FA Rumors: Broncos, Allen, LaFell, Redskins
According to a Denver Post report, the Broncos are considering free agent linebackers Jon Beason and Daryl Smith. However, the report surfaced yesterday before word broke that the team had agreed to sign Aqib Talib and scheduled a visit with DeMarcus Ware, so it’s not clear whether Denver still has interest. The team certainly does seem to be going all-in to try to take advantage of Peyton Manning‘s final years though.
Here are several more Wednesday morning free agency updates:
- The Bears don’t presently appear to be in the mix to sign veteran defensive end Jared Allen, sources tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- While Julian Edelman explores the open market, the Patriots will be hosting another free agent receiver, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that Brandon LaFell will visit New England.
- Free agent cornerback Corey Graham is set to visit the Redskins, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Graham has also reportedly drawn interest from a pair of Washington’s division rivals, the Giants and Eagles.
- The Redskins are also hosting offensive lineman Bruce Campbell, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Lions will host free agent fullback Henry Hynoski on Thursday, says Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- Free agent guard Shelley Smith is visiting with the Giants today, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
- The Bills have announced that free agents Chris Williams (OL) and Nolan Carroll (CB) will be visiting the team today, according to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter).
- Free agent wide receiver Kevin Cone didn’t receive a tender offer from the Falcons and will now be an unrestricted free agent, says D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Defensive end Ronald Talley, who was eligible for restricted free agency, also appears to have gone untendered, having tweeted that he won’t be back with the Cardinals in 2014 (hat tip to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com).
NFC Rumors: Ware, Beason, Mitchell
A look at the NFC..
- DeMarcus Ware has requested the Cowboys decide future before start of free agency signing period today, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN. Werder is unsure of the Cowboys’ response at this time.
- The Giants want to re-sign linebacker Jon Beason but Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that he’s asking for more than Big Blue wants to pay. The Giants have 26 free agents and are alright with letting most of them go, but they’d like to keep the University of Miami product.
- If Donte Whitner goes elsewhere, the 49ers are looking at Panthers safety Mike Mitchell as a backup plan, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Mitchell, 26, had a career high four interceptions to go along with eight pass breakups in 2013.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants
A couple of notes from around the NFC East…
- It appears that the Cowboys are ready to move on from Miles Austin, but there’s a chance DeMarcus Ware could stick around, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Earlier this week, we learned that the Cowboys wanted Ware to take a pay cut.
- The Eagles could be interested in a “game-breaking return specialist” and there should be plenty on the market, says Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com. He mentions Dexter McCluster, Devin Hester and Ted Ginn Jr. as potential fits, with McCluster being the most intriguing.
- In the same article, Sheridan discusses his belief that the Eagles won’t move DeSean Jackson this offseason. He adds that he thinks the team will draft one or two receivers and because of that, there is no guarantee that Jackson is with the team beyond 2014.
- The Eagles won’t overspend on an edge rusher but will certainly look to upgrade at the position, says Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. McLane mentions Mike Neal and O’Brien Schofield as potential targets.
- Following a disappointed season, the Giants don’t seem unwilling to let all 26 of their free agents go, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Vacchiano points out that the team would love to keep linebacker Jon Beason, though.
- The Giants reported interest in Alterraun Verner and other top cornerbacks is for real, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Raanan also refers to the team’s previous interest in Sam Shields.
Giants Notes: Beason, Snee, D’Amato
Let’s round up a few quick items on the Giants, as free agency inches closer….
- Linebacker Jon Beason, who is said to be the Giants’ top free agent priority, has been emailing teams to let them know he’s representing himself, tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. As Schefter notes, the clubs can’t reply yet due to tampering rules. Beason also won’t be able to talk to any teams besides the Giants until Tuesday, since the three-day negotiating window that opens Saturday only applies to player agents talking to rival suitors on behalf of their clients.
- Kimberley Jones of NFL Network hears from a source that a contract agreement between the Giants and offensive lineman Chris Snee “will get done” (Twitter link). Snee and the Giants have mutual interest in the veteran’s return to the team for next season, but are working to reduce his $11.3MM cap number for 2014.
- The Giants have interest in Cal kicker Vincenzo D’Amato, who worked out for the Patriots today, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (link via National Football Post).
NFC East Notes: Giants, Beason, RFAs, Eagles
Already today, we’ve heard that the Redskins are prepared to use their franchise tag on prospective free agent Brian Orakpo, the Eagles have re-signed defensive end Cedric Thornton, and Washington has re-signed safety Jose Gumbs. Let’s round up a few more items out of the NFC East on what’s shaping up to be a busy day….
- Re-signing linebacker Jon Beason is currently the Giants‘ top priority, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. With their focus on Beason, the Giants have yet to formally extend an offer to defensive end Justin Tuck. The team also still has some hope that defensive tackle Linval Joseph will return, but believes he may be too expensive to keep.
