Terrance Knighton Had Washington Offer Before Signing With Pats
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Muhammad Wilkerson and his camp “are in full-fledged get-me-the-heck-out-of-here mode,” angling for a trade out of New York. As Mehta details, Wilkerson doesn’t dislike playing for the Jets, but he doesn’t believe the team is willing to pay him what he believes he’s worth, so he wants to join a club willing to pony up for a long-term deal.
As we wait to see whether Gang Green finds a trade it likes for Wilkerson, here are a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…
- After meeting with the Lions and Jets earlier this week, free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is visiting the Bills today, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of cap flexibility, but it appears unlikely that Carter will require much more than a minimum salary deal.
- Rich Cimini of ESPN.com provides the details on Erin Henderson‘s two-year contract with the Jets, writing that the linebacker will earn a guarantee of $750K, including a $365K roster bonus that was paid on Monday. The deal is worth $4MM overall and features a $250K option for 2017.
- Before he decided to join the Patriots, Terrance Knighton had an offer on the table from Washington as well. However, Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link) hears that it was significantly lower than New England‘s offer. John Keim of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Washington‘s offer was heavy on incentives.
- Asked by Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com if he wants to return to the NFL as a head coach, former Washington coach Mike Shanahan said it would have to be the perfect situation, suggesting that it might be a better fit for him to be a consultant for a team.
Jay Gruden Wants To Add Young QB
The Eagles will work out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch and it’s not just for kicks, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Despite having Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel under contract, Rapoport says they’re serious about Lynch and they’re taking owner Jeffrey Lurie on each trip.
While we wait to see if the Eagles’ QB situation could get even weirder, here’s a look at some more draft news from the NFC:
- Boston College linebacker Steven Daniels worked out for the Eagles on Wednesday, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (for WalterFootball.com). Daniels has also auditioned for New Orleans.
- Coach Jay Gruden says he wants Washington to draft a developmental quarterback, as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. “You have your starter. You got your quality backup. And you’ve got to have [another] one in the [quarterback meeting] room—whether it’s your third on the active roster or a practice squad guy—that you can develop,” Gruden said last week. Of course, Kirk Cousins will be the team’s starter with Colt McCoy as his primary understudy. However, Gruden would like to add a young QB who can be groomed without an immediate timeline.
- The Buccaneers worked out UTSA tight end David Morgan on Tuesday, according to Jenna Laine of Sports Talk 1040 (on Twitter). Morgan also worked out for Philadelphia recently.
- The Falcons were at Stanford on Wednesday to work out tight end Austin Hooper and linebacker Blake Martinez, according to Tony Pauline for Walter Football. On Tuesday, Atlanta coaches were at Washington State to scope out Washington State offensive lineman Joseph Dahl, receiver Dominique Williams, and defensive lineman Destiny Vaeao.
Terrance Knighton Visits Pats, Washington
WEDNESDAY, 1:44pm: Having visited New England and Washington, Knighton is believed to be leaning toward signing with the Patriots, according to Anthony Gulizia of The Washington Times. It’s not clear whether both teams have made contract offers.
TUESDAY, 7:43pm: It appears that Washington does, in fact, want to see what sort of shape Knighton is in. According to John Keim of ESPN.com, if the team is satisfied with Pot Roast’s physical condition, he will likely return to Washington. Keim observes that Knighton has lost roughly 30 pounds this offseason, and although Washington deploys a nickel defense about 75% of the time, the team still needs someone who can play nose tackle at a fairly high level while still contributing in other packages. A slimmer Knighton could certainly be that player.
TUESDAY, 3:29pm: After meeting with the Pats, Knighton is visiting Washington, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a little odd that Pot Roast would be visiting the team he played for last season, particularly since there have been no changes at GM and head coach, but perhaps the team wants to get a first-hand look at what sort of shape Knighton is in.
MONDAY, 9:00am: The Patriots made an effort to sign Nick Fairley, but with Fairley heading to the Saints, Bill Belichick and the Pats aren’t wasting any time moving onto other potential targets. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), New England is hosting free agent defensive tackle Terrance Knighton for a visit today.
Knighton, who started his career in Jacksonville, spent two seasons in Denver before heading to Washington for the 2015 campaign. The 29-year-old has been very durable in his first seven NFL seasons, appearing in 108 total regular-season games, including 96 starts.
A nose tackle, in Washington’s 3-4 scheme, Pot Roast logged 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2015. Although he didn’t have quite the same impact last year that he did during his final season as a Bronco, Knighton ranked in the top half of Pro Football Focus’ list of qualified interior defenders, placing 58th out of 123 players. Predictably, PFF assigned Knighton a much grade as a run defender than as a pass rusher.
