OL Rumors: Dolphins, Oher, Titans, Giants
As rumors continue to trickle in on the fourth day of free agency, let’s check in on a few offensive lineman who remain on the market:
- The Dolphins have extended a contract offer to offensive lineman Shelley Smith, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). However, Beasley cautions that Smith has other offers on the table, adding that the situation remains fluid. According to Beasley (via Twitter), Smith and cornerback Cortland Finnegan are at the Dolphins’ headquarters this morning.
- Free agent tackle Michael Oher is visiting with the Titans today, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun adds (via Twitter) that Oher will meet with the Raiders tomorrow. With Eugene Monroe back in the fold in Baltimore, the subject of The Blind Side appears likely to land with a new team this offseason.
- As of late yesterday, the Giants still had interest in re-signing veteran offensive lineman Kevin Boothe and pairing him with J.D. Walton at center, tweets Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Extra Points: Smith, Munnerlyn, Neal
Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter), that he wanted a three-year deal with the Vikings rather than four years so that he could get another contract before he turns 30. He added (link) that it was very tough for him to say goodbye to the Panthers, but Carolina couldn’t afford to give him the same contract. More from around the NFL..
- Steve Smith‘s visit with the Ravens is going well so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
- The Steelers were eyeing Mike Neal in free agency before he re-signed with Green Bay, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The linebacker got a two-year, $8MM deal from the Packers with a $2.5MM signing bonus.
- Charlie Whitehurst had the same offer from the Chargers before he picked the Titans, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN. The quarterback inked a two-year deal with a $4MM base with another $4MM in incentives and $2MM guaranteed.
- New 49ers addition Jonathan Martin told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), that he never considered retirement.
- Former Bucs left tackle Donald Penn is flying to Oakland tonight to visit the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penn has been heavily linked to the Raiders since his release.
- The 49ers don’t have much salary cap space and it’s hard to see them signing both a cornerback and a wide receiver, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter) expects the market for Saints free agent center Brian de la Puente to heat up now that the first wave of free agency has come and gone.
- Henry Melton‘s possible legal trouble won’t prevent the Bears from re-signing him, but they could use it as ammunition as they try to knock his price down, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
Chris Johnson Willing To Restructure
5:45pm: The Titans continue to shop Johnson to other teams and there’s some interest around the league, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean.
5:37pm: Chris Johnson is willing to restructure his contract in order to help facilitate a trade, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Earlier this week we learned that Tennessee would work to move their star running back.
It is unclear what the Titans could hope to receive in exchange for the 28-year-old, but an easier contract will certainly help his trade value. The man known as CJ2K ran for over 2,000 yards four years ago, but his production has been spotty ever since. While he still has tremendous speed, he graded out as just the 42nd-best running back in the league last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Releasing the running back would mean a $4MM cap charge for Tennessee, but they have that option at their disposal up until the first week of the regular season. In total, cutting Johnson loose would result in ~$6MM in cap savings for the Titans. The 28-year-old ran for 1,077 yards off of 279 carries, good for an average of 3.9 yards per carry. He also had six touchdowns, matching his 2012 total.
AFC Contract Details: Talib, Bills, Conner
Aqib Talib‘s contract with the Broncos features a $5MM signing bonus, a $2MM roster bonus, a $4.5MM guaranteed base salary, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Since Talib has a small signing bonus and his 2015 and 2016 salaries are guaranteed for injury only, the Broncos could essentially cut ties with him for no guaranteed money and a minimal ($4MM) cap hit even after the 2014 season, barring a major injury, tweets Pelissero. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown in chart form right here.
Here are a few more specific details on deals signed this week:
- Corey Graham‘s new contract with the Bills can be worth over $19MM, but on the surface, it’s a four-year, $16.3MM deal with $8.1MM guaranteed, says Pelissero (via Twitter). According to Pelissero, the deal includes $700K in annual incentives, plus an extra $100K bonus each season for making the Pro Bowl.
- The Chargers‘ three-year deal with Kavell Conner is worth $2.7MM, with a $270K signing bonus and an escalator worth up to $500K in 2016, tweets Pelissero.
- Jim Dray‘s contract with the Browns features a $900K signing bonus, says Pelissero (via Twitter).
- Pelissero also passes along the details on Chris Williams‘ four-year contract with the Bills. According to the USA Today scribe (via Twitter), it’s worth $13.04MM with $3.025MM in the first year, and is only guaranteed for injury in year two. Pelissero adds in another tweet that there’s a $2.5MM roster bonus due early in 2016 that’s a clear “trigger point” for the deal.
- The Colts signed safety Sergio Brown on Tuesday, and that one-year deal will be worth $1.4MM, with a $300K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- While Keith Rivers‘ new deal with the Bills was reported as a two-year, $5MM contract with half of that amount guaranteed, it looks like it won’t be worth quite that much. Wilson tweets that it’s worth $4.05MM, with a $1MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1.25MM (2014) and $1.6MM (2015), and annual workout bonuses of $100K.
- Michael Hoomanawanui‘s two-year contract with the Patriots is worth a total of $2.4MM, with a $360K signing bonus and $1.1MM in total guarantees, tweets Wilson.
- The two-year, $5MM figure reported for Al Woods earlier today includes incentives, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The defensive lineman’s contract with the Titans features a signing bonus of $1MM, base salaries of $900K (2014) and $2.1MM (2015), and incentives worth up to $500K annually.
Titans Sign Whitehurst To Two-Year Deal
4:55pm: Whitehurst’s two-year deal has a $4MM base value, with another $4MM in incentives, tweets Wyatt, adding that $2MM is fully guaranteed. The Titans have confirmed the signing.
