2016 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Doug Martin Likely To Leave Buccaneers?

February 25th, 2016 at 3:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Doug Martin is more likely to sign with a team other than the Buccaneers on the first day of free agency, a league source tells Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune (on Twitter). Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said on Wednesday that he was optimistic about a deal getting done, but that might not come to fruition.

The running back is reportedly “hoping to hit the jackpot” after a 1,400-yard season. If the Bucs don’t meet Martin’s asking price, the only way to keep him off the open market would be to franchise him, and that would be a pricey solution — the franchise tag for RBs is expected to exceed $11MM. Even though things aren’t looking good in talks right now, the two sides still have until March 9th to reach a deal before the running back can hit the open market.

The 31st-overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Boise State product originally signed a five-year, $6.79MM contract with the Buccaneers. As a rookie, Martin compiled 1,926 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. His production tailed off after that, but he rebounded in a big way in 2015 and re-established his value at the best possible time. The Bucs consider him to be a high-priority free agent, but they might choose to let him walk if the asking price gets out of hand.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos Optimistic For Long-Term Deal With Von Miller

February 25th, 2016 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

3:31pm: Speaking this afternoon to reporters, Broncos GM John Elway essentially echoed Rapoport’s report from this morning, suggesting that the team has “exchanged some offers” with Miller and is “very hopeful” about getting something done (Twitter links via Rapoport and Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post).

However, Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (all Twitter links) hears that there have been no “substantive” negotiations yet between the Broncos and Miller (or Osweiler). The team is set to meet tomorrow with the reps for Miller, who is aiming to become the highest-paid defensive player in the league, says Getlin.

There are a couple potential reasons for the apparent discrepancy between Rapoport’s and Getlin’s reports. It’s possible that the Broncos realized after exchanging proposals that the two sides aren’t as far apart as expected, making the team hopeful about getting a deal done, even if negotiations haven’t gotten serious yet. It’s also possible that Rapoport and Getlin are getting accounts from two different sides of the talks — the team may be more optimistic about a deal than Miller’s reps are.

9:33am: The Broncos are “poised to push” for a long-term contract extension for Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). According to Rapoport, the two sides have had talks and there’s optimism that a deal can get done.

Miller, long viewed as the best player on an expiring contract, had another excellent season in 2015, racking up 11 regular-season sacks to go along with four forced fumbles. In the playoffs, the former second overall pick added another five sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception, playing a key role in the team’s Super Bowl win over the Panthers.

Based on Miller’s outstanding play and his importance to the Broncos, there’s no question the team will retain him somehow. Most observers expect the club to use its franchise tag on the standout pass rusher, which would give the two sides another few months to work out a multiyear agreement. If no long-term deal could be reached by July 15th in that scenario, Miller could play the 2016 season on the one-year franchise tag.

As Rapoport suggests (via Twitter), if the Broncos can get a longer-term pact for Miller finalized before the March 1st franchise tag deadline, it would open up the team’s options for quarterback Brock Osweiler. Personally, I’d be surprised if the club franchised Osweiler – who would be in line for a salary of nearly $20MM if he’s tagged – or even Malik Jackson, whose price will be a little more reasonable. But it’s definitely true that locking up Miller would create more flexibility for the Broncos with their other pending free agents.

If the Broncos can sign Miller to a new contract, it’s expected to be a “mega-deal,” per Rapoport. A total value that exceeds J.J. Watt‘s $100MM extension and Justin Houston‘s $101MM pact seems very likely.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jaguars Rumors: Fowler, M. Lewis, Gerhart

February 25th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Jaguars general manager David Caldwell said he doesn’t expect much to come of the NFL’s investigation into the Dante Fowler Jr. video published by TMZ earlier this week. The league confirmed that it is looking into the video, noting that it contained “disturbing images,” but it sounds like the Jags GM doesn’t expect Fowler to be disciplined as a result.

Here are a few more items of interest from Caldwell’s press conference in Indianapolis today:

Caldwell hopes to have a deal done with tight end Marcedes Lewis before the new league year begins on March 9th, per DiRocco (via Twitter). While Lewis has seen his role as a pass catcher reduced in recent years, the Jaguars still need a blocking tight end to complement Julius Thomas, so if Lewis is willing to remain in that role, it makes sense that the two sides should be able to work something out.
There’s a good chance that running back Toby Gerhart will be back with the Jaguars in 2016, according to Caldwell (Twitter link via DiRocco). Gerhart has underwhelmed during his time in Jacksonville so far, but the GM thinks there will be a role for him going forward, and the team certainly has the cap space to afford him.
The Jaguars’ staff is currently evaluating whether or not defensive end Chris Clemons will remain on the team going forward, per DiRocco. According to Caldwell, the plan is to reach out to the veteran defender’s representatives soon. I identified Clemons and Gerhart as possible release candidates when I previewed the Jaguars’ offseason earlier this month.

