Contract Details: Howard, Hawley, Carroll
As more signings become finalized, let’s check in on the specific terms for a few of them:
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has the financial details on Austin Howard‘s new five-year, $30MM contract with the Raiders, which includes a $5MM roster bonus due this weekend.
- Joe Hawley‘s two-year contract with the Falcons includes a $2MM signing bonus, with base salaries of $1MM (2014) and $3MM (2015), tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- While Nolan Carroll‘s deal with the Eagles is worth $5.25MM over two years, it can max out at around $7MM with playing time and performance bonuses, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
- Tony McDaniel inked a two-year, $5.75MM contract with the Seahawks that includes a $1.25MM signing bonus and various other roster and incentives bonuses, says Pelissero (via Twitter).
- Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) and Pelissero (Twitter link) pass on the details for a pair of Chiefs signings from yesterday. Joe Mays‘ deal apparently included a $2MM signing bonus, which is higher than initially reported, and $3MM in guaranteed money. Jeff Linkenbach‘s base salary is $900K, with $250K guaranteed and up to $600K in incentives.
- Pelissero also has the details on Leger Douzable‘s one-year pact with the Jets (Twitter link). It’s worth $1MM, with a $150K signing bonus and a $100K bonus if he makes the team’s 53-man roster.
- David Johnson‘s two-year deal with the Chargers is worth $1.7MM and features a $220K signing bonus, tweets Wilson.
Eagles Acquire Darren Sproles From Saints
9:23am: The Eagles have officially announced the transaction (Twitter link).
8:14am: The Eagles will send a fifth-round pick to the Saints in the deal, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). According to Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter), it’s the pick Philadelphia had acquired from New England for Isaac Sopoaga.
7:55am: Having already re-signed Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper this offseason, Chip Kelly‘s offense in Philadelphia is adding another intriguing offensive weapon. The Eagles have reached an agreement with the Saints to acquire running back Darren Sproles in a trade, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Sproles, 30, was initially expected to be cut by New Orleans this month, but when they received strong interest in trade talks for the versatile veteran, the Saints decided to trade him instead. The Redskins had reportedly been making a push to acquire Sproles, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweeted this morning, but according to the Washington Post (via Twitter), the team was reluctant to part with draft picks. In the end, the Redskins lost out on Sproles to their division rivals.
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 former fourth-round pick 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).
While rumors of a Sproles trade swirled this week, the running back himself expressed some frustration about learning of the talks through Twitter updates, and said yesterday that he’d prefer to be cut instead of traded, so he could control his own future. Still, despite the presence of No. 1 back LeSean McCoy in Philadelphia, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be upset with his landing spot, since he should have a great opportunity to shine in Kelly’s offense during a contract year.
The Saints will be on the hook for $750K in dead money, the amount of the prorated bonus money remaining on Sproles’ deal. For the Eagles, the running back will be owed a $3.4MM base salary, plus a $100K workout bonus, in the final year of his contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Darrelle Revis
The Buccaneers are cleaning house and earlier today they made star cornerback Darrelle Revis walk the plank. Here’s the very latest on Revis and his future…
- The talks between Revis and the Jets (mentioned below) were initiated by the cornerback’s side in an attempt to see if there was interest, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter)
Earlier updates:
- The Jets and Revis have been in touch about a possible reunion, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. According to Mehta, the cornerback would like to play for Rex Ryan again, and that interest is believed to be mutual, but it’s unclear if the team’s management and ownership would be fully on board as well.
- Buccaneers GM Jason Licht says “it came close a couple different times” when asked about a potential trade for Revis on NFL Network, tweets Ian Rapoport.
- A member of Revis’ camp is confident that he will end up on Patriots, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “It’s going to happen,” the source told Mehta.
- Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com (on Twitter) hears from a source that the Eagles are expected to make a play for Revis. Meanwhile, Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter) says Revis to the Eagles is not going to happen. Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter) doesn’t see it happening with the Eagles since their scheme doesn’t require a shutdown CB.
