Jaguars To Sign Calais Campbell
One of the top free agent defenders is now off the board, as the Jaguars are expected to sign defensive lineman Calais Campbell, reports Dianne Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Campbell’s new deal will average $14MM per season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Redskins were the runner-up in the bidding for Campbell, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Jacksonville is no stranger to spending on its defensive line, as the club invested in Malik Jackson just last year. With Campbell now in tow, the Jaguars will feature a front four that includes Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue, among others. While Jacksonville’s defense showed improvement in 2016, the presence of Campbell may help the unit take another leap during the 2017 campaign.
Despite entering his age-31 season, Campbell was one of the prizes of this year’s free agent market — he ranked as PFR’s No. 9 overall free agent and No. 1 interior defender. Capable of playing tackle or end, Campbell placed as the No. 2 interior player in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, earning strong marks against the run and pass. Last year, he managed eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception while playing more than 800 snaps.
Campbell will now leave Arizona after nine seasons, joining Tony Jefferson — who has signed with the Ravens — as free agent defections. The Cardinals were fully expecting to lose Campbell after using the franchise tag on Chandler Jones, but they can probably expect to reap a 2018 compensatory pick as a result.
With Campbell now under contract, the interior defender market is now topped by the likes of Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, Dontari Poe, Chris Baker, and Bennie Logan.
Redskins Pushing To Retain DeSean Jackson
The Redskins will make a “final push” to re-sign free agent wide receiver DeSean Jackson, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who notes that such an overture will be expensive.
Washington had been expected to part ways with Jackson, and while a breakup could still occur, it sounds as though the Redskins haven’t yet given up on retaining the 30-year-old pass-catcher. Jackson has already developed a large market during the legal tampering period, as the Buccaneers, Eagles, and Cowboys have all been tied to the veteran pass-catcher. As such, his annual salary could conceivably brush the $12MM area.
Jackson, who led the NFL in yards per reception for the second time in his career last season, has also been linked to the Patriots, but he’s unlikely to land in New England unless he accepts a “steep discount,” tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. Jackson rates as PFR’s No. 26 free agent.
Daniel Snyder Blocking Kirk Cousins Trade?
The Redskins haven’t given any indication they they’re willing to trade franchise-tagged quarterback Kirk Cousins to the 49ers (or any other club), and Washington may be holding onto its signal-caller thanks to owner Daniel Snyder‘s poor relationships with both Cousins and the Shanahans, Kyle and Mike, according to Kevin Jones of KNBR.
[RELATED: Dysfunction In Redskins’ Front Office]
Snyder reportedly still holds a grudge against the Shanahans after firing the pair following the 2013 campaign, per Jones, and especially dislikes that the duo’s prediction of a failed Robert Griffin III career ultimately proved true. As such, Snyder has no interest in “helping” Kyle Shanahan in any regard, including sending him a ready-made franchise quarterback in Cousins.
Snyder may also possess personal animus towards Cousins, as Jones describes a “weird” relationship between the two. After Cousins won the first game of his career in 2012 filling in for an injured RGIII, Snyder reportedly refused to congratulate or even acknowledge Cousins in the locker room following the contest, according to Jones. Although Snyder has since softened his stance, a degree of tension still endures.
Cousins will make nearly $24MM in 2017 under the terms of his second consecutive franchise tag, which he has yet to sign.
Redskins, McCloughan Likely To Part Ways
It sure sounds like Scot McCloughan will be ousted in D.C. The Redskins have been “entertaining” new general manager options for “quite some time,” numerous league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Apparently, the team has internally discussed names and La Canfora writes says they have “essentially have begun the process.” Unsurprisingly, then, a parting of ways is “inevitable” – perhaps in the form of a buyout – multiple sources tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
If team president Bruce Allen looks for a successor to McCloughan, one name that has surfaced is former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik, who has a history with Allen. La Canfora also suggests a possible promotion for executive Alex Santos, though the team has never promoted from within to fill the GM role, while Jones adds that ex-Redskins quarterback Doug Williams and former Chargers GM A.J. Smith are possibilities.
As for McCloughan himself, La Canfora hears the GM is not in rehab (he has dealt with alcohol-related issues) and has not been in rehab during his hiatus from the team. However, he has not stopped drinking since joining the Redskins in 2015, per Jones, who writes that McCloughan’s peers don’t believe that has negatively affected his work. McCloughan and Allen have been at loggerheads over several matters, details Jones, and it looks as if their inability to coexist will lead to a divorce.
Reportedly, the chaos in Washington is making the representatives of free agents question the team’s stability.
Contract Details: Gholston, Colquitt, Doyle, Davis
Updates on the contracts signed over the past couple of days, mostly via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…
- Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston‘s contract includes $13.5MM in guaranteed money, as well as a guaranteed base salary of $3MM for the 2017 season (via Twitter). The 25-year-old’s $6.5MM 2018 salary becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2017 league year.
- Defensive tackle Khyri Thornton‘s deal with the Lions is worth $3.3MM with a $325K bonus (Twitter). Thornton will make $700K in 2017, followed by a $1.325MM salary in 2018. He can earn another $12.5K via annual per game active roster bonus, as well as $225K via a weight bonus.
- Punter Britton Colquitt‘s new deal with the Browns is worth $11.2MM and $4.5MM guaranteed (via Twitter). The former fourth-rounder will earn $1.65MM in 2017, followed by salaries of $2.55MM (2018), $2.7MM (2019), and $2.8M (2020).
