2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

49ers Re-Sign Ian Williams

March 23rd, 2016 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 23, 3:09pm: Williams’ one-year deal is now official, having been announced by the 49ers in a press release.

Per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link), GM Trent Baalke has said the Niners still plan to sign Williams to a long-term deal. However, that will obviously be dependent on his health.

MARCH 21, 1:21pm: Nearly two weeks after the 49ers and Williams agreed to what was expected to be a five-year contract worth more than $25MM, the two sides have now struck a deal on a reworked agreement for just one year, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

According to Maiocco, Williams’ recovery from an ankle injury will take longer than initially planned, prompting the team to revisit the terms of the agreement before the deal became official. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that the defensive lineman underwent ankle surgery after the 2015 season, creating some uncertainty about his availability for the 2016 season opener.

Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link), Williams’ new one-year deal has a base value of $3MM, including a $1MM base salary and $2MM in per-game roster bonuses. Wilson says the deal features $2MM in playing-time incentives, while Schefter tweets than it can be worth up to $6MM in total.

MARCH 9, 9:48am: Williams’ new five-year deal with the 49ers will be worth between $5MM and $6MM per year, tweets Rapoport.

7:16am: The 49ers have reached an agreement with one of their own free agents, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is re-signing defensive tackle Ian Williams to a five-year contract.

Coming off a leg injury that ended his 2014 season, Williams was a 16-game starter for the first time in 2015, and looked very good at nose tackle for the Niners, racking up 65 tackles and a sack. Pro Football Focus ranked Williams 18th out of 123 qualified interior defenders for the season, assigning him a particularly strong grade as a run defender.

Re-signing Williams to a new deal represents a nice start for this Niners’ offseason, after the team saw a handful of core defenders – Patrick Willis, Justin Smith, and Chris Borland, among others – depart via retirement or free agency during last year’s offseason. While the team figures to pursue other additions on defense, the fact that Williams will return in the middle of the defensive line should provide some nice continuity as the defense transitions from Eric Mangini‘s system to Jim O’Neil‘s.

Williams ranked as the 28th overall free agent on PFR’s top 50 list.

Lyle Sendlein Likely To Retire

March 23rd, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While nothing is official is yet, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians suggested today that center Lyle Sendlein will likely retire this offseason, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com (via Twitter). “As far as I know,” Arians said. “I don’t think he’s announced it yet.”

Sendlein, who turned 32 last Wednesday, has been the Cardinals’ starting center for most of the last decade, appearing in 136 regular season games (124 starts) for the team since 2007. The Texas alum ranked 27th out of 39 qualified centers in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus, which graded him as a slightly better run blocker than pass blocker.

If Sendlein does decide to continue his career, it seems likely to happen in Arizona. Last year, the team was prepared to move on without him, but didn’t like its options at center in training camp, and ultimately re-signed the veteran in August.

This time around, center is one of the few spots on the Cardinals’ offensive line that doesn’t already have a clear-cut starter lined up. Whoever ends up landing the job will have good company on either side of him, with Mike Iupati and Evan Mathis penciled in as the club’s starting guards.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams Notes: T. Johnson, Ogletree, Zuerlein

March 23rd, 2016 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

It’s been an eventful day for the Rams, who were announced as the subject of this year’s installment of HBO’s Hard Knocks series, and are also believed to be the favorites to “host” a regular-season game in China in 2018. Head coach Jeff Fisher spoke this morning at the NFC coaches’ breakfast about several topics related to his roster as well, and we’ll round up the highlights right here, courtesy of Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

The Rams hope to lock up cornerback Trumaine Johnson to a long-term deal in the near future, per Fisher (Twitter link). The team has until July 15 to work out a multiyear extension with Johnson, who has already signed his franchise tender.
At the other cornerback spot, Fisher anticipates Coty Sensabaugh will compete with E.J. Gaines “and/or a draft choice” for the starting job. The head coach added that the Rams were “a lot closer” to re-signing Janoris Jenkins than people think (Twitter links). Jenkins ultimately signed a five-year deal with the Giants worth $12.5MM annually.
The Rams will have to make decisions on the 2017 options for linebacker Alec Ogletree and wide receiver Tavon Austin this spring, and Fisher said it’s virtually a lock that Ogletree’s fifth-year option will be exercised. He added that the team would like to keep both players for the long term (Twitter link).
Greg Zuerlein remains a free agent, and while Fisher said there’s mutual interest in a new deal between the two sides, he also stressed that there will be real competition at the kicker spot (Twitter link).
Fisher evaded a question about his own contract situation — a report earlier this month indicated he and the Rams were discussing a new deal, but he said today that he’s “not concerned about it” (Twitter link).