The Patriots don’t run a 3-4 base, so if they do sign Knighton, he wouldn’t play quite the same role that he did in D.C. Still, New England is in need of big bodies up front, having lost Akiem Hicks and Sealver Siliga in free agency earlier this month.
According to Rapoport (via Twitter), Washington also has interest in bringing back Knighton.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anquan Boldin Visiting Washington
Veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin is making his first free agent visit of the month, according to Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post, who report (via Twitter) that Washington is hosting Boldin for a visit today.
Boldin, who will turn 36 in October, is one of the older free agents on the market, but there’s reason to believe he still has something left in the tank. After joining the 49ers in 2013, the former second-round pick posted consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with 12 total touchdowns in ’13 and ’14.
Boldin slowed down a little in 2015, missing a couple games due to injury and finishing with 69 receptions for 789 yards and four touchdowns. However, given the Niners’ quarterback situation last season, and taking into account how weak this year’s group of free agent wideouts was, it’s reasonable to consider Boldin one of the better options available this offseason.
We heard last week that the 49ers have not offered a contract to Boldin, which leaves the door open for him to sign with Washington or another team. The veteran wideout reportedly wants to continue his NFL career with a title contender, and while it’s not clear whether Jay Gruden‘s club fits that bill, adding Boldin to the mix would certainly make for an intriguing collection of pass-catchers in D.C.
Tight end Jordan Reed was Kirk Cousins‘ favorite target in 2015, while DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Jamison Crowder head the team’s wide receiver depth chart. Still, Washington isn’t especially deep at the position, particularly since Andre Roberts is a candidate for release, so if the club could add Boldin on the cheap, it would give Cousins yet another weapon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Washington Open To Dashon Goldson Return
After landing defensive end Benson Mayowa from the Raiders, the Cowboys remain in the market for help on the edge, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Dallas is bringing in veteran defensive end Jason Jones for a visit. Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) hears from Jones that he’s flying in tonight and meeting with the team tomorrow.
It’s no surprise that the Cowboys continue to seek defensive end help, since both Greg Hardy and Jeremy Mincey are free agents. As for Jones, the 29-year-old has been a full-time starter in Detroit for the last two seasons, picking up a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him solid grades as both as a pass rusher and a run defender.
As we wait to see whether Jones ends up landing a deal in Dallas, let’s round up several more updates on free agency…
- In addition to meeting with Jones, the Cowboys will also host offensive lineman Joe Looney, sources tell Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Looney can play guard and center, and would be a candidate to replace Mackenzy Bernadeau as an interior depth piece in Dallas.
- Defensive end Kroy Biermann is paying a visit to the Bills today, a source tells Conor Orr of NFL.com (Twitter link). Biermann, 30, has spent his entire eight-year NFL career as a Falcon, picking up a total of seven sacks in the past two seasons.
- After signing Jared Cook, the Packers likely won’t do much else on the free agent market. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets that Green Bay has been “poking around” on running backs, including Ronnie Hillman.
- The Cowboys have interest in safety Dashon Goldson, and Washington is also open to the free agent safety’s return, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who expresses surprise that Goldson remains unsigned.
- Cornerback Brandon Boykin said today that he had offers from about four other teams before he agreed to sign with the Panthers, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) believes that two of those offers were from the Chiefs and Falcons.
Washington Phasing Out FBs
Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league as Easter Sunday comes to a close…
- Colin Kaepernick‘s $11.9MM 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, but a league source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the 49ers might still be on the hook for that total even if they cut Kaepernick before April begins. Kaepernick’s base salary is currently guaranteed for injury only, and because he’s undergone three offseason surgeries, the NFLPA would argue that the San Francisco signal-caller is entitled to his pay even if he’s released. Of course, the 49ers have said they’ll keep Kaepernick on the roster if he’s not dealt, and a source tells Florio that that sentiment is not a facade.
- Because Russell Okung looked destined to leave Seattle, the Seahawks appealed to free agent tackle Bradley Sowell because they offered the possibility of playing on the blind side, as Sowell explained to 710 ESPN. “They showed a lot of interest. They called me right away,” Sowell said. “For a guy who hasn’t started a ton over the last couple of years, that’s a little bit rare to get that kind of interest quick. Usually a guy like me would have to wait a little longer, but they were really quick, so obviously they had done film study on me and stuff. They were really quick and called me, and when I got here, they basically kept making me an offer.”
- Washington‘s offense will be phasing out fullbacks in favor of tight ends, said former Washington fullback Darrel Young, which is the key reason that he didn’t re-sign with the club, he told Alex Marvez on SiriusXM Radio (Twitter link).
