FA Rumors: 49ers, Tate, Rams, Melton, Bills
News of signings and visits is gradually slowing down as we approach the 72-hour mark of free agency, but there are plenty of players still seeking contracts, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a number of those free agents find deals today. Here’s the latest on a few available players:
- The 49ers are comfortable heading into 2014 with Chris Culliver and Tramaine Brock as their starting cornerbacks, but are willing to offer Tarell Brown a three-year, $10MM deal to return, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Free agent running back Ben Tate‘s visit with the Browns is continuing into today, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
- The Rams “aren’t quite done” in free agency, according to head coach Jeff Fisher (Twitter link). Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com notes that the team remains interested in free agent guards Daryn Colledge and Davin Joseph.
- Speaking of Fisher, the Rams will host one of his former players from Tennessee, as wide receiver Kenny Britt is scheduled to visit St. Louis, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Earlier today, we heard that Henry Melton was en route to Seattle to visit the Seahawks after spending the night in Minnesota. After his Seattle meeting, Melton will visit the Cowboys, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- The Bills have confirmed that free agent running back Anthony Dixon and linebacker Brandon Spikes are visiting the team today, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.
- Chris Russell of ESPN Radio (Twitter link) hears that cornerback Walter Thurmond is no longer scheduled to visit the Redskins.
- Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star explores the Colts‘ signing of Phil Costa and their rumored interest in Alex Mack, suggesting that Costa represents a solid fallback starting option at center if the team is unable to land Mack.
Contract Details: Munnerlyn, Dawson, McBride
Here are a few extra details on contracts that have been agreed to and signed in recent days:
- Captain Munnerlyn‘s three-year contract with the Vikings, initially reported to be worth $14.25MM, is actually worth $11.25MM, but another $3.3MM can be added through escalators and incentives, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). The deal includes $4.45MM guaranteed in guaranteed money, but Pelissero tweets that due to a small signing bonus, it could potentially just turn into a one-year contract if 2014 doesn’t go well.
- According to Pelissero (via Twitter), the two-year contract Phil Dawson signed with the 49ers is worth a total of $6.134MM and came with a $2MM signing bonus.
- The two-year deal Trumaine McBride inked with the Giants is worth $2.875MM, with a $100K signing bonus and $900K in roster bonuses, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Wilson (via Twitter) has Will Herring‘s one-year contract with the Cowboys as an $855K base salary plus a $65K signing bonus. That would seem to suggest it’s a minimum salary benefit deal, but Wilson says the total is $1.02MM, which indicates there’s another $100K in bonuses somewhere. Either way, $300K of the deal is guaranteed, says Wilson.
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), Phil Costa‘s contract with the Colts features base salaries of $1.2MM (2014) and $1.5MM (2015), with no bonuses. $450K of Costa’s first-year salary is guaranteed.
- Wilson adds (via Twitter) that Henry Hynoski‘s $1MM contract with the Giants includes a $250K signing bonus.
- Although we heard yesterday that Chris Williams‘ contract with the Bills included a 2016 “trigger point,” when Williams was owed a significant roster bonus, the deal has been modified since being entered in the NFLPA system, says ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Instead of having a $1.5MM signing bonus and $2.5MM roster bonus in ’16, the deal now features a $3.5MM signing bonus and $250K roster bonus.
Extra Points: Smith, Munnerlyn, Neal
Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter), that he wanted a three-year deal with the Vikings rather than four years so that he could get another contract before he turns 30. He added (link) that it was very tough for him to say goodbye to the Panthers, but Carolina couldn’t afford to give him the same contract. More from around the NFL..
- Steve Smith‘s visit with the Ravens is going well so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Steelers were eyeing Mike Neal in free agency before he re-signed with Green Bay, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The linebacker got a two-year, $8MM deal from the Packers with a $2.5MM signing bonus.
- Charlie Whitehurst had the same offer from the Chargers before he picked the Titans, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN. The quarterback inked a two-year deal with a $4MM base with another $4MM in incentives and $2MM guaranteed.
- New 49ers addition Jonathan Martin told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), that he never considered retirement.
- Former Bucs left tackle Donald Penn is flying to Oakland tonight to visit the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penn has been heavily linked to the Raiders since his release.
- The 49ers don’t have much salary cap space and it’s hard to see them signing both a cornerback and a wide receiver, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter) expects the market for Saints free agent center Brian de la Puente to heat up now that the first wave of free agency has come and gone.
