Jerry Hughes - Pro Football Rumors

AFC East Rumors: Revis, Hughes, Powell

March 8th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s not technically a free agent yet, cornerback Darrelle Revis may hit the open market very soon if he can’t work out a new deal with the Patriots. As has been expected all along, Revis’ choice appears to be coming down to the Pats and Jets, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). If New England can’t reach a long-term deal with Revis before Tuesday, and isn’t interested in picking up his 2015 option, the team will have to cut him, opening the door for the star corner to work out a deal that sends him back to New York.

As we wait to see what happens on the Revis front, here are some other items from across the AFC East:

Negotiations between the Bills and pass rusher Jerry Hughes are expected to come to a head today, tweets Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Per Robinson (via Twitter), the Jaguars are a potential outside suitor, but Buffalo remains hopeful of getting something done.
While Brian Hoyer has drawn interest from a handful of clubs, the Jets are one of two suitors – along with the Texans – interested in signing him as a potential starter, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
The Jets would like to re-sign running Bilal Powell, but believe he’s leaning toward a reunion with Rex Ryan in Buffalo, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Dan Graziano of ESPN.com confirms that the Bills have interest in Powell (Twitter link).
The Jets are preparing some contingency plans in the event that Powell doesn’t return to New York, and one possible alternative for the team is Patriots free agent Shane Vereen, according to Mehta (via Twitter).

AFC Rumors: Revis, Hughes, Skrine, Hoyer

March 7th, 2015 at 5:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots have a couple more days to work out a new deal with cornerback Darrelle Revis before they have to either cut him or pick up his option for 2015. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), Revis plans to explore his options on the open market, and if he receives offers comparable to the Pats’ proposal, he’ll return to New England.

Here’s more from around the AFC, with the three-day “legal tampering” window now open:

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports and Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter links) both hear from a source that the Bills are working on re-signing Jerry Hughes, and have made progress. However, Graham says both sides are “very aware” that the clock is ticking, and Robinson suggests other teams may get in on the bidding.
Browns cornerback Buster Skrine has been a popular target in the early hours of free agency. Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via Twitter) that eight teams expressed interest in Skrine during the first three hours of this afternoon’s negotiating window.
At least four teams have shown early interest in Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, a source tells Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com (Twitter link).
The Colts, Texans, Raiders, and Dolphins are among the teams that made preliminary inquiries on Bills safety Da’Norris Searcy today, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.

AFC Mailbags: Bengals, Ravens, Jags, Raiders

February 28th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start with some notes from the AFC…

With Robert Geathers now out of the picture, Coley Harvey believes there’s little chance that the Bengals move on from defensive tackle Domata Peko. While the 30-year-old didn’t have a great 2014 season, the writer opines that he played well at times, and Harvey notes that Peko is viewed as a leader in the locker room.
Considering the Bengals only have A.J. Green‘s future contract to worry about, Harvey could envision the team making a splash in free agency. The writer suggests Greg Hardy and Jerry Hughes as options, but he warns that the duo may prove to be too pricey.
If the Ravens lose out on Justin Forsett in free agency, Jamison Hensley says the team will pursue a running back in both the draft and free agency. The team still hopes to keep the veteran back, though, especially considering his impact on younger players.
Hensley isn’t worried if Torrey Smith ultimately decides to leave Baltimore. When taking a look at potential cap casualties in the wideout market, the writer points to Saints wideout Marques Colston as being an option for the Ravens.
Michael DiRocco says the Jaguars focus heading into free agency is acquiring a wideout, a right tackle and a “pass-catching” tight end. The writer suggest Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga and Julius Thomas for each of the three, respective positions.
Bill Williamson believes the Raiders could trade their first-round pick as they look to compile as many selections as possible.

AFC Notes: Browns, Raiders, Jags

February 27th, 2015 at 10:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Browns made the NFL’s most significant Friday move when they signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to a three-year contract. Aside from a short, red-hot stretch with the Bears in 2013, McCown has never performed like more than a backup during his 12-year career. Combining that with Johnny Manziel‘s on- and off-field issues, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto expects the Browns to make more additions at quarterback this offseason. That said, Pluto would be “stunned” if Brian Hoyer, last year’s starting signal-caller and a pending free agent, returns to Cleveland. Moreover, he doesn’t think the Browns will use a first-round pick on a QB in the upcoming draft.

