NFC Contract Details: Ayers, Shelby, Perry
Here are a few of the latest contract details from around the NFC on recently agreed-upon and signed deals. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…
NFC South:
- Robert Ayers, DE (Buccaneers): Three years, $19.5MM. $10.5MM guaranteed. $2.5MM roster bonus due on March 16. $2MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2018 league year. $550K annually in sacks incentives (Twitter links).
- Derrick Shelby, DE (Falcons): Four years, $18MM. $7.5MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Annual $1MM base escalator from 2017 to 2019 (Twitter links).
- Matt Schaub, QB (Falcons): One year, $1.75MM. $500K signing bonus. Up to $1MM in playing-time and 53-man roster incentives (Twitter link).
NFC East:
- Tress Way, P (Washington): Five years, $7.8MM. $2.35MM guaranteed. $1.25MM signing bonus. Up to $400K in annual escalators from 2017 to 2020 (Twitter link via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post).
- Nigel Bradham, LB (Eagles): Two years, $7MM. $4.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $500K base escalator for 2017 (Twitter link).
- Kyle WIlber, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $3.25MM. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM playing-time incentive (Twitter link).
- Logan Paulsen, TE (Washington): One year, minimum salary benefit. $35K signing bonus. $45K bonus for being on 53-man roster for first game (Twitter link).
NFC North:
- Nick Perry, OLB (Packers): One year, $5MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2.3MM base salary. Up to $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. $200K workout bonus. Up to $250K in incentives (Twitter links via Wilson and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
- Marcus Sherels, CB (Vikings): Two years, $4MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $500K roster bonus due on March 16. $100K in annual punt return average incentives. $50K annual Pro Bowl incentive (Twitter links).
- Rafael Bush, S (Lions): One year, $2.4MM. $250K signing bonus. $250K in per-game roster bonuses. Up to $900K in playing-time bonuses (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
- Don Muhlbach, LS (Lions): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).
NFC West:
- Jermaine Gresham, TE (Cardinals): One year, $3.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses. $500K in incentives for stats, playing time (Twitter link).
Free Agency Rumors: Freeman, Carroll, Blount
The Colts offered Jerrell Freeman the same three-year, $12MM deal that the Bears ultimately handed the 30-year-old linebacker, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com reports (on Twitter). The No. 23 player on PFR’s list of 2016’s top free agents, Freeman spurned the Colts’ offer and decided to change agents, winding up in Drew Rosenhaus’ stable, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star. Freeman held out for a better deal after not being scooped up during free agency’s opening two days, and the Colts moved on after Freeman turned down their initial offer, Holder reports.
Here’s at look at the latest free agent notes:
- Veteran corner Nolan Carroll left his visit with the Cowboys without agreeing to a contract, according to Tim McManus of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link), who adds that the Dolphins and Eagles are apparently still in play for Carroll. Carroll, 29, started 11 games for Philadelphia last season.
- LeGarrette Blount did not undergo surgery on the injured hip that ended his season early, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Still unsigned, Blount, who suffered a chipped bone in his hip, is 100% healthy and would be ready for OTAs should a team sign him.
- Johnny Manziel cleared waivers, and the Browns as of now owe their latest first-round flameout quarterback $2.17MM, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Browns will attempt to recoup some of that money, should Manziel be suspended for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident this January in Dallas. Cleveland waited until Friday to waive Manziel, who’s been photographed at nightclubs in each of the past 10 nights, in hopes of a team attempting to trade for him.
- The Dolphins confirmed (via Twitter) three previously-reported free agent visits, announcing that defensive end Jason Jones, linebacker Sean Spence, and quarterback Brandon Weeden had all met with the team.
Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.
FA Rumors: Foster, Fitz, Thurmond, Larsen, Fins
Running back Arian Foster isn’t in a hurry to sign anywhere, writes Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds that the four-time Pro Bowler might not join a new club (potentially the Broncos) until after the draft. Foster spent the first seven years of his career in Houston, which cut the soon-to-be 30-year-old earlier this month after a torn Achilles cost him most of last season. Foster should be fully healthy by the summer, per Florio.
Here’s more on players who are presently without contracts:
- Six-year veteran Walter Thurmond was terrific for the Eagles last season, his first as a safety after shifting from cornerback, but he isn’t generating much interest as a free agent. One possible reason: “Several people around the Eagles” think he might retire, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Thurmond, 28, has dealt with injuries and has off-field business interests, one of which is filmmaking, Bowen adds (Twitter links). If Thurmond continues his football career, odds are it won’t be in Philly, which signed safety Rodney McLeod to a sizable deal earlier this week.
- The Jets hold all the cards in their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick, offers the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who opines that it’s time for the quarterback to admit defeat and re-sign with the only team willing to hand him a starting job. The Jets want Fitzpatrick back, but they’re not going to give the 33-year-old the $16MM to $18MM annual value that he wants, according to Mehta, and could instead turn to other options. Earlier today, Gang Green met with Robert Griffin III.
