Draft Rumors: Bosa, Powell, Chargers, Browns
The latest draft buzz:
- Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa will be dining with the Chargers on Friday evening, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets.
- Safety Tyvis Powell had one-on-one interviews with the Browns, Lions, Titans, and Saints, per Pauline (via WalterFootball.com). The Titans are looking to grab a safety on day two of the draft while the Lions are hoping to grab a safety early after whiffing on George Iloka in free agency.
- Tight end Nick Vannett met with the Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks, Falcons, and Jets. The Ohio State tight end was said to have had a strong showing at the 2016 Senior Bowl. At 6’6″ and 257 pounds, he has the size to compete as an NFL tight end. The Jets met with Vannett previously, so they could have a heightened level of interest in him.
- Fast-rising Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee interviewed with the Browns and Saints on Thursday, per Pauline.
- Mississippi State defensive back Taveze Calhoun met “extensively” with the 49ers and he has had private meetings with the Dolphins, Giants, and Rams. It sounds like Calhoun could be rising up draft boards.
- Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas looked impressive at the program’s Pro Day and Pauline added that he met with the Saints on Thursday. He also had an “outstanding” meeting with the Browns and he’ll meet with the Patriots next week.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
7:58pm: The Kaepernick derby looks to extend into Friday, with the Jets, Browns, Broncos and 49ers in a holding pattern right now, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Jets remain far apart in contract talks with Ryan Fitzpatrick and could be considering Brian Hoyer as well. The Browns are considered to be more serious about a Kaepernick deal than the Jets are as well, with the polarizing sixth-year passer being the Broncos’ top quarterback target.
3:15pm: There has been no recent movement in trade talks involving Colin Kaepernick, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). That means that things are quiet currently between the 49ers and the Broncos, Browns, and Jets, but Maiocco (link) cautions that things could heat up quickly.
In fact, Mike Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter) believes that a move will go down in the next 24 hours.
Right now, things are two-pronged as the 49ers need to find a suitable trade and any team looking to acquire Kaepernick needs to work out contract issues with the player (link via Maiocco). No. 7 still has five years left on his hefty $114MM extension, though 2015-2017 are guaranteed for injury only.
The Jets believe that Kaepernick is on his way to the Broncos, Manish Mehta of the Daily News tweets. The Broncos have been heavily connected to Kaepernick over the last 24 hours after watching Brock Osweiler sign a lucrative four-year, $72MM deal with the Texans.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Texans Sign Brock Osweiler To Four-Year Deal
THURSDAY, 3:46pm: The Texans have formally announced the Osweiler signing, introducing him today a press conference.
WEDNESDAY, 2:31pm: Osweiler got $37MM guaranteed from Houston on a four-year deal, according to Broncos players that spoke with Renck (on Twitter). In total, it’s a four-year, $72MM contract, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (link).
2:28pm: Teammates are hearing that Osweiler got a four-year deal from the Texans with a serious guarantee in money, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets.
Meanwhile, a 49ers source insists that the team has no interest in trading quarterback Colin Kaepernick despite reported interest from the Broncos, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.
2:22pm: Osweiler’s deal will likely come around the $16MM/yr range, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Denver offered $13MM originally were willing to move a bit higher, but it sounds like the Texans edged them out by a considerable amount.
2:09pm: It appears neither of the two quarterbacks that helped the Broncos reach and win the Super Bowl this past season will be returning to Denver for the 2016 campaign. According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), Brock Osweiler had reached an agreement in principle with the Texans. The news comes on the heels of Peyton Manning‘s retirement announcement.
The Texans finished 24th in offensive DVOA last season, and while it’s hard to place all the blame for that ranking on the shoulders of Brian Hoyer, there’s no question that the Texans could benefit from the addition of Osweiler. For a long time, the belief has been that the Texans are a “quarterback away” from becoming a legitimate threat. Now, we’ll find out if that’s really the case. Despite the struggles in their passing game, it should be noted that the Houston’s passing attack actually rated better in DVOA than its running game did. Signing Osweiler goes a long way towards fixing the problem, but it’s not the only issue that needs to be addressed.
Earlier this month, the Broncos reportedly offered Osweiler a three-year deal worth roughly $39MM. The Texans, ostensibly, have topped that offer. The Texans have long been expected to make a “competitive” offer to Osweiler. Per reports, $15-16MM was the figure Osweiler was targeting and it will be interesting to see where his contract falls.
With Osweiler off to Houston, Robert Griffin III is on the Broncos’ list of replacement quarterbacks, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). RG3 could be visiting Denver this week, he adds.
