NFC Notes: Jackson, Saints, Ihedigbo, Vikings
The Eagles reportedly want at least a third round pick for DeSean Jackson via trade, but Jimmy Kempski of Philly.com believes that might actually be optimistic. This year’s draft is unusually deep, meaning that the asking price for picks will be exceptionally high. Clubs may also be concerned about how productive Jackson could be in their own offenses as opposed to Philadelphia’s system. Here’s more from around the NFC:
- Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that cornerback Keenan Lewis has restructured his contract, creating some 2014 cap space for the Saints. Holder adds in a separate article that the club created $1.4MM in 2014 cap savings with Pierre Thomas‘ new deal.
- Safety James Ihedigbo has hired a new agent and the Lions can resume their pursuit of him if they want, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Ihedigbo and Detroit appeared to be on the one-yard line in reaching an agreement but a snafu involving the safety’s agent held things up. The 30-year-old started all 16 games last season for the Ravens after recording just 15 starts in the first five years of his career.
- Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com breaks down Henry Melton‘s newly-signed contract with the Cowboys, which could be worth as little as $2.25MM and as much as $29MM.
- The Cowboys, Seahawks, Bears, and Dolphins had some level of interest in defensive tackle Tom Johnson before he agreed to sign with the Vikings, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
- Finding a replacement for Toby Gerhart to back up Adrian Peterson at running back sounds like a low priority for the Vikings, writes Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
DeSean Jackson Updates: Wednesday
The DeSean Jackson rumor mill heated up yesterday, with multiple reports suggesting the Eagles weren’t necessarily shopping their star receiver, but were willing to listen when other teams called. We’ll round up Wednesday’s items on the Jackson story right here, with any new updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Bowen now hears (Twitter link) from a Jackson spokesperson that the receiver hasn’t spoken to Kelly, contrary to what Bowen’s other source told him (noted below). According to the spokesperson, Jackson tried to get in touch with the head coach, but Kelly has been tied up with free agency (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- A source close to Jackson told Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News last night that the receiver would be ”
really hurt if [the Eagles] traded him for no apparent reason,” since he loves playing in Philadelphia.
- Bowen also confirms a report from 94WIP’s Ike Reese suggesting head coach Chip Kelly has reached out to Jackson to tell him not to worry about the trade rumors. As the Daily News scribe notes, it’s an odd situation, since the Eagles aren’t denying the story publicly despite being aware of the reports, which almost seems to confirm those reports.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at some possible Jackson trade scenarios.
Eagles Sign Darren Sproles To Extension
TUESDAY, 6:04pm: Sproles’ deal gives him $5.5MM fully guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. It’s basically a two-year deal for the tailback with no guaranteed money in year three.
FRIDAY, 2:29pm: Sproles’ new contract will pay him $10.5MM over there years, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). Sproles has a base salary of $3.4MM for 2014, with a $100K workout bonus, so the new deal seems to maintain his average of $3.5MM per season.
12:25pm: Shortly after acquiring him from the Saints, the Eagles have extended the contract of running back Darren Sproles through the 2016 season, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Sproles was set to become a free agent a year from now, so the new agreement extends his contract by two years, as the Eagles have confirmed (via Twitter).
When rumors of a Sproles trade swirled earlier this week, the running back expressed some frustration about learning of the talks through Twitter updates. Sproles suggested he’d prefer to be cut, rather than traded, in order to control his own future. Considering he has already agreed to an extension with the Eagles, it appears the former fourth-round pick is happy with the outcome of those trade discussions.
Although Sproles is technically a running back, he did most of his damage in recent years through the passing game. During his three seasons with New Orleans, the 30-year-old recorded 1,067 rushing yards on 188 carries, and 1,981 receiving yards on 232 receptions, with 21 total offensive TDs (five rushing, 16 receiving). Starting next season, he’ll become one more dangerous weapon for Eagles coach Chip Kelly to employ in an already explosive offense.
Contract Details: DRC, Hauschka, Edelman
We’ve got plenty more contract details to round up, so let’s dive right in….
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Albert Breer of the NFL Network pass along several key details on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s contract with the Giants, which seems to include $12MM in fully guaranteed money, and a little more in salary guaranteed for injury only. Here are the relevant Twitter links to read up on all the specifics.