- The Giants will not tender restricted free agent fullback Henry Hynoski, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean Hynoski will play elsewhere next season, as it sounds like the team still has interest in bringing him back at a lesser rate.
- Center Jim Cordle, another Giants restricted free agent, also won’t receive a tender offer from the club, a source confirms to Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger (Twitter link). Again, that doesn’t necessarily preclude a return for Cordle.
- Hynoski and Eagles receiver Arrelious Benn are among the new clients for agent Drew Rosenhaus, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. While Hynoski is eligible for free agency, Benn remains under contract with Philadelphia for now. However, the team could create $1MM in cap savings by releasing Benn, who is coming off a torn ACL, so it’s possible he hits free agency at some point.
- With many of their own notable free agents and extension candidates locked up, the Eagles will turn their attention to free agency, writes Phil Sheridan of ESPN.com, identifying safeties Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward as a couple potential targets for Philadelphia.
NFC East Rumors: Cousins, Orakpo, Cowboys
ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported last week that the Redskins don’t plan to move Kirk Cousins, on the heels of another report indicating that the team would seek a second-rounder in any trade. At the time, it looked like an attempt by Washington to regain some leverage in potential talks, and a story from Mark Maske of the Washington Post today lends credence to that idea. Maske hears from “multiple people familiar with the situation” that the Redskins remain open to the possibility of trading Cousins, even if the club isn’t actively pursuing a deal.
“It’s not a case of looking to trade him,” said one of Maske’s sources. “That’s not the situation. But it’s not a case of there being absolutely no interest in a trade under any circumstances, either. It would all depend on what someone might offer.”
Here are a few more updates from around the NFC East, including another note on the Redskins’ backup quarterback:
- Appearing on 106.7 The Fan in Washington recently, Cousins reiterated that he’d like to start, for the Redskins or another team, but downplayed the idea that he’s pushing for a trade or that his desire for a starting job is newsworthy (link via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post).
- Cousins on wanting to start: “If there’s any NFL quarterback who doesn’t want what I just communicated, I would seriously question – as a fan base or as an organization – what good he’s doing for your team. Now that being said, I’m gonna communicate my desire to play in a classy way. I don’t want to do it in a way that’s gonna hurt our organization or reflect poorly on me or the team. But yeah, I absolutely want to play, and that’s not a complicated fact.”
- No deal is imminent for Brian Orakpo and the Redskins, but the two sides are talking and will continue to talk, a person familiar with the negotiations tells Maske.
- Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones suggested that the Cowboys’ cap constraints aren’t as bad as people think. “The only thing the cap issues do with us is we can’t be big players in free agency,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “And I think history will tell you that being a big player in free agency is overrated and usually detrimental to the growth of a franchise, because a lot of these guys are leaving their other team for a reason.”
- While it seems likely that Justin Tuck and Jon Beason will hit the open market on March 11, Giants GM Jerry Reese didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of re-signing them before or after that date, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com explores a few reasons why the Giants won’t feel compelled to extend Eli Manning‘s contract this offseason.
Giants Notes: Nicks, Tuck, Wilson, Beason
Giants Senior Vice President & General Manager Jerry Reese spoke to the media Saturday morning and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post tweeted some of the topics addressed:
- Hakeem Nicks and Justin Tuck will hit the free agent market (via Twitter).
- The team is optimistic about David Wilson‘s neck injury, but will likely select a running back in the draft (Twitter).
- Uncertainty about the health of Chris Snee (wrist) and David Baas (knee) is making offensive line decisions difficult (Twitter).
- Jon Beason, who was acquired in trade last season and recorded 93 tackles and an interception in 11 starts, will become an unrestricted free agent, but the Giants want him back (Twitter).
Panthers Tops In “Dead Money”
Thanks in large part to last season’s trade of Jon Beason, the Panthers have $17.8MM in “dead money,” more than any team in the league, according to ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert (full chart here). “Dead money” is defined as cap space consumed by players no longer on the roster, whether they retired, were released or traded. The numbers will fluctuate as rosters continue to evolve, but listed below are the five teams with at least $10MM worth of “dead money” at present time, including the players accounting for most of the sunk costs:
- Panthers ($17.8MM): Beason ($8MM), Jordan Gross ($5.6MM), James Anderson ($2.8MM)
- Bills ($12.1MM): Ryan Fitzpatrick ($8MM), Mark Anderson ($3MM), Rian Lindell ($1.38MM)
- Cowboys ($11.8MM): Jay Ratliff ($6.9MM), Nate Livings ($2.1MM), Marcus Spears ($1.4mM), Sean Lissemore ($1.2MM)
- Saints ($10.5MM): Roman Harper ($3.7MM), Jabari Greer ($2.7MM), Will Smith ($2.4MM), Garrett Hartley ($1MM)
- Cardinals ($10.1MM): Levi Brown ($6.5MM), Adam Snyder ($3MM)
At the other end of the spectrum, six teams have less than $1MM in “dead money”: Jets, Rams, Buccaneers, Colts, Seahawks and Bengals.