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Justin Tuck

Raiders Sign Justin Tuck To Two-Year Deal

March 13th, 2014 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

2:18pm: The Raiders have signed Tuck, the team officially announced (Twitter link).

2:05pm: After giving the Giants a chance to improve their offer, Justin Tuck will part ways with the team and is headed west to Oakland, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Schefter reports that Tuck has accepted a two-year, $11MM deal with the Raiders.Justin Tuck

Tuck has spent the first nine years of his NFL career with the Giants, and it sounds as if he was interested in continuing his tenure in New York. However, with New York unwilling to match the Raiders’ offer, Tuck will join an Oakland team that is also attempting to sign LaMarr Woodley and Jason Hatcher, among others.

While we heard yesterday that there were more teams in play for Tuck besides the Giants and Raiders, no other specific suitors were identified. A report earlier in the week suggested Tuck’s best offer was $3MM per season, so it seems his market improved a little over the last couple days — perhaps as a result of DeMarcus Ware‘s unexpectedly large three-year deal with the Broncos.

Although he’ll turn 31 this month, Tuck has continued to produce in recent seasons, racking up 11 sacks and forcing a pair of fumbles in 2013. He also received an impressive grade as a run-stopper, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which placed him seventh among 52 qualified 4-3 defensive ends last season. Tuck will help fill the defensive end void created in Oakland when Lamarr Houston agreed to sign with the Bears.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Visits: Woodley, Munnerlyn, Browner

March 13th, 2014 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie and head coach Dennis Allen were out to dinner with edge defenders LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck Wednesday night with the Raiders, and things are moving in the right direction with both players, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). Here’s more from around the NFL on free agent visits:

  • While it sounds as if Woodley’s meeting with the Raiders went well, the ex-Steeler is on his way to Tennessee to meet with the Titans today, tweets Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com.
  • Panthers free agent cornerback Captain Munnerlyn visited the Vikings last night and also has appointments planned with the Jets and Buccaneers, tweets Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • After reaching an agreement yesterday with ex-Buc Darrelle Revis, the Patriots will host another free agent cornerback for a visit today, according to Mark Ockerbloom of Fox 25 Boston, who tweets that Brandon Browner will meet with the team.
  • Defensive lineman Anthony Spencer is visiting the Redskins, according to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News.
  • The Panthers brought free agent defensive back Roman Harper in for a visit, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
  • Free agent linebacker Darryl Sharpton is meeting with the Titans today, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Lions are hosting free agent safety James Ihedigbo for a visit, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who notes (via Twitter) that Ihedigbo has a history with new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

NFC East Rumors: Ayers, Wendell, Tuck

March 12th, 2014 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the NFC East..

  • The Cowboys are interested in defensive end Robert Ayers, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com. However, no visit has been scheduled with the Broncos free agent. Ayers, 28, registered a career-high 5.5 sacks in 15 games (3 starts) last season for Denver.
  • Center Ryan Wendell is a name to watch for the Giants, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN. Pro Football Focus’ metrics weren’t kind to Wendell in 2013, placing him 33rd out of 36 eligible centers.
  • There are more teams in play for free agent Justin Tuck than the Raiders and Giants, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Tuck has been a staple in New York for the last nine seasons but this could be the winter that he winds up somewhere else. Last season, Tuck recorded 11.0 sacks and appeared in all 16 games, starting in 15 of those contests.

Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley Visiting Raiders

March 12th, 2014 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

10:57am: In addition to Tuck and Woodley, defensive linemen Henry Melton and B.J. Raji are receiving interest from the Raiders, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). However, Tafur thinks Melton will end up landing with the Cowboys.

8:15am: The Raiders lost a key edge defender in free agency yesterday when Lamarr Houston agreed to a lucrative long-term deal with the Bears, but Oakland will bring in a pair of intriguing free agents as the team considers alternatives. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), veteran pass rushers Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley will visit with the Raiders today.

The Raiders entered the offseason with more available cap space than any other team, and while the team has invested heavily in a pair of offensive linemen (Rodger Saffold, Austin Howard), Oakland should still have plenty of financial flexibility to add talent on both sides of the ball.

Tuck, who recorded 11 sacks last season, doesn’t seem to be attracting a whole lot of serious interest so far. One report yesterday suggested that there was a suitor willing to pay him $3MM per season, which is a fairly modest price for the longtime Giant, who may be more inclined to return to New York if he doesn’t receive a significant offer.

