2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Offered Brock Osweiler $64MM+

March 9th, 2016 at 5:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

5:37pm: Broncos general manager John Elway doesn’t sound too broken up about Osweiler’s exit.

“We’ve stayed true to our philosophy of building a team with players who want to be Denver Broncos and want to be here. That’s been a successful approach for us,” he said (link via Andrew Mason of the Broncos’ website).

On Elway’s attempt to keep Osweiler, the GM said, “While we did offer a very competitive and fair long-term contract to Brock, we ultimately had to remain disciplined while continuing to assemble a roster that can compete for championships.”

Elway went on to acknowledge that the Broncos are exploring other options.

“We’ve now turned our attention to other options at quarterback and are confident that we’ll find the right player and person for our team. Our organization thanks Brock for his contributions and wishes him all the best.”

5:15pm: Prior to Brock Osweiler‘s decision to accept a four-year, $72MM offer from the Texans, the Broncos offered the quarterback a contract for the same length and less money (upward of $64MM), reports Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). That came after the Broncos submitted a three-year, $45MM offer to Osweiler. Denver’s $64MM-plus pitch included $30MM in guarantees – less than the $37MM Osweiler will receive from the Texans (Twitter link via Klis).

Osweiler’s choice to leave Denver after four years as Peyton Manning’s backup came as no surprise to members of the organization, per Klis, who tweets that he stopped returning phone calls to some teammates and coaches over the last two weeks. Osweiler, 25, will now start anew without having to live in the shadow of Manning, which was a factor in his decision, according to Klis.

With Manning having retired and Osweiler gone, the Broncos are essentially bereft under center – an odd position to be in for a reigning Super Bowl winner. Their incumbent starter is 2015 seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian, who has never thrown an NFL pass, but his spot atop the depth chart isn’t exactly set in stone.

The recently released Robert Griffin III is on the Broncos’ list of replacement quarterbacks, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported when news of Osweiler’s departure broke (Twitter link). RG3 could visit Denver this week, per Schefter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Titans Acquire DeMarco Murray

March 9th, 2016 at 5:14pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

5:14pm: The Titans have officially acquired Murray and the Eagles’ fourth-round pick (15th in the round) from Philadelphia in exchange for Tennessee’s fourth-round pick (second in the round), the Eagles confirmed today (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 10:28am: The Eagles and Titans are expected to swap fourth-round picks as part of this deal, tweets Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic. That would allow Philadelphia to move up 13 spots in the round, giving the club the second pick on Day 3 of the draft.

TUESDAY, 6:08pm: Murray’s new contract has a four-year term and base value of $25.5MM, $12.5MM of which is guaranteed, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who adds that it’s unclear whether or not that $12.5MM is fully guaranteed. Escalators can push the total value to $33MM.

For comparison’s sake, Murray had $31MM remaining on his old deal — $12MM of that total was guaranteed, and further $9MM of that was fully guaranteed.

MONDAY, 7:47pm: Even with Kelly out of the equation, Murray had been pressuring the Eagles to trade him since the season ended, tweets ESPN’s Ed Werder.

6:10pm: The Titans are finalizing a trade to acquire running back DeMarco Murray from the Eagles, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). There’s no word yet on what the Eagles will get in return. The deal will be consummated Wednesday, the first day of the league year, and will also include a new contract for Murray, his agency, SportsTrust Advisors, announced (Twitter link). However, Murray’s guarantees won’t change, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). He’s due $7MM in 2016 and $7.5MM from 2017-19.

The Eagles shopped Murray over the last few weeks, per Rapoport (Twitter link), after the 28-year-old experienced a disastrous season in Philadelphia. Murray inked a five-year, $42MM deal to leave Dallas for Philly last offseason. At the time, Murray was coming off a season in which he earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors thanks to a 392-carry, 1,845-yard, 13-touchdown showing. All of Murray’s numbers dropped precipitously under Chip Kelly, though, as he amassed 199 fewer attempts (193), over 1,100 fewer yards (702), and finished with six scores. Murray also averaged just 3.6 yards per rush, a full yard below his five-year career mark.

The Cowboys discussed the idea of reacquiring Murray, but that idea didn’t go very far, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com.

In Tennessee, Murray will join a club that ranked 25th in rushing yards last season and 17th in per-carry average. Quarterback Marcus Mariota beefed up both stats, though, with his lofty 7.4 YPC. Their running back corps was much less threatening. Antonio Andrews led Titans backs in attempts (143), yards (520) and touchdowns (three). He matched Murray with a paltry 3.6 YPC.

The Murray trade is one of at least two the Eagles will finalize Wednesday. We learned earlier today that they will send cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso, two other Kelly acquisitions from last winter, to the Dolphins for draft-pick compensation. The Eagles might also deal running back Ryan Mathews, but that could change with Murray on the outs. Mathews was also a Kelly pickup a year ago. Regardless of whether Mathews exits, it’s clear that Eagles vice president Howie Roseman and Kelly’s replacement, Doug Pederson, are taking the club’s roster in a vastly different direction than it went in under Kelly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rams Re-Sign Tim Barnes

March 9th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

5:07pm: Barnes will get a new two-year deal worth $5.5MM, with $3.25MM guaranteed, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas adds that the max value of the contract is $9MM. The team has officially confirmed Barnes’ signing.

3:58pm: The Rams have re-signed center Tim Barnes to a two-year deal, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). Financial details aren’t yet available.

Since signing with the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri in 2012, Barnes has appeared in 61 of a possible 64 regular-season games and logged 20 starts. Sixteen of those starts came last season, when he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 29th-best center (39 qualifiers).

Bears To Add Bobby Massie

March 9th, 2016 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:54pm: It’ll be a three-year deal for Massie, tweets Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, while Cole adds (via Twitter) that the contract is worth $18MM.

3:57pm: Bobby Massie and the Bears have reached an agreement to bring the tackle to Chicago, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.

Massie started for three seasons with the Cardinals and was linked to multiple teams during his initial free agency foray but opted to sign with the Bears. Terms of the deal are not yet disclosed.

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. The NFL suspended Massie for the first three games of last season, a ban that was reduced to two, for a substance-abuse policy violation.

Upon return, Massie didn’t fare too well, per Pro Football Focus. The soon-to-be 27-year-old blocker ranked 45th at tackle, although the site is highly critical of tackles’ play.

In 2014, Massie played all 1,089 snaps for the Cardinals. But the team drafted tackle D.J. Humphries in the first round in 2015 and already employs a second-contract cog as its left tackle in Jared Veldheer.

The Bears also have an interesting quandary on their front now that Massie appears to be in the fold. Kyle Long started all 16 games at right tackle for Chicago last season but played his previous two slates as the Bears’ right guard. The fourth-year veteran and extension candidate’s previously been pegged to play tackle for the Bears next season; that could now be on the left side, where 2014 seventh-round pick Charles Leno resided in 2015.

Chicago could move Long back to guard, where he was a productive talent and a two-time Pro Bowler. Long made the Pro Bowl last year as a right tackle, so his versatility will benefit the Bears as they add a proven component to their starting front.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images

Browns To Cut Johnny Manziel This Week

March 9th, 2016 at 4:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

4:51pm: The Browns will cut Manziel sometime this week, Kinkhabwala reports (on Twitter).

4:21pm: It was widely reported over the last several weeks that the Browns would cut quarterback Johnny Manziel today – the first day of the league year – but that will not happen (yet), according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wonders (on Twitter) if the Browns are holding off on releasing Manziel in hopes of a quarterback-needy team trading a late-round pick for him within the next couple days.

Notably, if the Browns release Manziel before June 1, they’ll incur upward of $2.8MM in dead money. On the other hand, if they designate him a post-June 1 cut, they’ll rid themselves of any dead money responsibility. Further, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter pointed out earlier this week (via Cork Gaines of Business Insider), the Browns will be in posiiton to recoup some of Manziel’s bonus money if the NFL goes the likely route and suspends him for his off-field behavior. Thus, the Browns have clear incentive to keep Manziel until June 1 at the latest. He certainly won’t return to Cleveland for a third season.

Since the Browns drafted the former Texas A&M star in the 2014 first round, he has appeared in 15 games, made eight starts, and tossed seven touchdowns and seven picks. Manziel showed progress in parts of his six starts last season, but his off-field issues overshadowed his positive steps on the gridiron and have carried into the offseason. The Dallas County District Attorney’s office is currently investigating the 23-year-old over a Jan. 30 altercation with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, who alleges that Manziel assaulted her and ruptured her eardrum.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tony Bergstrom, Texans Agree To Terms

March 9th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Raiders reserve Tony Bergstrom looks to get a chance at replacing Ben Jones as the Texans’ center, agreeing to terms with Houston, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter).

Bergstrom’s agreement with the Texans is for two years, according to the Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter).

Houston’s been incredibly active in attempting to transform its offense, signing Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller. But the Texans also lost Jones and guard Brandon Brooks today, when Jones reached an agreement with the Titans and Brooks opted to join the Eagles.

