2017 August - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys, Zack Martin “Deep In Talks”

August 9th, 2017 at 5:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

An extension for Cowboys guard Zack Martin has seemed like a foregone conclusion for several months, but executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed Tuesday that negotiations between the two sides haven’t been easy. The parties are “deep in talks” at the moment, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, though a deal isn’t imminent (Twitter link).

With Tom Condon serving as his representative, the 26-year-old Martin has the same agent as the highest-paid guard in the league, the Browns’ Kevin Zeitler, who left Cincinnati for Cleveland’s five-year, $60MM offer in free agency. Martin would like to surpass that mark, Rapoport suggests, which explains why Jones believes that contract talks have been tough. While Martin has been an elite guard during his three years in the league, the Cowboys still own his rights for another two seasons. They’re not competing against other teams to keep him, then, whereas the Browns had to outdo various clubs’ offers to secure the 27-year-old Zeitler.

Martin is due to make a relative pittance in 2017 – $1.64MM – and scheduled to rake in $9.34MM next season as a fifth-year option player. That’s a high figure, of course, but it’s a good deal less than the $12MM per year for which he’s aiming. Nevertheless, the expectation is that the Cowboys will lock him up at some point.

Since Dallas chose Martin 16th overall in 2014, the ex-Notre Dame standout has started 48 straight regular-season games. Martin has combined durability with excellence along the way, having earned three Pro Bowl berths in as many years and a pair of first-team All-Pro nods. He finished as Pro Football Focus’ second-best guard last year, beating out the seventh-ranked Zeitler, and a key piece of PFF’s No. 2 overall O-line.

Colts Release Kendall Langford

August 9th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Colts announced that they have released defensive end Kendall Langford with a failed physical designation. Langford had been on the Colts’ active/physically unable to perform list recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2016 campaign in late October.

The 31-year-old Langford’s knee has been a problem since after the 2015 season, when he underwent arthroscopic surgery. Langford returned in time for Week 1 last year, but he only lasted seven games before the Colts placed him on injured reserve. All told, Langford played 301 snaps and tallied 10 tackles. Notably, he failed to register a sack for just the second time in his nine-year career and the first time since 2011, when he was with the Dolphins.

Last season was the second in Indianapolis for Langford, who joined the team in March 2015 on a four-year, $17.2MM pact. Langford came to the Colts with an impressive track record of durability and continued that through 2015, appearing in 128 consecutive games to begin his career, and notched a personal-best seven sacks in Indy during his first season with the club.

Since going in the third round of the 2008 draft, Langford has piled up 135 appearances (113 starts) out of a possible 144 with the Dolphins, Rams and Colts. By releasing him, the Colts have saved $4MM of his $4.25MM cap number for 2017 and left themselves with Henry Anderson, Hassan Ridgeway, Margus Hunt and fourth-round rookie Grover Stewart at defensive end.

NFC West Notes: Kaepernick, Seahawks, 49ers

August 9th, 2017 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Although the Seahawks chose to sign Austin Davis instead of Colin Kaepernick, Seattle general manager John Schneider had nothing but positive words for the free agent quarterback, according to Jeremy Bregman of NFL.com.

“He is committed to football, there’s no question about it,” Schneider said. “The thing that maybe is a misconception is he’s a really, really nice man and he has his thoughts, he has his plan and it’s one of those things where it’s right time, right fit and I’m sure he’s going to find it.”

Kaepernick was internally discussed as an option for the Dolphins before they signed Jay Cutler, and he’s also on the Ravens‘ radar while Joe Flacco deals with a back injury.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

Prior to his release earlier this year, the 49ers were in discussions with Tramaine Brock about a new contract, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. However, the Niners will not circle back to him even after learning that the charges against him have been dropped.
49ers guard Joshua Garnett will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and the team admits his Week 1 status is shaky. “Timeframe, I haven’t been given one yet,” Shanahan said (transcription via PFT). “I’m hoping that he has a chance for Week 1, but I know that’s going to be a battle.” That jibes with previous reports about Garnett’s timeline.
The release of Jeremy Zuttah was a difficult decision, but coach Kyle Shanahan said it was made easier by the fact that Daniel Kilgore has established himself at center (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com). Kilgore will likely serve as the team’s starting center now that Zuttah is out of the picture.

