HEADLINES

PFR Originals News & Rumors

Poll: Most Improved Revamped Contender?

May 22nd, 2015 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Every team in the NFL has undergone changes to some extent this offseason, but some clubs have managed to maintain more continuity than others. Among the teams that have overhauled their rosters most significantly are three teams that just missed out on playoff spots by a game or two in 2014. The Eagles, Saints, and Dolphins have all seen major turnover at key spots on their rosters over the past few months.

In Philadelphia, Chip Kelly continues to allow standout offensive players to leave town, trading LeSean McCoy to the Bills and allowing Jeremy Maclin to walk in free agency. The Eagles also have a new starting quarterback (Sam Bradford) and landed the top running back (DeMarco Murray) and cornerback (Byron Maxwell) available in free agency.

While the Eagles’ biggest changes came in free agency, the Saints went the trade route, shipping out Jimmy Graham, Kenny Stills, and Ben Grubbs in separate deals. The team did add a few free agents, including running back C.J. Spiller and cornerback Brandon Browner, but New Orleans will be relying heavily on its rookie class, after having added extra picks in the first and third rounds.

As for the Dolphins, it’s no secret what their biggest offseason move was: Ndamukong Suh was the most noteworthy free agent to change teams in years, and he’s headed to Miami for the 2015 season. However, that was far from the only splash made by the Dolphins. The club also overhauled its wide receiving corps, acquiring Kenny Stills, signing Greg Jennings, and jettisoning veterans Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Brian Hartline. Ryan Tannehill will also have a new weapon at tight end, in former Brown Jordan Cameron.

As noted above, there are plenty of other teams – both playoff clubs and non-contenders – who underwent major roster changes in the offseason, but few overhauled their rosters as significantly as the Eagles, Saints, and Dolphins. Will that pay off for those teams in 2015? Which of these three teams do you think improved the most this offseason?

Which postseason contender improved the most by revamping its roster this offseason?
Miami Dolphins 60.23% (524 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 30.23% (263 votes)
New Orleans Saints 9.54% (83 votes)
Total Votes: 870

Extension Candidate: Blair Walsh

May 21st, 2015 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

As we noted on Wednesday, Vikings kicker Blair Walsh recently expressed optimism that he’ll be able to work out a long-term extension with the team that keeps him in Minnesota beyond 2015, the last year of his rookie contract. While Walsh’s comments suggested that contract talks hadn’t gotten serious between the two sides yet – he says there’s been “a little bit of communication” – it’s possible that the kicker will reach a deal with the club before the season gets underway.Blair Walsh

As Walsh prepares to discuss his future with the Vikings, the roles of kickers around the NFL are evolving. The ball will be placed at the 15-yard line for extra-point attempts in 2015, meaning kickers will have to make 32- or 33-yard PATs rather than 19-yard kicks. That change will go into effect on a trial basis, but it’s extremely unlikely that the NFL will decide to return to the old format in 2016. In fact, as Newsday’s Bob Glauber (Twitter link) and TheMMQB.com’s Peter King observe, it’s more probable that the league will continue to push those extra-point tries back even further in future seasons, perhaps by another eight or 10 yards.

With the requirements for the extra point changing, it’s fair to wonder how exactly that will affect the value of kickers going forward. It’s possible that some teams will rely less on their kickers, opting to go for two points more frequently. But NFL kickers don’t miss 33-yard attempts very often, and most head coaches are fairly conservative, so I expect the majority of the league’s teams will still opt for the single point most of the time.

What does that mean for kickers? It’s not as if they’re an afterthought now, since games are frequently won or lost on field goal attempts. However, if a handful of a team’s games each season are now decided on extra-point tries, clubs figures to give the kicker position a little extra attention. Teams may be more willing to offer more money to a reliable kicker, particularly if the spot for the PAT keeps moving back in future seasons. As Josh Brown of the Giants suggests, players capable of regularly making kicks in tough weather conditions should see their value increase as well.

