HEADLINES

2015 NFL Franchise/Transition Tags

March 2nd, 2015 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The deadline to designate franchise or transition players for 2015 has now passed, and six players received tags. Here’s a breakdown of the action:

Franchise players (non-exclusive):

Transition players:

Candidates who didn’t receive tags:

Players who received franchise or transition tags can sign those one-year tenders, if they so choose. They can also negotiate long-term agreements with their own teams, or – once free agency begins next week – with another team. If any tagged player signs an offer sheet with a new club, his current club would have five days to match the offer.

Giants Release J.D. Walton

March 2nd, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

A year after inking him to a two-year, $6MM contract, the Giants have parted ways with center J.D. Walton, releasing him today, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter). Walton had been slated for a $3.625MM cap hit in 2015, so the move creates $3MM in cap savings, leaving $625K in dead money on the team’s books.

The signing of Walton looked like a curious move for the Giants a year ago, considering he was coming off consecutive seasons that had been wiped out by major injuries. The 27-year-old did manage to stay healthy in 2014, starting all 16 games for New York and playing 1,145 offensive snaps, the most of any center, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Of course, PFF’s data also suggested that Walton’s overall play wasn’t particularly good. The former Bronco ranked as the league’s 38th-best center out of 41 qualified players, recording below-average grades as both a pass blocker and a run blocker.

With Walton out of the picture, second-year lineman Weston Richburg is poised to take over the center job in New York.

Steelers Cut Lance Moore

March 2nd, 2015 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

A month after Lance Moore reportedly requested his release from the Steelers, the team has granted his request. The club announced today (via Twitter) that it has parted ways with the veteran wideout, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Moore, 31, caught just 14 balls for the Steelers in 2014, matching his lowest total since his rookie season. While Moore was never the focal point of New Orleans’ pass game, he had three seasons of 65+ receptions with the Saints, but saw his usage decline significantly in Pittsburgh. With Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton all ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, Moore played just 264 offensive snaps in 2014. The veteran wideout hinted at season’s end that he’d like to join a club that would give him more playing time.

After releasing Moore, the Steelers will carry about $323K in dead money on their 2015 cap from his contract, wiping his $1.5MM base salary off the books. As a vested veteran, Moore will immediately become a free agent without having to pass through waivers.

FA Rumors: Orakpo, Worilds, Dockett, Murray

March 2nd, 2015 at 2:49pm CST by Luke Adams

After franchising him last year, Washington won’t use a tag on edge defender Brian Orakpo this time around, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (via Twitter). However, Russini does add that the two sides are trying to work out a new agreement before next week’s free agent period.

Here are a few more updates on free agents and free-agents-to-be around the league:

  • Outside linebacker Jason Worilds, who received the transition tag last year from the Steelers, was the team’s only real candidate to be tagged this year, but Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the club will allow Worilds to reach the open market (Twitter link).
  • Defensive lineman Darnell Dockett has a visit scheduled with the 49ers tonight, reports Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter). We heard earlier today from agent Drew Rosenhaus that there’s a strong market for Dockett, who will likely have a new deal in place by the end of the week.
  • Werder also provides an update on Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, tweeting that the team intends to make a “respectable” offer to the NFL’s leading rusher. The Cowboys are hoping that Murray will give them a chance to match any offer he receives in free agency, but he’ll have no obligation to do so, and Dallas’ flexibility may be limited.
  • Former Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans, who is looking for a new NFL home, said today on PFT Live that he’d like to join a contender and win a Super Bowl ring before he retires (Twitter link).
  • In addition to his reported visit with the Lions, free agent defensive tackle Kendall Langford has “several” more meetings on his schedule, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Dolphins Use Transition Tag On Charles Clay

March 2nd, 2015 at 2:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Five players have received the franchise tag from their respective teams so far, but until now, we hadn’t had a transition tag sighting yet this season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Dolphins are the first team to make use of that tag this season, assigning it to tight end Charles Clay.Charles Clay

The transition tag typically isn’t used as often as the franchise tag, since it allows the player to sign an offer sheet with another team and leave without any compensatory draft picks, assuming his previous club chooses not to match the offer. However, we saw it surface a couple times last year — the Steelers assigned it to Jason Worilds, who played the 2014 season on the one-year tender offer, and the Browns used it on Alex Mack, eventually matching an offer sheet from the Jaguars.

By placing the transition tag on Clay, the Dolphins are extending a one-year offer worth $7.071MM. The tight end can sign that tender offer anytime, as long as the team doesn’t withdraw it, and he’ll also be free to explore the open market as of next week. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that three or four rival suitors are interested in Clay – the Bills have been mentioned as one interested party – but the transition tag may diminish the enthusiasm for him on the open market.

