Titans, Ropati Pitoitua Agree To Deal
9:00pm: It’s a three-year, $9.6MM deal including a $2.175MM bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. His base salaries are as follows (link): $975K in 2014, $2.125MM in ’15, and $2.95MM in ’16 with a $600K roster bonus due in March 2015. The deal marks a nice bump in pay for Pitoitua who earned $1.1MM last season and has made ~$3MM over the course of his career.
5:46pm: The Titans have agreed to terms with defensive end Ropati Pitoitua, sources tell Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (via Twitter). Pitoitua, who was one of the club’s priorities after a strong year in 2013, gets a three-year deal from the Titans (link).
The 6’8″, 290 pound Samoan had a career high four sacks, four passes defended, and 34 tackles this season across 16 games (13 starts). After rotating between the Jets’ injured reserve and practice squad between 2008 and 2011, Pitoitua had his breakthrough season with the Chiefs in 2012 when he got to start ten games at right defensive end. He’ll be a part of the Titans’ transition to a hybrid defense under new defensive coordinator Ray Horton.
AFC Notes: Edelman, Dolphins, Texans
We rounded up several updates on AFC teams this morning, but a few more have trickled in throughout the day, so let’s dive in and tackle those new items….
- The Patriots and wide receiver Julian Edelman discussed a new deal today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by Tuesday, Edelman will be free to sign with any team.
- Names like Eugene Monroe and Branden Albert have frequently been linked to the Dolphins leading up to the free agency, but Miami will need to add more than just a left tackle, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Salguero explores a few other possible offensive line targets for the Dolphins in free agency.
- The Texans are considering many quarterback options to back up the signal-caller they’re expected to select with their first-round pick, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. According to McClain, the Texans may sign two veteran QBs to go with the rookie they bring in.
- There still hasn’t been any real movement in contract talks between the Titans and Alterraun Verner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who expects the free agent cornerback to reach the open market (Twitter link).
- Former Dolphins trainer Kevin O’Neill is poised to fight his termination, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel. O’Neill was among those implicated in the Wells Report.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Contract Updates: Jets, Bills, Ratliff, Titans
Restricted free agent cornerback Darrin Walls agreed to a new deal with the Jets last night, and agent Jordan Woy tweets that it’s a two-year contract. Ellis Lankster, who also agreed on a new deal with the Jets, will be on a two-year, $1.63MM contract, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Lankster’s pact appears to be worth slightly more than the minimum.
With free agency looming and several players having already signed new contracts or reworked old ones, we have plenty more contract and cap updates to pass along, so let’s dive right in….
- The Bills extended contract tenders to all four of their exclusive rights free agents, and cornerback Brandon Smith has accepted his, according to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (Twitter links). With Smith set to return to the team on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, offensive guard Antoine McClain, fullback Frank Summers, and wide receiver Chris Hogan will also be back in Buffalo if and when they sign their tenders.
- Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has the details on Jeremiah Ratliff‘s new two-year contract with the Bears. It’s worth a total of $4MM, with $600K guaranteed.
- The cap figures on Troy Polamalu‘s new three-year contract with the Steelers are $6.387MM (2014), $8.25MM (2015), and $8MM (2016), with respective base salaries of $1.5MM, $6MM, and $5.75MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
- The Browns have extended a contract tender to inside linebacker Craig Robertson, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Robertson, who was an exclusive rights free agent, will be in line for a minimum salary of $570K for 2014.
- New one-year deals for running backs Jackie Battle (Titans) and Bobby Rainey (Bucs) are both worth the minimum, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean and Tom Pelissero of USA Today, respectively (Twitter links). Battle’s minimum salary ($855K) is a little more substantial than Rainey’s ($570K) due to his extra years of service time.
- Wyatt also shares (via Twitter) a few more specifics on Bernard Pollard‘s two-year deal with the Titans, which has base salaries of $1.65MM in 2014 and $3.1MM in 2015.
AFC Notes: Johnson, Amendola, Lankster, Nwaneri
Titans running back Chris Johnson took to Twitter to provide an update on his contract situation. According to Johnson, his agent met with the Titans yesterday, but talks remain at a standstill as the running back continues to play the waiting game. Tennessee is believed to have interest in retaining Johnson, but not at his current $10MM cap figure. Here are a few more AFC notes:
- The Patriots can’t designate Danny Amendola as a post-June 1 cut in 2014, according to Albert Breer of NFL Network (Twitter links). The Pats have to carry the wide receiver on the roster into the ’14 league year to make him a June 1 cut and if they do that, his ’14 base is guaranteed.
