Lovie Smith To Coach University Of Illinois
Lovie Smith is the new coach of the Fighting Illini, the University of Illinois has announced. Smith will take over the program on a contract that will pay him $21MM over six years, per the team’s press release. Smith’s contract at Illinois is back-loaded so the Buccaneers will save $4MM and still owe him $6MM after his firing, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. 
“I am extremely excited to be named head coach of the Fighting Illini,” Smith said. “Josh approached me about this possibility, and I immediately seized on the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the young men who are part of the program today and in the future. I take this responsibility very seriously and can’t wait to get a staff in place to start our move to make Illinois a contender for Big Ten titles. We will play an exciting brand of football that will make our fans, alumni, student body and members of the University community extremely proud.”
In January, the Buccaneers fired Smith, a move that surprised many. Smith’s Bucs went 6-10 in 2015 but after he survived the calendar year, most observers assumed that his job was safe. Ultimately, the Bucs did not want to lose hot head coaching candidate Dirk Koetter to another team, so they fired Smith and elevated Koetter in his place.
As the press release notes, Smith is now the second coach to go straight from head coach in the NFL to head coach at Champaign-Urbana after John Mackovic made the move in 1988, going from the Chiefs to the Fighting Illini.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs
Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.
Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.
Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.
- Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
- A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
- The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
- Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
- Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.
Charles Johnson To Visit Buccaneers
8:41pm: Johnson’s visit with the Giants is expected to continue into Monday, but the free agent end will fly to Tampa soon after on Monday to visit with the Bucs, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson reports (on Twitter). Johnson’s dinner with Giants representatives Sunday night reportedly went well, per Anderson (via Twitter).
1:24pm: After being released by the Panthers last week, veteran defensive end Charles Johnson is already drawing interest from pass rush-needy clubs around the league. As we learned yesterday, Johnson is set to meet with the Giants today, and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Johnson will follow that trip with a visit to the Buccaneers.
[RELATED: Free agent RB Doug Martin likely to hit the open market]
Tampa Bay ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of getting after the quarterback in 2015, finishing 14th in sacks and 16th in adjusted sack rate. A lot of the Buccaneers’ pressure came from the interior, namely Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, as Jacquies Smith was the only Tampa end with more than five sacks. Smith is an exclusive-rights free agent (and expected to be offered a tender, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times), but other players along the Bucs’ front four — Henry Melton and Da’Quan Bowers, for example — are headed for unrestricted free agency.
Johnson, then, would be a nice fit for a club that needs to generate more pressure, and he comes with the added bonus of knowing his way around the NFC South. Though he played in only nine games in 2015 and posted only a single sack, Johnson was also hampered by injury, so his performance can be somewhat excused. Johnson isn’t exactly washed up, either, as he’s still under 30 years old, and averaged 11 sacks per season from 2012-14.
Because he was released, Johnson is free to sign with any club at any time — he doesn’t have to wait until Wednesday like the majority of NFL free agents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucs Expected To Cut LB Bruce Carter
The Buccaneers are expected to release linebacker Bruce Carter on Monday, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Carter will get a slight jump on free agency, hitting the market two days before the majority of UFAs.
[RELATED: Free agent DE Charles Johnson to visit Buccaneers]
Tampa Bay rarely employs signing bonuses, and because it didn’t use one when signing Carter prior to last season, the club won’t incur any dead money. Instead, the Buccaneers will not only avoid paying a $750K roster bonus, but they’ll clear Carter’s scheduled base salaries of $4.25MM over the next three seasons. Following Carter’s release, Tampa will have more than $50MM in cap space when the free agent period begins.
Carter, 28, will last only a single season with the Buccaneers after spending the first four years of his career with the Cowboys. An outside linebacker in Dallas, Carter was expected to serve as Tampa’s middle linebacker, but quickly lost the job to rookie Kwon Alexander, and ended up playing less than 30% of the Bucs’ defensive snaps.
We learned last week that the Buccaneers won’t tender an offer to restricted free agent Danny Lansanah, so with Carter also gone, the club will need at least one new linebacker to play alongside Alexander and LaVonte David.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Notes: Lovie, Bucs, Mankins, Norman
Former Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith is expected to become the new head coach at the University of Illinois, according to Ryan Baker of CBS Chicago (Twitter link). Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports has also confirmed the likely hire. Smith’s move back to the state of Illinois — where he coached the Bears for nine seasons — has repercussions in Tampa Bay, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link) that Smith’s contract with the Bucs contained offset language pertaining to any football job, not just those in the NFL. Therefore, Tampa is likely to going to recoup some of the $10MM it owes to Smith under the terms of his old deal.