A third-round pick of the Raiders’ in 2012, Bergstrom’s served as line depth for the most part during his career. Bergstrom’s started four games, including three last season when he filled in for the injured Rodney Hudson. He also has played guard, which could be important given the Texans’ need at that position after Brooks defected to Philadelphia.

Despite entering only his fifth season, Bergstrom will turn 30 before his first prospective regular-season game with the Texans.

Chargers Sign Dwight Lowery

March 9th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chargers have added some depth and experience to their defense backfield, as the team announced that they’ve signed veteran safety Dwight Lowery to a three-year contract.

The journeyman had one of his best seasons in 2015 with the Colts. The 30-year-old started all 16 games, finishing with 76 tackles, one sack, four interceptions, and nine passes defended. The eight-year veteran also spent time with the Jets, Jaguars, and Falcons, compiling 266 tackles, five sacks, and 16 interceptions throughout his career.

Despite his apparent improvement this past year, Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance. Lowery ranked 49th among those at his position, although he was the Colts’ highest-rated safety. He ranked eighth in our list of the top free agent safeties.

Chiefs Docked Two Draft Picks, Fined $250K

March 9th, 2016 at 4:49pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin during free agency last year, and now the NFL is imposing discipline on the club for the path it took to land the receiver. The Chiefs will forfeit a third-round pick this year and a sixth-rounder in 2017 because of a violation of the league’s anti-tampering policy (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). Additionally, the league has fined the team $250K, head coach Andy Reid $75K, and general manager John Dorsey $25K.

The Chiefs allegedly had contact with Maclin during the league’s legal tampering window prior to free agency, but that’s not allowed. Teams are only permitted to talk with player representatives in that time frame.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt has issued a statement in response to the league’s decision (via the team’s website):

“Today we were informed by the National Football League that our club will be disciplined for an infraction during the 2015 free agency negotiating period.

“While we respect Commissioner Goodell and the process, we believe that the penalties proposed in this case are inconsistent with discipline enforced in similar matters – particularly given the league’s inconsistent communication of its policies on contact with potential free agents.

“As an organization, we take great care to conduct ourselves with integrity and operate within the guidelines of the NFL. We have been fully cooperative and transparent with the league in this matter, and we are disappointed with the league’s decision. I want to make it clear that I fully support the leadership of both Coach Reid and John Dorsey. We will continue to explore our options under the appeal process.”

An appeal is indeed on the way, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Robert Ayers To Visit Buccaneers

March 9th, 2016 at 4:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Defensive end Robert Ayers, the best pass rusher left on the free agent market, has a visit set up with the Buccaneers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

With the Giants having agreed to deals with fellow ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon, it appears Ayers’ stint with Big Blue will end after two years. During those two campaigns, the 30-year-old appeared in 24 regular-season games and recorded 14 sacks. Ayers has registered five-plus sacks in three straight years, including a career-best nine (plus 18 quarterback hurries) last season.

The 273-pounder has primarily been a reserve in his seven-year career (five with Denver), but he has totaled double-digit starts three times (including 11 in 2015-16). For his work last season, Ayers earned a tremendous mark from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him eighth out of 110 qualifying edge defenders.

If Ayers signs with the Bucs, he’ll join a team that was middle of the pack in sacks last season with 38. However, none of Tampa’s edge rushers had more than seven. It might take upward of $10MM per year to sign Ayers, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report named that as his asking price earlier this week (Twitter link).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears To Re-Up Tracy Porter

March 9th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

A member of four different teams from 2012-15, former Super Bowl hero Tracy Porter looks to be sticking in the same place for the first time since 2011.

The Bears are re-signing the veteran cornerback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year deal for Porter, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets.

Following his successful Saints tenure that lasted from 2008-11, one that peaked with the memorable interception-return score that lifted the Saints to their only Super Bowl title in 2009, Porter’s bounced around. He joined the Broncos in 2012 and Raiders, Washington and the Bears in the seasons that followed.

The 29-year-old Porter teamed with 2014 first-round Kyle Fuller last season outside, starting 13 games — the second-most of Porter’s career. Porter’s most came when he broke with the starters for the 2013 Raiders in 16 contests.

Set to turn 30 before the season, Porter will again compete for a starting position with the Bears. He finished last season with 12 passes defensed — one shy of the career-high mark he set in Oakland in 2013 — and one interception. Most importantly, Porter returned to a starting lineup on a consistent basis after starting in just one contest in Washington.

A former second-round pick, Porter will have the opportunity to be a full-time starter for the first time since his Saints stint.