Clay, who turned 26 last month, saw his numbers dip a little in 2014 after he set career highs with 69 receptions, 759 yards, and three touchdowns in his breakout 2013 season. However, Clay isn’t alone at the top of this year’s tight end market as a player whose stock slipped a little as he neared free agency. A sprained ankle derailed Julius Thomas‘ 2014 season, and an injury-plagued campaign for Jordan Cameron ensured that his numbers fell off even more precipitously than Clay’s.

If the Dolphins do bring Clay back, either at the $7MM+ transition price, or on a long-term deal at a slightly lesser number, they should have no problem fitting him into their 2015 cap plans. The team has already parted ways with Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Cortland Finnegan, and Nate Garner, and there could be more cuts on the way, including perhaps Mike Wallace.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Franchise Stephen Gostkowski

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

In the first somewhat surprising franchise-related move of the day, the Patriots have used their tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Safety Devin McCourty had been considered the more viable candidate in recent weeks, but we heard earlier today that the Pats were leaning toward franchising their Pro Bowl kicker, rather than the standout safety.Stephen Gostkowski

If any kicker is worthy of a franchise tag, Gostkowski certainly fits the bill. He has led the NFL in field goals in each of the last two seasons, making 73 of his 78 total attempts during that stretch, for a 93.6% mark. Gostkowski has also made all 95 of his extra point tries over the last two years.

Franchising Gostkowski will mean tendering him a one-year offer worth $4.56MM, which he will immediately be free to sign. Before or after Gostkowski signs that tender, the two sides will have the option of working out a longer-term deal.

As for what the move means for McCourty, it certainly looks like he’s one step closer to reaching the open market next Tuesday. The Pats still have another few days to exclusively negotiate with the veteran safety, but there have been no recent talks, per Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (via Twitter), and the team is reportedly prioritizing Darrelle Revis, whose option will need to be addressed by next Monday. The decision to use the franchise tag on Gostkowski may be a sign that the club is willing to let McCourty go in order to get something done with Revis, but that’s far from a given at this point.

While the Pats have a reputation for cutting ties with players earlier than expected, in their ongoing quest to maximize a player’s value, they’ve had remarkably little turnover at the kicker position over the last two decades, with only Gostkowski and Adam Vinatieri handling the role. New England previously franchised Vinatieri twice in the first half of the 2000s in order to keep him on the roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Re-Sign Darryl Tapp

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming on the same day that we learned the Lions won’t use their franchise tag on Ndamukong Suh, the team’s latest defensive line update is bound to be overshadowed. However, Detroit has at least brought back one player from last year’s squad, according to Pride of Detroit (via Twitter). The Lions quietly re-signed veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports (via Twitter) that it’s a minimum salary benefit contract with an $80K signing bonus.

Tapp, who rejoined the Lions prior to the first week of the 2014 regular season, was a part-time contributor for the team, appearing in 302 defensive snaps. With 19 tackles and 0.5 sacks, Tapp didn’t make a huge impact for the unit, but the team liked his performance well enough to lock him up again for the coming season.

Of course, as I alluded to up top, the Lions have greater concerns on their defensive line this offseason, with Suh, Nick Fairley, and others eligible for free agency next week. Bringing back Tapp is a start, but there’s still plenty of work for the club to do this month.

Adjusted 2015 NFL Salary Cap By Team

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Following news that the salary cap for the 2015 NFL league year has been officially set at $143.28MM, the NFL Players Association has released adjusted figures for all 32 teams. The figures below are a reflection of how carryover cap room from 2014 and other adjustments based on incentives and escalators will affect each team’s 2015 space.

For more specific details, you can check out the NFLPA’s full breakdown, but here are the adjusted 2015 cap figures, listed in alphabetical order by team:

Arizona Cardinals: $148,515,866
Atlanta Falcons: $146,248,815
Baltimore Ravens: $145,131,127
Buffalo Bills: $145,781,930
Carolina Panthers: $149,371,637
Chicago Bears: $145,168,434
Cincinnati Bengals: $152,130,435
Cleveland Browns: $161,767,400
Dallas Cowboys: $148,578,313
Denver Broncos: $150,066,024
Detroit Lions: $144,317,991
Green Bay Packers: $151,471,106
Houston Texans: $146,025,746
Indianapolis Colts: $152,423,392
Jacksonville Jaguars: $168,486,107
Kansas City Chiefs: $146,144,200
Miami Dolphins: $152,926,937
Minnesota Vikings: $149,627,960
New England Patriots: $144,578,084
New Orleans Saints: $145,092,430
New York Giants: $143,411,883
New York Jets: $156,149,394
Oakland Raiders: $151,872,756
Philadelphia Eagles: $159,872,378
Pittsburgh Steelers: $144,058,469
San Diego Chargers: $142,972,612
San Francisco 49ers: $149,855,980
Seattle Seahawks: $148,257,738
St. Louis Rams: $144,673,387
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $144,909,889
Tennessee Titans: $154,353,578
Washington: $146,591,745

Broncos Franchise Demaryius Thomas

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

1:17pm: The Broncos have confirmed that Thomas received the non-exclusive tag, and passed along a statement from John Elway indicating that the team continues to work toward a long-term with the wideout (Twitter links). If no multiyear pact is reached, Thomas’ one-year franchise salary for 2015 will be $12.823MM.

