Bucs Sign Dane Fletcher
The Buccaneers have signed linebacker Dane Fletcher, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The deal is for one year (via Twitter). The team has also confirmed the transaction (Twitter link). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the contract contains $1.2MM guaranteed, and Mike Garafolo of FoxSports1 tweets that the deal has a maximum value of over $2MM.
Fletcher, 27, signed with the Patriots in 2010 as an undrafted free agent out of Montana State. He started just one game last season, but his value comes in the form of depth and special teams prowess. He will likely act as a backup to an impressive Bucs linebacking unit that includes Lavonte David and Mason Foster.
Buccaneers Sign Oniel Cousins
The Buccaneers have signed offensive guard Oniel Cousins to a one-year deal, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Cousins was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2008 draft out of UTEP, and he never performed up to expectations.
Baltimore released him prior to the 2011 season, and he was claimed by the Browns several days later. He made just one start for Cleveland in 2011 and no starts in 2012, but he did start four games for the Browns in 2013. Although he has played right tackle in his career, Cousins will likely compete for time at right guard given the recent signing of Anthony Collins. Presumably, however, this is simply a depth signing for Tampa Bay.
Broncos Expected To Sign Emmanuel Sanders
SUNDAY, 10:48am: The Broncos intend to proceed with the Sanders deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweeted that Sanders will take his physical at Dove Valley this morning and is expected to sign a three-year deal.
SUNDAY, 9:08am: In an interesting twist to the Sanders saga, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport writes that Sanders’ agent, Steve Weinberg, had originally accepted a deal with the Chiefs on his client’s behalf. However, Weinberg then shopped Kansas City’s offer to Tampa Bay without telling the Buccaneers that the offer had already been accepted. Ultimately, of course, Sanders agreed to sign with Denver.
Weinberg declined to comment, but there will undoubtedly be more fallout from this development in the coming days. For instance, Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star wonders (via Twitter) who the Chiefs might have missed out on because they thought they had Sanders locked up. Paylor notes that Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell both signed with New England on Saturday.
SATURDAY, 8:34pm: A source has confirmed to FOX Sports 1 that the Broncos agreed to contract terms with Sanders, Alex Marvez reports (via Twitter).
SATURDAY, 8:18pm: After losing Eric Decker to the Jets in free agency, the Broncos are expected to fill the void by signing former Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, league sources tell ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The ESPN article notes that Sanders is looking for a contract similar to the one Golden Tate signed with the Lions (five years, $31.5MM, $13.25MM guaranteed).
Denver has been the biggest newsmaker in free agency thus far, with high-profile signings of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward. Now it seems that general manager John Elway is setting his sights on the offense, and Sanders brings a skill set that figures to be well-utilized by Peyton Manning. The fourth-year receiver from Southern Methodist set career highs in receptions (67), yards (740) and touchdowns (six) in 2013 with the Steelers, starting 11 games.
Sanders’ name had been associated with a multitude of teams since free agency began. Schefter reported that the 49ers were to host Sanders today after being hosted by the Chiefs yesterday. Before that, he’d been linked to or visited with the Jets, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Ravens and Browns.
The Broncos appear to have just under $12MM in cap room before the Sanders signing, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap.
Bucs To Sign Evan Dietrich-Smith
3:23pm: The deal includes $7.25MM in guaranteed money, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, adding that several teams were in the mix right up until the end.
3:09pm: The Buccaneers continue to be busy during free agency’s first week, announcing (via Twitter) that they have agreed to terms on a deal with Evan Dietrich-Smith. The former Packers center will ink a four-year deal worth $14.25MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
With Alex Mack tied up by the Browns’ transition tag, Dietrich-Smith represented one of the top unrestricted centers on the free agent market this offseason. After starting nine games during his first three seasons in Green Bay, the Idaho State alum started all 16 games for the Packers in 2013, so he doesn’t have a ton of NFL experience. Still, he’s still in his prime at 27 years old, and played very well in his first full season, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). PFF ranked him eighth out of 35 qualified centers, and Dietrich-Smith graded particularly well as a pass blocker.
For the Buccaneers, Dietrich-Smith represents the second major offensive line signing of free agency, as the team also locked up left tackle Anthony Collins. The two new Bucs will help protect new signal-caller Josh McCown in 2014, though it’s not clear if the club has penciled in Dietrich-Smith at center quite yet — Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times says the Bucs believe he could start at either guard or center (Twitter link).
As for the Packers, they’ll be heading into 2014 with a new starting center for the second consecutive season. It’s not clear yet whether they’ll pursue an outside target and turn to another in-house option, such as J.C. Tretter.
Florida Notes: Bucs, Thurmond, Dolphins
Let’s round up a few Friday afternoon items on Florida’s NFL teams….
- The Buccaneers aren’t in play for cornerback Walter Thurmond, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). We heard earlier today that Thurmond’s visit with the Redskins had been canceled as well, so it sounds as if he may be close to making a decision. He has reportedly visited the Jaguars, as well as the 49ers.
- The new deals with the Buccaneers for quarterback Josh McCown and offensive tackle Anthony Collins include plenty of incentives, as Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com details.
- Free agent right tackle Zach Strief declined an offer to visit the Dolphins, with no explanation given, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
- Within the same piece, Jackson says the Dolphins hope to get a deal done with offensive lineman Shelley Smith today, and that owner Stephen Ross never met with Jonathan Martin before the team sent him to the Niners, despite repeatedly saying he would.
NFC Contract Details: Quarless, Collins, Saffold
We rounded up a handful of AFC contract details earlier this afternoon. Now, let’s turn our attention to the NFC:
- Andrew Quarless‘ two-year contract with the Packers is worth $3MM in total, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The base salaries are $800K and $1.3MM, while the remaining money is made up of a $350K signing bonus, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and $75K in annual workout bonuses.
