Tennessee Titans Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Young Stars In Line For Payday

By Matt Feminis | at February 14, 2014 8:43 pm

The NFL published its “All-Under-25” team, highlighting the league’s best players under the age of 25. From a contractual standpoint, five stand out as free agents to be at the conclusion of the 2014 season:

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn – Everyone knew Quinn was dripping with upside when the Rams picked him the first round of the 2011 draft, and the pass rusher extraordinaire’s third season was something to behold. Quinn was an unblockable one-man wrecking crew, garnering NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors and putting himself in position to break the bank on his second deal.
Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith – Knocking on the door of elite status at a critical position, Smith is expected to get a mega contract extension to ensure the safety of Tony Romo‘s blind side.
Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson – Did not have as many impact plays in 2013, but is a three-time Pro Bowler and legitimate No. 1 coverman at a time when big cornerbacks are in high demand.
Bengals middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict – Pre-draft character concerns which knocked him off draft boards and seem like a distant memory now. Burfict played at an elite level, leading the league with 171 tackles. If he behaves himself for another year, he’ll receive an exponential bump from his six-figure 2014 salary.
Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey – A stout run defender, Casey’s sack production jumped from 5.5 2011-2012 to 10.5 in 2013 when he was one of the most balanced interior defenders in the league.

AFC Notes: Martin, Bonuses, Colts, Kolb

By Luke Adams | at February 14, 2014 4:15 pm

In the wake of the publication of the Ted Wells report, Jonathan Martin’s agent Kenny Zuckerman reiterated to several reporters today, including ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link), that his client fully intends to continue his NFL career in 2014. Jim Harbaugh, Martin’s former coach at Stanford, believes that the offensive tackle should fare better in another team’s locker room, as Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee details. Meanwhile, Mike Garafalo of FOX Sports tweets that Martin’s camp will meet with the Dolphins as soon as next week at the scouting combine.

Richie Incognito‘s lawyer has publicly suggested that the Wells report is “replete with errors,” while Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald hears from a Dolphins source that offensive line coach Jim Turner is almost certainly done in Miami (Twitter link). There may still be more twists and turns coming in this story, but for now we’ll focus on a few other non-Dolphins items around the AFC:

While it won’t affect teams’ salary cap figures, plenty of clubs are set to pay out deferred bonus money this weekend. The Patriots will pay Tom Brady $5MM of his signing bonus, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Brian McIntyre reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs and Dolphins will also pay out bonus money on Saturday, including $6MM to Tamba Hali and $5MM to Dwayne Bowe for Kansas City.
With Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard set to return to the Colts’ backfield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see prospective free agent Donald Brown land elsewhere, writes Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
A history of concussions has placed Kevin Kolb‘s NFL future in doubt, and Bills coach Doug Marrone told WGR 550 today that he still isn’t sure if Kolb is planning to return to the team. ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak has the details. With a $1MM roster bonus owed to the quarterback next month, the Bills may end up releasing Kolb or restructuring his deal.
Within his latest look around the NFL, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei revisits the Browns‘ front office situation, providing details about Ray Farmer‘s GM candidacy with the Dolphins, Cleveland’s head coaching search, and Joe Banner‘s future job prospects.
The Titans should try to re-sign cornerback Alterraun Verner, safety Bernard Pollard, and defensive end Ropati Pitoitua, but should be content to let wide receiver Kenny Britt and a few other free agents walk, suggests Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

0 comments Buffalo Bills Cleveland Browns Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs Miami Dolphins New England Patriots Tennessee Titans Dwayne Bowe Jim Turner Jonathan Martin Kevin Kolb Tamba Hali Tom Brady

Extra Points: Verner, Flynn, Clowney, Farmer

By Luke Adams | at February 13, 2014 3:00 pm

Coming off his rookie contract, Pro Bowl cornerback Alterraun Verner is set to hit the open market next month, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean believes it may be difficult for the Titans to lock him up before March 11 (Twitter link). According to Wyatt (via Twitter), there has been “little to no movement” in talks between the two sides so far, though they’ll likely meet at next week’s scouting combine. After snatching five interceptions and defending 23 passes in 2013, Verner will be in line for a nice raise on 2013’s $1.32MM base salary, meaning he could be looking forward to gauging his value on the open market.