East Rumors: Giants, Jets, Pats, Eagles
A couple of rumblings from the teams in the Eastern divisions…
- Jacoby Jones turned down more money from the Giants to re-sign with the Ravens, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
- Linval Joseph, who was signed by the Vikings, said today that the final offer he got from the Giants was nowhere close to what he got from Minnesota, tweets Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
- The Jets have expressed interest in recently reinstated cornerback Brandon Browner, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. However, at this time, it appears unlikely that he’ll end up with Gang Green.
- Jason Avant, who hit the market early after being released by the Eagles, will visit with the Patriots, tweets Field Yates of ESPN Boston.
- Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) surmises that if another team really wanted Patriots free agent receiver Julian Edelman, he’d be signed by now. The wide receiver market isn’t terribly hot at the moment.
- Malcolm Jenkins said the Raiders and Rams showed interest before he decided to sign with the Eagles, says Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly (via Twitter). As Mosher points out, Rams’ defensive coordinator Greg Williams was Jenkins’ coach with the Saints.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Darrelle Revis Rumors: Wednesday
If there was any question about whether the Buccaneers would move Darrelle Revis, it appears that the club has answered that with an emphatic yes. Last night, the Bucs signed one of the top available cornerbacks on the market in Alterraun Verner. With a four-year, $26.5MM deal struck with the former Titans standout, we can expect Revis to be donning a different uniform in 2014. Hopefully, it’s something nicer than the Bucs’ calculator font jerseys. The latest on Revis…
- Albert Breer of the NFL Network doesn’t think there’s any way the Patriots would trade for Revis, but says the team has talked about signing the cornerback if he’s released (Twitter link).
- The Falcons, Eagles, and Giants are among the other clubs that have called Tampa Bay about Revis, according to Ian Rapoport, though he adds (via Twitter) that he’s not sure any of those teams will trade for him. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) thinks the Giants were just checking out the situation and aren’t likely to pursue Revis even if he’s cut.
- Rapoport also notes (via Twitter) that restructuring Revis’ deal to convert this year’s salary into a signing bonus would reduce the cornerback’s 2014 cap hit to just $5.6MM.
Earlier updates:
- The Patriots have been among those who have called to expressed interest in a trade for Revis, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Still, Revis doesn’t plan on taking a pay cut. Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter) also hears that the Pats are a possibility.
- Reports are out saying Bucs have released Revis but they appear to be premature, Cummings tweets.
Eagles To Sign Bryan Braman
The Eagles have agreed to sign linebacker Bryan Braman to a two-year contract, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), who hears from agent Sean Stellato that the deal will be worth $3.15MM, with $1MM in guaranteed money. The team has confirmed the move (Twitter link).
Braman, who had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, didn’t receive a contract tender from the Texans yesterday, allowing him to become unrestricted. As such, Philadelphia can sign the 26-year-old outright rather than inking him to an offer sheet the Texans might match.
In three years with Houston, Braman rarely saw the field on defense, but was a key contributor on special teams. It’s the second special teams addition of the day for the Eagles, who also locked up former Seahawk Chris Maragos.
Eagles Agree To Sign Chris Maragos
The Eagles have agreed to terms on a contract for safety and special teams standout Chris Maragos, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twittter link). According to Caplan, Maragos’ new deal will be a three-year pact worth $4MM, with $1MM guaranteed, and could max out at $5.3MM due to incentives (Twitter link).
Maragos, 27, spent the last three seasons with the Seahawks, playing occasionally on defense but primarily serving as a special teams ace. According to Pro Football Focus, the Wisconsin alum has recorded 26 tackles on special teams in the last three years.
Caplain notes (via Twitter) that several teams were in the mix for Maragos, including the Redskins.
Contract Details: Whitner, Jenkins, Blackmon
The latest particulars from various contracts signed today..
