2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots Re-Sign Devin McCourty

March 11th, 2015 at 10:27am CST by Rob DiRe

WEDNESDAY, 10:27am: McCourty’s signing is now official, tweets Volin.

SUNDAY, 9:40pm: The Patriots have been in the driver’s seat in terms of retaining Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty, and it looks like he will be returning to New England on a new deal, reports Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 (via Twitter).

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com has confirmed the report (via Twitter). McCourty will sign a five-year deal worth $47.5MM, according to Rapoport (via Twitter). He also writes that McCourty turned down larger offers to remain with the team. Mike Reiss of ESPN adds that the deal includes $28.5MM in guaranteed money (via Twitter).

McCourty was the top safety on the market and had drawn tremendous interest around the league. The Jaguars, Eagles, and Giants all made hard pushes to sign the play making free safety.

Other interested teams have been notified that McCourty plans to return to the Patriots, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). The team will likely turn all of its attention to working out a long-term deal for Darrelle Revis. Keeping both Revis and McCourty will ensure a successful offseason for the Patriots, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).

Volin writes that the deal is not finalized, but that McCourty will be back with the Patriots in 2015 (via Twitter).

With McCourty off the market, Ron Parker and Rahim Moore jump to the top of the list of free agent safeties. The market for those players should heat up quickly, writes Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

Cortland Finnegan To Retire

March 11th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Cortland Finnegan took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce his retirement from the NFL. Finnegan, 31, was released by the Dolphins earlier this month.

Finnegan’s release could be considered a cap-related move, but it’s also apparent that his performance took a nosedive towards the end of his career. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) placed Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners in 2013 with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games.

Because of that, many were surprised when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal last offseason. Finnegan was a little better for the Dolphins, but still placed just 74th out of 108 corners, with a -4.4 grade in 2014, per PFF. By cutting Finnegan, the Dolphins removed his $5.45MM base salary and a $25K workout bonus from their books for 2015, reducing his $6.475MM cap hit to just $1MM in dead money.

At one time, Finnegan was considered a very solid cornerback in the NFL and PFF’s numbers reflect that as he was rated the No. 2 CB in the NFL in 2012 with a +18.0 grade. Of course, the biggest part of his legacy for many will be his altercation with Andre Johnson in 2010 in which the wide receiver got the better of him — unsurprisingly, it sounds like Finnegan doesn’t see it that way, as he alludes to the incident in his Instagram announcement.

Jaguars Sign Davon House

March 11th, 2015 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 10:18am: The Jaguars have officially signed House, the club announced today (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 10:40am: House’s deal will feature $10MM in guaranteed money, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

10:17am: The Jaguars continue to be busy as the NFL’s free agent period nears. Having already reached tentative agreements with Julius Thomas, Jermey Parnell, Jared Odrick, and Dan Skuta, the Jags have also agreed to terms with cornerback Davon House on a deal worth about $6.25MM per year, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). It’ll be a four-year contract for House, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.

ESPN’s Adam Caplan had tweeted earlier today that several teams were pushing to land House. Caplan specifically named the Jags as a viable destination for the cornerback, given the presence of former DeWayne Walker on the team’s coaching staff. Walker, Jacksonville’s defensive backs coach, was the New Mexico State head coach when House was in college.

House, 25, was one of two Packers cornerbacks eligible for free agency today, along with Tramon Williams. Williams was one of Green Bay’s starters in 2014, while House saw part-time action in nickel and dime packages, but the younger player of the duo will likely end up doing better on the free agent market.

When I ranked this year’s top 50 free agents, I listed House 34th, four spots ahead of Williams. As I noted in that piece, quarterbacks only completed 46.8% of their passes into House’s coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus, which placed him fourth among all qualified cornerbacks.

The Packers, Jets, Seahawks, Bears, Cowboys, and Vikings had also been viewed as potential players for House.

Lions Won’t Re-Sign Nick Fairley

March 11th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions appear ready to move on from Nick Fairley after telling at least two agents that they are out of the running for the defensive tackle, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. That message has been received by Fairley, who is no longer considering a return to Detroit, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.

Fairley is visiting the Bengals today and had interest from about six teams before free agency opened up on Tuesday afternoon, Birkett writes. Fairley was in talks with Detroit for part of Tuesday, but the two sides could not come to an agreement on terms. Birkett notes that the Lions were able to rekindle things with linebacker Stephen Tulloch in 2011 when talks were shut down in a similar fashion, but as of right now it looks like the former first round pick will be headed elsewhere.