Let’s round up a few more Thursday items from around the NFL….

New Packers QB coach Alex Van Pelt praised Matt Flynn’s track record and indicated that he’s “excited to hopefully get him back in here,” according to Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Flynn is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Texans safety D.J. Swearinger tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle that he keeps in contact with former South Carolina teammate Jadeveon Clowney, who is pushing hard to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. “He’s talking about, ‘Man, what’s the word [on the Texans’ pick]?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I’m going to try my best to do what I can to get you here,'” Swearinger said.
In the second half of a two-part Q&A with Ray Farmer, Tony Grossi asked the new Browns GM about the importance of landing an elite quarterback, as well as discussing Farmer’s philosophy in approaching free agency and the draft.
Cornerback Jabari Greer is taking yesterday’s release from the Saints in stride, as he tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While Greer didn’t expect to be cut, he noted that “you can’t ever be surprised” by it, particularly when you’re on the wrong side of 30.
Rick Spielman‘s long-term future as the Vikings‘ general manager may depend on his ability to find the team a solution at quarterback, an issue he’ll address this offseason, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.

0 comments 2014 NFL Draft Cleveland Browns Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Minnesota Vikings Tennessee Titans Alterraun Verner Jabari Greer Jadeveon Clowney Matt Flynn Ray Farmer

Wimbley Hopes To Remain With Titans

By Peter Sowards | at February 8, 2014 8:25 pm

After racking up 16 sacks in two seasons with the Raiders from 2010-11, Kamerion Wimbley signed a lucrative five-year, $35MM contract with the Titans.

Two seasons into his new deal and Wimbley has totaled only nine sacks. The ninth-year player from Florida State, set to earn $6MM in 2014, told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean he doesn’t have any ideas of going elsewhere.

“I would love to be back,” Wimbley said, “and I expect to be back in a Titans uniform. They are doing some exciting things. My contract is not up, and I am training as hard if not harder than I’ve trained any other offseason. So yeah, that is what I am expecting. Unless I hear something different, I expect to be back.”

Wyatt notes that the Titans’ new defensive coordinator, Ray Horton, primarily runs a 3-4 scheme under which Wimbley has thrived in the past.

“I played my first six years in the 3-4 system, so I am familiar with it, and I feel it would be a great fit for me, and easy to pick up whatever they asked me to do,” Wimbley said.

Wimbley started just one game last season, relegated to third down and obvious passing situations. Spending $6MM on a backup tasked with rushing the passer who averages less than five sacks per season is not sound financial business, but Tennessee coaches will be banking on Wimbley reinventing himself in a new scheme.

0 comments Tennessee Titans Kamerion Wimbley

Extra Points: Kuhn, Walker, Chiefs

By Zachary Links | at January 29, 2014 9:01 pm

The agent for fullback John Kuhn is optimistic that his client will be rejoining the Packers for the 2014 season, writes Pete Dougherty of the Gannett Company. “I assume there’s interest on both sides, and (us) having him come back and hopefully they want him back,” Kevin Gold said. “It’s a good fit and he likes it (in Green Bay), he lives there. That’s definitely his priority, and I assume it’s their’s, too.” Considering Kuhn’s age and the reduced emphasis on the fullback position in the NFL, Dougherty writes that he’ll probably be in line for something between the minimum salary and the $2.35MM he made in salary and bonuses last season. More from around the NFL:

Without naming names, Titans tight end Delanie Walker said the team’s locker room chemistry was affected by several “cancers” that need to be removed from the roster. “When we started losing more games, we got to see it more and more, it was just like it was falling apart,” Walker told The Midday 180 in Nashville, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. “And the players that were the cancer were dragging other players into that box with them, and the box was getting bigger and bigger. At first, it was just a small box. The box just got bigger and bigger.“
The Chiefs signed defensive tackle Risean Broussard to a reserve/futures contract, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). Kansas City had the undrafted JUCO prospect in camp with them last year.
The Cardinals inked kicker Danny Hrapmann to a reserve/futures contract, McIntyre tweets. Arizona went with the Southern Mississippi product over YouTube sensation Havard “Kickalicious” Rugland. With Jay Feely set to hit the open market, Hrapmann is the only placekicker the Cardinals have under contract for 2014.

