2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Sign Darrelle Revis To Five-Year Deal

March 11th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 9:12pm: The deal is official, the team announced on Twitter.

TUESDAY, 8:40pm: After becoming a free agent earlier today, cornerback Darrelle Revis will head from AFC East team to another, according to his representatives at Schwartz & Feinsod, who announced on Twitter that Revis will sign with the Jets.

The four-time first-team All-Pro cornerback will return to the team that drafted him on a five-year, $70MM deal that produces $39MM guaranteed, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported (Twitter link). Revis will make fully guaranteed sums of $16MM and $17MM, respectively, in the contract’s first two years, according to Mehta (via Twitter).

This accord’s total value matches Patrick Peterson‘s $70MM extension he signed last summer. While the the guarantees fall short of the $48MM the Cardinals standout corner received, Revis’ $39MM is fully guaranteed, while a good chunk of Peterson’s guarantee was for injury only.

This concludes another rapid free agency for Revis, whose 2015 option wasn’t renewed by the Patriots on Monday.

The Patriots, who sent their one-year mercenary at No. 1 receivers all year en route to their fourth Super Bowl title, opted not to plug Revis back in at a $25MM cap number for next season after signing him to what amounted to be a one-year deal last March. The move now leaves a massive void at cornerback for the Patriots after they also let No. 2 corner Brandon Browner test the market.

The Patriots, having chosen to lock up safety Devin McCourty long-term, got the sense earlier today they were going to lose Revis to their rival, and the elite corner parlayed his stint in Massachusetts into another megadeal. Revis signed a $96MM contract with the Buccaneers in 2012, but played in a system that didn’t utilize his lockdown man coverage as much. As a result, the Bucs were able to get out of that deal, which included annual $16MM base salaries and no dead money, after that one season and ultimately provide the Patriots with a unique weapon that they did use in the man looks in which he thrives.

Revis earned three of his All-Pro distinctions with the Jets from 2009-11, with the fourth coming last year in New England, and will now play for their new regime under Todd Bowles. Entering his age-31 season, Revis re-established his elite form after a torn ACL sustained in 2011 with Rex Ryan‘s Jets and will get a chance to help lift Gang Green back to prominence.

It marked a busy day for Bowles, the former Cardinals DC, and the Jets, after they added ex-Browns No. 2 corner Buster Skrine on a four-year, $25MM deal. That’s a significant investment on the Jets’ flanks. They have much more firepower now after having to start Darrin Walls and Marcus Williams for much of last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

DeMarco Murray Rumors: Wednesday

March 11th, 2015 at 8:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As perhaps the most noteworthy free agent still on the board this week, DeMarco Murray will be receiving plenty of attention today, as potential suitors vie for his services. Until the longtime Cowboys running back reaches an agreement with a new club, or at least starts closing in on a deal, we’ll track today’s Murray updates right here, with any new items added to the top of the list throughout the day:

ESPN’s Ed Werder says the Cowboys, Eagles and Raiders are “getting very competitive” for Murray’s service (Twitter link).
One of the teams pursuing Murray is under the impression that the running back will return to the Cowboys, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter).
Newly-signed Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton said he’s trying to recruit Murray to Oakland, according to Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune (via Twitter). The duo were both standouts for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Earlier updates:

Albert Breer of the NFL Network says (on Twitter) that Murray understands where the Cowboys and Jaguars are with their offers, but the running back is still seeking more money. Despite Murray’s demands for about $8MM annually, Breer says that market isn’t there yet.
Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Eagles weren’t even interested in Murray until he called them today. Philly has already signed Ryan Mathews for $5MM guaranteed and they have Darren Sproles in the mix, so they don’t have a major need for Murray.
Werder (on Twitter) senses that Murray’s decision could come soon. The Jaguars are not actively involved, the Raiders are offering the most money, and the Cowboys have the advantage right now over the Eagles.
Things are heating up on the Murray front, and the situation will likely come to a head later today, tweets Pro Football Talk.
The Eagles appear to be Murray’s top choice besides Dallas, according to Robinson (Twitter link). The Raiders and Jaguars trail Philadelphia, and one league source doesn’t believe Jacksonville will make a significant offer.
Mutual interest between the Eagles and Murray was renewed after a personal phone call between the running back and head coach Chip Kelly, says Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, who notes (via Twitter) that Murray was Sam Bradford‘s roommate at Oklahoma. However remains to be seen how much the Eagles would be willing to offer Murray, since Kelly stressed today he won’t overpay for anyone, tweets Mortensen. For his part Bradford said today that he’s been trying to recruit his old college teammate (Twitter link).
A source tells Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that, before Murray removed mention of the Cowboys from his Twitter account earlier this week, the team made him an offer worth $5MM annually.
Despite reaching an agreement with Ryan Mathews (as noted below), the Eagles remain very much in the mix for Murray, according to multiple reporters, including Adam Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Per Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), it could ultimately come down to the Eagles and Cowboys.
Jaguars GM David Caldwell said he spoke to Murray’s agent last night, but there’s no movement right now, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.
A source with knowledge of Murray’s situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the idea of the back signing with the Jaguars is currently “not likely.” That could change if the Jags up their offer, or if the NFL’s leading rusher agrees to take less money than he wants, says Florio.
As we heard last night, the Raiders maintain interest in Murray despite signing Roy Helu, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. According to Werder, multiple teams have made offers to Murray.
Earlier today, a report indicated that Ryan Mathews is expected to sign with the Eagles, pending a visit with the team. It’s not clear how that would affect the team’s interest in Murray, but I can’t imagine Philadelphia would pursue him too aggressively if Mathews was under contract.

AFC Notes: Houston, Wallace, Broncos

March 11th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the AFC…

The Chiefs haven’t spoken to linebacker Justin Houston‘s representatives since slapping him with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star. However, general manager John Dorsey said the lack of progress on a longterm contract isn’t a reason to panic. “It’s an ongoing process, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “These things with players of this magnitude, it’s gonna take a while.”
The Dolphins have seen plenty of roster turnover recently, but it sounds like the team is hoping to keep two potential cap casualties. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says the team is working to restructure the contracts of wideout Mike Wallace and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Salguero notes that the status of these negotiations could determine whether the duo sticks around for next season.
The Broncos are seeking reinforcement in their secondary, and ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team will meet with safety Darian Stewart on Thursday. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun says that both sides will instead meet this evening, and he notes that the Giants are also interested.
Defensive end Vance Walker will meet with the Broncos later this week, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 28-year-old spent last season with the Chiefs.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

March 11th, 2015 at 7:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves…

The Giants have waived cornerback Travis Howard, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz (via Twitter). The 25-year-old has yet to play an NFL game, and he spent last season on the injured reserve.

Earlier updates:

The Chiefs will sign offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The 28-year-old started 30 games with the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
The Patriots have added cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on a one-year deal, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter). The former fourth-rounder had spent the entirety of his four-year career with the Raiders.
The Patriots signed wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter). Dorsey also had interest from the 49ers.
Veteran long snapper Mike Leach re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal today, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Terms weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum salary benefit contract with a modest signing bonus for the 38-year-old
The Patriots have re-signed wide receiver Brian Tyms according to the NFL’s transaction wire, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The Pats declined to make Tyms a qualifying offer on Tuesday but they’ve presumably signed him at a lesser rate.
The Browns announced that they have re-signed wide receiver and top special teams contributor Marlon Moore. Moore, 27, appeared in 13 games and was the team’s leading kickoff returner with an average of 24.8 yards on his 13 attempts.

Raiders Sign Malcolm Smith

March 11th, 2015 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 7:35pm: The contract is a two-year deal worth $7MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

5:46pm: The Raiders announced on Twitter that the deal is official.

TUESDAY, 3:48pm: Flush with salary cap space, the Raiders are starting to bring in some more talent after missing on some key targets during “soft free agency” this weekend. Former Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith will join the Raiders’ strong young linebacking corps, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted.

Terms of the impending deal have not been disclosed, but it appears the four-year veteran will join Khalil Mack and Sio Moore on the Raiders’ second level.

Most known for his game-breaking interception of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLVIII last February, Smith was not a regular starter with the Seahawks. A 2011 seventh-round pick, Smith started five games last year and played just 286 snaps, receiving a poor assessment from Pro Football Focus in the process (subscription required). Smith did grade far better in 2013, however, in more than 600 snaps.

Smith does offer value in having experience at all three positions in a 4-3 defense at linebacker, although the former USC product primarily played weakside backer for the loaded Seattle corps the past two seasons.

NFC Links: Vikings, 49ers, Cowboys

March 11th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

The bridge hasn’t been completely burned between the Vikings and Adrian Peterson. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling tweets that the organization is still trying to “work things out” with the embattled running back.
Prior to signing with the Bills, the Vikings asked Jerome Felton to bring them back a counter offer, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The fullback did just that, but Minnesota refused to come close to the four-year, $9.2MM deal he got from Buffalo.
49ers general manager Trent Baalke said there’s no interest in bringing in defensive end Greg Hardy, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
The Cowboys are hosting fullback Jed Collins tonight, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Cowboys are hunting for a replacement for Tyler Clutts, who is a free agent. He is the first player the Cowboys have hosted during free agency.

Jets Sign James Carpenter

March 11th, 2015 at 7:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 7:26pm: The Jets have officially signed Carpenter, the team announced in a press release.