Dolphins Exploring Trade Market For RBs

March 23rd, 2016 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Having missed out on several running back targets already this month, the Dolphins continue to explore every option for adding a player to their backfield. A league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins’ search for a running back has led them to the trade market, where they’ve had conversations with multiple teams about a possible deal.

Salguero’s source did not specify particular teams the Dolphins have spoken to, or players they’ve inquired about, but it doesn’t appear any deal is imminent anyway.

The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins, who were also in the running for Chris Johnson before he opted to re-sign with the Cardinals.

The Dolphins like incumbent running back Jay Ajayi, a 2015 fifth-rounder, but have been seeking a complementary back in order to avoid the Boise State product having to carry too significant a load.

While a trade is one option for Miami, the team could also return to the free agent market. Salguero mentions Arian Foster as one possibility, but he’s far from the only option — LeGarrette Blount, Ronnie Hillman, Steven Ridley, and Tim Hightower, among others, remain unsigned.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: C. Jones, Brees, Bucs, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians admitted he was “shocked” to learn that Chandler Jones was available, revealing that the Patriots instigated the trade discussions that led to a deal earlier this month. While Chandler has just one year left on his contract, Arians is confident he’ll remain in Arizona for a while: “When he hits free agency, we’ll have the dollars to make sure he stays.”

Let’s round up a few more items of interest from around the NFC…

In the wake of news that Sean Payton will be extended through the 2020 season by the Saints, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets that New Orleans is also discussing a deal that would lock up quarterback Drew Brees for the next five years. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com recently explained why signing Brees through 2020 might make the most sense for the Saints.
Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter believes Mike Glennon is capable of starting in the NFL, and prefers to keep him in the mix, but he acknowledged today that the team is fond of Ryan Griffin as well, hinting that Griffin would also be capable of backing up Jameis Winston if Glennon is dealt (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune).
Koetter also said today that the Buccaneers intend to add a fullback to their roster, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
The free agent market for a backup quarterback was a little too pricey for the Cowboys, but the team still wants to address the No. 2 spot on its depth chart behind Tony Romo, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com details. According to Jerry Jones, there “will be options” for Dallas, including potentially landing a veteran or adding a signal-caller within the first couple days of the draft. Kellen Moore currently projects as Romo’s backup.

Roger Goodell Talks Pats, Chiefs, China, Vegas

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s owners meetings winding down in Boca Raton, Florida, commissioner Roger Goodell took to the podium this morning to announcing the rules changes approved by the league and to take questions from reporters. We won’t get into the rule changes here, but we’ll round up several of the more noteworthy comments Goodell made in response to those reporters’ inquiries. Let’s dive in…

Goodell confirmed that he received Robert Kraft‘s letter asking for the Patriots to get their draft picks back. However, after “considering his views,” Goodell has decided that New England’s Deflategate penalties won’t be altered, since the commissioner doesn’t feel as if new information has surfaced.
The NFL and NFL Players Association are not close – “by any stretch of the imagination” – to reaching an agreement on player discipline that would strip Goodell of some or all of his power and authority.
Goodell expects to serve as the arbitrator for the Chiefs‘ appeal of their tampering penalties, adding that he’ll make sure that appeal happened before the draft if the team pushes for that.
No discipline is expected for the Falcons and/or their coaches after secondary coach Marquand Manuel asked cornerback prospect Eli Apple at the combine if he liked men.
Although several reports have suggested that the Rams are expected to host the NFL’s 2018 regular-season game in China, Goodell said several teams are interested and no decisions have been made yet. However, he did confirm that the league will play a game in China in ’18.
Asked about the possibility of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, Goodell didn’t close the door on the possibility of having an NFL franchise there, suggesting that the league’s 32 owners would have a decision to make if a formal proposal was put on the table. The city’s economic reliance on gambling, and the potential impact on the NFL, would certainly be a significant factor in that decision.
While no decisions have been made on Josh Gordon‘s potential reinstatement, Goodell expects his staff to update him on the Browns wide receiver’s case next week.

FA Rumors: RGIII, Browns, Rams, Falcons

March 23rd, 2016 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Will Robert Griffin III ultimately sign with the Browns after visiting Cleveland last week? According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the prevailing feeling at the owners’ meetings in Boca Raton is that the Browns will indeed be able to get something done with RGIII. There’s no agreement in place yet, but Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com tweets that there’s a possibility of a deal by the end of the week.

