Pompei On Byrd, Graham, Joseph, McCown
Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report leads off his latest column by discussing Bills safety Jairus Byrd, who looks poised to reach the open market in the next few days. Many front office executives around the league view Byrd as the top difference-maker of this year’s free agent class, so the 27-year-old figures to draw plenty of interest, even if he won’t come cheap — Pompei suggests the “word on the street” is that Byrd will seek $9MM+ per year. Here’s more from the BR piece:
- The Seahawks are unlikely to pursue franchised Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, since the investment required in Graham could preclude deals for one or more of the team’s own young players.
- Others clubs around the league believe Buccaneers guard Davin Joseph could be available via trade, says Pompei. Joseph is a two-time Pro Bowler, but is owed $6MM in 2014 and turns 31 later this year.
- Josh McCown‘s market is “developing quite nicely,” according to Pompeti, who suggests that it’s starting to look like the free-agent-to-be won’t return to the Bears. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeted something similar today, indicating that it looks like the signal-caller will hit the open market next week. The Buccaneers, Jets, and Vikings could be among McCown’s suitors, writes Pompei.
- Don’t expect Greg Schiano to join the Patriots‘ staff, despite the time he spent with Bill Belichick at last month’s combine. A source tells Pompei that New England doesn’t have a spot on the staff for the former Bucs head coach, and isn’t likely to create one.
- The 49ers front office “thinks very highly” of defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, according to Pompei, who suggests that if the reported tension between the club and Jim Harbaugh develops into anything real, Tomsula could be next in line for the head coaching job.
NFC Notes: Packers, Hester, Mitchell, Smith
Nate Davis of USA Today ran down the Packers‘ offseason needs and rightfully noted that the D-Line will need to be addressed. Tyson Jackson, Arthur Jones, and Paul Soliai could be candidates for Green Bay, especially since B.J. Raji seems to have played his way off the roster. Here’s more out of the NFC..
- In an interview with NFL Network. Bears return specialist Devin Hester indicated that he’ll likely be elsewhere in 2014, writes Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “From my knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different route with me,” Hester said, pretty much confirming a similar report from earlier in the week. “All I can say is thanks to the fans (for) the support. Always been great to me, always been loyal. I couldn’t want to play for a better city than those guys.” Hester averaged 27.6 yards per kickoff return and 14.2 yards per punt return last season, tying Sanders’ touchdown record with an 81-yard punt return against the Redskins in October.
- Panthers safety Michael Mitchell is a shining example of how one-year deals can actually benefit veterans, writes USA Today’s Tom Pelissero. The 26-year-old didn’t get much opportunity in Oakland but after totaling four interceptions, two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks in 15 games (14 starts) in 2013 with Carolina, he figures to see a bigger pay day this year.
- Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer says Panthers GM Dave Gettleman holds the cards in his standoff with wide receiver Steve Smith. The inventive columnist even goes so far as to come up with dialogue for an imagined meeting between the two men.
- The Vikings want to re-sign veteran wide receiver Jerome Simpson, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. A source tells Tomasson that Minnesota is interested in a third year with Simpson even though he was arrested in November on suspicion of a DUI.
- It’s no secret that the 49ers are trying to get deals done with Donte Whitner and Tarell Brown before they hit free agency, but it may be difficult to get both men to bypass the open market, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
- Bears guard Kyle Long has already begun lobbying for the team to sign free agent defensive tackle Nate Collins, writes John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Earlier tonight, the Bears came to terms with fellow DT Jeremiah Ratliff.
Draft Notes: Manziel, Evans, Matthews
The Browns didn’t meet with Johnny Manziel at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he wasn’t the only quarterback that the club didn’t talk to, according to Vic Carucci of ClevelandBrowns.com (via Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group). Cleveland also passed on the chance to talk to the likes of Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater, Central Florida’s Blake Bortles, and Fresno State’s Derek Carr. That doesn’t mean the team won’t meet with the top QBs, however. The Browns plan to spend quality time with the quarterbacks when they bring them to Berea, Ohio for visits and future private workouts. More draft news..
- Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans has met with the Patriots and 49ers in the last 24 hours, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
- Tackle Jake Matthews met has met with the Browns and Rams, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Matthews, widely expected to be one of the first tackles off the board in this year’s draft, has also met with the Falcons.
- Alabama State running back Isaiah Crowell confirmed that he has spoken to the Raiders, Browns, and the Ravens, according to a report from BamaStateSports.com (hat tip to NFL.com).
NFC Rumors: Tynes, Brown, Jackson, Hatcher
Buccaneers kicker Lawrence Tynes currently isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2014 season, but a decision on his contract status could mean he hits the open market next week, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, there’s a disagreement over whether the Bucs should have placed Tynes on the non-football injury/illness list or the injured reserve list last season when the kicker developed an MRSA infection. The team opted for the NFI list, whereas if Tynes had been placed on the IR, he’d be eligible for free agency this year, so a ruling will be required.
Let’s round up a few more afternoon notes from around the NFC….
- The 49ers are “making a push” to re-sign prospective free agent Tarell Brown before Tuesday, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). As Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details, former Colts GM Bill Polian had high praise for Brown, who Polian thinks is one of the best cornerbacks available this winter.
- On the heels of a weekend report suggesting the Eagles could gauge DeSean Jackson‘s trade value, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com reiterates that the wide receiver’s days in Philadelphia may be numbered. In the piece, Mosher explains why he doesn’t think Jackson will be with the team beyond 2014.
- Ian Rapoport of NFL.com believes the Buccaneers will be among the suitors for Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jason Hatcher, who the Cowboys may not be able to afford to re-sign (Twitter link).
- While things could change in the next few days, indications are that the Rams will keep center Scott Wells for 2014, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Wells, who has two years left on his deal, has a cap number of $6.5MM for ’14.
- Defensive back Kelvin Hayden and tight end Dante Rosario, who both recently re-signed with the Bears, will each make the minimum salary in 2014, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).
Colin Kaepernick Seeking $20MM Per Year?
WEDNESDAY, 10:50am: Kaepernick is actually seeking a salary in the neighborhood of $20MM+ annually on his next contract, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, in a lengthy piece on the 49ers quarterback. According to La Canfora, Kaepernick will likely only sign an extension if it’s in the ballpark of $20MM per year, and will be happy to play out his current deal and take his chances next year if no new agreement is in place.
MONDAY, 1:21pm: Within his Sunday notes column for the Boston Globe, Ben Volin included an interesting tidbit on Colin Kaepernick, who is eligible for a contract extension. Citing sources, Volin writes that the 49ers quarterback wants a deal similar to or slightly better than the long-term pacts signed by Jay Cutler and Tony Romo, who are both on contracts worth about $18MM annually. Following up on the story, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Kaepernick is looking for “more than” $18MM per year.
Kaepernick remains under team control for 2014 at a base salary of less than $1MM, so there’s no real urgency yet for the Niners to lock up their signal-caller. While no one believes the 26-year-old is going anywhere anytime soon, Volin writes that Kaepernick appears willing to play out the 2014 season at his current salary if the Niners don’t get near his asking price — he’d prefer to postpone negotiations for a year rather than ink a below-market deal.
Kaepernick’s talks with the 49ers will be tricky, since both sides have reason to be cautious about plunging into a long-term agreement, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines. From the team’s perspective, the young quarterback has only logged 23 career NFL starts and hasn’t yet shown he can consistently produce while facing a heavy pass rush. On the other hand, San Francisco has reached an NFC championship and a Super Bowl in the last two years in large part because of Kaepernick, and the franchise was willing to trade away Alex Smith to pave the way for the Nevada-Reno product.