In four seasons with the Lions, Fairley racked up 13.5 sacks. After posting a top-20 season for defensive tackles, per PFF (subscription required), he should see a healthy payday no matter where he goes.

Colts Sign Frank Gore

March 11th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:59am: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed today (via Twitter) that his client has officially signed with the Colts.

TUESDAY, 5:12pm: As expected, the Colts have agreed to terms with running back Frank Gore, the team announced today in a press release. Considering Gore appeared to have a deal locked up with the Eagles this weekend, reports that had the former Niner headed to Indianapolis required some additional confirmation, and the Colts have now provided that confirmation. Drew Rosenhaus, Gore’s agent, tweets that Gore has not yet signed the contract, but with Indy already announcing the deal, it’s to safe to say that Gore will be a Colt.

The 31-year-old Gore will apparently earn similar money in his new home — according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the deal Gore is expected to sign with the Colts is similar to the one he would’ve signed with the Eagles. It’s for three years, with a total value of $12MM, and $7.5MM guaranteed.

We’ll surely learn more about why Gore spurned Philadelphia for Indianapolis, but early reports indicated that the veteran didn’t want to deal with an aggressive coach like Chip Kelly. Gore also had a more favorable impression of the Colts’ offense, especially given that Jeremy Maclin is headed to the Chiefs. Additionally, the chance to play to with Andrew Luck is surely more appealing that whomever the Eagles plan to turn to, whether it be Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez.

Gore, who had spent his entire career with the 49ers, was said to be targeting a $4MM annual salary, so it looks like he’ll hit that goal. With the Colts, he’ll add stability at the running back position, where Indy is expected to try to release Trent Richardson.

Jaguars, Parnell Agree To Five-Year Deal

March 11th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 9:56am: The Jaguars have formally announced their new deal with Parnell (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 10:06am: Parnell’s deal will be worth $6.5MM per year over five years, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). That’s a significant bump over the $1.83MM he earned with Dallas in 2014.

10:04am: Former Cowboys swing tackle Jermey Parnell has told friends that he plans to head to the Jaguars, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Doug Free started eleven games at right tackle for the Cowboys in 2014, but Parnell started seven, including the two playoff games while Free was out with injuries. Last month, PFR’s Luke Adams looked at the market for prospective free agent offensive tackles and while Parnell didn’t land in the first tier with the likes of Free, Bryan Bulaga, King Dunlap, and Byron Bell, Parnell was in the second tier of attractive options thanks to his solid play in limited time as a starter.

Late last week, the Cowboys re-signed Free to a three-year deal worth $15MM overall, including $6MM in guaranteed money.

Jaguars Sign Jared Odrick

March 11th, 2015 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:53am: The Jaguars’ deal with Odrick is now official, the team announced today (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 3:38pm: It was originally reported that Odrick would get $7MM per year, but he’ll actually earn $8.5MM per season with $22MM guaranteed overall, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

MONDAY, 11:58am: Ian Rapoport of NFL.com suggests (via Twitter) that the Jags have “locked up” Odrick. No deal can become official until Tuesday, but based on Rapoport’s wording, it sounds like there’s at least a verbal agreement in place between the two sides. The deal will be worth about $7MM annually, per Rapoport.

9:44am: With Ndamukong Suh headed to South Beach, the Dolphins almost certainly won’t be re-signing defensive tackle Jared Odrick, but according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Odrick could end up staying put in Florida. Florio reports that the expectation heading into Tuesday’s free agent period is that Odrick will land in Jacksonville, signing a new deal with the Jaguars.

When I listed my top 50 free agents on Saturday, I ranked Odrick 23rd, as the fourth defensive tackle on the board behind Suh, Terrance Knighton, and Nick Fairley. At the time, I estimated the 27-year-old’s asking price would be in the neighborhood of $6MM annually. However, Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel hear that Odrick could get a contract in the range of $7MM per year.

Citing an NFL source, the Sun Sentinel report indicates that – in addition to the Jaguars – the Raiders and Broncos are also talking to Odrick.

Jaguars Sign Julius Thomas

March 11th, 2015 at 9:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

WEDNESDAY: The Jaguars have officially signed Thomas, the team announced today in a press release.

TUESDAY: Thomas will make an average of $9.2MM over five years with the Jags, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). His contract includes $24MM in guaranteed money.