- After meeting with the 49ers on Thursday and the Seahawks today, guard Ted Larsen is “weighing options,” a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Both teams were familiar with Larsen before visiting with him – the 28-year-old has spent the last two seasons with NFC West rival Arizona. Larsen started in all 26 of his appearances with the Cards.
- Linebacker Sean Spence is visiting the Dolphins tonight, PFT reports (on Twitter). The 2013 third-round pick spent the first three years of his career in Pittsburgh, with which he amassed 90 tackles and two sacks in 31 regular-season appearances (13 starts).
Broncos Acquire Mark Sanchez From Eagles
1:43pm: The Broncos aren’t done at quarterback yet, and plan to bring in another player to compete with Sanchez for the starting job, Schefter confirms (via Twitter).
12:41pm: The conditional 2017 pick acquired by the Eagles in the swap is a seventh-rounder, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. The conditions aren’t yet known, but I would imagine they’ll hinge on Sanchez’s playing time in Denver.
12:29pm: The Broncos have begun to address their hole at quarterback, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, who reports (via Twitter) that Denver is acquiring Mark Sanchez from the Eagles. Philadelphia will get a conditional draft pick in exchange for the veteran signal-caller, per Klis. The pick is a 2017 selection, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Broncos lost the top two quarterbacks on their depth chart this week, as Peyton Manning officially announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Texans on a four-year, $72MM deal. While it remains to be seen if he’ll start for the Broncos, Sanchez is an affordable fallback option for the team. He’ll count for just $4.5MM against the 2016 cap – with another $3MM+ available in incentives – and the 2017 pick the Broncos are giving up is unlikely to be more than a late-rounder.
Sanchez a former fifth overall pick, served primarily as the backup during his two-year stint in Philadelphia, but did start 10 games for the Eagles. Overall, the 29-year-old completed 64.3% of his passes, with 3,034 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
With just Sanchez and Trevor Siemian on their depth chart, the Broncos will remain in the market for quarterback help, and that includes the possibility of trading for someone else, such as Colin Kaepernick — Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that the Sanchez deal doesn’t take Kaepernick off the table for Denver.
As for the Eagles, Sanchez became expendable for them when the team re-signed Sam Bradford and added Chase Daniel in free agency. By trading him instead of releasing him, the Eagles create $4.5MM in cap savings instead of $3.5MM, since the club will no longer be on the hook for the $1MM guarantee on his 2016 base salary.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Eagles Cut DL Brandon Bair
The Eagles continue to purge their roster of Chip Kelly acquisitions, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut defensive lineman Brandon Bair. While Bair was technically added to the roster before Kelly gained personnel control, Philadelphia’s former head coach presumably played a part in bringing in the Oregon product, not to mention extending his contract last fall.
Bair, 31, had 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2014 for the Eagles. However, he was limited to five games (two starts) in 2015, and picked up just 11 tackles. As Geoff Schwartz of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets, Bair is no longer a scheme fit under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Bair’s release will leave $50K in dead money on Philadelphia’s cap for the 2016 season. Although the Eagles are no longer on the hook for his $675K base salary or $50K workout bonus, they won’t create a full $725K in cap room, since Bair will be replaced in the team’s top 51 by a minimum-salary player.
Draft Rumors: Bosa, Powell, Chargers, Browns
The latest draft buzz:
- Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa will be dining with the Chargers on Friday evening, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets.
- Safety Tyvis Powell had one-on-one interviews with the Browns, Lions, Titans, and Saints, per Pauline (via WalterFootball.com). The Titans are looking to grab a safety on day two of the draft while the Lions are hoping to grab a safety early after whiffing on George Iloka in free agency.
- Tight end Nick Vannett met with the Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, and Jets. The Ohio State tight end was said to have had a strong showing at the 2016 Senior Bowl. At 6’6″ and 257 pounds, he has the size to compete as an NFL tight end. The Jets met with Vannett previously, so they could have a heightened level of interest in him.
- Fast-rising Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee interviewed with the Browns and Saints on Thursday, per Pauline.
- Mississippi State defensive back Taveze Calhoun met “extensively” with the 49ers and he has had private meetings with the Dolphins, Giants, and Rams. It sounds like Calhoun could be rising up draft boards.
- Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas looked impressive at the program’s Pro Day and Pauline added that he met with the Saints on Thursday. He also had an “outstanding” meeting with the Browns and he’ll meet with the Patriots next week.
Latest On Eagles QB Situation
Is this the end of the line for Mark Sanchez in Philadelphia? Will Sam Bradford cede the starting job to Chase Daniel? The answers appear to be yes, and no, respectively. When speaking to reporters today, Eagles coach Doug Pederson seemingly inferred that Sanchez is now out of the picture. 
