C.J. Spiller - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Manziel, Talib, Draft, Parker

April 17th, 2015 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Following his release from rehab, Johnny Manziel issued a statement through the Browns today, thanking the organization, his teammates, and fans for their patience and understanding over the last several weeks.

“I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect,” Manziel said in his statement. “I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. … I look forward to seeing my teammates next week and focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be.”

While we wait to see if Manziel’s sophomore year as an NFL player goes any better than his rookie season did, let’s check out a few more items from across the AFC….

The Dallas police department has suspended its investigation into an alleged aggravated assault involving Aqib Talib due to a lack of evidence, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Assuming no new evidence arises, the Broncos cornerback won’t face charges and should avoid discipline from the NFL for the coming season.
There’s little doubt that Kevin White and Amari Cooper, the top two wideouts in the draft, will be long gone by the time the Dolphins‘ No. 14 overall pick arrives. However, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) continues to hear that a third receiver, Louisville’s DeVante Parker, will be off the board by that point as well.
Arizona State wide receiver Jaelen Strong is paying a visit to Pittsburgh today to meet with the Steelers, tweets ESPN.com’s Scott Brown.
Running back C.J. Spiller will suit up for the Saints in 2015, but he’ll “always be a Buffalo Bill at heart,” he tells Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
The Broncos, who will be looking to add some depth on the defensive line after losing Terrance Knighton in free agency, brought in Auburn defensive tackle Angelo Blackson for a visit, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Blackson isn’t projected to be selected until the late rounds, if he’s drafted at all, but he had an impressive Pro Day showing and could be a fit for new Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

Saints Notes: Evans, Spencer, Jordan, Draft

March 25th, 2015 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

Although he was the last head coach to arrive at the NFC coaches’ breakfast in Phoenix this morning, Sean Payton of the Saints may have dropped more noteworthy tidbits for reporters in Arizona than any other NFC coach. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights, via Larry Holder, Nick Underhill, Ian Rapoport, and Mike Garafolo (all links go to Twitter)….

The Saints explored the possibility of trading both Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs, since it wasn’t feasible to keep both high-priced guards. With Grubbs having been sent to Kansas City, Evans is poised to stick around, but his contract may still be addressed and modified, per Payton.
There were “four or five teams” talking to the Saints about a potential Jimmy Graham trade, including the Dolphins. Asked about whether last year’s positional battle or contract negotiations involving Graham played a part in the team’s decision to trade the tight end, Payton replied, “Zero. None.” The head coach added that he has spoken to Drew Brees about the deal, and the quarterback handled it fine.
Payton confirmed that free agent DE/OLB Anthony Spencer visited the Saints on Monday, but said there’s nothing to announce at this point.
Payton likes this year’s draft class for wide receivers, and believes the team will take at least one or two defensive linemen or edge defenders in the draft. Adding a tight end, either in free agency or the draft, is also a priority.
General manager Mickey Loomis has begun discussions on a potential long-term contract extension for defensive Cameron Jordan.
Payton believes there’s a good chance Travaris Cadet would have re-signed with the Saints if the club hadn’t added C.J. Spiller in free agency. The head coach added that he had dinner in Los Angeles with Reggie Bush to discuss a potential reunion before signing Spiller, since the team expected Spiller to “end up somewhere else at a higher number.”
Asked about finding a successor for Brees, Payton said he thinks the veteran quarterback has “a lot of good football left,” but he’s open to drafting a QB if there’s value to be had. However, Payton dismissed the idea of trading up for Marcus Mariota, saying that “won’t happen.”
Prior to releasing him, the Saints wanted Curtis Lofton to make some adjustments and improvements to his game, and to take a pay cut, but it didn’t pan out.

Contract Details: Revis, Cromartie, Spiller

March 18th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few notable details from some of the contracts signed by free agents within the last several days:

AFC deals:

Darrelle Revis, CB (Jets): Five years, $70MM base value. $39MM fully guaranteed. Options for 2018 and 2019 (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. Can be worth up to $35MM (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $3.5MM fully guaranteed. $3.125MM cap number in 2015 (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
Tramon Williams, CB (Browns): Three years, $21MM base value. $10MM fully guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due this month (Twitter links via Wilson).
Scott Chandler, TE (Patriots): Two years, $5.3MM base value. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Christian Ponder, QB (Raiders): One year, $2.25MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com).

NFC deals:

C.J. Spiller, RB (Saints): Four years, $16MM. $7.3MM fully guaranteed. $2MM available in escalators. Voids after three years if Spiller makes it to two Pro Bowls (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Rashean Mathis, CB (Lions): Two years, $3.5MM base value. $750K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
Chykie Brown, S (Giants): Two years, $1.8MM base value. $200K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Tyrunn Walker, DT (Lions): One year, $1.75MM base value. $550K signing bonus (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Saints Sign C.J. Spiller

March 13th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

2:31pm: Spiller’s four-year contract is worth $18MM, with $9MM in guaranteed money, including a $5MM signing bonus, according to Getlin (via Twitter). The deal could also void after three years, depending on the running back’s performance.

