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Free Agent Rumors: Massie, Mack, Vikings

March 9th, 2016 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors:

  • Cardinals free agent tackle Bobby Massie is deciding between three teams and he could remain in Arizona, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) says that Alex Mack got a quality deal from the Falcons because multiple teams including the Browns and the Chargers were “in strong” for his services. Meanwhile, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter) says that even though the Chargers reached out, they did not “develop into a major contender.”
  • The Vikings are looking at free agent wide receiver Andre Holmes, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. Holmes, who was with Minnesota as a UDFA in 2011, would give Minnesota a big target.
  • The Eagles never had formal contract discussions with Walter Thurmond prior to Monday, Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic tweets. Thurmond is now on the open market and, one way or another, the Eagles need to add depth at the cornerback position.
  • Keenan Robinson appears to have posted a farewell message to Washington fans on Instagram. After re-signing Mason Foster, it seems like Washington will be moving on from their other free agent inside linebacker.

Free Agent Rumors: Jaguars, Bengals, Ravens

March 8th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Jerricho Cotchery is not in the Panthers’ 2016 plans, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Cotchery, 34 in June, hauled in 87 passes for 1,065 yards and four touchdowns over the last two seasons with Carolina. The veteran has said that he would only continue playing if it were with the Panthers, so it’s possible that the former Jet will retire this offseason. Cotchery is effectively a free agent with a contract that will automatically void tomorrow.

The latest free agent rumors:

  • The Jaguars are not close to done after agreeing to terms with Malik Jackson, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) hears. The Jags are still interested in top pass rushers and corners.
  • Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter) senses that the Bengals‘ priority guys are safety George Iloka and wide receiver Marvin Jones. Breer hears there is about $15MM budgeted for unrestricted free agents, which may not leave much room for others.
  • Saints free agent tight end Ben Watson is getting “strong, strong interest” from the Ravens, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Dolphins are in pursuit of defensive end William Hayes, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. There is a strong market for Hayes, however, so Miami will have some competition to deal with.
  • Running back Lamar Miller wants an annual salary in the range of $6MM or more, which is more than the Dolphins would like to offer, Jackson writes.
  • The Vikings have checked in on Lions free agent linebacker Tahir Whitehead, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).
  • The Raiders are working to retain wide receiver Andre Holmes but the sense is that he’ll get decent interest elsewhere, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.

Extra Points: Weddle, Chancellor, Brady

August 19th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Adam Jones will probably go down as one of those “what-if” history stories in sports and the Bengals cornerback is well aware of that. “If I would have never gotten suspended, I would have $100 million right now,” Jones said, according to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Still, Jones says that he tries not to live with regrets and that he hopes to make the most of the remainder of his career. Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter confirmed (via Twitter links) that he would like to see the Chargers safety land with the Dolphins. However, he made it clear that he and Weddle “have never and will never ask for a trade from San Diego.” Teams typically don’t trade their best players, Canter notes, and he says that Bolts fans can rest assured that he won’t be going anywhere, at least in 2015.
  • Agent Alvin Keels told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) that everything is status quo with his client, Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor. “Nothing has changed. He will not report without his contract being addressed this season. The team and I have been in contact, but we haven’t been able to agree on any compromise,” Keels said.
  • Right now, there are no more settlement talks planned between the NFL and NFLPA until the August 31st court appearance, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Brandon Meriweather‘s deal with the Giants is a one-year pact worth $870K and no guaranteed cash, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • During practice Sunday, Raiders‘ WR Andre Holmes fractured his hand and now is expected to be out 3-4 weeks, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
  • New Jets quarterback Matt Flynn says that there’s no timetable on when he’ll recover from his hamstring issue and added that he is not guaranteed a roster spot with Gang Green, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Guard-center Josh Samuda, former Dolphin and Viking, worked out today for the Chiefs, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Five Raiders RFAs Sign Tenders

April 7th, 2015 at 8:28pm CST by Luke Adams

8:28pm: Ross has signed his RFA tender, meaning all Raiders restricted free agents are now under contract, tweets Williamson.

3:15pm: Asante has also signed his RFA tender, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

11:34am: The Raiders had several players eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, and reportedly tendered contract offers to five of them. According to various reports, three of those players are set to sign their tenders for 2015. Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com says wide receiver Rod Streater and punter Marquette King are signing their tenders, while Bill Williamson of ESPN.com reports that receiver Andre Holmes will do the same.

