2015 April - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Re-Sign Cedric Thornton

April 13th, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles announced they’ve re-signed defensive end Cedric Thornton, who was a restricted free agent (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Enquirer). The club had tendered Thornton at the second-round level, so he’ll earn $2.356MM for the 2015 season.

The 26-year-old Thornton started all 16 games for the Eagles last season, posting 36 tackles, one sack, and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. The Southern Arkansas alum graded as the league’s 20th-best 3-4 defensive end, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and was especially proficient against the run, where his +11.3 grade placed him eighth at his position.

Thornton has become a key cog in defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ 3-4 scheme, starting 32 games over the previous two seasons. The club clearly values him, as a source told Mark Eckel of NJ.com on Friday that the Eagles were working on a long-term extension with Thornton. Whether or not Thornton signing his tender means the two sides couldn’t come together on a multi-year pact is unclear, but they’ll now have a year to try to work something out.

Running back Chris Polk, who was assigned the lowest RFA tender, is Philadelphia’s only remaining restricted free agent who remains unsigned.

Hakeem Nicks Visiting Titans

April 13th, 2015 at 3:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite being only 27 years old, receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t generated much interest on the free agent market. But after telling Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports last week that he is “nowhere near finished,” Nicks has in fact lined up a visit, as he’s meeting with the Titans today, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link).

Nicks was highly productive during stretches of his time with the Giants, particularly from 2010-11, when he averaged 78 receptions for more than 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns. He faded during the latter portion of his time with New York, however, and was forced to take a one-year deal with the Colts prior to the 2014 season. Nicks continued to struggle in Indianapolis, catching just 38 passes for 405 yards.

But the North Carolina product’s youth is obviously enticing, and he’d add depth to a Titans receiving corps that is mostly fronted by young players. With Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter currently projected as starters, and free agent signee Harry Douglas penciled in as Tennessee’s No. 3, Nicks would have to fight for playing time.

Nicks has only taken one other known visit, as he met with the 49ers near the end of March.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Draft, Dolphins, Bills

April 13th, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets might be ready to move on from Geno Smith, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who says the New York is taking a look at all the quarterback options available in the draft. The Jets like Florida State’s Jameis Winston, but the Buccaneers are expected to either select Winston, or ask for a “king’s ransom” to trade down, per Cole. As such, Gang Green is also interested in Marcus Mariota, Bryce Petty, and Garrett Grayson, among others, so it sounds like Smith might not be in the club’s 2015 plans.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

In addition to quarterbacks, the Jets are taking a look at receivers, as Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) reports that the club will have a predraft meeting with Arizona pass-catcher Austin Hill today.
Oregon tackle Jake Fisher is a candidate to be selected near the end of the first round, and he’ll meet with several teams in need of offensive line help, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Fisher has visits lined up with the Dolphins, Bengals, Saints, and Colts, per Garafolo.
With Marcell Dareus heading for free agency after the upcoming season, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com examines whether the Bills could expend an early pick on a defensive tackle.

Jets Sign Joe Mays

April 13th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

MONDAY: The Jets have officially announced the signing of Mays.

FRIDAY: The Jets are expected to sign free agent linebacker Joe Mays to a contract, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, who tweets that Mays will likely sign by early next week. Caplan first reported on Wednesday that the veteran linebacker was receiving interest from the Jets.

A seven-year veteran, Mays has spent time with the Eagles, Broncos, Texans, and Chiefs since being selected in the sixth round of the 2008 draft. In 2014, Mays spent the first half of the season on the injured reserve list with the designation to return due to a wrist injury. When he returned to the field, he recorded 20 tackles and a fumble recovery in eight games for Kansas City — he was cut by the team last month.

The Jets appear to be focused on adding linebacker depth this week, having already reached an agreement to bring aboard another free agent, former Viking Erin Henderson. Per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), Henderson’s one-year deal with New York doesn’t include a signing bonus, so he’s certainly not locked into a roster spot. Mays and Henderson figure to be among the players vying for playing time at the inside linebacker positions on Todd Bowles‘ defense.

Mays, who turns 30 in July, also visited the Chargers in free agency.