- The Jets announced that they have agreed to deals with reserve cornerbacks Ellis Lankster and Darrin Walls. Lankster, 26, has seen time in 30 combined games for Gang Green over the last two years.
- In an interesting piece for ESPN.com, Kevin Seifert outlines why many members of this year’s free agent class – including Broncos standout Eric Decker – may be better off re-signing with their current teams before next week.
- Two or three teams are already in on former Jaguars guard Uche Nwaneri, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. The Jags released their longtime starting guard yesterday to create $3.706MM in cap savings for the team. Nwaneri ranked 34th among 81 qualified guards in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and had an overall grade of +18.0 over the last five seasons.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
D’Qwell Jackson Decision Expected This Week
D’Qwell Jackson isn’t the most intriguing name among 2014’s class of free agents, but he’s perhaps the most notable player available before next Tuesday. Because he was released by the Browns last month, Jackson can sign with a new team immediately, and he’s expected to make a decision within the next couple days, a source tells Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune.
Jackson has visited with several teams within the last week and has narrowed down his choice to four potential destinations, according to Tesfatsion: The Titans, Broncos, Dolphins, and Colts. The Vikings, Cardinals, and Redskins were among the other clubs said to have interest in the veteran inside linebacker, but they didn’t make the cut for Jackson’s short list.
Jackson had been a starter for the Browns since the club selected him in the second round of the 2006 draft. Despite leading the team in tackles in 2013, Jackson graded poorly as a run defender in Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and placed 42nd overall out of 55 qualified inside linebackers (subscription required). Still, the Maryland alum was Cleveland’s longtime defensive leader on defense and is still just 30 years old, so he should have a few more solid seasons left in him.
FA Rumors: Tatupu, Graham, Shaughnessy
Former Seahawks linebacker and three-time Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu is working out today for the Broncos, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Knee and pectoral injuries derailed the career of Tatupu, who hasn’t played a regular season game since 2010, but he’s still just 31 years old, so a comeback isn’t out of the question. The former All-Pro linebacker is an unrestricted free agent right now, but the rest of the players in this roundup will have to wait another week before getting the chance to hit the open market. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….
- While Jimmy Graham will have the ability to field offers from suitors in free agency, the franchise tag will limit his options. In any case, Saints GM Mickey Loomis is confident that his club will find a way to reach a long-term deal with the star tight end, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Pro Football Talk). “I had hoped and I’m sure he had hoped we’d come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this,” Loomis said. “But we haven’t yet, and hopefully we will…. We’ll just let it play out, and I’m sure we’ll get something resolved.”
- The Cardinals are in talks with Matt Shaughnessy‘s agent Rick Rosa in hopes of signing the free agent DE/LB to a new deal, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “They are actively trying to re-sign him,” Rosa said. “He wants to be there, so we’ll see how it goes.”
- Although cornerback Alterraun Verner acknowledges that he loves Tennessee and his Titans teammates, he sounds lukewarm on the idea of giving the club a “hometown discount” in free agency, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
- The Broncos have the cap room in 2014 to bring back prospective free agent Eric Decker, but future obligations to Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas will make the team wary about investing too heavily in Decker, says Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who spoke to the wide receiver about his impending free agency.
Titans Re-Sign Bernard Pollard
TUESDAY, 12:37pm: Pollard can earn up to $6.4MM on his new two-year deal, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the contract includes an $850K signing bonus, a $500K roster bonus, and $200K in workout bonuses.
MONDAY, 4:50pm: Pollard’s new contract with the Titans is for two years, tweets Wyatt.
2:43pm: The Titans appears to have reached an agreement with prospective free agent Bernard Pollard, according to the veteran safety himself. Pollard announced via Twitter that he’ll return to Tennessee: “Thank God!!! I’ll be a Titan for the next couple years!!! TitanUp.”
Pollard, 29, inked a one-year deal worth $2MM last season and outperformed his contract, racking up 99 tackles, three interceptions, and 10 passes defended while starting all 16 games for the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Pollard ranked as the league’s 21st-best safety out of 86 qualified players at the position.
