Titans Rumors: Woods, Woodyard, Verner
Earlier tonight, the Titans lost Alterraun Verner to the Buccaneers when Tampa Bay reached agreement on a four-year deal, worth $26.5MM with the standout cornerback. Here’s the latest out of Tennessee..
- Steelers nose tackle Al Woods is scheduled to visit the Titans on Wednesday, sources tell Wyatt (on Twitter). The 6’4″, 307 pound lineman saw time in all 16 games last season (including two starts) and registered 2.0 sacks.
- The Titans are interested in Broncos free agent linebacker Wesley Woodyard, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. First, however, Woodyard will meet with the Patriots.
- The Titans made a similar offer to Verner before he eventually opted to take the deal tonight from the Buccaneers, sources tell Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (on Twitter).
FA Rumors: McCown, Allen, Mack, Hatcher
Josh McCown‘s first free agent visit, which is already underway, is with the Buccaneers, and the free agent quarterback and also meetings scheduled with the Texans and Jets, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he doesn’t make it to all his scheduled visits, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). Both La Canfora and Mehta suggest that a deal with the Bucs looks very possible for McCown. Here’s more on free agency:
- Defensive end Jared Allen has narrowed down his free agent options, but may not sign all that quickly, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Broncos are interested in Allen, but perhaps not at his current asking price. There also may not be any other serious suitors involved at that price, says Florio.
- The transition tag hasn’t stopped teams from contacting center Alex Mack, according to Mike Garafolo of USA Today (via Twitter). However, Garafalo adds that the Browns free agent center has yet to set up any visits with clubs.
- Defensive end Antonio Smith would like to stay with the Texans, but has visits lined up with the Redskins, Titans, Rams, and Raiders, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
- Jason Hatcher‘s visit with the Seahawks is the first of five meetings he has scheduled, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.
- Offensive lineman Rich Ohrnberger is drawing interest as a potential starting guard or center, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Free agent running back Anthony Dixon will visit with the Titans, says Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Titans Re-Sign Leon Washington
Running back and return specialist Leon Washington will return to the Titans on a one-year deal, reports Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (via Twitter).
The eight-year veteran played two games in 2013 for the Patriots, then was released in November. The Titans quickly picked him up, and he played in their final five regular season contests. Washington confirmed his return to The Music City with a tweet earlier this afternoon.
Titans To Sign Dexter McCluster
Dexter McCluster has reached agreement on a three-year pact with the Titans, league sources tell ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The former Chief will earn a maximum of $12MM, including $4.5MM in guaranteed money, on the deal, according to Schefter (via Twitter).
McCluster had interest from four or five suitors leading up to the official start of free agency. The 49ers were among the clubs believed to have interest but he’ll instead be joining Tennessee for 2014.
Browns Frontrunners For Karlos Dansby
The Browns have emerged as “the team to beat” in the Karlos Dansby sweepstakes, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The Titans and Cardinals have been the other teams frequently linked to Dansby, but both of those clubs feel like they may be out of the running, says Rapoport.
Although he’ll turn 33 in November, Dansby certainly didn’t show any signs of falling off in 2013, racking up 121 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a career-high four interceptions, including two for touchdowns. The former 33rd overall pick also ranked fifth among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus, grading exceptionally well in pass coverage. If Cleveland can lock him up, Dansby will replace D’Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker.
Mary Kay Cabot reported earlier today that the Browns were expected to seriously pursue Dansby.
AFC Rumors: Tate, McFadden, Mitchell, Dansby
Free agent receiver Golden Tate, who tweeted last night that things are “heating up” for him, could be a target for the Jaguars, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com. The former Seahawks notable is coming off of his most productive season ever in which he hauled in 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. More out of the AFC..
- While many free agent running backs aren’t getting much play yet, Darren McFadden is one that has drawn “significant interest,” tweets ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Fallon Smith of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) hears from a league source that the Raiders have a one-year offer on the table for McFadden. The 26-year-old has missed 19 games over the last three seasons.
- The Dolphins are in the mix for defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. The 26-year-old is getting a lot of attention for his versatility, athletic ability, and his high motor.
- The Browns are likely to pursue Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency, a source tells Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio News Group. Dansby, 32, would replace D’Qwell Jackson, who signed a four-year deal with the Colts last week. The Browns were also unsatisfied with the play of inside ‘backer Craig Robertson as the 2013 season went along.
- The Browns are aggressively pursuing slot receivers with Davone Bess out of the picture, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Julian Edelman is a possibility as is poaching Andrew Hawkins from the Bengals.
- Re-signing defensive tackle Antonio Johnson is a priority for the Titans, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The club also has interest in holding on to Leon Washington, Marc Mariani, Damian Williams, and Chris Spencer.
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) asked a Jets source for the best way to describe the organization’s free agency plan and he was told that the club will be “aggressive.”