Cowboys Targeting Melvin Gordon In Draft

April 13th, 2015 at 2:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing NFL Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray to the Eagles in free agency, the Cowboys are on the lookout for a replacement at running back. The addition of former Raider Darren McFadden notwithstanding, Dallas seems likely to add an RB via the draft, and according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon appears to be the club’s top target.

The Cowboys hold the 27th pick in the first round, so as Pauline suggests, they might need to trade up if they want to select Gordon. PFR’s Rob DiRe and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. both have Gordon going off the board to the Cardinals at pick No. 24, while Kiper’s colleague Todd McShay doesn’t have Gordon being drafted in the first round. But the general consensus seems to be that Gordon will be picked somewhere after the 20th pick, so to be safe, the Cowboys might need to move up, at least ahead of Arizona.

If Dallas wanted to move up to the 23rd pick (one spot ahead of Arizona), which is currently held by the Lions, they’d have to give up a mid-round selection to do so. Using Chase Stuart of Football Perspective’s draft pick calculator, the Cowboys would need to sacrifice a fifth-round pick to trade up to No. 23. Per Jimmy’s Johnson’s value chart, Dallas would probably need to trade either a third- or a fourth-round pick.

Gordon was the NCAA’s leading rusher in 2014, totaling more than 2,500 yards on the ground while scoring 29 touchdowns. He finished second to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in last year’s Heisman race.

Lions Disputing Bucs’ Offer To George Johnson

April 13th, 2015 at 2:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 2:07pm: The Lions are disputing the terms of the Buccaneers’ offer sheet, reports Tim Twentyman of Lions.com (Twitter link). It’s not clear what Detroit is contesting, but an independent arbitrator will “identify all terms that that have to be matched” within 10 days, per Twentyman (Twitter link), who adds that the Lions will then have two days to match the offer.

WEDNESDAY, 3:38pm: The offer sheet Johnson signed with the Bucs is worth a total of $9MM over three years, a source tells Garafolo (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet whether the Lions will decide to match it.

TUESDAY, 8:13pm: The Buccaneers have signed Lions restricted free agent George Johnson to an offer sheet, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). While we don’t yet know the financial terms, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that the deal is for three years. Detroit will have five days to match the offer to its defensive end.

An undrafted free agent in 2011, Johnson originally signed, coincidentally, with the Buccaneers, and spent parts of the next two seasons with the club. Tampa hosted Johnson for a visit last week, signalling their interest, and while we don’t know the terms of the Bucs’ offer, there’s a decent chance he ends up with the team. He’d slot in at one of the defensive end spots along Tampa Bay’s defensive line, essentially replacing Michael Johnson, who was released.

The Lions tendered Johnson at the lowest level, meaning that while they’ll be able to match Tampa Bay’s offer, they won’t receive any compensation if they decline to match. The 27-year-old Johnson was quietly effective last season, appearing in all 16 games and earning a positive grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), largely thanks to his excellent pass-rushing acumen.

The Lions have only a tad over $3.5MM in cap space, so it could be tough for them to match any offer sheet, no matter the size. With Haloti Ngata, Ezekiel Ansah, and Jason Jones set to count about $17.5MM against the cap in 2015, Detroit could be wary of investing any more money in its defensive line.

Johnson is the second restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet today, joining Sean Richardson of the Packers.

Dolphins Sign Zackary Bowman

April 13th, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

1:38pm: Bowman’s deal is for one year, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.

1:20pm: After bringing him in for a visit this morning, the Dolphins didn’t waste any time reaching a contract agreement with free agent cornerback Zackary Bowman. According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), Bowman signed with the team today. The club has since confirmed the move (Twitter link).

Bowman, 30, joined the Giants last year after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Bears. The former fifth-round pick started five games for New York in 2014, and earned 458 overall defensive snaps.

According to Pro Football Focus’ data (subscription required), of the 108 qualified cornerbacks in the league last season, no player held opposing quarterbacks to a lower completion percentage on passes into his coverage than Bowman (36.1%). However, four of the 13 completions he did allow went for touchdowns.

The Dolphins notably added Ndamukong Suh to help fortify their defense earlier this offseason, but haven’t been quite as aggressive addressing the back end of the unit — cornerback Brice McCain is the only other free agent defensive back to join the club this offseason. Even with McCain and Bowman now in the mix, cornerback may be an area of focus for Miami in the upcoming draft.

