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Top NFL Free Agents Still Available

March 17th, 2015 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

We’re a week into the NFL’s 2015 free agent period, and most of the big-name players have come off the board in the first wave of signings. In fact, out of the 50 players we named as this year’s top free agents, only six remain unsigned.

Still, there are plenty of notable names left on the board, including some who have been released within the last week. While some of these players may not sign new deals until the summer – if they play in 2015 at all – many others figure to find new homes in the near future, perhaps even as early as today.

You can check out our full list of free agents still available right here, but here’s a round-up of several of the most noteworthy players on that list:

Offense:

Defense:

Top restricted free agents not attached to compensatory draft picks:

FA Notes: Connolly, Gresham, Ellis, Barksdale

March 17th, 2015 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

After passing along several updates on free agency this morning, we’re back this afternoon with another round-up. Here’s the latest on a handful of players still on the market:

  • The Patriots would like to re-sign Dan Connolly, but the veteran offensive lineman is also receiving interest from the Seahawks and Bears as a center, and from the Dolphins and Buccaneers as a guard, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The 32-year-old has been a mainstay in New England for the last few years, but had a down year in 2014, placing among the bottom 10 guards in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
  • Tight end Jermaine Gresham is meeting with a doctor tomorrow to determine the severity of a back injury, and could be headed for surgery later this week, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). Greshman still expects to be ready for training camp, but that’s a giant red flag for potential suitors, and explains why he remains unsigned. Teams in need of a tight end – such as the Bills, Raiders, and Browns – figure to monitor Gresham’s situation, tweets Rapoport.
  • Free agent defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis could potentially make the move from one New York team to another. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter), the former Jet is visiting the Giants today.
  • The Titans have maintained interest in Joe Barksdale, arguably the top tackle left on the market, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Since hitting free agency last week, Barksdale has frequently been linked to the Titans and the Rams, who are still interested in re-signing him.
  • Veteran free agent Samson Satele is looking for a team that will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting center job, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

Bears To Sign Thomas Gafford

March 17th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears are currently the only team in the NFL without a long snapper on their roster, but it appears that will soon change. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter) the team is set to sign Thomas Gafford, who has spent the last seven seasons with the Chiefs.

Gaffold, 32, had served as Kansas City’s long snapper since the 2008 campaign, but with his contract expiring this offseason, the Chiefs have elected to go in a different direction, bringing in James Winchester, Brandon Hartson, and Jorgen Hus to compete for their job.

As for the Bears, they’re moving on from Jeremy Cain, and worked out Trevor Gillette, Dax Dellenbach, Chris Maikranz, and Drew Howell before deciding to sign Gafford, according to Biggs. Gafford is expected to sign a one-year contract with Chicago on Wednesday after taking a physical with the club.

New Deals For Kraig Urbik, Bryan Braman

March 17th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills and Eagles have made minor cap adjustments, modifying the contracts for Kraig Urbik and Bryan Braman, respectively, according to reports. Urbik’s new deal involves him accepting a pay cut, while Braman receives a one-year extension as part of his reworked contract.

According to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (all Twitter links), the Bills have reduced the 2015 base salary for Urbik – the team’s starting left guard for most of 2014 – by $1.5MM, and sliced his 2016 base salary by $1.7MM. Urbik had been set to receive a $300K roster bonus this month, and likely would have been cut if he hadn’t agreed to the pay cut — instead, he’ll get that $300K in the form of a new signing bonus, and will receive another $150K roster bonus if he spends at least one game on the 53-man roster this fall.

The move reflects Urbik’s new status on the roster, as he appears poised to head into the 2015 season as a backup rather than a starter. The Bills’ addition of Richie Incognito earlier this offseason ensures that Urbik will likely slide down the depth chart at least one spot.

As for Braman, he’ll also take a pay cut for 2015, with the Eagles reducing his salary from $1.2MM to $745K, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The team added an extra year to the linebacker’s contract as part of the agreement, and he’ll have a $900K base salary for 2016, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Braman, who contributes almost exclusively on special teams, likely received some modest bonus or guarantee as part of the move.

Dannell Ellerbe Accepts Pay Cut

March 17th, 2015 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

1:25pm: According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links), the restructure of Ellerbe’s contract actually came before the deal with the Saints was finalized, meaning Miami will carry $7.8MM in dead money for the linebacker on, rather than just $4.2MM.

8:21am: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Ellerbe’s new deal includes a $1.5MM signing bonus and a $2.1MM roster bonus for 2015. That roster bonus will be paid out in April, and his $1.1MM base salary is fully guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Ellerbe will also have annual $100K workout bonuses and $1MM in annual roster bonuses for 2016 and 2017, tweets Wilson.

8:09am: When the Saints and Dolphins agreed to a swap last week that sent wide receiver Kenny Stills to Miami in exchange for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick, reports indicated that Ellerbe had agreed to rework his contract as part of the deal. NFLPA records suggest that change to the linebacker’s contract has now taken place, according to Evan Woodbery of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Per Woodbery, Ellerbe’s base salary for 2015 has been sliced from $8.5MM to a mere $1.1MM. The salaries for the final two years of his deal have also been reduced — 2016’s figure has gone from $6.45MM to $4.1MM, while 2017’s salary is also now $4.1MM (from $6MM).

Typically, as part of this sort of agreement, a player will receive something in return for agreeing to reduce his salary. That could mean getting an up-front signing bonus, having a portion of his salary guaranteed, or being able to earn back some or all of his lost salary in incentives. In Ellerbe’s case, those details haven’t been reported yet, but I expect they’ll surface eventually — it wouldn’t make sense if he simply agreed to take such a significant pay cut without being compensated in any way for it.

In New Orleans, Ellerbe appears poised to assume the inside linebacker spot vacated by Curtis Lofton, who was cut by the Saints and has since landed with the Raiders.

Michael Bennett Seeking Trade To Falcons?

March 17th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

1:21pm: The Seahawks are denying any knowledge of Bennett wanting to be traded, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN.com. The team says it has not heard that from either Bennett or agent Drew Rosenhaus, says Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links).

1:00pm: Former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn joined the Falcons as the team’s new head coach this offseason, and he’s already brought one former Seattle pass rusher – O’Brien Schofield – with him to Atlanta. Now, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, another key Seahawks defender wants to join Quinn in Atlanta. Citing multiple sources, Hill reports (via Twitter) that Michael Bennett is seeking a trade to the Falcons, and wants a new contract.

Bennett, 29, was eligible for a new contract a year ago, ranking first on PFR’s list of top free agents for 2014. However, despite receiving serious interest from the Bears, Bennett elected to return to the defending-champion Seahawks on a four-year contract worth just $28.5MM, with $10MM in guaranteed money.

If Bennett had gone to the highest bidder on the open market, his payday likely would have been significantly higher than what he received from Seattle, and while his 2015 base salary is now guaranteed, his deal doesn’t include any more guaranteed money beyond this season. So it makes some sense that he’d want a new contract, particularly since he has been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL in recent years — Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the league’s second-best 4-3 defensive end in 2014, as he racked up an impressive 72 total quarterback pressures.

Still, Bennett made the decision to return to the Seahawks for a lesser rate, and the team was essentially one play away from repeating as Super Bowl champions this past year, so it seems unusual that the Texas A&M product would want out of Seattle. It could help explain why the Seahawks have been bringing in a number of defensive linemen for visits though, with Chris Canty and Anthony Spencer reportedly in town today, and Greg Hardy due in later this week.

As one of the league’s best pass rushers, Bennett won’t come cheap in any deal, so assuming Hill’s report is accurate, we’ll have to wait and see if the Falcons would be willing to part with a high draft pick to land him, or if the Seahawks are even open to discussing a trade.

Cowboys, Seahawks, Bucs In On Greg Hardy

March 17th, 2015 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Raiders Sign Trent Richardson

March 17th, 2015 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

12:25pm: Per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), it’s a two-year deal worth $3.9MM for Richardson. However, the running back can earn up to about $8MM via incentives.

12:04pm: The Raiders have officially signed Richardson, the team announced (via Twitter).

11:53am: Less than a week after he was cut by the Colts, running back Trent Richardson has found a new home in the AFC. According to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter), Richardson will be signing a contract to join the Raiders. ESPN’s Bill Williamson (Twitter link) confirms that the two sides are in the “final stages” of completing a deal.Trent Richardson

Richardson, 23, was selected third overall in the 2012 draft by the Browns, but lasted just over a year in Cleveland, having been dealt to the Colts for a first-round pick early in the 2013 campaign. Richardson was underwhelming, to say the least, during his time in Indianapolis, recording 977 yards and six touchdowns on 316 rushing attempts across two seasons, while adding 55 receptions for 494 yards and a TD in 29 games (20 starts). During his time wearing blue and white, the Alabama product averaged just 3.1 yards per carry.

Richardson’s time in Indianapolis came to an unceremonious end when the Colts waived him after hitting him with a two-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team at the end of the 2014 season. Richardson, who missed a Colts walkthrough during AFC Championship week without notifying the club, reportedly was dealing with a family emergency involving “serious complications” to his girlfriend’s pregnancy, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.

The Colts’ suspension voided the guarantee on the former third overall pick’s $3.184MM base salary for the 2015 season, so Richardson and the NFLPA have filed a grievance against the team to attempt to recoup that money.

For the Raiders, adding Richardson to a roster that features Latavius Murray and newly-signed Roy Helu is an interesting decision. Richardson, who told Mike Wells of ESPN.com on his way out of Indianapolis that he expected to be the starter for his next team, may get a chance to compete for that job, with Helu expected to a change-of-pace option and Murray lacking in experience. The Raiders were strongly linked to DeMarco Murray before he landed with the Eagles, so it seems the team was intent on adding a veteran to the mix.

Still, for a team that spent last season with veteran runners like Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden struggling to get much of a ground game going, bringing in the ineffective Richardson looks like more of the same, even if he has more upside than the team’s former backs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Washington To Re-Sign Colt McCoy

March 17th, 2015 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

11:56am: It’s a one-year deal for McCoy, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

11:17am: Free agent quarterback Colt McCoy has agreed to terms with Washington and will be returning to D.C. for the 2015 season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Specific details of the agreement aren’t yet known.

While Jay Gruden has publicly committed to Robert Griffin III as his starting quarterback heading into the 2015 season, there are still plenty of questions about whether the Washington head coach is committed to RGIII as his long-term quarterback. If Griffin struggles at all in the summer or early in the regular season, McCoy or Kirk Cousins could get an opportunity to play.

In 2014, McCoy earned four starts for Washington, and while he only won one of them, hs put up solid numbers when he got a chance to play. McCoy completed 71.1% of his passes for 1,057 yards, and recorded a 96.4 passer rating.

FA Notes: Newman, Johnson, Clay, Lowery

March 17th, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

As Peter King of The MMQB.com observes in his latest column, spending big in free agency often doesn’t translate to wins in the next season or two. As such, this year’s spenders – such as the Jets, Eagles, Dolphins, and Jaguars – should be wary about how much of an on-field impact their signings will have in 2015. A team like the Ravens, on the other hand, has enjoyed great success by consistently letting big free agents leave for other teams, then collecting compensatory picks for those players and replenishing the roster with young talent.

Here are a few more free agent updates:

  • Veteran cornerback Terence Newman will turn 37 in September, but he intends to continue his playing career. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Newman visited the Vikings yesterday, and is headed to New England today to meet with the Patriots.
  • When Michael Johnson‘s new four-year contract with the Bengals was initially reported, figures of $20MM and $24MM were cited as the overall value of the deal. Rapoport offers some clarity on that front, tweeting that the $20MM base value increases to $24MM if Johnson records 10 or more sacks during the 2015 season.
  • Rex Ryan has been the “driving force” behind the Bills‘ pursuit of tight end Charles Clay, a source tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Having become familiar with the Dolphins tight end over the last few years of AFC East divisional games, Ryan badly wants Clay in Buffalo, and the Bills continue to prepare an offer sheet for Miami’s transition player.
  • Safety Dwight Lowery admits that the Falcons haven’t shown much interest in re-signing him, and says he hasn’t spoken to new head coach Dan Quinn, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Atlanta is still without a starting free safety, so it’s possible the team will circle back to Lowery at some point.
  • Referring to an article in Australia’s Courier-Mail, former Seahawks defensive lineman Jesse Williams suggested in a tweet that he didn’t actually speak to the outlet. The Courier-Mail piece indicated that Williams himself said he expected to re-sign with Seattle, so it’s not clear whether or not a new deal with the club is actually in the works.
  • Earlier today, I listed a few of the top free agents still on the board at each position.
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