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Olivier Vernon

Dolphins Rescind Olivier Vernon’s Transition Tag

March 9th, 2016 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins have pulled the transition tag from defensive end Olivier Vernon, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team will no longer have the right of first refusal on Vernon, allowing him to become a true unrestricted free agent.Olivier Vernon

The move comes in the wake of the Dolphins’ signing of defensive end Mario Williams. Assuming the team intends to keep Cameron Wake as well, as has been reported, it didn’t make sense to carry all three defensive ends on significant contracts, making Vernon – and his $12.734MM transition tag – the odd man out.

In addition to clearing more than $12MM from their cap, the Dolphins now assure that they’ll receive a compensatory pick in 2017 for Vernon. Depending on the sort of contract he signs, Miami could be in line for a pick as high as a third-rounder as compensation for losing the young defensive end.

Vernon, 25, is coming off a season in which he recorded 7.5 sacks to go along with 61 tackles. While his counting stats weren’t eye-popping, Vernon ranked as the league’s third-best edge defender according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller.

In his first four seasons in the NFL, Vernon has notched a total of 29 sacks, including a career-best 11.5 in 2013. Since he won’t turn 26 until October, the former third-round pick should have plenty of prime seasons left, which will make him a very appealing target for some of the many NFL teams in need of pass-rush help. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Giants, Falcons, Jaguars, and Cardinals are among the teams “very interested” in pass rushers, making them potential suitors for Vernon.

Teams aren’t allowed to negotiate with the representatives for transition players during the legal tampering period, so now that Vernon’s tag has been lifted, his reps can begin seeking out a new deal for their client.

Vernon ranked as the top free agent in our top 50 list.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: McLeod, Vernon, Steelers, Sweezy

March 9th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

Safety Rodney McLeod is one of the top young safeties set to hit the market today, and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that the Ravens are a “strong contender” for the Rams’ free-agent-to-be.

While the Ravens could use some help at free safety, since Kendrick Lewis didn’t prove in 2015 that he’s the long-term answer and Lardarius Webb doesn’t have much experience at safety. But the idea that Baltimore would make a play for someone like McLeod is surprising, since the team typically doesn’t foray too aggressively into free agency, and doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility.

As we wait to see if anything comes of the Ravens’ apparent interest in McLeod, let’s check in on a few other free agent rumors….

  • In an interesting piece for TheMMQB.com, defensive end Olivier Vernon, one of the top free agents available, acknowledges that he “probably” won’t be back with the Dolphins in 2016.
  • With Heath Miller having retired, the Steelers are exploring the tight end free agent market, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Coby Fleener, Ladarius Green, and Jared Cook are names worth monitoring for Pittsburgh.
  • Over a half-dozen teams remain in the mix for offensive lineman J.R. Sweezy, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who tweets that the Broncos are worth keeping an eye on.
  • Offensive tackle Bobby Massie has received interest from the Bears and Giants, but his market isn’t up to $8MM per year yet, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. A Monday report indicated that Massie could end up landing a deal in that range.
  • The Rams are intent on trying to re-sign defensive end William Hayes, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, Hayes has a “nice market,” but wouldn’t rule out a return to the Rams.
  • The Bears resumed negotiations on Tuesday with tight end Zach Miller, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Miller’s reported asking price of $5MM per year, which seemed outrageous a few weeks ago, doesn’t look quite as far-fetched after Dwayne Allen got $7MM+ annually from the Colts.

Extra Points: Hasselbeck, Powell, Vernon

March 8th, 2016 at 10:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Former Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is set to join the cast of ESPN’s Sunday Countdown, sources tell Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead, who adds that a retirement announcement from Hasselbeck could come as soon as tomorrow. Indianpolis informed Hasselbeck that it would not re-sign him late last month:

More from around the league before the craziness starts tomorrow:

  • The Patriots are interested in free agent running back Bilal Powell, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets, Powell’s club for the duration of his career, already lost one RB earlier tonight when Chris Ivory agreed to sign with the Jaguars.
  • Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports is the latest to confirm rumors that the Dolphins may rescind Olivier Vernon‘s franchise tag, noting that if the club works out an extension with Cameron Wake, Vernon could become an unrestricted free agent.
  • Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo underwent successful collarbone surgery and is expected to recover within six-to-eight weeks, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

AFC Rumors: Vernon, A. Jones, J. Freeman

March 8th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Alex Marvex of FOX Sports is “getting strong vibes” from NFL sources that the Dolphins will rescind defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s transition tag at some point (Twitter link). Vernon could be expendable given that Miami signed Mario Williams and plans to keep Cameron Wake.

Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald agrees that the Fins could rescind the tag, and also reports that a league source expects Vernon to sign a long-term deal with another club in the next few days, and the Dolphins aren’t expected to be able to match. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also chimes in, noting that he hears Miami hasn’t made a decision on Vernon yet.

