2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Expected To Sign DeMarco Murray

March 12th, 2015 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

12:44pm: If and when it becomes official, Murray’s deal with the Eagles is expected to be worth $42MM over five years, with $21MM guaranteed, according to Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schefter adds (via Twitter) that $18MM of that guarantee is for both skill and injury.

12:04pm: There’s a lot of guaranteed money in the Eagles’ offer to Murray, and significantly more than the Cowboys are offering, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports and Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Schrager adds (via Twitter) that Philadelphia is prepared to pay Murray like a top-five running back.

11:21am: Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) also expects the Eagles to get a deal done with Murray, adding that it will likely come in around $6MM per year.

11:16am: Murray, en route to Philadelphia, is expected to sign with the Eagles, tweets Schefter. While nothing is official yet, the Cowboys are calling around for other running backs in anticipation of Murray signing with the Eagles, Schefter adds (via Twitter).

8:54am: The meeting between the Eagles and Murray will take place early this afternoon and will include Chip Kelly, who isn’t at Oregon’s Pro Day, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports. Meanwhile, John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game tweets that the Raiders wanted Murray and were “very aggressive financially,” but still appear to be on the outside looking in

8:05am: Free agent running back DeMarco Murray is visiting Philadelphia today, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says the NFL’s leading rusher intends to sign with the Eagles. That doesn’t mean it’s a done deal yet. Schefter notes that Murray would consider a final, last-minute offer from the Cowboys, so there’s a chance this is a negotiating tactic. However, it looks like Murray is prepared to jump from one NFC East team to another if Dallas doesn’t make a satisfactory offer.

The Raiders and Jaguars have also been frequently mentioned as potential Murray suitors, but at the moment it appears that the running back’s top two choices are the Cowboys and Eagles, in some order. As Schefter notes, part of the reason Murray is interested in Philadelphia is because of his belief in the team’s chances to win — Oakland and Jacksonville are a little further away from contention.

Based on yesterday’s round of Murray rumors, it sounds as if the Cowboys’ most recent offer to their running back was in the $5MM per year range. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports confirms today (via Twitter) that Dallas would like to keep Murray at around that price, so if the Eagles are willing to go to $6MM per year or higher, there will be pressure on Jerry Jones and company to increase that offer.

One interesting wrinkle that affects the Murray situation is the status of Ryan Mathews. The former Chargers back reportedly agreed to terms with the Eagles yesterday, but has yet to officially sign his contract. It would be surprising if the team backed out of an agreement with Mathews if there was one in place, but it’s still worth monitoring as Murray heads to Philadelphia.

Raiders Sign Nate Allen

March 12th, 2015 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

12:31pm: The Raiders announced (on Twitter) that the deal is official.

12:09pm: The Raiders have reached agreement with safety Nate Allen, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The deal was completed in essence last night but the two sides tied up some loose ends this morning, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Allen, 27, started 15 games for the Eagles last season at safety, racking up 62 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass deflections, and a sack. Allen had a pretty solid year in 2014, finishing out with a 3.9 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), good for 28th out of 87 qualified safeties.

Safety has been a need for the Raiders since the release of Tyvon Branch back in February. Branch, 28, started 62 out of a possible 64 games in his first four years but he missed all but five games over the past two seasons.

Chiefs Acquire Ben Grubbs From Saints

March 12th, 2015 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs and Saints have agreed to a trade that will send veteran guard Ben Grubbs to Kansas City in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Grubbs, who had a $9.6MM cap hit for the Saints in 2015, had long been viewed as a potential cap casualty, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reporting in February that the team would likely let him go. Trading Grubbs will have the same effect on New Orleans’ cap as releasing him would’ve — he’ll count for $6MM in dead money, creating $3.6MM in cap savings. However, by finding a taker, the team will at least get a mid-round pick in return for its two-time Pro Bowler.

Grubbs becomes the latest victim of a cap crunch in New Orleans, with today’s deal coming on the heels of the departures of players like Jimmy Graham (traded) and Curtis Lofton (released). Still, the team now appears likely to keep Jahri Evans, since hanging on to one high-priced guard is more palatable than having both on the roster. Assuming he remains in New Orleans, Evans will play next to newly-acquired center Max Unger next season.

