Brandon Brooks - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Osweiler, Okung, M. Williams

March 6th, 2016 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

The big news of the day, of course, was the report that Peyton Manning will officially announce his retirement tomorrow. However, offseason business in the NFL waits for no man, and to that end, here are some notes regarding some of this year’s biggest free agents:

After Manning’s decision, and with free agency set to officially open on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Broncos‘ negotiations with Brock Osweiler will really begin to ramp up.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that Osweiler may indeed re-sign with the Broncos, but that is far from a certainty at this point. As Schefter observes, other quarterback-needy clubs could make it difficult for Denver to retain the fifth-year signal-caller.
Even though the Seahawks are interested in retaining him, LT Russell Okung is intent on hitting the free agent market, per Rapoport (via Twitter).
Rapoport tweets that Mario Williams stayed the night in Miami after visiting the Dolphins, and while Williams has other visits lined up, Rapoport says that Miami could keep him from taking those visits.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman does not spend big in free agency, but if he makes an exception this offseason, Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer identifies Eric Weddle and Bruce Irvin as two players that would make a great deal of sense for Carolina.
Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets that the Texans will be active in exploring the top of the free agent running back market after parting ways with Arian Foster. Wilson names Chris Ivory, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, and Matt Forte as possibilities for Houston.
The Eagles will certainly invest free agent dollars and draft picks in their offensive line this offseason, and Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer names Jeff Allen and Brandon Brooks as realistic targets for the club.
Free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin, unsurprisingly, wants to continue his career with a title contender, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

Free Agent Rumors: Kearse, Brooks, Dolphins

March 3rd, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jermaine Kearse does not plan to re-sign with the Seahawks and is looking forward to finding a new home, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter).

The 26-year-old Lakeland, Wash., native would be one the rare instances of an actual hometown discount occurring in the NFL, only Kearse isn’t interested in taking one to remain with the Seahawks.

Seattle has much of its money tied up on its stellar defense, with three of the four Legion of Boom starters on second contracts, along with several members of its front seven.

Kearse, meanwhile, will be one of the top receivers on a market that’s not loaded with No. 1-caliber wideouts. Marvin Jones, Rishard Matthews and Rueben Randle are the other top young targets in free agency after the Bears franchise-tagged Alshon Jeffery.

Kearse has started 36 games since joining the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and likely stands to be pursued by several teams in need of pass-catching help.

Here’s some more on the Seahawks and other teams as they plan to navigate free agency.

Bruce Irvin and Russell Okung are “almost certainly” going to join Kearse on their way out of the Pacific Northwest, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Okung probably resides as the left tackle market’s top option now that Cordy Glenn‘s been franchised, and the self-represented blocker will take the best offer, per Condotta (on Twitter). Irvin’s market as well could escalate beyond Seattle’s means, with the interest in pass-rushers being only surpassed by quarterbacks. We heard Wednesday that multiple teams would be thrilled to tab Irvin at $9.5MM AAV, and Condotta doesn’t envision the Seahawks surpassing eight figures annually to keep Irvin (Twitter link).
The Texans are actively trying to lock down a deal for Brandon Brooks, but no such accord is imminent for the fifth-year guard, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Brooks’ representatives and Houston have been in contact since the Combine. Brooks rated as Pro Football Focus’ 37th-ranked guard in 2015, and he joins a crowded guard class fronted by Kelechi Osemele. The Texans re-signed right tackle Derek Newton last offseason and have $42MM+ worth of cap space this year.
Houston’s also trying to keep center Ben Jones, according to Wilson. The Houston reporter doesn’t expect Jones to be as pricey. The fourth-round pick in 2012’s started 43 games for the Texans.
Adam Jones expects interest from the Dolphins, who hired former Bengals secondary coach Vance Joseph as their DC. Talks between the Bengals and Jones broke down last season, but the maligned 32-year-old corner hasn’t closed the book on a Cincinnati return, according to Mike Garafolo of FoxSports.com. “I would think V.J. would be interested,” Jones told Garafolo. “He’s taught me a lot and he knows I know everything in the system. He knows I’m a football guy. If I’m a betting man, I would think he’d try to bring me in there.”
The Dolphins plan to move on from Matt Moore as their backup quarterback, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Moore’s been with the Dolphins for five seasons, including his lone stint as a starter during which he went 6-6 and completed 61% of his passes. He’s thrown 30 passes total in the past four years as Ryan Tannehill‘s backup. Miami re-signed Moore to a one-year deal worth $2.6MM last year but may look to allocate less money to the spot. The 31-year-old Moore should have a market for a backup job elsewhere.
The Patriots don’t plan to tender defensive lineman Sealver Siliga, making him a free agent once the market opens, Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Siliga’s played with the Patriots for the past three seasons, starting 13 regular-season games during that span.
Joel Corry expects Von Miller to sign a six-year, $120MM deal with the Broncos that includes $65MM in guaranteed money, the former agent writes for CBSSports.com. This would eclipse Ndamukong Suh‘s pact in both total and guaranteed dollars. Corry anticipates Washington paying $100MM over five years for Kirk Cousins, the Bears going five years and $75MM for Jeffery — in a deal that would eclipse those signed by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas last summer as tagged receivers — and Muhammad Wilkerson signing for $100MM over six years.

