East Notes: Maclin, Gore, Clay
There are a number of rumblings from the league’s east divisions today, so let’s dive right in:
- We learned earlier today that Randall Cobb‘s decision to remain with the Packers would give the Eagles‘ Jeremy Maclin a little more leverage in his contract negotiations, and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com has a little more on that front. Mosher writes that Maclin, who has asked for at least $11MM per season, is clearly the best wide receiver left on the free agent market, but the fact that he is two years older than Cobb and has torn his ACL twice since the start of his college career could deter teams from handing Maclin the same type of contract that Cobb received. Therefore, Mosher believes the stage could be set for Maclin’s return to Philadelphia.
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes that the Eagles are interested in free agent running back Frank Gore and says that a deal could be done as soon as Tuesday.
- The Bills are expected to make a “substantial offer” to Dolphins tight end Charles Clay, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Miami placed the transition tag on Clay last week.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has a deeper look into the Jets‘ trade for Brandon Marshall and what it means for the team moving forward.
- In the same piece, Cimini looks at the future of Darrelle Revis. Cimini writes that the Jets will almost certainly try to overpay for Revis, who will have to choose between the mega-bucks in New York and a lifetime membership in Patriots owner Robert Kraft‘s fraternity.
- Washington and the Giants have both expressed interest in Arizona nose tackle Dan Williams (Twitter links to ESPN’s John Keim and Dan Graziano).
Updates On Maxwell And McCourty
We learned last night that the Eagles would be aggressive suitors for prospective free agents Devin McCourty and Byron Maxwell, and the team seems to be especially active in its pursuit of Maxwell. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweeted yesterday that the Eagles were “out in front” for Maxwell, and Getlin added (via Twitter) this morning that Philadelphia is willing to give Maxwell a deal worth over $10MM a year, which would be a somewhat surprising top-of-the-market offer.
If Philadelphia displays the same aggressiveness with McCourty, they may be able to land him as well. As Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes, the Patriots would love to have McCourty back, but if the bidding goes much higher than $8MM per season, New England may have to bow out. We heard yesterday that McCourty is seeking at least $9MM per year, which Jairus Byrd was able to land last season. PFR’s Luke Adams predicted yesterday that McCourty, who has been a consistently productive defensive back over the course of his career, would be able to make at least as much.
The Giants are also reported to have interest in McCourty, but Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets that the team may be more interested in addressing its defensive line in free agency. As of right now, the smart money seems to be on the Eagles using a big chunk of their newfound $36MM in cap space to boost their secondary with both McCourty and Maxwell.
NFC East Links: Cole, McCourty, Murray
Recently released defensive end/linebacker Trent Cole has two AFC visits lined up following the abrupt conclusion of his Eagles tenure, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Cole will visit the Colts and Browns in hopes to book another contract after playing in Philadelphia for 10 seasons.
The Browns meeting comes Sunday, per the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter.
One of several Eagles veterans jettisoned in Chip Kelly‘s recent purge, Cole has four double-digit sack seasons with the most recent coming in 2011 when he played defensive end. However, as an outside backer, Cole still graded well, finishing as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 end in 2013 (subscription required).
Cole, who drew frequent double-teams to help Jason Babin accrue 18 sacks for the Eagles in 2011, has been durable as well, playing in at least 15 games in each of his 10 seasons.
Some more new from around the NFC East …
- The Eagles’ newfound cap room of $36MM+ will make them aggressive suitors for Devin McCourty and Byron Maxwell, per Yahoo’s Charles Robinson on Twitter. The two Super Bowl starters are probably the top two players at safety and corner, respectively, and could well sign for eight figures per year, making both landing in the same spot unlikely.
- Washington longtime pass-rusher Brian Orakpo will likely test the market after being franchised last season, but the Washington Post’s Mike Jones (Twitter link) heard from two sources he could remain in D.C. with the door staying open for a reunion. The ex-GEICO pitchman ranks 19th among PFR’s top 50 free agents.
- With $25MM+ of cap space, Washington still has intriguing free agents Roy Helu and Leonard Hankerson, among others, and ESPN’s John Keim examines what he’s hearing thus far in “soft” free agency.
- Derek Newton also drew the interest from D.C., Jones tweets, while the Eagles were Kareem Jackson admirers, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane (Twitter).
