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AFC Notes: Welker, Bailey, Pats, Jaguars

January 30th, 2014 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Already this week, Peyton Manning and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie have addressed the possibility of retiring after the Super Bowl if the Broncos win. Wide receiver Wes Welker was the latest to be asked about that scenario, but the former Patriot quickly shot down the idea.

“Of course it would be a good way to end it, but I am still having fun,” Welker said, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “I am still enjoying the game. I feel good, and as long as I am out there having fun, I will continue to play.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Champ Bailey told reporters today, including Lindsay Jones of USA Today (Twitter link), that cornerbacks his age either “retire, stink it up or move to safety.” Bailey is hoping he doesn’t end up doing any of those things in 2014.
  • While the Patriots could have a couple candidates for the franchise tag this offseason in Julian Edelman and Aqib Talib, the team would have to make significant moves to accommodate an eight-figure, one-year salary for either player, says Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
  • Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell spoke to Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union about what he took away from scouting last week’s Senior Bowl. According to Caldwell, defensive back and offensive line were areas of strength at the event.
  • The Jaguars figure to target pass-rushers in the draft, and Virginia’s Brett Urban could be an option, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
  • With center Alex Mack and safety T.J. Ward facing free agency this offseason, the Browns will have to hope they don’t follow Mike Adams’ lead, writes Pat McManamon of ESPN.com. As McManamon notes, Adams won 28 games in five years with the Browns, then signed as a free agent in Denver, where he’s won that many games in just two seasons.
  • Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald examines the free agent decisions facing new Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey in his first couple months on the job.

Welcome To Pro Football Rumors

January 30th, 2014 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Welcome to Pro Football Rumors! A clearinghouse for relevant, legitimate NFL news and rumors, PFR will focus on free agency, the draft, and the trade market, following the model of MLB Trade Rumors and Hoops Rumors. I’ll be the site’s head writer and editor, and will be joined by eight part-time writers who will bring you the latest NFL updates 365 days a year.

We’ve already been updating the site with stories for about a week, so here’s a look at some of the notable headlines from the last few days, as we approach the Super Bowl:

  • There are rumblings around the NFL that Peyton Manning will call it a career if he and the Broncos win the Super Bowl, but Manning’s public stance is that, win or lose, he plans to return for the 2014 season.
  • The Browns became the NFL’s last team to hire a head coach, tabbing ex-Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as their man.
  • After initially suggesting that he’d seriously consider retiring if the Broncos win on Sunday, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie backed off those comments, and appears poised for a lucrative multiyear contract on the free agent market.
  • Dennis Hickey, formerly of the Bucs, became the new Dolphins’ general manager. Hickey will be tasked with finding a home for offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, who wants to continue his NFL career after last season’s highly publicized bullying scandal.
  • The Panthers signed coach Ron Rivera to a three-year contract extension, locking up Riverboat Ron through the 2017 season.

We’ll be rolling out plenty of features in the next several weeks and months, and will keep on top of all the latest rumors this offseason, with free agency set to begin in March and the draft scheduled for May. For now, you can check out our complete list of 2014 free agents, and our rundown of important offseason dates for 2014. You can also follow us via Twitter, Facebook, RSS, and Google+. If you’d just like to receive updates on a specific team, you can find the appropriate feed right here.

NFC North Notes: Tillman, Bell, Keisel, Lions

January 30th, 2014 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

Charles Tillman earned about $8MM in 2013, the last year of his contract with the Bears. Although he had another solid season when he was healthy, recording three INTs and forcing three fumbles in eight games, Tillman likely won’t be offered a similar salary by the Bears in free agency, given his age and the team’s limited flexibility. Still, as Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times details, the 32-year-old defensive back appeared on 670 The Score in Chicago on Wednesday and didn’t sound like someone eager to play elsewhere.

“In perfect world, I will finish as a Bear,” Tillman told Laurence Holmes. “I guarantee I will retire a Chicago Bear. I guarantee that.”