- Wilson also shares the specifics on Steven Hauschka‘s three-year contract with the Seahawks (Twitter link), Walter Thurmond‘s one-year deal with the Giants (Twitter link), and Dane Fletcher‘s one-year deal with the Bucs (Twitter link).
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has been doing a great job all week getting finalized contract details up in his database, and he passed along several new entries today. Among them: The Raiders‘ two-year deals for LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck, the Eagles‘ extension for Darren Sproles, and the Saints‘ five-year pact with Zach Strief.
- Julian Edelman received a $5MM signing bonus from the Patriots on his new contract, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald.
- John Keim of ESPN.com has the details on Santana Moss‘ minimum salary benefit contract and Clifton Geathers‘ two-year deal with the Redskins.
- Although Michael Oher‘s four-year deal with the Titans was initially reported as including $9.5MM in guaranteed money, it’s actually a little less than that, and only $6MM is fully guaranteed, with another $3.35MM guaranteed for injury only. Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com has the details.
- Emmanuel Sanders‘ three-year, $15MM contract with the Broncos features $6MM in guaranteed money and cap hits of $6MM (2014), $4MM (2015), and $5MM (2016), tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
- Updating his earlier report on Charles Tillman‘s contract with the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that the deal includes $150K in performance incentives (based on total interceptions), so it could max out at $3.4MM instead of $3.25MM.
- Frank Zombo‘s two-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $1.6MM and includes a $100K signing bonus, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. A minimum-salary deal for Zombo with a $100K bonus would work out to $1.575MM, so either that $1.6MM figure is rounded up, or the linebacker received slightly more than the minimum.
East Notes: Jackson, Browner, Giants, Dolphins
Earlier this month, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer shot down rumors suggesting the Eagles could trade or release DeSean Jackson this offseason, but that didn’t stop the wide receiver from reading those earlier reports himself. According to Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com, Jackson is “troubled” by what has been written about him and is unsure about his standing on the team, while the Eagles have yet to contact him to offer him assurance. While it may not be a significant issue at this point, it has become “a bit of a distraction,” one of Jackson’s confidantes tells McManus.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- Brandon Browner‘s three-year deal with the Patriots has a base value of $12.35MM, but can be worth up to $16.8MM. Field Yates and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com break down exactly what the cornerback’s contract looks like, and how he can reach those incentives.
- The Giants had, and may still have, some interest in free agent defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Ayers is visiting the Bengals tomorrow.
- The Dolphins haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie, who is willing to move over to right tackle for his next team, as he said on WQAM (link via Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). The veteran lineman also suggested he may wait until after May’s draft to sign.
- Cortland Finnegan‘s two-year contract with the Dolphins includes a $2MM signing bonus, a $3.5MM guaranteed base salary in 2014, and a $5.45MM non-guaranteed base in 2015, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Nate Allen, Eagles Agree To One-Year Deal
9:44am: Updating his earlier report, Schefter tweets that Allen’s new deal is actually worth $2MM, with the chance to max out at $3MM through playing time incentives.
9:06am: It’s a one-year, $1MM contract, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
8:59am: Safety Nate Allen will be returning to Philadelphia, according to the Eagles, who announced today (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a one-year contract.
No Eagles safety played more defensive snaps in 2013 than Allen, who saw action in 1,126 regular-season plays. Starting all 16 games for the club, Allen recorded 89 tackles, an interception, and a sack from the strong safety position. For 2014, one of the two starting safety spots in Philadelphia will be filled by new signee Malcolm Jenkins, but Allen, a former second-round pick, could be in the mix for the other spot, depending on what the team does in the draft.
NFC East Rumors: Kelly, Spencer, Giants, Britt
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer offers an explanation as to why the Eagles, traditional big-spenders in free agency, have not splurged on outside players this offseason, despite having $24MM in salary cap space. And it’s not just because the team has been burned in the past by ill-advised, big-money deals; it’s also about scheme. Rather than pursue the premier free agents on the market, the Eagles instead “targeted specific players they thought fit their scheme, could provide in-roster competition, and were versatile enough to help on special teams.”