MONDAY: Thomas will be heading to the Jaguars, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who notes that the Broncos, Raiders, and Seahawks all made a “hard push” to sign the tight end. Multiple reports have indicated that Thomas will earn roughly $9MM per year.

SUNDAY: The Jaguars have the most cap space of any team in the league, and it appears that they’ll be spending some of it by adding a playmaker to their offense. Two sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that a deal between Jacksonville and free agent tight end Julius Thomas is “just about done” — of course, no contract can become official until the new league year begins on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Thomas was widely expected to leave Denver and test the free agent market, and once the Broncos placed the franchise tag on Demaryius Thomas, it seemed that the tight end’s time in the Mile High City was coming to a close. Julius Thomas, a 2011 draftee, broke out during his third season in Denver, emerging as a key target for Peyton Manning in 2013. His reception and yards totals both decreased last season as he dealt with injuries (ultimately missing six games), but he still finished with 12 touchdowns.

The No. 4 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, Thomas was also expected to draw interest from the Seahawks, but it looks like he’ll head to Jacksonville instead, where he’ll team with second-year quarterback Blake Bortles. The Jaguars, with nearly $70MM in cap space, are expected to be active during free agency, and could pursue upgrades at running back, receiver, offensive line, and pass-rusher.

The free agent tight end market, already somewhat barren, takes a hit with the loss of Thomas — with Charles Clay having been slapped with the transition tag by the Dolphins, and Niles Paul re-signing with Washington, Jordan Cameron is now the clear top TE available. Cameron now figures to command more dollars, and other options like Jermaine Gresham and Owen Daniels could draw more interest.

The Broncos, meanwhile, will need to replace Thomas at tight end. Daniels has been linked to Denver, as has free agent James Casey — both have a familiarity with new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak’s scheme.

King’s Latest: Peterson, Cowboys, Forsett

March 11th, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Following a wild Tuesday in the NFL, Peter King of TheMMQB.com introduced a one-time-only Wednesday Morning Quarterback column to reflect on yesterday’s highlights from around the NFL. The piece included a handful of interesting tidbits worth passing along, so let’s dive in….

King hears that running back Adrian Peterson hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out of Minnesota, and notes that if a team like the Jaguars or Raiders ends up landing DeMarco Murray, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys could be willing to move a draft pick for the Vikings star.
Speaking of Murray and the Cowboys, LeSean McCoy‘s lucrative new contract with the Bills is having a “chilling effect” on Dallas’ efforts to re-sign the NFL’s leading rusher, says King.
The Ravens would very much like to re-sign Justin Forsett, but are expected to bow out if the bidding gets too high.
Seahawks GM John Schneider only had first-round grades on 16 players in this year’s draft class, so when he parted with the No. 31 overall pick in yesterday’s Jimmy Graham trade, he essentially viewed that pick as a second-rounder.
The league appears to be concerned, but “not fuming,” over all the contract agreements that were leaked before the start of the free agent period. We heard yesterday that the league had asked teams to hang onto their phone records, but King doesn’t believe we’ll see much more than “an angry finger-wag” at teams and their general managers.
Jameis Winston met with commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL officials last Thursday, in a meeting that was instigated by the young quarterback and his camp, writes King. The purpose of the sit-down was to allow Winston to tell his own story about his history of off-field incidents, and to get the lay of the land for his future in the NFL. “He went out of his way to make a good impression, and to show that he understood what was going to be expected of him in the NFL,” one league official told King.

Dolphins Release Randy Starks

March 11th, 2015 at 8:07am CST by Sam Robinson

WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: The Dolphins released Starks this morning, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 3:32pm: To accommodate their impending megadeal with Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins will release longtime starter Randy Starks, per the Miami Herald’s Adam Beasley (via Twitter).

The 31-year-old Starks went to two Pro Bowls with the Dolphins and was their interior anchor since signing in Miami in 2008, but the team must make room to accommodate Suh’s $114MM contract. Miami saves $5MM by cutting Starks, who was due $6MM this season.

The Dolphins, who re-signed Starks to a two-year, $12MM contract last March, had just more than $9MM worth of cap space before accounting for their new free agent prize. Starks will be a coveted piece once the dust settles after playing no fewer than 14 games in each of his seven seasons with the Dolphins while offering positional versatility.

Miami used him at end in multiple campaigns, and the former third-round pick of the Titans notched at least four sacks the past four years.