Alterraun Verner - Pro Football Rumors

Titans Notes: Verner, Woodyard, Stewart

March 14th, 2014 at 5:24pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Buccaneer Alterraun Verner spoke earlier about his decision to leave the Titans earlier today, saying he felt undervalued by the team, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com.

“I think it’s very tough because there’s a lot of changeover, new coaches and everything like that,” Verner said. “At times, I felt that I could have been undervalued or maybe not appreciated enough.”

He said the Titans offered him a contract close to what he got in Tampa Bay, but the decision was not solely about the money.

Details of Wesley Woodyard‘s new contract with the Titanns have been released, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). The $16MM contract includes $4.75MM in guaranteed money.
Wyatt also reported that the team’s former right tackle David Stewart is unlikely to continue his career (via Twitter). Stewart was released earlier in the week.
Chris Johnson has become more willing to take a pay cut if it helps the Titans to trade him, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It is unclear if teams would be interested in the 28-year-old running back.

Buccaneers Sign Alterraun Verner

March 12th, 2014 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 3:27pm: The Buccaneers tweeted that the deal is official.

TUESDAY, 8:25pm: The Buccaneers have agreed to terms with cornerback Alterraun Verner, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. The contract is a four-year deal, worth $26.5MM with $14MM in guaranteed money, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Verner was the eighth best free agent available according to PFR’s own Luke Adams, and signed a very favorable deal compared to what other cornerbacks are expected to get in this market. Sam Shields signed a contract that could be worth $39MM to stay with the Packers earlier this offseason, and Aqib Talib, Vontae Davis, and Verner were all allegedly seeking contracts in the range of $8MM-$10MM per year.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets were never serious contenders for Verner’s services (via Twitter). The Giants and Vikings were also thought to be interested in the former Titan.

Contract Details: Verner, Griffen, Mitchell

March 12th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

As part of the 4-year, $26.5MM contract Alterraun Verner will sign with the Buccaneers, $1MM of the total value comes as a Pro Bowl incentive, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Here are the latest contract details from around the NFL..

Everson Griffen‘s $19.8MM of guaranteed money in his new deal with the Vikings comes from a $6MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed $6.9MM base salaries in 2014 and 2015, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. Griffen has a $8.2MM cap number in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 and his cap number rises to $9.7MM in 2018, Corry tweets.If the Vikings cut Griffen after the 2015 season, they owe him nothing and take just a $3.6M cap hit, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Michael Mitchell‘s five-year, $25MM deal with the Steelers calls for him to earn $6MM in the first year followed by a $2MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of 2015 league year, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Toby Gerhart gets a $3MM roster bonus and $1MM base in the first year of his three-year, $10.5MM deal with the Jaguars, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. He also has a $500K roster bonus guaranteed for skill/injury in ’15.
Tyson Jackson gets $9.5MM in first year of his five-year, $25MM pact from the Falcons, Pelissero tweets. He has another $1.5MM in 2015 guaranteed for injury only until next year. Jackson has $11MM guaranteed in total with an $8MM signing bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Wilson (on Twitter) has the goods on Darrell Stuckey‘s deal with the Chargers. It’s a four year, $7.6MM deal with $1.735MM guaranteed and salaries of $730K, $1MM, $1.235MM, and $2.9MM.
Earl Mitchell‘s deal with the Dolphins is as follows, according to Wilson (Twitter link): It’s a four-year, $19MM with $8MM guaranteed and a $2MM bonus. The salaries are $3MM, $4MM, $2.975MM, and $3.975MM .
In the Chiefs‘ two-year deal for Husain Abdullah, he’ll get $2.27MM in total with a $750K signing bonus, Wilson tweets. His salaries are $725K in 2014 and $745K in 2015.
Andre Roberts‘ four-year contract with the Redskins includes a $4MM signing bonus, tweets Zac Boyer of the Washington Times. He’ll count $2.25MM against the cap in 2014.

Titans Rumors: Woods, Woodyard, Verner

March 11th, 2014 at 10:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, the Titans lost Alterraun Verner to the Buccaneers when Tampa Bay reached agreement on a four-year deal, worth $26.5MM with the standout cornerback. Here’s the latest out of Tennessee..

