2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Buccaneers Sign Bruce Carter

March 11th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Zachary Links

6:26pm: The four-year deal will be worth $17MM, with $4.2MM guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Wilson notes (on Twitter) that Carter’s entire 2015 salary of $3MM is guaranteed.

4:19pm: It’s a four-year deal worth $5MM per season, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter).

4:11pm: The Buccaneers are set to sign former Cowboys linebacker Bruce Carter, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’ll be a four-year deal for Carter, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (via Twitter). Smith reports that Carter has already inked his contract.

Carter was given a negative grade by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) in 2014 and ranked as just the 34th best outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme out of 40 qualified players. In 13 games (with eight starts), the 27-year-old recorded 82 total tackles with an eye-popping five interceptions and one sack.

The Bucs were slated to be Carter’s first visit with another trip to the Texans afterwards, but it’s not immediately clear if he ever got to sit down with Houston brass. With Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens under contract, the Cowboys apparently felt like they had enough flexibility to let Carter go elsewhere. Carter, a former first-round choice, hasn’t lived up to his expectations, but he does boast freakish athleticism and the Bucs likely feel that they can utilize him better than Dallas has.

Rams Acquire Case Keenum

March 11th, 2015 at 6:22pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

WEDNESDAY, 6:22pm: The deal is finalized and turned in, even though the Rams have yet to announce it, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.

TUESDAY, 4:58pm: The Rams have sent a seventh-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft to the Texans for quarterback Case Keenum, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. St. Louis’ acquisition of Keenum comes on the heels of its stunning quarterback swap with Philadelphia that sent Sam Bradford to the Eagles for Nick Foles on Tuesday afternoon.

Keenum will rejoin the Rams – whom he spent some of the 2015 season with – and compete for a role as one of Foles’ backups. The 27-year-old has appeared in 10 games since signing with Houston as an undrafted free agent in 2012, tossing 11 touchdowns against eight interceptions for a 76.8 passer rating.

Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh

March 11th, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Rory Parks

6:20pm: Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has all the details on Suh’s contract (via Twitter). The guaranteed portion is worth $59.955M, and the defensive tackle will receive a $25.5M signing bonus. The base salaries for each year (chronologically) are $985K, $23.485MM, $9.985MM, $16.985MM, $18.985MM and $8.36MM.

WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Suh has signed his deal, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes.

SUNDAY, 12:12pm: Ndamukong Suh will sign with the Dolphins on Tuesday, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. It will be a six-year contract worth around $114MM with $60MM guaranteed.

The deal will bring an end to perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2015 offseason. Because of Suh’s generational talent, it was not a foregone conclusion that the Lions would decline to put the franchise tag on Suh this year, despite the $26.9MM cap number that the tag would have carried. After all, Suh has established himself as one of the league’s top defensive linemen, having earned four Pro Bowl berths and three First-Team All-Pro nods. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) have ranked the former second overall pick among the NFL’s top four defensive tackles in each of the last three seasons.

By PFF’s count, Suh racked up 72 total quarterback pressures in 2013, well ahead of any other DT besides Gerald McCoy, and he generated 57 quarterback pressures in 2014, tops in the league among defensive tackles. Suh also excels against the run, and he will team with Cameron Wake to form an intimidating defensive front for Miami.

As expected, Suh’s deal will top the contract that J.J. Watt signed with Houston last year, and it marks the richest deal ever given to a defensive player. The Lions had consistently expressed optimism that they would be able to retain their superstar lineman, but when they tabled extension talks last July, Suh’s departure became more likely. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit had offered Suh a contract worth $17MM annually–his deal with Miami will average $19MM per year–including $58MM guaranteed. In the end, however, the Lions “did not want to approach Miami’s money.” Birkett reaffirms that the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Chargers all had some degree of interest in Suh.

Along with the transcendent talent, of course, comes a number of well-documented behavioral concerns. While Suh has never been plagued by off-field issues, he has been justifiably labeled as one of the dirtier players in the game, as evidenced by past encounters with, among others, Evan Dietrich-Smith and Matt Schaub. Suh was initially suspended for the Lions’ wild card playoff matchup against Dallas for stepping on Aaron Rodgers‘ leg during Detroit’s Week 17 loss to Green Bay, though the suspension was ultimately overturned. So, in addition to the financial ramifications of the deal, Miami does have a few other reasons to be concerned with bringing Suh into the fold.

As for the Lions, Suh’s departure leaves an irreplaceable void in the middle of the team’s defensive line. As Birkett writes, Detroit will now shift its focus to re-signing Nick Fairley and adding a complementary run-stuffer. Although the Lions will miss Suh’s talent, they will at least avoid the strain that his contract will put on his new club’s salary cap. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have proven that their past missteps in free agency will not deter their free-spending ways, and by landing the biggest fish in this year’s free agent pool, they might have taken a number of risks, but they also got a lot better.

