Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd heading to the open market and Stevie Johnson a likely cap casualty. Adding Simpson almost certainly won’t be the last move the team makes to address the group this month.

Lions Re-Sign Dan Orlovsky

March 7th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 12:30pm: Orlovsky earned a bit of raise in his new contract with the Lions. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the one-year deal is worth $1.05MM, with $140K guaranteed.

MONDAY, 2:58pm: As expected, the Lions have re-signed Matthew Stafford‘s backup Dan Orlovsky, ensuring that their No. 2 signal-caller is under contract for the 2015 season, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, who reports that it’s a one-year deal.

Orlovsky, 31, didn’t see game action in 2014, as Stafford stayed healthy for the whole season. The former Buccaneer last played in a regular season game in 2012 for Tampa Bay. Orlovsky and Kellen Moore are both eligible for free agency this winter, and the Lions have indicated they won’t tender Moore a restricted free agent offer, though the team would still like to bring him back. Moore also didn’t see any action in 2014, despite the fact that all three QBs were on the 53-man roster.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew had identified Orlovsky and long snapper Don Mulhbach at the combine as two under-the-radar free agents the team hoped to re-sign, and now both players are under contract for 2015. Coming off a minimum salary benefit with the maximum ($65K) bonus, Orlovsky will likely receive the same deal this time around — the minimum salary, with the maximum ($80K) bonus.

Doug Free, Cowboys Agree To Three-Year Deal

March 7th, 2015 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

11:05am: Archer has more details on the contract. The three-year deal is worth $15MM, with $6MM in guaranteed money. The offensive lineman’s last big contract came in 2011, when he inked a four-year pact with Dallas worth $32MM ($17MM guaranteed).

10:10am: The deal is done, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that the two sides have agreed to a three-year contract. Financial terms of the deal have not been released.

12:07am: The Cowboys and Doug Free are closing in on an agreement on a multiyear contract that will keep Doug Free off the free agent market, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Matt Mosley of ESPN 103.3 in Dallas was the first to report (via Twitter) that the Cowboys were getting close to bringing back their right tackle.

By re-signing Free, the Cowboys will hold together an offensive line widely regarded as the league’s best. Free, who will return to right tackle, and left guard Ronald Leary were the only Dallas linemen not named to the Pro Bowl this past year — left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick, and right guard Zack Martin all earned spots on the Pro Bowl roster, with Smith and Martin landing on the NFL’s All-Pro First Team.

Free, 31, missed some time due to an ankle injury in 2014, snapping a streak of consecutive games played that had dated back to the 2009 season. The veteran has manned the right tackle spot in Dallas since 2012, when Smith first made the switch to the left side. This past season, he ranked 21st out of 84 qualified tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required), performing particularly well as a run blocker for DeMarco Murray.

With Free close to being locked up, the Cowboys may be less inclined to bring back free agent tackle Jermey Parnell, who may be seeking a starting opportunity elsewhere anyway. Parnell has played well when he’s had a chance to see the field in recent years, but wouldn’t see much action in Dallas as long as the team’s current five starters remain in the picture.

Eagles Interested In Bringing Back Mark Sanchez

March 7th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Ben Levine

Despite Nick Foles return from injury and the Eagles reported interest in prospect Marcus Mariota, the organization is apparently exhausting all of their options at the quarterback position. According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, the Eagles and free agent Mark Sanchez have a mutual interest in a reunion, and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com reports that the team has also discussed bringing in signal callers Tarvaris Jackson and Jake Locker.

Sanchez elevated his stock considerably following his performance in 2014, and the 28-year-old is arguably the best quarterback available via free agency. Filling in for the injured Foles, Sanchez passed for 2,418 yards and 14 touchdowns against only 11 interceptions, but his statistics weren’t necessarily reflected in his record, as he finished 5-4 as a starter. Shorr-Parks indicates that Sanchez would likely return to the team in a backup role, whether he’s playing behind Foles or someone else.

If Sanchez wants to compete for a starting job, he may bolt for another organization, leading the Eagles to pursue one of the alternatives mentioned above. Jackson has served as Russell Wilson‘s backup over the past two seasons, compiling only 14 attempts, 151 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles potential pursuit of the 31-year-old would make sense for multiple reasons. The veteran can run the ball well for a quarterback (4.0 average yards per carry throughout his career), which appears to be an important attribute to coach Chip Kelly. Furthermore, Jackson is clearly content with a backup role, and the former Seahawks player could provide his new squad with some insight on how to stop the conference foe.

Meanwhile, Locker would be a buy-low candidate similar to Sanchez last offseason. The former first-round pick has shown some flashes of talent throughout his brief career, and the 26-year-old is still young enough for a team to take a chance. However, the former Titans playcaller never played more than 11 games in a season for Tennessee, and his career-highs in passing yards (2,176) and touchdowns (10) don’t come close to matching Sanchez’s career-highs during his tenure with the Jets.