Combine Updates: Packers, Colts, Rams

February 25th, 2016 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The scouting combine continues today in Indianapolis, and so have the press conferences and media scrums with head coaches and general managers around the NFL.

Here are some highlights from a few of those conversations, sorted by team:

Green Bay Packers:

Despite the fact that the Packers aren’t generally major players in free agency, GM Ted Thompson said his team isn’t averse to exploring the market. With that in mind, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) says Green Bay will likely be in the mix for a complementary wide receiver.
Asked whether Thompson listens to him if he wants a certain player, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, “Everybody wants something. Someone has to say no. That’s why you have a chain of command. Someone has to be the bad guy” (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
McCarthy also said today that he’s “disappointed” in Mike Pennel‘s four-game suspension, according to Demovsky. “Mike’s one of our guys, but we’ll see him through this,” McCarthy said. “He’s a young player who really came on in the second half of the season.”

Indianapolis Colts:

Colts head coach Chuck Pagano didn’t go into specifics on personnel moves today, but he didn’t pull punches when discussing the team’s pass rush, tweets Stephen Holder of ESPN.com. Pagano conveyed that it hasn’t been good enough, and needs to be upgraded.
GM Ryan Grigson also weighed in on the idea of adding pass rushers, suggesting that the draft isn’t as deep at that spot as he’d like, and acknowledging that there will be some financial constraints in free agency (Twitter link via Holder).
Asked about Andrew Luck‘s potential contract extension, Grigson said today that the team has yet to open negotiations, “but that will probably happen soon” (link via Holder). While he declined to discuss specific numbers, the GM expressed confidence that there would be no issues holding up talks.

Los Angeles Rams:

The Rams’ top priority right now is re-signing the team’s many free agent defensive backs, GM Les Snead said today, per Andrew Siciliano of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson, along with safety Rodney McLeod, are eligible to hit the market in March.
The Rams released three veteran players last week to create cap room, but the team is planning to keep offensive lineman Rodger Saffold on its roster, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Snead made it clear today that, in addition to addressing this year’s free agents, the Rams are also hoping to lock up key extension candidates, including defensive tackle Michael Brockers and linebacker Alec Ogletree (Twitter link via Wagoner).

Sean Payton, Saints Close To New Deal

February 25th, 2016 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After an especially eventful round of rumors at the end of the 2015 season suggesting that Sean Payton may be moving on from New Orleans, the Saints ultimately announced that they were retaining their head coach. Now, it looks like just a matter of time until the two sides commit to extending the relationship by working out a new contract agreement.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Payton said in an interview that will air on Thursday night on NBCSN that he is close to finalizing an extension with the Saints. The veteran head coach also said that he sees himself remaining in New Orleans for at least the next four or five years, which is presumably the amount of time the new contract will cover.

Payton’s current deal is set to expire after the 2017 season, meaning he still has two years left on it. That contract is believed to be worth $8MM per year, which would make him one of the league’s highest-paid coaches. Assuming the two sides finalize an extension, it’s unlikely that the new deal would pay him any less than that.

During Payton’s nine seasons with the Saints, the team has an 87-57 record during the regular season. Payton has also led the club to a 6-4 record in five playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl win following the 2009 season. New Orleans has now gone 7-9 in consecutive years after averaging 12 victories per season in Payton’s previous four years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Pursuing Downtown Stadium

February 25th, 2016 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY, 1:38pm: According to supervisor Ron Roberts, San Diego County’s point man on stadium discussions, the Chargers were seeking an extra $200MM in public money toward the proposed Mission Valley project, above the $350MM already offered (link via FOX 5 San Diego). The team had been seeking a total contribution worth $550MM from the city and county of San Diego. It’s not clear what the Chargers’ request will look like for a downtown stadium.

TUESDAY, 5:29pm: The Chargers released a statement on their website summarizing their plan to pursue a citizens’ initiative in hopes of securing a deal for a downtown San Diego stadium instead of one in Mission Valley, Calif., where Qualcomm Stadium is located.

With the goal of placing a new stadium near the Padres’ Petco Park and a convention center downtown, the Chargers are eschewing the Mission Valley site that had been the choice of local leaders for over a year, according to Vincent Bonsignore of InsideSoCal.com.

“We believe that a downtown multi-use facility will attract broad support from throughout our entire community. And we hope that, as our downtown proposal is developed and as the campaign for passage begins, those who have supported the Mission Valley site will keep an open mind and consider supporting what we believe is the best way to secure a permanent home for the Chargers in San Diego,” part of the statement reads.

