FA Rumors: Morgan, Orakpo, Cameron
Derrick Morgan won’t be signing with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Falcons are out on Morgan too after signing Adrian Clayborn, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. More free agent news from around the league..
- The Titans are still in the hunt for both Morgan and Brian Orakpo, and their best-case scenario would be to land both edge defenders, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- Tight end Jordan Cameron is still in Miami and there’s a lot of mutual interest between him and the Dolphins, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, his old team, the Browns, remain the mix and a third team is also in the running.
- Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that there has been a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Michael Johnson, but it’s unclear if any team besides the Bengals or Vikings have a shot at him. Johnson, of course, played for Cincinnati prior to joining the Bucs last year, and was coached there by Mike Zimmer.
- The Chiefs have had exploratory talks with former Rams center Tim Barnes, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. Paylor expects the Chiefs to sign a veteran center, whether it’s Barnes or someone else.
- The Steelers are generally quiet when it comes to free agency and trades, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears that they’re exploring options for a kick returner.
Free Agent Rumors: Gilchrist, Morgan, Robinson
Running backs Felix Jones, Michael Bush, and Mikel Leshoure are among the players scheduled to participate in the NFL’s veteran combine later this month, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The Arizona Republic has the full list of combine participants. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- The Jets are in contract talks with free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist, a source tells Darryl Slater of the Star-Ledger. Gilchrist arrived Tuesday for a free agency visit with the Jets that has continued into Wednesday, as scheduled. Gilchrist, 26, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round in 2011.
- The Titans remain in the mix to sign Derrick Morgan despite his free agent visits and apparent interest from the Cowboys, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. They’re also still working to re-sign kicker Ryan Succop.
- Free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson has received some interest from the Vikings, Dolphins, Saints, Steelers, and Panthers, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Vikings have touched base with free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears the same thing, but his source says it doesn’t sound “very serious.”
- Linebacker Andrew Gachkar‘s anticipated visit to the Vikings is on hold as of right now due to what a source only will say is related to “some issues right now,” Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
- New Jaguars defensive lineman Jared Odrick told reporters, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links), that “tons of teams” went after him. The Colts and Chiefs, he said, were among the teams chasing him.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey Restructure Contract
The Steelers have finally completed their restructuring of Maurkice Pouncey‘s contract, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). The re-worked contract will save the Steelers $3.8MM this year and will put Pittsburgh about $7.5MM under the cap now, according to the NFLPA.
Pouncey’s deal takes him through the 2019 season and originally called for a $8.1MM cap number in 2015. The two sides were working to reduce that cap hit for several weeks.
The 25-year-old (26 in July) started in all 16 games for the Steelers in 2014 after seeing just one game of action in 2013. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) placed Pouncey as the sixth-best center in the NFL with a 9.8 overall score.
FA Rumors: Harrison, Williams, Wilson
Many speculated that James Harrison could follow former coach Dick LeBeau to the Titans, and on Wednesday we received confirmation of that. “We are certainly interested,” agent Bill Parise said of his client’s interest in the Titans, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “James feels very, very strongly about coach LeBeau. And I know Dick feels the same way. It’s a natural thing. I’m sure the Steelers are still in play, too. It will probably be one of those. I hope it’s one of those. We are not ruling anybody out, but the two logical fits are Tennessee and Pittsburgh. Those are the team teams that make the most sense.” More from around the league..
- Former Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Safety Jimmy Wilson told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he will be visiting the Chargers on Friday. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus is still in talks with the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
- The Rams are still working on Kenny Britt, but there are other teams interested in him as a second choice or a Plan B at wide receiver, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Meanwhile, the Rams are thinking that they could get Joe Barksdale on the rebound, Thomas tweets. The thinking there is that the offensive tackle might be over-estimating his market value.
- Former Eagles free safety Nate Allen will visit the Raiders later today, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets.
- Pass rusher Adrian Clayborn is scheduled to visit the Falcons today, a league source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Seahawks free agent linebacker Heath Farwell, 33, says he plans to continue to play and he believes defensive tackle Kevin Williams, 34, feels the same way, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. Farwell wouldn’t name any teams except to say the Vikings aren’t one that has reached out and that the Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing him back.
Jason Worilds To Retire
On the heels of 26-year-old Jake Locker announcing his retirement earlier today, free agent linebacker Jason Worilds, who just turned 27 last Tuesday, has also confirmed he plans to step away from football, according to a statement released by his agent Jason Bernstein (Twitter link).
