Terence Newman - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Contract Details: Starks, Galette, Mathis

March 18th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are several of the latest contract details on deals which were agreed upon or signed within the last week. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated.

NFC North:

James Starks, RB (Packers): Two years, $6MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. $300K in annual per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $600K in annual Pro Bowl and rushing-yard incentives (Twitter link).
Andre Smith, T (Vikings): One year, $3.5MM. $500K of $2.5MM base salary guaranteed. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $1MM in playing-time and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link).
Terence Newman, CB (Vikings): One year, $2.5MM. $1MM guaranteed. $250K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
Mitch Unrein, DL (Bears): Two years, $2.26MM. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus. $200K roster bonus due April 1. $500K base escalator for 2017 (Twitter link).
Matt Asiata, RB (Vikings): One year, $840K. $60K signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time, rushing-yard, and catch incentives (Twitter link).
Marc Mariani, WR (Bears): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC East:

Nolan Carroll, CB (Eagles): One year, $2.36MM. Can be worth up to $3MM. $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. $600K for eight games active. Up to $640K in playing-time and Pro Bowl incentives (Twitter link).
Junior Galette, OLB (Washington): One year, $1.6MM. Can be worth up to $4.1MM. $1MM base salary. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $2.5MM in playing-time, Pro Bowl, and sack incentives (Twitter link).
Will Blackmon, CB (Washington): Two years, $2.05MM. $150K signing bonus (Twitter link via John Keim of ESPN.com).
Josh LeRibeus, G/C (Washington): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC West:

Evan Mathis, G (Cardinals): One year, $4MM. Can be worth up to $6MM. $3MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. $1MM guaranteed base salary. $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. Up to $2MM in playing-time, Pro Bowl, and All-NFL incentives (Twitter link).

Vikings Re-Sign Terence Newman

March 18th, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 12:48pm: The Vikings have issued a press release formally announcing their new deal with Newman.

TUESDAY, 12:54pm: The Vikings will bring back the NFL’s oldest defensive back for one more season, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). According to Pelissero, Minnesota has agreed to terms with veteran free agent Terence Newman on a one-year, $3MM deal.

Newman, who will turn 38 in September, started all 16 regular-season games for the Vikings in 2015, his 13th NFL season. The veteran cornerback racked up 61 tackles, three interceptions, and 12 passes defended, and ranked a respectable 39th out of 111 qualified corners, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades.

Assuming the Vikings continue to view Newman as a cornerback, and don’t intend to move him over to safety, he’ll join returning teammates Captain Munnerlyn and Xavier Rhodes atop Minnesota’s depth chart at the position.

With 39-year-old Charles Woodson having retired after the 2015 season, Newman is on track to be the oldest defensive back in the NFL in 2016, and could also be the oldest defender at any position. James Harrison, who has not yet announced whether he’ll play another season, is only about four months older than Newman.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: 49ers, Steelers, Vikings, Texans

March 13th, 2016 at 10:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Despite having the second-most spending room in the NFL ($58.84MM, per Over the Cap), the 49ers have been quiet in free agency, and Eric Branch and Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle wonder if new head coach Chip Kelly is scaring players away. Right or wrong, Kelly wasn’t exactly seen as a players’ coach in Philadelphia, and some of his methods there – e.g., daily urine tests and a fast-paced offense – could be serving as roadblocks in the 49ers’ quest to add talent, Branch and Tafur opine.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

