Eagles Release Cary Williams
The Eagles have parted ways with a player who has started every game for the team during the last two seasons, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve terminated the contract of cornerback Cary Williams. As a vested veteran, Williams won’t have to pass through waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Williams, 30, inked a three-year, $17MM contract with the Eagles prior to the 2013 season, so he had one year remaining on that deal. He has been set to count against the team’s cap for $8.167MM in 2015, so by cutting him, the Eagles will create $6.5MM in cap savings — that was the amount of Williams’ base salary for the coming year. The move leaves the team with $1.667MM in dead money on the books.
While Williams’ performance in the Eagles’ secondary wasn’t great, he was far from a disaster, and he was certainly a workhorse for the club. In each of his two seasons in Philadelphia, Williams led all cornerbacks in defensive snaps, averaging over 1,180 plays per year. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the veteran corner said today on Philadelphia radio that he wasn’t asked to take a pay cut, with the team simply deciding to move in another direction.
By cutting ties with Williams, the Eagles are moving toward overhauling their secondary, and particularly the cornerback position. Bradley Fletcher is also not expected to return, meaning the club will be looking for two new starters this offseason. The Eagles are viewed as a potential frontrunner for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, who will hit the open market next week.
As for Williams, he’ll have a modest head start on the slew of free agents who will be free to negotiate with new teams in a few days. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the ex-Raven has “strong interest” in returning to Baltimore, and that would seem to be a nice fit, given the problems the Ravens had in the secondary last season.
East Notes: Pats, Dolphins, Suh
Bill Belichick knocked pretty much every single free agent decision out of the park last year en route to a championship, and Ben Volin of The Boston Globe is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the Patriots perplexing decision to franchise kicker Stephen Gostkowski over safety Devin McCourty. After all, at $9.6MM, that’s a steep price to pay for McCourty and the Rutgers product himself would have been thrilled to get it, even as he seeks a new long-term deal. The Patriots are playing hardball with McCourty and Darrelle Revis now, but there’s still an entire week to hammer out these deals. More from the AFC and NFC East..
- Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (via Twitter) sees the Dolphins as a wildcard candidate to land coveted defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Earlier today, we learned that Washington has interest in Suh after the Lions opted not to use the franchise tag on him.
- Giants star Jason Pierre-Paul will command a huge contract once he has the franchise tag removed, Adam Schefter tells ESPN New York’s Michael Kay (audio link).
- Veteran linebacker Brad Jones was won over by the Eagles‘ culture, prompting him to sign with them, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes. “From the first day you get here … you kind of realize it’s a different kind of thing they got out here,” the former Packer said via conference call. “It’s unique. I wanted to be a part of that.”
- The Eagles overlooked adding an inside linebacker last offseason and they made sure not to repeat the same mistake this time around when they made Jones their first addition, Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
FA Rumors: Pats, Dockett, Langford, Freeney
Let’s check in on a few Monday rumors on current free agents, as well as free-agents-to-be….
- With this afternoon’s franchise and transition tag deadline looming, the Patriots are more likely to use their tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski than safety Devin McCourty, sources tell Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston. Reiss cautions that the situation is “fluid” and that things could change by 3:00pm central time. However, if the Pats do decide to trade Gostkowski, it would mean McCourty could potentially hit the open market next week, as far and away the best safety available. It would be surprising if the Pats let McCourty get away, but that would at least seem to bode well for the return of Darrelle Revis.
- According to agent Drew Rosenhaus, free agent defensive lineman Darnell Dockett is generating “a lot of interest” on the free agent market, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Rosenhaus is expecting Dockett to have a new home by the end of the week. As for the Cardinals, who released Dockett last week, they’re still hoping to bring the veteran defender back — Somers reports that they’ve offered a one-year deal worth up to $4MM through incentives, with a base value of $2.5MM.
