RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/18
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Tendered at second-round level:
- Falcons: G Ben Garland (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution)
- Jaguars: RB Corey Grant (via John Oehser of Jaguars.com, on Twitter)
- Redskins: T Ty Nsekhe (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
- Titans: G Quinton Spain (Twitter link via Paul Kuharsky)
- Vikings: G/C Nick Easton (per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, on Twitter)
Tendered at original-round level:
- Bears: CB Bryce Callahan, WR Cameron Meredith, WR Josh Bellamy (via Rich Campbell and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, all Twitter links)
Non-Tendered:
- Broncos: WR Bennie Fowler (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, on Twitter)
- Packers: P Jake Schum (per Rob Demovsky of ESPN)
ERFAs
Tendered:
- 49ers: RB Raheem Mostert (per Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler, on Twitter)
- Broncos: LS Casey Kreiter, WR Jordan Taylor, LB Zaire Anderson, T Elijah Wilkinson, LB Jerrol Garcia-Williams, LB Joseph Jones (Jhabvala reports, Twitter links)
- Giants: G Jon Halapio (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, on Twitter)
- Jaguars: TE Ben Koyack, OL William Poehls (Twitter links, via Oehser)
- Packers: WR Michael Clark, OL Justin McCray, CB Donatello Brown (all Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com and Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Raiders: K Giorgio Tavecchio, LB Shilique Calhoun (Twitter links via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com)
- Rams: RB Malcolm Brown, CB Troy Hill (per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
Non-Tendered:
- Bears: LS Patrick Scales (via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, on Twitter)
- Cardinals: TE Ifeanyi Momah (Twitter link via Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic)
Details On Richard Sherman’s New Contract
When Richard Sherman first inked his contract with the 49ers, it was reported that the new deal was for three years and $39MM. ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio was skeptical of these numbers, and he confirmed the true details of the cornerback’s contract tonight.
Ultimately, the full base value of the deal is $21.15MM, with another $18MM worth of “per-game roster bonuses, annual 90-percent playing-time incentives, an annual Pro Bowl incentive, and an annual All-Pro incentive.” If the veteran were to earn the full $39MM, he’d have to “play all 48 regular-season games over the next three years, be on the field for at least 90 percent of the snaps, make it to the Pro Bowl every year, and qualify for the All-Pro team every year.” In other words, it’s unlikely that Sherman will ever see the full value of the contract.
Florio also notes that at the time of signing, only $3MM of the deal is guaranteed. If Sherman passes his preseason physical, he’ll earn another $4MM in guaranteed money. However, after that, it’s ultimately up to the 49ers whether the contract will continue through 2019 and beyond. The writer has a list of specific details on the contract. Notably, Sherman’s signing bonus is worth $3MM (as opposed to the $5MM that had previously been floated around). His base salary for 2018 is $2MM, and this is boosted to $7MM in 2019.
After being released by the Seahawks on Friday, Sherman inked a three-year deal with their division rivals on Saturday. The veteran is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles, but he expects to be ready by June. The three-time First-Team All-Pro was relatively productive in nine games last season, compiling 35 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Aqib Talib Discusses Trade To Rams
Before the Broncos agreed to trade Aqib Talib to the Rams, they had a deal in place that would have sent him to the 49ers. However, Talib rejected that trade, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), and he ended up with Los Angeles (San Francisco, of course, found a pretty nice consolation prize in Richard Sherman). 
Talib recently spoke with James Palmer of the NFL Network (video link), which marked the first time he publicly commented on the trade. In the interview, Talib said he wanted to remain in Denver but is excited about the “fourth quarter” of his playing career and about the opportunity to reunite with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
Given the amount of money that Denver had tied up at the cornerback position, Talib saw the writing on the wall and realized that his time as a Bronco was probably coming to an end, though he still hoped to stay with the club. He said, “I had established real friendships [in Denver]. Robe (Bradley Roby), Chris [Harris] — they’re my guys. Von [Miller], Stew (Darian Stewart). I established real friends there…It wasn’t an issue where I wanted to get out of there. There’s no reason to want to get out of there. That’s a great organization. But it’s a business. We had too much talent on the backend [of the defense].”
