2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

FA Notes: Dolphins, Jackson, Selvie, Newman

March 19th, 2015 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Having decided not to match the Bills’ offer sheet for tight end Charles Clay, the Dolphins may be prepared to spend the money saved on Clay on some other free agents. According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), in addition to hosting wide receiver Michael Crabtree, Miami is also having quarterback Tarvaris Jackson and center J.D. Walton in for visits.

Jackson, in particular, is an intriguing potential fit for the Dolphins. The team still needs a veteran backup behind Ryan Tannehill, and while Miami’s preference may be to re-sign Matt Moore, Jackson could come a little cheaper.

Here are a few more free agent notes from around the NFL:

Defensive end George Selvie, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Buccaneers and Vikings so far in free agency, is visiting the Giants today, according to Art Stapleton of The Record (Twitter link).
The Vikings and cornerback Terence Newman have discussed some contract figures, but weren’t close to a deal as of late last night, per Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). If the veteran corner were to join the Vikings, he’d reunite with former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Free agent offensive tackle Corey Hilliard is paying a visit to the Jets, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Hilliard, a former Lion, is a solid swing tackle when he’s healthy, but injuries have derailed his last two seasons.
In a piece for The Sporting News, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap takes a look at the players who have done the best and worst so far in free agency.

Osi Umenyiora Informally Visited Jets

March 19th, 2015 at 10:13am CST by Ben Levine

THURSDAY, 10:13am: GM Mike Maccagnan told reporters today, including Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link), that Umenyiora simply stopped by the Jets’ facility for 10 minutes to say hi to Todd Bowles, and wasn’t in on an official visit.

WEDNESDAY, 7:15pm: Osi Umenyiora made a name for himself in New York, and it’s sounding like the defensive end may be returning to the Big Apple, albeit with a different team. According to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter), the 33-year-old was in New Jersey this afternoon to meet with the Jets. It’s uncertain whether the organization extended a contract offer, but the meeting at least indicates that the Jets are interested.

The former second-round pick spent nine seasons with the Giants, earning a pair of appearances on the All-Pro list and, most importantly, a pair of Super Bowl rings. He joined the Falcons on a two-year, $8.55MM in 2013, and the defensive end was productive during his first season in Atlanta. Umenyiora started 13 of 16 games for the Falcons, compiling 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and his first career interception. Despite his efforts, he still earned a negative rating from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Umenyiora settled into more of a reserve roll in 2014, as the veteran failed to start a single regular season game. He still managed to play 347 snaps in 16 games, finishing the season with nine tackles and 2.5 sacks. The former Troy standout apparently settled into his backup role, as PFF ranked him 22nd among 59 4-3 defensive end candidates.

A reunion between Umenyiora and New York sounded like a possibility, but it wasn’t expected to be with the Jets. The veteran had previously expressed interest in finishing his career with the Giants.

Chargers Sign Patrick Robinson

March 19th, 2015 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Another free agent cornerback has found a new home, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that the Chargers have signed ex-Saints corner Patrick Robinson to a one-year deal worth up to $3MM.

Per Wilson, Robinson’s deal includes a $1MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, along with up to $1MM in playing-time incentives. $250K of the veteran’s base salary is guaranteed, making for $1.25MM in total guarantees.

Robinson, a 2010 first-round pick, served primarily as the Saints’ nickelback in 2014, and performed well in that role. According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), Robinson limited opposing quarterbacks to a 75.4 passer rating and just one touchdown to two interceptions on passes thrown into his coverage.

The Chargers drafted a cornerback – Jason Verrett – in the first round a year ago, and re-signed Brandon Flowers to a lucrative new deal earlier this month, so Robinson will likely find himself playing a similar nickel role in San Diego in 2015. The five-year veteran, who reportedly visited the Steelers several days ago, looks like a nice depth addition for the Chargers’ defense.

Bengals Sign Brandon Ghee

March 19th, 2015 at 9:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Bengals are bringing back a player they selected in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft, announcing today that they’ve signed cornerback Brandon Ghee to a new contract (Twitter link).

