Mutual Interest Between Bucs, J.J. Wilcox
Mutual interest exists between the Buccaneers and free agent safety J.J. Wilcox, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, but the Cowboys are now hoping to retain the 26-year-old defensive back after seeing Barry Church sign with the Jaguars, tweets Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.
Wilcox appeared in 13 games last year as the Cowboys’ third safety behind Church and Byron Jones, but given that Dallas is reportedly bracing to lose many of its internal free agents, Wilcox appeared to be a goner. But with Church out of the picture, the Cowboys may push harder to re-sign Wilcox, as the club might not be comfortable starting special-teamer Jeff Heath in the back end.
Safety is a definite need area for the Buccaneers, as both Chris Conte and Bradley McDougald are pending free agents. Keith Tandy figures to take at least one of Tampa Bay’s starting safety jobs after playing well down the stretch in 2016, but the club could certainly use another defensive back. Wilcox ranks 12th on PFR’s list of free agent safeties.
Contract Details: Gholston, Colquitt, Doyle, Davis
Updates on the contracts signed over the past couple of days, mostly via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…
- Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston‘s contract includes $13.5MM in guaranteed money, as well as a guaranteed base salary of $3MM for the 2017 season (via Twitter). The 25-year-old’s $6.5MM 2018 salary becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2017 league year.
- Defensive tackle Khyri Thornton‘s deal with the Lions is worth $3.3MM with a $325K bonus (Twitter). Thornton will make $700K in 2017, followed by a $1.325MM salary in 2018. He can earn another $12.5K via annual per game active roster bonus, as well as $225K via a weight bonus.
- Punter Britton Colquitt‘s new deal with the Browns is worth $11.2MM and $4.5MM guaranteed (via Twitter). The former fourth-rounder will earn $1.65MM in 2017, followed by salaries of $2.55MM (2018), $2.7MM (2019), and $2.8M (2020).
- Colts tight end Jack Doyle will earn $18.9MM on his next contract (via Twitter). Doyle will earn a guaranteed $1MM next season, followed by a $3.5MM salary in 2018 (guaranteed fifth day of league year) and $5.15MM salary in 2019. The tight end will also earn a $6.5MM roster bonus on March 10th.
- Fullback James Develin earned a $2.45MM contract from the Patriots along with a $300K signing bonus, reports Wilson (Twitter). Develin will earn $800K each year, with a guaranteed $200K base salary for 2017. He can earn another $12.5K via a per-game active annual roster bonus.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that tight end Vernon Davis will receive $15MM ($7.5MM guaranteed) from the Redskins. The veteran will make $6MM in the first year of the three-year deal.
- Punter Shane Lechler‘s new deal with the Texans is for one-year and $2MM ($1MM guaranteed), reports Caplan (via Twitter).
Bucs and Jags Leading For Campbell?
- La Canfora says he wouldn’t be surprised if Calais Campbell lands with either the Buccaneers or the Jaguars. The Jaguars were previously linked to the Cardinals defensive end, while the Buccaneers were reportedly eying free agent Chris Baker.
[SOURCE LINK]
Cole’s Latest: Jackson, Zeitler, Poe, Williams
DeSean Jackson looks set for a raise despite having turned 30 during the 2016 season. His market is heating up on Day 2 of the legal tampering period, and it’s expected to clear the $11MM mark in terms of AAV, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report notes (on Twitter). The 10th-year deep threat is likely to leave Washington, and two Redskins rivals — the Cowboys and Eagles — remain interested, per Cole. He adds the Patriots and Buccaneers are in on Jackson as well. We’ve heard Jackson’s salary could climb toward the $12MM-per-year neighborhood. That would lean toward a team like the Bucs ($58.3MM in cap space), with the Cowboys and Eagles on the lower end of the cap-room hierarchy and the Patriots not big on monster skill-position contracts. Dallas’ interest, though, has been disputed, with Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting the team isn’t interested. The Cowboys have just $8.3MM in cap space.
Here’s more from free agency, courtesy of Cole.
- Kevin Zeitler may raise the guard salary ceiling, and the Jaguars continue to come up in connection to the former Bengals first-round pick, Cole tweets. The Jags re-signed guard Patrick Omameh on Tuesday, but at $775K, that won’t figure to preclude them from making a splash to upgrade their front. Zeitler’s been connected to a $12MM-per-year deal on a heated guard market. Kelechi Osemele‘s $11.7MM currently tops all guards. Jacksonville has $75.6MM in cap space. The Jags’ line does not have a veteran contract on its interior, with rookie-deal cogs Brandon Linder and A.J. Cann having been the primary starters last season, along with Omameh.