- Former Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford, cut by St. Louis last week, is visiting the Lions today, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter). It’s an interesting tidbit of news, as Detroit attempts to lock up its own free agent defensive tackles, such as Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. For now, we should probably assume that Langford is just a Plan B, or a potential depth piece, but we heard earlier today that the team won’t franchise Suh, so there’s no guarantee he returns to Detroit.
- After mulling the possibility of retiring, veteran Chargers pass rusher Dwight Freeney has decided to continue his playing career and return for a 14th season, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Freeney doesn’t have a contract for 2015, so he’ll have to find a taker, but I imagine he’ll still draw plenty of interest — despite recording only 3.5 sacks in 2014, the 35-year-old recorded 53 overall quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required).
- Linebacker Brad Jones, who was released by the Packers last month, recently visited the Titans and has a visit lined up today with the Eagles, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Of the two veteran linebackers cut this offseason by Green Bay, A.J. Hawk received most of the headlines, but Jones is another player who could still contribute elsewhere.
Eagles Notes: McCoy, Cole, Maclin
Despite rumors to the contrary, the Eagles haven’t approached running back LeSean McCoy about restructuring his contract, two sources close to the situation tell Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Agent Drew Rosenhaus has since confirmed McLane’s report, as Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Not taking into account Adrian Peterson‘s $15.4MM cap number, which figures to be addressed at some point, McCoy’s $11.95MM figure for 2015 makes him the only running back with an eight-digit cap hit, which makes the deal a candidate to be restructured. So far though, it doesn’t seem as if there’s any urgency on the team’s part.
Here’s more on McCoy and the Eagles:
- As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, McCoy’s contract doesn’t include any bonuses or guarantees in March, so there’s no real rush for the Eagles to do anything with it. Practically speaking, if the Eagles want to adjust the running back’s deal, they’ll probably do so before the offseason program begins, but they don’t necessarily have to until closer to the regular season.
- While there have been no contract talks yet with McCoy, the Eagles have engaged in discussions with veteran edge defender Trent Cole to bring him back for the 2015 season, a source tells Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media. Cole’s $11.625MM cap number is Philadelphia’s second-largest for 2015, behind McCoy’s, making him a candidate to be released if the two sides can’t reach an agreement to reduce that figure.
- Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com lays out the possible outcomes for Jeremy Maclin‘s contract situation with the Eagles, examining the possibility of a long-term contract, a franchise or transition tag, or the wideout hitting the open market. Philadelphia has until 3:00pm central time today to tag Maclin, if the team decides to go that route.
NFC Links: Lynch, Eagles, Packers
Marshawn Lynch offered fans a rare glimpse into his thought process, and it contradicts his post-Super Bowl assessment.
The Seahawks running back decided to use a Turkish television station, although CSNNE’s Phil Perry breaks down the interview, to express his stance on not receiving a goal-line carry to potentially lift Seattle to a second straight championship.
“To be honest with you, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was expecting the ball,” Lynch told the Turkish station. “Yes, I was expecting the ball. But in life, these things happen. Like I told a reporter after the game, it’s a team sport.”
This surprising insight comes exactly a month after Lynch told ESPN’s Jim Trotter he wasn’t dismayed by not getting a carry on a play that instead resulted in Malcolm Butler‘s game-sealing interception. Currently in Turkey, Lynch also gave weight to the notion, albeit in a roundabout manner, that Pete Carroll didn’t want him to win the MVP award.
“I mean, you know . . . I think it was more of a . . . how do I say this? When you look at me, and you let me run that ball in . . . I am the face of the nation. You know, MVP of the Super Bowl . . . that’s pretty much the face of the nation at that point of time,” Lynch said.
Lynch remains under contract with the Seahawks for one more season, although the mercurial runner has yet to accepted a reported extension offer, which clouds his future.
In other news …
- Armed with $27.6MM of cap space, the Eagles could upgrade their secondary with Broncos safety Rahim Moore and Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson as CSNPhilly.com’s Reuben Frank and Geoff Bosher express. They’re a bit more bullish on Jackson, however. Moore could be the top safety on the market if Devin McCourty exits the market early via franchise tag or long-term extension.
