HEADLINES

Darren Fells

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/17

March 9th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:

RFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered: 

ERFAs:

Tendered:

Non-Tendered: 

TE Darren Fells Likely To Leave Cardinals?

March 7th, 2017 at 8:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Now that the Cardinals have re-signed Jermaine Gresham to a four-year deal, fellow tight end Darren Fells isn’t expected to return to Arizona, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.Darren Fells

[RELATED: Cards, Chandler Jones Talking Extension]

Fells is a restricted free agent this offseason, and given that he only produced 154 receiving yards in 2016, it’s difficult to imagine the Cardinals would need to use anything other than the original round tender in order to retain him. That tender would cost $1.797MM, however, which may prove too steep for the cap-strapped Cardinals (especially considering Fells’ limited role in the offense).

Theoretically, Arizona could non-tender Fells and subsequently sign him to a cheaper deal, but it’s also possible the lack of interest in a reunion is coming from Fells’ side of the table. Entering his age-31 season, Fells may want to head to a club where he’d occupy a larger offensive presence. Working in Fells’ favor as he potentially seeks a new team is his blocking acumen, as Pro Football Focus gives Fells excellent marks in both the run and pass game.

Cards Re-Sign Darren Fells, Add Shaun Prater

February 1st, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals announced a pair of roster moves today, confirming in a press release that they’ve re-signed tight end Darren Fells and added safety Shaun Prater to their roster. Fells had been an exclusive rights free agent, while Prater had been available on the open market.Darren Fells

Fells, 29, took on a more substantial role in the Cardinals’ offense in 2015, establishing new career highs in receptions (21), receiving yards (311), and touchdowns (three). In the wake of John Carlson‘s retirement, the Cardinals signed Jermaine Gresham as a free agent, and expected continued development from 2014 second-rounder Troy Niklas, but it was Fells who led all Arizona tight ends in catches.

Because Fells only has two accrued NFL seasons under his belt, he was an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that if the Cardinals tendered him a contract offer, he’d have to sign it if he wanted to play in the NFL in 2016. Assuming Fells accrues a third season in ’16, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next winter.

As for Prater, the veteran safety spent time with multiple teams in 2015, and was eventually cut by the Broncos near the end of the regular season. The 26-year-old has appeared in 21 NFL games, but only saw any real action on defense during the 2013 campaign for the Vikings. Prater’s new deal with the Cardinals is likely a reserve/futures contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Kilgore, Carroll, Thompson, Fells

October 20th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers center Daniel Kilgore suffered a broken left leg in a loss against the Broncos one year ago, but his 2015 debut doesn’t appear to be imminent, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. When asked if he could sit out the 2015 season, Kilgore didn’t rule out that scenario.

“I wouldn’t suspect that, but there’s always that possibility,” Kilgore said. “A year ago, I wouldn’t have said I would be in this situation. So you always have that possibility.”

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NFC….

  • Joining a chorus of NFL head coaches who have had to shoot down college rumors in recent weeks, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said that a return to USC is “not happening,” as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
  • Good news for the Panthers: Shaq Thompson appeared to suffer a serious injury on Sunday, but a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) that it turned out to only be a sprained MCL for the rookie linebacker.
  • Cardinals tight end Darren Fells may miss two or three weeks with a sprained shoulder, a source tells ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss (on Twitter). Fells had an MRI on Monday morning to better assess the damage.
  • As we detailed yesterday, the Buccaneers have two players now eligible to begin practicing, and the club announced today that both Demar Dotson (IR-DTR) and Akeem Spence (PUP) will rejoin their teammates on the practice field beginning Tuesday. Tampa Bay will have a three-week window to activate the duo.
  • Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com feels that Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery is worthy of a long-term investment. Jeffery’s performance in Detroit – eight receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown – reinforced his importance to the team in the view of Dickerson, who says Chicago should not let the wideout reach the open market next spring. Dickerson doesn’t view Jeffery as an elite receiver, but he does feel that he is in the next tier, along with guys such as T.Y. Hilton, Mike Wallace, Vincent Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. I’d agree with that assessment, though Jeffery has to stay healthy in order to justify that type of money.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.