If the league ultimately suspends Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant for next season, teammate Antonio Brown could use his absence as leverage to secure a better contract, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Brown – who has combined for 375 catches and 31 touchdowns the last three seasons – is woefully underpaid relative to his production (he’s due $14.96MM the next two years). While Florio notes that the Steelers don’t negotiate new deals with non-quarterbacks who have more than one year left on their contracts, he counters that Brown could serve as an exception to that rule.
The Vikings are in talks with two of their own free agents, linebacker Chad Greenway and cornerback Terence Newman, according to general manager Rick Spielman (link via Ben Goessling of ESPN.com). Greenway, a Viking for all of his decade-long career, said earlier this winter that he’d like to play one more year. The 33-year-old logged 12 starts last season, giving him 135 overall, and totaled 68 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. Newman, the league’s oldest defensive back (38 in September), also wants to play another year. The 13-year veteran made 16 starts for the Vikes last season, recording 62 tackles and three picks.
While the Vikings are interested in Greenway and Newman, the same isn’t true of free agent offensive tackle Ryan Harris, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Having met with Andre Smith on Sunday, Minnesota is clearly in the hunt for tackle help. Nonetheless, it’s not in on Harris, who will visit with Pittsburgh in the coming days.
The Texans are “monitoring” the offensive tackle market, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, who adds that they might add one in the draft instead of free agency (Twitter link). With Duane Brown, Derek Newton and Chris Clark in the fold, the position doesn’t exactly look like a major need for the Texans.

Free Agent Rumors: Vikings, Weddle, Steelers

March 9th, 2016 at 6:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings are negotiating to bring back tight end Rhett Ellison, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). If Ellison can’t be retained, however, one option to replace him might be free agent James Hanna, formerly of the Cowboys, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

Here’s a look at some of the latest news and rumors on this crazy day of action:

Terence Newman is also a Vikings free agent, and the club will talk to his agent once again later tonight or tomorrow, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Wolfson also says that Minnesota did not show interest in guard Jeff Allen, as Alex Boone was their target all along.
The Steelers like veteran safety Eric Weddle, a source tells Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link), but the club thinks he’s too expensive at the moment. Pittsburgh is hoping Weddle’s price falls.
Free agent offensive lineman Ted Larsen will take a visit with the 49ers, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).
The Bears are not done looking for free agent offensive lineman, even after agreeing to a deal with Bobby Massie, reports Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
Texans restricted free agent corner A.J. Bouye is drawing interest from other clubs, but no offer sheet is yet on the table, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Bouye was tendered at the lowest level, so Houston won’t get any compensation if it fails to match an offer.

North Rumors: Harris, Newman, D. Smith, Ravens

March 3rd, 2016 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings guard Mike Harris is eligible to hit the open market next week, but he would prefer to get something done before Monday’s legal tampering period begins so that he can remain in Minnesota, as he tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“My agent is working really hard right now, and I’m hoping I can get a deal before Monday,” Harris said. “I see myself in Minnesota for the rest of my career. That’s where I want to be. So hopefully we get the contract ready this weekend. I’m excited. It’s going to be a great season for the Vikings, and I want to be a part of it.”

Harris expects the Vikings to put a formal offer on the table soon, and a source tells Tomasson that it will likely be a two-year contract worth in the ballpark of $5MM. If Minnesota can get a deal like that finalized, it would be a great value for the team — Harris shifted over from tackle last season to become a full-time guard for the Vikes, and was ranked 23rd out of 81 qualified players by Pro Football Focus.

Here’s more out of the NFL’s North divisions, including one more Vikings-related item:

Terence Newman is set to become the NFL’s oldest defensive back. Newman, who will turn 38 this year, wants to play another season, and all signs points to there being mutual interest between the veteran cornerback and the Vikings, Tomasson writes for the Pioneer Press.
Although the Ravens released linebacker Daryl Smith today, the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing him back after he gauges his value on the open market, GM Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “We are not closing the door on the possibility of him returning to the Ravens,” Newsome said. “He deserves an opportunity to see his market value at this time.”
As Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com details, safety Sean Richardson‘s future with the Packers – and in the NFL – remains unclear due to his neck injury. While Richardson is scheduled to become a free agent next week, his situation is unlikely to be resolved, since he still hasn’t been medically cleared to return.
Whlie it would be great for the Browns if they can re-sign center Alex Mack, who opted out of his contract this week, the team shouldn’t devote a ton of resources to Mack if it means losing right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, writes Tom Reed of Cleveland.com. Of course, Reed notes that the ideal scenario would involve retaining both players.