While we wait to see if the two sides can work out a deal that will keep Tillman in a Bears uniform, let’s round up a few other notes from out of the NFC North….

  • “I would like to just bypass all this and sign a long-term deal,” Joique Bell said of his impending free agency, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Since he only has three years of experience, Bell will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Lions will have the ability to match any offers he receives. Still, it sounds as if the running back would rather negotiate a multiyear contract directly with the Lions, rather than hoping they match.
  • While longtime Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel hopes to re-sign with Pittsburgh, he would definitely consider joining the Lions this spring, as he tells 105.1FM in Detroit (quotes via Justin Rogers of MLive.com). “They’ve got a great team,” Keisel said. “I really like their quarterback. They’ve got Megatron. Who wouldn’t want to play with those guys?”
  • Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com takes a closer look at the Bears‘ situation at cornerback, where Tillman isn’t the only player facing free agency.
  • Kellen Davis, who will play for the Seahawks in this weekend’s Super Bowl, tells Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times that he felt “a little bit slighted” by the Bears when Chicago cut him last March.

2014 NFL Free Agents

January 30th, 2014 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

Pro Football Rumors’ up-to-date list of 2014 NFL free agents is below. These are players who are eligible for restricted or unrestricted free agency after the 2013 season. The player’s 2014 age is in parentheses.

Players who finished the 2013 season on an NFL roster but don’t have contracts for 2014 are listed below. Players eligible for restricted free agency are marked with (R), players who received the franchise tag are marked with (F), and players who received the transition tag are marked with (T). Exclusive rights free agents are not included. All other free agents are assumed to be unrestricted.

If you have any corrections or omissions, please contact us. For instant free agent updates, be sure to follow us on Twitter @pfrumors.

Updated 8-27-14 (4:16pm CT)

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Justin Tuck Looking Forward To Testing Market

January 30th, 2014 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

Justin Tuck has spent all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Giants, but it seems as if he’ll be shopping for a new home this March. Speaking to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post this morning, Tuck indicated that he was looking forward to exploring his options in unrestricted free agency.

“I will see what the market is for me,” Tuck said. “I’ve never been in this situation before, and it’s a great opportunity for myself. I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t see what the market is, and I will.”

At the conclusion of the Giants’ season a month ago, Tuck suggested that he’d be open to the idea of re-signing in New York and perhaps eventually retiring as a Giant. However, he seems less enthused about that idea now, acknowledging that while he intends to meet with the Giants next month to discuss a new deal, he and the team will both do what’s in their best interests, which may mean parting ways.

With about $116MM on the books for 2014, and a long list of pending free agents, the Giants won’t have a ton of flexibility to make Tuck a competitive offer. Still, it remains to be seen what sort of years and dollars the defensive end could land. He’s coming off a strong bounceback season that saw him play in all 16 games and record 11 sacks, but he’ll also turn 31 in March, so his age and injury history may raise red flags for potential suitors.

Giants Likely To Re-Sign Josh Brown

January 30th, 2014 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

With the Giants struggling to a 7-9 record during the 2013 season, kicker Josh Brown perhaps didn’t get as many scoring opportunities as he would’ve liked in his first year with the club. However, it sounds like he’ll get another chance to rack up points for the team next season. According to Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com, a new deal between Brown and the Giants appears to be “imminent and likely.”

“I absolutely would love to be back with the Giants. I conveyed that with them,” Brown told Ranaan. “I was picking up that they were feeling the same exact way.”

After spending the first 10 years of his career kicking for the Seahawks, Rams, and the Bengals, Brown inked a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Giants last March. The 34-year-old converted all 31 extra-point attempts and 23 of 26 field goals (88.5%) for New York. Of the dozen or so other kickers set to hit the open market, only Phil Dawson, Dan Carpenter, Nick Folk, and Steven Hauschka had higher 2013 field goal conversion rates than Brown.

