Bucs Sign Brandon Myers
The Bucs have agreed to a two-year deal with tight end Brandon Myers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The former Giants notable gets $4MM in the deal.
Bucs To Sign Clinton McDonald
The Buccaneers have agreed to sign Clinton McDonald, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). The former Seahawks defensive tackle gets $12MM over four years.
McDonald may not be a household name but he could prove to be a solid pickup for the Bucs and a significant loss for Seattle. The 27-year-old enjoyed breakout season with 5.5 sacks, 35 tackles, and one interception. At just $592K in 2013, he was a solid value for the Seahawks alongside fellow DT Brandon Mebane.
Defensive Back Rumors: Tillman, Bethea, Mitchell
The latest secondary news..
- The Buccaneers are interested in acquiring cornerback Charles Tillman, two sources tell Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. The Bucs are preparing to part with star cornerback Darrelle Revis and Tillman could come and reunite with coach Lovie Smith.
- Antoine Bethea is a possibility for the 49ers at safety, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- It sounds like the Redskins are now a longshot to land free agent safety Mike Mitchell, tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Mitchell is picking up interest after having a solid year with the Panthers on a one-year, make good contract. Diana Marie Russini of NBC Washington (on Twitter) hears the same thing and says that Jairus Byrd is even less likely.
NFC Rumors: Sproles, Tuck, Suh, Watson
Let’s check on the latest miscellaneous notes from around the NFC….
- The Saints are set to cut Darren Sproles today, but they are still holding out hope on trading him, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. There are more than ten teams interested in the diminutive tailback if he’s cut free, so it’s conceivable that they could find a trade partner.
- Justin Tuck‘s exploration of the free agent market may end up with him returning to the Giants, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio hears that one team was willing to pay Tuck $3MM per year, but the veteran defensive end would prefer to remain in New York at that price.
- Talks have yet to start between the Lions and Ndamukong Suh on reworking his deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The thinking previously was that Detroit had to re-work the deal before the start of free agency but that’s not the case.
- Buccaneers linebacker Dekoda Watson is likely to sign elsewhere at the start of free agency, a league source tells Mike Florio.
- The Bears would like to bring back cornerback/special teams player Sherrick McManis, but the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons could be in play as well, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- With Donte Whitner set to leave the 49ers, San Francisco could turn to safety Ryan Mundy as a fallback, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- Free agent left tackle Jared Veldheer has fired his agent in order to hire his brother, James Veldheer, as his new agent, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Veldheer is expected to sign with the Cardinals.
- The Redskins are monitoring Kenny Britt, who could be had on a reasonable deal in a soft market, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. Of course, the Redskins’ likely deal with Andre Roberts lessens their need for Britt.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Raiders Rumors: QBs, Revis, Jenkins, Jennings
The Raiders are interested in quarterback Josh McCown, but the team is also waiting to see what the Texans will do with Matt Schaub, says Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Additionally, many believe the McCown sweepstakes could be down to the Bears and Buccaneers, according to Tafur. Here’s more on the Raiders:
- The Raiders are thought to be “strong players” in the Darrelle Revis sweepstakes, according to Tafur (via Twitter), who says the Browns are involved as well. Both clubs have a boatload of cap space available this offseason, which makes them logical destinations to either absorb Revis’ contract in a trade or outbid other teams should he reach free agency.
- Five teams are interested in free agent cornerback Mike Jenkins, who may be harder for the Raiders to re-sign than they expected, tweets Tafur.
- Rashad Jennings may make a decision today, and it appears the Raiders and Giants are his top two suitors, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).
- There’s nothing new on the Raiders front when it comes to Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston, tweets Tafur. It continues to look like Veldheer will land in Arizona, and Houston could sign elsewhere too.
Panthers Attempting To Trade Steve Smith
TUESDAY, 11:57am: If the Panthers can’t find a trade partner for Smith, there’s a strong possibility they’ll cut him, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. If that happens, the Ravens and Buccaneers could be among the clubs pursuing the wide receiver.
MONDAY, 4:10pm: The Panthers are attempting to move wide receiver Steve Smith, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). However, as Rapoport notes, Smith’s age (35 in May) and 2014 cap number ($7MM) make a deal unlikely.
There have been hints this offseason that Smith’s tenure with the Panthers may be coming to an end. GM Dave Gettleman acknowledged last month that cutting ties with the longtime Carolina receiver was a possibility, and Smith didn’t appreciate the public comments. The two reportedly met last week to try to clear the air, but as the veteran becomes less integral to the team’s offense, some sort of move appears likely.
Cutting Smith or trading him would result in $9MM in dead money for 2014 rather than a $7MM cap hit for the Panthers. So if Carolina doesn’t want to keep Smith at that cap number, the team may look into restructure possibilities or consider designating him as a post-June 1 cut.
Bucs, Michael Johnson Agree To Five-Year Deal
The Buccaneers have reached an agreement on a five-year contract worth $43.75MM for defensive end Michael Johnson, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). Anderson reports that the deal, which can’t be finalized until 3:00pm CT, will include $24MM in guaranteed money.
Johnson, who I rated as this year’s fifth-best free agent, ranked behind only New England’s Rob Ninkovich last season in Pro Football Focus’ run grades for 4-3 defensive ends. After recording 3.5 sacks in 2013, Johnson doesn’t appear likely to ever again match the 11.5 sacks he posted in 2012, but that performance at least showed that he’s very capable of rushing the quarterback as well.
