2015 March - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Sign Terence Newman

March 27th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 9:10am: The Vikings have officially announced their deal with Newman, via a team release.

THURSDAY, 6:22pm: It’s a one-year, $2.5MM deal with $750K guaranteed, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

6:07pm: Newman is expected to put pen to paper on Friday, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:26am: The Vikings are closing in on a contract agreement with veteran cornerback Terence Newman, head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters today, including Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Zimmer said the deal hasn’t quite been finalized yet, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Newman has accepted Minnesota’s one-year offer and will sign with the team.

Newman, whose agent reportedly met with the Vikings at the owners’ meetings in Arizona last night, spent the last three seasons in Cincinnati, starting 41 regular season contests for the Bengals during that stretch. By signing with the Vikings, the 36-year-old will reunite with Zimmer, who was the defensive coordinator in Cincinnati when Newman joined the Bengals.

Speaking to Pelissero, Zimmer suggested that Newman “can still play” even as he enters his late-30s, and the numbers back that up. In 2014, Newman logged 75 tackles to go along with 15 passes defended and an interception, and graded as a middle-of-the-pack cornerback according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, placing 56th out of 108 qualified players at the position (subscription required).

Newman will be the second former Bengals defensive back to join the Vikings this week — yesterday, Minnesota signed safety Taylor Mays.

Extra Points: Falcons, Ridley, Chargers, Magee

March 27th, 2015 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Having reportedly been informed at the NFL’s meetings in Arizona this week that they’ll face “severe” discipline for piping in artificial crowd noise at home games, the Falcons are bracing for the loss of a draft pick, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Appearing on 680 The Fan this morning, general manager Thomas Dimitroff indicated that as the Falcons prepare for the draft, they’re taking into consideration scenarios in which they lose an early- or mid-round draft pick. Depending on the penalty, Dimitroff and the Falcons would even consider the possibility of trading the eighth overall pick to help recoup the loss.

As we wait to see what kind of penalty the Falcons will face for their violation of league rules, let’s check in on a few other items from around the league….

Mark Dominik of ESPN told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (on Twitter) that he expects running back Stevan Ridley to sign in the next week, but he doesn’t see him inking another deal with the Patriots. Ridley could become the second running back to leave New England this offseason, with Shane Vereen having landed with the Giants.
Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com passes along the latest details on the city of San Diego’s efforts to keep the Chargers and to facilitate talks for a new NFL stadium.
Despite the fact that he’s elected to join the Red Sox at spring training after being cut by the Buccaneers, linebacker Brandon Magee isn’t planning on changing career paths permanently, agent Blake Baratz tells Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. “While he does attend spring training for a few weeks up until the beginning of the NFL off-season program, he is 100% fully committed to playing in the NFL,” Baratz said of his client.
Although the NFL’s efforts to expand the game internationally have primarily focused on London thus far, the team is eyeing other international markets, including Mexico, Canada, and China, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network details.
With the 2015 NFL draft just five weeks away, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes an in-depth look at how the “rookie pool” works, providing specific cap figures for each of the league’s 32 teams.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Houston, Gregory, Raiders

March 26th, 2015 at 10:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Team chairman Clark Hunt is optimistic the Chiefs can sign Justin Houston to a long-term deal, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. Hunt told reporters in Arizona that he wants Houston “to be a Chief for life” and GM John Dorsey also expressed confidence that a deal will come together. The Chiefs hit the linebacker with the nonexclusive franchise tag in early March and there hasn’t been major progress since then. Here’s more from the AFC..

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper believes that embattled Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory could fall to the Browns at No. 12 overall, but Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group isn’t so sure that they should take the risk.
Bill Williamson of ESPN.com ran down the Raiders‘ remaining free agents and where they stand. He notes that even though the Raiders told Tarell Brown that they want to try and get younger at the cornerback position, the veteran could still return on a team-friendly deal.
Earlier today, the Bengals signed veteran defensive tackle Pat Sims.

NFC Notes: Falcons, Gregory, 49ers

March 26th, 2015 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

With a little over a month to go between now and the draft, the Falcons are working hard to identify pass rushers that can help them in the short-term and long-term, as Robert Klemko of The MMQB writes. New head coach Dan Quinn knows what he’ll be looking for.

“Initial speed,” Quinn says. “You have to be able to beat someone off the ball who is going to be stronger than you. Then you have to be able to use the length—length is important—and have the relentlessness to finish. Then with the mental makeup, with both cornerbacks and rushers, you have to be a relentless fighter. There’s a 330-pound bear in front of you, and you just have to figure out a way to beat him. You have to be fast enough to run with the running backs and tight ends and strong enough to fight a bear. You have to be a unique dude.”

Here’s more from the NFC..

Speaking of the Falcons‘ draft, one scout theorized to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) that Atlanta could target Randy Gregory at No. 8. Earlier today we learned that the Nebraska pass rusher failed his combine drug test, but Rapoport says that the Falcons are now open to taking “edgier” players.
You can add the 49ers to the list of teams that Texas A&M Commerce wide receiver Ricky Collins will be visiting, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net tweets.
Even with Greg Hardy in the fold, pass rusher remains a big need for the Cowboys, Tim Cowlishaw of The Dallas Morning News writes. Much has been made of the Cowboys’ needs at the cornerback position, but he puts the pass rush on even footing.

Minor Moves: Thursday

March 26th, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

The Vikings announced that they have signed 6’9″, 351-pound Polish lineman Babatunde Aiyegbusi, as Craig Peters of Vikings.com writes. The 27-year-old, who played for the Dresden Monarchs of the German Football League in 2014, is the fifth Polish-born player in NFL history. In related moves, the club has waived linebacker Justin Anderson and guard Jordan McCray.
Linebacker Danny Lansanah, an exclusive-rights free agent, signed his one-year tender from the Buccaneers, as Mike Wilkening of Pro Football Talk writes. The 29-year-old is coming off the best season of his career and could compete for a starting role at strong-side linebacker next season.

NFC East Notes: Murray, Cowboys, Eagles

March 26th, 2015 at 7:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite the speculation of some, Eagles coach Chip Kelly insists that he didn’t sign DeMarco Murray as a ploy to weaken the Cowboys, as David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. “We never look at it that way,” Kelly said. “We’re just trying to acquire players. We don’t say let’s take this player over that player because it’s going to make that team weaker. I know Dallas is going to be a tough opponent when we play them this year.” Here’s more from the NFC East..

It sounds like in either this draft or the next, the Cowboys are likely to select a quarterback, as David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes. Tony Romo turns 35 next month and owner Jerry Jones says he’s thinking about the future of the position.
Eagles center Jason Kelce told reporters, including Sheil Kapadia of Philadelphia Magazine (on Twitter), that he’s not expecting the team to trade up for Marcus Mariota, though a “lot of things” have surprised him this offseason.
New Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has no hard feelings about Kelly, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. “I still believe in Chip,” Maclin said of the Eagles coach.
Todd Gurley may have more upside, but Melvin Gordon could be a better fit for the Cowboys, Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News writes.

AFC West Notes: Wisniewski, Bolts, Del Rio

March 26th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The food safety manager who blew the whistle on health violations at the Chiefs‘ Arrowhead Stadium and the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium was fired by Aramark, as Paula Lavigne of ESPN.com writes. After Jon Costa told ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” about the health violations, the city came in and inspected the Royals’ and Chiefs’ stadiums and found violations at 20 out of 26 stands, including 37 critical violations. You can read Lavingne’s story for more detail, but we suggest that you do so after dinner. Here’s a look at the AFC West..

Asked about whether the Raiders would consider re-signing Stefen Wisniewski as a guard to play alongside new center Rodney Hudson, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that “that ship has sailed,” indicating Wisniewski won’t be back in Oakland.
According to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), “a lot of very smart people” believe the Chargers will try to trade up to No. 2 in next month’s draft. The Chargers have said they have no plans to trade Philip Rivers, and such a move would likely require Rivers to be involved, so it seems unlikely at this point. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on — Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com wrote earlier today that he expects Marcus Mariota to be drafted second overall, either by the Titans or a team trading up.
Bears coach John Fox has nothing but high praise for new Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “I had a tremendous staff in Denver, and Jack was a huge part of that,” Fox said. “More often than not we had a top five defense. I plucked him from the Baltimore Ravens back when he was a linebackers coach and gave him his first coordinator job back in Carolina. At that time we were No. 31 in total defense, and that was only because there were 31 teams. We jumped all the way to second with Jack at the helm. I’ve worked with him a lot, and Jack’s a tremendous coach and a tremendous person. I wish him nothing but the best in Oakland.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Contract Details: Britt, Dent, Fasano, Jets