While Ranaan writes that the Giants seem to be “on the verge” of re-signing Brown, the veteran kicker himself indicates that he’s looking forward to talking to the team, which indicates that negotiations have yet to occur. Still, given Brown’s success in 2013 and his insistence that he’s “not looking to make it rain” with his next deal, the two sides could reach an agreement quickly.

Extra Points: Kuhn, Walker, Chiefs

January 29th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Zachary Links

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.

Broncos Notes: Phillips, Manning, Bailey

January 29th, 2014 at 7:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Super Bowl is an emotional time, but no matter what, there will be a few key players leaving the Broncos (and Seahawks) after Sunday. Denver could be starting as many as nine players in the Super Bowl who are due to become free agents after the season, with a number of players who provide depth also hitting the market, writes Bill Barnwell of Grantland.com. The injured Chris Harris, starting safety Duke Ihenacho, and return man Trindon Holliday are each restricted free agents and therefore likely to return, but many others – like veteran reclamation project Shaun Phillips – could be on their way out. Here’s more out of the AFC West..

  • Think it’s just Broncos fans that love Peyton Manning? How about the teammates that will see huge financial windfalls thanks to playing alongside him. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal writes that wide receiver Eric Decker, tight end Julius Thomas, and others will benefit in future deals from lining up in Manning’s offense.
  • If Champ Bailey wants to continue his legendary career, he’ll have to do so at a much lower salary next season, writes Joel Corry for CBSSports.com. Bailey is slated to make $10MM next season and have a $10MM salary cap number, figures that are much to high for what the 34-year-old cornerback is at this stage of his career.
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Broncos don’t expect to re-sign Knowshon Moreno.

East Rumors: Wilkerson, Meriweather, Dolphins

January 29th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the AFC and NFC East..

  • Muhammad Wilkerson says he’s not concerned about his contract situation with the Jets, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Because of the CBA, teams can exercise an option for a fifth year on rookie contracts for players taken in the first round of the 2011 draft. It’s a team-friendly clause, and while the defensive end can renegotiate his deal, he says he has “no clue” what is going on with his contract. Meanwhile, Wilkerson is glad to have coach Rex Ryan back for another season.
  • Brandon Meriweather‘s contract with the Redskins voids five days after the Super Bowl, writes Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The two sides re-worked his contract last year but it appears that they didn’t add an option to potentially keep him in 2014. Meriweather is coming off of a two-year, $6MM pact and could still return to Washington.
  • James Walker of ESPN.com details his impressions of Dolphins GM Dennis Hickey from his introductory press conference. Meanwhile, USA Today’s Brent Sobleski runs down the draft impact that the hiring will have on Miami.

AFC North Notes: Taylor, Burress, Spagnuolo

January 29th, 2014 at 4:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ike Taylor has been the Steelers’ top corner for a number of years, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Sulia link) believes he could be released this offseason. With a salary of $7MM and a cap hit of close to $13.9MM, the best case scenario Dulac envisions is the long time Steeler taking a big pay cut to stay with the team. Here is other news from around the AFC North:

  • Former Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress is reportedly mulling retirement, according to Kyle Meinke of mlive.com. “We’ll see how I feel,” Burress said. “If I don’t (feel healthy), I’m very satisfied with things in this business. I’m not just going to go out there and risk my physical health, just to go out and prove people wrong.” Burress did not appear in a regular season game for the Steelers last year, and was unlikely to be with the team in 2014.
  • The Ravens have hired former Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo as their secondary coach, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Spagnuolo came to fame as the coordinator of the great Giants’ defense that stopped the 2007 Patriots’ bid for a perfect season. He was also named assistant head coach. The Ravens also hired Brian Pariani as their tight ends coach, previously the tight ends coach for the Texans.
  • The Browns were reportedly turned off by Gary Kubiak‘s contract demands, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. He allegedly asked to be “head coach of the offense”. Kubiak went on to be hired as the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, replacing Jim Caldwell.
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