The Bengals free agent was expected to draw heavy interest from Minnesota, but the Vikings essentially removed themselves from the mix by re-signing Everson Griffen to a lucrative five-year deal. In fact, Griffen’s five-year contract looks like something of a blueprint for Johnson’s deal, as the Bucs will owe Johnson slightly more than the $42.5MM ($20MM guaranteed) that Griffen received from the Vikings.
Once Johnson is officially locked up, the Buccaneers will have two of the league’s premier run-stopping linemen under contract, pairing Johnson with defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. According to PFF, no defensive tackle graded higher against the run than McCoy in 2013.
Multiple reporters had indicated yesterday and today that the Bucs were seriously pursuing Johnson, including Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Buccaneers Favorites For Johnson, Collins
TUESDAY, 9:31am: Johnson’s deal will average $8.5MM per year with around $24MM guaranteed, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
8:49am: The Buccaneers and Johnson are in “serious discussions,” according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Meanwhile, La Canfora tweets that GMs and agents are treating the tackle market as if Collins is headed to Tampa Bay.
MONDAY, 9:10pm: The Buccaneers are the favorites to sign defensive end Michael Johnson, likely at a salary of over $8MM per year, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (via Twitter). La Canfora also notes that Bucs will make a “strong push” for Johnson’s teammate on the Bengals, offensive tackle Anthony Collins.
Johnson, rated as the fifth best free agent by PFR’s Luke Adams, was expected to draw heavy interest from the Vikings, but they are no longer seen as viable contenders for his services after re-signing Everson Griffen. He graded out as the fourth-best 4-3 defensive end in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and was especially effective against the run. The Bucs could hope to pair him with another formidable lineman in Gerald McCoy and help to create a very stout front four.
Collins stepped in at left tackle for the Bengals as part of a reshuffling of the offensive line, and performed very well. He has experience at both tackle and guard, but likely wants to stay at tackle. Collins could slide in left tackle if the Bucs choose to release Donald Penn.
NFC Rumors: Veldheer, Houston, Byrd, Hawley
It looks like many of the top offensive tackles will fly off the shelves early when free agency gets underway at 3:00pm central time this afternoon. Branden Albert appears to be headed to Miami, while Anthony Collins will likely sign with the Bucs, and Eugene Monroe and the Ravens should work out a new deal. That leaves the Cardinals as the logical landing spot for Jared Veldheer, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com says (via Twitter) GMs and agents are essentially viewing that as a done deal, turning their attention to Rodger Saffold and other players. As we wait to see if Arizona can officially lock up the Raiders’ free-agent-to-be, let’s check out a few more updates from around the NFC….
- The Packers were “very interested” in defensive end Lamarr Houston, but appear likely to bow out of the bidding as his price tag increases, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- It doesn’t sound as if things are heating up between Jairus Byrd and the Redskins at the moment, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who hears from a source that the two sides are just having “casual conversations” (Twitter link).
- The Lions have been in recent contact with defensive end Willie Young’s agent about a new deal, but Young looks set to hit the open market and should have a handful of suitors, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Falcons are trying to lock up center Joe Hawley to keep him from reaching the open market, but there are other teams interested in him, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who says (via Twitter) talks might go right up to 3:00pm today.
- Tight end Garrett Graham could be a target for the Buccaneers, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
- As they did a year ago, the Eagles could strike quickly in free agency today, writes Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Bucs Intensifying Darrelle Revis Trade Efforts
11:50pm: The Bucs are receiving calls on Revis from interested teams, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
8:47pm: If Revis is released Wednesday, the Jets would only receive the Bucs fourth-round-pick, not their third-rounder, as per the terms last year’s trade, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
8:37pm: In addition to attempting to trade Revis, the Bucs are also trying to rework his contact, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.
8:18pm: As of now, the Bucs haven’t found any takers for Revis, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). If no trade partner is found, Revis will likely be released by 4pm on Wednesday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.
7:45pm: The Buccaneers are “stepping up” their efforts to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis, according to Alex Marvez of FoxSports1 (via Twitter). 2013 was Revis’ first season in Tampa Bay, after the Bucs sent a first-round-pick to the Jets to acquire him. Upon his arrival, he signed a six-year, $96MM contract, none of which was guaranteed.
After missing 2012 with a torn ACL, Revis once again ascended to the top of Pro Football Focus’ cornerback rankings. While Bucs coach Lovie Smith has stated that Revis and his fondness for playing man-to-man coverage could fit in Tampa’s Cover-2 defense, some believe this scheme incongruity might be driving the Revis rumors. But NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports on Twitter that the team is simply “uncomfortable” with paying Revis’ schedule $13MM base salary. In fact, his high salary leads several executives to believe that the Bucs might have to just release Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
The talks could get serious this week, as Revis is due a $1.5MM roster bonus on Thursday, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets. Last week, we noted that both the Broncos and Patriots have expressed interest in acquiring Revis. On the Bucs side, Caplan tweets that some executives believe Alterraun Verner will land in Tampa in the event of Revis being cut or traded, noting that Verner would fit well in Tampa’s Cover-2 scheme.