Buccaneers To Sign Major Wright
3:47pm: The Bucs and Wright have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
3:39pm: Free agent safety Major Wright will sign with the Buccaneers, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times confirms (via Twitter) that the team is expected to lock up Wright, who is on track to become the latest ex-Bear to join former Chicago head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay.
As the Bears’ full-time starter at strong safety last season, Wright grabbed a pair of interceptions, and racked up more than 100 tackles, but earned the dubious honor of ranking dead-last out of 86 qualified safeties, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). According to PFF’s data, quarterbacks completed 77.8% of their passes when throwing at Wright’s coverage, with a QB rating of 146.8.
Still, 2013 may have been an aberration for the former third-round pick. Under Smith, who is now the Bucs’ head coach, Wright’s PFF grades looked significantly better in 2011 and 2012, and at age 25, there’s still plenty of room for growth.
Buccaneers Expected To Sign Lavelle Hawkins
The Buccaneers are expected to finalize a contract agreement with free agent receiver Lavelle Hawkins, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune reported earlier today that Tampa Bay was taking “a look” at Hawkins, though no agreement was in place at that point.
Hawkins, 27, grabbed 47 balls for the Titans in 2011, but typically hasn’t played a large role on offense during stints in Tennessee and San Diego. The former fourth-round pick is capable of returning kicks and can contribute on special teams as well.
The Bucs are in the market for receivers after agreeing to trade Mike Williams to the Bills earlier today. Assuming the club signs Hawkins, he of course won’t be expected to fill Williams’ role, but he’ll help provide depth at the position.
NFC South Notes: Bucs, Godfrey, Draft Visits
The Buccaneers, who agreed today to send Mike Williams to the Bills, talked to all 31 teams about a trade, but only had two clubs interested in a deal, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. As was the case with DeSean Jackson, potential off-field issues likely dissuaded many teams from getting involved, but unlike Jackson, Williams’ 2014 cap hit was extremely affordable, allowing the Bucs to get something for their diminished asset.
Here’s more on the Bucs and their division rivals in the NFC South:
- The Buccaneers will be in the market for receiving help now that Williams is gone, and the club has already started considering options, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, who tweets that the team took a look at longtime Titans receiver Lavelle Hawkins. Hawkins, who last played for the Chargers, had 47 receptions for Tennessee in 2011.
- With Thomas DeCoud visiting the Panthers, there are question marks about Charles Godfrey’s future with the team, as Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer details. Godfrey’s cap number jumps to $7.1MM in 2014, and he’s returning from an Achilles injury that sidelined him for most of last season.
- The Panthers and Saints will be hosting USC wideout Marqise Lee for pre-draft visits, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
- Alabama-Birmingham offensive tackle Kaycee Ike will have a private workout with the Falcons on April 15, reports Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Bills To Acquire Mike Williams From Bucs
The Bills and Buccaneers have agreed to a trade that will send wide receiver Mike Williams to Buffalo in exchange for a sixth-round pick, a league source tells James Walker of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link), the deal is pending a physical.
We heard back in February that Williams’ future in Tampa Bay was uncertain due to a variety of off-field issues, and an incident last month in which the receiver was hospitalized after being stabbed by his brother only raised more questions. At the time, at least one report suggested that there would limited trade interest in Williams, making it possible that the team would release him at some point. However, it seems as if the Bucs were able to salvage something of value in the deal with the Bills — the sixth-rounder included in the swap will be the 185th overall pick next month.
Williams, a Buffalo native, saw his 2013 season cut short due to a torn hamstring, but flourished with the Bucs from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 64 receptions, 910 yards, and eight touchdowns per year. He’ll join a Bills receiving corps led by Steve Johnson, and will presumably be catching balls from E.J. Manuel in 2014, barring an unexpected change in Buffalo.
The Bills had been seeking receiving help throughout free agency, having been linked to DeSean Jackson and Kenny Britt, among others. Perhaps the team simply didn’t view those players as the right fit for the system, or wasn’t willing to match their asking prices. However, it’s also fair to wonder if it’s simpler for the Bills to trade for a player rather than to convince a free agent to commit to a long-term future in Buffalo, which isn’t one of the league’s perennial contenders or bigger markets.