- The Broncos have discussed the likes of pursuing safety T.J. Ward and defensive end Jared Allen but they’re certainly not in the lead as some have implied, writes Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.
- The Jets and Patriots will each pick up nearly an extra $2MM in cap room due to various bookkeeping technicalities, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explains in a series of tweets.
CB Rumors: Talib, Rogers, Verner, Davis
Perhaps the best corner in the league appears to be available via trade, but let’s look at some news regarding free agent cornerbacks:
- Aqib Talib is “very close” to a new contract with the Patriots, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington.
- Russini also tweets that the Redskins want Talib, but that the Patriots are offering a better deal.
- Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the Redskins to “heavily pursue” Talib (via Twitter).
- Carlos Rogers would “love” to return to the Redskins after being released by the 49ers, and the two sides are discussing a reunion, according to Russini (on Twitter).
- It would be an upset if the Jets don’t sign either Vontae Davis or Alterraun Verner to replace Antonio Cromartie, as the Jets defense is based around solid cornerback play, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We previously noted that Jets could be the mystery team in on Davis, who is expected to sign tomorrow.
- Verner has interest in both the Jets and the Giants, saying “both those teams could win and have capabilities,” according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Sulia).
- The Titans remain in conversation with Verner, but they probably won’t be able to match the money offered by other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
- The Ravens would like to retain Corey Graham, but he’s drawn interest from the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (on Twitter).
AFC Rumors: McCluster, Titans, Steelers, Jets
A league source tells Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star that wide receiver and return man Dexter McCluster won’t be returning to the Chiefs. McCluster has four or five suitors and will likely sign Tuesday night, says Paylor, and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com also hears that the free-agent-to-be will be “snapped up quickly.” Here’s more from around the AFC:
- In addition to Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, other players on the Titans‘ radar include Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain and Broncos defensive end/outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.
- Red Bryant says he received interest from the Packers, Chiefs, and Redskins signing with the Jaguars, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Bryant signed a four-year deal with Jacksonville that could pay him up to $17MM but guarantees him just $5.25MM.
- The Steelers are working to see if Ike Taylor will take a pay cut, tweets La Canfora. If Taylor is unwilling to do so, I imagine Pittsburgh will release him soon.
- Chiefs inside linebacker Akeem Jordan is drawing interest from six teams and has a visit set up with one AFC club for Thursday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (at the National Football Post).
- The Jets are high on Matt Schaub, and figure to target him in free agency if he’s released by the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Alterraun Verner Rumors: Monday
Both New York teams have been linked to free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner, with the latest reports suggesting that Verner is one of many defensive backs the Jets have inquired on, while the Giants may bow out of the Verner sweepstakes if it takes $10MM per year to land him. Here’s more on the free agent I ranked as the eighth-best in this year’s class:
- Appearing on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Verner made a number of interesting comments. Verner suggested he’d like to go to a team that he thinks can win, and that he might be more interested in being among a team’s highest-paid players at $6-7MM than earning $8-9MM and not being among the highest paid (all Twitter links). He added that he expects to make a decision fairly quickly (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- There’s still no movement between Verner and the Titans on a new deal, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who says there are at least six teams in the mix for the cornerback (Twitter link).
- Like Peter King, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger hears it could take $10MM annually to sign Verner, and says that price is likely out of the Giants‘ range. As Raanan writes, the Giants have multiple holes to fill and will be reluctant to spend heavily on any one player.
- Verner is one of the prospective free agents that the Steelers have expressed interest in, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Given Pittsburgh’s cap situation and Verner’s rumored asking price, it’s hard to see how the team could afford to bring in the Titans cornerback, but he’s at least on the radar. According to Brown, the Steelers have also inquired on Captain Munnerlyn and Nolan Carroll.
AFC Rumors: Jets, Howard, Titans, Steelers
With Antonio Cromartie no longer in the mix in New York, the Jets have turned their attention to other notable free agent defensive backs. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported late last night that the Jets were eyeing safety T.J. Ward, and he hears today from a team source that the club has also inquired on several other DBs. According to Mehta (via Twitter), New York has “varying degrees of interest” in safety Chris Clemons and cornerbacks Alterraun Verner and Captain Munnerlyn. Here are a few more Monday rumors relating to AFC teams:
- The Jets continue to negotiate with Austin Howard, but other teams have expressed interest in the free agent tackle, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post.
- We heard earlier today that defensive lineman Antonio Smith has drawn interest from four teams, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean thinks the Titans are probably one of those clubs (Twitter link).
- The Steelers are among the clubs to inquire on free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) hears that there’s only $5.255MM of guaranteed money in Red Bryant‘s four-year contract with the Jaguars, making it a fairly low-risk move for the club.
- Long snapper Danny Aiken‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots includes a $55K signing bonus and $25K workout bonus on top of his minimum base salary, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).