1:29pm: The Saints have officially announced the arrival of Spiller (Twitter link).

11:53am: As they finalize a deal with the Dolphins to send Kenny Stills to Miami, the Saints have added a piece to their offense. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the club has agreed to terms with running back C.J. Spiller, who will join a backfield that also features Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson. It’s a four-year deal for Spiller, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

Spiller, 27, spent his first five NFL seasons in Buffalo after being selected by the Bills with the ninth overall pick in the 2010 draft. He showed flashes of brilliance during those five years, particularly in 2012, when he racked up 1,244 rushing yards on 6.0 yards per carry, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, his final season with the Bills was marred by injuries, and it became clear the team wouldn’t bring him back after the LeSean McCoy trade.

In New Orleans, Spiller will join a Saints offense that figures to look very different in 2015. While the team decided to retain Ingram, an unrestricted free agent, Jimmy Graham has been traded to the Seahawks, and Stills is on the verge of being dealt to the Dolphins. According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), the Saints are telling their traded players they’re going all-in on building a defense, but the team appears to have found some wiggle room to add one more offensive piece in Spiller.

The addition of Spiller, who ranked 26th on PFR’s list of top 50 free agents, almost certainly eliminates the possibility of the Saints bringing in Reggie Bush, who had received some interest from his old team.

FA Rumors: Spiller, Bowe, Falcons, Ridley

March 13th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

The rumors connecting C.J. Spiller to New Orleans continue to trickle in on Friday. After we heard on Wednesday that the Saints are “in the mix” for the former Bills running back, a Thursday report indicated that the team is “very high” on him. Today, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that strong interest is mutual.

The Saints have already re-signed Mark Ingram to a $4MM annual salary, and were cap-strapped heading into this week, but the team has made a number of cost-cutting moves, and could have more on the way. Spiller will likely command a deal in the same neighborhood as Ingram’s, so it’s possible that New Orleans will have the flexibility to complete such a deal, but nothing’s finalized yet.

Here’s more on free agency:

Following up on a Thursday report which suggested that the Browns have interest in Dwayne Bowe, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) classifies Cleveland’s interest in Bowe as “strong.” Even after adding Brian Hartline in free agency, the Browns are probably in need of at least one more starting wide receiver.
After paying a visit to the Broncos, free agent safety Darian Stewart is headed to Atlanta to visit the Falcons, source tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Denver had been hoping to lock up Stewart to help replace the departing Rahim Moore, but the former Raven continues to weigh his options.
D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds (via Twitter) that the Falcons also plan on bringing in a tight end for a visit today, though it’s not clear exactly who that player will be.
Stevan Ridley and the Cowboys could be a good match on a one-year, prove-it deal, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe adds (via Twitter) that there’s “definitely interest” on both sides, but nothing is brewing at this point. Even if the Cowboys add a veteran free agent at running back, they’ll probably plan on addressing the position in the draft.
Veteran guard Justin Blalock had a good visit with the Lions, and also continues to draw interest from the Rams and Titans, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. We heard earlier in the week that the former Falcons guard had a visit with the Rams on his docket, so perhaps he’s headed to St. Louis next.

Saints Sign Brandon Browner

March 12th, 2015 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

3:58pm: Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) has different numbers. He hears that it’s a three-year, $15MM deal with $10MM guaranteed.

1:46pm: It’s a three-year deal worth roughly $18MM for Browner, says Rapoport (via Twitter).

1:38pm: The Saints have signed Browner to a three-year deal, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.

1:05pm: The Saints are closing in on a deal with with Browner, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), who hears from a source that it’s “almost finished.”

9:49am: As one cornerback expresses his discontent with the team, another corner is getting the hard sell from the Saints this week in free agency, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the Saints have made a “major push” to sign former Patriot Brandon Browner, offering him more than $5MM per year.

Presumably, the Saints would like to add Browner to a secondary that also includes Keenan Lewis, but Browner could also represent an insurance policy for the team if the situation with Lewis isn’t salvageable. The veteran Saints corner indicated earlier this week that he’s uneasy about the moves New Orleans has made, and would like to be released if the club isn’t willing to guarantee the remaining years on his contract.

As for Browner, he hit the unrestricted market earlier this week after the Pats decided not to pick up his option. The veteran corner, who turns 31 in August, appeared in nine regular season games for New England in his suspension-shortened season. He recorded 32 total tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception during that time. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) wasn’t wowed by Browner’s performance in 2014, ranking him No. 79 out of 108 qualified cornerbacks.