With Osweiler now in the fold, the Texans will likely release one-time starter Brian Hoyer, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hoyer, 30, was set to enter the second year of a two-year deal, and while he has a base salary of $4MM, none of it is guaranteed. Given that his gameday roster bonuses would also be cleared out, Hoyer’s release would save Houston nearly $5MM in cap space. Hoyer wasn’t awful last season, as he completed about 61% of his passes for 17 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Still, Hoyer did finish 20th in Football Outsiders’ DYAR metric.
It’s hard to judge Osweiler’s value as a whole, given that he’s started only seven games during his four-year career, but the demand of the open market is what dictates the price. Of course, there are not a whole lot of capable quarterbacks available in free agency and the trade market never offers rock solid signal callers either. In Osweiler, the Texans have added a promising young quarterback who showed glimpses of promise in his time on the field in 2015.
Osweiler, predictably, was rated as PFR’s No. 1 free agent quarterback for the 2016 offseason. Overall, we slated Osweiler as the third-best free agent available, behind defensive linemen Olivier Vernon and Malik Jackson.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Contract Details: Harrison, Benjamin, Massie
Here are some of the latest details on recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the NFL. All Twitter links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…
NFC:
- Damon Harrison, DT (Giants): Five years, $46.25MM. $24MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Bobby Massie, T (Bears): Three years, $18MM. $6.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2MM roster bonus due on March 14 (Twitter links).
- Thad Lewis, QB (49ers): One year, $760K. Minimum salary benefit. $25K playing-time incentive. $428K split salary (Twitter link).
AFC:
- Travis Benjamin, WR (Chargers): Four years, $24MM. $13MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $2.75MM salary for 2016 and $4.25MM salary for 2017 fully guaranteed (Twitter link).
- Antonio Gates, TE (Chargers): Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Ramon Humber, LB (Patriots): One year, $885K. Minimum salary benefit. $25K signing bonus. $30K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald).
Free Agent Rumors: RG3, Rams, Chiefs
The latest free agent rumors:
- Robert Griffin III would “very much” like to play for the Rams in Los Angeles, a source tells Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter). The 49ers and the Broncos have also been connected to Griffin this week.
- Despite outside interest, Tamba Hali says that he gave no thought at all to leaving the Chiefs, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets. The Falcons were reportedly a finalist for his services.
- Stevan Ridley‘s market continues to unfold but the Patriots haven’t shown interest in a reunion, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Still, Howe (link) points out that the Patriots reached out to Ridley late last offseason before he joined the Jets, so nothing can be completely ruled out, even though that union is still unlikely. Ridley racked up 1,263 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground back in 2012 for the Pats.
- The Ravens reviewed eight free agent tight ends but after watching a handful of plays from Ben Watson on tape, they determined that he was their guy, GM Ozzie Newsome told reporters, including Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- The Eagles‘ interest in defensive tackle Cedric Thornton is “tepid,” Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Eagles haven’t ruled out a return, however.
- The Seahawks are interested in guard Ted Larsen, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). As we learned yesterday, Larsen will also take a visit with the 49ers.
QB Rumors: RG3, Kaepernick, Jets, Hoyer
If Colin Kaepernick leaves for the Broncos, Browns, or Jets, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects 49ers head coach Chip Kelly to have serious interest in Robert Griffin III. RG3 has already been connected to the Broncos, but it sounds like this week’s game of quarterback musical chairs could put the Baylor product in San Francisco instead.
Here are the latest QB rumors:
- If the cannot re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) expects the Jets to inquire about Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer. As Rapoport notes, the Jets already traded for one Texans QB in Fitzpatrick last year. Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter) notes that the Jets talked to Hoyer last year, but they preferred Fitzpatrick to him.
- Hoyer is expected to exit the Texans‘ roster “sooner than later,” a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.
- The Jets have yet to “put their cards on the table” with regards to their talks for Kaepernick, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Before making a move for Kaepernick, the Jets could be waiting to see if they can first get a new deal done with Fitzpatrick.
- Quarterback Scott Tolzien will visit with the Colts today, Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel tweets. The Bears are also showing interest in the Packers free agent.
C.J. Anderson Visiting Dolphins, May Sign Offer Sheet
11:12am: Anderson had been scheduled to fly to Chicago to meet with the Bears, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, as Klis explains in a piece worth reading, the Dolphins convinced Anderson and agent Peter Schaffer that the running back should head to Miami instead. The expectation is that the Dolphins will sign Anderson to an offer sheet later today, per Klis.