Vikings GM Expects To Extend Harrison Smith

February 18th, 2016 at 1:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings safety Harrison Smith has played four years on his rookie deal, and is under contract for one more year due a fifth-year option. However, general manager Rick Spielman doesn’t expect Smith to be playing in a contract year in 2016, indicating today that he anticipates getting an extension done for the safety sometime in the not-too-distant future, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

Referring to Smith as one of the “better safeties” in the NFL, Spielman acknowledged with a chuckle that calling him one of the “best” might increase his price. Pro Football Focus, at least, viewed the 27-year-old as the league’s best safety in 2015, ranking him atop the site’s list of 88 qualified players at the position, despite the fact that he only played 13 games. Among safeties, Smith ranked in PFF’s top 10 in terms of pass coverage, run defense, and pass rush grades.

Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015, is set to earn a base salary of $5.278MM in 2016. Any new deal figures to pay him an average annual salary worth much more than that. If the Vikings are willing to pay Smith like one of the NFL’s best safeties, that could mean per-year earnings in the $9-10MM range — Jairus Byrd, Devin McCourty, and Earl Thomas are all making salaries in that neighborhood, per Over the Cap. If Smith were to exceed $10MM per year, he’d surpass Thomas as the league’s highest-paid safety.

While a looming extension for Smith was perhaps the most noteworthy nugget that Spielman dropped today, he made a few more comments worth passing along, so let’s dive in…

Spielman indicated that 2016 will be a pivotal season for Cordarrelle Patterson to show he can be a wide receiver, which suggests Patterson will have a spot on the Vikings’ roster in the fall, tweets Goessling.
The Vikings don’t plan on bringing in any competition for kicker Blair Walsh, whose missed field goal on Wild Card weekend cost Minnesota a chance to beat the Seahawks and advance in the postseason (Twitter link via Goessling).
Defensive back Terence Newman doesn’t have a contract for 2016, and would be the NFL’s oldest defensive player if he decides not to retire, but Spielman believes Newman wants to play this year. As Goessling tweets, the GM added that he thinks Newman is a cornerback, not a safety.

NFC North Notes: Newman, Austin, Bears

December 25th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

With Charles Woodson set to retire, Vikings defensive back Terence Newman would be the NFL’s oldest defensive player if he decides to keep playing in 2016. However, Newman isn’t ready to say for sure whether he’ll continue his career next year, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes.

“We’ll talk about that once the season is over,” Newman said. “It’s kind of premature to talk about retirement right now. … I don’t really think anybody cares about being the youngest in the league or the oldest.”

While Newman doesn’t want to discuss his future yet, he agreed with the notion that he doesn’t look like a player ready to retire. The 37-year-old, who contemplated retiring a year ago, has played well in his first season with the Vikings, grabbing three interceptions and moving over from cornerback to safety to help out when needed.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the NFC North….

Having slipped from third in DVOA to 17th, the Lions‘ defense certainly hasn’t been as effective as it was a year ago. Nonetheless, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is still viewed as a strong potential head coaching candidate, at Fritz Pollard Alliance chairman John Wooten tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Bears won’t be caught off guard if offensive coordinator Adam Gase leaves Chicago for a head coaching opportunity this offseason, according to quarterback Jay Cutler (link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune). “We have backup plans in place,” Cutler said. “If [Gase] does get that opportunity, I’m going to be ecstatic for him. I think it’s well-deserved. I think he’s ready for the opportunity. Whatever happens either way I think we’re going to be good and he’ll be good too.”
Before signing long snapper Rick Lovato to replace injured starter Brett Goode, the Packers also worked out free agent LS Andrew East, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

Vikings Notes: Taylor, Cummings, Newman

December 15th, 2015 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the Vikings:

Former Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor is trying out with for the Vikings today, according to ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling (on Twitter). Taylor, a former first-round pick, hasn’t really been heard from since he auditioned for the Ravens in November. Taylor, 27, was a starter on defense for Cleveland in 2013, but only played 555 defensive snaps, serving primarily as a run stopper. While he wasn’t a full-time player, Taylor’s performance against the run still placed him a solid 26th among 69 qualified defensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Then, Taylor played just 133 snaps in 2014 before being sidelined with a knee injury.
The Vikings are also working out defensive lineman Euclid Cummings today, according to a source who spoke with Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). Cummings most recently played in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
After putting his toe in the water last week, Vikings veteran defensive back Terence Newman could be making a more permanent move to the safety position, Jason Gonzalez of the Star Tribune writes. Newman, 37, could be called upon to play safety if regular starters Harrison Smith (hamstring/knee) and Andrew Sendejo (knee) continue to miss time. At his advanced age, Newman would welcome a move to the less strenuous position. “I think [safety is] definitely easier,” Newman said comparing it to cornerback. “You don’t have to run backwards, shift your body backwards if some dude is running full speed forwards, so in that aspect it’s definitely easier.”

NFC Mailbags: Newman, Norman, Bucs, Reed, Cowboys

June 20th, 2015 at 8:27pm CST by Rob DiRe

Our own Sam Robinson took you through some of the AFC Mailbags earlier today. Now to give the NFC some love, here are a few of the mailbags from that other conference:

The Vikings have been going with youth across the roster, and the secondary has been no exception with Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes slated to start on the outside. However, the team also signed 37-year-old corner Terence Newman to bring a veteran presence in the secondary, according to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Newman should take a little pressure of Waynes to be effective from day one.
The Panthers will definitely put a lot of focus into extending Luke Kuechly, but David Newton of ESPN.com expects that to come next offseason. Josh Norman is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and after performing well for the team he should be a priority for an extension.
Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com is guessing starters in his latest Buccaneers mailbag. He picks George Johnson and Jacquies Smith, Danny Lansanah as their third linebacker, and D.J. Swearinger over Chris Conte at safety.
Kyle Van Noy and Theo Riddick are a pair of players that have uncertain roles for the Lions in 2015. Van Noy could earn a starting job at linebacker, but won’t see starter’s snaps due to the likely reliance on nickel and dime packages, according to Mike Rothstein of ESPN.com. Riddick will also likely be an afterthough at running back, but should have ample opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield and in the slot.
With Jordan Reed‘s injuries, Washington could have used help at tight end either in free agency or the draft, writes John Keim of ESPN.com. While it is surprising, it means the team has confidence in Niles Paul, and believes contributions from the receivers and running backs catching passes could help them survive without Reed for some time.
In our lone entry from a non-ESPN writer, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News writes that with the versatility of Byron Jones and Corey White in the secondary, the Cowboys defense could give some very creative looks in 2015. Both players are nominally corners, but each has the ability to play safety as well, and that could let the team mix and match in the defensive backfield.

Vikings Sign Terence Newman

March 27th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:10am: The Vikings have officially announced their deal with Newman, via a team release.

THURSDAY, 6:22pm: It’s a one-year, $2.5MM deal with $750K guaranteed, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

6:07pm: Newman is expected to put pen to paper on Friday, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:26am: The Vikings are closing in on a contract agreement with veteran cornerback Terence Newman, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters today, including Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Zimmer said the deal hasn’t quite been finalized yet, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Newman has accepted Minnesota’s one-year offer and will sign with the team.

Newman, whose agent reportedly met with the Vikings at the owners’ meetings in Arizona last night, spent the last three seasons in Cincinnati, starting 41 regular season contests for the Bengals during that stretch. By signing with the Vikings, the 36-year-old will reunite with Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati when Newman joined the Bengals.

Speaking to Pelissero, Zimmer suggested that Newman “can still play” even as he enters his late-30s, and the numbers back that up. In 2014, Newman logged 75 tackles to go along with 15 passes defended and an interception, and graded as a middle-of-the-pack cornerback according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, placing 56th out of 108 qualified players at the position (subscription required).

Newman will be the second former Bengals defensive back to join the Vikings this week — yesterday, Minnesota signed safety Taylor Mays.