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Alterraun Verner

AFC East Notes: Byrd, Verner, Dolphins

March 8th, 2014 at 4:23pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Bills did not place the franchise tag on safety Jairus Byrd, electing to instead sign safety Aaron Williams to a long-term contract. However, Williams says that Byrd still wants to return to the Bills, writes Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk.

Williams said that the two safeties have a great friendship and talk all the time. Byrd and the Bills are still able to come to an agreement on a deal to keep him in Buffalo for a long time.

Here are some other free agency notes from around the AFC East:

AFC Notes: Edelman, Dolphins, Texans

March 6th, 2014 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up several updates on AFC teams this morning, but a few more have trickled in throughout the day, so let’s dive in and tackle those new items….

  • The Patriots and wide receiver Julian Edelman discussed a new deal today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by Tuesday, Edelman will be free to sign with any team.
  • Names like Eugene Monroe and Branden Albert have frequently been linked to the Dolphins leading up to the free agency, but Miami will need to add more than just a left tackle, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. Salguero explores a few other possible offensive line targets for the Dolphins in free agency.
  • The Texans are considering many quarterback options to back up the signal-caller they’re expected to select with their first-round pick, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. According to McClain, the Texans may sign two veteran QBs to go with the rookie they bring in.
  • There still hasn’t been any real movement in contract talks between the Titans and Alterraun Verner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean, who expects the free agent cornerback to reach the open market (Twitter link).
  • Former Dolphins trainer Kevin O’Neill is poised to fight his termination, writes Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel. O’Neill was among those implicated in the Wells Report.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

FA Rumors: Tatupu, Graham, Shaughnessy

March 4th, 2014 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Seahawks linebacker and three-time Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu is working out today for the Broncos, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Knee and pectoral injuries derailed the career of Tatupu, who hasn’t played a regular season game since 2010, but he’s still just 31 years old, so a comeback isn’t out of the question. The former All-Pro linebacker is an unrestricted free agent right now, but the rest of the players in this roundup will have to wait another week before getting the chance to hit the open market. Let’s dive in and check out the latest….

  • While Jimmy Graham will have the ability to field offers from suitors in free agency, the franchise tag will limit his options. In any case, Saints GM Mickey Loomis is confident that his club will find a way to reach a long-term deal with the star tight end, as he said today on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via Pro Football Talk). “I had hoped and I’m sure he had hoped we’d come to some conclusion on a longer-term deal before this,” Loomis said. “But we haven’t yet, and hopefully we will…. We’ll just let it play out, and I’m sure we’ll get something resolved.”
  • The Cardinals are in talks with Matt Shaughnessy‘s agent Rick Rosa in hopes of signing the free agent DE/LB to a new deal, according to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. “They are actively trying to re-sign him,” Rosa said. “He wants to be there, so we’ll see how it goes.”
  • Although cornerback Alterraun Verner acknowledges that he loves Tennessee and his Titans teammates, he sounds lukewarm on the idea of giving the club a “hometown discount” in free agency, as Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean writes.
  • The Broncos have the cap room in 2014 to bring back prospective free agent Eric Decker, but future obligations to Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas will make the team wary about investing too heavily in Decker, says Mike Klis of the Denver Post, who spoke to the wide receiver about his impending free agency.

Titans Re-Sign Bernard Pollard

March 4th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 12:37pm: Pollard can earn up to $6.4MM on his new two-year deal, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, the contract includes an $850K signing bonus, a $500K roster bonus, and $200K in workout bonuses.

MONDAY, 4:50pm: Pollard’s new contract with the Titans is for two years, tweets Wyatt.

2:43pm: The Titans appears to have reached an agreement with prospective free agent Bernard Pollard, according to the veteran safety himself. Pollard announced via Twitter that he’ll return to Tennessee: “Thank God!!! I’ll be a Titan for the next couple years!!! TitanUp.”

Pollard, 29, inked a one-year deal worth $2MM last season and outperformed his contract, racking up 99 tackles, three interceptions, and 10 passes defended while starting all 16 games for the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, Pollard ranked as the league’s 21st-best safety out of 86 qualified players at the position.

With Pollard seemingly locked up, the Titans can shift their focus to other positions, including in the secondary. Tennessee didn’t use its franchise tag on Alterraun Verner today, so the team will have to either lock him up within the next week or risk having him depart via free agency later in the month. The two sides aren’t currently close to an agreement, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).

Franchise Updates: Whitner, Houston, Byrd

March 3rd, 2014 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

With today’s franchise deadline now less than five hours away, let’s round up a few of the latest news items and rumors on the franchise tag from around the NFL….