They’ve played on that site since 1967 and will play there again in 2016 before having to make a decision on their future in San Diego or venturing to Los Angeles to join the Rams.

Further progress toward this goal is contingent on a vote involving a measure for taxpayers’ money to contribute to the new stadium passing in November.

The key figures in the sides’ effort to construct a new playing site for the Chargers met in San Diego on Monday. Dean Spanos, mayor Kevin Faulconer and several other high-ranking officials spoke for several hours, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Per Acee, the sides have meet for the past couple of weeks to discuss the best plan for coaxing voters to approve the funds for the long-sought-after new stadium.

The citizen’s united proposal is meant to expedite the process, per Bonsignore. The Chargers and Raiders used this tactic when crafting their Carson proposal.

Bonsignore write that this plan’s approval could trigger a Raiders move back to Los Angeles. The Raiders haven’t had any substantive discussions with Oakland about replacing their 50-year-old playing site and have been connected to several cities, including San Diego. But Los Angeles remains an option, with the league designating the Raiders as the team-in-waiting while the Chargers determine their future home.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Dolphins May Explore Olivier Vernon Trade

February 25th, 2016 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

1:27pm: Word around the combine is that the Dolphins are “50/50” on whether or not to franchise Vernon, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.

1:18pm: The Dolphins have just five more days to decide whether or not to use their franchise tag on pass rusher Olivier Vernon. As they weigh their options, one potential outcome the team is considering is franchising Vernon, then trading him, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

While Miami has not yet made any decisions, Raanan hears from several league sources with knowledge of the situation that the team has been indicating at the combine that franchising and trading Vernon is a possibility. The franchise tag for defensive ends is expected to be worth about $15.5MM in 2016, which is a steep price to pay, but the Dolphins risk losing a 25-year-old pass rusher for nothing if they don’t use a tag.

The Dolphins’ current cap situation will make it hard to franchise Vernon and keep him, which would limit the club’s leverage in possible trade negotiations, notes Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Still, Miami could potentially keep clearing room by restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, working out a new deal with Cameron Wake, and potentially cutting some other players with significant cap hits.

If the Dolphins do use their franchise tag on Vernon and then attempt to work out a trade for him, it remains to be seen whether any teams will want to give up a much of value for the right to commit to Vernon on a huge, long-term deal. Although he has shown promise during his first four NFL seasons, the former third-round pick recorded just 6.5 sacks in 2014 and 7.5 in 2015 as a full-time starter. Using the franchise tag on Vernon would put his floor for a multiyear contract at about $15MM per year, which would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.

For what it’s worth, Dolphins executive VP Mike Tannenbaum said on Wednesday that the team has yet to decide on whether to tag Vernon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

South Rumors: Foster, Falcons, Martin, Jags

February 25th, 2016 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Texans running back Arian Foster, entering the final year of his contract, is set to make a $6.5MM base salary, with an overall cap hit of nearly $9MM. Those figures make him a potential release candidate, but if general manager Rick Smith says Houston won’t cut the veteran back because of his salary.

“As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I’m never really going to tell you one way or the other what we are doing, but I will tell you this: his salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian,” Smith said.

That doesn’t necessarily close the door on the Texans releasing Foster, since the team could have concerns about his health or his production. But if they’re comfortable paying a healthy Foster $6.5MM, it increases the odds that he’ll be back in Houston for the 2016 season.

Let’s check in on a few other items from around the NFL’s South divisions….

Head coach Dan Quinn and the Falcons will be monitoring wide receivers closely in both free agency and the draft, writes Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. According to McClure, the Falcons have “done their homework” on this year’s pending free agent wideouts, including Travis Benjamin, Mohamed Sanu, Jermaine Kearse, and Nate Washington.
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht confirmed that he met with Brian Murphy, the agent for Doug Martin, on Wednesday at the scouting combine. However, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets, no agreement between the two sides will be reached in Indianapolis.
The Jaguars will head into the free agent period armed with a ton of cap space, according to GM David Caldwell, who suggests that estimates of $75MM “might be a little low,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. In a separate piece, O’Halloran also passed along a few notable comments made by Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley during his media availability.
Craig Stevens‘ new one-year contract with the Titans features a $1.15MM base salary, a $250K workout bonus, and per-game roster bonuses worth up to $500K, says Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. A report last week indicated that the tight end’s deal could be worth up to $2.6MM via incentives.

Mario Williams Open To Discussing Pay Cut

February 25th, 2016 at 12:26pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 12:26pm: Despite Williams’ public comments about considering a pay cut, Tim Graham of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) hears that the defensive end is just waiting to be released, with a source suggesting “the sooner the better” for Williams.