Furthermore, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com writes, head coach Chip Kelly believes the team has spent heavily this offseason, but the Eagles spent the money to retain their own players and view free agents from outside teams as complements to the core of their roster. The strategy that Kelly and general manager Howie Roseman have followed adheres to the blueprint Roseman laid out last month, and it suggests the Eagles have turned a corner in the franchise’s approach to free agency.
Here are some more notes from the NFC East:
- We learned earlier today that Henry Melton will still visit with the Cowboys as planned, but Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News reports that “talks have heated up” with several teams. In a separate post, George writes defensive end Anthony Spencer will be visiting the Rams on Sunday. The Cowboys remain interested in bringing Spencer back if the price is right.
- Steve Serby of the New York Post believes the Giants are losing the offseason battle to their divisional rivals, but that was before the team landed Quintin Demps and signed Walter Thurmond.
- The Redskins may be throwing their hat into the Kenny Britt ring, with Albert Breer of the NFL Network tweeting that the team is working on scheduling a visit with the receiver.
Eagles Cut Joe Anderson
The Eagles have cut wide receiver Joe Anderson, the team announced today (Twitter link). The move was first reported by Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter).
Anderson, 25, signed with the Eagles earlier this offseason, receiving a futures contract that included a $20K bonus. The 6’1″ receiver played six games for the Bears last season before being placed on injured reserve in November. While he has yet to record an NFL reception, Anderson returned five kicks for Chicago in 2013, for a total of 82 yards.
Eagles Agree To Sign Nolan Carroll
3:42pm: Garafolo clarifies (via Twitter) that he misunderstood his source this morning, and that Carroll’s deal can be worth up to a maximum of $5.2MM with incentives. The two-year deal is worth $3.65MM on the surface, plus a $900K escalator and incentives in 2015, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
9:00am: Carroll’s deal with the Eagles will be a two-year pact worth $5.2MM, plus incentives, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
8:50am: A little over an hour after reaching a deal to acquire Darren Sproles, the Eagles have struck again, agreeing to terms on a contract for free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Carroll, a four-year veteran, started 22 games at cornerback for the Dolphins over the last two seasons, and had his best year in 2013. In over 800 defensive snaps, Carroll recorded 47 tackles, three interceptions, a pair of sacks, and a slightly positive grade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). While he isn’t the big-name addition some Eagles fans may have been hoping for, Carroll has performed well so far, and could still be on the rise, having just turned 27.
Before agreeing to terms with the Eagles, Carroll met with the Bills, and reportedly drew interest from the Steelers, 49ers, Vikings, and his former team, the Dolphins.
Extra Points: Cousins, Hood, Graham, Saffold
A Kirk Cousins trade remains unlikely for the Redskins, write Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post. There was talk that Washington would be open to moving the quarterback since he would like to start and he is stuck behind Robert Griffin III on the depth chart. For his part, Cousins has said that he will be professional and won’t demand a trade.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Ziggy Hood received interest from the Redskins, Raiders, and Chiefs, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Meanwhile, Chris Clemons said the Raiders and Falcons reached out to him before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, according to O’Halloran (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Corey Graham, who signed with the Bills, told reporters today that he was preparing to go to dinner with the Redskins when he got the call from his agent about Buffalo’s offer (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR550).
- Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had a similar story to Graham, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun details in a pair of tweets. Jones says he was in New York, about to have dinner with the Giants, when he realized he wanted to stay with the Ravens and headed for the airport instead.
- Safety Mike Mitchell is extremely happy to be with the Steelers and tells reporters, including Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) that he wanted to come to Pittsburgh more than the club wanted him to be there.
- As expected, the Cardinals have paid Daryl Washington his option bonus, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. There was some talk that they wouldn’t pay out his bonus due to legal issues.
- Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle provides a look at the Raiders‘ perspective on why their deal with Rodger Saffold fell apart yesterday.
- Wide receiver prospect Marqise Lee is drawing significant interest from the Jets and had a private meeting with the team, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, a projected second- or third-round pick tells Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter links) that six teams have shown strong interest in him. Those clubs are the Ravens, Eagles, Titans, Redskins, Chargers, and Steelers.
Zach Links contributed to this post.