2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons Sign Jared Smith

March 18th, 2015 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Dan Quinn is adding some reinforcement to his offensive line, as the Falcons announced the signing of offensive lineman Jared Smith. The length and value of the deal have not been released.

The former UNH standout was drafted by the Seahawks as an offensive lineman in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. The designation as an offensive lineman was a bit surprising considering Smith played defensive lineman in college. The 24-year-old spent time on Seattle’s practice squad, winning a Super Bowl ring in the process. He was released by the organization last July.

Per the Falcons’ press release, Smith finished his college career with 129 tackles, 12.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He has yet to make an appearance in an NFL game.

Draft Notes: Winston, Borland, Visits

March 18th, 2015 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted draft notes from around the league…

Jameis Winston‘s decision to skip out on the NFL draft may have been based on pressure from the league. According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, the NFL may have been fearing “protests” regarding Winston’s selection in the draft, with the league advising the prospect to keep a “low profile.”
Following the surprise retirement of Chris Borland, Cole says teams are becoming cautious of players who are “too smart for football.” Specifically, players who have future careers outside of football may be less desirable than players who are “desperate” to become professional athletes.
Georgia running back Todd Gurley told reporters that he’s set to meet with the Panthers after having already met with the Lions, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gurley revealed that he’s also meeting with five other teams.
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon is scheduled to meet with the Ravens, according to Yahoo’s Rand Getlin (via Twitter).
Meanwhile, Getlin reports (on Twitter) that Duke wideout Jamison Crowder is gaining some interest, as the player has workouts planned with the Patriots, Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans.
Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes told ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein that he’s set to meet with the Vikings and Jaguars in April (Twitter link). Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets that the defensive back also has private workouts scheduled with the Titans and Panthers.
According to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.com (via Twitter), Boise State running back Jay Ajayi had dinner with the Chargers brass on Tuesday night.
The Jets have scheduled a one-on-one meeting with Missouri defensive end Shane Ray, according to Pauline (on Twitter).
Purdue tight end Gabe Holmes had a private workout today with the Cardinals, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The session went well, as Wilson says Holmes “caught everything.”
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty has visits set up with the Cowboys, Chargers and Rams, according to Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez (via Twitter).

Chargers Sign Mitch Unrein

March 18th, 2015 at 7:44pm CST by Ben Levine

7:44pm: The two-year deal is worth $1.9MM, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post (on Twitter).

6:53pm: The Chargers have added some reinforcement to their defensive line, as the team announced that they have signed defensive tackle Mitch Unrein. The 27-year-old’s deal is for two years.

The former undrafted free agent originally caught on with the Texans in 2010, and he soon found a home in Denver thereafter. The former Wyoming standout spent four seasons with the Broncos, making 54 appearances. He was relatively productive in 2012 and 2013, nearing 400 snaps in both campaigns while compiling a combined 40 tackles. He found himself in a reduced role in 2014, as Unrein played only 46 snaps in eight games.

Unrein reached restricted free agency last season, and he ultimately accepted the Broncos’ tender at about $1.4MM. Members of the Broncos organization, including general manager John Elway, had previously expressed interest in retaining Unrein for 2015.

Jermaine Gresham To Undergo Back Surgery

March 18th, 2015 at 7:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham was diagnosed with a herniated disc earlier today, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the former Bengals weapon is scheduled for back surgery on Thursday. While Rapoport notes that the tight end will determine his timetable following the surgery, previous reports estimated that Gresham would be ready for training camp.

The 26-year-old was certainly one of the more intriguing options on the free agent market, but his subpar 2014 campaign didn’t earn him a place on Luke Adams’ list of the top 50 free agents. He finished last season with 62 catches for 460 yards and five touchdowns, earning him a negative rating from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). However, it was a step up from his performance in 2013 and 2012, when PFF rated him as one of the two worst tight ends in the entire league.

The former first-round pick had previously met with the Raiders, but as of last week, the talks were reportedly “dead.” Meanwhile, the Browns had shown interest in Gresham, while the Bills were also rumored to be keeping an eye on the two-time Pro Bowler.

New Deals For Connor Barwin, Rob Ninkovich

March 18th, 2015 at 6:28pm CST by Luke Adams

6:28pm: According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter), Barwin’s new deal will guarantee the 28-year-old’s 2015 salary of $6.4MM. Furthermore, the new deal will also partially guarantee $3MM of his 2016 salary.

4:11pm: A pair of veteran edge defenders, Connor Barwin of the Eagles and Rob Ninkovich of the Patriots, have agreed to new contracts, according to reports. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com first tweeted that Ninkovich and the Patriots had agreed to adjust his deal, while Barwin himself broke word of his new contract, via Twitter.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, the Pats have increased Ninkovich’s compensation for the 2015 season. The veteran defensive end had been set to earn $2.45MM, including a base salary of $2.1MM. However, he’s now in line for a total of $5MM this year, with $4.5MM of that amount fully guaranteed. The exact breakdown of the restructure isn’t yet clear, so it’s possible New England picked up some cap space in the move.