Elsewhere on the Saints front, we heard yesterday that the team is in the mix for C.J. Spiller and while that’s not a done deal yet, Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the team is “very high” on the former Bills running back.

Extra Points: Brooks, Johnson, Spiller

March 11th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

There have been whispers that 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks could be a cap casualty, but general manager Trent Baalke made it clear that the player would be back next season.

“There has never been an indication from me otherwise,” Baalke told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “While all that was being written, I just sat back and looked at it because it was speculation based on our cap number and the cash flow that we had leading into free agency. A lot of assumptions were made, but wrongly.”

More notes as we wrap up this Wednesday evening…

The Buccaneers met with Stefen Wisniewski earlier today, but Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the center left Tampa without a deal. In another tweet, Cummings says the team never intended to sign Wisniewski today.
In the meantime, Wisniewski will meet with the Seahawks, reports Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Seattle would be in the market for a center after dealing Max Unger yesterday.
We heard previously that the Saints were in the mix for free agent running back C.J. Spiller. That interest is real, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the former Bills weapon will meet with the organization in New Orleans on Thursday.
Despite the reported interest in the defensive end, Michael Johnson‘s camp won’t start talking to teams until Thursday, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
Yahoo’s Rand Getlin reports (via Twitter) the former 49ers defensive back Perrish Cox will meet with the Titans on Friday. The Browns and Washington have previously shown interest.
Offensive guard Shelley Smith will visit with the Seahawks on Thursday and the Broncos on Friday, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com says (via Twitter) the Falcons are also interested, but haven’t set up an interview.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Saints In Mix For C.J. Spiller; Cowboys Lurking

March 11th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While the DeMarco Murray chase heats up, the market for C.J. Spiller, likely the second-best running back on the board, is beginning to take shape. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Saints are taking advantage of some newfound cap space by entering the mix for Spiller, while the Cowboys “lurk” around the edges.

Presumably, the Cowboys’ involvement in the Spiller sweepstakes hinges on how things with Murray play out. As for the Saints, they’ve already re-signed Mark Ingram, but could view Spiller as a versatile weapon capable of giving them the type of production players like Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles have in the past.

The Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions, and Washington were mentioned over the weekend as potential suitors for Spiller, though reports since then have downplayed the interest of the AFC East teams. Of course, a reunion with the Bills also seems out of the question for the running back, after Buffalo acquired LeSean McCoy.

Jets, Bilal Powell Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2015 at 8:51pm CST by Luke Adams

8:51pm: Powell’s new one-year pact is worth $2MM, with a $750K signing bonus, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).

11:46am: It’s a one-year deal for Powell with the Jets, tweets Mehta.

10:30am: The Jets have agreed to terms with running back Bilal Powell on a new deal that will keep him off the free agent market, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). As Mehta notes (via Twitter), Powell had been contemplating a reunion with Rex Ryan in Buffalo, but ultimately decided to stay with New York.

Powell, 26, has been with the Jets since being selected by the team in the fourth round of the 2011 draft. Although he saw a career-high 176 rushing attempts in 2013, he typically hasn’t been a real work horse for the team, contributing as a pass blocker and a special teams player. In 2014, he generally saw about 10 to 20 offensive snaps per game, recording 141 rushing yards, 92 receiving yards, and six special teams tackles for the season.

Even though they’re not really similar players, Powell’s new deal will likely take the Jets out of the market for C.J. Spiller, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that the team doesn’t have interest in Spiller anyway.

As for the Bills, now that they won’t land Powell, their path toward keeping Fred Jackson becomes easier. In fact, it may have been the team’s decision to keep Jackson on its roster that nudged Powell back to the Jets.

FA Rumors: Carter, Helu, Gresham, McCain

March 10th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is drawing interest on the open market, and he’ll first visit the Buccaneers, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). If he doesn’t sign with Tampa, he’ll head to Houston to meet with the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Here’s more from the free agent front…

The Buccaneers will meet with center Stefen Wisniewski, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Tampa just signed center Evan Dietrich-Smith last offseason so Wisniewski could be viewed as a guard.
Cornerback Tramon Williams will visit with the Saints tonight, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran CB is wrighing a return to Green Bay and has also drawn other interest.
Running back Roy Helu probably won’t be returning to Washington, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), but he does have other suitors, including the Patriots, Raiders, and Jets (link).
The Patriots are interested in another free agent running back, C.J. Spiller, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, but their interest isn’t considered serious.
As we’ve heard earlier, the Raiders want to sign tight end Jermaine Gresham, Caplan (via Twitter) would be surprised if a deal doesn’t get done.
The Vikings were hoping to meet with cornerback Brice McCain, but he’s meeting with a mystery team and taking a physical, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).