- Pelissero tweets that only $9MM of Anthony Collins‘ five-year deal with the Bucs is fully guaranteed at signing, which is $6MM less than what was reported earlier. I’m guessing that $6MM is guaranteed for injury only.
- Although Rodger Saffold‘s new five-year contract with the Rams is worth $31.7MM, it can max out at $35MM+, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- Willie Young‘s three-year contract with the Bears includes a $1MM roster bonus and $150K in workout bonuses, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Meanwhile, the Bears‘ signing of Ryan Mundy has the club on the hook for a two-year, $3MM contract, with $650K guaranteed, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (all Twitter links). That $650K guarantee comes in the form of a roster bonus, while the pact includes base salaries of $800K (2014) and $1.45MM (2015), plus workout bonuses of $50K annually.
- Eric Wright‘s one-year contract with the 49ers sounds like a minimum salary benefit deal, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). For a player with Wright’s experience, that’s an $855K base salary to go along with a $20K reporting bonus and another $25K if he makes the team.
- Joe Berger‘s one-year deal with the Vikings is worth $920K, with a $65K signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). That makes it a minimum salary benefit contract too.
- Anthony McCoy will have a base salary of $950K on his one-year contract with the Seahawks, tweets KJR’s Curtis Crabtree.
Panthers Release Steve Smith
4:23pm: According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Panthers designated Smith as a post-June 1 cut, which will reduce the dead money on the team’s 2014 books, stretching some of that hit into 2015.
10:27am: The Panthers have officially released Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link).
9:55am: Before the Panthers decided to cut Smith, the receiver presented the team with five preferred trade destinations, a source tells Joseph Person. Those clubs were the Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens, Bucs, and Chargers.
7:12am: Unable to find a trade partner for Steve Smith, the Panthers will release the veteran wide receiver, according to Bill Voth of the SportsXchange (via Twitter). Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer confirms (via Twitter) that the move is expected to come later today. According to Person (via Twitter), Hakeem Nicks will be the club’s top target as they consider replacements for the longtime Panther.
Smith’s agent, Derek Fox, had suggested yesterday that his client’s time in Carolina was almost certainly over, noting that the club would likely release the wide receiver if he couldn’t be traded. When the move becomes official, Smith is expected to draw serious interest from the Ravens, and a report this week indicated that interest should be mutual. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter) calls Baltimore the early frontrunner in the upcoming Smith sweepstakes, though we heard the Buccaneers and Raiders mentioned yesterday as likely suitors as well.
Assuming the Panthers don’t designate Smith as a post-June 1 cut, his cap number will be higher after he’s cut ($9MM) than it would’ve been if he remained on the roster ($7MM). As Person wrote yesterday, GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t view the move as a financial necessity, but thinks the team needs to part ways with the veteran receiver to let younger leaders like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly take control of the locker room.
Smith, who turns 35 in May, is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving. He’s also is 19th all-time in NFL history in yards receiving and 25th in receptions.
Bucs Release Donald Penn
The Buccaneers announced that they have released offensive tackle Donald Penn, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. The move will help to make way for Anthony Collins.
Penn was set to earn $7.5MM in 2014, but as Over The Cap explains, the Bucs won’t be on the hook for much over the remaining two years of the contract. Cutting ties with the soon-to-be 31-year-old will leave Tampa Bay on the hook for about $1MM in dead money.
Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter) sees the Raiders and Redskins as logical landing spots for the veteran tackle.
Bucs, Anthony Collins Agree To Five-Year Deal
9:50am: Collins’ five-year contract with the Bucs is worth $6MM annually, for a total of $30MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. $15MM of that total is guaranteed, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
9:39am: The Buccaneers have agreed to sign Anthony Collins, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that it’s a five-year contract. We heard yesterday that Tampa Bay was pushing hard to land the left tackle, while another report suggested that Collins had narrowed his choices down to the Bucs, Bengals, and Panthers.
Having spent his first six NFL seasons in Cincinnati, Collins has never had an extended run as a full-time player, starting no more than seven games in any season for the Bengals. However, he was excellent in his 673 offensive snaps last season, never recording a negative grade in a game, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). If he can maintain that type of performance in full-time action, he could be one of the steals in this year’s tackle market.
It has been an incredibly busy couple days for the Buccaneers, who have also signed defensive end Michael Johnson, cornerback Alterraun Verner, and former Bears quarterback Josh McCown, among others. With Collins expected to play left tackle for the team, expect the Bucs to try to move Donald Penn, according to Stroud (via Twitter).
FA Rumors: Sanders, Tillman, Britt, Osgood
Emmanuel Sanders is a hot commodity and he has a full docket for the first week of free agency. After his visit with the Jaguars, he’s headed over to Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Here are the latest free agent rumors..
- Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Charles Tillman is unlikely to sign with the Buccaneers. There has been a great deal of talk over the last 24 hours about Tampa Bay pairing the former Bears corner with new acquisition Alterraun Verner.
- Four or five teams have interest in free agent wide receiver Kenny Britt, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Redskins have been linked to the troubled athlete and Florio speculates that the Patriots could be interested as well.
- The 49ers want to bring back wide receiver Kassim Osgood, but they might not do so until they sign a cornerback and determine how much cap space they have left, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst is visiting the Titans on Thursday and there’s a real scenario where he could be team’s No. 2 quarterback this fall, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
- Cornerback Walter Thurmond completed his visit with the Jaguars and he’s now spending time with Seahawks officials. His next stops will be Washington to visit the Redskins and Tampa Bay to visit the Buccaneers, tweets Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com.
- Agent Eugene Parker tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) that Bears free agent return man Devin Hester doesn’t have any visits scheduled yet.