- Henry Melton‘s possible legal trouble won’t prevent the Bears from re-signing him, but they could use it as ammunition as they try to knock his price down, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
49ers Acquire Jonathan Martin From Dolphins
THURSDAY, 6:43pm: The 49ers have announced that Martin has passed his physical and has officially joined the team (via Twitter).
TUESDAY, 10:09pm: The Dolphins will get a seventh-round pick from the 49ers in 2015 if he’s on San Francisco’s opening day 53-man roster, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.
9:09pm: The 49ers are trading a conditional pick to the Dolphins for offensive tackle Jonathan Martin, league sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter).
From Miami’s perspective, the deal gives both the Dolphins organization and Martin a fresh start. For the 49ers, they acquire a 2012 second-round selection on a low-risk trade.
Still just 24, Martin started all 16 games in 2012 for the Dolphins at right tackle and did the same at left tackle for seven games in 2013 before leaving the team. Martin went from an unknown in the world outside of football to a front page mainstay for months thanks to the Richie Incognito scandal. It was presumed from the get-go that the club would move on from both Martin and Incognito in an effort to revamp their locker room. With Incognito in NFL limbo and Martin on his way to San Francisco, the Dolphins have all but turned the page on an ugly chapter in their franchise’s history.
The trade reunites Martin with his former coach at Stanford, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh spoke highly of Martin’s character in the now infamous Wells Report.
Martin will come to San Francisco in support of offensive tackles Joe Staley and Anthony Davis. The deal marks the second swap by the 49ers today. Earlier, they acquired Blaine Gabbert from the Jaguars for a low draft pick.
NFC Contract Details: Quarless, Collins, Saffold
We rounded up a handful of AFC contract details earlier this afternoon. Now, let’s turn our attention to the NFC:
- Andrew Quarless‘ two-year contract with the Packers is worth $3MM in total, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The base salaries are $800K and $1.3MM, while the remaining money is made up of a $350K signing bonus, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $75K in annual workout bonuses.
- Pelissero tweets that only $9MM of Anthony Collins‘ five-year deal with the Bucs is fully guaranteed at signing, which is $6MM less than what was reported earlier. I’m guessing that $6MM is guaranteed for injury only.
- Although Rodger Saffold‘s new five-year contract with the Rams is worth $31.7MM, it can max out at $35MM+, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Willie Young‘s three-year contract with the Bears includes a $1MM roster bonus and $150K in workout bonuses, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Meanwhile, the Bears‘ signing of Ryan Mundy has the club on the hook for a two-year, $3MM contract, with $650K guaranteed, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (all Twitter links). That $650K guarantee comes in the form of a roster bonus, while the pact includes base salaries of $800K (2014) and $1.45MM (2015), plus workout bonuses of $50K annually.
- Eric Wright‘s one-year contract with the 49ers sounds like a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). For a player with Wright’s experience, that’s an $855K base salary to go along with a $20K reporting bonus and another $25K if he makes the team.
- Joe Berger‘s one-year deal with the Vikings is worth $920K, with a $65K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). That makes it a minimum salary benefit contract too.
- Anthony McCoy will have a base salary of $950K on his one-year contract with the Seahawks, tweets KJR’s Curtis Crabtree.
FA Rumors: Sanders, Tillman, Britt, Osgood
Emmanuel Sanders is a hot commodity and he has a full docket for the first week of free agency. After his visit with the Jaguars, he’s headed over to Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Here are the latest free agent rumors..
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Charles Tillman is unlikely to sign with the Buccaneers. There has been a great deal of talk over the last 24 hours about Tampa Bay pairing the former Bears corner with new acquisition Alterraun Verner.
- Four or five teams have interest in free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Redskins have been linked to the troubled athlete and Florio speculates that the Patriots could be interested as well.
- The 49ers want to bring back wide receiver Kassim Osgood, but they might not do so until they sign a cornerback and determine how much cap space they have left, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is visiting the Titans on Thursday and there’s a real scenario where he could be team’s No. 2 quarterback this fall, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
- Cornerback Walter Thurmond completed his visit with the Jaguars and he’s now spending time with Seahawks officials. His next stops will be Washington to visit the Redskins and Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com.
- Agent Eugene Parker tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) that Bears free agent return man Devin Hester doesn’t have any visits scheduled yet.