Streater, 27, caught 60 balls for the Raiders in 2013 for 888 yards, and entered the 2014 campaign as one of the team’s starting wideouts. However, he went down during Oakland’s Week 3 game against the Patriots with a foot injury that ultimately required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the year. He was the only restricted free agent to receive a second-round tender worth $2.356MM from the Raiders. Holmes and King both received $1.542MM tenders.

By signing the one-year offers, Streater, Holmes, and King will be locked up with Oakland for the 2015 season. Prior to signing the tenders, the restricted free agents could’ve signed offer sheets with rival suitors, which Oakland would’ve had the opportunity to match. Of course, Streater was unlikely to get any outside interest, since it would’ve cost a second-round pick to sign him away from the Raiders.

Defensive backs Larry Asante and Brandian Ross also reportedly received low-end RFA tenders from the Raiders, though it’s not clear if they’ve signed those offers yet.

Tender Updates: Saturday

March 7th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

As teams prepare for free agency, they have to figure out a plan for their restricted free agents. Teams will often slap these players with a mid-round tender, at least assuring some kind of compensation should they sign elsewhere. The second-round tender is popular, and this year’s value is worth $2.356MM. The value of a minimum-level tender is worth $1.542MM.

With that said, we’ll pass along any tender updates throughout the day, with the most recent updates added to the top of the list…

  • Defensive end Ryan Davis has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Jaguars, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs have tendered outside linebacker Josh Martin to a one-year deal, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Martin is an exclusive-rights free agent. The team has also tendered tight end Demetrius Harris (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have re-signed A.J. Sanders and Jordan Kovacs to their tenders, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). He notes that the team has not yet been able to re-sign Derrick Shelby or Michael Thomas.
  • The Broncos notified linebacker/special teams ace Steven Johnson that he would not be tendered, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 26-year-old started seven games for the Broncos last season, compiling a career-high in tackles (32). Klis notes that the organization could bring Johnson back on a cheaper contract, but their unwillingness to offer the one-year, $1.542MM contract indicates they won’t overspend.
  • Washington tendered kicker Kai Forbath, tweets ESPN’s John Keim. Citing Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Keim says the two sides haven’t discussed a longterm deal. The 27-year-old finished 2014 with career-highs in field goals made (24) and total points (103), while his 88.9 field goal percentage ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
  • ESPN’s Field Yates passes along a pair of second-round tenders (via Twitter): Raiders wideout Rod Streater and Eagles defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. Streater didn’t have the best 2014 season, finishing with career-lows across the board. However, his performance in 2013 (60 catches, 888 yards, four touchdowns) showed that he can contribute in the NFL. Meanwhile, Thornton has continued improving during his three years in the league, and he finished last season with 52 tackles.
  • Streater’s teammate, receiver Andre Holmes, received the low tender from the Raiders, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The former undrafted free agent followed an impressive 2013 season with a better 2014, compiling 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns.

Raiders Notes: Woodley, Schaub, McFadden

May 31st, 2014 at 5:45pm CST by Peter Sowards

LaMarr Woodley won’t drop back into coverage as much with the Raiders like he did with the Steelers, and he’s just fine with that. Oakland utilizes a base 4-3 alignment, and defensive ends are consumed with what’s in front of them, not behind. As CSNBayArea.com’s Scott Bair notes, Woodley last played in a 4-3 defense at Michigan.

“Looking at the (Raiders) defense, seeing how guys were flying around on defense, getting after people, I kind of felt like after talking to the coach that that’s what he wanted me to do,” Woodley said. “He wanted me to rush the passer more and then drop back in coverage. I felt like with the kind of people that was on this defense, and add me in there, I felt like I could help the team win.”

Woodley signed a two-year deal worth a maximum of $12MM in March, and he’s eager to show the Raiders made a good investment.

“You still have to come here and prove yourself, at least that’s how I feel. The last few years for me haven’t been good. So I have to come here and I feel like I have to rebuild myself as well.”

Other news and notes from the Oakland Raiders:

  • Matt Schaub is a Top 10 quarterback in the Raiders’ eyes, says ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez in his Twitter mailbag. As long as the skill set of the former Texans QB can fit with what offensive coordinator Greg Olson wants to do, it’ll be a good match.
  • Gutierrez predicts a run-first offensive approach with Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, along with 2013 sixth-round pick Latavius Murray. If the runners can stay healthy and consistently produce positive yardage, that’ll set up the play-action pass, at which Schaub excels.
  • Wide receivers Andre Holmes and Juron Criner have been the stars at three OTA practice thus far.
  • Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com recaps Week 1 of OTAs, with Schaub able to go against an active defense with his receivers for the first time.