- Donte Whitner‘s four-year, $28MM deal with the Browns includes $11MM fully guaranteed in 2014, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
- Malcolm Jenkins‘ three-year deal with the Eagles is worth $15.5MM, Pelissero tweets. He gets $6MM fully guaranteed in 2014, plus $2.5MM of the $4MM base in ’15 now guaranteed for injury.
- Will Blackmon‘s two-year, $1.725MM deal with the Jaguars included $500K guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. He earn up to $250K with playing time in ’14 and ’15.
- Zane Beadles‘ five-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars has $12.5MM in guaranteed money, Pelissero tweets. He’s scheduled to get roster bonuses of $4.5MM in ’14 and $2MM in ’15 is guaranteed for skill/injury.
Darrelle Revis Rumors: Tuesday
The Darrelle Revis rumor mill was firing on all cylinders last night, as reports suggested that the Buccaneers had been intensifying their efforts to move the star cornerback in a trade. A variety of details related to Revis’ contract status, including his $13MM base salary, upcoming bonus payments, the team’s ability to unilaterally restructure the deal, and the different draft pick compensation Tampa Bay receives if they release him this week, all contribute to creating a very murky situation. There have already been plenty of updates on Revis overnight and this morning, so we’ll round them up right here, with new updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- A Revis trade is now considered unlikely, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The Browns sound like the most interested team, but the cornerback isn’t willing to take a pay cut to join Cleveland, and other clubs are willing to wait to see if he hits the open market.
- Resolution is expected on Revis by tomorrow afternoon, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will either move him by 3:00pm CT or release him if there are no takers.
Earlier updates:
- A source tells Pro Football Talk that the Raiders aren’t currently pursuing Revis, but the Browns are (Twitter link).
- Brian Costello of the New York Post hears from a source that Revis would love to return to the Jets (Twitter link).
- The Bucs are trying to clear Revis’ salary – ideally via trade – in order to free up space for several other free agent moves, says Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
- Revis rejected a request from the Bucs to accept a pay cut, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The cornerback’s deal gives Tampa Bay the ability to restructure at any time, but of course that doesn’t mean the club can simply slash Revis’ pay.
- As we noted in a separate post on the Raiders, Oakland is a potential trade partner for the Bucs, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Tampa Bay is receiving inquiries from teams with cap space, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Rapoport suggests that the Browns, with their abundance of cap room, will be a team to watch.
- The Bucs aren’t seeking multiple first-rounders for Revis, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, who suggests (via Twitter) that anything above a mid-round pick might get it done.
- Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report hears from general managers that the Bucs‘ initial asking price for Revis was two No. 1 picks, which drew laughs around the league (Twitter link).
- Former Jets executive Ari Nissim identifies the Eagles, Raiders, Browns, and Jets as teams that would like to get their hands on Revis, but it sounds like those are the clubs who would be first in line if Revis is cut — they won’t necessarily try to trade for him (Twitter links).
- Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says (via Twitter) that the Eagles won’t trade for Revis “unless it’s [for] peanuts.”
- The Eagles and Patriots are teams worth watching if and when the Bucs release Revis, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
DeMarcus Ware Rumors: Tuesday
DeMarcus Ware‘s days of flirting with 20 sacks per season are almost certainly behind him, but the longtime Cowboy is still an intriguing option for teams in need of pass-rushing help. With Ware now on the open market, let’s round a few early rumors on him:
- Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com hears the Browns may have interest in Ware (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- In a statement issued by the Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones didn’t close the door on bringing Ware back to Dallas, suggesting that the team and the defensive end were in “very strong agreement” about exploring that possibility.
- Former Eagles exec Louis Riddick of ESPN.com believes Philadelphia is likely working “very hard” to try to sign Ware (Twitter link).
- Six playoff teams have already expressed some interest in Ware, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets that Ware is expected to have plenty of options, but will be selective about which ones he considers, and hopes to move quickly through the free agent process.