- DeMarco Murray‘s path probably leads out of town with Dez Bryant‘s tag mincing their cap room down to inside of $4MM, but Yahoo’s Rand Getlin tweeted Murray could give the Cowboys a “meaningful” discount as the 2014 rushing leader understands what another title would mean in Dallas (Twitter post).
- The Giants will go after the market’s top safeties, McCourty and Rahim Moore, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan, while exploring the possibility of an Eli Manning extension to help create room to go after some of this year’s big names. Big Blue has just $12.7MM worth of space, per OverTheCap.
Eagles Interested In Bringing Back Mark Sanchez
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.
Tender Updates: Saturday
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.
Eagles Notes: Cornerbacks, Maclin, Graham
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.
NFC East Notes: Washington, Giants, Spiller
Appearing today on the NFL Network, Brian Orakpo left the door open for a return to Washington, but didn’t sound overly optimistic about the possibility, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post details.
“There’s obviously a chance. Obviously the window is still there. The sides are still talking, but it’s very minimal right now,” Orakpo said. “It’s always the numbers. Numbers have to make sense for both sides. And I understand, me coming off of injury, they have to look out for themselves, and I have to look out for myself. So, if we can come up with something that works out for both sides, who knows?”
Jones hears from sources that Orakpo’s return to Washington is unlikely, and Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (Twitter link) reports the same thing, even more definitively. It looks like Orakpo will be on the lookout for a new NFL home very soon, and the veteran linebacker said today during that NFL Network appearance that he’d have some interest in playing for a team in his home state of Texas.
Here’s more from around the NFC East:
- With no progress on a long-term deal for restricted-free-agent-to-be Kai Forbath, Washington will likely just offer the kicker a one-year tender, a source tells Jones (Twitter link).
- If the Ravens and Justin Forsett don’t work out a deal within the next few days, the veteran running back will have an interesting market, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Washington is ready to make a play for Forsett, and the Saints will likely be among his suitors as well.
- In addition to having interest in Devin McCourty, as he previously reported, the Giants also figure to explore the possibility of signing safety Rahim Moore, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. All three of New York’s top safeties from 2014 are eligible for free agency, so there figures to be some turnover at the position next week.
- Sources close to Chip Kelly tell Russini (Twitter link) that the Eagles head coach wasn’t willing to rework LeSean McCoy‘s contract, especially considering the running back was looking for a raise. I’d be surprised if McCoy thought the Eagles – or the Bills – would increase his $9.75MM base salary for 2015, but perhaps he wanted to renegotiate his deal to include more guarantees beyond ’15.
- As for the running back McCoy is replacing in Buffalo, C.J. Spiller appears to be campaigning to sign with the Eagles, writes Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com.
Eagles To Target Byron Maxwell, McCourty
By making a series of moves in recent days, the Eagles have cleared quite a bit of cap room — with more than $40MM available (the seventh-highest figure in the NFL), Philadelphia is clearly set up to spend when free agency opens next week. The club’s secondary, in particular, could be in need of a talent infusion, and sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that defensive backs Byron Maxwell and Devin McCourty will be the team’s “top targets” come free agency.
Philadelphia’s defensive backfield is an obvious area of concern, as the club ranked second-to-last in passing yards allowed in 2014, besting only the Falcons. Additionally, the club has already released cornerback Cary Williams — while not an outstanding player by any means, Williams was a steady presence on the Eagles’ defense, playing on 1,198 snaps, second-most among Philly defenders.
The 27-year-old Maxwell is considered the top corner available on the free agent market, and will be in line for contract that averages more than $10MM per year. A report last month indicated that Philadelphia would be the frontrunners to sign Maxwell, who has only been a full-time starter for one season with the Seahawks. However, the Jets are also expected to target Maxwell, and New York has more both more cap space and arguably a greater need at CB, meaning the Eagles could be forced to overpay.
Like Maxwell, McCourty is the premier player available at his position, and there’s perhaps even less free agent talent available at safety than at corner. Somewhat surprisingly, the Patriots opted to place the franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski instead of McCourty, so while it isn’t a fait accompli that McCourty won’t return to New England, the odds are certainly lower than they were just a week ago. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com wrote yesterday that the Giants will be interested in adding McCourty, and the 27-year-old should enjoy a robust market starting next week.