FA Rumors: Broncos QBs, Snacks, 49ers, Hali, Mebane

February 29th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest rumors as we draw closer to free agency:

The quarterback-needy Texans are likely to go after Brock Osweiler if he doesn’t re-sign with the Broncos, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
If Peyton Manning – whom Osweiler has backed up since entering the NFL in 2012 – returns for his age-40 season and the Broncos release him, the Texans and Rams could pursue the future Hall of Famer, writes Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Should Manning elect against retirement, Denver is expected to cut the two-time Super Bowl champion by March 8 and save $19MM on its cap. A good portion of that money would go to linebacker Von Miller, who is looking for a deal similar to what Miami gave defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last winter (six years, $114MM, with $60MM in guarantees), reports Marvez.
It’ll take a “major reversal” for Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison to not reach the open market, according to La Canfora (Twitter link). “Snacks” stated earlier this month that he and the Jets were making progress toward a deal, but that no longer appears to be the case. The 27-year-old was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked interior defender against the run last season (subscription required).
Passing along what he heard at the scouting combine, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee lists several prospective free agents the 49ers are thought to be targeting. Guards Kelechi Osemele, Brandon Brooks, J.R. Sweezy, Richie Incognito and Ramon Foster; receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu; cornerbacks Sean Smith, Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins; and running back Doug Martin could all be on the club’s radar.
The Chiefs are working hard to retain linebacker Tamba Hali, whom they’ll meet with later this week, reports La Canfora (Twitter link). Hali has so far spent his entire career in Kansas City, which used a first-round pick on him in 2006. The 32-year-old has piled up 86 sacks (6.5 last season) while missing just four regular-season games in his decade-long career.
Speaking of players whose careers have been spent in one place, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane hopes to extend his nine-year tenure with the Seahawks. “I’d love to be back out there in Seattle, finish my career in Seattle,” the 2007 third-rounder told 710 ESPN. However, Mebane added that he’ll probably visit other teams. Mebane’s status is one of many issues PFR addressed in its offseason preview of the Seahawks on Sunday. Click here to read it.

Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman

February 29th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.

“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.

As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….

Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.

Free Agent Rumors: Schwartz, Gipson, Texans, Fleener

February 27th, 2016 at 9:44pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest free agency rumors from around the NFL:

There’s a belief at the combine that offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz will end up with a contract in the $8MM-per-year range, writes Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com. That would make Schwartz the second-richest right tackle in the league in terms of annual salary. The Eagles’ Lane Johnson ranks first at $11.25MM, though he’s expected to eventually shift to left tackle (normally the more lucrative position). Since the Browns took Schwartz in the second round of the 2012 draft, he has appeared in and started 64 straight games. For his work last season, the 26-year-old ranked sixth out of 77 qualifying tackles by Pro Football Focus’ standards (subscription required).
Safety Tashaun Gipson, who has also been with the Browns since 2012, will garner plenty of interest on the market and should cash in, according to Pauline. Gipson has amassed 14 interceptions during his four seasons, including league-leading totals in both 2013 and ’14, and gone to one Pro Bowl. As of earlier this week, Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown was hoping to lock up Gipson.
The Texans have two important offensive linemen scheduled for free agency in center Ben Jones and guard Brandon Brooks, and they’re trying to re-sign both, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The team has met with both players’ agents at the combine, per Wilson. Jones has logged 16 starts in back-to-back years, while Brooks has combined for 44 over the last three seasons.
The Colts aren’t in any rush to re-sign tight end Coby Fleener, per Pauline. Fleener is coming off his third straight 50-reception season, but his yards per catch dropped precipitously compared to 2014 (15.2 to 9.1), as did his touchdown total (eight to three).

Extra Points: Saints, Carroll, Kaep, Texans

February 25th, 2016 at 9:08pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Saints head coach Sean Payton told NFL Network on Thursday that a contract extension for quarterback Drew Brees “will get done very easily,” per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. General manager Mickey Loomis said earlier this month that he wants to lock up Brees, whose deal expires after next season. Loomis also stated at the time that he and Tom Condon, Brees’ agent, hadn’t yet spoken about an extension. That changed at the combine, where Loomis and Condon met, according to Payton.

In a different interview, Payton told Pro Football Talk that offensive guard and the defensive front seven will be the Saints’ main concerns in free agency and the draft (Twitter link via Dabe). Earlier this month, the Saints cut guard Jahri Evans and two front seven defenders, linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber.

Other news from around the NFL:

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll told the Los Angeles Times’ Gary Klein that he has no interest in returning to USC to become its athletic director (Twitter link). Carroll, of course, led USC to an 83-19 mark as its football coach from 2001-09.
Colin Kaepernick‘s contract – a middle-of-the-road deal for a quarterback – shouldn’t scare off possible suitors, writes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. If the 49ers do trade Kaepernick, which looks like a distinct possibility, Fitzgerald lists six teams as potential fits. He expects the Niners to seek a second-round pick in return.
The Texans have met with guard Brandon Brooks‘ representatives at the combine, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Brooks, a pending free agent, has started in each of his last 44 appearances.
The Falcons have not yet made any decisions regarding Devin Hester‘s status with the team, according to GM Thomas Dimitroff, who says that won’t happen until after Hester is fully recovered from his toe surgery (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com).
The Saints ($42K), Broncos ($267K) and Rams ($1.245MM) opted against carrying over their full allotment of space from 2015, tweets Pro Football Talk. The Broncos’ motivation was to prevent other playoff teams from signing their practice squad players during the postseason, according to PFT’s Mike Florio. Each team has to make its call on carryover space at the end of the regular season. The Saints and Rams didn’t make the playoffs, so it’s currently unclear why they left their respective amounts behind. The list of all 32 clubs’ carryover totals can be found here.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Mularkey, Jets, Texans

January 2nd, 2016 at 9:55am CST by Ben Levine

The Titans have only gone 2-6 under interim head coach Mike Mularkey, but the 54-year-old has still been thrilled with the opportunity.

“It’s been busy, very busy, but I enjoy my job,’’ Mularkey told Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com. “I really enjoy it and being around these guys. It’s fun to come into work. I think it’s fun for them and I’d like to end on a win, obviously. I think they all would.”

Of course, Mularkey understands that ‘Black Monday’ is quickly approaching, and his underwhelming record doesn’t make him a shoo-in to keep his job.

“I really don’t know what, to be honest, what the format is (for Monday),” Mularkey said. “I’m going to come in on Monday. We’re all going to come in on Monday. I’m going to remain the head coach until I’m told otherwise.

“We’ve got a plan for the week, really for the beginning part of the week, and then coaches are going to take some time off. We’re going to move forward that way.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC…

Rich Cimini says cornerback Antonio Cromartie will be the Jets most likely cap casualty this offseason. The veteran has three years left on his contract, but none of the money is guaranteed, making him a relatively easy cut. The writer also suggests wideout Jeremy Kerley, tight end Jeff Cumberland, offensive linemen D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, and Breno Giacomini, and quarterback Geno Smith as potential cap casualties.
Texans first-round pick Kevin Johnson has had a solid rookie campaign, and the defensive back is hoping to carry over that play into 2016. “I feel good about my rookie season,” he told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a blessing to come into an organization with guys I can learn from and take me under their wing like J-Jo and Kareem. I feel like I did some good things and also some things to learn from.”
Texans lineman Brandon Brooks has missed several games this season due to an illness and toe injury. The 26-year-old recently returned to the lineup, and the impending free agent is hoping to boost his value before the season concludes. “I feel good, just trying to progress each week,” he told Wilson. “I’m doing some good things out there. There’s always things I can improve, just trying to finish strong. There’s a lot of things I can work on. I’m just trying to keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Sunday Roundup: Payton, Lacy, Osweiler

December 6th, 2015 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

As Week 13 gets underway in full force, let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the league:

The Saints will not release head coach Sean Payton, but the team is warming to the idea of trading him for draft picks, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. New Orleans though, would not deal Payton to a team he does not wish to coach, and Payton would not sign an extension with any team that does not appeal to him.
2015 has been nothing short of a disappointment for Packers RB Eddie Lacy, and his on-field struggles are just one cause for concern. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Conor Orr of NFL.com), Green Bay is troubled by Lacy’s off-field behavior–Lacy was, of course, disciplined for a curfew violation Wednesday night–and the team in fact cut fellow RB Alonzo Harris and did not resign him to the practice squad because he is a close friend of Lacy’s and the Packers apparently believe Harris is a bad influence on their star back.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines the type of deal that Broncos QB Brock Osweiler might command in the offseason. The Broncos may offer him a contract with an AAV of roughly $12MM–which is what Nick Foles is earning with the Rams–but assuming Osweiler finishes the regular season with a 6-1 or 5-2 record as a starter, he would have no reason to accept such an offer, as there would be plenty of teams willing to shell out much more than that in free agency. Instead, Denver may be forced to extend Von Miller and use the franchise tag–which it planned to use on Miller–on Osweiler.
In a separate piece, Fitzgerald examines the 2016 class of free agent defensive ends.
Although he lost the opportunity to finish the season as the Browns‘ starting QB several weeks ago, Johnny Manziel has been told by the club that he will start again this season, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. When that will be, however, is anyone’s guess.
After failing in his attempts to purchase the Bills, Jon Bon Jovi is still attempting to buy an NFL club, and La Canfora writes that Bon Jovi, along with a number of other potential suitors, is paying close attention to the Titans, a team that other owners believe could formally come for sale in the spring or fall as the Adams family continues to sort through tax and estate issues.
Texans right guard Brandon Brooks, who has dealt with a number of stomach ailments over the past year, experienced nausea this morning at Ralph Wilson Stadium and went to a Buffalo-area hospital for further evaluation, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Needless to say, Brooks was scratched from Houston’s game with the Bills this afternoon.
Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweets that the 49ers have not yet determined if they will move rookie WR DeAndre Smelter off the NFI list. The deadline to do so is tomorrow, and the team’s decision could be impacted by its injury situation after today’s clash with the Bears.

South Notes: Jags, Brooks, Saints, Mariota

October 22nd, 2015 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Through at least the 2020 season, EverBank Field will continue to host seven Jaguars regular season games annually, rather than eight, as we learned earlier today. With Jacksonville having extended its relationship with Wembley Stadium through 2020, with an option for five additional years, the Jags will play at least one home game per year overseas for the foreseeable future.

While that announcement wasn’t a surprise, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Jags’ schedule over the next few years to see if they spend even more time in the United Kingdom. The team is a good candidate to become the first to play two consecutive games in London — likely one as a home team and one as a road team. Additionally, once Tottenham’s new stadium opens in 2018, the Jags would look like a prime candidate to play games there as well, given owner Shad Khan’s fondness for the market.

Here’s more on Khan, the Jaguars, and some other teams from the NFL’s two South divisions:

While Khan is disappointed with the Jaguars‘ 1-5 record to open the 2015 season, he said today that he still has “a huge amount of confidence” in GM Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
Texans guard Brandon Brooks, who figures to be one of the more intriguing free agents at his position in 2016, was impressed by Marshal Yanda‘s new contract with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Not bad at all,” Brooks said. “He deserves it.” For his part, Brooks could end up seeking a similar deal this winter.
Drew Brees is 36, and it’s time for the Saints to face reality and think about the future of the position, writes Pat Yasinskas of WalterFootball.com. Although Brees is coming off his best game of the season against Atlanta, Yasinskas rightly notes that there have been some signs that the veteran signal-caller is slowing down. If the Saints finish near the bottom of the league this year, they may have a chance to draft California quarterback Jared Goff, and that’s a pick that Yasinskas endorses.
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota didn’t take part in practice today, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that tomorrow’s practice will reveal a lot about the QB’s availability for Week 7 (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). Reports on the severity of Mariota’s injury have varied, with some suggesting he could be sidelined for multiple weeks, while others have indicated he should play this weekend.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

South Rumors: Castonzo, Kuechly, Brooks

August 18th, 2015 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest news and rumors out of the AFC South and NFC South focus on a handful of candidates for contract extensions. Let’s round up the highlights….

Earlier in camp, Colts owner Jim Irsay singled out T.Y. Hilton and left tackle Anthony Castonzo as two players the team would like to sign to contract extensions before the regular season. The team has now finalized a new deal with Hilton, and GM Ryan Grigson acknowledged today that the club has active negotiations ongoing with Castonzo, tweets Mike Wells of ESPN.com.
This morning, we heard that extension discussions between the Panthers and Luke Kuechly were “heating up,” but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t want to assume his standout linebacker will get a new contract right away. Rivera tells ESPN.com’s David Newton that the odds of something getting done by Week 1 are still about 50/50. Personally, I’d be surprised if the two sides hadn’t agreed to terms by then.
Sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle that the Texans would like to lock up guard Brandon Brooks to an extension, though it will depend how expensive he gets. If Brooks were to reach free agency in 2016, he would likely be in heavy demand as one of the best players available at his position, alongside perhaps Ravens guard Kelechi Osemele.