Steelers nose tackle Al Woods is scheduled to visit the Titans on Wednesday, sources tell Wyatt (on Twitter). The 6’4″, 307 pound lineman saw time in all 16 games last season (including two starts) and registered 2.0 sacks.
The Titans are interested in Broncos free agent linebacker Wesley Woodyard, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. First, however, Woodyard will meet with the Patriots.
The Titans made a similar offer to Verner before he eventually opted to take the deal tonight from the Buccaneers, sources tell Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean (on Twitter).

Bucs Intensifying Darrelle Revis Trade Efforts

March 10th, 2014 at 11:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

11:50pm: The Bucs are receiving calls on Revis from interested teams, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

8:47pm: If Revis is released Wednesday, the Jets would only receive the Bucs fourth-round-pick, not their third-rounder, as per the terms last year’s trade, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

8:37pm: In addition to attempting to trade Revis, the Bucs are also trying to rework his contact, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

8:18pm: As of now, the Bucs haven’t found any takers for Revis, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). If no trade partner is found, Revis will likely be released by 4pm on Wednesday, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.

7:45pm: The Buccaneers are “stepping up” their efforts to trade cornerback Darrelle Revis, according to Alex Marvez of FoxSports1 (via Twitter). 2013 was Revis’ first season in Tampa Bay, after the Bucs sent a first-round-pick to the Jets to acquire him. Upon his arrival, he signed a six-year, $96MM contract, none of which was guaranteed.

After missing 2012 with a torn ACL, Revis once again ascended to the top of Pro Football Focus’ cornerback rankings. While Bucs coach Lovie Smith has stated that Revis and his fondness for playing man-to-man coverage could fit in Tampa’s Cover-2 defense, some believe this scheme incongruity might be driving the Revis rumors. But NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports on Twitter that the team is simply “uncomfortable” with paying Revis’ schedule $13MM base salary. In fact, his high salary leads several executives to believe that the Bucs might have to just release Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

The talks could get serious this week, as Revis is due a $1.5MM roster bonus on Thursday, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets. Last week, we noted that both the Broncos and Patriots have expressed interest in acquiring Revis. On the Bucs side, Caplan tweets that some executives believe Alterraun Verner will land in Tampa in the event of Revis being cut or traded, noting that Verner would fit well in Tampa’s Cover-2 scheme.

FA Roundup: Woodley, Allen, Tuck, Mack

March 10th, 2014 at 10:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest on the free agent front:

Many in the Steelers organization believe that linebacker LaMarr Woodley will end up in Tennessee, where he would be reunited with former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
La Canfora also notes that those involved in the defensive end market expect Jared Allen to sign with the Broncos, and Justin Tuck to return to the Giants (Twitter link).
Alex Mack‘s agent tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that he believes he can find his client an offer sheet the Browns may not match. That’s not to say that Mack wants out of Cleveland. However, as a transition player, his best chance of a long-term payday involves signing an offer sheet, and no rival teams will spend time negotiating that offer if they expect the Browns to simply match it.
The Buccaneers have not yet asked left tackle Donald Penn to take a pay cut, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
With Alterraun Verner expected to be out of their price range, the Giants are eyeing other cornerbacks, and have expressed interest in Corey Graham, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz will not return to the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
Defensive tackle Earl Mitchell will not return to the Texans, writes Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com. We noted earlier today that the Chargers will pursue Mitchell.
The Cardinals have interest in cornerback Mike Jenkins, tweets Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910.
Re-signing with the Buccaneers remains a possibility for linebacker Dekoda Watson, but he’ll test the market and begin visiting other teams, starting tomorrow, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times.
The Eagles have contacted several free agents, and among them are Lamarr Houston, Graham, and Nolan Carroll, according to Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

CB Rumors: Talib, Rogers, Verner, Davis

March 10th, 2014 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Perhaps the best corner in the league appears to be available via trade, but let’s look at some news regarding free agent cornerbacks:

Aqib Talib is “very close” to a new contract with the Patriots, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington.
Russini also tweets that the Redskins want Talib, but that the Patriots are offering a better deal.
Meanwhile, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com doesn’t expect the Redskins to “heavily pursue” Talib (via Twitter).
Carlos Rogers would “love” to return to the Redskins after being released by the 49ers, and the two sides are discussing a reunion, according to Russini (on Twitter).
It would be an upset if the Jets don’t sign either Vontae Davis or Alterraun Verner to replace Antonio Cromartie, as the Jets defense is based around solid cornerback play, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. We previously noted that Jets could be the mystery team in on Davis, who is expected to sign tomorrow.
Verner has interest in both the Jets and the Giants, saying “both those teams could win and have capabilities,” according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Sulia).
The Titans remain in conversation with Verner, but they probably won’t be able to match the money offered by other teams, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.
The Ravens would like to retain Corey Graham, but he’s drawn interest from the Redskins, Giants, and Eagles, according to Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com (on Twitter).