FA Notes: Spiller, Murray, Thomas, Williams

March 7th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings philosophy heading into this offseason may similar to their strategy last year. The team looked for under-the-radar signings, and they were rewarded by one of their bargain contracts. Defensive tackle Tom Johnson inked a minimum one-year contract with the squad, and he ultimately finished the season with 6.5 sacks.

“Tom Johnson last year, we were patient, and he came in and did a nice job for us as an inside nickel rusher,” general manager Rick Spielman told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “A lot of times, if you can, you sit back and hopefully let the market settle a little bit.”

It sounds like the organization will be just as patient this time around, especially based on coach Mike Zimmer‘s comments.

“You use free agency to try to plug in a couple of holes here a bit,” said Zimmer. “I don’t believe we’re going to go out and pay some guy a whole bunch of money. Like when I was in Cincinnati and a lot of places, we would kind of go with the lower end of free agents, kind of coach them and hope they fit in the system.”

Let’s take a look at some rumors surrounding the league’s top free agents…

Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports gives a list of teams that have interest in running back C.J. Spiller (via Twitter): the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions and Washington.
Furthermore, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says Spiller will be an option for the Cowboys if DeMarco Murray signs elsewhere. Regardless, Florio quotes Spiller referring to himself as a “former” member of the Bills.
Peyton Manning‘s reduced salary doesn’t guarantee that the Broncos will bring back tight end Julius Thomas, writes Florio. The organization is still strapped financially, and Florio notes that come teams, including the Seahawks, Jaguars and Raiders, may have the money to lure him away from Denver.
The Lions could soon be in the market for a new defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says Cardinals lineman Dan Williams is atop the team’s list of potential Ndamukong Suh replacements.

Falcons Re-Sign Eric Weems

March 7th, 2015 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY, 9:25am: The two-year pact has an average annual value of about $1.5MM, tweets ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. Presumably, the total value of the contract is just south of $3MM. McClure notes that the contract is one of the most lucrative among special teasers, and he adds that the contract has incentives for production at wide receiver.

FRIDAY, 4:33pm: The Falcons have reached an agreement with wide receiver and special teamer Eric Weems on a new two-year contract that will keep him off the open market, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Weems had been eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

Weems, who turns 30 in July, was a key special teams player for the Falcons in 2014, recording 12 tackles in kick and punt coverage. The veteran also played over 200 offensive snaps, and while he didn’t see a ton of targets, two of his 10 receptions on the season went for touchdowns. The Falcons also used to utilize Weems as kick returner, but he probably won’t be asked to resume those duties as long as Devin Hester is around.

Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet know, but I’d expect a fairly modest salary figures for Weems.

Tender Updates: Saturday

March 7th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

As teams prepare for free agency, they have to figure out a plan for their restricted free agents. Teams will often slap these players with a mid-round tender, at least assuring some kind of compensation should they sign elsewhere. The second-round tender is popular, and this year’s value is worth $2.356MM. The value of a minimum-level tender is worth $1.542MM.

With that said, we’ll pass along any tender updates throughout the day, with the most recent updates added to the top of the list…

Defensive end Ryan Davis has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Jaguars, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
The Chiefs have tendered outside linebacker Josh Martin to a one-year deal, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Martin is an exclusive-rights free agent. The team has also tendered tight end Demetrius Harris (via Twitter).
The Dolphins have re-signed A.J. Sanders and Jordan Kovacs to their tenders, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). He notes that the team has not yet been able to re-sign Derrick Shelby or Michael Thomas.
The Broncos notified linebacker/special teams ace Steven Johnson that he would not be tendered, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 26-year-old started seven games for the Broncos last season, compiling a career-high in tackles (32). Klis notes that the organization could bring Johnson back on a cheaper contract, but their unwillingness to offer the one-year, $1.542MM contract indicates they won’t overspend.
Washington tendered kicker Kai Forbath, tweets ESPN’s John Keim. Citing Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Keim says the two sides haven’t discussed a longterm deal. The 27-year-old finished 2014 with career-highs in field goals made (24) and total points (103), while his 88.9 field goal percentage ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
ESPN’s Field Yates passes along a pair of second-round tenders (via Twitter): Raiders wideout Rod Streater and Eagles defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. Streater didn’t have the best 2014 season, finishing with career-lows across the board. However, his performance in 2013 (60 catches, 888 yards, four touchdowns) showed that he can contribute in the NFL. Meanwhile, Thornton has continued improving during his three years in the league, and he finished last season with 52 tackles.
Streater’s teammate, receiver Andre Holmes, received the low tender from the Raiders, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The former undrafted free agent followed an impressive 2013 season with a better 2014, compiling 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns.

Texans Rumors: Jackson, Newton, Reed

March 6th, 2015 at 11:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of Houston late on the Friday night before free agency gets underway:

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it appears likely that Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson will reach the free agent market, where he’ll be among the more coveted defensive players available.
Several Texans beat writers, however, report that the team is still in negotiations with Jackson, and Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets that the two sides are hopeful about getting a deal done at some point this weekend.
Per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle and Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com (Twitter link), offensive tackle Derek Newton also continued to discuss a new deal with the Texans on Friday, and hopes to re-sign. According to Ganguli, it’s “very possible” that both Jackson and Newton remain with the team.
Outside linebacker Brooks Reed will hit the free agent market and isn’t expected to re-sign with the Texans, says Smith. Ganguli points out (via Twitter) that while the Texans have been engaged in talks with a few of their free-agents-to-be, including Jackson and Newton, they haven’t negotiated with Reed’s agent at this point.

Rams Tender Rodney McLeod, Two Others

March 6th, 2015 at 11:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier tonight, we heard that the Rams tendered offers to ensure that exclusive rights free agents Chase Reynolds and Brandon Washington remain with the team. However, those weren’t the only free agent tenders issued by the team on Friday. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter links), the club also tendered offers to safety Rodney McLeod, quarterback Austin Davis, and tight end Cory Harkey.

McLeod, who was eligible for restricted free agency, was the only player of the trio to receive a second-round tender, worth $2.356MM. The offer ensures that if McLeod gets an offer to sign elsewhere, the Rams would have the opportunity to sign an offer sheet, and would receive a second-round pick as compensation if they chose to let him go. When I previewed the Rams’ offseason earlier in the week, I identified the safety as one of the free agents the team would make an effort to retain, since he has established himself as a solid starter and is still entering his prime.

Davis and Harkey were both eligible to be restricted free agents as well, and they received the minimum-level tender from the team — that’s a one-year offer worth $1.542MM. Of the two, Davis seems more likely to draw interest from another club, and if he were to sign an offer sheet, the Rams wouldn’t receive any compensation if they didn’t match the offer. Depending on what St. Louis decides to do with prospective free agent quarterback Shaun Hill, Davis could return to the team as the No. 2 signal-caller behind Sam Bradford next season.

Offensive lineman Tim Barnes, another potential restricted free agent, didn’t receive a tender offer from the Rams, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next week, tweets Thomas.

Eagles Notes: Cornerbacks, Maclin, Graham

March 6th, 2015 at 10:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Eagles’ biggest problem last season was their vulnerability against opposing quarterbacks. Philadelphia’s defense allowed the second-most aerial yardage in the NFL in 2014, finished tied for 21st in interceptions, and ended up 20th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense rankings. The Eagles are expected to have just under $50MM in cap space to spend this offseason, and they’re likely to use at least a decent portion of that to upgrade a secondary that needs two new starting cornerbacks.

The Seahawks’ Byron Maxwell, whom many consider the best corner set to hit the free agent market Tuesday, has been linked to the Eagles recently. The 27-year-old further stoked the flames earlier this week when he said, according to Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com, that he would “definitely” consider signing with the Eagles. With that in mind, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer took a look at Maxwell’s body of work and wondered whether the Eagles would spend the $10MM to $12MM per annum that the four-year veteran is seeking. McLane brought up multiple concerns surrounding Maxwell, including the fact that he has just 17 career starts and was supported in Seattle by three elite defensive backs – Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. However, McLane also made mention of the positives Maxwell brings, notably his coverage skills, size (6-foot-1, 207 pounds), range and versatility.

Regardless of whether the Eagles ultimately sign Maxwell, they’re going to be busy during free agency as they work to improve their secondary and other aspects of their roster. Here’s more on what the coming days could bring for Philly:

Zach Berman, also of the Philadelphia Inquirer, examined Maxwell and other possible free agent corner options for the Eagles. Berman highlighted Antonio Cromartie, Davon House, Kareem Jackson, Chris Culliver and Brandon Flowers as potential targets.
Geoff Mosher and Reuben Frank continued the defensive back theme in wondering whether the Eagles should pursue Jimmy Wilson, who has spent his first four seasons in the league with the Dolphins. Neither Mosher nor Frank endorsed adding Wilson as anything more than a backup.
Two of the Eagles’ top players – star receiver Jeremy Maclin and linebacker Brandon Graham – are both scheduled to hit the market Tuesday, and can start negotiating with other teams Saturday. Unsurprisingly, the Eagles are expected to face “stiff competition” to sign Maclin, per Berman, if he makes it to free agency. Similarly, Graham will be in high demand and, according to Berman, could net a deal north of $40MM in total value and $20MM in guarantees.