WEDNESDAY, 1:22pm: Speaking today to reporters, Bills head coach Rex Ryan said he’d love to have Williams on his team in 2016, but added that it remains to be seen how realistic that is (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News).

12:35pm: No Bills defensive player was more vocal about his frustrations adjusting to the team’s new defensive system in 2015 than Mario Williams, who saw his sack total dip from 14.5 in 2014 to just five in 2015. However, Williams told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he is open to the idea of discussing a pay cut to remain in Buffalo (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).

“Yeah, I mean, it all depends on what is happening,” Williams said. “My thing is this: Obviously, I’ve had big contracts, but once you get on a team and you get around the guys, it becomes family. The guys on defense, we laugh and talk about anything. We do a bunch of stuff together and off the field, obviously. It’s bigger than just numbers.

“But at the same time, as far as what you said about [a pay cut] being feasible, a [salary-cap] crunch is a crunch,” Williams continued. “Obviously there’s two great players on the other side of the ball [pending free-agent left tackle Cordy Glenn and left guard Richie Incognito] that need to be back. Like you said, I’m not an accountant, either. I don’t even know how you can go about making it where it makes at least some type of sense.”

While Williams is saying the right things in regard to his contract, it seems unlikely that he and the Bills will work something out. A late-December report indicated that the team plans to cut Williams at some point this offseason, in a move that would clear $12.9MM from Buffalo’s cap. Considering the Bills are currently the most cap-strapped team in the league and need to find a way to make viable offers to Glenn and Incognito, the club could use the flexibility that releasing Williams would create.

Additionally, even though Williams is willing to explore a pay cut, he still isn’t entirely on board with the Bills’ defensive approach. He told Anderson that if he does return, he hopes the coaching staff would be willing to compromise somewhat on his role.

“Last year I feel like we were way more blitz-happy than anything,” Williams said. “I’m just saying we can meet halfway, so the guys who get after the quarterback can get more opportunities to do that, and set up your fill with the players inside you and make it happen like that. That’s all I ask. I’m not saying throw the scheme out. That’s what I was saying before. I never said anything was wrong with the scheme.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Make Aggressive Offer To Kelechi Osemele

February 25th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Ravens have offered to make pending free agent offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele their second-highest offensive player behind Joe Flacco, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Baltimore has made an “aggressive” offer to Osemele, adding that the team views him as its left tackle (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun).

When general manager Ozzie Newsome spoke to reporters on Wednesday, he referred to Eugene Monroe as the team’s left tackle, with Osemele facing free agency, but as Zrebiec writes, it was hardly a ringing endorsement of Monroe’s place in the starting lineup, or even on the roster.

While the Ravens are willing to make Osemele their second-highest-paid offensive player, they may have to do so by a significant margin in order to retain him. In terms of per-year salary, guard Marshal Yanda is currently right behind Flacco among offensive players, with an annual salary of just under $8MM. In terms of total value and guaranteed money, Monroe ranks second behind Flacco, with $37.5MM and $17.5MM respectively.

Unless Osemele is willing to take a hometown discount, I’d expect the Ravens to have to pay him upwards of $10MM per season on a four- or five-year deal, since he’s viewed as a left tackle. If he hits the open market, there will likely be at least one or two clubs willing to pay him that much, so it’ll be interesting to see how his talks with the Ravens play out.

Here are several more Ravens updates:

While Newsome insisted on Wednesday that the Ravens don’t have to rework Flacco’s contract this offseaon, Harbaugh would be surprised if the two sides don’t address Flacco’s deal (Twitter link via Zrebiec).
Harbaugh confirmed that the Ravens are talking to Trent Richardson, though he cautioned that the deal isn’t done yet, per Zrebiec (Twitter link). We heard earlier today that Richardson is expected to sign with the team as long as he passes a physical.
Whether or not Richardson comes aboard, Harbaugh sees Justin Forsett as part of the Ravens’ 2016 outlook, meaning he’s not considered a potential cap casualty, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
Tight end is a priority for the Ravens, with Crockett Gillmore having undergone surgery on both his shoulders and Nick Boyle facing a 10-game suspension (link via Hensley). Zrebiec notes (via Twitter) that Harbaugh was “all over” Boyle, telling reporters that – while the team has no plans to cut the tight end – “there’s no explanation for dumb.”
Zrebiec passed along several quotes from Newsome’s Wednesday presser, along with interpretations of what those comments meant. Among Newsome’s most notable statements? The GM expects safety Lardarius Webb back at his current cap figure.
Zrebiec tweets that Newsome also challenged quarterback-needy teams to give him a call about the sixth overall pick in the draft.

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