Here’s the latest on the AFC free agent scene:

  • The Jets are no longer in contention for free agent corner Adam Jones, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
  • The Chiefs are “poking around” on free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Freeman could serve as a potential replacement for Derrick Johnson, who is also a free agent.
  • Elsewhere in Kansas City, it looks like Chiefs corner Sean Smith will hit the open market, per Robinson (Twitter link), and the Raiders could be one potential suitor.
  • Despite receiving interest from other clubs, receiver Travis Benjamin is still in play for the Browns, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
  • Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com believes the Titans are interested in receiver Rishard Matthews — it’s a little unclear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating, but it sounds like there could be a link.
  • Free agent safety Tavon Wilson will not return to the Patriots, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. the former second-round pick has been in New England since 2012.

AFC Rumors: Penn, Jags, Vernon, Incognito

March 8th, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders free agent left tackle Donald Penn says he has not closed the door on coming back to Oakland, as Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes.

“I’ve been open with my plan. My plan is to be a Raider,” Penn told NFL Network. “We’re trying to figure out of the feeling is mutual. They tell me it is. They made a great signing, that’s a great pickup for Derek Carr and everybody., We’re going to see what’s going to happen. Only time is going to tell. The good thing is I’m showing interest from other teams.”

The latest from the AFC:

Dolphins In Lead For Mario Williams

March 8th, 2016 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins are the “clear front-runners” in the Mario Williams sweepstakes, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Miami is expected to make a push on Tuesday to get something done with the veteran pass rusher, who doesn’t have to wait until Wednesday to sign. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report adds (via Twitter) that the two sides appear to be nearing a deal.Mario Williams (vertical)

2015 was an ugly season for Williams, who didn’t mesh well with Rex Ryan and the new head coach’s defensive scheme, and was accused of displaying a lack of effort at times. Williams is only a year removed from an All-Pro season in which he piled up 14.5 sacks though, so even though he turned 31 in January, he likely still has something left in the tank.

A Monday report indicated that Williams told teams he would sign right away if he received an offer worth $10MM annually. If the Dolphins are confident about signing him, I’d imagine the team’s proposal will approach that figure — Cole suggests it may be worth in the neighborhood of $8MM per year.

The Dolphins have been very active within the last week or so, creating cap space by restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s and Jordan Cameron‘s contracts and by cutting Greg Jennings, among other moves. However, the team is also set to add Byron Maxwell‘s salary in a team with the Eagles, and has Olivier Vernon in limbo on a transition tag worth nearly $13MM.

It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins keeping both Vernon and Cameron Wake on the roster a their current prices if the team gets something done with Williams. It remains to be seen whether that might mean removing the transition tag from Vernon or addressing Wake’s contract via restructure or release.

The Giants and Jaguars are among the other teams with reported interest in Williams, though a report this morning suggested New York was a long shot.

Here’s more on the Dolphins:

  • The Dolphins are in conversations with a few veteran free agent guards, including Alex Boone of the 49ers, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Jackson observes that Boone has a good relationship with new Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster, who was in San Francisco last season.
  • A source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that Jordan Cameron‘s contract restructure with the Dolphins will reduce his 2016 earnings to $6MM, adding no extra years to the end of the deal.
  • It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that free agent running back Lamar Miller will re-sign with the Dolphins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cole’s Latest: Harrison, Vernon, Mack, Ayers

March 7th, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s legal tampering period underway for 2016, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has passed along several noteworthy free agent rumors. Let’s round up the highlights…

  • While plenty of teams will have interest, the Titans appear to be the club most willing to meet Damon Harrison‘s asking price, according to Cole (video link). The Jets would love to retain their standout nose tackle, but given all the suitors expected to be in play, the price will be high. That may be an issue for the Jets, who have already committed $15MM+ to Muhammad Wilkerson.
  • The Dolphins may ultimately decide to pull the transition tag they placed on defensive end Olivier Vernon last week, says Cole (video link). As Cole explains, if the Dolphins decide not to match an offer sheet for Vernon, the pass rusher wouldn’t factor into the compensatory pick formula for 2017, since only departing unrestricted free agents can earn teams extra picks. So if Miami senses the bidding on Vernon will be too high, the team may surrender its right to match an offer, in order to regain the $12MM+ in cap room and line itself up for a mid-round 2017 comp pick.
  • Free agent center Alex Mack has generated “extensive interest” from the Falcons, per Cole (video link). Cole says the Jaguars, who signed Mack to an offer sheet in 2014, don’t have as much interest this time around, and adds that the Rams have expressed some interest, but aren’t expected to be serious contenders.
  • The “rumor late last week” was that defensive end Robert Ayers was looking for $10MM per year from the Giants, tweets Cole. While it’s possible that was Ayers’ starting point in negotiations, it seems extremely unlikely that he’d actually land that kind of salary. Ayers had a strong year in 2015, but it’s the first time he had more than 5.5 sacks in a season, and he’ll be turning 31 this year.
  • Cole confirms (video link) that the Raiders and 49ers will both be in the mix for the top cornerbacks on the free agent market, including Sean Smith and Janoris Jenkins.