Let’s take a look at more out from Tampa Bay and the NFL’s other South division clubs…
- Free agent offensive lineman Nate Chandler was released by the Panthers earlier this week, but he’s now getting attention from another NFC South team, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Buccaneers are interested in Chandler. As Auman writes, Tampa’s interest in Chandler — who can play both tackle and guard — could be a sign that the club expects veteran Logan Mankins to retire. Mankins hasn’t yet made a final decision, per Auman, but he will let the Bucs know his choice before free agency starts.
- Panthers cornerback Josh Norman isn’t going to accept a long-term deal that he considers to be below his market value, and he’s fine with playing out the season on the franchise tag, writes Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. Norman won’t accept a hometown discount, as he tells Jones, but he dispensed with any notion that he would hold out of training camp in an attempt to spur Carolina into offering more money.
- Safety Earl Wolff, who signed a futures contract with the Jaguars in January, was abducted by a group of armed men in Fayetteville, North Carolina on February 23, according to Thomas Pope of the Fayetteville Observer. Wolff was released unharmed, and one of alleged kidnappers was arrested on Wednesday.
Bucs’ Talks With Doug Martin Break Down
Doug Martin appeared headed for the free agent market as potentially the No. 1 running back available, but the Buccaneers engaged i
n discussions to retain the fifth-year running back.
Those talks did not materialize into common ground, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, who reports Martin will be expected to discuss his worth with other teams once the legal tampering period opens Monday.
Discussions between and Martin’s agent, Brian Murphy, ventured into Saturday afternoon without a solution that will keep the NFL’s second-leading rusher last season away from free agency.
We heard last week Martin was hoping to “hit the jackpot” in free agency after producing the second 1,400-yard rushing season of his career. Martin’s 1,402 ground yards last season also came on a career-best 4.9-yards-per-carry average. Martin, however, sputtered in his second and third seasons, combining to gain fewer than 1,000 yards and saw his per-carry average slink below 4.0.
Charles Sims matched Martin’s per-tote average, albeit on 181 fewer carries, but served as a superior passing-game option in gaining 561 yards compared to Martin’s 271.
Lamar Miller, Matt Forte, Chris Ivory and now Arian Foster would join Martin, who turned 27 in January, as the top proven ball-carriers on the market if the Bucs 2012 first-round pick becomes available for discussions with other teams.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Free Agent Rumors: M. Jones, C. Long, Crick
Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is expected to get a “huge” deal in free agency, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com, who tweets that Jones is the top wideout on most NFL free agent boards. While that may come as a surprise for those who haven’t been paying close attention to the available players at the position, it makes sense when considering the alternatives.
When Alshon Jeffery received the franchise tag this week from the Bears, the top free agent wide receiver was removed from the equation (unless a team is willing to part with two first-round picks to land him). That leaves Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Anquan Boldin, and Rueben Randle among the receivers in line for the biggest deals. And don’t forget Jones’ teammate, Mohamed Sanu — Russini tweets that he’s also in line for a nice payday.
As we wait to see how the wide receiver market plays out, let’s check in on a few other free agent notes and rumors from around the NFL….
- Although he was cut by the Rams after another injury-plagued season, veteran defensive end Chris Long is “100% healthy,” per Russini, who tweets that Long only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender.
- Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who technically remains a free agent until his franchise tender is signed, may come off the market very soon. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that Johnson is expected to accept his tender later today.
- The Texans are expected to try to re-sign defensive end Jared Crick, whose rookie contract is expiring, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Crick, who operates primarily as a run-stopper, will likely draw interest from other teams when the legal tampering period begins on Monday, but he has indicated he “would love to be back” in Houston.
- Cornerback Sterling Moore will almost certainly hit the open market next week, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who tweets that the Buccaneers could still re-sign Moore, but will let him gauge his value.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/16
Today’s round of minor transactions around the NFL is dominated by exclusive-rights free agents. ERFAs are players with less than three years of NFL experience, who don’t have a contract for 2016.