Ghee, 27, saw the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his four years with the team before signing with the Chargers last year and then landing with the Titans in October. In six contests for Tennessee in 2014, Ghee made four tackles and grabbed his first career interception. However, he was cut in December by the Titans, making him a free agent again.

Having battled injuries in the past, Ghee should have an opportunity to make the Bengals’ 53-man roster if he stays healthy, but he likely won’t be counted on to have a significant role in the team’s secondary in 2015.

Bengals Re-Sign Devon Still

March 19th, 2015 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a great week for defensive lineman Devon Still, who revealed on Instagram on Tuesday that doctors are optimistic about the prognosis for his daughter Leah, with recent tests not showing “any active disease in her body.” The latest positive development for Still is a new contract with the Bengals, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus, who congratulated his client today on Twitter.

Still, 25, had been eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, but the Bengals decided not to extend him an RFA tender last week. At the time though, we heard that Cincinnati had made a one-year contract offer to Still, who was mulling the proposal while also weighing family issues — as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes (via Twitter), Still had been waiting for the results of Leah’s tests before making a decision on the Bengals’ contract offer.

On the field, Still saw a career-high 237 defensive snaps as a part-time player for Cincinnati last season, recording 19 tackles and a pair of quarterback hurries. Assuming he earns a spot on the 53-man roster in 2015, the former second-round pick should play a similar role for the Bengals.

Giants Re-Sign Daniel Fells

March 19th, 2015 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:44pm: The Giants have officially re-signed Fells, the team confirmed today in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 4:18pm: Free agent tight end Daniel Fells is returning to New York, having agreed to terms with the Giants on a one-year deal, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).

Larry Donnell emerged as the Giants’ No. 1 tight end and top pass catcher at the position in 2014, but Fells earned his fair share of playing time as the No. 2 option, and graded as a much better run blocker than Donnell, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Feels, 31, didn’t match the receiving numbers he posted in previous years in St. Louis and Denver, but he also caught 16 balls from Eli Manning for 188 yards and four touchdowns.

It’s the third notable roster move reported today for the Giants, who also agreed to sign defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis and restructured guard Geoff Schwartz‘s contract.

Saints Redo Keenan Lewis’ Contract

March 19th, 2015 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

8:29am: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has more specifics on Lewis’ new deal, reporting that his signing bonus is actually worth $3.9MM, since his per-game roster bonuses for the next two seasons have been removed. The cornerback’s base salaries for 2015 and 2016 are now fully guaranteed, and $3MM of his $4.75MM salary for 2017 is guaranteed as well (all Twitter links).

8:08am: Amidst a recent mini-exodus of his teammates, cornerback Keenan Lewis told the Saints that he wanted to either have the rest of his contract guaranteed or be released. While the Saints didn’t guarantee Lewis’ entire remaining salary, the team has shown its commitment to him by redoing his contract, adding more guaranteed money, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Katherine Terrell of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has some details on the move, reporting that Lewis has agreed to reduce his 2015 base salary from $1.8MM to $850K and his 2016 base salary from $4.25MM to $2.7MM. The reduced portions of those salaries have been converted to a signing bonus, which appears to be worth $2.85MM. All in all, Lewis receives an extra $10.4MM in guarantees, and his cap hit dips from $4.85MM to $4.5MM for ’15, creating a tiny bit of extra flexibility for the Saints.

The Saints’ re-commitment to Lewis comes at a time when the club appears to be redirecting its resources to the defensive side of the ball to some extent. New Orleans has traded tight end Jimmy Graham, guard Ben Grubbs, and wide receiver Kenny Stills this month while stockpiling early-round draft picks.

Lewis, signed over from the Steelers two years ago, has started 16 games in each of the past two seasons, posting six interceptions. He’s expected to play opposite newly-signed cornerback Brandon Browner in the team’s starting lineup in 2015.