Here are some other newsworthy items from the AFC, including more on the Browns:

Tom Reed, also of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, opines that the Browns should be interested in Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes if he becomes a free agent in March. Hughes and current Browns head coach Mike Pettine both joined the Bills prior to the 2013 season. Hughes, formerly of the Colts, looked like a first-round bust at the time. With the help of Pettine’s work as the Bills’ defensive coordinator, Hughes racked up 10 sacks to resurrect his career. Pettine subsequently left for Cleveland, but Hughes was still productive without him last year (9.5 sacks). Reed believes that reuniting Hughes with Pettine would improve a Browns defense that finished 27th in the league in sacks in 2014. When Reed asked Hughes about Pettine last summer, the 26-year-old had nothing but praise for his ex-coordinator. “He’s a players’ coach,” said Hughes. “He knows how to have fun when it’s time and he knows when it’s time to get serious and work.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (video link) that tight end Julius Thomas “has no talks scheduled with the Broncos” and will have a “very active market” if he hits free agency next month. According to Rapoport, two teams to watch are the AFC West rival Raiders and the Jaguars. New Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio knows Thomas well from their time in Denver, where Del Rio was the defensive coordinator the last three years. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have plenty of money to spend – OverTheCap.com lists their available space at a league-leading $68.20MM – and are seeking skill-position help. Thomas, who has caught a combined 24 touchdowns the last two seasons, would seemingly provide it.
In a move that will be made official next week, the Raiders informed safety Tyvon Branch of his release Thursday. Branch spent seven years with the Raiders and, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com, he might be the first of many vets on the team’s chopping block. Per Bair, defensive end LaMarr Woodley, quarterback Matt Schaub, running back Maurice Jones-Drew and offensive lineman Kevin Boothe could all be out of Oakland by next season.

La Canfora On Manning, Suh, McCown, Saints

February 25th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Weighing in on two of the biggest offseason stories, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com leads off his latest piece by looking at the Peyton Manning and Ndamukong Suh situations. In La Canfora’s view, Manning will ultimately return to the Broncos after the two sides tweak his contract a little. As for Suh, the CBSSports.com scribe doesn’t have any updates on the Lions‘ talks with the defensive star, but says he thinks the Jaguars and Raiders will be major players. For those teams to be involved in the Suh derby, he’d have to reach the open market, which would mean no long-term deal or franchise tag from Detroit.

La Canfora also passes along plenty more tidbits related to free agency, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

When it comes to the market’s top pass rushers, La Canfora thinks Pernell McPhee can reach $10MM per year, with Jerry Hughes in the $9MM range, and Brandon Graham and Jason Worilds around $7.5MM. La Canfora also believes that all four of those players will join new teams next month.
Free agent quarterback Josh McCown is expected to decide on his new team later this week or early next week, and could land another deal worth $5MM annually. The Bills and Browns look like the best bets for McCown, according to La Canfora.
The Saints are working through contract issues with about a half-dozen players on their roster, sources tell La Canfora. If things work out the way the team hopes, Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, and Curtis Lofton would likely stick around on reduced salaries, while Ben Grubbs, Brodrick Bunkley, and David Hawthorne could be let go. As for Junior Galette, La Canfora is hearing that head coach Sean Payton has “expressed a desire” to part ways with him, following his January arrest. However, Galette’s contract still contains a sizeable chunk of guaranteed money, and the team likely can’t void those guarantees.
Percy Harvin probably won’t accept a pay cut from the Jets, which means the team will likely cut him. La Canfora expects the wideout to gamble himself in free agency, signing a one-year deal with a team that has a good quarterback in place.
The Jaguars will be seeking a top pass catcher, and La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if the team lands a player like Randall Cobb or Julius Thomas. Per La Canfora, the Packers recognize Cobb’s market could get out of hand, and may focus on re-signing other key free agents, like Bryan Bulaga and Letroy Guion.
Chiefs center Rodney Hudson came very close to signing a four-year extension worth $6MM per year during the season. He’s a good bet to exceed that amount in free agency, and the Raiders are one viable suitor.
La Canfora anticipates the Ravens will work out a restructured deal with Lardarius Webb, but isn’t as certain about Haloti Ngata, who may play for a new team in 2015.
The Jets would have interest in Ryan Mallett if he reaches the open market. However, the Texans have made their interest in the quarterback clear, and Mallett himself said today that he’d like to return to Houston (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).

AFC East Notes: Bills, Hughes, Pats, Dolphins

February 20th, 2015 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills are trying to work out a new agreement with pass rusher Jerry Hughes to keep him in Buffalo in 2015 and beyond, but the club would prefer not to resort to the franchise tag, as GM Doug Whaley explained this week, per John Kryk of the Toronto Sun.

