2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jets To Sign Khiry Robinson

March 10th, 2016 at 7:10pm CST by Luke Adams

7:10pm: Robinson gets a one-year, $1.175MM deal with $80K in guaranteed money, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).

11:52am: Having entered the offeason with their top three running backs eligible for free agency, the Jets didn’t waste much time in replenishing their backfield. Having already struck deals with Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, New York has now agreed to sign former Saints running back Khiry Robinson, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Jets to re-sign Bilal Powell]

Robinson, 26, saw his 2015 campaign come to an early end when he suffered a broken leg in November, but he has been a steady contributor in New Orleans’ backfield since 2013, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 186 total attempts. Nonetheless, the Saints opted not to tender him a contract prior to the new league year getting underway, making him an unrestricted free agent rather than an RFA.

For the Jets, Chris Ivory has signed with the Jaguars and Stevan Ridley may not be back, but the team has replaced them with Forte and Robinson, re-signing Powell. All three backs are capable of catching the ball out of the backfield in addition to carrying it, giving the team plenty of versatility in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

C.J. Anderson Signs Dolphins’ Offer Sheet

March 10th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

7:06pm: The Dolphins have confirmed Anderson has signed the offer sheet the organization extended to him, according to the team’s Twitter account.

Anderson told Klis he only sought a second-round tender from the Broncos, a protection measure that would have probably kept him in Denver.

“I’m super humbled,” Anderson told Klis. “All I was asking for was a second-round tender. That’s all I was expecting. And now I’m going to make way more than a second-round tender.”

The only running back left on the Broncos’ roster who was with the team as an active-roster player last season is Juwan Thompson. with 2015’s leading rusher, Ronnie Hillman, residing as a UFA. Anderson supplanted Hillman in the playoffs, however, as the Broncos’ primary ball-carrier and gained 234 rushing yards to Hillman’s 54.

4:30pm: The offer sheet is “pretty vanilla,” a source tells Mike Florio of PFT, which would infer that does not have a creative or tricky structure.

4:26pm: Anderson’s offer sheet with the Dolphins features a $5.25MM signing bonus, according to Klis. Klis’ report adds that the deal includes a total payout of $6MM in 2016 and a guaranteed $3.5MM base salary for 2017.

While those terms are somewhat front-loaded, it sounds like the cap hit for 2016 should be fairly modest, so the Broncos may not be out of the running quite yet.

3:50pm: Restricted free agent running back C.J. Anderson has signed an offer sheet from the Dolphins, reports Mike Klis of 9NEWS (via Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds (via Twitter) that it’s worth $18MM, and the structure is expected to make it hard on Denver to match it.

The Broncos have the right of first refusal on Anderson, so they’ll have five days to match the Dolphins’ offer and bring back their free agent running back. If Denver opts not to match the offer sheet, the Broncos won’t receive any compensation for losing Anderson, who received only the low-end RFA tender.

An undrafted free agent out of California in 2013, Anderson burst onto the scene during his sophomore season. He compiled 849 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2014, and he added another 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Anderson only started six games in 2015, finishing with 720 yards and five scores on 152 attempts. Despite the up-and-down season, Anderson played a major part in Denver’s Super Bowl win, rushing for 90 yards and a touchdown in the championship game.

The Dolphins, whose new head coach Adam Gase was Anderson’s old offensive coordinator in Denver, are in the market for running back help after Lamar Miller agreed to sign with the Texans. If Miami ultimately lands Anderson, he’ll likely share the workload with Jay Ajayi in the Dolphins’ backfield.

The 49ers, Bears, and Patriots were also rumored to have interest in Anderson, once the Broncos decided not to give him a second-round tender.

Early indications were that the Broncos would likely match any offer sheet Anderson signed, but if Denver was unwilling to go from $1.671MM to $2.553MM on its tender to the running back, it seems feasible that a four-year, $18MM wouldn’t appeal to the team. If Anderson ultimately leaves the Broncos, he’ll be the latest in a string of departures this week. Brock Osweiler, Malik Jackson, and Danny Trevathan have all signed elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Sign Isa Abdul-Quddus

March 10th, 2016 at 7:06pm CST by Ben Levine

THURSDAY, 7:06pm: The Dolphins have officially signed Abdul-Quddus, according to the team (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 3:45pm: The Dolphins defensive back depth is set to get a bit deeper, as the team is expected to sign safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, reports Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com (via Twitter). NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it’s a three-year deal worth $12.75MM.

The 26-year-old has been a solid backup safety throughout his five-year career. The former undrafted free agent spent the past two seasons with the Lions, where he appeared in all 32 games (12 starts). Abdul-Quddus had arguably the best season of his career in 2015, compiling 57 tackles, one sack, six passes defended, and a forced fumble. Prior to his tenure in Detroit, the defensive back spent three seasons with the Saints.

Abdul-Quddus placed ninth on PFR’s list of the top free agent safeties. Pro Football Focus rated him as above-average at his position (albeit his limited snaps), and he would have ranked among the top-30 safeties had he earned enough playing time.

Free Agent Rumors: Freeman, Neal, Osemele

March 10th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Here is the latest on some of the top free agents still available and some of the talents who have already landed with new teams.

After the Packers decided to re-sign Nick Perry at a lower rate than what his fifth-year option would’ve paid him, he could still be joined by Mike Neal next season, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. The Packers’ 2010 second-round pick started 15 games last season, and the team hasn’t ruled out bringing him back as well to join Perry and Julius Peppers.
The Colts and Jerrell Freeman aren’t close on a new contract, Chris Hagan of FOX 59 tweets. Mike Chappell of IndySportsCentral.com adds the Colts’ offer for the inside linebacker could be a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Freeman finished last season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4-ranked linebacker and as PFR’s No. 23-rated UFA resides as one of the best players still on the market.
Vikings free agent cornerback Josh Robinson is visiting the Dolphins, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
New Raiders addition Kelechi Osemele says that his position is not set in stone, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Osemele indicated that he will play either tackle or guard depending on what happens for Oakland in free agency and in the draft.
“I would love to come back [to the Falcons] and revive the feeling we had at the [Georgia] Dome, and revive my career,” free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. He’ll be meeting with Atlanta brass this evening, per Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
New Broncos tackle Donald Stephenson told media (including Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post, Twitter link) that 13-15 teams were interested in him.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Saints Re-Sign Luke McCown

March 10th, 2016 at 6:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints are bringing back Drew Brees‘ backup for the 2016 season, according to agent Mike McCartney, who tweets that his client, Luke McCown, has agreed to a two-year deal with New Orleans. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link), the two-year pact is worth $3MM, with a $500K signing bonus.

McCown, 34, has been the No. 2 signal-caller in New Orleans for the last three seasons. After throwing just one pass in 2013 and 2014, McCown saw some action last season, making a spot start for Drew Brees. For the season, he completed 32 of 39 passes for 335 yards and an interception, then was sidelined in November with a back injury.

Coming off a minimum salary benefit contract, McCown will get a bit of a raise this year — perhaps due to that performance in place of Brees last season. The veteran signal-caller also paid a visit to the Colts today, so it’s possible that interest from Indianapolis forced the Saints to give their backup QB a bit of a raise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Sign Stefan Charles

March 10th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are signing defensive tackle Stefan Charles, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The team has since confirmed the move (Twitter link).

Charles, 28 in June, appeared in 13 games for the Bills last season, collecting 13 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. However, he was non-tendered by Buffalo earlier this month. For his career, Charles has appeared in 37 games across three years.

As Charles signs elsewhere, the Bills could lose a restricted free agent in wide receiver Chris Hogan.

Bears To Re-Sign Sherrick McManis

March 10th, 2016 at 6:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are set to re-sign special teams ace Sherrick McManis, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. McManis will get a new two-year deal from Chicago. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.

The cornerback was also picking up interest from the Patriots and Jaguars. McManis doesn’t see a ton of time on defense, but he led the Bears with 17 special teams tackles and he carries a ton of value in that facet of the game.

In other Bears news, the team agreed to sign free agent tackle Bobby Massie to a three-year, $18MM deal with $6.5MM guaranteed on Wednesday. A starter in Arizona during the 2012, 2014 and 2015 seasons, Massie started 16 total games for the Cardinals last season, including both playoff contests, at right tackle.

Lions To Sign Johnson Bademosi

March 10th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:05pm: Bademosi’s deal ranks as one of the highest accords for special-teamers, with the Lions agreeing to pay the fifth-year defender $4.5MM over two years, with unspecified incentives potentially escalating that to $6MM, Schefter tweets.

5:31pm: Another player will be departing Cleveland in a fast-paced week for Browns exits, with the Lions reaching an agreement with Johnson Bademosi, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

A defensive back and top special-teamer for the Browns, Bademosi agreed to terms with Detroit on a two-year deal. After arriving from Stanford as a UDFA, Bademosi played in 62 games for the Browns from 2012-15, starting none.

The Browns have now lost Mitchell Schwartz, Alex Mack, Tashaun Gipson, Travis Benjamin and Bademosi in barely a day.

Sean Smith Signs With Raiders

March 10th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

6:01pm: Smith signed his Raiders contract, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

6:52am: The contract agreed to by Smith and the Raiders is worth $40MM over four years, with $20MM in guarantees, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

6:42am: The Raiders are set to make their third major free agent splash of the week, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that cornerback Sean Smith has agreed to terms with the club. If and when the two sides make it official, Smith will be leaving the Chiefs to join one of Kansas City’s division rivals.

[RELATED: Raiders agree to sign Bruce Irvin]

For the Raiders, Smith is the third free agent ranked inside our top 10 who has agreed to terms this week with the team. Oakland has also struck deals with offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele and outside linebacker Bruce Irvin, as the club takes advantage of its massive amount of cap room.

Smith, 28, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career in Miami before playing the last three seasons for the Chiefs. Although he’ll only be entering his age-29 season, the former second-round pick already has 100 career starts to his name, and he has been a steady presence in Kansas City in recent years. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 12th out of 111 qualified cornerbacks, placing him right behind standouts like Chris Harris, Stephon Gilmore, and the recently franchised Josh Norman.

Entering free agency, PFR ranked Smith as the ninth-best player available on the open market. Among cornerbacks, only Janoris Jenkins (fourth) ranked higher, and the Rams corner has since agreed to a five-year, $62.5MM contract with the Giants, setting the market for Smith. Since Jenkins is a little younger than Smith, the former Chief may not land quite as lucrative a contract, but he’s expected to do very well.

The 49ers were also believed to be in the running for Smith, with the Chiefs reportedly making a push to re-sign him on Tuesday night. However, the Raiders were frequently cited as perhaps the most aggressive suitor for the free agent corner, and it looks like they’re on the verge of officially adding him to their roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cowboys To Sign Cedric Thornton

March 10th, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Zachary Links

5:55pm: Language in Thornton’s pact with the Cowboys calls for Thornton to receive $9MM in guaranteed money, with the aforementioned $6MM amount being the fully guaranteed portion, Getlin tweets.

4:57pm: The four-year deal is worth $17MM with a chance to reach $18MM, per Todd Archer of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Of that sum, $6MM is guaranteed.

4:18pm: The Cowboys have agreed to sign Cedric Thornton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The deal is worth $18MM, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Thornton, 28 in June, started all 16 games for the Eagles in 2014, posting 36 tackles, one sack, and three fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. In that season, 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.

This past season, Thornton racked up 32 total tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass deflection. PFF (sub. req’d) rated him as the 44th best defensive tackle in the league with a 76.2 grade. That slotted him just behind fellow unrestricted free agents Haloti Ngata and Akiem Hicks. Here at PFR, we considered Thornton to be this year’s sixth-best available interior defensive lineman, behind Malik Jackson, Damon Harrison, Ian Williams, Jaye Howard, and Nick Fairley.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.