FA Rumors: Moore, Rubin, Jennings, Selvie
If Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News were in charge of the Cowboys, he would have tendered a contract offer to cornerback Sterling Moore. Cowboys coaches didn’t see enough from Moore in 2014 to want him back, apparently, but at a cost of $1.542MM, he could have given them inexpensive depth at the position. Moore, who visited the Steelers earlier this week, is in San Francisco today meeting with the 49ers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Here’s more on a handful of free agents around the NFL:
- The Seahawks are still in the market for defensive line help and they’ll host Browns free agent defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin today, Rapoport tweets. Back in December, Rubin said that he wanted to stay in Cleveland for life. So far, nothing like that has materialized.
- Wide receiver Greg Jennings told Stephen A. Smith on Sirius XM/Mad Dog Sports Radio that he’d be open to a reunion with the Packers, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Jennings said that he’d never “tear down” a bridge, but Demovsky notes that Jennings might have done that already with some harsh comments towards the Packers and Aaron Rodgers upon joining the Vikings.
- We heard earlier this week that the Vikings have interest in defensive end George Selvie, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Minnesota appears to have backed off a little, while the Buccaneers are now “very much” in the mix for Selvie.
- Free agent offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds is paying a visit to the Rams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). St. Louis has holes at multiple spots on its offensive line, and Reynolds is capable of playing both guard and tackle.
- Washington, the Vikings, and the Bengals are all vying to sign free agent safety Taylor Mays, writes Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A source tells Tomasson that Cincinnati “desperately” wants to re-sign Mays, who is considering his options.
- The Ravens have maintained interest in potentially re-signing defensive lineman Lawrence Guy, who is visiting the Jets tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- Former Dolphins defensive end Rakim Cox has been invited to the veterans combine, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Greg Hardy Likely To Sign With Cowboys
12:32pm: The Bucs have lost interest in Hardy and unless someone else gets involved, it sounds like he’ll be a Cowboy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tweets.
Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) is curious to see what the deal looks like in terms of length, guarantee, and total money. La Canfora hears that Hardy is seeking upwards of $6MM for 2015.
8:19am: After meeting with the Cowboys on Tuesday, agent Drew Rosenhaus says Greg Hardy will decide between signing with them or the Buccaneers tonight, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Seahawks were also in the running for the talented defensive end, but it appears that they have fallen out of the chase.
Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list. There has yet to be a decision from the NFL on what kind of discipline the 26-year-old will face.
Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.
The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy would obviously give a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. If he comes aboard, Eatman writes that Hardy would step in at right defensive end, Lawrence would likely switch to the left side, and Mincey would serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties. A rush featuring Hardy and Lawrence would be absolutely terrifying on paper, but Dallas would have to take on the backlash and potential baggage that could come with signing Hardy.
The Bucs lost out on what would have been a huge upgrade to their pass rush when Derrick Morgan opted to stay put with the Titans, but signing Hardy would give them a similar or greater boost in the front seven. After releasing Michael Johnson just one year after inking a five-year, $43.75MM contract, Tampa Bay needs to find a suitable replacement somehow.
Cowboys In Lead For Greg Hardy
7:00pm: Hardy is scheduled to take a physical with the Cowboys in the morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
6:31pm: The Seahawks and Buccaneers are also in on Greg Hardy, but right now, there’s one team clearly in the driver’s seat. The Cowboys are the undisputed favorite to land the free agent defensive end, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, he adds (link) that the Bucs will not go quietly.
Hardy is scheduled to have dinner with some Dallas coaches tonight after spending part of day at Valley Ranch, Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com tweets. Meanwhile, Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com hears that negotiations could get underway Tuesday night with the possibility of a deal being reached as early as Wednesday. Hardy’s docket calls for him to stay in the Dallas area through Wednesday and the possible powwow tomorrow morning could include a physical if things get that far, according to Eatman.
The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy would obviously give a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. If he comes aboard, Eatman writes that Hardy would step in at right defensive end, Lawrence would likely switch to the left side, and Mincey would serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties.
Both the Bucs and Seahawks have denied that they have a formal visit scheduled for Hardy, but their interest has been widely reported. Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.
FA Notes: Connolly, Gresham, Ellis, Barksdale
After passing along several updates on free agency this morning, we’re back this afternoon with another round-up. Here’s the latest on a handful of players still on the market:
- The Patriots would like to re-sign Dan Connolly, but the veteran offensive lineman is also receiving interest from the Seahawks and Bears as a center, and from the Dolphins and Buccaneers as a guard, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 32-year-old has been a mainstay in New England for the last few years, but had a down year in 2014, placing among the bottom 10 guards in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
- Tight end Jermaine Gresham is meeting with a doctor tomorrow to determine the severity of a back injury, and could be headed for surgery later this week, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Greshman still expects to be ready for training camp, but that’s a giant red flag for potential suitors, and explains why he remains unsigned. Teams in need of a tight end – such as the Bills, Raiders, and Browns – figure to monitor Gresham’s situation, tweets Rapoport.