“We’re trying to avoid that.” Whaley said. “Because we’re trying to get him long-term for sure … so they (can say), hey, we got a good deal, and we say as the Buffalo Bills we got a good deal.”

As Kryk points out, the franchise tag for Hughes would likely work out to close to $15MM for one year, which would mean the Bills would be paying their four defensive lineman nearly $50MM in 2015, which seems somewhat unpalatable. Restructuring Mario Williams‘ deal could provide a little cap relief, but Whaley said that’s not something the team is consider right now, though “it’s something in our back pocket.”

Let’s check out a few more notes from around the AFC East….

Although the Bills are trying to re-sign C.J. Spiller, the team is also eyeing running backs, preparing for the possibility that Spiller departs in free agency, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. Whaley expressed enthusiasm about the depth at running back in this year’s draft, but also didn’t rule out adding a back in free agency.
Unsurprisingly, Darrelle Revis continues to be the Patriots‘ No. 1 priority, writes Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. According to Howe, while New England explores the possibility of reaching a new agreement with the cornerback, the team is being deliberate with its other offseason objectives.
The Dolphins have met with the representatives for their own pending free agents this week, but there’s nothing major to report yet on that front, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.

AFC Notes: Ngata, Bills, Spiller, Chargers

February 19th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Speaking to Luke Jones of WNST.net, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed plenty of confidence that Baltimore will get a new deal worked out with defensive lineman Haloti Ngata. In all likelihood, the two sides will come to an agreement that reduces Ngata’s $16MM cap number for 2015, and extends his contract beyond the coming season. Of course, the two sides were also working on a new deal last offseason but those talks did not prove to be fruitful. More from the AFC..

Appearing today on WGR 550, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said the team has sent a proposal to Jerry Hughes‘ representatives, who countered with a proposal of their own (link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). There’s an “open line of communication” between the two sides, according to Whaley, who said he’s meeting with Bills VP of football administration Jim Overdof today to determine if the club is close to anything with Hughes.
Whaley will meet with C.J. Spiller‘s representatives in Indianapolis to try and hammer out a new deal with the Bills, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com writes. The rival Jets have been heavily connected to the tailback.
Whaley indicated that if linebacker Brandon Spikes wants an every-down role, it probably won’t happen with the Bills. “So that one’s going to be more of, ‘Hey, do you want to come back and be a one-, two-down player, or do you want to try to go out there and see if you can [be] an every-down player?” Whaley said of Spikes in an interview with John Murphy of BuffaloBills.com (audio link).
As expected, the Chargers won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, general manager Tom Telesco said today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers had been the most viable candidates, but as I wrote last month, a franchise-tag salary would be an overpay for either player.
If Raiders owner Mark Davis has to move the team to the NFC to make the move to Los Angeles happen, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) doesn’t see that being a deterrent. On Thursday, the Raiders and Chargers announced a plan to build a shared stadium in the Los Angeles area.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: McCourty, Jets, JPP, Eagles

February 16th, 2015 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

Titans cornerback Jason McCourty likes the idea of playing in the same secondary as his twin brother, and tells Dan Duggan of NJ.com that he hopes to get a chance to recruit Devin McCourty, even while acknowledging it’ll be hard to get the safety out of New England.

“As March closes in he’ll get a chance to see what New England wants to do, and I know he wants to be back there. He feels like that’s home. I think that’s where he’ll want to play his entire career,” the Titans defensive back said of his brother, adding: “You know how the business side of it goes. We’ll see. If he becomes a free agent, I’ll be doing everything in my power to try to get him to Tennessee.”

For his part, Devin admits that he’s “excited” to see how the free agent process will play out. The 27-year-old safety is a viable candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Patriots sometime in the next two weeks.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

Taking a look at the Jets‘ options as they explore adding a quarterback, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com notes that the team has an “interesting name” on its radar: Sam Bradford. The Rams have made it clear they’d like to bring back the former No. 1 overall pick, assuming he’s willing to rework his contract, but if Bradford isn’t willing to take a significant pay cut, it’s possible he’ll hit the open market and join a weak class of free agent QBs.
As of the start of the month, the Giants and the reps for Jason Pierre-Paul had yet to exchange contract numbers, and nothing has changed on that front as of today, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan writes that the next two weeks will be “vital” to JPP’s potential future in New York as the team decides whether or not to use its franchise tag on the defensive end.
If the Eagles can’t find a quality safety in free agency to complement Malcolm Jenkins, it’s possible the team will bring back Nate Allen, but it feels like that relationship has run its course, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. McManus expects the Eagles to address the hole in its secondary in either free agency or the draft, rather than promoting an in-house option to the starting lineup.
Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News examines the Bills‘ chances of keeping pass rusher Jerry Hughes on their roster, estimating that the team would likely have to pay Hughes a deal worth $8MM per year, with up to $20MM in guaranteed money.