DB Rumors: Byrd, Whitner, 49ers, Cromartie

March 10th, 2014 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Cornerback is one of the deepest positions on the free agent market this year, and there are plenty of intriguing names among the free agent safeties as well. Let’s dive in and check out the latest rumors on defensive backs….

A source told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) last night that the asking price for the top free agent safeties ranged from $6MM (Donte Whitner) to $8MM (Jairus Byrd) per year, with T.J. Ward in the middle at $7MM. Biggs admits that he’s not sure if that’s changed today.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link) hears that Byrd is asking for more than $8MM, and while that price has scared some teams away, the safety may ultimately land that amount.
It’s highly unlikely that the Bears land Whitner, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter), who adds that it sounds like Chicago is looking elsewhere for a safety. The team also isn’t likely to be a major player for Byrd, tweets Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times.
The 49ers and Tarell Brown both appear to be testing the market, with San Francisco exploring other cornerback options and Brown looking into other suitors. Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says the Niners have checked in on Nolan Carroll.
Top free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner told SiriusXM’s Chris Russo the Patriots are “definitely a possibility” and added that Devin McCourty has been “lobbying” for him to come to New England, tweets Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com.
Antonio Cromartie told ESPN Radio New York that the Jets never tried to renegotiate his current deal but the “door is open” for a return, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. It sounds like he’ll test the market and assess all his options though.
John Clayton of ESPN.com (on Twitter) offers up an early prediction that Patriots free agent cornerback Aqib Talib will end up with the Redskins.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Alterraun Verner Rumors: Monday

March 10th, 2014 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Both New York teams have been linked to free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner, with the latest reports suggesting that Verner is one of many defensive backs the Jets have inquired on, while the Giants may bow out of the Verner sweepstakes if it takes $10MM per year to land him. Here’s more on the free agent I ranked as the eighth-best in this year’s class:

Appearing on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Verner made a number of interesting comments. Verner suggested he’d like to go to a team that he thinks can win, and that he might be more interested in being among a team’s highest-paid players at $6-7MM than earning $8-9MM and not being among the highest paid (all Twitter links). He added that he expects to make a decision fairly quickly (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

There’s still no movement between Verner and the Titans on a new deal, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who says there are at least six teams in the mix for the cornerback (Twitter link).
Like Peter King, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger hears it could take $10MM annually to sign Verner, and says that price is likely out of the Giants‘ range. As Raanan writes, the Giants have multiple holes to fill and will be reluctant to spend heavily on any one player.
Verner is one of the prospective free agents that the Steelers have expressed interest in, according to Scott Brown of ESPN.com. Given Pittsburgh’s cap situation and Verner’s rumored asking price, it’s hard to see how the team could afford to bring in the Titans cornerback, but he’s at least on the radar. According to Brown, the Steelers have also inquired on Captain Munnerlyn and Nolan Carroll.

AFC Rumors: Jets, Howard, Titans, Steelers

March 10th, 2014 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

With Antonio Cromartie no longer in the mix in New York, the Jets have turned their attention to other notable free agent defensive backs. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported late last night that the Jets were eyeing safety T.J. Ward, and he hears today from a team source that the club has also inquired on several other DBs. According to Mehta (via Twitter), New York has “varying degrees of interest” in safety Chris Clemons and cornerbacks Alterraun Verner and Captain Munnerlyn. Here are a few more Monday rumors relating to AFC teams:

The Jets continue to negotiate with Austin Howard, but other teams have expressed interest in the free agent tackle, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post.
We heard earlier today that defensive lineman Antonio Smith has drawn interest from four teams, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean thinks the Titans are probably one of those clubs (Twitter link).
The Steelers are among the clubs to inquire on free agent cornerback Nolan Carroll, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) hears that there’s only $5.255MM of guaranteed money in Red Bryant‘s four-year contract with the Jaguars, making it a fairly low-risk move for the club.
Long snapper Danny Aiken‘s new one-year deal with the Patriots includes a $55K signing bonus and $25K workout bonus on top of his minimum base salary, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter).