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Washington Re-Signs Niles Paul

March 6th, 2015 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Tight end Niles Paul won’t be reaching the open market next week, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Paul is re-signing with Washington on a three-year contract that can earn him up to nearly $10MM.

Paul, 25, saw just 28 total targets during his first three seasons in the NFL, primarily serving as a blocker and a special-teamer in Washington. However, when Jordan Reed was sidelined early in the 2014 campaign, Paul got an extended look as a pass-catcher, and took advantage by setting new career highs in receptions (39) and receiving yards (507).

Reed’s deal may not be quite as lucrative as the initial report suggests — the fact that it’s worth “up to” almost $10MM suggests the report is coming from an agent, and that the base value will likely be lower. Still, it sounds like he’ll average at least $2.5-3MM on his new deal, which is a nice payday for a player who was only a part-time contributor before 2014.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that several teams would have been interested in Paul’s services if he had reached the open market. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com had reported earlier in the week that the tight end was expected to be on the Falcons’ radar.

Bears Re-Sign Jimmy Clausen

March 6th, 2015 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

It won’t be the biggest NFL news out of Chicago today, but the Bears have made a move besides agreeing to trade Brandon Marshall to the Jets. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club also reached a deal to re-sign quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times confirms the move, adding that it’s a one-year contract for Clausen.

Clausen, 27, served primarily as the Bears’ backup signal-caller last season, getting a start in Week 17 when Marc Trestman wanted to see someone besides Jay Cutler lead the offense. In his first start since 2010, Clausen completed 23 of 39 passes for 181 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.

Returning to the Bears for the 2015 season means Clausen will almost certainly continue to back up Cutler, but new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace were very noncommittal when discussing Cutler at the combine in Indianapolis last month. While a trade of Cutler is unlikely, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed yesterday that teams around the league know the veteran quarterback is available.

Of course, regardless of what happens with Cutler, Clausen isn’t expected to be any sort of long-term answer for the Bears. I expect his new deal won’t be worth much more than the minimum.

Matt Prater, Lions Agree To Three-Year Deal

March 6th, 2015 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

After running through a gauntlet of inconsistent kickers early in the 2014 season, the Lions settled on veteran Matt Prater, and now the team is prepared to roll with Prater for 2015 and beyond. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the two sides have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that Prater’s three-year deal will be worth $9MM.

“I am thankful for this opportunity and excited to come back to Detroit,” Prater said in a statement, via a team release confirming the agreement. “I hope to do my part to help this team win. … I am also looking forward to returning and working with both Sam [Martin] and Mule (Don Muhlbach). We had to adjust quickly to each other in the middle of the season, and this off-season will be valuable in our preparation for the coming year.”

Prater, 30, began the 2014 season by serving a four-game suspension in Denver for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and was ultimately cut by the Broncos, ending a seven-year tenure with the club. After signing with the Lions, Prater was a little shaky in his first few games, but settled down and ended up making 21 of 26 field goal attempts. In 2013, he was a Pro Bowler, making all but one of 26 field goal attempts for the Broncos.

Saints, Marques Colston Restructure Contract

March 6th, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

After releasing Pierre Thomas and restructuring Jairus Byrd‘s deal earlier this week, the Saints continued to pare down their 2015 cap number today, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team restructured the contract for Marques Colston. The veteran wideout had been viewed as a possible candidate to be cut, but he’ll be sticking around New Orleans on a reworked deal instead.

Colston, who has two years left on his deal with the Saints, had been set to earn a base salary of $6.9MM in 2015, with a cap hit of $9.7MM. A simple restructure of the contract would have helped New Orleans create immediate space, though it also would have pushed more dead money onto his 2016 cap hit. We’ll have to wait for the full details of the move to find out whether Colston accepted a pay reduction, or if the two sides merely converted some base salary into a signing bonus.

As our Zach Links wrote in his preview of New Orleans’ offseason, Drew Brees and the Saints love to spread the ball around, but Colston still sits atop the depth chart at wide receiver after all these years. Still, Colston – a Saint since 2006 – caught just 59 balls for 902 yards in 2014, the lowest totals of his career if you throw out an injury-plagued 2008 campaign. With the Saints needing to get under the cap, carrying the 31-year-old at a cost of $9.7MM wasn’t realistic.

The Saints figure to address a few more contract situations before Tuesday, in some form or other — Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs, Junior Galette, and Curtis Lofton are among the candidates to be traded, cut, or restructured.

Colts Won’t Re-Sign Reggie Wayne

March 6th, 2015 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Reggie Wayne‘s long tenure with the Colts will come to an end this offseason. The team announced today in a press release that it will not be re-signing the veteran wideout, who is eligible to reach the open market next week.

“Everyone knows the greatness and history associated with number 87,” GM Ryan Grigson said in a statement. “He truly is one of a small handful of players who really define the Colts as an organization. He was already a Hall of Famer in the making when Chuck [Pagano] and I arrived in Indianapolis in 2012, but no one has contributed more, on the field and in this building, to our turnaround, our continued growth, and our overall success since then.”

Wayne, 36, recently underwent triceps surgery, and had been mulling the possibility of retirement. While there’s no indication yet on whether he intends to continue his playing career, the idea of playing for a team besides the Colts may dampen his enthusiasm about a potential return.

A first-round pick in 2001, Wayne appeared in a total of 211 regular season games for the Colts, and an additional 21 postseason contests. In the regular season, Wayne racked up 1,070 total receptions, 14,345 yards, and 82 touchdowns during his 14 seasons with the team. His résumé also includes eight 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nods.

Wayne’s career totals place him just behind Marvin Harrison in the Colts record books — the former Miami Hurricane finished second in franchise history to Harrison by just 32 receptions and 235 yards. Among all NFL players, Wayne currently ranks seventh in career receptions and eighth in career receiving yards.

As for the Colts, they have one emerging star wideout on the roster, in T.Y. Hilton, and Donte Moncrief flashed plenty of promise as a rookie in 2014. With Wayne and Hakeem Nicks both set to hit the open market, however, the team will likely be in the market for receiving help.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Confident About Chances For Suh

March 6th, 2015 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

All week, we’ve been told that the Dolphins will be a team to watch in the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes, and today, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald confirms that the team’s interest in the All-Pro defensive tackle is very legit. According to Salguero, the Dolphins are confident that they can put a “great offer” on the table for Suh, and potentially sign him.

While Salguero cautions that Suh-to-Miami is far from a certainty at this point, given all the factors – and suitors – in play, the Dolphins will “definitely” be involved in the bidding, and are confident about their chances of landing the Lions star. Miami will have plenty of competition — in addition to the Lions, teams that have been cited this week as potential bidders for Suh include the Giants, Colts, and Washington, and Salguero adds the Jaguars and Titans to that list as well.

As Salguero details, Suh will be looking to become the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, which will likely mean a six-year deal averaging $17MM annually, for a total of $102MM. That would just barely edge out J.J. Watt‘s six-year, $100MM contract. The guarantee for Suh will be significant as well. Salguero suggests that at least $30MM will have to be fully guaranteed, with potentially another $25MM or so in additional guarantees.

The Dolphins will have an advantage over a few other teams in the mix for Suh due to the lack of state tax in Florida. However, the Jaguars are also in Florida, which may make them Miami’s toughest competition for the former second overall pick.

Whether or not the Dolphins land Suh, the club will be looking at potential free agent additions at multiple positions on defense, writes Salguero, pointing to middle linebacker and the secondary as two spots where the team could use upgrades.

South Notes: Weatherspoon, Colts, Saints

March 6th, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

As the 2015 free agent period inches a little closer, let’s check in on a few Friday mornings items from around the league’s two South divisions….

ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Falcons reached an agreement on a new contract with linebacker Sean Weatherspoon very soon. Weatherspoon, who missed the entire 2014 campaign with a ruptured Achilles, is due to hit the open market next week.
Former Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans is paying a visit to the Colts today, according to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com (via Twitter). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that there are other teams interested in bringing in Herremans for visits, but Indianapolis is first on his schedule.
The Saints don’t plan to extend an RFA tender to defensive lineman Tyrunn Walker, a league source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. One of three potential restricted free agents for the club, Walker is still drawing interest from New Orleans, but the team would prefer to bring him back at a lesser rate. According to Triplett, running back Travaris Cadet and offensive tackle Bryce Harris may ultimately be in the same boat, with the cap-strapped Saints potentially unwilling to make an offer of $1.5MM+ to either player.
Greg Olsen‘s new deal with the Panthers is an extension that adds three new years from 2016 to 2018, but it will still have an impact on his 2015 cap hit. According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), Carolina created $1.5MM in cap room with the move, reducing Olsen’s cap number from $7.8MM to $6.3MM.

