2014 March - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Cromartie, Murphy, Allen, Britt

March 18th, 2014 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s follow up this morning’s summary of the latest free agent rumors with another round for the early afternoon:

A league source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link) not to expect the Jets to re-sign Antonio Cromartie. “They’re not being very aggressive,” the source said, repeating what is becoming a common refrain in discussions on the Jets’ approach to free agency.
Still in the market for receiving help, the Buccaneers are hosting free agent Louis Murphy today, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Once he completes his visit with the Cowboys, Jared Allen intends to head home and weigh his options, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the veteran defensive end is unlikely to make a decision today. Allen could also decide to make more visits to teams after Dallas, Rapoport notes (via Twitter).
We heard on the weekend that wide receiver Kenny Britt would be meeting with the Redskins at some point this week, and that visit happened today, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
After visiting the Bucs yesterday, cornerback Mike Jenkins is meeting with the Cardinals today, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.
The Bears continue to have interest in re-signing cornerback and key special teams player Sherrick McManis, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Biggs suggested last week that the Ravens, Eagles, and Falcons could be in the mix for McManis, but the Bears remain in talks to bring him back.

Colts Sign Hakeem Nicks

March 18th, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Rob DiRe

TUESDAY, 12:20pm: Nicks’ deal has a base value of $3.975MM, which includes a $2MM signing bonus and a $1.6MM salary, tweets Mike Chapelle of the Indianapolis Star, noting that $2.25MM of the contract is guaranteed.

FRIDAY, 6:40pm: Nicks can earn up to another $2MM in incentives, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

6:23pm: The Colts have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Nicks, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), and the team has since confirmed the agreement. Albert Breer of the NFL Network hears that the deal has a base value of $3.5MM with upside for more, via incentives (Twitter link).

Although Nicks is coming off a down year in 2013, having failed to score a single TD on 56 catches, while accumulating 896 yards, he has plenty of upside and is still just 26 years old. As I noted when I examined Nicks’ free agent stock, the former first-round pick could turn out to be a No. 1 caliber receiver available for the price of a No. 2. The former Giant ranked 12th overall in PFR’s list of 2014’s top 25 free agents, beating out Eric Decker as our top-ranked receiver.

Nicks had reportedly been seeking a multiyear contract, so the fact that he settled for a one-year, make-good deal suggests that there wasn’t a significant market for him. Playing alongside T.Y. Hilton and potentially a healthy Reggie Wayne in Indianapolis, Nicks will benefit from catching Andrew Luck passes in 2014, and could play himself into a much larger payday a year from now if he produces next season.

Multiple reports indicated that the Panthers were also interested in Nicks, but as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports points out (via Twitter), heading to Indianapolis gives the veteran receiver a better chance at a fresh start than signing with the Panthers would have. In Carolina, the Charlotte native would have faced the pressure of playing for his hometown team, not to mention filling Steve Smith‘s shoes.

Ian Rapaport of NFL.com (via Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Redskins Re-Sign Brandon Meriweather

March 18th, 2014 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 12:13pm: The Redskins have officially announced Meriweather’s new deal (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 4:23pm: Free agent safety Brandon Meriweather has reached an agreement to return to the Redskins, reports Dianna Russini of NBC Washington (via Twitter). A source tells Russini that the deal, which has been confirmed by ESPN.com’s John Keim (via Twitter), will be a one-year, $1MM pact.

Meriweather’s deal voided the week after the Super Bowl, making him an unrestricted free agent. It appears that both he and the Redskins explored the market for potential alternatives, but ultimately decided to continue their relationship for at least another season. As Keim notes (via Twitter), Washington wasn’t “wowed” by the second-tier safeties available in free agency, and were unconvinced that any were better than Meriweather.

Playing free safety and strong safety for the Redskins in 2013, Meriweather logged 69 tackles and a pair of interceptions in 13 games. However, he ranked just 77th out of 86 qualified safeties according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required).

NFC North Notes: Suh, Weems, Contracts

March 18th, 2014 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

At an appearance at the MGM Grand in Detroit, Lions president Tom Lewand suggested the team isn’t bothered by the fact that there’s no contract extension in place with defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh yet, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. While a new deal for Suh would open up some cap room for the Lions in 2014, the club never viewed an extension as an essential part of its free agency plans.

Let’s round up a few other items from around the NFC North….