With Pollard seemingly locked up, the Titans can shift their focus to other positions, including in the secondary. Tennessee didn’t use its franchise tag on Alterraun Verner today, so the team will have to either lock him up within the next week or risk having him depart via free agency later in the month. The two sides aren’t currently close to an agreement, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
South Rumors: Pollard, Texans, Buccaneers
The Titans re-signed Bernard Pollard this afternoon and a couple interesting notes have trickled out since. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (via Twitter), Pollard did not use his agent and worked out the new deal himself. General manager Ruston Webster told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (via Twitter) that “getting this deal done today helps our overall plan for this offseason…. We still have work ahead of us trying to retain some of our other players, but we are glad to be able to get this one done.” Among the team’s other free agents are cornerback Alterraun Verner and receiver Kenny Britt.
Some more whispers from the teams down south…
- The Texans should consider signing receiver Sidney Rice, writes Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. The team doesn’t have much cap room, but Rice shouldn’t cost a lot. As DiRocco points out, adding Rice to the duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson should give the team plenty of depth and talent at the position.
- Heading into the NFL Draft, the Buccaneers only have five draft picks and will likely have to be active in free agency. As a result of that, the team may be looking to clear more cap space, writes Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. He mentions Darrelle Revis, Michael Koenen and Donald Penn as potential cap casualties.
- The Falcons have began discussions with Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters and Joe Hawley, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In the same article, Ledbetter mentions potential free agent targets for Atlanta, including Jairus Byrd, Michael Johnson and Michael Bennett.
- What’s next for the Panthers after franchising Greg Hardy and learning of Jordan Gross‘s retirement? It appears to be re-signing safety Michael Mitchell and receiver Ted Ginn Jr., according to David Newton of ESPN.com. The team has started talking to representatives for the two players.
Franchise Updates: Whitner, Houston, Byrd
With today’s franchise deadline now less than five hours away, let’s round up a few of the latest news items and rumors on the franchise tag from around the NFL….
- The 49ers won’t be designating safety Donte Whitner as their franchise player, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
- Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston isn’t expected to receive the team’s franchise tag, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- The Bills have yet to express anything to Jairus Byrd about the franchise tag, and it appears unlikely that the club will use it, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 also hears that the Bills won’t franchise Byrd (Twitter link).
- The Packers don’t look likely to use the franchise tag on their own defensive back, says Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). A source tells Dougherty that the team has yet to mention the possibility to Sam Shields or his agent.
Earlier updates:
- The Lions aren’t expected to use their franchise tag today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew likely would have been the top candidate to be franchised.
- The Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. We also heard over the weekend that the team doesn’t intend to tag kicker Steven Hauschka, but Seattle is still trying to reach deals with both players, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
- The Titans won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Cornerback Alterraun Verner appeared to be the most viable Tennessee candidate for the tag, but it appears the club will either reach a multiyear agreement with Verner or let him hit the open market.
- Paul Soliai‘s agent says the Dolphins have told his client he won’t be franchised, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). We heard last week that Miami was unlikely to re-sign Soliai, so the team may turn its attention to bringing back its other key free agent defensive lineman, Randy Starks.
AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Martin, Clowney
While some teams received some extra cap relief as the new salary cap number was released, there are some teams that are not benefiting from the extra room just yet. The Jaguars are estimated to now have just over $56MM in cap space this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com. Every team could use a little extra cap space, but the Jaguars are still worried about hitting the minimum 89% cash spending requirement, writes Alfie Crow of BigCatCountry. Crow does explain that they do not have to hit that mark in 2014, but instead must reach the mark over a four-year period.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:
- The Jaguars have plenty of options if they want to spend their money, either up to the brink of the cap or even just to approach the 89% mark. Nate Davis of USA Today advises that the team’s general manager Dave Caldwell start by courting a big name wideout such as Hakeem Nicks, and handing out a big payday to Browns center Alex Mack in order to replace the retiring Brad Meester.
- Jonathan Martin will most likely be looking for a new team in the near future, and although he has many friends in the Colts’ locker room, Mike Wells of ESPN.com writes that the team is not in need of a tackle. Pro Football Rumors recognized this unfortunate reality as well, earlier this month.
- The Titans hold the 11th pick in the NFL Draft, and while the team has many holes to fill, Nicholas Pitakos of TitanSized.com explored the possibility of the team moving up to draft Jadeveon Clowney out of South Carolina. While he sees Clowney as a once in a lifetime prospect, and he is scared of him ending up in the AFC South with either the Texans or Jaguars, Pitakos sees the price just being too costly for the Titans to move up.