NFC Notes: Ryans, Mariota, Rolle
Cardinals GM Steve Keim is determined not to let emotions dictate his free agent decisions, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. “The problem is you can’t get too emotionally attached to players,” Keim said. “When the time comes to make another decision, you make a poor business decision and try to overpay for players that might not deserve it.” Here’s more from the NFC..
- DeMeco Ryans is coming off of Achilles surgery, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) expects him to stay on with the Eagles. However, Rapoport could see the two sides re-working Ryans’ $7MM salary before the start of the season.
- There’s a limit to how many picks the Eagles (or any team) can trade, but the rules change once the 2015 draft opens, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. According the the league office, trades conducted before the draft begins can include draft picks in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Once the draft starts, trades can include picks from 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018. If the Eagles want to make a deal for Marcus Mariota, they’ll have much more flexibility once the Bucs are officially on the clock at No. 1.
- Pending free agents safety Antrel Rolle took to Twitter to let everyone know that he hasn’t had discussions with any teams yet, including the Giants.
- D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looked at players that the Falcons might be interested in adding in free agency, including Chiefs free safety Ron Parker, Titans defensive end Derrick Morgan, and outside linebacker Jason Worilds.
- Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News looked at what the Cowboys defense has to seek out this offseason.
- Cutting Pierre Thomas only makes sense if the Saints really plan to spend on a running back, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes.
Eagles Release Trent Cole
WEDNESDAY, 3:08pm: The Eagles made the move official today, announcing (via Twitter) that Cole has been cut.
TUESDAY, 4:26pm: Despite initially engaging in discussions to keep him around on a reworked contract, the Eagles are expected to part ways with Trent Cole, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). Although the move isn’t official yet, two league sources tell Mosher that the club will eventually release the veteran edge defender. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that it’s expected to become official within the next 24 hours.
Cole, 32, has been a fixture on the Eagles’ defense since being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2005 draft. During his 10 years in Philadelphia, Cole has played 155 games (145 starts), racking up 85.5 sacks, 569 tackles, and 19 forced fumbles. After posting six consecutive seasons with eight or more sacks from 2006 to 2011, Cole’s production has fallen off in recent years — he has just 17.5 sacks since 2012.
Cole’s cap number had been set to jump from $6.6MM in 2014 to $11.625MM for the coming year, meaning the Eagles needed to address it. With only $3.2MM in prorated bonus money left on the deal, Philadelphia can create $8.425MM in cap savings by parting ways with the veteran.
While the additional cap room created by cutting Cole could be put toward retaining another edge defender, Brandon Graham, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Graham is 99.9% likely to test the open market. Mosher had reported earlier this afternoon (via Twitter) that talks between the Eagles and both Cole and Graham weren’t progressing very well.
NFC East Notes: Beason, Branch, Eagles
Not long after we included a few NFC East items in our morning look at both East divisions, there are a few more updates to round up. Here’s the latest out of the NFC East:
- Linebacker Jon Beason confirmed today to SiriusXM NFL Radio that he has been working with the Giants on restructuring his contract, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Beason, whose 2014 season was mostly wiped out due to foot problems, would count for $7.4MM against the cap in 2015 if the two sides don’t reach an agreement. Working as his own agent in the negotiations, Beason recognizes he’ll likely have to accept a pay cut and is optimistic about his return, per Raanan.
- After meeting with the Colts today, free agent safety Tyvon Branch will visit Washington tomorrow, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
- The Eagles have yet to approach linebacker Mychal Kendricks about a potential contract extension, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). As a 2012 draftee, Kendrick is now eligible for a new contract, with his rookie deal set to expire after the 2015 season, but it’s not clear if Philadelphia plans to broach the subject this offseason, particularly after the looming addition of Kiko Alonso.