Vikings Will Not Release Adrian Peterson

March 18th, 2015 at 10:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Many of the rumors surrounding Adrian Peterson have focused on teams seeking to acquire the running back via trade. There hasn’t been much suggesting the Vikings would cut their star player, and USA Today’s Tom Pelissero confirmed that news this evening (via Twitter). According to the writer, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman informed Peterson’s agent, Ben Dogra, that the team would not be releasing the embattled running back. Pelissero notes that if the team had actually wanted to part ways with Peterson, they would have done so in September following the player’s indictment on child abuse charges.

According to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (on Twitter), Dogra texted the following:

“It was important for me to relay the position the Vikings are taking to Adrian. I want to make sure there is absolutely no confusion whatsoever.”

As Garafolo tweets, the wording of the agent’s text was very deliberate, and there have so far been zero public demands for Peterson to be moved. We heard in February that the running back was “uneasy” about returning to Minnesota, and recent reports have suggested that Peterson’s feelings towards the organization haven’t improved.

The Vikings releasing Peterson never appeared to be the logical route, as the organization would presumably rather acquire an asset for their best player as opposed to receiving nothing. While releasing the 29-year-old this offseason would save the organization $13MM, the extra cash wouldn’t do much good this far into free agency. Previous reports have suggested that prospective teams, including the Cardinals, have been scared away by the three years and $45MM remaining on Peterson’s contract.

Peterson’s 2014 campaign was limited to one game, when he ran for 75 yards on 21 carries. In 2013, he finished the season with 1,266 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him the 11th-best rating among 55 running back candidates on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Extra Points: 49ers, Hardy, Peterson, Rivers

March 18th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

49ers CEO Jed York appeared on Bloomberg Television on Tuesday to discuss a number of different topics, including the surprise retirement of Chris Borland (via SFGate.com):

“We respect it, and I love Chris. He’s a great kid. And it’s certainly a surprise to us and I think to some of his teammates. But you have to respect the decision. If he fears for his health and safety going forward, I don’t ever want somebody to go out there and do something that they’re not comfortable doing. And I would never try to talk somebody out of retirement. I know it wasn’t an easy decision for him, but we respect him and we wish him the best.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Greg Hardy spurned the Buccaneers for the Cowboys earlier today, but as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times writes, it may have been the organization that rejected the player. “At the end of the day, we didn’t feel good about it,” said general manager Jason Licht.
Count Larry Fitzgerald among those who’d like to see Adrian Peterson wearing a Cardinals jersey next season. The veteran wideout told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that adding the All-Pro running back would be a “game-changer” for the organization. “Obviously, he’s an MVP-caliber player,” Fitzgerald said. “Everybody knows that. Any team he ends up with — or if he stays with the Vikings — is going to have a great back. If he was to come play here, it would obviously mean a tremendous amount for our ballclub.”
Following news that Philip Rivers wouldn’t consider a new deal with the Chargers until the end of the 2015 season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says the organization has no intention of letting the quarterback depart (via Around The NFL on Twitter). Rapoport notes (on Twitter) that both sides have plenty of leverage during negotiations.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Bills actually signed wideout Percy Harvin to a three-year, $24MM deal, but the contract voids to a one-year, $6MM pact. As WGR550’s Joe Buscaglia points out on Twitter, this saves the organization $2MM in 2015 cap through “signing bonus proration,” meaning the player’s cap hit for this season will be $4MM as opposed to $6MM. Furthermore, if the Bills decide to void the contract following 2015 (which they’re expected to do), they’ll get hit with $2MM in dead money.

FA Notes: Mays, Dent, Tamme

March 18th, 2015 at 9:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s check out some notes regarding some notable free agents…

Former Bengals safety Taylor Mays will have dinner with members of the Vikings organization this evening, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Mike Zimmer and his front office had been reportedly eyeing the defensive back for some time.
According to agent Hadley Engelhard, free agent linebacker Akeem Dent has received interest from the Texans (via Mark Berman of Houston’s Fox26 on Twitter). The agent noted that he is “having extensive dialogue with [two] other teams” regarding his client.
Free agent tight end Jacob Tamme is visiting the Falcons this evening, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The former Colts and Broncos weapon is reportedly considering a pair of offers, and one of those contracts could be from Denver, as Mike Wilkening of ProFootballTalk.com says the Broncos would like to bring back the 30-year-old.