As for Barwin, it appears he also received a bump in pay. Multiple Eagles reporters, including Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, have indicated that Barwin’s new deal doesn’t lower his cap number for 2015, but rather rewards him for an excellent 2014 campaign.

Barwin, who had 14.5 sacks and made his first Pro Bowl in 2014, had been set to make a base salary of $6.4MM. Mosher notes that the Eagles recently re-signed Brandon Graham for $6.5MM annually, and perhaps wanted to ensure Barwin, as the team’s top outside linebacker, is earning more than Graham, who has been a part-time player in recent years.

Cowboys Sign Greg Hardy

March 18th, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

6:20pm: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed the signing in a statement (via NFL.com’s Albert Breer on Twitter):

“This agreement involved an important element of our defensive scheme, specifically the pass rush, at a position that we felt we needed to address this off season. We entered this free agency period with the idea of utilizing key resources to help us on the defensive side of the ball.

“Greg is a proven and experienced player whose production has allowed him to play at a Pro Bowl level. This is a one-year agreement that is incentive based and heavily weighted toward his participation in games.

“We have spent a great deal of time over the last two days in meeting with Greg directly and gaining a solid understanding of what he is all about as a person and as a football player. A thorough background review of him, involving many elements of our organization, has been ongoing for the last few weeks.

“Obviously a great deal of our study was dedicated to the issue of domestic violence, and the recent events that associated Greg with that issue. We know that Greg’s status remains under review by the National Football League.

“Our organization understands the very serious nature of domestic violence in our society and in our league. We know that Greg has a firm understanding of those issues as well.”

3:00pm: Pro Football Talk has the specific breakdown of the contract, tweeting that Hardy gets a $750K base salary, a $1.3116MM workout bonus, $9.25MM in per-game roster bonuses, and $1.8044MM in sack-based incentives. The Cowboys also won’t be allowed to designate him as their franchise or transition player next season (Twitter link).

Hardy’s 2014 salary, for the record, was $13.116MM, which is the exact same amount this year’s deal can be worth if he maxes it out.

Schefter has the specific details on how Hardy can earn those sack-based incentives (Twitter link).

2:54pm: The agreement has now been confirmed by the Cowboys’ official site, with the announcement noting that Hardy is “widely expected” to be suspended by the NFL for four to six games. Meanwhile, Schefter (Twitter link) suggests that, despite the minimum salary, the deal has a base value of $11.3MM, suggesting there are significant bonuses involved.

Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets that there’s no guaranteed money on the deal, so I expect a good chunk of that bonus money probably come in the form of per-game roster bonuses — since Hardy only appeared in one game last season, most of those bonuses wouldn’t count against the cap at this point.

2:43pm: Hardy has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, Pro Football Talk confirms (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal with a minimum base salary, but it can be worth up to $13.1MM, which is the amount Hardy earned a year ago on the franchise tag (Twitter link).

2:05pm: The structure of the contract seems to be the hang-up in the Cowboys’ discussions with Hardy, but both sides remain confident that a deal will be finalized, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

1:44pm: Both sides say there’s no deal yet, but it’s hard to see how a deal won’t get done at this point, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Meanwhile, Bucs GM Jason Licht spoke to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) about his decision not to pursue Hardy. “At the end of the day, we didn’t feel good about it,” Licht said.

1:36pm: Greg Hardy has agreed to sign with the Cowboys, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (on Twitter). Hardy was said to have narrowed things down to the Cowboys and the Buccaneers on Wednesday and Dallas became the clear leader once the Bucs no longer were showing interest.

Hardy, who had 15 sacks in 2013 for the Panthers 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. There has yet to be a decision from the NFL on what kind of discipline the 26-year-old will face.

Hardy made the Pro Bowl in 2013 after he compiled a career-high 15 sacks, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the second-best overall defensive end in the league. He signed a $13.1MM deal for the 2014 season and wound up playing in just one game for that entire campaign.

The Cowboys have both Jeremy Mincey and DeMarcus Lawrence at defensive end but Hardy represents a major boost to Dallas’ defensive line. Now, Hardy will likely take over right defensive end with Lawrence on the left side, leaving Mincey to serve as a roving lineman with occasional defensive tackle duties. A rush featuring Hardy and Lawrence is absolutely terrifying on paper, but Dallas will have to take on the backlash and potential baggage that will come with signing Hardy.

49ers To Sign Reggie Bush

March 18th, 2015 at 5:38pm CST by Rob DiRe

WEDNESDAY, 5:38pm: The 49ers have officially announced the signing. The team confirmed it will be a one-year deal, but the value is still unknown.