“I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days,” Worilds said in the statement. “With that being said, after much thought and consideration I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests. I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision.”
While Locker and Patrick Willis, who also announced his retirement today, had dealt with injury problems during the 2014 season, Worilds played and started all 16 games for the Steelers, turning in perhaps the best season of his career with 62 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Over the weekend, I ranked the former second-round pick 14th on my list of this year’s top 50 free agents.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), Worilds’ decision comes as a result of experiencing a “spiritual awakening,” and he intends to pursue his faith after ending his NFL career. La Canfora tweets that Worilds’ reps have told interested teams this week that their client was grappling with his future and was likely to explore a new career path. By opting for that new path, Worilds is likely walking away from a $7-8MM annual salary, with at least $15MM in guaranteed money, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
In addition to the Steelers, who were open to re-signing Worilds, the Titans were also viewed as a serious suitor for the Virginia Tech product, given the presence of former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau on their staff. The Eagles had been mentioned as a possible landing spot as well, though their interest likely waned once they re-signed Brandon Graham.
With Worilds off the market, the Titans – and other teams eyeing an outside pass rusher could become more aggressive in their pursuit of players like Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Darrelle Revis Has $48MM Offer
Cornerback Darrelle Revis might be the best player on the free agent market and, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, he’s on the verge of being paid like it. La Canfora reports that the Revis camp has informed teams that they have a three-year, $48MM offer on the table. The deal is said to include a whopping $40MM in guarantees, and La Canfora’s “sense” is that the offer came from the Jets. Per La Canfora, the Patriots have offered Revis over $30MM in guarantees and the Chiefs are also in the mix for his services.
Earlier Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter linked the Steelers and Bills to Revis, though Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweeted that the Bills aren’t after the corner. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report added that the Packers are also in the sweepstakes.
If Revis signs with the Jets, it would mean rejoining the team with which he spent the first six seasons of his career. The Jets used a first-round pick in 2007 on Revis, who proceeded to rack up 19 interceptions and four Pro Bowl bids in New York. Revis missed most of the 2012 season, his last one with the Jets – who subsequently traded him to Tampa Bay in April of 2013 for a first-rounder.
After just a one-year stint with the Buccaneers, who released him last winter, Revis signed with New England and became an integral piece of a Super Bowl-winning team. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL during the 2014 regular season, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.
The Pats declined Revis’ $20MM for 2015 on Monday, making him a free agent, and have been trying to keep him on a long-term deal.
North Notes: Revis, Ngata, Steelers, Packers
The Steelers looked into signing Darrelle Revis, but it doesn’t look like it’s possible, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who says that it’s down to the Jets and Patriots for the star corner. Revis was asking for more money than Pittsburgh could afford, tweets Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network.
Meanwhile, the Packers have emerged as a suitor for Revis, adds Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), who lists the Jets, Pats, Packers, and a mystery team as the finalists for Revis.
Here’s more from the North divisions:
- The Lions are expected to approach the recently-acquired Haloti Ngata about an extension, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ngata is entering the final year of his contract.
- The Packers had a “few discussions” with free agent defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link), but a deal isn’t likely. Green Bay has had discussions about retaining Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji, but the club could wait out the DT market.
- Looking to retain one of the core special teams players, the Bears have interest in re-signing cornerback Sherrick McManis, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, though nothing is yet in the works.
NFC FA Rumors: Hardy, Peterson, Worilds
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears there’s at least some cursory interest in Greg Hardy from the 49ers. Still, it’s very early in the process and his signing might drag on for some time. No matter who signs him, Robinson says (link) that it’ll be a slow process and he expects to see some media leaks to see how it plays publicly. More from the NFC..
- Vikings running back Adrian Peterson met with the Wilfs in New York on Monday and GM Rick Spielman, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It was a continuation of the discussion Peterson had last week with Spielman and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who huddled with Peterson for about four hours at his home outside Houston to discuss his future with the team.
- Jason Worilds has a clear idea of what he wants but both the Giants and Steelers think that price is too high, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. As one source told the NFL.com scribe, “We’re not paying $1MM per sack.” Worilds notched 7.5 sacks in 2014.
- B.J. Raji‘s preference is to return to the Packers but he’s weighing offers and his return is no sure thing right now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
- The Lions are still trying to get something done with Nick Fairley but he’s got some interest elsewhere, Robinson tweets.
- The Packers are not pursuing Andre Johnson at this time, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It appears that Johnson was only being looked at in case Randall Cobb went elsewhere.