10:12am: Restricted free agent running back C.J. Anderson will visit the Dolphins today, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Miami was one of four teams mentioned on Wednesday as suitors for Anderson, along with the Patriots, 49ers, and Bears. New England and Chicago would also like to bring in the RFA running back, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Because Anderson received an RFA tender from the Broncos, the team can match any offer sheet the running back signs with another club, and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweeted on Wednesday that Denver will likely do just that. Still, it was a bit of a surprise that the Broncos only gave Anderson a $1.671MM tender, giving them the right of first refusal, rather than a $2.553MM tender that would have assured them a second-round pick as compensation if Anderson signed elsewhere.
Of course, when the Broncos made their decision on Anderson, the team hadn’t yet lost Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan to other teams. Now that Denver won’t have to worry about working those players into the team’s 2016 cap plans, it might be a little easier to match an offer sheet for Anderson.
Still, it sounds like Anderson’s suitors won’t make things easy — the running back appears likely to sign an offer sheet, and any team that signs him will try to structure in a way that makes it difficult for the Broncos to match it.
An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.
The Dolphins, whose new head coach Adam Gase worked with Anderson in Denver, are in the market for running back help after Lamar Miller agreed to sign with the Texans. Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link) believes that an offer sheet for Anderson could be agreed upon during his visit to Miami — the Broncos would have five days to match it once it’s officially signed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos, Browns, Jets Pursuing Colin Kaepernick
10:53am: Even if the Browns landed Colin Kaepernick, they’d still be looking hard at drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 pick, according to NFL Network’s Michael Silver (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal).
Silver also says that the Browns are “far more serious” about acquiring Kaepernick than the Jets are (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday).
10:29am: The offers for Kaepernick have not yet been good enough for the 49ers to make a deal, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). In addition to the Broncos, the Jets and Browns are involved. The Broncos are still the frontrunners, Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets.
10:24am: The Broncos are out in front trying to trade for Kaepernick, but two other teams are involved on the QB, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
9:54am: Colin Kaepernick is the Broncos’ chief target at this time, according to Michael Silver of NFL.com (on Twitter), who believes that the Broncos will go after him via trade. The 49ers likely want a second-round pick while the Broncos may be willing to part with a third-round choice (link). Silver hears (link) that Kaepernick is likely willing to restructure his contract to the Broncos’ liking, though his deal is already somewhat team-friendly. 
The 49ers received “some calls” on Kaepernick yesterday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, but nothing too serious. Things are expected to ramp up today when it comes to No. 7.
On Wednesday, a 49ers source told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report that the team has no interest in moving Kaepernick, though it seems possible that the team is only trying to build leverage in trade talks. The agents for Kaepernick requested permission from the 49ers to seek a trade late last month and there has been talk of new coach Chip Kelly not being too fond of him, so it stands to reason that the would listen on trade inquiries.
If the 49ers aren’t willing to move Kaepernick this week, things could linger on into next month. The QB’s $11.9MM salary for 2016 will become fully guaranteed on April 1st and that deadline could spur action on San Francisco’s part.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agency Rumors: Dolphins, Penn, Bushrod
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.
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:
Tendered
- Buccaneers – Bradley McDougald, S (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Second-round tender (Twitter link via Auman)
- Jets – Kenbrell Thompkins, WR (Twitter link via Rand Getlin of NFL.com)
- Packers – Justin Perillo, TE (Twitter link via Wes Hodges of the Green Bay Press Gazette)
- Rams – Benny Cunningham, RB (Twitter link via Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com)
- Ravens – Chase Ford, TE (Twitter link via Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Saints – Josh Hill, TE; Tim Lelito, C (Twitter links via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com)
Non-Tendered
- 49ers – Tony Jerod-Eddie, DL (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com)
- Bears – Patrick Omameh, G; LaRoy Reynolds, LB; Deonte Thompson, WR (Twitter link via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com)
- Bills – Stefan Charles, DT; Ty Powell, LB; Bacarri Rambo, S (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Chargers – Cordarro Law, LB; Brandian Ross, S; Damion Square, DL; Johnnie Troutman, G (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune)
- Colts – Dan Herron, RB (Twitter link via Mike Chappell of FOX 59)
- Falcons – Nathan Stupar, LB (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
- Lions – Tim Wright, TE (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- Packers – Andy Mulumba, LB (Twitter link via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Patriots – Kevin Hughes, T; Sealver Siliga, DL; Brian Tyms, WR (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Rams – Chase Reynolds, RB (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post Dispatch ); Daren Bates, S and Brian Folkerts, C (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com )
- Ravens – Marlon Brown, WR; Micajah Reynolds, DT; Brynden Trawick, S (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
- Seahawks – Alvin Bailey, OL; Derrick Coleman, FB; Ricardo Lockette, WR; Christine Michael, RB; Nick Moody, LB (Twitter links via Greg Bell of the News Tribune and Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN Seattle)
- Steelers – Terence Garvin, LB (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
- Washington – Tom Compton, T (Twitter link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com)