He did indicate that, if he had to be traded, he was happy to be traded to the Rams (previous reports indicated that if Denver wanted to move on from him, he would prefer to be released so he could become a free agent, and in that scenario, he would have been interested in rejoining the Patriots). He did not comment on his decision to nix the Broncos-49ers trade, though he did say that there was never any issue between him and embattled Broncos head coach Vance Joseph.
Talib will fly to Los Angeles tonight and take a physical tomorrow morning. If all goes well, the trade will be made official on Wednesday.
Credit to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post for her recap of the Talib-Palmer interview.
Details On Richard Sherman's Contract
Richard Sherman‘s contract with the 49ers is not yet official, reports Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). The reporter doesn’t anticipate any issues with the deal, but since Sherman is acting as his own agent, Maiocco expects the NFLPA “to spend a lot of time” going over the details of the contract.
Patriots Never Reached Out To Sherman
We heard earlier this month that cornerback Richard Sherman would have been receptive to joining the Patriots. However, as Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald points out (via Twitter), New England never reached out to the free agent before he ultimately signed with the 49ers. The reporter notes that the veteran defensive back “wants to play with Tom Brady,” and his interest in the organization “has been real.”
After having played just one special teams snap in the Super Bowl, it looks like Malcolm Butler‘s tenure in New England is essentially over. Therefore, unless the Patriots are willing to roll with one of their younger options opposite Stephon Gilmore, it makes sense that they’d be hunting for a veteran defensive back. As things currently stand, New England would be eyeing one of Jonathan Jones, Eric Rowe, Cyrus Jones, Jomal Wiltz, or Ryan Lewis as a starter.
After being released by the Seahawks on Friday, Sherman inked a three-year deal with their division rivals on Saturday. The veteran is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles, but he expects to be ready by June. The three-time First-Team All-Pro was relatively productive in nine games last season, compiling 35 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Richard Sherman Signs With 49ers
Well that didn’t take long. Just a day after being released from the Seahawks, Richard Sherman found a new home by signing a three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported (Twitter link). 
Sherman’s deal is worth $39 MM over three seasons, including a $5 MM signing bonus, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets the deal includes a $2 MM base salary, $2 MM in 46-man roster bonuses, $1 MM playtime incentives and a $3 MM Pro Bowl incentive. He adds that if Sherman makes the Pro Bowl in 2018, another $16 MM in base salary for 2019-20 becomes guaranteed.
The veteran cornerback told ESPN’s Josina Anderson earlier in the day that he was discussing a deal with the Bay Area side (Twitter link). Less than an hour later, the deal was done.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials.
The results of the physical must have been good. The cornerback is currently rehabbing from a torn Achilles in one leg and had surgery to remove a bone spur in the other. Sherman tabbed June as a potential timeframe for when he can return to training.
Sherman reportedly had drawn interest from a number of teams and was even said to be scheduling a visit to meet with the Lions, but the 49ers didn’t let the star cornerback leave the room. He will now get to suit up for the team he tormented for seven seasons with its NFC West division foe. With the move, Sherman will also reunite with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who was a defensive assistant in Seattle from 2011-13.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Sherman Discussing Three-Year Deal With 49ers
Richard Sherman‘s first meeting of free agency must have gone well. The veteran cornerback is discussing a potential three-year deal with the 49ers, ESPN’s Josina Anderson hears from Sherman (Twitter link).
At 7:30 P.M. EST, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager also tweeted the Sherman was currently in a room with 49ers executives, including general manager John Lynch.
After being released from the Seahawks yesterday, Sherman scheduled a meeting with the 49ers for Friday night and met with team brass. Though it was reported the three-time First Team All-Pro was looking to set up a meeting with Detroit, it sounds like he might have to cancel those plans. This is not your typical rumor, also, since the reported source is Sherman himself.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman kicked off his 49ers tour with a dinner with head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials. The veteran cornerback is still rehabbing from an Achilles injury and a minor surgery to remove a bone spur. He has put his own timeline on when he expects to be back, penciling in a return to training in June.