4 comments Arizona Cardinals Green Bay Packers Kansas City Chiefs Tennessee Titans Transactions Danny Hrapmann John Kuhn Risean Broussard

AFC Notes: Chris Johnson, Dolphins, Bills

By Luke Adams | at January 27, 2014 4:44 pm

Let’s round up a few Monday updates from around the AFC….

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Titans running back Chris Johnson will undergo a surgical procedure to repair a torn meniscus. Johnson remains under contract for now, but is a strong candidate to be released and hit the open market this offseason, so his health could be a significant factor in the next deal he signs.
Despite Joe Philbin‘s 15-17 record to date, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross believes Philbin is the long-term answer as head coach, according to James Walker of ESPN.com, who notes that the organization’s confidence in Philbin was on full display during Miami’s GM search (Twitter links).
While the Ravens ultimately passed on Kyle Shanahan and hired Gary Kubiak as their offensive coordinator, it sounds as if Shanahan made a favorable impression in Baltimore, tweets Albert Breer of NFL Network.
Multiple former Bills coaches are already headed to Cleveland to join the Browns‘ staff, and Buffalo head coach Doug Marrone confirmed today to reporters, including Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links), that Jeff Hafley and Brian Fleury will also be joining the Browns as defensive coaches.
Although adding more receiving weapons for Tom Brady should be a priority for the Patriots, the development of the team’s young receivers is equally important, writes Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com.

0 comments Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Cleveland Browns Miami Dolphins New England Patriots Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson (RB)Joe Philbin Kyle Shanahan

Corry On Patriots, 49ers, Manning

By Rob DiRe | at January 24, 2014 7:35 pm

As the Seahawks and Broncos prepare for the Super Bowl, the front offices of the Patriots and 49ers are already in offseason mode, and each team has a lot of work to do, writes Joel Corry on CBSSports.com. Here are some thoughts from his piece..

The Patriots are only set to be $3.9MM under the salary cap in 2014, based on the projected cap number of $126.3MM. They can look to create room by first cutting safety Adrian Wilson and defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga. Neither was able to contribute to a banged up defense in 2013, because of injury and poor play, respectively, and their release would save about $3.67MM of cap room. Corry also sees the Patriots looking to restructure the contracts of Pro Bowlers Logan Mankins and Vince Wilfork to create additional room.
The two biggest names the Patriots could try to re-sign are Aqib Talib and Julian Edelman. Talib was the focal point of an injured defense, and played great when healthy. Of course, he did sit a few games with a hip injury this year and failed to stay healthy in each of the last two AFC Championship games. His contract demands may be high, and with the Patriots’ cap constraints the franchise tag might not be an option. Edelman filled in admirably in the role vacated by Welker in free agency, one Danny Amendola could not fill due to injury, but with money invested in Amendola, Corry is unsure if the Pats would be willing to pay Edelman.
Brandon Spikes and LeGarrette Blount are also big names hitting free agency this offseason, but due to depth at those positions there is a chance the Patriots will not pursue them.
The 49ers have a little more room, with $8.6MM under the cap before re-signing their restricted free agents. Carlos Rogers looks to be an easy cut, as the highest paid and least dependable member of their secondary. The 49ers would gain more than $5.1MM by releasing him. A tougher decision will have to be made on Frank Gore, who is turning 31 in May. He is coming off a productive season, but with draft picks invested in Kendall Hunter, LaMichael James, and Marcus Lattimore, this could be a good time to turn the page in order to shed his $6.45MM salary. They can also create $6.2MM by restructuring contracts with star linebackers Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks.
The 49ers also have decisions to make on whether or not to re-sign Anquan Boldin and Donte Whitner. Boldin was great on a one-year-deal, but could command interest on the open market. Whitner is thought to have priced himself out of his job, as he could demand too much for the 49ers to pay with contract extensions for Aldon Smith, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati and Colin Kaepernick on the horizon.
Speaking of Kaepernick’s next contract, Corry also wrote a piece for the National Football Post detailing the effect Peyton Manning‘s decision to sign a five-year, $96MM deal in March of 2012 to become the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. Manning was rumored to have turned down an even larger offer from the Titans, possibly of $25MM per year. Corry details how this affected the contracts of the next group of quarterbacks to reach free agency. With one year left on his rookie deal, if Kaepernick is looking for a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan type contract, it may have helped him had Manning grabbed the extra money to sign the Titans’ supposed offer.