The Bears have asked wide receiver and return man Eric Weems to take a pay cut, and will likely release him if he decides not to accept the cut, reports Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. The team could create $1.1MM in cap savings by releasing Weems.
B.J. Raji‘s one-year contract with the Packers includes a $500K signing bonus, a non-guaranteed $3.1MM base salary, $300K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $100K workout bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune details the specifics of Charles Tillman‘s one-year contract with the Bears. It includes a $2.25MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, $100K in workout bonuses, and $400K in per-game roster bonuses. The total guarantee is $750K.
The Lions‘ one-year deal for Vaughn Martin is a minimum salary benefit contract, including a $65K bonus, tweets Michael Rothstein. So Martin will earn $795K, while the cap hit for the team will be $635K.
Via Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press notes (via Twitter) that Jerome Simpson‘s new deal with the Vikings is worth $1MM — a $900K base salary, plus $50K in workout bonuses and another $50K in roster bonuses.
Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune examines some possible reasons why the Vikings haven’t addressed the linebacker position in free agency yet.

Patriots Sign Brandon LaFell

March 18th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Peter Sowards

TUESDAY, 10:59am: Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston breaks down the specifics of LaFell’s deal, which actually has a base value of $9MM, including a $3MM signing bonus. While Reiss doesn’t mention them, it’s possible incentives could push the value of the deal up to $11MM, as Rapoport suggested over the weekend. That doesn’t appear to be the case though.

MONDAY, 3:47pm: The Patriots have officially announced the signing of LaFell.

SATURDAY, 9:57pm: LaFell’s deal is expected to be worth roughly $11MM over three years, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter).

9:51pm: In the next move of the game, “Anything you can do I can do better,” the Patriots have reached agreement with wide receiver Brandon LaFell, reports Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).

Curran tweets that it’s a three-year deal between LaFell and the Patriots.

Though probably not a direct response to the Broncos signing Emmanuel Sanders, there does seem to be a bit of an arms race building between the two teams.

LaFell was selected 78th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Panthers, starting 28 games and totaling 93 catches the last two seasons. He caught a season-high seven passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in Carolina’s 24-20 win over New England last season.

Extra Points: DRC, Miller, Sanders, Saffold

March 18th, 2014 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

Following up on a piece he wrote about Jets GM John Idzik‘s deliberate – and perhaps questionable – approach to free agency, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets that, after an initial low-ball offer, the Jets made an “11th hour” pitch to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. However, the Giants had essentially locked up the free agent cornerback by that point.

Here are a few more Tuesday updates from around the NFL:

In a series of tweets, Tom Pelissero of USA Today breaks down the details on Zach Miller‘s pay cut with the Seahawks, which will reduce the tight end’s 2014 compensation by $3MM and his 2015 pay by $2MM.
After missing out on Emmanuel Sanders, the Chiefs continue to target younger wide receivers in free agency, which rules out some of the older veterans on the market, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
Speaking of Sanders, his agents issued a lengthy statement suggesting that there was never an agreement in place with the Chiefs before the receiver agreed to sign with the Broncos, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post details.
In the wake of the Sanders controversy, former agent Joel Corry points out in a piece for CBSSports.com that both agents and teams can be guilty of reneging on deals.
Aaron Wilson (Twitter links) passes along the specifics of the Rodger Saffold contract with the Rams, which includes a $5MM signing bonus, a $3MM roster bonus for 2015, and a $3MM guaranteed base salary in 2014. As Joel Corry tweets, the Raiders‘ decision to void their agreement with Saffold will cost the offensive lineman a significant sum.
Daryl Smith‘s contract with the Ravens includes a $3.5MM signing bonus, and that appears to be the only guaranteed money in the deal, as Aaron Wilson details in a pair of tweets. According to Wilson, the four-year pact can be worth up to $16.1MM, as initially reported, but it has a base value of just $13.6MM.
Jack Bechta of the National Football Post identifies the Colts‘ signing of Hakeem Nicks and the Buccaneers‘ deal with Alterraun Verner as two of the best bargains in free agency so far. Among our top 25 free agents of 2014, Nicks and Verner are two who will earn markedly less than I anticipated.