MONDAY, 12:53pm: Thomas has officially been tagged by the Broncos, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

SUNDAY, 6:33pm: Barring any unforeseen contract agreement, the Broncos will place the franchise tag on receiver Demaryius Thomas tomorrow, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The tag will guarantee Thomas approximately $12.797MM for the 2015 season.

Per Klis, the Broncos will use the more popular non-exclusive franchise tag, which will allow Thomas to have talks with other teams but will entitle Denver to two first-round picks if they decide to not match an offer sheet. As Klis notes, this is highly unlikely to happen, so Thomas is almost certainly a lock to play for the Broncos in 2015.

Denver was widely expected to use the tag, and speaking at the combine earlier this month, Broncos general manager John Elway confirmed that the club would utilize the tag on Thomas if a long-term contract could not be worked out. Elway said the the team would still like to work out an extension with Thomas, and now the two sides will have until July 15 to negotiate a multi-year agreement.

The 27-year-old Thomas was set to be a part of a loaded free agent receiver crop, which includes Dez Bryant (who is also expected to be tagged tomorrow), Jeremy Maclin, Randall Cobb, and Torrey Smith. Thomas, who finished last season with 111 receptions for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns, would have been in line for a contract averaging close to $14MM per season. A long-term deal with the Broncos should come close to that figure, but with Denver now holding the leverage, the AAV expectations might be tempered.

Thomas has shown some willingness to take a hometown discount, indicating that he enjoys playing with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. But Manning, at age 38, could be entering his final season in the NFL, and it’s unclear if Thomas would show the same inclination to stay in Denver were Manning retired.

After accounting for the franchise tag, the Broncos are projected to have about $16.5MM of cap space to work with as free agency approaches. The club and Manning are reportedly discussing some sort of contract restructure, so Denver could conceivably carve out a little extra financial room. As Klis reported earlier today, the Broncos are expected to be active participants in free agency, targeting help at offensive line, tight end, and safety, but they aren’t expected to retain some of their own free agents, such as Julius Thomas, Terrance Knighton, and Orlando Franklin.

Both Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant were long believed to contenders for the franchise tag, and now other clubs will have until tomorrow to decide whether to apply their own tag. Justin Houston (Chiefs) and Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants) are each expected to be tagged by their respective teams, while Devin McCourty (Patriots) and Jerry Hughes (Bills) are also candidates for the tag. Check out PFR’s Luke Adams’ recap of all the franchise tag candidates here.

Giants Use Franchise Tag On JPP

March 2nd, 2015 at 1:05pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Giants have officially used their franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Steve Serby of the New York Post first reported last month that the club would use the non-exclusive franchise tag on JPP if no long-term deal was reached, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com confirmed as much last week.Jason Pierre-Paul

Although Pierre-Paul got off to a slow start in 2014, he finished strong, and his 77 tackles and 12.5 sacks were his best totals since he was a First-Team All-Pro in 2011. The South Florida product – who turned 26 on Saturday – ranked as the seventh-best 4-3 defensive end in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).

Word of the Giants’ decision to officially place the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul comes on the heels of the NFL’s announcement of this year’s $143.28MM, which solidified the franchise tag amounts. As a defensive end, JPP will be in line for a one-year tender of $14.813MM, though he won’t necessarily sign that offer immediately.

As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets, the Giants and Pierre-Paul are expected to continue working on a multiyear deal, with the hopes of agreeing on something more long-term. Such an agreement would give the 26-year-old some long-term security, and would allow the team to reduce his cap hit for 2015, creating additional flexibility.

Of course, the non-exclusive tag means Pierre-Paul will also have the opportunity to explore the open market when free agency officially begins next week. However, any team interested in signing him would have to do so via an offer sheet, rather than signing him outright. And if the Giants chose not to match that offer sheet, Pierre-Paul’s new team would have to part with two first-round picks. As such, it’s unlikely that he’ll play anywhere besides New York next season.

Pierre-Paul becomes the fourth player to be franchised today. Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, and Justin Houston were also franchised by their respective clubs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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