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Rishard Matthews

AFC Notes: Browns, Bengals, Pats, Titans

November 27th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After Cleveland fell to 0-12 with a loss to the Giants on Sunday, Browns head coach Hue Jackson had a meeting with his bosses and showed up 40 minutes late to his press conference. Jackson then assured reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, that his job is secure. “Let me go on record saying I have full support of Jimmy and Dee (Haslam) and Sashi (Brown) and his crew,” stated Jackson. “We’re not apart or splintered or whatever term you guys want to use. There’s none of that going on.” Jackson, who’s in his first year with the rebuilding Browns, was fighting back tears and said “being 0-12 is probably the hardest thing ever.”

More from the AFC:

  • Jackson’s former employer, the 3-7-1 Bengals, are among the NFL’s biggest disappointments this year after making five straight playoff appearances. Their 2016 struggles are unlikely to cost head coach Marvin Lewis his job, though, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Lewis is under contract through next season, and owner Mike Brown doesn’t like to pay people who don’t work for him, notes Florio. The 58-year-old Lewis is the league’s second-longest-tenured head coach, trailing only New England’s Bill Belichick, yet Cincinnati hasn’t won a playoff game in his 14-season run.
  • Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski exited Sunday’s 22-17 win against the Jets in the first quarter because of a back injury, but the silver lining is that it doesn’t appear to have the makings of a lingering issue. Gronk is not expected to miss any further time as a result of the injury, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Florio. Various ailments, including a perforated lung, have limited the four-time Pro Bowler to eight appearances this year.
  • By scoring his seventh touchdown of the season in a 27-21 win over the Bears on Sunday, Titans wideout Rishard Matthews earned a $250K incentive, tweets CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. Tennessee included that in the three-year, $15MM deal Matthews signed as a free agent last winter.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Titans Sign Rishard Matthews

March 10th, 2016 at 9:57am CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY, 9:57am: The Titans announced that they have agreed to terms with Matthews, pending a physical. Matthews’ three-year deal will pay him $15MM with a $2.5MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The wide receiver will earn salaries of $2.5MM, $5MM, and $5MM with an annual $750K stat incentive.

WEDNESDAY, 8:45pm: The cluster of No. 2-level wide receivers populating the free agent market is beginning thin out and bring clarity. Rishard Matthews and the Rishard MatthewsTitans have agreed to terms on a there-year deal, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com reports.

Matthews follows Marvin Jones and Travis Benjamin among the market’s top-tier wideouts to find new homes on Day 1 of free agency.

The former Dolphins target established himself as a factor in free agency with a strong contract year before going down with a season-ending injury with five games to play. In 11 contests last season, Matthews totaled 662 yards and averaged 15.4 per reception as the Fins’ downfield complement to Jarvis Landry.

Matthews emerged after three uneven seasons and the Dolphins loading up their receiving corps last year. These events caused the former seventh-round pick to request a trade, but Matthews outplayed Kenny Stills and Greg Jennings while keeping DeVante Parker off the field.

In Tennessee, he’ll team with Dorial Green-Beckham and Kendall Wright, who is owed $7.32MM as part of his fifth-year option being exercised.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Free Agency Rumors: Dolphins, Penn, Bushrod

March 9th, 2016 at 10:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before he agreed to terms with Philadelphia, new Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham also received interest from the Browns, Buccaneers and Jaguars, as he tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Bradham further stated that his former team, the Bills, backed out of contract talks.

Meanwhile, in addition to having lost out on Bradham, the Browns swung and missed on receiver Rishard Matthews, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan reports that Cleveland was one of several teams in play for Matthews, who agreed to sign with Tennessee on a three-year deal.

After a busy day around the NFL, we still have a few more rumors related to free agents who signed today, and free agents who are still on the market. Let’s dive in…

  • The Dolphins aren’t looking to invest much money in a backup quarterback, Marvez tweets. Matt Moore is paying a visit to the Cowboys this week, and it seems Moore may not be back in Miami for the 2016 season.
  • The Giants have shown interest in free agent left tackle Donald Penn, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). The reliable Penn has started 16 games in eight straight seasons, including the last two in Oakland.
  • Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod, whom the Bears cut last month, is garnering “ample interest” in spite of recent shoulder surgery, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). He’s planning to visit the Dolphins and Vikings, La Canfora adds.
  • Prior to re-signing with the Bengals, cornerback Adam Jones drew the Vikings’ attention, he told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. On Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Jones said, “I love Zim. He really treated me well through this, but this is the place where I know.”
  • At least four teams – including the Bears – have expressed interest in return man Marc Mariani, per Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that the 49ers and Raiders are also among those clubs in the mix for Mariani, who played the last two seasons in Chicago.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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.

Dolphins Rumors: Miller, Guards, Matthews

March 4th, 2016 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

With five days left until pending free agents can sign with new teams, and just three days until 2016’s legal tampering period begins, the Dolphins continue to work on re-signing running back Lamar Miller, writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, according to Jackson, $5MM seems to be a tipping point of sorts in those negotiations.

