One of the unlikelier contract-year success stories in recent memory, A.J. Bouye transformed his career in 2016 and is set to cash in on the open market. The Texans haven’t given up re-signing him, but the sides are still far apart on negotiations, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Pro Football Focus’ top 2016 corner that doesn’t start in Denver, Bouye could be looking at a deal north of Janoris Jenkins‘ five-year, $62.5MM deal on the open market. The 25-year-old ex-UDFA sits atop PFR’s free agent rankings after Houston made the decision not to use the franchise tag on him.
Here’s more news regarding the respective free agencies of some of the top cornerbacks available.
- Not a team that traditionally opts for free agency splashes, the Steelers are interested in signing Bengals UFA corner Dre Kirkpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Titans do not share the same type of hesitancy when it comes to the market, and Rapoport notes they are also interested in the sixth-year cover man. The Steelers covet Kirpatrick’s length as a 6-1 corner, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. Kirkpatrick said in December he would like to stay in Cincinnati, but nothing’s emerged on that front since. PFR’s Dallas Robinson rates the former first-rounder as the No. 5 corner available in free agency.
- Brandon Carr does not appear to be considering retirement like he was after the Cowboys‘ divisional-round loss in January. Instead, the 30-year-old corner looks set to see what’s out there in free agency. “I’m looking forward to it,” Carr said of free agency, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “I love defending the star. I love representing everything that comes with the Dallas Cowboys organization, so that’s first and foremost. But also, you have to play the game. There’s a business side to it as well, and I’m prepared to do both.” Carr won’t be signing for $10MM annually like he did in 2012 but should generate some interest as a second-tier option. The veteran defender who grew up a Cowboys fan is one of two corners, joining Morris Claiborne, that could defect from Dallas this month.
- The Saints have expressed interest in bringing back Sterling Moore, Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports. Moore said last month he was certain mutual interest existed between he and the Saints, and there now appears to be something to that. The 26-year-old corner helped stabilize a ravaged New Orleans cornerback group, one that lost Delvin Breaux for much of the season and P.J. Williams for nearly all of it. Moore played on a one-year deal in New Orleans last season after bouncing from the Patriots to the Cowboys to the Buccaneers between 2011-15. PFF tabbed Moore as the Saints’ top corner last season.