- While the cuts of Todd Herremans, Trent Cole, and Cary Williams, as well as the trade of LeSean McCoy, will create a ton of cap space, players around the league are somewhat leery of Chip Kelly and the Eagles after seeing him part ways with several solid veterans, along with DeSean Jackson last year, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole notes that any free agents considering signing with Philadelphia may be unsure about whether Kelly will be willing to hang onto productive players over the long run.
- Within the same video, Cole also wonders if the Eagles‘ moves to create cap space are motivated in part by a desire to fill a number of holes in free agency, making their draft picks more expendable if they decide to try to move up for Marcus Mariota.
- Earlier this afternoon, we learned that the Eagles are expected to go after outside linebacker Jason Worilds once the free agent period begins.
Eagles Expected To Pursue Jason Worilds
The Eagles are on the verge of formally parting ways with longtime edge defender Trent Cole, and don’t appear close to working anything out with free-agent-to-be Brandon Graham, meaning outside linebacker will be a priority for the club this offseason. One potential target for Philadelphia is currently under contract with the league’s other Pennsylvania club — Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles are expected to pursue Jason Worilds as soon as free agency gets underway.
Worilds, who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday, played the 2014 season on a one-year transition tag from the Steelers, earning $9.754MM. The former second-round pick had a 2014 season that was very similar to his 2013 campaign, putting up essentially the same tackle and sack totals in ’14 (62 and 7.5) that he did a year earlier (63, 8.0).
Still, the Steelers elected not to tag Worilds again, so he’s expected to reach the open market in a matter of days. A multiyear contract for the Virginia Tech product may come in at around $7.5MM annually, according to a recent report by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Given all the cap room cleared recently by the Eagles, that’s certainly a price the team could afford, though the team has a few holes to fill, so we’ll have to see how aggressive they’re willing to be.
For now, while Connor Barwin is penciled in one starter at outside linebacker for the Eagles, there’s no clear favorite for the second spot. 2014 first-rounder Marcus Smith is one candidate, but he didn’t see much action during his rookie season, and lined up primarily at inside linebacker when he did play.
For their part, the Steelers have expressed interest in bringing back Worilds, though if he finds a big offer on the open market, it’s not clear if Pittsburgh would be eager to match it.
FA Rumors: Cobb, Hartline, Branch, C. Williams
With 2015’s free agent period less than a week away, plenty of rumors are swirling around players who are set to become available on Tuesday, as well as players who have reached the open market early. Here’s the latest:
- According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers have told agent Jimmy Sexton that they’d be interested in signing wide receiver Randall Cobb for a five-year deal worth between $8MM and $9MM per year. Seemingly confident that his client will receive more lucrative offers on the open market, Sexton hasn’t accepted Green Bay’s proposal. “Sexton does a good job for his players,” one NFL team executive tells McGinn. “He measures the market well and knows how to create a market for his clients as well.”
- After visiting the Browns yesterday, wide receiver Brian Hartline headed to Chicago and is meeting with the Bears today, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Hartline’s visit in Cleveland “went really well,” per Florio, who says the ex-Dolphin hopes to decide on his new team within the next 24 hours. While other teams have shown interest in Hartline, it seems likely that the Browns and Bears would be the frontrunners if he anticipates a quick decision.
- Safety Tyvon Branch, whose release was made official by the Raiders this week, will visit the Colts, a source tells Conor Orr of NFL.com (Twitter link). Orr’s report suggests that Branch’s meeting with Indianapolis will be the first of several visits for the free agent defensive back.
- There has been heavy interest thus far in ex-Eagles cornerback Cary Williams, with a dozen teams contacting his agent since he was cut by Philadelphia, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams, who is believed to have interest in a reunion with the Ravens, has also drawn interest from the Titans, who “kicked the tires” on the free agent corner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Jacoby Jones‘ next visit will be to San Diego to meet with the Chargers, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The veteran receiver and return man previously made trips to talk to the Bengals and the Titans.
