NFC South Links: Franchise Tag, Combine
Panthers‘ Greg Hardy‘s impending free agency has been at the forefront of conversation in the NFL world these past few weeks, and Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer added to the chatter today, writing that while they want the star pass rusher back, applying the franchise tag on him would eat up all of the team’s remaining cap room. David Newton of ESPN.com agrees that it isn’t about whether the Panthers would like to, but instead whether they could afford to. Unless they can come to a long term agreement quickly, it seems more and more likely that Hardy would be able to reach unrestricted free agency. Here are some other links from around the NFC South:
- While Hardy, Captain Munnerlyn, and Cam Newton have been the big names of the Panthers‘ offseason, David Newton wrote that the team cannot forget to focus on improving their offensive line, even with their current cap woes.
- The Falcons do not have any logical candidates for the franchise tag this offseason, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. The tag could come into play in the 2015 offseason if the team is unable to sign wide receiver Julio Jones to an extension.
- With the scouting combine fast approaching, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights five prospects the Falcons should keep an eye on. Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today picks out five position of need for the team to address in the draft.
- Reyes also wrote about five positions of need for the Saints to address in the draft, and suggested a few prospects who could fill those needs.
- The Buccaneers do not have a player who is a logical franchise tag candidate, writes Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. Before the season, quarterback Josh Freeman was considered a likely use for the tag. Freeman was benched and then released early in the season.
Devin Hester Likely To Leave Bears
Bears return man Devin Hester is without a contract for 2014, and Dan Pompei at Bleacher Report says, “It is starting to look like Devin Hester has brought back his last kick for the Bears.” Despite being used solely as a return specialist last season, Hester, 31, did not regain the explosiveness and productivity of his prime. Considering the Bears have less than $7MM in cap space with several needs to address, Pompei says the team is likely to seek a returner who also contributes on offense or defense.
As for Hester’s future, while his days of his superhuman impact appear a thing of the past, he still remains a viable upgrade for many teams. Hester ranked in the top third of return men in the league, averaging 27.6 yards per kickoff return and 14.2 yards per punt return, including a score. Pompei alludes to speculation that Hester could reunite with former head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa.
Buccaneers Sign Steve Maneri, D.J. Moore
The Buccaneers added two more players to their 2014 roster today, signing tight end Steve Maneri and cornerback D.J. Moore, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com. While both players were on NFL clubs in 2013, neither player finished the season on a team’s active roster, making them eligible to sign before the free agent period begins on March 11.
It’s worth noting that Maneri and Moore both have experience with the Bears, though only Moore played under current Bucs head coach Lovie Smith in Chicago. A fourth-round draft pick in 2009, Moore racked up 10 interceptions for the Bears in three seasons from 2010 to 2012, playing primarily as a nickelback. The Vanderbilt product, who turns 27 next month, signed a one-year deal with the Panthers for the 2013 season, but was released by the club in October after missing multiple games with knee issues.
As for Maneri, his most significant playing time came in 2012 when he started eight games and caught five passes for the Chiefs. The 25-year-old is a converted offensive tackle, so if he makes the Bucs’ regular season roster, he figures to see the brunt of his playing time as a blocker in sets featuring multiple tight ends.
Terms of the contracts weren’t released, but I’d guess both players will be in line for minimum base salaries, perhaps with modest signing bonuses.
Buccaneers Sign Mike Kafka
FRIDAY, 11:07am: Kafka’s deal with the Bucs is a two-year pact worth $1.255MM, tweets Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. That figure suggests the contract either includes a signing bonus or is worth slightly more than the minimum.
MONDAY, 3:15pm: The Bucs have officially announced the signing of Kafka, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter).
2:05pm: Although it looked last week as if he was poised to join the Cowboys, free agent quarterback Mike Kafka will sign with the Buccaneers, according to his agent. Mike McCartney of Priority Sports tweeted today that he’s excited for Kafka signing with Tampa Bay.