49ers Waive C Jeremy Zuttah

August 9th, 2017 at 1:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Jeremy Zuttah‘s time in San Francisco did not last long. The center has been waived, per an announcement from the 49ers. In a related move, the team signed linebacker Sean Porter.

Zuttah will now seek his third team of the offseason. In March, the Ravens decided to waive Zuttah before a last-minute call from the Niners turned the transaction into a trade. At the time, Zuttah was expected to slot in as the team’s starting center.

Apparently, Zuttah did not meet expectations. Daniel Kilgore now profiles as the team’s new starter while Tim Barnes, who previously served as the Rams’ starting center for multiple seasons, should be his primary backup.

Zuttah was the Ravens’ starter in the middle from 2014 through 2016. Last year, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus placed Zuttah as the 13th best center in the league. His 82.7 score was his best showing since his rookie campaign.

49ers Not Interested In Tramaine Brock

August 9th, 2017 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

After he was cleared of domestic violence charges on Wednesday morning, it may not be long before we see Tramaine Brock back in the NFL. It just won’t be with the 49ers. Despite a report to the contrary, a Niners spokesman says the team did not reach out to Brock’s camp and there is no interest in re-signing him (Twitter link via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Brock, a top-25 cornerback last season according to Pro Football Focus, is objectively the most talented cornerback left on the open market. Still, teams will be wary of the public relations backlash that comes with signing him. There’s also a strong possibility that he will have to serve a multi-game suspension during the 2017 season.

Brock appeared in 80 games for the Niners over the years, including starts in game in 2015 and 2016, save for one missed contest.

Cowboys, Chris Jones Agree To Extension

August 9th, 2017 at 1:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have signed punter Chris Jones to an four-year extension through 2021, according to ESPN.com’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). Jones was set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season.

The four-year extension is worth $8.7MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. That includes $4.5MM guaranteed.

Jones averaged 45.9 yards per punt in 2016, which is roughly in line with his career average. As noted by Kristi Scales of the Dallas Morning News, the veteran has the team’s’ all-time highest percentage of punts downed inside the 20 with 39.9% (113 of 283). Teams will only go so far to lock down special teams players, but the Cowboys felt the need to lock down Jones at a reasonable cost for years to come.

Jones has been with the Cowboys since 2011 when he filled in for Mat McBriar. However, non-Cowboys fans may remember him best for his crushing tackle on Lions punt returner Andre Roberts last year.

Reactions To Devonta Freeman’s New Deal

August 9th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

fOn Wednesday morning, Devonta Freeman finally signed a long-term extension with the Falcons. The new deal means that the Falcons can keep their star running back through the 2022 season and is reportedly worth $41.25MM. Was it worth it for Freeman to give up next year’s franchise tag or a shot at the open market? Reasonable minds can differ on that, Mike Florio of PFT writes.

Freeman gets $22MM in guarantees (including a $15MM signing bonus) and that’s significant for a player who has yet to have his big payday in the NFL. On the other hand, the five-year extension hardly guarantees Freeman’s place in Atlanta for the full term. In essence, the Falcons are really only tied to Freeman for three years. After that, it’s fairly easy to hit the eject button.

Still, Freeman is not in the same position as a high-end quarterback. The risk of injury for running backs is far greater and there is greater incentive for them to grab the guaranteed dollars when they can.

Here are some other takes on Freeman’s new contract:

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link) has a more complete breakdown of Freeman’s finances. Of note: Freeman’s $3.75MM salary for 2019 is guaranteed for injury only at time of signing but converts to a full guarantee in March of 2019. That means that if Freeman’s performance declines, the Falcons can cut ties with him just two years from now. After that, his 2020-22 salaries are not guaranteed.
Former agent Joel Corry (on Twitter) doesn’t believe that Steelers star Le’Veon Bell will match Devonta Freeman’s $22MM of guarantees if/when he signs his long term deal with Pittsburgh. For comparison, fellow Steelers standout Antonio Brown has $19MM of guarantees on his $17MM per year deal.
In addition to Freeman’s deal, Cardinals back David Johnson should consider the deal Bell rejected as a part of the running back marketplace if Bell remains unsigned in 2018, Corry tweets. Prior to this year’s franchise player extension deadline, Bell said no to a five-year deal worth roughly $60MM. The proposal included $30MM across the first two years of the contract and $42MM over the first three seasons. Bell reportedly turned the deal down in part because he wanted a deal that reflected his status as an elite running back but also as a top receiving option.