  • The 49ers won’t be designating safety Donte Whitner as their franchise player, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
  • Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston isn’t expected to receive the team’s franchise tag, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • The Bills have yet to express anything to Jairus Byrd about the franchise tag, and it appears unlikely that the club will use it, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 also hears that the Bills won’t franchise Byrd (Twitter link).
  • The Packers don’t look likely to use the franchise tag on their own defensive back, says Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). A source tells Dougherty that the team has yet to mention the possibility to Sam Shields or his agent.

Earlier updates:

  • The Lions aren’t expected to use their franchise tag today, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew likely would have been the top candidate to be franchised.
  • The Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on defensive end Michael Bennett, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. We also heard over the weekend that the team doesn’t intend to tag kicker Steven Hauschka, but Seattle is still trying to reach deals with both players, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Titans won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Cornerback Alterraun Verner appeared to be the most viable Tennessee candidate for the tag, but it appears the club will either reach a multiyear agreement with Verner or let him hit the open market.
  • Paul Soliai‘s agent says the Dolphins have told his client he won’t be franchised, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). We heard last week that Miami was unlikely to re-sign Soliai, so the team may turn its attention to bringing back its other key free agent defensive lineman, Randy Starks.

Titans Rumors: Locker, Johnson, Verner

February 23rd, 2014 at 12:05pm CST by Rory Parks

Although Titans team president/CEO Tommy Smith recently lent his full endorsement to QB Jake Locker, Locker can expect to have some competition, according to Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Although it is expected that the 2014 draft’s top quarterbacks–Johnny Manizel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Blake Bortles–will be off the board by the time the Titans pick with the 11th overall selection, new head coach Ken Whisenhunt noted that there is a lot of talent at the position in this year’s draft and that he would like to have “five or six” of the incoming QBs.

Potential options to provide some younger competition for Locker that could be had after the first round include Derek Carr, Aaron Murray, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Zach Mettenberger, all of whom have enough talent to be starters in the league. Of course, the Titans also have Ryan Fitzpatrick under contract. Although his $2.75MM base salary puts him at risk of being a cap casualty, Titans officials have indicated that they “feel comfortable” with Fitzpatrick. In any event, 2014 seems to be Locker’s last year to prove he is Tennessee’s long-term solution at quarterback.

A couple quick updates on two of the bigger names on the Titans roster:

  • There has been no change in talks with RB Chris Johnson, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Our Luke Adams noted last week that it is widely expected the Titans will cut Johnson, and since then, GM Ruston Webster indicated the team will be patient when it comes to a decision regarding Johnson. Wyatt tweeted that Johnson will “stick to his word” and will not accept a pay cut.
  • Wyatt also tweets that the Titans are continuing to talk to CB Alterraun Verner, but that nothing is imminent. As Adams pointed out several days ago, the Titans would love to keep Verner but do not want to use the franchise tag on him.

Titans Rumors: Verner, Free Agents, Britt

February 21st, 2014 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

There’s some concern that free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner may be out of the Titans’ price range, writes Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. The club has spoken to Verner’s agent and hasn’t ruled out using its franchise tag, but indications are that Tennessee won’t franchise its standout cornerback, who figures to attract several big-money suitors on the open market, says Wyatt. Here’s more on the Titans from the Tennessean scribe:

  • Within the same piece, Wyatt suggests that locking up Verner may require a deal similar to the one the Titans gave Jason McCourty, who is averaging $8.6MM per year.
  • GM Ruston Webster on Verner, and free agents in general: “You have to look at where he is going to fit in your puzzle with the salary cap, with the value, whatever you set his value at. You want to get good players on your team. We try and get as many of those as we can everywhere, but obviously you have to spread it out some, so you have to be careful that way.”
  • There are indications that the Titans have spoken to – or plan to speak to – the agents for several prospective free agents, writes Wyatt, listing running back Jackie Battle, wide receivers Damian Williams and Marc Mariani, return specialist Leon Washington and offensive lineman Chris Spencer.
  • One free agent with whom the team appears ready to part ways? Wide receiver Kenny Britt. Unsurprisingly, Wyatt tweets that Tennessee has no plans to re-sign Britt.

Titans Rumors: Verner, Pollard, Wimbley

February 20th, 2014 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, we heard from Titans general manager Ruston Webster that the team is taking its time when it comes to making a decision on Chris Johnson‘s contract, and that the front office intends to continue talking to Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new deal. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean has an update on the Verner front, along with a few other Titans-related items, so let’s see what he’s got for us….