NFC Notes: Edwards, Wilson, Saints, Vikes

April 13th, 2015 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys and Bears are among the teams to host Florida State defensive lineman Mario Edwards for a visit, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The timeline on Edwards’ visit to Dallas isn’t clear, but his trip to Chicago happened last week, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.

As Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com details in a column today, Edwards is a prospect worth keeping an eye on — while most mock drafts don’t include him in the first round, he’s generating plenty of buzz among talent evaluators around the NFL. One tells La Canfora that “in this [not overly talented] draft, he’s definitely a first-rounder for me.”

Here are a few more items from around the NFC:

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a closer look at Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, forecasting how things might play out if Wilson and the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term contract agreement this year. As Florio outlines, the Seattle signal-caller could still do very well for himself if the team were to use the franchise tag multiple times to keep him under contract.
Washington cornerback Marcus Peters, UCLA linebacker Eric Kendricks, and Washington State defensive tackle Xavier Cooper are all visiting New Orleans today, as the Saints consider defensive options, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (Twitter link).
The Vikings have “clear interest” in North Dakota edge defender Kyle Emanuel, having observed him at his Pro Day and then later working him out privately, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Lions are hosting a Division II prospect, Western Oregon wide receiver Tyrell Williams, on a pre-draft visit today, writes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday will pay a visit to Washington this week to meet with GM Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden, a source confirms to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.

Dolphins Sign Mike Pouncey To Extension

April 13th, 2015 at 12:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

MONDAY, 12:09pm: Pouncey’s deal is now official, according to the Dolphins (Twitter link). The extension, which locks the center up through the 2020 season, adds five new years to his existing 2015 contract — those five new years are worth just under $45MM, with the full six-year value coming in at $52.15MM.

FRIDAY, 8:38pm: Pouncey’s extension is a five-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The contract is worth $52.15MM, per ESPN’s James Walker and Adam Schefter. and includes $22MM in guarantees and an $11MM signing bonus.

6:58pm: The Dolphins and Pouncey have agreed to an extension, tweets Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Details of the contract have not yet been released, but Salguero reports (Twitter link) that Pouncey will be the highest-paid center in the NFL.

12:46pm: Mike Pouncey appears set to remain with the Dolphins on a long-term extension, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Terms of the impending agreement are not yet known, but Kelly reports they’re in the neighborhood of the $40MM extension Maurkice Pouncey received from the Steelers last year.

The Dolphins opted into Pouncey’s fifth-year option last May, which at the time guaranteed him just more than $7MM this season. This will likely lower his 2015 cap hit and guarantee the ex-first-rounder upwards of $13MM this season, reports Kelly.

After a return from an offseason hip injury that sidelined him for five games, the 25-year-old Pouncey made his second straight Pro Bowl last season despite shifting to right guard from his natural center role due to injuries on Miami’s front. The arrival of low-tier starting center J.D. Walton last month is not expected to deter Pouncey from moving back to the center position he occupied for the Dolphins from 2011 until midway through 2014.

Pro Football Focus (subscription required) did not prefer Pouncey’s guard work to his top-flight center resume, rating him as a below-average blocker for a line that’s allowed 100 sacks the past two campaigns.

Miami remains interested in finding guards to place alongside Pouncey, according to Kelly.

As of now, the Fins have more than $11MM worth of salary cap space. Should this extension come to fruition, it will give the Dolphins’ line two top-market contracts, with Branden Albert signed to a five-year, $47MM deal.

Packers Re-Sign John Kuhn

April 13th, 2015 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after they reportedly matched the Raiders’ offer to bring back safety Sean Richardson, the Packers have re-signed another one of their own free agents. Agent Kevin Gold tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter links) that his client, fullback John Kuhn has agreed to a new one-year deal with Green Bay. The contract is worth the minimum ($870K), but includes a workout bonus and a Pro Bowl incentive.

Kuhn, the Packers’ longtime fullback, is typically a blocking specialist, but continued to receive occasional touches during the 2014 season, particularly in short-yardage and goal-line situations. The 32-year-old recorded 85 yards and a touchdown on 24 rushing attempts last season, earning a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the league’s All-Pro team.

Kuhn has rushed for at least one touchdown every year since 2008, combining for 21 total TDs on the ground or through the air during those seven seasons. His new deal figures to include up to $80K in workout bonuses, tweets Demovsky.