- Lyons Yellin of WWL-TV in New Orleans tweets that he has heard rumblings about the Eagles being interested in Mark Ingram. With the club poised to send starting running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo, its reported interest in Ingram certainly makes a little more sense.
East Notes: Dolphins, Suh, Dez, Maclin, McCoy
The Giants are right to consider making a run at Ndamukong Suh, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News writes. The Giants aren’t well-positioned to outbid anyone, but if they were able to pull it off, the team could have a pass rush to rival what they had in 2007 with Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s two East divisions, including one more item on Suh:
- We heard the Dolphins mentioned as a possible suitor for Suh earlier this week, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lays out the reasons why Miami actually may emerge as the favorites to land the star defensive tackle, with teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Buccaneers being floated for potential leverage rather than as legit bidders.
- Last week, former Dallas County DA Craig Watkins indicated that he had “no knowledge” of any 2011 Wal-Mart incident involving Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, but a report of the incident did, in fact, make its way to his office about a year after the fact, as Florio explains at PFT.
- It looked for a little while as if the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin were getting close to a new deal, but the two sides are farther apart now, and the wideout is starting to get “nibbles,” tweets Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports backs up this assessment, tweeting that there’s “work to be done” on the Maclin front for the Eagles.
- While running back LeSean McCoy initially wasn’t thrilled about the trade that will send him to the Bills, a source tells McLane (Twitter link) that the veteran back is “ready to move on.” We rounded up several more updates on the reported swap between the Eagles and Bills earlier this morning.
- Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the Patriots‘ offseason, suggesting that it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team lets both of its free agent running backs – Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley – sign elsewhere.
- Veteran safety Jordan Pugh, who last appeared in a regular season game for Washington in 2013, recently worked out for the Jets, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eagles Sign Brad Jones
WEDNESDAY, 9:16am: Jones’ two-year deal with the Eagles is worth $2.85MM, with $500K guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
MONDAY, 2:46pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit today, the Eagles have signed linebacker Brad Jones to a two-year contract, the team announced (via Twitter). Jones, who was cut by the Packers in February, also met with the Titans before landing in Philadelphia.
Jones, who turns 29 next month, had been a Packer since the club drafted him in the seventh round in 2009. Although he was a starter for Green Bay in 2012 and 2013, his role was significantly reduced in 2014, as he played just 218 defensive snaps. After averaging 80+ tackles per season the previous two years, Jones recorded just 23 last year, to go along with a forced fumble.
Financial terms of Jones’ new deal with the Eagles aren’t yet known.
McCoy/Alonso Notes: Wednesday
The Bills and Eagles shocked the NFL world on Tuesday evening, reportedly agreeing to a trade that will send LeSean McCoy to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso. Trades can’t officially be finalized until the new league year begins next Tuesday, but by all accounts, this deal will happen at that point. We rounded up a few initial reactions to the move last night, but there are several more updates to today to pass along. Here’s the latest:
- After the swap is formally completed, the Bills are expected to rework McCoy’s contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). While that may reduce the running back’s cap number for 2015, don’t expect him to take a pay cut — Rapoport suggests that the goal will be to ensure that McCoy gets some guaranteed money beyond 2015.
- The Eagles called at least one other team to gauge interest in McCoy before reaching an agreement with the Bills, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians confirmed today that he knew Shady was available, but said he “wasn’t a fit” in Arizona (Twitter link via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com).
- Alonso did not ask for a trade, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
- A source familiar with C.J. Spiller‘s situation tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that the news was “certainly surprising.” The source added that Spiller is still “processing the personal part,” but suggested it may be a blessing in disguise for the running back to get a fresh start elsewhere.
- More on the pending deal: Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com breaks down the trade’s winners and losers, Peter King of TheMMQB.com shares his thoughts on the swap, and Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com writes that the move is the latest indication that the Eagles are completely Chip Kelly‘s team.
