The Redskins have claimed Brandon Moore off waivers from the Chiefs, according to the league’s official transactions log (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan).
Moore, a former Texas Longhorn, spent most of the 2013 season on the Chargers’ practice squad before signing a futures/reserve deal with the Chiefs for 2014. He was waived by Kansas City on Friday.
Maurice Jones-Drew recently paid a visit to the Steelers, and reportedly drew interest from the Jets earlier in the month, but those aren’t the only teams in the mix for the free agent running back. According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, MJD is drawing interest from at least four clubs — the Steelers, Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots.
Although Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com indicated last week that Jones-Drew is seeking $3.5MM per year on his next deal, Mehta hears from a pair of sources that MJD’s asking price isn’t quite that high. Sources also tell Mehta that GM John Idzik‘s “hard-line stance” cost the Jets their No. 1 running back target earlier in free agency. Mehta suggests that the mystery running back ultimately signed with another AFC team, so perhaps that player was Ben Tate, who was linked to the Jets a month ago.
In any case, the Jets will have competition for Jones-Drew from their division rivals in Miami and New England. The Dolphins, who are also in talks with Knowshon Moreno, appear to be in the market for an upgrade over their current backfield options, while the Pats are likely weighing alternatives to LeGarrette Blount, who may end up signing elsewhere in free agency.
We haven’t heard much on the Vince Wilfork front since a report earlier this month suggested the defensive lineman had asked the Patriots to release him. Reporters at the NFL’s owner meetings in Orlando asked Robert Kraft about the situation, and the New England owner expressed optimism that some compromise could be worked out to keep Wilfork in New England, since the veteran is one of Kraft’s “favorite” Pats. Still, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald hears from sources that Wilfork cleaned out his locker around the time he asked for his release, so it doesn’t sound like he expects to return.
Here are a few more notes from around the AFC East:
2:12pm: It is indeed a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract for Osgood, who will receive a $20K first-game roster bonus in addition to a $955K base salary, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
12:45pm: Free agent wide receiver and special-teamer Kassim Osgood will sign a new deal with the 49ers today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports (via Twitter) that it’ll be a one-year contract.
In his first year with the Niners, Osgood appeared in only 45 offensive snaps and snagged just one reception during the regular season. However, he was a key contributor in kick and punt coverage, compiling an impressive 13 special teams tackles.
Osgood played last season in San Francisco on a one-year, minimum salary benefit contract, and I’d expect a similar deal this time around.
2:06pm: According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), it’s a minimum salary benefit deal for the Steelers and Moats, who will earn a $730K base salary, plus a $65K signing bonus.
1:28pm: The Steelers will sign Arthur Moats to a one-year deal, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have reached an agreement.
As PFR’s Dallas Robinson noted yesterday when he passed along news of Moats’ meeting with the Steelers, it’s a little surprising that the veteran linebacker didn’t draw more interest this offseason. Moats has only been a part-time player during his first four seasons in the league with the Bills, including just over 300 defensive snaps in 2013, but he’s only 26 years old and performed very well against the run, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
2:04pm: McQuistan’s two-year deal with the Browns is worth $3MM, with $750K in guaranteed money, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
12:04pm: According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, McQuistan’s deal, which has now been confirmed by the team (via Twitter), is for two years rather than one.
11:21am: The Browns have reached an agreement to sign offensive lineman Paul McQuistan, reports ESPN’s John Clayton (link via ESPN.com’s Terry Blount). According to Clayton, the two sides have agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
McQuistan, a former third-round pick, has spent the last three seasons with the Seahawks, starting 40 games for the club since 2011. In 2013, he started the season off at left guard before moving to left tackle for several contests as an injury replacement. McQuistan returned to guard down the stretch, but was only a part-time player, appearing in just 63 offensive snaps during Seattle’s playoff run.
As Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets, GM Ray Farmer and the Browns are “intrigued” by McQuistan’s versatility and ability to play both guard and tackle. Still, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), the 30-year-old would be much better off at one of the guard spots. McQuistan has posted middle-of-the-pack grades as a guard, but ranked 71st out of 76 qualified tackles last season, according to PFF.
After rounding up a week’s worth of DeSean Jackson rumors on Saturday night, we passed along a couple more stories on the standout trade candidate yesterday. Jackson figures to be a popular topic at this week’s NFL meetings in Orlando, so it’s no surprise that there are already a few more updates and notes on the Eagles receiver to recap. We’ll track today’s Jackson news and rumors right here, adding the latest items to the top of the page throughout the day:
Earlier updates:
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wrote last night, James Ihedigbo looks like the Lions’ top choice at safety in free agency, but the team is still waiting for an answer from him. GM Martin Mayhew said today that the club remains in contact with Ihedigbo, and that there’s no timetable on a decision (Twitter link via Birkett). While there’s nothing new to report on the Ihedigbo front, we have plenty of new Lions tidbits to pass along, so let’s dive in….
The Bengals have signed free agent defensive back R.J. Stanford, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Stanford, a former Dolphin, didn’t receive a contract tender this offseason, making him an unrestricted free agent.
After going undrafted out of Utah, Stanford played for the Panthers in his rookie season before joining the Dolphins for two years. According to Pro Football Focus, the 25-year-old appeared in just 173 snaps in those two seasons in Miami, contributing more on the special teams unit, where he contributed 14 total tackles in kick and punt coverage.
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams has been at the center of a few off-field stories in recent months and years, with several 911 calls to his house since last summer. However, none of those incidents was as dangerous as yesterday’s, when Williams was hospitalized yesterday after being stabbed by his brother. The Bucs receiver, who said the stabbing was an accident, has reportedly been released from the hospital, and we wish him a speedy recovery. However, the incident casts more doubt on Williams’ long-term future in Tampa Bay.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Tampa Bay had been open to dealing Williams, but that off-field troubles, including this most recent incident, will limit outside interest. With a trade unlikely, it’s possible that the Bucs may ultimately decide to simply cut ties with the troubled receiver. Williams is playing on a contract that runs through the 2018 season, but most of the guaranteed money was paid in 2013, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports noted today (via Twitter).
Garafolo and La Canfora (Twitter links) have confirmed that although Williams’ modest $1.8MM base salary for 2014 is guaranteed, his $5.2MM base for 2015 is not fully guaranteed. With no prorated bonus money on the contract, the Bucs could release Williams and carry just $1.8MM in dead money on their cap in 2014.
Of course, before making any decisions on Williams’ future, the team would like to touch base with him. However, GM Jason Licht said today that neither he nor head coach Lovie Smith has been able to talk to Williams since yesterday, despite an attempt to reach out (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times). As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Licht intends to continue looking into the situation in an attempt to find out how Williams is doing “health-wise [and] how his mindset is.”