Luke Adams contributed to this post

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Colts Interested In Antrel Rolle

March 11th, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are among the teams interested in free agent safety Antrel Rolle, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (via Twitter). After landing Andre Johnson and Frank Gore, it appears that the Colts are not yet done trying to make splashy additions.

On Tuesday, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reported that the Bears are the highest bidder for the 32-year-old free safety’s services. At this point, however, he doesn’t have a deal in place. Rolle is a key free agent for the Giants due to their lack of battle-tested alternatives on the depth chart, but it has been said that the veteran is not expected to entertain a hometown discount. Rolle is after a three-year deal, something the incumbent Giants might not be able to entertain.

Rolle didn’t have a banner year according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Rolle got an overall grade of -13.9, placing him 81st out of 87 qualified safeties. Of course, with a lack of quality safeties on the open market this offseason, beggars can’t be choosers.

49ers Release Stevie Johnson

March 11th, 2015 at 6:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 6:13pm: Johnson has officially been released by the 49ers, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

7:13am: With Smith’s deal set to become official on Wednesday, the 49ers will release Johnson today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who says the two sides weren’t able to work out an agreement on a pay cut (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 7:21pm: Johnson remains on the 49ers’ roster, but there are ongoing discussions about reducing or restructuring the backup wideout’s deal, the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows reports on Twitter.

MONDAY, 5:11pm: With a deal between the 49ers and Torrey Smith reportedly in the works, San Francisco will release fellow wide receiver Stevie Johnson, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (Twitter link). The release of Johnson will leave no dead money on San Francisco’s cap and will save the club more than $6MM.

The 49ers acquired the 28-year-old Johnson from the Bills in exchange for a conditional draft pick prior to last season. He wasn’t a focal point of the club’s offense, but he did catch 35 passes for 435 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games. San Francisco is expected to overhaul its receiving corps this offseason, and with Smith rumored to be added soon, Michael Crabtree will probably join Johnson in vacating the Bay Area.

Johnson, meanwhile, will join a rapidly thinning free agent receiver market. With the two top options — Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant — seeing the franchise tag, and the next best pass-catchers — Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin — already finding new deals, Johnson will be among a list of still unsigned WRs that includes Andre Johnson, Cecil Shorts, and the aforementioned Crabtree. Per Russini, Johnson is expected to land with another team “quickly.”

Raiders Sign Roy Helu

March 11th, 2015 at 6:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 6:08pm: The Raiders (on Twitter) announced that Helu’s deal has been signed.

TUESDAY, 8:01pm: Although they’ve been tied to DeMarco Murray throughout the day, the Raiders have added a lower-profile running back, agreeing to terms with Roy Helu, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. It’s a two-year, $4MM pact, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link).

The 26-year-old Helu rushed for only 216 yards in Washington last year, but was a focal point of the club’s passing attack, catching 42 balls for nearly 500 yards. He drew interest from several teams around the league, many of whom presumably wanted him to a fill their third-down back role. The Patriots and Jets both pursued Helu, as did the Giants before signing Shane Vereen.

In Oakland, Helu will be offered the chance to play 20 minutes from his home, as Zac Boyer of the Washington Times notes (via Twitter). With Maurice Jones-Drew having announced his retirement, the Raiders will count on Helu and Latavius Murray to round out their running back position. I’d guess Murray will act as the starter with Helu in his familiar passing-down role, but maybe Helu was offered a larger share of playing time in Oakland.

Helu earned a base salary of $1.431MM in 2014, so his new deal will indicate a pay bump of more than $500K.

North Rumors: Gachkar, Johnson, Taylor

March 11th, 2015 at 6:06pm CST by Ben Levine

A quick look at the AFC and NFC North…

Chargers linebacker Andrew Gachkar will not be visiting the Vikings, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. Despite previous reports linking San Diego to the 26-year-old, Craig clarifies that the team has no interest.
Following Michael Johnson‘s release from the Buccaneers earlier today, FOX Sports’ Jenna Laine tweets that the Vikings have interest in the veteran defensive end (along with the Bengals). A source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Johnson has already heard from handful of teams.
The Ravens have maintained interest in bringing back backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Taylor visited with the Bills on Tuesday.

Patriots To Sign Jabaal Sheard

March 11th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots and Jabaal Sheard have reached agreement on a contract, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for Sheard worth $11MM in total. The pact includes a $4MM bonus with salaries of $1MM and $4MM. His roster bonuses will be worth $1MM in each year.