March 26th, 2015 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few specific details on some of the contracts signed recently by 2015’s free agents:

Kenny Britt‘s two-year contract with the Rams can be worth up to $13.95MM with incentives. However, the deal voids after one year if Britt has 901+ receiving yards or at least nine touchdowns during the 2015 season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Akeem Dent‘s two year deal with the Texans is worth $4.5MM, and includes $2MM in guaranteed money, including a $750K signing bonus.
Wilson also has the details on Anthony Fasano‘s new two-year contract with the Titans, tweeting that it’s worth $5.25MM, with a $1.125MM signing bonus and $500K annually in per-game roster bonuses.
New Jets defensive lineman Stephen Bowen will make $950K on his one-year deal with the team, with $60K of that amount fully guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that defensive lineman Kevin Vickerson also signed for $950K and a $60K signing bonus, so it appears the two players have the same contract.

49ers Waive Jonathan Martin

March 26th, 2015 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have parted ways with offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, releasing him from their roster today, according to a team release. Since Martin only has three seasons of NFL experience, he’ll have to pass through waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Martin, who was at the center of the Dolphins’ bullying scandal in 2013, reportedly receiving verbal abuse from Richie Incognito and others, was sent to the 49ers in a trade last March — San Francisco made sense as a destination for Martin at the time, given the Stanford connection with then-coach Jim Harbaugh. The Dolphins acquired the 49ers’ seventh-round pick in that deal, then later sent it to Minnesota as part of this month’s Mike Wallace trade.

Although he started nine games last season at right tackle for San Francisco, Martin wasn’t particularly effective, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF graded Martin as a below-average run blocker and pass blocker, placing him 60th out of 84 qualified offensive tackles.

Still, at age 25, and with 32 career starts under his belt, Martin could be a decent swing tackle for a team in need of depth at the position. Of course, Buffalo is one team that could use a tackle, and the Bills now employ former Niners offensive coordinator Greg Roman, but that’s perhaps the least likely landing spot for Martin, given the presence of the recently-signed Incognito.

Martin had been set to count for about $1.042MM on the Niners’ cap this year, but the team will wipe his entire salary from the books.

La Canfora’s Latest: Mariota, AP, Dolphins

March 26th, 2015 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending four days at this week’s league meetings in Arizona, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com came away with some additional insight and information on a number of key storylines around the NFL, including Marcus Mariota‘s potential landing spot and the Adrian Peterson situation in Minnesota. Let’s round up some of the highlights from La Canfora’s latest column….

After speaking to a number of team executives around the NFL, La Canfora gets the “strong sense” that Mariota won’t make it past the second overall pick. That doesn’t necessarily mean Mariota will be a Titan, but if a team wants to move up to snag him, a trade with Tennessee at No. 2 is more likely than a move to No. 5 or 6. “He’s going second overall,” said one GM who has an eye on the Mariota market. “I don’t know to which team, but he’s going second overall.”
Ben Dogra, Peterson’s agent, was “ever-present” at this week’s meetings, and his mission to get his client off the Vikings‘ roster “remains at full throttle,” according to La Canfora. While head coach Mike Zimmer indicated yesterday that the team had no plans to trade its star running back, Dogra will continue to do whatever he can to accommodate an exodus from Minnesota for Peterson, and has told people he’s confident a deal can get done before the draft.
As La Canfora notes, and as I alluded to yesterday in the wake of Zimmer’s comments, the Vikings aren’t budging, and they have no reason to — the team is unlikely to get a whole lot in return for a 30-year-old running back who sat out most of last year, won’t be reinstated until April 15 at the earliest, and has three years and $45MM left on his deal.
Several people told La Canfora this week that Mike Tannenbaum is “clearly calling the shots” for the Dolphins, with GM Dennis Hickey playing a reduced role.
Many people in the know believe that the Saints will ultimately end up with Tom Benson‘s wife Gayle rather than his grandchildren, as a legal battle for the franchise continues to play out.