It raised some eyebrows around the league when the Patriots used their franchise tag this offseason on kicker Stephen Gostkowski. After all, once Gostkowski signed that one-year tender, he assured himself of a $4.54MM salary for 2015, which is significantly more than the per-year salary of any other player at his position, as Over The Cap’s data shows. The Patriots are a smart team, and likely suspected this extra point change was coming (theirs was one of the three proposals considered by the NFL). It’s not unreasonable to assume that New England was willing to go a little higher than expected to retain Gostkowski, one of the league’s most consistent and reliable kickers, having anticipated that his role would be slightly more crucial in 2015.

All of this brings us back to Walsh, whose next contract will depend at least in part on how confident the Vikings are that he can continue to make all of his extra points. Through his first two NFL seasons, Walsh was virtually automatic from inside 40 years, converting 37 of 38 attempts (97.4%). However, 2015 was a shakier season for the 25-year-old. He missed nine field goals in total, and three of those misses came from less than 40 yards away.

With extra points becoming more difficult, the Vikings may want to wait to see how Walsh performs in 2015 before committing to him on a long-term deal. If he’s the player who made 89.7% of his field goals in his first two seasons, he’s worth that multiyear investment; if he’s the guy who converted just 74.3% of his tries last year, the team may want to explore other options. Walsh’s big leg makes him valuable – he has made 17 attempts of 50+ yards in his three NFL seasons – but accuracy will be more important than ever for kickers going forward.

I expect a nice bounce-back year from Walsh, and perhaps the Vikings will have a window to buy low over the next few months, while the former sixth-round pick is coming off the worst season of his career. If Minnesota can get Walsh locked up for a deal in the neighborhood of $3MM per year, I think it makes sense for the team to try to get something done. That’s the price that kickers like Graham Gano, Matt Prater, and Nick Folk have signed for within the last couple years, and if the position’s value is truly on the rise, getting Walsh for a similar rate could be a nice coup, assuming he bounces back in 2015.

Speaking to Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune this week, Walsh said that he’s embracing the challenge that the new extra point rules will bring: “You’ve got to be confident in what you do. If somebody was telling you, ‘Hey, we’re going to make your job just a little bit more important,’ why wouldn’t you take it? It’s a new challenge.”

As his job becomes more difficult, Walsh’s confident approach should serve him well, and it could help him land a lucrative new contract. His case will be an interesting one to watch, since it could provide a hint at how these PAT changes will affect teams’ valuations of their kickers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Only 51 Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

May 20th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Luke Adams

Under the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, signing draft picks has become easier than ever before, making rookie holdouts a thing of the past. With contracts strictly slotted by draft position, teams and agents can haggle over guaranteed money, offsets, and a couple other factors, but for the most part, as soon as a player is drafted, he knows what his rookie contract will look like.

Given the lack of flexibility for rookie deals, it’s no surprise that only two and a half weeks after the 2015 draft ended, over 80% of this year’s draftees are now under contract with their respective teams. Of this year’s 256 draft picks, 205 have reached agreements with their clubs, while 51 remain unsigned, according to our tracker.

Should we expect lengthy holdups for those remaining 51 players? Probably not. As mentioned above, total guaranteed money can be a point of contention, particularly for first- and second-round picks, but it would be a surprise if any of the players currently unsigned are still without contracts when training camps get underway in July.

Here are a few other notes on 2015’s draft pick signings so far:

  • Most of the remaining unsigned draftees – 36 of 51 – are first-, second-, or third-rounders, with the first round still having the most players left to sign, at 13.
  • Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, the second overall pick, is the only player in the top seven who has yet to sign.
  • Of the NFL’s 32 teams, 13 have finished signing their draft classes. The Ravens, Bills, Panthers, Bears, Texans, Chiefs, Dolphins, Vikings, Jets, Eagles, Chargers, 49ers, and Washington have all taken care of all their draft business.
  • The Rams are the only team in the NFL that has yet to sign a single draft pick, or at least to confirm that they’ve done so — I’d expect the club to formally announce all nine of its signings in one fell swoop.
  • Besides the Rams, every team has signed its sixth-round picks. Similarly, in the fifth round, only two Raiders draftees and Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona remain unsigned. The delay with Cardona may be related to negotiating his obligations to the Navy.

PFR Originals 5/10/15 – 5/17/15

May 17th, 2015 at 3:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

Poll: Will Tom Brady Get His Suspension Reduced?

May 15th, 2015 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

After being slapped with a four-game suspension, Tom Brady is digging in his heels and he’s bringing serious firepower with him. Brady, as we learned earlier this week, will enlist the help of the NFLPA, despite his previously tenuous relationship with them. He’s also bringing Jeffrey Kessler, a man who has been termed as the “arch nemesis” of the NFL. Kessler ran point on Adrian Peterson‘s recent appeal and is also widely credited with helping to forge free agency in football after winning the Freeman McNeil case and settling the Reggie White case.

However, the deck seems to be pretty stacked against him. The 2011 CBA affords commissioner Roger Goodell the right to hear any appeal and, despite the very vocal protests from the union, he’ll be exercising that right. The statement released by the league office seemed to be pushing the notion that Goodell will be an unbiased arbiter, claiming that NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent was the one who determined the punishment with Goodell being the one to “authorize” it. It all seems pretty unfair. That is, if you can ever say life for a four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback who is married to one of the world’s most renowned supermodels is unfair.

The Patriots are still undecided as to whether they’ll fight the penalties handed down to them, but both Brady and Goodell are preparing for battle. The quarterback may be coming in with a Dream Team legal defense, but Goodell plans to interview indefinitely suspended Patriots employees John Jastremski and Jim McNally as witnesses for Brady’s appeal. Brady, meanwhile, is expected to file suit against the NFL to have Goodell replaced with a neutral arbitrator. It is certain that things will get ugly, but the outcome is anything but certain. When all is said and done, do you think Brady will be able to get his suspension slashed from four games?

Will Brady Get His Suspension Reduced?
Yes 62.76% (873 votes)
No 37.24% (518 votes)
Total Votes: 1,391

Largest NFL Free Agent Contracts Of 2015

May 14th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, identifying the NFL’s largest free agent contract wasn’t so easy. If you looked at a list of the biggest contracts by overall base value, Denver’s Aqib Talib topped the list at $57MM over six years. However, Talib only ranked third among free agents in per-year salary, and he didn’t even crack the top 10 in fully guaranteed money.

This time around, there’s less ambiguity. A player of Ndamukong Suh‘s stature rarely reaches the open market, so it’s no surprise that his new contracts blows away the field when it comes to overall value, annual average, and fully guaranteed money. After Suh, Darrelle Revis, who opted for a long-term contract this time around rather than settling for another short-term deal, places second on each list.

After those two top-tier free agents though, the lists diverge a little, as you’ll see below. One thing seems certain though, when comparing this year’s data to 2014’s — teams were more willing to pay top dollar for the best players on the market in 2015. A year ago, only Revis and DeMarcus Ware earned eight-digit annual salaries in free agency, and both players were on fairly short contracts. This year, five players signed for $10MM per year or more, and all of those players are on at least four-year contracts.

Similarly, a year ago, Branden Albert‘s $20MM guarantee topped all free agents — the Dolphins’ tackle was the only player to receive at least $20MM in fully guaranteed money. This time? Not only does Suh’s guaranteed money nearly triple Albert’s, but Revis’ almost doubles it, and a total of eight players were guaranteed at least $20MM.

We could point to a number of factors for that increase in spending. Most notably, the top of this year’s free agent class was simply more impressive than 2014’s class; additionally, the cap is in the rise, which means player salaries are too. Whatever the reason, a handful of clubs were willing to roll the dice this offseason on big-time free agent contracts that will be on their books for years.