- Free agent defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis could potentially make the move from one New York team to another. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter), the former Jet is visiting the Giants today.
- The Titans have maintained interest in Joe Barksdale, arguably the top tackle left on the market, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Since hitting free agency last week, Barksdale has frequently been linked to the Titans and the Rams, who are still interested in re-signing him.
- Veteran free agent Samson Satele is looking for a team that will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting center job, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Cowboys, Seahawks, Bucs In On Greg Hardy
1:15pm: Like the Bucs, the Seahawks have denied that they have a formal visit scheduled for Hardy, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Multiple reporters, including Condotta, have been told by a source that the defensive end will visit Seattle, so it sounds like Hardy’s camp is saying one thing while his potential suitors are saying another. The Seahawks did confirm to Condotta that they’re doing “due diligence” on Hardy.
12:37pm: The Bucs tell Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that their discussions with Hardy have been “exploratory” in nature, and that they don’t have an official visit lined up yet. I’d expect if Hardy leaves Dallas and Seattle without a deal in place, he’d finalize plans to visit Tampa Bay as well.
11:08am: Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms (via Twitter) that Hardy is also scheduled to travel to Tampa Bay to meet with the Bucs later this week.
10:52am: According to La Canfora (via Twitter), the Buccaneers also remain in the mix for Hardy, and a visit to Tampa Bay is a possibility for the defensive end.
10:42am: Hardy intends to visit the Seahawks after meeting with the Cowboys, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identified Seattle as a potential suitor for Hardy yesterday.
10:22am: Multiple reports yesterday indicated that the Cowboys have some level of interest in Greg Hardy and have engaged in discussions with the defensive end’s camp about a possible contract. Today, Dallas will get a closer look at Hardy, according to Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com, who tweets that the 26-year-old is expected to pay a visit to the team’s facility within the next few hours.
As I observed yesterday, Hardy would be an intriguing on-field fit for a Cowboys team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year. The Cowboys are said to be talking to Hardy’s former coaches to learn more about his character in the wake of his legal issues, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that contract negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.
While Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. The NFL has yet to conclude its own investigation into the matter, so there’s still a chance that the league announces a suspension for the defensive end, which has slowed his market during the first week of free agency.
For now, Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for Carolina before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
The Seahawks, Raiders, Jaguars, Titans, and Falcons are among the other clubs who have been linked to Hardy this month, though some of those teams have since denied having interest in the former Panther.
Draft Notes: Mariota, Ray, Parker, Agholor
We’ve already looked at a few upcoming draft visits in some earlier posts today, so let’s go ahead and round up the rest of today’s draft-related news…
- The Buccaneers hosted Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Per Rapoport, Mariota’s visit to Tampa will be similar to Jameis Winston‘s meeting several weeks ago, and Mariota will meet with all of TB’s decision-makers.
- Edge rusher Shane Ray will be a busy man, as the Missouri product has pre-draft visits lined up with the Ravens, Falcons, Titans, and Jaguars, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
- Like Ray, Louisville receiver DeVante Parker will have a full schedule, as he has 12 visits on his calendar during the next month, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link), who adds that Parker will first meet with the Dolphins.
- Another receiver — USC’s Nelson Agholor — visited with the Eagles today, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Eagles head coach Chip Kelly recruited Agholor while the former was at Oregon, Getlin adds.
- The Eagles are hosting multiple prospects, as Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will visit Philadelphia today and tomorrow, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
Contract Details: Morgan, Gilchrist, Cameron
Here are some details on several of the new contracts agreed to or signed by free agents within the last few days:
AFC deals:
- Derrick Morgan, OLB (Titans): Four years, $27MM base value. $10.5MM fully guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $10MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Jordan Cameron, TE (Dolphins): Two years, $15MM base value. $5MM fully guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Paul Fanaika, OL (Chiefs): Three years, $6.5MM. $1.75MM signing bonus. Incentives and escalators available (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Alan Branch, DT (Patriots): Two years, $4.3MM base value. $700K signing bonus. Option for 2016 (all Twitter links via Wilson).
- Tyrod Taylor, QB (Bills): Two years, $3.35MM base value. $1.15MM fully guaranteed. $400K signing bonus. Third year voids (all four Twitter links via Wilson).