- Recently released by the Eagles, Todd Herremans does not intend to retire, a source told Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The former fourth-round pick from Division II Saginaw Valley State started at guard for the Eagles since 2006.
- The Packers have one of the more intriguing scenarios this offseason with $32MM+ worth of cap room and Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga as perhaps the best free agents available at their position, but OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald expects both to stay. Retainer deals for both the fifth-year wideout and sixth-year right tackle will eat into at least half of that space, optimistically speaking, but Fitzgerald doesn’t think Green Bay should pay 35-year-old Julius Peppers $9.5MM next year despite his resurgence last season.
East Notes: Cowboys, Maclin, Forbath
Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray have understandably dominated the discussion surrounding the Cowboys‘ offseason, but there are still other decisions for Dallas to make once the Bryant and Murray situations are resolved. For instance, Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News recently predicted that the team would opt not to exercise Morris Claiborne‘s fifth-year option, which is surprising in that it directly contradicts what owner Jerry Jones said last month. And, on the topic of underperforming defensive backs, Machota thinks the Cowboys will retain Brandon Carr but that Carr will probably end up taking a pay cut, which reaffirms what our Ben Levine wrote last night.
Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at how the Cowboys will address their backup quarterback situation in 2015. Although Brandon Weeden is still under contract, Jones did not give Weeden a ringing endorsement at the NFL combine a few weeks ago, and the team is high on third-stringer Dustin Vaughan. George does not believe Dallas will ultimately sign a free agent to replace Weeden, but he does note that the Cowboys would not hesitate to do so if the right deal came along.
- The Cowboys’ decision to put the franchise tag on Bryant is good news for the Eagles, as it prevents Bryant from setting a market price for wide receivers like Jeremy Maclin that Philadelphia would be unable to meet. But Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets that, if the Eagles cannot agree to a long-term deal with Maclin by tomorrow afternoon, then Maclin will also get the franchise tag.
- Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com passes along Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman‘s thoughts on trading up in the draft. Roseman is generally against such a move, which is interesting given the rumors surrounding the team’s alleged desire to move up to select Marcus Mariota. But Roseman, of course, will not have a say in the Eagles’ ultimate decision to trade up or stay put as a result of his redefined role in the team’s front office.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines whether Washington should part ways with kicker Kai Forbath, a restricted fee agent. Washington has not been particularly eager to extend an offer to Forbath, who would be the most accurate kicker in team history if he had enough attempts to qualify, and Tandler says the reason for that is Forbath’s leg strength. Forbath was near the bottom of the league in net kickoff average, and the team may choose to trade a little accuracy in field goal attempts below 50 yards for improved field position and the chance to make a long-range field goal every once in a while.
- After the Bills missed out on Josh McCown, Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News took a look at other signal-callers that the team could pursue. The free agent class is, of course, underwhelming, with the possible exception of Brian Hoyer, though Nick Foles or even Jay Cutler could be intriguing trade targets.
- Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com looks at the free agent case of right guard Willie Colon. Colon could make sense for another team looking for a one-year stopgap, but the Jets are likely to seek an upgrade in free agency.
NFC East Notes: Murray, Manning, Eagles
The Cowboys entered the offseason knowing that two of their best players, wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back DeMarco Murray, were unsigned and scheduled to become free agents March 10. Dallas will solve one of those problems, at least temporarily, when it officially places the franchise tag on Bryant on Monday. Doing so will enable the Cowboys to keep Bryant for the 2015 season at approximately $12.8MM. That figure will take a significant portion from the team’s cap space, which will affect Murray, writes the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore. The 27-year-old Murray led all NFL rushers in yards (1,845) and tied for first in touchdowns (13) last season, and he’ll soon test the open market as one of the top skill players available.
“I think DeMarco wants to be in Dallas. We want him here,” said Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, according to Moore.