TUESDAY, 9:18am: Carpenter will sign a four-year contract with the Jets worth in the ballpark of $4.75MM per season, a source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

6:49am: Although Middlekauf backtracked a little on his own report overnight, tweeting that he was “premature” and that talks with Carpenter are still ongoing, Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports has also reported (via Twitter) that the Jets will sign the offensive lineman. So barring a last minute change of plans on either side, it should get done.

MONDAY, 11:14pm: With interior offensive line help near the top of their offseason to-do list, the Jets have made a move to aid their front five, agreeing to terms with guard James Carpenter, according to John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link). The transaction can be made official when the new league year begins tomorrow.

Carpenter, who will turn 26 later this month, was selected by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2011 draft, and has spent the past four years in Seattle. The Seahawks declined Carpenter’s fifth-year option, allowing him to hit free agency a year earlier than many other first-round draftees. Drafted as a tackle, Carpenter has settled in at guard, but he hasn’t been very effective, rating as the league’s No. 65 guard among 81 qualifiers in 2014, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

The Jets had reportedly been hotly pursuing Mike Iupati, who was considered the top free agent guard on the market, but the former Niner reportedly agreed to terms with the Cardinals earlier today. Orlando Franklin, another reported target for New York, appears headed to San Diego, leaving the Jets to shift their focus second-tier alternatives.

While Carpenter may not be quite as reliable or effective a presence in the middle a a veteran like Iupati and Franklin would be, he shouldn’t be nearly as expensive either, though financial terms of the tentative agreement aren’t yet known.

Giants’ Tom Coughlin Signs Extension

March 11th, 2015 at 7:24pm CST by Luke Adams

7:24pm: The Giants have officially extended Coughlin’s contract through the 2016 season, tweets Schwartz.

MARCH 11, 4:22pm: Coughlin’s one-year extension will be announced soon, perhaps even Wednesday afternoon, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter).

FEBRUARY 23: During his press conference at the combine in Indianapolis, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said that extension talks between he and the team had occurred, and he would soon be able to provide an update on that front. It appears that update will come today. According to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (via Twitter), the expectation is that Coughlin will sign a one-year extension with the Giants after he returns from the combine today.

Almost exactly a year ago to the day, Coughlin agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Giants, and it looks like his new deal will be another one-year pact. While the longtime coach joked at season’s end that he thinks he has at least another decade in him, he’ll turn 69 before the 2015 season begins, so it makes sense that he and the club would keep agreeing to short-term extensions rather than a multiyear pact. Coughlin’s current contract would have expired at the end of the coming season, so tacking on an extra year will allow him to avoid heading into the year as a lame-duck coach.

For a time during the 2014 season, the Giants were playing so poorly that it seemed as if it could be Coughlin’s last year in New York. However, the team won three of its last four games, and the emergence of rookie wideout Odell Beckham in the season’s second half provided some optimism for the franchise going forward. Coughlin also had to deal with an unusual number of injuries in ’14 — per Spotrac, no club finished the season with more players on the injured reserve list than the Giants, who had 22 guys on IR.

Financial terms of Coughlin’s new deal aren’t yet known, but if he earns a similar salary to his previous contract, his one-year compensation figures to be in the neighborhood of $7MM.

Cardinals Sign A.Q. Shipley

March 11th, 2015 at 7:07pm CST by Zachary Links

7:07pm: It’s a two-year deal for Shipley with the Cardinals, tweets Wilson.

5:51pm: The Cardinals will sign A.Q. Shipley, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). The Colts did not tender Shipley, their starting center in 2012 and 2014, a contract offer, sending him to the open market.

Shipley also took to Twitter (sic) to share the news with his followers. “Couldnt be happier 2 sign with the @AZCardinals today! So excited for this opportunity & cant wait to put it all out on the field! #BirdGang,” Shipley tweeted.

Shipley has bounced around since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2009, spending time with the Steelers, Eagles, Colts and Ravens. He five starts in 15 games for Indianapolis last season.

NFC Rumors: Johnson, Peters, Pears, Carter

March 11th, 2015 at 6:32pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL.com’s Michael Silver reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers had a trade lined up involving defensive Michael Johnson, but the veteran wouldn’t agree to a contract restructuring. Here’s more from the NFC…

Corey Peters, who joined up with the Cardinals today, told reporters that he had more lucrative offers elsewhere but believed that Arizona was the best fit for him, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic tweets. Peters signed a three-year, $9MM deal with the Cards that will pay him $5.75MM guaranteed.
Bills free agent offensive lineman Erik Pears is scheduled to visit the 49ers on Thursday, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).
The Cowboys had some interest in re-signing linebacker Bruce Carter, but not at an average of $5MM per season, Charean Williams of the Star Telegram tweets. Carter got a healthy pay day when he agreed to sign with the Bucs earlier today.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.