While Williams is in the midst of a lucrative long-term contract, his 2014 base salary is only $1.2MM, to go along with a $600K workout bonus, so the acquisition represents a fairly inexpensive, low-risk pickup for the Bills. If things don’t work out this time around between Williams and Doug Marrone, his former coach at Syracuse, the team could cut ties with him without being on the hook for any dead money in 2015 or beyond.
As for the Bucs, Williams is the second big-name, big-money player the team has parted ways with this offseason, having previously cut Darrelle Revis. With Williams gone, Vincent Jackson will shoulder more responsibility as the team’s No. 1 receiver, and the position figures to become a greater priority for the club in the draft.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
FA Visits: Heyward-Bey, Wright, Ayers, Coleman
We heard this afternoon that veteran cornerback Champ Bailey is in New Orleans to meet with the Saints, but Bailey’s trip to Louisiana isn’t the only free agent visit that has been reported today. Let’s round up a few more….
- Former top-10 pick Darrius Heyward-Bey is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Wednesday, tweets Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The former Raider grabbed 29 balls last season for the Colts.
- Free agent safety Major Wright will meet with his old head coach Lovie Smith as he visits the Buccaneers today and tomorrow, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Wright himself tweeted that he’s looking forward to seeing “familiar old faces in Tampa,” while Rapoport adds that the Bucs will look to sign the 25-year-old before he leaves town.
- Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange passes along word of a pair of New York free agent visits, tweeting that the Giants hosted defensive end Robert Ayers and safety Kurt Coleman met with the Jets. Ayers was linked to the Giants earlier in the offseason.
Bucs Sign Jorvorskie Lane, Josh Baker
10:48am: In addition to confirming the signing of Lane, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets that the team has also inked former Jets fullback Josh Baker to a deal. Lane and Baker will likely compete for the fullback roster spot vacated by Erik Lorig.
9:47am: Former Dolphins fullback Jorvorskie Lane has signed with the Buccaneers, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but it’ll likely be a minimum salary pact, giving Lane a chance to earn a roster spot.
Lane, 27, appeared in all 16 games for the Dolphins in 2012, logging 307 offensive snaps and playing a little on special teams as well. However, he didn’t earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster in 2013, and was cut last August. In 2012, Lane recorded 13 carries, primarily in short-yardage situations, and caught 11 passes out of the backfield.
NFC Notes: Moore, Panthers, Bailey, Rams
We’ve taken a turn around the NFC North and the NFC East, so let’s cover the news items in the rest of the NFC:
- Receiver Marlon Moore, formerly of the Dolphins and 49ers, will have a tryout with the Buccaneers, tweets Howard Balzer. Moore is more of a special teams contributor than an offensive weapon.
- Sam Houston State running back Timothy Flanders will visit with the Saints, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- The Panthers, who could still use help at receiver and on the offensive line, will “keep their eye out for free agent bargains,” but are mostly preparing for the draft, says Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
- The 49ers have several cornerbacks who have had run-ins with the law, including the recently-arrested Chris Culliver, and veteran Champ Bailey could be a valuable addition to replace some of the leadership lost with the departures of Carlos Rogers and Tarell Brown, writes Matt Barrows the Sacramento Bee.
- Another NFC West team looking to add to its secondary is the Rams, opines ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “It would have been nice [to add a veteran], but honestly that market got priced out of what we were looking for,” said head coach Jeff Fisher. Wagoner expects the team to add a cornerback at some point in the draft.
Contract Details: Sanchez, McGlynn, MJD
Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and the National Football Post has passed along the specific details on a few recent contracts, so let’s dive right in and round them up (all links go to Twitter)….
- Mark Sanchez‘s contract with the Eagles includes a $750K signing bonus, a $1.5MM base salary (guaranteed for $750K), and up to $1.75MM in playing-time incentives.
- Offensive lineman Mike McGlynn signed a two-year contract with the Redskins, and according to Wilson, it’s worth $2.7MM. That includes a $200K signing bonus, base salaries of $925K and $1.125MM, a $100K roster bonus for 2014, a $300K reporting bonus for 2015, and annual workout bonuses of $25K. McGlynn can also earn up to $750K in incentives each season.