While these players are technically considered free agents, they don’t have any real freedom when it comes to picking their destinations — if their current teams want them back, all those clubs have to do is submit an ERFA tender (typically worth the minimum salary), which precludes those players from negotiating with any other teams.
Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:
- The Bears have tendered a contract offer to ERFA wide receiver Josh Bellamy, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bellamy saw a decent amount of playing time on offense, catching 19 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and was also one of the club’s top contributors on special teams.
- The Cardinals have assigned ERFA tenders to defensive tackle Josh Mauro and tight end Ifeanyi Momah, signaling that they want to bring back those players, the team announced today on its website. Momah missed the 2015 campaign with a knee injury, while Mauro was a depth piece on Arizona’s defensive line.
- The Titans have re-signed ERFA running back Antonio Andrews, the club announced in a press release. The move is classified as a re-signing rather than a simple contract tender because Andrews has already signed the offer. He figures to compete for a roster spot in Tennessee in 2016.
- The Buccaneers have assigned an ERFA tender to long snapper Andrew DePaola, agent Sean Stellato tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). DePaola has been Tampa Bay’s full-time long snapper since the start of the 2014 season.
Extra Points: Shorts, Roddy, Allen, Titans, Bucs
Veteran receiver Cecil Shorts is expected to return to the Texans and finish out the second and final year of the two-year contract he signed prior to the 2015 season, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Shorts, 28, appeared in 11 games last year, catching 42 passes for 484 yards and two touchdowns. Houston could save almost $3MM by releasing Shorts, but with fellow pass-catcher Nate Washington heading for free agency, the club will need options out wide.
Let’s dive into a few more items from around the league…
- Having already identified the Buccaneers as a possible for suitor for free agent Roddy White, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) also points to the Titans and Raiders as potential landing spots for the veteran receiver. It’s unclear if Rapoport is reporting or just making connections, but either way, each club makes sense — both Tennessee (Terry Robiskie) and Oakland (Bill Musgrave) field offenses run by former members of Atlanta’s coaching staff.
- Pending free agent tight end Dwayne Allen hopes he doesn’t even make it to free agency, as he’d prefer to work out an agreement with the Colts before March 9, he told 1070 The Fan today (link via Kevin Bowen of Colts.com). Allen, along with fellow Indianapolis free agent Coby Fleener, would be one of the most sought-after tight ends on the open market. Allen recently hired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who has a history of getting deals done with the Colts, as his new representation.
- The Buccaneers will not tender restricted free agent linebacker Danny Lansanah, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Lansanah has bounced around the league, and he’ll now become an unrestricted free agent next week. Per Auman, the Tampa Bay could re-sign Lansanah at a later date (and presumably, at a cheaper price than even the lowest tender).
Free Agent Rumors: Roddy, Irvin, Conte, Mack
The Falcons released wide receiver Roddy White earlier today, ensuring that the veteran pass-catcher won’t spend a 12th season in Atlanta. But another NFC club could soon come calling, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) says the Buccaneers are a team to “keep an eye on” as White looks for his new home. The connection makes sense, as new Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Koetter was the Falcons offensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Only one week remains until the start of free agency, so let’s round up the latest rumors…
- In a piece looking at NFL free agency from a broad point-of-view, John Clayton of ESPN.com suggests that Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin should be able to garner $9.5MM per year on the open market, and points to the Jaguars and Falcons as potential suitors. But according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), NFL front offices “would do cartwheels” if Irvin could be had for that price, as the 28-year-old is expected to command a “significantly higher” salary.
- The Buccaneers are meeting with the agent for free agent safety Chris Conte this week as part of an effort to re-sign him before the beginning of free agency, reports Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). A report last week indicated that Tampa would like to retain Conte, who just finished up his first season with the club after four years in Chicago.
- Running back Matt Asiata will hit free agency for the first time next week, and the Vikings seem to want to keep him around, writes Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Minnesota reportedly values Asiata’s pass-blocking acumen, as well as his prowess near the goal line.
- Center Alex Mack opted out of his Browns contract earlier today, and is now the top center available in free agency. One team that isn’t expected to show interest in signing Mack is the Cardinals, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, who notes that the Cards simply have too many internal free agents and other holes to fill to cough up the $10MM salary that Mack will surely request.