- The Packers and general manager Ted Thompson refuse to negotiate against themselves and are content with slow-playing free agency, a strategy that has worked well for them in the past, writes Weston Hodkiewicz of PackersNews.com.
Scot McCloughan On Junior Galette's One-Year Deal
The Bears’ excellent cap situation (nearly $24MM in space) and the importance of having quality edge rushers are two reasons the team won’t release either Lamarr Houston or Willie Young, as Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.
On Houston, who had a career-high eight sacks in 2015, general manager Ryan Pace said, ‘‘He came on strong. Luckily, we’re in a healthy cap situation, so we can [keep him on the roster].”
Houston’s $6.99MM cap hold is the Bears’ fourth-highest total for 2016, while the $3.17MM hit for Young (6.5 sacks last season) is more modest. One anonymous AFC executive opined last month that Houston was a candidate for the chopping block, but it now appears he’s safe.
Regarding Houston and Young, who combined for 12.5 sacks over the final nine games last season, head coach John Fox stated, “Obviously, I like those guys.”
The fact that Houston and Young seem to have the approval of Bears brass doesn’t mean the club will eschew pursuing more pass rushers via the draft, per Jahns. On the contrary, they’d like to add speed off the edge. Speed isn’t the strongest suit of Houston, Young or Pernell McPhee, Jahns notes.
In other NFC news…
- Washington re-signed Junior Galette to a one-year deal because of the uncertainty surrounding Galette’s ability to re-emerge from the torn Achilles’ tendon that shelved him for the 2015 season, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “Well, we’ve got to see, coming off an injury at any part of your body,” GM Scot McCloughan said. “But the Achilles for a guy’s explosion? It’s going to be interesting. That’s why the one-year deal from our standpoint made sense because, you know, does he still have the same twitch? Does he still have the same ability to get up field? I believe he does.” Galette’s contract doesn’t contain any guaranteed money. The 28-year-old pass-rusher notched 10 sacks for the Saints when last healthy in 2014, with current Washington edge-rushing counterpart Ryan Kerrigan registering a career-high 13.5 the same season.
- Before agreeing to a deal with Tennessee on Friday, safety Rashad Johnson spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Arizona. If the 30-year-old had it his way, he’d still be a member of the Cardinals. Johnson told Zig Fracassi of Sirius-XM NFL Radio that he wanted to re-sign with the Cards, but they didn’t make him an offer (Twitter link).
- The NFL’s decision to move touchbacks from the 20-yard line to the 25 next season should have an adverse effect on return men. Devin Hester, one of the all-time great returners, could be an exception. The Falcons might continue to turn him loose, according to head coach Dan Quinn. “There are special players like Dev and other returners around the league, they’ll still get green-lighted. Here’s a guy who is on the club for this unique reason,” Quinn told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 33-year-old Hester missed all but five games last season because of a toe injury, but he has since had surgery on it and is currently rehabbing.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Washington May Wait on Signing FAs Until After Draft
Washington probably isn’t done adding free agents, but coach Jay Gruden hinted that we may not see any official transactions until after the draft.
“I think there’s a lot of reasons for that,” Gruden told Washington reporter Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com. “You don’t want to go crazy signing a bunch of backs and then draft one and have to cut them anyway. So I think we want to find out exactly where we stand after the draft.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…
- Gruden acknowledged that Washington let go of “a heck of a running back” by allowing veteran Alfred Morris to sign elsewhere. As NFL.com’s Kevin Patra writes, the team will now have to rely on second-year running back Matt Jones. “We need him to protect the ball a little bit more,” Gruden said. “He’s a big, strong, powerful back that I think can handle the workload; time will tell on that. We’re taking a bit of a gamble here, but based on our professional opinion, we believe he can handle it and be very, very effective at it, toting the rock.”
- With rumors surrounding 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, head coach Chip Kelly was quick to hand out praise to the team’s other signal-caller: Blaine Gabbert. “[I’m] impressed with Blaine,” Kelly said (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “You watch him the last couple of games he started. He’s another guy, you look at his skill set…He’s big. I’d never really dealt with Blaine because he came into the league before I came into the league, but just how big and physical and impressive he is. He’s a 6-4, 245-pound guy that can really run. I thought the last part of the season he played really well. It’ll be intriguing to work with him, too.”
- The Bears could use a young speed rusher off the edge, opines Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune. Lamarr Houston, Willie Young and Pernell McPhee showed an ability to get to the quarterback, but Biggs notes that the trio used their strength to get past the opposition. The writer would prefer the team brings in a quicker lineman.