- The Falcons are expected to be in play for Rams tight end Lance Kendricks, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch (on Twitter).
Contract Details: McCourty, Jones, Moats, Ginn
Here are a few noteworthy contract details on deals recently agreed upon:
- Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): Five years, $47.5MM base value. $15MM signing bonus. $28.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Jacoby Jones, WR (Chargers): Two years, $5.5MM base value. $1.6K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
- Arthur Moats, OLB (Steelers): Three years, $7.5MM base value. $1.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Ted Ginn Jr., WR (Panthers): Two years, $4.2MM base value. $1.7MM signing bonus. Up to $1.5MM in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Derek Carrier, TE (49ers): Three years, $2.985MM base value. $400K signing bonus. About $1MM in escalators (Twitter link via Pelissero).
Minor Moves: Monday
Today’s minor moves around the NFL:
- The Packers have informed running back DuJuan Harris they will not extend him an exclusive rights tender, Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel tweets.
- The Ravens are expected to assign an exclusive-rights free agent tender to running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweets.
- The Steelers have offered one-year deals to restricted free agents Antwon Blake, Will Johnson, and Robert Golden, Scott Brown of ESPN tweets. All three will get the lower tender, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).
- The Cardinals announced they’ve re-signed Alameda Ta’amu to a one-year contract, as Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports tweets. The Cards decided not to tender him but they have retained him at a lower salary.
- The 49ers will restructure their deal with safety Craig Dahl, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). It’s now a one-year, $1.3MM deal with a $200K signing bonus, a $175K roster bonus, and a $50K workout bonus.
- The Buccaneers announced that they have re-signed defensive ends Larry English and Lawrence Sidbury, tight end Luke Stocker and linebacker Jason Williams.
- The Ravens have assigned a $510K exclusive rights tender to offensive lineman Ryan Jensen, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Wilson (link) also hears that the Ravens have given wide receiver Kamar Aiken a $585K exclusive rights tender.
- The Ravens gave cornerback Tramain Jacobs a $510K tender, per Wilson (link).
Earlier updates:
- The Bills announced that they have extended the contract of kicker Jordan Gay, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (via Twitter).
- The Browns announced that they have tendered qualifying offers to four of their restricted free agents: free safety Tashaun Gipson, defensive back Johnson Bademosi, defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and linebacker Craig Robertson, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal tweets. It’s a second-round tender for Robertson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Gipson also gets the second-round tender, according to Ulrich (link).
- The Ravens have sent a second-round restricted tender $2.356MM to Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker, a source tells Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Steelers announced that they have agreed to terms with veteran tight end Matt Spaeth on a two-year deal. The 31-year-old appeared in 15 regular-season games in 2014 (eight starts) and caught three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown, and also started the Steelers’ playoff game against Baltimore.
- The Buccaneers are not expected to tender an offer to fullback Jorvorskie Lane, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. They could bring Lane, an ERFA, back on a different deal later, however. Lane had a tough year in 2014. He was hit with a two-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances in October and his season ended in November after he underwent surgery on his injured right leg.
- The Broncos have placed the low-level contract tender on restricted free agent defensive back Tony Carter, extending him a one-year offer worth $1.542MM, per Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The move gives Denver the right to match any offer sheet Carter signs with another team, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), there may be strong outside interest.
- The Cowboys have placed one-year tenders of $1.542MM each on restricted free agent punter Chris Jones and restricted free agent running back Lance Dunbar, sources tell Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News. Dunbar is the Cowboys’ third running back and tendering him gives Dallas some insurance if DeMarco Murray signs with another team in free agency. He also gives them a reserve back in the event that they have to cut ties with Joseph Randle.
- The Browns announced that they have re-signed offensive lineman Ryan Seymour. Seymour, 25, appeared in 11 games during the 2014 season, starting three at center. Nick McDonald was originally the team’s choice at center after Alex Mack went down with a broken leg, but Seymour eventually got his chance at the job.
- The Panthers have re-signed wide receiver/kick returner Brenton Bersin to a one-year deal, a source tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Bersin was an exclusive rights free agent.
- The Panthers announced that they re-signed Fozzy Whittaker on a two-year deal, according to Person (on Twitter). The tailback had 32 carries for 145 yards last season and also contributed on kick returns. Linebacker Ben Jacobs and center Brian Folkerts got one-year deals to remain in Carolina (link). Tackle Kevin Hughes is the only Panthers ERFA who wasn’t tendered an offer (link).