MONDAY, 6:13pm: Bush’s deal is for one year, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link), who adds that it’s still not known how much Bush will earn.

SATURDAY, 1:07pm: The 49ers have agreed to a deal with running back Reggie Bush, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Bush was released by the Lions earlier this offseason, after spending just two seasons with the team. Bush had one of his best seasons as a runner in 2013, surpassing 1,000 yards for only the second time in his career. However, injuries caught up to him last season. He was only able to play in 11 games and failed to reach even 300 yards on the ground.

Bush should provide a complement for bruising tailback Carlos Hyde, and will bring a weapon in the passing game and as a third down back.

Denarius Moore To Visit Jets

March 18th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets apparently arn’t finished tweaking their wide receiver depth, even after adding Brandon Marshall and parting ways with Percy Harvin. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), free agent wideout Denarius Moore will meet with the organization on Thursday.

The former fifth-round pick had the weakest season of his career in 2014, finishing with career-lows in receptions (12), yards (115) and touchdowns (zero). To add insult to injury, Moore finished 187th among 218 receiver candidates in Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required). However, the 26-year-old is not far removed for a productive 2012 campaign, and his speed could help a receiving corps that is highlighted by Marshall and Eric Decker.

Rumors surrounding the 26-year-old have been quiet so far this offseason, and we heard earlier this week that there was “not a chance” Moore would return to the Raiders. Meanwhile, this isn’t the first we’ve heard of the Jets pursuing some reinforcement at wideout. The team reportedly had interest in Stevie Johnson and Cecil Shorts, who have since signed elsewhere.

Extra Points: Saints, Greenway, Tebow, Eagles

March 18th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

After years of loading up on salary, the Saints have now swung back in a far different direction – shedding veterans who make too much money and loading up on draft picks, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora wondered if coach Sean Payton is loading up on draft picks to make a play for Marcus Mariota and he spoke with football execs who felt that the Oregon quarterback would be a terrific fit with what he wants to do at the quarterback position. While the Saints have Drew Brees under center, 2015 could be the last go ’round for the veteran in New Orleans.

Let’s round up a few more notes from across the league….

Veteran linebacker Chad Greenway tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) that his agent and the Vikings are working on a new contract that would keep him in Minnesota for the 2015 season.
In the wake of Tim Tebow‘s workout with the Eagles earlier this week, Albert Breer of the NFL Network takes a closer look at the former first-round pick’s efforts to get back on an NFL roster.
The Eagles have made a lot of moves this offseason but their wide receiver situation remains a bit murky, as Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine writes. The group of remaining free agents is not very interesting, headlined by Greg Jennings, Michael Crabtree and Dwayne Bowe. Given that the Eagles don’t have a ton of cap space to work with, it seems unlikely that they’re going to sign a wide receiver, Kapadia writes.
Following Chris Borland‘s surprise retirement, Matt Bowen of Bleacher Report, a former NFL player, spoke to a handful of fellow NFL veterans, and most of them said the rewards of playing in the NFL outweigh the risks. However, Borland’s decision “definitely has heightened awareness that the balance could be shifting.”
For now, it seems that the Dolphins‘ offense has taken a step backward, Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel writes. Assuming that Charles Clay leaves for Buffalo, Miami is left with question marks when it comes to touchdowns in the red zone, even with Jordan Cameron in the fold. Meanwhile, there are also some uncertainties surrounding the power running game, the deep passing game, and even the quarterback (to an extent).
The Jaguars have signed president Mark Lamping to a five-year contract extension, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). Lamping’s deal was set to expire in a few weeks, so the new pact has been in the works for some time (link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Rams Sign Garrett Reynolds

March 18th, 2015 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

4:54pm: Reynolds’ new deal with the Rams is a two-year pact worth $2.2MM, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The contract has a max value of $4.2MM.

3:46pm: The Rams have officially signed Reynolds, the team announced today (via Twitter). According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter), the club continues to consider other linemen, including Tim Barnes, who isn’t out of the picture in St. Louis quite yet.

3:18pm: After hosting him for a free agent visit, the Rams are expected to finalized a deal with offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). It was Caplan who first reported earlier today that Reynolds was headed to St. Louis.

Reynolds, who started 10 games for the Falcons in 2013, lost his starting job late in the 2013 season, despite grading as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd overall guard (subscription required). The 27-year-old was subsequently cut by Atlanta and picked up by Detroit, where he spent the 2014 season as an occasional starter at right guard and right tackle for the Lions.

Reynolds’ ability to play both guard and tackle could come in handy for the Rams, who are in need of players at both spots. Greg Robinson and Rodger Saffold figure to man left tackle and left guard respectively, but Jake Long and Scott Wells were cut by the club, and Joe Barksdale and Davin Joseph are free agents, so center, right guard, and right tackle are still up in the air. Reynolds may not be penciled in as a starter, but he should have the opportunity to compete for a regular job.