4:13pm: The Titans and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst have reached an agreement on a two-year deal, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). According to Wyatt, Whitehurst’s new contract can be worth up to $8MM, and it’s expected to signal the end of Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s time in Tennessee (Twitter link).
Whitehurst, who has been Philip Rivers‘ backup in San Diego for the last two seasons, saw just 12 snaps in two games during the 2013 season, and didn’t attempt a pass. So perhaps the Titans liked what they saw of the 31-year-old during his stints as the starter in Seattle during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
While Wyatt’s initial report suggests a max value of $8MM, I’d imagine a good chunk of that amount can only be earned through playing-time and performance incentives, and if Jake Locker stays healthy and keeps his job, Whitehurst likely won’t see much action.
As for Fitzpatrick, releasing him would create $3.25MM in cap savings for the Titans, leaving just $875K of his $4.125MM cap number on the books.
FA Rumors: Melton, Walker, Cromartie
Unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Henry Melton, who is visiting with the Vikings on Thursday, is the center of a lawsuit from a bar altercation where he is alleged to have bitten the restaurant owner, writes Master Tesfatsion of the Star-Tribune. That could be a sticking point for the Vikings, who dealt with four player arrests in 2013. The latest free agent rumors from around the NFL…
- Vance Walker is visiting with the Chiefs today, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The defensive tackle also has a visit lined up with the Packers, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
- Former Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie is visiting with the Cardinals today, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
- Quarterback Shaun Hill could still return to the Lions, a source tells Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The Buccaneers seemed like a real option for Hill until they inked Josh McCown this week.
- Akeem Jordan‘s visit with the Titans has been moved up from Monday to Friday, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, adding that the Redskins would like to bring in the linebacker for a visit if he doesn’t sign with Tennessee (Twitter links).
- Tight end Owen Daniels is set to visit with the Redskins, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter).
- Return specialist Ted Ginn is visiting the Cardinals, tweets P. Schrager of FOXSports.com.
Extra Points: Cousins, Hood, Graham, Saffold
A Kirk Cousins trade remains unlikely for the Redskins, write Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post. There was talk that Washington would be open to moving the quarterback since he would like to start and he is stuck behind Robert Griffin III on the depth chart. For his part, Cousins has said that he will be professional and won’t demand a trade.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Ziggy Hood received interest from the Redskins, Raiders, and Chiefs, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Meanwhile, Chris Clemons said the Raiders and Falcons reached out to him before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, according to O’Halloran (via Twitter).
- Cornerback Corey Graham, who signed with the Bills, told reporters today that he was preparing to go to dinner with the Redskins when he got the call from his agent about Buffalo’s offer (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR550).
- Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had a similar story to Graham, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun details in a pair of tweets. Jones says he was in New York, about to have dinner with the Giants, when he realized he wanted to stay with the Ravens and headed for the airport instead.
- Safety Mike Mitchell is extremely happy to be with the Steelers and tells reporters, including Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) that he wanted to come to Pittsburgh more than the club wanted him to be there.
- As expected, the Cardinals have paid Daryl Washington his option bonus, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. There was some talk that they wouldn’t pay out his bonus due to legal issues.
- Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle provides a look at the Raiders‘ perspective on why their deal with Rodger Saffold fell apart yesterday.
- Wide receiver prospect Marqise Lee is drawing significant interest from the Jets and had a private meeting with the team, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, a projected second- or third-round pick tells Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter links) that six teams have shown strong interest in him. Those clubs are the Ravens, Eagles, Titans, Redskins, Chargers, and Steelers.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
FA Rumors: DRC, Ginn, Whitehurst, Burleson
As one of the few notable cornerbacks remaining on the market, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is still searching for a deal. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), the Jets are one team that has been in touch with DRC’s camp about the free agent, as New York remains in the market for cornerback help. Here are a few more Thursday free agent updates:
- After missing out on receiver and return specialist Jacoby Jones, the Giants are eyeing Ted Ginn Jr., a player capable of filling a similar role, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
- Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean thinks there’s a reasonable chance the Titans and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst will work something out (Twitter link). Wyatt reported earlier today that Whitehurst was visiting with the club.
- The Titans are also exhibiting interest in wide receiver Nate Burleson, who was released by the Lions before the start of the free agent period, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.
- The Steelers are “really interested” in defensive end Alex Carrington, and will host him for a visit tonight, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Pittsburgh has already lost Ziggy Hood in free agency and may part ways with Brett Keisel as well.
- Linebacker Darryl Tapp is among the players visiting the Lions today, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
- Free agent center Phil Costa is visiting the Colts today and Bengals tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
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.
FA Rumors: Steve Smith, Andre Brown, Hatcher
The Ravens will be in hot pursuit of Steve Smith when he’s officially released by the Panthers, and a deal could end up materializing quickly, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Here’s more:
- It sounds like there’s a decent chance free agent running back Andre Brown could end up signing with the Raiders, continuing the offseason’s apparent free agent swap between Oakland and the Giants, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
- Assuming Jason Hatcher doesn’t sign with the Raiders, the defensive lineman will visit the Redskins, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- Cornerback Brandon Browner will visit with the Redskins tonight, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
- The Panthers have interest in bringing back free agent receiver Brandon LaFell, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Although fullback Henry Hynoski is visiting the Lions today, he has remained in contact with the Giants, tweets Rapoport.
- ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter links) has the details on the Titans‘ upcoming free agent visits: LaMarr Woodley intends to visit Friday if he doesn’t sign with the Raiders, while Pat Sims and Antonio Smith will visit today.
- The Vikings have made a call inquiring on free agent guard Daryn Colledge, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Colledge, who will visit the Rams today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), was recently cut loose by the Cardinals for cap savings.