Kafka, a fourth-round pick in 2010, saw a little action for the Eagles in 2011, but was waived by the team before the 2012 season. Signed last January to a reserve/futures contract by the Patriots, Kafka was subsequently waived and claimed by the Jaguars, where he competed for a roster spot in the summer before being cut again. The Northwestern alum worked out for the Cowboys last week, but it seems either Dallas or the signal-caller himself chose to go in another direction.
Although details of Kafka’s deal with the Bucs aren’t known, it will likely be another reserve/futures deal, perhaps with a small portion of guaranteed money included. Considering Josh Freeman is no longer in the picture in Tampa Bay and Dan Orlovsky is eligible for free agency, there may be an opening for the 26-year-old Kafka to compete for a job on the Bucs’ 2014 roster.
Extra Points: Browns, Byrd, Vick, Graham
Browns coach Mike Pettine was as shocked an anyone about the ouster of CEO Joe Banner and GM Mike Lombardi, but he’s confident he’ll work well with new GM Ray Farmer. “(The shakeup) was nothing that was talked about obviously during the interview process, but it was a clear message from the owner (Jimmy Haslam) of his commitment to bringing stability to the franchise looking forward, and I just look forward to working with (Farmer),’‘ Pettine said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer. “I can already tell we’re going to have a tremendous relationship.” More from around the league:
- Tim Graham of the Buffalo News wonders if the Bills can afford to franchise tag Jairus Byrd again. Byrd was less than thrilled with Buffalo last season when the team hit him with the franchise tag and this time around it would cost the Bills a whopping $8.299MM to do it again. That’s probably too much for a safety, which is why a long-term deal might make more sense. It remains to be seen whether the Bills are willing to pony up the kind of long-term deal that Byrd probably seeks.
- The Buccaneers should go out and sign quarterback Mike Vick this offseason, writes Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times. As shown in Luke Adams’ run down of this year’s free agent QBs, Vick is likely the cream of the crop.
- Saints tight end Jimmy Graham says he’s not concerned about being designated as a tight end or wide receiver, tweets Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune. “That’s not for me to decide. I’m going to do and I’m going to play what ever I’m asked to do. It’s that simple,” Graham said.
- Should the Redskins go after any of the recently released Saints? Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com runs them down one by one.
Lions Release Nate Burleson
1:00pm: The Lions have confirmed they’ve released Burleson, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News (Twitter link).
12:44pm: Although they’ve yet to officially announce the move, the Lions have informed wide receiver Nate Burleson that he’ll be released today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Burleson had one season remaining on his contract, so he’ll hit free agency a year early.
“It’s a hard decision for them to make, but I can’t blame them for making it,” Burleson said of the Lions, telling Birkett that he still intends to play somewhere in 2014 (Twitter link). Birkett believes that Dallas and Tampa Bay are among the possible landing spots for the 32-year-old receiver (Twitter link). It’s also possible that Burleson could re-sign with the Lions for a reduced rate, but according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link), that scenario appears unlikely.
Burleson’s contract with the Lions called for a $5.5MM base salary in 2014, with a prorated bonus of $2.03MM, making his overall cap hit $7.53MM. By releasing him, Detroit can wipe that base salary from their books, creating $5.5MM in cap savings. Having been projected by OverTheCap.com to be about $5.32MM over the 2014 cap at the start of this week, the Lions should sneak slightly below that threshold, with more moves to come.
In nine games (eight starts) for the Lions in 2013, Burleson grabbed 39 balls for 461 yards. As he hits the free agent market, Detroit figures to turn to either free agency or the draft to add at least one or two receivers to help complement the club’s superstar, Calvin Johnson.
Florida Notes: Jaguars, Dolphins, Kafka
After rounding up the latest updates on a handful of AFC and NFC North teams earlier this afternoon, we’ll head down south and check in on today’s items on the league’s three franchise in Florida:
- Last offseason, the Jaguars didn’t sign any free agents to contracts exceeding two years, but GM Dave Caldwell has expressed a willingness to go to three or four years this time around, writes Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. Still, Caldwell cautioned that the club won’t be looking to set the market with big deals.
