2014 February - Pro Football Rumors

Projected 2014 Cap Increases To $132MM+

February 27th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 4:44pm: The 2014 cap could be set as soon as tomorrow, and barring an unexpected development, it figures to be in the $132-133MM range, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 12:56pm: The projected 2014 cap continues to rise, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hearing from a source that the final number will likely exceed $132MM. According to the source, the cap could end up being a “few million” higher than $132MM.

SATURDAY, 12:43pm: ESPN’s John Clayton says the 2014 cap projection is now up to $132MM (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 20, 7:57am: Heading into the NFL offseason, we’ve been assuming that the salary cap for the 2014 league year will fall somewhere between the $126.3MM figure initially projected by the league and $128MM, the amount multiple reporters have suggested is more likely. However, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, teams may have even more cap flexibility in 2014. Schefter hears from league sources that the cap is now projected to be in the neighborhood of $130MM, up more than 5% from last season’s $123MM figure.

That higher projection is a win-win for teams, who will have a little more wiggle room than they anticipated, and players, some of whom should reap the benefits of that added flexibility. It’s particularly good news for clubs whose salary commitments for 2014 had already approached or surpassed the initial cap projections, such as the Cowboys, Steelers, Seahawks, and Saints.

The official cap figure, which is determined based on the NFL’s revenues, will be established in March when the new league year begins.

Bears Agree To Re-Sign Dante Rosario

February 27th, 2014 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears and tight end Dante Rosario have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, according to the team (Twitter link). Rosario, coming off another one-year deal with Chicago, had been eligible for unrestricted free agency next month.

Rosario, 29, had seasons of 26 and 32 catches several years ago with the Panthers, but didn’t act as a receiver often in part-time action for the Bears in 2013. He was very productive as a run blocker, however, recording Pro Football Focus’ second-highest run-blocking grade among tight ends, despite playing just 186 snaps (subscription required).

After earning the minimum salary in 2013, Rosario will likely be in line for a similar deal this time around. Because he now has seven years of NFL experience, that should mean a base salary of $855K. Assuming he signs a minimum salary pact with a signing bonus of no more than $65K, his overall salary will be a little larger than his cap hit.

Panthers Sign Anderson Russell

February 27th, 2014 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers have signed safety Anderson Russell, according to today’s NFL personnel notice (Twitter link via Brian McIntyre). Russell had a previous stint with the Panthers, having joined the team in 2012, but was cut prior to the 2013 regular season.

Russell, 26, played his college ball at Ohio State before going undrafted in 2010. He has signed deals with the Redskins, Dolphins, and Panthers, but hasn’t seen any real action in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, he played just one snap for Carolina 2012.

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it’ll be a minimum salary contract. I doubt Russell will end up on the Panthers’ regular-season roster, though perhaps he’ll get a chance to earn a spot this summer.

FA Rumors: Delmas, Jackson, Decker, Pace

February 27th, 2014 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of potential free agents, including wide receiver Riley Cooper, center Roberto Garza, and defensive lineman Chris Baker, came off the board today, having agreed to new contracts with their current teams. However, there are still plenty of rumblings about other players who will hit free agency on March 11, not to mention those who are already available. Let’s dive in and round up the latest….

Free agent safety Louis Delmas, who was cut by the Lions earlier this month, visited the Saints today, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Because he was released, Delmas is eligible to sign before March 11 if he gets an offer he likes.
Recently released linebacker D’Qwell Jackson is in the same boat, and has already lined up weekend visits with the Titans and Broncos, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). La Canfora adds (Twitter link) that the Vikings among the clubs looking to schedule a visit for next week, while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that eight interested teams have already reached out.
Following up on a tweet from Vic Lombardi of CBS4 in Denver that indicated there could be mutual interest between wide receiver Eric Decker and the Colts, Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star says (via Twitter) that potential interest is unlikely to materialize into anything concrete.
The Jets met with linebacker Calvin Pace‘s reps at the combine in Indianapolis and made it clear they’d like to re-sign him, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. However, the club has not yet engaged in contract talks for Pace, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Costello adds in a tweet that the Jets also have interest in retaining defensive tackle Leger Douzable, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com explores the possibility of the Bills using their franchise tag on free agent safety Jairus Byrd, which it sounds like the team is willing to do.
Free-agent-to-be Rashad Jennings has signed with VMG Sports and will be represented by Mike Simon, Greg Diulus, and Adam Heller, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. The Raiders running back had previously been repped by Kelley Drye.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Browns

February 27th, 2014 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals could scour free agency this offseason for a backup quarterback, but don’t expect the team to look at a high-end free agent like Michael Vick to push Andy Dalton. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that the Bengals don’t have any interest in the prospective free agent, and adds that the club doesn’t want to “shake Dalton’s faith” by injecting Vick into the mix.

Here are a few more items from around the AFC North:

There’s still a “great gap to bridge” in negotiations between the Ravens and free agent left tackle Eugene Monroe, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Talks continue between the two sides, with the team hoping to lock up Monroe before the free agent period.
La Canfora adds in another tweet that he wouldn’t be shocked if Dennis Pitta and the Ravens reach a multiyear contract agreement before the franchise tag is necessary, or perhaps shortly after tagging him. In other words, it doesn’t sound like he expects the situation to reach a point where an arbitrator needs to make a decision on Pitta’s position (tight end or wide receiver).
Punter Sam Koch is a potential cap casualty for the Ravens, but with the salary cap increase expected to be larger than originally anticipated, the team could potentially carry Koch’s $2.8MM number, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
In the wake of D’Qwell Jackson’s somewhat surprising release, Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com takes a look at a few other players with whom the Browns may part ways in the near future.