NFC deals:
- Jasper Brinkley, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $6.5MM base value. $2MM guaranteed, $2MM option bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Akeem Ayers, LB (Rams): Two years, $6MM base value. $2.75MM guaranteed. $1.3MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Andrew Gachkar, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $5.2MM base value. $1.2MM signing bonus. Up to $1MM in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Nick Fairley, DT (Rams): One year, $5MM base value. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Sack and playoff incentives available (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Erik Pears, OL (49ers): Two years, $4.7MM base value. $1MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Kurt Coleman, S (Panthers): Two years, $2.8MM base value. $600K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- O’Brien Schofield, DE (Falcons): One year, $1.7MM base value. $255K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Chris Conte, S (Buccaneers): One year, $1.5MM base value. $1.25MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
King’s Latest: Peterson, Hardy, Winston
After publishing a Wednesday Morning Quarterback last week to recap a crazy first day of NFL free agency, Peter King of TheMMQB.com returns to his usual Monday Morning Quarterback piece this week, and the latest installment includes several noteworthy tidbits from around the league. Let’s round up the highlights….
- Addressing a report about the Cardinals‘ possible interest in Adrian Peterson, King cites a “reliable Cardinals source” who indicates Arizona hasn’t had any contact with the Vikings about Peterson. “There is no way we could live with those numbers,” the source said, referring to the three years and $45MM left on the running back’s contract. “We just got Larry Fitzgerald’s contract under control. No way we’d add that salary.”
- One general manager tells King that Greg Hardy is on his club’s free agent list, “but pretty far down.” Many teams believe the veteran defensive end will be suspended by the league for the first six games of the 2015 season.
- Jameis Winston isn’t currently planning to attend the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago, preferring to spend it with family and friends down south, says King.
- King thinks a team like the Falcons or Buccaneers would be a nice fit for free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney.
- The Jets likely would have blown any rival offer for Darrelle Revis out of the water, so even if the Patriots had been willing to get into the neighborhood of New York’s five-year, $70MM proposal, the Jets probably would’ve just upped the ante.
- The Cowboys started out at a $5MM-per-year price tag for DeMarco Murray, and were willing to stretch that to $6MM annually, but never considered matching the Eagles‘ final offer, which got up to $8MM+.
NFC Notes: Brown, Mays, Lewis, Satele
With Ron Parker, Kendrick Lewis, Rahim Moore, and Antrel Rolle all signing deals over the past few days, the safety market has evaporated before the Giants’ eyes, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Without many options on the roster or left in free agency, Raanan believes the team will have to do their best to re-sign veteran Stevie Brown, who played with the team in 2012 and 2014, missing the season in between. Brown intercepted eight passes in 2012, ties for second in the NFL that season.
Here are some other notes from around the NFC:
- While discussing some of Washington’s options left in free agency, John Keim of ESPN forgot to mention that the team had interest in safety Taylor Mays (via Twitter). While there was mutual interest, there has been no official visit.
- Cornerback Keenan Lewis now wants to retire with the Saints despite his previous demand at a guaranteed contract or a release, NOLA.com’s Katherine Terrell reports. New Orleans’ No. 1 corner also denied an NFL.com report that indicated the Saints are re-working his contract. Lewis has three years left on his deal with base salaries totaling $10.8MM.
- The Vikings hosted former Buccaneer and Bengal Michael Johnson for a visit today, according to the Vikings’ public relations and communication department (via Twitter). The team could place Johnson at defensive end opposite Everson Griffen.
- The Bears could be in the market for a veteran center, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune suggests that Samson Satele is a name to keep an eye on (via Twitter).
- The Panthers have filled a number of holes this offseason, and with draft picks, injury replacements, and contract extensions still to be accounted for, general manager Dave Gettleman will likely have to wait another year before making a huge extension, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. He does, however, give five names to watch as possible value signings the team could target this offseason, including Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka and Charles Tillman.
- Holding the No. 1 draft choice isn’t the only perk of finishing with the league’s worst record. The Buccaneers hold the No. 1 waiver priority thanks to their 2-14 record last year, and they intend to capitalize on it, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. “It’s a huge deal,” Bucs general manager Jason Licht told Stroud. “Bigger than people realize.” The Texans signed three players with their No. 1 position last season.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Contract Details: Orakpo, D. Williams, Allen
Here are some key details on some of the notable contracts agreed to or signed by free agents this week:
- Brian Orakpo, OLB (Titans): Four years, $31MM base value. $8.5MM fully guaranteeed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
- Dan Williams, DT (Raiders): Four years, $25MM base value. $15.2MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Nate Allen, S (Raiders): Four years, $23MM base value. $6.9MM fully guaranteed (Twitter links via Wilson)
- Lance Kendricks, TE (Rams): Four years, $18.5MM base value. $6.75MM fully guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Malcolm Smith, LB (Raiders): Two years, $7MM base value. $3.75MM fully guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Blaine Gabbert, QB (49ers): Two years, $4MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Henry Melton, DT (Buccaneers): One year, $3.75MM base value. $3.25MM fully guaranteed. $1.25MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Adrian Clayborn, DE (Falcons): One year, $3MM base value. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM available in incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).