The Eagles have been perhaps the most active team in preparing for the opening of free agency, as they’ve traded LeSean McCoy, released Williams and Trent Cole, and signed linebacker Brad Jones. Additionally, Maxwell and McCourty aren’t expected to be their only targets among defenders, as they also reportedly have their eyes on free agent outside linebacker Jason Worilds.
RFA Decisions: Thursday
Unrestricted free agency will get most of the publicity, but UFAs aren’t the only players impacted by the beginning of the new league year on March 10. By 3pm CT on that date, clubs must decide whether to tender offers to restricted free agents — players who have exactly three years of service time. We’ll round up those decisions here, with the latest updates being added to the top…
- The Colts made several moves today, announcing they’ve tendered restricted free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman, as well as three exclusive rights free agents: running back Dan Herron, and linebackers Daniel Adongo and Cam Johnson. Freeman and Herron are the biggest names here — despite missing four games, Freeman finished with the fifth-most snaps on Indy’s defense, while Herron took over as the club’s starting running back by the end of the season.
- On the other hand, the Colts won’t tender an offer to RFA center A.Q. Shipley, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. Shipley was the club’s Week 1 starter at center, and received positive marks from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so he should find some interest on the open market.
- Following their trade of LeSean McCoy, the Eagles don’t have much depth at running back, and while they plan to offer an RFA tender to RB Chris Polk, it will only be at the “right of first refusal” level, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Therefore, Philadelphia will only commit about $1.5MM to Polk, and won’t receive any compensation if another club signs him away.
- The Bills have decided to bring back three ERFAs, tendering offers to receivers Justin Brown and Chris Hogan, as well as defensive tackle Corbin Bryant, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Hogan, who saw the most snaps of the three, was a prominent feature of the Dolphins’ Hard Knocks season on HBO in 2012. Additionally, Buffalo did not tender an offer to ERFA kicker Jordan Gay, per Rodak (Twitter link).
- The Giants have tendered exclusive rights free agent corner Chandler Fenner, tweets Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. Fenner, 24, saw action in 11 games for New York last season.
East Notes: Wallace, Williams, Alonso
Mike Wallace’s father sees the wide receiver remaining with the Dolphins, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes. “Right now, he’s been talking to them,” Burnell Wallace said. “He thinks he’s going to stay there. He doesn’t have a problem staying. [But] they really don’t know. I really can’t give you a definitive answer.” The Dolphins must pay Wallace a $3MM bonus if he is on the roster on March 14th. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Starting linebacker Jacquian Williams will become a free agent and he’s unlikely to return to the Giants, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger writes. The 26-year-old started all nine games at weakside linebacker last season, before a concussion ended his season early. He graded out positively in six of the first seven games, but finished with an overall grade of -4.0 in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus.
- Trading linebacker Kiko Alonso was one of the first things Rex Ryan wanted to do when he was hired by the Bills, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport speculates that Alonso wasn’t a good scheme fit for Ryan.
- Running back has suddenly vaulted up the Eagles‘ list of needs and Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com looked at three possibilities they could pursue in the draft and free agency. In the draft, he identifies Todd Gurley (Georgia), T.J. Yeldon (Alabama), and Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) as possible targets. In free agency, he lists Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller, and Justin Forsett.
- With the Eagles in the market for a running back and Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com also examine Forsett as a potential free agent target. Mosher makes the case that as a patient, methodical runner who reads blocks well, Forsett is an ideal fit for Chip Kelly‘s offense.
- John Kryk of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Bills agreed to trade for Matt Cassel for him to be their starter at quarterback or if they got him merely to push E.J. Manuel. Cassel, who turns 33 in May, started just three games for the Vikings in 2014 before a broken foot landing him on the injured reserve list, ending his season.
- John Keim of ESPN.com ran down Washington‘s potential needs on the defensive line and the players that they could look into this offseason. Of course, the list starts with Ndamukong Suh but the question is, how hard will they chase him? Washington has $25MM in cap space, but other teams have even more.
- The Jets need help at guard and Brian Costello of the New York Post identifies Mike Iupati, Orlando Franklin, James Carpenter, and Clint Boling as free agent possibilities.