As we wait to see if the two sides can strike a deal, let’s round up a few other items related to free agency, including another one on Griffin…

Asked about the possibility of pursuing RGIII, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher acknowledged that it’s something his team may have to consider (video link via TheRams.com). However, it didn’t sound like there was much urgency on that front for Fisher and the Rams, who have plenty of confidence in Case Keenum as their starter.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn confirmed this morning that his club remains in negotiations with free agent linebacker Philip Wheeler, who may end up returning, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Asked today about the possibility of bringing back defensive end Greg Hardy, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said that Dallas is “focused on some other guys right now,” per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Although there hasn’t been much movement on the Chad Greenway front so far, the veteran linebacker remains confident that he’ll be able to work out a new deal with the Vikings, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. While Greenway’s first choice is to remain in Minnesota, he did acknowledge that he has received some inquiries from other teams, but he’s not in a rush to make a decision.
Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians said he was “shocked” that both Chris Johnson and Jermaine Gresham accepted less money to re-sign in Arizona, adding that there was no special sales pitch for either player (Twitter links via Peter Schrager of FOX Sports).

NFC East Rumors: Coughlin, Giants, Cowboys

March 23rd, 2016 at 8:45am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Washington coach Jay Gruden addressed reporters at the owners’ meetings. Now, we’ll take a look at the rest of the NFC East:

McAdoo was upbeat about the fact that Tom Coughlin is still around the building and said, “as long as Tom is around, he’s a resource and we’re going to welcome him,” (link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com). He also said that he doesn’t anticipate things being awkward once Giants players start to show up.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the Cowboys will work out Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch today in Orlando after leaving the owners meetings, as ESPN.com’s Todd Archer writes. The Cowboys will head to Ohio State to work out prospects on Friday.
When asked if he is going to call plays, McAdoo said it is a “possibility.” When asked if he likes to call plays, McAdoo said, “I LOVE calling plays,” Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets. Needless to say, it sounds like there’s a good possibility of the former offensive coordinator calling plays for the Giants in 2016.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson says he likes the fullback position and even though he doesn’t have a true fullback on the roster, he plans on looking at Trey Burton as an option, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
New Giants coach Ben McAdoo doesn’t seem committed to anyone at middle linebacker, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger tweets. The Giants are still looking at draft prospects as well as free agency for options.

Washington Rumors: Goldson, Thomas, Paul

March 23rd, 2016 at 8:33am CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, Washington coach Jay Gruden addressed reporters at the owners’ meetings. Here’s everything you need to know:

Gruden said the door has not been shut on Dashon Goldson returning and he says it was a financial decision to release the safety, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com tweets. He added that there have been talks with the veteran since his release (Twitter link via Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post). Goldson was set to carry an $8MM cap figure in 2016 and while Washington wanted to keep him, they did not want to keep him at that rate. The veteran started 15 games for Washington last season, playing on more than 90% of the team’s defensive snaps. Goldson posted 70 tackles and one interception, grading as the No. 70 safety among 88 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Gruden says that running back Pierre Thomas is still a possibility for Washington, El-Bashir tweets. Thomas, 31, spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Saints, but saw his 2014 campaign derailed by injuries. In 2015, he had a cup of coffee with the 49ers before landing with Washington in December. In four games with Washington, Thomas carried the ball 11 times for 52 yards. He also added nine receptions for 84 yards.
Washington plans to use tight end Niles Paul at fullback on some occasions when he’s healthy even though it’s a position that they hardly used last year (Twitter links via Tesfatsion).
Washington will try out Will Blackmon and Deshazor Everett at safety, Tesfatsion tweets. “We’re thin in the secondary,” Gruden said.

Jets Restructure James Carpenter’s Contract

March 23rd, 2016 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Jets have completed a simple restructure on James Carpenter‘s contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com, who tweets that the team converted a portion of the veteran guard’s 2016 salary into a signing bonus. The move had been necessary to create room for the addition of nose tackle Steve McLendon.

Carpenter’s $4.45MM base salary had already been partially guaranteed, but the Jets assured the lineman of a little more of that money up front by turning $3.69MM of it into a signing bonus, leaving a minimum salary of $760K. For cap purposes, that signing bonus prorates over the next three seasons, meaning it reduces Carpenter’s 2016 cap charge by $2.46MM, and increases his 2017 and 2018 charges by $1.23MM apiece.

According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), the Jets’ new deal with McLendon features a cap number of $2.5MM for 2016, including a $1.75MM base salary and a prorated portion of his $2.25MM signing bonus. In other words, the reduction of Carpenter’s cap hit gives the team almost the exact amount it needed to accommodate McLendon’s contract.

Further restructures, cuts, or trades will be required for the Jets in the coming weeks, as OverTheCap.com had the team at just $2.282MM in cap space prior to the Carpenter and McLendon transactions. Of course, adding a player like Ryan Fitzpatrick to the club’s books will require a few million dollars in cap room. At the very least, New York will need to create the space necessary to sign its rookie class and to allow for a little in-season flexibility.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.