2016 March - Pro Football Rumors

Falcons To Host Mohamed Sanu, May Sign Him

March 9th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

4:30pm: According to Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Sanu’s current asking price exceeds what the Pats had been looking to spend on a receiver. That may increase the odds of Sanu signing a deal with the Falcons before he leaves Atlanta for New England.

3:44pm: Not so fast, says Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Anderson gets an update from Sanu himself, who says the plan is to visit the Patriots after meeting with the Falcons. It’s still possible that the Falcons won’t let the wideout make that visit to New England, locking him up to a new deal during his visit, but it appears it’s not set in stone yet.

3:29pm: Free agent receiver Mohamed Sanu is on his way to Atlanta to sign a deal worth $7MM per year, ESPN’s Dianna Marie Russini reports (Twitter link). A long list of clubs have expressed interest in Sanu, including the Giants, Patriots, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Washington, but the Falcons will come out on top for his services.

Sanu, whom the Bengals selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, totaled 152 receptions and 15 touchdowns in Cincy. Eleven of those scores came as a receiver, while he also ran and passed for two apiece. The 26-year-old took a backseat in the Bengals’ passing game last season to A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones, catching 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs. He was far more productive in 2014, though, putting up career bests in catches (56), receiving yards (790), YPC (14.1) and TDs (five). He’s a good bet to return to similar form as the Falcons’ top option behind Julio Jones.

Sanu is the second Bengals wideout to depart Cincinnati today, joining Jones – who’s headed to the Lions on a five-year, $40MM accord. Prior to free agency, Sanu ranked as PFR’s seventh-best available receiver.

Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints To Re-Sign Kai Forbath

March 9th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Midseason pickup Kai Forbath appears to have impressed his new team sufficiently. The Saints look to have re-signed the kicker from the second half of 2015, with Forbath posting on Instagram he’s going to be back with the team next season.

The length or salary structure of Forbath’s agreement with the Saints is not yet known.

The Saints signed Forbath last October after Washington released him a month earlier. Forbath went on to make 9-of-13 field goal attempts — including a 57-yarder — and 33-of-34 extra points.

Forbath, 28, served as Washington’s kicker for three seasons prior to his release. He worked out for the Steelers just before signing with the Saints, but Pittsburgh opted to go with Chris Boswell instead.

Four Teams Express Interest in C.J. Anderson

March 9th, 2016 at 4:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Broncos free agent C.J. Anderson is generating plenty of intrigue from other teams, as Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com reports that the Patriots, Dolphins, 49ers, and Bears have all expressed interest in the running back.

Still, barring some unforeseen circumstances (or an outrageous contract offer), it appears that Anderson will be returning to the Broncos next season. Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets that Denver is expected to match “just about any” offer sheet handed to the running back.

The organization slapped the 25-year-old with a low-round tender yesterday, which would be worth $1.671MM next season. The Broncos have the right to match any offer sheet extended to the free agent, but they won’t receive any compensation if he bolts to another team.

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 difficult season, Anderson managed to run for 90 yards and a touchdown during this past season’s Super Bowl.

Cardinals Tender RFA D.J. Swearinger

March 9th, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

4:00pm: It’s actually an original round tender for Swearinger, which will pay him $1.671MM, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. But because Swearinger was drafted in the second round, the Cardinals would receive a second-rounder as compensation if they declined to match an offer sheet.

3:53pm: The Cardinals have slapped a second-round tender on safety D.J. Swearinger, who will make $2.55MM in 2016 as a result, according to Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). There was a report last week that the Cardinals had tendered Swearinger at the lowest level, but that obviously appears false. Now, should any team attempt to sign Swearinger, it will have
to surrender a second-rounder for his services.

Given Arizona’s move to place a low-level tender on fellow safety Tony Jefferson last week, its decision to put second-round value on Swearinger is curious. Jefferson has appeared in all 48 possible regular-season games (17 starts) as a Cardinal, playing in over 70% of their defensive snaps in 2015-16. The production has been there, too — Jefferson graded as the No. 18 safety among 88 qualifiers in 2015, per Pro Football Focus.

