HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Chargers To Cut Chad Rinehart

March 10th, 2015 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers won’t grant guard Chad Rinehart a third year in San Diego, and it will save more than $3MM as a result, according to San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Michael Gehlken on Twitter.

At the close of the 2014 league year, Rinehart was set to be the Chargers’ highest-paid offensive lineman after the team re-signed him to a two-year, $6MM deal last March. As a result of his impending release, San Diego saves $3.25MM in cap room but incurs a dead-money penalty of $1MM, per OverTheCap.

A starter in the majority of the games he’s played in six seasons for Washington, the Bills and Chargers, Rinehart regressed significantly last year after a decent initial campaign in San Diego, ranking as the fifth-worst guard Pro Football Focus (subscription required) measured. Last season marked the first time Rinehart started in 16 games, however.

The offensive front’s financial structure changed once the Chargers poached Orlando Franklin, likely Rinehart’s replacement, from the Broncos today and signed King Dunlap to an extension last month.

Darrelle Revis Has $48MM Offer

March 10th, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Cornerback Darrelle Revis might be the best player on the free agent market and, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, he’s on the verge of being paid like it. La Canfora reports that the Revis camp has informed teams that they have a three-year, $48MM offer on the table. The deal is said to include a whopping $40MM in guarantees, and La Canfora’s “sense” is that the offer came from the Jets. Per La Canfora, the Patriots have offered Revis over $30MM in guarantees and the Chiefs are also in the mix for his services.

Earlier Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter linked the Steelers and Bills to Revis, though Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweeted that the Bills aren’t after the corner. Meanwhile, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report added that the Packers are also in the sweepstakes.

If Revis signs with the Jets, it would mean rejoining the team with which he spent the first six seasons of his career. The Jets used a first-round pick in 2007 on Revis, who proceeded to rack up 19 interceptions and four Pro Bowl bids in New York. Revis missed most of the 2012 season, his last one with the Jets – who subsequently traded him to Tampa Bay in April of 2013 for a first-rounder.

After just a one-year stint with the Buccaneers, who released him last winter, Revis signed with New England and became an integral piece of a Super Bowl-winning team. The 29-year-old appeared in all 19 of the Patriots’ games (playoffs included) and ranked as the fourth-best cornerback in the NFL during the 2014 regular season, according to Pro Football Focus’ grading system (subscription required). He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod and fourth First-Team All-Pro selection.

The Pats declined Revis’ $20MM for 2015 on Monday, making him a free agent, and have been trying to keep him on a long-term deal.

Dolphins Release Philip Wheeler

March 10th, 2015 at 5:13pm CST by Rob DiRe

TUESDAY, 5:13pm: The Dolphins made Wheeler’s release official today, posting the news on the team’s Twitter account.

SATURDAY, 2:33pm: The Dolphins have decided to release linebacker Philip Wheeler, designating him as a post-June 1st release, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).

Wheeler played less than 400 snaps for the team in 2014, and has generally been thought of as a disappointment since signing with the team in 2013.

James Walker of ESPN writes that Wheeler struggled versus both the run and the pass in 2014, and that opposing teams recognized him as a liability on defense (via Twitter).

By designating him as a post-June 1st cut the team will be able to save $3MM on their salary cap this offseason, according to OverTheCap.com.

Derrick Morgan To Visit Falcons, Bucs

March 10th, 2015 at 4:58pm CST by Ben Levine

4:58pm: If Morgan leaves Atlanta without a contract, he’ll visit the Buccaneers next, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.

4:26pm: With many of the big-name linebackers (including Pernell McPhee and Brandon Graham) signing new contracts, attention now switches to former first-round pick Derrick Morgan. According to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (via Twitter), the 26-year-old is scheduled to meet with the Falcons.

The former Georgia Tech standout had his most productive season in 2014, establishing career-highs in tackles (63), sacks (6.5) and passes defended (seven). He received the second-highest rating among Titans defenders from Pro Football Focus, and he also ranked as the eighth-best 3-4 linebacker.

The Titans had reportedly been hoping to re-sign Morgan, but it was rumored that a half-dozen teams were also interested. He ranked 20th on Luke Adam’s list of the top-50 free agents.

Buccaneers Re-Sign Leonard Johnson

March 10th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers will reportedly be keeping safety Major Wright, and it sounds like another member of the Tampa Bay secondary will be staying put. Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com reports (via Twitter) that the team will re-sign cornerback Leonard Johnson.

The former undrafted free agent out of Iowa State hasn’t missed a game since joining the Buccaneers in 2012. The 24-year-old started a career-low three games in 2014, but he still compiled 45 tackles, three passes defender and one interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Johnson a negative rating for this performance this past season, but the cornerback still finished with a higher rating than some of his teammates, including defensive backs Johnthan Banks and Dashon Goldson.

 

Pats Rumors: Revis, Harvin, Spiller

March 10th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The very latest on the Pats..

  • The Bills are also expressing interest in Pats free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ryan and Revis have a previous relationship, of course, and by most accounts the star cornerback enjoyed playing for Ryan in New York.
  • The Patriots are a team to watch when it comes to Percy Harvin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport hears there’s a good chance that New England will be where he lands.
  • The Pats are still searching for playmakers, Rapoport tweets. They’ve inquired about C.J. Spiller possibly filling the Shane Vereen role.
  • The Saints are an early entrant into the Brandon Browner chase, but they have company, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.

Bucs Cut Anthony Collins

March 10th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest example of March buyer’s remorse comes out of Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers released left tackle Anthony Collins, Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud tweets.