As for the Chiefs, they don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, so it’s possible they’ll end up reworking Grubbs’ contract to accommodate him, notes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap (via Twitter). They won’t have to take on Grubbs’ dead prorated bonus money when they acquire him, so his cap hit in Kansas City would be just $6.6MM ($6.5MM base salary; $100K workout bonus) for the coming season, assuming the deal is untouched. The Auburn product, who turned 31 this week, also has one more year left on his contract, for a 2016 salary of $7.2MM.

Kansas City is adding a player who is just one year removed from earning a Pro Bowl spot. In 2014, Grubbs ranked in about the middle of the pack, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, which placed him 35th out of 78 qualified guards (subscription required). The team’s addition of Grubbs comes on the heels of its contract agreement with offensive lineman Paul Fanaika.

Bears To Sign Eddie Royal

March 12th, 2015 at 12:17pm CST by Ben Levine

THURSDAY, 12:17pm: Royal’s three-year deal with the Bears is worth $15MM, with $10MM in fully guaranteed money, says Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links).

WEDNESDAY, 11:35pm: It’s a three-year deal, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).

9:25pm: Eddie Royal will apparently be teaming up with former teammate Jay Cutler, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego reports (via Twitter) that the former Chargers wideout will sign with the Bears.

Royal caught 62 balls for 778 receiving yards with the Chargers last season and both marks were his best since his rookie season with the Broncos in 2008. The 28-year-old (29 in May), put himself on the map with his tremendous rookie performance in 2008 and became a focal point of the Bolts’ offense over the last two seasons. While the stats have come and gone for Royal since 2013 (no wide receiver really sees consistent targets in Philip Rivers‘ offense), he has proven himself to be a reliable option.

Royal, who caught balls from Cutler in Denver earlier in his career, isn’t exactly an ideal candidate to replace Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Jets earlier this week. However, the Bears are rebuilding a wide receiving corps that doesn’t feature a ton of talent behind Alshon Jeffery, so signing a slot receiver like Royal is a solid add for Chicago.

Browns Sign Thad Lewis

March 12th, 2015 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

After signing Josh McCown earlier in the offseason, the Browns have added another veteran quarterback to their roster, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed Thad Lewis to a one-year contract.

Lewis finished the 2014 campaign in Houston but was cut by the Texans earlier this week as the team revamped its quarterback depth chart, re-adding Ryan Mallett, signing Brian Hoyer, and trading Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum. Undrafted out of Duke in 2010, Lewis has bounced around the league, having spent time with the Bills, Rams, and Lions in addition to a previous stint in Cleveland. The 30-year-old started five games for Buffalo in 2013, leading the team to a 2-3 record in those games.

For the Browns, Lewis will provide camp depth, but looks like a long shot to earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster barring an injury to McCown, Johnny Manziel, or Connor Shaw.

Pats Restructure Danny Amendola’s Contract

March 12th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Wide receiver Danny Amendola will be sticking with the Patriots for the coming year, as the team has restructured his contract in order to keep him on the roster, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link). According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Amendola’s new deal is also for three years and is worth a total of $12.75MM, with a max value of $15MM.

Amendola was previously set to count for $5.7MM against the Patriots’ cap in 2015 with $1MM increases each year, taking him to $6.7MM in 2016 and $7.7MM in 2017. The new deal is a bit more reasonable for the Pats given Amendola’s production and overall health. The 29-year-old did play a full 16 game season in 2014, but that was his first since his sophomore season in 2010.

Last year, Amendola caught 27 passes for 200 yards with one touchdown. The advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Amendola an overall grade of -7.0, ranking him 93rd out of 110 qualified wide receivers.

Had the Pats cut Amendola, they would have freed up $2.1MM in cap room. Designating Amendola as a post June 1st cut, meanwhile, would have saved New England $4.5MM.

Bucs Sign Henry Melton To One-Year Deal

March 12th, 2015 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

11:32am: Melton’s one-year contract with Tampa Bay will be worth up to $5MM, with a $3.75MM base value, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

8:23am: It’ll be a one-year deal for Melton with the Bucs, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Agent Jordan Woy confirms that his client has signed with the team (Twitter link).

8:15am: After hosting him for a free agent visit this week, the Buccaneers are finalizing an agreement to sign defensive tackle Henry Melton, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). According to Stroud, the Bucs should be able to officially announce Melton’s deal later today.