Regardless of what Dallas wants, it’s tough to envision the club matching any potential mega-offers Murray might receive. Nevertheless, if an enticing offer for Murray to sign elsewhere comes, Jones hopes the four-year veteran gives the Cowboys an opportunity to keep him.
“There’s an expectation that he will get back to us before he signs with another club,” Jones said. “But that would be unfair to him and for other clubs to say he’s going to bring something back.”
While Murray’s time in the NFC East could be on the verge of ending, here’s more from his current division:
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com answered fans’ questions in a Twitter mailbag. One of the subjects Graziano touched on was the future of Eli Manning, who is due to count a team-high $19.75MM against the cap in 2015 – the last year of his contract. Per Graziano, if the Giants sign Manning to an extension this offseason, it could save them as much as $11MM on the cap. However, given their sufficient spending space (roughly $25MM) and “no big-money necessities outside of Jason Pierre-Paul,” it might not be necessary. The Giants are “comfortable” with Manning taking up a large chunk of their cap, according to Graziano, and could wait to sign or tag the two-time Super Bowl winner until next year.
- In a series of pieces highlighting potential free agent targets for the Eagles, Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com examined whether the team should have interest in two safeties – Da’Norris Searcy (Bills) and Tyvon Branch (whom the Raiders recently cut) – and Browns linebacker Jabaal Sheard. Frank and Mosher had differing opinions on Searcy, while they both endorsed signing Branch to a short-term deal and expressed no interest in Sheard.
- Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com took a look at possible free agent outside linebacker options for Washington. El-Bashir doesn’t think new general manager Scot McCloughan will pay big money for a free agent OLB, but he could see the team re-signing Brian Orakpo to a “prove-it deal.”
Maclin: “I Want To Be Here In Philadelphia”
The Eagles’ Jeremy Maclin was one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL last season, setting new career highs in receptions (85) and yardage (1,318) and tying a previous best with 10 touchdowns. Fresh off that sterling campaign and his first Pro Bowl invitation, the six-year veteran is scheduled to become a free agent March 10. However, if the 26-year-old has his way, he’ll remain an Eagle.
“I’ve always said I want to be here in Philadelphia, but also I’ve always said it’s a business,” Maclin said Saturday, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. “But both sides have made it known that we want each other back, so the rest is in God’s hands. If it’s supposed to happen, it’s supposed to happen. I want to be here.”
If no deal is reached this weekend, Philadelphia has until Monday to place the franchise tag on Maclin. Bowen views that as “unlikely,” though, given the fact the two sides haven’t discussed it as a possibility. What’s more, per Bowen, the tag for receivers in 2015 has an estimated worth of $12.8MM and the Eagles might not view using so much cap room on one player as a palatable option. According to OverTheCap.com, the Eagles have $27.61MM of spending space.
Regarding the possibility of being a recipient of the franchise tag, Maclin told Bowen, “It’s part of the business. I’m very attuned to what’s going on, I’m very attuned to how everything works.”
If the Eagles do tag Maclin, he’ll play his second straight season on a one-year deal. Last February, he signed a short-term pact worth $6MM with Philly after missing all of 2013 with a torn ACL.
Although the clock is ticking toward free agency, Maclin isn’t worried about the pace at which the contract negotiations between his agent, Tom Condon, and the Eagles are going.
“What’s the rush? We’re going to do this thing, we’re going to do it right,” Maclin said. “That’s how you want it to happen, that’s how you want it to be. We want both sides to be happy.”
If both sides don’t end up happy and Maclin hits the market, he’s sure to have plenty of suitors. Maclin has kept an eye on which clubs are weak at his position. “I know on paper what teams look like they need receivers,” he stated.
Unless the Eagles and Maclin find common ground soon, those other teams will come knocking when open negotiations begin March 7.
FA Notes: Weatherspoon, Thomas, Houston, Forsett
As we heard yesterday, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is hoping the organization can keep linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, citing the player’s athleticism and attitude.