Kearse, Lamur Receive RFA Tenders

March 6th, 2015 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of potential restricted free agents have received one-year contract tenders at the second-round level, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks have tendered wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, while the Bengals have tendered linebacker Emmanuel Lamur.

When a player is eligible for free agency, his team can choose to submit one of three contract tenders to him — the higher the offer, the higher the compensation for his club if he ends up signings elsewhere. In the cases of Kearse and Lamur, their respective teams offered them one-year deals worth $2.356MM, ensuring that if either player signs an offer sheet with another team and that sheet goes unmatched, the Seahawks or Bengals would receive a second-round pick as compensation.

Neither Kearse nor Lamur has signed their one-year tender yet, and I’d imagine the agents for both players will at least poke around on the open market next week to see if a rival suitor is willing to make a long-term offer. It’s possible though that both players will simply end up signing the one-year offer from their current clubs — they’ll have until April 24 to find offer sheets elsewhere.

Kearse, 25, caught just 38 balls for 537 yards and a touchdown for the Seahawks during the regular season last year, but hauled in a pair of TDs in the postseason. Most notably, after Russell Wilson‘s threw four interceptions trying to get him the ball in the NFC Championship game, Kearse hauled in his first reception of the day in overtime, in the end zone, to send Seattle to the Super Bowl.

As for Lamur, in over 900 defensive snaps for the Bengals, he graded as a below-average in pass coverage, run defense, and as a pass rusher, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which ranked him 39th out of 40 qualified 4-3 outside linebackers. However, the team clearly viewed the 25-year-old’s performance more favorably, with his 97 tackles and two interceptions earning him a one-year offer that will almost certainly keep him in Cincinnati.

The Bengals may have been wary about assigning the low-end tender to Lamur after doing so with Andrew Hawkins a year ago and eventually losing him to the Bengals. That tender would only have been worth about $1.54MM, but it would have allowed other teams to sign Lamur to an offer sheet without risking any draft picks.

Minor Moves: Thursday

March 5th, 2015 at 11:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already covered today’s restricted free agency decisions, so let’s take a look at the other minor moves happening around the league…

Via an Instagram post, defensive lineman Greg Scruggs says he’s been re-signed by the Seahawks. Scruggs, 24, appeared in three games for Seattle last season.

Earlier updates:

The Broncos have agreed to a four-year, $4MM extension with long-snapper Aaron Brewer, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The 24-year-old Brewer was set to become an unrestricted free agent, where the lowest tender is $1.59MM; instead, he’ll earn a $1MM AAV.
The Dolphins have re-signed safety Jordan Kovacs, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Signed off the Eagles’ practice squad in November, Kovacs went on to appear in eight games for Miami.
CFL linebacker Josh Francis has agreed to a deal with the Packers, reports Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Francis went undrafted out of West Virginia in 2012, and spent 2014 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Extra Points: Yates, Titans, NFLPA, Pats, Rams

March 5th, 2015 at 10:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Four teams are expressing interest in free agent quarterback T.J. Yates, tweets Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. Yates did start five games during his rookie season in Houston, but none since, and he attempted just four passes for the Falcons last year. Even with a weak crop of free agent QBs, Yates is likely only receiving inquiries that involve backup jobs.

Let’s look at some more items from around the league…

Despite many denials on the part of the team, the Titans could still be for sale in 2015, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). La Canfora reported the same in December, but club CEO Tommy Smith has insisted the Titans are not for sale.
Another candidate has emerged in the race for NFLPA executive director, as senior director of the players’ union Jason Belser announced that he’ll be running against incumbent DeMaurice Smith, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.
The Vikings are close to a new deal with long snapper Cullen Loeffler, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Another long snapper, Denver’s Aaron Brewer, received a new contract earlier today.
Appearing on CSN New England, NFL.com’s Albert Breer said he’d be surprised if the Patriots lose both Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty, adding that Revis is the favorite of the two to return to New England.
After acquiring a pack of picks for giving up the right to draft Robert Griffin III, the Rams should now reverse themselves and surrender whatever is needed to move up and select Marcus Mariota in next month’s draft, argues La Canfora in a separate piece.
Jets receiver Percy Harvin is due a $10.5MM salary next season, and if he’s still on the roster as of March 19, New York’s draft-pick compensation to Seattle increases from a sixth-rounder to a fourth-rounder. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com runs through Gang Green’s options with its mercurial pass-catcher.