The Pats appear to be taking some of the money that they saved by allowing Darrelle Revis to walk and pushing it towards the team’s front seven. Sheard, who turns 26 in May, appeared in all 16 games for the Browns last season and made five starts. In that time, the edge defender racked up 44 straight tackles, three pass deflections, and 2 sacks. Until now, Sheard has spent all four years of his career in Cleveland.

Sheard will join Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and the returning Sealver Siliga on the Patriots’ defensive line. He ranked 32nd on Luke Adams’ list of the top 50 free agents.

Bills Pushing For Charles Clay, Percy Harvin

March 11th, 2015 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

5:33pm: Clay appears to be a top target for the Browns, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Still, the Bills are the clubhouse leader on him.

4:31pm: It’ll be tough to match what the Bills are preparing to offer, but the Dolphins are not ready to concede on Clay, Tim Graham of The Buffalo News tweets. The Browns, meanwhile, are a wild card when it comes to the tight end.

9:37am: The Bills are still preparing their offer sheet for Dolphins tight end Charles Clay, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). As we heard yesterday, Buffalo intends to structure its offer in a way that makes it difficult for Miami to match it. La Canfora notes that the offer figures to be heavily frontloaded, with at least $9MM in the first year, but the Bills will wait until the Dolphins finalize their deal with Ndamukong Suh, so they have a better idea of their division rival’s cap situation.

Having designated Clay as their transition player, the Dolphins tendered him a one-year offer worth $7.071MM, which gives the team the right to match any offer sheet the tight end signs with another team. However, the Fins wouldn’t receive any draft-pick compensation if they don’t match that offer sheet, and La Canfora suggests that Miami may not be able to accommodate a big first-year cap hit, even if more cuts are on the way for the team that already released Randy Starks, today, and Philip Wheeler, and Shelley Smith yesterday.

As for the Bills, in addition to making a run at Clay, they’re trying to lock up Percy Harvin, who is visiting Buffalo, to a one-year deal, says La Canfora. A one-year, prove-it contract makes the most sense for Harvin, but he’d probably prefer a destination with a more proven quarterback to help rebuild his value. Still, as La Canfora points out, the Bills seem prepared to throw money around, so it’s possible Harvin’s best offer will come from Buffalo.

Texans Sign Brian Hoyer

March 11th, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 5:23pm: The Texans officially announced the signing of Hoyer.

12:45pm: The Texans have completed their two-year deal with Hoyer, tweets Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

11:52am: Hoyer’s deal will be a two-year pact worth $10.5MM with $4.75MM guaranteed, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 12:54pm: Agent Joe Linta tells Pro Football Talk (Twitter link) that Hoyer’s deal isn’t done yet, which may signal that he could land elsewhere, or may just mean that the Texans and Hoyer’s camp are trying to avoid the NFL’s wrath on early agreements.

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets that he expects the Texans to take their time to make the deal official, since the league is “all over” teams about reaching deals prior to the start of free agency. Houston may even have Hoyer in for a visit, says McClain.

10:48am: Hoyer will sign with the Texans after all, per Schefter and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Caplan notes (via Twitter) that the Jets were insistent on getting their shot at Hoyer, but the veteran quarterback ultimately decided on Houston.

MONDAY, 9:33am: While Hoyer is still expected to land in Houston, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com and Brian Costello of the New York Post both report (via Twitter) that the Jets haven’t given up yet.

8:48am: The Texans are expected to add a free agent quarterback to the roster as soon as teams can officially sign players tomorrow, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that the club intends to sign Brian Hoyer. Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington first reported this morning (via Twitter) that Hoyer would be a Texan.

While it sounds like the Texans and Hoyer have reached a verbal agreement, nothing’s official yet, and according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Jets were expected to make a push for the former Browns signal-caller today. Pat McManamon of ESPN.com also tweeted that the Jets were set to make a last-ditch offer, but both ESPN scribes acknowledged that Hoyer would likely end up in Houston.

Hoyer, 29, saw his first extended run as a starter in 2014, and though his overall numbers – including a 55.3% completion percentage, 12 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, and a 76.5 passer rating – weren’t overly impressive, he led the Browns to a 7-6 record in his starts before giving way to Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw near the end of the season.

Despite his winning record, Hoyer didn’t receive much interest from the Browns this offseason, as the team opted instead to bring in former Buccaneers starter Josh McCown. So, rather than returning to Cleveland to compete again with Manziel, Hoyer will be reuniting with Bill O’Brien, who coached him during his years with the Patriots.

The Texans also continue to move toward a new deal with Ryan Mallett, and the team plans on bringing in both veteran free agent signal-callers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. With Case Keenum and 2014 draftee Tom Savage also under contract for the 2015 season, it sounds like there could be a wide open competition for the Texans’ starting job, and perhaps for the No. 2 and No. 3 roles as well.

Hoyer’s new contract with the Texans will likely be for three years, tweets Breer.