- Maurice Jones-Drew‘s three-year pact with the Raiders has base salaries of $1.2MM (2014), $2.4MM (2015), and $2.4MM (2016). The rest of the $7.5MM contract is made up of a $1.2MM 2014 roster bonus, and annual $100K workout bonuses.
- The one-year deal Louis Murphy inked with the Buccaneers is a minimum salary contract that also features a $65K roster bonus and up to $300K in incentives.
- Winston Justice can earn up to $1MM in incentives on his new one-year, $1.175MM contract with the Broncos.
Poll: DeSean Jackson’s Landing Spot
Former Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson was released by the club on Friday, and the rumors have since been streaming in nonstop. In fact, the PFR team had posts rounding up the rumors surrounding the former Cal standout for over a week now, including this article with a link saying the Jets have had internal discussions about adding Jackson.
Now that Jackson is a free agent and is free to choose his landing spot as he so pleases, the football world is waiting with bated breath. Rarely does a player of Jackson’s caliber make it to free agency in his prime, but in the aftermath of the Aaron Hernandez-saga and Jackson’s prohibitive salary, the Eagles simply made a business decision to move on without one of the most talented players in football.
Here are Pro Football Rumors’ most recent Jackson-related rumors roundup posts:
Now, based on the information we have presented in prior rumors posts, we want to know where you think Jackson will be spending next season (and potentially beyond). Does he stay in the NFC East with the Redskins? Does Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie bring Jackson back to the Bay Area?
You decide.
Mark Dominik Talks Darrelle Revis
The general manager who traded first- and fourth-round picks a year ago for Darrelle Revis, as well as signing him to a six-year, $96MM contract, is no longer a general manager. Mark Dominik lost his job with the Buccaneers after a tumultuous 4-12 season and is now an NFL insider for ESPN, but he has first-hand knowledge of Revis, who signed with the Patriots after his release from Tampa Bay. Field Yates of ESPN.com spoke with Dominik to glean insight on the All-Pro cornerback, as well as fellow Patriots defensive backs Brandon Browner and Logan Ryan.
On Revis’ greatness:
“Revis to me, in spending time around him, has unique anticipation. Elite anticipation is probably the right way to use it. He has a way of feeling it, understanding routes, reading the hops of players, reading the eyes, [the] general feel and he’s exceptional with ball skills. He knows how to break on the ball, where to use his hands to avoid penalties, and he obviously has soft hands for interceptions. His ball awareness and ball skills, and then again anticipation, are what make him an elite corner.”
On Revis the person:
“Darrelle is very low maintenance, very down to earth. Not full of himself, a really good dude, soft spoken, but will speak when he feels like he needs to. He’s a great teammate that way. And really, he’s a good man. He comes from a good family, his mother is a wonderful lady, and Darrelle’s a unique person, and I think he doesn’t usually talk much unless he’s provoked. And Darrelle just lets his play talk.”
On Revis’ surgically repaired knee:
“Coming off an ACL as a cornerback, a lot of guys have made that transition, and sometimes it takes more than a year. I think Darrelle still played at a very high level, we put him in some tough spots in terms of coverage, but at the end of the day he still was what I thought was the elite corner that we traded for. That’s why I think it’s a great acquisition for the New England Patriots.”
On Browner:
“Browner is a huge corner. Just really long from his ankle to knee and then his knee to his arms. I mean that’s what his advantage is. He’s going to be a little bit tighter in space, short-area quickness, [those are] the things he’s going to struggle with. He’s going to come up and maul you at the line of scrimmage, beat you up, and he’ll tackle you. They have big corners, thick corners, and that’s obviously what coach Belichick is looking for.”
On Ryan:
“Very smart football player, extremely smart. Understands angle, good positioning. Again, good with his hands, and he has enough speed. His big thing that everybody talks about is the top-end speed, but again, if you get a pass rush and you get a guy who understands early stuff and uses his hands well, you can eliminate some of that speed deficiency, and I think Logan can do that.”