This comes less than a year after the Bucs signed Collins to a five-year deal worth $30MM.

Like about everything for the Bucs last year, Collins’ season there did not go well. A former fourth-round pick in 2008 and part-time starter with the Bengals, Collins missed time with injuries last year but rated as a low-end blocker when on the field, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Collins was the sixth-highest-paid player on the Bucs’ payroll and second-highest-paid offensive lineman behind only Logan Mankins. Collins’ release will cost the team $3MM in dead money while saving $3MM, according to OverTheCap.

 

Tender Updates: Tuesday

March 10th, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s tender decisions:

  • The Buccaneers have signed running back Bobby Rainey to a one-year tender worth $1.54MM, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will now have right of first refusal if another club offers Rainey a deal.
  • The Falcons chose not to tender an offer to restricted free agent Drew Davis, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported. The wide receiver will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • The Packers elected not to tender new contracts to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin or running back DuJuan Harris, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens didn’t tender an offer to cornerback Anthony Levine, who already has other teams interested in his services. He still might end up back in Baltimore, per Wilson.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots declined to make a qualifying offer to receiver Brian Tyms. He’s now a free agent. Further, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Pats also didn’t make an offer to Tyms’ fellow wideout Greg Orton.
  • In other Pats news, Volin reports that the team made qualifying offers to fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga and linebacker James Morris. All three will return to New England.
  • The Texans tendered a contract to quarterback Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
  • The Vikings have opted to let go a pair of exclusive rights free agents, linebacker Dom DeCicco and offensive lineman Josh Samuda, per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  • Safety Michael Thomas will return to the Dolphins after signing his ERFA tender, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Green Bay issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • James Develin is returning to the Patriots after signing his exclusive rights tender, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
  • The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent outside linebacker Cam Johnson has signed his tender. Johnson was first acquired by the Colts in a trade with the 49ers in September of 2013.
  • The Packers tendered RFA offensive lineman Don Barclay at the lowest level ($1.542MM), per agent Joe Linta (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • The Vikings tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent offensive tackle Mike Harris, but their other RFA-eligible player, linebacker Dom DeCicco, didn’t get a tender, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars re-signed exclusive rights free agent tackle Austin Pasztor, tendering him a contract, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • The Dolphins tendered defensive end Derrick Shelby with the second-round tender of $2.35MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Shelby, 26, appeared in 15 games last season, recording 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
  • The Bengals (on Twitter) extended a tender offer to cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris, an ERFA, has appeared in 12 games for Cincy over the last three years.
  • The Bengals will not extend a tender offer to defensive tackle Devon Still, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. However, the Bengals have offered Still a one-year deal and he’s mulling that over while also taking matters involving his family into account, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Packers have tendered safety Sean Richardson at the ROFR (right of first refusal rate) of one-year, $1.542MM, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). That’s a sizable committment to Richardson, he adds.

North Notes: Revis, Ngata, Steelers, Packers

March 10th, 2015 at 4:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers looked into signing Darrelle Revis, but it doesn’t look like it’s possible, per Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link), who says that it’s down to the Jets and Patriots for the star corner. Revis was asking for more money than Pittsburgh could afford, tweets Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network.

Meanwhile, the Packers have emerged as a suitor for Revis, adds Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), who lists the Jets, Pats, Packers, and a mystery team as the finalists for Revis.

Here’s more from the North divisions:

  • The Lions are expected to approach the recently-acquired Haloti Ngata about an extension, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Ngata is entering the final year of his contract.
  • The Packers had a “few discussions” with free agent defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link), but a deal isn’t likely. Green Bay has had discussions about retaining Letroy Guion and B.J. Raji, but the club could wait out the DT market.
  • Looking to retain one of the core special teams players, the Bears have interest in re-signing cornerback Sherrick McManis, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, though nothing is yet in the works.

FA Rumors: Orakpo, Rolle, Gilchrist, Conte

March 10th, 2015 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

After also being linked to the Cardinals earlier today, Brian Orakpo will visit the Titans to start his first free agency foray, according to Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com on Twitter.

The Titans have more than $44MM in cap room, according to OverTheCap, and do not have much money currently allocated to their linebacking corps as free agency enters warp speed. Tennessee’s highest-paid linebacker is 3-4 inside man Wesley Woodyard, who signed with the Titans last year, with a $3.5MM number for this season.

An older first-time free agent who enters his age-29 season, Orakpo made more than triple that on the franchise tag for Washington last season before suffering a pectoral tear for the third time in his career, weakening the edge-rusher’s momentum.

In other news in the opening stage of real free agency …

  • Antrel Rolle will visit the Bears, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus’ Twitter, but has no agreement in place. The Bears are the highest bidder for the 32-year-old free safety’s services, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright on Twitter.
  • The player Rolle could be replacing in Chicago, 26-year-old Chris Conte, will visit the Buccaneers, ESPN Falcons reporter Vaughn McClure notes on Twitter. Conte was the fourth-worst safety Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded last year.
  • More from the safety market: the Jets will host former Chargers back-line starter Marcus Gilchrist tonight, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Gilchrist started all 16 games for the Chargers the past two years.
  • Kendrick Lewis and the Texans engaged in preliminary discussions on keeping the free safety in Houston, reports Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
  • Veteran defensive end Cory Redding announced (Twitter link) he intends to visit the Cardinals on Wednesday. Now 34, Redding started at least 14 games for the Colts the past three years.
  • Chargers backup linebacker Andrew Gachkar has visits booked with two potential suitors, the Panthers and Vikings, notes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The Vikings appear to be the frontrunner for Gachkar’s second contract, adds Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter.

 

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