- Selecting an offensive tackle with the No. 19 pick in May’s draft isn’t the Dolphins‘ only option, but it’s the best option, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Perkins also identifies running back and free safety as positions the Dolphins may target in the first round, with linebacker as a “dark horse.”
- Agent Mike McCartney tells Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune that Mike Kafka signed with the Buccaneers instead of the Cowboys because Tampa Bay is more likely to carry three quarterbacks in 2014.
- Given Kafka’s and Mike Glennon‘s lack of NFL experience, Cummings expects the Buccaneers to add a third quarterback to the roster in free agency rather than in the draft (Twitter link).
Buccaneers Cut Rodgers, Hill, Carimi, Landri
The Buccaneers have officially released four players from their roster, reports Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). According to Smith, the club has cut quarterback Jordan Rodgers, running back Michael Hill, offensive tackle Gabe Carimi, and defensive tackle Derek Landri.
Carimi and Landri each had one year remaining on their respective deals, and had been set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2015. Rodgers and Hill would have been ticketed for 2016 free agency, though neither would’ve been fully unrestricted by that point. While Rodgers and Hill were on minimum-salary contracts, Carimi and Landri had been set to earn about $1.34MM and $1.5MM respectively, so Tampa Bay will save a little cap room by cutting them. None of the four players will represent any dead money for 2014.
While Rodgers didn’t play for the Bucs in 2013 and Hill earned just nine carries in limited action, Carimi and Landri both started games for the club. However, neither player was expected to have a significant role with the team going forward.
Rodgers is the brother of Packers star Aaron Rodgers, while Carimi was a former first-round pick by the Bears.
NFC South Notes: Hardy, Panthers, Bucs
ESPN.com’s David Newton deems it likely that defensive end Greg Hardy will return to the Panthers, estimating the likelihood of a reunion at 67%. While a long-term contract would seem to be the in the best interests of both the team and the player, the franchise tag (at around $12MM) might be the most plausible option at this point. We noted yesterday that Hardy may not be re-signed due to financial constraints.
Meanwhile, other news abounds in the NFC South:
- Within the same article, Newton notes that safety Charles Godfrey might be saved from being a cap casualty due to simple finances. Cutting Godfrey would leave the Panthers with $5MM in dead money, and, obviously, without Godfrey. A contract restructure could be the more likely result.
- Newton writes that corners Josh Norman and Josh Thomas, each of whom were frequently inactive, could be released.
- Offensive tackle Jordan Gross is expected back with the team, although the Panthers could draft a future replacement in the early rounds of the draft.
- Back on the Hardy front, Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com does not believe the Buccaneers are a realistic landing spot for the defensive end. While they have cap space, it may not be enough to sign a star like Hardy, so the draft might be a better route for adding pass rushers.
- The Saints will likely attempt to add a veteran corner through free agency, and a young receiver through the draft, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Triplett also notes that while the Saints won’t add players with the specific intention of transforming to a more traditional 3-4-style defense, their most pressing need remains the front seven.
South Notes: Falcons, Byrd, Bucs, Luck
Let’s round up a few Thursday morning items from around the NFC and AFC South divisions….
- In a piece for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, D. Orlando Ledbetter breaks down the Falcons‘ cap situation, and lists his top five free agent targets for the team, including safety Jairus Byrd, defensive end Michael Johnson, and center Alex Mack.
- ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure also identifies Byrd as an ideal fit for the Falcons, though he acknowledges that signing the Bills’ free-agent-to-be to a lucrative deal would mean investing a lot of money into the safety position.
- The Buccaneers have a significant need for a pass-rusher on the edge, according to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, who says the club needs to land a defensive end who can be “much more than rotation player” in either free agency or the draft.
- Jeff Fedotin of the National Football Post makes the case for why Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is the most untradeable player in the NFL.