One potential compromise for the two sides is a shorter-term extension, one that would keep Kaepernick under contract through 2016 or so. A deal like that could allow the team to meet Kaepernick’s $18MM-per-year asking price for his first two free agent seasons while spreading out the cap hit over the 2014 season as well. Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com detailed that scenario recently in his full breakdown of the situation.
Extra Points: Suh, Johnson, McClain, Smith
Ndamukong Suh has long been linked to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, but it sounds like the Lions star might actually opt to represent himself in his contract negotiations, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. While he’d consult with others, including Roc Nation, it sounds like the defensive tackle is giving real thought to sitting across the table from the Lions without a formal agent at his side. An extension would be very complex for Suh if he wants to maximize his value and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) hears that even the Lions don’t want him to enter negotiations on his own. More from around the league..
- The Seahawks gave safety Jeron Johnson a second-round tender as a restricted free agent, Garafolo tweets. Johnson, 26 in June, could garner interest elsewhere, so it’ll be interesting to see how things to this offseason.
- Former Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain is scheduled to take a free agent visit with the Bills tomorrow, Rapoport tweets. The LB has a few more visits with other clubs on his docket as well.
- Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith met with general manager Dave Gettleman earlier today to try and clear the air, a league source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Gettleman was non-committal about Smith’s future with the team when asked about him at the scouting combine last month which didn’t sit well with the veteran.
- 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh personally scouted Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at his pro day, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Texans also came to watch the signal caller throw.
- The Giants will be on the hunt for running backs once free agency officially opens, explains Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News.
- Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated examined the nuances of the franchise tag, the transition tag, and the ripple effects they’ll have on free agency.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Bryant, Rice, Harbaugh
The Super Bowl champion Seahawks debuted their season highlights tonight, and coach Pete Carroll left the door open on a possible return of two recently released players, defensive lineman Red Bryant and receiver Sidney Rice.
“Maybe we have a chance to get them back,” Carroll said via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “Maybe we don’t. We’ll have to wait and see.”
The two were slated to earn a combined $17MM in 2014 before receiving the ax.
Other notes from the NFC…
- 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed rumors he will leave the team after next season. “No,” Harbaugh told SI.com’s Michael Rosenberg. “Zero opportunity or chance of that in my mind.” Harbaugh flatly denied the assertions that he wants more money and power, and he spoke of the respect shared between himself and GM Trent Baalke.
- Cowboys quarterback Kyle Orton is set to earn $3.25MM in 2014, but the team still doesn’t if he plans on playing, according to ESPNDallas.com’s Todd Archer. Orton would have to repay $3MM of the $5MM signing bonus he received in 2012, so signs point to his return, but no declarative statement has been made.
- Attempting to ease cap woes, the Cowboys converted base salary to bonus money for cornerback Orlando Scandrick and Sean Lee, per FOX Sports 1 NFL insider Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). This type of conversion lowers a cap number by spreading the hit over the length of the contract. Garafolo continued, saying the team will continue to rework contracts, and that Scandrick had $3.75MM converted. Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets that Dallas created $4.75MM in space with Lee and $8.5MM total.
- With a $6.75MM salary and $11.3MM cap number in 2014, Giants offensive lineman Chris Snee reiterated his willingness to take a pay cut and “mentor the young guys,” from ESPN Giants reporter Dan Graziano.
NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Cardinals
Michael Bennett took to SiriusXM NFL Radio and talked to hosts Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon about his future with Seahawks, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The defensive end revealed that discussions “have been positive,” adding that the team wants him “to be a Seahawk for the rest of (his) career.”
While it certainly sounds like the Seahawks will bring back their defensive end, Bennett admitted that his brother, Martellus Bennett, is still trying to recruit him to come to the Bears. The Bears would have to “open up their wallet” for that to happen, Bennett said.
Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC West…
- The 49ers did not use their franchise tag on Monday, but could use it next season, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com says. Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree and Aldon Smith are entering the final season of their contracts and could be tagged next offseason.