One of the most decorated cornerback of the last decade, Sherman has earned four Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl during his seven-year stay with the Seahawks. Since he entered the league in 2011, Sherman has recorded the most interceptions (32) in the NFL.
Nothing is official but it appears an agreement to keep Sherman in the NFC West could come down at any time.
Sherman's 49ers Visit A Multi-Day Event
Richard Sherman‘s 49ers tour began with a dinner with Kyle Shanahan on Friday night, and the sides took more formal steps on Saturday. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports Sherman took a physical with the 49ers today and met with more team officials. After undergoing Achilles surgery in November, Sherman underwent a procedure to remove a bone spur in his other heel last month. Barrows notes the soon-to-be 30-year-old cornerback plans to be running at full speed again at some point in April. Sherman plans to be ready to participate in training camp. Sherman may or may not have a Lions visit scheduled.
- Despite the 49ers pursuing Sherman, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com does not expect the team to go after Trumaine Johnson. He doesn’t expect the 28-year-old defender, and one who will command big money next week, to fit into the 49ers’ model of aiming for sustained success. San Francisco, though, has more than $70MM in cap space and has a need at corner. Maiocco, though, notes the 49ers are “extremely excited” about 2017 third-rounder Ahkello Witherspoon‘s development. Witherspoon graded as a top-50 Pro Football Focus corner last season in 660 snaps. It looks like he could be one of San Francisco’s starters next season opposite a UFA acquisition.
Richard Sherman To Visit Lions?
Two stops on Richard Sherman‘s itinerary have now emerged. The free agent cornerback has scheduled a visit with the Lions, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).
Sherman’s 49ers meeting began on Friday night and is ongoing, but the three-time All-Pro is doing due diligence as a first-time free agent, it appears.
Josina Anderson of ESPN.com, however, tweets Sherman told her he and the Lions have not slotted a date for this summit yet.
It’s unclear if Sherman is planning to examine the market through a wide lens or if he would be open to completing a deal after one of his early stops. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported the 49ers could end up being Sherman’s only visit, but preliminary interest has come Sherman’s way from the Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers and Packers thus far.
Acting as his own agent, Sherman appeared in indicate he’d like to survey the market.
“This will be an ongoing process and I am excited to take on this challenge,” the 29-year-old corner wrote (on Twitter). “To the fans urging me to join your team, I am humbled but I can only look at the teams that have reached out.”
The Lions have an entrenched CB1 in Darius Slay, a 2017 All-Pro, but have a need opposite the recently extended talent. Sherman, who will turn 30 later this month, landed on the All-Pro team from 2012-14.
Holding around $27MM in cap space, the Lions are well behind the 49ers ($70MM-plus) in this running. But this could develop into more than a two-team race for a strong candidate to land on the 2010s’ all-decade team.
49ers To Meet With Richard Sherman
Could Richard Sherman be joining another NFC West team? It sounds like he’s at least considering the idea, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the veteran cornerback is set to meet with 49ers officials today.
San Francisco wants to confirm that Sherman is recovering from his Achilles injuries, and if everything goes well, the two sides will “try to get a contract done.” In another tweet, Schefter says there’s a good chance that this is Sherman’s only visit. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says (via Twitter) Sherman’s apparent interest in the 49ers makes sense. The cornerback has “a strong affinity for the West Coast,” and he’s already familiar with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh‘s scheme.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that Sherman has received “preliminary interest” from a list of additional teams: the Lions, Titans, Raiders, Texans, Buccaneers, and Packers.
Sherman’s seven-year tenure with the Seahawks came to an end yesterday, as the team released the defensive back with a failed physical designation. The veteran is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles and remove a bone spur, but he expects to be ready by June. The three-time First-Team All-Pro was relatively productive in nine games last season, compiling 35 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.