While the lists below include players who neared free agency before ultimately re-signing with their own teams – think Jerry Hughes or Kareem Jackson – it doesn’t include a number of other big-name free agents. Greg Hardy‘s one-year, $11.312MM deal with the Cowboys isn’t included in the group of contracts with the largest per-year salaries, since most of his money is tied to per-game roster bonuses, which Hardy won’t earn while he’s suspended.

Meanwhile, franchised players like Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Justin Houston, and Jason Pierre-Paul would also crack that list of top annual average salaries if they accept their one-year offers. But so far, none of those players has actually signed his franchise tender, as I outlined yesterday.

Without further ado, here are the biggest free agent contracts of 2015:

Largest contracts by overall base value:

  1. Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins): $114.375MM, six years
  2. Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): $70.121MM, five years
  3. Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): $63MM, six years
  4. Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): $55MM, five years
  5. Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): $47.5MM, five years
  6. Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): $46MM, five years
  7. Jerry Hughes, OLB (Bills): $45MM, five years
  8. Rodney Hudson, C (Raiders: $44.5MM, five years
  9. Jared Odrick, DE (Jaguars): $42.5MM, five years
  10. (tie) Randall Cobb, WR (Packers): $40MM, four years; DeMarco Murray, RB (Eagles): $40MM, five years; Torrey Smith, WR (49ers): $40MM, five years; Mike Iupati, G (Cardinals): $40MM, five years

Largest contracts by annual average:

  1. Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins): $19.063MM
  2. Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): $14.024MM
  3. Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): $11MM
  4. Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): $10.5MM
  5. Randall Cobb, WR (Packers): $10MM
  6. Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): $9.5MM
  7. Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): $9.2MM
  8. Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): $9.1MM
  9. Jerry Hughes, OLB (Bills): $9MM
  10. Rodney Hudson, C (Raiders): $8.9MM

Largest contracts by fully guaranteed money:

  1. Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins): $59.955MM
  2. Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): $39MM
  3. Charles Clay, TE (Bills): $24.5MM
  4. Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): $22.5MM
  5. (tie) Devin McCourty, S (Patriots); Byron Maxwell, CB (Eagles): $22MM
  6. Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): $21MM
  7. Kareem Jackson, CB (Texans): $20MM
  8. (tie) DeMarco Murray, RB (Eagles); Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): $18MM
  9. Jerry Hughes, OLB (Bills): $17.625MM
  10. Jared Odrick, DE (Jaguars): $17MM

Data from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.

Update On Franchise-Tagged Players

May 13th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors’ list of current free agents features a number of interesting names, including veteran players like Steven Jackson, Wes Welker, and Reggie Wayne. But the most intriguing free agents remaining on the list are a handful of players with an “(F)” following their names — Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Justin Houston, and Jason Pierre-Paul.

Of course, if these players were truly unrestricted free agents, they would’ve been snapped up about two minutes after free agency opened back in March. That “F” signals that they’ve been franchised by their respective clubs, with the non-exclusive tag. They’re still technically free agents, since they have yet to sign their one-year tenders, but their free agency is restricted — any team wanting to sign one of these players would have to submit an offer sheet, and surrender two first-round picks if their offer isn’t matched by the player’s current club.Dec 22, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 37-28. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

That’s a steep price to pay for any team, which is likely why we haven’t heard of any potential suitors trying to make a run for any of these players. You could make an argument that a team with cap flexibility that expects to pick late in the first round in the next couple years – the Packers, Bengals, or Chargers, for instance – should consider making a run at a star pass rusher like Houston. However, spending time negotiating with a franchised player and attempting to craft an offer that his team won’t match takes a lot of time and effort. And when the alternative to simply wasting time is losing two first-round picks and committing upwards of $15MM annually to a free agent, it makes sense that teams would be wary.