- Dontari Poe might not get the kind of long-term security he wants this year, and Cole tweets the five-year Chiefs starting nose tackle could opt for a one-year deal and re-enter free agency in 2018. The Chiefs prioritized Eric Berry among their big two free agents, signing the cornerstone safety to a record extension. They also drafted Chris Jones in the second round in 2016 and are short on cap space, with a league-low $4.6MM presently. Poe made Pro Bowls in 2013 and ’14, but a 2015 back surgery slowed him. And Poe’s 2016 season, per Pro Football Focus, didn’t compare with his work at his peak. Cole notes Poe could look for a team that wants him to rush the passer more. Poe made just more than $6MM in 2016 on a fifth-year option.
- Conversely, Ravens 3-4 nose Brandon Williams looks like he’ll do well in his first UFA foray. Cole tweets the fifth-year defender could well sign for around what the Giants paid Damon Harrison last year (five years, $46.25MM). That would bridge the gap for 3-4 nose players between Marcell Dareus and the field, and it might be more than the Ravens ($12MM-plus in space) can afford.
- After one tampering day, Cole notes (on Twitter) Andre Branch could have a strong market. Cole associates the veteran defensive end as being worth between $7-9MM per year. Branch recorded 5.5 sacks on what could be a short-term stay with the Dolphins in 2016. As of January, the Fins wanted to keep Branch in Miami, but not much has surfaced on the now-two-time free agent since.
- The Tony Jefferson rise seems real, with Cole now reporting (on Twitter) the Cardinals safety could earn more than $9MM annually. Previously, Cole had Jefferson — likely the market’s top safety after Berry re-signed in Kansas City — pegged to command around $7MM per year. But Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com attached the safety to a market around nearly $10MM AAV.
Buccaneers, Five Others In On Russell Shepard
Buccaneers wide receiver and special-teams captain Russell Shepard currently has interest from six teams, including the Bucs, a source tells Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. About half of those teams see him as a No. 3 receiver, with a chance of being a No. 2. The other teams have offered to make him “one of the highest-paid special-teams players in the league with multiple offensive packages,” the source told Laine. I would surmise that this news comes from Shepard’s agent, so it should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/17
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:
RFAs:
Tendered:
- Bengals — G T.J. Johnson (via Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer)
- Bills — C Ryan Groy (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
- Buccaneers — DE Jacquies Smith (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times)
- Giants — DE Kerry Wynn (via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com)
- Patriots — T Cameron Fleming (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
- Rams — DT Dominique Easley (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
- Ravens – S Marqueston Huff (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com); WR Michael Campanaro, T James Hurst, RB Terrance West (via Jeff Zriebec of the Baltimore Sun)
Non-Tendered:
- Bills — DE IK Enemkpali, P Colton Schmidt
- Broncos — OL Sam Brenner (via Mike Klis of 9NEWS)
- Chargers — WR Jeremy Butler (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk)
- Seahawks — LB Brock Coyle, CB DeShawn Shead (via Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com)
ERFAs:
Tendered:
- Broncos — LB Zaire Anderson, OLB Shaquil Barrett, RB Kapri Bibbs, C James Ferentz, WR Bennie Fowler, LS Casey Kreiter, C Matt Paradis, WR Jordan Taylor (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
- Cardinals — QB Zac Dysert, DT Olsen Pierre, G/T John Wetzel (via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com)
- Jaguars — S Peyton Thompson (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
- Lions — DE Brandon Copeland (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
- Packers — LB Joe Thomas (via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
- Panthers — C Tyler Larsen, P Michael Palardy
- Patriots — CB Justin Coleman (via Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald), TE Matt Lengel (via Kevin Duffy of MassLive)
- Saints — WR Brandon Coleman (via Nick Underhill of the Advocate)
Non-Tendered:
- Buccaneers — DE Howard Jones (via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)
Redskins, DeSean Jackson Expected To Part Ways
Following three seasons with the organization, it sounds like DeSean Jackson‘s tenure with the Redskins is over. According to Mike Jones, Master Tesfatsion, and Liz Clarke of The Washington Post, it’s expected that the two sides “will part ways.” Meanwhile, the trio report that the Patriots, Eagles, Buccaneers, and Cowboys have inquired on the 30-year-old.
