FA Signings: Buccaneers, Colts, Bears, Bills
Among the big name signings flying around today, here are a few minor signings that might have slid under the radar:
- The Buccaneers have re-signed cornerback Danny Gorrer, according to Greg Auman of TampaBay.com (via Twitter). Gorrer has bounced around the league, playing for three teams in three years before landing with the Buccaneers in 2012.
- The Colts have agreed to a contract to retain safety Sergio Brown, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Brown has played the last two seasons with the Colts.
- The Bears have signed linebacker Jordan Senn, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Senn had played the last four seasons with the Panthers.
- The Bills have re-signed tight end Mike Caussin, according to Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Caussin has not played in an NFL game since 2011.
Buccaneers Release Lawrence Tynes
Kicker Lawrence Tynes has been released from the Buccaneers roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tynes was signed to fill-in when Connor Barth tore his achilles last season, but contracted MRSA and was forced to miss the season as well. He connected on 33 of 39 field goals for the Giants in 2012.
Buccaneers Re-Sign Jamon Meredith
The Buccaneers re-signed guard Jamon Meredith to a two-year deal, reports Scott Smith of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (via Twitter). The journeymen offensive lineman has played on six teams in five years, and will keep some depth to the team’s trenches.
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.