In all likelihood then, these four “free agents” will simply return to their current teams. So far though, none of the four have reported to their respective clubs’ offseason programs.

Asked about Pierre-Paul’s potential attendance at next month’s mandatory minicamp, Giants coach Tom Coughlin told Newsday’s Tom Rock, “I expect him to be there.” That’s a sentiment I imagine head coaches Jason Garrett, Gary Kubiak, and Andy Reid would echo for their own franchised players.

Because these four players have yet to sign their tenders though, they’re under no obligation to attend a so-called “mandatory” minicamp or even July’s training camp. Those camps are only mandatory for players under contract, and Bryant, Thomas, Houston, and Pierre-Paul aren’t under contract for now.

So what’s the next step for these players? That next step could still be a couple months away. July 15 represents a key deadline, since it’s the last day a franchised player can sign a multiyear extension with his team. If no long-term deal is in place by then, the player will likely have to simply sign his one-year tender (though not necessarily right away) and play out the 2015 season before potentially hitting unrestricted free agency in 2016.

The Cowboys, Broncos, Chiefs, and Giants are all believed to have discussed long-term contracts with their franchised players at some point, whether that happened recently or as far back as last fall. While those talks may not have been fruitful up until now, deadlines tend to spur action, so over the next two months, it will be worth keeping an eye on these four players to see how many of them bridge the gaps and reach agreements on multiyear extensions, avoiding the uncertainty of a one-year deal for 2015.

For what it’s worth, the only player whose franchise tender remained unsigned as training camp approached last year was Jimmy Graham — Graham and the Saints ultimately struck a deal on – you guessed it – July 15.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extension Candidate: Sam Bradford

May 10th, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As soon as the Eagles acquired quarterback Sam Bradford on March 10, rumors began to swirl that the former Ram wasn’t long for Philadelphia. Both St. Louis head coach Jeff Fisher and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly both claimed that they’d been offered a first-round pick for Bradford (the Browns were eventually revealed as the mystery club), and many assumed that the former Sam BradfordNo. 1 overall pick was simply trade bait, an asset for Kelly to flip in an effort to acquire his former college QB, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota.

As the draft approached, it appeared that Bradford was still on the table, as reports indicated that Kelly was attempting to deal some combination of draft picks, defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, cornerback Brandon Boykin, linebacker Mychal Kendricks, and Bradford in an effort to acquire either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick. Kelly later denied that he offered Bradford (or any other players) in trade negotiations, but Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report said the Eagles offering up Bradford “like he was a slice of pizza.”

In the end, neither the Buccaneers nor the Titans accepted any of Philadelphia’s rumored proposals, and ultimately selected quarterbacks Jamies Wintson and Mariota, respectively. The Eagles, meanwhile, stayed put at pick No. 20, and drafted USC receiver Nelson Agholor. Kelly & Co. now appear fully committed to utilizing Bradford as their starting quarterback in 2015, and apparently still have interest in extending him.

Even if Bradford and the Eagles agree to discuss a multi-year deal, there could be significant hurdles to clear. For his part, Bradford has indicated that he won’t accept a “substandard” extension; rather, he’d prefer to play out 2015, hope for a strong season, and reassess his market value during next year’s free agent period. So if Philadelphia has hopes of leveraging Bradford’s injury issues into a team-friendly contract, it might be disappointed.

For Bradford, this mindset makes complete sense. As the final No. 1 overall pick under the previous contractual bargaining agreement, Bradford was able to sign a rookie deal that had no slot value, and offered significantly larger base salaries and guarantees than the current CBA allows for. Somewhat surprisingly given his injury history, Bradford will end up playing out the entirety of his six-year rookie contract, earning $78MM in the process. Provided he’s managed his money correctly, Bradford has zero financial incentive to settle for a mediocre extension — he can simply wait out the Eagles until they offer a package that he likes, or head to free agency next March.