Following an underwhelming 2015 campaign, Jackson bounced back in 2016. In 15 games, the veteran hauled in 56 receptions for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns. In nine NFL seasons, the wideout has averaged 55 receptions, 980 yards, and five touchdowns in 14 games per season.
The Buccaneers would be an intriguing option, as Jackson could team up with Mike Evans to provide Jameis Winston with a pair of dynamic receiving options. The veteran would easily fit the role of the veteran long threat in New England, and he’d provide the Eagles with the receiver they’ve been seeking since they lost Jackson following the 2013 season. The Cowboys would be an intriguing option, but it’d be hard to envision Jackson replacing Dez Bryant and Cole Beasley from the starting lineup.
Latest On Market For A.J. Bouye
We figured that cornerback A.J. Bouye would be one of the most sought-after free agents, and that sentiment has certainly been confirmed today. ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars, Bears, Buccaneers, and Titans have been linked to the defensive back.
The Jets and Eagles were among the teams previously mentioned as potential landing spots, and the Texans are also reportedly interested in re-signing him. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle clarifies (via Twitter) that the Eagles will indeed have interest in Bouye, but they’re not expected to “emerge as a serious player” for his services. Wilson also adds the 49ers, Browns, and Colts as teams that are expected to be “extremely competitive” when it comes to signing Bouye. Considering that long list of suitors, Wilson says there’s a good chance Bouye sticks around the AFC South.
Meanwhile, Wilson tweets that all of the offers for Bouye have averaged at least $12MM annually.
The 2013 undrafted free agent played sparingly during his rookie season, but he established himself as one of the team’s most reliable corners over the past three seasons. Bouye arguably had his best season in 2016, compiling 63 tackles, one sack, and one interception.
Among the teams listed above, Bouye would seemingly be able to slide into every starting lineup. Brice McCain (Titans), Aaron Colvin (Jaguars), Brent Grimes (Buccaneers) are among the defensive backs who could be pushed out of the lineup if their respective teams sign Bouye.
PFR listed Bouye above Logan Ryan as the best available free agent cornerback. Meanwhile, our own Zach Links anticipates that the 25-year-old will be the highest-earning free agent this offseason.
Buccaneers Likely To Keep Jacquizz Rodgers
Barring any surprises, running back Jacquizz Rodgers is expected to be back with the Buccaneers, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).
The 27-year-old had a breakout campaign during his first season in Tampa, establishing career-highs in multiple categories. Rodgers ultimately ran for 560 yards and two touchdowns on 129 attempts, good for a 4.3 yards per carry average. The running back also collected another 13 receptions for 98 yards.
Prior to his 2015 season with the Bears, Rodgers spent four years with the Falcons, where he earned a reputation as a pass-catching back.
After finishing the 2016 season with four different starters at the position, the Buccaneers currently have four running backs on their roster: Rodgers, Charles Sims, Peyton Barber, and Russell Hansbrough. Former first-rounder Doug Martin is a free agent.
We recently ranked Rodgers as one of the ten best running backs available in free agency.
Calais Campbell, Chris Baker Generating Interest
The Jaguars are in the Calais Campbell market, while the Broncos, Buccaneers, and Colts are contenders for fellow free agent defensive lineman Chris Baker, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter link) and Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Anderson adds that a Redskins return is still in the cards for Baker and he hopes to sign “quick” (link).
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Campbell, the best interior defender on the market in the estimation of PFR, should be in high demand this week, and the Cardinals are expecting to lose him to another club as a result. The Jaguars boast $60MM more in cap space than does Arizona, meaning Jacksonville would likely be able to outbid the Cards and many other suitors. Campbell, fresh off his ninth solid campaign in the desert, would add an All Pro presence to a Jaguars defense that has accrued veteran talent in recent offseasons.
Baker, meanwhile, is expecting an offer from the Redskins, but that doesn’t mean the 29-year-old won’t test free agency. Baker started all 16 games for the first time in his career in 2016, and graded as one of the league’s best interior defenders. The Broncos are expected to target defensive line help after struggling against the run last season, while Baker would give the Buccaneers another talented lineman to pair with Gerald McCoy.