The question, according to Jackson is whether the Dolphins will concede to paying Miller more than $5MM annually, or if he would settle for $5MM (or slightly less) per year. If the two sides can’t find a middle ground, it seems reasonable to assume that the 24-year-old will see if there’s another team out there next week willing to go higher than $5MM.

Here are a few more Dolphins notes and rumors, via Jackson:

  • The Dolphins have made it clear that they’ll be looking to upgrade the guard position this offseason, making it one of their top three priorities, along with defensive end and cornerback. Jackson suggests the team will try to add at least one veteran guard, and perhaps two, in free agency.
  • While the Dolphins would love to sign Kelechi Osemele, he may end up being out of the club’s price range. Alex Boone and Geoff Schwartz appear to be more realistic targets, according to Jackson, who writes that both players would have interest in Miami. A team source tells Jackson that the Dolphins “held an exploratory conversation” regarding Schwartz and is interested in him, but wants to take a look at some other options as well.
  • Even though they’d like to bring him back, the Dolphins have told people there’s a good chance that wide receiver Rishard Matthews will get a bigger offer in free agency than what they can comfortably put on the table.

FA Rumors: Freeman, Laurinaitis, Matthews

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link), Colts free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman said he loves Indianapolis and would be open to re-signing with the Colts. However, Freeman also acknowledged the possibility that he might be playing in a different city. The veteran linebacker alluded to the fact that, as an unrestricted free agent, this will be his first real opportunity to have some freedom and flexibility when it comes to signing a contract, since the Colts didn’t appear to seriously pursue a long-term extension with him a year ago when he was a restricted free agent.

“I’d been playing for the league minimum for three years,” Freeman said. “Then I ended up signing the [RFA] tender, which I guess was best for the team…. I’m in free agency now, so I guess I have to do what’s best for me.”

Here’s more on a handful of free agents and free-agents-to-be:

  • After paying a visit to the Saints, linebacker James Laurinaitis left without a contract, but there still appears to be some mutual interest between the two sides, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Per Triplett, Laurinaitis has drawn interest from multiple clubs since being cut by the Rams last month.
  • As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk details, Dolphins free agent wideout Rishard Matthews is aiming to be a No. 2 receiver in 2016, so Matthews figures to prioritize suitors that will give him the best opportunity for playing time.
  • Washington nose tackle Terrance Knighton admitted during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link) that he let his emotions get the best of him in free agency a year ago, adding that he heads to the market this year prepared to better recognize the business aspect of the process. According to Knighton, he hasn’t received a strong indication from Washington that the team wants him back, but he’s “not going to stress about” it.
  • After being released by the Bills this week, defensive end Mario Williams figures to garner interest from many teams around the NFL. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post takes a look at the Giants as one possibility for Williams, while D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explores the veteran pass rusher’s potential fit with the Falcons.

Free Agent Rumors: Benjamin, Schwartz, CJ2K

February 24th, 2016 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we rounded up the latest updates on several current and pending free agents. With the combine underway in Indianapolis, there’s no shortage of news and rumors on free agency, so we’ve got another set of items to pass along already. Let’s dive in….

  • According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter), word from the combine suggests that the Chargers and Falcons will be in the hunt for wide receiver Travis Benjamin, if and when he reaches free agency. Current Atlanta offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan used to hold that same position with the Browns, who have reportedly broken off talks with Benjamin for now.
  • The Browns are making an effort to extend the contract of tackle Mitchell Schwartz, but he appears headed for the open market, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. According to Cabot, Schwartz is believed to be seeking left tackle money, and while the Browns have made an offer, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement.
  • The Dolphins would like to hang onto wide receiver Rishard Matthews, but if his price tag reaches $5MM+, Miami is unlikely to be seriously in the mix, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
  • Cardinals GM Steve Keim said today that the team will talk to Chris Johnson‘s representatives this week at the combine, per James Palmer of the NFL Network (Twitter link). Johnson said on Tuesday that he would like to re-sign with Arizona.
  • The odds of the Eagles getting something done with safety Walter Thurmond prior to the start of free agency next month don’t look great, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, who tweets that the team has not yet made an offer.
  • The Cowboys will meet with the agent for linebacker Rolando McClain at the combine this week, per executive VP Stephen Jones (link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com). McClain is eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.

Free Agent Rumors: Matthews, Bradford, Nelson

February 23rd, 2016 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Last Friday, we heard that the Dolphins had reached out to free agent wide receiver Rishard Matthews about a possible new deal. The news was somewhat surprising, since Matthews had long been considered a lock to leave Miami in search of a team that would give him an opportunity for more playing time.

According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), it looks like that’s still the case. Getlin reports that Matthews is “very likely” to reach the open market, adding that the market for the wideout “will be hot.” Matthews set new career highs in 2015 with 43 receptions, 662 yards, and four touchdowns, and while those numbers are relatively modest, they were compiled in just 11 games. Considering how weak this year’s free agent class of receivers is, there may very well be teams that view Matthews as a viable No. 2 option, and Miami almost certainly can’t afford to pay him like a No. 2.