Reactions To LeSean McCoy Trade
Eagles coach Chip Kelly liked Kiko Alonso in the 2013 draft and had a chance to take him in the second round, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Kelly had a tough call on his hands but ultimately selected tight end Zach Ertz instead. It took a while, but Kelly got his man on Tuesday night when he shipped LeSean McCoy to the Bills for the linebacker. Here’s a look at the latest on the blockbuster deal…
- LaDainian Tomlinson said on NFL Network that McCoy told him a few weeks ago that he didn’t think he’d be back with the Eagles, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
- The deal came together in a matter of minutes from start to finish, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
- The Bills pulled the trigger on the deal in part because they knew C.J. Spiller wasn’t coming back to them, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Bills called Spiller soon after news of the McCoy deal got out to thank him for his time in Buffalo.
- David Moore of The Dallas Morning News wonders if the Eagles dealing McCoy reflects current thought around the league on running backs and, in turn, if it’s a bad sign for pending free agent DeMarco Murray.
- A source close to McCoy told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the running back’s camp was surprised to learn that he had been traded. “Honestly we were under the impression the whole time, that eventually at some point, Chip was going to ask LeSean to restructure his contract–not a pay cut, but convert some of his signing bonus,” the source said.
- When asked if McCoy might make things difficult for the Bills, that person told Anderson (link): “It’ll be interesting to see how this process plays itself out because he’s an interesting individual. In your mind, when you think of Buffalo you think of cold and losing games. It’s not like it’s the Philadelphia market where you’re always on TV and you’re playing for the division title…It was unexpected. I’ll tell you that much.” The source added that McCoy, who has played the majority of his football at every level in the state Pennsylvania, is not happy to be going to Buffalo (link).
- The Bills’ acquisition of McCoy will create ripples throughout the AFC East, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Free agent linebacker David Harris immediately comes out as a winner because the Bills will presumably target him to replace Alonso. Meanwhile, with the prospect of facing McCoy twice per season, the Jets need Harris more than ever which will only help his leverage.
- McCoy chafed at some of Kelly’s new-age ways, including practicing on Saturdays before games, Jim Corbett of USA Today writes. Now, Corbett wonders if Kelly’s next bold move will be making a play for Marcus Mariota.
Byron Maxwell Changing Agents
12:38pm: Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Maxwell is expected to hire Alvin Keels and/or Premier Sports & Entertainment for representation, noting that the firm has already started working on the cornerback’s behalf. McLane has tweeted that he “jumped the gun” on the Maxwell report, so it appears Dogra may not be in the picture after all. Either way, Maxwell’s new agent can’t officially be hired quite yet.
11:50am: With his unrestricted free agency just a week away, cornerback Byron Maxwell has made the unusual move of informing his agent, Jason Chayut, that he’ll be parting ways with him and seeking new representation, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Per NFLPA bylaws, players must wait five days before hiring a new agent, so Maxwell won’t be able to officially appoint a new rep until this weekend.
When he is able to formally hire a new agent, Maxwell is expected to opt for Ben Dogra, formerly of CAA, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Dogra, who also represents Adrian Peterson and many other NFL players, joined Relativity Sports several weeks ago, as the agency’s co-CEO.
While it’s not unusual for a player to change agents as his free agency nears, making a move at the very last minute is a curious choice. Chayut and Maxwell’s former reps have spent the last year, including last month’s combine, gauging the value of their client, and would presumably have a leg up over a new agent. Considering Maxwell is projected to be the top cornerback in what may be a seller’s market, he’ll do very well regardless of who represents him, but a few million dollars could be at stake, depending on how negotiations play out.
Additionally, agents are allowed to begin talking to rival teams on behalf of their clients starting on Saturday, so depending on when Maxwell officially appoints Dogra as his new rep, he may not be able to immediately explore his market when that negotiating period opens.
The Eagles are regarded as a potential frontrunner for Maxwell, who isn’t expected to return to the Seahawks.