- Considering the safety’s connection to St. Louis, Jairus Byrd could potentially be a target of the Rams, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com. Byrd played high school football near St. Louis, and Wagoner believes the prospective free agent would be a great fit for the team. Still, the writer thinks it’s unlikely the Rams would dish out the kind of money that would be required for Byrd’s services.
- Larry Fitzgerald acknowledged that the restructuring of his contract should allow the Cardinals to re-sign some key free agents, like Karlos Dansby and Patrick Peterson. One interesting name that the receiver also brought up was Frostee Rucker, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com writes. Fitzgerald said, “Some guys have gaudy numbers. I know his numbers weren’t crazy high. In terms of locker room guy, you can’t ask for a better teammate.”
49ers To Re-Sign Anquan Boldin
2:17pm: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the specifics on Boldin’s contract. According to Florio, the base salary for 2014 is the veteran minimum ($955K). The deal also includes a $4.545MM signing bonus, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses for the ’14 season. The base salary for 2015 is $6MM, with $3MM of that amount guaranteed for injury only.
1:37pm: Boldin’s two-year deal is worth $12MM, with $9MM guaranteed, reports ESPN’s Ed Werder (Twitter link).
1:23pm: The 49ers have reached an agreement with Anquan Boldin on a new contract, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who reports that it’s a two-year deal. Boldin first broke word of the agreement via his foundation’s website.
“49ers fans, I wanted to be the first to tell you I’m returning to San Francisco,” Boldin said in a statement. “Looking forward to joining my teammates, coaching staff and fans to bring back another championship to the Bay Area.”
Boldin, who was traded to the Niners from the Ravens last year, excelled in his first season in San Francisco. His 85 receptions, 1,179 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns all matched or exceeded his best marks in three seasons in Baltimore. Boldin also ranked third among receivers in DYAR according to Football Outsiders, and ninth overall among receivers according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.
Financial details of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d expect it will pay Boldin in the ballpark of $6-7MM per year. That would make the contract worth a little more on an annual basis than the other two extensions signed by receivers so far this offseason — Jeremy Maclin‘s one-year pact can max out at $6MM, while Riley Cooper‘s multiyear agreement pays him about $4-5MM per year.
With those three agreements on the books, the wide receiver market has taken a bit of a hit. When I examined the free agent market for receivers last month, I placed Boldin, Maclin, and Cooper in the first tier. Still, with players like Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, Golden Tate, Emmanuel Sanders, and Hakeem Nicks on track to hit the open market, there should be a few appealing options for teams in need of receiving help.
ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter first reported in February that Boldin and the 49ers were closing in on a new deal, while ESPN’s Ed Werder reported today that an announcement was expected shortly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Franchise Updates: Whitner, Houston, Byrd
With today’s franchise deadline now less than five hours away, let’s round up a few of the latest news items and rumors on the franchise tag from around the NFL….
- The 49ers won’t be designating safety Donte Whitner as their franchise player, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
- Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston isn’t expected to receive the team’s franchise tag, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Bills have yet to express anything to Jairus Byrd about the franchise tag, and it appears unlikely that the club will use it, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 also hears that the Bills won’t franchise Byrd (Twitter link).
- The Packers don’t look likely to use the franchise tag on their own defensive back, says Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). A source tells Dougherty that the team has yet to mention the possibility to Sam Shields or his agent.
Earlier updates:
- The Lions aren’t expected to use their franchise tag today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew likely would have been the top candidate to be franchised.
- The Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. We also heard over the weekend that the team doesn’t intend to tag kicker Steven Hauschka, but Seattle is still trying to reach deals with both players, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- The Titans won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Cornerback Alterraun Verner appeared to be the most viable Tennessee candidate for the tag, but it appears the club will either reach a multiyear agreement with Verner or let him hit the open market.
- Paul Soliai‘s agent says the Dolphins have told his client he won’t be franchised, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). We heard last week that Miami was unlikely to re-sign Soliai, so the team may turn its attention to bringing back its other key free agent defensive lineman, Randy Starks.