Latest On Matt Jones, Pierre Thomas, Andre Roberts
With Alfred Morris having agreed to a deal with NFC East rival Dallas earlier this week, Washington is prepared to go forward with Matt Jones as its starting running back.
“That’s what we envision, yes,” said head coach Jay Gruden (link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic). “We like Matt. We think he’s a smart football player and he runs very, very hard. Now we just have to make sure the ball security is there [because] he can catch the ball out the backfield. He’s a very good solid football player that we have high hopes for.”
In his rookie year last season, Jones – a third-round pick from Florida – averaged just 3.4 yards per carry on 144 attempts (compared to Morris’ 3.7 and 202, respectively) and totaled as many fumbles (four) as touchdowns. Washington is expected to add a complement to Jones in either free agency or the draft, according to Gruden, who said the team is interested in re-signing the still-available Pierre Thomas.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- Even with Morris in the fold, the Cowboys have a less-than-ideal running back situation, opines Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com. The Cowboys will try a balanced attack to aid quarterback Tony Romo – who has gone 38-11 as a starter while throwing 30 times or fewer and 41-38 otherwise – but Taylor doesn’t expect a backfield trio of Morris, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar to fare particularly well. Thus, the team should use a second- or third-rounder on a running back and let the others compete for backup roles behind the rookie, Taylor believes.
- The Falcons and free agent linebacker O’Brien Schofield are at “an impasse,” tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schofield said earlier this month that he and the Falcons weren’t “seeing eye-to-eye on a contract,” and the club may have found a replacement for him Friday when it signed Courtney Upshaw. The Falcons have offered Schofield a deal, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, but the Upshaw signing could seal his fate in Atlanta. Schofield, 28, joined the Falcons last year and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts) during the season. Upshaw has the greater track record of the pair, having started 29 more games (51 to 22) in two fewer seasons.
- Remarkably, despite being shot in the head twice last November, the door hasn’t yet closed on Stedman Bailey‘s career. The Rams receiver “is currently in the evaluation process, seeking numerous opinions from neurologists and the like,” head coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “Just to see if he can not only play, but continue with a rigorous physical rehab program that will put him in position to play.” Bailey has continued to stay involved with the team, as Thomas writes, with Fisher adding, “He’s been in the building. We’ve seen him. He’s doing well. He seems like the same old Sted, and he’s very lucky as we’ve all noted to be alive.”
- Washington is undecided about the future of receiver Andre Roberts, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington stands to save a solid amount if it cuts Roberts ($3MM before June 1, $4MM if he’s given a post-June 1 designation), but the team isn’t allowed to release him right now because he’s recovering from a torn meniscus. Roberts might not be ready until training camp, per Gruden. Even without his health taken into account, Roberts is probably Washington’s No. 4 wideout – which doesn’t seem to bode well for his chances to stay on the roster. The 28-year-old was productive from 2010-14, when he caught a combined 218 passes and 13 touchdowns for Arizona and Washington; he’s coming off a career-worst season, however, having hauled in a mere 11 catches in nine games. He also failed to find the end zone for the first time in his six-year NFL tenure.
Agent: Alfred Morris Wanted "Fresh Start"
The free agent contracts for players like Brock Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, and Malik Jackson dominated NFL discussions when the new league year opened earlier this month, but Field Yates of ESPN.com wants to make sure that some of this year’s less heralded deals don’t fly entirely under the radar.
In an Insider-only piece, Yates identifies the Panthers‘ one-year deal with defensive end Charles Johnson, the Seahawks‘ three-year agreement with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, and three other signings as moves that perhaps didn’t get the attention they deserved.
Here’s more on 2016 free agency:
- Omar Bolden‘s previously-reported visit to the Bears is set to happen next Wednesday, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who tweets that Chicago is the favorite to land the versatile defensive back, special-teamer, and return man.
- Sean Stellato, the agent for Alfred Morris, appeared on 105.3 FM-KRLD The Fan in Dallas to discuss why his client was ready to move on from Washington, and why he wanted to sign with the Cowboys. The Dallas Morning News has the key quotes from Stellato, who said Morris was seeking “a fresh start.”
- Free agent guard Ted Larsen continues to consider his options and isn’t expected to sign a contract today, but his visit with the Falcons went “great,” a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
- As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, new Jets running back Matt Forte wasn’t thrilled with the Bears‘ willingness to pursue C.J. Anderson in free agency after announcing they were moving on from Forte. Despite comments from head coach John Fox suggesting the team was happy with its young, in-house backs, the Bears reportedly made Anderson an offer higher than the one he signed with Miami.