1:15pm: Like the Bucs, the Seahawks have denied that they have a formal visit scheduled for Hardy, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Multiple reporters, including Condotta, have been told by a source that the defensive end will visit Seattle, so it sounds like Hardy’s camp is saying one thing while his potential suitors are saying another. The Seahawks did confirm to Condotta that they’re doing “due diligence” on Hardy.
12:37pm: The Bucs tell Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that their discussions with Hardy have been “exploratory” in nature, and that they don’t have an official visit lined up yet. I’d expect if Hardy leaves Dallas and Seattle without a deal in place, he’d finalize plans to visit Tampa Bay as well.
11:08am: Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms (via Twitter) that Hardy is also scheduled to travel to Tampa Bay to meet with the Bucs later this week.
10:52am: According to La Canfora (via Twitter), the Buccaneers also remain in the mix for Hardy, and a visit to Tampa Bay is a possibility for the defensive end.
10:42am: Hardy intends to visit the Seahawks after meeting with the Cowboys, according to Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identified Seattle as a potential suitor for Hardy yesterday.
10:22am: Multiple reports yesterday indicated that the Cowboys have some level of interest in Greg Hardy and have engaged in discussions with the defensive end’s camp about a possible contract. Today, Dallas will get a closer look at Hardy, according to Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com, who tweets that the 26-year-old is expected to pay a visit to the team’s facility within the next few hours.
As I observed yesterday, Hardy would be an intriguing on-field fit for a Cowboys team that only had a pair of players record more than three sacks in 2014 — Henry Melton (five) has left Dallas via free agency, and Jeremy Mincey (six) will turn 32 later this year. The Cowboys are said to be talking to Hardy’s former coaches to learn more about his character in the wake of his legal issues, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that contract negotiations between the two sides are ongoing.
While Hardy wasn’t found guilty in his domestic violence case, there are still concerns about the situation after he reached a civil settlement with the alleged victim. The NFL has yet to conclude its own investigation into the matter, so there’s still a chance that the league announces a suspension for the defensive end, which has slowed his market during the first week of free agency.
For now, Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for Carolina before missing most of the 2014 season, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list as the league completes its review of his case. Hardy remains eligible to sign a new contract, even on the exempt list.
The Seahawks, Raiders, Jaguars, Titans, and Falcons are among the other clubs who have been linked to Hardy this month, though some of those teams have since denied having interest in the former Panther.