Free Agency Rumors: Osweiler, Vernon, Miller

March 7th, 2016 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are expected to make a competitive offer to Brock Osweiler in both guaranteed money and per-year average salary, an NFL source tells Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Recently, the Broncos reportedly upped their offer to Osweiler, submitting one that’s worth more than $45MM over three years. From the sound of it, Houston might be ready to top that. A source tells Robinson that a $15-$16MM per year average for Osweiler will be a legitimate number for his market (link).

Here are the latest free agency rumors:

  • We can expect the market for Olivier Vernon to include the Giants, Raiders, Jaguars, Browns, and Titans, Robinson tweets. Vernon was hit with the transition tag by the Dolphins earlier this month and he currently stands to earn $12.734MM on a one-year contract in 2016. However, if he signs an offer sheet that the Dolphins decline to match, they will lose him for nothing as they did with Charles Clay one year ago.
  • Dolphins running back Lamar Miller will hit the open market when free agency opens, a source close to the player tells Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald. Miller, 24, ran for 872 yards off of 184 carries with eight touchdowns in 2015. Miller is hoping to land a deal similar to DeMarco Murray‘s pact, but Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears his market is in the $4-5MM range rather than $8MM.
  • Doug Martin‘s market includes at least six teams, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
  • The Ravens are bracing for Kelechi Osemele to leave, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Florio adds that while it has been speculated that the offensive lineman could get $11MM/year on the open market, some think the number will be closer to $9MM.
  • Chris Long‘s first visit will be to Washington tomorrow, Trey Wingo of ESPN.com tweets.
  • There’s mutual interest between Washington and cornerback Will Blackmon about a return in 2016, Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic tweets.
  • Texans free agent guard Brandon Brooks could be in line for a deal in the range of $8MM per season, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears. He adds that multiple teams are interested.

Dolphins Notes: Cameron, Vernon, Wake

March 6th, 2016 at 1:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins have approached tight end Jordan Cameron about restructuring his contract, reports Rand Getlin of NFL Network (Twitter links). Because Cameron is in the final year of his deal, Miami doesn’t have the option of converting any of his base salary into a signing bonus and spreading it across future seasons. Therefore, any reworking of the deal would likely involve a paycut, but Getlin adds that any reduction in Cameron’s overall compensation would probably be minor. Cameron, 27, currently has a $9.5MM cap charge for 2016.

Here are a few more notes out of South Beach, courtesy of Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald…

  • The Dolphins placed the transition tag on defensive end Olivier Vernon, meaning he stands to earn $12.734MM on a one-year contract in 2016. And while Miami has the option match any offer that Vernon gets on the open market, Jackson writes that if another signs Vernon to an offer sheet with an annual value that exceeds that $12.7MM figure, the Dolphins may simply let him walk, and use that money to sign two free agent defensive ends.
  • Miami’s other starting end from 2015 — veteran Cameron Wake — is reportedly in talks to restructure his deal, but negotiations have not gone smoothly. Wake is 34 years old and due a $9.8MM cap figure in 2016, but per Jackson, the Dolphins have not threatened to release Wake if he doesn’t agree to a pay reduction. Additionally, the club has told one NFL official that Wake is in the team’s 2016 plans, and that they’d like for him to retire as a Dolphin.
  • Free agent Mario Williams was in town visiting the Dolphins yesterday, but Jackson cautions that the 31-year-old may be on a “sharp decline,” citing Williams’ lackluster numbers in Buffalo last season.

FA Notes: Winslow, Hali, Evans, Fitzpatrick

March 5th, 2016 at 11:38am CST by Ben Levine

In January, former first-round pick Kellen Winslow tweeted that he was focused on an NFL comeback. The 32-year-old confirmed this sentiment when he appeared on SiriusXM NFL Radio this week.

“My body feels good enough to come back and play at a high level, even better I think because I’m just a little wiser,” Winslow said (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). “It was good to get away from the game just to work on me. I want to be a better player than I was before. I think I can.”

Winslow has caught 469 passes for 5,236 yards and 25 touchdowns during his ten-year career, but he hasn’t played an NFL game since 2013. Let’s check out some more notes regarding some of the league’s notable free agents…

  • The Chiefs didn’t ink impending free agent Tamba Hali prior to the March 4th deadline, meaning the outside linebacker’s contract was automatically voided. According to Terez A. Paylor of KansasCity.com, the Chiefs will be charged $4MM against the cap, even if the 32-year-old ends up returning.
  • Jerrold Colton, the agent for former Saints guard Jahri Evans, told 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia (including Geoff Mosher) that his client “has [a] good chance” to sign a contract prior to the start of free agency.
  • Sam Bradford‘s new deal with the Eagles could have an impact on Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s future contract, writes ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Since the Jets presumably wouldn’t want to commit to the 33-year-old longterm, the writer wonders if the quarterback could secure a similar two-year deal.
  • ESPN’s James Walker mentions three potential destinations for free agent defensive end Olivier Vernon: the Jaguars, Giants, and Cowboys.
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