Here are a few more updates on current free agent or free-agent-to-be from around the NFL:

  • Some rival teams are doubtful that Sam Bradford will become an unrestricted free agent on March 9th, believing that he may re-sign with the Eagles before then, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Cole adds that if Bradford does hit the open market, he might not receive the kind of lucrative long-term offers he’d expect, making a one-year, prove-it deal a possibility. I’m somewhat skeptical about that — I think Bradford’s second-half performance would ensure that at least one or two teams are willing to invest heavily in him.
  • The Cardinals are not interested in bringing Antonio Cromartie back to Arizona, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Cromartie spent a season with the team in 2014, earning a Pro Bowl spot, but the Cards were willing to let him walk in free agency, and don’t appear eager to pursue him now that he’s back on the market.
  • Safety Reggie Nelson saw his 2015 season come to an end when he left the Bengals‘ Wild Card loss with a sprained ankle, and he doesn’t want that to be his last play with the team. “Most definitely not,” Nelson said recently, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “They know that. Everybody knows that. I would love to be a Bengal.” According to Hobson, the Bengals aren’t expected to strike deals with their free agents at this week’s combine, but the club figures to discuss possible parameters for Nelson and others.

East Rumors: McCoy, R. Matthews, Bradford

February 19th, 2016 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office released a statement today that essentially says there’s no update on the LeSean McCoy investigation (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).

“I understand that people are interested in the outcome of our investigation, but we’re not going to rush because some people are impatient,” said Philadelphia DA R. Seth Williams in the statement, adding that his “only goal is to get it right, not fast.”

Williams said he has not yet decided whether to press charges against the Bills running back or anyone else involved in the nightclub altercation that took place earlier this month, so it looks like we’ll have to wait until at least next week for any sort of decision.

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

  • Wide receiver Rishard Matthews has been considered likely to leave the Dolphins this offseason, but the club has reached out to Mathews about discussing a new deal, according to Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. That doesn’t necessarily means that the Fins will re-sign Mathews, but there’s some level of interest in bringing him back.
  • The Eagles continue to say they want to re-sign quarterback Sam Bradford, with de-facto GM Howie Roseman the latest to weigh in on the topic, as Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com details. Still, Roseman cautioned that any deal has “got to work for the other side and the player” in addition to working for the team. At this point, I’d be surprised if the two sides got something done prior to free agency, unless the Eagles are willing to use the franchise tag, since there’s no incentive for Bradford to accept a below-market offer.
  • While it’s premature to say Jets linebacker Demario Davis is a goner, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com expects the team to let Davis test the open market, where he’s likely to get a better deal than the Jets will be willing to offer.
  • According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter), Giants long snapper Zak DeOssie will make $1.1MM on his new one-year contract with the team, which features $275K in guaranteed money.

East Notes: Murray, Morris, Bills, Dolphins

February 4th, 2016 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com wrote earlier today that the Eagles and DeMarco Murray are headed toward a “stare-down” this offseason, but even though that may be the case, the running back likely isn’t going anywhere, says Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice.com. Rapoport’s report suggested that the Eagles hanging onto Murray is the most likely outcome, and Kempski goes into a little more detail explaining why that’s the case, despite the fact that it might not be the preferred outcome for both sides.

If Murray is released or traded at some point this year, it sounds like we can count Dez Bryant among those who would like to see the ex-Cowboy return to Dallas. “Come on home D.Moe,” Bryant wrote this afternoon in a tweet directed to Murray, Jason Witten, and Tony Romo.

  • Washington general manager Bruce Allen appears prepared to let Alfred Morris depart as a free agent this winter, as Liz Clarke of the Washington Post writes. “Free agency is going to be a great test for him,” Allen said of Morris, during an appearance on ESPN 980. “If he gets a great contract, we’re going to applaud him. If not, we’ll see what happens with us.”
  • The Bills don’t have a ton of cap flexibility this offseason, and are expected to simply focus on re-signing their own free agents rather than bringing in outside veterans. If the team needs to free up a little space though, it could potentially do so by extending the contract of cornerback Stephon Gilmore, lowering his $11.082MM cap number and ensuring that a talented player at a premium position remains in the fold. Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News explores the possibility – and the importance – of a Gilmore extension.
  • Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman didn’t draw any head coaching interest this offseason, but veteran tight end Vernon Davis, who played under Roman in San Francisco, believes his former OC will make a “great head coach one day,” as Dunne writes in a separate Buffalo News piece.
  • With 2015 first-rounder DeVante Parker waiting in the wings to take Rishard Matthews‘ spot in the Dolphins‘ lineup, James Walker of ESPN.com believes it’s unlikely that the free agent receiver will re-sign with Miami, putting the odds at just 20%.
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