Tramaine Brock Has Charges Dropped

August 9th, 2017 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

The felony domestic violence case against former 49ers cornerback Tramaine Brock has been dismissed, according to the Santa Clara district attorney’s spokesman (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com). Brock is currently a free agent and he may wind up as one of the league’s most popular available players in the coming days.

Already, at least five teams want to bring Brock in for a workout, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) hears. Caplan terms Brock as the best available cornerback remaining on the market, and there’s definitely a case to be made for that at this stage of the offseason. Despite some rumblings to the contrary, the incumbent 49ers are not among the clubs with interest.

Brock, 29 later this month, was arrested on domestic violence charges in April. Officers responded to a domestic violence report and found “visible facial injuries” on the woman Brock is dating. The league may have something to say about the incident, but, legally speaking, Brock is in the clear.

The 28-year-old Brock has spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Niners after first joining the team undrafted free agent in 2010. He went on to start in 40 of 80 appearances and totaled eleven interceptions.

He’s coming off his first 16-start season, in which he amassed a career-high 58 tackles, logged 14 passes defensed and picked off a pass. He also ranked 23rd in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 111 qualified corners.

Lions Re-Sign TE Tim Wright

August 9th, 2017 at 8:52am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions have re-signed free agent tight end Tim Wright, the club announced today. In a related move, Detroit has waived fellow tight end Brandon Barnes.

Wright, 27, was originally traded to the Lions prior to the 2015 season, and managed nine receptions in nine games during that campaign. The former Buccaneer and Patriot, who has 41 career games under his belt, looked primed to contend for a roster spot in 2016, but a torn ACL in May ended Wright’s season before it began. He spent the entirety of the year on injured reserve, and reached the open market this spring.

Detroit has already addressed its tight end group this offseason, as it signed former Cardinal Darren Fells and selected Toledo product Michael Roberts in the fourth round of the draft. While other reserve options include Khari Lee and Cole Wick, starter Eric Ebron is already dealing with a hamstring injury, so the Lions are searching for a bit more depth in the form of Wright.

Barnes, meanwhile, is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Alabama State. He managed five receptions, 85 yards, and one touchdown during his final collegiate season.

Falcons Extend RB Devonta Freeman

August 9th, 2017 at 8:10am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons and running back Devonta Freeman have reached agreement on a five-year extension, the club announced today. The deal, which will keep Freeman in Atlanta through the 2022 campaign, is reportedly worth $41.25MM, which makes Freeman the league’s second-highest-paid running back in the NFL, behind only the franchise-tagged Le’Veon Bell. Freeman will earn $22MM in guarantees — a total which includes a $15MM signing bonus — and $26MM over the first three years of the pact.

Negotiations between Freeman and Atlanta had seemingly been enveloped by cooperation on both sides, as the only comment from either party that was even mildly rancorous — Freeman’s notion that he’d be seeking “elite money” — had since been walked back. Freeman had indicated that he wouldn’t request a trade, wouldn’t hold out, and was willing to wait until next spring for talks to resume, while general manager Thomas Dimitroff suggested a Freeman extension was an important item on the Falcons’ itinerary.

Given that Bell is something of an outlier as he plays out the 2017 season on the franchise tender, Freeman is now the NFL’s top-paid back currently working on a multi-year deal. His $8.125MM annual salary slots him just ahead of Bills running back LeSean McCoy, who is earning $8.01MM per annum, and the Buccaneers’ Doug Martin, who is at $7.15MM per season. Freeman had been scheduled to earn just $1.797MM in base salary for the upcoming year.

Freeman, 25, has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of the past two seasons, and averaged 1,068 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns during that span. He’s also been highly effective in the passing game, where he averaged 64 receptions and 520 yards from 2015-16. He’ll return in 2017 along with most of a Falcons offense that ranked first in DVOA a season ago, with the only real change coming at coordinator, where Steve Sarkisian is replacing Kyle Shanahan.

Mike Silver of NFL.com first reported the extension and its basic terms (Twitter links). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) followed with more contractual details. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.