  • The Titans are meeting with Verner’s agent at the combine and the hope is that the two sides can work out a new deal in the near future, according to Wyatt (via Twitter). Wyatt adds that the club is unlikely to use the franchise tag on its free agent cornerback.
  • Bernard Pollard‘s agent and the Titans have engaged in discussions about a new contract for the free agent safety, and the team would like to bring him back, tweets Wyatt.
  • Kamerion Wimbley has a $7.8MM cap number for 2014 and Wyatt can’t see him returning to the Titans at that price. However, the club believes Wimbley would be a good fit in its changing defense, and there’s still plenty of time to talk about a restructure, says Wyatt (Twitter links).
  • Tennessee is also interested in re-signing free agent defensive lineman Ropati Pitoitua and will likely speak to his agent at the combine, tweets Wyatt.

Combine Updates: Bucs, Titans, Bears, Lions

February 20th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The 2014 scouting combine is underway in Indianapolis, and NFL head coaches and general managers have begun speaking to reporters both in scheduled press conferences and in smaller side interviews. There have been several tidbits worth passing along from those sessions, so let’s dive right in and round up a few highlights….

  • While Lovie Smith said he likes Mike Glennon, the Buccaneers head coach also expressed a belief that there could be a potential franchise quarterback available with the No. 7 pick in the draft, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times details. If that’s the case, it sounds like the Bucs will strongly consider drafting a signal-caller in the first round.
  • Steelers GM Kevin Colbert didn’t reveal much about his team’s offseason plans, but was enthusiastic in discussing 2014’s draft class. While he cautioned that it’s an immature group due to all the underclassmen in the mix, Colbert said it’s the best class he has even seen, according to Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Twitter link). As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter), that’s very high praise coming from Colbert, who has been preparing for drafts for the last 30 years.
  • Colbert’s comments on wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders suggested to the Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe that the Steelers intend to let Sanders hit the open market.
  • Asked about running back Chris Johnson, a potential cap casualty, Titans GM Ruston Webster said that the club can be as patient as it wants to be in making a decision on Johnson, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Webster also confirmed that the Titans have spoken to cornerback Alterraun Verner‘s agent about a new contract, adding that “we’ll continue to talk” (Twitter link via Wyatt).
  • The Bears would like to re-sign free agent defensive lineman Henry Melton, GM Phil Emery indicated to reporters, including Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). However, it’s clear that it will come down to Melton’s price tag. Emery also echoed coach Marc Trestman‘s views on Chris Conte, suggesting that he hopes the safety comes in and wins a starting job (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune). “I’d like to be talking to him about an extension,” Emery said of Conte.
  • Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said “never say never” when it comes to re-signing recently released safety Louis Delmas, but didn’t sound optimistic about the possibility, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). Caldwell added that acquiring a wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson will be one of the club’s top priorities this offseason, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals would like to re-sign linebacker Karlos Dansby but have always been prepared to move on, GM Steve Keim said today, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).

AFC South Notes: Colts, Verner, Babin

February 15th, 2014 at 1:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

One of the biggest question marks for the Colts this offseason is how the team will better develop Trent Richardson after a disappointing 2013 campaign. Since the team traded a first-round pick to acquire him, Richardson seems locked in to the top of the depth chart at least at the beginning of this season. Because of this, and the return of Vick Ballard from injury, Donald Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw will probably be searching for new teams in free agency, writes Mike Wells of ESPN.com. While they were arguably the Colts best running backs last season, they would most likely look for opportunities to start or split time elsewhere. Here are some other rumors from around the AFC South:

  • While the Colts will have more than $30MM to spend, Wells does not see the team bringing a bunch of big name free agents this offseason. With new contracts for T.Y. Hilton and most importantly Andrew Luck on the horizon, much of that cap space will be saved for re-signing current players or cheaper free agents.
  • Alterraun Verner has been thought of as a possible franchise tag candidate for the Titans, but Jim Wyatt of the Tennesseean does not see that as a likely scenario, as the team is already paying Jason McCourty a little over $8.6MM per year. Verner’s franchise price is expected to be around $11.2MM, and together it would be too much to invest in one position. The team will continue to work on a long-term deal with Verner.
  • Jason Babin is unlikely to be on the Jaguars roster next season at his current price tag of $4.225MM, but he is willing to renegotiate that figure to stay with the team, writes Michael Dirocco of ESPN.com. Babin was the Jaguars’ best pass rusher last season, totaling a team-high 7.5 sacks on the season.
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