“With him, it’s that toughness and the speed that he can play with so, yes, definitely someone that we’re talking to,” Quinn said (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com). “I know he’s got that kind of attitude. And you know me, just from watching our style of defense, it’s fast and physical. And that’s what Sean is. So, we’re certainly hoping that he can be a big part of it moving forward.”
However, the coach acknowledged that he is worried about the veteran’s past injuries, including an Achilles tear last season.
“I think you always are,” he said. “But at the same time, what’s the rehab like? You can tell when a guy is going for it in that way, too. All that factors in.
“By the same token, he hit a string of bad luck. Can he come back and play at a level that he’s capable of? That’s what we’re excited to find out.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes pertaining to this year’s free agent class…
- As expected, the Broncos will likely slap receiver Demaryius Thomas with the franchise tag. Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that it’s a “safe bet” the team will place the tag as they try to work on a longterm deal. Meanwhile, Florio wonders if Peyton Manning‘s rumored restructuring could mean a return for tight end Julius Thomas.
- Following news that the Chiefs and Justin Houston were working on a multi-year deal, Florio says such a deal is unlikely at this point. Instead, the All-Pro linebacker seems destined for the franchise tag, and Florio notes that the 26-year-old’s leverage will rise when similar free agents start receiving lucrative deals.
- For the time being, Reuben Frank and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com believe the Eagles shouldn’t invest money in a linebacker like Brandon Spikes. However, if the team decides to move on from DeMeco Ryans, the team would be in the market for a starting linebacker, in which case Spikes could be a viable option.
- Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome made it clear that he’d like to keep running back Justin Forsett in Baltimore. “We would like to retain Justin,” Newsome said (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com). “I’ve learned something since the end of the season about Justin that I didn’t really know. He has mentored some very good, young backs, starting with Arian Foster,Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew when he was in Jacksonville. Having Justin here — and with the opportunity [of] also bringing in hopefully another young running back — to have Justin be around that guy would be an asset also. So, we will work to try to retain Justin.” If the team loses out on Forsett, Hensley suggests free agents Frank Gore, C.J. Spiller, and Mark Ingram as potential replacements.
Eagles Release Todd Herremans
FRIDAY, 12:35pm: The Eagles have formally announced in a press release that they’ve released Herremans.
“Todd has been the ultimate professional during my two years in Philadelphia with him,” head coach Chip Kelly said in a statement. “He is a tough player and I wish him all of the best as he moves forward in his NFL career. I spoke to him earlier today and one of the things I told him was that by releasing him now, he will have a full opportunity to explore all of his options around the league.”
THURSDAY, 10:25am: Yesterday, a long-tenured Packer became a free agent when Green Bay released A.J. Hawk, and today the Eagles are parting ways with a player who has been with the team even longer than Hawk had been with the Packers. According to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Philadelphia will release veteran offensive lineman Todd Herremans, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Herremans, 32, has been with the Eagles since the club selected him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. Over the course of the last decade, the 10-year veteran has appeared in 127 games for the Eagles, starting 124 of them at every spot besides center on the offensive line. In recent years, Herremans has served as Philadelphia’s right guard or right tackle, though his 2014 campaign came to an early end due to a biceps injury.
By releasing Herremans, the Eagles avoid paying his $4MM base salary for the 2015 season. Herremans’ contract still has $2.4MM in dead money remaining on it, which will apply to the 2015 cap, but since his original cap number had been $5.2MM, the Eagles will create $2.8MM in cap savings with the move.
Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Evan Mathis, and Lane Johnson appear poised to continue to anchor Philadelphia’s offensive line for the 2015 season. Matt Tobin and Andrew Gardner also remain under contract, and both players filled in at times due to injuries or suspensions during the 2014 season — along with Allen Barbre, they look like the frontrunners to compete for Herremans’ old job in the Eagles’ starting lineup this summer.