0 comments Denver Broncos New England Patriots San Francisco 49ers Tennessee Titans Anquan Boldin LeGarrette Blount

Extra Points: Bailey, Titans, Saints, Cards

By Zachary Links | at January 23, 2014 10:14 pm

They say that kickers don’t get any respect, but the Cowboys know how important a reliable leg can be. Kicker Dan Bailey got a six-year deal from Dallas earlier this week and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter) has the goods. The deal, starting in 2015, can be worth $22.5MM in total including a $4MM signing bonus and $7.5MM in guaranteed money. More from around the NFL..

The Titans are likely to target the tackle position in the 2014 draft, writes John Glennon of The Tennessean. The Titans could part ways with veteran right tackle David Stewart, a nine-year veteran who has missed a combined eight games over the past two years and is due a $6.4MM salary. Even if they keep him, they could still fortify the position.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis has some tough decisions to make in the offseason, writes Katherine Terrell of the Times-Picayune. For starters, he’ll have to decide the fates of longtime Saints such as safety Roman Harper ($5.9MM cap hit in 2014) and linebackers Will Smith ($13.9MM) and Jonathan Vilma (free agent in 2014).
The Cardinals announced that they have promoted Terry McDonough to vice president of player personnel. He replaces Jason Licht, the new Buccaneers GM.
Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (video link) analyzed Terrell Suggs‘ contract situation with the Ravens.

0 comments Arizona Cardinals Baltimore Ravens Dallas Cowboys New Orleans Saints Tennessee Titans Dan Bailey

Latest On Dolphins’ GM Search

By Luke Adams | at January 23, 2014 4:39 pm

Browns executive Ray Farmer, who had been considered a frontrunner for the Dolphins’ general manager job, will forgo a second interview with Miami to remain in Cleveland, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. After initially reporting (via Twitter) that Farmer had decided to stay with the Browns, La Canfora added that John Wooten of the Fritz Pollard Alliance urged Farmer to reconsider and take a second interview to work through some of his reservations about the position (Twitter links). However, it doesn’t appear as if Farmer will heed that recommendation, as the Browns’ front office confirmed today that the assistant GM will continue on with the club (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

By pulling his named out of contention, Farmer becomes the latest in a string of GM candidates to come off the board for the Dolphins. Most recently, Jason Licht, another strong contender for Miami’s opening, reached an agreement with the Buccaneers to become the new GM in Tampa Bay.

La Canfora reported (Twitter links) last night that Omar Kahn of the Steelers, Lake Dawson of the Titans, and Brian Xanders of the Lions weren’t considered finalists, leaving Dennis Hickey of the Bucs and internal candidate Brian Gaine as contenders for the job. According to a tweet from NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport though, Dawson will receive a third interview this week with the Dolphins, so perhaps the removal of Farmer from the mix prompted the Dolphins to reconsider Dawson’s candidacy.

The Dolphins are expected to hire a GM next week, according to Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post.

0 comments Cleveland Browns Miami Dolphins Tennessee Titans Brian Gaine Brian Xanders Dennis Hickey Lake Dawson Omar Kahn Ray Farmer

Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

By Luke Adams | at January 21, 2014 11:45 am

If you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NFL team, Pro Football Rumors has you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 32 teams.

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