Melton, a former fourth-round pick, broke onto the scene with the Bears in 2010, when he finished with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best season in Chicago came in 2012, when he compiled 32 tackles and six sacks, earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl and a top-six spot on Pro Football Focus’ rankings (subscription required) of defensive tackles. However, his career with the Bears ended rather unceremoniously, as Melton only appeared in three games in 2013 before injuring his ACL.

Melton joined the Cowboys in 2014 and played well in part-time action, recording five sacks. However, the team decided not to pick up his pricey option for 2015 and beyond, making him a free agent this month. Melton is set to become the second notable defensive free agent to head from Dallas to Tampa Bay this week, on the heels of linebacker Bruce Carter signing with the Bucs.

When I ranked my top 50 free agents over the weekend, I placed Melton 49th, noting that despite his past health issues, he can make a real impact when he’s on the field.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Jets Re-Sign Willie Colon

March 12th, 2015 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

After bringing in a new interior offensive lineman earlier this week when they signed James Carpenter, the Jets have also decided to bring back one of their free agent starters from 2014. According to Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday (via Twitter), the club has re-signed veteran guard Willie Colon to a one-year contract.

Colon, who turns 32 in April, has started all 32 contests at right guard for the Jets over the last two seasons, and can be probably penciled in atop the depth chart again heading into the 2015 season. While players like Brian Winters and Oday Aboushi should compete for a starting role, Colon figures to have the inside track based on his experience.

While Colon was a solid pass blocker for the Jets last year, Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required) suggest he struggled as a run blocker. He also took too many penalties, and ultimately recorded a -16.3 PFF grade in over 1,100 snaps, placing him 66th out of 78 qualified guards. He was much better in 2013, ranking 35th.

Bears, Mason Foster Discussing Deal

March 12th, 2015 at 11:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are discussing a three-year deal with linebacker Mason Foster, according to Jen Lada of CSNChicago.com (on Twitter). Foster, she adds, as been a free agent target for the Bears since the beginning of the process.

The Buccaneers free agent was also a target of the Dolphins, but it sounds like he’s Chicago-bound instead. For his part, Foster wanted to stay put in Tampa Bay if possible.

“I definitely want to stay in Tampa,’’ Foster said back in December. “Both my sons were born in Tampa. I’ve got a lot of ties down here, and I love Tampa. It would be great. It would be amazing to stay here. But football is a business so you know there’s a chance you won’t be here.’’

Foster, 26, appeared in ten games for the Bucs last season and started all of them. In that time, he recorded 62 total tackles and three pass deflections. Foster also impressed with 105 tackles in 2012 and 92 tackles with three interceptions and two sacks in 2013.

FA Rumors: Morgan, Cameron, Harvin

March 12th, 2015 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

Having visited the Falcons this week, free agent edge defender Derrick Morgan is on the Buccaneers today, and will meet with the team’s coaches today, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). As Getlin observes, the Bucs will have to put a strong offer on the table for Morgan if they want to lock him up, since other teams remain in pursuit. The Cowboys have been mentioned as a possible suitor, and the Titans maintain interest in re-signing their own free agent.

The Bucs already locked up one notable front-seven player today, signing Henry Melton to a one-year deal — if they were also able to add Morgan, it would go a long way toward improving their outside pass rush, with Michael Johnson no longer on the roster.

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

Jordan Cameron‘s visit with the Dolphins is happening today, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Miami is still hoping to retain Charles Clay, but Cameron certainly wouldn’t be a bad Plan B if the Bills sign Clay to an offer sheet that the Dolphins can’t – or don’t want to – match.
A source who spoke with free agent Percy Harvin told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the wide receiver doesn’t want to be a “gadget guy” anymore and wants to play something closer to a traditional wide receiver role. Throughout his career, he has had coaches “lie” to him and tell him that he would play a typical wide receiver, only to have him involved more in unorthodox plays.
The Dolphins aren’t done adding cornerbacks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. They’re working on scheduling a visit with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain and that meeting could go down this week. In addition to Miami, McClain has also drawn interest from the Vikings and Saints (link). McClain made six starts for Atlanta in 2014 and also had two interceptions.
The interest between the Titans and James Harrison is mutual, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com tweets. Of course, Harrison is not a high priority free agent at this stage of his career, so the Titans can take care of him later and they won’t need to address signing him in week one of free agency.
Before signing with the Panthers, tight end Ed Dickson said that he drew interest from the Raiders, Broncos, Cardinals, and Browns, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. But, he says, no other team “came close” to Carolina.

Zach Links contributed to this post.