In response to a question about his quarterback depth chart, the coach said, “Sam Bradford is the No. 1. Chase Daniel is the No. 2. And we’re working on the No. 3,” (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
That statement seems to be good news for Bradford as he is still in line to be the team’s starter, despite the sizable deal given to Daniel this week. Sanchez, of course, is conspicuously absent there and one has to think that he will be shopped in the coming weeks. The USC product is entering his contract year and is slated to earn $4.5MM in base salary while carrying a $5.5MM cap number.
Daniel and Pederson have history, which helped lead the two sides to a deal this week. The former Chiefs signal caller got a sizable deal from Philly, which led many to believe that he was being brought in as more than just a clipboard holder. Daniel, entering his age-30 season has attempted only 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. He ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: RG3, Rams, Chiefs
The latest free agent rumors:
- Robert Griffin III would “very much” like to play for the Rams in Los Angeles, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter). The 49ers and the Broncos have also been connected to Griffin this week.
- Despite outside interest, Tamba Hali says that he gave no thought at all to leaving the Chiefs, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Falcons were reportedly a finalist for his services.
- Stevan Ridley‘s market continues to unfold but the Patriots haven’t shown interest in a reunion, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Still, Howe (link) points out that the Patriots reached out to Ridley late last offseason before he joined the Jets, so nothing can be completely ruled out, even though that union is still unlikely. Ridley racked up 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground back in 2012 for the Pats.
- The Ravens reviewed eight free agent tight ends but after watching a handful of plays from Ben Watson on tape, they determined that he was their guy, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Eagles‘ interest in defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is “tepid,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Eagles haven’t ruled out a return, however.
- The Seahawks are interested in guard Ted Larsen, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As we learned yesterday, Larsen will also take a visit with the 49ers.
Eagles Sign Chase Daniel To Three-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 11:41am: The Eagles have officially announced their three-year contract with Daniel (via Twitter). Terms of the deal can be found right here.
WEDNESDAY, 3:03pm: Daniel’s three-year pact could be worth up to $36MM, including $12MM fully guaranteed, according to Caplan (Twitter links). The base value of the contract is $21MM, so it sounds like it may be heavy on playing-time incentives.
10:59am: The Eagles and Chase Daniel agreed in principle on a multi-year deal, according to Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a three-year deal, per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. 
The deal reunites Daniel with Doug Pederson who was his offensive coordinator in Kansas City. As a result, Daniel has been connected to the Eagles for much of the offseason and the coach did not hide his affinity for Daniel as a player. Daniel, in all likelihood, will slot in behind Sam Bradford as the starter in Philly. That would leave Mark Sanchez on the outside looking in and the QB presumably will not return as a third stringer. Given that this is a three-year pact for Daniel, it is fair to wonder if he might even have a chance to compete with Bradford for the starting role this summer.
Daniel, entering his age-30 season, is almost all promise — he’s only attempted 77 passes in his career while backing up Drew Brees and Alex Smith. But in a league where competent quarterback play is so rare (yet so needed), it’s easy to see a club taking a chance on Daniel as its starter. He’d already been one of the backups in the NFL, earning $3.33MM annually during his time with Kansas City.
Daniel ranked as PFR’s No. 3 available quarterback, slotting in behind Brock Osweiler and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Free Agent Rumors: Giants, Vernon, Nelson
Peter King of The MMQB offered up a behind-the-scenes look at Olivier Vernon‘s record-breaking contract with the Giants. Agent David Canter tells King that, in addition to dollars, the defensive end was insistent on signing for five years rather than six. Both the Giants and Jets wanted to give Vernon a five-year deal, but the Jaguars were looking to sign Vernon for six. Canter and Vernon only wanted a five-year deal, however, so that he could cash in one more time at the age of 30.
Here are the latest free agent rumors:
- Washington has some interest in free safety Reggie Nelson, Mike Jones of The Washington Post tweets. The tenth-year veteran had 77 tackles and a league-leading 8 interceptions last year for Cincinnati. Nelson placed No. 41 on our Top 50 NFL Free Agents List. While he had a strong 2015, his earning power is somewhat limited as he enters his age-33 season.
- The Eagles and cornerback Nolan Carroll haven’t been able to get on the same page and as of right now, it seems like he could be headed elsewhere, Tim McManus of The Fanatic (on Twitter). The rival Cowboys, he adds, are a team to watch.
- At least six teams had interest in new Eagles quarterback Chase Daniel before he signed, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Now with Philly, Daniel is reunited with Doug Pederson, who was his offensive coordinator in Kansas City
- The Giants have had discussions with former Washington linebacker Keenan Robinson and numbers have been exchanged, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. However, there’s no deal there yet.
- Jermon Bushrod isn’t scheduled to visit the Vikings right now, but the team is monitoring his recovery from surgery, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets.