We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
After shipping Nick Foles to the Rams last week in order to acquire Sam Bradford, the Eagles could be aiming to move on from another quarterback currently on their roster. According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link), Matt Barkley, Philadelphia’s fourth-round selection in 2013, is on the trade block and could be had for a late-round pick.
Though rumors persist that Bradford is merely trade bait, the Eagles appear to be set at QB. Bradford looks like the favorite to start, and Mark Sanchez, re-signed to a two-year deal last week, will act as the No. 2. Barkley, then, is viewed as the third-string option, the role he’s played for the past two seasons. The USC product attempted 49 passes during his rookie season, but just one in 2014.
The 24-year-old Barkley was originally viewed as a lock to be selected in the top-10 of the 2012 draft, but after opting to return to USC for his senior season, he struggled, ultimately falling to the 98th overall pick in ’13. Barkley has never been looked at as a starting option in Philly, and when he has played, he’s exhibited a lack of arm strength that has talent evaluators worried about his NFL future.
Even given the paucity of capable QB options around the league, I’d be surprised if a club gave up more than a conditional seventh-rounder (the same compensation the Patriots received for Ryan Mallett) in exchange for Barkley. If the Eagles do deal Barkley, they’d presumably turn to Tulsa product G.J. Kinne, who’s been on their practice squad and is currently signed to a futures deal, as their third quarterback.
The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse, the club announced on Twitter. Ducasse will receive $80K in guarantees, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), meaning that the 27-year-old probably signed for the minimum salary benefit.
Ducasse spent the first four seasons of his career with the Jets before joining the Vikings in 2014. Selected out of UMass in the second round of the 2010 draft, Ducasse never lived up to his draft pedigree, starting just five games during his time with New York. He topped that number in ’14 alone, starting six contests in Minnesota while playing at both guard positions. In total, Ducasse played in 13 games last season, totaling 417 snaps, but graded as the league’s No. 61 guard among 78 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In Chicago, Ducasse will presumably act as a backup to both former Jets teammate Matt Slauson at left guard and Kyle Long at right guard. The Bears might not be done adding offensive line help, as recent reports have indicated they’re interested in free agent center Samson Satele.
Despite being waived by the Seahawks less than two weeks ago, defensive tackle Jesse Williams is expected to re-sign with Seattle soon, as he tells Tom Boswell of the Courier-Mail. The 24-year-old Williams has spent the duration of his two-year NFL career on injured reserve with knee issues, but he says multiple surgeries have corrected the issue. The Alabama product became the first Australian to win a Super Bowl ring when the Seahawks won the championship in 2014.
Here’s more from Seattle and rest of the NFL’s West divisions…
5:30pm: Shorts will receive $2.5MM guaranteed, tweets Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com.
2:52pm: Shorts’ two-year deal with the Texans is worth $6MM, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).
1:52pm: After hosting him for a visit today, the Texans have reached an agreement on a contract for wide receiver Cecil Shorts, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). According to McClain, it’s a two-year deal for Shorts, whose agreement with Houston was first reported by Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
Shorts, 27, has spent the first four years of his NFL career in Jacksonville, totaling 176 receptions for the Jaguars. His best season came in 2012, when he racked up 979 yards on just 55 receptions, reaching the end zone seven times. The former fourth-round pick has been nagged by injuries over the last two years, and averaged just 10.5 yards per catch in 2014.
On the surface, Shorts will be tasked with replacing Andre Johnson on the depth chart in Houston, though no one will expect him to replicate the longtime Texan’s production. As McClain observed earlier today (via Twitter), even after adding a veteran wideout in free agency, Houston will likely address the position in the draft as well to ensure that the group – led by DeAndre Hopkins – isn’t too thin.
Shorts is the second notable wideout to make the move from one AFC South team to another this offseason. After being cut by the Texans, Johnson landed with the Colts.
Here are some details on several of the new contracts agreed to or signed by free agents within the last few days:
AFC deals:
NFC deals:
4:27pm: The Browns have officially signed Starks, the team confirmed in a press release.
1:19pm: The Browns have reached a contract agreement with former Dolphins defensive tackle Randy Starks, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). According to La Canfora, Starks will join the Browns on a two-year contract worth about $4MM annually.
Starks, 31, went to two Pro Bowls with the Dolphins and was an interior anchor on the defensive line since joining the team in 2009, missing just one game in his six seasons in Miami. However, the team released him last week to help accommodate the signing of Ndamukong Suh — Starks had been in line for a 2015 salary of $6MM before his release.
In Cleveland, Starks will help solidify a Browns defensive line that underwhelmed in 2014. In addition to signing Starks, the team also hopes to get a healthy John Hughes back in the lineup for a full season, which should help offset the likely loss of free agent defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin.
Making the transition from the Dolphins’ 4-3 scheme to Cleveland’s 3-4 system, Starks looks like a good bet to return to a defensive end role after playing defensive tackle in Miami in recent years.
Tim Tebow isn’t the only free agent quarterback attempting an NFL comeback. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report tweets that ex-Buccaneers signal-caller Josh Freeman recently worked out for the Jets and has several other clubs taking a “hard look” at him. Freeman’s NFL success, which included a 4,000-yard season in 2012, was viewed as more sustainable than Tebow’s, so it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team give him a shot this summer.
Let’s check in on a few other free agent items from around the NFL….
MONDAY, 4:06pm: The Patriots have made it official, announcing the signing of Chandler today in a press release.
FRIDAY, 12:11pm: The Patriots have reached agreement on a deal with tight end Scott Chandler, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The addition of Chandler gives the Patriots some depth at tight end behind star Rob Gronkowski.
Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (on Twitter) reported earlier today that Chandler narrowed down his list of suitors to the Pats and Ravens. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter) later heard that the tight end wouldn’t be taking his talents to Baltimore and was likely to join up with New England.
Chandler, 30 in July, was released by the Bills on Wednesday. The 6’7″ athlete hauled in 47 catches for 497 yards and three touchdowns in 2014. Chandler was something of a late bloomer in the league, as he did not see any time on an NFL field between his debut in 2007 with the Chargers and his return in 2010 with the Bills. in Buffalo, he asserted himself as a real NFL talent and not just a taxi squad filler.
As expected, the Raiders have parted ways with quarterback Matt Schaub, terminating his contract, the team announced today (via Twitter). As a veteran player, Schaub won’t have to clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent, and will have the opportunity to immediately sign elsewhere.
Schaub, 33, was acquired by the Raiders in a trade with the Texans last offseason, but lost out on the starting quarterback job to rookie Derek Carr, and served as the No. 2 option in Oakland. After new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave brought former Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder in last week to back up Carr, Schaub’s release was viewed as inevitable.
Schaub had been set to earn a $5.5MM base salary for the 2015 season, but by releasing him, the Raiders will clear that entire amount from their books. As for the veteran signal-caller, he should have some backup opportunities around the league now that he’s not tied to that $5.5MM cap hit.