FA Rumors: Hester, Melton, Harrison, Mack

March 18th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime return specialist Devin Hester is finally making his first free agent visit of the offseason, nearly a week after free agency officially began. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the ex-Bear is in Atlanta today meeting with the Falcons. As Field Yates of ESPN.com points out (via Twitter), the Falcons were one of four NFL teams in 2013 that didn’t have a punt return of more than 25 yards or a kick return of more than 50 yards, so targeting Hester makes sense.

Here’s more on some of the free agents still on the board:

Free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton is on his way to meet with the Rams, reports Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Melton, who left his visit in Dallas without a deal, remains in contact with the Cowboys, but plenty of teams are still in the mix. The Vikings, Raiders, Bears, and Seahawks all have some level of interest, depending on the 27-year-old’s price tag, says Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
Appearing on the NFL Network, free agent linebacker James Harrison, who was recently released by the Bengals, indicated that “everyone knows” he’d like to return to the Steelers (link via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explores why transition-tagged center Alex Mack has yet to generate much interest, and how Mack’s agents could ensure that he becomes an unrestricted free agent a year from now.
Running back Alfonso Smith has been informed he won’t be returning to the Cardinals, according to a tweet from the free agent himself. Smith had been eligible for restricted free agency this winter, but didn’t receive a tender offer from Arizona.
Former Jets cornerback Aaron Berry visited the Browns yesterday, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). As Costello notes, Berry played with Browns coach Mike Pettine in 2012 when Pettine was the Jets’ defensive coordinator.
The Vikings have confirmed that offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse visited Minnesota (Twitter link). Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reported last week that the visit was expected to happen.

Bills Sign Anthony Dixon

March 18th, 2014 at 8:35am CST by Peter Sowards

TUESDAY, 8:35am: It’s a three-year, $3.5MM deal for Dixon, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak. Rodak has the full details on the contract, which includes a $500K signing bonus and a first-year cap hit of about $1.017MM.

FRIDAY, 8:23pm: Anthony Dixon is set to become the newest member of the Buffalo Bills, tweeted the former 49ers running back. Dixon, who totaled just 148 carries in his four seasons in San Francisco, will sign his contract tomorrow.

PFR’s Luke Adams passed along a link this morning which noted that Dixon and linebacker Brandon Spikes were visiting the team today. Dixon had previously visited the Titans.

The No. 1 and No. 2 running backs in Buffalo are C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson, so Dixon will likely take the No. 3 spot away from the inexperienced Ronnie Wingo, says Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.

Ravens, Jaguars Make Offers To Ed Dickson

March 18th, 2014 at 8:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have made a contract offer to Ed Dickson in the hopes of bringing back their tight end, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. According to Wilson (via Twitter), Dickson has also received an offer from the Jaguars, and continues to weigh his options.

Although the Ravens re-signed Dennis Pitta to a five-year contract earlier in the offseason, the team doesn’t have much depth at the tight end position behind Pitta, and Dickson has a level of familiarity with the club, having spent his first four NFL seasons in Baltimore. Dickson also drew interest from the Bills before they re-signed Scott Chandler, and the Jets and Giants have kicked the tires on the former third-round pick as well.

Although Dickson had a nice pass-catching season in 2011, hauling in 54 balls, including five for touchdowns, he has assumed more of a blocking role in recent years. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), that hasn’t been his strong suit, as a poor run-blocking grade last season left the 26-year-old ranked dead last among 64 qualified tight ends.

NFC Notes: Britt, Panthers, Vick, Collins

March 17th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Matt Feminis

At present time, the Panthers are devoid of an NFL receiving corps, having let go their top four receivers from a year ago. Now they’re in a position of desperation, as evidenced by the team’s interest in troubled, albeit talented, free agent Kenny Britt, as reported by Adam Schefter (via Twitter) and Pro Football Talk.

Meanwhile, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is starting to draw criticism over how he’s managed (or botched, according to pundits) the Panthers’ offseason. Both Eric Edholm of Yahoo and David Newton of ESPN put the magnifying glass over Gettleman’s decisions.
In February, free agent Michael Vick was hopeful he would be a starting quarterback in 2014. Two weeks into free agency, he has yet to visit a team, let alone land a contract, writes Anwar Richardson of Yahoo Sports.
Earlier this month, Bears defensive tackle Nate Collins signed a one-year deal worth $730,001, and the extra dollar is significant, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Because Collins will make more than the minimum, the Bears will have the opportunity to extend his contract prior to next year’s free agency.