AFC East Links: Harvin, Hughes, Patriots

February 11th, 2015 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

In examining New York’s wide receiving corps, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes that Percy Harvin “clearly” isn’t a $10MM-per-year player, but concedes that the Jets could probably afford to pay him like one, given their excess of cap room. Still, he doesn’t expect the club to overpay out of desperation, suggesting that Harvin will likely be cut by March 19 — that’s the deadline for the Jets to release the wideout without losing their fourth-round pick to Seattle. The Seahawks would receive a sixth-rounder if New York drops Harvin by March 19.

Here’s more from out of the AFC East:

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter links), Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes addressed his upcoming free agency, suggesting that returning to Buffalo is his first choice and that he wouldn’t necessarily be disappointed with the franchise tag, since it would provide a substantial financial reward for at least one year.
In the view of Tom Curran of CSNNE.com, it’s “absolutely imperative” that the Patriots find a way to keep safety Devin McCourty, though Curran acknowledges that the safety market has “gone through the roof” in recent years. The Pats will have to strongly consider using the franchise tag on McCourty, says Curran.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe also touches on McCourty’s situation in a more in-depth look at some of the key offseason decisions facing the Patriots, writing that the club should franchise McCourty, then try to work out a longer-team deal. Volin also suggests extending Darrelle Revis, re-signing Stephen Gostkowski, and restructuring the contracts of Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, and Danny Amendola. As for the running backs, the Boston Globe scribe thinks New England should try to bring back Stevan Ridley on a one-year, make-good deal, and should walk away from Shane Vereen unless he’s willing to sign a team-friendly pact.

AFC Links: Manning, Ngata, Hughes, Incognito

February 6th, 2015 at 10:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

Even with a coaching change and big decisions to make on Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas, the Broncos’ offseason will more or less be about whether or not Peyton Manning returns in 2015.

If Tony Dungy is correct, Manning will be back next year, according to the Associated Press on IndyStar.com.

“I was with him last week and he didn’t give me any indication one way or another, but he certainly didn’t say anything to me that led me to believe he wouldn’t be playing,” said Dungy. “My gut feeling is that he’ll be back unless he really has a health-related problem. He enjoys the team. He enjoys his teammates. I think he really wants to come back and play well and not let that be the last game of his career.”

Here are some more links from around the AFC:

The Ravens have asked star defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to restructure his contract in the past, but for the first time they have leverage to make such a request this offseason, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. Ngata is owed $8.5MM in base salary and will count for $16MM against the cap. Considering the Ravens need to free up money for free agency, the declining Ngata could have to look for a new team if he refuses to restructure his deal, and coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, the team holds all the cards.
The top priority for the Bills this winter should be figuring out a way to bring back Jerry Hughes, who has developed into one of the league’s most productive pass rushers, writes Jason Fitzgerald in his preview of Buffalo’s offseason at OverTheCap.com.
The Bills will host Richie Incognito for an official visit and physical on Saturday, reports James Walker of ESPN (via Twitter). Incognito has not played since being suspended as part of the bulling investigation with the Dolphins. The team needs help at guard, with Erik Pears and Kraig Urbik unlikely to return to the team, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN (via Twitter). The meeting may be merely a formality, as the team is expected to sign Incognito should he pass his physical, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter).
Cornerback Curtis Brown, a former Steelers third-round pick, will have a workout with the Jets on Tuesday, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Malcolm Butler may be a Super Bowl hero, but the undrafted Patriots cornerback isn’t going to get hung up on one play. He is already concerned with continuing to improve and become a fixture in the NFL, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. “I’m going to probably enjoy this moment, I’ll never forget it,” said Butler. “Probably for a couple more days or whatever, however it dies down. Have a little time to relax and then get back to work and just try to prove my point that this one play doesn’t [define] me. I don’t want to be known as a great player for one play, so I’ve got more to prove. So, I’ll have a little relax time and get back to work.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.