From the Eagles’ perspective, a possible extension for Bradford carries risk for two opposing reasons. On one hand, Kelly’s offensive scheme has the power to inflate quarterback statistics — take Nick Foles‘ 2013 season, or part of Mark Sanchez‘s 2014 season, for example. Bradford may not be the perfect fit for Kelly’s system that Mariota was, but neither was Foles or Sanchez. It’s not difficult to imagine Bradford posting an excellent 2015 season, and in the process significantly upping his contract demands. With that in mind, working out an extension now could save Philadelphia money in the long run.

On the other hand, it’s difficult not to be wary of Bradford’s lengthy injury history. He’s now suffered two torn ACLs in his five-year career, and he’s played in only 49 out of a possible 80 games since entering the league. The Eagles unquestionably field a better offensive line than the Rams, which should lead to a cleaner pocket for Bradford and in theory, less injury potential. But it could be tough for Philadelphia to commit a large sum of money to a player who might not be on the field too often.

Though Bradford may not be the perfect fit for Kelly’s scheme, Kelly realizes that finding such a quarterback could prove difficult. Additionally, the Eagles plan to be in a constant state of contention, meaning they will reload, not rebuild, as Kelly explained to Derrick Gunn of CSNPhilly.com last week:

“[T]he one thing I can promise is that we’re not going to just sit there and hopefully in a couple of years we’re going to build this thing. We’re not waiting for the draft of 2017 to turn this thing around.

 

“[I]f you want to play with the odds as we want to play, it’s got to be with a quarterback situation and then the only way you’re going to get a quarterback is you got to be really not very good so you finish in the top 1-2 in the draft. If we’re not very good and we finish with the top 1-2 in the draft, I don’t think I’m going to be here, so we better find another way to find a quarterback.”

Kelly is clearly happy with Bradford as his starting quarterback, and Bradford seems to want to stay in Philadelphia, as reports last month indicated that he would only sign an extension that contained a no-trade clause because he wants to play for Kelly. Now that the draft has passed without him being dealt, Bradford probably isn’t dead-set on such a clause any longer, but the sentiment remains.

Ultimately, I think a short-term extension makes the most sense for both sides. It’s easy to forget that Bradford is still just 27 years old, so tacking on three years to his current deal would result in him hitting the free agent market at 31, when he could garner yet another large contract. Bradford could end up earning a somewhat surprising total — the fact the clubs were willing to part with a first-rounder to acquire him signifies his value in the current QB-scarce landscape.

A three-year deal that compares to that of Cardinals signal-caller Carson Palmer could make some sense — at age 35, Palmer is significantly older than Bradford, but he also has a more recent record of success. Palmer is scheduled to earn almost $50MM over three seasons, with $14MM in full guarantees. I’d guess that a Bradford extension would come in lower than that, maybe around $35-40MM, with roughly the same guarantees. It would also need to come with serious injury protection for the Eagles, and would probably contain quite a bit of money tied up in per-game roster bonuses — if Bradford isn’t on the field, he wouldn’t be earning those bonuses.

Whether or not Bradford would accept such a deal is the central question. Would he prefer to bet on himself, hope to perform well this season, and offer his services to the highest bidder next March? Or does he want to commit to a talented coach in Kelly and a team that is set up for success? The answer could provide the blueprint for the Eagles future for years to come.

PFR Originals: 5/3/15 – 5/10/15

May 10th, 2015 at 11:46am CST by Ben Levine

The original content produced by the PFR staff during the past week:

  • Luke Adams provided us with an update on restricted free agents. A large portion of the restricted free agent class, including Seahawks wideout Jermaine Kearse and Ravens safety Will Hill, simply signed their tenders. Defensive end George Johnson and safety Sean Richardson signed offer sheets with other teams, and Chris Polk had his RFA tender rescinded by the Eagles. Although the deadline to sign with another team was in April, two restricted free agents (both Browns) remain unsigned: safety Tashaun Gipson and defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen.
  • The deadline for teams to decide whether to pick up their 2012 first-rounder’s fifth-year option was last Sunday, and Luke reviewed who had their option exercised and who did not.
  • Luke asked which draft-day faller ultimately ended up being the best value. More than a quarter of you pointed to the Cowboys‘ selection of defensive end/linebacker Randy Gregory, while 18-percent of you said Texans‘ wideout Jaelen Strong.
  • As teams look to ink their draft picks to rookie contracts, you can stay updated on the progress of your favorite team.