Extra Points: Phillips, Lions, Tate, Ducasse
Free agent defensive end Shaun Phillips tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (on Twitter) that as much as he wants to return to the Broncos, he knows it’s not in the cards with the signing of DeMarcus Ware. “It’s definitely not mutual now just because they found a baller and we play the same position. DeMarcus (Ware) is a baller. He’s a great player and a great pick-up for them. More than likely I won’t be back there. You never know, but more than likely I will not be there.,” the veteran said. More from around the NFL…
- The Lions officially signed unrestricted free agent Kevin Ogletree and exclusive rights free agents Kris Durham, Julian Stanford, and Matt Veldman, tweets Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
- Golden Tate took to KJR Sports Radio in Seattle to discuss free agency and his decision not to return to the Seahawks (via Todd Dybas of the Tacoma News Tribune on Twitter). He spoke fondly of his time with Seattle, but also mentioned that the team “didn’t reward (him) enough.” He said that he gave the team an opportunity to offer a lesser contract, but the team didn’t bite. He also mentioned the 49ers interest, but claimed he “couldn’t do that to Seattle right after winning.” Tate signed with the Lions earlier today.
- Free agent cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who is meeting with the Vikings today, also has visits scheduled with the Jets and Buccaneers, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
- Free agent offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse is expected to visit with the Vikings next week, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Ducasse started off his Jets career as a skilled athlete with little polish, but he was able to round out his game over time.
- Antoine Bethea told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the interest between himself and the Colts “wasn’t mutual.” Before he signed with the 49ers, he says that he got some contact from the Packers, Chiefs, and Lions.
- Cornerback Chris Cook will visit the 49ers tomorrow, a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter).
Redskins Rumors: Clark, Tapp, Carroll, Talib
Reports have surfaced suggesting Ryan Clark won’t sign with the Redskins despite visiting the team today, but agent Joel Turner is adamant that his client wouldn’t meet with the club unless he had interest, says Mike Jones of the Washington Post. According to Jones, Clark has other suitors, but is intrigued by the idea of returning to Washington (Twitter links). Here’s more on the Redskins:
- Unrestricted free agent Darryl Tapp won’t be returning to the Redskins, agent Fletcher Smith tells ESPN.com’s John Keim (Twitter link).
- The Redskins have not inquired on free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll, tweets Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980. Carroll is a University of Maryland product, which would make him of interest to many Skins fans.
- The Redskins were one of the teams to express interest in Aqib Talib before he signed with Denver, the cornerback confirmed today (Twitter link via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com). Talib also suggested that the Pats, 49ers, and Saints inquired.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
49ers Sign Antoine Bethea
2:57pm: Bethea’s physical has been finalized and he has officially signed his contract with the 49ers, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
WEDNESDAY, 2:22pm: A source tells Chris Biderman of NinersDigest that only $6.5MM of Bethea’s total $23MM salary will be guaranteed.
TUESDAY, 5:36pm: The contract for Bethea is reportedly worth close to $6MM per year over the four years, reports Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Bethea will fill in for Donte Whitner alongside last year’s first-round pick Eric Reid.
3:15pm: The 49ers have reached a four-year contract agreement with safety Antoine Bethea, reports Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
Bethea, who will turn 30 in July, has started 123 of 128 possible games for the Colts since entering the league in 2006, earning two Pro Bowl nods during that span. In 2013, he recorded an impressive 124 tackles and grabbed a pair of interceptions.
West Rumors: McFadden, 49ers, Rams
Darren McFadden re-signed with the Raiders but he could have gone elsewhere for more money. “We did have real interest from four or five other teams — one offered more money,” McFadden’s agent Ian Greengross told Jerry McDonald of Bay Area News Group. “Darren wanted to stay a Raider. He felt like he still had something to prove in silver and black.” The tailback came back to Oakland on a one-year, $1.75MM deal with $2.25 million in incentives and just $100K guaranteed. The latest out of the AFC and NFC West..
- The 49ers are in the market for a tall, long-armed cornerback and they have their eye on Vikings free agent corner Chris Cook, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. San Francisco also likes fellow free agent CB Nolan Carroll. Meanwhile, things are quiet around Tarell Brown and that could benefit the 49ers, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.
- Versatile defensive lineman Alex Carrington is drawing strong interest from the Rams and Browns, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter). Carrington played in just three games for the Bills last season due to injury.
- Free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins is on the Cardinals‘ radar, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. However, no visit is scheduled yet for the former first round pick. Jenkins spent last season with the Raiders.
- Justin Tuck isn’t the only player visiting the Raiders today. Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter) says that Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas is also in Oakland.
- We can add a third Giant to the delegation visiting the Raiders. Running back Andre Brown is in Oakland as well, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Rams free agent guard Shelley Smith will make a visit with the Patriots, according to Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com. The 26-year-old started in two games for St. Louis last season and can play either left or right guard. He has build a reputation as a solid run blocker who can pull well.