As for Woodley, he became a cap casualty in Pittsburgh after a couple disappointing and injury-plagued seasons with the Steelers. However, now that he’s no longer attached to a $13MM+ cap number, he could provide much better value for a new team. Woodley will turn 30 during the 2014 season, while Tuck turns 31 later this month.

NFC Rumors: Sproles, Tuck, Suh, Watson

March 11th, 2014 at 1:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Let’s check on the latest miscellaneous notes from around the NFC….

  • The Saints are set to cut Darren Sproles today, but they are still holding out hope on trading him, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There are more than ten teams interested in the diminutive tailback if he’s cut free, so it’s conceivable that they could find a trade partner.
  • Justin Tuck‘s exploration of the free agent market may end up with him returning to the Giants, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears that one team was willing to pay Tuck $3MM per year, but the veteran defensive end would prefer to remain in New York at that price.
  • Talks have yet to start between the Lions and Ndamukong Suh on reworking his deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The thinking previously was that Detroit had to re-work the deal before the start of free agency but that’s not the case.
  • Buccaneers linebacker Dekoda Watson is likely to sign elsewhere at the start of free agency, a league source tells Mike Florio.
  • The Bears would like to bring back cornerback/special teams player Sherrick McManis, but the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons could be in play as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • With Donte Whitner set to leave the 49ers, San Francisco could turn to safety Ryan Mundy as a fallback, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
  • Free agent left tackle Jared Veldheer has fired his agent in order to hire his brother, James Veldheer, as his new agent, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Veldheer is expected to sign with the Cardinals.
  • The Redskins are monitoring Kenny Britt, who could be had on a reasonable deal in a soft market, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Of course, the Redskins’ likely deal with Andre Roberts lessens their need for Britt.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack

March 10th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest on the free agent front:

  • Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
  • Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
  • The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
  • With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
  • Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
  • The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
  • Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
  • The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Giants Made Offer To Justin Tuck

March 8th, 2014 at 1:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

While defensive end Justin Tuck will have his opportunity to test free agency, the Giants have made him an offer in the hopes the Super Bowl winning pass rusher will return, reports Jordan Rannan of NJ.com. It is believed the offer was made some point during the last week, but no deal was struck between the two parties.

Tuck had 11 sacks last year, and is a part of a free agent class at a position that includes Michael Bennett, Jared Allen, Michael Johnson, Lamarr Houston, and Everson Griffen.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that at this point, it is unclear if the offer makes the Giants serious contenders to retain Tuck’s services in 2014, or if it is just an empty offer so the team can claim they tried to keep the 31-year-old defensive end.

Tuck’s agent stated that his client is the most complete player at the position in this free agency class, and in our own Luke Adams’ preview of the top 25 free agents, Tuck was among eight players who “just missed the cut.”

NFC East Notes: Giants, Beason, RFAs, Eagles

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

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

February 24th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

NFC Notes: Ware, Orakpo, Giants, Gilbert

February 23rd, 2014 at 5:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

One of the biggest questions yet to be answered for the Cowboys this offseason is what to do with DeMarcus Ware, and team owner Jerry Jones said a decision needs to be made, writes Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram. Due to his high salary and his decline due to injuries, Ware is likely either to be cut or possibly to take a pay cut. While the Cowboys would struggle if they lose their top defensive player, Ware has not been open to taking a pay cut but would be willing to restructure his contract. Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:

  • Redskins’ general manager Bruce Allen isn’t the only member of the organization who has publicly stated his desire to see Brian Orakpo return, writes Tarik El Bashir of CSNWashington.com. Head coach Jay Gruden also expressed his feelings about the team’s star pass rusher. “As a free agent, he’s the top priority for us. We’d love to get Brian back,” said Gruden. “But there’s a lot of issues at hand on our team. We’re evaluating every free agent that’s on our team, and that’s out there in the National Football League very hard, and we’ll make those decisions when they come up.”
  • Giants general manager Jerry Reese said that he is content to allow both Justin Tuck and Hakeem Nicks test the free agent market this offseason, writes Glenn Minnis of XN Sports. “You never know,” said Reese. “We keep all of our options open. Both of those guys, they deserve to see what the market is.” Tuck and Nicks were among the best players on the team’s 2011 Super Bowl roster, but neither are expected to return to the team in 2014.
  • The Eagles need to bolster a secondary that struggled against the pass in 2013, and the team could target Justin Gilbert of Oklahoma State in the first round of the NFL Draft, writes Matt Kelley of Rant Sports. He believes that Gilbert could immediately upgrade the corner position, bringing the talent the team thought they were getting when they signed Cary Williams. Kelley would be surprised if the Eagles passed on Gilbert should he be available at pick 22.
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