Swearinger, on the other hand, joined the Cardinals last season after the Buccaneers waived him. He appeared in seven games (zero starts) and registered 12 tackles. PFF gave him a 55.1 overall grade, far below Jefferson’s 81.3. The 24-year-old Swearinger was Houston’s second-round pick in 2013. He started 22 of 32 regular-season games for the Texans, with whom he picked off four passes and forced three fumbles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Sign Travis Benjamin

March 9th, 2016 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

3:55pm: The Chargers have officially announced the deal on the team’s website.

“We are very happy to add Travis Benjamin to our football team,” said general manager Tom Telesco. “We think he has the potential to help our offense and special teams in many different ways.”

2:57pm: It’s a four-year deal worth $24MM, per Rapoport (Twitter link). $13MM is guaranteed, and Benjamin will earn $18MM during the first three years.

7:25am: The Chargers are set to add a complement to Keenan Allen at wide receiver, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network, who reports (via Twitter) that Browns free agent Travis Benjamin intends to sign with San Diego when the new league year begins. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported that the Chargers had emerged as “the team to beat” for Benjamin.

After catching just 41 passes in his first three seasons, Benjamin broke out in 2015, with 68 receptions, 966 yards, and five touchdowns. The multi-purpose weapon also continued to handle punt returns for the Browns, averaging 11.6 yards per return and returning one for a touchdown. While he may not be the sort of prototypical, big-bodied receiver that some teams may prefer, he looks like one of the top options in this year’s class of free agent wideouts.

The Texans displayed interest in Benjamin, but the bidding got too expensive for their liking, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the free agent wideout was seeking $6MM+ per year. The Falcons were also among the teams cited as suitors for Benjamin, whom the Browns had reportedly wanted to re-sign.

Despite the fact that Allen missed nearly half the season for the Chargers in 2015, no other wide receiver on the team came close to matching his 67 receptions. Steve Johnson ranked second among the club’s wideouts with 45 catches, so it makes sense that the team would have wanted to fortify the position this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Release Paul Soliai

March 9th, 2016 at 3:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MARCH 9, 3:51pm: The Falcons made Soliai’s release official, according to the team’s website.

FEBRUARY 21, 6:02pm: Soliai’s agent, David Canter, confirmed the lineman’s impending release. “We couldn’t agree on terms,” Canter told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

FEBRUARY 20, 8:06pm: Atlanta will indeed designate Soliai as a post-June 1 cut, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). As noted below, this means the Falcons will take on $1.4MM in dead money this year, and $2.8MM in 2017.

FEBRUARY 20, 7:35pm: The Falcons will release defensive tackle Paul Soliai on or after the start of the new league year on March 9, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. A report yesterday indicated that Atlanta had approached Soliai’s representatives about accepting a pay cut, and also noted that the veteran lineman was unlikely to do so, preferring to take his chances on the open market.

By waiting until March 9, the Falcons will absorb Soliai’s dead money hit — a charge of $4.2MM — on their 2016 salary cap. If the club opts to designate Soliai as a post-June 1 cut, it will take on dead money totals of $1.4MM in 2016 and and $2.8MM in 2017. Depending on what approach Atlanta takes, the team’s remaining 2016 cap space will fall to somewhere between $23MM and $26MM.

Having just finished the second season of a five-year deal, the 32-year-old Soliai was poised to earn a base salary of $4.5MM, accompanied by a cap figure of $6.9MM. From the Falcons’ perspective, that cap charge was likely excessive, as Soliai’s snap count in Dan Quinn‘s defense had dropped to 357 in 2015 (down from 502 in Mike Smith‘s unit in 2014). Add in the fact that Soliai wasn’t overly effective, grading as just the No. 57 interior defender last season per Pro Football Focus, and it probably makes sense that Atlanta is cutting bait.

Soliai will join a class of free agent defensive tackles that includes Damon Harrison, Nick Fairley, Terrance Knighton, and Haloti Ngata, among others. Capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Soliai shouldn’t have any trouble finding a roster spot for the upcoming season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Release Andre Johnson

March 9th, 2016 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 9: The Colts announced that they’ve released Johnson.

MARCH 4: To no one’s surprise, the Colts have told wide receiver Andre Johnson that they will be releasing him, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. A February report had suggested that Johnson had played his last down in Indianapolis.

After spending 12 seasons in Houston, Johnson signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Colts a year ago, and looked poised to enjoy the benefits of catching balls from Andrew Luck after playing with a cavalcade of mediocre quarterbacks over the years with the Texans. However, Luck missed more than half the season, and Johnson struggled, averaging a career-low 31.4 receiving yards per game. For the season, he had 41 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns, easily the worst full-season marks of his career.