Update On Restricted Free Agents

May 6th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Most of the league’s notable unrestricted free agents come off the board in mid-March, within days – or hours – of officially hitting the open market. However, the process for restricted free agents can often drag out a little longer.

Over the last several weeks, players who received restricted free agent tenders from their respective teams have, for the most part, simply signed them. Players like Ravens safety Will Hill, Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison, Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, and – most recently – Seahawks wideout Jermaine Kearse will return to their clubs for at least one more season, earning either $1.542MM (the low-end tender) or $2.356MM (the second-round tender). Then, if they don’t work out a longer-term deal, they’ll be unrestricted free agents in 2016.

Not every restricted free agent has simply signed his tender. Lions defensive end George Johnson signed an offer sheet with the Buccaneers, and Packers safety Sean Richardson inked one with the Raiders. After disputing the terms of his offer sheet with the Bucs, the Lions eventually let Johnson go to Tampa Bay, getting a draft pick in the deal for their troubles. Green Bay, meanwhile, matched Oakland’s offer for Richardson, bringing him back to the team.

One restricted free agent, Eagles running back Chris Polk, had his RFA tender rescinded by the team, allowing him the freedom to sign with another team — Polk and his new club then wouldn’t have to worry about Philadelphia matching an offer sheet. The running back quickly found a new home with the Texans, just a couple days after the Eagles withdrew their one-year offer.

The deadline for restricted free agents to sign an offer sheet with another team came and went last month (April 24), but two players appear to still be unsigned, and both of them are Browns — safety Tashaun Gipson, who received a second-round tender, and defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who got a low-end tender, have yet to sign their contracts for 2015.

There’s no indication that Kitchen is unhappy with his situation. In fact, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported two weeks ago (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman intended to sign his tender. No confirmation has come from the team or Kitchen’s camp since then, but it’s possible he signed his tender and it has yet to be announced — it’s also possible he’ll make it official any day now.

Gipson’s case isn’t quite so simple. The 24-year-old has started 26 games for the Browns in the last two seasons, racking up 146 tackles during that stretch and showing a knack for coming up with big plays — he has grabbed 11 interceptions during the last two seasons, returning two of them for touchdowns. Despite playing just 11 games in 2014, Gipson earned a Pro Bowl nod.

After an impressive first three seasons, Gipson was reportedly less than thrilled to receive a second-round tender from the Browns, and didn’t report to the club’s voluntary offseason program last month. Head coach Mike Pettine indicated that the club is “very optimistic” about working something out with Gipson, but the team has most of the leverage here, at least for the 2015 season.

Since the deadline has passed for Gipson to negotiate with other teams, if he wants to play in ’15 and earn his $2.356MM, he’ll have to sign his tender with the Browns at some point. In Philadelphia, Polk was expendable after the Eagles signed a pair of running backs in free agency; for the Browns, Gipson is a key contributor, so they’re not about to withdraw his RFA tender.

A longer-term deal is also a possibility for Gipson and the Browns, but the team isn’t under any pressure to work something out with the safety. According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, Browns sources don’t expect Gipson to be on the roster is 2016, believing that he has priced himself out of the team’s range. That asking price could eventually come down, but for now it appears Cleveland is simply satisfied to welcome Gipson back to the roster for 2015 if and when he signs his RFA tender, with no guarantees beyond this season.

Load More Posts