- Colts tight end Jack Doyle will earn $18.9MM on his next contract (via Twitter). Doyle will earn a guaranteed $1MM next season, followed by a $3.5MM salary in 2018 (guaranteed fifth day of league year) and $5.15MM salary in 2019. The tight end will also earn a $6.5MM roster bonus on March 10th.
- Fullback James Develin earned a $2.45MM contract from the Patriots along with a $300K signing bonus, reports Wilson (Twitter). Develin will earn $800K each year, with a guaranteed $200K base salary for 2017. He can earn another $12.5K via a per-game active annual roster bonus.
- ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that tight end Vernon Davis will receive $15MM ($7.5MM guaranteed) from the Redskins. The veteran will make $6MM in the first year of the three-year deal.
- Punter Shane Lechler‘s new deal with the Texans is for one-year and $2MM ($1MM guaranteed), reports Caplan (via Twitter).
Redskins Apply Second-Round Tender To Chris Thompson
The Redskins don’t want to chance letting another team pounce on their passing-down running back, placing a second-round RFA tender on Chris Thompson, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. Thompson will make $2.74MM as part of this transaction.
Thompson is a restricted free agent despite being drafted in 2013 because of service-time issues. His fifth year will become a contract year instead of the customary fourth season for most players selected in the second through seventh rounds of their respective drafts. Thompson teamed with Robert Kelley to form the Redskins’ backfield duo down the stretch.
A former Florida State ball-carrier, the 26-year-old Thompson established a new yards from scrimmage career high in 2016, gaining 705 yards. He scored five touchdowns — three on the ground, two receiving — and was a key performer on third downs. With Washington’s backfield corps still unsettled as far as the run-downs player, Thompson can be expected to reprise his role in 2017. The team extending this protective tender only reinforces his value to the team.
Redskins Eying Safety FAs
- The Jets, Browns, Ravens and Redskins are among the main teams seeking help at safety. Tony Jefferson is atop our list of the top available safeties, followed by Duron Harmon.
[SOURCE LINK]
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/17
Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted and exclusive rights free agents. All RFA tenders listed are original round/right of first refusal (worth $1.797MM), and all links go to Twitter:
RFAs:
Tendered:
- Chiefs — K Cairo Santos (per Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star, on Twitter)
- Raiders — DE Denico Autry (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, on Twitter)
- Ravens — G Ryan Jensen (via Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun, on Twitter)
- Redskins — LB William Compton
Non-Tendered:
- Titans — RB Antonio Andrews, LB Justin Staples, TE Phillip Supernaw (via Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com)
ERFAs:
Tendered:
- Dolphins — TE Thomas Duarte, LB Mike Hull, CB Lafayette Pitts, C/G Anthony Steen
- Falcons — CB Ricardo Allen, G/DT Ben Garland, S Akeem King (per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, on Twitter)
- Lions — DE Brandon Copeland, DE Kerry Hyder, WR T.J. Jones (per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, via Twitter)
Latest On Redskins’ Defense
Expected to provide Chris Baker with an offer by Tuesday, the Redskins may now be conceding the defensive end is going to move on in free agency. Washington’s top defensive lineman over the past two seasons is “highly likely” to depart the nation’s capital, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Broncos and Buccaneers are coveting Baker.
However, the Redskins are going to be on the hunt for defensive linemen. One name La Canfora is connecting the team is Dontari Poe (Twitter link). The five-year Chiefs starter reportedly hasn’t seen his market take off during his first free agency period, with Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hearing the mammoth defender could take a one-year contract with a team that would let him rush quarterbacks more.
Poe served as a lane clogger in Kansas City but was a dynamo in terms of snaps played, logging more than any nose man during his rookie-deal tenure in Kansas City. But his sack totals decreased, plummeting from 10.5 between the 2013 and ’14 seasons (both Pro Bowl slates) to 2.5 combined in 2015 and ’16. The 26-year-old wouldn’t be a Baker replacement, being a nose guard, but would help Washington offset the end’s defection from a talent standpoint.
Additionally, La Canfora notes both the Redskins and Jaguars are aiming to land Cowboys safety Barry Church. Jacksonville obviously has the cap room to outmuscle Washington here, at $75MM to $34MM, but Church isn’t expected to command an incredibly lucrative deal. Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com connected the eighth-year safety to an AAV mark north of $5MM. Although, the Panthers are also pursuing Church, so this figure could escalate. The Redskins have experienced inconsistency at safety for a bit now due to injuries and under-performing cogs.
49ers Targeting Pierre Garcon
After re-signing one of Kirk Cousins‘ favorite offensive weapons, another could be on his way out. The 49ers have set their sights on signing Pierre Garcon, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Garcon, of course, offers familiarity with Kyle Shanahan‘s system, making him a logical fit in San Francisco. The Niners are also in need of a quality receiver after cutting Torrey Smith loose. As of this writing, the Niners’ only receiver of note is Jeremy Kerley, who was re-signed to a multi-year deal.
This past season, he had 79 catches for 1,041 yards with a 69.1% catch rate. Shanahan knows what Garcon is capable of, having served as the Redskins coordinator during his masterful 2013 season. In that year, he had a league-high 113 receptions for 1,346 yards and five touchdowns. Garcon doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as just a possession receiver and Shanahan allow him to show his full range of skills, even as he nears his 31st birthday.
The Redskins only just reached out to Garcon’s reps this week, so we’ve had the sense that he would be going elsewhere this month.