Ravens Cut Vonta Leach, Jameel McClain

February 27th, 2014 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

3:00pm: The Ravens have officially released Leach and McClain, according to the team (Twitter link). GM Ozzie Newsome left the door open for their potential returns, calling Leach and McClain “our types of players” (Twitter link).

1:59pm: In a cap-clearing move, the Ravens will release fullback Vonta Leach and linebacker Jameel McClain, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). According to Zrebiec, the cuts aren’t official yet, but should be soon.

Both players had been entering the final year of their respective contracts in 2014. Leach’s cap number of $2.33MM will become $580K in dead money, creating $1.75MM in cap savings for the club. The room created by cutting McClain will be even more significant — the Ravens will turn his $4.4MM cap hit into $1.2MM in dead money, for $3.2MM in savings.

Leach wasn’t a significant part of the Ravens’ offense in 2013, seeing action in just 230 snaps, including nine in the last three weeks of the regular season. McClain, who renegotiated his contract last August, missed the first few weeks of 2013 while recovering from a spinal injury, then saw part-time action in 10 games. The longtime Raven’s performance over the course of 376 snaps ranked him 34th among 55 qualified inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Baltimore has interest in re-signing McClain at a lower rate, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

The cuts will create a little more wiggle room as the Ravens attempt to re-sign high-priority free agents, such as tight end Dennis Pitta and left tackle Eugene Monroe.

Jeremy Maclin Rumors: Thursday

February 27th, 2014 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Eagles have been the league’s most active team this week, locking up two offensive linemen, Jason Peters and Jason Kelce, to lucrative long-term extensions, and re-signing prospective free agent agent receiver Riley Cooper. However, the team still isn’t done. According to several reports, Philadelphia would like to get something done with free-agent-to-be Jeremy Maclin before he hits the open market on March 11. Here’s the latest on negotiations between the two sides, with the newest updates up top:

A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Maclin hopes to sign a one-year, make-good contract, while the Eagles prefer a multiyear deal. Presumably, the club is looking to buy low on Maclin’s upside, while the receiver would rather bet on himself in the hopes of landing a bigger deal a year from now.

Earlier updates:

A league source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com that Maclin and the Eagles are “talking and making progress” toward a new contract, but no deal is imminent, and the wide receiver could still decide to test the market in March. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter also hears that the two sides are having conversations but aren’t close to an agreement yet (Twitter link).
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says (via Twitter) there are still hurdles to clear in the discussions between Maclin and the club, but that a deal “should happen” within the next week or two.
There’s a “lot of optimism” that an agreement will be reached, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the Eagles and Maclin are hoping for major progress in the next day or two.
If the Eagles don’t lock up Maclin by March 11, he figures to draw interest from at least four to six teams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Redskins Re-Sign Chris Baker

February 27th, 2014 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Redskins have re-signed defensive lineman Chris Baker, the team announced today (Twitter link). Baker was set to be an unrestricted free agent for the first time this offseason after playing on his one-year restricted tender of $1.323MM in 2013. His new deal is a three-year pact worth $12MM overall, with $4MM of that amount guaranteed, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter).

In his second year with the Redskins, Baker earned three starts at the end of the regular season, recording a career-high seven tackles in the team’s Week 17 game against the Giants. The 26-year-old lineman, who saw 418 snaps in 2013, could earn a larger role in 2014, depending on what other additions and subtractions the team makes on defense.

Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett mentioned Baker along with DeAngelo Hall, Brian Orakpo, and Perry Riley last month when asked about which defensive free agents the club hoped to retain. With Hall and Baker now back in the fold, the team figures to focus on its two free agent linebackers, in an attempt to keep them off the open market.

Giants Approach Snee, Baas About Pay Cuts

February 27th, 2014 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Giants have approached guard Chris Snee and center David Baas about taking pay cuts, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York is interested in keeping both players for the 2014 season, but the combined cap numbers for the duo total nearly $20MM, which is untenable for the club.

As we passed along yesterday, Snee has decided not to retire, and hopes to play at least one more season for the Giants, the team with which he has spent his entire career. The longtime right guard, who is coming off hip and elbow surgery, expressed an openness to discussing a pay cut, which would reduce his $6.75MM base salary. Taking into account bonus money, Snee’s cap number for 2014 currently sits at $11.3MM, meaning the team could clear nearly $7MM by releasing him. As such, working out a new agreement is likely in the best interests of both sides.

Baas’ case isn’t as clear, however. The Giants center, who also missed most of the 2013 season with knee issues, still has two years remaining on his contract, so cutting him this season would accelerate additional money onto the team’s 2014 cap. New York could create a little cap flexibility by cutting Baas and his $8.225MM cap number, but $6.45MM in dead money would remain on the ’14 cap, so the savings would be minimal. We’ll have to see if Baas is interested in remaining in New York and willing to reduce a 2014 base salary of $4.75MM.

Lions Re-Sign Don Muhlbach

February 27th, 2014 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have re-signed long snapper Don Muhlbach to a one-year contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). It’s a minimum salary contract that includes a $65K signing bonus, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. That means Muhlbach will earn $1.02MM, though his cap hit will only be $635K.

Muhlbach, 32, has been with the Lions since the team signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2004, playing nearly every game for the team since 2005 and even earning a Pro Bowl berth as a special teams player a year ago. According to Twentyman, special teams coordinator John Bonamego refers to the veteran long snapper as a “calming influence” on young players like punter Sam Martin.