Given how weak this year’s free agent market for wide receivers is, Johnson would likely receive interest from a handful of teams when he officially becomes available. But for a player who averaged more than 1,100 receiving yards per season during the first 12 years of his career, earning seven Pro Bowl nods during that time, last year’s drop-off was precipitous.

Nonetheless, agent Kennard McGuire recently indicated that his client isn’t contemplating retirement, telling Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) that Johnson doesn’t intend to call it a career anytime soon. “Retirement hasn’t been discussed,” McGuire said. “Andre is training and preparing for next season.”

Half of Johnson’s $5MM base salary for 2016 is fully guaranteed, so releasing the veteran wideout will leave $2.5MM in dead money on the Colts’ books. However, the club will clear the other half of that salary and will avoid paying Johnson a $2.5MM roster bonus, creating $5MM in overall cap savings for the coming season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Falcons Sign Matt Schaub

March 9th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Matt Schaub will return to the city where his career began, as the Falcons announced that they’ve signed the veteran quarterback to backup starter Matt Ryan.

A report late last month indicated that a Schaub return was a possibility, and now it’s been made a reality. Atlanta selected Schaub in the third round of the 2004 draft, but he started just two games over three seasons before being traded to the Texans in 2007. Schaub had a strong six-year run in Houston from 2007-2012, averaging nearly 3,500 yards and 19 touchdowns per season, while posting a record of 44-36.

But things fell apart in 2013 — Schaub threw 14 interceptions in only eight starts before getting benched. He was subsequently traded to Oakland, but lost out to rookie Derek Carr for the starting job. Schaub then spent last season as Joe Flacco‘s backup in Baltimore.

Schaub, 34, is unlikely to see much action with the Falcons. Ryan has missed just two games during the course of eight-year career.

Titans To Sign Matt Cassel

March 9th, 2016 at 3:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Matt Cassel, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cassell will compete with Zach Mettenberger behind starter Marcus Mariota (link).

One has to wonder if the Titans will shop Mettenberger now that they have a capable veteran backup in Cassel. The 33-year-old fared poorly in place of Tony Romo last season in Dallas, but one has to imagine that Mettenberger is not thrilled about playing the backup role to Mariota. At the same time, there are several teams with question marks at quarterbacks. It would make plenty of sense for the Titans to move Mettenberger, possibly giving themselves an additional draft pick and some further cap space.

Cassel is entering his 12th NFL season. He has spent time with the Patriots, Chiefs, Vikings, Bills, and Cowboys.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trumaine Johnson Accepts Franchise Tender

March 9th, 2016 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

TODAY, 3:34pm: Johnson has officially signed his franchise tender, reports ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

MARCH 4th, 9:57pm: Johnson has accepted his franchise tender, but he hasn’t signed it yet because he’s awaiting paperwork from the Rams, Fields and a team spokesman told Steve Wyche of NFL Media (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).

8:27pm: Not so fast. Johnson has not signed his franchise tender, according to his agent, Chafie Fields (Twitter link).

2:57pm: Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson has become the fourth player to receive the franchise tag and sign his tender within the next week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Peter Schrager of FOX Sports reported earlier today that Johnson would accept his franchise tender before the end of the work week.

By signing his tender, Johnson guarantees himself a base salary of $13.952MM for the 2016 season. He joins Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, and Bills offensive tackle Cordy Glenn as franchised players who have accepted the one-year offers from their respective clubs.

Johnson, 26, had just 20 career starts on his NFL résumé prior to 2015, but he established himself as a reliable starting cornerback last season, picking up 71 tackles, seven interceptions, and 17 passes defended. His performance earned him the Rams’ franchise tag over fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who also reportedly received consideration.

The Rams and Johnson can still work out a multiyear contract anytime before July 15th, but if the two sides don’t strike a deal by that date, the cornerback will play the 2016 season on his one-year franchise contract, and would be eligible for unrestricted free agency again next winter.

Signing the franchise tender ensures that Johnson is no longer technically a free agent, and he can’t explore signing an offer sheet with another team — of course, any club interested in signing him would have had to give up two first-round picks to do so, meaning that was never a realistic outcome.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.